The Kamigawa Challenge
Welcome one and all to the Kamigawa Challenge! As you all know, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, the newest Magic set, takes place on a plane inspired by Japan and Japanese mythology, now with a healthy dose of modern technology ranging from mech suits to cybernetic enhancements and more. With that in mind, I figured it would be fun to go through the various themes and mechanics of the set, and create cards for them.
This challenge will be broken up into several categories, described below. You may enter cards for as many or few of these as you want, and they will all be judged separately with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention for each. The categories are:
Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make a card with Ninjutsu (Ninjutsu [cost] (Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.))
OR
Make a card that cares about Ninjas or the Ninjutsu mechanic
Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make a card that cares about a Samurai or Warrior attacking alone
OR
Make a Samurai that isn't a Samurai tribal card
Example from the set:
For this category you must:
Make a card that cares about modified creatures
OR
Make a creature that can modify itself
Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make an equipment creature with Reconfigure (Reconfigure [cost] ([Cost]: Attach to target creature you control; or unattach from a creature. Reconfigure only as a sorcery. While attached this isn't a creature.))
OR
Make a card that cares about equipment
This challenge will be broken up into several categories, described below. You may enter cards for as many or few of these as you want, and they will all be judged separately with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention for each. The categories are:
Category 1: Ninjas
The first category is Ninjas! In Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, they mostly rely on the Ninjutsu mechanic, which allows you to sneak them into play after blockers, so that is going to be the main focus for this category.Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make a card with Ninjutsu (Ninjutsu [cost] (Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.))
OR
Make a card that cares about Ninjas or the Ninjutsu mechanic
Category 2: Samurai
Next up, we've got the noble warriors of Kamigawa, the Samurai! In the past, they used the Bushido mechanic, but in Neon Dynasty they have forsaken this for the theme of attacking alone.Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make a card that cares about a Samurai or Warrior attacking alone
OR
Make a Samurai that isn't a Samurai tribal card
Category 3: Modified
Kamegawa: Neon Dynasty introduces a new grouping word called Modified, which counts if a creature is equipped, enchanted, or has a counter on it. Category 3 revolves around this mechanic.Example from the set:
For this category you must:
Make a card that cares about modified creatures
OR
Make a creature that can modify itself
Category 4: Reconfigure
Our next category is for equipment creatures. Yes, you read that right, creatures that are also equipment. These cards utilize the new Reconfigure mechanic, which allows you to attach and detach the creatures for a certain cost. These cards are usually flavored as weapons and equipment shaped as animals.Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make an equipment creature with Reconfigure (Reconfigure [cost] ([Cost]: Attach to target creature you control; or unattach from a creature. Reconfigure only as a sorcery. While attached this isn't a creature.))
OR
Make a card that cares about equipment
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Category 5: Vehicles
Making their return in full force in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty are Vehicles. Vehicles are a special subtype of artifact that can become a creature by tapping creatures with power equal to or greater than their crew cost. Most of the vehicles in Neon Dynasty are mechs, but don't let that stop you from making a non-mech vehicle. Many creatures that care about vehicles in this set also have the Pilot subtype.
Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make a Vehicle
OR
Make a card that cares about Vehicles
Category 6: Artifacts and Enchantments
One of the major themes from Neon Dynasty is artifacts and enchantments. This is one of the only sets where both types are prominent, and also the only main set where enchantment creatures have made an appearance other than Theros. Both artifact and enchantment creatures appear, as well as cards that care about you having both an artifact and an enchantment.
Examples from the set:
For this category, you must:
Make an enchantment creature or a card that cares about enchantments
OR
Make an artifact creature or a card that cares about artifacts
OR
Create a card that cares about you controlling both an artifact and an enchantment
Category 7: Channel
Out of the 8 categories, Channel is the one that is by far the most open-ended. Channel is a simple mechanic that allows you to pay a cost and discard the card from your hand to gain a spell-like effect. Other than that, there's no requirement for Channel cards, so you can really do whatever you want as long as it fits the flavor.
Example from the set:
For this category, you must:
Create a card with a Channel ability
Category 8: Old School
Our final category is for all of you fans of OG Kamigawa block. While the new mechanics are fun and all, I thought it would be cool to have a section for cards themed around the mechanics from older Kamigawa sets. Arcane spells and Splice onto Arcane allow for a sort of build-your-own spell, Soulshift allows you to return spirits from your graveyard to your hand, Bushido is the original Samurai mechanic that gives buffs when blocking or blocked, Offering allows you to sacrifice a creature of a specific type to reduce the cost of the spell, and Sweep allows you to return lands to your hand for an amplified effect.
Examples from OG Kamigawa:
For this category, you must:
Make a card with Splice onto Arcane (Splice onto Arcane [cost] (As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card’s effects to that spell.))
OR
Make a card with Soulshift (Soulshift N (When this creature dies, you may return target Spirit card with mana value N or less from your graveyard to your hand.))
OR
Make a card with Bushido (Bushido N (Whenever this creature blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +N/+N until end of turn.))
OR
Make a card with Offering ([Subtype] Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a [Subtype] and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed [Subtype]. Mana cost includes color.))
OR
Make a card with Sweep (Sweep — Return any number of [basic land] you control to their owner's hand [effect that counts the number of lands you returned])
Contest Rules
Contest Judging
Each category will be judged individually. For each category, there will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize, but there will also be an overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize for those who placed the highest in the most categories.
First place for each category gets a follow, 3 favorites, 3 points towards the overall score, and the ability to nominate an honorable mention.
Second place for each category gets a follow, 2 favorites, and 2 points towards the overall score.
Third place for each category gets a follow, 1 favorite, and 1 point towards the overall score.
Honorable mentions get 1 favorite.
Once all the individual categories have been judged, the points scored by those who placed well in those will get added up, and overall winners will be declared.
First place overall gets an additional 5 favorites.
Second place overall gets an additional 4 favorites.
Third place overall gets an additional 3 favorites.
Now then, without further ado, good luck, have fun, and happy cardsmithing!
My first card for the Modified category. I used the specific set symbol because the Neon Dynasty one isn't on the site yet.
Ninjas: Entry 1
https://www.mtgcardsmith.com/view/ninja-of-concealed-truth
Ninjas: Entry 2
https://www.mtgcardsmith.com/view/master-of-disguise-8
Old School: Entry 1
https://www.mtgcardsmith.com/view/ascend-to-minamo
https://www.mtgcardsmith.com/view/izumi-the-blood-chorus
Category 6: Artifacts and Enchantments
Category 8: Old School
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/chameleon-collar
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/sprout-from-the-lifevine
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/kodama-of-the-evergrove
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/hidden-blade-shinobi-1
Ninja Entry #2
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/mukotai-illusionist
Ninja Entry #3
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/skinshift-infiltrator
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shigeru-forges-flame
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/order-of-the-dragon-1
Artifacts and Enchantments Entry #1
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/charmcrafter-enchantress
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/contemplative-warrior-1?list=user
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/neophobia
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/takagi-twins
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/horobis-chosen
(AboveAndAbout inspired this design)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ryoto-frontline-marshal
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/chromatic-idol
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/miruko-the-shadow-hand?list=user
Entry 2: Ninjutsu
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/silent-blade-rogue?list=user
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/steelshell-kappa
They opened the door with Kappa Tech-Wrecker, it had to be done.
My second entry for the Modified category