đŸ”„ The Final Spark – One Last Thread to Ignite the Forge đŸ”„

jpastorjpastor
in Off-topic Chat

Well, here it is.

Maybe you're one of the old names still poking around out of habit. Maybe you're new and stumbled into a half-forgotten forum. Either way: welcome.

This is it // one last attempt to keep a thread alive here on MTGCardsmith.
No gimmicks, no false hype. Just a place to post, create, chat, and maybe breathe some life back into this forge.

This thread is for:

  • Card designs (serious, weird, meme, nostalgic // bring it)

  • Casual community chatter

  • MTG talk, game stories, flavor debates

  • Challenges (I'll throw some up regularly)

  • Reminiscing on the golden days of the forums

Whether this thread lasts a week or a year, let’s make it a good one.

đŸ”„ Challenge #1: “Echoes of Forgotten Threads”
Design a card inspired by an old forum contest, inside joke, legendary smith, or memory.
Tell us the story behind it. Let’s honor the past before we see what’s left of the future.

Drop a card. Drop a comment. Drop a spark.
Or just say hi — that’s enough too.

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Comments

  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
     <3 
  • smax765smax765
    I just lost my account: my password doesn't apply correctly...
  • kaoz42kaoz42
    edited August 4
    @smax765 :#
    Try changing your password???
  • smax765smax765
    @kaoz42

    I tried but it didn't work because of something... I've contacted MTGCS on dc, let's hope they can help me with the issue.
  • Mellow_MCMellow_MC
    hi guys! i checked in and found this...cool. I guess. At least people are still trying. Anyways, how are your summer's going?
  • jpastorjpastor
    @Mellow_MC summer serves one purpose, so spend 3 months slowly resetting my batter for the remaining 9 months - so far... going well
  • kaoz42kaoz42
    @jpastor
    Can we submit old cards for the challenge?
  • smax765smax765
    edited August 6
    @jpastor

    Here is one of my cards. I really liked the design and, of course, has one of my favourite custom mechanics (thanks TenebrisNemo for creating such a piece of art)
    https://mtg.design/i/njzf01.jpg




  • LvBLvB
    edited August 6
    Whenever i sign in on the new website it says "ERROR: Incorrect username or password." but i still get logged in. If i then open the forum, forum says im not logged in and i have to refresh (F5) the website several times until it realizes im logged in.

    Weird shit going on since they updated the website.
  • jpastorjpastor
    edited August 6

    Appreciate all of you checking in // seriously. It means something. Whether you're just dropping by or actually planning to stick around for a while, you're welcome here.

    đŸ§” REPLIES:

    @kaoz42 – 100%, old cards are welcome for the challenge! Especially if there’s a story behind them. It's about honoring what came before, not just making new stuff.

    @smax765 – Awesome design. I remember that mechanic, too // TenebrisNemo had some serious worldbuilding chops. Glad to see pieces of that legacy still sparking ideas.

    @Mellow_MC – Resetting the battery is a vibe I can relate to. Hope summer’s treating you well too.

    @LvB – You're not alone. The site's had all kinds of login quirks lately. Hopefully MTGCS gets it smoothed out soon. Props to you for pushing through it to be here.

    ⚡ Challenge #2 – “Unplayable but Beautiful”

    Make a card that would never make it into a real set... but is too flavorful, weird, or beautiful not to exist.

    Go wild. Go poetic. Go janky. Go weird.
    Share the idea, even if it would break Limited in half or cause a judge to quit mid-tournament.

    Let’s keep this thread warm. Even if this is the last spark // it’s glowing.

    – jpastor đŸ”„

  • kaoz42kaoz42
    edited August 7
    1st Challenge Submission (My character from ToC6, which is one of the first discussions I discovered on the forums):


  • kaoz42kaoz42
    Looks like this is dying already...🙁
  • Mellow_MCMellow_MC
    Sry I’ve tried for too long. I just don’t have any more motivation to continue making cards or participating in the community.
  • jpastorjpastor

    đŸ”„ Hey — before we let this go cold
 đŸ”„

    First off, @kaoz42 // love that you dug up a ToC6 reference for Challenge #1. That’s exactly the kind of “memory-turned-card” energy I was hoping for.

    And I hear you on the thread feeling quiet already
 but here’s the thing:
    We’ve all seen threads die. We’ve all seen people drift away. That’s the reality of the site right now.
    But this one only dies if we stop posting entirely // and it’s not dead yet.

    @Mellow_MC // I completely understand the burnout. Making cards takes time, and without an active crowd, it’s easy to feel like you’re shouting into the void.
    But you’ve already been part of the spark here. Even if you’re stepping back, you’re welcome to just hang out, chat, or throw random ideas into the mix. Doesn’t always have to be full-on design mode.

    Here’s what I’ll do:
    I’ll keep posting challenges, responding to every submission, and keeping this place moving.
    If even 2-3 of us keep throwing something in, people lurking might start joining in again.

    ⚡ Challenge #3 – “One Mana, Infinite Story”
    Design a card that costs exactly one mana (any color), but feels like it tells a whole story // whether that’s through flavor text, abilities, or just the name/art combo.
    Bonus points if it’s so flavorful someone could write a short story about it.

    If this thread is going to be the “Final Spark,” let’s burn bright while we’ve got it.

    – jpastor đŸ”„

  • CorwinnnCorwinnn
    Here is a memory...

  • jpastorjpastor
    edited August 10

    @Corwinnn // ohhh man, that takes me back.
    That’s exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to see in “Echoes of Forgotten Threads.” It’s not just a card // it’s a little time capsule.
    Makes me realize how many great moments are buried in these forums just waiting to be dusted off.

    If anyone else has forum relics // screenshots, old contest cards, weird inside jokes, or “how did we ever think this mechanic was balanced?” moments // post them!
    Let’s stack this place with reminders of why we kept coming back here in the first place.

    ⚡ Reminder: Challenge #3 is live // “One Mana, Infinite Story.”
    And if you’re still working on Challenges #1 or #2, post them anytime. There’s no expiration date here.

    What do you say we make August the “Month of Memories” here? New cards, old cards, even just silly forum screenshots welcome.
    This thread can be our little archive // and maybe our new favorite hangout.

    – jpastor đŸ”„

  • Mellow_MCMellow_MC

  • kaoz42kaoz42
    @Mellow_MC
    Link so I can favorite it? Also huge thanks doing this even when you have lost motivation.
  • Mellow_MCMellow_MC
    this is the old card
  • kaoz42kaoz42
    edited August 11
    Also, I don’t know if the same is happening for anyone else, but the “recently published” section of the main website isn’t updating. This is extremely weird, since MTGCS is a very active site, and this has lasted for over a day. And not much saga activity happening anymore even, @Mellow_MC the newest saga died fast, and I don’t have any motivation to continue mine.
  • kaoz42kaoz42
    edited August 11
    NEWS! @Mellow_MC, @jpastor, @smax765, @LvB, @Corwinn
    Melovecatz and balmar467 have joined. So has someone that has cards that should be removed unfortunately. Let’s hope the first two stay.
  • jpastorjpastor

    @Mellow_MC // oh man, that card is a blast from the past. You’ve officially contributed to the “Month of Memories”// glad you decided to drop it in here, even with motivation running low. 🙏

    @kaoz42 // I’ve noticed the “recently published” thing too. Might just be a temporary hiccup on MTGCS’s side. Annoying, but hopefully short-lived. And yeah
 sagas fading is sad, but you’ve been one of the constants here, and it means more than you know.

    👋 Welcome wagon time!
    @Melovecatz & @balmar467 // if you see this, you’ve wandered into what might be the coziest and weirdest little corner of the forums right now.
    We’re doing design challenges, nostalgia posts, and general MTG chatter.
    No pressure // but if you want to share a card, memory, or even just say “hi,” you’re in.

    ⚡ Reminder: Challenge #3 – “One Mana, Infinite Story” is still running.
    A single mana, any color, but the card should feel like a whole narrative in one frame.

    Let’s keep stacking up these posts // between old friends, new names, and buried memories, there’s still something alive here. đŸ”„

    – jpastor

  • StuffnSuchStuffnSuch


    So, I got into custom card design when I first ran an after school program for middle schoolers (which I still do) where they can learn to play Magic.  There was going to be a student showcase for the clubs, and we needed something to display, so I asked each student to design and illustrate their own Magic card.  It was a fun project, but they insisted that I make one, too.  I came up with Methros, Life Drinker, who then became the big bad of a set I started to design, and when the program I was using to make the cards got buggy, I stumbled across mtgcardsmith as a possible alternative.  Naturally, when I decided to try it out, I started with my first and most important custom card design up to that point.
  • StuffnSuchStuffnSuch
    Also, I can't seem to link to the card.  It looks like cards aren't generating pages anymore, just a pop up?  That really sucks.
  • StuffnSuchStuffnSuch


    Here's an unplayable beauty.  It really bends the rules, as essentially it changes the rules text on every card in the game to be able to be exiled, pretending to be B.S.  The idea of being able to gain 10 life if you call the bluff, but lose 10 life if they weren't lying as a random subgame of Magic is just one of the dumbest, but most intriguing, things I've every come up with.
  • StuffnSuchStuffnSuch
    And, here's a 1 drop for you:

  • jpastorjpastor

    @StuffnSuch // this is exactly the kind of post that makes me glad I started this thread.
    That after-school program story? That’s incredible. Not only are you designing, but you’ve been sparking creativity in the next generation of players/designers // that’s real impact. Methros, Life Drinker sounds like a worthy “big bad,” and now I kind of want to see the whole set.

    Also


    • Your “unplayable beauty” might be my favorite entry in Challenge #2 so far. It’s deliciously chaotic // like Magic meets a party game, but somehow still flavorful.

    • That 1-drop for Challenge #3? Chef’s kiss. Tells a story in one glance. Exactly the kind of “miniature world” I was hoping people would create.

    For anyone keeping track:

    • Challenge #1: “Echoes of Forgotten Threads” – still open.

    • Challenge #2: “Unplayable but Beautiful” – still open.

    • Challenge #3: “One Mana, Infinite Story” – now has a killer example from @StuffnSuch.

    Let’s keep this going // whether it’s your first post here or your fiftieth, drop something in. Card, story, memory, weird idea
 all welcome.

    – jpastor đŸ”„

  • kaoz42kaoz42
    Keep this thread alive.
  • jpastorjpastor

    I'm gonna sue for royalties đŸ€Ł
  • AxNoodleAxNoodle
    I much prefer the Cardsmith-challenge kind over the Target-moving-unsold-boosters kind
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