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Enter the Fray: A Community Set Competition! (Round 1: Flavored Mechanics) [Now Closed!]
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Thank you for the feedback. Most of the mechanics I submitted I thought up originally for a plane with 5 alliances/empires/kingdoms that were 4 colors each. But I never had feedback for my mechanics till now.
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/arkrous-of-the-iron-flame-1
@cwwolfpack76 Temper is a cool idea, but it's a little wordy for my tastes. I think it might work better as "Whenever this creature blocks alone, it can block any amount of creatures and it gets +0/+1 for each creature it blocks." Not quite sure if this works under the rules, though. And now that I think about it, it doesn't really change the wordiness factor either...
Also, @everyone, card judging will be completed later today. Whoever gets the highest (well, in this case, lowest) score will be declared the winner of round one!
Here’s what I’ve seen for the story so far:
Sunya was devoid of life except for the elementals. When the first planeswalkers arrived (before they knew about the Staroveks), the elementals (who called the ‘walkers “sparks”) began to weaken due to a loss of mana. They set out to kill the ‘walkers (extinguish the “sparks”), designating Tarot, the oldest and most powerful of them all, to guard the Staroveks, archaic artifacts that contain infinite knowledge and mana, against the sparks/‘walkers. They killed many ‘walkers, and the rest fled. No ‘walkers came back for a long time because of the hostile environment.
Usage of the Staroveks comes with great risk, however. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sudden and infinite influx of power.
Then, much later, one ‘walker discovered the Staroveks. The rumor spread, and soon planeswalkers from all over the multiverse were flocking to Sunya with their disciples (which I think could be a cool cycle). These groups settled the plane and began to war over the Staroveks and the infinite knowledge and mana that they contained. The developed into factions: the Marate (merfolk, blue), the Lumina (dragons, red), the Bagen (humans, white), Morte (zombies, black), Selg (elves, green). Each faction is lead by a planeswalker (Gideon for Bagen, Leshrac for Lumina, Kiora for Marate, Nissa for Selg, and Ravala for Morte) and a non-‘walker leader as well.
As the war goes on, the Morte are taken over by the Lumina and are now controlled by the dragons. This causes the Bagen and the Selg to form a shaky alliance to combat the Lumina. The Marate are facing their own problems as the mutants that are exiled into the Deepwaters (a section of the sea on Sunya that is corrosive to normal life, where Marate criminals are banished to) begin to attack their former kin.
The Issirh and the Agakin now make themselves known. Remnants of the original beings that had once lived on Sunya and controlled the Staroveks, the Issirh are ethereal beings, essentially only minds, and are clairvoyant. They are obsessed with destiny and use their clairvoyance to nudge things along the “right path.” They are G/U and focus on Flash, with an ability called Intervention [insert cost], which reduces its mana cost if you cast it during an opponent’s turn. In many instances, if you cast a Issirh card for its Intervention cost, you get an extra affect. The Agakin are G/B and are essentially elementals. They are created when a star-shardw (which is like a semi-Starovek; small chunks of Starovek that are created when a Starovek is used too much, too quickly and it explodes with the sudden outflux of mana), draws rocks, earth, moss, fungus, etc around it to create a body. When an Agakin dies, other Agakin take parts of its body and mana and add it to their own. Their key ability is Salvage, which is sort of like Scavenge and a lot like Modular, and shows this. Factions hunt them for their star-shard hearts, which can provide mana.
A new faction forms: the Thund. Thund are part matter, mostly pure energy. They rely on energy fed to them by something they call Ushzel, which they worship, but know next to nothing about. Ushzel moves from plane to plane, and the Thund are drawn after it. Before important events, Ushzel gives them a Surge, a massive burst of energy. They are U/R, and kind of like Izzet. Pulse is the ability featured in this faction. The reason there is energy, TouchStone, is because the Staroveks create an aether web that connects them all. This will come into play later, with Kara.
When Tarot is finally destroyed, the Lumina make their intentions known: they aim to bring Nicol Bolas to Sunya. The Marate by now have completely withdrawn from the war, entirely focused on quelling the Deepwater rebellion. With this known, the rest of the factions are drawn into an alliance against the Lumina.
An unlikely hero arises in Kara. A wanderer and a rogue, the mage belongs to no faction and distances himself from the war. He calls himself a distortiomancer, is U/W, and uses interacts with aether (returning creatures to their owners’ hands, switching power and toughness). But when Nicol Bolas finally arrives on Sunya and begins to conquer it, he decides to intervene, knowing that a victory by Bolas would mean losing his own freedom. He sets out on a search to find any Staroveks that had not already been claimed by a faction, after failing to acquire them from the factions themselves. Using his skills with aether, he is able to trace the aether web and find a hidden marsh that contains four Staroveks. Upon these Staroveks, which are larger than the others he had seen, he finds words engraved.
During this quest, Bolas defeats the Thund, leaving their forces nearly halved. The Issirh withdraw from the battle, returning to the deep caves that they originated from. The Deepwater mutants defeat the Marate and force them to flee. They join the Bagen, Thund, and Selg.
Word gets to Bolas of Kara’s search for Staroveks, and Bolas shadows him on his quest, removing obstacles and letting the mage lead him to more Staroveks. When Kara finds this pocket of the artifacts, Bolas reveals himself, intending to kill him and take the Staroveks, forcing the mage to open his mind to them, despite the great risk. Here is where my flavor text on the card Wisdom of the Staroveks comes in: Kara opened his mind to the great monoliths, and was swept away by the infinite sea of knowledge that flooded his consciousness. He turned and faced Nicol Bolas, grey light shining from his empty eyes, and spoke the words inscribed upon the Staroveks, channelling the boundless mana at his disposal to one purpose: ending Bolas. The Elder Dragon draws back, recognizing the mage’s now augmented power as near pre-mending power, power he has been seeking his whole life. Within the jumble of knowledge at his disposal, Kara finds the purpose of the mysterious words engraved on these Staroveks: a trigger for an ancient trap made from the interlocking aether strands between these special Staroveks. He speaks the words, channeling the boundless mana at his disposal, and Bolas is enveloped by the ethereal strands of aether and squeezed off of the plane.
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/selg-elf
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/selg-druid
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/kara-the-broken-1
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/tarot-autumns-fury
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/machinations-of-bolas]
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/kara-distortiomancer-1
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/wisdom-of-the-staroveks
http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/eskira-sky-tyrant
One thing I think would make it even better: if, near the climax, the other races/planeswalkers intervened so that it isn't just a single character vs. Nicol Bolas.
For example, you can have the Issirh be the ones that show Kara the Staroveks, foreseeing what will happen, and the alliance against Nicol Bolas holding him and his allies at bay while Kara communes with the Staroveks, and then the natives of Sunya (the Thund, the Agakin and the Issirh) make themselves known at the last moment and aid Kara in banishing Bolas, revealing that they have been waiting for this moment since the moment the planeswalkers began to return.
It can even end in a lesson about the dangers of planeswalkers' ambitions and their impact in the worlds they visit; as we saw Tamiyo explain to Ajani in one of the recent Kaladesh stories.
Alright, let the judging begin!
unicornsareevil13579
Cliff Face Tracker - Rank 7: This is extremely powerful. First, it's a 2/3 for 3CMC with an upside, which is already put at the rare level. Then, I can tap an opponent's land, and make it a 3/4? Definitely not.
Ghostly Howler - Rank 6: Better than the previous card, but Inexistence really puts a damper on it. Also, "can't block and can't be blocked" is normally a black effect.
Skeletal Monstrosity - Rank 5: Ignoring the color mechanics (which you really should do for anything protection like - there's a 4/5 chance that they won't do anything), this is 5 mana for a 1/6. Not the best, not by a long shot, but if you're desperate in Limited, I can see you taking this.
Cloaked Hider - Rank 10: Nope, nope, nope. This is such a blatant color pie break, it's not even acceptable. I don't think you understand what the color pie actually dictates; it has nothing to do with tribes. If you want off-traditional-color races, just have them be off color. Doing this...it would destroy the identities of the colors.
Seeking Lightning - Rank 5: It's an okay card, but really should be worded differently. Since you're always paying R to cast the spell, the red effect shouldn't be dependent on Manaworth. Blue doesn't get ramp (at least not that type of ramp), and two life is pretty paltry, considering in SOI, you get 5 for 1 mana.
Spectral Ascender - Rank 7: This was good...until I read the final ability. Colorless and artifacts never get pinging that efficient, ever. Even doing one damage costs more than just tapping!
Sailed Ship - Rank 9: There's nothing good about this card. Sure, I could crew it and get a 3/4 on turn 3, but then it would be frozen, and freeze whatever creature I had used to crew it. Despite it's cheap factor, it's not practical to play, since it depends on consistent land drops to be viable.
Oversized Brute - Rank 3: This is a really cool idea, but definitely pushed at uncommon. Remember, Red is one of the colors that gets weak toughness, high power creatures. Larger creatures don't normally become efficient until rare for Red.
Silumgar915
Sunya, Barren World - Rank 9: This is unplayable. It's a worthless land that'll ping you for five every time you tap it, and to make it worse, it's a symmetrical board wipe. It's simply not worth it.
Ghrivz, Starovek Finder - Rank 5: An okay planeswalker. You'd most likely be using it just to create tokens and gain life, although that ultimate can be worth it. Should be noted that that it's comparatively weaker than other, cannon 7CMC 'walkers.
Starovek - Rank 9: First two abilities are okay, but the third is confusing. There is no maximum deck size in Magic, so this should only affect your hand. The keyworded ability just ruins the card though, for reasons described in the mechanics judgement post.
Mordecai
Starovek of Raw Power - Rank 5: Cool idea, but really expensive for what it does. I would drop it down to 3R, and then have the burn ability take 2R, or something similar. Also, Magic has gone to great lengths to avoid having any subtype with rules baggage - besides, if you could get out more than one starovek at the costing you're suggesting, I think you'd deserve them.
TastyCheez
Vatizar, Chosen Origin - Rank 7: A pretty weak Eldrazi tribal planeswalker, if I'm being completely honest. It's definitely a cool concept, don't get me wrong, but it just could use some work. I'm also not sure about having the Eldrazi on Sunya.
Shrine to Ragnarok - Rank 9: So...uh...I get what you were trying to do here, but as it's worded, it's not going to work. Anything's converted mana cost is a number, and if you're stretching it, that number represents colorless mana. You'd probably just want to say "mana cost".
Forgotten Ritual - Rank 4: Cool card, but a little iffy on the color and the flavor. Casting stuff from outside the game is more in blue's realm of influence.
Cataclysmic Duel - Rank 3: Upon research, I have found that, as worded, this does work, and neither planeswalker would be destroyed. According to the latest Sarkhan Vol, planeswalkers can't lose loyalty counters while they're not planeswalkers.
Rednaxela
Thunder Intruder - Rank 2: Nice simple card, but a great example of what Pulse can do. I really like this.
Thrennex, Thund Strategist - Rank 2: Again, a nice simple card to demonstrate the power of Pulse. I do think the activated ability is a bit expensive, though.
Potent Energization - Rank 3: A simple way to tell people that red/blue is energy focused. I'm personally against Tribal, but excluding that, this is a cool card.
Energized Powerling - Rank 4: A bit of a color bend here: Blue doesn't get efficient creatures, especially not at common. Remove the flying ability, though, and this works perfectly as a 1 drop.
ArienStorm
Draconic Duelist - Rank 4: A cool concept, although powerful for 2CMC. There's also some templating errors, but those are easily fixed.
Shadow Duelist - Rank 5: Templating errors galore, and a bit confusing in it's layout. If I'm interpreting it correctly, it's a bit powerful for 3 mana.
Dreadiron Duelist - Rank 6: What's pierce? Also, creatures don't "battle" in MTG. You're looking for "dealt combat damage". Ignoring that, this is a pretty powerful card, mainly because it makes everything with toughness 5 or less an easy kill for this thing. Flanking drops it by 1, and it's pretty powerful as it stands.
Lightning Duel - Rank 6: A cool card, but definitely not hybrid. Blue doesn't get power boosting effects, and it certainly doesn't get first strike. In fact, I'm having a hard time seeing the blue in this card at all!
Varyn, Bardic Harper - Rank 9: This is too powerful. The +1 is a good power level, but everything from there it falls off. That +3? It has no right to be a +3. Heck, I don't think it justifies being a -3! This is a 5 card draw the instant it comes down, and it exiles an opponent too! Not to mention that the -10 is blue/black, not white/blue. All around, this is actually a very discordant planeswalker.
FireWolf767
Ember-Eye Golem - Rank 9: This would rank higher, but I can't give anything that breaks color pie too big of a score. Red can only directly destroy lands or artifacts. It can't touch planeswalkers, creatures, or enchantment, which that ability allows it to.
Mindflame Golem - Rank 3: A nice, simple uncommon. If golems make it in, this will as well.
Saroven Galovek - Rank 7: This is weak. Really weak. This cost 1 more mana that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, and it doesn't even to half the damage he can do.
Tarot, Starovek Guardian - Rank 6: I like this idea, but there's a major problem with it: the second ability doesn't do anything. If I remember correctly, combat goes as such: Declare attackers (Here's where "whenever CARDNAME attacks" trigger and resolve), then pay the cost for attacking (normally it's just tapping). So you'd declare creatures as attacking, they would untap...and then immediately tap as a cost for attacking.
Crumbling Elemental - Rank 4: Cool little uncommon. I like this implementation of Douse.
Shade Elemental - Rank 7: The reason this ranks so low is simple. It's undercosted (you'd be insane not to run a 3CMC 4/3) and it uses fear. Fear is completely obsolete, first by intimidate, and now by menace. It wasn't a good mechanic, and I don't feel that it deserves to come back. Ever.
Erremia, Sparkmaster - Rank 6: I'm not sure if she works as intended, but if she does, she'll be a very swingy planeswalker. I'm against this idea as it also completely breaks the flavor of planeswalkers, especially since this can break the few established rules of a planeswalker's spark.
Erremia Cultist - Rank 9: If this is how you'd intend to implement common 'walkers, then I have bad news. Just this one card is so incredibly overpowered and color breaking, it's not even funny. The first ability is a free ping for 2 on turn 2, meaning there's a possible 4 to5 shift in life total, and you can easily make it to its ultimate, which is neither black nor red.
Planar Contaminant - Rank 1: I'm tempted to put that in the set file no matter the result of the judging. It's a great card.
AustinSmith
Chilling Execution - Rank 4: This works, but I feel that it's worded wrong to be in black. Black has drain, which doesn't deal damage, but causes loss of life. As it stands, it sounds more like a red/white spell than a mono-black one.
Righteous Deceased - Rank 3: I like this one a lot, especially since it has a very obvious benefit to playing with planeswalkers. It might be a bit good at just 2CMC, though.
cwwolfpack76
Jiryu, Alpha Hunter - Rank 5: A cool concept, but feels a bit everywhere for my tastes. The flying isn't apparent, and regenerate has been phased out in favor of temporary indestructible. In fact, if you removed those abilities, this would be a much better card in my opinion.
Xeng'taru, Lord of Gorgon Bog - Rank 5: This gets the same rank as Jiryu, but for a different reason. This card's actually pretty weak. It's a 7CMC for a 4/6 trample that has an (expensive) triggered ability to give it +X/+X. This card would be so much better with a cheaper trigger, and removing the negative ability at the bottom (neither black nor green has flying as a primary keyword, and black only really gets it when it makes sense, like demons and vampires).
Toruuk, the Shepard of Souls - Rank 6: Comparatively, this card had the greatest potential out of them all, but was struck down by its obscenely expensive second ability. Something like that is worth 4CMC, at max. Definitely not 8CMC on a 5CMC creature.
Tomble123
Madrakus, Akagin Chief - Rank 4: This is a really strong card, fitting of it's mythic rare status. I like it, but it has the potential to get really, really powerful with not much effort.
Akagin Bogwalker - Rank 3: A nice uncommon, with an appropriate off-color ability too. Salvage, however, should go above the activate ability, and the activate ability should have some limiter on it (like only once per turn).
Akagin Moldfarmer - Rank 5: A really cool card, but the triggered ability is far too powerful. It should only trigger on the card's death, or require some form of payment in addition.
KimJongMartin
Manaflux Storm - Rank 5: A random card that can be either an okay burn, or a really good card draw. I'm not sure how much I like either of those options.
ShadowKnight1224
Issirh Watchers - Rank 6: This is pretty powerful for it's cost. I mean, assuming you take advantage of Intervention (and why wouldn't you), this is a 3/4 flying ETB cantrip effect...for 3CMC. That's ridiculous.
Mystical Acumen - Rank 5: This one's better than your other entry, but it's not common. Countering triggered/activated abilities is something that should never appear below uncommon, and repeatable countering at that. I would like it better if it required you to sacrifice the enchantment.
Card Scores:
@unicornsareevil13579 - 6.5
@Silumgar915 - 7.333333333333...
@Mordecai - 5
@TastyCheez - 5.75
@Rednaxela - 3
@ArienStorm - 6
@FireWolf767 - 6.3333333333333333...
@Wackosaru - 5.5
@AustinSmith - 3.4
@cwwolfpack76 - 5.333333333333333...
@Tomble123 - 4
@KimJongMartin - 5
@ShadowKnight1224 - 5.5
I do agree that Mystical Acumen should've been a Rare instead, that is most definitely a mistake on my part.
Total Scores
@unicornsareevil13579 - 6.5
@Silumgar915 - 8.15
@Mordecai - 6 (Card only: -1 to score)
@TastyCheez - 6.75 (Cards only: -1 to score)
@Rednaxela - 3
@ArienStorm - 5.5
@FireWolf767 - 7.16
@Wackosaru - 6
@AustinSmith - 3.7
@cwwolfpack76 - 5.3
@Tomble123 - 4.25
@KimJongMartin - 7
@ShadowKnight1224 - 4.25
Alright, and that means it's podium time!
Podium
First Place: @Rednaxela, with a score of 3! Congratulations!
Second Place: @AustinSmith, with a score of 3.7! That was a close one!
Third Place: There's a tie for third, with both @Tomble123 and @ShadowKnight1224 having a score of 4.25. Good job!
Honorable Mention: And the honorable mention goes to cwwolfpack76, with a score of 5.3. Nice!
Before I go on to handing out prizes, I would first like to thank all the participants for their entries. I certainly didn't expect to get this much interest, especially after the CBC 2 fiasco... Still, I'm happy you all have taken an interest in this idea, and I hope your interest continues!
Now, for what you're waiting for: Prizes!
Rednaxela receives a major fate point (see original post to see what that can do), and can create a card to put into Sunya: Planar Battlefield.
AustinSmith receives a minor fate point (see original post to see what that can do), and can create a card to put into Sunya: Planar Battlefield.
Tomble123 and ShadowKnight1224 both can create a card to put into Sunya: Planar Battlefield.
And last, but certainly not least, we have the mechanics for Sunya!
- Energy and Pulse (Thanks, Rednaxela!)
- Subordinate (Thanks, AustinSmith!)
- Salvage N (Thanks, Tomble123!)
- Intervention N (Thanks, ShadowKnight1224!)
Whew! And that wraps up the first round of Enter the Fray! Thanks, once again, to all the participants, and I hope to see you around once Round 2: Well, isn't that (Arche)typical opens up.Until then, may your battles be furious!
Thanks for the honorable!
Here's my official entry into the set:
@Rednaxela I like the card, but I feel like it's going two direction, and it needs to go one. Do you want it to be Thund tribal, or a rare build-around-me for energy?