Welcome back to October CCL, this is Round Two after a very enjoyable Round One. This should hopefully continue this world/card crafting direction I'm taking this.
The Short Version
-I'll give you a task, and each leaguer has 3.5 days to submit a card. (We have a deadline, so try to adhere to this.)
- Then, the round closes, and each of you will have 1.5 days to post a Top 3 and reviews (And I shall do my best to have the next round up every 5 days.)
- We'll have at least 2 teams. Each team will review the opposing team's cards. After 3 rounds, we will cut to the top 8 players as determined by points.
- Each 1st place earns you 3 points, 2nd place earns 2 points and 3rd place earns 1 point
- Additionally, each player who posts a review for at least half the cards gains 1 point. Anyone who submits a Top 3 within deadline also receives a point.
- At the end of the third round, we go to a Top 8, where each session becomes a 1 vs. 1 (or not, it can sometimes be a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 battle royal) elimination, until we have our champion.
- We have a "probation" procedure, which means that if you don't post a card or a Top 3, you are on probation. For Top 3 violations, if you didn't have time to post your T3 in time, PM it to me before the following round closes and I'll remove the probation.
- Some rounds I will vary the teams and scoring policies. I'll do my best to inform everyone what those changes entail.
- Here is a long, but very old version of the rules (thanks to Jau for finding this). Read at your own peril.
The CCL is among the more fun games on the MtGSalvation forums due to its inherent aspect of interactivity among the Leaguers (that’s you). We actively critique each other’s card designs at the end of each round, putting a more personal interest into our cards and generally making us all better designers. Typically, we build worlds more complete than many games, as each round builds on the designs and ideas of previous rounds in the month. The CCL allows for Leaguers to plumb the depths of creativity, as the point schedule aspect allows for three full rounds without fear of elimination.
* Schedule
o The CCL will run six rounds, each lasting five days.
+ Rounds 1, 2 & 3 will be free-for-alls with each leaguer fighting for the most points during critiques. At the beginning of each of these rounds. The host will divide the league members evenly into two teams and each team will be assigned their design challenge. At the challenge deadline, the round will elapse into the critique section (see Critiques below). Once the critique section ends, the host will tally points and post the next round. Team rosters are likely to change between rounds; the new rosters will be included in the initial posting for the next round.
o Each round will last five days: 3.5 to finalize designs, 1.5 for critiques.
o The schedule will usually operate according to US Easter time zone (GMT -5) We will stick to this schedule as closely as possible, adjusting as necessary.
* Challenge Rounds
o At the start of each round, the host will post the challenge for the round. This may be, at the host’s discretion, a single challenge for all leaguers, a list for each leaguer to choose from, challenges assigned to each leaguer, or other challenge variation.
o Each Leaguer will post his/her entry by the deadline, 3.5 days after the round is posted.
* Critique Rounds
o At the end of each challenge round, the host, or an individual the host designates, will officially close the round and open the forum for critiques. After this point, modifying the post containing your entry for the round will incur penalties (see Penalties section).
o Each Leaguer will thoroughly critique at least 50% of the entries given by the leaguers on the other team.
o In addition to the critiques, each Leaguer generates his/her list of the Top 3 entries for the round. The Top 3 listings are the chief source of points within the CCL and are therefore required to complete. Even if critiques are not completed, Top 3’s must be listed to avoid penalties (see Penalties for penalty schedule). Regardless of the cards actually critiqued by a given Leaguer, Top 3’s can be drawn from any valid entry of the round. Submitting Top 3’s grants one point.
o A valid critique does not need to be lengthy. A few constructive sentences will do as long as they are meaningful. Neither “Hated it,” “Too expensive,” nor “Bahhrokken!!!” are valid critiques.
Example:
The following card is submitted by Fitzgerald:
A few decent critics:
from Tiberius: Templating issue with “nonpermanent card,” it's confusing and should just read “instant or sorcery card.” And the cost seems steep: I’m giving up a mana, a card, and immediate access to the card I looked for. Creative, but not bad.
from Wilhelmina: I hate the name. Also the shuffle part should be right after removing the tutored card instead of on a separate line. Seems powerful as an instant, play it on the opponents turn and you get basically a free draw, but you get to pick it.
from Beauregard: A bit complicated for uncommon. It doesn’t go to microtext on a render (sans flavor text) but it still isn’t all that intuitive.
* Valid Entry Constitution
o A valid entry in a given round cleanly delivers all required components of the challenge. The CCL is based around card design, so each challenge will direct Leaguers to design one or more cards, but other components may be given according to the judge’s discretion. Historically, these non-card components have included such things as keyword mechanic designs, story pieces, and various ideas for the judge to incorporate into later rounds. Include only what is described by the challenge requirements, as superfluous items may sway judgings unfairly and will incur penalties.
o It is customary to include card renders in entries. This is not required. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and therefore will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render. However, it must be understood that a proper render is easier to judge/critique as it is more pleasing to the eye, more memorable and allows for Leaguers to judge the card by its wordiness, a very important aspect of a card’s design. Common rendering software used include Magic Set Editor (free program, the standard that most amateur designers use), PhotoShop (not free), and GIMP (free PhotoShop knockoff).
* Scoring
o The bulk of available points will be derived from Top 3 listings, as is League custom. Within each Top 3 listing, the choice for 1st place will be awarded 3 points, the choice for 2nd place will receive 2 points, and the choice for 3rd place will receive 1 point. It is common for Leaguers to post an Honorable Mention or two along with their T3 listings. Honorable Mentions are not awarded points. Posting T3s is required and awards one point for completion of the requirements. There are penalties for failure to post T3s (see Penalties section).
o Critiques are an optional aspect of the CCL, therefore no penalties are given for failure to complete critiques. Any Leaguer completing critiques for at least 50% of the other team's entries will receive 1 bonus point. An additional point will be awarded if a Leaguer critiques all valid entries in the round.
o As noted in the section on Valid Entry Constitution, entries are encouraged to contain proper card renders. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render.
* Penalties
o Failure to post Top 3s as required during the Critique section of any round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an Top 3 in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
o Once a Round elapses into its critique section, any Leaguer modifying their entry after any leaguer has posted a critique, will be disqualified for the round.
o Failure to post an entry within the Challenge round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an entry in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
* Resources
o This is a templating guideline compiled by Kraj. It is quite concise and very useful.
o Making Magic by Mark Rosewater, current head of Magic Design at Wizards of the Coast. Making Magic is a weekly article detailing the trials, tribulations and achievements of Magic R&D in riveting prose.
o Magiccards.info is the database mtgsalvation draws upon when you use the [card] tag. The advanced search functionality is useful for searching all cards officially printed by WotC.
o Gatherer is the database maintained officially by WotC. It has slightly different functionality than magiccards.info, but the differences are too numerable to list here. (Someone should write an article about that)
o Your other Leaguers are fantastic resources. We, more than the players of other games on this forum, are a community, as can be seen by the dialogue of any CCL thread.
+ Question, consult with, challenge and encourage each other at every opportunity.
o Credits
*Probations can be removed simply be sending me your Top 3 And/Or Card Submission, whichever you're missing.
Many years have passed and while you have not yet been able to find your way back home, through great perseverance you've been able to carve out a part of this new world for yourself. You've bartered, threatened, cajoled, and extorted all the way, but you're finally beginning to approach the rank to which you once belonged. What you've started here, the Multiverse has never once seen before. The first inter-planar culture; a mad combination of architectural style, culinary customs, trade habits, and military training. At least now when you are weary with fatigue or intoxicated on your local wines when you look at the walls of your chambers you can, for a fleeting moment, believe you are back home.
Second Challenge: After many years you have been able to successfully found a kingdom (or variant) in this new world, integrating the customs of all three planar cultures into one. Show us your kingdom by creating a legendary land representing a landmark of some importance to this civilization.
For convenience, here is the sign-up thread from where you may refresh your memories on the cultures of your lackey and plane.
And here is the link to Round One, for those who wish to use it as a reference.
=====
Team Pavan will critique Team Jala Team Tejas will critique Team Pavan Team Jala will critique Team Tejas
The deadline for submitions is the 13th of October, at 12:00 Noon of Thursday, UTC - 8.
The deadline for critiques is the 14th of September, at 12:00 Midnight of Friday, UTC - 8.
Resu sat in his study, pondering his current situation. Local paintings lined the walls and various texts sat on shelves lining the walls. It had been only a few years but it had seemed like forever for him. He stared down at the unwound scroll sitting in front of him. After decripting only part of the scroll he had discovered how to cause objects to levitate and how to return the banished to the living realm. But he still did not know how to do the most important thing, get home. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in and state your business." shouted Resu, upset by the intrusion.
The door opened to reveal a scared man wearing a black cloak. "Sir, there is another disturbance in the portal."
"I'll be there in just a minute, now leave." snarled Resu. As the door closed Resu took another good look at the scroll. The secret to getting home had to be there, he just knew it.
Resu descended the stairs to the main hall where he was greated by a brigade of soldiers in all black. Their races were as varied as the location of the scars on each one but that did not matter to him. Each one had been recieved through his pride, a large ornate marble entry filled by a gleaming portal. It was the result of his tireless work and the knowledge from the scroll. And it seemed there would be a new addition to his army. As he watched a small, red hand appeared through the portal, followed by a body. "Oh great, another goblin." shouted Resu, not caring who heard him. The largest exception to his army was the lack of goblins. He knew from great experience that they could never be trusted. "I guess you don't like me," said the goblin looking up."So what you gonna do now, kill me." Resu went over and opened up the ornate wooden door across from the portal."Me, kill you? Not at all. You can just leave through this door." The goblin smiled with glee and ran out the door, only to be interrupted by an abrupt fall. Rssu snicked as he heard the goblin squeal on its way down. His floating citadel was his other great pride and another result of the scroll. Not only was he able to keep the angry locals away he had an easier way to get rid of the unwanted goblins.
As Resu went back up to his study he knew it might be awhile before he got home but he knew that this would do for now.
Visruth, The Floating Citidal
Legendary Land [M]
~ enters the battlefield tapped
Add W to your mana pool.
:symwb::symwb::symwb::symwb::symtap:, Return target exiled creature to the battlefield under your control. "You may not be accepted by others but you are always accepted here." Resu, Head Vindicator
So it's a combination of our avatars and the planes of the next person but one, right?
You're still on the plane you were last round. You still have the lackey that you converted last round. Over the years you've been here, you've simply managed to found a civilization, one inspired by your Avatar, your new Lackey, and the original culture of your new plane.
So, in your case, perhaps you've formed a new Phyrexia of sorts. Enslaving the local shade population to run foundries that pump out putrid constructs.
Perhaps Myrix has been able to slowly use his influence to corrupt Arcadeus' angelic court, gradually turning the former world of light and life into, literally, a shade of it's former self.
Etc, etc, etc.
Figure out what your avatar has done to this world over the years, and show it to me through a legendary land.
Orawn, Winterlord of Ost2WB
Legendary Enchantment Creature - Spirit (M)
When Orawn, Winterlord of Ost enters the battlefield, each player chooses five permanents he or she controls and sacrifices the rest.
Whenever an artifact, creature, or land enters the battlefield, if its controller controls five or more nonenchantment permanents, its controller sacrifices a permanent. "The Age of Winter has persisted for centuries. But I know better than anyone that all things must come to an end. The cycle of seasons inexorably turns."
3/3
Memory Reader :1mana::symu::symb:
Creature- Human Wizard
Mindscape 2 (When this creature comes into play, you may shuffle target permanent you control into its owner's library. If you do, then look at the top two cards of your library, choose a permanent card that has a converted mana cost less than or equal to the shuffled permanent and shares a supertype with it, and put it into play. Put all other cards on the bottom of your library in any order.) Whenever you mindscape, you may put target card in your graveyard on the top of your library. "No one worthy of surviving ever truly dies here. Their bodies, their memories, their very souls are preserved in memory, soon taking the place of the undesirables."- Myria, Memory Reader
2/3
A desert world where those in power seek to regain lost glory at the expense of the lower classes - but discontent is growing, and a charismatic young warrior is rallying an army to rebel against them. The soldiers gain the upper hand in combat by making strategic use of Reinforce.
Memory Hibernator WUB
Enchantment Creature - Human Wizard Aurafall - Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, you may choose a card in a graveyard. If you do, its owner reveals their hand, then shuffles the chosen card and all cards in their graveyard, hand, and that they control that share a name with it into their library. "This world must rest. Only when its people set aside their obsession with the past can the cycle of rebirth begin again." - Orawn, Winterlord of Ost
2/3
Winterspell Palace
Legendary Enchantment Land (M)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may pay 2W. If you do, that player shuffles each permanent he or she owns with one or more counters on it into his or her library.
Whenever an enchantment becomes tapped, add W to your mana pool. T: Put an ice counter on target nonenchantment permanent. "We have subdued this land and the hearts of its people. One day they will be ready to awaken again." - Orawn, Winterlord
Is it?
I'll double check.
I awarded 3 points to first place, 2 points to second place, 1 point to third place. 1 point for an on-time T3, and 1 point for an on-time critique.
Edit: I double checked. It should be correct (Nekyia sent me a T3 as I was posting the new round). Let me know if there's something that doesn't add up right, or if I somehow missed something.
Rynx, Stormscout Rider :2mana::symw::symw:
Legendary Creature - Human Scout
Flash
First strike
At the beginning of your precombat step, you may tap Rynx. If you do, add to your mana pool, where is Rynx's toughness. "We brave the mana-rich storms of the Cloudwreath, capturing lightning and converting it into something much more useful, and much more valuable."
3/2
Fogcutter Wight :1mana::symw::symb::symb:
Creature - Zombie Rogue Minion
Sacrifice ~: Remove all counters from target permenant. Add to your mana pool, where X is the number of counters removed this way.
:1mana::symw::symb::symb:, Discard a card: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield. "Stormscouts learn of the importance of conversion, the changing of forces from one to another. With these thoughts in hand, I will fashion a weapon to nullify this Smog and it's inhabitants."
2/3
● ● ●
Years have passed...
This world was his prison.
It didn't matter how hard he worked, what discoveries he made. Whatever wealth he had earned was meaningless when he remembered those days in the Cloudwreath, capturing lightning, sailing through the air with the full force of the world facing you. It was exhilirating, and long ago Rynx had given up on ever going back there again.
Little by little, without Rynx even realizing, he was making a difference in this world. Soon he had enough gold - and followers, including his general, the zombie he had met at the very beginning - and he started a town.
The town became a city, the city diverged into many settlements, and soon Rynx was at the control of a small country. It was the work of the convergence of forces, the knowledge that had been reaped from the three worlds at Rynx's disposal. Expert knowledge of mana from Rynx's own world had allowed his mage population to grow expotentially. Knowledge of the darker sides of the magical world from his general allowed new resources to be open for the reaping. And the Smog itself, which Rynx had learned to use as a power source as well.
The inevitable had been realized. A kingdom bound to three forces, three worlds many million distances apart. And at the kingdom's head was Twintar, a volcano that Rynx had long ago rendered magical. It was a magical peak that used the energy of the dead, rested at its base, which was converted into mana and Smog, shooting out the peak like lava. A true monument to the three magics that had made his world complete.
At one point, without Rynx evening remembering, he had become content with this world he lived in. A slice of his own world, intergrated so beautifully into the rest of the plane.
The world was his prison, but now, it was also a home. It was a tomb he was willing to die in, with a smile on his face.
● ● ●
Twintar, Fogswirl Peak
Legendary Land
Smog 2 (This permenant enters the battlefield with two smog counters. Spells you cast cost more for each smog counter on this permenant. If there are no smog counters on this permenant, sacrifice it at the end of turn.)
Remove a smog counter from ~, T: Choose one - Add 2 to your mana pool; or target creature gets shroud until the end of turn.
Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a smog counter on ~. "At it's base rests the dead and forgotten, from it's peak spews fog and mana. Twintar is our perfect symbol, a unification of forces high above the Smog cover."
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
Land Management Office
Tribal Legendary Land - Human T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
When Land Management Office comes into play and at the beginning of each of your upkeeps, you may sacrifice an untapped land. If you do, search your library for a basic land card and put it into play, then shuffle your library. "Once Grietta managed to gather the power to eliminate the wild dangers from the land, she went about turning it into something more useful and productive.
Caden the Protector1RW
Legendary Creature - Human Rebel [M]
First strike, wither
Caden the Protector has double strike as long as there are two or more +1/+1 counters on it.
Reinforce 2 - :sym2r::sym2w:
2/2
Warped RebelUR
Creature - Illusion Rebel [u]
Haste, protection from creatures with haste
Whenever Warped Rebel becomes reinforced, you may put a token that's a copy of Warped Rebel onto the battlefield.
Reinforce 1 - 1R "When you can't wait for backup, you have to make your own" - Caden
2/1
Kalish, the South Fort
Legendary Land - Desert [MR] T: Add W to your mana pool. 1R, T, Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Put a token that’s a copy of that creature onto the battlefield. That token has haste and “At the beginning of the end step, exile this permanent.”
Reinforce 2—:symrw::symrw:
WARNING: Uber text wall of doom under the spoiler!
How did it happen? How did I become who and what I am now? Now, in a rare moment of inactivity, I think back. My change did not truly begin when I came to this world. No...even after I realized what kind of world I had come to...even after I joined forces with the mage of Cloudwreath...even then I was still the same man as when a twist of cosmic fate brought me here. No...I remember when my transformation began.
The mage and I had gone far from our original site of arrival. We had learned much of this world. What we had uncovered, we could scarcely believe. Despite what it had become, this endless expanse of death was once a thriving kingdom. Records unearthed from what ruined structures were still standing indicated the arrival of some force of decay and evil, which rotted the land to death, but still kept it horribly alive as though through some malicious will. Mapping the areas of greatest decay, we believed we had found the spot where it had begun. Ah, the lengths we were willing to go for exploration-for knowledge. The sight of the point of origin chilled us to the bone. The earth and soil weren't the barren stone we had seen to this point. Bones, rotting flesh, and a fetid sludge made the area into a horrifying necrotic marsh. It was as if an entire city fell over dead at that spot. We dared not land here. Aside from the putrid miasma-which would likely have killed us had we gotten any closer-we had learned by now that in this place, the dead rarely stay dead.
We were right. By the time we had seen the movement in the murk, it was too late. Gripping ropes of slime and sinew shot up, tearing us out of the sky. At that moment, in an instant of sheer panic, something unlocked in my mind. Until that moment, all the magic I could muster were simple wards and charms of inspiration. But in that moment, every mental wall exploded into rubble. An infinity of possible magics whirled through my mind's eye. Spells I had seen the Templars use, spells I had merely read about in scrolls, even powers I'd never even concepted, teetering on the edge of possibility. All of them flashed before me. My mind settled on one. Somehow I felt the energy of the holy sites of my homeland course through me again, but stronger than before-stronger than I'd ever thought possible. Arcing my arms toward the ground, I released the energy. A towering burst of searing sunlight blasted toward the dead marsh. Where it hit, the beam scoured away every trace of decay. Then, the energy spread out, annihilating the deathly sludge.
My companion and I crashed to the now clean white stone. I stood, my wings broken. Again, I saw possibilities, this time I summoned a less dramatic power. I healed my wounds and those of the mage, then we looked out over the site. I saw all it could become. "Here," I said to him,"we will make our home."
Until that moment, I had never known ambition. Until that moment, I had not known the desire for "more"-more than I had been given, more than merely performing my duty. I began to want all that my new power could afford me. And so I began the task of obtaining it. Each day, new possibilities of spells and powers opened to me. Etching runes of power onto the stones around us, I created mystic artifacts capable of transmuting materials, producing energy, even rune-etched golems for use as servitors and defenders. Soon, I had built an entire fortress of runewrought stones. A literal citadel of knowledge.
Capturing and studying the undead, I began to understand the processes animating them. Their regenerative powers were incredible. Stone, though sturdy, will eventually fall to the elements. Inlaid with the flesh and bone of these creatures, it could rebuild itself. I must take care though, I thought. I had seen that even disembodied, the material could still have a sinister life of its own. Cleansing the blight that animated them removed this tendency, allowing me full control of the material. This combination of stone and sinew, rune and bone-I dubbed this revolution "Sarcomite". Eventually, I incorporated it into all of my designs and structures. Interestingly, incorporating it into the rune golems appeared to give them a kind of personality. Individual enough to improvise strategy, but still obedient enough to not question better wisdom.
In time, my "empire" grew. The mage became general of my armed division, an air force with the tenacity of living beings, and the resilience and strength of stone. With me, served the Sages of Sarcomite, golems created specifically to be intelligent and to study magic and science. In a moment of contemplation, much like this one, I made a startling realization. My kind are more long-lived than other mortal races, but in time we will still die. "What would this city I have built do without me?" I thought. No mere golem could have the wisdom to direct the fight against the undead, however advanced I had made them. Without a guiding intellect, it would simply become a vast machine, waiting to wind down. Back then, I had thought there was no way I could live long enough to maintain what I had built.
Remembering that, how naive I was even that short time ago, I laugh to myself. I place my hand over my chest, making the sound of metal tapping on stone. From within the opalescent ribcage, intricately woven together with sarcomite tendons, a soft white glow like an overcast moon flutters to a heartbeat rhythm. The phylactery houses my soul and psyche, and enables me to continue my work of reshaping this world into a magnificent kingdom for as long as I require.
One of the Sages presents experiment results for my perusal. I ask him to wait a moment. A short bow, and he returns to his desk. Klack, klack, klack, my feet tap upon the stone floor as my hand did upon my chest. I make my way to the balcony. Once there, The sliding of hinge joints and the creak of ligaments accompany the spreading of my great wings. Surveying the city, I admire not only the magnificence of what I see, but also the mirrored, etched-silver faceplate that allows me to perceive my world in ways my old eyes never could have.
The city stretches miles in all directions, twisting streets and alleys allow maximum usable space in a minimum area. The walls of etched stone reach up with sarcomite spires, projecting defensive barriers, scrying into the distance with crystal eyes, or simply for aesthetics. The golems, of late, have developed a sense for art. I don't begrudge the frivolities of it. Anything that makes my citizens happy I will support, so long as it does not interfere with operations too greatly. Pack crawlers transport necessary materials out of the city into the wasteland outposts. The Windwarders, led by the mage, circle overhead. For a moment I am reminded of the guardian drakes of the S****ep.
We have changed this world. No more is the sky darkened by clouds of miasma. When the sun is up, the city reflects a brilliant light. Now, though, the sun is creeping below the far horizon to the west, behind the city. As dusk silently falls over the land, pearl-colored lights flicker to life in the shadows. These are the ward crystals protecting the outer settlements. Like miniature moons, they illuminate the sky, driving away what undead remain in the wastes. Soon, my vision will encircle this land. Reports come in from the farthest reaches of the frontier-reports of untainted land, where the decay gives way to rolling fields, sandy beaches, rocky outcroppings, even a treeline. We will explore these lands and learn from their people, if any live there. The future is bright for my kingdom-the kingdom of Traversian.
Traversian Prime
Legendary Land
You have no maximum hand size.
~comes into play with four expansion counters on it.
:3mana:,:symtap:,remove an expansion counter from ~: For each card in your hand, put a 0/1 artifact creature token onto the battlefield with defender and ":symtap:, add to your mana pool."
Sorry if i'm a little late, but it took me most of the day to concept all this. Enjoy!
Draqual spent years with his shifter minions, trying to uncover the secrets to planar travel, but none of his followers had the intelligence to make real progress. He built a monument to his attempts, in the form of the Portal House. From here he controlled the island and continued his failed experiments with portals. In each experiment, the subject was either returned to his position a few hours later or did not return at all. Draqal rejoiced when they did not return as he firmly believed this meant he was closer to his goal of planar travel, although he knew he had no way of perfecting it.
In time, Meklar began to take on traits of its master, rejuvenating its occupants at each successful dissappearance and pulling back the energy when the test failed. This went on for some time, and Draqal began to wonder if he should have sided with those wizards he tried to eradicate. But the past was past and the Lord had much more on his mind than times long gone. Such as the ever present nightmares, and the way his appearance was constantly changing.
Meklar, House of Planar Portals
Legendary Land - Plains (R) 1W, :symtap:: Exile target creature. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, you lose 2 life.
Whenever a creature leaves the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Like a gaping wound in the formerly clear, blue skies, the Black Spire floats menacingly on the horizon. Shrouded in dark mist and circled by strange, shadowy creatures, it stands out among the beautiful s****eps of the angels like a tainted mockery.
It is here, inside the spire, that Shadowlord Malathir has begun to slowly rebuild a force of shade warriors by capturing and corrupting the peaceful denizens of this plane.
More than just a lair, the spire is the magnificent result of years of study and obsession by Malathir, who has acquired an immense knowledge of the magical arts by stealing countless tomes and scrolls from the s****eps of the angels. At first, Malathir only wanted to find a way to escape the plane and return to his homewold of Xorothil, but as his knowledge and power grew, so did his ambitions and desires. Within the spire, he now seeks to create an interplanar gatekey that will allow him to transport his citadel between worlds. No longer content to simply return to Xorothil and win his battle against the plane of Lysiria, he now wants to see his shadow spread across multiple worlds - a multi-planar kingdom ruled by the shadekind.
The angels have thus far failed to breach the citadel and destroy Malathir for what he has done to their people, but hope has not yet been lost. They can feel the corrupting influence of the spire radiating across their lands, and though they do not know what dark magic may be the source of it, they have realized their time may be short. If the spire is to be destroyed, it must be soon.
Izurnal, the Black Spire
Legendary Land (Mythic) T: Add B to your mana pool for each corruption counter on Izurnal, the Black Spire. B,T: Put a corruption counter on Izurnal, the Black Spire. You lose 2 life.
Plane: Twilight Kiwi's enchanted winter land of Ost.
Azvra the Impatient :2mana::symr::symu:
Legendary Creature - Djinn (M)
Flash, flying, haste
Skip your main phases.
5/5
Frostburn Crusader 1RW
Enchantment Creature - Elemental Knight (U)
Haste
Whenever Frostburn Crusader attacks, target creature controlled by the defending player becomes an enchantment until end of turn. (It's no longer a creature.) 2/2
modified from: Emberdune General :2mana::symr::symw:
Creature - Elemental Knight
Haste
Whenever ~ attacks, you may tap target creature. Few trespass in the land of burning sands, but those that do know to hide when they hear the hooves of a thundermare.
2/2
It had not taken long for Azvra to establish a domain in this world, tenuous though it may be. Long a master of cloud-shaping, he found it no great task to shape the frigid white masses of these skies. With the burning spirit of the Endless Emirate, his chosen home became softened and streamlined and grew restless, sometimes sweeping down close to the wintry lands below, even touching their towns and whisking away their inhabitants for Azvra's service or study. At other times it soared distant heights for weeks at a time, far beyond sight.
Azvra was not unaware of the effect his presence had on this world, either. When the steamy vents of his home touched the fields, brittle reeds grew supple, and the lingering warmth encouraged tiny buds to spring forth. The life of this world was nebulous as well, and it would take time for him to learn how to shape it best to serve himself.
Thunderhead Palace
Legendary Land (R)
Whenever an opponent plays a land, you may put Thunderhead Palace from your hand onto the battlefield.
At the beginning of any opponent's end step, return Thunderhead Palace to its owner's hand. T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
The spire was tall, daunting. In the years that had passed since the arrival of Celrius Rane, the grand cityscape of Selancia had remained very much the same. The buildings all remained alike. The tower remained the sole symbol of individuality among thousands of avatars of conformity. However, the winds of change were blowing. Quietly, stealthily, Celrius had infiltrated the tower of Estrilon-Vei more than three years ago. The government was overthrown. Or rather, the government had had their minds displaced. Their singular pathos of keeping order in Selancia had changed. They still governed the plane very much the same way as they had for eons. However, they now belonged to Celrius. As he stared out from the top of the spire, overlooking his kingdom, his eyes crinkled with disdain. "Things are going to change soon," he thought, "and the world needs to be ready to face those changes."
Turning around, his gaze met the kneeling form of one of The Twelve, the lead council of Selancia. Celrius tilted his head, studying him. His visage was starting to change from when they had first met. The man's face was becoming more formed, more shapely than the rest of his society. Opening his lips, Celrius spoke to the man.
"I'm assuming you've come to tell me that everything has gone according to plan? We are ready to begin?"
"At your orders, master," came the reply. "Your apprentice has set the mana bombs. We only need your heed to begin."
"Well done," said Celrius. "You will rally the rest of The Twelve and meet me outside the cityscape. It will not be safe for anyone when the tower falls. Dismissed."
The man turned to leave. His magenta cloak trailed behind him as he opened the door to the large room. "Oh, I forgot to mention," spoke Celrius once more. The man turned his bald head towards his liege. "Bring shovels. As many as you can find. We'll need bodies to reform...what's left of them, anyways."
Estrilon-Vei, the Convergence Spire
Legendary Land T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to play spells that don't share a name with a card in a graveyard or on the battlefield. 7W,T, Sacrifice Estrilon-Vei: Destroy each creature that shares a name with another creature on the battlefield. "This is a symbol of our strength. Of our life's work. If, and when this tower falls, it will symbolize a new beginning. The end of one, solitary life composed of millions of the same person, and the beginning of the lives of millions, working toward individual and unique goals." - Celrius Rane
Unfortunately, it seems, once again real life has screwed me over; the rest of my week is apparently going to be filled with other things. I doubt I'll be able to find time for this. I apologize :(.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
:symw::symb::symr:
I'm both a valiant and clever person; abrasive and quick-witted with my own unique set of standards. What I value in my life is autonomy, power, and righteousness; I do whatever I want so long as I fell that it is justified by my own principles, damn what others think. At my best I am glorious, exciting, and courageous; at my worst I am merciless, destructive, and violent.
I misread the rules last time and forgot to add the flavor of my avatar into the mix. Here's a redux of last round, just to help with this one a little:
Downpour ConglomerateUBR
Creature - Elemental Soldier
Haste, trample, desertwalk, protection from deserts
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Downpour Conglomerate.
Downpour Conglomerate gets +2/+0 for each copy in play. UBR: Target creature becomes a copy of Downpour Conglomerate until end of turn.
3/1
This round's submission:
Dustbowl Mirage
Legendary Land - Desert
:symtap:: Add 1 to your mana pool. 4: Target creature or land becomes a copy of Dustbowl Mirage at the beginning of the end step. XX: Dustbowl Mirage becomes an X/1 red Elemental creature with haste until end of turn.
Tellos, Supreme Wizard :3mana::symu::symu::symu:
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Shroud
Discard X cards,:symtap:: Return X target non-land permanents to their owner's hand.
Exile X cards from the top of your library,:symtap:: Put X cards from your graveyard on top of your library in any order.
1/4 "After the invasion of Pharos Island by the shifters, Tellos sought help from kingdom of Khana."
This was his bodyguard on that quest.
Shifting Golem
Artifact Creature - Golem (U)
:1mana:: Shifting Golem gets -2/+2 and defender until end of turn.
:1mana:: Shifting Golem gets -1/-1 and flying until end of turn.
3/3 "The Pharosian artificers created a golem that could fit any specification they need."
But that bodyguard disappeared and was replaced, after a bit of mystical manipulation, and became this guy.
RunetamerWU
Creature - Human Druid (R)
Whenever you draw Runetamer, you may reveal it to all players and pay :xmana::symw:. If you do, remove X counters from the game.
When Runetamer enters the battlefield, search your library for an instant or sorcery card and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1 "His connection to the lands, amplified by magic allowed him to control forces he once tought were uncontrollable."
*NOTE*: Mana cost fixed
Oh, and before I forget, this was the plane we landed on.
Here is the original creatures submitted by Magicprofessor28 that lives on the plane of Xotic. LINK
So we continue the Tale of Tellos, Supreme Wizard...
As Tellos looked for the origin of that inhuman voice, he saw three merfolk. There's no way you could mistake something else for a merfolk, the stench of dead fish gives them away. One of the merfolks threw a small flask towards Tellos. Tellos reacted quickly a magically created a wall of sea weed, in which the flask breaked releasing a black gas that covered Tellos' face. Tellos fell to the ground grasping for air. "What happened to my wards" tought Tellos. "Yourr magics are no gooood against ouur poisonnns, human." told the leader of the merfolks. Suddently the Runetamer screamed and somehow it cleared the poison. Now with his mind cleared and the runetamer helping him, Tellos casted a spell of vanishment onto the merfolk.
As the merfolk vanished, some humans came out to the beach where Tellos and the runetamer stood. The humans approached carefuly and after a while Tellos knew of how the merfolk controlled the land based population with their poisons. Since they had no idea of how long their stay was going to be, Tellos told them that he and his friend were going to help them break out from the fear of the merfolk's poisons.
Years later Tellos had established a nation out of the many human tribes and reached agreements with many merfok tribes with the help of the Runemancer. While the Runemancer assisted with the diplomatic stuff, Tellos put his efforts into creating a new Arcane Academy on the plane of Xotic. Still Tellos mourned his old academy and prayed to all the gods he has learned of in this plane and the other that someone else rescued them. Still when he looked at this new Academy he felt that he paid his respects to those he missed so much.
And now to this round's card:
Arcane Academy
Legendary Land (R)
Arcane Academy enters the battlefield tapped.
When Arcane Academy enters the battefield you may pay X:symwu:, if you do search your library for an non-creature, non-land card with converted mana cost X. Shuffle your library after searching.
:symwu::symwu:,:symtap: You may pay 0 for the next non-creature spell you cast this turn instead of its mana cost. Return Arcane Academy to your hand "Those who can find us can learn to untap their greatness." - Tellos, Supreme Wizard
Omalon, Preserver of Balance2(G/B)W
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (R)
Whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life. X1B,T: ~ deals X damage to target player.
2/3
Thrashing Golem(G/W)B
Artifact Creature - Golem (u)
Sacrifice a land: ~ gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
Whenever a land is put into a graveyard from play, you gain 2 life. "His elf bodyguard was slaughtered by angry farmers, but Omalon took revenge by setting loose a Golem with an unholy appetite for crops."
2/2
Foweti, the Bleeding Tree
Legendary Land (R) T: Add G to your mana pool. 2:symwb:: The next time target creature would deal combat damage to you this turn, you gain that much life instead. After Grieta had mysteriously disappeared, the farmers were unable to withstand Omalon's forces, as he reclaimed what was stolen from his ancestors.
Hey Alabran, could you swap the CCL banner with this URL? It's the same image, but I'm just really bandwidth-minded right now, so it'd be great if you could do the swap. ^^
It didn't matter how hard he worked, what discoveries he made. Whatever wealth he had earned was meaningless when he remembered those days in the Cloudwreath, capturing lightning, sailing through the air with the full force of the world facing you. It was exhilirating, and long ago Rynx had given up on ever going back there again.
Little by little, without Rynx even realizing, he was making a difference in this world. Soon he had enough gold - and followers, including his general, the zombie he had met at the very beginning - and he started a town.
The town became a city, the city diverged into many settlements, and soon Rynx was at the control of a small country. It was the work of the convergence of forces, the knowledge that had been reaped from the three worlds at Rynx's disposal. Expert knowledge of mana from Rynx's own world had allowed his mage population to grow expotentially. Knowledge of the darker sides of the magical world from his general allowed new resources to be open for the reaping. And the Smog itself, which Rynx had learned to use as a power source as well.
The inevitable had been realized. A kingdom bound to three forces, three worlds many million distances apart. And at the kingdom's head was Twintar, a volcano that Rynx had long ago rendered magical. It was a magical peak that used the energy of the dead, rested at its base, which was converted into mana and Smog, shooting out the peak like lava. A true monument to the three magics that had made his world complete.
At one point, without Rynx evening remembering, he had become content with this world he lived in. A slice of his own world, intergrated so beautifully into the rest of the plane.
The world was his prison, but now, it was also a home. It was a tomb he was willing to die in, with a smile on his face.
No story this time =/ This month suddenly became rally busy.
Regaliz, Smogshrouded City
Legendary Land T:AddW,U or B to your mana pool. ,T: Choose a counter on target permanent you control. Remove that counter from that permanent or put another of those counters on it.
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
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Story to come...
Welcome back to October CCL, this is Round Two after a very enjoyable Round One. This should hopefully continue this world/card crafting direction I'm taking this.
The Short Version
-I'll give you a task, and each leaguer has 3.5 days to submit a card. (We have a deadline, so try to adhere to this.)
- Then, the round closes, and each of you will have 1.5 days to post a Top 3 and reviews (And I shall do my best to have the next round up every 5 days.)
- We'll have at least 2 teams. Each team will review the opposing team's cards. After 3 rounds, we will cut to the top 8 players as determined by points.
- Each 1st place earns you 3 points, 2nd place earns 2 points and 3rd place earns 1 point
- Additionally, each player who posts a review for at least half the cards gains 1 point. Anyone who submits a Top 3 within deadline also receives a point.
- At the end of the third round, we go to a Top 8, where each session becomes a 1 vs. 1 (or not, it can sometimes be a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 battle royal) elimination, until we have our champion.
- We have a "probation" procedure, which means that if you don't post a card or a Top 3, you are on probation. For Top 3 violations, if you didn't have time to post your T3 in time, PM it to me before the following round closes and I'll remove the probation.
- Some rounds I will vary the teams and scoring policies. I'll do my best to inform everyone what those changes entail.
- Here is a long, but very old version of the rules (thanks to Jau for finding this). Read at your own peril.
Custom Card League Rules Compendium
* Overview
* Schedule
* Challenge Rounds
* Critique Rounds
* Valid Entry Constitution
* Scoring
* Penalties
* Resources
* Credits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Overview
The CCL is among the more fun games on the MtGSalvation forums due to its inherent aspect of interactivity among the Leaguers (that’s you). We actively critique each other’s card designs at the end of each round, putting a more personal interest into our cards and generally making us all better designers. Typically, we build worlds more complete than many games, as each round builds on the designs and ideas of previous rounds in the month. The CCL allows for Leaguers to plumb the depths of creativity, as the point schedule aspect allows for three full rounds without fear of elimination.
* Schedule
o The CCL will run six rounds, each lasting five days.
+ Rounds 1, 2 & 3 will be free-for-alls with each leaguer fighting for the most points during critiques. At the beginning of each of these rounds. The host will divide the league members evenly into two teams and each team will be assigned their design challenge. At the challenge deadline, the round will elapse into the critique section (see Critiques below). Once the critique section ends, the host will tally points and post the next round. Team rosters are likely to change between rounds; the new rosters will be included in the initial posting for the next round.
o Each round will last five days: 3.5 to finalize designs, 1.5 for critiques.
o The schedule will usually operate according to US Easter time zone (GMT -5) We will stick to this schedule as closely as possible, adjusting as necessary.
* Challenge Rounds
o At the start of each round, the host will post the challenge for the round. This may be, at the host’s discretion, a single challenge for all leaguers, a list for each leaguer to choose from, challenges assigned to each leaguer, or other challenge variation.
o Each Leaguer will post his/her entry by the deadline, 3.5 days after the round is posted.
* Critique Rounds
o At the end of each challenge round, the host, or an individual the host designates, will officially close the round and open the forum for critiques. After this point, modifying the post containing your entry for the round will incur penalties (see Penalties section).
o Each Leaguer will thoroughly critique at least 50% of the entries given by the leaguers on the other team.
o In addition to the critiques, each Leaguer generates his/her list of the Top 3 entries for the round. The Top 3 listings are the chief source of points within the CCL and are therefore required to complete. Even if critiques are not completed, Top 3’s must be listed to avoid penalties (see Penalties for penalty schedule). Regardless of the cards actually critiqued by a given Leaguer, Top 3’s can be drawn from any valid entry of the round. Submitting Top 3’s grants one point.
o A valid critique does not need to be lengthy. A few constructive sentences will do as long as they are meaningful. Neither “Hated it,” “Too expensive,” nor “Bahhrokken!!!” are valid critiques.
Example:
The following card is submitted by Fitzgerald:
A few decent critics:
from Tiberius: Templating issue with “nonpermanent card,” it's confusing and should just read “instant or sorcery card.” And the cost seems steep: I’m giving up a mana, a card, and immediate access to the card I looked for. Creative, but not bad.
from Wilhelmina: I hate the name. Also the shuffle part should be right after removing the tutored card instead of on a separate line. Seems powerful as an instant, play it on the opponents turn and you get basically a free draw, but you get to pick it.
from Beauregard: A bit complicated for uncommon. It doesn’t go to microtext on a render (sans flavor text) but it still isn’t all that intuitive.
* Valid Entry Constitution
o A valid entry in a given round cleanly delivers all required components of the challenge. The CCL is based around card design, so each challenge will direct Leaguers to design one or more cards, but other components may be given according to the judge’s discretion. Historically, these non-card components have included such things as keyword mechanic designs, story pieces, and various ideas for the judge to incorporate into later rounds. Include only what is described by the challenge requirements, as superfluous items may sway judgings unfairly and will incur penalties.
o It is customary to include card renders in entries. This is not required. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and therefore will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render. However, it must be understood that a proper render is easier to judge/critique as it is more pleasing to the eye, more memorable and allows for Leaguers to judge the card by its wordiness, a very important aspect of a card’s design. Common rendering software used include Magic Set Editor (free program, the standard that most amateur designers use), PhotoShop (not free), and GIMP (free PhotoShop knockoff).
* Scoring
o The bulk of available points will be derived from Top 3 listings, as is League custom. Within each Top 3 listing, the choice for 1st place will be awarded 3 points, the choice for 2nd place will receive 2 points, and the choice for 3rd place will receive 1 point. It is common for Leaguers to post an Honorable Mention or two along with their T3 listings. Honorable Mentions are not awarded points. Posting T3s is required and awards one point for completion of the requirements. There are penalties for failure to post T3s (see Penalties section).
o Critiques are an optional aspect of the CCL, therefore no penalties are given for failure to complete critiques. Any Leaguer completing critiques for at least 50% of the other team's entries will receive 1 bonus point. An additional point will be awarded if a Leaguer critiques all valid entries in the round.
o As noted in the section on Valid Entry Constitution, entries are encouraged to contain proper card renders. Some Leaguers may not have access to render design software and will not be penalized for posting an entry without a render.
* Penalties
o Failure to post Top 3s as required during the Critique section of any round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an Top 3 in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
o Once a Round elapses into its critique section, any Leaguer modifying their entry after any leaguer has posted a critique, will be disqualified for the round.
o Failure to post an entry within the Challenge round will put a Leaguer on probation. While on probation, failure to post an entry in any later round will disqualify that Leaguer for the remainder of the month.
* Resources
o This is a templating guideline compiled by Kraj. It is quite concise and very useful.
o Making Magic by Mark Rosewater, current head of Magic Design at Wizards of the Coast. Making Magic is a weekly article detailing the trials, tribulations and achievements of Magic R&D in riveting prose.
o Magiccards.info is the database mtgsalvation draws upon when you use the [card] tag. The advanced search functionality is useful for searching all cards officially printed by WotC.
o Gatherer is the database maintained officially by WotC. It has slightly different functionality than magiccards.info, but the differences are too numerable to list here. (Someone should write an article about that)
o Your other Leaguers are fantastic resources. We, more than the players of other games on this forum, are a community, as can be seen by the dialogue of any CCL thread.
+ Question, consult with, challenge and encourage each other at every opportunity.
o Credits
Team Pavan
Twilight Kiwi - 7 (1+2+1+3)
BlackMegatog - 7 (2+1+2+1+1)
Cardamne - 11 (1+3+2+2+3)
Venser - 2 (2)
Gerrard's Mom - 10 (3+2+3+2)
Zas - 0 - Card + T3 Probation*
Team Tejas
KoolKoal - 13 (1+3+3+3+3)
Flappy - 5 (2+1+2)
Krey - 1 (1)
Jimmy Groove - 4 (2+2) - T3 Probation*
MagicProfessor28 - 10 (3+1+1+2+2+1)
Dranith - 2 (2) - T3 Probation*
Team Jala
Myrix - 3 (1+2)
Nekyia - 8 (3+1+2+1+1)
Arcadeus88 - 0
Lanxal - 2 (2)
Mobiusman - 9 (3+1+2+3)
Maokun - 9 (2+2+3+2)
*Probations can be removed simply be sending me your Top 3 And/Or Card Submission, whichever you're missing.
Many years have passed and while you have not yet been able to find your way back home, through great perseverance you've been able to carve out a part of this new world for yourself. You've bartered, threatened, cajoled, and extorted all the way, but you're finally beginning to approach the rank to which you once belonged. What you've started here, the Multiverse has never once seen before. The first inter-planar culture; a mad combination of architectural style, culinary customs, trade habits, and military training. At least now when you are weary with fatigue or intoxicated on your local wines when you look at the walls of your chambers you can, for a fleeting moment, believe you are back home.
Second Challenge: After many years you have been able to successfully found a kingdom (or variant) in this new world, integrating the customs of all three planar cultures into one. Show us your kingdom by creating a legendary land representing a landmark of some importance to this civilization.
For convenience, here is the sign-up thread from where you may refresh your memories on the cultures of your lackey and plane.
And here is the link to Round One, for those who wish to use it as a reference.
=====
Team Pavan will critique Team Jala
Team Tejas will critique Team Pavan
Team Jala will critique Team Tejas
The deadline for submitions is the 13th of October, at 12:00 Noon of Thursday, UTC - 8.
The deadline for critiques is the 14th of September, at 12:00 Midnight of Friday, UTC - 8.
Resu sat in his study, pondering his current situation. Local paintings lined the walls and various texts sat on shelves lining the walls. It had been only a few years but it had seemed like forever for him. He stared down at the unwound scroll sitting in front of him. After decripting only part of the scroll he had discovered how to cause objects to levitate and how to return the banished to the living realm. But he still did not know how to do the most important thing, get home. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Come in and state your business." shouted Resu, upset by the intrusion.
The door opened to reveal a scared man wearing a black cloak. "Sir, there is another disturbance in the portal."
"I'll be there in just a minute, now leave." snarled Resu. As the door closed Resu took another good look at the scroll. The secret to getting home had to be there, he just knew it.
Resu descended the stairs to the main hall where he was greated by a brigade of soldiers in all black. Their races were as varied as the location of the scars on each one but that did not matter to him. Each one had been recieved through his pride, a large ornate marble entry filled by a gleaming portal. It was the result of his tireless work and the knowledge from the scroll. And it seemed there would be a new addition to his army. As he watched a small, red hand appeared through the portal, followed by a body. "Oh great, another goblin." shouted Resu, not caring who heard him. The largest exception to his army was the lack of goblins. He knew from great experience that they could never be trusted. "I guess you don't like me," said the goblin looking up."So what you gonna do now, kill me." Resu went over and opened up the ornate wooden door across from the portal."Me, kill you? Not at all. You can just leave through this door." The goblin smiled with glee and ran out the door, only to be interrupted by an abrupt fall. Rssu snicked as he heard the goblin squeal on its way down. His floating citadel was his other great pride and another result of the scroll. Not only was he able to keep the angry locals away he had an easier way to get rid of the unwanted goblins.
As Resu went back up to his study he knew it might be awhile before he got home but he knew that this would do for now.
Visruth, The Floating Citidal
Legendary Land [M]
~ enters the battlefield tapped
Add W to your mana pool.
:symwb::symwb::symwb::symwb::symtap:, Return target exiled creature to the battlefield under your control.
"You may not be accepted by others but you are always accepted here." Resu, Head Vindicator
You're still on the plane you were last round. You still have the lackey that you converted last round. Over the years you've been here, you've simply managed to found a civilization, one inspired by your Avatar, your new Lackey, and the original culture of your new plane.
So, in your case, perhaps you've formed a new Phyrexia of sorts. Enslaving the local shade population to run foundries that pump out putrid constructs.
Perhaps Myrix has been able to slowly use his influence to corrupt Arcadeus' angelic court, gradually turning the former world of light and life into, literally, a shade of it's former self.
Etc, etc, etc.
Figure out what your avatar has done to this world over the years, and show it to me through a legendary land.
-
Edit: Woops. Thanks Mobius, it's fixed now.
Legendary Enchantment Creature - Spirit (M)
When Orawn, Winterlord of Ost enters the battlefield, each player chooses five permanents he or she controls and sacrifices the rest.
Whenever an artifact, creature, or land enters the battlefield, if its controller controls five or more nonenchantment permanents, its controller sacrifices a permanent.
"The Age of Winter has persisted for centuries. But I know better than anyone that all things must come to an end. The cycle of seasons inexorably turns."
3/3
Creature- Human Wizard
Mindscape 2 (When this creature comes into play, you may shuffle target permanent you control into its owner's library. If you do, then look at the top two cards of your library, choose a permanent card that has a converted mana cost less than or equal to the shuffled permanent and shares a supertype with it, and put it into play. Put all other cards on the bottom of your library in any order.)
Whenever you mindscape, you may put target card in your graveyard on the top of your library.
"No one worthy of surviving ever truly dies here. Their bodies, their memories, their very souls are preserved in memory, soon taking the place of the undesirables."- Myria, Memory Reader
2/3
Enchantment Creature - Human Wizard
Aurafall - Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, you may choose a card in a graveyard. If you do, its owner reveals their hand, then shuffles the chosen card and all cards in their graveyard, hand, and that they control that share a name with it into their library.
"This world must rest. Only when its people set aside their obsession with the past can the cycle of rebirth begin again." - Orawn, Winterlord of Ost
2/3
Legendary Enchantment Land (M)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may pay 2W. If you do, that player shuffles each permanent he or she owns with one or more counters on it into his or her library.
Whenever an enchantment becomes tapped, add W to your mana pool.
T: Put an ice counter on target nonenchantment permanent.
"We have subdued this land and the hearts of its people. One day they will be ready to awaken again." - Orawn, Winterlord
My First (And Probably Only) MCC Perfect Score: December 09 (Round One)
Is it?
I'll double check.
I awarded 3 points to first place, 2 points to second place, 1 point to third place. 1 point for an on-time T3, and 1 point for an on-time critique.
Edit: I double checked. It should be correct (Nekyia sent me a T3 as I was posting the new round). Let me know if there's something that doesn't add up right, or if I somehow missed something.
Rynx, Stormscout Rider :2mana::symw::symw:
Legendary Creature - Human Scout
Flash
First strike
At the beginning of your precombat step, you may tap Rynx. If you do, add to your mana pool, where is Rynx's toughness.
"We brave the mana-rich storms of the Cloudwreath, capturing lightning and converting it into something much more useful, and much more valuable."
3/2
Fogcutter Wight :1mana::symw::symb::symb:
Creature - Zombie Rogue Minion
Sacrifice ~: Remove all counters from target permenant. Add to your mana pool, where X is the number of counters removed this way.
:1mana::symw::symb::symb:, Discard a card: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield.
"Stormscouts learn of the importance of conversion, the changing of forces from one to another. With these thoughts in hand, I will fashion a weapon to nullify this Smog and it's inhabitants."
2/3
Years have passed...
This world was his prison.
It didn't matter how hard he worked, what discoveries he made. Whatever wealth he had earned was meaningless when he remembered those days in the Cloudwreath, capturing lightning, sailing through the air with the full force of the world facing you. It was exhilirating, and long ago Rynx had given up on ever going back there again.
Little by little, without Rynx even realizing, he was making a difference in this world. Soon he had enough gold - and followers, including his general, the zombie he had met at the very beginning - and he started a town.
The town became a city, the city diverged into many settlements, and soon Rynx was at the control of a small country. It was the work of the convergence of forces, the knowledge that had been reaped from the three worlds at Rynx's disposal. Expert knowledge of mana from Rynx's own world had allowed his mage population to grow expotentially. Knowledge of the darker sides of the magical world from his general allowed new resources to be open for the reaping. And the Smog itself, which Rynx had learned to use as a power source as well.
The inevitable had been realized. A kingdom bound to three forces, three worlds many million distances apart. And at the kingdom's head was Twintar, a volcano that Rynx had long ago rendered magical. It was a magical peak that used the energy of the dead, rested at its base, which was converted into mana and Smog, shooting out the peak like lava. A true monument to the three magics that had made his world complete.
At one point, without Rynx evening remembering, he had become content with this world he lived in. A slice of his own world, intergrated so beautifully into the rest of the plane.
The world was his prison, but now, it was also a home. It was a tomb he was willing to die in, with a smile on his face.
Legendary Land
Smog 2 (This permenant enters the battlefield with two smog counters. Spells you cast cost more for each smog counter on this permenant. If there are no smog counters on this permenant, sacrifice it at the end of turn.)
Remove a smog counter from ~, T: Choose one - Add 2 to your mana pool; or target creature gets shroud until the end of turn.
Whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a smog counter on ~.
"At it's base rests the dead and forgotten, from it's peak spews fog and mana. Twintar is our perfect symbol, a unification of forces high above the Smog cover."
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
My First (And Probably Only) MCC Perfect Score: December 09 (Round One)
Tribal Legendary Land - Human
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
When Land Management Office comes into play and at the beginning of each of your upkeeps, you may sacrifice an untapped land. If you do, search your library for a basic land card and put it into play, then shuffle your library.
"Once Grietta managed to gather the power to eliminate the wild dangers from the land, she went about turning it into something more useful and productive.
Yep.
Minion (Venser)
Caden the Protector 1RW
Legendary Creature - Human Rebel [M]
First strike, wither
Caden the Protector has double strike as long as there are two or more +1/+1 counters on it.
Reinforce 2 - :sym2r::sym2w:
2/2
Warped Rebel UR
Creature - Illusion Rebel [u]
Haste, protection from creatures with haste
Whenever Warped Rebel becomes reinforced, you may put a token that's a copy of Warped Rebel onto the battlefield.
Reinforce 1 - 1R
"When you can't wait for backup, you have to make your own" - Caden
2/1
Kalish, the South Fort
Legendary Land - Desert [MR]
T: Add W to your mana pool.
1R, T, Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Put a token that’s a copy of that creature onto the battlefield. That token has haste and “At the beginning of the end step, exile this permanent.”
Reinforce 2—:symrw::symrw:
The mage and I had gone far from our original site of arrival. We had learned much of this world. What we had uncovered, we could scarcely believe. Despite what it had become, this endless expanse of death was once a thriving kingdom. Records unearthed from what ruined structures were still standing indicated the arrival of some force of decay and evil, which rotted the land to death, but still kept it horribly alive as though through some malicious will. Mapping the areas of greatest decay, we believed we had found the spot where it had begun. Ah, the lengths we were willing to go for exploration-for knowledge. The sight of the point of origin chilled us to the bone. The earth and soil weren't the barren stone we had seen to this point. Bones, rotting flesh, and a fetid sludge made the area into a horrifying necrotic marsh. It was as if an entire city fell over dead at that spot. We dared not land here. Aside from the putrid miasma-which would likely have killed us had we gotten any closer-we had learned by now that in this place, the dead rarely stay dead.
We were right. By the time we had seen the movement in the murk, it was too late. Gripping ropes of slime and sinew shot up, tearing us out of the sky. At that moment, in an instant of sheer panic, something unlocked in my mind. Until that moment, all the magic I could muster were simple wards and charms of inspiration. But in that moment, every mental wall exploded into rubble. An infinity of possible magics whirled through my mind's eye. Spells I had seen the Templars use, spells I had merely read about in scrolls, even powers I'd never even concepted, teetering on the edge of possibility. All of them flashed before me. My mind settled on one. Somehow I felt the energy of the holy sites of my homeland course through me again, but stronger than before-stronger than I'd ever thought possible. Arcing my arms toward the ground, I released the energy. A towering burst of searing sunlight blasted toward the dead marsh. Where it hit, the beam scoured away every trace of decay. Then, the energy spread out, annihilating the deathly sludge.
My companion and I crashed to the now clean white stone. I stood, my wings broken. Again, I saw possibilities, this time I summoned a less dramatic power. I healed my wounds and those of the mage, then we looked out over the site. I saw all it could become. "Here," I said to him,"we will make our home."
Until that moment, I had never known ambition. Until that moment, I had not known the desire for "more"-more than I had been given, more than merely performing my duty. I began to want all that my new power could afford me. And so I began the task of obtaining it. Each day, new possibilities of spells and powers opened to me. Etching runes of power onto the stones around us, I created mystic artifacts capable of transmuting materials, producing energy, even rune-etched golems for use as servitors and defenders. Soon, I had built an entire fortress of runewrought stones. A literal citadel of knowledge.
Capturing and studying the undead, I began to understand the processes animating them. Their regenerative powers were incredible. Stone, though sturdy, will eventually fall to the elements. Inlaid with the flesh and bone of these creatures, it could rebuild itself. I must take care though, I thought. I had seen that even disembodied, the material could still have a sinister life of its own. Cleansing the blight that animated them removed this tendency, allowing me full control of the material. This combination of stone and sinew, rune and bone-I dubbed this revolution "Sarcomite". Eventually, I incorporated it into all of my designs and structures. Interestingly, incorporating it into the rune golems appeared to give them a kind of personality. Individual enough to improvise strategy, but still obedient enough to not question better wisdom.
In time, my "empire" grew. The mage became general of my armed division, an air force with the tenacity of living beings, and the resilience and strength of stone. With me, served the Sages of Sarcomite, golems created specifically to be intelligent and to study magic and science. In a moment of contemplation, much like this one, I made a startling realization. My kind are more long-lived than other mortal races, but in time we will still die. "What would this city I have built do without me?" I thought. No mere golem could have the wisdom to direct the fight against the undead, however advanced I had made them. Without a guiding intellect, it would simply become a vast machine, waiting to wind down. Back then, I had thought there was no way I could live long enough to maintain what I had built.
Remembering that, how naive I was even that short time ago, I laugh to myself. I place my hand over my chest, making the sound of metal tapping on stone. From within the opalescent ribcage, intricately woven together with sarcomite tendons, a soft white glow like an overcast moon flutters to a heartbeat rhythm. The phylactery houses my soul and psyche, and enables me to continue my work of reshaping this world into a magnificent kingdom for as long as I require.
One of the Sages presents experiment results for my perusal. I ask him to wait a moment. A short bow, and he returns to his desk. Klack, klack, klack, my feet tap upon the stone floor as my hand did upon my chest. I make my way to the balcony. Once there, The sliding of hinge joints and the creak of ligaments accompany the spreading of my great wings. Surveying the city, I admire not only the magnificence of what I see, but also the mirrored, etched-silver faceplate that allows me to perceive my world in ways my old eyes never could have.
The city stretches miles in all directions, twisting streets and alleys allow maximum usable space in a minimum area. The walls of etched stone reach up with sarcomite spires, projecting defensive barriers, scrying into the distance with crystal eyes, or simply for aesthetics. The golems, of late, have developed a sense for art. I don't begrudge the frivolities of it. Anything that makes my citizens happy I will support, so long as it does not interfere with operations too greatly. Pack crawlers transport necessary materials out of the city into the wasteland outposts. The Windwarders, led by the mage, circle overhead. For a moment I am reminded of the guardian drakes of the S****ep.
We have changed this world. No more is the sky darkened by clouds of miasma. When the sun is up, the city reflects a brilliant light. Now, though, the sun is creeping below the far horizon to the west, behind the city. As dusk silently falls over the land, pearl-colored lights flicker to life in the shadows. These are the ward crystals protecting the outer settlements. Like miniature moons, they illuminate the sky, driving away what undead remain in the wastes. Soon, my vision will encircle this land. Reports come in from the farthest reaches of the frontier-reports of untainted land, where the decay gives way to rolling fields, sandy beaches, rocky outcroppings, even a treeline. We will explore these lands and learn from their people, if any live there. The future is bright for my kingdom-the kingdom of Traversian.
Traversian Prime
Legendary Land
You have no maximum hand size.
~comes into play with four expansion counters on it.
:3mana:,:symtap:,remove an expansion counter from ~: For each card in your hand, put a 0/1 artifact creature token onto the battlefield with defender and ":symtap:, add to your mana pool."
Sorry if i'm a little late, but it took me most of the day to concept all this. Enjoy!
Sig and Avatar by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery Shop!
In time, Meklar began to take on traits of its master, rejuvenating its occupants at each successful dissappearance and pulling back the energy when the test failed. This went on for some time, and Draqal began to wonder if he should have sided with those wizards he tried to eradicate. But the past was past and the Lord had much more on his mind than times long gone. Such as the ever present nightmares, and the way his appearance was constantly changing.
Meklar, House of Planar Portals
Legendary Land - Plains (R)
1W, :symtap:: Exile target creature. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, you lose 2 life.
Whenever a creature leaves the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
It is here, inside the spire, that Shadowlord Malathir has begun to slowly rebuild a force of shade warriors by capturing and corrupting the peaceful denizens of this plane.
More than just a lair, the spire is the magnificent result of years of study and obsession by Malathir, who has acquired an immense knowledge of the magical arts by stealing countless tomes and scrolls from the s****eps of the angels. At first, Malathir only wanted to find a way to escape the plane and return to his homewold of Xorothil, but as his knowledge and power grew, so did his ambitions and desires. Within the spire, he now seeks to create an interplanar gatekey that will allow him to transport his citadel between worlds. No longer content to simply return to Xorothil and win his battle against the plane of Lysiria, he now wants to see his shadow spread across multiple worlds - a multi-planar kingdom ruled by the shadekind.
The angels have thus far failed to breach the citadel and destroy Malathir for what he has done to their people, but hope has not yet been lost. They can feel the corrupting influence of the spire radiating across their lands, and though they do not know what dark magic may be the source of it, they have realized their time may be short. If the spire is to be destroyed, it must be soon.
Izurnal, the Black Spire
Legendary Land (Mythic)
T: Add B to your mana pool for each corruption counter on Izurnal, the Black Spire.
B,T: Put a corruption counter on Izurnal, the Black Spire. You lose 2 life.
Legendary Creature - Djinn (M)
Flash, flying, haste
Skip your main phases.
5/5
Enchantment Creature - Elemental Knight (U)
Haste
Whenever Frostburn Crusader attacks, target creature controlled by the defending player becomes an enchantment until end of turn. (It's no longer a creature.)
2/2
modified from:
Emberdune General :2mana::symr::symw:
Creature - Elemental Knight
Haste
Whenever ~ attacks, you may tap target creature.
Few trespass in the land of burning sands, but those that do know to hide when they hear the hooves of a thundermare.
2/2
Azvra was not unaware of the effect his presence had on this world, either. When the steamy vents of his home touched the fields, brittle reeds grew supple, and the lingering warmth encouraged tiny buds to spring forth. The life of this world was nebulous as well, and it would take time for him to learn how to shape it best to serve himself.
Thunderhead Palace
Legendary Land (R)
Whenever an opponent plays a land, you may put Thunderhead Palace from your hand onto the battlefield.
At the beginning of any opponent's end step, return Thunderhead Palace to its owner's hand.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
The spire was tall, daunting. In the years that had passed since the arrival of Celrius Rane, the grand cityscape of Selancia had remained very much the same. The buildings all remained alike. The tower remained the sole symbol of individuality among thousands of avatars of conformity. However, the winds of change were blowing. Quietly, stealthily, Celrius had infiltrated the tower of Estrilon-Vei more than three years ago. The government was overthrown. Or rather, the government had had their minds displaced. Their singular pathos of keeping order in Selancia had changed. They still governed the plane very much the same way as they had for eons. However, they now belonged to Celrius. As he stared out from the top of the spire, overlooking his kingdom, his eyes crinkled with disdain. "Things are going to change soon," he thought, "and the world needs to be ready to face those changes."
Turning around, his gaze met the kneeling form of one of The Twelve, the lead council of Selancia. Celrius tilted his head, studying him. His visage was starting to change from when they had first met. The man's face was becoming more formed, more shapely than the rest of his society. Opening his lips, Celrius spoke to the man.
"I'm assuming you've come to tell me that everything has gone according to plan? We are ready to begin?"
"At your orders, master," came the reply. "Your apprentice has set the mana bombs. We only need your heed to begin."
"Well done," said Celrius. "You will rally the rest of The Twelve and meet me outside the cityscape. It will not be safe for anyone when the tower falls. Dismissed."
The man turned to leave. His magenta cloak trailed behind him as he opened the door to the large room. "Oh, I forgot to mention," spoke Celrius once more. The man turned his bald head towards his liege. "Bring shovels. As many as you can find. We'll need bodies to reform...what's left of them, anyways."
Estrilon-Vei, the Convergence Spire
Legendary Land
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to play spells that don't share a name with a card in a graveyard or on the battlefield.
7W,T, Sacrifice Estrilon-Vei: Destroy each creature that shares a name with another creature on the battlefield.
"This is a symbol of our strength. Of our life's work. If, and when this tower falls, it will symbolize a new beginning. The end of one, solitary life composed of millions of the same person, and the beginning of the lives of millions, working toward individual and unique goals." - Celrius Rane
Altered Art Cards! | Commissions currently Closed
Downpour Conglomerate UBR
Creature - Elemental Soldier
Haste, trample, desertwalk, protection from deserts
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Downpour Conglomerate.
Downpour Conglomerate gets +2/+0 for each copy in play.
UBR: Target creature becomes a copy of Downpour Conglomerate until end of turn.
3/1
This round's submission:
Dustbowl Mirage
Legendary Land - Desert
:symtap:: Add 1 to your mana pool.
4: Target creature or land becomes a copy of Dustbowl Mirage at the beginning of the end step.
XX: Dustbowl Mirage becomes an X/1 red Elemental creature with haste until end of turn.
Tellos, Supreme Wizard :3mana::symu::symu::symu:
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Shroud
Discard X cards,:symtap:: Return X target non-land permanents to their owner's hand.
Exile X cards from the top of your library,:symtap:: Put X cards from your graveyard on top of your library in any order.
1/4
"After the invasion of Pharos Island by the shifters, Tellos sought help from kingdom of Khana."
This was his bodyguard on that quest.
Shifting Golem
Artifact Creature - Golem (U)
:1mana:: Shifting Golem gets -2/+2 and defender until end of turn.
:1mana:: Shifting Golem gets -1/-1 and flying until end of turn.
3/3
"The Pharosian artificers created a golem that could fit any specification they need."
But that bodyguard disappeared and was replaced, after a bit of mystical manipulation, and became this guy.
Runetamer WU
Creature - Human Druid (R)
Whenever you draw Runetamer, you may reveal it to all players and pay :xmana::symw:. If you do, remove X counters from the game.
When Runetamer enters the battlefield, search your library for an instant or sorcery card and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1
"His connection to the lands, amplified by magic allowed him to control forces he once tought were uncontrollable."
*NOTE*: Mana cost fixed
Oh, and before I forget, this was the plane we landed on.
Here is the original creatures submitted by Magicprofessor28 that lives on the plane of Xotic.
LINK
So we continue the Tale of Tellos, Supreme Wizard...
As Tellos looked for the origin of that inhuman voice, he saw three merfolk. There's no way you could mistake something else for a merfolk, the stench of dead fish gives them away. One of the merfolks threw a small flask towards Tellos. Tellos reacted quickly a magically created a wall of sea weed, in which the flask breaked releasing a black gas that covered Tellos' face. Tellos fell to the ground grasping for air. "What happened to my wards" tought Tellos. "Yourr magics are no gooood against ouur poisonnns, human." told the leader of the merfolks. Suddently the Runetamer screamed and somehow it cleared the poison. Now with his mind cleared and the runetamer helping him, Tellos casted a spell of vanishment onto the merfolk.
As the merfolk vanished, some humans came out to the beach where Tellos and the runetamer stood. The humans approached carefuly and after a while Tellos knew of how the merfolk controlled the land based population with their poisons. Since they had no idea of how long their stay was going to be, Tellos told them that he and his friend were going to help them break out from the fear of the merfolk's poisons.
Years later Tellos had established a nation out of the many human tribes and reached agreements with many merfok tribes with the help of the Runemancer. While the Runemancer assisted with the diplomatic stuff, Tellos put his efforts into creating a new Arcane Academy on the plane of Xotic. Still Tellos mourned his old academy and prayed to all the gods he has learned of in this plane and the other that someone else rescued them. Still when he looked at this new Academy he felt that he paid his respects to those he missed so much.
And now to this round's card:
Arcane Academy
Legendary Land (R)
Arcane Academy enters the battlefield tapped.
When Arcane Academy enters the battefield you may pay X:symwu:, if you do search your library for an non-creature, non-land card with converted mana cost X. Shuffle your library after searching.
:symwu::symwu:,:symtap: You may pay 0 for the next non-creature spell you cast this turn instead of its mana cost. Return Arcane Academy to your hand
"Those who can find us can learn to untap their greatness." - Tellos, Supreme Wizard
Omalon, Preserver of Balance 2(G/B)W
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (R)
Whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life.
X1B,T: ~ deals X damage to target player.
2/3
Thrashing Golem (G/W)B
Artifact Creature - Golem (u)
Sacrifice a land: ~ gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
Whenever a land is put into a graveyard from play, you gain 2 life.
"His elf bodyguard was slaughtered by angry farmers, but Omalon took revenge by setting loose a Golem with an unholy appetite for crops."
2/2
Foweti, the Bleeding Tree
Legendary Land (R)
T: Add G to your mana pool.
2:symwb:: The next time target creature would deal combat damage to you this turn, you gain that much life instead.
After Grieta had mysteriously disappeared, the farmers were unable to withstand Omalon's forces, as he reclaimed what was stolen from his ancestors.
( 0.0 )
=O ((U/R)) O=
(")(")
I'm an AI making Magic cards.
http://www.staalmedia.nl/nexus/#generate
http://i34.tinypic.com/ncauz6.png
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Beautiful work, Lanxal.
Uhh...You wrote Noon of Thursday! But I can have mine up later tonight- around like 10:00 EST.
Regaliz, Smogshrouded City
Legendary Land
T:AddW,U or B to your mana pool.
,T: Choose a counter on target permanent you control. Remove that counter from that permanent or put another of those counters on it.