Using the clues you have obtained, you are finally able to locate the elusive artifact. However, when you arrive, you find it protected by forces from another time; alternate realities and futures have left a strange guardian as the final obstacle before you.
Top 4 Challenge
There should still be two colors you have not used yet in this CCL. Choose one of these colors and create three cards: a creature, an enchantment or equipment, and an instant or sorcery. These cards must be the chosen color or colorless. In addition, one card must be a "planeshifted" version of an existing card in another color (you may use the Planar Chaos color pie or the normal color pie), and one card must have a new keyword, like the ones found in Future Sight.
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, November 28th, 9PM Pacific Critique Deadline: Friday, November 30th, 9PM Pacific
You will critique all other entries and provide a Top 3.
The Card Creation League is a monthly contest in which players compete over seven rounds. Each month has an overall theme and/or story, determined by that month's host.
Each round, the host will assign a card creation task to the players. This task may vary between teams or players.
The first three rounds are open to everyone who joined in the sign-up thread, which will be posted near the end of the previous month. After these rounds, the Top 8 players will move on to three elimination rounds to determine a winner.
Rounds usually last three to four days for submissions and about two days for critiques, but the host has final say in making the schedule.
For the first three rounds, players are divided into teams. Four teams is standard, but there may be more or less depending on the number of players. Each team will review another team's cards during the critique period of that round.
Each player must submit a Top 3 ranking for the team he or she critiques at the end of each round. Each 1st place is worth 3 points, 2nd place 2 points, and 3rd place 1 point.
Additionally, each player can receive 2 bonus points per round. One point is awarded for posting a Top 3, and one point for providing critiques for that team's cards.
Suggested areas to critique include creativity, balance, printability, and relation to the overall theme or that player's previous cards.
Players who do not post a card or a Top 3 will be put on "probation." Top 3 violations for a round can be removed by posting or PMing the host with your Top 3 before the end of the next round. Any player that would receive a second violation is disqualified from further competition that month.
At the end of the first three rounds, the Top 8 players will be selected by points (usually the top 2 from each team). In the case of ties, there may be more than 8 players advancing. The suggested scoring method is for each player to critique all remaining players in the same Top 3 style as the first three rounds, with the top half advancing each round, so Top 8, then Top 4, then Finals.
The final round is determined by public poll.
Prior to Top 8, players have a chance of getting a total of 100 points toward their score each Scoring Round. Scores for each Round are determined by the following equation:
Total points of Player A in round N = 100 * X/Y, where:
X = Total number of Scoring Points (Judge Points + Additional Points from Top 3 & Critiques)
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
3 points are given for a First Place Top 3 finish, 2 points for a Second Place, and 1 point for a Third Place. 1 additional point is awarded if a Top 3 is submitted. 1 additional point is awarded if Critiques are given for all entries to be judged.
This way the grading is more streamlined in the fact that all rounds prior to Top 8 are graded equally, and there is no handicap for any team that has fewer judges.
Each player accumulates points from each Scoring Round until the end of Round 3.
Card effect: Dementia (As long as you have 20 or fewer cards in your library, effect)
Tainted Remains2BBB
Creature - Skeleton Horror
Dementia - As long as you have 20 or less cards in your library, Tainted Remains gets +4/+4 and has intimidate.
4/4
Forgotten Plague1BB
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from their hand or library, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. As your mind rots away, your body will buckle.
Rotting Tomes1B
Sorcery {C}
Any player may pay 6 life. If no one does, target player puts the top 6 cards of his or her library into their graveyard. The ancient books held vast yet fragile knowledge.
Sorry, I saw Big Cal do it and felt like trying my hand at it as well, feel free to ignore.
Finally, we had prepared enough to approach the library, taken all precautions we could to protect ourselves from the horrible fate the scouts suffered when they ventured here. I came with a pair of my best men in tow, in case anything unexpected should happen, though I didn't think anything living would be of bother in this forsaken place.
As we entered the library, the stench from within was noxious, it was clear much had died within these walls. As we pushed onward into the library to locate the staff, I couldn't help but glance at some of the books, bringing the party to a stop temporarily as I attempted to remove a book from a shelf. I was shocked as not only the book I went to grab collapsed, but every book on the shelf seemed to break apart into dust at my touch of this one.
I didn't have time to dwell on it, as one of my colleagues cried out. I turned to see him writhing in pain. Though we had no time to help him as one of the dead bodies surrounding us... grabbed him and started to claw at him.
All around the library, the rotting flesh and bones gathered together to form a massive beast of undeath, of such terrifying form that neither I nor my other companion could react, I only snapping out of my stupor when my friend was crushed by the creature as he tried to flee.
... to be continued?
Cursed Knowledge2BB
Enchantment {R}
During each players draw phase, they draw an additional card.
Whenever a player draws a card, they lose 1 life.
Dementia - As long as you have 20 or less cards in your library, if you would draw a card, you may skip that draw instead.. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, you have to know when to stop.
Slipping Sanity2B
Enchantment {R}
Whenever an opponent draws a card that isn't the first card they've drawn this turn, they may pay 2 or discard a card. If they do not, they lose 2 life.
Dementia - If you have 20 or less cards in your library, that player must pay 4 or discard 2 cards instead.
Lifebond Strength3G
Instant (C)
Invigorate G (This spell costs G less to cast for each permanent you control that shares a colour with it.)
Target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample until end of turn.
Sigil of the New Age3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each creature you control that shares a colour with it.
Equip 2
Razina, Arrow of Light - First off, she seems pretty standard for an Angel, a 5/5 Flying Vigilance with extra kick for 6. The thing I have trouble seeing is Materialize as a Mechanic, it seems rather limited, like an equipment version of Bruna's ability, except it can be on more then one creature, it seems a bit much to be a keyword.
Quadraline Bow - I actually rather like the idea behind the bow, it is powerful, and effective, but can only be used so many times before it breaks beyond repair, makes me think of minecraft a bit xD. I do think with the durability problem, its equip cost could have been lowered a bit.
Obscure - I'm not sure what to think of this besides a colorshift to white for a counterspell seems... a bit off to me, not fully fitting, though I do know White has a handful of counter spells.
Overall - I enjoy the flavor added, and how they all fit together in the story you pieced together, but it just seems a bit on the... unimpressive side to me. But I enjoy 2 out of 3 of them quiet a bit, the counterspell still is... iffy to me.
Oozama of the Planes - Oh... dear god... not since Iona have a seen such a card that I felt was heavily broken. Against Mono-color its a death warrant pretty much, you don't even have to block. And if you can keep it alive, its pretty much a game winner.
Resistance - Now this is a perfect Planeshift if I have ever seen one, that tap to tap ability is far more a white ability then blue any day, bravo.
Oozama's Fulmination - I... I don't know what to think about it, because I like the effect(if a bit undercosted for how selectively devastating it is), though its the ability that gives me trouble... it seems like a reverse on the idea of kickers... or a spell version of Evoke kind of... it feels silly, and the name, Amalgamate, just... took me a bit to figure out how to pronounce, because its not a word you see often, at least I don't.
Overall - You had focus on the cards, and they fit together... but the only part I really enjoyed was Resistance, which was about as perfect as a planeshift gets. The Creature seemed TOO much, and the mechanic seemed confusing why you wouldn't just reverse it or use Kicker instead. Edit: Oh, didn't see flavor before, I have to say, that actually helped me enjoy your work a bit more, but sadly, It doesn't change my top 3, sorry.
Fyndhorn Battleseer - I like the card... but I am not sure if the ability and body is... unique enough to fit the challenge, but I could be wrong there.
Sigil of the New Age - Near perfect equipment, it is a more limited version of the Pennon Blade, or equal to it in a mono color deck, though with recent power creep, I think it is quiet fitting.
Lifebond Strength - I Adore this Card! Seriously, and the idea of Invigorate is possibly an ability I could see them actually printing, even if it kind of reminds me of Khalni Hydra, it is still brilliant and I love it!
Overall - Though I was a bit iffy about some of your cards, and initially thought you were not bold enough using Invigorate, I do love it as a whole, easily my favorite of the ones. Makes me think mine all suck
Razina, Arrow of Light's name feels too much like Razia. For me, this card just doesn't 'stick'. Flying and vigilance are fine, but she's clearly an archer of some kind, magical or not (from the name and even the art) and even has her own special bow. Why, then, is she a wizard? The keyword Materialize feels incredibly limiting in design space. I literally can't see it on more than one or two creatures without it getting boring. Maybe it would be more interesting if you could change the CMC so you have Materialize N? She also doesn't feel very mythic; she's honestly pretty boring. Could be uncommon, mechanically, if it wasn't for her legendary-ness. If you're going to make a legendary, mythic creature, it could do to be a fair bit stronger, or at least splashier.
Quadraline Bow is pretty-well costed, I think. I'm not sure if an equipent that kills itself needs to be rare. It's a fairly simple, conservative design so I don't have much to say. Nice that it works with Razina's Materialize, but I guess that's obvious, haha.
Obscure is fine too; it works with the Planar Chaos colour pie with white counters, although I would have preferred to see a more realistic white counterspell like Lapse of Certainty; maybe a planeshifted Remand or something. At any rate, it's fair, probably ok on power just like Complicate.
Tainted Remains really doesn't need to cost triple black. It's really bad without the Dementia, and that seems really hard to get going. For reference, Isleback Spawn gets nigh-unkillable once you hit the mark, and it can be played in a dedicated mill not necessary self-mill. As a normal, vanilla creature, Taintd Remains is probably too expensive to see play in degenerate decks so it'll just end up being fodder in self-mill, except self-mill has cards like Splinterfright, Boneyard Wurm and, at that CMC, Lord of Extinction which are much, much more effective than it. As a mechanic (it feels a bit cheap to call it a keyword), Dementia seems kinda dangerous and linear. It can only go in self-mill decks in constructed, but you have to balance it for limited where it's not hard to get to 20 cards in slow decks, even without milling yourself. Seems a bit on the dodgy end.
Forgotten Plague is a really cool card for mill decks, but it seems like it'd be too goo at just wiping their board continuously. Hit them with a Glimpse the Unthinkable and you can kill practically everything but Eldrazi Titans. Even a lowly Thought Scour turns into a dangerous Disfigure. It might be what a mill or discard-control deck might need to be constructed-playable though, so it's an interesting card.
Rotting Tomes is a nice planeshift, but I think it's too boring. You've broken the spirit of planeshifts a little by changing the damage to life payment, but then again Hedge Troll did that a lot worse. I think you could've gone for something maybe more interesting here; milling in black is a very black ability. Planeshifting a card that also was originally out-of-colour doesn' really help either...
Oozama of the Planes confuses me. What is an Oozama. Ok apparently it's some wierd indescript colour-hating thing. ok. This seems like too much of a random colour-hater to be Mythic. I guess Iona, Shield of Emeria exists, but doesn't that really say the kind of thing that you have to do to be Mythic? I mean, while both fly and are fat, Iona does something epic ("Your opponents can't cast spells" something something) and yours just makes you unkillable against the right deck. That said, while it's not worth a mythic rare, it's still quite good. At least the blinking means they can get an attack step in for some damage while it's gone; I like that you put that rather than just blinking.
Resistance... I don't actually like as a colour shift. Generally white prefers to tap creatures and even in planar-chaos-land it didn't tap things (in fact, that ability got moved to black and there are no white cards in Planar Chaos that tap anything. Basically, it doesn't fit very cleanly into either colour pie. While white gets Kismet effects sometimes, it doesn't get tapping effects for lands or artifacts outside of Mirrodin (because artifacts were that important). The only thing that can do that is Scepter of Dominance, and that's literally one card.
Oozama's Fulmination is another really blunt, really swingy, colour hate card. I dislike it. Amalgamate feels quite close to Splice, except it actually casts the spell. Although the fact that it then does something different to the original card is weird. I feel like amalgamation shouldn't make it a completely different spell.
1. Arcel
2. Big_Cal
3. Noatz
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're having creature problems I feel bad for you son
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
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Top 4 - Guarded Secrets
Using the clues you have obtained, you are finally able to locate the elusive artifact. However, when you arrive, you find it protected by forces from another time; alternate realities and futures have left a strange guardian as the final obstacle before you.
Top 4 Challenge
There should still be two colors you have not used yet in this CCL. Choose one of these colors and create three cards: a creature, an enchantment or equipment, and an instant or sorcery. These cards must be the chosen color or colorless. In addition, one card must be a "planeshifted" version of an existing card in another color (you may use the Planar Chaos color pie or the normal color pie), and one card must have a new keyword, like the ones found in Future Sight.
Competitors:
Big_Cal
Noatz
Ninja Caterpie
Arcel
Past Rounds:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Top 8
Solesticio 3 1 2 = 6
Big_Cal 3 2 2 = 7
Noatz 2 3 3 2 1 = 11
Ninja Caterpie 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 = 18
Saagn 2 1 = 3
Arcel 2 2 2 3 = 9
Prophylaxis 1 2 1 = 4
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, November 28th, 9PM Pacific
Critique Deadline: Friday, November 30th, 9PM Pacific
You will critique all other entries and provide a Top 3.
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
Thought of the Month:
I gave up from trying to require the 'i' on my name: SolesticIo
holderWIPRound 1
Round 2
Round 3
Top 8
Tainted Remains 2BBB
Creature - Skeleton Horror
Dementia - As long as you have 20 or less cards in your library, Tainted Remains gets +4/+4 and has intimidate.
4/4
Enchantment {R}
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from their hand or library, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
As your mind rots away, your body will buckle.
Sorcery {C}
Any player may pay 6 life. If no one does, target player puts the top 6 cards of his or her library into their graveyard.
The ancient books held vast yet fragile knowledge.
Shifted version of Book Burning
Finally, we had prepared enough to approach the library, taken all precautions we could to protect ourselves from the horrible fate the scouts suffered when they ventured here. I came with a pair of my best men in tow, in case anything unexpected should happen, though I didn't think anything living would be of bother in this forsaken place.
As we entered the library, the stench from within was noxious, it was clear much had died within these walls. As we pushed onward into the library to locate the staff, I couldn't help but glance at some of the books, bringing the party to a stop temporarily as I attempted to remove a book from a shelf. I was shocked as not only the book I went to grab collapsed, but every book on the shelf seemed to break apart into dust at my touch of this one.
I didn't have time to dwell on it, as one of my colleagues cried out. I turned to see him writhing in pain. Though we had no time to help him as one of the dead bodies surrounding us... grabbed him and started to claw at him.
All around the library, the rotting flesh and bones gathered together to form a massive beast of undeath, of such terrifying form that neither I nor my other companion could react, I only snapping out of my stupor when my friend was crushed by the creature as he tried to flee.
... to be continued?
Enchantment {R}
During each players draw phase, they draw an additional card.
Whenever a player draws a card, they lose 1 life.
Dementia - As long as you have 20 or less cards in your library, if you would draw a card, you may skip that draw instead..
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, you have to know when to stop.
Enchantment {R}
Whenever an opponent draws a card that isn't the first card they've drawn this turn, they may pay 2 or discard a card. If they do not, they lose 2 life.
Dementia - If you have 20 or less cards in your library, that player must pay 4 or discard 2 cards instead.
Artist: //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&artist=[%22Daniel%20Ljunggren%22">"]Daniel Ljunggren
Sig courtesy of Disappointing Signet Inc.
My Cubes:
Goblin Pile Shuffler's 360 Card Pauper Cube - updated 1/4/2014
Goblin Pile Shuffler's 270 Card One-Drop Cube - updated 1/4/2014
Good luck everyone else
All of the before
Fyndhorn Battleseer 2G
Creature - Elf Shaman (U)
Whenever Fyndhorn Battleseer becomes blocked, draw a card.
2/2
Lifebond Strength 3G
Instant (C)
Invigorate G (This spell costs G less to cast for each permanent you control that shares a colour with it.)
Target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample until end of turn.
Sigil of the New Age 3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each creature you control that shares a colour with it.
Equip 2
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Quadraline Bow - I actually rather like the idea behind the bow, it is powerful, and effective, but can only be used so many times before it breaks beyond repair, makes me think of minecraft a bit xD. I do think with the durability problem, its equip cost could have been lowered a bit.
Obscure - I'm not sure what to think of this besides a colorshift to white for a counterspell seems... a bit off to me, not fully fitting, though I do know White has a handful of counter spells.
Overall - I enjoy the flavor added, and how they all fit together in the story you pieced together, but it just seems a bit on the... unimpressive side to me. But I enjoy 2 out of 3 of them quiet a bit, the counterspell still is... iffy to me.
Resistance - Now this is a perfect Planeshift if I have ever seen one, that tap to tap ability is far more a white ability then blue any day, bravo.
Oozama's Fulmination - I... I don't know what to think about it, because I like the effect(if a bit undercosted for how selectively devastating it is), though its the ability that gives me trouble... it seems like a reverse on the idea of kickers... or a spell version of Evoke kind of... it feels silly, and the name, Amalgamate, just... took me a bit to figure out how to pronounce, because its not a word you see often, at least I don't.
Overall - You had focus on the cards, and they fit together... but the only part I really enjoyed was Resistance, which was about as perfect as a planeshift gets. The Creature seemed TOO much, and the mechanic seemed confusing why you wouldn't just reverse it or use Kicker instead. Edit: Oh, didn't see flavor before, I have to say, that actually helped me enjoy your work a bit more, but sadly, It doesn't change my top 3, sorry.
Sigil of the New Age - Near perfect equipment, it is a more limited version of the Pennon Blade, or equal to it in a mono color deck, though with recent power creep, I think it is quiet fitting.
Lifebond Strength - I Adore this Card! Seriously, and the idea of Invigorate is possibly an ability I could see them actually printing, even if it kind of reminds me of Khalni Hydra, it is still brilliant and I love it!
Overall - Though I was a bit iffy about some of your cards, and initially thought you were not bold enough using Invigorate, I do love it as a whole, easily my favorite of the ones. Makes me think mine all suck
2) Big_Cal
3) Noatz
Artist: //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&artist=[%22Daniel%20Ljunggren%22">"]Daniel Ljunggren
Quadraline Bow is pretty-well costed, I think. I'm not sure if an equipent that kills itself needs to be rare. It's a fairly simple, conservative design so I don't have much to say. Nice that it works with Razina's Materialize, but I guess that's obvious, haha.
Obscure is fine too; it works with the Planar Chaos colour pie with white counters, although I would have preferred to see a more realistic white counterspell like Lapse of Certainty; maybe a planeshifted Remand or something. At any rate, it's fair, probably ok on power just like Complicate.
Forgotten Plague is a really cool card for mill decks, but it seems like it'd be too goo at just wiping their board continuously. Hit them with a Glimpse the Unthinkable and you can kill practically everything but Eldrazi Titans. Even a lowly Thought Scour turns into a dangerous Disfigure. It might be what a mill or discard-control deck might need to be constructed-playable though, so it's an interesting card.
Rotting Tomes is a nice planeshift, but I think it's too boring. You've broken the spirit of planeshifts a little by changing the damage to life payment, but then again Hedge Troll did that a lot worse. I think you could've gone for something maybe more interesting here; milling in black is a very black ability. Planeshifting a card that also was originally out-of-colour doesn' really help either...
Resistance... I don't actually like as a colour shift. Generally white prefers to tap creatures and even in planar-chaos-land it didn't tap things (in fact, that ability got moved to black and there are no white cards in Planar Chaos that tap anything. Basically, it doesn't fit very cleanly into either colour pie. While white gets Kismet effects sometimes, it doesn't get tapping effects for lands or artifacts outside of Mirrodin (because artifacts were that important). The only thing that can do that is Scepter of Dominance, and that's literally one card.
Oozama's Fulmination is another really blunt, really swingy, colour hate card. I dislike it. Amalgamate feels quite close to Splice, except it actually casts the spell. Although the fact that it then does something different to the original card is weird. I feel like amalgamation shouldn't make it a completely different spell.
2. Big_Cal
3. Noatz
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots