Only a few of the Interborn were able to successfully establish bases of power in Ravnica's important districts. Although the Interborn themselves are not a unified group, you are often aware of one another, and you have seen many of the Interborn fall from favor or suffer worse fates in the intense competition of the recent weeks. Your name is heard more often in the streets of Ravnica as well, and this has begun to draw unwelcome attention. Opposing guilds see you as a link binding their enemies together, and seek to break that link, weakening two guilds with one stroke. You will have to draw on the resources of both of your allied guilds to survive.
Top 8 Challenge -
Design 3 cards. Each of them should be watermarked for the applicable guild, meaning it could be gold, hybrid, dual-color color identity, or monocolored but having one of the two guild mechanics.
You have selected three colors to use. Make a rare or mythic creature from the guild with the remaining two colors. (For example, if you are and :gruul:, you will make an card.)
Make a card from one of your chosen guilds that can help you identify the threat.
Make a card from your other chosen guild that will deal with the threat.
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.
Inspirational Infusion1G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn where X is the total amount of +1/+1 counters on permanents you control. When you are truly part of a group, you can feel their strength pushing you into greatness.
Rubblebelt Savant1GR
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Whenever a red creature enters the battlefield under your control, Rubblebelt Savant deals 1 damage to target creature.
Tap two green creatures you control: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
2/1
Zameck Savant1GU
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (U)
Whenever a blue creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap target creature.
Tap two green creatures you control: Draw a card.
2/1
Bonding Ritual3G(U/R)
Sorcery (R)
Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn where X is the amount of green mana used to cast Bonding Ritual.
Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn if R was spent to cast Bonding Ritual. Creatures you control gain flying until end of turn if U was spent to cast Bonding Ritual. (Do both if UR was spent.)
Yuuka, the Wight Queen3WB
Legendary Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, if it had no veil counters on it, return it to play under its owner’s control with a veil counter on it. Creature put into play this way are Spirits in addition to their other creature types.
Whenever Yuuka, the Wight Queen dies, gain control of all creatures with veil counters on them.
2/3
Unborn Threats1GGU
Enchantment (R)
Players play with their hands revealed.
As long as you have more creature cards in your hand than any opponent, creatures you control get +2/+2. 1GU, Discard two noncreature cards: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Charged BlastX1RG
Sorcery (R)
Charged Blast deals X damage to each creature.
If more red than green mana was spent to cast Charged Blast, it deals double damage to each creature without flying.
If more green than red mana was spent to cast Charged Blast, it deals double damage to each creature with flying.
1. You have selected three colors to use. Make a rare or mythic creature from the guild with the remaining two colors.
The Pristine Pillar :3mana::symw::symw::symu:
Legendary Creature - Paladin [M]
Vigilance
Whenever a player casts a spell, choose one - The Pristine Pillar gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn; or detain target nonland permanent.
3/3
2. Make a card from one of your chosen guilds that can help you identify the threat.
Mind Drill :1mana::symb::symr:
Sorcery [R]
Target player may discard any number of cards from his or her hand. Name a nonland card, then that player reveals his or her hand. If the named card is revealed, Mind Drill deals 7 damage to that player.
3. Make a card from your other chosen guild that will deal with the threat.
Death Bloom :3mana::symb::symb::symg:
Sorcery [R]
Destroy all creatures. they can't be regenerated. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then each player shuffles his or her library.
Also, can you elaborate on challenge 2.? What exactly is meant by "identify" the threat?
It's just a flavor prompt, but the things that come to mind immediately would be looking at an opponent's hand or library, searching for something in your own library, or maybe some kind of Aura. Totally up to you though.
1. You have selected three colors to use. Make a rare or mythic creature from the guild with the remaining two colors. (Izzet)
Izzet Electromage
Creature—Human Wizard (R)
:xmana:,:symtap:: Copy target instant or sorcery spell with mana cost X. (Mana cost includes color.) You may choose new targets for the copy.
0/2
2. Make a card from one of your chosen guilds that can help you identify the threat.
Constant SurveillanceW
Enchantment—Aura (U)
Enchant creature you don't control.
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, blocks or activates an ability, populate.
3. Make a card from your other chosen guild that will deal with the threat.
Orzhov Punisher1W
Creature—Human Soldier (C)
Sacrifice ~: Exile target creature if an ability of that creature was activated this turn.
Extort.
1/2
Mindsnuff Specter2UB
Creature - Specter (R)
Flying
Whenever Mindsnuff Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles a card from his or her hand. Until your next turn, that player can't play cards that share a type with cards exiled with Mindsnuff Specter. 2/2
Firemane's Nightwatch1RW
Enchantment (U)
When Firemane's Nightwatch enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Whenever you or a planeswalker you control is attacked by one or more creatures, you may untap target creature you control. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by and to that creature this turn.
Sagittars' Ambush :symgw::symgw:
Instant (C)
Exile target creature with flying. Sagittars' arrows are blessed by the Conclave. They can fly around physical cover, pierce magical cover, and even enter alternate realities to purge incorporeal or otherwise intangible foes.
War-Crazed Ogre3R
Creature - Ogre Warrior (C)
When War-Crazed Ogre enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
4/2
Legion Guard1WW
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Vigilance RR: Legion Guard gains double strike until end of turn. No man visits Sunhome without the acknowledgment of the guard.
2/2
Festival Guard1BB
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Unleash RR: Festival Guard gains double strike until end of turn. No man visits the Havoc Festival without celebrating with the guard.
2/2
Show of Force3WBR
Enchantment (R)
Creatures you control have haste.
Attacking creatures you control have lifelink, deathtouch, and first strike.
Enemy: Trumpeting Marephant2GG
Creature - Elephant Horse (R)
Evolve
Whenever a +1/+1 counter is placed on a creature you control, Trumpeting Marephant gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
4/2
Spotter: Wojek Patrol1RW
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, you may untap all creatures you control.
2/3
Taking it down: Paindancer1BR
Creature - Human Shaman (R)
Whenever you are dealt combat damage, if Paindancer is in your graveyard, you may return it to your hand.
:symtap:, Sacrifice Paindancer: Choose X. Paindancer deals X damage to target creature and X damage to you. Damage dealt this way can't be prevented.
1/1
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'll bet you wish you had a non-unglued/unhinged card that shared your first name.
Lethapede :1mana::symr::symr::symg::symg:
Creature — Insect (M)
Trample, haste
Lethapede is indestructible. Bloodrush — :1mana::symr::symg:, Discard Lethapede: Target attacking creature gets +6/+1 and gains trample and haste until end of turn. That creature is indestructible this turn.
6/1
Azorius Identifier:
Azorius Lawbringer :1mana::symw::symu:
Creature — Human Advisor (U)
Your opponents play with their hands revealed.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you gain 1 life for each red card in your opponents' hands. "The law does not serve the clans."
2/2
Dimir Answer:
Down the Manhole :symu::symb:
Instant (U)
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard. The Undercity has many entrances.
Cyvlok Parricide1UBB
Creature - Human Horror Assassin (M)
Whenever a creature card is put into a player's graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, you may destroy any number of target creatures that share a mana cost with that card. (Mana cost includes color.) "You will inherit nothing but your father's fate, my chap!"
4/3
Gruul Identification:
Exotic Pheromones3RG
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield for the first time in a turn, if it shares no creature types with other creatures on the battlefield, you may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. Every living being, deep within its instinctive mind, can smell when something is just out of place.
Boros Response:
Obliteration Barrage3RW
Instant (U)
Exile target creature. You gain 4 life if it was attacking. Obliteration Barrage deals 4 damage to its controller if it was blocking.
Whoa I totally forgot until just now that someone already did this theme for a CCL.
Anyway, looks like everyone has checked in, but there are a few more hours for final tweaks before crits start. Looks like tough competition this round!
Mindsnuff Specter - wow, cool ability that fits perfectly in the used colours. Might need 'non-land' clause. Firemane's Nightwatch - I like the mechanic, though the cantrip feels tacked on. Sagittar's Ambush - not sure why this is a hybrid, other than that, simple removal.
Cyvlok Parricide - An interesting card, that sadly will do nothing most of the times. The only good use I can think of is discarding lands to kill tokens? Also, what's a human horror? Exotic Pheromones - Intersting card, though I would have liked to have seen a mana cost restriction here. Obliteration Barrage - Cool twist on the combat removal, I like it.
Lethapede - I'm not a big fan of indestructible. Other than that its solid enough, though not very exciting. Azorius Lawbringer - This card is very underwhelming, I see the flavour but at best it'll gain you like 3 life a turn. Down the Manhole - I feel the wording is a bit off here. Other than that, its good removal with a nice enough twist.
Pristine Pillar - I like the card though maybe a tad bland. I'm not really seeing why he's blue though. Mind Drill - Pretty cool, deffinetly a new twist on discard, and one that matches the red addition. Death Bloom - Cool card, I could maybe see this cost one less mana. Otherwise cool mental image that matches the mechanics perfectly.
Trumpeting Marephant - Interesting, your ability creates an interzsting situation with evolve. I do feel that Evolve is a new enought mechanic, and therefore require reminder text. Wojek Patrol - Unsure where the red comes in, otherwise decent enough card? Paindancer - so its repeated removal that slowly burns you out. I like it.
Riot Demon - Not super interesting, but solid and well put together. Speaker's Visions - Good mix of green and blue, but nothing too exciting. Swarm's Verdict - Solid removal, very bland though.
Izzet Electromage - I like it, hybrid definitely works here. Constant Surveillance - Solid but not spectacular. Orzhov Punisher - I like the first ability, not too crazy about the tacked on extort though, especially on an assassin. Also, Extort is a new enough that it needs reminder text.
bonus quick crits
schtingah - Some very innovative stuff, like the "if more mana" and counting card types in revealed hands.
aurorasparrow - The Pristine Pillar seems like it could be broken, but it's interesting. What race is it? The other two cards are good in their colors without having been done before.
Big_Cal - Nothing feels super fresh this round, but the cards are solid and seem well developed.
jwanders - White hating abilities is an interesting theme. I don't think you can word "when a creature activate an ability," although it is easy enough to understand.
Raikou Rider - Specter is pretty scary on lands. Cantrip is weird on the Nightwatch, also seems like it could just be a guy that does that and just white. Not sure if white hates flying in the Selesnya hybrid.
KK - Elephant Horse, ok, sounds cool, would have lined up where the counter is placed and who gets the pump. Patrol is ok, but not super red. Not sure why the Paindancer comes back, but ok.
foo_intherain - Indestructible ball lightning is weird, but a good ability for bloodrush. Others are fairly well crafted.
void_nothing - Not sure what a Human Horror looks like (nor do I want to). Pheromones and Barrage are both sweet.
schtingah:
1. I'm a big fan of Yuuka.
2. Unborn Threats has a cool ability, but I don't think the last ability makes much sense in terms of flavor or colors. I think I'd prefer this as a monogreen enchantment without the last ability and a different name.
3. Charged Blast works mechanically, but I'd really prefer a different name. Charged Blast doesn't sound green to me at all; it sounds like a red Suspend card.
Big_Cal:
1. I have to admit that Riot Demon feels a little uninspired to me.
2. Speaker's Visions is totally awesome and fits the prompt perfectly. Probably should cost 6.
3. Swarm's Verdict is elegant. Good job.
jwanders:
1. Being able to fork cards like Path, Unsummon or Thoughtseize is really, really strong; I'd prefer this cost 2.
2. Being surveyed doesn't really explain why you get extra tokens. Mechanically, the card is unique.
3. The mechanic is sweet, but tacking on extort to fit the submission criteria seems a bit lazy. Definitely should be uncommon.
Raikou Rider:
1. Good stuff! The potential to completely lock a player out of the game is cool as well.
2. Firemane's Watch doesn't feel red at all. I'm not sure how I would change the card to fit the criteria.
3. Sagittar's Ambush should definitely require green to cast. Even then, this card has basically been done already.
KoolKoal:
1. Strong card, although I guess not overpowered compared to constructed creatures these days.
2. This card doesn't feel red mechanically. Maybe if it had to attack each turn?
3. I think this card is better off not recurring or sacrificing itself, and instead just being an uber-Fireslinger (an old favorite of mine).
foo_intherain:
1. I'm torn on whether or not I like having a 6/1 indestructible. As Big_Cal said, giving haste to a creature that's already attacking is a bit awkward.
2. I think Wizards is moving away from color hate, and with good reason. This card is rather weak, considering a red deck will just Shock this guy immediately and be done with it.
3. A Lethapede falling down a manhole is a cool mental image, I admit. I like this card even though it doesn't do anything new.
void_nothing:
1. Isn't Parricide an act rather than a type of person? At first I thought it was CMC instead of mana cost and I was like zomg op. It's totally fine as-is.
2. I'm not sure it's possible for the game to tell that it's the first time a creature has entered the battlefield. The fact that this card basically allows you to dump your hand for free constantly seems incredibly overpowered to me.
3. Cool card, I could definitely see this getting printed.
Raikou Rider - The specter is pretty interesting, but I don't like that it can lock your opponent out of playing lands and that the effect only triggers when you get an attack in, but always blocks all types of cards that have been exiled. The snowballing power level that removes your opponent's options has the potential to lock them out of the game far too easily imo. Firemane's Nightwatch is a pretty new effect, but I don't see the red in it, and the card draw is just tacked on. The ambush is a solid design.
schtingah - Yuuka is a fine legend, though reviving+stealing creatures is not a very new effect. Switching "into play" and "onto the battlefield" is a wording mistake that I don't expect to see much anymore, the change was so long ago. The card is a bit too wordy, but there are a few changes that could be made to shorten the text. Unborn Threats feels really strong. It's an original and exciting effect. Charged Blast's gimmick is a very cool idea, but it might make the effect too wordy to appear on a card.
void_nothing - Cyvlok is utterly nuts. A 4/3 for 4 that gets to kill 1 creature when you get a lucky mill is great, but this guy can randomly destroy multiple creatures. Still, this is a design contest, and the design is cool. Pheromones is a cool top-down design. Obligation Barrage is a weird card, but I think I like it. It's simple but very different.
foo_inttherain - I would like the Lethapede design, if it didn't have bloodrush. Bloodrush is a lot like haste, in that it lets your creature deal damage the turn you draw it, so giving a creature with haste bloodrush makes negative tension as you want to cast it rather than bloodrush it because it can attack anyway. But on top of that, it also is the best bloodrush card by a wide margin: not only does it give a huge +6 to power, but it gives trample, and then it protects your creature with indestructibility. This card didn't work. The Lawbringer is a fine design, though color-hate is not something we are used to seeing on ravnica. I like the design of down the manhole, but I have no idea what escaping has to do with giving a creature -3/-3.
aurorasparrow - I have a lot of flavor questions about the Pillar. Is he literally a pillar? If so, why isn't he a colored artifact? If not, where's his creature type? This guy is a cool design, my only problem with it is how badly you could outplay new players with its protection ability (not that its a big issue on a mythic though). Mind Drill is a fun little design that makes a mini game with your opponent and gives them opportunities to make mistakes. Death Bloom has some small colorpie bleed going on. Destroy all creatures is still a white effect, not a black one, but at least you're over-paying and rewarding the player who lost creatures.
Big_Cal - Riot Demon feels pretty underwhelming, especially when you consider such a similar effect from a mono-red uncommon is in gatecrash. Even stranger is the fact that this full Rakdos Demon is providing a work-around to his effect while the uncommon is unforgiving. Speaker's Visions is a fine design. Swarm's Verdict is also fine, but none of your designs really excite me.
jwanders - Izzet Electromage only casts colorless spells as is because you said mana cost instead of converted mana cost and x doesn't interpret the color of mana spent to pay it. This is the opposite of most spell copy abilities in that you want to copy cheap spells because you never save on mana, and that makes it an interesting design imo. I like constant surveillance quite a lot, though it may be too cheap. Orzhov Punisher is interesting, but caring about creatures activating abilities probably isn't something that can be done at common.
Top 3:
1. aurorasparrow
2. void_nothing
3. schtingah
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'll bet you wish you had a non-unglued/unhinged card that shared your first name.
Raikou Rider: Cool Specter, though I could see it also being in white to harken to Castigate and Silence. I think a double black cost couldn't hurt either. The enchantment doesn't have any red in it if you ask me, especially its overall defensive nature. Exle doesn' t make sense to me in mono-green, even as flying hate. Interesting flavor here.
schtingah: These designs seems a bit complex and/or a bit hot-glue-gunny. The legend could probably have dropped the Spirit creature type addition to open up card space/simplicity points. The second seems more cohesive. Charged blast doesn't seem too Gruul in flavor, but is a decent X card.
void_nothing: Threat seems too pushed. Maybe if it were legendary. Flavor text seems off as well. Exotic Phereomones is a cool build around me card and good flavor, very Gruul. The answer is my favorite of the batch. Cool way to make things versatile.
KoolKoal: I like the first card especially in mono green. Stats seem right on as well. Good rare. Spotter seems UW, WG, UG, but not RW. Had to read paindancer a few times. Choose X was a bit ambiguous as I was expecting to see a mode of some sort. The wording here might need to be different.
aurorasparrow: The legend seems pretty neat and Azorius. At mythic AND legendary I could have seen Flash here as well. Interesting to ponder how Mindrill would play out, its a great mingame card. Death Bloom is good flavor and deals with the threat just fine. All in all these cards also felt very in Guild.
Big_Cal: The threat could have been 5/5 I think, especially with multicolor discount. At least 4/4. Seems a logical unleash card though. I like it for its simplicity and flavor. Your other two cards each carry with it the simplicity of the first desgin. Three thumbs up.
jwanders: I see what you were trying to do here, but the polish was off as KoolKoal pointed out, but I still like the concept. The other two cards seem fine and I like that you chose to do two monocolored cards with the guild mechanic as most of us chose to go multicolor. The Punisher seems a bit too specific an answer for me however.
schtingah: Yuuka makes me want to build a Commander deck in her colors--which says something, considering I fing B/W boring. I like the potential to gain control of all creatures if you Wrath with her. Unborn Threats is excellent flavor-wise. Charged Blast needs a different name, and something strikes me the wrong way about that wording.
aurorasparrow: I don't see why this is mythic rare. Seems obnoxiously hard to remove. Mind Drill is easily your best design--a slam dunk in all aspects. Death Bloom is out of color now--sadly we don't do black Wraths. =/
Big_Cal: Riot Demon I think can be pushed a little more if it's a rare. I think as it, it's printable at uncommon. The other cards are simple but effective.
jwanders: Izzet Electromage doesn't work--it can only copy colorless spells. Consider a template similar to Ice Cauldron. The designs are neat, but all three of your cards have templating or order problems.
KoolKoal: Trumpeting Marephant is a cool design, seems really bomby in Limited. Wojek Patrol reminds me of Midnight Guard. Paindancer doesn't need to use "Choose X." Whenever a value for X isn't specified, you choose X. Look at Volcano Hellion for an example.
foo_intherain: Not sure why this is mythic. Lawbringer looks like a fine hoser, but needs protection from red to be effective. The decks it's designed to hose have way too many ways to remove a 2/2. Down the Manhole is a boring but effective design.
void_nothing: Something strikes me as off about the threat's name. Other than that, it looks great. Not definitely mythic but I can see it. Your cheating card looks ridiculous--free Quicksilver Amulet activations? Barrage is a very nice removal spell for Limited.
Top 3:
1) schtingah
2) KoolKoal
3) void_nothing
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
schtingah - Yuuka is certainly an interesting legend, and a hell of a commander. I assume she's intended for making Day of Judgment and similar into total one-sided game-enders? Unborn Threats appeals to me in ways I can't really explain. It's a mini-game of sorts, mass pump, and recursion, and has self-symmetry. Sort of feels like my own round 2 cards, so I can't really knock it. Charged Blast is really quite interesting mechanically. I like the idea of having different effects depending on which color you favor.
aurorasparrow - I reiterate the "what species is he/she/it" queries of others in regard to The Pristine Pillar (good name, BTW). Also, Paladin isn't really a creature type - Knight is instead used. Triggering on anyone's spells makes this supremely powerful but at least it's somewhat prohibitively expensive. Definite a big bomby mythic. Mind Drill is cool and fun - like I said a moment ago, I like mini-game-type effects. It seems to be costed spot-on as well. Death Bloom is fine but since it's symmetrical I think the cost could come down; this is a good way for ramp to deal with aggro.
Big_Cal - Riot Demon is just all-around generic. I "get" that it's a Rakdos rare but it feels too spot-on as one. Speaker's Visions is probably fine - it's Soul's Majesty but different, though it might have to come up by cost-wise since you can hit your opponents' creatures with it. Swarm's Verdict is a bit too much like Devouring Light for my taste.
jwanders - Izzet Electromage looks like Djinn Illuminatus, but one-use-per-spell and usable on your opponents' spells. I guess it's okay? Doesn't terribly excite me, and again, feels too generically-Izzet for me. Constant Surveillance is good, although Return to Ravnica block seems a little glutted with Arrest variants as it is. Orzhov Punisher is great, my favorite of your batch - I prefer the render version where it's a white Assassin.
Raikou Rider - A Specter is a pretty natural choice for a Dimir rare; of course, Nightveil Specter already exists as kind of the inverse of this one so you lose originality points. But I like the griefing spell-restriction portion of the ability. It's fine. Firemane's Nightwatch is so strange to me: Where is there any in that card at all? It seems monowhite or perhaps white-blue. Also, the cantripping seems completely out-of-place. Sagittars' Ambush is great (I don't see white as hating flyers specifically but I can see the bleed given that it exiles rather than destroying).
KoolKoal - Trumpeting Marephant is a really cool evolver, though I can see it getting out of hand when you drop a big creature on the turn after playing it and suddenly it gets a +1/+1 counter and then also gets +8/+8 from your other three evolvers and is a 13/11 trampler, or something dumb like that. But that requires very specific and careful deckbuilding so it's fine. Wojek Patrol inspires sort of the same gripes in me as Firemane's Nightwatch but this feels a little bit more red - it'd go down a lot easier if it were a 3/2. Paindancer is a pretty obvious Volcano Hellion riff and that's alright, though the wording is off and I'm not sure why it recurs either.
foo_intherain - Lethapede is great, in the wonderful Giant Solifuge/Vorapede tradition. Something in me is just enamored with big myffic Insects with high power and tiny toughness. The bloodrush ability comes off as kind of dumb given the haste thing, and also is probably costed considerably too low, but this is an appealing card nonetheless. Azorius Lawbringer makes me irrationally mad; something about multicolored cards that are purely color hosers irks me beyond belief. Technically this is well-designed, though, so. Down the Manhole has a good name but feels too obvious in the context of being a removal spell with grind-style milling.
Apologies for the speedy and late judgings; works been insane this week.
Raikou Rider
1) Very interesting choice for the opponent's discard, and very on-guild.
2) I don't see much red in this ability.
3) Monogreen doesn't get straight up creature removal
schtingah
1) Seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to gain control of a couple of creatures.
2) Really like creatures in hand mechanic
3) Interesting color tension
void_nothing
1) I wonder if discarding a Memnite would be tech against token decks? I like the card, though I don't think it would hit much in limited.
2) Quite complex, more fun to design than play with, I suspect.
3) Nice card with an interesting flavor and decision tree.
foointtherain
1) Good card except that giving an already attacking creature haste is useless and confusing.
2) Only minor complaint is that the allied/enemy color thing isn't supposed to exist in Rav
3) Doesn't need to be blue, as decay and grind are both black.
aurorasparrow
1) Might be overcosted for a Mythic, but I like it.
2) I think it would rarely be worth discarding any cards to this.
3) Interesting sweeper tweak, though after a Wrath effect palyers are more likely to be short on cards not mana.
KoolKoal
1) Very mathy, but probably okay at rare. Uncosted.
2) Very Boros, but I'm not sure why it's red.
3) Dangerous ability with damage prevention and redirection effects. Would love to give it lifelink.
Big_Cal
1) I like it a lot; adds extra tension to the unleash decision for both him and your other unleash creatures.
2) Interesting combination of the color's mechanics.
3) Simple, possibly too powerful
Top 8 - Link in the Chain
Only a few of the Interborn were able to successfully establish bases of power in Ravnica's important districts. Although the Interborn themselves are not a unified group, you are often aware of one another, and you have seen many of the Interborn fall from favor or suffer worse fates in the intense competition of the recent weeks. Your name is heard more often in the streets of Ravnica as well, and this has begun to draw unwelcome attention. Opposing guilds see you as a link binding their enemies together, and seek to break that link, weakening two guilds with one stroke. You will have to draw on the resources of both of your allied guilds to survive.
Top 8 Challenge -
Design 3 cards. Each of them should be watermarked for the applicable guild, meaning it could be gold, hybrid, dual-color color identity, or monocolored but having one of the two guild mechanics.
Past Rounds:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, February 19th, 9PM Pacific
Critique Deadline: Thursday, February 21st, 9PM Pacific
Players:
Raikou Rider
schtingah
void_nothing
foointtherain
aurorasparrow
KoolKoal
Big_Cal
jwanders
(You will critique all other entries)
Y = Total number of Possible Points (3 * Number of Judges + Additional Points)
Simic - Gruul
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn where X is the total amount of +1/+1 counters on permanents you control.
When you are truly part of a group, you can feel their strength pushing you into greatness.
Creature - Human Shaman (U)
Whenever a red creature enters the battlefield under your control, Rubblebelt Savant deals 1 damage to target creature.
Tap two green creatures you control: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
2/1
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (U)
Whenever a blue creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap target creature.
Tap two green creatures you control: Draw a card.
2/1
Sorcery (R)
Creatures you control get +X/+X until end of turn where X is the amount of green mana used to cast Bonding Ritual.
Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn if R was spent to cast Bonding Ritual. Creatures you control gain flying until end of turn if U was spent to cast Bonding Ritual. (Do both if UR was spent.)
Legendary Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, if it had no veil counters on it, return it to play under its owner’s control with a veil counter on it. Creature put into play this way are Spirits in addition to their other creature types.
Whenever Yuuka, the Wight Queen dies, gain control of all creatures with veil counters on them.
2/3
Enchantment (R)
Players play with their hands revealed.
As long as you have more creature cards in your hand than any opponent, creatures you control get +2/+2.
1GU, Discard two noncreature cards: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Sorcery (R)
Charged Blast deals X damage to each creature.
If more red than green mana was spent to cast Charged Blast, it deals double damage to each creature without flying.
If more green than red mana was spent to cast Charged Blast, it deals double damage to each creature with flying.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
1. You have selected three colors to use. Make a rare or mythic creature from the guild with the remaining two colors.
The Pristine Pillar :3mana::symw::symw::symu:
Legendary Creature - Paladin [M]
Vigilance
Whenever a player casts a spell, choose one - The Pristine Pillar gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn; or detain target nonland permanent.
3/3
2. Make a card from one of your chosen guilds that can help you identify the threat.
Mind Drill :1mana::symb::symr:
Sorcery [R]
Target player may discard any number of cards from his or her hand. Name a nonland card, then that player reveals his or her hand. If the named card is revealed, Mind Drill deals 7 damage to that player.
3. Make a card from your other chosen guild that will deal with the threat.
Death Bloom :3mana::symb::symb::symg:
Sorcery [R]
Destroy all creatures. they can't be regenerated. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller may search his or her library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then each player shuffles his or her library.
4th place at CCC&G Pro Tour
Chances of bad hands (<2 or >4 land):
21: 28.9%
22: 27.5%
23: 26.3%
24: 25.5%
25: 25.1%
26: 25.3%
It's just a flavor prompt, but the things that come to mind immediately would be looking at an opponent's hand or library, searching for something in your own library, or maybe some kind of Aura. Totally up to you though.
Orzhov + Selesnya
1. You have selected three colors to use. Make a rare or mythic creature from the guild with the remaining two colors. (Izzet)
2. Make a card from one of your chosen guilds that can help you identify the threat.
3. Make a card from your other chosen guild that will deal with the threat.
Creature - Specter (R)
Flying
Whenever Mindsnuff Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles a card from his or her hand. Until your next turn, that player can't play cards that share a type with cards exiled with Mindsnuff Specter.
2/2
Enchantment (U)
When Firemane's Nightwatch enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Whenever you or a planeswalker you control is attacked by one or more creatures, you may untap target creature you control. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by and to that creature this turn.
Instant (C)
Exile target creature with flying.
Sagittars' arrows are blessed by the Conclave. They can fly around physical cover, pierce magical cover, and even enter alternate realities to purge incorporeal or otherwise intangible foes.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Creature - Ogre Warrior (C)
When War-Crazed Ogre enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
4/2
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Vigilance
RR: Legion Guard gains double strike until end of turn.
No man visits Sunhome without the acknowledgment of the guard.
2/2
Festival Guard 1BB
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Unleash
RR: Festival Guard gains double strike until end of turn.
No man visits the Havoc Festival without celebrating with the guard.
2/2
Enchantment (R)
Creatures you control have haste.
Attacking creatures you control have lifelink, deathtouch, and first strike.
Trumpeting Marephant 2GG
Creature - Elephant Horse (R)
Evolve
Whenever a +1/+1 counter is placed on a creature you control, Trumpeting Marephant gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
4/2
Spotter:
Wojek Patrol 1RW
Creature - Human Knight (U)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, you may untap all creatures you control.
2/3
Taking it down:
Paindancer 1BR
Creature - Human Shaman (R)
Whenever you are dealt combat damage, if Paindancer is in your graveyard, you may return it to your hand.
:symtap:, Sacrifice Paindancer: Choose X. Paindancer deals X damage to target creature and X damage to you. Damage dealt this way can't be prevented.
1/1
Lethapede :1mana::symr::symr::symg::symg:
Creature — Insect (M)
Trample, haste
Lethapede is indestructible.
Bloodrush — :1mana::symr::symg:, Discard Lethapede: Target attacking creature gets +6/+1 and gains trample and haste until end of turn. That creature is indestructible this turn.
6/1
Azorius Identifier:
Azorius Lawbringer :1mana::symw::symu:
Creature — Human Advisor (U)
Your opponents play with their hands revealed.
At the beginning of each upkeep, you gain 1 life for each red card in your opponents' hands.
"The law does not serve the clans."
2/2
Dimir Answer:
Down the Manhole :symu::symb:
Instant (U)
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.
The Undercity has many entrances.
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
Boros + Gruul
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Dimir Threat:
Cyvlok Parricide 1UBB
Creature - Human Horror Assassin (M)
Whenever a creature card is put into a player's graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, you may destroy any number of target creatures that share a mana cost with that card. (Mana cost includes color.)
"You will inherit nothing but your father's fate, my chap!"
4/3
Gruul Identification:
Exotic Pheromones 3RG
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield for the first time in a turn, if it shares no creature types with other creatures on the battlefield, you may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Every living being, deep within its instinctive mind, can smell when something is just out of place.
Boros Response:
Obliteration Barrage 3RW
Instant (U)
Exile target creature. You gain 4 life if it was attacking. Obliteration Barrage deals 4 damage to its controller if it was blocking.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Anyway, looks like everyone has checked in, but there are a few more hours for final tweaks before crits start. Looks like tough competition this round!
Firemane's Nightwatch - I like the mechanic, though the cantrip feels tacked on.
Sagittar's Ambush - not sure why this is a hybrid, other than that, simple removal.
Exotic Pheromones - Intersting card, though I would have liked to have seen a mana cost restriction here.
Obliteration Barrage - Cool twist on the combat removal, I like it.
Azorius Lawbringer - This card is very underwhelming, I see the flavour but at best it'll gain you like 3 life a turn.
Down the Manhole - I feel the wording is a bit off here. Other than that, its good removal with a nice enough twist.
Mind Drill - Pretty cool, deffinetly a new twist on discard, and one that matches the red addition.
Death Bloom - Cool card, I could maybe see this cost one less mana. Otherwise cool mental image that matches the mechanics perfectly.
Wojek Patrol - Unsure where the red comes in, otherwise decent enough card?
Paindancer - so its repeated removal that slowly burns you out. I like it.
Speaker's Visions - Good mix of green and blue, but nothing too exciting.
Swarm's Verdict - Solid removal, very bland though.
Constant Surveillance - Solid but not spectacular.
Orzhov Punisher - I like the first ability, not too crazy about the tacked on extort though, especially on an assassin. Also, Extort is a new enough that it needs reminder text.
1. Raikou Rider
2. void_nothing
3. aurasparrow
thanks
bonus quick crits
schtingah - Some very innovative stuff, like the "if more mana" and counting card types in revealed hands.
aurorasparrow - The Pristine Pillar seems like it could be broken, but it's interesting. What race is it? The other two cards are good in their colors without having been done before.
Big_Cal - Nothing feels super fresh this round, but the cards are solid and seem well developed.
jwanders - White hating abilities is an interesting theme. I don't think you can word "when a creature activate an ability," although it is easy enough to understand.
Raikou Rider - Specter is pretty scary on lands. Cantrip is weird on the Nightwatch, also seems like it could just be a guy that does that and just white. Not sure if white hates flying in the Selesnya hybrid.
KK - Elephant Horse, ok, sounds cool, would have lined up where the counter is placed and who gets the pump. Patrol is ok, but not super red. Not sure why the Paindancer comes back, but ok.
foo_intherain - Indestructible ball lightning is weird, but a good ability for bloodrush. Others are fairly well crafted.
void_nothing - Not sure what a Human Horror looks like (nor do I want to). Pheromones and Barrage are both sweet.
1. I'm a big fan of Yuuka.
2. Unborn Threats has a cool ability, but I don't think the last ability makes much sense in terms of flavor or colors. I think I'd prefer this as a monogreen enchantment without the last ability and a different name.
3. Charged Blast works mechanically, but I'd really prefer a different name. Charged Blast doesn't sound green to me at all; it sounds like a red Suspend card.
Big_Cal:
1. I have to admit that Riot Demon feels a little uninspired to me.
2. Speaker's Visions is totally awesome and fits the prompt perfectly. Probably should cost 6.
3. Swarm's Verdict is elegant. Good job.
jwanders:
1. Being able to fork cards like Path, Unsummon or Thoughtseize is really, really strong; I'd prefer this cost 2.
2. Being surveyed doesn't really explain why you get extra tokens. Mechanically, the card is unique.
3. The mechanic is sweet, but tacking on extort to fit the submission criteria seems a bit lazy. Definitely should be uncommon.
Raikou Rider:
1. Good stuff! The potential to completely lock a player out of the game is cool as well.
2. Firemane's Watch doesn't feel red at all. I'm not sure how I would change the card to fit the criteria.
3. Sagittar's Ambush should definitely require green to cast. Even then, this card has basically been done already.
KoolKoal:
1. Strong card, although I guess not overpowered compared to constructed creatures these days.
2. This card doesn't feel red mechanically. Maybe if it had to attack each turn?
3. I think this card is better off not recurring or sacrificing itself, and instead just being an uber-Fireslinger (an old favorite of mine).
foo_intherain:
1. I'm torn on whether or not I like having a 6/1 indestructible. As Big_Cal said, giving haste to a creature that's already attacking is a bit awkward.
2. I think Wizards is moving away from color hate, and with good reason. This card is rather weak, considering a red deck will just Shock this guy immediately and be done with it.
3. A Lethapede falling down a manhole is a cool mental image, I admit. I like this card even though it doesn't do anything new.
void_nothing:
1. Isn't Parricide an act rather than a type of person? At first I thought it was CMC instead of mana cost and I was like zomg op. It's totally fine as-is.
2. I'm not sure it's possible for the game to tell that it's the first time a creature has entered the battlefield. The fact that this card basically allows you to dump your hand for free constantly seems incredibly overpowered to me.
3. Cool card, I could definitely see this getting printed.
Top 3:
1. schtingah
2. Big_Cal
3. void_nothing
4th place at CCC&G Pro Tour
Chances of bad hands (<2 or >4 land):
21: 28.9%
22: 27.5%
23: 26.3%
24: 25.5%
25: 25.1%
26: 25.3%
schtingah - Yuuka is a fine legend, though reviving+stealing creatures is not a very new effect. Switching "into play" and "onto the battlefield" is a wording mistake that I don't expect to see much anymore, the change was so long ago. The card is a bit too wordy, but there are a few changes that could be made to shorten the text. Unborn Threats feels really strong. It's an original and exciting effect. Charged Blast's gimmick is a very cool idea, but it might make the effect too wordy to appear on a card.
void_nothing - Cyvlok is utterly nuts. A 4/3 for 4 that gets to kill 1 creature when you get a lucky mill is great, but this guy can randomly destroy multiple creatures. Still, this is a design contest, and the design is cool. Pheromones is a cool top-down design. Obligation Barrage is a weird card, but I think I like it. It's simple but very different.
foo_inttherain - I would like the Lethapede design, if it didn't have bloodrush. Bloodrush is a lot like haste, in that it lets your creature deal damage the turn you draw it, so giving a creature with haste bloodrush makes negative tension as you want to cast it rather than bloodrush it because it can attack anyway. But on top of that, it also is the best bloodrush card by a wide margin: not only does it give a huge +6 to power, but it gives trample, and then it protects your creature with indestructibility. This card didn't work. The Lawbringer is a fine design, though color-hate is not something we are used to seeing on ravnica. I like the design of down the manhole, but I have no idea what escaping has to do with giving a creature -3/-3.
aurorasparrow - I have a lot of flavor questions about the Pillar. Is he literally a pillar? If so, why isn't he a colored artifact? If not, where's his creature type? This guy is a cool design, my only problem with it is how badly you could outplay new players with its protection ability (not that its a big issue on a mythic though). Mind Drill is a fun little design that makes a mini game with your opponent and gives them opportunities to make mistakes. Death Bloom has some small colorpie bleed going on. Destroy all creatures is still a white effect, not a black one, but at least you're over-paying and rewarding the player who lost creatures.
Big_Cal - Riot Demon feels pretty underwhelming, especially when you consider such a similar effect from a mono-red uncommon is in gatecrash. Even stranger is the fact that this full Rakdos Demon is providing a work-around to his effect while the uncommon is unforgiving. Speaker's Visions is a fine design. Swarm's Verdict is also fine, but none of your designs really excite me.
jwanders - Izzet Electromage only casts colorless spells as is because you said mana cost instead of converted mana cost and x doesn't interpret the color of mana spent to pay it. This is the opposite of most spell copy abilities in that you want to copy cheap spells because you never save on mana, and that makes it an interesting design imo. I like constant surveillance quite a lot, though it may be too cheap. Orzhov Punisher is interesting, but caring about creatures activating abilities probably isn't something that can be done at common.
Top 3:
1. aurorasparrow
2. void_nothing
3. schtingah
schtingah: These designs seems a bit complex and/or a bit hot-glue-gunny. The legend could probably have dropped the Spirit creature type addition to open up card space/simplicity points. The second seems more cohesive. Charged blast doesn't seem too Gruul in flavor, but is a decent X card.
void_nothing: Threat seems too pushed. Maybe if it were legendary. Flavor text seems off as well. Exotic Phereomones is a cool build around me card and good flavor, very Gruul. The answer is my favorite of the batch. Cool way to make things versatile.
KoolKoal: I like the first card especially in mono green. Stats seem right on as well. Good rare. Spotter seems UW, WG, UG, but not RW. Had to read paindancer a few times. Choose X was a bit ambiguous as I was expecting to see a mode of some sort. The wording here might need to be different.
aurorasparrow: The legend seems pretty neat and Azorius. At mythic AND legendary I could have seen Flash here as well. Interesting to ponder how Mindrill would play out, its a great mingame card. Death Bloom is good flavor and deals with the threat just fine. All in all these cards also felt very in Guild.
Big_Cal: The threat could have been 5/5 I think, especially with multicolor discount. At least 4/4. Seems a logical unleash card though. I like it for its simplicity and flavor. Your other two cards each carry with it the simplicity of the first desgin. Three thumbs up.
jwanders: I see what you were trying to do here, but the polish was off as KoolKoal pointed out, but I still like the concept. The other two cards seem fine and I like that you chose to do two monocolored cards with the guild mechanic as most of us chose to go multicolor. The Punisher seems a bit too specific an answer for me however.
Top 3:
1. Big_cal
2. KoolKoal
3. aurorasparrow
Avalon: The Legend Begins :: Pirate Set :: Babel: The Æther Wars
Favorite Magic Card: Fowl Play
[Primer] [Barrin's Tome]: A Master Wizard's Spellbook.
aurorasparrow: I don't see why this is mythic rare. Seems obnoxiously hard to remove. Mind Drill is easily your best design--a slam dunk in all aspects. Death Bloom is out of color now--sadly we don't do black Wraths. =/
Big_Cal: Riot Demon I think can be pushed a little more if it's a rare. I think as it, it's printable at uncommon. The other cards are simple but effective.
jwanders: Izzet Electromage doesn't work--it can only copy colorless spells. Consider a template similar to Ice Cauldron. The designs are neat, but all three of your cards have templating or order problems.
KoolKoal: Trumpeting Marephant is a cool design, seems really bomby in Limited. Wojek Patrol reminds me of Midnight Guard. Paindancer doesn't need to use "Choose X." Whenever a value for X isn't specified, you choose X. Look at Volcano Hellion for an example.
foo_intherain: Not sure why this is mythic. Lawbringer looks like a fine hoser, but needs protection from red to be effective. The decks it's designed to hose have way too many ways to remove a 2/2. Down the Manhole is a boring but effective design.
void_nothing: Something strikes me as off about the threat's name. Other than that, it looks great. Not definitely mythic but I can see it. Your cheating card looks ridiculous--free Quicksilver Amulet activations? Barrage is a very nice removal spell for Limited.
Top 3:
1) schtingah
2) KoolKoal
3) void_nothing
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
aurorasparrow - I reiterate the "what species is he/she/it" queries of others in regard to The Pristine Pillar (good name, BTW). Also, Paladin isn't really a creature type - Knight is instead used. Triggering on anyone's spells makes this supremely powerful but at least it's somewhat prohibitively expensive. Definite a big bomby mythic. Mind Drill is cool and fun - like I said a moment ago, I like mini-game-type effects. It seems to be costed spot-on as well. Death Bloom is fine but since it's symmetrical I think the cost could come down; this is a good way for ramp to deal with aggro.
Big_Cal - Riot Demon is just all-around generic. I "get" that it's a Rakdos rare but it feels too spot-on as one. Speaker's Visions is probably fine - it's Soul's Majesty but different, though it might have to come up by cost-wise since you can hit your opponents' creatures with it. Swarm's Verdict is a bit too much like Devouring Light for my taste.
jwanders - Izzet Electromage looks like Djinn Illuminatus, but one-use-per-spell and usable on your opponents' spells. I guess it's okay? Doesn't terribly excite me, and again, feels too generically-Izzet for me. Constant Surveillance is good, although Return to Ravnica block seems a little glutted with Arrest variants as it is. Orzhov Punisher is great, my favorite of your batch - I prefer the render version where it's a white Assassin.
Raikou Rider - A Specter is a pretty natural choice for a Dimir rare; of course, Nightveil Specter already exists as kind of the inverse of this one so you lose originality points. But I like the griefing spell-restriction portion of the ability. It's fine. Firemane's Nightwatch is so strange to me: Where is there any in that card at all? It seems monowhite or perhaps white-blue. Also, the cantripping seems completely out-of-place. Sagittars' Ambush is great (I don't see white as hating flyers specifically but I can see the bleed given that it exiles rather than destroying).
KoolKoal - Trumpeting Marephant is a really cool evolver, though I can see it getting out of hand when you drop a big creature on the turn after playing it and suddenly it gets a +1/+1 counter and then also gets +8/+8 from your other three evolvers and is a 13/11 trampler, or something dumb like that. But that requires very specific and careful deckbuilding so it's fine. Wojek Patrol inspires sort of the same gripes in me as Firemane's Nightwatch but this feels a little bit more red - it'd go down a lot easier if it were a 3/2. Paindancer is a pretty obvious Volcano Hellion riff and that's alright, though the wording is off and I'm not sure why it recurs either.
foo_intherain - Lethapede is great, in the wonderful Giant Solifuge/Vorapede tradition. Something in me is just enamored with big myffic Insects with high power and tiny toughness. The bloodrush ability comes off as kind of dumb given the haste thing, and also is probably costed considerably too low, but this is an appealing card nonetheless. Azorius Lawbringer makes me irrationally mad; something about multicolored cards that are purely color hosers irks me beyond belief. Technically this is well-designed, though, so. Down the Manhole has a good name but feels too obvious in the context of being a removal spell with grind-style milling.
Top 3:
3. foo_intherain
2. KoolKoal
1. schtingah
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Raikou Rider
1) Very interesting choice for the opponent's discard, and very on-guild.
2) I don't see much red in this ability.
3) Monogreen doesn't get straight up creature removal
schtingah
1) Seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to gain control of a couple of creatures.
2) Really like creatures in hand mechanic
3) Interesting color tension
void_nothing
1) I wonder if discarding a Memnite would be tech against token decks? I like the card, though I don't think it would hit much in limited.
2) Quite complex, more fun to design than play with, I suspect.
3) Nice card with an interesting flavor and decision tree.
foointtherain
1) Good card except that giving an already attacking creature haste is useless and confusing.
2) Only minor complaint is that the allied/enemy color thing isn't supposed to exist in Rav
3) Doesn't need to be blue, as decay and grind are both black.
aurorasparrow
1) Might be overcosted for a Mythic, but I like it.
2) I think it would rarely be worth discarding any cards to this.
3) Interesting sweeper tweak, though after a Wrath effect palyers are more likely to be short on cards not mana.
KoolKoal
1) Very mathy, but probably okay at rare. Uncosted.
2) Very Boros, but I'm not sure why it's red.
3) Dangerous ability with damage prevention and redirection effects. Would love to give it lifelink.
Big_Cal
1) I like it a lot; adds extra tension to the unleash decision for both him and your other unleash creatures.
2) Interesting combination of the color's mechanics.
3) Simple, possibly too powerful
Top Three
1. Big_Cal
2. void_nothing
3. schtingah
schtingah *2 3 1 3 3 1 = 13
void_nothing *2 2 3 1 2 1 2 = 13
foointtherain *2 1 1 = 4
aurorasparrow *2 1 3 1 = 7
KoolKoal *2 2 2 2 2 = 10
Big_Cal *2 2 3 3 = 10
jwanders *2 = 2
Congrats to the Top 4, Round going up momentarily