Story Circle, taken from MTG Art by Alan Pollack and Wizards of the Coast
Welcome to the Card Creation League! Everyone is free to participate in either or both of the first two rounds. Come join us!
Theme
Card cycles have been a mainstay of Magic design since the very beginning. They accomplish many varied goals, from highlighting the themes and flavor of an expansion set to exploring different approaches to a new mechanic. Card cycles call our attention to the form and function of cards in ways that wouldn't be possible without them.
This month you'll be reimagining existing cards as part of new cycles as well as designing custom cycles from the ground up (or from the top-down, whatever suits your fancy). The choices you make in the first two rounds will determine some of your design stipulations if you advance to the Top 8 and beyond.
Best of luck!
Challenge
Choose two monocolored cards of different colors from different modern-legal sets that are not already part of any cycle. Imagine that they are part of the same monocolored horizontal cycle, and design a monocolored card that is one of the three other cards in that cycle.
The two cards you choose must be:
Monocolored
Different colors from each other
Printed in two different sets than each other that are both modern-legal
(The cards themselves don't have to be modern-legal)
Your contest submission must be:
Monocolored
A different color than either of your chosen cards
Similar enough in mechanics, power, and/or flavor to your chosen cards that they could all three be part of the same horizontal cycle.
(Select an expansion, then click "Cycles" under the Mythic Spoiler banner)
Stay tuned for July's CCL Final Poll. Anyone who votes will receive 2 bonus points for August's CCL, divided between the first two rounds.
PLEASE NOTE: This month we will continue with the mandatory Top 3 rule. Your card will receive NO POINTS in any round you fail to submit a Top 3 by the judging deadline. Submitting critiques will still be optional (but encouraged!), and will be worth 2 bonus points per round on its own.
Your round 1 submissions are due before Friday, August 4, 23:59 EST.
Schedule
Round 1 — Open to Everyone (July 28th – Aug 5th) *EXTENDED*
Round 2 — Open to Everyone (Aug 6th-10th)
Rounds 1 and 2 Critiques (Due Aug 15th)
Top 8 — Open to top 8 finishers (Aug 16th–20th)
Top 8 Critiques (Due Aug 22nd)
Top 4 — Open to top 4 finishers from last round (Aug 23rd–27th)
Top 4 Critiques (Due Aug 29th)
Final (End of month, winner determined by public poll)
Divine MediumW
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Tap three untapped Humans you control: Return target creature card with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a Spirit in addition to its other types. "Come, let us join hands."
1/1
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Legion Guard2W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Legion Guard gets +0/+1 and gains vigilance until end of turn.
2/3
Pull of EternitiesXWWW
Instant (R)
Synergize (Your planeswalkers can help cast this spell. Each loyalty counter you remove after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Search your library for a planeswalker card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Dramatic Appearance2G
Sorcery (MR)
Put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities on the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to his or her maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)
Tormentors' SpiteBB
Enchantment (Rare)
When Tormentors' Spite enters the battlefield, choose a card name.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may search target player's library for a card with the chosen name and exile it. If a card is exiled this way, that player discards a card and loses 2 life.
Demented Prospector1U
Creature - Dwarf Wizard (R)
At the beginning of each player’s draw step, if Demented Prospector is untapped, that player draws an additional card. Still he digs deeper, drawing ever closer to the howling chorus at the bottom.
1/3
Disoriented Trek1RR
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may shuffle a Mountain card from your hand into your library. If you do, draw two cards, then discard two cards.
I'm honored to make my 20,000th post in my beloved CCL. Thanks for hosting, Rocco.
Well that worked out nicely! I'm happy to help.
To anyone who is frustrated rather than excited by this challenge, know that the rest of the rounds won't demand so much research or have so many stipulations. I know there are a lot of rules to digest, so please double check both your choices for reference cards and your entries to make sure all requirements are met.
Scoutstinger Launch1G
Instant (C)
Choose one or both:
* Scoutstinger Launch deals 3 damage to target creature with flying.
* Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library. Bred from the giant bees of Unyaro, scoutstingers provide the elves with both reconnaissance and aerial defense.
I chose Blessed Spirits and Pyre Hound. The challenge doesn't specify that rarity has to be the same. In the hypothetical set this cycle comes from, the Hound would be reprinted as an uncommon.
Fortress Spider1G
Creature — Spider (U)
Reach
Whenever you cast a creature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Fortress Spider. “The most deadly menagerie is the most varied one. And in an abandoned fortress such as this, there are plenty of different beasts, each more dreadful and lethal than the next.”
—Torkas, fortress guardian
1/2
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Hull Clade Mutator2G
Creature - Elf Wizard (U) T: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If you lose the flip, that creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
3/2
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
Not in Vain1W
Instant {U}
As an additional cost to cast Not in Vain, sacrifice a creature.
Create X 1/1 Soldier creature tokens with vigilance, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
^Replenish isn't Modern legal unfortunately. The two similiar Modern cards I could find, Roar of Reclamation and Open the Vaults both let opponents return stuff too.
Shrine of Efforts1RR
Legendary Enchantment - Shrine (U)
Whenever you splice a spell Shrine of Efforts deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
As long as you control three or more shrines, you may pay 0 rather than pay splice costs.
^Replenish isn't Modern legal unfortunately. The two similiar Modern cards I could find, Roar of Reclamation and Open the Vaults both let opponents return stuff too.
I think I will return after a while.But a quick question, would using two cards from two ravnica sets be cheating (since they were sorta designed to be cycles anyway?) or just clever usage of the rules?
Manifold Misery2BB
Enchantment (R)
If a spell or effect you control would cause an opponent to discard one or more cards, they must also discard that many additional cards. (Any card may be discarded this way) Such sorrow is merely the beginning of your true suffering - Nicol Bolas
Boon Reflection is part of a cycle (Mana Reflection et al.), I'd use Furnace of Rath and Heartbeat of Spring and make your card part of a "symmetrical doubling" cycle.
Eldrazi Thoughtsifter 1U
Creature — Eldrazi Processor [C]
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Defender
When ~ enters the battlefield, look at the top card of target player's library, you may exile it.
0/4
Mirror-Fraud Chameleon3GG
Creature - Lizard (M)
Hexproof
Whenever Mirror-Fraud Chameleon blocks or becomes blocked, you may return it to your hand. If you do, put onto the battlefield a green creature card from your hand blocking or blocked by those creatures.
5/4
“The Cycle Begins”
Story Circle, taken from MTG Art by Alan Pollack and Wizards of the Coast
Theme
Card cycles have been a mainstay of Magic design since the very beginning. They accomplish many varied goals, from highlighting the themes and flavor of an expansion set to exploring different approaches to a new mechanic. Card cycles call our attention to the form and function of cards in ways that wouldn't be possible without them.
This month you'll be reimagining existing cards as part of new cycles as well as designing custom cycles from the ground up (or from the top-down, whatever suits your fancy). The choices you make in the first two rounds will determine some of your design stipulations if you advance to the Top 8 and beyond.
Best of luck!
Challenge
The two cards you choose must be:
- Monocolored
- Different colors from each other
- Printed in two different sets than each other that are both modern-legal
(The cards themselves don't have to be modern-legal)
Your contest submission must be:
- Monocolored
- A different color than either of your chosen cards
- Similar enough in mechanics, power, and/or flavor to your chosen cards that they could all three be part of the same horizontal cycle.
Resources
- What is a horizontal cycle?
- Which sets are modern-legal?
- Which cards are part of a cycle?
(Select an expansion, then click "Cycles" under the Mythic Spoiler banner)
Stay tuned for July's CCL Final Poll. Anyone who votes will receive 2 bonus points for August's CCL, divided between the first two rounds.
PLEASE NOTE: This month we will continue with the mandatory Top 3 rule. Your card will receive NO POINTS in any round you fail to submit a Top 3 by the judging deadline. Submitting critiques will still be optional (but encouraged!), and will be worth 2 bonus points per round on its own.
Schedule
Divine Medium W
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Tap three untapped Humans you control: Return target creature card with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a Spirit in addition to its other types.
"Come, let us join hands."
1/1
Kruin Striker + Herd Gnarr
Legion Guard 2W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Legion Guard gets +0/+1 and gains vigilance until end of turn.
2/3
Pull of Eternities XWWW
Instant (R)
Synergize (Your planeswalkers can help cast this spell. Each loyalty counter you remove after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Search your library for a planeswalker card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
Dramatic Appearance 2G
Sorcery (MR)
Put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities on the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to his or her maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)
Fearsome Temper + Savage Silhouette
Threatening Shadow 2B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has "2B: This creature gains menace until end of turn."
Runed Halo and Declaration of Naught.
Tormentors' Spite BB
Enchantment (Rare)
When Tormentors' Spite enters the battlefield, choose a card name.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may search target player's library for a card with the chosen name and exile it. If a card is exiled this way, that player discards a card and loses 2 life.
Ramunap Excavator and Vryn Wingmare
Demented Prospector 1U
Creature - Dwarf Wizard (R)
At the beginning of each player’s draw step, if Demented Prospector is untapped, that player draws an additional card.
Still he digs deeper, drawing ever closer to the howling chorus at the bottom.
1/3
An "Artifact on a Stick" cycle: Ramunap Excavator is Crucible of Worlds on a stick, Vryn Wingmare is Thorn of Amethyst on a stick, Demented Prospector is Howling Mine on a stick.
(Note that if you attack with Prospector and it survives, you deny your opponents the draw.)
Endless Horizons, Lost in the Woods...
Disoriented Trek 1RR
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may shuffle a Mountain card from your hand into your library. If you do, draw two cards, then discard two cards.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Well that worked out nicely! I'm happy to help.
To anyone who is frustrated rather than excited by this challenge, know that the rest of the rounds won't demand so much research or have so many stipulations. I know there are a lot of rules to digest, so please double check both your choices for reference cards and your entries to make sure all requirements are met.
Scoutstinger Launch 1G
Instant (C)
Choose one or both:
* Scoutstinger Launch deals 3 damage to target creature with flying.
* Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
Bred from the giant bees of Unyaro, scoutstingers provide the elves with both reconnaissance and aerial defense.
I chose Blessed Spirits and Pyre Hound. The challenge doesn't specify that rarity has to be the same. In the hypothetical set this cycle comes from, the Hound would be reprinted as an uncommon.
Fortress Spider 1G
Creature — Spider (U)
Reach
Whenever you cast a creature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Fortress Spider.
“The most deadly menagerie is the most varied one. And in an abandoned fortress such as this, there are plenty of different beasts, each more dreadful and lethal than the next.”
—Torkas, fortress guardian
1/2
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Hull Clade Mutator 2G
Creature - Elf Wizard (U)
T: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. If you lose the flip, that creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
3/2
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.
—Eli Shiffrin, Rules Manager, on a design stacking lifelink instances
Not in Vain 1W
Instant {U}
As an additional cost to cast Not in Vain, sacrifice a creature.
Create X 1/1 Soldier creature tokens with vigilance, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
thanks for the advice.
Change my cards
Puresteel Paladin and New Perspectives
Shrine of Efforts 1RR
Legendary Enchantment - Shrine (U)
Whenever you splice a spell Shrine of Efforts deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
As long as you control three or more shrines, you may pay 0 rather than pay splice costs.
Art by
Manifold Misery 2BB
Enchantment (R)
If a spell or effect you control would cause an opponent to discard one or more cards, they must also discard that many additional cards. (Any card may be discarded this way)
Such sorrow is merely the beginning of your true suffering - Nicol Bolas
Eldrazi Thoughtsifter 1U
Creature — Eldrazi Processor [C]
Devoid (This card has no color.)
Defender
When ~ enters the battlefield, look at the top card of target player's library, you may exile it.
0/4
Mirror-Fraud Chameleon 3GG
Creature - Lizard (M)
Hexproof
Whenever Mirror-Fraud Chameleon blocks or becomes blocked, you may return it to your hand. If you do, put onto the battlefield a green creature card from your hand blocking or blocked by those creatures.
5/4