There are parables among the Moonfolk, some hold messages, or act as a warning of sorts. It speaks of a student, one of their own, whose study of the elements devolved from a theoretical study to a practical one. In her arrogance, she sought the power to control the winds rather than observe and analyze as per the scholastic method. As she pursued her researched she brought the wrath of a dragon of the east wind, whom she struck down with furious thunder, having bent the world to her will. The student then sought stronger and stronger foes to prove her strength to herself, as if the pursuit of knowledge was not reward enough. Surely enough the academy revoked her scholarship, even though she rose to become one of the most powerful mages in the east. When she brought her wroth down on the academy, she expected to strike them down as she had her previous challengers; but she was but a single being against the entirety of the Moonfolk scholars. And like a minnow swimming against the current expecting the river to bend to it, the student was washed out and cast aside. Learned as she was, the student was no match against the combined knowledge of the sages. For every spell the student threw, one of the masters knew how to counter it, and they weathered her down until the she had no muster left in her. Utterly defeated,the student was banished and her name was struck from the academy's records. Her name may have been lost to time, but her tale is remembered as what happens to those who abandon scholarship in hubris.
Ritsuko, Storm Caller3UR
Legendary creature — Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
When Ritsuko, Storm Caller enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to the number of cards in your hand to each opponent who has less cards in their hand than you. 2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Stille_Nacht: Very nice way to showcase disease prevention, and I like that it deals with Poison counters as well. Not super sold on the name or why this is blue rather than just white.
Sephon19: Very elegant design and flavorfully using Goblin irony and firefighting. It's a solid card that could very reasonably see print.
VolrathTheRisen: Skulk AND detaining a potential blocker means this guy can connect very often I reckon, although the idea of detaining something whilst being deep undercover is a little self-defeating (I would maybe have used something along Palladia-Mors's "hexproof until it damages" line for stealth). I don't know about the Illusion subtype but I get the intent behind it.
Mergatroid_Jones: Ghostbusters the card! I like that it's potent but limited hate. Flash and the "trap" alternative cost help cement this as an emergency response card, even though it can't actually do anything until your turn.
TheRavenManIsSquee: What excites me the most about this card is that you can perform the very rare action of removing a blocking creature you control from combat, meaning you get a "free" blocker for 2 mana. In limited this is pretty strong and I like that it doesn't need to be a creature to activate itself either. The 3 life helps the idea that you're fighting against burn decks.
TotallyHaywire: A wall of high toughness creatures is bound to be a big hindrance for opponents and I like that. I also like that the damage it deals doesn't kill but sends away, it really sells the "no casualties" aspect. I would probably give this creature Vigilance as well because they can then keep functioning offensively and defensively.
HM to Sephon19 and TRMIS, but our winner is Mergatroid_Jones!
Not everyday you face a dragon, probably wrote way more than I needed to but here we go
_______________________________________________
Ritsuko found herself face to face with a dragon, the kings of the skies, the apex aerial predators. She had never seen one up close before, having only read about them in the encyclopedias at the library. They were powerful, arrogant and temperamental, and this dragon exhibited all those qualities. Despite it being smaller than the hellkites she had read about, the dragon still towered over her, with a wingspan the size of a small house and a great jaw that could easily bite her in half. Its eyes were fixed on Ritsuko, and it sent a wave of light shimmering through its azure scales. Smaller species compensate for their size with an increased proficiency in magic., she recalled. Given what the dragon had said it seemed reasonable to assume that like Ritsuko, it had a mastery over the magics of the winds and storms. The dragon was still, waiting for Ritsuko to make the first move. "Do I run? No, it wants to chase me. I could reason with it, convince it to let me through. That won't work, it's a powerful being and I've wounded its pride, it's itching for a fight. This won't be an easy opponent."
"Then again, I do like a challenge."
"You hold no domain over the sky, dragon." Ritsuko retorted, "To presume at such only proves your arrogance. Allow me to teach you humility."
The dragon flared its nostrils "You dare challenge the Great Kokoru? I have always respected the Sorotami, but my esteem was misplaced now I see that fools among the likes of you dwell among them."
"Trust me, dragon, there's no Sorotami like me." That part at least was true. The ideal Sorotami is composed, polite, meticulous. Ritsuko possessed those qualities on most days, but her prowess at elemental magic nurtured an ego within her from a very young age. It was an arrogance she had yet to outgrow. "I can assure you the winds will obey the command of a Sorotami master over those of a lizard who made his way up here."
The dragon snorted again, seemingly enjoying the tirades, "Bold words, little mayfly. Let us see if you can back them up." Kokoru beat his wings and let out a mighty roar, summoning wind from all directions to him. The sky darkened as rain clouds started swirling around him. "A typhoon?" In a matter of minutes they stood in the eye of a huge storm, an aerial battlefield limited by gale force winds and thunder. Ritsuko gritted her teeth. The dragon had cut off any escape routes.
"I hope you aren't afraid, little mayfly." Kokoru spoke smugly.
"I recognise your ability, dragon. That does not mean I still can't kill you." It was true, summoning a storm this powerful was a huge magical feat. Ritsuko was confident she could replicate the spell, but nowhere near that fast. Not that the dragon needed to know that. Ritsuko flew over the dragon and blasted it with winds from above her. She had hoped that convection would send him flying towards the ground, but Kokoru shimmered and a powerful gale shot out from the side of the storm, pushing Ritsuko's blast away effortlessly and slamming into her.
Pain flared at her side as she steadied herself. She stretched her hand out towards the storm, grasping at the rain within and pulling it towards her just as another gale slammed into her. The water shielded her from the blast, instead spraying her kimono and drenching it entirely. "This thing never stays dry long."
She heard the dragon scoff once more. "Hydromancy? A fool's art. I had thought this was a battle of wind mages, but it turns out I'm facing a charlatan who dabbles in lesser arts. Your arrogance and deceit has cost you your life. I am the wind incarnate, and I will knock you out of the sky!" Kokoru let out a roar and typhoon closed on him. He was closing its eye, forcing Ritsuko closer to his jaws and talons.
"So he only uses wind magic," she thought, "this isn't good, he's got me pinned against the storm. Either I fall into the typhoon and let it rip me apart, or I face the dragon head-on and he tears me apart." Ritsuko could see her options closing up as quickly as the eye of the typhoon, and then, thinking of how she escaped the sandstorm the day prior, an idea struck her. Like lightning would strike an unwary bird.
The dragon roared at her, sending another blast of wind towards her. Just as it was about to hit her, Ritsuko cancelled her flight spell. She began to fall, speeding towards the ground. As the plummeted, she could see the bottom of the typhoon's eye close up. That was her target. She flew out through the eye, exiting Kokoru's self-imposed battlefield.
Resuming her flight spell, Ritsuko rushed back up to above the storm. The dragon was trapped in his arena: he would have to release the spell to face her again. She outstretched her arms, feeling at the rolling elements within the thunderstorm, waiting. She felt the dragon's grasp on the storm weaken, he was dispelling it.
Ritsuko took her shot and seized control of the typhoon from the dragon. She now wielded the force Kokoru had worked hard to summon, and she now felt it's full power at her disposal. She entered the typhoon, redirecting its winds and lightning around her. "You call me a charlatan, dragon. Allow me to show you I have more than parlor tricks up my sleeve."
She willed the storm to batter the dragon from within, but she could feel him repel the gales she sent. "You think to best me with my own magics? I am the wind, little mage, you cannot harm me with my own power!"
"No," Ritsuko thought, "but I can distract you with it." while the dragon was blasting away his own power, Ritsuko was hiding within the storm, charging a spell of her own. A spell the dragon had no mastery over. After all, Kokoru was the wind.
But Ritsuko was the storm.
Her spell finally ready, she released her flight spell once more. As she fell through the typhoon, she made sure to absorb any extra lighting as she passed. She was confident she had collected enough to kill the dragon, but having more couldn't hurt. She fell through the clouds into Kokoru's battlefield, and he turned to face her. His azure eye shone with the crimson reflection of Ritsuko's thunder, and she discharged it all towards the dragon, striking it right in the chest. The sound of scales cracking, lightning crackling and flesh sizzling was the only sound that could be heard in the eye of the dissipating typhoon. As Ritsuko's spell petered out, Kokoru's charred carcass plummeted to the ground with a thud.
Ritsuko slowly floated down towards the grassy plains they had fought above and approached the dead dragon. Exhausted, she rested a little before collecting some of Kokoru's scales, a knuckle bone, and one of his talons: dragon parts held particularly powerful arcane power. She contemplated the fact that she had faced a dragon and survived, then wondered how many of her kind had accomplished something so grand before.
"None of them," she chuckled, "they bow to the elements. I command them."
_______________________________________________
Ritsuko, Storm Caller3UR
Legendary creature — Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
When Ritsuko, Storm Caller enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to the number of cards in your hand to any target. 2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Valakut Ablaze1RR
Legendary enchantment - Aura (Rare)
Enchant mountain
Enchanted land has "T, sacrifice a mountain: Add RR. This land deals 1 damage to any target. 3RR, Sacrifice each mountain you control: Valakut Ablaze deals X damage to each creature without flying, each planeswalker, and each player. "All along we forgot that Zendikar itself was a world altering force."
Ritsuko set out towards the desert, eager to study the sandstorms and the phenomena that create it. Using her control of the wind, she exhibited no problem at all in lifting herself up into the sky. The twists and turns of the sand dunes formed aesthetically pleasing pattern from up above, and Ritsuko theorised that their form must possess certain aerodynamic qualities so as to keep it during the sandstorms. As she curiously inquired into the day to day goings of the local fauna, Ritsuko saw it on the horizon: an incredible sandstorm, raging its way towards her. Despite the obvious oncoming danger, Ritsuko was excited to study it up close. Whipping more air around her to create a semi-protective bubble, she flew straight into the storm. The winds were unlike any she'd seen before: blisteringly hot, and the sand flew at such speed that they effortlessly broke through her bubble and cut into her face and arms. The storm tossed her around like a hound with a sheep's bone, and soon enough Ritsuko had lost her bearings. Remembering the first rule of scholarship (no study is worth more than the students life), she decided to retreat. Picking a cardinal point at random, she whispered a prayer to the kami, then called forth the winds to whisk her away to a far away land.
As the spell ended Ritsuko found herself on the edge of a savannahs. She alighted onto the grasslands and set up camp for the evening, preparing herself some rice and miso while she consulted her maps. It seems in order to reach the academy again she would have to cross over the Leonin plains. She decided she could afford time to rest her wounds before setting off and camped for the night.
Ritsuko didn't know much about the Leonin, only their culture was very insular, possibly xenophobic. She decided it would be for the best to fly past them rather than engage with them, and right she was. From up above she noticed two of the cat-folk setting up a trap for explorers. Unfortunately for her, they noticed her in kind and she could see them mount their pterosaurs to confront her. Fools. The sky was her domain. Don't let your ego cloud your ability." Ritsuko told herself, "assess the situation, then act." One pterosaur she could handle easily, but two may cause a problem if they were coordinated. She would have to ground one of them just to be safe. Ritsuko floated a little to the left so that her approaching assailants would be directly West of her, and she conjured up her magic, this time focusing on one of the pterosaurs this time rather than herself. Whispering to the Myojin to bless her spell, she sent the full force of the East Wind into one of the leonin, blowing him off his mount and several miles into the distance. The second leonin was on her now, and the pterosaur bit at her whilst she dodge. Swiftly making her way past the mount, she flew right in front of the rider and with a small spell knocked him out of its saddle. As the pterosaur flew to catch its falling rider, Ritsukoade her escape.
Ritsuko, Storm Watcher3UR
Legendary creature - Moonfolk Wizard
Flying 2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Grenzo's ReleaseX
Sorcery (Rare)
Put X cards from the bottom of your library into your graveyard. Until end of turn, each creature card in your graveyard gains "You may play this card from your graveyard." "Ma'am, the dungeon appears to be empty."
Shoski, Herald of Seasons2GS
Legendary Snow Creature - Human Shaman (Rare)
You may play an additional land on each of your turns if that land is a snow land. R, Sacrifice a snow land: Add UU. GS, T, Sacrifice a nonsnow land: Return target snow card from your graveyard to your hand. "Winter ends at my willing."
3/3
Primordial Summons10GG
Sorcery (Common)
Affinity for basic lands (This spell costs 1 less to cast for each basic land you control.)
Create a 6/6 green Wurm creature token with trample. The jungle is angry.
—Expression meaning "The wurms are awake."
Vial of Honey1
Artifact (Uncommon) 3, Sacrifice Vial of Honey: Destroy the creature with the least power. It can't be regenerated. If two or more creatures are tied for least power, you choose one of them. Only fools would open it when it's makers aren't around.
[b]Oezon, the Formless[/b] 3
Legendary Creature (Mythic)
Flash
You may cast face-down spells as though they had flash by paying GUR rather than paying their mana cost.
If permanent you control turning face up would cause an ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
2/2
*FYI Oezon depicts a face-down morph creature, as if it has nothing to switch back to*
[b]Ixidor, Shaper of Dreams[/b] 1GUR
Legendary creature - Human Wizard (Mythic)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player manifests a card from their hand. (They put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 colorless creature. They may turn it face up at any time if it's a creature by paying its mana cost.) 2U: Turn target face-down creature face up. If it isn't a permanent card, exile it.
2/4
[b]Ebzarat, the Endhowler[/b] 3GUR
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Werewolf (Mythic)
Trample
Whenever a permanent you control transforms or is turned face up, you may pay 2. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that permanent. It gains haste.
Whenever a player casts their second spell each turn, each colorless creature you control deals 1 damage to that player and you draw a card.
5/5
Subtheme: Suicide, Reanimator
[b]Abrisir the Mad[/b] 1BR
Legendary Creature - Skeleton Warrior (Mythic)
First strike
Abrisir the Mad attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Abrisir deals combat damage to a player, put two +1/+1 counters on it. 2, Discard a card: Abrisir gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap it.
2/2
[b]Crovax, Evincar of Rath[/b] 4BR
Legendary Creature - Vampire
Flying
When Crovax, Evincar of Rath enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card and sacrifices a creature.
Whenever a player draws a card, that player discards a card unless they pay 2 life. "My vengeance upon the Weatherlight cannot come any sooner, but I will make sure it lasts forever."
4/4
[b]Iasta, Kragma Seer[/b] 3BR
Legendary Creature - Minotaur Shaman (Mythic Rare)
When Iasta, Kragma Seer enters the battlefield, each player discards their hand, then draws four cards.
Each Minotaur and each Shaman creature card you own that isn’t on the battlefield has madness. The madness cost is equal to its mana cost. (If you discard a card with madness, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, Iasta deals 2 damage to that player unless they discard a card.
4/3
Subtheme: Landfall, Beasts
[b]Hazoret, Guardian of Amonkhet[/b] 1RGW
Legendary Creature - God
Indestructible, haste
When Hazoret, Guardian of Amonkhet enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 Sand Warrior creature token that's red, green and white for each Desert you control. 2G, Discard a card: Populate. (Create a token that’s a copy of a creature token you control.)
5/4
[b]Bathanet, Lord Gargantuan[/b] 4RGW
Legendary Creature - Beast (Mythic)
Vigilance
When Bathanet enters the battlefield or attacks, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card with power 5 or greater and put it onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Tap two untapped nontoken Beasts you control: Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token. "Even Gods must come from somewhere."
-Mayael the Anima
7/7
[b]Ashaya, World Empowered[/b] 2RGW
Legendary Creature - Elemental (Mythic)
When Ashaya, World Empowered enters the battlefield, search your library for a land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library. Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, create a 2/2 green Elemental creature token.
Tap two untapped Elementals you control: Untap target land.
4/4
Subtheme: Sacrifice, Mill
[b]Runo Stromkirk[/b] 2UB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Wizard (Mythic)
Flying Delirium - T: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. Their flashback cost is "Sacrifice a creature, pay this card's mana cost." Activate this ability only if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. "The quest for truth is made through every path."
3/3
[b]Dobrika, Quicksilver Titan[/b] 4UB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem (Mythic)
Whenever you cast a spell from your graveyard, create a 3/3 colorless Golem creature token.
Sacrifice another creature: Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is that creature's power. "Every inch of Mirrodin is repurposed towards my goals."
- Jin-Gitaxias
4/6
[b]Feyomsi, Ukud Regent[b] 6UB
Creature - Cat Demon (Mythic)
Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for 1.)
When Feyomsi, Ukud Regent enters the battlefield, create X tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens, where X is half the number of cards delved with it, rounded down.
Tap X untapped Zombies you control: Choose target face up exiled nonland card you own with converted mana cost X. Shuffle it into your library.
4/3
The vibe I'm getting from the court summons and art style give me a medieval-Arthurian England/France setting. Knights, jousting, perhaps a return of. Exalted?
The sigil behind the set makes me think Fleur de Lys, and the font I feel has sort of stained glass look.
Omnath, Locus of LifeGWUR
Legendary Creature - Elemental (Mythic)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have it become a 3/3 Elemental creature with haste that's still a land. If you don't, put two +1/+1 counters on target Elemental you control.
Whenever another Elemental you control dies, you may pay 1. If you do, return it to your hand. If it was a land creature, put it onto the battlefield tapped instead. 3: Exile target land or Elemental you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control.
4/4
Mergatroid Jones: They did do a similar thing to Shrieking Pyre with both Harvest Pyre and Magmatic Sinkhole but it's a design that's fresh enough from both those cards to be strong. Conclave Cantor is really sweet and I love the flavor text.
TheRavenManIsSquee: This can be a very strong card with enough mill. You could potentially drop this down on turn 2 as a 4/3 flyer that can draw you two cards. Thankfully it's in Bolt range for modern players. It's strong but not oppressive I would say.
Stille_Natch: I feel like this should be legendary - and possibly black? The idea that you need to delve away the right cards for this to work is a little annoying - if you pay the full price you don't actually get anything from this card. But in a deck built around it, it's very good.
Sephon19: You're missing the "converted mana cost X" section on the card (otherwise why would there be an X you know?). Without that X it's obviously way too strong, and otherwise it's a fusion of Wargate and Chord of Calling so nothing particularly innovating about that.
Totally Haywire: I like the cannibalistic approach to the flavor of Delve, but I find it harder to fit for Convoke (maybe if your creature was pluralized?). Obviously granting delve/convoke to any spell in the game is freakishly strong, and I think that 2 life and a sacrifice might be a bit too low a cost to enable it (possibly tapping or some extra mana?). I like the design a lot though, it's very impressive.
I think TotallyHaywire steals the win for me, our next challenge is: Manland Tribal. HMs to Mergatroid and TRMIS
Radix Raptor(G/P)(G/P)
Creature - Bird Horror (Rare)
Flying (G/P), T: Add one mana of any color. (W/P)(U/P)(B/P)(R/P)(G/P), T: Proliferate, then proliferate again. Each feather in its tail is a shimmer of another world, waiting for Compleation.
0/1
bravelion83: It's a cool throwback to Sarcomite Myr, and it's a strong limited beater especially with the reduced black cost. Might be too efficient though.
Eventide Sojourner: A colorless elemental does seem a little weird tbh, and the transformation cost is very steep. But the flip side is very destructive, but the fact it has only four keywords on a five color creature is a bit weird.
netn10: It's some nice superfriends tech and I like how it gives an advantage to opponents in other colors. It's a cute design and I like it a lot, although the green ability is definitely too strong.
Mr. Rithaniel: It's a good manland and it's splashability is very good as well. It's a bit slow however, sacrificing a creature and paying at the least 2 mana for just one +1/+1 counter on it. I get that it's stronger every time, but compared to Raging Ravine (which did see some standard play) I think this could be a little stronger.
Hemlock: This is a nice twist on the Silence effects, and I'm interested in how the Kicker would be beneficial. You'd need to cast an additional five spells that turn to make a return on your mana investment, so I feel it's still quite balanced if not a bit underpowered. It probably does wonders for xerox decks at the least. It's a good throwback to Grand Arbiter Augustin as well.
Jimmy Groove: I like that you have some measure of control on how much damage you can deal, 3-6 damage to all creatures and players at instant speed can be very powerful, and the equipment reduction cost isn't negligible either.
Ritsuko, Storm Caller 3UR
Legendary creature — Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
When Ritsuko, Storm Caller enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to the number of cards in your hand to each opponent who has less cards in their hand than you.
2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Sephon19: Very elegant design and flavorfully using Goblin irony and firefighting. It's a solid card that could very reasonably see print.
VolrathTheRisen: Skulk AND detaining a potential blocker means this guy can connect very often I reckon, although the idea of detaining something whilst being deep undercover is a little self-defeating (I would maybe have used something along Palladia-Mors's "hexproof until it damages" line for stealth). I don't know about the Illusion subtype but I get the intent behind it.
Mergatroid_Jones: Ghostbusters the card! I like that it's potent but limited hate. Flash and the "trap" alternative cost help cement this as an emergency response card, even though it can't actually do anything until your turn.
TheRavenManIsSquee: What excites me the most about this card is that you can perform the very rare action of removing a blocking creature you control from combat, meaning you get a "free" blocker for 2 mana. In limited this is pretty strong and I like that it doesn't need to be a creature to activate itself either. The 3 life helps the idea that you're fighting against burn decks.
TotallyHaywire: A wall of high toughness creatures is bound to be a big hindrance for opponents and I like that. I also like that the damage it deals doesn't kill but sends away, it really sells the "no casualties" aspect. I would probably give this creature Vigilance as well because they can then keep functioning offensively and defensively.
HM to Sephon19 and TRMIS, but our winner is Mergatroid_Jones!
Next: Kobolds
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Ritsuko found herself face to face with a dragon, the kings of the skies, the apex aerial predators. She had never seen one up close before, having only read about them in the encyclopedias at the library. They were powerful, arrogant and temperamental, and this dragon exhibited all those qualities. Despite it being smaller than the hellkites she had read about, the dragon still towered over her, with a wingspan the size of a small house and a great jaw that could easily bite her in half. Its eyes were fixed on Ritsuko, and it sent a wave of light shimmering through its azure scales. Smaller species compensate for their size with an increased proficiency in magic., she recalled. Given what the dragon had said it seemed reasonable to assume that like Ritsuko, it had a mastery over the magics of the winds and storms. The dragon was still, waiting for Ritsuko to make the first move. "Do I run? No, it wants to chase me. I could reason with it, convince it to let me through. That won't work, it's a powerful being and I've wounded its pride, it's itching for a fight. This won't be an easy opponent."
"Then again, I do like a challenge."
"You hold no domain over the sky, dragon." Ritsuko retorted, "To presume at such only proves your arrogance. Allow me to teach you humility."
The dragon flared its nostrils "You dare challenge the Great Kokoru? I have always respected the Sorotami, but my esteem was misplaced now I see that fools among the likes of you dwell among them."
"Trust me, dragon, there's no Sorotami like me." That part at least was true. The ideal Sorotami is composed, polite, meticulous. Ritsuko possessed those qualities on most days, but her prowess at elemental magic nurtured an ego within her from a very young age. It was an arrogance she had yet to outgrow. "I can assure you the winds will obey the command of a Sorotami master over those of a lizard who made his way up here."
The dragon snorted again, seemingly enjoying the tirades, "Bold words, little mayfly. Let us see if you can back them up." Kokoru beat his wings and let out a mighty roar, summoning wind from all directions to him. The sky darkened as rain clouds started swirling around him. "A typhoon?" In a matter of minutes they stood in the eye of a huge storm, an aerial battlefield limited by gale force winds and thunder. Ritsuko gritted her teeth. The dragon had cut off any escape routes.
"I hope you aren't afraid, little mayfly." Kokoru spoke smugly.
"I recognise your ability, dragon. That does not mean I still can't kill you." It was true, summoning a storm this powerful was a huge magical feat. Ritsuko was confident she could replicate the spell, but nowhere near that fast. Not that the dragon needed to know that. Ritsuko flew over the dragon and blasted it with winds from above her. She had hoped that convection would send him flying towards the ground, but Kokoru shimmered and a powerful gale shot out from the side of the storm, pushing Ritsuko's blast away effortlessly and slamming into her.
Pain flared at her side as she steadied herself. She stretched her hand out towards the storm, grasping at the rain within and pulling it towards her just as another gale slammed into her. The water shielded her from the blast, instead spraying her kimono and drenching it entirely. "This thing never stays dry long."
She heard the dragon scoff once more. "Hydromancy? A fool's art. I had thought this was a battle of wind mages, but it turns out I'm facing a charlatan who dabbles in lesser arts. Your arrogance and deceit has cost you your life. I am the wind incarnate, and I will knock you out of the sky!" Kokoru let out a roar and typhoon closed on him. He was closing its eye, forcing Ritsuko closer to his jaws and talons.
"So he only uses wind magic," she thought, "this isn't good, he's got me pinned against the storm. Either I fall into the typhoon and let it rip me apart, or I face the dragon head-on and he tears me apart." Ritsuko could see her options closing up as quickly as the eye of the typhoon, and then, thinking of how she escaped the sandstorm the day prior, an idea struck her. Like lightning would strike an unwary bird.
The dragon roared at her, sending another blast of wind towards her. Just as it was about to hit her, Ritsuko cancelled her flight spell. She began to fall, speeding towards the ground. As the plummeted, she could see the bottom of the typhoon's eye close up. That was her target. She flew out through the eye, exiting Kokoru's self-imposed battlefield.
Resuming her flight spell, Ritsuko rushed back up to above the storm. The dragon was trapped in his arena: he would have to release the spell to face her again. She outstretched her arms, feeling at the rolling elements within the thunderstorm, waiting. She felt the dragon's grasp on the storm weaken, he was dispelling it.
Ritsuko took her shot and seized control of the typhoon from the dragon. She now wielded the force Kokoru had worked hard to summon, and she now felt it's full power at her disposal. She entered the typhoon, redirecting its winds and lightning around her. "You call me a charlatan, dragon. Allow me to show you I have more than parlor tricks up my sleeve."
She willed the storm to batter the dragon from within, but she could feel him repel the gales she sent. "You think to best me with my own magics? I am the wind, little mage, you cannot harm me with my own power!"
"No," Ritsuko thought, "but I can distract you with it." while the dragon was blasting away his own power, Ritsuko was hiding within the storm, charging a spell of her own. A spell the dragon had no mastery over. After all, Kokoru was the wind.
But Ritsuko was the storm.
Her spell finally ready, she released her flight spell once more. As she fell through the typhoon, she made sure to absorb any extra lighting as she passed. She was confident she had collected enough to kill the dragon, but having more couldn't hurt. She fell through the clouds into Kokoru's battlefield, and he turned to face her. His azure eye shone with the crimson reflection of Ritsuko's thunder, and she discharged it all towards the dragon, striking it right in the chest. The sound of scales cracking, lightning crackling and flesh sizzling was the only sound that could be heard in the eye of the dissipating typhoon. As Ritsuko's spell petered out, Kokoru's charred carcass plummeted to the ground with a thud.
Ritsuko slowly floated down towards the grassy plains they had fought above and approached the dead dragon. Exhausted, she rested a little before collecting some of Kokoru's scales, a knuckle bone, and one of his talons: dragon parts held particularly powerful arcane power. She contemplated the fact that she had faced a dragon and survived, then wondered how many of her kind had accomplished something so grand before.
"None of them," she chuckled, "they bow to the elements. I command them."
_______________________________________________
Ritsuko, Storm Caller 3UR
Legendary creature — Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
When Ritsuko, Storm Caller enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to the number of cards in your hand to any target.
2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Legendary enchantment - Aura (Rare)
Enchant mountain
Enchanted land has "T, sacrifice a mountain: Add RR. This land deals 1 damage to any target.
3RR, Sacrifice each mountain you control: Valakut Ablaze deals X damage to each creature without flying, each planeswalker, and each player.
"All along we forgot that Zendikar itself was a world altering force."
IIW: Emergency services on a card
As the spell ended Ritsuko found herself on the edge of a savannahs. She alighted onto the grasslands and set up camp for the evening, preparing herself some rice and miso while she consulted her maps. It seems in order to reach the academy again she would have to cross over the Leonin plains. She decided she could afford time to rest her wounds before setting off and camped for the night.
Ritsuko didn't know much about the Leonin, only their culture was very insular, possibly xenophobic. She decided it would be for the best to fly past them rather than engage with them, and right she was. From up above she noticed two of the cat-folk setting up a trap for explorers. Unfortunately for her, they noticed her in kind and she could see them mount their pterosaurs to confront her. Fools. The sky was her domain. Don't let your ego cloud your ability." Ritsuko told herself, "assess the situation, then act." One pterosaur she could handle easily, but two may cause a problem if they were coordinated. She would have to ground one of them just to be safe. Ritsuko floated a little to the left so that her approaching assailants would be directly West of her, and she conjured up her magic, this time focusing on one of the pterosaurs this time rather than herself. Whispering to the Myojin to bless her spell, she sent the full force of the East Wind into one of the leonin, blowing him off his mount and several miles into the distance. The second leonin was on her now, and the pterosaur bit at her whilst she dodge. Swiftly making her way past the mount, she flew right in front of the rider and with a small spell knocked him out of its saddle. As the pterosaur flew to catch its falling rider, Ritsukoade her escape.
Ritsuko, Storm Watcher 3UR
Legendary creature - Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
2, Return a land you control to its owner's hand: Return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/3
Sorcery (Rare)
Put X cards from the bottom of your library into your graveyard. Until end of turn, each creature card in your graveyard gains "You may play this card from your graveyard."
"Ma'am, the dungeon appears to be empty."
Shoski, Herald of Seasons 2GS
Legendary Snow Creature - Human Shaman (Rare)
You may play an additional land on each of your turns if that land is a snow land.
R, Sacrifice a snow land: Add UU.
GS, T, Sacrifice a nonsnow land: Return target snow card from your graveyard to your hand.
"Winter ends at my willing."
3/3
Primordial Summons 10GG
Sorcery (Common)
Affinity for basic lands (This spell costs 1 less to cast for each basic land you control.)
Create a 6/6 green Wurm creature token with trample.
The jungle is angry.
—Expression meaning "The wurms are awake."
Artifact (Uncommon)
3, Sacrifice Vial of Honey: Destroy the creature with the least power. It can't be regenerated. If two or more creatures are tied for least power, you choose one of them.
Only fools would open it when it's makers aren't around.
Iiw: auras that enchant other auras
2. Jimmy Groove
1. Bravelion86
Legendary Creature - Moonfolk Shaman
Flying
3/3
[b]Oezon, the Formless[/b] 3
Legendary Creature (Mythic)
Flash
You may cast face-down spells as though they had flash by paying GUR rather than paying their mana cost.
If permanent you control turning face up would cause an ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
2/2
*FYI Oezon depicts a face-down morph creature, as if it has nothing to switch back to*
[b]Ixidor, Shaper of Dreams[/b] 1GUR
Legendary creature - Human Wizard (Mythic)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player manifests a card from their hand. (They put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 colorless creature. They may turn it face up at any time if it's a creature by paying its mana cost.)
2U: Turn target face-down creature face up. If it isn't a permanent card, exile it.
2/4
[b]Ebzarat, the Endhowler[/b] 3GUR
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi Werewolf (Mythic)
Trample
Whenever a permanent you control transforms or is turned face up, you may pay 2. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that permanent. It gains haste.
Whenever a player casts their second spell each turn, each colorless creature you control deals 1 damage to that player and you draw a card.
5/5
[b]Abrisir the Mad[/b] 1BR
Legendary Creature - Skeleton Warrior (Mythic)
First strike
Abrisir the Mad attacks each turn if able.
Whenever Abrisir deals combat damage to a player, put two +1/+1 counters on it.
2, Discard a card: Abrisir gains indestructible until end of turn. Tap it.
2/2
[b]Crovax, Evincar of Rath[/b] 4BR
Legendary Creature - Vampire
Flying
When Crovax, Evincar of Rath enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card and sacrifices a creature.
Whenever a player draws a card, that player discards a card unless they pay 2 life.
"My vengeance upon the Weatherlight cannot come any sooner, but I will make sure it lasts forever."
4/4
[b]Iasta, Kragma Seer[/b] 3BR
Legendary Creature - Minotaur Shaman (Mythic Rare)
When Iasta, Kragma Seer enters the battlefield, each player discards their hand, then draws four cards.
Each Minotaur and each Shaman creature card you own that isn’t on the battlefield has madness. The madness cost is equal to its mana cost. (If you discard a card with madness, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, Iasta deals 2 damage to that player unless they discard a card.
4/3
[b]Hazoret, Guardian of Amonkhet[/b] 1RGW
Legendary Creature - God
Indestructible, haste
When Hazoret, Guardian of Amonkhet enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 Sand Warrior creature token that's red, green and white for each Desert you control.
2G, Discard a card: Populate. (Create a token that’s a copy of a creature token you control.)
5/4
[b]Bathanet, Lord Gargantuan[/b] 4RGW
Legendary Creature - Beast (Mythic)
Vigilance
When Bathanet enters the battlefield or attacks, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card with power 5 or greater and put it onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Tap two untapped nontoken Beasts you control: Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.
"Even Gods must come from somewhere."
-Mayael the Anima
7/7
[b]Ashaya, World Empowered[/b] 2RGW
Legendary Creature - Elemental (Mythic)
When Ashaya, World Empowered enters the battlefield, search your library for a land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, create a 2/2 green Elemental creature token.
Tap two untapped Elementals you control: Untap target land.
4/4
[b]Runo Stromkirk[/b] 2UB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Wizard (Mythic)
Flying
Delirium - T: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. Their flashback cost is "Sacrifice a creature, pay this card's mana cost." Activate this ability only if there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.
"The quest for truth is made through every path."
3/3
[b]Dobrika, Quicksilver Titan[/b] 4UB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem (Mythic)
Whenever you cast a spell from your graveyard, create a 3/3 colorless Golem creature token.
Sacrifice another creature: Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is that creature's power.
"Every inch of Mirrodin is repurposed towards my goals."
- Jin-Gitaxias
4/6
[b]Feyomsi, Ukud Regent[b] 6UB
Creature - Cat Demon (Mythic)
Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for 1.)
When Feyomsi, Ukud Regent enters the battlefield, create X tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens, where X is half the number of cards delved with it, rounded down.
Tap X untapped Zombies you control: Choose target face up exiled nonland card you own with converted mana cost X. Shuffle it into your library.
4/3
The sigil behind the set makes me think Fleur de Lys, and the font I feel has sort of stained glass look.
Legendary Creature - Elemental (Mythic)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have it become a 3/3 Elemental creature with haste that's still a land. If you don't, put two +1/+1 counters on target Elemental you control.
Whenever another Elemental you control dies, you may pay 1. If you do, return it to your hand. If it was a land creature, put it onto the battlefield tapped instead.
3: Exile target land or Elemental you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control.
4/4
IIW: New four color commanders
TheRavenManIsSquee: This can be a very strong card with enough mill. You could potentially drop this down on turn 2 as a 4/3 flyer that can draw you two cards. Thankfully it's in Bolt range for modern players. It's strong but not oppressive I would say.
Stille_Natch: I feel like this should be legendary - and possibly black? The idea that you need to delve away the right cards for this to work is a little annoying - if you pay the full price you don't actually get anything from this card. But in a deck built around it, it's very good.
Sephon19: You're missing the "converted mana cost X" section on the card (otherwise why would there be an X you know?). Without that X it's obviously way too strong, and otherwise it's a fusion of Wargate and Chord of Calling so nothing particularly innovating about that.
Totally Haywire: I like the cannibalistic approach to the flavor of Delve, but I find it harder to fit for Convoke (maybe if your creature was pluralized?). Obviously granting delve/convoke to any spell in the game is freakishly strong, and I think that 2 life and a sacrifice might be a bit too low a cost to enable it (possibly tapping or some extra mana?). I like the design a lot though, it's very impressive.
I think TotallyHaywire steals the win for me, our next challenge is: Manland Tribal. HMs to Mergatroid and TRMIS
Creature - Bird Horror (Rare)
Flying
(G/P), T: Add one mana of any color.
(W/P)(U/P)(B/P)(R/P)(G/P), T: Proliferate, then proliferate again.
Each feather in its tail is a shimmer of another world, waiting for Compleation.
0/1
Eventide Sojourner: A colorless elemental does seem a little weird tbh, and the transformation cost is very steep. But the flip side is very destructive, but the fact it has only four keywords on a five color creature is a bit weird.
netn10: It's some nice superfriends tech and I like how it gives an advantage to opponents in other colors. It's a cute design and I like it a lot, although the green ability is definitely too strong.
Mr. Rithaniel: It's a good manland and it's splashability is very good as well. It's a bit slow however, sacrificing a creature and paying at the least 2 mana for just one +1/+1 counter on it. I get that it's stronger every time, but compared to Raging Ravine (which did see some standard play) I think this could be a little stronger.
Hemlock: This is a nice twist on the Silence effects, and I'm interested in how the Kicker would be beneficial. You'd need to cast an additional five spells that turn to make a return on your mana investment, so I feel it's still quite balanced if not a bit underpowered. It probably does wonders for xerox decks at the least. It's a good throwback to Grand Arbiter Augustin as well.
Jimmy Groove: I like that you have some measure of control on how much damage you can deal, 3-6 damage to all creatures and players at instant speed can be very powerful, and the equipment reduction cost isn't negligible either.
Top3:
1. Netn10
2. Jimmy Groove
3. bravelion83