It's Magic Classics Month here at the MCC and we'll next deal with one of the first outright broken effects in Magic: Time Walk and its descendants.
Main Challenge: Design a card that allows a player to take one or more extra turns.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not an instant or sorcery. Subchallenge 2: Your card has converted mana cost 6 or greater.
Please feel free to ask additional questions if you have any in the MCC Discussion thread.
Design Deadline: All submissions are to be final and submitted by May 16th 11:59 PM EDT
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by May 19th 11:59 PM EDT
Design - (X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card? (X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development - (X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity? (X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity - (X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”? (X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish - (X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating. (X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge? (X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Destiny Stone6
Artifact (Mythic)
Destiny Stone enters the battlefield tapped. XXXX, T, Exile Destiny Stone: Take extra X turns after this one. "I'm free, but I'm also priceless. You can’t own me, but you can use me. You can’t keep me, but you can spend me. What am I?"
- Stone's Inscription
Design (2.5/3) Appeal: Initially, I was leaning towards this being in the realm of Timmy/Johnny. After more time passed, I was confident in that assessment. Spike loves extra turns, but this takes too long to get there. (2.5/3) Elegance: Quad X activation cost aside, the rules text is minimal (especially compared to several other entries this Round).
Development (3/3) Viability: Colorless artifacts can do anything, so no concerns in that regard. Extra turns are a Mythic level action in the game. (1.5/3) Balance: For the mana requirements, this is unlikely to see any sort of Constructed play. No card exists to reduce the activation cost, though Rings of Brighthearth wants to make friends in EDH/Casual decks. I'm not thrilled that multiple copies can simultaneously exist on your board.
Creativity (2.5/3) Uniqueness: This reminds me of Mindslaver, though without the ability to soft lock due to the exile clause. Getting to 8 mana appears to be the magic nubmer here. (1/3) Flavor: A less generic name might have gone further. The lack of the "Legendary" supertype feels like a miss here, given the parallels with the aforementioned Mindslaver. The wording on the flavor text doesn't flow as well as I would like.
Polish (2/3) Quality: "Take X extra turns after this one." 'Inscription' should not be capitalized. (2/2) *Main Challenge: One or more extra turns are possible. (2/2) Subchallenges: Non Instant/Sorcery? Yes. CMC 6+? Yes.
Total: 17/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design (1.5/3) Appeal: All about building the combo engine here. Timmy will pass even though this converts Wizards into "Tims", and Spike will complain about the CMC. (1/3) Elegance: While there's a lot going on, the abilities are understandable. It doesn't really gel though, since prowess and the Tim skill are synergistic. It seems like three cards stapled together.
Development (3/3) Viability: Dead on for the Izzet, and extra turns should be Mythic. (1/3) Balance: The lack of an additional activation cost for the extra turn, plus the fact that you can have multiple copies out at the same time and trigger off the same six Wizards, requires some rebalancing. It's an adaptive mutlitool without any drawbacks.
Creativity (2/3) Uniqueness: Echoes of Metallurgic Summonings, another card that felt somewhat stapled together. (1/3) Flavor: There is no room on this card for flavor text, given the roughly eight lines of rules text involved. There's also nothing I'd consider 'erratic' about this card.
Polish (3/3) Quality: No issues found. (2/2) *Main Challenge: One or more extra turns is possible. (2/2) Subchallenges: Non Instant/Sorcery? Yes. CMC 6+? Yes.
Total: 15.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Final Scores
netn10: 17/25 StonerOfKruphix: 15.5/25
Temporal AcuityCWUBRG
Legendary Enchantment (M)
Spells you cast have split second.
When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes Temporal Acuity to leave the battlefield, take an extra turn after this one. Blink and you'll... too late.
Nayda, Magus of the third Seal4UU
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Wizard (M)
If the total converted mana cost of spells you cast this turn is six or more you gain an extra turn after this one. “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”
4/4
ATTACHMENTS
Nayda Magus of the third Seal
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Over time, all trips end up in the same place, at home."
Quest for Eternity4UU
Legendary Enchantment (M)
If a player would take their turn, that player may exile their hand, then draw 7 cards, untap all permanents they control, and put a quest counter on themself and on Quest for Eternity instead.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if there are three or more quest counters on Quest for Eternity, remove those counters and transform it.
// Timestream Foothold
Legendary Land (M)
Timestream Foothold is controlled by the active player. (The active player is the player whose turn it is.) t: Add U equal to the number of cards in your hand minus 4.
Remove a quest counter from yourself: Take an extra turn after this one. Any player may activate this ability.
Sandglass of the Eons3UUU
Legendary Artifact {M}
At the beginning of each player’s draw step that player draws an additional card.
Whenever an opponent would draw a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, put a charge counter on Sandglass of the Eons. Then if there are seven or more charge counters on it, remove those counters and take an extra turn after this one.
Otherpresent Kraken2GGUU
Enchantment (MR)
At the beginning of your end step, if it's not an extra turn, take an extra turn after this one. Skip the untap step of that turn.
Otherpresent Kraken is a 7/7 Kraken creature during extra turns. Kiora has been looking in the right plane, in the wrong present.
Teferi’s Staff4UU
Legendary Artifact (M) UU: Tap target creature you don’t control. 3UU, T, Exile Teferi’s Staff: Take an extra turn after this one. It can rewind time or accelerate it to any point its wielder desires, to prevent both past and future enemy attacks.
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.)
Altar of the Aeons Torn4BB
Legendary Artifact (M)
Devoid (This card has no color.)
When Altar of the Aeons Torn enters the battlefield, exile a card from target opponent's hand, graveyard, and library. Then that player shuffles their library afterwards.
Pay 13 Life: Take an extra turn after this one. If your life total is greater than 13 it becomes 13. "Madness still leads some to the promised end.”
Erratic Experimentation2UURR
Enchantment (MR)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, create a 1/1 blue and red Wizard creature token with prowess.
Wizards you control have "T: This creature deals 1 damage to any target."
Exile Erratic Experimentation: Take an extra turn after this one. Activate this ability only if you control six or more Wizards. What started as a quick way to reheat food soon became one of the Academy's greatest discoveries.
Kruphix, God of Value and Eldrazi. GU Gahiji: Wider is better. (Now with 40% more tokens!) RGW Daxos brought some frienchantments! WB Kynaios and Tiro: Four strong arms to hug you better. RGWU Saskia: You better not tell her that pointing is rude. BRGW Sidisi the Zombeesi, the Unmilled, Breaker of Graves, Mother of Zambambos. (Zombie tribal)BGU Omnath, The Angriest Elemental Ever & His Spike-Handed Buddies.RG (Retired but forever in my heart)
Temporal Archon4UUU
Creature - Avatar {M}
When you cast this spell, target opponent takes an extra turn after this one. Then you take an extra turn after your next turn.
Whenever an opponent takes an extra turn, untap all lands you control. "Time and time again."
6/6
Infanti, Timewalker4UU
Legendary Creature — Sphinx (M)
Flying
If Infanti, Timewalker would die, instead exile it and take an extra turn after this one. "I take comfort in knowing that my death shall not be vain."
4/5
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
(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)
Time Compression3UUU
Sorcery {M}
Take two extra turns after this one. For each of those extra turns, an opponent chooses one --
Permanents of the type of that opponent's choice don't untap during that turn's untap step.
You can't draw cards during that turn.
Skip each instance of your main phase during that turn.
Skip each instance of your combat phase during that turn.
Exile Time Compression.
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the high mana cost and the double turns, Johhny loves working around restrictions. Spike likes the momentum push but know the opponent will pick the more crippling options every time. (1.5/3) Elegance: Because this goes on for two full turns there will be memory issues too. I'm also not sure if the opponent chooses the two options on resolution or at the start of those turns. But the wording in itself is understandable.
Development - (3/3) Viability: This reminds me of Fatespinner but for extra turns. Skipping phases and extra turns are blue effects, and each of them have been seen at rare or higher so the two together belong in the mythic spot. (2/3) Balance: One extra turn is already a huge effect to have, but having two of them is even more so. Especially since your opponent isn't able to choose the same mode twice, it means that you still have a full set of each phase as well as additional combats or draws. At six mana I feel that's too strong a card. It is however a really fun card that I would love to tinker around with.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Time Stretch meets Fatespinner. We've had setbacks in extra turns for a while, but one where your opponent chooses how to cripple you is interesting and feels fresh. (2.5/3) Flavor: I guess you're compressing time and losing certain phases of those turns? It makes sense to me but compression is a word I associate with reducing the size or length of something when this card does the opposite of that.
Polish - (2.5/3) Quality: There's an unnecessary line between the rules text and the flavor text. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Met. (1/2) Subchallenges: It is a sorcery so no point for subchallenge 1. CMC is 6.
Quest for Eternity4UU
Legendary Enchantment (M)
If a player would take their turn, that player may exile their hand, then draw 7 cards, untap all permanents they control, and put a quest counter on themself and on Quest for Eternity instead.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if there are three or more quest counters on Quest for Eternity, remove those counters and transform it.
// Timestream Foothold
Legendary Land (M)
Timestream Foothold is controlled by the active player. (The active player is the player whose turn it is.) t: Add U equal to the number of cards in your hand minus 4.
Remove a quest counter from yourself: Take an extra turn after this one. Any player may activate this ability.
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy doesn't like skipping his turns. Johnny is positively frothing over the restrictions and workarounds. Spike isn't going to spend 6 mana on a card that doesn't impact the board and might have a chance at benefiting the opponent. (2.5/3) Elegance: Quest for Eternity is fine, but the active player section of Timestream Foothold shouldn't be worded that way – probably a triggered ability that involves gaining control rather than a SBE dictating control.
Development - (2/3) Viability: This card has a level of complexity that only exists at mythic level. A replacement effect for skipping turns as a way to level up the quest is fine but I think it needs rewording to “that player may skip that turn. If they do, ...”. And as I mentioned above the SBE dictated by Timesteam Foothold bends the rules of the game (for an example of a card that has that same ability, see Karona, the False God. (0/3) Balance: I have no idea how to properly evaluate this card because it does so much, but I think it's ridiculously unbalanced and can force some very stupid, unfun and gamebreaking scenarios because the Quest's transforming is on the upkeep. Technically all players could accumulate two or three quest counters each before running out of cards to draw, but at that point they could chain extra turns once the Quest has transformed which is a whole other situation: Having players with counters on them be able to take extra turns at instant speed for free? To me that's madness waiting to happen. The payoff from the land is also ridiculously bad. Azor's Gateway jumps through smaller hoops than this and has a much bigger mana payoff, I don't think you need to reduce the amount of mana you get from it, and yet the idea that it becomes a shared resource by all players incentivizes everyone to skip their turns at least once and refill their hands. I think that this card is completely unbalanced: it does far too much and does it all far too big.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: The only thing close to this card is Magosi, the Waterveil and it's still nowhere similar enough. (3/3) Flavor: Giving time to access all of it. It works for me.
Polish - (0.5/3) Quality: There are a lot of wording issues here: Ugin's Nexus shows us that the term is “If a player would begin a turn”. / The replacement effect term for skipping a turn is “that player may skip that turn.” / You don't 'put' counters on players, players 'get' counters: See Longtusk Cub or Meren of Clan Nel Toth. / The wording on Inner Fire would make Timesteam Foothold's mana ability “Add {U} for each card in your hand minus 4. / Players pay in counters as showcased by Energy counters from Kaladesh. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Main challenge fulfilled. (2/2) Subchallenges: It's an enchantment with CMC 6.
Infanti, Timewalker4UU
Legendary Creature — Sphinx (M)
Flying
If Infanti, Timewalker would die, instead exile it and take an extra turn after this one. "I take comfort in knowing that my death shall not be vain."
4/5
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy likes big fliers and extra turns. Johnny loves this in multiplayer as a way to sneak in an out-of-order turn. Spike appreciates the extra turn and has its eye on it for potential decks. (3/3) Elegance: Perfectly legible.
Development - (3/3) Viability: This doesn't do anything out of blue's color pie; it's a sphinx and it lets you take extra turns. We've seen extra turn effects are rare, but usually at great restrictive cost which puts it well at mythic. The aforementioned ability to take a turn out of turn order in multiplayer bends the usual rules of the game but it's been seen before (albeit perhaps not as easily). This does have ramifications for the legend rule though (personally I would build this as a commander full of clones and voltron everyone out). (3/3) Balance: It has a decent body for a 6CMC flyer, which is good because it's designed to die. The risk of that extra turn means this guy needs to be exiled or countered to be properly dealt with. 6 mana is a curve topper in today's standard and I'm not sure this card would make the cut, but you could still see it at the top of some control decks as a finisher.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: We've had sphinxes deal with extra turns before, but never a creature that gives you an extra turn upon death. It's a Time Warp on a creature (or specifically half of Ugin's Nexus on a creature. Nothing especially exciting, but still not done before. (2.5/3) Flavor: Infanti just makes me think of children which is an odd thing for a sphinx. But the name is a good callback to the effect and the flavor seems fine to me.
Polish - (2.5/3) Quality: I also feel like the flavor text is missing the word 'in' to say “my death shall not be in vain.” (2/2) Main Challenge: Challenge met. (2/2) Subchallenges: It's a creature with CMC 6.
Total: 22.5/25
RaikouRider: 19.5/25
egoblinsw: 16/25
Flatline: 22.5/25 RaikouRider and Flatline advance.
[b]Appeal:[/b] 2.5/3 - Timmy is okay with drawing cards and extra turns which mean more big creatures and more attacking, but he's not a huge FAN of it. Johnny loves this, Spike REALLY loves this, especially if he can pair it with Forced Fruition.
[b]Elegance:[/b] 2.5/3 - The process itself is very easy to understand, especially when your next closest analogue is Chains of Mephistopheles so props for that. But filling sand by drawing cards...I mean, I guess, but it's a bit non-intuitive.
[b]Viability:[/b] 3/3 - Anything dealing with time magic is mythic, and this has nothing that's outside of blue's domain. You're clean here.
[b]Balance:[/b] 2/3 - As I noted before, this plus Forced Fruition equals "Time walk whenever anyone else casts a spell" and that's absurdly broken. Even without any combo engine and simple 60-card formats, there's the looming doom of constant extra turns, PLUS the extra card draw, PLUS the possibility of proliferate shenanigans. I won't say it's Nexus of Fate broken...but it's up there.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 3/3 - Time magic spells in print are hard to really differentiate, and you've done a great job making something that's not just another time warp. Good job.
[b]Flavor:[/b] 2/3 - As I said, the flavor isn't the MOST clear cut, and I would have loved some flavor text here - there's enough space for at least a line
[b]Quality: 2.5/3[/b] - missing a few commas after "draw step" in the first ability and "Then" in the second ability.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 21.5/25[/b]
[b]Appeal:[/b] 2/3 - Timmy will be okay once he realizes the tapdown means he can swing for a zillion damage. Johnny is in LOVE with this card and wants everything to do with it. Spike looks at it, shrugs, and sleeves it up anyway because it's fine.
[b]Elegance:[/b] 3/3 - Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock since Urza's block will know what this does just looking at it. You don't get much better than that.
[b]Viability:[/b] 3/3 - Time magic is mythic and blue, this is mythic and blue. Really straightforward here.
[b]Balance:[/b] 3/3 - That you have to wait a turn AND sink 5 mana into a 6 mana artifact for the other turn I think makes it fair but not broken in a vacuum (and only halfway-broken outside of one, assuming you're untapping it and cracking it the turn you play it.) There are ways to exploit it, but they require a dedicated effort that'll prevent it from becoming the next Nexus. You even give it something smaller to do, as almost a disincentive to instantly crack it. I really like this.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 2.5/3 - it's a focused Icy Manipulator with upside. And sure it's a HUGE upside but for a legendary artifact...it's just kind of there.
[b]Flavor:[/b] 3/3 - Sure it's just kind of there, but it's a very iconic just kind of there. A very simple solution and while I feel the flavor text is a bit too on-point it's a line I could see WotC printing on it, so no deduction.
[b]Quality:[/b] 3/3 - Very simple, you'd really have to work hard to mess this up.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 23.5/25[/b]
[b]Appeal:[/b] 1/3 - Timmy wants no part of this, paying life is for suckers. Johnny is flummoxed by the difficulty in chaining extra turns but he'll make it work after consideration. Spike doesn't LIKE it, but 0 mana extra turns is 0 mana extra turns, so he'll give it a whirl.
[b]Elegance:[/b] 2.5/3 - There's a lot here. Some of it is obvious, some of it less so. You're going to need to take a few looks at it to piece it all together, but the lightbulb moment at the end (why exile 3 cards from three different places? Oh, that's why.) is worth it.
[b]Viability:[/b] 2/3 - The devoid is obvious. the mythic rarity is obvious. the black for life payment is obvious. Black for exiling cards is obvious. But pinning your card on mono-black when your only precedent is from Planar Chaos is a step too far. 4UB would have been defensible but shaky, as it stands it's a bend I have to mark down for. (as an aside, Extract lends further credence to not just being mono-black.)
[b]Balance:[/b] 3/3 - That much life for an extra turn (significance notwithstanding) is probably about right. You've taken great care to make this as hard as possible to exploit. Is it still possible? Absolutely, but at that point you're in Tin Fins territory - if they want to engineer their entire deck just to try and exploit this, that's on them and not you, so it's not worth penalizing.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 3/3 - It's not just that black doesn't get time magic, it's that you have a card that immediately generates notice, and keeps it. This is a card you remember even when you haven't seen it in 5 years.
[b]Flavor:[b] 2.5/3 - If black ever DID get time magic, this is how it would be done. Absolutely a home run flavorwise, with one exception that's easy to miss until pointed out: the Eldrazi, especially things related to the titans, have effects that trigger when the spell is CAST, not when they enter the battlefield.
[b]Quality:[/b] 3/3 - having "afterward" at the end of the ETB ability is redundant but helps reinforce order so no deduction.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both Subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 21/25[/b]
I want to note that this was a very close decision, and that your card is by no means bad. I love it, but I feel that in trying to balance it you made it too safe, to where most players will have some reservations picking it up. Best of luck in the future.
Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Design - (3/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes the gigantic effect for casting gigantic spells. Jxnny wants an infinite with it. Spike likes the bomb attached to a Time Walk-plus. (3/3) Elegance: An elegant ability (assuming it were worded correctly; see below.)
Development - (3/3) Viability: Very blue and very mythic. (1/3) Balance: The floor for this card is most likely a 4/4 and extra turn for 4UU; that alone is extremely efficient but the ability is begging for abuse. If you assume my rewording given in Quality, there's at least a way out for your opponent by removing the creature with an instant or something the turn it's cast.
Creativity - (1.5/3) Uniqueness: Reminds me a lot of Medomai the Ageless. (3/3) Flavor: Very nice; name is cool worldbuilding.
Polish - (2/3) Quality: I believe the ability should be something like "At the beginning of your end step, if you cast spells with total converted mana cost 6 or more this turn, take an extra turn after this one." Static is definitely not right; this calls for triggered. (2/2) *Main Challenge: Done. (2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 21.5/25
Design - (2.5/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes the TIME KRAKEN, Jxnny obviously wants to play around with the effects, Spike likes to double the turns but realizes this is mostly going to be an expensive Phyrexian Arena plus a 7/7 which is, still, quite good. (2.5/3) Elegance: A little bit of a wordy and out-there card.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity more than check out. (2.5/3) Balance:Lighthouse Chronologist at top level seems to beg for abuse but the Savor the Moment clause significantly limits the abuse - there's not even a ridiculous Prophet of Kruphix combo!
Creativity - (2.5/3) Uniqueness: Precedent mentioned earlier but this is a rather unique card. (3/3) Flavor: Love it, especially the Kiora reference.
Design - (3/3) Appeal: Obvious Txmmy appeal. Jxnny likes strange effects and Spike just wants to win with the beater on their own extra turn. (2.5/3) Elegance: Obviously has complex implications but nothing too inelegant.
Development - (3/3) Viability: Blue and mythic are both big "yeah"s. (3/3) Balance: The semi-symmetricality and cast trigger make this seem not all that ripe for abuse.
Creativity - (2/3) Uniqueness: Does remind me of Emrakul, the Promised End but otherwise has unique features. (1/3) Flavor: "Archon" has a specific meaning in Magic that this card doesn't really fill (genderless divine beings riding winged animals) and the name and flavor text are both quite generic and don't really convey what's going on, imho.
May MCC 2019 Round 2 - Time and Time Again
It's Magic Classics Month here at the MCC and we'll next deal with one of the first outright broken effects in Magic: Time Walk and its descendants.
Main Challenge: Design a card that allows a player to take one or more extra turns.
Subchallenge 1: Your card is not an instant or sorcery.
Subchallenge 2: Your card has converted mana cost 6 or greater.
Judging Deadline: All judgements are to be final and completed by May 19th 11:59 PM EDT
(X/3) Appeal: Do the different player psychographics (Timmy/Johhny/Spike) have a use for the card?
(X/3) Elegance: Is the card easily understandable at a glance? Do all the flavor and mechanics combined as a whole make sense?
Development -
(X/3) Viability: How well does the card fit into the color wheel? Does it break or bend the rules of the game? Is it the appropriate rarity?
(X/3) Balance: Does the card have a power level appropriate for contemporary constructed/limited environments without breaking them? Does it play well in casual and multiplayer formats? Does it create or fit into a deck/archetype? Does it create an oppressive environment?
Creativity -
(X/3) Uniqueness: Has a card like this ever been printed before? Does it use new mechanics, ideas, or design space? Does it combine old ideas in a new way? Overall, does it feel “fresh”?
(X/3) Flavor: Does the name seem realistic for a card? Does the flavor text sound professional? Do all the flavor elements synch together to please Vorthos players?
Polish -
(X/3) Quality: Points deducted for incorrect spelling, grammar, and templating.
(X/2) *Main Challenge: Was the main challenge satisfied? Was it approached in a unique or interesting way? Does the card fit the intent of the challenge?
(X/2) Subchallenges: One point awarded per satisfied subchallenge condition.
Total: X/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
void_nothing
Subject16
Eventide Sojourner
Algernone25
Contestants:
StonerOfKruphix
Forestsguy
mirrodin71
Freyleyes
RaikouRider
Cardz5000
netn10
Flatline
BlackWaltz3
bravelion83
egoblinsw
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Artifact (Mythic)
Destiny Stone enters the battlefield tapped.
XXXX, T, Exile Destiny Stone: Take extra X turns after this one.
"I'm free, but I'm also priceless. You can’t own me, but you can use me. You can’t keep me, but you can spend me. What am I?"
- Stone's Inscription
Design
(2.5/3) Appeal: Initially, I was leaning towards this being in the realm of Timmy/Johnny. After more time passed, I was confident in that assessment. Spike loves extra turns, but this takes too long to get there.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Quad X activation cost aside, the rules text is minimal (especially compared to several other entries this Round).
Development
(3/3) Viability: Colorless artifacts can do anything, so no concerns in that regard. Extra turns are a Mythic level action in the game.
(1.5/3) Balance: For the mana requirements, this is unlikely to see any sort of Constructed play. No card exists to reduce the activation cost, though Rings of Brighthearth wants to make friends in EDH/Casual decks. I'm not thrilled that multiple copies can simultaneously exist on your board.
Creativity
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: This reminds me of Mindslaver, though without the ability to soft lock due to the exile clause. Getting to 8 mana appears to be the magic nubmer here.
(1/3) Flavor: A less generic name might have gone further. The lack of the "Legendary" supertype feels like a miss here, given the parallels with the aforementioned Mindslaver. The wording on the flavor text doesn't flow as well as I would like.
Polish
(2/3) Quality: "Take X extra turns after this one." 'Inscription' should not be capitalized.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: One or more extra turns are possible.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Non Instant/Sorcery? Yes. CMC 6+? Yes.
Total: 17/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Design
(1.5/3) Appeal: All about building the combo engine here. Timmy will pass even though this converts Wizards into "Tims", and Spike will complain about the CMC.
(1/3) Elegance: While there's a lot going on, the abilities are understandable. It doesn't really gel though, since prowess and the Tim skill are synergistic. It seems like three cards stapled together.
Development
(3/3) Viability: Dead on for the Izzet, and extra turns should be Mythic.
(1/3) Balance: The lack of an additional activation cost for the extra turn, plus the fact that you can have multiple copies out at the same time and trigger off the same six Wizards, requires some rebalancing. It's an adaptive mutlitool without any drawbacks.
Creativity
(2/3) Uniqueness: Echoes of Metallurgic Summonings, another card that felt somewhat stapled together.
(1/3) Flavor: There is no room on this card for flavor text, given the roughly eight lines of rules text involved. There's also nothing I'd consider 'erratic' about this card.
Polish
(3/3) Quality: No issues found.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: One or more extra turns is possible.
(2/2) Subchallenges: Non Instant/Sorcery? Yes. CMC 6+? Yes.
Total: 15.5/25
*An entry with 0 points here is subject to disqualification.
Final Scores
netn10: 17/25
StonerOfKruphix: 15.5/25Temporal Acuity CWUBRG
Legendary Enchantment (M)
Spells you cast have split second.
When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes Temporal Acuity to leave the battlefield, take an extra turn after this one.
Blink and you'll... too late.
Sorcery {M}
Take two extra turns after this one. For each of those extra turns, an opponent chooses one --
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Wizard (M)
If the total converted mana cost of spells you cast this turn is six or more you gain an extra turn after this one.
“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”
4/4
Legendary Enchantment (M)
If a player would take their turn, that player may exile their hand, then draw 7 cards, untap all permanents they control, and put a quest counter on themself and on Quest for Eternity instead.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if there are three or more quest counters on Quest for Eternity, remove those counters and transform it.
//
Timestream Foothold
Legendary Land (M)
Timestream Foothold is controlled by the active player. (The active player is the player whose turn it is.)
t: Add U equal to the number of cards in your hand minus 4.
Remove a quest counter from yourself: Take an extra turn after this one. Any player may activate this ability.
Legendary Artifact {M}
At the beginning of each player’s draw step that player draws an additional card.
Whenever an opponent would draw a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, put a charge counter on Sandglass of the Eons. Then if there are seven or more charge counters on it, remove those counters and take an extra turn after this one.
Enchantment (MR)
At the beginning of your end step, if it's not an extra turn, take an extra turn after this one. Skip the untap step of that turn.
Otherpresent Kraken is a 7/7 Kraken creature during extra turns.
Kiora has been looking in the right plane, in the wrong present.
Legendary Artifact (M)
UU: Tap target creature you don’t control.
3UU, T, Exile Teferi’s Staff: Take an extra turn after this one.
It can rewind time or accelerate it to any point its wielder desires, to prevent both past and future enemy attacks.
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.)
Legendary Artifact (M)
Devoid (This card has no color.)
When Altar of the Aeons Torn enters the battlefield, exile a card from target opponent's hand, graveyard, and library. Then that player shuffles their library afterwards.
Pay 13 Life: Take an extra turn after this one. If your life total is greater than 13 it becomes 13.
"Madness still leads some to the promised end.”
Enchantment (MR)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, create a 1/1 blue and red Wizard creature token with prowess.
Wizards you control have "T: This creature deals 1 damage to any target."
Exile Erratic Experimentation: Take an extra turn after this one. Activate this ability only if you control six or more Wizards.
What started as a quick way to reheat food soon became one of the Academy's greatest discoveries.
Kruphix, God of Value and Eldrazi. GU
Gahiji: Wider is better. (Now with 40% more tokens!) RGW
Daxos brought some frienchantments! WB
Kynaios and Tiro: Four strong arms to hug you better. RGWU
Saskia: You better not tell her that pointing is rude. BRGW
Sidisi the Zombeesi, the Unmilled, Breaker of Graves, Mother of Zambambos. (Zombie tribal)BGU
Omnath, The Angriest Elemental Ever & His Spike-Handed Buddies.RG (Retired but forever in my heart)
Creature - Avatar {M}
When you cast this spell, target opponent takes an extra turn after this one. Then you take an extra turn after your next turn.
Whenever an opponent takes an extra turn, untap all lands you control.
"Time and time again."
6/6
Legendary Creature — Sphinx (M)
Flying
If Infanti, Timewalker would die, instead exile it and take an extra turn after this one.
"I take comfort in knowing that my death shall not be vain."
4/5
void_nothing:
mirrodin71
Forestsguy
Freyleyes
Subject16:
RaikouRider
egoblinsw
Flatline
Eventide Sojourner:
netn10
StonerOfKruphix
Algernone25:
Cardz5000
bravelion83
BlackWaltz3
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy likes the high mana cost and the double turns, Johhny loves working around restrictions. Spike likes the momentum push but know the opponent will pick the more crippling options every time.
(1.5/3) Elegance: Because this goes on for two full turns there will be memory issues too. I'm also not sure if the opponent chooses the two options on resolution or at the start of those turns. But the wording in itself is understandable.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: This reminds me of Fatespinner but for extra turns. Skipping phases and extra turns are blue effects, and each of them have been seen at rare or higher so the two together belong in the mythic spot.
(2/3) Balance: One extra turn is already a huge effect to have, but having two of them is even more so. Especially since your opponent isn't able to choose the same mode twice, it means that you still have a full set of each phase as well as additional combats or draws. At six mana I feel that's too strong a card. It is however a really fun card that I would love to tinker around with.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Time Stretch meets Fatespinner. We've had setbacks in extra turns for a while, but one where your opponent chooses how to cripple you is interesting and feels fresh.
(2.5/3) Flavor: I guess you're compressing time and losing certain phases of those turns? It makes sense to me but compression is a word I associate with reducing the size or length of something when this card does the opposite of that.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: There's an unnecessary line between the rules text and the flavor text.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Met.
(1/2) Subchallenges: It is a sorcery so no point for subchallenge 1. CMC is 6.
Total: 19.5/25
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy doesn't like skipping his turns. Johnny is positively frothing over the restrictions and workarounds. Spike isn't going to spend 6 mana on a card that doesn't impact the board and might have a chance at benefiting the opponent.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Quest for Eternity is fine, but the active player section of Timestream Foothold shouldn't be worded that way – probably a triggered ability that involves gaining control rather than a SBE dictating control.
Development -
(2/3) Viability: This card has a level of complexity that only exists at mythic level. A replacement effect for skipping turns as a way to level up the quest is fine but I think it needs rewording to “that player may skip that turn. If they do, ...”. And as I mentioned above the SBE dictated by Timesteam Foothold bends the rules of the game (for an example of a card that has that same ability, see Karona, the False God.
(0/3) Balance: I have no idea how to properly evaluate this card because it does so much, but I think it's ridiculously unbalanced and can force some very stupid, unfun and gamebreaking scenarios because the Quest's transforming is on the upkeep. Technically all players could accumulate two or three quest counters each before running out of cards to draw, but at that point they could chain extra turns once the Quest has transformed which is a whole other situation: Having players with counters on them be able to take extra turns at instant speed for free? To me that's madness waiting to happen. The payoff from the land is also ridiculously bad. Azor's Gateway jumps through smaller hoops than this and has a much bigger mana payoff, I don't think you need to reduce the amount of mana you get from it, and yet the idea that it becomes a shared resource by all players incentivizes everyone to skip their turns at least once and refill their hands. I think that this card is completely unbalanced: it does far too much and does it all far too big.
Creativity -
(3/3) Uniqueness: The only thing close to this card is Magosi, the Waterveil and it's still nowhere similar enough.
(3/3) Flavor: Giving time to access all of it. It works for me.
Polish -
(0.5/3) Quality: There are a lot of wording issues here: Ugin's Nexus shows us that the term is “If a player would begin a turn”. / The replacement effect term for skipping a turn is “that player may skip that turn.” / You don't 'put' counters on players, players 'get' counters: See Longtusk Cub or Meren of Clan Nel Toth. / The wording on Inner Fire would make Timesteam Foothold's mana ability “Add {U} for each card in your hand minus 4. / Players pay in counters as showcased by Energy counters from Kaladesh.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Main challenge fulfilled.
(2/2) Subchallenges: It's an enchantment with CMC 6.
Total: 16/25
(2.5/3) Appeal: Timmy likes big fliers and extra turns. Johnny loves this in multiplayer as a way to sneak in an out-of-order turn. Spike appreciates the extra turn and has its eye on it for potential decks.
(3/3) Elegance: Perfectly legible.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: This doesn't do anything out of blue's color pie; it's a sphinx and it lets you take extra turns. We've seen extra turn effects are rare, but usually at great restrictive cost which puts it well at mythic. The aforementioned ability to take a turn out of turn order in multiplayer bends the usual rules of the game but it's been seen before (albeit perhaps not as easily). This does have ramifications for the legend rule though (personally I would build this as a commander full of clones and voltron everyone out).
(3/3) Balance: It has a decent body for a 6CMC flyer, which is good because it's designed to die. The risk of that extra turn means this guy needs to be exiled or countered to be properly dealt with. 6 mana is a curve topper in today's standard and I'm not sure this card would make the cut, but you could still see it at the top of some control decks as a finisher.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: We've had sphinxes deal with extra turns before, but never a creature that gives you an extra turn upon death. It's a Time Warp on a creature (or specifically half of Ugin's Nexus on a creature. Nothing especially exciting, but still not done before.
(2.5/3) Flavor: Infanti just makes me think of children which is an odd thing for a sphinx. But the name is a good callback to the effect and the flavor seems fine to me.
Polish -
(2.5/3) Quality: I also feel like the flavor text is missing the word 'in' to say “my death shall not be in vain.”
(2/2) Main Challenge: Challenge met.
(2/2) Subchallenges: It's a creature with CMC 6.
Total: 22.5/25
egoblinsw: 16/25
Flatline: 22.5/25
RaikouRider and Flatline advance.
[b]Appeal:[/b] 2.5/3 - Timmy is okay with drawing cards and extra turns which mean more big creatures and more attacking, but he's not a huge FAN of it. Johnny loves this, Spike REALLY loves this, especially if he can pair it with Forced Fruition.
[b]Elegance:[/b] 2.5/3 - The process itself is very easy to understand, especially when your next closest analogue is Chains of Mephistopheles so props for that. But filling sand by drawing cards...I mean, I guess, but it's a bit non-intuitive.
[b]Viability:[/b] 3/3 - Anything dealing with time magic is mythic, and this has nothing that's outside of blue's domain. You're clean here.
[b]Balance:[/b] 2/3 - As I noted before, this plus Forced Fruition equals "Time walk whenever anyone else casts a spell" and that's absurdly broken. Even without any combo engine and simple 60-card formats, there's the looming doom of constant extra turns, PLUS the extra card draw, PLUS the possibility of proliferate shenanigans. I won't say it's Nexus of Fate broken...but it's up there.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 3/3 - Time magic spells in print are hard to really differentiate, and you've done a great job making something that's not just another time warp. Good job.
[b]Flavor:[/b] 2/3 - As I said, the flavor isn't the MOST clear cut, and I would have loved some flavor text here - there's enough space for at least a line
[b]Quality: 2.5/3[/b] - missing a few commas after "draw step" in the first ability and "Then" in the second ability.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 21.5/25[/b]
[b]Elegance:[/b] 3/3 - Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock since Urza's block will know what this does just looking at it. You don't get much better than that.
[b]Viability:[/b] 3/3 - Time magic is mythic and blue, this is mythic and blue. Really straightforward here.
[b]Balance:[/b] 3/3 - That you have to wait a turn AND sink 5 mana into a 6 mana artifact for the other turn I think makes it fair but not broken in a vacuum (and only halfway-broken outside of one, assuming you're untapping it and cracking it the turn you play it.) There are ways to exploit it, but they require a dedicated effort that'll prevent it from becoming the next Nexus. You even give it something smaller to do, as almost a disincentive to instantly crack it. I really like this.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 2.5/3 - it's a focused Icy Manipulator with upside. And sure it's a HUGE upside but for a legendary artifact...it's just kind of there.
[b]Flavor:[/b] 3/3 - Sure it's just kind of there, but it's a very iconic just kind of there. A very simple solution and while I feel the flavor text is a bit too on-point it's a line I could see WotC printing on it, so no deduction.
[b]Quality:[/b] 3/3 - Very simple, you'd really have to work hard to mess this up.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 23.5/25[/b]
[b]Elegance:[/b] 2.5/3 - There's a lot here. Some of it is obvious, some of it less so. You're going to need to take a few looks at it to piece it all together, but the lightbulb moment at the end (why exile 3 cards from three different places? Oh, that's why.) is worth it.
[b]Viability:[/b] 2/3 - The devoid is obvious. the mythic rarity is obvious. the black for life payment is obvious. Black for exiling cards is obvious. But pinning your card on mono-black when your only precedent is from Planar Chaos is a step too far. 4UB would have been defensible but shaky, as it stands it's a bend I have to mark down for. (as an aside, Extract lends further credence to not just being mono-black.)
[b]Balance:[/b] 3/3 - That much life for an extra turn (significance notwithstanding) is probably about right. You've taken great care to make this as hard as possible to exploit. Is it still possible? Absolutely, but at that point you're in Tin Fins territory - if they want to engineer their entire deck just to try and exploit this, that's on them and not you, so it's not worth penalizing.
[b]Uniqueness:[/b] 3/3 - It's not just that black doesn't get time magic, it's that you have a card that immediately generates notice, and keeps it. This is a card you remember even when you haven't seen it in 5 years.
[b]Flavor:[b] 2.5/3 - If black ever DID get time magic, this is how it would be done. Absolutely a home run flavorwise, with one exception that's easy to miss until pointed out: the Eldrazi, especially things related to the titans, have effects that trigger when the spell is CAST, not when they enter the battlefield.
[b]Quality:[/b] 3/3 - having "afterward" at the end of the ETB ability is redundant but helps reinforce order so no deduction.
[b]Main Challenge:[/b] 2/2 - Main Challenge is met.
[b]Subchallenges:[/b] 2/2 - Both Subchallenges met.
[b]Total: 21/25[/b]
[b]Bravelion83 - 23.5/25[/b]
[b]Cardz5000 - 21.5/25[/b]
BlackWaltz3 - 21/25I want to note that this was a very close decision, and that your card is by no means bad. I love it, but I feel that in trying to balance it you made it too safe, to where most players will have some reservations picking it up. Best of luck in the future.
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
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Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
(3/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes the gigantic effect for casting gigantic spells. Jxnny wants an infinite with it. Spike likes the bomb attached to a Time Walk-plus.
(3/3) Elegance: An elegant ability (assuming it were worded correctly; see below.)
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Very blue and very mythic.
(1/3) Balance: The floor for this card is most likely a 4/4 and extra turn for 4UU; that alone is extremely efficient but the ability is begging for abuse. If you assume my rewording given in Quality, there's at least a way out for your opponent by removing the creature with an instant or something the turn it's cast.
Creativity -
(1.5/3) Uniqueness: Reminds me a lot of Medomai the Ageless.
(3/3) Flavor: Very nice; name is cool worldbuilding.
Polish -
(2/3) Quality: I believe the ability should be something like "At the beginning of your end step, if you cast spells with total converted mana cost 6 or more this turn, take an extra turn after this one." Static is definitely not right; this calls for triggered.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 21.5/25
(2.5/3) Appeal: Txmmy likes the TIME KRAKEN, Jxnny obviously wants to play around with the effects, Spike likes to double the turns but realizes this is mostly going to be an expensive Phyrexian Arena plus a 7/7 which is, still, quite good.
(2.5/3) Elegance: A little bit of a wordy and out-there card.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Colors and rarity more than check out.
(2.5/3) Balance: Lighthouse Chronologist at top level seems to beg for abuse but the Savor the Moment clause significantly limits the abuse - there's not even a ridiculous Prophet of Kruphix combo!
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: Precedent mentioned earlier but this is a rather unique card.
(3/3) Flavor: Love it, especially the Kiora reference.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Appears good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 23/25
(3/3) Appeal: Obvious Txmmy appeal. Jxnny likes strange effects and Spike just wants to win with the beater on their own extra turn.
(2.5/3) Elegance: Obviously has complex implications but nothing too inelegant.
Development -
(3/3) Viability: Blue and mythic are both big "yeah"s.
(3/3) Balance: The semi-symmetricality and cast trigger make this seem not all that ripe for abuse.
Creativity -
(2/3) Uniqueness: Does remind me of Emrakul, the Promised End but otherwise has unique features.
(1/3) Flavor: "Archon" has a specific meaning in Magic that this card doesn't really fill (genderless divine beings riding winged animals) and the name and flavor text are both quite generic and don't really convey what's going on, imho.
Polish -
(3/3) Quality: Good.
(2/2) *Main Challenge: Done.
(2/2) Subchallenges: And done.
Total: 21.5/25
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝