Arabal traveled the lands for much of his adult life, seeking and destroying many of the evils of the world with his mysterious shining fist. Some of his most notable accomplishments were the destruction of the Demon Queen, Borlexa and turning the tide in the War of Six Spears. He eventually retired to the seclusion of the Gorgekia Summit where he taught new heroes the lesson of his adventures. However it was never his fate to discover the truth behind his power and it's terrible origins. Perhaps the next in the cycle of reincarnation would break it.
Arabal, the Shining Fist1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk (M)
Protection from black
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
As long as an opponent controls 4 or more tapped nonland permanents, Arabal has double strike.
3/2
The reasoning for the 0 is this - since other auction cards force you to bid life, there becomes a cutoff point where you have to stop - that is, your life total. If you ever go beyond that, your opponents stop, and let you die at the next SBA check. Your card creates a situation where if it ever passes a cutoff point, you CANNOT stop bidding because you'll instantly lose. Going back to your argument of "shocking a x/3 with no follow up" - you're right. There is no reason not to open the bidding with a lethal amount of damage, to where if the bidding ever stops they're either dead or left with no board. And there's no way you can defend a 5-mana "target player loses the game" being balanced whatsoever. That's the logic behind that 0.
You can stop bidding just fine. Players only lose life based on the number of permanents sacrificed. If they bid a million permanents and win but only sacrifice 6 permanents, each opponent will only lose 6 life. Lava axe is a five mana "you lose the game" if your opponent is at 5 or less life. This is only a 5 mana "you lose the game" if youre life is greater than the number of permanents they control and you have the permanents to force them to bid in a lose/lose situation. This is even more complicated in multiplayer/commander with greater life totals and multiple opponents. Compare it to things like Devouring Greed power level wise. Your evaluation is off. It's that simple.
Well, it wouldn't be wrong to cast it and produce a draw if you were behind -- in fact, it would be a positive EV choice. I'm not really trying to justify his choice of a 0 (I certainly have my own quibbles with his grading, as noted above), but I do think that a card that produces draws, say, 10% of the time it's cast would produce huge problems for organized play if it were a viable card, to the point that I think WOTC would never print such a card.
The rubric asks the consider casual and multiplayer formats as well, not just organized play. Their are formats besides standard where it could be printed without that concern.
Anyway, I want justification from the judge, not from a competitor.
I imagine the problem that they were pointing out is that the card would produce a ton of draws.
It would only produce a ton of draws if you cast it when it can produce a draw. In which case you're doing it wrong. Like casting a shock on a three toughness creature with no follow up play. Is it as obvious of a misplay as my shock example? Certainly not. But again, my point here is that the balance of my entry does not warrant a 0. The rubric on how you evaluate balance makes it quite clear that it's not a reasonable ruling.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't my favorite design ever. In fact, I knew it was a risky a design with obvious flaws (none of which that have been pointed out thus far I didn't consider beforehand) and didn't expect it win with the MCC Rubric how it is. Still, I'd like it to be evaluated as the rubric outlines, which I think a 0 is hard to justify here.
Balance: 0/3 - This card can't function as intended. In the case of the other auction cards you are forced to pay life, so you can bid more than you have if you like, you just lose the game before you can do anything with the auction you won. With permanents, there's no restriction on how high you can go because the game will only make you do as much as you can - you can't sacrifice more permanents than you control, but you can bid to do exactly that, and if two players know that the bidding will just...never stop.
Pain's Reward allows you to bid more life that what you have, and technically people can just bid infinitely on that too. Yes if you overbid on that, it will (usually) just kill you. But that's the point. In this case, you would just sac all your permanents instead, effectively killing you/removing you from the game. So the card does function as intended. If you want to criticize that an opponent can always take the effect of the spell by overbidding you into calculating it's balance, of course you should. But it just means that you, as the caster, would want to cast it when the life lost wouldn't kill you and then let them win the bid to lose all their permanents.
Arabal met Fyernok eyes as he cursed and mourned. It was not the first he heard of the past use of his powers. What little he had gathered was his light reincarnated from generation to generation, leaving a legacy of greatness and a wealth of enemies. Regardless the vampire left him little time to discuss the matter.
"If you know my light, you know your darkness can't best it!"
Arabal shot out his fist as the vampire decended from above, sending a shimmer that highlighted the trees and stars above. But the forest protected Fyernok, the light forcibly bending around him. The vampire bit into the young monks neck. Despite his anger-fueled ferocity, the fangs didn't pierce the skin. Arabal struck the monster repeatedly to the gut until it released him, showing the sear of the monks punches. With a blow to the face, Fyernok turned to dust.
That's when the forest itself erupted.
"So it was you that tried to protect that creature!" Arabal turned. Then turned again. It was all around him. No. It was the woods itself that sought vengeance!
The leaves whirled and withered, emitting a scent of death. Suddenly, they lashed out him, but as the vampire could not pierce his skin before, neither could the leaves. But how could Arabal fight the woods itself?
He left seeking the power to change that.
Arabal, the Shining Fist1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
Protection from black
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
3/2
Arabal seeks the greatest of foes to test his Shining Fist on, a mysterious power for which he naturally had a birth. He has always had a strong desire to destroy the darker forces of the world not only to test his mettle, but to prevent others from suffering a worse fate. With that in mind Arabal seeks the more dangerous Haunted Woodlands not out of foolishness but to help rid the forest of the evil within.
None of the threats, be it death-touching insects, poisonous mosquitoes, nor a pair of trolls could overcome the fierce aura of Arabal's fist. It's light forced them aside and left him to pass unscathed.
Arabal, the Shining Fist1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
3/2
End Game4B
Sorcery (R)
Each player may bid permanents. You start the bidding with a bid of any number. In turn order, each player may top the high bid. The bidding ends if the high bid stands. The high bidder sacrifices permanents equal to the high bid and each other player loses life equal to the number of permanents sacrificed this way.
Palendeel, Planar Ward-Tower7
Legendary Artifact (M)
Colorless creatures get -X/-X, where X is that creatures converted mana cost. 8: Target creature becomes colorless until the beginning of your next upkeep. "Did you think Valdeels mana purity was organic? Perfection is many things, but not natural."
—Tyveral, The Immaculate
Eventide Sojourner: I'm not sure how I feel about a colorless elemental. The idea of a mana dork that transforms into something huge is a cool, but I wish the beater was a little less of a generic keyword mash. 4/5 or its keywords could be green, which inclines me more to make the mana dork side a green elemental.
netn10: It does feel odd mechanically that this is a defender creature that will never be around to defend. IT could almost just be an artifact, but it's more in flavor/narrative as a creature. Green untapping here feels odd, as it tends to do that as a reactive combat trick. It's almost a psuedo vigilance here, which since this card already dips in white, seems like theyre better abiltiy choices.
Mr. Rithaniel: Quirky and unique. A good way to get value in aristocrats and such. Fun flavor too.
Hemlock: Neat though not so much a mana tithe as a preemptive storm hozer. The utility of it it being a storm enabler is quirky too. It's a neat idea but the applications for play seem pretty limited, as the disruption potential is low (sideboard only) and the cost reduction may not be worth the slot either.
Subject16: This makes me think of the totem (Foriysian Totem) cycle from time spiral. This doesnt seem so much more powerful then those cards to warrant being rare, especially since its a 4 mana accelerater versus their three. The effects are solid, but the additional costs here make it overall pretty weak. I'd rather it be pushed to a more powerful dino.
kwanyeegor: Minimally this is a 1/6 that can swing for 12 on its own turn 5 with no acceleration? The balance here feels off, and the triggered ability to change it's toughness each turn feels clunky and akward to track. The Core idea is neat, but could be simplified and costed better.
1st: Mr. Rithaniel
2nd: netn10
3rd: Eventide Sojourner
netn10: Could be a Mythic. Control wording feels weird when citing the graveyard. OVerall a very cool effect that seems costed right. Tokens get the johnny working overtime.
Subject16: Neat idea. Fiddly wording. May not of even needed the damage clause for elegance sake and stuck to mono black.
Mr. Rithaniel: This feels very authentic. Elegant and fresh.
kwanyeegor: Interesting combination of creature types, but the main meat of abilities there will have a lot of players scratching their heads. Could be simplified be removing the multi triggering at least.
Eventide Sojourner: Single target Celestial Kirin, the colorless(?) shoal! A neat idea to add to the cycle, but inadvertently(?) referencing another colored card while doing so kinda makes me feel this was the wrong design space for the ability. Probably to much utility to give any color access to any kind of destruction with alternate and colorless casting options. The Vorthos in me feels off on it too.
bravelion83: A lot of solid, well balanced abilities that makes a new-ish feeling hydra. People would enjoy playing this casually and it has spike potential too thanks to the haste. Modest on the exciting side. However, I think the only weak aspect is the flavor text.
Achiorl, Meadows Sentry2GW
Legendary Creature - Centaur Archer (R)
Vigilance, reach T, (2/R): Create an artifact trap token with "Whenever one or more creatures attack you, sacrifices this. If you do, this deals 1 damage to each attacking creature." The only thing hunted among the Harchon Meadows are enemies of the wilderness.
3/4
The Master Wand2U
Legendary Artifact (R)
The Master Wand has all activate abilities of each other artifact on the battlefield except you may pay 2U to activate those abilities instead. The wand-makers crafted a masterpiece like no other; effortlessly capable of any feat it's predecessors could perform.
Arabal, the Shining Fist 1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk (M)
Protection from black
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
As long as an opponent controls 4 or more tapped nonland permanents, Arabal has double strike.
3/2
You can stop bidding just fine. Players only lose life based on the number of permanents sacrificed. If they bid a million permanents and win but only sacrifice 6 permanents, each opponent will only lose 6 life. Lava axe is a five mana "you lose the game" if your opponent is at 5 or less life. This is only a 5 mana "you lose the game" if youre life is greater than the number of permanents they control and you have the permanents to force them to bid in a lose/lose situation. This is even more complicated in multiplayer/commander with greater life totals and multiple opponents. Compare it to things like Devouring Greed power level wise. Your evaluation is off. It's that simple.
Anyway, I want justification from the judge, not from a competitor.
It would only produce a ton of draws if you cast it when it can produce a draw. In which case you're doing it wrong. Like casting a shock on a three toughness creature with no follow up play. Is it as obvious of a misplay as my shock example? Certainly not. But again, my point here is that the balance of my entry does not warrant a 0. The rubric on how you evaluate balance makes it quite clear that it's not a reasonable ruling.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't my favorite design ever. In fact, I knew it was a risky a design with obvious flaws (none of which that have been pointed out thus far I didn't consider beforehand) and didn't expect it win with the MCC Rubric how it is. Still, I'd like it to be evaluated as the rubric outlines, which I think a 0 is hard to justify here.
Pain's Reward allows you to bid more life that what you have, and technically people can just bid infinitely on that too. Yes if you overbid on that, it will (usually) just kill you. But that's the point. In this case, you would just sac all your permanents instead, effectively killing you/removing you from the game. So the card does function as intended. If you want to criticize that an opponent can always take the effect of the spell by overbidding you into calculating it's balance, of course you should. But it just means that you, as the caster, would want to cast it when the life lost wouldn't kill you and then let them win the bid to lose all their permanents.
Your argument here does not warrant a score of 0.
"If you know my light, you know your darkness can't best it!"
Arabal shot out his fist as the vampire decended from above, sending a shimmer that highlighted the trees and stars above. But the forest protected Fyernok, the light forcibly bending around him. The vampire bit into the young monks neck. Despite his anger-fueled ferocity, the fangs didn't pierce the skin. Arabal struck the monster repeatedly to the gut until it released him, showing the sear of the monks punches. With a blow to the face, Fyernok turned to dust.
That's when the forest itself erupted.
"So it was you that tried to protect that creature!" Arabal turned. Then turned again. It was all around him. No. It was the woods itself that sought vengeance!
The leaves whirled and withered, emitting a scent of death. Suddenly, they lashed out him, but as the vampire could not pierce his skin before, neither could the leaves. But how could Arabal fight the woods itself?
He left seeking the power to change that.
Arabal, the Shining Fist 1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
Protection from black
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
3/2
None of the threats, be it death-touching insects, poisonous mosquitoes, nor a pair of trolls could overcome the fierce aura of Arabal's fist. It's light forced them aside and left him to pass unscathed.
Arabal, the Shining Fist 1URW
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
When Arabal, the Shining Fist attacks, tap up to X target nonland permanents, where X is Arabal's power.
3/2
Sorcery (R)
Each player may bid permanents. You start the bidding with a bid of any number. In turn order, each player may top the high bid. The bidding ends if the high bid stands. The high bidder sacrifices permanents equal to the high bid and each other player loses life equal to the number of permanents sacrificed this way.
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
3/2
Legendary Artifact (M)
Colorless creatures get -X/-X, where X is that creatures converted mana cost.
8: Target creature becomes colorless until the beginning of your next upkeep.
"Did you think Valdeels mana purity was organic? Perfection is many things, but not natural."
—Tyveral, The Immaculate
netn10: It does feel odd mechanically that this is a defender creature that will never be around to defend. IT could almost just be an artifact, but it's more in flavor/narrative as a creature. Green untapping here feels odd, as it tends to do that as a reactive combat trick. It's almost a psuedo vigilance here, which since this card already dips in white, seems like theyre better abiltiy choices.
Mr. Rithaniel: Quirky and unique. A good way to get value in aristocrats and such. Fun flavor too.
Hemlock: Neat though not so much a mana tithe as a preemptive storm hozer. The utility of it it being a storm enabler is quirky too. It's a neat idea but the applications for play seem pretty limited, as the disruption potential is low (sideboard only) and the cost reduction may not be worth the slot either.
Subject16: This makes me think of the totem (Foriysian Totem) cycle from time spiral. This doesnt seem so much more powerful then those cards to warrant being rare, especially since its a 4 mana accelerater versus their three. The effects are solid, but the additional costs here make it overall pretty weak. I'd rather it be pushed to a more powerful dino.
kwanyeegor: Minimally this is a 1/6 that can swing for 12 on its own turn 5 with no acceleration? The balance here feels off, and the triggered ability to change it's toughness each turn feels clunky and akward to track. The Core idea is neat, but could be simplified and costed better.
1st: Mr. Rithaniel
2nd: netn10
3rd: Eventide Sojourner
Subject16: Neat idea. Fiddly wording. May not of even needed the damage clause for elegance sake and stuck to mono black.
Mr. Rithaniel: This feels very authentic. Elegant and fresh.
kwanyeegor: Interesting combination of creature types, but the main meat of abilities there will have a lot of players scratching their heads. Could be simplified be removing the multi triggering at least.
Eventide Sojourner: Single target Celestial Kirin, the colorless(?) shoal! A neat idea to add to the cycle, but inadvertently(?) referencing another colored card while doing so kinda makes me feel this was the wrong design space for the ability. Probably to much utility to give any color access to any kind of destruction with alternate and colorless casting options. The Vorthos in me feels off on it too.
bravelion83: A lot of solid, well balanced abilities that makes a new-ish feeling hydra. People would enjoy playing this casually and it has spike potential too thanks to the haste. Modest on the exciting side. However, I think the only weak aspect is the flavor text.
1st: Mr. Rithaniel2
2nd: bravelion83
3rd: netn10
An instant that returned all creatures to their owners hands would get around it's protection and should be legal, no?
Legendary Creature - Centaur Archer (R)
Vigilance, reach
T, (2/R): Create an artifact trap token with "Whenever one or more creatures attack you, sacrifices this. If you do, this deals 1 damage to each attacking creature."
The only thing hunted among the Harchon Meadows are enemies of the wilderness.
3/4
The Master Wand 2U
Legendary Artifact (R)
The Master Wand has all activate abilities of each other artifact on the battlefield except you may pay 2U to activate those abilities instead.
The wand-makers crafted a masterpiece like no other; effortlessly capable of any feat it's predecessors could perform.