MTG - You Make The Card VIII: Escape - Exile 7 MTG topics to create this thread

[mythmonster2]

Lifeforce Synthesizer WU
Artifact (R)
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained life this turn, you may pay 1WU. If you do, create a token that is a copy of another target nonland permanent with mana value less than or equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.

[Personification]

Sakashima, Planar Ninja 2UU
Planeswalker - Shakashima M
You may have Sakashima, Planar Ninja enter the battlefield as a copy of another planeswalker, except its name is Sakashima, Planar Ninja and it has Sakashima, Planar Ninja's other abilities and starting loyalty.
0: Return Sakashima, Planar Ninja to your hand.
0: Until end of turn you may return any unblocked attacker you control to your hand. At the end of the turn place a loyalty counter on Sakashima, Planar Ninja for each creature returned to your hand this way.
Starting Loyalty 3

Those are both +0, right?

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Those are both +0, right?

One is +0 and the other is -0, but Sakashima is so good at disguising them that not even his controller can tell which is which.

[Personification]

One is +0 and the other is -0, but Sakashima is so good at disguising them that not even his controller can tell which is which.

Well done, have an internet point. That reminds me of one of my favorite bits of Blogatog pseudo-canon, which is that there are ninjas on every plane, bot just Kamigawa, but only the Kamigawa ones are slow enough to get caught on cards.

[ben-zayb]

Judge? (I'm not a cat.)

[Bucky]

Judging is underway.

[Bucky]

Spoiler: Quiddle's Mirrorcaster

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Mirrorcaster 2U
Creature - Bird Wizard R
Flash, Flying
When Mirrorcaster enters the battlefield copy target activated or triggered ability, you may choose new targets for the copy.
2/1

This looks fantastically flexible. For all that the intent at deck building should be to copy your own triggers, it really comes into its own when you use it to steal the opponent's action.

Spoiler: ben-zayb's Counterfeit

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Counterfeit XU
Sorcery U
Create two tokens that are copies of target artifact with mana value X. Exile those tokens at the beginning of the next end step.
Replicate 1U

Moreso than any other card submitted, this lets me just spam copies of something.

It's fine but not OP on something like Prophetic Prism for card draw. And it potentially sets up engine combos by copying engine pieces.

But it's pointless on most artifacts. Legendary targets legend-rule themselves. Most static abilities are redundant. Spamming equipment copies leaves me on the hook for Equip costs. Mana rocks are a net-negative barring large rocks and multiple Replicates at which point I don't need more mana. If I aim it at, say, Myr Galvanizer, I get a bunch of big summoning-sick copies that go away before they can block; that's still more useful than the baseline, since it Overruns my existing Myr.

I had a lot of cool things in mind when I saw the design. One by one, they turned out not to work until I was left with Sleeper Darts and Sapphire Medallions and nothing in the middle.

Spoiler: Personification's Zae-Foon, Honored Alumnus

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Zae-Foon, Honored Alumnus URG
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Wizard M
Ward 2
T, 2URG: The next spell you cast this turn gains Storm. Activate only as a sorcery.
Students of the Prismari and Quandrix colleges, your esteemed professors have asked me to speak with you today on a topic very near and dear to my heart: Mass media, and how you might one day help create it.
2/2

Hmm, so you spend some mana casting spells, then you spend five more mana to give the next spell Storm, then you need more mana open to actually cast the spell?

I think this is a knife-edge design that goes from practically useless to blatantly unfair with very little room for games in the middle, both in play and in balance tuning.

Spoiler: Tom the Mime's Marletta, Mirror Master

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Marletta, Mirror Master 2UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard R
Myriad
You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of target creature the defending player controls (The defending player is the player this creature is attacking or the controller of the planeswalker it is attacking)
1/4

This is very specific about the environments it works in. While it's a fantastic burst of value when it copies multiple ETB or LTB triggers, you're still attacking someone with a comparatively vulnerable 1/4. Even in formats like Two-Headed Giant, it requires going out of your way to protect it before it's better than a Clone.

It's worth noting that this functions very differently off some very specific reanimation effects like Alesha Who Smiles at Death.

Spoiler: Necroticplague's Eldrazi Infiltrator

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Eldrazi Infiltrator UB3
Creature-Eldrazi Ninja U
Exile Ninjutsu UB1(UB1, exile an unblocked attacker you control: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand or exile tapped and attacking.)
Imprint-Whenever Eldrazi Infiltrator deals combat damage to a player, create a copy of the exiled card.
4/1

New keyword mechanic! And it breaks the card if you don't use it! I think card's main cost is severely overpriced as a result...

Evaluating the Ninjutsu side, it needs a lot of help getting through; the opponent can hold it off with a 1/1. The payoff if you get there, is a growing swarm of (probably) evasive threats. Between the evasive threats and the 4 power, this will almost never get to ALL THE COPIES without killing the opponent.

Spoiler: Ninjaman's Burning Image

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Burning Image - 2R
Sorcery - R
Burning Image deals 3 damage to target creature. When that creature dies this turn, create a token that's a copy of it, except it has haste. Exile that token at the beginning of the next end step.

What is this, one of the Wish threads?
Me: I wish for copies.
Ninjaman: You get one copy, and it's on fire.

This is a color pie showcase. You're combining two Red things - Heat Shimmer and creature burn - to get a third Red effect, Threaten. It feels a bit unfair to directly kill the Threatened creature, but the burn aspect restricts what's it can Threaten to what it can actually threaten. I suspect the numbers would be tweaked in play testing, but it otherwise looks like a rare WotC would print.

Spoiler: Dr.Gunsforhands' Geomantic Font

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Geomantic Font - 1GG
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a token that's a copy of enchanted land.

Keep ramping! Give me ALL the copies! Even when I can cast any two spells in my deck combined, I MUST have more.

On a basic level(/land), this is surprisingly fair. It pays off in two turns, or three on a tapland. But to really exploit it, you need to specifically build your deck to take advantage of having 7+ lands without falling apart if it doesn't draw the Font. That means either {X} costs, a way to sacrifice lands for value, or some mana-bound loop.

Or you could choose to use a land that converts itself into value. If you stick it on a Treetop Village, it builds up to large trampling attacks. If you stick it on a Glimmerpost and survive for a turn or two, some decks just fold in the face of accelerating life gain.

Nice design. Don't make it share Standard with strong man-lands.

Spoiler: mystic1110's Sakashima, Planar Ninja

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Sakashima, Planar Ninja 2UU
Planeswalker - Shakashima M
You may have Sakashima, Planar Ninja enter the battlefield as a copy of another planeswalker, except its name is Sakashima, Planar Ninja and it has Sakashima, Planar Ninja's other abilities and starting loyalty.
0: Return Sakashima, Planar Ninja to your hand.
0: Until end of turn you may return any unblocked attacker you control to your hand. At the end of the turn place a loyalty counter on Sakashima, Planar Ninja for each creature returned to your hand this way.
Starting Loyalty 3

Me: I wish for copies!
Sakashima: You fool, I was the copy all along.

I'm the wrong judge to submit this design for. I strongly dislike the more complex post-Theros planeswalkers. This design takes an already complex planeswalker on the field and adds more abilities to it. A couple of those abilities are themselves exceptional - the copying is an imperfect copy and the second Sakashima loyalty ability has a lingering invisible effect. That's way more stuff than I want to keep in my head for one Planeswalker.

Spoiler: mythmonster2's Lifeforce Synthesizer

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Lifeforce Synthesizer WU
Artifact (R)
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained life this turn, you may pay 1WU. If you do, create a token that is a copy of another target nonland permanent with mana value less than or equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.

The first thing to synthesize, if necessary, is more life gain. The second, if possible, is another Synthesizer. The third, obviously, is some mana rocks.

This card is an archetype definer. The slow engine lets its owner play an entirely different sort of game from conventional Magic, with an open "hand" of artifacts and enchantments on the table powered by lands and life gain from his actual hand. The life gain does double duty as a mana analogue and as a means to buy time to run the engine. Or it could be a Prison piece, churning out Spheres of Resistance and Ghostly Prisons while its own copying remains unimpeded.

Winner:

Spoiler

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mythmonster2 with Lifeforce Synthesizer!

[Tom the Mime]

Yep, designed pretty much exclusively for Commander and would probably consider making it Jeskai to make it more viable as a commander. The only thing I'd add is that Myriad can mitigate the squishiness for attacking a bit - attacking someone who doesn't have creatures that can deal with it is when it works best anyway and if there aren't any scary etb effects it can copy, it might not be in your best interest to block and kill it if you can if it's going to keep swinging stronger creatures at opponents more.

[mythmonster2]

Thanks for the win!

For the next challenge, create a card that could be in an underwater set. The mechanics can be anything you want, but the flavor should fit a plane where everything, or almost everything, is underwater.

[Quiddle]

Seal in Silt 3WWW
Enchantment U
When Seal in Silt enters the battlefield exile target creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep gain 1 life for each other enchantment you control.
"You will be forgotten but your bones will build new life."

[mystic1110]

Always a Bigger Fish 2RU
Instant - R
Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated. Its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card with greater power than the destroyed creature. The player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles all other cards revealed this way into their library. If that creature was a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, Serpent or Fish creature card then it gains haste until end of turn.

[Necroticplague]

Hydrothermal Ventilation RR
Sorcery-C
Deal 2 Damage to any target, gain RRRR.
In the deepest recesses-the heat and light is to be as feared as the dark and cold.

[Tom the Mime]

Depth Charge 3UW
Sorcery - R
Destroy all creatures without flying.
Underwater, even small explosions can be a big problem

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Depths of Rur Mer
Land - R
When this land enters the battlefield, exile a card from your hand until you have a red card, a green card and a white card in your graveyard. (The card isn't exiled if that's already the case.)
T: Add W, G or R

(I made the prototype for a common cycle first, but I felt like someone could change the name of that and print it in any setting they want whereas this fits a particular flavor of going too deep and most likely losing something.)

Spoiler

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Kelp Fields
A merfolk in the background tends this sun-dappled garden of very tall seaweed.
Land - C
As Kelp Fields enters the battlefield, you may pay 1. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W or G

Archetype suggestions: Primary(secondaries)
Rur Mer Merfolk and Pets: W(GR)
Balaen Cephalids and Whales: U(WG)
Pelagic Cult and Ghost Sharks: B(UW)
Trawler Goblin Pirate Scavengers: R(BU)
Sea Trolls and Geomancers: G(RB)

I admit I have an ulterior motive. Having the rare lands in 3-color combinations means that each will have at least one of Red, Black or Blue on it. I felt it necessary to have a land be in a discard-friendly color if it's going to force you to discard.

[ben-zayb]

Hadopelagic Pull 3BB
Sorcery U
Target creature gets -8/-8 until end of turn. When that creature dies this turn, distribute X +1/+1 counters among any number of creatures you control, where X is its base toughness.
Those that don't survive the crushing depths serve as bounty for those that do.

This should kill most Serpent, Leviathan, Kraken, and Octopus creatures.

[Personification]

Air Bubble W
Instant U
Choose one or both:

• Tap target Fish, Octopus, Serpent, Kraken, or Leviathan.
• Target creature that is not a Fish, Octopus, Serpent, Kraken, or Leviathan gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.

[Bucky]

When that creature dies this turn, distribute X +1/+1 counters among any number of creatures you control, where X is its base toughness.

I think this wording sets X to the creature's toughness when the spell is cast, rather than when it dies. Is that intended?

[ben-zayb]

I think this wording sets X to the creature's toughness when the spell is cast, rather than when it dies. Is that intended?

From how I understood "base toughness", any modifiers such as the spell's -8/-8 wouldn't matter at all.

[Bucky]

Correct, and I'd overlooked that it was "base" toughness. But some cards directly change a creature's base toughness.

[Ninjaman]

Luring Angler - 3G
Creature - Fish - U
Whenever Horrid Angler attacks, target creature blocks it this turn if able.
4/3

[mythmonster2]

I'll give 24 hours until submissions are closed, and then I will judge.

EDIT: Submissions are closed, judging will be up soon.

[mythmonster2]

Spoiler: Quiddle- Seal in Silt

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Seal in Silt 3WWW
Enchantment U
When Seal in Silt enters the battlefield exile target creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep gain 1 life for each other enchantment you control.
"You will be forgotten but your bones will build new life."

6 mana for sorcery speed removal is pretty rough, even if it is exile, plus the color intensiveness seems unnecessary. The upside is also very minor, unless this an enchantment-focused set. The flavor is nice, though.

Spoiler: mystic1110- Always a Bigger Fish

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Always a Bigger Fish 2RU
Instant - R
Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated. Its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card with greater power than the destroyed creature. The player puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles all other cards revealed this way into their library. If that creature was a Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, Serpent or Fish creature card then it gains haste until end of turn.

A classic trope! The card seems fun, especially in something like Commander. I don’t think this would do as well in a competitive format, even Limited, since an opponent would always get a stronger creature out of it. If anything, it might be used in a deck like the Lukka deck that cheated Agent of Treachery into play.

Spoiler: Necroticplague- Hydrothermal Ventilation

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Hydrothermal Ventilation RR
Sorcery-C
Deal 2 Damage to any target, gain RRRR.
In the deepest recesses-the heat and light is to be as feared as the dark and cold.

Rituals are already pretty strong in the right decks, like Storm, so making one that does damage on top of the mana production seems a bit dangerous. This one also adds more mana than some of the rituals currently run in Storm. Maybe the sorcery speed would hold it back, but this seems like a card that just wouldn’t be used fairly. The flavor is on point though.

Spoiler: Tom the Mime- Depth Charge

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Depth Charge 3UW
Sorcery - R
Destroy all creatures without flying.
Underwater, even small explosions can be a big problem

A very clean, resonant card with good flavor. The only thing is that I don’t think this needs to be blue, since white is equally the color of “flying-matters”. Maybe this card could help make an Azorius Fliers deck viable.

Spoiler: Dr.Gunsforhands- Depths of Rur Mer

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Depths of Rur Mer
Land - R
When this land enters the battlefield, exile a card from your hand until you have a red card, a green card and a white card in your graveyard. (The card isn't exiled if that's already the case.)
T: Add W, G or R

I think there’s an error here: you exile the card from your hand, but then it checks your graveyard for the right colors. This could end up locking up the game since you’ll exile your entire hand but still not have the right colors in your graveyard, but it’ll keep telling you to exile. Assuming that you meant for it to check your exile zone, an untapped triland is still pretty strong, and you may be able to make up for the card disadvantage with the increased speed. Plus, once you’ve got one out, it makes the rest of these basically free to enter untapped.

Spoiler: ben-zayb Hadopelagic Pull

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Hadopelagic Pull 3BB
Sorcery U
Target creature gets -8/-8 until end of turn. When that creature dies this turn, distribute X +1/+1 counters among any number of creatures you control, where X is its base toughness.
Those that don't survive the crushing depths serve as bounty for those that do.

This is a very potent removal spell that could single-handedly turn a game around by getting rid of their biggest threat and buffing up your board by a lot. With how many counters can potentially be distributed, I wonder if this would work better a black-green card.

Spoiler: Personification- Air Bubble

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Air Bubble W
Instant U
Choose one or both:

• Tap target Fish, Octopus, Serpent, Kraken, or Leviathan.
• Target creature that is not a Fish, Octopus, Serpent, Kraken, or Leviathan gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.

This is a neat and flavorful Gods Willing variant. On the whole, it’s probably weaker, but it’s still a card that could see play in Standard Aura decks, and I think that Feather in Commander is always looking out for cheap protection cards like this. A solid spell!

Spoiler: Ninjaman- Luring Angler

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Luring Angler - 3G
Creature - Fish - U
Whenever Horrid Angler attacks, target creature blocks it this turn if able.
4/3

Very simple, but very resonant. I could definitely see a card like this being printed in an underwater set, and it seems like it’d be a strong pick in Limited.

Glad to see that everyone brought some very flavorful entries to the contest this time around!

Spoiler: And the winner is...

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Personification, with Air Bubble! Congrats!
Runner ups: Ninjaman, with Luring Angler, and Tom the Mime, with Depth Charge.

[Personification]

Yay!
In honor of MH2, make me a card that is a reference to something else in Magic.
To clarify, this could be a mechanical reference, a la the recent addition to the sword mega-mega-mega-cycle or the new suspend cycle, a flavor reference to an old card or legend, a la the new Dakkon, a flavor reference to a previously uncarded piece of Magic lore, a la Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, a reference to an old meme in the community, a la Jade Avenger, or some other type of reference that I didn't think to list. The power level should be closer to a supplemental set than a premier one (i.e. higher), and while not necessary, explanations are appreciated.

[Bucky]

Liliana's Charm BB
Instant U
You may put a loyalty counter on a Liliana planeswalker you control.
Choose one -
* Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. Mill two cards.
* Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
* Search your library for a Swamp card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.


(Death's Majesty, Death Wielder and Dark Realms respectively)

[mystic1110]

Quintessent Proposal 2WUR
Enchantment (M)
When Quintessent Proposal enters the battlefield each player exiles their library.
If a player would draw a card instead they choose a player at random and then choose a random card that player owns in exile and places that card in their hard.

Based on "Proposal"

[mythmonster2]

Firebrand Fanatics RRR
Creature- Goblin Pirate (U)
Haste
T, Sacrifice Firebrand Fanatics: It deals 3 damage to any target.
3/3

Reference to Fanatical Firebrand and the Llanowar Elves/Tribe from MH1 and Healer's Hawk/Flock from MH2.

[Quiddle]

Venerable Pyromancer 1RR
[an older woman wearing a jaya task mage outfit]
Creature - Human Shaman R
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery you can pay R and discard a card, if you do Venerable Pyromancer deals 3 damage to any target.
2/2

Chandra is a Jaya imitator, young pyro is a Chandra imitator so Venerable Pyromancer is a Jaya cosplayer with mechanical similarities to both young pyromancer as well as Jaya Task Mage.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Endril, Kalonian Naturalist - 2G
Legendary Creature - Human Ranger U
Whenever a creature with toughness 4 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.
Ward X, where X is the number of creatures you control with toughness 4 or greater (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays X.)
3/2

[ben-zayb]

Ruhk the Robust 3W
Legendary Creature - God R
Lifelink, Indestructible
~ can't attack unless you have at least twice your starting life total.
3W: Put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
6/5

It's the hypothetical pre-zombified version of The Scorpion God of Health/Fitness

[Necroticplague]

Seer of Mul Daya 8GG
Creature-Elemental Shaman R
Play with your library revealed.
You may play two additional lands each turn, and may play lands from your library.
"Surprisingly amiable-if you can survive the trip."
4/4

Souped up oracle of Mul Daya