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

[Personification]

Effortless Gift 2W
Instant U
Destroy target nonland, nontoken permanent. Its controller creates a number of Treasure tokens equal to its mana value.
...but now you can replace it with anything you want!

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

King of Shovels - 2
Artifact - R
T: Mill the top 5 cards of your library.
B, T, exile 5 cards from your graveyard: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
G, T, exile 5 cards from your graveyard: Return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

[Misothene]

Jace of Diamonds 1UR
Legendary Planeswalker- Jace MR
+1: Draw a card, then discard a card. If a nonland card was discarded this way, create a Treasure token.
-2: Create a Treasure token, then Jace deals damage to any target equal to the number of Treasures you control.
-5: Create 6 Treasure tokens. You get an emblem with "Whenever you sacrifice a Treasure, this emblem deals 1 damage to any target."
Loyalty 3

[mythmonster2]

Paira Deuces 1G
Creature- Orc Rogue(C)
When Paira Deuces enters the battlefield, you may pay 1G. If you do, create a 2/2 green Orc Rogue creature token.
Some mobsters in Capenna get by on their strength, skill, or smarts. Others just make do with numbers.
2/2

Edit: Thanks for the catch, Quiddle.

[ben-zayb]

I'm giving 24 hours for everyone to submit/finalize their entries.

[ben-zayb]

Judgement is up!

Spoiler: Pinball Wizard

Show

Pinball Wizard 2U
Creature - Human Wizard R
When Pinball Wizard enters the battlefield search your library for an artifact card with mana value of 1, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. If such artifact was a non-creature artifact you may exchange control of target non-creature artifact you control and target non-creature artifact an opponent controls. Then that opponent may return an artifact they control to its owner's hand, if they do they may exile Pinball Wizard and return it to the battlefield under their control.
You got to be able to keep as many balls in play as you can
1/1

The most seemingly relevant things I found searching for "pinball" and "pinball wizard" were cards featuring horror IPs and a song by The Who, so apologies if I completely missed the mechanics you're going for here. The ability seems too complex for what's basically a cog tutor that becomes repeatable if your opponent also wants to tutor and get one of your artifacts or the one you stole from them. A 2/2 body like Trinket Mage may also work better as it further incentivizes the opponent to steal the creature and potentially repeat the process.

Spoiler: Draw Two

Show

Draw Two 2UU
Sorcery M
The next time an opponent would take a turn, they instead skip that turn and draw two cards. Exile Draw Two.

Spot on with the mechanics. It's much less potent than an extra turn in multiplayer formats, but I still think the MV is a bit low even with the card disadvantage.

Spoiler: Invite /to/ Party

Show

Inspired by invitation cards

Invite 1G
Sorcery R
Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
///
Party 4RR
Sorcery
Aftermath
Put a creature card from your hand into play, it gains haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.

Invitation card wasn't what I had in mind, but I like this. The sides of Invited to Party works in synergy as expected of aftermath cards, and the costs look fine. There's a bit of overlap in design space with Reason /to/ Believe, but that's fine.

Spoiler: Effortless Gift

Show

Effortless Gift 2W
Instant U
Destroy target nonland, nontoken permanent. Its controller creates a number of Treasure tokens equal to its mana value.
...but now you can replace it with anything you want!

Ha, a gift card! As with Excavation Technique, I'm still unsure giving Treasure tokens is enough of a drawback for cheap nonland permanent removal. Then again, that somewhat captures the essence of gift cards.

Spoiler: King of Shovels

Show

King of Shovels - 2
Artifact - R
T: Mill the top 5 cards of your library.
B, T, exile 5 cards from your graveyard: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
G, T, exile 5 cards from your graveyard: Return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

Great showcase of multiple "digging" mechanics. I'm a little confused why it's neither a creature nor an equipment.

Spoiler: Jace of Diamonds

Show

Jace of Diamonds 1UR
Legendary Planeswalker- Jace MR
+1: Draw a card, then discard a card. If a nonland card was discarded this way, create a Treasure token.
-2: Create a Treasure token, then Jace deals damage to any target equal to the number of Treasures you control.
-5: Create 6 Treasure tokens. You get an emblem with "Whenever you sacrifice a Treasure, this emblem deals 1 damage to any target."
Loyalty 3

A major challenge Jace of Diamonds has is it's trying to be Jace to get that sweet Ace of Diamonds wordplay. This could really be mono-red with very minimal tweaks if not for Jace being blue. The abilities look fairly costed and Jace had his pirate stint so the Treasure theme isn't completely out of the blue. That said, these isn't the last two abilities are same-y but also go against each other a bit.

Spoiler: Paira Deuces

Show

Paira Deuces 1G
Creature- Orc Rogue(C)
When Paira Deuces enters the battlefield, you may pay 1G. If you do, create a 2/2 green Orc Rogue creature token.
Some mobsters in Capenna get by on their strength, skill, or smarts. Others just make do with numbers.
2/2

Edit: Thanks for the catch, Quiddle.

It's a pretty straight-forward, solid common. Not much to be said, except I'm surprised this isn't a card already.

Spoiler: Awards

Show

Runner Up: Bucky with Draw Two

Winner: Quiddle with Invite /to/ Party

[Quiddle]

Thanks ben-zayb!

For the next challenge I would like a card that would fit in a universe beyond secret lair product.

Note this card will be black boarded though not standard legal. Feel free to design the whole secret lair drop if you would like but I'll only be judging one card.

[mythmonster2]

Zagreus, Rebellious Prince 1WR
Legendary Creature- Demigod (R)
Haste
Zagreus, Rebellious Prince gets +1/+1 for each other legendary creature you control.
Escape- 1WR, exile three other cards from your graveyard.
Zagreus, Rebellious Prince escapes with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature card exiled to pay its escape cost.
3/1

Spoiler: Thoughts on design

Show

Zagreus, from Hades. Caring about other legendary creatures you control represents the various boons you get from the gods and your allies, escaping from the underworld is literally what you do in the game, and the buff on escaping represents gaining more power as you progress through the underworld. Still working on the exact numbers of the card, but he should be fragile, since dying a lot is part of the game and he can get buff through other means.

[DeTess]

The Snap 1RB
Sorcery R
Each player sacrifices half their creatures rounded up at random. Then do the same for planeswalkers.
perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
-Thanos, the Mad Titan

[Personification]

From Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere

Kaladin of Bridge Four 1WW
[Thalia, Elgaud Protégé]

Spoiler: Art

Show

Legendary Creature - Human Peasant Soldier M
Vigilance, First Strike.
Field Medicine - T: Another target Soldier, Knight, or Scout control gains indestructible until end of turn.
(Melds with Sylphrena, the Ancient Daughter [Traft, Cathar's Guide])
"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."
3/2
Art: Randy Vargas

Sylphrena, the Ancient Daughter WU
[Traft, Cathar's Guide]
Legendary Creature - Spirit Advisor R
Flying, Ward 1.
When ~ deals combat damage to a player draw a card, then discard a card.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you both own and control ~ and a creature named Kaladin of Bridge Four [Thalia, Elgaud Protégé], exile them, then meld them into Kaladin Stormblessed, Knight Radiant [Thalia, Host of Saint Traft].
1/2

Kaladin Stormblessed, Knight Radiant
[Thalia, Host of Saint Traft]

Spoiler: Art

Show

(W/U) Legendary Creature - Human Knight Noble M
Ward 4.
Flying, Vigilance, Frist strike.
When ~ deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Strength of Squires - Other Soldiers, Knights, and Scouts you control have Flying, First strike, and Ward 1.
"I will protect those who cannot protect themselves."
4/4
Art: Zack Stella

Spoiler: Notes

Show

I knew I wanted to do a Cosmere thing, and I knew that, if possible, I wanted to do a Godzilla treatment for it. I actually had an entire planeswalker card for Vasher/Dakkon mapped out, but I scrapped it as too fiddly. After that I started thinking about Kaladin, and I realized meld fit perfectly for the Nahel Bond. The mechanical connection with Thalia.Traft only occurred to me most of the way through the design, though it is possible that the return to Innistrad influenced it subconsciously. Because the card is UB (no, not the Dimir one), I felt like it made sense to have flavor words, which they indicated will mostly be a tool for out-of-universe cards, which I hope clears up most of the ability decisions without me needing to clear it up.
As a note on the art, Brandon Sanderson commissions a lot of art for his books and peripherals, and because the world of notable fantasy artists can only be so big (and Magic is a hungry monster) many have done Magic art too, so I decided that if I could find a piece that fit the card and was by a Magic artist I would use it. Unfortunately, none of the Syl art I found was by a Magic artist.

[Misothene]

Byleth Eisner 1WW
Legendary Creature- Human Warrior MR
Byleth enters the battlefield with 5 charge counters on them.
Vigilance
Whenever Byleth attacks, you may choose one:
Wrath Strike- Remove a charge counter from Byleth. If you do, they get +2/+0 until end of turn.
Windsweep- Remove a charge counter from Byleth. If you do, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to them this turn.
Sublime Heaven- Remove two charge counters from Byleth. If you do, the next time blockers are declared this turn, destroy target blocking creature.
3/3

[ben-zayb]

Gum-Gum Fruit 1
Legendary Artifact - Food R
2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life. You may choose a creature you control that isn't enchanted. If you do, exile ~, then return it to the battlefield transformed and enchanting that creature.
//
Curse of the Rubberman
Legendary Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant creature
4: Until end of turn, enchanted creature gets +3/+3, gains reach if you paid GG, and may block any number of creatures if you paid WW.
UUUU: Tap enchanted creature. Any player may activate this ability.

[Necroticplague]

Tachyon, Quantum Sprinter UURR
Legendary Planeswalker-Tachyon

+2: Surveil 1.
+0: Deal one point of damage to any target. You may return any amount of arcane cards to the bottom of your library. Copy this ability for each card returned in this way.You may choose new targets for the copies.
-5: Reveal the bottom two cards your library. You may play both of them without without paying their costs if they share a type or subtype.
4

[mystic1110]

The Oldest House
Legendary Land - R
T: Add C to your mana pool
Enters the battlefield tapped.
As long as the Oldest House is untapped, whenever a player casts a spell instead they exile the spell.
Players may cast spells that they own that are exiled by The Oldest House as though they were in their hand and may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast that spell.
Players may cast spells that they own that are exiled by The Oldest House without paying their mana cost, if they do each of their opponents creates X 1/1 black horror tokens where X is that spells converted mana cost.

[Personification]

Tachyon, Quantum Sprinter UURR
Planeswalker-Tachyon

+2: Surveil 1.
+0: Deal one point of damage to any target. You may return any amount of arcane cards to the bottom of your library. Copy this ability for each card returned in this way.You may choose new targets for the copies.
-5: Reveal the bottom two cards your library. You may play both of them without without paying their costs if they share a type or subtype.
4

Is this intended to not be legendary?

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

The Shawshank Redemption - 1BW
Enchantment - Saga R
I: Exile target creature card in a graveyard or in exile.
II: Destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment.
III: Return a creature card exiled with The Shawshank Redemption to the battlefield under your control.

[Quiddle]

Spoiler: mythmonster2

Show

I like zag and I think the cares about legends is on theme but I am not a huge fan of caring about exiling creatures. Escape is a very flavorful mechanic here.

Spoiler: DeTess

Show

Solid sorcery, this is best played as a 2 for one but you don't get to choose what you hit which makes is very safe. I think the idea of Snaping mtg characters to be pretty funny. "Mr Jace I don't feel so good."

Spoiler: Personification

Show

Clever use of meld, I think you did a good job of making a card where the flavor connects really well with characters existing in magic!

Spoiler: Misothene

Show

At first I wasn't sure about the charge counters but I think it actually does a really good job of connecting to a fire emblem feel in magic! 5 Feels like a little too many counters but I think the abilities see well costed and fair. I happy to see that the destroy ability - while powerful - put the decision to block and be destroyed to your opponent.

Spoiler: ben-zayb

Show

I like a lot of what you are doing but I think that the card is a little on the weaker side due to the color requirements in the ability. I think the water weakness you built in is awesome though!

Spoiler: Necroticplague

Show

Tachyon is interesting but at four colored mana I think it could be a little stronger. Arcane cards are cool but a kind of dated card type I think caring about instants and sorceries would help this a little.

Spoiler: mystic1110

Show

I'm not sure what house this is supposed to be referencing. The fact that this either makes cards have it be paid for twice or makes you horrors is very strong when you consider that you can tap it allowing you to cast your spells without giving your opponent horrors. I think this does a bit too much for a land.

Spoiler: Dr.Gunsforhands

Show

Neat, a slow animation spell with some artifact/enchantment hate built in. I'll be honest I haven't seen this movie so its a little hard for me to give you a fair evaluation sorry.

Spoiler: And the winner is

Show

Misothene, I thought you provided an interesting card that captured flavor in a fitting way bridging two different games!

[Misothene]

Thanks Quiddle, and to everyone else that entered!

For this week, make a card that can be played face-down or interacts with face-down cards.

Examples include, but are not limited to, creatures with morph, spells that manifest, Jester's Scepter and Ixidron.

[mystic1110]

Enslave the Lightning 2R
Instant U
Substantiate the top card of your library, then that card deals 2 damage to you and 2 damage to target creature.
(To substantiate a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. You may exile it any time for its mana cost if it’s an instant or sorcery card. Until end of turn, if that card was exiled this way you may cast it without paying its mana cost.)

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Dubious Riddle - XG
Sorcery - R
Search your library for a creature card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield face-down, then shuffle. Each opponent guesses a number. Then, turn that creature face-up. Each opponent that correctly guessed its mana value creates a token that's a copy of that creature.

[ben-zayb]

Raven Guild Trickster UB
Creature - Human Wizard U
3BB, Sacrifice a face-down creature: Create 3 1/1 black and blue Bird creature tokens.
3UU: Destroy target face-down creature. If you do, its controller creates a 1/1 white Rabbit creature token.
2/2

[mythmonster2]

Question for the judge: Would Foretell be okay for this challenge?

[Misothene]

Question for the judge: Would Foretell be okay for this challenge?

Sure! Anything that involves face-downedness of the card itself or something it interacts with is fine.

[Necroticplague]

Bane of Secrets BW
Human Cleric
During your upkeep, shuffle one face-down creature or face-down card in exile into it's owner's deck.
"That which will not show itself has no right to exist."
1/1

[Quiddle]

Cloak 1U
Instant U
Turn target creature you control facedown it becomes a 2/2 morph creature with no abilities then it gains hexproof until the end of the turn. Turn it face up anytime by paying its mana cost.
//
Dagger 1R
Instant
Dagger deals 2 damage to any target.
Fuse

[mythmonster2]

Priest of Fortune 1RR
Creature- Human Shaman (U)
R, T: Choose one:

• Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn.
• Exile the top two cards of your library face down.

T, sacrifice Priest of Fortune: Reveal all cards exiled faced down by Priest of Dice. You may play those cards this turn.
2/3

[Personification]

Strength of Anonymity WBG
Enchantment R
The first facedown permanent you play each turn costs 1 less.
Facedown creatures you control enter the battlefield with your choice of a vigilance counter, a lifelink counter, or a +1/+1 counter.
In an uncertain world there is no greater boon than the benefit of the doubt.

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

Smack RRGG
Enchantment - Aura R

Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
RG - Enchanted creature fights another creature you don't control.

2RRGG - Turn over Smack.
///
Down
Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
When this card is turned, choose one; at the end of your this turn, sacrifice enchanted creature.
* All creatures target player controls with Flying takes damage equal to this creature's power.
* Until end of turn, double enchanted creature's power; until end of combat this turn, it has Double Strike, Trample and Indestructible.

[Misothene]

Smack RRGG
Enchantment - Aura R

Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
RG - Enchanted creature fights another creature you don't control.

2RRGG - Turn over Smack.
///
Down
Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
When this card is turned, choose one; at the end of your this turn, sacrifice enchanted creature.
* All creatures target player controls with Flying takes damage equal to this creature's power.
* Until end of turn, double enchanted creature's power; until end of combat this turn, it has Double Strike, Trample and Indestructible.

The challenge asked for something that can be played "face down" or interacts with face-down cards. That's different from a double-faced card, which is a "face-up" card no matter what side it's played on or whether it transforms, since you can see what text is on it. A "face-down" card on the battlefield is (usually) a 2/2 creature with no abilities, as with Morph and manifested cards.

[Misothene]

Spoiler: DG4H's Dubious Riddle

Show

Dubious Riddle - XG
Sorcery - R
Search your library for a creature card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield face-down, then shuffle. Each opponent guesses a number. Then, turn that creature face-up. Each opponent that correctly guessed its mana value creates a token that's a copy of that creature.

This is an interesting way to get around negative entering-the-battlefield things- I anticipate Phyrexian Dreadnought would be a popular target. You could also troll people by generally playing it "fairly" with X = 7, and every so often get Phage the Untouchable so everyone that said 7 loses.

Spoiler: mystic1110's Enslave the Lightning

Show

Enslave the Lightning 2R
Instant U
Substantiate the top card of your library, then that card deals 2 damage to you and 2 damage to target creature.
(To substantiate a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. You may exile it any time for its mana cost if it’s an instant or sorcery card. Until end of turn, if that card was exiled this way you may cast it without paying its mana cost.)

I don't know if the rules could handle it (since it would be changing zones in addition to flipping face up using an action that doesn't use the stack) but this seems like a good twist on manifest. The card's kind of a limited powerhouse- I imagine any format with this mechanic would have a lot of face down 2/2s to snipe with it.

Spoiler: ben-zayb's Raven Guild Trickster

Show

Raven Guild Trickster UB
Creature - Human Wizard U
3BB, Sacrifice a face-down creature: Create 3 1/1 black and blue Bird creature tokens.
3UU: Destroy target face-down creature. If you do, its controller creates a 1/1 white Rabbit creature token.
2/2

It's an IRL magician in a world where actual magic is real. The concept there is pretty neat. The Birds should probably have flying, unless this magic show features penguins or ostriches. This is weird/repeatable enough that it should probably be rare.

Spoiler: Necroticplague's Bane of Secrets

Show

Bane of Secrets BW
Human Cleric
During your upkeep, shuffle one face-down creature or face-down card in exile into it's owner's deck.
"That which will not show itself has no right to exist."
1/1

Missing a rarity, I'd guess rare? The ability should probably target, though from a purely functional standpoint it doesn't have to. This is a pretty potent hoser, especially in limited when morphs, etc. are a central component of the format, so it could probably stand to be a bit more expensive and be a bigger body.

Spoiler: Quiddle's Cloak and Dagger

Show

Cloak 1U
Instant U
Turn target creature you control facedown it becomes a 2/2 morph creature with no abilities then it gains hexproof until the end of the turn. Turn it face up anytime by paying its mana cost.
//
Dagger 1R
Instant
Dagger deals 2 damage to any target.
Fuse

Cloak is kinda cool as a standalone effect, since it also reenables "when this creature is turned face up" abilities. As a fuse card, this is functional, but it doesn't have the synergy the rest of the fuse cards do unless your aim is to kill your own creature.

Spoiler: mythmonster2's Priest of Fortune

Show

Priest of Fortune 1RR
Creature- Human Shaman (U)
R, T: Choose one:

• Exile the top card of your library. You may play that card this turn.
• Exile the top two cards of your library face down.

T, sacrifice Priest of Fortune: Reveal all cards exiled faced down by Priest of Dice. You may play those cards this turn.
2/3

As an uncommon, it might be a bit strong of a reliable card advantage engine with the first mode. The second mode on ability 1 takes a while to build up enough extra value to be worth it, and introduces a much larger risk that the creature gets killed before it gives you anything.

Spoiler: Personification's Strength of Anonymity

Show

Strength of Anonymity WBG
Enchantment R
The first facedown permanent you play each turn costs 1 less.
Facedown creatures you control enter the battlefield with your choice of a vigilance counter, a lifelink counter, or a +1/+1 counter.
In an uncertain world there is no greater boon than the benefit of the doubt.

The cost reduction is pretty weak- compare to Obscuring Aether and Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer. The buff to facedown creatures is pretty nice, but arguably weaker than the card advantage offered by cheaper, fewer-colored enchantments from Tarkir block.

Spoiler: +5 vorpal bunny's Smack///Down

Show

Smack RRGG
Enchantment - Aura R

Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
RG - Enchanted creature fights another creature you don't control.

2RRGG - Turn over Smack.
///
Down
Target enchanted creature gains +4/+0 and First Strike.
When this card is turned, choose one; at the end of your this turn, sacrifice enchanted creature.
* All creatures target player controls with Flying takes damage equal to this creature's power.
* Until end of turn, double enchanted creature's power; until end of combat this turn, it has Double Strike, Trample and Indestructible.

There are numerous templating errors (e.g. it's just "enchanted creature" not "target enchanted creature;" it's "transform" not "turn over," etc.). This also doesn't do anything with "face down" cards as I explained in a separate post, so unfortunately it's just not eligible for this challenge.

Spoiler: Winner

Show

I'll choose mystic1110 with Enslave the Lightning. Runners up include Dr.Gunsforhands for the fascinating minigame involved in that submission, and ben-zayb for an amusing translation of concept.