But seriously, this is a contest about creating cards with elegance.
Fair warning, I have not kept up with recent magic sets (with some exceptions) so feel free to challenge my grading of balance, but please use autocard. Likewise, if you feel your card is more elegant than my score, please tell me.
There will be 5 rounds, each lasting about a week, and the cumulative score determines the winner(s).
Make an instant or sorcery with converted mana cost 1.
Round 2
Make a card with exactly 10 words of rules text. For example, Wrath of God has seven words of rules text. (contractions count as one word for this criterion.)
Round 3
Make a card with the basic supertype. (That is, it has to be balanced for being able to have as many as you like in your deck.)
Round 4
Make a card that combines two mechanics in an original, synergistic manner. e.g.: Urban Evolution
Final Round
Make a creature that mechanically has to have a specific power and toughness. And no */* creatures.
Author:
Cato [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 5:12 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Thoughtcycle Instant Draw a card. Flashback , discard a card.
Author:
Rush_Clasic [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 5:36 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Snipe Instant Destroy target creature with power or toughness equal to 1. A simple target simply doesn't stand a chance.
Author:
dtolle [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:01 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Turn About Instant Remove target creature from combat.
Author:
Rush_Clasic [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:02 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
dtolle wrote:
Turn About Instant Remove target creature from combat.
Breath Steal Instant Target creature's toughness becomes 1 until end of turn
Author:
PlaneShaper [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:26 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Kippers and Curtains | Sorcery As an additional cost to cast ~, sacrifice a land. Search your library for a nonland card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Appearances are everything.
Author:
miss_bun [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Ejecta Instant As an additional cost to cast Ejecta, sacrifice a mountain. Until end of turn, instant and sorcery spells you cast this turn have affinity for mountains.
Author:
Imidazoline [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Elegance is probably one of the hardest things to judge, because it's so frequently confused with wordiness. Good luck to you!
Do Your Worst | Sorcery {M} Draw a card. Epic.
Cue supervillain laugh.
Author:
dtolle [ Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:15 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Rush_Clasic wrote:
dtolle wrote:
Turn About Instant Remove target creature from combat.
Which is why mine is two words. I could rename it to "Turn Around"
Author:
YingLung [ Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:26 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Imidazoline wrote:
Elegance is probably one of the hardest things to judge, because it's so frequently confused with wordiness. Good luck to you!
Actually, it's tough to get any kind of variance in the elegance grade when everyone is pretty concise. Thanks for the luck!
Author:
Dudibus [ Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:07 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Lord of Shadows Legendary Creature - Demon Flying At the beginning of your upkeep gain control of target creature. 7/7
Author:
Ko [ Sat Sep 28, 2013 1:51 am ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Fresh Start | Sorcery Discard your hand and draw X cards.
Author:
Lilan [ Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:00 am ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Growth - Sorcery Target land produces twice as much mana this turn. Draw a card.
Author:
purple shrimp [ Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:00 am ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Wind Up Instant Untap target artifact and put a charge counter on it. Draw a card.
Author:
TheJuggler [ Sat Sep 28, 2013 5:57 am ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Glimpse of the Garangutan G Instant Target creature becomes Monstrous until end of turn.
Author:
YingLung [ Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:01 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Grades: Cato
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 2/5 I don't know if there is a more rehashed mechanic than card draw, and I am reminded of both Lat-Nam's Legacy and Think Twice Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 2/5 Not much there. Total: 39/45
Rush_Clasic
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 4/5 Surprisingly versatile and seems like a highly satisfying card to play. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 4/5 The name really fits, but the flavor text is rather flat. Total: 43/45
dtolle
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 5/5 This is something beautiful. It is short, sweet, and easily understood. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 2/5 A little flavor text would be nice, and perhaps switching the word order of the name. Total: 42/45
LilyStorm
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 0/5 Sorry, but this is pretty basic. I mean, a keyword without else... Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 2/5 A little flavor text would be nice, though I admit the name ties in well with the mechanic. Total: 37/45
Tevish Szat
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 4/5 reminds me of Vhati il-Dal, though that is sufficiently obscure. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 1/5 The name doesn't really have much to do with the mechanic, and some flavor text would really help clear that up. Total: 40/45
miss_bun
Spoiler
Elegance: 5/25 Balance: 5/5 This is exquisite. You don't want to play it too much, but it also limits the card pool of spells you would play along side it. Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 5/5 Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 3/5 The name is evocative, but doesn't really describe what the card is doing, rather what will happen after. Total: 43/45
Imidazoline
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 4/5 This takes some serious set up before I'd consider playing it. Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 4/5 Kinda plainfaced, but epic does its job Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 3/5 The name is sorta cheesy, and unrelated to the mechanics, but it is legally required that each time you draw a card, you do so in the manner of Yu Gi Oh!. Total: 41/45
Dudibus
Spoiler
Elegance: 15/25 No cohesiveness whatsover Balance: 1/5 This should be blue and a lot more fragile. Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 1/5 The control ability is interesting, but it needs better surroundings. Follows criteria: 0/5 Neither instant nor cmc 1 Flavor: 1/5 If you look in a fantasy book section, you will see the following words a lot: Lord Sword Dragon Shadow(s) Fire. Clearly we need to make the Sword Lord of Shadowfire Dragons Total: 18/45
Caldoora42 Exploradera
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 I had to think about this, and that is a good thing. Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 5/5 Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 4/5 Pretty solid, could use some flavor text Total: 44/45
Ko
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 3/5 sorta the red version of Breakthrough Follows criteria: 5/5 You sly devil Flavor: 2/5 "Fresh start" does not belong on a red card. That's more of a white sweeper sort of thing. Total: 40/45
Lilan
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 4/5 While it is cool to put a well known enchantment effect on an instant, the mechanic is well known. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 5/5 THis is one of the few times flavor text would detract, I think. Total: 44/45
purple shrimp
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 3/5 I would expect this card in mirrodin...and it's uninteresting. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 4/5 There is great resonance between the name and the mechanic. Total: 42/45
TheJuggler
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 5/5 Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 2/5 Yeah, this is pretty basic for theros. I do like the temporary nature of it. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 2/5 Since it does not add the counters, I wouldn't say the creature becomes gargantuan. Total: 39/45
PlaneShaper
Spoiler
Elegance: 25/25 Balance: 3/5 This is pretty underpriced, even with the land sac. Demonic Tutor vs. Diabolic Tutor. The latter is more recent and balanced, imho. Ice-cream-hat-on-a-pug-ness: 3/5 The land clause is a nice touch, but it doesn't really do much. Follows criteria: 5/5 Flavor: 4/5 Having now researched the idiom, This card makes more sense. In fact, if the additional cost was sac.ing two lands, that would fix the balance and perfect the flavor. As is, I don't get the feel of the high cost of maintaining posh appearances. Total: 40/45
Round 2
Make a card with exactly 10 words of rules text. For example, Wrath of God has seven words of rules text. (contractions count as one word for this criterion.)
Author:
PlaneShaper [ Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
I don't even get a grade, cry cry cry.
Author:
YingLung [ Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:56 pm ]
Post subject:
Re: [Contest] Elegance
Wups, sorry about that. I think I was distracted by miss_bun. Your grade is now there.
