quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
Except each round isn't worth less than the round before. The second round happened to be smaller than the other two, but the third round is worth roughly round 1 and 2 put together.

And while I feel really bad about the people who lost a bunch of points from the flavour text rules in round 1, I stated, very clearly, that the onus was on you to read my instructions and follow them correctly.

That's part of any design submission, and you're being judged on your ability to follow directions in addition to executing those directions well.

---

I understand. Because English is not my native language I suppose I misunderstood the word 'attributed' of which I thought it meant that the flavor text had to have a reference to the Legendary creature.

I'll get to designing shortly.

__________________
I'm a geek, you're a geek. Let's trade.

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
Except each round isn't worth less than the round before. The second round happened to be smaller than the other two, but the third round is worth roughly round 1 and 2 put together.

And while I feel really bad about the people who lost a bunch of points from the flavour text rules in round 1, I stated, very clearly, that the onus was on you to read my instructions and follow them correctly.

That's part of any design submission, and you're being judged on your ability to follow directions in addition to executing those directions well.

I guess there's a chance people had trouble with the phrase 'attributed to' ? But then even in my description for scoring for that round I included as a criteria

---

That's just me, as everybody else got it right. I just misinterpretated (spelling..?) it. Just my bad there.

quote:

---

Edit: And I guess I'll address this issue with scoring the entries "too similarly"

So here's the thing. I'm making a very distinct effort to set criteria for what I'm looking for, and then judge each entry by those criteria, without paying any attention to the comparison between entries.

---

Of course, that is how it should be.

quote:

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The decision to see three out of 8 people get a 10, and the other five get a 9 and decide that this is not good, and that we need to spread the scores out is called grading on a curve.

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I never said it wasn't good, on the contrary, your way of judging is great. I suppose I am not accustomed to seeing everyone getting more or less the same scores, in retrospect of other posts like these. Again, this is apparantly just me needing to get accustomed.

quote:

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The idea that my great mark is going to be pushed down just because a bunch of other people also did great work is almost as bad as the idea that my crappy work is going to be pulled up because a bunch of other people also suck.

To have set out thinking with 9 people that I was going to give out one 10, one 9, two 8s, two 7s, two 6s, and a 5 (or any other distribution) is pretty insulting to the designers. It says to them that the objective quality of their work is worthless, and that their entire score is based on the subjective comparison to the work of others.

And honestly, if I was "more critical" in my scoring of entries, this would be much less of a competition. If my worst marks were 1s and 2s instead of 6s and 7s out of 10, the people currently leading (whose 9s and 10s would likely have stayed 9s and 10s, maybe with a few 8s here and there) would be insurmountably ahead of people who got 8s and 9s (who might have gotten 6s and 7s if I was 'curving' the scores) judging each entry without considering how it 'compares' to the others, and just scoring it in a vacuum has actually made it a -more- competitive competition.

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I agree with everything. I don't want to insult anyone or anything. I just had a brainfart about the blackmage scenario, blurted it out and here we are. I'll stop now.

Carry on with the designing!

__________________
I'm a geek, you're a geek. Let's trade.

His ultimate allows you to cast spells with flashback an unlimited number of times. You play it, it goes to the graveyard. You flash it back, it gets exiled. You play it from exile, it goes to the graveyard, you flash it back, it exiles, you cast it from exile etc etc.

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
He comes into play able to Ultimate immediately.

His ultimate allows you to cast spells with flashback an unlimited number of times. You play it, it goes to the graveyard. You flash it back, it gets exiled. You play it from exile, it goes to the graveyard, you flash it back, it exiles, you cast it from exile etc etc.

---

And not only does Domino do that, he is still alive afterwards, to give flashback to your spells that didn't even have them.

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
A sorcery that cost 2UURR and said "You may cast spells from exile as though they were in your hand" would be amazing.

And not only does Domino do that, he is still alive afterwards, to give flashback to your spells that didn't even have them.

You may disagree about its playability outside EDH because of the 6 CMC, but that confluence of powers is -very very- powerful.

---

That sorcery would be a bulk mythic. I know that your contest is mostly favor based and I think you are doing a great job in that perspective, but there is no way you have played any kind of constructed recently. Thank you for the contest but I can't take your card evaluation seriously anymore.

For reference, every single person but you that has given an opinion of this card agrees that it is overpowered. Including people who play in constructed formats right now in today's metas.

I've had it stated "Every stally Flashback-using control deck would play this at 6 mana." by someone who feels that starting at 3 or 4 loyalty would balance it.

I've had it stated "The fact that you can automatically produce an emblem that lets you cast exiled spells is what makes it overpowered. There needs to be some balance, either in the cost of the card or in the cost of the ability. Raising the mana cost is not a justification; that's a design bandage for unwillingness to rework the concept. I would also have docked points." from someone who is probably the most well-educated and informed Magic player I know (And I know plenty)

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
I'm sorry you feel that way.

For reference, every single person but you that has given an opinion of this card agrees that it is overpowered. Including people who play in constructed formats right now in today's metas.

I've had it stated "Every stally Flashback-using control deck would play this at 6 mana." by someone who feels that starting at 3 or 4 loyalty would balance it.

I've had it stated "The fact that you can automatically produce an emblem that lets you cast exiled spells is what makes it overpowered. There needs to be some balance, either in the cost of the card or in the cost of the ability. Raising the mana cost is not a justification; that's a design bandage for unwillingness to rework the concept. I would also have docked points." from someone who is probably the most well-educated and informed Magic player I know (And I know plenty)

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This is your contest so it's really a moot point for me to argue with you about what cards you like, so I will support my argument one more time and shut up. I also don't know who these "experts" are because I can't fathom a constructed player would believe that my walker is "broken", but if some other people on this site that plays constructed would comment openly, it would be much appreciated.

1. My planeswalker is very good, I know that. At 6 mana requiring 2x of two different mana, it better be (and no you can't show and tell it)

2. In Legacy, there is no current tier 1 deck that would be able to support this, so unless you think it's so busted that it can have a deck built around him, then he's not breaking legacy (6 mana spells that you actually have to cast and doesn't win you the game immediately don't break legacy...ever)

3. In modern, it would see play because RWU control can be very strong and I do think my planeswalker would see play as a one of.

4. If my planeswalker makes an emblem immediately on turn 6, that means he didn't protect himself and is probably going to die. And if they had an empty board, then it didn't really matter what planeswalker you had in hand anyway

5. I account for the snapcaster interaction where you flash backed a spell or two, and that's when my walker will shine if unchecked because then you can path/bolt two creatures a turn and ride it to victory. But that's no overpowered, it's just very very good.

6. His +1 also isn't as good as snapcaster because only the proactive spells really matter since you can't flashback counterspell

7. Yes you can indefinitely play the same flashback spell, but there is ZERO flashback spell that is worth it to do over and over again in legacy

8. I probably should have made second ability a -3 or -4 because then he can't protect and then emblem, so that may be a flaw in design.

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
You mean the fetchable land that must come into play tapped, and thus can be destroyed before it can even do anything? The one that does terminate for more mana, except the creature can be regenerated? That does a more expensive blightning?

I mean, they could just cast blightning for 3 in a deck with your PW, then give it flashback for 3 again, then play it from exile for 3 again. Instead of costing 4 (which is actually costing 5, since you also tap the land which could have produced mana)

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Grove was banned in modern because of punishing fire and the combo stopped agro hand. This land doesn't need two cards, it also makes them discard after they draw (instant blightning is much better I hear) and you can just ride it to victory if you live to turn 5, unless they are running some instant LD, but then you will just kill them with the insane card advantage you just had.

If you actually look at lands with abilities, they tend to not give card advantage and if they do, then it's a limited resource (moorland haunt) or extremely weak (the land that makes 0/1).

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
A sorcery that cost 2UURR and said "You may cast spells from exile as though they were in your hand" would be amazing.

And not only does Domino do that, he is still alive afterwards, to give flashback to your spells that didn't even have them.

You may disagree about its playability outside EDH because of the 6 CMC, but that confluence of powers is -very very- powerful.

---

That sorcery would be a bulk mythic. I know that your contest is mostly favor based and I think you are doing a great job in that perspective, but there is no way you have played any kind of constructed recently. Thank you for the contest but I can't take your card evaluation seriously anymore.

quote:

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Originally posted by Zarfolos132:
I do not want to get into the middle of this, nor am I trying to troll, however, I do agree with Dev, your Pw fluffy cow is as overpowered as mine, if not more. However I love his powers. And while I see you point on the 2 of 2 different mana needed, look at nicol bolas, he is most reminescent to yours and while his actual powers are different the scale is about the same. Regardless, loving the contest, please fluffy keep trying, I want to see what you come up with. I've been liking your entries A lot. Regardless good job scoring the cards Dev, and I am indeed saddened that I had messed my PW up so badly, idk what I was thinking, however I personally I think I should be down another point or two for it. Regardless, carry on designing, hope to see the last entries, and again Dev, thank you for running this I have really enjoyed all of it, creating and seeing what others create.

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Your walker is nuts, but it's nothing compared to that land. I guess what really gets me is that Dev think that our planeswalkers are overpowered but a fetchable land that can single-handedly win the game is just good. IMO, that's like saying Jace the Mindsculptor is broken while Tolarian Academy is very good.

quote:

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Originally posted by Devonin:
Thank you for the support Zarfalos. I like that your PW was scored worse than his for being overpowered, and you're okay with the judgement and he is ragequitting.

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Untap with it, and use LED or Rit or whatever to use it quickly: Tapping two land and spending one card to kill a creature, exactly what just casting terminate does, but you can still regenerate it.

The blightning essentially costs -5- There's no way you're accelerating to using it every single turn by turn 2 unless you've built the deck around it, which probably isn't going to do very well.

Its abilities can be revoked/needled, the activation can be stifled.

Amidst them is a Merfolk princess, Cashela, who became a planeswalker at the same time as Kroth, as the blast of Krak’Tau was send downwards into the plane as well. With her amazing control of the water and exceptional skills (she is able to deflect spells by using the water for instance) she prevented a large part of the cave system where her people live to collapse. She is working on the Flash Flood spell with which she wants to instantly fill up the krater of Krak’Tau, claming the territory as her own, making a statement to Kroth.

In the war against the planet she has proven more than once to be a large threat to the magma chambers and Kroth’s destructive forces. She uses her tidal influence to continuously cool down the magma chambers to downgrade active volcanoes to dormant ones, dropping the temperature on the planet and removing the threat of chain eruptions. Kroth is obviously not content with this approach but is afraid to go down into the core and hunt her down, where he is mostly devoid from his source of power and without his volcanoes and mountains. And thus begins the assault on Kroth and his power sources and his struggle to destroy the non-red sources on the planet once and for all.

Cashela, Princess of the Tide 1UU

Art: A beautiful but dangerous looking female merfolk holding a spear decorated with coral, her other hand stretched out casting a vortex.

Planeswalker – Mythic
+1: Tap or untap target permanent. If a red permanent or Mountain was tapped in this way, Cashela, Princess of the Tide deals 1 damage to target player.
+1: Target land becomes a basic Island until your next upkeep.
-X: Put a X/X Blue Water Elemental creature token with Islandwalk into play that has: U: This creature gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
-7: Tap all non-Island, non-Blue permanents. Permanents tapped in this way do not untap during its controllers’ next untap step.

Loyalty: 4
A blue moon's beauty and a tidal waves' strength.

Trademark Card
Cashelas’ spell:

Surge of Water 2UU

Art: With Cashela on the left, her arm pointed to the right. A large column of water shoots towards the right side of the card where steam appears. The art, like with planeswalkers, is continued onto the edge of the card.

Instant - Uncommon
Counter target spell. If the countered spell was Red, Surge of Water deals 2 damage to its controller. Otherwise, put a 2/2 Tide Elemental creature token with Islandwalk into play that has: U: This creature gets +1/-1 until end of turn.

Your provocation will come back to hurt you, one way or the other”. Cashela, Princess of the Tide

Kroths’ spell

Magma Blast 3RR

Art: With Kroth on the right side of the card art, he summons a stream of magma towards the left side of the card art where steam appears. The art, like with planeswalkers, is continued onto the edge of the card.

Sorcery - Uncommon
Destroy target land or creature. If an Island or blue creature is destroyed in this way, put a 3/3 colorless Magma Elemental creature token into play that has: Sacrifice Magma Elemental: Add RRR to your mana pool. Otherwise, Magma Blast deals 3 damage to target player.

You will perish. Here. Now. Ramogg is mine! Kroth, the Molten One.

If you paid attention to the art description , you will notice that the cards can be put together to create a combined art. Like a mural. This to emphasize the rivalry between the two.
Also, the abilities are almost the same, almost like Charms. I kept in mind the other assignments for the duel deck, and these should not be omitted from them. Going further, I have in mind that the card art for these should be on the boxes.

Topical reprints for Duel Decks

This was actually harder than I thought, especially for Kroth. I had to refrain from using cards like Volcanic Dragon, as the only common reference would be the 'Volcanic' in it. Here goes.

Cashelas’ deck

Common
Flash Flood –Bouncing mountains is stripping Kroth from his powers (as in the story), destroying red permanents, well… And it is different from the Hydro/Pyroblast cards of which I’m sure you’d been expecting those . Which, by the way, could be in the decks anyway.
Sea’s Claim – PW ability. A common that even got played for some time if I recall correctly
Tidal Warrior – Bit tribal, and by name and ability very flavorful to the story.

Uncommon
Flood – Hasn’t seen print in a LONG time. The result of my PWs spell and ability of the Tide influencers.
Research the Deep – As blue mostly houses underneath the surface, it is only natural that when you can’t go up to investigate, you can go down. It’s clash ability represents the battle between not only you and your opponent, but also the two PW.
Suq’Ata Firewalker – He pings for damage like the PW, and his pro-red makes him an excellent addition. He could be one of the allies from the surface that Cashela gathered around her.

Rare
River Merfolk – Another merfolk. His landwalk ability reflects the merfolks’ ability to travel great distances underground as previously explained.
Breaking Wave – Art, name and ability all point towards her ultimate, though not 100% the same.
Deflection – I love this spell, and it’s perfect for Cashela with her ability to use/bend the water to protect her/deflect spells.

Other reprints I would put in:
Oasis, Sea Sprite, Mist Dragon.

Kroths’ deck

Common
Active Volcano – Flash Floods’ counterpart. I can’t say anything that would make it more obvious.
Molten Rain – A reference to Kroths’ use of his volcanoes, firing a Molten Rain onto an area believed to harbor adversaries. Or just plain entertainment.
Fireblast – This refers to the leveling of Krak’Tau. Red has to have a burn spell and Pyroclasm was too obvious.

Uncommon
Heat Wave – Very anti blue, but with the PW ultimate and the next card, Landslide, its upkeep could become a bit tough mid-late game. Refers to the radiance of heat that procedes Kroth.
Landslide – A big reference to the PW ultimate, but then for direct damage at your opponent.
Lava Hounds – It deals damage to you as well, like Kroths’ Pyroclasm. Name and art-wise fit right in.

Rare
Eternal Flame – Reference to PW ability regarding the mountains.
Sulfuric Vortex – A spell Kroth would cast. It hurts him, too, but as long as he hits his opponents, that’s fine.
Thundermare – I’ve talked about elementals, well here is one that would fit right in the story.

Other reprints I would put in:
Desert Nomads + Desert, Cave People, Sirocco, Volcanic Dragon.

Well, hope you liked it!

__________________
I'm a geek, you're a geek. Let's trade.

(These are only facts about the 3 sets pertaining to the cards designed in the contest and other pertain details)

-In the First set of the block we have Keldron, the basis of the new world and order, and the other tribes. Each tribe save spirits are dominate in this set, griffins tend to replace the spirit area, though blue geists are still around, causing a ruckus.
-In the Second set, Keldron's Spark has Ignited, and in part thanks to Avacyn was forewarned of a coming threat from the south. It could only mean the Vampires. So he called upon all allies they could, the foresters, the mountain-men, though the most loyal allies were the spirits of his beloved men-at-arms, raised to fight again thanks to the powers of the Angels who serve Avacyn. White spirits again walk the earth to fight even after death, filling out the color pie's tribes.
-In the third set the Enemy Planeswalker (Nezera) has amassed her army, and is on the march. Keldron sets out to defeat her, and while she gets away most of her army is destroyed by the end of the battle, along with most of Gavony Kingdom. Keldron Simply looks to his people and says, "A city can be rebuilt, the dead mourned, but our freedom, that we've kept, and once gone we could never have gotten that back." After setting the remaining humans to rebuilding Keldron talks to the Wolfir leaders and binds them to hunting down every last vampire on the plane, that this may never happen again. Keldron then leaves to hunt down the Enemy Planeswalker, starting with the only clue he has, Mention of a Sorin Markov in the last war. A Lord of Innistrad, the once beautiful and dark city where vampires used humans like livestock. The city was left in ruin after the humans beset its walls and penetrated all but the deepest layers, before assuming victory and returning to build and reinforce their own walls and cities.

Nezera is a direct descendant of Sorin Markov's bloodline. During the battle when Avancyn was released from the hellvault Nezera managed to bite an angel and drink its blood. This infusion would have killed a lesser vampire, but for her it ignited her spark. She saw the doom coming to her and her people and fled the battle, knowing her kin would win in the long run. After 100 or so years of wandering she returns to find she was dead wrong. Gathering up the nobles that remained, dominating those who don't go along with her, or out right killing them, she set out to tear down the walls of the civilizations the humans had created oh so nicely for themselves in Her homeland. After Keldron's dead, and only after, she will right the unbalance of power and the food chain.

Art: A slender maiden of light skin like moonlight, pure silver-white butt length hair, and pools of deep violet for eyes stands, nearly nude, with her arm outstretched, a single finger beckoning you forward, offering temptations of body, mind, and spirit. Her stature is slender, petite, almost delicate. But something in her eyes betrays her true nature to those who can resist their offers.

Nezera, the Tempter. 3BR

If you control 4 or more vampires you may sacrifice 4 vampires and transform Nezera, the Tempter.

-2 Gain Control of target creature until the end of the turn, it gains haste and becomes a vampire in addition to its other types.

+1 Put a 1/1 black vampire token with lifelink on the battlefield.

Loyalty Counters: 5

Flip Side:

Art: What once was a beautiful maiden has become a solid, somber creature of animalistic nature. Where once was beauty offering you temptations now is the same woman, though half way through ripping apart a human's face with one hand while siphoning the blood straight from a vampire several feet away into herself with the other hand outstretched. All around her battle rages but she seems to be unscathed. While she wears no armor blood splatter and a random soldiers arm coming into the frame, as if right in front of the viewer, covers what should not be seen

Nezera, Avenger of Markov.

-3 You get an emblem with, "Creatures you control gain lifelink."

+1 Put a 1/1 black vampire token with flying onto the battlefield.

-X Each player sacrifices X non-vampire permanents, where X is the number of loyalty counters removed.

Loyalty counters: 4

Duel Deck -
The idea is PW vs PW but a very strong Human vs Vampire theme. While the set includes all tribes, these focus mostly on those two, respectively. Other reprints/cards included in the decks would be O-Ring for white and Doom Blades for black. Essentially the White deck tries to use numbers and defensive tactics, waiting to pop the angels, and then come in with the win. The Black Red deck however is more than hungry for blood, its even willing to kill its own to benefit the rest if needed. Kind of a Good vs Evil clash, with evil being willing to do anything and everything to win, while good simply stands fast with faith in their allies, hoping against odds they win. While the black seems to show more "Leader-type monsters, white would have them too, such as field marshal and daru warchief, but I felt the flavor called for the cards I'd picked. So here they are.

Trademark Cards-
Art: Nezera stands behind a great human warrior, who has fallen to the blades of his three allies, while a stream of blood flows through the air from the middle soldier to Nezera.

Nezera's Temptation 3BR

Sorcery - Rare

Gain control of target creature until end of turn. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of your end step. If a vampire was sacrificed this way it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player, or you may gain life equal to the sacrificed creatures power.

Art: A slender, well dressed man is sounding off a trumpet, as troops urge their horses on past him, to join the battle raging down below. Flying from a pole upon the Herald's mount is a banner of Gavony, across the battle-field you can see three other banners flying above the melee.

Keldron's Herald 2WW

Creature - Human Soldier

Soldiers you control get +0/+2

Whenever Keldron's Herald attacks you may put a Soldier card from your hand onto the battle-field tapped and attacking defending player.

2/2

I will serve you my whole life and beyond, my liege.

Topical Reprints (Nezera)
Common-

Altar's Reap 1B
Instant - Common

As an additional cost to cast Altar's Reap, sacrifice a creature.
Draw two cards.

The religious act out long, dull rituals, asking for help. The smart simply smile, and slit a throat. Your message gets through faster.
-Euriduce, the Demon's Alchemist

Power at any cost, plain and simple. Whats one life if it brings your enemies death?

Tragic Slip B

Instant

Target Creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

Morbid - That creature gets -13/-13 instead until end of turn if a creature died this turn.

One of the best morbid cards from the set IMO, also great removal, twinned with all the dying her deck will do.

Bloodthrone Vampire 1B

Creature - Vampire

Sacrifice a creature: Bloodthrone Vampire gets +2/+2 Until end of turn

1/1

You saw my vision, and understood. Now you eat your own, abominations to all but me. Victory at any cost.
-Nezera to her new army

These are her most favored children, though Nezera prefers vampire blood more, she loves anything that grows stronger due to something else's death.

Uncommon-

Blood Artist 1B

Creature - Vampire

Whenever Blood Artist or another creature dies, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

0/1

Nobles will be nobles, and where there are nobles, there are courts, and politicing. But there is always artisans. Plus his ability works well with her theme, even if he is pitifully weak 0/1 wise

Urge to Feed BB

Instant - Uncommon

Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. You may tap any number of untapped Vampire creatures you control. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on each of those Vampires.

Fitting as a bit of removal, but reflects the vampires ravenous state, near starvation forced to feed on animals unless you are of noble blood, but even they suffer.

Act of Treason

Instant - Uncommon

Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. (It can attack and Tap this turn.)

The minds of these creatures, yours and mine, are weak
- Nezera to Keldron

Reflects her mind magic type abilities, as she shows signs of abilities similar in type to sorins, but of a different variety.

Rare-

Blade of the Bloodchief 1

Artifact - Equipment

Whenever a creature is put into the graveyard from the battlefield put a +1/+1 counter on equipped creature. If equipped creature is a vampire put two +1/+1 counters on it instead.

Equip 1

An artifact Nezera found while searching the planes for signs of Sorin, trying to tell him of his home planes demise. It fits in well with other cards as well as her willingness to sacrifice all her army if it means victory.

Aether Snap 3BB

Sorcery - Rare

Remove all counters from all permanents and exile all tokens.

I will strip away your insignificant barriers, from your city, and from your mind.
-Nezera to Keldron

This card shows a side of her most wouldn't expect. She's willing to even kill herself if it means the vampires would win this war she started. Besides that, it fits with all the counters and tokin making.

Bloodlord of Vassgoth

Creature - Vampire Warrior

Bloodthirst 3 (If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this creature enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it.)
Flying
Whenever you cast a Vampire creature spell, it gains bloodthirst 3.

3/3

A great representation of vampires in their current state, like a shark feeding frenzy he grants them the power needed to sate their hunger.

(Keldron's Cards)
Common-
Break of Day 1W

Instant - Common

Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Fateful hour — If you have 5 or less life, those creatures gain indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)

It shows Keldrons unwillingness to give up, no matter what the odds. Also brings back some of the mechanics I wanted to have return.

Soul Warden W

Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.

1/1

An essential part of any army is its healer

Village Bell-Ringer 2W

Creature - Human Scout

Flash (You may play this card any time you could play an instant)

When Village Bell-Ringer enters the battlefield, untap all creatures you control.

1/4

Just an all around good card for a deck like this, also a great show of the defensive side of any army.

Uncommon-

Curse of Exhaustion 2WW

Enchantment - Aura Curse

Enchant player
Enchanted player can't cast more than one spell each turn.

"The quicker we win, the less blood shed."
-Keldron

This fits well with the deck style, as well as showing Keldrons dislike of excess bloodshed.

Absolute Grace 1W

All creatures gain protection from black.

It is our faith in her that lets Avacyn put her faith in us.

Its only natural that the church backing Keldron, and the three Flights would have some form of protection for his soldiers, both of body and mind.

Abolish 1WW

Instant - Uncommon

You may discard a Plains card rather than pay Abolish's mana cost.
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

This is more along the lines of something his "spellcasters" would cast on the battlefield to help improve odds or tear down defenses.

Rare-

Angel of Glory's Rise 4WW

Creature - Angel - Rare

Flying
When Angel of Glory's Rise enters the battlefield, exile all Zombies, then return all Human creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield.

4/6

You are still needed. Rise, and fight again"

Why? Well...the raising all your friends that died is just plain nice. And well Keldron would surely need a real heavenly backing to win this war.

Abeyance 1W

Instant - Rare

Until end of turn, target player can't cast instant or sorcery spells, and that player can't activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.
Draw a card.

"Avacyn will aid us all, of that I know."
-Keldron to his men.

It slows them down, a bit of card draw, its cheap if needed early. But it also shows the faith of Keldron, and his land, as Avacyn is sill strong on Innistrad

Ancestral Tribute 5WW

Sorcery - Rare

You gain 2 life for each card in your graveyard.
Flashback 9WWW (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

I digress. The only other option I have is Urza.
Urza hasn't been done, but given his past, he won't be completely "opposing colors" to Kerrick (Black).

He is a spellshaper, and artificer, which would make him blue. I'm going to keep him blue due to storyline, rather than him being "opposite." In addition, a White/Black duel deck has already been made. I know Phyrexia vs. the Coalition has been made, however, Phyrexia vs Coalition, Coalition was GWR with only a splash of Blue. This is K'rrik vs. Urza - Phyrexia vs. Tolaria, essentially, and thus, Black vs. Blue - Phyrexia vs. the Artificers. Which, thematically, is pretty sweet because blue was minimal in Phyrexia vs. the Coalition. As such, I will be PURPOSEFULLY TRYING TO AVOID CARDS THAT WERE IN PHYREXIA vs. the COALITION, so as to get a unique feel. Some are unavoidable (i.e. Phyrexian Negator).

If this docks me points for not being "enemy-colored" then so be it.

1. Urza, Tolarian Protector
3UU
Planeswalker - Urza - Mythic Rare
+1: Put a 1/1 Metathran Soldier creature token named Metathran Soldier into play. It has "~ is unblockable"
-2: Add 3 to your mana pool.
-9: Exile all nonland permanents. Exiled permanents you controlled gain Suspend 2.
Loyalty 5

All have reference to various points in Urza's storyline history - Creating the metathran to fight Phyrexia, His artificer history and similarity to Mishra's Workshop, and then the Golgothian Silex combined with Time Spiral Block and the rifts he and Teferi created.

2.
A. K'rrik Trademark Card
K'rrik's Justice
3BB
<Instant> - <Rare>
Target player sacrifices a creature, discards a creature card from his or her hand, and loses 3 life.

Flashback 4BBB

B. Urza Trademark Card
Urza's Intervention
3UU
<Instant> - <Rare>
Counter target spell, return target permanent to it's owner's hand, and draw a card.

Flashback 4UUU

3.
A. K'rrik Deck
Commons
1 - Befoul (Sorcery) - Classic, good removal.
2 - Enfeeblement (Enchantment) - Good semi-removal. Fits blacks theme.
3 - Disease Carriers (Creature) - Fits with theme (i.e. engineered plague), decent creature, can cause 2 for 1.
Uncommons
1 - Corrupt (Sorcery) - Dirty in an all black deck. Fits theme of K'rrik PW.
2 - Engineered Plague (Enchantment) - Basic Phyrexian plague. Kills Metathran soldiers.
3 - Plague Dogs (Creature) - Another great creature, and can counteract metathran soldiers.
Rares
1 - Yawgmoth's Will (Sorcery) - K'rrik is doing Yawgmoth's bidding. Again, enough said.
2 - Lurking Skirge (Enchantment) - Becomes a creature, cheap, effective.
3 - Eviscerator (Creature) - Creature references by K'rrik during his invasion of Tolaria. Even though Phyrexian Negator would probably be in too, picked this one over Negator because Negator has been made into promo with new art before.

Temperantia, Guardian of Justice
2WWW
Planeswalker-Temperantia
+2: Creatures you control get +1/+1 and
lifelink until end of turn.
-3: Put a 2/2 white Knight creature token
with first strike and protection from black
and a 2/2 white Knight creature token with
first strike and protection from red onto
the battlefield.
-11: Put three 5/5 white Angel creature
tokens with flying, first strike, lifelink,
protection from Demons and from Dragons
onto the battlefield.
5

2) A signature card for each Planeswalker

Amondeus:
Eviscerater Demon
2BBR
Creature-Demon (R)
Flying, deathtouch, trample
Eviscerator Demon enters the battlefield with
five -1/-1 counters on it.
XBR, T, Remove X -1/-1 counters from
Eviscerator Demon: Put X -1/-1 counters on
target creature.
8/8

Temperantia:
Fiendslayer Angel
2WW
Creature-Angel (R)
Flash
Flying
When Fiendslayer Angel enters the
battlefield, exile target attacking or
blocking creature an opponent
controls until Fiendslayer Angel leaves
the battlefield.
3/2

3) 9 topical reprints for each 'Walker

Amondeus Common:
1) Blightning
2) Ostracize
3) Innocent Blood

Ostracize ends creatures before they even exist, making it one less peon for Amondeus to deal with. Blightning is a perfect punisher card. Three to the dome, two to the hand. Innocent Blood fits the flavor of the deck, and shows that Amondeus only cares about slaughtering his enemies.

Uncommon:
4) Stench of Evil
5) Backlash
6) Deathmark

Stench of Evil punished white mages. It destroys their plains and deals damage to them unless they pay 2 for each 1 damage. Backlash deals with an opponent's creature for a turn and then burns its controller. A demon taking control of someone/thing and forcing it to hurt an ally fits with Amondeus. By killing green or white creatures Deathmark fits with Amondeus hating all that is good, and his +1 ability.

Rare:
7) Dross Harvester
8) Desecration Demon
9) Black Sun's Zenith

Dross Harvester was chosen because it has pro-white, and, while it hurts you, it gives you a bonus when a creature dies, which is Amondeus' main goal. Desecration Demon not only lets you get the bonus from Dross Harvester more often, it forces your opponent to kill one of their own creatures. Black Sun's Zenith not only wipes the board, for 1BB it can set up Amondeus' ultimate without you having to yse Amondeus' -2.

Temperantia Common:
1) Journey to Nowhere
2) Thraben Sentry
3) Inquisitor's Snare

Thraben Sentry can punish opponents by going from noble sentry to vicious warrior once a threat is presented. Inquisitor's Snare can protect a creature, planeswalker, or you from a creature, and if that creature is evil (B or R) it will die. This card fits with Temperantia being a guardian of justice and slayer of the wicked. Journey to Nowhere, at least temporarily, vanquishes those who would do harm. Against black & red, it's a permanent exile.

Uncommon:
4) Intangible Virtue
5) Brave the Elements
6) Timely Reinforcements

The boost and Vigilanace Intangible Virtue gives your tokens can be enough to give you the edge, especially if you have Temperantia out. Timely Reinforcements can keep you in, or get you back into, the game. Brave the Elements protects your army.

Rare:
7) Karmic Guide
8) Decree of Justice
9) Shining Shoal

Hylen, Protector of Progress 3WUG

Planeswalker - Hylen - Mythic Rare

A male rhox stands on a road, hands upraised in a warding gesture as a glowing shield protects him from an errant bolt of magic. A village is visible behind him on the road.

+1: Choose shroud, indestructible, or lifelink. Target permanent you control gains that ability until the beginning of your next upkeep.
-3: Put 3 cards from your graveyard on the top of your library in any order, then draw a card.
-6: Play any number of permanent cards from your hand without paying their mana costs.

3 loyalty

**************************************

Destroyer of Worlds 2WWWBR

Creature - Horror - Rare (Foil!)

A gargantuan mass of amorphous incandescant flesh is shown towering over a fortress, laying waste to the structure as its defenders attempt to hold it off. Foil highlights on the metal of the defenders' armour, and the nimbus of light around the giant monster. (Shown in the background of Dysis Rue)

When Destroyer of Worlds enters the battlefield or attacks, you may destroy target permanent.

If Destroyer of Worlds dies, put it onto the battlefield tapped. Target opponent may draw a card.

7/7

"We have awoken the Great One, and it will not rest until it has crushed the world to dust."

**************************************

[b]Creation Charm[b] WUG

Instant - Rare (Foil!)

Within a Rhox's hand rests a seed from which sprouts a small plant. Nestled among the leaves are buildings and gentle waterfalls. Foil highlights on the water, and the veins and stems of the leaves.

Choose one - Draw 3 cards; Put 3 3/3 white blue and green Rhox Warrior tokens with first strike onto the battlefield; or put up to 3 target lands from your graveyard to your hand.

"I will not allow this world to die. Anything that can be destroyed can be created anew." -Hylen Kellenos

***************************************************
Dysis Rares
Devouring Strossus
Apocalypse
Planar Cleansing

Dysis Uncommons
Not of this World
Phthisis
Lightning Helix

Dysis Commons
Shattering Pulse
Orim's Thunder
Doom Blade

Hylen Rares
Aegis of Honor
Heightened Awareness
Genesis Wave

Hylen Uncommons
Ruin Ghost
Paradise Plume
Dismiss

Hylen Commons
Growth Spasm
Civic Guildmage
Bant Sojourners

Cashela, Princess of the Tide

Mechanics 8/10 - I quite like this card. The abilities are all very blue, and are all very anti-Kroth. Would have liked the damage to be to the red card/mountain's controller, so it's offensive used against red, including if it's yourself. She reads wanting to be mono-blue for sure, so having to ping yourself to untap your own mountain would fit that. Ultimate is a great alpha-strike enabler, and is costed about right. 4 loyalty for 3 is fine given that the -X isn't super strong except while keeping her alive to make islands later for islandwalk.

Theme 9/10 - Yeah I guess the opposite of a red elemental is a blue merfolk. The fact that she has an explicitly anti-red ability keeps her tightly on theme as an enemy of your PW, but having other more widely functional abilities keeps her on theme as a merfolk PW in her own right. Good stuff.

Surge of Water

Mechanics 5/10 - Sadly, first off I've got to dock a bunch of points because I explicitly required the trademark spells to be Rare or Mythic Rare and this is an uncommon. That said, it's not a bad card. A shock for (1) on cancel, with limited use is reasonable. I do think though that blue probably wants the 2/2 more often than the shock even if not especially against red. I think they'd rather have a 2 (changeable to 3) power blocker against red than to get some direct damage in. Might be just me though.

Theme 9/10 - Theme-wise though this card is pretty much bang on. Name fits with the theme, effect works with the name as well (The water causing damage to the fire, or else leaving behind an elemental) The fact that the creature picks up the ability of Cashela's -X ability is a nice touch.

Magma Blast

Mechanics 5/10 - Again, these cards were required to be rare or mythic rare, and this is an uncommon. Also again, I do like the card. They go well together, with both gaining advantage versus the enemy colour, and still gaining incremental benefit from off-colour targetting as well.

Theme 9/10 - See above really. It's a great application of the theme that executes well. Nothing super surprising, but very solid.

Reprints

Total Points 18/18

Bonus 4/5 - There's the right balance of obvious gimme spells (sea's claim, fireblast, active volcano etc) and some cards that haven't been around for a while and are a little more "hunh...I remember that guy" (suq'ata firewalker expecially)

17/20 + 14/20 + 14/20 + 22/23 = 67/83

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Zarfolos132

Nezera, the Tempter/Nezera, Avenger of Markov

Mechanics 8/10 - While I generally like the theme of Nezera, there are a couple issues. One is that the transformed side doesn't actually have a loyalty, they retain the loyalty counters they had when they transformed (which will likely be more than 4) which makes the powers on the flipside a little out of balance. They're fine at 4, but when she probably transforms with 7 or 8, instead, her -X can be pretty powerful and/or you can stack a couple lifelink emblems in quick order. Also, you don't need to specify that you need to control 4 vampires to be allowed to sacrifice 4 vampires.

Theme 10/10 - However, I love the theme of her. Not sure if it was intentional or not, but the fact that they stolen creatures stay vampires even when they go back to their owners control is a nice touch. Could have stood to have them become black too which would have been nice. As great as all the backstory was, and it does work well, it doesn't count towards the scoring since I didn't ask for it, but just her name and abilities do the legwork to set her up as a good enemy for Keldron. He's all about loyalty, so temptation and vampires are an obvious anti-him theme.

Nezera's Temptation

Mechanics 7/10 - For 5 at rare, it's pretty underpowered most of the time. It's basically Slave of Bolas which is uncommon. Slave also untaps the creature where Temptation doesn't. If you use it on one of your own vampires, say one you just cast, 5 mana to give it haste then essentially fling it isn't all that great. At uncommon, it's fine. At rare, it either needs to be a bit cheaper, or possibly the same cost and an instant. Alternately, it could also untap and/or make into a vampire, and just do the steal -and- fling as the whole part of the spell.

Theme 7/10 - Obviously with a title like 'the tempter' she is going to have a lot of red's theft abilities. But the rest of her powers are all about -keeping- what she steals or at least leaving them susceptible to her control (staying vampires even if she loses control of them) so the sacrifice is a little off. Gaining life from sacrificing the vampire is also a little odd to me, you'd think we're going for "drained them to death" which would make you think it would be non-vampires who fire it off.

Keldron's Herald

Mechanics 9/10 - I quite like this card. 2/2 for 4 in rare tends to come with some pretty nasty powers, and putting soliders into play is right up there. I like that it is tapped and attacking the defending player specifically, so you can't sneak in a PW kill spell. Only templating issue is that you should say Soldier Creatures, rather than just Soldiers in both places. But that's pretty minor on what is otherwise a great powerful 4-drop for weenie.

Theme 10/10 - You've definitely completely locked down your theming for Keldron and his story. This is pretty much bang-on a trademark spell for someone like Keldron.

Reprints

Total Points 17/18 - can't give you AEther Snap on this one. It's not an 'unexpected side' to her that she would sacrifice herself to win. She's vampire tribal. They have -always- been about the accumulation of +1/+1 counters. I feel like this pretty much always hurts her WAY more than it hurts the enemy. Especially alongside Bloodlord who is pretty much made of counters, this seems like a card you'd just never want to play in the Duel Deck.

Bonus 4/5 - You went fairly straightforward on these, but I liked seeing Curse of Exhaustion and Village Bell-ringer for Keldron. Taking the bits of Innistrad in the humans vs vampires conflict that I really enjoyed as well.

18/20 + 14/20 + 19/20 + 21/23 = 72/83

***********************************************
ryan2754

Urza, Tolarian Protector

Mechanics 9/10 - Man, Urza's been fan-made into a PW so many times, that picking him, even if you felt you had no other options, is gutsy, but I think you really deliver on it. Making 1/1 metathran unblockables is on great theme for Urza, and not too powerful for creature creation since they don't combine with his ultimate in a useful way, making them either/or. The ultimate is vry splashy and powerful. The delay on your cards coming back via suspend is awesome, and gives your enemy a chance to try and build back up a bit before all of your cards come swooping back. My only thing is that I'd feel better if the 3 mana were either 2 mana, or had some condition on how you could spend it. It's not overpowered, as such, and comboing around it takes some doing, but seeing bonus mana in blue is always enough to make you a little hesitant.

Theme 10/10 - It's refreshing to see an Urza PW that isn't just "Artifacts artifacts!" or "Blue's awesome, draw 20 cards" or whatever he usually gets saddled with. This fits to his history, is balanced around itself, and suspend/rifts elements work well with being K'rrik's enemy, and the ties to his previous experience with Phyrexia are a great touch. Good job.

K'rrik's Justice

Mechanics 8/10 - This is a solid black card, and given that it's basically a 3-for-1 (edict, ostracize, bolt) the cost, while actually maybe (1) too high for rare, is fairly balanced. It does need to force them to reveal their hand, since there is a type-specific discard on it, which doesn't appear in the card text. The ability isn't so powerful, though, that I think it needs a 4BBB flashback. I'd cost it either a teensy bit cheaper, or a bunch cheaper and make it a sorcery.

Theme 9/10 - Death death and more death. I like the somewhat ironic use of "justice" in the card name. I mean, he's not really about the "usual" definition of justice, but in the "The King's Justice" sense of it being his own decision what is going to happen, it fits great.

Urza's Intervention

Mechanics 6/10 - So the only thing that stops this from being hilariously overpowered is that you need both legal targets on announcement, and even then, wow. This is Cryptic Command minus the sleep, except you get do just do ALL THREE instead of picking two. 1UUU and 3UU are commonly treated as equivalent casting costs (One coloured mana and two colourless being 'equal' roughly) so it's just a flat upgrade, more easily splashed for, onto what is already a great card. Adding in the flashback is just icing on the cake.

Theme 9/10 - However, this is pretty much a quintessential blue card. It does all the main blue stuff, and definitely fits as a trademark spell for Urza.

Reprints

Total Score 17/18 - Gotta take a point on Yawg Will. While I agree that it is super obvious as a thematic include, it's on the Reserve List, and since 2011, nothing on the list will be reprinted as premium -or- non-premium so it coudln't be in this theoretical deck (Negator in PvC was in 2010, before they changed the policy)

Bonus 4/5 - Glad to see the lab and turnabout for Urza, and Lurking Skirge is great and thinking a little outside the box. Engineered Plague really needed to be here, which was nice to see.

19/20 + 17/20 + 15/20 + 21/23 = 72/83

**************************************************

skizzikmonger

Temperantia, Guardian of Justice

Mechanics 10/10 - This is just a solid big mythic PW. Triple white makes it hard to splash. Four turns to ultimate while she survives, or 3 if she dies works with the power. Three Baneslayers as an ultimate is pretty dang ultimate, but while it is a scary thing to see, they haven't got haste, so they have time to try and deal with them before 15 lifelink come smashing in airborne. The cost also serves to really make it a one-off power, which helps balance it too. The odds that she would ever live to fire off a second ultimate are pretty slim.

Theme 8/10 - As an enemy for a demon, an angel is pretty much the way to go, and she feels VERY angel-y. What she doesn't feel like is an enemy for Amondeus -in particular- I might have considered havign her futz around with +1/+1 counters, so they could counteract each other's powers, or doing something to black/red creatures. Still a solid angel v demon card.

Eviscerator Demon

Mechanics 9/10 - I do like what they did in Shadowmoor with the -1/-1 counters on creatures turning into an advantage, and this goes right along with that. 5 for an 8/8 flying, deathtouch, trample would be way too strong, but for a 3/3? It can die to lightning bolt before you can make it good which is a nice balancing factor. Spending more mana to bring the P/T up to full while killing something else is very black, very red, and very demon. 12 mana for this guy at full power and killing a 5/5 or smaller across two turns, or firing off his ability for 1 or 2 several turns in a row makes this a solid creature at rare.

Theme 10/10 - I like that he can pass -1/-1 counters around to power Amondeus' ultimate, and that he is susceptible to that ultimate until he gets his counters off. I like the connection (intentional or not) between 5 -1/-1 counters on Eviscerator Demon, and the creature Eviscerator losing you 5 life when it ETB. It's got a great Rakdos and a great Demon theme.

Fiendslayer Angel

Mechanics 10/10 - This is just a fantastic card. You need some pretty heavy juice to be good at 4-drop, and this brings it. 3/2 flying is balanced on a flier for 4, and the requirement that the exile only hits enemy creatures stops too many shenanigans that other flicker angels bring now. You can get rid of a scary attacker, or slide a blocker out of the way of something that might die, but it's still got the "Only as long as I'm here" element of the other 'hunter' style creatures. Love it.

Theme 10/10 - Very definitley fits with the theme you're establishing for the duel deck. Goes well with Temperantia, and the angel theme. Solid addition as a trademark card.

Reprints

Total Score 18/18

Bonus 4/5 - I like most of these picks. They fit the themes very well, and would go well in duel decks. Some things might seem a little odd in their deck as a whole, like Deathmark since there won't be any green creatures. But everything seems to fit, and you're all over the back catalog of Magic which is what I was hoping to see.

18/20 + 19/20 + 20/20 + 22/23 = 79/83

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Ficksquoose

Hylen, Protector of Progress

Mechanics 7/10 - While I like this PW, and I think the abilities are fairly well balanced, they really don't seem to play well together. Shroud isn't really a thing anymore, it's pretty much all Hexproof. I feel like the play is to make himself shrouded or indestructible for 3 turns, and then dump your hand onto the battlefield. That makes him -really- hard to get rid of before he lets you do some messy things. That said, even if I think 3 turns to a personal Eureka is strong, at the same time 6 in three colours for a 3-loyalty PW is weak. But they aren't strong and weak in a way that provides balance. It's either going to be too good or too poor, depending on what's in your hand, which makes him really inconsistant. If you're playing him mid game and using his -3 to try and get some good stuff into your hand for his ultimate, you are directly stopping his ultimate from building up. Just seems a little disjointed, and not that elegant.

Theme 10/10 - As disjointed as I think the abilities are, from a pure theme perspective, you've pretty much done the job in creating the exact opposite of Dysis. He protects, he regenerates, he creates. He's everything Dysis is not, and knowing someone like Dysis exists, there's really nothing he could do except oppose her.

Destroyer of Worlds

Mechanics 9/10 - Frequent vindicates are very powerful, but attaching them to a 7-drop with 5 coloured mana in 3 colours goes a long way to mitigating that. 7/7 is a big body in addition to multiple vindicates, but it only comes back tapped, and has no real evasion or trample etc so it's more controllable. I can see why you want to match it to Dysis' colours, but I'm not really seeing what's red about this guy though.

Theme 10/10 - I was wondering when the Old One was going to make an appearance, and as a trademark card, something so Cthonic is exactly how you do it. Powerful, flashy, great in foil for something like a duel deck, and very Johnny.

Creation Charm

Mechanics 7/10 - Charms are a great way to capture multicoloured abilities in a way that stays thematic, but draw 3 for three mana at instant speed is pretty much going to be the choice almost every time. YOu can draw 3 for four mana as a sorcery, or for three if you have to discard one or two of them. You can do it as an instant when you have to put two back afterwards. In eternal formats, paying three in Bant colours to say...get three fetchlands back into your hand is also pretty over the top-y. Within the likely cardpool of the Duel Decks, it's a little more balanced, and more of a counter to what Destroyer is doing, but those are some pretty crazy things to be doing at the end of someone's turn in blue/white.

Theme 10/10 - I'd have to doublecheck, but I think you've gotten max theme points in every round. You've clearly put some thought into how this is going to go, and done a lot to fulfill that theme. Awesome.

Reprints

Total points 17/18 - Knocking a point on Lightning Helix. Life gain? From Cthonic themed destruction? I mean, it's a great red/white card, and a solid removal spell, but just looking over the list I immidiately went "Wait...that doesn't belong at all!"

Bonus 4/5 - Definitely see where all the choices come from, but they don't just devolve into baseline removal and draw/tokens etc as might have been tempting.

Ficksquoose: 158/168
skizzikmonger: 151.5/168
Zarfolos132: 147/168
ryan2754: 146/168
AEther Storm: 137/168
Merlot: 78/168
Fluffycow: 71/168
Atog: 59/168
nfg2240: 39/168

So congratulations to our winner Ficksquoose, and our runners up skizzikmonger and Zarfalos 132!

The designs were all fantastic, and I had a blast judging everybody's cards.

As a reminder, the three prizes are as follows:

1/ DCI Judge reward Sinkhole (http://magiccards.info/scans/en/jr/48.jpg) <- Just the magiccards.info image so you know what I mean. Not the actual physical card, though it is NM

2/ NM Voice of Resurgence

3/ NM Chord of Calling

Prize distribution is drafted. The fastest way to do it would just be for all three of you to PM me your choices in order for which prize you want. Ficksquoose will get whichever is their first pick, skizzikmonger will get whichever is their top remaining pick, and Zarfalos will unfortunately just get whichever is left, so hopefully it's not his last choice.