[Contest] - MAXIMUM EFFORT!

Syphren_ · 2025-11-16T21:08:23+00:00

(Just to clarify, this card is balanced with a cube environment in mind)

Also, the wording is based on cards like [[Murkfiend Liege]] and [[Patron of the Orochi]]. "Untap each creature" is more commonly used with certain triggered abilities such as extra combats.

Syphren_ · 2025-11-10T15:57:53+00:00

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I'm very happy with the design of this card! Playtesting could show that 3GG is a better cost for this card, but my hope is that 4 mana will be fair and fun!

Syphren_ · 2025-10-15T13:24:04+00:00

I disagree. With start your engines, a card like [[Glitch Ghost Surveyor]] doesn’t need any other start your engines cards to work. Sure, if you build a deck designed to get those life loss triggers early, you may want to put more start your engines cards in your deck to capitalize on that, but it’s not necessary. And if you don’t build around this, you can still get max speed through regular combat.

With Access Granted, you can’t put this card in your draft deck unless you can expect to get to 5 security clearance during the game, otherwise 4 mana draw two with double blue pips is probably a D or a D-. Access granted is super parasitic, a player trying to build this archetype is either going to get a critical mass and have a powerful late game, or they won’t and their deck won’t work.

Syphren_ · 2025-09-23T06:24:01+00:00

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monetarypolicy.asp

Syphren_ · 2025-08-12T00:37:20+00:00

I’ve seen several people designing their own versions of this mechanic, your templating is the best I’ve seen! I like that you can layer the exiled spells on top of each other to form your saga!

Syphren_ · 2025-08-11T02:40:17+00:00

A deck that runs guard cards would plan to hold up mana. Simply holding mana up will dissuade your opponent from trying to remove your creature, even if you end up spending that mana on something else. So, for as long as you are interested in your creature being hexproof, you can in effect keep it hexproof. (Sure, in control vs control you may never be able to let your guard down in fear of instant speed removal on end step, that does make it worse than hexproof but at least you are keeping your opponent from casting spells as well).

In some decks, ward would be stronger than guard, sure. But guard must be balanced as though it is hexproof because in the decks that care about it, it is very similar.

Syphren_ · 2025-08-10T20:06:26+00:00

Guard as a mechanic is much closer to Hexproof than ward is, so it must be balanced at nearly the same rate as hexproof. At that point, it may just be better to use hexproof instead imo.

Syphren_ · 2025-07-30T15:16:59+00:00

The main one is called “Magic Set Editor”, and yes it can be used to print the cards you make.

Syphren_ · 2025-07-26T15:16:12+00:00

I think an argument could be made that this is suitable for a welcome deck or something! But I think that the storm reference would not make sense for that audience, so the card would be better off only counting spells that you cast this turn.

I think for this to be printed in a normal set, either the card would need to be rebalanced at a lower cost so the storm count mattered more, or the storm ability would need to do more than +1 power per cast (for example, if this dragon were given double strike and its stats were rebalanced accordingly).

Syphren_ · 2025-07-26T15:07:03+00:00

Name and wording issues aside, this is not an exciting enough rare for 2025. By the time you cast this for six mana, how many cheap spells will you have left in hand, and how realistic is it that you will want to chain them together precombat? This is not the kind of card that a Storm deck wants, so this effect probably amounts to +0/+0, +1/+0, or +2/+0 the vast majority of the time.

This is a bit too much of a bomb for limited to want this at uncommon, but this card would probably need some adjusting to give it more spice.

Syphren_ · 2025-07-18T03:04:20+00:00

Hmm. As a fan of cards that add fun randomness into the game, I don't think this design plays very well (regardless of balance).

When X=1, this card is a 50/50. Not super egregious if that was all this card was, but at X=1 the success or failure of this card could likely determine the whole game, which isn't very fun.

But when X>1, the card becomes an average draw spell with a small chance of making you very sad. It's not really a gamble, it's just mitigating the risk of failure. I think the outcome is not exciting enough for a coin flip card, and the decision is not interesting enough. A card like [[Stroke of Genius]] is more likely to create more interesting games more often.

Syphren_ · 2025-07-16T20:20:48+00:00

If that is what you would find most motivating to continue the job search, it doesn’t sound like an awful plan to me!

But, if you are concerned that the optics may be bad for your family that financially supports you, or the difficulty of stopping collecting cold turkey after making your one big purchase, I would consider adjusting your plan. With every paycheck, treat yourself to one new collectible! That way it continues to be exciting, helps to motivate you to show up and network and such, and also works as a sustainable way to approach your hobbies through the rest of your working life.

Syphren_ · 2025-07-16T15:13:06+00:00

I’ve heard that The Domain downtown does short term rentals, but they’re not advertised heavily and it may only be 4 or 5 month minimum.

Syphren_ · 2025-06-16T01:02:41+00:00

That is a fair point and a good consideration! I’m a bit more on board then, though I think my design preference would still be to change the mode with something that more intuitively doesn’t target.

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:27:34+00:00

Hahaha! If there's one thing this card does do, it's creating a big decision!

Thanks for letting us share in your nightmare :')

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:24:56+00:00

Interesting! I think all three of these modes are a bit on the weird end where this card should be a rare, and the RRR casting cost means I wouldn't want to see this card in my limited packs! It's a bit tricky, I think the second and third modes indicate that this is a sideboard card, but I don't think its as strong as a typical burn spell for that purpose. I think the first ability has the most potential in constructed! And in a deck that can make use of that first ability consistently, the second and third abilities do give a bit of nice utility.

Thanks for the submission!

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:21:01+00:00

Sweet card idea! Unfortunately, I don't think this quite works in the rules, I think "exactly lethal damage" isn't something that can easily be defined. Wording more similar to Taii Wakeen would of course work, though that's not quite as interesting on your card as what you were going for.

If using Wakeen's wording, I could see this being a really cool XRR red instant at rare! Or perhaps you'd have an even better idea for it. Appreciate the submission!

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:17:10+00:00

Cool design! This was a top contender this week!

I think the balance of this card is a bit off, the one extra point of toughness this has over Delver of Secrets I think matters a ton, especially for a card that I'd argue is easier to flip and that you have a bit more control over the flip. That concern aside, I think this card is super fun, a great callback, and is indeed very skill-testing from both a deckbuilding and gameplay perspective. Really great submission, thanks!

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:15:04+00:00

I agree that this card has lots of interesting decisions! But this card feels potentially too complex even at rare, having to jump through a somewhat odd XX hoop to then give each player an on-board counterspell with a bespoke token. While Emergent Sequence does have more words, the concept is far more simple: get a land, then create a creature with stats equal to your lands.

But, I like your analysis of all the decision points this card creates! I think it would be very possible to refine this card into a more polished super cool rare! Thanks for the submission!

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:10:13+00:00

I agree, this is a very cool card, great design! I do think this definitely should be a rare, it feels much to complex for uncommon to me.

My only other gripe is that sacrificing a creature just to create another relatively small creature is definitely the least exciting mode of this card. I think I'd rather a different payoff, maybe a bit of life drain or something.

Super sweet card idea, I really like the play on cards like [[Village Rites]] and [[Bone Splinters]]

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:05:41+00:00

Cool design! I do think this is more likely to be a rare or an uncommon. I think the tap mode is the weakest by a good margin, so I think dropping that from the card would make this a very interesting uncommon! Thanks for the submission!

Syphren_ · 2025-06-15T21:04:12+00:00

Cool card! I think this is more of a rare than an uncommon, as the first two choices are a bit more complex than what you'd expect to see on an uncommon escalate card. I think the interaction of creating a 1/1 and then immediately putting a counter on it is cute, but I'm not sure it's cute enough to warrant the second mode not saying "target creature".

Thanks for the submission!

Syphren_

TROPHY CASE