Goblin Artisans Weekend Art Challenge: Sandara

This weekend's Magic: The Gathering design challenge by Goblin Artisans can be found here.

Here's my submission:

The challenge asked for a Dragon design that could only be in the color(s) that it is in. Designing top-down cards is my style, so I went that route and let that process ultimately determine the type of effects or abilities this Dragon would have that would make it totally white.

There are three things that jump out at me about the art: the cloud of dust gathered 'round its feet, the prominent sun, and the barren land. The cloud of dust indicates to me that the dragon made a crash landing with its arrival. It's not standing, and it didn't walk over here from somewhere else. I associate this with flash.

In order to make this a better design, I need an effect that would call for this dragon having flash.

The barren land, at first, made me think that this dragon killed everyone. But it just landed, as we just went over. So, how could it just kill everyone instantly? Perhaps it's a Dragon that can do Day of Judgment on everyone. Sure, that can be done, but then the Dragon would die, too. If I made an effect that killed everyone EXCEPT the Dragon, well then we're making this into a black effect now. Let's see... what if everyone is already dead when the dragon arrives?

And that leads into the sun being prominently-placed in the art. It crosses with the Dragon's wing, so your eyes are drawn to it. Perhaps this Dragon is some kind of sun dragon.

Then I thought of Second Sunrise. Aha! It's going to bring everyone back to life, to give them a second chance. Faith's Reward exists as a card that only helps you instead of all players, but since this is the sun we're talking about, the sunlight is going to touch everyone. It's gotta affect all players.

However, I do like that Faith's Reward cleanly mentions permanents instead of Second Sunrise's specific card types. And dragons are powerfully-magical enough to do this sort of thing. I mean, just look at that beard.

So now the flash ability makes sense with this returning effect, gameplay-wise, since you'll want to be able to return your creatures or something if an opponent does something bad-for-you during his or her turn.

Lastly, I needed the effect to have the stipulation that it only goes off if you cast the Dragon from your hand. This is important because having an enters-the-battlefield triggered effect that returns creatures to the battlefield means it's open for degenerate combo abuse. Nip that in the bud.

Daily Card Redesign #186: Burrowing

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

There's a lot of focus on the creature itself - whatever it is. I decided on a "badger" to match with what it's doing, burrowing. You know, for the alliteration and because it's "close enough."

Normally, red doesn't do something so protective like having shroud - but having the benefit be while it's attacking makes it O.K., since the creature is still entirely removable before and after the combats it is attacking in, and encouraging attacking is good for red. 

Daily Card Redesign #185: Core Set 2012 Mage Cycle

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINALS:

REDESIGNS:

Daily Card Redesign #184: Otherworldly Journey

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

The flavor is that the little guy in the art is going on its own journey to confront the Kami and come back later a changed, legendary warrior.

This card can be used both offensively and defensively. Also, I enjoy that in case anybody tries to abuse the enchantment and put out a bunch of creatures to take advantage of the chosen name - the legendary flavorful inclusion then becomes a way to control that behavior from happening.

Daily Card Redesign #183: Rampaging Baloths

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

This creature has an increasing Overrun! The Beasts get more and more out of hand, rampaging harder, better, faster, and stronger. ...As long as you still have lands to have enter the battlefield after turn six!

Daily Card Redesign #182: Invader Parasite

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Daily Card Redesign #181: Gleam of Resistance

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Staple basic landcycling onto any white common instant/sorcery effect? Easy, there's only been one white effect that's been taken (the original design of mass pumping of creatures). According to the art, with multiple creatures depicted, it had to impact more than one creature. It also didn't look violent - it looked like a boon. So, it had to help your own creatures. 

There's not much else besides a Safe Passage effect! Well, it exchanges the benefit originally found on Safe Passage of preventing damage to yourself with basic landcycling! Boom. Done.

Daily Card Redesign #180: Meddling Mage

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL: 

REDESIGN:

Oh, gosh! It was my birthday over the weekend, June 30th, and one thing led to another, and, well, I need to catch up on missing a whole weekend's worth of blog posts! Here's "Saturday's" blog post!

So, this is a player invitational card, just like the situation I had for Kai Budde's Voidmage Prodigy! So, I thought it best to keep it a "Meddling Mage" name. I then thought about how else a mage can meddle? How about mess with what spell effects are actually supposed to do?! 

And what spell effects? A clue is that his hands are white and blue - meaning white and blue cards. And they look like they can be either twinning one spell into a different-color version of the other, or converting one thing into another. I went with the latter.

Blue is able to manipulate the nature of magic, so this was fine. I chose two spell effects that were basic but also could related with one another through the virtue of number.

I needed to have the creature be able to target any player so that it truly could still be "meddling," even though you'll probably be turning your life-gain spells into card-drawing spells.

This card might be "bah-roken" depending on whether there's some life-gain abuse to pair with this card.

Daily Card Redesign #179: Waterspout Djinn

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Edge-case scenario for when it enters the battlefield, but oh-so-flavorful! And it matches the art well! I mean, the original design made little sense with its mechanical drawback. Is that your ship that it's messing with?

To compensate for the effect not being applicable most times (River Boa is the only creature with islandwalk in the set Visions, where the original card originally appeared), I made sure to cost this creature with just one blue mana (albeit, it had to be at an elevated mana cost to compensate) to make it more accessible as a general beefy flier. Sapphire Drake is a good example.

Lastly, I like how shuffling a creature feels like being hit by a whirlpool. It usually means you're a goner, but you never know where you're going to end up, and you just might pop up later after being the eventful whirlpool.

Daily Card Redesign #178: Subterranean Spirit

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

It's yet another variant on effects that deal damage all creatures without flying, like Earthquake! In this case, the land becomes alive itself, both disrupting the creatures by its awakening (when it enters the battlefield) and exhibiting its power based on how much earth you have. 

Having to rely upon you having Mountains kept this clean while having its power level a bit controlled.

BOOM!

Daily Card Redesign #177: Raiding Party

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Throw enough Orcs at a problem, and you solve it. This card is comparable to Wild Swing. 

I had to cost this cheaper than Wild Swing, but not too much. If you cast this as early as possible, you could destroy a land. So, the cost had to not be too cheap, otherwise, it'll be super land destruction. I settled on a cost that is between Stone Rain and Craterize.

Daily Card Redesign #176: Laccolith Mechanic

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINALS:

REDESIGNS:

So, each of the Laccoliths have the same ability. And with no other abilities. Or differences at all except for the power/toughness or the fact that it's an Aura. So, along with changing the mechanic for Laccoliths, I included additional abilities that are relevant.

The art looks like the fire is spewing out where it wishes, which matches the original design. This redesign is a more streamlined and straightforward mechanic in that it just changes how it can assign combat damage.

It's powerful, to be sure, which I tried to balance by costing, except for the 1-drop. I left it at 1-cost because I didn't want it to be a 2-cost and be a 1/1 (I want to keep the stats square along with the others). I would make it a 1/2 normally.

So, is this a totally busted mechanic? Not sure!

Daily Card Redesign #175: Rite of Ruin

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Daily Card Redesign #174: Voidmage Prodigy

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Oh! A voidmage is a mage that specializes in nullifying magic! I get why it's countering spells. In fact, each of the three voidmages currently in Magic: The Gathering counter spells or abilities.

For the redesign, I could have changed the card's name, so that this could be a different kind of mage, but it was a little difficult for the art I have to work with and the placement alphabetically this card slot is within the set. So, I stuck with the voidmage thing.

Here's a problem, though: there's only so much I can do with rehashing countering spells with a creature to keep it distinct and impressive enough as a Kai Budde card redesign for today's entry. So, I decided to expand my horizons for a moment... 

Other things I thought of that is tied to "voiding" as a word but is not countering spells: Creatures' power becomes 0 until end of turn, exiling spells, creatures losing all abilities until end of turn, shuffling creature(s) into library, returning creatures back to hand.

"End the turn" is simple, elegant, and impressive. And I want an impressive effect for such an important card. There's only been Time Stop (Sundial of the Infinite is a little different) for this type of effect, so it's nice to see it with a morph creature variation!

AND ending turns at instant speed can be used to "counter" spells (exiles them)! Voidmage problem solved!

I wanted the trigger to be upon when it entered the battlefield or when it turned face up, but squeezing in the old wording for flash along with the extra text needed for stating the trigger is upon one of those two conditions proved to be too much to fit within the text box. Only upon the act of turning face up it is.

Because of that, I needed a way to make hardcasting this creature be not totally useless by either not touching the text box or not using up much more text box space. I decided that being a 1/4 was the way to go. I can't make him super large since it's a Human. But Voidwielder as a Human exists, so that will make these stats O.K.!

Daily Card Redesign #173: Awakening

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Too strong? Feels like a possibility of being bonkers! What do you think?

Daily Card Redesign #172: Animate Artifact

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

The art shows a focus on a metal sword - so I knew I had to keep this card's effect related to artifacts when I redesigned it. Next step was to take a look at what kind of effects already exist in Alpha. I didn't see any artifact tutors in it. Thus, I had my direction - do an artifact tutor variation.

Alpha is perfect for simplified variations of staple effects, whenever they haven't already been done. What's the most simple version of an artifact tutor? Fabricate. What's the second-most simplest version of an artifact tutor? An instant artifact tutor - which doesn't exist. 

Daily Card Redesign #171: Battle Rampart

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

Hah! I redesigned my card without looking at what the power, toughness, and mana cost was. I then see I designed exactly the same stats and cost. Seems appropriate! It's a wall on wheels, so it's bound to deal at least minimal damage. And because it's a mobile wall, it's not really as high-toughness as the  ground-bound walls.

Anyway, the idea here is that whenever this thing charges in for an attack, your other creatures are behind it. In order for anything to interact with your other creatures, they must first deal with that wall the rest of your creatures are hiding behind.

Besides this being an offensive Wall of all things making this red - red normally can cause creatures to not be able to block. This kind of card feels like an extension of that idea. Encourages an aggressive strategy of attacking, and it does this by dealing with potential blockers.

Daily Card Redesign #170: Bloodthorn Taunter

Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.

ORIGINAL:

REDESIGN:

I'm at Grand Prix Las Vegas, so rapid fire card design with little amount of description!

I figure that a common could do with this red ability that is usually at uncommon by having it be conditional. Just look at the Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers! The flavor here is that the beast it's taunting follows it around temporarily, and doesn't realize it is crashing into the direction of its original owner.