The journey to this contest actually began a couple months ago. A goofy little card called Tarmogoyf was released in Future Sight. A single, simple little word included in the reminder text unleashed the largest rumor mill Magic has probably ever seen. It couldn't have been any smaller - just the inclusion of the word "planeswalker" as a card type – and the world began to spin faster.

Some argued it was like Steamflogger Boss and meant as a cruel joke, while others began to imagine what a planeswalker card might be like. Then it was announced they were real and they were coming. Forums lit up. Many players decried the very concept of planeswalkers on cards - citing that the players are planeswalkers and could never be reduced to card form, while others pined about it merely being Vanguard 2.0.

Wizards chose the Chinese water torture method of release for information about the planeswalkers; giving very tiny tidbits and pieces each week until finally releasing the information after a month of torment. Eventually all the cards and information were given by spoilers or by Wizards, but ultimately the problem is we only have five to play with right now. A measly five that all follow the same template:

Minor Loyalty Gain = Minor Classic Color Ability
Minor Loyalty Loss = Moderate Classic Color Ability
Heavy Loyalty Loss = Massive Classic Color Ability

Which means where they will go next is really wide open. That leaves a lot of room to imagine what they could do, which is where you come in. This contest is in two parts - you are to design a planeswalker card, and you are to dictate the artwork for that planeswalker. There's a catch, though. The five current planeswalkers come from planes outside of Lorwyn, which is why they appear in contrast to, as Maleficent puts it, the “bunny-huggers" of Lorwyn. The denizens of Lorwyn demand a powerful walker. So it's up to you create them one.

Without further ado, the rules:

• All entries must be posted on the forum in the designated thread.
• All entries must be submitted by 11/03/2007.
• All entries must contain a planeswalker card and an artwork description for it, following the template posted at the top of the forum where you are to submit your entires.
• You must design your card according to the guidelines and template posted at the top of the forum (without the color symbols... just use text (WUBRG)).
• You are allowed to edit your entry as desired until 11/05/2007.
• Your card must be flavorful, but without flavor text. Use the abilities, artwork, color(s), and name to create the flavor. Creating the flavor without crowding in flavor text is part of the challenge.
• DO NOT post a card image or artwork, just post the text version of your art. If you find a really cool picture - don't even link to it. The concept is to design your own artwork description, not base it off existing artwork.
• Your card should be designed as if it is part of the Lorwyn Block. Naming, style, etc. should be as such. Also, it should be easily recognizable as a Lorwyn creature.
• Submit only ONE entry. All entries with more than ONE will be disqualified. If you need to edit your entry, edit the one you already submitted.
• There will be a discussion thread in addition to the entry thread. The entry thread is for submissions and submissions alone.

Grading will be out 50 points:

• /10 points Card Balance
• /10 points Card & Art Flavor
• /10 points Card & Art Originality
• /10 points Artwork Vividness
• /10 points Card Technical Aspects

Automatic Disqualifiers:

• Plagiarized or duplicated work (as seen on other sites, copies of existing cards)
• One part missing - artwork or card description.
• Not a planeswalker
• Multiple entries.

Awards:

• Bragging Rights
• Winning card will be carded w/ their artwork made by a site artist, and it will be posted on the main site.

• The smart play is to use one of the main tribes from Lorwyn and make sure your colors adhere to what they have depicted along with style of play.
• There are no natural humans on Lorwyn.
• Evergreen abilities (Trample, First Strike, Lifelink) are always a safer bet to use than block mechanics (Cycling, Radiance, Graft, Kicker).
• Planeswalker artwork when carded is taller than normal cards. Examine how the artwork of the existing planeswalkers was handled.
• The current rule of thumb is three abilities on one planeswalker card. Does that mean it has to be that way?
• If you can't word an ability properly in two sentences, you're probably going too complicated.
• For the art: Paint a picture with words; detail is key.

All entries will have to be submitted in the forum. The thread link is below.

Good luck!

Judges:
1) Cashew
2) Micheal Zeora
3) Streetz

You can discuss this contest in the MDV forums here.
You can post your entry for this contest in the MDV forums here.
Find other articles by this author here.

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Articles Spotlights from 2007:
Lorwyn Theme Week Intro & Schedule of Events
Blink And Bounce: Timing is Key
Going Blind: XCB Metagaming - A Prolonged Conclusion.
The Science of Magic: Genetic Engineering, Part Two.
Shifting Lineaments: Casual Metagaming (Pt. 2).
The Dungeon Of Malefict: Pure Evil!
Land Week Introduction & Schedule.
Combofusion: Legends Timeshifted.
One Card to Rule Them All: Coastal Piracy
Irrational Love: Chimeras. The Lego's of Magic.