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MDV Featured Article:
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MDV Featured Article -
Planeswalker Contest Results. -
by Cashew, Michael_Zeora & Streetz - posted
11/21/07 - discuss
here
|
It's been coming for awhile, after some site difficulties
and delays from virus attacks to staff disappearances, and even to the server
itself revolting... the Planeswalker Contest Results are here! There were 30
entries total, ranging from page long diatribes to concise no nonsense entries.
While there could be only one winner, we did single out some other cards for
lesser accolades. So congratulations to all cards recognized. If you're card
isn't mentioned, check the forums for your score and any judge comments.
First off lets introduce the Judges. Each more different
than the last - these three characters sometimes saw eye to eye, but often found
themselves enjoying different aspects of the cards. A rubric was applied to keep
scores in line, but lets face it, some things came down to taste and each judge
liked slightly different things. As is to be expected, when it comes down to
Magic's different archetypes.
|
Cashew |
Name - Cashew
Affiliation- Spike / Johnny
Likes - Simple, straightforward abilities
Dislikes - Trying to do too much |
|
Cashew seemed to favor cards where the abilities were
simplistic yet related. Cards with an innovative design from ability to
tribe to artwork that created a cohesive entry gained heavily from Cashew.
Lets face it, not much has been done with planeswalkers sometimes simple is
better. |
|
Michael_ Zeora |
Name - Michael Zeora
Affiliation - Johnny/Timmy
Likes - I like the more interesting cards, I'm a fan of innovation in
the game since it seems far too much like people are taking a lot from
already made cards even if they don't know it.
Dislikes - Copy/Paste abilities from other cards. |
|
Michael Zeora really focused in on the artwork descriptions
for the artwork. With card entries very close, it often came down to how he
judged the artwork. To him, if he or an artist could pick out a picture from
the words, it was the key for a good entry. Those with meager artwork
descriptions often were found lower scores all around with Michael.
|
|
Streetz |
Name - Streetz
Affiliation- Johnny/Timmy.
Likes - I love mill and tribal themes for decks so if a card is creative
for either of those strategies, I love it. I love cards that are ingenious
or that break big rules (i.e. Upwelling).
Dislikes - Well, there is really only one card I hate: Mindslaver.
That's all. |
|
Streetz gave heavy credence to innovative and unique
abilities. However, they did have to work, non-working entries were slammed
no matter how creative they tried to be. More or less the opposite of
Cashew, he favored cards with a flare, and tended to question simplistic
cards as being well too simplistic. |
Now, a special congratulations to all contest entries -
each was special in it's own way and there were very few truly bad entries.
Before we look at our winning cards though, let's get into the Honorable
Mentions. Some of these may have had low overall total scores, but some aspect
of the card impressed the judges from amazing card design, to a fantastic art
description, or just a unique ability. These entries all deserved mentions for
at least some form of excellence.
| The Right-Sided Brain Award |
For excellence in technical card merit. This entry
displayed an amazing capacity and knowledge of game design, but fell short on
the artwork and/flavor department. Winner: kinghonkey
Color: White
Location: Barren steppe shrouded in mist
Action: Ant's eye view. A kithkin, back to the viewer, stands in awe,
overshadowed by a titanic, alabaster-featured humanoid supporting a load of
monolith-sized tablets (menhir or dolmen) ensorcelled with glowing runes, on
his massive shoulders. The blind giant appears not to notice the minuscule
creature and looks deep in solemn meditation. The ground buckles beneath the
behemoth's bulk.
Focus: The giant and the glowing tablets
Mood: Awe, stoic judgment
Maen Namebreaker CC: 4W
Planeswalker - Maen
+1 Remove target artifact, enchantment or creature from the game until the
end of turn.
-1 Put a 0/3 white Wall token with Defender and Flying into play.
-7 Remove all artifacts, creatures and enchantments from the game.
Starting Loyalty: 4
|
Cashew |
While Judge's found little fault with this card's technical
aspects beyond the 2nd ability seeming a tad out of place, the artwork felt
lacking. Even with the artwork and overall theme a little below par this
entry scored in the top 10. This was mainly thanks to the other abilities.
This included a masterful usage of casting cost and color to define the
card, while keeping the card thoroughly balanced. One of the few entries
with a "jawstopper" third ability that kept the power level appropriate. |
| The Left-Sided Brain Award |
For excellence in artistic merit. This entry displayed an
aptitude for taking words and painting an image from them. With or without a
card, judge's found the artwork itself very appealing. Winner: The_Defiler
Color: Green & White
Location: At the edge of a forest, where it meets a gold meadow or
field.
Action: Elfkithon is standing in the center, where the edge of the
forest meets the golden meadow. The sun is just rising over the meadow
bathing everything in the meadow in a white-yellow/gold light, including the
side of Elfkithon that's in the meadow. And the forest side, while still
green, is darker, more shadowy. Elfkithon's right hand (the meadow side) is
raised half way with his palm and figures facing up as though he's pulling
up something invisible from the ground. His left arm (forest side) is raised
and his index finger is pointing towards the left (the forest). In front of
him on his right side (meadow side), little half-breed elf/kith-kins are
emerging from the ground and making their way towards the left (forest
side). While in the forest side, the little half-breeds progressively grow
to monstrous size and features as they continue on their way in the same
direction that their master (Elfkithon) is pointing.
Focus: Elfkithon
Mood: Natural, Mystical, with a hint of snobby loathing and
self-righteousness.
Elfkithon the Outcast 2GW
Planeswalker - Elfkithon
+1: Put a 1/1 Green and White Elf Kithkin Mongrel creature token with
Lifelink into play.
-2: Put a +1/+1 counter on all creatures you control.
-8: All creatures you control gain Trample and +1/+1 for each Elf and
Kith-kin in play until end of turn
5
|
Cashew |
While, no judge was really sold on the card itself and I
definitely wasn't a fan of the Elf-Kithkin revenge hybrid theme, not a
single judge could find fault with the artwork. Receiving near perfect art
scores from each judge, made it stand out easily as a heavy favorite. It may
have been a tad restrictive for the artist, but it utterly drew the picture
out. It's hard to not imagine exactly what The Defiler envisioned. |
The winner of this award is a card that did something
amazing. It may have been just one thing, but it was done so masterfully that it
impressed the judges enough to give it merit. - Winner: Teisho
Color: Blue
Location: Middle of a lake at night with a full moon overhead towards
the top left of scene. There is no cloud cover with very few stars in the
sky. Below the picture where text would be found, the exact scene is seen
mirrored under the lake including the planeswalker. There is no land in
picture.
Action: Teisho is seen upright and floating above the lake with his
right foot pointing down and lightly touching the surface along with his
left leg mimicking with the exception that the left foot is slightly higher
and not touching water. His right arm is out straight-forward with his palm
facing the sky. One inch above his palm is a blue spherical orb floating
gently with 2 faeries hovering around it. His left arm is at rest.
Focus: Teisho's entire body floating above lake. As stated above, the
rest of the picture behind text will be the reflection below lake.
Mood: Very calm. only the faeries and the ripples of water prove that
time hasn't fully stopped.
addition information: Teisho wears a black cloak which only covers his neck,
back, and shoulders and extends almost all the way down to his feet. His
shirt and pants are composed of a lighter black, thick fabric with a pattern
of tiny dark blue cherry blossoms scattered around them. His shoes carry the
same color yet are patternless. Each piece of clothing covers his entire
body. His sleeves end at his wrists and only give his arms an inch of
leniency in room. Teisho has black hair which extends only a few inches
above the scalp. The front of his hair is a little longer with some tinted
blue streaks.
Teisho Moonscrier 1uxx
Planeswalker- Teisho
+0: Clash with an opponent. If you win, put 2 loyalty counters on Teisho
-2: Scry x. X is equal to the amount of loyalty counters Teisho on it had
before this effect
-4: Name a card then draw a card. If the named card was drawn, you may
remove it from the game facedown. Each card removed this way may be played
anytime without paying it's mana cost and gains flash.
loyalty: 2+X
|
Cashew |
This card won the innovation award for it's first ability.
The idea of clashing for loyalty counters is something myself and no one
else came up with. It's also one of the key identifying abilities of Lorwyn
that could be used in a Planeswalker card. For this alone, and nothing else
Teisho won the award for Innovative Entry. The rest of the card needed work,
but that first ability above all screamed perfection to a level which no
other card came close to. Simple, yet amazingly brilliant - Congratulations! |
The Miss Congeniality of Lorwyn. This is a card that seemed
to pick up on the little things such as the eternal sunshine or the aspects of a
certain tribe. Ultimately, this card screamed Lorwyn - Winner: Plotchj.
Color: Black, red
Location: One of the Goblins' Warrens, probably in one of Lorwyn's
swamps.
Action: The male(!) Auntie Travel comes out of a portal, in it you can
see something swirling around a plane looking like Rath (where did Tempest
storyline took place?), surrounded by a crowd of other, unimportant Goblins.
He wears some jewelry (Jet/Ruby Medallions?). In the part behind the text
box you can see another Goblin who tries to get in the portal, but grimaces
in pain.
Focus: Travel coming home.
Mood: A hero is back, gloryful (sorry for my English, does this word
exist?) mood all in the air!
Auntie Travel 1BR
Planeswalker - Travel
+1: You may sacrifice a Goblin. If you do, put three treasure counters on
Travel. Otherwise, put a treasure counter on Travel.
+1: Put a 1/1 black Goblin Rogue creature token into play.
-6: Until end of turn, Goblin creatures you control get +1/+1 for each
treasure counter on Travel. Then remove all treasure counters from him.
4
|
Cashew |
Despite speaking English as a second language, this entry
accurately and masterfully displayed many aspects of the Boggart tribe
without even trying. You have mischievous, a love for odd things, the
concept of tremendous power without thorough understanding. It also
exemplified many things about the Goblin tribe's classic abilities bringing
a widespread knowledge. And it's not like Plotchj simply stated they were
"mischievous" or "cavorting treasures" - he created it thru action, which
many failed to do. To me, this card wasn't perfect, but definitely made me
smile when I read it - as a truly Lorwyn entry. |
And now into our winning entries - we have five cards
spanning a mere five points in range - showing just how it close it really was.
We had other entries close, but these are the stand out top five that impressed
all three judges across the board.
| Runner Up #4 - Luthervamplord |
Color: Blue
Location: Underwater Cavern, at an intersection
Action: A large, sea serpent type creature is emerging from a large hole
on the left hand side on the image, whilst a small group of Merfolk drag a
single Merfolk in chains crafted of aquatic weeds towards it. There needs to
be some kind of visual link between the Merfolk and Barackas - the facial
structure should be similar though he's should be more stretched to an
almost canine shape. He should have arms and legs but they should seem weak
and the majority of he's build should be smooth and streamlined.
Mood: Smaller being's paying homage to their guardian of the deep.
Barackas, Guardian Below 6UU
Planeswalker - Barackas
Merfolk offering (You may play this card any time you could play an instant
by sacrificing a Merfolk and paying the difference in mana costs between
this and the sacrificed Merfolk. Mana cost includes color.)
+1: Target land becomes an Island in addition to it's other types.
-4: Put a 1/1 Blue Merfolk Token creature into play for each Island in play.
-8: Barackas, Guardian Below deals X damage to target player and each
creature that player controls without Flying, where X is the number of
Islands in play.
Loyalty: 4
|
Cashew |
This entry surprised me, because I came into this thinking no
darkish card or non-Lorwyn creature would do very well. Luther surprised me,
I buy this in Lorwyn - it's not Merfolk, but it's still Merfolk - it's not
cute nor cuddly, but it's still in that realm of the Lorwyn plausible as the
Merrow aren't very friendly to begin with. An interesting take on the tribal
guardian Spirits from Kamigawa. I wasn't entirely sold on it being better
than Leviathan as it's still high costed and the Merfolk token ability may
be a tad overpowered. Thanks Luther for proving to me that I was wrong yet
again. |
|
Michael_ Zeora |
The art is nice, gives a good look to it,
but really it doesn't do much for me. The card has ONE to many abilities,
and really you could bring the cost down 3 or 4 mana and lose the Offering
to make it perfect. |
|
Streetz |
I like the flavor of this card, although the extra ability…
let's try to fit all of this onto a Magic card. The last ability isn't very
blue… at all. If I were to redo this card, the second ability would be the
third ability and the second ability would be something like ... I don't
know... target Merfolk becomes a Leviathan... I'm spent. |
Overall Score 41.7
Color: Blue and White
Location: The Dark Meanders
Action: A female merrow crouches in the fetal position, glaring from the
shadows. White mana leaks out from her shoulders, hips, and eyes and floats
upwards. By human standards of age she is 13 at oldest.
Focus: The glow of the mana in the darkness
Mood: "Leave me the @&*$ alone."
Viriass the Silent 1UW
Planeswalker- Viriass
Flash
+1: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. Play this ability as
an Instant.
-3: Until the beginning of your next turn, spells cost 1 more to play.
-XX: Noncreature spells you play cost X less to play until end of turn.
<3>
|
Streetz |
Ooooh - a control Planeswalker. The card abilities embody
what you describe in your description and I applaud that. However, your art
description could have improved with a little more detail about how she
looks, what she is wearing, etc. |
|
Michael_ Zeora |
I don't know what to say, I mean it's a
great art and great card for the most part, but the art seems actually
perfect with plenty of room and enough detail to really do the work. What
kills me is the card, I can't stand doing 4 abilities on the Planeswalker
unless I go and grab Female_Kaldra_is_Hot (the resident card frame designer
on MDV and MTGS) to make the room available. Besides that point the card is
beautiful with great balance at the right numbers with the right abilities.
I'd heavily consider tossing this card to Mark Rosewater. |
|
Cashew |
The card itself is a little underpowered, but well though
out. Some kind of Grand Arbiter Planeswalker. Could have stood to ramp it up
just a little more in some areas, but I guess not too much as a little
control can quickly become a lot. The artwork I'm left wanting more, I can't
quite get the image and while I have a single image it's very fuzzy. |
Overall Score 42
Color: Black
Location: Above a trash pile with broken chairs, sticks, sludge, and
other boggart delights
Action: A boggart, giddy with glee, is falling, flailing into a boggart
refuse pile. His boots are on fire, and a ton of magical smoke swirls out
from his hands going every direction. His hat is some spiky creature with
its claws digging into his head. The creature is petrified.
Focus: The hands issuing smoke, Driblet looking at them.
Mood: Intense action, like an X-Games competitor, but with a huge dose
of boggart silliness
Driblet the Intense 1BB
Planeswalker - Driblet
+3: Target creature deals damage to Driblet equal to its power. Tap that
creature. It doesn't untap at its controllers next untap step.
-2: Sacrifice a creature. Return target creature card from your graveyard to
your hand.
-6: Sacrifice Driblet. Destroy up to 6 creatures.
2
|
Michael_ Zeora |
The art is very vivid and quite funny in my head. the card
does get some points for the self sacrifice on the best ability, but all in
end it's a hex from Ravnica. the +3 is a nice touch but really is only a BIG
HELP and not a BIG DRAWBACK, even though Driblet is damaged. |
|
Streetz |
Shouldn't it read (for its second ability):
-2, Sacrifice a creature: effect? And the last ability doesn't target.
Interesting. I do like the low casting cost to low loyalty but from a flavor
sense, this seems kind of borderline for a planeswalker. The last ability is
a bang I like, but I would like it better without the Sacrifice the
Planeswalker bit. This card is on the right track, but needs some work. By
the way, I take back my comments on the flavor, this all makes sense for a
goblin... I mean boggart. |
|
Cashew |
My one qualm with the card is that it really is a little
underpowered, but with that low casting cost it helped to balance it. This
card definitely forced me to check the rule-book on the fellas to make sure
he was playable. Luckily as a cost, it will gain loyalty before taking
damage improving it's initial playability. The art is enjoyable and easily
imaginable, a little fine tuning on the second ability and it'd be near
perfect. A strong entry for the Boggarts. |
Overall Score 43.3
| Runner Up #1 - Maleficent |
Color: Green.
Location: In the Murmuring Bosk.
Action: Trivess is meditating with his roots sunken into the ground and
his many branch-arms folded in a complex prayer. Around him, new growth
emerges in the form of land from the sea (outermost edge of pic), trees from
the land (more inward), and a thriving forest full of life (closest around
Trivess). On the horizon all around is a bright light, shining hope onto the
new growth. Trivess himself glows with vitality, casting his own rays of
hope upon the life all around, so most all of the picture is brightly lit
and glamorous.
Focus: Trivess, with the growth forming the background.
Mood: Awe-inspiring, hopeful.
Trivess of the Bosk 3GG
Planeswalker - Trivess
+0: Look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order.
+3: Each player searches his or her library for a land card and puts it into
play tapped, then shuffles his or her library.
+5: Gain life equal to the number of loyalty counters on Trivess. Remove all
but two loyalty counters from Trivess. You cannot use this ability if
Trivess has 3 or less loyalty counters.
3
|
Michael_ Zeora |
In a dark way very Lorwyn related, which is very much like
Mal. This interesting Elf-Treefolk hybrid, in my mind would be something the
elves would hate since he, Trivess, is the closest to nature and beauty,
thus OVER the perfects, but that's just my opinion. The art is complex and
hard keep in the size of the card image, but definitely a vivid description.
The card is different and wordy, which should of been rewritten in my mind. |
|
Streetz |
Walking on the edge as usual, Maleficent's
card is against the typical rules we all know so far for Planeswalkers. I
give you credit as with your elaborate description of the card, the
abilities all work. While the card can be seen as slightly broken...I like
it. A lot. |
|
Cashew |
I have to agree, this is a nearly perfect entry flawed for
one reason. It's overpowered. Not sure if it was intentional or not. But
essentially it plays out like this - Turn 1: Each player drops a land. Turn
2: You gain 11 life then it just alternates back and forth gaining 10 life
and each player getting a land. This to me is a tad bit overpowered, if it
had been worded a little differently it might have been near perfect, but
that much life gain made it a tad insane. |
Overall Score 4.3
Finally we get to our winner - make a drum roll if you feel
so inclined!
Color: Blue/Black
Location: Lorwyn; a colorful marsh with flowers in threatening colors
everywhere (poison green, fire red, pink, strong ultramarine); a small vivid
blue creek runs through this area which is basically mossy grassland and
mossy trees.
Action: (Derrusk, a giant, behaves just like many other giants when
staying with a 'little one' from time to time. Only he has gotten to like
Faeries. Oona, Queen of all Fae realizes his potential as a 'walker and
begins training Derrusk's skills without him knowing. He becomes a
planeswalker who is at that point so obsessed with the tiny winged beings
that he's actually strongly under Oona's influence. So far for his history
and the reason he's blue-black.)
The picture's "real action": Derrusk, a bold giant who is wearing quite
colorful clothes that would stylistically rather fit a wizard than a giant,
is standing in the scenery, arms hanging loosely by his sides. His eyes are
completely black, his hands engulfed one in black and one in blue waves of
energy. He's looking like a very potent being but there's something telling
that he's also only kind of a puppet. Five faeries are swirling around him,
leaving colorful glittering trails behind them, their bodies hardly clearly
visible. (They are NOT standing for Magic's five colors - they're just
colorful as Lorwyn faeries tend to be and tend to like it. Those five stand
for the five cards mentioned in the third ability. They're Derrusk's hand
servants, so to say.)
Focus: Derrusk, the giant planeswalker (Upper half will be in the image
box of the card, lower half will be able to be seen through the text box.)
Mood: "I'm far less savage and far more tricky/intelligent than you
might expect."; malice is in the air
Derrusk Moonwanderer {1}{U}{B}
Planeswalker - Derrusk
+1: Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her
graveyard
-1: Target opponent discards a card at random.
-5: Search target opponent’s library for five target cards and remove them
from the game. That player shuffles his or her library.
Loyalty: 2
|
Cashew |
Near perfect. I had to give it a ding for stretching the
creative bounds of the role of Giants and perhaps what Giant magic might
entail. Probably would have gone with 50/50 if it was a Fairy. Fluid,
intelligent, well thought out entry from the simplicity and relativity of
the cards abilities to a very nice and thought out art description. Although
I have to disagree and find a Boggart traversing the planes would be
hilarious. This was my pick to win the contest, I'm glad it did. |
|
Streetz |
The card itself is balanced, a bit boring,
but balanced. The story and picture you paint with words is detailed but yet
slightly unbelievable. I struggled with such a low casting costed
planeswalker that is a giant. Although, given his planeswalker status was
invoked by a faerie, it sort of makes sense. |
|
Michael_ Zeora |
The art is descriptive, and gives great references to other
cards that you can pull style, mood, and focus from, the art really shines
here. the card is beautifully balanced, well costed, and does little but
says much. First and foremost this card is without a doubt Lorwyn in nature
and really focused on it at that, which is the first so far to do it. |
Overall Score: 45/50
Congratulations, to our winner Saito your artwork will be
compiled by Kinghonkey as he volunteered and seems to eager to do it. Hopefully
we can have a beautiful card to display on the website and you can have a little
bragging point. But did we get the right entry? The runner-up's were strong, so
let us know in the
forum -
which by the way is where you can find all the scores and judge comments both
harsh and kind.
Oh yeah, watch the forums and blog. A new different kind of contest is coming
soon - and it'll be weekly at first as long as participation deems it!
~Cashew~
You can discuss this article in the MDV forums
here.
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
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.
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