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MDV Featured Article:
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MDV Featured Article - MDV IDOL 4: The New Blood – Week Four. - by Chris Newton and Judges - posted 12/8/08 - discuss here


Week Four!

Week three has come and gone, and now we march on BOLDLY!!! It is time for week number four, and with only a few contestants left, we should expect the best of the best from here out.

Let’s see what is in store for the survivors…

Last round, we ended with the judging. This time, perhaps we should shake things up and judge some cards first, and ask questions later. We have supplied each Revolutionary to go with its Henchman for your convenience.

Let’s see what they had to say about the Round Two submissions:

 

guest1234
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Boita, Silvertongue - 2G
Legendary Creature – Elf Shaman
T: Put a hope counter on target creature.
2GG, T: Gain control of all creatures with a hope counter until end of turn. They gain haste until end of turn.
The sound of the flute is the sound of freedom. When you hear it, rise and join me.
2/2

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Gillo, the Unfettered 2G
Creature - Elf Shaman
Whenever a creature blocks or is blocked by ~, remove that creature from combat.
Lay down your arms. Your battle lies elsewhere.
1/2

I liked this card better when it was Gustcloak Harrier. Elves that are really White? Sigh... wasn't that done to death in Shadowmoor.

Oh dear god someone threw up on my card! Oh wait, that lame-arse ability is supposed to be on there? In which case sir, I demand my $2 back!

Wait, you’re telling me you want them to have creatures on the field? That's what it's saying to me. Why don't you just Deathtouch this and call it a day! First Strike + Deathtouch is expensive but awesome combo that does just everything and then some of this ability!

Maleficent
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Cerzil the Ruined - 2BB
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (R)
Pay 3 life: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Discard a card at end of turn.
"How malleable these creatures are. We took his sight, he's blind to God. We took those he cared for, he cares for no one. Fill those holes with something - anything - and you have a servant for life." - The Raven
2/1

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Rache the Unfallen BB
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (R)
Sacrifice a creature: Regenerate target creature and it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
"Cerzil has lost much, and I share his pain. Besides, do we not all desire to bring back those we've lost, and prevent losing them again?" - Rache, to the Jovic Society
1/1

Worst henchman ever. Sacrifice one for another? That's been done as well. Show me something new, show me something that isn't a fancy Goblin Chirurgeon.

Dear Sir, if I have to already Regenerate the creature then the damage is already done and the +1/+1 becomes almost redundant. What is this useful against; Burn maybe, very little removal. You sir, have failed.

Black doesn't do a lot of pumping up I mean sure we still have some Shades and other things around town but even now I think most of the "Shade" abilities are out of even Extended, which is a damn shame. In a more modern ideal this guy would be like B/G B personally. Sure he's darker than the Revolutionary, but that doesn't stop him from not being a different color. Of course the big *FACEPALM* here is that Regenerating a creature taps it down. Now if you just change the ability to "Remove all damage on target creature it gets +1/+1 until end of turn" you move into GW, or if you go another way, "Regenerate target creature, untap it and it gets +1/+1 until end of turn." You've moved into GU you've really screwed the pooch on this one.

Mad Mat
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Arkan the Mangler - 3GG
Legendary Creature - Elf Warrior
Trample
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, destroy target artifact, enchantment or nonbasic land.
Activated abilities of creatures with T in their cost can't be played.
"Curse the elves and their cult of beauty. Curse the elves and their perversion of nature. Gaea is cruel, Gaea is merciless, and so are we." - Arkan the Mangler
4/4

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Barck, the Rallyer 2GG
Legendary Creature - Elf Warrior
Trample
Whenever a noncreature permanent is put into an opponent's graveyard from play, you may put a 2/2 green Elf Warrior creature token with trample into play.
"How can we ever hope to win when every lost town magnifies the Mangler's horde?" - Garek, Elven Elder
3/3

What the crap is this? Something new finally? I think so, an original idea. Now if only it was a good one. Original doesn't excuse bad.

Ugh, just ugh. Where do I start? You know what, I'm not even going to - bin this please.

A 3/3 with Trample making 2/2’s with Trample? The words, ‘What the Hell are you thinking?' come to mind.

 

BBLZ
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Brightscales, the Walker - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Advisor
Merfolk creatures you control have plainswalk.
Sacrifice a Merfolk you control: Brightscales deals 2 damage to target attacking or blocking creature.
Cut your fins and walk as a man, or I will drown you in the depths of your own cowardice!
2/3

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Wymyr Goldenfin - WW
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Advisor
1W, T: Put a 1/1 blue Merfolk Wizard token into play.
Tap 2 untapped Merfolk you control: Target land becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn. Play this ability only during your turn.
"When the waters have swallowed our schools and drowned our way of life, what choice do we have but to walk?"
2/2

Oh god, seriously? A Lorwyn Merfolk? Why? I hated them the first time around, now when charged with making a new type of creature you give us the same crap. It's obvious who taught you your design - Stonybrook Schoolmaster. Maybe you need to ask for your tuition back.

You see this? This is Luther curling up into the Fetal position because you card tastes so badly of fail I've got stomach cramps.

 

 

"I'll take screwed up custom cards for $500"


"for 500 dollars - Wymyr Goldenfin"


"What is a Legendary White Reef Shaman that can create Token creatures?


"Correct!"

Tekkactus
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
The Cettritzl Society - 1UU
Legendary Creature- Cephalid Artificer
Shroud
0: Choose a permanent you control. Target player gains control of that permanent and you shuffle up to X cards from your graveyard into your library, where X is the number of Cephalids you control. Play this ability only at any time you could play a Sorcery.
Lead by example.
1/2

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Chirrit the Jinxed UR
Legendary Creature- Cephalid Artificer Rogue
UR: Put a 2/2 Construct Artifact Creature token with haste and 'At end of turn, sacrifice this creature and put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard' into play.
"Want to play a game? How about... Follow the Leader?"
0/1

Are we following the leader to the trash box? That's the only place I want to see this card go. Why is this Rogue at all? And look you got Luther all foaming at the mouth again, why did you have to do that?

You absolute Nancy! "Oh, look at me! I can make a childhood reference thereby endearing myself to the judge’s inner child." Well I got bad news for you Tekk; my inner child disappeared the minute I watched Bambi's Mother die and laughed. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since; which is frankly a good thing.

"How Cute! it's like playing a RPG that everyone loves and find out half way through that your Hero is an idiot for switching his Job when you couldn't do that at any other time to a freaking Paladin which made him lose all his AWESOME stats and abilities making him virtually useless the last half of the game! Seriously, why are you giving the enemy a possible Blocker and why are you only making it hard for you to win that game. This Verses Swarm = Swarm for the win, this card for the lose."

boiwithteeth
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Berendel, Biting Wind - 2U
Legendary Creature - Rebel
When Berendel, Biting Wind comes into play, choose a creature type.
2U: Return Berendel, Biting Wind to your hand.
T: Gain control of target creature of the chosen type.
Within minutes of meeting some one, Berendel had them seeing through his eyes. One way or another.
2/3

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Dania, Gentle Gust 2U
Legendary Creature - Wizard Rebel
U, T: Target creature becomes the creature type of your choice until end of turn.
Her ancient magics were forever pledged to the Great Wind.
1/2

I look around and I can't find anything here that makes sense. I don't see the rebellion from Wizards and I don't get what any of this flavor means. It's like you're up there singing the national anthem to a country that doesn't exist. Only good in your own man. I was going to question you for designing Imagecrafter again, but MZ beat me to the punch.

You can't see it right now, but my eyes are filled with disgust right at this very moment. We'll have your things sent to you in a bag, you may leave now.

Imagecrafter? Have you heard of it? Seriously how is... nevermind I don't even want to know anymore. I'll join Luther in the look of disgust on my face. *Mimics Luther's Look at boi*

CoglineErro
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Gorgo, Mountain Healer - 4W
Legendary Creature- Ogre Barbarian
T: Prevent all damage that would be dealt this turn to target attacking creature.
"We try to die gloriously in battle, yet this one will not allow us."
3/3

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Hargand, Blessed of Gorgo 1WWW
Legendary Creature- Ogre Cleric
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to ~.
Whenever damage would be prevented, you gain that much life.
"I will not have the ancient ways be the death of me when his way can be my life."- Hargand, Blessed of Gorgo
3/3

I liked this concept better on Purity. I'm really not feeling this whole Ogre Cleric thing, because the only thing that's really new is the pairing of Ogres and Clerics. Which is enough to make me yawn.

What I want to do to this card isn't legal in 38 states; 39 if Texas folds on that new law. I don't even want to consider what I'd do if I saw you right now.

D&D has had 'good' orges for years - how is this any different from say... a Half-Orge Cleric? And Luther, Texas is with it on this one it's 39 states.

Azrael Subucni
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Lulesca, the Dry - 2BG
Legendary Creature - Vampire Druid
Flying, Trample
B/G: Put a +1/+1 counter on target Vampire. Play this ability no more than once each turn.
"Too long, we have been slaves to The Thirst. There must be another way..."
2/2

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Karon, Mage of the Dry Ones - 1BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Wizard
Flying
Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
"There are those who would consider your gift a threat. Lions will still want to be lions, and we must be prepared to deal with them." -Karon to Lulesca
2/2

I love this card. Look at Luther as he squirms about reading it. Please Azrael keep it up! You need to make more cards like this if anything. You're in it to win, Luther's reaction tells me you got it down.

On behalf of the Vampyr Nation, I would like to say "Thank you, for setting back Vampire supremacy for another thousand years. A representative will arrive shortly to fully express our appreciation."

Luther, aren't you the official rep for said nation that doesn't exist? The card itself I find to be crap, seriously now - what makes this card so damn special considering it would fit nicely in the Lor/Mor Sha/Eve area.

FrycHiKn
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Rydia, Dragon Tamer - 1WW
Legendary Creature - Human Knight
Rydia, Dragon Tamer has flying as long as you control a Dragon.
All Dragons you control are White and gain vigilance.
“The man who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
1/4

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Aspik, Dragon Keeper WW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Aspik, Dragon Keeper has flying as long as you control a Dragon.
As long as Aspik, Dragon Keeper is blocking, it gets +0/+1 for each untapped dragon you control until the end of the turn.
"Dragons, lend your power to protect her..." -Aspik's battle cry.
1/1

Substitute the word Dragon for Bird and you have Cloudreach Cavalry, or maybe Giant and you have Kithkin Greatheart, or maybe even Legendary Samarui and you have Konda's Hatamoto. Bleh! Again nothing new to wow me, same ole, same ole. Michael are you okay? Seem to be kinda staring off into the distance again.
..drools all over himself.

The flavor text is like ash in my mouth and the abilities feel like they were made in Taiwan, by a blind person, sat on a vibrating workbench, on a boat going over a waterfall.

 

*speechless*
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Foxtrot Tango Sierra, Mike Foxtrot Sierra, Tango Sierra India Sierra... Sierra November: Alpha Foxtrot Uniform.

Relentless Poker
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Ging Deathsting - 4B
Legendary Creature - Insect
Shroud
Insect creatures you control get +6/+0 and can't block.
It's the bugs' time to squash!
0/1

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Kust Deathbust - BB
Legendary Creature - Insect
B, T, Sacrifice an Insect: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Gruesome and sickening. Just the way the bugs like it.
2/1

Seems kinda done before, but I still like it. Don't listen to them Relentless, you got this down dawg! Michael apparently had one too many appletini's before judging tonight. Keep on doing what you do, you have to make sure you bring it!

Sigh. Must I really go through all this; it almost seems cruel to lash out at one whose mental capacity is obviously limited.

Wait, didn't your revolutionary fail? I thought it did." *looks at Cashew* "Why didn't you fail him? Anyways, this fails as hard as your revolutionary should of - which is hard. Why do you ask? looking at both cards side by side you find Nasty combo of a Shrouded Bugs Blasting anything in their way - Is that Fair? No. You are only making the cost of Wrath of God and its kin go up if anything like this ever sees print again. You should be ashamed for making broken cards on purpose no less.

Your Worst Nightmare
Week 1 ~ Revolutionary
Gamma, Defiant Myr - 6
Legendary Artifact Creature - Myr
All Myr have "T: You may tap or untap target artifact."
Sacrifice a noncreature artifact: Put a 1/1 Myr artifact creature token into play.
"The time of servitude is over. We're in control now."
4/4

Week 2 ~ Henchman
Delta, Myr Technocraft - 4
Legendary Artifact Creature - Myr
T: Remove all counters from target artifact. You may put that many +1/+1 counters on target Myr.
"Memnarch's demise is mathematically inevitable."
3/3

Where's Omega Myr? Seriously, I'm ready for this to be all over.

Congratulations; a card worth of the Affinity banned list standard - Your maker must be soo proud right now. Tell me, do you have to be insane to create cards like you or does it just help with inconsistency?

"MZ gives good advice, and no one hears him. Gamma untaps Delta Taps just toss in a Power conduit and see what happens or if they really want a big Bang - Doubling Season and Freed from the Reel / Pemin's Aura / variant likewise."

 


Don’t forget about me! I am smooth like silk, and phat like your best friends girl. You know you want me!

 

 

Welcome back to our show. We left you with the judging of the Round Two submissions. Now you’d probably like to know who the fans voted for, and who they did not…

MDV Idol 4 Survivors – Group A

 

MDV Idol 4 Survivors – Group B

Votes Name   Votes Name
4 Tekkactus   5 Your Worst Nightmare
3 BBLZ   4 Azrael Subucni
3 Mad Mat   3 FrycHiKn
2 Maleficent   2 Relentless Poker
Eliminated   2 boiwithteeth
0 guest1234   Eliminated
DQ Robb (Did not submit an entry)   0 Cogline Error

Now the table is set. Voting has begun for Round Three and the judges are hard at work judging them. Although I will point out that numerous survivors chose not to continue and other entries did not follow the rules provided in the article. Instead of disqualifying those entries, I have just thrown them all back into the pot, and will let you, the fans, decide who should stay, and who should go. Those who did not submit anything are simply disqualified. I can’t save them.

Now for your Week Four description:

As we discovered from the recent article interview with Mark Rosewater , Wizards really likes cycles. Each color will inevitably get a card related to the cycle that will have some type of effect that the color gives it.

Guess what!? We are going to like cycles too!

In this round, you are designing a cycle of cards - one for each color that relates to your Revolutionary. First thing you need to do is give your cycle a name. I have chosen to call mine, the Loath Cycle. It is supposed to be the five things that my Revolutionary loaths. I have chosen his loaths to be: Selflessness (White), Ingenuity (Blue), Necromatic Intent (Black), Chaotic Actions (Red), and Free Will (Green). Now my task is to design a card for those names and concepts. Your task is to design your own cycle, centered on your own Revolutionary, further telling the story of your design.

The Cycle should be designed to be after the coup and once he is in power. It can be anything you can create, but must be centered on the Revolutionary.

Remember:

  • Name your Cycle
  • You need one card per color (No multicolor cards (hybrid/gold)
  • You are back to your normal design rules (no mana symbols, don’t need to describe art, can supply a spoiler, etc.)

There will only be four contestants who will be able to be voted for, so you are not going to be able to hide behind someone else’s poor designs anymore. Your designs will be in the spotlight, so step up your game, and show the audience why you should be the Next MDV Idol.

Your deadline for this round is Saturday, December 13th. If you have any questions, ask in the Discussion Thread [Link].
To submit your entry, enter it in the Submission Thread [Link].

You can discuss this article in the MDV forums here.
Find other articles by this author here.
Find other articles from this series here.

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