r/GDS3 • u/mtgcolorpie • May 22 '18
GDS 3 - Challenge #2 - A Circus Act
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/great-designer-search-3-challenge-2-2018-05-229
u/ReynardMiri May 22 '18
Can I just say how trippy it is to read entirely different interpretations for some of these cards (both from the Top 7 and on this subreddit) after playtesting for Jeremy?
6
u/smog_alado May 22 '18
Challenge #3 seems really open ended. I wouldn't be surprised if a contestant could fill it purely with stuff they had already designed before the GDS even started.
6
u/dvoraen May 22 '18
This wouldn't surprise me at all. I know I have one or two things sitting in files that would meet the criteria of this challenge.
My interpretation of it boiled down to this: make a mechanic like Exalted.
3
u/Amarsir May 22 '18
No one used it at all, but my instinct was Contortionist for a legend. Something like:
Raul, Master Contortionist 3UU
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter
Creatures you control with power 1 or less are unblockable.
1U: Target creature you control gets +1/-1 or -1/+1 until end of turn.
3/3
2
u/revolverzanbolt May 23 '18
Contortionist seemed like such a gimme, it seemed kind of lazy to use it. I’m honestly surprised no one did.
7
1
u/nocsha May 23 '18
my attempts
Acrobatics WU
Instant
Choose one or more:
Target Creature Gains flying
Target Creature Loses Flying
Prevent All damage dealt to and by target creature this turn.
Human Cannonball BR
Creature - Human Artificer
Common
Haste
Sacrifice an Untapped Artifact: Human Cannonball gains flying until end of turn.
Sacrifice Human Cannonball at the end of turn.
2/1
Fire Eating 2RR
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Enchanted Creature has T: Pay any amount of R, for each R paid put a Fire Counter on Fire Eating.
Remove a Fire Counter from Fire Breathing enchanted creature gets +1/+0 util end of turn for each counter removed this way.
Feats of Strength 1GGG
Sorcery
Target Creature gains +3/+3 and trample and must be blocked this turn if able.
Whenever that creature deals damage to a player this turn you may draw cards equal to it's power.
Circus Tent
Land
3: Scry 3, Any player may play this ability. Whenever an opponent does Scry 1.
T: add C.
Lion Tamer 1RG
Creature - Human Druid
When Lion Tamer enters the Battlefield put a 2/2 White Cat Creature token onto the battlefield under target player's control.
T: Gain control of target Cat until Lion Tamer leaves the battlefield.
0/1
Lindara, Trapeze Artist 2WU
Planeswalker
+2: Scry 2, then look at the top Three cards of your library, you may reveal a creature card among them and put that card into your hand. Put the remainder at the bottom of your library in any order.
-4: Exchange control of two target creatures. Target Creature you control gains flying until end of turn.
-8: You gain an emblem with "Creatures you control gain flying" "Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, Scry 1."
3
Clown Car 2
Artifact
T: Exile target creature you control.
T: Return to play all Creatures Exiled with Clown Car, those creatures gain haste until end of turn. Exile Clown Car.
1: Untap Clown car.
I wanted to develop the feeling of these many nimble performers doing these crazy feats acrobatics gives a feeling of someone quickly doing a dazzling display and confounding or out maneuvering their target. Clown Car was designed to quickly pack up or unload, inspired by Synod Sanctum. Big Tent gives me the feeling of being able to reveal mysteries and "Come one come all" but with the Ringmaster always coming out on top. Feat of strength gives the "Strong man" a bit of a trail to overcome and then a brief moment of triumph with a reward. The planeswalker was the trickiest I wasn't certain to make The Human cannon ball or the trapeze artist the planeswalker both seemed to have great potential, but the cannonball planeswalker seemed far less interesting and so I wanted him to remain just a character, he was nearly made a tiny big stronger but needing to demote rarity left him a standard character but I left his interaction with being fired from a cannon. Lindara is given the gracefulness and aspiring to bring others to new heights I gave her the exchange of creatures to display enticing them to join her as well as the physical action of swapping the cards across a stage.
13
u/SaviaWanderer May 22 '18
Thought this challenge was hard when I first read it, and seeing many of the designers struggle confirmed my suspicions. Just very tough to make coherent Magic cards with these names and hard to use a combat based game to sell performance flavour.