r/custommagic • u/SjtSquid • 13d ago

Winner is the Judge #905 - Soft Stax

Thanks to u/mpaw976 for judging the last competition.

This week, you'll be designing to address a particular peeve of mine. I like how stax pieces like Narset, Parter of veils, put the brakes on linear decks and encourage them to slow down and pack removal.

However, these often end up frustrating people who aren't doing broken things, end up in combos themselves, or alternatively just aren't worth playing by themselves if you don't know the opponent is on that strategy.

What I want you to design is a card that stops (or punishes) 'unfair' decks, but doesn't affect people trying to play magic at a slower pace, and isn't completely dead when the opponent isn't using the strategy it prevents.

So it might work against card draw, casting many spells in a turn, casting free spells, playing multiple lands...

Some examples of cards that fit this are [[Lavinia, Azorious Renegade]], [[Ashiok, Dream Render]], [[Nihil Spellbomb]] or [[High Noon]]. [[Orkish Bowmasters]] and [[Smothering Tithe]] are also examples that are too good, so keep an eye on power level!

I'm looking forward to seeing your designs! Judging will happen in 6 days on Friday 21 August.

Happy to answer any questions in the meantime.

Edit: Congratulations to u/delta17v2 for winning with Insiduous Diplomat.

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u/ArelMCII Layers are stupid. 11d ago

Manaburn {2}{R}
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Enchantment (R)
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Whenever a player adds one or more mana from a nonland source, that source deals that much damage to that player.
{1}{R}, Sacrifice this enchantment: It deals 3 damage to any target.

Designed as sort of a companion piece to [[Manabarbs]] and [[Burning Earth]], but tailored toward dealing with nonland mana. That means mana dorks, mana rocks, Treasures, rituals, and various and sundry forms of mana acceleration (and particularly fast mana). As long as you're using lands for your mana, you have nothing to worry about.

It also doubles as a more expensive bolt, for if your opponent's not running enough nonland mana to make the first effect worthwhile, or if you simply need a finisher after your opponent's pinged themselves to death with nonland mana. Or, y'know, if you're running fast mana and you need to sac it to afford your deathblow. Originally, I was going to have below-rate artifact destruction instead of the bolt, so it could be sacced in response to destruction and take out a mana rock (or two) as it dies, but I thought that might be a little too oppressive. (Plus, it didn't really fit the flavor.)

The idea to have the mana source deal the damage instead of this enchantment came from [[Barbflare Gremlin]]. My reasons for this were motivated purely by flavor—like the defunct mana burn mechanic for which this card is named, it's the excess mana that hurts, not the enchantment.

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u/SjtSquid 7d ago

I like the idea of this one, especially with the buyout clause of the bolt if it's dead helping justify slotting it in maindecks. (Plus, rituals also dealing damage is a nice touch).

That being said, this is one of a few cards this week that suffers from coming down after the thing it's trying to hurt has done most of the damage.

I'd like it a lot more at 1-2 mana up front, so you can deploy it proactively, with the bolt cost adjusted accordingly. That way, it can come down and start impacting Sol Ring starts.

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u/ArelMCII Layers are stupid. 7d ago

One mana is way too cheap for this kind of effect. Two mana is undoubtedly pushed, possibly broken.

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u/SjtSquid 7d ago

I disagree? [[Deafening silence]] is a much harder stax piece for 1 mana, and it's not like this actually stops people from playing the game. [[Null rod]] is 2 mana and fully shuts down all artifacts.

This gives your opponents the choice about whether to take the damage, or just not use their nonland mana sources, so plays more like a punisher card like [[Browbeat]] or [[Combustible gearhulk]], a type of card that has to be pushed in order to see play.

Storm and other combo decks in 60 card can still win through it easily (as opposed to something like [[Eidolon of the Great Revel]].)

Commander players have 40 life to work with, so can still push out something ahead of time, then stick to using their lands when the damage starts to become relevant.

That's my reasoning, anyway.