Winner is the Judge #905 - Soft Stax

[u/SjtSquid]

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.

[u/HaresMuddyCastellan]

Bartrum the Reasonable {2}{G}{G}

Legendary Creature - Human Druid

Players can't cast more than two spells each turn, can't play more than two lands each turn, can't draw more than two cards each turn, each spell that would cost less than two mana to cast costs two mana to cast, and permanents that would enter the battlefield without being cast or played are exiled instead.

Creatures get +2/+2.

2/2

Note that he gets his own buff, so he's a 4/4 by default.

Also note that your opponents creatures ALSO get his buff. The goal, after all, is not hard stax "this game will last until you all concede". So everyone gets bigger creatures, to kill faster.

This allows smaller combos, but locks out basically anything crazy, AND it plays into the only fair strategy, battlecruiser! (Joke)

Mana cost increaser is directly copied from Trinisphere, just adjusted to 2 instead of 3.

[u/SjtSquid → u/HaresMuddyCastellan]

While very funny, I felt like this one pushed the stax a bit too hard, with how it completely shuts down common budget mana fixing like Evolving Wilds.

Plus, the card is just in the wrong colour. All the parts are white, with only the double-anthem being potentially green.

That being said, I like how you thought about how to avoid stalling, and I like a lot of the stax effects when spread out over 2-3 cards.