#crime contest | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

inventors-fair · 2 months

Text

The Verdict is In: Crime Commentary

Tropes, tropes, tropes. I do love me a good trope except when I hate them. Is that helpful? Probably not, but there are some amusing parts to how everyone depicted their various crimes this week. Some of them were quite creative, and some of them had creative takes on commonly shared crimes that I found overall amusing.

Mechanically this week, there was a wide range of crimes that I found really streamlined, and that's pleasantly surprising! People took the bare bones of their depictions and made them quite easy to read and grok on the whole. Of course, some of the rules had their little twists, and there were a couple parts where I think folks were confused about interactions, but we all are sometimes, aren't we? It don't matter when we have the cool cards together. Look through these cards and look at the planes depicted, by the way, the worlds in which they purport to take place. Notice any similarities?

JUDGE PICKS have been selected for some specific aspects pointed out in the commentary, so take a look at them and see what's what. Read on!

@bergdg — Put Out a Hit

So, it's been mentioned, but "target creature loses hexproof" is something that, in retrospect, is one of those things that probably should've been caught earlier rather than later. That said, how would one word this properly? The problem is that you have to have the permanent in question lose hexproof before targets can be selected. Something like Soul Sear can get rid of indestructible, but targets are chosen as the spell is cast. Long story short, you have to have a way to get rid of the ability before you play the destruction—like via forecast or something like that.

The flavor concept is sound, if a little gruesome. I think the flavor text definitely leans into the more macabre aspects of this scene, and that's fine for the flavor in question. I'm going to put a Capenna spin on this card and imagine the guns as some other kind of weapon, if that's amenable, but whatever, that's one of those no-guns-allowed things that I'm going to arbitrarily enforce. The card itself is good and direct and I get where you're going with the direction. Getting the exact mechanical specs is important so we don't end up with non-functional sentences.

@dimestoretajic — Embezzlement

I'm wondering why this couldn't have been a Curse, honestly. While the notion of another player gaining control of this is fun, I think a Curse could've been just as well mechanically. Right? But I think I understand the general feeling—like the espionage aspect. There's one small issue where if you gain control of it back via Homeward Path effects, you get recursive triggers that put the game into an immediate draw. I suppose that there's something to be said for the card on its own merits, but I'll be honest, this doesn't scream embezzlement to me. Am I missing something specific about the definition here?

I really like the life-loss-to-Blood mechanic. It's clear and flavorful and I think that there's some part of me that wishes it was the main aspect of this card. Creating Treasures on top of that is also pretty cool; it's still a bit stymied by the questions of what this card's actually trying to portray. Now, this might be just me misunderstanding, but I just feel that it could've been clearer or just had less baggage.

@feyd-rautha-apologist — Foolhardy Graverobber

There are a couple small things that could make this card a little bit cleaner. Firstly, I'll assume this is a rare, so that's all fine. Secondly, I think that the Treasure creation (capital-T) could happen upon contact and then the exile could happen. I think? Or the Treasure can happen first, and the "Then, exile up to one target" could happen after without rules baggage. But I'm not positive on that. The wording of the second sentence should probably be "You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled." With the second clause, "and/or" would probably read better, and it should end in "Foolhardy Graverobber can't be blocked."

So I suppose this card is exploring some pretty usual space, but I think that it world quite well for a limited tempo card, and I would personally love to play with it! Rogues need a lot more love. I'm not entirely sure what makes this card "Foolhardy" but maybe there would be some art direction that would help with that. All the same, with a little more polish we could have a neat card on our hands. It's doing everything that rogues are supposed to do.

@hanavesinauttija — Revenue Inspector

I get the angle. This isn't what the contest was looking for. Redefining what a crime is within the game is grokable to a degree, but we're looking for the in-game notions of crime as it stands. Beyond that, what crime is being depicted by the card's actions itself? The scenario (unless the IRS is itself a criminal organization) looks to be investigating the aftermath of a supposed crime. I'm not going to dismiss the creativity, but the subversion of the prompt's implications lead us to a place that feels burdened with intention and doesn't actually fit the contest needs.

I'm a huge fan of Innistrad's vibes. This feels like a parody to me. I'm trying not to be too harsh here, because I can imagine a world where, if things had gone differently, there could be a series of "gotcha"-style mechanics that care about crimes being committed by defining different types of crimes. That said, "gotcha" was a universally disliked mechanic, and this card could be implemented quite easily without an AU version of crime definition. Having taxing effects is totally fine from the other side, for another contest, when we're looking for parts of a world that are focused on order or what have you. This vampire just isn't what we needed.

@helloijustreadyourpost — Decision at Knifepoint (JUDGE PICK)

I think that this card might be really powerful—ooh, big shocker, a forced edict that also functions as a discard spell is powerful, who'da thunk. I mean that genuinely, though! I'm not sure how to fully judge this card on power level. As a sorcery, it's less powerful than something like a direct killspell, and if the opponent has cards to spare, then sure, it's fine, but it can also function as a sorcery-speed Murder for two mana. Hm. Maybe that's not so bad. Looking at comparable sorceries, they all have some kind of downside, and I guess the downside here is that if your opponent has cards that are worse than a creature, thppt, discard away.

I like that the more I think about it, actually. I suppose my one revision with the flavor text is that the second half of the sentence could be shorter? As in: "I'd prefer to take your money, but I'm open to other options." Either way: great implication, great focus with the art, and I like how the character with the knife isn't pictures. Kinda persona-y. I wonder if "Knifepoint Decision" is better than "Decision at Knifepoint" but I think it's fifty-fifty. I dunno, I'm warming up to this card a lot! I've chosen it as a judge pick because it's a card that really made me think, with a definitive focus that I found specific in the best way.

@iamthesassking — Three Casino Heist

Welcome to the wonderful world of sagas. There's a lot of thought that you put into this card with the references, and I do appreciate that, but I'm going to ask a rhetorical question: did you assume that chapter I would apply to the rest of the time you had the saga? Unfortunately, that's not the case. The ability resolves, and then that's that for the turn; it'd be like casting an Exhaustion. So then your opponents would get tapped Treasures, and they'd be able to use/sacrifice them because chapter I resolved a turn ago. You'd have to word that first ability like Urza's Saga.

And even then, what would be the point of waiting three turns to get this massive amount of mana on turn...nine? By that point in the game if you're not already on an amazing board state (in limited), then you're in a rough spot to say the least. What would you need it for? In short: what is the mechanical purpose of this card? Gaining control of artifacts and whatnot would've made for a cool design, and I know that you were going for something story-accurate to a heist movie, but the card feels like it's essentially doing nothing for a while and then giving you an advantage that doesn't necessarily progress the game state. Consider, not in a vacuum, but in the context of a difficult game state: what could this card do to be faithful to your vision while also being impactful in the wider battlefield of potential?

@nine-effing-hells — Drive-By Shooting (JUDGE PICK)

Yeah, this is definitely a limited build-around. Here's the thing: the name and flavor are decidedly gritty to the point of being... Well, I won't call them "derivative," but in terms of tropes, this is about as on-the-nose as you can possibly get. And yet, the part that you're going for works so good on the battlefield: you play the equipment, you play the vehicle, and you've got good stuff. If you're behind on board, chances are you'll still have the pieces laying around because equipment and vehicles are pretty hard to remove.

Hm. That power level is actually still pretty high if you have one of those pieces. But you'd still have to play them first, draw them, etc. Hm. Yet again, I'm thinking about this card as if I'm evaluating it for final touches and playtesting, and frankly that's already a good sign. I want to see more about the vehicle+equipment signpost combo that we have for this limited format. I'm imagining it kind of like the artifact+enchantment combo requirement from NEO's BW signpost, but it's a little more focused than that. I think. Man, this is a rough one. I think I chose this as a judge pick because no matter what, it makes me want to lean into its possibilities, and I believe in the archetype it's going for in a way that checks out even with a slightly higher power level.

@real-aspen-hours — Grave Trespass

The slight wording change I'd have is based on...what was it, Curse of Hospitality? I think. It's not so bad: "Exile target card from a graveyard. Until end of turn, you may play that card and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast that spell." It's weird but that's how the rules work in the end. I think. You know what, I'm honestly shocked that this isn't a specific kind of card already. Psychic Intrusion and the ilk do it from the hand, too, but just from the graveyard? I dunno, I'm honestly surprised. I think I want you to hold onto this one, and/or I might ask to steal it sometimes if I ever jump into custom cube nonsense.

That said: I'm not following the flavor text or art direction exactly. I get what you're going for in the general sense but the pronouns in the art direction are slightly confusing to me. Who's casting what? What are the robbers running from? What are the stakes? And what do the stakes have to do with the card? I think the name and the mechanical basis are excellent. I would've chosen perhaps a different plane or angle of storyline for this card. There's this sense of frenetic peril that I don't think I sense from the card as it stands. Maybe a little more of a criminal lean would do you good.

@reaperfromtheabyss — Bash and Dash

I believe you'd have to word this with a little parenthetical like Siegehorn Ceratops? Like, they fight, and have: "Then, if your creature survived the damage," etc. Maybe no parenthetical but it could use a note so that people wouldn't be confused by the potential for fighting and bouncing scot-free if both creatures would otherwise trade. I know that fighting is in-pie for red, but red and white? I dunno, it's reasonable in the right world. I think I would've liked a little more of that to solidify the action you're trying to depict.

Still, a hit-and-run is pretty funny with the fighting aspect, and I think this card could play quite well in a combat shell. Extra ETBs are always useful. The ability to save a creature during a boardwipe while also smashing something as insult to injury is pretty funny too. I think that this card's overall fine, if a little less toothsome with the flavor/world that I could ask for. You've got a good vibe going for you and I think this would be something I'd like to play in the limited shell.

@sparkyyoungupstart — Pirate Radio (JUDGE PICK)

I've chosen this card as a judge pick because you've tied the abilities together in such a way that the first is already excellent and the second one just helps you build around it. It's so frustrating to have cards where they're supposedly build-around but the things you have to have to build with them aren't related to the card itself. Pirate Radio solves all your problems. You can see Grave Trespass above for wording on the casting-and-mana problems, but regardless. What I also love about this card is that you can target yourself OR your opponents, but it rewards you more for targeting your opponents, and man, this card kicks ass.

I wish it was flavored basically any other way besides being radio-oriented. Am I old and out of touch? Yes, but that has nothing to do with this card. I think. ... No, let me be serious. Technologies like radio and DJing and what have you aren't exactly in the immersive side of MTG's worlds, and that's a personal opinion, and I had to look up what kind of technology Capenna had and I'm honestly still not sure. What's Wiretapping depicting? I don't really know. Personally, I would lean away from the radio aspect and go for a general communications theme, but that's also a taste thing. I like the punk angle, really. I just want it shifted a little less 21st-century-y, I guess?

@stupidstupidratcreatures — Dropped Piano

This is quite silly. It's also very funny. It's also dark. It also isn't quite gripping me as a card in itself. Why does a piano make mana, exactly? Where's the resource? Instruments are a little weird to depict in MTG, and you can't exactly have a piano as an equipment in the same way that you would a trumpet or what have you. Still, one dropped piano later, it's still a funny concept. I like the aspect of how it survived in the flavor text, too, regardless of the run-on sentence that's a little iffy.

The general thoughts are still on the on-the-fence side for me. Mana doesn't make sense, the world's still a little confusing, and in general, I'm left wondering whose piano this is and what's supposed to be shown, exactly. Is someone playing the piano in the picture, are we seeing it about to land on a body, is someone going to be splattered underneath? Can it even be played, honestly? What's the context of the card as a whole that's not being shown by its parts here? I'm having a hard time saying precisely what I mean but I hope it makes some sense.

@wildcardgamez — Faithless Robbery

I'm 80% sure that you need an "each" after "player," and that (if this wasn't a crime contest) it could play better to have each player discard a card, but I think I see what you were going for with the idea that you would have to target yourself if nobody else was available. With that, though, this is fairly derivative from Faithless Looting, and even riffs with the flavor text on the Commander Masters version without delving into the context.

I think this card could've been more centered for sure. Where is the robbery that you want to depict? What's exactly being robbed here? Who are "they?" Why repeat the "rob" in the name and twice in the flavor text? This card currently feels like a draft, and I would want a lot more polish for what's being shown. Without that, the card in a vacuum is pretty alright, but I want to look at the whole of it.

@yourrightfulking — Citation Needed (JUDGE PICK)

Sins of the Past, that's the card I was thinking of! But that one only does your graveyard, and the benefit is that you know what you're getting vs. this card which can be more sideboardable. I think the name is quite interesting and kinda memetic. Who am I kidding, this whole contest was somewhat memetic. I don't fault you for it and I think that there's some fun to be had there. The placement of this card on Strixhaven (in an allied discipline? For shame!) does what I think a lot of cards should do and centers its reference in a place where we understand it making sense.

And the want to steal something else is pretty funny too! I hope that it doesn't happen in limited, but if it did, there could probably be only two cards in the set that allowed for it, this one included, so as not to overpower the limited format with permanent-stealing. Act of Treason effects would be fine, though, and that would be super funny if you managed to pull that off. I picked this card as a judge pick because it's doing a known effect in a solid manner with a cheeky twist, and pulls it all off in a humorous and world-contained logic. Citation: I like it.

That's all! Tune in tomorrow and be safe this week during the crime of sun-stealing, by the notorious thief: the Man in the Moon.

@abelzumi

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #commentary #entries #crime contest

10 notes · View notes

inventors-fair · 2 months

Text

Outstanding Charges: Crime Winners ~

Our winners this week are @corporalotherbear, @curiooftheheart and @izzet-always-r-versus-u!

@corporalotherbear — Raucous Celebrators

For a common design, this is a pretty good corner case, and once more I'm pleased with the kind of designs that Battlebond 2HG play has to offer. The ability to confer with a teammate is one of the best advantages that 2HG has over other formats, and even then, in Commander or similar formats the ability to cast two spells and get a free Shatter isn't anything to shake a stick at. Situational, yes, but necessary—in a way that probably comes up more often than not in the formats where it'd be played.

I think this is one of those cards as well where the name, flavor text, and abilities give rise to an idea of the art and mood without having to explicitly spell it out. I can quite easily see the brightly painted faces and the hooting-slash-hollering that would be taking place here. We don't need to see the sighing Sylvia or even the aftermath of the destruction; the implication of an arena already in the process of being decimated is enough. It gives a little bit of humanity to the world, in the sense of connections between our Earth's sports fans and the crowd here rushing the stands. I really love how you've got that subtle story there that's funny, flavorful, and quite polished overall. You know, it just struck me: this card can show either the joy of a winning team, OR the anger of a losing team. Great work.

@curiooftheheart — Jaywalk

I was tempted to just put "10/10 no notes" and have that be the end of the commentary. I've never laughed so hard at a submission, and I really have nothing to add that this card doesn't already demonstrate. Perfect name, perfect vibe, perfect modes, perfect flavor text. I think when I shared this in with the other judges, Florence mentioned that this pedestrian was having a really bad day if they're getting hit with every vehicle at the same time.

Maybe there's something to say about limited? I dunno, it's a removal spell in the right shell and a perfectly adequate combat trick otherwise. Perhaps there's something to be said about the "crime" aspect being, like, situational, but that's not eve what this contest was about. You demonstrated perfectly the kind of fine balance between dark humor and utility. I'll be thinking about this submission and sharing it around for quite some time.

@izzet-always-r-versus-u — Graverobbing

And today I learned about the word "fossor!" I love learning new words, and this card's pretty standard for what we're looking for in a way that elevated it with the other kinds of grave-themed submissions; there were a few this week, which I should've expected, honestly. What I like about this card in particular is the versatility of it and the simplicity that comes from the choices. You gotta have creature cards in graveyards, but maybe you only need one. Double Raise Dead ain't nothing to shake a stick at, but you need the double black pips, so there you go—and blockers slash bodies is important as well.

This one is on the higher end of complexity, but in a world where multi-paragraph commons exist (looking at you, Sticky Fingers), this one isn't the hardest to grok, in my opinion. You gotta pick creatures, yours go back to hand and your opponents' make Zombies. Ain't so bad, right? It could be an uncommon, but that would be situational with the set's gist. Flavor text here is fun, too—it's worded well and reads great. Actually, I love how the Imperial aspect speaks to the nature of the world where the political positions have their backstabbingly-oriented nature no matter where you are. That's how you speak to a greater world without massive amounts of exposition. Phenomenal job overall.

Runners coming up! @abelzumi

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #winners #commentary #crime contest

13 notes · View notes