inventors-fair

[inventors-fair]

The Wonderful Thing about Triggers

Wow, I kinda see this art from afar, but looking up close, Cityscape Leveler really is a terrifying card. Seriously, how did they make the production for that beast? Jeez. Anyway.

One of the things I love about playing Leveler is the fact that it's got a trigger that doesn't get countered if the creature itself gets countered. You have this with the Eldrazi titans, with Hydroid Krasis when that card dominated Standard—you get the idea. And there's also the cards like Young Pyromancer and Thermo-Alchemist that force your opponents to think about spells and their triggers as well! And there are cards like the Storm cycle from C18 that double themselves from casting, too.

I think you know where I'm going with this, right?

Design a card with a cool "cast" trigger!

It can trigger off of itself being cast, it can trigger off of another thing being cast, it doesn't matter what kind of card it is—all that matters is that it looks at something that's being cast.

Don't @ me this week. Seriously, what that means is that you should be using "when" and "whenever," not "at" for your triggers, because the only thing I can think of that could use an "at" is a conditional "if," and that's not what I'm looking for; the card must trigger as soon as something is cast. But that doesn't feel like too hard an ask, right?

You know what we're usually after here. I wanna see cards that are pushing the envelope a little bit. Or, like, really effectively flavorful cast triggers can be fun too! Just remember that your cards don't exist in a vacuum, you have many options and worlds at your fingertips, you're cleverer than you think, etc.

G'luck, h'fun, b'well! — @abelzumi

Cast into our inbox >> HERE Trigger Discord notifications >> HERE

#self reblog #midweek bump

[inventors-fair]

Trivia Tuesday: Abili-Tea

#trivia tuesday #mtg #magic the gathering #inventor's fair #this poll has absolutely no application whatsoever #except maybe to find some psychographic stuff? #when: reactive #whenever: combolicious #at: controlling #idk i'm not a psychologist

[inventors-fair]

The Art of Art: What works for contests?

Most of us are not visual artists—or at least I assume. What I also assume is that in the early days of card design, most new designers have visions for their cards but not the specific art to execute them. And so, we trawl the internet, put some "placeholder" art, and the cards rest in peace in our MSE folders from there on out.

In order to avoid any possibilities of uncredited art, fair use issues, etc., it still remains best practice to do everything as originally as possible. That does indeed include what art appears on a card. And yes, like I said, most of us aren't visual artists, but there are other approaches that will work best. For example:

1. Art Direction!

Here are two winning examples from previous contests, from @hiygamer and @starch255. A written scene can demonstrate the card in the same manner that art direction is given to the actual artists who create pieces for Wizards of the Coast. Clear action, simple direction, and a feeling for the mood are all that's needed to convey what you want.

The most important thing about art descriptions is to keep them brief and specific! If you can't clearly describe what's happening in the scene, then the jumbled elements feel disconnected from the card. If the art description is too detailed, then it can sometimes get in the way of the actual mechanics being judged.

One more thing to note is that, like in these examples, it's helpful to put the art description where the card's actual art would be. This way, anyone looking at your card can see what they're supposed to at first glance.

2. Sketches!

On the left, here's some previous contest art from @bread-into-toast, and on the right—art from me! You don't have to have access to much to draw the outline of what you'd like, and you can get across what you want to without worrying about judgement on that front.

Drawing your own pieces is both fun and functional. Once you have an idea of what you'd like, it doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, because it's entirely your own creation through and through. We can extrapolate even more about intent from it, and as Magic players, we know what truly professional/polished art looks like. Taking that imaginative step is easy and fun!

And yes, you have to credit the artist at all times, even when it's yourself. Who are you to deny your own greatness?

3. A combination of both?

@deg99 won the most recent contest with Bone Fetcher, and I won absolutely nothing with this old example card for a contest that I don't even remember what it was about. So let's look at Bone Fetcher instead. What does having both elements to for this card?

If just the dog and the skeleton were there, that would be wonderful, but then we'd miss out on the precise tone of the piece. With just the text, we'd get a good description, but the arm in the foreground shows the dramatic tilt of the camera that I'm assuming Deg intended here. You get the best of both worlds!

And sometimes one or the other is good enough. Which is fine! Maybe a little art direction can help with a rough sketch, maybe it can assume some positioning for you, etc.

I'll say this: there was one piece I can't find where a bunch of stick figures were placed around a crude torch, and the art description turned those little MS Paint dudes into a dramatic, heartfelt scene that still jars me even to this day. I've almost cried at the depiction of a ghost-laded squiggle-guy whose card told a full story about his impending death.

We don't need a massive budget to make the cards come alive visually. Words and sketches are all that we require, and it helps to ensure that you follow the best ethical practices for your cards. Don't like the MSE backgrounds? Zoom in on a piece until you only see pixels, or use a solid color! Don't have a steady hand? Show us the unsteady vision! There are many options available, and we accept all of them, just like we accept you.

@abelzumi

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #monday blog

[inventors-fair]

The Wonderful Thing about Triggers

Wow, I kinda see this art from afar, but looking up close, Cityscape Leveler really is a terrifying card. Seriously, how did they make the production for that beast? Jeez. Anyway.

One of the things I love about playing Leveler is the fact that it's got a trigger that doesn't get countered if the creature itself gets countered. You have this with the Eldrazi titans, with Hydroid Krasis when that card dominated Standard—you get the idea. And there's also the cards like Young Pyromancer and Thermo-Alchemist that force your opponents to think about spells and their triggers as well! And there are cards like the Storm cycle from C18 that double themselves from casting, too.

I think you know where I'm going with this, right?

Design a card with a cool "cast" trigger!

It can trigger off of itself being cast, it can trigger off of another thing being cast, it doesn't matter what kind of card it is—all that matters is that it looks at something that's being cast.

Don't @ me this week. Seriously, what that means is that you should be using "when" and "whenever," not "at" for your triggers, because the only thing I can think of that could use an "at" is a conditional "if," and that's not what I'm looking for; the card must trigger as soon as something is cast. But that doesn't feel like too hard an ask, right?

You know what we're usually after here. I wanna see cards that are pushing the envelope a little bit. Or, like, really effectively flavorful cast triggers can be fun too! Just remember that your cards don't exist in a vacuum, you have many options and worlds at your fingertips, you're cleverer than you think, etc.

G'luck, h'fun, b'well! — @abelzumi

Cast into our inbox >> HERE Trigger Discord notifications >> HERE

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #announcement #cast trigger contest

[inventors-fair]

Extended Family: Unlikely Allies Runners-Up ~

Our runners-up this week are @aethernalstars, @nine-effing-hells, and @reaperfromtheabyss!

@aethernalstars — Durkrun, Stampede Inciter

First off, just to be clear: this card's not finished. It's missing a power and toughness, and the X is the active ability is undefined. That said, I liked the concept so much that I felt like I still had to give it some sort of accolade! "Ungulate typal" definitely wins the award for most creative combination right out of the gate. Slightly odd that the card doesn't support other Minotaurs given their behoofedness, but it's a relatively minor criticism. Maybe they're a loner? Ultimately, I can't really judge much about this card, and the abilities seem more on the straightforward side, but I still had to give credit where it's due for the positively stellar concept.

@nine-effing-hells — Seasoned Ranchhand

Wasting no time in jumping on top of Mounts—which is suppose is kind of the point—this card's here to make up for the severe lack of Rangers in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. We already caught a glimpse of Mount typal there, and this definitely picks up where that left off, but seeing Horses and Oxen highlighted as the archetypal "mount" types feels very fitting and does a good job of keeping this feeling more versatile. It's also great to see the Pilot effect applied to Mounts, and you even thought to decrease the bonus to account for Mounts' generally lower saddle costs compared to crew costs. It's nothing mind-blowing, but it's a solid, thematically resonant package that feels like an incredibly natural extension of a brand-new archetype. Very cool!

@reaperfromtheabyss — Expedition Leader

Speaking of Rangers, actually! Rangers and Scouts have increasingly felt like siblings from different mothers, and while they've flirted with the idea of lumping them together, nothing's really come of it. Until now, that is! Landfall feels like the perfect thematic fit, and there's already plenty of creatures in both types who deal in lands. I also adore the bonus condition for similar reasons. While vigilance is less powerful than the blanket counters and feels more like the cherry on top than anything you should be bending over backwards to accomplish, it just feels so right. An explorer should never be satisfied unless they're in uncharted territory, after all. That sort of condition on a monocolored creature is an interesting bit of tension, too, as often the easiest way to have more unique lands is to play more colors. In turn, this encourages you to integrate the many Rangers and Scouts outside of green, and open-endedness in a typal strategy always feels good.

~

That's about it! I've finally gotten a feel for when I can reasonably expect myself to write commentary by, so the rest of it should be up within a few days. Please look forward to it! @spooky-bard

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #commentary #runners up #batching contest

[inventors-fair]

Best Types Forever: Unlikely Allies Winners ~

Our winners this week are @deg99, @izzet-always-r-versus-u, and @ship-of-skitties!

@deg99 — Bone Fetcher

Love it, love it, love! This card is the perfect intersection of simply adorably and deeply compelling, and I'm all over it. First of all, it's really funny, pairing up Dogs and Skeletons just to make a fetch joke. Beyond that, it's not all that hard to imagine a more serious explanation thanks to the inclusion of Zombie, like a necromancer with a trained squad of zombified dogs to plunder graveyards for their bones. It also does an excellent job of identifying what each type wants to do, and thus serves as a pretty seamless bridge between the two. Dogs want to be attacking, and Skeletons are more than happy to be sacrificed and/or sit in the graveyard. This card forms a really cool feedback loop that still feels like you need to put in proper effort to keep the metaphorical wheel spinning, and I think it's pretty neat.

@izzet-always-r-versus-u — Blood in the Water

I admit, this one got an actual chuckle out of me on first look. The combination here is very much leaning on pop culture, but I think that actually makes the conceit of the card that much more interesting. After all, we in the audience know why these two would be paired up, but in-universe, what sort of conditions could have resulted in this partnership. A society of aquatic vampires who train sharks like bloodhounds? A shadowy organization of vampires and anthropomorphic shark people? There's a lot of directions to go here, and I find it fascinating. Mechanically it's very solid too. Conditional flash is something I always find interesting just for how many options it opens up while still giving your opponent a degree of predictability as to what you'll do and when. Tying it to sacrificing a permanent is smart too, as even though the card makes acquiring a Blood simple enough, the need to commit to the sacrifice gives your opponent a sort of warning light that something's about to happen.

@ship-of-skitties — Granthim, Overtaken Hive

What did Squirrel ever do to get kicked out of the Swarmyard Crew, anyway? Mind you, I don't particularly mind Frog as a replacement even though it's a much less supported type. "Critter" is a pretty fun term for this grouping. While I'd imagine there's probably a more evocative umbrella term, I can't actually think of any besides "pest," and well, y'know. On-cast reanimation is a bit unusual, and I'm intrigued by the fact that it can target non-critters (oh, and quick note, it should be "target creature card") for reanimation. It has the quirk where whatever you revive actually arrives before the critter, which can lead to some fun setups. But it's ultimately balanced by the lower mana value restriction paired with the fact that the five types in question aren't really known for their high-cost creatures. The mill, then, serves as a great way to fill up the graveyard and rewards you for being on a sufficiently high density of critters. After all, you have to have several on board to attack with, and then another in hand to cast. It also makes sure critter tokens aren't left behind, which is important given how token-heavy these types (sans Frog) tend to be. Neat!

~

Next up, runners up! @spooky-bard

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

[inventors-fair]

Unlikely Allies Entries (10-18 of 18) ~

@milfannihilator — Nightgorger Mass @misterstingyjack — Undead Dawn @nine-effing-hells — Seasoned Ranchhand @piccadilly-blue — Armed Battlements @reaperfromtheabyss — Expedition Leader @ship-of-skitties — Granthim, Overtaken Hive @sombramainexe — Gravebound Alliance @wildcardgamez — Indatha's Blessing @feyd-rautha-apologist — Heavenly Truce

Thank you for all your entries!

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

[inventors-fair]

Unlikely Allies Entries (1-9 of 18) ~

@aethernalstars — Durkrun, Stampede Inciter @bergdg — Campaign Veteran @corporalotherbear — Peer Review @deg99 — Bone Fetcher @dimestoretajic — Tumultuous Waters @helloijustreadyourpost — Granary Raiders @hypexion — Scion of Nethroi @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes — Avus Chief Artificer @izzet-always-r-versus-u — Blood in the Water

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

[inventors-fair]

Entries for this week are CLOSED

This post will be queued for every Friday in 2024. Thank you for your participation in the Inventor's Fair!

If you have any questions about this or any other contest, you can message the judge for this week's contest and/or @ a "judge" role in the Discord server.

#entries closed

[inventors-fair]

24-Hour Warning!

Time's almost up! Have you submitted a card this week?

This post will be queued every week of 2024 as a reminder to get your submissions in! 24 hours from this being posted, the inbox will “close” and entries after that point will not be accepted for the current contest.

Keep in mind that, despite the weekly schedule, judges may live in different time zones and, as such, this post may not appear at the expected time for you. 

Check the previous post on the Inventor’s Fair blog to see what the contest is, and if you’d like, we recommend turning on posting notifications for additional reminders. We want to be as helpful as we can on here and in Discord to ensure that everyone knows when we’re posting. Ultimately, you the contestant are responsible for getting your card submitted properly and on time, so pick the reminders that work best for you.

#24 hour warning

[inventors-fair]

All the Colors of the -1/-1 Counter Runners Up!!

Blighted Oak by @wildcardgamez

I’d bump this down to a 5/5 with three counters but otherwise it’s great. Limited-use growth is one of the things -1/-1 counters are definitely better at than +1/+1 counters, but four just seems like one use too many.

Hapless Analyst by @bergdg

This is a really interesting design; the ability to have it enter with a variable number of -1/-1 counters is something we haven’t really seen before and I like the tension it introduces to this design. This is a very spikey design and I think that works in its favor. 

Call of the Choir by @curiooftheheart

This is a fun twist on white’s usual size-limited reanimation. I almost think it should check power instead of mana value though? I know that’s a little unusual these days but I think this design is worth the exception; one of the big reasons not to reanimate based on power is because it lets you cheat with stuff with low power but high mana cost, but this lets you get back stuff of any mana cost anyway so that’s less of an issue. And aesthetically, -1/-1 counters related to power feels better than related to mana value.

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventors' fair #runners up #commentary

[inventors-fair]

All the Colors of the -1/-1 Counter Winners!!!

Hey folks! Sorry for the delay this week. This weekend didn't give me a lot of time to work on fair stuff because of family matters, and then I had to jump straight into an assignment for school when I got back. Sorry about that. But congrats to this weeks winners!!! Runners up will follow shortly

Pale Imitation by @nine-effing-hells

This is great! It’s got a simple concept and a good execution, and utilizes -1/-1 counters very well. I don’t really have a ton to say here, I’m honestly surprised we’ve never seen something like this in a -1/-1 counter set.

Grim Entertainer by @piccadilly-blue

I like this quite a bit. Often the issue with -1/-1 counters, even (and sometimes especially) ones that put them on your own stuff is that they slow the game down. The anthem effect is a good way to push the game forward despite using -1/-1 counters, and the counters are done in such a way that they hurt you on a single angle when your game plan is to go wide, so it’s a nice way to make the disadvantage lessened. Also, a great representation of white philosophy.

Diminutive Burglar by @corporalotherbear

I really like the combination of skulk and this ability; it helps keep the creature relevant as an attacker even as it’s getting smaller. Making it a may trigger was also a very good choice. This card seems like it would play quite well, I’m a big fan.

#mtg #magic the gathering #inventors' fair #custom magic card #commentary #winners

[inventors-fair]

Unlikely Allies

Creature types have become a pretty core part of how Magic does flavor over the years, and they're clearly very popular. Everyone's got a favorite, and in an ideal world every single one of them would have its own distinct strategy and synergies. Problem is, there's just too many of them, and the number's increasing all the time! So, what is an aspiring designer to do? Well, often the answer is: mix and match!

Design a card that mentions multiple creature types in a way that supports all of them.

That's a wide field and a dizzying number of potential combinations, so let me give some examples. Historically, they've batched creature types together to unify them under a single mechanical umbrella (such as party with Clerics, Rogues, Warriors, and Wizards), to support types that don't have enough members to make a compelling strategy on their own (such as The Archimandrite with Advisors, Artificers, and Monks), or just to include additional types with a lot of thematic overlap (such as Silver-Fur Master with Ninjas and Rogues).

Ultimately, there's any number of reasons you can use, there just has to be a reason behind whatever combination you go with. You shouldn't be spinning a wheel to pick the types, there should ideally be thought behind why any given combination would go together.

Also, a bit of clarification on what I'm looking for with "support:" it has to be an effect that makes you want to play members of the type(s) in your deck. So, no targeted hate, no incidental mentions of multiple types such as with creature tokens, and no flavorful exclusions of types. Or at least, a card won't be eligible with just those things.

~

That's about it, though. Get out there and make some friends! -@spooky-bard

>>> Submit your lordliest Lords HERE! >>> Find your Kindred on the Discord HERE!

#midweek bump

[inventors-fair]

Updates: AI Art and Credit

Good afternoon, folks. This is an official update regarding submissions:

From this moment forward, if you would like to add art to your submission, please DO NOT use AI-generated art of any kind. Submissions that use AI-generated art may not be accepted.

In the world of custom cards, many designers have found themselves trawling sites like Artstation and Deviantart for the perfect fantasy submission to use for their piece. One of Magic's appeals, after all, lies in the quality of its art and the work of its hundreds of incredible artists. Adding art to a card may make it appear more professional, or add to the intended atmosphere.

With art, one of the most important principles within this sphere of game design is properly attributing artists. In the past, some generators (Deep Dream comes to mind) have created more abstract pieces that were accepted in part due to their abstract nature. As AI has gotten more complex and as algorithms have been more ruthless in their plagiarism and misattribution, there is unfortunately no ethical way to credit the artists whose works are being used for said algorithms—often without permission.

The decision to ben AI-generated art is the answer to the question of whether or not an artist can be properly attributed; at this point in time, the answer is a definitive no, and as such, it is only sensible that AI-generated work has no place in custom Magic design.

If you would like to add art to your work and are not an artist yourself, you may act on your own judgement to use art, ONLY if that art has been properly attributed, and only with the understanding that this contest is a non-monetized casual space that does not and will not profit off of artists' hard work. Even if you aren't an artist, picking up a pencil or sketching something in a free drawing program are totally fine alternatives, as long as you credit yourself! Putting in a simple art description is also more than reasonable.

Thank you, and happy designing. —@abelzumi and the @inventors-fair team

#mtg #magic the gathering #updates #inventor's fair

[inventors-fair]

Unlikely Allies

Creature types have become a pretty core part of how Magic does flavor over the years, and they're clearly very popular. Everyone's got a favorite, and in an ideal world every single one of them would have its own distinct strategy and synergies. Problem is, there's just too many of them, and the number's increasing all the time! So, what is an aspiring designer to do? Well, often the answer is: mix and match!

Design a card that mentions multiple creature types in a way that supports all of them.

That's a wide field and a dizzying number of potential combinations, so let me give some examples. Historically, they've batched creature types together to unify them under a single mechanical umbrella (such as party with Clerics, Rogues, Warriors, and Wizards), to support types that don't have enough members to make a compelling strategy on their own (such as The Archimandrite with Advisors, Artificers, and Monks), or just to include additional types with a lot of thematic overlap (such as Silver-Fur Master with Ninjas and Rogues).

Ultimately, there's any number of reasons you can use, there just has to be a reason behind whatever combination you go with. You shouldn't be spinning a wheel to pick the types, there should ideally be thought behind why any given combination would go together.

Also, a bit of clarification on what I'm looking for with "support:" it has to be an effect that makes you want to play members of the type(s) in your deck. So, no targeted hate, no incidental mentions of multiple types such as with creature tokens, and no flavorful exclusions of types. Or at least, a card won't be eligible with just those things.

~

That's about it, though. Get out there and make some friends! -@spooky-bard

>>> Submit your lordliest Lords HERE! >>> Find your Kindred on the Discord HERE!

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #announcement #batching contest

[inventors-fair]

All the Colors of the -1/-1 Counter Entries

Blighted Oak by @wildcardgamez

Abstract Predator by @milfannihilator

Hapless Analyst by @bergdg

Mialla the Waning Blade by @feyd-rautha-apologist

Backbreaking Battle by @douglysium

Flare Elemental by @maypletreeway

Channel Weakness by @squeezyboi

Retired Veteran by @pinetreequestionmark

Soul Erosion by @salamileg

Abandoned Concoction by @the-gboi

Grim Entertainer by @piccadilly-blue

Weakening Starfish by @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes

Guardian of Ashes by @hypexion

Pale Imitation by @nine-effing-hells

Call of the Choir by @curiooftheheart

Corrosive Scamp by @stupidstupidratcreatures

Angel of Conquest by @just--a--penguin

Diminutive Burglar by @corporalotherbear

Restless Research by @iamtheassking

Formless Foe by @helloijustreadyourpost

Guiltridden Geist by @reaperfromtheabyss

Porcelain Confessor by @yourrightfulking

Lone Samurai by @izzet-always-r-versus-u

Overworked Propagandist by @ten-thousand-salamanders

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventors' fair #nonblack -1/-1 counter contest #all the colors of the -1/-1 counter contest #entries

[inventors-fair]

Entries for this week are CLOSED

This post will be queued for every Friday in 2024. Thank you for your participation in the Inventor's Fair!

If you have any questions about this or any other contest, you can message the judge for this week's contest and/or @ a "judge" role in the Discord server.

#entries closed