The New Challenge

A cycle of cards called "Elite". Each uses their set's keyword in an interesting and painful way.

Krav'kezik Elite 2BRW

Creature - Viashino Assassin

Haste, cleave 5

Whenever Krav'kezik Elite attacks and isn't blocked, you may destroy target creature.

Its title literally means 'makes blood spill'

4/3

What rarity are we aiming for with this cycle?

Rare. It states it in the description. =)

I'm kind of confused with what we're doing with this one. Will there be one cycle for each shard, or one cycle that covers all of the shards?

Morglen Elite 2BWGLegendary creature- Shaman

All tokens get +1/+1

1/4

The set would be having an ability revolving around there respective sard

*Shard, forgot an H

Ulgris Elite 2BUGLegendary Creature- SlimeAll tokens have Wither

2/3

Another Example

a cycle of tacticians, which each can change the pace of a game when they enter the battlefield, yet need to be used smartly or they will ruin any chance of it's controller winning.

Persistant Tactician- 2GWB

Creature- Elf Shaman

Creatures you control have momento.

If a token would come into play, make two copies of that token.

"Triumphant are the ones with sheer persistance."3/5

Devastating Tactician- 1BRW

Creature- Angel Knight

Creatures you control have haste.

sacrifice a land: Target creature has cleave X, where X is the CMC of the target creature.

"Triumphant are the ones with unstoppable force"

Adaptive Tactician- 3RUG

Creature- Dragon Wizard

Flying

You may play all creature cards you control by paying a flow cost of RUG. If you play a creature this way, you must discard a card. You may only use this ability if you have at least one card in hand.

tap CARDNAME:draw a card

5/5

"Triumphant are the ones with the ability to change at whim."

Here's my first cycle beginning submission: the Ultimatums! They're rather like the Alara ones, of course.

Here's the Morglen one:

Overwhelming Ultimatum GGBBBWW

Sorcery

Put all creature cards from all graveyards onto the battlefield under your control.

The name of this card may not be final.

This would be the Irindu one, so you get a better idea of what the Ultimatums are, and I'm not making the rest now:

Inspiring Ultimatum RRUUUGG

Sorcery

Until end of turn, cards you own that arent on the battlefield have flow 0.

Draw four cards.

Sorry, grammatical error:

Inspiring Ultimatum RRUUUGG

Sorcery

Until end of turn, cards you own that aren't on the battlefield have flow 0.

Draw four cards.

You might want to link the voting thread or the card submition thread instead of the winning card thread, so people who weren't a part of those shards know what each shard was about.

@spartanwolfej one cycle that spans all 5 shards. But you are only presenting a sample card from the cycle.

@Spoofed each of the linked articles have descriptions of the shard in them. that is why i linked them

nvm, you only did that for the first one.

@Squire1: The first one doesn't have a description on what "flow" is.

Remember that your 3 submissions can be 3 different concepts for cycles. Each submission shows a concept for a cycle. The three submissions do not need to relate to each other at all.

"Flow: COST (As you draw this card, you may reveal it and cast it for its flow cost. If you do, draw a card.)" from that article

I think I get it now, thanks squire1 !

no prob. This one is more complicated than usual i know, but also allows people to be more creative than usual

First cycle: Equivocal Madness! Each shard uses their ability in conjunction with "X"

(Chavest)

Equivocal Strikes

3RWB Enchantment

Creatures you control have Cleave X, where X is that creature's power.

(Sorok)

Equivocal Determination

XRWU Sorcery

Put a Sorokian counter (unsure of name) on up to X total creatures. As long as a creature has a Sorokian counter on it, it has Resolve.

Really? Guess I just can't read. Sorry about calling you out like that.

On second thought, perhaps the first version of Inspiring Ultimatum was too good, so here is the hopefully fixed version:

Inspiring Ultimatum RRUUUGG

Sorcery

Until end of turn, cards you own that aren't on the battlefield have flow 1.

Draw four cards.

Nah, maybe this is the final fixed version (so darn indecisive today):

Inspiring Ultimatum RRUUUGG

Sorcery

Until end of turn, nonland cards you own that aren't on the battlefield have flow 0.

Draw three cards.

Another cycle idea: The Horde. Use the abilities to amass creatures.

(Irindu)

Surging Horde

2RUG Enchantment

Whenever you cast a creature spell by playing its flow cost, you may search your library for a card with the same name as that creature, shuffle your library, and place it on top of your library. Until your next precombat main phase, flow costs are reduced by 2.

@squire1 - Gah! I swear I read it five times over just to make sure I wasn't missing it. D'oh. =p

Here's my second cycle idea: Lords! These are lords of certain creature types that grant the signature ability of their respective shards.

Here is the Chavest one:

Angel of Sundering 3WBR

Creature - Angel Judge

Flying, intimidate

Other Angel creatures you control get +2/+2 and have Cleave X, where X is that creature's power divided by 2, rounded up.

4/3

Here is the strangest one, the Sorok one:

Noggle Steadfast RWU

Creature - Noggle Rogue

Other Noggle creatures you control have Resolve and are indestructible.

2/2

Though Noggles always dance to the beat of their own drums, whenever this Steadfast is around, they seem to start synchronizing their drum beats.

I really like Lectrys's idea for a cycle of the ultimatums. It isn't original, but it was my favorite cycle in a long time.

This is uninspired at best, but a cycle of knights/paladins would be easy to build for each shard except for Ulgris, which I can't find the special keyword for anywhere.

Morglen Paladin - BGW

(Creature, Elf Paladin)

Protection from blue and from red

Memento (Whenever a creature with memento dies, if it was a nontoken creature, put a token that is a copy of that creature into play)

2/2

I guess the idea is to pair the unique keyword with protection from the two absent colours with a 2/2 body, costing one mana of each colour. Flavour-wise, the paladins can still have shard-relevant creature types; Ulgris, for example, could get away with an Insect Knight creature type, while the Sorok paladin can be a dwarf or even a noggle.

Wither is the keyword for ulgris

Also something to consider is at this point all the shards are separated. They are unfamiliar with each other. So BUG would not have any idea that R or W even exist

Ulgris Elite

Creature Fungal Shaman

1BUG

Wither

Vigilance

When Ulgris Elite is dealt damage, prevent that damage. Put a -1/-1 counter on Ulgris Elite for each prevented this way.

2U TAP, Remove a -1/-1 counter from Ulgris Elite: Counter target activated ability.

2B TAP, Remove two -1/-1 counter from Ulgris Elite: Put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.

1G TAP, Remove a -1/-1 counter from Ulgris Elite: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token token onto the battlefield.

                                   1/7

Ulgris Elite

3BGU

Creature Snake Wizard

Whenever a nontoken creature dies under your control that has wither: Put a 2/1 green black Ooze creature token onto the battlefield with wither

Whenever a nontoken creature dies under your control that has deathtouch: Put a 1/1 green black Ooze creature token onto the battlefield with deathtouch

                               4/3

Ulgris Elite

2BBUGCreature Rat Warrior

As long a Ulgris Elite is tapped, Creatures you control gain wither.

As long as Ulgris Elite is untapped, Creatures you Control gain deathtouch.

BB: Tap or untap Ulgris Elite

                          4/3

Cycle 1: Shard keyword lords that cost CDE and give some benefit to the correct keyword that are synergous with the ability.

Mana-Flow Elemental RGU

Creature - Elemental

Flow RG

Whenever you cast a spell with flow, you may pay U. If you do, draw a card.

Invoker of Dust GWB

Creature - Elf Shaman

Memento

Whenever another creature with memento enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay G. If you do, put a token that's a copy of that creature onto the battlefield.

Creatures with cleave get +X/+0 and creatures with wither get first strike. I haven't figured out resolve yet, but something to do artifacts probably.

My first cycle submission is a re-submission that I slightly altered for power level after some thought.

Name: Morglen Charm

CMC: 1BGW

Type: Instant

Choose one - Destroy two target creatures, they cant be regenerated this turn, tokens that would come into play this turn do not; or search your library for two land cards and put them into play, then shuffle your library; or two creatures you control gain memento until the end of the turn.

This cycle would all have three effects to choose from with one of them having to do with the sets special mechanic and the other two having to do with the sets major themes by either being an answer to them or a synergy for them. I can see nothing with better flavor for each shard than a card giving you a choice of three options in the colors of the shard.

Charms are great for sets because essentially they give you options. I like this idea because there has never really been rare charms unless you want to count the commands. This put's the classic charms where you can only choose 1 effect in a more powerful shell.

On this one I upped the cmc by 1 and powered up the first two effects while powering down the last one because it was a bit OP before.

I'll have my other two cycle submissions in soon I hope.

To whoever suggested all cards having a flow cost of 0: This allows you to draw all your cards in a single turn. The cost was 7 mana, but it is still ridiculously overpowered.

My next cycle submission is a simple idea but something very valid I think. Why not take the key mechanic and completely support it as an enchantment? Basically it's a manifestation of the key mechanic of each shard.

Name: Mana Flow

CMC: 2URG

Type: Enchantment

Flow: URG (As you draw this card, you may reveal it and cast it for its flow cost. If you do, draw a card.)All spells you draw gain flow: URG.

Yeah, perhaps a more expensive combination of Ad Nauseam and card:Mind's Desire, after Johnny-testing and Melvin-testing, was NOT a good idea. Here's the adjusted Irindu Ultimatum (if I had to submit only 1 Ultimatum, the Irindu one would NOT be it--the Morglen one would):

Inspiring Ultimatum RRUUUGG

Sorcery

Until end of turn, the top three cards of your library have flow 0.

Draw three cards.

Lectrys, perhaps change it to "The next three cards you draw this turn have flow 0."

Cycle 2: Charm cards for each shard. The traditional CDE cost and three abilities, one themed to each color. One ability gives the keyword.

Ulgris Charm BGU

Instant

Choose one - Return target creature card from you graveyard to your hand; or target creature gains wither until end of turn; or put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of target creature.

Irindu Charm RGU

Instant

Choose one - Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn; or draw two cards; or the next time you draw a card, it gains flow 3.

Sorok: Resolve; or artifact tutor; or exile attacking creature.

Morglen: Memento; or drain life; or destroy artifact or enchantment.

Chavest: Cleave 2; or destroy creature; or direct damage.

And each of the 15 abilities is still unique!

"Viashino Scrapper" - 1RBW

Creature - Viashino Berserker

Cleave 4

If Viashino Berserker attacks and isn't blocked, destroy target land the defending player controls.

1/5

~~~~~

"Everchanging Mold" - 1RUG

Creature - Shapeshifter

Flow: RUG

When Everchanging Mold enters the battlefield, draw a card.

Everchanging Mold enters the battlefield as your choice of a 3/3 with flying, 4/4 with trample, or 0/7 with shroud.

x/x (stars)

~~~~~

"Multiplying Zombie" - WGB

Creature - Zombie

Haste, Memento

B, Pay 2 life: Return Multiplying Zombie from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Whenever Multiplying Zombie deals combat damage to a player, that player loses 1 life.

1/1

Woot woot on first win with unending death :D. But for my first cycle is a Dominus cycle. This is a cycle of legendary creatures that utilize each shards ability in an interesting way. Ex:

Dominus of Irindu - 2RUG

Legendary Creature - Elemental

Flow RUG

If you would draw a card, you may instead search your library for a card with Flow. If you do shuffle your library and put that card on top and then draw a card.

2/4

My last cycle submission is a field control against other shards and it would only be truly effective against the enemy shards which would just share 1 color with the shard you are playing but it wouldn't hurt your deck at all.

Name: Soroks Cleansing

CMC: 2RRWWUU

Type: Enchantment

When Soroks Cleansing enters the battlefield all players sacrifice all non red, non white, non blue, and non colorless permanents.

As long as Soroks Cleansing is on the battlefield, players cant play spells that are not either red, white, blue, or colorless.

I think it's a powerful effect, similar to All Is Dust meets Iona, Shield of Emeria . The cost I think is fair when you consider cards like Destructive Force and honestly, what better flavor for a shard than to get rid of and prevent everything that does not delineate it?

I know that the shards don't know about 2 of the colors but with this cycle you can have some non shard hate without knowing about the others. It simply does not tolerate the other colors, it doesn't have to know what they are to do that, it just has to know what it'self is.

The other cards in the cycle would be basically the same thing with corresponding colors.

I also love the way the art came out on this one. I'd love to do the rest of the cycle.

If we were going with the Ultimatum cycle, I suggest:

Please put in text form too. Cool picture though

Entry 1: The Tides

The example I'm going to give is the Chavest one.

Sundering Tide

1RWB

Rare

Enchantment

When Sundering Tide enters the battlefield, destroy target land.

Creatures you control gain Cleave X, where X is the number of land cards in target graveyard.

My first idea for a cycle is a series of enchantments which change the color of your creatures, generally bringing them closer toward the three colors of the shard itself. Then the enchantment pumps each creature with the correct three colors and grants them an activated ability which encompasses the flavor of the shard. The Chavest one is my example:

Brutal Zeitgeist

1WWBR

Enchantment

Angels are red and black.

Demons and Viashino are white.

Creatures you control that are white, red, and black get +2/+2 and have "WBR, Sacrifice this creature: Destroy target permanent."

I like this idea because it transforms the flavor of the creature. You can put a normal old Serra Angel in your Chavest deck and the enchantment turns it from a holy avenger into something more complicated. It also challenges you to use demons and viashino that are both red and black.

"Transformation" cycle. Taking permanents and turning them into new permanents with abilities and traits shared by that shard. They also can't be countered as they are unstoppable forces of mana belonging to the plane from far before the tribes emerged.

Reanimating Transformation (4UBG)

Reanimating Transformation can't be countered.

Sacrifice a creature you control. Put a black, green, and blue Ooze creature token onto the battlefield with power and toughness each equal to the sacrificed creature's power and toughness. It has hexproof, intimidate, and "When this creature dies, if it wasn't your turn, put a copy of it onto the battlefield during your next upkeep."

"Ulgris is a place of primordial, but effective, magic. You need only step into one of its bogs to arrive at this realization."

Mitotic Transformation can't be countered.

Destroy target creature you control. Put a white, black, and green Plant creature token onto the battlefield with power and toughness each equal to the sacrificed creature's power and toughness. It has hexproof, reach, and "Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a copy of this creature onto the battlefield."

"Morglen is a place of efficient and productive magic. The exponential growth of its forests is just one of the detectable forms of it."

Ingenious Transformation can't be countered.

Sacrifice a creature you control. Put a white, blue, and red Merfolk creature token onto the battlefield with power and toughness each equal to the sacrificed creature's power and toughness. It has hexproof, vigilance, and "Whenever you would draw a card (or cards), you may instead search your library for a nonland card and cast it from your library. (You pay the casting costs of spells cast this way.)

"Sorok is a place of intuitive and artfully potent magic. The fact that goblins, merfolk, and dragons all peacefully coexist there is testament to the nature of its mana."

My next entry concept is a series of sorceries with slightly undercosted abilities. Each one requires something to have happened during that turn or else it can't be played. They essentially push you to play to their shard's strength. This is my idea for the Morglen card:

Tenacity

BGW

Sorcery

Play Tenacity only if two or more token creatures entered the battlefield this turn.

Return target creature in your graveyard to the battlefield.

...And the final concept is a cycle of lords which give +1/+1 and the shard's keyword mechanic to creatures that are their shard's central color, as well as an additional +1/+1 and activated ability to creatures that are both of the shard's secondary colors. Here's the idea as applied to Sorok:

Paragon of Sorok

1RWU

Creature - Dwarf Wizard

Red creatures you control get +1/+1 and have resolve.

Creatures you control that are both blue and white get +1/+1 and have WU: Counter target activated ability.

Cycle 3: Enchantments that either grant the shard keyword or benefit the shard themes.

Protection of the Forest 2GWB

Enchantment

Memento

Token creatures you control get +2/+2 and have hexproof.

Crippling Touch 3BUG

Enchantment

Creatures you control have wither and first strike.

Creatures your opponents control with counters on them can't attack or block.

The Sorok one would grant resolve and have an artifact-related ability, the Irindu one would trigger from flow and let you draw cards, and the Chavest one would grant cleave and punish not blocking.

Minor adjustment to Crippling Touch: "Creatures your opponents control with counters on them can't attack or block, and their activated abilities can't be activated."

Oh. "Mitotic Transformation" is supposed to start with "Sacrifice a creature". Not "destroy".

http://oi56.tinypic.com/2hhmagy.jpg

http://oi51.tinypic.com/rcouqc.jpg

http://oi51.tinypic.com/jzw5z.jpg

Entry 2: The Hearts

This is a cycle of legendary colored artifacts representing the spirit of their respective worlds. The example given is the Ulgris one.

Heart of Ulgris

2UBG

Rare

Legendary Artifact

UBG[tap]: Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn. Put a token into play that is a copy of that creature. That token has wither.

May as well put in my final submissions here.

My first cycle is that of Ultimatums, much like Alara's ones. Here is the Morglen one for submission:

Morbid Ultimatum GGBBBWW

Sorcery

Put all creature cards from all graveyards onto the battlefield under your control.

My second cycle is that of Lords that grant the signature ability of each shard and a boost. Here is the Chavest one:

Angel of Sundering 3WBR

Creature - Angel Judge

Flying, intimidate

Other Angel creatures you control get +2/+2 and have Cleave X, where X is that creature's power divided by 2, rounded up.

4/3

My final cycle is that of Gifts, powerful creature auras that grant abilities as long as the enchanted creature is of a certain colour, rather like Shield of the Oversoul . Like Angelic Destiny , if the enchanted creature dies, you get the aura back. Here is the Ulgris one:

Gift of Ulgris UBG

Enchantment - Aura

Enchant creature

As long as enchanted creature is blue, it gets +1/+1 and has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard."

As long as enchanted creature is black, it gets +1/+1 and has wither.

As long as enchanted creature is green, it gets +1/+1 and has deathtouch.

When enchanted creature dies, return Gift of Ulgris to its owner's hand.

Of course, Sorok, with its signature Resolve ability, will have anomalous cards in the Lords and Gifts cycles.

here you go zandl

Entry #1 is Morglen member of a cycle of mage-like creatures associated with the shard's planeswalker:

Z'yanthl's Harvester BWGCreature - Elf Druid (Rare)

Whenever you put a land into play, you may exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, put a 2/2 black zombie token into play.

Zombies you control have lifelink.

1/1

"Keep an eye on the farmers. That's not just a field of potatoes." -- Dasvol

Rationale: looking back through all the rares in other colours, it seems we have a real absence of low casting cost rares. A cycle of 2-drops would be great although obviously those don't work for the shard cycle. We can still do something like the mages of M12 or the smiths of scars but if we are to stick to the conventional 2/1 the abilities need to be stronger due to the shard casting cost.

There is the problem though that all the shards have such different creature types to the extent that human mages mdon't work. If the only thing tying them together is a common casting cost, P/T, and cool ability then they may not seem like a cycle. To make up for lack of common creature type, I thought it would be useful to take advantage of a recent and popular feature to cycle around - planeswalker related cards. There could be another similar cycle at uncommon, and they don't even all have to be creatures to be a cycle (though I think it's stronger if they are). BTW, although the effect here is stronger than Cemetery Reaper I think it's fair because it's conditional on land coming into play AND having creature cards in graveyard.

Entry #2 is a cycle of artifacts:

Pearl of Chavest BWRArtifact - (Rare)

2, tap: add 3 mana in any combination of B, W, and R to your mana pool

W, sacrifice Pearl of Chavest: exile target creature attacking you or a planeswalker you control.

Rationale: each is named after a gem that is normally associated with the colour of the shard that is the enemy colour of the two others (i.e., compare to Mox Pearl ). II'm keeping in line with my comment above about keeping the rare cycle at low CMC. Something else I think the set needs is 3-colour enablers. Sticking to the shard casting cost though, these gems need to do more than just colour fixing, so that leads to this mana fixing artifact + Soul Snare on a stick in the case of Chavest. Note the extra ability is in the same colour as the name (the enemy shard) and since it requires a sac not a tap, you can tap it for the mana first and use one a W from that to activate the ability.

Entry #3 is a cycle of enchantments.

Curse of Irindu RUG

Enchantment Aura Curse (Rare)Enchant player

Whenever enchanted player draws a card, target opponent chosen at random draws two cards.

Whenever any player draws three cards in the same turn, enchanted player may put a 0/1 red and green mutant into play.

Rationale: Sticking with 3 CMC for reasons above. This cost is very typical for enchantments. The idea here is to jump on the newly created curse sub-type and like entry #2 focus on the enemy colour. The idea here is a set of curses that, depending on the situation, COULD be beneficial to cast on yourself - the enemy colour having a strong effect and cursing you for using the other two with an upside associated with the other two. Example is with Irindu.

Entry 3: The Wanderers

The wanderers are a cycle of spirits, one for each shard, granting bonuses to the top three creature types of their shard.

This example is the Sorok one.

Sorok Wanderer

RWU

Rare

Creature- Spirit

Other creatures you control get +1/+1.

Dwarves you control have mountainwalk

Goblins you control have haste.

Merfolk you control have [tap]:Draw a card.

2/2

I hope you'll accept a slightly late entry. I had car troubles today that kept me out of the house - and away from my computer - all day long.

If not, oh well, that's fair...but I'd rather not have to say I didn't try.

Entry #1: Essence cycle

~~~~~

Essence of Irindu

1URG

Enchantment - Aura

Flow URG (As you draw this card, you may reveal it and cast it for its flow cost. If you do, draw a card.)

Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has flying.

At the beginning of each end end step, if you drew two or more cards this turn, return Essence of Irindu from your graveyard to your hand.

~~~~~

The concept is a creature being "touched" by the spirit of a shard.

They'd grant moderate but relevant bonuses. This one facilitates draw, Sorok's could make equip costs for the creature cheaper, Ulgris' could give it wither or deathtouch, etc.

Each one has the return-to-hand clause, to help ameliorate the natural risk of auras. Each clause would be different - this is based off card draw because that's what Irindu likes (note that if you cast this for its flow cost, it auto-triggers the return that turn); Sorok's could key off owning equipment or legendary creatures, Chavest's could perhaps be creatures or lands being sent to a graveyard...

Entry #2: Avatar cycle

~~~~~

Avatar of Ulgris

2GGUB

Creature - Avatar

Flash, trample, wither

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you dont, tap Avatar of Ulgris and put a -1/-1 counter on it.

Sacrifice a creature: Regenerate Avatar of Ulgris. Untap it and remove all counters from it.

All it knows is to feed.

7/8

~~~~~

All the Avatars have would have different P/Ts; the green-dominant avatar is the biggest. It's embodies Ulgris' feral danger; unlike the other Avatars, it's big, it's primitive, and it's hungry. Its upkeep trigger is resonant as a primal hunter, and if it doesn't feed it starts wasting away.

Sorok's could grant (non-P/T-based) combat abilities to your creatures, or bounce enemy creatures, while Chavest's could be a war machine that forces all creatures to attack and block each turn if able. Irindu's could turn all your creatures into Ophidian s or gives you a repeatable small scry effect of some nature.

Entry #3: Ultimatum cycle

~~~~~

RWU Ultimatum

RRRWWUU

Sorcery

Until end of turn, each time a source you control deals damage to an opponent, you draw cards equal to the damage dealt.

~~~~~

Playtest name, obviously.

I've actually come up with all five of these - I was working on them separately during the summer. All of them are made generally for what a deck of those colors would want, rather that specifically what that shard's thinking.

RWU, for instance, tends to be aggro strategies coupled with card draw, or a controllish strategy coupled with creatures/burn - so its ultimatum rewards Red Zone connections with hefty card draw. The BGW ultimatum, likely in a token deck, sacrifices creatures to beef up your remaining ones and force opponents to sac theirs; GUB sets up for a dredge or mill deck; BRG is a Guided Passage combined with card:Praetor's Grasp (everyone searches their deck for cards, then you yourself get to play them as long as they remain exiled).

They'd need tweaking and possibly some reflavoring for the individual demiplanes, but I'm a little bit proud of where they sit right now.

ok guys voting time for your cycles here

here are the winners http://tappedout.net/mtg-articles/2011/sep/8/community-card-cycle-winner/