We broke out of Redbay’s comfort zone and explored designs aimed at 60-Card Constructed with this Qualifier. By now, you know the deal– challenge first, results after.
Qualifier 5 – Redemption
Design an archetype-defining constructed card for Standard with one of the following mechanics:
- Echo
- Fateful Hour
- Formidable
- Inspired
- Miracle
- Soulbond
- Suspend
- Tribute
- Vanishing
One card submission, no card type or rarity restrictions, and the design had to use one of the above mechanics.
Two notes–
- The judges will assume an underlying structure of a standard format based on the design presented. That underlying structure should be within the realm of possibility for a standard format.
- Be aware of your card’s rate– don’t aim to get your card banned in this theoretical standard.
Redbay: Any mechanics you wanted to see?
Tim: Probably Echo or Vanishing. I like any mechanic getting redeemed, though.
You can click here for the full Qualifier 5 comments document.
Qualifier 5- Runners Up
Aetherstream Glider by larcent
Redbay: I really enjoy protect-the-king designs in MTG, and this one really encourages that gameplay. Flying and Inspired do go very well together to get some untaps; I think building in the second means of untapping helps sell the Inspired trigger, as geting something to survive a turn cycle is a tall order. I think you could have done without the draw a card, as it pushes the design into an unfun territory of counter your opponent’s taxed removal, untap it/grow it/and draw a card.
Kayiu: Neat lil threat for tempo decks. I like this having another way of untapping itself so the inspired isn’t just a glorified delayed attacking trigger. “untaps” –> “becomes untapped”
Rift Delver // Riftborn Chronomagus by Garduu
Tim: A costed-up Baleful Strix with a pair of suspend modes. Interesting suspend technology; if more cards in the set had this DFC suspend treatment it could make a cool keyword. The suspend modes don’t feel like an amazing deal but that seems to be the cost of the main deck flexibility of this card. I sorta expected the backside to care about which suspend mode I picked.
Kayiu: Oh, this is really cool. I think the base case being “worse Baleful Strix” makes this a lot more playable, as a simple cantripping curve filler that blocks well. Then if you have excess mana, it does an Errant Ephemeron impression, though less of a finisher and more of a Mulldrifter. I think some of the wording here is funky – the ETB trigger wouldn’t need to be a replacement effect but a seperate clause, since it entering transformed would mean that it would never enter as the front face, afaik. Overall, though, I’m a fan of this as a value piece for grindy midrange or control.
Foreshadowed Return by Wobbles
Tim: Slow but cheap reanimate. Instant speed lets me disguise the wait time. There’s bound to be one or two 9 drops worth bringing back with this. Do I have other things to do with this if I don’t have that card entombed?
Redbay: This card is a flavor hit to me. ‘Foreshadowed’ and Suspend + Eltricth Moon and Lovecraft is all fun to see together on the card. Appreciate that this only hits your own graveyard to force the deck building restriction, and the combo of 3 mana + 2 upkeeps makes the card still feel like it costs 5 mana. Reanimation spells don’t normally get you cast triggers, so this one has some additional value with the aforementioned Eldrazi, even catching the originals with their shuffle trigger on the stack.
Mitotic salamander by perryk
Tim: This kind of two-for-one really fits the Standard target for me. A great way to start some pressure and you aren’t relying on the synergy to make this card good.
Redbay: I love leaning into the downside component of this card and paying the player off for it. I doubt “UG Echo Aggro” has ever been a real archetype but this feels like a cool card to jumpstart it. The salamander division flavor is fun.
Kayiu: I think this definitely feels like an Echo trigger I’d like to pay – really hits the ground running in terms of aggression, and you aren’t really taking your t3 off to do so if you’re getting an on-curve body. I am a little unsure of what type of deck this would find a home in – when UG goes aggressive its usually for tempo, but this forces you to pay mana on your turn on t3, and I don’t think that “echo.dek” is likely to be viable in Standard.
There was a lot of submissions this round, but there could only be one winner. And that winner is…
Qualifier 5 Winner:
Voracity by Rowan
Tim: Gruul spellslinger! I like the extra push to encourage this to attack instead of sitting back. Feels Gruul and gets the power to a nice place. The Formidable ability is pretty expensive and conditional at first glance. I think it’s reasonable, though; I use it when my hand is spent, which is also when this card is at its worst. A bit like Hellbent Cycling
Redbay: RG Spellslinger wasn’t an expected archetype for me. The Young Pyromancer / Third Path Iconoclast effect is always going to appeal to players for a constructed deck, and I think you want the full 4 copies of Voracity. The feedback loop between the abilities makes this an exciting card to play. This is in the realm of being strong enough that many decks might end up playing it.
Kayiu: Now this is a sick buildaround. Love the unconventional idea of GR Spellslinger, love how the temporary pump and token creation both feed into the “refuelling” aspect of this card, encouraging you to play a bunch of cheap spells and then gas back up the same turn. I do think the powerlevel is likely a too high right now, making 2 power hasty tokens and buffing Voracity itself, and the Disc –> draw being repeatable, but outside of that I’m a fan.
Congratulations on the win, Rowan! You join Northern Gun, Sage B, Dillon, and platypeople in our upcoming Design League Season 2: Tournament!
Judge Vote Update
There were 15 Judge Votes to be had in this Qualifier. Perryk may have garnered a Runner Up finish and two votes, but MonoWhiteBorder managed to snag a vote as well to stay hot on his tail. You can see the standings below:
| Designer | Judge Votes |
| perryk | 7 |
| MonoWhiteBorder | 6 |
| LudosGD | 5 |
| Craftedlavaistrue | 3 |
| GrrBear | 3 |
| CryptRat | 3 |
| Juliet | 3 |
| Wobbles | 3 |
| Larcent | 3 |
| kuyashiiPlays | 2 |
| Garduu | 2 |
| Bradley Rose | 1 |
| toasty | 1 |
| Fleur | 1 |
There are only two more Qualifiers left, so head over to the Discord to get in on the challenge action!