The Design League is roaring towards its conclusion and we’ve got highlights from the tournament rounds! Round 2’s Planeswalker vacations and Round 3’s color-coordinated creature packs made for great cards.
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The final tournament round of our Design League Tournament has come to a close. Before they leap into judging our finalist, Tim and Juliet take a look at rounds two and three to discuss some of their favorite cards.
Quintorius Kand by Dillon
Quintorious Kand 2RW
Art Description: In the foreground, clipping the right art border, we can see a bit of the back of a humanoid automaton of rusted metal on a pedestal. Loxodon planes walker Quint is the central figure, looking up a the automaton with a sense of admiration. He stands in a marbled hall, and some other exhibits of artwork and invention can be seen amongst the columns behind him.
Legendary Planeswalker – Quintorius (M)
Once during each of your turns, you may cast a historic card with mana value less than or equal to the number of loyalty counters on Quintorius Kand from your graveyard
+2: Mill two cards and gain 2 life.
-1: Create a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
{3}
This is a fun spin on the Lurrus type card. The story is captivating as one of Magic’s most newly minted planeswalkers explores the history of Magic’s oldest plane. Tim and Juliet fantasize about a Indiana Jones inspired Quintorius wearing a trademark hat and carrying a bull whip.
llluna, Genesis Apex by Platypeople (8:30)
2RGUU
Location: Ketria, the glistening crystal forest triome of Ikoria
Legendary Creature – Beast Elemental Dinosaur (M)
Flying, Trample
Thrive 2 (After your draw step put a +1/+1 counter on this creature if it has fewer than two.)
Whenever Illuna, Genesis Apex enters the battlefield or thrives, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a non land permanent card. Put that card onto the battlefield or into your hand.
6/6
Action: Show Illuna, wings outstretched and fangs born, in a swooping dive. Behind Illuna might be a shimmer, either tracing the path of Illuna’s flight or outlining a dreamlike illusion of another flying creature.
Focus: Illuna in total control
Mood: Magnificent
Illuna features an innovative new mechanic using +1/+1 counters. Tim enjoyed how Platypeople’s submission, Mu Yanling visiting Ikoria, helped to frame the set in a new way using the plane walker’s unique perspective.
Resonant Core by Northern Gun (11:10)
Northern Gun’s pack featured Karn visiting Kaladesh to work through his own trauma. The setting is fitting as Kaladesh used energy which was previously slated as a potential Mirrodin mechanic. This card does a great job showcasing Karn’s visit to the plane while also being portable to other contexts.
Around the Campfire by Rowan (13:55)
Rowan’s submission was about Garruk and the Kenrith twins going on a camping trip. The design tells a delightful story of the three characters telling stories and gathering firewood. It’s a nice payoff for a story element that didn’t get fleshed out much by Magic itself.
Visions of by Ludos (16:11)
This card was the standout from Ludos’s Phoenix Precon from round three. This card serves as a nice role-player in a deck that cares about returning Phoenixes from the graveyard. It also does a nice job of being easy to play that is important in a precon.
Phantasmal Swashbuckler by Platypeople (19:03)
Phantasmal Swashbuckler 2U
Creature – Illusion Pirate [U]
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
When ~ dies, draw a card. If ~ was the target of a spell or ability you controlled this turn, draw three cards instead.
3/3
This card features some classic Illusion text, sacrificing if anyone targets it. However, the card offers a more interesting twist on the classic mechanic for Platypeople’s Illusion Precon. Allowing you to draw cards when this creature dies is some fun upside to pair with the creature type.
Poisonbreath Troll by Perryk (21:15)
Poisonbreath Troll 1G
Art description: A troll head and torso with a long coiling snake tail as the lower body, slithers through the shadows of the undercity.
Creature-Troll Snake (C)
Metamorphosis Deathtouch (When this creature dies, if it did not have a Deathtouch counter on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a Deathtouch counter on it.)
2/2
Perryk’s Precon was centered around Trolls that had been tested on by the Simic. The design here emphasizes that by having the creature come back with a snake like mechanic — deathtouch. The card is quite strong, but the flavor is even stronger.
Granite Boss by Dillon (25:17)
Granite Boss 3WW
The stonework of Valbourg, once the citizens’ greatest pride, became their greatest fear after the fall of the Craintille.
Artifact Creature – Gargoyle (U)
Flying
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control with toughness less than Granite Boss’s toughness.
3/3
Dillon decided to tackle one of Juliet’s suggested creature types for challenge three — gargoyles. The flavor treatment here tells a fascinating story set in potentially a French Gothic style set. The ability allows your team to attack with limited consequences as long as Granite Boss can survive.
Wrap-Up
You can check out all the designs, the final tournament round, and our challenge design by visiting out discord here.