The MCC Discussion Thread

[wizyard]

dagnabbit, looks like i got bucked out the saddle

[Komandon]

I posted but using a word count since I can't use MSE I'm using a word could online and I have too many characters with and without spaces so will be continuing to edit it until times up. Thank you @bravelion83 for earlier giving me an idea of character count to strive for.

[bravelion83]

I posted but using a word count since I can't use MSE I'm using a word could online and I have too many characters with and without spaces so will be continuing to edit it until times up. Thank you @bravelion83 for earlier giving me an idea of character count to strive for.

No problem! Happy to help!

[MonoRedMage]

Well dang, I posted so late and didn't give myself enough time to revise, and I forgot the plot keyword! My entry was meant to have "Plot - RRR, Sacrifice three artifacts." Oh well, didn't think I'd get this far anyway, and next month is near.

[bravelion83]

Well dang, I posted so late and didn't give myself enough time to revise, and I forgot the plot keyword! My entry was meant to have "Plot - RRR, Sacrifice three artifacts." Oh well, didn't think I'd get this far anyway, and next month is near.

Indeed, that's a DQ for not meeting the Main Challenge. I'll judge your card anyway after I'm done with the others.

EDIT June 25th 8 pm CET - Judgments complete. Awaiting @void_nothing's ones. I'm expecting him to post his judgments while I'm asleep tonight and I'll see them tomorrow. If they aren't there by then, I'll post Round 4 keeping only my own judgments into account.

[Sagharri]

As for the intended flavor, what I get is that your outlaw somehow wants to "restore his home" via "a cataclysm" that I guess is what this card is supposed to represent. But why does he want to "restore his home"? What's broken on his home plane? What is this "cataclysm" that others call "a miracle"? I guess it involves the sudden and impressive growth of plants, but why do plants growing help him in restoring his home? The flavor this round was intended to give answers, but here I feel it poses even more questions rather than answering the questions that have been established before.

And does name of first card fits as answer to some of your questions? If not then it's just my fault.
Anyway that intended flavor is a bit hard as task - for example you need to know both Loot, the Key to Everything and Omenpath Journey to fully understand Jace's motivation.

[bravelion83]

And does name of first card fits as answer to some of your questions? If not then it's just my fault.

"Grimaz, Ever Hunger". It tells me that he(?) is always hungry, so does he just want to eat the magically grown plants as food? That's what I get from that... but I might be missing something, in which case it's my fault for not seeing it. In my opinion, others managed to fit the intended flavor more clearly, and I did give some 2/2 in Main Challenge, so it was possible. As for the high difficulty, part of it is intended, we're at the semifinals after all... Rounds are supposed to increase in difficulty during any given MCC month. Also, I've been telling you all since Round 1 that there would have been a time to explain why your outlaw ended up on Thunder Junction, and Round 3 was intended to be exactly that.

[bravelion83]

June Round 4 is now up.

[void_nothing]

July's round 1 will be up before long!

[bravelion83]

Quoting myself here from the judge signup thread, because I feel like it belongs more here than there, and it also poses the problem of who will host a month for Duskmourn, which is something that should be discussed here and not there.

Also, I hope there is no problem with me saying this publicly, technically both using MH3 as the theme of the month AND the Main Challenge for Round 1 are mine, void just polished up a couple details in my proposed Main Challenge and added the Subchallenges. Given that, I'm too involved with the creation of the theme and this round's Main Challenge, and it wouldn't feel fair to me to the other players if I played this month. I don't want to be a player with advance knowledge, it wouldn't be fair. That's the main reason I want to judge this month. I'm almost a co-host if you want to see it that way. Just saying this for full transparency. And anyway, while I have given void ideas about potential topics for future rounds, I have no idea of the other challenges this month. But again, having given ideas to the host I know with high probability what will be in future rounds, so again, that wouldn't be fair either if I played. I would have hosted myself a month for MH3 and I wanted to do that but I didn't know where to make it fit with my usual premier-set-themed months. I didn't want to host two months in a row for OTJ and MH3 and then again in two months (September) for Bloomburrow. This problem will show up again towards the end of this year though, in September I'm doing BLB 100%, I want to do it. On the 27th of that same month (September), Duskmourn will already be released though. And then Foundations in November. Which set do I use for December: Duskmourn, which came out two months earlier though but it's a premier set, or Foundations, which is the newest set but not a premier set technically? I believe the dates (Foundations being released on November 15th) will require me to use Foundations for December, which means that I will skip Duskmourn, which is also convenient to me by the way because let's just say that I'm not the biggest fan of the horror genre. So somebody else will have to use Duskmourn as a theme in either October or November. May I suggest somebody else hosting a Duskmourn month on October ending with Halloween? Which by the way I'm sure it's the exact reason they wanted Duskmourn to be released before October... I'm also posting this in the discussion thread, I feel like this last part belongs more there.

[Ink-Treader]

@void_nothing

Regarding part 2 of Subchallenge 2, this is not about color identity, so we can have an offcolor cost on our card?

[void_nothing]

@void_nothing

Regarding part 2 of Subchallenge 2, this is not about color identity, so we can have an offcolor cost on our card?

That's correct.

[Komandon]

If a keyword has been updated in the name since it was originally printed can I use the new name. There is at least one I noticed was renamed in MH3.

[void_nothing]

Actually, if you were to write "totem armor" on a card rather than "umbra armor" you would be assessed a quality deduction. Please always use only terms present in the current Comprehensive Rules or that are in the rules text of cards in future sets that have been officially spoiled, as per the section for Quality in MCC rule 6.2.

[Komandon]

Actually, if you were to write "totem armor" on a card rather than "umbra armor" you would be assessed a quality deduction. Please always use only terms present in the current Comprehensive Rules or that are in the rules text of cards in future sets that have been officially spoiled, as per the section for Quality in MCC rule 6.2.

Ah you knew what which one I was talking about. Good. I worry sometimes my questions may be too specific and be seen as trying to get coaching or some other misunderstanding. That's why some are cryptic (most not on purpose). Getting harder to communicate for me.

[marioguy3]

Might there be a comprehensive, or at least, some form of a list of a few available options (specifically, modern keywords/ability words, distinct from "older" keywords) sometime in the clarifications section?

[bravelion83]

If a keyword has been updated in the name since it was originally printed can I use the new name. There is at least one I noticed was renamed in MH3.

Actually the renamed ones in MH3 are two: umbra armor (formerly "totem armor") and the Kindred card type (formerly "Tribal").

Might there be a comprehensive, or at least, some form of a list of a few available options (specifically, modern keywords/ability words, distinct from "older" keywords) sometime in the clarifications section?

The last big update was last November, and it was the one where the two I mentioned above happened. Here it is, taken from the MTG Wiki archive:

2023-11-03: Wizards of the Coast announces that it will make the following terminology changes in upcoming sets:

• "Umbra armor" will replace "totem armor" as a keyword ability. (Examples from MH3: Dog Umbra, Lion Umbra. You can also check the Oracle text of any card with "totem armor" from Avacyn Restored, like Boar Umbra for example. Also notice the updated Oracle text on Umbra Mystic.)

• "Kindred" will replace "Tribal" as a card type. (Examples from MH3: Echoes of Eternity, Idol of False Gods, Kozilek's Command. You can also check the Oracle text of any card with the "Tribal" card type from Lorwyn block, for example Tarfire is now a Kindred Instant — Goblin if you check its Oracle text.)

• "Snake" will replace "Naga" as a subtype. (Examples: Harrier Naga is now a Snake Warrior, Naga Eternal is now a Zombie Snake, Watchful Naga is now a Snake Wizard, etc... you can check the Oracle text of any Naga from Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation.)

• Rakshasa loses the Cat subtype. (They have only the Demon subtype now. Examples: Rakshasa Deathdealer, Rakshasa Gravecaller, Rakshasa Vizier, check their Oracle text.)

Some of the original terms are now considered culturally offensive.

One is not mentioned here but should be:

• Dragons from Kaladesh have gained the Cat subtype in addition to their other types. Examples: Freejam Regent and Skyship Stalker for sure (check their Oracle text), probably Thriving Skyclaw too if it's supposed to be from Kaladesh.

All of these have already happened and you WILL be punished in Quality if you don't adhere to these ones.


In addition to that, the following changes in creature types and templating happened later and were either announced by Maro on Blogatog or noticed on officially previewed cards. Most of these can also be found in the MTG Wiki archive:

• The "Viashino" creature type has been retired and included within the already existing "Lizard" creature type. The word "Viashino" continues to exist but now only in flavor, no more as a creature type. This is already in effect, and you WILL be punished in Quality if you don't adhere to this one. I believe the most recent example is Viashino Shanktail, which is now a Lizard Warrior in Oracle. And yes, this includes the crocodilian ones from Alara, for example Gloryscale Viashino, who should be Crocodiles if you go with their animal creature types but instead are now Lizard too in Oracle as they've been included in this update. After all, just check Gloryscale's art. I mean, that's clearly a lizard and certainly not a crocodile, isn't it?

• The "Efreet" creature type has been retired and included within the already existing "Djinn" creature type. This has just been announced and isn't yet in effect, so you will NOT be punished in Quality if you don't adhere to this one.


Templating updates:

• Starting with Bloomburrow, the phrase "enters the battlefield" is shortened to just "enters". Until the BLB prerelease weekend (the one starting July 26th, later this month), you can use both in the MCC. After that weekend, you will have to use the new shortened one and will be punished in Quality if you still use the longer one. Example: Mabel, Heir to Cragflame.
Please notice that "leaves the battlefield" has NOT been shortened to "leaves" instead, nor will ever be as far as we know. For that, you still have and will have to keep using the full phrase.

• Starting with Foundations, all mentions of the card's name in rules text (ofter referred to as CARDNAME or ~) are changed to "this (insert card type here)", for example "this creature". Until the Foundation prerelease weekend in November, assuming Foundations will have a prerelease at all, you can use both in the MCC. After that weekend, you will have to use the new one and will be punished in Quality if you still use the old one. Example: Nine-Lives Familiar.


Card frame changes (irrelevant for the MCC unless you make a render, but that's always optional and is ignored in judging, putting this here for the sake of completeness):

• Starting with Foundations, the Nyx frame that so far has only been used for enchantment creatures will be used for all enchantments, including noncreature ones. The only known examples so far are Anthem of Champions and Omniscience.


I believe this is all, at least going by memory and checking the MTG Wiki news archive. Anyone please correct me if I've forgotten any. Hope this helps.


EDIT July 7th 10:30 pm CET - My judgments for the final round of June are complete. Waiting for @void_nothing's ones to declare a winner.