#coralhelm
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‘Retreat to Coralhelm’ releases as a print this Thurs 15 Jun, 12PM (PT) 🐚 I was given a brief to paint an environment scene: a city made of coral & conch shells surrounded & submerged in water. I rarely paint landscapes and scenes so I wanted to cry immediately haha, but I pulled through.
I wanted to focus on storytelling, to have people look at the paintings and 'believe' that the environment could truly exist with stories that unfold within. In the piece, two adventurers return home from a pilgrimage. Before them, a majestic city of giant conch shells spanning the expanse of a submerged crater with cascading waterfalls surrounding the city.
One of the coolest aspects of this painting (and Mystic Remora) was this technique I’d developed to portray light rays breaking through the water’s surface. I’d never really painted anything under water, but I was able to figure out a technique and get that effect! 🥹
More details here: https://kelogsloops.com/prints
#brbchasingdreams#art#painting#watercolor#mtg#magic the gathering#mixed media#wotc#wizards of the coast#card art#illustration#art print#artist#artists on tumblr#traditional art#coralhelm#fantasy#surreal#magic#art style#my art
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Retreat to Coralhelm
Their Enclave overrun, the merfolk took refuge within beauty.
Artist: Kelogsloops
TCG Player Link
Scryfall Link
EDHREC Link
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Male RO's:
1. Crown Prince Grendor Verdantcliff
He is a figure of regal allure and rugged charm. His eyes, as deep and mysterious as the mountain caves, hold a wisdom that belies his youthful appearance. His hair, dark as the night sky, falls in waves to his broad shoulders. Standing tall with an air of authority, his physique is a testament to years of rigorous training and mountainous adventures.
His intellect is as sharp as the peaks that surround his kingdom. He possesses an uncanny ability to strategize and lead, qualities that have earned him the respect of his people. His voice, deep and resonant, echoes through the halls of the castle, commanding attention.
Despite his royal duties, Grendor is known for his adventurous spirit. He often disappears into the mountains for days, exploring hidden trails and seeking solace in the wilderness. His love for his kingdom is evident in his dedication to its people and its land.
Grendor's attire is a reflection of his kingdom - sturdy boots made from the hide of mountain beasts, a cloak as green as the mossy rocks, and a crown carved from a rare mineral only found in the depths of the mountain.
In all aspects, Crown Prince Grendor Verdantcliff is not just a leader but also a symbol of the mountain kingdom - steadfast, majestic, and full of mysteries waiting to be discovered.
2. Crown Prince Thalassar Aetherisles
He is a figure as complex as the sea that surrounds his realm. His eyes, a striking blue, mirror the tempestuous nature of the ocean, reflecting his volatile temperament. His sun-kissed skin and windswept hair are a testament to his island heritage, but they belie a demeanor that is anything but warm.
Thalassar is known for his short temper, which can flare up as suddenly and unpredictably as a tropical storm. His words can be cutting, his attitude dismissive. He carries himself with an air of superiority that some might find off-putting. His selfishness is evident in his actions, often prioritizing his own desires over the needs of others.
Yet beneath this challenging exterior lies a man shaped by the unique pressures of his position. His snobbish demeanor masks a fierce determination to protect his kingdom and its traditions. His selfishness could be seen as a form of self-preservation, necessary for someone born into a role filled with responsibilities and expectations.
In essence, Crown Prince Thalassar Aetherisles is much like the sea that defines his kingdom - beautiful yet unpredictable, calm one moment and stormy the next.
3. Crown Prince Kazuki Stormcrown
He is a paradox of a man, embodying both the storm’s fury and its tranquility. His eyes, dark and intense, hold an arrogance that can be as off-putting as a thunderstorm. He carries himself with an air of superiority, firmly believing in the supremacy of his people over others.
Yet, beneath this veneer of arrogance lies a man of honor. Kazuki is known for his politeness, treating everyone he encounters with respect, regardless of their status. His words, though often laced with pride, are always measured and courteous.
His kindness is as refreshing as a calm after a storm. He is generous to his people, always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. His actions reflect his deep sense of responsibility towards his kingdom and its people.
Despite his belief in his people’s superiority, Kazuki is not blind to their flaws. He strives to lead by example, hoping to inspire them to rise above their shortcomings and reach their full potential.
In essence, Crown Prince Kazuki Stormcrown is a man of contrasts - arrogant yet kind, prideful yet honorable. Much like a storm, he can be both formidable and awe-inspiring.
4. Bastard Prince Aelius Coralhelm (Special RO)
He is a man marked by his past. His eyes, as cold and unforgiving as the sea during a storm, rarely reveal his emotions. His body, a canvas of scars, tells a story of countless battles and hardships. A long scar on his face serves as a constant reminder of a past he'd rather forget.
Aelius is known for his quiet demeanor. He speaks sparingly, choosing to let his actions speak louder than his words. His cold personality can be off-putting to some, but those who know him understand that it's a shield, a way to protect himself from the world that has often been cruel to him.
Despite his troubled past, Aelius is a formidable warrior. He spends most of his time training and fighting, honing his skills to perfection. His strength and resilience are admired by many, even if they find his methods and lifestyle questionable.
When he's not training or fighting, Aelius can often be found in brothels, seeking solace in the bottom of a bottle or the company of others. He's a heavy drinker, using alcohol as an escape from the demons of his past.
Because of his scars and excessive drinking, he looks much older than he is. The lines on his face tell tales of battles fought and storms weathered. Yet beneath the hardened exterior lies a spirit that refuses to be broken.
In essence, Bastard Prince Aelius Coralhelm is a man shaped by his experiences - hardened by life's trials, yet still standing strong against the tide.
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Art links:
Emeria Wonders
Corelhelm Crasher
Hagra Sickness
Valakut Eruption
Kazandu Awakener
Card transcriptions below
Five cards
The first
Emeria Wonders 2W
Sorcery [common]
You gain 1 life for each Plains you control.
Draw a card.
Plainscycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Search your library for a Plains card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
The second
Coralhelm Crasher 3U
Creature- Elemental [common]
Defender
Corelhelm Crasher’s power is equal to the number of Islands you control.
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Corelhelm Crasher can attack as though it didn’t have defender until end of turn.
Islandcycling 2
*/4
The third
Hagra Sickness 4B
Sorcery [common]
Target opponent loses 1 life for each Swamp you control.
Swampcycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Search your library for a Swamp card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
The fourth
Valakut Eruption 1R
Instant [common]
Valakut Eruption deals damage to target creature or planeswalker equal to the number of Mountains you control.
Mountaincycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Search your library for a Mountain card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
The fifth
Kazandu Awakener 3G
Creature- Elf Shaman [common]
When Kazandu Awakener enters the battlefield, up to one target land you control becomes an X/X Elemental creature with haste until end of turn where X is the number of Forests you control. It’s still a land.
Forestcycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Search your library for a Forest card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
3/3
End transcription
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Magic the Gathering unpainted Miniatures Coralhelm Commander & Halimar Wavewatch (Merfolk) - wave 1
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Coralhelm Chronicler by lie setiawan https://www.artstation.com/artwork/J9Eoen
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Rising Action: Commentary
I appreciate your patience, everyone! You've waited long enough, so no further ado!
NOTE: If this week's feedback feels harsher than normal, just remember that this challenge put a lot of restrictions on your designs. The designs this week certainly aren't worse on average, but all the extra restrictions make it easier to pick out individual critiques. So, hard hats on for this week's inspection!
@aethernalstars - Regrowth of the Vastwood // Oran-Rief, Reborn
Slot: Vastwood Fortification // Vastwood Thicket. The MDFCs have their own sheet in the set, so they can only really replace each other. Luckily (if expectedly) Green already has a +1/+1 counter DFC to replace, though this is a more powerful enabler for that archetype. This uses Landfall explicitly, but the MDFCs always enable Landfall so that doesn't significantly improve its fit in the set.
Card: Mechanically, this is a pretty neat little callback to Retreat to Kazandu and Murasa Ranger. Narrow cards like this are actually great choices for modal lands, though I suspect the double-gating on this one (only green creatures and requiring a mana cost) is probably a little too narrow for something that appears as often in Limited as this does.
Nitpicks/Templating: The target hiding in the second half of this ability is strange, as you'll actually have to choose that target before you decide whether or not to pay. This would be an opportune place to use a recursive trigger, replacing "If you do" with "When you do", to avoid that weirdness. Also, only the mythic MDFCs got names that sounded legendary; all the others are named like standard nonbasics.
Overall: I agree that Oran-Rief probably deserved more than an Ooze, I'm glad somebody went for it.
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Allison - Tarrasque, Party Crasher
Slot: Nissa of Shadowed Boughs, probably? Mythic slots are always tight, and this exact color combination is already represented there, so the only real option would be replacing that card for this one. At the very least they both play into the Landfall theme. That said, this actively punishes the Party mechanic, which is generally something you want to avoid when selling the themes of your set.
Card: Cards that rely on your opponents' deck construction to turn on are always a little iffy, as they're generally either great or terrible. Ignoring the parts you can't control though, this is still a huge threat that your opponents will have to answer immediately, and even when they do every land drop will just bring it back. This is probably a little expensive (or unreliable, at least) to see play in Constructed, and basically just 'game over' in Limited.
Nitpicks/Templating: Cost reduction abilities call themselves "this spell" nowadays, and this one would be be awkward to template nonetheless: probably, "This spell costs {1} less to cast for each creature in the party of the opponent with the most creatures in their party." Conversely, the Landfall trigger would refer to the card by name. I know, it's a little confusing.
Overall: I don't doubt that the D&D set this summer will feature a Tarrasque, and I suspect the Party mechanic as well. Maybe hold onto this one until then.
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@dimestoretajic - The Last Relic
Slot: Myriad Construct. Colorless rare with kicker has a couple options, though this probably nabs the creature slot among those. This one doesn't support the +1/+1 counter theme as nicely as the Construct does, and I can't think of any other themes it's contributing to.
Card: Independently, this is a fairly reasonable design for a kicker Vehicle. The rate seems a little high for either the Vehicle half or the colorless 7-mana 5/5 evasive finisher, so having a card that can be either is probably well above rate, at least in Limited.
Nitpicks/Templating: You actually don't need a triggered ability for the kick effect: "If CARDNAME was kicked, it's a creature in addition to its other types" works fine.
Overall: I'm assuming this is intended to be a rare capstone to the uncommon Relic cycle, which is honestly a pretty nifty idea.
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@emmypupcake - Seek Allies
Slot: Murasa Rootgrazer. The only muticolor uncommons in this set are the signpost ones, so this would be competing for space with that. Since the GW theme in this set is Landfall, changing the signpost slot to something that doesn't support that would cause a few issues.
Card: I actually really like what this is doing, though the rate on it is a little unimpressive. Eladamri's Call is cheaper, more flexible, and instant speed; while you don't need to compete with that for power level directly, it probably warrants a change or two to make that comparison less obvious.
Nitpicks/Templating: Looks good.
Overall: I agree that this is definitely the color pair I would expect this effect in, despite the structure of the set. We'll keep our fingers crossed for it in the D&D set this summer.
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@fractured-infinity - Twinspell Mage
Slot: Coralhelm Chronicler, though the design itself is awkwardly similar to Sea Gate Stormcaller. You would likely want to either upshift the rarity to replace Stormcaller, or change the design not to hit so many of the same notes.
Card: You're not the only one to take advantage of the new flexibility of copy effects, though I wouldn't actually expect them to be that prevalent going forward. This probably isn't a totally unreasonable rate for that effect, as it costs extra for both the flexibility with kicker and the higher cost of copying permanent spells, though there's an argument that one more mana on the kicker would still be pretty good.
Nitpicks/Templating: You probably still want a line allowing you to change targets, since this doesn't only target permanent spells - and even permanent spells sometimes have targets.
Overall: I wouldn't be surprised to see something like this printed at some point.
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@hypexion - Inscription of Authority
Slot: Archon of Emeria. There are a few slots in each set just for format regulators, and both of these cards are serving that role. Neither is a great rare to pull in limited, but small evasive creature and awkward inflexible removal are probably on a similar power level, with the Inscription being a slight upgrade for White in the set.
Card: This is mostly just a removal spell with a kicker to get the second two abilities, as you'll rarely spend the card to do the other two. The second ability is pretty awkward to use; you'll have to caste it in the upkeep and hope that it hurts your opponent's plans somehow. Preventing lands from untapping isn't a particularly fun effect, and in Constructed that's often going to be Silence.
Nitpicks/Templating: Those are some unusual effects, but I think you managed to template them accurately. Kudos.
Overall: I can see why they decided finishing the Inscription cycle was so hard.
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@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes - Relic of Resonance
Slot: Lithoform Engine or Forsaken Monument. Mythic Legendary colorless artifact surprisingly has a couple options in this set. Engine feels closest to what this is doing, though this is much narrower than that; Monument is serving a throwback role in the set, so this would be more relevant to the set's themes but would cost it that element. Also consider that downshifting it to rare would allow it to take the place of Throne of Makindi.
Card: I actually really like the idea of this inclusion in the set. My biggest issue with it was just how narrow it was, as kicker is only one theme in the set and colorless cards are best at bridging themes with diverse colors. With a little extra going on, this likely would've been in the winner's circle this week.
Nitpicks/Templating: This wants to specify "spells" rather than "cards", and I'm not sure there's a compelling reason to limit how much you can reduce the kicker cost. "Kicked spells you cast cost {2} less to cast" would achieve the same thing much more concisely.
Overall: I think there's a cool design that fuses this with Lithoform Engine that I would've been really pleased with.
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@ignorantturtlegaming - Tribe of Heroes
Slot: Throne of Makindi, though it's not really straightforward adding multicolor cards like this. The fact that this is the exact same four colors as Omnath, Locus of Creation led me to think that was the slot it would be taking, but they're at different rarities. Having both would mean you need extra Black at at one of those rarities in order to maintain color balance.
Card: I'm not sure why this wasn't five-color, or even non-green - the colors for Party in this set are RB and WU. But then, this isn't actually a Party card: it uses the mechanic, but mostly circumvents what makes the mechanic interesting to play with: you don't even need to run other creatures in your deck for this to work. This plays into the flavour space of Party, but mechanically it isn't really supporting what that Party does for the set.
Nitpicks/Templating: You could probably get away with just listing the relevant types when creating the token, but the template you went with allows the token to be printed accurately. I think yours was probably the correct choice.
Overall: The mice are super cute. I don't totally get it, but you don’t need an excuse for cuteness.
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@illharg-the-rave-boar - Master of Possibilities
Slot: Jace, Mirror Mage. Mythic slots are tight, and maintaining a (rough) balance of colors means yanking the one mono-Blue mythic already in. The result is less kicker support and more Wizards Party support, though at mythic they weren't contributing much to as-fan anyway. Somewhere in the midst of commentary, I lost track of how many mythics there were in the set: mono-Blue has two, and Sea Gate Stormcaller is definitely a more direct comparison for this card, as it plays into the Wizards and instant/sorcery themes in a similar way.
Card: My biggest issue with this design is how often the trigger just won't do anything - there are zero Wizards with Flash in Zendikar Rising, so Wizards and sorceries will generally trigger this for no benefit - especially in the Wizard tribal deck you would typically want to play this in. The idea is kinda clever, but the execution just doesn't really deliver on how cool the idea is.
Nitpicks/Templating: We've never seen a target self-replacement in a triggered ability like this, and I'm not convinced it works. Normally the ability wouldn't check your party size until resolution, but targets need to be chosen when the ability is put onto the stack. The template probably looks familiar because it's used on spells with things that are chosen before targets (like X values or kicker). This may be as simple as a rules update to cover it, but I'm not convinced there aren't other repercussions.
Overall: I feel like your Sphinx looks more like a typical Zendikari Sphinx than the one that did make it into the set.
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@kavinika - Spear of Radiance
Slot: Akiri, Fearless Voyager. There's a cycle of ten rare two-color legends, so any multicolor rare would require breaking that up. Mechanically, this plays in some similar space to Akiri, with each providing one of the 'halves' of a Warrior/Equipment deck. Both offer protection and incentives for equipping, though this does so in a much narrower way.
Card: The most interesting part of the design is definitely the protection effect, which is an interesting take on what Akiri was doing and a fairly unusual approach for Equipment. If I had one qualm, I think I'd rather see the bonuses reversed: the untap effect does neat things with several non-Warriors in the set, and there aren't really any Warriors that can maximise it.
Nitpicks/Templating: You're missing a comma between your trigger and your effect (between "battlefield" and "attach"), and the condition in the activated ability should read "it's" rather than "it is". Both very minor quibbles.
Overall: I agree that that art would look very at home on Innistrad.
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@mardu-lesbian - Tuktuk, the Ever-Returning
Slot: Crawling Barrens, probably. That's the closest we've got in colorless, at rare, and that synergises with Landfall. Losing the one creature land in the set feels like a big loss, but gaining a familiar legendary creature has its own advantages. Both are resilient threats that make drawing lands late in the game not feel so bad, so functionally the resulting formats probably look similar.
Card: Based on what I saw in the Discord, I believe your intent was for this to trigger from both your graveyard and the battlefield, so we'll assume that's how it works. Turning every land you draw into two tokens is pretty powerful - that's about on par with the first mode of Felidar Retreat, except this one can't be removed and sometimes doesn't cost mana. There are no good ways in Limited to permanently remove this card, and the Mill/Rogues draft archetype likely just can't win games where this is a factor. Outside of Limited, this is much more likely to exist in multiples and more likely to be free through self-mill, which sounds like a very, very powerful effect that would likely warp the Standard environment around itself.
Nitpicks/Templating: As implied above, as written this ability only works from the graveyard. Making an ability work from multiple zones requires stating so explicitly, and you generally don't want to do so with abilities that don't make equal sense in both zones. This would be a tough one to make work, though perhaps there's a clever template that I'm just overlooking.
Overall: I would've been really pleased to see more of Tuktuk.
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@misterstingyjack - Roil Watcher
Slot: Tajuru Paragon. None of the other Green rares lean into the Party mechanic at all, so the committed member of the vertical cycle of multiclass creatures is the best bet. This trades out Kicker and additional Party synergies for (big) Landfall synergies, as well as synergy with MDFCs - this sounds pretty even, but because Kicker and Party both need the extra support in order to be playable themes, trading their support for themes that need it less might be a risky exchange.
Card: This is a neat way to interact with MDFCs and to turn on Landfall in the decks that want that - getting up to four additional triggers in a turn can be gamebreaking, but isn't always and the card doesn't feel overpowered at all. It has a similar feel to Nahiri's Lithoforming, leading me to believe it's probably an effect the Landfall decks really want.
Nitpicks/Templating: Effects that return your own lands generally don't target, and didn't in Zendikar Rising. As a general rule I would avoid targeting on anything unless making those choices before resolution actually leads to better gameplay, and opponents will rarely be able to interact with your lands at instant speed to make it matter here.
Overall: This one showed a really good grasp of the themes of the set. Kudos.
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@nine-effing-hells - Total Party Kill
Slot: Shadow's Verdict, the Black rare sweeper for this set. Total Party Kill is definitely more aware of the set's themes, though it falls into the trap (pun intended?) of punishing what the rest of the set is trying to encourage. Party isn't something that works naturally in every set, so a lot of design work goes into making it as reliable as possible in Zendikar Rising. As such, we can't really afford to spend slots actively making it harder.
Card: That said, the card is a really clever idea. One thing to note for the design: sets with Kicker generally have a lot fewer modal spells, because those operate in very similar spaces. It might've been worth a couple extra passes to see if there was a Kicker version of the effect you'd be happy with.
Nitpicks/Templating: It's an unusual template, but probably the correct one for the effect.
Overall: This beat out two different Bruse Tarls and a whole party of mouses for Card That Made Me Chuckle the Most. That's gotta count for something.
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@reaperfromtheabyss - Akoum Magnamancy
Slot: Nahiri's Lithoforming. This is doing something pretty different from Lithoforming, but noncreature rare slots in Red are slim. Both do a bit to enable Landfall, while this also reaches into Kicker and party space. That said, I worry it may have stretched itself too thin - I'm not sure any of those archetypes really want a card that requires so many pieces to optimise.
Card: There's a lot going on here, and even I'm struggling to come up with all the different permutations. It has four different modes (kicked and unkicked, and with and without party), up to two possible targets, and interacts with several different themes. It's definitely an ambitious design and it's certainly interesting, but it's hard to gauge, likely hard to use, and especially hard to maximise: which��just means it will often prove less satisfying to play than to read.
Nitpicks/Templating: The last effect wants to be first, as a cast trigger: "When you cast this spell, if you have a full party, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy." As written, this is part of the spell's effect, and the copy still 'knows' that you had a full party as you cast the original, causing it to copy itself ad infinitum. Probably not intended.
Overall: Magnamancy has been a really fun word to roll around in my mouth. Moreso than actual magma, I assume.
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@shakesz - Kesenya, Sea Gate Head
Slot: Omnath, Locus of Creation. Mythic slots are always tight, and multicolor mythic slots are even tighter. There's a color balance between the planeswalkers in the set, leaving only the colorless mythics and Omnath easily replaceable. Dropping Omnath for Kesenya means less landfall and more Party support, though mythics aren't really all that relevant to Limited anyway.
Card: I was expecting to see some designs that stretched the limits on Party, and this wound up being the only one exploring that space. That said, I expected to see it turned up to five; potentially doubling the size is a much larger boost. The tap ability is a bit snowbally, as it does essentially nothing on its own but does a lot on a crowded board. That said, the card is not individually powerful.
Nitpicks/Templating: The elephant in the party room is that Party doesn’t work that way - “party” returns a numerical value, it’s not actually a way for grouping creatures on the battlefield. The first ability almost works, though as written it’s not absolutely clear that “of each type” refers to party types and not...well, each type.
Overall: You’ve definitely succeeded in piquing my interest in the character, so that’s a win.
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@starch255 - Zulaport Subjugator
Slot: Nullpriest of Oblivion is the closest thing, mechanically. And it’s when we look at the set this way that we see the obstacles they were facing with making Party work: adding more Warriors largely meant axing other Clerics, or Rogues. Skyclave Shade is the one rare Black creature without a party type, but that design is supporting +1/+1 counters, Kicker, and Landfall - replacing it just to get a small increase in Warrior as-fan would probably cost the set more than it gained.
Card: The design seems individually solid, and rather powerful.
Nitpicks/Templating: Looks sound.
Overall: I agree that Standard could use more Black Warriors to make Party come together, but we may have to wait for Kaldheim for it.
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@socialpoison - The Lithoform Core // The Murasa Skyclave
Slot: Emeria’s Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave. There’s exactly one slot for a mythic White DFC in the set, so adding this requires breaking the bolt land cycle. I’m inclined to think that’s not worth it. Attaching the land’s tap condition to your party seems clever, but lands coming in untapped is almost always most important on early turns and that’s especially true for the decks that will rely on curving out into 4 different party members.
Card: This overlaps unfortunately with Ondu Inversion at a lower rarity, though this is effectively an instant speed sweeper. In addition to punishing your opponent for committing to the board, it punishes them for things like...playing lands, and tapping them for mana. At seven mana I can’t imagine it being a very effective hoser for the things it’s trying to stop, which is probably for the best because I can’t imagine the format where this sees lots of play would be very fun.
Nitpicks/Templating: Legendary lands are still a thing they try to avoid. Having another side does ease some of those issues, but it’s still probably best practice just to let people play their lands - especially if that land is just a bad Plains.
Overall: The callout to Lithoform Blight is pretty sweet, I have to admit.
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@thedirtside - Refreshing Breeze
Slot: Lotus Cobra. This is ramp that helps enable Landfall, so the rare Green ramp/Landfall card seems like the clear cut for it. This interacts interestingly with the large amounts of incidental mill in this set, providing you a way to ramp when you do happen to wind up with lands in your graveyard. Unfortunately, there are many ways to enable it yourself, which leaves it slightly lacking.
Card: I’m a sucker for a good ramp spell, and this one is very cleverly done. In formats with fetchlands it is a much better Birds of Paradise, since lands are much more dependable ramp than creatures. In Standard it’s interesting, because it’s one-mana ramp that almost never works on turn one on the play, which is when one-mana ramp is most powerful (and most dangerous).
Nitpicks/Templating: This would be a much better fit for the set if it let you play an additional land from your graveyard - the most reliable way to get lands in your graveyard in this set is on the back of an MDFC, but unfortunately as written this ability does not work with those.
Overall: I’m a big fan of the simplicity of this design, though I can’t help but wonder if there was room for a small Kicker effect to round it out.
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@wolkemesser - Bruse Tarl, Bull-Headed
Slot: Akiri, Fearless Voyager. This successfully fits into the ten-card cycle of rare two-color legendary creatures, so kudos on that. It has a kicker effect and is a Warrior to support Party, but its Landfall ability actively discourages you playing with the themes of the set.
Card: I think you must have underestimated how powerful a 3/4 double strike, lifelink for two mana actually is - thanks to his Landfall ability, he would serve as the top-end for a deck that only ever wants two lands on the battlefield, and seeks to end the game by turn 3 or 4. I can’t imagine the kicked ability coming up very often, because random Ox tokens are generally worth so much less than an hyper-efficient creature like this.
Nitpicks/Templating: Looks like you forgot to tell us what color the Ox tokens should be. White, I’m guessing.
Overall: I suspect this was intended as a Commander card, but since this challenge was for a Standard-legal set I have to keep that in mind. The idea is neat though, and I love how it makes Bruse and his Oxen adversaries.
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Thanks again for your patience in getting this commentary out this week. This challenge was a little smaller than our weekly average has been, but I received enough positive feedback that I'll probably still try to make it a recurring feature. I appreciate everyone that took the time to join my little experiment this week!
~Mod [ @3smuth ]
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Coralhelm guide by Viktor Titov
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EDH Budget Picks: Aminatou, the Fateshifter
After nearly two years of fun with Vona, Butcher of Magan, I’ve decided to switch her with a different general. Only question is which one? It didn’t actually occur to me to add in blue until playing with this little lady’s precon for a bit and realizing that I love how she runs. For clarification, budget in this case will mean no cards above $5 and no more than three above $2. I also won’t include any particularly obvious cards like Panharmonicon and your main combo piece, Felidar Guardian.
As I suggested at the end of the last paragraph, this is a combo deck, so you are going to want to pick up your key pieces as well as looking at this list. In addition to what you see here, though, you can get effective value out of any card with an enter-the-battlefield or leave-the-battlefield effect. While playing the deck, once you get your combo going you can flicker your enter-untapped lands for infinite mana and your enter-draw cards to dig for your win condition.
#1: Cloudblazer
This is one of my favorite cards from Kaladesh and until now I haven’t had a deck to run it in, but Cloudblazer is an outright bomb in Aminatou. Gaining two life and drawing two cards nearly every turn really sets you up for your long game.
#2: Oath of Teferi
You were probably going to include this anyway, but Oath can replace Panharmonicon as a core combo piece, adding additional utility to an already strong card.
#3: Vela, the Night-Clad
While an already strong card, if Vela sees Felidar leaving play each time, she’s a potential win condition, and since she causes life loss it dodges damage prevention.
#4: Ravenous Chupacabra
Removal stapled onto a creature is a solid play in almost any deck, but with Aminatou it becomes repeatable, even at times turning into a one-sided board wipe.
#5: Forbidding Spirit
Ghostly Prison on a stick is already strong, but the ability to stack Forbidding Spirit’s effect through flickering turns this into total immunity from nearly any attack.
#6: Debt to the Deathless
With unlimited mana through your combo you get endless Debt to the Deathless. Really, and X-drop spell can be added for powerful results.
#7: Restoration Gearsmith
Repeatable recursion for both artifacts and creatures. Very simple and very effective.
#8: Agent of Erebos
Exile a graveyard every turn. You’ll be the bane of Muldrotha.
#9: Retreat to Coralhelm/Hagra
Flicker your lands and scry to the cards in your deck that matter, or flicker them to drain your opponents to death.
#10: Grim Guardian
Similar to Vela, flicker it to drain your opponents’ life away. If you have Agent of Erebos in play as well, you can bog your opponents at the same time.
That’s all I’ve got! Some of these are very similar, but they all work toward the same goal. If you don’t have all the cards on this list, just about anything will do. If you want to hear budget picks for a different deck, be sure to send in a request. Until next week, see you on the battlefield.
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Next Thurs 15th Jun, 12PM (PT) I’ll be releasing four new prints on my store! These paintings were for Magic the Gathering’s June Secret Lair Collection, and will all be available for 72-hrs as a Timed Edition. Utopia Sprawl & Mystic Remora will also be available as a special Gold Edition (embellished w. gold foil & larger print size)
⭐️ GOLD EDITION: Gold-foil embellished, limited to 250 prints
⭐️ TIMED EDITION: Non-foil print, available for 72-hrs upon release
More info on my store here: https://kelogsloops.com/prints
#watercolor#art#my art#traditional art#magic the gathering#mtg#wizards of the coast#secret lair#mystic remora#utopia sprawl#burgeoning#coralhelm#environment#environment art#landscape#fantasy#surreal#card game#card art#magic#artist#artists on tumblr#illustration#art print
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Coralhelm Guide
"She knows every step of this coastline, both above and below the surface, and she has hideouts all along the way. She will get you there." —Jori En, expedition leader
Artist: Viktor Titov
TCG Player Link
Scryfall Link
EDHREC Link
#mtg#magic the gathering#tcg#$0.09#viktor titov#coralhelm guide#battle for zendikar#creature#merfolk#scout#ally
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I played Yarok for the first time last night
I built my first Sultai deck in YEARS (last one was Damia, Sage of Stone, if that tells you how long). I built Yarok Constellation! Its 90% enchantment based with a handful of "goodstuff", and it actually played a LOT better than i was expecting! The only downside i currently have is EXTREME vulnerability to enchantment wipes, which, obviously, is the major drawback of the archetype. I actually ended up winning one game (4 player FFA) because of Vaevictus Asmadi making me sac Yarok, that got me Avenger of Zendikar (thanks Retreat to Coralhelm) while i had 14 lands on the field. I recast yarok, cast Khalni Heart Garden, cast Farhaven Elf, Land for turn, pop the garden, swing with FOURTEEN 10/10s for 3 way lethal :)
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Card transcription
Five cards, all uncommon
The first
Nomadic Healer 1G/W
Creature- Kor Cleric
Whenever a Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, or Wizard enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.
Landfall- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life.
1/2
The second
Coralhelm Leyweaver 1G/U
Creature- Merfolk Wizard
Kicker 2G/U
When Coralhelm Leyweaver enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, create a token that's a copy of target Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, or Wizard you control.
2/1
The third
Camouflage Expert 3B/G
Creature- Human Rogue
When Camouflage Expert enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control that's a Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, or Wizard.
Camouflage Expert can't be blocked by creatures with lesser power.
2/1
The fourth
Goblin Forerunner 2R/G
Creature- Goblin Warrior
Landfall- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Clerics, Rogues, Warriors, and Wizards you control get +1/+0 and gain trample until end of turn.
2/3
The fifth
Joraga Adventurer 1 2/G
Creature- Elf
Joraga Adventurer is also a Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.
T: Add one mana of any color.
T: Add two mana of any one color. Spend this mana only to cast a spell that shares a creature type with Joraga Adventurer.
0/2
End transcription
The goal with these was to have them fit equally in either a party deck or a single-tribe deck, while also tying into the limited theme for that color pair. I'm pretty happy with where they ended up on that front, though the power level may not be perfect. Don't ask me how color balance would work with these in the set
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The Lore of Zendikar: Noyan Dar, Merfolk Leader
“Noyan Dar, the founder and leader of Coralhelm Refuge, is an unlikely hero. Born in Sea Gate, he studied with the Emeria-creed mystics at the original Enclave but secretly followed the creed of Cosi for most of his life. He showed great magical aptitude and became a powerful lullmage, while also secretly studying the rigorous methods of the Ula creed. He cultivated contacts in North Hada and among the Dojir nomads and personally spied on the workings of power in Sea Gate. He amassed a network of loyal supporters in the Enclave thanks to his charisma and his talent at manipulation. If his life had gone differently, he might have become a criminal mastermind, at the center of a vast spy network or blackmail ring.
Instead, the myths of the gods and the monsters they fought in the distant past caught his attention. He began using his contacts to acquire ancient relics, historical information, and long-forgotten magic. He hired out his services as a lullmage to explorers who were undertaking particularly significant expeditions. Eventually, long before the Eldrazi titans awoke, he developed a suspicion that the merfolk deities were not actually gods but destroyers. Then the Eldrazi did awake, and his suspicions were confirmed.
When Sea Gate and the merfolk Enclave fell to the Eldrazi spawn, he found himself thrust into a position of leadership by virtue of his knowledge and experience in the world. Somewhat unwillingly, he led refugees from the Enclave farther upriver to found Coralhelm Refuge. He has grown to accept his position — not least because of the personal power it gives him — while also retaining his interest in history.
Noyan Dar sees that the only path to survival is for all the merfolk and survivors of other races to work together. By coordinating their efforts to understand the ancient ruins and using hedrons to fight the spawn, the peoples of Zendikar can triumph — or so he believes. He now organizes the merfolk’s expedition efforts and compiles the information they bring back to Coralhelm. He has also started training a new generation of lullmages to use their magic, not to calm the Roil, but to turn its power against the Eldrazi.
Ironically, Noyan Dar’s greatest enemy is someone who shares his goals as well as his skills: Thada Adel, leader of the Tikal Harborage. The two merfolk first crossed paths when Thada was studying at the Enclave, and Noyan Dar attempted to recruit her into his circle of cronies. The younger merfolk took an instant dislike to him, which has persisted through the years since. They have often found themselves in conflict over information or ancient artifacts, and both harbor bitter grudges.”
Art by Karl Kopinski and Andrew Robinson
#mtg#vorthos#magic the gathering#magic story#magic art#fantasy#fantasy art#lore#flavor#magic lore#zendikar#tazeem#noyan dar
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Other than Retreat to Coralhelm, break this card and follow it up with telling me how bad I am at design.
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Wifelink Zendikar
i don’t know for a fact that the Wizards of the Coast creative team were collectively going through an eighties glam metal phase back in 2015, but it sure fucking seems like it. i don’t know if they were getting laid enough either, but i’m going to guess...no.
Weapons Trainer (art by Greg Opalinski)
You’ve gotta imagine that up until the very second the Eldrazi showed up again, this woman was wearing pantsuits with massive shoulder pads and doing apocalyptic quantities of cocaine in vampire nightclubs.
Drana’s Emissary (art by Karl Kopinski)
Vampire nightclubs aren’t really mentioned in Zendikar’s lore but given that all vampire art this block is at least this horny - in both senses of the word - I am forced to conclude both that vampire nightclubs exist, and that they fucking own.
Bloodbond Vampire (art by Anna Steinbauer)
The only reason this woman isn’t the gayest thing Ms. Steinbauer has ever painted is that Grand Warlord Radha is the gayest thing it is possible to paint. Still, with a ludicrous pose, an oddly-sweet high-cheekboned face, and a whole lot of loving attention being paid to her hips and cleavage - which her body paint will helpfully point out, in case you missed it - this is pretty close to total self-indulgence. And you know what? Good. Good for you, Ms. Steinbauer. Keep living your best life.
Malakir Soothsayer (art by Greg Opalinski)
Hey, uh, Greg, real quick - you ever, like, seen someone ride a horse? Did they maybe, like, brace their feet in the stirrups and bend their knees and sit on their ass like a person? No? They just did the splits and sat straight pussy-down on the dang saddle? You sure about that, Greg? Doesn’t that seem like it’d be really uncomfortable? Oh, sorry, my mistake, I see you’ve subtly indicated in your painting here that this young vampiress has in fact reinforced her clothing with a substantial layer of crotch padding, right there below the underbust corset. So that’s alright, then. Carry on!
(This image is a fucking synaesthetic masterpiece, by the way. I can’t look at it without being overwhelmed by the phantom aroma of vaginal juices.)
(I don’t know what the deal is, either. Greg doesn’t do this in any of his other MtG paintings. I think it’s just that Zendikar vampire art is required to be as horny as fucking possible.)
(Also, sorry I said ‘vaginal juices’. I promise that was at least as unpleasant for me as it was for you.)
Drana’s Chosen (art by Deruchenko Alexander)
As Horny As Fucking Possible, Now With Chains!
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet (art by Todd Lockwood)
This might be a Technically Bisexual Interlude? I break out in a sweat every time I look at this picture, so that might be arousal. Or revulsion. Or fear.
Hey, those vampires were A Lot, huh? Let’s palate-cleanse for a moment.
Murasa Ranger (art by Eric Deschamps)
“What an absolutely adorable cutie,” she said about a hardened wilderness survivalist with no fewer than five visible weapons, “what a gosh dang sweetie-pie!”
Coralhelm Guide (art by Victor Titov)
Oh, yeah, the merfolk art in this block is just about as horny as the vampire art. Also, a lot of them wear fishnets, which seems unnecessarily macabre for a water-dweller. Like if I made some half-assed attempt to cover my tits with barbed wire, that’s about the effect we’re looking at here.
Jori En, Ruin Diver (art by Igor Kieryluk)
Good thing thighs don’t need armor!
Akoum Stonewaker (art by Victor Adame Minguez)
This woman has personally attended every Bon Jovi concert.
Zulaport Chainmage (art by Chris Rallis)
This woman lost her virginity in the backseat of her girlfriend’s Camaro to “Thunder Kiss ‘65″.
Topan Freeblade (art by Johannes Voss)
I’m reasonably certain this woman was in a Dio-era Black Sabbath music video.
Kor Sky Climber (art by Victor Adame Minguez)
Oh, I fucking love this piece. You get a real sense of weight and momentum, and unf, that taut upper-body musculature.
Kor Bladewhirl (art by Steven Belledin)
Now, it’s true that Kor Bladewhirl is less caught up in the ecstasy of flight than her sky-climbing sister above. It’s true that she’s less ethereally-lit, less kinetic, and less pretty. However, counterpoint: she’s buff as hell, has a rope with a heavy piece of metal on the end, and is Supremely Unimpressed.
Giant Mantis (art by Lake Hurwitz)
You bet your ass I would on account of I know what the fuck I like and I am not a fucking coward.
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