An excellent showing from the community this round and some tough decisions had to be made, but I can't award prizes to everyone. As you know, this challenge centered around caring about cards being removed from the game, be it the card itself (like the Defiant Cycle) or other cards (like Purge the Unworthy and Never Forget the Fallen). Each entry and my comments can be found below, with the winners in the next post down (the character limit strikes again!). If you have any questions or comments on my judgment/methodology, feel free to ask and I will be more than happy to answer.
NatoPotato
Improved Efficiency Recycler
2GI
Unique Artifact
Cost 2
If any Artificial Character you control is permanently removed from the game another copy will be created in your hand at the end of the next turn.
Comments:
Not too flashy, but a dependable card to generate repeated advantage. Solid design.
Hiding
Multidimensional Replicator Bot
2p GI
3 cost
10 morale
Character- Artificial
Unstable (When this card is targeted, remove it from the game)
Pay 3, preemptive, exhaust: Until end of turn, whenever a character you control in play is removed from the game or returned to your hand, create a copy of it in the zone it was in.
3/3
"Tired of Calamities ruining your plans? Afraid that Lucca you sent off to who knows where won't come back this time? Well here's the Bot to solve your problems!"
Warning: Prone to sudden disappearances, any resulting loss of objects or incorrectly replicated Luccas will not be compensated for. Choking Hazard: Age Limit 6+.
Comments:
A clever design to take advantage of--or prevent being disadvantaged by--remove-from-game effects. Only thing it doesn't beat is Kidnapper. The Unstable is a nice touch, making this a real resource sink--which makes sense given the sort of advantage that you could accrue.
CallMeXan
Gone but not Forgotten
Neutral
Ability
Epic
6
Remove Target Character from your grave. Add a Character from your deck to your hand with the same name as the removed Character.
If this card is removed from the game (hand, deck or grave) recover one of your characters removed from the game and place it in your grave.
"And so we take up the mantle of those who have fallen before us."
Comments:
A way to replace those who have gone on before--though I suspect that it'll be run with Sleepers and Overcharged in order to get characters back into your grave. Flexible, multi-use card.
drewmb10
Totem of the Old World
2WP
Unique Artifact
Rare
2 cost
If a character you own is removed from the game this turn, you gain the initiative next turn.
A gift left behind by Prophet Karani, this totem motivates those longing to take back the land in which they had once thrived.
Comments:
Talk about unexplored design space! Manipulating the initiative is something I've never even considered in IW before, but brings all manner of implications with it. A simple yet groundbreaking design.
ToxicShadow
Disfunctional Prototype
Purity: 2GI
Type: Character - Artifical
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 2
Morale: 10
Attack/Health: 2/2
When Disfunctional Prototype is deployed, it dies at the end of the turn. If it dies that way, draw a card.
If this character is removed from the game while in play or in your hand, deploy an Imperfect Temporal Energy Convertion Prototype in your support zone. Once removed, the Disfunctional Prototype will not return to the game (even if the card used to remove it allows it).
"Why won't it work? The energy is tearing it apart each time."
"How about we use a controlled anomaly to stabilize it?"
"That is either the dumbest idea I ever heard, or you are a genious. Let's find out!" -Recorded conversation during development of project XFG VIII, entry 50, classification: confidential.
Imperfect Temporal Energy Convertion Prototype
Purity: 2GI
Type: Character - Artifical
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 3
Morale: 10
Attack/Health: 6/6
Pay 2, take this character to your hand.
Sacrifice an artifical character: This character gains shield 1 until the end of turn.
If this character is removed from the game while in play or in your hand, deploy Sunten,Temporal Energy Converter in your support zone if you don't already control a copy of it. Once removed, Imperfect Temporal Energy Convertion Prototype will not return to the game (even if the card used to remove it allows it).
"All systems operational. Conversion rate at 50%."
"Better than nothing i guess, but not what we had in mind."
"How about another round through the anomaly?"
"Actually, why the hell not?" - Recorded conversation during development of project XFG VIII, entry 177, classification: confidential.
Sunten, Temporal Energy Converter
Purity: 2GI
Type: Unique Character - Artifical
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 6
Morale: 14
Attack/Health: 15/15
Shield 1
Pay 4, take this character back to your hand.
Sacrifice an artificial character: This character gains unstoppable until the end of turn.
If this character is removed from the game while deployed or in your hand, create Sunten, Ultimate Form in your support zone if you don't already control a copy of it. Once removed, Sunten, Temporal Energy Converter will not return to the game (even if the card used to remove it allows it).
"I am aware. I am Sunten. Enemies of the creators, beware!"
"It worked! Finally! But who the hell named him? That wasn't part of his program." -Recorded conversation during development of project XFG VIII, entry 190, classification: confidential.
Sunten, Ultimate Form
Purity: 2GI
Type: Unique Character - Artifical
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 10
Morale: 16
Attack/Health: 25/25
Shield 1
Unstoppable
Pay 10, remove Sunten, Ultimate Form and all deployed characters your opponent controls from the game until the end of turn. Only activate this ability if this character is on the battlefield.
If this character is removed from the game while deployed or in your hand, create a Disfunctional Prototype in your hand. Once removed, Sunten, Ultimate Form will not return to the game (even if the card used to remove it allows it).
"He became stronger again. How about we send him through another anomaly?"
"Don't you dare! Don't...argh, too late." -Recorded conversation during development of project XFG VIII, last entry before the discontinuation of the project, classification: confidential.
Comments:
There's a lot of text here to work with. Sunten's design as a constantly evolving through self-removal is very much Genesis Industries, and the crazily complex road to an OP card also fits the GI bill (looking at you, Ultra-Unit). The final ability, being a mirror of Temporary Mass Reality Shift, has potential to be super strong, allowing a final blow through a defensive line, resetting enemy buffs, or simply buying one more turn of time.
JLazeZ
The Rift Runner, TOP RANKED RIFT PLAYER'S NAME
Faction / Factionless
Purity / None
Rarity / Rare
Cost / 5
Morale / 8
Unique Character - Human
Power / 6
Health / 10
When PLAYERNAME is removed from play he comes back at the end of the next turn, bringing target Character who was removed from play with him.
Comments:
I love the concept of a constantly changing card based off of the Draft leaderboard. It's a real incentive to do well with your draft and reminds me of the cards that Wizards used to design based off of players, be it the 1996 World Champion, Bob, or Shadowmage Infiltrator.
ORISOLVE
Name: Revenge of the Avatars
Purity: 3P Descendants of the Dragons
Rarity: Epic
Cost: 1
Mission
Flavor Text: Discipline, Strength, and Ferocity.
Ability: Opening (This card has Opening, it will start the game in play rather than in your deck.)
If an Avatar is removed from the game, Avatar's Revenge becomes 35% more complete. When Avatar's Revenge is 100% complete, choose one of the following effects to apply next turn:
1. Lingbao's Revenge: Deal 15 damage to all Characters in your opponents Defense Zone and 15 morale damage to your opponent.
2. Daode's Revenge: All the health damage that you have taken for the duration of the match will now be dealt to your opponent.
3. Yuanshi's Revenge: Your fortress cannot take damage this turn, all Characters you control gain +10/+0, and deal 10 damage to your opponent's fortress.
Comments:
Wow! Don't mind me, just going to fill up a deck with Avatars and crush my opponent by overcharging them. The Revenge effects are super strong, particularly those of Daode and Yuanshi, creating a huge payoff for a card that cares about what specific cards you're removing from the game. This card has two problems though: it isn't unique, meaning you can stack three of them and deal tons of damage.
Nephilim
reality scout
1 GI
cost 2
creature human
whenever reality scout is removed from the game, at the end of the turn summon a reality mutant with the combined power of all creatures removed from the game this turn and combined toughness of all creatures removed from the game this turn
4/4
reality mutant
creature - no subtype
whenever you remove a character from the game, summon a 1/1 with no morale cost
Comments:
Another solid design with a flashy payoff in the form of a giant character that summons lots of small characters. Continuously flickering Reality Scout (perhaps with Box or CTA) can create a swarm of lowly 1/1s just waiting to be made into a giant army somehow.
lovemeseriously
Name: Rift in to the Remembered
Faction/Purity: Neutral
Type: Unique Location
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 5
Pay x,Exhaust: You may play a character card that was removed from the game with resource cost x or less.
"History shall repeat itself" - World Librarian
Comments:
A simple, elegant design turning the removed from game zone into an additional hand.
Bubba1234
Soul Ripper
Purity: 2 Exiles
Rarity: Rare
Cost: 6
Type: Artifact
Whenever a deployed Character is removed from the game, its power and health are added to a deployed Demon of your choice.
Comments: While I'm not sure how this would be coded, it's a really clever way to redistribute the stats of your removed characters--provided that you still have more characters to buff. The demon tribal restriction is very much Exiles and even being a 2-purity rare artifact fits.
ecliptix
Defiant Warlock
2 CoV
Creature
Uncommon
3 Cost
6/7
6 Morale
When Defiant Warlock is removed from the game select a card in your hand and place a copy of that card from your deck to your hand.
"For the last time - I. AM. NOT. A. WIZARD."
Comments:
Otherwise known as Defiant Tutor. I can imagine this card being combo'd with Dark Vision for extra value. The restrictions are very cleverly placed, making it harder to abuse than at first glance. A good design, but the Warlock will probably never be played as a character, merely overcharged for the effect.
klumpus
Name: Agent Coyle, Rift Rider
Faction/Purity: Factionless
Type: Unique Character - Human
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 4
Morale:13
Attack/Health: 6/6
Rules Text: Pay X, Overcharge: Play all cards that have been removed from the game with resource cost equal to X-2. Use this ability only if Agent Coyle, Rift Rider is deployed.
Pay 10, Exhaust: Transform into an X/X Flying, Unstoppable Dragon, where X is equal to the number of cards that have been removed from the game.
Flavor Text: In his quest for power, Agent Coyle learned to use the rifts to retrieve items thought to be lost from this reality.
Comments:
Agent Coyle and rifts go hand-in-hand. The self-proclaimed first Rift Runner has a nasty habit of jumping into rifts without thinking, and now he's pulling things out of them. The first ability seems like it could be insane, particularly if the card overcharged as part of the cost counts too. Given the low cost to play him, this Coyle is extremely powerful, high morale cost aside.
Decadere
Name: Heart Of Avarrach
Sleepers/3p
Type: Unique Undead Character
Power/Health: 0/20
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 6
Haste
(1 use per turn) Pay X, where X equals the cost of the targeted deployed character: Remove a non-artificial character that your opponent controls from the game. Heart Of Avarrach gains 1 charge and becomes exhausted next turn.
Pay 1 charge: Create two 7/7 Endless Hordes adjacent to Heart of Avarrach.
Pay 2 charges: all undead characters you control gain +2/0 and infect until the end of the turn.
Pay 3 charges: Heart of Avarrach Removes all deployed non-undead characters from the game.
"Several research teams from the GI Biotech branch went missing when sent to investigate the sound emanating from the center of Kyrallic. Because of that, The last team sent was heavily armed and equipped with a drone which would broadcast the expedition live. As they got closer, the sound became more and more deafening. When they reached their destination the team went dark, but not before the drone caught a glimpse of something horrific...".
Comments:
As noted earlier, this entry does not satisfy the requirements of this challenge. While it certainly removes characters from the game, it doesn't really care about RFG.
xMatanX122
Lab Accident
2 GI purity
Ability
10 cost
remove all deployed characters from the game. at the end of the turn return each character to it's opponent support zone.
"For the 5th time, I told you not to drink coffee in here"
-Aleta
Comments:
Hilarious? Yes. Clever design that can be used in a multitude of ways? Yes. Fundamentally cares about cards being removed from the game? Not so much.
colonscopy
Dust Collector
Factionless
Artifact
Epic
Cost: 3
Each time a card (in play, from hand or the Graveyard) is removed from the game , Dust Collector becomes 17% more complete. When Dust Collector is 100% complete, it transforms into a 20/20 Dust Dragon with Flying and Unstoppable.
Flavor:
You can hide it under the carpet, but you can never stop its growth;
After the Calamity dust still exists.
Comments:
Another solid, simple design. I'm reminded of Ritual of Summoning, except less menacing and funnier.
quangtit01
Name: Lucifer Morningstar, First Fallen Angel.
Faction/Purity: Triple OOS or Triple Exile
Type: Unique Demon Angel
Rarity: Legendary
Cost: 11
Morale: 20
Attack/Health: 16/16
Rules Text: Untouchable, Flying, Unstoppable
Lucifer cannot be removed from play. when Lucifer is deployed, remove all other characters until the end of the turn. If any character that gets removed has the Angel or Demon subtype, Lucifer gain +2/+2. Lucifer cannot be killed from non-damage source.
Flavor Text: Before Sol's rise to power, there was an Angel, shining brighter than all other angels. Once THE beacon of hope of the Overseer, Lucifer's fall from grace changed them forever.
Comments:
This card only just barely qualifies for the challenge in that it cares about the subtype of the characters that Lucifer is removing, but boy is it full of flavor and power. The purity requirement is something that I've been wanting to see for a while (namely, Mercenary purity cards that are more than just single purity).