Welcome to "YFTC", Magic General's longest ongoing thread. This is where we take cards from the current Standard, and make them more playable for Limited, Constructed, or both. It's a really fun contest, and you'll find lots of friendly veterans in here who are always willing to lend a helping hand. I hope you find this to be one of the highlights of your visit to Magic General. Take some time to familiarize yourself with how things are run in here. The official rules for the contest are below:
"You Fix the Card" Comprehensive Rules Spoiler:Show
1.Each week, a new, Type 2 card will be presented as a candidate for “fixing”. - As of right now, there are three judges that can present and judge “official fixes”. These three people are darkartist, AvalancheRider, and danmage72. Card-fixing can involve changing a card’s mechanics, mana-cost, power/toughness, type, color, or even name. At the end of the week, the judge will post three finalists (and an honorable mention if they feel it is necessary). Then, usually the day after, the winner will be announced, and a new card will be posted for the next week. Winners are posted in my sig with their name, and the number of times they have won the contest. This is an interesting list, and you should all check it out. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that frequently, this contest can run late. It isn’t out of the ordinary for it to go bi-weekly. Just try to bear with this, as the three of us judging all have actual lives and finding time to judge can be very difficult to do at times. You all are free to keep the spirit of the thread alive in the interim. In the past, people have nominated a “guest judge”. This person should only present Non-Type 2 cards. It is imperative that they be non-Standard cards. Our official “fixes” focus on Standard. So, it’s considered bad form for a guest judge to “eat up” a potential official “fix” for a guest week.
2.Submissions must be complete, and include all the relevant information (mana-cost, creature type, power/toughness, etc… - Nothing is assumed in here. If your submission is incomplete, most of the time I’ll have to overlook it. For simplicity’s sake, here is an example of a “proper” submission:
Card Name – Mana Cost Card Type – Subtype (if applicable) Mechanics Flavor Text Power/Toughness
3.Submissions must retain the original card’s rarity. - There’s no “fixing” of rarity allowed. This is because card rarity is one of the best guiding factors for judging that exists. So, if an uncommon is presented for “fixing”, I’ll be looking for submissions that stay within uncommon territory. It simply helps to limit the type of submissions that I have to look over. Otherwise, I would present commons for “fixing”, and people would undoubtedly submit cards that are obviously at the rare level. This is an important rule that helps judging immensely. If you are unclear about what makes a common, uncommon, or rare card, I recommend checking out this article: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr9.
4.Submissions must not contain block-specific mechanics that don’t exist in the set or block that the card presented is from. - For example, if a card from Mirrodin is presented, and somebody submits a “fix” with the Morph ability, that submission simply won’t be considered. Morph didn’t exist in Mirrodin at all. Certain mechanics are stretched over an entire block, and other ones are set-specific. Make sure that your submission’s mechanics “fit” in the appropriate set. If we are “fixing” a card from Fifth Dawn for example, it’s perfectly fine to submit a card with Imprint or Sunburst. If however, we are “fixing” a card from Mirrodin, a submission with Sunburst can not be considered. This is a very easy rule to grasp, and it’s very important too.
5.Submissions will not necessarily be judged on their wording, but it is considered a plus if your card is worded properly. - Lots of your fellow posters are very quick to help out with wording a submission properly. So, if you feel that there’s a better way to word your submission, feel free to ask. On a similar note, be sure that your submissions aren’t overly-long in their wording either. Some basic rules regarding how much text can fit on a card can be found in the link I posted above. Try to imagine what your submission would look like on an actual card. We don’t need any more Ice Cauldrons OK? Also, you may see some posters that actually make their submissions into cards. This is done using a program called Set Editor. Ask around about it, and I’m sure somebody will give you a link. It isn’t at all required, but it’s nifty, and a good tool for seeing if you have created a gigantic wall of text.
6.Please use only one post for your submission. - You are free to edit and change it later on. But posting one submission, and then posting later on in the thread: “Sorry, forget that old one, here is my new submission”, is considered a big no-no. The reasons are two-fold: For one, judging this contest can be a difficult and tedious task. Every submission is looked over thoroughly and evaluated accordingly. It can be a big pain to evaluate a card, only to later on see the person who submitted it, also submitted three other “fixes”, with the last one being their “official” submission. Secondly, sometimes some of you will have the same exact idea for a “fix”. In this situation, if two or more people submit an identical “fix”, I have to go by the order that they were submitted in. I’ll also look to see if anybody has edited their post too. If the submission is good enough to make it into the finals, I’ll always go with the first person who submitted that particular “fix”. It isn’t an exact science, but we haven’t had any problems yet in this regard. And, if there’s an open question as to who submitted first, most people in here are quick to come to the defense of the person who did.
7.You are not required to be a “rules-guru” to “fix” cards. But, a general knowledge of what works and what doesn’t is a good thing to have. - Sometimes people don’t realize that their submissions can’t get into the finals, because they simply don’t work under the current rules. Luckily, most of your fellow posters are quick to point this stuff out. And some people will see what it is you are trying to do, and help you word it properly and within the confines of MTG’s rules. This is what I consider to be one of the benefits of this thread. Everybody is learning how to be better card designers in here. But, whereas something like the “You Make the Card” forum is completely open for anything, in here you have some restraints put on your designs. I think of it as design vs. development. What we are doing in here is much closer to development. Development skills are just as important to have as design skills. Things like balance and elegance come into play a lot. I urge you all to look at some of the people’s submissions who have 3 or more wins. Usually, they have a good grasp of balance, appropriate rarity, power level, etc… You should all use this thread to develop these important tools for yourselves.
8.Lastly, I have to mention that inevitably, subjectivity will come into play in here. - Lots of times there will be submissions that are completely different from each other, but are perfectly valid “fixes” in their own right. This is when judging becomes difficult. In the end, sometimes a clear winner isn’t self-evident. Sometimes, I just have to “go with my gut”, and pick the card or cards that I like, or feel are more interesting, innovative, or appropriate. This is a by-product of the fact that early on in the thread’s existence the notion of voting on submissions was raised. It was met with a resounding “No” from almost everybody. Lots of people (including myself) feel that a voting thread would just devolve into silly arguments, and wouldn’t be beneficial to the spirit of this thread at all. So, consider this a “beneficent dictatorship”. The judges have the final say, but we’re willing to listen to reason. Personally, if you give me a well-thought-out explanation of why a card should or shouldn’t make it into the finals, or be crowned the winner, I’ll listen to it. In the end, this is all about having fun anyway. Try not to take it too seriously and you’ll do fine in here. Be helpful and kind to your fellow posters, and they will treat you with the same amount of respect. Have fun!
Now for a little historical perspective: I started this thread on Sept. 27th, 2004. The thread was “split” some time ago, and the old thread can be found in the archives here: http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/ … p/t-786140
danmage72 (with help from Buttock1234) put together an awesome “YFTC Winner’s Set”. It’s all the winning submissions put into card form, with appropriate artwork and everything. As of this writing, there are well over 100 cards in it. If you all want a great way to see the results of this ongoing contest, this is definitely it: http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php? … count=3684
Just for posterity and nostalgia's sake, here's my original intro for the thread:
So, there are lots of cards that most of us have, that for one reason or another, just don't make the cut. They could've been decent, good, or dare I say... playable, but somewhere along the way, R+D decided to make them suck. So without further ado, I bring you "You Fix the Card".
Here are the rules:
I'll list a new card every week. You folks can then "fix" the card, by changing the mechanics, to actually make the card playable. The new mechanics have to be similar to what the card originally was intended to do. I'm not looking for broken cards. It shouldn't be anything uber-powerful. The final mechanic should be appropriately costed and powered. And, it needs to make sense.
Pretty simple, huh? So get creative! Fix the card! I'll list the finalists at the end of each week, and then the winner and next card the day after finalists are announced.
Lastly, when the thread split occurred, this is where we were at in our card-fixing. So, for the sake of continuity, I've left this as part of the introductory post:
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On to this week:
This week we're venturing back into the world of Ravnica to tackle a pretty "meh" Uncommon. I know from the outset that I'm going to catch some flak for this one, and a few of you will probably feel that this card does not require "fixing". Having played with it in both Limited and Constructed though, I can tell you that there's definitely something wrong with the card though.
I have a real love/hate relationship with this card. I think the main problem with it, is that it is the absolute epitome of "win more". I'm sure more than a couple of you have had this thing either sit in your hand unused, or paid the cost only to have it Remand ed to your hand, etc... Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the card, but there's something wrong in the execution of it. Not sure what it is though. Maybe the mechanic or cost needs tweaking. Maybe it should give you something extra. I'm not sure. But, I can't wait to see what some of you are going to come up with.
"Fixing" an X-spell should be pretty fun. Remember, it's an Uncommon. Keep it at Uncommon level. (Do I even need to say this anymore?)
Most importantly, have fun. Alright, let the darkartist roast begin!
As an additional cost to play Bond of Agony, pay X life. If was spent to play Bond of Agony, it can't be countered by spells or abilities. Each other player loses X life.
The Rakdos are unique in designing torture equipment they can operate while "suffering" alongside their victims.
__________________
(EDIT: Just ignore this fix, I've got a new one on the next page.)
Bond of Agony Instant Bond of Agony deals X damage to target creature or player and you lose X life.
The Rakdos are unique in designing torture equipment they can operate while "suffering" alongside their victims.
I don't really know about this one, but here it goes. I believe I kept it at an uncommon level and I upped its playability. I'm trying to think if this card is unbalanced, but I don't think it is. I think it is very on flavor for back, and I like it.
Bond of Agony Sorcery Each player loses X life. Hellbent - If you have no cards in hand, instead each other player loses X life. Come and join the agony. ------------ This fix improves the functionality of the card greatly, and even reduces the complexity of the card, no longer having the confusion surrounding additional cost versus effect, and paying life you don't have (or the several people who thought the card cost a couple mana and X was based on any life payment of your choosing).
Now, should they counter it, you don't lose the life. Also, since the life is no longer a payment, you can use this to force a draw if both sides are low on life. Heck, you can even force a ridiculous 6 way draw in a 6 man free-for-all. And best of all, with hellbent, you now get to keep off the rack yourself (see art) and get to play the role of torture master, avoiding the life loss. This makes it a potential win the entire free-for-all card. Its powerful, simple, and much better than the original.
And congrats AvalancheRider on win #10. Yeah, I wanted to get #10 first, but hey, you've been doing this for much longer, and needless to say you've got a knack for it. May the best man reach 20 first. :D
Bond of Agony Instant Bond of Agony deals X damage to target creature or player and you lose X life.
The Rakdos are unique in designing torture equipment they can operate while "suffering" alongside their victims.
I don't really know about this one, but here it goes. I believe I kept it at an uncommon level and I upped its playability. I'm trying to think if this card is unbalanced, but I don't think it is. I think it is very on flavor for back, and I like it.
I think the biggest problem with this card is that consume spirit is about 100x better, yet it still does not see play. Sure you can say the thing about black mana, but with all of the duals floating around, there is little difficulty amassing a significant amount of black mana especially now with the storage lands.
Bond of Agony X1BB Instant Each player loses X life. Hellbent - If you have no cards in hand target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn.
I always liked it more in a orzhov deck, since they tended to gain so much life. flavourfully, though, it would definately be rakdos, and nothing else. (maybe gruul, but it's black, and really just the name would make sense)
Well, my main and extreme difference, besides the need for black mana, is that my card is an instant. And while it is comparable to Consume Spirit, I do not think they are the same card. It is kind of comparing Condemn and Reciprocate . But to each his own.
-Steven
P.S. Both you and Dan forgot that Hellbent isn't a keyword. Y'all forgot the "if you have no cards in hand" clause.
This is a tough one. I want to fix it, but it does exactly what it should do. By making it a "each player loses X life" you make it a "if you are losing, the game is instead a draw" kind of card. Not my kind of fun. For some? Yes. For me? Not quite.
The flavor text of the card speaks to me, but I don't have a fix yet.
Bond of Agony (, Sorcery) As an additional cost to play Bond of Agony, pay X life. Each other player loses X life. Hellbent - If you have no cards in hand and if was spent to play Bond of Agony, Bond of Agony deals X damage to each creature.
I couldn't really do much about making sure that you don't lose life, since I feel that any sort of uncounterability would infringe on Demonfire. So I went the other way, and made it a Limited bomb.
This is an interesting list, and you should all check it out. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that frequently, this contest can run late. It isn’t out of the ordinary for it to go bi-weekly. Just try to bear with this, as the three of us judging all have actual lives and finding time to judge can be very difficult to do at times. You all are free to keep the spirit of the thread alive in the interim. In the past, people have nominated a “guest judge”. This person should only present Non-Type 2 cards. It is imperative that they be non-Standard cards. Our official “fixes” focus on Standard. So, it’s considered bad form for a guest judge to “eat up” a potential official “fix” for a guest week. 
- Nothing is assumed in here. If your submission is incomplete, most of the time I’ll have to overlook it. For simplicity’s sake, here is an example of a “proper” submission:
was spent to play Bond of Agony, it can't be countered by spells or abilities. 
