#also it was fun trying to draw this design...

[fishyaudio]

I managed to work on the headcanon human Huzzle Mug design a bit more today and wanted to write more about the thoughts behind it actually! + Tried drawing it in an arstyle similar to the in-game sprites for funsies

+ Being picked by the scruff by Bauhauzzo as a fun bonus

If you wanna hear me ramble about how and why designwise, here:

For someone assiociated with experiments, self-expression, artistry and abstraction I feel like Huzzle's god form wouldn't be so far off from the way it'd use to present itself during it's human life actually, despite it being more on the less-humanesque god designs side. It just felt right to me to make it express itself how it truthly wanted even before the magical ascension to a 3D immortal being. So, you can see that any shapey and non-human design elements (the fluffy body, leg colors) were kept as clothes and accessories (love the big funky shoes, those were a must to include 1:1 lmao) and all the human-but-different-when-on-a-god (nose, eyes) were just... un-exaggarated a litte. Also gave it gloves to as a nod to inventing and messy creative work + the loose phone in hand. Does the cable connect to anything? Well no silly, but it is an important prop in the constantly ongoing performance art that Huzzle does when going to it's dimension to ask for advice! I love this fake-calling a friend helpline manner it does when talking SO MUCH, so in my vision it would be Huzzle's iconic behavior that it may have practiced for fun from the very beginning. That way the phone went 3D with it during the new god selection ceremony! :-) A fun experiment for sure, I may or may not try to maybe imagine other gods' human forms as well if I'll have time since because its mad entertaining

[inventors-fair]

Substantial: One-Word Runners-Up ~

Our runners-up this week are @arixordragc, @bergdg, and @helloijustreadyourpost!

@arixordragc — Buck

We live in a funny world where this card does exactly what it says on the tin, and it's a common that does something strangely unique in the world of bite spells. I don't have to talk about what this card is doing for limited or whatever, and I don't have to talk about the intended flavor. Everyone agreed that this card was solid enough to be commendable. The reason I'm putting it here first is because a) we do things alphabetically, and b) it's missing that one final aspect that I want to talk about during commentary. If there was a specific reason not to add flavor text here, I'm curious what it was. Regardless of that choice, I'll stand firm that it was detrimental not to add it.

Here's the problem: does that take away from the mechanics of this card? No, not at all. Does it add anything to a designer's repertoire to be able to write flavor text? Personally, I think so. I also think we're in a niche in the custom design sphere where we're jacks of all trades—and at this point I'm getting a little niche philosophical, so I'll try to cut to the chase with what matters. Every part of a card's presentation for these contests needs to be available at a first glance, not because it would be expected of someone in a professional design setting, but because custom design demands that all aspects be accounted for. This is a general waxing and I hope you don't take it as a lambasting of anything; this card rocks and we on the team were surprised it hadn't been done before. I find it fun and clever and slapsticky and perfectly befitting of the setting. I just wish there was that last little push to make these sensations gallop to life.

@bergdg — Liquidate

I remember when these weird hybrid combos were introduced in Strixhaven, and as someone who had been playing (badly) with hybrid since my first designs in high school, I was pleased as punch to see them back in action. With this card, I think there's no reason to ding it for the mid-hybrid split, and if I was super generous I'd say that the split and the art go together quite well! Even if there was more in-line themed art direction, I think that seeing someone's brain dribbling out as they split apart their mind from Ashiok's whispers... Highly impactful. Great Ashiok callback with both the flavor and the effect.

Dissolution, as it relates to liquidation, isn't as common a definition as one might expect, but you're not the only person to have used it for this contest. And the creature/planeswalker is definitely being turned into liquid here. As a rare it's a perfectly reasonable killspell, and while it might not be the absolute eye-popping card to open from a pack, I'd be happy to run it in a control draft shell. Blue's milling and black's destruction meld together quite nicely here—a liquid blending of effects. Could it have been uncommon? That's a big maybe, but I don't mind it as a rare and especially not as a control sideboard card. "I'm gonna Liquidate your dragon." That tracks, heh. I'm a fan.

@helloijustreadyourpost — Draw!

OW, my ORGANS. You shot me right in the organs! Well, anyway. Red being secondary in fighting is underutilized, I feel. And for moments like this, you have that real competitive sense that feels pretty solidly in-color for it. As the flavor goes we did have the card Quick Draw from OTJ, but this one is a far more in-situational card rather than an explanation of whatever "wild magic" is. Frankly, I wished that OTJ had had something comprehensive going into it, and I know I'm not alone there. The flavor text is by far one of my favorites from you so far. It's punchy with a drawl. It's demonstrably about the situation you're creating, distant from a story but at the same time defining the moment. You are the sharpshooter here in control. I really love it.

I also feel that the grokability of the rules text makes sense. To me. It's a little heavy-handed, I gotta admit, or at least it's a lot of text to do something that only that much text can do. I'm sure that I'm overthinking it more than I am analyzing it at this point, and considering the bar for commons these days, I'm sure it would be fine. That sort of replacement effect that relies on a timing effect is still a little wonky, though, or at least it might be in the brains of newer players. That said, there are other ways that these fight-to-bite effects could be seen on other worlds, and I'm really curious about what could be opened up with this. Maybe it could replace with other triggers, or for types, or whether or not a creature is equipped/enchanted... Lots of options for the mechanical side here! But it starts with this card, with two cowpokes and two thunder pistols. Man, I just think it's awesome. I can picture the wounds already.

Small note on general commentary! I thought I'd get ahead of myself this week and do some commentary in advance. Hooray! Around 40% of them are done, but there are still the remaining 14 cards to write up.

This was a surprisingly popular contest, and the more popular contests get the harder it is to finish commentary on time, what with working Saturdays. I'm just letting y'all know in advance about that, since keeping you informed is important.

Be good, folks! @abelzumi

[hinamie]

trick or treat!

[crumb-crumblet-s-crumbington]

i redesigned the transformers one cast in the style of transformers animated!

[lylahammar]

Zorella, the centaur pop queen ✨

Thank you to everyone who helped me by voting on her final design in the poll from last week! I'm so so so happy with how she turned out 🥰

[chloesimaginationthings]

HBEBEBEBEBEB UR WILLIAM DESIGN IS SO SILLYYYYY THAT SKRUNKLY OLD MAN IS GETTING THE CHAIR <3333

The worst man ever 💜

[puppyeared]

my attempt at making a fursona

[honehonn3honey]

A protection that becomes more creepy

Azul in my heart. You can see the original art here and read the monster list here @lustlovehart

[Alt under the cut]

My first concept, since my style could not simulate the texture of slime in its purest state

It is quite thick so water can not enter or wet. Only small puddles where you can accumulate

It is a monster and that, magic, but I can imagine that it can only reach a height by the pressure, it can come out expelled sometimes

[cosmosnout]

Girliesss

[xylo-art]

Just wanted to doodle the rgb siblings

[nicecrumbart]

I've got the 'cant stop drawing a character until the design is perfected and I can draw in it my sleep' disease someone sedate me

[scissorcraft]

post-canon siffrin design!!!! might change it up more of course but!!!! yeah!!!!

he does HAVE something to represent odile and bonnie too,,, it's not just his partners (romantic & queerplatonic), he's got his family too, i just don't know where to put them yet :) so for now assume he is carrying them in his multitude of pockets!!

[artilite]

some sopping wet napkins <333

[wasyago]

squeaky_toy_sound_effect.mp4

[linterteatime]

Some hyper light drifter and utdr doodles...and also the other little guys that snuck in

[raycatzdraws]

A Linked Universe meets The Dark Crystal AU! I don't even remember what started it at this point. I remembered that the Dark Crystal and Age of Resistance are things I like, blinked, and woke up three days later with an AU and a bunch of art.

The designs and the story are a wip and for fun so expect a lot of variation! (I have a few different beginnings, ideas for different designs, etc)! :D

In addition to #linked universe I'll be using the tags #the dark crystal lu au and #courage of the dark crystal!