The jury has nominated their 11 favorites and now it is your turn to decide the winner!
- You may not vote for yourself. Anyone who does this and doesn’t change the vote till deadline is disqualified.
- Jury members are not allowed to vote.
- You can vote for 2 submissions.
- Please be fair and vote for the card design, not the person behind it!
The poll will be closed on October 03, 2018. Good luck to everyone!
Nominated…
by @anjosustrakr:
1) Instigator Malephar by halcyon98
Instigator Malephar
Abyssian minion
8 mana 5/13
Opening Gambit : Equip a Doomsday Prophecy to your General. At the end of your turn, deal 1 damage to your General.
Doomsday Prophecy
Abyssian artifact token
8 mana
Your General cannot attack. When this artifact breaks, all minions in your action bar and deck become 13/13.
Name: Excellent as usual, halcyon! I would like to know how you come up with your names (I realize Malephar is something from Duelyst, but still). (10/10)
Wording: Flawless. (10/10)
Balance: 8 mana cards are slow. An 8 mana card that makes you wait 3 turns unless you hurt yourself as Maehv (or your opponent hurts you) is even slower. And even when the prophecy breaks, it’s not as if you instantly win the game (unless, of course, you have that 13/13 Saberspine Tiger in your action bar…). In fact, this card might be too slow to be good. But, then again, it comes with a 5/13 minion that can be cheapened using Darkfire Sacrifice… 
I’ll cut you a break, though. I don’t think it is fair to say that your card is OP, when Darkfire Sacrifice is the one that actually needs a nerf. (35/35)
Creativity: There is so much going on in this card, and it is all awesome! The Doomsday Prophecy is very flavorful, as is the fact that the Instigator deals damage to you to instigate the end of the game. But it’s the little details that count, too. Is it a coincidence that the attack plus the cost of this card is 13? I THINK NOT! (45/45)
Total: 100/100
2) Berserker Virus by thematsjo
Berserker Virus
Magmar Rare Spell
2 Mana
Intensify : Add 1 Berserker Virus to both players’ decks. Your General gets +1 Attack.
Name: Great name! The virus spreads to and through both decks, and it makes both Generals go berserk with extra attack. -1 point for not relating to the lore. (9/10)
Wording: Should read:
“Intensify: Shuffle 1 Berserker Virus into both players’ decks.
Give your General +1 attack.”
(Attack should be on a separate line to not be Intensified (yes, I clarified this with thematsjo; the attack doesn’t Intensify)). But it is very understandable besides that. (8/10)
Balance: Shuffling cards into both players’ decks is totally balanced, so this card can be seen as a 2 mana gain +1 attack. That is also balanced (it can be compared to Vaath’s Brutality without the Stun). Sure, eventually decks with get clogged with these things, but that is the point. (35/35)
Creativity: What an amazing card! It has tons of flavor, and eventually the virus will consume each player’s deck so much that it’ll just be a battle of giants! This card is basically its own deck archetype. (43/45)
Total: 95/100
3) Harbinger of Unbirth by bepoest
Harbinger of Unbirth
Abyssian Artifact
2 mana
Intensify : Whenever your General deals damage to a minion, deal that much damage to 1 random minion in your opponent’s deck.
Name: Flavorful, but doesn’t sound like the name of an artifact to me (more like a minion). -1 point for not relating to the lore. (7/10)
Wording: You have an extra space after “Intensify”… yes, I am that picky. (9/10)
Balance: It is really hard to tell whether this card will be overpowered or just good. I guess it depends on how many attacks/counterattacks you get in with it. But two damage to a minion is usually not enough to kill it, so I think it’s fair… until you get that Spectral Blade combo going. Then it is way too powerful in its second and third stage. But you will probably never get to the third stage in a game, so… (30/35)
Creativity: A very creative idea. Dealing damage to cards in a deck has never been done in any card game so far, and Intensify is an underused mechanic. I also love the idea of the opponent dredging up stillborn minions… 
(44/45)
Total: 90/100
by @degenerator:
1) Prism of Duality by buyingcoats
Prism of Duality
Vanar Artifact
1 Mana
If possible ALL minions always replace into spells and ALL spells always replace into minions.
Name: It’s a Prism, of Duality, in Duelyst, as a Vanar articaft, that has a polar effect. OK! Nothing too original but nothing wrong with it either. (8/10)
Wording: Perfect. (10/10)
Balance: This is the most… hmm… normal card? I have seen in my entire life. That doesn’t make it automatically balanced yet the effect is simply too basic and unimportant… OR IS IT? I unfortunately can’t confirm the math by myself at the moment but I am 99% certain this card makes your deck way more consistent. If you have a certain combo in mind that requires 1-2 minions and a few spells then you are guaranteed to replace into those desired cards if you build your deck correctly. To add to this, you can “action-lock” (is this a useable term?)(no) your opponent if they only have minions or spells in their action bar. That means if they have only minions in their action bar and want another minion, they can’t get it unless they draw one. They must first replace into a spell and then replace that card again to get a minion. In total 2 turns are needed if a spell isn’t drawn. That being said, the effect trully isn’t powerful unless there is a insane combo that I dont know out there. What this card is really good at is actually stopping combos!!! Do I have to be more specific? Some card combos that requieres an entire action bar might be impossible to complete. (Looking at you Songhai and Magmar). So how balanced is this? Well for 1 mana it gets a…
(30/35)
Design: G-E-N-I-U-S. There are only a few questions (that I will try to answer) such as…
- Why Vanar? Fits the theme, has a lot of possible combos available, Vanar now also controls your replace and not just your board (Thx) AND
because they get weird effects and can probably make this work.
- Why is it an artifact? Because of the rules and because it is not affected by its own effect
- Why does it cost 1 mana? It matters not what its cost is (could even be 2 or 3 mana and almost nothing would change) but low costed artifacts tend to go well with Vanar
- Which new or old design options are now available or improved? A hard question to answer yet a “wild guess” is that most combo decks would either try to play around this or disappear. Vanar combo decks are the ones that might work the best. Possible tech options that would emerge to counter this would be artifact removals(ers)
- Why is this G-E-N-I-U-S? Cause I said so. Honestly, it amazes me how such a simple restriction could have such a devastating or helpful outcome for one player or sometimes BOTH players. Revolutionary ideas are the ones that change just one cog and manage to transorm the machine entirely. (45/45)
Total: 93/100
2) Earth Crown by trulster
Earth Crown
Magmar Artifact
3 Mana
Your general has “ Grow : +1/+1”. Whenever anything grows , move one card from the opponent’s deck to yours.
Name: The naming is Great! It fits well with the Magmar theme and I like how you relate the Earth with “grow” as a mechanic. Also, since this is a Crown, which is a symbol of authority and power, I find it perfect that the effect is strong. (9/10)
Wording: Excellent wording. Everything makes sense, and the text isn’t long at all. (10/10)
Balance: Earth Crown is a very strong artifact. Not only does the Magmar General get more powerful each turn but also the other player loses cards AND he cant play any grow cards himself. In my opinion, it should cost 6 or more mana to play and the added bonus of grow should disappear once the artifact is broken. Moreover, having 3 or more Earth Crown at the same time is rediculous. That is because at the start of the players turn, he gains +3/+3 AND gains at THE VERY LEAST 3 cards from the opponent. Imagine if he also had some grow minions as well… In short, too Over-Powered. (19/35)
Creativity: Designing a creative card is half as difficult as judging one. Earth Crown seems to want to marry the Grow mechanic with the added steal cards from your opponent idea in order to strengthen the Grow mechaninc! Does it succeed in doing so? Yes. Is it accomplished in a healthy for the game manner? Absolutely not. It feels to me that the original idea was to give the General grow and then decided to add the rest to fit with this month’s contest. However, weirdly enough if we ignore the card’s balance, the design is well thought. For one, it has synergy with all three Magmar Generals. Starhorn wants to thin out the enemy’s deck, Vaath wants more attack and Ragnora needs more minions/spells/artifacts. Secondly, it works well regardless if you have grow minions on board. This allows for all three generals to get the desired benefits without having to rely on one type of deck! To me this seems amazing and difficult to achieve with any other card. You can play aggro, control or midrange with just one card! In conclusion, the design is great, because it breaks the limitation of being specifically good in only one deck archeotype. (40/45)
Total: 78/100
3) Mimicry Mirror by unktrial1
Mimicry Mirror
Abyssian artifact
2 mana
Whenever you replace a card, the card will replace a card in your opponent’s hand. Cannot replace Mythrons.
Name: Good name, since it does provide a little bit of information regarding the card’s design. Furthermore, its the opposite of Mirror Mimicry which is the ability/superpower to turn into a mirror. Intentional or not I love how it copies “Mirrorrim” and its wordplay. Lastly, I like the fact that a mirror could be considered an artifact. (8/10)
Wording: Very confusing. Depending how you read this card, you either a) replace the opponent’s cards into his deck or b) transform a random card from the opponent into the card you replaced . I will continue to evaluate the card according to definition a). (3/10)
Balance: The card is well balanced. “Mimicry Mirror” is a low costed articaft with a disruption affect. By replacing your own cards, you also replace one of your opponents cards at random! This can either be: 1) Great, if you ruin the enemie’s combo or 2) Devastating if you help him get the card he wanted! Regardless, the random nature of the card gives both players (more or less) the same chance to reach their goal. That being said having multiples of this card equipped is dangerous. (30/35)
Creativity: A subtle way to create a disruption tool without sacrificing a lot of mana. In addition, it seems to fit well with the Abyssian “steal” theme, although you dont get anything for return. A minor effect, but a welcome one none the less. I am happy to see something that is more focused on supporting a deck rather than define one completely by being too strong. All in all, it is a very creative way to interact with your opponents cards and deck indirectly but nothing too amazing or game changing. (30/45)
Total: 71/100
by @darkjovo:
1) Hoarfrost Bulwark by victorious23
Hoarfrost Bulwark
Vanar Artifact
3 Mana
When you attack an enemy minion, shuffle it into your opponent’s deck. Increase the cost of all copies of it by 1. (Cost cannot exceed 9)
Name: 6/10
The name seems to denote a frozen defensive wall instead of something that freezes and traps the creature.
Wording: 10/10
Clear wording, clear understanding. I’m basing my judgement that the minion does counterattack before disappearing back into the deck.
Balance: 35/35
I believe this card is balanced given the multiple checks the player must consider when judging the powerful removal effect. The first check is the amount of damage one is willing to receive to banish the target minion back to its deck. The second is how preserve the artifact’s durability during the opponents turn since the artifact may just result in a single banish which is just a potentially longer, more expensive hailstone prison. And third, how does progress Vanar’s win con since removing a minion just provides anti tempo, not a way to destroy the true enemy summoning the minions, the general.
Creativity: 45/45
Follows Vanar’s flavor of removal to a tee. Vanar always seems to have the weirdest removal due to the fact that Vanar doesn’t actually destroy the minion. Vanar, from a faction standpoint, has removal that delays the problem (banish back to the action bar/deck) or makes the problem much more manageable (Meh, it’s a ravager now and/or dispelled). This artifact fits in nicely with the other removal options.
Total: 96/100
2) Bloodmoon Rose by oranos
Bloodmoon Rose
abyssian artifact
3 mana
at the end of your turn, shuffle a wraithling into your opponents deck.
when this artifact is destroyed deal 1 damage to a random enemy for each wraithling in your opponents deck
Name: (8/10)
I understand that it takes after Bloodmoon, an Abyssian location and home to an Abyssian Staple, Bloodmoon priestess. However, what I don’t understand is why it is a rose. I personally don’t know of a plant that creates/imbeds little parasites into living creatures.
Wording: (9/10)
The wording is close however its missing descriptive information and doesn’t follow the language in preceding cards such as “The Releaser” and “Wraithling Storm”. Grammar and Consistency among the language is important, especially in card games where one word can change the entire meaning of a card.
Corrected/refined: “At the end of your turn, shuffle a 1/1 wraithling into your opponent’s deck. When this artifact breaks, deal 1 damage to a random enemy for each wraithling in your opponent’s deck.”
Balance: (30/35)
I think this card ranges from balance to underpowered. It is balanced since it weakens and hinders an opponent’s potential to search/draw/replace into necessary answers. In addition, it does this effect without it being too difficult for the opponent to come back and still interact with the board. I think that the only problem with the effect is that it is too slow, maybe bump up the wraithling effect to 2 wraithlings at the end of the turn instead of one due to it maybe being too slow… or maybe that’s the intention of the artifact. Also, I would think the destruction effect is a minor to non factor since it merely adds another incentive to break it early or risk multiple pings from your deck hosting a lot of parasitic critters
Creatively: (45/45)
It fits with the Abyssian host’s theme of withering away the integrity of a crucial aspect of their opponents. Shadowdancer and Desolator slowly but surely wither your opponent’s health away, Shadow Creep deteriorates the battlefield for your opponent, making every step more and more hazardous over time, and Bloodmoon priestess becomes an infinite generator of 1/1s that swarm and wither away the enemy’s board presence. Why can’t there be an artifact that withers the opponent’s deck integrity and composition with an abundant source of weak minions?
Total: 92/100
3) Desperate Measures by zanestheargent
Desperate Measures
Songhai Spell
6 Mana
Burn 2 cards from your deck, then deal 10 damage to the closest enemy.
Name: 5/10
Lack luster name that doesn’t have the flavor of why it should be a Songhai card rather than a neutral card. Enough said. Potential Name: Reckless Kindling or something.
Wording: 10/10
Clear, concise, Could probably split into 2 different sentences.
Balance: 27/35
The current iteration is a little overpowered since the power level of the card is higher than the cost of the card. Assuming 1 card is equivalent to 1 mana, you would be paying 8 mana for 10 damage to a target of your “semi”-choosing (you have the ability to position yourself however you please, especially with card like flicker and bangle). That would make this card better than spiral technique. If I were to keep your core aspect of the card, I would lower the damage from 10 to 8 and change the targeting from “closest enemy” to “random enemy”. When you are truly desperate, you must take some risk and have the potential to fail. This card is a high risk, high reward card. However, that’s trying to preserve your words and your intention for the card.
Creativity: 38/45
While removing/burning cards from your deck is an interesting mechanic, there was so much design space that could have been utilized when creating this card to make it more unique, interesting, and flavorful. For example, you could have used the cards as actual fuel with card text like this “Remove 2 cards from your deck. Deal 4 damage to a random enemy for each removed card.” While an interesting mechanic leads to interesting card games, you must sell the person the value of the card in order for it to see play, usually with creative card texts.
Total: 80/100
by @mmf:
1) Infernal Condemnation by miguelosz
Infernal Condemnation
Abyssian spell
5 mana
Destroy ALL cards with only a single copy from both players’ decks. This card’s cost cannot be decreased.
Name: 9/10
Makes sense with the Abyssian theme (underworld-esque and all), but a lost opportunity as combustion would’ve been a better verb to follow the BURNing of cards.
Word text: 10/10
It’s simple design leads to a simple explanation. Good job
Balance:25/35
While I don’t approve of the compete shutdown of an archetype, infernal condemnation is a fairly balanced card. It’s effect targets both players so it’s efficacy is dependent on how each deck was built while the same goes for your opponent. The inability to decrease it’s cost while enabling it to be effected by cost increases is an odd design choice, but not one that would sway my dictation of points by much.
Creativity: 30/45
With the prevalence of a deck as powerful as Wanderer is, I’m not surprised to see a few submissions dedicated to hindering that style of play. That said, I like the way that it promotes the “Abyssian Steal” strat. Good potential combo cards here I reckon.
Total: 74/100
2) Kaiju Transformation by rustyrat
Kaiju Transformation
Magmar Artifact
8 Mana
Your Bloodbound Spell is now AWESOME.
Vaath’s AWESOME BBS:
Remove a minion with Grow from your deck. Restore 3 health to your General and give them +3 attack.
Starhorn’s AWESOME BBS:
Both players draw a card. Burn cards from your opponent’s deck equal to the number of cards in their action bar.
Ragnora’s AWESOME BBS:
Summon a Ripper egg nearby. Draw a minion with Rebirth from your deck. It costs 2 less.
Name: 5/10
Kaiju Transformation would’ve been better suited towards a spell effect or even in Songhai to justify the artifact-tied transformation (Kaiju also fits with the eastern asia theme Songhai has going for them).
Card text: 10/10
Pretty simple description.
Balance: 20/35
Awesome BBSs are not supposed to be 1 mana and even then the effects of some of your bbs changes either don’t make sense or don’t seem that appealing gameplay wise. Tieing it to an artifact is a pretty interesting effect and the power dynamics help towards artifact archetypes.
Creativity: 35/45
Nevertheless, I like the idea of tieing AWESOME BBS to an artifact and it was a good effort on creating more awesome bbs.
Total: 70/100
- Instigator Malephar
- Berserker Virus
- Harbinger of Unbirth
- Prism of Duality
- Earth Crown
- Mimicry Mirror
- Hoarfrost Bulwark
- Bloodmoon Rose
- Desperate Measures
- Infernal Condemnation
- Kaiju Transformation
0 voters
A thousand thanks to the jury for evaluating the submissions!
Honorable Mentions of anjosustakr:
Manticore by idnotfound
I love the design of this card, and it is clear that a lot of thought went into it. The only thing is… I feel like this card would always be too weak or too strong, depending on the circumstances of the game (kind of like Rizen). If the opponent has a removal spell, they will use it instantly on Manticore, giving them a single Chain of Burden. They can just replace the chain and probably never worry about it again for the rest of the game (which would be like drawing a card for them). On the other hand, if they can’t remove the Manticore, they will either have to play nothing (and probably lose as a result) or play cards as normal, which will clog their action bar and eventually their deck with trash. The balance here is just too delicate. Also, Manticores have nothing to do with chains.
//unnamed// by aeth3ria
I love this card! It introduces two things we have never seen before in Duelyst – equipping the enemy General with artifacts (which could even act as artifact removal against Sajj) and transforming cards in the deck. Drawing Wraithlings would be super frustrating, but of course there is replacing and this spell costs 4, so it is totally balanced (maybe even too expensive?). The only reason I didn’t nominate this card is because it doesn’t have a name!
Anyway, it’s fixed now. Thanks for mentioning 
