Beacon of Creation

A show about design in Magic: the Gathering. Each week we cover both official cards and custom cards made by the community. The weekly design challenge gives you the opportunity to make it on the show! Hosted by Tim, Juliet, Kayiu and Markus, with guests! Music used with permission: https://www.youtube.com/user/daleculp

Following Signposts - Aetherdrift 02/12/2025

Following Signposts - Aetherdrift This week is all about drift archetypes! We break down all ten from the new set along with their gold cards. Are they exciting? Believeable? Synergistic? This is a great way to get familiar with the components of the set's limited design. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: Watch "Cars" for Pete's sake! /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/35250945

First of Its Kind Challenge Review 02/05/2025

First of Its Kind Challenge Review What is Magic missing? We listened to all of you! This month's challenge was to use a new creature type and we went through all your cards. Juliet's new game: Moonshot Patreon for Juliet's next project: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/35157265

Design Crossover - Joyride: Survival of the Fastest 01/29/2025

Design Crossover - Joyride: Survival of the Fastest In this episode we learn about Joyride, a bumper car battle race board game. Along the way we brainstorm ideas in Magic inspired by this new game! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/35060830

Cube Concoctions! Reviewing Your Cube Pitches 01/22/2025

Cube Concoctions! Reviewing Your Cube Pitches This week we're in the lab, talking all about cube experiments! Something between a normal limited format and a custom set, a cube is a way to test out all varieties of Magic in just the right conditions. To help him, Tim brings on cube organizer Alex and format mastermind Sam to go through more than a dozen cube pitches! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34953065

The Beast Unleashed! Iterating a Set Mechanic 01/15/2025

The Beast Unleashed! Iterating a Set Mechanic Would you like to listen to two people say the word "Beast" about two hundred times each? We have the episode for you. Diving into "Call the Beast" from Wrenchmar, we talk all about how to package flavor and novelty into a showstopper mechanic. No need to know anything going in, we cover it all! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34863225

Ways for You to Make a New Game in the New Year! 01/08/2025

Ways for You to Make a New Game in the New Year! Part of what makes Custom Magic fun is how easy it is to get into. Design a card, show it around, and done! For the New Year, Juliet wanted to tell us all about other ways to get involved in game design as a solo designer. There's so much in this pod!!! Some of the tools described: GB Studio Bitsy Renpy Button Shy downpour decker RPGMaker w/Pokemon Essentials Also look forward to Showcase Zero this Friday! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34769865

Advent Sentinel Challenge Review 01/01/2025

Advent Sentinel Challenge Review We've got a ten pack of Defender-matters cards to review this month for our (Ad)vent Sentinel design challenge! The added twist here of getting the number 12 on a card really put our designers on an interesting track. Juliet's Castmas pod: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34672570

Design Crossover - Teamfight Tactics w/Shawn Elizabeth Main! 12/25/2024

Design Crossover - Teamfight Tactics w/Shawn Elizabeth Main! We've got a super cool guest for our episode this week! Principal game designer on the new Teamfight Tactics season, Shawn Elizabeth Main!! Not only that, Shawn was the lead on Conspiracy, so you know we're getting some multiplayer Magic talk in too. These Design Crossover eps are all about learning a new game and then riding that wave of inspiration back into some ideas for Magic. This one is for the multiplayer draft heads! The new TFT set/season, Into the Arcane: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34612980

Unpacking - Wrenchmar 12/18/2024

Unpacking - Wrenchmar Unpacking is where we go through a pack one card at a time and learn what we can just from that pack. No archetype lists, no explanation of mechanics, just what's on the cards. It's a great way to both see what the packs can tell us, but also brainstorm things that COULD be in a set but aren't. (also shh... we told Bradley he was recording an ep about Foundations so we could suprise him) The pack: Bradley's twitch: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34498340

Design Crossover - Transformers Card Game 12/11/2024

Design Crossover - Transformers Card Game We've got Bass back on the pod to tell us EVERYTHING about the short-lived Transformers TCG! This game burned short but burned bright. You start with your whole team in play, and each card has value both as a spell but also during the super cool "flip" phase of combat! Like all Crossover eps, we also sprinkle in plenty of ideas of how to cross those mechanics back into Magic. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34390760

Going Nova Challenge Review 12/04/2024

Going Nova Challenge Review Who needs to cast spells when you can sit back and let your creatures do the casting? Just the easy life for us! Fortunately our listeners didn't take it easy and instead submitted a baker's dozen creatures-that-cast spells cards for us to review. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: Thunder sound by SoundBible /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34277575

Design Crossover - Wingspan 11/27/2024

Design Crossover - Wingspan We're back with a new crossover episode! Peter explains everything Tim needs to know about Wingspan, then they ride the wave of inspiration into a variety of mechanics for Magic! You don't need to know anything about Wingspan to listen (Tim didn't!) Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: Bird sound by SoundBible Music by Dee Culp /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34172015

It's Not Just a Phase, Mom 11/20/2024

It's Not Just a Phase, Mom Spurred by the idea of simultaneous combat, Peter and Tim delve into all the phases and steps of a turn! After honing our understanding of each one, we also break out into some free form ideas. Deleting the draw step? A "start turn" phase to match "end turn"? Multiplayer alternating main phase actions? Lots more discussed. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/34027334

Favorite Flavor - Esper 11/13/2024

Favorite Flavor - Esper Juliet and Esper witness the carefully-designed majesty of magister sphinxes on the white-blue-black Esper shard, from its played-everywhere cards to possibly the worst card in all of Magic: The Gathering. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33911467

Moxtober Card Highlights! The Newbies are Here! 11/06/2024

Moxtober Card Highlights! The Newbies are Here! Moxtober is our yearly event where we design cards based on a daily, one-word prompt. What would you design for "Alpha" or "Trial"? Our community designed a ton of cards. This year, we're putting the spotlight on all our new submitters (plus a who came back!). Moxtober is for everyone and this episode is a celebration of that! New members in this ep: Smell Hole - Smoking Gun Underworld Dreamer - Leyline of Inevitability The Real Eli - I Am Error Gluestick248 - Burning Slice YABO - Alpha Alpha Regal-Turtwig - Downfall of the Spire Talone - Limited Edition Alpha Ortuy - Escape Pursuit Therandomguyhi/Alastar - Alpha Agonizer sky.net - Break the Mirror PlaidWeaselVT - Animal, Loose Cannon Evan - Thunderous Sozu Spiderify - Gracinda Hamadyne - Barely Alive Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33814090

Going Ghost Challenge Review 10/30/2024

Going Ghost Challenge Review You all went quiet on us... but then came back! In the Going Ghost challenge, we asked for cards that blink out but take some time to come back. Plenty of spooky ghosts and funny flavor to be found in this ep! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33679812

Favorite Flavor - Skeletons 10/23/2024

Favorite Flavor - Skeletons Juliet and Mdub dig up the bones of Magic's Skeletons—from the ever-imitated Drudge Skeletons, to Skeletons that are Swamps, to modern Demilichs, not forgetting a number of cards that are clearly Skeletons in all but name. Along the way, we regenerate the design space for Skeletons of the future! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33578847

Following Signposts - Duskmourn 10/16/2024

Following Signposts - Duskmourn We're back again with a deep dive on the uncommon gold cards of the newest set! We're honing our instincts on the design of these types of cards, and talk about how to apply it to our own designs. Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33479687

Mailbag Episode! Tim Answers Your Questions 10/09/2024

Mailbag Episode! Tim Answers Your Questions You've got questions, we've got an episode! We've got a whopping twenty-five questions packed into this episode, so you better press play! Theme music by Dee Culp "Misty Bog" by Eric Maytas soundimage.org Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33385842

"To The Nines" Challenge Review 10/02/2024

"To The Nines" Challenge Review We're putting on our finest outfits and securing our monocles as we review the "To the Nines" challenge review. You all submitted equipment, but you weren't allowed to use the Equip ability! We've got scarabs, fish, crowns and collars this week and it's all going to be fun! More Juliet content at Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33293347

Designing for IPs and Moxtober Hype! 09/25/2024

Designing for IPs and Moxtober Hype! Kayiu and Juliet tackle what makes designing for an IP swing or miss, covering Portal: Three Kingdoms and Chikyu: Ruined Future. Along the way, we break down some bad card design habits, some -1/-1 counter mechanics, Dynasty Warriors, a general acclaim for decayed, and a quick introduction to what makes Moxtober great! Juliet & Riley's Three Kingdom Spectacular is on Oct 1st at Kayiu's live set-design streams are Sundays at Schwa's article on fan-sets: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33198482

Champion's Podium! League Wrap-Up w/Provocative and Brad 09/18/2024

Champion's Podium! League Wrap-Up w/Provocative and Brad Our last pod about Design League 3 is here! We've got both league champ Prov and runner-up Brad here to talk about their process, the planes, and their ideas for the future! Be sure to catch our previous two league pods for some helpful context on this one. Recommendations Brad's twitch: Prov recommends: watching soccer! Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33102732

Eight Legs Challenge Review w/Squares that Cube 09/11/2024

Eight Legs Challenge Review w/Squares that Cube Two-thirds of the Squares that Cube podcast join the pod this week to break down YOUR submissions to our Octopus-Overloaded challenge, Eight Legs a Week! Will our six arms be enough?? Squares that Cube feed: StC Spotify: StC's Pacific NW drafters Discord: Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/33003877

Sunset Sacrifice! League Finals Entry from Provocative 09/04/2024

Sunset Sacrifice! League Finals Entry from Provocative Our league finalists had to invent a whole standard deck, along with making up ideas for a variety of standard sets to go in it! This week is Provocative's entry, and you'll hear all about some new tokens, Rakdos planeswalkers, and why the sun is bad! Join our Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32890382

I Wanna Rock! League Finals Entry from Bradley Rose 08/28/2024

I Wanna Rock! League Finals Entry from Bradley Rose Our league finalists had to invent a whole standard deck, along with making up ideas for a variety of standard sets to go in it! This week is Bradley Rose's entry, and you'll learn about it along with us. Super exciting! Join our Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32771647

Running an All-Magic Weekend 08/21/2024

Running an All-Magic Weekend Calming beach views, cooking for your friends, and all the Magic you could want! Tim and guest Shobi make the case for taking out a whole weekend with friends for playing Magic. Too much? Or not enough? They also go through all the cool drafts they did over the course of three days of Magic. Shobi's show in Portland: Join our Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32667227

Spinning Templates! Tightening Rules Text 08/14/2024

Spinning Templates! Tightening Rules Text Bloomburrow's rules change to "enters" has us hungry for more! Can we shorten "once a turn", "flicker", "end of turn", and more? Join our tour of rules text minutiae. Join our Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32569552

Following Signposts - Bloomburrow 08/07/2024

Following Signposts - Bloomburrow Bloomburrow is here! We've had a look at the archetypes, and it's time for us to break down the design of each of them. For that, we have our four categories: Excitement: Is this a cool new strategy? Do these two cards inspire us? Accuracy: Do we believe decks will actually be able to play this strategy? Synergy: Does this make unused cards great? Are these cards only good in the right deck? Raw Strength: Are these two cards useful on their own? Do these cards lead me to this color pair? This is less abuut how to pick the best cards to win games, and more about the impression these archetypes might make on players picking up the set. With these tools we can also improve how we design our own sets. Join our Discord: Show Notes: /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32467447

777 Jackpot Challenge Review 07/31/2024

777 Jackpot Challenge Review This month's challenge is all about making a mana fixing card! Even better if we can get some heist flavor in there. From jewels to rads to chains we've got a pile of cards to dive into! Join our Discord: Show Notes: Music by Dee Culp /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32361522

Live Design - Our Other Half 07/24/2024

Live Design - Our Other Half We're making good on June's "Halfway There" and designing cards to go with our favorite submissions from that challenge! Finding the right balance of flavor, deckbuilding, and explosive commander fun is a big challenge! Join our Discord: Show Notes: Music by Dee Culp /episode/index/show/beaconofcreation/id/32236912

Beacon of Creation

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