Third Place
Avatar of Tranquility / Avatar of Chaos
(Designed by Zax)

The Maestro: Morbacher’s wonders make their way onto more marvelous designs. The use of morph to balance otherwise broken battlefield ‘bilities is brilliant, and fixes the failures of MH2’s similar cycle. Pristine presentation puts Zax in their third podium placement. 

CM Staff: Morph is one of those mechanics that's very often undervalued by players, but it's plain to see that the designer of these cards knew just how strong morph can be (especially one that doesn't cost mana), and balanced appropriately. Not only does it cost a card to flip it face up, but you also do not benefit from the enter-battlefield effect. You're presented with two very compelling decisions: do I try and surprise my opponent with a morphed creature that can combat trick for no mana? Or do I play the more expensive version for better overall value?

Not only does the use of morph feel well implemented, but the cards also really evoke the imagination; you can tell they're from a cycle, and you can't help but think about what the other cards in the cycle would look like! They also feel like a really fun callback to an incarnation cycle (Including the infamous Fury). The package as a whole really cements itself into our list!

Second Place
Uplifting Thought / Pyrokinetic Inscription
(Designed by GlownCoth)

The Maestro: Cipher, a mechanic cursed by its complexity, returns to critical acclaim! Two tricksy applications of this once-shunned Dimir mechanic displays a discerning ability to attempt to find interest in anything, a gift that I greatly respect. Though not cohesive, they’re certainly creative, placing these designs in a solid second place. 

CM Staff: Continuing our theme of old mechanics given a breath of fresh air, these designs really showcase some interesting directions taken from a mechanic that never really felt like it got itself off the ground. Uplifting Thought shows us a simple but effective way to have cipher give more bang for its buck, taking power away from the spell portion in order to grant an aura-like static ability to the encoded creature. Very creative!

Pyrokinetic Inscription, on the other hand, really gets the gears going with thoughts of "how can I make the most out of this?" Though its balance is potentially dubious, the mental exercise itself makes for a fun experience. This submission really made us excited to see even more of Cipher's untapped potential!

First Place
Shoot to Stun / Outlaw's Backup
(Designed by Piar)

The Maestro: This rootin’-tootin’ Reload mechanic is really rad! It encourages offense, prioritizes play patterns, and has a wonderful Wild Western flavor to boot! Flashback instants are famously flagged as faux-pas, but Reload deftly dodges this dilemma by limiting the lines of play, a decision I deign to be downright genius. With gunslingin’ flavor and gameplay fun, Piar rides alone into the 1st place.

CM Staff: Looks like we got some previews from Thunder Junction! Kidding, of course, but these cards got us excited all the same. A new mechanic is showcased front and center here, Reload. On the surface you might think "isn't this just more restrictive flashback?" and you'd be correct, but the design space this opens up by letting you use it on more instant speed spells and making the costs cheaper overall really lets this mechanic stand on its own.

Shoot to Stun is a pretty perfect basic expression of the mechanic, a great tempo play that you can cash in multiple times. Tempo spellslinger decks would really enjoy it! Outlaw's Backup shows us a more complex take, and quite the fun one. The aggressive reload cost lets you go all in even during middle stages of the game, giving you more flexibility on when to add the extra offense. The fun flavor really was the icing on top, making Piar our winner for this month!