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News and Announcements => Forum News and Announcements => Topic started by: JonathanCrazyJ on May 04, 2017, 02:59:45 pm

Title: Elements Community Newsletter: May 2017
Post by: JonathanCrazyJ on May 04, 2017, 02:59:45 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/Q3g8B.png)
May 2017
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4e/b6/32/4eb63277a57bc3722b3581b63d531be2.jpg)
Prepare to Face your Masters!
Trials Final Battles are Imminent!
(http://i.imgur.com/D3SXjYS.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/T5a3UhD.png)(http://i.imgur.com/Y9sn7uJ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/Fd9tssk.png) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,190.0.html)

  • The 11th Trials (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/11th-trials-rules/) have been rumbling on! Phase 1 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/wait-for-it/) saw combatants prove their dedication with works of creativity and skill such as theorycrafting, extra battles, and inventive topics about their Elements. Check out the 'All Over The Place' section for a few of the most discussion provoking entries. Phase 2  (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/11th-trials-phase-2-the-battle-round/)was a brutal cacophony of violence as players sought to rack up victories in any way they could. Phase 3 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/i-get-to-do-the-wildest-things-in-the-world!/)'s community vote allowed the public to have their say on which participants were most worthy of the name 'Master.' And now, we know who will face off for the honor and glory of the Final Battles!

    Defending Master
    or First Challenger
    Upgrades
    Element
    Upgrades
    Second Challenger
    26
    :aether
    21
    32
    :air
    25
    28
    :darkness
    23
    27
    :death
    12
    18
    :earth
    15
    26
    :entropy
    20
    STANDIN
    25
    :fire
    16
    24
    :gravity
    20
    STANDIN
    23
    :life
    19
    STANDIN
    20
    :light
    10
    26
    :time
    22
    34
    :water
    21

  • The Trials fun doesn't stop now for those who couldn't quite make it to the final battle! The 11th Trials Betting (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/11th-trials-betting!/) is here, and is waiting for you to make your judgments! Will any cheeky challengers usurp a Master from their throne? Will someone succeed in overturning a massive upgrade disadvantage? Will STANDIN succeed in crushing any element, leaving it without a sitting Master? Place your bets now, the most accurate accumulated better will win a prize!

  • The 3rd Grandmaster Battle (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trials/grandmaster-battle-3-rules/) is underway, and defending Grandmaster Physsion has taken a commanding early 4-1 lead against Afdarenty in this epic, 3-Phase, Best of 17to25 marathon! It's still early days, and Afdarenty will have the advantage of knowing Physsion's surviving Phase 1 decks going into Phase 2, so don't be surprised if he quickly closes that gap!

  • With all the Trials excitement, Draft (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/draft/draft-iv-match-thread/) has faced a slowdown, but we expect it to pick up again soon! After one round of matches, Team J (Afdarenty and JonathanCrazyJ) are top of the pile with a flawless 9-0 victory.

(http://i.imgur.com/bzJG6ju.png) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,186.0.html)

  • There was a bit of a disaster in Card Design Competition: Idea Factory Espionage (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/competitions/card-design-competition-idea-factory-espionage-(voting)/)... JonathanCrazyJ's card! His subversion of 'Miracle' into a Darkness card! 'Calamity | Disaster' was voted as winner in an impressive 12 submission competition! Congratulations to him, and to the Competition Organizers for such a well received competition!

  • Currently, voting is open for Writing Competition: Fractalore (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/competitions/writing-competition-fractalore-(voting)/)! This inventive writing challenge saw entrants create short stories about the Fractaling of various creatures. Have you ever wondered what a Giant Frog feels like as a hoard of its brethren appear before it? Find out what a Damselfly does when it's doubled and doubled and doubled again, and vote on your favorite story now!

  • We'll be expecting a new competition as soon as the Fractalore voting concludes, so make sure you don't miss out on new competitions by signing up for any or all of the Competition Mailing Lists (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/competitions/competitions-mailing-lists/)!

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a2/48/6d/a2486d8bca045013f6ac4734acaf5333.jpg)
(http://www.millvalleytrophies.com/index_htm_files/265.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ltbBRSY.png) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,77.0.html)
  • Purification is the path to success. In April 2nd's Purity (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/tournament-archive/weekly-tournament-april-2nd-purity-unupgraded/), participants could reduce the maximum copies of cards in their deck, in exchange for use of an extra element. Mono decks were understandably strong due to being unrestricted, but that left the meta open for clever, well built counters. Finding the purest path to the winners circle was kaempfer13. Congratulations!

  • Riots ran among the villagers this week in the tourney halls. April 8th's Uprising (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/tournament-archive/weekly-tournament-april-8th-uprising-upgraded/) had players secure their boards as both mass CC and repeatable CC were banned. kaempfer13 knows no bounds as he protested his way to a second win in a row!

  • The word for ‘four’ in Chinese sounds like the word for ‘death’, which is why many hospitals in China have no fourth floor. Four is the only number in English that is equal to the number of letters in its name. Four is also the number of elements that decks had to include in April 15th's Quartets (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-tournaments/weekly-tournament-april-15th-quartets-unupgraded/)! dragonsdemesne broke the fourth wall and found a tournament trophy behind it!

  • Cherry Blossoms bloom and give way for the season of Spring, but Sakura Season (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-tournaments/weekly-tournament-april-29th-the-sakura-season-unupgraded/) was upon us for April 29th's tournament! Only five elements were available, with minor bans to each. TheonlyrealBeef knew how to count his cherries before they bloomed and cleaned up for Spring with another 1st place trophy!
    Did you like the tourney in general? How about the rules?
    Servers were acting up during the tournament, but fun overall. No huge desynch drama. Rules were both rather restricting due to number of elements, but very unrestricted for the elements themselves. I really need to ban nymphs more often instead of just adding a standard ban on shards. Shards weren't even a problem this tournament. In my opinion.

    When, for you, was the most exciting moment of the tournament?
    Immo rush vs Hyroen. It was a really close match when a really weird desynch came. We both ended up winning with <10 hp (what). On replay, I was thinking I would lose if Hyroen got more quanta. He did get more quanta, but I ended up winning with more hp left due to an earlier second immo: starting hand was almost the same for me.

    In just a short sentence, or even one word, how would you summarize the whole tournament?
    B-B-B-Basilisk Blood!
(http://i.imgur.com/0bdKGuA.png) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-league/battle-league-12017)
  • Championship League (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-league/championship-league-32016-63973/): Thank you to those who took part and congratulations to kaempfer13who finished first. However, due to a real lack of games, no awards will be handed out for Champion's League. League Organisers's are looking to finally shake up the system, and make Leagues fresher and more exciting for next season so look out for that!

  • Battle League (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-league/battle-league-12017/): worldwideweb3 succeeded in defending his Battle League crown, and came away with yet another 1st Place Trophy! Congratulations, and well done to all participants!

  • Leagues 1/2017 ended with a bang. As we have previously mentioned, a big surprise awaits next season, players of all abilities should stay tuned! If you have previously enjoyed Leagues and were just waiting for something to shake up the format, keep an eye out for next season!

  • If the promise of valuable prizes weren't enough, League Organizers have adjusted the meta by allowing shards as standard (though you can ban them if your opponent agrees). On top of that, should you want a challenge, the League Organizers release Weekly Features Rules (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/pvp-league/weekly-featured-rules-63397/) to spice up your clashes! Good luck!
(https://img.clipartfest.com/77a2910ae902d6c1665b0bef970d98ec_playing-marbles-clip-art-marbles-game-clipart_391-393.jpeg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/15071682245_c82d3b2fe8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/iNI1OdZ.png) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/forum-games/)

  • Elements Mafia 69 - by killsdazombies (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/forum-games/elements-mafia-69-by-killsdazombies/)! Was the polar opposite of Mafia 68's posting mayhem, finishing in just 13 pages! The Mafia had town on their knees by the end, after Linkcat was lynched in Day 1 after soft-claiming Cop, then Doctor, then Bodyguard... all intended as a joke. Jokes tend to get you very, very dead in mafia games, as Linkcat discovered to his cost.

  • For the second year running, we have been cordially invited to the Mafia World Championships (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/forum-games/mafia-world-championship-2017/)! after some deliberation, the honor of representing Elements' Mafia-playing community has fallen to rob77dp, with UTAlan acting as his reserve. After seeing the quite incredible speed and volume of last year's Championships, we are sure that if anyone can, rob77dp will be able to keep up with the tempo. Go get 'em rob!

All Over The Place!

  • As previously mentioned, one of the Phase 1 Task options for this year's Trials had participants create an interesting topic relating to their element. Check them out in the spoiler below!
    • Graviton's Conquest (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/gravity-71/graviton's-conquest/msg1262303/#msg1262303) - by andretimpa is a strategy based, chess-like board game where you step over your opponent's pieces until they are unable to move!
    • Kneel or drown, let's still have fun! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/water-60/kneel-or-drown-lets-still-have-fun!-(trial-topic)/) - by Spielkind is an epic series of water-based tasks set by Spielkind, for the community to complete, either seriously, thoughtfully, or amusingly!
    • Weekly new content (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/entropy-69/weekly-new-content/) - by iancudorinmarian is an excellent project highlighting what a good master can achieve, where the incumbent Master of Entropy focuses on an entropy card each week and builds new example decks for that card's section!
    • All Hail Darkness (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/darkness-66/all-hail-darkness/) - by ji412jo is a leader-board style thread, where participants post every time they use Darkness in an event, tournament or competition!
    • Ancient Arts of Fire (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/fire-70/ancient-arts-of-fire/) - by Zyardran is a competition celebrating fire, encouraging participants to post any art they have created pertaining to Fire!
    • The science and meaning around entropy cards (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/entropy-69/the-science-and-meaning-around-entropy-cards/) - by dark ripper is an enlightening article discussing the inspiration and meaning of certain scientific and mythological origins of Entropy cards. It's a great, interesting read!


  • Lunaris updated her impressive Ceramics (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/visual-arts/ceramics/msg1263095/#msg1263095) thread with a new batch of wonderful sculpting talent!

  • We are a very multi-cultural community, and nowhere is that clearer than in our Languages Spoken by Community Members (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/multilingual/languages-spoken-by-community-members/120/) thread, which has seen a recent flurry of activity. Check it out if you want to practice a language you are learning, or speak to someone who shares your native tongue!

  • If you see or hear about a in interesting thread that you think should be included in the newsletter, let the Newsletter Writers know, it may be included in next month's 'All Over The Place' section!


Staff Changes (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?action=staff)

  • With Trials rapidly reaching its climax, War is on the horizon, and with it comes a brand new Warmaster! Congratulations, Zawadx!

  • The Elements Council are currently looking for a new Competition Organizer! Check out the Hiring Thread (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/forum-news-and-announcements/now-hiring-competition-organizer-64528/), or PM Aves for more details on this exciting opportunity!



Tea Time with majofa

Below is the portion of an interview:

You have been in the community for years, what keeps you around and contributing to PvP Events? (Anonymous)

Truthfully, not much anymore. There's no one else to run Events, so I'm here.

How long have you been the pvp event manager?

I was officially hired in April 2012, but I was running events long before that... mainly because the other PvP Event organizers weren't doing their job.

Other than development, what do you think is the biggest problem the community faces? (Anonymous)

Just development...

Find this answer and more in majofa's official interview (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/elements-council/featured-community-member/)


(http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=163;type=avatar)

(https://media3.giphy.com/media/9rPANvP50RSWA/giphy.gif)
New Members (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,367.0.html)
Here are the members who posted in the Introduce Yourself (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/introduce-yourself/) board within the past month. Just click a certain name to be redirected to the corresponding introduction post. Don't be rude, say hello to newcomers! ;)
  • TheElementalPlaneswalker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/introduce-yourself/new-challenger-approaching!/)
  • Zen_Ineth (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/introduce-yourself/not-so-new/)
  • wolfy86 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/introduce-yourself/hi-everyone!-64447/)
  • Jackanory (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/introduce-yourself/hello-64503/)



TUNE OF THE MONTH!

The Final Battles are poised and ready for blood. But is the master truly ready for the Challenger? Or should they be ready to bend the knee, and bow?

>>> Click Here to listen to "Bow to Me" (External Link to Soundcloud) <<< (https://soundcloud.com/crazejonathan/bow-to-me)




(http://i.imgur.com/3yODds7.png)

Rage Machine

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink
Deck import code : [Select]
5fb 5fb 5fb 5fb 5i4 5i4 5i4 5ig 5ig 5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 5jm 5jm 5jm 5jm 7dk 7dk 7dk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7h3 7h3 7h3 7i6 7i6 7i6 8po

Deck idea (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/trial-battle-results/(trials-11-phase-2)-(water)-spielkind-3-0-danieela-(death)/msg1262986/#msg1262986) by Spielkind. (Deck 1)

Card by card:

Rage Potion: Quick extra attack for Steam Machines, also acting as utility creature control.

Steam Machine: Ramping damage, allowing you to out-pace your opponent while you CC their creatures. Often you can only sustain two of these at a time, so make sure it's not a waste of your water quanta to play more. In a semi-upgraded meta, unupgraded Steam Machines are occasionally the better choice. While they have much less HP, they are still above the precious 5hp mark allowing them to withstand a lightning, and crucially they cost one fewer Quanta, making them much faster to play.

Nymph's Tears: An additional stall-break win condition. Nymphs multiply, usually in late game, for ramping damage.

Fire lance: Efficient creature control as well as optional burst bypass damage in some match-ups where you have made it to the late game and saved enough quanta.

Desiccation: Extra CC taking down annoyances such as Damselflies, Devourers and Squids, and timed right can allow you to create an extra Nymph or two for bust damage.

Pillars and Pendulums: Ordinarily not worth including in a deck review, but there is an important point to be made here. In a semi-upgraded meta, it is almost always better to upgrade Pillars than Nymph Tears. This is because both give a net +1 Quanta to your deck, but it is the targeted pillars, rather than the Nymph Tears themselves, which determine if the created Nymph is upgraded or not. Upgraded Water Nymphs have 7 hp rather than 6, putting them in a higher CC bracket, and making it much more likely that the all important first nymph will survive.

Strategy:
Quanta management is very important here. The most important card to play early is your first Steam Machine so you can begin ramping. After that, the deck is very reactive. Keep an eye on your fire quanta production, and only play a second steamie if you can confidently fuel them both. Against some opponents with access to creatures such as Arctic Squids, Blue Nymphs, or anything else that needs immediate CC, be sure to hold back 3 fire quanta so you can react in time with a Rage Potion. Against opponents you are confident have no CC, you can play Rage Potions early to increase your speed. Play Nymph's Tears on upgraded quanta sources, but be careful whether it's more appropriate to your board state to damage your :water or :fire production.

Strengths:
Excellent at breaking some stalls, and a very good domination deck against creature-based rushes which it can CC into submission while you ramp. Played right, your opponent will feel like there is nothing they can do while their small creatures are Dessicated, their large creatures are Raged, and their Shields are Bolted past.

Weaknesses:
Both Steam Machines and Nymph Queens are very quanta intensive, so denial presents a major concern. You'll also suffer greatly if faced with Eternity or Reverse Time. This version faced a ban on Deflagration, so it would also find Shields such as Wings or Dimensional Shield a problem.

Alternative deck choices:
The most important inclusion is Deflagration. In any non-ban meta, it is incredibly useful in destroying threats such as Eternity or Lobotomizer, and the shields already mentioned, along with Gravity Shield. You can also look to substitute some of your spell-based CC with Arctic Squids, which would balance the quanta usage more evenly, but leave you more susceptible to enemy CC. Finally, you could use a different tactic to slow your opponent by using Permafrost, and by relying on that as your defense you could choose to speed up your deck and make it more reliant on Nymphs for speed. Here is an alternative version with all of these changes.
Hover over cards for details, click for permalink
Deck import code : [Select]
5f6 5f6 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5ig 5ig 5ig 5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 5jm 5jm 5jm 5jm 5jm 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gp 7gp 7gr 7gr 7i6 7i6 7i6 7i6 8po




(http://i.imgur.com/RMJj4mM.png)

Aftermath | Aftermath (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/level-1-crucible/aftermath-aftermath/)

This Card was designed by AD TienzuStorm
This Card review was written by Aves

(http://i.imgur.com/h8SWnG2.png) (http://i.imgur.com/LRQcJoo.png)

It should be no surprise that the element :death Death has an affinity for taking advantages from killing things. But in a world where Lightning strikes and Fire Bolts reign as damaging creature control champions, it's uncommon for the less powerful damage dealing spells and abilities to be considered. After all, if it's a threat big enough to use CC on, it's better to kill it sooner rather than later, and large damage bursts are helpful in ensuring that threat neutralization. As a result, the :death Death mechanic of infecting creatures with damage over time has never been a popular choice. It has always been one of :death Death's biggest weaknesses that despite its unique advantage from death effects, it lacks a reliable and quick way of killing creatures itself. The only in-element options are the slow Plague/Aflatoxin damage over time cards or unreliable Skull Shield. In the meta, this has led to a great deal of death duos using off-element CC to power the likes of Bone Wall, Boneyard, Soul Catcher, and Vulture. :death Aftermath | Aftermath turns that idea on its head, declaring that it's okay to kill creatures slowly... just as long as you get to kill your opponent faster!



Counter Damage

When choosing to include CC, there is a choice made; do I spend that card slot in my deck on damage mitigation/prevention (defensively), or do I spend that slot on my win condition(offensively)? Even with versatile, multi-purpose CC that can act as either offensively or defensively, that choice is an unavoidable one. Any good Fire Bolt user will tell you that there are times when you unleash the flames on those pesky dragons flying in your face, and other times when you hold your quanta for a game winning burst directly onto your opponent. :death Aftermath | Aftermath dodges that choice; you can mitigate the threat posed by a creature while simultaneously dealing damage to your opponent.

This card succeeds in its intent of providing :death Death with the means to take advantage of the creature poisoning mechanic. However, the low cost and versatility also synergize well with other forms of repeatable CC, notably Owl's Eye and attack buffed Iridium Warden. Furthermore, the damage dealt from this card bypasses shields and Sundial, granting a utility similar to Voodoo Doll.

Balance-wise, :death Aftermath | Aftermath is in a tricky situation. While the unupped version may be a bit underpowered as a single target card that requires a combo to work, the upped version more than makes up for that with OTK potential when combined with mass CC; 23 slots filled makes for a 115 damage 2 card combo! It should be noted that despite these strengths, :death Aftermath | Aftermath is dependent on many factors to be used successfully... most notably, your opponent must have targetable creatures, and you must include forms of damaging CC in your deck. This card is easy to play around if you know what to expect, but devastating if not handled properly.



Here is a deck designed by Aves that shows an effective way to use :death Aftermath | Aftermath!

Bloodmath Nightby Aves
Hover over cards for details, click for permalink
Deck import code : [Select]
pla ceh old ert ext 715 715 7t7 7t7 7t7 7t7 7t7 7t7 7t9 7t9 7ta 7ta 7tb 7tb 7th 7th 7um 7um 7um 7um 7um 7um 7um 7um 7um 8pk

(placeholder text represents :death Aftermath)



Bloodsuckers are the core of the deck, dealing a surprising amount of damage in their own right with Eclipse . Should the opponent decide to play any creatures, Aftermath | Aftermath's effect comes into play, helping to equalize the damage race. Vampire Dagger and Nightmare act as both defensive tools with healing and offensive tools in chipping away at the opponent's health. Skull Buckler performs a similar role in slowing down the opponent's offense, and any skeletons generated can subsequently be poisoned for free stacks of damage. Steal provides utility, dealing with any bothersome permanents that show up. This deck aims to chip away at the opponent while sustaining itself in a classic  :darkness Darkness fashion, and Aftermath | Aftermath's unique counter-damaging effect helps to ensure that the damage race is in its favor.



Death has always struggled with creature poisoning being too slow to be viable and lacking in other forms of CC.  Aftermath | Aftermath is a thematic addition to Death's toolkit and has a versatile mechanic that synergizes well with a wide spread of CC cards as an equalizer and force multiplier. It would be an interesting way to solve Death's CC deficit without introducing a direct damage card, though I believe that further balancing is needed.




  • Top image
    https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/187532771954060663/
  • PVP Events
    Original Art by Zyardran
  • Competitions
    Cards Designed by JonathanCrazyJ
  • Tournaments
    https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/375065475188408734/
  • Leagues
    http://www.millvalleytrophies.com/index_htm_files/265.jpg
  • Forum Games
    https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/e8e3f99c554b80162f0d6bc8b2e2a6808d0a1885/marbles-game-clipart.html
  • All Over The Place
    https://briandanacamp.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/old-cartoons-adventures-in-surrealism/
  • New members
    https://giphy.com/gifs/cute-goats-hopping-9rPANvP50RSWA


Many thanks to:
-majofa for the interiew.
-Aves for CiotM.
-all readers for reading ;)

Title: Re: Elements Community Newsletter: May 2017
Post by: JonathanCrazyJ on May 04, 2017, 03:11:22 pm
Majofa's interview will be up in the interview topic ASAP :) Posted!
Hope you enjoy this month's offering!
blarg: deuce22,Zawadx,Afdarenty,Hyroen,Physsion,ji412jo,rob77dp,DANIEELA,Blacksmith,dawn to dusk,iancudorinmarian,worldwideweb3,Ryli,andretimpa,mathman101,Mr Muffin,godisnowonline,Vineroz,DoubleCapitals,JonathanCrazyJ,Spielkind,kaempfer13,dragonsdemesne,TheonlyrealBeef,Linkcat,UTAlan,Zyardran,dark ripper,Lunaris,Aves,majofa,drogan,durato,um3sh,cfowtgmeno,LavetaCoize,shanya88,LastNeko,DeathsAngel,acorad,kmdbuh,ParadoxKAT,terroriztical,TheElementalPlaneswalker,KingBrine41,Taihe,TridentArcher,Zen_Ineth,HaroldJaima,buqvfzmeno,jledarmeno,soulhunterunlimited,AetherSoul,wolfy86,tubaislife12437,brainsfield,AngieMyst,rexbelford,tech2803,dieechtekathi,dungerdong,Wolf,armaggeddon321,str8ocastr,SEOmasterSpecialist,kwangerswipe,guifiorese,kabob12,Williamabock,Mariosen,Vindilos,Adrelix,AD TienzuStorm