FG Competition : Renaissance

[ZephyrPhantom]

Wait, can unupped cards be used?  Or should it be upped only?

Upped only.

While it's true that Paradox does exceed the card limit, he is the only FG to do so and this ability is generally not considered to be a defining FG trait.

So because Osiris and Akebono have shards, every entry here can have shards. But if Paradox has more than six copies of one card, no entries can have that.


You see where I'm going with this right?

Paradox's breaking the 12 card limit is pretty old and hasn't ever been repeated by Zanz.
The new shards were introduced in 1.30 and banning them would go against the point of an Elemental Renaissance because they're (technically) associated with patch 1.30.
As always, Shard use is optional in this competition.  The polls will generally reflect the impact of your decisions on the community-based quality of the deck -as an FG-.
Shards/No shards is another design facet that people may take into consideration due to the timing of the Competition. (It also should make people a little more aware about the visual appeal and overall construction of the deck they use if they plan to use shards, such as the purpose of the shard and how necessary it is to the deck.)

My sincerest apologies to vrt and anyone else that may strongly dislike seeing shards in this competition, but they stay for now.

[swishy]

Maverick

by swishy

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6ts 6ts 6ts 6ts 6ts 6ts 6ts 6ts 6tt 6tt 6u8 6u8 6ua 6ua 6ua 6ua 6ua 714 714 714 717 717 717 717 71b 71b 71b 71f 71f 71f 71f 71f 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q8 7q8 8ps

I hadn't meant to kill him, but there wasn't much else I could do. When the experiment went awry, and the dark being powering my immortality device possessed the poor man's mind, I had a choice. I could either kill my test subject or let him wreck the machine that he was stuck inside, the machine that had been my endeavour for the past 15 years. The decision was easy, and he would have probably died anyway. Besides, he volunteered to be the first to test my contraption, and he knew the risks involved, so I'm not exactly a madman, or a psychotic killer. It's a pity the legal system doesn't see it that way. No, a madman would have killed the witnesses, or at least tried to stop them fleeing the scene. Still, I had to learn from my mistakes, for that's how progress is made, and I didn't have much time to do it. I knew the authorities were coming, and I had little chance of hiding from them. I knew I would have to use the immortality machine to save myself, but there wasn't enough time to restart the experiment. I made a few modifications, cut out some unneccessary parts, and managed to fit the most vital, functional parts into a coffin-shaped box. With the contraption hidden from view, even when the box was open, my preparations were complete.

When they knocked on my door, I went without any trouble. I pleaded guilty, not that the opposite would have made any difference, and had but one last request, that I be buried in the coffin I made. To my relief, this was honoured. Then, they killed me. They took me out to the gallows in the centre of town, and hung me until I stopped twitching. I remember the last thing I saw, it was a bright purple cat, darting through the crowd of brown and beige, but oddly enough, no-one seemed to notice. At the time, I thought I had hallucinated it, some strange vision on the boundary between life and death. I then just hoped the timer was going to work.

I don't remember much of the time in-between. A vague sense of nothingness, but not even empty space, just a void, pure and unbroken. Then, I heard the comforting sound of my machine, whirring and clattering, bringing me back to life! Light, darkness, feelings, sensations, life, life,  the power! THE POWER! The machine merged with my body and my body merged with the machine, feeding me, feeding me, until I had no need for either vessel, neither the useless hunk of meat or the piece of now pulverised scrap metal. I was strong! I was powerful! And as I rose from under the ground, others rose with me, bringing with them not the rancid stench of rotting flesh but the effervescent perfume of life incarnate! Immortality may have been beyond my reach, but resurrection was definitely within my grasp! In the moonlit graveyard, I surveyed the men and the creatures I had summoned, and I saw that they were all looking at me. They were looking up to me. That was when I had realised what I had become. I was floating in the cool night air, a transcendent being composed purely of spirit, a god, if you may. Then I realised that these men and beasts were under my command. They would follow me anywhere. I was their king.

So, I come to you with an idea, the idea that life and death are not so different, not so black and white. This marks the dawn of a new age, a renaissance if you may, where dying is unnecessary, and those that have passed can return. All the while I will be there, the transcended maverick, guiding, ruling, showing the way to the new world. Will it be heaven or hell? Well, it's an experiment, so that remains to be seen, but either way it'll be exciting!

Also, I found a pet cat. I think I'm calling him Erwin.

[Laxadarap]

Angel of fire

Spoiler for Deck:

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7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dm 7dm 7dm 7do 7do 7do 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7ds 7ds 7ds 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7jp 7jp 7jp 7jp 7jp 7k6 7k6 7k6 7k6 7k6 8pq

The burning oil lamp flickered as I worked, my eyes grew tired, I had worked through the whole night, to give a new breath of life to my masterpiece, a work of true art, a work that even those great, whom I idolized as a young lad, on the streets of Sicily, those masterminds: Leonardo, a skilled artist, with a techique careful and precise, and a mind outside that of the common man, thinking to the future, with his war designs uncomparable to any other. Michelangelo, both an amazing painter and a sculptor, his work had always touched my soul, when I stared at his work I couldnt not resist, I saw the light, I was transported to the land of the gods.
I continued to work on my masterpiece, even when the sun had risen again, and the charcoal in my hands faded with use, its blacknes, now mere gray. The tools in my hands now shadows of what they used to be, I looked for sanctuary in my work, and its warm embrace on my retinas comforted me.
An explosion of emotion overcame me, I teared up. That storm was imprinted on every inch of my work. Every layer and layer of canvas, bore my print.
-Tales of the unknown artist.

Spoiler for Breakdown of the deck:

Pretty simple, straightforward deck, Seraph´s are played by Cremation of the small but deadly Phoenix and cremation of the Ray of Light,  (Light quanta generated not only from Mark, but also from Cremations and Rays.), Giving the Seraph an almost godly look to him, making him invulnerable to targeting, as he brings down the pain. A couple Sanctuary, not only to be less overpowered by those pesky quanta denial decks, but to give him some much needed healing and a bit of balance, along with the PC and CC to control the opponent as you beat him down.
Very large weakness to Fire Shield and Carapace and mass CC.

Spoiler for Relationship to the Rennaissance:

The great Seraph was in my eyes, a look into something more than the average man could see, a divine concept, could all men truly be equal?
Phoenix are there to represent the fall of one society, and the rebuilding of another on top of the first.
Both together, create an almost god cleansing the world by turning it to ash, a sentiment I decided to represent with this Fg.

Doesn't really matter or make a huge difference, but I thought you should know.  Ai will NOT cremate phoenixes.

[majofa]

Sanctira

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6rm 6rm 6rm 6rm 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dm 7dm 7dr 7dr 7dr 7dr 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7e4 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7f2 7ju 7ju 7ju 7ju 7ju 7ju 7jv 7jv 7k1 7k2 7k2 7k2 8pq

~ Renaissance - The change has cometh ~

Zanzarino looked upon all that he had made with satisfaction. It had been many years since the idea first spawned in his mind. Slowly he formed the creatures, erected the structures, and penned the scrolls. In time, many came to appreciate all that he had created. As people gathered together, they decided to start a community to in honor of Zanzarino and his dream.

They thought to themselves, who would lead this community. No one could decide who was best suited for this weighty responsibilty. Zanzarino asked all those who felt worthy of this assignment to gather and he would choose their leader. Many stepped up, feeling they deserved the great honor. Others came to observe this important event out of respect.

The time had come for Zanzarino to make his decision. He looked at all those that had gathered... and one-by-one he walked past them. He came to the last one and was about to select their leader, when something caught his eye. A small girl, trembling in the corner. "There!", he spoke with conviction. "There is your leader. Bring her to me. This girl, though scared, can understand the pain and the work that is involved in leading a community."

For many, many years this girl worked hard in her assignment. The community thrived as several new additions were added. People were happy. The future looked bright. As life is, though, all good things must come to an end. The weight of her assignment took a toll on her health. She tried her best to hide it, but the damage had been done.

..December 23, 2011, a little before 7 in the evening..
...she was still working when she passed...

The community was in shambles. For so many years they had relied on her for guidance. Several had worked closely with her in the Council, and from that, 3 were chosen who had the skills necessary to lead the community. It was a new age for all. The future once again looked bright. In honor of the girl, Zanzarino made a new creation that embodied her passion: the Seraph.

Let us not forget the past, but always look to the future!

Spoiler for Why the name and the Shards???:

The name is taken from a variation of the Latin words sancti, meaning holy, and ira, meaning rage.

Now you ask why the Shards??? Renaissance.... CHANGE... with the addition of Shard of Focus to Akebono and Osiris, Zanzarino has said IT IS OKAY to put Shards in a FG deck. If you don't vote for this deck because it has Shards, be careful that you don't get left behind.

[Gemini]

Doesn't really matter or make a huge difference, but I thought you should know.  Ai will NOT cremate phoenixes.

I know, gotta fix the story, I used to have all Phoenix no RoL so yeah, mistake on not fixing up the story, but the deck is now adapted to not cremate Phoenix.
Thank you very much.

[Captain Scibra]

Frankenstein

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6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 710 710 710 710 710 710 716 716 716 716 716 717 717 717 717 717 719 719 719 719 7ac 7ac 7ac 7ac 7ac 7ac 7ac 7aj 7aj 7am 7am 7am 7am 7am 7am 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q8 7q8 8ps

Note:  This is an FG that I proposed (proposed as Afterlife), and while copying from proposals is discouraged, I find exception in that this was mine.

Spoiler for stuff:

Victor Frankenstein, a fictional character who found ways to imbue inanimate bodies with life.  His creation sole was often referred to as Frankenstein as well.

[mesaprotector]

Innovation

by mesaprotector

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7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dg 7dm 7dm 7dm 7dm 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7du 7gq 7gq 7h2 7h2 7h2 7h2 7h2 7h2 7jp 7jp 7jp 7jp 7jp 8pp

One of the most striking features of the Renaissance was the beginning of a transition from religion... to science. From the fiery Explosions of divine retribution to the Machines of modern-day life. People like Da Vinci and Gutenberg began to innovate. Whether or not this was a good change, it undoubtedly was a dramatic one. (No FGs have Steamies so far, so this would be an innovation in-game as well.) And yet - the Renaissance was the ideal time for both rationality and intuition to work together, and this deck has quite a bit of synergy.

In gameplay, the FG cremates RoLs to frequently play a Seraph on turn 1. If this quick initial wave of damage is survived, out come the slower but surer Steam Machines of doom. With 4 Purifies and 8 Explosions, Innovation should stand a better-than-even chance against almost all the FG grinders out there. Your best shot is probably RoL-Hope, and even then you need to be deadly quick before the steamies break through your shield.

That being said, countering this guy isn't as difficult as it appears. He has no CC, so a few Mind Flayers combined with some cheap CC (for the Seraphs), healing, and damage should get the job done. Just like in the real Renaissance - the only way to stop the inventors is to brainwash them.

bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork pork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork bork

[Newbiecake]

Now you ask why the Shards??? Renaissance.... CHANGE... with the addition of Shard of Focus to Akebono and Osiris, Zanzarino has said IT IS OKAY to put Shards in a FG deck. If you don't vote for this deck because it has Shards, be careful that you don't get left behind.

LOL. I asked a certain individual for advice on my deck, and when I brought up this exact reason he essentially said that's bs and the exact reason he won't vote for my deck. "IT LACKS THEM HURRRR." The individual claim he's the master critique of what Zanz look for in a FG deck too.

[majofa]

Now you ask why the Shards??? Renaissance.... CHANGE... with the addition of Shard of Focus to Akebono and Osiris, Zanzarino has said IT IS OKAY to put Shards in a FG deck. If you don't vote for this deck because it has Shards, be careful that you don't get left behind.

LOL. I asked a certain individual for advice on my deck, and when I brought up this exact reason he essentially said that's bs and the exact reason he won't vote for my deck. "IT LACKS THEM HURRRR." The individual claim he's the master critique of what Zanz look for in a FG deck too.

I wouldn't have put them in the deck, but they fit well with the theme, and zanz had already put them into decks.

[vrt]

LOL. I asked a certain individual for advice on my deck, and when I brought up this exact reason he essentially said that's bs and the exact reason he won't vote for my deck. "IT LACKS THEM HURRRR." The individual claim he's the master critique of what Zanz look for in a FG deck too.

*sigh*

It's really hard for you to drop an argument, isn't it?

Your argument was that because of the Shards, your deck had a theme, which is a false argument. First of all, as I pointed out (which you conveniently didn't include): The current existing FG's are really nothing more than a name and a deck, and they fit together that way. However, when we talked about your FG deck, I told you I believed that it only works with the backstory, and that the backstory is shaky at best. What was it again, your False God was a rebellious youth that ran away from home? It's a very far stretch.

What you said in chat was also not the argument majofa made. You argued that since the competition was called 'Renaissance', you had to include the newest changes added to Elements, and that that was how it fit the theme, which is a ludicrous argument.

Also, when the first FG competition ran, zanz specifically asked not to have Shard of Gratitude in there, I simply mentioned that. Never once did I claim to be the 'master critique' of anything, I simply gave you my opinion to which you overreacted. In fact, I'd say you're still overreacting with halfhearted personal attacks like this, and it's bothering me. We talked about your deck and shards for FG's in general in chat, and I figured that was that, and we could leave it there. If this issue is so big and personal to you that you need to drag it out, I do have a PM inbox. Posts like these are completely uncalled for.

[Newbiecake]

You know what's uncalled for? "Your deck is completely out of line with the other FG decks." I asked for contructive criticism, not relentless bashing. Thank you for your attention. If you do insist on continuing this, feel free to PM me.

[Rutarete]

Oracle

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6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 7n2 7n2 7q4 7q4 7q4 7q8 7q8 7q8 7q9 7q9 7q9 80j 80j 80j 80j 80j 80j 80l 80l 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 8ps

? ? ? are Psions

Word count = 187, to be expanded.

Spoiler for Story and explanation:

The ability to see what's truly coming is not common; in fact, quite rare. But there's one. One that found a way. Over time, word of this foretelling became widespread, and soon many people from all over came to him.

Soon he became known as an Oracle. THE Oracle. "Can he really tell the future?" People asked.  He became famous, though know one ever knew it. He received visitors daily, all around the clock, for a prediction. Some lucky people even went away with a gift from the Oracle, in generosity.

A few centuries ago, some people - artists, wanted to create something new. A few came up with ideas on their own, but most went to the Oracle for inspiration. Not long after, there was a cultural boom, which became known as the Renaissance. Of course, those artists and others took the credit they could - and promptly forgot about the Oracle afterwards. But the Oracle remained... and even to this day makes predictions.

This FG uses a mighty combination of foresight and control to take advantage of those trying to steal (upgraded cards) from him.

Spoiler for joke:

Where do you think Nepy got his Mindgate necklace from?