13th Trials - Phase 1: Proving Your Worthiness

[serprex]

Phase 1 will end in:
HAS RUN OUT

Phase 1 - Proving Your Worthiness

This phase is different each Trials. In Trials 13, Phase 1 will longer restrict Phase 2 deckbuilding! Feel free to be as creative or lazy as you want, whether it be a grand entrance or just sneaking in unnoticed.


General Structure:

In preparation to be a Master and to lead your Element into War, there are a choice of 5 types of tasks. Each Trialist (both Masters and challengers) submits 3 entries from these tasks. The same task can have multiple entries.

Regardless of your submission, you may unlock 8 elements in Phase 2. Elements may be repeated. Element unlocks should be DMed to the TrOs after matchups are revealed for Phase 2. You need not post your element unlocks in your challenger post. You have unlimited access to your own element, however you may only use each element once against each opponent. All elements unlocked will be revealed to players after DMs are received, before matches begin.

You earn 1 point for each task. These points count towards which challengers fight for the title of Master in Phase 4, as well as the number of upgrades you may use in Phase 4.

TrOs will grant an additional point for submissions which show some effort. (ie not pink pixel on white bitmap abstract art)


The Tasks:

Writing:
Suppose that you've been made President/Chairman/whatever other head of state of your given Element. Write your acceptance speech once you've obtained or seized power and your plans for your Element.

Write a nature documentary segment (or two separate documentary segments) about two creatures.

Design a new sport or game centered around your element (compliance to real-world laws is optional.)

Deckbuilding:
Pick a deck played by your element in a past war, or a Master/Challenger in a past Trial. Explain why it made sense in the meta, why it ended up being a good or bad deck against the opponent they used it, and suggest improvements/overhauls if necessary.

Identify a deck that is most successful against yourself, or otherwise gives your element the most difficulty playing against, and build a counter. Show how this deck would counter your chosen trouble-deck, and explain why it is better than other options you considered.

Cardmaking:
Identify an existing synergy from your element and make a new card which supports this synergy.

Make a new card from the "13th element" (Other/non-elemental cards) that favours your element (eg. Shards before they were moved to their elements), however you may not explicitly mention your element in the card description.

Art:
Draw something. Here's some ideas: Draw a card. Or a deck. Or a hand. Or a player. Or an elemental. Or a False God.

I hate Brawl:
Play extra matches in Phase 2. You will gain 1 point per Bo3 won.
Matches played will be identical to other games, amongst all players who picked the same task (+STANDINs if necessary), except that in addition to your own element, you may use your opponent's element 3 times if it is within your unlocked elements. If you did not unlock your opponent's element, you still may not pick your opponent's elements in games.
(You will pick elements after matchups are revealed, so you do not have to blindly guess this)


Scoring:

All entries will receive 1 point. TrOs will grant an additional 1 point for submissions which demonstrate some effort. Also keep in mind that some community members might find your efforts relevant when voting in Phase 3.

* In the event that the Extra Phase 2 matches task is picked, the additional point will be judged as follows:

Number of extra matches	Bonus point is awarded
1 or less	Based on your other submissions
2 or more	Attain a combined win rate of >= 50% across all extra games (eg. 1-2 loss and 2-1 win gives a total W/L of 3/3, giving the additional point

Submission

• Put all of your completed tasks in your post in the 'Challenger's Entrance' thread for the Element you are competing in (links to each are at the bottom of this post). Be sure to follow the submission details!
• The Trials Overseers will try to review submissions as they're added, note where and why credit was not given, and update the Trials Standings thread with completed tasks.  Players can expedite this by submitting well before the deadline and notifying a Trials Overseer in chat if one is present.  But ultimately it's up to each player to make certain they've followed the directions.

Edits after the Deadline

Any edits after Phase 1 deadline will result in 0 points from Phase 1 tasks. If an edit needs to be made, notify the Trials Overseers (DoubleCapitals, serprex or worldwideweb3)


How To Join:

Make a post in the 'Challenger's Entrance' thread for the Element you wish to Trial for (links below). What you need to include in the post is explained there.

Click on the respective icon to be taken to the 'Challenger's Entrance' Thread:

[Wyand]

Can we extend the timer? 9 days simply not enough. Infinity War still running, real life happening,
and we have to produce 3 entries... Have mercy on our real life, pls.

You earn 1 point for each task. These points count towards which challengers fight for the title of Master in Phase 4, as well as the number of upgrades you may use in Phase 4.

Wait a minute... you can do 3 random things, not putting effort in it, and get 3 free points?

Tasks will be drawing things. You can draw in whatever format you want. MS Paint, scan a picture, ASCII art, whatever.

This line is obsolete, I think.

however you may not explicitly mention your element in the card description.

Can we mention card names of the said element?

I hate Brawl:
Play extra matches in Phase 2.

Someone says "nah, brawl, I'm playing 3 extra matches" = 3 points?

All entries will receive 1 point. Put some effort into it, as some community members might find it relevant when voting in Phase 3.

Wanna put some effort in it. More time, pls. 

Besides, some elements doesn't even have any contenders...

[serprex]

Can we extend the timer? 9 days simply not enough. Infinity War still running, real life happening,
and we have to produce 3 entries... Have mercy on our real life, pls.

You earn 1 point for each task. These points count towards which challengers fight for the title of Master in Phase 4, as well as the number of upgrades you may use in Phase 4.

Wait a minute... you can do 3 random things, not putting effort in it, and get 3 free points?

(...)

however you may not explicitly mention your element in the card description.

Can we mention card names of the said element?

I hate Brawl:
Play extra matches in Phase 2.

Someone says "nah, brawl, I'm playing 3 extra matches" = 3 points?

All entries will receive 1 point. Put some effort into it, as some community members might find it relevant when voting in Phase 3.

Wanna put some effort in it. More time, pls. 

Besides, some elements doesn't even have any contenders...

I understand people have lives. That's part of why it took until late Friday for Phase 1 to be posted. If life's hectic this week, punt Phase 1. Nine days is plenty of time

Go for it, have fun. Personally I think mentioning card names is generally bad design tho, makes for forced combos. Unless it's card generation

Ask DoubleCapitals, I think he was saying in chat that it's risk/reward because matches will give 0/1/2 rather than 1

[Wyand]

4 elements doesn't have any contenders yet. I don't know why do we have to pressure players
to produce some quality Phase 1 stuff. Yep, 9 days is plenty of time in the Summer.

Solution: gather players for missing elements (mailing generals, maybe a few other ppl
who might consider joining - those who stayed for a while after Reunion Day), and extend
the timer a bit.

[DoubleCapitals]

@Wyand:

Unfortunately I can't push the deadline any further, though at the very least you get two weekends to do it (it should end after the next weekend in PST). Some tasks can be done in < 5 minutes though; as for effort, with the given time I think you should be able to come up with something that meets standards, which, tbh, should be rather lenient

For "I hate Brawl", I've updated the post. You can pick it up to 3 times, for 3 matches. 1 Bo3 win = 1 point. If you pick this 2 or 3 times, we give you the extra point if you get > 50% WR across all games. Otherwise we look at your other tasks.

We will DM existing challengers to remind them of Phase 1 task release, and existing generals and other people who might be interested.

[TeRevised]

  Notice Goal!
A sport like a cross of Volleyball and King of the Hill.

Elemental design photo for Online Board Game.

[Submachine]

So, Trialists must choose 3 tasks out of the main 5, but inside those tasks, they can have unlimited submissions. But even if they have multiple submissions, Trialists can only get 0-2 points for each task. So, Trialists can unlock 2-6 points in Phase 1, regardless how many extra submissions they do. However, Trialists can get 2 points for a task even if they have only 1 submission. Plus, the theme of the non-PVP submissions does not affect the unlocked elements in future Phases, so the same element can be represented in multiple tasks without losing anything. Is all this correct?

General Structure:

Each Trialist (both Masters and challengers) submits 3 entries from these tasks. The same task can have multiple entries.

Regardless of your submissions, you may unlock 8 elements in Phase 2. Elements may be repeated. Element unlocks should be DMed to the TrOs after matchups are revealed for Phase 2. You need not post your element unlocks in your challenger post. You have unlimited access to your own element, however you may only use each element once against each opponent. All elements unlocked will be revealed to players after DMs are received, before matches begin.

You earn 1 point for each task. These points count towards which challengers fight for the title of Master in Phase 4, as well as the number of upgrades you may use in Phase 4.

TrOs will grant an additional point for submissions which show some effort.

The Tasks:

Writing: / Deckbuilding: / Cardmaking: / Art: / I hate Brawl:

Scoring:

All entries will receive 1 point. TrOs will grant an additional 1 point for submissions which demonstrate some effort. Also keep in mind that some community members might find your efforts relevant when voting in Phase 3.

[serprex]

I wouldn't say "must choose 3 tasks". Trialists can earn up to 3 points making entries in the listed 5 categories. An additional +1 is granted for not-zero effort on this

3 points for 3 entries. Then 1 for submission as a whole, totalling maximum of 4

Otherwise correct

[Submachine]

Ah, okay. So only 1 extra point can be earned in Phase 1, and not +1 for each task. Thanks for the clarification.

[Wyand]

Regardless of your submission, you may unlock 8 elements in Phase 2. Elements may be repeated. Element unlocks should be DMed to the TrOs after matchups are revealed for Phase 2. You need not post your element unlocks in your challenger post. You have unlimited access to your own element, however you may only use each element once against each opponent. All elements unlocked will be revealed to players after DMs are received, before matches begin.

In last Trials we had access to if we have chosen our element twice. It would be advisable to do so, otherwise
it cripples bows, which is an important asset for (and for other elements, too, but Nova is an card,
so most hurt is done to ...).

[serprex]

I've updated the extra matchs text to be clearer with respect to usage of opponent's element if it is within your set of unlocked elements

Also, reminder to players: extra matchs need only be Bo3. The results that were played as Bo5 so far stand