Phase 1 - Proving Your Worthiness
This phase is different in each Trial. It usually has something to do with helping out the community, but it can also be something where you show your skills as an Elements player. For Trials 8, the decisions you make in this phase affect your deck building rules in Phase 2 battles
Phase 1 will end in:
Phase 1 has ended!
In preparation to be Master and lead your Element into War, there are 5 tasks. Each challenger MUST choose 3 tasks (the same task cannot be chosen multiple times). If you choose more than 3 tasks, we will randomly pick 3 tasks which earned the most points (so a task with a bonus point will always be picked), however you might end up with Phase 2 unlocks which you dislike.
Building War GolemsPhase 1 Task- Design a False God deck that uses the element for which you are registering
- The FG does not need to be a Mono[your element] deck
- It's central focus should be around cards from your Element, and pull on themes found in your Element.
- Write a short lore background for the False God.
- Explain concisely the main strategy of the False God, considering how the AI will play the cards
False God idea submission details:- For your Trials submission simply post the name, deck, and lore for your False God in your Challenger's Entrance post.
- You may post it to FG Proposal forum as well, but this is not required
Phase 2 Component- Unlocks Elements
for deckbuilding - Allows the use of up to 3 upgraded creature cards in each of your Round 2 decks.
Starting Your Own Little WarPhase 1 Task- Develop an idea for a weekly tournament. The idea does not have to be entirely original, but should include some original aspects
- Provide (in spoiler tags of course!) one deck that is primarily of the element you are challenging you could use in that tournament
Tournament Idea submission details: - For your Trials submission simply post the name and rules of your tournament along with your "hidden" deck in your Challenger's Entrance post.
- You may post it to Weekly Tournament Ideas Thread as well, but this is not required
Phase 2 Component- Unlocks Elements
for deckbuilding - Allows the use of up to 3 upgraded spell cards in each of your Round 2 decks.
Being a War Reporter Phase 1 Task- Write an article for the Elements Community Newsletter
- Your article may be either:
- An interview with a war veteran. Interview a veteran from the Element you are challenging, if possible
- You may not interview yourself.
- A deck spotlight on a deck used in prior wars
- The deck spotlight should be of a deck used by the element you are challenging
- The deck spotlight should be of a deck used multiple times in a war, or multiple times across two or more wars. (please try to provide links to multiple uses of the deck)
- Please do not let your skill at English deter you from this task
Article submission details: - For your Trials submission simply post the title and content of your article in your Challenger's Entrance post
- You may submit it via PM to the Newsletter Editor Dm1321 as well, but this is not required
Phase 2 Component- Unlocks Elements
for deckbuilding - Allows the use of up to 4 upgraded pillar/pendulum cards in each of your Round 2 decks.
Entering The War Forge Phase 1 Task- Design a card for the Element you are challenging
- Explain how this card helps mitigate a weakness of that Element
- Build a war legal deck that uses the new card. Specify the rank(s) that could use it in the description
- Per War 7 Rules 3.2 - Deckbuilding rules:
- Any mark
- At least 50% of your cards have to be from your element
- Generals can use up to 9 upgraded cards.
- Lieutenants can use up to 6 upgraded cards.
- Other players can use up to 3 upgraded cards.
- Describe a matchup or situation you would use that deck
Card submission details: - For your Trials submission simply post the card image, short description, deck idea, and short deck description in your Challenger's Entrance post
- You will likely find this thread very helpful
- You may complete all the steps in that thread to submit the card to the Crucible, but that is not required
Phase 2 Component- Unlocks Elements
for deckbuilding - Allows the use of up to 3 upgraded non pillar/pendulum permanent cards in each of your Round 2 decks.
Beginning War Training Phase 1 Task- Complete a series of challenges to the best of your ability.
- You can use the Trainer for this, but you may NOT use the additional quanta/Chaos mode buttons.
- Speed Training:
- Time Trials - Defeat an AI4 in as few seconds as possible.
- Untouchable Quickness - Defeat an AI opponent with 150 or more HP in as few turns as possible with Elemental Mastery
- Legal Opponents are AI4, FG, or Arena decks with 150 or more maximum HP in your submitted screen capture
- For Arena, also include a screenshot of the 'Your Opponent is:' screen shown before the duel starts.
- Strength Training:
- Heavy Lifting - Defeat any AI with a creature of incredibly high attack on the field - most singular attack (Chimera is banned)
- Strength in Numbers - Defeat any AI with a team of incredibly powerful creatures on the field - most total attack with at least 10 creatures (Chimera is banned)
- Endurance Training:
- Incredible Fortitude - Defeat any AI with a creature of incredibly high HP on the field - most singular HP (Chimera is banned)
- Unwavering Will - Defeat a False God by decking it out while you have as little life remaining as possible.
Challenge submission details: - For your Trials submission post a screenshot of the challenge being fulfilled in your Challenger's Entrance post
- You may complete all the challenges, but will only receive rewards for the challenge in each category at which you perform BEST
- You may update your submissions as many times as you improve your result up to the end of Phase 1
Phase 2 Component- Unlocks Elements for deckbuilding
- For each category in which you completed at least 1 challenge, it allows the use of 1 upgraded card of any type in each of your Round 2 decks (up to a maximum of 3)
SCORING- You may complete your tasks awfully, but that will be considered. You will be granted 1 or 2 points for each task, depending on how well the submission fulfills the requirements.
- Blatantly disregarding the requirements will result in receiving 0 for that task.
- Each Trials Overseer can award 1 bonus point to their favorite submission for a task. A Challenger can receive a maximum of 1 bonus point; subsequent bonus points will be rewarded to the second best in the task and so on. In order to be eligible to receive a bonus point, the submission must have received 2 points during grading.
IMPORTANT NOTES- Put all of your completed tasks in your post in the "Challenger's Entrance" thread for the Element you are competing in (per the General Rules).
- There is no limit for the text for any of the tasks, but try to be neither too short or too long.
- 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 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.
- Remember that how well you do during Phase 1 and the nature of your submissions will most likely affect your score during Phase 3 (the vote). And also that the tasks you choose in Phase 1 affect your deck building options in Phase 2.
If you have any questions, please post them here.
Addendum 1: Extra TimeAfter the Phase 1 timer has ended, there will be a 24hr period of "Extra Time" where players may join any Element with less than 2 competitors (that is either 1 challenger and no defending master or no challengers and a defending master). Players who join during this extra time will be considered to have declared for tasks Building War Golems, Starting Your Own Little War, and Beginning War Training. As such they will have unlocked for Phase 2
, and will have access for up to 3 upgraded creatures and 3 upgraded spells in each of their Phase 2 decks. Because they completed no challenges before Phase 1 ended, they WILL NOT have access to the upgrades from Beginning War Training.
Addendum 2: Empty or Incomplete ApplicationsIncomplete: Players who enter the Trials before the initial deadline and declare tasks but do not complete them will be given 0 points for each incomplete task, but will have access to the unlocks those tasks provide for Phase 2. This player must confirm they want to continue with the Trial during the Extra Time by PMing the Trials Overseers or posting in the respective Phase 1 thread. Any incomplete challenge as a part of Beginning War Training awards 0 upgrades.
Empty: Players who enter the Trials before the initial deadline but do not declare any tasks will have the Extra Time period to confirm they want to continue competing in Trials. If they confirm they want to continue by PMing the Trials Overseers or posting the the respective Phase 1 thread, they will be considered to have declared for tasks Building War Golems, Starting Your Own Little War, and Beginning War Training. As such they will have unlocked for Phase 2
, and will have access for up to 3 upgraded creatures and 3 upgraded spells in each of their Phase 2 decks. Because they completed no challenges before Phase 1 ended, they WILL NOT have access to the upgrades from Beginning War Training.
Addendum 3: Edits after the deadlineAny play who updates their Phase 1 post after the Phase 1 deadline but within 24 hours of that deadline will be treated as though their post is INCOMPLETE per Addendum 2 and all their tasks were left undone. We will honor their task choices for unlocks, and they will be allowed to use upgrades per the tasks they chose (again noting that Beginning War Training reward 0 upgrades when the challeneges are empty). They will receive 0 points for Phase 1. Any edits after Phase 2 starts will result in disqualification from the Trials or other significantly harsh punishment.
In case you want to know the Phase 2 rules to help you with your decision, here's an excerpt:
Spoiler for Round 2 rules excerpt:
General Rules: - Each player will play 4 matches in Round-Robin fashion (playing each opponent only once)
- Players will have a match vs every other player in-element
- Additional matches will be assigned vs off-element players as needed to ensure every player has 4 matches
- Off-element matches will be vs the same off-element for each element
- If the number of participants does not allow for exactly 4 matches for each player, stand-in opponents will be used.
- Each player in an element will fight the same stand-in opponent if possible
- Stand-ins will be treated as in-element duels.
- Standins will follow deck building rules as though they belong to the same Element as the challenger they are facing, including that element's in-element duel ban list
- Standins will be considered to have completed Entering the War Forge, Starting Your Own Little War, and Building War Golems
- Standins will have unlocked
- Standins will be able to use up to 3 upgraded spells, 3 upgraded creatures, and 3 upgraded non-pillar/pend permanents in each deck
- Matches as best of 5 - First player to win 3 games wins the match
- Players will be awarded points as follows:
- 3 points for winning 3-0 or 3-1
- 2 points for winning 3-2
- 1 point for losing 2-3
- The winner for each match should post in the TRIAL BATTLE RESULTS SECTION
- The post should be titled :[Trials 8 - Challengers] [winner'sElement] Winner'sName # - # Loser'sName [loser'sElement]
- The loser should post in the thread the winner created
- NO DECKS SHOULD BE POSTED UNTIL AFTER ROUND 2 HAS ENDED
- Check the bottom of this post for timers and warning
- Please save your decks for easy posting after the round ends
- We recommend sending your decks for each match as a PM to yourself to easily copy paste into the post during the 2 day window
Match Rules: - In the event of a desync, the game is voided, and players may not switch decks before the next game.
- If it is obvious that a game will never end (e.g. if both players have zero net damage output -- where they can both heal off the damage done each turn easily -- and will never deck out, and both players have no means of breaking the stalemate), that game voided, and players may switch decks prior to the next game.
- Voided games do not count towards Elements used in the match.
- In the event an illegal deck is used in any game (whether that game was voided at the time of the match or not) the user of the illegal deck will be given a loss for that game (and their opponent a win). It is possible this will invalidate subsequent games and/or alter the outcome of that match.
- Losing access to the game during a match (refreshing the tab, clicking on ad that isn't a popup type, closing the tab/window/browser/computer, power outage, pet elephant stepping on your computer ect) counts as a loss (a win for your opponent). You only lose 1 game through this, not the match (unless your opponent already had 2 wins prior to that game)
- You may use each off-element in Phase 2 once per match per appearance of that Element in your Element pool from your Phase 1 tasks
- "Other" is considered an off element, but may be used in one game per match even though it is not granted by the Phase 1 tasks
- You may only use one all in-element deck per match
- After every game, you must tell your opponent what elements you used in the previous game, but you should not share decklists or specific cards.
- If you run out of elements to use at a point during the match, the rest of your games count as a loss. If both players run out of elements at the same time, the rest of the matches are voided.
Deckbuilding Rules: - Deck may be of any size
- You may use any mark
- Deck must be 40% in element rounded up (including pillars/pends)
- Your deck may NOT contain more cards of any off-element than it does of your in-element
- Your deck must contain at least 25% off element cards (rounded down) unless it is your once per match all in-element deck
- "Other" Cards are considered off-Element for all elements
- Mark cards are treated as pillars of the element whose quanta they produce for all deckbuilding rules
- Using a Pillar/Pendulum/Mark counts as using the Element that Pillar/Pendulum/Mark belongs to
- This means Quantum Pillars are "Other" cards, and are Off-Element for all elements
- Using a Quantum Pillar counts as using the "Other" Element
- Any Banned cards are banned in both their upgraded and unupgraded forms.
- Any Banned Nymphs/Alchemy cards means the corresponding Alchemy Card/Nymph is also banned (and bans submitted for either will be totaled together).
- You may only use upgraded cards per your Tasks in Phase 1.
- You may only use off-elements per your Tasks in Phase 1.
- You may use your in-element cards regardless of whether or not your element was included in your Tasks in Phase 1.
Spoiler for 40% rule:
| Deck Size | Minimum Cards From In-Element |
30 | 12 |
31-32 | 13 |
33-35 | 14 |
36-37 | 15 |
38-40 | 16 |
41-42 | 17 |
43-45 | 18 |
46-47 | 19 |
48-50 | 20 |
51-52 | 21 |
53-55 | 22 |
56-57 | 23 |
58-60 | 24 |
Spoiler for 25% rule:
| Deck Size | Minimum Cards From Off-Element |
30-31 | 7 |
32-35 | 8 |
36-39 | 9 |
40-43 | 10 |
44-47 | 11 |
48-51 | 12 |
52-55 | 13 |
56-59 | 14 |
60 | 15 |
- All off-element shards are banned.
- Bans for each Element will be determined as follows:
- Pillars/Pends may not be banned. Putting down a pillar/pend will result in a random ban. (note: marks are considered pillars and thus cannot be banned)
- Everyone sends in 1-2 card(s) from each element in a forum PM to both Trials Overseers. Any card that gets two or more votes gets banned for all players in that Element. If you do not send in a list a list will be randomized by the Trials Overseers. Any missing cards will be randomized.
- If there are 4 challengers, everyone sends in one card per element.
- If there are 3 challengers, everyone sends in one card per element. The Trials Overseers will provide one list to supplement the player provided lists
- If there are 2 challengers, each person sends in two cards per element. These cards may not be the same (IE: You cannot send in discord/discord for entropy). If you do, both are randomized.
Off-Element Match specific rules:- All shards are banned.
- Match specific bans will be determined as follows
- Before every match you and your opponent chat message someone not in either one of your elements, nor facing it 3 cards. These cards are banned for both you and your opponent. You may only ban 1 card from your opponent's element, and it may not be a creature.
- The ban-arbitrator should be a Trial's Overseer if one is available.
