5th Trials - Phase 3 - Community Vote

[kev]

Phase 3 - Community Vote

Phase ends when above poll expires.

It's time to vote for your favorite Master candidate!  Every community member has one vote. You can change your vote at any time as long as there is still time on the clock.

Vote based on who you think would make the best Master of that element. Do not vote based on who is the best player or who you know personally. Try to pick someone who you think would help the community the most.  Feel free to ask the candidates difficult questions to help you make your decision.

For reference, here are the 5th Trials Standings (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35936.0.html) and Phase 1 Submission (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35922.0.html) threads.

[UTAlan]

Bio

I've been on the forums for just over a year now. One of my RL friends got me into Elements - shout out to YoungSot! I asked him about the forums when I came across them, and he had an account but wasn't very active at the time. I dove right in, as I've been a part of multiple forum-based communities in the past and feel very at home in this type of environment.

I am a computer programmer by profession, which means my mind sees a problem and looks for ways to code a solution. This has led me to build a handful of tools for myself and others to use (QI Tool, Card Code Generator, Card Database, etc). I was a very active member of Team Aether in Wars 3 and 4, and have participated in quite a few events over the past 6 months or so. While I am not the best PvP player out there, I am definitely growing in that area and am actively seeking to improve my game. I truly believe I have the leadership and experience to perform well as the Master of Aether.

Why Aether? I've loved the element for pretty much the entire time I've been playing the game, but War 3 completely sold me on it. I am confident that I would have a *much* better chance at becoming a master of a different element (seriously, look at my competition!), but I have no desire. I would rather fail indefinitely in Aether trials than win in any other.


Q & A

Q: “Which of the following abilities regarding your own 'physical tangibility' would you rather have assuming you can use them in real life?"

• Being able to see through walls/solid objects (X-ray vision ftw!)
• Being able to go through walls/solid objects (Kitty Pryde ain't got nothing)
• Being able to create invisible walls/solid objects? (Conjure: An invisible jet!)

I would have to go with X-Ray Vision, though the conjuration option was appealing as well. My primary goal when choosing some sort of superpower is typically to choose one that would attract the least amount of attention. If I suddenly started walking through walls or got caught creating some sort of invisible object, suddenly I'd find myself in a government research laboratory. Not ideal. X-Ray Vision probably has the least amount of benefits of the 3, but I'd be able to actually use it without jeopardizing my freedom.

These powers I associated with the concept I got of (DERP, Additional lame question you shouldn't really answer to: What is Aether?)

• Psychokinesis
• Teleportation
• Telepathy

You are granted two of these in real life. Which of these do you drop?

Definitely Telepathy. Psychokinesis would be pretty cool, and definitely practical (though I would end up being super lazy). Teleportation... <3 This is the superpower that I always pick when asked that common hypothetical question. The ability to travel at the speed of thought? Yes please! Telepathy? No thank you. There are some things we aren't meant to know, and what others think about us at any given moment is definitely one of those things. (I can go into more detail on that thought if you'd like.)

If silence makes a sound and no one can hear it, does silence make a sound? And could you make a deck about it?

No and yes. Silence can't make a sound by its very definition (so, no). However, you did not ask if silence could make a sound, but if it did, would that be negated by the fact that nobody heard it. In that case, my answer is yes, the sound is made regardless of whether anyone hears it. I don't believe in any form of Solipsism.

Also, give me a song (not necessarily a war song) related to Aether.

Silence (http://youtu.be/GjtxevtvdEw) - Not just for the title, though that definitely helps.

UTAlan
You've been in two Wars with Higurashi as Master, what would you do different? How has Higurashi failed, where you would succeed?

This is the question I most expected to see. Higs is a great War General, and there are many, many aspects of how she runs her team during War that I will mimic, given the opportunity. That said, there are a few things that I've noticed throughout the past 2 Wars that I would have done differently. For starters, despite my personal gain from her Auction strategy, I would be more willing to invest into some better known players than inexperienced, high-potential, high-risk players. Her strategy definitely paid off in War 3 (if I may say so myself ), but it is a risk I wouldn't be willing to take myself, especially when there is evidence that a balanced approach towards the auction tends to pay off.

The way War 3 ended for Team Aether was very disappointing. I definitely don't hold Higs solely responsible for it, (heck, most of the credit/blame should go to Napalm and Team Fire), but it did leave a sour taste in our mouths. This sourness seemed to carry over to War 4. There may have been some RL stuff going on that I am unaware of, but Higs' apparent apathy/inactiveness didn't combine well with the lack of War experience on the team. I still think we held our own in War 4 and will step up and take my share of the blame for our performance. But as a Master, I would learn from that experience and do my very best to lead Team Aether in activity and in spirity/attitude.

Q:"What would happen with aether if Dimensional Shield gets removed, would it become a underused elements between the newbies?"

If Dim Shield were to be removed from Elements, Aether would still thrive, though its ability to stall would suffer greatly. Since it is primarily a support element, there is no single card which, if removed, would destroy the effectiveness of Aether. Among newbies? It would probably become underused since Dim Shield is the most appealing Aether card to those who are new to the game, but anyone who was familiar with Lightning, Fractal, or PU would know better than to ignore Aether.

UTA: You have provided many a helpful tool to the community. Do you hope/expect people to vote for you because of them?

Great question! I definitely hope people will vote for me! But do I expect people to vote for me? I'm gonna go with No on this one. I expect people to vote for who they think will make the best Master of Aether. I just hope they think that is me.

What card of aether would you choose to be nerfed and which to be buffed? And list these changes.

Nerfed: While I don't believe Dim Shield is OP (the problem lies in the lack of PC for many elements, not the power of Dim Shield), this is the most obvious candidate. An increase in cost would definitely help, as a single pillar + mark can fuel 18 turns of immunity to damage. I'm not an expert on card balancing, but with that last point in mind, I'd recommend 8 | 7 as a starting point for the discussion.

Buffed: Immortal! I haven't looked at the stats page in quite a while, but I imagine this is one of the most underused cards in the game. An increase in attack power to 5|3 unupped, 6|4 upped would do wonders.

To UTAlan and Pikachufan2164:
You have other forum titles and/or jobs.  Will your mastership be affected by your other responsibilities?  If they cut into your time, will you still remain active enough to lead your team during War or promote your element?

As of now, the only position I hold is a Council Member. While there is potential for the workload to increase in that area, I don't currently see that as an issue which would conflict with War. Most of my time right now is being spent on other events, which will naturally slow down once War comes around. As a Master, I would ensure that I prioritized my Elements time to ensure that I could lead my team well.

In the past, I have heard a lot of people speak of mono-aether as a stalling only element. Could you build a mono, or a duo without using fractal or PU, that can rush well?

My first thought at that question is that it is slightly self-fulfilling. Can I build an Aether rush without 2 of its best rush cards? Not nearly as well as I could with them, obviously. But Phase Recluses give you some nice attack power for only 4 and tossing in a few Silences to counter any stalls you may face will still leave you with a deck that can rush nicely.

Q:  Fractal is indeed a powerful, fun card to use and is generally labeled as a favorite card of Aether by many players.  But at the same time, card idea after card idea is shot down for the simple reason that it's far too powerful when combined with Fractal.  Imagine for a moment that Fractal never existed and allowed for a more diverse card pool.  In this scenario, do you think that the players would be more content with the selection of cards and the game in general than they are now?

More content with the game if Fractal was gone? Probably not. Fractal opens up possibilities for a lot of fun decks and gives situational or otherwise less effective cards a chance to shine.

It is also noted that Aether is tied for the lowest number of cards possessed by an Element.  If Fractal never existed, do you suspect this number would have increased?

Probably not substantially so. I imagine there would be a different card in its place (maybe some PC?), but I don't subscribe to the belief that the power of Fractal is limiting the possibilities for Aether as a whole.

Aether is the power of beings from another dimension, immortals, and possibly outer space.
Given the extent of such power, what do you feels is Aether's biggest weakness in Elements the Game? Do you feel this weakness helps to balance or imbalance Aether?

Aether's biggest weakness is the lack of Permanent Control. Silence can be used to prevent Perms from being played, but once it is already on the field, Aether has no way to answer. In the game's present state, this probably does balance Aether to some degree with most of the other elements. However, if the long term goal is for all 12 elements to be complete, this is something that will need to be adressed.

[Kuroaitou]

Time for my Trials question! ^_^

Q: “Which of the following abilities regarding your own 'physical tangibility' would you rather have assuming you can use them in real life?"

• Being able to see through walls/solid objects (X-ray vision ftw!)
• Being able to go through walls/solid objects (Kitty Pryde ain't got nothing)
• Being able to create invisible walls/solid objects? (Conjure: An invisible jet!)

Personality matters. Of course, it's always tough with these trials...

[Higurashi]

You are one with the universe. Listen to its voice; your endless potential awaits~

A: Considering my wanderlust, I'd go with the last option. Invisible or not, a jetpack so I could fly to China? Incomparable. Oh, I know! Invisible hookshots! Too fun.
A: I would drop telepathy, because it's manipulation. I hate manipulation. No form of it works on me, but I think it's weak to use it against other people. Furthermore, I understand other people very well already, and my sense of intuition is extreme. I don't feel like I need anything from telepathy.

Psychokinesis would let me save people from situations I otherwise could not have. The dangers I see associated with them are laziness and hubris, but I don't think either would afflict me.

Teleportation would be the best power in existence for me. I absolutely love seeing new places, and I often associate emotions with places. Because of that, environment is important to me as a person. Even better: it would let me be there for people who need me at any time. Especially my loved ones. Unbeatable.

What is Aether? As I answered in chat: it is the threads of existence through which all energy flows, allowing matter to stay intact. The building material of the universe, the undefined energies of stars, foreign dimensions, the void, and something that flows through all of us. It connects everything, makes the universe whole and all of us one with it. It is the voice of infinity which lets you find your endless potential.

Yes, if a sound is made, it's made. Even if no one's around to prove it, its imprint is left in the universe and the flow of time.
Deck name: Emptying Void

by Higurashi

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6ru 6ru 6ru 6ru 6ru 6ru 7tc 7ti 7ti 7ti 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80d 80d 80d 80d 80d 80d 80e 80k 80k 81q 81q 81q 8pt

No one's around to hear you die. ? ? ?'s are Shards of Void.

Song.. I'm tempted to link the same song I have in my old battle results topic when I became Master, because that's the song I think of first. Luckily there are many more songs that make me think of Aether because it's such a big part of my philosophy and life. I present to you the best lyric-less metal song ever made:

Why does it make me think of Aether? Because the song embodies an epic adventure, and the passing of a very long life. We all travel through the Aether, and it follows us at all times as we go through life and big adventures. We are never alone, which lets us face any challenge boldly. That's what this song tells me.
A: Our situation wasn't that much different. The differences I can spot are they didn't have a team as close in standings to them as we had, and their counter picks didn't get RNG'd into a loss. Event cards unfortunately made a huge difference too. The 35-card one was horrid for us, and the best of 1 got us an unnecessary loss or two. In the end I think it was mostly RNG that allowed the last desperate efforts to work against us where they didn't against Entropy. This is mostly reinforced when I think back to the battle reports of the duels vs. Entropy in War 2, for instance the last battle of Air. It's also possible the teams had learnt from War 2 and kept stronger decks for the end where you can just camp out with your last General deck and hope for nice event cards.

During a few of the rounds, we lost motivation because of losses we shouldn't have gotten, yeah, but we always did our best with the intention of winning. After a temporary feeling of hopelessness, my team rallied again. The problem was simply that it felt like our main enemy was RNG rather than other teams, and that changes the enjoyment of the event. We adapted to it though, and I don't think we could've put in more effort than we did. The outcome was simply how chance would have it.

In the end, we were very happy to have been part of such a tightly-knit team. It was a unique experience for all of us, and we'll never forget it. An icon and a banner can't compare to that. That said, I still want the glory of colouring the forums turquoise; not for me, but for my beloved element. To stand tall and proud for that would be awesome.
A: Yes, newbies would most certainly use it less. I believe the first intoxicating rush of power is commonly the one you got from playing Monoaether as a newbie. Other nuances of Aether are more subtle and finding synergies require more experimentation, but it's easy to have your first love be Monoaether. That draws newbies to the element and makes it one of the most popular ones, even later on when they find out more about it.

However, in a realistic scenario, the shield would be replaced by either one new awesome card or several nice cards. Aether needs more cards, and I like change, so I wouldn't be opposed to it. I would miss it though. It makes me feel all safe and snug.
A: I'd nerf the hell out of Fractal due to the impact it has on card creation. It's arguably the card I use the most and it's too much fun, but there are a lot more awesome cards Aether could get if it didn't work the way it did. I'm a bit attached to it as is though, so I'd probably like to introduce these creatures with a passive ability that makes them impossible to Fractal. Because while Fractal is a unique card, it's also good for the metagame; especially now that the quanta cap makes breaking stalls a little bit harder.

I'd like to buff Mindgate. It's an extremely fun card, but so rarely competitive. Reducing cost would surely help and all, but I think I'd rather add another effect to it, like letting it cast Lightning every third turn or letting you copy your own cards every so often.
A: I don't deal in emotions like regret, and I believe I've done all I could whenever I could. I do have some things planned if I continue to reign as Master though. I'm constructing an Aether manifesto to gather all my fellow starchildren.
This was kinda fun. I pondered running Frogs off mark just 'cause they're awesome, but this works too.

by Higurashi

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6rk 6rk 6u2 6u2 6u2 6u2 6u2 6u2 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80c 80c 80c 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 8pj

You can use Thunderbolts instead of Immortals if you like 'cause they will definitely do the same amount of damage in quite a few games x)

Actually.. now that I think about it, this is one of my favourite wtf decks. I've ran it a couple times in T50, and I call it Frenzied Recluses:

by Higurashi

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6rk 6rk 7an 7an 7an 7an 7an 7an 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80c 80c 80c 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 8pn

Normally it'd have TU's, and as usual you can replace Immortals with Thunderbolts if you like, or even better: Frogs. It can easily win in 5 turns, and it works thanks to 7 being a sweetspot for Adrenaline. Works fine unupped too :>

A: I think people would be content with Zanz' decisions and continue to use cards to their fullest, but not necessarily more content. Fractal is good for the metagame as it stands right now because it lets you break stalls very effectively. With the quanta cap, this has become slightly more difficult, so I believe Fractal is a very important card.

More cards would be likely, though not guaranteed. Due to Fractal's power and important place in the metagame, Aether as an element would need a new strength. For instance, more offensive power as a mono, or a really good buff card for other creatures or perms/spells. I could totally see an amplifier card that makes stuff like Poison and Bolts twice as strong, which would be pretty close to replacing Fractal in terms of power.
A: Game-wise, the biggest weakness is quanta denial. There's no contest. If you let Aether decks build up to their full power, you stand no chance. You can't just simply rush a good Aether duo, and stalling Aether without quanta denial is often a complete impossibility. It definitely helps to balance Aether. It'd be pretty overpowered if its cards were cheap or if it had very good quanta acceleration.

[RavingRabbid]

These powers I associated with the concept I got of (DERP, Additional lame question you shouldn't really answer to: What is Aether?)

• Psychokinesis
• Teleportation
• Telepathy

You are granted two of these in real life. Which of these do you drop?



If silence makes a sound and no one can hear it, does silence make a sound? And could you make a deck about it?



Also, give me a song (not necessarily a war song) related to Aether.

[majofa]

The following questions/comments may be sharp and pointed. They may hurt your feelings, but they are meant to help me and the community see how you handled adversity and tough questions. So, don't take too much offense to them, I'm gonna be grilling everyone. Also, I don't hate any of you, it's just my RL interviewing being used for the community vote.

Higurashi
Team Aether caught a lot of people offguard in War #3 and raced out to an early lead. Being so far ahead can put a lot of pressure on a team to finish everyone off. How was your situation different from Entropy in the previous War? Team Aether seemed to be losing zeal near the end and as it looked from my end, didn't really care who won War, just as long as it was over. Was this true?
deuce22
Why would you explode the Arsenic? ~ here (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,32757.0.html)
UTAlan
You've been in two Wars with Higurashi as Master, what would you do different? How has Higurashi failed, where you would succeed?
pikachufan2164
Last trials your bans were needless to say: horrible, and then you got dominated by Higurashi. What were your thoughts in making those bans? After two losses to Higurashi in the final battle, do you even deserve another shot?

[Calindu]

Most people blame Dimensional Shield for being OP.
But in all those wars, team Aether showed us a lot of very good decks w/o using Dimensional Shield.

Q:"What would happen with aether if Dimensional Shield gets removed, would it become a underused elements between the newbies?"

[pikachufan2164]

About Me
I'm Pika -- the resident Silly Electric Mouse of the Elements community.

I've been a loyal supporter of Aether for quite some time, and I'm one of the top players among those who specialize in Aether.

PvP Experience

• Trial of Aether III (2nd place)
• Team Aether (Lieutenant) - War III (2nd place)
• Team Delta - Draft II (3rd place)
• Trial of Aether IV (2nd place)
• Team Life (Strategist) - War IV (12th place)
• Team Sillyface - Team PvP IV (1st place)

Forum Competitions

• Card Design War (2nd place)
• Chat Trivia II (1st place)
• Elements Quiz League III (1st place)
• Off-Topic Quiz League III (1st place)
• Forum Profile Deck Design Competition (2nd place)

Forums Stuff

• League Organizer
• Tournament Organizer
• Arena Moderator
• 2400+ posts
• Active contributor to the Elements community for over two years and counting

Questions and Answers

Reserved for collection of responses.

In the meantime, here is an animation of Pikachu and a kitten~

Time for my Trials question! ^_^

Q: “Which of the following abilities regarding your own 'physical tangibility' would you rather have assuming you can use them in real life?"

• Being able to see through walls/solid objects (X-ray vision ftw!)
• Being able to go through walls/solid objects (Kitty Pryde ain't got nothing)
• Being able to create invisible walls/solid objects? (Conjure: An invisible jet!)

Personality matters. Of course, it's always tough with these trials...

Just to clarify, are the invisible objects created visible to the creator? If so, does this mean that I can have my very own invisible Pikachu? \:D/

These powers I associated with the concept I got of (DERP, Additional lame question you shouldn't really answer to: What is Aether?)

• Psychokinesis
• Teleportation
• Telepathy

You are granted two of these in real life. Which of these do you drop?

If silence makes a sound and no one can hear it, does silence make a sound? And could you make a deck about it?

Also, give me a song (not necessarily a war song) related to Aether.

I would take psychokinesis and teleportation, as they can definitely be used in mundane situations as "quality of life" improvements. Being able to teleport at will saves so much time and money in terms of transportation (I transit an hour each way to and from campus every day, so I should know XD), and mentally moving things around allows for the possibility of MOAR MULTITASKING

I would drop telepathy, as it can very easily get into "too much information" territory, and without the ability to turn it on and off, it would just mean that you'd be receiving the thoughts of everyone around you.

The background hum of the universe (electromagnetic waves (http://msowww.anu.edu.au/pfrancis/Music/)) is still present in the absence of sound.

by pikachufan2164

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61o 61o 61o 622 622 622 622 622 624 624 624 624 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 7ae 7ae 7ae 7ae 7ae 7ae 8pn

Silence Frogtal. Timing Silence + Fractal is one of the toughest things to do mechanically, especially when only using Pendulums. I've seen games being lost because of a mis-timed Fractal (when not having the quanta to play follow-up Silences turned an easily winnable game into a loss).
Song choice: 5 Secrets (

)
A remix of OneRepublic's "Secrets," inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This is a truly seamless mix of the two pieces, and the result is something that feels different, yet still strikingly similar, to its source materials. This reflects Aether's ability to enhance any element it partners with in a deck and how it is able to unlock many hidden synergies. The five secrets of Aether are undoubtedly its utility cards: Lightning, Dimensional Shield, Fractal, Parallel Universe, and Silence. Each one can be used in multiple ways, and they enhance the effectiveness of the other cards in the deck.

Last trials your bans were needless to say: horrible, and then you got dominated by Higurashi. What were your thoughts in making those bans? After two losses to Higurashi in the final battle, do you even deserve another shot?

Four of the five bans were sound. The crucial mistake came in the choice to ban Fractal instead of Dimensional Shield. Dim Shield was such a strong card in that particular format that playing against it without Dims of my own was terrible. The same could be said about my decision not to ban Chargers in two Trials ago.

Trials is not completely about the outcome. It's also about the journey through its four phases. The Trials Rules sticky states that it's not just about taking the Master of Aether title -- it's about becoming more experienced with your element of choice, and about having fun, too. I believe that I should be given the chance to enjoy a third series of epic duels

Most people blame Dimensional Shield for being OP.
But in all those wars, team Aether showed us a lot of very good decks w/o using Dimensional Shield.

Q:"What would happen with aether if Dimensional Shield gets removed, would it become a underused elements between the newbies?"

Among newbies? Maybe. Although it might get them to look a bit deeper and notice how OP Lightning, Fractal, and Parallel Universe are

Like I said last Trials, Aether is like an onion. It has layers of complexity that are gradually revealed as the player gains more experience with it. Dimensional Shield and Phase Dragon are just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg when it comes to the true power of Aether. Although three turns of near-invulnerability is too good to pass up in quite a few cases, Aether without Dim Shield still functions very closely to the way it does with it -- an element heavily based on utility and support.

Pika: How can you live with yourself after pushing down that kitten relentlessly?

The kitty was too cute >:3

What card of aether would you choose to be nerfed and which to be buffed? And list these changes.

I would nerf Dimensional Shield by increasing its cost to 7 | 6 , so that it's harder to chain when used with the rest of Aether's support cards. Dim Shield is even more powerful than Fractal in that it provides absolute stalling power that's long-lasting and hard to counter. Reducing its duration to 2 turns (another suggestion that's cropped up on the forums) is just too drastic, even with a cost reduction to 4 | 3 to accompany it.

I would buff Immortal by changing the unupped version to 4|4 for 6 , and the upped version to 6|4 for 6 . For the most part, the unupped version is fine, but the upped version needs a whole lot more incentive to play it, since it's outclassed by Phase Recluse and upped Phase Dragon.

You have other forum titles and/or jobs.  Will your mastership be affected by your other responsibilities?  If they cut into your time, will you still remain active enough to lead your team during War or promote your element?

Yes, I will have to balance Mastership with my other duties as a TO, LO, Arena Mod, and RL (full-time university student with a part-time job). As for War, it all depends on how much time I can put into it to put on a good showing. If I can devote enough time over the 2-3 months, great. If not, then I will do my best to find a suitable General for Team Aether.

In the past, I have heard a lot of people speak of mono-aether as a stalling only element. Could you build a mono, or a duo without using fractal or PU, that can rush well?

In an unupped environment, Aether can't rush too well without the help of off-element creatures and Fractal (along with the rest of the Aether support staff).

by pikachufan2164

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4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4ve 4ve 4ve 4ve 4ve 4vh 4vh 4vh 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vl 4vl 4vl 61q 61q 61q 61q 61q 61q 8pu

by pikachufan2164

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62c 62c 62c 6rk 6rk 808 808 808 808 808 808 80a 80a 80a 80a 80a 80a 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 8pu

Arguably the fastest one can go with a mono-Aether: Higs' signature deck. (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29157.0.html)

by pikachufan2164

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7tb 7tb 7th 7th 7th 7th 7th 7th 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80a 80a 80a 80a 80a 80a 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 80g 8pt

An idea I've been toying around with -- it's a fast CC rush with lots of control and a healthy amount of healing.

Mitosis and Fractal have been compared to one another on several occasions.  Yet despite these comparisons, there is no card that exists that is capable of functioning as Fractal does.

Q:  Fractal is indeed a powerful, fun card to use and is generally labeled as a favorite card of Aether by many players.  But at the same time, card idea after card idea is shot down for the simple reason that it's far too powerful when combined with Fractal.  Imagine for a moment that Fractal never existed and allowed for a more diverse card pool.  In this scenario, do you think that the players would be more content with the selection of cards and the game in general than they are now?

It is also noted that Aether is tied for the lowest number of cards possessed by an Element.  If Fractal never existed, do you suspect this number would have increased?

If Fractal didn't exist, then of course we'd get more viable card ideas that wouldn't be made insanely OP by its mere existence. Of course, the number of cards that actually make it into the game is largely dependent on Zanz, so I can't say for sure on whether or not we'd get a larger card pool to play with. However, the removal of Fractal does open up a greater selection of potential card ideas, and would therefore inspire more creativity on the CI&A boards.

If Fractal never existed, Aether probably would have gotten 1 or 2 more cards to compensate. Currently, Aether is tied with Fire for having the least number of on-element cards. Fire is arguably the most "complete" element when played as a mono, so it can handle having a small card pool. On the other hand, Aether is able to cope with its card shortage by being a utility-based element. Without Fractal to fill in the gaps, Aether might be able to actually have a few more efficient mid-range or utility creatures.

[pikachufan2164]

Time for my Trials question! ^_^

Q: “Which of the following abilities regarding your own 'physical tangibility' would you rather have assuming you can use them in real life?"

• Being able to see through walls/solid objects (X-ray vision ftw!)
• Being able to go through walls/solid objects (Kitty Pryde ain't got nothing)
• Being able to create invisible walls/solid objects? (Conjure: An invisible jet!)

Personality matters. Of course, it's always tough with these trials...

Just to clarify, are the invisible objects created visible to the creator? If so, does this mean that I can have my very own invisible Pikachu? \:D/

These powers I associated with the concept I got of (DERP, Additional lame question you shouldn't really answer to: What is Aether?)

• Psychokinesis
• Teleportation
• Telepathy

You are granted two of these in real life. Which of these do you drop?

If silence makes a sound and no one can hear it, does silence make a sound? And could you make a deck about it?

Also, give me a song (not necessarily a war song) related to Aether.

I would take psychokinesis and teleportation, as they can definitely be used in mundane situations as "quality of life" improvements. Being able to teleport at will saves so much time and money in terms of transportation (I transit an hour each way to and from campus every day, so I should know XD), and mentally moving things around allows for the possibility of MOAR MULTITASKING

I would drop telepathy, as it can very easily get into "too much information" territory, and without the ability to turn it on and off, it would just mean that you'd be receiving the thoughts of everyone around you.

The background hum of the universe (electromagnetic waves (http://msowww.anu.edu.au/pfrancis/Music/)) is still present in the absence of sound.

by pikachufan2164

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Silence Frogtal. Timing Silence + Fractal is one of the toughest things to do mechanically, especially when only using Pendulums. I've seen games being lost because of a mis-timed Fractal (when not having the quanta to play follow-up Silences turned an easily winnable game into a loss).
Song choice: 5 Secrets (

)
A remix of OneRepublic's "Secrets," inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This is a truly seamless mix of the two pieces, and the result is something that feels different, yet still strikingly similar, to its source materials. This reflects Aether's ability to enhance any element it partners with in a deck and how it is able to unlock many hidden synergies. The five secrets of Aether are undoubtedly its utility cards: Lightning, Dimensional Shield, Fractal, Parallel Universe, and Silence. Each one can be used in multiple ways, and they enhance the effectiveness of the other cards in the deck.

Last trials your bans were needless to say: horrible, and then you got dominated by Higurashi. What were your thoughts in making those bans? After two losses to Higurashi in the final battle, do you even deserve another shot?

Four of the five bans were sound. The crucial mistake came in the choice to ban Fractal instead of Dimensional Shield. Dim Shield was such a strong card in that particular format that playing against it without Dims of my own was terrible. The same could be said about my decision not to ban Chargers in two Trials ago.

Trials is not completely about the outcome. It's also about the journey through its four phases. The Trials Rules sticky states that it's not just about taking the Master of Aether title -- it's about becoming more experienced with your element of choice, and about having fun, too. I believe that I should be given the chance to enjoy a third series of epic duels

Most people blame Dimensional Shield for being OP.
But in all those wars, team Aether showed us a lot of very good decks w/o using Dimensional Shield.

Q:"What would happen with aether if Dimensional Shield gets removed, would it become a underused elements between the newbies?"

Among newbies? Maybe. Although it might get them to look a bit deeper and notice how OP Lightning, Fractal, and Parallel Universe are

Like I said last Trials, Aether is like an onion. It has layers of complexity that are gradually revealed as the player gains more experience with it. Dimensional Shield and Phase Dragon are just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg when it comes to the true power of Aether. Although three turns of near-invulnerability is too good to pass up in quite a few cases, Aether without Dim Shield still functions very closely to the way it does with it -- an element heavily based on utility and support.

[Onizuka]

Pika: How can you live with yourself after pushing down that kitten relentlessly?
UTA: You have provided many a helpful tool to the community. Do you hope/expect people to vote for you because of them?
Deuce: What factors led you to winning the in element part of phase 1?

[MrBlonde]

What card of aether would you choose to be nerfed and which to be buffed? And list these changes.

[Cheesy111]

To Higurashi:
If you could turn back the clock and change one thing from your previous mastership, what would it be?  Or what would you do in your future mastership differently than in your last mastership?

To UTAlan and Pikachufan2164:
You have other forum titles and/or jobs.  Will your mastership be affected by your other responsibilities?  If they cut into your time, will you still remain active enough to lead your team during War or promote your element?

To deuce22:
You haven't held any sort of forum position before the (possible) Mastership of Aether. Why do you think that you'll handle the new responsibility well if you become Master?