Phase 3 - Community Vote

[xdude]

Phase 3 - Community Vote
Phase 3 has ended

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.

[Higurashi]

Yeeesh, bring the questions on. I think I'll make a little speech here later, just to tell you a bit of my visions.

First of all I'd like to say any of the challengers would make fine masters, in my opinion. What Aether needs is a new icon; a face that's active within the community, and I think we'd all supply that. The reason I want the responsibility is because I fight for my vision.

"Aether is the domain of the immobile things; it is where the stars reside and the media where all the energy waves move. Aether elementals excel in manipulating the dimensions and the electricity; most of the creatures they generate are immaterial." - Elements the Game Aether Description

The divine element. Ancient Greeks believed Aether was a primordial God; a fundamental part of the construction of the universe. Aether was what the Olympic Gods lived and breathed, just like mortals breathed air. From the Aether came the Gods, and from the Gods came the universe. It is the basic construction of the universe as bricks are the foundation of a house.

So how do Aether elementals work? Do they all strive for godhood, or do they simply wish to attain true immortality?

To me, being part of an element that embodies the divine is to be part of a great goal. It is not a claim of godhood or superiority in any way, but rather a pursuit of the highest possible potential we all possess. I'm not really a positivist, but I can't deny that we all have the same enormous potential to achieve great things in this world. It is a humble and simple goal: to be all that you can be.

Aether stands for Aspiration. We can always, always, always improve.

My vision with this community is to bring to light all that potential. We're doing a great job of it so far, and I want to keep lifting up many of the newer members who have joined and are a great asset to the community. Having old idols like jmizzle7 is good for community identity, but when I see how newer users are dismissed because they could supposedly never reach the greatness of some vets, I am disheartened.

We cannot let idolism blind us to the awesomeness of the present. That would stagnate development. Instead, let us praise each other for our accomplishments and always look to pursue our full potential. Together, we are an unstoppable force. Thank you.

[pikachufan2164]

The path of Trials has been fun -- yes, even the night that I frustratingly spent trying to test decks for Phase 1 -- and I'm glad to have partaken in it. Having the opportunity to battle three truly tough opponents was definitely different from anything that I've experienced in my time here in the forums.

Without further ado, here's a wall of words from me.

Why Aether?

The element of Aether has always intrigued me since I started playing the game. I looked at powerful cards like Twin Universe, and saw that the only acceptable in-element target was the Phase Spider. Same goes for Quintessence and Fractal. Why were all these game-breaking cards in an element which doesn't really have any suitable targets for them?

Simply put, Aether is an element of support. Sure, there's always good old standard mono-Aether, but it's so very one-dimensional and predictable. Aether is an immensely helpful partner element to any of the other 11 -- it always has something to complement their strategies, be it with the well-known Fractal (i.e. Fractix, Pestal, Rol/Hope), Twin Universe (i.e. DragonPowa, Shakar's Revenge), or cards as outlandish as Mindgate (when comboed with deck-controlling cards like Eternity).

With so many different uses for each individual card, Aether is much more flexible than one thinks.

Why me?

Much like the element of Aether itself, I like to help others out. I can often be found in Chat in guiding novices through the path to FG-fighting, and I lurk around Deck Help to do QI analyses and help quanta-balance decks.

While I'm not even close to being the best at PvP out of the four of us, I can still hold my own in duels, as both the General and Lieutenant of Aether can attest to.

Also, who wouldn't want to vote for the friendly and Pikachu-obsessed Poké Geek?

My Aether Collection (on Majofa's request)

Regardless of whoever wins, the Elements community will have found a worthy new Master of Aether.

Please do ask us questions -- I'm sure the four of us would love to bombard you with walls of text :3

Questions I've addressed....

First, I'll tell you what I'm looking for in a candidate.  In a word, I'm looking for maturity.  Not age, necessarily, but a sense of responsibility to the community.  This can obviously manifest itself in many ways, but some that come to mind are leading your element in War (why you would be good at it, not giving away your plan of attack), spreading the gospel of your element (think xdude's signature of "Dare you to think Light sucks?  Challenge me.  NOW!", or even simply helping people with deck building/development.

I do wish you all the very best of luck and I look forward to getting to know each of you better via this process.

I do hope this is sufficient -- I'll be adding my answers to questions asked in the thread to my campaign post.
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20041.msg271524#msg271524

What does the Element Aether symbolize? (Be precise, concise and complete)
What types of cards does Aether need in game to finish covering the Element Aether?

I see Aether as a representation of duality; an element that is capable of attacking and defending -- at the same time. Aether has so many different utility cards in its possession. Mindgate can be used to take advantage of a deck that's manipulated with Eternity, or used to prevent decking out by grabbing an opposing Malignant Cell (as used in the strategy of zse's Lone Stalker deck). Quintessence is normally used to create a nigh-invulnerable creature, but I'm sure that the community knows of its hidden use as a soft Fractal counter, as demonstrated by Dogg in his infamous match against jmdt in War 2.

There's never any way to "complete" Aether, but I would like to see a small attacker with a nifty effect that doesn't die like an unbuffed Spark (Dimensional Striker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18641.0.html) fills in the void, as well as introducing an interesting mechanic). Aether is capable of fitting in a wide variety of weird and wonderful effects, so there's a lot of opportunity for the element to expand.

Many people see aether for only Fractal and Dim Shield. How would you prove to them that Aether is better than they think?

I would first point them to TU, the third part of the Etherial Big Three. It works especially well if there are mutants and/or buffed creatures on the field, since mutants will always get better base stats when twinned, and you get those scary Deja TU rush decks that launch four big and buff Deja Vus (Twinned once, and then split) by turn 3-4.

Lightning is one of the most cost-efficient pieces of direct creature control out there. It's the perfect counter to unprotected Chargers, Crimson/Ruby Dragons; and anything that's immensely powerful, but has 5 or fewer HP. It's an absolute bargain at 2|1 .

Aether makes for an amazing support element, with cards like Twin Universe, Quintessence, Fractal, and Mindgate. All it really needs to do is borrow another element's creature base, as its own creatures are one of Aether's few weaknesses.

If someone tells you aether sucks because it cant rush, what is your answer?

Why hello there, Fractix!

In all seriousness, Aether doesn't need to rush -- it already has the means of slowing the game down to its own pace with powerful tempo-changing cards like Phase Shield and Silence, which allow an Aether-based deck to stall for long enough to execute its main strategy. There is a reason why the Mono-Aether AI3 is a pain in the butt for standard AI3 rush decks to deal with.

Q: If there was one Aether-like power/creature/object you could have in real life (based on an Aether card obviously), what would it be and why? (i.e. – If I had several Precognition vials, I could probably see into the future, etc.)

I would love to control the power of Lightning.

Just imagine it: I can command my Pikachu plushie to use Thunderbolt, and a bolt of lightning will actually be released (from me, but it wouldn't be too difficult to make it look as if the plushie was using the attack) >:D

It is one thing to know thyself.  It is another to know thy enemy.

What is Time?

Time is a flowing river. Bound by the laws of the universe, it can only go in one direction -- two if it's being controlled by a skilled Time Elemental. Its constant ebb and flow contrasts the stability of Aether.

Aether Elementals manipulate space, such that it is able to move laterally (i.e. phasing in and out between dimensions) instead.

I'm going to take this in a bit different direction than most and ask you a little about deckbuilding.

What (war legal) decks would you build to defeat these two decks?

The decks should be all unupped and preferably not involve and nymphs as you don't know who will have to face down the decks.

Also, though the decks should be targeted counters, they shouldn't fall apart against other decks.

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4vj 4vj 4vp 4vp 4vp 4vp 4vp 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 52o 52o 52o 52o 52o 52q 52q 52r 52r 52r 52r 52r 542 542

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4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vl 4vl 4vl 4vl 50u 50u 50u 50u 50u 590 590 590 590 590 590 593 593 593 593 5f6 5og 5oi 5oi 61qI'm not looking for some completely tested deck that totally owns them, more a deck that should in theory work as an expression of deck building creativity.

EDIT: Slight change on the wording to clarify.

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5f6 5f6 5f6 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61q 61q 61q 61t 61t 61t 61t 61u 61v 61v 61v 61vImmortal creatures are nicely immune to Pandemonium's effects, and Dim Shields and Deflags will negate the Arsenics. The only real concern here is not being able to draw damage sources quickly enough to break through the Bone Walls. Against other decks, Dim Shields are there to help stall, Lightnings and Lobos to remove annoying creatures (Momentum, abilities, etc.), and Deflags to get rid of shields and threatening weapons.

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4vj 4vj 5rg 5rj 5rk 5rk 5rk 5rk 5rq 5rq 5rq 5rq 5rq 5rq 5t2 61o 61o 61o 61u 622 622 622 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63aFlying Discords and Graboids are inherently weak to Reverse Times. Nova helps soften the blow from Discord (though they might help you by generating some extra from the scrambling). Scarabs' strength in numbers makes Fog Shield a null factor, and swarm reduces the effectiveness of the opposition's CC. Lobo and Procrastination are there to help cancel scrambles and block damage. Against other decks, Scarabs devour everything in its path, and the only real weakness is against regular damage reduction shields.

Hello!. I got a couple of questions for u guys.

1. Which of these qualities should a Master have and why?(Pls choose one from the list.)
   
    Honesty,Compassion,Passion, Diligence,Integrity,Patience,Respectful,Attitude or Others.(if any)

2. Which of these qualities should a Master NOT have and why?(Pls choose one from the list.)

   Boastfulness,Proud,Laziness,Disrespectful towards others,Dishonesty,Ill-Tempered, or Others.(if any)

The single most important quality for a Master is passion. He or she has to love their element in order to be able to show its true power to the community. Demonstrating that one is a proud supporter and skilled user of an element is important in loyal and dedicated followers for events like War.

A Master should never be disrespectful towards others -- they are the representative of their element and should treat others with dignity and respect. In large scale PvP events, good sportsmanship is a must, and nobody needs more Internet drama in their life.

Hey guys!. I got a deckbuliding question for u guys too.(Have Fun!)

What kind of deck(s) would You use to counter the decks below.

The decks should be all unupped and preferably having no nymphs as you wont know who would have to face the decks.

You would have to use your own element and another element to make the deck. Try and make a deck which ppl would understand how to use it easily.

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4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vc 4vg 4vg 4vg 4vg 4vg 4vg 4vi 4vi 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vj 4vk 4vk 4vl 4vl 4vn 4vn 4vp 4vp 55v 55v 55v 55v 55v 55v

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55q 55q 55q 55q 55q 55q 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rj 5rk 5rk 5rk 5ro 5rp 5rp 5rp 5rp 5rp 5rt 5rt 5rt 5rt 5rt 5rt

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5uk 5um 5um 5um 5um 5um 5uo 5up 5up 5uq 5uq 5ur 5ut 5uv 606 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61q 61q 622 622 622 63a 63a 63a 63a 63aLarge decks and the reliance on mark splashing gives Fractaling a whole bunch of Devours a decisive advantage in both match-ups. An early Devourer has a good chance of slowing down the opposition's development (since it costs 4 and 2 to use Black Hole and Momentum, respectively).

It's also 50% Aether too :D

Here's my big question:

What came first the chicken or the egg

No seriously, of any card currently in the crucible (from Aether of course) which do you want put into the game quickest and why?

Also (if you can) build a theoretical deck around that card and provide a brief description of your thinking behind it.

Definitely Dimensional Striker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18641.0.html).

It has the potential to be a quick source of damage that compliments standard Mono-Aether decks while also slipping under Gravity Shield.

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61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61o 61t 61t 61t 61t 61u 61u 61v 61v 61v 61v ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63a 63aBlank cards are Dimensional Strikers

Deckbuilding challenge:
Design an  / / trio deck that could beat what you consider to be the most annoying mono deck from each element.

EDIT: And say what the annoying decks that you are beating are

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77j 77j 77j 7t4 7t4 7t4 7t6 7t6 7t6 7t6 7t8 7t9 7t9 7ta 7ta 7tb 7tf 7tf 7um 7um 808 808 808 808 808 80i 80i 80i 81q 81qQuanta denial, quanta denial, and more quanta denial. Early Fractals of Pests should be enough to delay the opposition, while Stone Form Gargoyles can handle pretty much all damage-based CC.

Question: What's your favorite Greek god?

I prefer Apollo, the Greek God of the sun. He's also associated with music, poetry, and the arts -- without them, the world would definitely not be as cultured as it is today.

(Trick answer: Aether, the Greek God of the upper air )

I'm not big on forum participation yet, but I've already heard the opinion a significant part of new card ideas find it hard to move forward towards implementation because fractal makes them OP. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion, and if you agree, how would you change fractal? Feel free to suggest any sort of change, including complete removal, but if it's not too much trouble please add also suggested changes to Decay and Eternal Phoenix's decks to keep them competitive in the FG world..

Yes, Fractal is a very powerful card, and it does need a minor nerf. However, changing the mechanics of the card is something that Zanz won't do. I would probably impose a maximum to the number of copies spawned per Fractal -- maybe 4 copies, while making the cost 8|7 .

Eternal Phoenix doesn't need any changes -- it's powerful and fast enough as is, and it really doesn't care if Fractal's cost is 7, 8, or 9, since its triple mark lets one be played on turn 4.

Decay is balanced as is.

He lives in a house, in a very big house in the country.

Where is aether is the house? And why Dim Shield and Fractal are considered so strong?

The house is in another dimension.

Dim Shield is strong because it guarantees 3 turns of invulnerability when there's no permanent control and/or Momentumed creatures to ruin the fun. It pretty much stops cold any rush decks that either don't have a way to deal with it, or can't draw their counters in time.

Fractal is strong because of the way it completely circumvents the 6 copy limit rule. When you've got a strong and relatively inexpensive creature (Giant Frog, Minor Phoenix, Elite Charger, Abyss Crawler, Flesh Recluse, Ray of Light, etc.), why have just one of it? The surprise rush of damage in one turn is enough to catch opponents off guard so that they can't take appropriate defensive measures in time.

Question 1: It is no secret that you are a fan of pokemon, your avatar and chat speeches helps push that idea.

Take the idea of Pokemon Stadium 2, (for the N64 console), a section of the game deals with the "elite 4". Look at the current(and previous masters) in the game of elements give me a ranking of who would be like the "elite 4" and ignore "champion Lance" focus on the 4 elite members below Lance.

"We Psychics don't give up even when we're down to the last Pokémon. That's what makes us so formidable! Until we reach zero, our power is limitless. I'm not giving up yet!" -- Will

Will is all about never giving up, even when the odds are not in one's favour. Thus, I believe that Essence embodies that quality the best -- he's been in several tough situations before (Trials 2 and both War 1 and War 2), and he's continued to fight to the best of his ability every time.

"I live in shadows -- a ninja! My intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion, sleep, poison.... Prepare to be the victim of my sinister techniques! Fwahahahaha! Pokémon are not merely about brute force -- you shall see soon enough!" -- Koga

Zeru is undoubtedly the Koga of the Elements community. Entropy's variety of status effects (Chaos Seed, Pandemonium, Antimatter, Butterfly Effect, etc.) combined with his renowned ability to "divide by Zeru" makes him a truly formidable Master.

"I always train to the extreme because I believe in our potential. That is how we became strong. Can you withstand our power? Hm? I see no fear in you. You look determined. Perfect for battle! You will bow down to our overwhelming power!" -- Bruno

Earth has always been a representation of pure power, and Terroking fits this trope to a T (see what I did there? ). Having a fearsome Earth Elemental as an avatar and being undefeated (so far) in Trials also helps.

"I'm known for my overpowering tactics. Think you can take them? Just try to entertain me. Let's go. Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled Trainers should try to win with the Pokémon they love best." -- Karen

This is what GirlsGeneration stands for when she battles. Gravity is an element that pierces through its opponent's defences to win. Also, Gravity is regarded as one of the weakest elements in unupped play, and Girls has been doing her best to prove people wrong in her time as Master.

Question 2: I want you to consider this scenario: Pretend all current masters have been replaced with trial combatants (or filled in with a position in ) and you have become the master of .

It's the final battle in the next war, who do you see yourself battle against? Who among the trial combatants(from other teams) do you see is "a major threat"? State why.

Definitely QuantumT, Amilir, willing3, jmdt, and Napalm Grenade. All five of them are brilliant deckbuilders and strategists, and are fearsome duellists as well.

Question 3: Consider this scenario: Again you are the master for in the next war.

Your team fought well, everyone has played their roles. However, they do horribly in battle and your entire team is eliminated early on.

Demoralized, your team members are calling for you for morale support.

What do you say to them? What would you tell them?

I would tell the members of Team Aether that we did the best we could do, and that we can be proud to make it this far in the War.

PvP events in Elements, much like competitive Pokémon battling, are all about prediction. Sometimes we get it right; sometimes, we don't. If both players played the best that they could, then it really only comes down to the deck composition and the RNG. It's going to be difficult to defeat a hard counter your deck, regardless of one's PvP abilities.

We can always go over what we can do to make our next War attempt better, but for now, we know that we've done the best that we could, and that's all that matters.

Winning isn't everything -- forget about the destination of victory and enjoy the journey of battle.

[xdude]

I will not vote yet, but: ICB is permabanned from chat. Keep that in mind.

Also, I kind of want Pikachu in the finals, he might be the fresh blood Aether needs.

[Mithcairion]

Ok, so I'm gonna be asking this of everyone in some way, shape, or form, so I'm gonna apologize right now if you've seen this from me already.

For what it's worth, I take my vote very seriously (probably too seriously, considering this is an free online game, but I digress), and as such would like to ask you a question/would like you to state your case for why I should vote for you.  If you're planning on making a "speech", please feel free to just reply with a link to it.

First, I'll tell you what I'm looking for in a candidate.  In a word, I'm looking for maturity.  Not age, necessarily, but a sense of responsibility to the community.  This can obviously manifest itself in many ways, but some that come to mind are leading your element in War (why you would be good at it, not giving away your plan of attack), spreading the gospel of your element (think xdude's signature of "Dare you to think Light sucks?  Challenge me.  NOW!", or even simply helping people with deck building/development.

I do wish you all the very best of luck and I look forward to getting to know each of you better via this process.

[The_Mormegil]

The reason I want the responsibility is because I fight for my vision.

I didn't waste my vote, then, but I kind of knew that already. Great speech.

[Higurashi]

The reason I want the responsibility is because I fight for my vision.

I didn't waste my vote, then, but I kind of knew that already. Great speech.

Thanks. ^_^ *bows, gets off the ethereal soapbox*
I may ramble a bit, but I have a strong passion for this element as it means much to me, personally. If you want to know more about why, I can disclose some things of it.

@Mith: Aye, I may have partially answered this question with my speech, but I shall develop further on some points.

I fully agree that maturity is an important factor. As is humbleness, but not without pride. To propagate your Element is to show pride and a strong belief in its strength, but to be an icon is more than that. A good icon is helpful, humble and forceful when needed. They must also be active to become a part of the community as a symbol for their element. This identity can take a bit of time to forge, but it's undeniable that some masters truly personify their elements.

In War, I would lead Aether proudly, and I would encourage my team to show sportsmanship at every possibility. It's a huge event, so bitterness at any instance tends to tag along for the whole ride. That's why positivity is very important; it's a game after all. Aether has been proven to be strong by icb already, but I would relish the opportunity to show you what I can do with it as well.

I have to admit I love bluffing, but I have a very easy time with keeping tight lips as well. I have always loved leading people; the only way to achieve people's full potential is to work as a group with a common goal, and I have a very easy time with persuading my teammates of a course of action. Just ask my old army buddies, heh..

Aether has been shown to be one of the most popular elements in some polls (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6472.0.html), especially by newer players. Some call the element as a mono one-dimensional, where it's really the most adaptable of them all.
Were I to become the elected Lady Aether, I would unite all fans of the element under one banner. I would radiate the pride of my element as I always have, and by becoming the official icon, I would spread the appreciation for it endlessly. We will make it shine.

[PlayerOa]

After a lot of thought, I voted for Dragoon1140.

[OldTrees]

What does the Element Aether symbolize? (Be precise, concise and complete)
What types of cards does Aether need in game to finish covering the Element Aether?

[Dragoon1140]

Hello everybody!  If one doesn't know who I am or what I've done, I am one of four Competition Organizers and a second-term Council (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12735.0.html) Member (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18002.0.html) of the forums.  I initially gained popularity among the community by posting various Elements videos on my Youtube channel, including a newb-friendly series in the Tutorial Section (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12750.0.html), only one of just thirteen tutorials posted there.  An important fact about me though:  I'm not huge on lore.  While a nice debate is good to have every now and then, I'm not keen on debating whether or not Aether is a true counter of Time or if Darkness is really the absence of Light.

Now, unlike some others across the forum, I just cannot read a massive "wall of text" that some people post.  I understand the purpose of them, and I also understand that a few love them, but I don't have the necessary attention span to read them all of the way through, especially if different fonts and elemental signs are used.  Thus, I'm going to make more use of hyperlinks; linking to various things I've done around the forum.

First of all, some people have questioned my PvP skills, especially after my poor showing in Phase 2.  However, everybody should look beyond just Phase 2 of the Trials.  One of my most proud accomplishments was supporting Aether so well in the War by attaining a 6-1 record:

Round 1 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,14641.0.html)
Round 2 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15109.0.html)
Round 3 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15494.0.html)
Round 4 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15933.0.html)
Round 5 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16349.0.html)
Round 6 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16994.0.html)
Round 7 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17527.0.html)

One may also be curious about my tournament record.  I've only won one tournament, as my award record shows, but I've placed second (or first) in the following tournaments.  Which, in my mind, is just as much of an accomplishment as placing first:

First Place Win (Menagerie)
Creatures Only (Upgraded)
Mono Same Mark (Unupgraded)
Three's a Crowd (Unupgraded)

I've also been a fan of PvP events.  Whilst not winning any, I have placed in, or near, the finals of the TPvP Events, which I am a major fan of:

Team PvP #1 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9335.0.html)
Team PvP #2 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11994.0.html)

I believe this the end of my lists, but I am still more than happy to answer any questions that may be asked, regardless of how personal they may or may not be.  Remember though, and this is my most important quality:  I'm nice!  I love helping out the lonely newbie in chat, and speaking with whomever calls my name.

Good luck to everybody else in their Trial efforts, and I hope everybody just has fun with this whole thing. 

[Dragoon1140]

Excuse the double post, but I couldn't stand answering questions in the same post as my speech.

What does the Element Aether symbolize? (Be precise, concise and complete)
What types of cards does Aether need in game to finish covering the Element Aether?

1.  In my mind, Aether symbolizes the empty space between the dimensions.  Sort of filling in the weakness that other elements lack, so to speak.  Of course, I've read little, scientifically, on what exactly Aether is, but that is how I interpret it.

2.  Honestly, I would love to see a non-immaterial, mid-range vanilla creature for Aether.  Phase Spider exists, of course, but something with a few more HP while sacrificing some attack would be nice.  My favorite Aether card is Twin Universe, and sometimes I want to TU something in Aether that isn't a Chaos Power'd Ball Lightning or a Momentum'd Phase Spider.

First, I'll tell you what I'm looking for in a candidate.  In a word, I'm looking for maturity.  Not age, necessarily, but a sense of responsibility to the community.  This can obviously manifest itself in many ways, but some that come to mind are leading your element in War (why you would be good at it, not giving away your plan of attack), spreading the gospel of your element (think xdude's signature of "Dare you to think Light sucks?  Challenge me.  NOW!", or even simply helping people with deck building/development.

As I've said in my speech, which is actually posted right below your question, I make newb-friendly videos and help newbies to the game in chat all of the time. 

As for the War effort, I have something no other Aether contender has:  War experience.  I know what it feels like to build, and attempt to sustain, a vault.  I know what it is like to duel once a week using the precise deck, with the added pressure from your team to win.  I have experienced this all before, and I believe that I can harness that experience in the next War.

[Higurashi]

Let's see, cards.. I personally feel there is no limit to the amount of cards Aether could gain and still be relevant. It's the cornerstone of so much of the universe and of so many themes. Nonetheless, right now it's missing something more forceful to represent the enormous power of the stars. I personally loved Rift Aeon (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6435) for this reason.

Furthermore, who knows what exists in all these dimensions that Aether holds control over? Dimensional Gate (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6305.0.html) has long been a favourite of mine as it capitalises on that unknown, almost terrifying feeling it can invoke.

Seeing as Aether also embodies Aspiration to me, I've considered posting a card named as such. It was a spell that would grow the creature by +1/+1 every turn. Sort of a buff for monoaether Phase Recluse, and subsequently Turquoise Nymph.

Another card I've always liked due to how it would balance the element is Dimensional Striker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18641.0.html). It combines good balance with the theme of foreign troops from another dimension coming to aid the elemental.

All of these are themes I think fits the element and would improve the game. There are many more, and really, the possibilities with this element are endless. What can't you do with electricity, for instance?