Task 1: Missing 1/3 Streaks
Deck Topic:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29344.msg400219#msg400219Bronze League
Silver League
Task 2: Completed
Shard Idea (1/1)
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=28846.msg397871#msg3978710/5 Criticisms (6/6)
Shard of Awareness - by Legithttp://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394235#msg394235Very interesting concept, like a mix of both cloak and precognition, with obvious advantages as to use with air cards (without needing to make it other, with elemental costs). Both the upped and unupped versions I think would have postitive impacts on the gameplaying itself, with players being able to think through their moves more.
However, shards are meant to be played in 6x form, as they stack and such. This, like nightfall or flooding, is mostly useful, once. Maybe 2 or 3 copies to make sure its drawn fast, but there isn't really that much reason for it to be a shard.
The concept is awesome, and I think it would actually be a more than decent addition to the game, but with current shard mechanics, it might be better off as a different styled permanent (air is in need of more of those) , or a spell lasting X turns (5 I think is the perfect number here - that is, if you are convinced it should be a shard, since it seems so much cooler to me as a permanent) . Great choice of name too.
Shard of Freedom - by Hyroen http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394236#msg394236Working with airborne creatures seems to be one of the more popular ways of affecting air. This one really does though, I can't really imagine phoenixes/dragons getting too much use out of it, although the law of diminishing returns does seem to apply with FFQs and such. When the + X buff happens is relatively important here though, because of Sky Blitz and Dive, both of which I'm sure would make huge use of a +6 buff, (and more, since I am assuming the series continues progressively onwards, all the way to 6, or 12 with an epic mindgate duel). Obviously, it will be much more powerful if you can manipulate the buffs, and to a lesser extent will affect things like Maxwell's demons - whether the buff stays with the creature for the opponents turn too.
I've always seen Air as needing an 'area' card, like Flooding or Nightfall, affecting both sides of the field, and airborne isn't so restrictive as to make it a pure pain to play (as well as the relatively subdued effect - untill it kills you), which makes it one of the few cards which on some occasions does better in your hand than on the field (IMO a good thing, like not playing a fireshield against an opponent with steals. Anything to make people think)
Shard of Benevolence by kevkev60614http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394267#msg394267You're probably going to be one of the only people reading this, and you have no idea how tempting it is to say how much about this card is great just to see if I can score myself the bonus points that way. But you might see it (and this) as a way to rack up my word count, which might reflect poorly too.
But in any case, I actually really love this card. I've always seen quintessence as a pretty lame way to protect creatures, since once its played, it can't be countered. This obviously can, because, no matter how immortal your creatures are, it doesn't help if you're dead (and less dramatically, PC). The double edged sword is great, and in my cheesy air way, I like hearing how an air elemental is prepared to sacrifice him/herself for their creatures. And this without a doubt is one of my favourite community created cards, because it balances Creature Protection well, and offers some new opportunities to your opponents. You might feel great when you keep your firefly queen alive for long enough to build up a massive army, less when they play RoF.
My critisisms here are basically the same as the one for Legit. It doesn't stack, which seems to be the thing that shards (permanent) have been aiming for. The other thing is the bit about air sources, it seems a bit tacked on to the end of the upped one, just to show that you have included Air somewhere, and I can't really tell where youre going with it. I interpret it as making all opposing air attacks weaker, which to me seems a bit...unnecessary, and holy lightish in terms of hard counter. I'm not a huge fan of that - it almost discourages people from playing air.
Shard of Order - by Aticohttp://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394441#msg394441Honestly, I fail to understand the main use here, in terms of shuffling airborne creatures. Other than synergy with flooding, it seems...not that useful, especially when you can't control where they go (which would be far too time-consuming with a lot of creatures anyway), to influence things such as EMs, vulture buffs before being attacked, bone wall avoiding and hitting - and everything else pikachufan told me when I got confused. The synergy with flooding however is great, and its obvious why not shuffling airborne creatures is advantageous to you too (effecting both sides of the field is cool).
The permanent control aspect seems like the main point here, at least in the majority of cases. The difference in upped and unupped is pretty significant, 2 extra permanents at 12 pillars makes a difference. Random seems to be the key in this card idea, and air could do with some more of that, I've always seen wind as pretty random, although a lot of this card just depends on exactly what your opponent is running, rather than what you are (reliant on permanents-creature full), which to be honest makes it seem a little less of what one would expect from a shard.
Shard of Grace - by 1world24http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394567#msg394567Gain +1|+1 isn't a particularly memorable skill to be honest. Already done by momentum, and beaten by Blessing, Chaos Power and growth.
The skill airborne is currently only useful for two things. Getting past wings and Sky Blitz. As there is really no specific way for knowing when you will come up against Wings, its only true use in a deck built to use it is to take advantage of sky Blitz, for non airbourne creatures.
Since every single air creature is already airborne, this shard is actually more powerful on non air creatures than air creatures. An air creature will have a 4 other +1|+1 buff, (+2 both upgraded), which honestly, is hardly worth the card space. While obviously its main use would still be in duos with air, most of the shards are shown to be fully useable within the element itself, to get as much stregnth from it as possible. Because of this, I would honestly suggest to change the card completely, as it is almost useless to mono-air in this current form.
Shard of Wisdom - by blazkenhttp://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394575#msg394575Again, thematically the main ability here isn't particularly interesting, or well representative of Air as an element. Shard of Gratitude already regens 5 per turn, and honestly, it fits much better in the life element, and even after that, this is done by Empathic bond and Sanctuary. Upgraded, it's just one extra cost for 1 extra point of healing (there is no unupped counterpart to compare to), with a buff ability costing air, seemingly just added on to make it fit, and make it useable more for air.
4
for a +1|+1 buff is also ridiculously underpowered, costing more than a blessing for a much worse ability. The upgraded is slightly better, costing 3 for +2|+2, and in the end it just seems like they would only ever be used for ever more regeneration, and not be used specially in air decks much at all.
Another issue is, when the shards stack, how will they be able to use active abilities for more than one? It seems to me that it would need to force either all of them, as much as you could pay for, or just one (unless you want a pop up menu), or having to reclick every time until it ran out of copies you had. Either way, it isn't exactly a fluid mechanic which would flow automatically right into the game.
Task 3: Completed
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29095.msg397851#msg397851http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg397847#msg397847http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29081.msg397393#msg397393http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28511.msg397868#msg397868http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27783.msg397935#msg397935http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29288.msg399881#msg399881I guess if you're reading this, you can assume I ran out of time and just failed at scoring myself an extra 3 points, and possibly another 3.
Blame Gold/Platinum.
(I tried)
