9th Trials - Phase 3: Community Vote

[Zawadx]

Phase 3 - Community Vote

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 as THE representative for their element.  If you do not have any preference for who should be Master, or cannot decide between the candidates, please select the "None Worthy" option. 

To help you make the best decision possible, feel free to ask the candidates questions.  Both challengers and defending Masters ought to answer the questions in this thread to help the voters make the best possible choice.  Please put all your answers in a single post (employing spoiler tags is recommended).  Also, challengers should include in that post a link to your Phase 1 submission post.


Questions and answers may begin now that this topic is posted.
Voting will begin when the polls are up at the official start of Phase 3.
Phase 3 ends when poll expires.

[Afdarenty]

Hi.

Questions for Air trialists:

Spoiler for jonathancrazyj:

The eternal question in my mind with air, is the practical use of the Web ability of the Recluses.

Can you build me a Shardless deck, that uses Wings, Web, and Iridium Wardens. (I know that having wings AND wardens is a bit unnecessary, but give it a shot!)


You broke the hi train

I've actually used a deck very similar to the one you described in BL, but that one uses SoP. I'm going to choose to build an upgraded deck, because you said recluse and not spider, and the spiders suck. I could try to build one with 50% Air cards but it wouldn't be a good deck, and I don't like building bad decks.

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6u2 6u2 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 713 713 74b 77m 77m 77m 7ah 7ah 7h2 7jv 7jv 7n8 7n8 7n8 7q5 7t9 7t9 80g 8pj

This seems pretty good - perhaps even good enough for CL. The recluse with some of the buffs are quite fast, the Wardens give some quick control backed up by Otyugh, it has PC, some card draw, some stall breaking in the Forest Spirits and the Steamie. The buffs synergise well with both the Wardens and the Otyugh, and Wings/web can just lock some decks out. It went 2-1 against AI4, the loss due to no recluse in 20 cards and running out of Earth quanta, and 1-0 vs AI3, which I clicked on accidentally.

Spoiler for Screenshots:

The deja vu was an oracle pet.

Spoiler for Frozengaia:

To both:
Other than shard of freedom, what card does air need to rely on the most? (in general, but assume war if you want.)


I'm going to assume PVP in general, which is typically unupgraded or semi-upgraded. In my opinion, Air relies on our Dragon the most. Unless you happen to be swimming in Nymphs or wish to use an upgrade on a Wyrm Air has few other good source of damage.

Spoiler for Ginyu:

It is well known you have a very nice collection of Blue Nymph's, which you use regularly. Do you consider it to be the best Nymph in the game and why? If yes, might there be a nerf needed and what would that be?


I do consider it to be the best nymph in the game.  I'm finding it very difficult to put exactly why into words. Perhaps comparing it to an Elite Charger will help: Elite Charger is widely considered to be a great card. It has an excellent damage to cost ratio, and best of all, it bypasses shields. Now, comparing it to an unupgraded Nymph. The Nymph is a little more expensive to play and it has an upkeep cost, but for that slight increase in cost it does roughly 4x more damage and also bypasses shields.

That may or may not have been a helpful comparison for you, but it was for me. It's so good because when you play it you're instantly dealing 26 more damage a turn. For the most part, your win condition in Elements is damage from creatures. You spend most games racing your opponent. A Blue Nymph has a much larger immediate impact on the race than any other card - such a large impact that anything your opponent plays that doesn't effect the Nymph becomes near irrelevant. No other card warps the game around itself in the same way. Typically the worst case for not answering an opponents threat is 10 damage per turn, that you can partially negate with a shield. The effect from Blue Nymph is far more powerful.

Does it need a nerf? Perhaps. When you nerf a card, you're not actually nerfing the card. You're nerfing the decks that it's in. Though the card is much stronger individually than many others, is the Blue Nymph deck significantly stronger than a Grabbow, Psiontal, Discquake, Mono Fire or a Mono Entropy? Not in my opinion, though it could be argued that all of these decks deserve a nerf. I'm also hilariously biased.

Spoiler for Zawadx:

Hi?

(This is your question, its answer will determine who gets my vote to a great extent)


Now, this was a difficult question for me. After many, many hours I came up with an answer that satisfied me. It's a phrase you've heard before, but it's a good one. Some might even consider it a classic.

Hi.

Spoiler for Basman-1453:

For both candidates:
*) What mental and spiritual preparations you'd prepare for the final showdown against the other candidate?
*) What's your favorite deck that involves Air cards as a key component?

For Afda only
*) I wasn't around when much of Brawl happened, but it seems that you didn't lead Air for Brawl. If you are re-elected, are you going to lead Air for the next Brawl?


For preparation, I test a lot. Spiritually? Nothing much happening. Mentally? I try to go into every match without putting too much emphasis on the result. This doesn't mean I won't play to win, but that I try to enjoy playing the match more than I enjoy winning it.

As for favourite deck, I'll refer back to our most exquisite deck of War 8. Something along the lines of this:

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

4vl 4vl 4vl 55v 55v 5c1 5oc 5oc 5oc 5oc 5oc 5oc 5oc 5oc 5og 5p0 5p0 5p0 5p0 5p0 5rk 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 77j 77j 77j 7ms 8pj

I doubt I'll lead Air for the next Brawl.

Spoiler for CCCombobreaker:

Does the vault feel emptier with no fireflies or no thunderstorms?


A little. Actually, with no thunderstorms I imagine the vault is feeling empty indeed.

I was really happy that we used almost every Air card last war. Fireflies make it hard, though... At least with 6 upgrades. With a few more I might be able to persuade them to make a guest appearance.

Questions for all trialists:

Spoiler for willng3:

What element do you hate the most and why?


It's a difficult question to answer. Each element brings something unique to the table, be it a unique mechanic or a play style unique to that element. Adapting to these differences is what I enjoy most about this game, so I can't claim to dislike playing any of the elements.

From a deck building perspective I enjoy building Fire decks the least, so if forced to answer then that would be my pick.

Spoiler for Higurashi:

What does your element represent and mean to you outside of the gameplay? What has it done for you, and what would you do for it as a Master?


Okay, some things about me. Every day I go walking for an hour or two. My normal route is more hike than walk, up a wooded path to the top of a large hill nearby. From the top of this hill the view is stunning - it's the reason I choose to walk that route most days. Another thing about me is that I have what my friends call 'a thing for the sky'. I find the sky to be a beautiful thing to look at, not just at sunrise or sunset, but through out the day. A nice sky can make me much more optimistic about the day.

On the top of our hill we have a bench. I typically take half an hour out to drink in the view, the sky, and to let my mind wander. This can be as little as thinking about upcoming elements matches, as large as pondering which university to go to, or sometimes thinking of nothing at all. It's a calm time for me which I value highly. A time where I can be alone with my thoughts for a while, free from all distractions. I suppose it's close to meditation.

So when I look at the sky this is the time of day I think of. It's a calming influence on me. I suspect it's this that makes me find the sky as beautiful as it is. It represents serenity to me.

It's difficult putting down exactly what I think into words. I've spent almost an hour writing that, and I'm still not entirely satisfied. Hopefully it satisfies you. Somewhat strange to tell the internet something very few people know about me.

As for what I plan to do for the element, my hope is to lead it into a much higher ranking next War and to make some others fall in love with it.

Spoiler for trashduke:

If you win Trials, will you lead your team into the upcoming war?

If not, please explain why.

If so, please describe your leadership style and how you will organize and motivate your team members.


I'll be General for War. I'm someone who puts a lot of emphasis on team work. I put a lot of trust in my team members and will usually stand by their decisions, assuming they take feedback from me and others on board.

As for motivation, I've been in 3 wars so far. In none of them have my teams had a problem with motivation. In my view, part of avoiding this problem is in the drafting phase, part of it is down to communication.

Spoiler for dragonsdemesne:

If your element has never won a war, why do you think that is?  (underpowered elements, bad generals/team, bad rng, etc)

If your element has won a war, what makes you think YOU can do it again?


Though Air has yet to win a war it's worth saying that it has had two second place finishes. As for why it hasn't won a war, it's hard to say. I don't consider it to be a top 3 element, though it's certainly in the top 6. In both wars where it placed second the teams were extremely strong. If there were significantly more upgrades in war I think Air would much stronger.

Spoiler for dawn_to_dusk:

brawl, where do you stand on it and do you think you will be able to be a brawl boss?


I'm glad the forums have an event like Brawl, but it's not for me personally.

I've said above that I don't want to lead Air into Brawl. Would I be able to? I don't think I'd be able to do a good job. To do a good job leading anyone in anything you need enthusiasm. For Brawl, it's something I lack.

Spoiler for Naesala:

Do you think masters should represent their elements in Brawl?

From what I remember, which element your team represents has little impact on how the team completes their tasks - a Life team choosing to design a Light card, for example. To me, it feels like the element gives a team its name but does little else. It's possible things have changed since I last looked at Brawl, or that I misunderstood things initially.

On the flip side, masters are (presumably) active, good at working in teams, experienced forum members and reliable. Traits like this make them promising candidates for Brawl Bosses, so I consider it a good thing that they are given the opportunity to lead a team.

[DANIEELA]

I think there has been some confusion here... you've used upgraded pillars/pendulums in all your decks, but you didn't complete the Being A War Reporter task in Phase 1.
Instead of voiding all your games and giving you a 0-24 result, I've decided to grant you leniency here, and check your decks as if you completed the Being A War Reporter task instead of Starting Your Own Little War.
 I've spoken to Afdarenty about the decision, and he is happy to have the points granted to you instead of voiding all your games.

Lets see...voiding all my games...
After i spent my time here,preparing decks and playing vs all my opponents,i had 2 excelent chances for 0-24 score.
So i can only be gratefull to Physsion,Zawad and Afdarenty.

CHALLENGER BATTLE UPGRADE UNLOCKS

Spoiler for UNLOCKED UPGRADES:

ELEMENT	CHALLENGERS	CREATURES	SPELLS	PILLAR/PEND	NON-PILLAR/PEND PERM	"ANY"
	Afdarenty DANIEELA	0 1	0 5	0 5	0 1	14 1

It was my fault,because i didnt double checked my upgrades.
But there is question :
What if i had used the upgrades from phase 1,that i really had?
Btw,they would be different from the official table.
Without noticing that,and messaging to TrO-s - all my games vould be voided for sure!

So,i will be short with answers withouth big expectations...whatever!

HAVE FUN!

Spoiler for Hidden:

Hey there! what's up?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

The eternal question in my mind with air, is the practical use of the Web ability of the Recluses.
Can you build me a Shardless deck, that uses Wings, Web, and Iridium Wardens. (I know that having wings AND wardens is a bit unnecessary, but give it a shot!)

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Questions to DANIEELA:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Do you like kittens?

Spoiler for Hidden:

What is your favourite bird?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Why are you answering questions with memes?

Spoiler for Hidden:

*waits*

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

To DANIEELA:
You trialled for Aether last time. Why the change?

Spoiler for Hidden:

To both:
Other than shard of freedom, what card does air need to rely on the most? (in general, but assume war if you want.)

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

To DANIEELA:
As it seems you are going an alphabetic order in challenging elements: If you become the Master of Air these Trials, are you going to defend your title next time or throwing it away to challenge Darkness?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Also, are you going to lead Air in War and Brawl?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Hi?
(This is your question, its answer will determine who gets my vote to a great extent)

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

For both candidates:
*) What mental and spiritual preparations you'd prepare for the final showdown against the other candidate?

Spoiler for Hidden:

*) What's your favorite deck that involves Air cards as a key component?

Spoiler for Hidden:

For Danieela only
*) Explain to us why you, instead of Afda, deserves to be the Ninth Master of Air, putting Frozengaia's and Ginyu's concern of Trial-hopping aside.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Does the vault feel emptier with no fireflies or no thunderstorms?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

What element do you hate the most and why?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

What does your element represent and mean to you outside of the gameplay?

Spoiler for Hidden:

What has it done for you,

Spoiler for Hidden:

and what would you do for it as a Master?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

If you win Trials, will you lead your team into the upcoming war?
If not, please explain why.

Spoiler for Hidden:

If so, please describe your leadership style and how you will organize and motivate your team members.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

If your element has never won a war, why do you think that is?  (underpowered elements, bad generals/team, bad rng, etc)
If your element has won a war, what makes you think YOU can do it again?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

brawl, where do you stand on it and do you think you will be able to be a brawl boss?

Spoiler for Hidden:

Spoiler for Hidden:

Do you think masters should represent their elements in Brawl?

Spoiler for Hidden:

ROFLOLMAO!
I will not get your voices,but i got a lot of fun!
ROFFLOFLMFAO!

AIR BONUS

Spoiler for Hidden:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_uxoV5FuQ

[serprex]

Hello

[Dm]

Hey.

[iancudorinmarian]

Hi

[MyNameIsJoey]

Hey there! what's up?

[JonathanCrazyJ]

The eternal question in my mind with air, is the practical use of the Web ability of the Recluses.

Can you build me a Shardless deck, that uses Wings, Web, and Iridium Wardens. (I know that having wings AND wardens is a bit unnecessary, but give it a shot!)

[Espithel]

To DANIEELA:
You trialled for Aether last time. Why the change?

To both:
Other than shard of freedom, what card does air need to rely on the most? (in general, but assume war if you want.)

[Ginyu]

To DANIEELA:

As it seems you are going an alphabetic order in challenging elements: If you become the Master of Air these Trials, are you going to defend your title next time or throwing it away to challenge Darkness? Also, are you going to lead Air in War and Brawl?

To Afdarenty:

It is well known you have a very nice collection of Blue Nymph's, which you use regularly. Do you consider it to be the best Nymph in the game and why? If yes, might there be a nerf needed and what would that be?

[Zawadx]

Hi?

(This is your question, its answer will determine who gets my vote to a great extent)

[Basman-1453]

For both candidates:
*) What mental and spiritual preparations you'd prepare for the final showdown against the other candidate?
*) What's your favorite deck that involves Air cards as a key component?

For Afda only
*) I wasn't around when much of Brawl happened, but it seems that you didn't lead Air for Brawl. If you are re-elected, are you going to lead Air for the next Brawl?

For Danieela only
*) Explain to us why you, instead of Afda, deserves to be the Ninth Master of Air, putting Frozengaia's and Ginyu's concern of Trial-hopping aside.