4th Trials - Phase 1 - Proving of Worthiness

[kev]

Phase 1 - Proving of Worthiness
Phase 1 has ended

See the tasks here (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29093.0.html).

Post your screenshots, links, shard commentaries, etc here.

Please use "modify" on your first post here rather than adding new posts as you progress through the tasks.  This will help avoid clutter.  Thanks.

[kirchj33]

TASK I
Battle Prowess - The Arena

Hard Chargin' Partiers Getting Smashed (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29197.0.html)

by kirchj33

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

745 745 745 745 778 778 778 778 778 77a 77a 77a 77a 77a 77c 77f 77f 77i 77i 77l 77l 77l 77m 78q 78q 78q 78q 78q 78q 78q 8pl

]
TASK II
Card Design - Shards

 Trials submission - Shard of Philomathy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397991#msg397991)

Critique -
 

• - Shard of Perfection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398046#msg398046)
  

I think this is a great idea for a shard because it is just plain fun.  It adds an extra element and challenge to the pve environment, an area that is often ignored in trials/war.  It is a great fit for earth, since likely those decks with an earth mark, or at least a heavy focus on generating earth quanta will be able to utilize it's properties.  I am not sure the coding of the game would be able to implement the Shard, or at least I would think it would need to be recoded a bit. The only drawback, of course, is that the shard has literally no importance in a pvp environment, thus making it a non-competitive card.  It's non-competitive nature, in comparison to other elements, could actually further weaken the element in terms of war because other elements would be able to utilize their shards to better their position (adding additional pressure in their decks/creating additional counters to consider while battling), while this shard does nothing for . - 174 words

• - Shard of Confidence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398430#msg398430)

This is a good concept and works as a sort of less impressive version of nightfall/eclipse for burrowed creatures.  The fact that it refers to only burrowed creatures probably makes it more applicable to devourers in the upped environment than any earth creatures.  It allows grabbies to hit for 6 and antlions to hit for 3.  In the unupped environment, it allows grabbows to have an extra turn defensively before having to evolve vs. firestalls, but I don't really find the card that playable overall in a competitive environment.  I think the shard is fairly underpowered as currently stated, however, a reasonable change might be to change the verbage from "burrowed" to "burrowable".  I find the cost of 2/3 to be fair, even with a change to the verbage.  The shard is not quite as good as nightfall/eclipse, but doesn't have a restriction of being specific to or any other element, the way that nightfall/eclipse has a restriction to .  This means that any duo, trio, or rainbow that wants to utilize this shard should be able to utilize this shard as well as just earth decks. - 188 words

• - Shard of Stoicism (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398715#msg398715)

At first, I read the description to this proposed shard and I became very excited!  Long had I dreamed of a way to protect more than one enchant without having to pack multiple card slots, thus wasting multiple card spaces in a created deck.  In light of my rage against arena, I had promised to myself to no longer attempt playing it (I subsequently continue to break this promise to myself).  The biggest frustration to me with platinum & gold is that any time I try to play a deck with any perms, I have to watch them blow up almost immediately.   This shard seems like a great solution to this problem.  Additionally, the unupped version might make playing an earth-based rush a viable option in arena.  Almost equally depressing is the parallel situation to seeing all of your perms blow up, is playing against a deck that packs ample CC.  This analogous situation has helped fuel my rage as well.  Then, I put further consideration into this card..... the double draw and excess quanta generation is what makes arena maddening to me.  People can take a balanced deck concept and add excess CC & enchant removal to go from a fair fight to a situation where only the luckiest situations will cause it to lose.  In short, people play strong decks and then pack cards to help make them more well-rounded in the end.  The answer (Shard of Stoicism) to this problem would only increase this frustration when opposing arena decks play them.  Timebows would make me want to punch babies when packing this shard.  Also, I am not sure it is a whole lot better than cloak so my entire discussion might be invalidated, but I am sure there are more specific ways to abuse Shard of Stoicism.  SoG spam with a timebow sounds aweful just thinking about it.  There is no way a pulverizer even could keep up.  Ultimately, I believe this shard does more harm to the arena meta than it helps. - 334 words

• - Shard of Prudence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398124#msg398124)
  

I really like the way this shard concept fits in with the theme.  The shard itself has a bit of a "grounded" or "stuck in the mud" theme to it and can really do a lot to favor monos or earth duos vs. speedbows or immo decks.  I kind of get a happy feeling inside when thinking of the synergy this card has with other lockdown cards such as earthquake, discord, reverse time, eternity, silence, etc.  That being said, I feel the quanta cost is much too high because the cost itself counteracts the very thing the shard sets out to do.  I would lower the cost to 2 for unupped and 1 for upped, this way, if drawn, it gives the opportunity to achieve its purpose.  If the cost is left at 4 or 5, the shard would almost require that some sort of grabbow be played in order for it to be useful.  I really like the idea of what this card could do to add some relief against false gods and against buffed drawing decks in the arena as well. - 180 words

• - Shard of Fortitude (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398388#msg398388)
  

Conceptually, this "shard" is one of the strongest entries I have seen thus far.  I mean the word "conceptually" in the sense that its name matches up well with the function of the card, and the shard itself really fits in great with the theme of earth.  willng3 definitely brings a sort of feeling into this shard, because for me, I see it as an empathic bond in spell form, specific to earth, with stone skin properties.  My obvious criticism is that it isn't a permanent shard, although, SoD & SoS are not either.  Perhaps there needs to be more of a movement to un-permanent-ize the shard revolution.  I really like the way this shard fits into AI3 rush/EM decks and was already daydreaming about golem-SoF-tosis.  PvE needs stronger alternatives to Improved Heal for EM decks as a final heal.  Not only does the shard fit many the other properties well conceptually, but willng3 himself - 156 words

• - Shard of Caution (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg400183#msg400183)
  

The first thing that came to mind for me when looking at this shard is how ridiculously overpowered it is.  Its cost is on the mid-ranged side for perms, so playing it will not even put much of a strain on quanta.  I was thinking it was named Shard of Caution because if the shard only increased defense alone, this would be a buff to gravity shields as well, which is probably needed somehow, but adding momentum to earth creatures completely nullifies this buff.  There are several aspects to this card that make it scary and able to be abused in my opinion.  First off, from an opposing standpoint, you can pretty much forget about any of your CC being effective while it is in play.  Secondly, the thought of anything that can devour scares the living daylights out of me, particularly when considering scarabs, which are quite spammable.  Even if the defensive buff was changed to +1/+2, I would think the momentum buff would make it overpowered for grabbows. My personal recommendation would be that this shard should not be considered when adding new ones.  - 185 words
TASK III
Deckbuilding

• Thread 1: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7501.msg90317#msg90317 - word count: 192
• Thread 2: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28142.0.html - word count: 186
• Thread 3: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27839.msg379313#msg379313 - word count: 171
• Thread 4: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27751.msg400239#msg400239 - word count: 175
• Thread 5: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25455.msg400244#msg400244 - word count: 189
• Thread 6: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27402.msg400594#msg400594 - word count: 171 (word count website registered 44, so I hand counted the value)

• Bonus Thread! (<25% , but I adjusted to >25% and the deck suggested is quite solid & unique): http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16023.msg400252#msg400252 - word count: 309

[Kakerlake]

TASK I
Battle Prowess - The Arena

Quaking Grabowinder (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29161.0.html)



I'M A DUNDERHEAD.


TASK II
Card Design - Shards

My Shard submission: Shard of Perfection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398046#msg398046)
Critique:

• Shard of Fortitude (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397618#msg397618)
  I really like the idea of the card. This would be the long awaited direct damage to creatures was missing, while still fitting the element.
  
  The cost seems a little expensive. The damage dealt is comparable to Thunderstorm and the additional healing does only counter one further Thunderstorm, or a fire shield.
  Reducing the cost by 1 or 2 makes it reasonable to be used in a mono earth deck, as well as in a rainbow deck as a mass CC in between RoF and Thunderstorm
  
  There are two thing's I'm not really happy with though:
  The first thing is, that the earth creatures should get +0/+2 instead of being healed. Earth isn't an element for healing, it's for toughening. BB, SS, Armor all increase max health (and current health along the way).
  Secondly, I don't think the name "Fortitude" represents the damage that is being dealt to all creatures. The name "self-discipline" would fit IMO much better.
• Shard of Philomacy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397991#msg397991)
  The first point I'd like to mention here is, that as it is, this card has currently nothing to do with the Earth element. If it were a submission from Entropy or Water, you wouldn't see any difference.
  Although it isn't clearly noted in the rules, the intention was that each Shard will clearly favor one element.
  
  Next: the wording is somewhat misleading. "then takes 2 random quanta", does this mean it reduces your, or your opponents quanta pool?
  Either way it seems rather strange. If it reduces your pool, why not directly say that it gives 3 random quanta instead of 5? It's like discording yourself for 2 Quanta, which seems rather pointless to me.
  If it was the other way, that it reduces 2 quanta from your opponent, then this card is seriously OP. Like a Devourer + 1 dmg + Quantum Pillar in one, with the slight difference that it alternates with the damage and Quanta. So if your opponent has a average draw of 3 Pillar, his first turn would be countered by playing 2 Shards. Maybe adding some devourers next turn and you've got him locked pretty good.
  
  I'd suggest to change it like this:
  Alternatingly generates and deals 2 (3) damage.
• Shard of Perseverance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg396233#msg396233)
  I like the idea of the card. Strengening a creature each turn fits perfectly into the mechanics that the Lava Golem already has.
  
  The cost seems rather low, but compared to the Growth Ability which it basically offers, or similar effects, it seems all right.
  I'd add a "Consumes " to the card though, for one to emphasize the connection to Earth and also to justify the continues growth.
  
  Looking at the effect, I think the numbers are set too high. Especially the upped version with the +2/+4 for an earth creature is insane.Having 2 of these shards and playing a gnome makes it already a 5/9 creature, and with it immune to most CC.
  I'd suggest lowering all the numbers here. Fot the unupped version, giving out +0/+1 to non earth creatures and +1/+2 to earth creatures seem fine. The upped version could then give +1/+1 to non earth creatures and +2/+2 to earth creatures.
  
  This would still give a maximum of +12/+12 each turn with 6 times upped shards, but shards are supposed to be overpowered, right?
• Shard of Resilience (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg394422#msg394422)
  Even though it would perfectly fit into the earth element, any other element can use it without restriction. Again, the rules of the competition don't clearly state it, but the idea was to create shards which favor one element in particular.
  A few ideas for some kind of restriction to benefit are this:
  
  • 50% chance to reduce damage by 1. +5% for every 10 earth Quanta in your posession.
  • Every damage reduced will consume 1 non earth quanta. Still reduces damage if there is only earth quanta left
  • Both versions only protect creatures for 1 damage. Player as well if you use an earth mark.
  • Add an effect, that each time an earth creautre recieves damage, it gains +1/+0 (only if it actually recieves damage, so letting them run against a fire shield, where the damage is reduced to 0 does not increase the attack)
  The cost of the card might need to be changed a little as well if you change the effect. As it is currently, it seems fine though.
• Shard of Prudence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398124#msg398124)
  Amazing denial card, though I don't really think it fits into as much as it would in or , or to fit the name even in , like MTG did with "Rule of Law".
  Earth elementals are not known to be exceptionally prudent but rather the opposite.
  
  Playing this Shard in the first round could spell the beginning of a victory, as your opponent won't be able to do much in his first bunch of turns. In the later game, this shard seems to be mostly obsolete (in PvP), though it can prevent those nasty OTKs or a bolting to death.
  Against FG's, this would be a revolution as it annihilates the advantage they have from the double draw.
  
  While I really like this idea, I think it is just as broken as the Shard of Sacrifice Zanzarino introduced. Nerfing it, so both players can only play 2 cards would make this IMO balanced enough to be implemented.
• Shard of Endurance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397671#msg397671)
  The idea of this shard amazing, I love it. Giving you a temporary health boost to survive a couple more turns in exchange for continuosly growing damage would be a great addition to the arsenal of earth spells.
  
  One problem of this submission is the same that many others have as well: The new shards are supposed to favor one element specifically, which does not apply to this submission.
  To make it an specific Shard, I'd suggest to change the "Gain 50/75 hp" into "Gain twice/trice the ammount of to your max health (maximum 75)" and to reduce the wording, replace the counters with "Gain 5 acid counters each turn". Acid counters will be the same as Poison counters, but you can't purify them. Having these changes, you could turn this Shard into a spell, so in the end it would make this shard the a little better last minute saver than Stone Skin, but still pretty useless in a stall.

TASK III
Deckbuilding

The starving Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27751.msg398518#msg398518)
Antimatter + Gravity Pulled Voodoos (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16023.msg398570#msg398570)
Just another Dune Scorpion deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11300.msg398765#msg398765)
eternal dragons (ai abuser) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26157.msg399308#msg399308)
The Decks for My Other Accounts (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg399538#msg399538)
Underworld deck building challenge! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28183.msg399552#msg399552)

[ZephyrPhantom]

TASK I
Battle Prowess - The Arena
Complete.

The Laughing Stones (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29353.0.html)

by Zblader

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

58r 58r 58r 58r 594 594 596 596 5aa 5aa 5c9 5c9 5c9 5c9 6rq 6rq 6rq 6rq 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 77a 77a 8pn

Victory:


Score:

Victory:


Score:



Victory:


Score:




TASK II
Card Design - Shards
Complete.

Shard : http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397618#msg397618

Shard Critique:
Shard of Perserverance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg396233#msg396233) - An interesting card, especially when combined with wardens - this shows potential for making certain monos a lot stronger, possible examples being and (think about Scorpions.) As of now, it looks too cheap for it's current form.

Possible changes:
- Lower the buff - I think it might be fair to change the buff to just HP or just attack - it makes the card less lethal with numerous weak creatures by limiting it to attack-buff creatures (e.g. Scorpions, Wardens) or HP-buff creatures (e.g. Sparks, Scarabs, Otyughs)
- Increase card cost - possibly 6 |  5 considering that this is comparable to a portable growth, and most growing creatures use two elements.
- Make the effect target the highest attack creature instead - this will still help cards that are vulnerable (e.g. Lava Golem), and supports cards like Massive Dragon (e.g. w/Acceleration), and the damage buff remains the same.
- Make the effect not stacking - it's helpful, but I feel this damages the intent of the card. Try not to do it before considering the other changes.

Shard of Perfection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398046#msg398046)
I remember a similar card made in CI&A that had a more powerful effect (500 HP would win you the game), but it didn't include Immaterial or the +Electrum effect. While it doesn't add anything to the metagame itself, it's still a fun idea to design around and would benefit a grinding stall deck. (With Shard of Divinity aligning itself to  , this seems to complement it very well, considering Earth/Light stall decks like The Immortal.)

It really couldn't be changed much - the concept makes the card relatively cheap and fun, but situational, which feels a bit off-place from the current shards, whose effects are pretty lethal or just plain annoying, even by themselves. In contrast, this card relies on at least 4-5 cards to get the necessary HP boost to have an impact, and only 2 cards can actually synchronize with it's purpose, which leaves gives me a somewhat narrow feeling in terms of deck possibilities.

Overall, I definitely like the idea, but the Shard theme feels off. I can definitely see it an ingame card though.
Shard of Philomathy  (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397991#msg397991)
I first looked at this card, and the two elements that came to my mind were Fire and Time. The theme is pretty far from Earth - the closest connection I could make was a volcano or desert - it's true that Earth resides in those places, but looking at the cards in this game (e.g. Phoenix and Dune Scorpion), those places wield the essence of Fire and Time.

The triple-hit mechanic is always an interesting thing to work with, but it's also complicated and sometimes unwieldy. With this card, you're basically giving your opponent 3 | 2 random quantum and dealing 3 damage at the same time - all on different turns. This makes it slow, and I would probably take a different card in my deck instead if I was looking for a source of denial or damage.

Suggestions:
-Increase the cost a bit (perhaps to 2-3 ), and then remove the effect that gives your opponent quantum - that just seems to get in the way. By having only the two offensive effects there, you'll get something along the lines of a steady anti-pendulum.
-If you want to change 1 of the effects, I would suggest an effect that reveals the opposing player's hand. Philomathy is a love for learning, and knowledge is power, as they always say.
And an unrelated CO comment : be sure to fix your card image!


Shard of Prudence  (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398124#msg398124)
Clearly a lockdown card, designed to work with cards such as Earthquake, Pulverizer, and Nightmare.

It feels too tilted towards Earth though. I'm not exactly sure how to put it, but this seems to achieve an effect that would be the inverse of Holy Flash, which is a killer against 1 element and relatively useless everywhere else. This favors one element a lot, and pretty much hurts every element but it's own. Another accurate comparison would be Shard of Sacrifice, which is possibly an even worse case - Sacrifice only grows stronger with it's favored element, while Prudence at least has a weakness in the form of it's favored element.

I would water down the effect a bit - either increase the limit for all players to 2, or give Earth elementals the ability to play 2 cards only. For now, it's a bit one-sided. Increasing the cost slightly might also be a good idea, depending on what changes you make.

Shard of Endurance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397671#msg397671)
To summarize, this is an instant Stone Skin that inflicts 5 uncurable poison each turn.

Overall, it defeats itself pretty quickly, and I really don't get much of an Earth vibe from this card - I would imagine an Earth defense to be much more durable and long lasting, unless the concept it's being based on is erosion of rock.  It's quicker than Stone Skin, but I'm not sure if it could fit a niche that Earth already has - rush and dominantion decks wouldn't want to use it because it would hurt them in the long run and it hurts more than it helps in stall decks.

I would keep the healing theme, but try to make it more Earth focused or find a way to modify the effect so that it does not overlap with other cards currently in game. In terms of balancing, lowering the healing and the self-inflicted damage might be a good idea, as well as changing the damage to poison to give Purify some more merit.

Shard of Fortitude (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398388#msg398388)
Hmmm, SoG and Emphatic Bond combined for an Earth elemental? Interesting.

This is very helpful for a mono-earth stall, and can replace the SoGs (especially after their nerf), but it costs slightly more in that respect and thus it's still a solid-looking submission that at the same time wouldn't disrupt too many popular decks out there. I can imagine some new Life and Earth combos with this and Mitosis - Antlion and Gnome Gemrider seem like potential candidates for this type of deck - Antlions could synchronize with Adrenaline, while Gemriders could power up Stone Skin.

In terms of change, it doesn't need much - some might complain that it's redundant with other healing cards like Emphatic Bond, Sanctuary, and of course SoG, but considering that the card base is increasing and that every Element will expand on healing at some point, I see it as just fine.

So while it just seems like another regeneration card at first, when you think about the big picture this card can shine. Good job.

TASK III
Deckbuilding

Complete.

• Thread 1: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27402.msg398452#msg398452 - word count : 205 (Legitimate Thread)
• Thread 2: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg397635#msg397635 - word count: 163
• Thread 3: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27839.msg397657#msg397657 - word count: 156
• Thread 4: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27751.msg398473#msg398473 - word count: 253
• Thread 5: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28142.msg398852#msg398852 - word count : 223
• Thread 6: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25455.msg398860#msg398860 - word count : 216

[ffun]

• Thread 1: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,437.0.html - word count: 263

I think your link is wrong there - this is probably it:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28751

[ZephyrPhantom]

• Thread 1: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/board,437.0.html - word count: 263

I think your link is wrong there - this is probably it:
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28751

Fixed, thank you.

[Mithcairion]

TASK I
Battle Prowess - The Arena
Ghostly Graboids (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29134.new.html#new)
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)
I got bored, so I figured I would do this:
(http://imageplay.net/)
(http://imageplay.net/)TASK II
Card Design - Shards
Shard : Shard of Stoicism (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398715#msg398715)

• Shard of Philomathy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397991#msg397991)
  I admit, at first blush this card really look like it would be more appropriate as an Entropy card due to the fact that there is quite obviously a large element of randomness associated with using this Shard.  Also, I don't see how this Shard is related to the "Earth" element enough to warrant being the Shard for our element.  I think you could remedy this by putting in " : Deal 2(3) damage to opponent" instead of it taking random quanta.
  
  Now that the negative is out of the way, I DO really like this dynamic.  It helps to provide defense against the denial strategies of Discord, Devourer, and Earthquake as well as providing a boon to rushier decks from both the damage done as well as the quanta provided.  One thing I can't help but wonder is that if this card was incorporated into the game, would people begin to replace some quantum pillars in unupped Antabows?  It certainly would make for interesting testing.  (Word Count: 164)
• Shard of Perseverance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg396233#msg396233)
  First off, I love this card.  It brings a growing element to the masses that can help to keep vital creatures alive long enough to survive the massive amount of CC that is floating around, yet is not so OP that certain CC cards (Freeze, Basilisk Blood, Reverse Time, etc.) cannot overcome its effects.  There are a couple of things I would wonder about, though, such as when does this effect take place (prior to attacking, after the attack, at the end of the turn?) since different dynamics could be brought into play depending on when the Shard takes effect.  This will obviously definitely help the survivability of Shriekers that have come onto the field, however, especially when these Shards stack.  However, that is where my issue comes in.  Should ANY creature be able to go from a 1/2 (Gnome Rider) to 13/14 in the course of a single turn?  While this is indeed a very fun dynamic, I'm afraid that it would quickly become OP.  It would be easy enough to balance, however, simply by adding a counter on it such as with Cloak or Dimensional Shield.  If that dynamic were added, I would love to see this card in the game.  (Word Count:  201)
• Shard of Prudence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398124#msg398124)
  My first thought when I saw this card was "Dear god, this is OP!"  Naturally, I then decided to actually think about it rather than just react.  Obviously, this card works remarkably well within mono Earth, as Earthquake and Basilisk Blood can more than account for any pillars or creatures that may be played.  My mind wandered to controlling the field while I beat upon my opponent with my hardy creatures...ah, good time.  At any rate, this card may also be able to effectively limit the damage that PSNbows and Immorushes may be able to dole out, since they both obviously rely on that initial burst of speed.  My one worry about this card, believe it or not, is its usefulness.  Most rush decks will only be playing at most one card per turn after turn 2-3, so the user of this shard needs to have enough quanta readily available very early in the game in order to stop those rushes.  Unfortunately, I don't see this happening often enough to make this a viable "must add" card to enough decks.  Where this card does shine, though, is within the metagame of events, where much more often combos are used.  This card can effectively limit a Dune Scorpion deck, most decks that rely on burst damage (as they often rely on playing 3-5 cards in one turn in order to do said damage), and be very useful against FGs and the Arena where 2x draw are almost mandatory.  Obviously, this shard becomes almost terribly OP when put into the Arena, but not nearly as much as many of the shard ideas due to the fact that often a player will only be playing one card a turn, anyhow.  Overall, I like the card and feel that it is balanced enough to make it into the game, but may not see the widespread use that some of the other shards could see.  (Word Count:  321)
• Shard of Fortitude (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398388#msg398388)
  Perhaps it was due to your explanation of the Shard, but the first thing I thought of was Empathic Bond.  With that being said, however, this would actually work much differently since it increases maximum HP, rather than just healing back lost HP.  This is in fact a great standalone card since Shard of Fortitude + Fractal + Anything and all of a sudden you have a HUGE source of healing every turn.  One of the signs of a good card is that strategies between the new card and existing cards should immediately spring to mind, and that is exactly what this card does.  I couldn't help but immediately thinking of a RoL/Hope mod that included this card (500 HP EM vs. FGs, anyone?!), Fractal Golems for almost unkillable HP gainers, as well as a myriad of other ideas.  Unfortunately, my first two thoughts are a problem.  Fractal takes this shard, and like it does with so many other things, and takes what is a good idea and turn it into almost a broken one.  Overall, I love the idea, but I don't like the idea of it being essentially an SoG (for an Earth mark deck) + additional healing.  Let's say this becomes a one time use card with 2 HP per creature and I love the idea.  (Word Count:  215)
• Shard of Endurance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397671#msg397671)
  "But why would I want to kill myself?"  This was my first guy reaction upon reading this shard.  Then, of course, I actually stopped and thought about it.  This shard is obviously designed to allow a rushing deck to live juuuust enough longer to deliver that final blow, while it ends up punishing you if you don't finish the job.  There are, however, several things that don't sit right about this card.  The first thing is that there simply isn't a reason to use this while using Earth.  If anything, I would want to use it with another element that has healing properties for stalling, or in the rushiest types of decks in order to get the "one more turn" in order to finish off the opponent.  The other thing is that this mechanic is already worked into the Earth element in the form of Stone/Graniteskin.  In short, this card needs to really be re-worked in order to best fit not only into the game, but in order to best fit as the Earth shard.  (Word Count:  176)
• Shard of Confidence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398430#msg398430)
  My burrowed Shriekers would be invincible!  Ok, good, I got my excitement out of the way.  Continuously growing Graboids aside, I don't know that this card would be overly useful, let alone be particularly useful to Earth.  While I understand that Earth obviously has more creatures than any other element that can burrow, there really doesn't seem to be enough of a benefit derived from burrowing them to play this card.  As it is, you would need to have multiple copies of this card out to make it worthwhile for anyone to use it and even then, the effectiveness is somewhat limited.  There is one creature that this Shard brings up a few worthwhile questions about, though; Graboid.  For instance, would this card cause Shriekers that had been evolved from Graboids to still get the bonuses from when the burrowed Graboids attacked?  If nothing else, a stack of these could help a mono Earth deck to be a viable Firestall beater, since unevolved Graboids could just keep pecking away at the Firestall, all while getting bigger and bigger.  (Word Count:  178)

TASK III
Deckbuilding

• dirtydogboy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg397612#msg397612) Word Count:  278
• The starving Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27751.msg398666#msg398666) Word Count:  564
• Help with my decks pls? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25455.msg397968#msg397968) Word Count:  309
• The Lone Hero [rainbow][unupped][Bronze League] (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28142.msg398076#msg398076) Word Count:  366
• Help with my decks pls? (Part deux!) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25455.msg399209#msg399209) Word Count:  247
• voodoodaddy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg398116#msg398116) Word Count:  319

They didn't count, but still pimpin'

• Time? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29028.msg397731#msg397731) Word Count:  295
• Control Deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28751.msg398101#msg398101) Word Count:  243

[kev]

Control Deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28751.msg398101#msg398101) Word Count:  243
Time? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29028.msg397731#msg397731) Word Count:  295

Please choose decks that are at least 25% in-element.

Zblader, if you'd intended to include the first deck as one of your six, please choose another.

[kev]

Antimatter + Gravity Pulled Voodoos (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16023.msg398570#msg398570)
Underworld deck building challenge! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28183.msg399552#msg399552)

Please choose two replacement posts where the author asks for help on a deck that is specifically 25%+ your element.

[kirchj33]

And an unrelated CO comment : be sure to fix your card image!

Fix'd. Thanks!

[kev]

• Thread 6: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16023.msg400252#msg400252 - word count: 309

Antimatter + Gravity Pulled Voodoos (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16023.msg398570#msg398570)
Please choose two replacement posts where the author asks for help on a deck that is specifically 25%+ your element.

Same thread, same requirement, kirch.  Please choose a replacement post where the author asks for help on a deck that is specifically 25%+ your element.

[Terroking]

Task 1: Arena

Task 2: Shards (COMPLETE)
Competition Entry: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg400445#msg400445

Criticism:
Shard of Caution (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg400183#msg400183): Interesting card, I like it. However, the issue with a mass- Heavy or Plate Armor is, of course, Fractal BLs. A simple deck of 4x Nova (To grant quanta for the shard, since Fractal will use up all the ) 6x BL, 6x Fractal, ~10 Pillars/Pends, and then some filler Lightnings, Lobos, Dims Shields, whatever you want, would be extremely powerful. For only 9 quanta upgraded you get up to 9 5/10 creatures, for a mere 3 card combo. Now, I'll admit that you probably won't be using Fractal with an empty hand all the time, but it's still incredible to be able to just put out 25-40 damage per turn, just like that. And how are you supposed to kill 5/10s? Not with an Oty, no damage-based CC will get all of them in time, the only way I can see would be to use a Dim shield or similar. However, since there's no mark requirement for this deck, you could very easily take any mark of choice and throw in Steals, Deflags, QS, RT, any manner of things. The concept is good but I would consider at least lowering the insane hp values, it's already a thousand times better than Heavy Armor, hitting everything, no need to make it +10 hp. For example, and army of 5/3s would still be very powerful but much easier to handle. (Words: 224)

Shard of Stoicism (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398715#msg398715): I like how versatile of a card you were aiming for, but I'm afraid I could never see myself using this. The unupped form is just a single-target Cloak, or a quint/PA when used on Earth cards, but it's hard to see the major benefit of that. There aren't really any Earth creatures that are going to win you the game alone because they're immortal (Unless you happen to have an Auburn Nymph, but we can't assume that everyone does), like an Otyugh might do, so it'd generally be better to just get yourself another damage card there. In the perm version it's hands down a watered-down PA, not much else to say there. The upped is nice, but again, it's hard to see the merits of this over Cloak. It's hard to see how to buff the cad while retaining the concept of Stoicism, so I'd suggest something simple like granting an addition buff (Stats, most likely) to Earth cards. (Words: 162)

Shard of Prudence (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398124#msg398124): Neat card, like a longer yet less extreme version of Silence. I could see it working very well in rush decks, and getting it out on turn 1 would be more hilarious then Silence chain turn 1. A deck containing 14x Tower 6x Graboid 6x Steel Golem 4x Shard of Prudence could well prove to be very strong indeed, and absolutely cripple enemy combo decks, like Cremation, PU, and especially PA and/or Quint, forcing them to leave themselves open for a turn where you can kill/blow up their card. It also goes along nicely with Iridium Wardens or Auburn Nymphs, since once you get your field set up with them the opponent's only choice (Aside from of course removing the Nymph/Warden from play directly) if to hold all his creatures in-hand and then try to play them all at once to stop you. Of course, a large downside of this card is that it hinders your own Duos, and the obvious fact that if your opponent is mono-Earth it's useless. (Words: 171)

Shard of Fortitude (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg398388#msg398388) (willng3 edition): Meh... Hard to use a viable use for the card. You'd almost always be better off using something like a Bond if you're spamming enough creatures for this to be a good card, and as we all know Bonds are rarely better than Heal themselves. Likewise, this card isn't very good in comparison with Stone Skin. Point A) Stone Skin is cheaper. Point B) Stone Skin's cap is much, much higher, while this card can heal only up to 51, with an Earth mark, and considering how much effort it'd take to get 23 creatures out (3-5 Fractals, plus the creatures themselves). Point C) It's a lot easier to stockpile quanta than creatures in this game. Point D) It's a spell version of Empathetic Bond that heals more the first turn, even then 2nd, and begins to fall way off afterward, unless you account for that fact that it's max hp, which generally won't matter unless up against something like Firestall, where RoF/Fire Shield would annihilate all your creatures anyway. I'd suggest making it at least 3 hp per creature, if not 4, and to alter the element-affinity effect to something more useful. (Words: 190)

Shard of Philomathy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397991#msg397991): Just a small note: No need for the number to be a 0 for the cost, just a blank space where it should be is how it's been done so far by Zanz (Damselfly, Gnome, BL, list goes on). Aside from that, it looks like a meh card. Assuming the 4 random quanta effect is only activated when played (Like a Quantum Tower), then I can't see myself using these. Why use 2 of these when I could just use an Antlion and/or Steel Golem and a Quantum Tower? The QT gives 3 random quanta (6 total on it's first turn) and the Antlion, while not having quite as good of a cost:damage ratio as the Shard's ability itself, it does do more total damage and overtakes the shard in effectiveness by turn 3, turn 1 even provided you have the 2 needed to summon it. I would increase the damage done by the ability by 1 on both versions, and then probably change the "Gain 4 random quanta" effect to something more useful. Also, Shards are supposed to be usable by all elements but much more powerful when used with it's own, so making the ability cost may not be the correct way to go. Just nitpicking with that, though, feel free to ignore. (Words: 209)

Shard of Fortitude  (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28846.msg397618#msg397618)(Zblader edition): I dunno, I'd call it far too expensive. RoF costs only 7 /5 and does the same thing as the upped version, except instantly, and without harm to your own creatures (Admittedly, it does not buff your Earth creatures either, but it's a small and in most cases insignificant buff that you can't build a deck around. The fact that it costs Other would help offset it's cost if it weren't so harmful to your own non-Earth creatures, discouraging rainbows. I would suggest changing the card to either add on an attack modifier (- for non-Earth, + for Earth) or substitute the hp effect for it. If that were the case it would have a lot of synergy with Diamond Shield, allowing you to block/minimize the damage of even heavy hitters and dragons. Another rework option would be to change it to an everlasting permanent with an ability cost for the hp-loss effect, a Thunderstorm on a stick, which would probably improve it's overall effectiveness quite a bit. (Words: 168)

Task 3: Deck Help (COMPLETE)
1st Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27402.msg400508#msg400508 (Words: 223)
2nd Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26926.msg400517#msg400517 (Words: 163)
3rd Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27839.msg400531#msg400531 (Words: 217)
4th Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,27751.msg400536#msg400536 (Words: 239)
5th Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,28142.msg400549#msg400549 (Words: 185)
6th Post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25455.msg400565#msg400565 (Words: 160)

Note: Huge thunderstorm brewing here, I'm posting this unfinished and will be editing it in case the power/internet goes out, so I won't lose all my progress. It's fitting, though, considering this is exactly what happened last Trials.