Cyrus
Iron Chef - Master Emeritus
Iron Chef: The Age of Klutz
***Signup information is at the bottom of the post***
~~~Broad FAQ~~~
Iron Chef (for Pokemon TCG) is a contest, where, like the hit TV show, you are given a 'secret ingredient' (card/theme) to build a deck with.
~~~RULES~~~
(1) Overview
I will give you a card (or more broad challenges/criteria) to build a deck around. The deck MUST be themed around that said card/criteria. You will be graded [See section 2, GRADING] based on your deck's overall quality, with regard to theme, list, and creativity. When you defeat your opponent, you move on to even harder challenges, where your skills are put to the test. As you go further and further, you earn better prizes, and even stand to be invited to the Tournament of Champions. Good luck to all who are competing, and we'll just see WHOSE CUISINE REIGNS SUPREME
[Note: you do not ever PLAY against your opponent. This is purely a competition of DECK THEORY]
(1.1) Tournament Format
Varies with tournament attendance.
(2) Grading
Grading is as follows:
(2.1) Deck (10 possible points): When you are building a good Iron Chef deck, the "DECK" category refers specifically to the list and its sheer quality. Ask yourself these questions during the deckbuilding process...
-Is consistency (ex: Pokemon/Trainers/Energy used for setting up) the best it can possibly be? Does this deck actually do what it intends to do, and quickly?
-Does it have the highest quality lines on key trainers, and am I making the right choices overall (example: playing Rare Candy in stage two decks when appropriate)?
-Does it have the right balance of Pokémon?
-Are there any really weak spots with this decklist (while Iron Chef judges should hardly ever factor in the metagame, they should put heavy emphasis on the format which the challenge is under, and what potential universal threats may harm the list)?
-Is there a good energy count (too much, too little, or even other issues like playing Holon's Pokemon, etc)?
-Do I have ways to protect myself from the game's more basic mechanics, like Stadiums and status (at the time of writing this guide, shockwave/imprison/other markers are not a reason to vote a deck up/down)?
(2.2) Creativity (5 possible points): It is extremely important to play a well-balanced, consistent list, but the competitors must also make intriguing new strategies – that is the point of me not choosing archetypal cards! While Card Use is very well-defined, and it's usually pretty obvious to judge the quality of a list, creativity is easily the most subjective of all categories. Please keep these questions in mind...
-Is this not only a good deck, but a unique one as well?
-What can I do in my write-up/list to convince my judge to agree?
-Can I make excellent choices on trainers and energy without sacrificing the consistency of the deck?
(2.3) Card use (5 possible points): While the above two categories focus on what you do within the deck, the "Card Use" category is much more focused. We're looking at everything you do revolving around the CHALLENGE, and only those things. You should hardly ever address all of these issues, but at least keep them in mind during the deckbuilding process.
For Cards...
-Has everything that distinguishes this card from others been abused? Powers, Bodies, interesting attacks, drawbacks on attacks, bizarre attack costs, etc...
-Has weakness been covered?
-Is the unique title/type for the card (Metal, Darkness, ex, delta species, baby, *, etc) properly complimented? For example, are you playing Metal in a metal Pokemon deck (unless unnecessary), Holon-abusing trainer cards in a delta deck, or even "not" playing stuff like DRE in an all-ex deck?
-Are you merely teching the challenge in, or are you making a concerted effort to focus the deck around the card?
For themes, you will be graded only slightly differently. The above will be considered, _plus_ how well your cards work within the theme.
(3) Grading Rubric
As of right now, the current maximum score is 20 (10/10, 5/5, and 5/5), and the minimum is 3 (1/10, 1/5, and 1/5). While the number I or any other judge would give out is fun to look at, what ultimately matters in terms of the competition is if yours is higher than the opponent's. Keep in mind, though, that the numbers are an attempt to express judge opinion in a technical way. Treat them more as rationale for why I like such-and-such's deck better than such-and-such's.
(BTW, while I do not require writeups, you are more than encouraged to do so, as writeups will help explain your logic to me if I do not "get it," and will ultimately result in higher scores)
As a quick guide, here's what I consider each grade as:
20-18: Masterful.
15-17: Excellent.
12-14: Great.
9-11: Okay.
6-8: Mediocre.
3-5: Bottom tier.
(4) Judge Override
A new feature, never before seen in previous Iron Chefs, is the “Judge Override.” To give readers more input, and to set a limit on my control of the contest, each single-elimination match will feature a poll option. In it, you will choose competitor A or competitor B. Easy, huh? Well it sure is, but here’s what it takes to overturn my decision in any given poll – a more complicated process:
A) The number of poll respondents must be higher than 100.
B) The percentage of voters who disagree with my decision must be 70 or higher.
Either of these limits are subject to be raised/lowered, but I think that this is reasonable for now.
(5) Due Dates, Flawed and Late Entries
If you fail to turn your entry in, then you lose your round…PERIOD!
If you turn your entry in late, then you will likely lose your round. I reserve the right to be lenient when I need to be (such as if you turn your entry in five minutes late).
Flawed entries (i.e. you broke a rule of the theme) will be handled on a case-by-case basis. However, these run the risk of resulting in auto-losses.
Again, I am very strict about late entries. Even if your deck is the best thing on Earth, and your opponent's deck fails at life, then the person that’s not tardy will WIN. I reserve the right to modify this policy.
(6) Prizes
Prizes are an unknown variable that I will reveal at a later date (Team Compendium, myself, and several other sponsors are usually eager to include incentives. Stay tuned!
(7) Tournament of Champions
This is a special Iron Chef contest, where top placers in past contests gather together to compete in a true showcase of the game’s best deckbuilders. In this event, prizes are VERY good, where some amazingly rare cards are offered as the bounty.
Well, good luck, and may your cuisine reign supreme.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING MY COMPETITION, THEN POST ON THIS THREAD EXPRESSING INTEREST!!! PLEASE...NO DOUBLE POSTING WHATSOEVER.
(Last day for registration is September 1st, based on Central Standard Time)
P.S. This should go without saying, but no more than one entry per person.
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