Contest March 2023 CaC: Synergy: Stage 2 (All Results Up!)

Jabberwock

Jabberwock

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Welcome to the March 2023 round of the Create-a-Card!

This month’s theme is Synergy: Stage 2.

Synergy — how well a card or effect plays with some other card or effect — is a staple of the Pokémon TCG. Archeops SIT’s Primal Turbo is one of the most powerful Abilities in the game, but it requires a boost from Lugia VSTAR’s VSTAR Power to make it playable. Throughout history, we’ve seen other partnerships play out to varying levels of success: Electrode ex and Rocket’s Admin.; Gengar and Spiritomb; Weavile and Exeggcute — the list goes on.

For this month, we’re shaking things up a little. We’ll assign you real Pokémon cards — all Stage 2’s, as the title suggests — and it’ll be your job to come up with a design that synergizes with one of those cards.

Here’s how it works. You’ll enter stating not only your category, but also the era you would like to design in. Then your respective judge (me or @PMJ) will PM you three Stage 2 Pokémon cards from the era you chose. You’ll pick one of those cards, and use it as a starting point for your entry this month.

For example, @bbninjas could enter with a post like “In for image, give me HGSS cards!” I would send him a PM with Dragonite TM, Porygon-Z TM, and Victreebel TM. He would pick one of those cards and make an entry which plays with it in some interesting way.

Apart from that, there are no restrictions! See the FAQ below or let us know if you have any questions. Happy faking!

Registration
  • To sign up, you must reply to the thread below by March 10th at 11:59 pm EST, specifying which category you wish to enter and the era from which you would like to receive three Stage 2 Pokémon. A post like “In for text with Classic!” or “In for image with SM!” is sufficient. You may enter both categories with different eras if you wish.
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  • You may register with a partner and work together on the same card. This way each member can use their different talents and combine their skills, especially if one of you is an artist and the other is a TCG player. (Feel free to post in the thread that you’re looking for a partner if you want one.)
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  • We have a total of 15 spaces available for text-based entries and 15 for image-based. If you’ve never done an image-based card before, now is a great time to learn! PokéBeach has many card blanks and guides available for use, and we have a vibrant Discord community willing to help with any questions you might have.

Judging
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Text-Based
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  1. Creativity/Originality
    We’re all tired of effectless attacks! Without images, part of the intrigue with text-based cards is the creativity of Pokémon Power / Body / Ability / attack effects. Let’s see something cool and new!
    Total: 20 points
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  2. Wording
    Proper wording is key in designing any custom card. As official wording has changed many times over the years, try to ensure wording is correct for the era of card you choose. Naturally, grammar and spelling are also taken into consideration.

    Text-based fakers may format their entries any way they choose, but for those who are new or would like a guideline to follow, this is a simple formatting guideline you can follow:

    Pokémon – Type – HP50
    Stage 1 – Evolves from Pokémon

    NO. 000 [Name] Pokémon HT: 1’11” WT: 111.1 lbs.

    Ability: Name
    Ability Effect

    [R][C] Attack 20
    Attack Effect

    Weakness: Fire (x2)
    Resistance: Psychic (-20)
    Retreat: [C] [C] [C]
    Flavor Text​

    Total: 15 points
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  3. Believability/Playability
    Text-based fakes rely heavily on their believability. Think of your entries as if they were real cards. Try to avoid those 400 HP monsters which do 200 damage for [R]! Proper Weakness and Resistance, Pokédex information, and ballpark HP will also be taken into consideration. We will assume that your card is being created for the current TCG era unless otherwise stated, so if you are making a card for a previous era, you must mention this in your entry post.
    Total: 15 points
Max Points: 50

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Image-Based
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  1. Creativity/Originality
    This is a given. With the proper photo editing tools, let your imagination run wild! Among other things, this can involve innovating new mechanics, envisioning new card interactions, and exploring exciting gameplay potential or other design space.
    Total: 15 points
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  2. Believability/Playability
    Believability and playability are both integral to a custom card’s realism. A card’s playability is its power level — try not to be overpowered or underpowered for the era you’re designing in! For believability, proper Weakness and Resistance, Pokédex information, ballpark HP, and so on will be taken into consideration.
    Total: 15 points
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  3. Wording
    Proper wording is key in designing any custom card. Try to ensure wording is correct for the era of blank you choose, as card wording has changed many times over the years. Naturally, grammar and spelling are also taken into consideration.
    Total: 10 points
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  4. Fonts and Placement
    Correct fonts (which may change era by era) are imperative when creating realistic custom cards — even for custom blanks, fonts in line with the convention can go a long way toward making them appear realistic. Placement of text / symbols / etc. is also taken into consideration.
    Total: 5 points
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  5. Aesthetics
    Aesthetics is all about how your card looks as a complete whole. Aspects of this category include using creative and appropriate artwork, using neat or custom blanks, and overall having an appealing card creation. Additionally, you may not use existing artwork from the TCG for your cards. If you’d like to use Ken Sugimori stock artwork, you may do so, but it must be transformative in nature.
    Total: 5 points
Max Points: 50

And that’s the point breakdown for this round’s Create-a-Card! @Jabberwock will be judging image-based, and @PMJ will be judging text-based.

General Rules
  • The card you submit must be of a Pokémon — that is, not a Trainer, Energy, or other type of card. Occasionally, we open this up to other types of cards if the month’s theme warrants it, but otherwise it’s impossible to judge Pokémon cards against Trainer cards, since their uses in-game are so different.
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  • For those entering image-based, you must include one of the the following symbols on your card for it to be accepted: [2017-on symbol by Nekoban Ryo] [SV-on symbol by Jabberwock]. In addition, we do not allow any image-based entries that have been made using automatic, online card generators.
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  • If you edit your post, you’ll incur a deduction of 2 points from your overall score. Posting your entry again on a different post also deducts 2 points. When you submit, make sure you’re done! If you mess up the tags or have a similar coding disaster, tag or PM me to get it fixed. If you forget to credit someone, do so in a new post instead of editing.
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  • Participants who sign up but fail to submit a card by the deadline, if the category is full, will automatically lose 2 points for the next round (similar to losing 2 points for the current round for editing). If the category you have signed up for is full and if you wish to drop out, you must do so with three days remaining before the deadline to avoid the penalty. Continuing to fail to post a submission in future rounds will result in a possible ban from the contest for a couple of months. Please keep a close eye on the deadline.
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  • The judges do not give feedback on entries before they are posted. However, you’re encouraged to seek out help from other members of the community! The forums are an acceptable place for this, but you may be able to get faster feedback in the Custom Card Community Discord server here.
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  • Artists/illustrators are free to post in this thread, letting participants know that they are available.
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  • All entries should meet the forum rules. You should always credit the artist, and never use someone else’s art without their permission — that’s art theft.
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  • Winning entries may be posted to the Custom Card Community’s social media accounts, with context and credit to the card creator(s). [Facebook][Twitter][Instagram][Tumblr]

Deadline: March 31st (Fri.) 11:59 pm EST
Here’s a deadline countdown for convenience: [link]​
Anticipated Entrants

Image-Based:
  1. @Will Mcsus
  2. @Kavross
  3. @Alolan Teddiursa
  4. @Kaleidophoenix
  5. @Diego_Brando
  6. @Buddy2707
  7. @doofisconfused
  8. @SleepyBoi
  9. @PMJ
  10. @Charmaster:)
  11. This could be you!

Text-Based:
  1. @TheFlyingPidove
  2. @Cradilyfan1512
  3. @Kaleidophoenix
  4. @Falling Skies
  5. @FireLizard
  6. @Buddy2707
  7. @Charmaster:)
  8. @doofisconfused
  9. @LightningSpence836
  10. This could be you!

Bold names means I have seen your entry in this thread.

Want to help advertise the contest? Just paste the code below for the banner in your sig!
Code: 
[url=https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/threads/march-2023-cac-synergy-stage-2-sign-ups-open.153701/][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/726804916240121878/1080316018137763950/cac_banner_march_2023.png[/img][/url]

Credit goes to @Nekoban Ryo and @Jabberwock for the banner.
 
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FAQ, to be expanded as necessary:

"Synergy" can mean a lot of different things depending on the card(s) in question. The internet defines it as "the interaction or cooperation of two or more [cards] to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects," which is a good definition for our purposes.

There are infinitely many possible interpretations of this definition depending on the cards you receive, but as usual, your entry will be assessed through both Creativity/Originality and Believability/Playability for factors like uniqueness, gameplay potential, and balancing.

  • When will we receive the PM with our three cards? PMJ and I will do our best to respond to all sign-ups within 24 hours. If it takes us longer, feel free to prod us here or on Discord.
  • How are the cards you send me chosen? We've curated lists of Stage 2 Pokémon filtered by era, which we'll pull from at random using random.org when you specify the era you want.
  • There's a lot of Stage 2's out there that are already so good they don't need anything else, or so bad (or boring) that there's no saving them. Is it possible I'll get three of those in my PM? To make the lists we're pulling from, we started with all the Stage 2 Pokémon in a given era, took out all the Pokémon that were ever "meta" (in the sense of being part of a Tier One deck for an extended period of time), and then went back through and took out all the Pokémon that didn't seem interesting enough to serve as a starting point for this theme. The intent is that we're left with Pokémon that are underwhelming in terms of power levels, but interesting enough in terms of effects that you can design a partner Pokémon to improve them. Pokémon like Dragonite TM, Porygon-Z TM, and Victreebel TM (from the example in the OP) are all fair game, but rest assured, we won't be sending you something like Luxury FST or Gardevoir SW.
  • What eras can I choose from? In chronological order, we're using the following divisions: Classic, Gym, Neo, E-Series, EX, DPPt, HGSS, BW, XY, SM, SwSh, and SV. Promo cards associated with particular eras are also included. Note that some of these have drastically larger card pools than others, so use that to your discretion. Let us know if you have any questions about these eras, including where they start or end, or if you'd like to propose a different division for you to receive cards from.
  • Can I make my entry in a different era than the one I picked in my sign-up post? Technically, yes! The era you pick only determines the cards you receive, but official Pokémon cards from multiple eras have been played alongside each other for almost the game's entire history. If you sign up to get, for example, three SwSh cards, but then you decide that you'd rather make an SV-era card to synergize with a late-era SwSh card, that's fair game.
  • Are custom blanks okay? Yes, but you still have to pick a real-life era of the Pokémon TCG to get your initial three cards, and for balancing purposes. For example, many people who make custom cards using @CardPone's Omnium blanks peg their balancing approximately to HGSS-era power levels. Such an entrant would probably want to register this month under HGSS-era cards.
 
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Oooh, I'm loving this theme already!
I'd like to sign up for text-based in the HGSS era please.

Best of luck everyone :)
 
Now this is a hard choice. I know I want to sign up for at least text, but I’ll need to take a few days to consider the era. It feels like there are far too many good choices. Fortunately, the use of block formats helps to rule out a few options (most notably 2010 Worlds, in my case).
Might I suggest Jason Klaczynski’s blog as an excellent resource? He covers all the major Wizards formats, but he also covers block formats from e-card through XY. He gives a synopsis of the history of each formats, followed by a breakdown of key cards, and then includes 4-50 lists for those formats (usually averaging around the 10-20 range). His lists are carefully thought out and cover top archetypes as well as more casual decks. This might also be a helpful resource for the judges. (Hope this helps you save sleep.) Of course, since Jason’s blog covers archetypes that already work, pkmncards may be more useful to @Jabberwock and @PMJ, but it could still be helpful, especially in the case of the EX and XY formats, where the lists spill out onto an auxiliary second page, giving plenty of archetypes that could use a facelift.
https://jklaczpokemon.com/
By the way, nice set symbol for SV onward, but it made me think about how Omnium and other custom blanks most likely won’t be valid even if you balance cards for the correct era. In which case, I’m most certainly sticking to text, since mastering font placement on a new blank adds to the complexity of a project I’m not sure I’d have the time for.
 
Charmaster:) said:
Might I suggest Jason Klaczynski’s blog as an excellent resource? He covers all the major Wizards formats, but he also covers block formats from e-card through XY. He gives a synopsis of the history of each formats, followed by a breakdown of key cards, and then includes 4-50 lists for those formats (usually averaging around the 10-20 range). His lists are carefully thought out and cover top archetypes as well as more casual decks. This might also be a helpful resource for the judges. (Hope this helps you save sleep.) Of course, since Jason’s blog covers archetypes that already work, pkmncards may be more useful to @Jabberwock and @PMJ, but it could still be helpful, especially in the case of the EX and XY formats, where the lists spill out onto an auxiliary second page, giving plenty of archetypes that could use a facelift.
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I'm familiar with Jason's blog, but PMJ and I have also played most of the game's formats and we know what to look for in terms of Stage 2s to send out for this theme. Thanks for the link anyhow. :)
By the way, nice set symbol for SV onward, but it made me think about how Omnium and other custom blanks most likely won’t be valid even if you balance cards for the correct era. In which case, I’m most certainly sticking to text, since mastering font placement on a new blank adds to the complexity of a project I’m not sure I’d have the time for.
Click to expand...
Omnium and other custom blanks are more than okay for this theme! You just have to decide in advance what era you want to work in for balancing purposes. For example, if you use @CardPone's interpretation of Omnium power levels, you would probably want to sign up for HGSS-era cards. I've added this to the FAQ now.
 
Jabberwock said:
I'm familiar with Jason's blog, but PMJ and I have also played most of the game's formats and we know what to look for in terms of Stage 2s to send out for this theme. Thanks for the link anyhow. :)

Omnium and other custom blanks are more than okay for this theme! You just have to decide in advance what era you want to work in for balancing purposes. For example, if you use @CardPone's interpretation of Omnium power levels, you would probably want to sign up for HGSS-era cards. I've added this to the FAQ now.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Jabber. I’ll still probably take a few days to consider what format to choose, however. So many good choices, so little choice! (As in so many formats, so little certainty what I’ll get to design around.)
 
I don't have the best track record with finishing these, but if there is a slot open, may I give image a shot? I'd like XY era if so
 
Another question, this one concerning the selection of the state 2’s we’re going to be given the choice to design around. Will the selections be exclusive of major gimmicks like ex’s, GX’s, and Primes (the last of which technically weren’t “gimmicks,” but were aesthetically distinct cards with a significant meta percentage and which generally outshined their regular prints and most other line-toppers in their respective sets)? I’m leaning a bit more towards the EX era right now, but the answer to this question could help me make my final choice.
P.S. I would like to point out that not all the original Pokémon ex saw play. In fact, there really wasn’t such a big gulf between single prize and double prize cards in terms of power and HP, and there are a wealth of stage 2 ex cards that could use a facelift. Being given the chance to create cards that synergize with cards like Flygon ex Power Keepers (probably not the Flygon ex you imagine) would be a rewarding experience.
 
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Charmaster:) said:
Another question, this one concerning the selection of the state 2’s we’re going to be given the choice to design around. Are the selections going to be randomly generated, and will they be exclusive of major gimmicks like ex’s, GX’s, and Primes (the last of which technically weren’t “gimmicks,” but were aesthetically distinct cards with a significant meta percentage and which generally outshined their regular prints and most other line-toppers in their respective sets)? I’m leaning a bit more towards the EX era right now, but the answers to these questions could help me make my final choice.
P.S. I would like to point out that not all the original Pokémon ex saw play. In fact, there really wasn’t such a big gulf between single prize and double prize cards in terms of power and HP, and there are a wealth of stage 2 ex cards that could use a facelift. Being given the chance to create cards that synergize with cards like Flygon ex Power Keepers (probably not the Flygon ex you imagine) would be a rewarding experience.
EDIT: wait, I haven’t read the Q&A yet. I’ll read it now to see if either questions were already answered.
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The selections will be randomly generated, but they'll be from lists we've curated to exclude Pokémon that were too historically strong (like Gardevoir SW) or too uninteresting to build off of (like Luxray FST). Some Stage 2 Pokémon ex, Pokémon-GX, and Primes do make the lists.
 
In for both!

For text, if possible I would want SVI format (only SVI cards)

For Image based, if possible I would like Post Rotation but without SVI (BTS-CRZ)
(If not then just SSH format is fine :)
 
For text, I’ll go with the EX block. I’ve had some experience playing it now, and it has a rich card pool and a solid design philosophy, possibly being the golden age of the Trading Card Game’s competitive scene. Since I noticed you permitted alternative divvying up of the card pool, I’m considering 2010 Worlds for image as a possibility, but if I read between the lines correctly that the penalty for repeatedly not completing your entry has returned, please don’t mark me down for image as I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do two different entries for two different formats, or even time to make an image fake at all.
Hope you’re all doing well.
 
Buddy2707 said:
For text, if possible I would want SVI format (only SVI cards)
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We gave this some further consideration after looking at the card pool for SV-on, and we decided we're going to disallow that era after all. The main reason is that those cards haven't had a chance to "prove themselves" yet, so to speak, so it's harder to cull the "meta" ones from our lists. The SV-on metagame is also likely to develop at least somewhat over the course of this round, and we don't want to suddenly get information mid-month that we didn't have at the beginning.

That said, picking SwSh will probably get you a pretty similar result here. :)

For Image based, if possible I would like Post Rotation but without SVI (BTS-CRZ)
(If not then just SSH format is fine :)
Click to expand...
Charmaster:) said:
For text, I’ll go with the EX block. I’ve had some experience playing it now, and it has a rich card pool and a solid design philosophy, possibly being the golden age of the Trading Card Game’s competitive scene. Since I noticed you permitted alternative divvying up of the card pool, I’m considering 2010 Worlds for image as a possibility
Click to expand...
We'll consider alternative boundaries for eras within reason, but we're not going to count specific formats as alternatives to eras. From one era to the next, power levels typically jump more than within one era by itself, so overlapping multiple eras results in a much broader power spread than we intend for. Similarly, cutting an era in half reduces your card pool by quite a lot, and we don't want you picking and choosing the eligible cards to that extent. :)

@Buddy2707 @Charmaster:) could I ask you to confirm your era selections for me before I send anything out?

but if I read between the lines correctly that the penalty for repeatedly not completing your entry has returned, please don’t mark me down for image as I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do two different entries for two different formats, or even time to make an image fake at all.
Hope you’re all doing well.
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Nope, the penalty only ever kicks in if the category fills up (i.e. 15 people). Since that rarely ever happens these days, we haven't seen the penalty come into play in years. Feel free to sign up, and just check back in sometime before March 10 to confirm that the category isn't full.
 
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