SkaForHire

I think there have been some good suggestions here. The reason I have been hesitant to change the rules is because we were running one system for two months now, and only having a month in the adjusted ruleset might seem unfair. I am more in favor of playing it out and then tweaking the rules. I think with all the suggestions and a few other things kicking around in my head (and the heads of others) we can bring down the extremity of the GAs and make it more fun for everyone. Two Rules going into effect immediately though: Last day to present a GA on a city or multiple VP location: May 17th Last day to present a GA on a deep territory: May 24th. Last day to present a normal GA: May: 31st. These will let us end all voting during the second week of June, after people had one last week to counter. So some theoretical rules changes for the "next time:" WZ zones = more personal points GA limited to one per two weeks Counters one per week Team GA v. Team Counters. Posting GA threads not as pictures but only links so people read the stories. WZ will be split up between "Great Warzones" That are a little more tactical -- certain types of builds will be required -- and the normal WZs, to make it a little more diverse. Keep the ideas coming. I am personally really impressed by everyone's efforts. I do understand that the system was upsetting to some of the old guard, it focuses a little too heavily on mass creation rather than coherent content that we have grown to expect in GoH. Another note, the other two categories are a little more old school, and still have an important part to play in the overall end story about who will win the war. Finally, there are a few more Cat C challenges coming, I don't know if we will hit 20 as planned, but there will be a flash attack (small build) for next week, and at least one more challenge for each week after.

Week 9 GA attacks

Thanks again to GARM... ME and GARM are really helping keep this going right now, round of applause for them! Week Nine Guerrilla Challenges: The following challenges have been made. Anyone may counter these Guerrilla Attacks, but remember each builder can only build one counter build each week, so pick wisely. If the challenger wins, they will earn 6 additional points. Each counter is worth 4 points. Voting will happen after the deadline. The winning side either retains the zone or captures the zone. If no one counters the challenger’s MOC, then the zone turns over to the challenger’s side, and they only earn 2 points. Counter builds should have a title with this tag in it: [CG: location, your faction vs the guerrilla's faction] IE: [CG:K12, HC vs U], Non Special Due Date: May 3rd, anywhere in the world. Zone: C15 Challenger: robuko What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Zone: L1 Challenger: LordDan What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: May 10th Zone: D5 Challenger: Brick Man Studios What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Zone: E3 Challenger: Umbra-Manis What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Zone: D2 Challenger: Captain Braunsfeld What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Zone: H14 Challenger: Kai NRG What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Zone: E9 Challenger: Andrew Spader What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Note: Garmadon's guerrilla which is still being voted upon is on this square, so if he wins the zone attacked will need to be changed (you can't attack your own square!) Zone: I14 Challenger: Garmadon What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Leftovers: Zone: L2 Challenger: LordDan What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: May 3rd (deep in enemy territory) Zone: K12 + K12 Challengers: Garmadon + marcu22 What Faction can counter: High Council (Two Counters Needed) Due Date: May 3rd

Kai versus the world.

VOTING THREAD Week Eight counters vs Week Seven Guerrillas: THREAD ONE VOTING THREAD Week Eight counters vs Week Seven Guerrillas: THREAD TWO

Week Eight counters vs Week Seven Guerrillas: VOTING: Anyone can vote! Voting closes April 29th Which side won? Which was the best counter build? Judging criteria: This is a straight one versus one contest. The challenger versus the best (in your opinion) counter build (if there are multiple counter builds). So judge solely on Challenger versus best counter build. Remember, story should play a bit into your judging criteria. Also, a counter must effectively undo the guerrilla attack. Even if the Counter MOC is better, if you don't think it successfully undoes the guerrilla attack, you should probably vote for the guerrilla attack. Thank you! And K15: Robuko Counter: Garmadon Second Counter: Kai NRG Zone: L15 Challenger: Brick Man Studios Counter: Kai NRG And L15: Umbra-Manis Counter: Kai NRG Zone: M15 Challenger: Robuko Counter: Kai NRG

Thanks to GARM for putting together this thread. And thank you all for building... this was one heck of a voting thread this week. Week Eight counters vs Week Seven Guerrillas: VOTING: Anyone can vote! Voting closes April 29th Which side won? Which was the best counter build? Judging criteria: This is a straight one versus one contest. The challenger versus the best (in your opinion) counter build (if there are multiple counter builds). So judge solely on Challenger versus best counter build. Remember, story should play a bit into your judging criteria. Also, a counter must effectively undo the guerrilla attack. Even if the Counter MOC is better, if you don't think it successfully undoes the guerrilla attack, you should probably vote for the guerrilla attack. Thank you! Zone: C5 Challenger: Kai NRG Counter: Gideon Zone: E9 Challenger: Garmadon Counter: Robuko Zone: B5 Challenger: MassEditor Counter: Mrcp6d Zone: C15 Challenger: Adair What Faction can counter: Desert King No counters? High council wins by default. Zone: K13 Challenger: MKJoshA Counter: Kai NRG Zone: L16 Challenger: MassEditor Counter: Marcu22 See Working Function Here. Second Counter: Garmadon Zone: K19 Challenger: Tomsche Counter; Elostirion Zone: O16 Challenger: Jacob Nion Counter: Rogue Angel Second Counter: Kai NRG Zone: K19 Challenger: Jacob Nion Counter: Kai NRG

Thanks again to ME for setting this thread up. Who Can Vote: EVERYONE How to Vote: Look at all the MOCs from each side. First, determine which side won this battle. You should base your opinion on a couple different factors: A)Build quality amongst all MOCs B)Number of MOCs of quality [Please remember that Ulandus has a numbers disadvantage here] C) Story of the MOC D) Fit to the Warzone. If you are not familiar with the requirements of the warzone, please at least read the “mini-challenge,” “restrictions,” and “Judging” sections listed below. You can weigh these in any order, or add your own categories. Please consider the three above in your decision though. You may want to clarify or lobby for your favorites in this thread, but you don’t have to write anything if you don’t want to. Next, pick an answer to each question in the poll. In the second three questions it will ask you to pick your favorite MOC from each side. Please judge on quality of MOC and its story. You can add other qualifications to your own judging process if you would like. Finally, submit your vote. Voting ends April 28 Warzone 8: The Battle for the Trade Lanes Location: L11 Who Can Participate: Ulandus and High Council (Unless A path is opened up by the Desert King before the end of the minichallenge) Terrain: This is the very tip of the Qar-Akhen River Delta, the wetlands often change, and there is no solid ground for long. The deep swamps have reeds and small trees, but usually nothing large. This zone is also part of the Great Southern Ocean. There are few outer islands that stand beyond the delta, some of these have rudimentary lighthouses to help guide ships to Ras-El-Akhen or into the river so that they may journey to Qarkyr. The location is important because it helps control river traffic, and troop supply. History: This region has been part of the maritime trade-ways longer than there has been a written language to record the ships that have passed by and up the Great River of Life. Although no major settlement is within this region, it has always been important strategically. Mini-challenge: Whereas large armies really cannot make their way through the swamps, and large troop transports try to avoid the shifting outlets of the river unless they have to, this battle will be fought by small parties. The High Council is looking to expand out from Ras-El-Akhen, and fight back against the large Ulandian wave that has engulfed the Southern Coast. Small boats travel amongst the reeds to take out temporary camps of First Centurion’s men within the delta. At Sea, the Ulandians dominate, as their navy has dispatched many small water craft to the region to stop all merchants and determine their loyalties. The builders should depict a battle within the reeds of the delta, or just offshore in the slightly deeper waters. It should be clear that your side has won the battle. Secondary judging category: Best water. Winner of this title will become “Aquanaut of Kaliphlin” Restrictions: High Council: 16x16 Ulandus: 32x32 Due Date: April 19th ---------------------------------------------------- High Council Entries: Adair - Let the Nameless Arise Bregir - A leading light ---------------------------------------------------------- Ulandus Entries: Narbilu - Floating Defense Garmadon - Surprise in the Swamps marcu22 - Sons of Poseidon Kai NRG - Battle for the Bog

Thanks to ME for setting this up! Who Can Vote: EVERYONE How to Vote: Look at all the MOCs from each side. First, determine which side won this battle. You should base your opinion on a couple different factors: A)Build quality amongst all MOCs B)Number of MOCs of quality [Please remember that Ulandus has a numbers disadvantage here] C) Story of the MOC D) Fit to the Warzone. If you are not familiar with the requirements of the warzone, please at least read the “mini-challenge,” “restrictions,” and “Judging” sections listed below. You can weigh these in any order, or add your own categories. Please consider the three above in your decision though. You may want to clarify or lobby for your favorites in this thread, but you don’t have to write anything if you don’t want to. Next, pick an answer to each question in the poll. In the second three questions it will ask you to pick your favorite MOC from each side. Please judge on quality of MOC and its story. You can add other qualifications to your own judging process if you would like. Finally, submit your vote. Voting ends April 28th Warzone 11:The Battle for Cresentthorn’s Favor Location: C4 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King Terrain: The Red River gets its name from the mud along most of its route. The brick red, sometimes much lighter, dirt of the Wither Woods is carried by the river all the way to Eastgate, the sediment gives the river its reddish hue, and its name. It is an important life line to the region, and the best source of Live Oak in all of Historica. It is also one of the few regions in Kaliphlin where Lumber can be removed. The river is used to transport much of this lumber, and other goods of the Wither Woods to market. Along the river, somewhat north of Eastgate (and in this zone) the Elves of the Wither Woods have made their domain. One of the nations, the Cresentthorn Elves call zone C4 home. Their city, Valdiniam, is mostly hidden to the outside world, although it has a small feeder town called Stormsport that sits on the Red River. Valdiniam and Stormsport can be described as gothic + high fantasy style in their architecture. These are clearly elven cities. The terrain of the Wither Woods does not vary much, small rolling hills with copses of trees, not a true rain forest or heavy density lowland forest, but enough trees to make travel within the woods difficult unless on a road or path. The trees very from lush pines to gnarly live oaks, with some subspecies having various “exotic colorings” History: The Cresentthorn Elves have lived in this region for more than three millenniums. They swear no allegiance to any mortal government, although they have closely allied themselves with GEAR CO. and Eastgate over the last century. Still, they are only loosely affiliated to Kaliphlin. They like their privacy, but they are more curious than many other elf nations in Historica, and are willing to participate in mortal politics if it means learning something new, or once in a while, an adventure. In commerce they trade rare animals, wine, and medicines with the mortal world, mostly through the Red River trade. They are also interested in conserving the Wither Woods, and keeping its natural beauty, ecosytstem, and life-force intact. For this reason, there are more than a dozen treaties with Avalonians and Kaliphlinites over how much wood can be taken, where wood can be taken, and how replanting efforts must be maintained in the Wither Woods. Mini-challenge: Al’Meter, leader of the Cresentthorn Elves has decided to step away from his treaty with Eastgate for the sake of the greater Wither Woods. He knows that destruction will come to the wood if more of the war pours into the region. For the reason he has forbade armies to come within the region – even if they are long standing allies, like GEAR Co. There is a substantial amount of Cresentthorn Elves to maintain this peace. What Al’Meter offers is the resources of Valdiniam to the victor of his challenge (and thus the territory will “belong” to the winning party.) The challenge is as follows: A series of honor duels will be fought, the winner of the most honor duels will gain access to Valdiniam. Builders should depict a scene where a hero from their side takes on and defeats a hero from the other faction. There must be an “official” watching the duel. That official should be a Cresentthorn Elf. Additionally, it is required that the dual be fought in a place “spiritually important to the combatants, and fundamentally significant within the Wither Woods.” For example, the duels should happen at landmarks, sanctuaries, crossroads, or any other place that is considered spiritually significant, and the story of the heroes participating should reflect why the place is significant to them. Restrictions: 12x12, with limited overhang. Due Date: April 19th ----------------------------------------------- High Council Entries: gedren_y - Mummy vs. Mummy Adair - Lost to this World Bregir - Before the Old Gods Gideon - Duel in the Sacred Forest ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Desert King Entries: Robuko - The Dragonstone Tomsche - Paper Beats Scissors blufiji - Blood Sand Dr. Cogg - AXED! Jacob Nion - The Wanderer's Grave LordDan - Duel beneath the Blood Oak Emma - The Old Oak Umbra-Manis - Duel on the Edge-Less Pool

Week 8 Guerrilla List Thanks to Garmadon

Week Eight Guerrilla Challenges: The following challenges have been made. Anyone may counter these Guerrilla Attacks, but remember each builder can only build one counter build each week, so pick wisely. If the challenger wins, they will earn 6 additional points. Each counter is worth 4 points. Voting will happen after the deadline. The winning side either retains the zone or captures the zone. If no one counters the challenger’s MOC, then the zone turns over to the challenger’s side, and they only earn 2 points. Counter builds should have a title with this tag in it: [CG: location, your faction vs the guerrilla's faction] IE: [CG:K12, HC vs U], Non Special Due Date: April 26th, anywhere in the world. Zone: F14 Challenger: Goliath What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Note: This square is part of a Warzone, please indicate where you would like to move your guerrilla. Zone: G9 Challenger: Kai NRG What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Zone: L2 Challenger: LordDan What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: May 3rd (deep in enemy territory) Zone: F10 Challenger: Andrew Spader What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Zone: J13 Challenger: robuko What Faction can counter: Ulandus (One Counter Needed) Zone: K12 + K12 Challengers: Garmadon + marcu22 What Faction can counter: High Council (Two Counters Needed) Due Date: May 3rd Leftovers: Zone: A3 Challenger: MKJoshA What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 26 (deep in enemy territory) Zone: B4 Challenger: Brick Man Studios What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 26 (deep in enemy territory)

Remember all pirates are technically smugglers... well unless they were terribly unsuccessful.BAS has done a great job as shepherd here. I will add that you can have "crew" or associated characters around your signature figure (sigfig), and the sigfig does not have to be in every MOC or story.

Since I didn't put in an end date here, I will close the polls after the 18th anywhere in the world.

Not sure if this was pointed at my comment or not, but I was just kidding around and being boastful about my city's defenses (As I said, I have a half finished MOC with the walls partially built). Clearly this is a super large, super strong rhino, and anything is possible! Before Kaliphlin took over my table: Wip of Eastgate battlefield by skaforhire, on Flickr

Just confirming what Robuko said -- indeed, change it up as long as it fits the parameters!

I would just like to say, no giant rhino would get through the real walls of Eastgate. they are 16 studs thick in most places. (Hopefully I will get to finish the Eastgate build I started before the prelude builds, it is a whole City block (well two sides of a T formation in the road,) and the walls are a prevalent part of it.) I just bought a TON of white to finish it too. As for the LordDan build -- I understand what happened there, I didn't catch it myself either. We are kind of in the middle of me letting others take some of the responsibility for the first time, and it took a week for Garm, ME, and I to get on the same page. With that in mind, someone on HC probably should have noted the GA since it was posted on the main thread... If LordDan is OK with the challenge, I would still like to let it go forward -- However, for personal points, I think he should automatically get the amount he would get for winning, even if his build loses.

Ok I will throw up the map from last week after work then.Week 6 GA v. Week 7 Counters

(Thanks to Garmadon again for this thread) Week Seven counters vs Week Six Guerrillas: VOTING: Anyone can vote! Voting closes April 22th Which side won? Which was the best counter build? Judging criteria: This is a straight one versus one contest. The challenger versus the best (in your opinion) counter build (if there are multiple counter builds). So judge solely on Challenger versus best counter build. Remember, story should play a bit into your judging criteria. Also, a counter must effectively undo the guerrilla attack. Even if the Counter MOC is better, if you don't think it successfully undoes the guerrilla attack, you should probably vote for the guerrilla attack. Thank you! Zone: H13 Challenger: Hammerhand Counter: Kai NRG Zone: A4 Challenger: LordDan Counter Adair: Zone: J16 + J16 Challengers: Garmadon and Kai NRG What Faction can counter: High council No counter? Ulandus wins by default. Zone: E2 + Challengers: Jacob Nion Counter: Bregir and Zone E2, Disco86 Counter: Jakorin Swiftsword And Robuko at M15: No counter? DK wins? (Correction M15 was a two week counter because of its distance from the battlefront) so don't post without a topic after making a poll, because it erases the poll... doh.

(Thanks to Garmadon again for this thread) Week Seven counters vs Week Six Guerrillas: VOTING: Anyone can vote! Voting closes April 22th Which side won? Which was the best counter build? Judging criteria: This is a straight one versus one contest. The challenger versus the best (in your opinion) counter build (if there are multiple counter builds). So judge solely on Challenger versus best counter build. Remember, story should play a bit into your judging criteria. Also, a counter must effectively undo the guerrilla attack. Even if the Counter MOC is better, if you don't think it successfully undoes the guerrilla attack, you should probably vote for the guerrilla attack. Thank you! Zone: H13 Challenger: Hammerhand Counter: Kai NRG Zone: A4 Challenger: LordDan Counter Adair: Zone: J16 + J16 Challengers: Garmadon and Kai NRG What Faction can counter: High council No counter? Ulandus wins by default. Zone: E2 + Challengers: Jacob Nion Counter: Bregir and Zone E2, Disco86 Counter: Jakorin Swiftsword And Robuko at M15: No counter? DK wins? so don't post without a topic after making a poll, because it erases the poll... doh.

You get two zones though! The Decisive one is protected for one more week, while the overwhelming would be guerrilla attack-able immediately.

Right now it is still one a week. If we change it, it will not be until the end of April so everyone has notice.

Week 7 Guerrilla list I think the next one is 12x12, and there is another 8x8 -- its just kind of hard finding something to display on those sizes that are not just duels :(

(Special Thanks to Garmadon for organizing these) BrickManStudios, please see the note by your attack. Week Seven Guerrilla Challenges: The following challenges have been made. Anyone may counter these Guerrilla Attacks, but remember each builder can only build one counter build each week, so pick wisely. If the challenger wins, they will earn 6 additional points. Each counter is worth 4 points. Voting will happen after the deadline. The winning side either retains the zone or captures the zone. If no one counters the challenger’s MOC, then the zone turns over to the challenger’s side, and they only earn 2 points. Counter builds should have a title with this tag in it: [CG: location, your faction vs the guerrilla's faction] IE: [CG:K15, U vs DK], Non Special Due Date: April 19th, anywhere in the world. Zone: C5 Challenger: Kai NRG What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Zone: E9 Challenger: Garmadon What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Zone: A3 Challenger: MKJoshA What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 26 (deep in enemy territory) Zone: A4 Challenger: Brick Man Studios What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 26 (deep in enemy territory) Zone: B5 Challenger: MassEditor What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Leftovers: Zone: C15 Challenger: Adair What Faction can counter: Desert King (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: A4 Challenger: LordDan What Faction can counter: High Council (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th NOTE: A4 is actually off limits because LordDan attacked it the week before -- we don't have a current map up, so I can see why there was confusion. Please pick another square, if I don't hear back from you, I will just adjust it to the right or left one square. Zone: K13 Challenger: MKJoshA What Faction can counter: Ulandus (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: L16 Challenger: MassEditor What Faction can counter: Ulandus (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: K19 Challenger: Tomsche What Faction can counter: Ulandus (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: O16 Challenger: Jacob Nion What Faction can counter: Ulandus (One Counter Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: K15 + K15 (Auner, worth 2 VP) Challenger: Jacob Nion + Robuko What Faction can counter: Ulandus (Two Counters Needed) Due Date: April 19th Zone: L15 + L15 (Boreasport, worth 2 VP) Challenger: Brick Man Studios + Umbra-Manis What Faction can counter: Ulandus (Two Counters Needed) Due Date: April 19th

It looks like a game, one that is tweaked so there are more opportunities once in a while. Is it really that fun to absolutely crush the opposition each week? Will there be opposition left? Like I said, I got off the balancing idea after WZ5's discussion. It is better to just play it out. As I said, from a neutral observer, I am pretty sure it looks like I am favoring DK more by not throwing some limitations in there. A theoretical 6 point swing (which would be incredibly hard to win anyway, since it is actually a 1 point swing, and then a five points swing -- Into territory that was not originally DK) isn't the end of the world. I never posted a poll saying that we need to rebalance against DK. -- there was a joke in there about "DK has won already, let's quit" on the question about extending the challenge, but none of the serious poll questions about balancing specifically said anything about DK, all of them were ideas that would be applied to whoever was in the lead at the time. As many pointed out, DK could lose the lead this month or become inactive, then the changes would benefit them as well. In Ulandus' win at the Rumble, Garmadon called F14 in his entry, he was the only one in the list that had a called entry, so that became the warzone, which is what I have done with DK every time as well. I just did not post the new zone in last week, although I had it written when I did the Loop battle (which was called by DK). I wouldn't call Ulandus and High council teaming up "encouraged." I wanted to see what they would do, and wondered if they could find terms to come together to fight off a numerically superior DK. But it was done for mostly purposes of story. The negotiations are far from set, if I understand correctly. It is also just one challenge, and DK loses nothing from losing that warzone.

Seriously? Define support? Because it sounds like you are saying that I am trying to set it up for a win by one of the other two sides. Which is not true. I can't control what they build, how they build, when they build, and how well they build. There is nothing in my power that can set them up to win. Most squares picked by me have been neutral zones. One of the original WZs was from Ulandus, who had the most squares at the beginning. DK has called the rest of the zones except for Qarkyr. The only side that really has a claim that I have tampered is HC, as I limited their size in the one challenge. Beyond that I have done nothing directly against a team at all. As for the 7 point shift, that could only happen if HC wins both challenges. They have yet to win one, I am not sure DK should be shaking in its boots until HC decides to actually show up. Also, yes the winners do get to call squares, and in fact, Ulandus called Qarkyr, not DK. So, this is not some sort of twisted punishment to DK -- it is a Ulandus attack. Which, if DK wins, unlike any square before this, they get to actually take a square for defending something. WZ 13 was made up because it was an interesting story. and allowed for a three way battle at Qarkyr, if HC can make it there. I suppose they could just guerrilla the heck out of that area instead, but I thought putting a story behind the premise was more fun. And warzones are fairer than guerrilla blankets for DK or Ulandus, because it is a clean chance to really counter the push. I stopped pushing restrictions on GAs because DK was complaining hard about it and I did not want to siphon off the fun. If anything, people could see the lack of action against DK by me as my tacit support for that side. I am not some giant puppeteer trying to mastermind an orchestrated and well rehearsed plot. I am not rooting for anyone, I just want to see mass chaos, people building lots of crap, and having fun. There are plans in motion for whatever side wins, not just Ulandus or High Council. I don't care which side becomes the new ruler. Also, DK already owns H13. I have been waiting for the answer which squares you guys want for the overwhelming and the decisive victory on WZ 5 before posting the map from last week. I would say so. --- and I should add that there seemed to be overwhelming support for more zones with additional consequences like the Reservoir. This was voiced many times in various threads. And I just did the math... it is a 6 point swing, not 7.