BCNTD Final Three Entries

Heya guys, just posting this here for public viewing since I'm getting outside help for judging in BCNTD this week.

Mako Tsunami

1.) What lesson do you consider the most valuable that you gained from this competition?


The lesson I have learned that seems to be the most valuable is that you should never take anything for granted, and those who follow that value can transcend any expectations. There were alot of strong competitors that thought they could make it through with their reputation and potential, and were shot down when they didn't go all the way. So many people surprised me, I had underestimated so many people... including myself. I will carry this newfound clarity everywhere I go now, and I can already tell it will affect the entirety of my life.



2.) Did you had any doubts that you wouldn't make it this far in the competition? What obstacles did you have to through to make it this far?


Anything that I have created always recieves mixed reviews as far back as I can remember, and I was worried the judges would think my works were too murky or vague. Whenever a graphic challenge appeared, I had to put in alot of time to just stay on the bubble, and I thought it would be my eventual downfall.

The largest obstacle I had to face was to not become inconsistent. If I were to do a stellar task one time, that would be my standard. Keeping up wih yourself is tough. There was times when I just scraped by due to the incovienent happenings of one member or another- and I would have to tell myself that I would put in twice the effort next time. I had to make sure I did not let the judges rethink my potential.



3.) Have you become close to any of the candidates through this experience? Also, if you could bring back one eliminated candidate to compete, who would it be and why? (btw, don't worry, we're not bringing a candidate back XD)


I have definitely bonded with Windsfury through the Cycle- I went as far as to predict us going to the top back in the Final 8! Our relationship really grew from BC acquaintances into strong friends. Despite my difficulties reaching a computer during our team challenge, he treated me with such gratitude over the limited work I was able to give him. A very refreshing breeze in the heated battle BCNTD has become to be. He is the best. =D

If I could bring someone back, it would be Johan Anderson. I know that he had immense potential to win this Cycle, and he just flat-out lost interest. It would be great to have him back and challenge him with both of our limits pushed. I am sure everyone would want to see him back in action... I certainly miss it.



4.) Do you have anybody that you look up to in Battle City?


While it may seem a little unprofessional to say this now, I really look up to Thoci. When I just joined the BC scene, I was gandering at the Princeton Zero. Sifting through the Ratboxes and Gadgets was interesting, but seeing someone use Clown Control? Come on, that is some style points right there. He has to be the most honest and well spoken man I have have to deal with in a professional setting, by a long shot.

"Great Job Mr. Tsunami!" :]



5.) Do you have any particular favorite task that you experienced during the competition?


I think I enjoyed the Starter Deck creation to a great extent. It had the perfect mix of global knowledge of the TCG, creativity, and taste to just get my fingers pusling as I attempted to make the perfect ratios. It just made me happy to see that my work excelled despite the lack of pretty design, or interesting combos. ^-^

The Tektek challenge was also fun, but very fun people liked my entry. I thought it was very cool. :3



6.) Who did you first predict would win the competition?


Yet again, I would have to point to my man- Johan Anderson. The dueling prowess, elegant speech, and graphical skills seemed almost impossible to defeat. Of course it was my intention to place highly, but I saw my efforts just being outshone by such a prestigous veteran.



7.) Having gone through this whole process, why should you be declared Battle City's Next Top Duelist?


I thought Battle City's Next Top Duelist would be something out of my reach, but what I have realized going through the entire experience, was that I had so many people seeing my true potential. I still feel like I need to shine, and show everyone how far I have progressed. When I joined the Battle City community in the summer, I really thought it would take me ages to reach this kind of level. I have done all I can to not only raise my skills, but to encourage other's to do the same. For all of those who did not think I could make it, for those who stood by me no matter what... I have to do this for them.

Reaching the end of this journey, I know other's can feel the passion that flows through me. I don't think I have ever wanted a victory this bad, and I can only hope this yearning will give me the push needed to stand alone as Battle City's Next Top Duelist!

____________________________________________

Dart Dragoon

Mock-Interview of Dart Dragoon by Top Duelist Magazines

1.) What lesson do you consider the most valuable that you gained from this competition?

If there's anything I've learned from this competition, its that going full throttle towards any goal will not alwyas yield the same result as you'd normally expect. Subjective view of all the materials and tasks at hand is, in my opinion, very important. I realised that by trying to do my best for every task, I was actually doing alot more than what was expected of me. As the competition grew closer to it's Finals, I realised that I could think like my higher-ups as well. I could meaure how much they wanted from me and how much I need to give. I think that was the most important lesson here for me

2.) Did you had any doubts that you wouldn't make it this far in the competition? What obstacles did you have to through to make it this far?

Trick question It was in my knowledge all along that Cycle 5 would be different from the last 4 Cycles, and therefore I couldn't predict anything...to have it made as far as I have today is... yes I never would have thought that on my first try I could make it this far. But that doesn't stop me from moving into the future, the past is gone, this is now and I am HERE and ready to win this!

Obstacles huh..? Well yes there have been obstacles both in real life as well as in the competition. As a College student, to work in such heart racing conditions and face his Mid-Year Exams as well is quite the trial on its own. But even in the competition, I faced glares from some seriously advanced and better equipped competitors. My constant fluctuations was my biggest issue, how could I leave an impression on the judges if I flew sky high and crashed down every time? xD

3.) Have you become close to any of the candidates through this experience? Also, if you could bring back one eliminated candidate to compete, who would it be and why?

Very much I learned more about Kyosuke Kiryu than one might imagine. Those meetings in chat rooms and discussing our feelings, ideas and opinions all made me feel what Kiryu was feeling and I'm sure he felt the same. We could judge each other prowess before going on to be judged by the real judges, which was lotsa fun actually xD.

If I would bring back anyone...it would have to be Adro. In all honesty, all our eliminated candidates have the potential to become winners, but Adro's progress was hindered by personal issues, and I feel that if he were given a moment of peace, he could take the competition by storm.

4.) Do you have anybody that you look up to in Battle City?

Yep ^_^ as a matter of fact, this person has been kind of a role model for me ever since he joined Battle City, one of BC's most repsected staff member who got promoted from Member to Mod to Admin in less than 5 months! That person is Dartz. His expertise in the game rules, dueling prowess and gentle nature makes him one of the most talented and respected Duelists in BC, and he tops my books

5.) Do you have any particular favorite task that you experienced during the competition?

Absolutely! My favourite task uptil now has been Task 4, where we had to shed light on some rather ignored cards. It was alot of fun making that article, especially since it made other forgotten cards look good too, and gave me an opportunity to dive much deeper into the game itself.

6.) Who did you first predict would win the competition?

That would have to be either Johan Anderson or Evil Jaden Yuki. Both possessed prime champion material traits, but it would seem that Johan Anderson had the slightly upper hand. They were clearly declared the "fortrunners" of the competition in the very beggining. Of course, it was rather shocking to see that both of them were eliminated with the same zest that they came in with.

7.) Having gone through this whole process, why should you be declared Battle City's Next Top Duelist?

With reference to some of my previous verdicts from the judges...I believe that I possess a certain presence in the competition, a presence and potential that has saved me 3 times from being eliminated. By now I have learned how to guide myself, how to stick to what I have to do and get better with it, and this quality of self rectification in my opinion is what makes a true Top Duelist.

Well....looks like I stand at a fateful crossroads as of now. No room for error and no compromise in my entries....I wish everyone the best of luck
______________________________________________________

windsfury

1.) What lesson do you consider the most valuable that you gained from this competition?

There are many things I learned throughout the competition, but the most important would be to have more faith in people. I tend to value other people’s opinions less and usually, I m right. But believe me, the feedback I got on my work by both friends and judges alike is what helped me become better from task to task. But more importantly, I learned to have more faith in myself. When I first applied, I said this was more of a test for me. To be honest, I didn’t think I would make that far, that I wasn’t good enough. But I guess, I m better than I thought

2.) Did you have any doubts that you wouldn't make it this far in the competition? What obstacles did you have to through to make it this far?

Certainly. There were a couple of tasks that I felt that I just wasn’t good enough for it, and was about to give up. Especially with what was going on in my real life and everything. But I managed to pull it off, by putting my other problems aside and focusing on the task ahead. Apparently, the more I push myself to do something, the better!

There definitely were some obstacles I had to overcome. The most important was that I found it a bit hard to get my message across at first. I see things a certain way, but I had to pay attention on the way I write so the reader would see my point. My graphic skills (and their lack of) didn’t make it any easier either. Even when it wasn’t a graphic task, it was certain that those who were good at it would get extra points. So I had to try twice as hard!

3.) Have you become close to any of the candidates through this experience? Also, if you could bring back one eliminated candidate to compete, who would it be and why?

BCNTD gave me the opportunity to get to know people more, both new and old BC members. I believe I am more a part of this community than I was before this started. One particular member I got close to though, was Mako Tsunami. I suppose the team task gave us the opportunity to get to know each other more. Well, we are not really rivals in this competition, but good friends

If I could bring anyone back, that would have been Adro. I just believe he had a lot more to give in this tournament, and let’s face it; He was a frontrunner in this! Too bad he had to drop out though...If he hadn’t, he would have probably won!

4.) Do you have anybody that you look up to in Battle City?

It’s founder actually, Seto Kaiba himself. As soon as I joined, he was the person I was more interested in, as I saw he made all this. And as I got to know him a bit more, through chats and everything, I saw what an amazing person he is. I mean, think about it! If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be having BCNTD, or anything else for that matter, would we?

5.) Do you have any particular favourite task that you experienced during the competition?
All tasks were great, but I think I enjoyed the first card-creation task more than everything. I m fond of custom card creations, and I have created quite a few myself, but I never had to do anything even remotely related to the real me. I did well in that task, if I may say so, and it inspired me to put more of myself in everything I do.


6.) Who did you first predict would win the competition?
Well, at first, there were many strong competitors so it was pretty vague. But as soon as we reached top 8, I was certain Adro would win. I even remember saying, half-jokingly, that only if Adro got eliminated I would stand a chance in this competition. Like I said, it’s a shame he had to drop out…

7.) Having gone through this whole process, why should you be declared Battle City's Next Top Duelist?

We’ve all tried so hard, and gone so far. Each and every one of us could become Battle City’s Next Top Duelist, and we all want to. But believe me, I ‘ve put everything I ‘ve got in this! From task to task, I did my very best and got a few stars under my belt to prove it. But in the end, itt’s not about Challenge Wins, or Bottom Two’s, it’s about one’s will and determination to succeed!


So that’s all I can hope for;To storm through these final tasks and reap the fruits of my hard work! Determined to claim the title I truly desire! Determined to become Battle City’s Next Top Duelist!