This post is long overdue but without any further delay, I'm going to officially start talking about our 2 Honorable Mention cards and 2 Winners for our 2nd Year Anniversary Contest. As I said prior, I've had a lot of hangsups so I want to thank you guys for being patient while I take the time to get them out there. First and foremost, the entry!

 The Entry




Card Completeness & Formatting
All the essentials, stats, flavor text, characteristics, and flavor text are there so Anthony gets full points.

Originality of Effect
While the first effect is hardly something new (It's just a slightly improved version of something akin to Itachi [True Heir]) it is still nice to see that this style of effect was thought of. That said, it could've probably did something slightly different than just standard fair. The second effect is actually very interesting, effectively removing a big threat from a team such as Pain (Deva Path), preventing you from ever attempting to resolve that game winning Jutsu. I like the flavor of this style of effect as it does try to match what Anthony's theme of the card was trying to do (React to your opponent's threats). It also feels like a very Tobi/Madara-esque effect...imprisoning someone for a short while.

Card Balance
Here's where I feel the card falls flat. For a turn 6 Squad, the stats are on point but I feel that every other thing falls flat. The cards cost of 3 is very steep and the effect isn't entirely rewarding of the effect seeing as it's only "Attacker | Mission" timing. I feel like to make this card better, it could've kept it's same cost but just be "Mission" timing or it could've dropped the cost all together and stayed the same (and perhaps add "Can't be sent out to Battle this turn and the next turn.") This is a turn 6 squad, which means people are only really going to consider it if it's game ending or gives you a decisive chance to win. Very few turn 6+ squads see play that don't grant large advantages or aren't game ending (Pain & Itachi, Naruto & 4th, etc.). Sasuke & Itachi squad, while strong, barely sees play as it is on turn 6 and it's still slightly stronger than the card. Anthony did a great job design and flavor wise, but the actual costs and restrictions on the card are what really held it being back.

The Uniqueness of the Pairing
Anthony's squad has a pretty obvious yet still less thought of Squad when it comes to Naruto characters. Tobi and Sasuke, while Allies, are rarely if ever shown in the same place or location outside of a few key instances (Right after the Sasuke & Itachi fight or Sasuke & Danzo fight). It makes it really easy to forget that sometimes they really are a pair and for that he gets some points.

The Write Up
Here's what Anthony had to say about his card upon submitting it: Ok, the reason I chose Sasuke and Tobi is, first off, Tobi is one of my favorite characters in Naruto. I chose Sasuke because of the talk he and Tobi had right after Itachi's death. As for expectations, I wanted to make a card that reflected Sasuke's Mangekyo activating at Tobi's Sharingan and the conversation the two had at the Akatsuki hideout.
It's a little bit shorter than I would've liked, but it does accurately convey his intentions with the card.

Thank you Anthony for your submission! We hope you enjoy reading The Perfect Curve and hope that you will submit more work for our next contest! Until next time!
-Tsu