Fantasy Draft IV Voting Poll

[Shadowood]

Ok Avonmora the time has come! Here is the voting poll for everyone to vote for who they think has assembled the best team. A special shout out to my fellow captains. This was a very fun draft. Other past captains have all mentioned the fun and excitment the draft brings, but most of all the disappointment when your next pick gets snatched up right before you choose. Very challenging. So fun.

A big shout out to all who were picked. I love seeing some new names and also some people rise and fall in draft order from previous drafts.

Before you vote, please read through the 5 Captain's "Blurbs" on why they chose who they did and why you should vote for their team. There might be something in these blurbs that sway your vote.

Again, I can't stop anyone from doing as they please (it is a pirate game after all), just a simple request to keep the voting fair. No bribes, threats or purchasing of votes... Please.

The voting will last for 5 days. Each player gets 1 vote. You are able to switch your vote up until the Voting Poll ends, as there may be future arguments that may sway you. With that.. Here are the Captain's Blurbs in draft order.

DezNutz:
- Captain DaVinci
- Tom Lowe
- Feniks
- Slindur
- Bigtea
- Dark Wolfie
- PsycoDad
- Lilone
- xXTaylorXx
- Bomont

=============
As we are to write a Captain's "blurb". I am writing one that fits the definition of one.

blurb - n. a short description of a book, movie, or other product written for promotional purposes and appearing on the cover of a book or in an advertisement

SO.....


Titans of Avonmora

Avonmora is a land of merchants and pirates, a magical place where one can make a fortune running rum, or take that fortune by force. But darkness has fallen on this once hallowed place. Follow the tale of DezNutz, a merchant turned pirate, as he builds and leads a team of the top plunders, skirmishers, and traders. A team of titans, consisting of tremendous strength, resource, and experience on a journey to conquer Avonmora and return it to its glory. Pirates Glory.


"Two thumbs up" - Pulpup from MERC Magazine

"Instant Classic" - Kangaroo Pictures

"Overall Best" - Shadowood & Lodswe Productions

=============

PulPop :
- PhoenixKnight
- Charles Vane
- Haron
- Lana
- The Accountant
- Anomander
- Yosarian
- Zephore
- Natsu
- Anne Bonny

Thank you again to Shadowood for the opportunity to be a captain and for the effort you put creating the fantasy draft once again. My fellow captains, thank you for making the draft interesting and competitive.

In selecting my team members, I have made my choices by considering both a player's individual strengths, and the collective power of the team if they made up a guild or fought a war. One of the skills I tried to stay mindful about was the ability of the team and team members to help younger players grow around them, be it with guidance, keeping moral high and/or giving the young a listening ear.

Another point I have tried to make while the draft went on was to get my team to start working together helping me make the best choices. I consulted my growing team about choosing teammates and this effort truly worked showing its greatest worth in the process to choose our rookie pick. being surrounded by so much experience and knowledge was a blessing and the team work we got helped us make the better choice and highlighted our teamwork

I had a lot of fun being a captain after two drafts I participated as a team member. especially enlightening and fun was the process of choosing our rookie pick. there is a great class of rookies right now, I do wish we concentrated more in helping them grow


My team needs no introduction but i will say few words never the less:
PHX has mastered nation ruling and supplies your gbs. His superb negotiation skills which caught my attention while he negotiated the Vudu Merc peace. He can find solutions to any problems with out of the box thinking.

Vane is A feared pirate that knows all the voodoo and battle tricks available. He mentored generations of pirates and he will keep our enemies on their toes. If you are in a battle, you definitely don’t want to be on the opposing side.

Haron never admits to anything, but you can never shake the feeling he is behind whatever just happens. Call him a master spy or undercover operative but he definitely will play well the secret police and the cover ops.

Lana with her wit and stubbornness will run the show and supply the glue that will keep us together. She will run a tight ship and keep everyone on task better than your first grade teacher!

Can't be a pirate these days without an outstanding accountant. TA will balance our books, set us with accounts in the Cayman's and Panama and keep our fortune safe from the IRS pirate hunters. But be careful of his guns because his math skills can only be surpassed by his battle skills!

Anomander will keep us calm and has some cards up his sleeve to hit you when you least expect it. He defines the phrase revenge best served cold because he serves it Frozen and he never lets it go.

Yosarian well, its a catch 22 but he will stay alive. Recognized for his skills by the infamous Kart was more than enough commendation but he is to be feared in both trade and battle.

Zep will chat to our enemies till they give up and surrender. He is a master debater that will get you to submit, like it or not. Just don’t meet him on the floor of the debat competition!

Natsu is invaluable information gatherer and a mind reader so what ever you plan, we will know before your teammates will. He can also infuriate our enemies into slipping and making mistakes. An excellent knoght in a game of chessthat will decimate our enemies.

Anne is active, eager, loves voodoo and unlike the rest of us has a bright future

Kangaroo:
- Sir Henry Morgan
- Danik
- Dman
- The Love Tiger
- Meliva
- Banger
- Captain Noir
- Astragek
- Dozer White Beard
- Sir Jack Roberts

When Shadowood asked me to captain a team I thought it would be ideal to assemble the 10 players I'd most like to play the game with and win at it.
The reality was that by the end of the first round I knew wasn't going to be able to that, and I'd like to acknowledge that there are more players on my wanted list who were drafted by other captains than by me. I suspect this is true for all of us, turns out most seem to rate their best 30 or so players very similarly.
So, why is my team the best? I'm not sure it is in all honesty, but I think it is as good as the others at the least.

From the start of round 2 I decided to draft a team that could be the core of a new nation on the map with the following objectives:
1. Capture or negotiate the transfer of two ports
2. Hold and consolidate the ports
3. Establish a deserved "don't screw with us" reputation
4. Have the highest sustainable stipends
5. Be able to create meaningful treaties (trade and peace) with other key nations
6. Engage with and foster new player involvement
7. Ensure that any player online will have the back of members who are not at the time, and will be recompensed by the nation for defence costs
8. Be ready to embrace and profit from new port features
9. Have fun

To those ends the players were picked for these primary (though not sole) roles;

Kangaroo - tbh Shadowood picked him, not a bad bloke for an Aussie and definitely not the worst player in the game, allegedly willing to pay to win anyway so doesn't need skill
Sir Henry Morgan - Was already picked as stated above, but becomes the CFO with all required skills manifestly evident
Danik - The PR machine, negotiator and Hand of the king, has a history of accomplishments and achievements that prove he has the moves to match the grooves
Dman - Strategist and spy runner, has an uncanny knack of being there when being there is a good thing to be
The Love Tiger - Defender of the realm and keeper of the launch keys, as a player has never been inclined to walk away from a fight but has ensured many others have
Meliva - Recruitment, Training and Retention, The elf pirate, moderator extraordinaire and seasoned campaigner brings a rare set of skills to the team
Banger – Warlord, let’s face it, he is qualified. Works to realise TLT’s strategic goals and takes Meliva’s graduates and turns them into accomplished raiders.
Captain Noir & Astragek – With a fully rounded set of skills these two become the nation’s first admirals of trade, tasked with building and defending fleets that will fill the national coffer.
Dozer White Beard – With a long history of finance and player development Dozer was recruited to support/advise/assist both SHM and Meliva, the future of the game is in the last few thousand to join, and always will be.
Sir Jack Roberts – Daniks Donkey handler and PR trainee, having displayed a willingness and some skill at communication he is the ideal candidate for the role, he is also the representative of the future on the team.

So that’s our team. Is it the best? No idea, but I do know it’s suited to purpose and would give any other team a run for their money 

Good luck to all involved, and a huge thank you to Shadowood for keeping this and former draft ships on a firm and straight course!

Shadowood:
- William One Eye
- Trixi
- Getsum
- Monty
- Noffin
- Thalius
- VandalAxis
- xPROx
- VegaPunk
- El Draque

Here is a short blurb about the team I picked and how I think things would go if we were in a guild with each other. I hope you enjoy and thank you for your consideration of Team Shadowood.

It was an exceptionally busy night at the Whale’s Tail. This run down bar has not had business like this for some time. Rumor that the ‘Siren-Triad’ was there had spread like wildfire. Fisherman and noblemen alike came pouring into the pub to get a glimpse of these fabled vixen. It was the perfect distraction...

Shadowood was off in the corner of the pub discussing business matters with some of Avonmora’s finest. He had invited these specific sailors to the meeting as he knew they were the best at what they do.
'Noffin' - If you needed crates of cargo moved and fast he was the man for the job. Never asked questions, always delivered. Rumor has it, he speaks to sea turtles… and they speak back
'Thalius' - Ruler of a small nation, he has his pulse on the people. He knows what is happening in the water around him and a leader of men.
'VandalAxis' - A true merchant and manipulator of markets. He knows where and how to get top dollar for any goods that are transported
'VegaPunk' - You always need a wealthy banker along to finance your deeds.. Good or Not. And Vega’s bank is perfect to stash our loot.

“I need all this set up and handled tonight”, Shadowood said. “We don’t have much time. There is a mist rolling in now. Perfect for cover.”

“My people are in place already, Shadowood. I have worked closely with Vandal and his buyers in Tortuga are eager to see what you have”, said Thalius

With a nod from Vega and Noffin raising his 4th glass of rum, Shadowood knew pieces were set.

All eyes were on the middle of the room. Here Trixi, Getsum and Monty sat… The ‘Siren-Triad’. These 3 ladies have ruled the eastern seas for 3 years. Their combined deeds are stuff of legend. Currently, however, they were in the midst of a beer drinking contest. Where clearly the only losers were the men who kept buying them drinks.

A shout from across the room halted the festivities at the Whale’s Tail. The night sky through the window became light, like dawn fast approaching. Off in the distance a warning bell chimed. Just then a winded sailor broke in.

“The Dragon has come! The Dragon has come!”, the sailor exclaimed. Sailors poured out of the bar to see what was happening. 5 fire ships were a light and headed toward the harbours best ships. El Draque as he is called didn’t get his name for nothing. This young sailor liked to watch things burn. But this terror quickly paled in comparison to the what was behind him. A hellish green light on front of William One Eye’s Flagship shown bright and ominous. The bystanders could now see the witch doctor known only as xPROx was summoning monstrous sea creatures. And at the helm, One Eye, bellowing commands and raising flags to signal his massive armada. The Great Blockade of Goroum had begun.

In all this confusion no one saw the Triad slip out and head toward the keep. These 3 sirens met little resistance along their way and even when they did, they cut them down with ease.

Shadowood and the other men, calmly walked toward the small east side harbour of Goroum. This is where they had moored their ships to avoid tonight's events. Moments later, the Triad rode up on 3 borrowed horses with a stolen artifact in hand. The others stood around in amazement that this small item was worth such deeds as performed today.

As Shadowood let down his sails and prepared his departure he held up his prize, a small Golden Donkey. “Danik’s gonna be pissed”, Shadowood laughed!

Lodswe:
- Black Sparrow
- Stan Rogers
- Jim Hawkins
- Dejanira
- Cutpurse
- Evil Kart
- Admiral Nelson
- Mugiwara
- Melody Sparks
- Witte de With

Why did I chose the ones I did? My purpose was to set up a team for all weathers war, defence and offence, economy, diplomacy, trustworthiness and loyalty with the crew.
So here it goes.
Black Sparrow: Excellent war strategist and tutor of newbies. Former of the HELM. What he doesn't know about the game is not worth knowing.
Stan Rogers: Started off in HELM, learnt the ropes very fast and is now, since long, the informal leader of Spain. Guild mater of AYES. A captain you can always rely on when you need an advice.
Jim Hawkins: If wealth means success then count Jim among the most successful in the game, also former king of Spain.
Dejanira: Successful trader and guildmaster of the SSTG guild. She can hold her own in any circumstance.
Cutpures: As I said before , an economy wizzard who knows how to make the most out of any transaction. If you need an advice on economy then turn to Cutpurse. You'll be rich in a week
Evil Kart: An old trader and king who also knows all there is to know about PK. He has shown loyalty and skills in every corner of the game.
Admiral Nelson: If you want an enemy destroyed and begging for mercy , this is the man to turn to. He sticks to the task until it's completed. Someone you don't want as an adversary.
Mugiwara: A player that is maybe not super active at the moment because of certain personal circumstances. I have never met someone able to keep track of everything happening at such extent as Mugi. Should he have been more active I'd picked him earlier but I still think he is one of the most talented ones ever to have played this game.
Melody Sparks: A loyal but maybe not very loud member of Spain. She pulls her weight and more when it comes to national efforts. We need more of her kind.
Witte de Witt: A new player who joined HELM not that long ago but has shown good progress I have confidence in him becoming a really valuable member in the near future.
This crew I deem is a very well balanced, ready to take on any adversary and come up ahead.
Vote for Lod's crew if you appreciate honor and loyalty!

[Meliva]

I was recently informed by Jack, that a new forum rule states any not voting for Kangaroo is to be banned. Totally not lying or abusing power for profit. Nope. Never. .

But in all seriousness great draft, great picks and great blurbs. Love the RP in shadows. But my vote does go to Kangaroo-I love how he modelled his team around making a nation and love that my job would be recruitment and training-something I like to do in game. Though this be the 2nd time I was called an elf pirate, I think that be a compliment.

Cheers to all the captains and their teams. May the best one win

[Dmanwuzhere]

Well the blurbs were no disappointment and I have 5 million to give to the one I liked the best and I will state that although any blurb that contains my name lol should be considered the best however, this was simply not the case.
I do enjoy a good story and love the way Shadow presented his. It stole my attention and my 5 million gold coins as well as Daniks donkey.
Now that being said my vote for the best team will show favoritism and support in the beliefs of Kangaroo that he indeed did choose a team that would survive if not dominate in some scenarios.
Not to say that other teams could not compete in some scenarios and dominate some as well, I just feel Kangaroos team could indeed be a powerhouse and I feel small compared to some of the others on his team.
While I have such high regard for Kangaroos team I feel that all captains tried to match his team picking with as much insight as possible and I will
not try to pick out where I feel others fell short.
But I will say I was captivated by everyones decisions and happily entertained by some as well.
Good job Captains and Avonmora as yet another Fantasy Draft unfortunately grinds to a halt.


Thank you for the effort and the story
A Payment of gc 5,000,000 to Shadowood (#56585) has been successfuly sent.
You paid gc 60,000 in total transaction fees, therefore the recipient received gc 5,000,000



I would like to challenge Avonmora to present their thoughts with each vote, after all we received that courtesy and it is nice to hear the thoughts of others especially when we have all gathered in one of the rare times Avonmora as a whole listens.

[Most Lee Harmless]

All of Avonmora?

In that case : Hi! Are you paying too much for your car insurance?

But seriously : Its been another triumph for the organisers and captains. I may not agree with alll the picks but a few new faces have been drawn to my attention and I wish them well in their careers here. Just leave the donkeys alone, okay?

My vote is, as ever, available at a most reasonable rate: but if you skinflints wont buy it then I'm gonna have to vote for Kangaroo : loyalty... wheres the profit in that, heh?

[Kangaroo]

Well the blurbs were no disappointment and I have 5 million to give to the one I liked the best and I will state that although any blurb that contains my name lol should be considered the best however, this was simply not the case.
I do enjoy a good story and love the way Shadow presented his. It stole my attention and my 5 million gold coins as well as Daniks donkey.
Now that being said my vote for the best team will show favoritism and support in the beliefs of Kangaroo that he indeed did choose a team that would survive if not dominate in some scenarios.
Not to say that other teams could not compete in some scenarios and dominate some as well, I just feel Kangaroos team could indeed be a powerhouse and I feel small compared to some of the others on his team.
While I have such high regard for Kangaroos team I feel that all captains tried to match his team picking with as much insight as possible and I will
not try to pick out where I feel others fell short.
But I will say I was captivated by everyones decisions and happily entertained by some as well.
Good job Captains and Avonmora as yet another Fantasy Draft unfortunately grinds to a halt.


Thank you for the effort and the story
A Payment of gc 5,000,000 to Shadowood (#56585) has been successfuly sent.
You paid gc 60,000 in total transaction fees, therefore the recipient received gc 5,000,000



I would like to challenge Avonmora to present their thoughts with each vote, after all we received that courtesy and it is nice to hear the thoughts of others especially when we have all gathered in one of the rare times Avonmora as a whole listens.

One has to wonder, was that the golden donkey, or the pyrite one?

[Astragek]

My vote also goes to Kangaroo. Not just because I was picked, and not because I like skippys, because I don't, they're a pain in the bottom! But because of the idea behind his picks. A nation combining strength, knowledge, wealth and maybe a bit of carelesness that some people fear. I think he's definetely put a lot of thought into it, and though he might have a few draftees that weren't his original first 10, I think he's done an amazing job putting a team together.

But in saying that, kudos to all the captains for coming up with all these picks, and for making this another amazing Fantasy Draft!

Thanks all!

[Jack Teach]

I was recently informed by Jack, that a new forum rule states any not voting for Kangaroo is to be banned. Totally not lying or abusing power for profit. Nope. Never. .

But in all seriousness great draft, great picks and great blurbs. Love the RP in shadows. But my vote does go to Kangaroo-I love how he modelled his team around making a nation and love that my job would be recruitment and training-something I like to do in game. Though this be the 2nd time I was called an elf pirate, I think that be a compliment.

Cheers to all the captains and their teams. May the best one win

:

[William one eye]

Spoiler: show

Well the blurbs were no disappointment and I have 5 million to give to the one I liked the best and I will state that although any blurb that contains my name lol should be considered the best however, this was simply not the case.
I do enjoy a good story and love the way Shadow presented his. It stole my attention and my 5 million gold coins as well as Daniks donkey.
Now that being said my vote for the best team will show favoritism and support in the beliefs of Kangaroo that he indeed did choose a team that would survive if not dominate in some scenarios.
Not to say that other teams could not compete in some scenarios and dominate some as well, I just feel Kangaroos team could indeed be a powerhouse and I feel small compared to some of the others on his team.
While I have such high regard for Kangaroos team I feel that all captains tried to match his team picking with as much insight as possible and I will
not try to pick out where I feel others fell short.
But I will say I was captivated by everyones decisions and happily entertained by some as well.
Good job Captains and Avonmora as yet another Fantasy Draft unfortunately grinds to a halt.


Thank you for the effort and the story
A Payment of gc 5,000,000 to Shadowood (#56585) has been successfuly sent.
You paid gc 60,000 in total transaction fees, therefore the recipient received gc 5,000,000



I would like to challenge Avonmora to present their thoughts with each vote, after all we received that courtesy and it is nice to hear the thoughts of others especially when we have all gathered in one of the rare times Avonmora as a whole listens.

One has to wonder, was that the golden donkey, or the pyrite one?

[Kangaroo]

Spoiler: show

Well the blurbs were no disappointment and I have 5 million to give to the one I liked the best and I will state that although any blurb that contains my name lol should be considered the best however, this was simply not the case.
I do enjoy a good story and love the way Shadow presented his. It stole my attention and my 5 million gold coins as well as Daniks donkey.
Now that being said my vote for the best team will show favoritism and support in the beliefs of Kangaroo that he indeed did choose a team that would survive if not dominate in some scenarios.
Not to say that other teams could not compete in some scenarios and dominate some as well, I just feel Kangaroos team could indeed be a powerhouse and I feel small compared to some of the others on his team.
While I have such high regard for Kangaroos team I feel that all captains tried to match his team picking with as much insight as possible and I will
not try to pick out where I feel others fell short.
But I will say I was captivated by everyones decisions and happily entertained by some as well.
Good job Captains and Avonmora as yet another Fantasy Draft unfortunately grinds to a halt.


Thank you for the effort and the story
A Payment of gc 5,000,000 to Shadowood (#56585) has been successfuly sent.
You paid gc 60,000 in total transaction fees, therefore the recipient received gc 5,000,000



I would like to challenge Avonmora to present their thoughts with each vote, after all we received that courtesy and it is nice to hear the thoughts of others especially when we have all gathered in one of the rare times Avonmora as a whole listens.

One has to wonder, was that the golden donkey, or the pyrite one?

We were easily able to carve" shadowood was here" on the bottom of one of the hooves. So we are quite certain we got the good one.

[sXs]

Yes this may be a bit partisan. I have seen talk of what teams would "Survive if not dominate". Well one only needs to look to Dez team for that.

If it were possible to "Win" pirates glory, not just survive, Dez has the team. Look at the top ten lists. Several of the players on Dez team fill every single one of them.

Ships owned
Ships plundered
Total battles
Total wins
Total skirmishes
Skirmish wins

the list goes on and on.

Dez "Blurb"was in the truest form.If we were to write a book chrincling the "winning" of Pirates Glory it would not be a very long book at all...

Chapter One

Winning the game

In a back room of a pub in some far of port they gathered. Rumor was the infamous pirate Deznutz had a new mission. The team had all gathered. The rum was flowing. Dez turned to his crew and said "This Mission is not complicated....... WIN THE GAME".

Captain Da Vinci being a man of few words stood up, held out his mug and said..........


"Hold my beer"


THE END

Yes the other teams have fine and respected members but there is no other team built for the survivability, knowledge, resources, experience, determination, and the little bit of "attitude" that would be required. Yes the others may be better suited to "play well with others", but in a matter of attrition/ last team standing...... hands down The Titans.