Meet the Community #9 : Ilad

My first encounter with the game was at the end of January, as I was passing by some miniatures that showcased it on YouTube. It was only a few days later, when my brother mentioned a "new French TCG that seems to bring new things", that I remembered these videos and decided to watch them. I particularly remember the one from "Joueurs du Dimanche", which made me want to further explore my interest in the game and led me to discover the Kickstarter and the Discord.

Already familiar with BGA, I quickly tested the demo decks, but it was when I switched to ExAltered, with the first sensations of deckbuilding, that I really got hooked and decided, somewhat unreasonably, to participate in the Kickstarter.

What I liked was, on the one hand, the feeling of "player-first" that I felt in many aspects mentioned by the team, such as the uses of digital ownership or the rarity system. But also, on the other hand, the two expeditions, the three biomes, game mechanics that bring choices whose flavor I particularly appreciated.

Quickly during the Kickstarter, I discovered a caring and interesting community, and while we only had half of the cards available, we could already see many theorycraft discussions flourishing. I also greatly appreciated the closeness of the team on Discord, which allowed me to give them ideas for positioning the QR code. All of this obviously occupied my Discord activity and I spent more and more time there.

Due to this great activity on Discord, I had the opportunity to follow Aran in his project to create the Exalts team. The Exalts, of which I am a part, is a small group of active community members who have decided to come together to collectively propose ideas to support both recreational and competitive players. It's on the Exalts Discord that I was able to propose my first detailed guide for Fen & Crowbar from the Lyra faction, but you can also find the EX League, the best place to challenge the most talented players, or the rate-my-decklist to discuss deckbuilding at any level with the community.

Back on the official Discord, I joined Lokinox's moderator team to make the most of my presence. I greatly appreciated the supportive atmosphere of the Discord when I arrived, and I want to help preserve it for all community members as well as for future newcomers.

Finally, more recently, I was able to make it to the semi-finals of the "Par delà les frontières d’Asgartha" Tournament organized by the FR Discord.

It took me a while to choose but I have always been closer to Lyra than to the other factions.

I appreciate the fact that Lyra is considered by many more RNG than it really is in my opinion, and I will do my best to demonstrate its strength as soon as organized play opens.

I find it difficult to determine my favorite card. The Lyra Cloth Dancer is undoubtedly the most representative of the control-oriented playstyle that I quickly adopted with Lyra, but I think I would rather say Alice, in her Lyra version of course, because she probably brings together everything I appreciate, be it her effect, her illustration, but also her original universe.

Seeing the community in stores. I have already experienced organized play in another game years ago and I have very good memories of it. I still have in mind an atmosphere and an ambiance that I hope to find again, to see players grow and rise to the highest level, and perhaps to be part of it... It's still early but I also think I will eventually get involved in arbitration, I have sometimes held this role in other games I have played, and it is a good way, in my opinion, to give back to a community that gives me a lot.

Of course, I am also very excited about the opening of the first boosters and the discovery of the first unique cards...