EDIT: The deadline of April 6th for auditions is fast approaching. Let me know if you have any last minute questions or concerns. Don't forget to note me when your auditions and reference sheets are completed so I can post them on the journal for the public to see your awesomeness.

The Story:

Edit:
Intro comic thanks to `RoninsUltramix

Since their creation, the various teams of SDL have mostly sat quietly, content to settle their disputes calmly through official Tournament like Redball or Winter Bash or through vicious one-on-one duels. This normally sedate state of affairs is soon set to end, as the SDL officially announces an all new Team Tournament to begin in the spring. Team Rankings are sure to shift, rivalries to begin anew, and one team will rise to the top to gain the (official) right to proclaim their superiority over all the others. And behind the scenes, an equally bloody controversy engulfs the administration - centering around that most mysterious personage, Aurelio D'Seles.

Somehow, the silver-tongued merchant prince managed to gain the approval of the Daimyo, Over-Authority of the SDL, to host the first Sakura Bowl Team Tournament at his Golden Promenade in Osaka, over the objections of the reigning Taichous. Uneasy about possible corruption, but required to present a unified public image, the Administration has publicly pledged to keep a close eye on the proceedings. And the ultimate prize, for the best of the best? Only a huge island stronghold, the Island of Fukue, just off the coast of Nagasaki. Nothing special.

And so the arena is set. The awards are accounted for. And all the remains is for the players to arrive, and to try and stake their claim... to history.

The Deal:

Eight teams shall be selected from those who audition to compete in the Annual SDL Sakura Bowl. Each team can be comprised of 3-5 artists who will collaborate to complete their submissions. How you collaborate is completely up to you. You can combine your efforts on a single comic (writer, pencils, inker, colorist), or decide to create separate linked entries each completed by a single artist, or anything else your team can come up with. For the story, the team will be comprised of 5 duelers from the team (regardless if the artist number is below 5), with each of the participating artist’s characters represented. Since we understand life has a way of taking some of us away from these competitions, we will allow rotation of members as long as the substitutions are also done within the story. However there will be a limit of 3 substitutions during the tournament, meaning you may have up to three other artists to use for these substitutions. These artists shall remain on the bench until they are substituted with one of the original team members, and that action will be considered one substitution. If however, your original member decides they can return to the game, it will not count as a substitution for them to take the place of their substitute since they were the default member.

Standard elimination bracket rules will apply with two teams facing off each round. The winning team being able to advance, while of course the losing team will be unable to continue. The tournament will be held in and around Il Casinò Regale. Each round will have an event theme that is intended to challenge the artists minds as well as show off their character’s teamwork.

Round One: The Labyrinth-- In Greek Myth, the Labyrinth was created by Daedalus to imprison the Minotaur, which was later slain by the hero Theseus. This event pays homage to this myth. Decided by a coin flip, one team will play the “Minotaur” while the other team will play the role of “Theseus.” The “Minotaur’s” goal is to escape the Labyrinth while “Theseus” must defeat the “Minotaur” and prevent it’s escape. The Labyrinth is made of up a series of connected underground tunnels below Osaka. Renovated and lit by torches just for the sake of this tournament. This match will be the only round completely hidden from any possible spectators.

Round Two: The Quest-- In myth, teams of heroes would earn their right to fame and power by embarking on a perilous quest. In Sakura bowl, the teams that make it to the second round must search for a certain item, and bring said item to Il Casinò Regale to prove they have the right and ability to proceed to the final round. Both teams must compete with each other to infiltrate a certain area to retrieve one item that belongs there. There will be two items (one for each battle) and both with have their own separate locations to infiltrate. Teams are encouraged to not only worry about fighting with the other team, but also the dangers and obstacles that each area has. More on this later.

Round Three: The Conquest-- It is in this round we shall be left with two teams, both with the right to be called the strongest. Yet, only one may lay claim to this title. Just as the Gods conquered the Titans to lay claim to Olympus, so must these teams face each other in full force to claim their own "Mount Olympus," that being the island of Fukue. There will be no special rules for this match, and the full roster for both teams will be open for use by the artists in Round Three. There is no maximum number of duelers that can be used, but using the full team roster is also not necessary. The battle will take place in an arena within Il Casinò Regale. Last team standing will reign as the new "Gods" of SDL while the "Titans" will just have to wait until next year to try again.

Rounds will last at least a month in length. Since unlike normal OCT's this one requires a group effort, we hope this will give every team ample time to plan, organize, and complete their entry. If circumstances require, we will extend this deadline when necessary. There are no maximum page limits either.

The Audition: (Due April 6th)

Teams will be required to put together an collaborative audition showing their team training for the tournament. The audition must show each participating member of the team (including substitute duelers) and either reveal, hint about their team’s purpose, or just show some team spirit. Also, the audition must show each team wearing a team uniform. This uniform requirement is meant to represent your group’s team spirit and a sign of unity. Interpret the uniform requirement as you will, have fun with it, but stick to the basic SDL guidelines for attire restrictions.

It is also required to create a ref sheet showing your team in their uniforms if your audition does not aptly do this for you. Front and back views of your main team and substitute members would be enough. Color is also highly recommended to include in your ref sheets.

Please send both the audition and reference deviations to me.

The Judging Panel:

Since some of our Taichous have expressed the wish to help their teams during this tournament we will have some two guest judges for this event. The Judging panel will consist of *genesischant ~Tofubeast *Eternityhero =Waddle-Penguin and =acrimsonrose. Even though we have some guest judges, the taichou will be the official judges for the Sakura Bowl in-game.

The Prizes:

1st place:

* An Castle fortress on the island of Fukue off Nagasaki.
* Gold medal charm for every team member created by =Iris-Zeible.
* 1 SDL button for each one of the participating team members.
* One colored team portrait by *CaptRosko
* One colored team portrait by `RoninsUltramix
* One colored team portrait by *genesischant

2nd place:

* Silver Medal charm for every team member created by =Iris-Zeible.
* Between 5 and 7 Chibis of the 2nd place team members by *conartist18
* One lineart team portrait by *CaptRosko

3rd place and 4th place:

* Bronze Medal Charm created by =Iris-Zeible.

Rank ups:

* Entry into SDL T.T.: +1 Team rank-up (TR) and +5 Dueler Rank ups (DR) per artist who worked on the audition.
* Winners of Round 1: +3 TRs and +15 DR.
* Winners of Round 2: +3 TRs and +15 DR.
* Winner of Round 3: +3 TRs and +15 DR.


That is a total of 10 TRs and 50 DRs to the winning team. As a reminder TR's are used to increase a team's ranking, and DR's can be given out by the team leader to dueler's who participated in this tournament. DR's also can be used to purchase land on the SDL map as well. Use of the rewards are up to the team leader's discretion.

The Setting:

Il Casino Regale:
Golden Promenade:
*more location references to be provided later*

The Spectators:

It's a almost a tradition in SDL to host spectator comics and images for our tournaments. This time the spectator entries will be a way for duelers without a team to participate in this event. We will hold mini-themed contests for solo duelers to earn rank ups. Themes and rewards will be announced at a later date.

The Sponsors:



Please note me if your team wishes to sponsor this event, and what reward you will be offering to the winning team. Don't be worried if you are competing as well. Think of it as a reward for yourselves if you do win. The more sponsors the merrier.

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Credits
SDL (C)
Sakura Brush (c)