...so this means only one thing: get Epona into a damn contest already.
Seriously.
Need another reason why? Cue the relaunch of the board's first rally since Character Battle 8 (one led by your local moderator nintendogirl1 in previous years)...!
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This sig-space should be replaced by any number of GameFOX-sigs I made to support Epona from LoZ:OoT to make the next Character Battle.
FROM THE USER THAT BROUGHT YOU T E A M C H O C O L A T E COMES A NEW RALLY TO SUPPORT The following rally may contain LoZ-spoilers not suitable for all ages
LoZ:OoT - LoZ:OoT for the 3DS - LoZ:MM - LoZ:TP -
For those of you familiar with Epona, there isn't much that needs to be said. For those of you unfamiliar, shame on you. I'll touch on why Epona's cool and why she should reach the next Character Battle.
Why like Epona? She's your loyal companion like no other character in the Legend of Zelda series, that's why! She helps you travel, race, and attack with her to support your journey. You may also talk with her when you're in wolf-form, plus you can call her from nearly anywhere on command at any time as long as you play her soothing song...
...I know your nostalgia's invoked. Remember the first time you saw her grown up after you got the Master Sword? Or jumped Gerudo Bridge when it was broken? Or shot arrows to kill a Poe while riding her? Me too.
Furthermore, she has become a staple in the LoZ-series. She first appeared in the most celebrated game ever made -- Ocarina of Time. She returned later in the Nintendo 64's lifespan for Majora's Mask, and you even start with her and name her in Twilight Princess. She can be found with smaller roles in games such as Minish Cap and Four Swords Adventure, too. She has been a regular LoZ-character since the series took its 3D-transition, and at one time or another we've all relied on the trusty steed.
Why should she make a contest? Because we can always use more worthwhile newcomers and Epona's well-respected in the LoZ-series. She should beat Midna and crush Tingle, which is a good start for any newcomer. No other new LoZ-character makes sense to rally for next, either. Sheik? Ineligible. Dark Link? Clone. Happy Mask Salesman? Bomb. King of Red Lions? Horseback-riding > sailing! Navi? HEY, LISTEN...no. She may be able to garner a bit of joke-support as well for being a horse in a contest of characters, though I think she's become more than just a horse to avoid that kind of vote.
How many newcomers can you think of that would beat Epona, anyway? Considering Link just won his sixth contest, Ganondorf was the runner-up for the Villain Contest, Zelda was in the championship for the Female Bracket, LoZ won the Series Contest, LoZ:OoT won BGE2 while LoZ:TP won its 2004-2006 division, and both LoZ:TP and LoZ:MM just easily won their divisions in the GotD-contest...it's hard to say Epona doesn't have a chance at doing well!
Ultimately, Epona is a character that we have shared more time with than we probably realize, which can make her stronger than we probably realize. She's a newcomer with an interesting range and good potential to be respectable in the contests. We've had over a decade of great gaming memories with her, and more are coming. We already know she will be in the LoZ:OoT-remake for the 3DS, and imagine if we see Epona in LoZ:SS, too...
T H E S T A B L E 1) HaRRicH 2) nintendogirl1 3) Haguile 4) Menji76 5) Blairville 6) KanzarisKelshen 7) Random_Guy_42 8) Agent M 9) Gaddswell 10) Surskit 11) UltimaterializerX 12) VeryInsane 13) ProphetProfit 14) Mugen no Jyuunin 15) metroid13 16) General_Zimbad 17) tee316 18) VincentLauw 19) Mer_Mer_Yes_Mer 20) Tornadoman78 21) matman 22) Coffee Ninja 23) Sess 24) HatecreW_ 25) GodOfGaming 26) Cerebral Ninja 27) Da_J 28) RPGGamer0 29) Dark Young Link 30) McNagah 31) special_sauce 32) Mr3790 33) Silver_Ermine 34) Super Sonic 5 35) Jeff Zero 36) freacX 37) SubDeity 38) KamikazePotato 39) red sox 777 40) CeraSeptum 41) Mia_Wright / darkx 42) cteswhatever 43) MajinZidane 44) th3l3fty 45) poisson 46) LeonhartFour 47) Kotetsu534 48) XxSoulxX 49) Ultimaphazon 50) KingKracko 51) The Real Truth 52) Djungelurban 53) firefdr 54) GreatWallofUK / Meeks54 / MWC 55) Team Rocket Elite 56) Regaro_Ukiera 57) BlAcK TuRtLe 58) Chaosmon 59) Yoblazer / PartOfYourWorld 60) WarThaNemesis2 61) SuperWhiscash / Kibago 62) Somebody worthy of a cute girl's attention.....
MAJOR GOAL: --> Eighty (80) pledges from Board 8 to support her getting into the contest by the end of CB9's nomination-period - 76.25%
STEPPING-STONE GOALS: --> Ten (10) pledges from Board 8 within the rally's first week - SUCCESS --> Ten (10) pledges from Board 8 during the month of June - SUCCESS --> Five (5) pledges from Board 8 in a week to celebrate HaRRicH's birthday - DOUBLE SUCCESS --> Place in the top four of the Nomination Rally Tournament's round robin - FAILURE (lost via head-to-head tie-breaker for fourth place)
I'm the original Epona bandwagoner so I should really be at slot #0 for this list. I said we should have Epona back in the days when we argued about the Vyse fodder line and how Epona wouldn't even pass that! Oh how times change...
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Currently playing: Resident Evil 5, FFIV:The After Years, KHDS, LoZ:Spirit Tracks
Alec, Evillord, leo -- you three are the Bombchu-diggity. You get the first three carrots I have to give...
...after therealmnm gets his. You've been behind Epona getting in since 2004 and I didn't realize you were even around anymore, so I'll do you and nintendogirl the pleasure on the next update of placing you both in the very top of the list. Enjoy the view!
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"Support Epona because we've run out of good ideas." --Leonhart http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3492/eponaharr.jpg
Axem, icon, todbot, 695924, melikepizza, PokeStalker, UberPyro, whatis, Ryoko, Brett...you ten are my largest class of people to get carrots all at once yet, I believe. Nibble as a team, and perhaps imagine you're wearing the Bunny Hood while you do so.
Regaro and SuperWhiscash, glad to still have you two on-board! Here are the very same carrots I gave you before. You may be saying to yourself "Wait, I ate mine"...I know, and you're welcome for the extra effort.
Mumei, good to know about the alt. In that case, here's another carrot...but you gotta call it by a different name than what you're used to, like your alt.
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Where's your horse? http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3492/eponaharr.jpg
I'm in, but I'd prefer Dark Link tbqh. He'd make an awesome wild card. --- Tofa7 - LoZ-LoD | Hardcore "Thank you, thank you, no applause necessary, just send money..."
Epona lost out to Otacon, right? Check out the EXEMPLARY job that series has done here. Great thinking guys; I'm sure Otacon will make a VERY INTERESTING contest entrant.
-- Yoblazer: http://8board.webs.com/ariel.jpg Watch and you'll see... some day I'll be... part of your world!
Vital, rikku2, Pondos, Tofa, disturbed, Yankees...I'm proud to have ya on-board. Carrots age like wine, so I think you'll enjoy these.
Da_J, way to go on reconfirming! I'll give you a carrot and a high-five.
T H E S T A B L E
1) nintendogirl1 2) therealmnm 3) HaRRicH 4) Haguile 5) Menji76 6) Blairville 7) KanzarisKelshen 8) Random_Guy_42 9) Agent M 10) Gaddswell 11) Surskit 12) UltimaterializerX 13) VeryInsane 14) ProphetProfit 15) Mumei / Mugen no Jyuunin 16) metroid13 17) General_Zimbad 18) tee316 19) VincentLauw 20) Mer_Mer_Yes_Mer 21) Tornadoman78 22) matman 23) Coffee Ninja 24) Sess 25) HatecreW_ 26) GodOfGaming 27) Cerebral Ninja 28) Da_J 29) RPGGamer0 30) Dark Young Link 31) McNagah 32) special_sauce 33) Mr3790 34) Silver_Ermine 35) Super Sonic 5 36) Jeff Zero 37) freacX 38) SubDeity 39) KamikazePotato 40) red sox 777 41) CeraSeptum 42) Mia_Wright / darkx 43) cteswhatever 44) MajinZidane 45) th3l3fty 46) poisson 47) LeonhartFour 48) Kotetsu534 49) XxSoulxX 50) Ultimaphazon 51) KingKracko 52) The Real Truth 53) Djungelurban 54) firefdr 55) GreatWallofUK / Meeks54 / MWC 56) Team Rocket Elite 57) Regaro_Ukiera 58) BlAcK TuRtLe 59) Chaosmon 60) Yoblazer / PartOfYourWorld 61) WarThaNemesis2 62) SuperWhiscash / Kibago 63) AlecTrevelyan006 64) Evillordexdeath 65) leo3leo 66) AxemPink 67) the icon ownz all 68) todbot1 69) 695924 70) melikepizza 71) PokeStalker 72) UberPyro64 73) whatisurnameplz 74) Ryoko 75) BrettEagles 76) VitalVI 77) llrocksrikku2 78) Pondos 79) -Tofa7- 80) disturbed0ne 81) Yankees 82) Also part of a historic contest rally.....
STEPPING-STONE GOALS: --> Ten (10) pledges from Board 8 within the rally's first week - SUCCESS --> Ten (10) pledges from Board 8 during the month of June - SUCCESS --> Five (5) pledges from Board 8 in a week to celebrate HaRRicH's birthday - DOUBLE SUCCESS --> Place in the top four of the Nomination Rally Tournament's round robin - FAILURE (lost via head-to-head tie-breaker for fourth place)
MAJOR GOAL: --> Eighty (80) pledges from Board 8 to support her getting into the contest by the end of CB9's nomination-period - SUCCESS [101.25%]
WE DID IT, TEAM -- EIGHTY PLEDGES, YIPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't overstate the pride I have for this; way to go on coming together like this. Doc Louis only managed thirty-seven pledges pre-nomination, and it still doubled up with seventy-something (77?) nominations by the end of the nomination-phase. If we somehow managed something similar here, Epona would get an outstanding seed. Doc Louis also reached the vote-ins and we all agree Epona would do significantly better in a vote-in scenario than Doc, so the promise-land of bracketdom is well within our reach. It also doesn't hurt that a potential Guru-winner (Black Turtle) is considering supporting Epona with his Guru-nom, which would be a major benefit if it actually happens...
...but we cannot settle until we achieve the ultimate goal: Epona must get into a contest. Therefore, I have to give us another stepping-stone goal in the meanwhile...
--> Ninety (90) pledges by the end of 2010 - 81/90
...we've blazed through twenty new members today, but we need to keep the coals warm from this hot-streak through this cold holiday season. Given the success of the two LoZ-games left and the contest-interest at this point, I believe we can break this goal and even then some...but it's on you guys to make it happen.
Again, way to go team. =)
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What has four hooves, three major LoZ-appearances, two eyes, and a song? EPONA for CB9!
Waluigi shall get the next carrot. Some may say "that's because he was next in line," but I say it's because he possesses so much courage and wisdom that I can't help but give him one.
Get to work on that power though.....
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Epona: your #1 bet to cause great/terrible upsets in CB9.