**MYO Mantelbeast Contest 2018 (CLOSED 4 JUDGIN)**

Edit 07/08/2018 
well, The contest is officially closed now! Thank you to everyone who has participated and shared the contest!
We got so many amazing entries, I'm so excited to read through all their stories!

That being said, please bare with me! as the review and judging process DOES take a considerable amount of time. I will update you guys with more info when it gets to it! For now, Thank you guys for all the support, and you will hear from me soon! <3 

Edit 07/05/2018

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY! 

Edit 06/23/2018

due to popular demand from poll results, I'll be extending the contest's end date to July 8th!
Please use this extra time wisely! Thanks guys!

EDITs 06/21/2018
hello friends! There is officially 10 DAYS remaining in the contest! 

If you've been thinkin about making an entry, now might be the time to get it started! 
If you're currently working on your entry, or havent started and want more time, please respond to this poll!
>>> spockirkcoy.deviantart.com/jou…

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EDITs 06/10/2018:
-I've decided to lower the MYO price for Honorable Mention designs down to $25 to make it a little more affordable for people! 
-Honorable Mention Tier has been unlocked!
-Runners Up has been upped from 3 to 4! 
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IT'S OFFICIALLY BEEN 2 YEARS since the first Mantelbeast MYO Contest happened here on DA, and my little army has been growing steadily since then. I love everyone who's been a part of this community, and I wanted to do this again! Now that it's summer and I've graduated college, it seems the perfect opportunity, no?
Let's talk deets!

PLEASE SUBMIT ENTRIES TO THE MYO 2018 FOLDER >>> mantelbeasts.deviantart.com/ga…

This Contest Closes For Judging on JULY 8th! at 11:59 PM PAC time!

I may be swayed to extend it if there are enough people asking, but I think a month and 1/2 is a generous amount of time to give!

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**Winners**

Right now, there will be One overall winner and FIVE runners up! 

OVERALL WINNER: 

-Overall Winner will get to keep their Winning MYO for free! 
-They'll also get a fully coloured off-base of their MYO drawn by me!
example: 
- If they designed more than one, the Honorable mention rule applies to a second MYO, and they can buy it for $25!

RUNNERS UP: 

-Runners up get to keep their mentioned MYO designs for free!! 
-If they designed more than one, the Honorable mention rule applies to a second MYO, and they can buy it for $25!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

-Honorable mentions can buy their mentioned MYO design for $25! 


JUDGES

Judging will be done by yours truly! I may hire on an additional judge later on, but let it be noted that if you wish to help me judge, you cannot enter the contest. 

Judging will be based on Creativity and Story/personality! 
We want your Mantelbeast to look fabulous, but Story is also very important to me personally, and it should be to you, too!
By no means is it required, but keep in mind notes about your MYO's personality, quirks, likes, dislikes, history, etc! Good story is half of a Great character! 

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Designing Rules!

 Be a member of the Mantelbeast group! Mantelbeasts 

 Please read and look at ALL Mantelbeast information BEFORE you begin designing!

 All traits except for Rare and Myth (this includes Rare and Myth Faux traits) are allowed for this contest! This is to make it possible for you to make your beast as fitted to your tastes as possible!

 You can access 1 Rare trait OR Faux Traits for your MYO if you advertise this contest via Journal, Poll, Twitter, etc! (i would prefer if you didn't advertise via Furaffinity) you do not get BOTH. However, if you advertize TWICE, then you can add another Rare OR Faux Trait. you may only get 2 of these, so if you advertise more than twice, it doesnt mean you can keep getting more rare traits. 

NEW: If you advertise the contest, please link the method of advertisement in your MYO entry's description so that I can easily confirm that you have access to the Rare/Faux trait! 

 MYOs can only be Crew-Tier, which means their Niche must be highly specific! I will be checking to make sure of this. If you're unsure if the Niche you want to use is acceptable, please ask!! I'd rather you make sure instead of designing your whole beast and finding out you picked a Warden-Tier or even Deity-Tier Niche :C nobody wants that.

 Please please please double check that the niche you want to use hasn't been used already as an official adopt or as a previous MYO. 2 Beasts with the same niche CANNOT exist at this time.

 You are allowed to design a max of 2 MYOs, but only ONE of them can win or become a runner up. both can end up being honorable mentions, though!

 Submissions must be full colour! any medium is alright as long as it shows the whole design! 
 -as a note, it is helpful that the submission have a back view of the cape, but is not required!
 -you can make your submission as detailed or as simple as you'd like!

 You can make your beast as Focused or as Abstract as you want! As long as the design accurately reflects the Niche!
What I mean by this is that there are some beasts who look A LOT like their Niche in body (  ) and then there are some beasts who choose to interpret their Niche in a more abstract way (  )
whichever path you choose, be creative and have fun! 

-mythical creatures

-basic elements (ice, water, fire, earth, etc)

-Fruitbat niche (i have plans for this niche!)

-universal elements (time and space, etc)

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A tip for designing your Beast!
having trouble thinking of a Niche that's specific enough? Work backwards! 
example:
"I really want them to be scaly. What things have scales?"
"Snakes! I really like snakes, a snake-themed mantle would be cool! but what kind of snake?"
"Pythons are pretty rad, maybe I'll do a python! Or I could go even deeper!"
"A Ball Python! Aww so cute! That's it. I'll make my Beast's Niche: Ball Pythons!"

Resources
all resources and trait guides can be found at
here are some of the essential reads!
     Mantelbeast Info and FAQ!hey all! I thought I should start putting together a sort of FAQ for Mantelbeasts in order to start developing them further, as well as share with you guys what these creature's are all about!
I would vastly appreciate any questions
I really enjoy answering questions, so leave any kind you want here, and I'll add my answers to this list! 
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"What is a Niche?"
Niche /noun/ 
plural/ niches
general definitions:
-a comfortable or suitable position in life.
-(ecology) a position or role taken by an organism within its community. 
Lore definition:
-An entity, object, or concept that a Mantelbeast claims as its own; nurturing and protecting it unconditionally so as to see it survive and flourish. 
A Mantelbeast will choose its Niche and protect it with its life; honoring it, defending it, physically homaging it. They will not abandon their Niche, and only perishing can tear a Mantelbeast from its Niche's aid. They do not contr
you can also draw inspiration from previous Mantelbeast designs found here: 
mantelbeasts.deviantart.com/ga…


Have questions?? Please ask! 

Otherwise, have fun, and happy designing!!