Contraband by theory11

[Don Boyer]

I still say those Spades in the banners around the globes are upside-down compared to the Hearts and Clubs.  I don't know if it's by choice, but it bothers me either way.

I bet the diamonds are upside-down as well! 

The deck to me looks like what a deck might look like if playing cards were banned during Prohibition in addition to alcohol.  There's a vaguely hand-made look to them.

Still way too much Latinate cliché.

[Card Player]

I still say those Spades in the banners around the globes are upside-down compared to the Hearts and Clubs.  I don't know if it's by choice, but it bothers me either way.

I bet the diamonds are upside-down as well! 

The deck to me looks like what a deck might look like if playing cards were banned during Prohibition in addition to alcohol.  There's a vaguely hand-made look to them.

Still way too much Latinate cliché.

Cerca Trova is Italian

Carpe Diem, Carpe Noctem is Latin (I see this as one phrase)

Any other cliché I'm missing?

"Contraband Playing Cards were inspired by secret societies, conspiracy theories, and everything unknown."

I'd be very interested to know more about the secret societies and conspiracy theories that inspired specific parts of the design. Why these phrases were chosen and why from different dialect?

[Don Boyer]

I still say those Spades in the banners around the globes are upside-down compared to the Hearts and Clubs.  I don't know if it's by choice, but it bothers me either way.

I bet the diamonds are upside-down as well! 

The deck to me looks like what a deck might look like if playing cards were banned during Prohibition in addition to alcohol.  There's a vaguely hand-made look to them.

Still way too much Latinate cliché.

Cerca Trova is Italian

Carpe Diem, Carpe Noctem is Latin (I see this as one phrase)

Any other cliché I'm missing?

You call it one expression, I call it two!  If it was a single phrase, would it make more sense to be "Seize the day and night" or perhaps "Seize the whole day"?  I'd actually never read or heard "carpe noctem" until I saw this deck.

"Cerca trova" - Google Translate says this is not Latin and that this is Italian for "seeks finds".  I get the feeling it leaves something to be desired.  I'm guessing "He who seeks, finds" would be more accurate.

Check the Ace of Spades.  "Audaces fortuna iuvat" - "Fortune favors the bold."

Boiled down to brass tacks, ANY amount of Latin, especially more than one phrase, is excessive.  It's been done before.  Now, all it does is make it seem pretentious.  Yeah, magicians have been using Latin, Pig Latin, etc. to obscure and misdirect for centuries, but today, it's about as up-to-date as a magician in a full tuxedo, complete with cape and top hat.  It's an overused cliché.

"Contraband Playing Cards were inspired by secret societies, conspiracy theories, and everything unknown."

I'd be very interested to know more about the secret societies and conspiracy theories that inspired specific parts of the design. Why these phrases were chosen and why from different dialect?

Different dialect?  What dialect?  The dialect of magicians?

[Card Player]

I still say those Spades in the banners around the globes are upside-down compared to the Hearts and Clubs.  I don't know if it's by choice, but it bothers me either way.

I bet the diamonds are upside-down as well! 

The deck to me looks like what a deck might look like if playing cards were banned during Prohibition in addition to alcohol.  There's a vaguely hand-made look to them.

Still way too much Latinate cliché.

Cerca Trova is Italian

Carpe Diem, Carpe Noctem is Latin (I see this as one phrase)

Any other cliché I'm missing?

You call it one expression, I call it two!  If it was a single phrase, would it make more sense to be "Seize the day and night" or perhaps "Seize the whole day"?  I'd actually never read or heard "carpe noctem" until I saw this deck.

"Cerca trova" - Google Translate says this is not Latin and that this is Italian for "seeks finds".  I get the feeling it leaves something to be desired.  I'm guessing "He who seeks, finds" would be more accurate.

Check the Ace of Spades.  "Audaces fortuna iuvat" - "Fortune favors the bold."

Boiled down to brass tacks, ANY amount of Latin, especially more than one phrase, is excessive.  It's been done before.  Now, all it does is make it seem pretentious.  Yeah, magicians have been using Latin, Pig Latin, etc. to obscure and misdirect for centuries, but today, it's about as up-to-date as a magician in a full tuxedo, complete with cape and top hat.  It's an overused cliché.

"Contraband Playing Cards were inspired by secret societies, conspiracy theories, and everything unknown."

I'd be very interested to know more about the secret societies and conspiracy theories that inspired specific parts of the design. Why these phrases were chosen and why from different dialect?

Different dialect?  What dialect?  The dialect of magicians?

Don, aren't you the one that suggested a Latin phrase to Mr Robinson on one of his Federal 52 projects? What's good for the goose is good for the gander? (Pardon the cliché)

Dialect: Do I really need to explain this? Latin & Italian are different dialects of language. Why do I get the feeling your going to attempt to tell me I'm wrong?

Generally if it were me, I would not use phrases of any language on a back design. Tuck Box, AoS maybe? I think some (you) are being a little picky on a design that is better then most.

[Don Boyer]

Don, aren't you the one that suggested a Latin phrase to Mr Robinson on one of his Federal 52 projects? What's good for the goose is good for the gander? (Pardon the cliché)

Dialect: Do I really need to explain this? Latin & Italian are different dialects of language. Why do I get the feeling your going to attempt to tell me I'm wrong?

Generally if it were me, I would not use phrases of any language on a back design. Tuck Box, AoS maybe? I think some (you) are being a little picky on a design that is better then most.

I recall that.  It had more to do with how he was basing the design on US currency, which already has Latin phrases on it.  That was then, this is now.  If I told someone in the '60s that something was "groovy," would it make the word any less dated or out-of-fashion today?  Too far in the past?  Well, when was the last time you heard someone in conversation refer to the "Information Superhighway," a term popularized in the Clinton administration?  Just as multicolored Bicycle Rider Back decks are somewhat out of fashion, so is the use of Latin to try making a deck appear more secretive and mysterious.

Latin and Italian aren't different dialects of language.  They're different languages!  You got the feeling I was going to tell you that you were wrong because you were wrong!  A dialect is a manner of speaking, in terms of inflection, word usages, etc., that are unique to a specific group or geographic location.  Southern patois, Texas drawl, Bostonian vowel bashing, the Queen's English, and so many more - despite their differences, they're all still dialects of English.  Italian is a "Romance" language, as is French, Spanish and Portuguese - they had origins in Latin, but they are not dialects of Latin, for the same reasons that English isn't a dialect of German, though both are "Germanic" languages.

I'm not that picky about the design.  I think it's kind of cool.  I merely commented on the use of Latin being a bit passé and was taken to task for it.  So believe it or not, putting aside the differences we have on Latin and its usage being old hat, we actually agree this is at least a good deck design, if not better.  And I, too, prefer card backs that are devoid of writing, with few exceptions (I'm kind of fond of Shifters).

So can we stop arguing, considering we're basically on the same side? 

[Card Player]

Don, aren't you the one that suggested a Latin phrase to Mr Robinson on one of his Federal 52 projects? What's good for the goose is good for the gander? (Pardon the cliché)

Dialect: Do I really need to explain this? Latin & Italian are different dialects of language. Why do I get the feeling your going to attempt to tell me I'm wrong?

Generally if it were me, I would not use phrases of any language on a back design. Tuck Box, AoS maybe? I think some (you) are being a little picky on a design that is better then most.

I recall that.  It had more to do with how he was basing the design on US currency, which already has Latin phrases on it.  That was then, this is now.  If I told someone in the '60s that something was "groovy," would it make the word any less dated or out-of-fashion today?  Too far in the past?  Well, when was the last time you heard someone in conversation refer to the "Information Superhighway," a term popularized in the Clinton administration?  Just as multicolored Bicycle Rider Back decks are somewhat out of fashion, so is the use of Latin to try making a deck appear more secretive and mysterious.

Latin and Italian aren't different dialects of language.  They're different languages!  You got the feeling I was going to tell you that you were wrong because you were wrong!  A dialect is a manner of speaking, in terms of inflection, word usages, etc., that are unique to a specific group or geographic location.  Southern patois, Texas drawl, Bostonian vowel bashing, the Queen's English, and so many more - despite their differences, they're all still dialects of English.  Italian is a "Romance" language, as is French, Spanish and Portuguese - they had origins in Latin, but they are not dialects of Latin, for the same reasons that English isn't a dialect of German, though both are "Germanic" languages.

I'm not that picky about the design.  I think it's kind of cool.  I merely commented on the use of Latin being a bit passé and was taken to task for it.  So believe it or not, putting aside the differences we have on Latin and its usage being old hat, we actually agree this is at least a good deck design, if not better.  And I, too, prefer card backs that are devoid of writing, with few exceptions (I'm kind of fond of Shifters).

So can we stop arguing, considering we're basically on the same side? 

I'm not arguing.

The dialects of modern Italian all have their roots in the spoken form of Latin (Vulgar Latin), in use throughout the Roman Empire.

[Don Boyer]

I'm not arguing.

The dialects of modern Italian all have their roots in the spoken form of Latin (Vulgar Latin), in use throughout the Roman Empire.

Hence, the term "Romance languages," such as Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.  I stated this already.

So while all the modern dialects are Italian, none of them are Latin.  The language originated from Latin, but it isn't Latin, which is a distinctly different language.  All from the land that used letters for numbers and where "L" was greater than "XL"!

[Paul.Middleton]

The use or overuse of Latin doesn't bother me personally - I don't think this deck suffers as a result. I do really like the tuck design, I'm not as keen on the courts though. It's definitely selling (for us) as well as any theory11 deck has done before it, so far anyway.

P.S...

"Queens English" is not a dialect - it is not partulcar to any one geographical location. It is another way of saying Received Pronunciation, which can only be described as an accent since all those that speak it are using "standard English".  (http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/received-pronunciation/)

[Card Player]

The use or overuse of Latin doesn't bother me personally - I don't think this deck suffers as a result. I do really like the tuck design, I'm not as keen on the courts though. It's definitely selling (for us) as well as any theory11 deck has done before it, so far anyway.

Given the decks detail and full customization, I think the designer did a nice job of subtly incorporating some of the designs elements into the courts. Anytime I look at design, I think to myself what would I have done differently?  I can't find anything specific about the courts I would improve on.

Contraband is not a 10/10. I would give it a solid 9/10.

[Fess]

Some will say they don't like something but can't pinpoint what they would do to correct it?

Contraband is not a 10/10. I would give it a solid 9/10.

I have a can do attitude to that haha. Courts, I'd turn their heads as I favor courts that aren't all profiles. Backs, I'd ditch the carpe lines and banners, move the globes out just a bit, drop a navigational star dead center and mimic the compass opposite the navigation stars now. Top and bottom of the card back, I'd remove the text and text band as well as the anchors putting a sailing vessel in their place or possibly just ship right tools maybe a whale instead, cause whales yay. I like the overall layout of the card back, but I'm not overly fond of all the texty at all. Aces are beautiful but a little overwhelming they come off muddled, I'd remove some of the clutter because I favor a bit more clarity than what we're seeing. Lastly I'd fix the pips (Although I kind of like the diamonds) and the indices, part of me thinks wider spaced wire pips would be okay but I'd go with a solid pip maybe some slight embellishment. This custom font doesn't work well in my opinion, the lattice didn't come out very clean I would go with a solid font so the indices are nice and crispy.

I don't think the Contraband deck is a nine myself. Where it hits, the tuck for example, it hits very strongly. Where it misses, I feel it it misses strongly. I'm not saying it's a bad deck. It's leagues above something like CPC's ancient machines, but I can pinpoint several things that I feel would have made it better. Certainly for my taste anyway.

[Don Boyer]

The use or overuse of Latin doesn't bother me personally - I don't think this deck suffers as a result. I do really like the tuck design, I'm not as keen on the courts though. It's definitely selling (for us) as well as any theory11 deck has done before it, so far anyway.

P.S...

"Queens English" is not a dialect - it is not partulcar to any one geographical location. It is another way of saying Received Pronunciation, which can only be described as an accent since all those that speak it are using "standard English".  (http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/received-pronunciation/)

Well, of course.  There's only one country that has the same accent of English, shore to shore to shore, and that's Australia.  (At least that was true at the time of the 1988 census.)

But there are colloquialisms used in the United Kingdom that are not as commonly used elsewhere, and I'm not even accounting for things like rhyming slang which if I recall was common in Liverpool.  When someone (or at least me!) mentions the Queen's English, it's not simply the accent that's being referred to.  Calling a flashlight a "torch" never happens in the US unless someone from the UK is saying it (or someone imitating someone from the UK).  "Mobile" instead of "cell" or "cellphone", "nicked" instead of stolen, "queue" instead of "line", etc., all combined with the stereotypical British accent, gives you "the Queen's English," despite the fact that its her subjects and not the Queen herself that uses English in that fashion.

[Paul.Middleton]

Well, of course.  There's only one country that has the same accent of English, shore to shore to shore, and that's Australia.  (At least that was true at the time of the 1988 census.)

But there are colloquialisms used in the United Kingdom that are not as commonly used elsewhere, and I'm not even accounting for things like rhyming slang which if I recall was common in Liverpool.  When someone (or at least me!) mentions the Queen's English, it's not simply the accent that's being referred to.  Calling a flashlight a "torch" never happens in the US unless someone from the UK is saying it (or someone imitating someone from the UK).  "Mobile" instead of "cell" or "cellphone", "nicked" instead of stolen, "queue" instead of "line", etc., all combined with the stereotypical British accent, gives you "the Queen's English," despite the fact that its her subjects and not the Queen herself that uses English in that fashion.

You see, there isn't a stereotypical British accent to us, simply using those words together with a so-called stereotypical British accent does not constitute 'Queen's English', and one would imagine the Queen does indeed speak it - though I doubt that's what she calls it.

Liverpool has plenty of slang phrases, as does the rest of the country - but perhaps not the one you're thinking of - the most famous rhyming slang is Cockney (originates from the East End of London).

I don't consider myself to be an expert on the British language or accents - but I'm pretty confident that Australian don't share our accents. I have heard it said a few times though- mainly from folks in the US, perhaps the two are less distinguishable to you? Obviously there is historical links and ties which brings the two ways of speaking English closer together in a variety of ways - but I doubt you would hear an Australian saying they share our accent either

[Don Boyer]

You see, there isn't a stereotypical British accent to us, simply using those words together with a so-called stereotypical British accent does not constitute 'Queen's English', and one would imagine the Queen does indeed speak it - though I doubt that's what she calls it.

Liverpool has plenty of slang phrases, as does the rest of the country - but perhaps not the one you're thinking of - the most famous rhyming slang is Cockney (originates from the East End of London).

I don't consider myself to be an expert on the British language or accents - but I'm pretty confident that Australian don't share our accents. I have heard it said a few times though- mainly from folks in the US, perhaps the two are less distinguishable to you? Obviously there is historical links and ties which brings the two ways of speaking English closer together in a variety of ways - but I doubt you would hear an Australian saying they share our accent either

Re what Americans consider the stereotypical British accent, think of a posh, well-to-do Londoner.  But there are many varieties of accents used throughout Britain, just as there are many accents throughout the US.

I never laid claim to Australia being of the same accent as the UK.  They do speak English, albeit with more tortured vowels, and they're the only country that meets two conditions: a) English is the dominant language, if not the official language, and b) the accent spoken and colloquialisms used are the same nation-wide by the native English-speaking population.  Even a relatively small nation like the UK has a variety of accents.  Within my own state, you'll find different accents!

Now we're getting WAY off-topic here, let's rein it in.  I think Contraband uses more Latin than any deck of cards should have these days - which to me is ANY amount of Latin!  It's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.  It was fashionable back when Ellusionist was a new company and Bayme just founded T11, but today it's a bit old-hat.  It's thought to evoke mystery, but to me, the idea is old and has lost its power.  Magicians have long used such phrases, in Latin and other languages, real or imagined, to mystify their audiences but for me, I have an expression I heard many years ago - if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.  I'd rather dazzle than merely baffle, and there are no bulls where I live.  Perhaps it stems from living in a town where most people who survive the experience of residency have finely-tuned BS detectors implanted in their skulls...

[Fess]

You see, there isn't a stereotypical British accent to us, simply using those words together with a so-called stereotypical British accent does not constitute 'Queen's English', and one would imagine the Queen does indeed speak it - though I doubt that's what she calls it.

Liverpool has plenty of slang phrases, as does the rest of the country - but perhaps not the one you're thinking of - the most famous rhyming slang is Cockney (originates from the East End of London).

I don't consider myself to be an expert on the British language or accents - but I'm pretty confident that Australian don't share our accents. I have heard it said a few times though- mainly from folks in the US, perhaps the two are less distinguishable to you? Obviously there is historical links and ties which brings the two ways of speaking English closer together in a variety of ways - but I doubt you would hear an Australian saying they share our accent either

Re what Americans consider the stereotypical British accent, think of a posh, well-to-do Londoner.  But there are many varieties of accents used throughout Britain, just as there are many accents throughout the US.

I actually think of Hooligans for British accents and Bogans for Aussie accents. Very entertaining stereotypes. 

[HudsonDesign]

I don't want to knock this one back off course Don but your actually incorrect about Australia. The accents and colloquialisms used are not all the same nation-wide.  There are some commonalities but there is a definite difference between the states not only with words and names of things but accents and colloquialisms as well. 

As an example for names of things what you call a corndog is a pluto pup in some areas and a dagwood dog in others, plus a variety of other names depending on where your from. 

The accent is also extremely different between country NSW (where I'm from) and anywhere within 4 hours of the city.  (I still find myself slipping back into a nasal vowel stretch when I visit family and talk to people around the area.  Partly out of habit, partly comfort for me and them and partly so they understand me and don't think I'm snooty city folk.    )

Then country NSW is different to Queensland, and again to the NT.  Is it enough to tell the difference.  Definitely if your from here you can know someone is "not from round these parts" and if its an accent you know maybe even more so. 

It is being Americanized more every day.  And most don't know but our population grows faster from immigration than from birth rates.  So its an extremely multicultural society, that grows more so every day. 

But obviously there are an awful lot of people who are from other countries (Esp the USA) that think we all just sound the same. 

Almost as many as the number of Americans that think Australia and Austria are the same thing.    But we can't hold every comment made by our elected officials against ourselves. 

Anyway.  Didn't want to highjack it any further.  Just wanted to jump in on something I actually can say I have indisputable experience on 

[Don Boyer]

I don't want to knock this one back off course Don but your actually incorrect about Australia. The accents and colloquialisms used are not all the same nation-wide.  There are some commonalities but there is a definite difference between the states not only with words and names of things but accents and colloquialisms as well. 

As an example for names of things what you call a corndog is a pluto pup in some areas and a dagwood dog in others, plus a variety of other names depending on where your from. 

The accent is also extremely different between country NSW (where I'm from) and anywhere within 4 hours of the city.  (I still find myself slipping back into a nasal vowel stretch when I visit family and talk to people around the area.  Partly out of habit, partly comfort for me and them and partly so they understand me and don't think I'm snooty city folk.    )

Then country NSW is different to Queensland, and again to the NT.  Is it enough to tell the difference.  Definitely if your from here you can know someone is "not from round these parts" and if its an accent you know maybe even more so. 

It is being Americanized more every day.  And most don't know but our population grows faster from immigration than from birth rates.  So its an extremely multicultural society, that grows more so every day. 

But obviously there are an awful lot of people who are from other countries (Esp the USA) that think we all just sound the same. 

Almost as many as the number of Americans that think Australia and Austria are the same thing.    But we can't hold every comment made by our elected officials against ourselves. 

Anyway.  Didn't want to highjack it any further.  Just wanted to jump in on something I actually can say I have indisputable experience on 

I was quoting from "Aussie Fact Book '88" - I figured things may have changed a bit in the ensuing 27 years.  The book also stated that of the 14 million people living there at the time, 10.5 million (three-quarters of the population) was female!

I bought the book years ago - really a lifetime ago - when I was working for Banana Republic at their then-flagship store, they still sold military surplus as well as new clothing and they had travel bookstores in some of their shops.  The book was new at the time!  The author herself was Australian, so I figured she was speaking with some authority.

[HudsonDesign]

Ha!  Well I might have been a lot younger back then but I can tell you without a doubt I remember that "city people" spoke differently at least. But yeah its not something a lot of people really consider but definitely different accents all over this country.  I think from memory a professor from one of the Adelaide universities wrote a book or paper on it a few years back.  I'll see if I can find it somewhere.

On top of that I think the author of that book was probably more than a little lazy.  I guess when someone is writing a book, especially in the pre-internet information age, they could always take some liberties with the info they put out if their publisher didn't care to fact check.  But to have even basic figures completely incorrect to maybe have an interesting read is both silly and lazy.  For a start the census to count the population and demographic info of Australia is every 5 years and was done in 1986, which means info released the following year or two.  If shes based a book on 1988 she would have easily been able to use this info as public record.

And looking at it the population from 1986 was over 15.6 million  of which only slightly over 50% are female.  In fact at that time males outnumber females in every single age group it seems until after 65 where they quickly made up the numbers to be in front (surprise surprise  the men dropped off a little younger for some reason).

The census done in 1991 has total population at 8.36 million male 8.48 million female.  So even then there wasn't 10 million females even in Australia. 

No wonder people of the world see us all as a different species that rides a kangaroo to school.

Here are links to both the census papers mentioned.  You could easily find the current ones through the ABS too.  The previous census would have been 2011 and released 12-13 so its going to give you a pretty accurate update on current Australia.

http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/5BA81C2FEEF1C4A7CA25757C0011D47B/$File/25010_1986_Aust_In_Brief.pdf

http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/792BBD9457634FFECA2574BE00826627/$File/27100_1991_20_Census_Characteristics_of_Australia.pdf

And for those wondering, no.  We didn't ride a kangaroo to school.  You had to take a bus or car because if you were uncovered while traveling under a tree there was always a danger a drop bear would leap down and get you.  Many an arm lost on the way to school in the 80's here.  Lucky we figured out they were deterred by Vegemite.  Locals have been safe ever since.   

[Don Boyer]

In summary:

Sure, the stats were probably exaggerated - or I could be remembering them incorrectly.

Men typically live shorter lives in many nations.  They lead more stressful lives, goes the theory.  The gap in the US in average life span between the sexes is nearly a decade.

Is it possible that, rather than being different accents, per se, that it was the same accent but stronger or weaker in different regions?  I'm a New Yorker but most people would never know it from my accent - unless I'm intentionally altering my accent.  My regular accent is more like that of a newscaster - kinda of Midwest/neutral.  I do, however, have a subconscious habit of mimicking the accent of people I'm speaking with, sort of as an adaptation to put the other person at ease, unless the accent is not as easily copied (i.e., I never used my wife's Russian/Ukraine accent even once).

I'm going to find a point to break these discussions off into a Conversation Parlor topic.

EDIT: couldn't find a good place for the split!  Let's just get back on topic, unless you want to chat about it in PMs.

[Leif]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

[Don Boyer]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

It might be more accurate to say you've been preferring T11 over Madison/McKinnon decks!

[DarkDerp]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

It might be more accurate to say you've been preferring T11 over Madison/McKinnon decks!

Completely agree. the prohibition decks are incredible looking. If E offered them outside the deck set, and without the stupid box they would be schooling theory11.

[HudsonDesign]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

It might be more accurate to say you've been preferring T11 over Madison/McKinnon decks!

Completely agree. the prohibition decks are incredible looking. If E offered them outside the deck set, and without the stupid box they would be schooling theory11.

Exactly this.  I've always preferred T11 decks for using especially.  But a couple of the prohibition decks I really really like and would have loved to be every day decks.  It's actually more than a shame the prohibition decks were so limited and the Lions den was just a deck (at least originally) for purchase.  I know they probably made a motza off the Prohibition sets.  But they likely could have made 20,000 of some of the decks in the set and still sold out.  Might have been better to have offered the set and still sold some of them separately.

Plus, no-one is using them.  They are a collectors piece and obviously not for using.

That aside.  I'm rarely disappointed with T11 and contraband is no exception.

[Leif]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

It might be more accurate to say you've been preferring T11 over Madison/McKinnon decks!

Probably, I hope someday E will find the path back to the Infinity/Artifice styled decks. These two decks were the ones that made me choose E for my first decks.

Some of the prohibition decks look really good, I just don't like the theme.

[Don Boyer]

I like it. This last year or two I have been much more drawn to T11's than E's decks.

It might be more accurate to say you've been preferring T11 over Madison/McKinnon decks!

Probably, I hope someday E will find the path back to the Infinity/Artifice styled decks. These two decks were the ones that made me choose E for my first decks.

Some of the prohibition decks look really good, I just don't like the theme.

Agreed about Prohibition.  I can't get behind decks that promote alcohol or tobacco - I use neither.  I, too, look forward to new decks a bit more like the older ones.