Stormy Interview

We're here with Chad Storm, FMA TCG 2006 World Champion, and creator of Roy Mustang, Heavy Handed. Let's check it out!

So, tell me - what went through your mind when making your card?
The first thing was trying to narrow my many ideas down to just one card. Sometimes I write cards in my spare time. It is something I enjoy. The first thing I did was decide what type of card I wanted to make. I narrowed it down to event, leader and ally. Next I looked over some cards I had wrote up before and then spent a little time writing some more. I nixed the event as a choice because I wanted an actual character to be my card. Finally, I knew I wanted my card to be in the military faction and I went from there.

Were your decisions game-based, or FMA-world based?
Actually I wanted to try and write a card that would fit both descriptions as best possible. I wanted to design a State Alchemist/Soldier character. Now the anime itself does not go that much into detail of the events of the Ishbal War. There is so much more than can be looked at into the events of it. I wanted to try and tap into that as the basis for where the card comes from. In that war the military is eventually sends in State Alchemists to take control of an escalating situation. So the basis for the FMA world was a front-line state alchemist who spearheads the army.

For the game I wanted to create an effect that would be something that would feel fresh but be familiar at the same time. I took setting and made the effect that set defenders. I saw it as a way for the State Alchemists to handle a situation before a counterattack could build up. Now setting, something the attacker normally does on his own, could potentially affect the defender as well.

How much of a fan are you of the show compared to the game?
I enjoy the anime alot. It drew me to the game. I liked the game and the rest is history. Episode 37 is my favorite episode.

Also, what changed to it through testing?
A few things. My original submission was a 5 cost state alchemist soldier human and was not Roy. (This is where I insert the Career Officer shout out). I actually titled the original submission Aggressive Alchemists as their name. I thought if it was changed to a named character it would be either Roy or Ed. The effect stayed the same as I wrote it, with some minor wording revisions. All that happened was the "while in search party" clause was moved from the back of the text to the front.

And finally, how fortunate is it that your name could be worked into the text? :)
That was neat, I like play on words. One of the most common things I hear when people first hear my name is telling me how cool of a last name Storm is.

As a final word, don't forget the sub-title! Again, I enjoy the play on words and major props to whoever came up with it. The dictionary definition of Heavy Handed is exactly what I envisioned this card to be like, and my Worlds deck was a hand control deck.

Thanks very much, Chad! We'll be using this card a great deal in all of our 'heavy handed' decks. :)