I had to do a little mental digging, but I think I came up with a good rivalry - two very recent decks that share a few things in common. Both are smooth-surfaced decks - no dimpling, embossing, etc. Both are recreations of classic USPC decks over a century old in origin.
And that's where the similarities end!
Steamboats, by Dan and Dave, use a greenish background color to give the cards that aged-but-not-weathered look they like, same as they used on their Vintage Plaid decks. They wisely opted for one of the non-controversial jokers that this deck has used over the years and retained the classic repeating pattern beloved by gambling cheats everywhere!
Bee Erdnase 216s, by the Conjuring Arts Research Center, go for a much more vintage look, using the original artwork (including a one-way back) from 1902, when the deck they modeled this design after was printed. It is believed that due to similarities in the Smith drawings in "The Expert at the Card Table" that this deck may be the actual model used by Erdnase when modeling for his artist. The only concession on the design was that the USPC Legal Dept. would not allow the use of the classic Ace of Spades that the deck was originally made with due to possible trademark issues, forcing Bill Kalush at CARC to use the modern AoS instead. He customized the deck's finish, a finish that was months if not years in the making, giving the cards a unique feel that has never been used before in a publicly-released deck.
As usual, voting is welcome by one and all, and if you leave a comment explaining which you voted for and why, you're entered in the random drawing at the battle's end for col forum swag! Se the "How to Play" topic at the top of the forum for more information and a list of prizes.
As an FYI, I'd like to mention that there's a chance I'll be closing this battle early, as in mid-to-late Wednesday evening, Eastern time, rather than the wee hours of Thursday morning - I'll be recovering from a surgical procedure I'm having and don't know if I'll have the stamina to stay up very late. So vote and comment early!
And PLEASE, LEAVE ME IDEAS for new battles! I have a sticky topic for it at the top of the forum and come up with original ideas. Use decks that have NOT been used to date. They can be as similar or as different from each other as you like, they just need to be unique - use the Score Sheet to see what's been done already. We may create a "March Madness"-style tournament with the winning decks when we've amassed enough of them!
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