u/Busy_Cry1631

Here's a forgotten city for you; not only is Pierre the second-least populous state capital at 14, 091 residents -- second only to Montpelier -- it is also the seat of the least populous capital county in the Union -- Hughes County, with 17, 765 residents -- and one of four capitals not served by the Interstate Highway System. Let's see if we can't bring some clout to this bypassed capital with a new flag design.

The field of vair en point loosely reminiscent of the Missouri River on which the city sits. The panes of fur of said field also, in conjunction with the green fleur-de-lis on the bezant, allude to the city's namesake Pierre Cadet Chouteau Jr., a member of the well-to-do fur trading family whose father Jean-Pierre was one of the earliest settlers and political elites of Saint Louis.

Finally! I've been holding onto a design concept for this place as long as I've been in this competition, and now I get to share it with you! Please enjoy the following explanation of the elements of design for a flag befitting of the Gem State.

The basic elements of this set of flags are the silver gem, the gold stag's attire in annulo conjoined to itself, and the silver potato plant seeded and with tubers in gold.

The gem is an allusion to Idaho's official sobriquet. In all drafts where it is present, it is in French cut, alluding to the pioneering French explorers in the area and the many Gallic toponyms around the state; the gem is shown in profile in drafts 1, 2, 4, and 6, and from above in drafts 7-10.

The golden stag's attire -- the proper heraldic term for antler -- in annulo conjoined to itself is a design motif in Germanic heraldry that I thought appropriate for two reasons. Firstly, the crest of the Idaho Army National Guard is an elk's head cabossed proper, tying it into existing heraldic iconography. Secondly, the fact that the antler loops back on itself is an allusion to the state's motto, Latin for "let it be perpetual." It is present in every draft except draft 5, featuring especially prominently in drafts 2, 3, and 8.

In those drafts where the attire and gem are present in double, they stand for the natives and settlers of the state.

The potato plant is an obvious reference to Idaho's most famous crop and its secondary moniker; it is present in full in drafts 1, 4-7, 9, 10. Draft 3 condenses this to a single silver potato blossom seeded in gold in the center of the attire.

Enjoy, and feel free to ask questions.

And the polls are closed! In an unprecedented event, all three flags on the Denver poll tied with two votes each! Discussion will be had as to what to do about this, so stay tuned for an upcoming edit to this post. In the meantime, another three-way tie has cropped up in Bismarck, so the three finalists -- u/ZombieJockeyGames, u/mina_botieso1, and u/RottenAli -- will advance to a tiebreaker poll. I expect BIG TURNOUT for this one, so don't disappoint me.

In the meantime, it's #40 and #41: Pierre and Helena. Two cities often overlooked, but not by discerning flag geeks such as us! Can you do them justice?

Denver: https://strawpoll.com/7rnzV2AOanO

Bismarck: https://strawpoll.com/poy9kLa8JgJ

Tiebreaker for Bismarck: Tiebreaker: CCS #39 -- Bismarck, ND - StrawPoll

Finally, back in the game! One great, one flop, two contests. Go west, young man.

Capital City Saturday #38: DENVER! - StrawPoll

Capital City Saturday #39: Bismarck, ND - StrawPoll

At last, one for the heralds! If ever there was a time and place to do a simple Germanic banner of arms, this is it! Let's break it down.

The flag is a modified banner of the Bismarck arms, with a color scheme inspired by North Dakota's own armorial bearings. The gold field and blue trefoil -- standing for the lands surrounding and the city itself -- are exactly opposite to the original, while the silver oak leaves in pall issuant from between the leaves of the trefoil are here replaced with green willow branches likewise displayed -- an allusion to the city's Hidatsa name of Mirahacii Arumaaguash, or place of the tall willows. Also worth noting, Bismarck took off as the preeminent city and second capital of the Dakota Territory after gold was struck in the Black Hills in the south, which resulted in tension with the Lakota over incursions on sacred ground.

The City and County of Denver, proud bearer of what NAVA's 2004 survey described as the third best city flag in all the Union, superseded only by DC and Chicago. This was always going to be a tough one, as it's pretty much perfect as is, but I think I have the solution.

Since the basic design is more or less flawless, I figured that all it needed was more heraldry. And so, I've done exactly that, simply replacing the red base and silver dance with two snow-capped red mountains, and the bezant between the two peaks with the sun in his splendor. Otherwise, all the symbolism remains the same as in Margaret Overbeck's original design.

Here we are again; a design already in my back pocket, just waiting for a chance to be loosed in competition. Although Washington lives up to its evergreen moniker, I decided to add a few more colors to the mix and make something truly novel with an unusual inspiration. And so, enjoy this take on the verdant jewel of the Northwest, inspired by the Army Quartermaster's 1924 proposal for the flag of DC.

To the hoist is a silver tierce charged with three red mullets of five points in pale; these elements are a straight derivation from the Washington arms, as well as the tierce standing for the land and the first nations upon it, and the mullets for the three European nations (Spain, Britain, and America) that left their mark. The remainder of the field is paly of five colors, each for one of the riches of the state; green stands for the woodlands and natural bounty upon the land, gold for agriculture and the cultivated fields, blue for the waters and all the bounty therein, black for the earth and its mineral wealth, and red for the people and their labor and service -- as well as their consanguine bond as Washingtonians.

In the end, sometimes a revision is all I can make work, so have this simple recolor of the current flag with a palate inspired by the former flag of the city.

Apologies for my belated entry into the fray, but I'm back, and I've cooked up a proper humdinger for Nevada's great city of silver! For those wondering, I'm currently in Lake Anna, VA, and we've just come off six hot and sweaty hours at the Virginia Renaissance Faire.

The flag's construction is simple, but the symbolism contained in it is elaborately tied together in the elements. The field is per chevron inverted throughout of blue and silver, evoking Eagle Valley, in which the city lies, and the nearby silver first struck at the Comstock Lode. The eagles stamped upon the thirty-six plates arranged from eight to one are not only a further reinforcement of the valley's toponym -- and, in their number, of Nevada's precedence in admission to the Union -- but are also silver dollars such as were minted in Carson City from 1870 to 1893. All the essentials of the independent city rolled up into one tidy design that MAY have borrowed a little inspiration from the Duke of Cornwall.

Apologies for how late this one was. Minecraft is a major time sink! Anyways, the current flag of Topeka by Forge still stands tall in the shootout, while u/RottenAli has snagged a win with their C for Charleston redesign! And with that, CCS 34 and 35 are at long last concluded.

Which brings us neatly into CCS 36 and 37! A major disappointment in Carson City, and another challenging shot at the king in Lincoln, Nebraska. Can you top the existing designs? Let's find out. Now, I will be away in Virginia, joining some friends at the Virginia Renaissance Festival, so if I am unable to upload the polls by 2230 EST, I hereby delegate authority to u/ZombieJockeyGames to conduct the poll in my stead. Otherwise, best of luck, and have fun.

Thanks to an effort some while back by an actual Montanan to solicit some designs from our humble subreddit, the which to put forward as a replacement for the current -- and rather lackluster -- state flag, I got a headstart on this one a long time ago. And so, without any further ado, I am happy to present to you the One Big Sky Flag.

Leaning into heraldic symbolism, as per usual, the field of silver represents the wide-open and brilliantly lit skies that give Montana its sobriquet, while the natural rainbow proper issuing from two clouds of grey further reinforces the concept. The rainbow and its clouds also have a host of other meanings attached; the colors of the rainbow are an allusion to the many indigenous peoples of Montana, as well as the many cities and towns that have adopted various pride flags as official city flags in defiance of illiberal state laws -- a testament to Montana as a bastion of progressive libertarianism, while the clouds symbolize both the dramatic storms on the prairie and -- via the rainbow issuing therefrom -- the triumph of unity over division. The base is blue with three fleurs-de-lis, their inner petals and bands of gold and their outer petals of silver; the state and all its riches upon and within the earth are symbolized by the base itself, while the three fleurs-de-lis -- borrowed from the crest of the Montana Army National Guard -- reflect the state's motto -- Spanish for gold and silver, as per their colors -- and the three Western nations that have explored or claimed the territory -- Spain, France, and America.

Blazon: Argent, a natural rainbow proper; on a base azure, three fleurs-de-lis, their middle leaves and ties Or and their outer leaves Argent.

God, I feel old at this point. I've been doing this for 33 out of 41 weeks that this contest has been run. Anyways, have another gallery of state flags! Enjoy, comment on hits and misses, and so on.

After a night wasted on Minecrafting until 2 AM, here it is at last. As an apology for the delay, voting will be open until Tuesday at the stroke of 0000 EST. As always, you may change your vote before the deadline if you wish (the same is true for any poll I do).

Topeka SHOOTOUT: https://strawpoll.com/Dwyo34WzNyA

Charleston: https://strawpoll.com/Dwyo34WNNyA

And finally, inspiration has struck for Charleston! It took quite a while searching for inspiration for a flag worthy of Charlie West, as the locals call it, but my research has paid off. Here's how it breaks down.

The field is based on the slightly adjusted colors of the current flag, quartered of blue and gold by a cross counterchanged. This is based on the Clendennin arms as born by Charles of that ilk; the original arms are quarterly of silver and black with a cross indented counterchanged, so this is also a simplification. Charles's son Colonel George Clendennin and his company of Virginia Rangers built the settlement in 1787 as Fort Lee; the city was named Charlestown in Charles's honor upon its incorporation in 1794, which was contracted to Charleston in 1818 to avoid confusion with Charles Town -- named for its founder, George Washington's youngest brother.

The charges occupying the four quarters, all depicted three in fess, are derived from the major industries that built the city's fortune over time. In the first quarter lie three silver bricks of salt; salt brine was extracted from wells and refined -- often by slave labor -- starting in 1806, and the Kanawha Salt Company -- the first industrial trust in America -- was established in 1818. Although it declined after 1861, it was revitalized by the need for chlorine and lye -- both derivable from brine -- in the First World War. In the second quarter are three blue gouttes of flame, symbolizing natural gas production; Captain James Wilson struck the first well in 1815 while drilling for more salt. In the third quarter are three coals enflamed proper; coal was first discovered nearby in 1817 and became the predominant fuel of the saltworks. Lastly, in the fourth quarter are three gold Erlenmeyer flasks gradated in black; chemical manufacturing became a prominent sector of the city's economy in the 20th century, no doubt enabled by all the salts and hydrocarbons to be found nearby.

Enjoy, upvote, etc.

It can't be done, they said. It's a fool's errand, they said. I say never mind the doubters and the naysayers; let's go for it.

The brown field and the five turnips eradicated in chevron are an allusion to Topeka's name, meaning "where we dig/plant prairie turnips" in Kaw and Osage; this name was first recorded in 1826 as the Kaw name for what is now the Kansas River, and Kaw-Osage-French-American interpreter Joseph James Jr. -- better known as Joe Jim Jr. -- is credited with suggesting it as the name for the new capital of Kansas, built upon the fertile lands along said river. The arrangement of the charges is an allusion to the patterned chevron on the current municipal seal. The second version also has a mullet of five points in gold, standing for the capital's status as such. On both versions, the field is surrounded by a bordure of green charged with thirty-four sunflower blossoms proper, standing for Kansas's precedence in the Union and its fertile prairies.

Blazon: Brunâtre; five prairie turnips eradicated proper in chevron (on the nombril point, a mullet of five points Or); on a bordure vert, thirty-four sunflower blossoms proper.

Edit: This flag is officially approved by a native Topekan!

It's here if you wanna know what's up with it: Flag Friday #40: Under God, the People Rule : r/vexillologyUS

Another pair concluded in our mad game of catchup, and there's surprises all around!

Firstly, a surprise from Saint Paul! Congratulations to u/Present-Baby2005 for their first-ever win on this subreddit! Personally, I abhor gradients, but the design is rock solid.

Edit: I apologize for having the wrong name in the image. I will issue a corrected version in the comments below.

Secondly, I've squeaked it out again via a community win! Salem's new flag easily won the poll, but u/RottenAli and I tied for votes, so it came down to upvotes, which I won 9-4. Well fought, nevertheless.

And with that, it's off to another week! Up on the chopping block are Topeka for #34 and Charleston, West Virginia for #35. Best of luck to you all.

Saint Paul: strawpoll-PbZqb57mlyN-5f0085f8-4265-11f1-94be-c0020e676886.xlsx

Salem: strawpoll-NPgxexwkrZ2-a5a7b08a-4265-11f1-9906-bee1bddfb8dc.xlsx

In this final post, we will cover the last of the pieces with novel promotions, including the very strongest. We will begin with the last remaining familiar combination.

The lion still promotes to the furious fiend, just as in dai dai shōgi.

Some familiar pieces promote to new forms. The drunken elephant promotes to a prince (王子/ōji), which moves and functions just like a crown prince -- that is, as a second royal piece.

The old rat is present, but unlike in dai dai shōgi, it promotes to a bat (蝙蝠/kōmori or hempuku), which ranges forward or diagonally backward -- like the multi/extra general in Tenjiku shōgi.

There is another familiar piece which promotes to a novel value, but I will save it for last, as it is bar none the most powerful piece on the board.

Other familiar promoted forms are attained by novel pieces. The Huai cock (淮鶏/waikei) steps one square diagonally forward, sideways, or backward, and it promotes into the hermit crane/stork.

Correspondingly, the old monkey (古猿/koen) steps one square diagonally or backward, and it promotes into the mountain witch.

Lastly, there are the all-new combos of both base form and promoted value. The first is an ordinary set, while the latter two have a special property. The blind bear (猛熊/mōyū) steps one square diagonally or ranges backward, and it promotes into the free bear. The free bear (奔熊/hon'yū) moves just like the free boar, matching its base form's diagonal movements but not its orthogonal one; nobody knows why this is the case.

The deva (提婆/daiba) steps one square diagonally forward, backward right, or left. It promotes to the king of teachings/buddha, which moves like a lion dog or a queen/free king. Its counterpart is avidya/ignorance (無明/mumyō), which steps one square diagonally forward, backward left, or right. It promotes into the true nature/dharmata (法性/hōsei, hosshō, or hōshō), which moves like a lion or a queen/free king.

These latter two pieces have the unique property of being contagious promotions; if an opposing piece captures either the king of teachings or the true nature -- or either of their base forms -- it immediately promotes into whichever it captures -- or the promotion thereof. In the event that both are taken in a multi-capture move, the capturing pieces promotes according to the last one taken.

Finally, the king now has a promotion; it promotes into the emperor. The emperor (自在天王/jizai tennō, sometimes abbreviated to 天王/tennō) is a universal leaper, the most powerful piece not just in any shōgi variant, but in all of the chess family the world over; it can leap directly to any empty square on the board, or it can leap to and capture any non-royal opposing piece anywhere on the board. It may also capture an opposing royal piece, but only if said royal piece is unprotected; capturing a protected opposing royal piece is not allowed.

Edit: one final quirk of promotion is that all royal pieces are immune to the contagious promotion of capturing a deva or avidya or their respective promotions; they promote -- or do not promote -- as normal.

And with that, you have all the knowledge you need to play the game. Enjoy, check out the links in my advocacy post to find a set, and stay tuned for something... big.