Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
57: Always After My Bagels
195 Plays8 days ago
🫨 The week Marvel Snap went kray-kray for Kang Puffs. 🥣🟣
For our esteemed listeners’ consideration:
- Weeks serving up some serious Snap over here 💁♀️🫰
- 🏰 Last Week Card Vibes 🪫 Jim Hammond Human Torch 🔦 Next Week Card Vibes 🧙
- Patch - Kangalicious? 🤔💭
- 🎸 Datamined November Cards 🕷️🕸️
- Secret Homework 🏫: Talky Topics 👄💬
Check out DJelo Bot on YouTube!
Featured books:
Follow us on Twitter/Bluesky:
Check out the other great shows in the Snap Judgments Network:
- Snap Decisions
- Snap Judgments
Join us on Discord! 👾
- Join the server
- Head into the channel "welcome-rules-and-tickets"
- Find the "SJPN Podcast Fans" message, and press the button for Snap On This!!
Featured decks:
- Rie - In the Year After Colony 2099
- Rie - Party Buffs
- Rie - Miekocalypse - Khonshu Edition
- Ben - Beach Ball
- Ben - Big Move - Robots Edition
- Ben - Slime Sentinels
- Rie - The Kitsch-en Sink
- Scott - KangJimWolf
- SnapVariants - Big Hands
Credits:
- Cover art by Lauren
- Snap On This!! Theme by Ben
- YouTube thumbnail by Lauren’s kid, Reggi
- Thumbnail portraits by Adam Star
Timestamps:
- 0:00:00 Intro / Our Week in Snap
- 0:26:46 Bastion
- 0:30:57 Jim Hammond Human Torch
- 0:38:21 Warlock
- 0:44:05 Deadpool's Diner
- 0:53:04 Patch Discussion
- 0:54:46 Kang Rework
- 1:04:55 Datamined Cards
- 1:42:18 Secret Homework: Talkable Topics
- 2:17:10 Next Week's Secret Homework
- 2:19:51 Housekeeping / Closing Remarks
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Weekend Snap
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to episode 57 of Snap on This, a Marvel Snap podcast. I'm your host, Lauren Woodhouse, here with my usual delightful, amazing co-hosts. First up, Rhi, how was your weekend snap?
00:00:14
Speaker
And keep it snappy. Okay.
Gaming with Friends vs. Strangers
00:00:17
Speaker
First of all, mildly outside Weekend Snap, we all together yesterday played Raven's Watch.
00:00:25
Speaker
It was Ben's idea. Lauren made it happen. and ah we voiced what we played. and'd say like It's like a four-player co-op that's very Hades style. of like It's a rogue. You're going to build your character over the run. You have set boons you can pick from based on your character and your fairy tale characters.
00:00:43
Speaker
Finding, you know, like tentacle monsters and stuff, you know, as per usual. So, um oh, it was super fun. I'm so excited to play more and level up. and And it was really like it had been a long time for me. I think the last time i played and voiced with friends,
00:01:00
Speaker
um You know, usually I'm just playing with randos on ah MMOs like Final Fantasy XIV where hops in and people are nice and decent. And it's like, thank you for framing my belief that there are people who are nice and decent to strangers and in general. And then, you you know, you wave goodbye. Everyone's like, GG, you know, TY for party.
00:01:21
Speaker
And Jet. But, like, you know, with your real friends that, like, put up with your bits and shit, like, ah it's so... It was a really good time.
00:01:33
Speaker
The last time I had done that was we had been playing, like, randomly Lost Ark for some reason when that came out. It was an MMO, an ARPG, kind of similar top-down. this was really fun. We were joined by ah honorary SOT member, Wombat Combat.
00:01:48
Speaker
I have a funny way to say that name. Yes, the original good egg. And we ah we all had ah lot of fun and we're excited to do it again. Okay. So I would just like recommend that. If that isn't something, it's worth, you know, I get that like organizing is hard. That's why I didn't do it. Lauren...
00:02:09
Speaker
It's way easier than organizing a full-blown board game night. is true. Yeah, fair enough. And yeah, thank you for Ben who found it and brought it to the attention. And it's like 50% off right now. And it's cross-play.
00:02:23
Speaker
Me and Lauren played on Switch. And I think Ben and I think Wambat Combat played on like Steam. you know So it's like i'm on all the consoles and if we can play where they want two ah Okay, so highly recommend...
00:02:35
Speaker
ah Make an effort. Remember that there's still joy in this world. Somewhere to be found. Usually through your connections with good people. um Okay.
Card Pack Enjoyment
00:02:45
Speaker
So, in Snap, moving on.
00:02:47
Speaker
I did play some decent Snap this week. i First, I treated myself to a little... I like... Okay, it's actually... gonna sound funny because I was so upset about not being collection complete anymore.
00:03:04
Speaker
ah But I do love opening up presents. It's one of my very favorite things. I didn't often as a child get presents that I wanted. so still as an adult, do I really enjoy, even if they are presents to myself, I enjoy them quite intensely. And anyway, so opening booster packs of cards if you are a gamer is always a good time until you have too many cards and then you're just getting repeat. You're just looking for a few and you're like, I have so much and now I'm happy with so little How can this happen tonight?
00:03:34
Speaker
You know? But, you know. I had that experience with Pokemon Pocket. Yeah. Yeah. Really, really fun at first, and then it was just like days without getting anything new. It was like, okay, I'm done. It's like, oh, this is the millionth I have of this. It's not fun and new anymore. oh and
00:03:52
Speaker
So I opened up, you know, like I said, a little one, two. I like to open up a season five and a season four and be like, what did I get? What did get? And this time I rolled Bastion, surprisingly, too late for the last podcast. But and also Awesome Andy in the same pack.
00:04:10
Speaker
Two for one. It was very exciting. And then also I got Redshift. So I did try some Nomura things. I've been trying with Nomura.
Deck Experiments
00:04:18
Speaker
I haven't found something I like so much that I want to share is like,
00:04:23
Speaker
you know play this for fun. you know ah But like i you know I'm working on it. And did go bet if that if like Skyboy is out there listening and remembers. I've been noodling with Spider Bay again. It's the oldest deck I still have put together in my list of decks that I'm still like...
00:04:43
Speaker
coming back to you, bae, you know? But like, ah and you know, so I've been noodling with that. So those the cookies. I did do some, you know, dabbled in a little Agatha with Redshift, but I wasn't doing anything new that everyone else isn't doing. They can't auto deck with her.
00:04:57
Speaker
So ah the first thing i did was return to a deck I have shared previously in the year after Colony 195. ah one nine five um is the deck and it's a doom deck and it was before invisible woman first steps came out and it worked really well then it's got um saying first steps and human torch for steps and i put sue in it and uh honestly you're gonna be like why isn't fantastica here and i think it's like a step too much delicate balance i really thought about it so if you're gonna ask that
00:05:38
Speaker
I think if anything, they would be the same slot because I want the rest to be the actual end of turn cards because I'm already, you know, noodling with some turn skipping and some like Squirrel Girl, some Marvel Boy stuff.
00:05:52
Speaker
So it's just like it all needs to like come together. And I think if I took something out, including Blue Marvel for Fantastic Cart, couldn't always pull together the way it it does. was going really well for me, even and against some decks with Enchantress.
00:06:08
Speaker
ah To be honest with you. And like I said, it's Doom. It's Makari. love She's my Surfer deck that I'm playing as well right now. So great. I played the first Deadpool ah diner game just a bit earlier.
00:06:25
Speaker
forgot that they have... their own locations like the it's like a special location for it and the first one yeah the first one i ran into is like the cards will return to you on turn three it's like extra power and like it's turn one i'm like what's this what's this location i'm reading as makari falls right out of my hand onto that location i'm like oh you come back to me with extra power and I don't even have to pay for you again?
00:06:52
Speaker
That is to be the Atari. ah You got a lover. Okay. So, you know, but this has got like Sunspot, great for turn skipping, Black Hat, because this is 1.5. If you're playing Marvel Boy, what are you doing if you're not playing Black Hat, to be honest?
00:07:07
Speaker
So like, it's just, umqui I get it. If you're heavy into the Squirrel Girl side of things, maybe. All right. And the tech, the only real tech in the deck is a Human Torch. Not Human Torch. saying he just He's just there for getting big and making the other people like scramble to figure out how to deal with that.
00:07:27
Speaker
It's the thing, right? i The thing is the best when he takes out like an Iron Man or something. and you're like, good, good. Go on, get out here. um And then, ah you know, I do have like Red Hulk in it who also benefits from a Sue Storm, right?
00:07:45
Speaker
And ah it's good because sometimes the other card option is Doom because sometimes you want the spread. You're all in on the Doom 2099. Sometimes you just want to drop a Bidwreck Red Hulk on the situation.
00:07:57
Speaker
um So that's one thing I messed with. um ah When I want to just winwin win, win, win, I usually just play Surfer. i think I already shared it. Surfer with Viv that I've been playing. Makari.
00:08:12
Speaker
Lots of fun stuff. And... ah Oh, I was, I, I inspired myself by requesting Ben uh, to share any Khonshu he had been up to.
00:08:24
Speaker
Cause, uh, I got up to a little Khonshu myself. I play, I, uh, put back together because it's got Meek and Apocalypse in it. kind of have to call it Meekocalypse, even though this does have Moon Knight and Khonshu in it. So I feel like that should constitute a new, re-arch type of discard.
00:08:41
Speaker
so Um, here's the thing, though, is it's got Wong in it. It's so fun because lot of times, right?
00:08:52
Speaker
Like, so I sometimes I'll get a Meek out early because I don't I don't like I I want to play discard if I'm not playing Meek. Like it gets bigger when you discard. You're discarding a lot of things. He moves for you. He's a mover.
00:09:05
Speaker
And, ah you know, he's just an all around joy. So, uh, You know, it's like sometimes you don't even get your Morbius out early and stuff, and you're not really playing anything till turn four.
00:09:16
Speaker
but you can win. This is a deck where if you pull the right combo, you can just win with three cards. And those cards are Wong, followed by Modok, followed by Khonshu.
00:09:27
Speaker
That can be a good time sometimes. And then, but it's just like even... If they snapped you because they saw you were a discard because they saw the Meek and they're like, oh they didn't draw their Colleen or their Sif, so they're doing really bad. And then you dropped the Wong. And you stayed because you knew they didn't have anything to stop the Wong. You knew they were putting a Cosmo in this deck with all these odd reveals.
00:09:52
Speaker
You know, so you went in there and then after that one, you just you just drop either like a Moon Knight or a Silver Surfer and just take out their plan. Just take out their plan while, you know, like doubling up on what you missed out on by not playing your calling wing, you know, but not doing. And here's the thing that's so great about conscious. Usually in discard, you're very intent on like what you discard. You're very practiced. You're like, OK, you know, this is a good time for you, Blade. Hold, hold position. It's like Helms Deep on the Wall.
00:10:22
Speaker
No, not until you see the whites of their eyes. um But with this deck, it's fine if Silver Samurai takes out a Drac.
00:10:32
Speaker
Because you know Kanshu is going to bring that Drac back later. Even bigger, even stronger, even better. People still do not respect a Drac. I've returned to the Drac. Still, people do not respect them.
00:10:44
Speaker
It's a beautiful thing for me. Okay. So I've been doing the It's Fun. sometimes it falls a little flat, but, you know, it comes together enough. It's hell a lot of fun.
00:10:56
Speaker
um And I think that is what I played, aside from what we may be discussing later at other times. ah So I will wrap it up there.
00:11:08
Speaker
Return it. return You know, a return ah yield ah yield my time. Great, thank you That was a great weekend snap. ah Ben, how was your weekend snap and keep it snappy?
Merlin's Influence & Hades II
00:11:19
Speaker
Well, my weekend snap, endeavoring to keep it snappy as I sometimes do, um I built a lot of decks this week. Perhaps too many decks.
00:11:32
Speaker
um I played a fair amount of snap, as one does when one is building decks. You do have to test them a little bit. Wasn't retreating a whole bunch. ah but Sometimes you have to stick around and just see what happens when you're trying new decks and things.
00:11:50
Speaker
So but um um perhaps you're even curious what kinds of decks these were. ah They were a diverse assortment. the The one that I can say most definitely is like good and playable is I just messed with my surfer deck that I played in the Golden Gauntlet last time.
00:12:07
Speaker
moved it closer to its ancestor wave flourish, put Jeff back in instead of mercury. Cause I wasn't seeing a ton of move to be, uh, messing with, with mercury and stuff.
00:12:18
Speaker
I, uh, don't know why that is, but i was just like, let's get Jeff back in there. Jeff's real good. Jeff's a classic. Um, and I replaced red guardian with copycat cause I already wanted copycat back in there. Cause copycat's a very good card.
00:12:32
Speaker
And a red guardian is very small these days. That is, uh, yeah, The unplayably small, I might even say. um But what else did I build? Ooh, I built an exciting new move deck. I was inspired.
00:12:48
Speaker
I got real wild. I saw a Magneto that I liked, and I don't really have a lot of great Magneto variants. Got two different Pandart Magnetos that I do not care for one bit. I've got a Hip Magneto that's fine. I've got X-Men 97 Magneto that's fine.
00:13:06
Speaker
But... um Oh, who is the the this is like the new Magneto. It was it was in the shop the other day and I was oh, well, I can't get the name.
00:13:16
Speaker
That's fine. That's fine. You know, the new one. He's got his hands up like this. He's, you know, sort of. Tilted three quarters to the side. You you know.
00:13:27
Speaker
um ah But what's in the deck, you may be wondering. ah The good version. I was trying multiple versions. I don't know if this is a good version, but this is the version that I'm going to tell you about. All right.
00:13:41
Speaker
So it's Ghost Spider Scream. That's right. It's a scream move deck. Ghost Spider Scream Sparky Dagger. Kraven, Zorn, Spider-Man, Human Torch, Polaris, Red Wing, Heimdall, and Magneto.
00:13:57
Speaker
And it's pretty cool, pretty fun. i yeah For those who don't know, i went through a long phase where mostly I just played decks that had Heimdall and Magneto in them.
00:14:10
Speaker
Cause that's, that's a cool way to cool way to end a game is with either Heimdall or Magneto. And one of them is usually the right thing to play, you know?
00:14:22
Speaker
Um, but yeah, I, I'm not sure. i I've been trying to mess with other options on this. Leave that alone, buddy. Oh, you. All right.
00:14:34
Speaker
This kitten is always after my bagels. It's a real problem. Don't know why, but it's a pattern. Anywho, anywho. um So, yes, there was another version of this deck that I won't tell you about. I tried cutting the Zorn and Red Wing stuff because Red Wing's a little clunky, and sometimes it's difficult to get things lined up where like you're getting...
00:15:00
Speaker
consistently what you want a few too many 50 50s i find and like i'm i'm thinking maybe there's a cute way to put like black cat in the deck to like minimize that or even yeah i don't know i don't know well we'll see we'll see i don't know the that deck is a work in progress i tried things with uh Batroc and Silk and Hydra Stomper. But here's the thing.
00:15:23
Speaker
Sparky hates the Leaper. he He just and Silk. Oh, no, no. Those cards do not go. um So I don't know. I'm trying to experiment with Sparky because Sparky is new and fun. And, you know, it's a cool card.
00:15:40
Speaker
So Sparky is sort of the star of the dish there. So but that's the version I chose to tell you about, because that's the version with Sparky and the version that seemed to be working. Another deck that had a couple of versions that I was working on this week is called Slime Sentinels.
00:15:56
Speaker
It's an affliction deck with Bastion named after Prime Sentinels, you know, the the sleeper sentinels who think they're just normal peeps. Yeah.
00:16:09
Speaker
But, yeah, that one, it's got, well, a lot of cards have been in and out, and I'm not sure this is the best version of the deck that I played this week, but this is the one that was assembled today. And that's The Hood, Silver Sable, Surge, Merlin, Scorpion, US Agent, Cassandra Nova, Diamondback, Hazmat, Bastion, Laufei, and Ajax.
00:16:28
Speaker
um So there's that. There was another version of the deck that I guess I'll tell you about. That one's Silver Sable, Zabu, Surge, Merlin, Cassandra Nova, Diamondback, Hazmat, Bastion, Lafay, Iron Lad, Man-Thing, and Ajax.
00:16:42
Speaker
So that that version of the deck leans extra hard into... four costs and does Zabu stuff. I don't know. It didn't feel as good as the the more straightforward one.
00:16:53
Speaker
um But yeah, Merlin is just such a cool card. um I think they got to nerf him. I hope they just nerf him to tutu and it makes him less popular and he still gets to do all his Merlin things about as well as he ever did.
00:17:08
Speaker
that's That's my hope. I worry that when the nerf does finally come for Merlin, it will be more drastic and And I just I love I love playing them.
00:17:19
Speaker
So I hope I hope they don't break him too hard. ah Other things. I played a little bit of Deadpool's Diner. That was cool and exciting. um I like how it's a lot like regular snap.
00:17:32
Speaker
I appreciate that sort of thing. um I've seen some of the new locations. They're fine. I like that they remind me that I'm supposed to be snapping more because like very often I snap once and I'm like, well, that was the snap all done.
00:17:49
Speaker
And that's not really how that mode works. If you you want to get somewhere, you should probably snap. more aggressively and frequently and stuff. I have also been snapping quite a bit less than I actually want to be.
00:18:02
Speaker
Yep. Yep. I'm like, I'm aware of the theory that like I should be snapping more. It's just hard to put into practice. And I appreciate that the locations seem to incentivize you and just sort of tap you on the shoulder. Be like, is there something you meant to do this turn? And the the answer is often yes.
00:18:21
Speaker
And ah let's see what else happened this week. in Snap.
00:18:28
Speaker
I don't know. lot of people were emoting. knew it, everyone. I was just like, gosh. Really, really, folks? And like the people who like do it, are like I never emote back. that like I'm not giving them anything.
00:18:43
Speaker
They just like they think that it's fun to treat all the other players as hostile. and you know I don't know why they have to be so...
00:18:54
Speaker
like that. that just just the The hostility is sort of... i don't know. If I just had that bubbling up out of me, I would ask myself some questions.
00:19:08
Speaker
But who knows? ah maybe theyre Maybe it's really healthy and I'm the one confused. um Let's see. What else happened this week? This is the last week before... um 1.0 of Hades two comes out. I'm very excited about that.
00:19:27
Speaker
Uh, because, because I love this podcast and it's very important to me. Uh, I will be doing that on release day. Uh, but, uh, most of the rest of the day, I assume I will be, you know, rescuing my family from Kronos evil ass clutches.
00:19:49
Speaker
um butll be It'll be exciting to know how the story concludes. um but but but but but but We played Raven's Watch. It was it was good fun.
00:20:00
Speaker
ah What else? We call ourselves the Synchronous. That's our band. so That's our prog rock band. Synchronous.
00:20:15
Speaker
lauren did you have a week in snap you should tell us about it i did i also played raven's watch and we talked about making it a once a week thing but i kind of just i want to play it right now do you want to do it after the record we can do it after the record um it was uh it's so fun it's like re it's been a long time since i've done that like My game night fell apart during COVID and had friends move away during all that.
Game Night Revival
00:20:43
Speaker
And then we did play remotely during COVID, but that fell apart eventually too. So it's just, it's been a while.
00:20:48
Speaker
um It was very fun to get that together again. i did clippy stuff. I think the coolest one I did this week was a fire hair joint where ah ah kill ah I I play Stark Hawk and then I, I kill,
00:21:06
Speaker
Korg, Rockslide, Mystique. So both of my Firehairs shoot out three rocks each and then become Darkhawk. Very cool. Except, of course, that Firehair is the most prone card to triggering fast forward.
00:21:22
Speaker
So even though I only destroyed three cards, i had two Firehairs that was just like too much. So cool, but so much less cool. Yeah.
00:21:33
Speaker
Yeah. i
00:21:37
Speaker
I don't know. Diner. I played a bunch of diner. it came out three and a half hours ago. So that's like kind of something awkward with our record time today is like diner is Thursday to Thursday. So sorry, but like a few hours of diner is like the best we can possibly give you because by next week, it'll be irrelevant.
00:21:57
Speaker
um But of course, Second Dinner did give us a ton of the information about Diner ahead of time, which I appreciate them doing. I think that's great to actually give people a chance to read what's new and digest it and do some theory crafting. Like nobody's going to read the article about what's new when it's available to just go play.
00:22:15
Speaker
you know yeah And you're wasting refresh time or whatever if you don't strike while the the iron's hot. Yeah. Shame on you. oh Speaking of, I wanted to see. i saw that your starting bubs contributed to your bub track. And before I write my guide, I wanted to see if refresh bubs did too. So I should i should take a screenshot of where I'm at.
00:22:34
Speaker
do do do Please hold. Thank you. I appreciate it. It will make it will make my guide better. Speaking of, my guide, ah i asked SnapZone if they have somebody writing it, and I haven't gotten a response yet, probably because they live on the other side of the world.
00:22:49
Speaker
um hey And so it might end up there, but I think more likely it'll just end up on Twitter, Blue Sky. if you want to If you want Lauren's Guide to Diner...
00:23:01
Speaker
I might already be capped out. know i I'm at 10k. I'm maxed. Yeah, i I don't know. Somebody let me know. Let me know if the regen bubs give you a count towards your track.
00:23:14
Speaker
I think they probably do because we've got a few you've had a few limited time game modes now where the like arena glory or the the sanctum, what are they, metals?
00:23:25
Speaker
Yeah. charms whatever they are they all contribute to your track even the like the bonus ones so anyway uh we'll talk about diner in just a little bit i i don't know what else i played silksong and it is still incredibly frustrating to me and it is rewarding when you beat bosses or other sections that you're hard on or stuck on but i just It really irritates me how... I know i already went off on it last week, but it really irritates me how like it's just missing some modern sensibility and respect for its player. like
00:24:02
Speaker
give me I'm going to be doing this run back so so many times. I'm going to have it mastered after five times. Just let me put a bench right before the boss fight. like Let me focus on that instead of doing this huge run back every time.
00:24:14
Speaker
It's obnoxious. um Also, there's farming for resources in it. I think that's also kind of like... outdated. It's one thing that farming is fun, but in this it's like go back and wail on old enemies. and now I inspired... sorry, go ahead.
00:24:30
Speaker
was just going to say, and then you go to a bench and then you go back to the screen, beat four or five of the old enemies, go back to the bench to respawn them, go fight them. like is It's not fun.
00:24:42
Speaker
Tell me about your. No, was just going to say inspired by you and your silk song. I like booted up a hollow night on my on my switch. And was OK, you know, I'm killing things. It's fine.
00:24:58
Speaker
And then um I was like, I have to remember this map because that's not happening. Like, i am i I would not be a good GPS unit in real life. i Like, today happen to take the longest distance between two points in an area I know well just out of sheer stupidity. Like...
00:25:16
Speaker
stuck behind a school bus. Anyway, so I was going around. I'm like, is it going to be on me to like remember how to get everywhere? like Sorry to knock on it. But I'm having fun. I'm like, that's cool. Maybe I could be like the the bug with dementia, you know, which is who just wonders randomly protecting the people of the Underdark. That's actually another valid complaint. There is a map, ah but you have to use up one of your equipment slots to have compass.
00:25:44
Speaker
Otherwise, you do kind of just have to know from context, like from the shape of the room, like which room am I in right now? Where am I? Or you can use up an entire equipment slot, which you only get like, and don't know, two of. It's been a while since I played all a night. But then how will be Batman? Yeah.
00:25:59
Speaker
You have to dedicate an entire equipment slot to like knowing where you are on the map. and that's just like, that's obnoxious. Don't do that. Anyway, I do keep the compass equipped 24 seven. Right. i mean And did run around until I came into like the first boss, I presume by the bossiness and the big sequencing and the the dialogue.
00:26:20
Speaker
And died and I lost all of my flowers. Some of my flowers, but all of my flowers. All your geos, yeah. I don't know what to use them for yet, but they were mine that I had gathered.
00:26:33
Speaker
Yep. And, you know, and I shall return someday. was the end of that, Red? And now I have Raven's Watch and I have to unlock all the characters, so next time we can play and play all the characters.
00:26:45
Speaker
yeah All right. ah New thoughts on last week's card. i know Ben already kind of talked about Bastion and re-got Bastion. do Do you want to talk about him? If you do, I will read off his ability.
00:26:58
Speaker
ah Yes, because I didn't play Jim Hammond, so I have nothing to about him. Okay, I don't have anything new to say about Bastion.
Card Impressions & Strategies
00:27:07
Speaker
On reveal, add copies of your other cards here to your hand.
00:27:11
Speaker
Set their costs to 2 and power to 3. um Okay. I did actually forget. I thought we were talking about Kang. But I will talk about Bastion because I did play... I played a stupid-ass deck. It was very fun.
00:27:23
Speaker
Now, ah if you said everyone with Bastion was you doing, like, the Moonstone Captain Carter stuff, right? um That was better. Or Cerebra 3. Yeah, Victoria Hand stuff. That stuff.
00:27:38
Speaker
That's all, like, you know... Probably better, but I didn't want to do that. So I do have Moonstone, but I went a different direction.
00:27:49
Speaker
I called it the kitsch in sync. mean, it like, but with like kitsch, like, because I picked some kitschy cards like Mojo, you know, just like stuff nobody plays.
00:28:02
Speaker
um But here's the thing. Uh, you know, if you know ah bunch of lanes are going to be full, a two, you know, you're not sad to pick up a two, three mojo that you put down early, which you normally don't want to do with mojo because you want to keep them late.
00:28:19
Speaker
I love building decks that have you put down a card different than when you normally like have to put them down. But this time... You're not worried about it. You just throw down the mojo. um You're also fine, right, with getting the 2-3 golyth. Because with me with Bastion, what I was thinking was I want small cards that I can drop early to pick up and then maybe play, you know, turn 6, right? could play, like, drop...
00:28:45
Speaker
ah three twos. And it's like, okay, the ongoing synergy works. So obviously Marvel Boy is here, but like debris is here, which is such a fun... Junk is so obnoxious because people are filling up so much more of these boards these days. So seeing a goblin or a rock, it's like, I need it.
00:29:04
Speaker
That's fun for stuff. You know? And so it's fun to rock people, you know? And that's how you know your mojos are all going to kick off. And then, um you know, you can put down that extra mojo in the lane on turn six that you know would be good there.
00:29:18
Speaker
Right? This is all beefing up Goliath, which you put down early. Because you're fine with filling lanes early when you put him with multiple of his little scaler cards. Right? If you have a Dazzler and a Goliath there.
00:29:32
Speaker
And, ah, Nico. got Smoothie. dream i mean... whatever she's drinking. I feel like that Nico is drinking whatever we all want in our hearts in that variant.
00:29:42
Speaker
But, uh, I picked that up. I've been working getting more splits with her and stuff. Uh, this fair anyway and she can like give you just getting a second marvel boy great won a lot of games blue marvel spectrum for when you only have one spot left on the board the last turn and you know just when it'll be good and moonstone and it's so fun because like once again the point of junk is uh to make them not able to do their stuff because you filled up their lanes with your junk
00:30:18
Speaker
And ah like I said, and this lets you fill them up early because you're just scaling them up later, which is it's just a fun way to play. It's a good feeling. had a lot of fun with this. I did win a lot. I'm not trying to say it's going to be as good as the Captain Carter stuff, ah but it was a fun thing to do.
00:30:35
Speaker
And I had fun, more fun than I thought I would. Great. Ben, anything besides what you said in Weekend Snap? ah Still like Bastion. Still seems like a cool card that does a cool thing. And I think we'll just keep seeing him around.
00:30:52
Speaker
i think I think it's a cool thing that's going to remain a cool thing to do. Okay. And then this week's card, Jim Hammond, well, this week's new card, because, you know, Kang rework, I think, totally overshadowed this, but Jim Hammond, Human Torch, a one two at the start of each turn, plus one power for each bonus energy you have i I got this card. i still i still have like 140,000 tokens from past spending.
00:31:23
Speaker
So I'm just like, I'm just going to keep up collection complete. But I fully intended to not play this card except for weekend missions, which is maybe kind of silly. But... Then i saw that safety and Scott were having fun with them. I was like, i should probably play it so I can talk about it on the podcast. Like if I were smart, like Ben and Rhea, I wouldn't have bought this card. So they probably didn't buy this card.
00:31:47
Speaker
I don't know about that. I thought about it. really If I could be collection complete, I would be, to be honest. But, like actually you know, it's good someone is. I think there's a chance this might actually be a Ben card because Scott called it a hope card. And yeah i think of you as the person who likes hope more than anybody else.
00:32:05
Speaker
um It's fair. I should like hope more. yeah she's so great with Merlin and like the two of them together they seem like that's that's a trio there you're Jim Hammond you're Merlin and you're Hope Summers that's like a little that's practically the whole package right there so all three of those plus Kitty of course for Hope are in Scott's deck that I played also King E-Tree because it's Rocking King because that's you know fun um yeah I think also you could put Agamotto in here and then you'd get the King Atre synergy and also the Bolts of Baltic working with Jim Hammond. But ah Surge, Werewolf by Night, super fun with Merlin.
00:32:44
Speaker
ah Mobius, Gwenpool, Juggernaut, and Wiccan. This doesn't sound like a good Wiccan curve to me, like it's three ones and two twos, but like... Merlin helps a lot. Kitty helps a lot. um You know, if you get King E-Tree on one, then you draw a Kang on, you know, in time for turn three. So like I was surprised how often I was pulling off Wiccan with this.
00:33:05
Speaker
um It was a very fun deck, but also Project Pegasus was the hot location yesterday. So I don't know if I feel qualified to talk about Jim Hammond because so many of them were at least five bigger than they should have been.
00:33:17
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know. I got him up to like 20 once. And other than that, he was like, you know, he was in that like one five one six range that we talked about being like, yeah, it's probably good enough. But ah I I I didn't super love him.
00:33:35
Speaker
But like, don't know. Here's thing. He probably doesn't need to be super duper great because kind of like how you talk about Ben with like moving somebody else's cards or moving your own cards is already its own reward. Like to stack extra bonus on top of that with Screamer or or a Craven is like, that's just gravy.
00:33:50
Speaker
He's kind of like that. Like generating extra energy is already its own reward. It's already a beneficial thing to do. So he's just like extra. And I kind of thought he'd be a win more card. And honestly, he kind of felt like that to me. Like when he was getting big, like...
00:34:03
Speaker
it um It meant I had a ton of energy, so like I don't know if I really needed him. um I don't know. I didn't love him. I don't think he's very inspiring, but there are people who I admire who did like him.
00:34:16
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Any thoughts from you I'm glad to see people having fun with him. Yeah, of course. and Always. He does seem almost like a me card, but I don't like to be rewarded for...
00:34:28
Speaker
making extra energy and stuff. That's, that's just not, not, not one of my interests, at least not in this game. I've played a lot of games where like you get ahead by getting ahead on your energy or mana or whatever the, the resources. And like, it's fine, but I'm a little over it.
00:34:46
Speaker
uh, I have not played a lot of games where you move the cards around and get ahead that way. So that's, I think, perhaps why it's a little more interesting. Because, like, sure, i love i love ramping mana in Magic the Gathering, but, you know, it's I've been doing that for a long time.
00:35:03
Speaker
i want And board space is pretty novel in Marvel's. yes I don't think it's, like, the only game that does it, but it's pretty unique. I mean, like, it's also... i I do like increasing the mobility of, like I think the sprinter perk in XCOM is like the most fun because it makes it makes the little little people go further and you can climb up on rooftops you wouldn't have been able to climb up on. And then, boom, you got like height advantage on those aliens and stuff and all that sort of thing. You know, I I just love increasing the number of squares the thing can move or like the move speed. Like when I play Hades, too, I'm just always picking blinding rush first because it makes you move faster. And if you can get behind people,
00:35:47
Speaker
then they're not going to hit you. It's, ah I don't know. I think that maneuverability is cool and it's never really come up in card games until now. And I, yeah, I just think that it's neat.
00:35:59
Speaker
It's an interesting thing to point out, Lauren and Ben, because it's like... Card game, it's like attention, but like a benefit. It's like, like card game designers should play board games because the location winning with cards has been present in simple, like board card games that weren't like complex enough to interest card gamers. You know what I mean?
00:36:24
Speaker
But like... Like if card designers suddenly they're like, oh, how do we build that? And I think the challenge is to ah to innovate maybe in card design. Because like, look where magic is at.
00:36:35
Speaker
Like, I think a lot of people feel like me who haven't played magic in a long time. It's like, I don't want to get back in and be playing someone and have to read fucking five paragraphs of text in every card they put out. Because now there ah there there are cards that are literally just like five paragraphs of text.
00:36:52
Speaker
With no picture because they're in the room for their text. And it's like, well, that much rules in, you know, being shoved at you all the time. And I know that's the point of limited is try and contain the number of rules that you have to contain in your brain and, you know, what you'll run into.
00:37:08
Speaker
But anyway, but a different way to innovate, like Marvel Snap did with card games, is to pull one element from board games, right? Because you pull too many and then you're not a card game anymore, Right.
00:37:21
Speaker
But like and try to be like, how can this present a new challenge to an experienced, you know, I mean, to new card gamers, right? Like they made it that way, but also to someone who's just kind of done the card game things, as Ben was saying.
00:37:35
Speaker
um so it's just like, what else could they pull now? The up to raising your stakes up to three times with your snap opponent's snap and then the end of game snap that came from backgammon, by the way.
00:37:48
Speaker
Um, so another board i didn't know that. I've not played backgammon. I didn't know that either, except I watched their like GDC talk about designing Snap. Um, you reminded me, this is like six or seven years ago, I was prototyping two different card games where physical space mattered because I just I loved that idea and they didn't get very far but I still love that idea i want to play a card game where the physical position on the board and which way the cards flipped and which way it's rotated like that matters that that seems cool anyway next week's card
00:38:24
Speaker
Warlock, activate for each unspent energy. Give a card in your hand, minus one cost. Do you like this style better, Ben, where it it rewards you for something that's not inherently a good thing to do?
00:38:40
Speaker
I mean, isn't it? Skipping energy is not a good thing to do. Oh, saving it for later? and like I kind of think that it. like Bolts of Balthack is pretty good, right?
00:38:52
Speaker
Yeah, you're right. Delaying it. But that's what saying. it It turns it into a a reward, something that is not inherently rewarding. Well, yeah, you just you're not you're you're not skipping anymore. You're you're deferring. You're right.
00:39:06
Speaker
It totally transforms it. Yeah, I think this card is very strong. I don't like it very much, but I think it's very strong.
00:39:15
Speaker
I'm super bummed that I won't. don't know that I want to drop an extra 1K. That's I've only stuck to being like, I'll get them eventually. I'm going to go the cheapest route and just pick them from the packs. But I want this card.
00:39:30
Speaker
Specifically, what I really want to do with it is an old favorite. I'll put this out and turn three or four. you know what I want to follow it with? I want to activate it and then I want to blink it.
00:39:41
Speaker
I want to blink it into something else. I want to put this in Spider Bay, right? The problem with Spider Bay, one of the problems with Spider Bay is it's got Sunspot. It's got Cyclops. It's around skipping a little energy because it's ah it's high Evo mixed with like affliction.
00:40:00
Speaker
But it's got it's got a Spider Woman and Shuri in it. Shuri and Blink are like the fun cards in it. Because Shuri Spider-Woman, great fun. You know, Shuri Blink, also a lot of fun. You know, got to be careful because it's like, well, then that lane's really big, but maybe it needed to be. Anyway, so think this would be a great card.
00:40:23
Speaker
ah to blink into like my Hulk or something. So, and like, I've been looking for more rewards for skipping energy. yeah loved moon girl.
00:40:36
Speaker
Hulk decks, you know, back in the day i played, i played a lot of those and I have frequently bemoaned that it's just doesn't, it's like, you need to be using your energy while you're just going to sit such a fucking American way of looking at things.
00:40:51
Speaker
Relax, like have, know, like, like rest, take an enjoyment, you know, appreciate life. No, that's time you're burning. You could be hustling. You could be hustling with that unspent energy anyway.
00:41:03
Speaker
So that's like the way the game is now. And so more cards that will give rewards to those older cards like She-Hulk, like you're not seeing She-Hulk around that much anymore. Now more with Moon Girl and stuff.
00:41:16
Speaker
I like it. I want it. It reminds me of character from... ah
00:41:24
Speaker
Is it going to be Chrono Cross? Look at this card. It's like this like strama. It reminds me of some character from Old Retro Gritty. If someone out there is going to get it. He's got a very unique look. he's ah i think he's in New Testament.
00:41:38
Speaker
I saw him recently in it. I was like, that's me in comics all the time now. I've read comics my whole life. It's like it shouldn't be new and exciting. but like I know that guy. I'm I'm a little disappointed by the art and the variants for this card. I was going to say that Warlock in the comics looks so cool.
00:42:01
Speaker
And yeah, i'm not I'm not always obsessed with like, I must have the comic art variants for things, but like, oh wow, I would prioritize some like... actual classic ass uncanny or where wherever he first popped up.
00:42:18
Speaker
Like, was it like new me? I don't know. I read a lot of I read a lot comics at the library as a kid. New mut New Mutants. that about i'm proud The thing is, he would show up in other places because all those dang X-Men's were X-Men around.
00:42:35
Speaker
Yeah, um I don't have any like nostalgic connection to him but i know a lot of people who who did read comics like love this character um but i just think he looks so cool and weird i would love to collect a variant or two for him but yeah i don't like that they're all the like weird green mop top like it's it's just not right look right i don't know i don't know this one's pretty good for base art though you know credit where it's due um I'm excited for this card. I think it seems super flexible.
00:43:08
Speaker
Quite possibly too good, because yeah yeah. It's so good that I dislike it and I can't skip it, because it's just it's going to be too good in too many places. It's yeah just too good. A hand where you can reliably play almost everything left in your hand, like...
00:43:24
Speaker
It's just fully passing five energy from one turn to the next. like and like Just let's see one throw pile and like surprise your opponent but better. and yeah It's very good. Can you imagine all your super cards being cheaper without needing a Sarah?
00:43:41
Speaker
it's better than Sarah. yeah it depends on how many how the hit distribution goes, but it's comparable to Sarah at least, and he's cheaper, and he's a three. Like... ah The threes are trying to take over. They're like, no, nothing shall be in the deck but us threes. You need nothing.
00:43:59
Speaker
five? No. two? No. All threes. All the time.
00:44:05
Speaker
Deadpool Diner, Deadpool's Diner came back. I think the thumbnail for the YouTube video said even dinerier, which is moderately funny. um It has new board art now. So like, you know, that that they're ramping up the apparent quality every time.
00:44:22
Speaker
This time it has new rules that I think are interesting. ah Each player can snap up to three times. snapping only affects you. It does not affect your opponent at all.
00:44:34
Speaker
ah With the exception of like, there's one or two locations where your opponent snaps might affect it. um But mostly I think the snap based locations are based on your own snaps.
00:44:45
Speaker
um The stakes get raised immediately. if you snap, it doesn't have to go into the next turn. ah But like the fact that you're up and there's no auto snap at the end of the game. Like there's no like the turn six stake doubling doesn't happen. The only way you can possibly have stakes raised on you is if you snap, which also means that there's no incentive for retreating.
Deadpool's Diner Tips
00:45:09
Speaker
And I think that is like the weird like is this?
00:45:13
Speaker
approaching high voltage where like but winning doesn't matter as much it does matter because you want to win bubs you can get to higher tables and yeah i mean it does matter um so and it seemed to me like they reworked it that i just figured out my head it's like oh bubs are basically like xp now right because nachos are the currency that you buy stuff with and bubs just move up your like xp bar to unlock yeah Yes. So they're doing the split currency thing like they've done for other events.
00:45:45
Speaker
But also bubs are your buy in and what you're like. They replace the cubes. So like, yes, they're your like progress bar, but they're also like, that's what you spend to enter the table. And that's what you're gambling with.
00:45:59
Speaker
I think some of these changes were implemented like in the spirit of player friendliness, but I don't think they've made the mode any easier to understand.
00:46:10
Speaker
And i think that, I don't know, a little bit of clarity and like just legibility of the systems would maybe be better. And I think maybe their priorities are a little...
00:46:23
Speaker
Out of whack, although I do see that there were some good intentions but that led them to this. I just don't think they stuck the landing.
00:46:34
Speaker
i I like, though, okay, this is so minor, but I did sneak in one game ah before the podcast, so I don't have a lot of experience with the mode yet. But I loved how it's like, then they showed avatar and stuff like that and had the little hearts and like sparkles around I love the hearts too!
00:46:54
Speaker
you know I loved and then it was like against like toxic obnoxious person like that that is all my opponents that is I love that you highlighted that because I had the exact same thought and I know that's so basic but like the little like animated hearts was like I want more cute stuff like that snap I want more cosmetics that are darling and make me go oh Ben's reaction was like probably just like fuck this Oh, no. Did you even notice?
00:47:25
Speaker
Nope. Nope. Not even a little.
00:47:30
Speaker
That's what I thought. Ben's like, what? Okay. I did notice the name of my deck was in deck fonts. Yeah, I thought that was super cute. Very flavorful.
00:47:42
Speaker
should on One thing I do like is there are only four tables now. um so that's nice. That is nice.
00:47:53
Speaker
The top table has much smaller prices than the top table in past diners. But also like...
00:48:00
Speaker
In the ah din and Diner 2, where you could get King E-Tree, the top prize was 500 million bubs. In this one, the top prize 1 million bubs. So also, like the exponential numbers are a little bit easier to understand when there's not 13 tables or whatever it was.
00:48:16
Speaker
um
00:48:19
Speaker
Yeah, so the nachos are the currency for the store, and you the only way you get them... Okay, there's two ways you get them. You get some of them from going up the track, the Bubz track. But mostly, the main way you get them is you snap three times at a table.
00:48:32
Speaker
That's cumulative across games. And... I don't know. It's weird. And if you snap more than three times, it still resets to zero. So... I still don't really know how to feel about that.
00:48:46
Speaker
I haven't played it it a ton. Um... I didn't snap at all. I won my game and I probably should have snapped, but it was that hesitancy of like, I'm going figure this. And I don't know how it's like, am I going to lose all my butt? Like I hadn't paid it. You know, it's all the numbers. Like you can lose a lot of bugs if you snap three times.
00:49:05
Speaker
Um, okay, good. yeah The thing is you can play like, you can play really conservatively. Yeah, you should have at least once, you know, um,
00:49:15
Speaker
So, yeah, if your opponent snaps, it's no risk to you. You might as well stay in unless, you know, the the reason to retreat is to save yourself time. I
00:49:28
Speaker
i don't know. It's it's it's weird. i have um i have several times found Is it denying your opponent something if you retreat? early it does It does deny your opponent the ability to snap. On two or three occasions now, I'm like, oh, I have a huge lead. My opponent might might retreat.
00:49:45
Speaker
I'm mashing the snap button so that as soon as it lets me snap, it counts it. Because if they retreat first, I don't get credit for the snap. And that's a weird like thing to incentivize. Uh, anyway, again, I'll do more math.
00:50:00
Speaker
I always I know that they had math out early, so like I could have had a guide out but they I feel like there's always details they miss. Like, yeah, it's not going to be working with partially correct information. I want to experience the mode before I write about it, because there's always something that's missing.
00:50:16
Speaker
i every single Every single game has one of the Deadpool locations, and they're cute, and there's little crayons to indicate that it's Deadpool location, and they're fun.
00:50:28
Speaker
um And they're all like good jokes on existing locations. So, Project Pegasus, there's Project Unicorn, and both players get a Gwenpool. Mm-hmm. I have a question. Do you know if locations get re-rolled by, you know, your Omniversal Presence, Scarlet Witch, Nocturne, whatever, ah is it possible to roll a fresh diner-specific location?
00:50:50
Speaker
Is it like a one-in-three chance, do we think? I have not seen that happen. I would really doubt it's a one-in-three if it is possible to make a new one. um I've definitely seen some Omniversal Presences and have not seen two Deadpool diner locations in the same game.
00:51:10
Speaker
Hmm. Well, I'll keep my eyes peeled. So related to that retreating and snapping thing, that would be like, if you are going to retreat and your opponent hasn't snapped three times and you want to be a nice person, you might say, snap and give them a second to snap before you retreat.
00:51:27
Speaker
That's if you want to be nice. And they'll mean emote you and you'll be like, why? Yeah, they're not going to get it. We're absolutely going to get mean emotes. Maybe I'm losing snap. I don't know. Maybe.
00:51:38
Speaker
Or at least give them a count of three. you don't Give them some time to snap. Yeah. You don't have to be nice. It's fine. i the My math, my early math, shows that obviously you want to be playing well and conservatively and so and you know like good snapping and and all that good retreating.
00:51:56
Speaker
Not retreating, but like don't snap if you're not sure you're going to win. um Because then you can play at the higher tables and bring in bubs faster. But nachos you get at a better rate on the lower tables.
00:52:10
Speaker
Like... Okay, you get you get them at a better rate for your bubs that you're risking at the lower tables, but you get them at a better rate for your time at the higher tables.
00:52:22
Speaker
Oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah. um Anyway, the general goal for everybody at first should be to be focusing on bubs, not nachos.
00:52:32
Speaker
Get your bug refill up to level five. That's going to make everything better, including chasing nachos. Okay. I hope you all have a great week and ah don't don't sweat. get like If danger is the only thing you care about, she's not very hard to get.
00:52:49
Speaker
you'll You'll do it. I'm going to feel really bad if that's not true. But all my math says it's it's quite it's quite doable. If you snap super aggressively and have a 50% win rate, it's super doable.
00:53:00
Speaker
So i think I think most people can achieve that. All right. We had a patch this week. Semi-eventful patch. um The first one that changed any balance at all in a while.
00:53:14
Speaker
ah missed that. That was fun. Anyway, first up, all borders in the game are now available for tokens instead of gold. I saw some early consternation about this, but you can always turn your gold into tokens at the token shop.
00:53:27
Speaker
And the rate for the new borders is comparable. In fact, a little bit cheaper. So it's really just a more flexible option. I think it's great. um Good way to address players who both have... are Both the players who have too much gold and the players... don't know who that is.
00:53:42
Speaker
And the players who have too many tokens. Yeah. supposedly the the blue and red distressed borders, the black and red map borders, and the black and red web borders are available in the like general pool now.
00:53:54
Speaker
But I don't know anybody who's seen them show up in this store yet. I haven't seen them show up in this store yet. Yeah. That'll be fixed. I think enough people have said it that I don't think they're the store yet. yeah i feel I feel like if somebody had black matted their entire deck, I would have seen it.
00:54:14
Speaker
Anyway. um Also, they added a bunch of returning player stuff. It's cool. I don't think it's quite enough, but like there's extra missions. There's a discount on the season pass that you get like three or four ah snap packs along the way.
00:54:29
Speaker
But like. I think you, to get a returning player to stick, I think you want to give them like cards of their choice or like get them into a deck, you know, not just like, here's four random cards. If you've been gone for six months, these might be shitty cards, but you know, step in the right direction.
00:54:47
Speaker
And then Kang, the headliner of the patch, finally changed. Big bad from Days of Yore. Game start. Replace this with four Kangs with text from random cards that cost three or more.
00:55:03
Speaker
am I think it's just worth noting real quick that every one of those Kangs has ah its own variant and I think that's great. like It is. Random variants.
00:55:14
Speaker
But it does highlight how ah boring a lot of the Kang variants are. They're very samey, yeah. Yeah, not as much personality there as might There's like this watercolor one looking one. I'm excited to get that one. The Peach Momoko one is great. Yeah. um That is my favorite one, for sure.
00:55:36
Speaker
Should have known that was Momoko. Did you play much? If you do get that one, open it up and look at it in 3D, because like the 3D on that one is killer. um
00:55:48
Speaker
I've played a bunch of Kang. I've played just a bunch of Kang. I was not expecting him to be quite so popular. was so popular for Frank! That's insane! I know, I'm like, I will see nothing but Kang, and I was right. I saw nothing but Kang for like...
00:56:03
Speaker
until the very late night. Yeah, i had a lot of games that opened with both players doing the Kang animation. new animation's pretty good. It's long, but it's pretty good.
00:56:14
Speaker
um I mean, just for so long, it's like every single intro, it's double Kang. Double Kang. Double Kang. Double Kang. Like, you Kang? You Kang? We're all Kang. Kings are spreading.
00:56:26
Speaker
um I played him in like four different things.
00:56:31
Speaker
I don't know if any of you have seen. Oh, I got to think how to pronounce this. There's a person who does pretty funny, like meme-y. clip videos on YouTube. think it's DJ Elobot or DJ Elobot. I don't know how it's pronounced. Anyway, collaborating with them on their Kang video. And so I was trying to get fun clips for this.
00:56:51
Speaker
ah So I played a bunch of Kang Surfer and Kang Victoria Hand and Kang was in Scott's Wiccan Jim Hammond deck. You know, I got Kang with Galactus. I got a handful of seven Kangs with all four variants.
00:57:08
Speaker
um yeah there's some fun stuff uh i don't know like it's really fun when you win a game that you probably shouldn't have won like i stole a quantum realm because i had i had a claw king and also lob king but also a lot of the kings just are worthless yeah it's huge range of cards it could be between costs three and eight Yeah.
00:57:34
Speaker
Okay, fair. But that's why the perfect deck for this, what I played with with it, was a Snap Variance deck. They called Big Hands. because spell big hands And they put it with... ah So, Victoria Hand I know doesn't affect the Kang variants because you did not generate them in your hand so we'll not buff them but it's a Victorian deck because it's like a devil dino deck and the idea is these Kangs contribute because you have like Kohori to where you just won a big hand and if it didn't turn out a good one it's still benefiting you you know just resting equity there and you're like wait what does that have to do with the Kangs?
00:58:16
Speaker
Okay, so when your Kang is worthless, you just leave it in your hand it'll help you with Kahori or Devil Dino, right? But when one's really good, that's great.
00:58:27
Speaker
But this is a deck that has, like, Collector. It's got Mirage, Moment. So it's got ways to generate cards. So it's kind of one of those things where is Kang the best thing you pulled?
00:58:39
Speaker
know what I mean? Like, to play? But maybe Agent Coulson. Agent Coulson's here. Kate Bishop. Maybe those cards are better. And if not, then the Kang just ends up being what sits in your hand for Dino or Kahori buffs.
00:58:53
Speaker
Essen's in here because that's just fun sometimes. I've definitely one by using Essen to pull an Iron Man from my hand that I got from, like, Coulson. It was perfect. It was the only one had to. Anyway, so Quinjet's here, obviously, because you're getting a lot of cards.
00:59:12
Speaker
ah Mole Man was surprisingly fun useful. And it's like, you know, you're not like too mad if you hit your Dino or your Essen. You have other cards because you're just genning cards.
00:59:24
Speaker
So like this, for me, this was fun because like I said, I just got to like... You know, i just got to play out the fun, super winning kings, you know, because that happens like a lot. You know, it's just like it can't be your only plan. Right. If that's your only plan, because like after I played a bunch of this, I went back to Surfer it's like, oh, well, when you planned what those threes are to work with everything, then they're always good. You know i mean? They're never just sometimes super good.
00:59:55
Speaker
But. Like I said, this doesn't this just lets you cherry pick the best Kang variants, this deck, while the rest are still kind of generically useful for you.
01:00:08
Speaker
And so for me, it made my problem where I just hate playing mirrors so much. It kind of took that away because it was so fun. And a lot of people were so playing Victorian stuff, and I had rogues. So like...
01:00:20
Speaker
Rogues in the Death. That's fun to do to people. It's like, no. No, it's mine, no. No, my cards that stole with Mirage and stuff are bigger. And I just had great fun. And it's so weird for me to actually still have so much fun when I am just playing the other card repeatedly over and over again.
01:00:40
Speaker
so um You know, and in in case not variance listens, thank you so much. such a joy to play this deck and have so much fun and play, you know, cards like Eson and Wallman that I really messed with either.
01:00:54
Speaker
Just have a good time. That's what I did with it.
01:00:59
Speaker
The Kangri Rewind. Okay, so here's the question. do you think he's good?
01:01:07
Speaker
My opinion as a person who's only played against him is ah not really. No, I did see some very cool Kangs. I saw an Ultron Kang on ah on a TVA thing.
01:01:21
Speaker
ah Took a screenshot though because it was not good enough to beat an enormous human torch and a bunch of other bullshit. um Yeah, i I don't know. I know that like yesterday, i don't know.
01:01:34
Speaker
ah I heard a prediction that Kang is the new Arishem or an assessment that like people are going to turn. i um i don't know.
01:01:48
Speaker
I could see this card having like good good cube rate because you do have some information that's very hard for your opponent to account for. um But I don't know. It's got a lot of bad hits, and it also dilutes your deck in a significant way.
01:02:08
Speaker
And I just don't think you're going to be... i think that when you win, you'll probably win for more cubes, but you're just not going to be winning as much as if you were playing a deck that was doing thing it was trying to do.
01:02:23
Speaker
I think Kang is good in the way Nightmare is good. It's just one of those characters. not like, yeah, he doesn't go in everything generically good. and's good ah when you plan for him, like with Nightmare. And it'll win you a lot of games because, like, a batshit infinite, you know, win you a lot of games. And it's the same here, I think. It's just like when you have a deck that plans for some duds, right, and still gets some side use out of them um It's a good card, but yeah, it's not like... It's it's swingy. It's a very swingy card, and snap players like reliability over swinginess.
01:03:08
Speaker
Some of them. but Yeah, i definitely saw some woe over adding even more RNG to the game, and I definitely ran into players who were playing 37 card Monty. Now that's the biggest deck you can start with.
01:03:22
Speaker
Um...
01:03:25
Speaker
And why not? Like, it's all compatible with Quinjet. You get the extra energy from Arashem. Like, it's crazy that that deck is as functional at it as it is. Everyone will play Cassandra if we see that a lot. And if it's that, it's going to be all that harder to get the shank to, like, deal with it.
01:03:43
Speaker
There's a I think it's Cassandra Nova Roma is one of the new Deadpool Diner locations. And it makes the next card you draw do Cassandra Nova's ability. um Yeah, you will win the matches you play against 37 card Monty when that happens.
01:04:01
Speaker
ah I don't know. I think he's very fun. I don't think he's very good. And that's probably right. Although it is weird for, you know, a remake for a card that has been bad or at least like super underplayed for or low play rate, I should say, for such a long time, like remake it. And then I don't know how much is going to be getting played in weeks.
01:04:24
Speaker
Yeah, i I think that if they waited this long to do it, they needed to come a little more correct, is my feeling. I don't know.
01:04:36
Speaker
this This feels kind of lazy a little bit. i like I see what they're going for, but it just, I don't know.
01:04:46
Speaker
I'm glad Kang's not one of my favorite characters. Yeah. Yeah.
November Season Cards & Abilities
01:04:54
Speaker
Okay, now we're going to go into the data mines to give our first look at November season, which is spiders.
01:05:05
Speaker
ah You got some Spider-Mans and also some bad guys. So let's just get into it. The premium season pass. Spider Punk, a I love this art. The logo's sick.
01:05:19
Speaker
That was important to me. I'm happy with how it turned out. And the variants, I'm sure, are going to be killer. You can move this once. When this moves to a location, steal two power from the highest power enemy card there.
01:05:34
Speaker
I added the word card, but you get the point. This seems like a Ben card, but now you're going tell me you don't like because it's too good. Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. But, like, it's so much a Ben card.
01:05:45
Speaker
Like, i you know if they have to nerf it a little, it'll still be a Ben card after they've nerfed it. It'll be fine. And I'm not sure it's going to need nerfing, but I also think it's probably going to need nerfing. I mean, like...
01:05:59
Speaker
It does the scream thing as many times as you can move it. And you can move it a lot of times. it It's still smaller than Vulture. three It's a four-point swing when you move it instead of a six-point swing, but it does remind me a lot of Vulture. That's a bigger swing than current Vulture. Yes.
01:06:19
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. like you You missed old Vulture, and i'm like, this is it. This is the replacement for Vulture. like Plus, he can move himself once. It's cool. I do like cards that can move themselves once.
01:06:32
Speaker
And also, I like it when there's a reason to move them more times than once. Nocturne is such a cool design. Nocturne.
01:06:40
Speaker
For me, for the way... Because, like, great for move decks. For me, I still might pick Rocket and Groot for the general reasons that I would put this in a deck.
01:06:56
Speaker
But, i you know, I like it.
01:07:00
Speaker
Rocket and Groot only steals one at a time, though. But I mean, like... So I'm not usually not making move decks. You know Yeah, they don't need a support package.
01:07:13
Speaker
move And then you can potentially get... Usually you at least get a 3-4 with a Rocket, Raccoon, and Group. Potentially higher. And for me, like I said, if I'm not building a move deck, then I'm only expecting to move it the once. This guy's at 3-6 if you move him once. Like, pretty good. guess you're right. Yeah.
01:07:35
Speaker
um Okay. The super premium season pass looks like it's going to be series five again. Like same thing they did with Sparky. I assume that's what it's going to be going forward.
01:07:47
Speaker
Man spider five one on reveal. Merge the last card you played into this. When this merges double its power.
01:07:59
Speaker
As you've been. I think it's too good. That's what I think. Yeah. i I think it's going to make huge numbers. At that cost? Yep. Yep.
01:08:12
Speaker
It's also a Mr. Negative card, you know. It's a Revolver card? it's Yeah. it's It's a lot of kinds of cards. I thought about this card hard to the other day, and I thought about writing down some notes, and I forgot to.
01:08:23
Speaker
But yeah, I think this card is very strong. It reminds me a lot of Shuri. Shuri. Yeah, I mean, that's the obvious point of comparison. I think this card is gnarlier than Shuri. Also, you can merge it more than once.
01:08:42
Speaker
Oh, yeah, super nasty. I'm like an agony. no Oh, yeah, you're right. Because most things, I didn't catch that. Most things merge into and become the thing.
01:08:55
Speaker
Like agony or whatever. Right. But like that becomes it. So you could re-merge and double again. Okay. I see it. But at that point, if you're in on that strategy, you're probably either doing magic, right? Or you're playing Living Tribunal because you don't want to super win one lane, right? This could very well be... I mean, that's what the Human Torch decks are doing. Yeah, Tribunal, Taskmaster, Zola, something like that. think this is definitely friends with cards like Taskmaster and Zola, though, because they're also...
01:09:28
Speaker
to merge it multiple times, then you're looking to merge it in turn 6, too, unless you're able to cheat it out. I'm just pointing out it's possible to merge it multiple times. I don't think you need to merge it multiple times for this to be a very good card.
01:09:39
Speaker
I just think it's an important... just think there's work involved. You know what i mean? it's like don't think Agony is work. I don't think Agony is work, either. The rest of them, yes. Any other move, yes. But Agony, you can set up ahead of time. Yeah, yeah, that's true. But I just mean for, like...
01:09:56
Speaker
Man spider, right? if I mean, you don't want to just agony man spider. You do agony and then something else and then man spider. Things with drawbacks. This this will wander a star brand or a red skull or, like, whatever else.
01:10:11
Speaker
Like, it's... I think this card's nuts. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I mean... Feels like it's work, but maybe. Harkening back to old Siri or old Shuri where you could do it across multiple lanes.
01:10:26
Speaker
Yep. Like, you'll merge from any lane. yeah Fair, but it's still five power. You know what I mean? Sorry, five power, five energy. It's like if Shuri was also Ghost Spider.
01:10:40
Speaker
But sure you play on turn four so you can play a big ass thing on turn five. This one, you're like, you need to play your big ass thing on turn four. And then and you don't announce that you're about to double it.
01:10:56
Speaker
And then on turn six, you need to, like, Taskmaster, so you need to win the other lane. So you're not further doing things with Man Spider. It's all, like, the pre-setup. So it's, like, it's work, and then you need to account for the actual win in it and more than just setting up Man Spider. So I don't know.
01:11:14
Speaker
I'm just saying sometimes you guys are real hype, and I'm like, sounds like a bit of work. Yeah. No, I think you know are somewhat right on this. Like, yeah, it's a downside. Like, Shuri is much easier to use with Red Skull than Man Spider is.
01:11:28
Speaker
You know, just because the it's possible. I'm either. i just, like, is it OP, you know? Or is it just good, you know? Seems really strong to me, but we will see. You know, ah yeah, sometimes if you put down a big number too early, then it ah then it gets shonged.
01:11:48
Speaker
and then you just spent nine energy on on getting hit by Shong. Well, consider, what what if you played Typhoid Marion for, and they're like, oh, I've got a Shong for that, and then they super don't, because it's actually a 520 in a different lane than they thought.
01:12:03
Speaker
But it's like how... Wong, Black Panther, Zola is super big and will always win games. But you know what I mean? It's not like it's it's like this is an OP combo. Wong, Black Panther, Zola starts announcing what it's about on turn four.
01:12:20
Speaker
And this one lies about what it's about on turn four and then tells you what's up on turn five. I mean, does it when the deck gets recognizable because it's meta and everyone sees like...
01:12:33
Speaker
I don't know. Okay, don't want to argue too much because, like, I don't want to act like I think this card is bad. I like it, and I think it's good. i just don't think it's, like, free wins, you know? It'll be cool. It'll be cool. On a six, cryo.
01:12:48
Speaker
just evacuate something out of there like switch lanes so it was pretty cool um superior spider-man this is our first week series five card is the name of the card the superior spider-man returns i really hope not that's what the labor is right now in the data mines i really hope they edit it edit out the word returns um possibly also the the but we'll see um 3-4, end of turn, if you have a card with increased power in play, you get plus one energy next turn.
01:13:22
Speaker
It's nuts. Silver Sable. Yeah, it seems really good. Oh, Silver Sable's a good one. was trying to think, what's the easiest way to do this? And I was thinking like Hawkeye and Agony, but Silver Sable is answer. Hmm.
01:13:40
Speaker
Anything else? That's all I had to say about it. I was just got to get this out quick. mean, it gives you energy and you put it down on three. So for me, write an extra energy...
01:13:52
Speaker
is good and it's dangerous like like look at the things we do for wiccan we're like you you want a quicksilver we'll give you like just a one two every time and not like a nico that we could be playing instead we'll give you a domino just give us that extra energy for like two turns you know that's how good extra energy is and this goes down on three and you want to have cards that are more powerful If anything, as Lauren was saying earlier in the podcast, it's just like stuff you want to be doing anyway, know? But like this is also a three. So, you know, it's more it's more of surfer just trying to make everything, so turn everything into itself.
01:14:31
Speaker
So like... um And end of turn decks are pretty good. Inviswoman, that's so many places. Great card. This you guys are all like Manspire. I'm like, oh, that sounds fun.
01:14:42
Speaker
But like the big combo payoff that is sometimes hard or whatever. And this seems like seems pretty good. A lot of things. Yeah.
01:14:55
Speaker
I think it's comparable to Hope, but you do get the extra energy on turn four, which is... You can only that with Hope if you're, like, rocking wasps. I think it's better than Hope. It's comparable, but I think it's better. Except, of course, Hope, you can stack a whole bunch on the same turn. This is true. There are different cards doing different stuff.
01:15:14
Speaker
And then the first week series four card, one-cost skill called Web Sling... On reveal, next turn, you can move one of your cards away from here.
01:15:27
Speaker
Is that original Space Stone? I think. Yeah. Yeah. Except it doesn't take up space the way Space Stone did.
01:15:38
Speaker
It's a really good card. Yeah. yeah I also kind of like it because it feels, it's like in any card game, I mean, I play Marvel Champions and stuff, you know, having little like one web sling abilities just feels right for spiders.
01:15:54
Speaker
i love the yeah i love the flexibility of it, right? You play it on turn five. Am I going to move one of my cards? Which one am I going to move? Where is it going to go? like i realize ah Madam Web can do the same thing, but ah she takes up a spot and costs twice as much. Madam Web is so clunky in comparison to this card. This card is, yeah. Right, and I'll slot in nicely for like Red Wing. Sorry, you were cutting out for me, Ben. I didn't mean to cut you off. Oh, I dislike this one. I'll have to get it because, you know,
01:16:25
Speaker
But I... do Too good. Also, these freestanding skill cards, they're nonsense. This one isn't a spell. Yeah, it's kind of growing on me. still I hope I don't regret that.
01:16:40
Speaker
hope I don't regret saying that I'm kind of enjoying it. But, like, I think it'll be... It doesn't take up a spot, which is honestly a problem with a lot of one cards right now.
01:16:56
Speaker
is kind of mean because it doesn't feel like like a web sling ability should be better than like a ghost spider. Yeah, I completely agree. yeah Oh, now I'm sad. Ghost spider's a 1-3.
01:17:07
Speaker
There's something there. Yeah, but this is still... Yeah. Gosh. What do you mean for other ways you would move? Like an Iron Fist. You want to play that on your Angela and Hope and then move one of them the next turn? It's cool stuff.
01:17:22
Speaker
Like said, with Red Wing and stuff, it feels more generically useful. Like you'd include it things you wouldn't include. I don't know. ah Something that I like about this is you can put this in a deck that's not a move deck. like yeah Yeah. Which I guess you can also do with freak Iron Fist and Ghost Fighter and people don't really do that. it's not justifiable in like the the way that this will be.
01:17:46
Speaker
I've got in, like, a Sauron deck or, i like, an energy skip deck where it's, like, you're often not putting Reach in like, anymore. And now it's just, like, hey, it can just sit. It's just, like, a one or whatever. But sometimes that could win you the game because it'll get you into a Sanctum that you can't play into, you know?
01:18:05
Speaker
Yeah. Or, like, save your big card, you know? Okay. Okay. Week two, series five. bends up ezekiel sims tutu after you play a card with higher power here give this plus two power and move this to another location well it's a great card i like this one a lot i think it's interesting also ezekiel sims is not just the antagonist of uh madam webb the the movie um also from a spider-man comic that uh
01:18:42
Speaker
I liked a lot in the the early 2000s. You know, the one with Morlin. If you know, you know. i think the character has shown up several times since then, but it's a decent Spider-Man story. Yeah,
01:19:00
Speaker
yeah I like this card a lot. I think... ah You know, it's no...
01:19:08
Speaker
yeah yeah i I like it a lot. It's going to do silk-type things, batrock-type things. But you control it. You're not worrying about your opponent, like, fucking you over.
01:19:19
Speaker
i lacking But sometimes I want my opponent to be moving silver around bunch. Yeah, for Hydra Stomper and stuff. I do appreciate that this one grows, and I also appreciate that it's interesting, and eventually it'll get large and it'll get more difficult to trigger, but life finds a way. It's a neat design. It's very cool, and I'm excited to play it.
01:19:49
Speaker
I'll just say that that's my vested interest is it fits in the little my joy of building the entourage of cards that move of like Batrock and just jump around and then just try to double up on Hydra Stomper they're constantly up so hard when they're all swinging around together and this fits right in with that so that I do want to do that with it and then just like Hydra Stomper it up or whatever that's fun for me I think that's a really interesting card, right? Because in it Angela-ish and also Silk-ish.
01:20:22
Speaker
um It's, like, making it increasingly harder to proc. I don't know if we've seen other cards do that explicitly, besides just, like, there's a turn limit.
01:20:34
Speaker
I don't know. Like, how big is it getting typically? 2-6? Right? a Well... yeah You can do it more than once a turn. You might be able to proc it three times. so Oh, that's true.
01:20:48
Speaker
You know, if you find a way... Let's see. On turn three, you could maybe play... Just black cat!
01:21:00
Speaker
Yeah, you play like Black Cat and then you play Silk. And you can move him twice. Maybe. If he moves the right place. you predict where he goes, yeah. But that's what it's all about with Silk. Just giving yourself opportunities for things to go right.
01:21:16
Speaker
you know even Even if you can't guarantee the outcome. Just like ah play to your outs. That sort of thing. Feels like a Series 4 to me, but maybe I'm underrating it.
01:21:26
Speaker
Uh... The following week, Series 5 card, Spider-Man Noir, On reveal, if your other cards in play cost exactly eight total, add the top card of your deck here.
01:21:43
Speaker
Set its power to eight. Rhi? Late Night Rhi hates. Yeah, demanding. Yeah.
01:21:55
Speaker
Yeah.
01:21:59
Speaker
There's a lot going on in this card for me. Like, it's like, I feel like Ms. Marvel kind of feels like it should have been the limit Trixie. It's hard enough to set up a good Ms. Marvel that's not going to just get fucking Enchantress or that didn't have an Echo out. or You know, like, and we got do this.
01:22:19
Speaker
I can't even think about how good it'll be because all I can think about is how much I don't want to have to think this through, like, every game. but I know it's not that hard, but, like, ah why?
01:22:32
Speaker
So this card wants you to be playing, like, Miles Morales. Is that what I'm taking from this? Mr. Sinister was my thought, but your thoughts Miles Leoport also. Something like that. like And I don't think it's asking for you to do a specific thing. I think it's asking for you to, like, do things like Mr. Sinister or Miles Morales. And, like, I think this is a cool card.
01:22:55
Speaker
I can't tell if it's... great or not i don't i i haven't decided what kind of deck wants to be fulfilling the conditions and also has a plan for how to reap that reward i'm not i haven't been looking at it long enough to you know get there but like ah just on principle i i i dig this kind of thing yeah I like how cool it is and how weird it is, but yeah, that's a it's a tricky card. I don't know if we've seen anything quite like this. Doing a Jubilee, but then setting its power to eight, that could be huge depending on what you're pulling. Yeah, if it's just numbers, this is a 412. Yes, we're just about numbers. Are you just building your deck to like always benefit? It's 412 that cheats out energy. could see Howard being glomming.
01:23:44
Speaker
ah You could cheat out the fallen one. like, man.
01:23:49
Speaker
Depending on when the power gets set to eight, yes. um I'm sad that, like, noir detective, something near and dear to my heart, is like, you do all of this numbers to... No, I'm sad, too.
01:24:05
Speaker
It's not just that, like, it's like I have to, like, track that. It's like the tension now of not playing a card I want to play because, like, it's, you know, because then it's like, the but don't ruin my Spider-Man. You know, it's why like Cerebro sucks because like Cerebro dryers can't even enjoy.
01:24:27
Speaker
um i'm blanking on the name. The island where everyone gets plus one all of the cards each turn. Thank you. Yes, that is a joyful location. Can you imagine just looking at location and being ew instead of yay. I guess Right.
01:24:47
Speaker
I don't like hating good things. And lost my train of that. I ended. Another thing I thought of is you can do a one, two, four, and then on five you could play a one and Noir. That's another, like... So I think if you are playing Noir, you're going like, learn what the patterns are. Your three could be Green Goblin.
01:25:07
Speaker
I think it's going to be much harder to screw yourself up, like, Cerebro-style with this card. Like, i I think you'll be able to dial it in you know?
01:25:19
Speaker
you have to hold back, right? Yeah. yeah Maybe a little, but you also get a free 8 power thing. You hold back a little. to Also, adding the top card of your deck here, that gets you deeper into your deck. You you just drew a card right there.
01:25:36
Speaker
That's what you did. Doing a Jubilee is good, and this is a Jubilee that's a lot more power. Jubilee's 4-1. This is a 4-12. jubilees a four one of four twelve Well, I guess it depends on what you're like. Jubilee is putting the thing onto the board and getting whatever those stats are. But like, you know, it's not always, not always big.
01:25:55
Speaker
Yeah. and you know I guess this could be Jubilee out in Iron Man. It's a very different story than if you Spider-Man no Noir down. Yes. Yeah. You're yeah. Depending on what you pull affects how influential Noir was.
01:26:08
Speaker
um I'd love to pull a brood. I don't know. I think you will. I think you'll get your hands on it and you'll have fun. This is a fun card. It's very interesting and cool. This is going to end up being the third card. I run an ink.
01:26:22
Speaker
Mostly I like my cards to be colorful, but this card just feels like it belongs in ink, right?
Upcoming Cards & Game Modes
01:26:27
Speaker
He loves drinking egg creams and punching Nazis or something, right? Yep. Okay. We have...
01:26:34
Speaker
hey we have ah ah a limited time game mode. We have no idea what it is, but three series four cards. Chameleon, a three, three on reveal.
01:26:48
Speaker
Copy the text of another card you revealed here turn. This is a tricky card, but I love it with Supergiant and Invisible Woman. Because it's not when you played the card, it's when you revealed the card.
01:27:02
Speaker
so there's some cool tricksy stuff you can do with that. I don't know what it is. It's probably like a second white tiger or something, and there's easier ways to do that. But um this is also just like...
01:27:17
Speaker
A second Victoria Hand on turn five. You should set up a clip, though, where the point is for this to copy... down a Wong. You know what mean? Just, like, make some ridiculous, like...
01:27:33
Speaker
quadruple of... I was thinking about it because like, make a copy in Odin, but then the Odin needs to be copying in Odin. It was a Russian Doll situation where it's like, wait a minute, what are we doing here? i mean, you could do that with, like, ah Sarah on Limbo. You can afford both of them on the same turn. It doesn't have to be an Invisible Woman situation. um This is a weird card, ah which makes me like it, but I would be surprised to see it see play out of things besides, like,
01:28:04
Speaker
Cerebro, you know, Cerebro Chameleon works just like Cerebro Mystique and it has three more power or, or like I said before, Victoria Hand, like that, that sort of thing, a late turn, copy the text.
01:28:17
Speaker
There's gotta be some good things to copy the text that aren't on reveal or on goings, right? Like where Prodigy is currently the only card that can copy them, I guess, lad, but like, yeah,
01:28:32
Speaker
Yeah, I'm still not sure what to do with this this card. it's It's the one I've like thought about the least hard because it's the least my kind of thing. ah ken eco Can it copy a skill? I don't know. It doesn't say, like, if able, like the other copy cards do, maybe it can copy something out of the banished pile.
01:28:50
Speaker
See, that I was wondering about that. I don't think I think it still has to be there to refer to the same way that Miss David and Jordan need them to be there. They'll change the text to say if able.
01:29:02
Speaker
Oh, but you know what? I bet does work. I bet if this shows up while you're polymorphing something, I bet it will do it a fresh polymorph while polymorph is still around. Because funny things happen sometimes with that skill. Oh, if Polymorph makes the Chameleon? Yeah, I agree. If Polymorph evolves something else into Chameleon, Chameleon will see Polymorph still in the spot and do a fresh Polymorph.
01:29:26
Speaker
hey another skill another one cost skill deafening cord it's got spider punk wailing on a guitar on reveal afflict an enemy card here that costs three or less with minus one power and remove its text
01:29:46
Speaker
in some ways just better than red guardian it's so good for one you could take out like a sue of you know invisible women first steps and that stuff like it still hits most of the things that red guardian was going to be hitting Yeah, like except like Drac and Iron Man.
01:30:08
Speaker
It'll miss Dracula and Iron Man, but it still hits Morbius. It still hits Bullseye. It still hits Madam Web. It still hits like all kinds of things. And it's a 1-3 that doesn't take up space.
01:30:19
Speaker
Yep. Disappears, cleans up after itself. So well behaved. I don't like the trend of ah of these skills of like this guitar chord being better than the character.
01:30:34
Speaker
yeah Hard agree. Cause it to happen. The character should be stronger. feels like. We are in full agreement with. I like skills mechanically.
01:30:46
Speaker
like i like having a new card type, but I don't like. that deafening cord is something that's going in my Marvel snap deck, you know, like, yeah that's so good that it feels like you're going to put it in a lot of them.
01:30:59
Speaker
Yeah. And like, at least the web sling one, that's like kind of specialized. This is like a, well, you're sort of silly for not playing this and everything is at least my reading. I don't know.
01:31:14
Speaker
Or, Maybe that's really good tech. It's just so good. It's going to be like and it is so universally applicable. It's just not well designed.
01:31:26
Speaker
I hope it changes.
01:31:29
Speaker
Hydra Man, 5-8. On reveal, set the cost of each deck's top card to 1. Rhi?
01:31:38
Speaker
you just I'm not familiar with this character. And I was like, okay. Because you know how my brain works sometimes. i'm like, I just want him to be in the deck with Sandman, but that doesn't really make sense.
01:31:51
Speaker
No, but it's super good. They show up together all the time. it's like it's all that they They combined into a mud monster once. It's in the and Spider-Man the Ultimate. God.
01:32:03
Speaker
Giving your opponent the benefit is is painful to me. i like i like the benefits only for me. That's why I don't play crystal.
01:32:15
Speaker
Yeah. ah Like Crystal, I think one approach here is just to make it more beneficial for you, right? Like, if your deck has a high curve, more likely to help you than your opponent. You built for it.
01:32:26
Speaker
Yeah, that's true. That's very true. You're playing this on five, but it's still a surfer. If someone gives me, like, a one-cost surfer, like, thank you. I had an extra, like, two-way, a Koye in my hand for no reason I wasn't going to be able to play.
01:32:45
Speaker
fine Are you all ready for a little bit of impromptu spider lore from 2004? Nobody knows about Hydro Man. It's not that hard to get you to date, at least up to 2004 date on Hydro Man. Do it.
01:33:00
Speaker
Hydro Man. Morris Bench was a crewman on a cargo ship that was lowering an experimental generator. wait, sorry. Morris Bench? Yes, his name is Morris Bench. That's bench you would sit on?
01:33:11
Speaker
Exactly. Like a bench that would say it would checkpoint you in Hollow Knight. um Okay. Sorry. Continue.
01:33:23
Speaker
when he was accidentally knocked overboard by spider-man even heroes do whoopsea At that moment, the generator began to malfunction and Morris was exposed to unknown energies, seawater and underwater volcanic gases. Oh, you got to watch out for those underwater volcanic gases. they They'll give you superpowers.
01:33:40
Speaker
After he was rescued, Morris discovered that he could transform all or part of his body into water. Morris was furious at what had happened to him and he set out to find those he considered responsible and make them pay.
01:33:50
Speaker
And that included Spider-Man. ah The very next paragraph is under the heading, The Mud Monster. So this is this is like a key part of the Hydro Man situation. After their first few battles, Spider-Man defeated Hydro Man by splattering him over an area that was so big that Morris evaporated before he could reassemble himself.
01:34:09
Speaker
But Hydro Man returned and joined forces with the Sandman. See pages 46 and 47 against their enemy Spidey. They nearly succeeded in killing the Webhead, but a freak accident caused the two criminals to merge, transforming them into a giant mud creature.
01:34:26
Speaker
So I'm telling you, he does have something to do with Sandman. Secret origin of DC's Clayface. Pretty much. Oh, man. ah Also, like, what, like, I was just thinking, like, what capitalists, like, wrote comics for, like, hey, no, actually toxic waste?
01:34:49
Speaker
Super awesome. Gives you super powers. Just bathe your children in it. Don't worry about the train wreck. Don't worry about the water.
01:34:59
Speaker
Okay, anyway. Oh, you're good. ah The other thing I thought with this, everybody will think with this, is Mobius. yeah And it does just benefit you.
01:35:11
Speaker
yeah oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. However, it is... That's a big ask. I mean... 5.8 is kind of a stat line. I definitely underestimated the playability of 5.8 Enchantress.
01:35:28
Speaker
Yeah. People still play. I probably should have mentioned that in my weekend snap, but like, you know, I'm rarely, i think, so... confidently wrong as I was about 5-8 Enchantress. Turns out lot of people were probably just playing Enchantress on 5 anyway. 5 is a great turn to be playing Enchantress.
01:35:48
Speaker
So why not make her a 5-8? I don't know.
01:35:54
Speaker
I don't know about Hydro Man. Last week of the season, the Prowler, ah three four On reveal, add two Thief's Tools to your hand.
01:36:07
Speaker
Set their cost to zero if a card moved last turn. Very miles. Here are the three Thief's Tools. ah They're all one-cost skills.
01:36:18
Speaker
The remote mines. On reveal, afflict the two highest power enemy cards here with two power with minus two power.
01:36:28
Speaker
It's a 1-4. Okay. Vibroshock Gauntlets. On reveal, give your highest power card here, plus 2 power, and you get 1 energy next turn. Plus 1 energy.
01:36:42
Speaker
Flight Harness. On reveal, give your highest power card here, plus 1 power, and move it to the right.
01:36:51
Speaker
i yeah its it's sign I don't know. These are cool,
01:36:58
Speaker
they don't the They don't seem quite as good as Kate's arrows. And he's more expensive than Kate. don't know. I think these are a little better than Kate's arrows.
01:37:15
Speaker
ahead if you were stating it then. Oh, i'm I'm still like if if you have some things you would like to. I'm still like looking at them and comparing them. OK, well, yeah.
01:37:25
Speaker
Give me your thoughts. I was just debating. mean, obviously, right. You want to put this with move stuff and that will be explored. Is it worth it to just play it without like a bunch of move stuff? Because one of the cards will move it right and would thus make the other one free.
01:37:45
Speaker
and So you could get it that way. And then is it worth it if you're playing Joaquin's stuff and like, you know, one cost reduction stuff for Black Swan for like these effects? Or no, you're pretty much just playing it in move.
01:37:59
Speaker
Joaquin's very cool. Was I... Did I hear... like the The cost of the skills is decided when you reveal Prowler. Oh, it is? Did misread it?
01:38:11
Speaker
I just want to make sure. I was i wasn't sure if that's what you were saying. you're right but in the but You're right. I thought it was dynamic, but it's like, oh, it's whenever it happens. Okay.
01:38:21
Speaker
But still, the same question could remain. Yeah, they stay zero forever. Okay. That changes what I think about this card. I think this is a good card, right? like Yeah. This seems pretty mighty. but like so Those effects are a lot to get for zero.
01:38:37
Speaker
But do you also play it without moving it, with accepting them as one cost, play it with, like, Joaquin or something, where you can double it up? you have yeah. Because you can't double them up.
01:38:49
Speaker
Wait, would it work on Joaquin regardless? Because they're one cost initially? ye They're base one. Okay. Alright, so I guess you are doing a little move.
01:39:00
Speaker
You want to use one or two zero-cost cards on Joaquin that don't take up any space? It's pretty know do some like You got a two-thirds chance that like you're getting an energy. What's the worst one?
01:39:16
Speaker
i mean like even even if what's what's the worst one ah i guess I guess Flight Heart is flight flight the worst one? It's the worst unless you have a card that can take advantage of it.
01:39:29
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. It depends on your deck, right? Which means they're good. They're all good for... Also, just moving your highest power card somewhere that your opponent didn't expect it to be.
01:39:42
Speaker
but Yeah, save that for the last turn. You know it's there. You know you can play around it and plan for it. And I mean, even if they do expect it to like, even if they know you probably have a flight harness, you could do that in a couple of different lanes. Honestly, you could.
01:39:58
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I think this card's very strong. That's what I think. Also, I like that it's a three and because there are so many one and two cost move things you can be doing to like get there. You know, you could play a night. What if what if Prowler brings back a night crawler?
01:40:17
Speaker
What if that's what would be wild? i Like i I'm not convinced that it's not the thing. Yeah. We're nightcrawling. I forgot.
01:40:30
Speaker
I've seen one of those in the wild for a while. Nightcrawler just like hangs out on the verge of being worth it. like every now is yeah Every now and then in C2 where there's a storm also I've been seeing a lot of C2 playing Professor X. Oh that's true. I see it in Cerebro. I just blank that out from my mind. Right out. i totally get it ah There was one other card in the Datamines...
01:40:57
Speaker
Not doesn't have any kind of like text or cost or skill or anything like that. Only has one piece of art. But Rogue and Gambit together on a single card. We don't know when it's coming, but are they coming to Marvel rivals?
01:41:11
Speaker
That's that would be a good guess. I mean, that's the last reason that that that was the reason the last time we got a duo card. But the art is a lot more like the the tarot style.
01:41:22
Speaker
But yeah, but they are not in Midnight Suns. Neither one of them. Midnight Suns DLC coming? Rocket and Groot combined were not their abilities at all. It was something completely different.
01:41:38
Speaker
Although it was a card that's Gambit's and Rogue's abilities together. i will say that Rocket and Groot, the team of color is related to the the Guardians thing in much the same way that Nebula is and trying to more lie like they they do care about like, and but is your opponent playing here or not?
01:41:56
Speaker
You know, like that kind of thing. I'm wondering if it ends up being some kind of promo card or something like that, because it just doesn't fit in with any of the seasons we know are coming. Speaking of, December looks like Weapon X. January looks like Dragons.
01:42:11
Speaker
We do have the names of the cards, but we don't have like anything about them. So we'll talk about them later. Onto our side quest first up and only secret homework.
01:42:22
Speaker
I brought the secret homework this time. it was ah soft one. I want to hear you share one to three topics, one to three topics besides Marvel Snap that you could talk about for hours.
01:42:35
Speaker
and And I guess I'm first because I assigned it. So first up, I do have three and I don't know how much we're going to talk about them. Certainly not for hours.
01:42:46
Speaker
Game design. I have loved game design for a long time. um i just love the tabletop and video games. Like what motivates players? What makes games fun? What makes them interesting? What makes them sound?
01:42:59
Speaker
sticky what what makes them emotional not in an abusive way but in a like you know something that's actually gonna like impact somebody's life I just I think game design is super interesting i love emergence of uh complexity from simple pieces interacting with each other there's a lot that I really enjoy about that and I could talk about it for a long time especially with somebody who knew what they were talking about even more than I do ah But like I've listened to GDC talks and tabletop game design podcasts. And like I have consumed a ton of content in this in this vein.
01:43:39
Speaker
I haven't done a ton of game design myself. I've done some, but mostly I just think it's fascinating. Another one. i have it written down as as philosophy.
01:43:52
Speaker
It's inspired by Mormonism. It's the church I was raised in. And i am the type of person who does... so much research before making a big life decision, like leaving the religion I was raised in. Um, and so even when I was, and I'm going to try to talk about this respectfully, I have family members who I love dearly who are still members and i don't begrudge them that I acknowledge that religion is something that does good things for some people.
01:44:23
Speaker
Um, it didn't work for me. And when I left, I was an angsty 18 to um, who felt very betrayed and kind of like the main reason I was leaving is because I didn't think it was true anymore.
01:44:37
Speaker
Nowadays, the main reason I stay away is because I don't think it would make me happy. um And I still don't think it's true. But the happiness thing is more important. Anyway, I could talk a lot about um fundamentalist religion and high demand religion and also, you know, kind of like philosophy of life following that and and all kinds of things I've learned in therapy and this I know philosophy is a very broad topic, but I have a lot of thoughts about it based on the things I've been through in my life.
01:45:07
Speaker
And finally, adjacent to doing tons of research and research, i things I've been through in my life. I could talk for hours and hours about gender and biological sex. I have tons of information about it.
01:45:21
Speaker
This is something that when I first thought I might not be a cis person and you know it hit really hard, suddenly i was vibing with the R-Egg IRL subreddit. That thing ah cracks a lot of eggs, which if you don't know is the word for trans people who don't know they're trans yet.
01:45:39
Speaker
I didn't know that was possible at the time. And I was vibing with those memes and thinking, oh shit, oh fuck. And then over the next few months, I did literally hundreds of hours of research and ah decided pretty quickly, like, oh yeah, definitely, I'm a trans woman.
01:45:53
Speaker
ah But anyway, I have helped other people through their gender journeys that have ended in many different places. And I, it's something that really interests me and I can't help but engage sometimes in bad internet, argument bad faith, internet arguments from me, from other people, ah who are, you know, who don't believe that gender and sex are different. Uh, yeah.
01:46:20
Speaker
And I try to engage in good faith. And all too often the conversation goes the other way and breaks my heart. But it's not what we're talking about. No, but I think you're I didn't realize when you when you were talking, it's like how much like our background, you know, we were both raised. It's one of the things we bonded. And, you know, I also left. But like that leads to our interests in societal structures.
01:46:45
Speaker
You know what I mean? And like part of it, you know, because being raised is like the lesser gender. in a, it's very described how you wanted to be Like, it's interesting, my moment of leaving, because i I was like, you know, I've done the research, but it's like, in religion, it's why they teach you when when you're very, young, you know what I mean?
01:47:09
Speaker
They drill it into you. But I just had this thing, I'm like, well, what what if it was just all true, and I'm just wrong, and I'm like, throwing it off. Because I was a very good Mormon, I was a Mormon, I read all the, that's probably Me too.
01:47:24
Speaker
and you
01:47:27
Speaker
three you know like cracks it's the people who are less ah you know less invested and actual like knowledge and have less of an interest in truth that are like um the people that like yeah we i agree Right.
01:47:43
Speaker
My my moment of real, because I remember, because I was like, but what if it's all true? but You know what I mean? And and all the, you know, the emotionalism they've put on you. And I realized, I realized I did not want to go to their version of heaven.
01:47:59
Speaker
I was like, would rather go to hell and raise up a rebellion.
01:48:06
Speaker
I don't want to live in a homogenous society where my role has been prescribed and it's not who I am. And that's why when left, although, you know, identifying as like a straight cisgender woman, the queer community was also a place that, well, I mean, like didn't want to get involved, you know, because it was like how much i can't relate to all of the struggles. Like,
01:48:29
Speaker
being there is a moment i remember in Mormon is just crying in the shower because I believed it. And it meant as a woman, I was lesser and I would never get to have the things I wanted from life or the things I thought were cool. Like having God magic to create worlds sounds pretty cool. I'd like to have that for myself.
01:48:45
Speaker
Um, You know what I mean? And so it's like when I left and there was a community that it's like the intrinsic parts of yourself. You know what I mean? That's OK. Like you don't like, you you're it's OK. Found family. and Yes.
01:49:02
Speaker
All of those principles like are welcoming to everyone. So it's just like, and you know, very different paths, but in in some ways or so. And I also retain and I can talk a lot about like social mores and all that kind of stuff. So just, you know, yeah, thanks for sharing that. it's like I didn't go off on it as.
01:49:21
Speaker
Like nowadays I wouldn't want to talk about Mormonism itself, but I was super into it when I was like on my way out. Right. Like, like all the Mormon history I heard as a member of the church.
01:49:33
Speaker
So boring. The like the perspective and angle, the way they tell the story, not interesting, but oh boy, Mormon history is absolutely fascinating from an outsider perspective. Like they were on the frontier of the wild west. There's a lot that happened there and it's crazy.
01:49:48
Speaker
um Really good podcast on that. If anybody's interested. Yeah. And that sort of, you know, that part of American history. ah I think Mormonism still very much shapes who I am today. It's funny. My parents ah blame like lefty social studies classes in Michigan for for liberalizing me.
01:50:06
Speaker
But I'm like, honestly, the thing that liberalized me more than anything else was the Christianity I was raised in. Yeah.
01:50:16
Speaker
True. Also the internet. It used to be you'd have to move somewhere and then also be networked. And now it's like, I got connections, bitch. Yeah, the internet the internet ah broke my faith for a sure. But I think like believing people deserve equal rights, that those sort of lefty ideals and came from the Mormonism I was raised in.
01:50:39
Speaker
Even though it's a very right or like it's the lessons i took from it. You know, what if what if Christians were Christ like? Yeah, there's there's a lot of good stuff you could take if you just prioritize the stuff that sounded about right.
01:50:53
Speaker
And yeah the weird stuff that sounds fucking bananas because it is. Yeah. What if we lifted up others instead of doing tribalism? Yeah.
01:51:05
Speaker
Yeah. Wouldn't that be? That'd be cool. Rhi is assigning next week's homework. So Ben, i want to hear what you could talk about for hours. What I could talk about for hours? Well, I was i was fascinated by all of the things that you mentioned, Lauren. i I'm interested in all those things. i I don't... You know, I like game design.
01:51:25
Speaker
i i have a casual interest in philosophy. You know?
01:51:33
Speaker
not Not an expert or anything. Um, and, I, I also uh, was raised in Christian religious tradition that, uh, uh, not really, you know, my, my family was not as, uh, you know, like the, we're not like the, my parents are not like fundamentalists or anything. They're, um,
01:52:05
Speaker
I don't know. They're kind and intelligent people and, you know, they like, they like all the stuff that kind and intelligent people would like about these things. Also, don't know. I think it's probably interesting and significant that, um, my parents are not, you know, the same denomination of Christians. Like, you know,
01:52:30
Speaker
My dad goes to my dad's church. and My mom goes to my mom's church. And sometimes they go to each other's churches and stuff. And yeah, and I just don't go to any of them. And like,
01:52:42
Speaker
i They made me go to church when I was a kid and stuff, but like when I was a teenager, i just had to i had to attend the confirmation classes at at my mom's church, but I didn't have to be confirmed.
01:52:58
Speaker
it They let me not do that and just go my own way. in that Yeah, I don't know. That sounds admirable. If everybody were like my parents, it would be ah pretty cool.
01:53:11
Speaker
Um, it sounds like it, but, um, that's kind of not, that's not what a lot of people are there for. It turns out they're there for other stuff or, you know, some of that and some not that, you know, it's, uh, yeah, yeah.
01:53:31
Speaker
Um, yeah.
01:53:35
Speaker
Yeah, I'm interested in all the stuff you said, Lauren. That's all good, interesting stuff. um Things that I... Like, when I was thinking about it throughout the week, like, what what could I talk about for hours? I was like, well, probably only things that I know a lot about is the thing. And the reason I'm here talking about games, I know a lot about games and stuff.
01:54:01
Speaker
But other things I know about... probably stuff that I've been interested in for a long time. So like stuff that I was yeah yeah like things that were part of my youth.
01:54:16
Speaker
I think those are are areas of expertise. Cause that's, uh, that's, I don't know. That's, that's how I chose to read the assignments. And, um,
01:54:28
Speaker
Speaking of areas of expertise, um, there's book called the areas of my expertise by, uh, John Hodgman. He wrote three of these, uh, fake ass almanacs with, uh, made up information in them.
01:54:45
Speaker
And, uh, I, I was a big fan of those, those books as a, as a teenager, uh, And I still am.
01:54:56
Speaker
um The audiobooks are real good. I have many copies of these books. I have two different falling apart copies of the sequel to the areas of my expertise called More Information Than You Require. And like it's kind of kind of hard to say which which copy is falling apart more.
01:55:15
Speaker
um I've loaned these out to a lot of people. They're real good books. I like John Hodgman a lot. I like his... ah his worldview. He has a podcast called judge John Hodgman in which he adjudicates disputes usually between, um, nice people who care about each other and stuff. And, you know, uh, it's a fine podcast. I recommend that, but mostly, I could talk about these, these books, the,
01:55:43
Speaker
the almanacs of fake trivia and stuff for a long time. Um, I mentioned the audio books already earlier and those are, i think I listened to a lot of audio books and I think, I think,
01:55:56
Speaker
Those are maybe my my favorite. They're they're doing doing the best with the format, I think. um They sort of slightly predate the popularity of podcasts, but there's a lot of podcast energy there, a lot of guests and things.
01:56:14
Speaker
Paul Rudd is involved in all of them, and briefly. Jonathan Colton is heavily featured. Elizabeth Gilbert, Sarah Vowell, lots of voices. Dick Cavett.
01:56:26
Speaker
Oh my goodness. Dick Cavett's a delight. um
01:56:33
Speaker
I didn't do a great job explaining what I like about those books, but yeah they do have a lot of jokes in them, a lot of funny stuff. I think that um it can be very helpful to...
01:56:47
Speaker
like i I found it easier to keep track of information when I know a lot of, uh, fake competing information about the thing. Like, uh, I did very well in my AP government exam in high school because I, I didn't do very well in the class cause, uh, it was very early in the morning and I was not, uh, it did not happen during the peak of my academic career.
01:57:16
Speaker
But, um, ah like i There was this book from the the writers of The Daily Show called America, the book, and it had a lot of fake-ass information about way government works. that.
01:57:29
Speaker
And that made it, for some reason, very easy to keep all the real information straight because like I already knew a bunch of joke-ass make-em-ups about how government works and stuff.
01:57:41
Speaker
So it was very... Yeah. and And similarly, there's a lot of truth adjacent information in these ah these John Hodgman books.
01:57:52
Speaker
um But also there's like some some real stuff like you can you can get a sense of, yeah i don't know, writing is very revealing of ah yeah no matter what you're writing about.
01:58:08
Speaker
You're very often writing about more than that. I don't know. Anywho, those three books, ah the areas of my expertise, more information than you require, and that is all. I highly recommend those. Also, John Hodgman did not stop writing books after that. He just stopped writing um fake-ass almanacs of ah funny lies.
01:58:29
Speaker
ah He's written a couple of memoirs, ah Vacation Land and Medallion Status, both of which are also Very good. um They're more recent and they aren't falling apart as much, but I have copies of those too.
01:58:46
Speaker
um and don't have the audio books of those. I'm saving saving those for ah special occasion. I'm sure they're they're great audio books if I were to guess. um But sometimes you got to save something for later.
01:59:00
Speaker
yeah What other topics? Other things that I've been interested in for a long time. i was very interested in the first...
01:59:13
Speaker
First few Kingdom Hearts games. I know a lot about the first few Kingdom Hearts games. much about the later Kingdom Hearts games. Can you actually keep the plot for that in your head straight?
01:59:24
Speaker
I have literally played games. I didn't finish the third one, to be honest. And watched YouTube videos explaining the plot, even just covering entire games that come translated over And I still could maybe explain 5% of Kingdom Hearts.
01:59:39
Speaker
can I can explain pretty much everything from Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2. After that, things get a bit unruly.
01:59:52
Speaker
i could I could probably also tell you more or less what happens in Birth by Sleep and 358 over two days. The most bananas name for anything ever, Kingdom Hearts 358 over two days.
02:00:07
Speaker
but a literal slash, like, yeah divided by two days. And, okay, want this... Tessia Nomura was on one. um When you are in your YouTuber, like, voice era, I would like to request, I want you to do YouTube series recounting.
02:00:27
Speaker
And do it, like, super rambly, though, like, intentionally. The plot, with lots of sides to recount. Oh, that's because this of the Kingdom Hearts plot.
02:00:38
Speaker
But, like, wait, no, it needs to be monotone. I won't lie. want to fall. I want it to help me fall asleep. I mean... Just trying to understand the Kingdom Hearts plot. Oh, just in a, like, and you know, in your, like, your voice, in a, you know, just keep it on the slight monotone. You have a nice, like, I sort of made a conscious decision to, like, kind of kind of get out the game before that the third one, because...
02:01:04
Speaker
from everything I've seen. that third i mean, like, i've watched I've watched the third one be played in my home, and I'm just like, oh, I just, I can't.
02:01:15
Speaker
the things Things have gotten too messy, too silly. There's a character named Goofy, but, like, really, whole... whole the story is the the real goofy thing you going on. why I that said it.
02:01:30
Speaker
um But yeah, I sure do know a lot about those, those first three, three entries, the Game Boy Advance one. Oh, I love the Game Boy Advance one. Ooh. I also like the... I don't know. Yeah, i could I could talk about the early Kingdom Hearts games a lot. Although if you do actually, like if you if you want to know about like lore things, there's a very good Unraveled by ah Brian David Gilbert about the the plot of Kingdom Hearts and the the lore and all that.
02:01:57
Speaker
um But yeah, what what other things could I talk about? Oh, I... I loved learning these things about you. Yeah. On my bookshelf near a couple of those John Hodgman books, I found my copy of the first volume, Runaways. Oh, hell yeah. We talk about it a lot, but folks should read it. I think that issue It's pretty good.
02:02:23
Speaker
um I had like a third thing. i don't remember what it was, though. okay yeah there's There's a lot of interesting stuff that I'm interested in. i yeah I like games.
02:02:36
Speaker
Not just Kingdom Hearts. Not just card games. I like all the kinds of games. I could probably talk for a long time about your Bioshocks. I could probably talk for a long time about your... um' I'm not saying... like i could I could give you a lot of...
02:02:53
Speaker
criticisms of the Bioshocks. i could i could I could say a lot of nice or unkind things about the Bioshocks. I got i got all the takes on that. One of those Bioshocks heavily inspired by Mormonism.
02:03:06
Speaker
This is true. um Yeah, yeah. i yeah I didn't... I wouldn't have... ah I mentioned XCOM earlier. I could talk for a long time about the...
02:03:20
Speaker
the the The illegitimate Firaxis XCOMs. and I have less to say about the the very punishing classic XCOMs that I've read about, but I don't have as many opinions about those. But I sure did play a lot of but of the ones on the the Playstations and Xboxes, those those ones.
02:03:46
Speaker
And also now on PC. I've got those on PC now. Yeah, I don't know. i like I like games and things. I could also talk for a long time about television programs. I've watched a lot of television. Some of it more than once.
02:03:58
Speaker
ah Pick your favorite. like half-hour comedies. I like your your Arrested Developments and your Parks and Recreations and your Good Places. and I like an animated live action every which way.
02:04:13
Speaker
um like jokes and things. I know a fair amount about
02:04:21
Speaker
comedy stuff, you know. There are a lot of topics that I'm interested in. You're well past three. And i don't ki I don't want to cut you off. I just want to say you have fulfilled the assignment. All right. Good, good. Okay.
02:04:38
Speaker
I would be happy to learn more. Rhi? three Um, all right. So I was thinking about this earlier today and it's like, oh, so much of this is so obvious because I have trouble not talking about it. So I skipped right over game design being number one. I took notes of like game design, comics, um, fantasy, sci-fi novels.
02:05:02
Speaker
I like to read a lot and I try to get variety, but my home is in fantasy and sci-fi. I literally in high school, like hope I haven't told this in the podcast before, of my own accord, though, wrote like pages of essay about how Wheel of Time was taking from Tolkien and all the specific examples with like a thesis and everything.
02:05:22
Speaker
And I even remember once, this was years ago, I read this book called The Wind-Up Girl, ah pal and I was so, like, upset by, like, some themes, some writer, like, you know, talented writer, misusing skills.
02:05:38
Speaker
Anyway, that I, like, just sat down and wrote, like, an entire article, like, opinion that I never shared with anyone. It just stayed there, but I was compelled um to write. So, yeah, can I talk about books particularly?
02:05:51
Speaker
I I amm ah am a scholar of fantasy genre. Anyway, so, like, all of those I frequently, like, slip out in the podcast. So I'm like, what are you, you know, probably you may have gotten a hint that I'm, like, really into, ah like, cooking vegetarian.
02:06:07
Speaker
and like to cook healthy. um It's a long journey. used to be really terrible about it. There was a point I'm, like, proud of my cooking journey. Like where I almost gave up when I like had too many bad dinners.
02:06:19
Speaker
spent all this time and it's bad. hate everything. I don't want to cook. Fuck cooking. And, but like, no, I persevered. And now like, I'm pretty good. at Like, you know, and, and it's like the way to get the specific things i want to eat, which, you know, is obviously, uh, maybe not like, uh, a palate everyone would enjoy. yeah.
02:06:40
Speaker
I don't want to share everything. But when I started, there was a time I was trying to cook for a date in college. And the recipe, I don't know why I thought I could cook.
02:06:51
Speaker
And it was like biscuits and gravy or something easy. It was like sage. But it called for like fresh sage. And I'm like, oh, well, an equal amount of dry sage to do the trick. It was like two cups.
02:07:02
Speaker
So inedible. so disgusting. I'd be thrown out. Anyway, so I'm proud about that. It's something i actually like do, a but I don't like talk to people as much as they, you know, its it's not interesting. It's like when workout people talk about working out and you're like, oh yeah, did you run?
02:07:24
Speaker
Like I said, I don't know. I'm sorry. It's just like, where's the interest level for me in this? like I can grasp on to a lot of bizarre interests. Like my one really good friend is just really into like lesbian ships and I'm not a shipper. It's like, I'm not even that much enjoy romance to, you know, occasionally, you know, I dabble, but like, but I'll be fascinated and I'll learn, but like running, why is this so uninteresting? Okay. Anyway, moving on.
02:07:52
Speaker
ah So I wanted to go... so these are these are kind of my actual three. I feel like I already like used up some by... like I meant to gloss over and then I had to side detour into stories. Okay.
02:08:04
Speaker
But one, it's like I love Internet culture, like history, like lore, even just current communities that get together over an interest because they choose to or because they like a thing.
02:08:18
Speaker
Like the people that make art that's not going to sell, like customized. I mean, a lot of customers of sales, but like, you know what I mean? Especially the things that are done with time for like the love or joy of it and not for monetary value. It's like that's art like what you're compelled to do, what you're compelled to do, not what you're doing for potential gain. I find that fascinating. And when communities come together around interests like that.
02:08:42
Speaker
it's um It's really interesting. Things like interest in the the fashion, um the Japanese fashion, Lolita. I am always dabbling around looking for interesting subreddits to learn to lure communities to like learn about. And they're like little rules and in-jokes. And like, learning the history, like, you know, like the hobby drama. so But it doesn't have to be drama. I just...
02:09:10
Speaker
find that shit interesting. As a kid who didn't fit in and the internet was like so magical to me as a connection point, right? And it did a lot of cool shit. And a lot of that stuff, when it's gone, when those forums are gone and stuff, it's not cataloged. It's gone forever.
02:09:30
Speaker
and it's it's history that I'm interested in. I want to know about. I like the weird, random, like, memery. Anyway, anyway So like that's stuff I learned a lot and I could just talk about cause I just have a lot of stuff I doubt when I can talk about that forever.
02:09:45
Speaker
Um, another thing I, this was my kind of, uh, thing don't normally bring up on the podcast and say, man, I know maybe, but like, am actually pretty in tune with politics, mostly in my country. I don't want to pretend to be, um, super knowledgeable outside of that, but to the point where like, uh, you know, years,
02:10:11
Speaker
a couple, I think it's been, and maybe it's been recent. I had to like pull myself back. Like I was dialing into free trials to listen to things real time. The original reason I joined Twitter before I ever joined the Snap community and it wasn't with my Snap Twitters. It was an account that was faceless. I was just made to follow people and was because I needed the news faster.
02:10:31
Speaker
Yeah. of the articles were delivering it to me and it's no longer a trustworthy place so in any way. get that. So another reason to not be on it. but like um But like, know a lot.
02:10:47
Speaker
I know a lot more state legislators than people of their states do. There's one point. I just like, I get armchair diagnosed. But yes, I do hyper fixate on things and like go in depth. And when things cross connect with my anxiety, um I can get really into them.
02:11:07
Speaker
And I don't I don't talk about it, even though I actually know quite a lot. ah about things because ah because I get angry.
02:11:19
Speaker
And nobody on the podcast has ever actually seen me like genuinely, and genuinely angry. Maybe emotional, but it's be I'm not fun when i am angry.
02:11:31
Speaker
Nobody likes me when I'm angry. And I can honestly not... talk about politics in any of the recent time without getting angry. And yes, I do turn all my metaphors and all my imagery into, ah you know, ah into that anger and use that. And so I'm like, not really a good debate person. You know what i mean? Like, I don't, I'm not the kind of person to go like,
02:11:57
Speaker
talk to someone else because like winning debate doesn't change someone's heart right like stomping on someone and making and making them look small for other people does not uh in fact uh change hearts and minds often anyway persuasion is a whole different thing Right.
02:12:16
Speaker
But what I can talk about for hours with like, you know, like-minded individuals who just like generally agree, like, hey, like humans, like, you know, like life is good and we should try and make life better for everyone and just like not hurt people. And if we can agree on like those general premises, which is impossible anymore for some reason, what I'm interested in is like, okay, we have all these ideals, but how do we achieve the change we want?
02:12:45
Speaker
practical, right? How do we achieve? And so much of the the attempts to do this, like the fucking made up, I'm honestly losing the name of it right now, but like if I can, billionaires made up this thing where it's like, oh, we're only we're only getting money so that we may spend it on behalf of charity. Because, you know, we're only gathering it to redistribute and to help because we're the ones who can determine what's practical and good.
02:13:13
Speaker
Because we, being very good business and not actually good at improving lives, you know. in but Anyway. But, like... actually how do you actually achieve it?
02:13:25
Speaker
And what are the ways we can use the tools to make money and to do other things as as tools to, like, improve humans' lives and to affect the change we wanted? I didn't have the time for it, but I am obviously, I would never be and could never be a politician, but I would have loved to, like, help out and someone's campaign if I type in a local election, you know, where it matters. And, like, having discussions about, like,
02:13:52
Speaker
How we can do this? And how do we, how do we, do we use the power of introverts who don't like, it's already hard enough to go out and like meet new people. Why is, why is, why is that the thing?
02:14:05
Speaker
And right in that old, You know, with times change, all of that stuff is vastly interesting to me. and and And case studies, I'm always cluing in. I don't have the patience for a lot of podcasts. i have to be like really into the topic.
02:14:18
Speaker
But when they talk to like, you know, young people, old people or whatever, who actually have like done things or like programs that have made a difference. Those are the interviews I want to listen to. Those are the things I want to do. Who's gone out there and done it?
02:14:32
Speaker
And how can we replicate that? Or is that just situational for that area? Anyway, as you can see, I'm just like, that's something that's very fascinating to me and ah seems a worthwhile piece of interest. Anyway.
02:14:47
Speaker
um The last one I wanted to bring up is one of, think, the most feel good, exciting. I mean, I don't know. I guess party like having fun conversations are there, but in like very small group or one on one dialogues is coming together to create something and bounce ideas off of each other. There's so many things that are glorified, like I said, as solo projects and some things kind of need to be that. But I am such a believer in the strength of like the combined power of people. And it was like I, you know, I've talked about like my game before and like it was so it was so much fun. We like we would just get together and meet and we would like build on each other's ideas.
02:15:34
Speaker
And like, you know, it was, it's just like, there's something that if you're creative, that is such fire about being with someone that you mesh with, especially someone that can bring like a skill set or a different framework.
02:15:46
Speaker
So you have, you know what I mean? You can really like, uh, you know, build off of each other in that way. And I, you know, I couldn't like, I needed my new game because it's like, I can't go through ah s split up again, but I have a friend that like comes in and works with me ah when they can and is helping do some of the art that meshes with mine. It's all in a way that is, they have to drop out.
02:16:11
Speaker
It's like, um it's fine. And it was just so rewarding for me to go from like just working solo for, for so long to get to have like creative,
02:16:22
Speaker
um you know, bounce idea sessions for so long. If you've experienced that before, you know what I'm talking about, and how fun it is to like create things with other people, whether that's like, I mean, like even just getting together, like to talk about like creating a tabletop RPG, which kind of leads into design, but actually the process of doing it, of creating it.
02:16:41
Speaker
Me and Lauren just always are wanting to make stuff together. We're planning to, but like, you know, that's,
02:16:51
Speaker
That's my feeling. I talked way too long about stuff. And then I'm signing homework. That was possibly a risk of you know assigning you to talk about things you could talk about for hours.
02:17:02
Speaker
um My dog is so mad at me. So I'll sign the new homework and I'm going to see if I can get some food out for him. But I'll be listening. Okay, so the next homework was kind of inspired by my like pop culture internet. I didn't say pop culture, but I also find old pop culture stuff interesting. I'll watch a documentary about like a trendy, stupid craze. but like um So, okay, the homework is I want to hear, and once again, I'm broadening it. I want to make sure I can i can do a catch-all, um but I want to hear about a favorite toy,
02:17:36
Speaker
From like childhood teen years, even adulthood years or like a collection. you know what I mean? So kind of like, you know, not a topic, but a very specific thing. Share like a memory or like why you loved it when it meant to you. um Fuck, I'll just listen to Lauren talk about why she loves mermaids. I'm interested.
02:17:56
Speaker
So like, you know, that's the idea. Pick a book. you know I love toy or collection items. If you're into Legos, talk about it.
02:18:09
Speaker
Love it. All right. ah Listener, ah viewer if you liked what you heard and you haven't already, like and subscribe, rate and review, leave a comment on YouTube or Spotify. Even if you're listening in a podcast app, come hang out on or just come get over to the YouTube so you can leave a comment for us.
02:18:29
Speaker
um They give us life and feed the algorithm and, you you know. you care it for You hear it from everybody who you listen to. The algos are inscrutable and we must feed them, unfortunately.
02:18:41
Speaker
or I mean, i it's not really like we're monetizing this. But anyway. We appreciate you. That's what I'm looking for, is the listener feedback, are honestly, for me.
02:18:55
Speaker
it's It's a big part of it, yeah. um But, oh yeah, it's just because it's something we love doing, and we love this game. um Coming out in the speakeasy, it's our little corner of Discord. It's part of the Snap Judgments Network.
02:19:08
Speaker
ah As part of the Snap Judgments League Discord, you can get instructions in the show notes or video description. Can you hear how mad Remy is? I gave him food. um um We're proudly part of the Snap Judgments Network where you can listen to other great shows like Snap Judgments by Pulse Glazer and Roy on Saturdays. They almost always have guests.
02:19:28
Speaker
Maybe always are. I'd be confident in saying always. Anyway, next week, we're going to play, at least this is my plan, to play Tidal Tussle because this patch had some pretty fun titles in it. um So tune in.
02:19:40
Speaker
Same snap time, same snap channel.
02:19:49
Speaker
You're right. It deserves its entire name.
02:19:55
Speaker
given to it it's christian i i didn't mention it earlier but i feel a bit vindicated i feel like maybe maybe maybe my co-hosts and perhaps even the listeners thought i was a goofball for refusing to denounce jim hammond but like hey he seems like a real card i was right it's fine good job
02:20:27
Speaker
oh Audio listeners, those were the double thumbs ups that you couldn't see. oh yeah. We should just say we're doing all kinds of stuff we're not actually doing. See what we can get away with. Audio listener, I am currently juggling not three, not four, but five different fruits.
02:20:48
Speaker
I like that that's like the thing you saw. And it's not the ones think. Yeah, not the ones you think. I can juggle, kind of. You know what? If I try it now, it's going to fail.
02:20:58
Speaker
I can juggle three items, but not five. Sorry, listener, I lied to you. That's like two more items than I can juggle.
02:21:08
Speaker
I took a library class when I was like 18 and my sister was 13 and we took a library class together and learned to juggle. Did you start with scarves?
02:21:20
Speaker
We started with silks, yep. And then went to like beanbags. And yeah, now I can do, could do balls. but I can do objects of all sorts. Not anything super fancy, but I can do basic job.
02:21:32
Speaker
Oh man, as a child, I also, I did not remember this until you said it. I'm like, I also attended a juggle. Why were they, why were they so intent in teaching children juggling? I don't know.
02:21:42
Speaker
They tried to teach me, but it didn't work. Idle hands. the devil's playground i can't do it
02:22:05
Speaker
Oh no, I can't watch people juggle knives too much. It's like watching a cooking show and it's like, they're so excited anytime someone cuts their finger, like, show it! Show it! Yay! They cut their finger! Look at the drama! And I'm like, let's just hear it for the food! I don't like that. I don't know if he's ever done like real actual sharp ones, but definitely like prop knives.
02:22:25
Speaker
Oh, right. Forgot those exists. For juggling, yeah. Everything I see on TV is real. Yeah.