Transcript
Garrett: Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of Into the Malediction. This is episode... 21, I want to say. Um...
m3rcier: Yeah, totally.
Garrett: 21. ah And, yeah all right, this is going to be a special episode today. Not lore -based, but we're going to be interviewing... an awesome member. of the malediction community A true herald.
Garrett: Uh... Steve B. you might know him as. But first, before we get down that rabbit hole. Out. introduce our ourselves i'm as always garrett also known as Admiral Tater, and I'm joined by...
Garrett: My usual hosts, Nick and... Alan?
m3rcier: Hey, this is Alan or... Mercer on the Discord. And Nick will join us very, very shortly. hopefully. Maybe.
Garrett: And of course, our guest, Steve. Introduce yourself, please.
Steve: hey guys it's uh steve or steve b from the discord uh probably said hello to me at some point i've been there quite a while so yeah Thanks for having me on guys. Really appreciate it.
Garrett: Absolutely. it's It's exciting to have you here. um all right news news there's not a lot of news everybody uh we filmed these a little bit out so
Steve: Zero.
Garrett: No news at the moment. Hopefully we start hearing some rumblings about those seekers. that they teased a while ago. uh But by the time it's by the time this airs, we might actually know some um other than that.
m3rcier: yeah well I mean, I think we can we can guess at... I mean we got a story with Bellamy in it. And then we got another story with Bellamy in it. We know he has a legacy from those stories.
m3rcier: I mean... Maybe Bellamy is one of the Seekers. Just saying.
Garrett: Maybe, although I did not.
Steve: that's That's a good shout.
Garrett: I did not imagine him looking that way, but it's possible. um We'll see. ah Other than that... Our sponsor, me, Avotator. with the official Malediction products.
Garrett: um Hopefully, it's been a little slow going, getting the next wave out. Um, back and forth and such, getting designs perfectly made. ah But those should be ready soon. But other than that, let's dive into this. The first segment we like to do here are what are the hosts doing?
Garrett: Alan. alllan What have you been up to?
m3rcier: Well, so at the time of this airing As Garrett mentioned, we we film these a little bit further out. So I have yet to do this stuff, but I will be doing it. um Going to have a... Uh, like a little maker booth at one of our local community markets. Right.
m3rcier: teach my girls what it means to run a business or how to run a business so uh the customer service is working with the public taxes revenue versus profit all that stuff And they are making handmade keychains, bracelets.
m3rcier: and then some 3D printed holiday decorations and earrings. And then after that, I am off the weekend. After that, I'm off to Arkansas to play in the.
m3rcier: Ozark Mountain Open for Armada. and more than likely get a few games in Valediction while we're there.
Garrett: Phenomenal Nick is still not back, so we're going to skip him. Steve. what are you What are you doing? what What kind of stuff are you up to?
Steve: Ah. Well, I'll say yeah I'm still recovering from the the tournament yesterday. Obviously, it's a... a hard long day. being out there but then today out in the ah in the forest near us. um me and my little girl we we made these little pixie houses out of bark and then went and like put them into hollows of trees So if people are walking around on the... ah on the trails and stuff just a little A little bit of whimsy in their day.
Steve: you know so that was
Garrett: ah That's awesome
Steve: yeah it was it was fun it came out came out pretty good as well and i didn't slice my finger off with uh the ah the sharp blade, so that was that was good.
Garrett: Awesome. thats That is super cool. Um.
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: I have been. making new products for like Some of these some of these games are coming out lately. uh well i guess they've been out for a while but we've been jumping into trench crusade StarCraft, the Minister's Game.
Garrett: And. So we're just we're just. Get accessories ready for those as well. So that's what we've been up to a lot.
m3rcier: What about... ah What about Blackout? Have you done anything for that game yet?
Garrett: No, I don't.
m3rcier: I kind of want to buy into it, but... I don't need another game of my life.
Garrett: Yeah. it's Yeah, it's hard for me to decide like what we're going to go into. We got to look at like community numbers. like Are there going to be enough customers for this? Maybe not. I don't know.
m3rcier: Yeah.
Garrett: So we'll see.
m3rcier: market research. Nick's here.
Garrett: Yep. Oh, Nick is here. All right, Nick. Nick! Uh...
Nick: Hey everybody.
Garrett: We're in the middle of the what are the hosts doing? and Nick, what are you doing? What are you doing right now?
Nick: well i Haven't been doing too much. We've just been getting ready for Bluegrass. our Bourbon City Brawls next weekend.
Garrett: Well, in this in this timeline, it's it's it's gone and passed.
Nick: And so we've got...
Garrett: It's gone and passed.
m3rcier: Yeah, this this one's coming out October 13th. So.
Nick: app
m3rcier: So you would have been doing the Bourbon City Brawl. That's what you're saying.
Garrett: I think we lost him. I think we lost him again. Uh oh.
Nick: So, yeah, we've... We just got. All of our... equipment, everything set up that we're trying to get. sorted so we can start. running more consistent demos in our area. and uh Kind of reaching out.
Nick: and get a stronger foothold in our community.
m3rcier: different stores.
Nick: Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to start. um Maybe by this point I'll have actually made contact with ah some of the stores in Louisville. That's on my list of things to do.
Garrett: Excellent. Excellent. All right. Yeah. So yeah, I'm there right there with them and hopefully. we'll have a little bit easier retail um stuff to get in kentucky as well we're gonna start carrying some stuff at admiral tater Uh, to like expansions and and starter sets.
m3rcier: Oh, nice.
Garrett: So hopefully that helps grow a little bit faster. just having you know the actual play materials available ah But all right. All right. Listen, on to the main topic. the man of the hour, the true herald, Steve B.
Garrett: Uh... let's Let's kick this off. Alan. Take it away.
m3rcier: I'll get to, I get to interview Steve. I interviewed, uh, Tiago too. Alright, Steve. ah
Steve: Okay.
m3rcier: So. uh we'll start with question number one you have you you have all the questions who the heck are you
Steve: Yeah. Yeah.
m3rcier: Where are you located it and what is your primary gaming store?
Steve: Okay, so, yeah, Steve, Steve B on the Discord, as I said. um I'm in the Toronto area, a city about... That's about 35 K from Toronto, but about three hours drive with the traffic. So it's it's terrible Um,
Steve: And yeah, my local store is ah Black Knight Games. um that is luckily for me a little store that is just Probably about... two minutes drive from my house.
Steve: and they've been like super supportive from kind of day one about the whole malediction thing so just I was lucky to find Black Knight Games. Real, real gems. Real gems.
Steve: So.
m3rcier: I mean... we we need a statue size warren hall They can be their mascot. Because he is a Black Knight.
Steve: That's true, that's true.
m3rcier: was pain
Steve: I should put one in there. I i don't have an FDM printer yet. But ah one one day that is on the the bucket list and then yeah life -size Vorendal in the ah the front hall of Black Knight Games.
m3rcier: All right.
Steve: That's it.
m3rcier: ah So this war game is not your first rodeo. You've you've you played other... War Games, correct?
Steve: Uh -huh. Well, I actually led you down a... ah This is a... ah A red herring question that i told I put in for you. um this is one of the uh the best bits about it i did used to play a lot lot lot of warhammer 40k ah But this was I think second edition when I was 13.
Steve: I am now 42. And I have not played a single war game. between those points. um And...
m3rcier: Dang.
Steve: Yeah, so like my way into this game was Dungeons and Dragons, so a few years ago. um I've always wanted to play D and &D.
Steve: Never found anyone to This would be the DM. I just never ever got around to it. So in the end, I was like, all right, screw it. I'll do it. and I don't know bought like a starter set and Learn how to.
Steve: DM terribly as you all do at the start. and then got into 3D printing because I wanted to get miniatures for my D and &D sessions Which then led me on to Loot Studios um And that's where I came into.
Steve: finding out but about malediction. Good. Um... And. The reason I wanted to say this was... It doesn't matter. to to be ah a Harold, to be a successful Harold.
Steve: You don't necessarily have to have this massive background in. I've played every single war game under the sun. I know every single strategy for every single thing. I played Magic for 15 years, you know?
Steve: Um, You can just be a malediction player. and Be be successful at the the Herald program, you know So yeah.
m3rcier: Yeah, so... you uh so it's interesting so most people I guess this is just an assumption that some people have. ah Most people will assume that when you come into malediction,
m3rcier: The primary two ways, and these this might be true, would be... a war gamer or a card gamer.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: uh I came in through loot, even though I have... Wargaming background. uh because i'm a subscriber at lo also so that's how i got into the game also was through my loot subscription
Steve: Yeah.
Steve: Great subscription.
m3rcier: but But yeah, I don't see... i think a lot of people just assume that you know most malediction players are going to be Former wargamers, current wargamers. and uh and card guys i mean Uh, it's kind of mixed because And tell us about how your community is. But mine, I think of our six regulars.
m3rcier: almost all of us also play some form of D and &D, Daggerheart. Pathfinder, what have you.
Steve: um all All of my players have illustrious backgrounds in many different games and it's probably where they beat me so easily all the time. Um...
m3rcier: ah
Steve: ah But yeah.
m3rcier: Alright.
Steve: I'm... ah I... I was thinking about this a lot the other day. and One of my main... main thing is the the painting. I love the painting of the miniatures. And that's kind of my...
Steve: my passion in the game. Playing the game, getting people together is also the secondary bit. I love bringing people together. I do that in So. other areas of my life as well whether it be barbecues you know trips things like that So it's kind of just ah a natural fit for me in a way.
m3rcier: I'll remain. So we'll next question. and Now we're getting kind of getting into the territory where. I'm going to say this is our patented. interview questions because these are the ones we ask period To anybody. within the game. What is your favorite faction within the games, like game mechanics?
Steve: Mm -hmm
m3rcier: and then separately in the lore.
Steve: Um, the In the game mechanics, um Probably red. I find it. Uh, Simpler said Primal Blood. um I.
Steve: I love the the law of... um the the Fallen. ah The fact that like when you... You're looking at them. They're all undead soldiers and you're grizzly bones and and gore and all that And then it turns out that that... Probably the good guys.
Steve: and they're actually like the the probably out of all the factions in in the game. Probably the nicest ones out of them. which I always find ah kind of kind of funny. So I say, like, play style, rad.
Steve: law. um the the greens.
m3rcier: uh,
Nick: Yeah, you definitely have some friends here with that ah that attitude.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Uh, Same question, just a little bit different. Who is your favorite seeker in game mechanics and then in lore?
Steve: Um... For this, it's got to be like... Liana? I've been using her now, Karma Mark IV. or since since she came out. um I like...
Steve: I like her for a number of reasons game -wise. Um, Game reason one is that... everyone says that she sucks so that when i lose i have like something to hold on to but yeah but i'm using the terrible seek you know if i was using someone good I might win.
Steve: um And... I love the play style. i've I've never not had fun, even when I i lose, tragically. the the double spells the um like you know The little combo moves, it's all just a lot of fun to play on the board. And honestly, I think I probably like her lore as well.
Steve: in terms of like, well... you You messed up. You went too hard too fast, and now you're in a meatball. Like, that's... ah that's ah I just, yeah, it's...
m3rcier: the
Steve: um F her a hundred and find out, you know, and and she certainly did. um Yeah, I think it's just kind of kind of cool.
Garrett: I like it. There's so many meatball fans. I... Something about that secret is really, really invokes something in people.
m3rcier: Yeah. Well. well
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Well, the meatball just won. the trials they were lasting for september so if some people say she's bad That's because they're wrong.
Steve: Who was using them?
m3rcier: uh, ah and opatos He's Luis from Dallas. So he's in ah the Texas group.
Steve: Okay.
m3rcier: But there was like eight. Carmore box. In that tournament, there was a lot of us.
Steve: There he you go, okay
Garrett: a
m3rcier: I was playing Cardamom Mock and I... If I remember right, two of my three games were against Karma Monk.
Steve: Kalamok mirror matches are very good.
m3rcier: So. It was fun.
Steve: Um, I had one the other day actually where One of my buddies played a ah wild trample through. um like doubling it up and all that stuff, only to then realize that I had the ring of time.
Steve: And so I just played it right back on him, exactly the same movements.
m3rcier: Hmm.
Steve: It was it was really fun.
m3rcier: Oh.
Nick: Yep, Leanna really hits a good spot combining like a lot of the mobility. And aggression from, like, your red. with um
m3rcier: The Fells.
Nick: The utility from blue.
Steve: Mm -hmm
Nick: It's... Yeah. She's a ton of fun.
m3rcier: All right, next question If you could live anywhere in Selegia. Why would you live in Voluma?
Steve: I... I would not. I would live in... um Oh where is it where they have all the talking heads?
Steve: The big.
Garrett: Oh, the... ah
m3rcier: Epitaph.
Nick: Epitaph.
Steve: Yeah, yeah, I'd find myself there.
Garrett: Epitaph and the Legion.
Steve: I'd wiggle my way into a job in that area. uh i just love the idea that like well how what's your library oh it's just everybody's head Yeah, anyone who was useful, we just cut their head off and stuck it in here.
Steve: Yes.
Garrett: And then you can stay there forever.
Steve: Yeah, yeah
m3rcier: And and it's it's in the... Frozen South. Which is really the weird thing to say. It's not the frozen north. It's the frozen south because this uh zeligia is in the southern hemisphere of of agnar so It's down in the the frigid south
Nick: mm -hmm
Steve: Yeah, okay. Well, it'd be right for me then.
m3rcier: I think that's where... Correct me if I'm wrong, Nick and Garrett, isn't that where y 'all picked also?
Garrett: Now...
Nick: I want to say, I think I said epitaph.
Garrett: I'm living in Valoma.
Nick: Yeah.
m3rcier: that
Garrett: For sure.
m3rcier: I'm a little bit of a Loma.
Garrett: shirt
m3rcier: It's safer there.
Garrett: Or the Iron Keep.
m3rcier: Yep, yep.
Garrett: Anywhere in the Free Cities.
m3rcier: It... It might be close to the nuclear hell that is the malediction. ah But... i'm not being poisoned by elise from i'm not being soul sucked by the order I'm not being eaten by other primal and...
m3rcier: I mean... I'm sure the Legion... um has some pretty messed up crap they do too so
Steve: Okay.
m3rcier: We just haven't heard all of it yet.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: All right.
Nick: They just throw dinner parties and...
m3rcier: Uh huh.
Nick: Keep to themselves.
m3rcier: Uh huh.
Nick: and
Garrett: just Just a good courtly time.
m3rcier: That's what... That's what they say because they give you water from the oblivion and you don't remember the bad shit they did to you
Nick: Yeah, so it's ah as if it never happened.
m3rcier: listen that's still but no that's not how it works Uh... All right, that last question is going to be, one, will you be at Adepticon next year?
m3rcier: uh and if so or if not whichever what other events can people find you at
Steve: So... The Adepticon thing... it's It's unlikely right now. um with the yeah I don't want to obviously go down that rabbit hole. It's been beaten to death, but I'm only a permanent resident in Canada. I don't have my citizenship even though I've been here for 14 years.
Steve: I'm still a British citizen and I do not ch don't want a chance crossing borders right now. um with a kind of up in the air.
m3rcier: Okay.
Steve: status like that so like
Nick: Yeah. That's valid.
Steve: Yeah, um unfortunately, i would I would love to go.
m3rcier: Yep.
Steve: um if um The weird thing is, I live so close to Toronto. and there are no big gaming things here i'm always talking to jason about like come you know luke get to canada do something in canada and There's like there's actually nothing here of that kind of size or ilk there is something over in vancouver um But again, Canada being Canada, that's a...
Steve: you know i think it's like a six out light.
m3rcier: a really long way.
Steve: You know, it's um but I think if next year if I get my shit together a bit better um and they do something over at this ah one in Vancouver. I think I would like to make that that trip out over there.
Steve: Um... And if not, then yeah, just ah either hit me up on the Discord or come and see me in... the in Hamilton at Black Knight Games, or we might be doing some stuff in Toronto as well. A couple of the guys that were in the tournament yesterday.
Steve: Came out from Toronto. ah We even had two guys make like a six -hour drive from Ottawa. to play in our tournament yesterday. So that was... That was pretty cool.
m3rcier: All right.
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: That's awesome. That's my favorite part about like small communities is you'll like draw in people from like. 300 miles away.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: that you did not know existed.
Garrett: Yes.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: So they show up. All right. Well, that is our our interview done. So on to the... main topic of this episode, which is... community building.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Wow. Nick, you want to handle that or Garrett, you're going to run through it.
Garrett: Yeah. ah
Garrett: Uh, you know what, Nick, you know, um but you' you relate. You have to do it.
Nick: Yeah, I got you. I got you.
m3rcier: but
Steve: yeah
Nick: no this would be good good for me too because uh you know i'm always i'm looking for advice and And ways to get better being a herald here. I'm still still a baby herald. Uh, Uh,
Garrett: Yeah, we're about to go all out and like...
Nick: but yeah so See you. It's...
Garrett: 72 hours, so we got a lot to learn.
Nick: yeah.
Steve: You'll do fine, guys.
Nick: Yeah.
Steve: You do a great job on this. You you guys are going to be sweet.
Nick: Thanks. so All right. Well, Steve, so tell me. ah So why are you putting so much work into malediction? specifically.
Steve: like because it slaps it's such a good game like there's no um you know like i said i i started playing it with the um the original print and play you know the paper tokens I'm not joking man, we played that. for like two months with paper tokens on the table.
Steve: um we we got like proxy cards we made some different proxy paper tokens and Yeah, like... It... It's just a really, really good game. Um,
Steve: i've I've never not had fun playing it and i love loot studios i say i've been one of their subscribers for their their miniatures for I want to say like 15, 16 months now.
Steve: um i I probably should actually cancel it because... I don't know how many STLs I've got available to me now. Um, but like it's Yeah, it's just a ah great game and i I just wanted to. make it like make it popular and have more people to play it with.
Steve: was my initial kind of reasoning for getting into it. like I got fed up of getting beaten by... this set of five or six people so i need to find another five or six people to uh to beat me as well.
Nick: No, I'm... Yeah, we don't need to. We talk all the time about how much we all love this game, so we can we don't have to. keep belaboring that point. more and more but What would you say sets it apart from other games, though?
Steve: yeah
Steve: Well again, this is going to be having to draw on what my community has said. Because i obviously, i haven't like I said, I haven't really played any of these games. um It fits into a real good slot.
Steve: Like you said, you've got the cards, you've got the the miniatures moving around the table, so you're hitting two completely different like little itches of people there. the The detail of the minis is incredible Loot Studio standards. So then you're hitting... the painters who love the artistic side of the hobby.
Steve: Um, And it also like... All the problems that... Others people seem to run into like whether it be you know there's the stereotypical ones where i don't want to play warhammer why well a i don't have four thousand dollars to make a playable army B, I don't have six hours on a Saturday to play one game.
Nick: Yep.
Steve: um I don't have... the patience to watch this guy across the table roll. 4 000 dice for 45 minutes before i even get to touch my pieces um i think it's as if they've gone like okay this is an idea What don't we want to do?
Steve: you know And all the the bad things you hear from other games. are just not really in this. um You know, you can get through. We got through four rounds yesterday at the tournament.
Steve: Yeah. I got going through four rounds. We were all home before dinner. Uh, some. Just... Just a great. great great fun experience and say doesn't fall fall into the the problems that a lot of these other games do i think um and the fact it's new the learning curve isn't so steep.
Steve: Um, the the rule book is not intimidating you know like i come up and say hey yeah so i want to play uh want to play 40k all right cool here's the rule book and that like breaks your desk and you go okay is that it oh no no you need these three other books to you know go along with that and it's like oh man like i just wanted to play some games like i didn't want to like read read a three novels just to find out how to play the game.
Steve: um And I think the last point is the And I don't know this is potentially controversial with what's been going on with the new... ah new things that have been released, but the price point.
Steve: um The price point of the game is... Incredible. um You know, you. you run a demo and someone goes, okay, cool. That's really good. How do I do? How do I play this? You know, how do I get into it? You go, well,
Steve: 45 Canadian plus tax you can go and get a seeker box right now That, you know... that will allow you to play straight away. whether you take that on. As you start. building up all the other seeker boxes or find some of the old faction boxes. You can play this game for less than... you know.
Steve: less than a week's worth of coffee in some instances. um and I think yeah that is that kind of It's a kind of a perfect storm in that regard
Garrett: yeah i agree with all these points the accessibility i think is my favorite part of just it's It's got the card game. deck building part of it that's fun and then i get to also push things around the board And it all happens in under like.
Garrett: two hours.
Steve: Yeah.
Nick: yeah Definitely. That was a huge. you know ah Our local community does a lot of Warhammer as well. And. ah for For me, it's i mean it's everything about it, right? it's the the time, the commitment.
Nick: and then and just the gameplay just you know so it's so long to play a game
Steve: Peace. Yeah.
Nick: So, yeah, no, I definitely I i've also agree 100 percent. So with that in mind. And I'm going to put you on the spot a little bit here. A lot of games, right, we see skirmish games, independent games like this pop up all the time.
Nick: do you think we're going to be in malediction for the long haul.
Steve: That is... A lot of it is down to a... us and b loot studios themselves that obviously fledgling at this and they've got things they need to iron out.
Steve: Like right now, people are. giving them the benefit of the doubt with stuff like the logistics. you know what i mean that's the prime example is like let's be let's be honest about it there have been three releases now there's been the original kickstarter There's been the Liana and Grisa.
Steve: And then there has been the reinforcements. Out of those three releases, only one of them they've got logistically right. And that was the Liana and Griesa. They were the only guys that came out.
Steve: when they were meant to come out. We're in the stores ready to go. um Everything else has been. delayed delayed delayed and
Steve: Uh, Also from a different side, kind of media blackout as well when these delays happen. um And I think they're making steps to address that. I've been getting a couple of emails, a lot more about sort of transparency, um being more open about the problems and stuff like that. Um, And I think that if they can... nail down this logistics side of things.
Steve: um get the shipping costs down and get it out to places more then that's going to keep them in good stead. They. they have an ability to keep it fresh.
Steve: The reinforcement packs have shown this. you know, like the releasing six new Um, what maybe just three new units perfection with the right units and the right gameplay, they have changed the game.
Steve: with just three units and that in terms of proof of concept is just is staggering because immediately you're like how do you grow this game And it's like, oh, well, you need to do a new seeker. You need to do this new thing. You need to do that and this and this. And it's like, well, actually.
Steve: These reinforcement packs have just shown that... Now you've got four or five or six different ways. of playing one seeker um And as long as they keep up the...
Steve: The quality of the... reinforcement cards. I think it's... It can go on forever. You know, like, I think it's been mentioned on on this podcast that... We only know it a tiny part of the world yet.
Steve: Um... And so we've got still more and more and more stuff that we can learn about if they want to build that into the law side of things. bringing new seekers in, but I think how successful the reinforcements are. on the table.
Steve: Shows that you know just a quick little one here and there you've you've changed things up again. and and Yeah, really brought... brought new life to the game again i think it's uh I think it's good. i think Like I say. they've got some teething issues um And people are going to have to...
Steve: maintain their hunger for it and that's you know why they have the Herald program and people like me to kind of get out there and keep people going, you know?
Garrett: Yeah, I like those I like all his answers I think that The distribution thing really sucks because...
Nick: yeah A hundred percent.
Garrett: they can do like a really good job. Um, at at you know internally and then but like you have to rely on all these All these steps in the chain that can let you down.
Steve: Mm hmm.
Garrett: Which sucks.
m3rcier: third parties.
Garrett: Yeah.
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: But I will say, because I've been recently, we've been trying to get some retail product in. and for our convention coming up. And they've been like. like on the ball. like really responsive. so I think they're doing pretty good job now.
Steve: Awesome. That's great to hear.
Garrett: It's just it's just hard. i'm gonna i'm gonna say that it's just hard to like If... to just run a company like that, especially where they went from. doing STLs as studios, then now trying to sell like actual physical product.
Steve: Mm hmm.
Garrett: There's so many unknown challenges.
Steve: Oh yeah.
Garrett: But yeah. But I agree, man. It's just like. How do we get stores to buy these? boxes so that people can buy them. Um,
Steve: That is the key thing, right? So I remember uh over nearly a year ago now it was a demo day at black knight games and i was there on a table running the malediction demo. And this was unfortunately.
Steve: Um... I think... yeah i must have received the actual kickstarter thing by that point i couldn't have just been demoing with proxies um there is a chance I was demoing with proxies. um But either way.
Steve: People came over, play the game. And it's like, well how how do i play this i loved that that was great what do i do And now it's in Black Knight Games. They've got stock. I'm like, great. You go over there to that cabinet and you.
Steve: Pick a seeker and you come back and play another game. Whereas before... It's like, how do I get this? Well, you you go onto the Malediction website, you you click here, you click here, you you do your credit card details, and then in maybe five or six weeks, you will receive a box. And by that point, you will have forgotten that you ever even met me.
Steve: And it's like most things in in life, especially when it comes to... i won't go see sales you know what i mean it's what it basically is it's it's sales ah you need people to bite right there and then. And if they bite and they can't buy the product, it's tough.
Steve: because then they're going to keep coming back and say, is it here yet? Is it here yet? Um, Having the product in the store is is key.
Nick: yeah For sure. I'll try to kind of delay that because we don't have anything. at our local stores yet either. Um, And so I try to. kind of buy time and get people to.
Nick: maybe make an account show them like the quiz the faction quiz
Steve: Yep.
Nick: uh just kind of get a little hook and maybe see you know if they make you the account maybe they'll follow up
Steve: I hear you.
Nick: ah But yeah, it's it's a much...
Steve: that's That's a great idea. Yeah.
Nick: Yeah, it's much harder to sell the game that's not actually... at the store
Steve: Yeah. I was actually at one point.
m3rcier: Not actually viable.
Steve: I was i was tempted to just be like, okay, i I've got a line of credit. What's the minimum order I need to buy? I'll sell it myself, you know?
m3rcier: it took
Steve: I'll become a retailer.
Garrett: yeah well I mean that's exactly what We did, because I... There's no way I don't think we can get these stores to buy in until they see numbers. There's like no way.
Garrett: which is a hard definitely a hard sell to some of these local game shops. I do I do I love how the game has you can you know it exactly what you're buying. But I really hope they introduce some sort of.
Garrett: Non. Gameplay impacting Chase. stuff. And I know, I think... They've talked about maybe doing it. But like, you know, like special edition hollows.
Garrett: or something like you know limited edition art stuff. or just things like that. that drive that uh feeling of people wanting to like rip packs basically to like just buy into the game and then it fuels the game stores
m3rcier: Be the gambling
Garrett: Yeah, a little bit of the gambling.
Nick: Hehe.
Garrett: Basically.
Nick: It's... Yeah, it's a slippery slope, too, because like.
Garrett: Yeah.
Nick: You know, I'm going to lose. I'm not going to. It's going to take a lot for me to really lose interest in this game. I'm really bought in. But if they started doing like. you know, pack like random packs Like you know ah any TCG it's going to It's really going to hurt my investment.
Nick: to keep up because I don't want to chase.
Steve: I agree with you.
Nick: ah rares and stuff.
Garrett: Big time.
Steve: I agree with you on that. like i i find that um i was gonna sort of talk about it was a different question but One of the ways that I found... Was getting the game in the stores was when they found out what their minimum purchase was Um, because i when black knight games originally bought in the minimum purchase i think was like 500 bucks and That was all they needed. They were like... that's that's all i need to spend to get this here and then i can do the
Steve: STLs and all this as well. I'm like, yeah. um And they were like, oh. Well, that's like three boxes of Warhammer. we can We can probably afford to take a punt on this. You know, you seem excited.
Steve: Like, what's what's the worst that could happen? and I think... Approaching the stores. is having the confidence in the malediction product is that...
Steve: Yeah, it's going to sell. that don't Don't... we Look at them incredulously when they say, well, I don't know where am I going to make my money? It's like, well, you sell board games, right?
Steve: You've got... Katana over there You've got whatever. you You've bought them. They don't have a shelf life. It's not like you're buying eggs. uh that they're gonna go off like yeah it's gonna take up a bit of shelf space but
Nick: Yeah.
Steve: it's not a lot for these especially if they are already invested in things like like warhammer like um uh this new starcraft game their their investment on the back end to get that stuff in their store is is tenfold anything an order of malediction, their first order of malediction is going to be.
Steve: Um,
m3rcier: yeah I think one of the things that I've had success is. like you have to target your stores like Doing a little bit of research on the store like I know there's one store. I'm not gonna approach at all because they hate the model. they don't like the they want to sell the boxes of plastic they don't want their customers 3d printing So I'm never gonna go to that store.
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: It's pointless. They're not gonna wanna do it. now the stores that have uh 3D print shops or maker spaces? Those are where I'm going.
Steve: Y 'all yeah
m3rcier: Because they get that retail license to sell the prints. So they can print it. and they could make their money back. just selling these models to RPG players, to collectors, anything like that.
Steve: Oh yeah.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: so I think it's picking the right stores.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: is what it's come down to for me.
Steve: Yeah, because I've had, like I said, I had great success with Black Knight. I have got another guy who... at another shop in in the city who also does stock it. um but when i had a meeting with him he was very clear about it he's like I'm an online retailer man.
Steve: Like, this this shop is just a literally a front. for the The people to come in so they know who I am I do 90 % of my business online and he's not community focused. He's nothing like that. I really liked how upfront he was with me.
Steve: about it, you know? He's not going to waste my time, not going to waste his. It's like, yeah, well, since you can come down, you can try. But honestly. It's not what we do here. We're not the same as... as black knight, you know?
Steve: um And then I had another kickback from... another a huge one just ah ah down the road in the next city over and the guy was just a bit of an ass to be honest and he was like well where Where do we make the money from it? Where's the money? I'm like, well, you sell it. It's a product that you sell. Like it's not.
Steve: It's not rocket science. Like it's, you know what I mean? But... people like you say they hear the 3d printing side and some people it does turn them off immediately which is a shame because they're missing an opportunity.
Nick: Yeah, and I mean, you could and you could say there's... there's some
Nick: i don't know i know they sell the miniatures But I think that's going to be even harder to sell to a store. that like, oh, you also need to stock these. like secondary miniature packs.
Nick: um when when the whole one of the big pulls of the game is the affordability right up front with that two -player starter set.
Garrett: I... I really like. I know this is unpopular. I like the standees. I just like...
Steve: They're great, man. They're great.
Garrett: I like the fact that you can like put it all.
m3rcier: Mm -hmm.
Garrett: in like your pocket.
m3rcier: Whoa, whoa, whoa. You can say it's unpopular. It is not unpopular. If you get on the Discord and you ask, can you talk about it? Okay. The vast majority of the people, even the people that have the models. Love the standees for the portability.
Garrett: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, yeah.
Steve: i love I love the price of them, the new price point of them.
Garrett: Well, good.
Steve: I love it. it's probably the best part of it
Nick: a
Garrett: Yeah.
Steve: Yep.
Garrett: That's the best part is the is. Well, yeah, i I think the game is incredibly cheap. um
Steve: It's so cheap
Garrett: compared to anything else. But it's also just like...
m3rcier: we're about We're about to make some people mad by talking standee prices being cheap. Okay.
Steve: It's...
Garrett: Uh huh.
m3rcier: you
Steve: yeah've I've got to say i'm going to say, I'm going to say it out loud.
Garrett: They're so cheap.
Steve: If you're haggling over $15... I don't know if this hobby space is the right place for you.
Nick: yeah
Steve: Like me. What are you getting with 15 bucks these days? like it's it is what it is it's a box that they had to ship they've had to build they've had to make it doesn't matter what's in it that doesn't really change the price of it it's It's the box getting to you that's costing 15 bucks as far as I'm concerned.
Garrett: Yeah, all the background stuff.
Nick: Yeah. but
Steve: Yeah, like...
Nick: i know I know the reinforcement packs were were really... there's a lot of controversy on the pricing on them but you know i i
Garrett: Yeah, but you got real artists, you have real play testers, real company.
Nick: you know, it
Nick: Right.
Garrett: Um...
Nick: and the reinforcement packs are kind of like an extra and that's that's kind of thing i think most of the community has kind of fallen on that like one of one of two lines where it's like well these are not required materials for you to play the game
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: um my See, my take on it is... that Every time someone brings it up. They're always like, well, if you compare it to the two -player packs or the Seeker decks, you know, the prices... way expensive and i was like you're right it is Per standee, it is a lot more expensive. However...
m3rcier: that just tells us that the core products the two player the secret decks are priced really well
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: Yeah, like every company's starter set.
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: All company starter sets are always a loss leader. to get you into the ecosystem. It's just how it works.
Nick: right yeah once you've once you've bought the starter set you're more likely to buy the rest you know buy a secret deck or two maybe buy the reinforcement packs for a faction you like
m3rcier: no
m3rcier: now that isn't to say i wouldn't like to see them cheaper but i think the price points are okay right now
Nick: Yeah, and then and then you're... Yeah.
m3rcier: We're not in 40K range, so I'm happy about that.
Garrett: Yeah.
Steve: No.
Garrett: Oh, yeah.
Nick: Exactly.
Steve: Yeah. yeah yeah
Garrett: And it's 2026, like it's not 2010 anymore, unfortunately.
Steve: Yeah, is you know what I mean? like it's ah No, it's it's like, you know, the the orphan grinder or whatever. But like at the end of the day, like what are you buying for less than $10 these days?
Steve: like it's Nothing costs less than 10 bucks. So like. It is what it is. You don't have to buy them. No one's holding you down.
Garrett: big Exactly.
Nick: yeah
Garrett: ah
Steve: make those cool hand drawn ones like I did.
Nick: Yeah. so
Garrett: yeah Yes.
Steve: What did you see?
Nick: That's awesome. so i know we talked to we've been talking a lot about like just the game stores getting getting product on the shelves. But let's talk more about some events. so How do you organize your like demo events in your area at your stores?
Steve: So the demo events um I have not done a proper demo in A long time now because... Every Wednesday we go down and... there is always at least six of us there. usually 8 or 10 every Wednesday night.
Steve: um The people that... come over I have stopped games to give people demos. People are like, oh, I really want a demo. And I'm like... Hey, hey. Joe ah Goonby, riz over Riz, can we just stop this one? We've played a million times. Let's just show show this buddy here.
Steve: how it goes. in general I will get a bit of flavor as to what they're used to. ah Most of the people that are in Black Knight Games have a background and can go straight into, look, here's a 30 card deck.
Steve: We'll just go through it as we go through it. um If people don't have that background, I do still like to go back to the... um It was like 18 cards, I think. 18 cards, the two husks.
m3rcier: Yeah, though
Steve: Your Seeker starts.
m3rcier: Yeah the official
Steve: Yeah, yeah.
m3rcier: The official demo stuff.
Steve: um And that is that is very cool. I tend to do it, though, with... I'll do that 18 But I will have charge as an option in there.
Steve: I think charge is such a critical part of the game. um that you... You need it in there. um it's not It's not difficult to understand.
Steve: I don't know why they cut it out of the original kind of demo thing. um I will include shifts as well. ah and also I will ask them do you want to use the um the legacy.
Steve: and say, so this is your seeker. um This is what you can use as well if you want to get a little bit more into it and see exactly what it can be done. um And then, yeah, I do my kind of my own.
Steve: you the Like you said, the online test of what Seeker is for you. And I'll just give people a general rundown. It's like, okay, do you want to run in and punch people in the face? Okay, then Thunder Steps. Do you prefer a more defensive approach? Okay, here's Sigrith.
Steve: Um, Do you like slinging spells? You know, you you're a magician at heart. Then you've got Polaroid. um Ah. And then I'm like, yeah, or you got undead. And everyone goes, oh, the undead look cool. Let's use them. And so like, yeah.
Steve: Ah. Then I'll just go through it. I'll go through slowly. and Ow. often what I like to do is make terrible mistakes.
Steve: during the game Not that are obvious, but like... I will set myself up for them to do something cool.
Garrett: Heck yeah!
Steve: Uh, You know, because like I've seen it at this demo day last year where this guy was demoing this. i can't remember what game it was and he's like yeah and now what i could do is da du ja dad de du and it's like okay cool you've shown the awesome mechanics of the game but now that poor lad opposite you He's just like, oh, well, that wasn't very fun. I just got absolutely ruffle stomped by you who you know knows the game.
Steve: I prefer to like... move stuff around and then I'll look at them and say, look. You can win. right now. In this round. I'm telling you you can win, you figure out how to do it.
Steve: and then that puts the onus on them to go what I can win here and they don't usually realize it that the position that they can win it win from you know and so then it gets them really thinking about it and being like okay well what what is it that I can do here and they usually figure it out And then...
Steve: They do that cool mechanic. They get to run in with steps, use the scout boots, maul my entire army. And then they leave that table being like, that game's cool. I want more of that.
Steve: as opposed to that game is pretty cool but i don't know if i ever want to play again because that hurt my feelings
m3rcier: Yeah, I think that's important when you're doing a demo trying to figure out suss out how they handle it because I've had demos with a couple guys where they told me up front if I took it easy on them. you know, they weren't going to be happy. They wanted to.
m3rcier: They want it to play to play.
Steve: um Okay, that's cool too then, yeah, yeah.
m3rcier: And you... Yeah, I think it's important to suss that out while you're doing the demo just because you want to. I guess the goal there is to show them the game. with their game style in mind, not your personal game style.
Steve: Mm hmm.
Nick: Yeah, for sure. um You know, i've only had ah we've only had a couple of demo events at our store. Um, But we got a lot. Garrett and I went to a Gen Con. um the beginning of August.
Steve: Mm -hmm.
Nick: And I ran a lot of learned plays there. End. That's, I mean, you know. That was a little different because I wasn't playing. I was just coaching, basically.
Steve: Right.
Nick: Um, And so, yeah, it's it's it was like I would set up husks in the terrain features. so that they would have to go in the terrain and then on the next turn i would explain them how the terrain bonuses would work um so you know So they're not getting front -loaded with all the...
Steve: Yeah, I like that.
Nick: the details but then there are
Steve: That's good
Nick: and they're already on the terrain and so it's like okay so now polinor now when you cast a spell it's cheaper and like you know since they've already done a full round they kind of understand the pacing
Steve: Mm hmm.
Nick: um And so like that, you know, it's kind of like it. It lent it to itself because I felt... trying to explain everything. kind of in round one was just like it's just too much you know
Steve: Yeah.
Nick: Yep.
Nick: of Cool. And outside of demos, I know we've talked a lot about you know Black Knight games and stuff. Is that the only store you've been working at?
Steve: ah Yeah. um it takes up yeah it takes up the time uh because i say we what we do that every every week i've tried to get into it as a few um But they limited, you know, say I've got another place to stock it. um And other than than Black Knight, there isn't anything really in my local area.
Steve: to to go to. And. People seem to be willing to travel to it which is fine by me. I appreciate all of you. If any of you are listening, thank you for coming in every Wednesday.
Steve: um but yeah we've got a just a great little community there and um It's... I think. Maybe I'll be able to take a a step back and start using that as as a success story to go back to these other places maybe that have been...
Steve: you know. a little indifferent to it if i can maybe get some vague numbers from black knight as in what they've what they've actually done what what the margins have been etc etc um that might give me a little sort of more of a business case model Um...
Steve: to go back to these other stores. But yeah, like right now it's um just just mainly there. and Yeah, I say there's no other Massive events in this area. So it's just a ah bit a bit of a bit of a problem
m3rcier: I think that...
Nick: yeah
m3rcier: Part of what you hit on I think is important for... Not just other heralds, but other... Non heralds that are trying to you know build communities ah You had said the score is pretty close to you and a lot of people are willing to travel to it.
m3rcier: Take that. uh don't want to be like oh well i'll try and do a store that's an hour and a half away i mean still try if you can but
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Don't burn yourself out.
Steve: Exactly.
m3rcier: uh like there's some of the heralds that we've i've seen are trying to do like
Steve: Exactly.
Nick: yep
m3rcier: five events every month.
Steve: Mm -hmm
m3rcier: And I'm like, whoa. slow down you do if you can if you can personally manage five events a month cool
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: But you don't need to. One or two events, maybe three.
Steve: Mm -hmm.
m3rcier: should definitely be able to get you. I mean, the goal would be get to a weekly. Play night if you can.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: And then once you have your weekly. That's four. three or four events a month so you're set uh but don't burn yourself out that's the biggest thing
Steve: Die. Yep. That's my that's my thing that I when I was looking at what what I could commit to. I was like, look. I want to play Malediction once a week at least. So that's fine. If I can get out and play once a week.
Steve: then cool so when's my day that i know i'm good it's like wednesdays i'm always good So, cool, I go, Black Mad Games, they're like, look, do you mind if we come down? And I used to go there and paint. on a Wednesday night anyway.
Steve: um it's like they do they do a painting right there and i used to go down so i was good good friends with a lot of the staff and and whatnot. and so then that's where i sort of bridged the gap so hey can we start playing my addiction on a wednesday they were like well we have a few other things on but the tables that you don't even rent tables there. You just come in and and sit down, you know?
Steve: it's ah It's a really chill place. um And so...
m3rcier: I guess. With that said, so your weekly nights are just like clash nights. 1v1, 2v2s, 2v1s, whatever.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: They're normal play nights.
Steve: yet. Yeah.
m3rcier: ah We have demo days and learn to plays, which are separate. Have you done any paint nights? Because you love to paint, whereas I hate to paint, so I don't run paint events.
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: Have you ran any painting events?
Steve: That is one of the ones that I've been trying to figure out. how to do it. And my one of my biggest issues is that i I feel now after painting for two, two and a half years, I'm at a pretty good level of of painting. i' I'm happy with how my miniatures look.
Steve: But I am also in the back of my mind. um very much like i am not a a teacher of this so i can't take it down that route of, you know, um like Adrian, Adrian. ah Cash, I think his surname is. i probably mangled that pronunciation but he is um absolutely stellar and so he does painting courses i think he ran one at gen con um doing um
Steve: Doing some stuff for malediction, but he's he actually is a ah semi local guy as well So he does like painting tuition nights. Whereas I think What I need to do is just get.
Steve: a load of minis out. and be like, hey, come down, paint some malediction minis. And then.
m3rcier: Take somebody's home with you.
Steve: yeah yeah exactly and you know with the 3d printing being so accessible for me that wouldn't be wouldn't be hard to do. So that's not that's not a bad idea. Um,
Steve: which I probably should have thought about before now. So thanks. Thank you.
m3rcier: No, i just you love to paint.
Steve: that
m3rcier: I want to run a painting event, but it's going to have to be more of...
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Here's the minis. I can't tell you what to do because I'm not a painter, but ah have fun. I'll sit here and and paint with you.
Steve: Yeah, enjoy. yeah Yeah. it's um Yeah, I think we'll try that, especially because it's a... the painting night. at Black Knight Games is already on the Wednesday. So it kind of, it's... it's really is a good A good cross there. so i said i will ill I'll head back with some feedback on how that went in the next couple of weeks.
m3rcier: Yeah, and if you are a herald or a community member, there's already ran a a painting night event Please. ah Comment on the episode on YouTube or Spotify and then hit in Discord to share your experience so that the rest of us can try and replicate.
Steve: Yeah, absolutely.
Nick: Well, yeah. um I feel like we've kind of just. touched on a lot of these questions. So.
Steve: Yeah. I would say so.
Nick: Um,
Steve: Um...
Garrett: No, I think that was pretty good. um lots Lots of new information. uh i think one thing i wanted to say that we forgot is i think we should as as demo people or as heralds or like going to these stores.
Garrett: is maybe we should put together like a hey if you want to stock this game like here's like Uh... Maybe we should try and get loot to give us a... a price sheet distribution sheet or something like hey you know here because we mentioned how cheap it is to buy in and it is it is cheap to stock Maybe it would be a good like...
Garrett: uh breaking the ice type of thing because you know they care about numbers obviously
Steve: 100%, yeah, yeah.
Garrett: Yes. So we gotta give them the numbers.
m3rcier: yeah
Garrett: Um, Awesome. Maybe we should talk to them about that and get that out because that information does exist. Maybe we should just make it more available. Um... Cool. Well, Steve, thank you so much.
Garrett: Is there anything else? Did you have any questions for us or did you have anything else you wanted to say?
Steve: No, guys. No, like... First first of all, thanks thanks for having me. It's been being great talking to you guys. I listen to the podcast whenever it comes out. so It's a a pleasure to to come on and chat with you guys, you know, person to person.
Steve: I'm just scrolling through um the the questions.
m3rcier: we're not We're not done with you yet.
Garrett: No, we we got it.
Steve: Oh, that's true.
Garrett: Two more sections.
Steve: That's true.
Garrett: Two more sections.
Steve: oh we do we do yeah coastal gold i'm an idiot um the one thing 3d terrain or no Um,
Garrett: Yeah.
Steve: For me? that 3d terrain is has been absolutely key. Um, The... you walk past a table that's playing with the 2d and you walk past a table playing with 3d terrain It is so eye catching.
Steve: the amount of people who in the first few months when they didn't know what malediction was What brought them to the game was what the hell is that? Like what is that huge guy with a stick through his head in a pool of blood?
Steve: You know, like, they're so...
Garrett: Yes.
m3rcier: The terrain has table presence.
Steve: Yeah. And if you can get that fully painted and get that out while you're playing. Honestly, is it more cumbersome? Yes. Is it as good technically in a tournament? No.
Steve: um the The cardboard has a great place for things like light of sight. all that stuff But the 3D terrain, that's what's going to get your people, your new people to come over and look and be like, what the heck is this?
Steve: Um, So yeah. All right, there will be That'll be about it. Yeah.
Garrett: Love it. Yeah, I completely agree. Especially how they cover some part.
Nick: Yep.
Garrett: We always bring it, but it's always like, oh, we got these giant tubs of terrain, but it's so, it's so worth it.
Steve: Mm -hmm
Nick: Yeah, yesterday...
m3rcier: ah that
Nick: It's like you always have to make i an extra trip and it's just for terrain.
Garrett: Yeah.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: Yeah, well I mean if you can If you can get the community... at that store built up enough uh like my intention with odin's layer or odin's place wow uh is two I will print one set of each and I'm going to end up leaving them at the store. Hopefully the store owner can get someone to paint them.
m3rcier: but they'll be at that store now that's over time because i do have my personal collection of the terrain that takes up or shelves so it's not easy to store But. Get it?
m3rcier: so it stays at the store to make it so it's less cumbersome on that i think it's going to be
Steve: I have a set at Black Knight, yeah. for that same reason.
m3rcier: Yeah. the The biggest thing for me is like. go into the tournaments with it. Oh. It's so cumbersome. like
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: I don't think we had any 3D printed terrain. No, we had one guy at Warzone this past weekend that brought his. is 3D printed terrain.
m3rcier: And oddly enough, he came, he drove the furthest. He drove two and a half hours to play. The rest of us drove like an hour maybe. And we all brought cardboard.
Garrett: that's That's because he's committed.
Steve: There we go.
Garrett: He's in it.
Steve: yeah
Garrett: He's in it man. Uh...
m3rcier: All right, I'm going to click the thing for the next section. Right?
Garrett: Okay.
m3rcier: Thank you, Jason.
Garrett: hi Uh... Great. Okay. So, I mean, we kind of spotlighted, but all right, Alan. Spotlight the community.
m3rcier: Yeah. So this is where... uh less about the actual game itself and just tell us about your community because when we normally do these i've done a little bit of research and you know looked at y 'all's events and stuff like that. so typically trying if you'll have a name for the for the community.
m3rcier: i know you're a herald are there any other heralds that help you how many seekers do you have
Steve: um so the One of the the the collective would be the the steel city seekers because we're we're from Hamilton um and it's a big big steel town. So Steel City Seekers was the one of the names that kind of came up.
Steve: Um, I was really lucky. because I just happened to bump into another. Like, I have... four guys he played. There was also another four people who had...
Steve: ah picked up a Gen Con or Adapter Con. at some point. And then we just met met on the Discord. It was me and Goonby. uh he was like wait where are you from i was like wait you're from hamilton too and so then we had like a decent player base to begin with um From that point that we have then picked up
Steve: probably another 10, 12 more Seekers. um and i say like every tournament that i've ran which i do every other month I've had at least 10 people in the tournaments.
Steve: But with a lot of notable absences, I think that in a perfect storm environment that every seeker that I have can get to the tournament. Um, I think I would have like 25 people.
Steve: Um, possibly to play. Uh...
m3rcier: Nice, that is a lot.
Steve: And I can't let you.
m3rcier: Probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest community, I would say.
Steve: Yeah.
Steve: I... We were talking about this at the tournament, and yeah, in terms of... the potential, I would say yeah, we we may well be. it's a pretty cool place to be
m3rcier: And it's all from that that same area. Right.
Steve: um Well, in terms of the tournament, in terms of the area, yes. I would say probably 16 of us. ah But then outside of the area, I've had... I say two guys drive from Ottawa this ah this weekend.
Steve: um So. freaking absolute kudos to them. I tried to tell them enough. on the day like how how awesome it was. um I have ah three guys who took the drive in from Toronto, which again is absolutely a hellish drive. And I did have one guy come up from New York. um He came up for two tournaments in a row. He drove out from from upstate New York to come and play with us. So. It's yeah just about making sure you're keeping your your name out there.
Steve: putting putting your your events out in the Discord, in places where people are going to see them, on the Facebooks, on you know like just -posting everything, because you don't know who's looking where.
Steve: um and if you you miss something and you know there are two different malediction things on facebook
m3rcier: Yeah. Run hit.
Steve: Um, Make sure you get on both of them because there's a certain strata of people that don't know about the other one Um, and And yeah, just making sure you're doing that. that promo work in the the run -up to the events um especially the the tournaments but i don't need to do so much with the wednesday nights now i just show up with all my gear and we we play and if someone wants a demo then i give them a demo um but for the tournaments that they're kind of social media.
Steve: posting is key because you know like people just might miss something it might get lost in the discord so like doing stuff like two weeks in advance, a week in advance. Oh, we've got three days till it comes up. You know what I mean?
Steve: uh that sort of stuff really i think has helped
m3rcier: you You said there's another Facebook, if you can... drop that in the discord chat for us because i know of the official one i don't know of another one
Steve: Yeah, it is.
m3rcier: But yeah, cross -posting Reddit.
Steve: um
m3rcier: I really...
Steve: Yeah, Reddit's a big one, man.
m3rcier: i Really wish I didn't have to go to Reddit, but... there are people there so reddit facebook discord All of that. Uh, Hit all of it to try and get them there.
Steve: It's uh, yeah Um. Malediction of the skirmish game. a private group with 365 members.
m3rcier: Okay, I'm gonna have to join that one too across most there.
Steve: So... Yeah.
Garrett: Ooh.
Steve: And that, you know... And that's got half the members of... the malediction official on facebook which is 722 but are they the same people like I don't know
m3rcier: Yeah.
Steve: it's a Yeah.
m3rcier: all right so let's see we get about 20 25 seekers you want to give any of them a shout out i know you mentioned one of them's a really good painter
Steve: um Yeah, so that'll be ah Adrian. she eat um I'll have to find Instagram, but honestly. all All my guys. um I want to just say thank you for all the support. you They know who they are. um I have my my brain trust, which is Goombi.
Steve: um monoxide. ah and obviously Josh. I'm lucky enough to be in the same community as Josh from the stats guy. um So.
m3rcier: Mm hmm.
Steve: I get to hang out with him on a nearly weekly basis, so that's always good to get some insight. So having those three guys has always been a big help because there are certain rules that are stupidly complicated and I don't quite understand.
Steve: um We have ah a discussion between the three of us and we come to a conclusion and then the people who are playing have to accept it. So it's ah it's always been ah been real helpful.
m3rcier: Okay.
Steve: and um yeah just a Real, real big thank you to all the guys that come out every Wednesday night and make... a Make it a good time for everybody. You know, we don't have a single decade in the group. It's great like everyone everyone's an absolute beauty
m3rcier: so What's the... this is gonna all right D, B, goon B. What's the B portion there?
Steve: um Was that? So I believe. Ah. That is again just a coincidence. um my My name is Stephen Bragg.
Steve: So Stevie B.
m3rcier: It's it yours.
Steve: Yeah, um I also have a bee allergy. I have a bee tattoo. uh and i my day job is an arborist working out in the trees so that was a great career choice with the bee allergy
Garrett: ah
Steve: um
Nick: yeah
Steve: ah so yeah yeah i'd actually be from manchester originally um the symbol of manchester back in england is the the worker bee uh because of the industrial revolution starting there So.
Steve: That's all in there. I believe Goon B was, he's told me in the past. It was some some game where... He literally like he was part of these bees And instead of like... fighting in a big ship as a group yeah they all went and attacked in these tiny little ships But there were like hundreds of them attacking or something like that. You'd have to have to ask him exactly what that was about but yeah
m3rcier: there's There's no... Connection air is just... Happy coincidence.
Steve: Just, yeah, just, yeah, 100%.
m3rcier: All right, ah let's see our next segment. Give me a second.
m3rcier: Thank you, Gary. Thank you.
Garrett: i like I like how we're sticking with... the the the first dry run draft of that.
Nick: yeah I was just... So...
Steve: ah it's It's perfect.
Nick: That's it.
Garrett: Thanks guys.
m3rcier: Oh.
Steve: It's perfect.
m3rcier: listen it sounds good we don't need to do more runs just get it done and go with it
Garrett: It does not sound good.
Nick: is On the spot.
Garrett: Oh man.
Nick: On the spot.
Steve: Does not need changing.
m3rcier: soon
Garrett: Oh, geez.
Steve: ah
m3rcier: All right, who who wants to start there with theirs?
Garrett: Alright.
Garrett: Ooh. Oh, I just saw Knicks. Ooh, ooh, interesting.
Nick: Yeah.
Garrett: Oh.
Nick: oh i'm i'm i'm locked and loaded i'll go ahead and start i'm locked and loaded
Garrett: ah Yeah. All right.
Steve: but
m3rcier: ah
Nick: Okay. Okay. So, Muktovor. Body Breaker. has a really cool name. And that is the only positive thing I can say about this car.
Steve: ah
Garrett: Wow.
m3rcier: ah he Okay. Anybody else? also think it's a coaster i will agree with nick i think he's a coaster
Steve: Oh he is a coaster.
Garrett: Wow. i don't think he's I don't think he's that bad. I don't think it's that bad.
Nick: Oh, I'm about to explain to you why he's that bad. So... Peace. I don't know what you're supposed to do with this guy. He is a 9 cost melee unit with speed 6.
Nick: if you I don't know what Seeker deck he's supposed to go into because he doesn't want to charge with Thunder Steps because you don't get Rend when you charge unless you want to add him to a... adrenaline rush after you make your first attack that's a whole lot of
Garrett: He doesn't.
Nick: Peace.
Garrett: He doesn't need to charge.
Nick: did he He? is a medium base six speed creature He hits.
Garrett: He does it. Doesn't need it.
Nick: Yeah, yeah If it...
Garrett: He's got another ability.
Nick: oh regeneration is okay ask any vorendal player how good regeneration is it's
Garrett: Rend. Ren 5. He's got 18 health.
Nick: It's... Yeah. yeah Okay, right. But what are you giving up? Any other red? unique unit is like almost going to be better in basically any seeker deck
Garrett: Listen. This guy hits like a truck.
Nick: yes
Steve: yeah He... He sucks. The the
m3rcier: Yeah.
Garrett: Dang.
m3rcier: He also dies like a truck. That's that's been my experience with him.
Steve: Yeah.
Nick: That's what... Yeah, I think regeneration three is it's cool, but like. Most... Most people, like, if you have ah ah a threat on the table, people can... can do 15 to 16 damage in a turn. Like they'll find a way to kill it. And so like, you're going to regenerate with him once maybe. So he only really has like 21 total hit points with a defense of 12.
Garrett: You are focusing real hard on this regen thing. That's not even the best part. It's the Ren 5.
Nick: the But the Ren 5 is so, like, you have to get him in position. He has to be able to hit twice with a plus four bonus.
Garrett: Yeah.
Garrett: This is like every other unit. in the game.
Nick: Yeah.
Garrett: What do you mean they all have to do that?
Nick: Right. Right. I'm saying you're paid. You're paying nine for this guy.
Garrett: He's expensive. I agree he's expensive.
Nick: so
Steve: it's If you roll like me, you can't rely on Rand. like
m3rcier: i and and Also, it's... it's You have to score. The first attack has to be a hit. The second one. also has to be a hit. Because if you graze on either one, you you Rin can't turn on.
Garrett: That's fair
m3rcier: So it's it's a hard ability to trigger.
Garrett: That's fair.
m3rcier: Region 3 is great, but at the end of the day, uh, Region three is not a band -aid for his shitty defense
Garrett: i think I think it suffers from what all expensive units suffer from, and that is the...
Nick: Right.
Garrett: echo economy in this game. you still have very much to spend. So.
m3rcier: Yeah. Well, also, I mean...
Nick: Yeah.
Garrett: I'll agree. I agree with that.
m3rcier: There's also three other uniques that... uh are at least one or two of them i would say are much better that i would rather take ah
Garrett: But man, is he a great bid card. Holy smokes.
m3rcier: Yeah, I can't argue with that.
Nick: There you go.
Steve: Hey.
Nick: He's a good bid.
Steve: He is a good big card only second only to the blood feast Raptor who is the the best bid card off
Garrett: Yeah.
Nick: Hey now. Hey now. Hey now. I love. I love Blood Feast Raptor.
Steve: ah
Nick: Okay. Okay, you play Leanna. Bluffies Raptor, you trample through. The speed 10 large base gets hits everything and then drops down and attacks. I would spell strike. And if you kill something, you get to fly away.
Steve: Okay.
Nick: But.
Steve: Okay.
Nick: Outside of Liana, I don't think Blood Feast has a lot of places. I think Liana makes Blood Feast very strong.
Steve: You see... I've never even considered that. because he's just so bad in everything else i've played with i've never thought to put him in my liana deck Okay.
Nick: Mm hmm. But...
Steve: Okay. Interesting.
m3rcier: but
Steve: Okay.
Nick: Yeah.
m3rcier: All right, so we got we got three coasters and one gold on that one. I'm going to go ahead and take... the next one i think this is a gold card I don't care what dick it is it it's a gold card true stone exemplar
Garrett: Hmm.
m3rcier: Now remember the card the card lists were pulling from for those of you if you haven't heard one of the other episodes Josh, our wonderful data data guru. He runs malediction stats, right? mal or malediction .stats.
Steve: ah Yeah.
m3rcier: ah It is... All these cards we're talking about. are in less than 50 of the decks that are uh have been used in tournaments and or that he can find on.
m3rcier: either long chains or plate network with an event. so
m3rcier: We're not just. I mean, in some ways we are pulling them out of our. rears but we do have a ah little selection we're going through. So anyone? disagree that he's gold?
Nick: Oh man.
Steve: I'm just comparing him right now
Garrett: i'm so I'm so neutral i'm neutral on him. I'm neutral on because I feel like the Knight of Asteris does everything I need the true stone to do for two points cheaper.
Steve: That's exactly what I'm looking at right now. I've just i've got them up side by side. The knight and the true stone.
Nick: I will say protection units, I think. Um, got a little bit of a boost with the reinforcement cards because twisted charity Um, is an incredible healing spell.
Nick: for like your true stone exemplar.
Steve: Oh yeah, yeah.
Nick: because you you don't care if he exhausts or not.
Garrett: Yeah, that's true.
Nick: You can just... take another 16 hit points.
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: You know, so this is my take on it uh The Knight is just a shittier version of the True Stone. I'll gladly play the X for two. You know, the night's good, especially if you only have five Echo, but...
m3rcier: Ironclad 2. So his defense is 16 against ranged attacks. It's also protection too, which is not ah Bad. And then the shield wall one is just meh.
m3rcier: But I had the Aegis. know Was it the Aegis? Yeah, I had the Aegis sitting on him. on one of them. and the other true stone next to him and then uh laundry in front of him Londriel's armor because the Aegis was...
m3rcier: like 16 This guy's was... 18 against range attacks it made it not only did they have a shit ton of protection but their armors were super high so they were just grazing Yeah, I mean, I get the Knights there, but this guy's still gold even with the Knight standing right next to him.
m3rcier: in my mind.
Steve: Yeah, i'm i'm gonna go I'm gonna go with gold.
Nick: Yeah.
Steve: and the model.
Nick: Yeah, I'm not. He's definitely not a coaster.
Steve: Yeah.
Garrett: Yeah, he doesn't suck. there's no way he sucks especially for like uh
m3rcier: Awesome.
Garrett: Cigarette decks.
m3rcier: We'd have to have someone to send Garrett.
Garrett: and laundry. I know. However, this one's pretty bad. right I already dissented on Mukdar, okay? Right.
Steve: Yeah.
m3rcier: All right, Steve, you want to go next?
Steve: ah Yes, I'm going to go with the the Primal Totem. ah which I think is absolute gold. Um, It's not a priest. I know that. It's not a priest, but...
Steve: In terms of a cheap unit, um that if you have three of them in your deck And you pull two. Let's start. and you just put them in your deployment zone as just like a little echo farm.
Steve: Um... It gives the opponent something really difficult to... to deal with because they either sit there and let you just keep amassing echo which means by round four you're going to be just.
Steve: you know killing them or they come completely out of where they need to play and get all the way to your deployment zone, which then you can just deploy to. um I think a very under underrated card.
Steve: and all their other bonuses. in the middle of the battlefield if you don't use them as the Um, the echo farm at the back. The fact you can deploy to them. when they're engaged. gets forgotten so often.
Steve: um And people are up there and they go, oh, no, I'm going to deploy up here. And they're like, you can't. like Yes, I can. So yeah.
Nick: Yeah, yeah, the the totems are... Yeah. I think one maybe be one reason we don't see them. All the time. is It could just be because... Like Primal Blood has such a competitive.
Nick: like basic unit. like stack.
Steve: Mm hmm.
Nick: um but i totally agree i put primal totems i think in basically every Every deck that touches red.
Garrett: Yep. I agree. It's a gold um
m3rcier: Amen. Booster.
Garrett: Let's do it.
m3rcier: Coaster.
Garrett: There's no doubt you you saying it's a coaster
m3rcier: with the toaster.
Steve: Come on.
Garrett: Okay, make your argument. Hopefully it's better than my Mukhtar argument.
m3rcier: let let Listen, I don't have an argument. I just don't use them in Karmarmok, and that's the only red I play.
Nick: but
m3rcier: Right now.
Nick: That's valid.
m3rcier: uh and it can't move like i love my arcane sentinels but they also cannot move so uh Yeah. I just, I don't like them. Maybe in the future I'd like them. but uh Not right now.
m3rcier: I don't think they're worth their Echo.
Steve: I also uh...
Garrett: I guess...
m3rcier: Because where what are they, like four?
Garrett: I guess Leanna...
Steve: No two.
Garrett: Leanna could make it move.
Nick: They cost two.
Garrett: Right?
Nick: No, they cannot move.
Garrett: bit You can't.
Nick: Even with...
m3rcier: Yeah, they cannot move a lot.
Nick: them
Garrett: you can't
m3rcier: You can, you can TK them.
Steve: Could they be teleported?
Garrett: You can't teleport it? You can teleport, right?
Nick: You can TK.
m3rcier: Yeah, you can TK him.
Steve: Yeah.
Nick: Yeah.
Garrett: Yeah.
Nick: Yeah, but I'm not wasting a TK to move a totem.
Garrett: I know. I'm just saying. With a b -ball.
m3rcier: I mean, it I mean, it depends. i've wasted a to I've wasted some TKs to move Arcane Sentinels to where they couldn't shoot me or put them in the red so they'll just die themselves. but On a primal totem?
m3rcier: I don't think it's... yeah I can't see a TK being spit on.
Garrett: Now that...
m3rcier: a Like a primal totem.
Garrett: The best part is the echo generation. It's just the best part.
m3rcier: all right so they're two so they immediately pay for themselves with a positive one as long as you can get three on the first you know, the first time you use it. so Not as bad, but still it can't move. It can't attack.
m3rcier: Ugh. All it does is generate echo.
Nick: um no I know. My first game when I had an opponent. Do the double. totem deploy in the deployment zone. I was like, oh. Okay. So...
Steve: Hmm.
Nick: What am I going to do about that?
m3rcier: That's how this is gonna go.
Nick: Yeah.
Steve: anything Yeah, and then it's like, the first two turns, they gotta go like... Okay, over to you. What are you doing? Well, I'm going to pray with my Primal Totem. I want to see what you're doing first. Right. What do you do next? I'm going to pray again. Come on, come at me.
m3rcier: Hmm.
Garrett: Awesome. Moving on to mine.
m3rcier: Red -yellow deck with the three totems, the three priests, and Ciro.
m3rcier: Ignore the fact that that's seven units, but how much echo can I generate with those seven units?
Garrett: I do.
Steve: ah
Nick: You know what you know what you can do with all that echo
m3rcier: Cast Decimation for 50.
Nick: You can... you well not Not in red, white, but red, yellow. You can bring Muktovor.
Steve: but
Garrett: You could.
m3rcier: but
Garrett: You can slap him right in there.
m3rcier: ah Ugh.
Garrett: You've got the money.
m3rcier: All right, here we go. We got garrets.
Garrett: All right, i picked the I picked this one because it it didn't show up. in the uh the top pick or the bottom pick so it's like somewhere in in the people's middles It's the Spellbound. Bahig Ugin. It's time to say that.
Garrett: Bahig Ugin, it's the... Abomination that's got protection too. It's... It's a basic card for two points. I'm saying this thing is gold.
Garrett: Saying it's gold. It's awesome.
m3rcier: the meat sack.
Garrett: It's two. it's freaking awesome like the whole point of this thing is just to you lose two mastery when it dies but it just keeps your your pollinor alive or whatever you want to keep alive you're in alive i And it's just, it's two points. What a deal, man.
Garrett: Um...
m3rcier: it's it's eight It's an eight -point health pool for whatever unit it's standing next to.
Garrett: Yeah. so And you can take three of them. uh i think this thing's great i'm surprised it's not used more I kind of regret not putting it in my Polinor deck from a couple days ago. Uh... Yes, that is it. What do you guys think?
Nick: I don't disagree. I think I can see why it doesn't get picked. because any of the dual faction Seekers. can kind of make up the difference.
Nick: Like, you know, Laundriell doesn't need... the ah Spellbound because she has Knights of Astaris.
Garrett: Yep.
Nick: um you know stuff like that
Garrett: But the spell that's cheaper. It's cheaper.
Nick: It's cheaper.
Steve: So cheap.
Nick: but you but but you're like laundry old Usually doesn't have echo issues.
Garrett: True. That's true.
m3rcier: It's also taken up a taking up a card spot.
Steve: True.
Nick: Because you have you also...
m3rcier: taking up a card spot.
Steve: Hmm.
Nick: Because you have three priests in that deck. um So, I mean, I can see why it's not played. I don't think it's coaster, though. I like it. I like the little little meat s sacks. Um,
m3rcier: You're saying golden.
Nick: Aye.
m3rcier: You got to say coach your goal. There is no middle ground in this segment.
Nick: Yeah, no, there's no middle ground here.
Garrett: This... Yes.
Nick: um oh man it's hard i think i think i think for conclave The Spellbound by Bahig Ugin. is a gold card because it fills a role that they struggle with which is that kind of a... frontline presence.
Steve: I'm going straight up gold. I love the little fat boys. They're great. They're little cute butts running across the battlefield getting wiped out before anybody else. It's awesome Like, i I like to put them with Liana as like an honor guard.
Steve: because that kind of takes away a lot of her problems.
Garrett: Yes.
Steve: um You know, if you should get three of those on the board and just keep them with Liana. She's now got... basically limitless health for the game. um And yeah, theyre they're just handy to have around.
Steve: and the fact that they've got tentacle fingers but can still pick up relics um is is dope like compared to so many of the other like two cost units they they're usually clumsy.
Steve: or don't move like the primal totem, you know what I mean? um And no one ever sees the spellbound fat boys coming. they just expect them to just do nothing and then at the end you run in and just finish somebody off like you finish vorendal off with a spellbound bag of duene that the look on your opponent's face, they're just like, what?
m3rcier: That's the best stuff.
Steve: that little fat bum boy just killed vorondol it's very satisfying you know
Garrett: I don't know.
Nick: man
m3rcier: Zog runs three of them in his Liana deck with Mega Man. Athene?
Steve: Uh huh.
m3rcier: And the entire purpose is... They just sit behind and to the sides of Athen. So when he does shoot, he can't move because he's going to hit one of them.
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: And then. They take the damage. that he would receive. uh they're literally just extra health pools so that you can do your mega man blast every single turn
m3rcier: So it's...
Steve: That's a great idea.
m3rcier: uh It was. I really wish I would have had some AOE. Because, yeah, they're not going to like AOE, but...
Steve: Mm hmm.
m3rcier: No, they're gold. I think they're gold and I don't even use the damn things.
Steve: a I think they're so gold that I actually printed one up at 400 % scale. and have that painted on my ah painted on my cabinet.
m3rcier: I will say it's it's tragic because
Steve: It's...
Garrett: Awesome.
Nick: Well, that's incredible. that's incredible
Garrett: That's awesome.
m3rcier: We will we' get into it in the next or the previous episode, but we're recording it next. up The lore for them. It's very, very tragic what they actually are.
Steve: That's cool. Yeah. It's dark.
m3rcier: I guess next segment is going to be our events, which we only have two that we know of right now because we're still. you know two or three weeks ahead and we're we're recording this. uh In Spain, on October 11th, in uh Aguilas? Anybody else know how to say that better than me?
m3rcier: Uh,
Steve: I think you got it right.
m3rcier: incursion into the malediction.
Nick: Aguilas, maybe? Yes.
m3rcier: Yeah. uh October 11th. It's a clash with four rounds. Uh. I'm not sure of the store, but if you get on the Play Network, it does have an event listing with an address and all that. so Check that one out if you're in Spain.
m3rcier: And then Oklahoma on November 7th. uh, Harold father nature. We'll have a three round clash event at cowboy. it's He's calling it the cowboy cup. at dz, or dz. Comics. For those of you that.
m3rcier: Say it's the cooler way. and more Oklahoma.
Garrett: Awesome. Thanks, Alan. hey Stevie, thank you for joining us. We really appreciate you jumping on and sharing your wisdom.
Steve: I appreciate you having me
Garrett: Do you guys have anything else you want to add?
m3rcier: No, just thanks thanks for... ah Come on, Steve. Loved having you.
Steve: Absolutely. Absolute pleasure, guys. any Anytime, anytime. It's a... A blast.
Garrett: right We're going to sign off now. I've been Garrett.
Nick: I've been Nick.
m3rcier: I've been Alan.
Steve: And I've been Steve.
Garrett: That's what I'm talking about. Okay, goodbye everybody.
