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67: Nobody Drive on the Roads I'm Driving On, Please
2 Plays1 second ago
🍂 This week, Marvel Snap bugs 🦟 remain unaffected by the cold weather 🥶
For our esteemed listeners’ consideration:
- 🫰 Weeks in Snap
- Prowler 🥷
- ❄️ December card rankings ⚔️✖️
- Secret Homework 🤫: Obscure Marvel character show & tell 🫥🦸♀️
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 - Existential Crisis
- Ben - Noir Surfer
- Ben - Secret Surfer
- Lauren - Scott-ish Sanctum Move
- Ben - Silk Scream 4 (Lauren plays Prowler over Copycat)
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
- 0:22:08 Spider-Man Noir
- 0:22:54 Deafening Chord
- 0:25:56 Prowler
- 0:33:26 Hydro-Man
- 0:35:10 December Card Ratings
- 1:43:00 Secret Homework: Obscure Marvel Characters
- 1:56:55 Next Week's Secret Homework
- 1:59:48 Housekeeping / Closing Remarks
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Secret Homework
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to episode 67 of Snap on This, a Marvel Snap podcast. This week's secret homework, show and tell an obscure Marvel character. I'm your host, Lauren Woodevs, here with my usual amazing, sparkling
Ree's Marvel Snap Frustrations
00:00:14
Speaker
co-hosts. First off, Ree, how was your week in Snap?
00:00:17
Speaker
And keep it snappy. Um, ah so I won't lie. i feel like Snap and i ah have moved our relationship status it's complicated. Because we're like, ah this week, it was like, there's definitely, like, we all remember, like, the honeymoon phase with Snap where you onboarded and everything was new and fresh and exciting. But now we fast forward all the way to the time where I'm like,
00:00:47
Speaker
Honey, sometimes when I open the fridge door, the whole house stops working. and a second dinner looks at me in my PJs and slippers and outside in the blizzard and says, well okay, it's not currently snowing, but it's very cold here. and And it's like, well, okay, but is it that big of a deal if you can just leave the house?
00:01:11
Speaker
unlock it and then come back in again. and I'm just like, a kid not or done you don't understand how this relationship works. Like i I pay for literally everything and you look pretty and entertain me. That's how this relationship has always worked. And one of us is fulfilling our end of the bargain. And okay, sorry for me quiteed gross humor. Okay, but no, I have like, won't say I've like rage quit a lot this week, but a lot of times that I've been like, oh, yeah, what used to be my default, which was like, play Snap, which is now like, oh, yeah, I should play Snap.
Deck Strategies and Surprises
00:01:51
Speaker
you know, for the podcast. And then I open it up and then like something happens, like I lose to a Storm Legion You know, and or or I try to ah filter by my favorites because ah it doesn't save that as a preference. Every time I look at my cards, I'm like, I don't want to see all of my variants of wasps and splits of wasps, please.
00:02:23
Speaker
And when I go to click that, and then the whole game is just like frozen, you know um which I get. I'm a developer. I've had that happen before, but I immediately, immediately went in and and fixed it.
00:02:38
Speaker
There's nothing more infuriating than when some little like bugged piece of code. It's like not even registering. It's just not letting you do anything anyway. so like It soft blocks you on the collection screen. You have to restart the app.
00:02:52
Speaker
it's Right. It's lot of extra friction. Right. and And it's like they're trying to make loading faster, but it's still not – it's still, you know, it's still not, like, super fast. And then you pay for that, and they're like, oh, you know, you get it now, but you pay for it later by, like, having to download in the background, which slows everything else running down.
00:03:14
Speaker
Anyway, so it's just, like, a lot of times, like, I wasn't, like – you know, a furious. But it was I was like, meh. And we quit and we do something else. And it's ended a lot of play sessions. And also, like, I haven't been able to play any of my fun decks because they just, like, i don't know. It might be my fault, but haven't been working good into the current metal.
00:03:38
Speaker
And it's like, I feel like I'm being like punished for for wanting to have fun. Anyway, so what I was playing recently is I went back to... um to my Galactus First Steps deck with Wiccan because it's got a lot of like answers to stuff. And it's like always like, how can I shuffle up to still kind of have fun for me and still like slot in a lot of tech? Really, now I should put in your grief Mercury because everyone's playing move again because of Prowler. you know The brief interlude where some people were playing less move because other things came out.
00:04:16
Speaker
But um I did put White Queen in it because, um you know, she's fun. And I took out Hulkling. and I have Legion in it because, you know, a Legion scam is a Legion scam. I'll never be too high and mighty to pull off the old Legion scam. And people don't. It's like in Storm Legion decks, you you know, you definitely expect that.
Ben's Marvel Snap Experiences
00:04:41
Speaker
And I still can pull off the surprise with mine. It's still got Cosmic Ghost Rider and Wiccan, of course. And Stardust is still pretty good. i don't know who dropped for Mercury. Maybe it's Mobius again, because Red Guardian um does stuff for me. I was briefly playing this.
00:04:58
Speaker
With a Super Scroll, which was so fun into negative decks. They're so cocky sometimes. Nothing's cockier than a negative deck that has, like, look at me with my negative and my Jane. And it's like, don't think you're untouchable.
00:05:12
Speaker
I'll catch you. Anyway, that's just how I feel about negative. Anyway, so, you know, and Speed, honestly, I don't think I was that high on Speed at all when Speed came out. don't know. is just all reliable to me. Sometimes you get mad going through. Speed also smaller.
00:05:30
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Okay. Was he? yeah He's worked out. He's improved himself. Was he not? This would be a lesson to us all. I'll check live, but I don't... I think they've changed him. I think you're right. I don't... Yeah, I guess he did get better something. i think we called him...
00:05:44
Speaker
Boring, but strong. Or, like, strong, but boring. like I just didn't think he got big enough. and i be sort of I'm surprised that he does, I guess. I don't know. Yeah, unchanged from launch.
00:05:56
Speaker
Yeah. I like speed. Good for good for speed. I have noodle speed, too. And you know I'm really i'm really partial to, like, a character. chi Or imaginary noodles. for These probably aren't noodles either. These are definitely not noodles. Something that is not noodles, but with chopsticks. Okay. um yeah so that So that's been doing, well, copycat. Copycat's still a joy. And that's all the cards. So I've swapped some things out. you know I did also try Infinity Ultron in for a while, but but then Legion was too tempting. That's what he went in for.
00:06:35
Speaker
um Yeah, so... Like, that's when I did Snap stuff. Have you been playing Sanctum at all? Oh, I, like, played a game or two. I didn't have fun, and now I'm like, am I gonna?
00:06:55
Speaker
I don't know. i think it's super skippable. wanted some of the cosmetics, maybe, but, like, and not for not not enough, maybe, to do it.
00:07:06
Speaker
I'm still sitting at the end. Like, I was looking at my thing. I'm not infinite yet. And I'm like, didn't i just make a last minute? Didn't that just happen? i have to do it again now? And I don't know if it happened in me.
00:07:19
Speaker
I don't know if it happened in me to be honest. i think that's So, like, unhyped this week. Okay. Ben, I mean, I'm sorry to hear about your relationship with the game, but honestly, it's like very much on second dinner this time. Oh, yeah. Kind of always, but worse than usual this time.
00:07:40
Speaker
Ben, how was your weekend snap? And keep it snappy. ah My Week in Snap was not all that... I mean, it was a little different from Rhi's. I played a lot of Sanctum and not much other Snap. Although, I guess Sanctum's only been going on for a few days. So for several days, I was playing some real Snap there. I was continuing to play my Noir Surfer deck.
00:08:04
Speaker
And i also played some Oh, I should mention... I love that people are loving the Noir Surfer deck, but I also, in the past week, spent some time playing my Golden Gauntlet Surfer deck that I played at Worlds.
00:08:25
Speaker
Gauntlet Surfer, that that one has Cannonball, and ah i suspect I suspect it may be a hair better than the Noir Surfer deck. But here's the thing about the Noir Surfer deck. It's a pretty good deck, too. So ah either one, yeah if you you play those, you'll, I don't know, probably have fun, win some things.
00:08:48
Speaker
um I have also been hating the bugs introduced or exacerbated by the latest patch. Uh, the performance problems are just, it's wild. I'm getting kicked out of so
Game Economics and Bugs
00:09:02
Speaker
many games. I'm reconnecting to so many games. There's so many cards that I'm not allowed to look at. I mean, like it used to be just copycat, but like,
00:09:10
Speaker
ah Now they're like cards where I'm trying to like click on them to or tap on them to see what they do because it's just like a black space where the ah the picture would be and it'll kick me out of the game if I try to look at what the card does. So like that's sort of actively hostile to players and um kind of inexcusable.
00:09:30
Speaker
But to be fair. Second Dinner is just a little mom and pop. They're they're super indie. They can't be expected to handle all this stuff. And it's a miracle that things work as well as they do with their limited resources and, ah you know, their their upstart status.
00:09:51
Speaker
It is really wild they use that in excuse because they are, like, indie and fairly small. But also, like, they're making millions, like... Mm-hmm.
00:10:02
Speaker
i Like, you you need to do something. You owe this to your players. You can buy a AAA video game for less than the price of these bundles that they are, like, selling to people repeatedly. Like, it's just... so It's shameless. What's that?
00:10:18
Speaker
You know there's that one bug where the bundle like screen pops up? Because that's what they've been spending their time on. How can we like throw the bundles in your face when we're not like fix the problems? It's just like it's like there's a priority of the way things get done. And I think they need to adjust that. but like And it's so funny because it pulls up.
00:10:40
Speaker
And it's like got nothing in the middle. And it's like for absolutely... for the trees blue i $9,999.99. Would you get absolutely nothing? And then you have to
00:10:56
Speaker
like exit out of that. Like, no, when I first thought I kept waiting to load, I'm like, no way. They made $1,000. Like those, those greedy, dirty bastards. And then I'm like, oh, it's a bug, but I believed it
00:11:11
Speaker
I think they set the ceiling there for a reason. you know i
00:11:17
Speaker
it's
00:11:19
Speaker
I like the game a lot. And it is playable enough still no I'm coming back. But I have quit so many other games for so much less.
00:11:32
Speaker
If I wasn't as invested of a player as I am, and not just like... sunk cost fallacy stuff but like i like the game i i this is the game i play i have this community i do some content around it it's like if i was just a casual player i would be i would have uninstalled snap so long ago for real
00:11:56
Speaker
yeah so that's that's been a big feature of my weekend snap um also i uh been playing other games as I am wont to do.
00:12:08
Speaker
i ah ah played a little Slay the Spire now every time i pick in venom as the silent. That's, that's the card. We couldn't remember the name of that makes all your attacks, uh, uh, afflict the enemy with a poison.
00:12:23
Speaker
I think you've named her correctly at least once during the episode. Oh no, the, the character. Yes. Yes. I got there. i got there at some point, but, uh, the card, the card we couldn't remember. It's a power.
00:12:35
Speaker
It's called and venom. It costs two, one, if you upgrade it and it makes it so the attacks do poison. Um, And it's it's a great bridge card between Shiv Silent and Poison Silent. So that's cool. Anywho, now every time I play that, I think of Rhi because I know how excited she is about it.
00:12:55
Speaker
And then that's just nice. It's nice to have friends who like cards. and And you can think of your friends when you see the cards they like. And it's it's cool. um ah but but but but but What other things happened in or around Snap? So much Sanctum Showdown.
00:13:12
Speaker
i still love it. I kind of hope they... let it go away for longer next time so that people don't hate it so much because I love it and I'm aware that a lot of other people do not love it.
00:13:27
Speaker
And I think that if they just keep bringing it back every month, people are really going to hate it. And then my favorite mode will be gone. And I would rather have more sanctums over a longer period of time than have sanctum every month for the next three months and then never again because everyone wants to run it out of town like Deadpool's fucking diner. um So, yeah, I don't know. I'm still loving
Sanctum Showdown Analysis
00:13:54
Speaker
it.
00:13:54
Speaker
ah Oh, man, I have such fun. But, ah yeah, i guess I guess that's been a weekend snap. Okay, awesome.
00:14:05
Speaker
ah I've also been playing lots of Sanctum, and my time with Sanctum started earlier because I spent the weekend you know analyzing the economy. And people have been disappointed to learn that that they the premium pass costs just as much as it did before, but it's harder to finish, and it gives you less stuff.
00:14:30
Speaker
Which kind of just, is that not a microcosm of Snap in general? Like, it's just cost the same or maybe even more, but it keeps getting worse. um Yeah.
00:14:43
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's a little disappointing. And that's what I meant when I was telling Rhi. I think it's very skippable. Hydro Man doesn't seem like an especially important card. And you don't, you get like hardly any credits or tokens or anything out of the mode.
00:15:00
Speaker
Um, it's not all doom and gloom. They did make it easier to get the card, which I think is a win. It's... Wednesday, like it's two days after Synctum has been out for two days and I got Hydra Man today. and i Oh yeah, I got him on one refresh. One refresh scrolls. I haven't spent anything. That's crazy.
00:15:18
Speaker
You're better at Synctum than I am. i was I don't know. Your deck is really good though. Yeah. um But yeah, I got Hydra Man and I think i I do really enjoy the mode so I'll play it as long as I'm having fun but I also think there's a good chance that like I get just enough charms to get an emo and then I'm out.
00:15:39
Speaker
cause it's just There's nothing in the shop to buy if you don't care about the cosmetics. And I kind of don't. like There are good variants in there, but I already have good variants for all of the cards.
00:15:53
Speaker
that's Not all the cards in the game, but all the cards that are like Namor, Tribunal, Gamora... those yeah one the one The rotating ones, though. I got i got a Loki for 500 charms that seemed alright. Not that I really play Loki ever, but, you know, i just seemed like it might be nice to have one.
00:16:19
Speaker
I don't know. Well, I'm not super into the emotes, so maybe I'll just watch the rotating shot. I'm there for these green glyph borders, baby. All those green glyphs. ah Sorry, i'm like I keep creeping in with the existential dread here, but like that's what I was telling Lauren before i think you were in and yeah where we the podcast. I was like, oh, this week I finally like i got a like i got an ink split and Red Guardian was Gold Crackle.
00:16:48
Speaker
But I wish i mean it it made me feel something. you know, it was like, oh, used to be really excited about a great split. And was like, oh, cool. But I didn't even like do the work of screenshotting it to share it, which I used to do eagerly and excitedly.
Community Engagement and Card Strategies
00:17:03
Speaker
also got a good split and I screenshotted it, but I did not share it. Mine was Patroak the Leaper. I got inked with Black Crackle.
00:17:16
Speaker
And really, I'm just there for the ink. I just, I want to have fully inked edX. I have been working on Nico, just trying to get blue or purple crackle. I finally got it this week. ah For my brand new Chris Anka variant.
00:17:29
Speaker
um Yeah, she's very pretty. ah is is Hey, we did a cosmetics corner. Look at us. my gosh. I forgot about that. That was like joke from early on. Uh-huh.
00:17:43
Speaker
We did cosmetics corner. Oh, wow. We're the best. you know there might be another um There might be another throwback later at some point. We'll see.
00:17:54
Speaker
Even the green glyph borders have gotten worse, though. They still only cost 200 charms, but you can only buy six. Yeah. and And last month, they were unlimited. Unlimited, yeah. i felt I felt like a chump for not coming back and grinding for them harder.
00:18:10
Speaker
I have enough that my whole Sanctum deck is all glyphed out, and I have enough spare that I could change a lot of cards in it and keep it keep it green and glyphy. Keep it glyphy!
00:18:22
Speaker
okay It is a very fun idea to have all green glyphs on your Sanctum deck, at least. Keep it glyphy. Is that the title?
00:18:32
Speaker
Keep it glyphic? I don't know. I don't know. way better I'm sure somebody will say something sillier than that. I'll put the decks that I've been playing in in the show notes.
00:18:44
Speaker
um I've been playing a spin on Scott's move deck from Last Sanctum. i i I threw Spider Punk in there. And it was already my own spin. I had Adam Warlock in there because this deck is so dependent on getting a move scaler.
00:19:00
Speaker
But once you do get that scalar, it doesn't matter if it, I mean, torch is obviously best, but if it's dagger or punk, totally fine because you just take every single sanctum once it gets big enough.
00:19:12
Speaker
Until Shang-Chi shows up. Oh my gosh. Hardly anybody's running Shang. It's fine. I don't know why. Shang-Chi is really good in sanctum showdown. Like all you need to do is not have priority. And then like you're guaranteed a six or at some point in your future.
00:19:28
Speaker
Yeah, well, speaking of Shang-Chi, who really should be around more, like, Sauron decks are everywhere in this Yeah, there's so many targets, just like, ah did just lousy with 10+.
00:19:42
Speaker
Ben's deck from last time. Silkscream, which is a vestigial name. It is a screamless deck. I've have changed the name now. i've I've finally abandoned it. Oh, really? yeah What if you named it?
00:19:56
Speaker
No, I just call it Sanctum Silk because the name is a bit confusing. and like I want people to want to play it. I want people to like play it because it will help them. It it will get you there, but you know people are scared of things that don't make sense.
00:20:12
Speaker
it's end And Spider-Man. It's a Scream deck. Kinda, yeah. And it did have it did have Scream that several Sanctums ago. Okay, so I understand why, like, we can we can still call it Silk Scream here on the podcast, but on my Blue scratch on my on my blue Sky, I posted it under Sanctum. just posted it today on Twitter as Silk Scream. That's alright, that's alright. first comment I got was, where's Scream? Yeah.
00:20:39
Speaker
That's the thing. Can you blame them, though? i can't. Here's the deck. It is Batroc, Hydra Bob, who's just... I mean, they're both excellent in Sanctum, let's be real. You have to believe in Bob. He will take Sanctums for you.
00:20:54
Speaker
And even better if he gets the backup from Batroc. Kraven, Merlin, Spider-Man, Silk. Silk, I did not understand. I was trying so hard to understand. Why would you play Silk in in Sanctum? Because your opponent plays one card on the Sanctum and she's gone. But, you know, if you don't have Prioth, just attack the Sanctum with Silk. and And you know what? Even if she does leave the Sanctum, it's fine. She's helping Hydra Stomper. She's helping Kraven.
00:21:21
Speaker
She's worth it. Hydra Stomper, and then Prowler. This is copycat in the old version, but Prowler has fit in beautifully, and it's very easy to get the zero-cost skills with this deck.
00:21:33
Speaker
Polaris, Shang-Chi, Miles Morales, Spider-Man, and Stegron, who of course is also a very good Sanctum card. um This deck took me like...
00:21:47
Speaker
It took me a handful of games to
New Card Releases and Impacts
00:21:49
Speaker
figure out. I lost those ones pretty quickly or ah pretty severely. But other than that, like the win rate with this thing has been very, very good. Takes a long time to bleed scrolls.
00:22:00
Speaker
Yeah. I highly suggest learning it. It is a great deck.
00:22:07
Speaker
OK, we are going to get some quick thoughts in on last week's cards. I don't know. Actually, do we have anything more to say about Spider-Man or you already brought up your deck? uh yeah keep uh trying him and stuff i know he works in surfer i think it's possible he works somewhere else but uh yeah fun fun surfer card uh there i i've still been experimenting with alternate versions of that list i'm not going to tell you about them because i'm not confident that they're any better than the version that i told you about last week but uh real card keep uh keep paying attention that's that's what i say okay
00:22:45
Speaker
I don't know if it'll ever be a a spike card, but your surfer deck is the closest I've seen to it being properly strong. Somewhat reliable. And then Deafening Chord came out, and it's that one-cost skill that afflict on reveal afflicts an enemy character here that costs three or less with minus one power and remove its text.
00:23:06
Speaker
I've seen a lot of people, I've seen like very mixed reaction on it. I think most people were expecting it to be strong and I've seen a mixed reaction and some people are like, oh, it's missing the card I want a lot or it's like it's losing the 50-50. It's hitting Squirrel Girl instead of Madam Web, which, you know, like i mean that's not what what Red Guardian would do, but but there are plenty of situations where Red Guardian just loses 100% of the time and Deafening Court at least gets the fifty fifty You know, like, Defening Chord can hit a Morbius that already has power.
00:23:38
Speaker
um Yeah. so So I i' am haven't used it a ton, but i it seems strong to me. I also, i wish I'd had more experience with it, but, like, with Sanctum and stuff. But, yeah, I just, um I also can't believe it's, i i I doubt the people who think it's bad, and I suspect it's at least fine. Oh, but you know what's not fine?
00:24:06
Speaker
ah It's not a chord. It's just one note. Oh, is it? Oh, no. Great job, second dinner. Also, the mosh pit location, the the guitar sound that that plays when mosh pit reveals...
00:24:21
Speaker
makes it it's like also just one sustained note that sounds like it's from like a power ballad or something and not a punk rock song that you could mosh to um yeah they the they're just not very punk rock People are playing it wrong. So I haven't been a swim, partially because I've been playing a lot of decks built to, like, not have stuff for other people to ruin. Like, no, I am the ruiner of things, not you. But so, um like, they've been but they've been hitting my, like, Quicksilver Domino with Deafening Chord. And the rule is this thing costs one.
00:25:01
Speaker
So if you... you it is and it only removes one power. So unless playing it is doing something else for you, like you're playing it on top of something to gain power, or it is in some way doing something, it's worth it to hold it back. until like It's like, don't play it on purpose. Even if it's a waste, even if means you might not have the opportunity to play it later, they could have held it back and had a chance at hitting my speed or something like that. So it's like...
00:25:29
Speaker
You know, like, don't, uh, sometimes it's okay to hold it back and then be wrong. Like, and not get to play it out later than to get the minus one power now and definitely nothing.
00:25:43
Speaker
Yeah. and So people are playing it wrong and then also just, like, remembering only the bad times on the 50-50s and not all the good times. Yeah.
00:25:54
Speaker
okay This week's card, Prowler, we are recording a day early because of the American holiday on Thursday. ah So we, I don't know if you two have had any Scottish play, the American holiday, like we're just not going to say its name.
00:26:12
Speaker
No. it's Fair enough. Fair enough. The one that's on Thursdays in November. um Turkeys are involved. I think ah the prowler three, four on reveal at two thieves tools to your hand, set their costs to zero. If a card moved last turn,
00:26:31
Speaker
I grabbed him. Obviously I've been playing him in Sanctum. I tried him in like a couple other places. um How about you two? I grabbed him right away. i have not... i I know that other people are trying him in my Sanctum deck. I haven't tried him there yet.
00:26:49
Speaker
um Also, last week, i this this was the other... i I didn't get around to invoking this particular example, but ah the Flight Harness is another example of how the the team only knows how to do like one thing with move right now, and that's move and give flat stats, which ah is like...
00:27:09
Speaker
We're all trying to find the guy who did this, like Human Torch. Sorry, like Second Dinner is in the hot dog suit here. Like they just, they keep printing cards that move and give flat stats. And that's that's how you get Human Torch problems, guys. you You print cards that are good with Human Torch and then Human Torch is good.
00:27:28
Speaker
I just, I don't even know. i don't even know. They're
00:27:35
Speaker
ah well We'll get into it later in the card ratings, but like I don't know if these people understand what their cards do. or this is yeah yeah But yeah, Prowler seems strong. That's been my impression from what little I've seen of him so far, and it matches my expectations based on my ability to read.
00:27:55
Speaker
Great. Rhi? Okay. um First thing have to say, because I've been sitting here looking at it, that every time see Prowler, i have to remember when we were doing our character playlist, I did choose a serious song for Prowler, but I was so tempted. There's a song called Trinkets by Ashnikko. It's like, oh, maybe I'm a crow. I like shiny things. and so Which, of course, for me, was like, ooh.
00:28:22
Speaker
Oh, yeah, me too. Okay, but like, um so now, and I almost wanted to pick that for Prowler because I was just imagining and like Prowler prancing around going like, I'm a little trinket girl, like the song.
00:28:36
Speaker
And every time I see him now in the game, I just like that plays in my head and it makes Prowler
Prowler Card Analysis
00:28:41
Speaker
very silly. But I didn't get Prowler because it would be all of my tokens. So maybe I will because it does seem like a lot of fun because I have been playing Prowler at home, which is when your coffee cat copies their Prowler. and it's so fun because if they play Prowler,
00:28:59
Speaker
usually doing the move shit for You're doing the move. Mm-hmm. So you get the zero cost. And i'm like, oh, these abilities are cool. i like this. And Coffee Cat's even a little beefier. So you think Breller a little trinket girl.
00:29:14
Speaker
see that makes me think that maybe his theme song is um yeah part part of your world from The the Little Mermaid. Mm. Can't you just picture him in Ariel Strato looking around at all his his little his thief's tools?
00:29:32
Speaker
Which one's the dinglehopper, do you suppose? The Vibroshock Gauntlets. For sure. Yeah. Um... Again, with the same like caveat that like this is only one day of Prowler, I have been impressed with the card. It is strong. It is fun. I have seen some people saying it goes in every deck or that it's super flexible. I don't think it's quite that good.
00:29:55
Speaker
um i think three four is not like the skills are good enough that they're worth playing even at one cost but like that is a big hit to have to spend two more energy than you would have if they were free it's true he's just a three four and like you know the mines being a one four that's very cool or a zero four Yeah. Obviously. Also, who's self-actualized to look at this card and be like, yeah, I don't want to get full value out of it. I just want to throw it in and play those one-cost. How do you not want to just put in cards? It's like, because it's synergized. You could get more synergy.
00:30:35
Speaker
Things could be more synergistic. Don't you want max synergy? What is it? This is a max. But also a lot of things move. If he's the only thing you can afford on turn three and nothing has moved, is it worth playing him? I think. Oh, yes.
00:30:48
Speaker
I think so. Instead of holding him for when a move is happening. Yep. You'll find an opportunity to squeeze in a tool or two. There's so many things that move, and moving is so useful. There are so many things that move, and sometimes you can count on your opponent to do it or a location to do it. It's like, I want Prowler, but I want to like put a ball and chain around his leg. just drag him down a little bit. It's like, don't do that to Prowler. Okay.
00:31:16
Speaker
Hey. ah fun card worth having i would say comparable to a Kate Bishop like obviously like design wise it seems similar but also like she's good and flexible but that doesn't mean you can just put her in anything she's best when she has some synergy going on don't you really want to put them in a deck to together they know yeah have a whole bunch of little legs a werewolf totally you could Oh, man.
00:31:47
Speaker
I've been taking down so many werewolves with, like, Red Guardian and Cotton. They, like, don't see it coming. It's like... You left your... Like, don't... People, like, don't think... Like, when you play cards, play them like they're gonna do it. If it doesn't matter to you, then always play them like they're gonna Negasonic if they have Pryo and put your last important card last. Just a good habit. If you don't need to leave a card alone in the field, vulnerable. Vulnerable, vulnerable a, you know, to a rational, like, and just like, like, don't do it. People don't think. Play paranoid. Fear everything.
00:32:31
Speaker
yeah There's usually a reason to play whatever card you're playing wherever and whenever. Just remember all the reasons that you would have to worry about things.
00:32:42
Speaker
Hold your if you can if you can, you can, know, put your your Morbius, put things, your important stuff behind where it can't get Cosmic Ghost Rider. You know what i mean? Just like automatically be doing these things anyway. Just, you know, just protect yourself at all times.
00:33:00
Speaker
Because you never know what they might have gotten off of, you know, locations or something. They they might have a card that you don't expect. So just act act like they've got all the cards.
00:33:13
Speaker
Yeah. You're going to see the tech that works against your deck the most because it's the tech that works against your deck. um So people will play it instead of just holding it. Okay.
00:33:26
Speaker
next own hydra man's out we'll talk about him next week because he's fairly new um vibe check also fairly unremarkable there's that too vibe check on him i think something that we all missed talking about is black widow and i think that's kind of real um yeah that's it uh it's definitely cute and you know what cute things win cubes yeah so Black Widow doesn't see hardly any anymore.
00:33:56
Speaker
so you can, like, Jocasta that stuff now? That seems real obnoxious. but also it can You double Black Widow again on Ink! But also, you can play Hydro Man and activate her on turn five, so they don't get the card.
00:34:12
Speaker
Um... ah We thought of other other synergies, but I don't think we ever called out that one. I don't think it's i don't think it's enough to make Hydro Man the right thing.
00:34:27
Speaker
I don't know. I could be wrong. We'll see.
00:34:32
Speaker
He seems decent in Darkhawk because Darkhawk can play Black Widow. Also, Darkhawk, I don't know if there's a way you can do this, but if you can reliably Korg after Hydro Man, that shuffles their deck.
00:34:45
Speaker
Yeah, you need him. You're running Snow something. Give him one-cost rock. Yeah. And then if you're one-cost, if the card that Hydro Man hits is either Mystique or Darkhawk, like, you're pretty happy about that.
00:34:56
Speaker
Then... I'm into it.
00:35:01
Speaker
Okay. Only 40 minutes so far. Should we just push through? Or do you want to intermish? I'm happy to push go way. Okay, let's do it. Push. We're going to rank ah the other cards coming next week. we're gonna We're not going to talk about them in the vibe check because we're ranking all of the Weapon X cards right now.
00:35:20
Speaker
Season Pass card. three You'll be up first. Okay, is this what is weapon X the season pass card? Yeah, that it so it says weapon X Wolverine.
00:35:31
Speaker
ah or just weapon X. Okay. After one of your other cards is destroyed, plus one power after every third time, improve this effect by one.
00:35:42
Speaker
Zero with three. they added a little RPG to the game. That's what I think about this. Okay, definitely compared. um if I mean, that feels like it's going to be um like, right, like that's that's pretty good. I mean, you're destroying a lot of things in destroy. um so it's definitely you're putting it in ah an industry.
00:36:09
Speaker
but ah How many things? It's got to be like a three out of four, right? To like... Oh...
00:36:19
Speaker
oh But you don't want Weapon X itself to be destroyed. That's right. This one does not come back. ah But I do so like destroying
Weapon X Card Discussion
00:36:30
Speaker
things. And I like things to reward me. I like things to thank me as I break them. um That does make it less good now because it's like then I only want to destroy it once it's already big enough ah that its power is useful. Okay, I'm locking it down to a two.
00:36:50
Speaker
Okay. And I didn't introduce this properly, but we rank out of four. Ben. I also gave this one a two. ah The things that I thought were remarkable about Weapon X are that he has to be on the board to see all that stuff get destroyed.
00:37:07
Speaker
He doesn't count from the beginning of time, like Hydrastomper or Mobius or Null. or you yeah we We know the ones. um But, yeah. And... My second bullet point, this Wolverine does not himself regenerate. So, like, ah you got to keep him alive while he's there on the board. So, play him early. Never never play a destroy card in that lane ever again. And somehow destroy 9 like, what, Is the destroy where you get the plus Is that right? um That's pretty exciting.
00:37:44
Speaker
um so I don't like the promises there. That's for sure. But I think it's ah which if we. phoenix yes
00:37:55
Speaker
That you mean you kill him back. You're avoiding to kill him. Yeah. Yeah. Which then is like, OK, so if you're playing with X-23 or Wolverine and they bounce over to his lane like.
00:38:07
Speaker
Yep. Then you can't. trouble You can't do it there. They're trapped. Yep, so I think that alone is, like, pretty damn clunky. And my third thing is, if we put it in the context of the rest of the season, I think it's interesting that the season pass card does not seem eager to participate in any destroy-slash-discard hybrid strategy stuff, you know? Yeah, a question, is it, like, per instance, like, if you ultra if you do, like, a desperate thing, would he get one for each drone destroyed, or no? Killmonger is going to be his best friend.
00:38:38
Speaker
Because that's the way that you rack up tons of hits. So I was totally wrong that he's going to be in a regular destroy deck. And this is more like Gennic-y stuff like fire here. That's what I think.
00:38:50
Speaker
ah So yeah, I'm also a two. He can get really big, but you have to pay for that. Like, you are slowing down your traditional destroy deck if you're paying two energy on Weapon X instead of on a destroyer or... Sorry, a card that can do destroy. Or Wolverine Classic.
00:39:10
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah, I think that he's a huge tempo loss for those decks. And yeah, you're going to destroy... five, six things pretty easily in a traditional destroy deck, but that's without spending too energy on Weapon X. um And so i think you have to put him in a special kind of deck. And like every deck with Weapon X is going to have death in it.
00:39:30
Speaker
i think it probably has a Killmonger strategy most of the time because that's how you get the most things out there. you know And he he gets big, but I don't think that... ah like It'll be a fun new flavor of Destroy, but I don't think it competes with the existing strong Destroy. also think you're unlikely to get more than two cubes.
00:39:53
Speaker
Because they'll just retreat. That's true. Okay. Ben on the Super Premium Season Pass. Ooh, on the super premium season pass. Which will also release in Series 5 on day one.
00:40:07
Speaker
It's my favorite card. Well, maybe my second favorite card. Adamantium Infusion. That's a skill. One of those freestanding skill cards that I love and think are great for the game. ah Costs 4 energy. On reveal, revive your highest power destroyed card here with its power doubled.
00:40:29
Speaker
um This is somewhat unrelated, but like, why doesn't Shang-Chi do highest power yet? They should really get on that. I feel like that's that's inevitably where he's going and they should do it. Okay. But this card, this card, this wonderful card, um...
00:40:46
Speaker
When we had Scott on, he rhetorically inquired whose skill adamantium infusion was. And I, of course, blurted out Dr. Cornelius, which is the correct answer and would have been a better card. um So I don't know. I just sort of despise this. It's going to be very good. um Doubling things is pretty good. And it's one of the two effects that they know about, moving and adding flat stats and doubling stuff. Those are the kinds of cards now. um So this is unsurprising.
00:41:16
Speaker
um it's gonna be good man spider's good it's uh destroy stuff is good like wait it's good to bring things back and i mean like it's gonna be good with fastball special it's just it's a good card i i hope that i hope that for some reason being four somehow makes it clunky except like a lot of Forecasts have not proven to be clunky.
00:41:43
Speaker
ah This one doesn't have activate or anything. um You can, you know what? You can even, you can even play it. You could astral projection this card. i I don't know. There's, I just think this card's going to be a problem. I guess I have to give it a number. i think I'm, I'm going to be optimistic and call this card a three, but I suspect it's a four. Okay.
00:42:09
Speaker
ah It's a four for me. I think it's just... It's really strong, and it does things that existing decks like to do. You don't see a lot of Fire Lord out there, but you do see some Phoenix Force, and it just does that better for most things, right? Like, for multiple man, the movement is actually really important, but for a lot of things, they would they would be okay with giving up the movement if it meant they got to come back double big.
00:42:33
Speaker
yeah You do this with something like Kid Omega, eat a huge Venom, and bring it back, and it's doubled? That's just... yeah Honestly, these these two skill cards are like trying to make Kid Omega look bad, it seems to me.
00:42:48
Speaker
It's like it does just a Shuri thing, kind of like without telegraphing it. yeah Much more abruptly. It has to be in a certain type of deck. One step extra. You got to destroy a thing.
00:43:03
Speaker
yeah but but you'd like But there are so many incentives to do that. Even just like if we're just looking at these cards and ignoring all previous cards. like i don't know. I don't really think that having to destroy is a downside as much as it is just like... A commitment to a lifestyle. Only for this certain type of deck.
00:43:25
Speaker
think downside. I'm just saying it's an extra step. That's kind of, I was looking at this and I was kind of like at a 3.5 because
Card Comparisons and Effectiveness
00:43:32
Speaker
I agree. I mean, I think it's like, obviously when it does the thing, it'll do it well, like most things. And I would put it there. I even think it's like, it's fine. i only get cautious when you hear when I hear all this like, oh it's so good. It's like, well, it's still, you know, you still got to put in the work and like, you know, um but yeah, no, there's things that gets around, like, like even, right like just the ability to like, like maybe your opponent will just shang something for you solve your, you know, problems or like, even like, it seems, feels like you could play it on things like Death's right? Because it'll revive it. I don't think it would destroy it in that situation. are correct.
00:44:12
Speaker
yeah So, like, you know, it does a lot of useful, good stuff and being a surprise, which probably makes up for the, you know, the extra step of of having to get something to a high level enough and then destroy it. But, um...
00:44:30
Speaker
And it's, yeah, it'll be fun. I thought of Phoenix Force immediately too. Maybe even it goes in some decks with that. But it's the kind of card that seems both fun that you want to build a deck for, like that's worth getting. It's a bummer that this one is the super premium instead of the season pass because it seems vastly more interesting to me to be honest. Something i'd rather play with, something that seems like it'll be better. Whereas Weapon X seems like it'll be tricky and not as fun. Yeah, I'm really surprised Weapon X is the season pass. Not by the character. Like, obviously, Wolverine is a well-known character, but it seems like a really niche card.
00:45:13
Speaker
Yeah, I also don't like this. ah it It seems clear to me that the super premium season pass card is straight up better than the regular season pass card, which I don't love.
00:45:27
Speaker
Like in previous seasons. We had that in season. What was the... Sparky and Viv? Oh, yeah. Well, at least Sparky is niche. And also the current season, Man Spider is probably better than Spider Punk.
00:45:42
Speaker
Oh, true. Yeah, I guess i guess now it's a trend. It wasn't as obvious as it was to us now. Like, we looked at those cards and we didn't immediately maybe, like, be like, way unbalanced. And this time we're like...
00:45:55
Speaker
This one! It's very obvious. I think we were pretty suspicious of Sparky before Sparky came out. and i was pretty confident that Fighter was a good card. Zombie Scarlet Witch was better than Headpool, so you know maybe maybe it's...
00:46:11
Speaker
coincidence. Was she? i think so. think zombies are more popular than Headpool right now. One of them needed to get buffed. Headpool never buffed. I think. Did I take? Yeah, because it's like the problem is eventually you just have too many little cards in Deadpool and it's like it's it was hard to let. I probably should let Agony go instead.
00:46:38
Speaker
But you know. Anyway, I think Gagany's got to be there in a Deadpool deck. That's what I'm saying. he felt like the cuttable card, it was said.
00:46:50
Speaker
If you haven't tried the six ones deck yet, Rhi, I should send that to you. That's it. Oh, yeah, I don't think I've tried that. Chamber, a two, three, activate, plus two power for each five cost or higher card you have here and in hand.
00:47:08
Speaker
Another card like Weapon X that's very face-up. Oh, Reed, can you commit to a three or a four on your adamantium infusion? You said three. Oh, um okay. Let's give it a three, yeah yeah. For the record, which everybody keeps extensive. For the record.
00:47:27
Speaker
Chamber's very face-up, and I think um easier than Weapon X in the right deck, but... I don't know. I'm not impressed by this card.
00:47:39
Speaker
i yeah i think it's awkward to have a whole bunch of five plus cards and there are decks that can do it. um You know, say Hela or.
00:47:53
Speaker
Like, do you do this with zombie Galacti? You don't do this with anything. Like, just I. The deuce is not worth the squeeze even remotely. If he gets three hits, he's a 2-9. Like, that's okay. Yeah, if you get three hits, can you guarantee you're going to get three hits every time? And also, is a 2-9 even that much to write home about? You know, there's another 2-9 that we're going to talk about in a second that's way easier to guarantee.
00:48:19
Speaker
i agree. So, Chamber is a 1 for me. a one for me Two's probably more accurate, but I just like... Is it? i I think you got it the first time. That's the main thing. It's in the shadow of so many other twos.
00:48:34
Speaker
Rhi. Okay. Yeah, I see a lot of problems with this card. So if you think about a deck where you're putting it... Because look, even cards that are going high power are often starting in the forecast. you know if you Because I was like, do I put this with... so And it's like, no, because Typhoid Mary, because Starbrand, you know, so you're not going there. And then it's like if you're putting a lot of like five and six card decks, you're looking for your lower cards to be ramp cards because it's your big cards that are usually getting you the power and payout, right? Right.
00:49:11
Speaker
So, like, you'd be wanting to pair this, since this is a power card, with with higher cost cards that make maybe don't give you the power. So it could solve the problem of, like, where sometimes I've tried to play, like, Ravonna decks with, like, Iron Man and I can't get enough power to duplicate. So, like, you're building a kind of weird deck with it for sure. Yeah.
00:49:35
Speaker
um And it's awkward. It's activate. It's going to be, like I said, if you're building a deck with a lot of high cost cards in your hand. then, like, you're probably leaving him alone in the field vulnerable to Red Guardian. And then it's like, that's why it's like something like a Psylocke would be better. so You know what i mean? Something that helps you ramp. So it's just like, it's just like awkward for me.
00:50:01
Speaker
i would, I want to say there's something, there's at least one tricky deck you could build with it with some like... shenanigans fives you know where you need some power but like yeah i would give it like ah i'm i'm all about the point five so like we'll round it down to a one okay all right well i'm trying to i'm trying to be as optimistic as possible so i will i will mention that you know like maybe there is a deck with some fives
00:50:33
Speaker
It's not here yet though, because you know why? This ah this small big friendship angle is very dragon coded. this is ah This is like on brand for the dragon season. it's ah It's a little two who wants you to be playing five costs or higher. um that' cut So it's very dragon-y except that all those cards, all those cards in that thematic vein from dragon season, those cards all look good. And this card looks like hot garbage. There's no reason to play this card ever at all. This is a one.
00:51:01
Speaker
Stinky-poo-boo.
00:51:04
Speaker
wow Like, whoa! Like, Chamer's just like, gosh, I just i just said hello.
00:51:12
Speaker
Snap fan and Snap Zone are showing a different schedule for this season. i had and don't know if Wildchild is the first week or not, so we're we're going to go with with Zone. ah Wade Wilson. This is for Rhi, but it's going to be a limited time event card.
00:51:29
Speaker
Okay. ah Wade Wilson is a 2-2.
00:51:33
Speaker
When destroyed, replace this with a one-cost card from your hand or deck with plus one power. Oh, it's a little Deadpool finder. How cute. How perfectly adorable.
00:51:48
Speaker
Okay, immediately this is like... Now this this is the thing you do want to put in a deck. Because like part of the problem about like going all in on Deadpool, um which actually is harder to do once they move Taskmaster to cost six.
00:52:03
Speaker
Unless you've got X-23 out, um you usually just null, doing a null. ah deadpool But, like, this is a Deadpool finder.
00:52:14
Speaker
And it's already good because, like, even if it doesn't find your Deadpool, you always love to see an X-23. No one's mad. No one's ever mad. No one's, like, curse you, X-23. Weren't you a Deadpool? You're like, no, welcome to the party.
00:52:28
Speaker
Okay. um And ah so, yeah, I'm going to give it a three. I mean, it's like a destroyer. I mean, because it's a wind destroyed, so it is a destroy deck.
00:52:40
Speaker
um But, like, it's going to feel like you're going to really want it. Way more than Weapon X do you want this. Okay. Ben? Hmm. Well, I was a little less excited about this one.
00:52:53
Speaker
um
00:52:56
Speaker
I think it's I think the nicest thing I can say about Wade Wilson is that he thins your deck. Maybe. um How many ones does he want you to run? Just the pools? just Oh my gosh, Agony?
00:53:14
Speaker
You've got like so many ones you can in a Deadpool deck. Do you want to run that many? like Are you trying to do a specific thing with Wade Wilson? Are you just trying to get ah card out? I'm not convinced that you want to run a million ones if you're really trying to take advantage of the card. He's got anti-synergy with Nico.
00:53:32
Speaker
I mean, okay, yeah, you're right. i mean, so, like, maybe you're crapping down a bit, but, like, also X-23 is a lot of destroy decks. You're really hoping for that, especially if you did pull Deadpool to get that extra energy to drop, like, an old Deadpool and stuff. So, like, even if, like, I would cut, i would cut, me I would put in other cards...
00:53:54
Speaker
And try cutting Nico and if I needed to and stuff and throw Head Pull back in for this to guarantee I'm getting Deadpool X-23. Okay.
00:54:06
Speaker
But... If we have two one-costs in the deck, if we have three one-costs in the deck, I'm saying there's a pretty high chance that you're going to have a one-cost in your hand, and that might be what he pulls out, and that's not very good if if he pulls a card from your hand, because then you're not drawing a card, you're not thinning. Okay, but here, but but riddle me this. What if you're like, this happens in Destroy. We're just on the on the nature of how things occurred. You're like, I really wish I had the energy to play some of these one-drops.
00:54:42
Speaker
and venom or you know and carnage and and you just don't have the energy for it all so you usually prioritize deadpool or x mate whatever you know you're playing but with this if wade wilson gets destroyed first it could play something that would then also get from your hand get destroyed and like that would be cute if you're waiting for turn three to go because the venom would capture the scene ah If you're waiting for turn three to get your Deadpool onto the board, I think you're probably losing. Yep.
00:55:16
Speaker
I think this card's real bad. Sometimes Deadpool's just a to but side piece, though. Sometimes Deadpool isn't your main action of how you're going to win. That doesn't mean you just ice him out of everything if you have the energy. I'm just saying...
00:55:30
Speaker
i think you know i don't I've played enough Destroy to say i would i would I would try this because there are definite times when I'm like, i sure wish I got an X-23 earlier and I had more energy now.
00:55:43
Speaker
Yeah. I don't think any deck wants to make room for this guy, and I'll give him a two, but I'm just being nice. left to I think this one's a stinker.
00:55:56
Speaker
uh he's like a low two for me it helps me feel better about chamber one because chamber is like a bad card you are doing something wrong with chambers near this one at least does have promise wade wilson i think is playable thinning your deck is a good thing you can control it if he's going to thin because you can make sure there's no ones in your hand um But I think he's just a little too slow. I think getting any of the ones on turn three at the soonest, and then you can't destroy them until turn four, think it's just too slow. think he needs to be a one. And even then, I don't know if he really fits in the deck. No, if he's a one, he'll be amazing.
00:56:38
Speaker
he'd be a three at best. I mean, I'm saying, amazing where, like, oh, it's way too OP. I'm just like, I'll get him now for when they buff him down to one cost.
00:56:52
Speaker
I'm not confident. I like something that finds cards. Things that find on cards. They don't rescue every card the way they used to. this one's an event card, too. Not card people are paying. Zombie Captain Marvel is still just Zombie Captain Marvel as she released. Like, they don't fix every card now. I don't have her still.
00:57:10
Speaker
That's why they haven't fixed her. I also want her, though, and would have fun. So, I don't know. But I think Lauren might be right that they're not going to buff Spider Punk, which is wild because he's not good. Yeah. kind of don't think that they'll buff Wade. I think that they are there's a chance that they're just being way too cautious on this one by making him a two because he's a tutor and he thins things.
00:57:32
Speaker
But... it's yeah's It's too slow. he He only thins things if you don't have one cost in your hand. well yeah If you have him on two, right? And you play what you you play him on because you didn't have like Wolverine or whatever.
00:57:51
Speaker
you play Carnage. And then yeah and then he pulls like your Deadpool that you didn't pull. and then you That's already in the lane. And the next thing you put a Destroyer. That is such a late Deadpool.
00:58:03
Speaker
He is a plus one at that point, so you can end up with Deadpool. He'd be a two. You could destroy him twice. I would like it a lot better if you could pull it and then and then it could get destroyed yeah as well. I think that that would help it a lot, too. Yeah, if if he pulled a one cost that he then destroyed in a chain reaction. Because you're right, Elite Deadpool is Maybe Deadpool's not what you're pulling with it.
00:58:31
Speaker
Oh, i don't think there's anything else. But also, thinking deck of those one drops, just so to make sure you draw your gnoll or your death, has value too. How much angel are you running these days? angel doesn't also find me a specific card. It just pulls itself.
00:58:51
Speaker
This card, I mean like. OK, don't know. Maybe I'm too high on it.
00:58:59
Speaker
ah When I heard Glazer talk about this card months ago, he was super high on it. So you're not you're not alone.
Evaluation of Maverick and Fastball Special
00:59:09
Speaker
Say that. um I have a hard time imagining a deck that wants this more than Wolverine. Yeah. Ben with weapon H. Who, baby weapon H. It's a seven fourteen.
00:59:27
Speaker
When discarded, put this back with minus two cost. um I got some thoughts about this card. My first inclination was to hand it a four because this is one too many returns to hand cards now, especially good ones. ah We got Apocalypse. We got Scorn. We got mostly Khonshu.
00:59:52
Speaker
We've got Weapon h now Now I'm wondering, like... am I, ah am I allowed to maybe find a way to play hell cow? I'm now I'm thinking like, is there a way I can play more cards that discard two or more cards in a turn? Cause like Corvus glaive is so low risk now. So like there's just no reason not to play Corvus glaive with so many cards that go back to your hand. Like you don't have to worry about it. There's like, what's the worst that could happen? You might lose one real card.
01:00:21
Speaker
Um, in a discard deck with like all these things it's gonna make your late game with dracula discard much more flexible uh there will be all kinds of questions about what you might play and what you might save for him to you know do his thing um yeah i just think i think this is one too many returns to hand cards and it's a problem
01:00:47
Speaker
And ah if the the stats are good. 14 is a big number. And ah if you play it for three, that's still pretty good. If you play it for one or zero, that's bananas.
01:01:00
Speaker
um Yeah, i I just think this card's pretty nuts. i I don't know. I think I will give it a four. I i gave i gave Adamantium and Infusion a three so that I could have a little more juice to to hand out elsewhere, I guess.
01:01:15
Speaker
So I'm more excited about weapon h So, yeah, this one gets to be a four. one's pretty easy to give either a three or four because it definitely has a home.
01:01:27
Speaker
There are decks that this upgrades, no doubt. um I think I'll give it a four also. i think Black Knight likes it. Black Knight also likes Infinite. Oh yeah, Black Knight loves this.
01:01:41
Speaker
Or Ghost Rider. This is like kind of takes one step out. You don't have to worry about bringing back the Infinite. I think that might be worth the trade-off. Mm-hmm. Or maybe you run both, Infinite and Weapon H. Could be. ah that's ah That's a good good to call. i didn't i didn't I never think about Black Knight ever at all, so good for you.
01:02:04
Speaker
But I'm with you in the other places that it belongs. um For a second I was thinking, oh, this is a Helicar too, but then you you can't you can't truly discard it. that's one place it doesn't go. Yeah.
01:02:15
Speaker
yeah Hela has to wait until January to get its Finpeng Foom for the upgrade. Oh my gosh. That's ridiculous. I don't think there's a lot more to say about this. like It's just big stats. I like seeing text boxes that are simple. we We are getting fewer of them these days, and so it's nice to have a few of them.
01:02:35
Speaker
Because I think there's still good design space that that doesn't have be complicated. It doesn't all have to be doubles and move plus flat stats. Yeah. Yeah. And I think complicated complicated abilities are fun too, but there's something charming about elegant text. Mm-hmm.
01:02:54
Speaker
Rhea? Yeah, I mean, gave it a three. i think, like, it's, it is you know, as someone who is a big enjoyer of non-Bullseye discard, for sure this goes in there. Fits right into that last nonsense I was doing with Wong Modok, you know? right And, ah yeah, I would love to play a Swiss and Black Knight. so and But obviously you are, you know, i putting it into a discard deck. and And not every single discard deck, but, like, it's going to be, you know, going to be good in its lane. So um that's, yeah. We're instead not much more to say about it than what has already been said. Okay.
01:03:35
Speaker
Maverick, another Series 5. A 3-3. Activate. Give the next card you play power equal to this card's power. i think this one's kind of tough because it feels like it is ah very sensitive to balance changes.
01:03:51
Speaker
Every time you adjust its power, you're like it's a double impact. amazing And of course, as an activate, it would be very sensitive to being either a 2 cost or a 4 cost.
01:04:01
Speaker
It would make a massive difference in how playable it is. Seems like a shoe-in for Surfer. Not just because it's a 3-week-it Surfer. It's like a shoe-y thing, right? Wait. No, sorry, was mistreating it. It's Shuri like in the same way that Forge is where it like it ah or Galacta where it like boosts the card before it flips.
01:04:25
Speaker
So you could even play it with Shuri. That's what I'm saying. Like, that's the point of this card, right? That's the only thing that makes it good, mostly, is that you can... It's, like, where you can stack Kid Omega with things. It's, like, it's activate, can pair with a different on reveal to, like, super combo. Yeah, I think there's a good chance that, actually, Shuri would always go first, and then Maverick kind of, like, the Iron Fist-Aranya interaction. The timing of this is really important to, like... but i mean
01:04:56
Speaker
brooding Brood and yeah that's that's all i'm here for Sebastian and Captain Carter. They all love this, even if you don't boost Maverick's power at all
01:05:09
Speaker
all. I've got to give him a number. I'll give him a although that Surfer deck is really having a lot of good hits.
01:05:20
Speaker
But he's an activate, not an on reveal. It's true.
01:05:26
Speaker
Rhea's neck, or did you have something you wanted to say? That's where I'm torn on this one is like, I do hate activates. And I was just thinking like, well, I hate like, and then I can't what I can't play it on turn six if I want to. But I'm like, that's not the struggle of Surfer. On Surfer, there's so many cards you do want to hold and play later. Right. You're always looking for the Surfer cards you can play earlier.
01:05:53
Speaker
um ah So it's like, it does seem like it's really good for that. Like, I hate it for, like, my hand buff, my Gwenpool Galacta, like, nonsense, my super buff decks. I don't like it for that because of its activate nature. Like, it just won't synergize nicely for that. But for Surfer, where it itself is going to be buffed, you're always looking for Surfer cards that you can play early. If it's not tech, it's actually going to be, like, if dropping the red Guardian that turn isn't going to be helpful or whatever. So, like...
01:06:29
Speaker
That does make me want to I want to give it a ah two, though, because...
01:06:39
Speaker
i don't know. I've been giving a lot of cards to threes. And it's activate! And i feel like it should always should always get dinged for that if it's not like a two drop.
01:06:52
Speaker
Okay. Well, I was tempted to give it a four just because of how good I think it will be specifically in Surfer. I only gave it a three, though. i As we mentioned, it's always great to have something that you can play guilt-free on turn three in Surfer. And ah that's great.
01:07:12
Speaker
But so you're not angry about playing this one later, especially if this gives him time to soak up blessings that he can pay forward. So, ah and related to that, but also sometimes even when you play this card on turn three, um this functions as a third chance for America Chavez and her plus three to hit Carter slash Brood. So... um So if it hits Maverick, hill i mean he'll keep he'll keep those stats on. But he'll pass them on to where they where they'll really do some good.
01:07:47
Speaker
So that means that like America's got like a really good chance of hitting something that's going to... like Man, America Chavez is such a good card.
01:07:59
Speaker
We don't have other 1-5s right now, do we? Like Black Cat and Hydra Bob or 1-4s. Titania and Ant-Man. Yeah, but they both are... smarter Martyr. Martyr.
01:08:13
Speaker
I love Martyr. Oh, poor Martyr. But yeah, I think this card's going to be nuts in Surfer. I don't know if it goes anywhere else. I really, I'm only thinking about what I'm going to do with this card. But yeah, I'll be playing this card. Just Forge. I know you don't, at least from what I've seen, don't play Forge. And I'm wondering, does this change that?
01:08:35
Speaker
No, I don't think so. i think I think this card still would rather just be soaking up that America, you know? um Yeah, I think, oh, wow. Yeah, it'll soak up Surge stuff, just multiplying all these things. Wow. Yeah.
01:08:53
Speaker
Yeah, it's got it's got me wanting to reincorporate um the power buff girls. I haven't been playing them in my surfer decks lately, but I'm like, this kind of leans into everybody buff. you know the That's sort of where it pulls me.
01:09:09
Speaker
we We'll see what seems prudent when I start dragging the cards around, but I i don't really build before the cards are out too much. Yeah. Surge does seem like a really good one. like Getting him down to helps a ton.
01:09:23
Speaker
Or getting anything in that deck down. you surge that's there's or There's a reason. It's ah it's in all my surfers. I understand you picking her over Forge. Okay, re-fastball special, which is a limited time event card.
01:09:37
Speaker
Okay, it's a skill, so it costs to With reveal, destroy your highest power card here to afflict an enemy card here with that much negative power.
01:09:52
Speaker
um I like this a lot. It makes me sad that I won't get Adamantium Infusion because it's a super premium card too. um Because it does pair nicely with that.
01:10:04
Speaker
But one reason I really like it is because i've ive i have I have this like long-running um deck fantasy of like, like and it's a Gundam deck where like,
01:10:17
Speaker
Like, you know, the whole idea is destroy everything is stuff that can just be destroyed. Just like Nimrod and Wolverine and like Bucky just all set up for that. And it's just like, it's really hard to build. that There's a time where that would do well enough. But even with all the buffs to destroyer, it's really hard to just drop a destroyer and turn six. And that'd be like...
01:10:39
Speaker
expect for it to matter yeah for that to be good enough against like a move deck you know what i mean like against other things that are doing their thing because you don't often have a lot of tech besides maybe killmonger and like this style of deck so it's just like um and and this gives you me more of that like it pairs nicely into that where it's like you want to do things with a deck like that where you're keeping your board clear. don't know. I'll even play it with Nomura. I like this one. This is the the the limited time event card of like most in a while.
01:11:19
Speaker
um So I, but it's like, I can't really give it like a four. So feel like
01:11:29
Speaker
I give it a three. you sure you can't give it a four? No. cause it's not like Is it like that good that it deserves a four? I don't know.
01:11:41
Speaker
It's pretty good. pretty good
01:11:45
Speaker
You're right. You can play it on the last turn. All right, we'll do it. Plus, it's the Fastball Special. Are we on Spongebob Club at All right. I feel like I just saw X-23 in a comic be like, do you know what the Fastball Special is, right? I love how much of a thing it is. Okay, anyway.
01:12:05
Speaker
and Yeah, I am giving this one a four. i say yuck. I say yuck to this. you hat it Give us a reason to play Colossus first. How about that?
01:12:16
Speaker
um Yeah, I on you you weren't there. Colossus is the man to the fastball special. yeah Giving us a reason to play Colossus.
01:12:31
Speaker
immune to both sides of it maybe that's what like I've long been intrigued by like Colossus being a Nomura target like can't be shanged and there's more and more of this deafening cord Omega Sentinel that stuff and I'm like oh i don't want to play Luke in everything come on now don't make us play Luke in everything maybe all along it's been the strong silent Colossus being like hey remember me with all the variants that you've never ever played Maybe. Maybe Colossus is the end. I don't think that 2-3. I believe in you, Colossus.
01:13:09
Speaker
I don't think it's ever going to be his time, unfortunately. um Yeah, I think this card's super strong. Don't like it. Don't like that you can play it and adamantium infusion on the same turn without ramp.
01:13:22
Speaker
um I just don't like this card at all. No good. for Four points out of four.
01:13:33
Speaker
i I'm at least a three. My hesitation towards going full four is it only destroys one card at the location. And it does double its power effectively.
01:13:44
Speaker
um but it I guess keeps its power there. Assuming you're playing this in a deck that wants to destroy things, which makes sense. um Whereas you know Carnage and Venom and Deathlock, like all those mainstays, and Killmonger, they all hit lots of things.
01:14:03
Speaker
um There will certainly be decks that like doing this. ah Nimrod comes to mind as one that would be very happy to use this card. um
01:14:16
Speaker
Yeah, I agree that it seems like probably the best event card in a while. You will want to get this one. It will be in decks.
01:14:28
Speaker
i'm just I'm only wavering on like, I go full four? It is nice to have another two cost destroy enabler. That can really help with the tempo and some destroy decks. I mean, just think of how that it does with adamantium infusion. Like you yeah yeah you're going to be so handsomely rewarded for destroying a large thing.
01:14:51
Speaker
Like, you're going to see those stats three times on the board. You're you're going to see it once in the lane where you fastball special, and then you're seeing the stats again twice in the lane where you adamantium infusion the thing back.
01:15:03
Speaker
It's like, I don't know. It's also a backup for Storm. Yeah, that too. Launder stats. Get rid of your skull. Get rid of your Typhoid Mary. Like, you know?
01:15:18
Speaker
Yeah, they love that. Hmm.
01:15:24
Speaker
it's so It's really hard to see this card being bad. just don't know Join us. really Together we will rule the galaxy. I've never given so many fours in season.
01:15:37
Speaker
Chaining it. we're like well for now Three fours in a single season? That seems like so many. oh like Adamantium Infusion and Weapon Age both seem like better cards to me than this one.
01:15:53
Speaker
um and know this is very good media media hearing hearing me deliberate um i i can't do it i'm giving it a three you can't do it that's fair that's perfectly fair yeah i think it's a very good card but i do worry about its flexibility and the opportunity cost like you're talking about playing it with adamantium infusion it's like okay well you have to fit two cards into your into your deck now
01:16:19
Speaker
Granted, they're good
Aurora and Phantom X Insights
01:16:20
Speaker
cards. Yep. Kind of cards I want to put in my deck. Okay, tell us about Mero, Ben. She's a Series 4 on Zoom, but a limited time event card on Fan.
01:16:30
Speaker
Doesn't matter. No reason to play this card ever under any circumstances. Mero, 2-3. When discarded or destroyed, randomly split minus 6 power among enemy cards. This is really interesting.
01:16:42
Speaker
So I just imagine ah on the design team or whatever... Somebody came in and they're like, what if we released a fresh twist on Proxima Midnight, a cool card that has fallen a bit behind.
01:16:55
Speaker
And here's the exciting thing about our new version is she's actually a couple of points worse and can't be accounted on to attack any lane in particular. i don't think the current team understands what makes cards good or bad. They make a lot of guesses that seem poorly educated to me.
01:17:10
Speaker
They really used to do a better job at this stuff. there's like I don't know how this card like left the house. like did like what What are we doing here? this like eight Eight isn't enough. Proxima Midnight is not enough.
01:17:28
Speaker
Why would six be enough? This card is just so bad.
01:17:34
Speaker
so a one? Yeah. A zero. I don't know. like This is like... This is such a stinker. Oh, man. I think it's fun thematically. I can see it's going to have a good animation.
01:17:47
Speaker
No, Mero's great. I'm a big fan of the character. i like Mero, but, uh... Hmm.
01:17:55
Speaker
Okay. I'm with you. Card is bad. I think it's playable, though. Feels like Wade Wilson level to me, so I'm calling it a two. Um... You're talking about like critical mass for cards that put themselves back when you discard them, and you could run Mero and Proxima Midnight. Mero doesn't put herself... okay. I see what you're saying. 13 power.
01:18:17
Speaker
when you When you discard your hand or whatever. She's also... this isn't a point in her favor. This is actually a point against Chamber. Chamber's like a 2-9 if you get three hits, right? She's a 2-9 if you eat her with Venom.
01:18:31
Speaker
like or Or a 2-8 if you eat her with Carnage. like um I don't think that that's good enough. but i think she definitely doesn't go and destroy. and helps with the perspective. Yeah.
01:18:46
Speaker
She says destroy or discard, but like it's really just discard, right? If she's in destroy, it's like fire hair. You know what I mean? like That's where I see her in destroy. Fire hair, she won't trigger fire hair.
01:19:02
Speaker
Not an on reveal. How does fire hair work again? I haven't played fire hair. She repeats on reveals when you destroy them. So she's like, you want to do Mero multiple times, you have to do like Elixir.
01:19:14
Speaker
There's no way. You have to do like Elixir or Morgan Le Fay type stuff. That is such a detour. I'm destroyed.
01:19:27
Speaker
And like, you can't even count on it to swing a lane. is's It's just six affliction that might go somewhere.
01:19:39
Speaker
Okay, when we're thinking about destroying it, you compare it to Wolverine, right? It's like two sets. You hit Wolverine three times to make him competitive.
01:19:51
Speaker
Or no, hit him twice, and he's and he's bigger than Mero. And he's making Null bigger and stuff. He's just he's just doing more. Advancing the cause.
01:20:02
Speaker
You like it.
01:20:06
Speaker
itkeeperer I agree. have a real hard time seeing this go into destroy unless you're like that Nomura Atuma side case or something where you're for some reason wanting to get rid of cards. It'd have to be a real edge case.
01:20:26
Speaker
And it's the same thing with discard. I don't see her going into maybe regular discard over other things, but I can see places where I've built dex myself for the point was just to, like, discard everything and, like, I don't know, strong guy or something. Like, you know, so it's like, I don't... I wouldn't give her, like... i'm i I'll give her a low two. Like, you know, i don't think she's completely unplayable, but I see all the the points against this is another one where...
01:21:05
Speaker
Zone has it one way and Fan has it another. But it's Series 4 or a limited time event. Maybe both. 2-1. Ongoing. Plus 4 power if you've discarded a card. Plus 4 power if one of your cards has been destroyed.
01:21:17
Speaker
There are a handful of cards. ah Existing, I think it's like... There's like 4. Dokken, Wolverine X23, and Morgan Le Fay that can be destroyed or discarded. I Where's the tipping point where you can actually like have the destroyed discard deck?
01:21:33
Speaker
Season adds more. it has Wildchild and Mero. and And then phantomax we'll be talking about later Phantom X. If that deck can be real, Wildchild absolutely goes in that deck.
01:21:49
Speaker
It's a two nine And like if you only get one of the hits, 2-5 is like, it's okay. It's not great, but it's fine. um But otherwise, but i don't think that deck is going to be very real. I think it's going to be playable, but not very good.
01:22:05
Speaker
So I'll give Wildchild a too
01:22:10
Speaker
Yeah, I, like, maybe there's, ah going on my current knowledge where there doesn't exist a real, ah a super serious destroy-discard hybrid,
01:22:22
Speaker
um it's, like, the only thing I can really see this is, like, because it's a card I don't have. So, like, maybe that, like, zombie discard card, was it, like...
01:22:34
Speaker
so Zombie Captain America, the one that gives that. Maybe you build. Yeah. Some kind of ongoing thing with Mobius and you've got all these, you know, that's some kind of memery. Maybe I would pull, but like, mean, you pair this.
01:22:49
Speaker
Yeah. 217 with Moonstone. Right? But that's shenanigans, because that's putting in a lot of cards for that benefit from, like, work you're going to have to do. And that's, they're taking up slots of the work you're going to have to do in that deck, right?
01:23:04
Speaker
um But, like, and and it's, like... If you're playing it in Destroy, it's a weird Destroy, right? Like, this one almost have to give because even if I'm pairing it with Ravonna, like, what's What I doing with it? Oh, don't think you're pairing it with Ravonna. Right? What are you doing with That's suspicion.
01:23:24
Speaker
yeah I feel like, for me, like, this is a one until maybe, like, that some weird discard destroy is actually feasible, and you want this. Done.
01:23:40
Speaker
i I think... I'm going to give it a three. and That's what I'm going to give it. Oh, really? You like it? Yeah, yeah. It's happy to be played early or late. 2-9 is... ah I mean, it's really bad on Chamber, but it's pretty good on Wildchild. I think you'll be able to you know trigger the the... You'll fulfill the requirements pretty easily. You only have to discard one thing, destroy one thing. think...
01:24:09
Speaker
i think I think Phantom X is kind of the reason for the season. I think wild child sort of rides in on his coattails and he does wear a long coat. As I recall, I'm familiar with the character from new X-Men. Um,
01:24:26
Speaker
and and, uh, yeah, he does. I'm, I'm looking at the illustration now. Yep. He wears a long coat. So yeah, I think, I think wild child gets in on his coattails. I, I, I don't know if the moonstone thing is like the most, uh,
01:24:40
Speaker
I don't know. 217 is pretty big enough to me. yeah That seems pretty big to me. And ah yeah, I know I talk about it all the time, but like probably about a year ago now I had a secret homework where I i had the we we all had to build docking decks.
01:24:56
Speaker
and ah my Dokken deck was a surfer deck that existed at the intersection of discard and destroy, and it fucking performed, and that was, like, without all these toys and tools and things, and, like, ah that was before Bullseye.
01:25:13
Speaker
i ah i really, i think i think there's something here with the one costs that want to be discarded or destroyed, like your Muramasa shard, your X-23. Yeah, think there's... um yeah i think there's ah You think the hybrid is here. I think the hybrid will work between this and Phantom X and what has already come before.
01:25:35
Speaker
I mean, like, it's not the highest three I've given out. There are there are threes I'm much more confident in. ah But, like, i in in my heart, i I want to believe in this card. i want Wildchild to work, and I don't think it's, like, too dreamy-weemy, you know? Okay.
01:25:52
Speaker
He's he's just what those car so just... He's very strong in his in his niche, but it's a weird niche. I guess I was held back. Oh, I have one thing that want to say.
01:26:05
Speaker
Okay, go ahead. I just really like this. I like this design. I think it's very straightforward and clean and just, like, elegant and much like Weapon H. Like, you know, like, it's very clear what this card does. It tells you how it works, and it's, like, just...
01:26:20
Speaker
Yeah, it's ah it's elegant. I stand by it. Now, what were you saying, Rhi?
01:26:27
Speaker
Oh, don't really know. It's fine. You know, you're right. Like, so many cards have, like, weird wording to understand, and this one you do. It's just crisp. Okay.
01:26:41
Speaker
Rhi, speaking of cards that people are struggling to understand.
01:26:48
Speaker
Um... What? Aurora? Aurora. Yeah. is a On reveal, give one of your other on reveal cards at each location plus 2 power.
01:27:03
Speaker
Repeat for ongoing, activate, and end of turn.
01:27:13
Speaker
Okay. It is a lot to take in. I guess is this is this pairing with does Frankie Ray finally have like... Why why are you dropping? This is such a weird... You want a deck that has a wide variety of on reveal, ongoing, activate, end of turn.
01:27:35
Speaker
Yeah. One of the... ah So it's at each location. oh man. Okay. I mean... Per location, per keyword, she gives plus two.
01:27:47
Speaker
Activate and end of turn. I mean, maybe this even... hey This is interesting. It feels like, okay, with this and Wildchild, I like that they're getting us to consider hybrids more. Like, with Wildchild, I was really held back by by taking them separately. Because, right, like, you don't play X-23 in discard. You know what i mean? I felt like even if you could play, like, Daken, you don't play it in somewhere where you're trying to discard or destroy. You're pretty much doing one or the other, right?
01:28:18
Speaker
With whatever deck you're doing. And it's like, I do like that this is making us, but the fact that she's she's a six cost and she's spreading across, like, this is like a three lanes, you know, kind of play. Spectrum or Doom.
01:28:39
Speaker
i think Spectrum is the closest point of comparison. Right. Yeah. She feels better than Spectrum. I think so. I agree. Which is like, which is like rough. Like even at this power, because it's like, oh, you do like pairing. Like, right? Like Fantacar, Fantasticar, Fantacar.
01:29:00
Speaker
Fantasticar, know, and and Invisible Woman First Steps, all of this stuff, right? Like, it's it's stuff that synergizes, and this, like, ties it together to make it, like, even better, especially in cards where you're activating stuff. At the end, there's ongoing in everything, so it doesn't feel like it's actually difficult to build something for her.
01:29:25
Speaker
I don't know. don't want to give her a four, though, because six costs... Can be tricky. Mm-hmm. Like, why is everything, like, I've given out a lot of threes.
01:29:38
Speaker
And I gave Fastball Special a four. I still feel easier. I think Fastball Special is a better card than this.
01:29:51
Speaker
and you Did you commit to the three? Oh, yes, yes. Okay, sorry, thought you were still thinking. Ben? All right, well, i was I was listening for unrelated reasons. I listened back to our episode with Scott where we or i heard my first impressions of all of these cards, and i had a pretty high first impression of Aurora. Okay.
01:30:18
Speaker
And I still am optimistic, but I don't like I could hear it in my voice that like when we talked with Scott, I was feeling about a three on this card and I'm not sure I'm actually that high on it.
01:30:35
Speaker
I think she seems better than Spectrum to me, but I'm worried that she's not better enough. And Spectrum is a card that has never really impressed me all that much.
01:30:48
Speaker
ah Like every time I've tried to play Spectrum, if I've been playing with the tracker on, I go back and look at the stats and like Spectrum is always like... seemingly holding the rest of the deck back, ah hump which is like weird because like it should be like the the payoff, the the capstone, the the the backbreaking finisher. That sounds better, right? Yeah, I think so probably for a lot of for a lot of purposes. i i want I want to believe like you know there are some cards like your your Zombie Mr. Fantastics and not Not electro, but electro, you know, that have like more than one keyword. And I think it's like cute to get those, you know, twice with it. And like, i yeah, the the headline is better than Spectrum. But like reading between the lines, I i am a little, I think there's reason to be suspicious.
01:31:44
Speaker
ah Doubtful even. um What do you think about Thanos? There are three Thanos stones that are on reveal and thing, Lauren. I don't think about Thanos. That's my secret, Cap. I'm never thinking about Thanos. I could totally see... like Maybe Thanos is like the home for Aurora, and I could totally see that, because like what one or two of those stones are... Three stones that are on reveal and ongoing. Okay, then yeah. This is probably a Thanos card. All right, so maybe this is a three. Actually, maybe Power Stone doesn't have on reveal.
01:32:17
Speaker
Does that make sense? Because you you can hopefully play Thanos on five because you made it cheaper and then Aurora is your sixth play. I'm a three for Aurora. I think that she's a very interesting deck building puzzle and so she's a fun card. I try not to give points just for fun. oh But I just want to finalize. I'm at a two. i'm I'm at a two even though I want it to be a three. i still think it's just a two.
01:32:41
Speaker
Sorry. Okay. it said um
01:32:46
Speaker
I think she's going to surprise people. ah Both in how strong she is and like just literally from one game to the next. I don't think her deck is going to be super telegraphed. right It's going to be hard to detect that it's an Aurora deck unless it happens to be something that gets standardized. A weird set of 10 cards or something like that. It's like, oh, this is the Aurora package.
01:33:07
Speaker
I don't think that's how it's going to go, though. um I think you're going able to sneak her out often and people will not expect her. That said... It's not that hard to sneak out Dr. Doom these days. And he's not enough. So you've got to do three hits in each lane to really like justify her. And that's ah hard. you guys remember they nerfed Doom once?
01:33:29
Speaker
And then had to restore him? Like Doom used to be good. Every time I put Doom in a deck now, I take it out. just doesn't feel worth. Yeah.
01:33:40
Speaker
Blink it out for Patriot deck maybe? i don't know. it just yeah so like It's hard because yeah when you compare her to Doom, is's like you have to get three hits in each lane for her to beat Doom. Well, you don't have to get any hits in her lane.
01:33:55
Speaker
Yeah. But you have to get three hits in the other lanes, and that is that's fairly challenging. Activate and end of turn are... like We have a lot more of them than we used to, but there's still not things that you just throw into every deck.
01:34:10
Speaker
It's true. Three does feel high for her, but I just feel like she's weird enough she's going to surprise. Somebody's going to cook something where she is right and is a big finish.
01:34:25
Speaker
um Obviously, if you can wonk that's a lot better, but also a lot more telegraphed. One One more.
01:34:37
Speaker
Ben on Phantom X. Phantom X. Activate! If you've had cards discarded and destroyed, afflict front row enemy cards at each location with minus 2 power.
01:34:53
Speaker
um So the ceiling is, what, 418? Is that correct? That sounds correct. and That's pretty high. That's bigger than a Spider-Man noir hit on a vanilla thing.
01:35:08
Speaker
But it does matter that it's spread a crack, but it only matters that you win two of those three locations. So, like, the four spread. Yeah. Yeah.
01:35:20
Speaker
Um, and, and you know what, sometimes people don't have two cards in each location. Sometimes they just have the one and it's a late game activate. There are, there are like reasons to, you know,
01:35:34
Speaker
not get too excited. I think the the stats are great if the conditions are good and he's punctual. If he shows up on time, that's pretty big stuff. But like, yeah, I think I give this card a three. I think it does what it says on the tin and I bet it does it most of the time. Okay. Okay.
01:36:00
Speaker
a I'm next. Yeah. Three. There's another one where I'm like kind of in between because four cost activate is just such a bad thing to be. But also like maybe he's big enough. This is very, very big.
01:36:13
Speaker
And you can hold him until the end of the game, you know, to not him in your hand, but you can hold the activate the effect. Yeah. and Maximize the chance that your opponent has two things to hit. Of course, that means that he's telegraphed. And so is your opponent going to stay in?
01:36:29
Speaker
If you've met the conditions or they think you're going to meet the conditions.
01:36:34
Speaker
Also very easily stopped by Luke Cage.
01:36:39
Speaker
Yeah. But if the discard destroy deck is real, if that hybrid deck is real, he's in it. Like he's such a big payoff that you run him even for the times that he whiffs.
01:36:52
Speaker
He seems to compare pretty favorably to Fantasticar. I forgot to to mention this. That's what I was... Like, this card, to me, it's, like, ah similar stats, and it's giving you, like, those little plus two pops across the board. It feels very Fantasticar to don't run Fantasticar anymore. Ever since it got nerfed, and, like, it's not in the end of turn deck anymore.
01:37:15
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. I don't know. Like, and it's minus four to a location... And like, okay. Anyway, go ahead. Sorry.
01:37:28
Speaker
it's Oh, no. Oh, is it so it me Okay. um then Yeah, okay. I have to kind I feel like it's a slightly more two in power level.
01:37:39
Speaker
But what I really like, like, so I'll give it that, but it's higher in my in my heart because I do want them to explore hybrid decks. I think that's an interesting design space, but it's tricky because you don't want that design space to just be the destroyed discard deck that has all the de destroyed discard cards. And now that is the one deck that came out of that. You know what I mean? I want it to be a new genre that's open, that's got all this flex to it.
01:38:08
Speaker
So I'm kind of both excited that I would i would like to see more. like Hybrid decks are hard. ah Like to pull off in a 12 card six turn, you know, 12 card deck six turn game, you know, to like mash enough in. And so it's a tricky space, but if they can do it right, it'll be a fun new avenue that opens up, you know, all the things we didn't think about before, like putting X23 in discard. So like...
01:38:41
Speaker
um So, like, power level, I'm not as a high on it, maybe. But, like, I'm excited. i think with Wildchild, I think you're absolutely right. This finally opens a destroy discard avenue. And I just want to make sure that it stays more than just the one deck, you know?
01:39:01
Speaker
it becomes more than
Upcoming Cards and Obscure Characters
01:39:02
Speaker
that. Okay. Which card of the season are you most looking forward to? Hmm.
01:39:12
Speaker
I don't have an answer ready. I've been thinking. I will. You don't have an answer ready? If you do, Rhi, go ahead. I have i would want it to be fastball special, so that won't suck because of how much everyone will play it It'll just not be a fun week when everyone's playing that. So honestly, then, and then, like, sorry, Wildchild also a contender because now I'm totally interested by this, like, because it's just something new that I won't play before, like Daken and maybe Laura in this way and stuff. And but I'm going to give it to Aurora,
01:39:46
Speaker
um Because I think it's really open. I think there's a lot of these kind of cards. even I feel like it's just going to turn into the thing that goes into like, if i show cast Inviswoman. Fantastic. I mean, hopefully not. but like brought together like Marvel Boy.
01:40:04
Speaker
It made like, as much as in some ways it was an obnoxious deck, I love that it pulled together in black. It pulled together these cards that hadn't been together before. And I'm hoping Aurora will do that for us. So I'm most excited for her. I think there there will be more variety, hopefully, in what we see when she comes out than what we'll see in some of the other cards.
01:40:26
Speaker
Yeah. She's my leading pick because I'm like, oh, this such an interesting puzzle. I want to do deck building with her. But I also worry that she's just going to get solved after a month or two. And this is the way you play Aurora. It'll just be the one deck. Yeah. And people try to do other things and there's just nothing that can compare to that set of cards that gives you a good spread that also synergizes. And like, that would be so disappointing if that's the case.
01:40:50
Speaker
Yeah. So if I'm being realistic, like she is she's very appealing to me, but I feel like... adamantium infusion or fastball special are more likely to be cards that I am still playing six months from now and having fun with.
01:41:05
Speaker
So I'm going to give the nod to
01:41:12
Speaker
Adamantium and Fusion looks fun to play with, but not fun to play against. So I'm giving it a Fastball special. i don't want other people to have Adamantium and Fusion. I know. I don't want anyone to have either of those cards. Nobody drive on the roads I'm driving on, please. Like, do the things that I'm doing.
01:41:30
Speaker
No, for real. Fastball special is the one I'm going to use the most in the long term. Oh yeah, it's just so good. a good choice. Weapon H is very good, but I just i don't play this card that much. That's the thing. I'm like, I don't want other people to have Weapon H. like I think I can be trusted to use Weapon H responsibly, but I don't think it should be street legal.
01:41:53
Speaker
um I don't know. I i feel like they the two cards that I'm going to play the most are Weapon H and Maverick.
01:42:04
Speaker
And, ah you know, something I didn't mention with Maverick is, um I mean, I kind of feel like Jocasta Surfer is going to be a thing with this card.
01:42:16
Speaker
And, you know, Warlock, I think Warlock will finally have his day in the sun. Ooh.
01:42:24
Speaker
Anywho, one of those two cards I will certainly play the most. I think i think I'll probably by volume play more Maverick than Weapon H. And in fact, I'm not actually, i i mostly don't think, yeah, I think it's one too many returns to hands.
01:42:42
Speaker
um So yeah, Maverick, I guess, is my pick, even though the character is not very exciting or interesting, although neither is Weapon H. Yeah. the character I like the most this season is Mero, unfortunately.
01:42:54
Speaker
Yeah. um Maverick's a good pick too. I could see myself playing a good amount of Maverick. On to our side quest. First up and only this week, secret homework.
01:43:06
Speaker
I assigned it. It is to show and tell an obscure Marvel character. My pick was koy Boy. Koi Boy. if either of you are familiar with Koi Boy. Mostly has only existed on series.
01:43:20
Speaker
Yeah, very good name. And it's K-O-I-B-O-I, Koi Boy. didn't do the B-O-I in my head. and Now it's even better.
01:43:31
Speaker
Right. It's great. And I think when he introduces himself, he's like, I have all the powers of the coy and all the powers of a boy. um That's pretty good. He's in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
01:43:41
Speaker
He debuts in issue two and he's throughout, which I love Unbeatable Squirrel squirrel Girl. Ryan North writes it. Very funny. I miss it. And Erica Henderson does beautiful art. um So that's 2015. And his last comic appearance is 2020. So i don't I don't know why they're not using him, but they're not. That is disappointing.
01:43:59
Speaker
He fights crime alongside Chipmunk Hunk, who is somebody who was inspired by Squirrel Girl to fight crime using a squirrely theme, a rodential theme. um I'm missing out so hard.
01:44:15
Speaker
He has, when he wears his suit, he has these huge, I don't even know what to call them. I want to call them goggles, but they don't have any frames at all. They're just like huge black glossy cups that go over his eyes that look very alien, um make them look like coy eyeballs. ah He can communicate with fish and swim super fast and breathe underwater.
01:44:34
Speaker
He can flop his body great distances. Oh! to keep up with Squirrel Girl and Chipmunk Hunk. And he claims... He flops like a fish, and that's how he can leap great distances.
01:44:48
Speaker
He can also detect Earth's magnetic field for the sake of navigation, um which is apparently something that Koi can do. um He claims the ability to slowly grow his body to fill any container that he's in, but I don't know if that's ever something we see him Sounds horrific.
01:45:08
Speaker
Sounds like the gritty reboot. like they're like And then they trapped Koi Boy for a thousand years in a tank. and It's like they break it up and it's just a giant fish like staring and it's like, no, what have they done to you?
01:45:22
Speaker
but Okay, sorry. Maybe that's where he's been. that They're not using him for five years. um So, of course, very funny concept. Great name. Great series.
01:45:33
Speaker
I wish he was around more, but also you gets credit from me for being one of the two trans men in Marvel comics. So that's also cool.
01:45:47
Speaker
i Reassigns next week, I think. So, Ben? That makes it me. Well, my first thought was actually... um It was taken by sum but somebody in the speakeasy got out in front of me, is the truth of the matter. I was going to go with Sunfire, one of the the X-Men who debuted in Giant Size X-Men number one. um You know, on the the big Krakoa rescue. Anywho, anywho, also in X-Men Legends 1, not in X-Men Legends 2, so I have no i have
01:46:23
Speaker
i maybe maybe Maybe Patrick Stewart does say their names when you select them on the X-Men Legends one. Maybe he does. I'm not sure he does, though.
01:46:34
Speaker
Anywho, so i don't I don't know how he says Sunfire, but it's probably like that. Probably like that. um But that's not what I went with because I believe it was an Ironcloak. Let me double check. Yeah, Ironcloak brought that one.
01:46:49
Speaker
Good pick. It is weird that Sunfire is not in the game yet because like every well, not Banshee either. Banshee's not in the game. that That seems like a weird oversight, but they'll they'll they'll figure it out.
01:47:01
Speaker
Um, any who, no, that's not the right bookmark. That's right. I'm whipping out bookmarks because um i haven't sung the song. So you would be forgiven for not realizing that we're, uh, we're doing it. Um, I guess maybe I should sing the song. Um, for those who don't know, this is probably the most important recurring segment we do. It's called spider lore from 2004. Um, and the theme song is something like,
01:47:33
Speaker
Spider lore, spider lore, spider lore from 2004. Is it new? No, it's old. Listen to what you're being told. That's right. It's time for spider lore.
01:47:47
Speaker
And the character is Rocket Racer. That's a heck of a design. That's right. I'm entirely unfamiliar. it's ah He's got a skateboard that does have a jet engine on it. Actually, two jet engines, I believe. Anywho, for those who don't know, Rocket Racer, Robert Farrell,
01:48:07
Speaker
Always had a need for speed. The oldest of seven children, he was a science whiz who often went skateboarding when he wanted privacy. The sport gave him a sense of freedom and he loved to feel the wind whipping at his face. However, he hung up his board when his father left the family. To help his mother, Robert joined the Air Force after he graduated from high school.
01:48:24
Speaker
He sent most of his money home and learned how to build and repair jet engines. After he was discharged, Robert planned to get a good job and make life a lot easier for his mother. Unfortunately, before Robert could start looking for work, his mother suffered a heart attack. Faced with mounting hospital bills and the need to support his siblings, Robert became desperate for cash. He turned to crime, combining his flair for engines with his love of skateboarding to become the rocket racer.
01:48:48
Speaker
Um. uh, there, there are more bits and things. Uh, he does, of course, you know, he's got a sympathetic backstory. Clearly, clearly, uh, you know, there's a heart of gold, even though he's resorting to crime there for a minute. And he does eventually become an ally of the of the Spider-Man, um And, uh, I believe he ended up working for Silver Sable.
01:49:14
Speaker
Um, that, that information came from Spider-Man, the ultimate guide by Tom DeFalco. Uh, this is the source of most spider lore from 2004. Um, uh,
01:49:28
Speaker
and ah but there is ah i Historically, i do sing a ah closing rendition of the Spider-Lore theme song, but in the interest of time, I'll just i'll just let the first one be the only one. that Rewind a few minutes if you want to hear it again.
01:49:48
Speaker
Well, there there are different lyrics for the... Oh, well, we need the outro. Oh, okay. Spider lore, spider lore, spider lore from 2004. Is it new? No, it's old. Listen to what you've just been told. That's right.
01:50:06
Speaker
This was your spider lore. Incredible. Reef. Okay.
01:50:16
Speaker
um This was actually a struggle for me because I, like, actually, despite all the comments to me, I have talked a lot about all the obscure Marvel characters I love. And for the life of me, I can't because I just am how I am all the time. i can't remember if it was, like, on the podcast or before when I was streaming or just, like, in various discords with friends or, like, in real life.
01:50:39
Speaker
So it's like, I don't already talking. So I was trying to think it was someone for sure i wouldn't have spoken about. It was so funny because I was talking to someone who is a comic fan, but not a Marvel Snap fan. And they're like, oh, what about who is Wiccan's husband? been Oh, my God.
01:51:01
Speaker
I'm like, no, I can't choose all things out of scary Marvel's. not married, I think. Did you know he's not actually a Hulk? yeah Wait, did you say not married again? Like they split up?
01:51:16
Speaker
Oh, I thought they didn't. I didn't think they were married. Are they married? Oh, I thought they were just like, you know, in a living situation. okay I think they're married. You know, I mean, okay so then then maybe they are. but ah And then I decide, I'm like, oh, I've never talked about Blindspot, who is a Daredevil sidekick, who is cool. But then I forgot that, actually.
01:51:42
Speaker
Just remember now. And re-chose, okay, the character Screwball. Are you familiar? Just because I've seen her popping up again lately. She was created by Dan Slott. I believe I just looked this up. I believe it was 2008. So in Spider-Man, she's a Spider-Man villain. One, she looks really cool.
01:52:04
Speaker
and B, she was like one of the earlier, um they've probably done this a few times, but she's the one that I remember. She's like, ah she's the streamer. She's like a, ah you know, like a YouTuber, TikToker. That's like her whole deal. She's in,
01:52:20
Speaker
I feel like it's such an interesting space to explore um because I think comics, like comics are good just when they have a strong story or connect to universal human themes.
01:52:37
Speaker
But I also really love when comics are used as an opportunity to recontextualize comics um You know, like the world, like look at old Chris Claremont X-Men comics, right? And kind of what the struggle of Xavier and Magneto represented and stuff. And I feel like when I see people tackle issue,
01:53:03
Speaker
like this in comics now, like the whole advent of streaming, that's a real thing. And it's a real interesting thing to explore. Like, like there's streamers out there. You see, um, I see all this stuff all the time where, I mean, cause it's not stuff I watch, but they're like, Oh, like there's this YouTuber who just goes and like pranks people in the grocery store and stuff. And it's, isn't that funny? But I feel like the reaction and obviously if people also react to me, isn't like,
01:53:29
Speaker
like oh we like that it's like you leave that poor introvert just trying to get their fucking oat milk alone like why are you bothering them you know and it's like there's this and and and there's so many stories now where we've seen and they have large followings you know like these big youtubers do like really like questionable or callous or unempathetic things and it's an interesting avenue to explore and get into. And when I see comics deal with it, it's usually just kind of a joke. Like, just look at this dude, bro. And like, they get knocked around or whatever. And it's not like a real interesting exploration of the theme. So I chose Scrooble more so I could complain and talk about how I wish that it would be tackled. but And I'm sure someone now could point out where they've actually seen in comics that it's been done. Because, like, I wouldn't be surprised that if someone has already written something really well done and thoughtful that kind of explores the space. But there's something. It's like why, like, when you're modernizing comics, which are very old medium, you know what I mean? Relating them to. It's why in Superman, when Lex is fighting, you know, and he's using, he's like almost playing a video game.
01:54:41
Speaker
Ultraman against Superman, you know, calling out the commands and stuff to beat him. It's not even like making a whole statement on its own and stuff, but that connected with us because it was finally, it was bringing Lex into a mindset. You know what I mean? Like, I recognize that, like, I can relate to that.
01:55:01
Speaker
And it was, i don't know, I thought it was a great example of, like, you know, of pulling characters into modern age to relate to that. And I hope I would love to see it. Scribble's fun.
Evolution of Board Games
01:55:12
Speaker
She's got like fun hair color. She looks cute. Yeah, right.
01:55:16
Speaker
So I'm like, I would like to see her. Where I've seen her, apparently I was reading her Wikipedia because I don't know that I actually was reading. Possibly I read when she debuted. Like more like my brain is like a sieve of comics. can only hold so much before like a flower sifter maybe, you know, like stuff just falls out eventually. There's too much stuff in there. So maybe I wouldn't, she came out. But when I've seen her recently, she's been um kind of funny and like, charming, I feel like. And she was kind of like, I hope we see her again or something. When I saw her, her Wikipedia is like, people liked that she was very unlikable in a different way than a lot of villains are unlikable. like, oh, yes. Not like the other girls. also didn't like her. Not at all.
01:55:57
Speaker
um So, yeah. Yeah. So that's that's my ah that's my take. She's very minor. It's just one of those that's like, I'm interested in these little characters that seem kind of fun and haven't like had the coolest stuff yet. Yeah. storie What can you do with a character because they're minor?
01:56:15
Speaker
Well, I'm excited that you two both brought ones I was unfamiliar with. You're the best. Come on. We couldn't follow up Koi Boy. Boy. um Read next week's homework.
01:56:26
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Okay, at first I was going to be like, oh, I should challenge this with like some kind of archetype that's considered the worst or something now, just to like be intimate. I'm like, oh, we should all have to make like Patriot decks or something. And I'm like, why would I want to punish us?
01:56:43
Speaker
Are we not already punished enough? It could be, but I didn't want to do it because I'm very busy. I'm trying really hard to get birthday to get out. don't have to deck build. All right, bonus for Ben, build a Patriot What are real secret homework? I want to do it alone. If you want to, I'm not... I'm probably not going to build a Patriot deck this week. Or I'll just pull out my Rax deck and call it already done.
01:57:08
Speaker
But... ah We'll save it for another time. Okay. Maybe there will be a more exciting Patriot card that comes out in the future that'll that'll pique our curiosity or something. I thought I would focus in on the digitization of board games. And I thought...
01:57:26
Speaker
Okay, I won't lie. My real thinking was like, what do I want to do And I was like, i want to make, because I know Ben already has this game and Lauren has expressed interest. We all have to play through the ages together. on our phone. oh my god before It'll be new for Lauren. never didn't I played in the same game as you two. Yeah, it's true. My memory is so bad. that oh you didn't like it again played again forgot i didn't know what i was doing played it together oh yeah and i know that if we do it again you will thoroughly kick our ass again i i know that that's fine i've just played it a lot more yeah oh my gosh it was my first time okay or we could play something else because the challenge is to play a board game
01:58:16
Speaker
and but And general, if for people who participate in secret homework, play a board game, it can be real. It can be digital. I'm interested if we want to have like a little mini discussion about like digitizing board and card games and the potential. cause like digitizations have have just kind of, like, they're new as of the last, like, decade, like the last five years, right? Like, and it's been an interesting exploration of where it's done well and where it's done poorly and what games translate where. And where you're like, wait, why are we just bringing... a medium that is good on its own and is good for what is and was designed and built for that. Why aren't we just exploring what we can do with asynchronous gameplay in the digital space? The way eventually card games were like, what if we just do different things
01:59:08
Speaker
With card games, I mean, we got to have the cards because they're like shiny things people are addicted to. We are trained to love the card. The card is a symbol of collection that we must possess. You know, it triggers our brain, you know, our brain cells. So, but like, you know, other than that, it's like there are things you can do. And I'm just like interested to see like, you know, where should we be exploring in digital board game space, not just bringing in the physical medium, right?
01:59:36
Speaker
Anyway, so that's it. I would have been much more able to talk about that five years ago, but I will give it a fair try. um It sounds fun.
01:59:47
Speaker
If you liked what you heard and you haven't already, like, comment, subscribe, rate, and review. That's iTunes and Spotify. Or help us feel even sparklier by leaving a comment on YouTube or Spotify. Please do. And finally, you can come hang out with us in the speakeasy. It's our little corner of the Snap Judgments Discord. um The instructions to get there are in the show notes or video description. It's ah it's a little tricky, it's not that bad.
02:00:10
Speaker
DM me if you need help. um We're part of the Snap Judgments Network, where you can listen to other great shows like Snap Judgments, our grand pod by Pulse Glazer, and Roy? Sometimes? Maybe? Still? I've heard he is nominally still part of the show.
02:00:23
Speaker
I asked the last time I was on it. um On Saturdays. i'd Come listen to us again next time! see you what we think Maybe there will be a title tussle, because there was a patch a couple episodes ago. um Yeah. I do like a title tussle.
02:00:38
Speaker
So that could be a thing that we do. Or, you know, to hear an excellent brainy conversation on the digitization of board games. Same Snap time, same Snap channel.
02:00:52
Speaker
Yay. Well, I've got a thing I want to talk about, and it's the music in the final age of Through the Ages on the on the mobile app. do You have business on Yep.
02:01:04
Speaker
Yep. Okay. So, like, you get to the the final age and, like, it's, like, modern times. We've got fast food chains. We've got the internet and stuff. And, like, the music...
02:01:15
Speaker
there There's a different music track in each of the the three ages. And in this final age, it's so like, wow, it's been a wild ride, guys. And like it's just like, it's got this like, but we all came together and did something beautiful as a people. And like there's there's just like this...
02:01:36
Speaker
it's so fucking self-congratulatory. and I'm like, I wish we lived. I wish we lived in the world that the music of the third age of through the ages is telling me that we live in.
02:01:47
Speaker
And it's like, it's not, but it's like, we've, we've vanquished all our, our faults and flaws. And like, wow, we have built a beautiful world together.
02:01:58
Speaker
Haven't we? feel like that has to be sort of our homework. Now you have to play with the music on. Yeah. It's like how they put Will Wright in as one of the world leaders.
02:02:10
Speaker
Like, yeah, this was an influential figure in history. Sorry, Will Wright did a lot of the Civ games. Maxis, right? Yeah, sorry, just for anyone listening who doesn't need to know who that is. They put Sid Meier in, didn't they?
02:02:22
Speaker
Wasn't Sid Meier in? Oh, shh. Probably just mixing them He just makes everyone up constantly. Yes, thank you, Ben. We'll just cut back to the stars.
02:02:33
Speaker
What's Max's? But you know, like a game creator.
02:02:39
Speaker
At least you're confused with another game designer. Yeah, you were like way in the neighborhood. Right in the neighborhood. next door neighbors. We just said to know how we played this game ad nauseum and Ben's played it like a couple of times in a minute.
02:02:52
Speaker
Okay. Alright.