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63: Livin' in Nicholas Scratch's World
65 Plays1 hour ago
🙏 Save us, Spider-cards! 🕸️ (from the zombie season blahs 🧟😒)
For our esteemed listeners’ consideration:
- 🫰 Weeks in Snap
- 🧟🧟🧟 Zombie Galacti shambles along 🧟🧟🧟
- A heavy metal sorta OTA 🦿🤘
- 🗣️ Release the Arachno-rankings! (all 🕷️ Spider- season cards discussed)
- Secret Homework 🤫: Pitch a variant line 🧑🎨🤳
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:
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
- 0:21:58 The Hunger / Zombie Captain Marvel
- 0:22:18 Zombie Sentry
- 0:23:11 Zombie Galacti
- 0:29:38 OTA Discussion
- 0:41:08 November Card Ratings
- 1:37:45 Secret Homework: Propose a New Source/Style of Variants
- 1:47:33 Next Week's Secret Homework
- 1:48:34 Housekeeping / Closing Remarks
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Episode 63
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to episode 63 of Snap on This, a Marvel Snap podcast. This week's secret homework, propose a new line of variants. I'm your host, Lauren Woodevs, here with my usual amazing co-hosts.
00:00:14
Speaker
First up this week, it's Rhi. Rhi, how was your week in Snap? Keep it snappy.
Clarification on Marvel and Image Comics
00:00:21
Speaker
Okay, first I come in contrition um for like chatbot last week, I hallucinated a fiction, which I then spread that misinfo across the Sotverse, which was that ah Marvel-owned image, which I have thought for years, ah due to a lack of other people to discuss comics at length with,
00:00:50
Speaker
And I I was wrong. They are, they're independent. I think I may know where you got the idea.
00:01:02
Speaker
i am notion. There was the thing I mentioned last week about how, uh, powers had, uh, its ownership had passed around from, it had been in both Marvel and DC's hands.
Image Comics and Creator Rights
00:01:15
Speaker
Cause like, uh, Brian Michael Bendis has the, the, the jinx world imprint that, has that has in fact, uh, passed around. It's just the image itself has never been, uh, yeah.
00:01:26
Speaker
Yeah. But like, I, to it's, it's, it's a thing. I don't know. i I, I would, things are like other things and then they get muddled and mixed up, but you, you know, you're,
00:01:39
Speaker
I don't know. I'm just saying it's not it's not the silliest thing to be wrong about because there's like stuff that would make you think it was right. you know i don't know. i think you said Image and one other. Was the other one also? well Vertigo is owned by DC. Yeah, yeah that that's DC. like No, but ah yeah. no So Image, yes.
00:01:57
Speaker
So correcting record. um you know and In a board game, if you falsely accuse someone of being a secret traitor, there are consequences.
00:02:09
Speaker
i can Oh, like in Scrabble, if you if you challenge a word and it's it's in the stipulated dictionary. You lose a turn. Yeah.
00:02:20
Speaker
That is a more commonly-samed example. Okay. And ah so, yeah, I have, as you can see, if you're watching ah YouTube, to detectck down so i have well. I have turned myself ah to see my apology appropriately for the holiday into the image logo.
00:02:38
Speaker
yeah yeah They were made specifically so that creators could retain the rights to their work and their characters, ah which unlike DC and Marvel, which own everything created by the people who work for them.
00:02:53
Speaker
So um an awesome costume. ah So, yeah, no, speaking of the holiday, i was wondering if other snappers were feeling ah on a on the holiday season like I've been.
00:03:10
Speaker
I have always loved ah Halloween Halloween. dressing up, all of the things. And, ah you know, it's just been kind of for last couple years.
Halloween Themes and Personal Reflections
00:03:21
Speaker
But it specifically in Snap, right? like But it's like, okay, I wasn't the most excited about zombies, but like horror is a genre. like And the trappings of genre, even if horror is not my number one genre, are cozy, right? Just like fall.
00:03:37
Speaker
And it's like, Because, like, what you love about things like the horror genre, right, or the ability, and then the same things with, like, you know, new things in in card games, you know, they just this this, like, expectation. There's there's the the genre watching where it's, like, the the thing itself, like the old horror films, right? The things that created the rules that make the genre.
00:04:02
Speaker
and then there's, like, watching, like... you know, fans of the genre um make the genre in which, you know, they can find in little in-jokes and clever references and you can see their love through it, right? And either way, when you're sitting down to enjoy a genre of, you know, of whatever type, you know, um like you're in for either ride, you know? And it is it because it's like you're you're in on And the theme. But like there's that there's a third form genre product out there.
00:04:36
Speaker
And it is ah when you notice, you sit down to enjoy your, what will
Critique of Genre Cash Grabs
00:04:42
Speaker
this be? Will this be more like raw genre or link genre plus commentary? um And then you see like your third product placement. Clearly shoddy.
00:04:57
Speaker
You know, ah lack of care to detail and stuff in in the film. And you realize like, oh, this is just this is just the genre cash grab. It's soulless.
00:05:09
Speaker
And that's what I think of when I see the kind of zombie century.
00:05:17
Speaker
It's just like, you know, it's a betrayal of everything like that could be you know cozy about the expectation of like I don't know, new card genre into the lack of ideas range. like And it slots you into...
00:05:33
Speaker
it's like you know into into certain decks that you feel like you have to play, like It's a game. It's like you're not just watching like a horror film. You're in on the experience. But it's like, you know, we got one of two roles for you, me specifically, because you know if my...
00:05:52
Speaker
ah gender makeup, it would be like either you like, hey, you can be the sexy girl and you get to you get to have sex and that's awesome, but we can't have people finding out that like sex can be for fun. So you can have to get murdered viciously and horrifically and violently.
00:06:09
Speaker
And, you know, hopefully, hopefully ah the sex you got to have beforehand was worth it. But we might even be able to get extra value out of your horrific, violent death by playing it for a laugh, you know? And you're like, well, that's great. I'll think about that one.
00:06:23
Speaker
put that on the back burner. I die early in the film, you say. Okay. And then, you know, the other role, though, is like final girl. And it's like, okay, you're the one that gets to live. You get to watch all of your friends and enemies die one by one as you live in terror, constant terror for hours. And at the end I don't know, maybe you don't even get away. And if you do, surely you only live to you know live in horror another day. And you're like, oh You definitely need so much therapy. You get to be very traumatized.
00:06:57
Speaker
Yeah. And it's like, that's what this season feels like. It's like, I don't want this. don't want any of this. Yeah. And that's why me, this is the first season.
00:07:10
Speaker
i pulled out the old like, realized how I thought of it. It was like, like, This may not be applicable to to everyone who listens, but it's like, would I get a tattoo of Snap? um Because like whats what's the other game I play? FF14?
00:07:27
Speaker
you know, would I? Yes. I'm a warrior of light. God damn it. One day. ah I will show that upon my body. You know, Chrono Trigger? Already there. Snap? No. You know? So it's like, it's okay. I can let go of my need to to have it all and do it all in every game. And ah this will be the first, like, you know, unless I do some last minute stuff, which, you know, sometimes happens.
00:07:51
Speaker
um The first season, I'm not going get the Conquest Ferry. I've always gotten the Conquest Ferry every single month. This will be the first, like, month since... I got to infinite the first time that I have, then I won't be getting to infinite.
00:08:06
Speaker
And that's like, that's okay. And that doesn't mean I'm quitting snap.
Dealing with Burnout in Marvel Snap
00:08:10
Speaker
It's just like, you know, it's, it's for fun. And, i and if, if, you know, next, next season is spider season.
00:08:21
Speaker
That might be some stuff to get excited about. i don't know. So it it's okay. If you're not having fun to not have to force yourself to play, I think just to keep up, to get all the things. um Because, you know, eventually the game will get shut down. And when they do that to FF14, will be crying, screaming, building a vessel within myself to download my characters so that we may merge into one and be together forever is the one whole complete being.
00:08:48
Speaker
But when Snap does, I'll just be like, you know like, I feel like I'll think fondly of, you know, of like some of my splits and ah decks and stuff, but I won't like I won't be proud of time gri of that. It's like I got all of the things every month in a way So it's okay for me to like, you know, ah and think set this down. If other people are feeling like that, like don't burn yourself out.
00:09:20
Speaker
This is the point where I think some people continue to play when they don't want to. And that's how they burn out. And they are like, I have to be done forever or done for a couple months. I don't know.
00:09:30
Speaker
Set it down. So maybe we can snap. You're absolutely right. That's how you fight the burnout. And I've been there a couple times with snap and and it ends up going to lighter weeks or months or whatever. and And I think that's why I still like it and play it is because I was able to kind of like chill on it for a little while.
00:09:50
Speaker
That's healthier than burning out. Right. It really is. Keep it a fun thing. Keep it something you enjoy. You don't need to have, you don't need to be collection complete. I'm losing my headphone. um But that's my week in Snap.
00:10:05
Speaker
All right. Well, thank you. I don't know how long it's been. It's the past time. It wasn't bad. Like 10 minutes or something. It was well within the normal range. Yeah, absolutely. Also, you're going off on the ah the tropes for ladies in horror movies, and that's why I love movies like Cabin in the Woods and Scream and Jennifer's Body, is they kind of subvert those tropes, and that's fun ah in a very tongue-in-cheek way.
00:10:30
Speaker
But, Ben, how was your week in Snap? And keep it snappy.
Ben's Gaming Experiences
00:10:35
Speaker
Well, my week in Snap... ah It was alright. Didn't play too much Snap. Not...
00:10:43
Speaker
I mean, I don't know. The Grand Arena has been feeling like a chore for me. i like the part of the game where you get to snap. I think it's actually one of the game's core strengths, like one of the things that makes it fun and interesting.
00:10:57
Speaker
And I think that every time they do a limited time game mode without any snapping or with too much snapping, i'm looking at you, Deadpool's Diner. Um, the if the snaps aren't meaningful and present, then like the game's worse.
00:11:13
Speaker
And, uh, so grand arena is just kind of like less good snap and I just don't enjoy it very much. So I purchased the event pass and I've got zombie century. I probably need to play a little more to collect all the, all the rewards and things.
00:11:31
Speaker
Um, I got, uh, I got the cool Moon Knight variant. That's my favorite part of the Grand Arena so far. um so It's a little spooky, a little beautiful.
00:11:44
Speaker
Pretty cool, pretty cool. I've been playing other games as I am wont to do. I've been playing a lot of Slay the Spire. Finally got that Ascension 20 with the defect on my phone, but...
00:11:59
Speaker
I don't know. i was playing on PC just for whatever's, and I don't... I'm still at the beginning on PC, so, like, I can't do the high ascensions there. i But, gosh, what what a hell of a game. Very well made.
00:12:14
Speaker
um I'm very excited for the Squeakquel. um It looks like it's going to be dope. I just... I have a lot of faith. Like, as far as... i don't I don't know. I don't always have...
00:12:28
Speaker
a high level of confidence in the quality of, uh, sequels and things. It's just like, I had a feeling Hades too, like and super, super giant was going to let me down like that.
00:12:39
Speaker
And, uh, Oh, what I can't think of Megacrit. They're the Slay the Spire people. They're not going to let me down either. I feel pretty sure. They had that... Oh, man. even They did this like game jam about a year ago or so, and like they made a very fun little game for that.
00:12:59
Speaker
they just they They just don't miss, it seems like. Yeah, Slay the Spire 2. I was going to say, oh, they also... so They're building Slay the Spire 2 is being built on Godot, like the open source gaming engine, which is awesome to support.
00:13:13
Speaker
I'm not that cool. i'm on Unity, like like Snap, but like everyone Lame. It's total sellout. so like And they did. They went and they learned godau And I believe that game jam that you were talking about was built for them to learn Godot, to move their own processes over from Unity Science. So just some backtalk. So like all the more reason to support this game. They seem like some cool people.
00:13:36
Speaker
I wish we were friends. Okay. Yeah. right, back to you. So that's exciting. I don't have any new Snapdecks that I've built that I feel are ready for sharing with the world.
00:13:52
Speaker
um Yeah, I'm also just, about the game in general, I'm like, my excitement level is not as high as it has been at other times in my Snap career.
00:14:03
Speaker
i really... ah
00:14:06
Speaker
it does it does feel to me like there's just ah not, there's a lack of care going on in the management of the game. And it's sort of frustrating to watch because, like, you know, the foundation's so good.
00:14:20
Speaker
Like, the, you know, I was just talking about how much I love that snapping business. Like, yeah there's so there's so much good about Marvel Snap. And, like, it would be great if they could just
00:14:33
Speaker
Man, i don't know. We talk about it a lot. There are just things I would do differently and things that I hope they do differently. And I just... I'm a little bit concerned at a lot of the recent decisions. And I just don't think they're going to course correct. And it it just has me... i've been I've been waiting for a better card game for a while now.
00:14:51
Speaker
And I just... Yeah. Yeah, i don't know. I don't know. i still I still play the game. I still love it. I'm still... still going to worlds, damn it. You know, like I, I, I'm still in for a penny in for a pound, but like, it is starting to feel more and more like, I don't know. is, is sunk cost fallacy keeping me here? I don't know.
00:15:13
Speaker
Um, yeah, but everybody feels that way from time to time. And I still do love card games. And even if, even if I'm not with snap for forever, I will have learned good lessons and, uh, I'll have,
00:15:29
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. I'm always thinking about games and stuff. i will I will carry the the game thoughts I've had inspired by and around Snap with with me wherever.
00:15:40
Speaker
But I'm still in it for now, and I hope they start making better choices and stuff. And that would just be stellar. I still hold out hope.
00:15:52
Speaker
this there's There's so much to love here. Yeah, that's that's been my weekend snap. if If you're curious about the other games I've been playing, I don't know, hit me up on the speakeasy or check in on the Twitch. I'm i'm usually doing some boring speed running crap in Hades or, you know, I played a little Slay the Spire last night on on the stream. I didn't notice when someone came in. I didn't even i didn't even have my microphone on.
00:16:16
Speaker
It was JD McDonald, you know. um you Yeah, yeah, yeah. a listener. Anywho, that's been my week in Snap. We're all doing our best. Lauren, tell me about yours. Absolutely. Yeah,
00:16:31
Speaker
I think we were kind of like this last October, too. And maybe that gets to like how important theme was, because i don't know if all remember, but it was September season was Symbiotes Spider-Man. It was a Spider-Verse season. And then October was Symbiotes.
00:16:47
Speaker
And we were similarly like, this isn't a super exciting theme. I mean, Ben was excited about Scream, appropriately. I was also excited about Scorn. I think that season was a big success. Love Toxin.
00:16:59
Speaker
Honestly, it's Molde Wall Bangers. that Last October was a winner in my book. Cooler cards, but I don't think that it was a very exciting season either. And the October before was awesome. That was Elsa Bloodstone, Burrowed by Night, Nico Minoru, Man Thing, Black Knight. Like...
00:17:15
Speaker
That was a Halloween-ass season. That was a great
Reminiscing Marvel Snap Seasons
00:17:18
Speaker
season. want to see I hope that our next October is not just more Ford cards, now that it's a key word. I hope that it's more monsters and and spooky shit. There has got to be many more options ah in the Marvel Universe.
00:17:33
Speaker
I can say that with confidence. I wonder... I feel like we didn't appreciate it back in, like, Nico month, did we? I bet we were bitching about some, like, Meta or Kite. We didn't even know it was the good times.
00:17:43
Speaker
I don't know. I think knew it was the good times. I mean, we I think if we were bitching about anything, it was Elsa Bloodstone, and it was entirely justified. We were coming off of a bunch of busted cards, including Loki, Elioth, Elsa Bloodstone. Oh, yeah. Blob.
00:17:59
Speaker
um Or was Blob the month after? Menting the plus three rule. don't But and was i i would like to think I appreciated it, although maybe didn't realize how precious it might be. like that that The next year or two might not be so fun, um thematically anyway.
00:18:21
Speaker
i This is also where I admit, I don't think I've played more than the tutorial of Slay the Spire, so I should get around to that sometime. Oh, it's so good. i know you two both love it. um I've bought it at least once, possibly twice. just haven't played it. I'm slightly annoyed.
00:18:38
Speaker
For me, it's not infinitely repeat, because it's like having to start... I wish you got to draft at the beginning or something and start with something more interesting. Always starting with the basic deck for me, it's like...
00:18:50
Speaker
too slow on sit down enough just to complain, you know, ah to my imaginary slaves fired friends. There might be some mods for the the PC version that you that you might be interested in.
00:19:07
Speaker
I have mess with myself. Yes, but I think there' iss there's a fairly active mod situation for Slay the Spire. That can be very healthy for a game. um Other than that, I guess, yeah, I've been playing a decent amount of Grand Arena.
00:19:22
Speaker
ah I got to Century without the pass. I'm almost done with the free pass, and I will not be playing it anymore. Basically, I'm going to stop playing as soon as I get all the credits from the shop.
00:19:33
Speaker
Um, I got the Agatha emote, but I don't care about zombie fist bump emote. So I think the only cosmetic I'm grabbing is the Agatha thumbs up. Uh, not that I will have lot of occasion to use it, but it seems like, you know, if somebody thumbs up me in a sassy way, sometimes I want to thumbs up them back.
00:19:51
Speaker
Um...
00:19:54
Speaker
And it's like, it's it's a pretty sassy little oh Agatha emote. I'm just using an all-in Mr. Fantastic deck. I don't think it's worth reading off because Sanctum's going to be done... I guess there's a few days after we're done.
00:20:08
Speaker
um after we're done After this podcast goes live. It's basically like all of the draw cards and you're all in on like an Onslaught combo. it um It wins if your opponent doesn't have tech against it.
00:20:23
Speaker
And otherwise, you're in trouble. ah It is Mr. Fantastic, of course. And then i have Nico Minoru and Adam Warlock for drawing cards and crystal and magic. Yellowjacket and Martyr to support Nico and Adam.
00:20:40
Speaker
Quake, because this deck depends on you playing mid. So magic and Quake work together to make sure that mid is an okay location for you. Uh, and then Mystique and Prodigy to copy Onslaught.
00:20:53
Speaker
Moonstone, Onslaught. Uh, it makes like 100 to 150 power in the side lanes. And it's just, I don't know. One thing, don't know if it's something I like about Grand Arena, but it's like, it lets me play Snap in a more mindless way, is if I'm playing against a pre-con, I know if they have tech, right? Like, if I'm playing the Hulk pre-con...
00:21:13
Speaker
I know they have Lady Deathstrike, so I just hold Mr. Fantastic and Mystique for the last turn and throw Pryo, which I could try to do anyway, you know, if I suspect ah tech. But you never know for sure which tech people are running.
00:21:27
Speaker
um You know, if it's Carnage, I'm trying to play around Uncle Ben. But if it's ah if it's Thor or another Mr. Fantastic, I have absolutely nothing to worry about. They can't do anything to stop me.
00:21:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if it's been fun, but it's been chill. I i ah strongly believe in making snap fun in your own way. So, ah yeah.
Strategies for Grand Arena
00:21:57
Speaker
let's Let's move on. I didn't cover before we started the show.
00:22:01
Speaker
ah do either of you have anything you want to say about The Hunger or Zombie Captain in Marvel? Yeah. No. Okay. no Sweet. Me neither. I've ran into like one or two extra zombie Captain Marvels.
00:22:15
Speaker
Still not super impressed. um
00:22:19
Speaker
Zombie Sentry. I think we could we could save that for next week. I haven't, but I haven't played him once. Have either you played with him at all? I've played against him. I've seen him around.
00:22:30
Speaker
I haven't even played against him. ah this is our our grand arena prize. I think I lost to the person who was playing him.
00:22:42
Speaker
I've seen a few people doing like, this is all in on the horde. This is all the horde cards. It's finally maybe a real package. Yeah, big old giant man. Yeah.
00:22:53
Speaker
Yeah. All right. I did see somebody confirm that if you play Zombie Century before there's anything in the right, he just doesn't do anything. Like Horde Zero does nothing.
00:23:05
Speaker
That makes sense. Yeah, that's what I expected. But that's interesting to see that confirmed. OK, Zombie Galacti. What a what a card.
00:23:17
Speaker
Seven four start of game. it chooses six cards, six other cards in your deck on reveal. track No, it's not. You choose them. The text is garbage. Okay. It really is.
00:23:31
Speaker
What a stupid card. I don't know. Taking aside the power of this card, right? Because if it had different stats, it would be a strong card. Um, Yeah, the text is rough, but I don't know if you can, and that like using their restrictions, their tone, their style, their three-line limit, I don't know if you can write this card in a cleaner way.
00:23:51
Speaker
um
00:23:54
Speaker
Right? like What other verb are you using besides choose to indicate? i mean, it could be like randomly choose. If they could squeeze a randomly in there, that would that would do some work. Yeah. I did see people who were like thinking they were going to get to choose the six.
00:24:09
Speaker
And it's hard to blame them because while I... mean, that's what the card says. Yeah, while I personally don't think we're... I don't think we're ever going to see a modal window that's like a pop-up window that you have to deal with before the thing underneath it.
00:24:23
Speaker
i hope we don't, but that we don't think we'll ever see one in Snap. um But if we do, it's not going to be one as complicated as picking six cards from your deck. But... Yeah, that this card sounds exactly like you get to do the choosing. And I saw ah players and content creators alike confused by that ahead of time.
00:24:41
Speaker
i I have ran into this card two or three times. It was not impressive. How about you two? Have you seen it at all? like Nobody's playing I haven't seen yet. I only popped in a couple times and I only played Grand Arena, so I have not seen it.
Evaluation of Zombie Galacti Card
00:25:00
Speaker
valid yeah i i feel bad for people who weren't sure if this card was going to be good or bad and maybe ventured the tokens on it for my part i did try to warn every i gave this card a zero that's not a number we're allowed to give out under our rating system i i bend the rules to tell you all that this is the worst card ever but um I feel like who were getting it wanted the gimmick of it. Like, you know.
00:25:30
Speaker
There are definitely people who wanted to mess with it. Yeah. I hope everyone knew what they were getting into, because damn, what a what a nothing. I've used it just a little bit. I'm...
00:25:47
Speaker
i'm Wait, I haven't... I have been trying to cook something to do with it, right? Something fun. Like, surely there can be a combo, like a clip here, if not real deck. can definitely make clip with it, for sure. Yeah, this is a clip-ass card.
00:26:01
Speaker
So I've been working on that, but I've already seen people do, like, Wong Shuri stuff, and it's like, okay, cool, i made a bunch of 64-power Galacti, and that's, like, that's something. um your opponent why didn't your opponent retreat like your opponent sees the zombie galacti animation at the start of game um you know like a thanos or a high evo type animation where it like shows you that you're playing zombie galacti do the cards blow they can also your opponent can see all of the cards the aura to show you which exactly which cards are going to be the ones that transform
00:26:34
Speaker
The start game animations were so long when we were all playing Kang. Do you remember that? When they just changed Kang and it was like, okay, you'll go through Kang and then they all go through Kang and then sometimes people would just also throw in Thanos and Arisham and you're like, yay!
00:26:51
Speaker
Let's sit through this! This is what I play Snap! ah Anyway. My solution was to never play Kang. Cut that time in half. But what if your opponent is playing it? I saw somebody doing it with...
00:27:04
Speaker
Yeah, all of the cards, right? Uatu, Agatha, Quicksilver, all of them. It's 34 seconds long of opening animations. i Wow.
00:27:16
Speaker
The best thing that I have heard about Zombie Galacti came from KM Best, and it was that he was getting eight cubers because people would snap on him as soon as they saw he was playing it, and then he just didn't play it.
00:27:30
Speaker
It's kind of like the old Red Hulk thing where your opponent like sees you building up this Red Hulk and they play around it and you just don't ever play it. um I don't know. Goofy card. um hope it stays bad.
00:27:44
Speaker
I've seen people call it a buff. I'm not interested in the good version of this card. This would be bad for the game if it was a good card. It really would. I'm glad to report that so far seems bad.
00:27:58
Speaker
I wish there was more room for mediocre in Snap, though. It does feel kind of like everything is good or bad. it's like, but I want everyone, want the freedom for everyone to be able to, like, follow their heart and at least have a mediocre time with whatever they want to play. And it feels like there's some cards you just can't.
00:28:19
Speaker
but Well, that's, I feel like a lot of the cards this month have been mediocre. And I think, ah spoiler alert for later, a lot of next month's cards are going to be mediocre. And the thing I just think that like the nature of the game is that mediocre just means bad when it, like, you know. That's right, then it doesn't exist. And it's just bad. There's just good or bad. There's meta or like unplayable.
00:28:43
Speaker
So the snapping and retreating kind of amplifies that, right? It makes good cards better and and dm medium cards better. A lot of these cards would be fine if they could hop in a time machine back to like 2023. Yeah.
00:28:55
Speaker
yeah But they can't. that's not the That's not what we're doing. We're only accelerating it and putting out more and more and more cards. So no nobody gets to be good. don't know. Only really good cards get to be good.
00:29:11
Speaker
yeah Poor Airwalker, Firelord. Those are good cards, right? They seem like they should be good cards. I mean... I've seen people put them in decks.
00:29:26
Speaker
It's not their fault.
00:29:29
Speaker
We will not talk about next week's cards right now because they will be in the season rankings that we'll be doing. i i think we should do the OTA next.
00:29:43
Speaker
OTA is all, I believe it's all just like one power changes, right? Oh, Mercury's is a bigger change than that. Other than Mercury, it's all just one power changes.
00:29:54
Speaker
But, you know, we could still go through them real quick. Black Cat goes from one five to one four. That
OTA Changes and Gameplay Impact
00:30:04
Speaker
makes sense to me. I saw a lot less Bob ever since they took her to five.
00:30:08
Speaker
Yeah. Mm hmm. don't I don't think vanilla one fives. I mean, like, sure. Black cat did have some texts that made her better with fantastic car.
00:30:19
Speaker
ah But like, it was basically a vanilla one five. That's what she was. And it's not, uh, that's not right. That's not appropriate.
00:30:29
Speaker
Yep, Sauron 1-3 to one two and don't run into this deck a lot. I'm kind of surprised that this is where they're taking the power, but also like, i i think he's all upside, right? Like, if you're playing him, he's all upside, so. agree.
00:30:44
Speaker
I mean, you could say that about Ghostbiter, too, and she's a 1-3, and I kind of think she's good at 1-3, but. um It's fine. I'm offended. i'm kiss It should happen. He's exclusively a niche card, whereas Ghost Spider is a card you can use in another deck. even though yeah If you generate a Ghost Spider, you'll be looking for ways to use it for sure. Yeah, like 98% of why you're using her is in a move deck, but you can totally play her in like just a good cards thing.
00:31:12
Speaker
Supergiant.
00:31:15
Speaker
Goes from 4.7 to 4.6. I know she was getting popularity as a tech card, but isn't that because of the things she was answering? Like... yeah
00:31:29
Speaker
i shrugged on this one i was one power yeah now here's it like the one power really does matter sometimes and it matters more on cards that are cheaper but yeah these not hardly any of these are exciting aliath six nine to six eight i'm glad for that the less aliath i see the better and i already wasn't seeing any I mean, like when they did the big o eliath ah Eliath nerf, like i I remember I said, like it's been wild to me this whole time that 6-9 Eliath is okay. like It's too big and does too much. And I i think 6-8 might still be probably a little bigger than it needs to be.
00:32:07
Speaker
think people would probably play 6-6 Eliath. Yeah, I think 6 or 7 seems like the right place. um Mercury, this is... this is From my perspective perspective, this is the big one. 2-2 to three four Like, that's a big change.
00:32:24
Speaker
Yeah, there are a number of ways to look at that. ah The one that jumps out at me is, ah why are all the self-movers three? ah You know what? why do Why don't we just make Jeff three? Why don't we make Nightcrawler three while we're at it?
00:32:37
Speaker
Why don't we add another one to the game next week? I mean, that's what we're doing. Like, Nocturne, Rocket and Groot, Spiderpunk, Mercury. That's four. Like, why don't we bump Vision down to three?
00:32:48
Speaker
They're limiting the number you can put in a deck. One, i like this because Mercury was the new Jeff. Why would you play Jeff when you could play a Mercury that could counter a whole deck as well as being moved, you know, like a Jeff? So that's good. and And then the other thing, I think they should, that's what I found. As someone who didn't, you know, you know how much I fear squirrels and don't play move.
00:33:13
Speaker
But like every time I keep ending up decks, playing decks of, like, self-movers. They're just so good. If you get a whole deck and you can shift all your power around and, like, all of this stuff, and you should. There should be a limit, I feel like.
00:33:29
Speaker
And making them all threes, and it's like, fuck yeah, I'll play Mercury and Surfer, you know? So, like, I'm kind of okay with this, to be honest. I think it's...
00:33:41
Speaker
I'm curious how much the the choice is related to like being able to play Mercury and Cannonball on the same turn. like That's harder to do now. You can't do it on Limbo. You can't do it with with a one ramp on six.
00:33:53
Speaker
You can still do it with Sarah. Yeah, there are still ways to do it, absolutely. Or Wave. um That's a good call-out, though. like I didn't even think about the combo with Cannonball. Trying to make it less surprising. Also, I...
00:34:09
Speaker
Move is a very good deck right now. ah My understanding is that move is a good deck at the top of ladder. and that And it's one of those decks that just like doesn't trickle down to the rest of the game, and so they don't nerf it very often. Yeah.
00:34:25
Speaker
But it seems like the players near the top are like, why would you nerf Mercury but not the rest of it? But not move. That's the other way I would look at it. Besides, like, too many clumped up at three, I'm just like, I don't know. Mercury is, ah a weak we need Mercury on the street, you know?
00:34:42
Speaker
Keeping us safe. Maybe we just need more move counters. ah Yeah. I think that's actually, well, they need they need to nerf Torch. Torch is crazy. Yeah.
00:34:56
Speaker
yep Torch, i I liked it when Killmonger did the thing. Yeah, it turns out that was pretty important balance. Yeah. oh And now with like, Shang is hardly ever seen anymore. I'm surprised how much his nerve has taken him out of the meta, but.
00:35:19
Speaker
Yeah, me too he's not there to police Torch. don't know. and Okay. Can I take the next one, Lauren? do it. all right. It X-23.
00:35:32
Speaker
I'm doing this because I've just had a long love of Laura Kinney of the character. So I'm sad for her, even though it's like probably fine. I mean...
00:35:43
Speaker
um They're nerfing her from a 1-2 to a 1-1, but her ability remains the same. She still generates an energy, which is usually why you're playing her.
X-23 Card Nerf and Comic Parallels
00:35:53
Speaker
um so but it's funny because this lines up with what's going on with her right now in the comics as well. She is also getting nerfed.
00:36:04
Speaker
Because they're doing this Age of Revelation where they're flashing forward to X-Men apocalyptic future kind of stuff, like they like to do. And this is what in X, I just got the first issue of her new, or I just read it anyway, of her new run um after the last one ended. And is ah like x twenty three It's Lorcanie's Sabretooth.
00:36:32
Speaker
That's what she's doing in the future. Down from like being Lorcanie Wolverine, like...
00:36:42
Speaker
running around a saber tooth she's like henching the villain she's like at odds with like scout like with her you know yeah mean her like little sister it's just like oh laura oh laura so just it's all around a bad timer for her right now so just keep her in your thoughts please all right did you have any thoughts about this I don't know. Yeah.
00:37:10
Speaker
I don't like it as a fan of the character. And yeah, I don't know. Destroy is very strong right now. It is very strong right now. Surprised X-23 is where they're hitting it. I also am surprised.
00:37:25
Speaker
I haven't likes thought about it super hard. But yeah, I don't know. my my gut My gut feeling about this change is meh. Yeah, it's, I guess, two power off of destroy if you count the extra power that Venom would get.
00:37:40
Speaker
um yeah I think I think destroy will be fine. my Leader six, four to six, five. ye Yep.
00:37:51
Speaker
Yep. That's fine. Makia, similarly, I would celebrate it, because she had to... I think the one puts her in decks all the time, i had taken her out. Like, my last few buff decks, it's just, like, too much competition with gle all the other buffers. So, like, this helps.
00:38:12
Speaker
I think this is a completely free buff. Like, no risk of this being too strong. Yeah. Right? yeah Yeah. I'm just like, why now? Why? i mean, it's not it's not going to make her a card now.
00:38:27
Speaker
Like, they they could have done this, like, 18 months ago, and it might have been different. But she's still not cut out for 2025.
00:38:39
Speaker
Penny Parker, I think this is her second buff. Yes. Spider goes from to 3-5.
00:38:49
Speaker
That makes me a lot more interested in the card, honestly. That one extra power makes a big difference. She always feels like she should be better than she ends up being in play, though. i always think I'm going to end up pulling off some cool shenanigans that I'm going to be like, only with Penny.
00:39:05
Speaker
And then when am doing all these decks, I'm always like, but I think I'd rather play this other thing or do this other thing. and it just you know Sometimes she's going to hit on that combo and be OP, like some card will come out or something, and then then she'll suffer for it probably instead of the new card. But I don't know that we're there yet. Yeah. Being a three turn thing is like, that's tough.
00:39:29
Speaker
That's like, that's worse than activating. The life cycle is like half the game. Like, yeah, we got other things to do.
00:39:39
Speaker
And finally, Electro, they just keep creeping him up three, four to three, five. I mean, 3-5 is a real stat line. Yeah. i you're You're getting close to the point where I might try to figure out how to deal with that ongoing ability.
00:39:56
Speaker
Yeah. I have to say, like when they ah that this Electro change made me look at one of the cards that's coming out next month a little more closely. and it made me like think, like maybe I don't want to play either of these cards.
00:40:14
Speaker
Yeah. i I think Electro just has so much competition for ramp, right? Like, why wouldn't you be playing Hope or Luna Snow? Yep. They're so painless, especially Hope.
00:40:28
Speaker
But Luna Snow is relatively painless, too. Right. And once he didn't combo with Lady Deathstrike anymore, you know, like for me, that was the end of him. I could never figure to get him back in after that. That's good point.
00:40:40
Speaker
I think Blink is kind of the only thing. I mean, Cersei. Yeah. Yeah, there you go. There's two. all right, SELTA feels like a very small one. I believe there's another one next week because SD is doing their ah semi-annual company get-together, so they moved up their moved up an OTA.
00:41:07
Speaker
maybe Maybe the next one will be more exciting. Yeah. We are now going to rank the November cards. ah Season starts next week. Spider-Verse season.
Spiderpunk Card Analysis
00:41:19
Speaker
If you haven't heard our rankings before, or if you just need a reminder, we rank them. Points 1 through 4. 1 is the worst. 4 is the best. Um... You can interpret that however you want.
00:41:30
Speaker
It could be stars or thumbs or whatever.
00:41:36
Speaker
Let's get into it. First up, Spiderpunk, our premium season pass, a 3-2. All of these are based on data mines, so they might change less second. Sometimes that happens.
00:41:47
Speaker
um You can move this once. When this moves to a location, steal two power from the highest power enemy there. Re.
00:41:58
Speaker
This feels very ah Rocket and Groot to me, you know, obviously for obvious reasons because it's very similar. would say, like, it's a self-mover.
00:42:12
Speaker
But the problem is that used to always be inherently good, and now we have enough, and as Ben pointed out, like, they're all threes, so you're not going to be... You're only going to be picking one of these, and it's like, you want this power versus the power to change a location or, you know, um stop, move, whatever you're trying to do.
00:42:33
Speaker
So for me, this is probably 2.5 between a 2 and a 3, but I'll put it up to 3 because it's fucking Spider-Punk, you know? the mana's due. So um that's where I'm landing for this one.
00:42:49
Speaker
Ben? You know, i am right in that same zone between two and three. Like, I love this card. This card is very cool. This card does stuff that I like to do. i wish it came out two years ago.
00:43:02
Speaker
um i just... They're going to buff it, right? So it's going to be fine eventually. But i I do think that it just... um i think that, like... it's It's tempting to, like, dismiss it because it can't hang with Human Torch, like, points-wise.
00:43:21
Speaker
but i think it does a sufficiently different thing. And also I just don't like playing human torch very much. Didn't like playing him at one, still don't like playing him at three.
00:43:31
Speaker
um
00:43:34
Speaker
And i I'm just very excited to play this card, but, like, I don't know. You know, what did I give Scarlet Witch last season? A two? Like, this feels a lot like Scarlet Witch again, except I like this one more and I'm rooting for it.
00:43:50
Speaker
And, like, last season I was like, well, they're going to buff her. It'll be fine. But, like, this time I'm like... well, they're going to buff him and maybe he'll be good after that. Maybe. maybe like like i I'm just saying all the same things with a different tone.
00:44:07
Speaker
But like this is this is like a very mid-season pass card, unfortunately, because I want it to be good because it's so cool. And it does such a cool thing. like i don't know. i yeah i've I've thought about all the kinds of little mover type things they might make. And I i knew they might make one like this. And I like that they did.
00:44:27
Speaker
I kind of wish it was... i yeah I don't know. Yeah. I just wish it came out earlier when it would matter. Yeah. um I'm interested in it. Maybe this is why they nerfed Mercury, right?
00:44:39
Speaker
Cell season passes in November. It's 3-6 if you move him once, right? You can move him many times. I think... I was also struggling with the fact that, like, why wouldn't you just play Torch if you're going to find a way to move this guy a bunch of times?
00:44:55
Speaker
um But...
00:44:58
Speaker
There are a couple things he does uniquely, right? Versus, say, Old Vulture or um or Torch. One is he's a card that you can move and and you're incentivized to move it multiple times. We don't have anything like that, right? The existing self-movers.
00:45:15
Speaker
Nocturne, sort of, but like there's it's not the same, right? Changing two locations is is not as often something you want to do as dealing for our stealing two power twice. Maybe you disagree because how you love Nocturne.
00:45:30
Speaker
Changing two locations when like they think they're out of the woods, they're like, okay, one of these locations is going to change, but like oh sometimes that second one really really ah becomes the star of the dish.
00:45:44
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I would agree Nocturne is the closest. but still ah but Okay, but Nocturne, you don't want to move four times, and this you're happy to move four times. Yeah. and I don't want to say not not never. Maybe, Nocturne, you do want to move four times. Sometimes.
00:45:59
Speaker
I mean, like, it's it's all about the one that makes it the 8th cube, you know? Whichever move that is, if that's number one, number two, number three. don't know. But it's it's you're going into it with a different goal, right? The other thing that Spider-Punk does that's different from, say, Torch or Vulture is he's spreading it around to multiple lanes.
00:46:16
Speaker
i don't know if that's a better or a worse thing, but it's a thing. um i think it's also notable it's targeted to the highest power card, so if you do move him a bunch, there's a good chance he's going to spread it out. You'd have to move him a lot for that to really have good reliability, you know, like ah to cast a Sparky Stack, something like that.
00:46:34
Speaker
About that that highest power thing, I think that's their cute robots means activate for this season. I think that's like... These cards care about the greatest power because great responsibility. Oh, I like there's more than one card like the Prowler toys. They care about highest. A lot of them care about power. Yeah.
00:46:57
Speaker
OK, they're being cute and I see it. I've played a lot of card games. I notice I notice when you're being cute. Anyway, I'm right in the same I don't hate it. I'm in the same place you two are. I'm between two and three. I'm leaning stronger towards three. I think that it's just a good card.
00:47:12
Speaker
You might put it in a move package for redundancy. You might put it in an affliction package to pair with Diamondback and Ajax. um
00:47:21
Speaker
The region is reach is kind of weak, right? Because if you move it into a hard-to-reach location, does your opponent even have anything there to hit? And then he's just a two. Yeah.
00:47:34
Speaker
So, like, I want to say he can go in a good cards package like Rocket and Groot once upon a time did, but and I don't know if he's quite there. Okay. Man Spider, our super premium season pass card, also available in Series 5.
00:47:49
Speaker
Assuming the dairy data mines are correct. 5-1, on reveal, merge the last card you played into this. When this merges, double its power. Ben. I'm giving this one a three.
00:48:02
Speaker
i I don't know. It's it's one of these...
00:48:09
Speaker
You know, i hate the doubling, but it's good. you know that it's It's better than giving things plus three is doubling them. you know And there are just like a zillion ways to get ah ahead with this. I mean, I think sometimes it's just going to be as simple as like you play Gwenpool, you don't have a bunch of cards in hand.
00:48:29
Speaker
And then you play Man's Fighter next, and Gwenpool gets shlorped over, and then just, a I don't know. like I think this card is just fundamentally strong, and there are going to be things to do with it.
00:48:44
Speaker
the ah Just packing up one of your lanes and putting it somewhere else. like This card doesn't say move on it, but it's like... In many ways, it functions like a very big, surprising move card.
00:48:57
Speaker
Yeah, i think it's super cool for un unfilling a lane.
00:49:02
Speaker
So yeah, I'm giving it a three. i feel like at other times when I've thought about it, I was a little higher on it. But I don't remember exactly what my thought process was. And the last time I felt this way about it, the last time I had this experience with a card, it was like Jim Hammond, where I'd written down the day before, oh, this is a three.
00:49:22
Speaker
And then when it when it came time to rate the cards and like talk about I couldn't remember why I thought he was a three. but and i I turned out, I still think Jim Hammond's a three. After I got to play with him, I liked him.
00:49:34
Speaker
So i'm I'm going to trust myself. Whatever I thought about this card that had me so high on it, I think I was right. So, yep. Yep. It's at least a three. i think he's a solid three. Super duper playable.
00:49:46
Speaker
Has some sort of like utility, not just giant power. um You know, he can unfill a lane. He can absorb a card that has negative text, right? Like, he can eat a star brand, and and that ongoing ability is gone.
00:50:02
Speaker
Also, merging an extra time with him with something like Agony or Hulkbuster is not super difficult to do and is probably worth it if it means you're getting two doubles. um But super vulnerable to tech, and you still have to figure out how to win another lane if you make one really big dude.
00:50:20
Speaker
So... So three. I'm trying to reserve reserve fours for cards I think are truly super strong. Rhi? Okay. um I actually gave this one a two. I feel like it first of all, it does.
00:50:36
Speaker
It feels like it's just better than Black Panther. first was like, but is it though? But it's like really anywhere would play Black Panther and um I mean, I don't know that I'm playing them both.
00:50:50
Speaker
um It's like you could just play this instead because it does the same thing, right? Like you'd play it with Arnim Zola and it's just almost free that you could play whatever before it and you can at least get to like...
00:51:03
Speaker
Black Panthers the size, right? I actually think the Zola play is weird because when you merge, it transfers the last card you played property.
00:51:14
Speaker
So it will either, if it was the last card you played, it won't have anything to merge with. And if it does have something to merge with, the second copy from Zola will eat the first copy. Because it will like, train through the transitive property, the first one will become the last card you played.
00:51:30
Speaker
So it's a way to make one really big spider, but that's different from the Black Panther thing. there anything there with Tribunal, do we think?
00:51:39
Speaker
ah yeah How are you playing Zola and Tribunal? But yeah, maybe. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. Also, do we like this card as a Ravonna friend? I know we're always looking for Ravonna friends.
00:51:50
Speaker
Yes. The problem is with Ravonna, like, is often I am playing very low power cards. You don't get a lot of bonus from doubling low power cards power. So it's a tricky. There be somebody who's not a Ravonna friend.
00:52:07
Speaker
Right? and And the problem is, like, when you're playing Ravonna, though, you're usually... i mean, lot of times people will sprinkle her in for a couple cards, but i hate doing that because it's a 12-card game. It gets harder and harder, right, to put in like, a package, like, in a card like Ravonna that isn't helping you um with a lot of things, right? That you're not going Because there's so many twos.
00:52:33
Speaker
So... so Um, I so in this one, that's where I was at. Okay. And this makes it I'm actually glad for that because I was thinking it through and I'm like, I guess it is better, but it's it's not it's different.
00:52:45
Speaker
It's it's very give a two because it's so it's like Black Panther. It's a combo you really need to set up. to make happen, and it's probably going to be a visible combo. You know what I mean? So there's just... There's a lot of factors there. it's just really not free. As someone... And I've tried to play Black Panther and then not... Usually you only see him in the like the combo style or Galactus decks.
00:53:14
Speaker
And I've tried to put... it can It's like, can I just throw him in my little hand buff deck as like one big card? And it's like, no, there's just... In that case, why wouldn't you just play a Sinister and some other cards that you buffed up? yeah just ah ah yeah If you're not comboing him, would play Absman after him sometimes, and that was cute.
00:53:35
Speaker
But it's just like, these are cards that are really like very narrow into their combo decks. You can't really sprinkle them at all. Do we think that...
00:53:46
Speaker
Do you think maybe there's a chance for Man Spider to work as like not maybe a super greedy combo thing, but like what if it's just the natural thing you play after a four cost? Like what like what what are four costs that people like to like to play?
00:54:01
Speaker
like i think Gwenpool that you said was a really good example because it's an on reveal you want and has decent power. Do you ever play this after Wiccan? You know, just like make 14 power in a different lane.
00:54:16
Speaker
i don't know. And then you've got extra Wiccan energy to do something else with. You know, I it just seems like a ah fundamentally strong card. I don't know.
00:54:27
Speaker
I don't know. That's what you would think. But it's like. If you have that extra energy Wiccan, you're probably playing like a better six cost card or like you're just doing better things than like doubling your Wiccan, you know?
00:54:43
Speaker
i don't know. think I think it can be sneaky, right? you're it' not It doesn't have to be as telegraphed as Black Panther because you could play this on six and absorb Red Skull, right? It's just like, but you still have to win another lane. And so in some ways, I think that this is a very honest combo card, right? Like you could do something like...
00:55:05
Speaker
ah Typhoid Mary into Man Spider and then Taskmaster it. That's just like in the same sort of way that like the Shuri Sauron deck is just big, but it's pretty honest. This feels like um this feels like that kind of card to me.
00:55:21
Speaker
I think it could even go in the Shuri Sauron deck pretty effectively. Probably.
Superior Spider-Man Card Viability
00:55:27
Speaker
i'm I'm not an expert on that one, but it seems plausible. It didn't seem silly to me.
00:55:33
Speaker
Okay. I think I could see a two happening. a Superior Spider-Man. ah Series 5, 3, 4. At the start of each turn, you get plus one energy if you have any cards with increased power in play.
00:55:46
Speaker
I'll start. um i think I think we said when we first saw this card, I think Silver Sable came up. Mm-hmm. hunger or zombie mr fantastic are also available as ways to ensure that he's working like on turn four um it seems like a good ramp card if you have a way to make him somewhat reliable right like i would much rather play this than electro yeah i've i've seen some people be really high on him and i'm like i don't know if it's worth being super high for like yeah one extra energy for three turns
00:56:22
Speaker
So, like, could just do that with Luna Snow. Yep. um So, i he's...
00:56:34
Speaker
it's so It's hard to say anything below three for, like, ah just a solid ramp card. But no just I don't think he's better than the ones we already have. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say two.
00:56:45
Speaker
Yep. Three. I give him a three because getting energy is always good. And when you're just gaining energy in this way, it's the reason we do all of these shenanigans with Quicksilver and Domino to get Wiccan is because it's also immune to Mobius, you know, like they can't take it away from you. So that's a point in its favor.
00:57:08
Speaker
The next point in favor is like you already want your cards to have increased power anyway. So win-win. However, as you were stating, it's not as reliable gain in energy as other cards. You're not guaranteed to draw your Silver s Sable, you know what i mean? To have it all set up.
00:57:27
Speaker
um But still, it's an energy gain card. It feels more and more like it's hard to not have something like that in a deck. You know, something to help accelerate you with Surge or something.
00:57:40
Speaker
So, um you know, so it's a three for me. I think it'll fit into a lot of decks because, ah you know, if you're already doing that anyway, this might be the card you put in to ramp yourself.
00:57:57
Speaker
been started out pretty high on this card i felt in my gut like how could it be less than a three right because making energy is good and it's three four and the thing that it asks you to do is so doable so attainable but the thing is lately i've been playing a lot of corvus glaive i was very slow to adopt corvus glaive but like that's that's a card that's doing a thing and giving you extra energy. And, like, the its drawback is, like, part of your game plan.
00:58:31
Speaker
This guy's drawback is, like... It sounds like he goes in the Horde deck, of all things. because Because you mentioned The Hunger and Zombie Mr. Fantastic as two ways to make sure that he hits the ground running.
00:58:46
Speaker
But, like... What deck is playing Silver Sable? like is this Is this a bounce card? do we I mean, does it go in bounce? I just i don't. And I mean, like, ah Yeah, no. just don't rather. Wouldn't Bounce rather be playing Black Swan?
00:59:03
Speaker
that is such a wild thing, but like, yeah, I mean, I just don't think, I don't think this goes in bounce. So I'm like, does it go in horde? Is that the end of the list where this goes?
00:59:15
Speaker
Cause like, how else, how else are you actually like getting it set consistent? I mean, like, I know that things get extra power from a zillion different sources, locations and stuff like all the time. Yeah.
00:59:28
Speaker
and But like, it's not like a I don't know, like when, when it, when it's not working, you just played a three, four y'all that's Cyclops. Um, I just, I, I want to like this card cause I like the character and i you know, I just don't think it's, I don't think it's filling a need, you know, like who, who's asking for like what, what deck wants this.
00:59:55
Speaker
And I think it's maybe just zombies. Yeah. else is there like Sam Wilson on yes Sam Wilson is the other one that I had I'd been thinking of and in my list but ah Sam Wilson is strange supreme used to be if you have like squirrels and strange supreme but that's a two-step process like a bounce set with like a Hawkeye you know what i mean Hawkeye is one hmm Kitty Pryde she's off by one turn because you can't play her and superior spider-man on the same turn
01:00:28
Speaker
Like, Aranya gives someone a buff. There's so many cards that are small and will buff other cards. i think it's like... Yeah. There may be, like, a critical one that I'm missing, but it just seems like... don't know.
01:00:46
Speaker
I'm worried about the consistency of getting him started on four. And if he's getting started on five, like... and Yeah. Like, it could have been Jennifer Kale if you really wanted to get a six out on five.
01:00:57
Speaker
But if you're playing a little bounce deck, why not put this in to help you ramp it, maybe? I guess then you're looking to play Beast. don't really know. There are only 12 cards, and this guy doesn't get big. He never gets big.
01:01:09
Speaker
no no No part of him is like, and get big at the end. I don't know. like like Maybe in a vacuum, he might be a a better card, but I i just think we like we have other options that are fine. Again, two years ago, this card would be Yeah.
01:01:24
Speaker
yeah but I don't know how many ways would have had to proc him two years ago, but ah you know a way to play We'd be playing Forge. We'd be playing Forge just to play this guy.
01:01:34
Speaker
Oh, Forge is another one. Okay. and Web Sling. A Series 4 card in the first week. A skill. One cost. On reveal, next turn, you can move one of your cards away from here.
01:01:50
Speaker
ah Okay, this has got to be like, okay, I feel like it's like maybe a four in like its ability in the game, but like a one in my heart.
01:02:04
Speaker
Because like, we've talked about this before. i know Ben feels strongly about this too. This really hurts the character cards. Yeah. You know, like Ghost Spider, like Iron Fist, because it's better.
01:02:20
Speaker
It used to be a bonus, like early. It's like a curve over the time of Snap, where like early on, it was a benefit. To have an extra card out. You know what i mean? To have, it's like, oh, this is also a body with a point or two.
01:02:35
Speaker
Maybe do some. But now it's a detriment because there's so many, you know, it's so easy. You're usually running out of space. You usually don't want to have a bunch of little cards laying around space.
01:02:46
Speaker
Especially if you're trying to move things around. Especially if you're trying to move things around. That's why you're often, you're seeing those decks try and pick those little cards back up. You know, you want them out of the way reuse them.
01:02:58
Speaker
So this one does what the one of those little cards do. it moves you around for a low cost of one. but then it doesn't hang around to clutter up the space. you know um the only downfall to it, it is next turn instead of immediate. So like, there is that, but like, um that's how I feel about it.
01:03:21
Speaker
Give it maybe a three. Ben? i also ended up giving it a three. I'm like, I'm also wondering if perhaps it's a four.
01:03:34
Speaker
um i still, i still just, I hate that it's, it's so... Like, if you're supposed to be doing web slinging stuff, all the characters that are supposed to be doing web stuff already have abilities that do their web stuff.
01:03:54
Speaker
What is this? what like what What flavor is this bringing to the game? Yeah. s Silk already does the Silk thing. Spider-Man already does the Spider-Man. Like ah Ghost Spider does that.
01:04:06
Speaker
They all already have the move thing built in. Why is there this extra just taking up space in the game and like supplanting them? It's just the characters who don't have their own webs.
01:04:22
Speaker
But why? Why do they get to? yeah and They don't have their own webs. Wolverine doesn't have web shooters. He's got adamantium claws. He's got a healing factor.
01:04:33
Speaker
This is just... It's ugly. It's it's just, yeah I don't i don't don't think it's cool. I don't think it makes the game more interesting.
01:04:45
Speaker
i think it only crowds out characters that, you know, people care about and like relate to and like want to hang out with while they play card games. Nobody wants to hang out with the web shooter.
01:04:58
Speaker
And it's not even called Thwip or anything fun, you know? Thwip would be a better name for sure. Like, gosh, they just they just don't. i Man, I don't know. I don't know, y'all.
01:05:08
Speaker
Not an exciting card to me. Maybe it's a four, but i can't I can't give it higher than a three just because of how distasteful I find it. in And um' based on data mines, it seems like we're just going to keep getting more. face Yeah, it's not even the only one this season. Deafening cord. What the fuck is that? he Yeah. And I think there's two next season also. Um,
01:05:32
Speaker
the fastball special and the adamantium infusion oh i guess i could have given this one a four because spoiler alert i'm giving deafening cord a four so i don't i don't know maybe maybe i can give fours to cards that i hate but man i am just like the two of you split between three and four this is a strong thing to do this is old thanos space stone which was absolutely busted when it existed but also it was primarily used with a lockjaw that's different from the one we have now um and also a quinjet that was different from the one we have now uh so but i do think it's really cool the delayed decision right like next turn you can choose which of the cards you're moving out of the lane whether you're even doing it at all and also where they're going it's fairly cool um and it's only cost one so you can easily play it on the same turn as a card like
01:06:24
Speaker
like torch or whatever, if you want to get it, start moving. Uh, there was recently the patch that made it so that moves are smarter. So like if you used this and spider punk on the same turn, it would use up the web sling first before using up spider punk's move.
01:06:39
Speaker
I just, wouldn't you rather it be a one body like it has two or three power like iron fist or, ghost spider.
01:06:52
Speaker
But i mean maybe that delayed decision is really powerful. Yeah. Yeah, I suppose. It's just such a similar design space, though. Yeah. I've...
01:07:03
Speaker
it's just that is occupying such similar design space though yeah
01:07:09
Speaker
i
01:07:13
Speaker
and I'll go. have hate picking threes the entire season. I do think it's one of the strongest cards of the season, but I don't think it's a super strong season.
Web Sling Card Mechanics
01:07:21
Speaker
So I'm going to, I'm going to be three. That's I'm trying to remember. That's what I was wishing for October. I'm like, i kind of wish I didn't give out any fours. Cause I don't think any of, in retrospect, I don't think any of them are fours as boring as that range is. Okay.
01:07:37
Speaker
The following week. Chameleon's in the data mines twice, so we're going to pretend you that he's this week. He might also be an LTGM card. Anyway, Ezekiel Sims, two two after you play a card with... but Do we want to start rotating who reads them? That seems more interesting to me.
01:07:55
Speaker
Ben, you read this one. Ezekiel Sims, he's a two two After you play card with higher power here, give this plus 2 power and move this to another location. It's a Series 5.
01:08:08
Speaker
ah would you like to know what I think about it? ah do, That's we'll do the rotation. it's very cool design. Don't think it's very strong. I hope it gets buffed because I'm a fan of the character.
01:08:21
Speaker
um And I think it's a neat ability. It's just... Wow. It just gets harder and harder to proc.
01:08:33
Speaker
And i I mean, like, Do they know that they already they already printed a card called Bedrock the Leaper? Like, look look at these two cards next to each other and, like, one of them is very good and one of them is, like, just a... Like, just... i don't I don't know. I don't know what you're supposed to... yeah Like, I...
01:08:57
Speaker
I like the things that this card does. It just does them so efficiently and bad, inefficiently and badly. Like i I'm, I'm, I'm giving it a two, but like, I'm just being nice.
01:09:09
Speaker
yeah There's like no reason to play this card ever at all. I'm just, I'm really surprised this is a series five. Yeah. It's ridiculous. like more Yeah.
01:09:20
Speaker
I'm a one on this. I think it could be a good card, but I really struggled to imagine it being one of the best 12 in a deck. Yep. It's like, what deck wants this over and something else? I don't know. Like, it is certainly more controlled than Silk, and it can get bigger than Silk. But, like, if you're playing Silk, it's usually because you want her moving all over the place. Yep. Somebody's getting big, even if it's not Silk. It's Stomp or it's Kraven. Yeah, it's just... Yeah.
01:09:47
Speaker
Just can't hang with the Leaper and friends. Okay. No, I gave this one a three. I love this card. I love Batrack the Leaper. I love Silk. Silk's bigger than this. It'll proc it.
01:09:59
Speaker
I love cards. I don't like cards I have to move. I like cards that i can move in other ways. And I fucking love Hydra Stomping.
01:10:10
Speaker
I'll play Whack-A-Mole with the Hydra all day long. And this is a card that does that, that'll like move via other conditions. So I'll take on the challenge. like A Hydra Snopper, by the time I put it down, will be higher than this.
01:10:24
Speaker
Maybe I'll put in some Stardust, some other nonsense or whatever so keep doing it. i This gives me another angle to take on Stomp and some Hydras. And I love just the little entourage of cards that go swinging around every turn.
01:10:39
Speaker
my God. Without me having plotted it out, I love just letting them do what they want to do, letting the chaos unfold, letting the Hydra Stomper grow in power with each with each Hydra name picks out. I was going to say that this one's not very chaotic, except you don't know where it's going to go.
01:10:59
Speaker
You don't, but Batroc will follow it. This will be like, it's, I don't know. It seems fun for me. I'm excited. i hope it i hope you're I hope it's worth playing.
01:11:12
Speaker
Yeah, I'm glad to hear that. i Chameleon. Series four.
Chameleon Card Potential
01:11:20
Speaker
Three, three on reveal. Copy the text of another card here. You revealed this turn.
01:11:27
Speaker
The first thing that comes to mind, Surfer. Of course. But, like, wouldn't you rather just Absman, especially because, and I know you play a lot of Surfer Absman, Ben. Or at least have in the past.
01:11:38
Speaker
I still do. I don't know how often Absman is doing Brood. But to me, that alone is, like, I would rather have Absman than Chameleon. Yes, Absman is often doing Brood. Yeah, so um so then it's like, what else? It doesn't have to copy an on-reveal. It could copy like an ongoing or something. um so It has to be there, in the spot. Yeah, so same turn, same location.
01:12:03
Speaker
Like another... You play like Moonstone on 4 or 5, and...
01:12:10
Speaker
maybe Maybe Invisible Woman is the thing. it count, or does that happen after the end of the game? like It always gets tricky for me when it's like this turn, but what if it doesn't? I think it'll count.
01:12:22
Speaker
Oh, traditional Invisible Woman, not first steps. Yes, I think it'll work with that. ah Because it says revealed, not ah like a card that you staged or played. It still does count as like turn six for the purposes. Like, even though it's like end of the game, it's still turn six.
01:12:40
Speaker
So like two Iron Man on the same way, like he's not a lot of power. So it feels like there's something clever here. He seems like a very fun card, but not a very strong one. And so um i'm I'm inclined to say Yeah.
01:12:56
Speaker
kind of want to go one, but like it just seems like there there is a lot of space here. There's a lot of stuff that... And it seems I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm missing something.
01:13:06
Speaker
Right. It opens up such an avenue because like most cards are limited. It's like it has to be another on reveal card. You know what I mean? It's like this is really, you know, like, I mean, I know we're going to have to. It's too hard with like Sarah shenanigans to make it cheap enough is the problem. It's really such a drawback that it has to be the same turn. But it's too powerful probably if it's not.
01:13:30
Speaker
I was thinking, I think it's too much that it's the same location. If it's the same turn, they're saying both of these are so restrictive. and It would be very cool if you could... Anyway.
01:13:41
Speaker
three Yeah, it's gotta be, like, a two. Like, I don't think it's a one, but it's so limited. And the cool stuff you want to do, like the things I want to copy, you want copy, you know, the more expensive stuff.
01:13:58
Speaker
And, um... Yeah, it's a tough one. Like, it's like, because it's like, where are you, you know, like, and guess, like, you're probably not even putting it Surfer. I don't know. It feels like a card where somebody's going to discover something with it. Yeah.
01:14:15
Speaker
like, oh, this is what you do with Chameleon. And maybe it's going to take a month or two, or maybe it's just a few days, but don't know. I hate ranking a card based on that lack of knowledge, but...
01:14:29
Speaker
I'm sure it's going to be a card sometimes. It hits on the combo and until then it's like doesn't fit anywhere. Yeah.
01:14:39
Speaker
And you got a number in mind. I mean, i really like I feel kind of optimistic about i just like the restrictions are so burdensome.
01:14:51
Speaker
Like I but like the thing is, it does have something over absorbing man in that it costs three. And so, like, I really, i I think I might give it a three just on the strength of turn six for Surfer.
01:15:07
Speaker
um Also, as I mentioned, I think it would be cute to play Moonstone and then finish the game with Mr. Fantastic and Chameleon.
Victoria Hand Card Discussion
01:15:15
Speaker
and Like, ah that doesn't seem the most practical to me, but there's got to be something kind of like that or something. Like...
01:15:24
Speaker
there There will be things to do with, like, I don't know. There are just so many other cards that I keep trying to pair with it in my head, and it just, like, doesn't work out. So, like, I feel like maybe maybe it's a two. Maybe I'm maybe i'm being nice.
01:15:38
Speaker
But, like, I don't know. this seems like a thing with potential. I liked the Victoria Hand suggestion. i um Yeah, I think there's probably something here, more more so than some other cards.
01:15:53
Speaker
There are other ones where i can't I can't tilt my head in a sufficiently optimistic alignment. This one, at least, I can sort of sort of believe in. So i'm I'm going to say low three. Okay.
Spider-Man Noir Analysis
01:16:09
Speaker
Rhi, Spider-Man Noir? Okay, Spider-Man Noir is a four-cost card with four power. says, on reveal, if your other cards in play cost exactly eight total, add the top card of your deck here, set its power to eight.
01:16:29
Speaker
And ah it's a series five, of course. hate this because, like, love Spider-Man. I should love this card. and love noir and detective um kind of stuff.
01:16:43
Speaker
Trenchcoat fedora. But, like... This is such a weird ad. It's like for theming in a kind of conspiracy, like ah too much stuff.
01:16:56
Speaker
This is too much to ask for a card. It's too much to try. i don't like I don't want to play this. It seems unfun. like to try and like pull that all off to like get a reward you also have to set up weirdly. It's just one of those...
01:17:13
Speaker
it's sleep Like, posts where you're like, ah you know, like, I'm sorry for you or I'm happy for you, but I'm not going to read all that.
01:17:25
Speaker
And it's like, that's how I feel about this card. Like, it's like, sorry, bro, you got too much going on. sort yourself out and come talk to me. Anyway, so it's like...
01:17:38
Speaker
I mean, I'm just giving a one because I can't even get motivated to like figure out how good it is going to be the meta. Yeah. Ben? I also want to like this card. I like i like the like the character. i'm I'm excited for the the third Spider-Verse film. Yeah.
01:18:06
Speaker
ah But the thing is, like even even though the ask is doable, this ah this get the get the eight costs on the board situation, um it's a little clunky to do it on turn four. So like you're already sort of like making your peace with the fact that this isn't going to be a curve play.
01:18:28
Speaker
But the thing that really breaks it for me, that like makes me struggle to get excited about it or think it has much potential, is that the payoff is too nebulous.
01:18:40
Speaker
like I can see how we jump through the hoops, but like to what end? To what end, y'all? ah Can you guarantee that the top card of your deck is Iron Man?
01:18:51
Speaker
Because I don't think you can. I just don't think you can. And I mean, like, sure, you this is a 412 if you made the things happen, but it's not a 412 on curve, probably.
01:19:03
Speaker
mean, like, maybe if locations really scratched your back and, like, served you up the right cost-generated Locations can fuck you up just much, though, right? They can fuck you up, yep. Yep.
01:19:15
Speaker
And i just, you can't guarantee that the thing you get is going to be good enough to like, there like it this card will be so cool when you generate it and you pull it off and you get something fun.
01:19:32
Speaker
so like, look forward to all the fun you're going to have with your generated Spider-Man Noirs. Don't spend the tokens. This card doesn't do anything. Yeah. ah Did you give a number?
01:19:44
Speaker
Two, but I'm kind of being nice. I mean, like, am I being nice? I want to believe. I want this card to be a three. That's that's what it is in my heart. But it's ah it's a two. This is easily i the card that I have the biggest range on. I'm like a one to three.
01:19:59
Speaker
ah you think that... Doing the thing is going to be easier than people think. ah You'll just memorize the patterns that work and do them. Things like Squirrel Girl and Mr. Sinister do make it pretty easy to do on Curve.
01:20:15
Speaker
um And as soon as I'm thinking Squirrel Girl and Sinister, I'm like, oh, is this a Patriot deck? But, like, how bad is it if you ah pull Ultron? So, like... It has to be a certain type of Patriot deck. And if it pulls, say, Onslaught, you don't get any benefit from the power setting, but you you did get Onslaught for free. So, like, you know, i I think I'm a one because of the same reasons that Ben was saying, where it's like, even if it's even if it's going right and it doesn't get bent over by locations or whatever, it you have you have no idea what it's going to pull.
01:20:51
Speaker
Are you going to run howards that you can tell what it's going to pull and delay it on purpose? Like you can't do that. You're going to fully skip your turn four so that you can time it better to get a different card. And what if that card sucks too? Like it's just. And then you're like you said in your Patriot example, it's like, well, you don't want Mystique to be in that deck because you don't want like that to be what you pull at the wrong time. so it's like just a weird limiting thing.
01:21:18
Speaker
really really weird card like the text box fascinates me like to find something interesting to do with it it's a cool puzzle to solve but like much it's yeah yeah it's too much for one card yeah a lot of people are gonna like dismiss it right away like hey buddy there are 11 other cards in this deck like it's not all about you yeah but it's still way better than zombie galacti this is a real card
01:21:48
Speaker
Okay, Deafening
Deafening Chord Card Review
01:21:49
Speaker
Chord. Ben. Deafening Chord. That's a 1-0. At least that's how I write down the skill stat line. um But yeah, costs 1 on reveal. Afflict an enemy character here that costs 3 or less with minus 1 power and remove its text.
01:22:09
Speaker
So we learned nothing from Red Guardian. Just nothing. Okay. In fact, we we like took the wrong lesson. um yeah Also, this definiteenly it's this is such a nut.
01:22:31
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, like it's going to be very good because it's good to wipe whatever your opponent thought was worth putting in their deck. like If they're playing a thing... yeah like You can wipe Madam Web. You can wipe.
01:22:43
Speaker
Honestly, like in some ways, this is better at like wiping what you want than Red Guardian is. And it costs one and it cleans up after itself. And it leaves it leaves behind stat on the board that that minus one is not nothing like that.
01:23:00
Speaker
This is so stupid. I just is very good. I mean, skip this one at your peril. Is is it is it in a mode? Is that how you how we get this one? is According to data mines, it's a limited time event, but who knows?
01:23:17
Speaker
I guess we're all getting it, so at least there's something egalitarian about that. Are we all getting it? I don't know if it's a guarantee. but Oh, that's a good point.
01:23:29
Speaker
Oh, jeez. It's the next Kid Omega. Yeah, quite possibly, depending on how they handle it. Yeah, I'm not excited about playing against this card. I'm not excited.
01:23:41
Speaker
Yeah, I just wish it weren't coming out. I don't think it's good for the game. Okay. i Yeah, it's thematically awful.
01:23:54
Speaker
What the hell? We're pro-Spider Punk here. We all like him. Absolutely. This is so much powerful than Spider Punk. Yeah. Um...
01:24:06
Speaker
I don't know. It is a good card. as but like Leaning on one of the things Ben likes to cite, this a very good card to generate. i don't know if I want to take up a whole deck slot for it.
01:24:18
Speaker
um Really? For its ability you to remove the text from a Yeah, but I mean i don't really like Red Guardian either. um It is very good, very flexible.
01:24:29
Speaker
How many decks are you going to play against where this just doesn't help you? um I mean, removing text on a on reveal doesn't help you. so They'll have something for you, though. They're goingnna they're going to play something for you.
01:24:44
Speaker
Yeah. there are There are a lot of decks that will hate getting hit by this.
01:24:50
Speaker
Yeah, so think I'll give it a three. I hope it's a three. And Ben, I'm sorry if you did say your number. Did you... Oh, it's four. spoiled you were going to give it a four. It's a four, yeah.
01:25:03
Speaker
Okay, also give this four. You know, it's a very, it's a counter for, like, cost of one, which feels pretty, but I do kind of agree. won't necessarily go in, like, literally every deck, but I still think it's it's, like, it's a card you would want to have and as an option for all deck building that you're doing, you know, that you wouldn't be able to have to think about. So it's four for me.
01:25:30
Speaker
And I also am not excited about this all these skills, like feeling like they're taken away from... They're stronger than the characters. Don't like that.
Hydra Man Strategic Use
01:25:40
Speaker
That is so backwards. Okay.
01:25:44
Speaker
Hydra Man, also listed as a limited time event. That's going to Series 4 later. five eight On reveal, set the cost of each deck's top card 1. You play this with Mobius.
01:25:57
Speaker
um i He's fine. i'm I'm going to give him like a 2. He's playable, but not very interesting. Not excited about it.
01:26:08
Speaker
on I think there's better things you can be doing if you do want to be you know messing with your opponents this way. Yeah.
01:26:22
Speaker
This one feels like a limited time event card to me. Mm-hmm.
01:26:28
Speaker
Uh, Ray. Alright. Yeah, I also gave it a two. I think it's very playable. it can go decks, yeah. You can see how you can lopside it Um, was like, yeah, am not immediately enthused to go do anything.
01:26:44
Speaker
But, like, I don't think it's a bad card.
01:26:48
Speaker
Well, I... i think i think it's kind of a bad car um It costs five, right? Like, where where does this go? Does this go in, like, pixie decks? That's, like, the best thing I can think of for it.
01:27:03
Speaker
And, like, maybe maybe the top card of your deck already got shuffled to one cost. I don't know. um So, yeah, you you definitely want to be playing Mobius with it, but you can't guarantee that Mobius shows up.
01:27:15
Speaker
And, like, how... how how top-heavy is your curve that you feel confident this card is doing something for you?
01:27:26
Speaker
Yeah. how like It's got the same problem as no Noir. I just... I think this card is, like, straight-up real bad, like, no reason to play it probably ever. I think you might have sold me.
01:27:42
Speaker
man. Like, I think this is, like, such a non... I do think it's cute that it, it like... Reminds you a little bit of Sandman. and as i do like that. as i As I pulled the book off the shelf to tell you about there was the time they combined into a mud monster. Yeah.
01:27:59
Speaker
Okay, here's the thing that you brought up. A top-heavy deck. Maybe you don't need Mobius. Maybe you're fine giving your opponent a one cost and you're just going trust that it benefits you more than your opponent. But like, eight power and five energy is a lot to risk that on.
01:28:14
Speaker
so like It's a lot of energy and not a lot of power to be like, my dear my turn six draw is going to be a lot better than yours.
01:28:24
Speaker
Okay.
Prowler Card Enthusiasm
01:28:25
Speaker
Rhi, the prowler. Okay, the Prowler is a 3-4 ability on reveal. Add two thieves tools to your hand.
01:28:36
Speaker
Set their cost to zero if a card moved last turn. um The tools are, there are three different tools you can get. The first one is Flight Harness. A 1-0.
01:28:48
Speaker
on reveal, give your highest power card here, plus one power and move it to the right. um They're all 1-0 actually. Next one is Remote Minds. On reveal, afflict the two highest power enemy cards here with minus 2 power.
01:29:06
Speaker
And ah the last one is the Vibroshot Gauntlets. On reveal, give your highest power card here plus 2 power. You get plus 1 energy next turn.
01:29:18
Speaker
Um, I gotta, like... Go ahead. I just wanted to be clear, since, yeah, I know we got these ones. i think we got these from Zone. These are skills. Oh, they're skills. That's why it has the zero on I thought it. I'm like, oh, that sucks if they all stay on the board.
01:29:35
Speaker
yeah There are cards that have zero, but Snapfan shows them as skills, so I'm assuming they're skills. Yeah, they gotta be skills, I think. Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there. Yeah, yeah,
01:29:47
Speaker
I mean, I gotta give this a four just because it's fun. All the cards, like Kate Bishop and stuff, they give you other cards that you can play with. They're a lot of fun.
01:29:57
Speaker
The kind of limit to this is that you you are probably trying to get it to where a card moved last turn. But once again, this feels like it would go just fine in, like, my ah Hydra Stomper deck. You know? like ah Moving there is free. I'm trying to do it a whole lot. and getting power, you like. you know Moving cards more, we're already moving.
01:30:23
Speaker
you like it just It feels like like you know <unk>s like a lot of wins. um and Just a little more narrow in that you're really trying to... don't know how often you're putting this in a deck where you um but you don't care if you didn't move a card last turn. I think you're trying to do that.
01:30:44
Speaker
ah So that's me.
01:30:47
Speaker
Ben? Yeah, i I am hopeful that this card does not belong in decks that don't care about moving things. That's what I hope. um Yeah.
01:30:59
Speaker
You know, but but like, here's the thing. Seems like it might. It seems really strong to me. It seems really strong to me. The worst of these skills is what? Flight Harness? And that just does an Aranya? We're just doing Aranya as a non-reveal?
01:31:16
Speaker
Okay. i'm <unk> Yeah, that seems good. ah And like the other two are nuts. like Remote Mines, that's just...
01:31:26
Speaker
that's just the Yeah, that's that's a 1-4 that cleans up after itself. That's really good, yeah. I mean, like, Vibroshock gauntlets, that's... Oh, yeah, and when when I described that as a 1-4 that cleans up after itself, really, it's probably a 0-4 that cleans up after itself. Like,
01:31:44
Speaker
that Vibroshock Gauntlet's given you... like That does a Jenny Kale for free and also plus two power. like i just i don't This card's nuts. like the The only thing that I think might be a little clunky about it is it's probably hard to play it on curve if you feel like getting the skills for free.
01:32:05
Speaker
um You're probably going to play it on turn four. and get those skills for free. That's that's what I think. Unless you're running Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler is a great way to play Prowler on curve um because you move Nightcrawler on two and then it's all sorted.
01:32:19
Speaker
ah So yeah, I kind of think this card might bring Nightcrawler back. That's... ah But also, do you need to play it on a curve? I mean, like, you're just getting Bananagram's value whenever you play it, as long as it's not six.
01:32:32
Speaker
um Or, well, I guess it's probably best to play it by turn four so that you can get the energy on turn, you you can play the thing to get the energy to spend on turn six. So, like, you don't really want to play it after turn four, but I think you're going be very happy to play it on turn four, especially because on turn four you'll have bounced silk around the previous turn or whatever you're doing, probably bouncing silk around. the previous turn that's that my plan for it you know that's a long quest to use that energy kind of like the penny parker problem we were talking about like move a card on two play prowler on three play vibroshot gauntlets on four get the energy on five but also if you don't get to spend the energy
01:33:11
Speaker
You probably still came out like crazy ahead, right? Not the worst. you're You're playing zero fours and things and like yeah I think you'll be fine. Yeah. i I'm glad that I was able to give a four rating to a character card this season.
01:33:26
Speaker
That's good. It's not all deafening cord. I'm a four also. yeah ah i'm I'm a little... as much I have so much more tolerance for the generated skills than the freestanding skills, but like it's still a bit skill-heavy, right? like in In a month with two freestanding skills to also have like the best character be one that makes two skills, I'm just like, it's...
01:33:57
Speaker
I don't know. We're living in Nicholas Scratch's world these days and it's not as much fun as playing characters. I'll say it. and And this is coming from Merlin super fan number one.
01:34:09
Speaker
Like, I don't know. Like, yeah, I don't know. But very cool card, very ah very strong, very move-flavored. I love the Miles-Morales connection.
01:34:24
Speaker
ah It's a neat design. It's just a little too strong, and I bet they're going to shave something off somewhere at some point.
01:34:34
Speaker
it sta I said I'm also giving it a four. It's the easiest four for me. um It stands out to me as, what is this, like the fifth season in a row where the coolest card, and Galacti is kind of, Galacti is kind of a stretch.
01:34:50
Speaker
Like the coolest, fanciest card is the last one of the season, right? We like Invisible Woman First Steps, Jocasta. um felt like there was another one. Anyway, ah so that seems to be like a trend. Like they're telling us like this is a good card or at least an interesting one.
01:35:07
Speaker
Galacti again, not good card. Yeah.
01:35:12
Speaker
Yeah, this just seems good, and I think those skills are very playable at one cost each. like you're How often are you fine having a ones to round out your curve? Yeah, ah I think maybe it just goes kind of in everything.
01:35:26
Speaker
Super playable. Okay, one question. Which one are you most excited for?
01:35:35
Speaker
um of all of them this season...
01:35:39
Speaker
i I'll go first so you guys have a sec to think about it. I think the one I'm most excited for... think I've got to say Chameleon. I'm tempted to say Man Spider because I have ideas of how to merge that guy a bunch of times. But also, like I'm going to make a giant Man Spider once and be like, that was cool. And then I'm not going to use him anymore after that.
01:35:59
Speaker
um Whereas Chameleon seems like a card that I am going to keep coming back to ah for doing silly stuff with him. So that's my pick.
01:36:09
Speaker
Okay, for me, would be Prowler, except for everyone will play Prowler and Prowler and they get ruined by all the mirrors. So that won't be exciting. So then probably after that, it is Ezekiel Sims because like people won't think he's as good and I'll see what I can do.
01:36:27
Speaker
That'll be fun to like see what I can do, see how he works with Hydra Stomper. That's it for me. ah love that pick. Ben? You know, as silly as this sounds...
01:36:39
Speaker
I'm just so excited for all these mediocre cards that I gave twos to. I think maybe I am also most excited for Ezekiel Sims because, like, I've been saving tokens. I'm going to try. Like, I like these cards. I like the i like the characters. i like I like the mechanics that they're playing with. I don't think the power level is there, but, like...
01:37:01
Speaker
I'm very excited to try to make Ezekiel work. I'm very, I'm honestly excited to try my hand at Noir and Superior. Like, they they're cool characters with, like, interesting text boxes, and I want to be wrong about them.
01:37:17
Speaker
And i'm goingnna I'm going to spend the tokens and just do my, but i they'll get buffed or something. Like, these are exciting cards, right? Like, yeah, I think it's Ezekiel. It's much more exciting season than the last one And also, yes, I would be excited about Prowler if he weren't ah way over the line and was going to be everywhere.
01:37:37
Speaker
But yeah, if it were just for me, if this were a single player game, I would be so excited about Prowler. I do broken stuff in single player games. I like i like things that are too good. I get it. Moving on to our side quest. First and only secret homework.
Imagining Card Variants
01:37:51
Speaker
This week's secret homework was assigned by Ben. All right. Inspired by those ah wonderful toy variants with the poseable dolls, the action figures. the you know that They're cool. They're they're fun. They're neato.
01:38:12
Speaker
i I had an action figure or two of a Marvel character as a youth. um Anywho, I'm like, what else could be variants? Right. Because like people people run into these characters in all sorts of contexts. And i was like, yeah, maybe maybe like the the example I gave last week was like maybe film stills from from the MCU or something. Because like, you know, we got those MCU inspired variants and all that. But yeah, I'm i'm just like, what what isn't variants yet that could be variants?
01:38:41
Speaker
Yeah. And I thought about and a number of things and i I was going to list some other examples, but I don't want to steal them in case maybe one of you chose one of the things I was going to just blurt out as a throwaway as you your whole main thing. So like, I don't want to eat anybody else's lunch. So I'll just tell you what I got.
01:38:58
Speaker
the one The one that I picked, and i'll tell you I'll tell you about an alternate or two if nobody actually picked them. But i was thinking about these beautiful load screens from the um The Raven Software action role-playing games that ah were coming out about 20 years ago now.
01:39:19
Speaker
That makes me feel a little old. um But I'm referring to X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends 2, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance specifically. I think maybe they had some good load screens in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, but I don't actually... I'm not i'm not as sure about that. i didn't play that one as much.
01:39:37
Speaker
It's not as good a game. I'll i'll i'll tell you right now. That one's kind of a stinker compared to what came before. Anywho, but these images are just beautiful. I'll probably put them in the speakeasy. I went looking last night for just that some prime examples. I've got gorgeous.
01:39:54
Speaker
yeah Oh, dude. So many characters, large and small, that they had so many beautiful like load screens. It's so difficult to talk about without... like You just have to look at them, but they're they're gorgeous. the The ones that I've shared with with the the co-hosts here, I got got a beautiful Mr. Fantastic. A fantastic Beta Ray Bill.
01:40:19
Speaker
Beta Ray Bill is not like a major character in arville Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It's just an alternate skin for Thor, and they have this... fantastic loading It really cool. art It's very cool.
01:40:30
Speaker
They got Captain Marvel, a fantastic Mohawk Storm. that like a lot A lot of these, they had like loading screens just for alternate costumes. ah there's There's a very cool MODOK with just the most phenomenal the most phenomenally jacked up grill.
01:40:46
Speaker
And in fact... There was one time guested on the dearly departed Marvel Snap podcast, How Can She Snap? And they have a game that they play where that they would show you very unsettling AI-generated images.
01:41:03
Speaker
It was my least favorite part of the podcast, but was very... It was still good times with with with good people. And I tried to be a sport and I participated and like I was able to identify one of them immediately. like I was like, this has got to be MODOK because I think the AI is regurgitating the jacked up grill from the Marvel Ultimate Alliance load screen.
01:41:23
Speaker
And so like I just recognized based on the the the gnarly teeth. And, uh, yeah, like these, these are some, these images will stick with you. They are, they're like, they're very good.
01:41:37
Speaker
I don't know. Also, um, one of the, one of the artists who worked on a lot of these Glenn Angus also did a bunch of, uh, magic, the gathering cards. And also on a sad note,
01:41:49
Speaker
ah died suddenly in like 2007, I believe. And I didn't find out that he'd done a lot of these load screens that I liked until i I used to like read all the columns on the the Magic the Gathering website and stuff. You know, you're making magic. with Mark Rosewater and such.
01:42:06
Speaker
And like, I, I found out about Glenn Angus's, uh, passing and they, they had like a whole article about like the stuff he'd done other than magic cards and things. And I, I saw like this iconic ass juggernaut loading screen. i was like, what? That was, that was him too Anyway, these are great. Also the thing that reminded me, uh,
01:42:31
Speaker
like the The load screens that reminded me about these load screens were, in fact, some Fortnite load screens. I recently ah dipped my toe back into Fortnite. It's probably not a long-term toe dipping. But I played i played a bit Fortnite in the pandemic, and there was a Marvel season. and And the Fortnite load screens are very high production value. They go real hard. um So they're a bunch of beautiful load screens in different artistic styles of ah like they they go like as hard as like any variant in the game.
01:43:04
Speaker
Like to the I'm telling you, video game load screens have been gorgeous for a minute and they're cool and i love them and uh you should uh you know do a do an image search or something take it take a look at some of these i'll i'll post some of them in the speakeasy and uh i i really think you'll be uh you'll be gobsmacked by the the hand-painted beauty and also like the digitally painted beauty because like i i know that people have been using computer tools for a minute it's uh yeah
01:43:36
Speaker
Yeah, these are these are gorgeous, and i I think you'll appreciate them if you like good things. So I'll share those with you. Okay. I'm assigning next week's homework, so re.
01:43:49
Speaker
Okay. um So I slightly misunderstood, I think, until I got into show notes. I think it was supposed to be based on an existing Marvel property where you're supposed to yoink.
01:44:00
Speaker
And I just kind of did whatever I wanted, which was, okay, I would love to see a variant line done in the style of Japanese woodblock prints.
01:44:11
Speaker
Right? Oh, that'd be so cool. Okay, if you're unfamiliar, thinking of, there's that famous one of the wave is probably the most, like, the big um blue wave. the My favorite woodblock print, because I love, like, the rain is so zen to me, and I would at some point want to decorate my entire house just rain-themed, because it would be relaxing and very cozy for me.
01:44:33
Speaker
But it's one of just, like, some kind of people crossing a bridge in the rain. I don't know. ah Just thinking of it brings me calm. Okay. But like a whole... And there are some like talented artists these days. So these woodblock prints were like from like way back in the day, obviously.
01:44:49
Speaker
But they're talented artists that like do art in that style today. love to see all the little like frog samurais and stuff. And I would just love a whole line of like... like, feudal... I mean, have plenty of what-if'd, because, like, come on. We all want to be like, okay, wouldn't Darth Vader or Iron Man or literally anyone be cooler if they were also in samurai armor with a samurai sword? The answer is always yes. In fact, my card mat that I use to play, like, physical card games, like, when you lay out the mat to protect your little cards, and yes, they're also in sleeves.
01:45:25
Speaker
um it's ah It's actually a Darth Vader samurai mat. I but So like, you know, a fan. So that's what I want to see. love a hole i would love a whole deck just of like woodblock print variants. Beautiful. I would love to see like our friend like Chase split the hell out of that.
01:45:46
Speaker
Yeah. It's that all like some just blue crackle or whatever. Okay. ah That was my suggestion. and We're trying to be a bit quick. so Lauren, what do you have?
01:46:00
Speaker
I'll go with the first one that came to mind because neither of you took it. I do have like six written down, but I think this is the one I'd be most interested in if we're leaning towards like products. I i would absolutely be interested in both of the two you pitched.
01:46:18
Speaker
Preamble. ah Lego. that Maybe that's low-hanging fruit. I almost said it, but I was like, I bet somebody's going to do that. yep Yeah. I think it is kind of low-hanging fruit, but I also think like...
01:46:30
Speaker
It feels like a big gap. That would be really fun. And don't just do it like... like They could do it really basically, like how they did a lot of the pixel art, for example.
01:46:42
Speaker
But I think that you could have a lot of fun with it, like do very dynamic action poses, right? Look to the Lego movies. um Yeah, I think that those would be super fun if they were like animated well and and like you could really see the 3D depth and those could be awesome variants. Very vibrant.
01:47:02
Speaker
I would. i I think I would have a hard time resisting them for, you know, iconic characters. I have a question about what you were imagining. Are you imagining like Lego mini figures or are you imagining like large sculptures?
01:47:19
Speaker
No, I was thinking mini figs. I think they were both I was just curious which one you were thinking. Yeah. Like a brick built Iron Man suit. Come on. But yeah, I was thinking mini figs.
01:47:30
Speaker
Um, okay.
01:47:33
Speaker
ah I'm assigning next week's homework. I brainstormed this one with my child and the thing that he came up with was so vague, but I
Homework Assignment on Card Inspiration
01:47:42
Speaker
kind of love it. So this is what we're going with. It's a two parter.
01:47:45
Speaker
My suggestion is to do the first part before you think about the second part. But I think that's it's it's going to be um' hard to avoid metagaming it a little bit. But here it here it is. The first part, pick a favorite card.
01:48:02
Speaker
Second part, use it to inspire an activity this week. That could be read a comic with that character, or it could be like a little more abstract than that. Like maybe you're going to do something that character would do.
01:48:16
Speaker
I like it. So that's it. Pick a favorite card. Let it inspire an activity you do this week. It doesn't have to be long. You know, maybe you draw the character. Anyway, I don't want to consume too many of your ideas because I think part of the fun will be seeing what direction we take that.
01:48:34
Speaker
Um, speaking of my child, I need to go pick them up. So if you liked what you heard and you haven't already like subscribe, uh, also comment, those are good for the algorithm and our souls, uh, rate and review on iTunes or Spotify and come hang out in the speakeasy. See the loading screens Ben was talking about. It's our little corner of discord. The instructions to get there are in the show notes or video description.
01:48:56
Speaker
We are proudly part of the Snap Judgments Network, where you can listen to other great shows like Snap Judgments with Pulse Blazer and Roy on Saturdays with guests. i They thoroughly cover everything in this game and often play little games like ranking things and stuff like that.
01:49:14
Speaker
um Anyway, see see how much perkier interior we are in spider season. Surely. um Nothing wrong with Halloween, though.
01:49:27
Speaker
ah Next week, same snap time, same snap channel.
01:49:34
Speaker
Okay, do we even have time for an outro? Do you got to go? I didn't pay attention to time. We need an outro. Okay, following up last week on my game, I'm really sad because I don't know how... I think I'm going to have to switch to Android now because I need to be able to save the game because if you can't get accessories, like the coral bracelet... Like, if you've seen the game at all on the front, it's like there's this mermaid here, but that's how you equip your accessories. You can have a crown...
01:50:01
Speaker
And a you know a bracelet and a ring. And the coral bracelet, the first thing you get is your health. That's what coral patches are for. the refflow okay But if you were listening last week about crab battles, I did make the determination that obviously if a crowned crab dies and should drop its crown, should you collect probably like 10 of these, make it on the higher side, you of course get the crab crown accessory yourself.
01:50:27
Speaker
some king of all the crabs. I love that kind of unlockable. I know, I'm so excited for it. And then of course you conquer every, that's how, you know, you can kill the crabs.
01:50:40
Speaker
Anyway, I was just, it's too fun. you said you need to go to Android for saving, but can I suggest just adding a cheat menu, like a debug menu? Oh, yeah.
01:50:51
Speaker
I guess I could do that. But that's part of the progression. It's like i can't have people gameplay test if not actually progressing. But you could do that one sitting, right?
01:51:02
Speaker
You don't have the same issue there. The same issue is playing across multiple games. It's playing across multiple games. Yeah, i looked into it, and it's like trying to do it in browser. It's like going Got to write cookies.
01:51:14
Speaker
Yeah, it's just like it's not worth it.