RTR draft no. 2

My second foray into the land of RTR limited went markedly worse then the first go around. most of this blame can be laid at the draft, where I felt like i was getting completely missed signals and ended up with a wishy washy Seleysna deck. Selesnya really works when you have a critical mass of cards for it and that just didn’t happen with this draft. Looking over the draftcap I could have tried to go more all in but it seems like the first two packs were really weak and my deck actually became playable with pack 3. I ended up 1-2 and winning at least 1 game each round

Round 1 was against a straight Azorious deck where I won form just being a good aggro deck. My two losses came from fairy imposter=azorious arrester two turns in a row. and the other game was because I was fillibustered, yes I lost to Azor Eloctur’s going off. In some ways it was a win more/win faster card if your opponent can’t get damage through. On the other hand,  if you can just stop your opponent and create a stalled out board then you can win. That card is good, its stats are good and the text is pure upside.

Round 2 was against the mirror where game 1 I just kept plopping out tokens and swing in for a billion. Games 2 and 3 I got manascrewed with hands of the nature this is great as long as I draw this one kind of land, by the time it happened I was dead or wasn’t going to happen for another four draw steps. Moral of the round: I need to get better at mulligans and that’s Magic; luck is an important part of the game. What matters is not letting it throw you off for the future games and just moving on.

Round 3 was Izzet aggro, if PTRTR* and and the rtr ars arcanum have shown anything is that it’s a real deck. Tokens+Skymark Roc(this card is nuts) got me a close game 1 and after I 3 for 1 his gore house chain walker with 2 pursuits of flight on it, he scooped. Izzet aggro is real thing.

*Cifka, who would go onto win the whole thing, drafted a low curve Izzet aggro deck and didn’t lose a match with it.

And here’s the draftcap

Pack 1 pick 1:
Avenging Arrow
Downsize
Daggerdrome Imp
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Seek the Horizon
Swamp
Doorkeeper
Bellows Lizard
Explosive Impact
Stonefare Crocodile
Dramatic Rescue
Auger Spree (FOIL)
Faerie Impostor
–> Call of the Conclave
Grave Betrayal

Pack 1 pick 2:
Armory Guard
Sewer Shambler
Deviant Glee
Viashino Racketeer
Drudge Beetle
Golgari Guildgate
Dark Revenant
Minotaur Aggressor
–> Lyev Skyknight
Pithing Needle (FOIL)
Island
Doorkeeper
Coursers’ Accord
Dramatic Rescue

Pack 1 pick 3:
Seller of Songbirds
Inspiration
Drudge Beetle
–> Golgari Keyrune
Mountain
Ethereal Armor
Doorkeeper
Mind Rot
Druid’s Deliverance
Sundering Growth
Tavern Swindler
Lobber Crew
Bloodfray Giant

Pack 1 pick 4:
Concordia Pegasus
Swift Justice
Drainpipe Vermin
Minotaur Aggressor
–> Dryad Militant
Forest
Isperia’s Skywatch
Chronic Flooding
Stonefare Crocodile
Psychic Spiral
Lobber Crew
Mana Bloom

Pack 1 pick 5:
Selesnya Sentry
Downsize
Cremate
Survey the Wreckage
–> Aerial Predation
Codex Shredder
Mountain
Chronic Flooding
Stonefare Crocodile
Transguild Promenade
Savage Surge

Pack 1 pick 6:
–> Keening Apparition
Armory Guard
Goblin Electromancer
Cancel
Pithing Needle
Plains
Bellows Lizard
Horncaller’s Chant
Sundering Growth
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 1 pick 7:
Trained Caracal
Survey the Wreckage
–> Gatecreeper Vine
Aerial Predation
Vandalblast
Mountain
Sluiceway Scorpion
Heroes’ Reunion
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 1 pick 8:
Crosstown Courier
Terrus Wurm
–> Golgari Guildgate
Cancel
Plains
Perilous Shadow
Spawn of Rix Maadi
Faerie Impostor (FOIL)

Pack 1 pick 9:
Downsize
Daggerdrome Imp
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Seek the Horizon
Swamp
Doorkeeper
–> Stonefare Crocodile

Pack 1 pick 10:
–> Armory Guard
Sewer Shambler
Deviant Glee
Drudge Beetle
Golgari Guildgate
Island

Pack 1 pick 11:
Mountain
Ethereal Armor
Mind Rot
Druid’s Deliverance
–> Sundering Growth

Pack 1 pick 12:
–> Swift Justice
Drainpipe Vermin
Forest
Chronic Flooding

Pack 1 pick 13:
–> Survey the Wreckage
Mountain
Chronic Flooding

Pack 1 pick 14:
–> Cancel
Plains

Pack 1 pick 15:
–> Mountain

—— RTR ——

Pack 2 pick 1:
Selesnya Sentry
Crosstown Courier
Downsize
Cremate
Viashino Racketeer
Electrickery
Tablet of the Guilds
Codex Shredder
Swamp
Explosive Impact
Druid’s Deliverance
Dramatic Rescue
–> Golgari Longlegs
Thoughtflare
Mercurial Chemister

Pack 2 pick 2:
Keening Apparition
Inaction Injunction
Electrickery
–> Centaur Healer
Grisly Salvage
Rakdos Charm
Civic Saber
Swamp (FOIL)
Forest
Gore-House Chainwalker
Stonefare Crocodile
Oak Street Innkeeper
Nivmagus Elemental
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 2 pick 3:
Tenement Crasher
Grim Roustabout
Launch Party
Assassin’s Strike
Towering Indrik
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Azorius Guildgate
–> Golgari Decoy
Plains
Catacomb Slug
Axebane Stag
Essence Backlash
Ash Zealot

Pack 2 pick 4:
Inspiration
Sewer Shambler
–> Drudge Beetle
Goblin Electromancer
Seek the Horizon
Fall of the Gavel
Mountain
Ethereal Armor
Doorkeeper
Cobblebrute
Traitorous Instinct
Druid’s Deliverance

Pack 2 pick 5:
Trained Caracal
Downsize
Cremate
Rakdos Guildgate
Guttersnipe
Treasured Find
Forest
–> Giant Growth
Chronic Flooding
Transguild Promenade
Shrieking Affliction

Pack 2 pick 6:
Trained Caracal
Inspiration
Gatecreeper Vine
Blustersquall (FOIL)
Syncopate
Swamp
Mind Rot
Urban Burgeoning
Auger Spree
–> Slitherhead

Pack 2 pick 7:
Selesnya Sentry
–> Armory Guard
Grisly Salvage
Rakdos Guildgate
Frostburn Weird
Cancel
Ogre Jailbreaker
Bellows Lizard
Plains

Pack 2 pick 8:
Drainpipe Vermin
–> Centaur Healer
Chemister’s Trick
Golgari Decoy
Codex Shredder
Forest
Giant Growth
Pursuit of Flight

Pack 2 pick 9:
Downsize
Cremate
Viashino Racketeer
Tablet of the Guilds
Codex Shredder
Swamp
–> Druid’s Deliverance

Pack 2 pick 10:
–> Grisly Salvage
Civic Saber
Forest
Gore-House Chainwalker
Oak Street Innkeeper
Nivmagus Elemental

Pack 2 pick 11:
Grim Roustabout
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Plains
–> Catacomb Slug
Axebane Stag

Pack 2 pick 12:
Goblin Electromancer
Fall of the Gavel
Mountain
–> Druid’s Deliverance

Pack 2 pick 13:
–> Cremate
Forest
Shrieking Affliction

Pack 2 pick 14:
Swamp
–> Urban Burgeoning

Pack 2 pick 15:
–> Plains

—— RTR ——

Pack 3 pick 1:
Tenement Crasher
Avenging Arrow
Terrus Wurm
Deviant Glee
Annihilating Fire
Korozda Monitor
Blistercoil Weird
Minotaur Aggressor
Wayfaring Temple
Trostani’s Judgment
Dead Reveler
Coursers’ Accord
Spawn of Rix Maadi
–> Skymark Roc
Mountain

Pack 3 pick 2:
Sunspire Griffin
Avenging Arrow
Grim Roustabout
Launch Party
Towering Indrik
Centaur Healer
–> Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
Mountain
Perilous Shadow
Bellows Lizard
Essence Backlash
Psychic Spiral
Slitherhead
Growing Ranks

Pack 3 pick 3:
Brushstrider
Daggerdrome Imp
Vassal Soul
Rakdos Guildgate
Forest
Doorkeeper
Dispel
Pursuit of Flight
Stonefare Crocodile
Axebane Guardian
Horncaller’s Chant
Azorius Justiciar
–> Skymark Roc

Pack 3 pick 4:
–> Eyes in the Skies
Grisly Salvage
Dryad Militant
Dreg Mangler
Swamp
Ethereal Armor
Paralyzing Grasp
Traitorous Instinct
Chorus of Might
Transguild Promenade
Street Sweeper
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 3 pick 5:
Azorius Arrester
Keening Apparition
Inspiration
–> Rubbleback Rhino
Skull Rend
Rakdos Charm
Tablet of the Guilds
Mountain
Ethereal Armor
Isperia’s Skywatch
Druid’s Deliverance

Pack 3 pick 6:
Drainpipe Vermin
Vandalblast
–> Selesnya Keyrune
Forest
Giant Growth
Trostani’s Judgment
Runewing
Perilous Shadow
Coursers’ Accord
Dramatic Rescue

Pack 3 pick 7:
Rootborn Defenses
Deviant Glee
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Golgari Guildgate
Treasured Find
Island
Dispel
–> Common Bond
Shrieking Affliction

Pack 3 pick 8:
Cremate
Survey the Wreckage
Aerial Predation
Chemister’s Trick
Blustersquall
Mountain
Chronic Flooding
–> Coursers’ Accord

Pack 3 pick 9:
Tenement Crasher
Avenging Arrow
Terrus Wurm
Deviant Glee
–> Coursers’ Accord
Spawn of Rix Maadi
Mountain

Pack 3 pick 10:
–> Avenging Arrow
Grim Roustabout
Launch Party
Mountain
Psychic Spiral
Slitherhead

Pack 3 pick 11:
Daggerdrome Imp
Forest
Dispel
Stonefare Crocodile
–> Horncaller’s Chant

Pack 3 pick 12:
Grisly Salvage
–> Dryad Militant
Swamp
Street Sweeper

Pack 3 pick 13:
–> Tablet of the Guilds
Mountain
Ethereal Armor

Pack 3 pick 14:
–> Drainpipe Vermin
Forest

Pack 3 pick 15:
–> Island

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is Better than it has any right to be

 

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a web series meant to promote the next Halo game and can be seen here. When you get down to it that’s all has to do and the fact that’s a Halo game means that the bar to raising excitement isn’t all that hard. In spite of this they’re turned out an excellent web series that is better than a good many tv shows. The expectations game says that this shouldn’t be all that good, but it is. So let’s look at why. Beware of spoilers for Forward Unto Dawn

Well first there’s the fact that Halo in general has always had a good story, sure parts of it are duds but that’s true for any fictional universe with enough stuff in it. Good storytelling has never eluded the Haloverse.

The production qualities are good, the sets are good, the background CGI is good, the props are good. They also make due with conservation of these details. A good example is the Covenant ships appearing at the end of episode three, only 10 seconds at most but they leave an impression.

The acting isn’t bad, bad acting stands out more than good acting to me so it’s good enough for me.

Most of the story is good, the beginning parts of Chief being found are really more in line with traditional promo material and only the Cortana bit from ep. 3 stood out but that has more to do with building off of existing plot lines. The core of the story that’s technically a flashback is where it shines. The writers have presented a tight story and know how to tell it well. it also has a nuBSG feel to it and is going to make me more inclined to it.*

In a way I’m sad that this is only a five part web series but if it was longer then the quality might decrease. So instead I’ll just hope that more shows with this level of quality.

*nuBSG first two seasons+New Caprica and choice two parter in season four is some of my favorite tv. the rest of the series is some of my most hated.

Return to Ravnica Draft no. 1

Return to Ravnica is out on MTGO and the prerelease system isn’t usurious anymore! So I decided to liquidate whatever I had from M13 and hop into a draft queue. the results weren’t bad as I went 2-1. First let’s take a look at the format in general before we get into this draft in particular though.

RTR is fun, the drafting is fun, and so are the games. However the nature of the set means that there’s only so many ways you can approach the set. It’s a lot more conventional in terms of colors, with the guilds serving as the natural focal point for color combos. The format is also challenging very much its own thing, not focusing on the core points of Magic like a core set. There’s a lot of expectations on Sinker to tie it together. After all triple Rav was considered to be fun, but it’s RGD that people rave about.

Rakdos and Selesnya are the most interesting in the sense that most people think they’re the best decks but they seem balanced by the fact if you don’t get enough of the cards then they are not going to work all well. As the format grows there’ll be a better idea about how it works and what are the best archetypes but the big thing is that it seems to have avoided AVR with a gross color imbalance and an inability to respond to your opponents. It was fun once, I’ll have to do it more and give it time to see how it holds up.

The actual draft:

I started in Rakdos and doubled down on it, the results were…less then stellar. Maybe this was a result of lack of skill or reading signals poorly. It wasn’t the sort of explosive aggro deck that you would expect but more of a bad midrange deck I guess. Daggerdome Imp does a good amount of work due to lifelink. Stab Wound is a beating but 1.Golgari wants it more and 2. I got greedy and didn’t see it so much as a removal spell but more as a repeatable source of life loss; the -2/-2 is a a tricky number to manage. Grim Roustabout is awesome, most of the unleash guys are and are some of the best commons/uncommons in terms of creatures. Deviant Glee is also what the Rakdos deck wants.

Looking over the draftcap, I probably could have gone Izzet and been the better for it, but Rakdos was more of a known quantity to me. Also gold cards with guildgates being hte main form of fixing means that it is hard to jump ship, conventional drafting of don’t over commit to a color still holds.

Game 1 I don’t remember except I won because the game went to time and my opponent was playing slowly/had serious lag problems.

Game 2 was up against a good Selesnya deck that was able to pump out more tokens then I could deal with and I died in quick order.

Game 3 was up against an Izzet deck splashing black  where I got lucky and was able to rely upon better creatures.

Here’s the draftcap:

—— RTR ——

Pack 1 pick 1:
Azorius Arrester
Eyes in the Skies
Daggerdrome Imp
Gatecreeper Vine
Goblin Electromancer
Skull Rend
Dark Revenant
Azorius Charm
–> Rakdos Cackler
Forest
Isperia’s Skywatch
Traitorous Instinct
Chorus of Might
Mercurial Chemister
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 1 pick 2:
Mizzium Skin
Dynacharge
Goblin Electromancer
Grisly Salvage
Azorius Guildgate
Fencing Ace
Mountain
Ethereal Armor
Trostani’s Judgment
Tower Drake
Paralyzing Grasp
Dead Reveler
Faerie Impostor
–> Bloodfray Giant

Pack 1 pick 3:
Swift Justice
Daggerdrome Imp
Golgari Guildgate
Frostburn Weird
Treasured Find
Cancel
Mountain
Cobblebrute (FOIL)
Common Bond
–> Lobber Crew
Archweaver
Grave Betrayal
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 1 pick 4:
Concordia Pegasus
Eyes in the Skies
Mizzium Skin
Downsize
Cremate
Aerial Predation
Rakdos Ringleader
Forest
Catacomb Slug
Batterhorn
–> Spawn of Rix Maadi
Guild Feud

Pack 1 pick 5:
Rootborn Defenses
Assassin’s Strike
–> Annihilating Fire
Search Warrant
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Mountain
Dispel
Perilous Shadow
Racecourse Fury
Traitorous Instinct
Centaur’s Herald

Pack 1 pick 6:
Aquus Steed
Launch Party
Bellows Lizard
–> Gore-House Chainwalker
Cobblebrute
Tavern Swindler
Destroy the Evidence
Jarad’s Orders
Izzet Guildgate
Plains

Pack 1 pick 7:
Trained Caracal
Inspiration
–> Skull Rend
Selesnya Guildgate
Tablet of the Guilds
Golgari Keyrune
Plains
Urban Burgeoning
Coursers’ Accord

Pack 1 pick 8:
Tenement Crasher
Inspiration
Skull Rend
Plains
Ethereal Armor
–> Perilous Shadow
Druid’s Deliverance
Gobbling Ooze

Pack 1 pick 9:
–> Daggerdrome Imp
Goblin Electromancer
Skull Rend
Forest
Traitorous Instinct
Chorus of Might
Izzet Guildgate

Pack 1 pick 10:
Mizzium Skin
–> Dynacharge
Goblin Electromancer
Grisly Salvage
Mountain
Ethereal Armor

Pack 1 pick 11:
–> Daggerdrome Imp
Treasured Find
Mountain
Cobblebrute (FOIL)
Grave Betrayal

Pack 1 pick 12:
Cremate
Forest
Catacomb Slug
–> Batterhorn

Pack 1 pick 13:
Search Warrant
Mountain
–> Racecourse Fury

Pack 1 pick 14:
–> Destroy the Evidence
Plains

Pack 1 pick 15:
–> Plains

—— RTR ——

Pack 2 pick 1:
Brushstrider
Avenging Arrow
Inaction Injunction
Terrus Wurm
–> Deviant Glee
Survey the Wreckage
Drudge Beetle
Rakdos Guildgate
Phantom General
Selesnya Keyrune
Plains
Axebane Stag
Coursers’ Accord
Essence Backlash
Cryptborn Horror

Pack 2 pick 2:
Eyes in the Skies
Selesnya Sentry
Rubbleback Rhino
Vassal Soul
Seek the Horizon
Izzet Charm
Forest
Voidwielder
–> Ogre Jailbreaker
Batterhorn
Traitorous Instinct
Chorus of Might
Transguild Promenade
Risen Sanctuary

Pack 2 pick 3:
Tenement Crasher
Sunspire Griffin
Crosstown Courier
–> Grim Roustabout
Terrus Wurm
Dynacharge
Chemister’s Trick
Thrill-Kill Assassin
Trostani’s Judgment
Tower Drake
Slitherhead
Nivix Guildmage
Swamp

Pack 2 pick 4:
Rootborn Defenses
Launch Party
Towering Indrik
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Rakdos Charm
–> Carnival Hellsteed
Swamp
Catacomb Slug
Axebane Stag
Urban Burgeoning
Sundering Growth
Pyroconvergence

Pack 2 pick 5:
Avenging Arrow
Terrus Wurm
Deviant Glee
Drudge Beetle
Centaur Healer
Search Warrant
–> Rakdos Guildgate
Plains
Batterhorn
Faerie Impostor
Slum Reaper

Pack 2 pick 6:
Armory Guard
Deviant Glee
Gatecreeper Vine
Chemister’s Trick
Golgari Guildgate
Selesnya Charm
Forest
Voidwielder
Mind Rot
–> Sluiceway Scorpion

Pack 2 pick 7:
Inspiration
Selesnya Guildgate
Syncopate
Dryad Militant
Ethereal Armor
–> Dead Reveler
Cobblebrute
Druid’s Deliverance
Plains

Pack 2 pick 8:
Tenement Crasher
–> Grim Roustabout
Azorius Guildgate
Vandalblast
Island
Dispel
Pursuit of Flight
Horncaller’s Chant

Pack 2 pick 9:
Brushstrider
Inaction Injunction
Terrus Wurm
Survey the Wreckage
–> Rakdos Guildgate
Plains
Axebane Stag

Pack 2 pick 10:
Selesnya Sentry
Seek the Horizon
Forest
–> Traitorous Instinct
Chorus of Might
Risen Sanctuary

Pack 2 pick 11:
Tenement Crasher
–> Terrus Wurm
Dynacharge
Chemister’s Trick
Swamp

Pack 2 pick 12:
–> Rootborn Defenses
Swamp
Catacomb Slug
Urban Burgeoning

Pack 2 pick 13:
–> Terrus Wurm
Search Warrant
Plains

Pack 2 pick 14:
–> Deviant Glee
Forest

Pack 2 pick 15:
–> Plains

—— RTR ——

Pack 3 pick 1:
Sunspire Griffin
Swift Justice
Drainpipe Vermin
Grim Roustabout
Towering Indrik
Blistercoil Weird
Swamp
Runewing
Perilous Shadow
Horncaller’s Chant
Sundering Growth
–> Goblin Rally
Search the City
Skymark Roc
Mountain (FOIL)

Pack 3 pick 2:
Crosstown Courier
Terrus Wurm
Splatter Thug
Dynacharge
Korozda Monitor
Search Warrant
Selesnya Guildgate
Zanikev Locust
–> Stab Wound
Swamp
Stealer of Secrets
Auger Spree
Call of the Conclave
Slitherhead

Pack 3 pick 3:
Selesnya Sentry
Rootborn Defenses
–> Launch Party
Phantom General
Seek the Horizon
Fall of the Gavel
Pithing Needle
Swamp
Ogre Jailbreaker
Catacomb Slug
Batterhorn
Axebane Stag
Essence Backlash

Pack 3 pick 4:
Azorius Arrester
Avenging Arrow
Launch Party
Rubbleback Rhino
Judge’s Familiar
–> Rakdos Keyrune
Plains
Mind Rot
Bellows Lizard
Axebane Guardian
Spawn of Rix Maadi
Savage Surge

Pack 3 pick 5:
Swift Justice
Drainpipe Vermin
Survey the Wreckage
Aerial Predation
–> Trestle Troll
Island
Chronic Flooding
Destroy the Evidence
Savage Surge
Risen Sanctuary
Wild Beastmaster

Pack 3 pick 6:
Electrickery
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Grisly Salvage
Azorius Guildgate
–> Stab Wound
Guttersnipe
Izzet Keyrune
Island
Paralyzing Grasp
Chorus of Might

Pack 3 pick 7:
Selesnya Sentry
Cremate
Viashino Racketeer
Survey the Wreckage
–> Aerial Predation
Island
Chronic Flooding
Sphere of Safety
Tavern Swindler

Pack 3 pick 8:
Crosstown Courier
–> Electrickery
Selesnya Guildgate
Codex Shredder
Druid’s Deliverance
Essence Backlash
Golgari Longlegs
Forest

Pack 3 pick 9:
Drainpipe Vermin
–> Towering Indrik
Blistercoil Weird
Swamp
Horncaller’s Chant
Sundering Growth
Mountain (FOIL)

Pack 3 pick 10:
Terrus Wurm
–> Splatter Thug
Dynacharge
Search Warrant
Zanikev Locust
Swamp

Pack 3 pick 11:
Seek the Horizon
Swamp
Catacomb Slug
–> Batterhorn
Axebane Stag

Pack 3 pick 12:
Plains
Mind Rot
Bellows Lizard
–> Spawn of Rix Maadi

Pack 3 pick 13:
Island
Chronic Flooding
–> Destroy the Evidence

Pack 3 pick 14:
Island
–> Chorus of Might

Pack 3 pick 15:
–> Island

Why I like building bad decks

Playing Standard Pauper and Classic Pauper on MTGO has the advantage of the cards are cheap for the most part* which makes building new decks easy.  As a result, it’s rather easy to make decks and play them casually. the thing is that the decks I build are bad, I know that they’re bad and I still use them anyway for two main reasons.

First, netdecks are boring, I don’t learn anything, or rather what I do learn is smaller in comparison. Netdecks don’t help me grow as a player.  I will take netdecks and modify them though, but I hate copying a list card for card. using a netdeck just feels like I’m looking at the back of a book for the answer instead of figuring it out myself. in this case, the question being, ‘what’s a good deck in this meta’ or alternative ‘ what kind of deck can I make to do this thing or with this card?’**

Second, I do actually learn more about the game, toying around with a junk simic ramp deck has given me a better idea about how ramp decks work in general. Or rather are supposed to work at least.  By doing this in primarily standard pauper(the fact that WoTC has made it a supported format means it’s so much easier to find games now)  it enables me to have access to the entire card pool with ease. I highly recommend standard pauper as an entry point to new players as its a great learning tool.

I don’t make bad decks cause they’re bad, I make bad decks cause I don’t know how to make good decks and I figure that as is true in many games, I ‘ll understand it more by playing then just theorizing.  So far, this seems to be true, I just have to keep at it.

 

*Standard pauper is incredibly cheap and the expensive cards in classic pauper aren’t auto includes in every deck, limits your options but still allows you to do things.

**Anyone have some idea for standard pauper that involve Gnaw to the Bone? The only ones I could think of have uncommons as being key pieces.

Steam Greenlight: Elder Signs Omens

One of Steam’s latest development is their greenlight initiatie  allowing the community to decided on what new games will be released on Steam. It isn’t for AAA titles but smaller indie titles. What caught my eye is that one of these games was Elder Signs: Omens. Being a fan of Elder Signs and liking he ability to play board games on my computer, I upvoted it. While it’s not for the Kindle fire*, the computer is the next best thing. The link can be found here and I suggest you go vote for it as well, both because it’s a good game and because it should serve as a sign of encouragement for other titles.

 

*If the Kindle Fire had the same amount of board games on it as the IOS or even the non Kindle Android market I would be very happy and willing to buy them.

Revolution is a very dumb show but I’m still watching it

Revolution is one of NBC’s new shows this fall and there are quite a number of reasons as to why this show is stupid. Let me count the ways. First of all it’s no Jeremiah, and while it has some similarities to it, it does not have the same quality, or anything close to it.*

Premise and Setting

There’s a lot I’m willing to just ignore, as many people have pointed out that it doesn’t make much sense, but that still doesn’t mean that there isn’t stuff to hate.

Apparently the U.S. broke up into this which is boring and trite. It also conflicts with implications and terminology in show. Additionally it further cements the villains as being boring, but I’ll get to that in more detail in a minute.

Modern technology stopped working cause magic, fine. This fixation on bringing about the power and the conspiratorial nonsense  around it is dumb and detracts from the show establishing the current situation.

A 15 year time jump both feels like it is too short and too long at the same time. I want to see how the world got to be the way it is. The rebels wanting to recreate the US and this focus on guns being illegal smacks of appealing to conservative/libertarian/survivalists.

Characters

The main character is an annoying ash in on the popularity of The Hunger Games who is filled with saccharine grating nonsense, has a frenemy romance option, does little to add to the show and is portrayed by a mediocre actress.

Danny is just annoying and adds nothing to the show; the longer they draw out him being held by Giancarlo Esposito then the longer he’l exist in limbo.

Miles is only good guy whose name I want to remember and is forced to the sidelines in favor of the main character.

The other two who are traveling with Miles are forgettable, theyir value needs to be established or they should disappear.

Giancarlo is being wasted carting Danny around, I want him to be more active in the show. not because he’s particularly compelling, but because he can act.

Everyone else is so minor on screen that I have no comment

Villains 

The villains are shallow two dimensional villainous villains. They dress in Nazi uniforms and are evil. They follow an ego-maniacal jerk and their justification is threadbare. They need to be fleshed out.

So despite the fact that I take issue with just about ever part of the show, why am I still willing to watch it? The visuals pretty, especially Chicago. There’s enough to keep me mildly interested and I can rant about all the bad parts with my friends.

*Jeremiah was a show that ran on showtime for 2 seasons then got cancelled because JMS couldn’t work with MGM. You used to be able to stream it on Netflix.