All posts by Noob of All Trades

Shawn Lucas is the self identified "Noob of All Trades". He is married and the father of three boys, two of whom help with their own podcast every couple of months. Raised on Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, he enjoys all games and will play all of them to the best of his ability, which is often average at best. Currently, he is most interested in Magic, Heroclix, and other games that he can play with Chris and his sons.
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Marvel Comics August 2023: Great, Good, Decent

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Introduction

I moved comics to this week because the package came this week and, frankly, with the start of school I am in no position to talk about Roll Player Adventures or Baldur’s Gate as I originally planned. Even with that business, I kept more or less on schedule with DC (though only the Manga sampler) and independent comics. I recorded the 4th episode of Noob’s Book Club today. In it, I talked about how busy Thursday was and how yesterday just sort of got away from me. So, Marvel Comics August 2023 comes later than anticipated.

Ugh

I texted Chris, “They’re killing me boy.” I said more than that, but in the interest of “can’t say anything nice” and all, I will refrain from repeating them here. A few months ago, when I restarted this column, ASM got his own section. This issue so offended me that I can say no more than, “Ugh.” Chris said he might stop collecting the book altogether. I have the entire run back until 700 now, so I’ll keep collecting. But nothing says I have to keep reading.

Decent

Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Writer: Zeb Wells, Artist: Patrick Geleason) Last night, Chris texted to say that he didn’t like Gleason’s art on this book. I agree that it looks weird in parts. But, honestly, that’s the least of my worries with Webhead lately. I actually like the current storyline and I think I said last time that it might find it’s way out of the dumpster. But, then, they tossed it right back in. This issue was actually pretty good and I considered putting it there, but not until they stop it with the nonsense.

Good

Fantastic Four 10

Image 1 of 4

Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Leandro Fernandez

All of these titles are either trending up or treading water right now. Fantastic Four ventured into “Great” territory a couple of times recently. This one only takes a step back because I don’t understand the story or the reason for it. I’m sure they’ll explain in the next couple of issues. For now, I’m just confused. Doctor Strange, likewise, tells a seemingly unrelated story, but has a promising ending.

Black Panther lost me with the first two issues and I started to wonder if maybe I just lost the thread of the book. This issue brought me back in and I want to see what they do next with the story. The one that excites me, most, though, is the Avengers. I wanted to see what they did with this lineup. The first issues mostly set up them and the villains. This one brought a conflict between the heroes and the villains that I enjoyed very much. Depending on how the next issue goes, I see this one moving up to “Great” next month.

Great

Venom 24 (Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Sergio Davila) Chris wrote me to tell me that he is on the outs with Venom. While I obviously don’t agree 100%, I have to agree when he said it’s just symbiote after symbiote. Like, I had to take a pause and remember how Eddie became the new Red Venom. After that, though, the showdown with Dr. Doom delivered everything I could have hoped. I think Ewing put the Lethal Protector in a good place and hope that Grønbekk can keep the momentum going.

Guardians of the Galaxy 5: (Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, Artist: Kev Walker). The gang is back together and, as always, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They go after the galaxy spanning threat, Grootfall finally. Realizing that they are out of their league, they retreat and try to come up with another plan. At the end, I finally get a promise that they’ll explain the Grootfall story. I don’t see this one leaving “Great” territory for a while.

The Verdct

Other than the assault on my favorite comic book character, Marvel Comics August 2023 does alright. All of the books are telling some really good stories and many of them remind me of the books of my wasted teenage years. Growing older does things to our brains. I, as I believe many of you, welcome the diversion that takes me back.

Note: Most images taken from the mothership.

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August 2023 Independent Comics I Love

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Introduction

I scheduled this article for yesterday. Then, yesterday required me to pick up Aiden from soccer, make dinner (I thought for two days), and record Episode 1 of the reboot of the reboot of 2 Guys Gaming podcast. Then, Quinn and I planned to camp tonight and tomorrow night. But, I screwed that up and apparently never booked the site. So, we are home and I am writing the August 2023 independent comics article.

I mean, this week already went through a few iterations. The end of the summer always messes with me and my timing. Finally, I settled on making it the comics week and moving some other things around. With DC Comics on a “Knight Terrors” break, I luckily received a DC Manga Sampler and that gave me plenty to discuss. This article continues the trend of Spawn Universe and TMNT.

Gunslinger Spawn #23

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Brett Booth. A coupel of issues ago when I picked this book up and started reading it, I infered (or outright said), “Violator fighting a T-Rex? What more do you want?” Well, a couple of issues later, I can’t exactly answer that question other than with, well, “More.” This story thudded back to the ground in this issue. The pacing felt off, I noticed at least one typo, and the writing just comes off as rushed. My Verdict: Decent

King Spawn #25

Writer: Uncle Todd. Artist: Javi Fernandez. Up until now, this one topped my list of the Spawniverse titles. Granted, it still does, but with Scorched oddly not showing up in my box this month, that list reads as much shorter. And, this one suffers from the same rushed feeling as Gunslinger this month. I noticed a typo in this one, too, and the Spawn/Clown routine leaves me wondering what the heck is happening right now. Perhaps they bit off more than they can chew. I’ll chalk it up to growing pains right now. My verdict: Decent.

Spawn #344

Writer: Rory McConville. Artist: Carlo Barberi. This one actually anchored the Spawniverse this month. I think it’s been quite a while since we could say that. Sure, it insists on dragging the Heaven/Hell war out. Some people might be into that. I am not. Other than that, though, it explains Spawn’s actions in King Spawn and sets up for his intervention to hopefully end Heaven’s and Hell’s machination for the forseeable future. Maybe Scorched fills in some of the details, too, and that’s what I’m missing this month. My verdict: Good.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #142

Writer: Sophie Campbell (with Story Consulting by Kevin Eastman. Artist: Gavin Smith. I wrote that the book took a bit of a dip after Armageddon Game. It was to be expected. That story ramped things up to 11 (or maybe even 12 or 13) and anything after, by comparison, seems tame. Well, it didn’t take long for them to start ratcheting things up again. I blew through this book because the pacing felt so urgent. The turtles deal with the after effects of Armageddon Game and feel the family fracturing a bit as a result. Sophie Campbell just knows how to write this book. I can’t wait for next month. My verdict: Good, bordering on Great.

The Verdict

August 2023 Independent Comics fell off a bit from previous months. The Spawn books, other than the main title, felt rushed and up against a deadline. But, TMNT more than made up for the drop in quality. That book alone makes me excited for what’s coming in September.

Spawn covers taken from Image comics website.

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DC Manga Sampler: Bonus Article

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Introduction

As an added bonus (I don’t remember ordering it), DCBS sent me the DC Manga Sampler. Therefore, in my haste to switch things around on the page, I bring you a bonus article about the three stories contained therein. This also comes on the heels of me ordering too many of the Knight Terrors books last month or not ordering enough this month to cover the second issues of the ones I ordered last month. Perhaps both. As a result, I moved the independent books to Wednesday this week and Marvel still drops on Friday.

Joker: One Operation Joker

Once I got used to the manga set up (I knew that you read from back to front, but not that you read from right to left), I enjoyed this story. It starts like so many other stories, with Joker unsure what’s real and what’s not. Therefore, when he reveals that he has a baby (?!), you are left to wonder what’s real and what’s not. He pulls a knife. Sure, not even the joker is that much of a monster. Thankfully no. He uses the knife to cut open a bag of diapers and change the baby.

How the hell does he even have a baby? Well, let me tell you, dear reader. Apparently, it has to do with the night before. He met Batman on the same catwalk near the same vat of toxic waste that created him. They tussle and when you think that Batman might finish the job, Joker grabs him and throws him into the waste. Well, that’s quite the cliffhanger. Now I need to add this to my pull list.

Batman: Justice Buster

This one involves a wordless chase with Batman after a villain I don’t recognize. He wears one of his armored suits. At the end of the episode, he suffers a malfunction and the villain taunts him from above. The villain activates a “B-17 trap”. I assume the B stands for Batman, but I have no clue on the 17. Written by the same author, this one felt weaker than the Joker one. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar characters or the lack of dialogue. Whatever the case, I’m less excited about this one. I will still give it a shot and hope for the best, though.

Superman vs. Meshi

This one also opens in a familiar way. Wherever someone calls for help, he hears it. Even if it comes from the other side of the world. But, today, he stands in front of a noodle joint in Japan. He’s, as the book says, “super hooked” on ramen. Cut to Clark Kent getting chewed out for not bringing scintillating enough stories. Why can’t he be more like Lois and get great interviews with Superman? Speaking of Lois, when he leaves the meeting, he bumps into her and asks her out. She says no. Thank goodness, he thinks, there’s no way I could get her to Japan as Clark Kent! Yes, more noodles! The set up here is funny, if not overly dramatic. But, who knows what Meshi holds in store for the Man of Steel.

The Verdict

I never knew anything about the DC Manga Sampler before receiving it in my shipment. After reading the three stories, one of them interests me greatly. Another has potential. And, the third, well, I just don’t understand the appeal. Granted, I never liked Superman. And, I always preach that sometimes it isn’t for you. So, maybe that one just isn’t for me. But, I will definitely check out the other two.

Digital Playground

Loki For All Time Preview

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Introduction

I wrote in my Marvel SNAP article last month that I lost interest in the game for a bit. At the time, I theorized then that it might end up as one of the many games that came out with great promise but then ended up in the scrap heap of previously loved games. I think I also wrote that a card like X-23 alone could get me to play the game more. Well, with this Loki for All Time preview, I can confidently say that none of that is true.

I played more in this last month than the previous two combined. That much is true. But, I never opened X-23, so it had nothing to do with that card. I just remembered how much fun the game can be and also how quickly games go. I finish my quests in a game or two and it rarely takes more than 10 minutes.

Why a Preview?

Due to circumstances completely within my control, I moved some things around and rearranged my writing schedule for this month and next. I planned to do Dungeons and Dragons last week and then moved it to this week. I further moved it to next week because we took full advantage of the end of summer. Quinn and I never sat down to play either Roll Player Adventures or D&D, so I have no updates there. My DCBS order arrived the other day and when I sat down with my planner this afternoon, I decided to slot comics into this week. I mean, Marvel SNAP always has a new update every month.

While true, the updates don’t release precisely at the beginning of each month. Last month, for example, the article that I used as a resource for my Marvel SNAP article came out on August 9th. So, the official word for next month won’t come for another couple of days. I sort of painted myself into a corner here. Luckily, some information got data mined and I can at least talk about the new cards. Maybe when the other information releases, I can write an update talking about the stuff I missed.

The Trickster

On Reveal: Replace your hand with cards from your opponent’s starting deck. Give them -1 cost.

Our Loki for All Time preview starts, predictably, with the man of the hour, Loki. While not generally a fan of theft decks in any card game, I might make an exception with this card. I like that you are replacing your hand with their cards. Also, my “no fun police” sense tingles with the chance to beat those disco and destro decks at their own game. I never played Daken. I intend to play Loki day 1.

The Other Cards

Ongoing: Your cards with 1 or less Power cost 1 less. (minimum 1)

Image 1 of 3

If I’m being honest, none of these cards interest me very much. I can think of much more interesting things to do on turn 6 besides destroying my opponents cards played at a certain location on that turn. Maybe I see some utility with the location that destroys all the others, but that feels far too limited for my game play style. I play a “Ones” deck sometimes to finish the quest, but I think they all have more than one power. Besides, they can’t have their cost reduced below one. I suppose she allows for quicker Gobby and Hobby shenanigans. Some other utility. I might try a deck for a game or two with her if I end up opening her card. The only time I ever see a card that increases the cost of my cards is Iceman. I suppose that Wave gets hit by this one and that’s sometimes a popular play to lock you out of playing multiple cards later in the game. So, I might put Mobius in my Ongoing deck if I can find a slot for him.

The Verdict

The only card that looks remotely interesting to me is Loki. The others have limited (or almost no) functionality for my play style. When I come back in a couple of weeks with all of the information from the update, including the locations, I can give an update on my thoughts here in this Loki for All Time preview.

Note: Images snapped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

Digital Playground

Minecraft Dungeons August 2023

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Introduction

I first found and played Minecraft Dungeons about two years ago. As often happens, I lost interest in the game because others came into (or back into) my life. Maybe I played it through the summer and then school started and neither me nor Quinn had enough time for the game. Then again, I doubt that very much. Because, I happened to see Quinn playing the game last year and he beat it…or was very close to doing so. I might have joined him for a few rounds of combat to try to get back into the game, but it wasn’t meant to be. And, so, like my previous article, I struggle with what this Minecraft Dungeons August 2023 article will look like.

Relax. Unlike that previous article, Minecraft Dungeons means less to me. Only Quinn and I ever played it. I remember thinking that Aiden might. But, he never picked it up as far as I know. So, no waxing poetic and philosphic about kids and growing up. What, then, can I write for this article?

Maybe This Article Shouldn’t Exist

I chose Minecraft for this week early in the summer. I hoped it might inspire me to play the game with the boys again. Instead, I started a new world of my own and never played Minecraft Dungeons until a couple of days ago. I saw it on the Minecraft Launcher, installed it, and loaded it. So, I played just about as much as I played before writing the first article.

Yes, definitely, this Minecraft reeks of grand plans that fall short. It happens quite often around here. If you’re a regular, you don’t even feel bad about it anymore. If not, I apologize. I tried so hard to keep the page going in spite of a busy summer and I think I just ran out of steam. I said earlier to my wife, “I shudder to think what this year looks like. I have no motivation whatsoever to do any work.” Maybe I just need some time to recouperate.

Just a few more weeks of summer? Please?

Wait Until Minecraft in May?

So, in closing, I’m going to kill the Minecraft Dungeons August 2023 article. Go back to read the first look article and I promise to have another better update sometime in the future. If not before, I try to have a Minecraft in May feature week. In the meantime, download the game and see if you can inspire me to play more by sending me your progress.

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Minecraft Boy in a Minecraft World

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Introduction

I planned to write about Minecraft this week. Today I wanted to talk about the Java (PC) version. Then, on Wednesday, I wanted to discuss the console (or Bedrock) version. Honestly, I had no coherent plan for Friday and I wrote, “developing an RPG?” in my planner for that day. So, in anticipation of this epic update on the game, I started a new Minecraft world about a week ago.

A view from my front door.

I played through for an hour or so cumulatively. Mined. Crafted. Found some cool stuff like an amethyst cave and a desert village. The amethyst cave is a first for me. Oh, I also mined some copper during my first trip down in this world. And, ended up spawning near a type of forest I never saw before. Even so, I’m honestly at a loss of how to approach this article.

A Minecraft Update August 2023

This is usually how I approach these articles where I want to talk about new and exciting developments in games. However, with those games I usually play them daily and the update involves only a new set of cards. As I replied to all three of my kids, at different times, when they noticed I loaded up the game, “Yeah, I haven’t played it in a long time.” Traditionally, Minecraft is our vacation game. I play with Quinn, and sometimes Aiden. We have a Minecraft world or two with Liam, too, but he played Pokemon more than any other game.

In this game, I missed several updates. I kept an eye on them as they released and I even considered playing once or twice to write one of those traditional update articles. Obviously, I never followed through. One reason is because my gaming PC, the PC I’m writing this article on had a busted charging port and I thought it would take far too much effort to fix. A couple of weeks ago, that proved wrong and I replaced the port. So, I loaded up Minecraft.

The More Things Change…

…supposed to be the more they stay the same. I think people just say that to comfort themselves when things seem to be changing so rapidly. As a parent, you learn some harsh truths about, well, everything. One of those truths we are learning now is that kids are kids. Until they aren’t anymore. And that process seems to happen overnight. I don’t know if it’s because you don’t pay attention to those small changes or you only start paying attention when the rapid changes happen.

I wrote an article about going to the train show with Aiden one year. I worried that it might be the last year I got to go. He was the only one who wanted to come and I mused about how quickly childhood evaporates. It didn’t happen then. But, I think it is happening now. I mean, sure, the kids all came with me to the comic book convention in Fitchburg this weekend. And, they all had an absolute blast. It was a small one, so nobody felt too crowded (I think the reason they don’t want to go to the train show) but it still had the cool artists, cosplayers, and something for everyone.

We also found him!

But, Minecraft

Losing an annual train show is one thing. I can live with that loss. Especially if I can keep convincing them to join me at the smaller comic shows. But, like I said, Minecraft was a staple for us during vacations. We picked up old worlds. Sometimes, when bored, we created a new Minecraft world. But, we always played. This summer vacation is the 4th vacation with no Minecraft with the kids.

I think part of the problem is that I get caught up in other things and I don’t ask them to play. I’m sure if I asked Quinn or Aiden to play Minecraft, they would. At least for a couple of sessions before they got bored. I mean I saw Aiden playing Fortnight again the other night when I went up to visit him in his room. So, I need to take some responsibility here. But, parents, trust me when I say. Your kids are kids until they aren’t anymore. Cherish those moments. Take the pictures. And at the risk of sounding like a middle aged Facebook mom.

The Verdict

Who knew when I randomly picked up the game and created a Minecraft world that it would lead to such deep feelings and me fighting off tears? These episodes come at random times. About a month ago, my wife and I had a conversation because she talked about remembering when they were little. She thinks I have a limited memory, which I sometimes do, but I just said, “You just remember” and then fired off a few dozen memories, both big and little of them being kids. We have a week left of summer. Aiden wanted to disc golf. We are taking them all to the beach on Wednesday (so the console article won’t happen then), and now I need to figure out a way to

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Hearthstone TITANS

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Introduction

Those who thought I wrote about the acutal Hearthstone TITANS in my last article breathe a sigh of relief. I went back and forth on how to approach these articles. I thought because I planned for the release last week that I’d only have time for one article. So, my usual tact of covering the cards class by class would not work.

Initially, I planned just to cover the Hearthstone TITANS in that single article. However, I reworked my schedule and moved some things around. That gave me a whole week to cover the expansion. I still didn’t want to write the usual article covering all of the cards, though. So, I got the idea to write about keywords, then the supporting legendary cards, and finally the TITANS themselves.

Before that, let me explain why these minions have an entirely different card type. They start as minions on the board, unable to attack. Each turn, including the one you play them, you may use one of three abilities. Once an ability is used, you can no longer use that one. After all three abilities have been used, it can attack.

Death Knight: The Primus

The blood and the frost rune powers seem pretty great. Removing a big minion and gaining that health on one of your minions plus healing is a big swing in any game. +3 spell damage on most mass removal spells is very welcome. The unholy one, by comparison, feels weak. But, they can’t all be bangers, as they say. Even so, in some situations, 4 bodies with taunt might be enough to help stabilize. My verdict: Good.

Demon Hunter: Argus, the Emerald Star

I actually played this one a couple of times to finish the event quest. I both needed to play as Demon Hunter and owned this card from the packs that I opened. As I sit here, I realize that I rarely actually used his abilities. The mechanic takes some getting used to. In any event, Show of Force is great in an aggro deck and Crystal Carving gives you options. The third, like above, can help stabilize. Plus, his persistent power is nice and versatile. My verdict: Good.

Druid: Eonar, the Life Binder

When writing about the other accompanying legendary cards, I noticed that this one and the druid keeper can combo quite nicely. The first power is always welcome. The other two combo pretty nicely with Wildheart Guff. Druid is known for mana and ramp shenanigans and this card really ups the ante on that. My verdict: Good.

Hunter: Aggramar, the Avenger

This card equips a weapon and then gives three powers that support that weapon. Card draw is nice, again taunt minions give a chance to stabilize, and the third power gives you the ability to remove small and medium minions without taking damage. Overall, a tad bit underwhelming, in my opinion. My verdict: Decent.

Mage: Norgannon

The abilities by themselves seem underwhelming. But, chaining them together by starting with the secret, then making the enemy cards cost more (to try to lock them out) and finishing with a double Pyroblast to the face is the dream. The only problem is protecting Norgannon for two turns to pull it off. My verdict: Good.

Paladin: Amitus, the Peacekeeper

He does what Paladin does. I like his persistent ability because it extends your minions and allows for more removal. Pairing it with his first ability gives them all one more hit on minions. His second ability combines with consecration, but without a coin or other mana cheat, you can’t do those both on the same turn. The third ability, very situational, feels like the design team got a little too cute. My verdict: Decent.

Priest: Aman’thul

That second ability alone makes this card worth the price of admission. Plus, simpy by getting that off, you discover a legendary minion. The first ability can be scary in the right deck. I’m thinking Velen right away. I’m never a fan of random effects, espeically mana locked ones. Too often, I “randomly” summon a 5 mana 1/1 for me to trust them. My verdict: Great.

Rogue: V-07-TR-0N Prime

At first glance, I want to call this card garbage. And, it very well might be. But, as I look at the abilities more and consider his persistent ability, I think some things can happen with this card and another minion on the board. The only thing I don’t like is the “Deal 4 damage to a ranom enemy.” That means that the ability can always go face. Sure, damage to the face is nice, but isn’t Hearthstone about board control and miinion interaction? Or, have we just forgotten all about that? My verdict: Decent.

Shaman: Golganneth, the Thunderer

Okay, now I’m quite confident that this one is garbage. The mana cheat is nice, but those abilities just don’t wow me like some of the other ones. I wish the Lord of Skies jumped like chain lightning or rolling fireball. Single target huge removal is nice, but just too limiting. Roaring Oceans is nice and Shargahn’s Wrath requires leaning into overload. My verdict: Decent.

Warlock: Sargeras, the Destroyer

This guy just seems like a ton of fun to play. They programmed that portal ability many years ago and they just keep building it into other cards. I can’t blame them for wanting to reuse their code, especially when I sit down and fiddle with the little bit of coding that I’ve done. The abilities themselves are middling, but like I say, I look at this card and smile mainly because of that removal spell. My verdict: Good.

Warrior: Khaz’goroth

I loved the Warrior keeper. I don’t love this one as much, but his utility is still pretty high. Being a limited (to only one minion) but immune Deathwing is kind of a nice little bonus. Plus, with the keeper, the first ability also gives attack. If you just absolutely want to decimate an opponent late game by tearing apart every minion he plays, this is the card for you. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

Overall, the Hearthstone TITANS themselves underwhelm. I know they can’t make them too powerful, but some of the abilities are just downright bad and could be reworked or tweaked to make them slightly more powerful. Who knows? Maybe they plan on a Hearthstone TITANS 2 expansion sometime in the future and they’ll do just that.

Pictures taken from the mothership and snapped from Hearthstone Wiki.

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Legendary Hearthstone TITANS

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Introduction

I realize the title Legendary Hearthstone TITANS might come off as misleading. I tried the title Hearthstone TITANS Legendaries (but spell check tells me you can’t pluralize Legendary). Legendary Cards works, but makes the title too long. So, while you possibly came to this page looking for my thoughts on the actual TITAN cards, you missed by one article. Check out the very next article.

Instead, this article talks about the new legendary cards released with the set that don’t belong to the “Titan” keyword. Blizzard calls them Keepers and the lore explains that the Titans created them to develop and watch over the new planet. Basically, they became Azeroth’s first mythical heroes.

Death Knight: Helya

Helya comes with a basic stat line for a 4 drop card, but she shuffles 3 plagues into the deck and makes them “unending”. I looked up what that means. The cards get shuffled back into the deck for a chance to draw them again. Not what I thought, but sometimes Blizzard gets weird with their wording. Certainly not as logical as WotC and Magic the Gathering.

The plagues, for information sake, are Blood, Unholy, and Frost. All three deal 3 damage to the player. Blood restores 2 health to your hero. Unholy summons a 2/2 on your board. Frost increases the cost of the next card your opponent plays by 1 (not over 10).

Overall, a fine card for the cost. Especially if you plan to play plagues in your deck. My verdict: Good.

Demon Hunter: Jotun, the Eternal

Less to explain on this one. As they always say, “text on card.” Does anyone actually say that? I feel like there’s a saying for when the card does exactly what it says. Kind of sarcastic way of saying, “Hey, buddy, just read the card.” Maybe that’s the saying. I don’t know. Some sort of memory tickled the back of my brain when I realized that this card needed less explanation. And, still, I spent an entire paragraph explaining that. Hey, we do what we do here.

Anyway, perpetual effects can be fun in Hearthstone. This one works very well in a deck that I played a few times, Spell Demon Hunter. If you draw it on curve, you get a copy of basically ever other card you draw for the rest of the game. Right now, I really like this card. Maybe I’ll craft it and play it to see if it’s as good as I think. My verdict: Great.

Druid: Freya, Keeper of Nature

Okay, we determined that there’s no sarcastic way to say, “text on card.” Unless you read that in a sarcastic tone. In which case, that’s on you. I meant no ill will with my explanation. If you can read, you know what this card does.

“Choose one” is standard druid stuff from the beginning of the game. While this seems like a potentially powerful effect, my experience in game is that this can brick more often that blow out the opponent. Maybe I’m just jaded because luck (I know, I know, but trust me I’m unlucky in these games) goes against me so often. Plus, 8 mana feels so expensive. My verdict: Decent.

Hunter: Hodir, Father of Giants

Okay, no more mention anymore to increase my word count. Let’s just talk abouot this one. I saw a video where they played this one and then two one mana minions with rush. Effective removal and youo end up possibly with 3 8/x on the board next turn. Also, in a beast hunter, you can combo it with some of the smaller minions with charge (but there are fewer of them) for a quick kill later in the game. My verdict: Good.

Mage: Sif

Okay, so some explanation required here. If you cast just from Mage, there are three schools that can improve spell damage. If, however, you pull from other classes, you might potentially get it higher. As with many mage minions, this one feels quite situational. I think that if there’s room, Casino Mage might find a spot for it. My Verdict: Decent

Paladin: Tyr

Okay, now this one is absolutely situational. The only deck that immediatly comes to mind is mech paladin, which sees play every now and then. Plus, mechs offer some very good cheap minions. My verdict: Decent.

Priest: Ra-den

I play a couple of priest decks depending on the quests of the day. One is a terrible quest priest, but I played the reward more than half a dozen times to kill the opponent. The other incorporates C’thun and Yogg into a Renethal deck. I can rework that one to fit this card in and see if it works at all. My verdict: Good.

Rogue: Mimiron, the Mastermind

Looks like they’re trying to make mech rogue a thing. As you will see in my Titans article on Friday, the Rogue titan is also a mech. The random gadgets are one of six cards that all cost one except for the coolant; coolant (next card played this turn costs 2 less), cloak field (give a minion +3 attack and stealth until next turn), switch (two minions swap stats), horn (give a minion taunt and divine shield), rewinder (return a minion to your hand), and blades (deal 3 damage). A decent card with some utility, but I wonder how many rogues will bite on the mech angle. My verdict: Decent.

Shaman: Thorim, Stormlord

Wow. This is the best card of the set so far. I looked ahead and the other two and the only one that feels as strong is the Warrior one. Cheap, versatile, card draw and it unlocks your mana? This one will absolutely see play. My verdict: Great. Best card of the Legendary Hearthstone TITANS.

Warlock: Loken, Jailor of Yogg-Saron

This card is fine in a big Warlock deck. Other than that, I don’t see a place for this card. I’m quite underwhelmed. This might be the worst card in the bunch. My verdict: Meh.

Warrior: Odyn, Prime Designate

Okay, now this card is great. Expensive, but Warrior often plays the long game anyway. Well, my Warrior deck do at least. Initially, I thought this might rival the Shaman card but, now I’m not so sure. The cheaper cost and utility of the Shaman card just give it an edge. I will definitely craft this one because I love playing Control Warrior, but I just think the Shaman card is better. My verdict: Great.

The Verdict

Legendary Hearthstone TITANS bring some fun cards into the mix. Overall, I can see myself playing every one of them at one point or another in a deck to finish out a daily quest. Come back on Friday to see what I think of the actual Titans.

Digital Playground

Hearthstone TITANS Keywords

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Introduction

Hearthstone recently released their new expansion, TITANS. Based on the Uldum storyline and the end of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion (if I remember correctly), it introduces some new game play elements into the game. One of those new elements is the Hearthstone TITANS Keywords.

I decided to structure these articles differently. Instead of rating each card and building a terrible deck around the ones I thought were great, I plan to take three articles to talk about the new elements that I mentioned in the previous paragraph. If this doesn’t work as well for me, maybe I will go back to the other format.

New Keyword: TITANS

The titular card style combines the two card styles of minions and spells. When you play the card, it takes up board space like a minion. However, it can’t actually attack until it performs all three actions that it is capable. An example is shown above. Aggramar equps a weapon and then gives you the choice of three abilities to enhance your weapon. Once you play an ability, you can’t repeat it. When you play all three abilities, Aggramar becomes a 3/7 minion and attacks as normal. I like the idea. The article I write on Friday discusses the Titans and my thoughts about them.

New Keyword: Forge

Forge works similar to trading, a keyword introduced in United in Stormwind. It then became evergreen in Festival of Legends. If you have a card with Forge, you drag it back to your deck for 2 mana and it gains a special ability or mana reduction. The above card shows an example. You can either play this for 8, or Forge it back into your deck for 2 less. This one works endlessly, so you could end up with a 0 mana 8/8 taunt in your deck with enough patience and a long enough game.

Returning Keyword: Magnetic

Magnetic belongs to the Mech tribe. They even worked it into Battlegrounds and further expanded on it by allowing you to magnetize on a full board. When you magnetize a minion, you pull the minion from your hand, place it to the left of the minion and they merge together. Any stats and abilities get combined onto the original minion. It offers some variety and strategery when playing Mechs. You can magnetize or, if more beneficial, play the minion as is. I’m not a huge fan of mechs, but based on my opponents on ladder, much of the Hearthstone population enjoys playing them. Excelsior!

The Verdict

Hearthstone TITANS Keywords brings new and interesting possiblities to the game. I still mostly only play to gain the rewards track and have fun in Battlegrounds. But, they released a new quest chain that has me playing the standard mode of Hearthstone. I don’t see TITANS bringing me back into the game full time, but I’ll have fun while I play through the track. Come back on Wednesday to hear about the cool new Legendary cards we get in the set. Read more about it straight from the source.

Digital Playground

Marvel SNAP August 2023

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Introduction

This game’s entry into “Games I Once Loved But Now Lie in the Trash Heap Forgotten” looms large. After once calling it my Mobile Game of the Year all the way in December, I played it less and less over time. To my credit, I gave it more of a chance than Chris, who stopped playing months ago. Funny because he first introduced me to the game. Well, join me to see if the Marvel SNAP August 2023 update brings me back from the brink.

I played so little last month that I didn’t even receive the level 50 reward from the rewards track. I bought the pass and then only played maybe once a day while over in Germany. Then, back in the States, I never got back into the habit of completing my daily quests to let them refresh every time. I will admit, though, that at least one card caught my eye this month.

New Locations

Every month brings a new seaons and a new update. Those updates introduce new cards and locations into the game. This month’s focus appears to be destruction.

I rarely play destruction decks. I play against them often. They don’t usually frustrate me as much as discard decks for some reason. However, a destruction deck with this location on the board opens the door for some shenanigans. You can replay cards that give a bonus when destroyed and then destroy them all over again. Fun!

This one requires a bit more strategery and finesse than the other one. It destroys the last card to “get” here, I assume by either playing or moving. Few cards give bonuses for both moving and destruction. But, an opponent can try to frustrate you by playing or moving a card later in the game and destroying that card instead. Oh, you could set up a combo with a card, then move it with another card and get the bonus. Yes, definitely more of a thinking man’s location.

New Cards

On Reveal: Destroy each card here with less Power than this.

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Silver Samurai feels out of place in this update. Especially when you consider that discarding a card does not destroy it. Lady Deathstrike feels underpowered for the cost. 5 energy to destroy cards with 2 or less power. Granted, it has some utility and combos with some of the cards in the destro decks. I’d have to play it more. Daken gives you a shard that doubles his power when it’s destroyed or discarded, so maybe that’s how you work Samurai into the deck. Finally, my favorite character ever since Logan and I discovered her solo comic book, X-23. She also causes all kinds of havoc on the board. I think this one single card might bring me back to playing the game with more consistency.

The Verdict

Overall, I like what I see in the Marvel SNAP August 2023 update. X-23 looks to single handedly bring me back into the game and build a destro deck. Plus, she has some pretty sweet variants. Okay, just like with my history in Hearthstone, every time I think I’m out, they pull me right back in. See you in game, SNAPers!

Images SNAPshotted from Marvel Snap Zone.