Magic the Gathering | Nerdologists https://nerdologists.com Where to jump in on board games, anime, books, and movies as a Nerd Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:59:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://nerdologists.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nerdologists-favicon.png Magic the Gathering | Nerdologists https://nerdologists.com 32 32 Who Has Marvel Studios Underutilized – 10MinMarvel S4E6 https://nerdologists.com/2025/09/who-has-marvel-studios-underutilized-10minmarvel-s4e6/ https://nerdologists.com/2025/09/who-has-marvel-studios-underutilized-10minmarvel-s4e6/#respond Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:33:52 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=9786 What Marvel characters have been underutilized? And how maybe could they be used more? Join us for this weeks #10MinMarvel.

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Destination D23 was a dud. So we’re pivoting, almost on the fly, for characters who have been in Marvel films who were under utilized. Some might have bene killed off, others maybe will get more of a chance to shine, but who is lacking in how they were utilized? Plus a little bit of news and rumors and emphasis on a little bit. Though we do talk about the little bit there was shown at Destination D23.

Thanks for Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, there are a few ways that I always talk about that you can support 10 Minute Marvel. Firstly, please consider sharing it with your friends as word of mouth really is a great way to help more people find the podcast, and personal recommendations are always great. As well as then subscribing or leaving a rating and review. Both of those make the podcast easier to find for people looking for a fun Marvel podcast. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcast, and Spotify or wherever you get your friendly neighborhood podcasts.

We also run a Patreon and that is another way you can help support. The Patreon, found here, goes to help improve the quality of the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast, pay for advertising and more. It also helps improve the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and Nerdologists.com website. Thank you, again, for listening and for considering supporting us financially.

Comments or Questions: Who Has Marvel Underutilized?

What characters in the MCU or Marvel Films have been underutilized? Is there one that stands out to you that we missed?

You can let us know all of those things down in the comment section below, or tweet them to me @TheScando or by using #10MinMarvel. And there is now the Facebook page, as well, where you can join in the conversation here. And follow us on YouTube for more content here.

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Daredevil Born Again Episode 3 Reaction – 10 Minute Marvel S3E112 https://nerdologists.com/2025/03/daredevil-born-again-episode-3-reaction-10-minute-marvel-s3e112/ https://nerdologists.com/2025/03/daredevil-born-again-episode-3-reaction-10-minute-marvel-s3e112/#respond Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:19:16 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=9487 Did you like episode 3 of Daredevil Born Again? That's what we're talking about on this weeks 10MinMarvel podcast.

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We’re back this week to talk about more Daredevil Born Again. It’s interesting because this was part of the original plot that was shot. Now they obviously added and changed some elements for it, but was what was originally shot actually good? We discuss that and more about episode three on this weeks 10MinMarvel podcast. Plus news and rumors including Sadie Sink joining the cast of Spider-Man 4, but as what character?

Catch Up on Videos

The Russos Talk about Doomsday and Secret Wars

Comic Round-up Kimono Edition

Ms Marvel Collectible

Sadie Sink joining Spider-Man 4

Daredevil Born Again Episode 3 Initial Thoughts/Impressions

Thanks for Listening

I hope that you are enjoying the podcast. If you are, there are a few ways that I always talk about that you can support 10 Minute Marvel. Firstly, please consider sharing it with your friends as word of mouth really is a great way to help more people find the podcast, and personal recommendations are always great. As well as then subscribing or leaving a rating and review. Both of those make the podcast easier to find for people looking for a fun Marvel podcast. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Google Podcast, and Spotify or wherever you get your friendly neighborhood podcasts.

We also run a Patreon and that is another way you can help support. The Patreon, found here, goes to help improve the quality of the 10 Minute Marvel Podcast, pay for advertising and more. It also helps improve the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel and Nerdologists.com website. Thank you, again, for listening and for considering supporting us financially.

Comments or Questions: Did You Like Episode 3 of Daredevil Born Again?

What did you think of the episode 3 of Daredevil: Born Again? Did you like the storyline that was originally being told before the reshoots?

You can let us know all of those things down in the comment section below, or tweet them to me @TheScando or by using #10MinMarvel. And there is now the Facebook page, as well, where you can join in the conversation here. And follow us on YouTube for more content here.

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Message me on X at @TheScando
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Holiday List – Two Player Board Games https://nerdologists.com/2024/11/holiday-list-two-player-board-games/ https://nerdologists.com/2024/11/holiday-list-two-player-board-games/#comments Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:42:28 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=9255 What board games do you want to add to your holiday list that are great at two? It's time to think about that shopping for people or yourself.

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Miniature Market, with their deals, keeps on reminding me how close we are getting to the holidays. So let’s start doing the list with two player board games. These are for you and that special someone to cozy up with and play on a winters night when it’s all snowy. Or maybe you’re not in a cold spot, but these are fun games that work great at two players that are totally worth checking out and giving or putting on your own holiday list.

Two Player Board Games

Lord of the Rings Duel

First one on the list is for the big Lord of the Rings fan, but you don’t need to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy this game. Lord of the Rings Duel is a really fun back and forth game as players act as either the Fellowship or the forces of Sauron.

There are a few great things about this game. Firstly, it’s a two player drafting game and it works really well. It uses the 7 Wonders Duel drafting system. Plus there are a few spots in the game that you are competing over. There is area control on one board. You want to gain the favor of all the people’s of Middle Earth on another. And you can also win by getting the ring to Mount Doom, or if you are the forces of Sauron catching the ring before it gets there. Really good two player game.

Hanamikoji

Now maybe you want something that’s a bit faster but still has a really good back and forth tension. Hanamikoji is a great game for that. In this game you want to win the favor of Geisha. To do that you need to bring them gifts. Whomever has the most gifts next to a Geisha wins that Geisha’s favor. And you win the game by either winning the favor of four Geisha or 11 points worth of Geisha.

But the game has a great and simple twist to it. You only play four actions per round. And the actions you can use each of them only once. So it is a real puzzle to figure out how to use those actions to the best of your ability. And that’s what I love about the game and why it’s such a good two player game. It is easy to learn but there is a lot of thinking going on in it.

Star Wars Unlimited
Image Source: Fantasy Flight Games

Star Wars Unlimited

I only put one TCG (Trading Card Game) on the list, and it’s my favorite right now, Star Wars Unlimited. This is such a fun game and one that I think non-Star Wars fans can enjoy. But you probably need a passing knowledge of Star Wars which makes this one a bit more focused. Star Wars Unlimited is a nice tight back and forth game without the baggage that comes with some of the older and more complex ones.

You take your turns back and forth and it moves really quickly which is great. Plus you have a leader and that leader determines some of the cards you use, but also gives you an ability and idea to build around. And I find that to be great with how it works. And you never are short on resources, well you might not be able to play everything you want, but you never go turns without being able to build up to play your more powerful cards. That is what makes the game work really well.

Star Wars not your theme, there are other solid options like Lorcana (simpler), Magic the Gathering (more complex) or One Piece (similar complexity) out there as well that might fit your interests more.

Dice Throne

Dice Throne is another consistent one on my two player board games lists. This is back and forth battle Yahtzee style of game. But each character has their own unique powers and abilities. And there are so many characters out there. You can dive in and grab 2 or go all in and get 16+ if you want. And there is even Santa vs Krampus to fit that holiday theme.

Like I said this is battle Yahtzee. But each character does their own thing. The Barbarian heals and does a lot of damage on basic attacks. The Shadow Thief can dodge damage while the Pyromancer hits you back for more damage. And you can upgrade that as well as you go, so you get stronger as you play the game and try and knock your opponent out. Or you can just shoot for your ultimate ability and do a ton of damage that way.

The game is also great because of the different themes and packs. You can mix and match anything. So if you find you like the game it is easy to add in more. And there is Marvel content for the game as well which is a theme that likely works better for most people than the general fantasy theme.

Fox in the Forest Duet

Finally we have two player trick taking which is a unique idea. But I really enjoy this version, or the competitive version, or the other competitive two player trick taking game Macha. But Fox in the Forest Duet is a cooperative game which makes it even more unique for a trick taking game.

You play out tricks like normal, but whomever wins the trick, the fox, who is trying to collect leaves, moves towards them. But you don’t want it to fall off the board or it makes the board smaller and easier to fall off. Do that too much and you won’t be able to collect all of the leaves. But there are cards that offer ways to manipulate that that you play out as well. But can you get in sync with the person you’re playing with and how well do you know how to manipulate and fish for information in trick taking?

Final Thoughts

I love two player games. I don’t play all of mine a ton because a lot of the times I play with more. But all of the games on the list come out and get played every no and again. And I gave a handful of extra options as well in there.

Do you find yourself consistently playing games at two, then these are probably great options for you? And do you have games you already like at two players that I missed? Let me know what those games are. And let me know which ones are making your holiday list, for giving or receiving.

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Star Wars Unlimited – Twin Suns https://nerdologists.com/2024/07/star-wars-unlimited-twin-suns/ https://nerdologists.com/2024/07/star-wars-unlimited-twin-suns/#respond Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:44:17 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=9027 My first Gen Con event is going to be Star Wars Unlimited Twin Suns format. Join me as I build a deck to prepare to play.

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I am still definitely loving Star Wars Unlimited. The game has hit my table and been one that I find that I just love to play. The speed of the game, the strategy for the turns, but the simplicity of the turns as well. It all makes Star Wars Unlimited my favorite, I dare say, trading card game (TCG). I think for me it beats out Magic the Gathering. The one spot it might not is I love commander. So Twin Suns, to me, seems like Star Wars Unlimited commander. I signed up for a Twin Suns event at Gen Con, so time to build a deck.

What To Know About Star Wars Unlimited Twin Suns

Let’s talk about what is different tin this version of the game versus how a regular deck works. There are two main differences in the game. The second one, in particular makes it more like Commander. So deck building itself is going to be different.

The first difference is that instead of one leader you play with two leaders. You can see me debate who to set as my leaders at the beginning. It is possible to grab leaders of the same color or aspect, but that is going to limit your deck building. Sometimes, and I think as more sets are added, it might be valuable to do. But with that leader you then will be able to add in a base and get to a third color that you don’t need to pay extra for.

The commander like element is that you need a larger deck of cards, minimum fifty cards. And the cards, you can’t have duplicates. So only a single copy of a card. I need to tweak my deck to improve which cards I have in there, but it changes up deck building strategy. It is more random, so how can you counter the randomness to some extent is the question.

What It Feels Like It’s Missing

This format, I think, is going to be one of my favorites. It’s going to remind me of commander, but I don’t know, after now making two decks, that I feel it is there yet. I want to touch on what I feel like is missing. Because I think some people will jump into this format because they play commander. And then realize that some elements feel lacking in the game. And I think most of them are because it’s the first set.

Firstly, card draw or searching for cards is limited. I think I left one card in like that. I maybe should put in a tiny bit more. But when you only play with a single copy of a card, you might need or want to find it. You should build your deck to handle that you don’t come across it, but it’s harder than Magic the Gathering, because Star Wars Unlimited is so limited right now in it’s card base, to pull of combos. So I think for some they will miss that, even I miss that.

But to continue with combos, I think that the game is light on leaders. I don’t want more in the base set, I just want the second set which is coming soon. I put together a deck where Leia is the main one I care about as a leader. Han is fine, he provides some utility, but I want to look at see if Chewie might be better. Neither of them synergize that well with Leia though. So right now, it is tricky to build up really good synergy between leaders. As more come out, I know that will change, or I’m confident it will is a more correct statement.

Final Thoughts

Before I sign off on this format and give my full opinion, I need to play it. I think that there are elements that I like, and elements that will become better. Right now, I think it is going to be a bit more lucky. And I want to remember that as I play. My cost curve is probably slightly lower because of that. But I expect it to be fun to play this at Gen Con.

Have you played the Twins Suns format of Star Wars Unlimited? Do you like that format better than constructed decks or not? Or what is your favorite format?

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Top 5 Office Lunch Board Games https://nerdologists.com/2024/04/top-5-office-lunch-board-games/ https://nerdologists.com/2024/04/top-5-office-lunch-board-games/#respond Fri, 05 Apr 2024 11:36:58 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8854 What board games work well over a work lunch? This isn't an exhaustive list, but here are five that you might find work well.

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I think it might come as a shock to no one that I like playing board games. And one thing that I like to do is find the people at my work who like games. As I get to know people, I’ll recommend some gaming over lunch hours once and a while, so let’s what board games make sense as solid games to play over lunch. Some of them you’ll need an hour, but all of them are going to be short. And it is going to include teaching the game.

Top 5 Office Lunch Board Games

5. Heat: Pedal to the Metal

This one is iffy to have on the list. But I want some bigger board games on the list as well, because most lunch sized games are smaller. Heat: Pedal to the Metal is iffy mainly because the first game with teach might push that hour time frame. And the number of players, which this one can play more, is going to push that time frame as well.

Heat is a hand and deck management game as you try and get around the race course as fast as possible. However, if you push your car to hard you create undo stress and cause the engine to heat up, possibly overheating. So you need to balance that within the game so it’s not just go fast but knowing when to push around the corners.

This one works, because, as I said, when you know the game it goes fast. Actions are simultaneous for picking your cards and getting into gear. So some of the game just runs at the same time. And then moving cars, this is where the first game can take longer, it goes fast, once you know the system.

Marvel Dice Throne
Image Source: Roxley Games

4. Dice Throne

Dice Throne is another one of those board games that maybe could take longer. If you play with more than two people. I think a three person game could get done in under an hour, but under that it’s less likely, even with the rules for King of the Hill rules for the game.

Dice Throne is mainly considered to be a head to head dice battling game. Where you take one character into battle against your opponents to see who can outlast the other. I think this one works well if you don’t have the battle chests. I do, so that makes it trickier, but you can get character boxes which aren’t big and are therefore easy to move around and transport.

But one of the benefits is that you can swap out characters as well. If you own a big box, you can change up who you play easily without learning massive amounts of new rules. So a box like the Marvel four character box which has been available at Target and other retailers might be the best fit. It gives you some options, gives you a familiar theme, and isn’t as big as the big chests to carry around.

3. Floriferous

Next up is a much smaller game. Floriferous is just going to be a small box with cards but it packs a lot of game. It’s a card drafting game with set collection and variable scoring to it. I like that it goes a lot in that little box without it becoming too bogged down or too slow.

This one I think you could probably get a 4 player game of done in an hour, but that’d be tight. As a three or two player game, you can for sure. And I think with work lunches that a lot of the time you are just playing with two, not with more.

In Floriferous, you draft cards from a center tableau. The twist is that you draft from a column at a time. And how high in that column, that determines when you’ll pick in the next column. So you might think, go high and get an early pick next time, but you also need to pick scoring cards which are at the bottom. It’s a fun puzzle of a game with a flower theme many will like.

2. My City Roll and Build

My City: Roll and Build is different from the rest of the board games here. This one is a campaign game. That means that you need a consistent group. But it is also a fast game. And it is a game where everyone does their actions at once.

In this roll and write style game, you try and build a town. Each chapter of the game is having your build the town in a sightly different way. And generally, some rules are being added to how you build it. Each player is building it on their own grid in an attempt to get the best score for that particular game and scenario.

This one I know works well as I’ve played it at lunch. And I know it works with more than two players. Again, as I mentioned with Heat, when you play at the same time, it helps it fit into a lunch hour better. And My City: Roll and Build leans into that. So it’s great for lunch that way.

1. Star Wars Unlimited

Finally, this could be a lot of TCG’s. I’d say that Magic the Gathering, Lorcana, or One Piece all work here. It’s more of a pick your flavor for what you want to do. I went with Star Wars Unlimited as my game as that is the one that I’ve been enjoying the most lately.

Star Wars Unlimited
Image Source: Fantasy Flight Games

But any of these games really work well as you can play head to head or in bigger groups and battle it out. I think the nature of these games works well for a lot of people because it’s kind of familiar. And with all the ones coming out now, you can really tailor it to your audience.

I think that Star Wars Unlimited is the sweet spot for me because it is very fast. So is Lorcana and One Piece, but with Lorcana the decision making space is less interesting, to me. And with One Piece, it is a more obscure fandom. But Star Wars, people are going to know that which makes is a great lunch game.

Final Thoughts

There are so many games that I could pick. Faster escape room games, or about 30 different roll and write games. Small card games, simultaneous drafting games. You pick what you like best and play those at work. It’s all about what works best for you.

And I know with people working hybrid or from home now, it’s maybe less of a thing. But when you go into the office, board games can be a great team building thing. It’s a way to bring people together and chat with it being clearly not about work. It’s a chance to build that comradery that maybe has decreased over the past years or needs to be built with the new people who were never in office all the time.

Do you have a go to work lunch game?

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Star Wars Unlimited Pack Opening https://nerdologists.com/2024/03/star-wars-unlimited-pack-opening/ https://nerdologists.com/2024/03/star-wars-unlimited-pack-opening/#respond Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:25:24 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8815 The game is here, join me as I open up packs of Star Wars Unlimited over on the Malts and Meeples YouTube Channel.

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I’ve waited since GenCon last year for Star Wars Unlimited to come out. Yesterday was my first time opening packs after it came out last weekend. Join me to see what I find. And let me know what you think of the look of the game. It’s time to break into some Star Wars Unlimited packs on the Malts and Meeples YouTube.

Thoughts on Star Wars Unlimited

I’m not going to put in too many thoughts here. Why, I already gave them, and I haven’t played it since then. But I will say, I’m excited to play it. And I’m excited to bust into my other box, like I said, possibly streaming it tonight. I want to see what other cards I get and to start building decks.

If you want to see my Star Wars Unlimited thoughts, you can do so here.

And I can’t do it justice at least compared to Rodney Smith and Watch It Played as how to play the game. If you want a good overview of all of that, checkout the video below.

Upcoming Streams

On Monday I stream at 9 PM Central. That is sometimes a bit hit or miss, but that’s the goal. And I do small solo game plays. The schedule is, right now, going to look like gaming every other Monday. A chance to see people in person came up for Monday and as much as I like streaming, it’s good to socialize as well.

On Wednesdays, well, I said that I plan to play at least a few more games of Mythwind. This is going to continue how I play my solo campaign games on the channel. The reason for that is with how many campaign games I can play solo, I want to try more. That is at 8 PM Central time for the campaign games.

And if you want to know when I go live, the best way is to subscribe. When you subscribe, click that notification bell and you’ll get an alert whenever I’m going to go live. Follow the link – here – to subscribe.

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The Lost Caverns of Ixalan – Pack Opening https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/the-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-pack-opening/ https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/the-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-pack-opening/#respond Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:46:46 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8528 What dinosaurs and Ian Malcolms await me as I open up The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Magic the Gathering set on Malts and Meeples Y ouTube.

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Last night I went hunting for a Jeff Goldblum. The newest Magic the Gathering set of cards, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, has a subset of cards in it for Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. And of course the one that I wanted to pull was the Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm card. Join with me to see if I get that pull and what others cards are intriguing in the set.

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan – Dinosaur Tribal?

I’ve done it now two sets in a row for Magic the Gathering. And that doesn’t even include the new stuff with Lord of the Rings that has come out, but I’ve gotten a collectors box and I’ve opened it. And it’s interesting for me to do that because I haven’t done that much deck building recently. Instead, what I’m trying to do is look for the subsets of cards that really interest me. Is that a great plan, probably not, easier to just buy those cards later.

But as I went through The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, I did of course, need to ask myself the question, do I want to play dinosaur tribal. Is there a way that I could make that interesting. I didn’t play too many massive creature tribal decks when I played before. I rocked an Ooze deck that had some higher cost cards in it. And I had a green deck that wasn’t really tribal wurm but did lean into wurms some because they are massive creatures that really aren’t the easiest to build around.

So I like that aspect of Magic the Gathering. I don’t know that dinosaurs are going to be the best cards to play out there. I suspect that they are generally going to be higher cost and therefore need some help ramping into it. But I’m always up for a challenge. The question, right now, that I’m asking myself, is do I just want to open some packs, play the game a little bit and not get into the deck building aspect. Or is the idea of dinosaur tribal enough to get me to build a deck again.

Upcoming Streams

Let’s run through the stream structure like I normally do. You might already know the schedule but in case you don’t. Wednesday at 8 PM Central I stream either a campaign game, or with this time of year it’s my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2023 Edition. This upcoming Wednesday I will not be streaming. It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so I’ll be busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and getting Christmas tree up and ready for when when we come back down. But I’ll be back to my Top 100 Games (of all time) 2023 Edition the following week for 30 through 21.

Then on Monday I stream at 9 PM Central time. It’s generally a solo game. Though I’ll also do pack openings for things But normally it’s a solo game and a one off for the game like a roll and write, or sometimes a game like Under Falling Skies or For Northwood, which was on the list today.

But the best way, if you want to know when I go live or a new video goes up (it’s basically always live), please consider subscribing. You can do that here. And click that notification bell on the channel and you’ll always know when I go live.

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Beyond the Box Cover: One Piece TCG https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/beyond-the-box-cover-one-piece-tcg/ https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/beyond-the-box-cover-one-piece-tcg/#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:00:05 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8510 It's not that new, but it's new to me, how is the One Piece TCG? Is it one that stacks up again with the other new TCG's out there?

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I’m not a big One Piece fan. That isn’t to say that I might not enjoy it, it is just something I haven’t jumped into yet. But I kept on seeing the boxes for the One Piece TCG starter decks at Target. And it kept on looking interesting to me. After playing Lorcana and that craze and demoing the Star Wars TCG coming from Fantasy Flight and of course the Magic the Gathering Universe Beyond sets for Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who, TCG’s are back on my radar. Where will the One Piece TCG land amongst them?

How to Play the One Piece TCG

If you know trading card games, you are going to know a lot of the basics of this game. Playing out creatures, them not being able to attack the round they come out, spending a resource for them. All of that is present in the One Piece TCG. But it is not just a clone of Magic the Gathering in all that it does. But the basics, plus getting your opponents life down, those do match what TCG’s are known for.

The basics of your turn go, refresh cards. So characters that attack and Don, your purchase power that you used all refresh. Then you draw a card and you draw and play two Don. Then you get to play out cards, attack with cards, and do what you want to do until you say that you’re done.

When attacking you pick your target. This is something we see in TCG’s more now like Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited. You either attack a spent enemy card, one that attacked last turn, or their leader. The math on it is simple, if you hit with more or equal attack power you win and knock out your opponents character or knock down the leaders health by one. After the leaders health has been hit one more time than they had health cards, you win the game or lose.

Unique or Interesting Elements

One Piece Starter Deck
Image Source: Bandai

There are a few areas in the game that stand out that feel different from other TCG’s. I say different, I mean that loosely. It isn’t Magic the Gathering, but it’s close or offers an interesting decision space even if it isn’t always completely unique.

Don Cards

Let’s start with the Don cards. There are a few things that stand out to me about them. Firstly, you always get two into your resource area every turn. Well, I say every turn, there are ten that form your Don deck, so for your first five turns, six if you’re the starting player, you are adding to your Don. As compared to something like Magic the Gathering, One Piece really keeps you from drawing dead in terms of card play and mana by always adding Don cards.

The other thing with Don cards is that they offers boosts as well. Each one gives you +1000 to attack. So, like I said in game play, you need to meet or exceed your opponents health total. The Don are one way to take a weaker character who might never be targeted or attacked with and launch an attack. But it is +1000 for the turn, then it goes back to your pool of resources. And they are only value if you are the attacker.

Charging

Now, the Don cards with their +1000 are balanced by this idea of Charging. Charging is how the defending player is able to boost, or one of the ways, their characters power. Some of the cards, I believe only characters, in your hand will on the side of the card have a charging amount. To use that, you simply discard the card and you get a boost to the character who is being attacked.

I like this decision space in the game. While the Don are a resource that you can use over and over again to boost, charging is not. You use that card once and it goes to your discard. So two things are happening there, firstly, when do you just take an attack. Sometimes you might, even to your leader to save a card with Charge on it for later or to play into your line of characters. The other thing is, when you charge with it, it’s discarded and gone. So the new question is, do I want to play it or not. Two very solid decisions in the game.

Life and Triggers

Finally, I want to talk about life and how that works. I wrote down life and triggers because they tie together so closely, but we’re going to start with life. The leader you play with has a life amount. Generally from what I know thus far, it’s going to be in that five to six range, maybe down to four, but that’d be a powerful leader. So it is a small life pool that you are defending. If you hit your opponents leader six times successfully with an attack, in most cases that is enough to win.

But your life is cards from your deck. So when you build up your life pool, you take cards from your deck, not knowing what they are, and lay them out in the life area. So you might just have taken out some of your best cards from your deck, you don’t know. The cards that become your life are random.

Then, when you take damage, those cards are taken off the life total one card at a time. And this is another area I really like, you add them to your hand. When they go to your hand, they might have a trigger keyword on them. That gives you a special bonus, that you can sometimes use, when it is taken from the life pool. It might be dry an extra card, that’s nice. Or it might be, put this card into play and that is for free versus paying the cost. So it can be useful, at times, to take a damage and go fishing for card with a trigger on it.

Who Is This For?

It’s interesting, I think that Star Wars Unlimited and Lorcana are built more towards casual gamers. One Piece isn’t quite there with them. Mainly because there are triggers on cards that just add to the complexity. And because when it is my opponents turn, I need to pay attention. There are things like charging or events that I need to pay attention to.

On the other hand, it is also much easier than Magic the Gathering. There is no stack of actions that needs to be resolved. So it’s do an action, see if opponent responds and repeat that process through your turn. It’s a singular action and response system. So that makes it much easier.

Overall, though, this game is for fans of One Piece. The game play doesn’t stand out in the starter decks as being the most unique, but for a fan of One Piece, the trading card game is going to work better.

First Impressions of One Piece TCG

Generally, I feel like I want to play it more. The game and system are fun and they work smoothly enough. It’s not as smooth as Lorcana or Star Wars Unlimited, but it is more complex. That to me is the value that you get from playing a game like the One Piece TCG. There is more game there, at least in the starter decks.

And I do want to say, this is only in the starter decks that I’ve played for Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited, and the One Piece TCG. But for a starter deck, it gave me enough of a feeling of the game to know that I enjoyed it. Deck building is simple, just cards that match your leaders color, so that is not going to be a major part of what you do. But it is just a solid setup where I do want to see a deck that has more cards with triggers or maybe fewer charges, different options or ways to play.

Overall, I like the game. And it is one that I shouldn’t collect more of. But I that ship has sailed. A box of cards is on it’s way. Though, my plan is that is it. I want to know more of what is the game and maybe do a little deck building and play like that. But if you are looking for a new TCG, and Lorana is too simple (and expensive) for you, One Piece is a nice step up.

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Top 3 Memorable Games https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/top-3-memorable-games/ https://nerdologists.com/2023/11/top-3-memorable-games/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:06:11 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8484 What games and gaming experiences have been some of the most memorable for me? I come up with three standouts.

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The Dice Tower, yesterday, did their Top 10 Memorable Game Plays, and that got me thinking. That are my Top 3 most memorable games? Do I have some experiences that stand out so much to me that I just don’t forget them because they were that great – or bad – or memorable for some reason. So let’s dive into that and think about some game plays that were just important and memorable in my life.

Top 3 Memorable Games

3. Gloomhaven Days

You might wonder why this is lower on the list, but this is mainly because the list isn’t in any order. Also because we did this a few times. When we were playing through Gloomhaven we knew how long it would take us, the game has a lot. So we set aside a few Saturdays or Sundays to play Gloomhaven. It is harder now with Frosthaven, two of us have kids. Multiple times we sat down and played three or four scenarios of Gloomhaven on a Saturday.

I remember those times because I like just having a day of gaming. And to play with a game the whole time is just great. I like days of gaming with a lot of different games. Gen Con is the main spot for that, but I’ve hosted days like that as well. But to pick one game, like Gloomhaven and have the group, drink beer, I think we’d order in pizza for dinner and just play the whole day is great. And it is one of those experiences where I know I can recreate it, but it is rarer or harder to do now.

Pandemic Legacy
Image Source: Polygon

2. Pandemic Legacy Season 1

I like legacy and campaign games. Oddly enough, I think everything on the list will be one or the other of those. But one is just a one off play. But Pandemic Legacy was a mind blowing gaming event. Or less of an event, but more a year of gaming. We got together once a month or so, and we’d play Pandemic Legacy. We would have a meal, sometimes, and play through the month or maybe a bit ahead if we wanted to get in two plays.

But it was great because it was the first time of having a group game like that. Also, when you play a legacy game for the first time, I think, unless you dislike the game, there is something special about it. I play as a character, I can die, and there is story and changes unfolding in Pandemic Legacy, that is great. And yes, it is hard to destroy the cards at first. But we got into it so we were in the experience. And, I think, it’s one of the first times where gaming was such an event and an anticipation with it. Yes, I did game nights before, but Pandemic Legacy felt different.

1. Roll Player Adventures at Gen Con

This one, I’m not sure I’d put it to the top of my list but it was one of the coolest events at Gen Con. And you’ll notice the only Gen Con related event. I thought about putting some other ones down on the list. But Roll Player Adventures stands out to me because I got to play it as a prototype. And I was there with a friend playing it with two other people. So it was a great group for it as well.

But it started off memorable when the designer/developer who was running the demo asks if we want to play the first or second scenario. If was just my friend and myself and we said second. Then we proceeded to take a stab at how well we did on the first scenario and picked all the options that were us doing it poorly.

So it was just a funny start, and then as the group dynamics were set-up throughout the game, we had a great time. And I started messing around with my character, not in a game breaking way but in a role playing way, to be the unofficial leader of the group, in their mind. It was just a blast and a silly and fun experience that playing through the whole game lived up to.

Roll Player Adventures Components
Image Source: Thunderworks Games

Final Thoughts

I think I could find more games that are great as I go. Playing Lords of Hellas for the first time. Starting up TIME Stories and that experience of just a different type of game. The Ice Cool Tournament at Gen Con, that maybe should have made the list. Or the games of Metal Gear Solid at CMON Expo really recently.

To a lot of other ones where it might be less about the game, but getting together with the Man vs Meeple crew twice at Gen Con and both times having the AC not working at the restaurant (and then we did game as well). And the first year I got to play Ready Set Bet for the first time and just falling in love with that game.

Or all the times playing Magic the Gathering with a group from work. We’d get together in the evenings, most of us were single and most without kids. And then playing during lunch as well, which morphed into lunch board games as well. That is when and why I got into Magic the Gathering. So many different experiences.

What are some of your best games and gaming experiences? It might even be for a mediocre game, but is the situation is right, that can still be a memorable gaming experience.

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10 Minute Marvel S3E43: Loki Episode 4 – Victor Timely and the TVA https://nerdologists.com/2023/10/10-minute-marvel-s3e43-loki-episode-4-victor-timely-and-the-tva/ https://nerdologists.com/2023/10/10-minute-marvel-s3e43-loki-episode-4-victor-timely-and-the-tva/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2023 11:29:58 +0000 https://nerdologists.com/?p=8471 What is happening in the TVA? There are so many questions on this weeks #10MinMarvel review and theories of Loki episode 4.

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Things really kick off in episode four of Loki season two. We’re talking about Loki, Mobius, OB, Sylvie, B-15, X-5, Ravonna Renslayer, Miss Minutes, Dox, and of course Victor Timely all having big things that happen with them in this episode. We’re breaking all of that down as we look at how storylines have been wrapped up and how storylines are progressing in the TVA and in this season.

Plus we have Marvel news. Some of the biggest isn’t even MCU, it’s Magic the Gathering and Marvel teaming up. Plus the Avengers Lego movie, Fantastic Four rumors, and Daredevil Born Again getting a show runner?

Thanks for Listening to 10 Minute Marvel

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Comments or Questions: Did you like Loki Episode 4?

What did you think of the twists and turns of episode 4. Were the payoffs on episode 1, the telephone and who pruned Loki good? And did you like where this episode ended? Obviously it’s a big cliffhanger, let us know your thoughts.

You can let us know all of those things down in the comment section below. Or tweet them to me @TheScando or by using #10MinMarvel. And there is now the 10 Minute Marvel Facebook page as well where you can join in the conversation, here. And follow us on YouTube for more content, here.

Thank you again for listening, and we’ll see you next time.

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