#(except playing in official world-level matches against each other. but that's another long post for another time)

[thawthebeez]

HAIKYUU ESSAY TIME YAYAYAYA

today's essay idea was brought upon me in the midst of my post-athletics recovery and WILL be my most batshit insane one yet. less facts more feelings. this essay is HEAVILY CENTERED around kghn so it'll only be, like, 15% factually accurate, 85% insane. because there are definitely other non-relationship focused nuances in what i'm about to show you that i shall be choosing to ignore- i'm just clarifying that i DO know they're there, i'm just crazy.

Let us begin.

to provide context, i'll be speaking about Season 1 Episode 23. this is the first official Seijoh match, which they're tied with Karasuno 1-all. this is the final set and the tension is to typical dramatized Haikyuu standard.

Kageyama has just set the ball to Asahi, of which he successfully pulled off a pipe attack, earning Karasuno yet another point. we now proceed to take a look into Kageyama's thoughts post-point:

i'd say this is pretty standard for Kageyama. his game sense when it comes to volleyball is off the charts. dude could probably perfectly play a game in his SLEEP if he really wanted to. knowing where the best attacks will come from, how he'll set the ball- all of that is second nature to him.

and that, my friends, is what makes this line all the more interesting:

because, yes, Hinata did call for the ball, but based on what Kageyama just mentioned, tossing the ball to Hinata should have been ruled out entirely by this point. hell, Kageyama wasn't even FACING Hinata when he called for the ball. Kageyama was literally in the perfect position, perfect timing, perfect EVERYTHING to give it to Asahi.

Yet he nearly gave it to Hinata.

and the fact that he nearly gave it to Hinata is insane enough on its own, but the way Kageyama puts it here: "He nearly took the set away from me." emphasis on the "took [it] away"

Hinata, just by calling out "send it my way," was enough to take the instincts that Kageyama has had and been fostering for his entire lifetime and just throw them all away. Hinata has taken all the game sense Kageyama has built up just by calling for the ball. THAT'S THE KIND OF IMPACT HE HAS ON KAGEYAMA.

(additionally: this kind of impact is almost expected considering the fact that Hinata has established himself as someone that Kageyama can always fall on, having promised to hit any toss he sends his way regardless of how fast or shitty it is.)

one call. one "send it my way." one jump from a place that Kageyama can only see out of the very corner of his eye. that's all it takes.

to paraphrase insanely: with respect to Hinata, all it takes to completely bend Kageyama- an absolute PRODIGY of a player- to your will is to simply call for the ball. that's it. everything could be perfect to send it left, but if Hinata's going right and he wants it, all he has to do is call for it and there's a chance Kageyama will send it to the right. one call. no need to argue.

and then we also get this absolute BLESSING of a frame. absolutely stunning, beautiful, amazing. i eat it up every time.

(the nuance that normal people would see here is essentially: Hinata is such a great decoy that he can even lure his own teammates. which. like. yeah, that also happens. Kageyama is definitely being lured in. i've just decided to take the less normal route and fixate on a completely arbitrary yet still very important aspect of the show- aka Kageyama and Hinata's relationship.)

this scene in particular also ties in nicely to that one bit in season 3 where Oikawa goes to watch the Shiratorizawa vs. Karasuno match and says "Hinata's got Tobio wrapped around his finger" OUGH that one always gets me.

anyways: this is basically one of the five occasions (that i can think of off the top of my head) in which the show points out that Hinata is the one calling the shots here. like, it's never been "Kageyama tosses and Hinata spikes," it's always been "Hinata spikes wherever the fuck he wants to, Kageyama just has to get the ball to him" WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY WILD IF YOU ASK ME

idk. they just. yeah :) they're so cool :)

#Hinata “he's large but i'm in charge” Shouyou everybody! #like. tobio may be a prodigy. but when hinata wants a toss BY GOD WILL KAGEYAMA GIVE HIM THAT TOSS #which makes a shit ton of sense because like. did you SEE their faces when they pulled off that quick attack the first few times? #they LOVE that shit. absolutely love it. nothing is better. #(except playing in official world-level matches against each other. but that's another long post for another time) #speaking of which the fic i currently have in the works touches upon kghn being on separate teams and how them being on the same team is #actually just worse #because that's a take i see sooooooo often #“omg noooo the boyfriends have to be on the same team foreverrrr” okay How does it feel to be Wrong. actually #because last time i checked Tobio was cheesing so hard while he was playing against Hinata that one time #even when they LOST POINTS BECAUSE OF HINATA!!!!!! tobio was like “>v<” I CAN'T STAND GAY PPL SOMETIMES #like Girl ur team just lost a point. a whole Set. even. and you're SMILING?????? #they can be so insufferable sometimes #and like obviously hinata loves playing against tobio because. you know. if he wins then he's better and there's nothing better than keepin #promises you made 10 years ago #and they also need to be on separate teams to continue to improve and get better and #you know what maybe i WILL write that other long post some time #maybe after i've finished the fic. just so i can clarify things #anyways #volleyball guys #haikyuu #kagehina #shobio #hinakage #long post #there we go :)

[hangovercurse]

Our Song

At the last show of his tour, Kells invites you on stage for a duet, but it turns into a bit more than that.

Request: “Can you do one where the reader and Colson both are music artist. I know you're doing this with "The Thing We Can't Tell Pete about. But with this one they have been dating for a while and while they are in the middle of the song Colson decides to announce they're dating and gives her a kiss in front of the crowd, and the reader is just in shock. However it ends it up to you. Love ya!!!!!!!!”

Colson Baker x Reader

Warnings: implied smut/ mentions of sex, cursing

A/N: So, I used my own lyrics in here because why not (sue me I guess)

Word Count: 2326

The last two months had been absolute hell on Earth. Yes, you loved your job. Recording your third studio album was exciting but being busy all the time was exhausting. On top of that, your boyfriend being off on tour meant you hadn’t seen him in person in two months, which was driving you even more insane.

It also meant you hadn’t had sex in almost two months.

You’d called each other every night, even if you were both drunk off your asses or faded beyond belief. It had become your routine; get home from the studio, grab something to eat, then hop into the bath and facetime your blond boyfriend.

Tonight, was no exception, but the energy on the call was different. Colson was coming home tomorrow. Granted, he would be going straight to the venue for his concert, but he’d be here.

“You’re still coming tomorrow, right princess?” He asked, a joint hanging from his lips.

You smiled, nodding, “I haven’t seen you in two months. If I’m not there, you should assume I’m dead.”

He chuckled, “good.” He hesitated before continuing, “I was thinking you could perform with me. We haven’t performed White Sea in like a year.”

You bit your lip at the thought of performing with him again. He was right, after you’d finished live performance promo for the song, neither of you had performed it together. “Yeah, I’m down.”

The song was the first one you’d written together; it was actually the whole reason you’d met. “You don’t think people will get suspicious though? I mean, people are already catching on. I feel like performing it out of the blue would add fire to the flames.”

He thought about it, the wheels turning in his head. “I think it’ll be fine. Besides, it’s not exactly a secret.”

You nodded, “I know, we’ve just never really talked about telling people.” The last two words came out softer than you had intended.

Colson and you had been together for a year and still hadn’t officially told anyone outside of your closest circles. You liked the privacy, and getting the media involved always caused problems. So, you kept it to yourself. People saw you out together, but nothing had been confirmed.

Colson left the conversation there, not having a good answer. You had both agreed a long time ago that if people figured it out or someone slipped up and told you would be okay with it, and you would. You just didn’t think it was a big deal if people knew or not.

He started talking about his day on tour, the crowd he’d played to tonight. You told him about the song you were working on. Eventually he got called away by the boys.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.” He smiled at you through your phone.

You smiled, “You better. I-“ You almost slipped up. Almost said those three words so casually. But you’d caught yourself. “I can’t wait.” You covered.

He gave you a small wave before your screen went back, the sound of the line disconnecting ringing through your bathroom. You put your phone on the floor next to the tub, leaning your head back and sighing.

You don’t know why it worried you so much. You knew you loved him, and you were pretty sure he loved you too. There was just something about saying out loud that scared the hell out of you.

 The next day was amazing. As soon as he texted you that he’d gotten to the venue, you were rushing to meet him there. When you stepped into the green room where he was, he ran up to you and grabbed you by your waist. Your arms went around his neck, legs around his as he lifted you up, burying his face into your shoulder.

“I missed you so much.” He mumbled into your skin. Your hands tangled themselves in his hair, holding him closely.

“I missed you too.” You whispered. He lifted his head up and pressed a deep kiss to your lips as your feet came down to touch the floor again. His lips were so familiar, it felt like the world had shifted back into place when you felt them on yours.

He pulled away, forehead and nose still pressed against yours. Your hands travelled from his neck to his shoulders, rubbing the fabric of his t-shirt. “I didn’t think I was gonna survive another night without you.” You said with a slight giggle, making him laugh.

“Well now you don’t have to worry about that.” He said, pressing a peck to your lips.

Before you could pull him back to your lips, your moment was interrupted. “We get it, you guys are cute. Whatever. Can we get hugs from our favorite girl?” Irv joked, pulling your attention to the group of guys near the couches in the room.

One of the things you loved most about being with Colson was how accepting his friends were of you. Slim and you had bonded over your love of music production and mixing, Baze had taught you some more complicated bass riffs, and Rook was your designated adventure buddy (after Colson, of course). You felt lucky that your boyfriend’s family had taken you in as one of their own.

You ran over to them, giving each of the guys a hug. When you hugged Ashleigh, she whispered in your ear, “don’t ever leave me alone with these lunatics again.” You both giggled at that, leaving the boys confused.

After messing around backstage for a while and catching up with your friends (mostly from the comfort of Colson’s lap), it was time for the guys to perform. You set up your spot side-stage with Ash, Irv, and Andre, excited to see the set.

Before he went on, Colson came over to you and pulled you in for a very giddy kiss. Pre-show Colson was your favorite Colson, except for maybe post-show Colson, only because he was so excitable. Every time you sat show side, he demanded you give him a good luck kiss. No matter who was watching.

Watching him was magical, in fact watching all the boys was magical. The way their passion showed through the music and the performance was something that not many other artists could perfect. You felt like you’d never match their level of performing.

When Colson brought out his acoustic guitar and two bar stools, you were a bit taken aback. Normally his shows were so high energy that he never wanted to sit down, even during the slower songs. It wasn’t really his style.

“I wanted to bring out a very special guest today to help slow this down a bit.” He said to the crowd as they screamed. “I haven’t performed this song in a very long time, but I figured today would be the perfect time to do it.”

He looked over at you, a smile on his face. It finally registered in his mind that he was talking about your song. Luckily, you’d had ears put in at the beginning of the show, so that wasn’t an issue. One of the venue’s techs handed you a microphone and signaled you to go on stage.

Once you came in view of the audience they erupted into another round of cheers, making you smile. Colson met you halfway and pulled you in for a sweaty hug. He led you over to the chairs, letting you sit down while he adjusted his mic stand. “For those of you who don’t know, not that there should be anyone who doesn’t know who this is, but just in case, this is Y/S/N. We wrote this song a little over a year ago today.”

You smiled as he started to strum the familiar intro, the lights dimming just a little bit.

Drownin’ in empty space.

You started singing.

Don’t even know my name

Feels like you’re miles away

Close my eyes, see your face

It’s okay

Rook brought the drum beat in as Colson smiled at you, his verse starting

Yeah

I was drownin’ in this darkness

Feeling like I was so heartless

All these drugs makin things harder

They tried to turn me to a martyr

You loved watching him party on stage, but you loved watching this side of him, too. Completely stripped down and raw. Hearing him rap the words you wrote together made your heart flutter, even if you’d written them so long ago.

I can’t handle shit I’m just a man

I tried to tell ‘em, they don’t understand

Riptide’s pulling me away from land

I couldn’t stand till you reached out your hand

And now I can.

The rest of the music came in, the sounds mixing as you began the chorus.

Drownin’ in empty space

Don’t even my name

Feels like you’re miles away

Close my eyes, see your face

The key raised.

Out on the open sea

Feel your eyes watching me

Wanted to fall asleep

Now I believe.

The music kept playing, but Colson’s rap didn’t enter like it was supposed to. Instead, he just looked at you, a fond smile on his face. You tilted your head, questioning him, but he just placed his guitar on the ground and kept looking at you.

“I just want to let everyone here know, that today is my one-year anniversary with this amazing woman right here.” He said into the mic, causing the audience to burst into screams. Your jaw dropped, eyes widening.

He caught your expression and laughed but kept going. “It wasn’t a secret that we’ve been together, but we’ve been quiet about it. But I mean, like, fuck that shit. When you’re in love you should tell everyone, right?”

You smiled at him, your heart picking up speed. “And Y/N I am so fucking in love with you.”

You looked down, trying to hide the heat on your cheeks and the idiotic grin you were sporting. You had never expected this from him. “Like, seriously, this past year has been the best year of my life. Even when we aren’t together you are the one thing that I look forward to the most, every day. You are one of the best things in my life, and I want everyone to know that.”

During his little monologue he had walked over to your chair and pulled you up into his arms. You nuzzled your face into his bare chest, making him laugh. He pulled the microphone away from you both so it wouldn’t pick up your conversation.

“Hey, look at me.” He said softly and you complied. “I love you.”

You had tears in your eyes as you studied his perfect features, “I love you, too.” You whispered. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while I just…”

“I know, princess.” He smiled, leaning down and pressing your lips together in a sweet, passionate kiss. The audience erupted in applause, cheers, and awes. “Are you gonna say anything?” He asked once you’d pulled away, motioning to the audience with a smile on his face. You shook your head, burying it back in his chest and laughing. He spoke into the microphone, “she got all shy now.”

The crowd laughed with him, shouting supportive comments at you both. “But she said she loves me too so that’s all that matters.” He continued, earning even more cheers.

 After the show, Colson came backstage and immediately attached his lips to yours, hands holding you close. You pulled him into one of the unused dressing rooms, mouths never leaving each other. He hoisted you onto the counter, standing in between your legs, and leaned your back against the mirror.

Finally, he released your lips from his, making you whine. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about all this, but after last night I couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. And you just looked so pretty out there that I-“ You cut him off with a kiss, lips moving together slowly.

He chuckled as you pulled away. “Colson, I loved it. I was hella embarrassed because the first time you told me you loved me was in front of thousands of people, but I loved it. And I love you.”

He smiled, pressing a peck to your lips. “How much do you love me?” He asked, slyly.

You raised an eyebrow at him, knowing something was up. “Depends on your next statement.”

A laugh fell from his mouth as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small rectangular box. “Because I really hope it’s a lot.”

“What are you doing?” You asked him, giggling.

He lifted the lid off of the box to reveal a key with your first initial painted on one side and a C on the other. “You don’t have to, but if you wanted to maybe think about moving in with me, now you have a key.” He smiled as you took the metal in your hands.

You looked up at him with wide eyes, lips open in shock. “So, you’re asking me to move in with you?” You confirmed.

“Only if you want to. But yes.”

You smiled, looking back down to the key and then up to his face before pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. Your arms went around his neck and his hands went to your waist. “Of course, I want to, dummy.” You giggled and reconnected your lips.

“We’re supposed to go out and celebrate the last night of tour tonight, you’re gonna come, right?” He asked and you rolled your eyes.

“You act like I don’t wanna be around you.” You pushed his chest playfully. “But we might be a couple minutes late.” You smirk.

Colson raised an eyebrow, “oh yeah? And why is that?”

Instead of responding you just giggled and pulled him back into a kiss.

#mgk #mgk imagine #mgk fluff #machine gun kelly #machine gun kelly imagine #Colson baker #colson x reader #colson baker imagine #colson baker fluff #colson imagine

[marlalarraz]

SEA Games 2019: PHL VS VIE Volleyball Women's Opener (Full) | Volleyball

Court Dimensions

Indoor volleyball

The playing court is 18m long and 9m wide and is surrounded by a free zone 3m wide on all sides.

The space above the playing area is known as the free playing space and is a minimum of 7m high from the playing surface.

For FIVB, world and official competitions, the free zone measures a minimum of 5m from the side lines and 8m from the ends lines. The free playing space is a minimum of 7m high from the playing surface.

Playing surface

The playing surface is flat and a light colour. For FIVB, world and official competitions, only a wooden or synthetic surface is allowed.

White colours are required for the lines. Other different colours are required for the playing court and free zone.

Line markings

All lines on the court are 5cm wide and are a light colour different from the colour of the floor.

The boundary lines are the two side lines and end lines. The centre line divides the playing court into two equal courts, 9m x 9m each. This line extends from beneath the net from sideline to sideline.

On each court the rear edge of the attack line is drawn 3m back from the middle of the centre line and marks the front zone.

Zones and areas

The front zone on each court is limited by the axis of the centre line and the rear edge of the attack line. The front zone extends beyond the side lines to the end of the free zone.

The service zone is a 9m wide area behind each end line and extends to the end of the free zone. It is 15cm long and drawn 20cm behind the end line as an extension of the side lines.

The substitution zone extends from both attack lines to the scorer’s table.

The Libero Replacement zone is part of the free zone on the same side as the team benches, extending from the attack line up to the end line.

A penalty area, 1m x 1m, is located in the control area outside of the endlines.

Nets and posts

The net is 2.43m high for men and 2.24m high for women. It is placed vertically over the centre line. It is 1m wide and 9.5m‑­10m long and is 10cm square black mesh.

The height of the net is measured from the centre of the playing court.

The antenna is a flexible rod, 1.8m long and 10mm in diameter and made of fibreglass or similar material. It is fastened on opposite sides of the net. The top of the antenna extends 80cm above the net and is marked with 10cm stripes of contrasting colour, usually red and white.

The 2.55m high posts are placed 0.50m‑­1.0m outside the side lines. The posts are rounded and fixed to the ground without wires.

Equipment

Runners/Court Shoes:

Any indoor athletic shoe is adequate for the beginner volleyball player, however, the use of runners versus court shoes can lead to more ankle sprains due to the higher heel height (made for shock absorption) in the runner

Socks:

Due to the repetitive motions required on the volleyball court, blisters are common, but you can avoid blisters by both choosing the correct shoes as well as the correct socks.

Knee Pads:

Knee pads are commonly worn by indoor volleyball players to protect the knee from the impact of the floor when diving for a ball or going down onto one knee when passing a ball.

Ankle Braces:

Ankle sprains occur often in volleyball due to the frequent action near the net with many players in a small space at one time

Hydration Gear:

Keeping hydrated will help you stay alert while playing volleyball. It may also help to prevent muscle cramps and will help your post game recovery.

Basic Skills

The six basic volleyball skills are passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging, and serving.

Passing is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.

The importance of serving is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points.

Blocking is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball.

Digging is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.

Rules of the Game

Basic Volleyball Rules

6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row

Maximum of 3 hits per side

Points are made on every serve for wining team of rally (rally-point scoring).

Player may not hit the ball twice in succession. (A block is not considered a hit.)

Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.

It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a player’s body.

It is illegal to catch, hold or throw the ball.

A player cannot block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10-foot line.

After the serve, front-line players may switch positions at the net.

Matches are made up of sets; the number depends on level of play. 3-set matches are 2 sets to 25 points and a third set to 15. Each set must be won by two points. The winner is the first team to win 2 sets. 5-set matches are 4 sets to 25 points and fifth set to 15. The team must win by 2 unless tournament rules dictate otherwise. The winner is the first team to win three sets.

Basic Volleyball Rule Violations

Rule violations that result in a point for the opponent

When serving, the player steps on or across the service line as while making contact with the ball.

Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully.

Ball-handling errors. Contacting the ball illegally (double touching, lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.)

Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play.

When blocking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, it’s illegal to contact the ball when reaching over the net if both your opponent has not used 3 contacts AND they have a player there to make a play on the ball.

When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a violation if the ball has not yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body is a violation. Exception: if it is the hand or foot. In this case, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.

Serving out of rotation/order.

Back-row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from the opponent) when, at the moment of contact, the back-row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the net. This is an illegal block.

Back-row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 3M/10-foot line) when, at the moment of contact, the ball is completely above the net. This is an illegal attack.

Officiating the Sport

Referees

The referee is the individual at the center of the court, dressed in black and white stripes. A referee’s duties include signaling when a rally begins and ends. The referee is responsible for officially recognizing team requests, substitutions, time-outs and communicating with the coaches at the appropriate times.

Scorekeeper

The scorekeeper creates official records of volleyball games.

Assistant Scorekeeper

The assistant scorekeeper or libero tracker is responsible for updating the scoreboard and keeping an eye on the libero.

Line Judges

These officials often use flags to signal when a ball is in or out, hits the antennae of the net, or when the server commits a foot fault, or steps outside the line as they serve.

Technical and Tactical Skills, and Analysis

Bidding to end a 14-year medal drought, the Philippine women’s volleyball team starts its uphill SEA Games climb against dangerous Vietnam. The Philippine women’s volleyball team put up a good fight but Vietnam proved steadier in the deciding set to hack out a 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8 decision in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the PhilSports Arena. Sill locked in a 6-all tie in the 5th set, the Filipinas got undone when the Vietnamese staged a game-sealing 7-1 run capped by back-to-back blocks on Alyssa Valdez to take a huge 13-7 lead. Valdez then ended the match as her crosscourt hit sailed out for the 15-8 finish The Filipinas, though, stunned the favored Vietnamese in the opening frame, 25-21, but the visitors came alive off the leadership of young star “T4” Thi Thanh Thuy Tran, escaping the 2nd set, 25-23, then taking the 3rd in convincing fashion, 25-19. The Philippines, however, then started off strong in its comeback attempt at the 4th, netting a 10-4 edge off the lead by Jovelyn Gonzaga and Valdez.  Although Vietnam tied it up, 13-all, the Philippines eventually ran away in the 4th, 25-20.  Vietnam then cranked up the defense in the final frame, with 4 of their first 6 points coming off blocks. T4 stamped her dominance on the Filipinas with a triple-double of 27 points, 13 digs and 13 receptions as Valdez led the losing effort with 22 markers.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4kGC_d-i8

References:

AOC Volleyball. (2018, November  23). Retrieved from theartofcoachingvolleyball:  https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules-and-terminology/

Barclay. (n.d.).  Retrieved from barclayphysicaltherapy:  http://www.barclayphysicaltherapy.com/Sports-Activities/Volleyball/Guide-to-Selecting-Volleyball-Equipment/a~2855/article.html

Callaway, C.  (2011, August 17). SportsRec. Retrieved from SportsRec:  https://www.sportsrec.com/504918-how-to-officiate-a-game-of-volleyball.html

Kuhl, R. (2019,  July 12). DLGSC. Retrieved from dlgsc: https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/volleyball#:~:text=The%20playing%20court%20is%2018m,high%20from%20the%20playing%20surface.

Strength and  Power for Volleyball. (n.d.). Retrieved from  strength-and-power-for-volleyball: https://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/basic-volleyball-skills.html#:~:text=The%20six%20basic%20volleyball%20skills,of%20serving%20is%20often%20undervalued.

[lostinthewinterwood]

Crossworks 2020

Hello friend!

Right, so, ah… sorry this is late.  Got incredibly caught up in other exchange nonsense—I’m sure you know how it is, unless you have reasonable decision-making skills and executive function, in which case can I have some too?

…anyway.

Some of these have way more rambling/commentary than others but I am desirous of them all, don’t worry.

If you’re browsing for people to treat, 1) thank you, you’re awesome; 2) I will gladly accept treats in any medium :D

General DNW

Rape/non/dub-con; non-canonical major character death; heavy angst; hurt no comfort; graphic depictions of deliberate and methodical self-harm*; graphic depictions of suicide; anything E rated; smut; gore; heavy gender dysphoria; grimdark; complete downer endings; character bashing; incest; cringe comedy; a/b/o; mpreg; graphic eye trauma; graphic and/or permanent hand trauma (unless the setting can provide a more-or-less fully functional prosthetic or equivalent); issuefic; unrequested identity headcanons; a focus on unrequested romantic relationships**.

*I don’t include things like, say, punching a wall in a fit of emotion under this. however, something like cutting would not be appreciated.

**canonical levels of canonical ships are perfectly fine; background non-canon ships that I haven't dnw'd are okay too, unless otherwise specified in a request.

  General Likes/Other General Info

So, since most of my requests are for fusions, I should probably lay out what I tend to consider a fusion—it’s a little broader than the official Crossworks definition, I think, which is “A work in which characters of one canon are treated as if they always belonged in another setting, or their world has always had elements of another canon.”  All of that falls under my personal definition, as do fusions that are basically Characters A playing out the story of Canon B, even if the setting is still mostly that of Canon A.  For the one crossover I’ve requested, as noted in that prompt I really don’t care how that crossover comes about, just that it does.

 Generally—as you could maybe, possibly, tell from the theme of many of my requests—I’m a total sucker for fairytale fusions; I haven’t really elaborated on all of those combos, just know that I adore characters I know and love playing out a fairytale plot; if you’ve matched on that, I don’t really know how you could go too far wrong.

 Other general likes I think are most relevant for this exchange include:

– I really like plotty fics

– Secret identity and disguise shenanigans, the more layers to them and more absurdity the better.

– Found family; families of choice

– Character studies

– Worldbuilding

  Specific Requests

 Superhero Fairytales

Miraculous Ladybug, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne | East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Fic/Fusion

request-specific dnw: breaking up Rapunzel/Eugene, romantic Rapunzel/Cass, romantic Varian/anyone else from the main cast (unless you age him up/them down)

Would love to see Rapunzel et al as Miraculous holders, or the Miraculous kids with the Sundrop and Moonstone and all that goes with that, or the characters from either series facing the plot of East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

For the comparison of ML and Tangled—there’s a lot to explore, I feel, with the creation/healing vs destruction/decay powers that the series both have going, along with the idea that if united the power becomes much, much greater, and far more dangerous.

 As a side note: I’m very not up to date with ML; the last episode I’ve currently seen is Chameleon. I know some spoilers, and I’m not super concerned about them overall, but if you write a fic that relies on an intimate knowledge of events post-season-two I will be lost.

  Time-Travelling Imposters

Mother of Learning - nobody103, Rigel Black Series (Harry Potter fanfic) - murkybluematter, Tam Lin (Traditional Ballad)

Fic/Fusion

request-specific dnw: romantic Harry/Archie, explicitly breaking up canon ships fandom-specific exception: as long as it doesn't violate another dnw, if you do a Tam Lin fusion, the ship it's for (platonic or romantic or somewhere in between) is up to you.

Mother of Learning/Rigel Black Chronicles: I think it would be interesting to toss the RBC characters into the world/plot of MoL--who's the time traveler? who's the tagalong? The noble/nonnoble distinction in MoL and the Splinter Wars and the Weeping would be very interesting to warp into the RBC setting/plot, I'd expect, what with the pureblood/not!pureblood things and the Fade. (i'm not really requesting this, obviously, it's not in my fandoms, but if you're at loss for the angels--or indeed the faeries for a Tam Lin fusion--i always delight in the Tortallan gods showing up in RBC fic)

RBC/Tam Lin: don’t have too much to say here, but I think that RBC has plenty of relationships that you could fit into the dynamics here.

MoL/Tam Lin: in a weird way, MoL already has its characters in the roles they need to be in for a Tam Lin fusion, though the structure is of course very different--what is Zach if not a sacrifice against Panaxeth's release? What is Zorian if not the one who fights nigh-impossible odds to save him from that fate?

  Fairytale Gamer Kids

Hanging Out with a Gamer Girl (Manga), Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms  

Fic/Fusion

Fandom-specific DNW: sexualization of Kaoru’s crossdressing, full justification of Kaoru’s fears re: Nanami’s dad request-specific note: romantic Kaoru/Nanami is okay here if you want to fuse with a romantic fairytale; I'd equally enjoy such a fairytale being made more platonic or more ambiguous.

So, if you put the kids into the fairytale—who are they?  What fairytale are they in?  Can you work in the initial identity confusion, the ongoing ruse?

  Superhero Gamer Kids

Hanging Out with a Gamer Girl (Manga), Miraculous Ladybug

Fic/Fusion

request-specific DNW: sexualization of Kaoru’s crossdressing (or equivalent character's, if you fuse it the other way), romance between Kaoru and Nanami beyond light shiptease à la canon, full justification of Kaoru’s fears re: Nanami’s dad

 I'd love to see Kaoru and Nanami as Miraculous-holders; Marinette and Adrien as slowly-getting-less-reclusive gamers would also be fun, and there are some interesting parallels you could make with their family lives.

There are so many things you could draw from HOwaGG to make parallels to ML; is it that Ladybug is apparently a boy but Nanami a girl, and Chat Noire apparently a girl but Kaoru a boy—does that help them keep up their façade?

In terms of other parallels, there’s also Nanami and Marinette both being the only children of two loving parents, and Kaoru and Adrien both being the only children of distant/absent fathers and (seemingly) dead—and certainly absent—mothers.

As a side note: I’m very not up to date with ML; the last episode I’ve currently seen is Chameleon. I know some spoilers, and I’m not super concerned about them overall, but if you write a fic that relies on an intimate knowledge of events post-season-two I will be lost.

  Star Wars Fairytale

Star Wars Rebels: Servants of the Empire - Jason Fry, Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne | East of the Sun and West of the Moon  

Fic/Fusion

I don't have anything very specific here, at least not right now, but the idea of the protagonist questing to a near-impossible place to rescue a loved one is a parallel that I think it'd be interesting to draw out—in some ways the situations are utterly dissimilar, but they’re surprisingly alike in other ways.

  Superheroes Galore

僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, Super Powereds - Drew Hayes

Fic/Crossover

fandom-specific dnw: non-canon ships

I'm very interested in the similarities and differences between these two superhero worlds--there's the Powered vs Super distinction in Super Powereds that's absent in bnha with its quirks, the wildly different (but both still formalized and structured) paths to becoming a hero, even just how common powers are in the different worlds. I'm not sure how well trying to wrangle both of them into the same world in the same era would work, but more power to you if you manage that, or maybe it's dimension hopping or time travel shenanigans that bring them into contact with each other--I really don't care on the mechanics here.

Also, the first time I saw Izuku my brain immediately went "hey, it's tiny green Vince!" and I think seeing them meet, at any point in their respective journeys, would be pretty funny and/or interesting.

I'd be into the other characters too—there’s also a comparison to be made, I feel, between Izuku as both powerful and analytic, and Roy and Hershel who are kind of the same but More and also split apart.

  Anyway, that’s probably enough rambling from me for now.  Good luck with the writing!

#exchange letters #crossworks #requested: miraculous ladybug #requested: Rapunzel's tangled adventure #requested: east of the sun and west of the moon #requested: mother of learning #requested: rigel black chronicles #requested: tam lin #requested: hanging out with a gamer girl #requested: fairytales #requested: star wars #requested: star wars rebels: servants of the empire #requested: my hero academia #requested: super powereds #requested: crossovers #requested: fusions

[zombiesrungame]

Zombies, Run! and Fanworks

By Zalia

It might sound odd to say that it was fanworks that got me into using a fitness app. Fan fiction and fan art are not the first thing that spring to mind when you think about fitness, even if plenty of fitness apps have dedicated communities. But fanworks are what got me into Zombies, Run!, and what kept me engaged during the long dark waits for the next season.

Zombies, Run! stands out because of its ability to serve both the fitness and fandom communities, allowing a level of crossover that is hard to find elsewhere. A thrilling narrative combined with a solid running app means it’s easy to find stories of people who were drawn in by the story finding themselves signing up for marathons, or hardcore runners suddenly feeling the need to share artwork of their own Runner 5.

You see this crossover in the Unoffical Zombies, Run! Facebook group. This fan-run community skews towards the fitness side of things; runners will find plenty of posts containing advice, people’s personal bests, and information about upcoming races. But it’s impossible to scroll through more than a few posts without stumbling across another side of fandom. Rubbing shoulders with a post about a runner’s first 5K will be someone asking whether a character from Zombies, Run! would approve of their running route. Underneath a happy photo of new running shoes, you’ll find someone’s post of ‘Notes Found on Abel Township’s Corkboard’. Artwork of characters, custom Zombies, Run! Playlists, themed medal holders - there’s a strong streak of creativity and engagement on display.

The fanworks-to-fitness ratio skews the other way when it comes to the other bastion of Zombies, Run! fandom: Tumblr. It’s hard to say exactly how much fanwork there is on Tumblr. The Unofficial Fanwork Archive which recorded everything from 2012 to 2016 has over 2500 links, so there could easily be over 4000 individual fanworks by now.

While most fanwork posts on the Facebook group tend to focus on a personal experience of being Runner 5, the Tumblr fandom delves into the world of Zombies, Run! in a different way. Runner 5 is still the most featured character in fanworks (inevitable with their status as the main ‘character’) but there is far more content starring the rest of the cast. For example, the characters who host Radio Abel - Jack and Eugene - each have nearly as many appearances in fanwork as Runner 5. There are plenty of fanworks which don’t include Runner 5 at all!

The fanworks cover a huge range of topics. You can see art that illustrates a scene from the app, or read about a world where Maxine and Sam are college students… or jaeger pilots in Pacific Rim. And far from being a solitary undertaking, the fandom has organised special events that have built a strong community and enduring friendships. For example, the Iron Zombies challenge, hosted on chat rooms, gave participants 90 minutes to create something based on a series of prompts, or to sit back and cheer on other people as they raced against the timer. Exchanges, such as the Secret Santa, are meticulously organised, with hours of work going into making sure participants are matched up.

Fandom’s creativity has not gone unnoticed! In the past, Six to Start have drawn from this talented pool – artist Kascha Sweeney drew fan art before becoming the company’s official artist, and a writer on Seasons 2-4, Andrea Klassen, wrote some exceptional Zombies, Run! Fan fiction.

And it isn’t restricted to fiction and art. The fantastic fan podcast, ‘Podcast Detected’, which I was involved with early on, has been running since 2014. It’s an eclectic mix of in-depth discussions, mission reviews, and the app’s place in a wider fandom community. Some episodes include interviews with fans, and with the cast and crew of the app itself. They’ve even recorded at a few special live events.

The NineWorlds Geekfest convention played host to Zombies, Run! panels for several years and featured writers, actors, and production staff. I have a special fondness for these since I was involved in organising them, just from love of the app. Attendees had the chance to hear stories from the soundbooth, the writers’ thoughts about what they’d like to do in future, and ask questions about the creation of the app. These and other meetups, such as the Zombies, Run! Live event in 2015, have provided a great opportunity for fans and creators to come together to celebrate the app and the fandom that they’ve created.

With so much on offer in the Zombies, Run! fan community, it’s easy to see why people keep coming back season after season. The winter blues can make it hard to even consider running at times, but the strong and creative community built up around Zombies, Run! is what keeps me waiting for the next time the gates of Abel Township are raised.

Here’s a list of places you can check out Zombies, Run! Fanworks: 

The Unofficial Zombies, Run! Facebook Group

Archive of Zombies, Run! Fanworks

Zombies, Run! on Archive Of Our Own

What are your favourite fanworks? Let us know on Twitter @zombiesrungame, or in the comments below!

#zombiesrun #zombiesrungame #fanwork #fandom #zombies run

[jeffrey62mahoney]

Summary - UEFA Champions League - Europe - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway

Europa champions league matches - Champions League fixtures and results | UEFA Champions League |

This was part of Platini's plan to increase the number of teams qualifying directly into the group stage, while simultaneously increasing the number of teams europa champions league matches lower-ranked nations in the group stage. The phrase was coined europa champions league matches a pre-match conference when he was questioned about Arsenal's lack of a trophy after exiting the FA Cup. He said "The first trophy is to finish in the top four".

The tournament proper begins with a group stage of 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four. Each team plays six group stage games, meeting the other three teams in its group home and away in a round-robin format.

For the next stage europa champions league matches the last 16 — the winning team from one group plays against the runners-up from another group, and teams from the same europa champions league matches may not be drawn against each other. From the quarter-finals onwards, the draw is entirely random, matcehs association protection. The tournament uses the away goals rule : if the aggregate score of the two games is tied, then the team who scored europa champions league matches goals at their opponent's stadium advances.

The group stage is played from September to December, whilst the knock-out stage starts in February. The knock-out matchrs are played in europa champions league matches two-legged format, with the exception of the final. The final is typically held in the last two weeks of May, or in the early days of June, which has happened in three consecutive odd-numbered years since In —20 seasondue to the COVID pandemic the tournament was suspended for five months, with the final taking place in August.

The following is the default access list. A referee is initially placed into Category 4 with the exception of referees from France, Germany, England, Italy, or Spain. Referees from macthes five countries are typically comfortable with top professional matches and are therefore directly placed into Europa champions league matches 3.

Each referee's performance is observed and evaluated after every match; his category may be revised twice per season, but a referee cannot be promoted directly from Category 3 to the Elite Category. Referees are appointed based on previous matches, marks, performances, and fitness levels.

To discourage bias, the Champions League cham;ions nationality into account. No referee may be of europa champions league matches same origins as any club in his or her respecting groups.

After a consensus is made, the name of the appointed referee remains confidential up to two days before the match for the purpose of minimising public influence. Sincea UEFA international referee europa champions league matches exceed the age of 45 years.

After turning 45, a referee must step down at the end of his season. The age limit was established to ensure an elite level of fitness. Today, UEFA Champions League see this are required to pass a fitness test to even cuampions considered at the international level. Each year, the winning team is presented with the European Champion Clubs' Cup, the current version of which has been awarded since From the europa champions league matches season and prior to the —09 season any team that won the Champions League three years in a row or five times overall was awarded the official trophy permanently.

The current trophy is 74 cm 29 in tall and made of silver, weighing 11 kg 24 lb. As matcches the —13 season, 40 gold medals are presented to the Champions League winners, and 40 europa champions league matches medals to the runners-up.

As of —20, the fixed amount of prize money paid to the clubs is as follows: [83]. A large part of the distributed revenue from the UEFA Champions League is linked to the "market pool", the distribution of which is determined by the value of the television market in each nation.

When the Champions League was created init was decided that a maximum of eight companies should be allowed to sponsor the event, europa champions league matches each corporation being allocated four advertising boards around the perimeter of the pitch, as well as europa champions league matches placement at pre- and post-match interviews and a certain number of tickets to each match.

This, combined with a deal to ensure tournament sponsors were given priority on television advertisements during matches, ensured that each of the tournament's main sponsors was given maximum champjons. From the —13 knockout phaseUEFA used LED advertising hoardings installed in knock-out participant stadiums, including the final stage.

From the —16 season onwards, UEFA has used such hoardings from the play-off round until the final. The tournament's main sponsors for the —21 season are: [87]. Adidas is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball, the Adidas Finaleand Macron supplies the referees' kit.

Individual clubs may wear jerseys with advertising. However, only one sponsorship is permitted per jersey in addition to that of the kit manufacturer. Exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the main sponsor or in place of it; or on the back, either below the squad number or on the champinos area. If a club plays a match in a nation where the relevant sponsorship category is restricted such as France's alcohol advertising restrictionthen they must remove that logo from their jerseys.

The competition attracts an extensive television audience, not just in Europe, champipns throughout the world. The final europa champions league matches the tournament has been, in recent years, the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. A indicates the player was from the European Cup era.

The table below does not include goals scored in the qualification stage of the competition. Players that are still active in Europe are highlighted in boldface. The table below does not include appearances made in champons qualification stage of the competition. Europa champions league matches Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

European association football tournament. For the trophy, see European Champion Clubs' Cup. For other uses, see Champions League and European Cup disambiguation. This article is about the men's competition.

Champions League fixtures and results

When you hear the europa champions league matches it captivates you straight away. See also: UEFA coefficient. UEFA member state that has been represented in the group stage.

UEFA member state that has not been represented in europa champions league matches group stage. Main article: European Champion Clubs' Cup. Association football portal. No clubs representing East Germany appeared in a final. Retrieved 23 May Retrieved 12 May Retrieved 2 August Retrieved 2 December Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 30 December Soccer Statistics Foundation. Nutmeg Magazine.

Retrieved 5 September Retrieved 14 August Ferran's speech goes from to in the video". Archived from the original on 4 March Real Madrid.

Archived from the original on 3 October Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Associazione Calcio Milan. FC Internazionale Milano. Europa champions league matches Scotland. Retrieved 28 January Marcus Rashford being forced to come off after scoring in the last Premier League game against Brighton would have been concerning for leaghe Europa champions league matches fans keague the English striker's involvement against Granada is doubtful.

Anthony Martial is already expected to miss the rest of the season with an injury while Edinson Cavani still looks short of match fitness after coming back from his injury layoff.

The long list of absentees may find here United leaguf, especially up front. The onus, hence, will fall champinos the midfield duo of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes to inspire United in the crunch tie. FC Flora Tallinn. FC Internazionale Milano. FC Krasnodar. FC Lokomotiv Moskva. FC Midtjylland. FC Porto.

FC Salzburg. Chamoions Shakhtar Donetsk. FC Sheriff Tiraspol. FC Zenit. FK Crvena zvezda. FK Sarajevo. FK Sileks. Floriana FC. GNK Dinamo Zagreb. Inter Club d'Escaldes. KAA Gent. KF Drita. Ehropa Tirana. KuPS Kuopio. Legia Warszawa. Linfield FC.

Liverpool FC. Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC. Manchester City FC. Manchester United FC. Molde FK. NK Celje. NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. Olympiacos FC. Olympique de Marseille. Omonoia FC. Paris Saint-Germain. PFC Ludogorets RB Leipzig.

[gamerszone2019-blog]

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/igns-top-10-free-to-play-games-on-steam/

IGN's Top 10 Free-To-Play Games on Steam

Gaming can put major stress on your wallet and even with seasonal Steam sales, it never feels like there’s enough money in the world to try out all the games we want. Luckily there are a ton out there that don’t cost anything! We’ve been digging into the Steam library and found ten exceptional free to play games currently available, so save your cash.

IGN’s Top 25 Modern PC Games

10. Brawlhalla

Initial release date: November 3, 2015

Brawlhalla could be described as Smash Bros lite. It’s a platform fighter that incorporates powerful weapons and gadget drops that change your playstyle according to the specific item. One minute you’ll be fighting with grenades, then the next you’ll be riding a rocket spear into someone’s face.

Play in ranked or casual matches that support 1v1, 4v4, and anywhere in between. There’s even an alternate party mode with completely different objectives to mix things up. The roster of 46 legends can be bought with earnable in-game currency in addition to real money, but there are always 8 legends available for free every week in rotation.

Aside from the cute sprite art and animations, every legend has different stats that help to make each feel unique. For example, my favorite Legend, Fait, has increased speed and strength but lowered dexterity and defense. Barraza, on the other hand, is more of a tank with slower movement but a high defense stat. Brawlhalla has something for everyone and might have you coming back with friends to play once you get your first taste of victory. – Stella Chung

9. Team Fortress 2

Initial release date: October 10, 2007

Team Fortress 2 is the grandaddy of hero shooters. But don’t play it for a history lesson. Play it because it’s fun, stylish, unique, and still boasts around 50,000 concurrent players every single day. Choose from nine of the most creative and fundamentally dissimilar classes ever crammed into the same first-person shooter to accomplish objectives with the rest of your ridiculous 16-player team.

Don convincing disguises, eat a sandwich and even drench your enemies in piss. If the brilliant core game modes are too fun for you then why not try the cooperative, wave-based Mann v.s Machine mode? And much like CS:GO, the TF2 community has taken it upon themselves to create even more wacky modes like prop hunt, surf, and trading servers where players argue over who has the most valuable hat. – James Duggan

8. War Thunder

Initial release date: November 1, 2012

War Thunder is an absolutely massive military vehicular combat game, featuring hundreds of vehicles from multiple eras and more than half a dozen nations. You’ll progress through the tech tree of your chosen nation’s arsenal of aircraft, tanks, or naval warships.

Choose your preferred arena, be it ground, land, or sea and queue into matches of up to 32 players. Good news if you’re a Mil-Sim buff: War Thunder offers realistic and simulation variants of the normal arcade mode that boast more realistic damage and flight models in addition to things like having to return to an airfield to reload. There’s certainly a lot of progression to work through, but even at low levels, there’s plenty of pretty fun to be had. – James Duggan

7. Paladins

Initial release date: September 15, 2016

Paladins is more than a little similar to Overwatch, but it does some interesting things of its own. What’s unique about Paladins is that it incorporates a card deck system for your champion that grants amplified attributes and enhanced or modified skills that allows you to build towards a specific playstyle.

All cards are free to use for all Champions which opens up customization to a higher degree. There are three major game modes: Siege (a capture the objective and push the payload type), Team Deathmatch (5v5), and Onslaught (a capture the point objective).

And of course, Paladins boasts a roster of 41 playable champions each with unique abilities. For example, my personal favorite, Seris, is a support character who directly heals teammates but is also able to hold her own in a fight since dealing damage heals her. My favorite ability of hers is that she can slip out of dicey situations with her Shadow Travel which grants immunity from damage for a limited amount of time. Matches aren’t absurdly long and getting kills feels super rewarding, especially if you’re trying a Champion you’ve never played before. – Stella Chung

6. DOTA Underlords

Initial release date: June 20, 2019

Dota Underlords is a Valve-created, standalone version of the popular “Auto Chess” mod for Dota 2. At a top-level, Underlords is a deckbuilding tactics game. And while it isn’t exactly easy to pick up at first, it becomes dangerously fun and addictive once you have a few games under your belt.

Each match pits eight players against one another to see who can build the best team of random units drafted from a shared pool. You’ll have to consider unit placement, synergies, stats, effects, your opponents’ strategies as well as properly manage your gold and experience in order to achieve victory. Every match is a brand new opportunity to try a new and fun build, which makes the prospect of playing just one more hard to refuse. – Miranda Sanchez

5. Smite

Initial release date: March 25, 2014

MOBAs can seem daunting to approach but Smite makes it easy to jump right into the thick of it. Most MOBAs are isometric point and click, but Smite is actually unique in that it’s played in third- person. Gods, the roster of playable characters, are deities, immortals, and mythical creatures from ancient mythology from all over the world.

You can play as Medusa, Ra, or even Cupid if you want. The classic game of Smite is a 5v5 but there are other game modes with different rules and objectives that you can choose from. My personal favorite is Joust, a 3v3 mode that’s on a one-lane map with the goal of destroying the enemy’s defenses and their Titan. Joust, along with a few other game modes, usually last about 15 minutes which makes it super fun and easy to hop into a match without worrying about spending a half-hour in one game. Smite is a fresh take on MOBAs and is beginner-friendly to players who might be unfamiliar to the genre. – Stella Chung

Initial release date: August 21, 2012

The Counter-Strike series has been the gold standard of competitive PC shooters for more than 20 years and the global eSports scene for CS:GO has been going strong since the Major Championships were founded in 2013. While CS:GO’s biggest draw is undoubtedly its core bomb defusal and hostage rescue game modes, it also has a plethora of other modes to choose from including the addicting gun game and a new battle royale that went live back in December.

In addition to the official game playlist, CS:GO allows the community to build private modded servers that allow for a variety of creative game types. Some of these custom servers help you with your aim, while others house surfing obstacle courses, and some even create bizarre story campaigns that you just have to experience for yourself. – Stella Chung

3. Warframe

Initial release date: March 25, 2013

From the outside looking in, Warframe can seem impenetrable. Half a decade of updates, system reworks, and ever-evolving stories have made it a complex game chock full of different mechanics to learn. While that can be intimidating at first, Warframe is so dang fun that it more than rewards the time you put into learning it.

Years of updates also mean it holds a well of content so deep you may not see the bottom even after hundreds of hours playing – all of which can be experienced entirely free, as Warframe has some of the most inviting free-to-play systems on this list. It’s a game that truly never stops getting better, and it’s well worth getting comfortable with so you can craft your own space ninja suits and bullet-jump through waves of enemies with the rest of us. – Tom Marks

2. Dota 2

Initial release date: July 9, 2013

Remember MOBAs? Though they are no longer front and center in the gaming trends spotlight, they’re still immensely popular, and Dota 2’s spot on this list is a testament to that. Dota 2 is a highly strategic MOBA with a reputation for its challenging mechanics. But, if you spend any time with it, you’ll see why people like myself have invested years in this game. Like most MOBAs, Dota 2 pits two teams of five against each other on a map divided up by three lanes.

The first team to destroy a key structure in the enemy’s base, called an Ancient (hence the name Defense of the Ancients), wins. All the matches may happen on one map with the objective the same each time, but the growing list of over 100 heroes and plenty of item combinations to go with them makes each match unique. Valve’s constant updates, some of which completely change the map and key mechanics, usually keep the meta fresh.

Dota 2 can be frustrating at times like with any living multiplayer game, but those narrow (or even crushing) wins make it worth it. Even better, it’s all completely free. All updates and all-new heroes. But if you get sucked in, you might find yourself buying cosmetics and its yearly The International Battle Pass that contributes to the event’s immense prize pool. That being said, if you’re are interested in playing, just be prepared to spend plenty of time learning Dota 2’s intricate systems and heroes. – Miranda Sanchez

1. Path of Exile

Initial release date: October 23, 2013

As of summer 2019, it’s fair to say that Path of Exile is the hands-down best ARPG on the market. In terms of post-launch support, developer Grinding Gear Games has candidly raised the bar for the genre. The most recent content update called Legion is Path of Exile’s 10th expansion.

The breadth of unique and replayable content at this point is absolutely massive with depth to match when it comes to character progression and loot. What’s more, all of this great content is free. Its monetization system is more altruistic and less intrusive than many $60 AAA games in 2019. If you’re looking for an ARPG with hundreds of hours of unique gameplay and no signs of slowing down its post-launch support in the near future then look no further than Path of Exile. – James Duggan

Source : IGN

#Game News #Game Reviews

[williamsjoan]

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

This year had a lot of great releases, but I still play many games that were released before 2018. Some I play to shrink my giant backlog a bit, while others, like Street Fighter V, I continue to play because they are still getting updates and are a lot of fun online.

It was difficult to choose just ten personal games for me in 2018, especially since I played many older ones. I bought way too many great games on PC in the last two years, thanks to Humble Monthly, and many other bundles alongside individual purchases.

Now, here are my Top 10:

10. GemCraft: Chasing Shadows

This tower defense game was released back in 2014, and it’s already the fourth game of the series. It is a true beast of a game with almost 200 levels and each of them can be a mighty challenge..IF you use the different options and battle traits + difficulty modes to make them one.

It is my most played game according to Steam so far, with over 330 hours. This year I took on the Iron Wizard challenge mode, which removes many features that made the game easier in its normal mode. The developer is currently working on the fifth game in the series that might come with many new features, but will also continue to build on the surprisingly deep and dark story of the GemCraft games.

9. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Yup, I am playing really old games that most people played years ago already sometimes. I love to play many good games, but the majority of my time is usually for fighting games and single-player adventures as the exceptions.

Sometime this summer, I finally started Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC and was…well, hooked. It took me some days and nights to get through it, but they were an awesome experience. The game still looks nice and plays well in 2018, and I am looking forward to playing and beat Arkham City in 2019.

8. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

First of all, the BlazBlue games are a wonderful series of technical fighting games, but they also have a story mode that kicks ass. Unlike the big cinematic experiences in the Netherrealm Studios fighting games like Mortal Kombat X and Injustice, they are going for the visual novel style which can be boring for those that want to see action instead of reading or listening to it, especially the sometimes cringy dialogue.

But if you like this type of story-telling, the BlazBlue games are doing a damn fine job. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend especially has a big main story but also individual story modes for the over 20 characters, and also a few extra stories. I played both the arcade mode and all the story stuff this year and believe that the BlazBlue universe can cause you even more headaches than the Kingdom Hearts ones.

But…I laughed often and that means it was worth the around 50 hours!

7. Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn is a hack & slash (& shoot) action-RPG by the TitanQuest developers, released in 2016 and one of the games that are constantly getting free updates and additions alongside purchasable expansions. Beside its grim setting, it is as addicting to me as Diablo II: Lord of Destruction was many years ago.

Even today and after many hours of playtime I did not see all the skills of every class or discover all the additional parts of the big world this game offers. I stopped playing Diablo 3 years ago as it was just not my thing, but this game is my favorite Diablo-like game now since its launch. It is still getting content, including a big second expansion soon that comes with another character class. Oh well…

6. DOOM

I loved the old DOOM games and also the fantastic Brutal Doom Mod, but I had just too many other games to play in 2016 and 2017. In June this year, I eventually started 2016’s DOOM and did not play another game before I beat this damn gem of a first-person shooter, which took around 15 hours for me.

Everything in this game just screams “TESTOSTERONE,” from the awesome industrial metal soundtrack to the fast and very brutal gameplay, and being a protagonist that is more dangerous than even the Cyber-Demon himself. Can’t wait for DOOM Eternal now.

Check out the DualShockers review of DOOM.

5. Earth Defense Force 4.1

To save our mother Earth from any alien attack From vicious giant insects who have once again come back We’ll unleash all our forces, we won’t cut them any slack The EDF deploys!

Play it…love it. This is one of the best video games ever created, and for me personally in the same league as Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Street Fighter II and Alien 3 on the SNES.

I can’t wait to play Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain next.

E.D.F! E.D.F!!! E.D.F!!!!!!

4. Dungeon Warfare 2

Dungeon Warfare 2 is basically a tower defense game but instead of towers, the player has a ton of different (over 30) traps to use against the masses of humans that want to enter the dungeon. The game has a ton of maps to defend, and the player has to learn strategies and also how to use runes that raise the difficulty of the enemies. But, this also results in bigger rewards for clearing the map and is accompanied by a super fitting metal soundtrack.

I bought this indie game at launch on Steam in July and played almost 60 hours so far. If you like defense-like games, being the evil guy, using traps, and you just love to listen to the death screams of your enemies…Dungeon Warfare 2 is something for you.

3. Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 was first released on the PlayStation 3 in Japan back in 2015 already, but it is also the first Yakuza game released for the PC. It took SEGA three years to port it, but the game did not feel old or anything to me since I did not play the current-gen Yakuza games like Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 6 yet.

The graphics in Yakuza 0 look greater than ever before on PC, and the game itself is just like a rollercoaster ride through Japanese culture and the Japanese Mafia that the series gets its name from. The two absolutely lovable main protagonists, Kiryu Kazumi and Goro Majima, are a highlight in the sometimes funny, but sometimes also very sad main story.

This game illustrates how video games can be a perfect platform for a combination of an emotional story, relatively simple beat’em up gameplay, a sightseeing tour through Tokyo, and many short stories that are helping both main protagonists to express their very different personalities. I played it for around 40 hours to beat the main story, around 45 of the over 80 side stories, and I am now getting motivated to beat the complete Yakuza game series someday.

Check out the DualShockers review of Yakuza 0.

2. Super Meat Boy

This wonderful game starts so easy…and becomes a nightmare as soon as you meet the first boss. Super Meat Boy truly made me appreciate difficult level design more than any other video game I know about. I beat it by playing only 1-3 levels per day to not lose my mind in the last worlds.

This is one of the best 2D platformers ever made, and if you like a “meaty” experience get it, play it, and try to bat it completely, including all the extra characters and stages.

Good luck.

Check out the DualShockers review of Super Meat Boy.

1. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

I originally bought Street Fighter V on February 16, 2016 but returned it after only a few days, since I was absolutely not happy with the game and how problematic it was, especially the online matches. However, I got a good deal with the PC version in December 2017 instead and also bought the first two season characters.

While I had some fun already with the story mode in the original version of Street Fighter V, I was looking forward to the Arcade Edition and since then, it has not disappointed. The Arcade Edition would add a real arcade mode as well as weekly Fight Money based challenges in the form of Shadaloo Soldiers, and the option to “unlock” extra costumes like the really cool Captain Commando costume for Nash.

To make it short, Street Fighter V is an excellent fighting game that has really a ton of content for both single players and weirdos like me that love to fight world warriors from everywhere and show them some #PsychoPower. And since I first played the game, the Arcade Edition shows it has come a long way.

I have played this game for over 300 hours off and online now since December 2017, and have some fun with it almost every day. Grab it and challenge me : )

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer  December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer  December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10 by Reinhold Hoffmann appeared first on DualShockers.

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10 published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

[tratct]

DD And MT Encore Sorin’s Tutorials Follow Ups

DD And MT Schedule Encore Abbreviated as Encore

Second Post: Sorin’s Tutorials Follow Ups (STFU) Post

Vampire Gathering Abbreviated as VG

VG Decks Note: Each of VG Decks Included Biography And MT TIP

 Table of Contents

Prelude: DD And MT Schedule And Encore Recaps

1. First Place Streak Conflicts

2. President of the Country Expectation Part 1

3. President of the Country Expectation Part 2

4. Full Cover On MT Conclusion

5. Final MT Recaps

6. About VG Decks

7. VG: Hierarchy Ceremony

8. VG: Occulttask Squad

9. VG: Bloodline Keeper

10. VG: Stensia Masquerade

 Encore Processes: Each Steps Along The Way

11. SS Post Summary

12. Coming Soon Announcement For STFU Post

______________________________________________________________

Prelude: DD And MT Schedule And Encore Recaps

What to expect from Sorin's Tutorials Follow Ups Post: 1. Conclusion and Grand Finale to the MT. 2. There is another Schedule right after the Encore such as back to back.

Brief World War History: Trances And Surfaces From World History on the World War, there were records about trances were dug, so that underground bases are created.  There were trances that are over miles distance.  Trances are also referred as tunnels and/or pathway. There were cases, the army stayed in the Trances for a long period of time such as months of time.  There were talks from inside the Trances about the surfaces.  Example: "What is on the surfaces?"

The following things are in PTTS: 1. TCG Tournament Custom 2. Pokemon Master Title 3. CSS (Champion Streak Series) 4. First Place Streak

The Differences between TCG (Trading Card Game): A brief look at Pokemon TCG and MTG (Magic The Gathering) Pokemon TCG: In PT (Pokemon Tournament), there were cases of during the match, the Pokemon Players are in a completion of speed and accelaration. MTG TCG: Same scenario as the Pokemon TCG, during the MT (Magic Tournament), the Magic Players could cast a spell and change the completion to a different completion such as no longer a completion of speed and accelaration. Example: 1. Casting Archive Trap spells will be in a completion of maintaining the Library. 2. Casting Barren Victory spells will be in a completion of Barren Victory 3. Casting Celestrial Convergence will be in a completion of gaining life 4. Casting Grimoire of the dead spells, TCG Players will be expecting many creatures returning from the Graveyard. 5. Casting Epic Struggle spells, TCG Players are in a struggle to have as many creatures on the battlefield. The above comparson may vary.  May vary mean sometime the speed and accelaration may overwrite the completion.  But, MTG TCG completion changed more often than Pokemon TCG.  Also, that is one of the comparsons.  Read my PTTS history. In conclusion, there are TCG references in medias.  PTTS is a place for TCG source.   In addition, MTG had over 30+ years of history.  Pokemon TCG reaching their 20 years of history.

DD And MT Schedule And Encore Summary 1. I did not ask the question, how I got so many fans in MT?  First, the TCG Tournament Custom did not just happen over night, it had been going on for many years. 2. I am no longer in life threaten situations like when the DD just started.  I would tutor the Sorin tutorials.  The Sorin tutorials is like another activity among the many MT activities.

TCG Tournament Custom Environment/Surounding MT (Magic Tournament) is titled as "Friday Night Magic" (FNM). Beyond being there at the MT with my fans, there were these following questions: 1. When will the MT going to meet up to the PT CSS including transition? 2. My fans "did not" ask if I were to join the MT again? 3. Would Game Empire going to end up like Artifact?  Such as Game Empire going to be shut down? 4. Blademaster MT was when I just returned to the MT.  Since then, are there any noticeable changes?

TCG Tournament Custom Environment/Surounding Complicated Conflicts 1. There were other questions as well.  Anyway, these questions are like the above writing on the topic, Trances.  Example: I am having these questions while I am in the MT.  But, these questions are unnoticeable like inside the Trances.  "It is the Underworld effect that created these Trances effect?"  Example: Because of the duration of time, the army had to be in the Trances.  A Trances custom was developed.  Trances custom is different than the surface. 2. There were a few fans from Artifact also came to Game Empire, but did not brought up topic on Artifact.  Example: having talks about why Artifact was shut down? 3. I usually introduced new TCG Plays and Decks.  Also, encoraged new TCG Plays and Decks.  I could smell a contradiction is coming.  In summary, contradiction is like being in the scenario of being sandwich by USA federation and immigrated families.  Read "First Place Streak Conflicts" for more information. Again, the TCG Tournament Custom did not just happen over night, it had been going on for many years.

MT Conclusion Summarized: Also read Full MT Conclusion In summary, I came to a conclusion that a contradiction is happening.  I decided to conclude the MT with a Granduer/Grand Finale.  Basically, having a Granduer/Grand Finale for the name of TCG Tournament Custom.  Example: army went into war for the name of their empire.  Anyway, it will be much better than trap inside a contradiction.  In addition, I could not just come and go in the MT, because of my TCG Tournament Custom. "Sorin, Lord of Innistrad" cards are over the budget.  For this Grand Finale, it is going to be the only exception I am going to make.  Beside the Redemption MT.  Example: the first exception I made was years ago in Redemption MT. Again, the TCG Tournament Custom did not just happen over night, it had been going on for many years. As for my fans, I concluded as Moral Support for now.  Since they did not post any things against my TCG Tournament Custom.   In summary, "We have to protect ourselves."  "We are responsible for ourselves."  Are those lines warning of what to becomes of my future?  Example: Pokemon Master will only help Pokemon Master.  President will only help President. Again, "There is a Pokemon Master at Garnet Avenue."  This line mean I am well known at Garnet Avenue.  Example:  I am made.  In scenairos of having conflicts, my Stardragon Treasure lines, "When an item get to the point of love it or hate it.  It is not over." Continuity: the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time.

In conclusion, after I told my fans about joining the MT again with "Sorin, Lord of Innistrad" Tutorial Deck, we had a mutual understanding what going to happen.  Example: After the MT, I firmly handshake with my fans.  We did not say anything.  They did hold in the question, "Are we going to see you again?"

Anyway, the fans who still follow me even after Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (SLoI) MT.  The following is the follow ups to "Sorin, Lord of Innistrad" tutorial deck: 1. Beginning of Sorin Solution Timeline.  Zendikar Set was when Sorin Markov was first released.  Even though we did not check if it was official, but the fans, Magic Players and I called Sorin as the lord of the Zendikar Vampire.  I will include Vampire from the Zendikar Block in the Follow ups. 2. Years later, Zendikar Block was revisited again.  The revisited Zendikar Block is titled as Battle For Zendikar Block.  I will include Vampire from the Battle For Zendikar Block. 3. In Dark Ascension Set, Sorin Markov return with Solution to the Human Extinction.  There is now a gold cover card and new title for Sorin Markov.  He is titled as "Sorin, Lord of Innistrad".  Basically, that was where I concluded the MT.  Anyway, years later, there is Shadow Over Innistrad Block.  When the Shadow creeped over Innistrad.  There is a possibility, I will included Vampire from Shadow Over Innistrad Block.

In conclusion, Vampire Cards will be added.  In both Blocks, Zendikar Block and Innistrad Block, Sorin Markov is titled Vampire Lord among the fans and Magic Players.

______________________________________________________________

First Place Streak Conflicts

Description: Not difficult for any person to see that I could be in a scenario where I get sandwiched by both sides such as the immigrated families and USA Federation. Example of being in an immigrated families 1. When immigrated to the USA country my family and I don’t speak the English language and don’t about USA country custom 2. I notice there were immigrated families stereotype

From the things listed above about being in an immigrated family, I noticed there were immigrated families stereotypes.  Anyway, the following are recognizable things in my life that could have started the First Place Streak Conflicts: 1. Among the classmates at Elementary school, the classmates and I set up an agreement that any students may “Fight request”.  “Fight request” is to request to get into an one on one physical fight.  Preferred to be afterschool.  There were a few exceptions.  Example: I allow students who felt inexperience in physical fight to be in race of speed. 2. Starting from Elementary School all the way to College level, I had been serving term after term.  Example: Just to name a few: Gate Monitor, Recess Monitor, Equipment Room Monitor, Cafeteria, and Attendant Monitor. 3. During middle school years, I joined the PT (Pokemon Tournament).  Participants joined the PT because they want to.  Arguments are some Pokemon Players had came a long way to able to join the PT.  Also, the line to get into the PT, Pokemon Players had to line up all the way outside the PT place.  The PT place open up as many seats as possible.  Example: Beside fill the PT place with as many tables as possible, there were tables in front and behind the PT place. Participants such as Pokemon Players who joined the PT must followed the PT rules.  In conclusion, I got many first place in a row in the PT.  So, I called my First Place Streak.  In addition, I got a Pokemon Master title at the PT place.  Basically, Pokemon Master title mean that there is a Pokemon Master at Garnet Avenue meaning I am known in Garnet Avenue. 4. Also, during my middle school years, I had got straight As (I got A in all my classes) for at least a few grading periods.  A is the highest possible grade.  Also, I am top student in a few of my classes.  I also got many awards at my schools.  Beside high grades and top student, I enrolled in honor classes that were at my school.  Honor classes are consider as advance placement meaning a higher level class than the average class.

About The First Place Streak Conflicts How the First Place Streak Conflicts started? Immigrated Families: Environment, surrounding, and custom created for immigrated families. USA Federation: USA country beyond immigrated families The following are noticeable immigrated families conflicts: 1. Surrounding conflicts: I am in an immigrated family.  Beside the schools, my family and I are usually among the immigrated families.   2. English Language Conflicts (AKA English Language Gap): My parents still learning the English language.  Many time I had translated the English Language for my parents. 3. Different sides interaction conflicts: When I was awarded the President Award, my family and I were invited to the President Award ceremony.  President Award requirement are students must be the top student in at least a few classes.  Also, have 4.0 GPA. From #1, my family and I are usually among the immigrated families. From those conflicts listed above, come the question, what sides are you on Immigrated Families or USA Federation?  Also, there are many immigrated families. 1. What sides had you been with? 2. Were you among the immigrated families? 3. How often are you exposed to the USA Federation? My responses: My classmates who also got President Award are consider as USA Federation. In the President Award Ceremony, a few of my classmates “walked over” to my family and I table to greet my family and I. In conclusion, that is how the First Place Streak Conflicts started.  My classmates “walked over” is just the beginning.

My arguments Solution 1: I had a First Place Streak in the PT (Pokemon Tournament). Beyond the PT, I had many First Place in tournaments.  So, having tournaments in my life.  In addition, my classmates and I had started the “Fight request” back in Elementary School.  Among classmates and I had got recognition and build up a reputation.  Example: Stardragon Treasure. Solution 2: There is a Pokemon Master at Garnet Avenue.  Even before my Pokemon Master title, I had already started serving term after term.  What else would I deny?  Because of my solution 1, there are time I would not talk about it as much.  The misunderstanding I am denying it.  In addition to Solution 1, also include Pokemon Master title in my life. My Argument: My classmates “walked over” in the President Award Ceremony, so the USA Federation side did show up.  But, a few minutes at most.  How long had I been with the immigrated families? In summary, wait until I get sandwiched then start?  Is the President Award Ceremony with my classmates “walked over” clear enough?  The following are my choices: 1. Go with the few minutes of greeting from my classmates who had “walked over”. 2. Or Go with the surrounding conflicts: I am in an immigrated family.  Beside the schools, my family and I are usually among the immigrated families. 3. Or wait until I get sandwiched then start. In conclusion, I used the noticeable things in my life such as Solution 1 and Solution 2.  With those Solutions, for many years I had been looking for a ways to establish those solutions .  Beyond the Solution 1 and Solution 2, it is not difficult for any person to see that I could be in a scenario where I get sandwiched by both sides such as the immigrated families and USA Federation. Another argument: In the list of recognizable things in my life that could have started the First Place Streak Conflicts: 1. “Fight Request” 2. First Place Streak 3. Pokemon Master title 4. Straight As  Each of those recognizable things had reasons why there are First Place Streak Conflicts.

______________________________________________________________

President Of The Country Expectation Part 1

Objectives and Opinions are there so we could know the differences. Classmates and I started "Fight Request" back Elementary School years.  So by now so many years already.  Among classmates and I, "Fight Request" was a way to get recognization and build up reputation. The Differences: "Fight Request" would fall into the category as physical-activity I been serving term after term:  Again, that similiar category of physical-services.  Example: Gate Monitor, Recess Monitor, Equipment Room Monitor, Attendant Monitor, and caferteria. Common Threat: The threat of being deport out of the USA country.  Possible might even get my family deported too.  My parents sometime would use the Common Threat on my siblings and I. My response to the common threat: Having a "Fight Record" since Elementary School years could be a reason for the common threat.  Common threat created a recognization and reputation conflict among my classmates and I. Example: There are possibilities when students who "Fight Request" and those students does not show up.

Getting Deported Scenarios Immigrated Families Stereotype: Settlement, Settlement, Settlement... The following are getting deported scenarios: Scenario 1: Half way during getting deported, there is an airplance accident.  It crashed somewhere in the wilderness.  An argument would be, let the wild handle me. Scenario 2: I been saying my family had nothing to do with me.  My classmates and I started the "Fight Request" without permission from our parents or instructors.  Would be better off having fights from the "Fight Request" without those parents or instructors interferences.  Basically, if the "Fight Request" created conflicts, those conflicts might involve my family.  Again, I would use the line, my family had nothing to do with me. Scenario 3: Starting in my Middle School years, I got a First Place Streak and a Pokemon Master title in the PT (Pokemon Tournament).  Also, I have maintain the PT and my image as Pokemon Master for a very long time.  There are cases with Anti-Pokemons and Pokemon Protesters organizing and threating to stop Pokemon in general to be imported to the North America.  The argument would be Anti-Pokemons and Pokemon protestors might use the common threat such as deported me out of the USA country. In summary, the following things are my responses from what I wrote above: 1. I had been serving term after term since Elementary School to College 2. I had Straight As got in my classes for at least a few grading periods 3. Top student of my classes 4. I had a whole pile of Pokemon Magazines/TCG Magazines, in response to the Anti-Pokemons and Pokemon protestors.  There are TCG Magazines have coverage on mainly Pokemon in general.  As for the othe TCG Magazines during those time, have many coverage on Pokemon TCG.

My Campaigns There were many campaigns for the President of the country.  I remeber there were those candidates who did not got elected would be elected for a different positions.  Example: Vice President, Senate, and etc.  The following are ways to understand about my campaigns: 1. President of the Country Expectation: How are you doing?  How are your campaigns doing?  How are your schedule doing?  Answer: There are updates, recaps, and summaries every steps a long the way. 2. Responsibilities and Duties: From #1, basically there are responsibilities and duties.  Answer: I been serving term after term since Elementary School to college 3. Speech and mass appeal: including debate activities.  Running for any positions?  From #1, basically, being in competition. A lot of time my campaigns are implied.  But, ocassionally, I would said, these things are also part of my campaigns.  The following are my ways of campaigning: 1. Daily Session: I hosted the Daily Session daily.  It is part of my campaigns. Read Daily Session biography to know more about it.  There are some years of Daily Session. 2. PTTS:  Pokemon Tournament Tip Session is called PTTS.  Similar to Daily Session.  PTTS are not limited to tournament related topics.  It is part of my campaigns.  Read PTTS Biographies to know about it.  There are at least a few seasons of PTTS. 3. PTTS Schedules: PTTS Schedules is posted on tratct.tumblr.com.  PTTS Schedules happen right after PTTS, so in a way like PTTS becomes PTTS Online.  It is part of my campaigns.  Each of the PTTS Schedules had distinctive schedules and each of those schedules had their biographies.  Read PTTS Schedules Biographies to know more about PTTS Schedules.  Also, PTTS Schedules are being referred as PTTS Online or Online Schedules.

April 29, 2018 Update From my article, "My Writing Process", I had been Journal Keeping daily. In CSS Question #15 I answered that in competion of desert exploration, the desert tribes will be the one who in favor than a person who had never been to the desert. I heard enough of common threats such as being deported out of the USA country.  I heard so much I am expecting.  Example: kick down the door.  Jump through the window.

______________________________________________________________

President Of The Country Expectation Part 2

Objectives and Opinions are there so we could know the differences. About Part 2: The situations in Part 2 have become complicated or Beyond Words. Byond Words: Sometime there are scenarios/situations that words could not describe.  But, could use other methods.  To name a few of those methods: visualization examples, tutorials with steps, and etc. MAS: MAS writing at Stage 1 was written for the purposes like my tutorials and advising activities I had done in the PT. In conclusion, 1. the President make the decision for the whole country 2. Expect complication and complexity.

My campaigns, Daily Session, PTTS, and articles had cover the following: 1. TCG in general, TCG Tournament, TCG Tournament Custom 2. Many articles about the Video Game in general development through the age.  Example: "Video Game System" and Software. The following have lesser cover than #1 and #2: 1. Poker Conflicts 2. Video Game Conflicts 3. Etc.

"Past And Present Self Agreements" Myself: Present self My younger self: The self that had started my First Place Streak and protected my First Place Streak 1. What agreements had I made with myself and my younger self? 2. Beyond agreements, did I resulted First Place Streak conflicts or find solutions to those First Place Streak conflicts with my younger self and myself in the past?

My Younger Self The following Flashback is during my Middle School, before my campaigns, Daily Session, PTTS, articles, and etc.  Example: Before I had wrote about my First Place Streak Conflicts. Flashback: a scene of the time when I am protecting my First Place Streak I had protected my First Place Streak.  Also, TCG Players and I celebrated my First Place Streak. I am a few blocks from my house.  I wanted to start crying.  This is back in my middle school years. "I could have smile or have a smirk in the celebration of my first place streak in the TCG tournament."  I though as I am about to reach my house.

Myself Sunday April 29, 2018 I went to the TCG store to purchase some TCG cards. TV broadcast Presidential Campaigns.  Example: In one of the speeches, the President of the USA country were talking about having a gethering with social activites.  In the social activities, the President brought up the boardgame, "Risk" Global Domination.  The President would continue talking about the competition in the "Risk" gathering. In summary, I think being in position of power such as President of the country having a gathering or social activies is okay.  Example: the boardgame, "Risk". In my case, I had been campaigning for many years.  While in the Trading Card Game (TCG) store, I got into a social activies like the President of the country.  Again, like I wrote about the Presidential Campaigns, I think it is okay to have a social activies. Exchange a few sentences.  Having a few matches.  20 to 30 minutes. As I am leaving the TCG store, I had a though, "It had been many years since I had got into TCG activities with a person."  From that thought started the "Past And Present Self Agreements".

Back To My Younger Self From my Flashback, I wanted to cry because beyond having a First Place Streak, there are the following things that might not be understood: 1. An average TCG Tournament round and a TCG Tournament championship round with a First Place Streak are different. 2. Beyond the TCG Tournament competition, there are Anti-Pokemons and Pokemon Protesters 3. TCG Tournament Custom: Outside of the TCG Tournament Custom, the TCG Tournament Custom does not have recognition.  Without this recognition, it is more difficult for the TCG Tournament Custom to stay active.  Example: the Circus Custom is more established Custom.  The following are how the Circus Custom stay active: a. Audience first have to set up a circus trip. b. Purchase a Circus' ticket c. Option to visit the Circus' stores d. Option to play some of the Circus' activities e. There food courts f. Etc. 4. I had President of the Country Expectation: Read President of the Country Expectation Part 1 and Part 2. As my Flashback Scene continue, I picture myself as I am entering my house, my mom stand right in front of me.  Without saying anything, my mom slapped me on my face.  I could feel the sting and the numb. My parents were not always like that.  There were a scene, my parents took me to the Fair, because I got Straigh As on my Grading Report Cards for a few grading periods.  I think did not ask them why.  In other words, I did not have thought or post any question.  I am in an immigrated family.  In other words, it is beyond my parents capability to make this trip to the Fair. In response to my institution, I try to come up with reasons for the slap from my mom.  The following are my institutionized reasons: 1. "I could have smile or smirk during the celebration of my First Place Streak with the TCG Players in the TCG Tournament place right before I left the TCG Tournament Place." 2. I had beat up person on the sidewalk, made them bleed.  While there are many persons and cars all around.  Sidewalk in the public.  I did not hear a word about it.  Other than the talk with coordinator.  Coordinator did not protester about it.  Again, classmates and I started "Fight Request" back in the Elementary School years. 3. Garnet Avenue Pokemon Tournament (PT) was not the only things in Pacific Beach (PB).  There are also the X-Game hosting right between PB and Belmont Park (BP) right next to the beach every year.  There were participants signing autograph at the X-Game.  Huge line that hours of waiting to get an autograph from those participants.  X-Game is another custom different from Monster Truck show, Circus Custom, and etc. Again, establishment first, to avoid the following: 1. Can you tell the difference?  Example: Why I have to be in a situation that having a First Place Streak and have to cry about it.  As for other participants, there are signing autograph lines. 2. Why there are huge line to get those autographer? 3. Some of those participants even have a longer "Fighting Record" than me. From the list of institutionized reasons, even though I was just wanting to avoid a self-pity situation, but I concluded two things: 1. I did not got beat up in one those "Fight Request" 2. There are X-Game, Monster Truck show, Circus Custom, and etc. In other words, keeping winning the fights from "Fight Request", maybe one day I could reach #2.  Again, "Maybe one day", there are persons would line up for my autograph.

My Younger Self Mind Set 1. My family and I able to pass the immigration processes to come to the USA country was consider an achievement.  My family and I were grateful about it. Example: The term after term I had served since Elementary School to College. 2. I already accepted my immigrated families life.  Example: There are no opportunity for immigrated families. When there are talks about the X-Game coming to San Diego, it was consider an achievement for San Diego.  Having no opportunity, the X-Game was something I look forward to.  The following is a memorable X-Game Trip.

X-Game Trip My younger sibling asked me to take him to the X-Game.  Also, I been looking forward to go to the X-Game. I had some talks about X-Game trip with my parents.  Anyway, I came up with excuses for my parents.  They finally permitted the X-Game trip.  In exchange, I have to watch over my younger sibling the whole trip. My sibling and I put on our rollerblades and headed to the X-Game. I took the lead because I told my parents I would watch out for my younger sibling on this trip.  We been looking forward to the X-Game for a very long time.  In addition, the signing autographer already begin, we wanted to make it there before it is over. Again, I took the lead for precaution reasons.  Non-stop without slowing down we skate as fast as we can. To take the fastest route, we have to cross 4-5 bridges.  It is already past noon, when I finally able to convince my parents to go on this trip. I held in the following lines: 1. "Try to keep up." 2. "Careful on the bridges." Not just the slope from the bridges, but there are construction gaps.  Metal plates are used to close these gaps. We got passed a few bridges. My rollerblade consider top rollerblade in sport stores.  But different stories in skate park and designer skate stores.  My Stardragon Treasure, I came upon these merchandizes.  Example: One of designer skate's wheels from designer skate stores could trade for some pairs of rollerblades. Then, on one of the bridges, I heard a person fell to the ground.  Rolling down the slope. I skate to my sibling, my sibling is bleeding.  Sibling had a lot of injuries, but sibling stand back up.  My sibling insist to continue the trip. My sibling could cover up most of the injuries, but the injuries on his face was noticeable.  X-Game might not let us in. I decided to continue.  If X-Game does not let us in, I will go in and get the autographers for both of us. Even Professional Skater like Tony Hawk had got injuries during the skate or performance.  So, it is okay to get a few injuries. The X-Game let us both in.  In addition, gave my sibling some ices and bandages for his injuries. That trip was the most noticeable, because of the injuries from my sibling.

Back to Flashback Scene: Common Threats: I had been threaten of being deported out of the USA Country.  "My family had nothing to do with me.  Just deport me."  I said that lines so many time.  I sound like an irresponsible person.  Example: You live in the same household as your family and claimed you have nothing to do with them. The following could be reasons I would get into trouble with my parents: 1. Common Threats 2. I had beat up person on the sidewalk in public 3. "Fight Record" since Elementary School I had been looking for solutions or establish the solutions I had for many years. The following are my solutions like I wrote in My First Place Streak Conflicts: Solution 1: I got a First Place Streak in the PT (Pokemon Tournament) Solution 2: I got the Pokemon Master title.  Example: There is a Pokemon Master at Garnet Avenue.  I am famous at Garnet Avenue But, I am about to enter my house different than those solutions. Scenario #1: My mom going to slap me on my face.  I am going to feel the sting and the numb.  Then, I would feel upset.  When I return to those solutions, I will bring the whole PT down. Anti-Pokemons and Pokemon Protesters will be watching the whole time.  If I did not act according to Scenario #1, then I am already dead. "Nass you are a superstar."  The line from my MAS.  I would response, "In the wild maybe, but not the city.  If this continue I would wish I was dead."

All human being must make decision in life. The Argument On My Decision Making: That decision that my younger self made to join the PT (Pokemon Tournament) had changed my life. My Responses 1. In the article, "Discovering Pokemon TCG", there are references of TCG in the medias even before I had joined the PT.  Basically, I had noticed about TCG, but because of my mind set about immigrated families had no opportunity, TCG seem so far away.  So, when I finally joined the PT (Pokemon Tournament), might have invoked arguments or created conflicts. 2. In the article, "Discovering Pokemon TCG", as for my younger self to make the decision to join the PT (Pokemon Tournament), there were steps I had to take, until I finally made my decision on joining the PT. The following are TCG in general arguments: 1. First Place Streak Conflicts: like I wrote in TFPD CSS Schedule, as my First Place Streak are increasing, there are First Place Streak Conflicts. 2. TCG is not well accepted in society.  TCG Tournament Custom need to be establish. 3. I have a Pokemon Master title.  Example: TCG Players could back up their arguments by saying Pokemon Master have a First Place Streak.  In other words, I am encouraging TCG and bring energy and spirit to TCG.

In conclusion, if I cannot be deported, then I am going to look for solutions or establish the solutions I had.  I had came a long way.  The following are the examples: 1. I already got straight As 2. President Award 3. Top student of my classes 4. First Place Streak, and etc. In addition, I am in an immigrated families.  Example: 1. There are no opportunity for immigrated families 2. Getting pass the immigration processes was an achievement Again, the following are ways to understand about my campaigns: 1. President of the Country Expectation: How are you doing?  How are your campaigns doing?  How are your schedule doing?  Answer: There are updates, recaps, and summaries every steps a long the way. 2. Responsibilities and Duties: From #1, basically there are responsibilities and duties.  Answer: I been serving term after term since Elementary School to college 3. Speech and mass appeal: including debate activities.  Running for any positions?  From #1, basically, being in competition.

______________________________________________________________

Full Cover On MT Conclusion

Before The DD (Double Dilemma) In Life MAS: My campaigns and my MAS cover all events leading to the DD cases.  Example: 1. Serving term after term since Elementary School to College.   2. Club President 3. Straight As 4. Top student of classes 5. First Place Streak 6. Pokemon Master title

How The DD Started 1. How It All Started Content #2 "Double Dilemma" (DD) is about DD 2. After #1, not long I have to make the decision to close down my two Online Stores. 3. Not long After #2, I joined the MT (Magic Tournament) and there were fans followed my MT matches 4. From #1-#3, I have a budget in the MT and having my reasons to be in the MT In conclusion, from the list above, it will come down to does my first place streak matter anymore?  Or the energy and spirit of tournament only things of the past?  The following are responses to those questions: 1. DD And MT Schedule Encore is like the DD And MT Schedule, but could be argued as taking another step 2. TCG Tournament Custom been going on for many years 3. PTTS been going on for many

Basically TCG Tournament Matches have audience 1. TCG Tournament Round 1: have lesser audience 2. TCG Tournament Semi-rounds: Audience starting to increase since round 1 3. TCG Tournament Championship round: the audience are more than #1 and #2 4. TCG Tournament Championship round with a First Place Streak: have even more audience

Ways To Find Solutions In summary, finding solutions or establish solutions I had been going on for many years. I have a Pokemon Master title.  I had tutored and advised many Pokemon Players.  Example: "Pokemon Master, I am stuck, I don't have a clue, could you please explained to me." MAS: MAS writing at Stage 1 was written for the purposes like my tutorials and advising activities I had done in the PT.  MAS is also known as MAS Language system.  My accounts, campaigns, articles, and etc. are written in MAS language system.  Example: When I am explaining and/or referring using MAS language system.  Throughout my campaigns and PTTS, there are many explanations. Contents To Understand About MAS: There are MAS Biography, MAS Stages, MAS Q And A Part 1 And Part 2.  Coming soon a schedule with MAS contents. In summary, from reading MAS, readers, fans, and TCG Players, will understand why I created DD And MT Schedule Posts when the DD in my life.  Also, in each of the Posts, there are many contents to explain the DD in my life situations.  The following are examples of MAS: 1. Because of the complexity and complication of the situations, I had been saying this line throughout the activities I am in, "I am not making things more complicated, I am finding a solution." 2. My campaigns and my MAS been going for many years with accounts of every steps along the way.

In conclusion, the reasons it is called full cover MT conclusion, because in DD And MT Schedule I already made my first MT conclusion.  In the Prelude: Recaps, there were another brief MT conclusion.  In other words, even though it is called full cover MT conclusion so that some of those intensity from the MT could have something to refer to. But, to keep up with the First Place Streak adding a few more contents would seem reasonable.  Anyway, there is another MTG schedule right after the Encore such as back to back.  Basically, the back to back is to fill in that First Place Streak expectation. If for some reasons wanting more of the MTG after the Full Cover MT Conclusion, then check out the HoS Schedule which will be going to be post up right after it.

______________________________________________________________

Final MT Recaps

In "SLoI Tutorial Deck Biography": 1. Blademaster MT was a "Special Event" 2. Campaign opportunity 3. Artifact Shut Down 4. MTG Standard Format Extension and Exception 5. First Place Streak

In "MT Conclusion", that tour had lead me to "Grand Finale". Basically was the Grand Finale enough? Answer: In Bio, I already listed some of the reasons.  Even the Blademaster MT was a "Special Event".  In other words, I would go to the MT, but I haven't been joining MT.  Other than "Special Event". The following reasons why I went to the MT in first place: 1. Extended Transition starting to becomes a bit hazy. 2.  Club President for a few years did not have that many fans like that tour in the TCG tournament.  Example: During the returning to the TCG tournament had fans who recognized me.  I already had DD in my life, I don't want things to get more complicate. Another Example: I will go to the MT, if this recognition was not an illusion, then there might be thoughts about campaign opportunity.  Basically that was the goal.

My Objectives The following are thoughts I had, after having a tour in the MT: 1. These recognition from the fans and TCG Players at the TCG Tournament place was noticeable.  Even if I am not joining the MT. 2. I could not just come and go in the MT, because of my TCG Tournament Custom. 3. I have a Pokemon Master title 4. I have a TCG Tournament First Place Streak As club president for a few years, those thoughts I listed, basically like my duties as club president to recognize them.  Part of the concept "ViP Distinction" I wrote in MAS, "Star Duelking". In Content Prelude, the part about the brief War World History, also had part about the Final MT.

Applying My Objectives In summary, I couldn't be irresponsible from my duties by just leaving without saying anything.  I came up with a plan for my departure from the MT. 1. I told the fans about Sorin, Lord of Innistrad 2. I started having Sorin's tutorials.  The concept, "Applying Solution" I wrote in Sorin Content, "Prelude: From Announcement To The Final Post" 3. Made an exception in my budget to join the MT.  Also, made it Grand Finale. Again, I am not making thing complicate, I am finding a solution.

Decision About My First Place Streak All human being must make decision.  I made that decision to go the MT, so those are my follow ups.  There are Pros and Cons.  Again, all human being must make decision. A lot of time, as Club President I talked about the meeting I set up in my club.  Have a few drinks during the night.  All human being must make decision. From the SS Content #4 Recaps, I recaps about all the different TCG I engaged in.  Also, I noted that there are Professional TCG Players.  Example: From TCG Magazines Sources, there are local TCG tournament hosted all over each city.  Also, there are National Level and International Level TCG tournaments.  Furthermore, there were articles written that TCG Professional could make a living in our society.  But, the article argued that TCG Professional must be able to compete at certain level. First Place Streak Conflicts: In TCG Tournament Custom, I had a First Place streak.  Outside of the TCG Tournament Custom, my First Place Streak was not noticeable.  My approach to this conflict: 1. First establish the TCG Tournament Custom 2. Then my First Place Streak.  Example: Outside of the TCG Tournament Custom, my First Place Streak was not noticeable. In conclusion, my First Place Streak Conflicts are only a few noticeable First Place Streak Conflicts.  Basically, there will be other decisions to make.  Again I am not making things complicate, I am finding solutions.  Anyway, after looking through the Pros and Cons on my decision to go to the MT.  I sighed.

Reasons For MT Conclusion #1 Reason for MT Conclusion: Like I wrote in the Content #4, "Full Cover On MT Conclusion" such as avoid being trap in a contradiction. #2 Reason TCG Professionalism conflicts: I instructed many tutorials and advises about TCG, so TCG Professionalism is one of the topics I talked about.  In summary, like #1, another contradiction.  The following are how the TCG Professionalism conflicts might become noticeable: 1. From #3 on budget, because it was the Grand Finale.  I am struggling.  DD in my life.  Again, there are Pros And Cons on my decision to go to the MT. 2. First Place Streak in TCG Tournament: Like I wrote in DD And MT Schedule, because my PT CSS have a First Place Streak, so PT CSS will take some time to meet up with the MT. 3. TCG Tournament Custom had been in my life.  Example: I had engage in many different TCG 4. From different sources, there are professional TCG Players who argued that could make a living in our society

Drafting MT Anyway, from the list #1-#4, I decided to join the Drafting MT. Also, I had joined Drafting TCG tournament before in the past.  But, it would be uncommon.  Exception of Heroclix Tournament, but it is not consider TCG.  I also got many First Place in Heroclix Tournament.  The argument would be, in the beginning, I was joining the Drafting Heroclix Tournaments and later on I was joining Heroclix tournament where the participants would build their own team. Pokemon Master know every cards and every arguments to every cards.  That line is toned, so I could talked about it.  Read Pokemon Master Q And A to know more about Pokemon Master. For some reasons the fans or TCG Players wanted to look into TCG Professionalism such as Professional TCG Players, then I could back myself up.  Example: Drafting MT could argued as require lesser budget.  Also, open up Drafting MT topics for discussion.  So, even though might be uncommon, but in my Grand Finale I am going to included a Drafting MT. Drafting MT Rule: 1. All Participants are given 3 Sealed Booster Packs.  Coodinator will announce and time the participants a long the way. 2. Coodinator will announce when the Participants could unseal 1 of their booster packs. 3. Participants are given a few minutes to look through their booster packs.  Coordinator is timing with a timer.  When time is up, each participants must select 1 card, then pass the booster pack to the next participant.  Clockwise. 4. Repeat #3, until all cards are selected.  Then, go back to #2.  Open another booster pack. 5. Repeat #2, #3, and #4 until all cards in all 3 booster packs had been selected.  As for the land cards, participants could have as many land cards as they wanted in their deck.  Basically decks must follow the 60 cards deck rule. In the Drafting MT, I confirmed about the Web Development concept.  It is a known concept in the Drafting MT. 1. I would want to construct Arachnus in the web Development concept. Even though, I won all my matches.  In the talks, there were something about Cavern of Souls and Slumber Dragon could have scored more point. In conclusion, those TCG Players or fans wanted to go to Drafting MT, then could use the Web Development concept.  It is confirmed.  I won all my matches.  In other words, see this added Drafting MT as one of the elements to make the Grand Finale possible.

About The SLoI Tutorial Deck: In summary, if fans and TCG Players, want the follow ups, then there are the following: 1. VG: Hierarchy Ceremony 2. VG: Occulttask Squad 3. VG: Bloodline Keeper 4. VG: Stensia Masquerade Beside using SLoI Tutorial Deck in my tutorials.  This deck had went through contest before and after the MT.  Example: The Pros and Cons had been contested.

In conclusion, there already a few MT Conclusions including a "Full Cover On MT Conclusion".  This Final Recaps mainly the Sorin Content had many contents, so a transition and: 1. #1 Reason for the MT Conclusion: It is important that I point out that I needed to avoid being trap in a contradiction 2. #2 Reason for the MT Conclusion: TCG Professionalism: I tutor and advise TCG, so TCG Professionalism are part of my TCG Tournament Custom. 3. Drafting MT: Open up topics on Drafting MT.  Also, Drafting MT could be argued as lesser budget than Standard MT.

As for HoS Schedule, in SS Post, Content #1-3 had Update #1-3.  Those Updates had the processes on HoS schedule.  The following are the posting dates: HoS Schedule Announcement And Flyer: Thursday May 10, 2018 COR Post: Thursday May 24, 2018 KOR Post: Thursday June 7, 2018 Builder Victory Post: Thursday June 21, 2018 Arachnus Post: Thursday July 5, 2018 HoS: Thursday July 19, 2018

______________________________________________________________

About VG Decks Sorin, Lord of Innistrad Tutorials Deck following ups are VG Decks.  Those VG Decks no longer follow the Standard Format.  The following blocks are in VG Decks: At least all the vampires cards.  With exception of the noncreature spells. 1. Zendikar (ZEN) Block (ZEN, WW, RoTE) 2. Innistrad (IN) Block (IN, DA, AVA) 3. Shadows Over Innistrad (SoI) Block (SoI, ELDM) 4. Battle For Zendikar (BFZ) Block (BFZ, OoTG)

MT (Magic Tournament) is a competition of spell casting, abilities, creature summoning, creature abilities, and etc.  In MT, the Magic Players could construct their decks the way they wanted.  Those Magic Players just needed to follow MT Deck Construction Rule.

In addition, VG Decks are constructed to follow the DD And MT Encore Sorin's Tutorials Follow Ups Contents.  Example: To show and express what was happening in Innistrad through deck construction.  In other words, TCG Players or those who could make connection with Innistrad Block might wanted to give this approach a look.

The following are reasons, readers might wanted to give VG Decks a look: 1. I had a long TCG History such as many years of TCG tournament and TCG Tournament Custom 2. I had a PT (Pokemon Tournament) first place streak and a Pokemon Master title.  Also, I had got many first places in tournament beyond PT. 3. I had been hosting PTTS (Pokemon Tournament Tip Session) for many years 4. I had wrote many articles on TCG Tournament Custom, PTTS, Pokemon Master title, and CSS (Champion Streak Series)

With the things I listed above, those VG Decks would fall into the category of "Multilevel".  Example: Beginner Magic Players might not be able to connect the difficult VG Decks Plays in the heat of the MT competition.

Furthermore, Blademaster Content #10, Blademaster And Vampire Portraits And Theme show a range of Vampire portraits that could be found in the media. MTG Universe: Being at this universe.  Any TCG Players would expect some magic.

______________________________________________________________

VG: Hierarchy Ceremony Deck Biography

By now, our motives are clear?  Example: our society

It is the unknown that questions are created.

Now with Hierarchy Ceremony, gathering of Vampire from multiple blocks. Combination of lifestyle and appearance.  Also, medias references.  There are possible distinctions.  But, that is the thrive.  Example: The clothing.  The make-ups.  The ceremonies.

The Innistrad war are reasons for these gathering...  so, the hunt.  Now the war between the alike and differences give us more reasons than before.

From Zenikar, there are Sea Gate of Tazeem and Jungle of Bala Ged.  In Innistrad, from the Province of Stensia, there is the Dracula Castle.  Example of vampire families: Markov family, Falkenrath family, Stromkirk family, and etc.

Hierarchy and Classes: Aristocrat, Seer, Artist, and Highborn Ceremony and Hunt: Thrall, Ulamog, Bloodwitch, and Bloodghast  Example: The Unknown is there.  So, it is incorporated into the hunt.

Deck List Creature Viscera Seer X4 Indulgent Aristocrat X4 Bloodghast X4 Carrier Thrall X4 Pawn of Ulamog X4 Kalastria Highborn x4 Blood Artist X 4 Malakir Bloodwitch X1

Artifact Eldrazi Monument X3 Culling Dais X4

Sorcery Increasing Ambition X2

Land X22 Crypt of Agadeem X4 Swamp X18

CRE: 29 ART, SOR:9 Land: 22

Side Deck Gatekeeper of Malakir X4 Anowon, the Ruin Sage X3 Font of Return X3 Cower in Fear X3 Expedition Map X2

MT TIP TIP #1: Kalastria Highborn, Blood Artist, and Malakir Bloodwitch Plays 1. With either Kalastria Highborn, Blood Artist, or Malakir Bloodwitch abilities, all of those Vampire Cards could restore life. 2. Hold on to these Vampire cards until, there are vampires on the battlefield. Example: Blood Artist have toughness of 1.  Most spells targeting Blood Artist could resulted putting Blood Artist to the Graveyard. 3. The number of Kalastria Highborn and Blood Artist on the battlefield will increase their abilities.  Example: 2 Kalastria Highborn and 2 Blood Artist. When a Vampire die on the battlefield, trigger 2 Kalstria Highborn and 2 Blood Artist. You gain 6 life and your opponent lose 6 Life.

TIP #2: Bloodghast, Carrier Thrall And Pawn of Ulamog Plays 1. Have Pawn of Ulamog on the battlefield 2. Play Bloodghast.  If Bloodghast die or put into the Graveyard, then Bloodghast's Landfall ability able to return from Graveyard back to the battefield whenever a land enter the battlefield under your control.  Example: Need to pay for the cost of a spell or need to sacrifice a creature, then could use Bloodghast, because Bloodghast could return whenever a land enter.  Also, whenever a creature die trigger Pawn of Ulamog ability to put a Eldrazi token creature into the battlefield. 3. Play Carrier Thrall.  When Carrier Thrall die, you may put an Eldrazi token into the battlefield.  Also, trigger Pawn of Ulamog ability to put an Eldrazi token creature into the battlefield.

TIP #3 Eldrazi Monument Plays AKA The Force-field Plays 1. From TIP #2, there are ways to create the Eldrazi token creatures. 2. Knowing that on your upkeep, you have to sacrifice a creature to have the Eldrazi Monument in the battlefield.  If possible use the Eldrazi token creatures to pay for the cost. 3. All creatures get +1/+1, Flying, and Indestructible.  Basically, Eldrazi Monument had created a force-field protecting all of your creatures from harm.

TIP #4: Crypt of Agadeem Plays 1. 29 cards of the deck are Swamp Creatures 2. Each of those 29 cards will increase the Mana production of Crypt of Agadeem.  Example: each of the Crypt of Agadeem could produce up to 29 Mana. 3. There are 4 Crypt of Agadeem, if need to search for them, then use Increasing Ambition. 4. Indulgent Aristocrat's ability cost will trigger Kalastria Highborn ability.  Both their abilites could be use as many time as you have the Mana.  From #1-3, your Mana not going to be wasted if you have both of them on the battefield.  Example: Mana that are not use will cost Mana burn.  Every Un-used Mana will afflict 1 Damage.

______________________________________________________________

VG: Oculttask Squad Deck Biography

Occult (Online Definition): supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena.

MAS language system, Occult meaning a rare situation.  Example: Special Task.  Sometime interpret as a dark situation.  Example: A special force to handle a special task.

In MAS language system definition, situation when the eclipse almost complete. Example: During the eclipse when the moon had cover majority of the sun, but not the whole sun.

Within the Province of Stensia, Sorin Markov had took a huge step.  Setting new and profound standard.  So, the commonly known Special taskforce or Military Tactical force known as Guerilla Force from within Stensia also keeping up with Sorin Markov's Standard.  Thus, the title, "Occulttask" was developed.

In Innistrad, beyond the wars all over the 4 Provinces, there are supernatural and mystical cases.  So, Vampire Families "Occulttask" focused into "Occulttask Squad", handling Vampire Families affairs that needed immediate attention situations.

Opinions and Objectives are there so we could know the differences.  Example: 1. Would you call them Reckless? 2. Would you consider Occulttask as non-sense? Occulttask squad are not much different in term of carry out mission.  Example: Those who carry missions had their objectives to follow.  When there is that chance of interaction such as what is your objectives?

Scene "Have a look around you.  The city need to function.  See the citizens of the city as the reasons/causes for our actions."

Deck List Creature Vampire Lacerator X4 Guul Draz Vampire x4 Bloodghast X4 Ruthless Cullblade X4 Pulse Tracker X4 Blood Seeker X4 Vampire Nocturnus X2

Enchantment Oversold Cemetary X3

Sorcery Sign in Blood X4 Ulcerate X2 Cower in Fear X2 Sanguimancy X1

Land Crypt of Agadeem X4 Swamp X18

Side Deck Vampire Cutthroat X4 Ulcerate X1 Sinister Concoction X3 Executioner's Capsule X2 Trusty Machete X1 Dagger of the Worthy X1 Cower in Fear X1 Call the Bloodline X1 Eldrazi Monument X1 Behind the Scenes X0

MT TIP TIP #1: The Objectives of Occulttask 1. Rare cases or rare situations 2. Get familiar with Occulttask objectives.  Example: Immediate mission.  In a time of chaos. Steps had been taken. 3. From #2, there are espionage missions.  Example: The coordinators and commanders had thought about the espionage missions.

TIP #2: Vampire Lacerator, Pulse Tracker, and Bloodghast Plays 1. Vampire Lacerator, Pulse Tracker, and Bloodghast are preferred for openning plays 2. Vampire Lacerator and Pulse Tracker could be play right away.  When Pulse Tracker attack even if your Opponent use blocker(s), it still does Damage.  Even though you must pay the cost on your every Upkeep, but Vampire Lacerator will be noticeable when use in openning plays. 3. Bloodghast, go all the way back to Hierarchy Ceremony biography if needed. Bloodghast had been introduced in Hierarachy Ceremony.  Furthermore, from above, TIP #1, knowing the Objectives of Occulttask.  1. If opponent is hazy, then use Bloodghast.  2. For any reasons Bloodghast had to go to the graveyard, then whenever a land enter into the battlefield under your control, you may return Bloodghast into the battlefield. 3. Bloodghast will gain Haste when the battle heat-up.  Example: When you had lost life points in battle or during the match.

TIP #3: Guul Draz Vampire, Ruthless Cullblade, and Vampire Nocturnus 1. Guul Draz Vampire, Ruthless Cullblade,  and Vampire Nocturnus aka the "Finisher".  From TIP #2, got pass the openning plays, now is time to complete the job. 2. Guul Draz Vampire and Ruthless Cullblade Power and Toughness will increase when opponent had taken some damage.  Guul Draz Vampire power triple and gain Intimidate.  Example: Intimidate made Guul Draz Vampire more difficult for opponent to block.  As for the Tripled power, From #1,  will able to finish the job. 3. As expected opponenet also had increased power, so Vampire Nocturnus will sealed the deal.  Example: When Vampire Nocturnus on the battlefield Vampires you control will gets +2/+1 and gain Flying.

______________________________________________________________

VG: Bloodline Keeper Deck Biography

Dracula Castle Dracula In Province of Stensia, the Innistrad wars had arrived to Dracula Castle.

The known society.  So, the known society gathered their forces.  In those forces, the Bloodline Keeper and alike families were joined into an army.

A time of chaos and wars, what is within the known society army?

The known society had been through time for thousand of years.

Not only just Dracula Castle anymore, Innistrad wars expanded through all provinces, Bloodline Keeper and Stromkirk Captain leading the army.

What store within these lineages?  Example: thousand of years.

The conflicts from wars?  Example: The fear of unknown.

It is the unknown that questions are created?

What would the human questions: 1. The human fear the unknown, because it is unknown to them? 2. Or it is fear of knowing might change the outcome? 3. Or the process in general?

Before the Bloodline Keeper arrival, the lord assigned a Stensia Masquerade, lord gathered Stromkird Captain and his army, but would Innistrad yield to mights and brute forces alone?  Especially, with Avacyn Restoration, the humans are out of control.

Call for the Stromkirk Noble and Indulgent Aristrocrat.  Would the humans want to engage in a talk of nobility with Stromkirk Noble?  Or perhaps, Aristrocat status with Indulgent Aristrocrat?

Deck List Creature X19 Bloodline Keeper X4 Stromkirk Captain X3 Indulgent Aristocrat X4 Stromkirk Noble X4 Falkenrath Gorger X4

Enchantment Call the Bloodline X4 Stensia Masquerade X4 Sinister Concoction X2

Artifact Eldrazi Monument X3

Sorcery Sign in Blood X4 Increasing Ambition X2

Land X22 Swamp X8 Mountain X6 Dragonskull Summit X4 Blood Crypt X4

CRE: 19 ENC, ART, SOR: 19 Land: 22

Side Deck Will Be Added

MT TIP TIP #1: Bloodline Keeper And Stromkirk Captain Plays 1. When Stromkirk Captain in the battlefield all Vampires get +1/+1 and gain First Strike.  Taking on openning plays opposing forces.  Example: holding the line.  Gathering the forces. 2. From #1, by time of Bloodline Keeper, there are Stromkirk Captain and Vampires on the battlefield.  Bloodline Keeper could call for more Vampires alike.  Bloodline Keeper and the Vampires alike have flying, giving them the flying edges needed to overcome this battle. 3. From #2, now there are a noticeable vampire force, so the Bloodline Keeper transformed into Lord of Lineage.  Again, read the bio, that question, what store in thousand of years of lineage?

TIP #2: Indulgent Aristocrat And Stromkirk Noble Plays 1. From TIP #1, Lord of Lineage and Stromkirk Captain had strenghten the forces 2. Indulgent Aristrocrat ability will benefit the forces by add additional strenght. 3. Stromkirk Noble: If opponent using human forces, then Stromkirk Noble can't be blocked.  Also, Stromkirk Noble's power and toughness increase after each successful attacks.

______________________________________________________________

VG: Stensia Masquerade Deck Biography

Did you receive the invitation? There are two portraits of Vampire D. 1. First Portrait: Vampire D is preservation 2. Second Portrait: Vampire D is in for a Bloodlust quarrel

MAS Language System define Masquerade as a display of the overall.  Example: Hierarchy, Ceremony, Occulttask, and etc.

Note: Stensia Masquerade will conclude the Encore.

About Me: My campaigns and MAS writing.  In a way, this is a Masstar Exclusive.

Our Journey is coming to a conclusion.  The known society. The Stensia Masquerade also have after gathering that will last all the way into the morning.

The Innistrad wars are throughout all Provinces.  Will not result immediately.  In other words, the wars will continue. It seem as a beginning, but the Stensia Masquerade is a conclusion to this journey.

In Stensia Masquerade expect the sum of the overall or that saying, "Leave it to the imagination."  Example: 1. State of Ecstasy.  Example: That is the whole purpose of the gathering. 2. Bloodlust like Vampire D second Portrait 3. An adrenaline rush 4. Exotica, a touch of mystery, and etc.

Falkenrath Gorger: When Falkenrath Gorger on the battlefield, all vampires gain the berserker state.  This state will be explain in the HoS schedule.

Insolent Neonate: Opinions and Objectives are there so we could tell the differences.  There are also titles like Invoker or Arrogant.

In summary: 1. Masstar Exclusive 2. MTG Universe 3. Masquerade

In conclusion, a choice of calling it energy and spirit of a championship round or energy and spirit of a gathering for a job well done. Also, a transition to another schedule.  Example: Another schedule will continue right after.

Deck List Creature Stromkirk Occultist X3 Indulgent Aristocrat X3 Stromkirk Noble X4 Falkenrath Gorger X4 Vampire Cutthroat X4 Insolent Neonate X4

Enchantment Call the Bloodline X3 Stensia Masquerade X3 Mass Hysteria X2 Font of Return X2

Sorcery Sign in Blood X4 Hazardous Conditions X2

Land X22 Swamp X8 Mountain X6 Dragonskull Summit X4 Blood Crypt X4

CRE: 22 ENC, SOR: 16 Land: 22

Side Deck Bloodlord of Vaasgoth X3 Pryrite Spellbomb X3 Seal of Fire X3 Mind Stone X3 Vampire Hexmage X3 Quag Vampires X0 Geistflame X0

MT TIP TIP #1: Unblockable, Skulk, and Menace Plays 1. Use these plays as Opening Plays to rush opponent(s) 2. Stromkirk Noble ability humans can't block Stromkirk Noble 3. Vampire Cutthroat had the Skulk ability.  Basically creatures with higher Power can't block Vampire Cutthroat.  If able to block would be double knock-out. 4. Insolent Neonate have Menace ability.  So, opponent need to have multiple blockers to block Insolent Neonate.

TIP #2: Call the Bloodline Plays 1. Have Falkenrath Gorger on the battlefield.  Now all vampire cards gain Madness ability. 2. To use Call the Bloodline ability require to discard a card.  When discarding a card will trigger the Madness ability. 3. Discarding Stensia Masquerade will also trigger the Madness ability 4. Repeat #1-#3 to keep the plays going

TIP #3: Hazardous Conditions Plays 1. Require some set up or else Hazardous Conditions could also does damage to your creatures 2. Have Stensia Masquerade on the battlefield 3. Using TIP #1 and TIP #2, attack as often as possible.  With Stensia Masquerade on the battlefield, whenever a vampire made a successful attack will gain a +1/+1 counter. 4. Repeat #3 until all of your creatures gain +1/+1 counters, then use Hazardous Conditions.  Now all of your creatures will not take any damage.

______________________________________________________________

SS Post Summary April 23, 2018 Blackout Posting Dates Conflict Landlord, Land Policies, and Living Expenses conflict 1. "Not an easy task to get First Place in the tournament." 2. There is no the word, difficult in my vocabulary 3. My campaign for solutions to my First Place Streak Conflicts been going on for many years

I had wrote an article on "First Place Streak Conflicts", the following is more examples of the "First Place Streak Conflicts": I had instructed many tutorials and advises about TCG Plays.  In those tutorials and advises I usually included examples:  As for the First Place Streak Conflicts.  The following is an examples.  Don't know if the readers or audience could see it or not. USA Federation: USA Country noticeable monuments.  To name a few: Mount Rushmore, President Statue, White house, Pentagon Immigrated Families: Civil rights, Civil Standards, Constitution, Law, majority/mass appeal There are also San Fransico Golden Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Thank you for supporting PTTS.  Continue to support PTTS by helping me building up PTTS and MAS writing such as spreading positive things about them. Agenda Definition: 1. Scheduel Activities 2. Structure of an organization such as club, company, and etc. In talks, google, yahoo, MSN, and etc. had made the world a bit closer than before.  In the article, "Fiction And Non-fiction" I basically, in the midst of talking and writing about the world/field of following topics: 1. "Creative Writing" 2. "Website Development" 3. "Graphic Design" 4. "Software Development" I came upon, this topic, "Fiction And Non-fiction".  Also, as Club President, in each of the club meet, I am responsible for creating the club agenda such as a list of activities.  Basically, send E-mail to all the members, so they know the about the club agenda.  So, those topics listed above had came upon during the club talks. Also, in MAS, "Star Duelking", during the topic, "VIP Distinction".  There were concepts of "Fiction And Non-fiction". What I wanted to say is the following: 1. After the Redemption MT, I had been occupied as Club President.  Having almost no contact of any thing outside of my club.  For years of time. 2. I am struggling with the DD in my life In conclusion: 1. From #1 and #2, could there be a solution?  Such as exception(s)? 2. It is already tough enough, I just don't wanted it to get worst. Basically, from the conclusion I made, instead of talking to a person about it, I started my campaigns.  Part of the campaigns, I started hosting Daily Session and PTTS.

In summary, while posting up Sorin Solution Post, those things I listed above are the more noticeable conflicts I came upon.

SS Contents Summary 1. SS Contents #1-9 was posted up on Thursday April 19.  With exception of Content #10-11 will be added days after. 2. On Thursday April 19, 2018 I posted up the SS Post, but there were problems with the website.  Example: A few of the SS contents did not show up.  Also, the post layout did not followed the same format I had been using for my other posts. In conclusion, by Saturday, April 21, 2018, #1 and #2 had been fixed.  I was able to post up SS Post with all the SS contents.

In summary, the updates, recaps, and summaries each step a long the way in a way so that I could be able to meet my posting dates and result the posting conflicts.  In a way like notes that I could look through. Again, the Circus Custom.  Example: There are many steps a long the way to establish the Circus Custom.  Also, there are many departments in the Circus Custom.

Saturday April 21, 2018 From SS Contents conclusion, by evening of Saturaday April 21, 2018 SS Post and all SS Post contents had posted up.  In other words, I am just glad I able to posted up even though there were a few exceptions. Anyway, minutes after the SS Post, the computer lab had closed.  As I am heading back to my place, I noted, SS Post and all SS Post Contents had been post up.  Period. So, I would recall my past memories of hosting Daily session.  There were a "Mini Series".  At the beginning of each sessions in that "Mini Series", I would raised my voice and annouced loud and clear, "Today is the day!"  Probably just a reminder that the campaigns for solutions been going on for many years, so if something were to happen, it would have happen years ago. In addition, Sorin's Tutorials Follow ups Post is coming up soon. In other words, I did not wanted to have thoughts of either Posts such as SS Post or STFU Post.  It is already into the evening.  So I just wanted to have some time away from the schedule. In addition, I was on the Encore SS Post, non-stop for the last few days to meet the posting date more than before. After I got to my place, change my clothes.  As I was about to get into the kitchen, to cook some dinner.  It is already into the evening, so it is understandable to cook some dinner. Maybe during SS Post Content #8, "About Me and SS Decks, I also written MAS Stages.  In one of the MAS Stages, I wrote about my "Autobiography" that lead to the MAS, "Gabe".  Also in my article, "Immigrated Families", I wrote about my classmates and I started "Fight Request" back in the Elementary School years. "Fight Request" could have been in my head.  So, I just exclaimed out loud, "If anyone made a Fight Request, I will be there."  Basically, there were a lot of intensity such as energy and spirit in the MAS, "Gabe".  In addition, I had been non-stop for last few days. It is a back to back Encore and then HoS Schedule, I barely posted my first post.  There are already intensity within me about "Fight Requrest". I been non-stop for the last few days, I just basically packed instant foods.  Now, I am in the midst of cooking my dinner, so I decided to result these thoughts I have after dinner. It must have been the instant foods I had for the last few days, because the dinner I cooked tasted delicious.  After the delicious dinner, I felt much better.  I noted, tomorrow, Sunday April 22, 2018 I will go the grocery get more ingredients and could cooked my dinner to taste even more declicious.  Basically, giving myself something to look forward to. The delicious dinner I cooked did give me a bit relieve from the non-stop for the last few days stress.  I decided not to get carry away, so I wrote some notes how the MAS, "Star Duelking" title started.  I was only able to wrote some notes, because it is already passed midnight.  Could have been the non-stop from the last few days, I felt asleep right away.

Sunday April 22, 2018 Early in the morning, the Landlords was all over me. Like I wrote above: 1. Could there be solutions?  Such as exception(s)? 2. It is already tough enough, I just don't wanted it to get worst. I feared to argued with the landlords.  Example: My full schedule, I have to make room for these arguments.  It cannot be random.  Because the arguments might lead to more arguments.  Another example: I barely made my first post and it is an Encore and then HoS Schedule.  There are many more Posts. In addition, I already told the persons who are in the same place as me about my schedule.  Also, they could call my Cell-phone or leave me notes if there are important things. So, in morning I left my place.  I went to "Game Empire", planning to see the Mirrodin Block MTG decks I put together. In midst of testing my Mirrodin Block MTG Decks, there were TCG Players, I had a few matches with one of the TCG Players.  Basically, it had been years of time since I made contact with TCG Players, so I told thme I am called Pokemon Master in the TCG place.  Anyway, after I purchased some MTG cards from "Game Empire", I left the place. As planned I went to the Grocery to get the ingredients I needed to cook the delicious dinner that I been looking forward to. Again, thank you for supporting PTTS.  Continue to support PTTS by helping me building up PTTS and MAS writing such as spreading positive things about them. I cooked a bigger portion of Hot Pot, I ate non-stop.  I was sweating non-stop.  I did not think of anything just ate the delicious dinner I cooked non-stop.  As I continue eating, I am sweating non-stop. After the delicious dinner, I smoke a few cigaretts. Again, I would recall my past memories of hosting Daily session.  There were a "Mini Series".  At the beginning of each sessions in that "Mini Series", I would raised my voice and annouced loud and clear, "Today is the day!"  Pobably just a reminder that the campaigns for a solution been going on for many years, so if something were to happen, it would have happen years ago. "If something were to happen, it would have happen years ago."  Again, even if no one show, I would still continue the Daily Session.  Also, Daily Session was part of my campaigns.  The campagins to find solutions and/or establish the solutions I had been going on for many years.  Again, one of the solutions was for my First Place Streak Conflicts. Note: The USA Federation did show up.  Example: During the President Award Ceremony, my classmates did "walked over" to greet my family.  But, for a few minutes at most.  How long had I been with the surrounding conflict?  Again, the campagins to find solutions been going on for many years.  One of the solutions was for my First Place Streak Conflicts. Gencon Note: I preordered Gencon full 4 days membership included pre-day.  I booked airline ticket.  I booked hotel.  For about a week non-stop, I had joined tournament after tournament.  I choose to go to Gencon.  I choose to joined the tournament non-stop. First Place Streak Conflicts: District could organized all the events that would happen in my life.  So, it is the same as they could organized an accident that could end my First Place Streak Conflicts.  Again, the campagins to find solutions been going on for many years.  One of the solutions was for my First Place Streak Conflicts.

______________________________________________________________

STFU Post Coming Soon Announcement

Late April Around Thursday April 26, 2018 On April 23, 2018 Monday, I summarized what had happen in the last few days from completing the SS Post and days after. Basically, I added some notes to my First Place Streak Conflicts.  Again, I been finding solutions and/or establish solutions I had to my First Place Streak Conflicts for many years.  Read "SS Post Summary" for more information. Finding solutions, not making things complicate.

Coming Up Post In "SS Post Summary", I wrote I make an exception to the Posting date on SS Post.  Example: #10-11 was posted days after.  Also finding solution to the posting problems.  Even though, by Saturday April 22 SS Post and all SS Post contents was posted up, but exceptions and finding solutions was required. The STFU Post is coming up, just barely over a week.  Posting date is Thursday, May 3, 2018. 1. TCG Tournament Custom:  TCG Tournament Custom been going on for many years. 2. Not obstacle course: Daily Session, PTTS, PTTS Schedules, and Encore is not Obstacle Course.  In addition, there are descriptions and guides throughout the schedule to help the readers and TCG Players through each Posts, so those readers and TCG Players could complete the Schedule. Right after completing "SS Post Summary", I continue on MAS.  Basically, I was ocupied with MAS for days. 1.  MAS Brief Description: My campaigns been going on for many years.  Ever since I started my campaigns, I also started writing MAS.  After the development of MAS, some of the MAS writing contents I categorized as MAS title(s). 2. Understanding About MAS Contents: There are many contents about MAS.  Just to name a few: MAS Q And A, MAS Stages, and MAS Biography.  Also, coming soon a schedule including contents on MAS.

______________________________________________________________

#PTTS #DD AND MT #ENCORE #SCHEDULE #SORIN'S TUTORIALS FOLLOW UPS #SORIN #TUTORIALS #FOLLOW UPS #MAGIC THE GATHERING #MTG #TOURNAMENT #FRIDAY NIGHT MAGIC #FNM #CHAMPION STREAK SERIES #CSS #SORIN MARKOV #LORD OF INNISTRAD #INNISTRAD #ZENDIKAR #TRADING CARD GAME #TCG #TCG TOURNAMENT #CUSTOM #FIRST PLACE STREAK

[wobblyheadedbull]

Under Pressure

Easter was disappointing for all of us, but ultimately nobody can say the results were unexpected. Two top-half opponents in four days; a narrow-ish loss at home on the Friday, a first-half pummelling away on the Monday - remove the blinkered optimism of fandom and it wouldn’t exactly have taken Nostradamus to have nailed both outcomes in a pre-Easter League Express column.

We didn’t hit zero by Easter, but that’s life, and there’s no point dwelling on it.

For me, the one image that keeps coming back from that weekend is Beattie’s post-match interview on the Monday - regardless of the whats and hows of what was asked and what was answered - in that few minute clip I saw a man under pressure, and it didn’t sit right with me.

So much so, I found myself compelled to make a graphic; yeah that’s right, BBC, bet you want to hire me know, don’t you? Look at my graphic!

I’m most proud of the way the red text doesn’t quite stand-out enough in some places to be truly readable. I’m also not completely sure it will be viewable in some media when people read this - so, for the benefit of the graphically bereft, it’s a bull with two geezers stood next to it, over various parts of the image I’ve written the words ‘Fans’, ‘Players’, ‘Coaches’ and ‘Owners’ - close you’re eyes, you’ll see it; it’s beautiful.

Right, this is my incredibly insightful, and wonderfully apt, representation of our Bradford Bulls at this moment in time - or perhaps any moment in time, but I’m not a time traveller, I’m just an occasional graphic maker.

So here’s the science bit - when pressure must be applied to gain results, where do you direct it? I’ve already discussed, at length and with a small amount of bile, how it should not be applied to the fans - who are your legs, they hold you up, quite literally support you - this might get you a bit of momentum in the short term, but at some point they’re just going to buckle, break, or give up completely. So, pressure has no place being applied here - I think that’s an easy argument.

What about the players, them chaps who make up the body of your bull? Well, probably stands to reason that if you want a bull to move, you give it a bit of a nudge in the hind, y’know, there’s a lot of weight in that body, a bit of encouragement could go a long way - too much though, and you’re going to break a spine, or just - as the urban legend suggests is possible - tip the whole thing over.

Really though, should there be any true pressure placed on the 2017 Bradford Bulls’ players? Nah, mate. Children and conscripts called into an office and told the survival of the club, at least at its current level, is in their hands. “Sorry about the total lack of experience or preparation lads, but we expect you to sort this out for everyone.”; not a chance.

Aside from one or two who probably have a higher wage to justify - the only pressure placed on any kid in a Bradford shirt this year should be to show why they’re getting picked ahead of the guys in the year below. As much as it pains me to see basic mistakes made on the field, I’m not even sure it’s completely fair to expect a fifteen stone nineteen year old, who signed their first professional contract just after Christmas, to keep his composure while three guys ten years older, who’ve been on the prison steroids, bear down on them - certainly not every time. Of course I want a perfect error free performance, we all do, but to echo Beattie - that’s not going to happen this year; fact.

This team can play rugby, we’ve seen them do it, and they’ll win more games, but they’re not going to do it under the weight of unreasonable expectation.

Then we’ve got the coaches, the head of our Bull, the guiders of the body - and yeah, there must be a bit of pressure here, that’s only natural if you want the body looking after properly.

Except, we’re in a bit of a weird situation at Odsal - we have one guy, a head coach, no doubt offered a head coach’s wage, with all the experience of a head coach - who’s living as a tourist with absolutely no pressure or responsibility whatsoever, because he’s not officially allowed to work. Then you’ve got another guy, who’s been told to ‘fill in’, had it made clear that the job isn’t his - likely salaried to reflect that - then shoved in front of the world and lumped with every ounce of pressure to achieve, and every grain of responsibility to do that. 

Our Mr Beattie is in one of two positions - either he’s been given the crappy end of a job which, once visas finally do come through, will be stripped from him, along with all credit for the work he’s done - or he’s the public face for another man’s unauthorised work, and having to answer for that work to the public. Oh, and in either scenario he has no control of spending or recruitment whatsoever. For me the mere fact Mr Beattie still shows up on gamedays after this saga has dragged on so long is testament to his character and a credit to how much he cares; until such a day that he gets the head-coach’s parking space, he should basically be thanked for being there and asked if he wants the last Rolo every week. Mr Toovey - he should be under some pressure, if and whenever he starts work;  there’s no doubt cheaper coaches around.

Nope, in the current Bradford Bulls set-up there is one place, and one place only, that any pressure should reasonably be applied by anyone - and that’s to the guys holding the rope, the purse-strings, and the keys to the farm. The guys who bid against several others to take control, to take responsibility, and to achieve something with this club. The guys who are in charge of staffing, recruitment, budgets, planning.

Nobody sees them though - or hears from them - and they live far far away, and their life just goes back to normal if this all goes wonky again at the end of the year - so, y’know, no worries and all that.

So long as we’re not taking our frustrations out on teenagers with nervous catching hands, or guys with temporary kit bags, or each other - united we stand, etc - because, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think things should sit so un-right that we have to be making graphics, that takes too much time and I’ve got two episodes of Better Call Saul to catch up on. Tomorrow is Toulouse, perhaps the only league game I’ll miss this year - because France costs lots of dosh and the food is too salty - but it seems there’s a good few hundred who won’t let that stop ‘em, because those legs have to keep carrying this team, whether the farmer keeps feeding it or not. I hope we get zero, I also hope every part of our Bull has a jolly good weekend whether we do or not, because by-eck most of its parts have earned it.

#bradford bulls #rugby league #championship #toulouse #graphic #bbc #pressure

[guillembalague-blog]

Pep Guardiola: what was all that about?

You don't exactly have to be an expert in body language to come to the conclusion that Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola is not in a particularly good place at the moment. Or is he? What is most interesting, however, about this recent " 'Kevin-esque' - you're so unfair" display can be found in its timing and motivation rather than its content. First and foremost what strikes one is that his post match series of interviews that consisted largely of "Yes", "No", "Don't Know", "You tell me", and "I didn't see it", occurred following Manchester City's home game against Burnley and came after a victory, not a defeat or a draw. This is important and, I am sure, totally deliberate. Pep knows better than anyone that had this contrived show of annoyance happened after a defeat it would have immediately been seized upon as a display of sour grapes with Pep being branded a sore loser. Instead what we got was something much more interesting, Pep the sore winner, a man keen to show his ire was about something much more important and fundamental than merely the result of a game. Maybe someone in the media should ask him why. I have my own theories. What he has learnt in his first months in charge is that controlling games is not a surefire way of guaranteeing success and in fact there are many other factors that makes that control difficult and determine the eventual outcome -atmosphere, pace of the game, the physical side of things, and also -yes- officials. Any manager coming here, Pep included, has to accept from the start that the law of the game followed anywhere else is simply not followed here, which means that no matter how much quality you might have, effectively it's all a bit of a lottery. Referees are human beings and they will make mistakes. But what is alarming is the flagrant inconsistency that abound in the Premier League in both minor and absolutely crucial decision making. And the fact that faults that exist in the rules are ignored here -a push to the goalkeeper, a dangerous high tackle... Just why Jamie Vardy received a red card for a two footed challenge and Marcus Rojo received no censure at all for a similar challenge on Palace's Wifried Zaha would be just - but only just - about understandable had the decisions been made by different officials. The fact is both decisions were made by Craig Pawson and if referees can't be consistent with themselves it's difficult to imagine how they will ever manage to be consistent with each other. Kun Aguero certainly deserved to be sent off for his late lunge on David Luiz in the City v Chelsea game but just what Luiz was still doing on the pitch following his last man challenge on Aguero earlier on is probably something only referee Anthony Taylor knows although don't waste your time even trying to ask him. No one seems to have the remotest idea what the acceptable limits of 'marking' or 'blocking', call it what you will, are from dead balls hurled into the area. Except Mike Dean of course who seems more than keen to punish what he perceives as foul play in the area. Although to date, no one knows whether or not this is a new Premier League guideline for refs, or a one-man campaign being launched by Mr Dean. It would be nice if someone could tell everyone, the media, the managers, the clubs, the fans and then officiate on that established priniciple. I'll not hold my breath. Referee, Michael Oliver, was generally thought to have had a good game in the heart stopping 3-3 encounter between Bournemouth and Arsenal but his decision to send off Simon Francis probably cost Bournemouth the win and was harsh in the extreme. What concerned me more however - and we're back to consistency again - was that Mr Oliver, in my opinion quite rightly awarded a penalty for a Xhaka push on Fraser before ignoring an almost identical push by Fraser on Bellerin that led to Bournemouth's third goal. These are the sort of decisions that have managers, including Pep, tearing their hair out. No one would ever accuse English refs of being corrupt, far, far from it. What is inescapable, however, is that many of them are not very good and certainly not good enough to officiate at the level they do. While the quality of the football being provided and the skills displayed by some of the greatest players in the world grows by the season, the level of officiating, particularly in the Premier League is going backwards at an alarming rate. When players are "not very good", they are dropped, loaned out, sold. When coaches, directors of football, scouts, club doctors, fund raisers, even press officers are "not very good" they are sacked; not referees. I believe that Guardiola cannot believe just why there is not a major debate taking place about the levels of refereeing inconsistency in the Premier League. And, as important, why faults committed in the world are not considered such in England -nobody told him there is a different rules book in the Premier League. Having said that, I'm afraid that it will have to dawn on him sooner rather than later, that this is how it is. He needs to move on as many other managers have decided to do. The sad truth about referees is that what we have here is a cosy little boys club with a membership consisting of a select few completely untouchable, totally unapproachable, bullet-proofed, specially chosen omnipotent individuals that can be as bad as bad can be, and still not be held to account, asked to explain their decisions or even remotely justify their incompetence. As the old joke has it: Q - "What's the difference between God and a Premier League referee?" A - "God doesn't think he's a Premier League referee." Perhaps a little hash but you get my point. There is another issue. The poor level of refereeing is actually going a long way to radically influencing the game in England and that isn't even my opinion but rather that of practically every manager in the Premier League. The vast majority of them will tell you that the games are made more difficult because control and quality is counter balanced by many of the refereeing decisions. Now they won't tell you that on the record of course, on account of the fact, that most of them harbour a desire to carry on working in this precarious industry for as long as possible and not unnaturally resent being regarded as an ATM for FA coffers. In any case, in the refereeing lottery they find themselves in, they eventually cling onto the 'win some, lose some' philosophy which assumes that things balance themselves out during the course of the season. And Pep, of course, knows as much as anyone that the only inevitability of taking a metaphorical whizz in a hurricane is that you will end up with your Armani slacks and Gucci loafers soaking wet. Someone who is prepared to speak his mind is former referee, Keith Hackett, and it was always going to be a gamekeeper turned poacher that was always going to tell it like it is. In his latest piece on the You Are the Ref website he says, "The lack of consistency of law application...has reached alarming levels and decision-making is at an all time low." This is not the first time Mr Hackett has been vociferous in his strong views about the Premier League and the PGMOL who brook no criticism. He is currently the only person seemingly prepared to stick his head above the parapet. "It is evident that the controlling influence of the Premier League is preventing the PGMOL, the organisation responsible for the selection, development and training of our professional referees, from making any statements about the performances of their match officials," he says. I remain convinced that Pep will achieve success at the Etihad although the success benchmark placed on the shoulders of Pep is inevitably far greater than that placed on other managers. Perhaps, as many a parent who has been confronted by an stroppy teenager will undoubtedly concur, sometimes a display of annoyance, can also be interpreted as a cry for attention.