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We had hoped to judge the entries and announce the winners in time for Pro Circuit Los Angeles. Unfortunately, that didn't work out as planned. We'll be notifying the winners soon and announcing some of the winning entries here and in the next issue of Undefeated.
Here are two photos of PC LA I found while searching for an image to go with my Undefeated #10 editorial.
Well, I'm back from Anaheim--$630 richer--after two grueling days of Vs. System play. I went 7-3 in day 1 constructed play to qualify for day 2; combined with my 4-5 day 2 record, I slinked into 72nd place. (Only the top 75 players get a cash prize.) I even got to play in the cool feature match area! I played as part of Team RealmWorx, as did PC winner Ryan Jones. Congratulations to Ryan and everyone else on the team for pulling down a collected $50K+. And congratulations to Jeff Donais and the crew from UDE for topping PC Indy's attendace at this second event. I want to thank Tony Burian (left) for welcoming into the team. If it weren't for his support and Rob Leander's coaching, I couldn't have done nearly as well. And thanks to the rest of the team (and all of my other friends that were there) for all of their help too. It was just an awesome experience.
Is duelmasters a yu-gi-o remake? Far from it. It's actually the Magic game design cleverly dressed up to appear similar to Yu-Gi-Oh! on the surface. The biggest difference between Magic and Duel Masters is mana--in Duel Master's mana is a value of every card. So far, I've only seen 1-mana, single-color cards. Another big change is that Duel Masters uses shield cards instead of life points. When all your shields are gone, one more attack finishes you off. Visually and story-wise, Duel Masters is very much like Yu-Gi-Oh! The art is big and very fantasy-oriented, the power values are typically 4-digit numbers, and the storyline involves monsters on the cards coming to life. I'm no expert on Duel Masters, but you could debate endlessly about the similarities and differences between it and other games.
I learned yesterday that there are over 8,000 retail locations in the US are authorized to carry Undefeated. The most memorable were Hastings and Fred Meyer. So, if you live near a Hastings book store or Fred Meyer supermarket, ask them when they're going to sell Undefeated if they don't already carry it.
We're constantly looking at what we produce to make sure the jargon doesn't overrun the content. Sometimes it can be challenging; we've got some knowledgeable, talented authors who are used to writing for more informed audiences. It's up to the editors to decide what needs to be called out or changed to make it as accessible as possible without dumbing it down too much. The challenge will always be there. Without it, the content will become bland and boring to skilled and new players alike.
Say we do review individual figures as they're released; do you want the figures reviewed on the quality of the figure itself (sculpt, cleanup required, ease of construction) or the stats that figure adds to the game (even if those stats have been out for a while)?
Poison is so good. It really slaps around anyone that wants to hang together.
HeroScape brings the magic of HeroClix, Mage Knight, and D&D Miniatures to the mass market. Duel Masters is like Magic 2.0--all of the knowledge of what makes Magic challenging went into making Duel Masters less so. It's both a great game and a primer for Magic. Just like I discovered D&D as a kid in the toy story and followed up with it as a teenager in the bookstore, today's kids will have that opportunity with games like Duel Masters and HeroScape.
Grey, it's feedback like this that really helps us shape Undefeated content. It also makes for great discussion here.
Thanks for the props, grey_zealot. We really like the way the HeroClix article looks too. As for the theme strategy suggestion, we're starting a new feature series in #10 called the "Essential" series. Each article takes a strategic archetype from a game--the first two are Sligh (Magic: The Gathering) and Burn (Vs. System)--and describes what they are, what makes them work, and gives examples of how to make them. The goal is to pass along not just some winning builds, but to show the thought process that created that build. That way, you can carry that knowledge forward. Got a suggestion for an Essential HeroClix archetype?
That's some pretty cool ideas. zeppelined, I'll direct you to some back issues that cover the ground you're talking about: Undefeated #1 gives basic painting advice (you can even preview the first two pages of the article online). Undefeated #6 Features speed painting; all of the little things you can do to paint an army as fast as possible.
This really is more a question about figures for Warhammer, WARMACHINE, WarGods, and so on. The figures come out at different times, but the stats are centrally located in sourcebooks. So, when the figure comes out, its stats are already common knowledge. Is there any value in reviewing something like that, when the only real new quality is the miniature itself?
I rocked the Parasite/Motherbox combo in a few games. It also kept Mark Moonrider cosmic. Superman is an interesting set, that's for sure.
Each time a new issue comes out, a few things happen: About the same time as the subscribers get it, it also gets its own page here at paizo.com. Here's Undefeated #9's page. On it, you can see that the date subscribers get it is 11/2. It doesn't hit newsstands until 11/23. Thank you for reminding a bunch of retailers that they should be stocking Undefeated, and thanks to Time Warp for already carrying us.
I vaguely remember a broken rule in MK 1.0 that allowed a figure to hide behind an invisible figure. Kinda counterintuitive. At least Sue Storm could theoretically make Thor invisible for little or no effort (in the comic books at least). Or Thor's a big sissy, hiding behind a girl. One or the other.
I had a letter published in Undefeated #8. According to the sidebar I am supposed to get some free stuff, but I have not been contacted by Paizo. How do I claim my prize? Your name and email address (along with everyone else's who won a prize) has been passed along to Wizards of the Coast. Soon, you should be receiving an email that will provide you with your gift certificate for the Magic: The Gathering Online store.
I just flew back from Spokane, WA this morning. I was prepared to play in the constructed deck Vs. System Pro Circuit qualifier, but had some time to play the sealed PCQ first. With each round only a half hour long, we were able to play all 6 Swiss rounds before cutting to a top 8. I went 4-2, losing round 1 to bad luck (Black Cat crossed my path too many times) and round 5 to tournament winner Jason Kurtzhall. That was good enough to put me in 6th place in the final standings. Before the final 8 draft round, 2nd-place player Peter Sundholm dropped out of the sealed pack PCQ to play constructed, promoting me to 5th place. In the Top 8 draft, I sat to Jason's left. (In case you've never drafted, all you need to know is that it's painful to sit to the left of the best drafter at the table.) At that point, my hope was that I'd get to face him in the final round and take 2nd place. Unfortunately for me, I met Jason in round 2 and got mercilessly beat down 2-0. I learned a few valuable lessons about limited play, earned 2 pro credits and 10 Web of Spider-Man booster packs, and traded like a fiend. The only thing I didn't get to do was play the constructed deck I painstakingly assembled and tested with for the last two weeks!
AG: That's what I thought you meant by a formula. I was pretty sure the DDM handbook explicitly did not use a formula for one of two reasons. Either they have one and they don't want to reveal it for fear of someone breaking it, or they don't and had no desire to painstakingly reverse-engineer one.
Set rotation seems little more than opportunism if done poorly. In theory, one of the criteria for including old cards in new sets is their popularity. If you look at the current Magic environment, you might be surprised to see how many Eight Edition and Mirrodin cards you already own (assuming you haven't unloaded all of your Magic cards). As for a set formula, I'm not sure what AG is referring to. Could you give me a page reference so I can look it up? Thank you.
Undefeated is always looking for new writers, especially ones well versed in today's popular TCGs and miniatures games. If you're interested in writing strategy, review, and preview articles for these kinds of games, send a sample of your published work to undefeated@paizo.com or to: Undefeated
A published sample can be anything from an in-depth messageboard post to a magazine article to a complete work such as a book or game.
The most important element of set rotation is reissuing enough of the classics to maintain both balance and nostalgia. Look at Eight Edition to see what I mean.
Ah, Necromunda. Makes me wish that GW would give Sabertooth the green light to make prepainted board-game versions of Necromunda, Blood Bowl, and Space Hulk. Maybe if HeroScape is a success they might get spurred into action.
While it can limit your player pool, playing only with friends can eliminate much of the evils you speak of. I do find your MTGO experience interesting, though. I was under the impression that MTGO had a chess-like timer, one of its few devations from paper Magic. While each player is limited to 30 minutes I believe, I've had half-hours that felt like forever too. There. I said it.
As I've not been previously published anywhere, I guess that kind of rules out submitting to Undefeated. Not so fast, Jason. "Previously published" can include on the internet. Web articles and in-depth messageboard posts have earned more than one contributor a spot in the magazine. That doesn't mean you need to go and host your own website either. Go to the fan site of your choice and start writing messageboard posts about what you think makes an interesting read. If you do well, your readers will let you know. If you need some inspiration, look to your all-time favorite articles and authors and think about what made those great experiences for you. The best advice I can give you:
I look forward to hearing from you when you've got something you'd like to show me.
Our friends at AEG are so excited about Undefeated #8 that they're currently featuring it on thier main page and their Spycraft page. Check it out.
If Lady Death can get her own animated movie, I think it's not asking too much for a Milk & Cheese animation project. The only concern I would have about such a project would be whether audiences could buy Billy West as the voice of both Milk and Cheese.
If you order a copy of Undefeated #8 from this site, it will definitely have the Call of Cthulhu promo card in it.
Sorry. Tradable minis are covered already, because they're released in large sets. I'm talking about the small, sporadic blister and box releases for hobby miniatures games, such as Warhammer 40,000, WARMACHINE, Confrontation, and the like.
Back in Undefeated #1, we reviewed individual miniatures and box sets. It's been a while and we're thinking of doing it again. The question is, how much can we really say about a single figure? Plus, for games like Warhammer 40,000, the stats are already known so, what are we really reviewing? Lastly, is the current review system even set up to handle rating miniatures, or is it too strategy-centric?
Sidearm is the key, really. It hits if destiny plus the bearer's tactics is greater than the target's defense (7+D>Defense in the case of The Rifleman). The Rifleman automatically hits anything (not just characters, but vehicles too) with a defense of 6 or less. If you put your faith in your deck, you can probably nudge your odds to make 3/4 of your deck 3 or better. But you don't need to. There are several cards that let you set up or replace your destiny (especially for the Mavericks, which Rifleman is one of). Putting a 6 destiny on top of your deck is easy (even if it's unnecessarily high). In short, it's easy to build an Earth-Maverick deck that takes advantage of Rifleman-Sidearm. The Rifleman's game text is more a matter of goosing your total power and your destiny draw to equal 21. That takes a lot more skill and thought than just indiscriminately blasting away with the Sidearm.
I picked up FABLE on Tuesday afternoon, and have spent every waking hour that I'm not at work with controller in hand. I have even pondered pulling fire alarms, calling in bomb threats, and going into the basement and hacking open gas lines in order to get out of work early to go home and play. ;) Have you considered quitting or calling in sick? Use up some of that time off you've been saving. Take a Fable holiday.
Thank you. I try.
It is tuesday the 14th, and I hope I get mine this week. I would be happy to discuss it once it arrives. We got our office subscription copy today, so it should be to you any day now if you don't have it already.
This is true. Mike can read all about it in Undefeated #8's Magic Online article. My favorite feature of MTGO is the free membership--all you ever buy is cards, so you can spend your money at your own pace. (Technically, even the software is free, since you pay $9.99 for it and get a $9.99 credit at the MTGO store.) Plus, if you're a half-way-decent player, you can earn packs as tournament prizes.
Cool thread! Thanks Ed. I'd take: Space Hulk 2nd Edition
Okay, that last one is a min-max choice, since a poker deck gives you access to an near-infinite number of games. Also, you can just make everything you'd need to play backgammon (or checkers, or chess, or mahjong, or dominos...I'm kind of defeating the purpose here, aren't I?) As for Space Hulk, I'd try to sneak the contents of Deathwing and Genestealer into the box too. If that didn't work, I'd bring the Dungeon board game instead. While I'd want to sneak in the expansions for RoboRally too, it wouldn't be the end of the world (any more so) if I couldn't.
Briefly, the game uses nothing but the cards. Lose your deck, lose the game. Locations are laid out in a line; your units go on your side, mine on mine. To pay for cards, every turn you get to "activate" a certain number of cards (move them to a separate pile facedown). Use them (it's actually called "use") to pay for other cards by moving them to another pile (the used pile). What really sets the mechanic apart from other games is what happens at the end of the turn. You draw cards from your active pile; you can draw one, none, all, or any number in between. It gives players an incredible amount of control over the course of the game. They can draw none, adding to their available resources for the next turn, or draw all for a bigger hand. Most importantly, they can decide as they draw, allowing for tactical changes on the fly. You can play even some cards between drawing cards and on your opponent's turn, making a huge active pile rarely a bad thing. The only balancing factor that prevents you from activating your deck is drawing destiny. If you don't have a card on top of you deck, you can't draw destiny. Destiny is important. Hope that helped.
This truly is the classic dilemma, and set retirement (I prefer the term set rotation) is the standard solution. If DDM is really bought more than it's played, I don't think set rotation will upset too many people.
I played in the Web of Spider-Man release tournament on Sunday. My first opponent had no idea how to build a deck and spent half of the game doing nothing. My second built a good deck but didn't know how to use it. The third, built the best deck he could (something I didn't do) and we had two somewhat close games that he won. The last, he too built the best deck he could and edged me out 2-1 where only the last game was decisively his. I guess that presents arguments for both sides. Still, even my deck built to about 90% efficiency carried me farther than the better deck played poorly. I bridged the gap with skill (in which I was more evenly matched with my 3rd and 4th opponents).
Gelatinous T. Cube (no relation to Ice Cube)
When the new Dungeon shows up on my desk every month, I flip straight to the back and read Wil's column. As a gamer and parent and a career person in my 30s, I really enjoy the chance to get a peek inside someone else's thoughts that shares all of those qualities. And it’s a great read too.
My favorite TCGs to play are Vs. and Star Wars TCG and it is like pulling teeth trying to find other players. They're all either way south or way north of the South Puget Sound area. I'm driving an hour on 9/12 to play in the Web of Spider-Man release tournament. While that's not too much to complain about, it's also the closest store that runs tournaments for the game. And I work in the second-largest metro area in Seattle and live only 30 miles away from said area. I feel your pain Mike.
I had seen a fan-built expansion for this game based on Belgium. There's also a rumor of a French site that has a version of the game based on a map of Paris. And, it looks like they've finally committed to getting T2R online. That's a definite bonus if you get it automatically by purchasing the board game.
This post originally appeared in Ticket to Ride. It has been deleted and put here instead.
Hoody hoo! What, no page with Undefeated covers on them? How about this?
I seem to watch more TV with my kids than I do when they're not around. (I use my "me" time to play Raibow Six on Xbox Live). Top of our list: Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited. It also seems like my TV is permantly on Cartoon Network, since I always look forward to the 11pm-Midnight block that usually contains Futurama and Family Guy. The last shows I watched without fail were 24 and The X-files, and I haven't found a suitable replacement yet (24 was so bad this year that I skipped the final episode, have no idea what happened, and after watching the show's first 71 hours, somehow don't care.) If Smallville comes a little closer to the comics without losing all of its current viewers, I'll be interested to watch that.
*snip* designer, Matt Forbeck I've known Matt for years, but I never knew that he designed two of my all-time favorite games: SPACE HULK and BLOOD BOWL. Good stuff. Look for a review of DRACULA'S REVENGE in Undefeated #9, coming November 2004.
No, not Amazing Stories; the cover art for Undefeated #8. It's the box art for the upcoming Champions of Kamigawa set for Magic: The Gathering. This issue should be hitting subscriber's mailboxes over the next week or two and on newsstands not too much later.
One of my favorite parts of planning an issue of Undefeated is working with the team to try to figure out what would make a cool, exciting, and informative topic for ". . . Like a Pro." The one in the works now is about shooting your minis written by James Davis of Privateer Press and the photos look great. Shooting minis is a bit of a departure from the hardcore painting and terrain articles we've featured in past issues, but with the internet becoming more a part of our everyday lives, it's every bit as important. If you read #7's ". . . Like a Pro," then you know that you can enter painting competitions online, and that your photos are all the judges will ever see. So what's next? I've got some crazy ideas (so crazy, in fact, that I'm not sure one person can execute, report on, and photograph what I have in mind). I've seen some awesome figures dremelled and wired with LEDs and have also heard rumors of magnet mods for on-the-fly weapon swapping and articulation. What would some of you like to see?
If you haven't checked it out, here is the press release about Undefeated magazine's Vs. Pro Circuit Invite contest. 1. Can we submit our Card with flavor text electronically? Unfortunately, no. You need to use the official entry form in Undefeated #8 or check out the official contest rules to see how you can enter without purchase. 2. Are we limited to 1 submission per person? Yes. Both the official entry form and the officail contest rules limit entries to 1 per person. Be sure to grab a copy of #8 soon to get your official entry form and get it postmarked by 10/29/2004 for your chance to win.
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