Shawn Lucas is the self identified "Noob of All Trades". He is married and the father of three boys, two of whom help with their own podcast every couple of months. Raised on Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, he enjoys all games and will play all of them to the best of his ability, which is often average at best. Currently, he is most interested in Magic, Heroclix, and other games that he can play with Chris and his sons.
Those who follow the page regularly (welcome back to all 6 of you!) know that I spent the better part of the last 10 years wishing that I knew how to play miniature games. Chris, the boys, and I dabbled in Heroclix and Dicemasters, but I never took the plunge into the traditional powerhouse, Warhammer. That changed last year when I saw a subscription service to the game. I put together a schedule that allowed me to dedicate a night to assembling, painting, and play testing the miniature. That’s the quick, quick version of how we arrived at Battle Report 1 for Warhammer: Age of Sigmar.
New Rules
Once of the nice things about the subscription model is that it eases you into new rules. This time, they introduced the concept of Rend. That value gets subtracted from the save roll, thereby theoretically causing more damage. They also gave me a helpful run down of the attack sequence with the new rule built in. It made the play test go smoothly.
The Set Up
They also set up a scenario for the models to get me started. They suggested pairing the “bosses” for each faction against the armies of underlings, as you can see here. I wondered how the match would end up with anything besides the armies against each other, but that’s why they roll the dice, dear reader. And, as I wrote to Chris later that night, it’s a ton of dice rolling.
The Battle
After you set up the armies, you then move them together to meet on the field of battle. The script moves you through the different scenarios as models are defeated until you arrive at a final show off. During this part of the battle, Christine noticed me playing with myself and she asked me if I wanted a partner. I replied, “No, just testing things out.” Truth was, I didn’t want to have to spend time explaining it to her right then. But, nice to know she’s open to the possibility.
The Final Showdown
As I surmised, it came down to the armies in the final battle. The one Stormcast Eternal fought valiantly after losing the rest of his troop. But, he finally succumbed to his injuries and the “bad guys” came away victorious. During this time, I actually really got into the match and started rooting for the guy and cheered when the die rolls went in his favor. Then, I tried to come up with a way to cheat him to victory.
The Victors
But, the Kruleboys won, fair and square. I still enjoyed playing and look forward to the next scenario in a few weeks after building and painting the next set of models.
The Verdict
I apologize that I didn’t use my powers of storytelling to make this Battle Report 1 more compelling. Once I’m out of school and I have more time and energy, I promise to make the next one better. In any case, as I said, I loved playing the game. Chris said that he wanted me to bring the models next time we hang out and Christine also showed interest. So, who knows, maybe the next time I won’t be playing with myself.
After reviewing only two books in the Spawniverse, I received only 5 books for DC Comics June 2024. Not sure the reason for the lull in production, but we work with what we have around here. One more thing before the reviews. I know you all came here for the “Fallout from the End of School”. That’s next week. I plan to put together the new theme this weekend and play some of the games to write those articles.
Decent
Writer: Tini Howard, Artist: Ivan Shavarin. This arc continues it’s uneven pace. While I like the vibe of the story in this issue. But, it feel misplaced right now. Then again, she may have just pumped the brakes a bit to bring us a big finale over the next couple of issues. Plus, the art in this issue is a bit too cartoony for me.
Good
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Writer: Tom King, Artist: Daniel Sampere
While I hate the Zur-En-Arrh persona and this issue revolves heavily around that, I like the version of Bruce Wayne on the run. Forced to rely on his wits alone, he ends up in hiding. Plus, two of the Robins come to his rescue in their own special way. Fun issue. The existential theme of Wonder Woman in this issue makes sense, but I hope that we get some sort of resolution soon. The slow play of this story just doesn’t work for me. I thought we might get something after last issue. But, no.
Great
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Rafa Sandoval
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Rafa Sandova
This mini event got off to a great start last month. Williamson hits the ground running and keeps it going this month. In Action, he shrunk the Super Family, but they still work to help Braniac’s hostages try to get free. Then, at the end, we get the heel turn from Lobo and a battle between him and Superman. By the end of the main title, Braniac succeeded in raising his queen and leaves us with a hell of a cliffhanger. Can’t wait for next month.
The Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed DC Comics June 2024. Even with the misstep in Catwoman, IMO, and the slow play of Wonder Woman, Action Comics and Superman more than make up for it. I also hope that more books come next month since I’ll have more time to read and review them.
A week of comic reviews usually means a new Marvel SNAP season. And this week is no different. After last month, a month that saw me briefly try to get to level 40 for a title reward, I again fell into my habit of simply finishing daily and weekly quests for the season pass rewards. I don’t see anything changing for Marvel SNAP June 2024.
New Locations
Both of these locations look annoying. I absolutely hate random locations because they always seem to work against me. I build up a lead and then it turns into the bullshit one that destroys all the cards if you have more than one card or the one that ends the game after turn 4 when I have only 5+ drops in my hand. The Ark seems more easily played around because the effect is consistent. Just build up a lead in the other two locations and win. However, I think we might see an increase in Trib decks as a result. Ugh.
New Characters
Arishem
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At the start of the game, +1 Max Energy. Shuffle 12 random cards into your deck.
On first glance, I thought, “I don’t think I want to play any of these cards unless I need to finish a quest.” Then, as I put together the gallery, I softened my stance some. I still don’t see a point in Makkari other than a free card if you draw it. Arishem looks fun just for the chaos factor. Phastos might see play in my Evolutionary deck because I like the possibility of less cost in that deck. Thena works in my ones deck, and Gilgamesh and Sersi might just be good. Both of them could see play in a few of my decks.
The Verdict
I never grew up as a fan of The Eternals. I never watched the movie and not because I heard it was bad. I’ve watched nearly everything Marvel, bad or not. I just don’t have the same connection to them as some of the other heroes. But, Marvel SNAP June 2024 at least gives me some fun cards to associate if I ever watch the move.
Last month, we eschewed all other comics to celebrate the end of an era with TMNT #150. Well, the universe paid me back this month by sending only two comics from outside of the major publishers. Therefore, Spawniverse June 2024 may feel slightly underwhelming. From the looks of it, we’ll be back next month with more books. If I knew how to market better, I might say something like, “twice as many books!” which sounds impressive until you realize that two times two is four.
Gunslinger #31
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi. A few issues ago, Uncle Todd and company blew up the Spawniverse. Not literally, that took place in issue 300 and 301. But, they took away all of the powers of any demon, angel, and hellspawn. And, since then, at least in Gunslinger, he took the opportunity to reintroduce the character. Kind of strange only 30 issues in, but when you commit to only soft reboots, you find yourself in strange situations sometimes. Javi tells the story of his sister to a woman and then finds himself at the mercy of a medicine man who gives him a piece of his mind. As always, Barberi’s work is impeccable. I, for one, am glad that Uncle Todd spawned (pun totally intended) many artists with his style. The book doesn’t feel the same without that Uncle Todd touch. My verdict: Good.
Spawn #353
Writer: Rory McConnville (with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Brett Booth. This title, similarly, spent some time in this issue reviewing the after effects of the war on hell. It also brings to light a new character and implies that character might have a deeper connection to the overall story. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but I feel like we’ve seen this person before in some capacity. Brett Booth, too, gives the Spawn look with his own subtle touches. Both of these books are in good hands right now. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict
It surprised me that only two books from Spawniverse June 2024 came in the shipment. But, you take the good with the bad when it comes to these titles. Decent to good stories and, usually, great artwork. But, with that comes delays. Like I say, next month looks to be back to normal.
As I wrote in the previous two articles, the end of school kicked my ass this year. It probably did last year, too. But, this year is fresh in my mind, so the ass kicking feels fresher. That means that any videos related to Mario in May come next month. But, I wanted to keep the page active, I present Mario Top 10: 5 to 1. What’s going to be number one? Actually, you may be surprised by number 3.
5 – Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Lest you think from my low ranking of SMB2 that I shun them trying new things in the series, I present you with the first game in the top 5. This game took some big swings with what you can do in a 3D game and mostly hit. The main complaint is that the camera issues continue to plague the games, actually made worse by the high flying game play. But the fun of slingshotting Mario all over the galaxy more than makes up for that minor inconvenience.
4 – Super Mario 3 (First Played – SNES)
As we get closer to number one, it becomes more and more difficult to rank these games. I know number one, but the gap between 5 and 4 is greater than that between 4 and 2. Really, any ranking of these games is possible, depending on my mood on that particular day. This game topped my list for a few years until they took the game and improved it in every way. More on that in a bit.
3 – Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)
I told you that I’d zig when you think I might Zag. Unlike the other games up here, I never considered this one my favorite in the series. But, I like it more than Galaxy. I know that’s not an opinion shared by many. What can I say? I appreciate the wackiness of this game and look forward to a similar game or a return on the virtual console.
2 – Super Mario World (SNES)
This game took everything great about Super Mario Bros 3 and improved upon it. For the longest time, this game topped my list. Even now, I pick it up and play it to relive all of the fun that it brought me as a teenager who bought my first console with my own money. Never underestimate that feeling.
1 – Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
This game blew me away in a way that no other did before or has since. They took everything great about Mario and moved it into the 3D gaming world seamlessly. Okay, not seamlessly. The camera was janky as hell and I missed Luigi. But, I still had a ridiculous amount of fun with this game and it’s the first one that I pursued a 100% completion.
The Verdict
That’s my Mario Top 10: 5 to 1. What do you think? What did I get wrong? Which games would you include instead? With over 40 years of games to choose from, you can’t go wrong with many of them. How many entertainment franchises can say that?
You know what you’re getting from us. Decent content and inexplicable two week hiatuses from that content. The end of the school year always kicks my ass and this year is no different. But, I’m back with Fallout Episode 4 and a plan to finish the series by the end of June and our celebration of all things Fallout. No sign of Max or Thaddeus in this episode because it concentrates on The Ghoul, Lucy, and Norm.
As mentioned above, this Fallout episode 4 concentrates on a smaller list of characters. This allows them to advance two main narratives; what happened in Vault 32 and Lucy’s trek to find her father. Thought, if I’m being honest, this part of that trek feels more like a side quest than a main quest. That’s not bad, mind you. Because, it serves to develop Lucy’s character a little bit. But, more on that in the next section.
Norm and Chet stumble upon the remnants of Vault 32. Surprisingly, this is where most of the plot of the series develops. They learn that the residents of the vault, driven mad by something, most likely either killed themselves or each other. In some cases, maybe both. When Chet theorizes that the madness drove them to let in the raiders, Norm corrects him. They opened the door from the outside.
Then, the biggest bomb of the episode. They used Rose McLean’s (Norm’s and Lucy’s mom) Pip Boy to open the door. Does that mean that she’s still alive? That she’s worked with the raiders? I mean, she could still be dead and they stole her Pip Boy. But, they seem to be setting us up for the fact that she’s still alive.
Character Profiles
The Ghoul: He continues to show himself to be a completely selfish individual who sees everything and everyone around him as tools to be used to advance his own goals. I was wrong. He didn’t want to kill Lucy. Instead, he wanted to use her as a bargaining chip to get more vials. I know I should hate the world for what they made him, but I just find myself hating him. Maybe they can redeem him eventually.
Lucy: She fights against the monster that the Wasteland wants her to become. A couple of times, back against the wall, she succumbs to the darkness. She never intentionally hurts anyone, even purposefully missing when shooting at the Super Duper Mart burn outs. She bites The Ghoul’s finger off, but I feel nothing but contempt for that shit bird. Additionally, she often atones for her acts or the reasons for them are egalitarian. Unlike The Ghoul, who is just a cartoon villain at this point, Lucy’s character has layers.
Norm: Betty says the quiet part out loud. Norm is one bad mamajamma (hush yo mouth) and he proves it by staking out Vault 32 and coming out with the reveal of the episode. He reminds me of myself when I play the games. Always searching. Always questioning. Never satisfied with the surface explanation of everything. I can’t wait to see what else he uncovers in the vaults.
Snip Snip: Voiced by Matthew Berry and with many of the laughs in this episode, Snip Snip nearly meets a tragic end before being resurrected for Lucy’s escape plan and then discarded like so much trash by the end of the episode. I hope to see more of them in the future.
Supporting Characters: The stoner warlords in the Super Duper Mart made me chuckle a couple of times. I laughed out loud at the air conditioner comment. Chet gets a starring role with Norm, but serves mostly as a foil to keep him from learning the truth.
World Building and Setting
We get a Super Duper Mart. When they walked up to it, I thought of the first time I went into the Mart in Fallout 3. I got killed by some raiders because, for some reason my dumb ass never considered that they’d use it as a hideout. The show never fails to impress with their attention to detail when dealing with important places from the games. They also showed some of the horrors that befell some residents of the vaults. We all knew that it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorn farts down there, but it gets real dark real fast as Chet and Norm explore.
They also live up to the title of the episode. Ghouls get some love in the episode. We see several in the moments right before they go feral. The Ghoul tells us that he’s been around “a long time”. 219 years? When Roger mentions that he’s turning after only 27, that makes me respect The Ghoul a bit more. But, just a bit.
Themes and Social Commentary
The main theme of Fallout episode 4 explores the idea introduced in earlier episodes about how quickly things go wrong. Vault 32 fell after over 200 years. We can only guess what happened right now, but it looked quick. The two dudes in the Super Duper Mart get their faces eaten off in less than a minute. The Ghoul drops in a heartbeat and that allows Lucy the upper hand and escape.
They push the narrative of it’s not the action that counts, but your reaction to it. The Ghoul chooses to be completely selfish and survive that way. Lucy, on the other hand, mostly keeps her innocence and kind nature in spite of the horrors that she’s endured. I mean, give her 219 years of wasting away in a debilitating fashion and who knows.
Narrative Pacing, Structure, and Soundtrack
Music serves a slightly different purpose in this episode. Instead of matching the music with the scene (it happens once or twice), the music works to enhance the mood of the scene. Because they still use period pieces for the music, it fits in just as well. To prove my point, at least one person put together a YouTube playlist of the music. While I could just use that for my videos in the plot summaries, I like the thrill of the hunt.
I wrote in the last article that I liked when they switch rapidly between the different stories. That happens in this episode as well. and it keeps everything moving. It also allows them to put breadcrumbs into the story and make us think that maybe the stories ultimately connect somehow.
The Verdict
Fallout episode 4 advances the story, develops the characters, and gives us some great music along the way. Even without Max this time around, I still enjoyed the episode. Halfway through the season and things are still looking good for the show. I can’t wait to see how they wrap things up.
As mentioned in the previous article in the series, I recorded the game play for the first video. Then, things (as they do) got crazy. So, I decided to put off finishing the videos until next month when school ends. As a result, this article for Mario Top 10: 10 to 6 will have its companion video next month as well. For now, enjoy this trip through Mario history with me. This time, with the added bonus of ranking the games.
10 – Super Mario Bros. 2 (First Played SNES)
After playing the masterpiece that was Super Mario Bros., I expected great things from this one, too. Then I played the game and, dear Lord, what the hell was that? I understand changing game play to suit a new game. Also, I get trying to keep things new and fresh. But, this game was neither of those. This was simply a reskin of another game with the Mario name. And, for me, it just didn’t work. In retrospect, I don’t hate the game as much, but in any top list, this one will always be at the bottom.
9 – Super Mario Land (Game Boy)
Honestly, this game is no better or worse than Super Mario Bros. 2. I flip flopped a bit between the two of them. This game only gets the edge because of the nostalgia of playing Super Mario Bros on the original Game Boy. The graphics are terrible. The controls are abysmal. Yeah, this should have been number 10.
8 – Super Mario Bros. (First Played Arcade)
I threw many a quarter away in this machine when the Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter games were several players deep. Along with nearly everyone else, I died numerous times at that first Koopa. Eventually, I played it with tokens instead of quarters at the local Putt Putt arcade. I got a little bet better, but couldn’t get further than the 3rd or 4th level. Then, my parents got us an NES for Christmas and I played the game at home. It continued to surprise me into adulthood as I learned about the secret exits. Just a solid game overall.
7 – New Super Mario Bros (Wii)
This is the first game that my kids and I played together. The nostalgia of playing with my brothers combined with the new excitement of introducing the boys to the wonders of multiplayer Mario. Add to it all that the game allowed you to bounce off of your teammates and this offered hours of joy that I’d love to relive.
6 – Super Mario Wonder (Switch)
I got the chance to relive it some when Liam picked up Super Mario Wonder for the Switch. He and Quinn played through during Christmas break. One night, they invited me to play. But, I let them have their moment. Next time, we’ll have to play and get Aiden to play too.
The Verdict
Super Mario Top 10: 10 to 6 brings some old and some new. Join us next week for the top 5. Which game do you think will end up number one? If you know anything about me, it should be an easy answer.
A week late, but I finally finished my comics articles for this month with Marvel Comics May 2024. But, I still consider that a win. With how nuts things at school went over the last two weeks and summer coming in about a month, I just need to hold the line until then. Hopefully you all understand. I promise to make the summer far more productive. Until then, enjoy what I content I can provide.
Amazing Spider-Man #47 and #48 (Legacy #941 and #942)
Writer: Zeb Wells, Artist: JRJR. I promised to avoid ASM until Zeb Wells no longer wrote the book. However, if I skipped this one and Incredible Hulk (because the art is just not great, that left me with only 3 comics for Marvel May 2024. While not as offensive as some of the recent stories, these issues don’t give me the good Spidey vibes that I enjoy. Still, I hold onto hope that the worst is behind us. My verdict: Decent.
The Avengers #13 (Legacy #779)
Writer: Jed McKay, Artist: Francesco Mortarino. I saw that Marvel put McKay on X-Men starting with the new series. When I looked it up, Redditers seem to think that means that an Avengers vs. X-Men crossover is imminent. I don’t know about that, but this issues is probably one of the weakest ones of McKay’s tenure so far. Not bad, by any stretch, but not as great as most of the issues in this run. Now, the Blood Hunt tie in that I have no interest in reading. My verdict: Good.
Fantastic Four #19 (Legacy #712)
Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Carlos Gomez. Marvel took Guardians away from me again. And no She-Hulk this time around means that the most consistently great book in the lot is Fantastic Four. This one reads like an old noir crime novel that eventually reveals as a bungled attempt by Trapster to use a cosmic cube. An absolute blast from cover to cover. My verdict: Great.
The Immortal Thor #10 (Legacy #771)
Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Carlos Magno. As you know, I loved Ewing’s Hulk. He wrote the book so masterfully and told a story for the ages. It took me some time to warm up to this version of Thor, but I enjoyed the last two issues and think I finally understand what he’s trying to accomplish here. And, I’m fully on board with it. My verdict: Great.
The Incredible Hulk #11 and #12 (Legacy #792 and #793)
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Danny Earls and Nic Klein. I mentioned Hulk earlier. The story of this title is amazing. I never thought it possible, but PKJ not only continues the horror vibe of Ewing’s Hulk, he actually amps it up a few levels. But, the art is so bad that it detracts from my enjoyment of the book. Spidey’s starting to come around with the story. Maybe they’ll finally find another artist for this one. My verdict: Story, great. Art, let’s move on.
The Verdict
I actually enjoyed all of the books this month on their own for different reasons. Spider-Man is crawling back to respectability. Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Thor all continue their good runs. And, the Hulk’s storyline is fabulous. Now, if only Marvel can iron out the slight wrinkles.
Last night, I finally got brave enough to attempt basecoating Stormcast Eternals models. I also (b) remembered, and (c) set the time aside to make sure that they got done. You may remember a couple of weeks ago, I spent far too much time doing the undercoating of the models. Then, as mentioned, I meant to pick right up with the next step. But, I got gunshy.
A First Attempt
Eventually, you just gotta “nut up or shut up.” And, you know me. Eventually, whether motivated by fear or courage, I always choose the former. If I’m being honest, some of my reticence comes from a pursuit of perfection. Even yesterday, while painting, they stress, “Don’t worry about messing up. You can always paint over it later.” Yet, several times I wiped up my mess with a paper towel. As you can see, there’s really not all that much for me to be worried about. I think I did a pretty decent job for my first time using this particular technique.
That Splash of Color
I felt a massive sense of pride when I completed the undercoating and removed them from my pile of plastic shame. Multiply that feeling by at least a thousand now that they have those little touches that the blue paint gives them. Next, I plan on working with the Leadbelcher to highlight them more and bring some color to the Kruleboyz. Look for that update most likley next week.
The Verdict
I joined the Age of Sigmar subscription with the intent of both learning the game and developing my painting techniques. So far, I succeeded on both counts. Now that I conquered my fear and perfectionism to start basecoating Stormcast Eternals models, I can keep working on the paints and pepper in new tutorials and playthroughs. Who knows? Warhammer might find a place on the YouTube page.
I meant to post the Mario Honorable Mention article yesterday. I wanted the video to accompany the article. Then I thought I might post it today. However, with no time to narrate the video, I needed to make a decision, so I posted the article without the video. I plan to release the videos next month once school lets out and I have the time. The other plan this week was the comic articles. Smack dab in the middle of it I’m putting the Marvel SNAP May 2024 article.
New Locations
Other than Scarlet Witch, Magik or other characters who change the location, I don’t see the point of Cancun. On the other hand, Panoptichron works very well with quite a few strats in the game. I can see people having a lot of fun with that one.
New Characters
Blink
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On Reveal: Swap the last card you played with a higher-Cost card from your deck.
I played Blink to finish the weekend quest. I like the targeted abiilty and thin she’ll slot nicely into my On Reveal or Wong/Odin deck. When I watched a streamer unlock Nocturne, I said, “I don’t know if she’s good, but she looks like fun.” That more or less paid off as expected. Sage can give one hell of a payoff, Namora is another decent On Reveal and Sasquatch is going right in both my “Ones” deck and my Skaar deck. He’ll get played easily in both decks.
The Verdict
After two months of less than stellar updates, last month and Marvel SNAP May 2024 bring some fun back to the game. I gave up trying to collect the conquest variants and this one doesn’t excite me none, either. But, I like the rest of it and with Deadpool most likely coming in July, I don’t see myself giving up the game again any time soon.
