Hi Steam Deck Users! I'm currently considering purchasing a 512GB OLED but I have a couple concerns which I would love to hear from users of the device (or even the older LCD version haha I would assume some things apply too). I'm coming from a Nintendo Switch OLED which I do enjoy but don't fully utilize the library (mainly bought it for Animal Crossing + Super Smash bros) and do have a Thinkpad, though that can only play games like Minecraft, Hades, and Stardew before it starts heating up or skip frames.
My main concern for the device is its longevity of the hardware - specifically the analog sticks, buttons, and battery. As I am from Malaysia and stuff like IFixIt isn't as widely available and the controllers are not as easily replaceable as something like the Switch, I'm worried about the wear and tear of the device. I'm hoping to at least see a 5 year usage from the device (though I'm not actually sure if that's a fair amount considering it is tech, but I'm using my PSP as a reference lol) and am worried that there'll be a lot of device maintenance etc.
I'm not too harsh on my devices and would generally get cases, screen protectors, and joystick covers but am still anxious on breaking it somehow haha. Is there anything I should take note of before I purchase it? It is quite pricey especially comparing it to the Switch or even a laptop so would love to hear experiences of those that have had it for a longer time!
If it helps, the games I play and want to play are mostly pretty chill! Some examples are Stardew, Hollow Knight, and Disco Elysium. But I do want to venture into more demanding games like Palworld and Baldur's Gate as well.
Anyways, thanks for reading my lengthy post - please excuse my language or punctuation. I don't have much excuse except to say my grammar is just bad hahaha.

Chapter 27: Supply and Treachery at the Station
As the Great Human Convoy prepares for its most daring venture yet, Inspector Xilthar, with a newfound sense of purpose, navigates the bureaucratic labyrinth of the Hub Station. His efforts are not in vain; he secures a squad of the notorious Florida Men as his personal guard and orchestrates the clearance for Convoy members to engage in trade on the station.
The station's market sector is a hive of activity, with groups from the Convoy mingling with station residents and traders from across the galaxy. The air is thick with the scent of exotic spices and the hum of bartering voices.
In a secluded corner of the market, Bubba, the enigmatic mechanic, haggles over a bulk order of power transfer units. His companions, Bobby and Jeff, exchange puzzled glances and quips.
Bobby: "I tell ya, The last time I saw this many power units, I thought I was at a robot's family reunion! So, Bubba, what's with the mountain of power units? You building a second Convoy or what?"
Bubba: (just shrugs, giving a knowing smile)
Jeff: "I tell ya, man, that Bubba's like one of them... them dang ol' prophets, man. Sees the future or somethin', man."
Bobby: "Yeah, and I'm the King of Mars. Seriously, Bubba, give us a hint!"
Bubba: (points to the power units, then to his head, and finally makes a gesture of something expanding)
Jeff: "Dang ol', boom, man! Like, mind blown, man. He's sayin' it's gonna be big, Bobby. Real big."
Bobby: "Big, huh? Last time Bubba said something was gonna be big, we ended up with a new distillery wing on the Hodgepodge."
Jeff: "Yeah, man, that was a dang ol' good time, man. Moonshine so strong, you could fuel a starship with it, man."
Bobby: "Alright, Bubba, we trust you. But if this thing blows up, I'm blaming you for the hangover."
Bubba: (just nods, still with that mysterious smile)
Jeff: "Mm-hmm, man, I tell you what, man, that dang ol' Bubba, man, he's like one of them, I say, chess players, man, thinkin' 'bout next move and all that, man."
Despite their confusion, they trust in Bubba's mysterious foresight, knowing that his intuition has never steered the Convoy wrong.
The scene is lively, with hawkers pushing everything from advanced nanotech to basic tools and hardware stretching out before the Chessmaster's holographic form , projected from her 'inside' drone, built with the help of Glark and Bubba, standing as a beacon of calm amidst the bustling crowd. Her group, a collection of the Convoy's finest minds and hands, disperses into the station's sprawling Tech District, each member on a quest for components that will bolster the fleet's capabilities.
The Chessmaster, with her avatar's hands clasped behind her back, surveys the scene. Her digital eyes flicker with calculations as she delegates tasks to her team.
Chessmaster: "Remember, we're not just looking for parts. We're looking for potential. Each piece must fit into the greater design of our Convoy's future."
Glark: (nodding) "Understood. Efficiency and synergy, that's the game."
Hamtonio: (revving his hovercycle) "And a bit of haggling for good measure!"
The Chessmaster smiles, a rare display of 'emotion' from an AI, as her team scatters like pieces on a chessboard, each moving with purpose.
Scene: The Shielding Vendor
Glark and Hamtonio find themselves at a stall, its vendor boasting a shielding system that could protect a small moon.
Glark: "Impressive specs. But can it adapt to fit a moving fleet?"
Vendor: "Absolutely! It's the latest model. It can even recalibrate on the fly in response to spatial anomalies."
Hamtonio: (whispering to Glark) "We'll take it. But let's play it cool, get a better price."
After a series of technical questions and light-hearted banter, they secure the shielding system at a fair price, their excitement contained but eyes gleaming with the success of their find.
Dawn and the Flower Girls weave through the stalls of the Green Market, their laughter mingling with the chatter of the crowd. Dawn, in a sedate purple ensemble, and the Flower Girls, draped in their colorful robes, exchange stories and laughter with the vendors as they peruse the stalls.
Dawn: "So, Marigold, any new tales from the Convoy?"
Marigold: "Oh, Dawn, you wouldn't believe the rumors swirling around! They say there's a ghost haunting the lower decks of the Shining Princess."
Dawn: (smiles) "A ghost, you say? Perhaps it's just one of the goats playing tricks again."
The Flower Girls giggle, sharing knowing looks as they continue their shopping, their baskets filling with exotic plants and spices.
Dawn: "Marigold, have you heard about the new hydroponic tech they're showcasing?"
Marigold: "I have, and I'm more interested in the stories the plants could tell. Imagine the gardens we could grow!"
Their conversation is a blend of technical expertise and whimsical musings.
As the day progresses, the Chessmaster's team reconvenes, each member returning with their treasures. The Chessmaster reviews their acquisitions, her avatar nodding in approval.
Chessmaster: "Well done, everyone. Today, we've secured not just parts, but promises of a stronger, safer journey. Let's return to the Convoy and begin the next phase of our work."
The group heads back to the fleet. The Convoy's departure may not be imminent, but when the time comes, they will be ready to face the stars as one.
W'ham B'ham's towering presence is unmistakable as she enters the auction house. Her hand-forged weapons, relics of a bygone era, draw the eyes of collectors and historians alike.
Auctioneer: "Ladies and gentlemen, These are not merely weapons; they are masterpieces from the hands of A Void Dragon Forgemaster herself!"
W'ham B'ham: (nods silently, her weapons displayed proudly)
The crowd murmurs with excitement. Collectors lean forward, their eyes gleaming with avarice and admiration.
Collector 1: "I'll start the bidding at five thousand credits!"
Collector 2: "Ten thousand!"
The numbers climb furiously, each bid outdoing the last as the collectors engage in a fierce battle of wealth and desire.
Collector 3: "Twenty thousand credits!"
The room falls silent. The bid is unprecedented, but these are no ordinary pieces of metal; they are echoes of the forge, resonating with the skill and dedication of their equally rare creator.
W'ham B'ham watches from the back, her expression unreadable. The blades were a part of her routine, a means to keep her skills honed. Yet here they are, commanding a price that speaks of their true value.
Auctioneer: "Going once, twice... Sold for twenty thousand credits!"
The gavel falls, and the deal is sealed.
Once the dust has settled, W'ham B'ham's blades have found new homes, and the credits she receives are more than enough to acquire the advanced servos she needs to boost her EVA suit's strength twofold.
Accompanied by his bodyguards, exploring deep in the archives, Xilthar's keen eyes catch a discrepancy in the docking logs, a thread that unravels to reveal a web of deceit. Admiral Vortan, a high-ranking official with a polished record, stands at the center of this web. Xilthar, invoking little-known ordinances, calls for a full investigation, his voice echoing through the corridors of power.
Xilthar: "Under Galactic Council Statute 47-C, I hereby initiate an investigation into the misuse of authority and resources within the governance and military sectors."
Thus the gears of order begin grinding, seeking to remove the corruption. One side effect is the military fleet is broken free and begin heading towards the rendezvous.
As the investigation gains momentum, danger lurks. An assassin, cloaked in the anonymity of the crowd, fires at Xilthar. But Sgt. Leroy Jenkins dives in the way of the shots, covering his ward.
Sgt. Jenkins: "Get down, Inspector!"
Guns blaze, and Jenkins's shield flickers with each impact, his nanites working overtime to repair the damage that makes it through.
Jenkins makes sure the Inspector is safe, and screams out his name as the madman charges full speed at the assassin who breaks and runs. Jenkins disappears into the crowd in hot pursuit.
Later, at Xilthar's safe house, the mood is somber until Jenkins arrives, with a hover kart loaded with buckets of fried chicken. The team gathers, the scent of comfort food mingling with the tension in the air.
Jenkins: "Nothing like a little chicken to patch up the holes, eh?"
Xilthar: (smiles weakly) "I suppose every cloud has a silver lining... or a greasy one, in this case."
Jenkins: "And look what I found. ID codes for a bounty on your head. Seems you've ruffled some feathers, Inspector." He tosses a datachip onto the table.
Xilthar's resolve hardens. It's time to strike the final blow against the bureaucracy and seek refuge with the Convoy.
On the Convoy, over the Comms, Jeb: "First time with a bounty on yer head? Welcome to the club, Inspector!"
MetalHead: "Heh, you get used to it. Just another day in the life of a spacefarer."
Suicide Jockey: "Bounties? Oh, I've had my share. Ended up claiming them all, too. But you don't wanna know about that part." He gives a slightly unhinged grin,
Xilthar: "I'm beginning to think I've chosen the wrong career."
The banter lightens the mood, and Xilthar finds camaraderie in this motley crew as he prepares to show everyone the men behind the curtain.

I hadn't really played Master Duel since a bit after launch; I just made it to gold 2 or smt with Aroma in the first season, and dropped it because the unbalanced game wasn't enjoyable.
I had fun playing TCG since then, got more knowledgeable about the game, and got myself a pet deck; all my experiences prior Master Duel were Duel Links, and Rata videos.
I kept in touch with Master Duel through this reddit, and content creators, and yesterday, I decided I'd create a fresh new account, and would dedicate all the newbie free gems towards building my pet deck, and rising to the heights I couldn't before, even if said rank isn't as statistically high as it once was.
The 750 packs got me a few nice cards, and together with the very first starter deck, and the Link Generations, I built myself something decent to earn myself as many gems as possible in the Solo Mode.
My pet deck is Naturia Vernusylph, with a bunch of Earth good stuff; the problems is, both of those archetypes have 90% URs for some reason. The first pack I decided to focus on was the Vernusylph, as it was the archetype that could more easily support whatever else I decide to build around them.
My first deck for ranked was Vernusylph with a bunch of staples, and some interesting tech choices. I got lucky, and pulled 3 of the G Golem Pebble Dog; they combo well with Vernusylph because they generate discard fodder, and their Link-2 is also decent because you can return spent Vernusylphs to the hand after reviving it with Vera.
Other cool things I used was a combination of that World Legacy normal monster with 1800 ATK, ROTA, Unexpected Dai, and Link Spider; they allow me to bait for Ash Blossoms, and make an easy link climb towards Aussa.
If they tried to handtrap me or anything, I had Triple Tactics Thrust to search for whatever I wanted like a toolbox; among the options were Tactics, Raigeki, Reborn, Imperm, Unexpected Dai, and even some traps I ran here and there for going second like Raigeki Break which comboes well with Pebble Dog.
The opponents don't think 2 normal monsters are worth much, so they allow me to access the Rank 4 toolbox as well; this isn't as versatile as the spells I mentioned before as all the good Rank 4s are URs, but at least Bagooska is SR.
This should make clear that my deck can't go first; no matter how low the rank, I was unable to build a board, so I relied on breaking it.
The 6th card helps, even though the opponent will always have around 7+ cards in term of actual value by the time it's my turn; Earth Kaiju, Vera, Ultimate Slayer, MST, those are all things that help.
I always enjoy imagining my opponent's face when I break the board using Ultimate Slayer sending Kachi Kochi Dragon, Junk Warrior, or Traffic Ghost, then proceed to normal summon the normal mon from the tutorial.
I fondly remember somewhere along Silver 1 or Gold 5 I had this duel with a Blue-Eyes player that I ended up losing, but was super fun as we outplayed each other, and had to go in a bit of a grindgame; him with the Jet, eggs, and Bystials, and me struggling to revive Vera every turn.
Somewhere between Gold 4 or 3 I find issues; even though I can adapt fairly well, the power of my cards can't keep up, or I get unlucky with the draws while my opponents play stronger things like Kashtira, or Swordsoul.
I still couldn't complete my Naturia Vernusylph deck; opening the Naturia packs neither gave me the UR Naturias I needed, nor gave me URs in general; I was swimming in SRs in comparison, but although the Pots are nice, they don't solve the core issue of power level.
I saw the season would end the 31, so I tried to collect as many gems as possible from the solo mode to pull a few more packs, and then I'd finally craft whatever was missing, dust the remaining things, and repeat.
The Main Deck of the final deck was pretty much complete with a few exceptions, but the Extra Deck was utterly empty; I pulled a Barkion, and had to craft a Beast.
With this 50% power level Naturia Vernusylph, I jumped back in, and I felt like home; I could play around Ash, Maxx C, Imperm, but Called By was super painful to go through.
In my deck I like to run the main deck Aussa, and Small World; I value consistency, and versatility, so being able to craft my hand the exact way I need is, well, cool; so long as there is 1 Mole Cricket either on field or GY, it is the equivalent of "full combo" for a control player.
I had some intense games in this rank too against Labrynth, Sky Striker, and of course, Snake Eyes.
I lost every game I had against Snake Eyes, but the more I played against them, the closer I got towards winning.
In the past, I would usually underestimate Snake Eyes, I would question how people played against them; to some degree I still think like that, the context is different in Master Duel with a blind best of 1, and limited resources.
The only thing I had in order to threaten them was Maxx C, however its value is greatly diminished when my opponent has multiple points of interaction, and plusses after every activation, and attempt at removal, while I go -1 after every card activation, and my effects are all hard once per turn, so if I draw 2 of the same Vernusylph, I can't use them.
I also lack the UR points to craft boardbreakers; I could only afford the Maxx Cs. Yet I'm still satisfied; I duelled them on the backfoot, but on my own terms.
It's clear who has the weaker deck, so it's satisfying to give them a little scare sometimes. I remember this game in which I drew the 1-of Nibiru, and nuked their board creating a 17K/12K token. Even tributing the token for my Kaiju, and hitting over it with Nibiru left them with 100 LP, leaving me ready to die next turn, so I tried to revive Vera with my Vernusylph, and got Ashed.
It was fun. These experiences taught me a lot about how cards should not be designed, and I hope they are hit real soon.
Anyway, after two full days of intense adventure (I wonder how many hours I accumulated), I reached Platinum 5 , and it was exactly when my music playlist was ending too, so super exciting.
I reached my goal with the deck I created myself, and love the most, while facing great challenges, and just in the nick of time. It was very fun.

For those in Blacksburg, here's a rundown of 28 local events you can enjoy in Blacksburg and throughout the New River Valley as June arrives.
Weekend Rundown of Local Fun: 1. Matt Holloman in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Friday, May 31, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Born and raised in southeastern Virginia, Matt Holloman has been playing around Virginia for more than 25 years. Growing up on his older brother’s blues collection, Matt mixed the likes of Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters with the experimental sounds of songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Frank Black, creating a style all his own. Always interested in reinventing his live performance, Matt uses a looper so he can improvise and manipulate layers of sound not usually heard from an acoustic performer. You can also expect simple, but memorable songs, reminiscent of storytelling songwriters like John Prine and Bob Dylan. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777075
2. Friday Nights at the Farm with Music from Jim Korb Beliveau Farm Winery, Blacksburg Friday, May 31, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Jim Korb is an acoustic musician and guitarist based in Southwest, VA and a member of the band Stonehouse. "Just a singer; a natural-born guitar ringer, playing and singing a mix of Classic Country, Eagles, CCR, Skynyrd, and a little bit of everything else from John Denver to The Blues." Beliveau welcomes a special musical guest every Friday night with live music from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM and sing along to all of your favorite classics. Enjoy delicious food from their full service kitchen until 8:30 PM and chat over a glass of wine during our extended bar hours until 9:00 PM. Get a $5 Beliveau Buck to use during your next visit for every $50.00 you spend on Friday nights from 6:00-9:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777450
3. Pizza Roll (Bike Ride) Blacksburg Library, Blacksburg Friday, May 31, 2024, 6:00 PM - TBD Admission: Free The New River Valley Bicycle Association (NRVBA) presents a Pizza Roll starting at the Blacksburg Library. Enjoy a five mile bike ride on the Huckleberry Trail and through Virginia Tech's campus, followed by post ride pizza at Benny's provided by Trek Blacksburg. This is a NRVBA ride, meaning waivers are required and can be filled out on site. If you have never ridden with NRVBA before, your first ride is free. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777778
4. The Grascals in Concert Little River Bluegrass Barn, Radford Friday, May 31, 2024, 7:00 - 10:00 PM General Admission: $30.00, Reserved Tickets: $35.00 Great musicians will always find a way to make good music, but for great musicians to make great music, they must form a bond – one that, more often than not, goes beyond the purely musical to the personal. For The Grascals, that bond has been forged at the intersection of personal friendships, shared professional resumes and an appreciation for the innovative mingling of bluegrass and country music that has been a hallmark of the Nashville scene for more than 40 years. Their cutting-edge modern bluegrass is delivered with a deep knowledge of, and admiration for, the work of the music’s founding fathers. Timely yet timeless, The Grascals make music that is entirely relevant to the here and now yet immersed in traditional values of soul and musicianship. It’s a unique sound that has earned three Grammy® nominations and two Entertainer of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as national media attention that seems to perpetually elude acts entrenched in niche genres. Such appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Fox & Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and CBS’ The Talk. The Grascals have over 200 guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry to their credit and have also performed on the revered stages of Radio City Music Hall, the Ryman Auditorium and the Kennedy Center as well as music festivals such as MerleFest, Stagecoach, and the CMA Music Festival. In addition to performing across the United States and Canada, the awarding-winning band has traveled the world to take bluegrass music to Japan, Greece, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Belgium. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777777
5. Line Dancing at Sinkland Sinkland Farms, Christiansburg Friday, May 31, 2024, 7:00 PM - TBD Admission: $10.00 Join Sinkland Farms for a fun-filled night of line dancing. All types of music and all levels of experience welcome. Energetic, enthusiastic instruction begins at 8:00 PM. Adult beverages and food truck will be available for purchase. Weather permitting, there will be outdoor dancing as well. This event is fun for all. Ages 16 & under must be accompanied by an adult. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778214
6. 2024 Pulaski County Spring Flea Market New River Valley Fairgrounds, Dublin Saturday, June 1, 2024 and Sunday, June 2, 2024, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: $2.00, Kids 6 and Under: Free The Dublin Lions Club presents the 2024 Two-Day Pulaski County Spring Flea Market celebrating 49 years. With over 20,000 visitors and 800 vendors spaces, more than a dozen different food vendors offering varied food options and the chance to eat a few of the famous "Lion Dogs", you will not want to miss this event. Check out vendors with crafts, antiques and more at the semi-annual Pulaski County Flea Market. Expect to have a ton of fun hunting for that rare items or the deal of the century. Although over 100 spaces are under roof, it is a largely an outdoor event. All proceeds go to the Dublin Lions and their numerous community causes such as eyeglasses for the needy and hunger relief in the community. This is their primary fundraiser each year. The event is rain or shine and parking is free. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778201
7. Benefit Ride for Bubba Williston's Family KFC, Christiansburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM $15.00-$20.00 Donation per vehicle. The Benefit Ride for Bubba's Family will start and end at KFC. Registration begins at 9:00 AM with kickstands up at 10:30 AM. Help raise money for Bubba Williston’s family. Bubba lost his life on Thursday, April 11th after saving his boys. Bubba leaves behind a wife, Danielle and three small children, Brantley, Kyler and Aubree. Let’s come together as a community and help ease the financial burden. There will also be door prizes, raffle and 50/50 raffle. Lunch will be served following the ride and returning to KFC. All bikes, cars, trucks and all vehicles welcome. Snacks will be provided on ride and lunch and drinks afterward. All proceeds benefit Bubba's wife and his three children. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778242
8. Cabin Fever 12: Six Band Charity Event Cabin Fever, Pilot Saturday, June 1, 2024, 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Adults: $10.00, Kids 13 & Under: Free Cabin Fever Charity Events presents their semi-annual charitable musical fundraiser event Cabin Fever 12 benefiting the Floyd County Humane Society in honor of Kevin Dodson. A family style buffet and t-shirts will also be available for purchase and there will be both a live and silent auction featuring donations from local businesses and our line-up of seven performers. 100% of the proceeds from all items will be donated to the Floyd County Humane Society. Music Performers include Chris and Chelsea, Seph Custer, Jake and Jess, The Good Ole Boys, The Flying Doves, Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul and By All Means. The family style buffet is highlighted by the world class pulled barbecue provided by Cabin Fever friend Hamp Maxwell is $10.00 per person. Credit cards and personal checks will be accepted the day of the event. Pets and children are welcome. Bring your dog and a $25.00 donation will be made on your behalf. All donations made to Cavin Fever Charity are 100% tax deductible. The event is BYOB and lawn chairs are welcome. Parking is free. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778240
9. Summer Reading Kickoff Event Blacksburg Library, Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Admission: Free Grab your chalk and head to the library to kick off our summer reading program. Enjoy activities like a chalk walk, face painting, bubbles, and a sweet treat. Available while supplies last. All ages are welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777959
10. Ride-A-Rescue Cornhole Tournament Bisset Park, Radford Saturday, June 1, 2024, 11:00 AM - TBD Tournament Entry: $25.00 per team, Spectators: Free Ride-A-Rescue and Winterfrost Farm presents their Ride-A-Rescue Cornhole Tournament. Ride-A-Rescue is a local, non-profit, equine rescue that is holding an epic Cornhole Tournament throwdown to raise funds and awareness for their rescue's operation and rescue horses. The Cornhole Tournament is a double elimination tournament and open to all ages. There will also be a Kids Corner open all day and food vendors on site. First, second and third place teams will win big prizes. Teams can battle back in the Losers Bracket for another shot at the championship. All participating teams will also be entered in a drawing for awesome bonus prizes. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=776144
11. Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer JBR Vineyards LLC, Pearisburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 12:00 - 5:00 PM and Sunday, June 2, 2024, 1:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Wine Pricing: Tasting: $5.00, Glass of Wine: $5.00, Bottles of Wine: $15.00-$20.00 plus tax Experience the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer with a delightful afternoon of wine tasting. Savor fine wine in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Stroll through the vineyard with a glass of your favorite wine. Credit cards and cash accepted. Dogs and kids welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778155
12. Annual Loyalists in the Backcountry Event Wilderness Road Regional Museum, Newbern Saturday, June 1, 2024 and Sunday, June 2, 2024, 12:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free Join the Wilderness Road Regional Museum for the Two-Day Annual Loyalists in the Backcountry Event and learn about both the Patriots and Loyalists in the Backcountry of Southwest Virginia during the Revolutionary War. There will be some mischief afoot. Living history will be presented by the Fincastle Company on both days. Members of the Fincastle Company Living History group will share the history of the complicated interactions of the Patriots, "rascally" Loyalists, Tories, and those trying to stay "unaffected" during the American Revolution. On Sunday, there will be expanded programming including kids activities and a mock round up of the Tories to recreate some actual events in and around the Newbern area during the Revolutionary timeframe to include conspiracies, counterfeiting, and rounding up of the rascals. The event is free, but donations are always welcome and appreciated. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778165
13. 2024 New Town Festival Gospel Sing St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 12:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free The Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation presents the 8th Annual New Town Festival Gospel Sing. The afternoon will be filled with dancing, singing and fellowship as five local groups and soloists perform their favorite current and old-time gospel favorites. Kirk’s BBQ will be onsite with food available for purchase. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778231
14. Speed Friending Program for Ages 20-45 Christiansburg Library, Christiansburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Are you interested in meeting new people? Want to make friends in the area, but find it hard to make time? Join the library for a fun and free way to connect with others in the community. Speed Friending will start with a speedy round of conversation starters. Yes, similar to speed dating, questions and conversation will be available for those who need it. Hang around after to chat, enjoy snacks, play games, or make plans with new friends. There will also be door prizes. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778081
15. Saturday Afternoon Music with Leslie Brooks New River Vineyard & Winery, Fairlawn Saturday, June 1, 2024, 2:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Leslie Brooks is a singer-songwriter, performing solo with guitar, playing jazz, folk, blues, rockin' country and popular favorites originally from Kentucky now resides in Virginia. She has played the best venues in a 16-state area, as well as in Norway and Monte Carlo. Opened for Heart, James Taylor, Bob Margolin and Willie Nelson to name a few. Feel to free to select your favorites from her 300-song music menu. Seating is first come, first served. No reservation required. Guests can bring a blanket and/or chair. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778088
16. Spring Garden Day and Flower Art Opening Montgomery Museum of Art & History Gardens, Christiansburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 2:00 - 4:00 PM Admission: Free This event will feature the "Flower Art in the Garden" Theme Show, showcasing the creativity of local artists. Participants were tasked with decorating "flat flower" templates, thoughtfully crafted by students at Blacksburg High School, which will be placed throughout the site. Participants were encouraged to incorporate native southwest Virginia plants into their artwork, resulting in a vibrant display that celebrates the region's natural beauty and artistic talent. In addition to the art exhibit, Spring Garden Day offers a wonderful opportunity for attendees to explore the Museum Garden with gardeners on-site to answer any questions. Visitors will also have the chance to engage with the Virginia Native Plant Society's plant clinic, Virginia Master Naturalists, and Virginia Master Gardeners, as several booths will be set up to provide information and insights into the rich botanical heritage of Southwest Virginia. Note: This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778241
17. Summer Arts Festival Free Classic Movies: Wizard of Oz Lyric Theatre, Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 3:00 - 4:45 PM Admission: Free The 2024 Summer Arts Festival kicks of the Free Classic Movies series featuring "The Wizard of Oz". The classic "Wizard of Oz" was originally released in 1939 with a rating of PG and stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley. Synopsis: Dorothy Gale along with her dog Toto is swept away from a farm in Kansas to a magical land of Oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest with her new friends to see the Wizard who can help her return home to Kansas and help her friends as well. The Summer Arts Festival is presented by Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778205
18. Grand Opening in Blacksburg J.H Bards Spirit Co., Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 4:00 - 9:00 PM and Sunday, June 2, 2024, 12:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: Free J.H Bards Spirit Co. has moved the distillery from Fairlawn to Blacksburg and can't wait to show you their new completely renovated digs. On Saturday, last call will be ~8:40 PM and on Sunday ~5:30 PM. Parking is available in the Kent Square parking deck, on-street anywhere downtown, or in the municipal lot directly across Washington Street from us. Enter the distillery off of Draper Road. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778076
19. 2024 Oldtown Nights Concert Series Kickoff featuring Miller Holler Band Oldtown Fields (Shawsville Middle School Rec Area), Shawsville Saturday, June 1, 2024, 5:30 - 9:00 PM Adults: $5.00, Ages 12 & Under: Free The Eastmont Community Foundation presents the 8th season of the Oldtown Nights Concert Series Kickoff featuring the Miller Holler Band with a large open green space that is family and children friendly. Miller Holler is a country rock band with southern roots and a hunger for going against the grain and stirring up the music industry in Nashville, Tennessee. Concessions and drinks including adult beverages for those ages 21 & up will be available for purchase. Please bring cash for tickets and beer sales. Only limited credit card sales available. Please bring your own chairs and/or blankets. No tents or umbrellas allowed. Ages 16 & under must be accompanied by an adult. No outside drinks and no pets permitted. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=774327
20. The Wild Wood Band in Concert Long Way Brewing, Radford Saturday, June 1, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Wild Wood is based in the New River Valley performing country, classic rock & country, folk, bluegrass and originals. Enjoy an old school sound and a very eclectic catalog of music with your favorite sing-along ballads and originals. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778071
21. Baxter Briefly in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Baxter Briefly is a Roanoke, VA musician performing unique and original music in the alternative rock, nu-funk and indie realms. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778232
22. Stand Up Comedy Show with Headliner Heather Joyce Bull & Bones Brewhaus & Grill, Blacksburg Saturday, June 1, 2024, 8:00 - 9:30 PM Admission: $7.00 Comedians Gone Rogue presents a Stand Up Comedy Show with Headliner Heather Joyce in the Banquet Room. Headliner Heather Joyce will be joined by other amazing comediennes from across Virginia and one very strong and independent man. Other performers include: Andrew Gustafson, Katherine Rogue, Christinia Tynes, Chelsea McCreight and Amanda Fitz. The cover goes directly to the talent. For ages 18 & up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778246
23. 2024 Huckleberry Jam Point-to-Point 8.1 Mile and 1.75 Mile Run / Walk Runabout Sports, Blacksburg Sunday, June 2, 2024, 6:45 - 11:00 AM 8.1 Mile Run: $40.00 (through June 1st), $45.00 (after June 1st) 1.75 Mile Run: $29.00 (through June 1st), $32.00 (after June 1st) Return Shuttle: $5.00 Runabout Sports presents the 4th Annual Huckleberry Jam Point-to-Point 8.1 Mile and 1.75 Mile Runs on the Huckleberry Trail with the 8.1 Mile Run starting at RunAbout Sports in Blacksburg, VA and the 1.75 Mile Run starting on the Huckleberry Trail in Christiansburg, VA at the gate by Uptown Christiansburg's Kohl's store with both runs finishing at the Christiansburg Rec Center. Race Day Registration & Packet Pickup is from 6:45-7:45 AM. The 8.1 Mile Race starts at RunAbout Sports at 8:00 AM. The 1.75 Mile Race starts on Huckleberry Trail near Kohl's side of Uptown Christiansburg at 8:30 AM. Both race distances are point-to-point courses finishing at the Christiansburg Rec Center. Two aid stations will provide water and Gatorade along the way. RunAbout Sports will be donating all net proceeds to the Friends of the Huckleberry Trail. The group uses 100% of donations and funding for the engineering and construction of the Huckleberry Trail and the amenities along the trail. Participants may purchase an add-on shuttle ticket for $5.00 per person when registering. If you have a ride from the Christiansburg Rec Center, you are not required to purchase a shuttle pass. All finishers will receive an engraved rail-road spike finisher award with overall awards for the top three male and female finishers. The top two finishers in each age group also receive awards. Spectators and those picking up runners from the finish may park in front of the Christiansburg Rec Center and walk to the back where the race finishes. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778200
24. 2024 Check Farm Trail Downtown Check, Check Sunday, June 2, 2024, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Free Floyd Country Tourism presents the 3rd Annual Check Farm Trail at seven participating farms and businesses throughout Check, Virginia. This family-friendly experience is an up-close chance to learn about agriculture through demonstrations, tastings and farm tours including plants & animals and more. Food and/or products will be available for purchase at most of the farms and businesses. Carpooling is encouraged and please leave pets at home. Note: Times and hours vary by farm and tour stop. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=778239
25. Youth Spaghetti Fundraiser Blacksburg United Methodist Church, Blacksburg Sunday, June 2, 2024, 12:00 - 6:00 PM Admission: $10.00 The Youth Ministry at Blacksburg United Methodist Church (BUMC) hosts a Youth Spaghetti Fundraiser. This fundraiser will offset cost associated with summer youth mission trip. BUMC’s youth will venture to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to Camp Occohannock on the Bay this summer. During the weeklong mission trip, the youth will work with Chesapeake Housing Mission. Grab lunch from 12:00-2:00 PM or dinner from 4:00-6:00 PM. The menu includes one serving of spaghetti (with or without ground beef), salad, garlic bread and choice of cookie (chocolate chip, sugar or snickerdoodle). For those unable to dine in, carryout will be available. Pre-ordering is available online. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777765
26. Free Outdoor Acroyoga Class and Jam In Balance Yoga Studio @ VTCRC, Blacksburg Sunday, June 2, 2024, 12:30 - 2:30 PM Admission: Free Learn about the playful practice of Acroyoga in a safe environment. Acroyoga is a physical practice that combines yoga and acrobatics typically involving a base, a flyer, and spotter. No experience or partner is necessary. The first hour will be guided learning, followed by free form jam for an hour. This event will be held outdoors at the corner of Pratt Drive and Kraft Drive. The rain location will be In Balance CRC studio. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=777994
27. Book Club: Mr. Brightside's Italian Adventures with Discussion and Tasting Blacksburg Wine Lab, Blacksburg Sunday, June 2, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: $40.00 Join the Wine Lab Book Club tasting & discussing featuring Mr. Brightside's Italian Adventures by Ryan Jacobson. After the success of his first humorous travel memoir, "The Adventures of Mr. Brightside", in which he traveled around the world exploring each country he visited on three different budget levels, Ryan Jacobson has now decided to tackle the country of Italy. Ryan travels to all of the Italy's twenty unique regions and splits his time in each by spending half his time on a low budget and half on a luxury budget before moving on to the next. Through the use of his humorous storytelling, Ryan shares what makes each of the regions so special and worthy of visiting. Reservations are required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=776425
28. Sunday Mountain Music Series Kickoff with Victor Lawson and the Boogie Chillin Band Mountain Lake Lodge, Pembroke Sunday, June 2, 2024, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Free Admission Mountain Lake Lodge presents their Sunday Mountain Music Series Kickoff with Victor Lawson and the Boogie Chillin Band. Victor Lawson and the Boogie Chillen Band have forged an identity as a good-time party band that plays the real deal blues and down in the mud rock ‘n roll and funk music as well. The tight three-man band takes their name from the song, “Boogie Chillen” which was made famous by late Delta blues icon, John Lee Hooker. From Tennessee to Virginia to West Virginia, in bars and saloons and restaurants and festivals, Victor Lawson and Boogie Chillen’s exuberant, joyful music has made the band one of the area’s premier attractions. Stop by Salt Pond Pub every Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 4:00-6:00 PM and enjoy live music along with food and drinks. Perfect for relaxing with the whole family (furry friends are welcome too). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=776813
For all the 65+ big events happening this weekend, check out: • http://www.nextthreedays.com/featuredevents.cfm
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Hi,
I am thinking of building a [[Karametra, God of Harvests]] deck. It looks like she can go in several ways. I am thinking of going with a lot of cheap creatures (hopefully with enough card draw) with some ETB effect (a lot of them draw a card or fetch a card to hand in some way). There are some landfall effects, but mostly for card advantage / generating tokens / anthem effects. The idea is to ramp for the first few turn to drop Karametra and then drop a lot of creatures on the board. The first Karametra triggers help me fetch [[Canopy Vista]] / [[Radiant Grove]] / [[Scattered Groves]] since they have basic land types.
This is the deck build for now: deck link.
Now into more specific:
The deck has about 15 cheap creatures that draw a card on ETB (or refill my hand in some other way), just to help me cycle through a lot of creatures. For example: [[Elvish Visionary]], [[Llanowar Visionary]], [[Spirited Companion]], [[Wall of Blossoms]], [[Wall of Omens]]. For more consistent card advantage, I have cards that give card advantage based on either creatures or landfall, like: [[Beast Whisperer]], [[Lifecrafter's Bestiary]], [[Tireless Tracker]]. Some nice deck tech is having creatures that can bounce other permanents to land, either for protection or to get more Karametra triggers, and specifically [[Whitemane Lion]] that can bounce itself back to hand just to spam Karametra triggers.
For wincons, I have token generation and/or anthem effects from cards like [[Felidar Retreat]], [[Retreat to Emeria]], [[Zendikar's Roil]], and of course [[Avenger of Zendikar]]. I do feel like I should have some better wincon in the deck that utilizes the amount of lands I will have late game (like Avenger of Zendikar does, but I would have liked 1-2 other cards with similar impact).
Does anyone have tips about building her like that? Or another fun build? Or some cool deck tech I might be missing? Thanks!

This is the weekly discussion thread! Discuss current metas, deck techs and set up games for FNM or over the weekend in the comments!

“Persistently Petitioning”
Welcome to another edition of a random card being turned into an EDH Deck! Every Friday I create a budget (<$100) EDH Deck based entirely around a random card that I pull from scryfall.com (or that is suggested by someone else, either way it’s still random to me). I would love it if anyone has any suggestions for future random cards/decks or just wants to share their own experiences with any cards or decks discussed, I think this is a ton of fun.
[Random Card of the Week](https://cards.scryfall.io/png/front/7/1/718c7383-d2e0-449b-b5b5-378d7c6e1fcb.png?1651655178) (Image Download Link)
[Random Card of the Week](https://scryfall.com/card/nec/6/drumbellower) (Scryfall Link)
[Deck List] (https://scryfall.com/@13poynz/decks/1de167de-059d-4d96-8f7f-e9e3a0ffbbaf)
[Deck Tech/Gameplay Video:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4faNujvT1k) (Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor vs Breeches, the Blastmaker vs Ryu, World Warrior vs The Ur-Dragon)
This week’s deck uses [[Drumbellower]] as our random card and [[Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor]] as the commander. Drumbellower is a card that untaps all our creatures in each upkeep so the first step is to throw in as many other ways to do the same thing, right? [[Seedborn Muse]], [[Murkfiend Liege]], and [[Quest for Renewal]] give us the option to untap all our creatures multiple times a turn cycle. The next step is to figure out what the best creatures are to constantly untap and, for that, I settled on [[Persistent Petitioners]], 27 of them specifically. If we have a Drumbellower in play with 4 Petitioners then we can mill a total of 48 cards in one turn cycle. Unfortunately, since that's only half of a player's starting deck, we would need to do that 6 times to mill out the entire table and that's not exactly a feasible plan. Instead, we're focusing on milling ourselves so we only need around 8 Petitioner activations to remove our entire library. After that we just want to try to win with [[Laboratory Maniac]] or [[Jace, Wielder of Mysteries]]. Additionally, we don't really want to wait for two full turn cycles to try to mill ourselves so, instead, we're loaded up on untap effects to try to do it all at once. [[Vitalize]], [[Call to Glory]], and [[Energy Arc]] are all efficient untap effects that allow us to activate the Petitioners multiple times a turn.
Once we've got our plan in place we just need to find it, which is where [[Bring to Light]], [[Shared Summons]], and even [[Shamanic Revelation]] come in. Letting us tutor up a win condition or draw into one is very relevant when we want to put our entire library into the graveyard. I also want to highlight a few individual cards that don't really fit a theme but are just good value. The first card is probably the most obvious one: [[Thrumming Stone]]. Being able to cast a single Persistent Petitioner and then Ripple into every other copy is the quickest way to guarantee we win the game. The next card to mention is [[Elven Chorus]]. Elven Chorus gives our creatures the ability to tap for mana which can allow us to almost storm off with untap effects to generate an absurd amount of mana to cast our entire hand. Finally, the last card I want to mention is [[Harvest Season]]. Searching up a land for each tapped creature we control is incredibly powerful when we want to flood the board with creatures that like to tap. Regardless of how we get there, there should be plenty of ways for this deck to take advantage of Persistent Petitioners and untap effects.
In the end, this deck came in at $91.27 with [[Eladamri's Call]] being the most expensive card at $8.48. Eladamri's Call is another way we can find any of the pieces we need but since it is so expensive, and we have backup versions that do the same thing, you can always cut it for an additional Petitioner to trim the budget pretty significantly.
On the other hand, if you want an out-of-budget upgrade as well as the card to take out for it then I’ve got you covered. That’s why I’d recommend putting in [[Conduit of Worlds]] ($4.20) and taking out [[Felidar Guardian]]. The downside of building some of these decks so far in advance is that I sometimes forget what I was thinking while actually building the deck. In this case, I don't remember why Felidar Guardian is in this deck. There aren't a ton of ETB effects that benefit from it and it doesn't synergize with the rest of the deck in a way that's immediately obvious. So, to that end, I'd recommend swapping it out for Conduit of Worlds, which is an incredibly efficient way to play lands and cast spells from our graveyard. Since we want to mill our entire library, being able to re-use any cards we accidentally mill is an invaluable ability.
Thanks for checking out the deck and reading about it/watching the video! I hope you all like it and if you think there are improvements to be made, if you have suggestions, or just want to chat about it, then let me know. Also, a quick plug: if you want to guarantee that your suggestions get turned into decks or a variety of other benefits (including access to a discord channel to play in the games, help build the decks, getting the decklists a week early, and one of the random cards shipped to you every month) then check me out on www.patreon.com/dungeonlearnersguide or consider becoming a channel member over on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/dungeonlearnersguide.

“Persistently Petitioning”
Welcome to another edition of a random card being turned into an EDH Deck! Every Friday I create a budget (<$100) EDH Deck based entirely around a random card that I pull from scryfall.com (or that is suggested by someone else, either way it’s still random to me). I would love it if anyone has any suggestions for future random cards/decks or just wants to share their own experiences with any cards or decks discussed, I think this is a ton of fun.
[Random Card of the Week](https://cards.scryfall.io/png/front/7/1/718c7383-d2e0-449b-b5b5-378d7c6e1fcb.png?1651655178) (Image Download Link)
[Random Card of the Week](https://scryfall.com/card/nec/6/drumbellower) (Scryfall Link)
[Deck List] (https://scryfall.com/@13poynz/decks/1de167de-059d-4d96-8f7f-e9e3a0ffbbaf)
[Deck Tech/Gameplay Video:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4faNujvT1k) (Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor vs Breeches, the Blastmaker vs Ryu, World Warrior vs The Ur-Dragon)
This week’s deck uses [[Drumbellower]] as our random card and [[Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor]] as the commander. Drumbellower is a card that untaps all our creatures in each upkeep so the first step is to throw in as many other ways to do the same thing, right? [[Seedborn Muse]], [[Murkfiend Liege]], and [[Quest for Renewal]] give us the option to untap all our creatures multiple times a turn cycle. The next step is to figure out what the best creatures are to constantly untap and, for that, I settled on [[Persistent Petitioners]], 27 of them specifically. If we have a Drumbellower in play with 4 Petitioners then we can mill a total of 48 cards in one turn cycle. Unfortunately, since that's only half of a player's starting deck, we would need to do that 6 times to mill out the entire table and that's not exactly a feasible plan. Instead, we're focusing on milling ourselves so we only need around 8 Petitioner activations to remove our entire library. After that we just want to try to win with [[Laboratory Maniac]] or [[Jace, Wielder of Mysteries]]. Additionally, we don't really want to wait for two full turn cycles to try to mill ourselves so, instead, we're loaded up on untap effects to try to do it all at once. [[Vitalize]], [[Call to Glory]], and [[Energy Arc]] are all efficient untap effects that allow us to activate the Petitioners multiple times a turn.
Once we've got our plan in place we just need to find it, which is where [[Bring to Light]], [[Shared Summons]], and even [[Shamanic Revelation]] come in. Letting us tutor up a win condition or draw into one is very relevant when we want to put our entire library into the graveyard. I also want to highlight a few individual cards that don't really fit a theme but are just good value. The first card is probably the most obvious one: [[Thrumming Stone]]. Being able to cast a single Persistent Petitioner and then Ripple into every other copy is the quickest way to guarantee we win the game. The next card to mention is [[Elven Chorus]]. Elven Chorus gives our creatures the ability to tap for mana which can allow us to almost storm off with untap effects to generate an absurd amount of mana to cast our entire hand. Finally, the last card I want to mention is [[Harvest Season]]. Searching up a land for each tapped creature we control is incredibly powerful when we want to flood the board with creatures that like to tap. Regardless of how we get there, there should be plenty of ways for this deck to take advantage of Persistent Petitioners and untap effects.
In the end, this deck came in at $91.27 with [[Eladamri's Call]] being the most expensive card at $8.48. Eladamri's Call is another way we can find any of the pieces we need but since it is so expensive, and we have backup versions that do the same thing, you can always cut it for an additional Petitioner to trim the budget pretty significantly.
On the other hand, if you want an out-of-budget upgrade as well as the card to take out for it then I’ve got you covered. That’s why I’d recommend putting in [[Conduit of Worlds]] ($4.20) and taking out [[Felidar Guardian]]. The downside of building some of these decks so far in advance is that I sometimes forget what I was thinking while actually building the deck. In this case, I don't remember why Felidar Guardian is in this deck. There aren't a ton of ETB effects that benefit from it and it doesn't synergize with the rest of the deck in a way that's immediately obvious. So, to that end, I'd recommend swapping it out for Conduit of Worlds, which is an incredibly efficient way to play lands and cast spells from our graveyard. Since we want to mill our entire library, being able to re-use any cards we accidentally mill is an invaluable ability.
Thanks for checking out the deck and reading about it/watching the video! I hope you all like it and if you think there are improvements to be made, if you have suggestions, or just want to chat about it, then let me know. Also, a quick plug: if you want to guarantee that your suggestions get turned into decks or a variety of other benefits (including access to a discord channel to play in the games, help build the decks, getting the decklists a week early, and one of the random cards shipped to you every month) then check me out on www.patreon.com/dungeonlearnersguide or consider becoming a channel member over on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/dungeonlearnersguide.

Like the title says, just a few questions about certain choices and using the designer.
1) Are magazine boxes always worth it? I know it seriously helps with tonnage limits, but does it make ships more vulnerable to regulabelt damage? Or when it techs is late enough that no matter what, shells WILL get through the belt armor otherwise?
2) With AoN armor layout, should you still armor the extended sections (belt + deck) enough to dissuade smaller calibers? Or is it not worth it?
3) How much of a TPS does bulging a ship during refit actually add? It mentions it in the description, but is it just fluff or actually added?
4) Any other obscure/obtuse things to know about the ship designer?
If it wasn’t clear, haven’t really made it past 45 yet in game. Still loving the game otherwise, in spite of “decides to cut the Navy’s funding” right when I order 2 new dreads.

Background: I’ve run and played Mork Borg, Vast Grimm, and Pirate Borg, but hadn’t yet had a chance to play Cy_Borg. Recently I had some guys ask me if I’d be willing to run it for them and I said hell yes! I watched a few APs of Lucky Flight Takedown and decided to just run with that. I wanted to keep things fast and loose with a lot of “yes, and” to keep things moving and let them play around with the casino sandbox and their powers, and learn the rules (two of the four had played Mork Borg, two had never played it). My goal was to keep the session around 3.5 hours so I’d know if I could run this as a four-hour con event in the future. I made a bunch of pre-gens and screened out any that were obnoxiously good or hopelessly awful, and then picked two mid-level ones per class that I felt would cover a mix of equipment and powers that would give them options.
My four players picked:

• Shunned Nanomancer
• Cyberslasher
• Burned Hacker
• Discharged Corp Killer

LUCKY FLIGHT TAKEDOWN – Recap [CONTAINS SPOILERS]
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I considered skipping the “you meet in a tavern and get a quest” bit but ultimately kept it in as it’s a chance to do a little lore dump about the world/setting of the game, and having them roll into the bar individually means each of them can do a little intro of their character (name, appearance, notable stats/powers/equipment and such).

Task in hand, the PCs set out to case the casino. One thing I noted in all three APs I watched was that every time the players said, “We’re going to case the place while it is open, regroup, and come up with our plan.” And without fail, something happened and they started the heist right away.

In our case here, the PCs split up, with three going into the casino and one circling the outside to note the possible entrances and exits. Note that for the purposes of PC communication I assumed they all had some way of talking to each other. Two of the PCs stayed on the bottom floor while one made his way upstairs to the VIP entry area. One note here is that I was rolling for room encounters and during the entire course of the adventure, I only rolled ONE result (on a 1-in-8) that triggered one. Regardless, the PC outside met up inside and we now had essentially two groups of two. One of them – our Corp Killer and Burned Hacker – were proceeding carefully and taking notes. The Hacker successfully and stealthily hacked into a machine and got access to a more detailed map of the interior, while the Corp Killer tracked the movement of bouncers/security.

While this was happening, The others were… less cautious. Lot of questions about the employee only office upstairs from the Nanomancer, who used a power to project himself in and see what was going on, only to be met with regular boring corporate drudgery – and the knowledge of the staff elevator.

Ultimately the Nanomancer hatched a plan to get one of the employees IDs and uniforms. I did some random rolls and said yes, you see an employee exit that area onto the floor and buy a snack from the vending machine, and then head to the restroom after. The Nanomancer and Cyberslasher followed him into the bathroom, cleared out the shady guys making deals in there, and then the Cyberslasher held the door, while the Hacker rolled well so I gave him security camera access on the first floor, and he set up a camera feed loop so that nothing seemed off with the bathroom. I started a 6-action clock of “security notices the same guy has gone into and out of the bathroom and something’s wrong” (clocks like this are one of my favorite mechanisms in Blades in the Dark, and one which I use often in other games to keep action moving.) The Nanomancer decided the right move was to sidle up next to the employee at the urinal and pee on him, at which point the poor guy went to the sink to try to wash up, proclaiming “God this is just making it look worse, what the hell!” At that point we had a melee strike attempt to knock the guy out that missed badly, moving us to initiative. Fortunately the PCs went first and the Cyberslasher with his literal Flail, rolled a hit and bashed the guys brains out by dealing max damage, knocking his head clean off.

A couple things happened from there. I started a clock of “someone comes into the bathroom”. First, they did get the keycard they wanted. Second, they had to dispose of the body with its now useless and bloody uniform. They elected to jam it into a stall and drop the head in the bowl, just as someone came in to use the bathroom with the shady bathroom dealmakers right behind them. That started another clock of “someone discovers a headless body in the bathroom”. The PCs got together and hatched a new plan: the Burned Hacker would use the employee ID card to enter the exterior employee only entrance, grab a uniform, and head upstairs to get to work. From there he’d hack the system further and try to locate the offline database. He’d also change the photo in the employee database of the employee whose card they had to match his photo, so a cursory review wouldn’t find anything wrong if anyone stopped him – he’s just a new hire.

In the interim, our clock expires – a poor white-faced guest staggers drunkenly out of the bathroom, shouting, “Hey man, someone like, shit out their own head in there!” This starts a new clock, a cleaning crew carts the body out and down to the basement, which is fine, but at the clock expiration, I’d roll to see if anyone noticed that this wasn’t a random casino guest but actually an employee. (This clock expired and I rolled that someone did care, and started a new clock of “Vaska is notified and contacts Wattana”, but the rest of the action happened fast enough that it didn’t matter, and as you’ll see, the PCs never went into the basement.)

The other 3 PCs took up strategic positions in case of emergency while this plan unfolded. The Hacker uniformed up and took the elevator into the 2^nd floor staff room, picked a cubicle and got to work. His objective was to find an employee that was disengaged and had a “I don’t care about this” attitude, but he failed badly and landed next to Anderson, a super chipper and very pro-company team member who was very eager to learn all about this new face. Our Hacker failed a check to see if he could deck in without being observed, and burned a glitch and nailed his reroll. From there I gave them a more detailed map of the second floor and some info on the basement, as well as access to security cameras on the second floor. (Keep in mind this entire time with every room, I’m rolling a D8 with a 1 meaning a random event, and totally whiffing.)

These developments led to some significant scheming and plotting. With the 2^nd floor blueprint and access to the security camera feeds, the PCs knew there were some rooms worth exploring and where the vault was, but no real evidence that their target was in the Vault – though, that is perhaps a reasonable assumption, and if the vault had anything of value it might supersede the whole “decommissioned squad car” reward anyway. A new plan was hatched: the PCs outside of the Hacker would head outside and around back, and be let into the employee entrance on the first floor. They’d grab uniforms and head upstairs to the second floor elevator. As soon as they came up, the Hacker would use a nano power to make all the electronic games start paying out jackpots while taking the cameras on the first and second floor offline, and make it look like the hacking was being done by his cubicle neighbor. The group would head through the tech room into the vault and use another nano power to break it open, stealing whatever was inside, and then make for the exits with hopefully either the database or whatever else was in there.

Not all the rolls went their way from here, but collectively they had enough glitches to make everything go according to plan… except I FINALLY hit a random encounter roll, so when they walked into the tech room as pandemonium broke out downstairs with all the games paying out jackpots all at once, two techs were in the room in a fistfight over whose fault it was that things were going haywire. The PCs solved this by blaming poor Anderson and rolling well to convince them, and off they went to report Anderson to security. The PC’s got into the vault and looted it, realizing they’d found the database, and didn’t have a good way to sneak him out. They probably could have figured out something if they wanted, but they elected for the more action-packed exit strategy of “run for it and gun down anyone in our way!”

Sprinting back to the employee room to get to the elevator, our Corp Killer tossed a few Flashbangs out and got a nat 20, blinding the ever-living hell out of everyone outside the hallway and in the VIP area by the stairs, including four SecOps guys who were beating poor Anderson within an inch of his life for his “hacking”, and ran down the steps, where they were stopped by two bouncers and one SecOp who clocked what was happening amongst the chaos. Unfortunately for these guys, the PCs caused a CyRage in the SecOp guy who went berserk and started gunning down random passersby, while they made fairly quick work of the two bouncers. From there it was into the first floor employee area where another Flashbang made it hard for the four guards in there to fight back, as they were gunned down and struck by a flail and generally cut to ribbons, although one did connect with the poor Nanomancer who was dropped to 1HP. From there out the side door and into a waiting Uber-XL, our PCs disappeared into the night, the sound of jackpots and a raging SMG-toting guard fading into the background.

The PCs were pretty pleased with the chips they looted from the Vault, which took away some of the sting of their meetup with Charlie not happening, and obviously they also didn’t rescue Batu or really attempt to do so. Just as they were about to leave the meetup with Charlie empty-handed, some community members rolled up in the decommissioned patrol car with information: Charlie was made by the Corp that backs the Casino, and was about to be put on a high-security train to Borghold. They promised a small reward for his rescue, but more importantly, the torture AI’s in Borghold would surely crack Charlie’s mind and ID the PCs, so they needed to rescue him, or otherwise neutralize his ability to ID him.

With that, the credits rolled on LUCKY STRIKE TAKEDOWN, with a teaser leading into 3:10 to Borghold if the players want to continue on with these characters.

Music I played during our session:

Intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEtdyn2QEzA&list=PLjXZJPJLkR-hgTPa6brR6EPlLd9CZmZiR&index=13
Play session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsvYVVRAk0c&list=PLjXZJPJLkR-hgTPa6brR6EPlLd9CZmZiR&index=3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wBNgz8ciZQ&list=PLjXZJPJLkR-hgTPa6brR6EPlLd9CZmZiR&index=4
Outro/credit roll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys31D54fDas&list=PLjXZJPJLkR-hgTPa6brR6EPlLd9CZmZiR&index=8

I used Maps from Itch which I displayed on an external monitor:
https://www.reddit.com/Cy_Borg/comments/1clrw9t/comment/l2vhy5h/

(I cannot stress this isn't an ad to go buy this stuff, buy whatever you want) I got my steam deck (256gb lcd) about a month ago, immediately started trying to add on to my experience. I've never owned a gaming pc before, and I was a little exited at the idea that you can add on all these different things. I started with replacing my shitty desh with a black sleek computer deck I found, I then got a semi nice dock, broke out my gaming mouse and dad's old keyboard and plugged it in, I finally grabbed a spare micro SD I've had laying around forever. Now on my list is: a battery pack (mine ate the curb :[ ), monitor I can plug into the deck and play with, better keyboard (mine sucks ass)
As far as the OS goes, I'm no expert in Linux, but I'm also not a newbie either, I'm exited to see what I can do with this little cool peice of tech. That's all.
Does anyone else have any ideas for essentials I'm missing or do I have it down?

This is the weekly discussion thread for Pokemon! Discuss current metas, deck techs and set up games/meeting times!

Intro

Ogre Rogue was my favorite deck of last expansion and, with the miniset and recent nerfs, it is maybe sort of back. By "back," I mean "halfway playable in lower ranks of legend." I've been tinkering with a few different variants of the deck for a while (roughly fifty games) across mid-to-dumpster legend (6-10k). Turns out experimenting with jank like Ogre Rogue is not great for the MMR, but Ogre Rogue is the my favorite and the best performing jank I've found. With the last three iterations of the deck, I'm 11-7, 8-3 with the decklist below, and, honestly, playing two, three, or four boards of windfury ogres in a row does not get old.

Decklist and General Notes

It's Ogre

Class: Rogue

Format: Standard

Year of the Pegasus

2x (0) Backstab

2x (0) Preparation

2x (0) Shadowstep

2x (1) Breakdance

2x (1) Miracle Salesman

2x (1) Tar Slick

2x (2) Fan of Knives

2x (2) Gold Panner

2x (2) Quick Pick

2x (3) Ogre-Gang Outlaw

1x (3) Photographer Fizzle

2x (4) Dubious Purchase

1x (4) Nostalgic Gnome

2x (4) Ogre-Gang Rider

2x (5) Ogre-Gang Ace

1x (6) Kingpin Pud

1x (0) Zilliax Deluxe 3000

1x (0) Zilliax Deluxe 3000

1x (3) Virus Module

1x (5) Perfect Module

AAECAYO6AgSs0QWzmQaPowbHpAYNkZ8E9p8E958E38MFyPsFhY4GrZkGrpkGr5kGzpwG7p4G2aIGtrUGAAED9LMGx6QG97MGx6QG6N4Gx6QGAAA=

To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

The whole Ogre Gang is here. In earlier iterations, I had cut out Ogre-Gang Outlaw for having poor performance against aggro. At least in these ranks, I'm facing way more greedy control decks than aggro, against which a more tempo-focused list seems to be helping.
The rest of the deck exists to help us (a) draw the ogres, (b) replay the ogres, or (c) survive longer to play more ogres. Exactly what cards you play around the ogres is likely quite flexible; as I mentioned, the above list I've tried to tune for the greedier decks.
The deck has good chances against other decks that play fair for the board (Paladin and Hunter lists), as with a ton of rush and some cheap removal it can vie for the board. By repeatedly bouncing Kingpin Pud the deck also has good chances against control lists that aim to exhaust you (e.g. Reno Priest).
However, there are four main weaknesses to the deck that keep it from being super competitive.

1. Early stats dumps. With Tar Slick and Rush minions / backstab / Fan of Knives or Prepartion + Dubious Purchase, the deck can contest a modest wide board or a couple of biggish minions early, but with a peak Painlock or Aggro paladin board, there's often not much we can do. Thankfully nerfs have made such decks slower and less popular. Pud is the main answer against late-game boards (you might need Tar Slick or to Shadowstep and replay Pud on 10 mana against ludicrous boards), hence all the draw to get us to him.
2. Burn. Spell mage might be the deck's worst match-up. Reviving a bunch of rush ogres is much less effective when your opponent has no minions. Especially as the limited healing the deck has (Ogre-Gang Ace and Zilliax) comes in the form of rush+lifesteal. When they can burn you out before you can stick a big ogre board, you may not have much answers.
3. Strong disruption. Especially with the deck being draw heavy, Boomboss can be brutal. That Reno and Amanthul poof your ogres is extremely annoying. Reno Warrior is a tough matchup in general. A lot comes down to how well the warrior draws. If they miss drawing removal early and/or miss drawing Zilliax/Reno later, you have a reasonable chance of overwhelming them with ogres, but otherwise they can shut you out.
4. Terrible draws. You can run into the classic rogue conundrum of drawing your cheap utility cards up front and ending up with hands that don't do much of anything.

Mulligan and Play Notes

I can't claim to have played enough to have a definitive mulligan guide. Here's my current thoughts about how to handle mulligan.

1. Universal keeps: Ogre-Gang Outlaw (often 2-for-1s early-game minions), Miracle Salesman (turn 1 play + cycle), and maybe Backstab.
2. Keeps against control classes (Warrior, Priest). Above, other Ogre-Gang members, including Pud, and Gold Panner.
3. Keeps against aggro (Hunter, Paladin, Warlock?). Tar Slick. Fan of Knives. Prep if you have Fan of Knives or Dubious Purchases.

I think the deck can be a bit tricky to play well (which is part of why it's fun). There are a few tricky points to playing the deck.

1. When to play Tar Slick + removal. Tar Slick + backstab & fan of knives is a key board recovery tool. You can play removal as you get it to eke out a claim to the board or hold on to it to respond to a power play. Which is correct is matchup dependent.
2. When to play card draw versus more proactive plays (ogres). Again it's very matchup dependent how much to commit to the board.
3. To Pud or not to Pud. In most matchups, I would bias towards playing Pud with 2-3 ogres dead if you can bounce him. The deck has enough bounces (especially if you play Fizzle with Pud and/or bounce cards in hands) to get there even if the first Pud is underwhelming. If the alternative is dying next turn, playing Pud without a bounce can be correct.
4. How to Bounce Pud. You often will have a choice between Shadowstep and Breakdance and there can be some difference between them (i.e. whether you want the 6/7 rush or the discount on Pud). My general approach is to try to force board clears with the first couple of Puds. So if your board is already threatening enough to clear without the 6/7 body, Shadowstep, otherwise Breakdance.
5. Optimizing Ogre attacks. With a Pud board attacking into an opponent's board, you can get up to 12 (or 13 with breakdance, or 24/25 if you Pud+Shadowstep+Pud) ogre attacks. You want to order these attacks to maximize chip face damage while clearing the board. My rough approach to doing this is to (a) attack first with the Ogre-Gang riders to bring the opposing minions to <=4-5 health (break points for your other ogres), (b) then attack with Ogre-Gang aces to thin the board to one big minion / two-three small minions, and (c) then running the Ogre-Gang Outlaws in to clear up the remaining minion or two.

Conclusion

I love the Ogre-Gang. I really appreciate the design of the 50/50s where which side of the coin is the good side depends on the game state: I'm never too mad when they troll me and delighted when they scam a win. Despite these literal coin flips, the deck is surprisingly fair and consistent (for a rogue deck, at least).
There's also a lot of room for deck tinkering. The core (Ogres + bounce) only takes up a third of the deck, leaving a lot of room to play around with approaches and tech choices for the other slots. I hope this ramble encourages y'all to try out the deck, and, if you do, that the Ogre-Gang remains on your side.

Right off the bat, the apartment I'm getting is super goddamn small. Like, 400 square feet, at most. So I don't need CIA-approved tech or anything. I don't even necessarily want a WiFi router, I just have never seen a modem that allowed for multiple hardline connections. If y'all know of anything, let me know
EDIT: I probably should have been more specific. I checked ISPs on my way home and saw that I can get up to a 1.5 gig (down) connection in the building I'm moving into. I have a gaming PC, a PS5, a smart TV, an Android phone, and a Steam Deck. I'm going to have the first 3 of those on a hardline and the last 2 would be on WiFi.

Dreamcast

• Dead or Alive 2 disc only
  
• Nightmare Creatures 2 disc only
  
• Phantasy Star Online cib
  
• NBA 2k2 cib
  
• Railroad Tycoon 2 cib
  
• Tennis 2k2 cib
  
• NBA 2k cib
  
• Pelican stinger jolt light blaster
  

PC

• Sonic R cib

Ps2

• Spy hunter greatest hits brand new sealed
  
• Dark cloud greatest hits cib
  
• Robotech battlecry cib
  
• Pes 2012 no manual
  
• Pes 2013 no manual
  
• Yugioh the duelist of the roses with manual no promo cards
  
• Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 gh cib
  
• Need for speed underground 2 gh cib
  

Ps3

• Modnation racers cib
  
• Infamous cib
  
• Infamous 2 disk only
  
• Prince of persia cib
  

Ps4

• 20th anniversary controller
  
• Doom cib
  
• NBA 2k23 cib
  
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 cib
  
• Call of duty black ops 3 cib
  
• Yakuza like a dragon cib
  

Xbox One

• Scuff Controller
  
• Halo 5 cib
  
• Star Wars battlefront cib
  

Xbox 360

• Halo 4 Forerunner clear blue controller
  
• Gears of War controller
  
• Gun brand new sealed
  
• Tony hawks proving ground brand new sealed
  
• Forza 4 cib
  
• Marvel vs Capcom 3 cib
  

Xbox

• Xbox madcatz mini wireless controller with receiver
  
• Murakumo Renegade Mech Pursuit brand new sealed
  
• Turok cib
  
• Wolverines revenge no manual
  
• SSX Tricky no manual
  
• Halo ce cib
  
• Turok cib
  

Ps1

• Spongebob supersponge cib
  
• Cool boarders 3 cib
  
• Walt Disney World Magical Racing tour cib
  
• Perfect Weapon cib
  
• Black dawn cib
  
• Final Fantasy Tactics gh cib
  
• Disney Tiger honey hunt cib
  
• The little mermaid 2 cib
  
• Knockout kings cib
  
• Boxing cib
  

Wii

• Wii sports resort & Wii sports 2 in 1 disc only
  
• Wii sports resort cib
  
• Zelda Twilight princess cib
  
• Animal Crossing city folk cib
  
• The Amazing Spider-Man cib
  
• Resident Evil 4 no manual
  
• Star Wars the force unleashed 2 cib
  
• Lego Star Wars the complete saga cib
  

Wii U

• Pokémon tournament cib
  
• Lego Batman Beyond Gotham cib
  

Gamecube

• Silver controller

Snes carts only

• Tetris attack
  
• Monopoly
  
• FIFA International Soccer
  

Nintendo ds

• Red ds lite console
  
• Lego Batman cib
  
• Lego Star Wars the complete saga cib
  
• Lego Pirates of the carribean cib
  
• Mega Man Starforce Leo cib
  
• Mario party case & manual only
  

Gameboy advance

• OEM Gameboy Advance SP charger x3

Totaku GameStop Figures

• Sonic
  
• Knuckles
  
• Tails
  
• Ryu
  
• Coco
  
• Heihachi
  
• Jin
  
• Lara croft
  

Misc

• Micro Machines Transformers 8 pack new
  
• Digimon Fusion Shoutmon + Ballistamon new
  
• 2000 Birdhouse Tech Deck 6 Pack KB Toys new
  
• 1999 Tony Hawk Pro Skater Falcon Tech Deck new
  
• Pokémon 90s fingerboard
  
• Flick tricks khe bomber bikes purple green orange
  
• DC shoes fingerboards
  
• Lot of 39 beanz toys
  
• WWE & WCW dvds
  
• Heroclix fast forces 6 figure sets new
  

Wanted

• Alundra 2 ps1
  
• Marvel vs street fighter ps1
  
• Twisted Metal 2 ps1
  
• Donkey Kong Country 3 snes
  
• Star Wars Racer dc
  
• Powerstone dc
  
• Vigilante 8 2nd offense dc
  
• Psp 3000
  
• Ps3 dualshock controller
  
• Other consoles
  
• GBA Games
  
• Gamecube Games
  
• Switch Games
  
• Offers