Magic: The Gathering Modern Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier Dublin $1K Top 8 Decklists

Thanks to all who participated in the MTG Modern PPTQ Dublin $1K held Saturday, September 17, 2016, at Dragon's Den in Poughkeepsie, NY. Congratulations to our top 8 finishers, who all won prizes, and to the first place finisher, Paul Mendez, who won $400 and an invite to the Regional PTQ! Here are the winning deck lists of the top eight finishers:

1st - Paul Mendez Affinity Creatures: 27 4 Orinithopter 2 Memnite 4 Signal Pest 4 Vault Skirge 4 Arcbound Ravager 3 Steel Overseer 1 Spellskite 3 Etched Champion 2 Master of Etherium Spells : 16 4 Mox Opal 1 Welding Jar 4 Springleaf Drum 3 Galvanic Blast 4 Cranial Plating Lands: 17 4 Inkmoth Nexus 4 Blinkmoth Nexus 4 Darksteel Citadel 3 Glimmervoid 1 Island 1 Sea Gate Wreckage SIDEBOARD 15 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 2 Thoughtseize 2 Spell Pierce 2 Ghirapur Aether Grid 1 Vandalblast 1 Whipflare 1 Wear//Tear 1 Blood Moon 1 Ancient Grudge 1 Etched Champion 1 Bitterblossom	2nd - Delury Brendan Infect Creatures: 13 4 Blighted Agent 4 Glistener Elf 4 Noble Hierarch 1 Viridian Corrupter Spells: 27 4 Gitaxian Probe 4 Might of Old Krosa 4 Mutagenic Growth 4 Become Immense 4 Vines of Vastwood 2 Apostle’s Blessing 1 Spell Pierce 1 Distortion Strike 1 Dismember 1 Fog 1 Wild Defiance Lands: 20 4 Inkmoth Nexus 4 Wooded Foothills 4 Windswept Heath 2 Pendelhaven 2 Forest 1 Misty Rainforest 3 Breeding Pool SIDEBOARD 15 1 Dryad Arbor 2 Twisted Image 2 Spellskite 2 Spell Pierce 3 Kitchen Finks 2 Nature’s Claim 2 Dismember 1 Grafdigger’s Cage
3rd - Rich Cali Bring to Light Scapeshift Creatures: 6 4 Sakura Tribe Elder 2 Snapcaster Mage Spells: 28 4 Cryptic Command 4 Remand 4 Bring to Light 4 Search for tomorrow 3 Izzet Charm 2 Farseek 2 Scapeshift 2 Worldly Consul 1 Damnation 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Hunting Wilds Lands: 26 4 Stomping Grounds 4 Steam Vents 1 Cinder Glade 1 Mountain 3 Misty Rainforest 1 Watery Grave 1 Overgrown Tomb 1 Swamp 2 Forest 3 Island 2 Breeding Pool 2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 1 Flooded Grove SIDEBOARD 15 2 Swan Song 2 Anger of the Gods 2 Nature’s Claim 1 Crumble to Dust 1 Shatterstorm 1 Obstinate Baloth 3 Lightning Bolt 2 Engineered Explosives 1 Slaughter Games	4th - David Haass Bant Eldrazi Creatures: 24 4 Noble Hierarch 3 Matter Reshaper 2 Eldrazi Skyspawner 4 Eldrazi Displacer 4 Thought-Knot Seer 4 Reality Smasher 3 Drowner of Hope Spells: 12 4 Path to Exile 4 Ancient Stirrings 2 Dismember 2 Engineered Explosives Lands: 24 4 Cavern of Souls 4 Windswept Heath 4 Eldrazi Temple 3 Yavimaya Coast 3 Brushland 2 Forest 1 Plains 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Breeding Pool 1 Temple Garden SIDEBOARD 15 3 Stony Silence 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 2 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion 2 Stubborn Denial 2 Blessed Alliance 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Worship 1 Thragtusk 1 Worldbreaker
5th - Jack Ma Infect Creatures: 14 4 Blighted Agent 4 Glistener Elf 4 Noble Hierarch 2 Spellskite Spells: 26 4 Become Immense 1 Dismember 4 Gitaxian Probe 4 Might of old Krosa 4 Mutagenic Growth 1 Spell Pierce 4 Vines of Vastwood 3 Apostles Blessing 1 Rancor Lands: 20 2 Breeding Pool 1 Dryad Arbor 2 Foest 2 Pendelhaven 4 Inkmoth Nexus 1 Misty Rainforest 4 Windswept Heath 4 Wooded Foothills SIDEBOARD 15 1 Dismember 1 Dispel 1 Rancor 2 Spell Pierce 2 Twisted Image 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Serum Vision 1 Spellskite 1 Ground Swell 1 Viridian Corrupter 1 Hurkyl’s Recall	6th - Michael Derszo RG Ramp Creatures: 17 4 Arbor Elf 1 Birds of Paradise 2 Obstinate Baloth 1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar 1 Thrun, the Last Troll 4 Stormbreath Dragon 4 Inferno Titan Spells: 21 4 Utopia Sprawl 4 Blood Mon 4 Stone Rain 1 Beast Within 4 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss 1 Chandra, Pyromaster 3 Bonefire of the Damned Lands: 22 4 Wooded Foothills 4 Windswept Heath 9 Forest 1 Mouintain 3 Stomping Ground 1 Kessig Wolf Run SIDEBOARD 15 2 Spellskite 3 Sudden Shock 2 Ancient Grudge 2 Shatterstorm 2 Scavenging Ooze 4 Kitchen Finks
7th - Brian Montero GR Tron Creatures: 7 1 Spellskite 2 Wurmcoil Engine 2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 2 World Breaker Spells: 33 4 Ancient Stirring 4 Sylvan Scrying 4 Chromatic Sphere 4 Chromatic Star 4 Expedition Map 4 Oblivion Stone 3 Pyroclasam 4 Karn Liberated 2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Lands: 20 4 Grove of the Burnwillow 2 Forest 2 Sanctum of Ugin 4 Urza’s Tower 4 Urza’s Power Plant 4 Urza’s Mine SIDEBOARD 15 1 Platinum Angel 1 Warping Wail 2 Relic of Progenitus 2 Sudden Shock 2 Thragtusk 4 Nature’s Claim 1 Ghost Quarter 2 Spellskite	8th - Anthony Ennis Naya Burn Creatures: 14 4 Goblin Guide 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Monastery Swiftspear 2 Grim Lavamancer Spells: 26 4 Boros Charm 4 Atarka’s Command 4 Rift Bolt 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Lava Spike 3 Searing Blaze 2 Skullcrack 1 Shard Volley Lands: 20 3 Mountain 2 Sacred Foundry 2 Stomping Ground 3 Copperline Gorge 3 Bloodstained Mire 3 Wooded Foothills 4 Arid Mesa SIDEBOARD 15 3 Kor Firewalker 4 Path to Exile 4 Destructive Revelry 2 Smash to Smitherines 2 Deflecting Palm

Magic: The Gathering Standard PPTQ Honolulu 1K Top 8 Decklists

Thanks to all who participated in the Magic: The Gathering Standard Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier (PPTQ) Honolulu $1K held Saturday, June 4th 2016, at Dragon's Den in Poughkeepsie, NY. Congratulations to our top 8 finishers, who all won prizes, and to the first place finisher, Jack Ma, who won $400 and an invite to the Regional PTQ! Here are the winning deck lists of the top eight finishers:

1st - Jack Ma, GW TOKENS Creatures 16 4 Archangel Avacyn 4 Hangarback Walker 4 Sylvan Advocate 2 Thraben Inspector 2 Lambholt Pacifist Spells: 19 4 Dromoka’s Command 4 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar 4 Oath of Nissa 1 Evolutionary Leap 2 Secure the Wastes Lands: 25 4 Canopy Vista 4 Fortified Village 2 Westvale Abbey 7 Plains 8 Forest Sideboard:15 2 Clip Wings 4 Declaration in Stone 2 Tragic Arrogance 2 Quarantine Field 1 Lambholt Pacifist 1 Dragonlord Dromoka 1 Sigarda, Herons Grace 1 Linvala, the Perserver 1 Stasis Snare	2nd - Tim Bachmann, BANT COMPANY Creatures: 26 2 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy 2 Nissa, Vastwood Seer 2 Eldrazi Displacer 4 Sylvan Advocate 4 Duskwatch Recruiter 4 Tireless Tracker 4 Bounding Krasis 4 Reflector Mage Spells: 9 2 Declaration In Stone 3 Dromoka’s Command 4 Collected Company Lands: 25 1 Wastes 1 Island 3 Plains 3 Forest 4 Evolving Wilds 2 Lumbering Falls 3 Canopy Vista 4 Yavimaya Coast 4 Prairie Stream Sideboard:15 1 Dragonlord Dromoka 2 Invasive Surgery 1 Dispel 1 Surrak, the Hunt Caller 2 Tragic Arrogance 1 Declaration in Stone 2 Clip Wings 3 Negate
3rd - Joe Countryman, BW MIDRANGE Creatures: 10 3 Archangel Avacyn 2 Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim 2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 3 Hangar Back Walker Spells: 24 2 Languish 2 Secure the Waste 1 Tragic Arrogance 3 Transgress the Mind 1 Declaration in Stone 3 Read the Bones 3 Anguished Unmaking 3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar 2 Ultimate Price 2 Grasp of Darkness 1 Silkwrap 1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis Lands: 26 3 Westvale Abbey 3 Plains 3 Blighted Fen 5 Swamp 4 Shambling Vent 4 Forsaken Sanctuary 4 Caves of Koilos Sideboard: 15 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited 2 Hallowed Fountain 1 Silkwrap 1 Tragic Arrogance 2 Thought-Knot Seer 1 Languish 3 Duress 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 3 Reality Smasher	4th - Matt Tumavitch, BANT HUMANS Creatures: 25 4 Thraben Inspector 2 Knight of the White Orchid 3 Duskwatch Recruiter 4 Lambholt Pacifist 4 Reflector Mage 4 Tireless Tracker Spells: 10 4 Collected Company 4 Dromoka’s Command 2 Ojutai’s Command Lands:25 6 Plains 3 Forest 1 Island 4 Evolving Wilds 4 Fortified Village 3 Prairie Stream 2 Yavimaya Coast 2 Canopy Vista Sideboard: 15 1 Knight of the White Orchid 3 Gryff’s Boon 2 Den Protector 3 Negate 2 Nissa, Vastwood Seer 1 Sigarda, Heron’s Grace 3 Tragic Arrogance
5th - Noah Landara, JUNK MIDRANGE Creatures: 14 2 Den Protector 3 Sylvan Advocate 2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 1 Linvala, the Preserver 2 Archangel Avacyn 2 Nissa, Vastwood Seer 2 Hangarback Walker Spells:20 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited 2 Oath of Nissa 2 Dromoka’s Command 1 Ruinous Path 2 Grasp of Darkness 2 Painful Truths 2 Anguished Unmaking 2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar 2 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar 2 Secure the Wastes 2 Sorin, Grim Nemesis Lands: 26 2 Canopy Vista 1 Plains 1 Swamp 4 Shambling Vent 3 Caves of Koilos 2 Westvale Abbey 3 Forest 4 Fortified Village 3 Hissing Quagmire 3 Llanowar Wastes Sideboard: 15 1 Languish 1 To the Slaughter 2 Infinite Obliteration 3 Declaration in Stone 2 Hallowed Moonlight 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited 1 Hidden Dragonslayer 1 Tireless Tracker 1 Seasons Past 2 Duress	6th - Nick Langella, MARDU CONTROL Creatures: 6 4 Goblin Dark Dwellers 2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet Spells:29 3 Fiery Impulse 2 Sinister Concoction 2 Transgress the Mind 2 Grasp of Darkness 1 Ultimate Price 4 Read the Bones 1 Kolaghan’s Command 3 Anguished Unmaking 3 Ruinous Path 2 Radiant Flames 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar 2 Secure the Wastes Lands: 2 Swamp 2 Plains 1 Mountain 2 Evolving Wilds 3 Foreboding Ruins 3 Smolding Marsh 4 Shambling Vent 3 Caves of Koilos 3 Battlefield Forge 2 Westvale Abby Sideboard: 15 1 Thought-Knot Seer 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 1 Linvala, the Preserver 2 Duress 1 Ultimate Price 1 Transgress the Mind 1 Hallowed Moonlight 1 Radiant Flames 1 Kholgan’s Command 2 Eldrazi Displacer 3 Reality Smasher
7th - Joe Fassino, GB Ramp Creatures: 11 4 Sylvan Advocate 4 Tireless Tracker 1 Den Protector 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 1 Ulvenwalkd Hydra Spells: 23 2 Ruinous Path 2 Grasp of Darkness 1 Ultimate Price 1 Duress 2 Languish 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited 1 Transgress the Mind 1 The Great Aurora 3 Dark Petition 1 Seasons Past 1 Nissa’s Renewal 1 Pulse of Murasa 3 Explosive Vegetation 3 Nissa’s Pilgrimage Lands: 26 1 Blighted Fen 5 Swamp 4 Evolving Wilds 4 Hissing Quagmire 4 Llanowar Wastes 8 Forest Sideboard: 15 1 Gaea’s Revenge 1 Ultimate Price 2 Transgress the Mind 1 Clip Wings 1 Duress 1 Virulent Plague 1 To the Slaughter 1 Naturalize 1 Pick the Brains 1 Seasons Past 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 2 Languish 1 Worldbreaker	8th - Mike Bott, BANT HUMANS Creatures: 26 4 Duskwatch Recruiter 3 Eldrazi Displacer 4 Lambholt’s Pacifist 4 Reflector Mage 4 Thalia’s Lieutenant 3 Thraben inspector 4 Tireless Tracker Spells: 9 4 Collected Company 4 Dromoka’s Command 1 Ojutai’s Command Lands: 24 5 Plains 1 Island 2 Forest 3 Canopy Vista 4 Evolving Wilds 4 Fortified Village 1 Prairie Stream 1 ? 4 Yavimaya Coast Sideboard: 15 1 Gryff’s Boon 2 Den Protector 2 Archangel Avacyn 3 Negate 3 Ojutai’s Command 2 Declaration in Stone 2 ?

Toy Fair 2014 Part 2

As promised, here is some more information about Toy Fair 2014.  Some in this post I think I'll talk a little about Funko and :

Funko:

They have some many fantastic new releases coming out including A Game of Thrones, Galactic Guardians, The Walking Dead, and Magic the Gathering.  With new bobble heads, blind pull boxes, action figures, and vinyl figures; I'm sure there is something to appeal to everyone. To give you a few quick looks, check out the pictures below to see some of the upcoming products.

Galactic Guardians

Magic Action figures (back lite so hard to see)

Magic Vinyl Figures

Magic Vinyl Figures (Close up on Jace)

Konami:

From the makers of Yu-Gi-Oh, there will be some amazing new releases this year.  They only had product out on display through June, but they mentioned a few other great products.  

So we will see a new Gold series this year, Gold Premium.  This set will include cards from Premium series that were released in Japan, but not in the US.  They will also be reprinting a bunch of the best cards from previous Gold series releases.  The are also making the playable god cards... but doing them in an all new gold rarity!

Another release will be the Dragons of Legends.  Konami has been asked over the years and now they are doing it, "Where are all the cards from the TV show?  How come we never get the cards they use in the show."  Well now you can!  Dragons of Legends will be a set of cards not released in card form (but have been on the show).  

One last little teaser... Light Sworn structure deck!  Wait... did I really post that just now???  YES I DID!  There are not a lot of details about this yet, but what I heard was that there are to many great Light Sworn cards to fit in one structure deck, so they will have a booster in each one (similar to V for Victory).Once we learn more, I will share.

I hope this helps everyone out.  Enjoy and read on!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Wizkids Miniatures - What is coming out soon!

There are so many new miniatures coming out from Wizkids this year.  They have Marvel, DC, and Yu-Gi-Oh Heroclixs, Star Trek Attack Wing, and the brand new Dungeons & Dragons miniature line.  So what does that mean???

Heroclix

February: Yu-Gi-Oh Series 1
March: Marvel, Captain America, The Winter Soldier
April: Marvel, X-men - Days of Future Past
May: Marvel, Deadpool
June: DC, War of the Light - Begins
August: Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy

Star Trek Attack Wing

April: Federation USS Voyager, Bioship Alpha, Nistrim Raider, Borg Sphere 4270
June: Borg Tactical Cube, Bajoran Interceptor Five, Vulcan D'kyr
July: Borg Soong, Federation USS Enterprise (Refit), Dominion Battle Cruiser
August: Borg Scout Cube, Federation Enterprise, Vulcan Ni'Var
September: Borg Queen Vessel Prime, Federation USS Enterprise-E, Independent Val Jean
October: Defiant Mirror Universe, Klingon Chang's Bird of Prey, Romulan Scimitar

Dungeons & Dragons

So we will be getting new D&D miniatures.  So far the few they have shown look great.  They will be debuting the set with the release of the new D&D Next this summer.  They are also releasing a D&D version of Attack Wing!  The starter box will include 3 different colored dragons, cards (riders, upgrades, etc), and templates and rules.  Click on the Dungeons & Dragons link to read more from Wizkids about this release.

Oh, but maybe you are looking for something with less minis and more dice?  Then you might want to check out Avengers vs X-men Dice Masters.  A new dice building game where you collect and assemble a team of character dice.  This game will be releasing in March, so come and check it out.

Curious when we play?  Check out our calendars:

Dragon's Den
Gamer's Gambit NJ
Gamer's Gambit CT

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Future Card Buddyfight

So... have you taken a look at Future Card Buddyfight by Bushiroad?

They have now released 2 different trial decks in English; Dominant Dragons - The Chief has Arrived! and Savage Steel - Strength is Power!!.  Each of these decks contains 52 cards, life counter, rule book, and playmat.

The first round of boosters will be released on Friday, January 31st; Dragon Chief!

If you are looking for the Trail Decks, then check out our web store by clicking here.

If you would like to see when we are running events, check out our calendar.

So do you want to give a new game a try?  Then come on in and grab a demo of Future Card Buddyfight... and grab a free demo deck (while supplies last).

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Pokemon TCG XY Kalos Starter Set

So I meant to write about this awhile ago... but sometimes time gets in the way.  I do still want to share this as many people who are into Pokemon are taken a look at what you get in these starters.

So the first thing to know is that you get a foil of all three evolutions for Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin. The other big thing to know is that each one of these starters comes with 24 energy cards... BUT 12 of the energy is different from what you might expect.

• Froakie comes with 12 water energy and 12 metal energy
• Fennekin comes with 12 fire energy and 12 dark energy
• Chespin comes with 12 grass energy and 12 fairy energy 

WHAT.... You mean I can get the brand new FAIRY energy before the rest of XY comes out??? 

YES YOU CAN!

So if you want to get a good look at the beginning of the XY run in Pokemon, then you need to come out pick one up while we have them in stock! Or, you can click on this link to our web store and order one directly!

Sean "striderlotr" Banks

Welcome 2014 from the Dragon's Den

It has been a while since I last posted here.  Sorry for the delay and I hope you all had a really good 2013.  Happy New Years and welcome 2014!

What BIG accomplishments happened in 2013??

• We open the Gamers Gambit CT in Danbury CT
• HUGE events with a Regional for Yu-Gi-Oh, PTQs for Magic, and one of the biggest KMCs for Kaijudo in the country!

So what do we have to look forward to in 2014???

• Magic Release: Born of the Gods, Journey to Nyx, Core Set 2015
• Yu-Gi-Oh Release: Legacy of the Valiant, Premium Gold, Dragons of Legend
• Kaijudo Release: Booster Brawl, The 5 Mystics
• Pokemon Release: Fairy Type Pokemon with X and Y releases
• Video Game Release: Titan Fall for X-Box 1 just to name a game
• The release of Dungeons and Dragons Next (or 5th edition if you like to think that way) 
• Free Comic Box Day: 5/3/2014
• Halloween Comicfest: 10/25/2014
• Star Trek Attack Wing: Wave 3

So we have a lot planned for 2014!  If you are playing a card game, board game, or miniatures game you should check out our calendar... or maybe check out the calendar for the store closest to you:

Dragon's Den: Poughkeepsie, NY 

Gamers Gambit CT: Dandury CT

Gamers Gambit NJ: Saddlebrook, NJ

If you are looking for a gift or item for yourself, try our website.  We have many different items for sale right from our site: http://www.gamersgambit.com/

So with a warm welcome to the new year, I look forward to seeing everyone at the Poughkeepsie location, where I work.  

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Dragon's Den Player of the Year for Magic Update

Now that we have made it half way through the year, I thought we should post a quick summary of the top 8 players in each of the four different categories, as well as some statistics about the number of players we have seen for the different events we have run.  Also, this Friday I'll be giving small gift to the Top player for each category. 

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Just as a side note, I've been asked about why we run so many different events so I thought I would throw a quick answer here.  I like to run a Free and a Paid event at the same time on Friday nights so that the competitive players can play the tougher decks and the casual players don't feel like they are getting crushed all the time.  It is a work in progress as we still get many players in the Free event that could play in the Paid, but the hope is that the new players and more casual players can build up to playing more competitive over time.

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Free Standard has seen 235 unique players.

FREE Standard			7/4/2012
Rank	Name	Points	Matches
1	Evan Odden	267	167
2	Dave Oppenheimer	221	100
3	Carl Naumann	204	109
4	John Franczak	199	105
5	Mike Cox	198	111
6	Scott Fish	183	105
7	Will Shost	163	67
8	Niko Peone	152	73

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Legacy has seen 58 unique players.

Legacy			7/4/2012
Rank	Name	Points	Matches
1	Paul Lake	123	52
2	Rich Cali	105	56
3	James Rynkiewicz	98	42
4	Casey Madrick	89	50
5	Steve Carpenter	88	40
6	Frank Kick	88	57
7	Janene Andersen	76	53
8	Darryl Moss	64	49

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Competitive Standard has seen 82 unique players.

Competitive Standard			7/4/2012
Rank	Name	Points	Matches
1	Doug Kimball	70	34
2	Chris Brellochs	58	31
3	Kevin Jones	51	25
4	Steve Carpenter	51	25
5	Alex Sherman	51	31
6	Lyon Kressner	44	25
7	Alex Kobes	40	19
8	Mica Buchanan	36	30

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Limited has seen 227 unique players.

Limited			7/4/2012
Rank	Name	Points	Matches
1	Paul Lake	85	34
2	Will Shost	61	32
3	Mike Cox	53	28
4	Alex Sherman	51	23
5	Doug Kimball	49	20
6	James Rynkiewicz	48	23
7	Jonah Acosta	39	19
8	Mica Buchanan	36	22

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We are excited to see how the rest of the year plays out as many of the Top 8 players have changed in the past several months.  We will be posting some more information about what the players are getting for winning as well as changes to the Top 8 as the year goes on.  If you have not played yet, don't despair We have had several player climb the ranks by playing every week in the different events.  If you want to see what we have to offer each week check out our calendar of events!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Free Comic Book Day 2012

Saturday.

May 5th.

Every year, all the comic publishers print up special comics for comic stores to give out on the first Saturday in May. This year, The Dragon's Den is proud to be giving away comics, hosting local creators, doing mega-sales (soon to be announced) and raising money for charity.

From 10 am, until whenever we run out of comics, we're going to have THOUSANDS of free comics available for you. Want to know what titles we've got coming?

I thought you would.

Adventure Time/Peanuts Flipbook
Bongo Free-for-all/Spongebob Freestyle
Buffy/The Guild Flipbook
DC Comics The New 52 #1 Special Edition
Judge Dredd
Mega Man
Mouse Guard/Labyrinth & More HC
Sonic The Hedgehog
Spider-man Season One
Star Wars/Serenity Flipbook
The Smurfs
Transformers #80.5
Yo Gabba Gabba

and much, much more!

People are welcome to grab 4 books but we do ask that if you want to take more than 4 that you make a $5 donation to our charity fundraiser!

In addition to all these comics we'll be giving away, we've also got several local creators coming in to do signings, show off their wares, and promote their awesome creator-owned product.

* Ryan from ZombiePETZ!

Zombie Yoda! Isn't he adorable??

Local artist RYAN BROWNE will be in the store drawing free mini-head "zombified" head sketches for customers, from 10-4. Every year, Ryan and the ZombiePETZ crew travel to different conventions and are FLOODED with commissions and requests to draw you, and people just like you, as zombies. Normally, Ryan and his folks charge for these hand-drawn beauties, but on FCBD, Ryan will be doing mini-head sketches YOU AS A ZOMBIE... for free. He'll also have some of his great t-shirts and other merchandise available for sale.


* Jon with JADED!

Hudson Valley creator JON SANTANA will be in-store, showing off his new super-hero comic JADED. JADED takes a look at 4 heroes in a unique format: Each issue features 2 stores, drawn in 2 different art styles. One story and style details the early life of the happy and successful hero; The other tells the story of tragedy and aftermath. How do heroes truly deal with catastrophe?

Find out on May 5th!

* The 501st Legion Returns!

I love making that face in the background - Scott.

Returning for a 2nd year, we're pleased to announce that we'll have a Stormtrooper from the 501st Legion VADER'S FIST, doing pictures for charity, and wandering up and down the mall, terrorizi- I mean, WELCOMING, customers to the store.

In addition to our Friendly Neighborhood Stormtrooper, we'll also have a Luke Skywalker look-alike here, too!

* Zach and Greg from LONEWOLF & ZERO

Also returning for a 2nd year are Zach and Greg with their monster hunter/super-hero comic LONEWOLF & ZERO. Zach and Greg will be premiering the 2nd issue of their dark and gritty comic, after running out of all their copies last year. This duo works together, by balancing each other's writing and artistic needs and desires. Their love of the paranormal and superheros shows in every page they create.


Want to know what sales we'll be having? Check back here on the blog on Monday, April May 30th. In addition to Free Comic Book Day, there's also the new Magic set being released. Every year, it's a crazy weekend. Come in and join the fun!

Catalyst Game Labs at GAMA 2012

Catalyst Game Labs has some great games out already and more fantastic ones to come!  They have some properties that many players may know already and some new ones that will get some attention once they release.  So lets start with some that you may know!


Shadowrun

This is the classic Shadowrun game you may remember from the early 1990s.  Many people feel that the game has disappeared, but it has been around for a long time!  Catalyst Game Labs has some new product coming out, one of which is the Runners Toolkit.  The toolkit has a GM screen, cheat sheets, and compiled charts for weapons and equipment.  This is a must have item if you are already playing, or if you are thin king about checking out the game.  They are also hoping to get a line of miniatures out for Shadowrun.  This will be fantastic for adding to game play! I personally can't wait to see how they do the Street Samurais and Deckers.

Battletech

The 25th Anniversary box set was fantastic!  If you aren't sure, then you can check and see how often they have had to reprint it!  The pieces could have had a little more detail, but they are good for getting players into the game.  They also included 2 premium figures (Thor and Loki) which are very nice.  Catalyst Game Labs will also be bringing out new box sets to introduce intermediate and advanced rules... with minis to enhance your games. 

Some other great games

• Hexagon
• Abstract pawn jumping game
• Family style game
• Linear
• Gem stones
• Line making game like Bejeweled
• Abstract
• Balance of Power
• Kings, Bankers, and Generals... who will win?
• The Duke
• Tile laying game
• Feels like chess

Leviathans

Saving the best... or most interesting, for last!  Leviathans is a game that has hit many speed bumps since it was showcased at Gen Con 2011 with massive replicas at the booth.  It looks like they are closer now to releasing this game and maybe we will see it after Gen Con 2012.  So let me give you some quick points about this very interesting miniatures/board game:

• Set in 1910
• Airship Battles
• Aerial height system
• Possible water units as well
• Prepainted Miniatures
• Lightly colored and easily repainted
• Color coded D12s
• 3 sets of rules: Basic to advanced
• Hex Maps, same scale as Battletech maps
• Multi player and Team play
• Looking at an RPG set in the world
• Starter box will include British vs French

If you are looking to try any of these great games, stop in and ask us about them.  We would love to discuss them with you and show you what we have.  We are hoping to maybe run some events for Leviathans or maybe even offer to help them with getting this going!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Soda Pop at GAMA 2012

What can we say about this company... WOW!

Soda Pop was at GAMA and they had so many fantastic products to show off, including a new card game not out yet... but I will get to that soon.  So we will have to break down everything that they had there, and discuss some of the new product that is soon to come out. 

Oh, and if you have not checked these games out, Candy and Cola are in every game!

Super Dungeon Explore

We will have this back in stock soon.  We are very excited for this game and can't wait to get it back in stock.  If you have not played yet, then you should.  This multi-player game pits the players vs the Consul!  The Consul controls the monsters who are there to stop the players from getting treasure.  The style of the minis is cute anime, but don't let that fool you, the game play is spectacular.

We have a staff member here at the Den who built a custom 3D board for Super Dungeon Explore so that he could run quick and easy demos of the game.  He is also painting up every piece... including the LE Candy and Cola!  Check out the 3D game board with lots of each bits to make it look more like an icy dungeon:

Relic Knights

This game started as minis only, that then became a game with it's own rule set.  They are fantastic!  The game play is very fast paced with lots of strategy.  The minis are also fantastic... I just can't say it enough.  This game is Sci-Fi based with an anime theme.  The minis are not assembled and unpainted, so you can make them as nice as possible or as simple as you like.  This game also uses no dice... yes, I said no dice!  You use a deck and trust your luck to that deck.

Tentacle Bento

Do you like anime?  Do you think you could be an alien tentacle monster?  Could you snatch up school girls in a plot to take over the world?  Then this is the card game for you!  This Rummy style card game is not released yet, but we got to play it at GAMA.  The game involves taking tricks involving a student, a location, and a situation called a snatch!  If they are all in the same suite (sporty, smart, sexy, or cute) that is a royal snatch, if not... it's a sloppy snatch.  If you get a royal snatch, then the game changes slightly, like changing direction of play. 

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Lords of Waterdeep Boardgame

Well, it is finally here...the first Euro-style game made by Wizards of the Coast...Lords of Waterdeep! Journey back to the Forgotten Realms and try your hand at the game of intrigue, adventure and bribery as one of the many rulers of Waterdeep, the City of Splendors.

A new attempt at Euro-gaming, the Lords of Waterdeep is a beautifully made 2-5 player game.  According to the selling blurb, it is meant to be played in about 1 hour by players 12 yrs. and older, though I'm sure any child who has been introduced to the Forgotten Realms campaigns or novels would certainly be able to play. The fact that every game only takes 8 rounds should be able to keep every one's attention. Now, without further ado, let's see what's inside...

Upon first cracking the box, we first notice a folded board, many different colored tokens/markers, a rulebook, player mats and various cards. On the right side, we have buildings and 1GP coins.  On the left, 5GP coins, control markers, and various Victory Point tokens. Everything is well-packaged, but will take a while to sort! Quite luckily, you have me to do that for you...

While I'm punching everything out, let's take a look at the board. It represents all the Wards that you will need to build on and assign Agents to, and has spaces for Quest Cards, Buildings, the Intrigue Deck, and various Discard piles. The "stones" around the perimeter track player points, and the golden "track" near the bottom right marks the current round.

Alright, everything is set up now, so let's take a look...First, there are the player-specific Mats, one each for the groups controlling Waterdeep. These are (from left to right); City Guard, Harpers, Knights of the Shield, Silverstars and Red Sashes. Underneath each Mat, I've placed each of the relevant pieces. The meeple is an Agent, the circle is the Score Marker, the small token is the Building Control Marker and the large token is the specific Victory Point Counter. The amount of Agents each player has depends on the number of players per game.

In addition, there are two Neutral Agents; the Ambassador and the Lieutenant. They can only be added to your Agent Pool by use of certain effects. The Tower piece is given to the First Player, and events occur toward the left. There are also four types of Adventurers; Fighter/Orange, Wizard/Purple, Rogue/Black and Cleric/White. They are required to accomplish Quests, and form part of the Supply. The second part of the Supply is made up of Gold Pieces and Victory Points. Below are the fronts (top) and backs (bottom) of the 5GP, 1 GP and Victory Points.

And now...on to the cards. Below we have each of the Lords of Waterdeep. The bonuses listed for your chosen Lord are based on various combinations of Buildings, Piety, Commerce, Warfare, Arcana and Skullduggery. Choose carefully, as your Victory Point bonus could make or break the game for you!

Next, we have the Intrigue Cards, which include everything from "Call in a Favor" and "Assassination" to "Sample Wares" and "Research Agreement", and many others besides. By judicious use of these cards, you'll be able to both advance your agenda and foil those of your opponents...or will you?

Remember, not only do you have to watch out for the opposing Agents, but you must gain your own Victory Points and Gold by completing Quest Cards and the much-sought-after Plot Quests, which give other bonuses! Although you may perform one Quest per turn, beware of adversaries who play a Mandatory Quest on you. No other Quests can be completed until the Mandatory Quest has been fully accomplished. Don't let yourself be sucked into too much Intrigue!

Last, but definitely not least, and the Buildings. There are nine Basic Buildings, and 24 Advanced Buildings. All nine Basics are always available to assign Agents to, but the remaining 24 must be purchased during the game. Each Building has a bit of information on what effects it does, as well as where it is located in traditional Waterdeep. However, the purchaser is not limited by this "history" and can place an Advanced Building wherever she wants. Anywhere up to three Advanced Buildings are available for purchase, but there are only ten empty spaces, so buy carefully!

Having trouble keeping track of it all? Don't worry, the rulebook is a wonderfully simple 24 pages of game mastery. It contains full color pictures, photos of items, play sequences and even FOUR illustrated appendixes for the Lords, Clarifications, Agents and Buildings! Concerned about needing plastic bags or boxes to keep all the meeples and tokens in place? Fear not, as the WotC design crew have made not only the best compartments with which to hold their creation, but what is conceivably the most aesthetic as well. If I may be so bold, I would suggest this is a new step towards something trully fulfilling and sucessful for our friends at Wizards of the Coast!

-Stasi "Dengirl" King