Random Thoughts #8: Restarting this blog?

Hey there guys,

Endblade here. So recently I was exploring Google and its' apps, and I stumbled upon Blogger (Yeah the dead site). Not sure how many people still use this, if anyone even posts regularly on this website at all, but hey, this is a good website to supplement my Youtube channel.

So basically, I'll be posting discussions, reviews and thoughts on some of my new hobbies (Yes, hobbies do change) as well as maybe revisit some old ones too! Do look out for my new postings as I will be exploring new and old content, nostalgic as well as forward-looking content!

This will a be a short post, so until next time,

Endblade

List of Anime to watch: Recommendations Part 2

Hello everybody out there in the big big world of the Internet! This post today will be touching on a continuation of the anime recommendations that I have, a rough plot outline and what makes the anime worth watching! If you liked my previous post (see here), then you'll be sure to enjoy this one!

Now before I even begin to harp on the next 5 animes that you should most definitely watch, I'll first recap the top 5 animes which I ranked previously.

1) Fate/Zero

2) Shigatsu wa kimi no uso

3) Fate/staynight-Unlimited Blade Works

4) Sakurasou no pet na kanojo

5) Anohana-The Flower we saw that day

And here you go! If you didn't read my previous post, then these above quicklinks will direct you to the website with which I watch my anime - Kissanime.com! I am in NO way promoting or selling their website or their services to you, its' just like my header of this post- a recommendation. They do have pretty good streaming capabilities and updated subbed episodes though!

Moving on to my next 5 in my recommendation list (in order of merit):

6) Hyouka - 

Released in 2012 and adapted from a Light Novel (aren't all animes adapted from these nowadays?), Hyouka follows the story of a boring, lazy but genius schoolboy named Oreki Houtarou who joins a mysterious Literature club and meets Chitanda Eru, a girl who is constantly curious about the school's mysteries and cases which the dynamically awkward duo take on to improve their club's reputation. Budding romance, simple yet twisted cases, Hyouka is in my top 10 solely due to the fact that they can make something that seems so plain and boring and craft it into an anime that keeps you hooked. One of the anime which I slowly enjoyed, although some parts may seem a tad bit slow and draggy for some. Highly recommended if you like animes like Detective Conan and the school-type of anime!  

7) Gangsta - 

Word of warning: If you are not comfortable with seinen themes i.e. prostitution, drugs and gang violence, DON'T attempt to watch this anime. Splattered with gore and action, Gangsta (as its' name suggests) depicts a dystopian world where Naturals (normal humans) and Tags (superhumans) coexist in a autocratic-like environment. It touches on topics of discrimination and other mature themes, which to the school-girl loving anime geek will most likely be put off completely by this anime. However, that being said, this anime is still highly rated in my books mainly due to the fact that it manages to mix in comedy with some aspects of reality - that life usually isnt that straightforward and people that enter the seedy nightlife industry and participate in gang-related activities usually are trapped in there...for life. If you like violence mingled with some storyline, watch Gangsta! The only thing I dislike about this anime is that there is only 12 episodes so far, but I think there will be a second season coming up soon, so put on your seatbelts and sit tight!

8) Aldnoah Zero - 

Don' get this mixed up with Fate/Zero! Although they may have similar sounding titles, the truth is that these two animes couldn't be further from each other! Released in 2015, Aldnoah Zero takes place in the distant future, where humans have colonized Mars and there is a rift between the Mars-dwelling humans and the ones who are on Earth. They fight over what is called the Aldnoah Drive, an ancient technology that like any other cliche Mecha anime, determines the fates of both civilisations. Much like any Gundam anime, this show features Mechas and big explosive fights between the two planets, with a main character who is hell-bent on bringing peace and defending his planet from the Mars invasion. The start of this anime was great, but it sort of tapered off towards the end, with an anticlimatic final fight and ending which left much to be desired. But hey, real life doesn't always go the way you want it to right? 

9) Clannad: After Story - 

What is an anime list without an anime with the intense feels? Clannad: After Story is just that. Picking up after the first season (which I felt was undoubtedly boring and bland), Clannad: After Story is undoubtedly one of the most moving and emotionally-driven animes which aim to empty your nearby convenience stores of tissue rolls. Regret, Sadness and Reconciliation are the main themes of this anime. This anime is a far cry from the first season and many other people have claimed that this season was far better than the previous one (which I wholeheartedly agree). Although this anime may be a tad bit old and doesn't look as flashy or great unlike newer animes, this show is a MUST-WATCH in my eyes. The only reason why I didn't give it a higher spot was due to the fact that it had too much emotion and the graphics left much to be desired. Overall a highly recommended anime!

10) Steins:Gate - 

Rounding off my top 10 list and the last of my recommendations in this post is Steins:Gate, which features a weird protaganist, Rintaro Okabe with his trusty friend, Mayuri Shiina as they unravel the physics and attempt to create futuristic tech with their weird contraptions and ridiculous ideas. With the concept of time travel and multiple universes coming into play in this anime, you have to watch the entire thing to not be mind-f****ed (for lack of a better word to describe this) by the logic and what actually goes on in this show. Tough choices face our odd and funny protaganist. Will he triumph over his adversaries and challenges? Or will he become a shadow of regret and pain? Funny, weird and oddly perverted (in some ways), this anime is a good watch if you need a laugh! Watch to find out more!

With that, we have come to the end of this post! Hope you have enjoyed the anime that I have recommended and do comment on what YOU like to watch, whether you find the recommendations great/not-so-great! Until the next post,

Endblade

Game Review: Dota 2?

Hello guys. Its' been quite a while since my last post. The topic of discussion in particular is the game created by Valve, an adaptation of the original DotA custom map on Warcraft III. The game Dota 2. Now a bit of background behind this game. If you don't already know, Dota 2 has been out for a good 3 coming to 4 years, and it is available to play on Steam for FREE. Yes thats' right. FREE. Now you may ask: Why Dota 2? Its' just another pointless game where you waste 40 minutes to an hour of your time just to start back from square one in the next game. Meaning: there is no continuity. But here are some reasons why you should play Dota 2, or at least give it a shot before you judge it.

1) Every game is a new game

This 'flaw' that was mentioned earlier is actually one of the greatest strengths of Dota as a game, and other copies of it, like LoL/League of Legends (sorry LoL fans but sadly its' true.) and HoN (Heroes of Newerth, which nobody actually plays anymore). Simply put, every game is a new game. You start on a blank slate, a fresh start. Unlike some other games like MapleStory or Diablo III where your progress is 'saved' and accumulative, and a wrong move such as adding the wrong skill or getting the wrong items or armor can be disasterous in some cases, Dota 2 is unlike these games. Even if you screw up badly on a game and lose horribly, this does not mean you are destined to keep losing. Variables like item choices and skill builds change every game. Need more stun? Go for a hero with disables like Lion or Nyx Assassin. Need some late game potential? Then go for carries like Gyrocopter or Spectre. With so many variable to take note of in every game, no two games are completely similar.

2) Simple yet sophisticated

Now another aspect of Dota 2 that you should be aware of: it may seem like a challenging game at first with a steep learning curve, but unlike its' predecessors DotA in Warcarft III, this time there are many newbie-friendly aids to make the game slightly easier to play. With item suggestions, changeable hotkeys and hero suggestions and guides, to pick up Dota 2 is no longer a chore. Furthermore, Dota 2 uses a tiered matchmaking system, where new players are pitted against each other rather than a free-for-all pvp environment where the better more experienced players completely trash and own the newbies. There are over 100 heroes, and each hero is unique and has different skills and uses. Some heroes are easier to pick up with less hotkey spamming or timing involved when playing the hero, such as Rikimaru or Ursa, where they have more passives and are easier to play with a 'click and own' type of gameplay. Others are more challenging and require precise timing and utilization of terrain, along with prediction of enemy movement like Mirana or Pudge with their Elune Arrow and Meathook respectively. Then there are others which require massive skill to master like Invoker, with spell combinations and button mashing ability that would scare a new player off. With so many different classes of heroes, the selection is wide enough to cater to both new and experienced players.

3) Graphics and feel

For a game that runs on a engine which isn't very new, the graphics that come with it are crisp and the environment is realistically created, with small graphic embellishments like fishes in the river located in the middle of the map, to the water puddle effects and dark, somber feel of the entire map making you feel as if a real battle between two sides is going on (unlike some games with cartoonish art and glaringly bright colours, not mentioning any names here.) If you so decide to spend some moolah on this game, you can get cosmetics to customize your hero to your own liking, which gives you the MMORPG feel of equipping new weapon and equipment sets but without the overly game breaking effects like increase in damage or armor which would give those spending money an unfair advantage over those that don't. So in essence, it is a fair environment where even if you don't spend a single cent on the game, you still can play just as well if not better than others. But if you wish to support the community and ensure the continuation of the game, you may so choose to spend (buy the compendium for Ti4 hehe).

4) Almost any computer can run Dota 2

Well granted, of course not on the highest settings, but to give you some idea, a Windows XP OS desktop that is >7 years old is STILL able to play dota 2 on the highest available settings. So you get an idea on how easy it is to run Dota , unlike some other games which require you to ramp up your gaming rig just to get it running.

Well, hopefully this blogpost has gotten you interested about Dota 2, I highly recommend this game if you are stuck on what next to play or anything like that. Have fun and until next time,

Endblade

Some updates: Changing of the focus of this blog

Hello everyone, its' been a long time since I last posted, with my passion for Vanguard long gone. However, the urge to blog has not, and I have decided to reuse this blog but under a different focus: to blog about 3DS games and news relating to Nintendo from a casual gamer's point of view.

Previously, I had posted under a subsection known as Random Thoughts, which were things not pertaining to Cardfight Vanguard, and were of my other interests. You may have read my reviews prior about 3DS games like Pokemon X and Y and the Legend of Zelda.

I am a casual gamer, a supporter of Nintendo's handhelds since the days of Gameboy and have a decent collection of Gameboy games as well as the more recent DS and 3DS games, more often than not the titles which either 1) interest me OR 2) are famous, like the Pokemon franchise. I would like to share with all readers my love for handheld gaming, especially Nintendo's games, thus the reason for using this blog again.

I have gotten 2 'new' games, or rather new for me because only recently have I managed to lay my hands on them, and I will be posting my first impressions of them as well as a final review of the two games, which you should check back to look out for. I will not be spoiling any major plot lines or events in any games, or at least I will try not to. Haha.

Do give me constructive advice and feedback on how can I better improve the layout and content of this blog, all suggestions are welcome! Look out for my first review soon!

And until next time,

Endblade

Random Thoughts #7: End of Exams soon, back to Cardfight Vanguard???

Hello everyone. Hope you guys are doing well. Haven't been up to posting anything for the past few days, I was extremely occupied with exam preparations. Now that I have some time to post something, just wanted to inform everyone that my exams officially this coming Thursday! I am so excited, just because I can start cranking out more posts and whatnot for all those who read this blog. Now regarding Cardfight Vanguard!!, the latest Extra Boosters came out not too long ago, with the EB09: Divine Dragon Progression which came out just three days ago! So to celebrate the ending of my exams prematurely (haha I am mad), I picked up a box of EB09 at my local cardshop! At the point of writing this, I have not yet got to opening up the box and packs, I will do that soon and update you guys on what I pulled. I don't really have high expectations though, if I do get Transcendence Dragon, the Grade 4 I will be happy. But just anything is fine. Just a picture to whet your appetites, depending on what I pull this box I may or may not choose to buy more boxes to open AFTER my exams end at the end of this week.

Hehehehehe....

On a side note, recently I got a 3DS games which ALSO came out on 22 November, its' the Legend of Zelda, Link Between Worlds game. I have been tinking around with it, but I haven't completed the storyline yet, nor have I tried the mini-games. I will most likely post a review of the game once I have finished it after my exams have ended. But knowing that this game is a 3D remake with some tweaks here and there of a old Zelda game, although I did not read the plot or any spoilers, the game itself graphics-wise may not be as impressive as 3D Pokemon sprites, but the function of 3D being used in the game is really mind blowing, the fact that because most puzzles consist of floor and levels, 3D really helps you differentiate the different levels. The almost top-down camera approach gameplay is also notable of past Zelda games that I have played on the DS, I wasn't fortunate enough to own or play a NES or Gamecube, neither did I have the Wii. So I cant give a valued judgement and compare them side-by-side. But for a game which I thought was boring, it really surprised me, not just graphics-wise but also the utilization of the 3D function to optimize gameplay, which was the selling point of this game for me. Well worth the money I paid for it, some puzzles are not as direct and require a bit of thinking, while others once you get the hang of the mechanics are simply a breeze. 

I will post a full review along with pictures once I get to it, I know this post is relatively short, but I'm ending it here. So until next time,

EndBlade

Random Thoughts #6: Exams & Phone Games

Hello everyone, its' been quite a while since I last checked or updated this blog. Hope you guys are doing fine. I am in the midst of my exams period, and I just felt like I wanted to post something short just to keep this blog semi-active. And to keep my mind off studying too, haha. Now this blog is becoming less and less focused on Cardfight Vanguard!, and I guess its' because I've lost much of my interest in the game, along with exams which brings me to the excuse of not having time to play. Oh well, I still do watch the Japanese anime and I do check Cardfight Wiki once in a while, but aside from the new cards revealed (which are quite a lot by the looks of it), namely those in EB08, EB09 and BT14, nothing much excites me, the cards are still very much the same apart from a few eye-catching ones, its' just the power creep taking effect, thats' all. Another reason why I sort of semi-quit playing the game was due to the fact that I'm too lazy to find people to play with, my close friends quit playing the game a few months back, I still have my decks with me though, but they don't see any play.

Well on to non-Cardfight related stuff. Just a small update on my life, I am having exams now (haha said that earlier...but oh well) and my exams end on 28 November (just 17 days to go!) and maybe when it ends I might go out to the local cardshop to play some games of Cardfight. But until then, more studying and revising for me then haha. Now some of you that read this blog (if any) may use their mobile devices to read or surf the Net, and I would like to recommend some Smartphone games that you guys should give a shot, you won't regret them!

1) Puzzle and Dragons
Now I have been playing this game for the past 6 months or so, haven't spent a SINGLE cent on this game, although arguably if you want to speed things up you could toss some cash at it. But I personally don't, but it is a much slower process. But I do enjoy it. For those of you who may want to check it out, and give it shot, don't know if it is available in your country, as of now PAD has servers in North America/Canada, Japan, Korea (South Korea of course) and most recently the United Kingdom. I'll put some links for you guys if you are on iOS or Android, and you can go check the respective websites out (NONE of the things below are owned by me and copyrights to everything are Gungho Entertainment's, NOT mine + fan-based web tools to help you out):

Puzzle and Dragons (US Server)

For Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.gungho.padEN

For iOS:
https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/puzzle-dragons-english/id563474464?mt=8

And a helpful site to get started:
http://www.puzzledragonx.com/

Facebook group for helpful information, tips and tricks:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PADGlobal/

If you don't know by now, with the links I gave you, I play the US server. Although it is behind the Japanese Server in terms of updates and some differences, I can't be bothered to overcome the language barrier and learn Japanese for the sake of the game. Ad the US server is on par in terms of updates as the Korean server and slightly faster than the UK server. Also, the US server is the most populated English-based server. But if you guys don't mind reading Kanji/Hiragana (I don't know which one is it haha), you can go Google PAD JP for yourselves :P.

Even if you are NOT in these regions, you STILL can play PAD (like me here hehehe). For iOS I am not too sure, you could create a iTunes account based in US or JP (depending on the version you want to play) and download the app from there. For Android, what I usually do is that I download the APK.file from the Facebook Group as shown above, or you can click the link here if you are lazy, and update/install from there. Its' really quite simple and easy, I quite like the ease of play in the beginning, although there is a steep curve as you progress and become stuck as I was, but not if you do some research beforehand to plan your steps. Initally it may be difficult, but you'll get used to it.

Now on to the gameplay of Puzzle and Dragons. Now as the name suggests, it is a Puzzle-based game, which has you collecting cards or monsters to fill up your party (much like Pokemon, with the leveling and evolving concept) as well as for the obsessive collector, the chance to Collect 'em All (which is quite a challenge if you don't spend money in the game). Now I am NOT encouraging you to spend money, nor am I dissuading you from doing so, I for one did not spend a SINGLE CENT on the game, and although compared to the people who spend money I cannot compare to them, but I can safely say I am pretty strong, although not exactly top-tier or fantastic. You just need a bit of patience and hey, after all, its' a phone game, why so serious? Just have fun and go with the flow :)

To help newbies, I will introduce to you some jargons and abbreviations which the Facebook Group as well as the Puzzle and Dragons Forum uses, which when I first started took a while for me to figure out, and it really was an experience which I do not want any of you to go though. Hence this mini-guide below:

Jargons and terms used (not exhaustive, or limited to):

PAD/PnD - shorthand term for Puzzle and Dragons
PG/@PG- members of the Facebook Group
PF/@PF - members of the PAD Forums
Helpers/Pals - Friends which you MUST have in order to enter dungeons, you can add them either through the FB Group, or through beating dungeons, which will allow you to add the people you paired up with (subject to the person's approval)
Magic Stones - Given out for free, either during events or milestones in your PAD journey. Also can be bought. Used as a type of ingame currency in order to gain access to stronger monsters/cards.
IAP - in-app purchase, basically just buying Magic Stones.
REM - Rare Egg Machine, the Golden dragon machine which acts as a slot machine type of dispenser. Through this you get Star, Silver or Gold Eggs, which gives you stronger and better monsters to use in your party. (The best being Gold).
Re-roll(ing) - The process by which you clear you ingame data by resetting the app in order to re-do the tutorial and get a free roll on the REM. (Important to note, especially if you do NOT plan to IAP).
Evo Mats - Evolution Materials, used for Evolving Monsters to help them reach the next stage.
Normal Fusion (also known as Power-Up Fusion) - The function in the Menu where you can 'feed' monsters to other monsters for EXP. Also used in Ultimate Fusions.
Ultimate Fusion - the process where you use certain cards/monsters and fuse them to a certain monster in order to gain access to the card's final form. Different from normal Evolution. (like Mega evolution in Pokemon).
Descend(s) - Dungeons with strong bosses which are useful and can be gotten if you clear them, mostly endgame material for your team
Godfest - Events where strong monsters (Gods which are found in Gold Eggs) from the REM are made more likely to appear. Usually an extra 3X chance to appear.
OoH - Ocean Of Heaven, can be found in the 'Normal Dungeons' list as you progress. A well-known Dungeon which people run in order to farm pluses.
Plus(es) - Additional stats which a monster can accumulate (not by levelling up the monster) by feeding monsters with the yellow 'plus sign' in the Normal Fusion function.


(OTHER TERMS TO BE ADDED WHEN I THINK OF THEM)

Some abbreviations of Monsters/Cards which are useful to know (you can copy and past to search these monsters for more information):

ADK- Ancient Dragon Knight
CDK- Chaos Dragon Knight
D'tron - Dark Metatron
SOD Luci- Seraphim of Dawn, Lucifer
Valk - Valkyrie (as well as evolutions of her, most notably Warrior Rose, Graceful Valkyrie)\
Chuchu - Noble Wolf King, Chu Chulainn (somewhat similar to Valkyrie)
Sieg - Earth-rending Emperor, Siegfried (also similar to Valk)
OneTrueGod - Anubis, well known for his crazy power, and yet demanding on skill and luck.

These terms above are just kickstarters to help you in your PAD journey, if you so choose to download and give this game a shot. Overall I rate this game a 8.5/10, higher than my rating for Pokemon X. Although the graphics are nothing compared to Pokemon XY, the gameplay is addictive and fun, with a friendly community to help you every step of the way, and the way the game is built such that there is little to no competition to be the 'best', and you need friends to help each other, I find this game overall a great game, both in gameplay as well as you can progress at your own pace, without worrying that you are too slow or will get left behind. Do give it a shot if you have chance to, trust me, you won;t regret this! Hope you guys enjoyed my post, sorry if I cant update this as frequently as I would like to, but thanks for reading!

FINAL VERDICT:
Puzzle and Dragons:
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 7/10
Overall Experience (ease of use, connectability, WOW factor): 8/10
Total: 7.7/10

Until Next time,

EndBlade.

ADDITION: If you havent checked out my mini review on Pokemon XY, do check it out here!

Random Thoughts #3: Pokemon X & Y, my experiences with Pokemon

Hey everybody, hope you guys are having a good week. Well just yesterday (Tuesday to be exact), I bought guess what, yes I got Pokemon X for the 3DS! Although my exams are in 4 weeks, I just couldn't resist the temptation. But I am limiting myself to a maximum of 2 hours a day (is that a lot?) to play the game, and as of now, I am still taking my time with the game.

Pokemon X- Isn't the deer legendary just amazing looking?

Now, the main reason I bought this game was just because I felt that since I followed the Pokemon franchise from the Ruby/Sapphire days back in 2003 (Although I did play Red version and Gold version later), I figured- why not pick up a copy of Pokemon X? I didn't really do much research into it, so I kind of went into the game not knowing anything about the new Pokemon etc. and I'll come to my first impressions of it later. But why did I choose Pokemon X instead of Pokemon Y? I think it was the cover Legendary Pokemon that sold it for me. A deer with rainbow antlers or a weird Y shaped wyvern-thing? Give me the rainbow deer anytime. Well, before I proceed, I would like to warn all those who have not played the game that I may reveal some spoilers about the game (although as of now I have only reached the first gym and completed that), so I guess the spoilers in terms of plot won't be so significant, and I might do a full-on review once I get to finishing the main storyline and side-quests.

First Impressions:

Now, Pokemon X and Y are set in a new region, the Kalos region. The beginning is pretty much the same, although the way in which you get your starter Pokemon is not directly from some Professor-named-after-a-tree, but from your new 'friends' (how kind). I cant say too much about the battling system, its' reminiscent of the Diamond/Pearl and Black/White type of touchscreen interface, albeit more polished and with some slight differences (not really significant). But the thing that sold it for me so far would be the graphics, a notch up from the previous Black/White and other generations preceding it, although I was happy they did keep the L-button = A-button option, that is really convenient for single-handed play (although I don't know why anyone would do that). Another thing that struck me would be the ability to see 'passers-by' online, it really made the world of Pokemon seem much larger and I realized that Pokemon has such a wide reach and has impacted many, like myself. But one thing that was slightly off for me was that the picking up of items took a while with the new animation they implemented, as well as the battles seem to be slightly slower paced, (not that I am rushing through the game or anything) with all the animations and what-not, even after I disabled the battle animations (hey I just don't like to see the battle animations, don't ask me why, just personal preferences, haha)

Some of the Pokemon games that I played, couldn't find them all (pun intended)

Now although I have played close to all the main Pokemon games from Sapphire being my very first experience with Pokemon, Emerald (I think I clocked more than 300 hours on that game alone), FireRed & LeafGreen (yes I played both), Diamond, Platinum (I even have the Japanese version of it), SoulSilver and finally most recently Black (I didn't get Black 2, mainly because I felt the differences were too minor to warrant me getting it, and personally I didn't really like the 5th Generation Pokemon), I was blown away by the huge leap in graphics by GameFreak this time to utilize the 3D function (although in some cases may seem underwhelming and gimmicky), but still the way the game was worked (I am still getting used to using the Circle-pad on my 3DS), and the overall graphic changes were such that although it made the game look more appealing, it did not detract from the overall nostalgia that I had when I chose my first Pokemon, and the background music so far is just...fantastic.

That being said, I am no pro at Pokemon, although I do know about effort values, Natures, breeding and all those mechanics behind Pokemon, I personally do not care for them, with the exception of once I tried to create a Attack & Speed variant of Gallade (my favourite Pokemon, besides Blaziken), I have never bothered to EV train my Pokemon, or breed them for 'special' egg moves, so you can say that I am a Poke-noob. But who cares, its' the fun from playing Pokemon that makes the experience all the more unique to every player, instead of mechanically training and breeding the 'super-Pokemon', although I am not in any way discouraging you from doing so (but it is really boring and taxing).

Back to Pokemon X. Hmm for now, with the limited time that I have played on my 3DS for this game, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has played Pokemon before and are looking for the game to jump back into the Pokemon world, this is the game for you. For those who have never played Pokemon before (where were you the last 18 years), this fresh take on Pokemon does not disappoint (for now) and although revolutionary in graphics, Pokemon stays true to what it knows best, soothing background music and the simple gameplay makes it really a game for all ages, for both beginners and old players alike. This is speaking from a player who has played almost all the versions of Pokemon, although in recent years has become less hardcore. But I think the money paid for Pokemon X is worth very single cent. It is likely I will do a final review and score it once I have finished the main story, so do look out for that post (won't be anytime soon though).

On a side note (but still related to this in some way), do you guys think I should continue to post sections on 'Random Thoughts' in between every Cardfight Vanguard article? I will create a poll to see how the response is like, if for some reason you guys like the current posting format I will continue to do so, so do vote on whether I should continue to post these types of articles, and feel free to comment on how I can improve/ what I can include in future posts in the Comments Section below. But thats' it from me for now, thanks for reading and until next time,

EndBlade

Random Thoughts #2: My experiences with Yu-Gi-Oh!

Hey everybody, its' been a few days since I have last posted. Today I'm gonna be talking about something that I played a few years back (about 2-3 years ago), and recently I've been checking the 'new' cards out, as well as I stumbled upon my old stash of Yu-Gi-Oh cards and deck.

Some of the 'new' cards are mainly the XYZ monsters (I think it came out pretty long ago, but I've just come to know about it) and after seeing a few Youtube videos here and there, as well as reading up on some wikia articles on Yu-Gi-Oh Wikia, I found out that my previously used 'old' Yugioh Deck still can be used, with the slight adjustment of certain cards and addition of a few XYZ monsters and Synchro monsters to my current deck.

Well I play a Fairy-themed deck, and the main reason why I picked up the deck way back in 2010/2011 was largely due to ONE card in the deck which I really liked, not just because of the artwork but also its' effect, and because of that I was inspired to build a deck themed around it. I did NOT consult any wiki, forum or any form of advice on how the build my deck, I literally just went and built my deck how I saw fit, adding in cards I thought would be useful. Now I'm sure you guys might be wondering: what Fairy-type card could that be?

Well, its' Archlord Kristya. Now, the copy I got (and still have) was the Gold Rare VJMP Japanese Archlord Kristya, the moment I saw that card I knew that I HAD to build a deck based on it, and it would be my avatar (he he he). I didn't have much money then, so my deck was mostly built from a combination of Japanese, English and Korean cards, the latter two being because the Japanese variants were either too rare, or was threatening to burn a deep hole in my pockets, hence I chose to not make a fully Japanese deck.

Now my deck was focused solely on getting high levelled monsters out into play, especially Archlord Kristya once I had 'set up' my ideal field with high levelled monsters through the use of cards like Vahalla, Hall of the Fallen, Mausoleum of the Emperor and Gellenduo. I also played Nova Summoner, and Shining Angel just as delaying tactics or to get out my sole 'Honest'. Now usually once I summoned Kristya it was as good as GG for the opponents, especially because at that time, Synchro Summoning was the 'in' thing to do, and once I prevented their Special Summon they were practically useless. Now to prevent crazy things like Traps I played Royal Decree, at the expense of myself not being able to activate other traps, but this 'secured' my Archlord Kristya from removal from play traps like Bottomless Trap Hole, and even if it got destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, its' effect allowed it to be at the top of my deck, ready for a summon on the next turn. Its' ability to be Special Summoned for 'free' if I had exactly 4 Fairies in my Graveyard was also really good.

But I was never able to complete my deck, and I had a few 'missing' cards. I looked into one of the Structure decks and I realized many of the cards I needed (and bought for crazy prices at that time) was in this one 'new' Structure Deck, the one with Master Hyperion in it, but apparently the structure deck is difficult to find because it is actually pretty OLD haha. This is what happens when you stop playing a trading card games for 2 years and get back into the gaming scene. I might be making a Agent-based Kristya Deck, but for now nothing is set in stone yet until I find a way to get the cards needed (which is unlikely because I am just too lazy to go out and search for sellers of such cards).

Well overall Yu-Gi-Oh! was a great part of my school life, and the times I played with my pals after a tiring day at school were one of the most memorable and happy times, even though I might not have had the most powerful/rare cards, but Archlord Kristya undoubtedly formed a great deal of memorable moments that I would never forget. What are some of your experiences with trading card games when you were younger/in your teens? I would think that most of you would have played Yugioh or Duel Masters (and other stuff like those). I hope you guys enjoyed my post, I will not be posting so frequently, just because I am preparing for my Final Year exams, which are really important. But I'll still post when I think of stuff I wanna share with you guys, and it is likely the next post I post will be about my Dauntless Drive Dragon decklist and discussion (at least before EB09 hits our shores), and I change my deck.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

EndBlade

Random thoughts about Vanguard!! and other stuff #1

Hey everybody, hope you guys are having a great Tuesday! So today I just wanna mention some random thoughts I have about Vanguard. Well if you happen to be blogsurfing or something and come across this blog, I welcome you here and I hope you take the time to read my posts (I'm a newb when it comes to tech stuff and social media stuff like blogging, any comments on how I can improve the blog or what I can write about would be great, but for now I might put up more deck profiles soon enough on my other decks, so stay tuned!

Recently, I haven't got about to playing Vanguard these past week or so, mainly because I've been so busy with school (yes I go to school) and with exams coming round the corner, I find it difficult to meet my friends for a game of Vanguard or two, but I might try and play a few games and squeeze in some playtime so I don't get too rusty, although I really think Vanguard as a game really depends on luck of the draw. Well almost all card games rely on luck but I think it applies especially for Vanguard, where a single trigger check could make the difference between winning and losing the game. But that adds to the charm about Vanguard, its' unpredictability (although that can be disputed too, especially if you cheat, but where's the fun in that?).
There was this time where I double crit-ed (this is a word) my friend when we were just playing for fun and so I just went balls to the wall and put my trigger on my Vanguard when he blocked for two to pass, and the amazing feeling when you get a double crit, or even that miracle heal when you thought all hope was lost really makes Vanguard so fun.

 I say this from experience, I have played Yu-Gi-Oh way back ( well not so way back) during the Yu-Gi-Oh GX season and even for a small period during 5DS, and Yu-Gi-Oh in some sense gets quite repetitive, especially when you play against the same type of decks over and over again, you kind of anticipate certain moves by your opponent. Not to mention Yu-Gi-Oh cards constantly churn out new, more crazy stuff ( I heard there's this XYZ thing that came out) and old decks kind of get obsolete.

But not so with Vanguard. Well it could be that Vanguard is barely 2 years old, but I find that old decks (like Alfred Beatdown, as well as more unorthodox decks like Neo Nectar still stand a fighting chance with the game equalizer of triggers, and while there has been some disputably OP (overplayed, overpowered, whatever you interpret it to be) cards like Dragonic Descendant, the recent Chaos Breaker Dragon and whatnot, I find that older decks can still match up and put up a good fight with the newer decks.

I've also played Duel Masters way back when they still printed the English booster packs, and although I find that game kind of fun, it was a pity they discontinued the English series, it had so much potential if you ask me. I haven't tried Magic: the Gathering, mainly because I heard that the learning curve is pretty steep and the holes it burns in your pockets are pretty huge (correct me if I am wrong).

 
Other than that, onto other stuff that are not so card-related,  recently I was surfing (is this term outdated?) around Youtube and I came across a music video which was hilarious, if you guys don't know already, its The Fox by Ylvis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

Go check that out if you haven't already! And other music videos by Ylvis, those are pretty crazy too. But that's about it from me today, hope you all have a great day and until next time,

EndBlade