Mirror Matches, Ego Checks, and Coconuts

The Lorcana meta is changing fast, and Lesley, Nikki, and Brittany are feeling the pressure. Brittany and Lesley are stressing to choose their decks before the upcoming LCQ and Nikki is practicing droid on droid mirrors. They discuss Amber Emerald’s Gen Con success, frustrating mirror matches, sealed event struggles, and how to get more value from intentional playtesting.

The Muses also have an important conversation about sportsmanship, unchecked egos, and why dismissing an opponent’s win as luck damages the Lorcana community. Plus, they share their excitement for Coconut, Lorcana’s upcoming multiplayer format, and preview their upcoming Arizona playtesting and tournament events. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:08

Welcome back to the economy as podcast. I'm Leslie.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

I'm Brittany.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

And I'm Nikki. And this week we have a lot to dive in. So let's just get started. Start with weekend update.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Yeah, I mean, so it's kind of funny because we are halfway through the weekend, right? So our weekend updates are like what happened since last week? Yeah. Updates. Yes. Or although we talked about it last week, it's our Muses Musings.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

Muse's musings.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

So in our Muses Musings.

SPEAKER_03 0:35

We need to have some theme music behind that or something.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

I'll see about that. We'll see how the editing works.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Add the Death Star music.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

But last week we recorded on Saturday morning and then we proceeded to go and play Larcana. Yeah. Shaw. I know, I know. Um, and you know, it's kind of a weird meta right now. And so it's like trying to figure out which decks are gonna be good, but it just feels like every CCQ has different decks that are seeing the top. Yep. So I just feel kind of in a state of flux right now, trying to figure out what I want to play and how well I'm gonna play in those things.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Yeah, I feel like everybody's at that point where they're like, I don't know what to play. Although this weekend, Amber Emerald swept the top eight essentially, except for two Ruby Ams, which I bet you're excited about.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

I am excited about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

But yeah, the and and we can jump into Gen Con if you want to talk about that. But yeah, like they the winner was on an Amber Emerald Circle of Life songs list, right? Yeah, and uh and it was only 14. So kudos to that person.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Yeah, I don't know if it's the same kid that did so well in that other DLC in Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, but I I I haven't I don't look their name or anything.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Yeah, I think he might have been too young because I think what was so impressive about that one was he was like eight or nine or something, and it's only been a year or two. So I thought he was 11. Was he? Yeah, that's why I was like, it was kind of closer, potentially, but yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

I'm kind of in flux right now. I know I'm gonna play either Amber, Amethyst, or Ruby, yeah, and whatever combination of those things, you know, and then possibly a secondary color with one of those, but like something like that.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Yeah, one of those three has to be in the same way.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Yeah, that's I don't I don't feel like I want to play any other inks as the primary for just how I play.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

And also just how strong those inks are right now.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

True. I don't know. I uh so I was testing Amber Sapphire and then the songs or Amber Emerald two versions. There's like the all characters and then the songs versions. And I know there's some like hybrid versions going around too, but uh that that deck has been making its rounds in popularity, and so I decided to try it out just because it's helpful to see what the other deck plays like, so you know how to play against it too when you're play testing. And uh, I loved it so much that I was like, I'm gonna pick it up and probably take it with me to the LCQ. But then it won the CCQ and the mirror match is whoever finds under the sea first or lending to rip out your circle of life first, and it's like it's a nightmare. I don't know if I want to do that.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

So now you're like, I don't know. Because I would that's why I was like, oh, I'm gonna play Amber Amethyst. And I'm like, wait, I hate playing that mirror.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yeah, the mirror matches is something you really have to think about. And like you can tech for it or you can try to tech for it, but oftentimes because well, that list, the Amber Emerald list specifically, is so tight that like any variance from it does decrease its consistency. And then also like it's really hard to tech for a mirror match because it is whoever just finds their singers, their songs, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Yeah. No, it's it's it's a wild world right now, and I'm trying to get as much playtesting in as possible. Yes, we're getting closer and closer. I know, we're like we're just like one three weeks. Yeah, like three weeks away, and uh I do not feel even remotely prepared at all. Yeah, and I got a new job, and so like I am really trying to focus on my new job, but also I want to do well, and so I'm like, there's not enough hours in the week to do both. No, there's not.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Yeah, I thought I was locked in until the CCQ results yesterday because when I went, I did some playtesting last night and just mirror match after mirror match after mirror match, and I said, I don't want to do this, like I do not want to do this. Yeah, it is not fun.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Yeah, I tried a different variation of Amber Amethyst than I what I had been playing because I had been playing a list that I'd want to CCQ, and I it was doing very well against like hyper aggro and amethyst steel and things like that. And I hadn't played the Amber Emerald, well, the Amber Emerald Aggro.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Not I hadn't played the song variant yet. So that's kind of what I'm leaning toward right now. It's kind of a hybrid evasive heavy list. Um and then it has raging storm because I I can't quit the raging storm.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

Raging storm's too good.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Yeah. I I I like having an out. I was a big, you know, be prepared girly back in the day.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

So yeah, I enjoyed that a lot.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

It's like it's so refreshing to just remove everything.

SPEAKER_03 5:45

Wipe it all out.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Quest and wipe. Yeah, especially with like, you know, cauldrons and things like that and sullies that take things back on the city. Oh, the sullies. I feel like that makes Raging Storm feel so much better, right? Yeah. So that's kind of where I'm looking right now, but I'm also possibly looking at other lists, depending on I know.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

We gotta lock in though.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

I feel like I need to lock in by the end of this week so that I can all of next weekend. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

And then I mean the other strategy, I guess, is just to do lots and lots of reps on lots of decks because the meta is changing so fast. Yeah, that like, you know, like you said, the first weekend, purple steel. Then it was oh no, first it was Boosty Boys. Yeah, then it was purple steel. Now it's this emerald em Amber Emerald songs list and or the character version too. And so it's like it's changing every week with more data and more tournaments, and it's it's hard.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

It's the decision like I mean, and I feel like we were expecting it with post-rotation, yeah, but it's more than I was expecting it's more than because everybody's like amber emerald. It does, it does because it just feels like there's a lot more variety.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Yeah, that's what I think too, because like I think post-fable, very quickly, people fell into like the dogs, blurple or purple steel, and like that was very clearly like the dominant like tier one decks essentially. Um, but now it's like every deck feels like it could be a tier one deck, and so you're like, I don't know what to play.

SPEAKER_03 7:23

I've been testing out two different droid decks, so one in pr in amethyst uh steel and the other in ruby steel. And I've been doing some testing playing against it online, and they're both very good, so they both have potential. We know that the amethyst steel has been pretty dominant, but I'm having fun with the the Ruby steel because it does have some evasives in it, so that kind of gives you a little bit of a leg up against the amethyst steel.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:52

So I'm testing those right now. I'm enjoying playing both of them.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

I love evasive, so that's kind of why it was playing amethyst or Ruby.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah, no, and that that's part of it. It's I just like that. And I feel like a lot of people took out the tech for evasives.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

I think so. Yeah. But that's like the thing, right? Because Buzz's arm was going around for a while, so everybody put in item removal, so then people stopped playing items, and now like not a lot of people were running evasives, so everybody took out their evasive package, and then now it's like now I'm like, okay, in two weeks, are they gonna have the evasive page?

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, because like they still have the support castellan stuff. Yes. Like, and then like just traditional removal, but specifically for evasives.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

But yeah, thus the meta is wild and makes for analysis paralysis. That's what we say.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

As always.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

As always. And at for me, I'm like, at least I'm not a deck builder because being a deck builder, trying to build a competitive deck at this point, I see how much stress Chris goes through because he's but I want to play this and I think this is gonna be good. And then and then somebody else comes out with a winning list with it, and then he's like, I knew it, but then that data is like two weeks old, or you know, it's yeah, because we're always playing data catch up. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

It's always after the fact. And then we can always make as many predictions as we want as we, you know, see decks out in the wild, or see deck was like running online and things like that. But yeah, I'm just kind of I I want to pick something and then lock in, and then I get all these like all these other decks are like about it.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Now you're like new shiny fun. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, I I do I just want a consistent deck, and that's why I gravitated towards the Amber Emerald because there's so much filtering in it that I felt like it was very consistent. And Amber Sapphire is another really consistent one, but that one loses to the aggro decks because there is no under the sea, there is no way to get to award-wide fast enough for before the aggro deck gets out of control. Um so I'm thinking I'm maybe gravitating going back to Amber Sapphire, but I have to definitely think about how to tech the matchups. Yeah, uh aggro decks, which is what I struggled with with that color combo.

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Yeah, no, you'd have to put in the spooky sight.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

I did, but oftentimes it's like even spooky sight feels too late because they're already once for me when I play in that like a control deck, once somebody gets to like 15 or 16 lore, you have to have an answer for everything they play from then on. And there's just not enough answers in the game for that.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

So that's fair.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

So yeah, I mean, last set there was because it was like into the unknown, let it go, you know, then you had your uh board wipe, then you had your Hades in blue. And so I was like, there's so many ways to remove things every single turn, but we lost into the unknown, and we do have guests on now, but against an aggro deck, that usually isn't relevant.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

No, because you can't support it enough.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

I did, I did double support with Eleanor and support with Augustine to remove one of the characters on the other side.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

I was like, this is doing too much. Ellen Wii.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Ellen Wii, whatever the one drop.

SPEAKER_01 11:10

I was like Eleanor.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

I can't imagine playing Eleanor. No, I do hate that card.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

No, the one drop princess who's horrendous, and I don't like that movie, so like I just mess up her name every time. I don't also don't know how to say it because I still don't know how to say it.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

I I say it both ways every time. Just to cover my bases. Whatever.

SPEAKER_00 11:29

One drop, amber, princess the support one. That one. Yeah. And then um the Augustine. So I had to use two Elon Wees and an Augustine to support one of the characters to get them to five.

SPEAKER_02 11:42

You know what would fix that is Ranger Plane. I was I was playing around with that last set, and it was so fun because I would get to like 10 really easily in blue steel, what it was, and I would use the scar and I would draw like 18 cards. That's crazy. It's so fun. I love that so much. I mean, I don't think it's very competitively viable, but if you had ranger plane, then all of your characters have support, and you can support anybody into guests on range.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

That is true. Uh yeah, I don't think it's good though.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

I know, I understand. That's a Christmas land box.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Oh man. Oh, yeah. So we played Limited yesterday.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

There was a 1K sealed event at Gamers Guild North Phoenix. Shout out to Caitlin, you did a great job hosting. It was eight packs, and I had eight packs of garbage.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Yeah, that's how Chris and I felt during the pre-release the first three, where we were like, all six packs, all garbage.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Yeah. No, I I mean, I I was I played, so I lost three rounds in a row, and then I got a buy. Yeah. And then by that time, I was like, I'm gonna draw. Yeah. Because I like I'm not having a good time.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

No.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

And don't get me wrong, like I feel I still played, I still played three, three games, two of those rounds. Like I won one, but it was just bad. Like I had plenty of removal, but I didn't have very much draw. Yeah. My characters were just mediocre. Like I had nothing that was a bomb, I had no bombs. Like that was the only problem. Like I just didn't have characters that were consistent either with getting lots of lore or being bigger bodies, nothing. Like it was it was not good.

SPEAKER_01 13:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:20

I was very disappointed in myself, but I was like, I don't know how I could have made it any better. I like looked through my cards every single after every single round, trying to be like, what can I put in? Because I'm like literally nothing. The rest of this is garbage. And eight packs. And I was like, how did how did out of eight packs like not have 40 cards?

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Oh, that's because like the people across from you were pulling like six legendaries enchanted.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

No, and I pulled I pulled two legendaries. I pulled the scar and the um king. Horn king, there we go. Yeah, you were like, you knew whatever.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Like I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Because of course I I opened the horn king at every pre-release event I played in this whole set. And I played in a lot of pre-release events. And but I didn't have anything good for the hor Horn King to pull. And then Scar, I had plenty, plenty of vinylings and floodborne. I never got them out on the board at the same time. Ever. I had like seven of them. Yeah, it's it's crazy. I was I was just like, okay, well, I guess I just lose all day.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

My decks are my deck was pretty mediocre, but like, you know, I had varying success. Like I I won some, I lost some. Because I I did have big bombs, but like my early cards weren't that good. I did finally get to shift the Sully and Boo on top of a Sully.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Well, then that's your winning con, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:39

But it didn't, it wasn't enough because I was playing Brandon, our teammate, and he pulled evasive dash, the one-one, the four-four dash that gives you a card. He pulled the violet, he pulled two violets that filters your cards, and then the shift violet and dash. And he, of course, he had all of them every time. Of course, of course. And I'm like, but I shift my Soli and booth. Yeah, I do.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

There was just nothing I could do for against the decks that I was playing, and that's okay. Like I had I had so much removal.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

I had two red alerts. I had two of the two attack action. Oh, the piercing piercing attack? I had two of those. I didn't put them in because I had two of the the steel one. Oh, the look what you've done. Yeah, the double one that if you discarded it. Then I had the song that was the item removal song, the Mrs. Potts. Yeah. Oh, okay. You got a lot to do, right? I think so. And then I had the Aladdin that removed items. I had like I had lots of different various in various types of removal. Just never came up. I got them all at the early game. Oh gosh. So they were inked. No, I mean I was able to get to some, like I was able to some of them. I I never let Kevin stay on the board ever. That's good. But but yeah, that was just oh, and then I had the one that sent it back to your hand that put that thing back. Well, yeah, I had that one too. I had I had a lot of removal. Oh my gosh. But it was all like early low to the ground and any red moon rituals. I didn't have like bigger body removal or bigger bodies to, you know, challenge with.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Yeah, it happens. I mean it's like the risk of sealed or something. Yeah, I know it's the look of the water. Well, that was part of that's why I misdraft. Yeah. Well, I was like also you and I, like, we weren't feeling very well.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

I was very under the weather, and I think I just didn't sleep well, and so I was a little grumpy. Just a little. I was just like, just a little grumpy. And I would like really try not to be extra grumpy, but it just No, you were fine. I know, but I I really like if I'm not feeling good, I think everybody knows because I just don't have a very good. I think that's fine. I was like, I'm not sure. I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. But yeah, speaking of hiding emotions, my gosh. There's been an increase of players that are not making kind or respectful choices, conversations, or decisions when they're playing against other people.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

So I think like the whole community, not just the Arizona community, I've heard it's from other places, needs to do an ego check.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

It's been a it's been an increased, especially in locally, it's been an increase of, you know, it's not even just men, but it's mostly been men having this expectation that they should be the winner.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Or the comp way they're talking about their opponents. And that was a big problem when we first started this game. And I feel like as a community, we weren't we handled it very well and told people that it wasn't okay. But it's becoming an increased problem again.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Yeah, I think there's like a lot of things happening at the same time. Like I wasn't a very competitive player to start because we it was a new game and we were just trying to learn it. And so I never was super involved in the competitive scene at the get-go. So I didn't but I still experienced a lot of people who like sat down across the table from me. And the initial assumption is you don't know what you're doing because you're a woman, even though I've been playing TCGs for like 15, almost 20 years now. And and so it was very frustrating. And that's always been a thing in magic. It's always been a thing in a lot of competitive card games, but I never was into the competitive scene in those games for that particular reason. But Lurcana, you know, our community is different. Like there are a lot of people who are very encouraging. There are a lot of people who are very supportive. And I I just don't like seeing our community head in that direction as more people from other games come and play Lurcana because you know, they might be the top at whatever game they're playing at, or they're a big fish in a small pond, and then they come to the game and expect to win. And I don't know what it is, but I think a lot of people just walk into a room and they're like, I'm really good, I should win. Um, and it's like you there's so many phenomenal players in Arizona. Absolutely. And and I can only speak for the Arizona meta or player pool. But there's so many good players that I I never, no matter how good I get, I don't ever expect to walk into a room and be like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna win. Yeah. Um against everybody all the time. Like I think it's it's definitely like ego can definitely be a downfall for you because you make mistakes, you think like you think you can't go wrong, and then you know, s luck happens, and and it's very I see not only how it affects other people when you behave that way, but it affects you too, because like it doesn't make you a better player. It actually, I think arguably makes you a worse player to walk in with an ego and say, I'm really, really good at the game and I don't need any like help getting better because even our top players here are always constantly growing, trying to learn, trying to get better. So uh that's my little rant about ego.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

No, I I feel the exact same way. And it's some of those people that you know are quote unquote bigger fish because they've won at bigger stages than our locals or bigger that are starting to get an ego.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Yeah, well, and it's like the the crazy thing is it's like you have to understand that this is a game, it's a hobby for people, and not everybody can afford to go to all these trips and CCQs and DLCs, right? So we have some extremely phenomenal players who just aren't interested in spending that kind of money to compete. And so like they play locally and they are a menace, right? But you just never see that because they don't go and compete at the national or the regional or you know, local other local levels, you know. Uh and so I I I think that our community is is really, really great. And I don't want it to be eroded away by just people being butts about it, I guess. I don't know, the family-friendly way of saying it, I guess. Yeah. We we have a lot of new players coming in with the growing popularity of the game. And I remember very early on, there was a lot of ladies very interested in playing Disney Lorcana because of their love of Disney. And as the game got more competitive and players got a little ruder and more serious about it, it drove away a lot. And I don't want to see that happen again.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Yeah, no, because we've definitely seen an increase in women back into the local space um over the last few weeks. And I'm really excited to see them. Yes. Um, but yeah, like if If these men don't get their egos in check, they're gonna we're gonna lose community members again. And that's not fair.

SPEAKER_02 22:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

And that's not fair to everyone that's playing this game. Because when we have a diverse community, we have a diverse player pool. We have di we have more opportunities for this game to thrive. Yeah. And you can go be a big fish somewhere else if that's gonna be interesting.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Well, I mean, I love like, I mean, we we interviewed Eddie a month or two ago, and he is such a phenomenal player. He's obviously a top-tier player, but he will answer questions, he will ask or he will help you if you ask him anything. He's willing to like listen and and talk to you about what his deck is doing and why. And like players like that, we want players like that, right? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Like we love players who want players that are gonna encourage encourage and you know rise the whole community. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Um and not, you know, chalk you winning a game against them up to variance or high rolling. Because that's just that's so degrading and demeaning. Yeah. And you know, it's just rude. It's so rude. And honestly, like you might think that you are better than the player that you're playing against, but if they beat you, then you did something where you're like that and then you react that way, that's on you, right? That is how like that shows how poor of a character you have. Has nothing to do with the actual game, right? Like has everything to do with how you react to a situation.

SPEAKER_02 23:29

Yeah, because like for me, when I lose, I come out of that match and say, okay, what can I do better? What can I do different? What can I learn from this interaction? And it really, like, that's a good point because it really bothers me when I like, especially those really hard-won matches. I know the matchup's hard, I know the player is really good. Like, I come into a room and I sit down and I expect the player to be good and that we're gonna have a good game. And I don't think that courtesy is always extended back to me. But when I walk away from that, I want to say, Well, how can I get better if I lose? Or even when I win, I say, like, what could I have done differently? And it really frustrates me that I'll get through a game and I I feel like I did really well. I thought through my playlines. I, you know, like thinking about what I've been doing better because we're trying not to live in the negative thoughts here. And the comment from the person across from me is like, well, you just got lucky because you won the dice roll, or you got lucky because I couldn't find any of my removal. And it's just all that practice and thought and improvement that I put into and work into the game just got dismissed because this person says it's because you just got lucky.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Yeah. And I mean, I know like what I wanted set champs once, the person that I beat had said something similar. And I was like, you just basically took the win away from me. Yeah, the comments that you made. Yeah. Like I had the worst time. Yeah. Just I feel like that is we this isn't a sport, right? Right. But it it is a competition. And the way that you respond, winning or losing, says so much about your character. Yes. And I feel like as a community, we need to be better about making sure that you know, bad sportsmanship is not dealt with, like, like is dealt with like appropriately. And when people are uncomfortable, it needs to be said.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

Well, I I'm sorry you experienced that. It's not easy. And you know, I agree with you. Like, I don't ever go into something, even like a leak night, I don't ever go in like I'm gonna win this whole thing tonight. It's just having way too high expectations. I go in expecting to lose. Which is also low expectations that shouldn't be happening either. But if I go in with the expectation of I got this, that's it, I think it's it's a little it's a little much. But just go in there with we're gonna have fun, but this is you know, playing cards with my friends and not thinking it has to be bigger than it is.

SPEAKER_02 26:03

Well, and I I get the competitive side because I'm competitive too. Like this week, um I went with you guys to to um Games Outpost Mesa, and I told Daryl in the car, I said, I'm gonna go 4-0 tonight because I was feeling really confident in my deck. And I did. I did end up going 4-0 that night. And the biggest thing though is if I had not gone 4-0, I would have been like, okay, what do I need to learn from this? Right. Not oh, I think you just got really lucky. My deck didn't do the thing it needed to do. Yeah, you drew everything that you had to draw. Like, you know, that's where it's like, maybe just take it as a loss and walk away. Like instead of the excuses, instead of the putting the other person down to make yourself feel better. I think that is definitely one of those things that happens in a lot of competitive card play and in games in general, but I don't want it happening in our community.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Well, and then there's just so many thoughts that you you didn't have to say it at all. Yeah. Those are inside thoughts.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

Yeah, that's what our our uh teammate Logan is like, those are inside thoughts, and I want to say that now. Why would you even say that?

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Like, just use a filter on yourself.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Like it there is no need for those words to have left your mouth.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Like, if you had thought it, sure. Think it. Go think your toxic thought yourself. You better put it out.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Listen, I think about things all the time. It doesn't mean I say it out loud.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

I I can assure you, you don't want to know half the things that go through my head, but I don't say them out loud because I have a filter.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

Yeah. But on that happy note, I went 4-0 at least. You did, you did on the Amber Emerald deck that I'm now scared to play because of the mirrors.

SPEAKER_00 27:48

Um, you just you just have to win all the mirrors.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Oh my gosh. That sounds like a tall order.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

I'm kind of surprised. Like, I'm wondering if people are just gonna play aggro in LCQ because it's it has the highest win percentage.

SPEAKER_02 28:02

But I think it's because there's so many people playing, you know, like data's always weird, right? Yeah, right. If half the room plays aggro, of course, aggro is gonna have like the highest people.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Then the rest of us play Ruby Steel.

SPEAKER_02 28:16

Right? But yeah, it it's it's definitely interesting. I thought about playing aggro, but I say this every week. It's not my style. No, it's not mine aggregate. Although the mini Mickey one is so fun. I want to try that one soon.

SPEAKER_00 28:31

And they got that shift every single game, and they played it on turn two, two of those games. And I I was not having the best time against that deck.

SPEAKER_02 28:42

Yeah, well, and it's like the I mean, the shift, of course, that quests for five and it's for you. Yeah, once you remove it, but the removal gives you an extra three at least. At least, right? Yeah, and it's like, what the heck? And then now people are playing Scrooge in that deck, so it could give you more than three ink.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

Yeah, I played it, he was playing the Scrooge, and so I think when I removed the second one, I think it had four or five cards in it.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

And then at that point, it's like you can play whatever you want.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

Yeah, and then they were playing, you know, the MMS Philip combo and all of that. And I was like, what do I even do here? My deck is not made for this to play against this.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

It's like aggro and control. So I'm like, maybe I want to play that.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

I and I was just surprised they had the shift every time. I was like, what how?

SPEAKER_02 29:32

Well, I think it's like so. When I was trying that deck early on, it was a lot of just at straight aggro, like play the character, hope I get the shift. But now a lot of people are building that deck with the Prince Philip combo with filtering, so like Bobby really helps. Um they I I say this too, but the mole helps strike a good match, is making it popular, like coming back. Yeah, um, so lots of ways to go through your deck, and then you can find that shift more consistently. And so I think that's what's making the deck a little bit more threatening.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

Yeah, no, it was it was a fantastic build. I was thoroughly impressed, but I I was like, I don't know what to do against this. Yeah, I was like, I normally have lots of removal that can work, and there's not enough cast ons in the world, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

And then then even when you do, then you have bigger things to worry about because now they have nine ink.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

Yeah, exactly. Luckily, I had a horseman strikes for the fill. Yeah. Okay. But but it already done a lot of damage. Yeah. But yeah, I'm I'm kind of oh, I play it against the Ruby Steel like Dash and Violet deck, and that was pretty fun to play against. I it still feels like Ruby Steel, where it's not quite where I think there's always something missing from Ruby Steel.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

Come on, Rabbit's burger.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Yeah, it just feels like there's like some piece of it that just doesn't feel as consistent, right? It can draw a lot of cards, like that that shift. But it has to have the right, but it has to, yeah. But so it's definitely like it's close, but I don't think it's close enough to be a competitive. Every time consistent competitive.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

Every time I want like I love Ruby Steel, I love that color combination. I want to play it, and every time it feels like just needs another card or like mechanic or something that helps like make it more consistent. Yeah. I mean, all the other decks have filtering, and all the other decks have like draw cards, and and then you know, then you get Ruby Steel.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

Yeah, I don't, I mean, I'm just glad Ruby is viable again as a as an ink because I've been missing it. So and of course now I'm not even playing it right now. Well, I played Boosties, right, for the first few weeks, and then everybody was playing item removal, so then Boosties wasn't working as well.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Yeah, well, maybe now people won't be playing item removal, and then you can go back to Boosties first.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

So I just like I've got that's why I'm like, I don't know what to play.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

I know it's so back and forth. I feel like we're playing leapfrog. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

And then I'm like, I don't know how often I should switch up the decks to to play test to see what I feel comfortable with. We have community playtesting today, so I'm hoping to get some good reps in. Yeah, I'm gonna bring a few decks to see kind of how they feel, but I I'm really I'm liking the community playtesting. I like that element. Like we have our team playtesting as well. But I think the seeing other decks too, besides and playing against other players that aren't just our team. And then using it as playtesting is not just reps, right? It's like thinking through playlines, it's communicating about choices as you're doing it. I think that that's more important than just getting the repetitions in.

SPEAKER_02 32:34

Yes, I really liked last week we had several people from all over sat down and were like playing open-handed and we're like talking through playlines with each other and telling, like saying this is what I would do because of these reasons, or you know, and and I think that is always where we want to be when we're play testing, because I feel like there's lots and lots of very good players, and even you yourself, you might not consider yourself a great player, but you do have like something to contribute. Like I know, you're good. I I always my thing is when you're play testing, even if you are not like you know, the top player in the room, right? I always say ask why. Because when you ask why they did something, or what was the reason for inking, you know, this thing instead of that, or you know, when you do that, you get to hear their reasoning, which might help you figure something out, but then they also have to think through their reasoning and that helps them too. So even if you don't have advice, quote unquote, to give, you can still uh help players improve by just being curious. When we were at sealed yesterday, Chris is a very patient player and he doesn't just quest. He just doesn't like when he he knows when to wait or when to quest, essentially. Um, and he is he's very patient because he can sit there in a stalemate for like six turns. And even by like two turns, I'm like, I'm ready, I gotta turn something sideways.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

His opponent walked by me and he's like, This guy, he just wouldn't quest. And he was just sitting there and just looking at the deck and looking at the cards and looking at the table, and he did nothing. And I was like, Oh my gosh. And then he was like, I don't know, this is that that Chris guy's he's wearing the jersey that she's wearing. It was it was very funny because as anyone who's ever played against Chris, you know that that's just how he plays. He's just very calm, he's very calm, and his face says nothing. Very intentional. And it's really funny because I'm sure I have had those moments playing against him before. Maybe not quite as but large a reaction.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

Well, now I'm when we first started dating, I didn't know his signs of like being nervous. Now I do. So like I see him and I'm like, oh yeah, he's nervous, but other people see him and he's like a rock. It throws people off so bad. And it's so funny to me because he's the nicest guy. He's so nice, um, but he's just very like zoned in and like methodical and everything. And and that's what um and I I know I'm biased because I'm like, you know, raving about my partner. But no, but he is a great player. He is a player, he's a very great, he was a phenomenal player, and because of that, he's very like like he thinks through everything, he doesn't just like turn everything sideways, and yeah, it makes it like it's really fun to watch other people interact with him because they're like a lot of people, um especially at the competitive level, this is like another ego check thing, sit down and like want to play mind games with you. None of that works on Chris, and it ends up unnerving them because usually they're able to shake their opponent, and Chris is like honestly, I don't even think he's doing it on purpose. I think he just is like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

I'm not even listening to what you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

So yeah, it's like really funny because I definitely get thrown off by mind games because I'm already like playing mind games with myself. I'm like, I don't need you to play mind games with me. I'm already doing it to myself. Like anxiety does that for me though. But yeah, it's it's very fun. But yeah, just hearing about that interaction cracking. Oh my gosh, that is so like him.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

I was trying to hold myself together as they said that because I was like, oh, I know, but that's hilarious. And he's like, he's freaking me out.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Yeah, I mean, and to rave on my partner again, like I'm really fortunate to have him like in this game with me because I've learned a lot from him too, just watching him play. And I've I now can make it to turn three before I feel like I have to turn something sideways. I'm a little bit more patient of a player because uh because watching him play. And so that's what's like watching other people play during play testing, asking why. Like I'm always asking him why everybody tries him nuts because he's like, Why do you question me? I'm like, I'm not questioning you, I just want to know why.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

Yeah, no, it's fair. I think that we we have got all grown competitively because we ask each other those questions. Yes, yeah, for sure. Um, I I mean my favorite part about playing Larcon is being able to play with my husband. So I totally get you know the raving on your partner.

SPEAKER_02 37:05

Yeah, it's so funny too, because you and Daryl are both so sarcastic. It's so fun to watch.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

No, I'm not sarcastic at all.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Yeah, I think I mean I I think I would love this game with or without Chris because it's just a really good game. But having him in it definitely makes it better.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Yeah. Yeah, no, I'm I'm at that point now. Early on in the game, if if he had decided to not want to play anymore, I'm not sure if I would have stayed.

SPEAKER_01 37:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

But but that was also at a time where the game didn't feel quite as comfortable.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

But I s but eve if he left now, I would probably stay and play, right? Like it's just hard because it is like a big part of our team. Right. It's how we spend together. It's how we spend time together. We work opposite schedules, and so like we don't see each other that much during the week. Yeah. And so like the weekends when we play Lorcana is when we spend time together.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

That's like our relationship grew because we started dating right when Lorcana, like about two or three months before Lorcana came out. So we basically bonded through Lorcana. Yeah. So I say like I would play without Chris, but I'd probably be really sad playing without Chris.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

No, and I and I know some other people who met their partners playing Lorcana. Yeah, Lindsay. Yeah, Lindsay and Leo met playing. And so like it's kind of fun to see that. And there's other players that have met through the game. Yeah. Like not necessarily our community, but I know. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Well, and that's like, and and like back a little bit back to our earlier conversation of like having a more welcoming attitude. It's like, not because Lorcana should become a dating pool or anything, but it's like you meet so many cool people. Like, I never thought I'd be on a podcast with you guys. Like, never thought I'd be on a team, you know, never thought I'd be playing competitively. And and like I've met so many amazing people and friends through uh Lorcana. And so we don't want people making other people feel like they're not welcome in the in this space.

SPEAKER_01 39:00

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

Coconut, coconut.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

So speaking of like for well, we didn't transition to the coconut, yeah. To the coconut, no, it's uh the new format, the coconut format. Coconut. So I haven't looked into it too much because I'm trying to focus on the LCQ.

SPEAKER_00 39:21

Well, I I honestly didn't even look at any of the cards because I I'm so focused on competitive playlists and like deck choices and things like that. And I'm like, I can learn that format.

SPEAKER_02 39:32

Official, but a lot of people have been playing it. But like the fact that they're trying to make an official multiplayer game makes me super excited.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

Yeah, and I've liked playing, like we've we've made different variations of multiplayer. Like we've had a multiplayer tournament and like we hosted a multiplayer tournament as the muses. And so, like, I I like multiplayer and I like the community aspect of it. I think coconut is a hilarious code name. Yeah, I have a feeling it probably will end up being the permanent name because so many people like it. Yeah. But every time I hear it, I just like want to sing in my because like there's two songs that have coconut in the name. Yeah, that are Disney. The Moana.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

Yeah. I was like, yeah, I always do that one too.

SPEAKER_00 40:15

I was like the Moana one, it just feels more considered coconut. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 40:19

I think of the the lizard and hoppers when they were playing with all the emojis and it was always coconut hospital.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

I see, yeah, I haven't seen Hoppers either which is also a Disney movie, but I haven't seen it yet.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

So it's very good. Um, and then also, you know, Zazu. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:42

So good.

SPEAKER_02 40:46

Yeah, I'm really excited about the multiplayer, and I already see some people trying it out and having a lot of fun. And I I'm like sad because I'm like, I have to focus.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

I know some people were like, does anyone want to come and like practice some coconut with some proxies at at before league? And I was like, no, because I want to practice more with the competitive list. Yeah. Um, but yeah, no, I I I actually like Commander 2 when it comes to magic. It's the only version I've ever played it, other than draft. And so that's what be what I would like to. But yeah, the CCQ at Gen Con, like there were six Amber Emeralds and two Ruby Amethysts, and there were but out of the Amber Emeralds, there was two or three bills, and so like just like even if it's the same ink combination, those decks are vastly different. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

And they had quite a storm last week.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

Yeah, like inside of Gen Con was pouring rain for several days, and then uh they got a tornado warning, and it's just been kind of wild. And then like some news out of Gen Con and things like they talked about the great honey rescue and like they sold some pre pre-selling of some of those honey rescue. Saw some really cool Robinsberger new puzzles and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 42:05

And I bought one and I still haven't done it yet. I bought one when we were at the Vegas CCQ. Oh, yeah. And I haven't had any time to sit down. I love puzzling. I'm an old lady. Like, yeah, I crochet, I do puzzles, I you know. So I I I haven't done it yet, though. It looks so gorgeous.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

Yeah, I have cats, and so puzzles are um a pain to do with cats. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:30

Luckily, Eevee's not destructive because I know some dogs will also eat up puzzle pieces too. They won't eat them, they'll just bat them off the table.

SPEAKER_00 42:36

And so then you will have missing puzzle pieces. So uh I don't puzzle very often. It's one of those things I do enjoy doing.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

But I just want to do it often because we'll have to hang out and have to come to your house. A long trek across the street.

SPEAKER_01 42:49

I know it's like it's like two minutes.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

Uh but yeah, very excited for all the new things coming out. Hopefully I will figure out our deck list for the LCQ. I mean, it'll be a good time either way. Um, we'll be play testing today at Games Outpost Mesa at 3 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

SPEAKER_00 43:10

And then we have our tournament. Yes. Uh Saturday, the August 8th. Yep. Check-in time is 12. Play test playtime is 12:30. We are at like 45 people right now. We have capacity for 60. We have lots of prizing. It'll be cut to top eight without many players. And, you know, we're just gonna, you know, have a good time. We have lots of raffles and we're excited to see everybody come out. Um, everyone is welcome. It's I've had both some hyper competitive players and not as hyper competitive players all signed up. And yeah, it's just fun. It's just a fun, it's a fun community. Um we're very excited to host you guys, and you know, just have fun.

SPEAKER_01 43:53

Yeah. With that being said, happy questing. Happy questing