Animal Colosseum releases this Friday, January 19th, so lets take a look at the box toppers. There are a few Digitama I wouldn’t getting my hands on, and that Skullgreymon just looks so sick. Always check with your LGS for any events and product, but you can always preorder Animal Colusseum on TCG Player.
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a comment, like, follow, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for any Digimon product like Blast Ace, get it over at TCG Player
Temporal Forces releases on March 22nd, so its time to look at all the full art cards that have been revealed so far. There is a lot of cool art in this set, and a lot you’re going to want to chase. Check out the full list of spoilers and their translations. Always support your LGS, but I made a list of places where you can preorder if that isn’t an option.
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you want to order any existing Pokémon product like the latest Paradox Rift set, get it over at TCG Player.
I was sent Roots of Yggdrasil for free to review for my site. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Roots of Yggdrasil is a roguelike deck builder that splashes village builder elements to create a unique gaming experience. The game releases on Steam in Early Access on January 24 for $14.99. Don’t forget to wishlist.
Sunna and her tribe have been trapped between time, and they must find a way out. Together you must build a settlement, explore the unknown, and discover the secrets that will take the tribe to the top of Yggdrasil. But the road won’t be easy, and failure means you will have to start over. Do you have the spatial awareness to make it to the top of the mountain?
Players start a run of Roots of Yggdrasil with a random deck that they upgrade throughout a run. These decks summon structures that can be built on procedurally generated levels. Space and resources are limited, making efficiency a player’s most important resource. To beat an encounter, players need to complete several tasks to power up the ship for the next leg of the voyage. A player can run out of space or resources, or have a random disaster make it impossible to complete a level. For example, there is a deadly fog that slowly eats up the map, leaving players without enough space to build.
Aside from the village builder elements, Roots of Yggdrasil plays like your typical deck builder. Heroes have special abilities players can cast periodically, there are random encounters that give players cards or resources, and there are permanent upgrades players can purchase in between runs. The hardest part about this game is building in the right order and leaving enough space for what you need.
Roots of Yggdrasil is a cute game with a fun art style, amazing flavor, and interesting mechanics. I enjoyed this game a lot, but the game isn’t finished, and you can tell. It isn’t unplayable. The game never crashed, and the mechanics were fine, but it needs a little polish and more content. The gameplay started to feel repetitive after a few runs, so most people will want to wait for more biomes, mechanics, and features to be added to the game.
If you don’t mind the roughness of an Early Access game and want to experience a unique deck builder, look into Roots of Yggdrasil. The bit I got to play is fun, and I can see the potential. I’ll be revisiting the game on a future release, so make sure you stay tuned for that. Until then, make sure you add it to your wishlist!
I’ll continue my dive into Weiss Schwarz with the Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest. Fans of the anime are going to want some of these cards in their collection. I am a huge fan of the signed cards. If you want to buy any Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest product like the booster box or starter deck, pick it up at TCG Player. I’ve left links to the singles for those who want it.
If you enjoy these updates,
![[Hero] Kouki - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E083.png?ssl=1)
![[Farmer] Aiko - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E081.png?ssl=1)
![[Swordsman] Shizuku (SR) - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E080S.png?ssl=1)
![[Swordsman] Shizuku - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E080.png?ssl=1)
![[Priest] Kaori (SR) - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E079S.png?ssl=1)
![[Priest] Kaori - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E079.png?ssl=1)
![[Astrologist] Shea - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E039.png?ssl=1)
![[Synergist] Hajime - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E036.png?ssl=1)
![[Guardian] Tio (SR) - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E024S.png?ssl=1)
![[Guardian] Tio - Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest](https://i0.wp.com/churapereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/S103_E024.png?ssl=1)
I was sent Terra Alia for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you’re looking for accessories for your VR headset, like magnetic prescription lenses or a high-quality charging cable, get it at ZyberVR. Use discount code CHURAPE for 15% off. You can also always buy me coffee.
Terra Alia is a VR RPG game for the Meta Quest that teaches players a new language. The game supports 10 languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Brazilian Portuguese. Players are put into a world full of magic, but the only way to use it is to learn a new language.
There is a story to this game, but it doesn’t feel important. At least it didn’t hook me enough to care. The main draw to this game is the grind to learn a new language. The game does this through exploration, puzzles, and combat.
I felt like exploration was the main loop for this game. Players pick up new vocabulary and phrases through exploration. To pick up a new word, you point at the word, listen to the translation, and pronounce it properly. The game offers a prerecorded pronunciation and uses the Quest’s mic to check yours. Players use the words and phrases they learn to solve puzzles, beat challenges, and cast spells.
For the most part, the prerecordings are fine when it comes to single words, but they fall off when it comes to prerecordings. The recordings of some of the phrases were incoherent, and I found myself stuck because I couldn’t hear the pronunciation. Challenges are a pain because you can’t repeat the pronunciation of phrases. You can listen to single vocabulary words all you want, but you only get a quick shot at phrases. This made learning phrases difficult, and the challenges annoying to complete.
Combat in this game is where this game could have stood out more, but it falls flat after the novelty wears off. After a couple of battles, I found myself actively avoiding them because they felt like a chore. To cast a spell, players have to translate a word to their chosen language within the time limit. The system gives players a word like a dog and two options, and players must pronounce the correct word properly. It’s a fine system, especially with this kind of RPG, but nothing exciting. It also doesn’t always work which is a bit frustrating.
Terra Alia is good at teaching players new words in a different language, but don’t expect to become fluent. I found that the repetitive grind helped me pick up new words quickly, and I rarely needed to look up a resource. Unfortunately, once the novelty wore off, I didn’t find much reason to play. If you have young kids, this is a solid came to throw them into. It has a cute cartoonish style, the loop is simple and easy to follow, and it’s a nice intro to a new language. Anyone more hardcore about RPGs will find the experience lacking. It is a cool idea and I hope they can make it better, but in its current state, I can’t recommend it.
You can pick up Terra Alia for the Meta Quest for $19.99.
Alchemical Revolution releases on January 26, so let’s get ready with a few more spoilers. This time we got some cool character animations and art for Arisanna, Diana, and Tonoris, and their regalia cards. I am excited because what I love the art I’ve seen so far, and there are some nifty new mechanics. Make sure you read my previous post where I talk about the new classes and elements coming with the expansion.
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you get any Grand Archive Product, get it over at TCG Player!
If you’re ineterested in jumping into Grand Archive, check with your LGS to see if they’ll be holding any Launch events for Alchemical Revolutions. Stores who have ordered product get special launch kits to help onboard new players. The kids include:
I love that they do this for stores to get new players in, I hope theres some active Grand Archive action near you.
Only 27,000 1st Edition Alchemical Revolution booster boxes will be printed, so get yours fast! Check with your LGS to see if they have any available, but TCG Player has a few for $110 (including shipping).
Skinny Minis is giving away a free set of their Frozen Foes bundle with orders over $60. With free US Shipping, now is a great time to load up on some high quality acrylic minis for your next campaign. You never need minis to play D&D, but it is always nice to have a table full of high quality figures to move around.
Skinny Minis sells high-quality 2D acrylic miniatures, high-quality maps, and prepacked one-shots to elevate any RPG session. They feature a very cool art style, and they have a product for just about any campaign setting. The best part about Skinny Minis is how well they store. While I would love to have a collection of high-quality minis 3D printed or otherwise, I don’t have the space for it.
If you’re for a minimalistic way to elevate your next campaign, check out Skinny Minis!
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Portland Regionals brought the meta back to its roots. A lot of familiar decks made it to top 8, with the finals being a decisive mirror match between Lost Giratina. There were a couple of odd archetypes to make top 30, but I’ll just be showing top 5. I’ll leave links to the singles for those who need them.
If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you need any Pokémon product like the new Paradox Rift set, or if you still need to preorder Paldaen Fates, save a little money and get it over at TCG Player!
I mean, there is no surprise here. The Lost Box Engine always does great at tournaments, and Lost Giratina is no exception. The deck is a little tricky to play because you need to be efficient when sending cards into the Lost Zone, but the deck has a great draw engine, strong early-game pressure, and Giratina gives the deck its late-game pressure as well. I’ve played a version of this and love it. It’s a little tricky for beginners, but that’s why you practice. Congratulations to Jon Eng for getting first!
Pokémon (14)
4 Comfey LOR 79
3 Giratina V LOR 130
3 Giratina VSTAR LOR 131
1 Sableye LOR 70
1 Cramorant LOR 50
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Manaphy BRS 41
Trainer (32)
4 Colress’s Experiment LOR 155
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Roxanne ASR 150
4 Mirage Gate LOR 163
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Switch Cart ASR 154
2 Switch SVI 194
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Counter Catcher PAR
3 Path to the Peak CRE 148
Energy (14)
4 Jet Energy PAL 190
4 Psychic Energy 5
3 Grass Energy 1
3 Water Energy 3
Fusion Mew was the first meta deck I’ve ever made. I loved it so much that I even made irl, even though I don’t have people to play with. This deck is so much fun to play, and pretty simple to pick up. Genesect is a solid draw engine, mew is a fun attacker, and with things like Power Tablet and Path to the Peak, you have a nice kit to shut down a lot of big threats. Mew is easy to learn, but beginners might have trouble with all the prominent dark Pokémon in the format. Mew VMax makes the deck a high-risk high-reward type deal. Either way, it’s a solid deck. Congratulations to Maddox Corcoran for getting top 3!
Pokémon (13)
4 Mew V CRZ 60
3 Mew VMAX FST 114
4 Genesect V FST 185
1 Meloetta FST 124
1 Eiscue BRS 44
Trainer (40)
2 Elesa’s Sparkle FST 233
2 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
1 Judge SVI 176
1 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor Turo’s Scenario PAR 171
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Cram-o-matic FST 229
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Power Tablet FST 236
3 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
2 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
1 Switch Cart ASR 154
1 Feather Ball ASR 141
3 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
1 Box of Disaster LOR 154
1 Choice Belt PAL 176
2 Path to the Peak CRE 148
1 Lost City LOR 161
Energy (7)
4 Fusion Strike Energy FST 244
3 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
Gardevoir is my favorite deck to play. You have a solid draw engine, you have great attackers, and some neat mechanics. With Shinning Arcana Gardevoir leaving the format, she might see a little less play after rotations so I’d hold off investing too much on this, unless you aren’t playing standard. Congratulations to Bodhi Robinson for making top 4.
Pokémon (19)
4 Ralts ASR 60
3 Kirlia SIT 68
1 Kirlia CRE 60
2 Gardevoir ex SVI 86
2 Gardevoir CRE 61
1 Zacian V CEL 16
1 Scream Tail PAR 86
1 Cresselia LOR 74
1 Mew CEL 11
1 Radiant Greninja ASR 46
1 Manaphy BRS 41
1 Jirachi PAR 126
Trainer (29)
4 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor’s Research SVI 189
1 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
1 Worker SIT 167
4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
4 Level Ball BST 129
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Fog Crystal CRE 140
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Counter Catcher PAR
1 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Artazon PAL 171
1 Collapsed Stadium BRS 137
Energy (12)
10 Psychic Energy 5
2 Reversal Energy PAL 192
I’ve been playing a lot of Miraidon on the ladder, and it is a lot of fun. This is definitely the most beginner-friendly deck in the format at the moment, but with Flaffy leaving the format, I would wait till the new meta settles. This deck is easy to learn and super quick to set up. Congratulations to Nicholas Moffitt for top 5.
Pokémon (15)
2 Miraidon ex SVI 81
2 Raichu V BRS 45
2 Mareep EVS 54
2 Flaaffy EVS 55
1 Raikou V BRS 48
1 Iron Hands ex PAR 70
1 Tapu Koko ex PAR 68
1 Zapdos PGO 29
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
Trainer (31)
4 Professor’s Research SVI 189
3 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
2 Judge SVI 176
4 Electric Generator SVI 170
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Switch SVI 194
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Exp. Share SVI 174
2 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
2 Path to the Peak CRE 148
2 Beach Court SVI 167
Energy (14)
13 Lightning Energy 4
1 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
Last but not least we have Arceus. I haven’t played the deck, but it looks like fun. You have a nice draw engine, a few ways to accelerate energies, and some fun attacks. I’m going to have to build this one at some point. Congratulations to Makani Tran for top 6!
Pokémon (19)
4 Arceus V BRS 122
3 Arceus VSTAR BRS 123
2 Bidoof CRZ 111
2 Bibarel BRS 121
1 Regigigas V CRZ 113
1 Regigigas VSTAR CRZ 114
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Zacian V CEL 16
1 Radiant Alakazam SIT 59
1 Spiritomb PAL 89
1 Skwovet SVI 151
1 Jirachi PAR 126
Trainer (28)
4 Iono PAL 185
3 Boss’s Orders PAL 172
2 Cheren’s Care BRS 134
1 Judge SVI 176
1 Raihan CRZ 140
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Lost Vacuum CRZ 135
1 Escape Rope BST 125
1 Counter Catcher PAR
1 Choice Belt PAL 176
1 Box of Disaster LOR 154
3 Path to the Peak CRE 148
Energy (13)
7 Psychic Energy 5
4 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
2 Jet Energy PAL 190
Realm of Ink is an action roguelike coming to PC and consoles this year. The game features a unique brushed artwork, a neat isometric design, and promising gameplay. The art is what initially drew me to this game, but the story has me interested.
Red discovers she is a fictional character within the Realm of Ink short story collection. She must now travel through the depths of her story to discover the truth of her existence. Is her fate prewritten by some faceless author, or does she have the power and free will to write her own?
I am curious to see how Red’s story pans out. Players will also get to play as other characters as they are unlocked, and I am a huge fan of the spoiled character designs. I did get an early copy of the demo and will be posting my impressions as soon as the embargo is lifted. Until then, I recommend you watch the trailer and add Realm of Ink to your Wishlist.
Alchemical Revolution releases on January 26th, and it is bringing the three new advanced elements: Neos, Astra, and Umbra. Check with your LGS for preorders and events. If that isn’t an option, you can always pick up Grand Archive products or preorder Alchemical Revolution on TCG PLayer using my affiliate links.
There is a lot to be excited about, so let’s look at the spoilers. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Neos gives Tonoris the ability to summon an Obelisk each turn to help you control the battlefield. Obelisks have unique abilities, and they get big fast if they aren’t dealt with. It is a very cool mechanic for a very cool hero. Make sure you pick up the starter deck when it becomes available.
Neos gets stronger the more tokens are on the field, so make sure you fill it!
Players who want to hit hard, have crazy board control, or just love the token meta should pick up the Tonoris starter deck and work their way out.
Astra gives players the power of the cosmos, and there is no hero better suited for its power than Arisanna. This gives players access to Starcalling which says:
While you’re glimpsing and you see a card with starcalling, you may activate it during that glimpse. In addition, paying to starcall a card is usually cheaper than playing and paying for it from your hand. However, whenever you do starcall a card, you must put all the remaining cards in your glimpse on the bottom of your deck.
This is such a cool ability, and one that you get for free each turn with Arisana at level 3.
Tools will let you glimpse and starcall, but make sure you do so efficiently.
Astra make Arisanna an interesting deck, but it also makes her one of the harder decks to play because of how much you need to keep track of. If you love the thrill of top-decking, memory control, and deck manipulation, pick up Arisanna!
Umbra gives Diana the power to cast curses at level 3, and curses make her scary. Each bullet she shoots generates a creeping tournament, and torments put attach a curse onto whatever champion Diana hits. I love the flavor of this mechanic. I might end up playing Umbra Diana because everything is purple.
If you like playing on your opponent’s turn, ranged characters, and casting curses, you should play Diana. I’m a huge fan of the flavor and color scheme myself.
