The Replicant Rebellionexpansion is officially live on Kickstarter! If you’ve been enjoying the Blade Runner Roleplaying game, or are looking for something to spice up your next campaign, you’re going to want to back this project.
Replicant Rebellion is already fully funded, and if history is anything to go by, this is going to be a spectacular book. I am already a huge fan of the revealed art. Let’s dive into the expansion and get excited!
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InReplicant Rebellion, players run their crews in secret operations in the name of the cause. They can help fugitive Replicants hide, sabotage the Replicant trade, fight against enemy crews, and much much more. This 200+ page book is sure to have something for your table. Players must be careful to keep their intentions concealed from the Blade Runners and their records clean. How much are you willing to give up for the cause?
Art
I was sent a few of the Blade Runner books to review for my blog, and they are so pretty. The art in these books is just too good to overlook, especially if you’re a fan of the source material. What I’ve seen so far from Replicant Rebellion is no exception:
Thoughts
If you are thinking of picking up this book, please keep in mind that you will need the core rulebook to run it. The Blade Runner RPG has a solid system that is easy to learn and pick up, and the book is so pretty.
As for the expansion, I think the concept is great. Flipping the roles so that a player can experience both sides of society is such a cool way to refresh a campaign. I’ve been running TTRPGs for a few years now and understand the pain that comes with burnout. Sometimes you need to take a break to recharge. Other times you need to switch systems and experience something different. Having to play the same system from a different angle is fantastic because no one has to learn new rules, and you don’t need to stop playing.
Sure you can make up your own world with and homebrew your lore and rules to keep things fresh, but some of us don’t have the time. It’s also nice to have a reference ready in case it is ever needed.
The book looks great, the concept is fantastic, and as a fan of the base material, I am all in. I will probably be getting my copy for review, so make sure you stay tuned for that. Until then, make sure you back that Kickstarter!
If you’re looking to learn to play or teach someone to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game, the Battle Academy is a fantastic starting point. Keep in mind that this product was designed for kids and includes a more streamlined and stripped-down version of what you see in competitive play. If you’re trying to get into the competitive play, playing on PTCL for the automation and picking up the deck you want to take to locals is where you want to start. If you’re trying to onboard your kids or someone who doesn’t do much TCG, the Battle Academy sets are a fantastic product for you.
What’s in the Box?
Pokemon Battle Academy kits come with everything you need to get you started with the TCG. I know the 2024 version is coming June 24, but the 2022 is good enough and its cheap! The box includes:
3 60-card decks (Cinderace V, Eevee V, and Pikachu V)
2 player gameboard
3 Tutorial Guides
Coin
Cardboard damage counters
Quality
The quality is fantastic. The cards are printed nicely, with very cute foil mascots for each deck. The gameboard is easy to read, feels sturdy, and is easy to fold. I love the game board. It makes this kit feel like a board game you want to pull out when you want to play an even match of Pokemon TCG. The guides are easy to read and follow and are very handy if you don’t know how to play the game. We didn’t use them when we played, but I’ll explain in the review section below.
The damage counters the kit are fine, but I prefer using dice. I feel like the cardboard cutouts are unnecessarily messy, and don’t look as nice. I swapped mine out for dice.
The kit comes neatly packed in a plastic insert with sections big enough to store all the materials. My complaint is that it only fits the unsleeved decks. Sleeved decks will spill out of their compartments and get mixed up in transit. The product wasn’t made with crazy people like me who sleeve everything, so it’s not a huge deal. The decks do come numbered so if they get mixed up, you can put them back in order before the next lesson. Overall, I am happy with the presentation and it looks great on the shelf.
The Teaching Experience
I used the Battle Academy to teach my ten-year-old cousin who collects Pokemon cards how to play the card game. He’s never played a trading card game, and I have more years of experience than I would like to admit. We didn’t use the guides, although he did flip through to look at the pictures. Instead, we set up and started taking our turns. We played our first game with our hands showing as I walked him through the phases and rules. I recommend the decks in order for this first game because it makes teaching easier.
On my turn, I would show him my cards, and explain what I was doing, and why. On his turn, I would let him make his turn, and assist if there were things he missed or didn’t understand. I would occasionally explain strategies that didn’t seem obvious. He picked up the rules pretty quickly. By the end of the first game, he was ready to play on his own.
The second game we played with our hands concealed and I would only chime in when needed. Aside from a few missed phases, towards the beginning, he didn’t need much guidance. He won his second game, and he was hooked. He even asked me if I had different decks, which I definitely do.
Review
The Pokemon Battle Academy is the product you get if you want to teach someone who has never played a card game into the hobby. The gameplay is streamlined enough to make teaching and learning easy, but not so easy that it isn’t engaging. While it won’t get you ready to win the next regionals, it will build that solid foundation every good trainer needs.
The key thing to consider before making this purchase is skill level. As previously stated, trainers who want to take on the hobby seriously have better avenues, especially when considering that the cards included in the Battle Academy aren’t standard legal. They have special stamps and numbers to indicate this. On the other hand, if you’re casually trying to onboard a friend or get your kids interested in the TCG, this is great.
The decks themselves are pretty balanced and easy to learn. I do feel like the Eevee deck is a little easier, but not enough to make a difference. The decks will lack the consistency, power, and speed of the meta decks, but they are fun casual decks. Once you grasp the fundamentals and figure out you like the game, you can start buying into the archetype you want to play. Pokemon meta decks are pretty cheap, but you can always proxy if your funds are limited.
I love this product. It is a great way to teach your reading-aged kids or anyone casually looking into the card game. You won’t be ready for the current meta, but you’ll have fun learning the fundamentals. If you have kids on the younger side, the best place to start is with the My First Battle product. Check out my full review.
You can pick up the 2022 Battle Academy on TCG Player for $14 using my affiliate link. Be sure to read the description carefully! Some people are only selling the individual decks and not the whole kit. You can also wait for the 2024 Battle Academy to launch on June 24 if you want a kit with more modern mechanics. I don’t think it matters if you’re just using this product to play casually, but that is totally up to you.
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If you’re LGS no longer has any in stock, you can try snagging a Silvie deck on TCG Player using my affiliate link. The price is going down, so you might be able to find one at MSRP. You do get a play set of the main deck, but here is the deck list for your convenience.
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Material Deck 1 x Spirit of Slime 1 x Silvie, Wilds Whisperer 1 x Silvie, With the Pack 1 x Silvie, Slime Sovereign 1 x Bauble of Mending 1 x Beastbound Ears 1 x Beastbound Paws 1 x Key Slime Pudding 1 x Life Essence Amulet 1 x Slime Nexus 1 x Slime Totem 1 x Verdant Scepter
Main Deck 4 x Baby Gray Slime 4 x Forest Cake 3 x Idle Thoughts 4 x Limitless Slime 3 x Smack with Flute 2 x Song of Nurturing 4 x Baby Red Slime 2 x Red Slime 3 x Slime Eruption 3 x Baby Blue Slime 2 x Blue Slime 4 x Gather Slimes 3 x Baby Green Slime 2 x Green Slime 3 x Slime’s Blessing 2 x Slimeshield 2 x Storm Slime 2 x Ethereal Slime 3 x Lustrous Slime 2 x Slime King 3 x Verdant Slime
The Mercurial Heart season is here, and there are a couple of changes that you should be aware of if you’re trying to play the game competitively. There are new sideboarding rules, and the ban list has been updated.
If you haven’t picked up any Mercurial Heart, always support your LGS, but you can pick some up on TCG Player through my affiliate links. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
Players are now allowed to have 15 cards in their deck as opposed the eight previously allowed. Please note that material deck cards such as Champion and Regalia take up three slots in this new system. That means that the sideboard can be made up of 5 material deck cards and 0 main deck cards, 0 material deck cards and 15 main deck cards, or a combination of the two.
Ban and Restricted List Update
Banned
There are no new bans this month, but keep in mind that following remain banned:
Category 2
Erupting Rhapsody has been moved up a category to the watch list. This means you should probably start making your decks without it in your decks because it is heading towards the chopping block.
Category 1
Chalice of blood has been added to the category 1 watch list. Category 1 is for the cards that the devs are watching as problematic, but there is no danger of a immanent ban. You can fill your decks with the following, but be mindful that a ban might come some day.
You can read the reasons for the changes on the official post.
Ursula’s Return releases this Friday, May 17th, and the set looks amazing! I definitely want to get my hands on that Ursula secret rare. I won’t ever get it, but maybe one of you will. If you haven’t already preordered your product, you can try your hand at the big box release. I don’t recommend feeding the scalpers, and I especially don’t recommend preordering singles. If you’re trying to get into Lorcana, I recommend buying into older sets until the prices stabilize a bit.
You can pick up Lorcana on TCG player through my affiliate link, but I would use it for singles for now. You can get sealed product of older sets at MSRP at Best Buy or Gamestop.
May 17 is also TCG Player‘s MAYhem promotion, where you can earn store credit on your purchase. It might be a good idea to hold off till then to earn that store credit. The amount has not been revealed yet. Stay tuned for that. If you need accessories for your cardboard, check out Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 for 10% off your order.
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The Grand Archive TCG Worlds championship was this weekend, and Rai took its place as King for the Alchemical Revolution season. The VOD of the event is up for those of you in the mood to watch some competitive GA. You can check out the full event list on Omnidex.
I did grab the top three deck lists of the format, and links to the singles for those who need them. I’ll be leaving my TCG Player affiliate links where applicable. If you need accessories for your cardboard, pick them up at Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase.
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The end of Worlds marked the end of the Alchemical Revolutionseason, and Merlin came out as king of the format. The weekend featured some fantastic competitive gameplay. Those interested can still find the VODs available on the official Grand Archive TCG YouTube channel.
We also got a few spoilers should excite both collectors and players alike. Atendees got to participate in a special Mercurial Heart prelease event, and others got to play the Re:Collection decks early. A calendar for the upcoming season has been released, so its a good time to start planning your competitive grind for next year. Most importantly, we got a teaser for a 5th set, and I am hyped! There is a lot to go over, I’ll leave a table of contents so you can skip to whatever is relevant.
Mercurial Heartreleases on May 17, so make sure you put in your preorder. May 17 is also TCG Player‘s MAYhem promotion, where you can earn store credit on your purchase. It might be a good idea to hold off till then to earn that store credit. The amount has not been revealed yet. Stay tuned for that. If you need accessories for your cardboard, check out Gem Accessories. Use discount code churapereviews10 for 10% off your order.
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These aren’t from worlds, but I didn’t know where else to put them.
Mercurial Heart Season Player Rewards
I definitely need to get my life together and make it out to locals after seeing these.
New Regionals Rewards
New Judge Promo
Supporter Pack 2 Preview
I continue to be blown away by how beautiful the art for this game is.
New Worlds Schedule
More Figures!
These are so cute!
New Set Revealed!
The fifth set coming to Grand Archive TCG is mortal ambition. There weren’t many details given during the keynote, but we did get some teasers! The art is so good!
I am excited to announce that I recently started a partnership with Paizo, the creators of Pathfinder and Starfinder. I’ll be covering both games moving forward and will start with the GM Core book.
Please note that I was sent free copies of a few of the rulebooks. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity, but I won’t let it sway any of my opinions. I am still running The One Ring, so I haven’t gotten to running a session of Pathfinder. I have read the book, and these are my honest impressions.
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To put it simply, Pathfinder is the version of Dungeons and Dragons you play when you need something more technical. The amount of rules and details loaded in this book can seem overwhelming to the casual TTRPG enthusiast, but it does fit in its niche nicely. If you’re looking for an alternative to D&D, Pathfinder is a solid option. The game is familiar enough for an easy transition but with its unique vibe. This is a fantasy TTRPG that gives GMs everything they need to run their own campaigns, but there is quite a bit of prewritten content for those who need the help.
Impressions
I’ve read through a few different rulebooks, and the Pathfinder GM Corefor 2nd Edition is by far the most detailed. This book goes into great detail on how to properly run every single mechanic of this game with tables, charts, and beautiful illustrations. This almost 400 book may seem daunting, especially to new GMs, but you aren’t reading this book cover to cover, and you aren’t going to use all the rules. This is a terrific reference, and you always have the freedom to run Pathfinder in the way that best fits your table. The book gives alternative rules so that you can run your game as casual or hardcore as you want.
What I loved most about the book is how it dedicates its first few chapters to onboarding new GMs to roleplaying games. I know most experienced GMs will skip through this section because it feels like common knowledge, but there is some good advice that translates beautifully into other RPGs.
Pathfinder seems like a solid fantasy RPG with an incredible amount of content. If you’re thinking of running this system, the GM Core has absolutely everything you need to run a successful campaign. It’s going to seem like a lot, especially for the more casual players, but it’s not that bad. Most of the book is spent on item and monster starts, charts, and ideas for settings, encounters, and plot hooks. Pathfinder is the game you get when you want everything spelled out, just in case you need it.
You can pick up your copy of the Pathfinder GM Core 2E hardcover off Amazon for $59.99 (Currently $44.70) using my affiliate link. If you don’t care about physical media, or want the ability to search, you can pick up the PDF on the official Paizo website.
We’ve gotten a few more updates since my last post, so I thought I’d do a quick update with the fresh new batch of spoilers. Mercurial Heart releases on May 17, and it is looking like an amazing set, at least from a collector’s perspective. Make sure you put in your preorders at your LGS , and don’t forget to tune into Worlds Vagas this weekend May 10-12 for some cool competitive action and more Mercurial Heart spoilers.
May 17 is also TCG Player’s May MAYhem celebration. Buying product off the site during the celebration earns you Store credit for a future purchase. If you’re going to load up on Grand Archive product, it might be a good idea to hold off till then. The amount you can earn hasn’t been announced yet, so stay tuned.
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Mercurial Heart releases on May 17th. The set brings support to all classes and will feature the advanced elements: astra, neos, and umbra. May 17th will also be the launch of the Re:Collection decks for Silvie and Tristan. These decks aim to bring new life to older champions, which I am sure long time fans are hyped for. Make sure you check out the full design notes for more details.
May 17th is also TCG Player’s May Mayhem celebration. Buying product from TCG Player will earn you store credit for your next purchase, so I would hold onto your big purchases till then. The amount of store credit you can earn hasn’t been announced yet, so stay tuned to learn more.
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Silvie is getting her much needed upgrade in her very own Re:Collection deck. She will have access to all elements of slime, and the slimes are so cute!
Slimes
Advanced Elements
Food!
Tristan Re:Collection, Shadowdancer
Tristan fans will rejoice to see a whole new way to play Tristan. The deck will not only introduce cool new Tristan art, but it also introduce the new Agility keyword. If you gain agility, you will return an amount of cards back from your memory to your hand at the beginning of that turn’s end phase. This deck is about to cook up some spicy strategies, especially with those Phantasia allies!
Ominous Shadows
Preparation
Umbra
More Mercurial Hearts
Imbue
Imbue is a neat new way to summon coming to Mercurial Hearts. From the design notes:
By reserving the cards needed to play a card with the imbue keyword revealed, you gain additional effects as long as the elements of all the cards revealed and the card activated match! (Revealed cards are hidden again after costs are paid.)
Note: These cards are revealed as you reserve them into your memory, thus don’t enter the state of being hidden and revealed. So “whenever you reveal this card from your memory” triggers do not work with Imbue. Imbue rewards deckbuilding by choosing to include more cards of the same element to gain bonus effects.
