EPISODE 1
Hello, and welcome to the first episode of the Leur Library. I'm so glad you're here on this LaRocana adventure with me. Expect park news, LaRocana event news, some recurring guests to speak about LaRocana in the parks. The next few weeks, I have one of TeamLabyrinth's top supporters, Caroline, AKA Laarkana Belle, doing some fun interviews with them, some DLC predictions, which is the Disney Laarkana challenge. If you don't know what DLC is tonight, All things meta, some trash tea talk.
Sarah:So listen in for the the t on the trash tea. Speaking of trash tea, a lot of things we're gonna be talking about here is intertwining the parts into my love of Larkana. And one of those things, is to have some pretty fun little stories that I have from the park. One being, now trash tea. You'll have to listen to the interview with RMB and Humble to figure that out.
Sarah:But, a little side story when, I was going to Disneyland regularly with my family back when we lived in Southern California. I was there with my partner, and he had just finished some iced tea, but, like, he had, like, half of it left in the cup at, Cafe Orleans, and we were walking away. And he just decided, like, to reach over the rail because it's, like, outdoor seating area and thought, hey. I'm actually not to open my tea. So we had left the table.
Sarah:We're walking out in the general area, but we're still like, we can see, you know, walk by a table and reach over the rail. And he just reached over and grabbed the rest of his iced tea and drink it and put it down. And Zach Graff happened to be walking by at the time, was at Disneyland and saw him do it. But to him, he didn't know that that was, the his actual ice tea. Thought it was just some stranger thought, I'm thirsty.
Sarah:I'm gonna have this leftover ice tea. So that was a hilarious adventure and, not nearly as hilarious as trashy from, our good friends, Humble and RNB. So I'm excited for you to listen in. So without further ado, here is our first interview with RNB and Humble led by, the lovely, Larkana Bell, who is a co organizer with me. I love to, so definitely check out in the description below how to become a part of our server if you're of a marginalized gender, female.
Sarah:We just, we would love to have you. It's a huge community, and, I'm thankful of the friends I've made there, one of them being Caroline. So enjoy the interview. Great. Okay.
RMB:Thanks.
Caroline:Our next review is with 2 My brother's team members who have both made day 2. They also attended Fort Worth. Their next DLC will be Vegas instead of Toronto. Please welcome RNB and Humble.
Sarah:Round of applause.
Humble:Hi.
RMB:Spear fingers. Dassin.
Sarah:So let's talk a
Caroline:little bit about Fort Worth. How did your matches go? How do you guys feel like, you know, how do you feel like you played? Anything you would do differently?
Humble:Media before gold. Fair enough. I likely wouldn't play Mufasa again. It wasn't the worst choice, but there was a lot there was a lot of green steel, and green steel is traditionally not exactly great for Mufasa. I did get that matchup to being, at minimum of 5050, sometimes even favored.
Humble:There were a couple card choices that I likely would have done different, had I, you know, hindsight not been 2020, and I would have the foresight to to do it the way I was doing it before. But, yeah, I probably just wanted to play it just because of how much green steel actually did convert to day 2. Because even if I would have made day 2 with Mufasa, then the chances of me getting anywhere past the top 64 would have been almost almost 0. I would have had to have the only half of the bracket that was not on green steel. So, like, that's a big ask.
Humble:But if I like, I had a good time, like, I was alive, for day 2 up until around 7, and then my, my opponent beat me in game 1, and I wasn't gonna gatekeep them from a from a top cut. So I just I just I conceded the match.
Caroline:Different deck altogether. What would you do you play instead?
Humble:I don't like steel. I'm allergic. But, probably ruby amethyst or ruby sapphire, just because, like, the ruby decks I'm a sucker for. Like, I I like the hard control element of that color specifically, like, especially coming from a game like Magic the Gathering where the some of the color identities overlap a little bit. Like, I'm not a fan of damage based removal.
Humble:So, like, why would I want to put 3 damage on something when I can just remove something? So I I kind of really identify with the ruby color, very highly. So I would have played one of those ruby decks.
Caroline:How do you feel about, 4 wars?
RMB:I mean, like, the best aspect for me was just, like, going there and hanging out community and getting to meet a bunch of people. Like, amount of people that came up to me and were like, hey. Code word bald. Like, the the, like, act of me, like, reaching into my bag to, like, pull out a sticker and, like, hand it to them, like, was, like, one of the coolest experiences. I also got to, like, take pictures with just a ton of people.
RMB:And, like, not just, like, people coming up to me and be like, oh my god. Like, I want your I wanna know I want a bald picture. Like, I went up to people, like, people that, like, I really, you know, kind of fanboy for, like, Rebecca and, Liam and Aaron and, like, got to take pictures with them, which was like I mean, that, like, made my weekends. Like, yeah. Yeah.
RMB:We may people may, you know, look up to us in the Lorconic community, but there's still people in the Lorconic community I look up to. So, like, that was the coolest thing. I did the same thing I did for Atlanta. I let Twitter decide what I was going to play.
Caroline:We talked we talked about that a little, you and I, about how we're gonna do what Twitter said no matter what, even though you kinda wanted to play something different.
RMB:I did. I did wanna play something different just because, like, I don't want my entire identity to just be sapphire seal. Like, don't get me wrong. Like, I love sapphire seal, but, like, I I can I can play I can play other things y'all? Like, as long as one of those colors is steel or the other color is sapphire, like, I can
Sarah:Here's the thing. The thing about playing steel sapphire is that you are good at all of the decks because you have to know all of them to know how to, like, properly pilot that. And so, like, you're just good at all of them to be a proper whistle, honestly.
RMB:Yeah. I mean, like, especially, like, Labyrinth does a lot of internal testing with one another. So, like, for whoever is trying to, like, determine what it is that they're trying to play, like, if Corey is like, alright. Like, I need to nail down this new fossil list. Like, Ryan, let's let's let's play, you know, 30 games.
RMB:Like, I will play every deck in that. Like, we anticipate in the meta against Corey with his list to ensure that, like, his list is ready to go for, you know, any any given meta or any given event. Make sure that he feels confident in the play lines. We talk about the play patterns. Just make sure that, like, he he's he's comfortable that if he needs to make any adjustments to the list, he can.
RMB:So, like and we all do that. Every one of us has played every single deck in the show.
Humble:I will say nothing will make you feel like you are the worst player on the face of of the planet than running a 10 10 games set against Arkanobro and just realizing the skill difference. Like, just how much incredibly better he is than you. And you're just like, do I even wanna play this game? Do I even should I even waste my time? Because, like Yeah.
RMB:I've I've dropped so many games to Aaron in testing.
Humble:It's not even funny that look.
RMB:The amount of times that I'm like, alright, boys. I got it.
Sarah:I got the
RMB:deck list. Like, I know I know what I'm playing, and Aaron's like, cool. Show me. And then, like, I just proceed to go, like, 37 against him, and I'm like, dude. I don't wanna play anymore.
Humble:I think it was the beginning of set 3. It was during the CCS It
RMB:was Atlanta. It was it was for Atlanta.
Humble:It was the the Atlanta 8 k. And there was it the 8 k or was it the DLC? I think it was one of those.
RMB:No. It's DLC. It was for DLC.
Humble:So it was for the for DLC Atlanta. For a month prior, Ryan was constantly, like, texting me about, oh my god. I found the deck. I'm gonna play it. It's so good.
Humble:And then he would, like, play a set against Lorkhanibro and text me and be like, this deck is horrible. I can't play this. It's so bad. He did that 7 times. Like, he's he switched decks.
Humble:I think the most times he switched decks in a single day was 4. Yeah.
Sarah:This is the one. No. It's fired. No. This is the one.
Sarah:Forget it. I don't have
Humble:a champion. We we were actually both about about to play Jafar wheel Yes. For Atlantis. We couldn't figure I
RMB:was like, alright. This is, like, the most high roll I can do. Like, either you answer me or, like, I win the game.
Caroline:It's insane.
Humble:Like, which again, I'm allergic to steel. So for me to even, like Consider. Have that deck sleeved and ready to enter a big tournament with it was a concession to, like, can't not play this. And then literally last minute, he went back to blue steel and was like, well, if you're not playing this, I'm not playing this. So I went back to Mufasa.
RMB:I did I did make day 2 in Dallas,
Caroline:which is,
RMB:like, yeah. Like, that was, like, kinda cool. I was, like, pretty upset because, like, I played really, really well in in day 1. So, like, the night prior at, like, midnight midnight midnight 30, somewhere around there, I changed my deck list.
Humble:I was there.
RMB:I had I had came prepared to, like, play mirror matches. Like, I anticipated there being a lot of sapphire steel in the room, which there there was. There was quite a bit of sapphire steel in the room. So, like, I anticipated, like, playing a bunch of mirror matches, which, like, the mirror match for sapphire steel is not not very fun. It's essentially, like, who played a cogsworth on turn 4 and then played a cogsworth on turn 5, like, probably won the game.
RMB:So, like, I had put a bunch of tech cards in specifically for the mirror matchup. And at midnight 30, the night before, I was like, my initials are RMB. I don't need tech cards for the mirror. Like, I'll just, like, I'll just, like, win anyway. So I took them all out.
RMB:Like, I took all of the tech cards out because, like, it started affecting some of the other matchups like, Emerald Steel. Emerald Steel is like a super, super favorite matchup for us. This is, Hiram Flavorsham, like, allows you to dig out of what Bucky is capable of discarding, and then having, like, the damage based removal. Things like Tinkerbell, things like grab your swords are just so incredibly good against them. Sure.
RMB:It, like, had the tech options that I had were things like Hades. Like, I had Hades in the deck because, okay, you play a bunch of cogs worth, and then you drop a bell, and, like, now I can't answer your bell with my damage based removal. I play a bunch of cogs worth. I drop a Hades, eat your bell, and, like, now I have this 3, 6 that has resist 2. None of your removal is gonna remove it, so it's a questing presence.
RMB:But it like, having those cards in the deck started negatively impacting the emerald steel matchup. So I just took them all out. So day 1 comes, I sit down I sit I sit down against, like, this really, really cool dude. I believe his name was Kurt. Like, really awesome guy.
RMB:We had a ton of fun. He he he wins. He wins the dice roll, so he he elects to go first. I see him ink a codsworth and play a fortisphere, and I was like, are you kidding me? Listen.
Caroline:I remove
RMB:I think I remove all of my tech options for this matchup, like, last night in the first round I pair into it. Come to find out he was also not on a whole new world. He was on the Maurice's workshop plan, which is, like, even worse for me. I I was was able to get a 2, which, like, hallelujah. Kudos to you.
RMB:But, like, it was very, very difficult. It was very rough. I ended up playing Sapphire Steel 2 or 3 times in in day 1. And, like, every single time that I went against it, they were on, like, the Maurice's workshop plan, and it was, like, the hardest matches I played all weekend.
Humble:See, I was not fortunate enough to play, you know, against Sapphire Seals since it was my deck's best matchup. I played against, Bucky 4 times. That that was fun. I played against red purple 3 times. Most of my 2 o's are red purple.
Humble:I did have a red purple match where, game 1, I beat my opponent through 4 b prepared. That was pretty fun. But then, like, game game 2, I put lethal on board and, like, he had b prepped me twice. And then, like, he'd be prepped me twice and then be double b kinged me the turn before. So it was like, abomination stitch, sees you, other thing past the turn.
Humble:Like, I went next turn. And he shows me his hand of 2 castles, and he's all he's at 16. He goes, yeah. I think you got it, man. Like, I think, I'm just gonna take my draw step and see what happens.
Humble:And, he has a bladed Tremaine and a Maleficent on the board. At 16, he goes, yeah. I think you got it. Draws and goes, never mind. Plays a goat and quest for quest of 20.
Humble:I was like, that's how that that's how this mashup is lost. Yep.
Sarah:For sure.
Humble:Yeah. Like, looking back, so, so, like, I I was on 3 copies of Lilo and 3 copies of the card soldiers prior to the event. Mhmm. And that's just that was 13 uninkable cards, and that's 3 too many in my opinion. I'm very unlucky.
Humble:Like, in in Atlanta, I played exactly 8 unincable cards and still had problems thinking. So I knew that, you know, if it can go wrong, it will go wrong. So I need to mitigate as many unincable cards as possible. And looking back, had I just kept the Lilos in the deck, the difference between the 1, like, 1 more pip and 2 more pips is huge, especially against the slower matchups, like red, blue, and, like, and blue, sorry, ruby sapphire and the sapphire steel. So had I had Lilos in the deck, I likely don't concede the match to my sapphire steel opponent, around 7 because I'm able to close the game out.
Humble:Because there was a there was a point where I could have either, challenged his Cogsworth to prevent him from singing songs, or I could've I could go to 19 and put an update, like, 10 extra lore on the board and just say deal with everything. Yeah. And, you know, I've tested this matchup multiple, multiple times. Like, I've I've played against RMB. God knows how many times this matchup until the point he just doesn't wanna play me on the matchup anymore.
Humble:So I go It's awful. It's terrible. I go to 19. I put an abomination stitch, another Sisu, and, like, a queen on the board and go, you have to answer everything or I win. And he passed like, I passed the turn.
Humble:He goes, Cogsworth will sing wheel. I will draw 7, let it go the stitch, Zeus, the CSU, my Tinkerbell will take out your CSU and it will shoot your queen. And I was like, okay, well, you gave me a fresh 7. So like, I'll do that again. So I went, move, got full, Rapunzel, Mufasa, ink ink for turn another one drop past the turn.
Humble:And he goes, cogs were sing wheel, do the exact same play, essentially, where he, like, clears my entire board. He likes he Zeus is my Mufasa. It gets, like, a queen. So he just, like, is able to effectively trade my entire board. Singa, grab your swords.
Humble:And I was like, okay. Well, draw. Do that again. And he goes, you'll never believe this. Cogsworth will sing wheel again.
Humble:And I was like, this is my nightmare.
Caroline:This is my personal house.
Humble:Yeah. It wasn't fun. But, like, I mean, he got it. I, like, I I I honor the gentleman's agreement because, like, I'm out of all the things you could be, like, don't be mean. Right?
Humble:Like, why would you choose to be mean? If I agreed to something, I'm gonna, you
Caroline:know You
RMB:don't gatekeep someone.
Humble:Yeah. Like, I I don't wanna take away something from someone who either hasn't seen a day 2 yet or, you know, is on the cusp of that day 2. And, like, if we if we draw, I get not like, neither one of us get anything and I would rather one of us get something. And if it's not me, then, like, it should be this is how it is. Like,
RMB:I already
Humble:have 2 options. So Yeah. So I already have my 30 points. So, like, the next 2 rounds didn't didn't matter. So I just kinda just had fun for the last 2 rounds, like, rubbing elbows with people down the table, like, 300 and, like, so it was actually it it was a pretty good experience.
Humble:Like, I I I lost out on day 2, but, like, I got to interact with so many, like, people in the community and even just talk to people who it's, like, their first event and they're, you know, they're just, like, down there playing their playing their agro deck. And, like, it was just nice to see, like, all the different walks of life and all the different, like, skill levels and experience levels and just be able to kinda, like, interact. And maybe it was great. Like, I wouldn't trade trade it for the world. Like, I would have rather day 2, but it was a it was a very fun.
Caroline:Yeah. So what was the best part of the event for you outside of competing?
Humble:Just the people. Like, this is arguably the best community fee for any kind of card game I've ever been a part of. Like, the inclusion, just, like, the all the people you see. Because, like, I I've played match the gathering for a long time. I've played Yu Gi Oh for a long time, probably longer than I should have.
Humble:And, like, going to events there, they're not they're not as well ran as Lord Connor challenges have been. They're not as, like, all inclusive as in as challenges have been. Like, going to a magic event or going to a Yu Gi Oh event, excuse me, and seeing, like, women and children and and men and members of the LGBT community and trans people, like, seeing that is just amazing. Right? Like, Lorcan is for everyone, and I actually believe that.
Humble:So being able to go to an event and get to interact with all of these people from the community is is just awesome. Like, it's just the most fun I've had at any event. And, like, I've played I've played opens. I've played star c opens. I've played grand prix.
Humble:I've played Yu Gi Oh YCS's. And, like, out of all of them, like, I went to Internets for Pokemon. Like, this has been the most enjoyable competitive experience that I've had. It also is and then It also helps that day 2, I got to I got to run back another 8 rounds of Swiss to play in the competitive side of it. Do that.
Humble:That took me through a loop because I signed up, like, yeah, I'll play a little 5 rounder, see if I can get some tickets.
Sarah:Yeah.
Humble:It was not a 5 rounder. I I did manage to top 32, and, like, I I finished out my play set of Rapunzel's, but man, it was it was not something I was looking forward to after they're like, it's 8 rounds. I was like, I okay. This is this is fun.
Sarah:Day 1 all over again.
Humble:Yeah. I did play red purple for that one though, so I didn't have that bad of a time. But You
RMB:should've just played Ruby Amethyst day 1.
Humble:I did play Ruby Amethyst in day 2. That is correct.
RMB:No. You should've done it in day 1.
Sarah:Day 1. Yeah.
Humble:Yeah. I should've. Probably. Either that or Ruby Sapphire. I should've played one of the other Ruby decks.
RMB:Oh, and
Caroline:r and b, you've you've talked a little bit about how much you enjoyed being with the community. What about getting to be with your team? I know team Labyrinth had had a big presence
RMB:there. Like, I'm I'm, like, lucky that, like, this little cutie patootie down here lives, like, 20 minutes away from me. So, like, I see him weekly. Sure. Sometimes multiple times a week because, like, we just, like, we'll go out to, like, eat.
Humble:Oh, I see more than that. You just don't see me because normally in your bushes outside your window.
Sarah:Woah. Get out there, man. Come here.
RMB:I I do get, like, random ring notifications in the middle of the night. I'm, like, I don't what what is happening? It's usually this little, like, spider. He, like, comes down in front of the ring, and then he goes back up. So I get ring notifications all night for that.
RMB:Like, this little guy just, like, going up and down. Just the spider. Who am I to, like? Yeah. Who who am I to, like, you know Yeah.
RMB:You're doing that.
Caroline:How to live his life. The
RMB:Right. The the
Humble:area the area around your house isn't actually muggy. It's just me blowing on blowing fog on your window and drawing hearts and just throw running away.
RMB:Like, so it was it was us 2. It was, xenulous, wonder, and, Kendall. So the the 4 of us, not including Kendall, we we we stayed we stayed in the same, like, Airbnb together.
Caroline:Oh, nice.
RMB:So, like, so, like, that was that was that was awesome. Like, I love I love Logan. Like, I absolutely love the dude to death. The first time we ever met was, at the CCS 8 k, and, like, Logan, myself, and Corey, bonded over trash tea and car snacks at, like, 1 o'clock in the morning.
Humble:So So there there is a there is a relevant story. It wasn't actual garbage tea.
Caroline:I was gonna say because I've heard something about trash tea.
RMB:It was trash tea.
Caroline:And I need to know. So Yeah. There's trash
Humble:So the day before I think it was was it Thursday? I think it was Friday.
RMB:It was it was the day of.
Caroline:It was that day.
Humble:So That day. Like, it
RMB:wasn't it wasn't
Humble:Friday Friday morning, Ryan and I rent a car, and we drive from from Tampa to Kendall's house because he lives in Atlanta. Then we stayed the weekend with Kendall. Well, I love road trips, and I the thing I like about road trips is I get to purchase a bunch of snacks that I subsequently then forget about and then find later. So when I when I tell you I bought donuts and beef jerky and candy, and, like, I just had all in this bag that I forgot in the trunk.
Caroline:In the trunk? Oh, god.
Humble:Yeah. Because, like, well, it was like a hatchback. It was it was an SUV. So I put I put it there. We're at at the event, and day I think it was day 2
RMB:Yeah. It was takes forever. Yeah. It took infinite.
Humble:Well, because
RMB:The reason it took so long is because Kendall was, like, in top 4. So, like, Corey, myself, and Kendall all drove to the event together. Like Yeah. Corey and I didn't make top cut. Kendall went all the way to top 4, and then they finally ended up, like, splitting top 4.
Humble:Yeah. Logan Logan top aided the main event.
RMB:A 1. Yeah.
Humble:Kendall top Ford, the secondary, like, 2 k.
RMB:The 2 k.
Humble:The the event was infinite time. So it was, like, 9:30, 10
RMB:k. Closed. Yeah. Everything's closed. Were closed.
Humble:We were starving.
Caroline:In Atlanta?
Humble:Yes.
RMB:At at CCS at the 10 k. So, like, they had a shop that was, like, in the venue, and, like, I must have bought 15 bottles of water that day. Like, no joke. Bought, like, 15 bottles of water, but, like, it's, like, midnight 30, 1 o'clock in the morning. The shop's been closed for hours.
RMB:We have no food.
Humble:I haven't had anything to drink, and I'm just like We're sitting there. Like, we're we're we wanna cheer on Kendall because he's doing really well. He's going he's, like, top 8's about to start. It's not it's not even the fact that he's already in top 8 and going to top 4. It's top 8's about to start.
Humble:It's, like, 11 o'clock, and we're dying. And then I remember I have car snacks. So as Logan, Ryan, and myself begin to beeline out of the event hall to to the car that we rented, there was also subsequently a child's Disney tea party that had happened the same day that Charlie and the people at CCS kinda threw, as, like, another, like, outreach community outreach kinda thing. And they Which
RMB:is awesome, by the way.
Humble:Yeah. Which is really cool. I'm really upset that I, like, was playing and didn't get to interact.
Caroline:Didn't get to go?
Humble:It was it was so cool. But they had a half gallon of sweet tea sitting by the trash can. And Ryan goes, is that tea? And I go, it's trash tea. He goes, it doesn't matter.
Humble:Is it is it tea? It doesn't matter. Yes. Oh. He runs over.
Humble:He picks it up. He opens it. And in front of Charlie and everybody, he just goes, Mhmm. That's good tea. And he puts the cap on it, and we head and we keep heading to the car.
Humble:So at Incredible. At, like,
Caroline:a be delirious by that point.
RMB:So we were we were 100%.
Humble:Arguably, we were so hungry that we were contemplating just leaving Kendall. Well, he lives here. Someone loves him enough to come get him. So it's it's, like, 11:30, 12 o'clock at night. It's just me, Logan, and Ryan standing out by, this rented car.
Humble:It was like a Jeep with the the the hatch popped, drinking trash tea, and eating car snacks, and that's how we bonded. And that was absolutely
RMB:We had 3 we had 3 things. We had a we had a bag of, like, the little chocolate donuts.
Humble:Oh, they were so good too.
RMB:Bag a bag of harvest cheddar sun chips and the trash tea. And, like, we were, like, passing these 3 around in a circle. Like It got to the point cup of donuts. Like
Humble:It got to the point that Ryan and I stopped passing them and just started feeding each other because we were here.
Sarah:You go. Yeah. That's how you bond. Like, then there's less steps fed sooner. Yeah.
Caroline:Yeah. Like
Humble:like, I I don't know, Ryan, if you can remember the light that sparked in my eyes when I remembered I had food. Because I was so happy.
Sarah:I was, like, more concerned
RMB:about what we were gonna drink because I had been out of water for, like, hours at this point. I can't go without water. So Girl, same, though. Like, I anywhere I go, like, I've I've got waters on deck, And, like, I was out.
Humble:So the funniest part about all this is I don't drink tea. Like, I don't like tea. So we get to the car, and I open
Caroline:didn't care?
Humble:No. So we I opened my car snack bag, and there's just a full bottle of the zombie water. And Ryan goes to, like, grab for it, and I I use my foot and push him aside and say, uh-uh, you have trash tea.
Sarah:You have trash tea.
RMB:A trash tea. It was it was sitting different. Down.
Humble:Yeah. I know
Sarah:that. Literally. Literally.
Humble:I'm not gonna lie. That was probably one of the top top ten moments that I've ever had
Sarah:playing and playing
Caroline:a card game.
Sarah:So And,
Caroline:cute cute labyrinth goes, go strong. The bottom is Yeah.
RMB:We're we're we're we're definitely we're definitely family. So, like, the whole point of this entire story was, like, you were asking, like, how was it getting to connect with, like, your your teammates? Like, because we don't all live together, like, these DLC events and or, like, any any big competitive event where there's, you know, like, monetary pricing or, like,
Humble:any type of
RMB:pricing or anything like that that we that we go to is I like, I'm that much more excited about it because we get to hang out with with our team, which, like, we're all just really good friends. Like, at the end of the day, like, we're we are just all good friends. So, like, getting to see each other and hang out with each other and create more trashy moments is like Yeah. Like, if I'm me a fury
Humble:If anyone is in the labyrinth TCG discord, you have probably saw pictures from that weekend of that wonder took candidly of Ryan, Logan, and I cuddling in a bed, listening to Logan's guitar covers. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, the only way we all fit on the bed is if, like, we canoodled. So
RMB:Right. Right, Corey. That's why we were canoodling. Stop. Corey's the one that initiated the canoodling.
RMB:Yeah. Well, I mean
Caroline:I mean, but here's here's the thing. Right? It's like, Lurkana specifically feels like such a great community because guys like y'all have stories like this with the nontoxic masculinity with Right. The friendliness to the whole community with the approachability of, like, people coming up to y'all and talking about, you know, how much they've loved your content or how much they've enjoyed following your competitive journeys. Like, that's part of the reason that I think the Locana community is so fantastic is because, like, even the high level players have that level of, like, I'm just a regular guy.
Caroline:You guys don't, you know, have your heads up your bets.
Humble:Yeah. We're not even that.
RMB:We've both we've we've both been in toxic communities before. And, like, I refuse to let, like, I refuse to just be a part of another toxic community is what it boils down to. Like, I just want I'm I'm too old. I'm I don't know. I don't have I don't have time for toxicity.
RMB:Like, I need more positivity in my life. Like I said, before
Humble:all the things you could be, like, don't be mean. Like, why would you choose to be mean? Like, because there there there was a couple things and, like, I was talking, you know, to Ashtown, sir Ashtown about this not too long ago. And there was an incident, and, like, I don't wanna, like, breathe too much into it. That there is an incident at DLC Fort Worth where, there was a disqualification that happened.
Humble:And, like, the things surrounding the disqualification was essentially just a person who has been in a TCG community for a longer time was taking advantage and not, like, manipulating the rule set to a person who is newer to the community. And, like, I wanna just be the first one to, like, kinda put it out there publicly that if you are newer to the TCG space, if you don't understand how something works and you're too afraid to, like, find someone and you see one of us or any one of us in a jersey, like, reach out. Because I I that that kind of type of behavior is unacceptable. And if you're not gonna intervene, we'll intervene.
RMB:I I will too. I'll advocate on your behalf.
Humble:Correct. Like, I'll I'll find the judge. I'll I will find the head judge. Like, it's it's not something that I'm willing to tolerate that if I if I was around when that happened, then there might have been 2 disqualifications that we could but, like, I just don't want like, I've had my wife, you know, play other TCGs with me and fall out of love with the game, not have fun, and then subsequently stop going to locals and events with me because of a community. And if I if I can just stop that,
RMB:then Yeah.
Humble:I want to try my best to stop that. Because, like, it needs to be inclusive. Like, I can almost guarantee the person that was involved on the other side of that that didn't have that TCG experience likely won't play a big event again, and that is not okay.
Sarah:To touch on that point, knowing what other TCGs are like, coming from other TCGs. I it took me from the inception of Workana, which was last August. Right? And then we had leagues in September, and I was looking for a place to actually go to a league. And it wasn't until January that I actually, like, got the nerves to actually, like, go in and sit down and play a match.
Sarah:I would go I would go to the parking lot and then leave, like, have a panic attack and just leave because I was just afraid of whatever I was gonna come across. And then someone was just gonna be like, you blonde Disney idiot. Like, you don't belong here. And so I just didn't wanna face that. So, like, it took a lot to, like, get brave enough to just be like, I hope this goes well.
Sarah:And then it has. It's been obviously fantastic, and the community has been great. But, like, that apprehension is there because, like, you just face so much, like, BS. And there is still BS that still happens, you know, but there is way more to waste.
RMB:Scale of other no.
Humble:It's not it's not on
RMB:the scale. Like
Sarah:Yeah. There's so many voices of people sticking up and pushing those bullies out. You know?
Humble:It's not as toxic as the UU community can be. It's not as gatekeepy and elitist as the match of the gathering community could be. And it's not as just, like, kinda out there as the Pokemon community could be because, like, I mean, obviously, there's gonna be there we're every TCG community is gonna have its, like, elitist or its gatekeepers. But there's significantly less in this game than there has been other games. Like like, even, like, if you walk into a game store and you see either myself or Ryan, we we look imposing.
Humble:We're we're we're large, larger gentlemen. Like, we look imposing. We look, yeah. But You're
Sarah:the ham, my villain shirt?
Humble:But that but then you walk by, and we're just like, I'd like to see Let It Go, please. And, like, it's it all it goes away because, like, we're just we're just playing Disney cards, man. Like, it's it's fun. We wanna enjoy ourselves. We don't even play, meta decks at locals anymore.
Humble:Like, we wanna enjoy our experience. Like, if I wanna be the guy that's gonna take it down with, like, red silver dwarves or something, like or ruby steel dwarves.
Sarah:I'm very excited for steel dwarves. Yeah. So So
Caroline:On that topic, set 5. What do you guys think about brewing up for Vegas?
Sarah:Matt, tell us. Bald before practicing?
Caroline:Bald before beauty, he says.
RMB:Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the time is now. No. It's not. Have you ever wanted to put your opponent in a position where they have to draw a card and have none left?
Caroline:Is it Is it melt time?
Sarah:Is it melt time?
RMB:I've I've okay. So, like, I really genuinely do think that it's mealtime. And I think it's I think it's mealtime for, like, we we got a ton, a ton, a ton of tools for Emerald Steel Milda set that I'm, like, so incredibly excited for. Obviously, like, coming from magic, hypnotic deduction is just brainstorm from Magic, which is a fantastic card.
Humble:I wanna play the cards so bad.
RMB:Same. So, like, the one thing that, like, I always wanted out of, Mill in the past was a a way to put cards from my hand back into the deck, like redundant copies of Lady Tremaine or Do It Again or even A Whole New World because, like, I just don't wanna have them in my hand. Especially when
Caroline:I'm about to play Whole New World and discard them.
RMB:Right. Exactly. Like, the ability to, like if you like, let me just paint a picture. Say you have 2 whole new worlds in your hand, and, like, let's say you already have a singer established, being able to play hypnotic deduction. Yes.
RMB:You draw 3 cards. We get to put 2 cards back. You put that whole new world back. You sing with your singer, your first whole new world. And guess what?
RMB:You're drawing into the second one. So, like, you're enabling the plan of stringing together multiple new worlds to essentially, like, create conditions for your opponent to have no cards in their deck. And like, let's let's take it a step further. You're welcome. Like, oh my god.
RMB:I'm so happy for that card. Like, I I I love it. So it's it's doing the same thing that beaking a disputed is to lady Tremaine. You're welcome is to Yzma.
Humble:So
RMB:it's it's it's Yzma's, cast ability, but on a 4 cost inkable song. So number 1, it's a piece of removal for an item, a location, or a character. That's that's that's pretty good. That's pretty versatile. Right?
RMB:Yeah. It's its owner draws 2 cards. So, like, in a pinch, you can use it on one of your own characters to, like, continue the card generation if you, like, need to draw a few more cards. You can also just, like, do it on one of your opponent's big threats right before you're about to wheel because, like, I don't care that you're drawing 2 more cards. In fact, I want you to draw more cards because the whole point of my win condition is to make you draw Get rid of your cards.
RMB:Yeah. You you go draw all of the cards. So, like, I'm super like, those are the 2, non characters that I'm super excited about. And then mother Gothel. Oh.
RMB:The new mother Gothel, both the 2 drop mother Gothel. Yeah. That so the 6 drop, beautiful artwork. Love that card. Mhmm.
RMB:The 2 drop, I think I I think I'm more, like, excited about the 2 drop because, it's introducing a sort of game mechanic that is very popular in magic called kicker, where, like, kicker is, like, okay. You can play this card for 2, and it's, you know, this it's this it's this body. It's this dude. But when you play it, you can pay an additional 3, and it gets this additional ability. So that is an ink sync, which I really, really like, which makes a card scale into the game very, very well.
RMB:Agree. So, like, the new 2 drop Gothel, while it's just a 2 drop 1, 3, that's a great shift target for the big Gothel, which is, like, it's gonna be able to sing our whole new worlds. As you scale into the late game, this 2 drop just becomes a mother knows best on a stick. Let's take it a step further. We have the muses.
RMB:We have the muses. That mother Gothel on a stick really is on a stick because it's a 13, so I could bounce it back with the muses and just, like, keep you off of stuff in play every single turn. Like, I'm so excited for this deck. We have
Humble:no idea. So, Ryan, let me ask you this question. How does it feel to get new tools for a deck that you love?
RMB:I well, like, the deck was never, like, good.
Humble:Yeah. Like,
RMB:now is the first time it might actually, like, have a chance.
Humble:Right. Mufasa is lacking, my man. Like, so out of all the the spicy amber and ruby cards that we got, none of them go into Mufasa. There's an argument I
Caroline:have some friends who would disagree with you.
Humble:So there's an argument for Daisy Duck, and, like, Daisy Duck is probably the most generic card that we get that facilitates the same game plan that we already had. Like like I said prior, like, I was on 3 copies of Leeloo and 4 copies of Mulan. That's my one drop package to facilitate my piglet. Daisy Duck is just a strict upgrade to Lilo. It's just better Lilo.
Humble:In every in every way, shape, or form, it's just better Lilo. Right? So we get that. But as far as, like, the more powerful ends of, like, for example, scar, the 5 cost, like, kill a Mufasa when you play it. Scar.
Humble:Hey. It's 5. It's this many, Ryan. Is it that many? Yeah.
RMB:If it I can't get involved.
Humble:I mean, a bunch of them in the deck. There are some implication where you can kill your own. Like, you can, like, banish your own Mufasa and, like, and trigger its effect, but those instances are very few and far between. There's also talk of, like, the shift mini mouse being being a savior for the deck, and I I wholeheartedly disagree. If the card didn't have the shift requirement, then, like, I would feel very good about putting 4 of those in my deck.
Humble:But because it is forced to shift and Mufasa historically is just not the best shift target deck. Like, we don't wanna be shifting our cards. We wanna be expanding our board state to able to quest for more. Right? So turns 1 through 4, we're not we we're not playing like steel song where they can go queen, shift, queen, do stuff.
Humble:We have to go 1 drop, 2 drop, 3 drop. And then on turn, like, if our 3 drop is Gaston on turn 4, we can do 1 big thing or 2 kind of small things. And that that's kinda how that deck plays, because we are a very fair deck. Right? So, like, historically, we're doing typically one thing a turn for the most part.
Humble:And if we get offset in tempo, then, like, that's where the deck starts to fall apart. The problem with Minnie Mouse is because you have to shift it in order to stack the top card and then get your Mufasa trigger. Like, your opponent doesn't have to turn their card, like, turn their character sideways in order for your your Mufasa to appropriately challenge to get as much value out of the Minnie Mouse as you want. It's also, like, you have to play baby Minnie Mouse's, which aren't great. Right?
Humble:They're either just not very good bodies on their own or the one that is a good body and, like, the 1 3 that has a base of the server mini, it just is banished by too many things. There's too many things kinda gatekeeping that card right now. At the end of the day, like, I'd rather just have card soldiers because it's still just it's a 5 5 that quest for 2 rather than a 44 that quest for 2. Is there upside that playing the Minnie Mouse has inter introduces cool lines? There are, but you can't look at it as Minnie Mouse is a 4 card slot because at the end of the day, Minnie Mouse is a is, like, not just a 4 card slot.
Humble:It's at minimum a 6 card slot or an 8 card slot because you need something to shift from it. So, like and then, like, you look at, like, Prince Naveen, and it's like, I'm not playing non characters. And you look at revive, and you're like, oh, that's really cool. I can get back my Mufasa. But then I'm again playing non characters.
Humble:So
RMB:It's and it's also it's it's also unequal. So you just, like, play Hades instead. It's still a character that affect Correct. Well, it, like, it doesn't do the exact same things. Like, you're not you're not necessarily, like, cheating the ink cost because you're putting it in Revive puts it in play.
RMB:Right?
Humble:Yeah.
RMB:Yeah. So, like, you're not cheating the ink cost for, like, bringing it back.
Humble:Yeah. Which It's it Which I was really excited to see that card too because, like, when I played Magic, I played, like, in legacy formats, like, legacy and modern. I played a lot of Dredge. I love milling myself, which is why, like, when I looked at Robinhood, I was like, oh, there is something here. I like this card.
Humble:And then when I saw a revival, I was like, oh, there's definitely something here. I definitely like this card. And then I looked at all of the 5 drops that were in red and yellow. I said, never mind. There's not a lot here.
Humble:Especially because, like, so we got in in red, we got we got the or Ruby, we got the Pete that is the 7 cost that when it when you play it, if you control another Pete, you get to ban or something. It's just dragon fire, and that's really awesome. That's something that I wanna explore. The problem is all the other Pete's that are in red or yellow aren't very good. Like, they they don't they either don't quest for 2, they're uninkable, or they're higher on the curve where you don't wanna have to commit so many slots in order to make one card good.
Humble:Like, making one conditional card good with other conditional cards is not a recipe for success.
Sarah:Too conditional. Yes.
Caroline:So what I'm hearing is you're not playing Mufasa in Vegas. You've learned your lesson from Fort Worth.
Humble:I I didn't. Oh, god. I didn't. So
Sarah:I didn't. Here's Well, no.
Humble:Here's the thing. Here. We're we're anticipating that a lot of people are gonna switch over to these aggressive daisy strategies because it's the first time that Lurkana's had a dedicated aggressive deck. Right? Like, you can go back to set 1 where you had, like, the lemon lime magra where they were just in time in Kuzco's on turn 3 and, like Yep.
Humble:That's fine.
Sarah:Bastard.
Humble:I played it a lot. I was beating red purple players in 90 seconds, but, like, outside of exactly set 1, there wasn't any actual aggressive deck. And the the cool thing about Daisy Duck is if we're playing Mufasa, we lack consistent non conditional draw power. Daisy duck on the opposing side gives us draw power because we are all characters. That tar card is never going to miss.
Humble:So every time you quest, I get to draw 1. So pairing pairing the deck with, now this is actually kinda counter counterintuitive to what I said before, but pairing the deck with Mulan shift target and the Aladdin shift target essentially means that all the lure that you gain with your daisy duck, I get to undo. Right? I can shift my my set one Aladdin, my outlaw Aladdin, challenge your daisy duck whenever I want to, and then reverse that lore game that you got. Or I can shift my Sisu and blow up your whole board, or I can shift my Mulan and shoot 3 of your guys.
Humble:So I'm anticipating that the Mufasa deck is not going to go away. I don't I can't say for certain that I'm gonna play it in Vegas because I am leaning towards a more playable a more meta deck. Because, like, if if you look at my run, like, I played Mufasa in Atlanta and missed day day 2. In Chicago, I played red blue in top 64. And then in Texas, I played Mufasa and also missed day 2.
Humble:So so my my track record with the king is not very good. So I might I might have to deviate from the lions until at least until I get my Continental's invite, and then I can go back to
Sarah:the line.
RMB:I'm trying to convert him into a steel player, y'all.
Sarah:Stop. He's allergic to steel
Caroline:force. Said he's allergic to steel.
Sarah:I am. I'm doing it, but I'm so excited. I can fix him.
RMB:I can fix him.
Humble:He might. So, like, the
Sarah:Which, you know, steel I can't see why you would say that, but, hey.
Humble:So I I I was messing around with the, the steel song deck. Like, you know, we we got to use some tabletop simulator and and run a few games of, against, Bannable. And the only deck that was able to just consistently, like, agro was a non issue was in fact, steal song because you have just so many ways to deal with the board. I managed to get Mufasa in a in a position where I could, like, easily beat the deck, but also, like, you have to make so many concessions to whatever piece of part of the meta you wanna play against that like, if you dedicate so much into beating, for example, agro, you're gonna lose percentage points against, like, red blue or ruby amethyst and ruby sapphire. If you put so much percent so many percentage points into defeating ruby ruby sapphire or ruby amethyst, then you're gonna lose percentage points against other decks of the meta.
Humble:So, like, Mufasa is this really cool deck that can do that can beat any deck if you give it if you, like, dedicate enough spaces. The issue is having the spaces to dedicate where you don't create this deficit of in your matchup spread, which is, like, kinda what I was doing in in in Texas. Like, I had I took my bad matchup against green steel from, like, you know, a 20% to 50%, but it also took my other matchups from 80% to 6 to, like, 70%. So, like, you you kinda gotta take those take those lumps where you where you want, and it's it's unfortunate.
Caroline:Alright. Last question before we close out here. Toronto's gonna be kind of a weird rogue meta set for, but bucculless. You have some teammates going. We talked a little bit with them.
Caroline:If there is a rogue deck in Toronto that does well, what would you expect it to be? Amber Amethyst hyperaggro
RMB:just without Daisy. Like, on our no. It's it's not going to. Like, with the uprise of Steel song and set 4, like, I think that Steel song is gonna be even more represented in in Toronto. So, like, you you're not gonna you're not gonna do well.
RMB:I think so one of the things that we've seen dwindle significantly over the course of, like, the last 2 to 3 DLCs is Sapphire Ruby. It's not showing up in the numbers that I would expect it to show up in. But, like, I actually think that, like, Ruby Sapphire is gonna be incredibly well positioned because I think a large percentage of the competitive, meta is going to be Steel song. And I think that Ruby Sapphire is that's like a buy for them. It's like Mhmm.
RMB:Almost just just and I'm just going based on our casting. Obviously, like, we have we have we have Sailor. Okay. So, like, he is the he is the he is Ruby Sapphire. Of course, it's through his veins.
RMB:So, like, maybe I'm a little bit biased, but, like, the games with with Steel song versus Sailor do not feel good.
Humble:No. They don't.
RMB:At all from the Amber Steel side. So unironically Not even
Humble:would a bucket list oh, I'm sorry. Continue.
RMB:No. That's the
Caroline:like, I that's Ruby's Ruby's Sapphire is not a rogue deck. No. No. No. No.
Caroline:Do you like, what what what
RMB:do you consider, like, rogue? Like, what's what
Humble:Not not one of the
Caroline:big ones. The big 4.
Sarah:Wow.
Caroline:That was that was Logan's pick.
Sarah:That would be Ro for sure.
RMB:It's a it's a good deck. Do not get me wrong. It's a good deck. It does very well in a metal without Bucky. That mirror matchup is going to be abysmal.
RMB:So, like, I personally would not play it because, like, I don't wanna I don't wanna play that mirror match. Like, it is like, you thought, like, Cogsworth clogged boards was bad. Imagine when your opponent just gets to, like, under the sea of your board and it's a one-sided view. Like, they actually just get to cast Raigeki on you, and you're just like, oh, ah, cool. I can't cast any of these big songs because, like, I got no singers, and then you
Humble:just lose. So my pick would be obviously, without Bucky in the meta. You you get to kinda roll the dice. Right? So if you're willing to jump do your mental gymnastics to convince yourself that you're not gonna run into bad matchups, then the deck is is wonderful.
Humble:Because it it has a great matchup against Ruby Sapphire. It has a good matchup against Ruby Amethyst. It it like, the sapphire steel deck is completely free for Mufasa. The only deck that you're gonna struggle with is is yellow green or sorry, is emerald amber songs because of the ability to under the CU, and it'd be a one-sided be prepared. Like, you Mufasa itself cannot come back from that.
Humble:Like, we don't have a lot of comeback mechanics. Mufasa is our comeback mechanic. So if you get around that, then we just sit there like, yes. This I'm having a wonderful time. If you can anticipate that the rise of Steel song and the rise of, Ruby Sapphire are going to kind of push the amber emerald decks out of favor because these other two decks that naturally prey on it are just more played, then Mufasa is a wonderful pick.
Humble:Because in, like, when that when Bucky's nerf was announced, I was upset that I did not go through the through the the hassle of getting a passport and getting on the wait list. Because if if Mufasa is gonna win an event, it's gonna be this one. But then Mhmm. But I'm playing against, like, the green song deck. It is far and away way more impressive than Bucky ever was for Mufasa specifically.
Humble:Like, Bucky was at least, like, a 45, 50, like, 55 matchup. Greensong feels 0, like, almost 0. Like, it like I sit down and if you ink, an Amber or, Emerald card, I'm going to concede because like, I, I cannot win. The only saving grace is that deck is infinitely harder to pilot than Bucky ever was. So you you might be able to get some percentage points out there, like, assuming that your opponent doesn't have the time in and does indeed misplay or doesn't see the lines.
Humble:The the deck because the deck is not simple by any means. Like, the deck is not easy.
RMB:I've played a ton of it. It's it's it's it's harder than Zoolander wheel.
Humble:Yeah. Let's Let's
RMB:put it that way.
Humble:Watching him play it. You're like, oh, this I can play this. This deck is easy. And then you pick it up, and you're looking at your cards. You're like, I don't know.
Humble:Oh, there's they do something. I just don't know how they do it. So, like, the deck is really hard and, like, it would I would not be surprised if that deck was in multiple copies in the top 8, but I also wouldn't be surprised if people decided to not play it because it's hard and go back to their old faithfuls and
Sarah:Like what you're used to. Yeah.
Humble:Yeah. The the faithful get rewarded and Mufasa breaks in and just gets to free roll a day 2.
RMB:I think I think Mufasa is a good call. I would tell you this. If I were going to Toronto, I would not be playing sapphire seal, peer period. Like, don't care what anyone said I would not be playing it. I think it is this will be the meta that it is the worst position it has ever been in the history of the work on a for for a couple of different reasons.
RMB:Number 1, the rise of Steelsong with big willpower is abysmal for the deck. Like, it's so difficult to deal with 1 fours and 1 sixes and 1 fives. Like, you're gonna you're just gonna have a bad laugh. Like, you're gonna be behind on board the entire time.
Humble:Tell tell them about when I flip the cobra bubbles off my mufasa on you. No.
RMB:Thank you. No. Thank you. That card doesn't exist. It can't hurt me.
RMB:Also, the the amber emerald deck is like by far the absolute worst match up for Sapphire Steel. Like, it it is terrible. Like, you're just not you're you're not beating that deck. Any deck that has that, like, you have forgotten me, spare necessities, sudden chills, Ursula is like, you just do not get to do what your deck wants to do or what your deck is designed to do. The deck is significantly more oppressive at, like removing hand resources, which, like, Sapphire seal wants a lot of hand resources.
RMB:Like, you wanna, like, ink your first hand and go into the whole new world, but you, like, ink your first hand, go to own like, don't get the opportunity to hone new world because they're like, ah, let me take a look at that hand and see what you got in there. Yeah. Yeah. You just, like, don't you don't get to you don't get to enact your game plan. So I think that, like, my suggestion, my recommendation to the community, like, do not show up with Sapphire Steel.
RMB:You're gonna have a bad time. If you French fry when you're supposed to pizza, you're gonna have a bad time. Correct.
Humble:Yeah. My recommendation to the people is follow your heart, play the lion, join the pride.
Sarah:You can go to the cards.
Humble:Yellow, green isn't real, amber emerald isn't real. Can't can't hurt you if it's not real. Just dodge, etcetera.
Caroline:Alright. Well, that is all the time we have for this evening, but thank you guys so much for being here.
Sarah:Thank you so much
Humble:for having us.
Caroline:Best of luck when you get to Vegas. Awesome.
Sarah:Thanks for being here this week. Hope you enjoyed TeamLab's meta report of what they expect to see for set 5, what we were expecting to see in Toronto, which was pretty much spot on. And, I'm excited to see what people continue to develop for, set 5 as we go deeper into the meta and look forward to Las Vegas Disney Lorcona Challenge event. And I am very excited for next week. We have Wunderland and Zenulus on to talk about the Lorconic community, some more and more team bonding that they did, and really excited to hear their take on the meta.
Sarah:So please tune in for that. And remember, if you can dream it, you can do it.