Tiny Voices: -44 to -4

“Injustice Gang just can’t handle the ‘NEW’ League of Assassins!”

Journey Into Madness: Part 2

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
”That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

I remember when I was younger, seeing the Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and really not paying much attention to it. Well that is of course until an image appeared on the screen that, unto today, I can still see vividly in my mind’s eye.

 

The Cheshire smile.

Uncomfortable. Unemotional. Intelligent. Mischievous. Madness.

When I see this smile; these are the things that spring to mind. These are the foundations to the creative force propelling the Asylum forward. These are the traits that I want the Rescue Team to face when they open the door to the Asylum and step inside.

So now, I have to build it. Build it I will.

With numerous hours of playing as and against the Galactus Raid Deck (I love it!), under my belt; I knew I didn’t want to stray to far from the wonderful engine that UDE created for Giant Sized Vs. It really is a great engine, runs smooth, and best of all, everyone knows it now. So armed with this, now came the daunting task of creating a Raid Deck using the Insanity Keyword…and making it a viable opponent for a “group” of players. But I had to face one more challenge. Attempt to not make a broken card that frustrated players to much, and then, pretend as if the card was a REAL card, and could be used by all players for a Vs. deck if wanted. Approach this in a manner as professional and realistic as possible. Most important…”FLAVOR!”

So I began, and the previews started on our forums.

Here’s what Jade Canary had to say when she previewed this card:

I have been patiently awaiting the first card in the Arkham Asylum raid deck and hoping the publisher would give me enough time to write this review. Tuesday night, after a long day of chasing after the kid, I sat at my computer and opened my in-box. And there…in all its glory, was: The Penguin!

Looking at the card quickly I see it is an unaffiliated 5 drop 5/10 and think it’s a little weak on attack. Diving into the text box I find the reason for the low attack “Insanity: While equipped, The Penguin gets +5 ATK”. Not having played an insanity deck before I think that could work. The first part of the text box is what really catches my attention and sends my mind racing. “Equipment you control and equipment cards you own in all zones have concealed optional.”

How many times have you had equipment in your hand you wished you could equip to a concealed character? How many times could you have won a game if only you could have equipped a concealed character? The answer for me is many times. How handy would this card be against decks that send your character to the hidden area? No more losing your equipment!

A basic example is a 5 drop JLA/JLI Martian Manhunter with an Nth Metal that does not go away when you move him to your hidden or visible area. The card combinations are numerous for decks like Checkmate, Gotham Knights, JLA/JLI and other decks that rely heavily on equipment. I like this card and would throw it in my equipment decks.

I can hear my husband yelling now “What about flavor?” along with many of you. When would The Penguin ever team up with JLA, JLI, or Checkmate? I only have one thing to say to that, “The multiverse exists” and with that, there are endless possibilities for flavor. The Jokester after all was a good guy on Earth 3 and Superman a ruthless dictator on Earth 30. The flavor of a deck can be found in many ways if we take the time to look at a characters history.

This card could be hinting at a toolbox raid deck. Anyone going up against it would be wise to think of ways to attack the hidden area and get rid of equipment. Decks that come to mind are Gotham Knights with Blood in the Dark and Teen Titans with 6 drop Superboy.

Looking at the card as a whole it is average with a very usable power. There are a few cards out there that can negate its power box but that will make it more fun to play and to play against. I cannot wait to see what else this deck has to offer and how The Penguin fits into it.

Not too shabby huh? I think she did pretty well straight outta the box and for the first time.

Now…here’s what I was thinking:

All in all I have never believed that the penguin has received his “just deserts” when it comes the VS. Up until DWF, the Penguin dealt mostly with the manipulation of locations and such. Now, knowing that the Penguin has largely flaunted himself as the “rich” philanthropic, gentleman of “crime”, I can see what those brains at UDE were trying to muster up. But I never really felt the “FLAVOR!”

Over the course of the last couple of years, The Penguin has been undergoing some changes. More recently, it seems that for every intents and purposes, The Penguin has turned his back on crime! Then again…we’ve seen this before. The Penguin represented here, showcases, more or less, The Penguin involved in the time period of War Games and events leading up to Infinite Crisis. At this time, he had moved from being a high level “Fence”, and took up the lucrative practice of Arms dealer. Primarily, he allows you to use, and most importantly “hide” those nifty little weapons that he helped you obtain.

“Helped me obtain?” you ask!

Oh, that’s right. You haven’t seen this card have you?

 

 

With The Penguin in play, the Inmates will have their fill of fun with guns on the run!

But…there is still just ONE thing missing! Doesn’t The Penguin himself like to use gadgets and guns? Ohhhh…you betcha!

<Tiny Voice> “Show them!”
“Nah!”
<Tiny Voice> “C’mon…show them!”
“Nah…it’s too much!”
<Tiny Voice> “Go on…show them anyway!”
“You think so?”
<Tiny Voice> “When have I ever been wrong…and what’s The Penguin without his favorite toy?”
“Good point!”

 

Tiny Voices!

“Start at the bottom and read up!”

 

Journey Into Madness: Part 1

First off, before we go any further, let me welcome you to “Journey Into Madness” my newest Category within my blog, and the title of my new fantasy created Arkham Asylum Raid Deck based on Giant Sized VS.

Journey Into Madness began a few months ago as an idea launched on our Hobby League forum. A simple poll, for about 10 members of the forums, was placed up asking what they would like to see as a Giant Size VS. Raid Deck. Arkham Asylum won hands down…and my dastardly mind set into motion.

But where to begin?

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my relationship to the VS System card game.

Before VS…I had never picked up a TCG/CCG in my life. I have done RPG’s, table top gaming, board games, strategy games, etc., yet I had never gotten into Magic, Pokemon, or anything related to such. For some reason, in all my gaming history…card games just passed my notice. I blame some of this on the time I spent in the Military…and some on what I now call the Dark Ages of gaming…the Playstation and X-Box. Gaming on a console with pretty pictures and a storyline laid before you needing no imagination caught me…and caught me good. Titles like Final Fantasy VII, Suikoden, and others, swept me aways to a place where gaming didn’t need thought, dice, or pens and paper…it hypnotized with catchy music and brilliant story lines.

Then one day…the power in my house went out.

I remember it vividly as I laid across my favorite gaming chair’s ottoman in complete and utter disappointment at a missed save point. Silently hashing out in my mind the rigors I faced to catch back up where the power loss left me. I rolled to my back and looked at the world upside down. It was the best perspective I have ever been given.

Looking at a world turned upside down, a coverless book looked back in my direction from the shelf across the way. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan.

For five minutes I stared at it. With the power not returning in that brief moment in time, I calmly rolled over on to my hands and knees and crawled over to the shelf to extract the treasure. Taking a pack of cigarettes out to the afternoon light and finding a seat on my condo’s outside stairs…I lit up a Red and flipped open the book.

The power came back on sometime that afternoon. I know that, because the automatic outdoor lamps illuminated my book as the moon rose in the distance.

So what does this have to do with VS?

Well…reading Robert Jordan’s book made me read the next…and the next…and, you get the drift. From there, I started thinking about fantasy worlds again. I dug out some old D&D books. I started writing short stories and ideas again. Then…then came the gaming.

My need for game books drove me back to a game store called Emerald City…a long forgotten treasure in my past. Days of Comics history assaulted me…I picked up the books I was looking for, a couple of Comic trade paperbacks, saw this cool little miniatures game…bought some of that too! Came back the next week..and the next…and the next…

It was here I was to meet a good friend and get a little play group together. The other games don’t matter…what does is this:
My good friend approached me one day and asked’ “Hey man! You told me you used to love comics when you were a kid!”
“Yeah.”, I replied.
“Well…you gotta try this card game.” he said.
“Nah…I don’t do card games man. Just never got into it.”
“Be that as it may…you may like this one. I have this Spider-Man starter and some cards from Marvels first set. They have Batman too. I hear they plan to release a DC set in a week or two.”
“Batman?” I asked.

The rest was history. Almost four years worth.

VS has had it’s up and downs, but every Thursday night…I’ve been right there with them. It may have helped some when I found this place called VSRealms. It was really small back then…jsut a couple of people posting, me lurking. Then I went to my first PCQ and came in second in sealed. Man of Steel was awesome to draft! Thursdays came and thursdays went…people floated in, and people floated out…and then, I met this strange looking fellow named Sterling. We were putting together a team of players to go to PCQ’s with. Sterling and I shared a common love of building decks with “FLAVOR”…comicbook flavor. It didn’t do me very well in Constructed tournaments, though I know I could have done better if I was willing to mix up the cards. But those Pro’s are gone…and Sterling and I still run our Thursday night Hobby Leagues at Emerald City.

That’s where all of this is headed you see! My beloved Hobby League, VS, and “FLAVOR”!!!

Look…we’re back to the ARKHAM ASYLUM RAID DECK!!!

I had an idea for a Raid Deck. Oh man, it was Arkham, and the newest thing was Insanity…beautiful Insanity. But the Raid Deck couldn’t just be a bunch of rehashed characters with a power up. NO. This was Arkham Asylum. I had to have “FLAVOR”!

Research…research…research. The Long Halloween. Hush. Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, The Killing Joke, War Games…”FLAVOR”!

Batman and Superman have been my heroes since I was a kid…Hell, I have there symbol tattooed on my right arm! I grew up knowing about Arkham Asylum…but NOW…it was time to KNOW Arkham Asylum.

Research…research…research! Eureka!

Arkham Asylum…

…is…

…alive!

In more ways than one brother! And that’s where I want to take my Hobby League!

A trip through the Asylum…a place where there is no reason…a lot of rhyme…and aa place where sometimes, the only real way to look at the world…is upside down when all hope is lost, and life just doesn’t seem fair.

In the Asylum…”We’re all mad here!”

Some of you may have seen some of the cards already. Over on our Hobby League forums. If you haven’t, go check em’ out. My best friend Sterling has a blog called “Bending Steel” that he launched previewing two of the cards…go check him out. You can find all of these places “Beyond the Asylum Walls”.

But here….in my own little cubby hole…is where you will find the method behind my madness. The hows and whys, the ifs and buts, the ins and outs. Next week…I’ll try to catch you up to where we are…how long until launch, and what it all means. I’ll dissect my cards. I’ll give you their “FLAVOR” so that you know, when you play against the Asylum, the Asylum is playing with YOU.

For a brief few moments…I promise to open up my mind, so you can join me for a “Journey Into Madness”.

The Madness Spreads!

With Hello World…I introduced myself into the world of blogging. A simple introduction, a few typed words about myself, and here I am. So. What do I do now? What do I talk about?

Well…for starters I guess, a little overview of what’s gonna be around here is in order. A little tour for all the wee lads and lasses maybe! (I wonder if any lasses read this kind of stuff?)

Well…you see over there –>
You’ll see a bunch of random categories and stuff, so lets start with that.

Beyond the Asylum Walls will take you away from my wonderful little cubby hole here. Bending Steel, Full. Body. Transplant. and some other nice little distractions that I visit on a regular basis can be found under this little header.

Recent Posts is just a list of my most recent BLAH BLAH BLAH…but I think that is self explanatory don’t you?

Categories…oh, now here’s the fun stuff. Here you’ll find my general day to day ramblings under… … … Huh! Go figure…General Ramblings. Most of this stuff will be about the Vs. System card game and the interactions I have with it. Click on Journey Into Madness and come and see the fantasy cards I am currently working on for the Arkham Asylum Raid Deck. You may get a little insight into what I was thinking while creating each card I put up for viewing. Tiny Voices is the scariest place of all. This is where I will blog about what the voices tell me to! I’m not to be held responsible for any of these…so don’t shake your head, and don’t you dare point that finger! It’s not me…it’s…the…tiny…voices! Other Stuff is an umbrella. I don’t know what else to put in there yet…but if it’s not in one of the others, it’ll be here. Well…until I can scatter my mind a bit more and make room for it.

Pages…I’ll have to get back to you on that one. (What the hell is it for anyways? Stuff about me maybe? Screw it!)

Meta…is…well…MINE! Keep your filthy paws off of it!

So that’s pretty much it I think. At least for right now. So…from ALL of ME…to all of you…goodnight!

Hello world!

Hello there…I’m Marc. But, ever since I broke the technological embryonic sack and stepped into the world wide web, I’ve gone by the cunning and mysterious name, (queue mysterious music) Arkham Night. So, you can call me Arkham…or Marc…or Moose. You can call me Poppi too if you want, but I had best know you REALLY well!

So anyways…I’m married and have some kids. I live in Florida and I’ve got a pretty decent job. I’ve got some good friends, couple of interesting hobbies, and NOW, most important, I have a Blog!

So I mentioned some hobbies up there. One of which is Vs. System Card Game. I’ve been playing it about four years now and I really enjoy it. Little strategy, little number crunching, dash of technique and subtle bluffing…ooh, I know…think of having a night of meaningless sex with someone, but you’re both faking it! Then, just about the time you climax…you start sucking a Slurpee through a straw as fast as you can and get brainfreeze! That’s the Vs. System Card Game experience! Well…then again, it could just be a couple of dorks sitting around playing cards with pictures of comic book characters on them too. That may be a better decription.

Um…my other hobbies include football, boxing, reading books, RPG’s (whenever I have the time), fishing with my son, watching my kids play, college, hanging out with my wife, and probably some other stuff that I’ll remember later but be too lazy to come back and edit in.

So, that’s about all you’re gonna pry out of me here. Hope you enjoy my blog…and visit anytime. It’ll be mostly about Vs. System stuff, but I think I’ll throw in some of life’s little pleasures here and there along the way.

See you around.

WAIT….I like all types of music too! Oh…and seeing and exploring new places! I like dogs and motorcycles…but I don’t own either..YET!

Okay…see you around.