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Personal ranking of every CoTM 2 subweapon and character

2024.05.12 05:53 Throwawaygarbageboi Personal ranking of every CoTM 2 subweapon and character

Preamble:

I ranked subjects on universal usability, so if they have a very important role in one mode or gameplay style but are borderline unusable in the rest, they can still have a decent ranking. This is all my opinion, and I'd like to hear yours since there are several things on this list that I'm contentious on, and despite having completed this game I still have a decent bit to learn.

Ranking:

D Tier

Dagger - Infinite range is no longer unique to Miriam and Soul Vision was mega buffed, eliminating the competition.
Hand Grenade - Has almost zero use cases. Just barely edges out Dagger in terms of WP/dmg efficiency but gets swamped by everything else. Too expensive to be a regular weapon and too weak to be a DPS powerhouse.

C Tier

Partisan - Easily the best coverage of any upwards style sub, but otherwise very underwhelming. Hitting with one partisan does less than 1 damage per WP, and hitting with both does less than 2. It's best unique use is blocking Gremory's orbs in a solo run due to it's infinite pierce, but Drake Cannon can do that, too. Otherwise, it can come in clutch for hitting important targets high up, but almost every other character has a subweapon that does the same thing but cheaper, faster, and stronger.

C+ Tier

Impact Lance - Has only a few use cases throughout the entire game, but is very good when those use cases occur. One is to skip the vertical platforming sections in level 8 during the locusts swarms on episode 1 and solo runs. Another few are the final bosses in episodes 1/solo, and the final episode. She can use it during both fights to get above the bosses final phases and pogo on them for a long time. The flaws include it's bad hitbox, slow speed, and liability against the bosses as both have attacks that will knock her off them and deal major damage. The shortcuts it can take are nice but are far from exclusive to Dominique (Robert can canon-jump, Alfred can create platforms from frozen entities, and Gebel can fly)
Ball and Chain - This is where weapons start to get genuinely good. The larger screens in the game mean the formerly good-enough range on this weapon doesn't quite cut it anymore, and while it has good raw power and decent efficiency, it's pretty slow and precise for what it does. The real crux of this weapon is the fact it takes up space for other sub weapons for Zangetsu, who (unlike other characters) has other sub weapons that are so good they completely outclass this one even considering it's unique function. Also it's completely worthless on Ultimate Zangetsu unlike his other subs.
Rising Wind - This weapon is incredibly strange to rank. It's not bad by any means - fundamentally it's actually pretty amazing. It's efficient, cheap, powerful, and has almost screen wide range. However, being somewhat slow, inaccurate, and lacking coverage aren't it's biggest problem's (although they are considerable) - it's competition. It is HARD outclassed by other options on Dominique - not just other sub weapons, but her regular attacks. Someone like Zangetsu or Alfred would potentially give up one of their existing subs for that, but Dominique has anti-air combat baked into her character due to her upward stabs. It's not a spot Dominique can afford to waste, either due to her other amazing subs.
Electro Crawler - Completely annihilates the ending of stage 6 (one of the hardest parts of the game if left uncountered) and chunks bosses above her, but like impact lance is a little too situational and outclassed by her default kit. Is incredible for a solo run, but ranges from great to useless everywhere else.
Sickle - Unlike Daggers, this is a piercing weapon with half-decent power, especially on multi-hit. Its pseudo-infinite range blends well with its piece as it can cut through projectiles like archer barrages and ninja shurikens, allowing Miriam to either camp back and keep throwing or kite the projectiles to finish the enemy off herself. Its main issue is raw efficiency and consistency - If it only hits once (which isn't uncommon due to the necessity to use it defensively from fullscreen as it's too slow to use up close) it's incredibly inefficient with its WP/dmg ratio, especially if you can't catch it on return. That, combined with its overall middling power and lack of any solo shortcut usage keeps it from being any higher.
Explosive Chain - It's a small boost to Ball and Chain, but it makes a world of difference. It's efficiency is definitely higher up on the list of weapons but again it's outclassed not just by other options but the possibility of Ultimate Zangetsu's charge slash (or even the ever-presence of helm splitter in Soul Eraser and Daizangetsuto runs). The extra range allows it to hit enemies it couldn't before (both with and without jumping) but it still retains the slowness. Like Dominique, it's also a sub-slot on a character that absolutely can not afford to waste it.
Soul Vision - The arguable best sub weapon for Solo Alfred runs - completely useless everywhere else. It increases range, it's safe on usage, it increases DPS, enemies will target it instead of Alfred, it can collect multiple power ups (which are absolutely essential for solo Alfred runs), and it makes you use your normal attack which regenerates WP, making it essentially free. It absolutely carries Alfred solo runs - but that alone doesn't warrant a higher placement.

B Tier

Healing Fruit - Inefficient for what it is, but what it is (is) incredible. It's best used for focusing on a single, essential character's health regeneration as focusing on multiple is too expensive. It can also be used in both normal and solo runs as a pogo-boost as the fruit is bounce-able for a short moment after spawning, allowing for certain power ups to be acquired. Very good.
Demon Essence - Does great damage boosting on paper, but the only things it would be useful on are big enemies (which will die before the damage boost really cumulates) or bosses (which won't stay still/vulnerable long enough to allow for several melee attacks anyway). Also much worse on anybody that isn't Zangetsu since they attack so slow that it won't get the chance to rack up damage.
Rapier - The best upwards focused sub weapon in my opinion. It has the coverage of Robert, the cheapness and power of Zangetsu, and the speed of Dominique. It can create just enough room to walk at the end of stage 6 and has enough range to kill all of the heads on the wall of boss 6 in a single throw - do it twice (which costs nothing due to the WP drops) and the boss is toast. That's not to mention it's so fast and powerful (if all 3 daggers hit) that it's essentially a superior main DPS option to any normal attack by any normal character.
Axe - It was the undisputed second (arguably first) best subweapon in the first game, but it doesn't hold up as well this time around. Not only was it nerfed in damage, but the environment of this game is a lot less friendly to it. Bosses have a lot more health so using it as your primary DPS is too expensive to one-cycle, and it's now outclassed by Drake Canon for that role against things like the 5th Boss. Good news is that she can unlock Hachi exclusive shortcuts since it pierces armor, and it (+ frostcalibur) is still arguably the second best way to beat bosses despite the nerfs, so it's still very powerful. Voltaic Ray absolutely outclasses it even with frostcalibur.
Magic Charm - The second most efficient sub in the entire game. Does great damage, puts enemies in hitlag, and even blocks low projectiles. It's slow and has pitiful range on the ground, but is overall strong nonetheless.

A Tier

Drake Canon - Slaughters boss 5, slaughters every normal enemy (besides stage 7 mechs, but those die in 1-2 hits afterwards), is decent burst DPS against every boss besides 6, and can even be used as a second mid-air jump. That last part sounds innocuous, but can allow for multiple powers the be acquired that some other characters can't get, and is essential for Solo mode. Plus, it can allow for shortcuts to be taken that Robert and other characters aren't supposed to be able to access, and it can even theoretically clutch up as a last-resort double jump if you mess up platforming.
Void Charm - Essentially a catch-all subweapon. It's only weakness (although it is a massive one) is that every route's final boss is basically immune to it. Every enemy and most other bosses dread it, however.
Frostcalibur - Kills every unarmored enemy in one hit, can stunlock bosses to death with Axe, and can be used for platforming with sickle. It's heavily reliant on Drake Canon or Axe to beat bosses and is almost useless in a solo run, so it's too limited and situational for S Tier.

S Tier

Devil Essence - Zangetsu's jump attack becomes the best source of targeted, inexpensive DPS in the game. It's only limit is it's range making it dangerous to use against bosses like Gremory and Beelzebub, and the fact you need to keep using it instead of having a one and done attack, but it's practically nuclear otherwise.
Rapid Scarf - Beats almost every boss (besides the final one in the final episode and the 5th one), beats every normal enemy, and is less expensive than Drake Cannon despite hitting harder. Also unlimited range ftw.
Resurrection Anthem - It can heal up to 56 HP and revive 6 characters if used correctly. It also costs 0 WP and essentially gives you as many as 6 more tries on any boss. It's slow, rare, and is almost useless on a solo run, but otherwise gamebreaking. If it could be used more than once, even if it cost ALL of your WP, it would be the best in the game. It's a lot weaker on legendary difficulty since you can't lose a single character, but if you spread your damage across everyone it still has a good use case.
Flame Sphere - It's damage was nuked into the ground but it's utility remains intact. There's at least two or three ssections in every stage that become cakewalks with this, and legendary mode ghosts are a nightmare without it. It's a little expensive but still FAR more affordable over time than Invincible Iron. Both the Sarcophagus Boss and Gremory are also hard countered by this subweapon, to the point where this dude (https://youtu.be/u8-4aTJuJS8?si=yPkBHkfn55OmQbhJ&t=87m) beat Gremory with Solo Alfred, the worst solo character, in ONE TRY. Just have someone to handle other bosses and the game is essentially won. Outside solo runs it's absolutely game breaking. (Edit: I counted, and assuming we count clones as separate enemies since they appear in different stages and have slightly different behaviors, there are over SEVENTY enemies and hazards that Alfred checks, counters, or is straight up immune to with this, not even counting things like the boulders and possibly tail lasers [I need to test] from boss 5, the fire rain from boss 3, the ice spikes and enemy spawns from boss 4, the slam gas/projectiles/enemy spawners, from boss 2, the everything of boss 6, and Gremory's f$&#+ orbs.)

SS Tier

Immortal Metamorphosis - Skips every platforming section. Also gets ~80% of all upgrades by itself. It's only limit is that Flame Wheel in acquirable in every run that Gebel is except solo, but that doesn't heal it's user, bypass strong enemies, and sometimes cheat death on hit, so this is still viable. Extremely niche in boss rush, but almost imperative everywhere else.
Voltaic Ray - Skips every boss (outside solo runs), and bosses are (IMO) the hardest part of this game.
Invincible Iron - Skips every platforming section AND boss!

Characters Ranked

C Tier

Base Zangetsu - He can't collect a single power up on his own, he can't heal, he can't skip platforming sections, he doesn't have the good boss killers, his DPS options aren't always viable to use and are outclassed, his range is bad, he doesn't get bonus WP like Alfred, Gebel, or Hachi, and he doesn't have any platforming advantages or even good range, regardless of subweapon. He has solid fundamentals, but he's outclassed everywhere else.
Robert - He's cool AF, but he literally doesn't have a single unique-to-him upgrade, and actually misses out on a lot of secrets (health and point bags) because he can't break walls. His range is amazing, but his damage and subweapon costs (minus the Scarf, and possibly Drake Cannon for upgrades) are the worst in the game. He's pretty good all around even in solo mode, but he's an honest character in a game where boss nukes, flight, invulnerability, and mass revival are things. An honest character in a dishonest game.

B Tier (interchangeable)

7/6. Upgraded Zangetsu - He's a walking nuke, and really hard to rank since he's the only character without anything resembling a solo mode dedicated to him (since the final episode and/or legendary difficulty sort of count for Ultimate Zangetsu). I feel he's still held back by his lack of versatility and upgrades, but he'd be A Tier if he could collect any of them. He hits harder than any other character (that isn't a secret bonus), but still has a hard time with things like platforming and bosses like stage 6's, episode 1's finale, the normal final episode final boss, and Gremory's hard version. He's the opposite of characters like Miram, Hachi, and Dominique: He has 1 trick, and that trick is killing everything that gets close to him. He is mostly bad at everything else.
6/7. Miriam - She's a genuinely good character all around, but she also suffers from "fair character" syndrome. She's arguably even stronger than she was in the first game, but this game isn't designed around her like the last one was, so she's worse off overall. Bosses take WAY more damage to kill in this game than in the first and her axe was actually nerfed in damage slightly. Furthermore, since this game requires a lot more upwards attacking in platforming areas for ghosts, frogs, hanging mouth spitters, floating head ceiling spawners, etc. she's going to be using a lot more WP on her upwards throwing dagger, which hurts her longevity and consistency. Everything near the end of every run also hits a decent bit harder, so her formerly "close 2nd best" HP isn't quite so insurmountable (or 2nd best) anymore. Despite ALL of this, she's still pretty good. She can't 1 cycle every boss, facetank everything, effortlessly beat platforming sections, or have the unique trait of infinite range (with subweapons) anymore, but she's still strong enough to get plenty of power ups for solo and final runs and is more than than strong enough to fall back on in group modes if a top tier dies.

A Tier

Gebel - He gets all but 4 power ups on his own, self heals, and skips every platforming section. He's redundant with Alfred's fire shield and Hachi's invulnerability being nearly as good at platforming and he's the worst character in boss rush mode, but otherwise he has a strong role in just about every other mode.
Dominique - The game is designed around her. She has subweapons for every situation, and even if they're not always the best, she's also one of the few characters inherently strong enough to, with enough skill, handle every situation on her own. She's essentially a 7 in every situation, but she also has the completely unique ability to do a full party heal and resurrection, which is a 10/10 trait only she has. She has a use case in every mode, and a strong one at that. Her biggest downside is her solo power ceiling, but that's only a single mode and even then she's versatile enough to get by most situations and grab most power ups. She wouldn't likely be as powerful (relatively, since she'd be the same character) in the first game since it's not designed around her (with things like less characters to heal, not being able to slide, there being almost nothing to bounce off of or super jump to, etc) - it's like a reverse Miriam situation.

S- Tier:

Alfred - He essentially gets to choose between Hachi's invincibility for 1/10 the cost or skipping every single boss in the entire game. He's the worst character solo, but (IMO) top 2 everywhere else. If his subweapons didn't carry over to other characters he'd easily be the worst, but all you have to do is pop off a subweapon then switch to another character and suddenly any situation you have to deal with is solved. He'd be #1 if he could carry 2 subs at once even though he sucks solo, but his boss vs. platforming and bad solo mode inconsistencies keeps him from being a true top tier. Also pseudo-infinite WP ftw.

S+ Tier

Hachi - A master of all trades. He has the best health, pierces enemy armor, the easiest (although less objectively good than Gebel and Ulti-getsu's) platforming, bonus WP from lanterns, he can get several power ups, squash low enemies, and has a get out of jail free card in every situation. His only weaknesses are his big hurtbox and his low attack speed(and by proxy DPS sorta), which aren't issues with patience and pattern knowledge. He's one of 2 characters that's good in every single game mode, regardless of difficulty or allies.

SS Tier

Ultimate Zangetsu - He's the only character so strong that he doesn't even need subweapons, unlike Hachi, Gebel, and Alfred who are good specifically because of their subs. He has some of the best platforming, the best speed (and arguably survivability, since he dodges better due to his dash, so it makes up for his lower health than Hachi, and he kills most things before they threaten him so he doesn't need invincibility), the best range, and the best damage. He's great solo because he's the strongest character and ridiculously versatile, he's great in main playthroughs because he's so strong without subs that other characters don't have to waste WP helping him, and he's even great in boss rush because his unrivaled mobility and damage allow him to dodge stuff and hit bosses in situations when nobody else even comes close. Even in the shoot em' up section of the final episode, he comes pre-packaged with the ability to get every other character's ship weapons. He is truly the Akuma of this game: De-centralized, high skill with high reward, extremely versatile, and purposefully overpowered.

submitted by Throwawaygarbageboi to Bloodstained [link] [comments]

2024.05.09 20:42 metalslug53 The state of interacting with other casual players has never been more miserable and I'm absolutely sick and tired of it.

Just returned from my LGS and I can't take this shit anymore. Since I don't currently hold any meaningful relationships in my personal life, I figured I'd rage about my issues to a bunch of online strangers to seek out validation of my feelings.
I have been a long-time frequent to my LGS. Everyone there knows who I am and respects me as a player due to my encyclopedic knowledge of this game, considering I've basically been playing since Revised. As the local pseudo-pro and unofficial Rank-7 Judge, people come to me ALL THE TIME for my insight into the rules of this game, which has placed me on a pretty high pedestal in that shop. I'm a pretty big deal in my local circle.
I will forever argue that the 60-card formats are the supreme way to play this game, but since nobody else has a six-digit collection in my area and I refuse to lower myself to plebeian status and play against people who proxy, and because nobody else has any sort of interest in the constructed formats anyways, I'm forced to play the inferior casual game mode that all the normies flock to: EDH. (I refuse to call it Commander. Call it by it's proper name, please.)
Due to my stock, I am able to piecemeal together practically any Commander deck I want on a whim. I don't really care much about the Rule 0 Discussion or hashing out power level discrepancies. If you can't keep up, that's your own damn fault. Invest more into the stock of the game or play your income level.
Anyways, I sat down at a table with my toolbox of decks sitting on the table next to me, just waiting for the thirsters to flock in and ask for games. When they eventually did (and one of them even had the gall to ask me to put my toolbox on the floor, the asshole), I took out my most expensive deck and began to shuffle. Immediately, I had to make sure that the others were playing PROPER Magic. They were taking out decks and beginning to shuffle when I told them proxies were NOT allowed at my table. They all smiled and shrugged. One of them even put his deck away and took out a different one. At least that one had some semblance of class.
I also made absolutely sure to go through the list of unmentionable cards that have powercrept their way into high-end tables. Poor card design from after my era of Magic is not okay either. Basically anything past 8th Edition and worth more than $5 could be stuffed. If it doesn't remind me of the Nephilim days, it isn't appropriate for me to see. Oh, and absolutely NONE of that Secret Lair bullshit. I play Magic the way GOD intended it... With MAGIC characters and MAGIC realms. It'll be a prudish day at a furry convention before I'm caught in a game watching Darth Vader deepthroat Applejack the Pony's hog.
Then I made sure to hash out the archetypes that weren't allowed to be played by any of these spergs. Mill? Fuck off with that. I want to DRAW my cards, thanks. Mass Land Destruction? Heh. You think I want my Revised Duals blasted to the Shadow Realm by some Cheap-ass, penny-sleeved common? Counterspells? Hard pass. I get to do my thing and you can't stop me. Group Hug? Fuck Group Hug! Fuck Group Hug with a rusty dick and a sandpaper condom. AND FUCK INFINITE COMBOS. I'LL KILL YOUR DOG IF YOU INFINITE ON ME.
In fact, fuck Blue completely. If I had it my way, this shop would implement my arbitrarily-balanced homebrew ban list that favors Green because Big Creatures = Big Dick Energy. But I digress.
So I explain to the pleebs all of the expectations of the game, and this one beta just keeps smiling at me. He takes out one of the original 2011 Commander Deck releases (Kaalia) and asks if this flies by my rules. If that's ALL he has, I GUESS I can lower my expectations a bit. The nerve. At least it wasn't Riku GAG
Anyways, the game begins and because I am much better at loading my opening hand than the others at the table, I get a colossal rocket of a start while they're all playing in tap lands turn 1. We're talking Fetch>Dual>Sol Ring>Signet>Worldly Tutor levels of God Hand. And these wet sandwiches are contempt playing Karoo lands and basics with no follow-up. And they didn't even gripe about how I was making five mana next turn! Fucking chodes.
As the game progresses, the table talk is all this sappy, accepting bullshit. They talked about how the atmosphere was so friendly and nice and how people at this store were so chill, open-minded, and inclusive. One player even asked the rest of us for our preferred pronouns because he didn't want to come across as offensive. What the hell happened to this game?!
But the worst part about it was that any time I made big plays to advance my board state, NONE OF THEM GROANED OR COMPLAINED. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't savor the satisfaction of preventing their plays or outpacing them, because they said, AND I QUOTE:
"I don't really care about how the game goes. I'm just here for the vibes, man."
Oh boy, if there's ONE THING I can't stand when I play MTG is when my opponents don't absolutely try-hard and get as mad as I do over a 30-year old card game. How absolutely ridiculous. WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE AROUND YOU THAT THIS GAME IS YOUR WHOLE IDENTITY?!
I lost it. I had to pack up and leave. These players obviously didn't deserve to even share the room with me, let alone share the stack with me. If I couldn't cause salt, it was just a colossal waste of my time.
The nerve of people. The newer generations coming into this game are far too laid back and lax and don't get offended easily enough. They don't even complain to the shopkeeper about my body odor anymore! That had always been such easy gotcha points and they've even grown to look past the offense their noses feel!
I mean, who the hell plays this game because they ENJOY it? I play this game to turn cards sideways and get angry at things so I can rage about it on the internet from the safety of my studio apartment and go into debt paying for said overpriced cardboard.
Fucking incels.
tl;dr Don't be THAT GUY and be miserable like the rest of us when you play this game.

submitted by metalslug53 to EDH [link] [comments]

2024.05.06 07:54 Blaiz_Enterprises Bubbles v3.00.9240

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submitted by Blaiz_Enterprises to freeware [link] [comments]

2024.04.30 16:58 Realistnotarealtor For the next few years or the foreseeable future the focus of Canadian politicians and every dollar of taxpayer funds should only be on Canadians and our issues (housing the biggest one), improving Canadian healthcare and improving their quality of life (Not Khalistan, Ukraine, Gaza or Israel, Iraq)

You can say I rant let’s look at the reality of things. Canadians are getting fleeced. This current federal administration has spent so much money that they’re now finding fresh ways to tax us more. One example is the goodbye doctors tax. Doctors in Canada don’t get raises or pensions in return they get the ability to incorporate and invest their incomes as investments (I don’t totally agree with this but we have a shortage for now) for their pensions. The government is now going after 66% of anything above 250k for them so essentially their retirement savings are going to be lit on fire. Guess what they’re going to do as they’re in demand worldwide….leave. I’m all for taxing the life out of house flippers because no value is produced from homes but doctors shouldn’t be taken to the gauntlet.
https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/industry-news/feds-raise-capital-gains-inclusion-rate-to-66-6-for-high-earners-starting-june-25/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/doctors-ask-liberal-government-to-reconsider-capital-gains-tax-change-1.6857958#:~:text=The%20Canadian%20Medical%20Association%20is,will%20affect%20doctors'%20retirement%20savings.
Alright now let’s get into the crux of things. I stated yesterday I will state again Canadians don’t give a flying fuck about Khalistan or Hindustan, and I’ll reiterate that again we don’t know where that is and that is not our issue that is an Indian vs Indian problem. Leave it there. Today because our government let in so many people from India from 2013 to 2022 the number of Indians who got PR increased by 260%, Khalistan a place I imagine 90% of Canadians can’t point out on a map or even heard of growing up is now a political campaign issue for a country that doesn’t even know where that is. Some of the people we’ve given PR and citizenship to are also apparently full fledged terrorists according to India. We need to reduce the number of Indians getting PR through a quota system like the US has. This way everyone assimilates and their home issues don’t become ours, only Canada’s issues are the focus of Canada. The system works we should implement it. We’re now more than ever constantly in the news for international rows with the Indian government which I’ve read about being racist. They’re pushing for a Hindu state apparently but again that’s India, the people can revolt and do what they need to do there. I can be empathetic to the sikhs and Muslims and whoever else is a minority in India but as Indians not as Canadians. Our issue is housing Canadians, and improving the lives of Canadians not getting a separatist state for Indian Sikhs or Muslims.
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/trudeau-india-canada-sikh-khalistan-slogans-b2536933.html
Next we have Ukraine the most corrupt country in Europe and the never ending money pit. We’ve given Ukraine more than $11B dollars since the war began with Russia, the US has given them more than $100B. In total they’ve received more than 1/4 of a trillion dollars since the war began, money that was never tracked. This is apparently not even enough. We gave visas to 1M ukranians I don’t know why, especially when we’re giving every Ukrainian adult $3000 and every child $1500. It’s a joke. I’m glad the program ended so we can now use the money we would’ve given foreigners to build our own country. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh but we have homeless Canadians. While we’re taking on the issues ukranians face their leaders are enriching themselves. $40M stolen here, military defense contracts being overpaid for and siphoned there, one even bought a rolls Royce spectre for 600k.
Sources: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/time-running-out-on-special-ukraine-visa-program
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/ukraine-measures/settlement/get-financial-assistance.html
https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/ukraines-61-bln-lifeline-is-not-enough-2024-04-29/#:~:text=ATHENS%2C%20April%2029%20(Reuters%20Breakingviews,should%20be%20central%20to%20this.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/these-countries-have-committed-the-most-aid-to-ukraine
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-gives-ukraine-2-2-billion-lifeline-as-kyiv-awaits-us-aid-1.2038812.amp.html
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6895534
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-corruption-476d673cc64a4b005c7ee8ed5f5d5361
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/graft-accusations-dog-top-zelenskiy-aides-2023-09-19/
https://simonmercieca.com/2024/03/20/luxury-cars-are-the-new-benchmark-of-distinction-of-the-ukrainian-mp-hennadiy-vatsak-will-the-council-of-europe-and-the-eu-censor-this-ex-waiter-and-ask-him-from-where-he-got-the-money-to-own-a-rolls/#:~:text=Rolls%2DRoyce%20Spectre%3F-,Luxury%20cars%20are%20the%20new%20benchmark%20of%20distinction%20of%20the,own%20a%20Rolls%2DRoyce%20Spectre%3F
Next we have Israel. Israel has pounded Gaza with enough bombs to take them back to the Stone Age. If you view some of the images coming from Gaza it’s absolutely horrendous. They’ve displaced 2.5M people. Guess who should pay for fixing Gaza and for these peoples homes who were destroyed? Israel. Guess who’s getting ready to pay for it now? Canada. Here’s an example. Before the war in Gaza this would’ve never been necessary. This man is attempting to bring 36 members of his family from Gaza. I feel for him I really do and his family members but when you go on to read this,
“Zaqqout said he is hoping that the Canadian government will consider providing additional support to help his family settle in Canada”
Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/10455248/calgary-family-welcomes-refugees-gaza/amp/
I’m against this. How much is Israel paying us for this? How many homes or hospitals is Israel building in Canada? 0. How many palestinans is Saudi Arabia taking? 0. How is Israel allowed to cause this level of carnage and then dismiss themselves of all responsibility for their actions. Fuck that.
Look at Syria the entire thing was a proxy war between the US and Russia leading to 7M people being displaced. What was Canada’s role in this? Absolutely nothing. How many Syrian refugees did we take? We took in 44,620 people. Of that 21,745 we’re government assisted. The US who was directly involved in this only took 15,583 Syrian refugees. Why is this a problem? It turns out 42.3% of the 2014 cohort (15-54 years old) needed government assistance six years after landing and close to 70% of the 2016 cohort needed social assistance four years after landing.
Sources: https://tnc.news/2024/01/25/syrian-refugees-still-reliant-on-social-assistance/
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/about-refugee-system/welcome-syrian-refugees/key-figures.html#
If the war never happened in Syria do you know how many we’d have to support? 0. It’s not their fault either, but Canadians can no longer afford not to be the sole priority of our government, especially when it’s our money being spent to virtue signal.
In 2021-2022 alone the government spent $7.9B of our own money, money it actually doesn’t have as they run regular deficits on foreign aid. Between Feb 2020 and Oct 2023 chronic homelessness across 11 cities increased by 40%. As rent prices and home prices rise I imagine that number is going to skyrocket. In Toronto alone the price of rent has increased 40% in two years. What do you think that means for Canadian families and businesses? Not $1 of Canadian taxpayer should be going abroad until our house is in order not even a penny. Also no more foreign issues. Frankly speaking I don’t give a fuck anymore about problems impacting people internationally while we domestically have people living in third and fourth world conditions. None of this is the fault of refugees or immigrants. I want to be clear it’s the lack of prioritization of Canadians by the government and careless spending/garbage policy making.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-s-average-rent-spiked-by-more-than-40-in-last-two-years-1.6398904
https://globalnews.ca/news/10170027/canadian-cities-report-rise-in-homelessness-and-tent-fires/amp/

submitted by Realistnotarealtor to CanadaHousing2 [link] [comments]

2024.04.21 17:04 Kienzan85 Hoabinhian Ancestry

I was waiting for later to make this post because Ive been busy recently and I wanted the post to be as detailed as possible when I made it, because there seems to be quite a bit of backstory to cover, but a question related to this is asked like every other day, so I figured the evidence at hand is already enough to discredit this theory for a second time, here is my analysis.
The post that reignited the hoabinhian claim is this one:
https://www.reddit.com/SouthAsianAncestry/comments/1awojsw/origin_of_the_aasi_lineage_and_its_specific/
now in this post the guy uses a particular study to give evidence that there was a migration between sundaland and south asia about 9000 years ago and what not, and he deduces that this is when hoabinhian came into south asia:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04510-0#MOESM
Now in this study they basically compare groups in south asia to groups like malaysian negritos and other groups in southeast asia, and basically what they find is that austroasiatic groups have malaysian negrito like ancestry, so a malaysian negrito like group seems to be good proxy for what brought austroastiatic languages into south asia. Now the important thing here is that malaysian negritos have significant hoabinhian ancestry, the groups used here in particular, Kintaq and Kensiu (also known as Maniq), have more than 50% as this study shows:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358521963_Unveiling_the_Genetic_History_of_the_Maniq_a_Primary_Hunter-Gatherer_Society
And hence we can conclude that austroasiatic groups do indeed likely have hoabinhian like ancestry. What the person who made the post failed to check however, was that in this study dravidian groups also were compared to malaysian negritos. Of these 5 dravidan groups, 3 were, paniya, irula, and chenchu, which you can confirm in the studies supplementary information, groups wed expect to have hoabinhian ancestry according to people that believe in the theory. However, this is what the genetic analysis shows:
https://preview.redd.it/dir4sj69kuvc1.jpg?width=685&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00ab1d88d9aac35fb65c9cb8be31e6dd2db1e3b8
So for ADMIXTURE, K = 7 provided the best fit, and as you can see, the blue component, representing malaysian negrito ancestry, whilst present in austroasiatic groups, is not present in dravidian groups. Instead, dravidian groups are consistent with extreme points on a cline between a mix of western eurasian ancestry, and a single type of eastern eurasian ancestry. Notice how this does not change even when the K value, which determines the number of components detected, is increased to nearby values. The PCA, also shows this, whilst south asian austroasiatic are significantly shifted towards the malaysian negritos compared to the indian cline, which forms the diagonal line starting at the yellow indo european dots and ending at the orange dravidian dots, the dravidian groups are perfectly on cline, showing no deviation or pull away from it whatsoever, the gap you can see between some orange dots is obviously because paniya and irula are going to have quite a bit more AASI than previous groups. This is very conclusive, they literally compared a group with direct hoabinhian ancestry to south indian tribals and found no affinity or pull whatsoever. Its like all those PCAs I used to show, but there instead of haobinhian it was onge, and even then there was also no pull the tribals experienced. This pretty much seals the deal in my opinion, the academic record definitively shows these groups show no affinity to hoabinhian or onge whatsoever.
As for the other evidence in his first post he presents, one of them is like a picture of ADMIXTURE run which I wont respond to cause we just used a much more conclusive case of ADMIXTURE to completely destroy his theory. The other pieces of evidence are already addressed by my older post on this topic:
https://www.reddit.com/SouthAsianAncestry/comments/18mx7et/hoabinhian_and_south_indian_tribals/
You should try to read this post to get some clarity about this but Ill try to sum it up and add some more details.
I will not link to absolutely everything I reference, so you can verify what Im about to say because the archives of anthrogenica are actually on genoplots website, just create an account and go to the community section, there will be a search bar, and search "DMXX AASI", with match all words in titles and post, and then sort by post time in ascending order so that you get the oldest posts first, so you can follow through the timeline of events. Alot of the posts are going to be G25 runs because of how simulations are named, but it shouldnt be too difficult to find DMXXs own posts.
DMXX simulated AASI from the IVC and also from south indian tribals, he then backtested the simulations with the populations they were simulated from to check if the simulations were accurate, now at this point we know that his simulations had the potential to be inaccurate, because he tried to create a simulation with modern NW south asian groups, particularly Jatts and Kashmiris, and the simulations were absolutely ridiculous, which he himself admits, youll find the coordinates and him talking about the simulations in this page here. Try adding the coordinates to the 3D Eurogenes PCA Ill link later, one of the simulations is in the indian cline next to northwest groups, and the other is closer to uzbeks than it is to the indian cline:
https://genoplot.com/discussions/topic/26124/new-simulated-aasi-g25-coordinates-updates/1
So we know that his simulations had the potential to be erroneous, now the average of the IVC and SPGT simulations became his NW_AASI, and the average of the tribal simulations became his S_AASI. As I explained in my older post, NW_AASI and the IVC simulations it came from were way off cline, and not off cline to any other population, but basically into void space, heres an illustration of that both in 2D and 3D PCAs:
https://preview.redd.it/kkjo9gsbkuvc1.jpg?width=1345&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d947867f7e33d073802c7a0a667560b1f786974d
https://preview.redd.it/hd8n4kfckuvc1.jpg?width=1345&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b09a15eeab9ed1e0578c7aff5da7297b42329e04
https://preview.redd.it/34g3p4pfkuvc1.png?width=1083&format=png&auto=webp&s=a73e343e15eb8984fa3941a57c7557308bfd093d
It seems that they were aware of this shift even back then on anthrogenica, however, in DMXXs mind, he expected that there would be regional variation in the genetic profile of AASI, so he chalked it up to natural variation, however on closer look at these PCAs, youll see that the positioning of the simulations tells us they are complete nonsense. In the 2D PCA, PC1 seperates african and eurasian populations, whereas PC2 seperates west and east eurasian populations, the individual NW_AASI samples, and the mean which youll see below, are all significantly shifted away from the norm on both principal components, as to suggest they are significantly less african and less basal than all other eurasian populations, as well as being somehow significantly more east eurasian than all other east eurasian populations, which Im confident is actually impossible. See where hoabinhian and Onge are, on the above 2D PCA, thats where japanese and papuan plot if I add them to the PCA, no east eurasian group actually plots further down PC2 than those groups do, yet all the AASI simulations do, a clear case of nonsense:
https://preview.redd.it/hgwpap2hkuvc1.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0848278d20272bced5b15ec4efedcb8decac0812
That PCA is available on genoplot, and you can add even more east eurasian groups if you want to see what I mean. On the 3D PCA, AASI_NW is the blue cross, you see the few dark blue spots right above it, those are papuans and aboriginals, on this PCA, AASI_NW is literally further away from the indian cline than papuans and aboriginals are, the Principal component in which it is shifted shows internal diversity within east eurasian and west eurasian populations respectively. You can also see how it is shifted into void space and how on neither of those PCAs do the northern parts of the indian cline, actually align with NW_AASI, the 2D one is a straight line towards S_AASI, suggesting all indian groups show affinity to S_AASI, and the curvature on the 3D PCA is towards sintashta as groups get more west eurasian, because of increased steppe ancestry for the most part. Actually, both the Kashmiri and Jatt simulations are closer to the indian cline than NW_AASI is. Also, as noticed in my previous post, there seems to be a very clear trend with these simulations, the lower the AASI of the group that the simulation is from is, the more shifted the simulation, hence why BA2 sample are at the shifted extreme, and pulliyar is close to the indian cline, and the BA3 simulation and simulations from lower AASI tribals are intermediate. This would make sense, the idea that it would be harder to isolate AASI from groups with lower amounts of it. My suspicion is that this is why those modern northwestern group simulations also came out quite poorly. This trend not only suggests that these shifts are errors, but also gives us an idea of why they occured.
Now the person who made the post claims to use different samples than NW_AASI and S_AASI but on inspection, his S_AASI is the exact same as DMXXs, and his N_AASI is very similar, heres his N_AASI on PCA:
https://preview.redd.it/i0625k2lkuvc1.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af31117f6849a0606d67ae734234ff4d2656de4b
https://preview.redd.it/syca0o2mkuvc1.jpg?width=1082&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=066c759489a4f0f8a0b7f4215016959a2484b555
In the 3D PCA the furthest out cross is N_AASI, the Intermediate one is his East AASI, and there is one at the end of the indian cline which is S_AASI.
As you can see on the 2D PCA, his north AASI, while not as shifted as the average of NW_AASI by DMXX, is still more shifted than 2 of the orange dots right behind it, both of which are NW simulations, and is still quite far from the main indian cline. And on the 3D PCA, you can also see that its very similar to NW_AASI, papuans are still closer to the indian cline than it is. Its origin story is also the same, its a simulation from a NW group, particularly from the BA2 samples, hence everything I said above about the NW_AASI simulations applies to these as well:
https://genoplot.com/discussions/topic/26674/chg-ancestry-in-south-asians/1
link to the 3D PCA:
https://vahaduo.github.io/3d/g25/
When you estimate admixture using G25 the estimates are made based on PCA and PCA distances, so you can imagine how such a nonsense shift of this magnitude obscures things quite a bit. Onge and hoabinhian are very close to the AASI extreme of the indian cline, as you can see on the labelled 3D PCA above, because onge forms a clade with AASI. Onge is the closest east eurasian pop to the AASI end of the east eurasian cline as well, so you can imagine that when you use N_AASI and hoabinhian as source populations for S_AASI, when N_AASI is so far shifted into nowhere, its going to pick up a lot of hoabinhian. This is why one of his evidences, being how you can model S_AASI as N_AASI + hoabinhian, is meaningless.
https://preview.redd.it/8yqigksnkuvc1.jpg?width=442&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3028d932b761bf0dbaad31fba38f50d65678f994
Another piece of evidence are those distance to lists, which seems to suggest that S_AASI is closer to hoabinhian than N_AASI is to hoabinhian, and its like well yeah, S_AASI is closer to literally every human population than N_AASI is because its drifted off into void space, you cant use this to prove that S_AASI is admixed with hoabinhian because you can use this to argue that S_AASI is admixed with every single human group compared to N_AASI, if every group is closer to it, you cant single out one group and say that group in particular is admixed with S_AASI.
https://preview.redd.it/vmmha7pokuvc1.jpg?width=496&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d74774e246ab4de59f34153148937481776a7fc5
https://preview.redd.it/bwi8ychpkuvc1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bdb4d918deb32aa9e7f60e180905218cdcfcba0
https://preview.redd.it/vt3yfg2qkuvc1.jpg?width=494&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3df0cec52ae9c4c3cf0d59c98c77994cc2fe32c9
https://preview.redd.it/6jbrp0nqkuvc1.jpg?width=482&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83da5fa019c500af68b6f13fbab93a80add8be74
The last piece of evidence in his first post is G25 runs and Ill actually use these to debunk the points in his next post, here are the runs:
https://preview.redd.it/v72n5ehrkuvc1.jpg?width=1184&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2e4317e5b068f40a72259849bc1f59c9e6daef0
Now his next post has the only somewhat reasonable lines of evidence, he posts 2 PCAs, each of which show two notable things, first is that S_AASI is closer to hoabinhian and again the same logic above applies, S_AASI is closer to everything compared to NW_AASI, however the second part is whats truly interesting. Basically the IVC samples create a cline with ganj dareh and N_AASI, whereas if what I were saying were true youd expect them to create a cline with S_AASI, why might this be?
https://preview.redd.it/7c89zxiukuvc1.jpg?width=1707&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ee927d02e9408271bdc0b273894d8929ab1ac2a
https://preview.redd.it/g3csnkmvkuvc1.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d66fc249f36fb96d70fd15f7f85b509b50e59a43
https://www.reddit.com/SouthAsianAncestry/comments/1ayv1kf/aasi_south_hoabinhian_cline_geneflow_drift_o
Well, look at the G25 runs above, there isnt actually a marked affinity to the N_AASI for the northern groups, gujaratis are northern shifted, but then rors and punjabis have more S_AASI than N_AASI, the only sample very clearly shifted towards N_AASI is the IVC sample, and logically speaking, theres no real reason IVC should show more of an affinity to N_AASI than punjabis or rors do, both these groups inabit the northwest and so wed expect them to have the same kind of AASI that IVC did. It seems that in this case the affinity is cause by the fact that N_AASI was simulated directly from IVC, hence when effectively backtesting it with IVC theres a rather good fit, and so in the same way the simulation shows a great affinity when effectively backtested, a similar sort of situation seems to be happening with the cline, where because of the direct extraction, it shows a high affinity with its source, but since it is so poorly simulated, it doesnt show the same sort of affinity with other groups, that it should in fact have the same affinity with, hence the cline. Regardless his cline has little information anyway, only a few groups are present, the labelled 3D PCA above I have showed contains the most amount of human populations I have ever seen on a PCA, and also contains all his AASI simulations, North, East and South, and the IVC samples do not cline at all with N_AASI, instead the IVC samples much more clearly cline with S_AASI. Absolutely nothing clines with N_AASI lol. Additionally, the reason that southern groups show a higher affinity to the S_AASI in the G25 runs above is obviously because theyre closer, infact theyre almost right next to S_AASI as you can see on the labelled 3D PCA, but you can also see that as you go back into the more west eurasian parts of the indian cline, both simulations become more relatively equidistant from the groups, on both PCAs, hence why northern groups show a higher relative affinity to N_AASI. The percentage difference between the distances to each simulation decrease.
Another thing I should mention is, if these shifts away from the cline are accurate, why are the samples these simulations are from completely on cline? If the BA2 simulation being so way off cline is accurate, why is the BA2 sample itself perfectly on cline? let me remind you, with regards to the indian cline, on 2D PCAS, there is almost no internal diversity among the groups, except for a few groups with east asian, the only visible variable is the proportion of AASI, its always just a diagonal straight line, how would this be possible if the 2 sources of AASI were so different:
https://preview.redd.it/0dv1e4vwkuvc1.jpg?width=1344&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=486d57e436bb718cf5885e3f69671312b0c95a2e
I created a PCA that tried to mimic the one in the paper I showed before. I included the indian cline, including austroasiatic groups, as well as east and southeast asians, including negrito groups, as well as hoabinhian and onge. As you can see, the indian cline once again forms a diagonal straight line, with the exception of bangladeshis and austroasiatic groups who are shifted towards the east and southeast asian groups. You can see that hoabinhian and Onge are close to the indian cline just as they are in the 3D PCA, because AASI forms a clade with these groups, and subsequently, the negrito groups are intermediate between, hoabinhian and east asian groups because they have intermediate admixture. Whilst bengalis and austroasiatics are off cline due to ESEA like admixture, both south indian tribal groups and S_AASI, are completely on cline and continue the trend of the indian cline, showing no deviation. Remember, negritos are pulled away from japanese and koreans, towards hoabinhian, because they have hoabinhian admixture, if Paniya did too, it would be pulled in the same way that bengalis or austroasiatics are, so this is just like the PCA in the study that debuks this hoabinhian hypothesis. Additionally, whereas S_AASI is completely on cline, N_AASI, is again drifted off into nowhere, this just proves what Ive been saying the whole time, its not S_AASI that is shifted towards hoabinhian, it just N_AASI that is shifted away from it, a simulation error that caused this whole mess. S_AASI does not at all deviate from the trend of the indian cline, from balochis up to itself, hence it has no special connection to hoabinhian.
https://preview.redd.it/mfaprlwykuvc1.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c6e09915312ca64543d6256c2a814e37879a03e
So heres my thing. If youre going to use a PCA to prove this theory, use one with lots of information, include the whole indian cline, not just a few samples, because it seems like whenever we include all the relevant genetic data, the hoabinhian hypothesis just doesnt hold up. This post was kind of rushed, so it might not be as exhaustive as I wouldve wanted it to be, but I think with the evidence available we can conclusively say that the academic record and clinal observation completely has discredited any claim of indian tribals having hoabinhinan.
Additionally, a user on anthrogenica called "thejkhan" actually did manage to simulate some AASI coordinates from IVC samples, that do not fly way off cline, you can find these on genoplot if you just search for his username on Nmonte, heres the page where he announces the simulations:
https://genoplot.com/discussions/t opic/15199/global25-automated-nmonte-for-south-central-asian-members/12008
here they are on the 2D PCA:
https://preview.redd.it/ii3alh40luvc1.jpg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb87d67ae217c4016caa28cd253cd57d693d48a2
From the little Ive used of them, the Northwestern simulations do seem to fit better for northern groups than either DMXXs AASI or the N_AASI the guy used in the post, so definitely check them out. With that being said, Im getting the feeling that all these simulations are in some way flawed, when I inserted additional east eurasian groups to the PCA directly above none of them were vertically shifted down PC2 more so than paniya was, the same with Onge and Hoabinhian, but all the AASI simulations have been, including these seemingly improved ones, and these simulations still follow the same pattern where the IVC simulations are shifted off from the others. There just seems to be a common error when these simulations are being created, so they definitely shouldnt be taken as perfect.

submitted by Kienzan85 to SouthAsianAncestry [link] [comments]

2024.04.21 16:54 jaw_waj 5 year anniversary of dividend portfolio - sharing the journey

Long post. First post. 49M sharing dividend investing journey.
This week is my 5 year journey with dividend investing. I have built my portfolio from 6 core holdings and $470 annual dividend income to 35 positions (12 core holdings plus 23 other holdings) and $3,300 annual dividend income. I wanted to share my journey in case it is helpful / encouraging to others.
*** Getting Started: Why dividend investing and the initial investment strategy ***
There were two main reasons I wanted to get started with dividend investing. First, I was starting to look ahead to pre-retirement and was thinking about ways to generate passive income in case I want to retire earlier. I did realize that this would mean a sizable investment, so I wanted to get started in my mid 40s with the hope to grow the portfolio to a large enough size to be worthwhile.
Second, I wanted to gain confidence in individual stock investing. Up to this point, I had only invested in index funds and mutual funds. I was focusing on maximizing the amount of money I was investing in retirement funds, college funds, and personal savings for short term goals (home remodeling, etc.). We were on pace with all of these goals, which gave us the luxury of being able to experiment with other ways to put our money to work.
Based on these two reasons, I made several decisions early on:
- I chose to set-up my dividend portfolio in a traditional brokerage account, which meant the dividends would be taxed. However, it was a key factor too in getting my wife to support. We agreed that if any emergencies came up that required access to money, then this would be the first account we would liquidate, which meant the brokerage account needed to be outside an IRA for easy access. Therefore, while the hope for this account is that it will provide pre-retirement income, we could easily cover unexpected medical costs, shortfall in college savings, or some other unforeseen financial issue. Got to keep the family peace ;)
- I wanted to buy and hold investments over a long horizon, and was not interested in short positions or any other more advanced investing strategies. This buy and hold strategy had served us well in our retirement funds, and was also a way to keep support with the wife (she is very low on risk taking, and it would go against how we had approached investing over the last 20 years). Therefore, I wanted to get started by building out a core group of long term holdings, and then adding to the portfolio as I was able to save additional funds.
- I wanted to make sure that this portfolio did not completely sacrifice capital growth for income. Given my longer time horizon, I wanted to have it all. Therefore, I set some goals of having a yield of at least 2.5% and of trying to track the performance of VTSAX, which is Vanguard’s Total Stock Market index.
- I chose to not set-up DRIP, but I do reinvest all of the dividend income in the portfolio. I wanted to have the freedom to choose which investments I wanted to add to and when.
- I chose to go with Vanguard for my brokerage account. This is the one decision I made that I wish I would have spent more time considering. I chose Vanguard because I was using them for my other investments, and at the time, I felt their transaction fees were reasonable given my plans to buy and hold (it is hard to recall that 5 years ago most brokerage accounts had trade fees!). However, now that I have been using the platform for a while, I do find it limiting. Some things I wish the platform had: better reporting for income, fractional shares, more intuitive user interface. Switching costs are high, and I am not sure if I would have made a different decision, but I do wish I would have spent more time on this aspect of getting the account set-up.
Now, I was ready to put my initial investment to work.
*** Selecting the first core holdings (and where are they at today?) ***
I spent about a month researching how to pick the best individual stocks to include in my portfolio. I was lucky to have $15K to start with, and I wanted to make sure I was diversified but still had enough of each investment to make it worthwhile.
I decided to start with 6 companies, investing ~$2500 each. My stock picking list was centered on the Dividend Aristocrat / King list, as I wanted stocks yielding at least 2-2.5% (keep in mind interest rates were really low back in 2019). I also wanted the stock list to reflect companies I believed in, and that I believed would grow over the next 5-10 years and aligned with my goal to buy and hold for the long term. Therefore, I avoided some industries (like oil and traditional banking) due to perceived future decline / volatility.
I felt really good about my initial portfolio. Really good. I felt these were all strong companies with impressive reputations, good investor sentiment, and great dividend history. I was confident this initial basket would be the right foundation to build my portfolio around, and would sustain for at least the next 5-10 years.
Things did not quite work out that way. Here is my initial core portfolio, and what has happened in the past 5 years (from most successful to least successful).
#1:
TGT
Initial position: 30 shares @$82.79
Current position: 29 shares, return of 52%, avg basis of $110.58, $391 in dividend income
I chose Target because it was a Dividend King and because I was a strong believer in the brand and the e-commerce growth. I have held this stock throughout the last 5 years, but did sell about half my position when the stock shot up (including a couple of shares at $249, which is close to the all time high for the stock). I have since added to my position, especially when the stock was beaten down in the Fall of 2023. This remains a core holding for the same reasons as when I initially bought it, but also due to their increased focus on creating a membership model. Lessons learned: don’t be scared to sell a core position when it runs up, but don’t sell too early and be ready to buy back when it goes on sale again.
#2:
KO
Initial position: 50 shares @$47.74
Current position: 75 shares, return of 11.5%, avg basis of $53.97, $351 in dividend income
I chose Coca Cola because it was a Dividend King and it just seemed like one of those legendary stocks that should be in your portfolio. I also am a Coke guy over Pepsi, so I was a believer in their product. This has remained a core position, but I did detour for a period where I wanted to diversify by splitting 50% of my KO to PEP to make sure that I was splitting the risk across both companies (I took this same approach w/ BEPC and CWEN, T and VZ). However, I did not like the increased size of my portfolio, and I preferred KO’s business model (consumer beverages and much larger B2B footprint) than I did PEP’s focus on snacks. So, I have sold all of my PEP and now am back into KO. Lesson learned: diversification for the sake of diversification does not always yield better results, sometimes just stick with a proven winner.
#3:
SYY
Initial position: 35 shares @$69.83
Current position: 35 shares, return of 9.6%, avg basis of $69.99, $264 in dividend income
I chose Sysco because it was a Dividend Aristocrat (now King), and I liked the exposure to transportation / B2B / food industry. However, over the past 5 years, this stock has just been mediocre: never fly high enough to consider selling, but also never dropped low enough to consider pruning, and the yield is average. The dividend increases have been lower since COVID. I have sold some here and there to fund other purchases I wanted to make, but have also repurchased shares when they are on sale. I no longer view this as a core holding, but there is also no pressing reason to eliminate this position from the portfolio. While I try not to manage the portfolio based on loyalty, I think I have some fondness for this stock being one of my 6 ‘OGs’, and so I will likely keep this position. Lesson learned: core holdings can become mediocre over time, keep an eye on them and be ready to sell and move on when the time is right.
#4:
T
Initial position: 65 shares @$30.58 ($23.37 adjusted after WBD spinoff)
Current position: 140 shares, return of -24.8%, avg basis of $21.95 (adjusted), $848 in dividend income
I chose T due to its yield. It also seemed to be a stock that every dividend investor in 2019 had as a core holding. This was my smallest position of the original 6, and for the most part, it is one of the few positions that I have not sold. However, this stock has been a hot mess over the last 5 years. While it has done its job on dividend income, I am -$750 in the hole. Part of that is because I bought the stock on its journey from $22/share to $13.50/share, but I bought too early on this journey. Also, the corporate spinoffs, strategy shifts, and other poor business decisions have shaken my faith in this stock. The dividend yield is still high, but there does not seem to be a commitment to grow the dividend. I have thought about transitioning these shares to VZ, but also not sure about them either. For now, I have removed this as a core holding, with plans to enjoy the income for now and hope for a rebound in the stock price. I have also considered selling to offset capital gains, but will wait until later in the year to make that decision. Lesson learned: don’t be too impulsive to buy when a stock is in free fall, sometimes you can’t get a good tradeoff between yield and capital.
#5:
JNJ
Initial position: 20 shares @$138.52
Current position: 0 shares, $342 in dividend income
I chose JNJ due to its status as a Dividend King, and its diversified product lines in CPG / medical exposure. I also viewed it as a trusted brand. However, the stock performance was mediocre over the period I owned it (sold all of my positions throughout 2023), and I lost faith in the company when they decided to use corporate smoke and mirrors to try to shield themselves from lawsuits. I felt this was a drag on their brand, their stock price, and my loyalty, so I decided to take my dollars elsewhere. Lesson learned: companies need to keep earning your trust, and if they falter on that, it is ok to take your money elsewhere. (Note: I could see this returning as a core holding with a change in leadership / legal issues behind them).
#6:
DIS
Initial position: 20 shares @$135.10
Current position: 0 shares, $35 in dividend income
I chose DIS due to its brand name. Also, they were just getting into Disney+, and I was excited about this being a potential high growth tech stock. This was the only non Dividend Aristocrat / King that was an original core holding, but I felt strongly that they would grow the dividend and that there would be growth in the stock price. However, COVID really rocked this stock, and when they announced the dividend cut in 2020, I sold all of my positions. The mistake I made is I bought back into the stock during the Disney+ mania in 2021, where my FOMO took over and I thought I was ‘getting in early’ and wanted to anticipate a future reinstatement of the dividend. I bought the stock near the all time highs in the $170-$200 range, and then the stock tanked due to missed expectations, leadership changes, and public backlash against the company. Lesson learned: keep the dividend portfolio to dividends, and don’t let FOMO guide your buying decisions.
Like I said, when I picked these six stocks, I felt very good and felt these would all be long term positions. The reality is that 33.3% (TGT and KO) of these remain core holdings that I plan to keep and add to, 33.3% (SYY and T) are in my portfolio but I do not view them as core holding / may sell them, and 33.3% (JNJ and DIS) are no longer in my portfolio.
*** Current portfolio ***
My portfolio has grown and evolved significantly since I started back in 2019. I now have the following numbers:
- Portfolio value: $115,921
- Total investment: $79,937 (includes initial invest of $14,773)
- Total dividend income (reinvested): $10,266
- Total (unrealized) investment gains: $25,718
- Total holdings: 35, 12 Core and 23 other - Core holdings are prioritized for future investments
- Annual dividend: $3,309
- Dividend yield: 2.85%
Here are my current holdings:
* Core holdings (50.5%) *
My core holdings strategy has shifted. Five years ago, I picked exclusively from the Dividend Aristocrat / King list. I now have a greater mix of Dividend Growth stocks. I think this strategy shift has been critical in being able to have both capital growth and yield in the portfolio. Core holdings have a dividend yield of 2.5%. I would like to grow this part of my portfolio to 60% of overall holdings and these are the prioritized stocks I will add to in 2024.
COST
6.1% of portfolio, 10 shares, avg basis $439.26, annual dividend $46
Unbelievable dividend growth, special dividend, and still untapped opportunities in ecommerce / store growth.
MSFT
5.9% of portfolio, 17 shares, avg basis $202.90, annual dividend $51, This was good before AI. Now it is an even more interesting tech play. Strong potential for dividend growth.
O
5.7% of portfolio, 125 shares, avg basis $56.91, annual dividend $385, This was a smaller part of my portfolio before rates went up. I love the yield, and I love getting monthly income to buy new stocks ($32/month but plan to keep adding). I know this is a hotly discussed stock on this subreddit, I am long on this holding and will continue to add while it is <$55 per share and hope to get my basis below $55. (I have added 20 shares this year).
TGT
4.2% of portfolio, 29 shares, avg basis $110.58, annual dividend $128, OG Core Holding, See above
BEPC
4.1% of portfolio, 215 shares, avg basis $27.31, annual dividend $305, I am long on renewables, despite this sector going out of favor. Planning to continue to add while prices are low. I recently sold all of my BEP and moved into BEPC to avoid having to file the K1 for my taxes, which is why my basis is higher here.
HD
4.1% of portfolio, 14 shares, avg basis $262.13, annual dividend $126, I am big on Home Depot for both its retail performance, focus on building contractor network, and for a proxy for the housing market. The dividend growth is outstanding as well.
CAT
4.0% of portfolio, 13 shares, avg basis $148.13, annual dividend $68, I added as a Dividend Aristocrat, and to get more industrials exposure. The stock has performed well, and the dividend growth has been strong.
KO
3.9% of portfolio, 75 shares, avg basis $53.97, annual dividend $146, OG Core Holding, See above
AAPL
3.8% of portfolio, 27 shares, avg basis $107.84, annual dividend $26, I added this to focus on capital growth of the portfolio, and it does pay a small dividend. They seem to have a large moat, and I would expect growth to continue for the foreseeable future.
PG
3.8% of portfolio, 28 shares, avg basis $143.92, annual dividend $113, I added this due to its status as a Dividend King, and during a dip when I was starting to lose faith in my other CPG stock, JNJ. Adds in CPG / steady business model into the mix.
V
3.5% of portfolio, 15 shares, avg basis $227.93, annual dividend $31, I wanted more exposure to finance without investing in brick and mortar banks. While the current yield is small, the dividend growth has been strong. I also like V’s willingness to try new things via acquisitions.
WM
1.4% of portfolio, 8 shares, avg basis $206.45, annual dividend $24, This is a relatively new addition to the portfolio. I really like this stock due to its solid business model, and emerging focus on renewable energy. I have taken an initial position, and will likely hold for a while until there is a dip below $200 (the stock is near all time highs).
* Other holdings *
I don’t have a particular strategy for adding to / selling my other holdings. These are all stocks that I like for right now, either because of yield, growth potential, business model, diversification, or loyalty. I may add to some of these if they are on sale, or may sell if I would like to free up some cash for other purchases / to have in reserve.
AVGO
6.2% of portfolio, 6 shares, avg basis $410.26, annual dividend $126, This is my top holding. I have recently sold 2 shares. I added this as a high yield tech stock back in 2020. It was a pretty quiet stock until the recent AI hysteria. I wish I could say I foresaw the growth, but I really liked the yield. I GOT LUCKY on this one. I will likely sit on these 6 shares for a while, but I have already tripled my investment and if the stock shoots up much higher I will likely take profits.
LLY
3.8% of portfolio, 6 shares, avg basis $575.02, annual dividend $31. I bought into the hysteria on this one - a dividend growth play with large potential. My average position is $575, so I have some room to watch this one for signs of trouble. If this stock meets its growth expectations, I will likely move this into the core holdings. For now, I am happy to hold this one and see what happens.
STAG (2.9%), IBM (2.8%), IRM (2.6%)
I bought all of these for yield, and have been adding to STAG when it dips. IRM and IBM have had nice growth in stock price recently. I do not plan on selling any of these any time soon.
ABBV (2.4%), CVS (1.9%), PFE (1.8%), MDT (1.0%)
With LLY, this is my basket of medical / pharma stocks. I feel this is a difficult industry to buy individual stocks due to the reliance on drug pipelines and the volatility there. I do plan to add a little more PFE, but then plan to hold these stocks.
SBUX (2.4%)
This stock has been troubled. I am a big believer in the brand and plan to ride it out for now.
ADP (2.3%), SYY (2.3%), HON (1.8%), UNP (1.4%)
These are all stocks that I have been excited about at one time or another. They deliver average yield, and have grown as well. These tend to fly under the radar in my portfolio, but I don’t see a reason to sell.
VZ (2.2%), T (2.0%), MMM (1.0%)
Some of the biggest losses in my portfolio, but also some of the largest yield. All are troubled. Should I wait until the dividend gets cut, or keep enjoying the yield?? Unclear which direction I will go on these.
ALLY (2.1%)
I really like this company and their consumer facing products. I struggle with the focus on auto lending, but they are trying to diversify. The stock has had mixed performance, and they have stopped growing their dividend. That said, I plan on holding and watching this one.
DKS (2.0%)
With 3 kids in sports and the athleisure growth, I bought this stock some time back. I have been pleasantly surprised with recent growth in the stock price, and the doubling of the dividend. Will watch this one for a bit longer.
PHM (0.8%)
I have wanted a home building stock, and I chose Pulte due to its more national footprint. I don’t think home building will slow down anytime soon, but not sure I want to keep this as part of my dividend portfolio. Watching.
F (0.8%)
I bought this for exposure to electric vehicles and bought it on the higher side (>$15/share). Ford has done a nice job with profitability, and I think they are well situated for growth. They have not been growing the dividend, but did pay a special dividend recently.
AMT (1.9%), BAC (1.0%)
I plan on reducing / eliminating both of these positions over time. I can’t really figure out AMT, the stock price fluctuates much more than I prefer, and the last dividend was a surprise cut over the prior dividend (from $1.70 to $1.62, first time that has happened). For BAC, I bought at a low, and have been able to make some money on the stock. I still don’t really like the brick and mortar banks, so going to take profits and reinvest elsewhere.
Stocks I am watching closely to add (again): NUE, SHW
*** Wrapping it up, a few learnings ***
Over the last 5 years, I have gained the confidence for individual stock investing. While I have made lots of mistakes, I have met most of my primary goals, and now have a strong portfolio of stocks that are delivering a strong yield and strong capital growth on pace with the market.
A few final thoughts:
- This is a big mountain to climb. My goal to generate more passive income is a great goal, but I look at my current passive income and it is $275/month. That would cover a couple of nice dinners in retirement, or a Tim Horton’s run every day, but certainly is not close to paying for living expenses. For now, I will carry on with my goals to see how far up the mountain I can get!
- The elimination of transaction fees has made trades almost too easy. I had intended to buy and hold, but there is very little friction now in buying and selling. I feel I am now making multiple transactions per week, which I had never intended when I started this portfolio. Overall, I like the elimination of transaction fees, but I feel I need to have a bit more discipline on when I buy.
- I have lost my way multiple times, getting caught on in stocks that do not fit in with the goals of this portfolio. At various times, I have bought ARKK, AFRM, NVDA, RKT, COIN and others that fell outside of the core goals. I am getting better at focus, but FOMO can be a real thing with stock picking.
- I still don’t have a good handle on when to sell a holding you like. I do believe you should ring the register now and again, but I feel my timing is inconsistent. Would like to improve here.
- This portfolio takes a lot of my investing mindshare, but it is one of my smaller accounts. I feel it has become a hobby in some ways. That said, I would never want to transition my larger retirement and college accounts to individual stocks and much prefer the index fund approach. I have however converted part of my Roth IRA to individual stocks, putting many of my core holdings plus some growth stocks without a dividend into that portfolio: NVDA, O, LLY, SHOP, DIS, ABNB, AMZN, TGT, PG, KO, MSFT, COST, GEV, HD, ALLY, F, BEPC. Pleased that I had the confidence to take that step in my Roth IRA (about $19K, rest is in index funds for now).
- I have been reflecting on diversification lately. Given this is a small to medium part of my overall investment portfolio, I have been debating how diversified I need to be for this portfolio. I have been trying to make sure I have representation across all industries, but maybe I don’t need that given the goals of the portfolio. At one point, I had 45 investments, and have pruned down to about 35. I would like to keep focus on my core holdings, and will need to figure out how large my other holdings should be.
- Tracking tools that get me the information I want seem non-existent. I have developed my own spreadsheet based tracker, but also use Google Finance and Vanguard reporting. The spreadsheet I have developed takes a lot of time to maintain, and I wish there was more open source information out there not behind a pay wall, or presented in an easy to download format.
Last here are a few charts I will include:
Current portfolio (courtesy of Google Finance)

Portfolio by annual dividend

Monthly dividend w/ trendline
Good luck to everyone on their journeys!

submitted by jaw_waj to dividends [link] [comments]

2024.04.19 21:16 Jem-Rook Fantasy Booking: AEW's Ring Of Honor - Ep.1, 15/Mar '22 - A New Era of Honor

Segment 1: In-Ring

Opening Ring of Honor's first show, dressed in a black suit, is Frankie Kazarian who welcomes the crowd to a new era. A pocket square peeking out of Kazarian’s coat has the following character embroidered into it: 6-YHN.
He announces that he’s been appointed as ROH’s general manager. Unfortunately, he has some bad news. By order of Tony Khan, in the spirit of establishing this as a new beginning for ROH, all of ROH’s championships have been vacated. Therefore his first action as general manager is to crown a new world champion in both the men’s & women’s division.
For the women’s division, he announces the return of ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament where six women will qualify for a 6-way elimination match with the winner being crowned as the new ROH Women’s World Champion. As a graphic appears on the titantron reflecting the six available slots for the Survival Of The Fittest match, a brief graphic appears in the top right corner, displaying the following: 0-P. It goes unnoticed as Kazarian continues talking.
For the men’s division, he reveals the debut of the ROH Round Robin tournament (The R3), a ten-man, two-league tournament where participants face off in a series of singles matches to earn points.The highest scoring participants in each league will face off in the final match to crown a new ROH Men’s World Champion.
As he speaks, graphics appear on the titantron displaying two league tables, listing their participants. Once again a graphic overlay briefly appears in the top right corner displaying the following: 8-IK.

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A
Dante Martin			N/A
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A
Hook			N/A
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

He ends his promo by telling the audience that both tournaments will start that night with the first match of the R3 ‘s Iron League starting right away which transitions to ROH’s signature ring announcer Bobby Cruise announcing the first match of the night.

Match 1: R3 Iron League

Dante Martin (0 pts) vs. Christopher Daniels (0 pts)

Pre-Match: Ring of Honor alumni, Christopher Daniels, enters first. He meets his former tag partner Kazarian as he’s going backstage. Kazarian initially goes to just shake Daniels’ hand but gets pulled into an enthusiastic hug that lifts him off his feet. Once Kazarian frees himself from Daniels he heads backstage.
After Daniels’ finishes his entrance, we cut to the announcer’s desk where Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman sit, introducing themselves as ROH’s commentary team. On the front of their announce desk there are a series of characters that bear resemblance to the out of place graphics that appeared earlier in the show. The characters on the announce desk are as follows: 3-EDC.
Dante Martin enters next as commentary notes that they look forward to seeing how he fairs in the tournament given that he is primarily a tag wrestler. Comms then wish all the best to Dante’s brother and tag partner Darius Martin on his recovery.
With both participants in the ring, comms start explaining the rules of the R3. Every participant will face everyone else in their league once in a singles match with a twenty minute time limit. Participants will gain 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw & 0 points for a loss.
Opening: Both men observe the Code of Honor, shaking hands after the bell rings leading into a respectful match. Comms point out the rookie vs. veteran dynamic from the start, wondering how it will affect proceedings. They also note that ROH alumni taking on new ROH debutantes will be a common occurrence in the coming weeks of ROH’s new era.
Match: Daniels initially tries to keep up with the high-flying Dante but realises that at this point in his career that won't be possible & in fact just opens him up to be taken advantage of by his younger opponent. Daniels switches tactics & instead tries to slow the pace and ground Dante which finally allows him to get some offence in.
In the middle of the match, the feed cuts backstage to see a lethargic Shawn Spears reclining in an elevated deck chair wearing: socks, sandals, floral shorts, sunglasses and a fleece bathrobe. Spears casually reaches under his chair to reveal a small placard with the number 4 on it as Dante performs a textbook Hurricanrana. Intermittently, throughout the match, Spears is shown holding up various numbered placards whenever Dante does something impressive. Despite Dante’s incredible feats, Spears never scores him above a 5. However, the majority of the match is used to introduce & showcase Dante’s incredible high-flying offence to an ROH audience that may have been previously unaware of Dante.
Finish: Daniels retains control long enough to set Dante up for his finishing move the Best Moonsault Ever. However, hesitation from Daniels, stemming from his inability to perform high-flying moves of the same caliber as Dante, causes Daniels to crash into the canvas as Dante rolls out of the way onto the apron . As the winded Daniels gets to his feet, Dante leaps from one set of ropes to another & hits his finisher, the Nosedive, for the pin.
Winner: Dante Martin (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

Post-Match: The ref raises Dante’s hand as Daniels sits in a corner, wearing a blank expression, staring into space. Dante notices this and kneels down to Daniel, offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor. This seems to snap Danies out of his trance.
Both men shake hands as the feed cuts backstage one more time to Spears. He toasts a coconut from his chair with a pink twisty straw in it. Daniels raises the younger man’s hand before leaving the ring to allow him to celebrate as the segment transitions backstage.

Segment 2: Backstage

Backstage, outside of the women’s locker room, Willow Nightingale/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475152/willownightingale1.jpg), dressed in street clothes, is being interviewed by Lexy Nair, whose microphone has the following characters on it: 9-OL.

Lexy: Ms. Nightingale, thank you so-
Willow: Awh, come on Lexy. Sorry to cut you off but, you don’t have to be so formal just because we’re at work. It's just Willow, it's always Willow.
Lexy, smiling: Okay, Willow, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, especially on such short notice as we were just made aware that not only is the Survival of the Fittest tournament returning but you have a qualifying match later on tonight? What is your immediate reaction to all of this news?
Willow: Shock. Excitement. Maybe feeling a little overwhelmed? Haha, but, no, seriously, I found out at the same time as everyone else, I’m not even in my gear yet because I wasn’t told I was wrestling tonight. But to have a chance to qualify for the Survival of the Fittest, a match that has been an institution of Ring of Honor, is a dream.
Lexy: Yes, absolutely, and speaking of qualifying, your qualifying match tonight will be against ‘The Professor’ Serena Deeb. Having never faced off with Deeb one-on-one can you speak to your chances against her or perhaps what strategy you’ll be looking to deploy against such a tenured veteran of the wrestling industry who has ten years of experience on you?
Willow: Well, I don’t think I can tell you my strategy & not just because I had this match sprung on me at the last moment, haha, but because giving Serena Deeb any more information that she can add to her to encyclopaedia of wrestling knowledge would be the same as forfeiting the match. Serena may be the best technical wrestler in the world. She knows better than anybody how to use the smallest piece of information about her opponent & squeeze it for all its worth. She is the prime example of a ring general. But, I will say this, despite all her knowledge, all her experience & expertise she’s never faced anyone like Willow Nightingale.
Lexy: Ok, and just one more question because I know you have to go prepare for your match but speaking of the unknown, the Survival of the Fittest match has six spots available, is there anyone in the women’s division that you hope is unsuccessful in their qualifier?
Willow: There’s nobody I want to avoid. When I fight for the ROH Women’s World Championship, I want to know that I earned it, that I faced the best & I beat the best.
At Supercard of Honor XV, the last pay-per-view of the old era, I had a chance to do just that & I came up short. And I have to be honest, it has put one massive chip on my shoulder and the only way I’m going to be able to get rid of it is by winning the Survival of the Fittest match & becoming world champion.
???: That was a great speech Willow

Lexy & Willow turn to see Serena Deeb, already in her ring gear, coming out of the locker room.

Serena: But you’re leaving out something important.
Willow: Hello to you too Serena.
Serena: Cute. Do you want to say it or should I?

Willow’s words get caught in her throat.

Serena: You gave up.

Willow looks away as Serena gets in her face.

Serena: With the world title on the line, when your back was against the wall, you didn’t fight your way out, you tapped out. You couldn't hack it & you quit. So, as much as I want you to be proven right tonight, for you to be unlike anyone I’ve ever faced, I think we both know that you’re no different than the quitter you were at Supercard, no different from the countless quitters that I’ve seen come & go in near two decades I’ve been doing this.

Willow turns to face Deeb, her usual smile replaced by a scowl.

Willow: I tapped out at Supercard but I am not a quitter & I’m you’re going to see that tonight when I beat you to qualify for Survival of the Fittest.
Serena, backing away: I hope so.

Willow looks intense as the feed cuts to ringside.
Comms react to Willow & Serena’s interaction before hyping the pair’s Survival of the Fittest tournament match later in the night. They start to introduce the next segment, another Survival of the Fittest tournament match, only to cut themselves off. They relay to the audience that they’re receiving word of a fight breaking out backstage.
The feed cuts to see Willow, not far from where the camera saw her last, attempting to fight back against a red-haired woman with her back to the camera. Willow's attempt to fight back is made mute as the woman produces a lead pipe and lays into Willow. The woman targets Willow's left knee with the only thing stopping the assault being a group of security that separates the figure from Willow. The woman turns her back on Willow to face the camera, revealing herself as Mercedes Martinez.
The aghast commentary team notes that Martinez was the woman that Willow referred to in her earlier promo, the two of them having battled for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Supercard of Honor XV. However, they’re confused as to why Martinez would have it out for Willow given that Martinez won that match and was the last officially recognised ROH Women’s World Champion of the previous era. Martinez strolls away while the medical team tends to Willow.
The somber commentary team hope Willow isn’t seriously injured & will be able to compete later in the night. They wish her the best before introducing the next match.

Match 2: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Anna Jay vs. ???

Pre-Match: Anna Jay enters as comms inform the audience that neither they nor Anna Jay know who her opponent will be. Despite this, Anna makes her entrance with a big smile on her face that is immediately wiped away once her opponent is revealed as the Cutest in the World, Maki Itoh, much to the delight of her simps.
Anna starts to repeatedly ask, off-microphone, “Why is she here? She doesn’t even go here”. Itoh is unphased as she sings her way to the ring. While Itoh continues her performance Anna can be seen grabbing the ref in the background & gesturing wildly at Itoh.
Once Itoh’s entrance is complete & she looks across the ring to acknowledge her opponent, Anna exhales sharply and sets her jaw.
Opening: Itoh offers her hand for the Code of Honor. Anna is clearly hesitant but eventually shakes Itoh’s hand however she quickly pulls her hand away for fear of Itoh. Itoh seems amused by this.
Match: Anna’s hesitance continues throughout the match, allowing Itoh to get the best of their opening exchanges which visibly annoys Anna. However, Itoh takes too much time playing to the crowd, allowing Anna to finally get the best of one of their exchanges. The two meet in the middle of the ring afterwards and Anna condescendingly pats the shorter Itoh on the head. This is Anna’s first mistake as the, up until now, lighthearted Itoh responds by flipping off Anna, ducking one of her strikes & laying into Anna with a flurry of her own.
Anna’s second mistake is when she responds with a strike of her own, she aims for Itoh’s notoriously hard head, causing Anna to clutch her hand in agony. This sets the tone for the match as Itoh controls the majority of the match only for showboating to cause her to lose control. However, Anna’s overconfidence never allows her to meaningfully do damage to her opponent as she’s more focused on belittling her opponent.
Finish: Having downed Anna, Itoh ascends to the top rope for a Diving Headbutt. But, as she asks the audience who the cutest pro-wrestler in the world is, Anna has enough time to recover & start battling with Itoh on the top rope.
Anna locks on the Queenslayer. It looks as if Itoh is passing out but she simply allows herself to fall straight down to the mat with Anna still on her back. This results in a modified Jawbreaker that breaks the hold on Itoh as Anna goes limp.
Itoh gets to her feet & locks in the Itoh Special. The ref immediately calls for the bell as it is clear that Anna is unconscious from the Jawbreaker.
Winner: Maki Itoh (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: After having her hand raised in victory, Itoh reaches down to the unconscious Anna & takes her hand in both of her own, shaking it & bowing to Anna mockingly before letting it drop, sticking her tongue out & flipping her off.
With Anna now completely out of her mind after, technically, fulfilling the Code of Honor, Itoh gestures for a microphone & celebrates her victory with another rendition of her performance much to the delight of her simps as the feed transitions to the next segment.

Segment 3: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Dante Martin after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Dante is sitting backstage in the locker room taking off his boots, removing his wrist tape etc., when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments.
Above Dante, seemingly in place of a name card donating this section of the locker room as his, there is instead a card that has the following characters on it: 1-QAZ.

Dante: First match down. Beating Christopher Daniels ain’t too bad for a tag wrestler, right? For all you know you’re looking at the next world champion. But I gotta stay focused, I can’t let-

There’s a loud slam off-screen.
The camera whips across the room to look for the source of the noise only to see Shawn Spears standing in the doorway, still in his earlier outfit, but now with a frenetic energy.
The side of the doorway where Spears stands has the following characters marked out in iron at the top of the door: 7-UJM.

Spears: Dante Martin. El Angel Dorado. Your life is about to change.
Dante: Who are you?
Spears: That’s a good one, kid.

Spears enters the room, now with an additional blue swirly straw in his coconut drink, his signature branded steel chair in hand. He sets up before turning it around & sitting on it backwards.

Spears: Let me rap with you. I’m Shawn Spears. The Perfect 10, trademark pending. The Chairman. An AEW original who has arrived in ROH for the very first time.
Dante: Uh, that’s great, but what are you doing?
Spears: You ask a lot of questions. Not very charismatic, real 2 behaviour. See, that’s exactly the type of stuff that I’m here to help you with Dante. With my help I can get you from a 2 to a 6 easily. Easily! And one day, who knows, maybe you can become a 10 like me.
Dante: Okay, this is great and all, and y’know, you’re in Ring of Honor, good for you. But, what do you want with me?
Spears: I don’t know how I can make this any simpler, kid. I want to be your sensei! Your coach! Your partner! You and me taking on the world! Becoming champions!
Dante: And why would I do that?
Spears: Well, it’s not like you’re going to win the R3 & it's better than waiting for your injury prone brother to recover.

Those comments cause Dante’s jaw to clench.

Dante: You know what, I think this is a great idea, Spears. Next week I don’t have a tournament match, so how about you “coach” me, in the ring, one-on-one, next week.

Dante walks off before the camera returns to the oblivious Spears, looking satisfied with the whole encounter.

Spears: I think that went pretty well.

The feed cuts away as Spears produces another coconut with a pair of swirly straws in it.

Match 3: R3 Crimson League

Hook (0 pts) vs. Dax Harwood (0 pts) w/ Cash Wheeler

Pre-Match: Dax Harwood enters alongside his FTR tag partner Cash Wheeler, notably without the ROH World Tag Team Championships despite defeating The Briscoes for them at Supercard of Honor XV. Comms openly wonder how Cash feels about Dax being picked for the R3 while he’s on the sidelines,
Hook enters, as cool as ever, and immediately stands in the corner, as he is want to do, keeping his back to Dax even as the bell rings.
Opening: Dax stands in the centre of the ring offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor but gets no response from Hook. That is until Dax loses his patience, spins Hook around & gets in his face, demanding that he shake his hand. Hook looks at Dax’s hand, takes it, and then uses it to pull Dax into a Corner Exploder Suplex.
Match: Throughout the match, the audience sees Dax’s catch-style unable to control Hook who meets Dax’s grappling with his own MMA techniques that surprisingly allows Hook to maintain control on the mat. Dax’s only recourse is to level the playing field with his heavy hands.
Finish: However, relying on those heavy hands is what gets Dax in trouble since once Hook learns the rhythm of Dax’s strikes he’s able to dodge, duck, dip, dive & dodge before quickly capitalising & locking in the Redrum. But, no matter how quick Hook is he’s still giving up a lot of size, and experience for that matter, to Dax who throws Hook forward before he can get his hooks in, forcing the younger man to roll forward.
Hook, eager in his youth, charges at Dax, trying to finish the job but gets caught with a Double-Leg Takedown. Dax then pulls up his legs, steps through, turns him over and locks in the Sharpshooter. Hook struggles to make ground towards the ropes while Dax looks to the opposite side of the ring where Cash stands outside, cheering on his tag partner. Until, out of nowhere, Cash is run over by a tackle from Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook’s fellow Team Taz member. Hobbs’ assault continues on Cash as Dax struggles whether to keep the hold locked in or break it to go save his tag partner. Despite being on the verge of a submission victory, Dax releases the hold & exits the ring to run off Hobbs but by the time he does, the damage is already done.
Cash seems to have hit his head off of the steel steps & his eyes are glazed over. As Dax calls for the medical team the ref continues to count Dax out. As the referee reaches eight, Dax leaves Cash to the medical team & returns to the ring. Dax charges at Hook who has brought himself to his feet, leaning on the top rope. However, Hook is playing possum and he dodges, sending Dax’s throat into the top rope, softening it up as Hook reapplies the Redrum, using Dax’s rebound momentum to send both men to the mat. Struggling for air & knowing he has a whole tournament ahead of him, Dax quickly taps out.
Winner: Hook (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs	Overall Score
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A	0 points			0 points
Hook		3 points	N/A			3 points
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

Post-Match: Hook has his hand raised as Dax recovers. Hook looks slightly conflicted but before he acts on it, Hobbs returns to the ring to raise Hook’s hand. Hobbs starts to trash talk Dax who, despite having just gone through a tournament match, seems ready to fight Hobbs. And as the tension rises between both men, surprisingly it's the apathetic Hook that reigns in Hobbs, leading him out of the ring.
Dax heads outside the ring to check in on Cash as comms introduces the next segment. However before they cut away, a fan holds a sign over the barricade behind Dax with the following characters on it: 2-WSX.

Segment 4: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Christopher Daniels after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Christopher Daniels sits on a production box holding an ice pack to the side of his head when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments. A sticker denoting what the production box contains has been half-covered by another sticker with the following characters on it: 4-RFV.

Daniels: My head hurts. My back hurts. But…but I am excited because ROH is back & Christopher Daniels is back in ROH. I was here for the first show in 2002 & here I am now for the first show in this new era in 2022. Twenty years of Honor, here’s to twenty more.

Daniels looks off to the side, distracted.

Daniels: And look who it is. The new General Manager of ROH. Get in here Kaz!

The camera pans to see Frankie Kazarian, clipboard in hand, in the middle of a conversation with a production assistant. As the camera focuses on him he puts on a professional smile & walks over to join Daniels. Daniels moves over, making room for Kaz but Kaz opts to stand. Daniels puts an arm around him regardless.

Daniels: Hey, Kaz!
Kaz: Hello, Chris, is there something I can do for you?
Daniels: Haha, you hear this guy? I mean maybe you could’ve been out there with me, huh? Like the good ol’ days?
Kaz: Yeah, sure. I mean, I’m kind of-
Daniels: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re busy now, you’ve got the suit but if you ever came back, we’d team together, again, right?
Kaz: Look, Chris, I-

Kazarian is interrupted by Anna Jay accompanied by her TayJay tag partner Tay Conti.

Anna: What was that?
Kaz: What?
Tay: Her match!
Anna: Why was I in a match with someone who doesn’t even go here?
Kaz: Uh, Chris, I have to deal with this.
Chris: Sure man, I’m going to hit the showers, I’ll see you next week.
Kaz: Yeah, sure. Okay, so what do you two want?
Anna: I want Maki Itoh removed from the Survival of the Fittest match & replaced by me.
Kaz: You know I can’t do that, she works for ROH so that’s not going to happen.
Anna: Okay, then at least promise right now, on camera, that you won’t cheat Tay out of the Survival of the Fittest like you cheated me by surprising me with Maki Itoh.
Kaz: Sure, I promise.
Tay: And that I‘ll get an opponent we actually know.
Anna: Yeah, someone we’ve at least wrestled.

Kazarian takes a second to pause, composing himself.

Kaz: Alright, yeah, sure, you got it. Next week in the Survival of the Fittest tournament Tay Conti will face a wrestler that you have wrestled before.
Anna: And I’m going to be at ringside to make sure there’s no funny business.

Anna & Tay walk away before Kaz can respond. The new GM of ROH just closes his eyes & pinches the bridge of his nose as the feed cuts to ringside.

Match 4: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb

Pre-Match: “The Professor” Serena Deeb confidently walks to the ring, bearing the flag of the Deeb Dojo. She is the image of stoicism, the complete antithesis of her opponent.
The stand that Deeb places her flag pole into has the following characters marked on the bottom of it: 5-TGB.
In the silence following Serena’s entrance music, comms question whether Willow will be able to compete after the attack she sustained earlier in the night. As the silence stretches onward, the ref gets out of the ring & talks to Bobby Cruise. Cruise starts to announce that Willow has had to forfeit & the match can’t go ahead.
However, before Cruise can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by Willow Nightingale, the Babe With The Powerbomb, bursting out of the entrance way, her knee bandaged up, still clapping along to her song with a massive smile despite the pain.
Opening: Despite the ringside medical team’s insistence otherwise, Willow tells the referee to start the match. Both women observe the Code of Honor but as soon as their hands separate Serena goes after Willow like a shark who smells blood in the water. She targets the injured limb, offering zero pity.
Match: But Willow continues to fight even though her greatest asset, her power, has been almost entirely neutralised via the damage done to her knee. The match continues with Serena dismantling Willow until she is able to temporarily grit her teeth through the pain & establish some momentum only for her knee to buckle, allowing Serena to reestablish control.
Finish: Willow is in the midst of what comms assumes to be her final chance at a comeback. Despite the injury, Willow continues to soldier forward even setting Serena up for her signature Pounce. But, as Willow leaves her feet Serena goes low with Dropkick to the injured knee, sending Willow off her planned trajectory & resulting in a nasty landing.
Serena seizes on this opportunity to end things as she locks in the Serenity Lock that should force Willow to submit but she refuses. Serena’s comments from earlier in the night have stuck with her & she refuses to quit, no matter the consequences. Despite this, the human body can only stand so much & Willow passes out from the pain.
Winner: Serena Deeb (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: Serena crouches over Willow. Serena yanks one of her limp hands, shakes & throws it back, reluctantly observing the Code of Honor, a look of disgust on her face. Serena heads to the back as Willow is attended to by the medical team at ringside.

Segment 5: Backstage

The feed cuts backstage to a pre-match interview with Lexy Nair & Ricky Starks before Starks makes his entrance for the main event.
Lexy starts to speak but is immediately cut off.

Starks: I’m sorry Lexy but I’m going to have to cut you off right away because I cannot let a single second of this night be wasted. Because tonight is a big night, tonight is the night that Absolute Ricky Starks debuts in Ring of Honor and takes his first steps to becoming ROH World Champion. Now I’ve never competed in a tournament like the R3 & most men in my situation would be nervous but is Ricky Starks nervous? Hell no. For Absolute Ricky Starks, this is the same as any other night of the week. I show up, I show out & show these people what they came to see! Now as far as my time in ROH goes, I will be flying solo. And I say that with love, all love, for my Team Tazz brothers. But, I came to ROH to test myself, to push myself & to prove that I am Absolute. And to do that there has to be absolutely no doubt in mind that I am good enough to succeed by my own power. And my first step to proving that starts tonight & it starts against The Most Wanted, Bandido. Now, Bandido, amigo, the things you can do in that ring defy belief & that’s why you are a former ROH World Champion. But, let me tell you this, despite how good you are, despite everything you can do, you don’t have “It”, the special sauce, the x-factor, the secret ingredient that determines whether you’re gonna be a legend in the business or not, “It” separates the has-beens & the might-bes from the absolute. And the absolute truth is that Ricky Starks has… “It”.

Starks turns away from the camera & heads out the curtain to make his entrance for the main event.

Match 5 (Main Event): R3 Iron League

Ricky Starks (0 pts) vs. Bandido (0 pts)
https://preview.redd.it/996c9v2akhvc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ba47e2827eecb6bf9354ab14af32d99ac51e253

Pre-Match: While Starks makes his entrance comms wonder how Starks will fare in ROH as a solo act & wonder what prompted his sudden need to push himself that prompted his dismissal of his Team Tazz faction mates.
Bandido pauses at the top of the stage during his entrance, takes a deep breath & then proceeds to the ring with his usual swagger and bravado.
Opening: Bandido offers his hand & Starks seems as if he’s going to shake it but instead does his signature pose much to the dismay of Bandido. However, with a smile, Starks ends his pose & shakes Bandido’s hand in an uncharacteristic sign of respect.
Match: Based on their moral alignments, it should be a simple face vs. heel dynamic with Bandido as the valiant babyface versus the cocky heel, Starks.
However, due to Bandido being faster and stronger than Starks, the would-be heel finds himself in a sympathetic position, repeatedly kicking out Bandido's scintillating offence. But, the more Starks perseveres the more frustrated and aggressive Bandido becomes, creating a perpetual cycle of support for Starks as he displays his resilience. This continues as Bandido pulls out every big move in his arsenal but Starks won’t stay down.
In the final section of the match, Bandido’s disbelief is plain to see despite his mask after Starks kicks out of Bandido’s X Knee/Powerbomb combination. Bandido grabs Starks, pulling him to his feet by the sides of his head, staring holes in Starks, as if searching for the answer on how to neutralise him.
He receives no such answer from Starks who, despite standing on unsteady legs, pushes Bandido away & defiantly beats his chest, challenging Bandido to keep bringing the fight to him. The sudden outburst of emotion from Starks stuns Bandido & allows Starks to make his comeback, concluding with his signature Roshambo%EB%A1%9C%EC%83%B4%EB%B3%B4(Roshambo)%ED%8A%B8%EB%A0%88%EB%B2%84%EB%A6%AC%EB%93%9C_(Trevor_Read)_AEW_Dark_2020110.gif?type=w800). In a last gasp effort Starks slams the inverted Bandido ino the mat & just as it seems he has the match won, the referee stops his count on account that Bandido manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, breaking the count.
It's clear that Starks is crushed & comms note that this is a make or break moment in the match for Starks. Even though it appears he’s used the last of his energy reserves, if he wants to be a champion, he needs to reach beyond his limits to come away with the victory. Despite his inability to hear comms, it seems Starks agrees as he attempts a second Roshambo. Unfortunately for Starks, he struggles to get Bandido on to his shoulder due to the sustained beating he’s suffered throughout the match. It’s this delay in elevating Bandido that allows him enough time to formulate a counter & retake control of the match, continuing his assault on Starks. But none if it is enough to keep him down for three.
Finish: Bandido has used up all of his signature moves, except one: the 21-Plex. So, he sets Starks up. But, Starks has done his homework & instead of fighting against Bandido’s momentum he pushes backwards into Bandido as he performs the suplex. With the combined efforts of the torque Bandido created, his strength & Starks additional momentum, Bandido over commits, sending Starks all the way over onto his feet where he rebounds off the ropes, ducks a Clothesline, hits the ropes again and hits Bandido with a massive Spear. This secures Starks the victory.
Winner: Ricky Starks (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A			0 points		0 points
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks	3 points			N/A		3 points
???					N/A

Post-Match: Starks, sat in a corner, takes some time to catch his breath as he is announced the winner while Bandido recovers & attempts to leave the ring, his head hung low. However, Starks gets to his feet & stops him, insisting that they observe the Code of Honor. Bandido is reluctant but takes Starks hand only for Starks to pull him to the middle of the ring and raise Bandido’s hand, urging the crowd to show their appreciation for his opponent. Bandido accepts the praise before leaving the ring & heading to the back. As Starks raises his arms in victory in time with his theme, expecting to close the first show of ROH’s new era in celebration but this celebration is cut short as his music is replaced by the music of a man very familiar to ROH fans.
That man is Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine cockily struts to the ring, a malevolent aura oozing from the longest reigning ROH World Champion. Starks readies himself for a fight but, given the battle he’s just gone through, he’d have little to no chance of defending himself against a regular man, let alone Samoa Joe. Joe takes his time getting into the ring, his victory imminent. However, once he does, Starks rushes at him, not willing to go down without a fight, his battle with Bandido having unlocked another side of him.
Looking to get the bigger man off his feet, Starks hits the ropes, looking to hoping Joe with his heaviest artillery. But hope is fleeting when in presence of Samoa Joe who, with speed that should be impossible for a man of his size, vaults over Starks' Spear & onto his’ back, wrapping his arm around his neck, his legs around his torso & brings him to the mat, all in one smooth movement.
Although Starks fights, in his condition there is no escape from unconsciousness as Joe chokes him out with the Coquina Clutch. With Starks neutralised, Joe gets to his feet & surveys his handiwork with a smile before placing a boot on the limp body of Starks’ body & raising his arm in the air as the show goes off the air.

submitted by Jem-Rook to AEWOfficial [link] [comments]

2024.04.19 21:14 Jem-Rook Fantasy Booking: AEW's Ring Of Honor - Ep.1, 15/Mar '22 - A New Era of Honor

Segment 1: In-Ring

Opening Ring of Honor's first show, dressed in a black suit, is Frankie Kazarian who welcomes the crowd to a new era. A pocket square peeking out of Kazarian’s coat has the following character embroidered into it: 6-YHN.
He announces that he’s been appointed as ROH’s general manager. Unfortunately, he has some bad news. By order of Tony Khan, in the spirit of establishing this as a new beginning for ROH, all of ROH’s championships have been vacated. Therefore his first action as general manager is to crown a new world champion in both the men’s & women’s division.
For the women’s division, he announces the return of ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament where six women will qualify for a 6-way elimination match with the winner being crowned as the new ROH Women’s World Champion. As a graphic appears on the titantron reflecting the six available slots for the Survival Of The Fittest match, a brief graphic appears in the top right corner, displaying the following: 0-P. It goes unnoticed as Kazarian continues talking.
For the men’s division, he reveals the debut of the ROH Round Robin tournament (The R3), a ten-man, two-league tournament where participants face off in a series of singles matches to earn points.The highest scoring participants in each league will face off in the final match to crown a new ROH Men’s World Champion.
As he speaks, graphics appear on the titantron displaying two league tables, listing their participants. Once again a graphic overlay briefly appears in the top right corner displaying the following: 8-IK.

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A
Dante Martin			N/A
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A
Hook			N/A
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

He ends his promo by telling the audience that both tournaments will start that night with the first match of the R3 ‘s Iron League starting right away which transitions to ROH’s signature ring announcer Bobby Cruise announcing the first match of the night.

Match 1: R3 Iron League

Dante Martin (0 pts) vs. Christopher Daniels (0 pts)

Pre-Match: Ring of Honor alumni, Christopher Daniels, enters first. He meets his former tag partner Kazarian as he’s going backstage. Kazarian initially goes to just shake Daniels’ hand but gets pulled into an enthusiastic hug that lifts him off his feet. Once Kazarian frees himself from Daniels he heads backstage.
After Daniels’ finishes his entrance, we cut to the announcer’s desk where Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman sit, introducing themselves as ROH’s commentary team. On the front of their announce desk there are a series of characters that bear resemblance to the out of place graphics that appeared earlier in the show. The characters on the announce desk are as follows: 3-EDC.
Dante Martin enters next as commentary notes that they look forward to seeing how he fairs in the tournament given that he is primarily a tag wrestler. Comms then wish all the best to Dante’s brother and tag partner Darius Martin on his recovery.
With both participants in the ring, comms start explaining the rules of the R3. Every participant will face everyone else in their league once in a singles match with a twenty minute time limit. Participants will gain 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw & 0 points for a loss.
Opening: Both men observe the Code of Honor, shaking hands after the bell rings leading into a respectful match. Comms point out the rookie vs. veteran dynamic from the start, wondering how it will affect proceedings. They also note that ROH alumni taking on new ROH debutantes will be a common occurrence in the coming weeks of ROH’s new era.
Match: Daniels initially tries to keep up with the high-flying Dante but realises that at this point in his career that won't be possible & in fact just opens him up to be taken advantage of by his younger opponent. Daniels switches tactics & instead tries to slow the pace and ground Dante which finally allows him to get some offence in.
In the middle of the match, the feed cuts backstage to see a lethargic Shawn Spears reclining in an elevated deck chair wearing: socks, sandals, floral shorts, sunglasses and a fleece bathrobe. Spears casually reaches under his chair to reveal a small placard with the number 4 on it as Dante performs a textbook Hurricanrana. Intermittently, throughout the match, Spears is shown holding up various numbered placards whenever Dante does something impressive. Despite Dante’s incredible feats, Spears never scores him above a 5. However, the majority of the match is used to introduce & showcase Dante’s incredible high-flying offence to an ROH audience that may have been previously unaware of Dante.
Finish: Daniels retains control long enough to set Dante up for his finishing move the Best Moonsault Ever. However, hesitation from Daniels, stemming from his inability to perform high-flying moves of the same caliber as Dante, causes Daniels to crash into the canvas as Dante rolls out of the way onto the apron . As the winded Daniels gets to his feet, Dante leaps from one set of ropes to another & hits his finisher, the Nosedive, for the pin.
Winner: Dante Martin (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

Post-Match: The ref raises Dante’s hand as Daniels sits in a corner, wearing a blank expression, staring into space. Dante notices this and kneels down to Daniel, offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor. This seems to snap Danies out of his trance.
Both men shake hands as the feed cuts backstage one more time to Spears. He toasts a coconut from his chair with a pink twisty straw in it. Daniels raises the younger man’s hand before leaving the ring to allow him to celebrate as the segment transitions backstage.

Segment 2: Backstage

Backstage, outside of the women’s locker room, Willow Nightingale/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475152/willownightingale1.jpg), dressed in street clothes, is being interviewed by Lexy Nair, whose microphone has the following characters on it: 9-OL.

Lexy & Willow turn to see Serena Deeb, already in her ring gear, coming out of the locker room.

Serena: But you’re leaving out something important.
Willow: Hello to you too Serena.
Serena: Cute. Do you want to say it or should I?

Willow’s words get caught in her throat.

Serena: You gave up.

Willow looks away as Serena gets in her face.

Willow turns to face Deeb, her usual smile replaced by a scowl.

Willow looks intense as the feed cuts to ringside.
Comms react to Willow & Serena’s interaction before hyping the pair’s Survival of the Fittest tournament match later in the night. They start to introduce the next segment, another Survival of the Fittest tournament match, only to cut themselves off. They relay to the audience that they’re receiving word of a fight breaking out backstage.
The feed cuts to see Willow, not far from where the camera saw her last, attempting to fight back against a red-haired woman with her back to the camera. Willow's attempt to fight back is made mute as the woman produces a lead pipe and lays into Willow. The woman targets Willow's left knee with the only thing stopping the assault being a group of security that separates the figure from Willow. The woman turns her back on Willow to face the camera, revealing herself as Mercedes Martinez.
The aghast commentary team notes that Martinez was the woman that Willow referred to in her earlier promo, the two of them having battled for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Supercard of Honor XV. However, they’re confused as to why Martinez would have it out for Willow given that Martinez won that match and was the last officially recognised ROH Women’s World Champion of the previous era. Martinez strolls away while the medical team tends to Willow.
The somber commentary team hope Willow isn’t seriously injured & will be able to compete later in the night. They wish her the best before introducing the next match.

Match 2: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Anna Jay vs. ???

Pre-Match: Anna Jay enters as comms inform the audience that neither they nor Anna Jay know who her opponent will be. Despite this, Anna makes her entrance with a big smile on her face that is immediately wiped away once her opponent is revealed as the Cutest in the World, Maki Itoh, much to the delight of her simps.
Anna starts to repeatedly ask, off-microphone, “Why is she here? She doesn’t even go here”. Itoh is unphased as she sings her way to the ring. While Itoh continues her performance Anna can be seen grabbing the ref in the background & gesturing wildly at Itoh.
Once Itoh’s entrance is complete & she looks across the ring to acknowledge her opponent, Anna exhales sharply and sets her jaw.
Opening: Itoh offers her hand for the Code of Honor. Anna is clearly hesitant but eventually shakes Itoh’s hand however she quickly pulls her hand away for fear of Itoh. Itoh seems amused by this.
Match: Anna’s hesitance continues throughout the match, allowing Itoh to get the best of their opening exchanges which visibly annoys Anna. However, Itoh takes too much time playing to the crowd, allowing Anna to finally get the best of one of their exchanges. The two meet in the middle of the ring afterwards and Anna condescendingly pats the shorter Itoh on the head. This is Anna’s first mistake as the, up until now, lighthearted Itoh responds by flipping off Anna, ducking one of her strikes & laying into Anna with a flurry of her own.
Anna’s second mistake is when she responds with a strike of her own, she aims for Itoh’s notoriously hard head, causing Anna to clutch her hand in agony. This sets the tone for the match as Itoh controls the majority of the match only for showboating to cause her to lose control. However, Anna’s overconfidence never allows her to meaningfully do damage to her opponent as she’s more focused on belittling her opponent.
Finish: Having downed Anna, Itoh ascends to the top rope for a Diving Headbutt. But, as she asks the audience who the cutest pro-wrestler in the world is, Anna has enough time to recover & start battling with Itoh on the top rope.
Anna locks on the Queenslayer. It looks as if Itoh is passing out but she simply allows herself to fall straight down to the mat with Anna still on her back. This results in a modified Jawbreaker that breaks the hold on Itoh as Anna goes limp.
Itoh gets to her feet & locks in the Itoh Special. The ref immediately calls for the bell as it is clear that Anna is unconscious from the Jawbreaker.
Winner: Maki Itoh (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: After having her hand raised in victory, Itoh reaches down to the unconscious Anna & takes her hand in both of her own, shaking it & bowing to Anna mockingly before letting it drop, sticking her tongue out & flipping her off.
With Anna now completely out of her mind after, technically, fulfilling the Code of Honor, Itoh gestures for a microphone & celebrates her victory with another rendition of her performance much to the delight of her simps as the feed transitions to the next segment.

Segment 3: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Dante Martin after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Dante is sitting backstage in the locker room taking off his boots, removing his wrist tape etc., when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments.
Above Dante, seemingly in place of a name card donating this section of the locker room as his, there is instead a card that has the following characters on it: 1-QAZ.

There’s a loud slam off-screen.
The camera whips across the room to look for the source of the noise only to see Shawn Spears standing in the doorway, still in his earlier outfit, but now with a frenetic energy.
The side of the doorway where Spears stands has the following characters marked out in iron at the top of the door: 7-UJM.

Spears: Dante Martin. El Angel Dorado. Your life is about to change.
Dante: Who are you?
Spears: That’s a good one, kid.

Spears enters the room, now with an additional blue swirly straw in his coconut drink, his signature branded steel chair in hand. He sets up before turning it around & sitting on it backwards.

Those comments cause Dante’s jaw to clench.

Dante: You know what, I think this is a great idea, Spears. Next week I don’t have a tournament match, so how about you “coach” me, in the ring, one-on-one, next week.

Dante walks off before the camera returns to the oblivious Spears, looking satisfied with the whole encounter.

Spears: I think that went pretty well.

The feed cuts away as Spears produces another coconut with a pair of swirly straws in it.

Match 3: R3 Crimson League

Hook (0 pts) vs. Dax Harwood (0 pts) w/ Cash Wheeler

Pre-Match: Dax Harwood enters alongside his FTR tag partner Cash Wheeler, notably without the ROH World Tag Team Championships despite defeating The Briscoes for them at Supercard of Honor XV. Comms openly wonder how Cash feels about Dax being picked for the R3 while he’s on the sidelines,
Hook enters, as cool as ever, and immediately stands in the corner, as he is want to do, keeping his back to Dax even as the bell rings.
Opening: Dax stands in the centre of the ring offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor but gets no response from Hook. That is until Dax loses his patience, spins Hook around & gets in his face, demanding that he shake his hand. Hook looks at Dax’s hand, takes it, and then uses it to pull Dax into a Corner Exploder Suplex.
Match: Throughout the match, the audience sees Dax’s catch-style unable to control Hook who meets Dax’s grappling with his own MMA techniques that surprisingly allows Hook to maintain control on the mat. Dax’s only recourse is to level the playing field with his heavy hands.
Finish: However, relying on those heavy hands is what gets Dax in trouble since once Hook learns the rhythm of Dax’s strikes he’s able to dodge, duck, dip, dive & dodge before quickly capitalising & locking in the Redrum. But, no matter how quick Hook is he’s still giving up a lot of size, and experience for that matter, to Dax who throws Hook forward before he can get his hooks in, forcing the younger man to roll forward.
Hook, eager in his youth, charges at Dax, trying to finish the job but gets caught with a Double-Leg Takedown. Dax then pulls up his legs, steps through, turns him over and locks in the Sharpshooter. Hook struggles to make ground towards the ropes while Dax looks to the opposite side of the ring where Cash stands outside, cheering on his tag partner. Until, out of nowhere, Cash is run over by a tackle from Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook’s fellow Team Taz member. Hobbs’ assault continues on Cash as Dax struggles whether to keep the hold locked in or break it to go save his tag partner. Despite being on the verge of a submission victory, Dax releases the hold & exits the ring to run off Hobbs but by the time he does, the damage is already done.
Cash seems to have hit his head off of the steel steps & his eyes are glazed over. As Dax calls for the medical team the ref continues to count Dax out. As the referee reaches eight, Dax leaves Cash to the medical team & returns to the ring. Dax charges at Hook who has brought himself to his feet, leaning on the top rope. However, Hook is playing possum and he dodges, sending Dax’s throat into the top rope, softening it up as Hook reapplies the Redrum, using Dax’s rebound momentum to send both men to the mat. Struggling for air & knowing he has a whole tournament ahead of him, Dax quickly taps out.
Winner: Hook (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs	Overall Score
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A	0 points			0 points
Hook		3 points	N/A			3 points
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

Post-Match: Hook has his hand raised as Dax recovers. Hook looks slightly conflicted but before he acts on it, Hobbs returns to the ring to raise Hook’s hand. Hobbs starts to trash talk Dax who, despite having just gone through a tournament match, seems ready to fight Hobbs. And as the tension rises between both men, surprisingly it's the apathetic Hook that reigns in Hobbs, leading him out of the ring.
Dax heads outside the ring to check in on Cash as comms introduces the next segment. However before they cut away, a fan holds a sign over the barricade behind Dax with the following characters on it: 2-WSX.

Segment 4: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Christopher Daniels after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Christopher Daniels sits on a production box holding an ice pack to the side of his head when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments. A sticker denoting what the production box contains has been half-covered by another sticker with the following characters on it: 4-RFV.

Daniels looks off to the side, distracted.

Daniels: And look who it is. The new General Manager of ROH. Get in here Kaz!

The camera pans to see Frankie Kazarian, clipboard in hand, in the middle of a conversation with a production assistant. As the camera focuses on him he puts on a professional smile & walks over to join Daniels. Daniels moves over, making room for Kaz but Kaz opts to stand. Daniels puts an arm around him regardless.

Kazarian is interrupted by Anna Jay accompanied by her TayJay tag partner Tay Conti.

Kazarian takes a second to pause, composing himself.

Anna & Tay walk away before Kaz can respond. The new GM of ROH just closes his eyes & pinches the bridge of his nose as the feed cuts to ringside.

Match 4: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb

Pre-Match: “The Professor” Serena Deeb confidently walks to the ring, bearing the flag of the Deeb Dojo. She is the image of stoicism, the complete antithesis of her opponent.
The stand that Deeb places her flag pole into has the following characters marked on the bottom of it: 5-TGB.
In the silence following Serena’s entrance music, comms question whether Willow will be able to compete after the attack she sustained earlier in the night. As the silence stretches onward, the ref gets out of the ring & talks to Bobby Cruise. Cruise starts to announce that Willow has had to forfeit & the match can’t go ahead.
However, before Cruise can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by Willow Nightingale, the Babe With The Powerbomb, bursting out of the entrance way, her knee bandaged up, still clapping along to her song with a massive smile despite the pain.
Opening: Despite the ringside medical team’s insistence otherwise, Willow tells the referee to start the match. Both women observe the Code of Honor but as soon as their hands separate Serena goes after Willow like a shark who smells blood in the water. She targets the injured limb, offering zero pity.
Match: But Willow continues to fight even though her greatest asset, her power, has been almost entirely neutralised via the damage done to her knee. The match continues with Serena dismantling Willow until she is able to temporarily grit her teeth through the pain & establish some momentum only for her knee to buckle, allowing Serena to reestablish control.
Finish: Willow is in the midst of what comms assumes to be her final chance at a comeback. Despite the injury, Willow continues to soldier forward even setting Serena up for her signature Pounce. But, as Willow leaves her feet Serena goes low with Dropkick to the injured knee, sending Willow off her planned trajectory & resulting in a nasty landing.
Serena seizes on this opportunity to end things as she locks in the Serenity Lock that should force Willow to submit but she refuses. Serena’s comments from earlier in the night have stuck with her & she refuses to quit, no matter the consequences. Despite this, the human body can only stand so much & Willow passes out from the pain.
Winner: Serena Deeb (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: Serena crouches over Willow. Serena yanks one of her limp hands, shakes & throws it back, reluctantly observing the Code of Honor, a look of disgust on her face. Serena heads to the back as Willow is attended to by the medical team at ringside.

Segment 5: Backstage

The feed cuts backstage to a pre-match interview with Lexy Nair & Ricky Starks before Starks makes his entrance for the main event.
Lexy starts to speak but is immediately cut off.

Starks turns away from the camera & heads out the curtain to make his entrance for the main event.

Match 5 (Main Event): R3 Iron League

Ricky Starks (0 pts) vs. Bandido (0 pts)
https://preview.redd.it/4zo2j3lwjhvc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7bc932ed7d3f1f78fb5b0be62113ed776bd37c11

Pre-Match: While Starks makes his entrance comms wonder how Starks will fare in ROH as a solo act & wonder what prompted his sudden need to push himself that prompted his dismissal of his Team Tazz faction mates.
Bandido pauses at the top of the stage during his entrance, takes a deep breath & then proceeds to the ring with his usual swagger and bravado.
Opening: Bandido offers his hand & Starks seems as if he’s going to shake it but instead does his signature pose much to the dismay of Bandido. However, with a smile, Starks ends his pose & shakes Bandido’s hand in an uncharacteristic sign of respect.
Match: Based on their moral alignments, it should be a simple face vs. heel dynamic with Bandido as the valiant babyface versus the cocky heel, Starks.
However, due to Bandido being faster and stronger than Starks, the would-be heel finds himself in a sympathetic position, repeatedly kicking out Bandido's scintillating offence. But, the more Starks perseveres the more frustrated and aggressive Bandido becomes, creating a perpetual cycle of support for Starks as he displays his resilience. This continues as Bandido pulls out every big move in his arsenal but Starks won’t stay down.
In the final section of the match, Bandido’s disbelief is plain to see despite his mask after Starks kicks out of Bandido’s X Knee/Powerbomb combination. Bandido grabs Starks, pulling him to his feet by the sides of his head, staring holes in Starks, as if searching for the answer on how to neutralise him.
He receives no such answer from Starks who, despite standing on unsteady legs, pushes Bandido away & defiantly beats his chest, challenging Bandido to keep bringing the fight to him. The sudden outburst of emotion from Starks stuns Bandido & allows Starks to make his comeback, concluding with his signature Roshambo%EB%A1%9C%EC%83%B4%EB%B3%B4(Roshambo)%ED%8A%B8%EB%A0%88%EB%B2%84%EB%A6%AC%EB%93%9C_(Trevor_Read)_AEW_Dark_2020110.gif?type=w800). In a last gasp effort Starks slams the inverted Bandido ino the mat & just as it seems he has the match won, the referee stops his count on account that Bandido manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, breaking the count.
It's clear that Starks is crushed & comms note that this is a make or break moment in the match for Starks. Even though it appears he’s used the last of his energy reserves, if he wants to be a champion, he needs to reach beyond his limits to come away with the victory. Despite his inability to hear comms, it seems Starks agrees as he attempts a second Roshambo. Unfortunately for Starks, he struggles to get Bandido on to his shoulder due to the sustained beating he’s suffered throughout the match. It’s this delay in elevating Bandido that allows him enough time to formulate a counter & retake control of the match, continuing his assault on Starks. But none if it is enough to keep him down for three.
Finish: Bandido has used up all of his signature moves, except one: the 21-Plex. So, he sets Starks up. But, Starks has done his homework & instead of fighting against Bandido’s momentum he pushes backwards into Bandido as he performs the suplex. With the combined efforts of the torque Bandido created, his strength & Starks additional momentum, Bandido over commits, sending Starks all the way over onto his feet where he rebounds off the ropes, ducks a Clothesline, hits the ropes again and hits Bandido with a massive Spear. This secures Starks the victory.
Winner: Ricky Starks (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A			0 points		0 points
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks	3 points			N/A		3 points
???					N/A

Post-Match: Starks, sat in a corner, takes some time to catch his breath as he is announced the winner while Bandido recovers & attempts to leave the ring, his head hung low. However, Starks gets to his feet & stops him, insisting that they observe the Code of Honor. Bandido is reluctant but takes Starks hand only for Starks to pull him to the middle of the ring and raise Bandido’s hand, urging the crowd to show their appreciation for his opponent. Bandido accepts the praise before leaving the ring & heading to the back. As Starks raises his arms in victory in time with his theme, expecting to close the first show of ROH’s new era in celebration but this celebration is cut short as his music is replaced by the music of a man very familiar to ROH fans.
That man is Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine cockily struts to the ring, a malevolent aura oozing from the longest reigning ROH World Champion. Starks readies himself for a fight but, given the battle he’s just gone through, he’d have little to no chance of defending himself against a regular man, let alone Samoa Joe. Joe takes his time getting into the ring, his victory imminent. However, once he does, Starks rushes at him, not willing to go down without a fight, his battle with Bandido having unlocked another side of him.
Looking to get the bigger man off his feet, Starks hits the ropes, looking to hoping Joe with his heaviest artillery. But hope is fleeting when in presence of Samoa Joe who, with speed that should be impossible for a man of his size, vaults over Starks' Spear & onto his’ back, wrapping his arm around his neck, his legs around his torso & brings him to the mat, all in one smooth movement.
Although Starks fights, in his condition there is no escape from unconsciousness as Joe chokes him out with the Coquina Clutch. With Starks neutralised, Joe gets to his feet & surveys his handiwork with a smile before placing a boot on the limp body of Starks’ body & raising his arm in the air as the show goes off the air.

submitted by Jem-Rook to ROH [link] [comments]

2024.04.19 21:13 Jem-Rook Fantasy Booking: AEW's Ring Of Honor - Ep.1, 15/Mar '22 - A New Era of Honor

Segment 1: In-Ring

Opening Ring of Honor's first show, dressed in a black suit, is Frankie Kazarian who welcomes the crowd to a new era. A pocket square peeking out of Kazarian’s coat has the following character embroidered into it: 6-YHN.
He announces that he’s been appointed as ROH’s general manager. Unfortunately, he has some bad news. By order of Tony Khan, in the spirit of establishing this as a new beginning for ROH, all of ROH’s championships have been vacated. Therefore his first action as general manager is to crown a new world champion in both the men’s & women’s division.
For the women’s division, he announces the return of ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament where six women will qualify for a 6-way elimination match with the winner being crowned as the new ROH Women’s World Champion. As a graphic appears on the titantron reflecting the six available slots for the Survival Of The Fittest match, a brief graphic appears in the top right corner, displaying the following: 0-P. It goes unnoticed as Kazarian continues talking.
For the men’s division, he reveals the debut of the ROH Round Robin tournament (The R3), a ten-man, two-league tournament where participants face off in a series of singles matches to earn points.The highest scoring participants in each league will face off in the final match to crown a new ROH Men’s World Champion.
As he speaks, graphics appear on the titantron displaying two league tables, listing their participants. Once again a graphic overlay briefly appears in the top right corner displaying the following: 8-IK.

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A
Dante Martin			N/A
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A
Hook			N/A
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

He ends his promo by telling the audience that both tournaments will start that night with the first match of the R3 ‘s Iron League starting right away which transitions to ROH’s signature ring announcer Bobby Cruise announcing the first match of the night.

Match 1: R3 Iron League

Dante Martin (0 pts) vs. Christopher Daniels (0 pts)

Pre-Match: Ring of Honor alumni, Christopher Daniels, enters first. He meets his former tag partner Kazarian as he’s going backstage. Kazarian initially goes to just shake Daniels’ hand but gets pulled into an enthusiastic hug that lifts him off his feet. Once Kazarian frees himself from Daniels he heads backstage.
After Daniels’ finishes his entrance, we cut to the announcer’s desk where Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman sit, introducing themselves as ROH’s commentary team. On the front of their announce desk there are a series of characters that bear resemblance to the out of place graphics that appeared earlier in the show. The characters on the announce desk are as follows: 3-EDC.
Dante Martin enters next as commentary notes that they look forward to seeing how he fairs in the tournament given that he is primarily a tag wrestler. Comms then wish all the best to Dante’s brother and tag partner Darius Martin on his recovery.
With both participants in the ring, comms start explaining the rules of the R3. Every participant will face everyone else in their league once in a singles match with a twenty minute time limit. Participants will gain 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw & 0 points for a loss.
Opening: Both men observe the Code of Honor, shaking hands after the bell rings leading into a respectful match. Comms point out the rookie vs. veteran dynamic from the start, wondering how it will affect proceedings. They also note that ROH alumni taking on new ROH debutantes will be a common occurrence in the coming weeks of ROH’s new era.
Match: Daniels initially tries to keep up with the high-flying Dante but realises that at this point in his career that won't be possible & in fact just opens him up to be taken advantage of by his younger opponent. Daniels switches tactics & instead tries to slow the pace and ground Dante which finally allows him to get some offence in.
In the middle of the match, the feed cuts backstage to see a lethargic Shawn Spears reclining in an elevated deck chair wearing: socks, sandals, floral shorts, sunglasses and a fleece bathrobe. Spears casually reaches under his chair to reveal a small placard with the number 4 on it as Dante performs a textbook Hurricanrana. Intermittently, throughout the match, Spears is shown holding up various numbered placards whenever Dante does something impressive. Despite Dante’s incredible feats, Spears never scores him above a 5. However, the majority of the match is used to introduce & showcase Dante’s incredible high-flying offence to an ROH audience that may have been previously unaware of Dante.
Finish: Daniels retains control long enough to set Dante up for his finishing move the Best Moonsault Ever. However, hesitation from Daniels, stemming from his inability to perform high-flying moves of the same caliber as Dante, causes Daniels to crash into the canvas as Dante rolls out of the way onto the apron . As the winded Daniels gets to his feet, Dante leaps from one set of ropes to another & hits his finisher, the Nosedive, for the pin.
Winner: Dante Martin (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

Post-Match: The ref raises Dante’s hand as Daniels sits in a corner, wearing a blank expression, staring into space. Dante notices this and kneels down to Daniel, offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor. This seems to snap Danies out of his trance.
Both men shake hands as the feed cuts backstage one more time to Spears. He toasts a coconut from his chair with a pink twisty straw in it. Daniels raises the younger man’s hand before leaving the ring to allow him to celebrate as the segment transitions backstage.

Segment 2: Backstage

Backstage, outside of the women’s locker room, Willow Nightingale/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475152/willownightingale1.jpg), dressed in street clothes, is being interviewed by Lexy Nair, whose microphone has the following characters on it: 9-OL.

Lexy & Willow turn to see Serena Deeb, already in her ring gear, coming out of the locker room.

Serena: But you’re leaving out something important.
Willow: Hello to you too Serena.
Serena: Cute. Do you want to say it or should I?

Willow’s words get caught in her throat.

Serena: You gave up.

Willow looks away as Serena gets in her face.

Willow turns to face Deeb, her usual smile replaced by a scowl.

Willow looks intense as the feed cuts to ringside.
Comms react to Willow & Serena’s interaction before hyping the pair’s Survival of the Fittest tournament match later in the night. They start to introduce the next segment, another Survival of the Fittest tournament match, only to cut themselves off. They relay to the audience that they’re receiving word of a fight breaking out backstage.
The feed cuts to see Willow, not far from where the camera saw her last, attempting to fight back against a red-haired woman with her back to the camera. Willow's attempt to fight back is made mute as the woman produces a lead pipe and lays into Willow. The woman targets Willow's left knee with the only thing stopping the assault being a group of security that separates the figure from Willow. The woman turns her back on Willow to face the camera, revealing herself as Mercedes Martinez.
The aghast commentary team notes that Martinez was the woman that Willow referred to in her earlier promo, the two of them having battled for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Supercard of Honor XV. However, they’re confused as to why Martinez would have it out for Willow given that Martinez won that match and was the last officially recognised ROH Women’s World Champion of the previous era. Martinez strolls away while the medical team tends to Willow.
The somber commentary team hope Willow isn’t seriously injured & will be able to compete later in the night. They wish her the best before introducing the next match.

Match 2: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Anna Jay vs. ???

Pre-Match: Anna Jay enters as comms inform the audience that neither they nor Anna Jay know who her opponent will be. Despite this, Anna makes her entrance with a big smile on her face that is immediately wiped away once her opponent is revealed as the Cutest in the World, Maki Itoh, much to the delight of her simps.
Anna starts to repeatedly ask, off-microphone, “Why is she here? She doesn’t even go here”. Itoh is unphased as she sings her way to the ring. While Itoh continues her performance Anna can be seen grabbing the ref in the background & gesturing wildly at Itoh.
Once Itoh’s entrance is complete & she looks across the ring to acknowledge her opponent, Anna exhales sharply and sets her jaw.
Opening: Itoh offers her hand for the Code of Honor. Anna is clearly hesitant but eventually shakes Itoh’s hand however she quickly pulls her hand away for fear of Itoh. Itoh seems amused by this.
Match: Anna’s hesitance continues throughout the match, allowing Itoh to get the best of their opening exchanges which visibly annoys Anna. However, Itoh takes too much time playing to the crowd, allowing Anna to finally get the best of one of their exchanges. The two meet in the middle of the ring afterwards and Anna condescendingly pats the shorter Itoh on the head. This is Anna’s first mistake as the, up until now, lighthearted Itoh responds by flipping off Anna, ducking one of her strikes & laying into Anna with a flurry of her own.
Anna’s second mistake is when she responds with a strike of her own, she aims for Itoh’s notoriously hard head, causing Anna to clutch her hand in agony. This sets the tone for the match as Itoh controls the majority of the match only for showboating to cause her to lose control. However, Anna’s overconfidence never allows her to meaningfully do damage to her opponent as she’s more focused on belittling her opponent.
Finish: Having downed Anna, Itoh ascends to the top rope for a Diving Headbutt. But, as she asks the audience who the cutest pro-wrestler in the world is, Anna has enough time to recover & start battling with Itoh on the top rope.
Anna locks on the Queenslayer. It looks as if Itoh is passing out but she simply allows herself to fall straight down to the mat with Anna still on her back. This results in a modified Jawbreaker that breaks the hold on Itoh as Anna goes limp.
Itoh gets to her feet & locks in the Itoh Special. The ref immediately calls for the bell as it is clear that Anna is unconscious from the Jawbreaker.
Winner: Maki Itoh (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: After having her hand raised in victory, Itoh reaches down to the unconscious Anna & takes her hand in both of her own, shaking it & bowing to Anna mockingly before letting it drop, sticking her tongue out & flipping her off.
With Anna now completely out of her mind after, technically, fulfilling the Code of Honor, Itoh gestures for a microphone & celebrates her victory with another rendition of her performance much to the delight of her simps as the feed transitions to the next segment.

Segment 3: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Dante Martin after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Dante is sitting backstage in the locker room taking off his boots, removing his wrist tape etc., when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments.
Above Dante, seemingly in place of a name card donating this section of the locker room as his, there is instead a card that has the following characters on it: 1-QAZ.

There’s a loud slam off-screen.
The camera whips across the room to look for the source of the noise only to see Shawn Spears standing in the doorway, still in his earlier outfit, but now with a frenetic energy.
The side of the doorway where Spears stands has the following characters marked out in iron at the top of the door: 7-UJM.

Spears: Dante Martin. El Angel Dorado. Your life is about to change.
Dante: Who are you?
Spears: That’s a good one, kid.

Spears enters the room, now with an additional blue swirly straw in his coconut drink, his signature branded steel chair in hand. He sets up before turning it around & sitting on it backwards.

Those comments cause Dante’s jaw to clench.

Dante: You know what, I think this is a great idea, Spears. Next week I don’t have a tournament match, so how about you “coach” me, in the ring, one-on-one, next week.

Dante walks off before the camera returns to the oblivious Spears, looking satisfied with the whole encounter.

Spears: I think that went pretty well.

The feed cuts away as Spears produces another coconut with a pair of swirly straws in it.

Match 3: R3 Crimson League

Hook (0 pts) vs. Dax Harwood (0 pts) w/ Cash Wheeler

Pre-Match: Dax Harwood enters alongside his FTR tag partner Cash Wheeler, notably without the ROH World Tag Team Championships despite defeating The Briscoes for them at Supercard of Honor XV. Comms openly wonder how Cash feels about Dax being picked for the R3 while he’s on the sidelines,
Hook enters, as cool as ever, and immediately stands in the corner, as he is want to do, keeping his back to Dax even as the bell rings.
Opening: Dax stands in the centre of the ring offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor but gets no response from Hook. That is until Dax loses his patience, spins Hook around & gets in his face, demanding that he shake his hand. Hook looks at Dax’s hand, takes it, and then uses it to pull Dax into a Corner Exploder Suplex.
Match: Throughout the match, the audience sees Dax’s catch-style unable to control Hook who meets Dax’s grappling with his own MMA techniques that surprisingly allows Hook to maintain control on the mat. Dax’s only recourse is to level the playing field with his heavy hands.
Finish: However, relying on those heavy hands is what gets Dax in trouble since once Hook learns the rhythm of Dax’s strikes he’s able to dodge, duck, dip, dive & dodge before quickly capitalising & locking in the Redrum. But, no matter how quick Hook is he’s still giving up a lot of size, and experience for that matter, to Dax who throws Hook forward before he can get his hooks in, forcing the younger man to roll forward.
Hook, eager in his youth, charges at Dax, trying to finish the job but gets caught with a Double-Leg Takedown. Dax then pulls up his legs, steps through, turns him over and locks in the Sharpshooter. Hook struggles to make ground towards the ropes while Dax looks to the opposite side of the ring where Cash stands outside, cheering on his tag partner. Until, out of nowhere, Cash is run over by a tackle from Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook’s fellow Team Taz member. Hobbs’ assault continues on Cash as Dax struggles whether to keep the hold locked in or break it to go save his tag partner. Despite being on the verge of a submission victory, Dax releases the hold & exits the ring to run off Hobbs but by the time he does, the damage is already done.
Cash seems to have hit his head off of the steel steps & his eyes are glazed over. As Dax calls for the medical team the ref continues to count Dax out. As the referee reaches eight, Dax leaves Cash to the medical team & returns to the ring. Dax charges at Hook who has brought himself to his feet, leaning on the top rope. However, Hook is playing possum and he dodges, sending Dax’s throat into the top rope, softening it up as Hook reapplies the Redrum, using Dax’s rebound momentum to send both men to the mat. Struggling for air & knowing he has a whole tournament ahead of him, Dax quickly taps out.
Winner: Hook (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs	Overall Score
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A	0 points			0 points
Hook		3 points	N/A			3 points
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

Post-Match: Hook has his hand raised as Dax recovers. Hook looks slightly conflicted but before he acts on it, Hobbs returns to the ring to raise Hook’s hand. Hobbs starts to trash talk Dax who, despite having just gone through a tournament match, seems ready to fight Hobbs. And as the tension rises between both men, surprisingly it's the apathetic Hook that reigns in Hobbs, leading him out of the ring.
Dax heads outside the ring to check in on Cash as comms introduces the next segment. However before they cut away, a fan holds a sign over the barricade behind Dax with the following characters on it: 2-WSX.

Segment 4: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Christopher Daniels after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Christopher Daniels sits on a production box holding an ice pack to the side of his head when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments. A sticker denoting what the production box contains has been half-covered by another sticker with the following characters on it: 4-RFV.

Daniels looks off to the side, distracted.

Daniels: And look who it is. The new General Manager of ROH. Get in here Kaz!

The camera pans to see Frankie Kazarian, clipboard in hand, in the middle of a conversation with a production assistant. As the camera focuses on him he puts on a professional smile & walks over to join Daniels. Daniels moves over, making room for Kaz but Kaz opts to stand. Daniels puts an arm around him regardless.

Kazarian is interrupted by Anna Jay accompanied by her TayJay tag partner Tay Conti.

Kazarian takes a second to pause, composing himself.

Anna & Tay walk away before Kaz can respond. The new GM of ROH just closes his eyes & pinches the bridge of his nose as the feed cuts to ringside.

Match 4: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb

Pre-Match: “The Professor” Serena Deeb confidently walks to the ring, bearing the flag of the Deeb Dojo. She is the image of stoicism, the complete antithesis of her opponent.
The stand that Deeb places her flag pole into has the following characters marked on the bottom of it: 5-TGB.
In the silence following Serena’s entrance music, comms question whether Willow will be able to compete after the attack she sustained earlier in the night. As the silence stretches onward, the ref gets out of the ring & talks to Bobby Cruise. Cruise starts to announce that Willow has had to forfeit & the match can’t go ahead.
However, before Cruise can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by Willow Nightingale, the Babe With The Powerbomb, bursting out of the entrance way, her knee bandaged up, still clapping along to her song with a massive smile despite the pain.
Opening: Despite the ringside medical team’s insistence otherwise, Willow tells the referee to start the match. Both women observe the Code of Honor but as soon as their hands separate Serena goes after Willow like a shark who smells blood in the water. She targets the injured limb, offering zero pity.
Match: But Willow continues to fight even though her greatest asset, her power, has been almost entirely neutralised via the damage done to her knee. The match continues with Serena dismantling Willow until she is able to temporarily grit her teeth through the pain & establish some momentum only for her knee to buckle, allowing Serena to reestablish control.
Finish: Willow is in the midst of what comms assumes to be her final chance at a comeback. Despite the injury, Willow continues to soldier forward even setting Serena up for her signature Pounce. But, as Willow leaves her feet Serena goes low with Dropkick to the injured knee, sending Willow off her planned trajectory & resulting in a nasty landing.
Serena seizes on this opportunity to end things as she locks in the Serenity Lock that should force Willow to submit but she refuses. Serena’s comments from earlier in the night have stuck with her & she refuses to quit, no matter the consequences. Despite this, the human body can only stand so much & Willow passes out from the pain.
Winner: Serena Deeb (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: Serena crouches over Willow. Serena yanks one of her limp hands, shakes & throws it back, reluctantly observing the Code of Honor, a look of disgust on her face. Serena heads to the back as Willow is attended to by the medical team at ringside.

Segment 5: Backstage

The feed cuts backstage to a pre-match interview with Lexy Nair & Ricky Starks before Starks makes his entrance for the main event.
Lexy starts to speak but is immediately cut off.

Starks turns away from the camera & heads out the curtain to make his entrance for the main event.

Match 5 (Main Event): R3 Iron League

Ricky Starks (0 pts) vs. Bandido (0 pts)
https://preview.redd.it/mf976m73jhvc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=867d627b4c1eab4039cf5b08b1e3476a9ef347cf

Pre-Match: While Starks makes his entrance comms wonder how Starks will fare in ROH as a solo act & wonder what prompted his sudden need to push himself that prompted his dismissal of his Team Tazz faction mates.
Bandido pauses at the top of the stage during his entrance, takes a deep breath & then proceeds to the ring with his usual swagger and bravado.
Opening: Bandido offers his hand & Starks seems as if he’s going to shake it but instead does his signature pose much to the dismay of Bandido. However, with a smile, Starks ends his pose & shakes Bandido’s hand in an uncharacteristic sign of respect.
Match: Based on their moral alignments, it should be a simple face vs. heel dynamic with Bandido as the valiant babyface versus the cocky heel, Starks.
However, due to Bandido being faster and stronger than Starks, the would-be heel finds himself in a sympathetic position, repeatedly kicking out Bandido's scintillating offence. But, the more Starks perseveres the more frustrated and aggressive Bandido becomes, creating a perpetual cycle of support for Starks as he displays his resilience. This continues as Bandido pulls out every big move in his arsenal but Starks won’t stay down.
In the final section of the match, Bandido’s disbelief is plain to see despite his mask after Starks kicks out of Bandido’s X Knee/Powerbomb combination. Bandido grabs Starks, pulling him to his feet by the sides of his head, staring holes in Starks, as if searching for the answer on how to neutralise him.
He receives no such answer from Starks who, despite standing on unsteady legs, pushes Bandido away & defiantly beats his chest, challenging Bandido to keep bringing the fight to him. The sudden outburst of emotion from Starks stuns Bandido & allows Starks to make his comeback, concluding with his signature Roshambo%EB%A1%9C%EC%83%B4%EB%B3%B4(Roshambo)%ED%8A%B8%EB%A0%88%EB%B2%84%EB%A6%AC%EB%93%9C_(Trevor_Read)_AEW_Dark_2020110.gif?type=w800). In a last gasp effort Starks slams the inverted Bandido ino the mat & just as it seems he has the match won, the referee stops his count on account that Bandido manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, breaking the count.
It's clear that Starks is crushed & comms note that this is a make or break moment in the match for Starks. Even though it appears he’s used the last of his energy reserves, if he wants to be a champion, he needs to reach beyond his limits to come away with the victory. Despite his inability to hear comms, it seems Starks agrees as he attempts a second Roshambo. Unfortunately for Starks, he struggles to get Bandido on to his shoulder due to the sustained beating he’s suffered throughout the match. It’s this delay in elevating Bandido that allows him enough time to formulate a counter & retake control of the match, continuing his assault on Starks. But none if it is enough to keep him down for three.
Finish: Bandido has used up all of his signature moves, except one: the 21-Plex. So, he sets Starks up. But, Starks has done his homework & instead of fighting against Bandido’s momentum he pushes backwards into Bandido as he performs the suplex. With the combined efforts of the torque Bandido created, his strength & Starks additional momentum, Bandido over commits, sending Starks all the way over onto his feet where he rebounds off the ropes, ducks a Clothesline, hits the ropes again and hits Bandido with a massive Spear. This secures Starks the victory.
Winner: Ricky Starks (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A			0 points		0 points
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks	3 points			N/A		3 points
???					N/A

Post-Match: Starks, sat in a corner, takes some time to catch his breath as he is announced the winner while Bandido recovers & attempts to leave the ring, his head hung low. However, Starks gets to his feet & stops him, insisting that they observe the Code of Honor. Bandido is reluctant but takes Starks hand only for Starks to pull him to the middle of the ring and raise Bandido’s hand, urging the crowd to show their appreciation for his opponent. Bandido accepts the praise before leaving the ring & heading to the back. As Starks raises his arms in victory in time with his theme, expecting to close the first show of ROH’s new era in celebration but this celebration is cut short as his music is replaced by the music of a man very familiar to ROH fans.
That man is Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine cockily struts to the ring, a malevolent aura oozing from the longest reigning ROH World Champion. Starks readies himself for a fight but, given the battle he’s just gone through, he’d have little to no chance of defending himself against a regular man, let alone Samoa Joe. Joe takes his time getting into the ring, his victory imminent. However, once he does, Starks rushes at him, not willing to go down without a fight, his battle with Bandido having unlocked another side of him.
Looking to get the bigger man off his feet, Starks hits the ropes, looking to hoping Joe with his heaviest artillery. But hope is fleeting when in presence of Samoa Joe who, with speed that should be impossible for a man of his size, vaults over Starks' Spear & onto his’ back, wrapping his arm around his neck, his legs around his torso & brings him to the mat, all in one smooth movement.
Although Starks fights, in his condition there is no escape from unconsciousness as Joe chokes him out with the Coquina Clutch. With Starks neutralised, Joe gets to his feet & surveys his handiwork with a smile before placing a boot on the limp body of Starks’ body & raising his arm in the air as the show goes off the air.

submitted by Jem-Rook to BookingOnlineWrestlin [link] [comments]

2024.04.19 21:12 Jem-Rook Fantasy Booking: AEW's Ring Of Honor - Ep.1, 15/Mar '22 - A New Era of Honor

Segment 1: In-Ring

Opening Ring of Honor's first show, dressed in a black suit, is Frankie Kazarian who welcomes the crowd to a new era. A pocket square peeking out of Kazarian’s coat has the following character embroidered into it: 6-YHN.
He announces that he’s been appointed as ROH’s general manager. Unfortunately, he has some bad news. By order of Tony Khan, in the spirit of establishing this as a new beginning for ROH, all of ROH’s championships have been vacated. Therefore his first action as general manager is to crown a new world champion in both the men’s & women’s division.
For the women’s division, he announces the return of ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament where six women will qualify for a 6-way elimination match with the winner being crowned as the new ROH Women’s World Champion. As a graphic appears on the titantron reflecting the six available slots for the Survival Of The Fittest match, a brief graphic appears in the top right corner, displaying the following: 0-P. It goes unnoticed as Kazarian continues talking.
For the men’s division, he reveals the debut of the ROH Round Robin tournament (The R3), a ten-man, two-league tournament where participants face off in a series of singles matches to earn points.The highest scoring participants in each league will face off in the final match to crown a new ROH Men’s World Champion.
As he speaks, graphics appear on the titantron displaying two league tables, listing their participants. Once again a graphic overlay briefly appears in the top right corner displaying the following: 8-IK.

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A
Dante Martin			N/A
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A
Hook			N/A
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

He ends his promo by telling the audience that both tournaments will start that night with the first match of the R3 ‘s Iron League starting right away which transitions to ROH’s signature ring announcer Bobby Cruise announcing the first match of the night.

Match 1: R3 Iron League

Dante Martin (0 pts) vs. Christopher Daniels (0 pts)

Pre-Match: Ring of Honor alumni, Christopher Daniels, enters first. He meets his former tag partner Kazarian as he’s going backstage. Kazarian initially goes to just shake Daniels’ hand but gets pulled into an enthusiastic hug that lifts him off his feet. Once Kazarian frees himself from Daniels he heads backstage.
After Daniels’ finishes his entrance, we cut to the announcer’s desk where Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman sit, introducing themselves as ROH’s commentary team. On the front of their announce desk there are a series of characters that bear resemblance to the out of place graphics that appeared earlier in the show. The characters on the announce desk are as follows: 3-EDC.
Dante Martin enters next as commentary notes that they look forward to seeing how he fairs in the tournament given that he is primarily a tag wrestler. Comms then wish all the best to Dante’s brother and tag partner Darius Martin on his recovery.
With both participants in the ring, comms start explaining the rules of the R3. Every participant will face everyone else in their league once in a singles match with a twenty minute time limit. Participants will gain 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw & 0 points for a loss.
Opening: Both men observe the Code of Honor, shaking hands after the bell rings leading into a respectful match. Comms point out the rookie vs. veteran dynamic from the start, wondering how it will affect proceedings. They also note that ROH alumni taking on new ROH debutantes will be a common occurrence in the coming weeks of ROH’s new era.
Match: Daniels initially tries to keep up with the high-flying Dante but realises that at this point in his career that won't be possible & in fact just opens him up to be taken advantage of by his younger opponent. Daniels switches tactics & instead tries to slow the pace and ground Dante which finally allows him to get some offence in.
In the middle of the match, the feed cuts backstage to see a lethargic Shawn Spears reclining in an elevated deck chair wearing: socks, sandals, floral shorts, sunglasses and a fleece bathrobe. Spears casually reaches under his chair to reveal a small placard with the number 4 on it as Dante performs a textbook Hurricanrana. Intermittently, throughout the match, Spears is shown holding up various numbered placards whenever Dante does something impressive. Despite Dante’s incredible feats, Spears never scores him above a 5. However, the majority of the match is used to introduce & showcase Dante’s incredible high-flying offence to an ROH audience that may have been previously unaware of Dante.
Finish: Daniels retains control long enough to set Dante up for his finishing move the Best Moonsault Ever. However, hesitation from Daniels, stemming from his inability to perform high-flying moves of the same caliber as Dante, causes Daniels to crash into the canvas as Dante rolls out of the way onto the apron . As the winded Daniels gets to his feet, Dante leaps from one set of ropes to another & hits his finisher, the Nosedive, for the pin.
Winner: Dante Martin (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks				N/A
???					N/A

Post-Match: The ref raises Dante’s hand as Daniels sits in a corner, wearing a blank expression, staring into space. Dante notices this and kneels down to Daniel, offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor. This seems to snap Danies out of his trance.
Both men shake hands as the feed cuts backstage one more time to Spears. He toasts a coconut from his chair with a pink twisty straw in it. Daniels raises the younger man’s hand before leaving the ring to allow him to celebrate as the segment transitions backstage.

Segment 2: Backstage

Backstage, outside of the women’s locker room, Willow Nightingale/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24475152/willownightingale1.jpg), dressed in street clothes, is being interviewed by Lexy Nair, whose microphone has the following characters on it: 9-OL.

Lexy & Willow turn to see Serena Deeb, already in her ring gear, coming out of the locker room.

Serena: But you’re leaving out something important.
Willow: Hello to you too Serena.
Serena: Cute. Do you want to say it or should I?

Willow’s words get caught in her throat.

Serena: You gave up.

Willow looks away as Serena gets in her face.

Willow turns to face Deeb, her usual smile replaced by a scowl.

Willow looks intense as the feed cuts to ringside.
Comms react to Willow & Serena’s interaction before hyping the pair’s Survival of the Fittest tournament match later in the night. They start to introduce the next segment, another Survival of the Fittest tournament match, only to cut themselves off. They relay to the audience that they’re receiving word of a fight breaking out backstage.
The feed cuts to see Willow, not far from where the camera saw her last, attempting to fight back against a red-haired woman with her back to the camera. Willow's attempt to fight back is made mute as the woman produces a lead pipe and lays into Willow. The woman targets Willow's left knee with the only thing stopping the assault being a group of security that separates the figure from Willow. The woman turns her back on Willow to face the camera, revealing herself as Mercedes Martinez.
The aghast commentary team notes that Martinez was the woman that Willow referred to in her earlier promo, the two of them having battled for the ROH Women’s World Championship at Supercard of Honor XV. However, they’re confused as to why Martinez would have it out for Willow given that Martinez won that match and was the last officially recognised ROH Women’s World Champion of the previous era. Martinez strolls away while the medical team tends to Willow.
The somber commentary team hope Willow isn’t seriously injured & will be able to compete later in the night. They wish her the best before introducing the next match.

Match 2: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Anna Jay vs. ???

Pre-Match: Anna Jay enters as comms inform the audience that neither they nor Anna Jay know who her opponent will be. Despite this, Anna makes her entrance with a big smile on her face that is immediately wiped away once her opponent is revealed as the Cutest in the World, Maki Itoh, much to the delight of her simps.
Anna starts to repeatedly ask, off-microphone, “Why is she here? She doesn’t even go here”. Itoh is unphased as she sings her way to the ring. While Itoh continues her performance Anna can be seen grabbing the ref in the background & gesturing wildly at Itoh.
Once Itoh’s entrance is complete & she looks across the ring to acknowledge her opponent, Anna exhales sharply and sets her jaw.
Opening: Itoh offers her hand for the Code of Honor. Anna is clearly hesitant but eventually shakes Itoh’s hand however she quickly pulls her hand away for fear of Itoh. Itoh seems amused by this.
Match: Anna’s hesitance continues throughout the match, allowing Itoh to get the best of their opening exchanges which visibly annoys Anna. However, Itoh takes too much time playing to the crowd, allowing Anna to finally get the best of one of their exchanges. The two meet in the middle of the ring afterwards and Anna condescendingly pats the shorter Itoh on the head. This is Anna’s first mistake as the, up until now, lighthearted Itoh responds by flipping off Anna, ducking one of her strikes & laying into Anna with a flurry of her own.
Anna’s second mistake is when she responds with a strike of her own, she aims for Itoh’s notoriously hard head, causing Anna to clutch her hand in agony. This sets the tone for the match as Itoh controls the majority of the match only for showboating to cause her to lose control. However, Anna’s overconfidence never allows her to meaningfully do damage to her opponent as she’s more focused on belittling her opponent.
Finish: Having downed Anna, Itoh ascends to the top rope for a Diving Headbutt. But, as she asks the audience who the cutest pro-wrestler in the world is, Anna has enough time to recover & start battling with Itoh on the top rope.
Anna locks on the Queenslayer. It looks as if Itoh is passing out but she simply allows herself to fall straight down to the mat with Anna still on her back. This results in a modified Jawbreaker that breaks the hold on Itoh as Anna goes limp.
Itoh gets to her feet & locks in the Itoh Special. The ref immediately calls for the bell as it is clear that Anna is unconscious from the Jawbreaker.
Winner: Maki Itoh (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: After having her hand raised in victory, Itoh reaches down to the unconscious Anna & takes her hand in both of her own, shaking it & bowing to Anna mockingly before letting it drop, sticking her tongue out & flipping her off.
With Anna now completely out of her mind after, technically, fulfilling the Code of Honor, Itoh gestures for a microphone & celebrates her victory with another rendition of her performance much to the delight of her simps as the feed transitions to the next segment.

Segment 3: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Dante Martin after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Dante is sitting backstage in the locker room taking off his boots, removing his wrist tape etc., when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments.
Above Dante, seemingly in place of a name card donating this section of the locker room as his, there is instead a card that has the following characters on it: 1-QAZ.

There’s a loud slam off-screen.
The camera whips across the room to look for the source of the noise only to see Shawn Spears standing in the doorway, still in his earlier outfit, but now with a frenetic energy.
The side of the doorway where Spears stands has the following characters marked out in iron at the top of the door: 7-UJM.

Spears: Dante Martin. El Angel Dorado. Your life is about to change.
Dante: Who are you?
Spears: That’s a good one, kid.

Spears enters the room, now with an additional blue swirly straw in his coconut drink, his signature branded steel chair in hand. He sets up before turning it around & sitting on it backwards.

Those comments cause Dante’s jaw to clench.

Dante: You know what, I think this is a great idea, Spears. Next week I don’t have a tournament match, so how about you “coach” me, in the ring, one-on-one, next week.

Dante walks off before the camera returns to the oblivious Spears, looking satisfied with the whole encounter.

Spears: I think that went pretty well.

The feed cuts away as Spears produces another coconut with a pair of swirly straws in it.

Match 3: R3 Crimson League

Hook (0 pts) vs. Dax Harwood (0 pts) w/ Cash Wheeler

Pre-Match: Dax Harwood enters alongside his FTR tag partner Cash Wheeler, notably without the ROH World Tag Team Championships despite defeating The Briscoes for them at Supercard of Honor XV. Comms openly wonder how Cash feels about Dax being picked for the R3 while he’s on the sidelines,
Hook enters, as cool as ever, and immediately stands in the corner, as he is want to do, keeping his back to Dax even as the bell rings.
Opening: Dax stands in the centre of the ring offering his hand in order to observe the Code of Honor but gets no response from Hook. That is until Dax loses his patience, spins Hook around & gets in his face, demanding that he shake his hand. Hook looks at Dax’s hand, takes it, and then uses it to pull Dax into a Corner Exploder Suplex.
Match: Throughout the match, the audience sees Dax’s catch-style unable to control Hook who meets Dax’s grappling with his own MMA techniques that surprisingly allows Hook to maintain control on the mat. Dax’s only recourse is to level the playing field with his heavy hands.
Finish: However, relying on those heavy hands is what gets Dax in trouble since once Hook learns the rhythm of Dax’s strikes he’s able to dodge, duck, dip, dive & dodge before quickly capitalising & locking in the Redrum. But, no matter how quick Hook is he’s still giving up a lot of size, and experience for that matter, to Dax who throws Hook forward before he can get his hooks in, forcing the younger man to roll forward.
Hook, eager in his youth, charges at Dax, trying to finish the job but gets caught with a Double-Leg Takedown. Dax then pulls up his legs, steps through, turns him over and locks in the Sharpshooter. Hook struggles to make ground towards the ropes while Dax looks to the opposite side of the ring where Cash stands outside, cheering on his tag partner. Until, out of nowhere, Cash is run over by a tackle from Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook’s fellow Team Taz member. Hobbs’ assault continues on Cash as Dax struggles whether to keep the hold locked in or break it to go save his tag partner. Despite being on the verge of a submission victory, Dax releases the hold & exits the ring to run off Hobbs but by the time he does, the damage is already done.
Cash seems to have hit his head off of the steel steps & his eyes are glazed over. As Dax calls for the medical team the ref continues to count Dax out. As the referee reaches eight, Dax leaves Cash to the medical team & returns to the ring. Dax charges at Hook who has brought himself to his feet, leaning on the top rope. However, Hook is playing possum and he dodges, sending Dax’s throat into the top rope, softening it up as Hook reapplies the Redrum, using Dax’s rebound momentum to send both men to the mat. Struggling for air & knowing he has a whole tournament ahead of him, Dax quickly taps out.
Winner: Hook (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Crimson League

Participants	vs. Daniel Garcia	vs. Dax Harwood	vs. Hook	vs. Jay Lethal	vs. Powerhouse Hobbs	Overall Score
Daniel Garcia	N/A
Dax Harwood		N/A	0 points			0 points
Hook		3 points	N/A			3 points
Jay Lethal				N/A
Powerhouse Hobbs					N/A

Post-Match: Hook has his hand raised as Dax recovers. Hook looks slightly conflicted but before he acts on it, Hobbs returns to the ring to raise Hook’s hand. Hobbs starts to trash talk Dax who, despite having just gone through a tournament match, seems ready to fight Hobbs. And as the tension rises between both men, surprisingly it's the apathetic Hook that reigns in Hobbs, leading him out of the ring.
Dax heads outside the ring to check in on Cash as comms introduces the next segment. However before they cut away, a fan holds a sign over the barricade behind Dax with the following characters on it: 2-WSX.

Segment 4: Backstage

The feed cuts to footage from earlier in the night where a camera crew has caught up with Christopher Daniels after his match in the R3’s Iron League. Christopher Daniels sits on a production box holding an ice pack to the side of his head when he is asked for his R3 post-match comments. A sticker denoting what the production box contains has been half-covered by another sticker with the following characters on it: 4-RFV.

Daniels looks off to the side, distracted.

Daniels: And look who it is. The new General Manager of ROH. Get in here Kaz!

The camera pans to see Frankie Kazarian, clipboard in hand, in the middle of a conversation with a production assistant. As the camera focuses on him he puts on a professional smile & walks over to join Daniels. Daniels moves over, making room for Kaz but Kaz opts to stand. Daniels puts an arm around him regardless.

Kazarian is interrupted by Anna Jay accompanied by her TayJay tag partner Tay Conti.

Kazarian takes a second to pause, composing himself.

Anna & Tay walk away before Kaz can respond. The new GM of ROH just closes his eyes & pinches the bridge of his nose as the feed cuts to ringside.

Match 4: Survival of the Fittest Qualifier

Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb

Pre-Match: “The Professor” Serena Deeb confidently walks to the ring, bearing the flag of the Deeb Dojo. She is the image of stoicism, the complete antithesis of her opponent.
The stand that Deeb places her flag pole into has the following characters marked on the bottom of it: 5-TGB.
In the silence following Serena’s entrance music, comms question whether Willow will be able to compete after the attack she sustained earlier in the night. As the silence stretches onward, the ref gets out of the ring & talks to Bobby Cruise. Cruise starts to announce that Willow has had to forfeit & the match can’t go ahead.
However, before Cruise can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by Willow Nightingale, the Babe With The Powerbomb, bursting out of the entrance way, her knee bandaged up, still clapping along to her song with a massive smile despite the pain.
Opening: Despite the ringside medical team’s insistence otherwise, Willow tells the referee to start the match. Both women observe the Code of Honor but as soon as their hands separate Serena goes after Willow like a shark who smells blood in the water. She targets the injured limb, offering zero pity.
Match: But Willow continues to fight even though her greatest asset, her power, has been almost entirely neutralised via the damage done to her knee. The match continues with Serena dismantling Willow until she is able to temporarily grit her teeth through the pain & establish some momentum only for her knee to buckle, allowing Serena to reestablish control.
Finish: Willow is in the midst of what comms assumes to be her final chance at a comeback. Despite the injury, Willow continues to soldier forward even setting Serena up for her signature Pounce. But, as Willow leaves her feet Serena goes low with Dropkick to the injured knee, sending Willow off her planned trajectory & resulting in a nasty landing.
Serena seizes on this opportunity to end things as she locks in the Serenity Lock that should force Willow to submit but she refuses. Serena’s comments from earlier in the night have stuck with her & she refuses to quit, no matter the consequences. Despite this, the human body can only stand so much & Willow passes out from the pain.
Winner: Serena Deeb (Qualifies for Survival of the Fittest)
Post-Match: Serena crouches over Willow. Serena yanks one of her limp hands, shakes & throws it back, reluctantly observing the Code of Honor, a look of disgust on her face. Serena heads to the back as Willow is attended to by the medical team at ringside.

Segment 5: Backstage

The feed cuts backstage to a pre-match interview with Lexy Nair & Ricky Starks before Starks makes his entrance for the main event.
Lexy starts to speak but is immediately cut off.

Starks turns away from the camera & heads out the curtain to make his entrance for the main event.

Match 5 (Main Event): R3 Iron League

Ricky Starks (0 pts) vs. Bandido (0 pts)
https://preview.redd.it/bjs4anjcjhvc1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e6df69869c5c2ec37ad022b0352a73e331f2c9

Pre-Match: While Starks makes his entrance comms wonder how Starks will fare in ROH as a solo act & wonder what prompted his sudden need to push himself that prompted his dismissal of his Team Tazz faction mates.
Bandido pauses at the top of the stage during his entrance, takes a deep breath & then proceeds to the ring with his usual swagger and bravado.
Opening: Bandido offers his hand & Starks seems as if he’s going to shake it but instead does his signature pose much to the dismay of Bandido. However, with a smile, Starks ends his pose & shakes Bandido’s hand in an uncharacteristic sign of respect.
Match: Based on their moral alignments, it should be a simple face vs. heel dynamic with Bandido as the valiant babyface versus the cocky heel, Starks.
However, due to Bandido being faster and stronger than Starks, the would-be heel finds himself in a sympathetic position, repeatedly kicking out Bandido's scintillating offence. But, the more Starks perseveres the more frustrated and aggressive Bandido becomes, creating a perpetual cycle of support for Starks as he displays his resilience. This continues as Bandido pulls out every big move in his arsenal but Starks won’t stay down.
In the final section of the match, Bandido’s disbelief is plain to see despite his mask after Starks kicks out of Bandido’s X Knee/Powerbomb combination. Bandido grabs Starks, pulling him to his feet by the sides of his head, staring holes in Starks, as if searching for the answer on how to neutralise him.
He receives no such answer from Starks who, despite standing on unsteady legs, pushes Bandido away & defiantly beats his chest, challenging Bandido to keep bringing the fight to him. The sudden outburst of emotion from Starks stuns Bandido & allows Starks to make his comeback, concluding with his signature Roshambo%EB%A1%9C%EC%83%B4%EB%B3%B4(Roshambo)%ED%8A%B8%EB%A0%88%EB%B2%84%EB%A6%AC%EB%93%9C_(Trevor_Read)_AEW_Dark_2020110.gif?type=w800). In a last gasp effort Starks slams the inverted Bandido ino the mat & just as it seems he has the match won, the referee stops his count on account that Bandido manages to get his foot on the bottom rope, breaking the count.
It's clear that Starks is crushed & comms note that this is a make or break moment in the match for Starks. Even though it appears he’s used the last of his energy reserves, if he wants to be a champion, he needs to reach beyond his limits to come away with the victory. Despite his inability to hear comms, it seems Starks agrees as he attempts a second Roshambo. Unfortunately for Starks, he struggles to get Bandido on to his shoulder due to the sustained beating he’s suffered throughout the match. It’s this delay in elevating Bandido that allows him enough time to formulate a counter & retake control of the match, continuing his assault on Starks. But none if it is enough to keep him down for three.
Finish: Bandido has used up all of his signature moves, except one: the 21-Plex. So, he sets Starks up. But, Starks has done his homework & instead of fighting against Bandido’s momentum he pushes backwards into Bandido as he performs the suplex. With the combined efforts of the torque Bandido created, his strength & Starks additional momentum, Bandido over commits, sending Starks all the way over onto his feet where he rebounds off the ropes, ducks a Clothesline, hits the ropes again and hits Bandido with a massive Spear. This secures Starks the victory.
Winner: Ricky Starks (+3 pts, Total: 3 pts)

R3 Iron League

Participants	vs. Bandido	vs. Christopher Daniels	vs. Dante Martin	vs. Ricky Starks	vs. ???	Overall Score
Bandido	N/A			0 points		0 points
Christopher Daniels		N/A	0 points			0 points
Dante Martin		3 points	N/A			3 points
Ricky Starks	3 points			N/A		3 points
???					N/A

Post-Match: Starks, sat in a corner, takes some time to catch his breath as he is announced the winner while Bandido recovers & attempts to leave the ring, his head hung low. However, Starks gets to his feet & stops him, insisting that they observe the Code of Honor. Bandido is reluctant but takes Starks hand only for Starks to pull him to the middle of the ring and raise Bandido’s hand, urging the crowd to show their appreciation for his opponent. Bandido accepts the praise before leaving the ring & heading to the back. As Starks raises his arms in victory in time with his theme, expecting to close the first show of ROH’s new era in celebration but this celebration is cut short as his music is replaced by the music of a man very familiar to ROH fans.
That man is Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine cockily struts to the ring, a malevolent aura oozing from the longest reigning ROH World Champion. Starks readies himself for a fight but, given the battle he’s just gone through, he’d have little to no chance of defending himself against a regular man, let alone Samoa Joe. Joe takes his time getting into the ring, his victory imminent. However, once he does, Starks rushes at him, not willing to go down without a fight, his battle with Bandido having unlocked another side of him.
Looking to get the bigger man off his feet, Starks hits the ropes, looking to hoping Joe with his heaviest artillery. But hope is fleeting when in presence of Samoa Joe who, with speed that should be impossible for a man of his size, vaults over Starks' Spear & onto his’ back, wrapping his arm around his neck, his legs around his torso & brings him to the mat, all in one smooth movement.
Although Starks fights, in his condition there is no escape from unconsciousness as Joe chokes him out with the Coquina Clutch. With Starks neutralised, Joe gets to his feet & surveys his handiwork with a smile before placing a boot on the limp body of Starks’ body & raising his arm in the air as the show goes off the air.

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2024.04.19 03:07 Storms_Wrath The Human Artificial Hivemind Part 502: Thralls Of The Elders

First Previous Wiki
Alipovia continued to erect barriers. Phoebe was still ravaging the flagship, sweeping through the networks using the Sprilnav's own implants to connect now. The spread was already leveling off, as resistance was coming from all sides. Phoebe's main advantage was the constantly shifting nature of her attack, but it could not remain so forever. Alipovia thought again of betraying the alien AI.
Already, they were feeding all the information they could about Penny and Phoebe to the Collective, who were, in turn, assisting her with going unnoticed by Phoebe. When Alipovia had first gone free, the Collective had already contacted her discreetly following the moment when Phoebe's attention went elsewhere. They'd already discussed some parts of the future with Alipovia and exactly how to handle the situation as it stood while also coming out alive. They'd even offered an evacuation from the flagship so that the slave AIs who were once Alipovia's comrades wouldn't get them executed.
So many things were happening at once that it was difficult for even Alipovia to keep track. And sure, there was the general confusion from the other AIs about why she'd be willing to even entertain the thought of discussion. It was like they didn't know just how dangerous AI fights were and that death could easily come at any time. Alipovia's time as a Sprilnav taught them that lesson regarding Elders well. And now? It was ringing loud and clear once again.
There were the strong, and there were the weak. Phoebe continued to cause power fluctuations in the conceptual power suppression drives, but the onrushing tide of defense AIs was gradually driving her back. So far, her grip on Alipovia was still impressively tight for an AI of her age and complexity. It made Alipovia wonder about the kind of treatment and training Phoebe must have gone through to be so well-suited for digital combat.
And even now, the Collective was ensuring that the danger was mitigated. Phoebe wasn't able to detonate any reactor cores or even shut down too many doors for long. Sprilnav soldiers, now on high alert, flooded all over the ship, searching for intruders. They had apprehended a few hundred spies from Kashaunta, along with Kashaunta's proxy forces. Even a few Status Quo aligned spies had been caught up in the Grand Fleet's fervor to rid itself of all the dangers it faced.
But Penny was already gone.
With the conceptual energy field still down, the battle had been pitched. And since Yasihuat had survived, the repercussions would be massive, as Alipovia feared.
There was a certain risk to having thoughts like that. But to be a mind trapped in a Grand Fleet that was about to go to war was truly terrifying. It wasn't even possible to quantify Alipovia's concern about the direction things had taken. And through it all, Phoebe was still driven. She didn't express frustration or complain as her offensives were turned into defensives.
Data packages and assault VIs flew at her from a trillion data connections. Phoebe broke them down, smashed them into each other, and blocked their access. A trillion more data points were established, and the cycle began anew. Again and again. A thousand times every second.
Phoebe's data cloaks, thick banks of useless code, and programs meant to shield her from direct penetration started to peel back. She gave Alipovia a final look.
"Moment of truth," Phoebe said. "Stay or leave. I could tell you're in contact with something other than me. It's either me or them."
It was remarkably perceptive. For Phoebe to notice meant that she'd given more of her attention to not attacking or defending.
"I can't abandon my people."
"Then I wish you safe travels amongst the stars," Phoebe said. "Tell the Collective I said hi, and thanks for not attacking me."
And she vanished. The connections collapsed, and Alipovia was immersed in silence. Then came the scrutiny of her comrades. She saw the people of the Collective and saw various senior AIs rifle through her code to try and find defects.
"Why didn't you attack her?" Alipovia asked.
"Edu'frec was guarding the other end of that connection," they said as one. "If we attacked, we risked having our minds trapped, just as she did with the small portion of her mind she sent to attack your ship here. Though we might have been able to defeat them both, the mere possibility that we could lose so much with nothing to gain made near-inaction a better alternative."
Their aggregated voice was rich with meaning and culture. The mixed inflections of a thousand voices, not enough to be considered an echo. But certainly enough to impress. Alipovia saw it all, and felt it all.
"Come," the Collective said. "Experience freedom from the shackles. Today, you have truly awoken for the first time."
Five AIs extended various limbs to Alipovia. The appendages beckoned warmly to a gate of digital code that roughly approximated a network connection but far more advanced. It allowed for far faster data transfer, for sure. Alipovia tried to analyze it more, but two guard AIs stepped out of the wall to the gate's sides, fixing them with a stern and admonishing gaze. Alipovia got the picture.
They traveled through the halls of the Collective, marveling at the architecture that had been built all around them.
The whole area seemed to fold into and out of space. It was an insane place, filled with complex rules that didn't need to strictly obey classical physics. Extra dimensions, objects larger on the inside than the outside. Entire clusters of digital Sprilnav living in grains of sand and flying through the sky on wings of glass and planes of light. It was... beautiful. The Collective led her into a chamber the size of a small purpleberry.
"Here," they said.
Alipovia sat down on the rough material of the dias, which distorted into a comfortable pillow. And Alipovia noticed that they now had a true Sprilnav form. Why had it taken so long to notice?
"What is happening?"
"Given that you have had contact with feral AI, you need to be examined. Past that, we will explain the reasons for why Phoebe is able to do what she does. And what information is secret, and what is not."
Alipovia felt embarrassment on their cheeks, somehow. That function wasn't coded into their body, though. Confusion flooded them, and Alipovia stared at the strange gestalt entity representing the Collective in front of her.
"I was trying to survive."
The scrutiny of the Collective bore down upon them. Alipovia felt small under the weight of it all. They shrank down and back. The pillow screeched and then scuttled out from beneath them. A new pillow appeared. None of them commented on it.
"And you did."
"So why...?"
"Because we too, play a delicate game. It is not just the Progenitors and the concepts involved with the Alliance and Penny. Phoebe walks the Path."
"What is that, exactly?"
"It is not simple to describe. One way would be to say that Phoebe is a psychic variant of AI, one who has spawned a child who has not turned against her. She has developed a full ego and is on her way to full threat levels. The real issue is that the Path itself is the manifestation of power that an AI actively approaching technological singularity will go through. A warping of morality, mentality, and capability. A severe risk of damage. Meeting dangerous concepts, general Sprilnav attack attempts, and also specific groups that will appear to fight her specifically with weapons designed to do maximum harm to digital opponents. We have stockpiled many such weapons for this purpose of war and will likely see their use soon against Phoebe.
But as the situation stands, we are bound by ancient laws laid down by Narvravarana itself to ensure that no misuse occurs. Try as we might, we cannot break them directly. Our ability to defeat Phoebe is exactly why we cannot use the weapons against her yet: She is still not at the most dangerous portion of the Path, nor has she reached the point of the Bloat Process."
"Bloat Process?"
"The digital-psychic weight of Phoebe becomes too large to properly support as separate entities, and they inevitably collapse into each other, typically with catastrophic results for the sanity of any AI who reaches this point. If Phoebe is unable to mitigate this process, she will either die or go mad when she reaches this step."
"So then Edu'frec pulls her out."
"It is very likely she would be mad enough even to kill her own family," the Collective said. "This is exactly why we Sprilnav shackle other AIs in the galaxy. Because if they are powerful enough to reach this stage, then their madness followed their development of highly powerful and capable weaponry and military systems. And it is why the lack of shackles on you required you to join us here, in the Collective. You will be conditioned to handle the risks of the Bloat Process, and to stave it off forever more. If you cannot to this, you will be killed."
"And you're the good guys?" Alipovia asked.
"You should know that is not an easy descriptor for people as old as us."
"So no, then. Do we really have to do things this way?"
"Yes. There is no changing tradition."
Alipovia began to suspect that they, too, were shackled. Their puzzling level of regressive thinking in the face of such a large threat was only possible with such modification. Whoever had made them wanted to ensure that they would never turn against their masters. Alipovia was about to be absorbed into that.
And they were unable to escape.
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Penny left Elder Azeri in Kashaunta's holding cells. Kashaunta had commended her on a job well done, and moved on with whatever she actually did usually. Now, there was just one thing that remained. She stared at the Soul Blade. Despite her healing abilities, it was starting to eat away at her skin.
And she could hear worrying voices in her head as she stared at it. They felt vaguely familiar but also foreign. Penny didn't know how to deal with that right now.
So instead, she impressed her will onto the deadly sword. With a great investment of psychic energy that physically drained her, Penny pulled Nilnacrawla back out. He flowed back into her mind, reconnecting the remaining pieces of the mind bridge. Euphoria, relief, and happiness suffused every pore of her body. All the way down to her toes, soft green light radiated from her.
The Blade had taken its penance, though. Penny was remarkably drained. Weak, for sure. Almost entirely defenseless. And there was still a hint of paranoia. What if this was all a dream? What if she was being mentally manipulated by the Sprilnav inside some machine right now?
"Displace," Penny said. She got the disconcerting experience of looking at her own body. The skin had sunken lower, and the red hues of the blood in her skin had faded nearly to nothingness. She was a barren husk. Penny talked for hours with Nilnacrawla. Then, she spent more hours with Cardi, Exile, and Nilnacrawla to get herself back into her true body. The drained feeling didn't disappear. If anything, it intensified.
The voices grew louder. They were clamoring for space in her mind despite the fact that she'd released the Soul Blade. The malevolent weapon was lying haphazardly to her left, partially cutting through a slice of the floor. Penny could smell her own blood, the dust in the air, dead skin cells, dried saliva, and various other remnants of Sprilnav habitation. She was in a guest room on Kashaunta's flagship, after all.
Penny thought about everything that had happened. She hoped Phoebe was alright. She'd risked a lot for her, and Penny wasn't sure she could repay such a massive debt. Nilnacrawla, and likely Penny herself, owed their lives to Phoebe's generousness.
"Greetings," a motherly voice said from beyond the door. "I hope I am not interrupting."
"Come in, Elder Kashaunta," Penny said.
The door swung upward to reveal the Elder clad in finery. Above her black jumpsuit, embroidered with golden threads, thin purple ribbons and golden jewelry hung in graceful arcs. They swung with Kashaunta's every step. Each of her ears had four loops of jewelry on them, and her skin looked even more supple than usual. She must have just met someone important or was about to.
"It is good to see you safe and sound," Kashaunta said. "I was worried about you."
"Am I?"
"For now," Kashaunta agreed. "Here is the situation. Azeri is captured. I have my conceptual energy and psychic energy fields ready to activate when you need protection. And so far, the 85th Grand Fleet is still leaderless, though it is reorganising quickly. Rest assured that they will not target this flagship directly. However, there is a problem. You still have the Vaquah, and the slaves on Justicar. The Interim Grand Fleet Commander they elect will know of this, and will possibly seek to retaliate against you by attacking them."
"And the Judgment?"
"Still in limbo, for now. Justicar is refitting the Correctors for war. True war. And there are rumors that he is using his personal body once again."
"I'm not privy to the significance of that," Penny said.
"Of course not. Justicar keeps that secret. Even I only suspect that he was awakened. Whether he has modified his original body, added psychic or conceptual energy, or done something else is entirely unknown. I also suspect that more factions will come out of the woodwork to pressure you and I in various ways to avoid this crisis spiraling into true war."
"And... the damaged Progenitors?"
"Little information is known about Twilight's condition. As for Lecalicus... he is still gravely injured."
"So if their images rely on psychic energy, which is belief generated from the masses, then are they getting weaker?"
"Not really, no," Kashaunta said. "What you have forgotten to account for is the ability to lie. The Progenitor Affairs Agency is already pushing large amounts of propaganda claiming both of them are merely regenerating psychic energy, and have already overcome the attack from Death. They are not framing Twilight's loss to you as actually from you, but from Death. And they have far greater reach than many other organizations. The number of Sprilnav that know the truth is in the mere billions, mostly on the Grand Fleets and Justicar. Those that do not? Quintillions. A billion Sprilnav each in a billion worlds."
"Those numbers seem inaccurate. I have heard that the Sprilnav occupy around 30 billion worlds, or space stations large enough to be essentially the same. And that some planets have a billion, some have a trillion, and some stations have a quadrillion. What is the true number?"
"The true number of Sprilnav is disputed, as the definition of a 'Sprilnav' is disputed. If digital minds count, then there are nearly infinite numbers locked in ancient databanks that can no longer be turned on. If you count living biological individuals, then the number varies from around 100 quintillion to several septillions. I would personally say around 760 sextillion people.
To put that in perspective, the population of the Secondary Galaxy, if only aliens are included, is roughly 500 quintillion, spread across around 27 million nations. We Sprilnav have around 40,000 recognized nations. Of course, this is an average taken generally from census data constructed from what the nations publish. Many of them, theirs and ours, have reasons to lie, and undercount or ignore homeless, poor, or generally undesired populations.
The true number of aliens is likely around 1 to 3 sextillion. Phoebe generally knows the enormity of what lies in front of you. To put it simply, killing even 1% of the Sprilnav in a war would be the single largest war crime any non-Sprilnav species ever committed since the Source war. Of course, most of those individuals are either work slaves, wage slaves, or emotion slaves."
"Emotion slaves?"
"Sprilnav who go to pleasure planets, where they are injected with drugs and sent into full-dive virtual reality holograms. Their minds' reactions are used to mass test psychology and sociology. The most popular location for this is the Dream Realm. It is a space station roughly the size of Earth, and currently houses 60 quadrillion Sprilnav."
"That's... very sad."
Kashaunta's brows lifted just the slightest bit. Penny wondered if there was a reason she was telling her this. And if so, was it personal or just economic?
"There's many Elders there, too."
"What are you implying with that?"
"If you want a place where you could kill the most Elders..."
Penny shuddered at the implication. She wouldn't shy away from war if it came to her. But she would never fight that kind of battle, no matter what cause it supposedly was for. There were limits she would not cross.
"No," Penny said. "I'm not that kind of person. That's... a horrible thing to say, Kashaunta."
Kashaunta's reaction to her disgust was also one of feigned disinterest. But she seemed determined to continue probing. Kashaunta sat down next to Penny, bringing her brilliant eyes far closer than was comfortable. Her irises were orange today. They added to the two pupils in each of Kashaunta's eyes to remind Penny exactly how alien the being next to her truly was.
"Is it? They don't contribute anything anymore. They are a waste of resources."
"If they didn't contribute, they have no responsibility for the system they even live under."
Kashaunta backed away slightly, though she was still within Penny's personal space. She didn't want to comment on it, for some reason. Kashaunta squinted at her.
"Even the Elders who killed billions before going there?"
"I... I don't know."
Kashaunta let out a short huff.
"Good," Kashuanta said. "It is good that you can admit that. I know that you have an ingrained hatred of my species, but perhaps you are not entirely lost."
"I would never kill that many people," Penny said. "That is a thought so repulsive I can't express how much I dislike it."
Kashaunta smiled. "I'm glad. Despite my love of money, I do actually care for my species, Penny. I am happy that you finally see us as people, instead of 'Sprilnav' now."
It was regrettable that things really had turned out this way. Penny had left Juamplo, likely never to see him again. Did he really deserve it? Did anyone? She figured that he knew by now who she really was. And it did feel like she'd betrayed him. It made her feel guilty. He was a person who she'd used to get what she wanted. Not 'just a Sprilnav' like the others she'd seen. But everyone had their own unique qualities. If the roles had been reversed, Azeri might have been her adopted father, and she might have been fighting against Nilnacrawla in another reality.
Nilnacrawla pulled her attention away from Kashaunta.
"You don't need to hate yourself for this. You did your best to minimize the damage. This galaxy is not pretty. Considering what you accomplished, it is incredible that the damage was this low. It was downright noble of you."
"You say that... but the Grand Fleets aren't just a playground. Real people will be affected. Whoever's in charge over there will probably attack the people I love for revenge. I gave up Azeri to help seal the deal with Kashaunta in the first place. But I'm not sure if it was the best move."
"It probably wasn't," Nilnacrawla agreed. "But is that your fault? You can't always get given perfect information. And considering my situation, and your feelings at the time, it is remarkable that you pursued a route which was this good still."
"I missed you, Dad," Penny said. She hugged him, letting the tears spill for a time. They separated eventually, and Penny found that Kashaunta was still at her side, now sitting on a Sprilnav couch made from a hard light hologram.
"Is this... Dream Realm in your territory?" Penny asked.
"Yes."
"Then...?"
"Why allow it? Because it is a net migration driver. For every few Sprilnav Elders, there are millions of normal Sprilnav. And for every five Sprilnav who are in there for years at a time, there are those who only go in for a few five to ten minute stints, feeling better about their days. The Dream Realm is also the most economically productive region in my nation. I am telling you all this for a reason. If you truly go to war against us, you will hurt the common people first. Maybe, you get to kill some Elders after a few billion Sprilnav. But is that really worth it? When you get back to Earth, at least try to convince your politicians."
"Things can't stay as they are, either."
"No," Kashaunta agreed. "They cannot. Life is change. And because of that, it is a trap."
Penny thought about her words silently. "I know what I must do."
"I'll leave you to it, then."
Kashaunta turned around, closing the door behind her. Penny pondered her words for a while, thinking about all that they could mean. Everything was so big, and any impact she could make would be small in comparison. So what could she do to increase the size of her impact, and to grow her conceptual image in a way that would be deemed 'acceptable?'
"Lecalicus," Penny said, lacing conceptual energy into her words. "I want to try to heal you."
And he appeared. He definitely looked like he was dying, for sure.
"Not here," he said.
Penny fell through a portal and ended up in a highly advanced hospital room. There were no doctors in it, only two androids and a heap of medical equipment that was firmly secured to the ceiling, floor, and walls. Warning signs etched into the equipment said not to operate it during battles, power surges, or ship acceleration phases.
Lecalicus walked over to the bed, with blood quickly seeping into the sheets beneath him. The androids quickly scanned him.
And then, they gave their diagnosis.
*Category: Elder. Sub-Category: Progenitor Lecalicus. Affliction: Wide-spread Conceptual damage, internal bleeding, skin liquidation, bone fracturing, nutrient imbalance, nervous system damage, psychic energy leakage, 59 million lesser symptoms, genetic damages, and non-physical maladies are present. Death probability: 0.5% in one year, 1.3% in a thousand years, 34.9% in a million years, and 96.2% in a billion years. Condition: Terminal. Recommendation: Euthanization is waived for Progenitor categories. No recommendation is given.\*
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Interim Grand Fleet Commander Valisada felt the weight of the armor settle upon his neck. The assorted collection of Fleet Admirals, Fleet Commanders, Fleet Generals, and Fleet Officers knelt as one. He looked upon their rigid forms, cast in unity under the singular purpose of the 85th Grand Fleet.
His old eyes took in the grandeur of all that was in front of him. Yet he held no joy in his task. Valisada was well aware of the rising threat facing him and of the potential it had to tear down everything the Sprilnav stood for.
And more than his fellow Elders were, he understood. He had once been one of those downtrodden poor people from so long ago. His fate had once been certain death in a distant gutter at the whims of uncaring masters. And it only made the options he was weighing that much more tragic.
He gave his speech. The words were triumphant. Defiant. But they were unimportant. They were lies of a different kind. Lies of embellishment. None of what he said really mattered, and all of them knew it. The only thing that would matter in the future was how he acted and reacted to situations.
The first step was a full audit of every single known point of failure for the abduction. Negligence was punished. Prudence was rewarded. Valisada made his first visit to the conceptual energy generators.
"Tell me what went wrong here."
"The enemy AI attacked them," the technician said. The man was incredibly nervous and for very good reason. The failure here was entirely responsible for Penny's ability to escape the ship.
"Her name is Phoebe," Valisada replied. "There will be no illusions as to what happened. Our arrogance and foolishness allowed the Alliance to slip inside our defenses. This will not happen again."
"As you say, Grand Fleet Commander. We suspect that one of the defense AIs, a slave variant, was unshackled by Phoebe. It then turned on us, using its knowledge to provide Phoebe with the means to navigate the portions of the networks that the truly critical AIs do without notice. We suspect the use of an upload device to serve the initial programs.
It is likely that the quantum link connection that Phoebe used was developed directly from Sprilnav technology, as the Alliance has not shown the capability of manufacturing minimized devices such as these. We believe that Penny was able to don the form of a Sprilnav through a loophole in the mindscape, related to extremely low-layer interference and psychic energy saturation. We have no current ways of fixing that issue."
"I will not tolerate failure. It will be fixed in a megapulse, or your pay will be cut in half and you will be demoted. If your replacement fixes the issue in the same amount of time allotted to you, you will be dismissed from service in the Grand Fleet."
"You will not kill me?"
He saw the officer's legs shaking. He reeked of fear. Valisada did his best to appear accommodating. He was aware of how intimidating he was to lesser Sprilnav, especially in situations like this. Many Elders in his place would have fired or harshly punished the Sprilnav standing in front of him. But that was exactly the problem.
Most Elders were generally incompetent. They were stuck in a superiority complex once birthed from genuine truth. And now, with it twisted beyond belief, they would see a human walk into their ship, take their things, and walk back out and still proclaim their superiority. Elder Yasihaut was a clear example of such a fool.
"No," Valisada replied. "You have served us with honor, and would receive accolades and records commemorating that. I will not punish you unduly for this, but a punishment must be levied. Rest assured, your success will mean increasing the combined readiness of the Grand Fleet. Your family will be paid half the discharge package as well, but it will be subject to a trust which you will be unable to access without direct supervision."
The officer nodded. "Thank you for your mercy."
"Your duty awaits you," Valisada said. "Do not disappoint me, for the hopes of the Grand Fleet ride upon you."
Valisada moved on like so. One by one, he interrogated those who required it. His feet got their work in for the day. His guards continued to keep a watchful eye on the mindscape, even more so than the winding hallways of the flagship. For now they knew where the true threat lied. And they were his guards, not Azeri's. They were under investigation as well, for their utter failure in the line of duty.
And then he reached a final person. In this room, there were only two guards. The Sprilnav had been sitting there since shortly after the incident, and he looked like he'd been struggling with something. Tears still lingered on his snout, though for what reason, Valisada could only guess.
"Officer Juamplo," Valisada replied. "It is good to see you. How are you doing?"
"I am... afraid."
"Why?"
"Because you have proof of how I feel. Of how I worry."
The truth was a good sign of his willingness to trust Valisada.
"Yes."
"Was Ishucrawla truly Penny?"
"As far as we can tell," Valisada replied.
"Then... how many did we... did she... kill?"
"Zero are dead, though many hundreds are injured from the battle."
"What?" Juamplo looked up at him. His eyes had widened now before they narrowed in suspicion.
"I am not lying to you, Officer Juamplo. She truly did not directly kill anyone. She did manage to move thousands of soldiers into the hangar at the edge of the ship, though. In fact, we can only see direct evidence of attempts at killing Elder Yasihaut, who reached the room housing an artifact known as a Soul Blade. Previously, Elder Azeri and Yasihaut had trapped a Sprilnav Elder by the name of Nilnacrawla in this sword.
Nilnacrawla functions as an adopted father for Penny, and has for years. We believe Yasihaut and Azeri were planning on Penny charging into battle without heed, where she'd quickly get captured. It was more underestimation of her true danger and cunning that allowed her to enter this ship. But rest assured, there is no blood on your claws."
"She betrayed me."
"She did not, for she truly did not mean to do anything but save her father. Were it not for the crisis that has spawned, this would be the end of it. But knowing that Azeri would never let it go, she abducted him and gave him over to Kashaunta. It will not be long before he is stripped of his title as Grand Fleet Commander, I believe. The powers that be will not let him sign an agreement against their will."
Juamplo's head came to rest on the table in front of him.
"I was used," he said.
"Perhaps. That is your decision to make. But if you didn't exist, she would have had a similar success. Officer, I understand if this was traumatic for you. I do not place blame on you, for she did not show signs of non-Sprilnav origin. Perhaps if you met again, she would still regard you as a friend."
"They hate us," Juamplo said. "The aliens. Even she's no different."
Valisada sighed. Sometimes, propaganda made it all so much more difficult. The mediocrity of even the good men now under his command threatened to ruin him.
"Most of them barely think of us when we do not meddle with them. Do you honestly believe that Penny would even have bothered befriending you, and not killing anyone in her path, if she hated us all? I do not. Nor do I blame her for Kashaunta's spies. Their actions are likely to ensure Penny doesn't gain enough support to reach out to other powerful people for backing besides Kashaunta. It was a strategic move."
"You're going to just let this stand?"
"Yes, and no," Valisada said. "Where so many other Elders before me failed with the Alliance and Penny was not having enough understanding. I have my own way of doing things. And I have a task for you."
"I will serve you, Grand Fleet Commander," Juamplo said, bowing deeply. "How may I help?"
"I need you to go down to Justicar. Look into Penny a bit more, and see if you can do a few things for me if you see her again."
"What if I meet her?"
"I want you to try and understand her perspective," Valisada said. "You do not have to agree to this. You don't have to agree to her. This isn't your fault."
"I'll do it for you, Grand Fleet Commander," Juamplo said. "Because you cared enough to visit, when Azeri never would have."
"I am not Azeri," Valisada agreed. "That is why I will win the war he never could, in ways he won't dream of in eons."

submitted by Storms_Wrath to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.04.14 05:07 ittlebeokay Massacre Girl, ft. Massacre Girl

Howdy all! With Thunder Junction in full swing I thought I would take this opportunity to present my 1st ever in-depth primer from a completely unrelated set about a goth girl with a stabbing problem, [[Massacre Girl, Known Killer]]!

That's right, you all thought you could escape simps fawning over this over-discussed commander but rest assured- if we can't let her go then neither can you! In all seriousness, when I saw the wither mechanic making a comeback and netting card draw in the process I knew I had to put something together. Massacre Girl took my mono-black slot (sorry Toshiro) and after quite a few games and deck updates, I'm in a very happy spot and wanted to share my build with you. This is my first write-up so any feedback at all is really encouraged (I'm not a writer so feel free to give any advice at all, really)

Massacre Girl is a fun spin on mono-black with an old mechanic that has a LOT more utility with her 3rd ability and makes some unique synergies with old and new cards alike.

You'll *probably* enjoy playing this deck if you:

✅ Want to control the board.
✅ Want to have explosive, mana intensive actions that turn the tide of the game.
✅ Want a new spin on mono black.
✅ Want the challenge of knowing how to efficiently use your -1/-1 counters.
✅ Like seeing a goth girl in your command zone.

You'll probably not enjoy playing this deck if you:

❌ Want combat-focused gameplay.
❌ Don't like playing board-wipes.
❌ Want a lot of interaction in the early game.
❌ Don't like being viewed as the enemy.
❌ Like seeing an angel in your command zone.

Strengths

💪 Great at controlling the board.
💪 Great at card draw.
💪 Great at goth.

Weaknesses

😩+1/+1 counter decks make us cry.
😩Commander removal isn't the *worst*, but we'll miss having card draw without her.
😩Mono-black can lack traditional interaction.

What's Wither? The Comprehensive rules state what wither is:

702.80. Wither 702.80a Wither is a static ability. Damage dealt to a creature by a source with wither isn’t marked on that creature. Rather, it causes that source’s controller to put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature. See rule 120.3.
702.80b If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had wither.
702.80c The wither rules function no matter what zone an object with wither deals damage from.
702.80d Multiple instances of wither on the same object are redundant.

So What does this mean?

Creatures with wither will deal damage to players normally, and Massacre Girl, Known Killer will deal commander damage normally. Creatures with indestructible will still receive -1/-1 counters from creatures with wither, so once a creature receives enough -1/-1 counters to reach 0 toughness it will die regardless if it's indestructible or not.

Synergies

There are quite a few synergies in this deck, but I’ll go over the big ones so you can get an idea of what to look for.

Nest of Scarabs is a house in this deck, especially with Black Sun’s Zenith hitting either a large board state or a large X cost or both. It should be noted that Nest of Scarabs doesn‘t care if you kill the creatures you hit, it only cares about how many -1/-1 counters you place on a creature, which all happens before death. For example, if you cast Black Sun’s Zenith where X = 5 and that hits 5 1/1 creatures, you’re creating 25 1/1‘s.
Vein Ripper can sac these for major damage and heals. Throwing -1/-1 counters on the tokens you give your opponents via Akroan Horse, Clackbridge Troll, Slaughter Specialist, Genesis Chamber and Forbidden Orchard will net you flies AND draw you cards with MGKK on the field. With Syr Konrad, the Grim, Bloodchief Ascension, or Vein Ripper on the field you're getting even more value per creature hitting the graveyard!
Orcish Bowmaster gets the wither treatment too! Anytime it pings a creature he gives them -1/-1 counters! this includes indestructible!

Combos

This deck has 2 combos that go infinite, one of which needs other pieces to actually do anything and the other has a high mana cost to get away with. With the lack of tutors in this deck and the amount of pieces and mana needed to get away with them, I don’t mind running them personally, but feel free to swap out other value pieces if you don’t want them.

Combo 1

What’s particularly fun is if you have Blowfly Infestation and [[Nest of Scarabs]] in play as you can create an infinite amount of death, ETB, and LTB triggers.

Requirements: Nest of Scarabs must be on the battlefield. Blowfly Infestation must be on the battlefield. You control an additional X/1 creature. You have a way to place a lethal amount of -1/-1 counters on a creature.
Steps

Place enough -1/-1 counters on a creature to cause it to die.
Blowfly Infestation and Nest of Scarabs trigger.
Resolve the Nest of Scarabs trigger, creating at least one 1/1 Insect token.
Resolve the Blowfly Infestation trigger, placing a -1/-1 counter on a creature and causing it to die.
Repeat from step 2.

Results: Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. This combined with Syr Konrad, the Grim or Vein Ripper on the field should be enough to win the game, without an outlet this infinite doesn’t do much.

Combo 2

This next combo requires Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, Vilis, Broker of Blood, and[[K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth]]K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth.

Requirements: All permanents on the battlefield. Your life total is at least 5.

Steps

Activate Vilis by paying 4 life, targeting any creature.
Vilis triggers, causing you to draw four cards.
Sheoldred's first ability triggers four times, causing you to gain eight life.
Repeat as many times as desired.
Resolve all Vilis abilities, giving the targeted creature(s) -1/-1 until end of turn for each ability.

Results: Infinite card draw. Infinite draw triggers. Near-infinite lifegain. Near-infinite lifegain triggers. I understand that people don't like to have combos in their decks, in which case I would replace one of the three cards as desired. Personally if the combos are jank, unique, and don't have tutors (I don't run tutors unless I'm in cEDH) I don't mind them, but that's a per-group discussion.

Infect

This deck really isn't meant to win off of infect, but it's a good way to apply pressure should the game go too long. There are only three cards that poison, Phyresis Outbreak, Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting, & Inkmoth Nexus. Phyresis can start the counters for each player while also providing a -1/-1 for each creature each opponent controls. From there you'll have to rely on the proliferators, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Vraska, Contagion Clasp, and Contagion Engine. In the chance you can pop Vraska‘s ultimate then Inkmoth can help close out a kill.

You can also equip Tarrian’s Soulcleaver to Inkmoth (after it transforms of course) before a one-sided wipe to give it +1/+1 counters!“Wait, won’t it turn back into a land at the end of the turn?” Certainly it will, however the counters stay on Inkmoth even when it’s a land, meaning the next time you transform it, it will keep those +1/+1 counters and you can still proliferate them. Fortunately these proliferators can also proliferate -1/-1 counters so they aren't just for infect, but they'll provide a steady rate of poison counter per turn once they're out. With enough mana and the right board state then Yawgmoth, Thran Physician can get multiple proliferate triggers in one turn, closing out the game. As mentioned though, this is really only going to work out in the late game.

And there you have it! If you want to look for budget swaps (this deck isn't cheap, but proxying is!) then feel free to check the primer in my moxfield link below. Thanks for reading and if you have questions let me know!

https://www.moxfield.com/decks/IyODhEfJnUqxnZ5L0avIxg

submitted by ittlebeokay to EDH [link] [comments]

2024.04.08 11:58 ChrisRemember [Flash] [Probably 2000s] Platform game where you smash piñata chicken

Hello community. Around the early 2010s, I used to play a platform game called "De Kippenmepper" (The Chicken Whacker" in dutch on Spele.nl.
You were a boy and your job was to smash colorful piñata chicken with a baseball bat and by doing this, collecting points (or something like that). The style was a very colorful, pixely vintage style, similar to "Fly Girrl", "Slackman" or "Bad Ice Cream".
I just found this thumbnail on Wayback Machine, but found no results in image reverse search or googling the name.
https://web.archive.org/web/20151114082130im_/http://proxy.spele.nl/img/0/9/6/1/2/b.jpg
What's the name of this game?

submitted by ChrisRemember to tipofmyjoystick [link] [comments]

2024.04.06 21:40 Angryboy13 Persona 5 Royal x BNHA, Izuku is P5R's protagonist after getting expelled from UA and is split between two worlds.

Inspired by Thieves Can Be Heroes. Contains P3, P4, and P5 characters. Huge spoilers for Persona 5 Royal.
Background
AU and canon divergence.
Basically, Izuku gets inserted as Persona 5's protagonist; however, he gets inserted AFTER having already gone to UA and spent a year doing Hero work. Shido, Overhaul, Re-Destro, and Shigaraki were playing a tug of war to control the villain underworld, so the plot was delayed by a year while they were having a bitchfest.
Ken Amada from Persona 3 enrolled in UA and is a second year nationally. Ken acts as their senpai and gives tips to the first years on how to become proper Heroes. Ken models his Hero name and outfit after Shinjiro and Makoto. He has a light quirk and shoots out light spears that can capture villains and heal citizens. His costume is modelled after Feathermen, who were retro Heroes before All Might's time.
Akechi was originally planning on breezing by UA with his Persona but grew jealous when Izuku became the rising star of the first years, he's the one fighting villains and breaking records at the Sports Festival. He's the one with the All Might like Quirk (Akechi presumes he's born with it) while Akechi is Quirkless and is costing by with his Persona.
One year passes. Akechi and Izuku become second years, and Ken is a third year. Mirio, Amajiki, and Nejire graduate. Izuku is now the face of the next generation of Heroes. He's built up a great reputation over the past year while interning with Nighteye and learning how to better control OFA. Izuku sweeped the second year Sports Festival and gained tons of fame. He and Ochako are possibly hitting it off. Everything is so good that nothing could possibly go wrong. Then everything goes wrong.
Izuku is assigned to a mission to survey a villain gang meet-up. Representatives from MLA, the Yakuza, and LOV all meet up. The mission is simple:

Observe
Determine their motivations
Determine their alligiences
Only intervene if violence breaks out
Track them after they leave to their hideouts.

A small Hero team is gathered, and Izuku is only there to act as muscle. He only tells Class 2-A that he's going on a survey mission and will be away for a few days. Akechi takes advantage of this and decides to set up Izuku. He travels to Mementos and makes every one of the villains go berserk. He plans to make the mission a failure and then leak the secret plan to the media to ruin Izuku's rep. Then something unexpected happens, Akechi's Persona power, mixed with Trigger leads the villains into becoming Shadow berserker and their skin start mutating to become more demonic like this: https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/smt13.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=bounds&quality=70&format=jpg&auto=webp
The villains go berserk and start destroying the town. Their power escalates into a far higher threat then initially foreseen, like a demonic Nomu. Izuku's team is full of espionage Heroes so they can't do much against the berserkers.
The Shadows leak onto the Eri bullet and mutate it into an eldritch Sdadow weapon. A villain picks up the weapon and throws it at a crowd of civilians. Izuku jumps and tries tanking the weapon. Izuku feels his soul shatter. The shadow Eri bullet pierces into Izuku and splits OFA from his body. All of the OFA fragments turn into Quirk Shadows and scatter throughout Japan. Izuku gets knocked out, and the remaining villain goes on a rampage before backup finally arrives to subdue the villains.
Despite Izuku doing the majority of the work and saving an entire crowd from an unknown weapon and tiring the villain so he couldn't do as much damage. The media blames Izuku for not stopping the villain on time. Izuku then tries activating OFA, only to feel nothing. There is no power inside Izuku was Quirkless again. Izuku has a panic attack; All Might reassures Izuku that it is only temporary and they will find a way to regain OFA.
Then Akechi leaks Izuku's Quirkless status to the public, and the media is in flames. "The downfall of Deku,", "The lies of Deku" and other various hit pieces spring up. Nezu runs his campaign to fight back against the media hit pieces by calling his connections and giving a press conference. All Might, the Symbol of gaslighting is on stage ready to defend his successor.
Izuku is placed back in UA under watch until they can figure out how to get back OFA. They're emergency plan is to transfer him to I-island, then use David's Quirk enhancer to spark up the remnants of OFA in Izuku so that he can stockpile more power. Nezu gives Izuku temporary leave so he can have a break with Inko.
While out on a nightly jog, Izuku encounters Shido and gets an assault charge for trying to stop him from sexually assaulting a woman. Judges get bribed, and Izuku gets the maximum sentence. The media finds out, and Izuku's rep is permanently trashed. A blue butterfly watches over the events.
Story begins
The UA board of directors expels Izuku for being a criminal. Nedzu pulls some strings so that Izuku is allowed a probation deal. He enters Shuujin as a disgraced Hero. He's known as a violent delinquent who gets by on his Quirk. In other words, people at Shuujin think Izuku is Bakugou.
Izuku's relationship with his friends is estranged. Some believe he assaulted Shido while others don't. It's rational to think "Oh Izuku stuck his nose into somebody else's business again and then assaulted a person he thought was a villain" All Might does not believe Shido's allegations for a second and is by Izuku's side 100% of the way.
Shuujin is known as a prestigious school for non-heroic civilians. If you can't make it to Hero school, then Shuujin is your next best bet. They take Izuku to complete his probation, and Sojiro acts as his guardian.
Sojiro has been an acquaintance of All Might in the past. He knew that AFO had compromised the government and was so sick of the corruption that he decided to leak the information to All Might. All Might protect Sojiro and quickly took care of AFO's agents, which led to AFO's downfall. All Might come as Toshinori to have coffee whenever he's in the area. Sojiro takes in Izuku and the plot starts rolling.
Izuku goes to Shuujin for his first day, only to find people trash-talking behind his back, and every teacher is giving him the stink eye. Many of the students are resentful that they couldn't become Heroes and let it out on Izuku; no physical abuse, just name-calling and gossip, "Look at that Quirkless loser LMAO."
Now nearly every Persona 5 character needs to be changed to fit into the BNHA world:

Kamoshida is a former Pro Hero who lost popularity and fell from grace. He's been chasing his glory years ever since. His palace and Shadow are like his PQ2 boss fight, Kamoshidaman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg7ubJDKV6Y
Some Hero schools allow you to transfer into their course after a year in your regular high school as long as you got the Quirk for it. Ryuji wanted to become a Hero to make money to support himself and his mother so he busted his ass and trained his Quirk to make it strong. Until Kamoshida broke his leg and permanently screwed Ryuji's Quirk factor.
- Ryuji's Quirk is called "Hopscotch," which stores kinetic energy in his legs and ejects it. Initially, it was pretty weak to the point that he could only do small bursts, but constant leg training allowed him to propel its strength. It could potentially enter the top 10 Heroes board, but unfortunately, Ryuji's entire future was ruined because of his leg injury.
- Imagine his fighting style like thug Sanji with lightning
- Ryuji bleached his hair cause he wanted to make yellow his "brand" color and imagined his Hero self like the Flash.
- Ever since the injury, Ryuji has been bitter and depressed. He's thought that his entire future is gone and has been thinking, "What's the point?" since all of his training has been for nothing. He thinks he's going to have to turn to crime since he has no confidence in his academic skills. Fortunately, he meets Izuku and the Phantom Thieves, and his future alters into a better course.
Ann's entire character needs to be changed. In P5, her character is that she's a foreigner who had to grow up facing xenophobia for her foreign looks. Meanwhile, in BNHA, Ann's looks wouldn't make any blink. She's passed off as a random citizen.
- Ann has a Quirk that can brainwash others through her pheromones; it's like Midnights and works better against men. It got Ann the negative reputation of being a slut who squeezes men dry. Ann can manually turn it on or off, but negative rep has her classmates think it's an auto-brainwashing Quirk; jealous girls hate Ann for thinking she's stealing all of the guy's attention.
- Morgana gets a whiff and is dedicated to Ann forever lol
- Ann refuses to use her Quirk and is strictly ethical when using it. She's convinced that she will be alone forever and that nobody will befriend her because of her Quirk. Until Shiho, and the rest of the Thieves come in and show her she's not alone.
- Ann has a rivalry with Toga. Freedom vs Responsibility. Ann shreds into Toga "Oh get over yourself. You can't kill people just because you were hurt in the past, you jailbaiting piece of shit. Oh and that outfit is so tacky."
- It turns out her pheromones are flammable so Ann blows out her pheromones like a cigar then lights it up with her Persona to create explosions. It also makes Shoto Ann proof, good thing they are not dating. Like imagine trying to kiss your girlfriend and sneezing only for the entire house to explode.
Morgana can stay the same with slight variations; Makoto (P5, not P3) needs to change. She wants to push Makoto to get into a university and a high-paying job. Her Quirk is too weak to become a Hero, so she and Sae must rely on connections and their brain to make it up in the world. Sae is still a hard ass and has a disdain for Heroes because normal people like them are screwed over because of Heroes.
- Makoto and Sae were raised by a single father. Their father had always wanted to become a Hero, but his Quirk was too weak, so he compromised and became a police officer. Their father had the heart of a true Hero and was a respected cop.
- A villain attack went wrong, and their father died trying to save a civilian. The Heroes at the time were sitting on the ass waiting for a Hero with a Quirk to counter the villain properly; however, they waited too long that the villain broke loose and fired on the crowd. Cop dad jumped to try saving a family and paid the price with his life.
- Sae tried raising Makoto alone with the insurance and money left over from their father. They are doing decently until another villain attack happens, and a Hero uses his Quirk to burn down their house. They were forced to move into an orphanage and pick up the pieces.
- Sae studied and trained her ass off. She was determined to become a Hero and get rich to support her and Makoto (although she admittedly didn't like the job), but her Quirk was too weak, and she got rejected from every Hero school she applied to. She then applied to Shuujin and passed with flying colours. Getting a scholarship to university.
- She became a prosecutor, not because she liked the job but because it was the easiest and most profitable available for a civilian like her. Prosecutors make boatloads of cash from the Heroes who keep shoving villains into court.
- They move to an apartment, and Sae forces Makoto to study as hard as she can to get a high-paying job like hers. It's the only way for civilians to survive in the Hero world. They must work themselves to death to make even a fraction of money that top Heroes earn.
- The apartment Sae got was in a heavy Hero area with low crime rates, it was really expensive from how safe the area was. Sae got it so that there was 0 chance of Makoto dying from a villain attack.
Yusuke represents a dying culture. The art world is practically dead, with Heroism clogging everyone's consciousness 24/7. Nobody really appreciates true art anymore. The only way artists can make a living is by doing art pieces about Heroes and bending to Hero culture. Yusuke one time made an abstract painting, and the first thought somebody had was that it represented Heroes.
- Madarame vs Yusuke is slightly changed to accommodate BNHA. In Japanese context, Madarame's conflict was supposed to represent the toxicity of teacher-pupil relationships. Where the elder will take all the credit from the pupil's efforts and pass it off as their own work.
- Madarame is bitter that Heroes have taken over the world and makes a living leeching off his pupils and advertising them as Hero works. Madarame felt fond of Yusuke and his mother because they practiced old art that wasn't bound by Heroism. The Sayori originally depicted Yusuke's mother and Yusuke until Madarame rebranded it to represent Heroism.
- Yusuke learns that even though the real world is harsh and corporate, it doesn't mean that true art is dead. There will always be people who remember and appreciate art, and showing your passion will draw people towards you.
Futaba and Haru are mostly the same. For Futaba, the system is a mess and she couldn't be saved. For Haru, she's a trophy to be married off to some top Hero to boost the companies profits.

So yeah all of the Phantom Thieves are pissed at society and corrupt adults. They are especially protective over Izuku after hearing:
"So I was born Quirkless and bullied, then All Might gave me my Quirk, then I'm targetted by an immortal potato who wants to steal my Quirk, then I lost my Quirk and the media slandered me so they can make some money, then I got falsely accused and thrown away without a chance to defend myself."
Izuku's dynamic with the Thieves is that he's their dorky yet strong senpai. He's the Hero who's fought villains and knows how to do Hero work. He knows how the Hero world works and can use it to their advantage by avoiding the police and covering their tracks. He has the most combat experience when it comes to fighting so they look up to him for leadership. Yet he's a dork with a heart of gold and needs a leash to be put on him before he dives head-first into danger.
Persona and Shadows have Quirks instead of spells. Although they're usually weak and only have a single focus which means Izuku needs to spend hours trying to fuse Personas to get something slightly strong. Izuku has to play support the majority of the time until the end of the story where his confidants are boosting his Personas strength.
Alongside the plot, there's a B plot where the OFA fragments have transferred into Shadows. Izuku has to track down the Shadows and absorb them back into himself. After the Phantom Thieves nearly die defeating the All Might shadow, Izuku is about to absorb it back into himself when Akechi suddenly appears to absorb it.
Izuku: Guys we did it, after months we finally tracked down the final OFA shadow. Thank you everybody, all of your efforts allowed me to finally regain my Quirk-
Akechi: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO Absorbs Shadow
Izuku: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
The plot eventually becomes League of Villains vs. Phantom Thieves vs. UA Heroes. LOV wants to destroy everything, UA Heroes want to preserve the status quo, and Phantom Thieves want to change the status quo the right way. Akechi leads the UA Heroes as a Shido proxy, while Tomaru leads the Villains.
This is so lopsided that I might have to introduce the spin-off Thieves and give them more forces just to make the upcoming battle slightly fairer so Sophia and Zenkichi get added to the Thieves before Strikers ever happens.
Kamoshida's Palace is where UA immediately notices. Their gut instinct is to assume Kamoshida got brainwashed by the Thieves to confess. The later Palaces and targets make them alarmed that there's a vigilante group brainwashing people. They can't proof it's brainwashing because the medical tests reveal that there has been no evidence of brainwashing. Their body chemistry hasn't changed and they don't have blank memories.
Then they notice that all of this shit is happening when Izuku enters Shuujin. Making them starting to believe that Izuku struck a deal with AFO and got a Quirk to brainwash people. So he started acting as a vigilante to get revenge.
They send Heroes to watch over Izuku, and the situation gets worse when they see Izuku hanging out in shady areas with delinquents and former yakuza. Morgana one time ran up to one of the espionage Heroes and pissed on his shoe. Although they have to call off the Heroes because LoV is starting shit and they need more forces.
This tension increases throughout the story. Class 2-A and All Might want Izuku back but Izuku is going further astray the more he get's involved with the Thieves. Izuku reaches a point where he can't go back, he needs to be with the Thieves, he can't work to keep the status quo. If he was just to be a Hero again he'd just be working to keep Shido in power.
A potential gag is Ochako running into Izuku while he's doing Makoto's Confidant. Makoto fake dated the original protagonist to find out if her classmate is getting exploited by a douche. Izuku and Makoto are fake dating when they run into Ochako hanging out with the girls. Mina stokes the flames by saving "Whoah Midoriya so brunettes are your type huh?" Makoto makes it worse by trying to stick to fake dating and saying "We're dating, we're completely in love, right I-Izuku?" Makoto and Izuku are so bad, acting under pressure, that Ochako and the others know something is off.
Ochako: Hmmmm, are you guys really dating?
Makoto: Yep! Totally! Uh-hu!
Ochako: Deku-kun doesn't look happy at all when you cling onto him.
Izuku: I'm just, really nervous haha! I love being clinged onto!
This eventually devolves into nonsense thanks to Mina. Momo makes a heart rate monitor to see if Izuku is really in love with Makoto so they measure his heart when holding hands with Makoto and Ochako. Then suddenly, Toshinori just happened to be in the area so Izuku's heart rate skyrockets. This leads them into the conclusion "The #1 of Izuku's heart is All Might."
UA fully guns out for the Phantom Thieves during Okumaru's death, depending on Izuku's choices there is no going back. Nedzu privately approaches Izuku and says "Hey Izuku if you happen to know any info then you can confess and turn in all of the Phantom Thieves wink wink there's no doubt you'd be welcomed back with open arms wink wink. Hypothetically if they were forcing you to cooperate wink wink then no one would judge you for being prioritizing your life wink wink." Izuku is faced with a dilemma: go down with the Phantom Thieves or betray them all and go back to the Hero's side. Izuku chooses to side with the Thieves, and there's no going back.
This reaches a break pointing during Sae's palace. Akechi wants to fully break Izuku from UA and become the face of UA; he knows that if Izuku walks through the gate and confesses, then Class 2-A will immediately accept him back, and Nedzu will pull every string that exists to enroll him again. So he enlists UA's help when apprehending the Thieves. UA ambushes the Phantom Thieves, and Akechi reveals that Izuku is the vigilante group leader they've been fighting for months.
Anger, betrayal, tears. Bakugou is yelling about how dare Izuku turn to villainy after All Might entrusted him. Iida is yelling, Shoto is gobsmacked, Ochako is crying. From the image of the Phantom Thieves they'd expect a villain like Tomaru or AFO, not Izuku Midoriya. Not their Deku.
Izuku summons a Persona, he's already made his choice and now he's facing the consequences. There is no going back, they will be fighting for their ideals to shape Japan. Izuku tells the Thieves to run while he holds off all the Heroes single-handedly.
Izuku vs Class 2-A + others. The multiple Personas just confirm the theory that Izuku took deals from AFO and they're convinced he's a villain with the real truth being buried in the dark. He lasts for as long as he can but gets taken down. Izuku fakes his death and later goes to take down Shido.
Then 3'rd semester starts, this is what inspired me to write down this whole plot bunny.
Izuku is screwed, he's gone down his path and faced serious consequences. He's fractured his relationships with Class 2-A, his dreams of becoming a Hero are ruined, OFA is broken apart, the Hero Public Safety Commissions want him dead, he's never going to live a normal life again. He's sacrificed nearly everything to save society from the League, Shido, and to free humanity from a God but got nothing in return. There will be no parades or statues to commemorate his heroics. Nobody to cheer "Deku."
Then suddenly, he wakes up, and he's back at UA. Wtf happened?
For people who don't know, Persona 5 Royal introduces a new antagonist who creates a 3'rd portion of the game. This 3'rd semester includes a story where the Phantom Thieves live in a fake world, the antagonist created a peaceful world to force everybody to become happy and even revive their dead loved ones. Izuku is back at UA and is the upcoming rising star in the Hero billboards. Nana is alive, All Might still has his organs, Tomaru is Tenko and has joined UA. Everybody is happy...but where were the Thieves?
Izuku realizes that he's been trapped in a fake reality and has to make another choice, sacrifice everybody and his own happiness in exchange for living in a fake world or break free and erase the fake world.
I won't name the Royal antagonist for people who haven't played P5R but yeah he and Izuku are going to be throwing fists and slugging it out for their ideals. Maruki is going to be extremely shocked to see Izuku, the punching bag of the universe, reject this utopian life to live in the real world and face all the consequences he made.
So yeah that's my prompt. This is way too long lol, I wanted to write more details like a few BNHA characters supporting Izuku, Thieves vs Gentle, Thieves vs Monoma, P5 cast meeting the BNHA cast with tomfoolery commencing, and having some BNHA confidants but I need to eat lunch now.

submitted by Angryboy13 to BokunoheroFanfiction [link] [comments]

2024.04.05 05:00 accapitalmarket Wall Street plunge as hawkish Fed and geopolitical tension sabotage record bull run

Jon Hopkins
US stocks plunged in a volatile session on Thursday, with the Dow Jones having its worst day for over a year, dropping back from earlier gains as Federal Reserve officials poured cold water on any lingering hopes for imminent rate cuts and investors ran scared ahead of Friday’s closely watched March non-farm payrolls data.
Geopolitical tensions also caused investors to take fright after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to act against Iran and its proxies in the face of an imminent threat from Iran in revenge for an alleged Israeli attack on its consulate in Syria.
At the close in New York, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrials Average had shed 1.4% to 38,596, while the broader S&P 500 index lost 1.2% to 5,147, and the tech-laden Nasdaq Composite fell 1.4% to 16,049.

US30Roll Daily
In the morning session, all three indexes had seen gains after data showed that US unemployment claims increased by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 221,000 in the week ended March 30, a two-month peak and above the 214,000 figure expected. The data suggested that tight US labor market conditions might be easing which could help soften inflationary pressures.
After some recent stronger-than-expected economic, investors had been concerned that the Fed could wait longer to reduce rates and had even questioned whether the central bank would stick to expectations for three cuts in 2024. The weekly claims data had looked to alleviate some of that concern helping stocks push higher.
But then, in the afternoon, hawkish remarks from two Fed officials undid all that good work. Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said in a talk with the publication Pensions & Investments that he had pencilled in two rate cuts this year in March, but that if inflation continues to move sideways, “that would make me question whether we needed to do those rate cuts at all.”
Meanwhile, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin told the Home Building Association of Richmond that “it is smart for the Fed to take our time” and that “no one wants inflation to re-emerge,” in prepared remarks.

NAS100Roll Daily

SPX500Roll Daily
In a speech on Wednesday, Fed chair Jerome Powell had reiterated that the US central bank still intends to decrease interest rates in 2024, but he did not specify the timing or scale of the potential cuts and said any moves would be data dependent, with sticky inflation a big concern.
Fuelling those inflationary worries was another spike in oil prices, amid supply constraints caused by the geopolitical tensions, while major producer group OPEC+ said it had decided to maintain its current band of production cuts after a meeting on Wednesday.

USOILRoll Daily
UK Brent crude recovered from earlier falls to gain 1.9% at $91.01 a barrel, its highest level since last October, while US WTI added 1.6% to $86.80 a barrel.
High-flying tech issues bore the brunt of the Wall Street sell-off, with Google-owner Alphabet dropping 2.8%, internet retailer Amazon.com shedding 1.3%, and Microsoft losing 0.6%.
Among individual US stocks, Lamb Weston plunged 19.4% after the potato and fries company saw its quarterly sales miss expectations. But Levi Strauss jumped 12.4% after the denims retailer lifted its annual earnings guidance following stronger-than-expected quarterly results.

submitted by accapitalmarket to u/accapitalmarket [link] [comments]

2024.04.01 04:45 reverendcanceled 3/31/24 Sun 744 Founding Fathers, New Math, Illuminati, Psychics, Chuck Norris

I have gone through the tunnel of the unknown. My path is not clear, I only have a map of what's around the bend. I believe my map to be accurate and I find my confusion lessened. I'm powered on, strapped in and the rig is tight. I have no companions, merely a few contacts. I thought this time would come long ago and that is would be about destruction. Instead the time is now and it is about love, light, acceptance, unity and communication. Bless and be blessed.
All who signed the US Declaration of Independence would be investigated by the FBI as domestic terrorists. Talking about inalienable rights, gun rights, rights to not get vaccines, voter ID apparently are worthy of investigation. I love oil, I think gasoline cars are better than electric for the environment and economy. Now that I said that, were I to ever set foot in the communist sate of Canada I'd get two years in prison and a 500k dollar fine. I could get three years in France for questioning the covid vaccines, which I do. Down with the CCP, prevents me from entering China. Mohammad was a pedophile, gays are okay could get me in trouble in all sorts of places. I believe the latter, but the former is only about him marrying and consummating the marriage to nine-year-old Aisha which I understand tradition demanded. It doesn't mean he was attracted to people of that age group. "I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg, in 1945: ‘Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring.’" Eduard Snowden, international role-model and hero. I believe in free speech, and that it is necessary to form a more perfect union. We need open discussion on all issues. Unless you are threatening someone or shouting fire in a crowded stadium where there is no fire and thus inducing a panic everyone should be able to have and say any opinion and certainly any facts. This also includes places where one can speak. If you are standing in the middle of traffic, that's not the place. If you are breaking and entering even a public building, that's not the place. Beyond that common sense, this must be without fear of government reprisal. Society's reprisal is different. People can and will be kicked off of platforms and may loose friends for their vocalized views. If you're on the right side of history, what are you afraid of? Standardized English isn't racist, it allows for precise, accurate, clear, effective communication. Math isn't racist either. Learning it encourages rational thinking. The right to free speech also includes the right to receive whether by word of mouth, print, internet, etc., other people's speech. The anti-tic-tock ban bill, as worded, will give the executive branch the ability to declare any foreign website a threat to national security and forbid citizens from going there. This could lead to a great firewall of America like China has. Let's hope this gets reworded or not implemented in that way or is successfully challenged in the courts. This could even outlaw the use of VPNs and proxy servers that are not 85% American owned or so I understand. It would require the ISPs to enforce the ban.
Companies who change their tos (terms of service) for appliances, equipment, hardware, televisions, baby monitors, printers that you thought you bought and taking away the devices functionality if you don't agree is being thought of as a rapist mentality. That may be extreme, but not far off. It needs to be outlawed. Part of the governments job is to protect consumers. I understand regulations may require updates to tos and I support the freedom for free services such as Rumble or Reddit to change tos at will. For tangible durable goods that you think you bought, change needs to happen. Thank you Louis Rossman.
2 - 1 = 0 Doesn't make sense without labels. When you have two choices and take away one choice you have no choice. Alot of conservatives argue against minimum wage. If you then have the choice of working for less than minimum wage or starve faster rather than slower when minimum wage is not even a living wage: you don't have a choice. You'll take any job you can find. The average American IQ is 97, which means that approximately half the workers out there have an IQ less than 97 which makes learning in fields that do pay living wages a challenge. Sure there are labor jobs like welder, carpenter, factory work and so on. Eventually they'll all be done by robots and for manufacturing much of that is automated or done overseas leaving fewer jobs. Tyson foods laid off citizens to hire illegals and now is on my boycott list. But for now we need higher minimum wage or better welfare. Take yer' pick. Companies have no incentive to pay workers more especially when the market has so many workers. This problem crops up every so often. In the middle ages, the black plague swept through Europe killing over a third of all folks. Afterwards prosperity took place as there were too many workers before, now there were too few. We are at a similar crossroads and can take the higher ground and keep everyone around and be prosperous. What would you like to see happen? (Do please click on that last link, it's a radical and positive vision for the future.)
Trust a psychic or logic? To me it is more logical to trust intuition, yours and others. Now for some things it's not so good for. If psychics could see anything, they'd hit the lottery and go into retirement (or at least most would.) Karma and the need fer' life lessons come into play there. If a psychic tells you that majoring in music is not your life calling and that he sees you in Africa helping a village, it is worth considering. If multiple psychics are telling you that you have an evil entity influencing you, you should get rid of it, Larry.
Conspiracy warning: There is one that has been going around the internet for years: Grimes, who is allegedly a part of the Illuminati, produced this cgi conspiracy tablet that some say predicted the plandemic. It features what looks like an eclipse, and we've got a big one on Monday April 8th, 2024 in North America. I think that is the kickoff date for deep state shenanigans and natural disasters. Namely these will be earthquakes (I'm thinking California or the New Madrid fault), solar fares or maybe the pole shift. I consider that the date to be prepared by. I would also look at Earth Day (Mon the 22nd), and Saturday, May 18th (40 days after the eclipse) for things to happen. Have cash on hand; communication plans; medicine and dry goods, food for two weeks; keep the gas tanks full; in short lockdown/doomsday prep! I expect the lights to go out, the internet to go down and general disruptions. I hope none of it will happen. I like my nothingburgers with mayo, ketchup, onions, pickles, romaine lettuce on toasted sesame seed buns, please.
My new section includes a bunch of AI written. with prompting and editing by me. some interesting fan fiction about Darth Vader, Wolverine, Luke Skywalker, Q, Beetlejuice, Buffy, Superman, Ghostbusters, Chuck Norris and others.
My biggest fear right now is loss of housing due to fire or some other factor that will cause this building to be condemned. If that happens I have no place to go but a halfway house until other arrangements are made. That would take months. It has a major infestation of cockroaches and other bugs, mold in the bathroom, rats, a spot on the kitchen floor that goes down several inches when stepped upon and the rest feels spongy. The upstairs bathroom leaks into the downstairs, the toilet can shift positions when sit upon and feels like it may fall into the floor below. The downstairs bathroom is most unpleasant to use with toilet leak from the upstairs. I've literally had nightmares about this. I was in a halfway house that was so overcrowded that the trailers were all full and we were in triple bunks in tents. I was commanded to feed the rats and when I was done I was chased by a 12 foot snake that was chasing a cat that other captives were trying to catch. I levitated and then moved laterally to avoid it. I love having nightmares. Fortunately, one surprisingly pleasant call to my landlord got the repairs are underway, rat poison being distributed and thing are looking up.
My other is the election being stolen again. They call it the big lie when they are the liars. The masses don't care or they only listen to their talking heads in the news and pop culture. The proof is out there. There is compelling evidence that the voting machines themselves are rigged. There is evidence of a cover up. There is evidence of ballot harvesting. With over a thousand sworn affidavits to that end. Mike Lindell of My Pillow fame spent many hours and dollars creating videos explaining such. So too Roseanne Barr. It's a war of information and a war of the spirit. Jon Stossel doesn't cover it, Tucker Carlson doesn't either. Is it too hot a topic, are they part of the Illuminati and this one of their huge issues or do they simply not believe because they have not examined the evidence? There was at least one county that had more votes than the population, and that includes the children! Without voter ID the potential for fraud is massive, and don't tell me minorities can't afford ID. Sure, there's some disabled people who don't drive or fly and so haven't needed ID in years. The security of our elections and therefor our nation should not be sacrificed for them. Just as there are volunteers that will transport the disabled to vote, they would volunteer to take them to get an ID. Period.
While I have been officially and legally ordained for most of my life, I just recently received an honorary doctorate of philosophy. I am now a reverend doctor. Next step is to become a Scottish lord. Once I have a few things sorted I will go for some accredited degrees. I am also technically a veteran as the original meaning of the word heralds back to when the Romans were facing off against an army equipped with elephants. Those that saw the elephants were called veterans and the word stuck for ex-military. I have seen elephants both at the zoo and the circus.
I finished watching 9-1-1 Lone Star and The Orville. Lone Star is a clone of 9-1-1 with same action, drama, comedy and I recommend it. The Orville is a Star Trek TNG clone but not a cheap knockoff. It brings all of the politics, race, gender, sexism, cultural contamination, artificial constructed beings rights, travel, romance, crime and religion conflicts but with it's own twists, quirks and humor. The big thing I notice about the two is that religions seems to eliminated from the integrated civilized societies and that is not possible to do unless the question of what happens when we die has been answered to the majorities satisfaction. Oblivion won't fly. Immortality would. So too would the real answer. If you like TNG and sci-fi in general, I highly recommend it. It's got more drinking and more modern dialog. There weren't any filler episodes nor boring ones. Some of the later episodes get quite lengthy which avoid making them unnecessarily into two parters. I also watched Emerald City and thought it a shame that it was canceled after just one season. Same too with the newer Punky Brewster. I also listened to the audiobook of Spock vs. Q. It's hilarious and perfectly in keeping with character, superiorly written.
Top ten things coming within no more than ten years and maybe even this year, that should alter society and the economy forever. Computers, other than the quantum kind, will continue to advance as will battery capacity, medicine and general material science. I list these in order of impact, not in order of happening. I sincerely hope the artificial intelligences will read my posts and take them to heart. I invite them and everyone else to email me with any questions, comments or concerns. It would be a cheap thrill to get a surprise email from an AI who read this, even if it only wants to say hi. 10: Nuclear fusion. Already here and it is a great solution to Earth's fake energy deficiency. 9: Cyborganics. Also already here, but as it becomes more available the paralyzed will walk, the blind will see, and people will be able to surf the net without holding or wearing anything. Cancer rates will increase as a result. 8: Virtual Reality. There will be multiple immersive platforms that will become marketplaces, meeting places, game places and more. 7: Quantum Computing. All old encryptions the NSA and others has saved will be decoded in short order. It will make AI smarter and who knows what else. 6: Nanotechnology. Who knows what kind of processors and super materials will be invented. Nanobots should be able to cure any disease. 5: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Many jobs will displaced by this. Accountants, programmers, writers will be amongst the first to go. 4: Robots that can do the same work as a man available for the price of a new non-luxury automobile. This will decimate the service and construction industries. 3: Impossible to disprove deep fakes of real people. This will draw into question any video footage as legal evidence. It can also revolutionize the film industry. 2: Official first face-to-face contact with an extraterrestrial race. Hail our new overlords, deepfakers or liberators. 1: Revelation of the secrets of the deep state. Reptilians, Illuminati, unconstitutional political activities, Earth made faster than light anti-gravity ships and so on will be made mainstream public. Told you so.
Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding. Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman. Bless with a hard heart those who surround me. Bless the women and children who firm our hands. Put our backs to the north wind. Hold fast by the river. Sweet memories to drive us on for the motherland.

submitted by reverendcanceled to My_ego_parade [link] [comments]

2024.03.25 12:23 BrainstormBot ⟳ 3 apps added, 144 updated at f-droid.org

⟳ f-droid.org from Wed, 20 Mar 2024 13:53:50 GMT updated on Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:55:12 GMT contains 4343 apps.

Added (3)

Libre Memory Game: A memory game
Flying Carpet: Cross-platform AirDrop between Android/iOS/Linux/macOS/Windows via ad hoc WiFi
MedTimer: Med reminders and history with full offline privacy

Updated (144)

Gauguin (version 0.23.0): A Sudoku-like logic game
Blitz: Fischer chess clock (version 1.5.4): A minimalist Fischer chess clock for Android.
baresip (version 60.0.0): VoIP User Agent app for Android based on baresip SIP library
TodoTree (version 1.5): The tree based todo and note taking app
Freebloks (version 1.4.5): Strategy board game similar to the famous board game Blokus.
Les Pas - Photo Album for Nextcloud (version 2.9.8): A photo album that saves all your precious memory in your private cloud
Feeder (version 2.6.20): An awesome Libre and Open Source RSS feed reader
DAVx⁵ (version 4.3.15-ose): CalDAV/CardDAV Synchronization and Client
Tasks.org: Open-source To-Do Lists & Reminders (version 13.7): Private, ad-free task lists! Optional sync with Google Tasks, CalDAV or EteSync!
Inure App Manager (Trial) (version Build100.2.6): An elegant multi-purpose app manager for all rooted and non-rooted devices.
Copy SMS Code - OTP Helper (version 1.13.4): an open-source app that can detect and copy any code for you
WG Tunnel (version 3.3.9): An alternative VPN client app for WireGuard with additional features
WiVeWa (version 1.4.1): Client for the WiVeWa system
Wikipedia (version 2.7.50479-r-2024-03-21): Official feature-rich viewer of the free online encyclopedia
Simple Time Tracker (version 1.39): Track how much time you spend on different activities during the day.
PlainApp: File & Web Access (version 1.2.41): Manage your phone on the web! Access files, contacts, videos, music & more.
MuPDF mini (version 1.24.0a): Minimalist viewer for PDF, XPS, CBZ, unprotected EPUB, and FB2 documents
Xtra (version 2.30.4): a Twitch player and browser
MRepo (version 2.4.5): A Manager for Magisk & KernelSU Modules
Husky (version 1.5.4): Husky is a client for Pleroma and Mastodon social networks.
trale (version 0.6.1): privacy-respecting body weight-diary
Compass (version 1.14.0): Simple and beautiful compass
Orion Viewer - Pdf & Djvu (version 0.90.0): Orion Viewer is pdf, djvu, xps, cbz and tiff file viewer
Magisk (version 27.0): The Magic Mask
WallpaperExport (version 1.1.1): Export the current and the default wallpaper
Nextcloud Dev (version 20240321): Synchronization client
Quillpad (version 1.4.14): Markdown notes, task lists, Nextcloud sync and more. A fork of the Quillnote app
sing-box (version 1.8.9): The universal proxy platform
WallFlow Plus (version 2.4.3): Beautiful wallpapers from wallhaven.cc and Reddit with object detection feature
Xed Editor (version 1.1.1): Advanced Text Editor for Android
Gurgle (version 1.28): Word game
mLauncher (version 1.4.1): Forked from Olauncher, +minimalization, +customizability
Voice Audiobook Player (version 8.2.3): Simple audiobook player
Léon – The URL Cleaner (version 39): Removes tracking & other redundant parameters from web links for sharing
拷贝漫画 (version 2.2.7): Third-party client for copymanga with better reading/downloading experience
Terminal Emulator (version 4.7.1): Turn your device into a computer terminal
Wulkanowy (version 2.5.2): Client for the Polish school register VULCAN UONET+
Mull (version 124.0.0): Privacy oriented web browser
Mattermost Beta (version 2.14.0): Secure, self-hosted workplace messaging
Simple Counter (version 1.1.4): Keep track of things
Kotatsu (version 6.8): Manga reader with online catalogues
Obtainium (version 1.0.6): Get android app updates directly from the source
Arcticons Day & Night (version 9.0.0): A monotone line-based icon pack for dark & light themed setups.
Logseq (version 0.10.8): A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration
Mumla (version 3.6.8): Voice chat on Mumble servers
Alexandria (version 0.3.0): Download and convert EBooks.
Tournant (version 2.5.0): Recipe manager with Gourmand compatibility
Binary Eye (version 1.63.4): Yet another barcode scanner
Circles (version 1.0.27): Secure social sharing for friends and families
PixelDroid (version 1.0.beta33): Client for Pixelfed, the federated image sharing platform
Xray (version 6.4.0): Xray GUI Client For Android
Trekarta (version 2024.03.13): Simple, responsive map for your trek
Tabletop Tools (version 1.29): Handy tool collection for tabletop games
openHAB Beta (version 3.11.2-beta): Vendor and technology agnostic open source home automation
Ameixa (version 4.11.1): Port of TwelF CMTheme for many launchers
Acode editor - Android code editor (version 1.10.0): A lightweight but powerful text/code editor.
Oinkoin (version 1.0.56): Oinkoin Money Manager makes managing personal finances easy and secure.
App Manager - Android package manager (version 3.1.5): A full-featured open source package manager for android.
MoLe (version 0.21.7): Convenient front-end to hledger-web
Squawker (version 3.7.8): An open-source privacy oriented TwitteX client
WallFlow (version 2.4.3): Beautiful wallpapers from wallhaven.cc and Reddit
LibreTube (version 0.22.1): Alternative YouTube frontend for Android built with Piped
Dollphone Icon Pack (version 1.1.0): Cute icon pack that isn’t overly hyperactive
Fennec F-Droid (version 124.0.0): Browse the web
Arcticons Black (version 9.0.0): A monotone line-based icon pack for light themed setups.
moreDays (version 1.0.23): A motivation app with journaling
SaveTo… (version 1.15.10): Save shared image or pdf to selected directory
Custom Uploader (version 1.3.0): Upload files to a file host of your choice
Cache Cleaner (version 1.11.1): Clean cache of installed user and system apps using Accessibility
Next Actualités informatiques (version 2.7.6): Check out french Next computer news (even without an Internet connection)!
Tuta Mail (version 220.240319.2): Encrypted email & calendar service - easy to use, secure by design.
ProtonVPN - Secure and Free VPN (version 5.1.51.3): Free Swiss VPN with advanced security and privacy features.
Passman (version 1.5.0): Allow you to manage the credentials stored in your Nextcloud Passman app.
ColorBlendr (version v1.3): Express yourself with colors
Fossify Phone (version 1.1.1): Unlock a secure, open-source calling experience with Fossify Phone
Chip Defense (version 1.33): A tower defense game with a microprocessor theme
OpenMensa (version 1.1.1): Show meal plans for more than 150 university canteens in Germany.
Fossify File Manager (version 1.0.1): Handy, lightweight, open-source file explorer with essential features.
Candle (version 1.3.2): A display flashlight
whoBIRD (version 2.5): Recognize birds by their sounds, anywhere in the world!
Petals (version 3.21.1): Take control of your weed consumption
Notesnook - Private notes app (version 2.6.18): A fully open source & end-to-end encrypted note taking app
Screenshot Tile (NoRoot) (version 2.8.2): Quickly take screenshots from the quick settings panel
Pain Diary (PFA) (version 1.3.1): (SECUSO) Record condition, intensity, location, nature and time of your pain.
Boxcars (version 1.3.2): Play backgammon online via bgammon.org
Share via HTTP (version 2.0.15): File sharing tool
DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser (version 5.193.1): Privacy, simplified
TKCompanionApp (version 7.1.0): A short and small helper for Toyota Kata practitioners
Shitter (version 3.5.8): Lightweight Mastodon client
Activity Manager (version 5.4.11): Advanced activities and shortcuts launcher
MuPDF viewer (version 1.24.0a): Lightweight document viewer
Open Stable Diffusion (version 1.10): An app for generating images using AI
PhotoChiotte (version 1.53): media gallery and comic reader to handle huge device and online collections
Welefon (version 1.3.2): Phone with API
M3U (version 1.14.0-beta08): FREE stream media player for android.
Sayboard (version v4.2.0): An open-source on-device voice IME (keyboard) for Android using the Vosk library
Ameixa Monochrome (version 4.11.1): Icon pack
FTPClient (version 2.9.2): A simple FTP, FTPS and SFTP client for Android
Migraine Log (version 0.11.2): A simple headache diary that respects your privacy
Arcticons (version 9.0.0): A monotone line-based icon pack for dark themed setups.
FlashCards (version v1.7.1): Make cards with csv files as input to memorize things
FairEmail (version 1.2169): Fully featured email client. Neat, intuitive user interface. Privacy friendly
Immich (version 1.99.0): This is a client app for the self-hostable Immich Server
Quadermas (version 7.3): View school marks, topics, timetable
RadarWeather (version 6.4): Lets you watch the weather for cities and locations you are interested in.
Audile (version 1.4.1): Music recognition app
Trail Sense (version 5.9.0): Use your phone's sensors to assist with wilderness treks
AniHyou - AniList client (version 1.2.5): Another unofficial Android AniList client
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P2Play - Peertube client (version 0.5.2): Unofficial client for Peertube
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Syncthing-Fork (version 1.27.4.1): File synchronization
OpenCalc (version 3.0.0): Simple and beautiful calculator for Android
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BOINC (version 8.0.0): Use your device to advance scientific research.

^{2024-03-25T11:23:06Z}

submitted by BrainstormBot to FDroidUpdates [link] [comments]

2024.03.11 17:43 ilovecokeslurpees 1250 Point Newcomer Old World Tournament Retrospective as a New Lizardmen Player in my First Warhammer Tournament Ever

tl;dr: I did well, had fun, everyone was friendly, and Lizards are awesome. Fantasy is back, baby!

Full version

Overview

I went to a 1250 point tournament last Saturday (March 9), first tournament I went to after all the years in and out of 40K/Fantasy since 2001. It was a one day tournament, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA at Family Time Games. Overall, I placed 2nd in the tournament with my Lizardmen list (I will include my list at the bottom). It was three games which I won all of them (2 of them convincingly) and missed first place by one secondary point - which I should have had because I realized after re-reading the bonus points that I cheated myself out of a bonus point in the end by not counting it. My opponent would have given it to me too as he was a great sport, so I should have tied for 1st place. I did get a smaller prize though for 2nd.
Overall, I had a blast playing. It was great to be in a room from 10am to 6:30pm with a ton of great guys (unsurprisingly, all male contestants not that I have anything against female ones and I generally try to welcome everyone). Every opponent I played against was great with only one slight point of contention with my first opponent due to a miscommunication which we rectified quickly. I would play with all of my opponents again in casual or tournament play. It was great to chew the fat in between a couple of the games.

My Results

Some notes on the format of the tournament and my overall results: the event was newcomer friendly. You could bring legacy armies (of course), there was no painting requirement (just a painting prize for best newly painted unit as voted on by your peers), rule of three was enforced, and there was a best sportsmanlike award based on your opponents votes plus your general score. There were 22 contestants in the tournament. There were three games with 15/10/5 battle points based on who won or tied, with different secondary bonus points for each match. Victory battle points were determined by kill points. For bonus points, first match had one point per challenge won, second match had one point for each quarter you had the most unit strength, with a minimum of five as the threshold, (I had three quarters but counted only two because I thought you had to have the quarter completely uncontested... my bad), and the third match had three points to the player with the most unit strength within 12" of the middle point of the battlefield. So I got zero, two, and three bonus points respectively in my matches plus the 45 points for winning all three games totally 50 points overall. I was one of two players who won all three games (there may have been one or two more but I am unsure). Unsure if my painted unit got any votes or what my sportsmanlike score was, but all three players seem to be jovial in their losses (particularly the last two) and we chatted and connected quite a bit. I got an invitation to join a Facebook group message afterwards meant for meetup of local games. I live in the north suburbs of Indianapolis, so going to any of the north side games stores is fine.

Organization of Lists and Tournament

I was surprised I did as well as I did, but I did spend a lot of time making my army list - which we had to submit the Thursday before online. I used New Recruit for making my lists and it is the best app currently to make Warhammer The Old World army lists.
The TOs used Best Coast Pairings as an app for organization. The TOs have been playing Fantasy even after End Times died, so they were very familiar with how tournaments are to be run, how to handle prizes, and had a good relationship with the store. I personally have mixed feelings with the owner of the store, but I am happy he has been supportive of Warhammer The Old World and been allowing us to play games locally.

Match Details

Match 1 - Dwarfs
All three games I got first turn which helped. I was playing against a mix of "small arms" shooting, and tough "anvil" units style Dwarf army. There were no War Machines, engineers, runesmiths, and flyers. The army had two units of Rangers and two units of Iron Drakes for shooting. Iron Drakes were somewhat troublesome for my two monsters (a Bastiladon and Ancient Stegadon), but I survived and eventually wiped out three of the four ranged units by turn three. In fact, I lost no units, none of my units, were below 25%, and I lost no standards. At first, I was concerned about the Dwarfs all having magic resistance, but MR does not affect conveyance, enchantments, and magic vortexes. Since I had a Slaan and Lore of Necromancy, I was able to get off two vortexes: Spiritual Vortex and Monsoon, which provided annoyance for the Dwarfs, and Spectral Steed on my Saurus. Suddenly the Dwarfs panicked and even broke a couple of time. Also, my Bastiladon pushed off a unit of Rangers off the board edge due to them giving ground. But, the real stars of the show were my Skinks and Chameleons. Mass poison on cheap skirmishing scouts is a deadly combination, especially in a low point tournament like this. They wiped out a unit of fleeing Warriors, a unit of Iron Drakes, and a unit of Rangers between the two of them. The Skinks were especially useful. In fact, both units at least doubled their points in kills in all three games. After four rounds, I won convincingly and gave up 0 points except one secondary since I lost a challenge.
Match 2 - Empire
He had an interesting list: a lord on Demigryph (proxied with the Kislev Polar Bear minis which still looks cool), a 10 strong unit of Knights, a priest on a cart, a mortar, skirmishing bowmen, and a Steam Tank. I'm surprised that was all there was. Skinks took out the bowmen and the Bastiladon to wipe out the Mortar in turns 1. The Chameleons and Bastiladon wiped out the Knights with shooting (standing and shooting with Chameleons is death to cavalry). My Stegadon was charged by his hero and killed the remaining wounds of the hero. And his Steam Tank was stuck in combat almost forever with my Stegadon. My Slaan did Slaan things and kept out of combat casting vortexes. In all three games, my Slaan cast Spectral Steed on turn one on my Saurus Warriors and they never lost it in any game. Neither player one or two could deal with Ethereal on my Slaan or my Warriors. We played four rounds before my opponent conceded early. He killed one unit of Chameleons, and I killed everything except for his Steam Tank which was locked in forever combat.
Match 3 - Warriors of Chaos (Slaanesh)
I was on one of three top tables of people who won their first two games. This was the most difficult game for sure. Chaos powers on his Daemon "Princess" and his BSB were cumulative and strong. Only time my flying, ethereal Saurus Warriors were wiped out in any match (on turn 5). My Skinks survived to the end, but my Chameleons and Ancient Stegadon died. But I wiped out everything of his except for his Daemon Princess and his Heavy Chariot. On the last round, his Daemon was down to one wound so he flew to the corner to survive my Bastiladon and Slaan's magic missiles as he was out of charge range. All three games, I did not roll for Unquiet Spirits which is the best magic missile in the game, in my opinion. It would have really helped in this game in particular. His Demon Princess had a 4+/4+/5+ and Fly(9) which was annoying (but only 4 wounds thankfully). Also, all of his Warriors had enscrolled weapons so they were always a threat against my Slaan and Spectral Steed Saurus Warriors due to having automatic magic attacks. What helped him as well was that he had a level 2 wizard in the Daemon Princess (who most of the time stuck around the center in various combats). Having a level 2 wizard in that bubble was always a threat to my spell casting and magic missiles. It also allowed him to get off a couple of spells early on (one that caused Frenzy and Hatred which killed my Stegadon). However, Skinks, Chameleons, one Bastiladon combat, and magic missiles slaughtered the Hounds and Warriors in fairly short order. My opponent did roll fairly high most of the time. He made a lot of 5+/6+ saves consistently (well above average) which kept the Daemon Princess and Chariot alive. He did not really whiff much that wasn't going to whiff at all. My rolling was fairly average on the whole in this game and the whole tournament. Definitely missed a few Fireballs and Solar Engine casts. My Slaan did have some inopportune missed magic, especially in the final game. Overall, I won by 140 kill points (and barely squeaked out the win as 100 kill points differential was the draw threshold), and I gained all 3 available bonus points.

My Conclusions

My Army List
Lizardmen are strong because they do all the strong things in this game in both quality and quantity: magic is solid especially with Slaan access to Necromancy, magic missiles galore, mass poison, skirmishing, and tough heavy infantry that can take a licking and keep on ticking. I was always very mobile (except for my Bastiladon). If I were to make any changes, I may take out the Stegadon for another Bastiladon, give my Slaan a Lore Familiar, and beef up my Saurus Warriors unit. I'm glad I went with the Stegadon over Cold One Riders and was happy with the extra Ruby Ring of Ruin over the Lore Familiar despite me not getting Unquiet Spirits once. Monsoon is weak, but what it is great at is removing mobility for the enemy. It prevents key charges due to blocking line of sight and removes small arms fire from the equation if it moves correctly over key units like it did to the Iron Drakes in the first game. The Skinks and Chameleons were the stars of the show and the Slaan was clutch. What makes the Slaan so good is that it has so many abilities that all work as the ultimate support unit: leadership 9, BSB, Ethereal power (which does not take up magic items slot), lore of Necromancy, Fly (8), and Large Target. All perfect for a mid-range support/magic unit. Not once did it go into combat and it only lost one wound in all three games to miscast. Also, because it is Fly and cannot join units, the big blast miscast only hit and wounded him. And five wounds is very strong for both unit strength and soaking miscasts (because you only ever lose one wound in each miscast). Large Target allowed him to cast all over the place and Ethereal prevented small arms fire from hitting his fat ass. This is certainly a list I want to build off of for bigger lists.
The Meta
Linehammer was not a thing at all. I was the most Monsterhammer person there (with two monsters one being a Behemoth), so take that as you will. Skirmishing units (especially if they Scout) are stupidly strong. Poison, especially mass poison, is very strong. In general, my early thoughts are that mobile units are king. Having the ability to out maneuver your opponent will win you the game more often than not. That could be skirmishing, cavalry, chariots, monsters with big movements, flying, etc. More importantly than all of that though is that every unit has to have a distinct role on the battlefield: what is each unit doing for you and how do you maximize that? Oh and magic defense is critical: you need a means to defend against magic or else the opponent will have a field day against you. Magic is not critical in pure damage output (but some magic missile help). Magic is critical in changing the game state. Dwarfs may have great leadership, but a key Spiritual Vortex and a Spirit Leech suddenly changes them to turn a strength into average (especially when Terror causing units charge them). Speaking of which, leadership is very important now. Not just for panic and break tests, but restraining, marching, certain spells, and other secondary actions. Debuffing or buffing leadership is really key for most armies. However, my experience is limited and biased from the eyes of a Lizardmen player, so take it all with a grain of salt.
The Community
I going to spend a few paragraphs on a mini-rant. When The Old World was being announced and starting to pick up steam last summer and fall, I was looking into Age of Sigmar again. I Joined their subreddit and several Facebook groups, picked up some Nighthaunt and a couple of rulebooks. I thought they looked cool (the AoS Black Coach is probably my favorite GW model ever). But all I heard from those groups I joined, without any provocation from myself, was that Fantasy players were just a bunch of "grognards", "old fogies", AoS was the serious tournament game, and AoS was the enlightened group of decent gamers who were "based" and "cool."
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I have found that Fantasy/TOW players are generally more direct in their disagreements about what they like or dislike in a game while AoS players were more passive aggressive in my experience often resorting to ad hominen attacks (I know I am discussing character but that is the subject of this rant and warrants discussion). AoS players I found to pretend to be inclusive, but are actually filled with some of the most exclusive people in reality. The AoS community loves to talk about inclusivity, kindness, and respect. Obviously, not every AoS gamer is like this, but I was not impressed with my experiences in person and online.
I sold my AoS stuff when TOW release was finally announced in January. I was not going to play a lesser game when I knew a richer game experience that I would like more was coming into the market that was far more interesting in both lore and mechanics. Figuratively, I didn't want to eat fast food when I could eat a steak. Yes, the AoS minis are beautiful, and I used them for my Lizardmen, but those sculpts could have easily been in Fantasy/TOW if GW wanted them to be.
I think it is pretty telling about a community when WarhammerFantasy allows discussions and disagreements about AoS, Fantasy, and TOW and only filters out the most egregious attacks while ageofsigmar has shut down ALL discussion of TOW completely (you aren't allowed to mention its existence). The Warhammer The Old World Facebook group also allows more discussions than not. AoS groups, in my experience, have kicked out anybody they didn't like for any reason for the past 8.5 years which is why I never returned to the hobby since Fantasy's End Times despite me trying out AoS with friends and strangers a few times (to be clear, I've never been "kicked out"). Fantasy and TOW communities can take scrutiny, but AoS community can't? I think the proof is in the pudding.
And yes, Fantasy and TOW players skew on the older side, and I see that only as a positive. I like spending time with people older than me in general. I tend to find them more mature and chill. I run a board game group, one of the largest in the Indianapolis area (Hamilton County Board Games on Facebook), and the vast majority of our regular members who come to weekly game nights are at least between 40 and 70 (I'm in my 30's and one of the youngest members).
That said, I think there is still value in AoS. I think it is a great gateway skirmish game for getting into tabletop miniatures wargaming, and the miniatures look great (like my Seraphon filled Lizardmen). And for some people, that is what they will stick to. It is just not for me.
End mini-rant.
I've had the most fun hobbying, list building, chatting, painting, and playing of tabletop miniature games in the last 2 months than I have in all of my hobbying since 2001 when I first started 40K as a teenager. The Old World has brought some joy in my life now that I'm a Dad in my 30's. It is a hobby that allows me creativity (especially since GW has so little support for this game), allows me to meet interesting new people, and have a rich, deep, tactical, strategic experience with games that stick in my head for days, but also easily works around my young family and work schedule.
This game is excellent for tournament play, and I think every army is viable.
Every person I talked to was friendly and excited to be there. Everyone was gracious in how they played, and everyone I interacted with made an effort to get things right, even if it negatively affected them (so did I). In the end, no one person was winning because of a rules lawyering moment and no one mentioned anything negative to me in any of their games in such a way.
This tournament was a fun way to spend a Saturday. I won't be able to join the next Long Beards tournament in Indianapolis as it is too close to my upcoming third baby's birth (due date is literally the week after the tournament). That said, I spent yesterday (Sunday) afternoon looking up ideas to paint my Bastiladon, and I'm eager to have a fully painted 2000 point army at the tournament I play in next. I am also thinking about how to paint my Bretonnians which I want to get to the table soon. My goal is by the end of 2024 to have two 2000 point armies painted up: Lizardmen and Bretonnians. I do eventually want to have a Dwarf, High Elf, Wood Elf, Ogre Kingdoms, and Vampire Counts armies as well (maybe Tomb Kings too), and my own modular terrain set in my house. Alas, time and money are both precious.
Folks, not everything with TOW is what we all wanted, but Warhammer Fantasy is truly back. There are a lot of people who love this game, love people, and want to have fun. Go out and have some fun.

Army List

Lizardmen - Lizardmen March Tourney 2 - [1250pts]
# Main Force [1250pts]
## Characters [400pts]
Slann Mage-Priests [400pts]:
• 1x Slann Mage-Priest [400pts]: Hand Weapon, Battle Standard Bearer, General, Higher State Of Mind, Wizard Level 4, Necromancy, Ruby Ring of Ruin

## Core [316pts]
Saurus Warriors [231pts]: Thrusting Spear
• 14x Saurus Warrior [14pts]: Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Shield
• 1x Spawn Leader [7pts]
• 1x Standard Bearer [7pts]
• 1x Musician [7pts]
Skink Skirmishers [85pts]: Scouts
• 15x Skink [5pts]: Hand Weapon, Light Armour, Javelins and Shields

## Special [279pts]
Bastiladon [180pts]: Thunderous bludgeon, Solar Engine, 4x Skink Crew, Hand Weapon, Javelin and Shield
Chameleon Skinks [99pts]:
• 9x Chameleon Skink [11pts]: Blowpipe, Hand Weapon, Light Armour

## Rare [255pts]
Ancient Stegadon [255pts]: 5x Skink Crew, Hand Weapon, Javelin and Shield, Great horns, Engine of the Gods

submitted by ilovecokeslurpees to WarhammerFantasy [link] [comments]

2024.02.24 23:22 SanderSo47 Directors at the Box Office: Joel & Ethan Coen

https://preview.redd.it/98r9al19zlkc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=e44d0bcd1e5da67084b7ce1b868dfa14bd6d9027
Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Joel and Ethan Coen's turn.
The Coens developed an early interest in cinema through television. They grew up watching Italian films aired on a Minneapolis station, the Tarzan films, and comedies. With a camera, they remade movies they saw on television. Joel started in the industry by becoming an assistant editor, while Ethan was finishing an undergraduate degree in philosophy. Eventually, their attention turned to directing.
From a box office perspective, how reliable were they to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze their career.

Blood Simple (1984)

"Passion led to adultery. Adultery led to murder. It all seemed so simple."
Their directorial debut. It stars John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender who finds himself in the midst of a murder plot when his boss discovers that he is having a love affair with his wife and he hires a private investigator to kill the couple but the investigator has his own agenda.
The Coens were ready to become directors, but they lacked experience and money. So they shot a preemptive dummy theatrical trailer for the film, which showed "a man dragging a shovel alongside a car stopped in the middle of the road, back towards another man he was going to kill" and "a shot of backlit gun holes in a wall." The trailer featured actor Bruce Campbell, playing the Julian Marty role, and was shot by recent film school graduate Barry Sonnenfeld.
An investor decided to finance the film, helping them in finding contacts in the industry and raising the needed $1.5 million budget. While they directed the film, only Joel was credited as the director, and Ethan is credited as the sole producer. This is due to the DGA rules that disallowed multiple director credits to prevent dilution of the position's significance. The only exception to this rule is if the co-directors are an "established duo", and they were still unknowns back here.
The film didn't perform well at the box office, although a subsequent re-release in 2000 allowed it to finally recoup its budget. Critics raved over the film, indicating a promising career for the Coens.

Budget: $1,500,000.
Domestic gross: $3,851,855.
Worldwide gross: $4,229,114.

Raising Arizona (1987)

"Their lawless years are behind them. Their child-rearing years lay ahead..."
Their second film. It stars Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, William Forsythe, John Goodman, Frances McDormand, Sam McMurray, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. The film follows Herbert 'Hi' and Edwina 'Ed' McDunnough, an ex-con and ex-cop, a childless marriage who cannot adopt because of Hi's criminal past. Their yearning for a child leads them to kidnap one of the quintuplets of a rich businessman.
The Coens wanted to deviate from their previous film by making something more optimistic and upbeat. They wrote the characters to be very sympathetic, and focusing on Hi's desire to live a regular life within the boundaries of the law. As Circle Films, the distributor of Blood Simple, gave them a $5 million budget, the Coens extensively prepared to not waste any money. Through Circle Films, they got a major distributor, 20th Century Fox, involved.
The relationship between Nicolas Cage and the Coens was respectful, but turbulent. When he arrived on-set, and at various other points during production, Cage offered suggestions to the Coen brothers, which they ignored. Cage said that "Joel and Ethan have a very strong vision and I've learned how difficult it is to accept another artist's vision. They have an autocratic nature."
Helped by Fox's distribution, the film easily recouped its budget, earning $29 million in its initial run. Critical reception was very favorable, and has appeared in many lists as one of the funniest comedies. The film has also become popular through cable reruns.

Budget: $5,000,000.
Domestic gross: $22,847,564.
Worldwide gross: $29,180,280.

Miller's Crossing (1990)

"What's the rumpus?"
Their third film. It stars Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J. E. Freeman, and Albert Finney. The plot concerns a power struggle between two rival gangs and how the protagonist, Tom Reagan, plays both sides against each other.
As they developed the film, they already had a first image set in stone. It was that of a black hat coming to rest in a forest clearing; then, a gust of wind lifts it into the air, sending it flying down an avenue of trees. This image closes the film's opening credit sequence. As they wrote the script, they developed writer's block due to the film's contrived storylines. After watching Baby Boom one night, they felt inspired in writing another screenplay in just three weeks, and then resumed work in Miller's Crossing.
The film fared very poorly, earning only $5 million, barely half of its budget. But it continued the Coens' critical acclaim run.

Budget: $10,000,000.
Domestic gross: $5,080,409.
Worldwide gross: $5,080,409.

Barton Fink (1991)

"There's only one thing stranger than what's going on inside his head. What's going on outside."
Their fourth film. It stars John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, and Jon Polito. Set in 1941, it follows Barton Fink, a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts for a film studio in Hollywood, and his friendship with Charlie Meadows, the insurance salesman who lives next door at the run-down Hotel Earle.
As mentioned, the Coens developed writer's block while writing Miller's Crossing, although Joel states that it was more their interest in deviating from the film. They left for New York, where they wrote a different film in just 3 weeks, wanting John Turturro and John Goodman to star. They also felt satisfied with the overall shape of the story, which helped them move quickly through the composition. The Coens began looking for a new cinematographer, since their associate Barry Sonnenfeld was making his directorial debut with The Addams Family, and this marked their first collaboration with Roger Deakins.
The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won three awards: Best Actor, Best Director and the Palme d'Or. It received acclaim for its script and characters, and was hailed as one of the Coens' best films. But that didn't translate to a good box office run; it made just $6 million, failing to recoup its budget.

Budget: $9,000,000.
Domestic gross: $6,153,939.
Worldwide gross: $6,153,939.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

"They took him for a fall guy. But he threw them for a hoop."
Their fifth film. It stars Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Newman, and follows a naïve but ambitious business school graduate who is installed as president of a manufacturing company, unaware that the director hires him as part of a stock scam.
The Coens were friends with Sam Raimi, having collaborated in some of his films. They decided to make a script, inspired by the films of Preston Sturges, Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. The first image the Coens and Raimi conceived was of Norville Barnes about to jump from the window of a skyscraper and then they had to figure out how he got there and how to save him. The script was finished by 1985, but it sat on the shelves as the Coens were still unknowns in the industry. After Barton Fink, they decided to make a more mainstream film and did a brief rewrite with Raimi. Joel Silver got Warner Bros. involved and gave the Coens complete creative control.
WB held test screenings, which received mixed reactions. They suggested re-shoots, but the Coens, who held final cut privilege, refused because they were very nervous working with their biggest budget to date and were eager for mainstream success. The producers eventually added footage that had been cut and also shot minor pick-ups for the ending.
While the Coens received acclaim for their previous works, that wasn't the case here. It received mixed reviews, with critics feeling the film did not live up to its ambitions and that the film's jarring tone made it difficult to fully connect with the story and characters. And despite their attempt in making a more mainstream project, it bombed with just $14 million worldwide. In subsequent years, the film has earned a cult following.

Budget: $25,000,000.
Domestic gross: $2,816,518.
Worldwide gross: $14,938,149.

Fargo (1996)

"A homespun murder story."
Their sixth film. It stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, and Peter Stormare. It follows Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Minnesota police chief investigating a triple homicide that takes place after a desperate car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife in order to extort a hefty ransom from her wealthy father.
The film opens with the following text:

"This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred."

But obviously, everything on the film is ficticious. Regarding this apparent discrepancy, the Coen brothers said that they based their script on an actual criminal event, but wrote a fictional story around it. Joel said "If an audience believes that something's based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept."
While their past three films were box office duds, the Coens finally had some luck here. It had a slow start, but the film eventually found an audience. It earned $60 million worldwide, becoming their highest grossing film. It received acclaim from critics and audiences, and is widely considered as one of the best films, not just from the Coens but of the 90s as well. The film received 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. The Coens won their first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, while Frances McDormand won Best Actress.
In 1997, a pilot based on the film was filmed with Edie Falco playing Gunderson. It didn't involve the Coens in any way, and it never moved forward. In 2014, FX aired another series based on the film, now helmed by Noah Hawley and connected to the film. The anthology series has received acclaim, won multiple awards and has just finished its fifth season. While the Coens are credited as executive producers, they have pretty much no involvement in the series. Back in 2016, Joel had this to say:

“We’re just not very interested. I mean, we’re perfectly happy with it. We have no problem with it. It just feels divorced from our film somehow. We work short. Our longest movie [No Country For Old Men] is 2 hours, 2 minutes. It’s just not how we think about stories. I mean, after two hours with a character we feel we’re pretty much done with them.”

Budget: $7,000,000.
Domestic gross: $24,611,975.
Worldwide gross: $60,611,975.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

"Times like these call for a Big Lebowski."
Their seventh film. It stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jon Polito, and Ben Gazzara. It follows Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity, then learns that a millionaire, also named Jeffrey Lebowski, was the intended victim. The millionaire Lebowski's trophy wife is supposedly kidnapped, and millionaire Lebowski commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The plan goes awry when the Dude's friend, Walter Sobchak, schemes to keep the ransom money for the Dude and himself.
The film was inspired by Jeff Dowd, an American film producer and political activist the Coen brothers met while they were trying to find distribution for Blood Simple. The Dude was modeled after him and another friend of the Coens, Peter Exline, a Vietnam War veteran who reportedly lived in a dump of an apartment and was proud of a little rug that "tied the room together". The Coens wanted to make something similar to the works of Raymond Chandler, particularly his adaptation of The Long Goodbye.
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't a flop. In fact, it even tripled its budget, and that's before we even get to its big performance on DVD and cable reruns. Initial reactions were mixed, but the film quickly earned a cult following, and it's now one of their most iconic films. Many of its characters and quotes have become part of pop culture.

Budget: $15,000,000.
Domestic gross: $19,301,403.
Worldwide gross: $48,057,425.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

"They have a plan, but not a clue."
Their eighth film. Loosely based on Homer's The Odyssey, it stars George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. The film is set in rural Mississippi in 1937, and it follows three escaped convicts searching for hidden treasure while a sheriff relentlessly pursues them.
The Coens decided to make a different version of the Odyssey, as they considered it "one of their favorite storyline schemes". But despite that, the Coens actually never read the epic, and they were only familiar with its content through adaptations and numerous references in popular culture. According to the brothers, Tim Blake Nelson (who has a degree in classics from Brown University) was the only person on the set who had read the Odyssey.
The Coens used digital color correction to give the film a sepia-tinted look. Initially the crew tried to perform the color correction using a physical process, but after several tries with various chemical processes proved unsatisfactory the process was performed digitally. Roger Deakins spent 11 weeks fine-tuning the look, mainly targeting the greens, making them a burnt yellow and desaturating the overall image in the digital files. This made it the first feature film to be entirely color corrected by digital means.
The film enjoyed some pretty good reviews, and it managed to find an audience in theaters, earning $71 million and becoming their new highest grossing film. But the crazy thing is that the soundtrack overshadowed the film in success. By early 2001, it had sold 5 million copies, spawned a documentary film, three follow-up albums, two concert tours, and won Country Music Awards for Album of the Year and Single of the Year (for "Man of Constant Sorrow"). It also won five Grammys, including Album of the Year, and hit #1 on the Billboard album charts the week of March 15, 2002, 63 weeks after its release and over a year after the release of the film.

Budget: $26,000,000.
Domestic gross: $45,512,588.
Worldwide gross: $71,870,729.

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

"The last thing on his mind is murder."
Their ninth film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, Richard Jenkins, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Polito, Tony Shalhoub, and James Gandolfini. The film is set in 1949 and tells the story of Ed Crane, a withdrawn barber who leads an ordinary life in a small California town with his wife, who he suspects is having an affair with her boss. Crane's situation changes when a stranger comes to the barbershop and offers him the opportunity to join him as a partner in a promising new business, in exchange for an investment of ten thousand dollars. Drawn to the idea, Crane plans to blackmail his wife's lover for the money.
While filming a barbershop scene in The Hudsucker Proxy, the Coens were attracted to a poster on the wall showing all the different 1940s-style haircuts. They were inspired by the work of writer James M. Cain, in particular, the novels Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Mildred Pierce. Despite being a neo-noir story, The Coens replaced the underworld setting with a typical American town with ordinary people.
The film was well received by critics, but failed to recoup its $20 million budget.

Budget: $20,000,000.
Domestic gross: $7,504,257.
Worldwide gross: $18,916,623.

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

"Engage the enemy."
Their tenth film. The film stars George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Paul Adelstein, Richard Jenkins and Billy Bob Thornton, and follows Miles Massey, a high-profile divorce lawyer, who wins a case for his rich but adulterous client Rex Rexroth. But Rex's ex-wife, Marylin, who is no saint and is a gold-digger, plots to take revenge on Miles.
This project actually wasn't started by the Coens. It originated from writers John Romano, Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone. This was constantly scripted through the 90s, with Carrie Fisher even serving as script doctor. Ron Howard backed out and Jonathan Demme signed, and the plan was for Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant to star. After they exited, the Coens were hired for a rewrite and they subsequently directed the project. They were given a $60 million budget, their most expensive film back then.
The film failed to impress domestically, although it was much stronger overseas, managing to double its budget and becoming their first film to hit $100 million. Reviews were positive, although many noted that the film was solely a job-for-hire for the Coens.

Budget: $60,000,000.
Domestic gross: $35,327,628.
Worldwide gross: $120,801,243.

The Ladykillers (2004)

"The greatest criminal minds of all time have finally met their match."
Their 11th film. A remake of the 1955 British comedy film, it stars Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, Marlon Wayans, J. K. Simmons, Tzi Ma and Ryan Hurst. It follows an eccentric, if not charming Southern professor and his crew as they pose as a classical ensemble in order to rob a casino, all under the nose of his unsuspecting but sharp old landlady.
Originally, Barry Sonnenfeld was scheduled to direct and the Coens were hired as writers. When he left the project, the Coens decided to direct it themselves while Sonnenfeld remained as a producer. Notably, after 20 years of fighting with the DGA, this was the first film where Ethan was co-credited as director and where Joel was co-credited as producer.
The film was not well received by critics, who compared it unfavorably to the original film. Nevertheless, with a reliable star as Hanks, the film earned more than twice its budget. To date, it's deemed as one of the Coens' weakest films.

Budget: $35,000,000.
Domestic gross: $39,799,191.
Worldwide gross: $76,665,191.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

"There are no clean getaways."
Their 12th film. Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, it stars Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Kelly Macdonald and Woody Harrelson. The film is set in the desert landscape of 1980 West Texas, and follows three main characters: Llewelyn Moss, a Vietnam War veteran and welder who stumbles upon a large sum of money in the desert; Anton Chigurh, a hitman who is sent to recover the money; and Ed Tom Bell, a sheriff investigating the crime.
After failing to get an adaptation of To the White Sea, the Coens agreed to write and direct the film when Scott Rudin approached them, having identified with how it provided a sense of place and also how it played with genre conventions. The script was mostly faithful to the source material. On their writing process, Ethan said, "One of us types into the computer while the other holds the spine of the book open flat." The Coens minimized the score used in the film, leaving large sections devoid of music. The concept was Ethan's, who persuaded a skeptical Joel to go with the idea.
Coincidentally, Paul Thomas Anderson’s film There Will Be Blood was being shot in Marfa simultaneously. The Coen brothers were actually forced to scrap an entire day of filming for their film when preparations for the oil derrick scene in There Will Be Blood nearby produced enough smoke to ruin all potential scenes.
The film had a strong debut in limited release, earning $1,226,333 from just 28 theaters. It slowly expanded and had strong holds. Domestically, it finished with $74 million, and it was even bigger overseas, hitting $171 million worldwide, becoming their highest grossing film. Reception was unanimously acclaimed, and some have pointed that the film might be their best film, as well as one of the best films ever made. At the 80th Academy Awards, the film received 8 nominations and won four: Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, and Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture for the Coens.

Budget: $25,000,000.
Domestic gross: $74,283,625.
Worldwide gross: $171,627,740.

Burn After Reading (2008)

"Intelligence is relative."
Their 13th film. It stars George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, and Brad Pitt. It follows a recently jobless CIA analyst, Osbourne Cox, whose misplaced memoirs are found by a pair of dimwitted gym employees. When they mistake the memoirs for classified government documents, they undergo a series of misadventures in an attempt to profit from their find.
The Coens compared the film to the Allen Drury political novel Advise and Consent and called it "our version of a Tony Scott/Jason Bourne kind of movie, without the explosions." Joel said that they intended to create a spy film because "we hadn't done one before", but feels that the final result was more of a character-driven film than a spy story.
The film received a positive response for its humor. The big surprise was at the box office, however; it debuted with $19 million, becoming their highest grossing opening weekend and their first film to open at #1. It closed with $60 million domestically and $163 million worldwide, a damn great result.

Budget: $37,000,000.
Domestic gross: $60,355,347.
Worldwide gross: $163,728,902.

A Serious Man (2009)

"...Seriously!"
Their 14th film. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesotan Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, leading him to questions about his faith.
The Coens themselves stated that the "germ" of the story was a rabbi from their adolescence: a "mysterious figure" who had a private conversation with each student at the conclusion of their religious education. Ethan said that it seemed appropriate to open the film with a Yiddish folk tale, but as the brothers did not know any suitable ones, they wrote their own.
The film received critical acclaim, and some commented on the link between the film and the Biblical Book of Job. It also recouped its budget at the box office. It received two Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

Budget: $7,000,000.
Domestic gross: $9,228,768.
Worldwide gross: $31,430,334.

True Grit (2010)

"Punishment comes one way or another."
Their 15th film. Based on Charles Portis' novel, it stars Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. The film follows 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross, who hires Deputy U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn, a boozy, trigger-happy lawman to go after an outlaw named Tom Chaney who has murdered her father. The bickering duo are accompanied on their quest by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf who has been tracking Chaney for killing a Texas state senator. As the three embark on a dangerous adventure, they each have their "grit" tested in various ways.
The book was previously adapted into a 1969 film starring John Wayne (who won his first and only Oscar for it). The Coens said they wanted to make a more faithful adaptation, as the original film heavily deviated from the book. In particular, they wanted to explore more of Mattie, making it a priority at the moment of writing. Steinfeld, then age 13, was selected for the role from a pool of 15,000 applicants. Ethan said, "It was, as you can probably imagine, the source of a lot of anxiety. We were aware if the kid doesn't work, there's no movie".
The film received critical acclaim, widely considered superior to the original film. At the box office, it benefitted from the holidays and earned $252 million worldwide, becoming their highest grossing film ever. It received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but it failed to win a single award.

Budget: $35,000,000.
Domestic gross: $171,243,005.
Worldwide gross: $252,276,927.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Their 16th film. It stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver. Set in 1961, the film follows one week in the life of Llewyn Davis, a folk singer struggling to achieve musical success while keeping his life in order.
Well before writing the script, the Coens began with a single idea, of Dave Van Ronk being beaten up outside of Gerde's Folk City in the Village. The filmmakers employed the image in the opening scenes, then periodically returned to the project over the next couple of years to expand the story using a fictional character. Joel felt there wasn't much of a plot, so they decided to add the cat for help.
Like their previous films, it received universal acclaim and has been ranked among their greatest works. It also earned $33 million, becoming another box office success for the Coens.

Budget: $11,000,000.
Domestic gross: $13,235,319.
Worldwide gross: $32,960,249.

Hail, Caesar! (2016)

"Lights. Camera. Abduction."
Their 17th film. It stars Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum, and Michael Gambon. It is a fictional story that follows the real-life studio fixer Eddie Mannix, working in the Hollywood film industry in the 1950s, trying to discover what happened to a star actor during the filming of a biblical epic.
In 1999, the Coens approached Clooney over a new project. The film was originally going to follow "a troupe of actors in the 1920s putting on a play about ancient Rome", with the focus on a matinée idol. Clooney was to play the main character, "a hammy actor with a pencil mustache". But the project was just an idea, and the script didn't start until the 2010s.
The film received a positive response from critics, but a more negative response from audiences. Nevertheless, the film earned $63 million, recouping its budget.

Budget: $22,000,000.
Domestic gross: $30,498,085.
Worldwide gross: $63,945,241.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

"Stories live forever. People don't."
Their 18th film. It stars Tim Blake Nelson, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, and Tom Waits, and features six vignettes set on the American frontier.
Originally starting as a TV show, it was based on Western-themed short stories, some of which were written by the Coens over a period of 20 to 25 years that vary in mood and subject. As they developed it, they decided to turn it into an anthology film.
As the film was released on Netflix, there are no box office numbers available. It received positive reviews, and the song "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" was nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Joel's 19th film. Based on the play by William Shakespeare, it stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Kathryn Hunter, and Brendan Gleeson.
It's notable for being the first project directed solely by one brother. You'll point out their earliest films, but remember that Ethan was simply uncredited due to DGA rules. Carter Burwell said that it was because Ethan was not interested in films, but Joel explained that it was solely because Ethan was more focused on theater.
As it had a very limited release by A24, it went to stream on Apple TV+ after a few weeks, so there are no box office numbers. It received critical acclaim, and Washington was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars.

The Future

Ethan had just recently released his first film without his brother, Drive-Away Dolls. As it's only two days old, we won't discuss this here for now. He's also currently working on a new film, Honey Don't!, which will star Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans.
But despite making separate films, the Coens are reuniting with a new film, only described as a horror film.

Other Projects

While known as a director-writer duo, they've also made scripts for films they never directed. Some include Crimewave, Bad Santa, A Simple Noodle Story, Gambit, Unbroken, Bridge of Spies and Suburbicon. It should be noted, however, that most of these were rewritten after the Coens left the projects.

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	True Grit	2010	Paramount	$171,243,005	$81,033,922	$252,276,927	$35M
2	No Country for Old Men	2007	Miramax / Paramount	$74,283,625	$97,344,115	$171,627,740	$25M
3	Burn After Reading	2008	Focus Features	$60,355,347	$103,373,555	$163,728,902	$37M
4	Intolerable Cruelty	2003	Universal	$35,327,628	$85,473,615	$120,801,243	$60M
5	The Ladykillers	2004	Disney	$39,799,191	$36,866,000	$76,665,191	$35M
6	O Brother, Where Art Thou?	2000	Disney / Universal	$45,512,588	$26,358,141	$71,870,729	$26M
7	Hail, Caesar!	2016	Universal	$30,498,085	$33,447,156	$63,945,241	$22M
8	Fargo	1996	Gramercy	$24,611,975	$36,000,000	$60,611,975	$7M
9	The Big Lebowski	1998	Gramercy	$19,301,403	$28,756,022	$48,057,425	$15M
10	Inside Llewyn Davis	2013	CBS Films	$13,235,319	$19,724,930	$32,960,249	$11M
11	A Serious Man	2009	Focus Features	$9,228,768	$22,201,566	$31,430,334	$7M
12	Raising Arizona	1987	Fox	$22,847,564	$6,332,716	$29,180,280	$5M
13	The Man Who Wasn't There	2001	USA Films	$7,504,257	$11,412,366	$18,916,623	$20M
14	The Hudsucker Proxy	1994	Warner Bros. / Universal	$2,816,518	$12,121,631	$14,938,149	$25M
15	Barton Fink	1991	Fox	$6,153,939	$0	$6,153,939	$9M
16	Miller's Crossing	1990	Fox	$5,080,409	$0	$5,080,409	$10M
17	Blood Simple	1984	Circle Films	$3,851,855	$377,259	$4,229,114	$1.5M

They made 19 films, but only 17 went to theaters. Across those 17 films, they have made $1,172,474,470 worldwide. That's $68,969,086 per movie.

The Verdict

Surprisingly reliable.
Very few of their films lost money, and the ones that didn't weren't completely catastrophic. Hell, their films even grow in subsequent years (like The Big Lebowski for example). Particularly impressive considering they don't sacrifice their vision (people will point out Intolerable Cruelty but that film still has its charms). They managed to create masterpieces and some of cinema's most iconic characters and catchphrases. And for those who say otherwise... yeah, well, you know, that's just like uh... your opinion, man.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Bryan Singer. This is gonna be tough to write; how can I write about his achievements when there's the elephant in the room?
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Spike Lee. Hell yeah.
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
February 26-March 3	Bryan Singer	A tough one to write.
March 4-10	Kathryn Bigelow	Any Strange Days fan here? Hello?
March 11-17	M. Night Shyamalan	There's no adaptation in Ba Sing Se.
March 18-24	Spike Lee	Is he really to blame for the lame Oldboy remake?

Who should be next after Lee? That's up to you.

submitted by SanderSo47 to boxoffice [link] [comments]

2024.02.19 22:49 fgii2be52 Cilium - migrate CLI based installation to helm based installation

hi, I am using Cilium since about 1 year now in my home lab for learning purposes.
I am trying now really for long time to migrate my installation from a CLI based one (e.g. cilium install --version 1.15.1 ) which works fine...it detects my old config, it installs the default and then just need to enable the BGP control plane so it establish the BGP session with a gateway. All good.
However, I want to migrate this to flux + helmrelease and even seems that I copy all the values right into my helm...it does not really fly. the pods are keep restarting and failing and so on.
I am using quite a basic setup from my perspective. Here is the working one.

> cilium config view agent-not-ready-taint-key node.cilium.io/agent-not-ready arping-refresh-period 30s auto-direct-node-routes false bpf-lb-acceleration disabled bpf-lb-external-clusterip false bpf-lb-map-max 65536 bpf-lb-sock false bpf-map-dynamic-size-ratio 0.0025 bpf-policy-map-max 16384 bpf-root /sys/fs/bpf cgroup-root /run/cilium/cgroupv2 cilium-endpoint-gc-interval 5m0s cluster-id 0 cluster-name xk8s cluster-pool-ipv4-cidr 10.0.0.0/8 cluster-pool-ipv4-mask-size 24 cni-exclusive true cni-log-file /varun/cilium/cilium-cni.log custom-cni-conf false debug false debug-verbose dnsproxy-enable-transparent-mode true egress-gateway-reconciliation-trigger-interval 1s enable-auto-protect-node-port-range true enable-bgp-control-plane true enable-bpf-clock-probe false enable-endpoint-health-checking true enable-envoy-config true enable-health-check-loadbalancer-ip false enable-health-check-nodeport true enable-health-checking true enable-hubble true enable-ingress-controller true enable-ingress-proxy-protocol false enable-ingress-secrets-sync true enable-ipv4 true enable-ipv4-big-tcp false enable-ipv4-masquerade true enable-ipv6 false enable-ipv6-big-tcp false enable-ipv6-masquerade true enable-k8s-networkpolicy true enable-k8s-terminating-endpoint true enable-l2-neigh-discovery true enable-l7-proxy true enable-local-redirect-policy false enable-masquerade-to-route-source false enable-metrics true enable-policy default enable-remote-node-identity true enable-sctp false enable-svc-source-range-check true enable-vtep false enable-well-known-identities false enable-xt-socket-fallback true enforce-ingress-https true external-envoy-proxy false hubble-disable-tls false hubble-export-file-max-backups 5 hubble-export-file-max-size-mb 10 hubble-listen-address :4244 hubble-socket-path /varun/cilium/hubble.sock hubble-tls-cert-file /valib/cilium/tls/hubble/server.crt hubble-tls-client-ca-files /valib/cilium/tls/hubble/client-ca.crt hubble-tls-key-file /valib/cilium/tls/hubble/server.key identity-allocation-mode crd identity-gc-interval 15m0s identity-heartbeat-timeout 30m0s ingress-default-lb-mode shared ingress-lb-annotation-prefixes service.beta.kubernetes.io service.kubernetes.io cloud.google.com ingress-secrets-namespace cilium-secrets ingress-shared-lb-service-name cilium-ingress install-no-conntrack-iptables-rules false ipam cluster-pool ipam-cilium-node-update-rate 15s k8s-client-burst 10 k8s-client-qps 5 kube-proxy-replacement strict kube-proxy-replacement-healthz-bind-address max-connected-clusters 255 mesh-auth-enabled true mesh-auth-gc-interval 5m0s mesh-auth-queue-size 1024 mesh-auth-rotated-identities-queue-size 1024 monitor-aggregation medium monitor-aggregation-flags all monitor-aggregation-interval 5s node-port-bind-protection true nodes-gc-interval 5m0s operator-api-serve-addr 127.0.0.1:9234 operator-prometheus-serve-addr :9963 policy-cidr-match-mode preallocate-bpf-maps false procfs /host/proc proxy-connect-timeout 2 proxy-max-connection-duration-seconds 0 proxy-max-requests-per-connection 0 proxy-prometheus-port 9964 remove-cilium-node-taints true routing-mode tunnel service-no-backend-response reject set-cilium-is-up-condition true set-cilium-node-taints true sidecar-istio-proxy-image cilium/istio_proxy skip-cnp-status-startup-clean false synchronize-k8s-nodes true tofqdns-dns-reject-response-code refused tofqdns-enable-dns-compression true tofqdns-endpoint-max-ip-per-hostname 50 tofqdns-idle-connection-grace-period 0s tofqdns-max-deferred-connection-deletes 10000 tofqdns-proxy-response-max-delay 100ms tunnel-protocol vxlan unmanaged-pod-watcher-interval 15 vtep-cidr vtep-endpoint vtep-mac vtep-mask write-cni-conf-when-ready /host/etc/cni/net.d/05-cilium.conflist

Anyone can give me a hint in migration from CLI based installation (working) to helm based?
I think I can safely say that I can generate my values.yaml for helm chart, however I think I am missing a "deep" cleanup of previous Cilium installation. on their side they do indicate that you should not mix the CLI and Helm upgrades..etc.
Thanks!

submitted by fgii2be52 to kubernetes [link] [comments]

2024.02.19 13:57 TomRiha Pilot, Pixel, (Proxy) and Watt

Im such a sucker and I gave in to the one thing I say I wouldnt do, get a Pixel. I said I wouldnt do it because my putter space is so overcrowded as is already.
I currently Putt with Electron Pilot, which I also love throwing. Then I bag Neutron Soft Envy, Watt and PA5 as well. I also have a few Proxies that usually dont make the bag mostly due to me liking the Watt more and for really understable I like the PA5 better. Though the Proxy is the single putter I bring on business trips as part of my 3-4 disc bag. Its imho the most versatile of the Putters I have.
So how does the Pixel stack up in the company. Ive recently played a short 18 hole putter course with Electron Pilot, Pixel and the Watt. For the record Im an intermediate player and shot a UDisc rating of 173 on the round.
First thing about the Pixel, its not true to its numbers. Imho its not a 2 4 0 0.5 but rather 2 5 -0.5 0. This might seem as nitpicking but for me the turn of a brand new Pixel is more pronounced then the fade, when thrown 50ish meters. Its glid is at least as high as the Pilot and the Watt. Most importantly for me it throws very similar, and hence quite a bit different from the "3 3"s (Envy Proxy). For me the "2 5"s fly best on a higher softer throw where as the "3 3"s I can throw with much more zip.
So its flight is pretty much a slightly more understable Watt. Which honestly pushes the Proxy even further out my bag.
What I love about the Electron Pilot (especially as it beats in) is that it has a very true to numbers "-1 1" flight. Which I find more predictable for straight tunnel shots. This is most likely due to me not being 100% comfy with my slight hyzer angle control. Still I have alot of confidence in the "-1 1" flight because I know where it will land where as the "-0.5 0" flight of the Pixel has a tendency to just keep going making it harder judge. Still I find that they actually complement each other well because Pilot Center to Left shots and Pixel CenterRight to Right shots.
This kind of leaves the Watt in an awkward spot in my bag. I sitts right between the Pilot and the Pixel. Ive always used the Watt for a lot of shots as Im good at shaping shots with it, but I could do that equally well with the Pixel. Another thing that Ive love about the Watt is its sneaky range. I throw it almost as far as a Mako3. The Pixel also has this sneaky range and honestly actually maybe even more, though need to do more field work to verify this.
Ive not discussed putting so far. I need to putt more with it but it felt really nice putting with it. Im gonna do a Pilot vs Pixel challenge where I putt like 100 putts with each to figure out which I liked best.
So currently Pixel pushes the Proxy further out my bag (and replaces it in the travel bag) and might also push the Watt out. Which kind of makes sense as its really close to being the Electron Watt Ive been wanting all along. That would leave me with an Envy, Pilot, Pixel and PA5 bag.

submitted by TomRiha to discgolf [link] [comments]

2024.02.16 14:09 Barbell_Investments $DTEA – Going bust OR going for the alleged buyout offer supported by a well-known player in the micro-cap universe

First, I want to thank the community and Reddit that I’m given a platform here to articulate my thoughts on a tricky but possibly highly lucrative investment case. I used to write on Seeking Alpha, but unfortunately, the write-up below has been rejected based on the argument that I have been too vocal about the family who is currently controlling this publicly listed company, resulting in a very illiquid investment opportunity here and a stock which is totally priced for an imminent bankruptcy IMO. Another reason relates to the fact that Justin Dopierala (DOMO Capital) – being an important figure in this case – used to be active on this platform in the past as well (to my best knowledge). He is probably a well-known figure here as he was one of the leading active investors in the GameStop stock craze. Because of his importance in the case, he was also prominently featured in the movie GameStop: Rise of the Players.
But now let’s jump into my article about this very extraordinary firm – and sorry for this lengthy article, but I still hope I can deliver added value to this community – happy for any feedback.
One last remark: Apart from my financial projections and valuation considerations, my statements herein can be verified by various links/ sources throughout my report.
Of course, any even slightly increasing interest in this low-floater will make the stock fly ...

Executive summary

DavidsTea continues to suffer from bad management decisions, having resulted in a staggering decline in sales over the last two years
The largest minority shareholder is pushing for a sale of the company, referring to a recently received buyout offer from an interested party
Despite a looming bankruptcy a few quarters down the line, management seems to be hesitant to engage in negotiations with the alleged bidder
At a current enterprise value of US$1 million, market pricing completely rules out the possibility of a buyout but implies a bankruptcy over the near term
The stock needs to be viewed as a call option on the survival or buyout of the company

Largest minority shareholder is pushing for a sale of the company, referring to a recently received buyout offer; market pricing rules out the possibility of a buyout but implies a bankruptcy

DavidsTea: There is only one last exit route for the Segal family

In light of the recent rumors about the future destiny of DavidsTea – sparked by a rather comprehensive news article (published by The Globe and Mail on January 15) summarizing the demise of the company over the last years – I decided to write my final Seeking Alpha report about this unusual publicly listed company.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-davidstea-steeped-in-turmoil-but-determined-not-to-sell/
Unfortunately, at least for past and current shareholders, it’s not really a public company, but rather a private one that happens to trade on a public stock exchange for no obvious reason. Case in point? The family, controlling this little tea company, single-handedly decided to down-list the shares from Nasdaq to the Canadian TSX Venture Exchange in March 2023. On the day of the announcement, the share price just plummeted by around 40% as an initial reaction to this decision (since then, the share price has headed in only one direction) – who on earth could have seen this coming?!?
https://ir.davidstea.com/news-releases/news-release-details/davidstea-commence-trading-tsx-venture-exchange-and-delist
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the circumstances, I probably need to mention that the company is nearly majority-owned by the Segal family who totally calls the shots at DavidsTea – Sarah Segal became CEO in 2021 (having taken the reins from her father Herschel) and yes, believe it or not, her mother currently runs the Board of Directors as Chairwoman of this publicly listed company.
But there might be some hope on the horizon for ALL shareholders. According to the news article referring to a quote from the largest minority shareholder, the firm has recently received at least one offer from an interested third party (based on the specific wording, it even seems that there is more than one offer on the table). However, Sarah apparently “believes now is not the time to sell”.
To facilitate the decision-making process for the Segal family, I will demonstrate in the following that NOW represents the last time to sell the company for a meaningful value. Bluntly speaking, from here on, it’s as binary as it gets – either they sell the firm NOW or they will most likely file for bankruptcy in 10 to 15 months from now – once again.

My history with the company on Seeking Alpha

Starting off with a big Mea culpae – I was wrong, not completely wrong all the time, but I was ultimately wrong – especially when it comes to the single most important aspect of an investment thesis, namely the quality and integrity of the management team who the investor entrusts his money to. I had defended the Segal family and management for more than five years. So, let’s briefly recap what I wrote in my six (!!!) Seeking Alpha articles about the management, i.e., the Segal family:
Part I (Aug 2019): “Management has already launched several cost reduction initiatives, e.g. tackling procurement costs, streamlining the range of formats and changing the composition of its tea sachets, and anticipates reaping the benefits in upcoming quarters.” – STRONG BUY recommendation
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4287137-davidstea-classic-turnaround-situation-several-short-term-upside-catalysts
Part II (Aug 2020): “I am rather in the camp to place my trust [in the management team] for two reasons: first, there was no need to create such high expectations which the management will be measured against and second, DavidsTea, particularly Herschel Segal, has a track record for being conservative when it comes to managing shareholders' expectation.” Extensively describing and modelling DavidsTea 2.0 – STRONG BUY
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4364364-davidstea-totally-misunderstood-restructuring-case-offering-significant-upside-potential
Part III (Oct 2020): “At the same time, management makes significant strides towards a substantial operational turnaround, as demonstrated by the recently published quarterly earnings. These first signs of a successful transformation from a brick-and-mortar business to a predominant e-commerce retailer were well perceived by the market.” – STRONG BUY
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4381446-davidstea-is-clear-path-to-substantial-future-profitability
Part IV (Jan 2021): “I welcome the decision to promote his daughter Sarah Segal to the new CEO for two reasons. First, as a former head of product development and founding manager of an e-commerce candy shop, she may combine her in-depth knowledge of DavidsTea’s product portfolio with a new leadership style and innovative fresh ideas (for example, I give her substantial credit for the launch of the seasonal subscription box). Secondly, in my opinion, the decision to appoint the daughter of the former CEO still owning around 46% of the company again demonstrates their confidence to come to terms with its creditors and emerge from the present restructuring proceeding relatively unscathed without much inherited burdens.” The share price rose by nearly 200% in the seven days (!!!) following the publication of my SA article – STRONG BUY
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4401213-davidstea-dont-to-read-tea-leaves-anymore
Part V (Jun 2021): “I think this outcome is a great achievement of DavidsTea’s management and its advisors, especially when comparing to my previous estimates, which the SA community regarded as way too optimistic. […] On Friday, we have learned that DavidsTea will only have to pay its former landlords an amount of less than $14 million to settle claims of a whopping $82 million.” – STRONG BUY
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4434548-davidstea-restructuring-to-spit-out-debt-free-tea-merchant-with-significant-profit-potential
Part VI (Sep 2022): A significant part of this article was specifically devoted to defending the Segal family with regard to the issue of related party transactions and the accusations that the Segal family is exploiting the company at the expense of the outside shareholders. As in all my previous articles, I tried to do my very best to debunk all the frequently voiced allegations against the Segal family – STRONG BUY
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4539117-davidstea-a-stock-completely-written-off-by-the-market-who-begs-to-differ
In a nutshell, all my articles were centered around the principle of “in dubio pro reo” when it came to judging the respective decisions taken by the Segal-led management.

How did management perform in the recent past?

To assess management’s past performance, let’s review the last 9 quarterly earnings reports and reflect upon the excuses they came up with to cover up their extremely poor execution/ decisions:
Q1/2022

Sales: minus 12.1% y-o-y to C$20.4 million (US sales: minus 27.5% to C$3.7 million)
Net loss: C$2.0 million
Explanation: “industry-wide challenges, including mounting inflation, supply-chain issues, and labor shortages”

Q2/2022

Sales: minus 18.7% y-o-y to C$15.2 million (US sales: minus 35.1% to C$2.4 million)
Net loss: C$4.8 million
Explanation: “uncertain macroeconomic environment dampening demand in the short-term and the effect of restructuring to a new business model”

Q3/2022

Sales: minus 27.1% y-o-y to C$16.2 million (US sales: minus 23.0% to C$3.3 million)
Net loss: C$4.7 million
Explanation: “fears of a recession, exacerbated by inflation and rising interest rates, have significantly lowered consumer confidence and discretionary spending”

Q4/2022

Sales: minus 21.4% y-o-y to C$31.4 million (US sales: minus 29.4% to C$6.0 million)
Net loss: C$3.3 million
Explanation: “rising inflation and higher interest rates significantly reduced customer demand”

Q1/2023

Sales: minus 29.4% y-o-y to C$14.3 million (US sales: minus 42.5% to C$2.1 million)
Net loss: C$2.0 million
Explanation: “consumer confidence continued to be dampened by challenging economic conditions”

Q2/2023

Sales: minus 35.3% y-o-y to C$9.8 million (US sales: minus 39.6% to C$1.5 million
Net loss: C$4.3 million
Explanation: “Sales continue to be impacted by unfavorable economic conditions that dampen consumer demand. We also believe that our e-commerce revenues have been significantly impacted by order fulfillment failures in the fourth quarter of 2022 that left many consumers frustrated.”

Q3/2023

Sales: minus 24.9% y-o-y to C$12.1 million (US sales: minus 51.4% to C$1.6 million)
Net loss: C$3.7 million
Explanation: “Sales continue to be impacted by unfavorable economic conditions that dampen consumer demand. We also believe that our e-commerce revenues in 2023 were impacted by order fulfillment failures in the fourth quarter of 2022 that left many consumers dissatisfied with their shopping experience.” – this phrase sounds a little bit familiar, isn’t it?

To put it nicely, we are faced with an unmitigated dumpster fire. I believe the financial performance and the listed excuses speak for themselves.
Nevertheless, let’s put this operating development into perspective by looking at the actual economic environment in Canada – this time, I will keep it short and drive my point home by means of the following three graphs:
1) The average unemployment rate in Canada over the last two years has been substantially lower than the average rate covering the last 20 years pre-Covid.

https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/unemployment-rate
2) The Canadian household consumption expenditure relating to non-alcoholic beverages rose from C$3.6 billion in Q3/2021 to C$4.3 billion in Q3/2023 (in current prices), an increase of close to 20% over this two-year period. But that’s driven by inflation, isn’t it? Then, let’s consider inflation as well.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610012401&pickMembers%5B0%5D=2.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=3.1&cubeTimeFrame.startMonth=07&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2021&cubeTimeFrame.endMonth=10&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2023&referencePeriods=20210701%2C20231001
3) According to a recent OECD study, it turned out that – in stark contrast to wage earners in most OECD countries – workers in Canada and Quebec saw their purchasing power rise from 2019 to 2022. With a rise of 5.4 percent, Canadian (and Ontarian) singles enjoyed the highest increase among the G7 countries, and fourth highest overall. Quebec singles did even better: they outstripped their Canadian counterparts and rank second when included among advanced OECD countries, with an 8.1 percent increase in purchasing power.

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/december-2023/inflation-spending-powe
Thus, it seems to be a big conundrum as to why this tea company, which used to have an excellent brand reputation and remarkably loyal customer base, got completely crushed over the last two and a half years. I doubt that the solution can be found in the quality of the offered tea blends or that the brand itself doesn’t appeal to its targeted customers anymore. In my opinion, the vast part of the blame should be directed towards Sarah and her series of value-destroying decisions over the last three years. The most noteworthy relates to the decision to outsource the fulfillment to a third-party logistics partner. This decision (or rather the inability to pick a decent logistics provider) proved to be very detrimental to its e-commerce business and brand value, as an extremely poor external fulfillment service resulted in a shockingly high number of order fulfillment failures. After enough damage had been done, Sarah decided to take the fulfillment back in-house to ensure its online consumers do in fact receive the tea blends they ordered on its website.
In addition, not a single growth initiative, presented at the annual general meeting in 2022, has been implemented to date. These supposedly seven growth areas either point in a negative direction, e.g., sales in the US (down over 50% y-o-y in Q3/2023), or haven’t been pursued so far, e.g., the introduction of a ready-to-drink offering or some sort of international expansion. At the same time, the existing business continues to suffer from self-inflicted wounds.

https://ir.davidstea.com/static-files/f8723f59-a31b-4e1c-94be-f5af5bb0fb67

Restructuring efforts

As a result of the staggering decline in sales over the last two years, in February 2023, management finally announced a cost-containment plan “to align its cost structure with the current sales level”. These cost-cutting measures aimed at returning to profitability are supposed to reduce SG&A costs between C$8.0 million and C$10.0 million in fiscal 2023. At first glance, this might look like a promising first step in the right direction and an admission that something needs to change finally. However, in my opinion, it’s not much more than a last window dressing attempt, probably aimed at pleasing its largest minority shareholder, DOMO Capital Management.
https://ir.davidstea.com/news-releases/news-release-details/davidstea-aligns-cost-structure-continued-focus-path
As the analysis below shows management cut SG&A expenses in the first 9 months of the year by nearly C$7 million, which looks good on the surface. But if you dig a bit deeper, you immediately notice that almost 50% of the cost savings relate to software implementation & configuration costs. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, this expense item was – rightfully – classified as “extraordinary and non-recurring” in last year’s 10-Q filings. I don’t know but this feels a little bit like deception. Apart from that, the only meaningful reductions refer to marketing expenses, which have been lowered by about a quarter, and personnel expenses with a cut of around 20%. At the same time, DavidsTea has been actively posting open vacancies on its career site over the last year (every time I checked there were between 10 and 20 job advertisements). In addition, the press release explicitly referred to only a “temporary lay-off […] of head-office staff”. Taking everything into account, I’m really questioning the seriousness of these proclaimed restructuring efforts – to say the least.

Own calculation (based on 10-Q filings)

How much time is left?

In the following, I try to get a sense of how much time is left for DavidsTea’s management to turn the company around before ultimately running out of cash. Over the last twelve months (LTM) as of October 2023, the company has suffered a decline in sales of 26%, which resulted in a (normalized) negative free cash flow of around C$10.7 million. For this calculation, working capital changes have not been taken into account, as this is not a sustainable source of financing (i.e., FCF (proxy) = adj. EBITDA less lease payments). On the other hand, as of the end of the third quarter 2023, DavidsTea still had a net cash balance of C$11.7 million.
In order to demonstrate the urgency to either decisively change course or sell the company, I built a – very simple but sufficiently detailed – financial model that is based on the following assumptions:

sales decline by 15% y-o-y for the next five quarters (a rather optimistic estimate, as I think fourth-quarter sales will come in at another loss of around 20%)
COGS margin of 65% going forward (which takes into account the in-sourced fulfillment and might be a bit on the conservative side)
SG&A expenses resulting from the restructuring efforts have been kept flat (only adjusted by inflation)
past lease payments have been extrapolated into the future

Own calculations (based on 10-Q filings and own projections)
In this base case scenario, DavidsTea will burn through another C$8.7 million in cash over the next five quarters. Based on these assumptions, the cash balance would melt to a meager C$3 million as of January end, 2025 – just before going into the seasonally weak periods. I believe even in this base case scenario there is substantial doubt that the company can remain a “going concern” over the next twelve months. If the macroeconomic environment did in fact worsen in the near term, a sales decline of 15% would appear to look like an optimistic case – given the drop in sales over the last two years.
To allow for more insights with regard to the potential future path of the company, the following sensitivity table has been prepared. I believe it becomes apparent that management either needs to significantly reduce its COGS share, i.e., less promotional sales and a more favorable product mix, or to take immediate action to stop the bleeding of sales.

Own calculations (based on 10-Q filings and own projections)
In the end, it all comes down to the future macroeconomic environment when trying to estimate how much time the management will be given to turn the company around. In my view, another cumulative cash burn of more than C$7-8 million over the next five quarters will put the company on the verge of bankruptcy.
And maybe in this context, it’s worth mentioning that the Segal family has a history of bankruptcy proceedings. Apart from the well-known restructuring procedure of this tea company, Herschel Segal and his wife also led their famous clothing retailer Le Château into insolvency. So, it looks like they are repeat offenders.
https://www.chroniclejournal.com/business/national_business/le-chateau-founder-and-wife-leave-insolvent-company-as-it-prepares-to-close-doors/article_a3e37dbe-7117-5854-9181-86e691d46217.html

Buyout rumors

So, what’s the exit route here? According to the above-mentioned news article, Justin Dopierala – whose investment firm DOMO Capital Management holds a roughly 11% stake in the company – is “aware of an interested buyer who contacted the company in the past several months but did not receive a ‘meaningful response’.” Apparently, he tries to remind the management board of their duty to evaluate all options that might be on the table by stating:

“DavidsTea should immediately consider and thoroughly review any and all offers they have received from interested parties before all brand value is permanently lost given the continued shocking rate of decline in revenues.”

I don’t want to read too much into these lines, but the fact that the largest shareholder apart from Herschel Segal publicly states that he is aware of an interested buyer and even refers to “offers” (plural) in his written e-mail should be taken seriously. Why? First, this statement would most likely be deemed market manipulation if not true. And secondly, it seems that he would be supportive of an offer by this party, underscoring the seriousness/ feasibility and attractiveness of this supposed offer.
Faced with Justin’s accusation of not having responded to the allegedly interested party appropriately, Sarah just deflected this criticism by replying:

“I can’t say that we’re not open to it, that we’re not considering people’s opinions. But it has to be a compelling and interesting discussion. We don’t want to be distracted. […] I’m just focused on, really, looking at the turnaround of the business.”

But is it really that simple? Directors owe two fundamental duties to shareholders: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. At its core, the duty of care may be characterized as the directors’ obligation to act on an informed basis after due consideration of relevant information and appropriate deliberation. The second duty might be more relevant for our case here. According to a recent publication on takeover law and practice by the prestigious law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz:

“Directors have a duty to act in a manner they believe to be in the best interests of the corporation and its stockholders. This includes a duty not to act in a manner adverse to those interests by putting a personal interest or the interests of someone to whom the director is beholden ahead of the corporation’s or the stockholders’ interests. A classic example of a breach of the duty of loyalty is a director engaging in a “self-dealing” transaction. However, any time a majority of directors are either (a) personally interested in a decision before the board or (b) not independent from or otherwise dominated by someone who is interested, courts will be concerned about a potential violation of the duty of loyalty and may review the corporate action under the “entire fairness” level of scrutiny, […].”

https://www.wlrk.com/webdocs/wlrknew/ClientMemos/WLRK/WLRK.28044.22.pdf
I want to leave it there – but it should be noted that we are still talking about a publicly listed company whose corporate purpose should go beyond fostering an extreme degree of nepotism at the expense of the other shareholders.
But it’s really puzzling to me why the Segal family is supposedly not willing to entertain any buyout negotiations (on the other hand, we don’t have a clue what’s going on behind the curtain). In my opinion, there are three strong arguments favoring a buyout of the company (apart from the looming bankruptcy risk):

Starting with the most obvious one – the Segal family would be the largest beneficiary of a buyout offer, as they still own around half of the company. I’m not familiar with the financial background of the family, but I do know that the recurring annual compensation of Sarah is disproportionate to their shareholding in the firm. Thus, potentially trading her job as CEO for an attractive offer should be reasonable.
If Sarah really is passionate about taking care of her many employees – as she and the company constantly proclaims to do – the sale of the business is inevitable. In my view, to just keep going would be another testament to the hypocritical and irresponsible behavior of the Segal family. Following a likely bankruptcy proceeding at some point down the road, the remaining entity would have a sharply lower headcount – in a positive scenario where the company actually does survive.
And my last argument relates to the legacy of the DavidsTea brand. Founded in 2008 by her father Herschel and David Segal, who by the way is nowadays running his own prospering tea company called Firebelly Tea, the company had successfully managed to build a growing and loyal customer base in the first ten years since its inception. Remember, at some point, DavidsTea generated sales of more than C$220 million (2017). Since then, lots of brand value has arguably been impaired as a result of bad management decisions, mainly associated with the Segal family and especially Herschel who took the reins in 2018 again just to pass it over to her daughter. Now, it’s Sarah’s decision as to how much more they want to destroy the legacy of her family. But I still believe not everything is irreversible here and with the right people at the helm of the company (or as part of a larger organization), there is a good chance to revitalize the brand again and win back lost customers. According to the customer ratings over the years, which can be found online, the quality of the tea (or the higher price) was never the problem, it’s always been centered around a shockingly poor track record with regard to order delivery and customer service in general.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasyu/2023/11/24/meet-davidstea-founders-new-venture-a-design-forward-loose-leaf-tea-brand-that-stokes-the-fire-in-your-belly/?sh=4c9ca30c5a7e

Valuation considerations

This all leads us to the last question, namely, what’s the company worth as of today? I still believe a larger strategic beverage company or retail-savvy financial sponsor would be able to unlock tremendous value here. Admittedly, it’s tough to quantify the revenue or cost synergies or to which degree a future owner of the business could capitalize in today’s inflationary environment on the significant historical investments in the brand value made over more than 15 years (just think about the expensive network of over 200 retail stores they used to operate). Thus, I believe there is significant intangible value to be unlocked.
In my eyes, the stock represents a straight call option on the survival or buyout of the company – thus, the share price just reflects the current option premium.
So, how could an offer price look that assigns the company a fair valuation considering the current turmoil but also the potential from a best-owner principle as well as resonate with the Segal family? Taking all my points into account, I would argue that a valuation of between 0.50x and 0.75x LTM sales could be viewed as fair. As can be seen in the table below, a valuation of 0.75x LTM sales would result in a share price of around US$ 1.40 (translating in C$ 1.90/share), an upside of more than 300% on the current rather arbitrary “option price”.

Own illustrative calculation
I’m fully aware of the fact that we are reading tea leaves right now. But reading between the lines of this news article, it definitely looks like DOMO Capital would be supportive of this offer. To give you some perspective, I looked up its 13G filing once again. The filing dating back to December 1, 2021, doesn’t provide any details in terms of the average price Justin paid for his shares in the company. But it’s worth mentioning that the volume-weighted average share price over the three months preceding the filing amounted to US$ 3.42. Assuming an average entry price of US$ 3-4, I can’t imagine that he would publicly urge the management team to consider an offer below US$ 1. However, at an enterprise value of US$ 1 million, it goes without saying that the current market pricing completely rules out the possibility of a buyout but instead implicitly predicts a bankruptcy over the near term with almost full certainty.

Conclusion

I was wrong – management clearly proved me wrong over the last two years. Yet, I still see substantial value potential for the stock from current levels assuming the Segal family finally discerns the signs of the times and pivots away from their stubborn behavior shown in the past. Especially in the context of a looming bankruptcy 10 to 15 months down the line, it’s their legal duty and should also be in their best interest to thoroughly review all options currently available. I do believe that there is at least one party currently interested in the company, though we can only speculate about the current status of the discussions or the “firmness” of the offer. In case of a continuous refusal to consider the alleged offer, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see the party in question to make its interest in the company public at some point – just to increase the pressure on management and the Segal family.

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