Which Casino Games Have the Best and Worst Odds?

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Baccarat: Best Bet in the House

Discuss strategies for riding trends, which casinos offer the best games, card counting for side bets, and all things baccarat.
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"I think I've lived long enough to see competitive Counter-Strike as we know it, kill itself." Summary of Richard Lewis' stream (Long)

I want to preface that the contents of this post is for informational purposes. I do not condone or approve of any harassments or witch-hunting or the attacking of anybody.
 
Richard Lewis recently did a stream talking about the terrible state of CS esports and I thought it was an important stream anyone who cares about the CS community should listen to.
Vod Link here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/830415547
I realize it is 3 hours long so I took it upon myself to create a list of interesting points from the stream so you don't have to listen to the whole thing, although I still encourage you to do so if you can.
I know this post is still long but probably easier to digest, especially in parts.
Here is a link to my raw notes if you for some reason want to read through this which includes some omitted stuff. It's in chronological order of things said in the stream and has some time stamps. https://pastebin.com/6QWTLr8T

Intro

CSPPA - Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association

"Who does this union really fucking serve?"

ESIC - Esports Integrity Commission

"They have been put in an impossible position."

Stream Sniping

"They're all at it in the online era, they're all at it, they're all cheating, they're all using exploits, probably that see through smoke bug got used a bunch of times"

Match Fixing

"How many years have we let our scene be fucking pillaged by these greedy cunts?" "We just let it happen."

North America

"Everyone in NA has left we've lost a continents worth of support during this pandemic and Valve haven't said a fucking word."

Talent

"TO's have treated CS talent like absolute human garbage for years now."

Valve

"Anything that Riot does, is better than Valve's inaction"

Closing Statements

"We've peaked. If we want to sustain and exist, now is the time to figure it out. No esports lasts as long as this, we've already done 8 years. We've already broke the records. We have got to figure out a way to coexist and drive the negative forces out and we need to do it as a collective and we're not doing that."

submitted by Tharnite to GlobalOffensive [link] [comments]

A Brief Introduction to Genshin Impact - AKA "That one game that looks like Breath of the Wild"

Ever since the game was announced to have a Switch port coming soon, many who have previously never heard of Genshin Impact grew intrigued. The open world in particular peaked the interest of many, especially after comparisons to Breath of the Wild were drawn. In anticipation of the port, I’d like to give a brief rundown on what the game is, and how aspects of it work. While the game is free, so there is no harm in trying it out, I’m hoping this post will serve as a guide for anyone on the fence about giving it a shot.
​
What exactly is Genshin Impact?
Genshin Impact is a fantasy open world action RPG from Chinese developer studio miHoYo, responsible for a couple prior games, notably mobile game Honkai Impact 3rd. Though they aren’t strangers to games, Genshin Impact is their latest, and by far most successful title yet.
The game is set on the continent of Teyvat, a vast, completely open world consisting of 7 nations associated with a different element, and a god-like figure of said element. You play the role of a traveler from a far away world, sealed in Teyvat following a confrontation with a powerful entity who separates you from your sibling. Your main driving goal is to reunite with said lost sibling. On your journey you are accompanied by a strange floating fairy thing which accompanies you and serves as both a guide as well as a quirky sidekick.
Important thing to note at this point is that the game is not currently finished. Genshin Impact is a live service game, receiving continuous content, story, and event updates every 6 weeks. At the current point, with everything there is to do at the moment, the story is less than a quarter of the way finished. The story is expected to develop over time via game updates. Currently, only 2 of the 7 regions are available to explore. As this implies, Genshin Impact isn’t the type of game you blast through in a week. It’s a long term commitment.
​
What is the gameplay?
Being an open world game, a big emphasis on exploration is present in the game. Several markers exist within the world that encourage travelling across the world to discover them all and have constant access to the entire world by warping to these markers. Materials from the world itself are everywhere, and are actually critical in the upgrading and improving of of your party members. In this regard, running around gathering any harvestable materials you see is highly rewarded. The world itself is vast, full of everything ranging from sheer cliffs, to dense forests, snowy mountains, beaches, and plains.
Domains, which are basically this game’s version of dungeons, are present, only unlike BOTW, they are almost entirely combat trial based, either having you defeat a certain amount of enemies, of defeat all enemies within a set amount of time, usually with sort of restriction or challenge aspect to them. Completion of these domains rewards loot such as weapons and artifacts (equippable items to make your party members stronger), which you can either use to improve your team, or upgrade your existing weapons/artifacts by infusing them into them. World bosses also exist in addition to regular enemies, which drop special materials required for upgrading your characters, Safe to say, you’ll be fighting these world bosses a lot.
​
What About the Combat?
Combat in this game is very much team focused. Don’t expect to have success by relying on one overpowered party member destroying everything. You have 4 party member slots, and each character in the game has a unique element associated with them. Those being Pyro (fire), Hydro (Water), Cryo (ice), Geo (earth), Anemo (wind), Electro (electricity), and Dendro (nature/plants, no current playable character has this element). Switching in and out between party members in battle to cause elemental reactions of the various elements is a huge part of the game’s combat, and thus a balanced team composition of characters of varying elements is encouraged to maximize damage potential. This might sound a little confusing, but in practice it becomes much clearer. In addition, the combat isn’t turn-based. Everything happens in real time, so you’ll need to rely on quick thinking and maneuvers in combat.
Every playable character in Genshin Impact has unique attributes and skills that set them apart from the rest, all with varying playstyles and roles. This means you have lots of freedom in terms of how you set up your party based on how you like to play or what role you want someone to fill. There are four different weapon types as well, being swords, bows, polearms, claymores, and catalysts (basically ranged magic), further increasing potential avenues for teambuilding.
Now while all this may seem like a lot of work and things to keep in mind, it’s important to remember that...
​
Genshin Impact is a PVE Game
You can play co-op with your friends and explore and beat dungeons together, but there is no PVP in this game at all. None. This, in essence, means there is little pressure to actually grind and make your team as good as it can possibly be. Genshin Impact isn’t a particularly difficult game. If you want, you can play with your favorites only and you’ll do fine. There’s no need to stress about using the very best characters with the very best equipped artifacts or the very best weapon. This much freedom in how you chose to build your party, and no pressure to compete in some sort of meta ultimately results in a refreshingly laid back experience, allowing one to truly experiment and see what style fits them best, at least for me.
​
Unfortunately, I’d be hard pressed to not mention Genshin Impact’s big catch. I’ve been painting it in a pretty positive light thus far, but now comes the time where I talk about the thing that will unfortunately put many people off of this game.
​
If Genshin Impact is free, how is it monetized?
Put bluntly, Genshin Impact uses a gacha monetization system. For those unfamiliar, gacha is a system where resources are spent on random items in a store. If it sounds like I’m describing a lootbox, it’s because I am.
Assuming you start playing right now, you’re only going to get access to 5 playable characters. You, 3 other party members to start you off, and another one you get by completing a challenge. Every other character in the game, of which there are 20 and counting, are only available via “wishes.” Wishes are the lootboxes. They take an ingame form of currency known as “primogems” which are trickle fed to the player via completing tasks in game, and in special events. They also just so happen to be in the store, purchasable with real money. Unlockable characters are categorized into 4 stars and 5 stars. 4 stars you can expect to obtain roughly every 10 wishes. 5 stars are much more rare, with less than a 1% chance to get one until you hit 75 wishes, in which case your odds increase until you roll one. Keep in mind, you have absolutely no control over what you get when you wish. This system exists for 4 and 5 star weapons as well, with the same system.
It’s gambling. Plain and simple. Please, do not play this game if you have an addictive personality and are the type to impulsively spend large amounts of money on games like this.
The other notable form of monetization is the resin system. Resin is essentially energy. Many things in this game cost resin to complete, such as domains and bosses. And given that domains and bosses drop essential materials for improving your team, you’ll be doing them very often. Resin regenerates over time, or is able to be purchased via the game’s aforementioned premium currency, primogems. As you can probably guess, the game artificially limits what you can do every day in order to keep you consistently playing day by day, in an attempt to get you addicted to the point where you’re more comfortable spending real money. Such is the sad reality of many games, and Genshin is not immune to these monetization tactics. The sliver lining is that money only accelerates the process or ensures you can get a character or weapon you want from a lootbox. As I mentioned, you get the premium currency just by playing the game, only they are very stingy with it.
​
TL;DR
If you go into Genshin Impact expecting a game that provides a story you can blast through in a week, and gameplay that respect’s the player’s time, you will be disappointed. However, if you can accept the free-to-play monetization tactics, are intrigued by the battle and exploration systems I’ve described, and just want the type of game you can play for about an hour every day, give it a shot. It’s free, so it couldn’t hurt.
I hope this post helped anyone with any doubts or concerns. I have over 100 hours into the game myself, so you have any questions, I’ll be happy to try and answer them!
submitted by SolarWirelessBattery to NintendoSwitch [link] [comments]

Martin Samuel On Trippier Ban

Lump on. That is what the Football Association would like you to believe Kieran Trippier told his friends shortly before his move to Atletico Madrid. It implies a ring, a sting and big, big rewards, hence his 10-week ban. It was nothing of the sort.
Transcripts reveal a more earthbound reality. The circle trying to win a few quid, the player trying to be a pal. One of Trippier's mates asks if he should 'lump on' — the first time the phrase is used — and gets the reply: 'Can do mate.' Later, pressed, Trippier adopts the same turn of phrase. 'Lump on if you want mate,' he advises. It is the tamest of endorsements.
Yet, as the friends swiftly discover, lumping on really isn't an option. Bookmakers don't want anyone lumping on a transfer bet because the only person who would enter such an unpredictable market with cash and confidence is in the know. Nobody is betting big money on a hunch.
So it's a win-win. If the move collapses the bookmakers keep the cash, and if it delivers they have the safety net of football's governing body to do their dirty work, if betting patterns indicate prior knowledge. So one of Trippier's friends had his stake 'massively restricted', and another got £300 on, but only at odds of 1-6, giving bookmakers a liability of £50 and a red flashing light.
Some of the other bets were laughable: £8.75 at 1-2, liability £4.37; £20 at 1-2, liability £10; £20 at 1-3, liability £6.66; £25 at 8-13, liability £15.38. The biggest bets were undermined by short odds: £100 at 5-6, liability £83.33; £120 at 5-6, liability £100. Another bet of £300 at 4-11 gave the winner £109.09, while £80.34 was wagered at 3-10, a return of £24.10.
The significant numbers here are not being made off book-makers. 'Levy just wants £500,000 more,' Trippier told his acolytes at one stage. According to FA evidence, the fee was finally agreed with Tottenham for £25m, which rather puts that £4.37 into perspective, or even the big hit, £109.09. As does the £482m Denise Coates was paid as chief executive of Bet365 across two years between 2017 and 2019.
And, yes, it's the principle that counts, not the profit. Trippier should not have been sharing privileged information with people he must have reasonably assumed were using it for gambling purposes.
Yet, why, exactly? This isn't a match. He isn't affecting the outcome and therefore the integrity of a competition. Bookmakers have chosen to make a market on his life, and in doing so have placed him in jeopardy.
Who makes significant career decisions without discussing it with family or friends, without taking counsel, or offering progress reports? Trippier did not ask for this book to be opened, and receives no revenue from it. Maybe that is what should change.
The only way these bans and fines would be fair is if book-makers had to seek permission from the individuals involved, who would receive a cut of the revenue as part of their image rights. Then, if a player was found to be manipulating the market, or offering the inside track, it would be fraud and he could be penalised accordingly.
This is just the FA acting as bookies' muscle. If they didn't pursue cases against players such as Trippier and Daniel Sturridge, the gambling houses would soon tire of losing and the problem would go away. It is the FA that facilitates this by acting as enforcer — as if the grubby charade is any of their business.
This is now being tested. Atletico Madrid have challenged the ban which is suspended, pending appeal. The club will go to FIFA and then the Court of Arbitration for Sport if unsuccessful.
Their case is simple. They bought a player. They had nothing to do with a betting scandal that took place when he was still under contract to Spurs, or a punishment handed down from a different country. Had Trippier served it as administered, he would have missed 13 Atletico matches including the home Champions League fixture with Chelsea. As he would not even be allowed inside the training ground before March 1 — or to attend a game — his place in the Madrid derby scheduled for March 7 would have been in jeopardy, too.
And this is a huge season for Atletico. They top the table with a two-point lead and games in hand on Spain's big two. They could win LaLiga for only the second time since 1996 — and Trippier is their first-choice right back.
Certainly, it did not escape Atletico's attention that his ban did not impinge on any international fixtures, leaving the FA and English football unscathed. Atletico protested and FIFA listened. It could mean, if the punishment is delayed but upheld, that Trippier misses the European Championship. That leaked this week as if the FA were trying to put the frighteners on.
Yet, so what? It's their trumped-up ban. Given the friend-of-the-right-back's-cousin's-best-mate's-cleaning-lady source of transfer gossip is such a familiar trope, how preposterous is it that the FA make passing information a crime? Equally, why are they prioritising protecting the sanctity of an artificial betting market created to separate mugs from their money?
Unless some mug knows somebody, of course. Then, they'll refuse to pay, turn the source over to the beaks, and the FA will prosecute as if they've cracked the crime of the century. Strange, isn't it, that they're so fascinated by £4.37 — but rarely with the part where the real money gets made?
link if you want give click to the dm
submitted by jl45 to soccer [link] [comments]

Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis

NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html
NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1.
https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html
NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%)
NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar.
https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866
NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below
https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
!!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should.
In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase.
Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below:
https://www.playboy.com/
https://www.playboytv.com/
https://www.playboyplus.com/
https://www.iplayboy.com/
Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success.
“Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.”
https://www.scientificgames.com/
https://www.microgaming.co.uk/
“This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.”
https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/
As per their SEC filing:
“Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1
They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon.
https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era
Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea
“Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.”
“According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently:
https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae
Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress.
Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait.
https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/
Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html
Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05
Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing:
“For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.”
“In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.”
“In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.”
They are profitable across all three of their current business segments.
“Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.”
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm
This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world.
"Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.”
Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame:
“As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn.
The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :(
He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :)
Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw.
I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003
Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this:
“Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy.
“Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative.
https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html
Y’all like that China money?
“Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.”
Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company
These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose.
I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF
I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing
“Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.”
“Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.”
Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong.
Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will.
Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way.
Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains.
TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here:
WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though
https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf
Or here:
https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx
Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.”
STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon.
Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.
submitted by jeromeBDpowell to SPACs [link] [comments]

Guarding our assets: Victor Oladipo and the franchise's path forward

I had started writing a post about what the next steps for the franchise could entail when I realized that a huge amount of it revolves around one guy... the player return we got from the Harden trade who happens to be entering Unrestricted Free Agency in a few months.
When the news came through that we had traded LeVert for Oladipo, many assumed that it was just a move to reduce salary by Tilman, but I reject that as overly pessimistic. Oladipo in his prime (which was not long ago at all) was a 2-time All Star and one of the premier defensive shooting guards in the league. His horrific injury has taken a bit of time to come back from, and worried Indiana enough to scare them off from wanting to deal with re-signing him to the max contract he will be requesting in Free Agency next summer. They saw so much value in having LeVert locked up on a cheaper deal for extra years that they were willing to take him on with his cancer concerns instead of dealing with a potential max deal for Vic. I don't see this as a salary move from Tilman so much as I see it as a gamble on a player returning from injury by Stone. Between taking chances on Wall, Boogie, and Nwaba, hoping players can come back from bad injuries is a common thread in his gambles and seems to be his "M.O.", so I'm thinking he honestly hopes Victor can come back to a significant percentage of his peak level.
Trading Harden for a younger All-Star SG +8 FRP assets is a massive coup of a deal... if Oladipo is capable of playing close to the level he was at before his injury.
Unfortunately, Victor hasn't gotten back to that level yet... But he isn't that far away, either. He has flashed his potential several times, but has had an equal number of horrific shooting nights. This lack of consistency is problematic, but if he could stabilize around the level of his better performances (which he is obviously capable of), there isn't really a question that he would be worth a near-max deal if not a full max.
Obviously, getting that consistency back is his primary goal and there is no reason to believe that it isn't our hope for him as well. If he does, then we can feel safe signing him to a long-term deal or, if he returns to form quickly enough, we can flip him for more assets.
The first option there is relatively straight forward. Re-signing him if he is close to his old production levels is a no-brainer. You've seen the reports that neither side are giving committed answers one way or the other at this point, which is sensible in terms of leverage in negotiations. Both sides know that he has more to prove and if he doesn't prove it, there isn't a good reason to offer him a max deal next summer. Some team will likely do it anyway, and there is even a chance that it may be us; but saying we are looking to do it before seeing that proof of play is a bad move (especially with no guarantee that another team will do it). It would be a mistake to offer him $34M/yr with 8% increases if he doesn't show serious progression from his current level of play. The question is... at what point does it no longer become a mistake?
Here is a list of available UFAs next summer (from Hoops Rumors):

2021 Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards
Shooting Guards
Small Forwards
Power Forwards
Centers
Although there are some interesting names on the list, unless Schroeder ends up with a FMVP or Jrue Holiday or Kawhi Leonard decide to leave their teams, Victor Oladipo is probably going to be the most sought-after Free Agent next summer. A fair number of teams have max space, so it is likely that he will get his max deal from somewhere. Oladipo has expressed interest in Miami, but they aren't likely to have a max slot available after signing Bam to his extension. A number of other teams do have plenty of space available, though, including the Knicks, Bulls, and Spurs.
If you can't see where I'm going with this, the question is... should we also consider being a team that offers him a max contract? Obviously we don't want to get caught up in a bad contract that prevents us from missing out on other Free Agents! Well, who else on that list strikes you as someone we should spend money on? There are some interesting names. Harry Giles... Otto Porter... Hey, maybe we could get Kelly Oubre!
But anyone we would want will also be wanted by another team, and there will be a bidding war that also makes that guy overpaid. In short, I'm suggesting that year 1 of an Oladipo max would not be a problem even if it were an overpay.
Well what about year 2? Here is a list of available FAs the following summer:

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guards
Shooting Guards
Small Forwards
Power Forwards
Centers
Zach LaVine is obviously the highlight here. Aaron Gordon and Terry Rozier are some other interesting names (and it's worth pointing out that Brooklyn's Big 3 could opt-out and enter FA). Is the hope of convincing Zach LaVine to sign here worth leaving open space for? Maybe you think so, but I'd suggest it's not.
Because here's the thing...
We can trade Oladipo.
Obviously we can trade him in the next 7 weeks, but we can trade him after re-signing him, too. In fact, as long as he doesn't get re-injured or regress horribly (the latter being something we can probably determine this year if you aren't already convinced), it won't be so hard to move his contract. A 30% max contract is not the problem that a 35% supermax represents. Any of the big name Free Agents could be sign and traded by their teams in return for Oladipo. If his contract has turned negative, we may need to include a pick or two... but we have a lot of those! And using them to move a bad contract as a way to sign a top-tier FA really isn't a waste of picks. It's essentially the same thing as using picks to trade for a superstar (WHICH WE CAN ALSO DO! more on that in a minute). Using Oladipo as salary filler in future trades is a good reason on its own to keep him around. There is a chance the deal will look like an overpay, but unless he has a horrific injury or falls off a cliff (which doesn't seem likely, imo), it isn't going to be that negative.
Victor will make over $10M/yr less than Harden is scheduled to make next year. Add that to an increased salary cap, and we can probably re-sign him to a max, re-sign Nwaba with Early Bird Rights, and along with Wall, Gordon, Wood, House, Tate, KJ, Ma$e and KPJ, have room to use the MLE and still fill out a roster while remaining under the tax.
It's basically this year's roster minus PJ, Ben, and Brown, but with an MLE signing to help out. Is that a Championship roster? No. It is competitive and has significant upside if the youth improve and the vets recover further from injury, but Wall and Oladipo are not the top-tier superstar needed to win a title.
But either one of them could easily be the 3rd best guy on a Championship team (with the other being sent away as salary match if/when such a deal arises) and resigning Vic - even to a max contract, if necessary - allows us time to find a trade for a superstar (or sign one in Free Agency by trading one of our guards).
I hear you calling me crazy for suggesting it. But what are the alternatives? Let's game plan them out, too. The popular idea is trading Vic before the deadline for more assets. This is not a bad idea... in fact, it may even be a better plan than re-signing him... but only if he can bring back a good deal.
What does a good trade for Oladipo look like? Well, in his prime he was a decidedly better player than Jrue Holliday, who just got traded for a decent player in Eric Bledsoe as well as 3 FRPs. It's unlikely that Oladipo will return to that form in the next 7 weeks (although not impossible, especially with the extra opportunity that Wood's injury affords him), but if he continues to flash that level of potential, we would be getting robbed to let go of him for anything less than 2 very lightly protected FRPs.
If that's the price for someone to trade for him, do you see it happening? I really don't. Maybe we get lucky and Miami gets desperate. Maybe another contender with assets to spare (there aren't so many left) decides to throw down an offer with hopes of a promise that he will re-sign (likely a max contract) with them. Again, I don't see this as likely. It would be great if it happens, though!
No, it is unlikely we can trade Oladipo for more than a FRP and some expiring filler. Now you may think that sounds like a good deal, but is it? Certainly it isn't good compared to what New Orleans got for Jrue, and while Oladipo doesn't look as good as Holiday right now, he undeniably has the potential to look that good. So the question is, do we certainly lose value on him by trading him on the cheap, or do we take a risk of losing value if he can't regain max-contract form. The former is obviously safer, the latter could obviously blow up if he has a career-ending injury (but it could also pay off with significantly higher rewards than a FRP).
So unless we get a lucky deal, it comes down to what our appetite for risk is. I'd say roll the dice on Vic. He's only 28, so age is not really a factor on his next contract. It's completely a question of how close to his old self he can return to. We've seen some promising signs in the short season so far, and will now get a month of real opportunity to gather information on him.
And here's the biggest problem with trading him for bad value... if we trade him for a pick without getting a very solid player in return, our roster will absolutely get worse. It drops us from our current status of 'bottom bracket playoff team' to 'No-Mans land'... being in the 9-12 range.
That's a horrible spot to land. If we are there, it makes more sense to tank, leading us into the last section of this essay on guarding our assets...
DON'T TANK
It's 2 AM here and I've been writing for too long, so I'm gonna make this short and sweet.
Tanking sucks. Losing sucks. We don't want to be losers if we can be semi-competitive. Showing a commitment to winning attracts Free Agents, keeps Wood happy, and allows us to maintain a franchise that is literally one piece away from being right back as a contender.
We are not Oklahoma City. Free Agents want to play in Houston. Maybe its not LA, NY, or Miami, but there aren't many other cities above us on the list of destinations. If we trade for a guy, he's liable to stay. We don't need to rely on high draft picks to get talent.
(side note: tanking is not even a reliable way of getting talent! Between reduced lottery odds and the uncertainty of high picks panning out, it's a bad way to depend on getting a superstar. Philly and OKC are the closest examples of it 'working out' and those were under the old lottery odds... now it would be significantly harder. Additionally, remaining competitive keeps our Brooklyn pick swaps in play as being assets. If we sell all assets and aim for the bottom, then it will be a long climb out in which at least 2 and quite possibly 3 of our swaps are basically completely surrendered, whereas keeping competitive can allow those swaps to become quite valuable even if the Nets don't bottom out as badly as they did for Boston. Not to mention the increased danger of giving much better picks to OKC)
Signing or trading for stars are MUCH more reliable methods... and we now have the picks to trade with. So that should be our preferred path to contention. Wait for the next top-tier superstar to become unhappy and fire away to get him. Only OKC and NO can compete with our picks package (and we can offer a decent player in return as an additional bonus!)
So when that next disgruntled star shakes free (which has happened more and more frequently), we stand poised to strike stronger than any team in the league.
A new era of contenders is on the horizon. The Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Nets are aging out. The Nuggets and Celtics are the types of teams we look to be competing against in a few years. Those are the superstars we need to be worrying about for now... not the old guard, but the young ones. Tanking next year puts us way behind in a rebuild that is only one move away. So get those thoughts out of your heads. We can compete with those teams with Wood, another star, and Oladipo or Wall along with all our promising young talent.
We will be back sooner than anyone expects. And as surprising as it sounds, the first step may well be signing Oladipo to a max contract next summer.
submitted by FarWestEros to rockets [link] [comments]

Official /r/NBA Power Rankings #2 - MLK day

25/30 rankers reporting this week. /NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section. Rankings were completed prior to Today's games. We will be looking for a new Lakers tanker this week.
# Team Δ Record Comment
1 Lakers -- 11-3
2 Clippers -- 10-4 I still see some people defending doc. Lue saw some bad roatations, and cleaned them up. His willingness to experiement, and his apparent straight-forwardness with the players has seemingly relfected within the first 15 games. Plus it's pretty nice to have MVP PG13 giving us a show every game. I look forward to seeing what else Lue can scrounge up, and how well everyone meshes with Batum, Kennard, and Ibaka as the season goes on.
3 Bucks +1 9-4 It's been a wild start to the season for the bucks Bucks, going 6-1 in their last 7 after starting 3-3. With all the roster turnover, an updated offensive philosophy, and Bud finally showing some willingness to run a switching defensive scheme, there's been a lot of changes in a short time. It seems like the whole team is doing a bit of a "coasting" and really focusing more on figuring out how to play better together, than winning games (we're giving Thanasis legitimate rotation minutes for chrissake). The team has already made strides, but in a league where two teams have multiple MVP-Level players, there's still a lot of work to be done in order to be ready for the playoffs.
4 Nets +3 8-6 Despite the 8-6 record, the Nets are 4th in the leage in net rating and have only played a few games at full strength. With COVID taking out KD for a few games and then Kyrie going on a personal leave, Nash and co. have been scrambling to try new starting lineups and rotations. Kyrie seems to be close to returning so fans will finally get a full taste of Kyrie, Harden, and KD for the first time. It was just 5 years ago that the Nets were starting Donald Sloan and Wayne Ellington - now we'll get to unveil Kyrie and Harden. The trade was a huge gamble but with KD looking like himself again, the time to go for a championship is now.
5 76ers -2 9-5 Making sense of a team's performance can get dicey once COVID regulations strike, and the Sixers are one of those teams. The decimation of the team's roster has led to head-scratching losses, bright spots like the emergence of Tyrese Maxey as a dark horse ROTY candidate, and general confusion about how the team ranks when weight record, net rating, and the eye test. Among all that, one thing is for certain: Joel Embiid is a legitimate MVP candidate. The team is a contender when he's in regardless of the other players. When the starting lineup is together this team can compete with anyone, but will they be able to weather another potential clash with the health and safety protocols?
6 Jazz -- 9-4 The Jazz are on a roll! Winners of a league best 5 consecutive games, they enter this edition of power rankings with the third best record in the NBA. Over the last two weeks no team has recorded more triples than the Jazz who shot 41.1% from deep on over 40 attempts per game. Thumping victories against the Cavs and Hawks by 20+ points and a road win in Milwaukee were the highlights in a stretch that got off to a rough start with double digit losses to the Nets and Knicks. Rudy Gobert continues to put together the best defensive season of his career while Jordan Clarkson's season averages of 17.5PPG on 50/43/94 shooting splits in under 25 minutes per game sees him further establish himself as the 6MOTY favourite. After playing a league high 9 road games to began the year, the Jazz return to Salt Lake City where they will host 6 consecutive games, a great opportunity to build off some early season momentum.
7 Celtics +1 8-4 The Celtics went 4-1 since the last power ranking and Kemba is finally cleared to start playing on a minutes restriction, but the elephant in the room is the absolute beatdown of a blowout the Celtics took from the Knicks. Tatum has been out due to COVID, however it's still not an excuse to put up 75 points in this era of basketball, especially when you could argue 10-15 of those points came after the Knicks were just going through the motions at the end of the game. Luckily, Tatum should be back soon and as last reported might even be a go for their matchup on the 20th vs the 76ers. Between now and the next rankings, the Celtics will play 6 times. They'll face off against the 76ers in Philly two games in a row, play the Cavs at home, go on the road for two games vs the Bulls and Spurs, and then come home for a matchup against the Lakers on the 30th.
8 Suns -3 7-4 The Suns haven't played in a week since the embarrassing loss vs the Wizards that should have obviously not even been played given the Wizards exposure. The Suns are set to play tonight against the recently exposed Grizzlies, a game that likely would not be happening if it wasn't on TNT.
9 Pacers -- 8-5 It's a new NEW era in Indiana, as the Pacers decided to insert themselves into the blockbuster James Harden deal and flip Victor Oladipo's expiring contract for Caris LeVert. LeVert's debut will have to wait a while due to an issue with a mass on his kidney, but the Pacers brass seems optimistic he will play this year. Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis continues his excellent start to the season, routinely threatening 20-20 stat lines, and Myles Turner has firmly anchored down the paint with Mutumbo-esque block totals. A hand injury will sideline Turner for a bit, but for now, Indiana seems to be in good standing near the top of the East.
10 Trail Blazers +4 8-5 Basketball is dumb. There are so many things we could do with our lives instead. Read a book. Call our parents. Clean the kitchen. But here we are, getting our hopes up only for Nurk to break his hand and CJ to sprain his foot. All is lost. Life is misery. Dreams are for the young and the foolish.
11 Mavericks +4 6-6 Kristaps Porzingis returned to the lineup, but the depth of the Mavs is still on hold due to Covid-19. Rookie Josh Green and 4 year vet Wes Iwundu are getting significant run without josh Richardson present, but they still leave a lot to be desired. The Mavs need to improve offensive consistency, and with Porzingis healthy alongside a fully healthy Dallas starting 5, the upside is limitless for the Mavericks.
12 Nuggets -- 6-7 Nikola Jokic continues to dominate with an MVP-worthy campaign, averaging 25 PPG/11 RPG/10 APG on the season with an absurd 31.43 PER, and has racked up 5 triple doubles in just 13 games thus far. Unfortunately I also have to talk about the rest of the Nuggets, who have looked better over the past two weeks, but have also taken some hard fought losses to Brooklyn and Utah. The loss of Michael Porter Jr. to the COVID protocol has not helped with their scoring, however the main crux thus far has been a severely lacking perimeter defense, with teams averaging 39% on 33.5 3PA per game against the Nuggets this season. The team is certainly trending in the right direction, and I wouldn't expect them to remain outside of the playoff picture for much longer, however the claims that the shortened season would help this team have been unfounded thus far.
13 Spurs +9 7-6
14 Warriors +7 6-6 Warriors put together a couple nice games but have been on a skid this past week. Draymond's lack of any offensive threat right now is starting to take a toll on the offense. Oubre has started to find his 3 point shot with 3 makes in both of the past 2 losses @ IND and @ DEN. Wiseman has been a beast with only 21 minutes per game averaging 11.3/6.6. After the Lakers game today the Warriors have a relatively lighter schedule where they can idealy find some consistency.
15 Grizzlies +8 6-6
16 Magic +1 6-7 With Isaac's torn ACL, Fultz' torn ACL, Okeke's bone bruise, MCW's tendon strain, Fournier's back spasms, and Aminu's knee, the Magic have had to really scrape the barrel to find some positive play. At least Bamba has managed to get some decent minutes in, but even he's dealing with COVID protocols at the moment. Vuc and Gordon are the only reason we're somewhat competitive in recent games but they can't perform miracles. The next few weeks the schedule gets easier so maybe we don't fall behind in a strenghtening eastern conference.
17 Heat -6 4-7 We haven't had the best of times since the last time power rankings were done. Played a total of 8 players in our two matches against the Phillies, and it was an admirable effort even though it didn't work out at all. Tyler Herro mostly carried us as best he could through those two matches as well as our scouting (Gabe Vincent and KZ Okpala had some nice outings). It's not time for all doom and gloom since we've had some nice games against good teams, but we're entering a stretch of the schedule where it might be hard to right the ship. Outside of COVID protocol it's amazing how the Miami Heat continue to do a good job of finding prospects. Some guys have to spend time developing with the G-League affiliate and others we sign from other teams, but it's been very impressive. The recent ones are Kendrick Nunn, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, Chris Silva and before that we had Tyler Johnson (I miss him) and Rodney McGruder. We haven't always drafted well but I'll welcome this stretch of scouting and developmental success.
18 Pelicans -5 5-7 Yes, the Pelicans had an abysmal 0-5 stretch where they lost in OT to the Pacers in a game that should've been finished off, to the tanking Thunder by 1, and to Lonzo Ball's brother's team. But they also played the two best teams in the NBA, and played them well for portions of those games. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has emerged as a legit starter in the league already in his second season, and looks to be the absolutely perfect fit next to Lonzo when he returns from injury. As the coaching staff slowly figures out the offensive issues and rotations, this team will ramp it up into second and maybe even third gear. We're not ready to take it over the finish line yet or win any races, but this is the kind of team that will get into the mix as the finish line approaches.
19 Cavaliers -1 6-7 No SexLand, No Love. Admittedly, a hard to watch 2-5 stretch which included us utilizing a 5 man of Dotson/Nance/MakeMcgee/Drummond on the court played out exactly how it sounds. Still, the Cavs remaining hovering around .500 with the imminent return of Sexton, Garland, and Kevin Love (~2 weeks), any of which will be a jolt of offense for a team with the #2 defensive rating. A KPJ return would be wonderful, but it is sounding more and more like he is about to be traded or released. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince will make their Cavs debut on Wednesday vs the Nets
20 Hornets +6 6-8 The Hornets went on a four game winning streak, bringing our record to 6-5 before coming back to Earth a little bit in the past week. Regardless, that taste of above-.500 basketball was enough to offer Hornets fans a glimmer of hope. Gordon Hayward has played at an All-Star level. LaMelo Ball is an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Scary Terry and Miles Bridges are dunking on everybody, and your favorite player might be next! Our glaring weakness is at Center, but Cody Zeller can hopefully come back soon. We have entered an alternate universe in which the Charlotte Hornets are very fun to watch. Tune in sometime.
21 Hawks -11 5-7 What stupid idiots we all are for falling for the Hawks 4-1 start. Injuries no doubt have played a huge factor, but the Hawks have lost 6 of their last 7 with the only win being over the Philadelphia COVID-19ers. Trae Young has seemingly forgotten how to play the sport of basketball and apparently he, John Collins, and Lloyd Pierce all hate each other. The sky is falling, but it's a long season and for some dumb reason I still believe the Hawks will turn it around and fight for the 8th seed.
23 Knicks +1 6-8 "Pleasure, scarcely in one instance, is ever able to reach ecstasy and rapture; and in no one instance can it continue for any time at its highest pitch and altitude. The spirits evaporate, the nerves relax, the fabric is disordered, and the enjoyment quickly degenerates into fatigue and uneasiness. But pain often, good God, how often! rises to torture and agony; and the longer it continues, it becomes still more genuine agony and torture. Patience is exhausted, courage languishes, melancholy seizes us, and nothing terminates our misery but the removal of its cause, or another event, which is the sole cure of all evil, but which, from our natural folly, we regard with still greater horror and consternation. Get Elfrid Payton off the Knicks" -David Hume
23 Raptors -4 4-8 Odd few weeks to the Raptors. Had our first decisive victory against the kings, with two very close wins against the Hornets at the end of the week. Against good teams though we’ve continued to lose, with losses to golden state, portland, Phoenix, and Boston since the last write up. Chris Boucher has been the bright spot of this season, with him really stepping up in place of Baynes/Len who continue to not provide any contributions. Our fan base remains torn on whether we should tank or not, but I personally believe it’s in our best interest to do so.
24 Thunder +4 6-6 After last season and the first month or so of this season, I'm running out of ways to say "this franchise just refuses to tank for real." This time around, it might have more severe consequences, given the potential franchise-transforming potential of the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes. In the meantime, another resemblance to last year's squad is the balance of scoring: after the incredibly smooth-finishing SGA's 22, OKC's next 7 players all score between 9 and 13 points per game. However, OKC's newfound affinity for launching threes this season has not been matched by success at actually making them: the team is currently hitting only 33.0% from deep, ranking 27th in the league. As a whole, the team's struggling offense (29th-ranked ORTG) threatens to sink the Thunder's currently .500 record to a much more expected range going forward. Clank for Cade?
25 Rockets -9 4-7 Newer NBA fans had never known a Rockets team without James Harden, but that is the new reality. Despite never achieving the ultimate goal, the Harden era gave this team many great memories. Rafael Stone now faces the tough task of slowly rebuilding this team back into contention.
26 Bulls +1 5-8 The growing pains are, well, painful. The Bulls are better than their record would have you think, as the team has 5 losses by a combined 12 points. It does mean that at the end of the day, the Bulls don't have the clutch gene. The final minutes of games are filled with bad turnovers and missed easy shots. These things are coachable though and that's what Billy Donovan, so don't count us out of a low seed playoff berth yet. The young starting 5 is showing clear signs of improvent and is complemented by bench pieces that slot in nicely. #4 pick Patrick Williams is proving he was worth what many called a reach!
27 Kings -7 5-9 The Kings have been largely unable to capitalize on their current homestand, since our last rankings the team had a stretch where they lost three of four games by over 20 points. Tyrese Haliburton has continued to impress, coming back earlier than expected from injury, and shooting 52% from the field and from three in 11 games played. Marvin Bagley has had a mini-resurgence in efficiency though he and Buddy Hield are still struggling offensively. The bigger problem remains the team's defense, as the Kings are currently giving up a blistering 50/40/80 shooting splits to opponents, and have the worst defense in the league.
28 Wizards -3 3-8 A COVID outbreak has stalled the Wizards' season, and as such, there isn't really much to report on for this edition. That being said, Scott Brooks' rotations continue to boggle the mind, as former first round pick Troy Brown Jr has appeared to have fallen in his doghouse and isn't coming out any time soon, while Jerome Robinson continues to throw up more bricks than a cocaine dealer. Hopefully this break will allow the team to get healthy and continue their play before the break, which concluded with a demoltion of the Suns.
29 TWolves -- 3-8 Thoughts and prayers are with Karl-Anthony Towns who is going through the worst years ever.
30 Pistons -- 3-9 The Pistons remain really bad, but they do compete. Blake Griffin still looks like he's basically done for, but Jerami Grant may be a legit All-NBA caliber player given how great he's been. Saddiq Bey and Beef Stew have shown flashes. Overall it's a tough season for Detroit, but there are good signs in the early going.
submitted by powerrankingsnba to nba [link] [comments]

[Let's Build] Attractions in a demon pleasure palace that aren't sexual

My players are going to be visiting the palace of a demon lord of pleasure who's more CN than CE. I want to show that despite his title, he represents all forms of pleasure and good feelings, not just sex. Also space in his realm doesn't work the same way as it does in the mortal plane. He essentially has an infinite amount of space to work with and can customize it as he pleases, so there are no size constraints.
  1. A casino to feel the thrill of gambling.
  2. A dining hall with an endless buffet that visitors are allowed to eat as much as they wish.
  3. An idyllic beach with perfectly white sand to relax or play on.
  4. An arena where gladiators brawl it out against each other. The point of it isn't to kill each other as much as make the battles look stunning to the audience.
  5. A hotel with the most comfortable beds possible. Here anyone with enough money can enjoy a good rest after all the excitement.
  6. A beautiful and well tended garden filled with aromatic flowers and sweet fruits.
  7. A vineyard where exquisitely-aged wine can be produced just by pressing the grapes. (u/_SovietMudkip_)
  8. A petting zoo full of the babies of dangerous creatures. (u/_SovietMudkip_)
  9. An opulent concert hall where the best musicians of the realms perform (u/_SovietMudkip_)
  10. A small, cozy looking wooden library, with a cushioned bay window where rain gently scatters against the glass and a cup of some hot liquid gently rising with steam. (u/QuietOracle)
  11. An owl-bear hugging zoo. Go to sleep in the embrace of their soft down. (u/QuietOracle)
  12. The room of sensory experiences. The room itself is fairly plain, with the main feature being long tables running the length of the room. On closer inspection there are fist-sized carved holes, each one holding a small round crystal... (u/QuietOracle)
  13. A room with dozens of sacks filled with beans, lentils and grains where visitors can put their hands in and let the contents run through their fingers. (u/_WhiteCubeCat_)
  14. A hag (or any other long nailed creature) giving visitors a scalp massage. (u/_WhiteCubeCat_)
  15. A museum of little-known or long-forgotten art pieces, sculptures, and history. (u/MoonlightMancer)
  16. A festival full of colors, music, and drinks. Everyone seems to love you, and you can’t stop laughing. (u/MoonlightMancer)
  17. A hallway of endless doors. In each room is someone you know, complimenting you endlessly, sharing every positive, even begrudgingly jealous thought they ever had about you. (u/MoonlightMancer)
  18. A room full of bubble wrap. (u/EmmaDrake)
  19. A hot spring/spa, with fluffy towels, those showers that are like rain with perfect water pressure, mud baths, and refreshing food and drink. (u/lionesslindsey)
  20. A room full of people that constantly give you validation and laugh at all your jokes. (u/CountryJeff)
  21. Never-ending line of gold chalices, crystal vases, silver artwork, and other valuables. (u/PutridMeatPuppet)
  22. People who are “better” than you are marched in a stripped of their superior qualities. Beautiful people are disfigured and turned ugly. Wealthy powerful people are ruined and made to beg you for pennies. (u/PutridMeatPuppet)
  23. Mass groups of people enter the room and tell you how they admire you and how wonderful you are. They stroke your ego and inflate your pride. (u/PutridMeatPuppet)
  24. Servants do everything for you. Feed you, give you drinks, wash you, wipe your arse, etc. (u/PutridMeatPuppet)
  25. You are given a wickedly barbed leather whip. A slave creature is bound to a post and you can whip this creature to inflict your wrath upon them as much as you desire. If the poor soul dies, another is brought in to replace them. (u/PutridMeatPuppet)
  26. 'Knight for a day'. The full experience; lance, shiny outfit, a squire, a trusty stead, a dragon and a princess/prince to rescue. (u/mr_earthman)
  27. The magical equivalent of a holo deck (u/cyber-viper)
  28. Wide, flat plain with the fastest vehicles in the multiverse (a good place to use the Avernus vehicles) (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  29. A selection of cities and villages for you to destroy with war machines or your own magic. (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  30. A collection of wand that allow you to test out powerful magic. (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  31. A magical version of a movie theatre, allowing you to watch all manner of stories, true and legendary. (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  32. A moderately large pool where small battleships with tiny animated crewmen can be deployed in teams to shell and board each other for the audience's amusement. Honored guests can put their strategic abilities to a test against other players by directly giving orders to their ships, and in certain hours guests may even swim in the pool to live out the power fantasy of being a sea monster. (u/VIixIXine)
  33. A colorizer-device that transforms any clothes/armoweapons/other gear to any desired hue you wish (as long as it doesn’t affect the workings of the gear) (u/PaigeOrion)
  34. A grand screen, showing a nearly infinite number of (screen)plays from all space and time, including the show with the disgraced human paladin delivering a green baby gnome back to his home land through incredible odds. (u/PaigeOrion)
  35. A tiara that allows you to experience the sensory experience of a black cat as long as you wear it and close your eyes. (u/PaigeOrion)
  36. A plethora of small, multicolored blocks that will magically interlock with one another to render almost any architectural structure imaginable. (But don’t step on them barefoot!) (u/PaigeOrion)
  37. A band of musicians who are the perfect musical backup for any performances. Alone, they are more low key, but no less skilled, playing haunting melodies of unknown origin. (u/PaigeOrion)
  38. A massive walk-in closet where you can try in any clothes in any fashion you like. (u/Tezla44)
  39. A "schadenfreude" theatre, with shows that rely on slapstick and cringe comedy. (u/Martinus_XIV)
  40. A REALLY good chocolate fountain (u/BrokenBanette)
  41. A room designed to give you closure. When you enter this room, someone you loved and lost is there, sitting in a couch. The room feels vaguely familiar, but you can't place why. If Detect Magic is used, the room is full of magic (divination, transmutation, illusion) but the person seems like a normal person. You can chat with them for as long as you like. They behave just as you remember them, with the good and the bad. (u/ohsurenerd)
  42. A theatre performing the most magnificent tragedies. When you watch the performance, you find yourself completely enraptured: you cheer when things go right, scream when something terrifying happens, and moan and weep at the inevitable horrible ending. When you leave, it feels like removing a backpack full of lead that you'd been carrying for so long you'd forgotten it was there. (u/ohsurenerd)
  43. A room where there's a button, there's someone outside and it explains that if you enter there's a 50/50 chance of you dying or not, the room won't actually kill you and it's there just to make you feel the pleasure of near death experience. (u/SupremeGodDictator)
  44. A massage parlor with the universes best staff pampering your every need as you receive the most relaxing massage of your life whether it be scalp, back, foot, full body, etc. Has the worlds fluffiest towels and robes to luxuriate in while you wait or if you simply want to sit in a comfy chair and enjoy your ache free muscles. (u/Blue_Mando)
  45. An arena where you and your opponents heal near instantly, and you can fight endlessly (u/ellen-the-educator)
  46. A reenactment of your greatest failures in life, but this time they turn into your greatest achievements. (u/CountryJeff)
  47. A room with the world's finest works of art.... and a myriad of implements you can use to destroy them. (u/redrosebeetle)
  48. A torture chamber with mages on hand to create illusions of the people you wish to torture. Or increasingly realistic versions of them, depending on the level of magic you wish to implement. (u/redrosebeetle)
  49. A room full of gold and jewels you can roll around in, ala Scrooge McDuck. But woe betide anyone who tries to take a souvenir.... (u/redrosebeetle)
  50. As you're walking through the gardens, a person comes up to you. They introduce themselves as an adventurer who's also here on a quest. They seem to be the same class as you, and they're incredibly attractive-- almost exactly your type. You immediately click and end up spending the day together, talking about everything and anything. You tell them things you've never told anyone else before. They understand everything you tell them, almost innately, but they're still impressed by your feats and your stories. The two of you find an empty bedroom and close the door behind you. It's perfect in its imperfections. In the morning they're gone. No matter where you look, you can't find them. (u/ohsurenerd)
  51. A room lined with shelves and shelves of bottles and vials containing a crimson liquid flowing slowly (like a syrup), all with small labels on them. As you inspect the labels, you realize they've all got names on them: famous adventurers, kings and queens, great sages. If you drink one, you experience a selection of their memories as they experienced them: battles won, discoveries made, historical alliances and friendships being forged or broken... (u/ohsurenerd)
  52. A room that turns anyone that enters it into a child. It is full of every toy imaginable (u/arual_x)
  53. A tour of a chocolate factory. Kobolds work there, and the owner, who gives the tour, is a Metallic Dragon in Humanoid form. (u/arual_x)
  54. A fortune teller who has a Deck of Many Things with only the good cards. If you in any way offend them, they will sleight of hand vs perception check slip you a bad card instead. (u/arual_x)
  55. An island theme park of reanimated dinosaurs. The owner is a level 20 Necromancer called Hamm Johnand. (u/arual_x)
  56. A Virtual Reality style game that allows you to battle horrible monsters over and over again without risk of injury physical. But still allows you to gain XP... (u/arual_x)
  57. A perfect expanse of thick snowy ground. There is constantly a snowball fight going on. (u/arual_x)
  58. A giant room full of mattresses where everyone immediately gets a wonderful massage. (u/Revanclaw-and-memes)
  59. A room where you get to torture all of your worst enemies (u/Revanclaw-and-memes)
  60. A room where people applaud you, give you a trophy, etc (u/Revanclaw-and-memes)
  61. A room where you get something that was denied to you (u/Revanclaw-and-memes)
  62. A room full of gold and exquisite things, from beautiful furniture to magic weapons (u/Revanclaw-and-memes)
  63. A seemingly endless room where adventurers can drink a potion to grow wings and flit about to their hearts' delight (u/iriedashur)
  64. An ordinary classroom containing the adventurer's childhood friends, enemies, and their most hated teacher. Upon entering the room, the adventurer discovers that they are invisible, and free to pull pranks as they wish (u/iriedashur)
  65. A brightly colored room piled high with wrapped gifts, large and small, for the adventurers to open endlessly (u/iriedashur)
  66. A purple and black dragon named Ace who cooks you garlic bread and cake. (u/sanorace)
  67. A magic pair of goggles/glasses that simulate any “What if” question you pose to them. (u/lewiscann)
  68. A magical weather room where you can ask for any weather for your pleasure (I love listening to rain) (u/lewiscann)
  69. A room full of lounges with a floating slow burning piece of wood that warms the whole area, the piece of wood is so large you can see the flame spread through this piece of wood forever (u/lewiscann)
  70. A room where you can bite your fingernails and they grow back instantly ( so you can bite them some more )(u/razenastie)
  71. A room with incredibly weakened versions of powerful monsters. (u/Your_InsideMan)
  72. A vast room on wooden sculptures, oil, and torches. (u/Your_InsideMan)
  73. A zoo of sentient races (u/Paralytica)
  74. A collection of legendary heroes magically transfixed in blocks of ice. (u/Paralytica)
  75. Palanquin rentals (u/Paralytica)
  76. A booth that will remake your face whilst in the palace (ostensibly to make you more beautiful but it could be used for anything) (u/Paralytica)
  77. A magic chair that gives really good back massages (u/TenNinetythree)
  78. A playground where the slides and carousels are for adults (u/TenNinetythree)
  79. A room where you become a giant and can destroy cities and fortresses kaiju style. (u/Paralytica)
  80. Drug Olympics. A room with every drug imaginable to try. Leaving the room cleanses you of their effects. (u/Skitsafrit)
  81. No Pauses. A room that has the effect of making all conversations flow perfectly. No silence stretches too long, no one mishears you, and every topic segways perfectly into the next. (u/Skitsafrit)
  82. Deprivation Room. The room is so absolutely featureless and quiet, that you can meditate magnitudes better here than anywhere else. (u/Skitsafrit)
  83. A games room where you play against your perfect match (u/Nesurame)
  84. Similar to the previous, a games room where you're matched against nothing but weaker opponents (u/Nesurame)
  85. A smoky, dreamweed hookah lounge (u/reallyenjoyscarbs)
  86. A heist simulator where you always get away with the big diamond, chest, etc (thrill of theft) (u/reallyenjoyscarbs)
  87. A sauna room with a central pillar. Inside the pillar is a chamber containing a magic stone which can detect the exact temperature preferences of those inside, and making each person feel said preference. (u/TgagHammerstrike)
  88. An oval-shaped room with countless glass lotion bottles, with each smelling better than the last. If you look for a specific scent (no matter how rare), you'll certainly find it with the help of a goblin near the back of the room. (u/TgagHammerstrike)
  89. A room that consists of A bunch of mortals so utterly jaded from years of plesure seeking that they need the hardest of drugs and the wildest of sensations to feel anything,with lesser demons feeding on their pursuit of euphoria. Think the emperors children from warhammer 40k. (u/TgagHammerstrike)
  90. A buffet of the lids of yogurt/pudding cups to lick. (u/Hunter37594)
  91. An olfactory room that reads your memories and replicates smells that remind you of your most joyous moments. (u/lecorbusianus)
  92. A wildlife reserve for Druids to find new and exotic wild shapes. (u/lecorbusianus)
  93. A room with musical instruments that you're able to master immediately. (u/lecorbusianus)
  94. Zero gravity obstacle course. (u/lecorbusianus)
  95. A cooking class taught by a master chef that always seems to have enough time to guide you one-on-one. (u/lecorbusianus)
  96. An enchanter who allows you to relieve the best moments of your life over and over again. (u/lecorbusianus)
  97. An illusionary room that brings up past experiences and let’s you make different choices to fix mistakes or win arguments. (u/The_Rhibo)
  98. A murder simulator to allow an individual to live out the fantasy of killing that special someone. (u/Brann_The_Kid)
  99. A library full of blackmail and secret knowledge regarding historical and political figures. A conniving, plotting character’s dream! (u/MoonlightMancer)
  100. A room where you can see colors that shouldn't exist. (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  101. A room with a creature in a dark robe sitting at a table covered in maps and dice. He helps you play a strange game where you and your party make up characters that go on adventures while the robed creature acts as all of the other characters and determines new events. (u/Clickclacktheblueguy)
  102. ...
submitted by Quantext609 to d100 [link] [comments]

[Historic] Bo1 T4 Rat Colony Turbo Tibbles

Hey. Ya'll hear about this new Tibalt's Trickery card? Pretty neat huh?
Anyways I've been piloting several versions of the classic t2 0CMC version of this deck for at least several hours of gameplay now, which if you do the math adds up to probably several hundred games with the deck. Fair magic is boring, and I hate it.
One of the issues I noticed with the deck, and you may have noticed as well, is the inconsistency it has. Rolling my 0CMC artifact into another 0CMC artifact of a different name makes me want to toss myself out of my first story office window and maybe sprain my ankle on landing. But then I said to myself, "What sort of paper handed brainlet wants to win on turn 2 50% of the time anyways? Boring." So I built what is arguably the most consistent version of the Tibalt Cheese to date.
I present to you Turn 4 Rat Colony Turbo Tibbles, or as I like to call it, New York. Because its just a pile of rats and other garbage.
Deck
4 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon (M21) 1
4 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger (BFZ) 15
4 Genesis Ultimatum (IKO) 189
4 Tibalt's Trickery (KHM) 153
1 Omniscience (M19) 65
11 Rat Colony (DAR) 101
4 Emergent Ultimatum (IKO) 185
4 The World Tree (KHM) 275
4 Blood Crypt (RNA) 245
4 Forgotten Cave (ONS) 317
4 Temple of Abandon (THB) 244
4 Barren Moor (ONS) 312
4 Stomping Ground (RNA) 259
4 Temple of Malice (THB) 247
Sideboard
4 Explore (JMP) 393
3 Esika, God of the Tree (KHM) 168
4 Bolas's Citadel (WAR) 79
4 Arboreal Grazer (WAR) 149
The goal is simple. Play 4 lands, cast Rat Colony, Tibbles it.
Other people have done a bunch of math on how consistent can they get the T2 0CMC version, and the numbers are neat but I didn't do anything with that because math is for nerds and If there's one thing I hate, it's doing extra work to prove a point on reddit. All I can say is that with the removal of the 4 Card limit on counter targets, the deck gets a lot more consistent with your hits. You're going from 2/3 cards to whiff on to 1. Windmill slamming any one of the non rat or tibble cards in this deck is almost always good enough to win on turn 4 anyways, so what's the rush?
There are a few considerations to be made with the list I've presented here. First of all is the inclusion of Emergent Ultimatum. I included it because it's fun to choose Tibble, Rat Colony, Omniscience and listen to your opponent's brain hamsters kick into overdrive, only to eventually give you what you want. Any combination of cards they give you from the aforementioned pile leads to either a fielded Omniscience or a second roll with tibbles. The second roll is technically worse because you get a chance to roll into tibbles again, but I'm a diamond handed rocket ape and I will always take those odds.
Feel free to cut them for more Omnisciences, cycle lands, scrylands, rats, or alternate wincons.
An important note here is that this deck only needs to mulligan for tibbles. There are enough scrylands, cycle lands, and rats in the deck in order to draw into a rat colony by turn 4.
Speaking of land composition. To be honest, I just slapped a bunch of scry lands and 1 mana cycle lands in in order to draw into the correct hand composition, specifically rat+tiblbes. The list would probably be better with Aetherhub. Someone else can optimize this - I like mine how it is.
The other considerations aren't technically considerations. You just always scoop to T1 Thoughtsieze or a counterspell at any point in the game. Sucks.
I've included a sideboard in case your brain is so smooth that you want to take this into a Bo3. The board literally just takes out the rat colonies and tibalts and gives you a bunch of ramp. Good luck with that.
Worst case scenario, you lose super hard by whiffing tibalt and drawing only lands. Slightly less worse scenario, you beat them to death with typhoid incarnate. Even better, they play their own turbo jank and you draw into a bunch of lands and hard cast your nonsense. All of these options are better already than the mandatory scoop on a whiff with the T2 0CMC version of the deck. Enjoy your gambling.
Some may argue that the best version of this deck would be only rat colony, Ugin, Ulamog, Tibbles, and lands. You would be wrong and dumb here, because of math. In laymans terms, more bombs = less chances of hitting another tibbles with your tibbles.
submitted by tootoolforcool to spikes [link] [comments]

FEEDBACK WANTED: Drafting a New Player Guide

Hi everyone,
I'm working on a New Player Guide before the fourth anniversary that could be linked in the Questions Megathread, since many new players often comment there looking for such a thing.
Below is the draft, refined once with feedback from helpful users about a month or two ago. Before it gets posted for real, I'd like more feedback:
Thank you very much to anyone who takes the time to provide feedback on this endeavor!
 

The New Player's Guide to FEH

Written 1.23.2021
Purpose: This guide is intended to provide high-level advice to new players. It intentionally avoids retreading descriptions of features and game modes, as this information is readily available on sites like Gamepedia. Instead, this guide seeks to capture advice and general wisdom from veteran players that is useful or recommended for new players.
Audience: This guide is intended for new players from casual players to semi-competitive. If your goal is to be highly competitive in PvP, this guide will be less relevant and I would recommend seeking advice in OrderOfHeroes.
First Priorities:
  • Get all of the free 5* heroes available to you.
    • The following 5* heroes are given to you for free by clearing certain story maps: Legendary Ike (Paralogue: Xenologue 3), Fjorm (Book 2: Chapter 1), Eir (Book 3: Chapter 1), Peony (Book 4: Chapter 1), Reginn (Book 5: Chapter 1).
    • You can also choose one of the most recent set of Brave Heroes to receive for free as a one-time 5* Free Summon. As of this writing, those options are: Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude, Lysithea. There's no wrong answers here, but if you don't have a preference I would recommend Edelgard for new players, since the power gap between her and the F2P armor heroes is much higher than the power gap between the other three and their respective F2P options for their unit types.
    • You'll also get a free Takumi at 4* at the start of the game, who is otherwise a base 5* hero. However, he is heavily outclassed by countless other archers at this point.
    • It's heavily recommended not to use any of these free 5* heroes for skill fodder until you know what you are doing. Many of these heroes are commonly used in video guides that could help you clear difficult content.
  • Work on the Heroes' Path Quests.
    • These quests can be found by clicking on the shield-like icon in the upper left of the home screen. These quests give you multiple additional free 5* heroes as you progress through their stages, including some particularly powerful ones such as Reinhardt and Brave Ike.
    • These quests also do a decent job of introducing you to various features and game modes, making them a good starting place for new players.
    • Note: Some of these quests require you to do actions that consume valuable resources such as spending Heroic Grails. Although saving these resources is recommended, completing the Heroes' Path is worth the expense. If you don't have a preference/favorite to spend the Heroic Grails on, ask the community about good choices.
  • Link to a MyNintendo account.
    • This is a crucial step in terms of account security, as it will allow you to recover your account if you lose or break your device (and allow you to switch your account to a new device). Follow the steps on the official nintendo site.
    • Notably, linking a MyNintendo account also allows you to earn Nintendo points for clearing story chapters, which can be redeemed for FEH resources such as orbs and feathers (a limited number of times) and stamina potions (unlimited times).
Pitfalls to Watch Out For:
  • Don't use the Merge Heroes feature, Send Home feature, or Inherit Skill feature until you really know what you're doing.
    • Most players have a story of merging a hero that they never use that has great skill fodder, or sending home a hero that they wish they hadn't, or wasting a premium skill by inheriting it to a hero that doesn't use it very effectively. I would recommend not using these features at all until you've played the game for long enough to be more comfortable knowing what heroes you want to merge, who's useless enough to really send home, and how to use skill inheritance to build heroes effectively.
    • It's recommended not to merge any hero that isn't 5*, period. There are certain cases where it's justifiable, but for new players it's strongly recommended to avoid merging 3* and 4* heroes entirely.
  • Spending money isn't necessary. Don't spend money until you understand what you're getting in return.
    • I would advise new players to stay free-to-play (F2P) while learning the game at minimum. In general, spending money is not at all necessary, as F2P players can thrive and easily clear all PvE content, as well as being competitive in PvP.
    • I would recommend avoiding opening up your wallet until you're familiar enough with the game to know what heroes might be worth it to you to spend money on, as well as understanding the gacha rates and mechanics so that you know and understand the odds you're gambling on.
  • Don't ignore strong 3* and 4* heroes.
    • Many 3* and 4* heroes can easily match or even surpass 5* heroes in the same niche, so don't write them off just because of the lower rarity. 3* and 4* heroes are also easier to merge.
    • However, it's strongly recommended not to summon for a specific 3* or 4* hero unless they're one of the focus heroes. The chances of summoning a specific 3* or 4* off-focus are very poor.
What to Focus Your Time On:
  • Prioritize limited-time quests and events.
    • While it can be tempting to spend all your time and stamina getting those sweet sweet Story orbs, I would recommend focusing on the limited-time quests and events first. Those story orbs will always be there, but if you don't capture the limited-time quest and event orbs, they're gone for good when their time runs out. Check the quests available by clicking on the fountain icons in the bottom right of the home screen, and check the events available by clicking on the yellow spiral icon in the bottom right of the battles screen.
    • Most events have nice participation rewards for very little effort/investment. Check the event rewards and try to at least do the minimum for easy resource gains.
    • Note that there are Story Quests that release with each new chapter and award orbs. These are limited-time only, so clearing these quests would be the exception to the "don't prioritize the story yet" advice above.
  • Participate in the PvP modes (Aether Raids, Arena, etc.) right away.
    • You get good rewards just for participating, regardless of how you do. Additionally, even though you may not be able to climb that high in the ranks yet (or even care about climbing the ranks at all), you're limited in the number of ranks you can climb in a single week. If you want to get to the better rewards sooner, you'll need to start now.
  • Ignore Chain Challenge, Squad Assault, Blessed Gardens.
    • All of these modes require a high amount of strong heroes to be able to complete, and they're also permanently available, so there should be no rush to complete them. I would only work on them after clearing the entire story, and only if you're completely caught up on events.
Resources to Prioritize:
  • Orbs should always be your top priority for limited-time quest rewards.
    • Fairly self-explanatory, but as the gacha/paid currency, you'll want to capture as many of the free orbs as possible. Focus on capturing orbs from limited-time events and quests before the story mode.
    • Note: While you should focus on the limited-time orb sources first, it's useful to know that there are a ton of orbs available through the permanent story maps by this point - over 1300 at the time of this writing.
  • Heroic Grails are very limited relative to how many you'll need/want.
    • Heroic Grails are used to acquire certain heroes, but at this point the number of heroes that need Heroic Grails to summon far outweigh the relatively low rate at which Heroic Grails are given out. For this reason, I would make sure to capture as many of the free Heroic Grails as possible, and would even say to not spend them until you're more familiar with what's offered in the Grails Shop.
    • Some of the heroes in the Grails Shop will be given out for free again if you wait long enough, but others will not, so it may be important to know which is which before you spend your resources.
  • Stamina potions will be important if you want to play a lot at the start.
    • They're given out fairly liberally, but stamina can definitely become a bottleneck for new players, especially if you're playing a lot and/or trying to capture all of the resources available in limited-time quests and events. Manage your stamina carefully and take every opportunity to get more stamina potions, including linking a MyNintendo account. You'll also be able to get a stamina potion reward for your first clear of every normal story chapter, which adds up to well over 40 stamina potions - a substantial boost.
  • Dragonflowers have a slow accumulation rate, so capture as many as you can.
    • They're used to increase your heroes' stats up to the max, but are slow to acquire and it takes a lot to max a single hero. Capture as many of these as you can.
  • Feathers are very useful, especially for new players.
    • They're far more common as reward mechanisms than the resources listed above, but they're the primary gate on your progress of making your heroes stronger and growing your roster. Try to capture as many feathers as you can.
    • 20,000 feathers allows you to turn a 4* of your choice into a 5*, which can help you fill out the holes in your roster. Feathers can be used to make sure that you have a decent 5* hero of each weapon type, then expand to covering weapon type and movement mode.
When to Summon and What to Summon For:
  • Don't be in a hurry to summon as a new player.
    • I would recommend saving up your orbs and only doing the free first summons until you have a better idea of who you want to summon for. Orbs are the premium currency and the free 5* heroes you'll get from the Heroes' Path and certain story chapters are strong enough to carry you through 99% of the content in the game. Don't feel pressured to summon before you've had time to figure out what makes heroes good or who your favorites are.
  • Summon for your favorites even if they're not "meta".
    • Every hero in FEH is perfectly useable for PvE content, and can be made strong enough for most anything through skill inheritance, weapon refines, and stat increases. Use who you like first and foremost!
  • Ask the community about meta heroes.
    • The meta can change frequently, so it's best to ask the community who the strongest characters are on the current banners. Given the many PvP game modes and character archtypes, there's a fairly wide range of heroes that could be considered "meta" in at least one game mode. If you don't have many favorites yet, or care more about climbing the PvP ranks, look for help identifying solid meta picks.
  • Consider working towards getting a team of each unit type.
    • Quests requiring 4 armor heroes, 4 cavalry heroes, or 4 flier heroes, etc. are very common. When choosing who to summon for at the start, pay attention to when strong heroes are available that fill unit types that you need.
How to Build Heroes:
  • Play to the hero's strengths.
    • Generally speaking, it's more worthwhile to capitalize on a hero's strong stats than try to patch up their weaknesses. The SPD stat is somewhat unique and can sometimes be an exception if their SPD isn't very low. A SPD stat of 30 or lower arguably isn't worth investment.
  • Look at their weapon.
    • Many heroes will want to keep their original weapons rather than inherit one, and the effects their weapon has often indicate how they're designed to be used. For example, if a weapon increases RES and grants effects on enemy phase, you'll probably want to choose skills that increase or capitalize on their RES stat and activate on enemy phase as well.
  • Decide if the hero is going to be player-phase or enemy-phase.
    • Look for phrases like "if unit initiates combat" to identify player-phase effects, and phrases like "if enemy initiates combat" to identify enemy-phase effects. Generally, you'll want the hero's skill effects to be activating on the same phase. If the hero's weapon has two effects that activate on enemy phase, it's a good idea to give them skills that activate on enemy phase as well. Mixed-phase builds do exist, but can be more complicated and often more situational.
  • Assist skills are king.
    • You should treasure every summon that gives you Reposition or Draw Back skill inheritance, and use them effectively. Reposition is arguably the best skill in the game for pretty much anyone, though Draw Back is often preferred for ranged heroes in particular. Swap is also notable for tanks and armored heroes.
How to Build a Good Starting Team
  • Have a balance of colors.
    • For starting players, I would recommend trying out a team with a red hero, a blue hero, a green hero, and a colorless hero.
  • Have your heroes cover each other's weaknesses.
    • It can often help to start with your favorite hero or the hero you want to use most, and patch up their weaknesses first. For example, if you want to use Lukas, a high-DEF low-RES enemy-phase tank, you'll want to have someone on your team that can take care of the mages that would threaten Lukas, especially green mages that would be super-effective against the blue Lukas. A high-ATK player-phase red hero could be a good choice, but both might be weak to blue mages. Make sure you don't have a shared weakness across your whole team.
  • Try some of the common team archetypes.
    • There are some team archetypes that ignore the suggestions above that are nonetheless quite powerful for other reasons. The "nuke and three dancers" team composition focuses on using a single ranged hero with high damage output (whether physical or magical) supported by three dancers to allow that ranged hero to attack four times. With the right nuke, you can handily clear most all of the content in the game; however, you may find yourself stuck if you have to go up against a strong enemy that hard-counters your nuke. Another common archetype is "omnitanking", where you primarily buff and support a single hero with high DEF/RES and close/distant counter, with the goal of taking out opponents with that tank on the enemy phase. Other archetypes such as Galeforce teams are more complicated than I would recommend for a new player.
Other Notes and Recommendations
  • Re-rolling is not particularly necessary.
    • Re-rolling is the process of starting an account, going through the tutorial, and then spending your tutorial orbs summoning for a good 5* hero (or even just one of your favorites). If you don't get a good 5*, you uninstall the app and try again. The goal is to start the game with a strong hero without spending many orbs. Rerolling costs you nothing but time, so if you already have a favorite character that's on a banner you could re-roll to start with them. However, it's really not necessary to re-roll in FEH like it can be for some other gacha games.
  • Adjust the settings to your liking.
    • I would recommend having Show Danger Area on, as well as Asset/Flaw Color Display. Turning off Combat Animation can also speed up combat significantly.
submitted by ShiningSolarSword to FireEmblemHeroes [link] [comments]

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