#ancient shivan war

[thereadingaddic7]

Just got fucking jumpscared by a video game soundtrack that I associated with a completely different video game because it was used in a mod for it.

I cannot adequately describe the feeling of whiplash I got by clicking play on this, expecting Command and Conquer and getting Freespace instead. Goddamnit, I should have fucking known, ASW already did this to me with A:TLA's Agni Kai but damnit what the fuck lmao.

[beatsandskies]

nuANCED review: Special Delivery

The blog post discusses various Red Green (RG) deck strategies in Magic: The Gathering, from aggressive, low-cost decks to ones that use 'ramp' strategies for higher-costing decks. It explains the archetype's dynamic nature, varying based on additional red or green cards. The author gives a detailed analysis of the ‘Special Delivery’ deck, highlighting its aggressive, cost-effective ethos. The author further analyzes the ‘Enhanced’ deck variant, noting improved burn packages and the addition of certain new characters for the cost-benefit ratio. [Do I do all the things the AI function says I do? Come find out!]

Look, it’s Red and Green. No need for a big introduction, let’s just get cracking. We’ll start with: The Basic Deck Lands (25) 10 Forest 11 Mountain 2 Slippery Karst 2 Smouldering Crater Creatures (21) 2 Goblin Patrol 2 Goblin War Buggy 2 Shivan Raptor 2 Thundering Giant 1 Hidden Spider 1 Wild Dogs 1 Pouncing Jaguar 1 Hidden Ancients 2 Acridian 2 Cradle Guard 1 Anaconda 1 Argothian Wurm 1…

[thereadingaddic7]

Do mods count? Because the "Ancient-Shivan War" mod for Freespace left me like that at least twice.

[poetlcs]

books I’ve read in 2020 (so far) + their ratings  

(update books 60-70)  /  7.10.20

non-fiction

crossing the line: australia’s secret history in the timor sea by kim mcgrath

hood feminism: notes from the women that a movement forgot by mikki kendall

the uninhabitable earth: life after warming by david wallace-wells

homo deus: a brief history of tomorrow by yuval noah harari

SPQR: a history of ancient rome by mary beard

sister outsider by audre lorde

all boys aren’t blue by george m. johnson

under a biliari tree i born by alice biari smith

the lost world of british communism by raphael samuel

the ethnic cleansing of palestine by ilan pappé

stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in America by ibram x. kendi

catch and kill: lies, spies and a conspiracy to protect predators by ronan farrow

classics

maurice by e.m forster

emma by jane austen

perfume by patrick suskind

the color purple by alice walker

a study in scarlet by arthur conan doyle

dracula by bram stoker

the tenant of wildfell hall by anne bronte

fantasy

the diviners by libba bray (reread)

lair of dreams by libba bray (reread)

before the devil breaks you by libba bray (reread)

the king of crows by libba bray

clockwork princess by cassandra clare (reread)

we unleash the merciless storm by tehlor kay mejia

wolfsong by t.j klune

the fate of the tearling by erika johansan

girl, serpent, thorn by melissa bashardoust

crier’s war by nina varela (reread)

we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal

ghosts of the shadow market by cassandra clare + others

a storm of swords: part two by george r.r martin

amarah by l.l mcneil

chain of gold by cassandra clare

the gilded wolves by roshani chokshi (reread)

the silvered serpents by roshani chokshi

girls of storm and shadow by natasha ngan

science fiction

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

not your sidekick by c.b lee

the martian by andy weir

speculative fiction:

the deep by rivers solomon

how long ‘til black future month? by n.k jemisin

terra nullius by claire g. coleman

magical realism

blanca & roja by anna-marie mclemore

mystery

the family upstairs by lisa jewell

the hand on the wall by maureen johnson

the lake house by kate morton

contemporary fiction

maybe in another life by taylor jenkins reid

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo

tin heart by shivan plozza

a little life by hanya yanigahara

a girl like that by tanaz bhathena

little fires everywhere by celeste ng

stay gold by tobly mcsmith

everything leads to you by nina lacour

the falling in love montage by ciara smyth

normal people by sally rooney

the glass hotel by emily st john mandel

only mostly devastated by sophie gonzales

historical fiction

half of a yellow sun by chimamanda ngozi adichie

hamnet by maggie o’farrell

all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr

romance:

get a life, chloe brown by talia hibbert

poetry:

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

clap when you land by elizabeth acevedo

translated fiction:

princess bari by hwang sok-yong (south korean)

graphic novels:

laura dean keeps breaking up with me by mariko tamaki and rosemary valero-o'connell (illustrations)

anthology:

meet me at the intersection edited by rebecca lim and ambelin kwaymullina

[mtgaddicted]

Budget Mana Base for Commanders: 5 colors decks.

How many times have you heard that a good deck needs to have all original dual lands and fetchlands so its mana base is fine? As long as you are a millionaire or you're playing on Cockatrice that is really easy and possible to do, but, for the rest of us whose budget is limited we have to come up with something else.

In this article I will show you how you can get an effective mana base for a 5 colors commander without having to sell a kidney to do so. It can be used for any kind of deck (2 colors, 3 colors, and 4 colors) but i’m focusing more on 5 colors. A brief disclaimer: This is only my opinion on what works best, so don't take it as a final word, and you can make any changes you like, fitting your needs.

First, we have to cover the basics of every commander deck: Land-No land ratio. I like to run my decks with approximately 34 lands. Recommended are around 36/38, but with mana accelerators i find 34/32 lands fine, 32 the lowest. It really depends on how many accelerators you have and your average CMC for the deck.

The second important point to consider are mana accelerators, which are divided into three: Ramp spells, mana creatures (which I wont cover, as it depends totally on your deck), and mana stones. Some colors have a better chance to ramp than others, being green the master of ramping, so you have to take that into account.

Third are mana fixers, because running 5 colors can get you one color screwed.

And finally, before actually starting, you have to check your commander's color ratio, and see which colors predominate.

Now, the mana base. We're going to start from the most expensive to the cheaper.

 First: The lands.

Yeah, believe it or not, the lands end up being the most expensive cards in a deck (well, there re some ridiculous expensive cards that do not count.) Lands can be divided into:

Multicolor lands: Lands that produce multiple color.

Fetch Lands: Lands that search for other lands.

Utility lands: Lands that can be used for other things beside generating mana.

Basic lands.

 For multicolored lands we have 2 color lands, 3 color lands, and all color lands. I find the all color lands the most important for 5 color commanders, as they can generate any color for anything in your hand or your commander. Depending on your deck, you could have better chances of getting this lands than other decks. Allies decks have Ally Encampment, Dragons have Haven of the Spirit Dragon, Elementals have Primal Beyond , and so on. Among all colors lands we have some really REALLY expensive (Cavern of Souls, and Glimmervoid) that if you have them you can include them, but those are 0 budget friendly.

 Lands that are a total must:

City of Brass

Command Tower

Mana Confluence

Exotic Orchard =  Unless playing against a monocolor deck, this usually generates from 3 to all colors.

Forbidden Orchard =  If you don’t mind giving a token to an opponent.

Grand Coliseum =  Enters tapped, but still really helpful.

These generate any color mana with no restrictions, which is great.

 Conditioned Lands:

Ally Encampment =  For allies tribal.

Ancient Ziggurat =  Only for creatures.

Haven of the Spirit Dragon =  Only for Dragons

Pillar of the Paruns =  Only for Multicolored

Primal Beyond =  Only for Elementals

Sliver Hive =  Only for Slivers

Spire of Industry =  Only if you have artifacts, which you will probably have.

Thran Quarry =  It must be sacrificed if you have no creatures.

 Helpful Lands:

Aether Hub =  If you use energy counters.

Crucible of the Spirit Dragon =  For dragons.

Gemstone Caverns =  To head start.

Lotus Vale =  It's not too cheap, but if you can untap target land…

Mirrodin's Core =  Putting a counter on it can be really useful.

Opal Palace =  Your commander enters with +1/+1 counters.

Tarnished Citadel =  If you don't mind the 3 damage.

Undiscovered Paradise =  For landfall or if you can play more than one land each turn.

 Depending on the ammount of lands and the speed of your deck, you can add the Vivid cycle (Vivid Crag, Vivid Creek, Vivid Grove, Vivid Marsh, and Vivid Meadow) if you think you will need them.

 To avoid:

Transguild Promenade, Rupture Spire =  Enters tapped and cost 1 mana. If your opponent blinks them…

Henge of Ramos, Holdout Settlement, School of the Unseen, Shimmering Grotto, Unknown Shores =  Those are just filters, don’t fill your mana base witht that.

Tendo Ice Bridge =  A single counter isn't worth it, unless you proliferate a lot.

  Multicolored lands are nice, they can generate 2 or 3 colors, which is very versatile. 3 colors are the the most versatile, but they are not fetchable. I would include 2 or 3, with the most predominant colors in my deck.

 3 color lands:

Arcane Sanctum

Crumbling Necropolis

Frontier Bivouac

Jungle Shrine 

Mystic Monastery 

Nomad Outpost

Opulent Palace

Sandsteppe Citadel

Savage Lands

Seaside Citadel

 The exception for this is Murmuring Bosk, which can be fetched.

The Lair lands can be used, but they slow a little bit the game.

 The 2 colors lands are a LOT, but useful budget lands are not that much. Shocklands are very useful, but the price of them is not budget friendly, so, if you have some add them to your deck, otherwise you should include these:

Canopy Vista

Cinder Glade

Prairie Stream

Smoldering Marsh

Sunken Hollow 

 Then, some other useful 2 colors lands:

Choked Estuary

Foreboding Ruins 

Fortified Village 

Game Trail 

Port Town 

 Adarkar Wastes 

Battlefield Forge 

Brushland 

Caves of Koilos 

Karplusan Forest 

Llanowar Wastes 

Shivan Reef

Sulfurous Springs 

Underground River

Yavimaya Coast

 Tainted Field

Tainted Isle

Tainted Peak

Tainted Wood

 Temples are really good if you want to scry, even if the slow the game a little bit.

 To avoid:

Lands that enter the battlefield tapped with no other effect and add 2 colors. Also Gates, unless you're playing them all and Maze's End. Bouncelands can be fine, for fewer color decks, but 5 colors are not worth it.

 Fetch Lands are really important lands, and something I didn’t really understand when I started Magic. It not only helps you fixing your mana, but also reduce the number of lands in your deck so later on in the game you wont be drawing lands. There are some really good fetchlands that are overlooked and budget friendly:

Ash Barrens =  Not really a fetchland, but its cycling is really helpful.

Bad River

Bant Panorama

Blighted Woodland

Esper Panorama

Evolving Wilds

Flood Plain

Grasslands

Grixis Panorama

Jund Panorama

Krosan Verge

Mountain Valley

Myriad Landscape

Naya Panorama

Rocky Tar Pit

Terramorphic Expanse

Terrain Generator =  Not fetching, but helps ramping.

   Utility Lands really depend on your deck. So you have to search them depending on your needs. However, there are some basic utility lands you have to consider:

Arcane Lighthouse =  No hexproof or shroud for your opponents.

Bojuka Bog =  I always add this. Because you don’t know when are you facing a reanimate deck.

Cathedral of War =  Exalted.

Crystal Quarry =  A 5 colors filter is not that bad.

Cascading Cataracts = A 5 mana filter and indestructible.

Darksteel Citadel =  Indestructible.

Ghost Quarter =  Because we are mean and your Cabal Coffers is not fair.

Llanowar Reborn =  Graft.

Mage-Ring Network  =  Mana storage.

Mirrorpool =  Copy things.

Nephalia Academy =  Discarding to Top.

Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx =  Devotion.

Reliquary Tower =  No maximum hand size.

Riftstone Portal =  Put it in the Graveyard.

Scorched Ruins =  Untap it somehow.

Shrine of the Forsaken Gods =  Extra mana with 7 lands.

Temple of the False God =  Extra mana with 5 lands.

Thespian's Stage =  Copy land.

Unstable Frontier =  Turns any of your lands into any basic land.

Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper =  2 colorless only for legendary creatures.

Wirewood Lodge =  Untap target elf.

  Not super Budget but if you can have them…

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Vesuva 

 Hideaway lands are excelent depending on the deck you're running.

Manlands are cool too.

  Basic lands should be considered last, but you should keep at least one of each type, specially for ramp spells and fetches.

 With a land base done, everything else depends entirely on your deck. Here are some sugestions you can cosider.

5 colors commanders have the benefit of using all mana stones, so it wouldn’t be a problem. The number of mana rocks really depend on you, but here are some that you must include:

Sol Ring

Chromatic Lantern =  Not too cheap, but it is a must.

Commander's Sphere

Fellwar Stone

Darksteel Ingot

Gilded Lotus =  Went up in price, but it's worth it.

Mind Stone

Star Compass =  If playing enough basic lands.

Coalition Relic =  Not budget friendly, but it is a good card to consider.

 If needed, these are fast accelerators and also generate color if needed:

Talisman of Dominance

Talisman of Impulse

Talisman of Indulgence

Talisman of Progress 

Talisman of Unity

Thought Vessel

  Ramp Spells are usually green, but there are not only green ones.

 The green ones:

Cultivate

Explosive Vegetation

Farseek

Harrow

Journey of Discovery 

Kodama's Reach 

Mwonvuli Acid-Moss =  This one is forest only, but the land destruction is good.

Nature's Lore

Peregrination =  Not too recommended for the cost, use only is necessary.

Rampant Growth

Shard Convergence

Spoils of Victory 

 The non green:

Expedition Map

Gem of Becoming 

Gift of Estates

Knight of the White Orchid

Kor Cartographer

Oreskos Explorer 

Solemn Simulacrum

Sword of the Animist =  An equipment, yes, but very useful.

Tithe 

Wayfarer's Bauble 

  For the mana fixers I only have a couple of suggestion

Prismatic Omen =  Not budget friendly, but it is really good.

Celestial Dawn =  Beware of Iona.

Pulse of Llanowar

The already mentioned Chromatic Lantern for this.

  Again, you don’t have to include everything you see here, but you can get a nice diea on how to fix the mana of your deck :)

So, what do you think? :D

[thewisekitsune]

So due to growing demand here is my trade list:

·         Dual Colors

o   Everlasting Torment x1

o   Splitting image x 1

o   Mirrorweave x 1

o   Nightveil Specter x 1

o   Doomgape x 1

o   Djinn Illuminatus x 1

o   Biomass Mutation x 2

o   Cryptborn horror x 1

o   Azor’s elocutors x 2

o   Giant Solifuge x 1

o   Gleancrawler x 1

·         Foil Rares

o   Torrent Elelmental x 1

o   Distended Mindbender x 1

o   Deepfathom Skulker x 1

o   Architect of the untamed x 1

o   Saheeli’s Artistry x 2

o   Deathbringer Regent x 1

o   Nibilis of Frost x 1

o   Path of bravery x 1

o   Helm of the gods x 1

o   Chained to the rocks x 1

o   Trading post x 1

o   Hedron Alignment x 1

o   Wharf infiltrator x 1

o   Living lore x 1

o   Council of the absolute x 1

o   Sands of delirium x 1

o   Boros Battleshaper x 1

o   Foundry champion x 2

o   Plea for guidance x 1

o   Imprisoned in the moon x 1

o   Exava Rakdos Blood Witch x 1

o   Fated Infatuation x 1

o   Trait Doctoring x 1

o   Scourge of fleets x 1

o   Flamewake Phoenix x 1

o   Elder of laurels x 1

o   Thousand winds x 1

o   Celestial archon x 1

o   Rubblebelt raiders x 1

o   Phytotitan x 1

o   Simic manipulator x 1

o   Palisade Giant x 1

·         Promos

o   Squelching Leeches

o   Ogre Battledriver

o   Wharf infiltrator

o   Skarrg Goliath

o   Deadbridge Goliath

o   Emrakul’s Evangul

o   Xathrid Gorgon

o   Dictate of the Twin Gods

o   Necropolis Fiend

o   In Garruk’s Wake

o   Multiform Wonder

o   Fated Showdown

·         Lands

o   Concealed Courtyard

o   Drownyard Temple

o   Hanweir Battlements

o   Alchemist’s Refuge

o   Shrine of the Forsaken Gods

o   Temple of Abandon

o   Ally encampment

o   Ruins of Oran Rief

o   Sea Gate Wreckage

o   Inspiring Vantage

o   Blooming Marsh

o   Botanical Sanctum

o   Mirrorpool

o   Llanowar wastes

o   Sanctum of Ugin

o   Foreboding Ruins

o   Geier Reach Sanctum

o   Throne of the High City

o   Haven of the Spirit Dragon

o   Temple of Triumph

o   Temple of Silence

o   Grove of the Guardian

o   Paliano, the High City

o   Corrupted Crossroads

o   Stensia Bloodhall

o   Grim backwoods

o   Contested War zone

o   Exotic Orchard

o   Sunpetal Grove

o   Windbrisk Heights

·         Multi-Colored/eldrazi

o   Jor-Kadeen, The Prevailer

o   Sphinx summoner

o   Filigree Angel

o   Aura mutation

o   Crackling doom

o   Utter end

o   Dauntless escort

o   Iroas, god of victory

o   Artifact mutation

o   Heron’s grace champion

o   Conduit of ruin

o   Prized amalgam

o   The gitrog monster

o   Rubblehulk

o   Blood tyrant

o   Progenitor mimic

o   Etherium-horn sorcerer

o   Decimate

o   Merciless eviction

o   Master biomancer

o   Edric spymaster of trest

o   Jori en Ruin diver

o   Desolation twin

o   Distended mindbender

o   Kozilek, the great distortion

o   Grim flayer

o   Ulamog, the ceaseless hunger

o   Vorel of the hull clade

o   Adriana, captain of the guard

o   Altered ego

o   Breaking/entering

o   Eldrazi obligator

o   Endless one

o   Kheru lich lord

o   Biovisionary

o   Kambal consul of allocation

o   Villainous wealth

o   Avalanche tusker

o   Serpentine spike

o   Munda ambush leader

o   Brutal explosion

o   Dust stalker

o   Brago, King eternal

o   Blight herder

o   Veteran warleader

o   From beyond

o   Bring to light

o   March from the tomb

o   Brood butcher

o   Gruesome slaughter

o   Ojutai soul of winter

o   Deepfathom skulker

o   Sire of insanity

o   Angelic captain

o   Bloodhall priest

o   Smothering abomination

o   Temur ascendancy

o   Arashin sovereign

o   Silumgar’s command

o   Sagu mauler

o   Trap essence

o   Butcher of the horde

o   Anax and cymede

o   Savage knuckle blade

o   Fathom feeder

o   Selvala Explorer returned

o   Atarka World render

o   Simic sky swallower

o   Plasma capture

o   Boltwing marauder

o   Necromancer dragon

o   Kolaghan the storm’s fury

o   Reaper of the wilds

o   Deceiver of form

o   Revel of the fallen god

o   Eternal scourge

o   Duneblast

o   Dack’s duplicate

o   Council of the absolute

o   Polis crusher

o   Sage of the Inward eye

o   Invocation of saint traft

o   Magister of worth

o   Ayli eternal pilgrim

o   Ivorytusk fortress

o   Rakshaa vizier

o   Ankle shanker

o   Flying crane technique

o   Lavinia of the tenth

o   Render silent

o   Beck/call

o   Spark trooper

o   Fathom mage

o   Clan defiance

o   Abzan ascendency

o   Steam augury

o   Signal the clans

o   Mercurial chemister

o   Mardu ascendency

o   Boros battleshaper

o   Unexpected results

o   Dragonshift

o   Daxos of meletis

o   Tajic blade of the legion

o   Firemane angel

o   Vedalken heretic

o   Titanic ultimatum

o   Counterflux

o   Alms beast

o   Vile redeemer

o   Searing meditation

o   Psychic intrusion

o   Blazing specter

o   Aurelia’s fury

o   Corpsejack menace

o   Windreaver

o   Surrak, dragonclaw

o   Underworld cerebus

o   Melek, izzet paragon

o   Whispering madness

o   Firemane avenger

o   Loxodon hierarch

o   Mystic genesis

o   Firemind’s foresight

o   Hypersonic dragon

o   Carnival hellsteed

o   Archon of the triumvirate

o   Wayfaring temple

o   Ready/willing

o   Rakshasa deathdealer

o   Prophetic bolt

o   Glory of warfare

o   Obzedat’s aid

o   Soul ransom

o   Jarad’s orders

o   Foundry champion

o   Vulturous zombie

o   Invoke the firemind

o   Righteous authority

·         Black

o   Tree of perdition

o   Dark salvation

o   Voldaren pariah

o   Noxious gearhulk

o   Inquisition of kozilek

o   Demonic pact

o   Palace siege

o   Stromkirk condemned

o   To the slaughter

o   Magus of the will

o   Bane of the living

o   Languish

o   Guiltfeeder

o   Cruel entertainment

o   Curtain’s call

o   In garruk’s wake

o   Brutal horderchief

o   Collective brutality

o   Mardu strike leader

o   Guul draz specter

o   Asylum visitor

o   From under the floorboards

o   Custody lich

o   Harvester of souls

o   Nightmare

o   Oath of liliana

o   Sangromancer

o   Cranial extraction

o   Gonti lord of luxury

o   Moriok rigger

o   Marionette master

o   Eliminate the competition

o   Midnight oil

o   Demon of dark schemes

o   Syndicate trafficker

o   King macar, the gold cursed

o   Behold the beyond

o   Drakestown forgotten

o   Treacherous pit-dweller

o   Defiant bloodlord

o   Abhorrent overlord

o   Gild

o   Nighthowler

o   Indulgent tormentor

o   Markov dreadknight

o   Ever after

o   Tainted remedy

o   Infinite obliteration

o   Hedonist’s trove

o   Blood-chin fanatic

o   Corpseweft

o   Ghastly conscription

o   Grim haruspex

o   Call to the grave

o   Butcher of malakir

o   Pitiless horde

o   Puppeteer clique

o   Carnifex demon

o   Abyssal nocturnes

o   Archfiend of depravity

o   Priest of the blood rite

o   Kuro pitlord

o   Deathbringer regent

o   Despoiler of souls

o   Skirsdag high priest

o   Killing wave

o   Sewer nemesis

o   Dark hatchling

o   Fated return

o   Grim return

o   Fiend of the shadows

o   Repay in kind

o   Pestilence demon

o   Shimian specter

o   Drana’s chosen

o   Graveblade marauder

o   Ill-gotten gains

o   Underworld connections

o   Undercity plague

o   Necromancer’s stockpile

o   Mortivore

o   Fallen angel

o   Extractor demon

o   Skeletal vampire

o   Royal assassin

o   Champion of stray souls

o   Twilight’s call

o   Kyoki, sanity’s eclipse

o   Gloom surgeon

o   Elusive tormentor

o   Demonic rising

o   Dread slaver

o   Foul renewal

o   Unbreathing horde

o   Noosegraf mob

o   Blood scrivener

o   Wit’s end

o   Greater harvester

o   Painful truths

o   Nightmare

o   Curse of misfortune

o   Ogre slumlord

o   Ravenous demon

o   Mind shatter

o   Memoricide

o   Neverending torment

·         Red

o   Godo Bandit Warlord

o   Territorial Gorger

o   Hellkite tyrant

o   Hellkite igniter

o   Trash for treasure

o   Reforge the soul

o   Runehorn hellkite

o   Goblin spymaster

o   Impetuous devils

o   Bedlam reveler

o   Sin prodder

o   Devil’s playground

o   Lathnu hellion

o   Undying flames

o   Avacyn’s judgment

o   Tide of war

o   Soulblast

o   Dragon mage

o   Charging cinderhorn

o   Divergent transformations

o   Taurean mauler

o   Stalking vengeance

o   Alesha who smiles at death

o   Falkenrath gorger

o   Hanweir garrison

o   Breath of fury

o   Kumano master yamabushi

o   Oracle of bones

o   Felhide spellbinder

o   Akoum hellkite

o   Skyship stalker

o   Clash of realities

o   Liberating combustion

o   Fateful showdown

o   Flameshadow conjuring

o   Madcap experiments

o   Harmless offerings

o   Mindblaze

o   Goblin festival

o   Collective defiance

o   In the web of war

o   Satyr firedancer

o   Firedrinker satyr

o   Rageblood shaman

o   Goldnight castigator

o   Assembled alphas

o   Stromkirk occultists

o   Wolf of devil’s breach

o   Burn from within

o   Shivan dragon

o   Stranglehold

o   Harness the storm

o   Flameblade angel

o   Scourge wolf

o   Butcher orgg

o   Flayer of the hatebound

o   Flamewake phoenix

o   Dual casting

o   Skyline despot

o   Charmbreaker devils

o   Volcanic visions

o   Volatile chimera

o   Banefire

o   Fall of the titans

o   Kurkesh onakke ancient

o   Ashcloud phoenix

o   Hell’s thunder

o   Siege dragon

o   Howl of the horde

o   Jeering instigator

o   Ire shaman

o   Scab-clan berserker

o   Hellion eruption

o   Barrage tyrant

o   Mob rule

o   Magmaw

o   Berserker’s onslaught

o   Serpentine spike

o   Flame-wreathed phoenix

o   Awaken the ancient

o   Five-alarm fire

o   Ogre battledriver

o   Pyrewild shaman

o   Labyrinth champion

o   Whims of the fates

o   Molten primordial

o   Akoum firebird

o   Titan of eternal fire

o   Harness by force

o   Dictate of the twin gods

o   Instigator gang

o   Bearer of the heavens

o   Forgestoker dragon

o   Burning anger

o   Ignition team

o   Grenzo’s rebuttal

o   Wild evocation

o   Ember swallower

o   Oath of Chandra

o   Hoarding dragon

o   Mordant dragon

o   Hoard smelter dragon

o   Falkenrath marauders

o   Mondronen shaman

o   Wrecking ogre

o   Trained orgg

o   Zada hedron grinder

o   Ghitu fire

o   Galvanoth

o   Volley of boulders

o   Torchling

o   Flamerush rider

o   Heretic’s punishment

o   Vulshok battlemaster

o   Embermaw hellion

o   Devil’s play

o   Firewing phoenix

o   Curse of the stalked prey

o   Mindsparker

o   Alpha brawl

o   Burn at the stake

o   Rite of ruin

o   Chaos imps

o   Increasing vengeance

o   Slag fiend

o   Curse of the bloodletting

o   Hamletback goliath

o   Hound of griselbrand

o   Markov blademaster

o   Guild feud

o   Bloodfire colossus

·         Green

o   Bane of progress

o   Verdurous gearhulk

o   Verdant crescendo

o   Creeping renaissance

o   Nissa vital force

o   Selvala’s stampede

o   Realm seekers

o   Lurking predators

o   Traverse the ulvenwald

o   Terastodon

o   Architect of the untamed

o   Nissa’s renewal

o   Bristling hydra

o   Primeval protector

o   Emrakul’s evangel

o   Eldritch evolution

o   Beastcaller savant

o   Cryptolith rite

o   Oviya pashiri, sage lifecrafter

o   Scourge of skola vale

o   Seeds of renewal

o   Den protector

o   Managorger hydra

o   Thelonite hermit

o   Thunderfoot baloth

o   Beastmaster ascension

o   Mycoloth

o   Shamanic revelation

o   Stonehoof chieftan

o   Deathmist raptor

o   Meandering towershell

o   Honored hierarch

o   Ulvenwald observer

o   Splitting slime

o   Permeating mass

o   Inexorable blob

o   Oran-rief hydra

o   Caller of the untamed

o   Wildest dreams

o   Dubious challenge

o   Forgotten ancient

o   Regal behemoth

o   Deathcap cultivator

o   Cultivator of blades

o   Wild pair

o   Heroes’ bane

o   Mistcutter hydra

o   Life’s legacy

o   Sunbringer’s touch

o   Evolutionary leap

o   Mul daya channelers

o   Druids’ repository

o   Fated intervention

o   Dwynen, Gilt-leaf dean

o   Sandsteppe mastodon

o   Jedit ojanen of efrava

o   Frontier siege

o   Obscuring aether

o   Avatar of the resolute

o   Spirit of the hunt

o   Zendikar resurgent

o   Polukranos, world eater

o   Second harvest

o   Silverfur partisan

o   Kodama of the center tree

o   Reverent hunter

o   Skarrg goliath

o   Kessig cagebreakers

o   Nessian wilds ravager

o   Wolfbriar elemental

o   Splendid reclamation

o   Into the wilds

o   Anthousa setessan hero

o   Turntimber ranger

o   Trail of mastery

o   Heartwood storyteller

o   Renegade krasis

o   Deadbridge goliath

o   Hunter’s prowess

o   All sun’s dawn

o   Plated slagwurm

o   Daybreak ranger

o   Wolfbitten captive

o   Chancellor of the tangle

o   Wildcall

o   Predatory rampage

o   Feed the pack

o   Ooze flux

o   Splinterfright

o   Outland colossus

o   Lhurgoyf

o   Mana bloom

o   Wild beastmaster

o   Gaea’s revenge

o   Troll ascetic

o   Arbor colossus

o   Garruk’s horde

o   Phytotitan

o   Soul of the harvest

o   Animist’s awakening

o   Chameleon colossus

o   Gigantomancer

o   Reach of branches

o   Quirion dryad

o   Shaman of the forgotten ways

o   Lost in the woods

o   Sage of ancient lore

o   Doubling chant

o   Elder of laurels

o   Deranged outcast

o   Moldgraf monstrosity

o   Death’s presence

·         Blue

o   Coastal breach

o   Cloudhoof kirin

o   Geralf’s masterpiece

o   Mausoleum wanderer

o   Uyo silent prophet

o   Eternal dominion

o   Guardian tazeem

o   Confiscation coup

o   Manifold insights

o   Chasm skulker

o   Padeem, consul of innovation

o   Blessed reincarnation

o   Aeon chronicler

o   Swan song

o   Reins of power

o   Read the runes

o   Ethersworn adjudicator

o   Minds aglow

o   Desertion

o   Azami lady of scrolls

o   Stunt double

o   Spelltwine

o   Swirl of mists

o   Keeper of keys

o   Sphinx of chimes

o   Deadeye navigator

o   Sphinx of lost truths

o   Nibilis of frost

o   Aethersquall ancient

o   Saheeli’s artistry

o   Dictate of kruphix

o   Chisei heart of oceans

o   Kami of the crescent moon

o   Arcane servant

o   Followed footsteps

o   Convenant of minds

o   Insidious will

o   Coax from the blind eternities

o   Summary dismissal

o   Sphinx of maosi

o   Nephalia moondrakes

o   Forgotten creation

o   Displacement wave

o   Engulf the shore

o   epiphany at the drownyard

o   identity thief

o   docent of perfection

o   wharf infiltrator

o   imprisoned in the moon

o   heidar rimewind master

o   sharding sphinx

o   deep-sea kraken

o   mind’s dilation

o   exert influence

o   academy elite

o   willbreaker

o   curse of the swine

o   polymorphist’s jest

o   scourge of fleets

o   icefall regent

o   dragonlord’s prerogative

o   mirror mockery

o   confirm suspicions

o   welcome to the fold

o   overwhelming denial

o   scatter to the winds

o   ugin’s insight

o   prism array

o   shu yun, the silent tempest

o   mizzium meddler

o   thopter spy network

o   plea for power

o   hypnotic siren

o   chief engineer

o   kheru spellsnatcher

o   thousand winds

o   fate infatuation

o   perplexing chimera

o   whelming wave

o   mindreaver

o   living lore

o   shorecrasher elemental

o   stratus dancer

o   jeskai infiltrator

o   supplant form

o   sage-eye avengers

o   icy blast

o   aetherspouts

o   pearl lake ancient

o   mercurial pretender

o   bident of thassa

o   tromokratsis

o   stolen identity

o   simic manipulator

o   soulblade djinn

o   back from the brink

o   denizen of the deep

o   anthroplasm

o   devastation tide

o   aetherling

o   artisan of forms

o   cackling counterpart

o   elite aracanist

o   meletis charlatan

o   battlefield thaumaturge

o   riddlekeeper

o   memory erosion

o   captain of the mists

o   torrent elemental

o   void stalker

o   stolen goods

o   xenograft

o   stormtide leviathan

o   phyrexian ingester

o   lunar mystic

o   clone

o   dreamborn muse

o   infinite reflection

o   mind-spring

o   ephemeron

o   mind unbound

o   gravitational shift

o   selective memory

o   distant memories

o   rooftop storm

o   reweave

o   realwright

o   sphinx of uthuun

o   psychic surgery

o   djinn of wishes

o   geralf’s mindcrusher

o   spirit away

o   arcane melee

o   sturmgeist

o   hedron alignment

o   redirect

o   curse of echoes

o   exert influence

o   dimensional infiltrator

o   havengul runebinder

·         White

o   Wave of reckoning

o   Reverse the sands

o   Oblation

o   Thalia’s lieutenant

o   Blazing archon

o   Hoofprints of the stag

o   Toolcraft exemplar

o   Angel of invention

o   Selfless spirit

o   Duelist’s heritage

o   Sublime exhaustion

o   Selfless squire

o   Entrapment maneuver

o   Hanweir militia captain

o   Reborn hero

o   Hero of goma fada

o   Hallowed burial

o   Paliano vanguard

o   Spirit of the hearth

o   Captured by the consulate

o   Aetherstorm roc

o   Authority of the consul

o   Fumigate

o   Emeria shepherd

o   Master trinketeer

o   Dragonscale general

o   Geist-honored monk

o   Opal archangel

o   Hushwing gryff

o   Indestructibility

o   High sentinels of arashin

o   Hundred-handed one

o   Providence

o   Thalia’s lancers

o   Ordic Lunarch Marshal  

o   Sigarda’s aid

o   Deploy the gatewatch

o   Drogskol cavalry

o   Return to the ranks

o   Eerie interlude

o   Planar guide

o   Promise of bunrei

o   Protector of the crown

o   Parish

o   Intrepid hero

o   Faith’s reward

o   Path of bravery

o   Bruna the fading light

o   Sanctifier of souls

o   Kytheon’s irregulars

o   Dictate of heliod

o   Gustcloak savior

o   Relic seeker

o   Profound journey

o   Precinct captain

o   Arashin foremost

o   Hidden dragonslayer

o   Radiant purge

o   Citadel siege

o   Felidar sovereign

o   General tazri

o   Hold the line

o   Divine deflection

o   Munda’s vanguard

o   Storm herd

o   Angel of deliverance

o   Fated retribution

o   Aegis of the gods

o   Celestial archon

o   Custody soulbinders

o   Renounce the guilds

o   Frontline medic

o   Bygone bishop

o   Decide

o   Scion of vitu-ghazi

o   Resolute archangel

o   Imposing sovereign

o   Preeminent captain

o   Gideon’s phalanx

o   Master of pearls

o   Hero of iroas

o   Chained to the rocks

o   Rally the ancients

o   Mastery of the unseen

o   Skybind

o   Herald of war

o   Lantern scout

o   Galepowder mage

o   World queller

o   Silent sentinel

o   Mass calcify

o   Seraph of the sword

o   Increasing devotion

o   Silverblade paladin

o   Odric master tactician

o   Martial law

o   Auriok salvagers

o   Touch of the eternal

o   Archon of justice

o   Spirit of the labyrinth

o   Sudden disappearance

o   Cathar’s crusade

o   Captain of the watch

o   Call the gatewatch

o   Angel of flight alabaster

o   Aegis angel

o   Planar outburst

o   Marshal’s anthem

o   Mesa enchantress

o   Angelic skirmisher

o   Dearly departed

o   Planar cleansing

o   Dawnbringer charioteers

·         Artifact

o   Armory automaton

o   Trading post

o   Soul of new phyrexia

o   Blinkmoth urn

o   Bonehoard

o   Fleetwheel cruiser

o   Brain in a jar

o   Sunforger

o   Baku altar

o   Panharmonicon

o   Bomat courier

o   Moonring mirror

o   Myr battlesphere

o   Ghirapur orrery

o   Metalwork colossus

o   Crystalline crawler

o   Prismatic geoscope

o   Empyreal plate

o   Keening stone

o   Temple bell

o   Conqueror’s flail

o   Animation module

o   Boompile

o   Canal dredger

o   Dragon throne of tarkir

o   Lupine prototype

o   Tamiyo’s journal

o   Corrupted gravestone

o   Slayer’s plate

o   Stoneforge masterwork

o   Sticher’s graft

o   Soul separator

o   Long forgotten gohei

o   Imi statue

o   Uba mask

o   Deadlock trap

o   Slumbering tora

o   Psychosis crawler

o   Junkyo bell

o   Cultivator’s caravan

o   Multiform wonder

o   Jar of eyeballs

o   Pyxis of pandemonium

o   Colossus of arkos

o   Triskelavus

o   Myr welder

o   Altar of the brood

o   Tower of calamities

o   Pentavus

o   Throne of empires

o   Manor gargoyle

o   Akroan horse

o   Guardian of the ages

o   Cogwork grinder

o   Scroll of origins

o   Helm of the gods

o   Deal broker

o   Shield of the avatar

o   Heroes’ podium

o   Mage-ring responder

o   Otherworld atlas

o   Hedron matrix

o   Deathrender

o   Sphinx bone wand

o   Liar’s pendulum

o   Aether searcher

o   Druidic satchel

o   Hair-strung koto

o   Volatile rig

o   Gallows at willow hill

o   Steel hellkite

o   Glaring spotlight

o   Seer’s sundial

o   Haunted plate mail

o   Spellbinder worldslayer

[thereadingaddic7]

[thereadingaddic7]

Welp, just completed Act 1 of Ancient-Shivan War. RIP in pieces, Apesokari, your captain was slightly less insane than everyone else. It’s not quite all downhill from here, but even if this mod wasn’t dead I knew damn well it wasn’t going to have a happy ending.

Once again, if anyone has any sad songs for me to vibe to, I’d love to hear them.

[thereadingaddic7]

[poetlcs]

books I’ve read in 2020 (so far) + their ratings

non-fiction

crossing the line: australia’s secret history in the timor sea by kim mcgrath: important research into australia’s theft of oil in timor leste. didn’t rate

hood feminism: notes from the women that a movement forgot by mikki kendall: essay collection dissecting modern feminism, pointing out the exclusionary practices of mainstream feminism and offering new frameworks through which feminism should operate. really recommend. didn’t rate

the uninhabitable earth: life after warming by david wallace-wells: good introduction to environmentalism and the climate disaster. a little too introductory for me but good for those new to the topic. ★★★

homo deus: a brief history of tomorrow by yuval noah harari: it is simply not Sapiens nor as good as Sapiens. Looks at potentials for our future but, thought it was a little poorly researched. Some parts were still interesting though.  ★★★

SPQR: a history of ancient rome by mary beard: a little dense at times, but super interesting and detailed look at ancient rome. enjoyed it a lot. ★★★★

sister outsider by audre lorde: collection of audre lorde’s essays and speeches, about feminism, lesbianism, the queer community, being Black and a lesbian ect ect. outstanding, important collection anyone interested in intersectional feminism must read. ★★★★★

all boys aren’t blue by george m. johnson: memoir about johnson’s experiences growing up as a Black gay boy in a poor neighbourhood. Very poignant memoir, written in such accessible language which I liked. guarenteed to get you emotional, another one everyone should read. didn’t rate because it’s so highly personal that felt wrong but highly recommend. 

under a biliari tree i born by alice biari smith: memoir by an Aboriginal Australian detailing her life growing up learning traditional Aboriginal ways and how the lives of Indigenous Australian’s have been impacted through the years, specifically in Western Australia. Probably more aimed at school age people but still a 101 I think many Australian’s (and non Australian’s) can benefit from. didn’t rate 

classics

maurice by e.m forster: gay man coming of age story in college + themes around class and sexuality. forster’s end note saying he thought it imperative to write a happy ending because we need that in fiction, i love him. ★★★★★

emma by jane austen: read before seeing the movie. loved emma as a character but thought this was okay compared to other Austen I’ve read. ★★★½

perfume by patrick suskind: a man with an incredible sense of smell starts murdering young women to try and bottle their scent for a perfume. weirdest shit I ever read still don’t know how to feel about it. ★★★

the color purple by alice walker: follows the life of Celie, an Black woman living in rural Georgia. deals with her relationship with her sister Nettie, her lover Shug Avery, and with God. this tore my heart to shreds absolutely everyone must read it, like even just for the beautiful writing ALONE. ★★★★

a study in scarlet by arthur conan doyle: its sherlock holmes #1 no further explanation required. not my fave sherlock story, was the weird morman subplot needed? ★★½

dracula by bram stoker: yeah vampires!! this was way easier to read and also way funnier than I expected. we STAN gothic aesthetics and Miss Mina Harker here. ★★★★

fantasy

the diviners by libba bray: teens with magical powers/abilities solving mysteries in 1920′s new york. reread. ★★★★★

lair of dreams by libba bray: the diviners #2. reread. ★★★★½

before the devil breaks you by libba bray: the diviners #3. reread. best one in the series hands down.  ★★★★★

the king of crows by libba bray: waited so long for this series ender and it let me down lol. ★★★

clockwork princess by cassandra clare: the infernal devices #3. dont @ me this is my comfort reread series and I was travelling. ★★★★★

we unleash the merciless storm by tehlor kay mejia: we set the dark on fire #2. latinx inspired fantasy about overthrowing a corrupt government with an f/f romance. didn’t like as much as book one but still good, BEST girlfriends ever. ★★★½

wolfsong by t.j klune: basically feral gay werewolves and witches living in a town together. feels like a teen wolf episode but way more gayer. despite that hated the writing style and I don’t like age gap romances so yay the concept no the execution.  ★★

the fate of the tearling by erika johansan: the tearling #3. finally finished this series, dunno why everyone loathes the ending so much I thought it was cool. underrated fantasy because it’s very unique. ★★★★

girl, serpent, thorn by melissa bashardoust: persian inspired fantasy about a girl who is cursed by a div to kill anyone she touches. has an f/f romance. bashardoust writes the most aesthetically rich settings I love her. ★★★★

crier’s war by nina varela: reread. f/f enemies to lovers where the main character poses as a handmaiden in order to try and murder the princess whose father killed her family. PEAK gay content literally a modern classic. ★★★★★

we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal: I was so disinterested in this book I barely can describe the plot but basically it’s a prince and a hunter who are enemies but are forced to go looking for this magical artifact together anyway it was boring.  ★

ghosts of the shadow market by cassandra clare + others: short story collection set in the shadowhunter world. probably the strongest of her collections but they just don’t hit the same as her full length books. didn’t rate. 

a storm of swords: part two by george r.r martin: a song of ice and fire #3. I WILL finish reading these books eventually i swear !! probably the best one yet though. ★★★★

amarah by l.l mcneil: world of linaria #3. high fantasy with politics, dragons, warring races. tolkein/asoiaf vibes if they had more women with agency. didn’t rate because I haven’t decided my feelings on the end yet. 

science fiction

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: f/f enemies to lovers between spies on rival sides of a time war. good book but writing style wasn’t for me (others love this so eh take my opinion with a grain os salt:  ★★★

not your sidekick by c.b lee: main character is from a superhero family but has no powers herself, so she takes an internship working with a superhero corp. has an f/f romance with a villain character. so much fun and super cute

speculative fiction:

the deep by rivers solomon: speculative fiction wherein pregnant African women thrown overboard by slave ships gave birth to babies that became mermaids. main character holds all the memories of her people’s past but runs away after being unable to deal with the burden. about self discovery, intergenerational trauma and the burden of remembering. a little short imo but still all round excellent book ★★★★

how long ‘til black future month? by n.k jemisin: short story collection, many with an afro-futurism focus. hard to explain because there is such a wide variety of stories but this is an AMAZING collection. didn’t rate because I don’t like rating short story collections but wish more people would read it. 

mystery

the family upstairs by lisa jewell: woman inherits an english house and starts to unravel the secrets of a mass cult suicide that happened there years ago. loved it because it was wild. ★★★★★

the hand on the wall by maureen johnson: truly devious #3. boarding school mystery where the main character has to solve a murder that happened in the 1920s at her school while another mystery is happening in present time. my least favourite of the series but satisfying conclusion nonetheless. ★★★½

contemporary fiction

maybe in another life by taylor jenkins reid: dual timeline book showing the two outcomes of a decision the main character makes. cool concept but ultimately boring book because I didn’t care about the main character at all.  didn’t rate because I didn’t finish it. 

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo: vignette stories of various women whose lives are vaguely interconnected. incredibly well written with such vivid characters. deserves the hype. ★★★★

tin heart by shivan plozza: australian YA, the recipient of a heart transplant wishes to connect with the family of her donor, after she discovers the identity of her donor. good story but didn’t like the writing style. ★★★

a little life by hanya yanigahara: follows the life of a group of friends living in life, especially that of jude, a closed off and damaged man with a troubling past. a little too torture-porny/Tragic Gays but I cannot deny the author has a beautiful writing style and I went through all the emotions. didn’t rate

a girl like that by tanaz bhathena: explores the events leading up to the main character dying in a car crash. set in Jeddah, saudi arabia and explores expectations on women, feminism and expressions of sexuality and relationships between women during teenage years. kinda no good characters but I loved it for it’s messy depiction of teen girls (whilst not condemning them for this). underrated. ★★★★

little fires everywhere by celeste ng: drama in white american suburbs when a new family moves in and the neighbours start investigating their past. eh, I heard a lot about this and thought it was just okay. ★★★

stay gold by tobly mcsmith: trans boy decides to go stealth at his new school and falls for a cheerleader, georgia. about navigating being trans and definitely felt like it was written to educate cis people. it was okay but ultimately not my thing and not really the story I was looking for, even though I respect it being written by a trans author and still would recommend to certain people. ★★½

everything leads to you by nina lacour: main character and her best friend have to unravel a hollywood mystery, all while the main character is trying to get over her ex-girlfriend and find work as a set designer. f/f romance and loved the focus on movie making and the power of stories. ★★★½

the falling in love montage by ciara smyth: a girl meets another girl at a party, but she’s not looking to date due to the amount of family issues she has going on. so her and the girl decide to spend the summer having fun, renacting scenes from rom-coms, but never dating. awesome family dynamics and the relationship between the two girls was sweet also set in ireland which is fun. 

normal people by sally rooney: explores the relationship between connell and marianne, who meet in school, date secretly, and then are inexplicably drawn to each other for the rest of their lives. explores power dynamics, relationships, love and trust, and what we owe to eachother. great book, great mini-series, love it to bits. ★★★★★

the glass hotel by emily st john mandel: impossible to explain this book, but there’s a mystery about grafitti, a ponzi scheme and a character falling to their death on a boat under suspicious circumstances. honestly idk what happened in this book but I liked it. ★★★½

historical fiction

half of a yellow sun by chimamanda ngozi adichie: historical fiction about the biafran war loosely based on adichie’s family experiences. incredibly well written with an ending that punches you in the gut. ★★★★

hamnet by maggie o’farrell: explores the shakespeare family after the death of their child, Hamnet, from the plague, and how this leads to Shakespeare writing Hamlet. cool as fuck concept and boring as fuck book with such tropey female characters. ★★

all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr: WW2 fiction, dual perspective between a blind girl living in france and a german boy forced into nazi youth. I cannot believe this book is award winning it’s so boring and predictable and i reget the time i wasted on it. ★

poetry:

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong: poetry memoir. vuong writes a letter to his illiterate mother, knowing she’ll never read it, exploring their relationship, his experiences growing up as second generation Vietnamese-American, and hers during the Vietnam War. My favorite book I’ve read so far this year, just too good to explain, genuinely just feel like everyone is better off for having read this. ★★★★★

currrently reading:

girls of storm and shadow by natasha ngan

meet me at the intersection: edited by rebecca lim & ambelin kwaymullina

stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in america by ibram x. kendi

get a life, chloe brown by talia hibbert