#and then you add 5 markings for every slot plus the body

[tabe4]

I remember you made an eevee picrew, have you thought about making a tabe4 picrew? :0

Heavily considering it tbh but making markings that fit all of their bodies would be a super huge pain, mostly if I wanted to be able to let people choose tails and ears separately I'd need separate marking slots for every body, every ear set, and every tail type. This kind of challenge is prolly why it's so common for furry type of picrews to be very simple for markings. I could easily do the base version I did for the eevees where it's not coloured and you can colour it yourself, though. This is also why I haven't tried adding colour to the eevee base picrew, I'd need to add separate markings slots for every hair, mane, wings, and arms... 😔

[kirindensetsu]

The Making of Fubuki

((Reposting from Den of Angels workshop thread because I wanted my friends to be able to see~))

After years of pining after dolls I couldn't afford as a broke teenager, my first BJD was a Bobobie Sprite I purchased for my 18th birthday. Unfortunately, she didn't live up to my expectations and I never really bonded with her. Her face was cute enough, but the Bobobie body lacked the grace and posing ability I imagined for the Unseelie faerie I'd been daydreaming of for years. Sueding and wiring didn't help, blushing and tattooing highlighted her blockiness, it was a mess. I packed her away and tried not to think about my disappointment for 12 years. In the meantime I learned to build and paint resin garage kits, inherited one of my sister's dolls, bought some others, took anatomy & physiology in college, and did a couple extensive restorations and full-body modifications. I was sure I had thrown her away at some point as a failed project, but last weekend I found her tucked away in a doll bag I thought was empty. Having just finished substantial mods on a Dollshe body, and awaiting an unfinished Unoa kit for my birthday in September, I decided that I owed it to her to try again. Doll nudity below the cut, looooong post--

My Sprite was originally going to be a pooka with golden eyes and extensive woad tattoos. The golden eyes are incredible, so those are staying, but she's now going to be a blue oni to fit in with the rest of my collection. My plan is to do extensive additive epoxy work, and then to use Krylon Fusion to give everything a unified finish. The goal of the project is to reduce the... idk, STRAIGHTNESS of the old Bobobie body. I was never going to be happy with it, the lines were all far too rigid.

Head: Modified mouth for a wider, smirking smile. Magnets added to headcap (old Bobobie used an S-hook iirc; I did this part back in 2008). Forehead drilled for 3mm brass rod armature, and epoxy used to sculpt horns over rod. Bust: Substantial subtractive modifications to breasts, which involved removal and readdition of nipples. Addition of epoxy clay to back and shoulders to give a more curved body line in profile. Deepening of shoulder sockets with 18mm eye bevel, followed by sanding to make shoulders narrower. Waist: Reshaping of upper torso joint into sphere for smoother range of motion. Subtraction of resin in back and addition of epoxy in front to enhance lumbar curve. Hips: Substantial reshaping of lower waist seam to more naturally follow the pelvic girdle. It reminded me of granny panties before  Added epoxy to butt, again for lumbar curve. Thighs: Suwariko joint mod (cut the thigh and added a PVC insert to enable swivelling at the hip). Added epoxy to make her thighs look less straight. Calves: Removed 1cm of length at the ankles and rebevelled the socket. Removed resin at the ankles to bring them in, and added epoxy at the calves to make them curvier. Feet: Sculpted little claws, which were cute, and then decided the feet needed to be 5mm longer. Cut across, drilled and pinned with brass rod for structural strength, gap filled with epoxy clay. I also modded her feet to have defined arches and balls back when I first got her. Alas, spitting into the ocean. I added S-hooks, but did so by drilling the ankle and inserting brass rod to form the axle for the hook. Arms: The proportions on her upper arms BOTHERED me! they were so SHORT! and I only just figured out that's what I hated about them last week! I added 5mm to the upper arms by cutting them in the middle and using SteelStik to make a structural repair (plumber's epoxy putty has a shorter open time but far greater structural strength than artist's epoxy clay). Sanded the heck out of the wrists to give them a more delicate taper. Hands: Beyond salvage. The hands were my least-favorite part of this sculpt. I tried to bulk them up to look less spidery but it was just too difficult... I've ordered a different pair of MSD hands which will have claws added, and then when everything is painted it'll all match. Thanks for reading this far! Here's a preview of what her golden eyes look like next to Krylon Fusion in Antique Blue.

((first progress post)) I think I'm mostly done adding epoxy clay (at least where it'll show; presumably the wrist sockets will require tweaks to fit the new hands), so now it's time for finish sanding. I start with 60 grit for shaping, then switch to a 120 grit sanding sponge. To check for scratches, pinholes, and inadequately feathered edges, I apply a wash of diluted acrylic paint. Once the paint has dried, I scrub the piece with a nylon scouring pad. Paint remains in the surface irregularities.

All sanded with 220 grit. I don't think I'll be going higher than 400 because I want there to be some tooth for the paint.

Any pitting in the epoxy clay that can't be sanded out is marked with a Sharpie and will be patched with Tamiya spot putty.

I did a test spray of the Krylon Fusion on the headcap and it's fantastic! Holy cow is it *poisonous* tho, I'm used to working with volatile chemicals but this was something else. Get OUT OF THE AREA between coats and leave it outside until it stops outgassing, not just until it's ready to handle.

This test piece is four light coats sprayed 1 minute apart, allowed to cure for 4 hours, and then wetsanded to remove the spray texture. It's pretty sturdy but I will wait several more days to see how it continues to cure before experimenting with matte sealants. ((progress update 2))

Haven't done much but sand-and-fill-and-sand-and-fill, but my 14mm beveller came in today so I can start deepening her elbow and ankle sockets. Added some epoxy clay to the insides of the eyewells so 14mm eyes will fit with no gap. I need a needle file to clean up the corners of her mouth... Monster feets! Nails on the right came out better than the left, still need to feather-sand everything.

Elbows progress. The early Bobobie elbows are I guess /technically/ double-jointed because the joint is a sphere with two slots, but I thought I could do better than that. You can see epoxy clay spliced in to make the sphere into a peanut: this isn't a structurally sound repair unless you pop it apart and drill/pin/glue-epoxy it back together.

View from the back. By keeping the joint heads spherical with no elbow-shaped detailing, there's some rotation as well as flexion, which I like.

Touching her face with one of her old hands. I hope the new ones come soon!

((progress update 4))

In good news, these parts are all ready for paint! It's really hard to do prepwork with no filler primer, hope I didn't miss any spots...

In less good news, her new hands arrived and they are... very smol ;u; I forgot that the new trend for slim minis means that everyone has TINY LITTLE HANDS.

They are, however, beautifully sculpted and a good 3D reference for what needs fixing and how. Bobobie palm is very short relative to fingers: I made a transverse cut behind the knuckles and added epoxy to lengthen More curved volume across the back of the hand: Not necessarily realistic, but looks a little cuter, plus it makes the transition into the cylinder of the wrist look less stylistically jarring. More defined joint angles: Some of these I did via cut-and-thermoform repositioning, mostly I'm aiming to fake it by building up and carving away at the weird smooth curves. The fingers are just TOO SKINNY: But obviously I'm not going to squish rice-grain-sized blobs of epoxy to the fingers, right? It's too fiddly, it doesn't want to stick. What's the solution? Brace for a truly hideous WIP image--

"AAAAAAGH WHAT IS THAT DARK GRAY MESS" it's JB Weld epoxy! It's like load-bearing, slow-curing modeller's putty! Slathering putty onto an armature and then carving it away to refine the shape is how anime figure artists make hands and detailed hair.  I was thinking about it from a polymer clay technique/perspective so I missed the obvious solution. Hand in the foreground has more layers than the hand in the background, every layer gets the shape a lil closer. ((progress post 5)) Parts set up on sticks so I can handle them without touching...

... and after 4 light coats!

Closeup of the head, lil' glossy because it's still drying. For the deeper areas like the joint slots, mouth, and the crannies of the ears, I'm going to have to decant some of the paint into a jar and apply it with a sacrificial brush.

((progress post 6)) I return from Depression! I finally finished sanding-and-spraying the Krylon Fusion coats, gave her a last polish with microfine to even out the texture, and have started blushing her. I'm using a mixture of Tamiya X-series acrylics applied via airbrush for basic contouring, then I'll go back in with pastel to add warm tones and details.

Fun discovery: in an attempt to cover some accidental overspray, I tried spraying the Fusion directly into the paint cup of the airbrush and using it to "erase" back to the base color. I'm NEVER using this product straight from the can again, it goes on so smooth and gorgeous from the airbrush! No orange peel or bubbles to sand away. I'm seriously tempted to get a can of pink and try blushing with it.

((progress post 7)) Doing a faceup over a spray-painted substrate is HARD I want to CRY. I talked about sanding out the spray texture to get an untextured surface, right? Welp, didn't/couldn't sand well enough in the corners of the mouth and the folds of the eyelids, so it's crusty-looking with pastels over it and now there's nothing I can do about it that doesn't involve stripping down to resin and starting again.

((final post)) Sueded and strung!

I didn't take pictures of the sueding process because I was using Barge Cement and it is messy and time-sensitive. I used masking tape to make templates of her joints, transferred to some thin gray lamb suede I found on eBay, and glued it fuzzy side out. The suede was thicker than real pliver, more like the thickness of silicone KIPS discs, but I think it worked out without too many fit issues. The trim store had 3.5mm elastic in a beautiful slate-blue color that I thought would look nicer in the joint slots, so she's strung throughout with thicker elastic. Some more poses to show off the functional mods~ Suwariko joints let her sit crosslegged, and more mobile wrists let her put her hands into the pose.

A more ball-and-socked shaped contact surface at her waist lets her slouch at a full range of angles instead of being locked into two.

With longer upper arms, she can reach the ground in this pose! You can also see how the modded waist joint lets her cock her hips.

She could always stand with locked knees. I think she needs some wire in her legs to let the suwariko joints hold their rotation against gravity, but I'll see how the elastic tension settles in first.

A parting shot out the snowy window. We've been having a hard time picking between a few names for her, but I think this settles it. Welcome back, Fubuki~

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #114: Minamoto-no-Raikou

Today on Fate and Phantasms, we're making the leading mystic slayer of Japan, the leader of Lava Swimmers Anonymous, and Arjuna's half-sister, Minamoto-no-Raikou! Mama Raikou certainly has a unique personality, but thankfully we don't have to build that! We're here to make her fighting style more than anything, and that means we need to be able to mix around any weapon in the game, maybe slap some lightning into it, and then hand it off to one of our retainers and let them have fun.

Check out Mama Raikou's build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

Next episode: Our heroes face their greatest challenge yet: making a motorcycle in D&D! Will they ride eternal, shiny and gold? Or will they spin out? Also, will Onigashima ever get added to the rerun shop?? Find out next time on Fate and Phantasms!

Race and Background

Remember how I said we were keeping things simple with Xuanzang and her being human? Yeah, that's not going to work here. Raikou's part got and part demon, so there's a lot of ways you can go about this one. If any sort of lightning smite existed I might have gone with Zariel Tiefling, but the Fallen Aasimar fits her best flavor-wise, if not in gameplay. Thanks to Tasha's, we can customize your bonuses to better fit your classes, giving you +1 Wisdom and +2 Strength, as well as some Darkvision, Celestial Resistance against necrotic and radiant damage, Healing Hands to pass out a delicious, nutricious snack once per long rest, and the Light cantrip from your Light Bearer feature. Your sword isn't electric yet, but at least you can make it look the part.

Mystic slaying is certainly the most interesting part of your resume, but you had to pad out the day-by-day stuff by being a Soldier (well, Samurai, but tomato tamamo), giving you Athletics and Intimidation proficiencies. You ever see Raikou mad? Exactly.

Ability Scores

Standard warning: we generally use the standard array for character creation; roll if you want, but keep multiclassing in mind. Make Strength your highest score-you're a berserker, this shouldn't be new to you by now. Your Dexterity should be next, you're as good with a bow as you are with a sword, and calling your outfit light armor is generous. Third is Constitution because making a berserker with mental abilities higher than physical ones just feels wrong. Unfortunately we have to make your Wisdom a little higher than I'd like for multiclassing, but you are good at stalking people, so I guess that works out. Your Charisma is pretty low, you have a forceful personality but not a lot of self-awareness, but we're dumping Intelligence. I'm not calling Mama Raikou dumb, but I doubt her kids are coming to her with their maths homework.

Class Levels

1. Ranger 1: I was tempted to go paladin to get electric weapons, but since none of the smites deal lightning damage we might as well focus on the nitty gritty of demon hunting. As a ranger, you get proficiency with Strength and Dexterity saves, as well as three ranger skills-grab Animal Handling for a riding skill, and Perception and Stealth to help stalk Gudao.

You also gain a Favored Enemy in Fiends, giving you advantage on Survival and Intelligence checks involving demonic hordes. I know missing out on that Favored Foe is rough, but we'll have more flavorful ways to use your concentration later.

As a Deft Explorer, you're Canny when it comes to Intimidation, letting you use someone's middle name to double up your proficiency bonus.

2. Ranger 2: Your Archery skills give you +2 to ranged weapon attack rolls. You can also start casting Spells this level using your Wisdom. While we're waiting on your lightning weapons you can use Hunter's Mark to deal more damage and stalk people more easily. You can also use Zephyr Strike for another way to deal damage and gain a bit more speed.

3. Fighter 1: You don't just have some skill with weapons though, you have a lot of skill. That's why you have a second fighting style. Great Weapon Fighting will make your attacks with your longsword a bit more consistent, especially useful when you're sticking a bunch of extra damage on your attacks.

You also get a Second Wind, so you can pack yourself a bento as well, and you can channel every mother ever to unleash your Necrotic Shroud once per long rest. After you transform, creatures have to make a Charisma save (DC 8 plus your proficiency plus your charisma modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Also, once per turn while your transformation is up you can deal extra necrotic damage to a creature you hit with an attack. Again, not lightning, but still scary.

4. Ranger 3: Third level rangers join a conclave, and the Monster Slayer conclave will.. help you slay monsters. It's right on the tin, come on. Your Hunter's Sense will let you know the immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities of a creature you target as an action. You can use this a number of times per long rest equal to your wisdom modifier, so... once. You can also use your bonus action to activate your Slayer’s Prey, adding another bit of damage to a targeted creature the first time you hit it each turn. It doesn’t use your concentration, and lasts until your next rest or until you target someone else.

Your Primeval Awareness will help you sense demonic presences within a mile of you for each minute per spell level you burn. Also aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, and undead presences, but you’re a demon hunter.

You can use your sword as a lightning rod to Absorb Elements, reducing your own damage to add even more damage to your next strike. This will also make swimming through lava slightly less of a bad idea, if you’re interested. As part of your conclave you can also cast Protection from Evil and Good to make your fight against Shuten even more one sided.

5. Ranger 4: Use your first Ability Score Increase to round up your Strength and Constitution to hit people even harder and take more hits.

6. Ranger 5: Fifth level rangers get an Extra Attack each action, and you can cast second level spells too. You’re not Kiyohime, but feel free to help her out with your Zone of Truth, courtesy of your conclave. You can also Locate Object this level. That hair clip you gave Gudako? Not just a thoughtful gift.

7. Ranger 6: Speaking of stalking the Gudas, your Favored Enemy improvement helps you stalk Humans and Tieflings. You also become a Roving ranger, giving you an extra bit of speed, including a climbing and swimming speed.

8. Ranger 7: Your Supernatural Defense gives you an extra boost to your saves and grapple escapes against creatures you’re targeting with slayer’s prey. You can also cast Protection from Poison this level. You don’t have this explicitly in canon, but you hang out with Serenity a lot and you’re not dead yet, so you’ve got something going for you.

9. Ranger 8: Grab the Warcaster feat with this ASI to empower your concentration spells and let you cast them even with both hands full. You’re also Fleet of Foot to help you move through difficult terrain unharmed.

10. Ranger 9: Ninth level rangers get third level spell slots. You get Magic Circle as a freebie from your conclave, but you also get Elemental Weapon to finally add some lightning to your weapon attacks. Now that we have a lore-correct thing to spend most of your concentration on, we’ll also drop hunter’s mark for a Lightning Arrow. This is also the only spell you have that cares about your wisdom score, though you can still do plenty of damage with the normal attack.

11. Fighter 2: Now that your signature weapons are ready, it’s time we worked on your Noble Phantasm. Before that, though, you get an Action Surge- a free extra action you can tack on your turn once per short rest.

12. Fighter 3: You’ve got to be able to summon your retainers to beat down demons, and that means we’re heading back to the Echo Knight subclass for Manifest Echo. As a bonus action you can make a copy of yourself that’s a bit more fragile than most berserkers (It’s a copy of you, but I’m not sure if it gets a copy of your shocking weaponry. Slayer’s Prey will definitely work). While active, you can attack and make attacks of opportunity from its position, and you can swap places with the echo by using 15 feet of movement.

You can also Unleash Incarnation while your echo’s out on the field, giving them an extra attack as part of your attack action. You can use this a number of times per long rest equal to your constitution modifier.

13. Fighter 4: Your swordplay is fine, but you could stand to brush up on your archery. Use this ASI to grab more Dexterity.

14. Fighter 5: You get extra attack again, but it doesn’t stack with your ranger skill, so... enjoy the extra HP, I guess.

15. Fighter 6: Speaking of HP, use this ASI to bump up your Constitution for 15 more HP and another use of Unleash Incarnation.

16. Fighter 7: You can now use your Echo as an Echo Avatar, letting you scout out the area through its eyes up to 1000′ feet away from your regular body for up to 10 minutes. Despite the distance between you two, it still costs only 15′ to teleport! Now that’s convenience!

17. Fighter 8: For your final ASI, bring your Dexterity up so it can match your strength.

18. Fighter 9: You become Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. You might not be that reasonable, but that doesn’t mean you’re easy to charm.

19. Fighter 10: Our final echo goody lets you turn your echos into Shadow Martyrs, spending your reaction to throw an echo in front of an ally that’s being attacked, switching the target of the attack. You can do this once per short rest. Protect your darling Kintoki by... throwing a spiritual copy of him to its death... that looked better in your head, you swear.

20. Fighter 11: Your capstone level gives you yet another Extra Attack that actually does stack this time. That means you get three attacks per action, or four with Unleash Incarnation.

Pros:

Thanks to your Great Weapon Fighting powering up all your damage dice, your critical hits with your longsword can be pretty scary. Add in all your attacks, and you’ve got a good chance of dealing a lot of damage at once.

As expected of the premiere mystic slayer of the Heian period, you have plenty of demonic defenses to make fighting and tracking fiends a cakewalk.

With you and your echo out at the same time, you can lock down a larger area to abuse your once-per-turn Slayer’s Prey a bit more.

Cons:

You don’t have many spell slots, so you’ll have to be careful about using them, especially your third level slots. Burning through that slot on a single attack would be bad enough, but Lightning Arrow also uses your concentration, which leads directly to con #2.

Like most rangers, you have problems when it comes to concentration. It’s not that your save is bad, but you still have to balance out your various spells and play smart.

Also like most rangers, your bonus action is crowded, which can make things complicated as well. Echo Knight does not help here either.

[tigerkirby215]

5e Nasus, the Curator of the Sands build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Riot Games)

(Joke about stacks goes here.)

I wrote that in as a placeholder but genuinely that was about as good as I’m going to get with the stacking jokes for Nasus.

GOALS

More souls for the pyre - We’re going to have to hit really hard with stacks, stacks, and more stacks. 

Your spirit is hollow - You’ll need some Ascendant power to keep you healthy while your foes wither and die.

The sky is naught but dying stars - The ascendant tower over mortals as if they were gods. Going to need to be a very big doggie.

RACE

When making a furry go for Shifter. All Shifters have Darkvision and the Shifting ability to turn into a more bestial form, gaining temporary hitpoints equal to their level plus their constitution modifier.

And to play a more tanky Shifter go for Beasthide: you gain proficiency in the Athletics skill, a +2 to Constitution and a +1 to Strength, and when you shift you gain an extra d6 of temporary hitpoints and a +1 to your armor class!

ABILITY SCORES

15; STRENGTH - The ascended have the strength of gods with a lot of upper body strength to bonk enemies with a big stick.

14; CHARISMA - You have a level of gruff charm to you but are far more skilled at being fierce. Also Charisma is a requirement to multiclass.

13; INTELLIGENCE - You were a skilled scholar and while I’d like this to be higher to start out intellect is nothing if you don’t develop it.

12; CONSTITUTION - Nasus is a tank so you’ll need to be able to take a hit.

10; WISDOM - Becoming ascended leads to you being rather cold and aloof, but you’re still knowledgeable enough to take care of a horse.

8; DEXTERITY - Nasus is a very slow boy whose ultimate specifically exists to make him an easier target.

BACKGROUND

Nasus was many things before becoming ascended: military tactician, skilled soldier, right-hand man to Azir. But above all Nasus was a scholar, and the Sage background will give us the intellect we’ll need with proficiency in Arcana and History along with two languages of your choice.

Your Researcher background feature will allow you to recall exactly what book, tome, or manuscript you read that contains information you might need in the moment. This of course doesn’t mean that you have it on you: just that you know where to find the information.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - PALADIN 1

Starting off the stacks with Paladin. Just about any of the Paladin skills make sense for you bar Persuasion, but I personally opted for Religion and Insight to round out your intellect. Regardless Paladins get some life “steal” with Lay on Hands, giving them a pool of healing to use when touching an ally or themselves. You can choose to heal for any amount from the pool, or use 5 points to cure a disease or neutralize a poison. You have an amount of Lay on Hands points equal to your Paladin level times 5, and regain all expended points on a Long Rest. You can also spend an action to use Divine Sense and detect any celestials, fiends, or undead within 60 feet of you that are not behind total cover. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier plus one, and regain all expended uses on a Long Rest as well.

LEVEL 2 - PALADIN 2

Level 2 Paladins get their Fighting Style and it’s up to you: if you want more AC choose Defense. If you want harder hits choose Great Weapon Fighting, because I’d suggest wielding a melee weapon with reach like a Halberd. Because Nasus does use a Halberd.

You also get access to Spellcasting: you can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (so 3 currently.) To strike harder with your stacks grab Divine Favor, and to strike more precisely cast Bless instead on both you and your allies. And to stop getting hit cast Shield of Faith for some more AC.

LEVEL 3 - PALADIN 3

Third level Paladins can choose their Sacred Oath and to protect Azir you need a bit of vengeance. The Oath of Vengeance will give you two Channel Divinity options: Abjure Enemy will let you Wither an enemy, filling them with fear and making them unable to move. For a more offensive Wither Vow of Enmity will grant you advantage on all attack rolls against the targeted enemy for 1 minute or until one of you fall unconscious.

You also get the Bane and Hunter’s Mark spells innately as a Vengeance Paladin, allowing you to further cut through foes with more stacks. And you get Divine Health, making you immune to disease because you can’t stop farming for a sick day.

LEVEL 4 - FIGHTER 1

Now that we’ve properly ascended it’s time to learn how to fight for our lord Azir. First level Paladins can choose another Fighting Style so pick whatever you didn’t take from level 2 of Paladin. (Again either Defense or Great Weapon Fighting.) You also get Second Wind to heal for a d10 plus your Fighter level as a bonus action, furthering your life not-quite-steal. Second Wind comes back on a short rest, so use some ascended healing whenever you’re hurting.

LEVEL 5 - FIGHTER 2

Second level Fighters get Action Surge, letting them take one additional action per short rest.

LEVEL 6 - FIGHTER 3

Third level Fighters get to choose their Martial Archetype and to ascend to the height of giants go for the Rune Knight. You learn how to use Smith’s Tools and can speak Giant. You also get access to Rune Magic: whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a weapon, suit of armor, or a shield to inscribe a rune onto it. An object can only have one rune at a time, and you can inscribe a number of runes equal to the number you know. Your rune remains on an object until you finish a long rest, and an object can bear only one of your runes. There are several different runes and you can choose two of them at 3rd level:

For knowledge of ages the Uvar (Storm Rune) passively gives you Advantage on Arcana checks and the inability to be surprised. Additionally you can invoke the rune as a bonus action for 1 minute or until you’re incapacitated. Until the state ends, when you or another creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, you can use your reaction to cause the roll to have advantage or disadvantage.

To be calm and stoic the Ise (Frost Rune) passively gives you advantage on Animal Handling and Intimidation checks. You can also invoke the rune to increase your Strength score by 2 for 10 minutes. During this time your Strength can go over 20, but not over 30.

All your runes regain their uses on a short or long rest. But most importantly to invoke the Fury of the Sands you can activate Giant’s Might. Using your Bonus Action you grow to Large size, have advantage on Strength checks and saves, and do an extra d6 of damage on hit. You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses after finishing a Long Rest.

Ise (Frost Rune)(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 7 - FIGHTER 4

4th level Fighters get an Ability Score Improvement so I’d suggest improving your Strength for more stacked strikes.

LEVEL 8 - FIGHTER 5

5th level Fighters get an Extra Attack, letting them attack twice instead of once with the Attack action. Even if your Siphoning Strike has a limited cool-down more attack speed never hurt. Trinity Force is a good power spike for most brawlers!

LEVEL 9 - WIZARD 1

Sure you’ve honed your fighting abilities, but have you honed your intellect? First level Wizards can learn 3 cantrips and 4 spells:

CANTRIPS

For a Wither that does a bit of damage Ray of Frost will slow an enemy down and do Cold damage.

To resolve diplomatic problems quick and dirty grab Friends: remember that the spell affects all Charisma checks and that includes Intimidation! Who cares if they hate you when you scared them into working for you?

To open up team chat grab Message to, well, send messages!

SPELLS

To protect yourself from physical damage Shield will let you increase your AC by 5 as a reaction.

For an Adaptive Helm grab Absorb Elements to resist an elemental attack and return the damage to your foe!

If Azir is sending you out to do more political missions Comprehend Languages may be useful, especially considering that it’s a Ritual.

And if you find any lost treasures in the sand it would be good to Identify it!

You also get Arcane Recovery, letting you recover a number of Siphoning Stri-I mean Spell Slots back on a Short Rest. You can recover a total number of spells equal to half your Wizard level (rounded up.) The level of the spell slot is equal to the total number of Arcane Recovery points it would require to restore. So for example as a 4th level Wizard you can recover a second level slot or two first level slots.

LEVEL 10 - WIZARD 2

Wizards choose their subclass (or Arcane Tradition as it’s properly called) at second level, and we’ll be choosing the School of Transmutation for a number of reasons. Along with being a Transmutation Savant who doesn’t have to spend as long learning Transmutation spells you are capable of Minor Alchemy. You can touch one object composed entirely of wood, stone, iron, copper, or silver into a different material listed. For every 10 minutes that you touch the object you can transform another 5 cubic feet, and all your transformations revert after an hour. The way I see it your Siphoning Strikes are essentially just turning your enemy’s iron armor into silver to sell?

You can also add two more Wizard spells to your spellbook: to Wither your enemies away grab Ray of Sickness. If you want to buy a Little Legend however grab Find Familiar to summon a Pengu. Basically there aren’t many first level spells I actually want to grab but I’m forced to do so.

LEVEL 11 - WIZARD 3

Third level Wizards can learn second level spells and it’s TIME TO GO EVEN FURTHER BEYOND! Enlarge / Reduce will let you make yourself one size larger! Technically it won’t affect you if you cast it before using Giant’s Might, but if you use it after Giant’s Might you can become Huge size! Yeah you can cast it on other people and objects and all it does is make the target add or subtract a d4 to their damage (based on if you grew or shrunk them) but are you seriously telling me you don’t want to be Huge size?

For your other spell I dunno. Web will Wither a whole bunch of enemies in an AoE, making it harder for them to move. And you can light the Web with Spirit Fire (read: actual fire) to burn them!

LEVEL 12 - WIZARD 4

4th level Wizards get an Ability Score Improvement and seeing as we’re investing in Wizard currently increase your Intelligence by grabbing the Resilient feat for Intelligence. Nasus has a sharp mind as well as a sharp halberd.

You can also learn another two spells along with a cantrip! For your cantrip Mold Earth will let you shift the sands to you whim. (Within reason. You can’t make soldiers out of them.) For your leveled spells Magic Weapon will let you get some stacks on a non-magical weapon to make it a +1, and Ray of Enfeeblement will let you Wither an enemy so that their Strength-based attacks do half damage.

LEVEL 13 - WIZARD 5

5th level Wizards get access to third level spells. Do you want to both Wither your enemies and reduce their AC with Spirit Fire? Well look no further than Slow which reduces an enemy’s AC, their ability to attack, and ability to defend themselves!

Meanwhile if you want some actual lifesteal look no further than Vampiric Touch. For the spell’s duration you can make melee spell attacks to literally steal life from your foes! Simple!

LEVEL 14 - WIZARD 6

6th level Transmutation Wizards can spend 8 hours to craft a Transmuter’s Stone. When you craft the stone you can choose a benefit such as:

60 feet of Darkvision

Plus 10 to movement speed

Proficiency in Constitution saving throws

Resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage (your choice whenever you choose this benefit)

If you cast a Transmutation spell of first level or higher you can change the effect of the stone. You can benefit from the stone yourself or give it to an ally, just in case you didn’t stack enough during laning phase. My recommendation? Keep it on CON saves unless you need elemental resistance, as 10 feet of movement will rarely be worth it and you already have Darkvision so that isn’t an option.

You can also add another two spells to your list: to further scorch the earth grab Erupting Earth to make it harder for foes to walk across the area that you marked with Spirit Fire. And for your last spell I recommend going back to second level for good ol’ Flash: Misty Step ahoy!

(Artwork by Riot Games)

LEVEL 15 - FIGHTER 6

Straight down Fighter now: 6th level Fighters get another Ability Score Increase so it’s time to finish stacking your Strength for maximum stacked smacks.

LEVEL 16 - FIGHTER 7

7th level Rune Knights get Defensive Runes: when another creature within 60 feet of you is hit by an attack you can use your reaction to grant a bonus to the creature’s AC against that attack. The bonus equals your Intelligence modifier plus one. This is a good way to tank for your ADC but remember that you only get one reaction per turn.

You also get another Rune Magic option and for insight of ages the Stein (Stone Rune) gives you advantage on Insight checks and the ability to hit a Sleepy Trouble Bubble on an enemy of choice once per short or long rest.

LEVEL 17 - FIGHTER 8

Hey 8th level another Ability Score Increase: seeing as your Strength is maxed out invest in Intelligence instead for better spells and Rune Magic.

LEVEL 18 - FIGHTER 9

9th level Fighters get Indomitable, letting them reroll a failed saving throw once per long rest. You have good saving throws in just about everything except for Dexterity so this should help you just about anywhere.

LEVEL 19 - FIGHTER 10

10th level Rune Knights get Great Stature. Along with a 3d4 inch increase to your character’s height your Giant’s Might feature now makes you do an extra d8 damage per hit instead of an extra d6.

You also get your final Rune Magic option and you may as well stack armor with the Haug (Hill Rune), which grants you advantage against poisons, resistance to poison damage, and can be activated to give you resistance to Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning damage for 1 minute.

LEVEL 20 - FIGHTER 11

Our capstone is the 11th level of Fighter for another Extra Attack, allowing you to attack 3 times with an attack action. This means three hits empowered by Giant’s Might, three chances to Smite, and that multiplies to six with Action Surge!

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Some spirits are fated to burn - You can apply some strong damage buffs to your weapons fairly inexpensively. Your weapon won’t do much but you can get +2 to your Strength with a short rest, an extra d8 to your damage twice per long rest, plenty of low level damage buffs, and can use all your spell slots to smite as you wish.

Eternity is beyond your reach - You are incredibly tanky despite not investing much into tank stats. Above-average health, Second Wind, a huge stack of Temporary Hitpoints in your pocket, the ability to cut all incoming damage in half, and the ability to get 20 AC by Shifting with Platemail on. All while still doing good damage.

For centuries, I have watched - You are also a surprisingly good team player, with Defensive Runes to protect your allies and tons of utility spells like Bless, Shield of Faith, Erupting Earth, Slow, and of course your Transmuter’s Stone.

CONS

There is such potential in one mortal life - A three way multiclass means that some stats will have to be dropped. Both your spellcasting abilities are subpar, and while I did stick to buffs for the most part spells like Slow, Erupting Earth, and Vampiric Touch will all suffer somewhat compared to whacking enemies with your staff.

Your soul will be measured - You know what else is subpar? Your saving throws. Proficiency saves your low Wisdom but your Constitution saves and especially your Dexterity are really underwhelming. Low CON means that concentration will be dropped frequently.

Ambition is a mirage - Even with proficiency and advantage on certain checks you won’t be providing much utility out of combat.

But your role of advisor has blown away in the sands; your new role is that of a warrior. Smite your foes with the strength of the gods and watch them crumble to dust. You’re a big boy and they are beneath you. A very big, very good boy.

(Artwork by Riot Games)

[princesses-and-pioneers]

Ranger

Fourth regular GLOG class and first outside the core classes, we have the Ranger. DnD Rangers tend to cover too many archetypes, from tracker and survival expert to nature-communing mystic to forest-themed ranged fighter. This class is more focused around the first idea, with some more mundane aspects of the second, that is hopefully fairly cohesive.

(Princess Sofia is absolutely a ranger and I am not taking constructive criticism on this. She has so many animal companions. From Disney’s Sofia the First.)

For every Ranger template you have, you get +1 to stealth or +1 to initiative.

A: Animal Companion, Natural Explorer B: Hunter’s Sense, Practiced Eye C: Forecast, Trophies D: Titan Slayer, Speak with Animals

Animal Companion You start with an animal companion of your choice, which can be any mundane animal horse-sized or smaller. Your companion can follow more complex commands and doesn't require an action to direct. If your companion dies, you can find another.

A free animal companion is a useful starting tool, plus it’s viable in combat.

Natural Explorer When a random encounter occurs outside, you can draw the terrain map and choose starting positions. You find twice as many rations when foraging.

Adapted from Arnold’s original Ranger, a bit metagame-y but encourages players to use the environment to their advantage.

Hunter’s Sense You get Omens for encounters on a 2 or 3 rather than just a 2. You can mark up to [template] creatures you can see, letting you track them without a roll. If weather or time would make tracking impossible, you can roll for it anyway.

I use a form of overloaded encounter die, so basically just extend the range of omens by 1. The second half of this ability makes Rangers tracking experts the same way Thieves are climbing experts.

Practiced Eye If you miss with a ranged attack, your next attack against that target has advantage.

Forecast You can predict mundane, season-appropriate weather for the next day with a 5-in-6 chance of success, -1 for each consecutive successful prediction.

A flavorful ability that adds another tool to players’ problem-solving arsenals.

Trophies You can collect trophies from fresh corpses. Each trophy takes up 1 inventory slot and gives you +1 Armor when you wear it prominently.

Also from Arnold’s Ranger, this is a good buff that evokes a unique, unsettlingly wild aesthetic for Rangers.

Titan Slayer Once per day, you can deal +X damage with an attack, where X is the HD (roughly equivalent to level) of the highest HD creature the party has slain with your help.

Like many of the other abilities, this encourages players to keep track of the creatures they encounter.

Speak with Animals You can understand the body language and vocalizations of wild animals and they can understand yours. This isn’t as good as real speech, but it’s much better than what other people can achieve, nearly supernatural.

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Ranger Week: New Spells

image source: The Last Witch Hunter

Arrow Mind

3rd level divination Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: 1 hour

Components: V, S

Whenever a creature leaves any creature's threatened area, if it is in the range of a ranged weapon you are currently wielding, you may make an attack against that creature using your reaction.

Aspect of Nature

2nd level enchantment Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: 4 hours

Components: V, S

You take on an aspect of a creature of your choice from the following list. Only one instance of this spell can be active at a time.

Ape: You gain a climbing speed equal to your movement speed.

Bat: You gain Blindsight 15 ft.

Cheetah: Your movement speed increases by 10 ft.

Eagle: You can investigate an area up to 100 ft. away using a bonus action and gain advantage on Perception checks.

Panther: You gain advantage on Stealth checks.

Rat: You gain Darkvision 60 ft.

Shark: You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed.

Wolf: You gain advantage when attacking a creature in melee when at least one ally is adjacent to you.

Baleful Beetle

4th level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S, M (A jasper gem worth 50 gp)

You create a one-inch long bombardier beetle that moves at 15 ft. per round. The beetle is difficult to spot, imposing a -10 to a creature’s passive perception or a -5 to a creature’s perception check. The caster can control the beetle mentally out to a range of 600 ft. The caster can use either a bonus action or a reaction to detonate the beetle’s abdomen, dealing 8d10 acid damage to a creature occupying its space.

Blade Storm

2nd level evocation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: 1 round

Components: V, S

Your weapons become a blur and spin wildly around you at all nearby enemies. You may make a single melee attack against any number of creatures within 10 ft. of you, regardless of whether your weapon has reach.

Blazing Intent

2nd level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: 1 minute (concentration)

Components: V, S

You magically mark a creature within range. Until your next turn, whenever you or your animal companion hits that creature with an attack, the mark ignites, dealing 2d6 fire damage.

Blessed Beast

1st level enchantment Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

Once during each one of your turns while the spell persists, you and your animal companion may add 1d4 to either an attack roll or a saving throw. Your companion must be within 30 ft. of you when they add this bonus.

Briar Shield

3rd level transmutation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action or 1 Reaction

Range: self

Duration: 1 round

Components: V, S

You quickly summon a shield of sharp thorns to damage those attacking you. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until your next turn. A creature that makes a melee attack against you while the shield remains takes 6d6 piercing damage as they are pelted with hundreds of thorns, regardless of whether or not their attack hit. 

Chameleon Body

2nd level transmutation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Components: V, S

Your body and gear magically adjust to your surroundings to camouflage yourself. You sprout leaves or become covered in dirt or grow bark on your skin depending on your environment. You gain advantage on Stealth checks for the duration. Creatures attempting to notice you have -5 to their Perception checks as long as you remain still.

Conjure Blind

1st level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 ft.

Duration: instantaneous

Components: V, S, M (A sprig of plantlife)

You summon camouflage to hide behind. The blind is is 10 feet long and 5 feet high, and is created at a point you choose facing a direction you choose. The blind is composed of your choice of live or dead plant life typical of the region. The blind provides a +5 bonus to Stealth checks to hide behind it. Those that saw you cast the spell or saw you move behind the blind know that you are there, but the blind still grants partial cover (+2 AC). The blind shrivels and rots within a week.

Form of the Beast

3rd level transmutation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: concentration, up to 1 hour

Components: V, S, M (a silver totem of your companion worth 15 gp)

You transform yourself into a copy of your animal companion. You gain your companion's STR, CON, and DEX scores, their AC, their hit points, their proficiencies, and their special abilities. You do not, however, gain any of the class features granted to the companion by your ranger class (besides enhancements to the aforementioned statistics). When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.

Implore the Wilds

3rd level divination Ranger spell

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: self

Duration: instantaneous

Components: V, S

You commune with nature to learn about the landscape within a 10 mile radius. You learn the history of the land, knowing the type, name, and description of any creature that passed through the area in the past year.

Inspired Aim

1st level divination Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 ft.

Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute.

Components: V, S

Up to three creatures of your choice that you can see gain a +2 bonus to ranged attacks for the duration.

Marked Man

1st level divination Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: 24 hours

Components: V, S, M

You are able to more easily track a creature. You must have a focus for this spell that was either a part of the intended creature or owned by the intended creature. You gain advantage on Survival checks to track the creature that the focus belonged to.

Nature Ward

3rd level abjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 ft.

Duration: 1 hour

Components: V, S

You and up to 3 target creatures of your choice gain resistance to poison, acid, and lightning resistance for the spell’s duration. If you spend a spell slot of 5th level, those creatures gain immunity to the damage for the duration  instead.

Numbing Strike

2nd level necromancy Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals 1d10 bonus necrotic damage. The creature must then make a CON saving throw when hit. On a failed saving throw, that creature’s movement speed becomes halved for 1 hour. In addition, the creature loses any climb, fly or swim speeds that it has for 1 hour.

Perfect Prey

1st level evocation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

You smite a foe, dealing a larger amount of damage to creatures that are your favored enemy. Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals +1d10 force damage to the creature hit. The attack deals another +2d10 force damage if the creature is one of your favored enemies. When cast using a higher level spell slot, this spell deals +1d10 damage for each spell slot above 1st.

Repel Vermin

1st level abjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

You generate a magical field of energy in a 15 ft. radius surrounding you. The field moves with you. Small or smaller beasts must make a WIS saving throw when attempting to enter the area. On a failed save, the creature chooses not to enter. On a successful save, the creature may enter the magical field, but it must make a new saving throw at the start of each round or else flee to the outer perimeter of the warded area.

Shock Trooper

1st level evocation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

On your next attack, if you have advantage, you gain +5 on the attack roll and deal +2d10 lightning damage on the damage roll. For each spell slot spend above 1st, this spell deals +1d10 lightning damage.

Stalker's Mark

3rd level enchantment Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: instantaneous

Components: V, S

You mark a creature with a permanent mark that only you can see. Only one such mark can be active at a time. Recasting this spell removes all previous instances of the spell that have been cast by you. The mark allows you to see that creature through concealment such as walls or even fog and you can see through all magical forms of illusion, shapechanging, or disguises hiding the creature.

Starfall

4th level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 120 ft.

Duration: instantaneous

Components: V, S

You loose an arrow into the sky, which explodes like a firework into seven arrows of bright light. Each arrow attacks its own target within a 20 ft. radius of a point you designate within range. Make a separate spell attack for each arrow. Each arrow deals 1d6 damage plus your WIS modifier. Multiple arrows can target the same creature.

Trail of Smoke

1st level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: 1 round

Components: V, S

You leave a trail of concealing smoke in your wake. Until your next turn, every 5-ft. space that you exit with your movement fills with a 5-ft. cube of smoke. The smoke dissipates after 1 minute.

Unleash the Beast

5th level transmutation Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 ft.

Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

Your animal companion grows in size and becomes enraged with the ferocity of the wilds. The creature’s size increases by two size categories, increasing the damage dice of their attacks by 2 dice for each attack. In addition, when the beast moves through another creature’s space, if the creature is at least one size category smaller than the beast, the beast may make a single Shove attempt against that creature as a free action. When moving over prone creatures’ spaces, those creatures take 1d10 bludgeoning damage.

Vassal of the Hunt

2nd level enchantment Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 ft.

Duration: 10 minutes

Components: V, S

You grant a great boon to a beast of your choice. The beast deals +1d6 damage on attacks that it makes and gains 4d10 temporary hit points which fade when the spell ends. The creature also gains +5 bonus to Perception checks.

Vengeful Strikes

2nd level enchantment Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

Your attacks deal bonus damage against your favored enemies. For the spell’s duration, your attacks deal +1d6 force damage to creatures that are your favored enemies.

Venom Strike

1st level conjuration Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals 1d8 bonus poison damage. The creature must then make a CON saving throw at the start of each of its turns. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d8 poison damage. On a successful save, the spell ends and the creature stops taking poison damage. For each spell slot above 1st, the damage increases by 1d8 per turn.

Withering Poison

3rd level necromancy Ranger spell

Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action

Range: self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

You apply a magical poison to your weapon. Your next attack that hits a creature within 1 minute lowers the creature’s STR and DEX scores each by 4 for the spell’s duration.

[sportsleague365]

By Bucky Brooks, NFL.com Analyst The 2020NFL Draftis underway! You can follow all of the picks with ourNFL Draft Trackerand tune in to NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportesfor live coverage. The draft will also be streamed live via the NFL app and ESPN app. Below is Bucky Brooks’ analysis for every pick by every NFL team. For reference, you can see every pick fromBrooks’ final NFL mock draftatMock Draft Central. 1) JOE BURROW, QB, CINCINNATI BENGALS The Heisman Trophy winner gives theBengalsa franchise quarterback to build around. As a quick-rhythm passer with outstanding poise, accuracy and playmaking ability, Burrow plays like a pass-first point guard running a fast break in the open court with a knack for getting the ball to his playmakers in their sweet spots. 2) CHASE YOUNG, EDGE, WASHINGTON REDSKINS Ron Rivera grabs the best player in the draft to fortify a defensive line that could feature five former first-round picks. Young is a natural pass rusher with A-plus size, athleticism, first-step quickness and technical skills. He gives the ‘Skins a Julius Peppers-like playmaker off the edge. 3) JEFF OKUDAH, CB, DETROIT LIONS TheLionstake a rock-solid cornerback with excellent man-to-man cover skills. He’s at his best in press coverage but displays the footwork and movement skills to shadow from afar. Okudah’s overall toughness and tackling skills will also stand out on the perimeter. 4) ANDREW THOMAS, OT, NEW YORK GIANTS Experienced offensive tackle (41 career starts) with the potential to play on either side of the line. Thomas is a rugged blocker in the run game but also displays the balance, body control and anchor to snuff out pass rushers off the edge. 5) TUA TAGOVAILOA, QB, MIAMI DOLPHINS TheDolphinsdidn’t have to tank for the QB they’ve been tied to for over a year. Tagovailoa has a game that reminds some of a youngDrew Brees, with his accuracy, anticipation and touch earning high marks. He is a franchise QB with the potential to elevate the play of others with his talent and leadership skills. 6) JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS Anthony Lynn wants to implement the Shanahan system with a mobile playmaker capable of thriving in a stretch-bootleg scheme. Herbert has outstanding arm talent and is a nimble athlete with the capacity to make accurate throws on the move. Playing in a play-action scheme that creates huge voids in the intermediate range should help Herbert thrive as a passer. 7) DERRICK BROWN, DT, CAROLINA PANTHERS ThePanthersneeded to fortify the interior of their defensive line with a disruptive force at defensive tackle. Brown is an absolute monster as an interior defender with A-plus size, strength and explosiveness. He is a high-motor player with impressive run-stopping skills and pass rush potential. 8) ISAIAH SIMMONS, LB/S, ARIZONA CARDINALS Simmons is an electric hybrid defender capable of playing anywhere on the second level. He is a unique playmaker with impact potential as a blitzer or cover guy vs. tight ends and running backs. It will be interesting to see how theCardinalsuse a multi-dimensional player with a rare set of skills and versatility. 9) CJ HENDERSON, CB, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Henderson is a polished cover CB with outstanding athleticism and movement skills. He flashes natural instincts, awareness and ball skills in coverage, and is efficient in man and zone coverage. Tackling was an issue but he is arguably the best cornerback in the class. 10) JEDRICK WILLS, OT, CLEVELAND BROWNS TheBrownsadd a bully to the offensive line with the size, strength and power to maul defenders in the running game while stalemating pass rushers off the edge. Wills played RT at Alabama but his footwork and athleticism should enable him to handle the blindside without a problem as a pro. 11) MEKHI BECTON, OT, NEW YORK JETS Mammoth OT with A-plus size, athleticism and movement skills. Becton is a natural LT with explosive strength and power and a nasty disposition. He finishes runs like a nightclub bouncer throwing guys out of the club. The Louisville standout also flashes the balance and body control to effectively shadow speedy edge rushers. 12) HENRY RUGGS III, WR, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS Ruggs gives theRaidersa speedster to man the vertical stretch role in the passing game. He is a spectacular runner after the catch, so he could be utilized as a WR1 despite playing as a WR2/WR3 for the Crimson Tide as a collegian. It could take him some time to adjust to the bigger role as a pro. 13) TRISTAN WIRFS, OT, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (VIA 49ERS) The Bucs getTom Bradysome much-needed protection on the offensive line. Wirfs is an experienced RT but has the capacity to play multiple spots along the line. The Iowa standout is a freak athlete with outstanding agility, movement skills and explosiveness. 14) JAVON KINLAW, DT, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (VIA BUCS) The49ersget a natural replacement forDeForest Buckner. Kinlaw is a long, powerful defender with the capacity to play multiple spots along the defensive line. He is a disruptive defender with strong hands and a nonstop motor who fits the culture of the49ers‘ defensive front. 15) JERRY JEUDY, WR, DENVER BRONCOS Jeudy gives theBroncosa polished route runner with a game that’s plug-and-play ready. He can play in the slot or outside as a potential WR1 in an offense that creates big-play opportunities for playmakers. 16) A.J. TERRELL, CB, ATLANTA FALCONS It was imperative for theFalconsto find a CB1 in a division that’s loaded with pass catchers. Terrell is a talented cover corner with size, athleticism and a diverse set of skills. He can play in press or off, and has the potential to move inside as a slot corner. 17) CEEDEE LAMB, WR, DALLAS COWBOYS Mike McCarthy could see a littleDavante Adamsin Lamb’s game. The Oklahoma standout is an impressive playmaker with spectacular ball skills and running ability. He is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and he gives theCowboysa potent set of pass catchers on the perimeter. 18) AUSTIN JACKSON, OT, MIAMI DOLPHINS A talented OT with natural left tackle skills, Jackson plays with outstanding balance, body control and lateral quickness. He has All-Pro potential from a physical standpoint but needs some time to refine his technique as an edge blocker. 19) DAMON ARNETTE, CB, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS Rock-solid CB with a steady game that’s better than advertised. Arnette plays with a technical savvy and discipline that’s common in veteran corners. He has the capacity to play press or off, and plays with outstanding vision as a zone defender. 20) K’LAVON CHAISSON, EDGE, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Jaguarsget an explosive speed rusher with outstanding first-step quickness and closing burst. Chaisson has big-time potential as a pass rusher, but he hasn’t put up the sack numbers to match his talent. He could make a major leap when he settles in as a pro. 21) JALEN REAGOR, WR, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES TheEaglesneeded a speed WR and they get one in Reagor. The TCU standout is electric with the ball in his hands, and he also displays the speed to act as a deep threat on the outside. With theEagleslooking to upgrade the weaponry aroundCarson Wentz, it is not a surprise to see Reagor get the call at this point of the draft. 22) JUSTIN JEFFERSON, WR, MINNESOTA VIKINGS TheVikingsget one of the best route runners in the draft to replaceStefon Diggs. Jefferson is an A-plus slot receiver but also has experience playing on the outside at LSU. He should be ready to make an immediate contribution asAdam Thielen‘s running mate on the perimeter. 23) KENNETH MURRAY, LB, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (VIA PATRIOTS) TheChargerswanted to add an instinctive second-level defender to the mix to match up with explosive offenses in the AFC West. Murray is a terrific sideline-to-sideline playmaker with blitz ability and solid coverage skills. 24) CESAR RUIZ, C, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Ruiz is a high-IQ pivot with solid skills as a run blocker. He doesn’t move defenders off the ball, but he holds his own at the point and effectively creates seams at the line of scrimmage. In pass protection, he understands how to use his neighbors to slow down overpowering defensive tackles and is strong enough to anchor vs. power. 25) BRANDON AIYUK, WR, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (VIA VIKINGS) The49ershave twin playmakers on the perimeter with Aiyuk joiningDeebo Samuel. The Arizona State standout is an explosive runner with the ball in his hands and his open-field running skills make him a threat to score from anywhere on the field. With Kyle Shanahan masterfully creating big-play opportunities on catch-and-run concepts, the49ers‘ offense is even scarier with Aiyuk coming on board. 26) JORDAN LOVE, QB, GREEN BAY PACKERS (VIA DOLPHINS) WithAaron Rodgerson the back nine of his career, thePackerswisely select a young quarterback to groom as his successor. Love is not a finished product at this stage of his career but spending a few seasons working on his craft in the shadows of the two-time MVP could serve him well when he takes over down the road. 27) JORDAN BROOKS, LB, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Pete Carroll loves instinctive players with nonstop motors and physical playing styles. Brooks is a tackling machine with the capacity to stone runners in the hole or chase them down on the perimeter. He is fast, tough and productive with a knack for shooting through gaps. 28) PATRICK QUEEN, LB, BALTIMORE RAVENS The LSU standout is a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with quick diagnostic skills. He is an exceptional “see ball, get ball” defender with the speed, quickness and explosiveness to track down runners all over the field. 29) ISAIAH WILSON, OT, TENNESSEE TITANS If you want to maul and mash, there’s nothing wrong with running behind a mammoth OT with a powerful game. Wilson is a road grader with the capacity to blow defenders off the ball and his run blocking skills should work well with theTitans‘ scheme and offensive philosophy. 30) NOAH IGBINOGHENE, CB, MIAMI DOLPHINS (VIA PACKERS) The pick might stand out as a surprise but Igbinoghene is an A-plus athlete with exceptional straight-line speed and quickness. He is a press-only corner with a competitive streak that shows up on tape. The Auburn standout lacks natural ball skills, but he’s ideally suited to run around in man coverage as a former track star on the grass. 31) JEFF GLADNEY, CB, MINNESOTA VIKINGS (VIA 49ERS) Mike Zimmer gets a tough, hard-nosed CB with solid instincts and awareness. He has nice movement skills and athleticism, and shows enough versatility to effectively play man and zone coverage on the perimeter. 32) CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, RB, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS The LSU star is a pass-catching RB with soft hands and excellent route-running skills. He is one of the best pass catchers we’ve seen in recent drafts while also showing a tough, hard-nosed game that enables him to stay on the field as a three-down running back. The post 2020 NFL Draft: Bucky Brooks’ pick-by-pick analysis for Round 1, all 32 picks appeared first on American Football International. #2020NFLDraft #Round1 #AtlantaFalcons

[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #115: Sakata Kintoki (Rider)

This time on “Fate and Phantasms”: We’re always trying to make the best build possible. Little do we know that we’re about to face our greatest challenge yet: building a goddamn motorcycle. Join us as we build: Sakata Kintoki (Rider)!

(As usual, his build breakdown is below the cut, or you can check out his character sheet over here!)

Next up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8WvSGNEV24

Race and Background

Yes, we’re still doing that bit from the first time. This means Kintoki’s still a Golden Dragonborn, gaining +2 Strength and +1 Charisma. This also gives you a fiery Breath Weapon once per short rest and Fire Resistance. That’s not very in character, but you’re gold, and that’s good enough!

As a motorcycle delinquent/Kamen Rider expy, you’re a Folk Hero, giving you proficiency with Animal Handling and Survival. You can literally talk to animals. Handling them shouldn’t be an issue.

Ability Scores

You’re pretty strong, which is probably why your Strength should be as high as possible. Your preferred method of fighting is crashing into people with your motorcycle, so your Constitution should be pretty high as well. Third is Charisma- bad boys are in these days. Your wisdom isn’t that bad, we’ll need it for multiclassing and also you know animals well enough to speak to them. Your Dexterity isn’t great; despite wearing leather armor, your main defense is your bike being faster than the enemies. Finally, we’re dumping Intelligence. Changing classes didn’t turn you into a professor.

Class Levels

1. Fighter 1: Getting your ride is our top priority, but that’ll take a couple levels. In the meantime we should make sure you’re at least a bit competent off the bike. Your fighting style is Unarmed Fighting, giving your unarmed strikes more power and letting you deal damage by grappling. I’d think grappling someone and running your bike would already deal damage, but now it’s RAW. You can also use your bonus action to gain a Second Wind for a smoke break.

You also get proficiency with Strength and Constitution saves, as well as Intimidation and Athletics. Bikers are scary, man.

2. Bard 1: Okay, now we can get that bike. If you want justification for the class, you did mistake the Rider class for Kamen Rider, so there you go. You’re powered by Saturday morning kid’s shows.

Becoming a bard gives you one skill proficiency of your choice- I’m gonna say Insight. You look like you can read the room pretty well. You can also cast Spells using your Charisma, and you can give Bardic Inspiration to another creature as a bonus action a number of times per long rest equal to your charisma modifier. This is a d6 that the creature can add to an attack roll, skill check, or saving throw within the next ten minutes. You’re a nice guy like that.

This Kintoki’s a bit more thunder than lightning, so for your spells grab Thunderclap and Thunderwave to stay on brand, Friends and Animal Friendship to talk to squirrels, and Heroism and Longstrider to protect your wheels and give them a nitro boost.

3. Bard 2: Second level bards are Jacks of All Trades, giving you half your proficiency bonus on any skill check you’re not proficient in. This includes initiative, so even with your +0 dexterity modifier you can be a bit faster out the gate. You also gain a Song of Rest for extra healing over short rests if you like that sort of thing.

Also you can Speak with Animals now, so they can tell you how much faster you are than them.

4. Bard 3: Time to make some golden creations! As a Creation bard, you’ll find your inspiration dice are a bit more golden thanks to your Note of Potential, gaining extra effects. If used on an ability check they can roll twice and take the higher number, on an attack roll they force an constitution save (DC 8 plus your proficiency plus your charisma modifier) or creatures around them take thunder damage, and if used on a saving throw the creature gains a bit of temporary HP. 

The bigger draw this level, however, is the Performance of Creation. As an action, you can create a medium or smaller item worth less than 20 times your bard level in GP. It lasts a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus, and you can use this once per long rest, or by burning a second level spell slot to use it again. It’s not enough to make a motorcycle just yet, but you can at least make that cool belt buckle.

Finally, you get Expertise in two skills, doubling your proficiency bonus. I’d go with Athletics and Animal Handling. You’ll need some lower body strength to hang onto your bike while fighting.

You can also cast second level spells now, like Enhance Ability to give a creature advantage on a kind of skill check. Give yourself a constitution boost to help with those Thousand Mile Drives.

5. Bard 4: Use your first Ability Score Improvement to round out your Strength and bring your Wisdom up to multiclassing minimums.

You can also cast Mending for another way to fix up your bike, or Shatter to break everything else.

6. Bard 5: At fifth level your inspiration becomes d8s, and you become a Font of Inspiration. This means you regain inspiration dice on short rests as well as long ones.

To celebrate, you learn how to put on a proper tokukatsu Motivational Speech from Acquisitions Incorporated, giving up to five creatures temporary hit points, advantage on wisdom saves, and advantage on its next attacks after its hit. The spell ends on a creature once the hit points are removed, otherwise it lasts for an hour.

7. Bard 6: Now we’re cooking! Now you can finally use an Animating Performance to make your motorcycle, a large Dancing Item. The item stays dancing for an hour, and you can use your bonus action to command it. You can animate an object once per long rest, or by burning a 3rd level spell slot to do it again. Plus, your Performance of Creation can make large items now, so a motorcycle is totally on the table!

The movement speed on a dancing item’s only 30′ which isn’t ideal, but on the plus side your bike can fly, so... I’d say it balances out the cool factor.

Sadly bards don’t get Haste, but if we can’t speed up your bike, at least we can Slow down your enemies.

Oh yeah, you also get Countercharm, spend an action to give allies advantage against being charmed or frightened, not really great but you can always use it for an “I know you’re in there” fight.

8. Fighter 2: Now that that detour’s out of the way, we can get back to fighting. Second level fighters get an Action Surge, tacking an extra action onto your turn once per short rest. Cast two spells, multitask with healing and hitting, or just hit people over and over again. It’s pretty versatile.

9. Fighter 3: Cavaliers get an extra skill proficiency, and Performance will really help you sell your Kintoki action figures. You’re also Born to the Seat, giving you advantage against falling off your mount and mounting/dismounting your cycle only costs 5′ of movement.

As a hero of justice, you can also apply an Unwavering Mark to a creature when you hit them that lasts until the end of your next turn. If the marked creature is within 5′, it will have trouble hitting other creatures, and if it still does you can make a special attack against the creature next turn as a bonus action. The attack has advantage, and deals extra damage as well. You can make these attacks a number of times per long rest equal to your strength modifier.

10. Fighter 4: Speaking of advantage and being good at riding things, use this ASI to become a Mounted Combatant, giving you advantage on attacks against creatures smaller than your mount, the ability to redirect attacks to you instead of your mount, and giving your mount evasion, meaning it takes half damage on a failed dexterity save and no damage on a success.

11. Fighter 5: Fifth level fighters get an extra attack each attack action. It’s not very complicated, but it is very useful.

12. Cleric 1: Your dad’s a god, you get more thunder powers. As a cleric, you can cast and prepare spells using your Wisdom. As a Tempest Cleric, you can channel the Wrath of the Storm. When a creature within melee range hits you with an attack, you can react to blast lightning or thunder back at them with a dexterity save attached. You can use this a number of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom modifier. (So if you’re using the standard array, once.)

You can also cast Thaumaturgy for more dramatic entrances, Resistance so you’ll wipe out less often, and Light because every motorcycle needs a headlight. You can also kick up some dust with your domain spells, Fog Cloud and Thunderwave. You already have a better thunderwave from your bard levels, but hey why not be redundant. 

13. Cleric 2: Second level clerics can Channel Divinity in two ways. You can either Turn Undead to make walking corpses into running... away from you... corpses... (not my best work), or you can channel it into Destructive Wrath, allowing you to deal maximum damage when you deal lightning or thunder damage. Your spells are pretty low level, so the extra efficiency is appreciated. You can use this once per short rest, or you can burn your channel divinity use to Harness Divine Power, refilling a spell slot that’s less than half your proficiency modifier as a bonus action.

14. Fighter 6: Use your next ASI to boost your Charisma for stronger spells and more inspiration.

15. Fighter 7: As a more seasoned cavalier, you could react to add a bonus to a nearby allie’s AC when they’re being attacked a number of times per long rest equal to your Constitution modifier. You could, but unfortunately Warding Maneuver requires a melee weapon or shield, and you do things barehanded.

16. Fighter 8: If your hands are going to cause you this much trouble, they’d better be good at their job. Use this ASI to max out your Strength so they’re great at their job.

17. Fighter 9: Ninth level fighters are Indomitable, letting you re-roll a failed save once per long rest. You probably shouldn’t use this on your intelligence saves, you’re not making those either way.

18. Fighter 10: Tenth level cavaliers actually get something we can use, the ability to Hold the Line. This means your opportunity attacks can activate on a creature moving within your reach, and they also reduce the target’s speed to 0 on hit. A good hero keeps the villains focused on them.

19. Fighter 11: We’re almost done, but first you get another Extra Attack for even more punching goodness.

20. Fighter 12: Use your capstone ASI for more Constitution to get more HP and better concentration. You only have so many spells, you’ve got to make the most of them.

Pros:

Thanks to Animating Performance, you can literally make your motorcycle out of anything, as long as its large enough to ride. It also means you’ve got a flying bike, though if you want to keep it closer to canon you could flavor it as having the ability to ride up walls.

You can deal very consistent damage thanks to your high number of attacks and free advantage from mounting your bike. You’re also able to make your limited spell slots count, maximizing their damage with channel divinity.

Your skills as a cavalier make you good at getting enemies’ attention and keeping it away from squishier party members. Mix in a bit of healing from your cleric levels, and you can be a surprisingly good tank in a pinch.

Cons: 

You like to ride on things, and you also use a lot of spells with indiscriminate damage. That’s not a good combination, especially since your bike is a construct.

Having, at best, a leather jacket and a +0 to dexterity means your AC is pretty low. Your best defense is not being near the enemy when they get a chance to hit back.

Having to command your bike eats up all your bonus actions, meaning you’ll have to chose between using your unwavering mark or riding.

[gravitymirage]

Taking Back Control - Part 5

@intplier

Mark was about to act on one of his stupider ideas.

 It was the night Amy had gone missing. He had locked himself in his recording studio in an attempt to use the sound proofing. All his friends had gone home, though they must have shown concern at Amy’s absence by now.  He had suspicions on what could’ve happened to her, some more plausible than others. But Mark had inevitably decided the best person to go to get information on his absent girlfriend. He was quite sure he was going to regret this, but he couldn’t think of anyone else to contact. Well, at least anyone who he could actually get information out of.

He dialed the number, holding his breath.

“Hello?”

“Umm, Hi. It’s Mark.”

“Ohoho~! Isn’t this a shocker ladies and gentlemen! I wish I was on air for this! Ready to schedule another interview I presume?” Came the drawled response. Mark flinched at the reference to his previous encounter with the omnipresent sociopath. None of his egos could kill Mark, he always came back. Plus, even if they did find a way to kill him, they’d all die with him. But the stab wound had been bad enough for him to ‘die’ for a few moments. It was a truly terrifying experience.

“No, Wilford, I haven’t. I was-“ He was cut off before he could ask his question.

“What a shame, what a shame! My viewers loved you! Almost as much as they love me! And I’m me!” Mark rolled his eyes, but tried to keep his tone placating.

“Yes, I’m sure they loved it.” It was on Mark’s channel after all, “And I may still consider coming back on. But that isn’t why I called you.” Each of his main egos did have contact information, it only appeared to people who’d met them before. Mark had no idea how calls across dimensions without costing a fortune.

“Hmm, now you’ve peaked my curiosity, Mr. Fish-Back!” Mark flinched at the obvious butchering of his last name, “I suppose I can listen to what you have to say…If my schedule isn’t too busy! Lemme check, I’ll be with you in a jiffy!” The sound of flickering papers reached his ears. Mark slouched against the padded recording room walls, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He knew that Wilford didn’t have a full schedule. There was nothing to put on it, since all his shows relied on Mark’s channel. The journalist only did this because it seemed like what they should be doing. It was in their character. Mark went along with it because it kept them on his side. A gun shot went off, causing Mark to flinch, followed by a scream that sounded disturbingly like his own. A pause. “Looks like it’s your lucky day! I have a small slot in my agenda to humour you! What appears to be the issue?” Mark could practically see Wilford leaning back, sucking on his index finger like he did when he was intrigued. Mark hoped that whichever ego had been shot was alright. He cleared his throat.

“Well, I was wondering if you could find someone for me?”

“Well excuuuuuuse yoooou!” They huffed out in indignation, “I’m not about to delay my activities to be your little helper!” Mark groaned.

“I know you’re omnipresent, Wilford! While in your dimension you can be everywhere and nowhere! You can use it to see anything occurring in the entire world! Therefore, you can find her in a second without technically even moving physically!” Mark could practically feel Wilford squinting.

“And how do you know that?” Mark practically wanted to scream, ‘Because I created you!’, but kept his mouth shut. He had to pander to Wilford’s interests.

“I have my sources…” he divulged. Wilford was always interested in a mystery.

“Well...” Wilford mused, “I usually don’t usually do this, even for my fans.” Mark rolled his eyes, “However, you’ve made an interesting case so far, and I’m intrigued so see how this will all end. Let me ask who exactly you’re looking for? You aren’t a stalker, are you?” Mark heard the scratch of pen on paper.

“No, I’m not! You can scratch that note out right now!” Wilford grumbled to himself. “I’m looking for Amy Nelson.”

“Ah ha! You’ve lost your girlfriend, have you? Isn’t that an interesting story? Do tell more~” There was more pen scratching.

“I can’t tell more if I don’t know where she is.” He tried. Wilford paused.

“I suppose you’re right…Would you like me to find her?” Mark sighed out in relief.

“Yes!” Wilford laughed slightly.

“Alright, alright. Calm your horses.” There was a pause, “I can’t find her.”

“What!?” Wilford sighed.

“Are you deaf? I said I can’t find her!”

“What do you mean you can’t find her! You can find anyone!” Mark paced the room, openly yelling now. “You’re lying!”

“I wish I was Markimoo, I wish I was. I’ve never not been able to find someone before…” Wilford perked up, “Why, this just adds to the mystery! I think Miss Nelson might not be on earth anymore! Maybe it was aliens! The theories are swimming. See ya Mark! I gotta get writing!”

“Will, Wait-“ Silence. He’d hung up.

Mark slammed the phone onto the desk, flopping down into his chair. He rubbed a hand across his face and through his hair. Well, that had been useless. Mark didn’t know what he expected. Mark didn’t know why he’d let Wilford frustrate him so much. He’d been so close to finding her…

Not on earth? Aliens? Bullshit. Unless…

If she wasn’t on earth, could she be in another dimension? Specifically, the ego’s main dimension?

Mark grinned. Perhaps Wilford had been useful after all.

    It had been close to a day, and Amy still hadn’t left the room. Sure, Red had delivered breakfast and lunch – making sure to lock the door this time on his departure. Dr. Iplier had held to his promise, sending Oliver to deliver fresh ice for her head. The swelling had died, the headache was gone, and overall Amy was doing better. Physically, that is. She had still been kidnapped. She was always on edge, whenever there was sound outside, she ran, standing as far from the door as possible. He had thought of the possibility of claiming to be in the bathroom to avoid company but she doubted it would work. The Google’s would most likely be willing to stand there unmoving until she exited instead of leaving. She was sure Dark – the name sent shivers down her spine – would let himself in regardless. Doors simply unlocked for him. Every time she even imagined the ringing her entire body went into melt down, and she couldn’t sleep for longer than an hour without waking up in a cold sweat. Her only social interaction had been a short conversation with Oliver, which Amy was fairly certain Dr. Iplier had forced him to attempt. She missed her friends. She missed her pets. She wished Mark was here. The real Mark. Not all these different copies. She wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice the way he used it. She laid back on the bed and sighed. No tears fell. Why wasn’t she crying? She’d been kidnapped! She was trapped, her friends didn’t know where she was, and she was with a bunch of psychopaths with her boyfriend’s body! Crying was perfectly okay! It was human! Yet no tears had fallen since when she’d first arrived yesterday. Perhaps her body was using it as defense, not letting the alters see her turmoil. Or maybe she was steadily going insane. In the end, it didn’t matter. She might die here, at the hands of a character Mark had created and never told her about.

 Amy was starting to wonder how many days would be spent in this room hiding from the other alters when there was movement outside her door. She completed her now familiar routine of backing to the other side of the room, keeping the bed between her and the door. It was Google, complete with his scowling expression.

“It is time for dinner.” He stated. Amy forced a smile.

“Right, well. You can leave the food at the door and I’ll- “

“Dark is requesting you join him and the others in the dining hall.” She felt the dread clutch onto her heart like a weight, pulling it down. She had almost fooled herself into thinking she’d never see him again. It was like she was a fly caught on the edge of the web. Struggling. Almost free. Almost away from this hell. That is, until the spider decides to drag her to the centre, tangling her in a cocoon she can’t escape from. Caught in a snare, until the spider decides to eat her. When it became clear to Google that she had frozen up and wasn’t coming to him willingly, he growled to himself. He marched over to her and Amy played her one card, leaping over the bed and running for the open door. She didn’t get a chance however, as Google predicted her movement, grasping her by the back of her sweater and dragging her back. He was more forceful with his transport this time, pulling her arms behind her back and shoving her along. Amy was sure he was going to break her arms.

He took her straight down the hall from her room, turning right and pushing her through a door.

“It is a dressing room.” He stated, looking her over, “Dark wanted you to dress up, make it formal. He has picked out a few dresses.” Google gestured to the wall. The clothes rack was mostly empty, expect for the ten dresses hanging there, neatly ironed. “Take your pick, and make it fast. They are waiting, I will meet you in the hall.” With that he slammed the door shut, and Amy wanted to scream. She took a moment to pace the room, controlling her breathing. She knew if she wasn’t quick, Google would probably come in and dress her himself – he was a robot, if it completed his objective he couldn’t care less. Plus, Dark would be irritated by the delay, and she wanted him in good standing before she tried to escape. She groaned out, running her hands through her hair. She felt awful submitting to the alters whims, but there was no other way. She had to get out of here. Surely Mark wouldn’t mind if it kept her alive. Dark was right, she was helpless to his command. If she disobeyed him, he could kill her, and Mark wouldn’t know till it was too late. She calmed herself, looking over the dresses. This wasn’t just Dark, it was all the other alters as well. She looked over a short, revealing crimson dress that made her want to vomit. He had chosen it. For her to wear. It probably wasn’t even a case of appeasing himself. He knew it would make her uncomfortable, and he knew it would shock the other alters. All the dresses were different. Different lengths, colours and designs, though they all would fit her. One key factor stood out however. They were all beautiful. All things she would wear in a different scenario. Dresses to be considered attractive, or seductive. As well as this, none of them had pockets, or any place she could hide belongings. They took away any power, making it impossible to defend herself. Knowing the clock was ticking, she chose a black, mid-length dress with swirling branches and flowers of many colours. Little birds decorated them with gorgeous, swirling feather designs. It was stunning, and it looked great on her, but the pandering to her interests in the design made her sick. It was made to accentuate curves, and her slim figure. It was strapless, and revealed to much at the chest. She didn’t have time to overthink it. She found a pair of black heels, and quickly sat herself on a chair in front of a large mirror. The marble sink before her had a variety of makeup products. Time was short so she rushed with some basics; concealer, lipstick, eyeliner. If Dark wanted formal, he would get it. She was going to look great. Hell, maybe now she could get more information looking like this. Amy used a brush to fix her hair, before standing. She paced, reassuring herself, before nearly leaping out of her skin when Google banged on the door. She took a few deep breaths, before heading to the entrance, her heels clicking against marble. She opened the door, glaring at Google.

“Better?” She wasn’t sure where her sudden confidence had come from, and was sure it would die before she even saw Dark. Google smirked.

“Satisfactory.” Before grabbing her arms and pushing her along once more.

They made their way up the stairs and down the main hall. Amy stared longingly at the mansion’s entrance. Even if it had been unlocked, where would she go? Running in heels wasn’t her forte. Plus, she had no idea where she was, she might not even be in Los Angeles anymore. Sure, the time zone appeared to be the same as home, but that could mean anything. It could’ve changed without her even realising. Google made a sharp left turn through an archway which Amy knew led to the dining room. From where she stood, she could see Dark at the head of the table, sneering at her. The faint ringing made her sick.

“Welcome Miss Nelson! So kind of you to join us! You look lovely!” he glanced over her, licking his lips before smiling. Her chest constricted around her lungs. Google shoved her forward, and she stumbled a few feet, catching herself on the chair of the closest alter as she gave way under her heels. “I hope Google won’t mind if you take his place at the table, he doesn’t need to eat.” The robot accepted Dark’s dismissal, turning and heading up the stairs. You could have heard a pin drop at the silence, all the alters gawking up at her. She hated the way their eyes glanced her body over. She reminded herself that none of them were Mark. Just characters. Alters. Her eyes fell to the one in the chair she’d caught herself on, who looked at her with raised eyebrows, and she leapt back, her heart thumping in her chest

“Well whaddya know? Amy Nelson! I need to rewrite that article because this is much more interesting!”

Start - Previous - Next

[mitchintille]

2020 Mock Draft 2.0

Less than one week away from perhaps the most unusual and bizarre NFL draft we’ll ever witness. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter how the draft happens, just as long as it does. 

Fair warning, I fully expect the actual draft to look nothing like this one. I’m anticipating numerous trades and head scratching picks come next Thursday night. And while it may not be conducive for me to not include trades, it is simply too unpredictable so I’ll be selecting for each team with the order as is.

Here we go.......

1. Cincinnati Bengals - Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

Ahem.

2. Washington Redskins - Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

While there have been rumors speculating a possible trade down or surprise selection of a QB, they are simply just that, rumors. Young is the most talented player in this class top to bottom. He checks every box as a prospect and would bolster an already impressive front seven for the Skins. 

3. Detroit Lions - Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

Here’s where the draft gets fun. The Lions are a team I expect to be highly active come draft night. A trade back here with a QB needy team such as LAC or Miami would not surprise me at all. However, in the case of this mock, we are assuming Detroit holds at three which would leave them the nice consolation prize of Okudah. He can fill the void left by Darius Slay and would instantly be the best DB on that roster. 

4. New York Giants - Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Yet another team I expect to be clinging to their phones come draft night. But in this scenario, I’d expect them to go with either Isaiah Simmons or their highest rated tackle. The nod goes to the freaskishly athlethic Wirfs, who although shows glimpses of his high upside potential, will need to fix his footwork and inconsistent timing with his punch hand in pass pro.

5. Miami Dolphins - Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

It pained me having to type that out. With uncertainty surrounding Tua Tagovailoa and his concerning injury history, you can’t convince me the Dolphins will spend a premier pick on a question mark like him. Instead, they opt for the safer selection in Herbert, a high Football IQ and character driven player. His arm talent on film is evident, but his erratic tendencies and failure to make any big leaps throughout his four years as a starter are worrisome to me. This feels significantly too high for a player of his caliber, but this is the Dolphins we’re dealing with so nothing shocks me anymore.

6. Los Angeles Chargers - Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The real QB1 finally goes off the board, Is there risk inherited with this pick? Absolutely. But for a team with a talented roster on the cusp of making a playoff run, they lack a true franchise QB to elevate them to that level. Enter Tua. One of the best short/intermediate processors to declare in years. His feel for the pocket and ability to throw wide receivers open are both translatable traits that he performs very well on a consistent basis. He isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the reward outweighs the risk to me here. 

7. Carolina Panthers - Isaiah Simmons, LB/S, Clemson

After shipping off Trai Turner and Cam Newton, it is very clear that Matt Rhule and the Panthers want to rebuild starting from the ground up. After Luke Keuchly’s sudden retirement this offseason, an already depleted run defense just got even worse. Simmons is a dynamic athlete with high football character who can plug and play from day one. This pick is just as much culture based as it is talent, as they add the local product to a defense in dire need of a spark heading into 2020. 

8. Arizona Cardinals - Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

An absolute mauler. Wills is head and shoulders the best run blocker at his position in this draft. After recently investing into Marcus Gilbert and finalizing a blockbuster trade with Houston for Deandre Hopkins, this allows Steve Keim the wiggle room to draft for talent instead of need. Adding a stalwart to the left side of that offensive line would serve as a good insurance policy for Kyler Murray.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars - CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

Hey Jags fans, remember a guy named Justin Gilbert who also went top ten a couple years ago? Well I found his brother. All jokes aside, Henderson is sticky in man coverage and adds superb athleticism to an already elite frame. The cupboard is bare for the Jags corner back depth chart, and this pick would help fill a gaping hole at corner.

10. Cleveland Browns - Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

The best OT in the class. The three year starter at Georgia saw snaps at both left and right tackle over the course of his career. Thomas won’t wow anyone with his athleticism, but his technically sound form and plus footwork should allow for an easy transition to the league.

11. New York Jets - Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

A bit of a conundrum here for me. I love Jeudy’s talent. It is undeniable. But I simply don’t see him being a team’s No.1 WR early in his career. Unfortunately for the Jets, they failed to resign Robby Anderson in free agency and are now left with a huge void. They opt for the best route runner in the draft and an optimal WR2 in today’s game. His ability to create separation at the line of scrimmage is already among the best at the position in the NFL. He does get into a habit of letting the ball travel into his body too much, but considering the amount of space he creates before the ball is thrown, it doesn’t worry me too much. As much as he appears to be a slam dunk prospect on tape, not having another receiver on the outside to complement his best traits could prove to be dire for Jeudy in this situation. 

12. Las Vegas Raiders - Ceedee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Did you see the picture I used for this article? Then you understand why this makes sense. Look, Lamb just FEELS like a Raider. Given their need for a true WR1 and Gruden’s style of preferred receiver, this almost feels like an arranged marriage. Lamb's YAC skills and football IQ should be coveted by Gruden/Mayock. 

13. San Francisco 49ers - Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama

Speed. Speed. And more speed. If Kyle Shanahan showed us one thing last season, it’s that he doesn’t mess around when it comes to speed. Ruggs displays absurd play speed and athleticism. I trust Shanny’s savviness as a coach to able to get Ruggs the ball any way possible. Pair him next to Deebo Samuel and allow George Kittle to eat over the middle. Good luck, defenses. 

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

This is yet another draft slot that I anticipate should change between now and Thursday. The Bucs went out and made a big splash, signing six time super bowl winner Tom Brady. GM Jason Licht has made it very clear: we want a ring. With that being said, I can see the Bucs trading up to ensure they land the best tackle on their board. In this case, they sit tight and still late a behemoth in Mekhi Becton. The 6′9 specimen does a good job of using his freakish length to his advantage. There are occasional mental lapses, but once he gets his hands on you, it’s a wrap. 

15. Denver Broncos - Derrick Brown, IDL, Auburn

Tough scenario here for Denver. The top three receivers and top four tackles are all off the board. Instead of reaching for need, the Broncos elect to go BPA, which just so happens to be Brown. Brown is an absolute hog molly who will immediately help reset the defensive interior. His presence on the inside with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the outside can help give offensive coordinators fits for the next five years. 

16. Atlanta Falcons - Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina

The medical concerns here are real. Kinlaw raised concerns following an injury related dismissal from the senior bowl. With cloudiness surrounding his future, a Mo Hurst-esque slide wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit. With that being said, Kinlaw’s burst and explosiveness are easily the best in the class. His pure brute strength and first step allowed him to win majority of his reps at South Carolina. Once he develops a few counter moves in his arsenal, watch out.

17. Dallas Cowboys - AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson

Barring one of the top three receivers falling to this spot, i firmly believe that this will be the pick. Following the departure of Byron Jones, a sudden need has emerged at cornerback. Given the depth at the position in this draft, a reach for need at this spot feels highly likely. Terrell is infamously known for his horrible game against Jamar Chase and LSU in the national championship, but I feel the hatred for him as gotten absurd. His body of work outside that game should speak for itself. He’s an intelligent and physical player with the long speed neccessary to stay attached on routes down the field.

18. Miami Dolphins - Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

A late bloomer in the draft process, Cleveland has sky rocketed up boards since the combine. He showed quality tape but his combine and high football character find himself as a top 20 pick. Brian Flores is beginning to show a tendency to target high character Football players, and Cleveland fits the billing.

19. Las Vegas Raiders - Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

Mayock strikes again! The Raiders need for quality corners is no secret, and being that Mike Mayock and drafting college players from high profile schools are synonymous, all signs lead to this being the selection. Fulton is a smart, scheme versatile corner whose prowess in man coverage should serve immediate dividends to a team lacking players with that ability. 

20. Jacksonville Jaguars - K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

With the impending departure of Yannick Ngakoue, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them spin the wheel with Chaisson. His lack of production for his caliber of athlete is a bit confusing, and given the lack of success from former players who tested similarly, his outlook does not bode well. However, his first step alone is worthy of the selection. He has rockets attached to his shoes, and his initial burst off the line can be mind boggling at times. He is still a work in progress, but if he can fully tap into his potential, the sky is the limit.

21. Philadelphia Eagles - Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

I know I know, it’s not a receiver. But Howie Roseman is smart, and although their depth at receiver does need to be addressed, their need at linebacker might be even more daunting. Queen, the one year starter, is a former RB who displays elite instincts. He’s a very fluid mover in coverage, and will spend his entire rookie season at age 20. Easy pick here for the Eagles. 

22. Minnesota Vikings - Josh Jones, OT, Houston 

A dream fit here. Jones is a light mover whose quick feet and athleticism in the open should translate nicely with the Vikings zone run scheme. He needs to get better about playing too tall at times, but Jones should plug right into that offensive line and serve as a contributor from day one. 

23. New England Patriots - AJ Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa

This screams Patriots to me. Epenesa is a plus run defender who is still just tapping into his potential as a pass rusher. He offers exceptional length and plus power. His versatility on the line should prove useful to Belichick, who is notorious for targeting edge guys with the ability to work from the interior. 

24. New Orleans Saints - Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

I was very tempted to go Kenneth Murray here but I can’t pass up the opportunity to keep an LSU kid in the bayou state. Drew Brees isn’t getting any younger, and the window for a Saints super bowl with him at the helm seems to be closing by the minute. Jefferson can play both in the slot and out the outside if needed. His ability to get open and find spacing in the short/intermediate pass game is a highly coveted trait in today’s NFL. Adding him to an already stable core or Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders would finally give Brees all of the firepower needed to make a final run for glory.

25. Minnesota Vikings - Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

A true big play threat. Aiyuk is not a perfect prospect by any means, as what he does with the ball in his hands is light years better than what he does without the ball in his hands. Aiyuk is still learning to play receiver, and his inconsistencies with getting off press coverage and catching contested passes are big knocks on his profile. With that being said, the dude is a freak of nature when he gets the ball in his hands. His big play flashes last year were mesmerizing, as he displays elite breakaway speed and rangy ball skills at times. While there is plenty to like about his YAC ability and athletic, he’s certainly a risk at this spot.

26. Miami Dolphins - Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State

Gross-Matos is an underrated prospect in the class in my opinion. He was highly productive at Penn State and put together a nice athletic profile in the process. The lack of pass rush in Miami is eye opening, and with three picks in the 1st round, addressing pass rush should be a priority here.

27.  Seattle Seahawks - Marlon Davidson, IDL, Auburn

I don’t know what position Marlon Davidson will play in the league. He can be a penetrating 3-tech, or be a hand in the dirt pass rusher from the edge. All I know is that he is a natural disruptor, and being that Jadeveon Clowney remains unsigned and 2019 first round selection LJ Collier appears to be a bust, this mold of player also fills what now becomes a need for Seattle. 

28. Baltimore Ravens - Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

I truly wish that I could love this pick for Baltimore. The Ravens have recently shown a penchant for Oklahoma players in the draft (Hollywood Brown, Orlando Brown Jr., Mark Andrews), and given the need at linebacker, this makes a ton of sense, right? Well, sure it does. Murray is a rangy linebacker whose burst flies off the screen. Not to mention he is a plus leader and human off the field as well. But he is legally blind. Too many times did I see a rep where he filled the wrong gap or fell for a fake. His mental processing just simply isn’t there, and while he has the athleticism at times to make up for his mental errors, I just simply can’t see him sustaining success unless he makes serious leaps as a processor. 

29. Tennessee Titans - Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

Why not? Sure, they have other needs. But they just paid Ryan Tannehill $100m with no foreseeable backup plan. Love needs to go to a good team in order to succeed. His supporting cast at Utah State in 2019 was truly abysmal, and I believe was a major detriment to both his on field performance as well as his confidence. Love is an athletic, toolsy QB who personifies the new prototype of NFL quarterbacks. He has potential to be the steal of the draft, and the Titans have a good enough cast and coaching staff around him to make it possible. 

30. Green Bay Packers - Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

This goes against everything I told myself, but here we are. It is no secret that the Packers typically avoid skill players in the first round. But, for the first time since 2002, they choose that route. Shenault is a gadget style receiver with great size and athleticism. Shenault is best when he can get the ball and let his YAC ability flourish in space. He is very raw as a route runner and still learning the nuances of the position, but he is the type of playmaker that can elevate both Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense immediately.

31. San Francisco 49ers - Cesar Ruiz, OC, Michigan 

Starting center Weston Richburg is still nursing a torn patellar tendon, and the interior OL depth is dwindling. Ruiz is a highly intelligent player with tons of experience. He is not the sexiest pick, but a very smooth mover in the open field that would slide ideally into that offensive line unit.

32. Kansas City Chiefs - Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

Chiefs take a swing at the best available corner. Johnson boasted impressive tape this season and his length and football IQ are two qualities that I’d expect GM Brett Veach to be chomping at the bit for. 

Thank you guys for reading! Hope you enjoyed the content and that all of your are staying safe during the quarantine. Cheers!

[policeslime35-blog]

NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Defensive line is the obvious popular pick for the Eagles

The 2019 NFL Draft will be here before you know it. Mock draft season has already begun and there’s no shortage of opinion as to whom the Philadelphia Eagles might select with the No. 25 overall pick. Let’s take a look at which players the experts have the Eagles taking this week.

Defensive end is an obvious need with Brandon Graham and Chris Long potentially not returning to the Eagles in 2019. Polite was also the best player available on the board in this situation. Add in Howie Roseman’s #GatorBias and that checks all the boxes. The 20-year-old Polite finished his junior season with 45 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, six (!) forced fumbles, and four pass deflections. The Eagles’ defensive end rotation could look something like this in 2019: Derek Barnett, Michael Bennett, Josh Sweat, and Polite.

The Eagles could go in many directions here, but any time you can add a speedy edge rusher; you gotta do it. Brandon Graham is likely on the outs as a free agent, Derek Barnett is returning from injury and the team will need someone to rotate in with Michael Bennett at defensive end. Polite has sky high potential and instant impact ability. The Eagles might entertain getting a cornerback here, but with Polite on the board they should sprint to the podium.

Maybe this is too reactionary, but the Sunday’s playoff loss to the Saints showed that the Eagles need a true lead running back. Don’t forget that Jay Ajayi, who tore his ACL this season, is a free agent. If there’s a first-round back in the 2019 draft, it is Jacobs.

The storybook run of Philadelphia back through the playoffs was truly something to behold — but like all good things, it finally came to an end. And when it did, we noticed that, while DT Timmy Jernigan came back from a back injury to start meaningful reps, his quality of play decreased. His contract now non-guaranteed due to the non-football injury, and the depth behind him laughable, Jim Schwartz will look to add pass-rush juice with Wilkins, a 3-tech next to Fletcher Cox and a 1-tech stopgap when Cox isn’t on the field. In 2019, Philadelphia can now rush Cox, Wilkins, Michael Bennett, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham if he’s retained. That’s a whole lotta oomph.

With free agents Brandon Graham and Chris Long potentially moving on, Philadelphia could add some pass-rush help here. At 6-foot-6, 241 pounds, Sweat is a rangy prospect who is athletically gifted. And he produced, racking up 22 sacks the past two seasons. Receiver is also a position to watch, as Golden Tate and Mike Wallace are both on the free-agent market.

This would be the steal of the draft for the Eagles. Wilkins is a top-10 talent.

Polite had a breakout season for the Gators in 2018 with 45 tackles (19.5 for loss), 11 sacks, and best of all, 6 forced fumbles. He is one of the funnest prospects in this draft to watch, because of his combination of speed, pass rush feel, and relentlessness. Polite is a game-changing playmaker, and in any other draft, I would say there’s no way he could possibly make it to pick No. 25. However, in a draft that Howie Roseman called “historic” for it’s overabundance of defensive line prospects... maybe? I do also think that a trade up for a high-level, immediately-contributing defensive lineman prospect is possible, as the Eagles potentially have some outgoing pass rushers this offseason: Brandon Graham will be a free agent, and he is going to test the market. Michael Bennett was a good player in 2018, and he’ll be under contract in 2019 at a reasonable cost of $7 million, but he’s 33. Chris Long is also under contract, but he’ll be 34 in March, and he almost retired last year. Beyond that trio, the only defensive end on the roster with any legitimate NFL production is Derek Barnett. A defensive end in the first round is, in my opinion, by far the most likely position to be addressed. If there’s any concern with Polite, it’s that he’s undersized, at 6-foot-2, 242 pounds. If bigger offensive tackles get a hold of him, they can drive him back in the run game. That said, he plays with a violent, nasty demeanor, and is far from passive as a run defender. He’ll make his share of plays for loss, which is what Jim Schwartz prioritizes.

The Eagles’ safety group could use a youthful member. Thompson wasn’t a consistent play-maker for the Crimson Tide in 2018 ... but he’s very rangy and equally as impactful stopping the run as he is in coverage.

Adderley made a name for himself over the final months of the season and the FCS standout could find himself among the first 32 players taken. He’ll have a chance to prove himself at the Senior Bowl and the biggest question might be his size -- is he big enough to play safety over the course of an NFL season -- because every other aspect of his game checks all the boxes of what teams look for in a defensive back.

Harmon has the physicality to win at the catch point and over the middle, adding another outside weapon to the Eagles offense. He graded at 83.3 overall last season while winning 17 of his 30 contested catch opportunities.

The Philadelphia Eagles secondary is much better than most would assume given the lack of huge names on the depth chart, but there is still a need for cornerback upgrades and depth, as seen in the divisional round loss to the New Orleans Saints. Washington’s Byron Murphy is only around 5’11”, but he’s a feisty cover man with excellent instincts and closing speed. He showed off his ball skills all season for the Huskies and was a thorn in the side of Pac-12 quarterbacks. Some scouts might see Murphy as a slot cornerback, and that’s a possible destination for him in Philadelphia. But no matter where he’s lining up, he has the skills to make a major impact immediately.

Well, “The Magic Run” is over, Philly fans. Many Eagles’ faithful have moved to the stage of grief where they can accept this loss, and appreciate the good memories. Not me. My throat is still sore from screaming at the TV during the final drive, hoping Doug Pederson would hear me telling him there’s no need to rush or panic...that with a mere 27 yards to go, with two full minutes remaining, and time outs in your pocket, you could take your time, milk the clock, and get the winning TD with 20 seconds left. CERTAINLY there was no need to spaz out and inexplicably try to squeeze ONE MORE PLAY in before the two-minute warning when there was an eternity of time left and NO NEED to increase the chance of a mistake by rushing a play off when... OK wait: Serenity Now. As I was saying, the 2019 Eagles’ season has officially begun. There will be a lot of personnel decisions that will be made in the coming months. With OT Jason Peters likely retiring, the Achilles injury to OG Brandon Brooks, and even C Jason Kelce mentioning retirement...what will this O-Line look like next year? The D-Line, with the uncertain futures of Brandon Graham and Michael Bennett, has its own question marks. Multiple running backs may be needed. And, with all due respect to Nelson Agholor and Golden Tate, a field-stretching WR is also needed. The Eagles were a middling 16th in splash pass plays (20+ YDS) in 2018, and that needs to improve. Wolfpack WR Kelvin Harmon may not be a true burner, however he is very effective at all levels of the route tree. Coaches will love his attitude, work ethic, and the mean streak he brings to the table when blocking for the run. Harmon may not be the true complementary speedster the Eagles need right now, but he could be a legit #1 WR when Alshon Jeffery’s days are over in Philly. Plus, he’s just REALLY good at football.

Imagine how poorly a 30th-ranked pass defense would have fared without a capable line to mask its shortcomings. Dropping in the Jim Thorpe Award winner would be a step in the right direction.

Montgomery (5-11, 216 pounds) has emerged as a strong prospect because he finishes run strong and has shown some good hands and wiggle as a receiver. The Eagles have been a committee team under Doug Pederson, but injuries and ineffectiveness should make them consider one back who can do it all and complement Carson Wentz on every down.

There’s no question that the secondary needs some help, but there are a few promising pieces already in place that could turn into better players with a bit more patience and another season of development. The offensive tackle situation needs somewhat of a makeover. Jason Peters has been a staple of the front for nearly a decade, but injuries seem to slowly be taking a toll on his body. It’s unclear if the team will part ways with him this offseason, but an heir apparent needs to be in place due to his injury history. Cajuste is a very solid option to fill that void.

Protecting Carson Wentz has to be Philly’s primary objective, and finding a long-term replacement for Jason Peters should be a huge part of that. Cajuste is still smoothing out the rough edges in his game, but he’s got all the talent to be a stud blocker in the NFL.

It was a nightmare season for the Eagles secondary, with injuries and lackluster play equating to one of the leagues worst pass defenses. Needless to say that is not a good place to be in this pass-heavy age, so those issues on the backend must be resolved. Any plan to do that will likely include the addition of at least one high-quality cornerback or safety to the mix. Abram is a big, physical, aggressive safety with superb instincts who is at his best playing downhill, whether it’s against the run or even as a blitzer. Despite being an explosive athlete with decent ball skills who runs relatively well, Abram has some struggles in coverage but to his credit has made strides in this area. Abram also earns positive reviews for his intangibles such as toughness and leadership, showing the ability to anchor a secondary.

DE Jachai Polite - 3 DT Christian Wilkins - 2 OT Yodny Cajuste - 2 WR Kelvin Harmon - 2 S Deionte Thompson - 1 S Johnathan Abram - 1 S Nasir Adderley - 1 RB David Montgomery - 1 RB Josh Jacobs - 1 CB DeAndre Baker - 1 CB Byron Murphy - 1 DE Montez Sweat - 1

DE - 4 S - 3 DT - 2 OT - 2 RB - 2 CB - 2 WR - 2

Offense - 6 Defense - 11

We’re going to see a ton of mock drafts that have the Eagles taking defensive linemen this offseason. It’s a big need and the 2019 NFL Draft class is loaded with DL talent.

There’s a good chance Polite and/or Wilkins don’t even fall to the Eagles. Philly might luck out on the DL class being so deep, however, that someone unexpected falls in their laps at No. 25. Both of those players would be great additions to this defense.

Getting Cajuste would make me feel better about the Eagles’ offensive tackle situation. I really don’t love the idea of Halapoulivaati Vaitai entering the 2019 season as the undisputed starting left tackle if Jason Peters isn’t back. (Click here to read more about Cajuste).

I don’t really expect the Eagles to go with a wide receiver but maybe that changes depending on what happens with Nelson Agholor ($9.4 million cap hit in 2019, zero guaranteed), Mike Wallace (free agent), and Jordan Matthews (free agent).

I can’t see the Eagles taking a first-round running back. They haven’t done it in 34 years. I’ll believe it when I see it. With that said, the team does need to make some kind of significant addition(s) in the backfield.

I don’t see first-round cornerback happening, either. The Eagles have a lot of youth there already: Avonte Maddox (22), Sidney Jones (22), Rasul Douglas (23), Jalen Mills (24), and Cre’Von LeBlanc (24). We’ll also see what happens with Ronald Darby (25), who is set to be a free agent.

Safety is an underrated need with Rodney McLeod (9.9 million cap hit) coming off ACL/MCL injuries and Corey Graham (free agent) potentially retiring.

Who is your favorite for No. 25?

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/1/19/18189479/nfl-mock-draft-roundup-2019-defensive-line-eagles-jachai-polite-end-tackle-pass-rush-philadelphia

[thrashermaxey]

21 Fantasy Hockey Rambles

Every Sunday, we'll share 21 Fantasy Rambles — formerly 20 Fantasy Thoughts — from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week's ‘Daily Ramblings’.

Writers: Michael Clifford, Ian Gooding, Cam Robinson, and Dobber

  1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a guy I’m keeping in my back pocket for 2019-20. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that the youngest player in the league is at least the team’s No.2 center next season. (mar7)

Kotkaniemi was a healthy scratch on two occasions this past week. It was the first time the 18-year-old has sat in the press box this season, as coach Claude Julien expressed some concern that fatigue was creeping into his game.

It should be noted that the youngster suited up in 84 total games last season – split between the Finnish Liiga and international tournaments. Prior to that, his career-high had been 41 contests. Despite averaging just 14 minutes a night with Montreal this season, the wear of 66 NHL games for a rookie is real.

There shouldn’t be any concerns about Kotkaniemi moving forward. He’s a spectacular playmaker with a bright future. (mar6)

  2. I don’t know how I didn’t know this, or maybe I did and forgot, but a big need for the Oilers is a top puck-moving defenseman and they actually drafted Erik Gustafsson (fourth round, 2012). They couldn’t come to terms with him (or didn’t want to) in 2014 and lost him. A year later, Chicago signed him. Four years later, he has 48 points in 65 games. (mar4)

  3. At this time last month, we were worried that an Artemi Panarin trade would hurt Cam Atkinson’s value. That scenario looks like it will still play out – just not until after the season.

For the moment, Atkinson continues to roll and shows a career high of 38 goals. As the Blue Jackets attempt to deliver on their all-in playoff push, expect them to ride their leading goal scorer. Atkinson has logged at least 20 minutes in each of his last four games. (mar10)

  4. It’s a combination of the new coach and the fact that all the star players are gone, well…more of the latter, but Chris Tierney is finally getting big power-play time.

I almost really like his outlook for next year. First, he’s one of the best players on the team now (who are they going to sign that is better? Will anyone even want to go there this summer?).

Second, he’ll be 25 next season. I love the age of 26 the most in fantasy, but that’s close enough.

Third, his trend is astonishingly steady. It goes upward at a nice pace, even going up a little during the supposed sophomore slump: 0.25, 0.29, 0.49 points-per-game average the last three years and is 0.61 this year. The only problem is – and it’s a big one – to whom will he give the puck? If he leads all Ottawa forwards in scoring next year will that be with 49 points? (mar4)

  5. After a strong first half, Sharks’ Timo Meier had cooled off in the new year with just three goals in 23 games in January and February. The switch has turned on in March with five goals over his last four games, to bring his current season total to 26. Just in time for your fantasy playoffs. (mar10)

  6. I thought I’d been seeing Vladislav Namestnikov’s name in the boxscore more often lately and his recent numbers prove it. Over his last 12 games, Namestnikov has 11 points (6g-5a), including his three-point game on Saturday.

I mentioned him last month when he began his run with another three-point game (2g-1a) after being held without a point in his previous 10 games. A commenter who must have watched the game replied that “nothing has changed because both goals were gifts” – one an empty-netter, the other a giveaway by the goalie.

Something has changed, though: his ice time. Namestnikov averaged just 13 minutes over the first quarter, while over the last half-dozen games he has averaged 18 minutes. The trades of Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes have likely had that effect. (mar10)

  7. Before adding a goal and two helpers, Alex Tuch, had entered Saturday’s matchup with just four points in his last 16 games. With the addition of Stone, Tuch has been bumped down from the Paul Stastny – Max Pacioretty line to the Cody Eakin line. That’s a significant drop in value. (mar10)

  8. I might be cherry-picking stats here, but Ryan Strome has 12 points (6g-6a) over his last 14 games, including two goals and an assist on Saturday. Over his last six games he’s also been averaging 18 minutes per game. Looks like a midseason trade has helped not one, but two Strome brothers. (mar10)

  9. When colleague Cam Robinson discussed ‘stacking mates’ in a recent Ramblings, it felt like he was talking directly to me! You see, I own three Florida Panthers on one of my teams: Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman. (On this same roster, I also owned three Ottawa Senators until Matt Duchene and Mark Stone were traded.)

Yes, I can attest to the fact that this can be a risky strategy, particularly in head-to-head fantasy setups, where the number of games played and the team’s overall output can have a significant impact on the week’s results. It kind of happened to me by accident after Duchene was traded last season and Hoffman was traded during the offseason. Yet, I won my league last season, and I’m in contention again this season. So, if you decide to stack your roster, at least pick the team’s best players, which will at least minimize the risk. Otherwise, the mutual fund strategy of diversification works best for your fantasy portfolio.

If you own multiple Panthers players and this is a critical week for you, then stacking has paid back in spades for you. Barkov picked up not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE assists on Friday, while Huberdeau added a goal and three assists. In fact, the Barkov-Huberdeau-Evgenii Dadonov line was a combined plus-14, with the latter chipping in three helpers of his own.

Over consecutive nights, Barkov and Huberdeau have been scorching hot, accruing seven points each. Huby has now hit 70 points for the first time in his career, while Barkov is just three points shy of his 78-point career high set last season. Start these Panthers with confidence as their team attempts a last-ditch playoff push. (mar9)

  10. After Mike Babcock said that Frederik Andersen would be held to 56 appearances, he clarified that he miscalculated that number and that Andersen would actually be held to 60 games (Chris Johnston). The 56-appearance projection would basically have Andersen split starts with Garret Sparks for the rest of the season, but an extra four starts means that Andersen will receive close to one more start per week than that. That’s an arrangement that Andersen owners should be able to live with.

As an Andersen owner, I figured that he could be looking at a workload reduction anyway, since the Leafs have been on a collision course with the Bruins all season anyway to face each other in the first round. What’s an extra home playoff game if the team is worn out by the playoffs? (mar9)

  11. Some ill-timed news for fantasy owners of Gabriel Landeskog. The Colorado captain is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury. This timeline effectively ends Landeskog’s regular season and makes him droppable in non-keeper formats that do not use separate IR slots, which will only be useful in the event that he returns significantly earlier than expected.

In just 68 games, Landeskog had already set career highs in goals, points, and power-play points. His shot total is the highest since his rookie season (270 SOG), while his 114 hits at the time of injury ranked him second on the Avalanche. Of course, playing on arguably the league’s best line with two of the league’s top-10 scorers in Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t hurt. Regardless, it’s been a career season for Landeskog, even if it has been cut short.

Alexander Kerfoot seems like a possibility to be bumped up to the top line, which would be a huge boost to his fantasy value. Kerfoot has just one goal over his past six games, so his value could use a jumpstart anyway. (mar9)

  12. The Bruins are now 15-0-4 since January 29. That’s great news for Tuukka Rask owners, as he has won 10 of his last 11 games. Since the beginning of February, Rask has a 1.97 GAA and a .923 SV%. (mar10)

  13. Our Report Generator on DobberHockey continues to be improved. The most recent addition has been in the power play (PP) Data area, where Eric Daoust has included PPPt/60 – which is essentially how many power-play points a player gets for every 60 minutes of power-play deployment. It’s a mouthful, but it provides tangible evidence to support how effective a player is on a man-advantage unit.

To me, this is a potential gold mine. Teams are constantly looking to improve their special teams’ production and finding players who are thriving in a limited role would likely be a good starting point in attempting to unearth assets that will see their value increase with further opportunities.

At the top of this list, we see the elites: Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, David Pastrnak, Phil Kessel, Brent Burns, etc. But what I’m looking for are those undervalued players, for example:  Jack Roslovic and Kevin Labanc. (mar8)

  14. Roslovic: Pegged by many as a prime candidate to steal the second-line center gig in Winnipeg this season, Roslovic has found himself locked in the bottom-six skating fewer than 10 minutes a contest and very few power-play opportunities. However, in his 45 minutes of man-advantage action, the 22-year-old has produced 7.9 PPPt/60. As of Friday, that number put him a shade ahead of Patrice Bergeron.

The Jets are going to run into cap issues soon, and when they do, Roslovic will be there to eat up offensive minutes for a reasonable price. He'll be another good bet to garner more interest next season assuming Winnipeg doesn't find a way to add a center this offseason. (mar8)

  15. Labanc: The Sharks have a bevy of forward talent to choose from when an opponent heads to the sin bin. But it's Labanc who leads them in PPPt/60. His 7.1 PPPt/60 is amongst the league-leaders and not due to small sample size. His 145 minutes of man-advantage action (also as of Friday) is less than the big dogs, but still averaging out to over two-minutes per contest.

He'll need to continue to fight off Timo Meier for that top unit spot, but Labanc has shown capable of improving production year-over-year. A few more minutes per night and we could be talking about a 65-point forward next season. (mar8)

  16. Another neat tool has been added to our Dobber Prospects profiles projecting a prospect based on production at different levels in different leagues (PNHLe), as calculated by Mason Black. The one linked above is of Jordan Kyrou but you can check in on any of your favourite prospects to see what could be expected of them. (mar7)

  17. In order to take the next step in fantasy relevance, Travis Sanheim needs to do two things: shoot more and earn meaningful power play minutes. One of those things is in his control and one is not. He’s currently third on the team depth chart for power play minutes behind Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. In that sense, it’ll be very hard for Sanheim to have significant fantasy relevance.

Consider that in 2017-18, Provorov was the only defenseman with 10 or fewer PPPs to crack 40 points. This year, going into Thursday action, Mattias Ekholm had already cracked 40 points with just seven PPPs, while Jared Spurgeon (39) and Ryan Ellis (36) were the only other two within striking distance with eight or fewer PPPs. In other words, for Sanheim to get to that magical 40-point mark with his current level of PP production (which is related to his PP minutes allotment), he’ll need a lot to go right. It’s not something to rely upon.

Now, he can control how much he shoots, and I’m not overly concerned about the dip this year. It’s really his first full season and there is a laundry list of guys who are high volume shooters now who weren’t earlier in their career. Names like Roman Josi, Dougie Hamilton, and Tyson Barrie all shot less earlier in their careers, even if Barrie’s career numbers are a bit wonky because of those awful Avs teams from a few years ago. It could take two or three more years before Sanheim really finds whatever his normal shot level will be.

Until he takes over PP duties for one of Gostisbehere or Provorov, Ekholm’s 2018-19 season should be seen as some sort of ceiling for what Sanheim can achieve. With a bit of luck, he can be a 10-goal, 45-point defenseman. However, it’s most likely he settles in somewhere around 7-8 goals and 35 points for now. (mar7)

  18. Just spit-balling but I’m not sure what to make of Luke Kunin’s season so far. The underlying numbers aren’t great but how much of that is due to injuries on his part and upheaval of the roster by management? It can’t be an easy situation to overcome.

By the eye, he’s looked fine whenever I’ve watched him if unspectacular. He should have a big role on this team in 2019-20 (he’s played 17:40 per game over the last month) so he’ll be a guy to follow over the final month. It could tell us a lot about what to expect from him next year. (mar5)

  19. Just wanted to chime in briefly on Jesse Puljujarvi’s injury. It’s clear that three years of development from the Oilers has done nothing, and now he’s on the shelf for most of the summer with double hip surgery. To me, that means 2019-20 will be mostly getting back up to speed as he’s behind the eight ball again. Not that this effectively ends his career, but if next year is basically just trying to get his legs under him following surgery, he’ll be four years into his career with little to show for it, even with this year and next mostly being a wash due to injury. I wonder how much longer we wait before the Oilers move on. (mar5)

  20. A year and a half ago I was high on Nathan Beaulieu, touting him as a strong dark horse. I did this because the Sabres went after him hard, acquiring him and immediately putting him on their power play. They desperately wanted him to succeed as a PP QB.

A dark horse is all about opportunity. You’re betting purely on opportunity and not on results (because none are there yet). In this case, it flopped. I had him in two of my leagues and dropped him as soon as I could after the failure became clear. Now he’s been cast off to the Jets.

I wonder if he could be a depth producer next year in the way that Tyler Myers has been this year. Beaulieu is 26 years old, so the timing is right. As a former first-round pick, the talent is there. Somewhere. And this is a high-scoring team so he could get 20 points almost by accident. He is an RFA this summer. (mar4)

  21. With another two goals on Saturday, Nino Niederreiter has 11 goals and 21 points in 22 games as a Hurricane. He’s fitting right in. Not that Wild fans need to be reminded, but Victor Rask has a goal and an assist in 10 games as a member of the Wild. Rask is currently on IR as well. (mar10)

  Have a good week, folks!!

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles-8/

[etechwire-blog]

Best cheap smartphones in Australia for 2018

New Post has been published on https://www.etechwire.com/best-cheap-smartphones-in-australia-for-2018/

Best cheap smartphones in Australia for 2018

UPDATE: Australia’s cheapest Android One smartphone, the Nokia 3.1, has been added to our list of the best cheap smartphones in Australia. Read on to find out where it placed and what it has to offer! 

While handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, iPhone X, LG G7 ThinQ and the Google Pixel 2 are stealing headlines around the world, there’s a lot of intriguing (and cheap) stuff going on in the world of budget phones.

Sadly smartphone innovation isn’t cheap – and most of it is reserved for high-end contract handsets. There is however such a thing as a good cheap smartphone, and ever so gently all those amazing features from the flagship devices are slowly trickling down to the budget phones.

That’s why we have sorted through hundreds of inexpensive smartphones in order to rank the best options that you can buy unlocked without monthly fees and, importantly, without a two-year contract.

No, these aren’t the best smartphones available in Australia, so you won’t find the new Galaxy S9 among them. Likewise, the 4-inch iPhone SE is $599, so it misses the mark by about $150, as lovely as it is.

Here’s a selection of our favourite budget and mid-range smartphones. If you’re looking to pick up a decent handset for not much cash, these are the top cheap phones your money can buy – even on a budget.

1. Motorola Moto G6

A special edition that rests on its laurels

Weight: 167g | Dimensions: 153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3mm | OS: Android 8.0 | Screen size: 5.7-inch | Resolution: 2160 x 1080 | CPU: Snapdragon 450 1.8GHz | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB w/ microSD | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 5MP | Front camera: 8MP

Low price

Premium design

Slow camera

Not waterproof

Last year brought us a $300 Moto G5, and then eventually a $350 Moto G5S, but 2018’s more expensive $400 model is far from just another link in the iterative chain. With its well-established name, the G6 has bumped up its price but brought with it some premium features.

Some of the most immediate of these include the new 18:9 aspect ratio across the G6 series, allowing for more vertical space when reading articles and a wider playing field when gaming or watching videos. 

Despite this aspect ratio change and a significant bump in screen-size, the handsets have kept to a similar size courtesy of a considerable thinning of the top and bottom bezels, resulting in a display-to-body ratio that brings the range comfortably into 2018.

Another ‘premium’ trend that the series has adopted is a glass rear panel. This is an essential design point for handsets that offer wireless charging, but considering the G6 range doesn’t support this feature, it’s a purely aesthetic (and heavily smudge-laden) addition. It’s exceptional fast-charging, and it’s a joy to see the G6 sporting the future-ready USB-C. 

You’ll also find the whole set running on an OS that’s delightfully close to the no-fuss stock Android operating system, but with just the right amount of clever Motorola features sprinkled on top.

The G6 deftly balances its price with the features and performance you’d expect from a modern handset in this class. Despite sharing the same amount of RAM as its Play counterpart (3GB), the slight bump in its processor and graphics chip gives it a considerable performance edge over the more affordable alternative.

Now, let’s consider the extra $80 you would need to drop to upgrade from the Play to the G6. You’ll be getting a snappy dual-lens rear camera, a USB-C port, NFC capabilities, an actual glass chassis, a front-facing fingerprint scanner, water-repellent coating, and a 1,080 x 2,160 display, bumping the pixel density up from 282ppi to 424ppi. 

Many of these upgrades would be worth the dollar-difference alone, but when combined with the performance boosts on tap, it’s easy to recommend forking out the little extra for the G6. 

It’s not without identically-priced competition, however — the notch-toting Huawei Nova 3e offers similar performance in an arguably trendier package. That said, fans of Motorola’s midrange phones will find the Moto G6 to be a very attractive prospect. 

Read the full review: Motorola Moto G6 See the best Moto G6 outright deals here

2. Huawei Y7

Simple, focused and deceptively premium

Weight: 165g | Dimensions: 154 x 76 x 8mm | CPU: Snapdragon 435 1.4GHz | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16GB (microSD) | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP

Terrific performance

Huge battery

Only 2GB of RAM

720p display

Outperforming every phone we tested in processing power, graphics grunt and battery life benchmarks, the Y7 is a sleek and capable unit that pays close attention to the important details. This budget handset has some lower-level hardware — only 2GB of RAM and a 720p display are its weakest points, and it’s lacking a fingerprint reader — but at this price it works in its favour. 

Many of the fingerprint readers we tested were unreliable, and the 2GB of RAM doesn’t seem to slow the beast down when it comes to everyday operation. Plus, the 720p display looks surprisingly sharp and helps squeeze more out of the impressive 4,000mAh battery. 

Its closest competitor in this roundup, the Oppo A57, has identical internals with the exception of 3GB of RAM and still fell short across the board (albeit by a small margin most of the time). Round off the excellent performance with a capable camera and a seriously premium design and feel, and the Y7 is a steal for $249. 

See the best Huawei Y7 outright deals here

3. Oppo A57

A great phone for selfies at this price

Weight: 147g | Dimensions: 149.1 x 72.9 x 7.7 mm | OS: Android 6 | Screen size: 5.2-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | CPU: Octa-core 1.4 GHz | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 2,900mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 16MP

Fingerprint sensor

Fantastic selfie camera

Only shoots at 1080p 30fps

ColorOS not to everyone’s taste

With a beautiful design and feel that looks almost indistinguishable from Oppo’s higher end models, the Oppo A57 delivers premium styling without costing an arm and a leg. 

Like all Oppo phones, the A57 has a magnificent camera that works well in low-light situations. It also has the benefit of carrying over Oppo’s Beauty Mode for seriously flattering selfies (you know a smartphone is serious about selfies when the front-facing camera has a higher megapixel sensor than the rear).

Add to this a front-facing fingerprint sensor, expandable storage via microSD, a terrific build that remains slim and stylish, and what you have is a mid-range phone that’s easy to recommend at $328.

Admittedly, we’d have liked a 1080p screen rather than the 720p one that the A57 sports, and ColorOS may be a little too close to iOS for many Android users’ tastes, but it’s still hard to overlook a phone of this quality at the price listed above.

See the best Oppo A57 outright deals here

4. Nokia 6 (2018)

A phone that feels much nicer than its price would suggest

Weight: 172g | Dimensions: 148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2mm | OS: Android 8.1 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | CPU: Octa-core 2.2 GHz | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 8MP

Terrific build quality

Snappy Android One OS

USB Type-C port included

Large bezels are outdated

Weak low-light camera performance

More storage would be nice

Once again offering a flagship feel at a fraction of the usual cost, this year’s updated Nokia 6 (or the Nokia 6.1 as it’s officially known) sports a terrifically sturdy build quality, also offering a pure Android One experience for those who aren’t willing to shell out for a Google Pixel 2. 

Its all-metal build is the first thing you’re likely to notice, with a significant heft that makes it feel tough in comparison to most modern smartphones. Its matte finish feels smooth in the hand, with some metallic detailing around the phone’s edges, buttons and camera offering a bit of added pizzazz. 

And, unlike most handsets in this price range, the Nokia 6.1 also sports a USB Type-C port for speedy data transfer and fast charging. That it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack is just the icing on the cake. 

At $399, it’s great value, though there are some caveats — system data alone takes up over 12GB out of a 32GB total of onboard storage, leaving you with less than 20GB before you’ve even downloaded or saved a single thing. Thankfully, the phone allows for expandable storage thanks to its MicroUSB slot. 

Admittedly, its camera is nothing to write home about, taking adequate photos that probably won’t blown anyone away. We also found that the Nokia 6.1 struggled to take decent low-light photos. 

Still, at this price it’s probably unreasonable to expect flagship-quality snapshots (though the Oppo A57 and Sony Xperia XA1 come quite close), and in terms of design and overall performance, the Nokia 6.1 is a real winner. 

Read the full review: Nokia 6 (2018)

5. Apple iPhone 5S

Apple’s iPhone makes the cut if you jump through hoops

Weight: 112g | Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm | OS: iOS 10 | Screen size: 4-inch | Resolution: 1,136 x 640 | CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz | RAM: 1GB | Storage: 16GB | Battery: 1,560mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP

Touch ID is easy and secure

Great camera on a budget

Battery could be better

It’s really, really difficult to fit an Apple phone on a best cheap phones list, but there has to be at least one that’s inexpensive enough for iOS fans who refuse to try Android.

The cheapest is the iPhone 5S. The best deal we’ve been able to find through a carrier is Telstra, which has the 16GB version available for $369 on an pre-paid plan. Alternatively, you could buy it outright on the Kogan website for $429, no contracts required. 

You’re only getting 16GB, but then again, so are entry-level iPhone SE owners. It comes in space gray or silver, has Touch ID and a still-impressive 8MP camera and runs iOS 10.

Read the full review: iPhone 5S See the best iPhone 5S outright deals here

6. Sony Xperia XA1

Low price, ultra-high megapixel count

Weight: 137g | Dimensions: 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 mm | OS: Android 6.0.1 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 1280 x 720 | CPU: Octa-core | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16GB w/ microSD | Battery: 2300mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 8MP

Flagship-quality camera

Bright, vibrant display

Battery could have been bigger

Huge bezels

Sony has aced this phone’s design in a few respects. It looks and feels slick, with metal used in the right places. This is also one of the cheapest phones you’ll find with a camera that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a flagship a year or two ago. 

Inside, you get an ample 32GB of storage, and there’s also a microSD card slot (next to the nanoSIM) in the pull-out tray. Colour reproduction on the 720p screen is respectably rich and vivid, and the display is also super-bright with superb contrast. 

Max out the backlight and outdoors visibility is excellent. In Geekbench 4, the Sony Xperia XA1 scored a solid 3,628 points, around 200 less than the 3,824 score the Moto G5 Plus achieved in our tests. Don’t read too much into that, though. This phone is very much in the same league as the Moto G5. 

The XA1’s rear camera is among the very best at this price, using a 23MP sensor of 1/2.3-inch size, the same scale as some dedicated compact cameras, and produces images with great detail. 

Read the full review: Sony Xperia XA1 See the best Sony Xperia XA outright deals

7. LG Q6

Flagship style at a fraction of the cost

Weight: 149g | Dimensions: 143 x 69 x 8mm | OS: Android 7.1.1 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | CPU: Snapdragon 435 1.4GHz | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 32/64GB w/ microSD | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 5MP

Gorgeous design

Flagship-style 18:9 display

No fingerprint scanner

Performance is just OK

Often unofficially referred to as the ‘LG G6 Mini’, the LG Q6 takes that flagship phone’s design and shrinks it down slightly to deliver a much more attractive handset than its affordable price point would suggest. We’ve even seen it for as little as $299! 

The Q6 offers an impressive 18:9 FullVision display with reduced bezels. Dual SIM support is also included, and you can easily switch between two cards right from the device’s navigation bar, so when you consider that huge screen, this is a great device for international travellers with a lust for watching movies. 

It’s also quite capable when it comes to photography, with its 13MP rear camera producing some exceptional snaps under the right conditions. We’re also fans of the ability to switch between standard and wide-angle selfies. 

The LG Q6 isn’t without its downsides, though — it lacks a fingerprint scanner, and it’s slightly less powerful than some other competing phones in this price range. Still, you’re unlikely to find a prettier handset for under $400. 

Read the full review: LG Q6 See the best LG Q6 outright deals

8. Nokia 3.1 (2018)

A decent option for first-time phone owners

Weight: 138g | Dimensions: 146.3 x 68.7 x 8.7mm | OS: Android 8.0 (Android One) | Screen size: 5.2-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1,440 | CPU: MediaTek 6750 | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16GB w/ microSD | Battery: 2,990mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 8MP

Quality build

Bright 18:9 HD+ display

Lacks fingerprint scanner

A little slow

Officially Australia’s cheapest Android One phone (meaning it’s as close to stock Android as a non-Pixel phone can be), this year’s Nokia 3 (officially known as Nokia 3.1) is a great option for kids and first-time smartphone owners. 

Even if you’re neither of those things, the Nokia 3.1 is also great for those who want to check out the latest versions of Android soon as they’re released (it runs Android Oreo right of the box, and is guaranteed to receive at least two full software updates in the future).  

While it’s not the snappiest budget phone out there, the Nokia 3.1 offers a quality build, a bright HD+ (720p) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, a microSD card slot (allowing you to expand upon the 16GB of onboard storage that’s included) and a decent 13MP primary camera with auto focus capability. 

Priced at just $249, it’s hard to look past the Nokia 3.1 as a budget smartphone that’ll let you see what Android One is all about. It’s also ideal as a first phone, particularly for kids. 

Read the hands on review: Nokia 3 (2018) See the best Nokia 3 (2108) outright deals

[itsworn]

Custom Bumpers for Your Early Ford

Automotive styling was rapidly changing in the mid ’30s. The 1933-1934 Ford fenders were the first with side skirts behind the wheels; by 1935 Ford had entered what hot rodders affectionately call the “fat fendered” era. The new, round fenders were more streamlined and fully covered the wheels. The 1935 Ford employed a grille with styling cues carried over from 1934. While the 1936 Ford shared many body parts with the 1935 model, the new grille had a distinctly modern look, with the V-shape tapering back to the hood. It was a stylish treatment that met with the approval of the general public and hot rodders alike. While the grille was modern, the front and rear bumpers were still reminiscent of the 1934 bumper. The center dip provides clearance for the hand crank, should it be needed, and the curled ends of the bumper definitely recall the earlier cars. However, in our humble opinion, the bumpers, both front and rear, appear to be too short for the car, ending almost in the center of the front fenders.

The 1936 Ford body style lends itself to being a rod, a custom, or often both. Think back to the famed Pierson Brothers 1936 coupe. It ran DeSoto bumpers, fender skirts, Appleton spots, wide whitewalls, but could also be stripped down for a rapid pass across the salt. Such is the versatility of the 1936 Ford, which brings us to the 1936 Ford phaeton seen on these pages.

As we all know, street rodding is as much about friends as it is cars. So after selling my 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon, my good friend Al Casteen was certain he had the next car for me. After some brief negotiations I was the proud owner of the 1936 tub seen here.

I headed up to Virginia to collect said phaeton and along the way picked up another longtime pal Larry Shoaf. We retrieved the car and on the way back home I mentioned the first thing to go would be the stock bumpers. I spoke of V-ing a 1940 Ford pickup bumper for the front when Shoaf mentioned he had an old bumper in his shed that carried a factory V-shape. He thought it was a late ’30s or early ’40s GM bumper. When we arrived at his house the bumper was placed on the front bumper irons of the 1936. It appeared to be the perfect width and curvature, plus it was a great-looking bumper.

Once home the original bumper was removed and the “new” bumper was clamped in place. I felt it was the perfect upgrade for my newfound 1936. A bit of research indicated it was a 1939 Buick bumper. In less than an hour online I had located a rear 1939 Buick bumper, so I now had a matching pair.

The phaeton will be running a hopped-up 59AB Flathead motor so the key here was to keep things traditional. We decided to use the stock Ford bumper irons to mount the 1939 Buick bumper. We also filled the original bumper mounting holes for a nice early custom touch and fabricated mounts to the backside of the Buick bumper to mate to the Ford bumper irons. Our mounts are simple, 3/16-inch plates welded to the inside of the bumper. This provides a nice flat surface to mate to the bumper irons and also ensures we won’t distort or crack the bumper when tightening the bolts; two problems that can occur if you simply weld studs to the back side of the bumper.

In the process of adapting the bumpers we did heat and bend the Ford brackets a bit and we also slotted the bumper iron mounting holes on the driver side bumper irons to provide front to back adjustment. This allowed us to fit the bumper perfectly. Remember you are working on an 81-year-old automobile. That original bumper has no doubt been bumped, used to pull other cars, and maybe had the weight of the car lifted on it. It pays to take preliminary measurements of the original bumper and the bumper irons before trying to adapt a new bumper. By getting the bumper irons matching from side to side, mounting the new bumper level centered will be much easier. The job is pretty straightforward work, but like all things, work slowly, measure twice, cut once, and keep things centered and level.

In the end we believe the 1939 Buick bumper gave our 1936 Ford a wider, lower look and the 79-year-old bumper was just “modern” enough to provide a nice custom touch. The bumper also gently sweeps around the corner of the fenders providing protection and good looks. The sculpted shape of the Buick bumper also adds a nice touch of detail. The filled holes enhance the smooth lines of the Buick bumper and when the bumper returns from Advanced Plating in Nashville our bumper makeover will be complete. The principles behind mounting this bumper will apply to many cars with exposed bumper irons, so follow along as we mount a 1939 Buick bumper to our 1936 Ford phaeton.

A filled 1939 Buick bumper gives our 1936 Ford a wider, smoother appearance, and the good news is adapting it was easy.

The new grille was sleek and aerodynamic by 1936 standards, and in our opinion the Ford bumpers look too old and too short for the sleek new design.

The first step was to simply rest the new 1939 Buick bumper on top of the bumper irons to check for proper width and contour. The Buick bumper was V’d from the factory and the width appeared to be good.

After removing the original bumper we clamped the Buick bumper to the Ford bumper irons. We were amazed at how perfectly the new bumper fit the contours of the 1936 Ford fenders.

The next step was to center the bumper and level the bumper. We put a bolt in the original bumper mounting hole and measured to mark in the center of the grille. We did this on both sides and moved the clamps until the bumper was perfectly centered.

Next we measured from the face of the sheetmetal to the bumper on each side. As it turns out one bumper iron measured 8-1/8 inches while the other was 8-5/8 inches. We would have to adjust this gap.

We decided to slot the bumper irons on the driver side of the car. This would allow us to move that side inward to match the 8-1/8-inch gap on the passenger side. We began the process by drilling two 9/16-inch holes on both driver side bumper irons.

We then used a cut-off wheel in a die grinder to remove the metal between the holes. A little work with a file and a die grinder burr provided smooth adjuster slots in the bumper irons. We now had ample forward and back adjustment for the bumper.

Next up was making mounts for the new 1939 Buick bumper. We began by making four 3/16-inch plates measuring 1-1/2×2 inches. Each plate was drilled with a 7/16-inch hole.

After cutting the head off a 7/16-14 bolt we gently clamped it in the vise and placed the plate over the stud for welding. The stud is slightly recessed in the plate.

After a quick pass with our Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG welder the 7/16-inch stud and plate were one. Since the bumper is contoured there is no need to grind the weld off this back side of the plate.

After marking the center of the original inboard Ford bumper iron hole we tack-welded the stud plate to the inside of the Buick bumper. Note that all of the chrome and copper plating has been ground off the bumper prior to welding.

With the mounts tack-welded in place we testfit the bumper one last time. Satisfied that the mounts were properly located, we TIG-welded the stud plates to the bumper. These two studs make mounting the bumper a simple one-man job.

The Ford bumper irons were not perfectly parallel to our new mounting pads. The remedy is to simply heat and bend the mounting end of the irons. First we brought the bumper iron to a bright red color using an oxy/acetylene cutting torch.

Then we quickly slipped the bumper in place and used a C-clamp to pull the bumper iron flat to the mounting pad. We left the C-clamp in place until the bumper iron cooled. We then did the same thing to the passenger side bumper iron.

While the driver side outer bumper bracket was close to fitting the bumper, it was a bit high, possibly from a jack sometime in the past 81 years. We would need to pull that bracket downward.

While the driver side outer bumper bracket was close to fitting the bumper, it was a bit high, possibly from a jack sometime in the past 81 years. We would need to pull that bracket downward.

A simple cargo strap was wrapped around the very end of the outer bumper iron and down to our lift. We heated the bumper iron and used the ratchet to pull the bumper iron down into place.

On the passenger side the bumper iron was in the middle of the bumper but was pushed inward. We applied heat to the bumper iron and pulled it forward with a C-clamp.

The outboard brackets would be a bit more involved than simple flat plates. We began by finding the curvature of the bumper with a profile gauge. These gauges give both a female and male profile by simply pushing it against the bumper.

We fabricated the small “leg” of the bracket with the proper profile to match the bumper. On the back side of the mount we welded a 7/16-14 nut to act as a receiver for the bumper bolt.

We bolted the bracket to the bumper iron and then marked the location on the bumper. Once again, tack-weld, testfit, and then finish weld the bracket to the inside of the bumper on both sides.

With our new brackets welded inside the bumper we bolted the bumper in place and made the proper adjustments to center and level the bumper. The bumper matches virtually every curve of the Ford front sheetmetal.

The next job was smoothing the bumper. We cut a 1/2-inch carriage bolt head off and used it to fill the square holes in the bumper. We tack-welded the bolt head on the inside of the bumper.

Here you can see how nicely the carriage bolt fills the square hole. The chrome and copper plating has been ground off the bumper in preparation for the final TIG welding.

Once again the Miller Synchrowave 200 TIG welder was called into service. We left the weld a bit high to provide material to grind down, but we were also certain to have good penetration of the weld.

A little work with a small grinding wheel and the hole disappeared. One small low spot required a quick hit with the TIG welder and a bit more grinding.

When it came time to fill the round holes we found a 5/8-inch bolt and cut thin pieces that were a bit thicker than the bumper. The thick piece on the right is for the center hole.

Since the center hole is in the middle of the bumper “V” we let the filler plug protrude a bit. This allows enough material to match the profile of the V. The bolt thread on the plug helped hold it in place.

The plug was then TIG welded on both sides. Note we have ground off the chrome and copper plating. The two outer round holes were filled in similar fashion.

Once again using a 100-grit, 2-inch grinding pad we shaped the filled hole to match the bumper. We left the area slightly high as this will provide material for the finishing team at Advanced Plating to work with when doing the final smoothing of the bumper.

This side profile view shows how perfectly the 1939 Buick bumper fits the 1936 Ford sheetmetal. Likewise the rear bumper from a 1939 Buick fits the contour of the 1936 Ford rear sheetmetal. More on that later.

The “before” view: The stock bumper isn’t as wide as the fenders and the center dip, bumper guards and Cats-Eye Auxiliary Lamp all combine for a rather busy look.

The “after” view shows a smooth bumper that is wide enough to protect the entire front sheetmetal. The dip of the stock Ford bumper has been replaced by a stylish “V” and we think the straight bumper adds a lower, wider look to our old Ford. Now it’s off to Advanced Plating for some perfect chrome.

The post Custom Bumpers for Your Early Ford appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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[eddiejpoplar]

The Magnificent Seven: Jeep’s Assault on Moab for Easter

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan – Jeep does this every year. Fiat Chrysler’s most storied, and most profitable brand manages to customize a handful of its production models to show off each year at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari. And by “show off,” we mean that Jeep brings these special models to Utah to be driven off-road. They’re not just for show.

These customized Jeeps use a combo of off-the-rack aftermarket parts from Fiat Chrysler’s own Mopar division, as well as independent suppliers like Fox Shocks and Dana. They also use specially fabricated parts and prototype parts, but they never are trailer queens. They’re to be driven off-road.

Five of the seven custom specials built for the 52nd Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari are based on the all-new JL Wrangler. The other two include a resto-mod Jeep Wagoneer and a Renegade. So if you’re in Moab, Utah anywhere from March 24 to April 1, you need to keep an eye out for these:

1. Jeep 4Speed “This is the one to have,” says chief designer Mark Allen, and you’ll find no argument here. Like the 2011 Pork Chop concept and 2013 Stitch concept, 4Speed is all about light weight. It has a carbon-fiber hood, high clearance carbon-fiber fender flares, a carbon-fiber rear tub and perforated aluminum panels, plus a raked windshield, extended door openings and swept back custom cage. It’s a two-seater, with the rear seats removed and a bedliner floor and perforated aluminum panels in place of the stock footwells. A welding curtain serves as a bikini top. Wheelbase is unchanged, but overall length is two inches shorter thanks to shortened fenders, and everything taken off the nose and tail.

Powered by the new (for Jeep Wrangler) 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 feeding the four wheels through an eight-speed automatic, the 4Speed is 950 pounds lighter than a stock two-door Wrangler, Allen says, and consequently rides two inches higher than stock. It has Dana 44 front and rear axles, a 4.10 gear ratio and 18-inch lightweight monoblock wheels with 35-inch outer-diameter Goodyear Mud Terrain tires. When Colin Chapman advised sports and racecar builders to “add lightness,” he probably wasn’t thinking about such serious off-roaders.

2. Jeep Sandstorm Ford gave auto reporters a sneak peek of its upcoming Bronco, and Bronco Jr., last week. While the upcoming Ford Bronco, especially, looks like it’s designed to compete directly with the Jeep Wrangler, Ford says its new model coming next year is designed more for faster off-roading, like the Raptor, with good on-road manners. Intentional or not, the Jeep Sandstorm seems ready to take on that Bronco.

Powered by a 485-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox, the Sandstorm, a chopped-down Wrangler Unlimited four-door, is “aimed at high-speed off-roading,” such as the Baja and Barstow races, Allen says, but with the luxurious ride of a street vehicle.

Custom pieces include a vented carbon-fiber hood, vented high-clearance front- and rear fender flares and a cage with a rear-mounted “lay down style” spare tire carrier. Front axle is four inches forward, with a heavy duty longarm four-link suspension and track bar, and the rear bar is two inches further back, with a triangulated trailing arm four-link suspension, plus custom coilovers, and bypass shocks.

Front travel is 14 inches, while there’s up to 18 inches in the rear. Front and rear axles are Dynatrac 60s, with a 5.68 gear ratio, 17-inch beadlock wheels and whopping 39.5-inch BF Goodrich Krawler tires—perfect for Pothole Season in Metro Detroit. Carpeting and plastic trim are replaced with a floor bedliner, and the rear seats are unupholstered. “It’s kind of like a roller-coaster,” back there, “I’d guess,” Allen says.

3. Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip The Jeep team chose the best original Wagoneer it could find, a 1965 model, and retro-modded it. “It looked and smelled terrible,” Allen says, “but it was mostly rust-free.” Jeep added five inches of wheelbase, with body mods for additional length, a wider track and custom fender flares. The wheel wells and bumpers are reshaped, and it has integrated rock rails. The “razor”-style grille comes from a later model of the Wagoneer, which Jeep first built from 1965 to 1973.

It now has Bottle Green architectural glass, and it has been repainted from its original National Forest Service-style drab green with what the paint color boffins at Fiat Chrysler call Mintage Green. Seats have been refinished in oxblood leather. The interior headliner is made of wicker. This Wagoneer’s single-overhead cam six, first U.S. mass-produced OHC engine (predating the Pontiac OHC six by a couple of years) was removed in favor of, ironically, the OHV 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Allen showed off a metal toolbox stowed in the rear, made of the Wagoneer’s original 230 Tornado OHC-6 valve cover. There’s also a custom cooler from period-correct luggage. Alas, the German shepherd in the second-row seat is a stuffed toy—in this regard, Subaru still is ahead of Jeep. The Jeep Wagoneer Roadtrip is customized to evoke “nostalgic memories of going to Yellowstone National Park on a summer family vacation.”

4. Nacho Jeep This one’s “mostly Mopar parts,” says the parts division’s Todd Beddick. A prototype hood has functional air inlets and heat extractors to keep the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 cool. There’s a satin black grille to contrast with the yellow Nacho paint color above a steel Rubicon bumper with a Warn Winch kit. Magneti Marelli provides the A-pillar and brush-guard mounted LED lights, and there’s Automotive Lighting LED header lights under the windshield header, for a total of “about 40,000 Lumens,” according to Beddick. “It’ll actually help you see.” An antenna-style rear off-road scouting light uses four-color LEDs to communicate trail conditions [red for “stop,” amber for “1-3 mph,” and green for “3-25 mph,” plus a white flood light] to off-roaders behind you. The Nacho features exclusive 2-1/2-inch (diameter) Fox Shocks and a two-inch lift kit. The rock rail tube doors will be available from Mopar in May, and a tailgate reinforcement relocation kit keeps the 37-inch spare tire in place. There’s a fold-down tailgate table (but don’t sit on it). Inside, seats are Katzkin leather, and the all-weather mats have drain plugs that line up with the floorboard’s drain plugs. Customers can recreate the Nacho Jeep for about $14,000 over the price of the stock JL Wrangler, Beddick says.

5. Jeep Jeepster Like the Wagoneer Roadtrip, the Jeepster is designed to evoke the era of the early years of the Easter Safari, though in this case it starts with a new JL Wrangler, with its windshield raked back by 2.5-degrees and with a two-inch lower roof. Painted Firecracker red and bright white in the style of the original, 1966-73 Jeepster Commando, this Jeepster looks the part of a boulevardier rather than a serious off-roader. Looks deceive, though – it has a two-inch lift kit and 2.5-inch-diameter aluminum body shocks, with oversized 37-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires on Beadlock-capable 17-inch wheels. Other features include a black fuel door, grab handles and all-weather floor mats. A concept tubular rollbar replaces the JL’s sport bar, and a custom in-cabin spare tire carrier with 38-inch spare replaces the Wrangler’s rear seat. This also makes space for concept storage packs attached to the tailgate. The combo rock rails/side steps are a concept part, says Mopar design chief Joe Dehner. Seats are Katzkin black leather with Rubicon Red Jeep grille logos.

6. Jeep B-Ute Though based on the humble Renegade, the B-Ute (“bea-ute!” get it?) is an attractive not-so-soft-roader, featuring such Jeep Performance Parts as a 1.5-inch lift kit, custom roof rack and rock rails. Powered by the standard 2.4-liter Tigershark I-4 mated to a nine-speed automatic, the B-Ute rides on 17-inch wheels with a 30 mm offset and BF Goodrich Comp T/A Baja Champion tires. Seats are custom-trimmed with Mineral inserts. There are Mopar all-weather floor mats, and a MOLLE system [MOdular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment] on the rear seatbacks.

7. Jeep J-Wagon Dehner calls this four-door JL Wrangler Sahara an “urban off-roader.” It features Rubicon fender flares and 35-inch tires, but no lift-kit, for easier ingress/egress for your daily commute. There’s a snorkel kit to a cold-air intake, and a replacement airbox with a high-flow filter, so you might be able to cut your commute time if there’s a shortcut through a shallow river. A version of the JPP hood design has a cutout kit for the snorkel. There’s a Brass Monkey hood latch and black Willys logo and five-inch LED lights mounted on JPP brackets. The black grille is from the Wrangler Rubicon, with body-color matching bezel trim. The 17-inch slot-design wheels are also finished in Brass Monkey, a design treatment from the 2017 SEMA Show. Paint is Warm Neutral Gray with Orange Crush accents. The 35-inch KM3 BF Goodrich spare mounts to a tailgate hinge reinforcement, and includes a JPP Center High-Mounted Stop Light relocation kit. Seats are camel-color Katzkin leather, with stark brown piping and plow-through inserts. This, apparently, is the ticket for riding the 52nd Annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari in style.

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[grailfinders]

Fate and Phantasms #8: Altera

Coming up next in Fate and Phantasms, the harbinger of Civ destruction Altera! For this build, we have three goals: 1, we gotta become the favored child of Mars. 2, we need to be able to destroy any bad civs we find along the way. 3, we need to find our Photon Ray. As per usual, a quick rundown can be found here, an a more in-depth explanation is below the cut.

Race and Background

You are a Human, giving you +1 to every stat. You’re also an Outlander, granting you proficiency in Athletics and Survival. One of the key points to Civ judgement that so few people understand is you need to be able to get an outsider’s perspective before you destroy it for not living up to your standards.

Stats

We’re using the standard array, but feel free to just use this as a general guide for your own rolls. Just make sure you have high enough charisma for multiclassing. Make Strength highest to help crush the bad civ. Second is Constitution, followed by Charisma. This is more for multiclassing purposes, but you are absolutely terrifying, so it fits. After that comes Dexterity. You don’t need to move around much when your target’s are usually stationary, but it helps with defense against those weirdos who don’t want their homes burned to the ground. Finally, put the last two into Wisdom, then Intelligence. Civ judgement is more of an art than a science.

Class Levels

1. Barbarian 1: As a barbarian, you gain proficiency in Light and Medium armors, as well as all weapons. You also get Strength and Constitution saves, and grab Animal Handling and Intimidation. You may be a shepherd, but that’s not what most of Europe remembers you for.

You also get Unarmored Defense, giving you an AC equal to 10 plus your dexterity and constitution modifiers. Most servants don’t really seem that keen on armor, but you make it look good. You also get barbarian’s iconic ability, Rage. With Rage, you gain advantage on Strength checks and saves, bonuses to melee damage, and resistance to the common physical attack types. All for the low low price of not being able to cast spells or wear heavy armor. 

2. Barbarian 2:  At second level, you gain a Reckless Attack, letting you gain advantage on all attacks this turn in return for your enemies having advantage against you until your next turn. You also gain Danger Sense, granting you advantage on dexterity saves against effects you can see.

3. Barbarian 3: At this level you gain you begin your journey down the Path of the Zealot, a subclass reserved for those barbarians so destructive that the gods come down and go “Now that’s a lotta damage!” When you enter the path, you gain Divine Fury, causing the first attack you make each turn while raging to deal 1d6 + half your barbarian level in radiant damage. Your sword is already the world’s scariest rainbow and we haven’t even cleared level 5 yet. You are also marked as a Warrior of the Gods, meaning resurrection spells don’t need material components to raise you, which will make your party’s cleric very happy.

4. Barbarian 4: Grab your Ability Score Improvement and slot it into your Dexterity and Constitution to round them out. Remember that changing your constitution modifier retroactively adds to your health total.

5. Barbarian 5: Fifth level barbarians get an Extra Attack and Fast Movement, adding a second attack to your attack action and 10′ of movement to each round, respectively. Civs typically don’t run away, but the people who make them do, so that’s pretty helpful.

6. Barbarian 6: At sixth level zealots gain a Fanatical Focus, letting them reroll one failed save per rage. Keep your eyes on the prize, and one day all the bad civ will be gone.

7. Barbarian 7: Seventh level barbarians hone their Feral Instinct, giving them advantage on initiative rolls, and if you’re surprised you can rage to act on your first turn anyways. Show them why ambushing a living weapon is a bad idea.

8. Sorcerer 1: Now that we’re pretty safe on the physical front, let’s take a moment out for some spellcasting. First level sorcerers gain a Sorcerous Origin, yours being your Divine Soul. This grants you an extra spell (Bane, because you’re chaotic), and lets you grab your spells from both the cleric and sorcerer spell lists. Speaking of, grab Green-Flame Blade, True Strike, Light, and Thaumaturgy as your cantrips and Sudden Awakening and Healing Word as your first level spells. The combat spells likely won’t get used that much, but Thaumaturgy is great for speaking over panicking crowds. 

First level Divine Soul sorcerers also become the Favored of the Gods, letting you add 2d4 to a failed attack or save once per short rest.

9. Sorcerer 2: Second level sorcerers become a Font of Magic, granting sorcery points equal to their sorcerer level, which currently can be used to get more spell slots. Grab Purify Food and Drink as your spell this level, because food and drink are good civ, you need those to live.

10. Sorcerer 3: At third level you gain two metamagic options, letting you alter your spells slightly at the cost of sorcery points. Grab Careful Spell to help you protect any good civ caught in your NP’s blast, and Empowered Spell for when you want to go ham. Also, grab Shatter. There’s nothing to suggest you could actually use this in-game, but a spell that specializes on blowing up constructs over living things fits your theme pretty well.

11. Sorcerer 4: At fourth level you get another Ability Score Improvement, which will get slotted into Strength. You also get another cantrip and spell, Message and Protection from Poison. It’s not quite Natural Body, but it will do.

12. Sorcerer 5:  As a fifth level sorcerer you get access to third level spells. Grab Lightning Bolt to serve as your Civ ending NP. It’s not quite a Proton Ray, but it’s powerful and destructive, and has a wide enough range to do serious damage to buildings.

13. Barbarian 8: Back on the wild side, you get another Ability Score Improvement, this one going into Constitution for more health and AC.

14. Barbarian 9: At this level you get a Brutal Critical, letting you add an extra damage die of the types used to your critical hits.

15. Barbarian 10: As a tenth level zealot you now have a Zealous Presence, letting you use your bonus action to give up to 10 non-you creatures advantage on attacks and saves until your next turn once per long rest. Are you inspiring them, or are they just terrified of failing you? That’s your little secret. (It’s the latter.)

16. Barbarian 11: At this level you gain a Relentless Rage. Now upon dropping to 0 HP while raging, you can make a DC 10 Constitution save. On a success, you drop to only 1 hp instead. Each time you use this ability between long rests, add 5 to the DC. Just keep in mind that you’ll still die if you’re killed.

17. Barbarian 12: Another Ability Score Improvement, another notch in your Strength belt. If you’re using the standard array, you should be maxed out by now.

18. Barbarian 13: Your Brutal Critical improves, letting you add two dice to a critical hit’s damage roll.

19. Barbarian 14: At this level, zealots figure out how to Rage Beyond Death. Now dropping to 0 HP doesn’t knock you unconscious. You still make death saves, and taking damage adds failures, but dying due to death saves still won’t kill you until your rage ends, and even then you’ll survive if you’re at positive HP. Now you won’t die, even if you’re killed!

20. Barbarian 15: To cap things off, you get Persistent Rage. Now your rage will only end early if you fall unconscious, which as we just went over last level, won’t happen.

Pros: Despite your middling AC you can function as a front line fighter thanks to your high HP, high attack, and the fact that you just won’t die. Plus, your low mental scores are made up for by Favored by the Gods and Fanatical Focus, making you surprisingly difficult to hypnotize or control magically. Your spells and abilities also give you a solid mix of attack and damage types for when you need to mix things up.

Cons: Speaking of mixing things, Rage and magic don’t do that, so making use of your skills can require a bit of juggling on your part. Plus your anti-hypnosis skills are on at least a short rest cooldown, so you really only have one extra turn to find that caster and end them before the rest of your party finds out how difficult you are to kill the hard way.