#not league or 40k related

[soraka-in-warhammer40k]

That comic at the time was a complete overblown satire- and even then the mere idea of selling out MTG for other IPs that just had started at that point and was fairly harmless was enough to make me drop everything of that hobby for good despite being essentially obsessed with it at the time. The vibes had just turned bad. Now, let's fast-forward to the present day:

Despite not having played a game of Magic for years, and just acting as an outsider now, a little part of me that I did not even knew still existed until today just died seeing this.

[acatthatmakeseclairs]

Arcane Season 2 Necrit Interview Transcript + my ramblings

Hello! I thought I’d share the transcript for the Necrit & Christian Linke Interview on tumblr because it flopped on reddit lol (you can find the transcript at the very end of this post (ⓛ ω ⓛ*) )

Some notes to consider before going through the transcript and the rest of this post:

The transcript is of the YouTube video ver. of the interview, I’m crazy, but I’m not so crazy that I’m going to attempt to transcribe a 4 hour VOD.

The transcript is images for now, because I would not be able to fit a 2+ hour interview in a 40k character limit (the interview is like 60k+ characters, 50k+ without spaces)

I’ve added timestamps so you guys can easily reference a question or response from the video directly; I’ve also highlighted certain sections of the interview that I thought were interesting :)

For the discussion section, I’ll be referencing this post, because… let’s just say it was quite incorrect in some sections or there were points that I thought would be cool to talk about.

I’ve tried to be as objective and accurate as I could when getting into the details of this interview, hence why I’ve referenced other interviews and production materials, like concept art, but again, I am human, and I can get things incorrect or I can off as a bit biased– but alas o(*￣▽￣*)o

Anyways, onto the discussion!

Noxus, Ionia and Demacia are getting shows and are next steps into this cinematic universe; they pick each setting to explore [different] sides of [Runeterra].

They are not each getting shows… the team working on this new project, has only, casually, announced one new project.

They are one year into production for one show- the fact that Christian Linke mentioned Noxus, Ionia and Demacia, implies that this new series has a story that is centred around all three nations, not unlike how Arcane’s conflict centered around 3 different nation states: Piltover, Zaun and Noxus, with Noxus being positioned as an overall antagonistic force.

I’m not too familiar with the timeline of League of Legends, but I’ve heard here and there that Swain, a much-teased character in Arcane’s finale, had made his deal with Raum after the Invasion of Ionia, and seeing as he’s made his little cameo after Viktor’s failed ‘Glorious Evolution’, this could imply that we won’t see Ionia in any direct capacity.

Ok, this part is purely wishful thinking, but I think that our main setting for the next installment of this greater story is Demacia.

Noxus is positioned as an antagonist, it would be kind of underwhelming to go right into the motivations and deep mysteries of your central antagonist.

Linke stated that the team starts with ‘character stories’ (01:46:31) before anything else, as well as saying that they like ‘seeing Champions [meeting & interacting]’ (00:03:22) and my brain likes to make connections where there might not be any but what if Jinx was heading towards Demacia, and becomes friends with Lux? Again, total reach, but it’s a fan-favourite duo and it would be a good continuation of Jinx’s story (if they do continue her story that is).

They [considered] Blitzcrank for Season 2.

Christian Linke suggested Blitzcrank to be involved in the story in some way, but the rest of the team shot the idea down, with Linke describing it as ‘silly’ (00:05:31); it was probably a small joke or gag, considering how Linke described it.  

[Heimerdinger] is not dead and other characters might [come] back to life.

Christian Linke did not outright confirm or deny Heimerdinger’s death nor the existence of Bandle City in the Arcane universe, all he said was “I’m not done with Heimerdinger.” (00:07:22) You also have to consider that this guy is a Heimerdinger main, and he’s only one person amongst many who is charge of the direction of Arcane, and it’s related properties. Can’t say I’m not hopeful of Heimerdinger coming back, I love that little guy so much.

As for the other characters? Again, no direct confirmation on Jinx (00:31:45), especially in the last Netflix Afterglow Interview, but Viktor and Jayce … I’ll get into it further.  

Swain is teased to [be] looking into [the history of the Arcane] and [the origins of demons].

I can’t say I fully disagree with this point, but not because of Christian Linke’s comments in this interview (00:19:28). Throughout this second season, Ambessa continues to try to recreate Hex-tech, where, yes, she’s doing it for her own self-serving desires, but who told her to go to Piltover in the first place? In my opinion, it might have been Swain, seeing as his raven is seen poking around looking for the Hex-gem in Jayce’s, now destroyed, hammer.

I should also add that in relation to the overall timeline of Arcane, and it soon to be related properties, is that the current events within Arcane, so let’s say Arcane’s conclusion, the Invasion of Ionia has concluded, as if you can remember, the woman that Ambessa killed in Mel’s backstory is an Ionian princess, check out these bits of concept art from the Fortiche artists (Link 1) & (Link 2).

[Pianist] is teased to be Jhin.

Go to (00:23:10) in the video linked, he did not make a connection between this side character and Jhin, also are we just forgetting that Jhin is Ionian? And he would be much older than this side character??

Ziggs was not [inspiration] for Isha.

I thought I’d add to this point about the inspiration behind Isha: Isha is described as a child of Zaun, with Linke commenting that her hat is a miner hat, which is an allusion to Zaun’s early mining industry (00:24:47). We can see in Act 1, that although she is a child, Isha is very invested in the independence and freedom of Zaun, seeing as she poses as Jinx in what is possibly various rallies in the Undercity. I’d like to think she’s Zaun’s hope :) (let’s not think about what her death implies for Zaun…)

Renata will [replace the Chem-barons] in future.

Again, no confirmation. This discussion (00:27:19), was just that- a discussion of the future of Piltover and Zaun. Based on the production timelines, we may not actually see newer Champions like Renata, because they are released during production; I think we might get a mention of her in the next series, though.

Viktor will be explored on later shows confirmed- he is more than just human or Arcane user now; he is something special.

The status of Viktor and Jayce was confirmed to be dead (ಥ_ಥ) by Christian Linke in the recent Netflix Afterglow interview for Season 2 Act 3- HOWEVER, he described Viktor and Jayce to be “disintegrated” (1:33 – Netflix Interview) which is not what happened on screen. Instead, what is show to us in the show that Viktor and Jayce are sucked into the acceleration rune.

(“They’re alive- they’re stuck in time purgatory!” I say as they drag me into the asylum)

It should also be mentioned that the team, or at least Christian Linke, are interested in exploring what Viktor has become by the end of Arcane (01:20:05), and potentially the fates of Viktor and Jayce post-Arcane– again this does not imply that we will see either of them in the story in any direct capacity.

As for what Viktor is? Throughout this interview, he’s described as a symbiosis between the technological and organic– this does not mean he’s ‘cured’ of his disease and he’s not still disabled!

Throughout season 2 act 2, we see Viktor continue to use his staff to support himself, and Jinx also comments on his appearance, saying that he ‘looks like he’s got a couple [of conditions]’ (hahaha)- lets also not forget that in his Machine Herald form, his leg and back brace are fused into his body. (Interesting how something similar happened to Mel when she unlocked her empath powers, her golden accessories fused into her body- what’s up with that Fortiche?)

Personally, based on what Linke said “… what's different about Viktor is the Hexcore … [the runes] used [in] the Hexcore [are] a different thing, [they’re] much more powerful …” (00:31:01), and of course what we see in the show, I think that Viktor’s body is directly connected to the Hex-core, which creates transmutations within Viktor’s body, keeping him ‘alive’ but he also becomes a mage.

In the world of Arcane/LoL, you can become a mage by either being born as one, or praying to an Aspect or a God. However, Viktor (with the unintentional help of Jayce) became a mage due to the Hex-corisation of his body and soul- but his magic is different from other mages. A lot of the patterns that appear on Mel’s force-fields are very clean, neat, like the runes we see drawn on the various Hex-tech devices, but whenever post-Glorious Evolution Viktor casts a spell, we see this white-glowing webbed orb appear, similar to Ekko’s Z-drive. Not sure what this means, but I thought I’d share my ramblings :)

Other champions from Zaun and Piltover will be brought up to Arcane timeline.

This point was briefly mentioned (00:31:55 - 00:32:15), but even I wasn’t sure about how to interpret this. I think it might refer to the character re-works in League of Legends, but so far they’ve only reworked characters actually featured in Arcane; I’m guessing future reworks for more characters are being discussed amongst the creatives at RIOT, but we have to wait for the upcoming series to see what’ll happen.

Urgot is coming later.

… Again, no direct confirmation, Linke said “Not yet … he wasn't part of the story. I do think Urgot is really interesting …” (00:33:03). Urgot is a character based in the Zaun/Piltover story, so seeing him in the sequel series is unlikely.

Viktor and Jayce are confirmed to be bromance- like very good friends who die for each other any given time.

Look, I’m biased as fuck when it comes to these two, but Christian Linke did say “… I think it’s not romantic.” Again, like with many things in this interview, this is his opinion.

Whilst he may be the co-creator behind Arcane, his opinion was only relevant to his contributions regarding their narrative, just like how the voice actors (for both Arcane and LoL!), the many animators, and writers at RIOT had their own important contributions and interpretations on the relationship between Jayce and Viktor.

From the stuff we’ve seen this past month from the cast and crew, with Toks Olagundoye reposting Jayvik fanart, Harry Llyod reading Jayvik fanfics, and Kevin Alejandro signing not one, but 2 Jayvik fanarts, as well as of course the many Jayvik artworks from the team over at Fortiche; it seems that quite a lot of the team have quite a differing opinion from Christian Linke, almost as if he’s missing something lol.

I’ll finish up this section with a comment from Amanda Overton, because it the best response to how their relationship is interpreted and the description of their relationship:

"Fans are always justified in reading things the way they want to because that’s part of making art. When you do a thing for it based on you, it doesn’t actually have meaning until other people give it their own meaning. My backstory is very different from your backstory and my experiences are very different from yours so I can only speak from my experience. When I put a thing that I’ve written out in the world, then everyone brings their own different experiences to it."

"We were writing them as a loving, brotherly relationship that unambiguously [had] love between them. When it got to that final moment, it was so romantic and beautiful to me when I saw it for the first time—the way Fortiche put it together—I was like, “Oh, well maybe there is hope [for] these guys to have some future beyond what the show intended.” That was really cool for me to see. If people want to imagine that, I think they can, and that’s wonderful. Now that the show is over, if there’s the potential for that out there, then that’s potential that our fans can realize for themselves."

House of Medarda will play part in future of [Runeterra].

Yep! Christian Linke alludes to this in (01:11:37). Mel, or perhaps an older Mel, will appear alongside Noxian characters like Swain and Darius in the future series. It will be interesting to see the political dynamics between these characters as Mel is not only a Medarda and a Mage, but someone intimately connected with the Black Rose (◉_◉).

Glorious Evolution robots are inspired by biblical angels without wings.

Linke said this when it came to the design of Viktor’s Glorious Evolution robots (01:15:10):

“We actually talked … about how we want to have something that depicts, in quotation marks, ‘angels’; something angelic and pure, but then also [that] has … slightly lost some of the expression and … humanity, in a way that's a bit eerie. That's what Viktor's vision [was], but it will deteriorate [one day].”

The religious imagery regarding Viktor was unintentional, the intention behind Viktor was more centred around depicting him as a Messiah– “… We never wanted to have this direct link to any specific religion, it's just this idea of some Messiah or someone that people [wanted] to follow … [it] doesn't have to be religious but, of course, there is a certain connotation. The beauty of religious art … [it’s] just absolutely beautiful stuff and the supernatural depictions of it … [is] very inspiring.” (01:19:14)

There are selected few who [organize] and keep lore in check.

This is not true! Or at least this has not been outright confirmed in this interview; the question at (01:24:24) was not fully answered by Linke in this interview.

I also want to add a though of my own regarding this quote from Linke, “I would say it's 70% us and 30% Fortiche having ideas and then we talk about it, and I agree.” (00:15:12). This attitude that all these ideas came mostly from the writing team seems a bit ‘egotistical’ as Viktor would say- there was a significant gap in communication between the writing team and the team at Fortiche when it came to the world-building, lore, and plot that was shown on screen (you can see this is the attached screenshots of Amanda Overton’s tweets).

(Let’s also not forget that team at Fortiche indicated that the woman that Ambessa killed in Mel’s flashback is an Ionian princess, implying that the invasion of Ionia occurred prior to the events of Arcane; Fortiche animators were also the ones to propose the CaitVi sesbian lex scene; let’s not even get to Amanda Overton’s comments regarding how the Fortiche team implied the romantic relationship between Jayce and Viktor like, the Fortiche team is doing a lot of heavy lifting lol)

At the end of the day, the story we see as the audience is in filmic form, which is a primarily visual medium, so any bits of lore or story is based on what the storyboarding, voice over, animation, and post-production teams want us to see and take away from it.

(Edit: sorry! I completely forgot to actually put the images of the transcript!)

[hexmaturgy]

☆ jasper | 30s | he/him | aroace gay ☆ remade 18/11/24 ☆ 21+ only, please ☆ tracking #userhexmaturgy ☆ icon ∷ dividers

current interests: arcane/league of legends, warhammer 40k, owlcat's pathfinder games, bg3, death note, jujutsu kaisen, tgcf, mdzs, and epic the musical. also comics, kinda?

extremely gay and unwell about fictional men, esp. if they're kissing other fictional men. i like to make ocs and write, one day i will inflict it upon the world

dni's are useless so idk, just don't be a jerk and we're chill. however if you like or support anything related to h*rry p*tter or the author then kindly fuck off 🫶

[sortyourlifeoutmate]

So I am presently intrigued by the Leagues of Votann, and I wanted to learn more about their lore and so - since it's 10th edition now and everything - I got a copy of the 9th ed codex for a song. Nice!

How well GW did in reviving the squats and fitting them into the tone of what 40k is now, you know, thirty-odd years later is likely a subjective matter. They couldn't ever come back how they were! I do quite like some of the ways they've transposed a lot of the WFB Dwarf ideas into SPACE - they're still hoarders, still live in deep dark holds, etcetera, and I do kind of like the angle that, really, they're a survivor of humanity's past and a glimpse at what might have gone on back then.

I always enjoy imagining The Dark Age of Technology stuff from 40k, because it's basically that period of time when somewhere in the galaxy humanity was doing something that you saw once in a sci-fi film and would like to happen. Doesn't matter how ridiculous, during humanity's technological golden age it happened somewhere before everything went to shit.

So the idea that, like, you know, the squats - as imrpessive as they are now - are more-or-less, like, leftover miners? Guys who were basically, hell, maybe even just artificially grown and made to go off into space and dig rocks but, since everything went to shit, got left to their own devices and now this is where they are? Kinda neat. Kinda makes me think of orks, actually - still around way after the war they were made for is over, just carrying on.

That's not explicit, obviously, but it's how I like to think of it.

But really the main takeaway I'm getting from the codex is that it's their first codex. It's giving me a strong sense of the first tau codex where they hadn't really settled in yet. You're told they've been around and have all these pre-existing relations, but you don't feel it, because really they don't and just showed up.

That, and they're way, way too reasonable. Just like the first tau codex these guys get along, they don't squabble, they aren't especially superstitious, they get how technology works, they're motivated, united, and what obvious flaws they have aren't really given all that much weight or time.

Which isn't very 40k, you know? Everyone here is broken.

Guess they need time to breathe...

[elyaequestus]

Knight and Angel (A Warhammer 40K AU)

A few people responded to my warhammer AU set in a loosely medieval Europe where a heresy has happened. The most important deviation is that the Emperor is dead-dead and returned to the Weave as a deitiy, much like Sanguinius did. After 'The Great Heresy', taming the land and getting some kind of grip on the Weave slowly gains more importance compaired to the pure vengence that exist in 40k. Basically, I wanted to have a universe where the mental scars from the Heresy is possible. Oh, and Blood Angels (and any Astartes) can be any gender. Men, women, nobinary folks, etc. Since I already threw out most of the black and white 40k stuff, I decided 'why stop there'? Anyhow. This post is to provide further context for my AU and my homebrewed fraction called the Ordo Equestus. The plot of Knight and Angel is driven by my Knight's desire to save his Brothers and finds love along the way.

My beloved paladin, Illiad the Shield, grew up in the Dawnstone Domain where he and his Brothers served a person who calls himself Lord Dawnstone. Lord Dawnstone claims to be the direct decedent from the Castelan of the Dawnbringer, the great Angel who died for the Creator by the hands of the Traitor. The claim to fame from the domain is that the Crystal Lake is where the Dawnbringer is buried and Lord Dawnstone sees it as his duty to protect the domain at all cost. (To the clever folks in class, yes, the Dawnbringer and Sanguinius are the same person. Where the Blood Angels are blood related to Sanguinius, Lord Dawnstone strives to do bring light and hope back in the domain. For all their many, MANY faults, the Dawnstone domain is a peaceful and overall nice place to live for citizens) The result is a court of adapt magic users (those who can channel the Weave in general) who are able to use artifacts to pull a lot of power from the Weave in the name of the Dawnbringer. Over time, these mages formed the foundations of nobility and were organized according to both power and loyalty. It should be noted that only sanctified mages are allowed in these circles and that psykers (basically any charisma caster who pull from their beliefs and emotions) are considered by Lord Dawnstone to be a direct threat to the status quo. After all, who knows what a powerful rogue psyker can inflict. Or discover that maybe Lord Dawnstone is not that great. Basically, it is not great to be a psyker in the Dawnstone Domain. Illiad's role in this mess is to be a Knight in the Order Equestus. All Brothers work in pairs and are soul bounded to each other. Illiad became proficient in sword and shield while Cathal wielded a two-handed battle axe, complimenting each other both in- and out of combat.

Illiad himself grew up as the fourth son of a dairy farmer and always dreamed of becoming a Knight in shining armor. His dream became more than just dreams when a recently widowed lady Cathrine and her only son moved into the village where Illiad lived. The boy, Cathal, was the son of a recently departed Knight. Where Illiad wanted to be a Knight, Cathal was going to be a Knight and the two bounded over a shared dream.

Both showed an aptitude to the teachings of Lord Dawnstone and were able to use the Gift, the source of a Knights magic, though they were not in the League of nobility in terms of raw power (which was more due to nobility cheating with artifacts while claiming that they were literally holier than everyone else. Yeh. Nobility became a toxic cesspit, who would have thought). Things were good for a while and they happily settled into their Brotherhood where they could focus on protecting the land, helping people and do the 'good thing' (aka get gaslit by the nobility to follow orders and especially taught not to think about how or why those orders came to be. Due to their close-knit, soul bound Brotherhood, leaving was just not. an. option.) Unfortunately, things did not remain well for them. There is a rot in all the souls of the Knights which first manifests as uncontrollable fits of grief and disassociation. This stage is called 'the Madness' which develops into the second stage, 'the Rage' where an uncontrollable anger washes over them and they become a danger to everything and everyone. The moment the Madness starts to set in, the afflicted pair is brought to the Asylum for treatment though none has been found. These afflictions would get a lot worse when they are forced to defend their borders against those blasted, impossibly graceful bloodsuckers who seem to attack border points at random. During one of those attacks, Brother Captain Cathal was afflicted with the Madness while Illiad was not. Cathal was brought to the Asylum while Illiad remained with a bleeding heart for five years. The story Knight and Angel opens with an attack on the border tower and Illiad and his Brothers responding. Illiad was singled out by a Blood Angel who had the audacity to be on _his_ turf and challenged him to a duel. Had said Blood Angel been less armored, he could have killed him. Except, well, he was well armored and broke his shield arm which meant the end of the battle. He then received an offer which he could not refuse from the Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels, Lord Mephiston. He would be allowed to search for a cure to the Madness in the Liberius, if he accepted to become a squire to Lord Mephiston. That should be most of the context needed to follow this project. I guess it might be interesting for you all to know that I am writing as part of my own trauma recovery along with spiritual healing. Neither Illiad nor Mephiston are going to be saints and both will be messy men who try their best for themselves, each other and their loved ones.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Where It Dares Defy

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/DFg51Cn by Saeva “Bruuuce?” Jason blinked already hazy teal eyes. Between the scents of his pack and the enclosure of the bed, he should feel safe enough even if he panicked as the hazy sedation worked its way through his body. “Jaylad. Relax. I’ll take care of you.” Bruce stroked the side of his omega’s face before turning it tenderly to find the vein. “This will help you.” Despite the wriggling, he pressed the syringe into the vein well enough to complete the injection. It would work quickly -- ten minutes, perhaps less. “Settle, Jay. I’m going to help you.” Jason gasped, shifting his hips as the heat inducer did its work. “Wh-what… what are y-you doing to me?” “I refuse to lose you to your own choices.” ... A retelling of Batman #138 (2024), if Bruce had access to pack dynamics to alter biochemicals instead. ----- My goal was to get to 50K words written in November 2024. I didn't quite make it, but between Breaking the Shells (which I'm still working on) and this I made it to 40K and that's pretty awesome. I will be posting Chapter 2 immediately after this one. Words: 8792, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Categories: M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake (DCU), Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Selina Kyle Relationships: Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne & Everyone, Selina Kyle & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Everyone, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Non-Consensual Drug Use, Rape/Non-con Elements, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pack Dynamics, Family Dynamics, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Bad Parent Bruce Wayne, Alpha Bruce Wayne, Hurt Jason Todd, Jason Todd Has a Bad Time, Boypussy, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Canon Related, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce Wayne Makes Bad Decisions, Dick Grayson Tries to Be a Good Older Sibling, Tim Drake and Jason Todd are Siblings, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne Meet in the League of Assassins, Minor Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Past Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Omega Jason Todd, Mental Link, Psychic Bond, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), Jason Todd is Red Hood, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Forced Bonding, Class Differences, Poverty read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/DFg51Cn

[owenthetokencishet]

Y'know what? You get more information. Because these guys are so cool.

THE LEAGUES OF VOTANN

The Kin

Squats

SPACE DWARVES

The newest faction to be added to the 40k canon

Okay So,

It goes without saying that the kin are related to humans. They are EASILY the most humanoid of the alien races in 40k. Their origin can (MOST LIKELY. IT'S 40K. NOTHING IS TRUE.) be traced to a period in human history, thousands of years before even the imperium, the dark age of technology. Humanity had just cracked the secret to FTL travel and had a bunch of disparate colonies to unify. To build their new stellar empire, thdy needed resources. So, IT IS BELIEVED, they created the Votann.

The Votann are gargantuan machine intelligences based on the STC, slightly less gargantuan machine intelligencs that stored nearly the sum total of human knowledge, and could also design and fabricate anything human colonists would need.

The Votann did all of that, except they also created their own colonists.

Votann were sent into the dangerous galactic core region, where they would clone an entire civilization's worth of people, designed to survive in whatever conditions thrown at them. Those people would then extract the riches of the core to send back to humanity.

Then, because it's sci-fi, the super powerful AI tried to destroy humanity. They failed. But now humans really didn't like robots, which became a bit of a problem for the kin, who were still on good terms with their AI.

Fortunately they wouldn't have to worry about it for long because then warp travel became impossible for a bit (by which I mean about 5000 years) and human civilization collapsed. The kin were fine though. They were already basically their own separate civilization at this point.

Hey look! Warp travel's back and now there's an evil sex god!

Then came the emperor, the great crusade, and the horus heresy, all of which steered clear of the core.

The kin decided, "Y'know what? We've been doing just fine on our own here in the core and the way things are going, the humans would probably kill us all if they ever found out we exist. Let's just stay out of their way and under their radar"

So they did

For about 10,000 years.

And then some dickhead carved a cicatrix maledictum right through the heart of their territory. Now they HAVE to venture out to find new homes in the dumpster fire thaat is the 42nd(?) millennium

Kin society is incredibly traditionalist. While they do not worship their Votann "ancestor cores" as divine, as some believe, it does form the core of their society.

Second in importance to the Votann are

Hold: a kin settlement. Anything from a light cargo hauler to a continent-sized space station

Hearth: your hold's reactor

Forge: the STC component of the votann. A design and fabrication machine

Fane: The gestation, breeding, and dead processing centre of a hold.

When a kin dies, their memories and expertise are uploaded to the Votann, so that it may continue to serve their hold and league.

While this can be beneficial at times, as we see with self-driving cars and chatgpt, feeding it too large a dataset DRAMATICALLY reduces its performance. We're talking 25,000 odd years worth of dead kin here. Lag spikes can last centuries, some votann have simply gone mad, others have simply burned themselves out.

And this brings me to why I love the Leagues of Votann so much: The kin's strict adherence to their traditions is slowly killing them. They are living in unprecedented times, and change is inevitable. they should change now, while they still have time to adjust, but no. their stubborn determination to stick to the status quo is going to destroy them.

SOUND FAMILIAR?????????????

Despite what this image may suggest, the kin and their human cousins do not get along

Leagues of Votann :)

[stories-from-the-batcave]

Dick & Damian Fic Rec List

This week’s theme is fanfiction revolving around the relationship between Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne! This is obviously a platonic rec list and includes 15 fics with both brotherly and father-son bonding between Dick & Dami. Follow for more rec lists and maybe drop a theme suggestion in the askbox.

there’s nothing in this world i wouldn’t do by emavee

 34k+ | T+ | Ongoing, 10/13 | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply 

Relationships: Dick & Damian, Dick & Bruce, Dick & Tim & Jason & Damian

“When Dick is 16, Talia al Ghul appears with a baby in her arms. When Dick is 17, his second father dies, and Dick has to take matters into his own hands to keep his family from crumbling completely. It’s just Dick and Damian against the world now, and sometimes it seems like the world is just desperate for him to lose.”

3:16 by partingxshot @wufflesvetinari

20k+ | T+ | Ongoing, 14/? | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian, Dick & Alfred

“The knife pushes thin along Dick’s carotid artery, cupping the indent between neck and jawline—forcing him to angle his chin. The metal is warm, pulled with execution speed from under Damian’s pillow.

“Okay,” Dick says quietly, tracking the intricacies of his own heartbeat—counting the space between breaths. “Guess I did need a shave.”

(With faltering steps, Dick and Damian become Batman and Robin.)”

The One That I Miss by fishfingersandjellybabies

2k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“It's Damian's birthday, and they all gathered to celebrate. All but one, anyway.

Or so they thought.”

A Better Son by CytosineSkald

7k+ | G | Complete | Gen | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“This place always felt too big. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t really understand it. The cave was, in some ways, unfamiliar territory. Foreign country. He hesitantly gave his feet the gentlest of swings again. The Bunker was home -- this place… he had barely spent any time here before his father had died.

He stilled his feet.

His father had died.

--

Some shameless posturing of Damian's feelings about Dick as a father figure.”

like father, like son by potato_post_community

11k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian, Dick & Tim, Dick & Jason 

 “Dick contemplates what Damian means to him, and what their relationship really is. He doesn't understand why Bruce is held to the regard he is in Damian's mind, and why it means so much to Dick that Damian's happy. Dick also thinks about Bruce, and how he fits into the puzzle that Dick calls their life.

Or, in other words: Five times that Damian called Dick his dad, and the one time that he did it on purpose.”

throughout infinity by flumen

60k+ | T+ | Ongoing, 17/18 | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian, (implied Tim/Kon El)

 “Damian Wayne did not anticipate going into the mission that he'd find himself in an alternate universe where his father is still Batman and there's an eerily similar (but thirteen year old) version of his partner/mentor/guardian/brother? who has somehow managed to find himself another pack of incompetent superhero associates just as intensely irritating as the ones Damian's familiar with and borderline suspects him of being an illegal Cadmus clone but...

...well...

...sometimes life just plays out like that. And he'll be damned if he doesn't find a way home to his actual partner before he manages to impale himself on his own cowl or something equally ridiculous. Honestly.

A sort of Damian time travel fic except he finds himself in the universe just after season 1 of Young Justice. Misadventures ensue.”

We Were the Whumpiest by DawnsEternalLight

40k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“My attempt at an all Dick and Damian centered Whumptober.”

The Care and Keeping of Assassins by Sassaaphrass

30k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“The Talon isn't really human anymore, but that's okay because Damian's never liked humans that much anyway.

In which Damian decides to adopt the Talon as another stray, and the Talon decides that former child assassins need to stick together.”

you don’t need poltergeists for sidekicks by danishsweethearts

6k+ | T+ | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian, Dick & Tiger

“During his time in Spyral, Dick finds himself alone on death's door. He gets a familiar visitor.

Then, he keeps coming back.”

Catch Me (All Records Indicate) by Engineered 

9k+ | Not Rated | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“Damian had studied each of his father’s prior proteges briefly before he’d left the League of Assassins. Somehow, Grayson in person is nothing like Grayson on paper.

OR

“Are you sure you can catch me?” Grayson asked.

Damian could hear his heart beating. He wasn’t sure. “Yes,” he answered anyways.

The evolution of the nickname "Lil' D"”

The Rule Stands by Engineered 

11k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

““I know what you’re going to say, Batman,” Damian said, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. “You’re going to tell me that Nightwing is dead, and that people don’t come back from the dead. Well, clearly you are wrong, seeing that you were dead and I was dead and Red Hood was dead and even Superman was once dead-”

“My parents are dead,” Father interrupted. “Nightwing’s parents are dead. There have been a few notable exceptions in extenuating circumstances, Robin, but the rule stands. Everyone can die.”

OR

Damian meets a 10-year-old Dick Grayson, and they become best friends.”

Baby wonder by drakefeathers

23k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“(baby!damian AU) Bruce dies, Dick becomes Batman. But the Damian that Talia leaves in his care isn’t a ten-year-old warrior, he’s a ten-month-old baby.”

Guardian by padfootprophet 

9k+ | T | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply 

Relationships: Dick & Damian, Dick & Wally, Dick & Barbara

 “Dick wasn't really planning on getting so involved, or so invested, in Damian's life, but he always did have a soft spot for kids suffering from bad parenting.”

Go Out and Find Yourself Happy by MashpotatoeQueen5 

3k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“Damian, a little older and a little wiser, on his way to figuring himself out.

“I should be out there,” he says, mostly to himself.

The two year old sitting next to him, building a small block tower, makes a mock trumpeting sound with his lips pressed together. Damian side eyes him and then checks the apartment for intruders. Again.

“I’m going to assume you were agreeing with me."”

where you abandon things by fishfingersandjellybabies

1k+ | G | Complete | Gen | No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Dick & Damian

“To be loved by his father. It was all he wanted. But it took far too long for him to realize: not all fathers are related by blood.”

[redrobin-detective]

Deku being an famous online fanfiction writer and class 1A is a group of die hard fans

Izuku has been writing meta and fic almost since he first learned to write, by the time he reaches high school, he is well experienced and well known at the craft. His blog has thousands of followers were he dumps astute analysises and well crafted fics about heroes and hero society. If he drops off a bit after he enters high school, well his followers understand.

As he learns and grows at Yuuei, he gains a better understanding of his classmates and teachers and shows his love through writing. It starts off simple, quirk analysis of the public figures of yuuei, stories have OCs with gravity quirks, that talk with their hands, who have bad relations with their pro hero parents. He writes some of the first Eraserhead fanfiction and those in the know marvel at the thoughtful analysis and speculation on personality not knowing he gets to see the man up close and in person. The more popular certain students become, the more emboldened Izuku is to write about them.

Its Kaminari who first discovers the blog, a self proclaimed meme king and frequent social media user, he finds an author who has uncanny insight into Yuuei, most of the information isn’t sensitive but the author captures the feel and personality of students and pros so well. He comments on his official chargebolt blog about the accuracy and it explodes. Izuku nearly falls over dead when he logs on the next morning and sees his username plastered over fan sites, speculating onto his identity.

The students are on the lookout but they never look Midoriya’s way, he’s too cute, too shy; definitely not one to write a 40k fic detailing Endeavor’s failings as a hero and a person. Bakugou, had known Deku his whole damn life and is well aware of his online premise sits back for a change to watch the fireworks (its not like he’s jealous Deku’s blog is bigger than his own, he’s not invested in his theories like some kind of nerd). Pretty soon, all of the hero course is following the blog that just gets them. Izuku hastily backtracks and deletes anything compromising and the few pity posts he’d made late at night when his depression and anxiety were running high. He tries to stop before he gets caught but creativity always needs an outlet and he cannot resist.

They’re living in the dorms when it comes out. “You’re that blogger everyone talks about, ribbit,” Tsuyu says one night during a movie marathon. Izuku twitches so hard the popcorn in his lap falls to the ground. “the latest story talked about Ochako and I working with Ryuuku, it mentioned an application of my quirk you mentioned in training last week. I haven’t had the chance to use it in the field so it had to come from you.” Heights Alliance descends into chaos.

“You always write me as the comic relief,” Kaminari cries, “and that scathing review of my sports festival performance almost made me cry!”

“You hardly ever write about meeeeeeeee,” Hagakure whines, “what am I, invisible?”

“Midoriya this is a flagrant misuse of your position as a student of Yuuei and a breach of your classmates privacy and potentially their safety,” Iida lectures, “that said I do appreciated your heated defense of Tensei against Stain fans.”

“Oh! Oh! I know, you should do a villain Au with us!” Ashido claps. “Villain AUs are so popular these days, reverse us with the League and be sure to call me Alien Queen!”

Aizawa shuffles out of his room to see what the commotion is about and is unsurprised to find his problem child right in the middle of it all. Honestly, he’d warned the boy of the dangers of running a public blog. He was getting fanmail  sent to the school because of the brat overhyping his abilities. Izuku apologies and says he’ll stop but in the end, he never does.

Pro Hero Deku, one of the most beloved, popular heroes in the country, doesn’t have much of a social media presence beyond his official accounts. “I’m just too busy,” he says with an awkward little smile, “being a hero is a full time job.” But a certain blog started out of loneliness in middle school is still active, still producing new stories, new theories, new critiques and suggestions for the ever changing hero society. It’s his most closely guarded secret, second only to One For All, and one of the few bits of normality he has managed to keep in his chaotic new life. He says he’ll give it up one of these days but never finds himself able to. So if Deku uses a turn of phrase from a popular blog or notes something found in a popular text post, no one takes it too seriously. Because the one thing the public knows about Deku is that is a fan, just like us. 

[kariachi]

Okay, we’re going to have a go at gymleaders, what their jobs entail and what their salaries are, now. For those who haven’t been keeping track of this series on posts about estimated income for various pokemon-related jobs, here’s where you can find the ones on coordinators and trainers.

Okay, gymleaders are a bitch because when you play the games so many of them have fucking other jobs. So many. So we’re going to go with a combination of consistent things we see gymleaders doing or can infer they’re doing from within the anime and games, along with shit that just makes sense from a worldbuilding perspective.

So, with that in mind, gymleaders seem to be expected to-

Oversee and maintain a pokemon gym

Engage challengers in fair combat

Provide some form of reward to winners

Maintain several teams of varying sizes and power levels of the gym’s type

Mentor young trainers on the topic of pokemon

Act as local experts on pokemon

Act as experts on pokemon of the gym’s type

Act as defenders of their community from outside forces

Act as community leaders

Take part in efforts to maintain local ecosystems

Bit of a lot. Probably pretty stressful. Especially given we’ve seen gymleaders age 16 and younger.

Now, eventually we’re going to get to projected salaries, but first I want to sort out some reasonable ‘how’s, the role of gyms outside of gym battles, shit like that, because with things like this it’s important to have all your ducks in a row.

First, we’re going to go into why I only specify a ‘reward’ up on the list rather than ‘a badge’ or anything like that. Simply enough, it seems reasonable to assume not all gyms are officially certified. We see gyms in both the anime and games that aren’t part of the ‘gym challenge’ and don’t offer badges.

Noncertified gyms cannot give out badges, to prevent trainers being tricked into thinking they’ve become eligible to challenge the regional league when they haven’t. Instead these gyms will give items and sometimes pokemon to those who beat their leader. Reasons a gym may not be certified vary, from a lack of public interest, to not meeting the standards of their regional regulatory body, to simply being too new, and beyond. These gyms receive no funding from the League.

Gyms must be active and open to the public for two years, with a win ratio of 80% or higher against challengers to the gymleader- who must themselves meet the region’s requirements to become a gymleader- to be eligible for certification. Gyms must be recertified every two years.

Gyms must have a specific type focus, though gymleaders are not required to have teams solely of that type (the type must still make up at least 50% of the gymleader’s official teams however). Gymleaders can change their type focus as they wish, but any alterations to the gym itself will have to come from the community or their own pocket unless they recertify as the new type. Upon recertification as a new type the League typically provides set funds to modify the gym.

Certified gyms are often limited to one per town, though particularly large cities have been known to have two.

Gyms often hold several roles outside of merely acting as arenas for trainer battles. Typically they live up to their name, acting as places where locals or trainers specializing in a specific type can come to train their teams, with many noncertified gyms offering membership packages to bring in the money they need to run (certified gyms are restricted from offering membership services). They also often act as places for the community to congregate, as emergency shelters, and some host community support or outreach programs.

Gym trainers are often made up of a combination of local trainers, gym workers, and apprentices to the gymleader.

Certified gyms are funded by their regional League- which itself is funded by the cost of trainer licenses and the various fees to enter or view League-sanctioned events, along with fees paid by media channels to broadcast said events and vendors to work them- which pays the bills nessecary to keep the gym running, along with the salaries of gymleaders, gym workers, and apprentices, and for the care and feeding of gymleaders’ and apprentices’ teams. Additional money comes in the form of loss money from challengers, usually $300-400, which most certified gyms put towards their community-focused programs.

Noncertified gyms receive their funding via donations, membership fees, charging for serves, and loss money from challengers. Start-up money is generally provided by the gymleader from their own personal savings.

The process of becoming eligible to be a gymleader varies from region to region. In some locations an apprenticeship under the current gymleader and their word are enough to grant you the position upon their retirement, while in others the process is long and intense, involving a variety of extremely difficult challenges. Still the majority of regions in this day and age require three things to become eligible-

A good showing in a challenge against said region’s Elite Four and Champion, generally requiring the defeat of 3 of the Elites (a challenge one can’t undergo without having first become a League Champion in that region)

The passing of the region’s GEEs, ‘Gymleader Eligibility Exams’

Either an Bachelors degree in ‘Poke-Human Relations’ or four years apprenticeship under a gymleader

Individuals meeting these standards immediately become eligible to open or inherit a gym in that region.

Now we finally get to move onto salaries for the certified guys.

Gym workers were the easy part. The pokemon world, as mentioned before, doesn’t seem as shit as ours, so one can assume gym workers are getting at least a living wage- already determined to be about $20-25k, but such a prestigious job is also probably going to pay a little more than the norm. So we’ll go with $25-30k for gym workers.

Apprentices are a little harder. Their incomes seem to vary, which makes sense as an apprentice just starting probably isn’t going to be paid the same as one several years on. So we’re going to go with a ‘by experience in the gym’ system.

1-2 years: ~$20-25k

3-5: ~$25-30k

5-7: ~$35-40k

8-9: ~$40-45k

10+: ~$45-50k

‘But Achi, why so high there by the end?’ We’re getting there, loves.

Now gymleaders were what drove me up the wall, because I try to go for equivalences when I do most of my numbers stuff but figuring out an equivalent job was a bit of a bitch. So, I decided to work backwards a bit and asked myself a not-so-simple question-

“How much, based on what we’ve already determined, would it cost to raise nine children as a single parent?”

Because in the anime we’re shown that Brock was raising his nine younger siblings, on his own, with his only job being as leader of the local certified gym. Now, Pocket Monsters: The Animation, wants us to believe that being a gymleader leaves you no fucking money, nobody is being paid, you’re basically living off scraps, but what we’re shown here doesn’t match up with that. We get nine kids, being raised in what appears to be a nice house, by a single parental figure, and there’s no sign that they want for anything. There’s none of the typical shorthand for ‘we’re poor as shit’. So, presumably, being a certified gymleader earns you enough of a salary that you can support a large family on it, though maybe not easily.

So, I used the same budget calculator to work out an estimate on how much Brock would’ve been spending to support his siblings with a modest living. And it had to be estimates because the damn thing doesn’t go higher than four kids a household. Thankfully, as explained in earlier posts, we’re presuming transportation and healthcare costs aren’t a thing in the pokemon world for the standard person traveling around their area, and the pokemon are, again, presumably being fed by the League, so we were able to take numbers from some spots and move them into others. In the end, we ended up with $70-80k as the annual salary of a gymleader.

So, about three times the cost of living, a certified gymleader is certainly a lucrative position. The big question is, is it worth the fucking work.

[ohmytheon]

Summary: Uraraka Ochako thought she left her past behind her. Now a vital member of the Armed Detective Agency, she can use her gravity manipulation ability to do good and help people, as long as she's careful about how she uses it. However, when a familiar face that she both wishes she could forget and truly misses hunts her down, her dark past comes back to remind her that there are some things she can never leave behind. As her history in the Port Mafia and her relationship to one of the most dangerous Executives, Shigaraki Tomura, come to light, Uraraka must figure out on her own what it means to be a good person and learn to trust herself and others. Something terrible is going to happen, and if she has to dive headfirst into a battle with Shigaraki and the Port Mafia, she'll fight with everything in her.

[Or: the Bungou Stray Dogs AU that no one expected, but I literally could not stop writing for my life.]

Notes: This was originally supposed to be a one-shot based off the "Day 3: Adrift" prompt for Ochabowl Week - and now I'm on chapter 11 and I don't even know what happened. The great news is that I know exactly how this is going to end, so I won't be stuck on this for a year. (I mean, I wrote 10 chapters/40k in a week.) It's only natural to connect Chuuya and Uraraka in some fashion because of their gravity-related abilities, but my brain went one step further at 7:30 am while driving to work.

For those of you that haven't seen Bungou Stray Dogs, I think it's pretty easy to translate the BNHA characters into it. Just in case, I had someone who has never seen or read BSD read this fic and they said that they understood it perfectly. A quick summary: "abilities" instead of "quirks" (although rarer), "Armed Detective Agency" instead of "heroes", "Port Mafia" instead of "League of Villains", and "Special Abilities Department" instead of "Hero Commission". I did my best to immerse the BNHA characters into the BSD world while also explaining it. If anyone has any questions, I am here to answer them as I love BSD a lot. The title comes from a translation of Nakahara Chuya's poem, "A Bone".

Many thanks to wellthengetouttathesoupaisle for beta'ing this and even drawing some incredible art for it already. To say that I cried about that would be an understatement. Also many thanks to those on my server for letting me ramble about this when only three or four people knew what the hell I was talking about. Now that everyone will have context for the snippets I sent, this should make things more clear! ENJOY!

[soraka-in-warhammer40k]

I must say whatever freak this series is on, I doubt there is much out there that can match it.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Where It Dares Defy

by Saeva “Bruuuce?” Jason blinked already hazy teal eyes. Between the scents of his pack and the enclosure of the bed, he should feel safe enough even if he panicked as the hazy sedation worked its way through his body. “Jaylad. Relax. I’ll take care of you.” Bruce stroked the side of his omega’s face before turning it tenderly to find the vein. “This will help you.” Despite the wriggling, he pressed the syringe into the vein well enough to complete the injection. It would work quickly -- ten minutes, perhaps less. “Settle, Jay. I’m going to help you.” Jason gasped, shifting his hips as the heat inducer did its work. “Wh-what… what are y-you doing to me?” “I refuse to lose you to your own choices.” ... A retelling of Batman #138 (2024), if Bruce had access to pack dynamics to alter biochemicals instead. ----- My goal was to get to 50K words written in November 2024. I didn't quite make it, but between Breaking the Shells (which I'm still working on) and this I made it to 40K and that's pretty awesome. I will be posting Chapter 2 immediately after this one. Words: 8792, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Categories: M/M Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake (DCU), Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Selina Kyle Relationships: Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne & Everyone, Selina Kyle & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Everyone, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Non-Consensual Drug Use, Rape/Non-con Elements, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pack Dynamics, Family Dynamics, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Bad Parent Bruce Wayne, Alpha Bruce Wayne, Hurt Jason Todd, Jason Todd Has a Bad Time, Boypussy, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Canon Related, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce Wayne Makes Bad Decisions, Dick Grayson Tries to Be a Good Older Sibling, Tim Drake and Jason Todd are Siblings, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne Meet in the League of Assassins, Minor Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Past Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Omega Jason Todd, Mental Link, Psychic Bond, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), Jason Todd is Red Hood, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Forced Bonding, Class Differences, Poverty via https://ift.tt/DFg51Cn

[ateamforumsfanworks]

Guide to Leeching and Dealing with Leechers - Please don't hate me for this!

08-08-2015, 02:23 PM

Originally Uploaded by Forum User: beepbeep

NOTE: Before reading this guide, please understand that this guide and thread is not here to chastise, criticize, or insult any player who wishes to play the game. However, realistically speaking, not everyone is going to enjoy the game the same way, and some people's way of enjoying the game may cause other people to not enjoy the game. The goal of this guide is to help people reach a level of compromise by giving players in different scenarios the best possible options they can choose to take.

This is my guide on leeching. Yes, leeching. There’s a lot of it in this game, and I’m sure there’s a lot of players who are annoyed by it and a lot more who practice it. I want to raise some awareness about this in Unison League to hopefully make the situation of leeching better for both those getting leeched from and the leechers. It sounds weird, but rather than be frustrated with the situation we can all try to accommodate ourselves the best we can.

Hopefully you’ll find this guide easy to understand. There’s 2 parts: Part one for the leechers; Part 2 for those getting leeched off of. I’ll be only covering some basics – the rest is up to your preference and opinion.

Part 1: Leechers

My first recommendation would be to switch your class to CLERIC and try to raise your MATK and MDEF as high as you can to get some boosted heals. Have at least one AOE heal and two single heals. If you get a status ailment landed on yourself you need to be able to remove them ASAP or you might just die after getting para’d or confused.

Secondly, bring Unison Monsters that heal (Shinatobe, Unicorn/Slepnir, Valk, etc). Cuchulainn or any other monster that provides Healing Wind related boosts is a poor unison choice for leeching because your HP is probably so abysmally low that you’ll just die anyways. Additionally, and most importantly bring a Goblin or some other colorless monster for HASTE. If you aren’t pulling your weight in a PvE run and you don’t even have haste, you can bet that your chances of the entire team ditching you to die are going to shoot up dramatically.

Continuing on this point – timing your unisons is important. On the more dangerous runs, you should be the ones initiating unisons for haste or your healer unison as much as possible. As a general rule of thumb, time your unisons to be in sync with opposing attacks that will hit you in order to dodge them. This Unison Dodge technique is commonly practiced in more difficult runs, and is often overlooked by even advanced level players during simpler runs, and often results in unnecessary deaths when not successfully initiated.

As a leecher there, are two important things: Surviving the run, and making sure that your DPS teammates (ie, your victims) also survive the run and keep attacking for you. So let’s go over the main points one more time:

1. Class to Cleric: 1 or more AoE Heal, 2 single target heals, as much Matk/Mdef as possible for heal boost, enough Pdef to not die to one physical attack. Your gearscore should end up floating around at least 32k for this to work, 40k or more for more security.

2. Heal and Haste Unisons: Goblin = 2 cost. Get it. No excuses.

3. Unison dodging: Practice makes perfect, being able to do this will save your life.

Lastly, let’s cover some things I don’t recommend: Heaven’s Breath/Life Up, non-Cleric classes, buff support.

HP increasers are poor choices for leeching because you don’t really have that much life to boost. Chances are if you’re a leecher you’ll start out sub-30k HP and will get boosted to around 50k HP without any class boosts or weapon boosts such as Heart of Vitality. At a glimpse it looks like it could help, but the cooldown for those skills is so large there’s enough of a window for you to get killed.

Non-cleric classes are not recommended because you probably can’t do damage and those skills are likely to be taking up spaces for heal skills. Therefore you put yourself in more danger by not choosing cleric class for leeching.

Buff support is not recommended for the reason that if you buff your party, it makes it easier for them to leave you to die and then walk off with the buffs you so foolishly provided for them.

If you follow these basics, you should be able to leech like a pro and your victims either won’t mind as much or may not even notice until the run is over that you were even leeching

Part 2: Victims – those being leeched off of

First, you can simply retire, but I don’t recommend doing this just because you end up screwing over 2 or 3 other people who are legitimately trying to do a run. So let’s go onward.

All non-leechers must have a colorless monster for HASTE. This is imperative if you want to punish a leecher as you don’t want to let yourself die just because you ran out of Cost to cast heals.

For Clerics, don’t heal the leechers. By healing the leechers you put your DPS teammates at more risk of dying.

For non-Clerics,

invest in some bulk

for your PvE set. I’ve been in teams where my DPS teammates die and retire while the leeches survive because they didn’t have enough bulk and ended up paralyzed or reflected while the cleric healed the leech. Ultimately in pug teams you have to be responsible for yourself. Bring what you should bring to contribute, but do not expect other people to do the same. Nobody likes being the highest gearscore person and then dying to some unfortunate circumstance while the sub 50k GS leech survives.

I also recommend that non-Clerics devote a slot to 1 heal just to cover yourself in case of a pinch-scenario.

If you invested in

bulk and a heal

for yourself, this also works to your advantage if you wish

to punish

the leecher. You now have the option of punishing the leecher. If you are able to properly heal yourself, you can cease your attacks on any monster and allow the monster to carry out its attacks while the leecher takes damage. Select an appropriate monster with AoE attacks and let the endurance test take place. The leecher should die before you if you’ve appropriated the proper amount of bulk due to simply being underleveled and undergeared. After you have succeeded in killing the leech in your party in the time you deem appropriate, continue on and finish your run. Give yourself a maximum of 2 minutes to kill your leecher as it is not worth sabotaging a time bonus just to get a leecher killed, and if a leecher is able to stay alive that long, changes are he/she is smart enough to be able to endure the entire run. I recommend killing leechers toward the end of a run, as it is the best way to waste more of their time and helps to drain more of their AP.

Now that you know these basics, being able to identify leechers is your next step. Generally non-Soldier leeches will have HP that hovers around 30k and Soldier leeches will have slightly higher HP.

Here at

http://i.imgur.com/LG6NVBr.png

I have provided a sample image of a team (whose identities have been hidden) I recently ran with in the Rank 30 (36 ap) Wonderland run for a shot at Alice. It should be very obvious that the party’s leech in this picture is the 34k GS Cleric. This cleric actually survived the run because the Archer and Lancer did not decide to punish the cleric. The cleric averaged heals at around 8k HP for AoE heals and a single target heal that maxed at about 11k after buff. The cleric also carried a Soultaker for Haste. If it weren’t for the underpowered healing, the leecher could have actually made a suitable cleric, but in the end the archer still had to heal himself while I healed myself, the lancer and the mage.

The basics for dealing with leechers generally boil down to:

Being able to keep yourself and your non-leech teammates alive.

Knowing how to identify a potential leech.

Wanting to or not wanting to let a leech get away with leeching.

Number 3 in these basics is really the most important point. If you’re OK with someone leeching off of you while you do everything in the run that’s actually not a bad way to play if you can keep enjoying the game. If you’re getting frustrated at people leeching off of you, letting the leech die is a great way to relieve a bit of game-related stress. It’s really a matter of personality and preference – as a leech victim, whether you’re accepting of it or frustrated with it, your reaction to a leech in your party is perfectly justified. Just make sure to remember to have fun.

Ultimately, if the leechers follow the leecher guide, less victims will need to follow the victim guide.

I’m sure there is more that could be said, but this is already a huge wall of text and if you took the time to read through all of this I hope it gave you some sort of benefit whether it be insight or a good laugh. If you have anything to add, any comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks!

[fifacoinszone]

FIFA 19 Team of the Season Market Crash - Gullit, Mbappe and Varane Among the Biggest Price Drops

With value drops of up to one million coins, this may be your most obvious opportunity at killing a deal on Ultimate Team.

The football season is nearing its decision, and there is just a single thing FIFA 19 players have at the forefront of their thoughts - the Team of the Season (TOTS) cards.

With the game-changing arrangement of cards coming to Ultimate Team soon, costs over the market are dropping.

Heaps of players are sparing their coins for TOTS, with less players are being sold available, and all things considered costs are falling with expectations of more deals.

It is never fully known when these drops will start FIFA YouTuber Mathew 'MattHDGamer' Craig discharged a video not long ago demonstrating that the market crash has just started.

What's more, addressing Goal, Matt clarified precisely what may have caused the accident: "This market crash was brought about by individuals selling their cards and freezing in front of one of the greatest promotions in the FIFA schedule - TOTS.

"In addition, a great deal of expert FIFA players have likewise quit playing FIFA because of occasion qualifiers being finished. They needn't bother with their incredible cards like Icons and sell those cards at a let cost driving down the cost of most high level cards."

Talking about Icons, on the off chance that you purchased 93-evaluated Prime Icon Ruud Gullit a month prior you may be a tad gutted.

The Dutchman was selling for around 4.2 million coins toward the beginning of April yet has marvelously dropped down to 3.3 million available. That is hypothetically 900k coins that you may have passed up.

It's a comparable story with his basic midfield accomplice Patrick Vieira, whose Prime card was selling for 2.1m coins only two or three weeks prior yet has currently dropped down to 1.9m coins. To give you a thought of how quickly these costs are falling, a similar card was selling for 3.6m coins toward the beginning of January.

One of the craziest drops throughout the year has been Raphael Varane's ordinary card. A staple for FIFA players, Varane was selling for around 200k coins in December however dropped down to 100k in February.

Presently, a standout amongst the best non-uncommon protectors on the game is accessible for simply 40k, which is a flat out take considering his pace and cautious details.

Another card which ought to be increasingly reasonable for normal players is Paulo Dybala's. The Juventus forward is currently just 49,000 coins, subsequent to being 63,000 just two weeks back.

A portion of these drops are occurring on a step by step premise as well. Cristiano Ronaldo's Team of the Year card has dropped from 7 million coins to 6.7 million coins in merely days and could be falling still.

In the event that, out of the blue, you were considering offering him you should need to act quick, you could be losing coins continuously.

One of the craziest drops chose by MattHDGamer is Mbappe's 90-appraised Team of the Week card. Under 10 days back the PSG forward's card was exchanging at 920,000, while today he can be grabbed for as meager as 738,000. About a 200,000 coin drop in less than about fourteen days!

 While these value drops are stressing for a few, there is likewise a ton to be amped up for.

MattHDGamer gave Goal a portion of his top exchanging tips for exploiting: "Players should hope to put resources into 84s that will be prevalent for Squad Building Challenges (SBCs). In the event that they think 84 Gimenez is excessively low in esteem, purchase presently to sell for benefit amid TOTS as EA will discharge huge SBCs.

"By and large, individuals ought to put resources into Premier League or La Liga 83s 84s as they are entirely alluring or Icons, 85+ in structures or 87s in the event that they need to make whatever number coins as could be expected under the circumstances."

With TOTS seemingly within easy reach, these next couple of weeks will be significant in the FIFA showcase. Make some brilliant moves and you could finish up with a stunning group and a lot of coins extra - finishing FIFA 19 on a high.

More FIFA 19 TOTS related tips you can read this article: Champions Corner Ticket Competition of FIFA 19 TOTS

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