Saturday, June 29, 2013

New to L.A Mood!
Pacific Rim action figures!
















Word on the street is Pacific Rim is so full of awesome Robot/Monster action it turns geeks into gleeful little kids. Anticipating this we've ordered the first wave of Pacific Rim action figures! Get ready for big things in little packages with heroic battle bots "Gipsy Danger","Crimson Typhoon, and evil alien "Knifehead"


The Gettysburg Address


















This graphic novel uses Lincoln's words to tell the whole story of America's Civil War. 1776 to the present! Both moving and accessible the book has gotten rave reviews. History buffs definitely need to check out the book Rachel Maddow called "The Coolest thing since Schoolhouse Rock!"


Vader's Little Princess

































Ever imagine what it would be like if Darth Vader raised Luke and Princess Leia from birth? No? Lucky for us Jeffery Brown has! Brown is back with hilarious and heart warming glimpses of what it's like growing up with a Sith Lord for your Pop! The second instalment focuses on a the father/daughter dynamic between Darth Vader and Princess Leia..and is just as brilliant as the first book Vader and Son! Vader and Son sold quick so come on down and grab the sequel before it's gone!

Pandemic on the Brink




















Pandemic is one of the most requested and popular games we have so we're definitely excited to bring you this new edition of the expansion Pandemic: On the Brink! The second edition has an eye popping snazzy new artistic makeover you're gonna love and features new and exciting editions to the base game like The Virulent Strain Challenge, The Mutation Challenge and the Bio-Terroist Challenge which pits one player against the others! If you loved Pandemic (and who didn't) you're gonna love Pandemic: On the Brink! Get it while supplies last!



Zen Garden






















Who doesn't need a little Zen in their life? Zen Garden is an artful struggle and two games in one. The basic game is a fast and simple tile matching game in which you attempt to form patterns on the board before your fellow players do the same. Players seeking more of a challenge can compete in Rock Garden"in which players receive 12 rock cubes and play them on sets of tiles matching their pattern tiles. Place all of your rocks first to win! If you see the Buddha upon the road..challenge him to a game of Zen Garden!

 Star Wars Book of the Sith





















Dabble in your dark side without offending your grandparents or costing a goat it's life with the Star Wars Book of the Sith!
If the "Collector's case" was out of your price range you're in luck because you can now own the Star Was Book of the Sith as an individual stand alone item! Not only will this in depth exploration supply you everything you need to know about the Dark Side it also has cool illustrations! Nice!


Friday, June 28, 2013

July Magic Schedule

July Magic Schedule
FNM Standard -   
Start Time 6:30; 
Entry Fee $2;
Swiss Rounds; 



FNM Drafts -  
Start Time Draft #1 Starts at 6:30 Draft #2 Starts approx. 8:30 (after two rounds of Standard); 
Entry Fee $10; 
Keep What You Draft; 
Swiss Rounds;
Latest Draft Format (e.g., currently Dragons Maze); 
Prizes consist of 3/2/1/1 booster pack prizes (based on 8 players) to the Top 3 and FNM foils distributed to the Top 2 players automatically.

Other prizes, like foil door prizes and other handouts, including Intro packs and Battle Packs, will be distributed as before, with a door prize pool equal to about half the number of entrants!  Based on our average 30-man FNM attendance (you can see the  expected prize distribution above), I think this is an exceptionally exciting change.  Let everyone know about our huge FNMs - the more people who play, the larger the prize pool gets!

 July Schedule

July1 - Canada's Day Store Closed

July 5- FNM
Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2  $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm. 
July 7- Commander League 3:00 pm. Sunday Modern 3:00pm $5 entry Prize goes into store credit.
July 8 -  Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time  Ravnica Block Draft Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
July 12 - FNM  
Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm.
July 12 - M14 Midnight Pre-release after FNM. $27 entry for your 6 packs. The new M14 rules go into effect which are explained in the article at the bottom.
July 14 - M14 Pre-release 11AM start time  $27 entry for your 6 packs
July 15 -   Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time Ravnica Block Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
July 19 - FNM Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 M14 draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm. M14 is legal for standard.
July 21 - Commander League 3:00pm  Sunday Modern 3:00pm $5 entry Prize goes into store credit.
July 22 - Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time M14 Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
July 26 - FNM Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 M14 draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm.
July 28 - Commander League 3:00pm  Sunday Modern 3:00pm $5 entry Prize goes into store credit.
July 29 - Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time M14 Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
 


Prerelease Events: July 13-14, 2013
Release Date: July 19, 2013
Launch Weekend: July 19-22, 2013
Magic Online Release: July 29, 2013
Game Day: August 10-11, 2013

Magic 2014 Core Set Rules Preview

The letter I!f you've cruised around this wonderful Internet of ours lately, you may have noticed that information about Magic 2014—Duels of the Planeswalkers has begun to spread. Of course, a major part of that game is the Magic 2014 Core Set, so information about those cards has also begun to spread. So, with M14 on the horizon, it's time to go over some of the rule changes and new templates debuting with that set. This isn't a complete list. Each set has maintenance tweaks that are largely invisible to most players, and the Magic 2014 Core Set is no different. But this article will review the major changes and how they may impact you.
Let me begin by making one thing clear: these changes take effect on July 13, the date of the Magic 2014 Core Set Prerelease. On Magic Online, the changes will go live on or around July 24, the date of the Magic 2014 Core Set build. From now until then, the current rules are still in effect.

The "Legend Rule"

Let's dive in, shall we? The "legend rule," rule 704.5k for those of you following along at home, is changing. Under the current rules, any time two or more legendary permanents with the same name were on the battlefield, they would all be put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based action. Under the new rules, any time two or more legendary permanents with the same name are controlled by a player, that player chooses one of them and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based action.
One way to think about it is the "legend rule" now looks at each player individually. It doesn't matter what any other player controls. Clearly, this has a few play ramifications. If you control a legendary permanent, having another one enter the battlefield (by playing a second one or creating a copy of the first one) will leave you with one on the battlefield. It may be the old one. It may be the new one. That's up to you.
Also, creating a copy of a legendary permanent controlled by another player will simply give you a copy. The one controlled by the other player won't explode, won't leave the battlefield, and really won't be affected at all. Clones do what they were intended to do, which isn't to be situational killing machines. Let's look at two examples to see the new rules in action:
  • You control Teysa, Orzhov Scion. Your opponent enchants it with Pacifism. You cast another Teysa, Orzhov Scion. You choose the new one to remain on the battlefield. The one enchanted by Pacifism is put into its owner's graveyard (and then so is the Pacifism).
  • Your opponent controls Ruric Thar, the Unbowed. You cast Progenitor Mimic, copying it. Both creatures may stay on the battlefield as long as they're controlled by different players. After Progenitor Mimic's ability creates a token copy of Ruric Thar, you must choose one to stay on the battlefield. The other will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action.
I've recruited ace developer Sam Stoddard to write more about R&D's motivations behind this change and the change to the "Planeswalker uniqueness rule." You should check out his article here. Oh, didn't I mention the Planeswalker one? Well then...

The "Planeswalker Uniqueness Rule"

You didn't think we were leaving our heroes out in the cold, right? Just giving the legendary permanents a shiny new upgrade? Because the Planeswalkers are coming along for the ride.
The "Planeswalker uniqueness rule" is getting a very similar update to what the "legend rule" got. The new rule 704.5j will state that if a player controls two or more Planeswalkers that share a Planeswalker type, that player chooses one and the rest are put into their owner's graveyards as a state-based action. Again, you no longer have to worry about what other players control. Let's look at a couple of examples:
Again, Sam's article has much more information on these changes. Check it out here. And I really can't stress enough: these changes aren't in effect until July 13 in live tournaments and July 24 on Magic Online.

Sideboards in Constructed Tournaments

We're also making an adjustment to sideboard composition in Constructed tournaments. Previously, your main deck was sixty or more cards and your sideboard was either fifteen cards or zero cards, indicating you weren't using a sideboard. With the new rule, your main deck is still sixty or more cards but your sideboard is now up to fifteen cards. Additionally, you are not required to swap cards between your main deck and sideboard on a one-for-one basis. For Games 2 and 3 (and so on), as long as your main deck is sixty or more cards and your sideboard is no more than fifteen cards, you're good. This change makes sideboarding in Constructed and in Limited closer.
The real benefit of this change is the following scenario, which is all-too-common at more competitive events: after Game 1, you bring in some cards from your sideboard, shuffle up, present your deck, and you discover you've presented a sixty-one-card deck. There are fourteen cards in your sideboard and you've just received a game loss.
Under the new rules, what you did in that scenario is legal and you can go about playing Magic. Here's a chart to demonstrate what's legal and not under the new rules (listed as main deck/sideboard):
Game 1 Subsequent Games Legality
60/15 60/15 Legal
60/15 61/14 Legal
60/15 75/0 Legal
75/0 60/15 Legal
60/10 63/7 Legal
250/15 60/205 Illegal
60/15 50/25 Illegal

We expect most players will continue to play sixty cards in the main deck and fifteen in the sideboard, but some interesting variations are possible.

Indestructible Promoted to Keyword

I frequently get asked why indestructible isn't a keyword. The answer has always been because it doesn't need to be. It's just an English word with a definition, slightly modified for use in Magic. Compare it to something like deathtouch, which carries all sorts of rules baggage. Indestructible simply meant "can't be destroyed."
And while these reasons are good and noble and true, it didn't match the reality that players didn't get it. Heck, even most of R&D didn't get it. Many people assumed it was a keyword. Well, as Mark Rosewater often reminds us, "Bananas suck." No, wait, that's not it. "You can't fight human nature." There we go. So, starting with the Magic 2014 Core Set , indestructible is now a keyword. It will appear by its lonesome on permanents that naturally have it and in abilities like "target creature gains indestructible until end of turn."
Why does this matter? Well, for the most part it doesn't, but it can be different in two cases:
Case 1: A permanent is made indestructible by another spell or ability (for example, Withstand Death), and then it loses all abilities. Previously, it would still be indestructible, because that was just something true about the permanent. It wasn't an ability the permanent had. With the change, the permanent will no longer have indestructible.
Case 2: Creatures (or permanents) you control are made indestructible until end of turn by a spell or ability (for example, Boros Charm). Previously, a creature that came under your control after that spell or ability resolved would be indestructible, as that spell or ability didn't change the characteristics of any creature. With the change, that new creature won't have indestructible as it wasn't under your control at the right time to gain it.
A little more than sixty cards will be receiving the new template and functionality.

Unblockable Demoted to Definitely Not a Keyword

And when people ask about indestructible, unblockable is usually not far behind. One might expect it to get a similar upgrade to keyword, but alas, one would be mistaken. Here's the thing: there are actually many variations on unblockable. There are cards like Barrenton Cragtreads, Firefright Mage, Goblin War Drums, and several others. It would be strange and counterintuitive if unblockable functioned like a keyword but all the subsets of unblockable didn't. So, to alleviate confusion as to why unblockable isn't a keyword, we're going to make it more obvious that it isn't by changing its template to "can't be blocked." As you've seen, the words "can't be blocked" were used on cards already, so this change seemed very natural. Please note this is a change in template only. No cards will functionally change.

Playing Additional Lands

Did you know that right now (assuming you're reading this article before July 13, when these rules changes take effect), whenever you play a land, if more than one rule or effect allows you to play that land, you must specify which rule or effect you're using? Yeah, most people didn't. In practice, this means that if you control something like Oracle of Mul Daya and play a land, the correct play is to specify that this is your additional land for the turn. Furthermore, you could then bounce the Oracle and recast it. Then you could play an additional, additional land. You could then go on to play your land for the turn. What a mess.
With the Magic 2014 Core Set , we're introducing a new system for playing lands that focuses on the number of land plays you have. Any time you want to play a land for any reason, if you've used all your land plays for the turn, then you can't play the land. By default, you have one land play on each of your turns. Spells or abilities can add to this number. So can permanents that allow you to play additional lands, but if these permanents leave the battlefield, those additional land plays disappear.
As before, you can take a special action once on each of your turns during either main phase to play a land. A spell or ability may also instruct you to play a land as part of its resolution (for example, the activated ability of Djinn of Wishes). No matter how you're playing the land, it uses up a land play. If you're out of unused land plays for a turn, you can't play a land. And just like before, you can never play a land if it isn't your turn.
Here are some examples:
  • You start your main phase with one land play. You play a land. You then activate Djinn of Wishes, revealing a land. You have no unused land plays, so the revealed land can't be played.
  • You start your main phase with one land play. You activate Djinn of Wishes, revealing a land. You play that land. You then want to play another land (by taking your once-a-turn special action). However, you have no unused land plays, so you can't play another land this turn.
  • You start your precombat main phase while controlling Oracle of Mul Daya. You have two land plays. You play a land. Then Oracle of Mul Daya dies during combat, so you're back to one land play and it's been used. During your postcombat main phase, you can't play another land.
  • You start your precombat main phase while controlling Oracle of Mul Daya. You have two land plays. You play a land. Then the Oracle is returned to your hand, so you again have one land play, and it's been used. You recast Oracle of Mul Daya, and you have two land plays again, one of which you've used. You can now play a second land.
Most of the time, it's a simple question of asking how many lands you've played in a turn and figuring out how many you're allowed to play. It doesn't come up that often, but I believe when it does come up, the rules now behave in a more sensible manner.

The Only Constant is Change

And that brings us to the end of our overview. There will be more information coming in the Update Bulletin, which will go into these changes in detail. The Update Bulletin will also cover some additional minor changes that aren't likely to impact most games. It will also review all the Oracle changes, including cards affected by rules changes and ones we're cleaning up through our normal review processes. I'm excited to hear feedback on these changes. But the most exciting things are always the cards, and Modern Masters and the Magic 2014 Core Set have a lot of awesome in store for you. Have fun!

L.A. MOODS


Commander League

Starts April 14 at 3pm
The League will last for 2 months.
The entry will be a one time $5 fee that will go into the prize pot.
The league will be based on the Armada Games point league.
League will consist of 2 two hour matches with tables of four people.
After each match the point totals will be added to each persons league total
At the end of the league the prize pool will be divided among the top 8 players.
There will be other prizes that will be given away like Foil generals, alters and the like.
This is going to be a casual fun league so degenerate combo based decks are strongly discouraged.


Commander League Points


-4 Point
But we just started – Eliminating a player prior to their 5th turn.

-2 Points
Chasm – Be the instigator of wrecking one or more players mana bases.
Only there for its color – Finish the game without playing your General. If a player did not have the ability to cast their general during the game, they do not receive this award.

-1 Point
Greedy McGreederson – Take 3 or more Turns in a row. This can be awarded more than once.

+1 Point

Block! – Give another player a creature you own.

Chumpzilla – Control 10 or more token creatures.

Clash of the Titans – Control 5+ Legendary Creatures

Copycat – First player to copy a spell or permanent of an opponent.

Danger Zone – Eliminate an opponent while your life is less than 5.

Edge of Disaster - First player to have fewer than ten cards in his or her library.

First Blood – First player to deal combat damage to an opponent

Forth Times the Charm – Resolve your General 4 times in a single game from the Command Zone.

Generalissimo – Eliminate a player with General damage. Can be awarded more than once.

Hey, That’s Mine! – Gain control of a permanent you own from another player.

I Suck – Be eliminated from the game or have it end when you have 0 points. This checks after “It was a valiant effort” but after “I’m Out”.

I’m Out – Be the first player eliminated from the table.

It’s Waffer Thin – Eliminate an opponent with a 1/1 creature.



Look at Me – Be the last player remaining in a pod.

Start with the Top – Destroy or Exile a Sensei’s Divining Top you don’t control.

Suicide Bomber – Eliminate all remaining players at the same time (yes this includes you).

Tribal Dance – Control 7 or more non-token creatures of the same creature type.

What Goes Around – Take control of a permanent that an opponent took control of from another opponent.

Where’s Timmy – Put an opponent at 1 life.
+2 Points
Here we come again! – Have 2+ extra combat steps in a single turn.

I Brought Friends – Control 3+ Planeswalkers at the same time.

Three’s Not a Crowd – Resolve three different non-land permanents of three different types on the same turn.
Let’s Do That Again – Save an opponent from taking lethal damage.
You’re Outta Here – Kill a player or being directly responsible for a player’s elimination.

+3 Points
Get There – Cast your general when total cost is 20 or more.

+4 Points
The Cheese Stands Alone – Win the game with 2 or more opponents still in the game.

End of Game Points
+1 Point - The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall -- The person with the highest life total when he/she died (for combat death, look at the life total before combat damage was applied) wins a point.

+1 Point - He Who Dies With the Most Toys, Loses -- The person who had the least artifacts in play when he/she died wins a point.

+1 Point – What Friends? -- The person who had the least creatures in play when he/she died wins a point.

+1 Point - Huge Tracts of Land -- The person who had the least lands in play when he/she died wins a point.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

L.A. Mood's July Heroclix Schedule




All events Begin at 6:00pm unless posted otherwise


July 4 Rescue! Scenario event.
Choose a figure no more than 200pts and rescue the kidnapped civilians.
Prize: TBA

July 11 Fear Itself Month 2 Event
300 point, Sealed event utilizing two (2) HeroClix Boosters per player: one (1) Marvel HeroClix: Fear Itself Booster pack, and one (1) other HeroClix booster  or 5 single figure booster (or another Fear itself, IF turn out allows) of your choosing.
Prior to the event, players will “declare their allegiance” to one of the two Fear Itself Factions: “The Worthy” or “The Mighty.” They are now fighting for victory on behalf of their chosen Faction. They will utilize the appropriate Additional Team Ability for their faction (provided in the Month One Fear Itself kit) on their force.
Prizes: Hela Limited Edition figures for 1st place, 2nd place and Fellowship
Mokk’s 3D Objects for participation prizes

July 18 Heroclix League Event!
Build a 500pt team, with your chosen Keyword.. 
Prizes:  TBA

July 25 Crossover Combo!
Build a 800pt team, it must include figures from three different universes
Prize: TBA

L.A. Mood House Rules
1. Purple Rings are legal, and no figures are retired
2. No Battlefield Conditions
3. Feats can only being used on older figures from before the Avengers set
4. Player are expected to bring a map that will be used, players may use either side if the map is double sided.

Monday, June 24, 2013

New to L.A. Mood!


World War Z may have broke out this weekend but we know what you really love-The Walking Dead!

Walking Dead Guitar Straps and Guitar Picks!
























 Get ready to shred with the undead when you use Walking Dead guitar accessories! Not only do they feature artwork by comic artist Charlie Adlard but a guitar strap can be used a s a tourniquet when an infected limb needs to be amputated! Neato! The Guitar picks? Were not gonna lie..they'd be pretty useless during the apocalypse.


Walking Dead Poster Book



Speaking of the apocalypse..it can be a real drab place. Lucky for you AMC's The Walking Dead moments and characters are only a glance away when you buy the Walking Dead Poster Collection! You might be trapped in your makeshift shelter for a long time...why not decorate it?! Rick, Merl, Darryl..the relentless killing machines that might break in at any minute-They're all here! Images from the hit series Walking Dead look great on the tv. They look even better on your wall!


Walking Dead Michone Statue











Killing zombies is tough. Sometimes you need some inspiration. Well look no further than this The Walking Dead zombie slaying Michonne Statue! The resin statue stands at 14.5 inches tall, has a base that rotates 360 degrees, and features gruesome gore from every angle! Nobody makes short work of "Walkers" like Michonne!

Bandai S.H. Monster Arts Kong 8th Wonder of the World




















Monster Arts brings it's famous detail and artistry to this figure based on Peter Jackson's 2005 film King Kong. This highly articulate figure is not only finely sculpted but it's interchangeable hands and articulation allow it to be posed in a variety of positions. More than just a toy this Kong figure is a work of art-Monster Art that is..

Domino Lady: Blonde Bombshell


Original created as a 1930's pulp novel character "Domino Lady" is back with her own comic series. It may be 77 years since her last appearance but take one look and you'll agree she hasn't aged a day! The first volume Domino Lady: Blonde Bombshell has come to the store. If you are a fan of Detective fiction than you will love the quick witted, tough as nails glamorous Domino Lady as she fights crime during the golden era of Hollywood!


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Make Widgets AND War: City of Remnants

Earlier this week, I had the chance to play the newest title from Plaid Hat Games: City of Remnants.  In CoR, a fearsome alien race known as the Yugai has conquered much of the known galaxy and they've transported survivors from the worlds they've ransacked to Gatorum -- The City of Remnants.  As players, you'll take control of one of the gangs fighting for supremacy on the Gatorum city streets and you'll have to use all of your strength and wits if you're going to survive and prosper in this brutal and hostile environment.



From a mechanical perspective, CoR is a something of a "mash-up" game that blends together deck building, auctions, area control, action-point allowance and hand management into a game that's truly greater than the sum of its parts.  Over the course of the game you attempt to outbid other players in order to recruit new members to your gang.  Those gang members will be added to your deck as cards (which can be used for combat or for other special abilities) and as figures that will be deployed on a map of the embattled city.  Once on the board, your gang members will not only be battling with other rival gangs for control of the streets, they'll also be working to build up an economic infrastructure that will generate revenue and by extension new gang members and weapons (bought from the black market of course!) to aid in the struggle for survival.  Oh, and did I mention the periodic alien incursions!!  Yep, on top of everything else, your Yugai overlords will show up in the city at the end of every round and, if you encounter them, you'll need to either buy them off or fight your way free.  And people thinking feeding your family at the end of a round of Agricola is stressful!

Ultimately, if I were to describe this game in two words, they would be: unmitigated carnage!  Yep, that's right carnage.  This ain't a sedate euro game in which you'll be fine tuning a beautifully balanced VP generating 'engine'.  And you sure won't be sending out workers to collect reeds in order to thatch the new roof of your freshing renovated stone house!  Nope, CoR is a  game that's filled with randomness, chaos and conflict.  There is an enormous amount of player vs. player interaction as buildings are built, taken over and even razed to the ground.  You'll be fighting over everything whether its territory on the board, control of buildings, gang members to recruit and black market items that grant seriously powerful benefits.  And when you aren't fighting each other, you've got the Yugai to worry about -- and let me tell you, if they catch you unprepared you're about to have a real bad day!



In many ways this game is unlike any other title that I have ever played.  On the one one hand you are in a constant and bloody war with both the other players and the game itself in the form of the Yugai.  On the other, you're trying to run a thriving small business empire making black market toasters and hosting fightclubs (I'm not kidding, you can actually build a fight club!).  This is a game that is really about embracing the chaos and playing for the shear experience of it all.  To be sure, sometimes you're going to get obliterated by pure luck -- either when you lose a fight you were sure you were going to win, or when the Yugai patrols show up and you don't have any troops on hand to fight them because they were all otherwise occupied trying to retain control of your freshly minted widget factory.  But, it's balanced out by those awesome moments when it's your opponet who gets crushed by the Yugai, or when you somehow win a battle that you had no right to have won.  So if you're interested in a game that's all about theme and experience, oozes conflict and player interaction, has great component's and blends together a series of mechanics in new and fresh ways -- well then head on down to the store and grab a copy of City of Remnants today!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

New to L.A Mood!

New Comics!|
Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE! - See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-unchained-2013/superman-unchained-1#sthash.lny4QlVs.dpuf

Can the Man of Steel drag a decades old secret to light? Don't miss the debut of this SUPER new series from Scott Snyder and Jim Lee-two of the biggest creators in the comic book industry!



Batman: Zero Year!
















Speaking of Scott Snyder-The busy man is also launching his new redefining origin story Batman: Year Zero! Rather than a rehash of Miller's Year One "Zero Year" hopes to take Batman's beginnings in bold new directions. This is a book by a fan for fan's and Snyder has boldly proclaimed Batman readers are not gonna want to miss it! Exciting! Head down to the store and grab your copy.


New Pathfinder Mini's!

We be Goblins Miniatures
The lowly goblin has become a sort of mascot for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Now they feature several new attributes like hatred of dogs, fear of horses, and a delightful penchant for singing -Not to mention a fresh new visual design from superstar artist Wayne Reynolds! Customer's have been buying these little green guys in droves and are very happy with the results. Maybe the key to happiness is Goblins? Who knows! Give it a try!

Big Hit Games Back in Stock!

Pandemic!













The second edition of Pandemic comes into the store...takes a rest on our shelves-then goes right back out the door! The hit game has proven itself a favourite and if you don't have your copy grab it while we got it!

Tsuro!


The beautifully packaged and beautifully simple tile based game is back in stock! Heck-just buy it as an art piece!

Android: Netrunner!
The smash hit living card game for 2 players is back in stock! With multiple expansions now available there really is no excuse not to dive in! This game is off and (Net) running! *cough*


Once Upon a Time!

The popular game where players create a story together with classic Fairytale elements is at the store...for now. Will you go home with it? Will this story have a happy ending? You decide!

Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE! - See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-unchained-2013/superman-unchained-1#sthash.lny4QlVs.dpuf
Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE! - See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-unchained-2013/superman-unchained-1#sthash.lny4QlVs.dpuf
Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE! - See more at: http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-unchained-2013/superman-unchained-1#sthash.lny4QlVs.dpuf

Friday, June 14, 2013

L.A. Moods Fear Itself Update



The price of Fear Itself boosters will be 12.95

Booster will be purchased after all players have been registered. If there is enough boosters for people, we will do 2 Fear Itself Boosters

Otherwise your second booster will be any 5 figure booster or any 5 single figure boosters. Prices will be as listed for those products

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Avast You Landlubbers -- It's Libertalia!

In my last post, I wrote about Augustus, a game designed by Paolo Mori and published by Hurrican Games.  Well, it turns out that it's been a banner year for Mr. Mori because, in addition to receiving a nomination for the coveted Spiels des Jahres for his work on Augustus, this year's jury also gave the nod to another of Mori's games -- Libertalia -- when they placed it on their recommended list for this year's awards.  It's pretty rare for a designer to receive both a nomination and a recommendation in the same year, so I thought it worth while to highlight Libertalia in this post both because it is an excellent game and as a tip-of-the-hat to Mr. Mori for such superlative work.



Libertalia (published by Marabunta Games) is a two-to-six player game that plays in about 45-60 minutes and makes use of simultaneous role selection and hand management as its core mechanics.  Most importantly: it's about pirates!  Mores specifically, it's about dastardly pirates who are squabbling among themselves to get their hands on the most loot possible.  At the start of the game, each player will be given a deck of thirty cards, each of which depicts a particular pirate with a specific ability that triggers when it's played.  It's important to note that each player has the same deck of cards, with the same characters who have the same powers and abilities.  Each character card has two numbers on it.  First of all there is a number (from 1 -- 30) located in the upper left-hand corner which indicates both it's place in the deck and determines when during the turn it will be resolved.  There is an additional number (from 1 -- 6) located towards the bottom left-hand corner and this is the "tie break" number that used to determine resolution order in cases where two or more players play the same card.  At the start of the first round, each player will draw the same nine cards from their deck to form their opening hand.  Then each player will secretly choose a card from their hand and play it face down on the table.  Having done so, those cards will all be simultaneously revealed and have their actions resolved.  To accomplish this, the played cards will be placed in order from the lowest to the highest numbered card (using the tie break numbers in cases where two otherwise identical cards have been played.  The actions of the cards are resolved by proceeding from the lowest to the highest numbers, and then in reverse order, players will receive booty tokens taken from the hold of the ship.  These tokens can be treasures that count for victory points, treasure maps that can be combined to gather tonnes of victory points, captive prisoners that can be ransomed for cash, sabers that can be used to kill off opponent's characters, or even curse tokens that count for minus points during the scoring phase.  At the end of the game, the player who has amassed the greatest amount of cash (VP) will be declared the winner and pirate extraordinaire!



So why is this game worth taking note of?  First of all, it's about pirates -- and pirates are always awesome!  Secondly, it has some of the best artwork of any game that I have ever played.  The cards are beautiful and have been illustrated with pirates who look like they've strolled right out of the hit movie Pirates of the Caribbean.  Further, this is a game that boasts an easy and accessible set of rules, yet requires making some really tough choices.  For instance, if you play a card with a lower number, you'll get to take your action first and perhaps dramatically impact the course of that round.  However, playing a lower numbered card will mean that you'll be the last (or nearly last) person to pick one of the available booty tiles (yes, booty tiles -- take a moment, have your laugh and move on!) and that can mean getting few (or even minus) points  when it comes to scoring.  Further, since everybody starts the game with the same cards in had, there are some real "Princess Bride" moments when you'll think things like this:  "I know that he knows that this is the best time to play this card.  But he knows that I know that he knows that this is the best time to play that card.  So knowing that he knows that I know -- is this the right time to play that card!?"  Finally, as the game goes on you will always know some of the cards in your opponent's hands, nevertheless, as the game progresses and players make different card selections, those hands will become increasingly differentiated from one another -- and the tension of of trying to remember if you're the only one left with a particular card in your hand is just delicious!

Overall, Libertalia is an easily accessible game with outstanding components, that plays quickly and cleanly, while creating opportunities to make tough and tense decisions.  It also rewards frequent play as you begin to see and appreciate the interactions between the various cards in your deck.  Finally, there's a great deal of replayability in Libertalia, in so far as there's an almost infinite number of card combinations that will emerge from game to game.  Again, this is another title that I can highly recommend and I encourage you to hustle down to the store and snap-up a copy while you still can!

Thanks for reading and: Game On!

Monday, June 03, 2013

Ave Caesar!: An Introduction to Augustus

In a previous post, I introduced the nominees for the 2013 Spiels des Jahres awards and commented briefly on the history and character of this influential award.  At that time, I also noted that, in upcoming posts, I would comment on several of the titles that were nominated -- this is the first of those posts.  Today, I want to say a few worlds about Augustus -- a two to six player game, designed by Paolo Mori and published by Hurrican Games.



At it core, Augustus is really an innovation on the classic bingo mechanic.  At the start of the game players will be given several objective cards -- each of which has a number of symbols running down the left-hand side of the card.  The game comes with card board tokens which match these symbols and those tokens will be randomly drawn from a draw string bag and revealed to all the players.  It's important to note that there are more of some types of tokens than others, so you can't be guaranteed to that the symbols you need will be drawn from the bag.  However, if a token is drawn which matches one of the symbols on your objective cards, you will be able to place of your legionary tokens on that symbol.  When you've placed legion tokens on all of the symbols on an objective card, you'll yell 'Ave Caesar!' and you be able to score that card -- often receiving a particular benefit for having done so.  The game ends when on player has completed seven objectives -- at which point scoring takes place and the player who earned the most victory points will be declared the winner.



I have played Augustus some half-dozen times now and I am pleased to report that the game is well deserving of its nomination -- indeed, it stands out as one of the best "gateway games" that I have played in a very long time.  In the first place, it's easy to learn and to play and it has a theme that should prove palatable to almost anyone.  As such, it's the kind of game that you could use to lure your non-gaming friends and family into the wonderful world of cardboard addiction...er, I meant to say the board gaming hobby!  Further, despite being easy to learn and quick to play, there are still meaningful decisions to be made and, as such, it proves satisfying for more experienced gamers as well.  It is also a gorgeous game that has been made from top-notch materials.  The artwork on the both the front and back of the objective cards is particularly beautiful.  Most importantly of all it's just fun to play!

Overall, this is a fantastic game that I can heartily recommend.  But if you want to get your hands on a copy you'd better move fast!  When last I checked there was but one copy of Augustus left on the shelf -- and given its recent popularity this title could be tough to acquire in the coming months.  So head on down to the store and see if you can add Augustus to your collection.

Modern Masters and M14

Pre orders for M14 are now open. It will be our usual $100 tax in and $30 for fat packs. First thirty box preorders will receive the Buy a Box Foil. The first 75 boxes and the first 30 fat packs are guaranteed. Down payment of half is required for orders of 3 boxes, and full payment is required for orders of more than three boxes. Pre orders will close on July 12. Our M14 pre release events will take place on July 12 at midnight and July 14 at 11am. Entry will be $27 with lots of prizes.
 The Modern Masters numbers are now finalized. Packs will be $10 each. It will be sold only by the pack. So if you want a box it will be 24 x $10. Saturday we are going to having a day of Modern Masters draft. Starting at 12pm and a cost of $25 we are going to be firing 8-man draft pods. It will be keep what you draft and there will be 12 pods available for the day. It will be first come first serve with a limit of one box per person for at least the weekend

Saturday, June 01, 2013

June Magic Schedule

June Magic Schedule
FNM Standard -   
Start Time 6:30; 
Entry Fee $2;
Swiss Rounds; 



FNM Drafts -  
Start Time Draft #1 Starts at 6:30 Draft #2 Starts approx. 8:30 (after two rounds of Standard); 
Entry Fee $10; 
Keep What You Draft; 
Swiss Rounds;
Latest Draft Format (e.g., currently Dragons Maze); 
Prizes consist of 3/2/1/1 booster pack prizes (based on 8 players) to the Top 3 and FNM foils distributed to the Top 2 players automatically.

Other prizes, like foil door prizes and other handouts, including Intro packs and Battle Packs, will be distributed as before, with a door prize pool equal to about half the number of entrants!  Based on our average 30-man FNM attendance (you can see the  expected prize distribution above), I think this is an exceptionally exciting change.  Let everyone know about our huge FNMs - the more people who play, the larger the prize pool gets!

 June Schedule

June 2 - Commander League Starts 3:00pm
June 3 - Monday Night Draft will be canceled because of construction that is going to be done on the basement stairs.
June 7- FNM
Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2  $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm. 
June 8 - Modern Masters Draft Day. Starting at 12pm there is going to be a day of 8 man drafts. The drafts will be keep what you open and should cost around $25.
June 9- Commander League 3:00 pm
June 10 -  Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time  Ravnica Block Draft Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
June 14 - FNM  
Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm.
June 16- Commander League 3:00pm
June 17 -   Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time Ravnica Block Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
June 21- FNM Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm.
June 23 - Commander League 3:00pm  

June 24 -   No Monday Night Draft
6:30PM Start Time Ravnica Block Rare Redraft $10 entry fee
June 28 - FNM Standard-legal deck required. 6:30 pm start time, $2 $10 3-2-1-1 Ravnica Block draft available at 6:30pm and 8:30 pm.
 



L.A. MOODS


Commander League

Starts April 14 at 3pm
The League will last for 2 months.
The entry will be a one time $5 fee that will go into the prize pot.
The league will be based on the Armada Games point league.
League will consist of 2 two hour matches with tables of four people.
After each match the point totals will be added to each persons league total
At the end of the league the prize pool will be divided among the top 8 players.
There will be other prizes that will be given away like Foil generals, alters and the like.
This is going to be a casual fun league so degenerate combo based decks are strongly discouraged.


Commander League Points


-4 Point
But we just started – Eliminating a player prior to their 5th turn.

-2 Points
Chasm – Be the instigator of wrecking one or more players mana bases.
Only there for its color – Finish the game without playing your General. If a player did not have the ability to cast their general during the game, they do not receive this award.

-1 Point
Greedy McGreederson – Take 3 or more Turns in a row. This can be awarded more than once.

+1 Point

Block! – Give another player a creature you own.

Chumpzilla – Control 10 or more token creatures.

Clash of the Titans – Control 5+ Legendary Creatures

Copycat – First player to copy a spell or permanent of an opponent.

Danger Zone – Eliminate an opponent while your life is less than 5.

Edge of Disaster - First player to have fewer than ten cards in his or her library.

First Blood – First player to deal combat damage to an opponent

Forth Times the Charm – Resolve your General 4 times in a single game from the Command Zone.

Generalissimo – Eliminate a player with General damage. Can be awarded more than once.

Hey, That’s Mine! – Gain control of a permanent you own from another player.

I Suck – Be eliminated from the game or have it end when you have 0 points. This checks after “It was a valiant effort” but after “I’m Out”.

I’m Out – Be the first player eliminated from the table.

It’s Waffer Thin – Eliminate an opponent with a 1/1 creature.



Look at Me – Be the last player remaining in a pod.

Start with the Top – Destroy or Exile a Sensei’s Divining Top you don’t control.

Suicide Bomber – Eliminate all remaining players at the same time (yes this includes you).

Tribal Dance – Control 7 or more non-token creatures of the same creature type.

What Goes Around – Take control of a permanent that an opponent took control of from another opponent.

Where’s Timmy – Put an opponent at 1 life.
+2 Points
Here we come again! – Have 2+ extra combat steps in a single turn.

I Brought Friends – Control 3+ Planeswalkers at the same time.

Three’s Not a Crowd – Resolve three different non-land permanents of three different types on the same turn.
Let’s Do That Again – Save an opponent from taking lethal damage.
You’re Outta Here – Kill a player or being directly responsible for a player’s elimination.

+3 Points
Get There – Cast your general when total cost is 20 or more.

+4 Points
The Cheese Stands Alone – Win the game with 2 or more opponents still in the game.

End of Game Points
+1 Point - The Bigger They Are, the Harder They Fall -- The person with the highest life total when he/she died (for combat death, look at the life total before combat damage was applied) wins a point.

+1 Point - He Who Dies With the Most Toys, Loses -- The person who had the least artifacts in play when he/she died wins a point.

+1 Point – What Friends? -- The person who had the least creatures in play when he/she died wins a point.

+1 Point - Huge Tracts of Land -- The person who had the least lands in play when he/she died wins a point.