Welcome everyone and welcome to a new Meta report. We're entering the second week of Eternal Awakening and plenty of things are still going on. As always i'll be relying on a variety of sources, gamewith, shadowverse-wins.com, tourney results and my own experiences.
Forestcraft
In the great woods of Forestcraft, where the fairies flutter and where the elves all practice archery when they're not busy with other things. We find Selwyn being rejected by Tweyen, even as they have so much in Common. Apparently she has someone else she likes. Selwyn dejected heads to the local tavern to drown his years in Ale.
For Forestcraft We find Accelerate Forest in charge followed by Aggro Forest and Loxis Forest steps in as Evolve Forest steps out. Overall Forestcrat is in a good spot with a fair bit of diversity and several strong decks at that having benefitted quite a bit from the expansion so far.
Accelerate Forest
Fast and unpredictable, this deck swoops in and out before you can catch a proper glimpse of it and before you know it. You're dead
A midrange-combo deck built around accelerate cards. The deck has grown to be the primary forest deck, getting more aggressive and using Walder more actively and aggressively, some even including Cactus Cowboy, additional Xeno Sagitarrius is being cut as well since it's not seeing much usefulness in the current meta. Also some decks run Terrorformer as a secondary win condition plus card draw source.A strong if somewhat complex deck.
Aggro Forest
Fierce and furious, the rage of the forests embodied into one deck as it tears through the meta environment!
An aggro deck built around strong threats and disruptive tools. Seeing a slight decline in favour of accelerate forest, the deck overall remains strong with some variations about, including some decks running Goblin queen as a strong board filling tool that can give your opponent a tough time.
Loxis Forest
One man from who knows where, taming the wild and turning it into his own weapons. Be careful of what he hides up his sleeves
A midrange combo deck. Loxis Forest makes a return, a bit less combo focused and more focused on making more use of vehicle amulets and so a bit more aggressive. A tricky deck, but one which in the right hands clearly enjoys some success as this deck managed the top 16 of the most recent JCG Open.
Swordcraft
In the eternal Castle of Swordcraft. Where the banners of many knights hand proudly from the near endless walls. We arrive to see Eahta and Albert sparring, with albert losing most of the fights spectacularly. Much to the amusement of the assembled soldiers watching it all. Causing Albert to run off in a huff and Eahta to run after him to give him a big hug and apologize.
For Swordcraft Evolve Sword as always remains at the top, followed by a distance by Rally Sword, Walfrid Sword and Neutral Aggro Sword. Overall the class is starting to struggle with the bloated nature of Evolve Sword bleeding the rest of the class dry, so while there is some deck diversity and choices. There's a stark difference in how good they are. Cygames really needs to knock it off.
Evolve Sword
A group of the finest heroes, decked out in shining armour and equipped with legendary weapon. Truly paragons of their craft, with a cost to boot
A Control deck built around Evolving. At 91k Vials it is by far the most expensive competetive deck in the game, and even at that cost level is starting to see a dip in popularity as it struggles against some of the top decks now and some are starting to lose some weight and go more aggressively, but are struggling to find the tools for that. A good deck, if you can afford it.
Rally Sword
A legion at arms, ever marching towards the next battle. No amount of casualties will stop them !
A tempo deck built around the rally mechanic. Overall a significant drop from last week and more of a fringe deck (along with most other sword decks) But in the right hands can climb decently, though there's still a lot of experimentation happening with some trying out evolve builds.
Walfrid Sword
One man and his will, animating an entire army into action and existence ! Who can stop this brave band of brothers ?
A midrange deck built around Walfrid. Seeing a further drop into the fringes. Walfrid Sword continues to see some play as some players enjoy it's playstyle, but overall there seems to have been no major changes to the deck or anything else to report. Expect to work hard for the deck.
Aggro Vehicle Sword
Daredevils, outlaws and madmen. All propelled forwards in a collective need for speed and victory!
An aggro deck built around the Neutral package and Proven method. Continuing to see some fringe play as apparently it works decently against Dragon. An updated build from Mororin. Very much a fringe deck like most of the other sword decks.
Runecraft
In the mystical Academies of Runecraft, where knowledge matters more than anything else (except waffles) We arrive just in time to see Isabelle drop off Fif with Karyl and tell the poor cat girl to keep the imp occupied so she doesn't disrupt everyone else. Leaving Karyl to fume and scream it's only because she's about to rotate out that Isabelle asks her to do it.
For Runecraft Spellboost Rune continues to sit at the apex, followed by Karyl Rune, Vincent Rune and Earth Rite Rune. Despite seeing more decks arrive, Runecraft overall struggles in the current meta as it's disruptive tools aren't quite useful for the current meta and lacks better threats so ends up in an awkward spot.
Spellboost Rune
Terrifying arcane power, awesome magical servants, all at the power of your finger tips if you merely devote yourself to this deck!
A midrange deck built around Spellboost Synergies. Overall struggling a bit with the rise of Vehicle Dragon. Spellboost Rune continues to be decent but lacking options to get more aggressive itself, is having a bit of a hard time. Some decks are experimenting with Elmott, but those decks are a minority. Decent, but expect to work for it.
Karyl Rune
She didn't ask for any of this. But she's had enough of the jokes, the taunts and being fed insects. Now she'll destroy the world!
A control combo deck built around Karyl and burning out the enemy. A recent arrival and a spin on Karyl with a lot of control elements, in the right hands the deck can perform decently but is rather high skill level os is not for everyone, plus Karyl herself rotates out at the end of the expansion.
Vincent Rune
A man dedicated to the law more than anything else, and willing to create laws to enforce, merely so he can enforce something
A tempo deck built around Vincent and Vehicles. Seeing a minor drop off compared to last week and as Karyl gains momentum. The deck is still fairly decent and in the right hands can swiftly overwhelm opponents
Earth Rite Rune
Drawing upon the vast powers of alchemy to conjure up seas of fire and mighty golems. It has still yet to figure out how to make gold (or gold cards)*
A midrange deck built around Earth Rites. A decent deck at the fringes of the meta. Lacking more early threats or powerful midgame tools it finds itself back to Karyl to hope to push through with.
Dragoncraft
In the great Caverns of Dragoncraft, where ancient beasts slumber for eternities. We find Hiro as always laughing like a maniac on his throne of Terrors. But the important bit is the arrival of Rola and the rest of the leaders not entirely sure if she belongs there since her Dragon is not really a Dragon. Forte points out her great big horns, and after looking at the right big ones, Rowen and Valdain concedes her points and so Rola is accepting into Dragoncraft.
For Dragoncraft Vehicle Dragon sits at the peak of Absolute Terror, followed by OTK Dragon, Ramp Dragon and Discard Dragon. Dragoncraft overall is in a very strong position with multiple strong decks with quite a bit of variety within each of them.
Vehicle Dragon
Fire, speed, madness ! All contained within this one explosive deck. Incendiary Adventure await!
A tempo deck built around Strong threats and strong disruptive tools. The deck has by now solidified its position from last week and is seeing a ton of variations. With some running Jerva, others going full aggro and cutting out most of the evolve stuff and others opting for a third route. Giving the deck quite some power since the opponent never quite knows what they're up against. A powerful deck in the current meta
OTK Dragon
From beneath the oceans, comes a terribly harbinger of doom. Drowning out the entire world to reclaim it!
A combo deck built around Disrestan. The deck has seen a bit of a drop with the rise of Vehicle Dragon, but still remains potent as it can target decks that targets Vehicle Dragon. Overall also more complex which holds back its popularity as well somewhat.
**Ramp Dragon
Storming through the skies, higher and higher as it looks to tear the very heavens apart with mighty behemoths of fire and thunder
A ramp deck built around Dragon Devouring Dread. Seeing a further drop in popularity as Vehicle Dragon and OTK dragon takes charge. The deck remains solid but lacking the same speed or flashyness as the other two is taking a minor backseat to them.
Discard Dragon
No Sacrifice is too great, no enemy too small to avoid destruction. This deck will happily tear itself apart as long as the enemy dies in the process
A midrange deck built around Discarding Cards. Continuing to drop in popularity as it just lacks the big flashy plays and aggression of the other decks and so while it still sees usage here and there is finding itself pushed to the fringes.
Shadowcraft
In the great Catacomb of Shadowcraft, where ancient empires lie buried. We find Luna starting to grow worried that Ginsetsu may have gotten lost on her way to become a leader and so sends Cerberus to help her out as she figures Cerberus should be smart enough to do the trick. How wrong she will be.
For Shadowcraft Gremory Shadow has overtaken Aggro Shadow, which in turn is followed by Burial Rite Rally Shadow and Vaseraga shadow continues to see some play. Shadowcraft is in a strong position due to multiple very strong decks giving it quite some flexibility and resilience in the meta.
Gremory Shadow
A whirlwind of death, of which at the centre stands a little girl. A twisted smile, she asks you to play a bit with her
A midrange deck built around Gremory and Rally. Gremory Shadow this week overtakes Aggro Shadow in popularity as it can overwhelm numerous decks with its massive board building skills and can use Necroimpulse both offensively and defensively quite well. A potent deck that does require a bit of getting used to but can give a lot of decks a run for their monery. Some decks even get a bit more aggressive with extra one drops.
Aggro Shadow
An aggro deck built around strong threats and reanimation. Seeing a slight dip in favour of Gremory Shadow as most decks are teching against it, the deck is still the best aggro deck in the format and can still do a lot of damage. Additionally some decks are using IO for extra burn damage, but also board control. A strong and fairly straightforward deck to play.
Burial Rite Rally Shadow
Rising from the grave, again and again. Your work is not over until it says it is
A midrange deck built around Burial Rite and Reanimation Synergies. Less popular than the others as it is a little less fast and more skill intensive, but does have more control tools as it can use Deathbringer along with Fatal order to help clear board and heal. A solid deck.
Vaseraga Shadow
One man, unstoppable by death and always returning. His purpose, is your destruction!
A midrange combo deck built around Vaseraga and getting him into play as fast as possible. Still a fringe deck, but one which some players enjoy as it can overrun slower decks. Worth noting, it is NOT a nepthys deck and only uses her to cheat out multiple Vaseragas.
Bloodcraft
In the great Mansion of Decadence and sin that is bloodcraft. We find Urias dealing with Volteo to reduce Viras debt as apparently she has a bit of a gambling problem and has ordered into a rehabilitation program to get over her problem. Volteo meanwhile is a tricky devil to negotiate with, in the end the threat of violence solves it.
For Bloodcraft Wrath Blood remains at the top, followed by Volteo Blood and some Control blood. In theory there's some aggro blood, but i like anything solid on it. Overall Bloodcraft is in a decent spot, but mostly due to wrath blood and suffers from the same issue of Swordcraft of one deck getting all the focus while the rest of the class gets neglected.
wrath blood
A deck fueled by intense anger and hatred. Fueled by these intense emotions, it moves out to conquer and destroy!
A midrange deck built around Wrath. A strong deck that continues to see good play in the current meta with no real major changes, many decks still use silver bolt hunter and that is about it really to remark this week.
Volteo Blood
Roll the dice and see what you get. This deck offers it all, but with an awful lot of caveats and even more excuses attached to it.
A Highlander deck built around Volteo. Continuing to see play with a dedicated small group of players at the fringe of the meta. In the right hands it can do well, but does require a lot of work and experience to really flow well.
Control Blood
A deck filled with great and terrible powers, slowly plotting out the destruction of its opponents as it sets up all of the pieces for its great win
A control deck built around Xeno Diablo. A fringe deck as it ultimately is struggling quite a bit in the current meta and finding itself short of tools. So mostly for the dedicated control player who refuses to play anything else no matter what.
Havencraft
In the Summit Temple of Havencraft, where Faith shines purest ! We find all of the leaders assembled as the arrival of the Fluffy Angel has put severe pressure on the brand of the Church of Havencraft and now they have to come up with a counter to it. After much debate (and Meowskers running off in tears with De La Fille after him to comfort him) they end up settling on the idea of Fluffy Featherfolk. Its Fluffy Angel, but with larger... assets.
For havencraft Banish Haven seems to be rising up out of nowhere followed by the similarly newly arrived Rally Haven, followed by Ward Haven and Sanctuary Haven. There is also Amulet haven and Summit haven, but as i normally focus on the top 4 best decks if there are any (in this case there's a total of 6) i won't be talking about those, but yeah.. haven technically has 6 decks! Overall haven is in a fairly good position practically bursting with decks.
Control Haven
Punishment from above, banish all before your sights like an angry god of the old stories!
A control deck built around strong removal, healing and Ra. The deck has made quite the entrance as it seems quite capable of disarming several of the more potent decks in the meta with it's banish plus can stall out against a lot of them thanks to all of the healing, a more skill intensive deck mind you.
Rally Haven
Penetance fuels this holy war formed up of outcasts, former bandits and more, guided by a few holy warriors to lead them to salvation!
A midrange deck built around the Rally mechanic and vehicles. Already experimented with in the first week, the inclusion of the vehicle package seems to have done the trick and given the deck some legs as it can play aggressively then make big swing turns with goddess of the west wind. A good if a bit linear deck.
Ward Haven
A host of shields and defenders, eager to end the long war and crush their enemies under the power of their faith!
A midrange deck built around Ward Synergies. Seeing a slight decrease as other decks get more popular ahead of it that can be more aggressive since in the face of Vehicle Dragon, it can run into some issues. Still a good deck though, especially in the right hands.
Sanctuary Haven
A sanctuary for the weak and needy, for the devout and faithful. Turning healing into a weapon, it can both protect and destroy!
A control deck built around healing Synergies. Still popular it has taken a minor backseat to control haven and rally haven as they do have a bit more flash. Still, a potent deck in the right hands.
Portalcraft
In the Vertex Colony, high in orbit over a long dead world. We find Yuwan trying to hide as Lishenna has decided to start a concert to get Illgenau unnerfed and he quite frankly doesn't want to be part of it. But Lishenna and the rest of the leaders aren't taking no for an Answer so he has sought refuse in a small secluded area that no one else knows off.. along with the wafflemaker, that'll show them who's boss.
For Portalcraft Rally Portal has seemingly managed to find itself back at the top followed by Artifact Portal and Evolve Portal. Portalcraft is in a decent spot with good variety but lacking any really impactful decks.
Rally Portal
A horde of faceless puppets, their strings pulled by an unseen master. What madness will follow in their wake ?*
A midrange deck built around puppets and the rally mechanic. Making a surprising return by including parts of the vehicle package for a stronger early game. Rally Portal seems to have swung itself into the meta and even into a decent position in the most recent JCG Open with numerous variations on the deck. A solid deck that does require a bit of experience for best results.
Artifact Portal
A whirling madness of Alien machines from an unknown world, what logic dictates their actions is best left in the dark, as only madness lies down that road.
A midrange deck built around Artifacts. Still two major variations with the Bahamut Combo version seemingly more popular. A decent deck that does require some skill for the best results.
Evolve Portal
Great warriors clad in a strange and unearthly energy, what sort of pacts and deals have these men and women made to gain their power ?
A control deck built around Evolve synergies. Seeing a bit of a drop, though still somewhat popular. That said lacking the more aggressive plays of Rally Portal or Artifact portal is finding itself a bit sidelined.
Quite the report this week with even more decks being added. Deck diversity remains overall high though there's definitely a bunch of them being more fringe decks (But playable if you're willing to put the effort into them). Dragon and Shadowcraft are points of concern with Georgius and Necroimpulse being the cards i'd keep an eye out for if balance changes happens. Though that is an IF at this stage since the meta is still developing with decks still appearing. I mean haven's got a total of 6 decks technically. Lots of things could still happen to be honest and i think a lot of cards still have plenty of room for exploration. So the meta i suspect is anything but settled and there may be more surprises over the coming weeks. At most any balance changes that may really need could just be buffs to help some of the less well of classes and decks rather than nerfing strong decks.
So hope you enjoyed reading this weeks meta report as it was quite the bit of work to put together!
Until next week, have fun playing Shadowverse!

mods please lmk if this violates the rules. i’m posting here because I write about the mob/casino and many relevant themes that are important elements of the Sopranos, in my opinion. I think they’re of the same medium and genre so wanted to post here. Hope that’s alright. Cheers! (11 min read) ————————————————————————
EDIT 2: TL;DR -
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.
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Every good filmmaker makes the same movie over and over again—Martin Scorsese is no different
Scorsese's Casino is a phenomenal story of the condoned chaos and "legalized robbery" that happens on a daily basis to gamblers who bett away thousands of dollars and return each day for more “FinDom,” but without any of the sexual sadism. The whole scam only persists because the house always wins: the odds are stacked 3 million to one on the slot machines, but the same shmucks return wide-eyed each day hoping for a different outcome, devoid of any rational re-evaluation required to maintain their grasp on reality, and the liquidity of their bank accounts.
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.
Robert De Niro plays Sam "Ace" Rothstein, recruited by his childhood friend Nick "Nicky" Santorno to help run the Tangiers casino, which is funded by an investment made with the Teamsters’ pension fund. Ace’s job is to keep the bottom line flowing so that the Mafia's skimming operation can continue seamlessly. De Niro's character felt like half-way between Travis from Taxi Driver (of course, nowhere as mentally disturbed) and half of the addictive excess, greed, and eccentric business-mind of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Ace’s attention to detail gives him a rain-man-esque sensibility; his ability to see every scam, trick, hand signal, and maneuver happening on the casino floor make him the perfect manager of the casino, and take his managerial style to authoritarian heights in his pursuit of order and control over what is an inherently unstable and dynamic scheme; betting, hedging outcomes, and walking the line to keep the money flowing and the gamblers coming back. I’m not claiming Ace is autistic, I'm no clinician, but his managerial sensibilities over the daily operations of the casino, from the dealers to the pit bosses, to the shift managers, are to the point of disturbing precision, he has eyes everywhere, and knows how to remove belligerent customers with class and professionalism, but ultimately is short sighted in “reading” the human beings he is in relationship with. Ace is frustratingly naive and gullible in his partnership with Nicky and the threat he poses to him, and in his marriage with Ginger.
Ace has no personal aspirations to extract millions of dollars for himself out of the casino corruption venture. Ace simply wants the casino to operate as efficiently as possible, and he has no qualms about being a pawn of the bosses. While Sam, “the Golden Jew”—as he is called—is the real CEO of the whole enterprise, directing things at Tangiers for the benefit of the bosses “back home.” Ace’s compliance is juxtaposed with Nicky’s outrage upon feeling used: he gripes about how he is in “the trenches” while the bosses sit back and do nothing. Note that none of the activity Nicky engages in outside of the casino—doing the work of “taking Las Vegas over”—is authorized by the bosses. Ultimately Nicky’s inability to exert control over his crew and the street lead to his demise.
In the end, capitalism, and all that happens in the confines of the casino, is nothing but “organized violence.” Sound familiar? The mob has a capitalist structure in its organization and hierarchy: muscle men collect and send money back to the bosses who do not labor tirelessly “in the trenches.” The labor of the collectors is exploited to create the profits of their bosses. The entire business-model of the Mafia is predicated on usury and debtors defaulting on loans for which the repayment is only guaranteed by the threat of violence. But this dynamic is not without its internal contradictions and tensions, as seen in Casino.
In a comedic turn, the skimmers get skimmed! The bosses begin to notice the thinning of the envelopes and lighter and lighter suitcases being brought from the casino to Kansas City, “back home”. The situation continues to spin out of control, but a mid-tier mafioso articulates the careful balance required for the skimming operation to carry on: to keep the skimming operation functioning, the skimmers need to be kept loyal and happy. It’s a price the bosses have to pay to maintain the operation, “leakage” in their terms. Ace’s efficient management and precision in maintaining order within Tangiers is crucial for the money to keep flowing. But Ace’s control over the casino slips more and more as the movie progresses. We see this as the direct result of Nicky’s ascendance as mob kingpin in Vegas, the chaos he creates cannot be contained and disrupts the profits and delicate dynamics that keep the scam running.
Of course I can’t help myself here! We should view Scorsese’s discography, and the many portrayals of capitalist excess not as celebratory fetishization, but a critique of the greed and violence he so masterfully captures on film. See the Wolf of Wall Street for its tale of money as the most dangerous drug of them all, and the alienation—social and political—showcased in Taxi Driver. Scorsese uses the mob as a foil to the casino to attack the supposed monopoly the casino holds on legitimate, legal economic activity that rests on institutionalized theft. When juxtaposed with the logic of organized crime, we begin to see that the two—Ace and Nick—are not so different after all.
The only dividing line between the casino and organized crime is the law. Vegas is a lawless town yes, “the Wild West” as Nicky puts it, but there are laws in Vegas. The corruption of the political establishment and ruling elites is demonstrated when they pressure Ace to re-hire an incompetent employee who he fired for his complicity in a cheating scam or his stupidity in letting the slot machines get rigged; nepotism breeds mediocrity. In the end, Ace’s fall is the result of the rent-seeking behavior that the Vegas ruling class wields to influence the gaming board to not even permit Ace a fair hearing for his gaming license, which would’ve given him the lawful authority to officially run Tangiers. The elites use the political apparatus of the State to resist the new gang in town, the warring faction of mob-affiliated casino capitalists. While the mob’s only weapon to employ is that of violence. The mafia is still subservient to the powers that be within the political and economic establishment of Vegas, and they’re told “this is not your town.”
I’d like to make the most salient claim of this entire review now. Casino is a western film. The frontier of the Wild West is Vegas in this case, where the disorder of the mob wreaks havoc on, an until then, an “untapped market.” The investment scheme that the Teamsters pension fund is exploited for as seed capital, is an attempt to remain in the confines of the law while extracting as much value as possible through illegal and corrupt means for the capitalist class of the mob (and the ultimately dispensable union president). Tangiers exists in the liminal space of condoned economic activity as a legal and otherwise standard casino. While the violence required to maintain the operation, corrupts the legal legitimacy it never fully enjoyed from the beginning. This mirrors the bounty economy of the West and the out-sourcing of the law and the execution of the law, to bounty hunters. There is no real authority out in the frontier, the killer outlaw on the run is not so different from the bounty hunter who enjoys his livelihood by hunting down the killers. Yet, he himself is not the State. The wide-lens frame of Ace and Nicky meeting in the desert felt like a direct homage to the iconic image of the Western standoff. The conflict between Ace and Nick, the enforcer and the mastermind, is an approximation of the conflicts we might see in John Wayne’s films. The casino venture itself could be seen as an analogy of the frontier-venturism of railroad pioneers going to lay track to develop the West into a more industrial region.
I would have believed that this was a documentary about how the mob took over control of the Vegas casinos in the 1970-80s … if it were not for the viewer being expected to believe that Robert De Niro could play a Jew; it's hard to believe a man with that accent and the roles he’s played his entire career could be a “CRAZY JEW FUCK!!” I kid! But alas, De Niro is a class act and the last of the many greats of a bygone era. At times, it felt like Joe Pesci lacked talent as an actor, but his portrayal of the scummy, backstabbing bastard in Nicky was genuinely remarkable, but I might consider his performance the weak point of the movie. It’s weird to see a man that short, be that much of physical menace. There are a number of Sopranos actors in Casino. I’m sure Vincent Chase watched the movie and said to himself, “bet, i’ll cast half of these guys.”The set design and costumes were gorgeous. The styles and fashion of the time were spectacular. Scorsese’s signature gratuitous violence featured prominently, but tastefully. The camera work, tracking shots through the casino and spatial movement was incredible and I thought the cinematography was outstanding, the Western-esque wide lens in the desert was worthy of being a framed still.
The Nicky//Ace dynamic is excellent and the two play off of each other well. The conflict between the two of them escalates gradually, and then Nicky’s betrayal of Ace by cheating with Ginger marks the final break between the two of them. Nicky’s mob faculties represent a brutal, violent theft that is illegal and requires the enforcement of violence by organized crime. Despite the illegal embezzlement and corruption at play with the “skimming” operation at work at the casino, the general business model of the casino stands in contrast to the obscene violence of the loan sharks. Ace operates an intelligent operation of theft through the casino, and his hands-on management approach is instrumental to the success of the casino. Nicky’s chaos pervades the casino, and the life and activities of “the street” begin to bleed into Ace’s ability to maintain order in the casino. “Connected” types begin frequenting the casino, and Ace unknowingly forces one particularly rude gambler to leave the casino, who happens to have mob ties with Nicky. The “organized violence” of the casino cannot stay intact perfectly, because the very thing holding it together is the presence of the mob. Nicky is in Vegas as the enforcer and tasked with protecting Ace but his independent, entrepreneurial (shall we call them?) aspirations lead him to attempt to overtake what he realizes is a frontier for organized crime to brutalize and exploit the characters of “the street” (pimps, players, addicts, dealers, and prostitutes) and the owners of small private businesses.
Nicky is reckless, “when i plant my flag out here you won’t need your [casino/gaming] license” Nicky thinks he, and Ace, can bypass the regulations and bureaucratic legal measures by sheer force of violence alone. But ultimately Nicky is shortsighted and doesn’t have a real attachment to the success of the casino. After all, he isn’t getting profits from it (or much anyway) and isn’t permitted to play a real, active role in its daily functions because of his belligerent, untamed personality. Nicky has no buy-in that would motivate him to follow the rules or to work within the legal parts of the economy, it’s not the game he knows how to play, and win. All that he is loyal to, or deferent too, is the bosses back home; for whom he maintains absolute, uncompromising loyalty to, but still holds intense spite for.
And now to the more compelling element of the narrative. Sam “Ace” Rothstein is positioned as remarkably intelligent, he makes informed decisions that aid in his skill as a gambler, he can read people to determine whether he’s being conned, he has an attention to detail—aided by the casino’s surveillance apparatus which monitors cheating—that is almost unbelievable. Ace knows when he’s being cheated, he knows how to rig the game so that the house always wins, enacting psychological warfare to break down the confidence of would be proficient gamblers, who could threaten Tangiers’ bottom line. But in the end, the greatest gamble Ace makes is his marriage to Ginger. Ginger is the seductive, charismatic, and flirtatious madame who makes her money with tricks and her sexual power. Ginger works as a prostitute, seducing men, and extracting everything she can, almost as a sort of sexual-financial vampirism.
Ginger is the bad bet Ace can’t stop making even when she destroys his life, her own, and puts their daughter Amy in harm’s way. Ginger is the gamble Ace made wrong, but he keeps going back to her every time, trying to rationalize how she might change and be different the next time. Ace is not a victim to Ginger’s antics. Ginger makes it clear who she is: an addict, alcoholic, manic shopaholic who will use all of her powers to extract everything she can from everyone around her. She uses everyone to her advantage and manipulates men with her sexual power in exchange for their money and protection. Ginger had a price for her hand in marriage: $1 million in cash and $1 million worth of jewelry that are left to her and her alone as a sort of emergency fund.
Ace’s numerous attempts to buy Ginger’s love—and the clear fact that no matter how expensive the fur coat and how grand the mansion, none of it would ever be enough to satisfy her—mirrored Jordan Belfort’s relationship with Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street. Both relationships carried the same manic volatility and conflict over child custody was found in both films, with the roles reversed in the respective films. Ginger may be irredeemable and a pathological liar, but Ace can’t claim that she wasn’t clear with him; when he asked her to marry him, Ginger said she didn’t love Ace. Ace replied that love could be “developed” but required a foundation of trust to develop. That trust was never there to begin with. The love was doomed from the start to destroy the two of them; two addicts, two gamblers, lying on a daily basis to one another and themselves about reality to justify their respective existences, the marriage, and Ace’s livelihood. And as Ginger pointed out, “I should have never married him. He’s a gemini, a triple gemini … a snake” Maybe astrology has some truth to it after all.
Now I’m not licensed (but hey neither was Ace, and he ran a casino empire!), but Ginger has the inklings of a borderline personality: her manic depression, narcissism, drug and alcohol abuse, and constant begging for forgiveness all seem indications of a larger psychological disorder at play. In the end, Ginger runs away with all the money Ace left her and finds her people in Los Angeles, the pimps, whores, and addicts she fits in with, in turn exploit and kill her for 3 grand in mint coins by giving her a ‘hot’ dose.
Overall, Casino is an incredible cinematic experience. I highly recommend watching this and seeing it as part of Scorsese's anthology of commentary on our economic system and its human victims. I’d argue that Casino, Wolf of Wall Street, and The Irishman all fit together nicely into a trilogy of the Scorsesean history of finance and corruption from the 70s to the 90s.
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EDIT 2: TL;DR —
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.

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https://preview.redd.it/336cy55x9pg61.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=c89b35c152f61892f277a28203e61f192a86d260
In January 2019, Drodo Studio’s Dota Auto Chess mod became insanely popular. Many companies (including household names like Valve, Riot, Ubisoft and Blizzard) rushed to release their own versions.
It seemed like the beginning of something big like MOBA or Battle Royale. But it has been more than a year now and the hype seems to have vanished completely. As quickly as it rose, it went away…
This is the first on a series of articles where we will analyze the autochess genre. Here we will be exploring the genre’s history, its current market situation and its audience. And also, what are the core design issues that autochess suffers and that no one has been able to solve yet.
u/JB: For this article I’m teaming up with my mate Victor Freso, one of my most talented folks at Pixel Noire Games, who helped me review all the games.
We also had feedback of ~300 highly engaged players from the different autochess reddit communities, which participated in an online poll whose results are available here. They’re especially thanked at the end of the article.

A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

This wasn’t the first time that a mod got the spotlight and ended up becoming the foundation of a genre. It happened in several major, industry-defining cases before (some of which are Team Shooters, MOBAs, Battle Royale…). But on some of these cases events unfolded differently. So we identify 3 distinctive eras related to the evolution of the industry:

1st Era (2000s): Assimilation

The company whose original software had been modded (or had a close enough game, like Valve) moved quickly to absorb the successful mods and turn them into even more successful products.
Since at that point creating a major game release was very complex (required an expensive development, publishing deals and an infrastructure to distribute the product), the deal was profitable for both sides. But it meant the dissolution of the identity of the original creator team, which became embedded in the bigger company culture.
Team Fortress (1999) was originally a Quake mod. And Counter-Strike (2000) started out as a fan-made mod on the Half Life engine. Both games (and creators) were quickly absorbed by Valve.
2nd Era (2010s): Integration
By this time, the previous era model still was going on… but the gaming industry had significatively grown a lot and it was also possible for smaller or even new companies to lure the original developers, and use the mod as a proof for commercial success in order to secure funding and develop it as a full title.
The main characteristic of this era is that the original developers were able to keep a bigger share of control and relevance, rather than being integrated as just another gear on a bigger machine, because the companies they joined built their own identity around that key product.
This was the case of Riot Games: They were able to raise enough money for the creation of their company through family and angel investors, and then hire some of the original creators of DOTA, and then created League of Legends.
​
A similar case happened with battle royale, which also started in 2013 as a successful DayZ mod created by the modder nicknamed PlayerUnknown. Later, it was transformed into a full product through the acquisition of the developer by a korean company (which would later be renamed as the PUBG Corporation, again showing how the company grew around the game rather than assimilating it).
Interestingly, this genre already hints what would happen with Auto Chess, since Fortnite wasn’t involved in any way with the original creators. They just copied the concept. Fortnite was a product stuck in a kind of development hell (had been 6 years in the works). As the game was getting close to the release, the developers became impressed by PUBG’s success, so they created a quick Battle Royale spin-off which became insanely popular and eventually ate the rest of the game.

3rd Era (2020s): Fragmentation

In all the cases presented previously, the newborn genre ended up in the release of one or two titles which accumulated most of the business. But this hasn’t been the case here.
In Autochess, the newborn genre has been quickly fragmented into a big list of competitors. Some are standalone games (like DOTA Underlords or Autochess: Origins), but there’s also several service-model games which released their autochess mode as well (like Hearthstone’s Battlegrounds or TeamFight Tactics, which at the end of the day is a side-game mode of League of Legends).
This creates an interesting precedent, which I believe will define future cases where an innovative new game concept appears: The hot idea will be cloned very fast because today the main bottleneck in the industry is having an innovative design that generates player interest and engagement.
By 2020, it’s way easier to create and distribute a game, there are way more developers hungry for a hit than ever before, and a lot of service-model games with short development cycles always looking for something juicy for their next update… so new ideas becoming red oceans fast will be the norm.
For sure, this won’t affect the ability of small developers and modders to innovate, but it will affect their ability to leverage that to become successful on an independant level, before they get cloned.
Dota Auto Chess, was a Dota 2 mod which obtained massive popularity. After a failed acquisition from Valve (owners of Dota), the mod developers (Drodo Studios) went to create the mobile standalone Auto Chess: Origins, while still maintaining the PC version linked to Valve. Meanwhile, Riot, Valve, Ubisoft and many other companies developed and released their own autobattlers at a record time, downgrading the genre creators to just another competitor.
And ultimately, they haven’t fixed the core issues of the original game, which separates it from a true hyper-successful product like MOBA.

MARKET STATUS

Because of the rain of clones, it’s hard to map all the autochess games on the market. It doesn’t help that some of them are available in both PC and Mobile (playable in PC, Mac, Android and iOS), and also they’re exclusive to different PC stores (Dota Underlords is only on Steam, TFT is on Riot’s LoL launcher, and Autochess Origins is only at the Epic Store…).
And if that wasn’t enough, the Auto Chess mod in DOTA2 is still very active and has no signs that it’s going to be dying soon. It’s still being regularly updated, and presumably still profitable: Some months ago they added a battle pass system, with its revenue shared between Valve and Drodo.
https://preview.redd.it/081hvwjdapg61.png?width=854&format=png&auto=webp&s=34af2ba4751130a95b422ca1b7fd8c346029ab74
What’s interesting is that none of the contenders has been able to become massively successful in terms of monetization, at least not in terms comparable to even a second or third tier MOBA. And while there are definitively different tiers of following among these titles (led by Riot Games’ TeamFight Tactics), it seems that none of them has been able to gather under its banner a significant amount of players, mobile downloads or Twitch Views…
Sources: AppAnnie (mobile metrics), TwitchMetrics (twitch)
So ultimately, we’re dividing the autochess market into 3 categories: Squires, Would-be Kings and Peasants.

• Squires: Rather than standalone games, these are side-modes of already successful products. Under this category we would list the Battlegrounds mode in Hearthstone, or League of Legends’ TFT, and maybe even the original DOTA Autochess mod. While for sure they’ll have their own dedicated audience that only plays those modes, for most players it’s just a nice and fresh activity integrated within a broader game experience. The squires are the ones that have achieved the biggest success among the autochess genre because they don’t suffer as much backlash from the lack of gameplay depth inherent to the genre, which is harmful for the long term retention: Even if the mode eventually becomes a bit shallow, players have many other things to play, and thus are retained. As a consequence, these games can still monetize significatively by selling renewals of their Battle Passes every new season. Not enough to make them successful on the degree that was expected… but at least it’s something. Other than bringing an additional source of revenue, these modes were useful to their core games: They generated player interest by providing innovative gameplay. Hearthstone’s Battlegrounds was an amazing addition to the CCG genre, and made a lot of people come back to the game to discover the new mode and reengage.

The gameplay of TeamFight Tactics (slow tempo, no team coordination, decreased attention requirement…) makes it a nice relief mode to play between LOL matches, which is its purpose in the foreseeable future. If there ever was an intention to make it a standalone game, it vanished together with the player interest on autochess…

• Would-be Kings: These are the other two top dogs of the category. They were supposed to rule… but that looking at the numbers they don’t really seem to have ever lifted off. Under this category we would list Auto Chess: Origins and DOTA Underlords. The problem is that their standalone approach means that they suffer the most of the design issues of the genre that we’ve presented in the last section of this article (i.e. flat complexity, lack of mastery depth, lack of progression and rotative meta…). That means that they lost a lot of population over time, and therefore their Battle Pass renewal isn’t as effective at generating revenue : (

DOTA Underlords is an extremely polished product in terms of graphics, character design and UX, and yet another proof that Valve devs really know how to do great games. Too bad they aren’t as good at releasing third installments...

• Peasants: Here we would list the myriad of other autochess follower titles that entered the battlefield, each achieving a different degree of success. While some may actually be profitable, what we can be sure about is that none of them has reached any significant numbers or anything close to the reach that brought industry attention.

THE AUDIENCE

We are of the belief that you can’t talk about a game and not talk about who plays it, and that players say more about a game than analyzing all its features and mechanics. So with this in mind we collected answers from ~300 autochess players (check the raw data here). After examining their responses, we’ve identified 3 main player profiles (the comments on each profile are literal):
https://preview.redd.it/zdh1jripapg61.png?width=934&format=png&auto=webp&s=162eb3f8b98024c0a69eb889ca26e7463fdd776c

• Patricks, gamers looking for a competitive-but-idle experience that doesn’t require full attention and it’s easily reconcilable with their functional adult life.
• Grizzlies, competitive players that struggle with fast paced games that demand a high actions per minute ratio and quick reflexes (like MOBAs or competitive shooters).
• Warmasters, highly competitive players that enjoy more the area of strategy (setting up goals and planning how to achieve them) rather than tactics (skillful execution of actions and micromanagement).

What these profiles have in common, other than being hardcore gamers and having a big interest in competitive games, is the fact that they enjoy the lack of micromanagement, and the demand of reflexes and dexterity of autochess.
This is quite interesting, considering that the genre foundation is so close to MOBAs, which are extremely demanding on those aspects. Overall it seems that they belong to audiences below the MOBA umbrella which are currently being alienated by the bulk of ‘younger and dexterity focused’ players.
And when it comes to platforms, it seems that even though the barrier between the classic gaming platforms and mobile is progressively disappearing, the genre is still mainly focused on PC: Out of the ~300 players that answered, 50% said that they play exclusively on PC, 25% played primarily on Mobile, and the remaining 25% played in both.
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Players said that they enjoy the focus of the game in planification, as opposed to the focus on execution and performance of MOBAs. And when asked about their main points of frustration, they pointed out 2 main topics: 1.- The strong luck factor that has a strong impact on making you win or lose regardless on how well you played. 2.- The fact that the game eventually becomes shallow and repetitive, fueled by the fact updates were unexciting and not rotating the meta.
Surprised by the fact that players mention randomness as a factor of both enjoyment and frustration? Don’t be! Competitive players tend to have a love-and-hate relationship with luck, because they tend to consider that external factors outside of skills (money spent, better draw…) stole their well deserved victory.
And it’s even more frustrating in autochess, because there’s a strong snowball effect: Players that obtain a big advantage early on in the game become hard to catch later on. Which means that a few bad or good draws early on can decide the rest of the match.
There hasn’t been a single feature more criticised in Magic: The Gathering than the randomness of drawing mana. And yet, luck it’s part of what makes MTG stand out compared to other CCGs: For experienced players, it introduces uncertainty and the need to take risks and gamble, like they’d do in poker. And for rookies, it allows beating someone that has better skills and has a better deck, if Lady Luck is on their side. Won’t happen often, but it will feel awesome when it does. Like a friend likes to say: The best feeling in MTG is to draw a mana when you really need it. And the worst? To draw it when you didn’t.
This goes to say that in autochess, perhaps the power of luck needs to be reviewed, but it would be a bad decision to completely remove luck from the equation.
​

DESIGN CHALLENGES

In this awesome DoF article, Giovanni Ducati already pointed out the two main problems that the games in this genre need to solve to achieve real success: Bad long term retention and low monetization.
To these issues we would add a third one, which is bad marketability: Contrary to their big brothers League of Legends and DOTA2, these games haven’t been able to achieve high organic downloads (at least not to be able to generate significant revenue through soft monetization mechanics). What’s even worse is that all these games, their themes and target audience are quite close to RPG and Strategy, which are genres with some of the highest CPIs on the market. So they need top-of-the-class retention and monetization to get a high enough LTV to scale up.
But why do these games fail at keeping players entertained for a long time? And why don’t they monetize enough? Here’s what we think:
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Flat Complexity & Progression

You have some games out there which have a strong entry barrier due to being quite complicated to grasp. But for those that can deal with the numbers and stats, the depth will keep them entertained for months and years. This is the case in most RPGs and 4X strategy games. And then you have hypercasual games, which are simple and plug and play. So they generate a great early engagement, but are too shallow to keep users hooked for a long time.
As a genre, Autochess games are in the middle ground: they have a high entry barrier, but also lack the complexity to keep players engaged for a long time…
As a general rule, games with long retention tend to follow Bushnell’s Law of being easy to learn and difficult to master. They achieve that by having what we call an unfolding experience: They appear simpler at the beginning (not necessarily easy), but require thousands of hours of practice to master.
An example of this are games that level lock most of the game complexity, so the player understands and masters only a set starter mechanics. And then, progressively unlock new modes and demand more specialized builds and gameplay, repeating the cycle several times to keep the game always interesting while attempting to avoid being overwhelming.
In World of Warcraft, character depth is huge. But this complexity is unfolded progressively, forcing the player to spend time mastering each skill and activity as they level up, before moving further.
Another approach to the same idea are competitive games focused on mechanical ability, dexterity or micromanagement. Like CS:GO or Rocket League. They may unlock all the mechanics from the beginning, but a newbie player will only be able to focus and manage some of them, and then progressively discover and master the rest in an organic way.
Rocket League hides its complexity by matchmaking early players with others of a similar skill. This makes beginner players viable even if they grasp only the basic mechanics. But, as they climb further, they’ll face rivals that take those basic skills for granted and the player will need to master more challenging techniques to keep up.
League of Legends and Overwatch are actually a combination of both: The game first introduces the player to a small selection of heroes which progressively gets expanded, while at the same time having an insane mastery depth that requires a high APM and reflexes, team coordination and thousands of hours of practice.
Contrary to any of those examples, Autochess games throw everything at you from the beginning: Character Skills, Synergies, Unit Upgrade, Gold Management, Items… It’s a lot to swallow. And there’s not even enough time to read what each thing does before the timer runs out. This creates a complex, overwhelming first impression that drives many players out.
But that’s quantity, not depth. Once you’ve gone through that traumatic starting phase, you’ve grasped all the mechanics and you know which team builds are dominating on the meta, it’s just a matter of making it happen by taking the right decisions and adapting to a few key draws.
Eventually, unless luck is really against you, your skills won’t be challenged and you won’t have new mechanics to master. At that point, winning will be based more on the knowledge of the content database and luck rather than your planning and strategic ability. And that’s boring.
So ultimately, these games are hard to grasp for a newbie, but also lack the ability to keep players interested for a very long time since they eventually run out of new features and mechanics to discover and master.

Unexciting Updates, Lack of Collection

On top of that, autochess games seem to have a hard time adding content which reawakens player interest and makes churned ones come back.
The DAU trend that we expect on a long term retention game: A decreasing trend of players until reaching a stagnation stage. At that point, a big update (or new season) is required to attract and reengage users back with new content. This is the model we would see on Fortnite or Hearthstone, but it’s not what we see in most autochesses.
On this topic, perhaps the one that has put the most effort is Riot’s TFT. Each season update, the game releases a new series of heroes, synergies, items and rebalances, as well as a big bunch of cosmetics. This generates a short lived boost on revenue (due primarily to players buying the pass) and downloads, but ultimately nothing that really moves the needle in a relevant way.
‘Why seasonal updates don’t work?‘, you may be asking. Part of the reason is that TFT, as well as every major contender do not include elements of content progression or collection. Instead, they all stick to the roguelike approach of the original mod: Players have access to the same set of units, and build their inventory exclusively during the match.
While at first this seems a good idea, since it keeps the game fair in a similar way to MOBAs, it’s oblivious to the fact that new units do not offer the same amount of gameplay depth as in League of Legends. In LoL, a new unit means weeks or even months of practice until mastering timing, range and usage of the skills, how they interact with every other champion, etc… In comparison, in TFT the new content can be fully explored in just a bunch of matches, both because the new content doesn’t offer that much depth to start with and because it’s available from the moment the player gets the update.
By lacking content progression and collection, autochesses miss the opportunity to create long term objectives after an update, more innovative mechanics and less repetitiveness. As a consequence, they have it really hard to hype players on updates.

Big ‘Snowball Effect’

In game design, the snowball effect refers to the situation where obtaining an advantage or dominance generates further conditions that almost invariably means winning the match. As you can guess, on competitive games this effect can generate a bad experience, especially when the divergence starts early on: The player that obtained the early advantage will keep on increasing the advantage and curbstomp the rest.
For example, this can happen on a Civilization game if a player gets ahead of the rest acquiring key resource territories, and uses them to achieve a greater progress in tech and income at a faster pace than the rest. Or in League of Legends if a team scores a bunch of early kills and levels up, becoming more able at scoring even more kills…
In this match of Age of Empires 2, the red player (Aztecs) managed to decimate the blue player (Turks) military units early on. Since without an army it was impossible for the blue player to secure enough resources to perform a comeback, for the next 2 hours the blue player was in a pointless, hopeless match. Kudos for not abandoning, though!
Autochess games suffer greatly from this effect, due to the following reasons:

• Resources lead to victories, victories lead to resources As you know, in autochess each player builds a team based on successive battles. Better battle performance will grant more gold, which is the resource used to buy units, perform shop rolls, etc… Similar to the cases we’ve already explained, this means that players that achieve early dominance will be able to to obtain more gold, use it to get better units and get more victories and gold, therefore increasing their team power faster than the rest. ‘But players can be lucky or unlucky, generating a factor that compensates for the advantage of having more resources early on‘, you may be considering. Unfortunately, this is a flawed logic, because of 2 main reasons: (1) Having more resources means more adaptability: The dominant players will be able to leverage on them to re-adapt their team, therefore outperforming the rest on a randomness-driven scenario. (2) Resources allow to buy more rolls, which diminishes the deviation generated by each individual roll.


• Luck factor. The previous point goes into maintaining and increasing dominance once it has been achieved early on, but another source of frustration is that luck is a huge factor in achieving early dominance. This means that your strategic skills and smarts can be completely invalidated by a couple of bad rolls at the beginning of the match. And there’s nothing that competitive players hate more than having their match stolen by factors outside the pure clash of abilities.

As an antithesis, Poker also has resource management, and luck factor determines the victory (on a specific round). But unlike Autochess, resources can’t override luck, and early victories don’t affect the later chance of winning.

Excessive Match Length

Compared to PC, on mobile is much harder to keep the player focused for a long period of time on a single session. And having a very long minimum session kind of goes against the premise of being able to play anywhere which is a primary strength of mobile as a gaming platform. This is a problem for autochess games since a single match can last for 30-45 minutes of synchronous, nonstop gameplay.
‘Isn’t the solution just make the match shorter?’, you’re probably wondering. Unfortunately, there are several reasons that make this more challenging to the core design than what it seems:

• Because in autochess the player builds its team from scratch, at the beginning of each match there are several turns to setup team foundations. Removing these early decisions severely decreases the teambuilding possibilities, decreasing overall depth.
  
• Also, each setup phase between clashes requires a minimum time to think and perform the actions. In the last turns of a match, the game can become quite demanding on thinking and input speed.
  
• Matches require a minimum amount of turns to compensate the weight of a single lucky/unlucky roll over the chances to win. Because the possible units for teambuilding appear on random rolls, the less turns there are the more luck factor the game will suffer, and as a consequence the less important the player’s strategic skills will be.
  
• And if there are few turns, there are also less chances for comebacks. Because it means that players will have less setup phases to adapt and catch a player that has obtained an early advantage.
  
• Finally, since the match involves 8 players, it requires a minimum of turns so that they all can fight between each other… Nevertheless, I don’t consider this a critical issue because Dota has been able to change this specific point on the knockout mode without sacrificing too much in terms of depth.
  

Soft Approach to Monetization

PC/Console approach to free-to-play is generally soft (i.e. primarily based on cosmetics, avoid pay-to-win…), while mobile tends to be quite hardcore in comparison. The softness of PC monetization is even more core to companies such as Valve and especially Riot Games, to which the “no monetization bs” is part of the brand values. This would be very hard to change without harming their reputation.
Same as in most autochess games, in TeamFight Tactics the players can only pay for different cosmetics and for a Battle Pass. Without the massively huge and engaged audience of League of Legends, this monetization approach isn’t able to generate meaningful revenue.
This is not exclusively because we mobile-first devs are a ruthless wallstreet folk which will use every dirty trick in the book to get a bit extra money… but also because mobile games are locked in competition for paid installs. This requires us to get as much revenue as possible from users, as fast as possible, in order to reinvest into players to keep on growing or avoid withering.
The business model of League of Legends or Fortnite is based on their extreme popularity: They already have massive amounts of highly engaged active users, so their strategy is to keep them playing and have a monetization system that, while doesn’t make as much money from the players as it could do on the short term, generates a decent amount of revenue over a longer period of time.
Games that have this soft f2p approach have it very hard to reach enough ARPPU to make paid users profitable, given the insanely high mobile CPIs. This may not be an issue to big IPs and games that are able to bring many organic players (Fortnite, League of Legends…), but it is a big issue for those that can’t attract such a big number of players due to their organic appeal.
Due to its core characteristics (strategic, number-based, complex…), Autochess is unlikely to be a massive appeal product, and therefore won’t fit into the cosmetics model. It’s a game that will have a smaller audience of highly engaged players, and therefore will require a more aggressive monetization to reach similar results.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The history of the autochess genre serves as an example of the risks of design endogamy: The devsphere rushed to clone Auto Chess, and before a year all the major contenders were in the board. But that speed came at a cost: None of these projects has brought the concept much further than its original conception, and in doing so they haven’t solved any of the core issues.
https://preview.redd.it/iw82bogsbpg61.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=9a197aa1fcb9ace73d6795103d20a4101ce7ddb5
The folks at Riot games developed the TeamFight Tactics in less than 5 months. This allowed them to release while the hype was still at its peak… but it also meant it added just a couple of improvements, and it’s otherwise very similar to the original Auto Chess mod.
After seeing all these projects fail to meet the big expectations that were placed on them, the question is if perhaps the best approach was to avoid rushing, and instead tackle the genre with a title that is not a clone, but rather a more groomed, accessible and innovative successor of the original idea.
In our next article on this series will make an attempt to see how such a game could be, rethinking the spirit and fresh design ideas of autochess to solve the issues mentioned above. (May take a while though, I want to focus on smaller articles for a couple of months…)
Meanwhile, if you want to read more about this genre, we suggest you these awesome articles from the folks at DoF: Why Auto-Chess can’t monetize – and how to fix that and How Riot can turn TFT into a billion dollar game

Special Thanks to…

These articles wouldn’t have been possible with the collaboration of ~300 members of the reddit communities of the different auto chess games who provided us with feedback and data. You folks have been incredible solving all our doubts. One thing that this genre has is some of the most awesome players around.
So big kudos for Brxm1, Erfinder Steve, Xinth, Zofia the Fierce, STRK1911, LontongSinga22, bezacho, hete, NeroVingian, marling2305, NOVA9INE , asidcabeJ, Eidallor, Rhai, Lozarian, bwdm, Toxic, Ruala, Papa Shango, MrMkay, Dread0, L7, kilmerluiz, Amikals, Sworith, Tankull, B., hete, Bour, Denzel, DeCeddy, Diaa, hamoudaxp, Benjamin “ManiaK” Depinois, Katunopolis, DanTheMan, MikelKDAplayer, 0nid, Tobocto, Tiny Rick, phuwin, Alcibiades, triceps, d20diceman, shadebedlam, stinky binky, Tutu, Myuura, suds, Kapo, Hearthstoned, Engagex, Pietrovosky, Daydreamer, Doctor Heckle, Ignis, ShawnE, NastierNate, LeCJ, Nene Thomas, Chris, trinitus_minibus, Nah, Kaubenjunge1337, Mudhutter, Asurakap, Nicky V, shinsplintshurts, bobknows27, Willem (Larry David Official on Steam), Jonathan, Dinomit24, Monstertaco, GangGreen69, Veshral Amadeus Salieri (…lol!), Kuscomem, Cmacu, Pioplu, Dilemily, qulhuae, Ilmo, MarvMind, facu1ty, crayzieap, Saint Expedite, Lobbyse, Lukino , tomes, Blitzy24, Mcmooserton, magicmerl, i4got2putsumpantzon, radicalminusone, Pipoxo, Kharambit, Bricklebrah, Rbagderp, Merforga, Superzuhong, Mo2gon, MoS.Tetu, MeBigBwainy, Zokus, CoyoteSandstorm, Stehnis, Noctis, Fkdn, Ray, Fairs1912, Fairs1912, Krakowski, HolyKrapp, Damadud, Pentium, Mach, Mudak, CaptSteffo, jwsw1990, Omaivapanda, Inquisitor Binks, Jack, yggdranix, GoodLuckM8, Centy, Prabuddha (aka Walla), dtan, Philosokitteh, Doms, ZEDD, Calloween, Synsane, Kaluma, GordonTremeshko , Djouni, DOGE, haveitall, ANIM4SSO, Task Manager, Submersed, BAKE, Viniv, La Tortuga Zorroberto, BixLe, Rafabeen, Blzane, bdlck666, FatCockNinja86, R.U.Sty, Yopsif, blesk, Quaest0r, FanOfTaylor, StaunchDruid, Rushkoski and everyone else that took some minutes to help us out on the article.

25,793 BBY
“Eruption” (Star Wars Insider #141)
Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void
“The Adventures of Lanoree Brock, Je’daii Ranger” [takes place between Chapters 2 and 3 of Into the Void]
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5,000 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
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4,985 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Paragon” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
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4,975 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Savior” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
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3,963 BBY
“Labor Pains”
“Interference”
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3,964–3,963 BBY
“The Secret Journal of Doctor Demagol”
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3,960 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Purgatory” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
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3,960–3,959 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
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3,954–3,900 BBY
The Old Republic: Revan
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3,667 BBY
“The Old Republic: The Third Lesson” (Star Wars Insider #124)
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3,660 BBY
“The Old Republic: Smuggler’s Vanguard”
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c. 3,655 BBY
“The Final Trial”
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3,653 BBY
The Old Republic: Deceived
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3,645 BBY
Red Harvest
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3,643 BBY
The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance
“The Price of Power”
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3,643–3,637 BBY
“The Sixth Line” Part 1
“The Sixth Line” Part 2
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3,641 BBY
“The Last Battle of Colonel Jace Malcom” (Star Wars Insider #137)
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3,640 BBY
The Old Republic: Annihilation
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3,638 BBY
“Surface Details”
“Wanted: Dead and Dismantled”
“Remnants”
“Bedtime on Concordia”
“One Night in the Dealer’s Den”
“Regrets”
“Vacation”
​
3,637 BBY
“Brothers”
​
3,631 BBY
“A Mother’s Hope”
​
3,630 BBY
“Trading Scars”
“Chasing Copero”
​
3,000 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Secrets” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
​
2,975 BBY
“Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pandemonium” (Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories)
​
1,032 BBY
“Knight Errant: Influx”
Knight Errant
​
1,006–1,000 BBY
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
​
1,000 BBY
“Darkness Shared” (Star Wars Gamer #5)
“Bane of the Sith” (Star Wars Gamer #3)
​
1,000–990 BBY
Darth Bane: Rule of Two
​
980 BBY
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
​
67 BBY
“The Tenebrous Way” (Star Wars Insider #130)
​
44 BBY
Jedi Apprentice #1: The Rising Force
Jedi Apprentice #2: The Dark Rival
Jedi Apprentice #3: The Hidden Past
Jedi Apprentice #4: The Mark of the Crown
Jedi Apprentice #5: The Defenders of the Dead
Jedi Apprentice #6: The Uncertain Path
Jedi Apprentice #7: The Captive Temple
Jedi Apprentice #8: The Day of Reckoning
Jedi Apprentice #9: The Fight for Truth
Jedi Apprentice #10: The Shattered Peace
​
43 BBY
Jedi Apprentice #11: The Deadly Hunter
Jedi Apprentice #12: The Evil Experiment
Jedi Apprentice #13: The Dangerous Rescue
​
41 BBY
Jedi Apprentice #14: The Ties That Bind
Jedi Apprentice #15: The Death of Hope
Jedi Apprentice #16: The Call to Vengeance
​
40 BBY
Jedi Apprentice #17: The Only Witness
Jedi Apprentice #18: The Threat Within
​
39 BBY
“Restraint” (Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter 2011 edition)
​
36 BBY
“The Monster” (Star Wars Gamer #2)
“The Syrox Redemption” (Star Wars Insider #146)
​
33 BBY
“Darth Maul: Saboteur” (Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter paperback edition)
“The Starfighter Trap” (Star Wars Gamer #1)
Maul: Lockdown
​
32 BBY
Cloak of Deception
Episode I Adventures #1: The Search for the Lost Jedi
Episode I Adventures #2: The Bartokk Assassins
Episode I Adventures #3: The Fury of Darth Maul
Episode I Adventures #4: Jedi Emergency
Episode I Adventures #5: The Ghostling Children
Episode I Adventures #6: The Hunt for Anakin Skywalker
Episode I Adventures #7: Capture Arawynne
Episode I Adventures #8: Trouble on Tatooine
Episode I Adventures #9: Rescue in the Core
Episode I Adventures #10: Festival of Warriors
Episode I Adventures #11: Pirates from Beyond the Sea
Episode I Adventures #12: The Bongo Rally
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
“End Game” (The Phantom Menace 2012 edition)
Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker
Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala
Episode I Journal: Darth Maul
​
67–32 BBY
Darth Plagueis
​
32 BBY
“Deep Spoilers” (Star Wars Gamer #4)
​
44–29 BBY
Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: Deceptions
​
29 BBY
Rogue Planet
​
39–29 BBY
Jedi Apprentice Special Edition: The Followers
​
28 BBY
Jedi Quest: Path to Truth
​
27 BBY
Jedi Quest #1: Way of the Apprentice
Outbound Flight
Jedi Quest #2: The Trail of the Jedi
Jedi Quest #3: The Dangerous Games
​
25 BBY
Jedi Quest #4: The Master of Disguise
Jedi Quest #5: The School of Fear
Jedi Quest #6: The Shadow Trap
Jedi Quest #7: The Moment of Truth
​
24 BBY
Jedi Quest #8: The Changing of the Guard
Jedi Quest #9: The False Peace
“Reputation” (Star Wars Insider #136)
​
23 BBY
Jedi Quest #10: The Final Showdown
Adventures #1: Hunt the Sun Runner
Adventures #2: The Cavern of Screaming Skulls
Adventures #3: The Hostage Princess
Adventures #4: Jango Fett vs. the Razor Eaters
Adventures #5: The Shape Shifter Strikes
Adventures #6: Warlords of Balmorra
​
22 BBY
The Approaching Storm
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
“Precipice”
Boba Fett #1: The Fight to Survive
“Death in the Catacombs” (Star Wars Insider #79)
“Elusion Illusion” (Star Wars Insider #66)
Boba Fett #2: Crossfire
Republic Commando: Hard Contact
“Omega Squad: Targets” (Star Wars Insider #81)
“Storm Fleet Warnings”
“Duel”
Shatterpoint
“Equipment”
​
89–22 BBY
Legacy of the Jedi
​
22 BBY
“Hero of Cartao, Episode I: Hero’s Call” (Star Wars Insider #68)
“Hero of Cartao, Episode II: Hero’s Rise” (Star Wars Insider #69)
“Hero of Cartao, Episode III: Hero’s End” (Star Wars Insider #70)
The Cestus Deception
“The Hive” (The Cestus Deception paperback edition)
“Changing Seasons, Part I: Guardian of the People” (Star Wars Insider #76)
“Changing Seasons, Part II: People of the Guardian” (Star Wars Insider #77)
​
39–22 BBY
Secrets of the Jedi
​
22 BBY
SkyeWalkers
Jedi Trial
The Clone Wars
The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: Tethan Battle Adventure
The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: The Way of the Jedi
“The Clone Wars: Out Foxed”
The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: Crisis on Coruscant
The Clone Wars: Secret Missions #1: Breakout Squad
The Clone Wars: Secret Missions #2: Curse of the Black Hole Pirates
The Clone Wars: Secret Missions #3: Duel at Shattered Rock
The Clone Wars: Secret Missions #4: Guardians of the Chiss Key
The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: The Lost Legion
The Clone Wars: Decide Your Destiny: Dooku's Secret Army
The Clone Wars: Wild Space
“The Pengalan Tradeoff” (Star Wars Insider #65)
“League of Spies” (Star Wars Insider #73)
The Clone Wars: No Prisoners
​
22–21 BBY
The Clone Wars: Grievous Attacks!
​
21 BBY
“Hondo Ohnaka’s Not-So-Big Score” (Star Wars Insider #144)
Boba Fett #3: Maze of Deception
Boba Fett #4: Hunted
Republic Commando: Triple Zero
The Clone Wars: Bounty Hunter: Boba Fett
Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth
Clone Wars Gambit: Siege
​
22–21 BBY
The Clone Wars: Defenders of the Republic
​
21 BBY
“Odds” (Star Wars Insider #87)
Republic Commando: True Colors
The Wrath of Darth Maul
“Speaking Silently” (Star Wars Insider #139)
​
20 BBY
The Clone Wars: Warriors of the Deep
MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
“MedStar: Intermezzo” (Star Wars Insider #83)
MedStar II: Jedi Healer
​
19 BBY
The Clone Wars: Darth Maul: Shadow Conspiracy
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
Boba Fett #5: A New Threat
Boba Fett #6: Pursuit
Labyrinth of Evil
Revenge of the Sith
Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
“Hammer” (Star Wars Insider #147)
“Lone Wolf: A Tale of Obi-Wan and Luke”
“Incognito” (Star Wars Insider #143)
Kenobi
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
“Pax Empirica—The Wookiee Annihilation” (Galactic Battlegrounds: Prima's Official Strategy Guide)
Imperial Commando: 501st
“Mist Encounter” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #7)
“The Last One Standing” (Legacy of the Jedi/Secrets of the Jedi paperback omnibus)
Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
“In His Image” (Vader: The Ultimate Guide)
​
18 BBY
The Last of the Jedi #1: The Desperate Mission
The Last of the Jedi #2: Dark Warning
“Ghosts of the Sith” (Star Wars Insider #88)
The Last of the Jedi #3: Underworld
The Last of the Jedi #4: Death on Naboo
Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows
The Last of the Jedi #5: A Tangled Web
The Last of the Jedi #6: Return of the Dark Side
The Last of the Jedi #7: Secret Weapon
The Last of the Jedi #8: Against the Empire
The Last of the Jedi #9: Master of Deception
The Last of the Jedi #10: Reckoning
Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force
“Two-Edged Sword” (Star Wars Insider #85)
The Last Jedi
​
17 BBY
“The Guns of Kelrodo-Ai” (Star Wars Insider #132)
​
10 BBY
“Dark Vendetta” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #8)
The Paradise Snare
​
6 BBY
“Turning Point” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #5)
​
5 BBY
“The Final Exit” (Tales from the Empire)
​
5–4 BBY
The Hutt Gambit
​
4 BBY
Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu
​
3 BBY
“Passages” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #7)
“Out of the Cradle” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #2)
Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon
“The Lost City of Tatooine” (Archaeology’s Dig July 1999)
“Interlude at Darkknell” (Tales from the New Republic)
​
3–2 BBY
Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka
The Force Unleashed
​
2 BBY
“When the Domino Falls” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #3)
“Rebel Bass” (Star Wars Gamer #6)
​
2–1 BBY
Han Solo at Stars’ End
Han Solo’s Revenge
Han Solo and the Lost Legacy
​
1 BBY
“Tinian on Trial” (Tales from the Empire)
Death Troopers
“Death Troopers: Recovered Messages from Purge”
The Force Unleashed II
“Constant Spirit” (Star Wars Insider #145)
Adventures in Hyperspace #1: Fire Ring Race
Adventures in Hyperspace #2: Shinbone Showdown
Adventures in Hyperspace #3: The Big Switch
​
0 BBY
X-Wing: The Farlander Papers
“And Leebo Makes Three” (Star Wars Insider #128)
Shadow Games
Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
Lost Jedi Adventure Game Books #1: Jedi Dawn
​
2–0 BBY
Rebel Dawn
​
0 BBY
“Ringers” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #6)
“Maze Run” (Star Wars Insider #131)
“The Adventures of Dannen Lifehold: Breaking Free” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #1)
“Wanderer of Worlds” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #9)
A New Hope [original title: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker]
Journal: The Fight for Justice
Journal: Captive to Evil
​
3–0 BBY
Death Star
​
0 BBY
“Imperial Troop Transporter” Story Booklet
“Cantina Communications” (Star Wars Official Poster Monthly #16)
“We Don’t Do Weddings: The Band’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
​
4–0 BBY
“A Hunter’s Fate: Greedo’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
​
0 BBY
“Hammertong: The Tale of the ‘Tonnika Sisters’“ (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Play It Again, Figrin D’an: The Tale of Muftak and Kabe” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“The Sand Tender: The Hammerhead’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Be Still My Heart: The Bartender’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Nightlily: The Lovers’ Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Empire Blues: The Devaronian’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Swap Meet: The Jawa’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Trade Wins: The Ranat’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Soup’s On: The Piper Smoker’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“At the Crossroads: The Spacer’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Drawing the Maps of Peace: The Moisture Farmer’s Tale” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“Spare Parts” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #11)
“The Adventures of Dannen Lifehold: Changing the Odds” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #3)
“A Certain Point of View” (Tales from the Empire)
​
0 ABY
Missions #1: Assault on Yavin
“Priority: X” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #12)
Missions #2: Escape from Thyferra
Missions #3: Attack on Delrakkin
Missions #4: Destroy the Liquidator
“Droid Trouble” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #3)
“The Occupation of Rhamalai” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #13)
“To Fight Another Day” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #6)
“Sandbound on Tatooine” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #10)
Rebel Force #1: Target
Rebel Force #2: Hostage
Science Adventures #1: Emergency in Escape Pod Four
Science Adventures #2: Journey Across Planet X
Rebel Force #3: Renegade
Scoundrel’s Luck
Missions #17: Darth Vader’s Return
Missions #18: Rogue Squadron to the Rescue
“Heist” (Star Wars Insider #138)
“Winner Lose All” (Scoundrels paperback edition)
Scoundrels
Jedi’s Honor
Rebel Force #4: Firefight
Rebel Force #5: Trapped
Allegiance
Rebel Force #6: Uprising
“The Most Dangerous Foe” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
“Doctor Death: The Tale of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
“The Great Herdship Heist” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
“Fair Prey” (Star Wars Gamer #1)
Galaxy of Fear #1: Eaten Alive
Galaxy of Fear #2: City of the Dead
Galaxy of Fear #3: Planet Plague
Galaxy of Fear #4: The Nightmare Machine
Missions #9: Revolt of the Battle Droids
Missions #10: Showdown in Mos Eisley
Missions #11: Bounty Hunters vs. Battle Droids
Missions #12: The Vactooine Disaster
Missions #19: Bounty on Bonadan
Missions #20: Total Destruction
Missions #5: The Hunt for Han Solo
Missions #6: The Search for Grubba the Hutt
Missions #7: Ithorian Invasion
Missions #8: Togorian Trap
“Only Droids Serve the Maker” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #10)
“A Bitter Winter” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #5)
Galaxy of Fear #5: Ghost of the Jedi
Galaxy of Fear #6: Army of Terror
“Death in the Slave Pits of Lorrd” (Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club)
Galaxy of Fear #7: The Brain Spiders
Galaxy of Fear #8: The Swarm
Choices of One
Galaxy of Fear #9: Spore
“Silver and Scarlet” (Star Wars Insider #148)
Empire and Rebellion: Honor Among Thieves
Galaxy of Fear #10: The Doomsday Ship
Galaxy of Fear #11: Clones
“Uhl Eharl Khoehng” (Tales from the New Republic)
​
1 ABY
“Finder’s Fee” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #6)
“Lumrunners” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #9)
“The Breath of Gelgelar” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #14)
Galaxy of Fear #12: The Hunger
“Pearls in the Sand” (Star Wars Insider #74)
Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
“Lando Calrissian: Idiot’s Array”
Imperial Double-Cross
​
2 ABY
Missions #13: Prisoner of the Nikto Pirates
Missions #14: Showdown in Mos Eisley
Missions #15: Bounty Hunters vs. Battle Droids
Missions #16: The Vactooine Disaster
Lost Jedi Adventure Game Books #2: The Bounty Hunter
Splinter of the Mind’s Eye
“Crimson Bounty” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #14)
“Combat Moon” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #9)
“Do No Harm” (Tales from the Empire)
“The Capture of Imperial Hazard” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #10)
“Idol Intentions” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #12)
Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge
“The Last Hand” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Small Favors” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #12)
TIE Fighter: The Stele Chronicles
“Side Trip” (Tales from the Empire)
“Command Decision” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #11)
“Laughter After Dark” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
“The Draw” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
​
3 ABY
“Chief Chirpa Kidnapped!” (Ewoks Annual)
“Return of the Great One!” (Ewoks Annual)
“The Ice Princess!” (Ewoks Annual)
“Double Cross on Ord Mantell” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #5)
The Empire Strikes Back
“Hunting the Hunters” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #6)
“The Prize Pelt: The Tale of Bossk” (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
“Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM” (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
“The Emperor’s Trophy” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #11)
“Slaying Dragons” (Tales from the Empire)
“The Longest Fall” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Firepower” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #8)
“Desperate Measures” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #10)
“Vader Adrift” (Star Wars Insider Special Edition 2012)
​
3–4 ABY
Shadows of the Empire
​
4 ABY
“That’s Entertainment: The Tale of Salacious Crumb” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
Return of the Jedi
Journal: Hero for Hire
​
0–4 ABY
“A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
4 ABY
“Taster’s Choice: The Tale of Jabba’s Chef” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance: Oola’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Let Us Prey: The Whipid’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“And Then There Were Some: The Gamorrean Guard’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Old Friends: Ephant Mon’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Goatgrass: The Tale of Ree-Yees” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
0–4 ABY
“And the Band Played On: The Band’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
4 ABY
“Of the Day’s Annoyances: Bib Fortuna’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“The Great God Quay: The Tale of Barada and the Weequays” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
1–4 ABY
“A Bad Feeling: The Tale of EV-9D9” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
4 ABY
“A Free Quarren in the Palace: Tessek’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Tongue-tied: Bubo’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Out of the Closet: The Assassin’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Shaara and the Sarlacc: The Skiff Guard’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
4–5 ABY
“A Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
4 ABY
“Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer’s Tale” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
“Epilogue: Whatever Became Of…?” (Tales from Jabba’s Palace)
​
3–4 ABY
“Payback: The Tale of Dengar” (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
​
c. 15 BBY – 4 ABY
“Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88” (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
​
4 ABY
“One Last Night in the Mos Eisley Cantina: The Tale of the Wolfman and the Lamproid” (Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
​
0–4 ABY
The Mandalorian Armor
Slave Ship
Hard Merchandise
​
4 ABY
The Truce at Bakura
A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker
“A Credit for Your Thoughts” (Star Wars Gamer #2)
“Escape from Balis-Baurgh” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #1)
“Day of the Sepulchral Night” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Gathering Shadows” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Handoff” (Star Wars Gamer #10)
“Lumiya: Dark Star of the Empire” (Star Wars Galaxy Magazine #3)
“One of a Kind” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #5)
“Easy Credits” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #9)
​
5 ABY
Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor
Star Wars #1: The Glove of Darth Vader
Star Wars #2: The Lost City of the Jedi
Star Wars #3: Zorba the Hutt’s Revenge
Star Wars #4: Mission from Mount Yoda
Star Wars #5: Queen of the Empire
Star Wars #6: Prophets of the Dark Side
Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
Dark Forces: Jedi Knight
“Buyer’s Market” (Star Wars Insider #126)
​
6 ABY
“The Battle of Cadinth” (Star Wars Gamer #2)
“Fists of Ion”
“Deader Than a Triton Moon”
“Missed Chance” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #7)
“A Glimmer of Hope” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #1)
“Whispers in the Dark” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #2)
X-Wing: Rogue Squadron
​
7 ABY
X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble
X-Wing: The Krytos Trap
X-Wing: The Bacta War
“Conflict of Interest” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #13)
“Chessa’s Doom” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #1)
“Big Quince” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #2)
“Explosive Developments” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #3)
“Starter’s Tale” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #4)
“Vengeance Strike” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #5)
“Kella Rand, Reporting…” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #6)
X-Wing: Wraith Squadron
X-Wing: Iron Fist
X-Wing: Solo Command
​
8 ABY
“The Saga Begins” (The DarkStryder Campaign)
“The Saga Nears Its End” (Endgame)
“First Contact” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #1)
“Crisis of Faith” (Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition)
“Crossroads”
The Courtship of Princess Leia
“Hutt and Seek” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Corphelion Interlude”
“A Forest Apart” (Tatooine Ghost paperback edition)
Tatooine Ghost
“The Trouble with Squibs” (Star Wars Insider #67)
“Mission to Zila” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #3)
“Shadows of Darkness” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #4)
​
9 ABY
Heir to the Empire
The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Dark Force Rising
The Last Command
X-Wing: Isard’s Revenge
“Rendezvous with Destiny” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #6)
“Blaze of Glory” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #8)
“Betrayal by Knight” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #12)
​
10 ABY
“Retreat from Coruscant” (Tales from the Empire)
“No Disintegrations, Please” (Tales from the New Republic)
​
11 ABY
“Emanations of Darkness”
Jedi Search
“Firestorm” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
Dark Apprentice
Champions of the Force
I, Jedi
​
12 ABY
Children of the Jedi
“Simple Tricks” (Tales from the New Republic)
“Shades of Gray: From the Adventures of Alex Winger”
Darksaber
​
13 ABY
X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar
“Murder in Slushtime” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #14)
Planet of Twilight
​
14 ABY
The Crystal Star
​
16–17 ABY
Before the Storm
Shield of Lies
Tyrant’s Test
​
17 ABY
The New Rebellion
“Two for One” (Star Wars Adventure Journal #15)
​
18 ABY
“Jade Solitaire” (Tales from the New Republic)
Ambush at Corellia
Assault at Selonia
Showdown at Centerpoint
​
c. 13 BBY – 19 ABY
“The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett” (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
​
19 ABY
Specter of the Past
Vision of the Future
“Red Sky, Blue Flame” (Star Wars Gamer #7)
“Hunting the Gorach” (Star Wars Insider #133)
Scourge
​
21 ABY
“Judge’s Call”
​
22 ABY
Junior Jedi Knights #1: The Golden Globe
Junior Jedi Knights #2: Lyric’s World
Junior Jedi Knights #3: Promises
Junior Jedi Knights #4: Anakin’s Quest
Junior Jedi Knights #5: Vader’s Fortress
Junior Jedi Knights #6: Kenobi’s Blade
“Fool’s Bargain” (Survivor’s Quest paperback edition)
Survivor’s Quest
​
23 ABY
Young Jedi Knights: Heirs of the Force
Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy
Young Jedi Knights: The Lost Ones
Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers
Young Jedi Knights: Darkest Knight
Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Under Siege
​
23–24 BBY
Young Jedi Knights: Shards of Alderaan
​
24 BBY
Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance
Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur
Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Bounty
Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor’s Plague
Young Jedi Knights: Return to Ord Mantell
Young Jedi Knights: Trouble on Cloud City
Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
“The Crystal” (Star Wars Gamer #5)
​
25 ABY
The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime
​
24–25 ABY
“Boba Fett: A Practical Man” (Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice paperback edition)
​
25 ABY
The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide I: Onslaught
The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin
The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial
The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
​
26 ABY
The New Jedi Order: Balance Point
“The New Jedi Order: Recovery” (Star by Star paperback edition)
The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest
“Emissary of the Void I: Battle on Bonadan”
“Emissary of the Void II: Dark Tidings”
“Emissary of the Void III: The War on Wayland”
“Emissary of the Void IV: Relic of Ruin” (Star Wars Insider #62)
The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
“Emissary of the Void V: A Perilous Plan” (Star Wars Insider #63)
“Emissary of the Void VI: Emissary of the Void” (Star Wars Insider #64)
​
27 ABY
The New Jedi Order: Star by Star
The New Jedi Order: Dark Journey
“The Apprentice” (Star Wars Gamer #8)
The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
The New Jedi Order: Traitor
​
28 ABY
The New Jedi Order: Destiny’s Way
“The New Jedi Order: Ylesia” [takes place between Chapters 21 and 22 of Destiny’s Way]
The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic I: Remnant
The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee
“Or Die Trying” (Star Wars Insider #75)
The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic III: Reunion
The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy
​
29 ABY
The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force
​
35 ABY
Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
​
36 ABY
Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
​
37 ABY
“Fate of the Jedi: Imprint” Story Booklet
​
38 ABY
Supernatural Encounters: The Trial and Transformation of Arhul Hextrophon
​
40 ABY
Legacy of the Force: Betrayal
Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines
Legacy of the Force: Tempest
Legacy of the Force: Exile
Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice
Legacy of the Force: Inferno
Legacy of the Force: Fury
​
41 ABY
Legacy of the Force: Revelation
Legacy of the Force: Invincible
“A Fair Trade” (Star Wars Insider #129)
Crosscurrent
Riptide
“First Blood” (Star Wars Insider #125)
​
43 ABY
Millennium Falcon
Fate of the Jedi: Outcast
“Fate of the Jedi: Outcast” Epostcard 1
“Fate of the Jedi: Outcast” Epostcard 2
“Fate of the Jedi: Outcast” Epostcard 3
Fate of the Jedi: Omen
Fate of the Jedi: Abyss
Fate of the Jedi: Backlash
​
44 ABY
Fate of the Jedi: Allies
Fate of the Jedi: Vortex
Fate of the Jedi: Conviction
Fate of the Jedi: Ascension
Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse
“Getaway” (Star Wars Insider #134)
“Roll of the Dice” (Star Wars Insider #135)
X-Wing: Mercy Kill
​
45 ABY
“Good Hunting” (Star Wars Insider #142)
Crucible

The NBA season is nearly over: be it 1, 2, or 3 more games left. With the offseason looming around the corner, we've been looking ahead with our OFFSEASON BLUEPRINT series. In each entry, we preview some big decisions and make some recommendations for plans of attack along the way.
Like the NBA, we've officially come to the end of the road and to our final team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
step one: know it will never be All Quiet on the Western Front
The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of fans, but also plenty of people who enjoy watching them struggle (some even run their own sports websites.) It feels like they've been a punching bag for almost a decade now. Even when the team landed a coup and signed LeBron James, there were plenty of skeptics and haters picking at the roster and fanning the flames of front office tension. Even when the team followed that up with a trade for Anthony Davis, there were STILL doubters and haters camped at the gates.
At the end of the day, LeBron James and company only had one way to shut them up: win.
Now, no one can criticize them anymore. Whatever they did to get here -- it worked. LeBron James deserves a huge amount of credit for this presumptive title (no offense, Miami) but there's plenty to go around. Anthony Davis reminded the world that he's a friggin' beast. Frank Vogel did a great job getting the defense to play on a string, especially on the perimeter. The maligned bench with Rajon Rondo, Markieff Morris, and Kyle Kuzma even stepped up in a major way on the road to the Finals.
While the team may be drenched with champagne by the time you read this, they still won't be satisfied. LeBron James went back to Cleveland to win a title. He didn't go to L.A. and recruit Anthony Davis to win a title. He wants to win multiple titles. He may get his 4th ring after this year, which means he'll only be 2 away from catching Michael Jordan. If he can do that, then there won't be any doubt about his GOAT status. And honestly, it's possible. James still looks like a top 5 player (if not 1 overall), and Anthony Davis is in the heart of his prime. With a decent supporting cast around them, they're going to be in title contention for the next two or three years.
However, the Lakers can't get complacent. They deserved this title, but they didn't exactly beat Murderers' Row to get here. In fact, their playoff opponents had the weakest seed value and weakest W-L percentage of any title team since 2000. Next season may be tougher sledding. The L.A. Clippers could be a real threat with better coaching and better rotations. The Milwaukee Bucks could be a real threat with better health. Health permitting, the Brooklyn Nets have the star power and the depth to be a force themselves. It's going to be a dogfight next season. The Lakers still may be the top dogs in that fight, but they're going to have to scrape and claw to get that bone again.
step two: convince your free agents that It's a Wonderful Life
LeBron James is a champion for player empowerment, but that concept is going to put his L.A. Lakers in a precarious position this offseason. Some decisions with be out of their hands. The team has an inordinate amount of player options for next season, with 5 separate players having the right to opt "in" or "out" of their contracts. Let's take a look at each of those one individually.
The most important, of course, will be Anthony Davis. He has the choice whether to opt in to his $28.7M salary. It's weird to say, but $28.7M is a bargain. Davis is a 27-year-old superstar. He deserves the new max and then some. From the Lakers' perspective, the only question will be timing the extension in the best interest of Davis and the team as a whole. If they wait until next offseason to give him a full max, they may have some more wiggle room in salary to bring in extra free agents (in Offseason 2021, not Offseason 2020.) Perhaps they can convince AD to wait until then to accrue more years. At the same time, uncertainty isn't their friend. If the Lakers disappoint next season and LeBron James hits a wall (unlikely, but theoretically possible) then perhaps Davis doesn't want to stay tethered to this older roster for the long haul. Perhaps his relationship with James -- great now -- bleeds into resentment over time. Who the heck knows. Superstar pairings don't always end with "happily ever after." Even that remote concern would make me push for a max extension for AD ASAP.
The second most important player option will be Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. When the Lakers first signed them, it raised some eyebrows and potential tampering conspiracy theories. These days, his $8.5M player option looks like a good value. KCP shot well this year and played hard on defense. Effectively, he looked like the player that Danny Green was supposed to be. Your hope here is that the Lakers have built enough goodwill with KCP and his representatives to make this a friendly negotiation. Whether that means he opts in, or whether that means he signs a long-term deal, it's a relationship that needs to continue.
step three: but convince others to ride off like Shane
Conversely, there are a few player options that the team may try to talk players out of taking. Avery Bradley missed the bubble for personal reasons, but the Lakers' backcourt did just fine without him. At this stage in their careers, Alex Caruso is probably better at the 3+D guard role. Still, it's going to be up to Bradley whether to return or not. He can opt in to his $5.0M player option. The value is OK in the broadest sense, but perhaps the Lakers are rooting for him to test the market elsewhere. The Lakers should take a hard line here and not offer him extra years; if Bradley leaves to chase a long-term deal, so be it. If he opts in, he may be used as a potential trade chip.
Meanwhile, JaVale McGee has a $4.2M player option himself. McGee started 68/68 games in the regular season, but he didn't always look like their best option in the playoffs. As he ages (now 32), he'll continue to struggle with certain matchups. I don't think McGee can match that $4M anywhere else, so trying to convince him to opt out may be a losing proposition. Again, if McGee opts in, then the Lakers need to consider utilizing his salary as a potential trade piece.
Some of those decisions -- whether they want to keep Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee -- may hinge on some other free agents on the team. Backup PG Rajon Rondo has his own player option of $2.7M. All season long, I'd been talking about Rondo as a potential liability for the team. Instead, he justified some of that "Playoff Rondo" talk. Between Rondo and Caruso, you'd prefer Caruso getting extended minutes. Between Rondo and Bradley, it's more of a debate. Rondo deserves more than $2.7M, so I expect him to opt out. Presumably, he appreciates the role and limelight here in L.A. and wouldn't play hardball. If he's amenable to a short-term, reasonable deal, then you'd want to keep him in house. If his playoff hype spirals into outsized offers (anything over $6M or so) then you should thank him for his service and wish him well.
The Lakers should treat backup C Dwight Howard (an unrestricted free agent) in a similar way. Now 34, he's become a role player. Moreover, his role -- as the more traditional center -- is no longer a valuable one either. Still, he's pretty good at that role -- arguably better than JaVale McGee. The team shouldn't over-invest in this one-two punch though. If Howard wants to re-sign for a bargain basement deal, great. If he expects a mid-sized contract or an extra year, then he may be on the move again. For both Rondo and Howard, I'd stand firm on 1 year deals. However, the team can potentially add in "team option" years on top of that. The purpose would be less to entice them into staying and more to make them potential trade chips (in terms of salary matching) later on down the road.
The Lakers will have more free agents to discuss. Markieff Morris is an interesting one; he looked like a shell of himself after some injuries, but he showed signs of life in the postseason. If that's legit, then he could potentially be a good rotational player for the team (when they go "small" with AD at the 5.) The verdict from team doctors will be crucial to determining his value. Alternatively, vets like J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters don't appear to have any value at all. Fortunately, they don't have player options either.
step four: solve the mystery of The Third Man
All season long, we heard that the Lakers would need a third star to emerge if they were going to win the title. Kyle Kuzma never got there, but it didn't matter. Perhaps we've just defaulted into a more familiar era of the NBA. Shaq and Kobe won without another "star." Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen won without another "star" (Dennis Rodman was more of an ultra role player.) With Kevin Durant removed from Golden State, perhaps the bar has been lowered back to reasonable heights for NBA title teams.
Still, the Lakers need to figure out who Kyle Kuzma is, and what his role should be. He averaged 16-6 as a rookie, but showed some signs of a "good stats / bad team" kind of player. That fear hasn't gone away. Since then, Kuzma's shot 30% and 32% from three over the following two years, and played poor defense overall. ESPN real plus/minus metric graded him as a -0.4 and -0.7 defensive impact, while box plus/minus had him at -1.2 and -1.0. That same BPM metric graded him below replacement level overall (-0.2 VORP).
Kuzma has played OK in these playoffs, but he hasn't had a major role. In fact, his minutes per game is down to 23.2 in the postseason so far, with 0 starts drawn. It's clear that Frank Vogel and the team don't believe he's the 3rd best player on the team. He may not even be the 4th or 5th best player.
You may ask: who cares? Kuzma isn't a world beater, but the Lakers beat the world anyway. Still, it's an important question hanging over their heads. Kuzma is under contract for one more year, and then will enter restricted free agency (at a time when they will be a lot of cap space out there.) Based on name value, he's going to get a decent contract.
If the Lakers don't believe he's worth decent money, it may be time to trade him now. (Realistically, the time to trade him was last offseason, but what can ya do.) Kuzma's $3.5M salary is easy to move, and the team can attach other contracts like McGee, Bradley, and Quinn Cook ($3M) to match a deal anywhere from the $3M-$15M range if need be.
What can the Lakers get for Kuzma on the open market? It's hard to tell. He's a polarizing name, so it may depend on whether their trade partner reads reddit or not. I'd call up Detroit and ask about Luke Kennard. If Houston's blowing it up, I'd ask about Robert Covington. If Minnesota's locked into Anthony Edwards at # 1, maybe they'd be open to trading Malik Beasley in a sign and trade. If you want to play dirty, you can tell Portland that Gary Trent Jr. (newest client of Klutch) is going to sign with the Lakers next season no matter what, so they may as well recoup something for him now. Fair? Ethical? Ehh. But hey, it's proven to be effective before.
step five: encourage others to hunt for the Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Lakers don't have much cap space this offseason, but that's not a major problem. They're not going to have to list job openings on monster.com -- available players are going to flock to them. The most obvious reason to join the Lakers would be to chase rings. However, it goes deeper than that. There's not a lot of teams with cap space this offseason, but there are plenty with space next season.
If you're a free agent who's not getting a lot of attention, there's one great way to get attention: play with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. You can inflate your stock for next offseason, when hopefully you cash in.
If I ran the Lakers, my first call would be to a veteran like Darren Collison. Collison took the season off to pursue his faith, but reportedly he may return next year. If so, he'd be a dream fit for this Lakers' rotation. Collison can run the point when LeBron James rests, but he can also serve as a complementary spacer. The former UCLA standout has become a very reliable shooter -- hitting over 40% from deep in his last four seasons. He's undersized and sometimes outmatched on D, but the team has Alex Caruso ready to match up with bigger guards. Collison's skill set would merit $10+ million in a good market, but perhaps NBA teams are going to want to see him "prove it" after his extended absence. If that's the case, the Lakers can thank their lucky stars and Jehovah for delivering him into their laps.
Other veterans who may be drawn to the Lakers like a moth to the flame would include: the underrated E'Twaun Moore (NO) and likable vet Courtney Lee (DAL). Moe Harkless (NYK) could probably get more elsewhere, but he may decide to bet on himself and inflate his price for next season.
Since Anthony Davis still prefers playing PF, depth at center will be more important for the Lakers than other teams. As mentioned, JaVale McGee will probably be back (barring a trade) and Dwight Howard may be as well. If not, the team could try to recruit a player who wants to boost their stock. Nerlens Noel (OKC) could benefit from the spotlight like that; better yet, his agent happens to be some dude named Rich Paul.
Overall, the Lakers need to keep pushing and trying to improve, be it through free agency, through trades, or through the draft (where they have the # 28 pick.) This team may have been good enough to win the title, but as mentioned, one title isn't going to satisfy this star, this team, and this fan base. Hollywood's all about excess, and the goal will be to overindulge over the next few years.
other offseason blueprints
ATL, BKN, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, GS, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NO, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR, SA, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

From now on, I will mark episodes I actually rewrite with number 6. Since Tari is a very different character in this AU, I found it necessary to rewrite the script for most of the episode (if you haven't already, go read Tari's character analysis). Now, then...
The episode open the same way it originally did, going all the way up to the scene at the competition at the mall. The script begins here. By the way, things in brackets are said in audio form by the character, not as text.
Mario enters the store to see a huge crowd. He looks for a way to see through, but sees Fishy Boopkins.
Mario: Hey, what's going on here? Why's everyone so excited?
FB: Oh, hey Mario! There's this new girl that nobody's ever seen around here before, and rumors say that she's the greatest at all video games! Someone also said that she came here for a different reason, but I don't know if any of those things are true. We're all going to find out when she fights against Bob!
Mario, now more interested, jumps on top of the trash can next to him for a proper view. He can't see the girl's face from here, but he can certainly see the game. The camera is now positioned between both contenders, currently pointed at Bob.
Bob: So, you're the little (insert swear word here) that everyone's saying is good at this game? Well be prepared to lose to the greatest gamer of all time: The almighty Bob!
While Bob continues to trash talk the little girl next to him, she turns and gives him an expression of both determination and mild annoyance. Bob doesn't notice. When the countdown begins, the following events occur in this order: Bob stops ranting, Mario leans forward in excitement, and the little girl's expression changes to one of confidence. Bob comments continuously during the match, mostly about how he's losing and doesn't like it. The little girl gives him a smug expression after winning, though he doesn't notice this either. While the crowd goes wild, the girl leaves with a smile. Boopkins yells over the crowd that the rumors were true while Mario is star-struck. Mario realizes that the girl has left already and proceeds to follow her. Mario jumps out in front of her at the vending machines, which makes her flinch, but doesn't particularly scare her.
Mario: Blue Hat Kid! I need your help to beat Smg4's (censored) at Smash Bros.!
Tari: Oh, hello! My name's Tari. You want my help?
Mario: Yeah! Yeah! Mario needs to know how to be as good as you are! I need to beat Smg4!
Mario punches the vending machine that's next to him as he says "Smg4". The machine falls forward and Mario jumps backwards, unlike Tari, who doesn't see what's happening until she gets crushed by the machine. Tari starts to pull herself out from under the machine, only to see Mario standing in front of her, awaiting an answer.
Tari: Sure! I just need to get out from under here first, I'm just very unlucky all the time.
Mario runs around in excitement while Tari finishes crawling out from under the vending machine. Mario eventually ends up naked, to Tari's surprise. A goomba sees Mario.
Tari: I just met him, do you know him?
The goomba turns around and leaves.
Mario: So what swag tricks are you going to teach me? I need to beat Smg4!
Tari sees the arcade.
Tari: I think I need to see what you know first before I can try to teach you anything.
Both of them are now at the Smash Bros. game that's hooked up in the arcade. They are about to start a match.
Tari: I need to see exactly how you play, so do your best to try to beat me, okay?
Mario: [Let's-a-go!]
Mario proceeds to make his in-game form perform every attack he can manage by mashing the controller in various ways, though he doesn't actually move. Tari glances from the screen to Mario with a confused expression, before shrugging and proceeding to one-shot Mario.
Mario: [WHAT!?!] [MAMA F&@%ER!!!]
Tari: I see the problem here. You have the attacks memorized, but you don't use them properly. If you focus on what you're doing, you'll be able to direct your attacks at your opponent.
Mario: But I am focusing! Mario's brain is always focused! (The camera is now showing the inside of Mario's head, which has Baldi dancing with spaghetti in the background along with various memes.) Mario knows what he's doing!
Mario throws his controller as he says the last sentence, which ricochets off of a game cabinet and hits Tari in the face, launching her into the Whack-a-Weegee cabinet several meters away at a violent speed. Tari gets up and sees the game she just crashed into.
Tari: Maybe this will be a good place to start. Come try this game, Mario!
Mario: What the (censored) this? You want Mario to play this gay-(censored) baby game?
Tari: I know it's not the kind of game you want to play, but you need to learn to focus!
Mario: [Fine!] [Piece of $#!?!]
Mario starts hammering at an extremely high rate, but misses every single Weegee. The game taunts him for this, to his frustration. Mario hammers at an even faster speed, but still misses everything, prompting the game to tell him "That's-a-pretty $#!?!". Mario rages and throws the hammer directly into Tari's face, smashing it. Tari recovers and sees that Mario is still raging.
Tari: Mario! Remember, you need to focus! It doesn't matter how fast you swing that hammer if you don't focus on hitting your target.
Mario listens to Tari and kicks the memes out of his head. Mario then tries the game again, this time actually hitting the Weegees and earning points. Mario gets excited and starts hitting the Weegees at a faster rate, and doesn't miss any this time. Tari tries to congratulate him, but ends up getting hit in the face with the hammer again instead. While Mario does a victory breakdance, Tari looks around for another game. Tari sees the crane games and calls Mario over to them.
Tari: Now for a more challenging test. Crane games require hand-eye coordination and accuracy, but don't be fooled, they're also a gambling addiction disguised as a game. Remember, you need to focus!
Mario: [Okey-dokey!]
Mario grabs the controls, but can't seem to find anything he wants.
Mario: There's nothing good in there! Why isn't there spaghetti for me to win? (Mario turns around and sees Toad walking around the arcade.) Ah, perfect!
Mario somehow makes the claw go flying through the glass, directly at Toad. The claw grabs him and starts dragging him across the floor towards Mario. Toad starts screaming. Tari sees Toad in distress and runs over to him. Tari unhooks the claw, letting Toad escape while still screaming. The claw then suddenly grabs onto Tari's leg and starts pulling her across the floor instead. Tari grabs onto a cabinet to try to save herself, but loses her grip and gets yeeted directly into the crane game machine next to the one Mario's using.
Mario: [Yeah, ha-ha-ha!]
Tari sits up in the machine, looking around with concern over the damage Mario caused.
Tari: ...Maybe we should move on to the last step now.
Mario and Tari are now at a pond in the city, while the latter is feeding bread to the ducks.
Mario: Wait, what the (censored) does this have to do with being good at Smash Bros.?
Tari: Well, it helps to not play games all the time. You need to save your energy for when you need to do your best. Just try to relax.
The goose from Untitled Goose Game sneaks up behind Tari while she's talking, and takes her hat right off the top of her head. Tari notices the goose after she finishes her last sentence and takes off after it.
Tari: Hey! That's my hat! Please give it back!
The goose drops Tari's hat in the middle of the street before running off. Tari picks up her hat, only to lose it again immediately when she gets hit by a car. Tari lands on the ground next to a Bob-Omb, which detonates just as she looks up at it; the explosion sends her flying through the air. Mario is watching the chaos unfold before him without intervening. The chain reaction of cataclysmic events continues.
Mario: Hey, this is pretty relaxing.
Tari's burning skeleton and hat land separately near Mario.
Mario: Thanks for the help, Tari! Now to go beat Smg4's (censored) to prove that I'm better than him!
Mario leaves the destroyed park behind without a second thought. Mario then arrives at the castle to face Smg4, and the battle starts to happen the same way it did originally. The differences start when Mario starts hearing Tari's voice in his head.
Tari's voice: You have to focus on what you're doing to win!
Mario: Wait... Tari?
Tari is actually standing outside the window, encouraging Mario.
Tari: You just need to focus! You can win!
The camera reveals that Tari is standing on a rickety wooden platform that's not supported by anything. The platform then gives way and falls into the empty moat with Tari on it. Both land on several crates full of dynamite, which explode.
Mario: That's right! I've got this! After all, it's-a-me, Mario!
Mario barely beats Smg4, but it's still a victory. The scene plays out the same way it did originally until Smg4 crawls to the door.
Smg4: I need to find a way to get better than Mario... I can't let him be better than me!
Smg4 then throws open the door, but hears it slam into something, and that something is Tari, who is now flat against the wall.
Smg4: Oops... I didn't know you were there...
Tari: It's okay. Things like this happen to me all the time. You're Mario's friend Smg4, right? He said he really wanted to win against you. I'm Tari.
Smg4: You taught Mario how to beat me? Can you teach me how to beat him?
Mario: Don't you dare!
Tari: I'll just play for fun for now. Want to try?
Smg4: Sure!
Tari and Smg4 play against each other while Mario does various things to celebrate in the background. While she plays, Tari has some inner monologue.
Tari (internally): I was ready for anything to happen when I came to the Mushroom Kingdom. I heard that there was a red-wearing plumber that caused chaos in the kingdom and killed people for fun. I met Mario myself and know that he doesn't want to hurt people, he's just enthusiastic. I also heard of a blue-wearing plumber that liked internet memes, and a green-wearing plumber that was afraid of the red one. I met Smg4 and he seems to be more like me, but I haven't met this green plumber yet. I know one thing for sure: I'm going to stay here for a long time, if not forever. I may be unlucky, but that's not going to stop me from trying to find the good in everyone.
The episode ends after Tari's monologue finishes. I forgot to say it before, but apply #1, #2, #4, and #6. That's it.