Video games in 2014 (Brainz)

This week we will take a little break from Magic: the Gathering and talk about some upcoming, and new, video games that will be coming out this year, or were recently released. There are probably hundreds of games, across multiple platforms, that will come out this year but I will just talk about a few that I feel a connection with. The titles I will talk about in this post will be: Watch Dogs; Destiny; Halo 5: Guardians; Diablo III: Reaper of Souls; Wolfenstein: The New Order; and Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.

Let's start with Watch Dogs. I feel that this is going to be a great game because it is a new concept that incorporates elements that gamers love. It was released May 27th 2013. It is a somewhat open world game that is set in Chicago. The main character is a hacker that uses technology as his weapon to seek revenge for his family's death. The storyline kind of reminds me of "The Punisher" in that the main character seeks revenge for the same thing. I think this may have a similar feel to games like the Grand Theft Auto series but with a different story and overall feel to it, not that it is a bad thing. I feel that this will be extremely fun to play because each decision you make alters the entire game and leads to different paths or consequences. Watch Dogs is available on PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One, and PC.

Next up is Destiny. I am pretty excited about Destiny because it is from the creators of the original Halo games. It is a sci-fi FPS and the characters that you get to choose from have abilities that you can use against your enemies. The abilities are like a magic or activated ability that you don't usually associate with FPS style games. It is an interesting twist. Overall I feel that Destiny will be a great experience to play with multiple players online. The game-play trailers show some really stunning multiplayer action and I am excited to try it out. Destiny releases September 9th 2014 and is available on the PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, and XBOX One.

Next is Halo 5: Guardians. I am particularly excited about this one. There is not a whole lot of information out there about Halo 5 but I have been a fan since the original Halo on the original XBOX. It is the second installment in the "Reclaimer" saga. It is also a sci-fi FPS. The release date is said to be late 2014 but there are also reports of the game being pushed into 2015. I hope that Halo 5 doesn't just release on the XBOX One but I have a feeling that the new XBOX will be the only platform it will be available on. I think this will be a great experience both single player and multiplayer. The Halo franchise has always, in my opinion, produced top notch story lines and I am sure this will be no exception. I hope that Cortana comes back somehow in the next couple of games if not Halo 5.

Next is the new Diablo III expansion Reaper of Souls. It will be an RPG format, like D III is. I was a gigantic fan of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction when it came out and I played it pretty regularly until the release of Diablo III. That is how good of a game it was, even though it was repetitive. I played Diablo III when it first came out and I thought it was a pretty awesome game. Then school started to get in the way and to be honest D III just didn't have the same luster as D II. I am hoping that this expansion will revive my excitement about D III and I will resume playing it. The Diablo franchise, and Blizzard in general, has always executed stellar story lines. I absolutely loved Diablo III's story and the cinematic trailers. I hope that the new expansion is no different, once I start playing it. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls for PC released on March 25 2014 and will release on PS4, XBOX 306 and XBOX One in August of 2014.

Next one is Wolfenstein: The New Order. This game is a FPS style of game. It released on May 20th 2014. There is a special place in my heart for Wolfenstein because I remember playing one of the most recognizable Wolfenstein games, that came out on Windows 95, called Wolfenstein 3D. I had to use a floppy disc because CD's weren't available for cheap and it only came out on floppy. It was similar to games like Doom and Quake. The New Order keeps with the tradition of Wolfenstein games and it is all about killing Nazis. This one seems a little more futuristic but still stays true to its history of being gory and all about Nazis. I hope this new installment has incorporates the secret door elements into it like I remember from Wolfenstein 3D. The New Order is available on PC, XBOX 360, XBOX One, PS3, and PS4.

Finally, there is Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. It is only on the 3DS and is slated to be released in November of 2014. I have loved Pokémon ever since the original Blue and Red versions were released on the big brick of a Game Boy. I know it is a remake of the generation III games with the same Ruby and Sapphire names but I hope they do something different with them. They usually add some content when they remake a game. I know it will be a huge improvement on the original because the 3DS is an excellent platform to work with.

I am excited to attempt to fit these games into my busy life of full time work and full time school. I hope that all of these titles aren't big disappointments based upon the hype they received. I am looking forward  to what new titles will be released in the later part of 2014 as well. Have fun gaming and if you have anything to add, feel free to comment.

Obstacle Racing (Brawn)

Obstacle races have become a huge thing lately. They are physically challenging and mentally stimulating. The best part about participating and completing an obstacle race is the confidence and self gratitude it gives you. Participating in even the smallest of these races is a great way to stay in shape or to gauge your level of fitness, as some of them are timed for a competitive aspect.

My goal for next year is to run all three of the races that Spartan Race has to offer, the Sprint, Super, and Beast, in order to earn the Trifecta medal. I have already completed one Tough Mudder and one Warrior Dash. They were fun and challenging. There was a very wide demographic of people that participated and varying exercise levels.

One thing I did to train for such a race was to grab a few very large tires from a local shop for free and I trained with them. I flipped them for training my legs similar to a squat. I stacked them and jumped onto them like box jumps. Along well as some calisthenics and other simple exercises, I ran about a mile, round trip, from my back yard in between sets. This helped to keep my heart rate up, incorporate cardio, and simulate the obstacle experience for as cheap as possible. I would also look at each of the obstacle race sites' WODs (or workout of the day) to mix my routine up and keep it fresh.

I encourage anyone at any fitness level to at least attempt one of these races to obtain that confidence that they give you upon completion. I also encourage you to set ambitious goals for yourself to achieve. I hope to achieve my goal of obtaining the Trifecta medal from Spartan Race and one day being invited to the Ultra Beast race!

Drafting into Nyx (Brainz)

This week I will be discussing how I draft MTG and what to look for while drafting Theros block. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to draft Theros block with Journey into Nyx yet because I have been busy. I have done some virtual drafts using a free website called Bestiaire. It is a great way to simulate a ton of drafting for free before you go spend money to do the real thing at your local shop.

First thing you should do before drafting is to familiarize yourself with the cards from the sets you will be drafting. This can be easily accomplished via the official Card Image Gallery for a particular set. Another way to familiarize yourself with the cards and how someone else would draft them is to check out the many different set reviews. My favorite set reviewer is Conley Woods. Even thought our strategies or opinions on certain cards may differ, he provides a great review of the cards and how they affect draft. My strategy for drafting in general is the BREAD philosophy. This philosophy/strategy is not perfect but it will provide you with some very helpful guidelines. It stands for Bombs, Removal, Evasion, Aggro, and Duds. That is the order you should usually pick cards from packs.

For the first pack, I generally try to pick really good cards, in my opinion, without stressing too much about color. I still keep color choices in my mind of course. Then for the second and third pack I usually try to stick to the color(s) that I have chosen in the first pack. If I see something very strong that I am able to splash reasonably then I will take that over something more on color. If I see something that is super strong, or a bomb, in an off color and  there is nothing really good in the colors I am drafting then I will "hate draft" that card so I do not see it across the table from me when it is time to play.

There are other, more advanced, strategies that you should at least be aware of and eventually incorporate. These strategies include forcing, which is trying to force your picks into a color. Signaling is also a more advanced strategy which means that if you are getting passed a bunch of black cards then no one is probably in black and it is a good idea to start drafting that color. On the other hand if you start drafting one color and suddenly stop seeing any of that color it is a good idea to switch to a color that is more readily available. Hate drafting is when you take a really good card or bomb that is not in your color to prevent other drafters from including it in their decks. These strategies are more advanced and may be a topic for another post.

I hope to draft this block soon with my friends and in a more competitive environment at my local gaming store. Drafting is mostly about solid commons and creating a synergistic deck that is consistent. I'll leave you with some cards that I would be happy drafting.