Stories are not bound by pure words, impeccable editing, cream paper, and perfect-bound hardcovers. In this series, I sit down with other storytellers to talk about their works, how they came about them, and any surprises they found along the way. For my inaugural post, here's when I sat down with the ever-talented Benjamin Chee and Wayne Rée (The Rolling Ronins) and talk about their first collaborative work together - a short-story-turned-comic named "Mr. Memphis". Wayne, what inspired you to write “Mr. Memphis”? I don't know if it's a bizarre side-effect of my Catholic upbringing or just a love for villains that was nurtured by all the cool bad guys from the shows I watched while growing up, but I've always loved writing stories about devils. One of the first stories I ever wrote way back when was about Lucifer and his best friend. Because of that fascination, the Faustian bargain trope, likewise, holds a special place in my heart. The western setting of the original short story was inspired by the atmosphere of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Red Right Hand". I think there's even a line in the original that references the "dusty black coat" line from the song. Ben, Wayne’s book “Prompt” had many other stories, not to mention the fact that Wayne has other very interesting short stories. So why Mr. Memphis? When I thought of adapting something Wayne wrote, I went through both of his books. There were a few stories that I liked a lot (The one with genesis-in-a-cup was my close second, but I can’t figure out what to do with it that ‘Sandman’/‘Lucifer’ didn’t already), but I picked MR MEMPHIS because I got flashes of images from it. I could imagine what it looked like as I was reading it, I could think about it easily in terms of images. It might have been the strong setting, the way the characters play off each other, or the dialogue. There might be also that part of me that loved ‘True Grit’, ‘Westworld’, and all those cowboy movies I watched as a kid, itching to do something Western. Any characters you particularly enjoyed the company of? And would you: Have dinner with them? Travel with them? Or get into a fist fight with them? Ben: Lou! I’d like to hear the stories she has to tell. My wallet won’t last at the pace she’s selling me drinks at, though... Wayne: Lou Ann is probably the only really good person in the story. She strikes me as the kind of woman I'd love to share a drink with and who'd have the best stories to tell. One of the most distinct traits of Mr. Memphis is the juxtaposition of two very different settings - Wayne wrote it, influenced by wild westerns, while Ben drew it, influenced by wuxia and clan wars. What, in your opinion, made it work in this form? Ben: 'Westworld’, ‘East Of West’, and ‘The Sixth Gun’ - three visual works I liked a lot that fuses the Western genre with sci-fi/fantasy in a way I found quite unsurpassable. From there, I thought about what I would do differently with MR MEMPHIS if I were to adapt it visually. I grew up on Chinese wuxia tales (read all Louis Cha’s 14 books and more), TV shows, and movies, so that’s an aesthetic I really wanted to try my hand on. It dawned on me I could marry the two - if only to see what happens when you have wuxia characters speaking English that is not horribly-translated subtitles! I felt that the Silk Road and the Wild West share something common - rugged gold rush adventurers and rich costumes, settings that one could use to inform their surrounding, intent, so combining elements from these two makes a nice juxtaposition but also not jarring. That might've been what worked. Wayne: What made it work? Simple. It was Ben. When he approached me about adapting the short story, he told me that he wanted to keep the western dialogue, but place it in a wuxia setting and I immediately loved that idea. Everything from the characters' looks to the locations were designed by Ben. He's the one who found that perfect balance between the two genres. Ben, most of your works have been done solo - how is it like creating something with another storyteller? With MR MEMPHIS, in particular, it was pretty hands off, so I’m grateful for that. I had a lot of free rein and managed to work on the visual and story-telling adaptation the way I wanted to, so that felt good! Wayne, on the other hand, you have worked with many other artists - how was this experience similar or different? Up until now, almost all of the comics I've worked on have been developed from the ground-up with the artists. This was different because "Mr Memphis" is an existing story, so it was more of a surprise every time Ben would send me roughs or the fully inked pages. It's similar, however, in the sense that, as with all my past collaborations, I'm working with someone who's a storyteller and who understands their medium very well, so I do what any smart comic writer would do when working with someone like Ben – I get out of their way and let them do what they do best. Has there been any feedback that surprised you the most / been the most memorable? Ben: I enjoy feedback that tells me the adaptation was successful. Also, there was a person who browsed the book and on the first page exclaimed WOW WHAT AN UPLIFTING STORY and I still stand by my reply: “It gets...better”. Wayne: The direction the story takes in the third act has surprised a few people, which pleases me to no end. This was my love letter to the Faustian bargain, but I didn't want it to be that straightforward. That, and the shock that people get from the first page, which was one of the scenes that Ben added to make the story work as a comic. I think my favourite comment from someone, upon flipping to that first page, was something like, "So... not a lighthearted book then?" Without giving away too much - now that a certain character has been taken care of, what’s next? Wayne: For the world of Mr Memphis, Amos and Lou Ann? Nothing planned. In my head, this was a done-in-one story. Also, this is the devil story that I'm proudest of writing, so I'd rather it be my last devil story – at least for the foreseeable future anyway. For work with Ben? Well, I absolutely love how "Mr Memphis" turned out as a comic. It's like that story of how Trent Reznor said that "Hurt" ceased to be his song when he heard Johnny Cash's cover. "Mr Memphis" is a Benjamin Chee comic that I'm so happy to be a part of. So, if the right story comes along, I'd jump at the chance to work with Ben again. Hell, even if he wants to go ahead and elevate any of my other prose pieces to a whole new level, he is always welcome to. Mr. Memphis is one of your many self-published works. If there are any other works you’d like to promote, you have 20 words - go! Ben: GUIDEBOOK TO NANYANG DIPLOMACY is like a punk version of 1915 Singapore history, out on Kinokuniya and BooksActually! Wayne: You can get the two "Yellow Princess" comics I co-created for a special price at my website: https://waynereewrites.com/ Where can we get Mr. Memphis? Wayne’s webstore! Or look out for Rolling Ronins at cons we’re heading to! At least for now. # Benjamin Chee adores food, stories, pixels, and historical novels. He makes comics set in a food-centric universe. 'Liquid City Vol. 3' and 'Asian Monsters' collected his short tales. Found online at charsiewspace.com Wayne Rée is the author of 'Tales From a Tiny Room', co-author of 'Prompt', co-creator of 'Yellow Princess', and an editor and contributor to 'Pulp Toast'. More importantly though, he loves cold pizza. You can find him internetting at waynereewrites.com # Get your copy of Mr. Memphis here. Once again, I hope you've enjoyed this interview. Stay tuned for more features and indie works coming your way!
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If you told me a decade and a half ago that there’s hardly any speculative or urban fiction in Singapore or in Southeast Asia, I would’ve believed you. If you told me the same thing today, I’d say you’re either uninformed or just picky. In an effort to read more and introduce as many of you to the many speculative, urban, and adventure stories from this part of the world, I’ll be embarking on a quest to read 100 speculative / urban / adventure fiction books set in, and by authors who are based in Southeast Asia. The criteria was simple:
Not a very long list, but here are some of the books I’ll be picking up (among many others):
And that’s only scraping the top of the list. I’ll be posting what I’ll be reading for the over the year on my Instagram (@joelynalexandra), but you can also join in and check out the other books I’ll be reading with the hashtag #100SEASFF. Happy reading and see you! (Hopefully with your nose in a book) Come roll with us, perhaps you’ll find that story you’re looking for. Just slightly more than a year ago, Jerry, Wayne, and I sat in a cafe and talked about a storyteling collaborative, one that will help incubate and provide resources for our stories to come to life in independently-published books, comics, or whatever medium that’s best for the story. Fast forward a year later, and we’ve been boothing as a team in various pop culture and indie events, all with the same storytelling motto - Entertain first. While our first collaborative book, Mr. Memphis, came out during Comic Fiesta 2017, we also decided to have all six founding members of the Rolling Ronins chip in and showcase all our works in the an annual for our supporters and readers to enjoy. So for now, please enjoy a snippet of what I contributed: The Ronins Annual #0 is not for sale - however, do keep a lookout for our booths. Perhaps you’ll be able to get a copy during our appearances at various indie / pop culture events! For more information on the Rolling Ronins, click here Two years ago, I finished the first draft of Cross Navigation. It went through an editor, a rewrite, and another rewrite of the novel’s plan. In the end, I decided to put the project on hold indefinitely for another project I was working on on the side. I ended up writing it during Nanowrimo last year, and I’m quite glad to say that it has been a more enjoyable writing journey with this project instead. Therefore, I’d like to share a teaser (the first 500 words) with all of you here. I hope you’d like the premise. # The Flavour Chronicles #1: The Saccharine Vote Replica (noun) –
Singapore was the nation that developed “Replica”, a meal replacement cube to feed the masses and increase work efficiency in light of the global crop failure and international famine. Central House National History, 2035 PART ONE: RAIHANA CHAPTER ONE Year 2035, Central House – Master Control Server “Come on, come on!” Reza muttered under his breath. His fingers trembled as they hovered over the keyboard, shaking a little more than the 10 degree blasts from the air-conditioner can account for. Shoulders jerking up with every sound, he fought his senses to focus on the download bar inching towards its finishing line. “Rai will cover me,” he mumbled under his breath. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have heard anything; but I’ve been stuck in the vents with nothing but the mild whirring of the servers and my own breathing to entertain myself since we infiltrated the building. The faint rhythm of my brother’s typing tapped against the back of my mind while I kept the white glow of the server screen in my sights. The glow continued to frame the corner of the server. Then, a familiar beep. And a swish of a sliding door. “After all the OT we pulled last week, you’d think they’ll at least give us a break…” the whine of a disgruntled technician echoed close. “Hmph, you’re one to talk,” his partner said, “You copped out three of the five nights!” Bollocks. Reza gasped. The footsteps from the technicians grew louder. I gripped the weapon in my pocket. Reza exhaled. The footsteps stopped. “Did you hear that?” the non-whiner said. “No?” The glow flickered and I heard the faintest click of a thumb drive leaving its port before I heard Reza grabbing his bag. I watched him hug his bag close and made for the nearest server box and waited. I crawled down to the hatch nearest to him and waited. “I thought I heard something.” “It’s just the AC, let’s just get this over and done with.” “No!” then the non-whiner paused, “There’s someone else here, I saw something.” Reza counted the rows before his escape – three server boxes. The footsteps grew louder. He inched to the next server box, back firmly against the machines. Darn it, what happened to ‘Raihana will cover me’?! “Shit!” the non-whiner said, “Did one of you forget to log off?” “This box is restricted,” whiner replied, “No one’s supposed to have access.” My eyes widened as I watched Reza at the corner. He lifted his foot gingerly, placing his sole in the middle of the web of wires standing between him and a clear passage out. Spotlights from the technicians’ torches waved around the walls, narrowly missing his silhouette as he skipped past the wires and crashed into the floor. I rolled my eyes and jumped. “ARGH!” # Stay tuned for more work-in-progress posts to come!
In an effort to flex my writer / storytelling muscles a bit more, I’ve decided to revive my pieces derived from Nika Harper’s Writing Challenges from Wordplay on YouTube. Since this month starts with the Short Story, here’s what I came up with. Prompts: Unbridled enthusiasm & A guy walks into a bar # The Other Currency Joelyn Alexandra “House special, please,” Warden said, “Extra strong.” The barkeep chuckled as she tucked her flopping fringe back behind her ear. With a single swoop, she poured and mixed parts of club soda, cola syrup, and pomegranate juice into a shaker before giving the drink a rinse and tumble. Pouring out the soda in a tall, clear glass, she smirked at him. “A little too enthusiastic for your first time here, aren’t you?” she asked. He did nothing except smile sheepishly in response, reaching for his drink. “So,” the barkeep continued, wiping the walnut bar while she kept her gaze trained on this newcomer, “How did you get in?” “I have my ways,” Warden replied with a wink. The barkeep smiled back with that kind of smile you see curling at the side of a mouth of someone being snarky. Her gaze shifted from his eyes and face, down to where his fingers fumbled around with an incisor-like shell pendant hanging around his neck. Inching a couple of steps away, she ran her fingers on the underside of the bar until they found a switch, and she let the pads of her fingers rest against the device, as she continued her conversation. While the small talk continued, the bar crowd came and went in regulated batches, as they were meant to. Halfway through their conversation about the upcoming Sugar Tax, the barkeep’s attention went beyond Warden’s right shoulder, square on another stranger at a high table at the far end. Knocking his knuckles lightly against the metal table, the sounds created a beat one could only associate with music pumping out from the rich areas. Dressed in a casual suit, face clean shaven, and hair back, the barkeep pushed the button under the bar. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” she said to Warden, before leaving her post. Warden’s gaze followed her as she exited from behind the bar and headed straight for one of the bar’s bouncers. Hiding behind his drink, his eyes traced their gaze from the corner to the same stranger the barkeep saw just a few moments ago. Then, his empty glass hit the bar with a clink. “I see you’re new here too,” he said after taking a seat next to the stranger. “Likewise,” the stranger answered, “What’s your story?” Warden raised an eyebrow. “Everyone who finds themselves here have something up with them,” the stranger explained, “So, what’s your shtick?” Instead, Warden shifted in his seat, leaned in and said, “What do you want to know first?” “How much are you asking?” “I don’t trade currency.” “Really?” With the slightest movement, Warden leaned in further and stroked the top of the stranger’s right forearm. “The world cannot run on money alone,” he said, his forefinger tracing its way to the tip of the stranger’s sleeve. “Knowledge and information, however,” Warden continued, his eyes locking onto the stranger’s, his free hand sliding off the table. Then, his eyes went from the stranger’s to the mark peeking from underneath. “Is a different story.” The stranger bolted, only to be chained down when Warden grabbed his wrist with the stroking hand. Before the stranger could do anything, Warden’s free hand came over the table and tasered him right in the tattoo. Screaming, the stranger retracted his arm and fell onto the floor, writhing and jerking against the aftershocks from the stun gun, now pocketed on Warden’s belt. The latter turned around, walking past a bar full of people now with their eyes locked on him, one hand on their drink, their other hand on some kind of a weapon aimed at this dark, tattooed guy walking through the bar at the moment. Reaching the bar, Warden reached into his pocket and placed a photograph on the table. Cautiously, the barkeep took the photo – an exact match for the stranger now lying in the middle of their speakeasy – and flipped to the back. “Now, can I assume that I’ve passed the audition?” Warden asked. # I hope you’ve enjoyed this piece, and stay tuned for more pieces from writing challenges in the upcoming months!
"Like what? My entire life has been decided for me. And if you know what’s good for you, stay away. I see to bring bad luck to everyone around me.”
Unable to deal with the restrictions of palace life, Prince Roastpork “Porky” Bao often sneaks out of the palace for fun. Meeting Xiajiao and Shaomai, peddling orphans working in the market, he thinks they are nothing more than poor kids being forced to work early, until he finds them in the palace, as disciples of the long-dormant Steamed Kung Academy. This funny wuxia story talks about Roastpork and his journey with the Dim Sum Warriors to fight against evil and protect Dim Sum Nation for the corrupt powers within. Character(s) Roastpork Bao / Char Siew Bao, the People’s Prince Very much like many stories involving royal heroes, Roastpork Bao is not interested in a life in the palace, citing it to be restrictive, and that his life had already been decided for him already anyway. At the same time, he faces the same kind of dilemma – his royal background shows, resulting in him being seen as a privileged person, who cannot be trusted to understand the ways of the common people in the first place. Despite his constant rebellion against his father, Roastpork seems to be the personification of many loving sons we can relate to – he is attached to his mother. Taking time to learn a trick to entertain his mother during her birthday celebration, bothering to come back to the palace for the party, and even trying to call her after he ran away – these show his great love for his mother as well. Theme(s) Corruption and Power This graphic novel shows how greed and power can lead to a new can of problems and corruption. The Fried Kung Academy, together with Quickynoodle, a powerful businessman of great, commercial influence, show how skewed the population can be in terms of personal values and priorities when grey areas like beauty and the price that comes with it no longer seems to be as grey as it was anymore. Just by the desire of societally-accepted physical perfection and seemingly-endless riches, the royal guards and martial artist bodyguards turn their backs to the royal house, instead listening to a tycoon who is bent on getting entire nations addicted to his health drink (which contains drastic consequences and side effects). Friendship and Loyalty The practice of martial arts is built on concentration, discipline, sincerity, and loyalty. Together with a great appreciation of the master, martial arts practitioners do not only engage in physical, but also mental and value training. Friendship and Loyalty is seen through the juxtaposition of the Boiled, Baked, and Steamed Kung Academies, as compared to the capitalistic, supposedly-corrupted Fried Kung clan. Despite being royalty, with a father who probably did not know better in his power, Roastpork goes against his protective parents to save Steamed Kung’s disciples, even going along with them despite his father’s constant objections because he sees kindred spirits in them and is grateful for their friendship. Style & Structure The story is structured and drawn in such a way that you can imagine watching it as an animation. As such, the sequence of events resembled a Chinese drama serial, full of action, events, endless wit, and comedy in order to keep the audience entertained while maintaining the message. Dim Sum Warriors is by Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen, and can be found online in both English and Mandarin as well. For more information, click here. SG52 nears and I’ve just returned from PopCon Asia 2017. That being said, I thought it’ll still be great to review some works we’ve gotten from both the Comic Arts Festival Kuala Lumpur (29th to 30th Jul) and PopCon Asia (4th to 6th Aug). CAFKL4 Noodling Around (by Yongumi & Stephani Soejono) WORD OF WARNING – don’t read this before you go to sleep. The Tiger did that and we went to bed hungry. A collection born out of the love for convenient food and MSG, Yongumi partners with fellow comicker, Stephani, and put their slice-of-life prowess to paper. From instant noodle reviews to a story about how instant noodles got mistaken as contraband, this collection will definitely invoke some laughs. If not hunger pangs. Nevermore Oddities (by Daryl Toh) Daryl’s work is known to cross the boundaries of reality, mixed with the macabre. Taking a milder turn with this book, it balances image stimulation and story tension to have you looking over your shoulder but not have too much trouble falling asleep. Fans of Gravity Fall may be glad to know that some of us call this the IRL version of the journals, or possibly the closest they may be. POPCON ASIA 2017 Protect Yourself (by Azisa Noor) Azisa caught my attention with her portable, colourful zines, especially “Happy Endings”. So when I saw her at PopCon Asia 2017, I was curious to see what was new. Protect Yourself is a zine of a few words, but the powerful combination of white space, a central drawing, and a short statement calls out today’s issues faced by populations many barely think of beyond the superficial. So now that I’m done with PopCon Asia and CAFKL, I’m running around in preparation of the Illustration Arts Festival 2017 with the Rolling Ronins. Regardless, I hope you’ve enjoyed my short reviews and I’ll see all of you there! Three years ago, I sat with a group of other writer friends and we talked about creating something fun together – that was when Pulp Toast / Roti Bakar was born. Three years on, we’re on our third issue, with a solid core team and amazing guests. Now that this issue is going through a final round of checks, here’s a sneak peek: ### Unwanted Utopia III: Legacy Joelyn Alexandra Mako “Your sentence in solitary will be indefinite,” I explained to my inmate. I arrived at Area 82’s Confinement half a year ago, as part of the new batch of Area 80 Enforcers brought in to aid their influx of confinement inmates. “You will only be allowed an hour out of your cell with official personnel,” I continued, “You are to only engage in approved therapy, counselling, or physical activity to maintain your health. Your rations will only be served to you twice a day, at the appointed hours. If you require anything, or medical attention, you will only be attended to on a case-by-case basis.” My assigned inmate was a lean man, slightly worse for wear after processing. His salt-and-pepper hair layering just the top of his undercut was tied back in a bun and his uniform had no more than a slight crease around his joints. “Do you have any questions, Professor Kyung?” I finished. His brown eyes were clear, almost distracting from his smile. That smile though. “Just one,” he said, “How may I address you?” Thus, the reason behind this assignment. “You will address me as ‘Sir’, according to inmate protocol,” I said as I motioned him into his cell, “Anything else will be met with either a warning or a punishment to be decided on a later date.” The gates clanged. I stormed out. ### Professor Shin Kyung Brotherhood Year 40, July 14 Dear Juniper, If you’re reading this, congratulations on being one of Area 65’s Artisan Apprentices. If you managed to get this letter from someone else instead of through the mail, it means that the execution went through. On that note, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Professor Shin Kyung. I’m writing this on the blank pages from the back of the Brotherhood’s Guide to Life manuals they keep stocked in every inmate’s solitary confinement cell. I was just assigned to solitary confinement cell 42, Area 82’s Confinement. You may not remember me, but we first met in Area 65, in the Contagion Research Labs. You were nine then, but Deputy Area Commander Rodriguez already had his eye on you. What you possibly didn’t know from then was that they were already lining you up for Artisanship – your ability to take orders, while producing the most aesthetically-pleasing, yet functional pieces was something the Brotherhood was looking out for. I was placed there to monitor your mental growth and ensure that you were growing the way the Brotherhood intended you to. A few months into your check-ups, I couldn’t go through with it. So I slipped you something to help you with your final field tests. When I heard that you managed to escape your final tests, I was elated. I also packed my bags and quickly left the organization. Despite the Brotherhood’s control over the entire world, I knew it wouldn’t be easy for them to find me if I went off the grid. The problem with the system now, my dear, is that even with an alias, creative outlets will get you noticed. I was able to travel and give lectures on Area Societies with an alias. But it only took one unauthorized, faulty music box playing in the middle of the night before I was discovered. They already took my family and close comrades, there was nothing else left to come for except for me. What they won’t know is that I’m not the end of all this. ### You’ll have to read the rest of it when Pulp Toast / Roti Bakar #3 is out. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing and putting Pulp Toast together.
For more information on our collection, click here. “You’re only half alone.” As CAFKL4 nears, I've been looking at previous comics I've gotten in the previous festivals. This was one of them. Sometimes, the pictures we see of other people’s lives seem to be rosier as compared to our own. This collection of comics takes a glimpse into certain windows – windows of different people, together with the joys, the worries, the fears, and the surprises of their own lives – and how things behind those windows happen. So, before going into the details of this book, how was your day? Theme(s)
Simple Joys More often than not, the simple joys in life either make our entire conversations, or fail to appear at all. Kuzu’s “A Dessert Diary” is a funny, light-hearted diary comic of a personal project, portraying the importance of her close-knit friends and the supportive environment she appreciates and derives encouragement from. And Sapphire’s “An Unexpected Visitor” shows the simple joy of letting be, especially after an action-packed round of getting through with life. Self-Pity and Realisation The line between self-pity and self-realisation are both fine and blurred. At the same time, it requires the balance of focussing on and appreciating a single tree in a forest, but not missing the forest for the trees – something gathered after reading Wrat’s “On Drawing”. Fenix’s “Of Sparrows” reflects a common issue faced by many creators – and talks about the importance of realising yourself, being comfortable with yourself, and the appreciation of peers in a similar setting. Lastly, Max’s “The Ballad of Self Pity” speaks of the almost unnoticeable difference between self-pity and realisation – the journey of crossing the darkest hour before the glimmer of a sunrise. Individual vs. the World Finally, individual significance and the want to be significant in the grand scheme of things are issues put down in a few of the stories as well. Reimena’s “Rat Race” acts as a mirror to humanity, personified as a character who is fighting to maintain her identity and authenticity in a world that does its best to drown it out. Choo’s “Nine Thirty A.M.” presents a similarly reflective piece through the eyes of an observer of happenings in a monotonous setting. However, all hope is not lost in Hwei’s “Only Half Alone”, which shows that even the people who perceive themselves as the most solitary people in the world, are needed or wanted sincerely, somewhere. Style & Structure This collection of comics had a good mix of emotions and insights, the stories lined up similar to a full-course meal – starting with a short, but intriguing piece, then flowing into a few light-hearted tales before the full-bodied courses arrive, and ending with something simple, but substantial enough to tie up the entire mood. Almost representative of a full conversation, the anthology’s structure helped in easing the reader into the minds of the storyteller. “How Was Your Day” is a collection of comics by eight different artists, you can find out more about them here:
To find out more about the collection itself, click here. This is one game which took the Tiger by storm, through a whirlwind, and into the eye of the storm of obsession. And by effect, both he and I have been playing this game for a while – since he got his starter set all the way to the Big Geeky Box. Inside the Box In the starter set, there are eight (8) base decks and their accompanying bases. The box is straightforward, including:
Since we first started playing, there have been at least another 2 more expansions - both of which the Tiger acquired almost immediately. Setup Setup for each player is simple, you rotate clockwise, then anti-clockwise, each choosing two different factions and smashing them together to form your player’s deck. Then, lay out as many bases as there are players, and add one more. During their turn, players can only play one minion and one action unless otherwise stated on the cards. If the cards and the rulebook are in conflict, the cards override everything. Use your minions and actions to destroy as many bases as you can, score victory points, and the first player to reach 15 Victory Points wins! The Game We Played The Tiger and myself have played countless rounds of Smash Up, not counting the ones we have played with friends and family. Instead, I shall give a few pointers on some of the classes we have played with and the advantages they have. For the tankers and the heavy-hitters (a.k.a. high on offense and attack), decks like the Dinosaur and Fighter Ape will suit your style. The dinosaurs have cards with high power points (their highest point for attack is 7, as compared to the average 5), which deadly combos. The apes accumulate attack points with complimenting actions which will allow players to add attack points to each minion. People who are fans of zerging will appreciate decks like Zombies, Robots, Innsmouth Residents, and Killer Plants. Their cards provide the environment to do constant swarm, play extra minions, or respawn within one turn. Their attack may not be as high, but their numbers in one game can potentially accumulate. Point vultures, or in a more fundamental term, the kill stealers, will probably like decks like the Ninja and the Spy. Apart from having cards which can be played out of turn to gain last minute points at a scoring base, these decks have action cards which will allow you to make use of another player’s minions as their own. This category is possibly my favourite – the movers. In Smash Up, destroyed bases also means destroyed minions. So you have to either spread your arsenal around, or find minions who can move around (themselves or other minions) with ease. Great decks under this category include Pirates, Bear Cavalry, and Steampunk. Gameplay Winners: The Tiger won, usually. LOL. The great thing about Smash Up is how you can technically start playing with any one of their expansion packs (You need four decks for a two player game), with any smash up of any available factions. This gives great replayability, as players can explore the strengths and combinations of different classes. Alderac’s constant churning of Smash Up expansions means that you will never get bored of the game for the foreseeable future. Find out more about the game here. |
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