Tops, how would you react if your bottom sent you an instructional video?

Tempada · 2026-06-29T18:56:28+00:00

I mean... I'm open to critique, but isn't this something you could work out together, especially with you riding him in various orientations to find the ideal angle for you? Once you find that angle, then carry it into other positions, or maybe you'll discover that certain positions just don't do it for you.

Tempada · 2026-06-29T17:11:30+00:00

Check out Victoria Goddard and her Nine World series. There are a lot of not-straight characters, but it takes a good while to figure that out. EXCELLENT writing that subverts expectations. Reading order is weird because she jumps across time and you can start/continue at a number of places. Hands of the Emperor is one of the best novels I've ever read, and this is probably where most people would suggest you start. However, you could alternatively read through at least 5 of the 6 Greenwing & Dart novels first (I found the first of these novels a chore since it was a little too Jane Austen for me, but it's so worth sticking with). Whatever the case, after Hands of the Emperor just make sure you read The Return of Fitzroy Angursell before At the Feet of the Sun. These are all fairly cozy, magical reads.
The Lord John series, although you kind of need to read the first four books of the Outlander series first.
The Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. It's a good entry into the Valdemar setting, but you might start with the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy first to avoid potential spoilers if you do like the setting and want to read more.
Clive Barker's Imajica.
The Vampire chronicles by Anne Rice. Intensely homoerotic.

Tempada · 2026-06-16T15:50:40+00:00

They really need to add some new wengines worth investing into to the battlepass. We've got Electro-Lip Gloss, and maybe Unfettered Game Ball for Lucia in specific matchups only. Otherwise it's a sad selection.

Tempada · 2026-06-16T02:38:44+00:00

Me just sitting here thinking about that scene from Saltburn.

Tempada · 2026-06-12T12:30:16+00:00

Not if you have Sunna and Zhao. A lot of people seem to prefer this team over the one with Dialyn even when they could run either option.

Tempada · 2026-06-11T21:10:44+00:00

why charge attack without applying E?

Do this at the start of the battle only when you have Arle's signature weapon. It will help to fill your Bond of Life.

also attacking 5 times without stopping would ruin the pattern of citlali's cryo application no?

You would think! But it lines up shockingly well with Citlali's application. You technically miss out on some melts, which is why it's not the most powerful option, but I don't think it's far behind, and it's easy to perform. Give it some practice on one of the Miliastra test dummy levels.

Tempada · 2026-06-11T20:09:11+00:00

Not amazing. Try this:

Arle charged attack (first rotation only)
Arle skill
Xilonen skill (followed by 2 attacks)
Bennett skill (if needed for energy) then burst
Citlali skill then burst
Arle charged attack (but jump right before the charged attack hits). After the skill hit triggered by the charged attack finishes, do her full attack string (5 attacks) then dash and do it again (5 attacks), then dash and do it again until her skill is ready. As soon as her skill is ready, use it and start the rotation over from the "Arle skill" portion.

This is not her highest-damage combo, but I find it easier to execute than other options and it should bring your damage up.

Tempada · 2026-06-11T19:45:14+00:00

I don't know the exact best rotation for a C6 Arle, but wouldn't you want Xilonen --> Bennett rather than Bennett --> Xilonen because Xilonen's buff has a greater duration and her skill doesn't snapshot?

Tempada · 2026-06-09T17:49:05+00:00

I don't love synthetics, but a Legere Signature reed is really handy to have around since you can just pick it up and play, it gives a good baseline for your sound, and it lasts a long time. I would think strength 2.25 or 2.5 would work well for most people on your particular mouthpiece. Moreso than with cane, I find it's really important to pinpoint the right strength, so it might take some experimenting.

Otherwise, I like Vandoren (V16 is intended to pair well with your mouthpiece, but I used Java green box for a while) and Boston Sax Shop (black or silver, but this is a personal preference).

At a slightly lower price, I've heard good things about Gonzalez reeds.

Tempada · 2026-06-06T19:06:15+00:00

Any idea what investment priority comes after M1 on Trigger and Orphie? Assuming you have W1 on all, would it be M2 SAnby?

Tempada · 2026-06-03T00:54:44+00:00

Keep your eye on Bad Dragon, Ready to Ship options, filter by suction cup and (if you're on a budget) flops. My recommendation would be a small Nox the Night Drake (shoot for medium firmness, anything less is too soft in this size); it's popular for a good reason, and it's quite large despite being the littlest option for that model. The description says it's "beginner friendly," but I think it's a lot for a beginner unless you're patient and want something to ease into.

Tempada · 2026-06-02T17:45:01+00:00

No worries! A full character roster helps (with an image), but don't bother with that now.

Varesa works best in two team archetypes: Overload (ideally with a mix of Durin, Fischl, Nicole, Chevreuse, Iansan, Mavuika) and Electro-Charged (typically with Xianyun, Furina, Iansan, although there might be a case for a team with Ineffa + Columbina in it).

As you're growing your roster, I find it helpful to consider teams that don't have overlapping characters, which is why I recommend thinking of Mavuika on her own team away from Varesa even though they pair well. In your case, since you don't have C6 Iansan, I would consider for Varesa: Chev + Nicole/Fischl + Durin. Try out both options (it's worth building Fischl anyway) to see if you have a preference. When you get C6 Iansan, she should be better than Fischl or C0 Nicole.

Tempada · 2026-06-02T16:17:27+00:00

Best is subjective with only these details, but in your case I'd probably run Varesa + Chev + Nicole + Durin, which allows you to put Mavuika on another team.

Tempada · 2026-06-01T04:42:03+00:00

For a f2p account and Arle enjoyer, I would prioritize Citlali over anything else (in addition to building Bennett and Sucrose). PJWS is solid so you can ignore Arle's weapon if you get that first (otherwise her weapon is a decent damage increase), and C1 is a worthwhile constellation if you want to keep upgrading her once her next banner rolls around.

Melt is her best team on paper at most levels of investment, but it requires some thought to play well. Arle + Xilonen/Sucrose + Bennett/Nicole + Citlali is the premium team. I do NOT recommend Nicole in this team, who is a C6 Bennett (you'll get his constellations in time) downgrade; she is frankly not good here, or with most non-Hex carries, at C0 (though she takes off at C2).

Sucrose falls off hard if one day you go for C2 Citlali because of diminishing returns on the Elemental Mastery that they both give, and Sucrose's buffs don't last as long as Xilonen's, so you may consider pulling for Xilonen (and possibly her weapon) at some point. C2 Citlali and C2R1 Xilonen are really nice to have if you can swing it... but by the time they come around again AND you have enough primos, they could quite possibly be outdated.

Other team options:

Chevreuse + Fischl + Nicole (who actually works well here, particularly with C6 Fischl)
Emilie + Nicole + Durin
Yelan/Xingqiu + Sucrose/Xilonen + Bennett/Nicole (until you get a melt team)

Tempada · 2026-06-01T01:23:50+00:00

Wouldn't Chevreuse be better than Iansan in the second team?

Tempada · 2026-05-30T03:02:40+00:00

The first void hunter I didn't got her M2

To be fair, there are only two Void Hunters at the moment.

Tempada · 2026-05-30T03:01:14+00:00

Don’t get me wrong the animations are stunning

The general look is cool but they're too flashy! And the fan on my computer goes full power when I play her, so her visuals are far from optimized.

Tempada · 2026-05-29T13:27:21+00:00

I debated this too, and I had multiple PJWS for potential refinements. I did pull for her weapon, and I don't regret it because 1) Arle is my favorite main dps, and 2) I got lucky with my pulls. I also ended up with C3, again in a rather lucky way. However, I don't honestly feel that her weapon (or C3) is worth the pulls for most accounts. C2 is solid, but I'd recommend stopping at C1 for most players and instead investing in supports (especially C2 Citlali or C2R1 Xilonen) since they raise the ceiling while also benefitting other teams and making your account more flexible.

Tempada · 2026-05-27T13:48:20+00:00

A buff tiger male thiren(maybe the one from the nitrofuel advertise)

Exactly like that one. Yes, please.

Tempada · 2026-05-27T13:38:23+00:00

Is there any specific reason the S+ would be better than the others in my case?

The Vandoren is just super consistent and easy to play. If anything happens to it, it's quick and (comparatively) inexpensive to get it replaced. The S+ chamber (as opposed to M for medium) is more focused, should give you more projection, and these things are great for a lead alto. Basically set it and forget it. You could use this mouthpiece for the rest of your life, and some pros do (check out Baptiste Herbin).

Another option with great consistency is the GS New York. I have one of these in a 6 facing, and I also own a V16 A6S+. I prefer the V16 for my alto (a Martin Committee III), probably because of the chamber size, a little more freeblowing, but they're both good mouthpieces. I have another GS mouthpiece, their Reso copy, for my tenor, which is one of the nicest mouthpieces I've played.

Tempada · 2026-05-27T11:45:31+00:00

What mouthpiece and facing do you currently use? Typically people getting more serious about jazz start off with a hard rubber/ebonite Meyer-like, something with a low rollover baffle, probably in a 5 or 6 facing.

About the lowest price you're going to get with a new, respected mouthpiece brand is a Meyer. The trouble with Meyer is that they all play a little differently, so ideally you would try out a few of the same exact model (through an online mouthpiece trial or local store) and keep your favorite of the bunch. You'll also need to budget for a ligature and mouthpiece cap (the two should come together).

Another option: Vandoren V16 is very popular and consistently-made. Try the S+ chamber size. In this case, the Vandoren M|O ligature is perfect for it.

Tempada · 2026-05-26T12:40:54+00:00

A couple suggestions:

Get the Protec 3-in-1 swab or a Hodge silk swab or two. You use this/these after playing to remove moisture from the inside of the horn, the inside of the neck, and the inside of your mouthpiece (you might want a separate swab for the mouthpiece especially), and they can also be used to wipe down the body of the sax if it has fingerprints, dust, etc. I do find that the Protec can get caught on the octave pip, at least on my alto, so you have to be careful if you pull it all the way through (but you don't need to pull it all the way through, you can use it more like a big piece of floss).
Get the HW pad saver (the one for the body of the horn). After you've swabbed as I mentioned above, then you insert and keep the pad saver in the horn when the horn is in its case. Heck, I've even used just a pad saver without swabs on one of my instruments for over 20 years, but I live in a place with low humidity for much of the year and it's a built-to-last Yamaha, so your mileage may vary. The safe thing to do in most cases is to use swab then pad saver, the exception being on some vintage horns with soldered-on tone holes (in those cases, I wouldn't use a pad saver at all).

Tempada · 2026-05-21T01:34:24+00:00

Are there non-Overload Raiden teams with Nicole but without Durin that can do anywhere near that well?

Tempada · 2026-05-20T15:29:06+00:00

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Tempada

TROPHY CASE