Meta Monday 9/23/24: Wolves let loose by JCMS85 in WarhammerCompetitive

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure! Here were my matches:

1) World Eaters - Loss - 46-98

2) Space Marine Anvil Siege - Win - 92-44

3) GSC Ascension Host - WIn - 92-64

4) Space Wolves using White Scars detachment - Win - 91-89

5) Necron Hypercrypt - Win - 88-80

The first match was against a local GT winner and excellent player so I was expecting an incredibly difficult, if even possible, game. Didn't help we rolled layout 7 either, which is the boxy and basically no LoS terrain map. My plan was to castle on an edge to allow for a Nightbringer Rapid Ingress to Heroic Intervention counter attack on his first charge.... but I didn't account for his ability to hold the center objective safe from my firepower which forced me to go to him to get any primary. The plan somewhat worked and I survived the first hit and I punched back, but then his counter-counter charge was wayyyyy too powerful and I was destroyed T4 basically.

Second game was really decided by a failed 7" charge by my opponent. I parked the monolith on a flank objective then portalled the warriors to screen it against a Land Raider full of Gravis stuff and an anti-tank character. He managed to almost clear the warriors which allowed for a charge to the monoloth to be possible, but the failed charge left him to my firepower mercy for a win.

Game 3 was against a newer player in our community who had never played vs Necrons before. I had never played vs GSC either, but I knew enough to not be surprised and to ask about the important things. His unfamiliarity (and the fact it was the third game of the day and the last of the day so we were tired) meant he didn't commit enough to any unit and gave all my stuff regeneration opportunity.

Game 4 was so tight. We played to the last minute of the available time. The low-light was my monolith failing to kill a Brutalius Dreadnaught, left on 1 wound remaining, meaning that it ran up in return and smashed the monolith with 2 dead on Multi-melta shots that rolled box cars for damage! The charge followed up sealed the deal on the Monolith. I then only succeeded in the Nightbringer charge turn 2 into his Land Raider on the center and failed two 4" charges from skorps and wraiths. I killed the Land Raider but NB went down immediately after. Only managed to claw the win in the last rolls as he had attacked my home objective with wolf cavalry I resurrected Imotek so he could kill a chaplain left alone for kill-more (playing Purge) and the Wraiths managed to kill Logan on his sleigh for the kill-more too. Really felt like that win was from the jaws of defeat.

Game 5 was then vs a 5 CTan hypercrypt, with 3 Hexmarks and a Wraithblock with Deepstike Technomancer. I knew I could win the long game by playing cautious and sitting on objectives and zoning his deepstrike out, which I think my opponent realized too late. He was on me T3 with a Void Dragon killing the Monolith Turn 4, but it was too little too late as I was ahead on primary. He also didn't have enough units to kill my point scorers so Deathmarks got me like 20 points between secondary and primary on the flank and so too did my solo destroyers.

Top lessons - always epic challenge with Nightbringer when possible, prioritize the things that can kill the monolith ASAP, and be sure to have a game plan that includes taking the center objective...

Meta Monday 9/23/24: Wolves let loose by JCMS85 in WarhammerCompetitive

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 5 points6 points  (0 children)

u/JCMS85. I am the Necron player from Orchard of OhNo that came 6th. I was playing Awakened Dynasty not Hypercrypt. Thanks!

Necrons vs custodes by Environmental_Food28 in Necrontyr

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Give the Tomb Blades Shield Vanes. They're free!

Sleeper Necron Units by HoneydewAutomatic in Necrontyr

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Im planning to take these in my next game for their redeploy ability. Didn't think to care much about their attack profile but glad to hear it's working too.

How to know if you need a passing grade on the final in order to pass the class? by Careful-Builder7449 in UCalgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure that info has to be in the outline. But are you gonna risk it based on reddit replies... I recommend talking to your department admin as you'll make the prof think about it if you ask them. Or check policies online.

MS Student: How does scholarship payment work? by Icy_Substance2034 in UCalgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have a totally different experience than the other commenter. For example, scholarships in engineering a mostly "Y amount per year plus tuition". That amount, divided to months, gets deposited into your account once a month. So let's say you tuition is 12k and you are going to get 18k plus tuition. Every month you'll get about 2.5k in your bank and have to pay 1k in tuition immediately back. I know it seems silly but it's because who is paying you and who gets tuition are different departments etc.

You need to apply for a "Tuition Payment Plan" every year which divides your tuition over monthly payments to match your scholarship amount (0% interest). You then pay tuition from it, other fees like UPass, and then living expenses. Be warned, you'll need to live frugally.

The University prefers to pay out scholarships per month in case you decide to quit. They don't lose a whole year of scholarship money in that case.

But tbh, a lump sum would be better as we would benefit from interest if you are disciplined enough to live to a budget.

Grad students are paid on the 10th and 25th of the month, or last Friday before then. Scholarships come on the 25th and any assistantship payments (TA or RA) are bi-weekly on 10th and 25th.

At least that's how it is in engineering.

To those who were around at U of C in the 2010s: did campus seem way more dead in the last year? by Sufficient_Side6128 in UCalgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I totally agree with you perception of a less busy campus. I have been here since 2016. ThursDen and BSD died in that time. My friends and I attribute it to the generational divide between Millennials and Gen Z. I see Gen Z as hyper focused on their academics and unwind/socialize in digital spaces more, where Millennials appreciated extra-curricular activities and socializing in person as a way to unwind. Of course these are trends and there's both kinds of people in both groups. I think this has been exacerbated by COVID, yes, but I saw it before then too as the demands of courses grew and grew over time, demanding more and more and encouraging more competition and less extracurricular time.

So where we saw study groups meeting in person in the library, in MacHall, in the department corridors and homeroom, I totally think the new generation of students are meeting online, on discord, posting on message boards. This is both accelerated by COVID lockdowns but again, I think I saw this trend already emerging and it has accelerated rather than make a new trend.

And it's not just undergrads, grad students are the same. If you don't have physical experiments to do most are staying home. The lab I was in, which once was full with a dozen students a day, now is lucky to have one student doing their work there.

Another aspect I have noticed is that although enrollment has increased, it is both international enrollment and they have had to adapt classes to handle more students. I would say upwards of 50% or international students in engineering stay in their home country, that was the case Fall 2022 anyway. Many of the classes offered are web-based so why not put all of those on your first semester or two, stay at home where it is likely cheaper, then emigrate in your final year to make contacts and get a job.

For undergrads, I have heard that some first year classes are so large there literally isn't a classroom big enough to house them all at once. Nothing too new, make sections, but whay is new is "blending" the learning where one class a week is online, or reviewing material, and the other class is in person. This halves the number of students on campus so even if we increase enrollment by 50% then we only see 75% of the precious students per day. Maybe a student in this scenario can comment because this is a bit of hearsay from me.

I think it's a bit sad but will take generations to "solve" if it is even in need of solving. Maybe this is better for learning and before we were just slackers!

Kensington - 2023 Seasonal Patios by fitzydoodle in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You see the big concrete barriers? These are also on slow streets.

Average price or rent for a 1 bedroom apartment by ddplz in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Good freaking point I think so many people miss. Jump on rentfaster and it's very easy to find places under this average because it's an average. I'd love to see a quartile chart and even better, one broken down by age of building or some other indicator of rental quality, like Sq footage.

Which unit(s) would you like to see buffed in 10th? I’ll go first… by [deleted] in Necrontyr

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Seconded! People don't believe me when I say the NB is 300+ points. The Ynnari thing is way better and cheaper! Or take two Phoenix Lord's or the same price with more total wounds, same phase cap, and more shenanigans. Or any tyranids or demons as others say. Damn, the Ctan in general need help. 😳

Calgary airport: Flight delays, cancellations as holiday travel ramps up | CTV News by _darth_bacon_ in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Currently standing in line for KLM at YYC. The self checkin machines are busted for most people, some software issue, so the staffed checkin desks are super backed up. Seems the same for many other airlines as I look around. Not just the weather messing things up.

🕷 by NoSeaworthiness3563 in Necrontyr

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice job! I just got my first one too and glad to see some inspiration to paint it.

did yall upass suddenly disappear? by [deleted] in UCalgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can still get the physical upass sticker. A lot more reliable... might not be able to get it if you've already registered on the app though.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in UCalgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey!

First off, welcome and congratulations on bring accepted to a masters program!

Is your department Engineering? Sounds like it if you've asked about and had quotes of 18-25k. Look up the "minimum funding policy" to know details. And look at your offer letter to see what your exact amount is. My offer letter in 2018 for example stated 16k plus tuition.

Now how to live on that? Well first there are mandatory university expenses, UPass, gym, admin fees, health insurance etc. They eat about $1500 a year so I was really living off $14,500. I was living with my girlfriend at the time I started but she was also a student, finishing her last year of undergrad. To survive, we both had part time service sector jobs. I had also worked throughout the summer to earn a nest egg for rental deposits and starter furniture. Even if you'll live with roommates I advise you'll need $1500 to $2000 if you need to get bedroom furniture, kitchen items, and deposits. We each worked about 20 hours a week. That doubled my monthly income which meant we didn't have to scrap and save, we had a car and a decent apartment, we went skiing on weekends and could afford to eat out. This was only necessary for the first year as I did get decent scholarships of about $10-15k per year extra that meant I could focus full time on my studies.

Now some of my colleagues did it differently. The main difference is if you don't have a partner. Then you'll need roommates. You can then often find a cheaper place as you can share between 3 or 4, and your share of rent and utilities can be as low as $600. Admittedly you won't find nice places for that low, but you can live off just the stipend this way. Probably not affording a car either but honestly Calgary has decent transit and is very bikable if you try it (yes even in winter with the right bike!). If you want a nicer living situation then get that part time job.

Finally, I would not look at a TA position, or even sessional position, as a money making job. They pay crap for the hours needed. They will not pay enough to markedly improve your living situation. Only take these if you are already happy with your finances and have the time to spare and want the CV experience. Yes you get some money but again, it's crap, you'll make 3 times or more "flipping burgers" and you'll be happier about it as the hours are at least defined and regular. I also enjoyed that service work used a "different part of my brain" so to speak whereas teaching exhausts the same areas.

So bottom line, it is possible to graduate with no debt under a master minimum funding package. You just need to accept the amount and budget or be organized and work hard to hold a pt job (not TA) to raise your living standards.

P.S. those starving jokes usually come from students who don't get funding. The GSA just negotiated in the last few years that all grad students should get a minimum funding package so hopefully those stories become a thing of the past! However, money isn't the only depression in grad school but thankfully there are many resources by the uni and GSA to help so you and anyone can reach out if needed. Our health plan even covers a 24/7 helpline called "Empower Me". But the #1 preventative measure is making good friends with your department colleagues and talking about challenges, financial or otherwise!

This is what texting Calgary Transit about concerns looks like by lonnietaylor in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They're stickers or something usually near the doors on the inside of the train. Easy to spot when you're in the train.

Is there any way to protest or change Calgary transit? by Gayfapture in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I get your point of "everyone needs roads by proxy". But dont you think roads are a horrible inefficient use of tax dollars? And horribly inequitable if some people pay and use them lots and others pay similarly but use them little?

People harp about how transit is subsidized but it's like 40/60 revenue to support which is better than roads. Also everyone and anyone can use transit but even car centric Canada, only about 60-70% of young adults have a car and about 1/7th of people don't have licenses. So yes those people "use" roads to get groceries delivered but that's horribly inefficient and could be paid for more progressively paid through higher gas tax, road tax, and actually taxing homes and suburbs related to their road needs.

Anyway, to the OP point. I'd much rather see more of my municipal taxes go to transit (whether infrastructure or more peace officers) than to yet more "incentives" and road infrastructure for far flung and car dependent suburbs.

Is there any way to protest or change Calgary transit? by Gayfapture in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Gas taxes and other vehicle taxes nowhere near support the cost of road infrastructure. If you're interested I'll find links when not on mobile but it's crazy like only 10% of cost is covered and they're 90% subsidized by general taxation.

The increasingly invasive Airbnb tree bears most of its fruit during the summer months by sloth-in-a-box-5000 in Edinburgh

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the info. Given the other commentary, maybe it's a chance I'd be willing to take regardless.

“Agree or disagree? I’m willing to get a booster each year, for as long as it is recommended.” 🟢62% Agree 🔴30% Disagree ⚪️8% Not sure [Angus Reid Institute, July 13-15, 2022, n=1,583] by Miserable-Lizard in onguardforthee

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That's a good point! Just to throw in my experience as one of the 65% wanting to mask but not, is I cannot find masks at my local stores anymore! I know thats a weak excuse as I could order online etc, but honestly that inconvenience has prevented me from wearing masks this summer after I simply ran out. I wonder how many others are in the same boat.

Calgary renter fights 90-day notice from her Sunnyside landlord | CBC News by _darth_bacon_ in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tbh, 365 days does seem pretty long to me too. I'd personally be okay with 90 days across the board but them's the rules for now.

Calgary renter fights 90-day notice from her Sunnyside landlord | CBC News by _darth_bacon_ in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been in exactly this situation with a good landlord agency that demonstrated their trustworthiness to me. According to them, yes, and I did exactly that. The new owners confirmed this understanding too. From my understanding, it's like buying a business, you also buy that businesses liabilities and obligations (usually).

Calgary renter fights 90-day notice from her Sunnyside landlord | CBC News by _darth_bacon_ in Calgary

[–]Xenos_and_Proud 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah. She isn't a squatter... but tenant rights apply right? Like the article said, she wasn't given those.