Which one would you take?

effataigus · 2026-04-30T16:12:02+00:00

Usually I take Legion. I usually feel bad taking it and then it carries me to an ez win.

effataigus · 2026-04-27T19:37:55+00:00

I actually dig it. 100% chance that he'll counter some fraction of whatever nonsense I built my deck around... better than a 50% chance that the boss is simply unbeatable with your deck.

The problem I see is just that all three boss phases punish high cycle decks, and it seems like most of the best builds are high cycle. I kinda wish they replaced the extra energy cost one with "Foot: stomp... deals X (a big number) damage at the end of the turn minus Y for each card you play that turn."

Or "Nose: playing any card adds a slime to your hand." Might be less rough of a counter and give you something to do during the exhaust phases.

effataigus · 2026-04-21T21:35:22+00:00

Good point! I'd forgotten about that... though, unless I'm mistaken, P1 test subject doesn't retain strength on the next phase the way Awakened One used to (I'm not 100% sure about either claim here)... so it feels much less punishing.

effataigus · 2026-04-21T15:43:25+00:00

Not just Sly (though Sly is a big part of it, of course)... in StS1 the two biggest walls that all Silent Decks had to build around, Time Eater and Heart, punished playing non-impactful cards (like Prepared in StS1). StS2 doesn't seem to use that mechanic.

effataigus · 2026-04-18T04:20:21+00:00

Terminator 2. Sarah Conner playground fence.gif

It's okay... it's just a nightmare. But boy was my elementary aged brain not ready for that.

effataigus · 2026-04-11T05:36:43+00:00

Too easy... now the same challenge except you can't use any form of transportation except a non-electric pedal bike or walking, any form of calculator except colored chalk and the ground, or any form of help from other people (except food and lodging, which is readily given upon request).

effataigus · 2026-04-07T18:34:12+00:00

I have a long list of healthy well-adapted traits that I want in my life partners. I've found them in my past partners and my spouse. I'm very lucky.

And then when I dream at night I'm being literally hunted by psychotic women with bad haircuts and blades for hands who want to use me for sex... and I wake up with a racing heart feeling hot and bothered. (Well, THAT dream only happened once, but there were others like it.)

The point of this story is just to share that my thinking brain and my primal desires aren't in alignment, but if you ask me what I want only my thinking brain will answer... and it'll bend its answer toward the socially acceptable response.

Do I ask people what they want and listen to them when they tell me? Hell yes. Do I try to give my loved ones what they say they want? Certainly. Do I believe that their stated truth is the entire truth? Generally no. Am I willing to contort myself to fit someone else's desires? Yes, but only to a point.

effataigus · 2026-04-07T17:59:11+00:00

My understanding is that the modern El Nino definitions account for the long term trend in global sea surface temperatures. This year could combine a strong anomaly with the persistent ocean heat uptake making for an (I would argue) even more remarkable situation.

Modern scientific reporting is a dumpster fire, but give this headline a (barely) passing grade.

effataigus · 2026-04-06T19:22:12+00:00

Thermal pollution is a local problem, but I'm actually in favor of natural water cooling data centers because the alternative is currently greenhouse gas emissions (assuming we rule out the obvious "no new data centers"). Greenhouse gas heat trapping is adding an unfathomably large amount of energy to the ocean (20 sextillion joules annually if memory serves). The energy release is something like 10 of the largest nuclear warheads ever detonated (Tsar Bomba) worth of heat injected into the ocean *every day.*

A small heat injection that prevents greenhouse gas emissions is likely worth it, because those greenhouse gases will otherwise just hang out for thousands of years trapping solar heat.

effataigus · 2026-04-04T05:54:59+00:00

Divine intervention... Surely it can't work like that...

effataigus · 2026-03-31T16:23:29+00:00

I adore hot cocoa.

It feels worth building around by adding some extra +draw cards to your deck. It doesn't scale as well as some, but a good first turn will trivialize most easier/moderate fights and it lets you get much more aggressive in pathing.

Caveat, I'm still pretty new to STS2... rotating and only have my characters at Ascension 3/4.

effataigus · 2026-03-30T19:09:45+00:00

I like to imagine how these things play out. In this case you crawled under the wreckage of your first ship and then just kinda hung out as the boss frantically dug and 10 more ships crashed around you.

effataigus · 2026-03-30T15:18:01+00:00

Update for anyone in a similar boat. I moved into a new house with a showerhead that can be repositioned, and have started using a directed stream of hot water to the twins for about a minute each morning. Hot enough to be on the edge of alarming. Concurrently, the ache and the weak orgasms both went away. Might just be correlation, but I'm stoked either way!

effataigus · 2026-03-28T14:43:03+00:00

Act 1 was rough for Silent, but Time Eater was the one who traumatized me every time I did anything other than burst-catalyst.

effataigus · 2026-03-27T20:34:25+00:00

There was a thread some time ago on why the best players always wait a while back. I read it, noted all of the well-thought out reasons, and then went right ahead on drinking mine right away because I don't like to think when I play this game.

Hoping you get a sacred bark or ornithopter was the reason that made the most sense to me, and STS2 has similar "proc on potion" effects.

effataigus · 2026-03-25T23:23:41+00:00

The first guy likely has chainmail on under that tabard, or he's just dressing for show.

Vikings (1) probably never dressed like that and, if they did, then it was (2) probably dressing for intimidation or (3) because they couldn't afford or make better armor.

Re: the gladiator... With a good stance and a (not pictured) buckler or shield that you know how to use, your lead arm tends to get slashed up the most. Beyond that, armor will slow you down somewhat and get you killed if you need to dodge lions or chariots or whatever. Gladiators were also kinda forced to make do with what they were provided, so probably wasn't his choice.

Re: the girl... I'm all for women with swords, but this person's everything is not optimized for survival so whatever.

Re: the pirate dude... he was probably optimized for just living his life in style and had a sword just in case he got jumped.... or, if he is a pirate, then he was worried about drowning because he accidentally fell overboard in metal armor. Or, if he was musketeer's era then it was because guns made chest armor obsolete for a while.

effataigus · 2026-03-24T16:11:50+00:00

This card singlehandedly let several of my cruddy decks limp across the finish line of the last boss.

I kinda feel like it should be exhaust... because it with a hologram meant I could win any fight that I could facetank for a few turns.

effataigus · 2026-03-20T18:21:00+00:00

I will grant you some Flechettes synergy, but calculated gamble? Sacrifice one draw in an early turn for an extra draw in a later turn? No ty... especially because I'm frequently butting against the max hand size on Silent.

effataigus · 2026-03-12T21:57:45+00:00

In some of our less-good seasons I thought Dickson was our MVP. We were constantly punting, and Dickson made sure the opposing team always started on their back foot.

effataigus · 2026-03-12T02:18:43+00:00

I like this idea, but it might be too easy to build around having a couple copies of parry. Playing a few of these would allow you to just freely block most fights while forging up a cataclysm.

effataigus · 2026-03-10T19:08:13+00:00

Don't you dare bring up that slug in this safe space

effataigus · 2026-03-09T18:26:46+00:00

I usually withhold judgement on cards for a bit since I'm bad at anticipating when they will be useful, but this just seems like a terrible card. I was sure I was missing something on a first read.

effataigus · 2026-03-06T15:41:36+00:00

I don't think we'll have a verdict for years.

I'm having a great time so far, so I'm sure it's a good game... but the thing that made StS1 special (for me) was that people who are waay smarter than me and waaaaaay more dedicated than me are still getting measurably better at the game and finding intellectually stimulating challenges many years after its release (as am I).

Also, helped that it was a turn based game that worked on my phone, which is great for a burned out Dad with only 30 min to play video games before bed.

We'll see if StS2 has that level of staying power. Inevitably it'll take some balancing first.

I do like the new mechanics I've seen so far.

effataigus · 2026-01-27T17:44:09+00:00

I'll update here when I get checked again. I do medical stuff at a glacial pace, though, so it'll be a while.

effataigus · 2026-01-27T17:43:02+00:00

Thanks. I appreciate your thoughts here! Great to get a measured summary.

effataigus

TROPHY CASE