All posts by Mantastic

I am Mantastic and Fantastic. I often play with myself, write guides, and make bad puns. Happy Puzzling!
Book reviews

Old Man’s War

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Old Man’s War Overview
  • Military Science Fiction
    • Creates an alternative society
  • Protagonist joins the military at age 75
  • Set in the future
    • Humans can colonize distant planets
    • Nanotechnology & DNA manipulation
    • Aliens compete with humans to colonize planets
  • 320 pages
  • Easy to read
    • Only had to look up a couple of words
    • Plot makes sense, no confusing politics etc
    • Few characters to track/remember
  • Fast pacing with interesting concepts
Final thoughts

An enjoyable SciFi read that isn’t too brain-burny and flows well. Plot advances organically and not too much ‘plot-armour’ for the protagonist. Builds an interesting world with unique alien races and is well worth the read.

Happy Reading!

Book reviews

Artemis Book Review + Reading

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Artemis by Andy Weir Overview
  • Artemis > The Martian
  • Gentle Science Fiction
    • Set in 2080’s – tech is believable/possible?
    • Set in Artemis, the first and only city on the moon
      • Creates an alternative but believable society
  • Protagonist has charisma & spunk
    • Plently of LOL / nose snort moments
  • Plot is not advanced by dumb decisions
    • Adventure unfolds organically
    • Action packed with believable outcomes
  • 309 pages
  • Easy to read
    • Maybe too easy to read
      • Read twice in 2 and 3 days
    • Don’t think I had to look up any words
    • Plot makes sense, no confusing politics etc
    • Few characters to track/remember
Final thoughts

Well worth the read! It is a fun and fast-paced adventure that can be devoured in a short period of time.

Happy Reading!

Game Reviews

Peglin – Pachinko Roguelike Game Review

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Introduction

I am a huge fan of the Roguelike genre and have played copious amounts of different games with some of them being truly spectacular. As such, I would love to take the time today to lay out my thoughts on the Peglin which is quickly becoming one of my favourite game to play.

Peglin is a Pachinko Roguelike experience that can be completed in around 60-75 minutes. The Roguelike aspect ensures each run will feel unique as the types of Orbs and Relics will greatly vary along with the enemies, bosses, and encounters you will come across. Furthermore, the simple delight from watching your Orb bounce around sparks laughter and cries of joy as well as anguish when you attempt to Navigate to the right but magically end up going left due to the unpredictable nature of bouncing Orbs.

Video commentary

Whats is a Roguelike game?

Continue reading Peglin – Pachinko Roguelike Game Review →

Random Thoughts

Aggregate / Gazillion Dragon Team Building

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Introduction

Aggregate (sometimes called Greg) has now been catapulted into what is arguably the best leader/team in the game due to the fact that they trivialize most mechanics when you have a full System of 4 (3 + friend). Furthermore, all players can now Monster Exchange 15x Pantheon/ex GFE any number of times and ideally players are able to acquire 3 copies of Aggregate in order to create their own System and once this is achieved, can start blasting their way through virtually any dungeon in the game. He also puts the Dragon in Puzzle and Dragons.

Video commentary

“

Monster Exchanging

All players can Monster Exchange 15x Pantheon/ex GFE for a single copy of Aggregate and I highly encourage all players to do so without dropping below 2 copies of a given card. This still holds true for Pantheon cards due to potential future Ordeal Evolutions and Dragon Exchanges (eg. Karin Dragon). Just make sure you check to see how many copies you have and evolve as needed. Continue reading Aggregate / Gazillion Dragon Team Building →

Team Building Guides

Team Building in 2024

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Introduction

Puzzle and Dragons has become one of the longest lasting games on the market and it is no surprise that the sheer number of mechanics can make team building a daunting task. This is further exasperated by a dwindling number of community resources which has led to the current state of running dungeons completely blind. This trial and error approach is a far cry from being able to plan teams around dungeon information found on padx and has forced me to reevaluate my own expectations to approaching end game content.

With that being said, I would like to share my approach for team building when running dungeons blind. I will often have to build teams while streaming on Twitch Twitch so feel free to tune in when I’m live to ask questions.

Video commentary

~

What to prioritize

Continue reading Team Building in 2024 →

Random Thoughts

2023 Player’s Choice Godfest Voting

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Introduction

Player’s Choice Godfest (PCGF) returns and is made extra exciting due to the inclusion of GungHo-owned event cards. As a general statement, the game has been shifting more towards Seasonal/Collab/Limited Time event cards being the most powerful along with many of these being unavailable via Monster Exchange.

As such, players have to actually roll in those respective events in order to acquire those cards which can be frustrating when the rolling pool is terribly bottom-heavy and/or lacking overall. Thus, being able to directly roll these cards outside of their events can be meaningful and if PCGF rates are friendly, it may be a fantastic place to spend your Magic Stones. As such, voting for the higher rarities/BGM/Orb Skin cards may be the best course of action.

With this in mind, I would like to take this time to highlight the cards I feel have more value at this point in time. But with that being said, what is most valuable to you may differ from what I place value on and often times getting your first copy of a given card tends to beneficial.

Due to wrists my thought process will be on YouTube.

Video commentary

~hi Youtube~

Voting

Players are able to vote twice per category (exception is Pantheon cards with 6 votes) and it is in your best favour to vote for the cards that help you the most and this may often be cards you do not already own. Continue reading 2023 Player’s Choice Godfest Voting →

4 Player, Random Thoughts

4P Guide – Season 1

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Introduction

4P is the newest game mode released in Puzzle and Dragons and shares many similarities with the former 8P mode in that your score  is influenced by Average Combos, Maximum Damage, and Style Points along with bonuses for scoring the best relative to other players in highest combos, highest damage, and the number of times Matching Bonuses are performed.

While this may feel exciting, the outrageously high GP (Gamer Point) requirements will require significantly more play time compared to 8-player.

Video commentary

YouTube Video

Monster Pool & Drafting

You will have to draft a team for every play through which does take more time but it does allow you a certain degree of control over your scoring potential. Continue reading 4P Guide – Season 1 →

Collab REM Reviews

Heroine REM Overview

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Introduction

The Heroine event returns once again to North America and comes with a myriad of buffs for nearly every single card. Unfortunately, this event still costs 10 Magic Stones and the vast majority of the bottom rarity cards feel grossly outdated despite the buffs.

In fact, even the 6-star cards have questionable value with the vast majority of meaningful cards residing in the top rarity. While they do feature a healthy 17.5% chance of being rolled, they can simply be Monster Exchanged for if you feel they will greatly improve your Monster Box.

On the bright side, all cards feature Weapon Assists along with the option to pull five times at once. This multi-pull feature will grant players 5 random rewards but at the same time, will cost 50 Magic Stones and I do not truly feel this is a great place to spend your precious Stones.

As a whole, I feel that this is a skippable event from a rolling perspective but there may be some justifications in Monster Exchanging for several cards.

Continue reading Heroine REM Overview →

Random Thoughts

Thoughts on Monster Exchanging for Veroah, Aljae, & Norza Kitties

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Introduction

The Monster Exchange System is one of the greatest improvements to Puzzle and Dragons as it allows players to convert excess copies of Godfest Exclusives/Event cards for valuable Monsters. This process will consume 4-5 cards each time so it is not a decision that should be made lightly and should only be done when it will improve your current situation.

My general rule of thumb is to always keep at least 2 copies of any given card due to the fact that GungHo has been releasing numerous split evolutions and it is impossible to predict what will be released/buffed next. A great example of this is Valkyrie Ciel who went being an underwhelming card, to having two incredibly powerful evolutions where you would badly want each version.

In this article I will be outlining my thought process towards Monster Exchanging for Veroah, Aljae, and Norza Kitties. Continue reading Thoughts on Monster Exchanging for Veroah, Aljae, & Norza Kitties →

Collab REM Reviews

Thoughts on Monster Exchanging for GH Another Cards

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Introduction

The Monster Exchange System is one of the greatest improvements to Puzzle and Dragons as it allows players to convert excess copies of Godfest Exclusives/Event cards for valuable Monsters. This process will consume 4-5 cards each time so it is not a decision that should be made lightly and should only be done when it will improve your current situation.

My general rule of thumb is to always keep at least 2 copies of any given card due to the fact that GungHo has been releasing numerous split evolutions and it is impossible to predict what will be released/buffed next. A great example of this is Valkyrie Ciel who went being an underwhelming card, to having two incredibly powerful evolutions where you would badly want each version.

In this article I will be outlining my thought process towards Monster Exchanging for Orlando and maybe Milletia before it expires on Monday. Continue reading Thoughts on Monster Exchanging for GH Another Cards →