Tom Brady is Thanos, and Admiral A7XfanBen is Tom Brady

Tom Brady is Thanos, and Admiral

A7XfanBen is Tom Brady

Warning: Self-congratulatory stuff ahead… I know how big my ego is around playing the game; I’m self aware of how silly it sounds haha.  But I’ve won the Pirates CSG games that are most important to me and I love epic stuff more than any Pirates CSG fans I’ve seen, and I can’t help but notice amusing parallels to other things. 🙂 

Silly fun post not to be taken seriously!

Spoilers Ahead

Last night (February 3rd, 2019), myself and many others witnessed a thoroughly unsurprising event.  Tom Brady won his 6th Super Bowl ring, further extending his legacy as the greatest player in the history of football.  As he always does, Tom proved the doubters wrong.  After his previous success, especially the historic comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, NO ONE should have been betting against Tom Brady.  He is the god of football, and now there is simply no debating that.

Tom Brady is Thanos

With his 6th championship ring, Tom Brady now has as many Super Bowl rings as Thanos has/had Infinity Stones.  At any time now he could do a snap and erase half of all people, or perhaps just half of the NFL.  XD  Tom is now 6-3 in his nine Super Bowl appearances, breaking a tie with Charles Haley for the most championships by a single football player and moving into a tie with the Steelers for the most championships of any TEAM.

Tom Brady is Thanos

TB12 sitting on his throne with an Infinity Gauntlet of Super Bowl rings. (not my picture – full credit to BeatATrexx on Imgur)

Tom Brady and Admiral A7XfanBen

After winning VASSAL Campaign Games 1, 2, and 3, I became “the Tom Brady of campaign games”.  This is because Tom was 3-0 in his first three Super Bowls, and now I am 3-0 in my first three non-solo Pirates CSG campaign games.  You can see how I did it in my Epic Videos playlist.  CG4 has begun, although it is likely to last FAR longer than any of the previous VASSAL campaign games.

There are a number of additional parallels between Tom’s Super Bowl legacy and my own campaign game legacy.  CG1/2/3 were all played in a 2 year period from February 2016 (start of CG1) to March 2018 (end of CG3), which covers the three calendar years from 2016-2018.  It took Tom only 4 years to accumulate 3 wins, similar to how it took me only about 2 years (and one month) to accumulate 3 wins.

Opponents

In terms of opponents, Tom was a massive underdog to the Rams in his first Super Bowl (SB).  Xerecs and I faced off in CG1, the first-ever VASSAL campaign game.  It could be argued that neither player was really a favorite or underdog.  I did not control the best faction in the game, the Pirates, nor the French, another very competitive faction.  I ended up winning as the Spanish, dominating the game in general.  The Patriots were the favorites in Tom’s second SB, just as I would have to be favored to win CG2 against 2 other players.  The Patriots were also the favorites in Tom’s third SB, just as I would be to start CG3 (as the most successful and experienced player in that game).

Margins of Victory

A more stark contrast lies in the margins of victory, which are necessarily opposite due to the nature of the radically different games.  Tom’s Super Bowls are pretty much always decided by a tiny margin, often by 3 points.  With the shortest VASSAL campaign game (CG1) requiring a full 3 months of play to finish, and with Last Fleet Afloat rules in effect, it’s inevitable that my CG wins would be lopsided at the finish.  However, there were some close moments, notably when the Pirates nearly attacked the Spanish in CG1, when the Pirates had a points lead over the English in CG2, and when multiple factions had better starts than the Americans in CG3.

Thanos and Admiral A7XfanBen?

What if someday I get to 6 victories in Pirates CSG campaign games?  Will I “retire”?  Nope, I’m going nowhere!  I also don’t like to think about what would happen in a “snap” comparison – by the time I win my 6th, it’s possible that half of the current community will be gone.  🙁   Let’s not let that happen!!  😀

What’s Next?

Tom has already stated that he will not be retiring, so a potential 7th ring is already in his sights.  While CG4 and the Caribbean game slowly languish on, I have turned my attention to The Hourly Campaign, a solo campaign game, for want of players.  Thanos will presumably look to defend his Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame.

The interesting thing about what lies ahead is that Tom lost consecutive Super Bowls and went a full 10 years before winning his fourth.  Incredibly, something vaguely similar could happen with me, though of course I am confident in my abilities.  It’s certainly possible I may not win CG4, which will likely take multiple years to conclude.  Instead, I will try to break from this “Tom Brady and the Patriots” campaign game tradition and continue my undefeated streak.  😀

Click here to get your Tom Brady Thanos gear!  If you want to beat me in a campaign game, you better buy some packs (This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated) to get started, cuz I’ve got a 500+ game advantage.  🙂  If you’re like me, the following video will motivate you to WIN.  (not my video; full credit to GoobzTV on youtube)  Finally, it looks like Joseph Vincent is going to make a sequel to his EPIC 5 Rings video.  Edit: It’s here!  Tom Brady – Six Rings (An original Documentary)

 

Here is my hype video for VASSAL Campaign Game 4.  If I can win it in due time, I would be 4-0 in Pirates CSG campaign games.

 

Edit (11/24/2020): Adding this relevant video to this post; hopefully my best one yet.

Spanish Lipstick – 2013 Fleet Challenge Entry

Spanish Lipstick – 2013 Fleet Challenge Entry

Originally published to Miniature Trading on May 2nd, 2013

This is my final fleet for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge. This Spanish Lipstick fleet was posted after the deadline, and is not an official entry. (Viking entryEnglish entry)

The first ship is the Antamasia. She is has a very slow base move, but about half of the time, she will be moving S+L. Her nice cannons are boosted by the stinkpot specialist and cannoneer. Her primary goal, however, is to steal the best treasures from your opponents. Antonio will let you look at their treasures to find the best ones, and then she can swoop in and take them. A captain would be a nice crew to put on the Antamasia, but then neither of the other two crew would fit, plus I’ve used captains in my other fleets for this Challenge.

The second ship is La Repulsa. She is grossly overpriced, but she was in the first pack of Pirates that I ever got, along with the Asesino de la Nave. She will assist the Antamasia in stealing the opponents’ treasure. Her ability might actually come into play if the Antamasia shoots at an enemy ship first. Also, Antonio’s ability can be used for the Repulsa if the Antamasia gets tied up fighting off the opponent’s gunships. The oarsman is there for crew-killers and since the Repulsa has only one mast.

The third ship is the San Theodora. She is the gold runner, equipped with a helmsman to boost her speed to S+S. Her treasure-trading ability will help her make the most of her few treasure hauls, with enough cargo to empty an island.

Rolling Fog was thrown in to fill up the points, and because it’s not a very helpful event. It’s been used some, but not nearly as much as the other events.

The Antamasia and the Repulsa will work in tandem to steal enemy gold, while the San Theodora makes me even richer!

Thanks to volt for running the Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote! Spanish Lipstick

Section: Ship #1 (4 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Antamasia F&S 077 Ship C
1 x Cannoneer PofSM SC-CO Crew U
1 x Marques Miguel Antonio PofDJC 060B Crew C
1 x Stinkpot Specialist PofCC 118 Crew C
Section: Ship #2 (3 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Fernando Sanchez PofSMU 089 Crew C
1 x La Repulsa PofSMU 072 Ship R
1 x Oarsman PofSM SC-OA Crew C
Section: Ship #3 (2 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Helmsman PofSM SC-HM Crew U
1 x San Theodora PofMI 067 Ship C
Section: Events (1 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Rolling Fog PofSCS 071B Event C

 

Lipstick - Spanish

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Another English Fleet Challenge Entry (Lipstick on a Pig)

Another English Fleet Challenge Entry (Lipstick on a Pig)

Originally published to Miniature Trading on April 26th, 2013

This is my second entry for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge. (first entry here)  This fleet is designed to steal and sink treasure rather than collect it from the islands.

The first ship is HMS Wallace (0 fleets appeared in), who will use her ability to steal treasure from the opponent, augmented by Roderick the Pure’s (2) bonus. Her S+S+S speed and double-gun from the Longship keyword make her a decent threat.

The second ship is the Moor Hound (0). She will be a good backup ship for the two boarders, and fly around at S+S+S speed with ghostliness.

The third and final ship is the Pandora’s Box (2). She will utilize her large cargo space to and ability with Lynch’s Noose (0) to steal more treasure from the enemy gold ships.

The really nasty UT’s and the two English forts have already been used extensively in other fleets, so I didn’t include them here.

Thanks to volt for running the Lipstick on a Pig Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote if you saw this English Fleet Challenge Entry! English Fleet Challenge Entry

Section: Ship #1 (4 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Captain PofSM EC-CA Crew U
1 x HMS Wallace PofFN 204 Ship LE
1 x Helmsman PofSM EC-HM Crew C
1 x Roderick the Pure PofBC 057 Crew C
Section: Ship #2 (3 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Captain PofSM EC-CA Crew U
1 x Helmsman PofSM EC-HM Crew C
1 x Moor Hound PofDJC 203 Ship LE
Section: Ship #3 (3 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Helmsman PofSM EC-HM Crew C
1 x Lynch’s Noose PofSMU 066 Crew C
1 x Pandora’s Box PofDJC 213 Ship LE

 

Another English Fleet Challenge Entry

Fleet page at Miniature Trading

Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge – Viking Entry

Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge – Vikings Entry

Originally published to Miniature Trading on March 28th, 2013

This is my first entry for volt’s Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my first Viking fleet, and it’s safe to say that it’s an odd first Viking fleet, at that Lipstick on a Pig . I don’t own any Viking ships yet, but I figured that this Challenge was a good time to delve into what they have a bit.

The main flagship is the Wodin, who has appeared in 5 other fleets so far here at MT. She carries a hefty 18 point price tag for a little 2 master, but she backs it up with her abilities, lots of cargo space to complement those abilities, and solid cannons. Oh wait, I should be talking about what’s bad about the pieces, not the good stuff  … never done that before Lipstick on a Pig .

Let’s see: she’s only got L speed, costs 9 points per mast, and has an ability that is directly in conflict with her low number of masts. That’s why she has a helmsman and a shipwright on her. Her ability doesn’t look fitting at first glance, but you can make it more effective: Deux’s (11 fleets) reroll gives you a second chance at boarding if your first roll doesn’t work out. Her captain status, combined with the Longship keyword, makes the Wodin a potent offensive force. The stinkpot specialist is one of Pirates’ most underrated pieces, and provides a nice boost. You should be able to do some damage before you board, which will make the boarding process much easier. Valgard (2 fleets) is there to keep the other crew in the fight, because without them, the Wodin won’t be very effective. Also, I’ve never used a doctor crew, and maybe never will againLipstick on a Pig . The shipwright will hopefully keep masts up, which the Wodin needs for her boarding rolls. In the end, you’ll bring home some expensive crew to be turned into gold Lipstick on a Pig .

The gold runner is the Freya. This is her first fleet! You can see why she hasn’t seen any action yet, with a high point cost of 14 and slow base move of S. However, she also has a large cargo hold and a neat ability, just like the Wodin. I decided to play around with her crew ability, hiring the extremely expensive PR version of Ralph David to make the Freya ghostly. This is the first fleet he’s been in. For 8 points, the Freya will be able to more easily evade enemy ships, as well as islands and terrain.

The Pirate helmsman makes her speed manageable at S+S. Now all she needs is an explorer, but to change things up, it’s the most unique explorer of them all, Scrye the Explorer. After the crew are added, the Freya still has room for 2 treasure coins, more than enough to win every game  . All in all, for 25 points we have a rare Viking game piece, a promo American, a Pirate crew numbered GT-003, and an English crew numbered PP-375-C, all on one ship! That should make for some kind of bonus  .

St. Pierre has been used in some fleets, but it’s not a very good fort, and since the Vikings have access to it, I decided to throw it into the mix.

Death’s Doll hasn’t been used in a fleet yet, either (other than a canceled user’s private fleet), so that thing should make the game more interesting:

quote from woelf:
This is a direct variant of Voodoo Doll; the only gameplay difference is that this one can target the Cursed.

The Aztec Medallion has only been used in one other fleet, and since this fleet won’t be bringing home a ton of gold (at least not the conventional way), it’s a solid fit.

Savage Natives hasn’t been in a fleet yet, and these natives are so savage that they affect the Cursed, unlike the Cursed Natives.

Runes of Power hasn’t been in any fleets, and I figured that most of my opponents wouldn’t be too thrilled to have their abilities cancelled in order to shoot twice with a gold runner.

This is also the first fleet that Bloody Gold has been a part of, and this version affects Spaniards  .

I threw in a 0 point treasure just to try to make this fleet as unique and weird as possible.

Thanks to volt for running the Lipstick on a Pig Challenge, thanks for reading, and please comment and vote! 

Section: Ship #1 (6 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Helmsman PofFN 110 Crew C
1 x Lars Valgard PofFN 025B Crew C
1 x Shayna Duex PofFN 021 Crew R
1 x Shipwright PofFN 119 Crew C
1 x Stinkpot Specialist PofFN 122 Crew C
1 x Wodin PofFN 010 Ship R
Section: Ship #2 (4 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Freya PofFN 012 Ship R
1 x Helmsman PofSM GT-003 Crew PR
1 x Ralph David PofBC 217 Crew PR
1 x Scrye the Explorer PofSM PP-375-C Crew PR
Section: Unique Treasures (6 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x Aztec Medallion DPotC 076B Unique Treasure U
1 x Bloody Gold RotF 210 Unique Treasure LE
1 x Death’s Doll RotF 209 Unique Treasure LE
1 x Runes of Power PofFN 088 Unique Treasure R
1 x Savage Natives RotF 211 Unique Treasure LE
1 x Treasure Card F&S 225 Unique Treasure LE
Section: Forts (1 miniatures)
Miniature Set Number Type Rarity
1 x St. Pierre PofCC 091 Fort C

 

Lipstick on a Pig Fleet Challenge - Vikings

Fleet page at Miniature Trading