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Geek Culture
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy ‘The Masamune' Card Preview
Are you looking for a magical fantasy during the summer holidays? You will find that (and a ton of fun) with Magic: the Gathering's newest and biggest set release since Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Set for release on June 14th, the Final Fantasy mega crossover is part of Magic's Universes Beyond line, and promises legendary heroes and villains, powerful equipment and an unrivalled sense of nostalgia for anyone who grew up playing the games. Geek Culture and Tap & Sac are thrilled to reveal a very special preview card that even casual Final Fantasy fans will recognise: The Masamune! What's the Big Deal with The Masamune and Who Uses It? The Masamune is one of the most iconic weapons across franchise history, wielded none other by Sephiroth, the big bad of Final Fantasy VII. More than just a normal odachi blade, it symbolises his might as the game's penultimate and final boss – while its handle is long enough to accommodate both hands, Sephiroth carries it single-handedly due to his incredible strength. Advertisement ▼ Much of the detail is carried over to the card design, including its gold-coloured tsuba, or guard, and curving angle, which varies across depictions but is never entirely straight (as seen on the left). The top-down perspective, with its tip pointing at the player, also references his infamous method of impalement instead of slashing, the traditional way of using the weapon. Meanwhile, the side stance Sephiroth adopts in the later games is reflected in the other card, showcasing a slightly lowered blade that falls under its own weight. How is The Masamune as an Equipment in Magic? The Masamune is no slouch and certainly lives up to its name as Sephiroth's legendary weapon. When equipped, the creature wielding it gains First Strike and must be blocked if able. While it doesn't have any triggers when dealing combat damage to a player (unlike other swords such as Sword of Fire and Ice), The Masamune supplies an additional benefit: 'If a creature dying causes a triggered ability of this creature or an emblem you own to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.' Advertisement ▼ That was rather wordy, so it's worth noting a few things: The Masamune must be equipped onto a creature for it to be in effect. The extra triggered ability only applies to the creature that The Masamune is equipped to. If the creature doesn't have any triggered abilities, then The Masamune is merely a glorified long sword. Likewise with emblems, you need to have a death-triggering emblem for an extra triggered ability to happen. For example, The Masamune will not work with most emblems (like Chandra, Torch of Defiance's emblem), but will work with the also-new Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel's emblem How Does The Masamune Compare with Other Strong Magic Swords? Swords are the most-loved Equipment in Magic history, and as you would expect, is very well represented. There have been some very strong swords that have become just as mythical in Magic's lore as a sword as The Masamune in the Final Fantasy realms. Let's look at two other famous Magic swords and see how it compare with The Masamune. Sword of Feast and Famine Arguably one of the most powerful swords among the 10 of its cycle, Sword of Feast and Famine gives equipped creature protection from black and green, and +2/+2 stats. After connecting with a player, you get to untap all your Lands and force the opponent to discard a card. In short, every granted effect is going to get you ahead, especially when you can untap all your Lands and cast another few spells. Protection from two colours is also tough to get around, giving your creature added resilience. The Masamune, on the other hand, doesn't offer any protection or evasion, but instead goads the opponent to block. With First Strike, there's a pretty good chance your creature will come out victorious. A Final Fantasy deck filled with death triggers will find The Masamune more useful, but in nearly every other scenario, Sword of Feast and Famine is going to be top pick. Sword of the Animist Another fan-favourite of Magic players, Sword of the Animist fits into the utility category, able to expand your mana base by searching for a Land and placing it directly onto the battlefield. The +1/+1 buff is not going to be that much of a game changer, but it's offset by the sword's low 2-mana cost and equip. The Masamune is clearly a better offensive tool than Sword of the Animist, and depending on what creature you have equipped, The Masamune can also outshine Sword of the Animist in pure value. For example, a Zulaport Cutthroat with The Masamune is going to be draining each opponent for 2 life instead of 1 when it triggers. That could happen any number of times you can muster, rather than just once per attack as is the case with Sword of the Animist. End Step The Masamune is certainly going into every deck with Sephiroth, just for the sheer pleasure of having him swing his iconic sword, not to mention its ability synergises perfectly with Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel's emblem. For most other decks, The Masamune is going to be quite situational and falls lower in the pecking order of powerful Final Fantasy Equipment. But with the Buster Sword also an actual Magic card, clashing both blades in a game would be a wonderful treat.
Geek Culture
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Anno 117: Pax Romana – 6 Epic Thrills Of Governing Your Own Roman Empire
Ubisoft Mainz is set to redefine the historical, economic simulation and strategy genre with Anno 117: Pax Romana , an ambitious city-building game that promises to transport players into the heart of Rome's most fascinating era. Far from a traditional strategy title, this game offers players the exploration of empire-building during a time of relative peace and expansion. The development team's vision for the game goes beyond mere construction. Players won't just be building structures or manage resources, but also be able to establish an entire civilisation, with added cultural dynamics. As a newly appointed Roman governor, players will navigate complex political landscapes across two richly detailed provinces – Latium and Albion. The Latium province. Latium represents the quintessential Roman experience, with sun-drenched Mediterranean landscapes across rolling hills and vibrant coastal settlements. Meanwhile, Albion offers a more mysterious frontier, blending Celtic traditions with Roman conquest. The Albion province. The game's core innovation lies in its dynamic choice system. Every decision impacts your empire's development, whether you're fostering cultural integration, managing economic growth, or balancing diplomatic relationships. No two playthroughs will be identical, ensuring significant replay value. With a small but passionate team of just 110 developers, Ubisoft Mainz is crafting what could be the most immersive Roman Empire simulation to date. Launching simultaneously on PC and console this winter, Anno 117: Pax Romana isn't just a game, but a time machine to history's most complex civilisation. During a special hands-on preview for select global media held in Rome, Italy, Geek Culture got an exclusive sneak preview at a work-in-progress build of the game, to explore the first few hours in the Latium province. Even though not every aspect of the game build was playable, we did manage to learn quite a bit more about what fans of the long-running series, which made its debut in 1998, can expect from the game. Here are six exciting new features which strategy and city-building game fans should appreciate when the game hits shelves later this year. The eight attributes used in Anno 117: Pax Romana provides a comprehensive system for managing your Roman Empire's development. Money represents economic resources, while Population tracks the number of workers and city inhabitants, and Happiness measures citizen satisfaction. Cities reflect urban growth and development, while Health prevents diseases, and Knowledge indicates educational levels and technological discovery speed. Meanwhile, Piety reflects the population's devotion to gods and their divine benefits. But that's only seven because the eighth attribute remains a tantalizing mystery, hinted at by the developers but will only be revealed in future updates. These interconnected attributes create a simulation where each aspect of your settlement impacts its overall success, allowing players to strategically balance economic, social, and cultural factors in their empire-building journey. In the game's religion system, players must strategically select deities that align with their gameplay style and objectives, considering the unique bonuses each god provides. For example, Neptune, Roman god of the sea and fresh water, enhances maritime capabilities with faster ships and improved fishing, while Mars, god of war, boosts military performance through more loyal soldiers and reduced combat costs. The new shrine building placement allows players to offer tributes to multiple deities across different islands, creating complex religious strategies that multiply bonus effects empire-wide. Meanwhile, the global system tracks deity popularity, potentially granting empire-wide benefits if a particular god becomes dominant. This polytheistic approach enables cultural flexibility, letting players incorporate deities from various traditions like Roman and Celtic pantheons without locking them into exclusive choices. Ultimately, the religion system becomes a strategic tool where players can craft their empire's spiritual identity while gaining tangible gameplay advantages tailored to economic production, military strength, or cultural development. Ship customisation is a historically authentic and innovative feature in Anno 117: Pax Romana that allows players to build ships modularly, reflecting ancient maritime construction techniques. During that era, ancient civilisations didn't have diverse ship types like frigates or clippers, but instead built basic hulls and added components as needed. The game's system lets players customise their ships by adding different attachments, such as rovers, masts, and combat elements. Players can create faster ships by removing oars, add multiple masts, or equip combat-focused modules. This approach provides depth for micromanagement-loving players while offering pre-designed blueprints for casual gamers who prefer a simpler experience. The modular ship customisation not only adds strategic complexity but also maintains historical accuracy, allowing players to craft unique vessels that suit their gameplay style and reflect the innovative spirit of ancient maritime engineering. The developers aim to create a deeply integrated combat system where land and naval power are interconnected, so players don't simply buy military units, but must consider population, resource management, and strategic deployment. Different deities like Mars can provide military bonuses, while naval strategies with Neptune can enhance ship capabilities. The combat system is designed to be another strategic tool, not a mandatory path, allowing players to choose diplomatic or economic expansion if they prefer. By tying combat mechanics closely to core gameplay elements like population, resources, and cultural attributes, the game offers deep tactical choices that reflect the complexity of managing a Roman Empire. The diagonal street and building placement system allows players to create more organic, natural-looking city layouts compared to previous Anno games. The system enables players to build more creatively, with the ability to fit farm fields into the gaps between meandering streets and create more strategic placements like building resource camps in forests. This approach breaks away from rigid grid-based layouts of old, making city construction feel more fluid and realistic. The diagonal system is designed to enhance both the aesthetic beauty and functional efficiency of city-building, giving players more freedom to design their settlements in a more natural, less constrained manner. 24-Hour Day & Night Cycle The new and improved 24-hour day and night cycle is designed to add depth and realism to the game's visual experience. With the addition of volumetric clouds, atmospheric weather effects, sparkling lakes and rivers, and even lavender fields help create a sense of wonder and immersion for players. The cycle helps make the game world feel more alive and dynamic, allowing players full control over how the environment changes throughout the day, from morning light to evening shadows. This feature contributes to the game's goal of creating a majestic, timeless world that feels both beautiful and realistic, enhancing the overall visual storytelling of the game. Anno 117: Pax Romana releases this winter on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home's centre-piece. Anno 117 Anno 117: Pax Romana Ubisoft
