Tag: guides

How to find and kill Chargers in Helldivers 2

Chargers are big, nasty bugs in Helldivers 2, and you’ll need to take out multiple of them if you want to complete some Personal Orders (as of this writing, it’s “Strain Culling”) and pick up extra Medals.

In this Helldivers 2 guide, we’ll tell you where to find Chargers and give you some bonus tips on how to deal with them.

Where to find Chargers in Helldivers 2

Image: Arrowhead Game Studios

Chargers aren’t the first “mini-boss” style enemy you’ll encounter in Helldivers 2, but they’re the first that should really scare you. They have loads of armor, are very fast once they charge, and even their weak spot can take a ton of punishment. But we’ll get to how to kill them later; first, you need to actually find a Charger.

Chargers only seem to appear in missions that are rated Medium difficulty or above (meaning you’ll have to work your way up through the difficulties by clearing easier missions first). However, even on Medium you’ll only really find Chargers in missions that ask you to specifically kill Chargers. And while that can be useful, none of the Chargers I killed on the Medium difficulty counted for “Strain Culling.” That could have something to do with the server issues at the time of this writing, but your best bet regardless is to play on the difficulty above Medium: Challenging.

Starting on Challenging difficulty, Chargers will just show up in nests or when you’re trying to complete an objective. They seem to spawn more frequently when you’re in a group (which can be difficult given the aforementioned server issues). Just keep playing missions on Challenging and hunting down nests. You should find all the Chargers you need in just a handful of missions.

How to kill a Charger in Helldivers 2

Image: Arrowhead Game Studios

So, you’ve found some Chargers, but now you have to actually deal with them. I won’t lie to you, until you and your squad have a handle on how Helldivers 2 really works, a Charger is probably going to kill one or two of you unless you’re very well-equipped or extremely careful.

But that actually leads us to one of our first big tips for Chargers or any big enemies: Drop directly on them. Yes, that’s right, you can drop your respawn pod on top of a bug and they’ll explode. It’s not worth the revive if you can kill the Charger another way, but if you’re already pulling in a reinforcement, do your best to squish the Charger on your way in. It’s a pretty fast way to end any fight.

Now you’re not going to squish a Charger every time you kill one, so it’s important to have other tactics. First, you can just shoot it in its big, glowing ass. The Charger is heavily armored at the front, but its back is exposed. Shred it with a turret or your own personal heavy machine gun. You can, of course, just use your primary assault rifle or pistol, but on Challenging and above, it’s going to take a long time if you do that.

You can also destroy the Charger’s armor with something like the Recoilless Rifle. Now this is a great option if you can consistently get two to three shots onto the same spot on the bug, as the Recoilless Rifle and other armor-piercing weapons seem to be better at punching a hole through armor and finishing the job that way than raw damage against already exposed weak points.

Your best bet for Chargers, however, is to simply blow them to hell with Stratagems before they even get the chance to see you. They’re big — big enough that you can spot them in their nest before they spot you. And, until they’re threatened, they move pretty slow. You and your group can use this to your advantage by dropping Orbital Strikes, Eagle Strafing Runs, and all other kinds of Stratagems on top of the Charger. If you can score a direct hit, you’ll probably kill it before it even gets the chance to chase you.

Ryan Gilliam

Source link

February 13, 2024
The Best ‘Marvel Snap’ Meta Decks – February 2024 Edition – TouchArcade

This month’s Marvel Snap (Free) deck-building guide is rolling in a little later in the month than usual, but it was necessary to let the meta cool down a bit before giving any advice. This last month has been another tumultuous one, and some cards were introduced and then nerfed almost immediately. Things appear to be stable for the moment, so I’m shooting my February shot. Remember as ever: today’s winning deck could be tomorrow’s moldy chip dip. These guides are one way to keep your finger on the pulse of the scene, but they aren’t the only method you should be using.

Note that most of these decks are the best of the best at this point in time. They assume you have access to a full range of cards. I’ll once again be including the five strongest Marvel Snap decks of the moment, and I’ll throw in a couple more decks that don’t need things that are too hard to get and are just sort of fun to play with. You know, a little variety and all of that.

Planet Hulk had some effect on things as it rolled out over the course of January, but the bigger impacts could be felt from the various nerfs and buffs Second Dinner was applying to an assortment of cards. Blob, for example, went from hero to zero in no time flat. We’re a little ways into the Black Order season now, and it seems to be more stable both on the season’s end and on the end of balance changes made through updates. With all this upheaval, things are going to be looking very different again with this month’s best decks.

Destroy Deadpool

Included Cards: Deadpool, X-23, Forge, Nico Minoru, Carnage, Wolverine, Hulkbuster, Killmonger, Venom, Knull, Death, Alioth

It’s bizarre to see such a basic deck running wild like this, but there’s no denying it: Destroy Deadpool is as hot as it gets right now due to a few smart adjustments and additions. The strategy is in the name of the deck. Use Forge, Hulkbuster, and Nico Minoru to beef up Deadpool, then keep murdering him over and over again using your destroyer cards like Venom, Killmonger, Carnage, and heck, even Nico on some turns. If you play it right, you could potentially end up with an extremely powerful Deadpool, a jacked-up Venom, a wildly boosted Knull, a free Death, and some pesky Wolverines doing their thing. Alioth is there for insurance. A powerful deck, and I can’t imagine Second Dinner is going to let it keep going like this, so enjoy it while you can.

Hela & Lockjaw

Included Cards: Blade, Black Knight, Lockjaw, Lady Sif, Dracula, Jubilee, Black Cat, Hela, Magneto, Giganto, The Infinaut, Death

A spin on the classic Lockjaw deck, with an added Hela punch that will bring back any absurdly powerful cards you happen to have discarded while playing. It’s the usual routine. Get Lockjaw out as soon as you can, and then start playing your cards. They might swap in a very powerful card, and that’s fine. They might swap in a weak one that will potentially discard a very powerful card, and that’s also fine. The optimal play here is to get Hela out at the end to bring in those beefy cards you may have discarded, but there’s plenty of insurance here if you can’t pull that off.

Odin’s Heroes

Included Cards: Spider-Ham, Korg, Zabu, Jeff, Rockslide, Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Darkhawk, Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel, Jane Foster Thor, Odin

There are two things going on with this deck, and they harmonize very well. On the one hand, this is a Darkhawk deck. Use Korg and Rockslide to add cards to your opponent’s deck to beef up our favorite guy in alien armor. Guy who swaps bodies with alien armor? I’m not sure where he’s at these days. We also have Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and Jane Foster Thor, who of course aim to add power-boosting hammers to your deck and draw them out. Odin is here to trigger any and all of those hammers and deck-fillers on the final turn, giving you a last-minute burst of power. Spider-Ham and Shang-Chi are there to pester the opponent, Jeff and Ms Marvel can add some extra power wherever you like, and Zabu helps you get ‘Hawk and Bill out faster if needed.

Lockdown

Included Cards: Nebula, Medusa, Zabu, Jeff, Storm, Shang-Chi, Ms Marvel, Jessica Jones, Iron Lad, Vision, Alioth, Doctor Doom

Nothing too new here. It’s mostly the same Lockdown type we’ve seen for ages, with a few tweaks to adjust for the latest balance changes. Use Storm and Nebula to persuade your opponent to put their cards where you want them to, use your moving cards to capture locked locations, hope Iron Lad copies one of your big-pants cards, and finish up with either Alioth or Doctor Doom as the situation calls for. Outside of the key players, some of the smaller parts of this deck have changed to adapt to the meta a bit. Zabu is here to get 4-Cost cards out at a higher rate, some useful 4-Cost cards have been included, and Shang-Chi and Alioth are here to ruin your opponent’s day if they dare to play something big.

Annihilus Bounce

Included Cards: The Hood, Nico Minoru, Forge, Iceman, Beast, Zabu, Falcon, Shang-Chi, Werewolf By Night, Enchantress, The Sentry, Annihilus

The predictability of the popular Annihilus decks means they’ve cooled off considerably, but this one is still doing fairly well. It’s a bit of a complicated one to use, but the goal is mainly to throw a lot of garbage your opponent’s way, whether that be by using Annihilus to mail The Void and The Hood their way or by lobbing ice shots, Shang-Chi punches, and Enchantress zaps at them. If things go well you can even use Beast to bring back Sentry so you can play him again for Double Voids. All the while, Werewolf will be bouncing around getting stronger.

And now, a couple of fun decks for those still climbing up the collection ladder or who simply want to try something different.

Mister Negative & Mr. Knull

Included Cards: Yondu, Carnage, Ravonna Renslayer, Ironheart, Mystique, Magik, Mister Negative, Shang-Chi, Iron Man, Jane Foster Thor, Arnim Zola, Knull

As effective as they are, destroyer decks can feel a bit one-note. This one mixes things up by bringing in the familiar Mister Negative deck and smashing them together into one cool fusion. The interesting thing about this one is that you only have Carnage and Arnim Zola as destroyers of your own cards. Used effectively, they can certainly add to your Knull total, but Yondu and Shang-Chi are also here to add to that by destroying your opponent’s cards. You can make a massive late-game play here if things roll out in your favor, and Magik gives you a bit more runway to pull it off.

Pick Your Battles

Included Cards: Antman, Nightcrawler, Ebony Maw, Armor, Colossus, Mister Fantastic, Captain America, Cosmo, Namor, Klaw, Onslaught, Spectrum

Here’s our “starting out” deck for this month. One of the important things to remember when playing Marvel Snap is that you only need to win two of three locations. It’s smart to keep that in mind as you play, and this deck can help get you in the habit. Antman and Captain America go great in full locations. Cards like Mister Fantastic and Klaw can go in the location you’ve given up on to boost locations you are aiming at. Namor also isn’t a bad choice for the location you’re passing on, as him sitting there alone might win it for you. Armor and Cosmo can help protect your chosen spots, and Nightcrawler can help fake out the opponent.

And that’s it for this month’s deck guide. We’ll return with another one of these in March to see where things stand after the Black Order event has fully played out and a month’s worth of balance changes have done their thing. There’s certainly a method to the new cards this season, and I’ll be interested to see if they have the desired effect. Happy Snapping!

Shaun Musgrave

Source link

February 13, 2024
How to make money in GTA Online
GTA Online runs on money. That’s why there are no cheats for it in the game. (There are, however, cheats in GTA V proper.)

Everything you want to do in GTA Online costs money — basically, everything from a high-end car to the real estate you need to start a new type of event is going to cost you just shy of GTA$2,000,000.

Our guide on how to make money in GTA Online will tell you everything you need to know to get rich quick in Los Santos. Well, quick-ish.

Be patient

The answer to the question “how do you make money in GTA Online?” is slowly. What you do to earn cash is really a question of how much time and effort you want to put in. More time and effort means more money.

Image: Rockstar Games

Very few things you can do are going to earn you millions of GTA$ per hour (or even day) — especially if you’re playing solo. Saving up enough for that new car, submarine, or business is going to be a big time investment.

How to make a little money fast in GTA Online

These activities aren’t going to change your life, but they’ll be enough to refill your ammo or buy some health-replenishing snacks.
- Steal a car and sell it at a Los Santos Customs. You’ll only make a few thousand GTA$ and you can only do it a few times a day, but it’s a quick and easy way to make a little cash.
- Participate in events around Los Santos. Things like races will earn you up to about GTA$5,000 each for 10 minutes of effort.
- Rob a store. Head into any store and point a gun at the cashier, and you’ll walk away with a couple thousand GTA$ (and a wanted level or two).
Watch for weekly 2x and 3x events

Each week, certain events and activities pay out double or even triple GTA$. You can check our weekly guide to see what this week’s are. Depending on the week, you might even get free money just for logging in — like this week’s GTA$188,888 for Lunar New Year.

How to make money in GTA Online every day

Image: Rockstar Games

Beyond the big things (below), you can also get yourself a steady income just by doing certain things every day. Things like:
- Spin the wheel at the Diamond Casino. You’ve got about a 20% chance of winning between GTA$20,000 and 50,000. You’ve also got a chance to win a car that changes weekly.
- Empty the safes of your legitimate businesses. Your businesses like the bar in your motorcycle club clubhouse or salvage yard will earn some cash every day and store it in the safe. You’ll have to visit each one to pick it up, though.
- Find G’s cache. Gerald will drop a package that will earn you roughly GTA$20,000 in cache cash each day. The location changes, though, so you’ll have to do some driving to find it.
- Clear stash houses. Each day, you’ll also find one stash house somewhere in Los Santos that you can clear of enemies for Gerard. Once you find the combination and open the safe, you just have to flee the scene. You’ll be rewarded with a little GTA$ and, just as importantly, you’ll get supplies for one of your businesses.
Buy businesses and facilities to unlock new ways to make money

Most activities that make you money in GTA Online require you to own a specific kind of business or facility and the cost of entry to just about all of them is between GTA$1,000,000 and 2,000,000.

Image: Rockstar Games

But, just remember, each time you buy a new piece of real estate or new business, you unlock another way to make money. And keep an eye on the weekly updates — each week a property (or type of property) goes on sale for 30% off.
- Agencies unlock Security Contracts and Payphone Hits
- Your apartment gets you access to heists (which is where you’ll make the most money)
- Auto shops unlock Auto Shop Services, Contracts, and Exotic Exports
- Bunkers (or facilities) unlock the Gunrunning business
- Clubhouses unlock MC Contracts and MC Work (and a bar)
- Hangars unlock the Air Freight Cargo business
- Nightclubs allow you to store additional good from other businesses and make money on their own
- Offices unlock Special Cargo, Vehicle Cargo, Special Vehicle missions
- Salvage yards unlock Salvage Yard Robberies and the Tow Truck Service
The best activities for a lot of money in GTA Online

With the right properties and a good crew (or a lucky roll of the rando pool), you can make a lot of money pretty quickly in GTA Online by focusing on the best paying events.
- Heists are multi-step events that will take you about an hour to complete, give or take. They’re also the best payout you’ll get in the game, with rewards ranging from GTA$100,000 to 4,000,000.
- Salvage Yard Roberies work a lot like heists, but they’re doable with only one person. They’ll earn you GTA$200,000 to 300,000 for about an hour of work.
Jeffrey Parkin

Source link
February 8, 2024
Honkai: Star Rail Penacony treasure chests locations and map

Penacony is the third area you’ll visit in Honkai: Star Rail, and with it comes new treasure and puzzles to complete on the new planet. With over 100 new things to find, it can be a lot to scour out all at once.

A lot of the places in Penacony will only unlock once you’ve completed a certain part of the main Trailblaze Missions or have completed certain puzzles. Because of that, we recommend hunting all the treasure once you finish the story.

Most maps have loot hidden around and this loot expands beyond just treasure chests. When you open the map, you’ll notice a chest icon in the top left corner with numbers next to it. This indicates how many of the different types of loot you’ve found. However, this counter only lists treasure that isn’t locked behind puzzles or formidable foes (the powerful monsters that guard chests) and Warp Trotters.

Note that our maps are based off of beta content, so things may be different in the live version. We’re also missing a handful of chests that may be locked behind content that we didn’t get to in the beta. We’ll update this guide as soon as we can if there are any specific changes.

How Penacony treasure chests work

Opening chests and solving puzzles around Penacony will reward you with Clock Credits, which you can turn in to level up the Clockie statue in the center of Golden Hour. Leveling up the statue nets you rewards like Stellar Jade and other goodies.

There are lots of new puzzle types to Penacony, including block-sliding mirror puzzles and literal puzzles (with pieces you have to fit in to make an image). Most notably, there’s a new type of collectable found under the treasure chest drop down when you look at maps: “Lordly Trashcans.” These garbage pails will ask you a question, and if you answer correctly, they’ll give you a reward. If you answer wrong, they’ll engage you in battle — and you’ll still get the same reward after, so don’t worry about answering wrong.

Penacony also has quite a few maps where you’ll be walking on walls and the map there is 3D. While it’s obviously tough for us to convey information on where to find each chest, Warp Trotter, or Lordly Trashcan in these spaces, we did our best to indicate where the chests are located using circles to indicate which platform the object is on.

The Reverie (Reality) treasure chest locations

The Reverie (Reality) F1

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The Reverie (Reality) F2

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The Reverie (Reality) F3

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The first door from the left opens when you do the quest “Cosmic Star.” The second door from the left requires you to do the quest “The Trees as Peace” to open.

Golden Hour treasure chest locations

Golden Hour F1

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

Golden Hour F2

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

Golden Hour F3

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

Dream’s Edge treasure chest locations

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

A Child’s Dream treasure chest locations

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The Reverie (Dreamscape) treasure chest locations

We were only able to find 24 out of 29 treasure chests, even with Topaz and Numby sniffing them out. It’s possible that we missed some or that a room is locked by a quest or future content, but we’ll update this guide when we find the rest of them.

The Reverie (Dreamscape) F1

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The Reverie (Dreamscape) F2

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

The Reverie (Dreamscape) F3

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Hoyoverse

If you’re looking for more chests and loot in Honkai: Star Rail, you can check out our complete maps of the Herta Space Station, the Xianzhou Luofu, and Jarilo-VI, too.

Julia Lee

Source link

February 5, 2024
Pokémon Go Chansey Community Day guide
Pokémon Go is having a Chansey Community Day event on Feb. 4 from 2-5 p.m. in your local time.

As expected with a Community Day event, Chansey will spawn in huge numbers with a high chance for it to appear shiny. There are also several other bonuses and perks, which we’ve list out below.

How do I catch a shiny Chansey?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), Shiny rates on Community Days are about 1 in 24, which means that if you keep playing throughout the three-hour window, you should find quite a few shiny Pokémon.

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Niantic

Notably, grabbing eggs from PokéStops during this event will net you 2 km eggs that will frequently have Happiny inside. These Happiny have a higher chance of being shiny, so if you want a shiny Happiny, this is your chance.

If you’re short on time or Poké Balls, you can pop an Incense, then quickly tap each Chansey to check for shiny ones, running from any that aren’t shiny. Notably, any Chansey you’ve already tapped will face where your player is standing, so that should help identify which ones you may have already checked.

What Community Day move does Chansey’s evolution learn?

If you evolve Chansey into Blissey from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. in your local time, it will learn the charged move Wild Charge.

If you miss out on evolving it during this period, you will likely be able to evolve it during a Community Day weekend event in December to get Wild Charge. If you don’t want to wait, you can use an Elite TM to get the move.

How does Blissey do in the meta?

Blissey doesn’t see any use in PvP or PvE battles. It is, however, a fantastic gym defender. Blissey is bulky and a really sturdy tank, meaning that maxing out one and plunking it in a gym does a good job deferring some people from bothering.

How do I make the most of Chansey Community Day?

The following bonuses will be active during Chansey Community Day:
- ¹⁄₄ hatch distance for eggs placed into Incubators during the event
- Doubled candy for catching Pokémon
- Doubled chance for level 31+ trainers to get XL candy from catching Pokémon
- Incense lasts three hours
- Lure Modules lasts three hours
- Chansey special photobombs when taking snapshots
- One additional special trade
- Stardust cost halved for trading
That said, you should definitely put all your eggs in incubators and pop an Incense and try to nab some powerful Chansey.

If you can Mega Evolve Pidgeot, Kangaskhan, or Lopunny, you’ll score additional Chansey Candy per catch.

In addition to all this, Niantic is still running special four-star raids from 5-10 p.m., where if you clear the Chansey raid, they will spawn in a 300-meter radius around the gym for 30 minutes. These raids cannot be done remotely. If the usual 2-5 p.m. spawn increase doesn’t get you the Chansey you wanted, you can try raiding for another chance.
Julia Lee

Source link
February 3, 2024
Persona 3 Reload guide: Classroom answers and questions

Classroom questions and answers are a staple of Persona games, and that remains true with Persona 3 Reload.

While Reload is a remake of the beloved Persona 3 from the early 2000s, it features a completely new slate of classroom questions from the original game. Answering questions correctly in Persona 3 Reload will increase your Charm Social Stat as you impress your fellow classmates with your knowledge.

In this in-progress Persona 3 Reload guide, we’ll walk you through classroom questions and answers for each month.

Note: This guide features all classroom and exam answers through June 1 in Persona 3 Reload — about 15 hours into the game, depending on how you spend your time. We’ll add additional months of questions and exams soon.

April classroom answers in Persona 3 Reload

There are three classroom questions for you to answer in April. There are no exams in April.

4/8

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: Among these phrases, “a rain of flowers,” “mystical mirage,” and “vivid carp streamers,” which one symbolizes summer?

A: Vivid Carp Streamers

4/18

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: The places where people dumped their waste in the Jomon period — what are they called nowadays?

A: Middens

4/27

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: Leader [protagonist], do you know which one’s not an algebraic spiral or whatever?

A: A

May classroom answers in Persona 3 Reload

There are three classroom questions for you to answer in May. May also holds the first big exams — Midterms — which run May 18 to 23. Make sure to increase your Academics score to two before the 18th.

5/6

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: What do you call the device that helps generate electric power for the train?

A: A pantograph

5/13

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: Do you know Leon Foucault? He’s a French physicist who performed experiments regarding the rotation of the Earth. Which tool did he use in his experiments?

A: The pendulum

5/15

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Q: What’s the other name for “May sickness” — the more casual one?

A: May Blues

May Midterms

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

Midterms start on Monday, May 18, and run for six full days of school, ending on Saturday the 24th. Once your exams start, you’ll have no free time after school or in the evenings. You’ll answer questions and the game will automatically skip to the next day.

You don’t have to actively answer questions on May 18 or May 23; how your character performs on those days seems to be based entirely on your Academics stat. If you have an Academics stat of at least two and answer all the below questions correctly, you’ll finish your midterm in the top 10 of your class and get some bonus Charm points, plus stat boost cards for your Personas as a reward.

All of the below questions are reframed versions of questions you’ve already answered in April and May. Nonetheless, we’ve listed them all out here for your convenience — and because the rewordings can be a little tricky.

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

5/19 Q: What is the other common expression used to describe “May sickness?”

5/19 A: May Blues

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

5/20 Q: Which of the following did Leon Foucault use in his experiment on the rotation of the Earth?

5/20 A: A pendulum

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

5/21 Q: Which of the following is generated by a pantograph?

5/21 A: Electricity

Image: Atlus/Sega via Polygon

5/22 Q: During which historical period were middens most commonly used?

5/22 A: Jomon

More classroom answers for Persona 3 Reload are on their way!

And if you’re looking for classroom answers in other Persona games, check out our lists of all classroom answers for Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5, and Persona 5 Royal.

Ryan Gilliam

Source link

February 1, 2024
How to craft the glider in Enshrouded
A glider is essential for getting around Enshrouded’s Embervale, a sprawling realm that usually demands a lot of walking. While there are a few fast travel points — called Ancient Spires — due to their spire-iness, they make perfect places to jump off of with a glider and explore new corners of the world.

Our Enshrouded guide will explain how to craft the glider, and run down what you need to craft the two improved versions: the advanced glider and the extraordinary glider.

How to craft the glider in Enshrouded

Image: Keen Games via Polygon

Your first glider can be made pretty early in your game. You’ll need:
- 8 Shroud wood. Shroud wood is, get this, wood you find in the Shroud. Not just any wood is Shroud wood, though. You’ll need to find a tree that is fully in the Shroud and chop it down with an axe. The Shroud wood that drops will look different from normal wood — it’s grayer and more twisted.
- 2 animal fur. The goats and the wolves you encounter on the surface drop these.
- 2 string. String can be manually crafted (no workbench necessary) from 2 plant fiber that you pick up just about anywhere.
- 2 Shroud spores. The human-like Fell that populate the Shroud (and spawn outside of your Flame Altar’s influence at night) will drop Shroud spores when you kill them.
Once you’ve gathered the materials, head to your workbench to craft the glider.

That basic glider doesn’t have the best glide ratio — you lose a lot of elevation for the distance you fly forward — but it will revolutionize how you get around.

That first glider is also going to last you a while — at least until you start making linen.

How to craft the advanced glider in Enshrouded

A lot of things need to happen before you can craft the next glider — the improved glider. You’ll need to find the Hunter and the Carpenter, and you’ll need to find the Hunter’s Hand Spindle.

The Hunter and the Carpenter can be found in their respective Ancient Vaults. You’ll find them as part of “Hunter Becomes The Hunted” and “Carpentry Assistance” quests. You’ll be tasked with finding the Hunter’s hand spindle in the Revelwood for the aptly named “The Hunter’s Hand Spindle” quest.

Image: Keen Games via Polygon

Once the Carpenter, Hunter, and hand spindle are all in place, you’ll be able to craft the improved glider at the Carpenter with:
- 6 Shroud wood.
- 4 linen. Linen is made at the Hunter’s hand spindle and requires 2 flax for each 1 linen. Flax is a purple flower that you’ll find around the Revelwood biome in the north.
- 4 string.
- 8 Shroud sack. Around the Revelwood biome, you’ll also find spitting plants. You’ll get poison sacks from the regular, purple and orange ones. Inside the Shroud, you’ll find similar plants that glow blue and drop Shroud sacks when killed.
How to craft the extraordinary glider in Enshrouded

Just like crafting the advanced glider, there’s a lot of work you’ll need to do before you can craft the extraordinary glider.

The Hunter will ask you to retrieve a tanning station from the Nomad Highlands to the east as part of her “In Need Of A Tanning Station” quest.

You’ll have to have gotten the Blacksmith’s crucible as part of “Crucible Needed For A Smelter” and be able to make copper bars.

The Carpenter will need a table saw from the “Table Saw For The Carpenter” quest that takes you to Thornhold to the northeast.

You’ll need to get the both the Alchemist’s mortar for “The Alchemist’s Mortar” (if you haven’t yet) and the black cauldron he requests for “A Black Cauldron For The Alchemist.” You’ll find his mortar in Lone Thistle north-northeast of the Ancient Spire — Springlands fast travel tower. The black cauldron takes a lot more work (and more fighting) to find in Rattlebleak far to the northeast.

Image: Keen Games via Polygon

When you return to the Alchemist with the black cauldron, you can craft an alchemy station (20 fired brick, 6 wood planks, 10 nails, 3 wood logs, 5 copper bars, and 1 black cauldron).
- 4 Shroud wood.
- 2 leather. Leather can be made at the Hunter’s tanning station from 10 dried fur, 20 salt, and 2 ammonia glands. For ammonia glands, you’ll have to head into the Shroud in the Nomad Highlands to the northeast of your starting point. You’re looking for the red walking mushrooms. Those creatures(?) drop ammonia glands when you kill them.
- 2 linen.
- 4 alchemical base. Alchemical base can be made at the alchemy station from 1 Shroud liquid, 1 mycelium, 1 water, and 1 Shroud Spore.
Once you (finally — it’s going to take you a long time) have everything in place, head to the Carpenter to craft the advanced glider.

How to equip the glider

Image: Keen Games via Polygon

Once you craft any of the gliders, you have to equip it before you can use the wing suit. Head to the Character menu. The fourth slot down on the left is for your glider. Open it and select the best glider you’ve crafted.

For more Enshrouded guides, learn where to find salt, where to find metal scraps, and how to make metal sheets.
Jeffrey Parkin

Source link
January 30, 2024
Pokémon Go ‘Taken Treasures’ event, Timed Research guide
Pokémon Go is refreshing the Team Rocket encounters in the latest event, “Taken Treasure,” which runs from Jan. 27 until Feb. 1.

The event has the usual Team Go Rocket event bonuses that we’re used to seeing: Team Go Rocket balloons will appear once every three hours and you can use Charged TMs to remove the move Frustration from shadow Pokémon.

In addition to this, all the Team Go Rocket leaders and Giovanni have new Pokémon lineups.

For the non-shadow Pokémon lovers, this event also adds Varoom, which can be hatched out of 12 km eggs.

Below, we list all the event perks and Timed Research for Pokémon Go’s “Taken Treasures” event.

Pokémon Go ‘Taken Treasure’ event Timed Research

This research is ticketed only. You’ll need to pay $4.99 for the research in the shop. We don’t really think this research is worth it due to the timed nature of it. It’s only worth buying if you really want the special pose you get for completing it.

Note that you need to finish this research before Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m. in your local time or else you will lose out on the rewards.

Step 1 of 4
- Spin 10 PokéStops (25 Poké Balls)
- Defeat 5 Team Go Rocket grunts (Bruxish encounter)
- Make 20 curveball throws (15 Great Balls)
Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, 1 Egg Incubator, 1,000 XP

Step 2 of 4
- Catch 20 Pokémon (5 Hyper Potions)
- Transfer 25 Pokémon (Scraggy encounter)
- Defeat 5 Team Go Rocket grunts (5 Revives)
Rewards: 2,000 Stardust, 3 Silver Pinap Berries, 2,000 XP

Step 3 of 4
- Make 30 curveball throws (5 Max Revives)
- Defeat 10 Team Go Rocket grunts (Weezing encounter)
- Catch 5 shadow Pokémon (5 Max Potions)
Rewards: 3,000 Stardust, 1 Incense, 3,000 XP

Step 4 of 4
- Transfer 30 Pokémon (3 Fast TMs)
- Defeat 10 Team Go Rocket grunts (Vullaby encounter)
- Purify 10 shadow Pokémon (3 Charged TMs)
Rewards: 4,000 Stardust, 1 Boss Pose, 4,000 XP

Pokémon Go ‘Taken Treasure’ event Field Research Tasks

Spinning PokéStops and gyms during the event period may yield one of these tasks:
- Catch a shadow Pokémon (1 Mystery Component)
- Defeat 1 Team Go Rocket grunt (Ekans, Koffing, Poochyena, or Croagunk encounter)
- Defeat 2 Team Go Rocket grunts (Paldean Wooper, Scraggy, Mareanie, Bruxish, or Nymble encounter)
- Defeat 3 Team Go Rocket grunts (Hisuian Qwilfish or Sableye encounter)
- Purify 3 shadow Pokémon (1 Fast or Charged TM)
Pokémon Go ‘Taken Treasure’ event raid targets

These Pokémon will appear in raids during the event period:
- Alolan Rattata (1-star)
- Alolan Meowth (1-star)
- Alolan Grimer (1-star)
- Galarian Zigzagoon (1-star)
- Weezing (3-star)
- Galarian Weezing (3-star)
- Tyranitar (3-star)
- Bombirdier (3-star)
- Shadow Sandshrew (shadow 1-star)
- Shadow Murkrow (shadow 1-star)
- Shadow Pineco (shadow 1-star)
- Shadow Croagunk (shadow 1-star)
- Shadow Scyther (shadow 3-star)
- Shadow Skarmory (shadow 3-star)
- Shadow Golett (shadow 3-star)
- Shadow Ho-oh (shadow 5-star)
Julia Lee

Source link
January 26, 2024
Enshrouded beginner’s tips before you start

There’s a lot about Enshrouded that’s just part of the survival crafting genre of games — crafting and workbenches and cooking, for example — that makes it feel familiar. But there’s also enough different and unique about it that the mere act of diving in can be really intimidating and confusing.

Our Enshrouded beginner’s guide will give you tips from our 50 (or so) hours with the game to help you get started exploring Embervale.

Enshrouded is a survival crafting game through and through

If you’re familiar with the genre, you already know nearly all of the beats to Enshrouded. That’s not meant to be disparaging — it’s not the old derivative vs. homage distinction. Enshrouded just hews to the genre in ways that make it familiar.

You pick up materials to make workbenches to make new items to make new workbenches to make better items, lather, rinse, and repeat. Enshrouded has its own takes on the genre and mixes in some elements from other genres as well, but the basics are there. Basics like…

Pick up one of everything to unlock new recipes

You’ll start your journey as the (a?) Flameborn with a few recipes for things like torches and a simple axe. The first way you’ll unlock new recipes is to just find new resources. Pick up (at least) one of everything you find — the first time you place these new items in your inventory, you’ll unlock new recipes.

The other way you learn new recipes (and progress the game) is by finding other survivors.

Progression in Enshrouded is tied to survivors and their quests

You’re not alone in your journey through Embervale. There are other survivors — five of them — who will aid you. In the story, these are other Flameborn (like you) who you have to journey around and wake from their magical slumber. Waking them up means traveling to their Ancient Vault, doing some light dungeoneering, and then summoning them to your base.

Functionally, these other survivors are a lot like quest-giving workbenches. Finding the Blacksmith, for example, allows you to start working with metal. The Hunter unlocks furs. The same goes for the Farmer, Alchemist, and Carpenter.

Image: Keen Games

As you add survivors to your base, they’ll all come up with new quests for you. The Blacksmith needs a crucible. The Hunter needs her hand spindle. The Alchemist needs his mortar. The Farmer needs her kettle.

Their quests aren’t just busywork, though. They’re how you progress through the game. They’ll unlock new technologies and materials for you, add new workbenches, and send you out into the world to explore new locations and new biomes.

Getting to those places means walking across Enshrouded’s giant map, and that means…

You’re going to walk a lot in Enshrouded

Yes, Enshrouded has some very cool traversal tools like the wing suit-like glider and a grappling hook. Your opportunities to use those, though, are going to be fairly limited. Instead, you’ll be doing most of your exploration on foot.

When you’re on one of these hikes, stick to the roads as much as you can. First, it’s just easier to see where you’re going and it’s less likely you’ll run straight off a cliff. But, more importantly, being on a road makes your stamina drain more slowly — the “on the road” condition means your stamina drains 90% as fast.

The other reason you’ll be walking so much is…

There aren’t many fast travel points

For as vast as the world of Embervale is, there aren’t many fast travel options. There are only five permanent ones, in fact. There’s the Cinder Vault where you begin the game, and then an Ancient Spire in each of the four biomes — the Springlands, the Low Meadows, the Revelwood, and the Nomad Highlands.

You can also fast travel to any Flame Altar — basically the starting point for a base — you’ve built. You start off able to build two of them, but can increase that number eventually with upgrades to the Flame Altar, but early on it means that you can have a base and an outpost and that’s it. You can always destroy a Flame Altar and build a new one elsewhere after hiking there (see above).

Flame Altars are cheap to build — they only require 5 stones that you can find just lying around on the ground. And that means you can make your own (temporary) fast travel network.

The only place you can’t build a Flame Altar is in the eponymous Shroud. Speaking of which…

Treat the Shroud like another biome

The Shroud is, as the game says, a “ruinous fog.” You’ll usually find it in the low-lying areas of the map, but it pops up in random locations as well. Entering the Shroud means you become Enshrouded (hey!) and a timer starts counting down. When the timer runs out, you die.

Image: Keen Games

And that all makes the Shroud seem worse than it actually is. Sure, there are (slightly) nastier enemies there and your time there has a limit, but it’s not an instant death sentence. In fact, there’s a lot of useful stuff that you’ll only find inside the Shroud — like Shroud wood and torn cloth.

With a little time and not too much work, you’ll increase the timer up to nearly 10 minutes. And that means you can treat the Shroud like just another biome. Respect the timer, but don’t avoid going there out of fear.

When you’re not traipsing through the Shroud or marching off on a quest for one of the other survivors, you’ll need a home base. Which brings us to Enshrouded’s best feature…

Spend some time on your base

There’s just something super satisfying about Enshrouded’s building mechanics. There are a ton of pieces to assemble in a variety of sizes. Play around with the shapes and how they fit together. Building up (and out) your base is just as satisfying as the exploration and combat.

For more Enshrouded guides, learn where to find salt, where to find metal scraps, and how to make metal sheets.

Jeffrey Parkin

Source link

January 25, 2024
Palworld list of Pals, types, and base skills

Image: Pocketpair

Our in-progress list of Pals, along with their types and base skills

Continue reading…

Julia Lee

Source link

January 23, 2024
Can Barboach be shiny in Pokémon Go?

Barboach, the whiskers Pokémon from Hoenn, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Barboach can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Niantic

Whiscash sees some use in Great League PvP, but outside of that, Barboach and its evolution don’t have much meta use.

What is the shiny rate for Barboach in Pokémon Go?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Barboach is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

What can I do to attract more shiny Pokémon?

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.

Where can I find a list of available shiny Pokémon?

LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.

For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.

Julia Lee

Source link

January 22, 2024
What time does Diablo 4 season 3 start?
Diablo 4 season 3 is going from medieval horror to medieval… machinery? The latest season for Diablo 4 adds robots called constructs, vaults to plunder, and a little buddy that follows you around as a companion.

Here’s when Diablo 4 season 3 starts in your time zone, and details on what to expect from Diablo 4 season 3.

What time does Diablo 4 season 3 start?

Diablo 4 season 3 starts at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Jan. 23, according to a Blizzard blog post. Here’s when that is in your time zone:
- 10 a.m. PT for the West Coast of North America
- 1 p.m. ET for the East Coast of North America
- 6 p.m. GMT for the U.K.
- 7 p.m. CET for Western Europe/Paris
- 3 a.m. JST on Jan. 24 for Tokyo
Note, however, that Diablo 4 season 2 was delayed by a few hours due to a problem with the update. Blizzard quickly fixed the issue and launched Season of Blood that same afternoon. If Diablo 4 season 3 is similarly delayed, we’ll update this post with the season’s new release window.

What’s new in Diablo 4 season 3?

Much like the seasons before it, Season of the Construct is all about adding new items, activities, and temporary features to Diablo 4. And while this isn’t a full expansion (that’s not coming until later this year, so don’t expect a new region or class just yet), it looks like there’s still plenty of stuff to tuck into with Diablo 4’s first robo-season:
- Zoltun Kulle — that jerk from Diablo 3 and one of the first Horadrim — and his infernal machines will be the focus of a new questline
- Season of the Construct adds Diablo 4’s first ever companion: a customizable little robot pal called the Seneschal
- Vaults are a new activity where you can dive in and attempt to avoid traps for a chance at some bonus loot
- Take on new construct enemies in a new outdoor activity: Arcane Tremors
- Helltides are now always available, with only a short, five minute break between runs — one of many quality of life changes this season
- Leaderboards and the new, weekly Gauntlet dungeon come to Diablo 4 in February.
- The Seasonal Realm will once again feature both a free and paid version of the battle pass, each granting various cosmetics.
Ryan Gilliam

Source link
January 21, 2024
All Grand Theft Roblox Codes (January 2024)
Updated January 16, 2024

We looked for extra codes!

In GTA San Andreas, we used cheats to get by when the game was too hard. Well, there are no cheats in this game, but there are Grand Theft Roblox codes you can use to get a boost. Therefore, we’ve prepared a list of them just below, and even highlighted the working ones to save you some time.

All Grand Theft Roblox Codes List

Grand Theft Roblox Codes (Working)

Grand Theft Roblox Codes (Expired)

How to Redeem Codes in Grand Theft Roblox

Image Source: Screenshot by Twinfinite

Follow the instructions below to redeem Grand Theft Roblox codes:
1. Open Grand Theft Roblox on Roblox.
2. Press the Codes button on the bottom-left.
3. Type your code into the text box.
4. Click on Redeem! to claim your freebies.
How Can You Get More Grand Theft Roblox Codes?

The developer, Skudya, posts the newest codes and updates on his Twitter/X profile. Unfortunately, there is no official Discord server for the game, and the main Roblox Group seems to be disabled due to a penalty that the dev received.

Anyway, going through a bunch of irrelevant posts just to find a couple of working codes is a huge waste of time. What you should do instead is bookmark this article. We update the Working list regularly, so drop by once in a while to see whether there is a new code.

Why Are My Grand Theft Roblox Codes Not Working?

If your code isn’t working, a couple of things could’ve happened. Here are the most common reasons:
- Spelling error – Codes are often case-sensitive and mix letters, numbers, and special characters. If you want to avoid spelling mistakes, copy and paste the codes instead of typing them out.
- Expired codes – The developers rarely specify them, but each code has an expiry date. Use codes that you find immediately to avoid them becoming invalid.
- Already used codes – If a code is already used, the game will give you an appropriate notification. If there are a lot of codes for a game, typing the same code multiple times can be a time-waster.
Related Article: Roblox Da Hood Codes

Other Ways to Get Free Rewards in Grand Theft Roblox

Here is a list of sources for free stuff in Grand Theft Roblox:
- Lucky Wheel – Access it by clicking the Wheel button on the right. Every 30 minutes, you’ll receive a free spin. Also, there is a 5% chance of getting a Golden Desert Eagle, so spin it as often as you can.
- Exclusive Sniper – You will see an interactable object with this label next to your spawn. To get the rewards, you will have to kill 10/50/100/200 players. Don’t forget to redeem these once you reach a kill target, as they are extremely valuable.
We will update as more free stuff becomes available. On a side note, cash that you get from codes is best used for upgrading the droppers in the early game, so don’t waste it on doors, windows, and walls.

What is Grand Theft Roblox?

Grand Theft Roblox is a PvP and tycoon-oriented Roblox experience inspired by GTA San Andreas. Your main goal is to upgrade your base, grind different weapons, and challenge others to relentless PvP.

Ultimately, the end goal is whatever you make it to be. I would start with server domination and defeating all the other players on the map.

Those are all the codes and tips to get free stuff in Grand Theft Roblox. For more articles like this, check out the Roblox section of our website. Also, if you haven’t already, check out Secret Base Tycoon, as it’s a similar tycoon PvP-oriented experience.

About the author

Aleksa Stojković

Aleksa is a passionate gamer with an extraordinary ability to solve puzzles in video games, which is not surprising considering his sudoku addiction. He also has a love-hate relationship with League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2.
Aleksa Stojković

Source link
January 16, 2024
What time does FFXIV patch 6.55 release?
Final Fantasy 14’s Endwalker patch cycle is coming to a close, but there’s still a bit more in an upcoming patch. Patch 6.55 will be the last update for Endwalker that includes story or any substantial content and it launches soon.

Below, we explain the launch time for FFXIV’s patch 6.55 update and talk a little bit about what the update will have.

When does FFXIV patch 6.55 release and come back online?

FFXIV’s patch 6.55 will be playable starting at these times on Tuesday, Jan. 16:
- 2 a.m. PST for the West Coast of North America
- 5 a.m. EST for the East Coast of North America
- 10 a.m. GMT for the U.K.
- 11 a.m. CET for west mainland Europe
- 7 p.m. JST in Japan
Maintenance for the game will start 24 hours before this — so at the same times above on Monday, Jan. 15.

That said, since the game is going to go down on Monday morning before the patch is live, you should make sure you have all your weeklies done ahead of time. If you’ve been putting your Thaleia clear off to the last second, then go run it now before you miss out on that sweet coin.

What content is going to be in FFXIV patch 6.55?

Patch 6.55 will contain the last bits of content for the Endwalker patch cycle. It’ll have a short bit of main scenario quest that’ll show some set-up for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion.

There’ll also be new additions to the Tataru’s Grand Endeavor side quest line, a new trial, and new Hildebrand quests. Since there’ll be more Hildebrand, that naturally also means that there will be a new step to complete for your Manderville weapon. There will also be allied tribe quests, a special quest line you can only complete if you maxed out reputation on the Endwalker tribes (Arkasodara, Omicron, and Loporrits).

There will be some tiny updates to come between 6.55 and Dawntrail, including the crossover event for Final Fantasy 16. Based on previous expansion patch cycles, we’ll also get drop restrictions for Thaleia and the last tier of Pandaemonium removed in future small patches as well. These small patches will likely also have quality-of-life changes and bug fixes, but no big content additions beyond that.
Julia Lee

Source link
January 13, 2024
Can Eevee be shiny in Pokémon Go?

Eevee, the evolution Pokémon from Kanto, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Eevee can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image sources: Niantic/The Pokémon Company

Ah, yes, Eevee, the most annoying Pokémon to evolve in Pokémon Go (though Dusk Form Lycanroc might be up there, too). Depending on which “Eeveelution” you want, the Eevee evolution method can be pretty bad. If you’ve already used the name tricks — which allows you to evolve your Eevee into a specific evolution if you name it something specific — Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon are all RNG. The others, however, require more specific methods, like using a Glacial Lure for Glaceon. If you have shiny Eevee and specifically want a shiny Vaporeon… good luck!

What is the shiny rate for Eevee in Pokémon Go?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Eevee is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

What can I do to attract more shiny Pokémon?

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.

Where can I find a list of available shiny Pokémon?

LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.

For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.

Julia Lee

Source link

January 8, 2024
Pokémon Go ‘Timeless Travels’ Special Research and rewards
A new Pokémon Go Special Research set has launched now that we’re in a new season. Named after the season, “Timeless Travels” will be available to anyone who opens the game and starts the research during the season, which ends March 1, 2024.

The research is meant to be completed over the span of the season, so you don’t need to rush. (You won’t need to rush in general, since it’ll be permanently available after unlocking.) That being said, there’s some pretty good rewards in here and the tasks just involve you pretty much playing the game as you would normally anyway.

You can check out the list of steps and rewards for the “Timeless Travels” Special Research below.

‘Timeless Travels’ step 1 of 14
- Catch 25 Pokémon (3 Charged TMs)
- Make 15 curveball throws (15 Poké Balls)
- Catch 15 different species of Pokémon (3 Fast TMs)
Rewards: 1,000 XP, 500 Stardust, Pikachu encounter

‘Timeless Travels’ step 2 of 14
- Catch a Pokémon on 7 different days (2,500 XP)
- Earn a heart with your buddy on 7 different days (2,500 Stardust)
- Visit PokéStops on 7 different days (2,500 XP)
Rewards: 2,000 XP, 500 Stardust, 1 Poffin

‘Timeless Travels’ step 3 of 14
- Open 10 gifts (5 Razz Berries)
- Send 10 gifts to friends (5 Pinap Berries)
- Catch 20 different species of Pokémon (25 Great Balls)
Rewards: 3,000 XP, 1,000 Stardust, Eevee encounter

‘Timeless Travels’ step 4 of 14
- Catch 3 Pokémon (1,000 XP)
Rewards: 1,000 XP

‘Timeless Travels’ step 5 of 14
- Hatch 3 eggs (5 Razz Berries)
- Power up Pokémon 10 times (15 Poké Balls)
- Explore 10 km (5 Pinap Berries)
Rewards: 1,000 XP, 750 Stardust, 1 Egg Incubator

‘Timeless Travels’ step 6 of 14
- Complete 10 Field Research Tasks (2,500 XP)
- Power up Pokémon 10 times (10 revives)
- Earn 15 hearts with your buddy (2,500 Stardust)
Rewards: 2,000 XP, 750 Stardust, Rockruff encounter

‘Timeless Travels’ step 7 of 14
- Catch 25 Pokémon (15 Ultra Balls)
- Use 25 berries to help catch Pokémon (3 Fast TMs)
- Catch 20 different species of Pokémon (3 Silver Pinap Berries)
Rewards: 3,000 XP, 1,000 Stardust, and 1 Premium Raid Pass

‘Timeless Travels’ step 8 of 14
- Catch 3 Pokémon (1,000 XP)
Rewards: 1,000 XP

‘Timeless Travels’ step 9 of 14

“Professor Willow is currently performing an investigation regarding this research. Check back soon!”
Julia Lee

Source link
January 5, 2024
The Best ‘Marvel Snap’ Meta Decks – January 2024 Edition – TouchArcade

Another month, another complete overhaul in the hierarchy of Marvel Snap (Free) decks. Between balance adjustments and some powerful new cards, pretty much everything has changed from the last time we put together a guide for you all. Is it a good thing? A bad thing? I don’t know. I’m only here to show you how to win. Remember as ever: today’s winning deck could be tomorrow’s flat champagne. These guides are one way to keep your finger on the pulse of the scene, but they aren’t the only method you should be using.

Note that most of these decks are the best of the best at this point in time. They assume you have access to a full range of cards. I’ll once again be including the five strongest Marvel Snap decks of the moment, and I’ll throw in a couple more decks that don’t need things that are too hard to get and are just sort of fun to play with. You know, a little variety and all of that.

So yes, as mentioned, some big balance changes this last month. Some decks have had to go back to the drawing board almost completely, and the new cards from the Marvels and Hellfire Gala events have given players even further reasons to rethink the cards they’re including. The Planet Hulk event will probably see a lot more changes, but only time will tell how that will all settle. Let’s see what’s sitting at the top of the rankings at the moment.

Thanos & Lockjaw

Included Cards: Lockjaw, Killmonger, Wave, Shang-Chi, Devil Dinosaur, Leech, Vision, Blob, Thanos, Skaar, Magneto, Death

Despite the name this carries, this deck has a lot to do with one of the biggest cards to hit in the Hellfire Gala season: Blob. The strategy here is a familiar one. Get Lockjaw out, and start throwing low cost cards (hello Infinity Gems) at him to try to pull one or more of your very powerful cards. There’s plenty of insurance packed in here, including Killmonger to clear the Gems when you don’t need them anymore, Wave to get a strong card out earlier if Lockjaw doesn’t come through, and Shang-Chi and Leech to counter your opponent’s cards. You’ll need a lot of rare cards to pull this one together, but if you can? Oh boy.

The Infinaut & She-Hulk

Included Cards: Sunspot, Nebula, Misty Knight, Shocker, Magik, Caiera, Cyclops, High Evolutionary, Leech, She-Hulk, Hulk, The Infinaut

Here’s another new card that is already making waves: Caiera. She protects your 1-Cost and 6-Cost cards, making cards like Sunspot and Nebula almost foolproof plays. Anyway, this is an interesting deck because it relies on building a few foundations and then skipping turns to make that excess Energy work for you. Magik gives you an extra turn to engage in such shenanigans, which should be more than enough time to get She-Hulk and either Hulk or The Infinaut out there. And again, with Caiera in tow those 6-Cost monsters are absolutely unstoppable.

Darkhawk & Friends

Included Cards: Korg, Iceman, Shadow King, Zabu, Jeff, Rogue, Rock Slide, Darkhawk, Ms. Marvel, Iron Lad, Leech, Doctor Doom

This is relatively close to a popular deck from last month, and it’s a familiar play for long-time Snappers. Stuff your opponent’s deck with Korg and Rock Slide to pump up Darkhawk, and use the rest of your cards to mess with your opponent’s strategy as much as possible. No matter who Iron Lad copies, it’ll be helpful. You’re probably noticing Leech cropping up often this month. He’s a great counter to some monster last-turn plays like Blob, and as far as insurance goes he’s about the best thing going right now.

Lockdown

Included Cards: Nebula, Echo, Iceman, Jeff, Silk, Storm, Mobius M. Mobius, Ms. Marvel, Iron Lad, Vision, Alioth, Doctor Doom

Nothing too new here. It’s mostly the same Lockdown type we’ve seen for ages, with a few tweaks to adjust for the latest balance changes. Use Storm and Nebula to persuade your opponent to put their cards where you want them to, use your moving cards to capture locked locations, hope Iron Lad copies one of your big-pants cards, and finish up with either Alioth or Doctor Doom as the situation calls for. You’ll have to be a little careful because this deck doesn’t really have any good counters for certain decks and cards. You’ll have to take the initiative and keep your opponent on their heels.

The Living Tribunal

Included Cards: Zabu, Ravonna Renslayer, Mystique, Magik, Cosmo, Jubilee, Super Skrull, Ms. Marvel, Iron Lad, Iron Man, Onslaught, The Living Tribunal

This is an interesting one. The Living Tribunal is one of those cards that is played infrequently enough that a lot of players don’t see it coming. The idea is to pump up the power as much as you can at one or two locations, preferably one where your opponent isn’t focusing. You can dissuade them from playing there with Cosmo. Zabu, Ravonna, and Jubilee will help you get your big cards out earlier, and Iron Lad will again be helpful if he copies just about anyone. Ideally you can get Onslaught out to boost the power output of Ms. Marvel and Iron Lad, then play The Living Tribunal on your last turn to likely take all the locations you need in order to win.

And now, a couple of fun decks for those still climbing up the collection ladder or who simply want to try something different.

Black Knight Discard

Included Cards: Black Knight, Blade, Zabu, Jeff, Rogue, Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Sera, Magneto, The Infinaut

Fun with Discard! Obviously, the aim here is to time it so that you play Black Knight and then discard either Magneto or The Infinaut so that you get a 4-Cost Ebony Blade with big-pants power. Then you can use Ghost Rider to bring that big card back into play on top of it. Throw in Jeff, Rogue, and Shang-Chi as insurance policies and you have a deck that takes a little attention to play well but offers great rewards. So far this is my favorite use of Black Knight, a card I want to find more uses for than I generally do.

Budget Big Cards

Included Cards: Sunspot, Agent 13, The Collector, America Chavez, Armor, Sentinel, Cosmo, Jubilee, Moon Girl, White Queen, Devil Dinosaur, The Infinaut

Another revisit of a past budget deck, and the only real change here is what America Chavez’s role is in it. Previously, she was your final turn surprise if you couldn’t get Infinaut out. Now, she just boosts the card on the top of your deck. Arguably, this is more useful for new players. While she used to provide solid late-game punch, she’ll now have more of an effect earlier in the game. The same old strategy applies here. Agent 13, Moon Girl, and White Queen feed your Collector and Devil Dino. Jubilee hopefully gets lucky and pulls something cool. Cosmo messes with your opponent and helps you control where they play. Armor protects your big guns and Sunspot from destroyers. It will take you far enough when you’re starting out.

And that’s it for this month’s deck guide. We’ll return with another one of these in February to see where things stand after the Planet Hulk event has fully played out and a month’s worth of balance changes have done their thing. Will we see the rise of a move-based deck into the upper ranks after the remaining cards for the month release? We’ll find out next time. Happy Snapping!

Shaun Musgrave

Source link

January 5, 2024
Pokémon Go ‘Eggs-pedition Access: January’ research steps, and is it worth it?
“Eggs-pedition Access: January” is a ticketed limited timed event during Pokémon Go season “Timeless Travels”.

For $4.99, it unlocks a Timed Research that will be available until Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. in your local time.

The Timed Research steps, ticket bonuses, as well as whether or not it may be worth it, is discussed below.

What are the ‘Eggs-pedition Access: January’ ticket bonuses?

As well as the Timed Research, the ticket also gives you these bonuses until the end of the January:
- 1 single-use Incubator for your first spin of the day
- Triple XP for your first spin and catch of the day
- Gift opening limit increased to 50 per day (up from 20)
- Gift sending limit increased to 150 per day (up from 100)
- Gift storage limit increased to 40 gifts (up from 20)
‘Eggs-pedition Access: January’ Timed Research quest steps

You have until the end of the month to complete the following Timed Research:

Step 1 of 4
- Catch 30 Pokémon (2,500 XP)
- Catch 15 different species of Pokémon (2,500 XP)
- Transfer 20 Pokémon (2,500 XP)
Rewards: 2,500 XP

Step 2 of 4
- Use 25 berries to help catch Pokémon (2,500 Stardust)
- Send 5 gifts to friends (2,500 Stardust)
- Hatch 3 eggs (2,500 Stardust)
Rewards: 2,500 Stardust

Step 3 of 4
- Earn 25 hearts with your buddy (5,000 XP)
- Open 5 gifts (5,000 XP)
- Catch 20 water- or flying-type Pokémon (5,000 XP)
Rewards: 5,000 XP

Step 4 of 4
- Make 30 curveball throws (5,000 Stardust)
- Explore 5 km (5,000 Stardust)
- Evolve 10 Pokémon (5,000 Stardust)
Rewards: 5,000 Stardust, Togetic encounter

Is the ‘Eggs-pedition Access: January’ ticket worth it?

If you love hatching eggs, then yes — the ticket is worth it for the incubators alone. If you spin a stop every day, you’ll get 31 single-use Incubators, which means you can hatch 31 eggs. 31 single-use Incubators equal about 10 regular Incubators (which are priced at 150 PokéCoins individually, meaning 1500 PokéCoins for 10 Incubators costs approximately $15) making it a good deal for $4.99. You will have to remember to spin a PokéStop every day to make the most of this deal, though.

Meanwhile, the increases in gift storage, sending and sending is particularly useful for players who routinely trade gifts en masse. Regularly opening gifts and levelling friendship is one of the best ways to get XP in Pokémon Go, so if you want to maximize your gains, then this is well worth factoring into the price of the ticket.

Otherwise, if you are buying this for research alone, it offers just a smattering of Stardust, XP, and a single Togetic (which was found regularly in the wild over the recent December Community Day weekend), which are rewards which you will gain through regular play with little effort.
Matthew Reynolds

Source link
January 3, 2024
Fortnite Crew Pack and skin for January 2024
Fortnite Crew is a monthly subscription service for Fortnite.

Members who subscribe to Fortnite Crew receive access to the current Battle Pass, a top up of V-Bucks to their account, and perhaps most importantly, exclusive cosmetics through the Fortnite Crew Pack.

As an additional incentive to keep subscribing, you also receive bonus Legacy Styles for certain skins for each additional month you remain a subscriber.

What is the Fortnite Crew Pack and skin for January 2024?

The Fortnite Crew Pack for January 2024 is the Silas Hesk set, and features Silas Hesk (skin), The Serpentine (back bling), and the Fangs of Hesk (pickaxe).

Image: Epic Games

The skin has a number of Legacy Styles to unlock the longer you keep your Fortnite Crew subscription — with a total of six styles (across five additional months) to unlock.

You have until the last day of the month to claim the skin — you can see the following section for the exact time for when each Fortnite Crew Pack changes — from which point it’s then unavailable to new subscribers.

At least, for now; Epic has said “previous Crew Packs’ items may be made available again to Crew members at a later date,” but practically, if you have your heart on a certain pack, be sure to subscribe and claim while you can.

Fortnite Crew release date and time: When does each new Fortnite Crew Pack release?

Each new Fortnite Crew Pack is available on the last day of each month for the proceeding month at the following times:
- 4 p.m. PST for the west coast of North America
- 7 p.m. EST for the east coast of North America
- 12 a.m. GMT for the U.K. (the following day)
- 1 a.m. CEST for western Europe/Paris (the following day)
- 8 a.m. JST in Japan/Tokyo (the following day)
For example, Nov. 2023’s pack (featuring the Drakon Steel Hybrid skin) was released on Oct. 31 at the above times in the Americas, and on Nov. 1 elsewhere.

This means if you’re thinking of subscribing for the first time, it’s worth starting just before the above date and time to ensure you get the current Fortnite Crew Pack before it changes over.

What is Fortnite Crew?

Fortnite Crew is a subscription where, for $11.99 each month, you’ll receive the following:
- Access to the current season’s Battle Pass
- 1,000 V-Bucks
- The latest Fortnite Crew Pack (with an exclusive skin and “at least one” matching cosmetic accessory)
- The next Legacy Style for any unlocked Fortnite Crew skins
- Rocket Pass Premium for Rocket League
As with all V-Bucks purchases, your currency could be locked to the platform you chose to start subscribing, so choose carefully. (At the time of writing, Nintendo Switch is the only platform where your wallet won’t be shared across other platforms.)

What happens if I cancel Fortnite Crew?

If you cancel Fortnite Crew, you’ll keep all unlocked Fortnite Crew Pack cosmetics — including Legacy Styles — as well as any awarded V-Bucks and Battle Passes earned during that period.
Matthew Reynolds

Source link
January 1, 2024
Can Snorunt be shiny in Pokémon Go?

Snorunt, the snow hat Pokémon from Hoenn, can be found in the wild in Pokémon Go. Yes, Snowrunt can be shiny in Pokémon Go!

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Niantic

Note that if you have a Snorunt, it can only evolve into a Froslass if it’s female. If you’re specifically hunting for a shiny Froslass, you’ll need to win an additional 50/50 coin flip to get the right gender. Good luck!

What is the shiny rate for Snorunt in Pokémon Go?

As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), the shiny rate for Pokémon on a regular day is approximately one in 500. Snorunt is not a confirmed Pokémon that gets a “permaboost” (meaning that it’s a rare spawn and thus gets a boosted shiny rate).

What can I do to attract more shiny Pokémon?

Not much, unfortunately. It appears to be random chance. Shiny Pokémon catch rates are set by developer Niantic, and they are typically only boosted during special events like Community Days or Safari Zones, or in Legendary Raids. There are no consumable items that boost shiny Pokémon rates.

Where can I find a list of available shiny Pokémon?

LeekDuck keeps a list of currently available shiny Pokémon. It’s a helpful visual guide that illustrates what all of the existing shiny Pokémon look like.

For more tips, check out Polygon’s Pokémon Go guides.

Julia Lee

Source link

December 18, 2023