Author | Lightnews

Sparking Ideas with Oscilio

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · 14d

Abby explains the choices that carried her Oscilio to 3rd place at Battle Hardened: Chicago.
rathetimes.com/articles/spa...

Abby explains the choices that carried her Oscilio to 3rd place at Battle Hardened: Chicago.

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · 22d

Hot take: Your deck should have at least 1 card that wasn't on the netlist.

On Language Revitalization and the Importance of Māori Pleiades

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · 22d

@fabtcg.com has done something historic with their latest chase card. Our resident linguist explains why.
rathetimes.com/articles/on-...

By printing a card in the Māori language, LSS has done a remarkable thing. Take it from a linguist.

Re-Armed and More Dangerous Than Ever: Kayo Super Slam Updates

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · 24d

I don't understand why it needs an acronym at all. Like, sure, Classic Constructed is CC and Living Legend is LL; but Blitz is Blitz, and Commoner is Commoner. Can't Silver Age just be Silver, if we can't type 2 words? (Sage is fine too, but Silver is so much more... exactly what it is.)

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · 26d

Kayo is going to make a Show of Strength this Pro Quest season. Take a look at the new cards that are set to make the deck go Buckwild!
rathetimes.com/articles/re-...

Kayo is going to make a Show of Strength this Pro Quest season. Take a look at the new cards that are set to make the deck go Buckwild

With Super Slam, Revered and Reviled join the Talent pool, leading some to question, "What qualifies as a Talent?"

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Sep 23

With Revered and Reviled added to the pool, what even is a Talent anymore?
rathetimes.com/articles/wha...

What Is Talent?

The Old Ways: A Complete Guide to Boomer Ira

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Sep 12

Midrange Ira has been a staple of the wider game for years, but only recently has she joined the Classic Constructed format. Learn everything there is to know about the Boomer build in our latest Pro Series article (for Rathe Times subscribers).
rathetimes.com/articles/col...

Midrange Ira has been a staple of the wider game for years, but only recently has she joined the Classic Constructed format. Learn everything there is to know about the Boomer build.

The budget for a Cindra deck may give pause, but it's prime for teaching some intermediate skills and strategies to a young player.

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 29

The budget for a Cindra deck may give pause, but it's prime for teaching some intermediate skills and strategies to a young player.
rathetimes.com/articles/jun...

Junior League: Cindra

Thoughts and Baubles: Sympathy for the Villain

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 25

And this is why they pay you the big bucks. Fire delivery.

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 25

Thank you for the quote and reshare! Personally, I know I made a careful policy of not pushing Sandscour Azalea on my locals too often, lest they resent her disruption. It probably held me back from doing bigger things with her - it's hard to get in the reps!

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 25

Thanks Jonathan! If I did a better job keeping my mindset local, I'd be calling on LSS to reign in Dorinthea, Fang, and Riptide! I have some great local talent on those heroes!

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 25

You love to hate them, but I ask you: can you find it in your heart to sympathize with the plight of the powerful and overplayed?
rathetimes.com/articles/tho...

You love to hate them, but I ask you: can you find it in your heart to sympathize with the plight of the powerful and overplayed?

Pummel Protocol: Old Teklo, New Tricks

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 17

Sometimes the best fix for a broken machine is a good club upside the dome.
rathetimes.com/articles/pum...

Sometimes the best fix for a broken machine is a good club upside the dome.

Table for 4 with Smash Palace

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 8

Two writers enter the Smash Palace at GenCon 2025. Has LSS finally solved multiplayer FAB?
rathetimes.com/articles/pla...

Two writers enter the Smash Palace at GenCon 2025. Has LSS finally solved multiplayer FAB?

Navigating the Game with Compass of Sunken Depths

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Aug 5

Find your bearings with these heuristics on Compass activations.
rathetimes.com/articles/nav...

Find your bearings with these heuristics on Compass activations.

Cutting the Strings: A Guide to Dagger Marionette

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jul 28

Andrew Henderson took Dagger Marionette to Top 4 at Battle Hardened: Minneapolis. His deck tech marks the latest addition to our Pro Series (for Rathe Times subscribers).
rathetimes.com/articles/cut...

To master Marionette, begin with the daggers.

Thoughts and Baubles: Living Legend Comes For Us All

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jul 26

Sometimes, LL just hits different. How do you build a new identity when your main rotates?
rathetimes.com/articles/tho...

Sometimes, LL just hits different. How do you build a new identity when your main rotates?

With a budget of $60, this series sets out to build Armory decks in the style of LSS' official offerings.

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jul 18

Slippy is the hot deck of the weekend, but can you build a Slippy deck on a budget? Our latest 60 for 60 sets out to try!
rathetimes.com/articles/60-...

60 for 60: Arakni

Serving Vengeance with the Ira Armory Deck

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jul 11

Picking up the Armory Deck today? Ayli explains how the Armory Deck has added an entirely new archetype to an already-versatile hero.
rathetimes.com/articles/ser...

Ira is reinvented once again with the latest Armory Deck.

High Seas Huntress: A Marlynn Deck Tech

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jul 5

Marlynn may not have made a name for herself yet, but it doesn't mean she's not cooking. Learn the essentials and grab a decklist while you're at it!
rathetimes.com/articles/hig...

Learn the essential skills of the Pirate Ranger and overpower the opposition.

In 2025, Verdance has blossomed into a multifaceted hero with several branches to success. In this Pro Series piece, Ayli identifies the variants and explains that makes them bloom.

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jun 27

In 2025, Verdance has blossomed into a multifaceted hero with several branches to success. In this Pro Series piece (for Rathe Times subscribers), Ayli identifies the variants and explains that makes them bloom.
rathetimes.com/articles/cul...

Cultivating Verdance

Full Steam Ahead: Locking in on Puffin

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jun 20

What does it take to prep a Preview Hero for a major event on release weekend?
rathetimes.com/articles/ful...

What does it take to hone a preview hero ahead of a major event? Abby gives us the inside look at the trials of developing Puffin for US Nationals.

Leylines of the Watery Grave

The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jun 19

Armory Headlines:
"Azalea Leaves It All on the Table with a Full Leyline"

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The Rathe Times @rathetimes.bsky.social · Jun 14

Gravy Bones, the breakout hero of High Seas, brings graveyard gameplay to Flesh and Blood. New author Ashelin Pepper Gadal is here with a deck that makes the most of Gravy's colors.
rathetimes.com/articles/ley...

Gravy Bones, the breakout hero of High Seas, brings graveyard gameplay to Flesh and Blood. New author Ashelin Pepper Gadal is here with a deck that makes the most of Gravy's colors.