The Hanzo Ninja Clan Presents: Just Do It!

25104

Some folks like to tell others it's money that wins the game, or high levels, or any number of things, depending on their perspective. The truth is, success in the game is the result of many things, not just 1. Not every option will be available to every player nor is each option as crucial as some may believe. The key isn't which options you use to power your toon as much as how much you exercise those options.

As most of you know, I have spent a large portion of my time here teaching others how to improve their toons. Even my biggest haters that tell folks not to listen to me and think they are better than me, learned from me. I honestly used to get a lot of $#!+ for teaching others. But those of you who remember me from SHC know I have always had a place in my heart for the little guy. I've always enjoyed showing those that think they can't, that they can. Some players, ones that reached out to me and became friends despite not being affiliated in game and possibly even being on opposing teams, garnered personal attention from and access to me, and have managed to reap the benefits. My personal favorite Podwan is Princess Sarai, by Reggie Brumsey.

Reggie was already running a couple well known budget toons before I taught him some of my tricks he used to create Sarai. He totally fit the bill for me when it came to picking a Podwan. He checked off all the checkmarks. He was a budget player. He played with enough dedication to be just below the big spender whales despite not spending a fraction of what they did. He enjoyed the game and always sought to improve despite not being one of the uber elites. Win or lose, he was having fun. And he stuck by his friends. He's been with Brute Squad since it started. And honestly, he's one of the most humble and likable players in the game. I am glad I took a chance on him, because our friendship has been just as valuable to me as my knowledge has been to him. And the results of my knowledge and his efforts are undeniable. One just needs to look at the pic provided that shows him beating a VERY EXPENSIVE toon from my own league, that also happens to be a good bit ahead in levels as well. Lvl 674 Sarai vs lvl 938 Magnificent Punlork. I'm not going to lie. Despite him beating my leaguemate, that gets me excited and certainly makes me proud of the part I played in Reggie's Sarai project. Sarai should get all of you excited too. She's proof that you can do it too. She's proof it isn't as much about money or levels as it is about knowledge and the players themselves.



My toon Neo Hanzo is a far cheaper toon than many of those he beats, and most of the money spent on him was to power level him from a lowly micro level 20 to hitting the level cap in under a year, so that I could replace OG Hanzo with a better designed toon as fast as possible. For example, over 60% of my hero's friendlist is hired henchmen. I have only targeted 3 Shuffles in that time, to hunt specific gear that went with his build. The vast majority of his card deck is free cards gained through game play. Only about 10 to 15 % of his cards are bought MP cards, though the ones I did spend MP to acquire are damn good ones.

There are 3 factors that build a good toon. Money and time are the most well known, but not the most important. Knowledge is the most important. Knowing where to spend your money and how to spend your time is what will determine how well that time and money is spent. The 1st two certainly help, but it's the last one that will make the real difference. So don't listen to the naysayers or the excuse makers. Don't listen to the ones complaining that they can't. Listen to the ones doing what the others say can't be done.

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The Mountain Before You

By: 25104

Well, League Wars is over. Some are elated with celebration. Others crushed with defeat. Sometimes, it can be a daunting task looking at other players and teams and seeing the mountain that lays between you and victory. Maybe they spend more money. Maybe they spend more time playing. Maybe any number of things. And one might ask themselves, what is the point? I can't beat this daunting opponent before me. But that's not true. While it is true I spend more than many, the truth is, at the level I play at, among the likes of Avengers, Villains Inc., OG WMD, and Chaos Theory, I'm the budget toon. But I still find success through a combination of smaller quantities of money, time spent playing, and time spent studying and contemplating all aspects of the game. Players like Javee/Stinkfist have proven one can be successful and a champion with no money at all. I recently built a toon in under 3 months for less than $1k (much of which was spent on HQs and teammates) that holds its own against 4 year old toons with $5k+ invested in them. A lot of folks will tell you these mountains can't be climbed. I'm telling you they can. The difference between them and guys like Javee or myself is they say it can't be done, while we say watch us make it happen. That, an openess to study and learn, and an attention for detail are really all it takes.

Back in my 20s, I used to play table top miniatures war games. I was well known in Texas because I traveled all over it looking for an opponent that could beat me. I was a world champion later, so it was a tough search. I went into a venue to compete and most knew who I was, except this one older guy in a wheelchair missing a foot. Everyone told him before our match I was unbeatable. Before our match, he watched me wipe out every opponent within minutes of starting each hour long round. It would have been easy for him to give up faced against a giant that was on his way to becoming a world champ. But that's not what happened. Instead, he used equipment in his army no one had ever used effectively in my presence before. I smirked at his army, confident in my assured victory. He quietly, and humbly played his army against mine. We went the whole hour. When the points were counted up, even though I had killed more troops, he killed more points. He won. It was the best battle of my entire career in the game, and I lost to some guy no one knew who couldn't afford to travel to compete in state, national, or world championships. Just some regular poor Joe, missing a foot and in a wheelchair, against all odds, took out someone who was soon to be crowned the best in the world.

There's a now famous painting called "Checkmate". It shows a man playing chess against the devil. He is clearly distraught because he is about to lose. During a showing of this painting, a chess world champion took interest in the painting and stated either the painting needs to be redone, or else the name changed, because, as far as the world champion chess player was concerned, the man had 1 more move that would instead give him victory.

Sometimes,....... OFTEN, the devil is in the details. Victory is found in looking closely and seeing what others don't. A lot of my victories in games or life didn't come because I was better. They came because I was dedicated. Because I was willing to study harder and learn, really explore possibilities. And when it came time to compete, perhaps my tools weren't as expensive as my competition's, but I had more of them. So when you look at that mountain, and you can't see victory, keep looking. Keep looking for what everyone else isn't seeing.

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