DICE THRONE: AVENGERS VS X-MEN

The Grandmaster, one of the ageless Elders of the Universe, to amuse himself has mysteriously spirited away to a distant battle arena some of Earth's mightiest heroes from the Avengers and X-Men. They are challenged to participate in a fighting competition against one another where the ultimate winner may take a seat on the powerful Dice Throne which shall grant the champion any wish he or she desires. Achieve victory with your favorite hero in the Marvel edition of Dice Throne, a fast-paced game that involves both strategy and luck where players roll dice and utilize a hand of cards to defeat opponents.   

Which Marvel hero will you choose to champion in the Grandmaster's Dice Throne tournament?

AVENGERS

BLACK PANTHER

Black Panther is the ruler and protector of Wakanda, a job fit for a king. With the help of the heart-shaped herb granting him legendary power, harnessed by his vibranium suit, T’Challa protects his people as the latest in a legacy line of Black Panther warriors.

T’Challa's complexity level is 2 out of a 6-point scale. His most basic attack is swiping opponents with vibranium claws causing 4-pts of health damage. His most dangerous attack is Wakanda Forever! which is a dice roll that provides him with vibranium suit and kinetic energy special effect tokens as well as impacts an opponent with 11-pts of damage. The Black Panther also has a defensive ability of dealing points of damage back to an attacker when he is being assaulted.

The Marvel edition of Dice Throne has been created by The Op Games under license from Roxley Games. To play the Black Panther in Dice Throne games, the Marvel 2-Hero Box [Captain Marvel / Black Panther] must be purchased. The heroes included in The Op Games Marvel themed packs are compatible to also be played against the characters from the standard Roxley Games version of Dice Throne. So, Roxley Games characters such as Barbarian, Shadow Thief and Vampire Lord can also be incorporated into gladiatorial battles versus The Op Games available Marvel heroes.

BLACK WIDOW

Trained from a young age in the Red Room, Natasha Romano grew up to be a master spy and physical combatant with no peers. After years of working alone, she found an ally in the Avengers, where she now fights crime under the moniker Black Widow.

Natasha has a hero complexity score of 4. That means compared to T'Challa who is a bruiser and basher direct attackers, Black Widow has more special abilities to finesse against opponents which make playing this character a bit more complicated. Beginner players may want to start with characters that have a 1 or 2 complexity level, move up to those with a 3 or 4 score when they have a few Dice Throne games under their belt and move up to 5 and 6 tiered characters when they've begun mastering gameplay. 

The Black Widow's basic attack is a baton strike that inflicts 5-pts of damage. Her most lethal attack is when a favorable dice roll allows for a Widow's Bite which allows her to activate two ability upgrades and put them into play while also causing 10-pts of damage. Black Widow also has the defensive abilities to either deal or prevent damage when she is attacked depending on her roll of the dice during an opponent's attack.

Natasha is available in The Op Games Marvel 2-Hero Dice Throne Box [Black Widow / Doctor Strange]

CAPTAIN MARVEL

After an alien device mutated her DNA, Carol Danvers transformed from a brilliant pilot into one of the most powerful Super Heroes in the universe. Now soaring among the stars, Carol Danvers is known as Captain Marvel! 

Carol has a complexity level of 2. Her most basic attack is a proton punch that deals 5 points of damage. Her most powerful attack is a Binary Blast of which this roll of the dice provides her with cosmic ray, radiance, and cosmic flare special ability tokens and deals out 12-pts of damage on an opponent. On defense, depending on her roll of the device she has the chance to deal or prevent damage in relationship to an opponent's attack.

Carol Danvers is available in The Op Games Marvel 2-Hero Dice Throne Box [Black Panther / Captain Marvel]

DOCTOR STRANGE

After an accident removed Doctor Stephen Strange’s fine motor skills from his hands, the renowned surgeon looked beyond traditional medicine for healing and found the mystical arts. What he was not expecting was to become the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth’s preeminent defender against interdimensional threats.

Doctor Strange has a complexity level of 5. His most basic attack allows him to utilize a Deja Vu special ability and cause 8-pts of damage on an opponent. His most powerful attack ALL-SEEING EYE allows a player to look through their card deck, pick two spells and cast them. In addition to the results of the spells, the dice roll also causes 10-pts of damage in addition to any other health reductions on an opponent that have occurred during the turn. On defense, Stephen can trigger various special abilities based upon the roll of the dice. 

Doctor Strange is a very powerful but also complicated character to play. For those players who have a high comfort level in the card play and special token aspects of Dice Throne, Stephen Strange can dominate the gladiatorial arena. He is available in The Op Games Marvel 2-Hero Dice Throne Box [Black Widow / Doctor Strange]

LOKI

Ok, Loki may be more of an anti-hero than hero but we've seen him take on both heroic and villainous roles within the Marvel universe. So, he lumped in with the Avengers for this game though it would be awesome if The Op Games created a Marvel Villains box in the future with the likes of Doctor Doom, Kingpin, Magneto, and Venom.

Prince of Asgard, rightful heir of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, Loki is burdened with glorious purpose. He prefers facing his enemies by indirect means such as illusions, lies, manipulation, and trickery all in his pursuit of the Throne of Asgard as well as the ultimate subjugation of Midgard. He has a complexity level of 4.

Loki's basic attack is a staff strike dealing 6-pts of damage. His most dangerous attack is Glorious Purpose which inflicts a Spellbound negative effect on an opponent's future ability to attack him while dealing 10-pts of damage. Being a trickster, Loki also has a bag of tricks special effect that can play a big role in the outcome of turns. Defensively, when Loki is attacked his roll of the dice can trigger a number of different special abilities. Loki is the perfect character for those players who like to incorporate strategy and utilize special abilities rather than just bash an opponent with overwhelming force. 

Loki is available in The Op Games Marvel Dice Throne 4-Hero Box [Scarlet Witch, Thor, Loki & Spider-Man]

SCARLET WITCH

With powers that can manipulate reality itself and the meddling of unseen forces, Wanda Maximo’s real origin is a mystery. Blessed with the ability to manipulate chaos magic, she took a while to find her place in the world, but now Scarlet Witch has found a new family with the Avengers.

Wanda has a complexity level of 4. Her basic attack is a hex bolt that deals 4-pts of health damage. Her most powerful attack is Sealed Your Fate! which a certain roll of the dice will allow her to gain Conjure and Probability Manipulation special ability tokens, inflict Reality Warp, and additionally cause 12-pts of damage. Defensively, various roll of the dice allow her to trigger different special abilities. When it comes to Wanda Maximo it is all about the Chaos Magic!

The Scarlet Witch is available in The Op Games Marvel Dice Throne 4-Hero Box [Scarlet Witch, Thor, Loki & Spider-Man]

SPIDER-MAN

After being bit by a radioactive spider, Miles Morales decided to follow in the footsteps of his hero, Spider-Man. With similar powers as the original Spider-Man, plus the ability to turn invisible, Miles patrols the streets of Brooklyn while still trying to graduate high school!

Spider-Man has a complexity level of 2. Miles basic attack is a 4-pts damage punch. He has a whopper of an attack though in his Venom Shockwave which gains him an invisibility token, inflicts webbed effect on an opponent and additionally deals 13-pts of damage. Because of his spider-sense, Miles also is allowed two defensive rolls of the dice one which lets him give back damage to his attacker and the other allows him to block damage from an attack.

Mile Morales is available in The Op Games Marvel Dice Throne 4-Hero Box [Scarlet Witch, Thor, Loki & Spider-Man]

THOR 

Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. These were the words Odin inscribed on the mythic hammer Mjölnir before casting it and his son Thor into the realm of mortals, Midgard. Upon retrieval of the hammer, Thor regained all his powers as God of Thunder and uses them to protect all of the Nine Realms.

Thor has a complexity level of 3. His basic attack is to hammer an opponent causing 4-pts of damage. For Asgard is his most powerful attack which allows him to throw or retrieve Mjölnir up to four times in addition to dealing 14-pts of damage. Defensively, his roll of the dice determines if he will obtain special ability tokens or be able to prevent receiving damage points from an attack.

Thor is available in The Op Games Marvel Dice Throne 4-Hero Box [Scarlet Witch, Thor, Loki & Spider-Man]

X-Men

CYCLOPS

Scott Summers is the stalwart leader of the X-Men. He reaches deep into the pouches of his mind to craft battle plans that will focus fire on the many foes he faces. While his powerful optic blast decimates many an enemy, Cyclops' leadership is the true weapon against those who fight the X-Men!

Scott has a complexity level of 4. His basic attack is hand-to-hand combat inflicting 4-pts of damage. His most powerful attack is the Optic Blast which gains him Battle Plan and Support special ability tokens, inflicts Focus Fire, and additionally provides 11-pts of damage. A roll of the dice on defense allows him to either deal or prevent points of damage.

Scott Summers is available in The Op Games Marvel X-Men Hero Box 2 [Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue & Jean Gray/Dark Phoenix]

DEADPOOL

Bring the hijinks and wise cracks Deadpool is known for to your Dice Throne matches. Eat donuts to earn extra health! As a special ability say a cool or funny onomatopoeia to earn the ability to alter your dice roll configuration. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors against your opponent to activate special abilities. Add some hilarity to Dice Throne with Deadpool!

Deadpool has a complexity level of 3. His basic attack is to pew pew an opponent with finger guns causing 6-pts of damage. His most powerful attack is breaking the Fourth Wall where he can gain a positive status effect from his opponent and deal 14-pts of damage. Defensively, the right dice roll can trigger his mutant healing power.

If you want to get into role playing and act out as a character, Deadpool is the character you want to be. Deadpool is available in The Op Games Marvel Dice Throne Deadpool "Deluxe" Expansion.

JEAN GRAY

Often considered one of the most powerful psychic minds, Jean Grey carries the burden of containing the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force. When it is corrupted, she becomes the Dark Phoenix and is nearly unstoppable. Jean Gray has a complexity level of 6.

Jean's mind attack is her basic offensive move causing 4-pts of damage. Her ultimate attack gains her force field and acuity special ability tokens and deals out 12-pts of damage. After her first turn, Jean flips back and forth each subsequent turn with her Dark Phoenix persona which creates complexities for playing as this character. Defensively, her roll of the dice can prevent damage from an attack or inflict it upon her opponent. It can also allow her to gain Flame Blast special ability tokens.

Jean Gray is available in The Op Games Marvel X-Men Hero Box 2 [Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue & Jean Gray/Dark Phoenix] 

GAMBIT

Remy LeBeau, the man with the red eyes, also known as ‘Le Diable Blanc’, began his life as a thief indebted to Mr. Sinister. But in the X-Men, Gambit found his true home. With his favorite weapon, a deck of kinetically charged playing cards, he’s a hero with highly explosive results.

Remy has a complexity level of 6. Gambit utilizes a lot of special ability tokens that combine with dice rolls and card play making him a hard character to master, but if you can be at ease with juggling these feats, Remy LeBeau can dominate the battle arena. His basic move is the bo staff strike inflicting 5-pts of damage but his Le Diable Blanc attack allows him to accelerate four times, gain dissolution, inflict disruption, regain an Ace card and deal 11-pts of damage to overwhelm an opponent. As you can see, he has a lot of abilities that can impact a match beyond just the results of the role of dice. Defensively, he can also inflict damage, heal himself or gain special abilities based upon the roll of the dice.

Remy LeBeau is available in The Op Games Marvel X-Men Hero Box 2 [Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue & Jean Gray/Dark Phoenix] 

ROGUE

Without the capacity to control her mutant ability to absorb memories and powers through touch, the young woman known as Rogue was once on a dark path. However, Rogue has successfully redeemed herself as a heroine and became influential among the X-Men!

Rogue has a complexity level score of 3. Her basic attack is brawling which impacts 4-pts of damage. Her high altitude attack lets her gain 1 combat point and 2 skyward special ability tokens, inflict 3 influence feats and deal 11-pts of damage. Defensively, depending on the roll of the dice she can deal out damage, prevent damage or gain special ability tokens.

Rogue is available in The Op Games Marvel X-Men Hero Box 2 [Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue & Jean Gray/Dark Phoenix] 

ICEMAN

Bobby Drake likes to keep it cool as he glides through combat, freezing opponents in their tracks. Sometimes even your greatest weapons will turn to frozen cubes of ice. Don’t let his chill demeanor fool you; he might just freeze the day.

Iceman has a hero complexity score of 4. Frostbite is his basic attack dealing out 5-pts of damage. Ice storm is his attack to be feared. It allows him to store 5 ice shard, inflict 2 dice cube and deal out 13-pts of damage. Defensively, he can roll dice deal back damage to attackers as sometimes the best defense is a good offense. 

Bobby Drake is available in The Op Games Marvel X-men Hero Box 1 [ Iceman, Psylocke, Storm & Wolverine]

PSYLOCKE

Crafting weapons of telekinetic power, Betsy Braddock manifests her psychic control in the form of powerful weapons, such as daggers. Her agile maneuvers leave opponents paralyzed and her mind can reach deep within her enemy to scramble even their most well-planned defenses.

Betsy has a complexity level of 3. Her basic attack is a lunge that deals out 5-pts of damage. Otherworlder attacks are the ones to be most feared allowing her to gain agility, inflict paralyze and give out 11-pts of damage. Defensively she has the ability to gain extra playing cards or special ability tokens on the results of a dice roll.

Betsy Braddock is available in The Op Games Marvel X-men Hero Box 1 [ Iceman, Psylocke, Storm & Wolverine]

STORM

As one of the most revered X-Men, Ororo Munroe calls forth all manner of weather to aid her teammates and to upset enemies. From her command of lightning to the very wind itself, Storm soars above all that she surveys.

Storm has a hero complexity level of 4. A lightning attack is her basic move dealing 5-pts of damage. Opponents need to fear her Tempest which provides her with 2 tornado and a wind shear special effect tokens and inflicts 12-pts of damage. Defensively, a roll of the dice can provide her with tornado or lightning special effect tokens.

Ororo Munroe is available in The Op Games Marvel X-men Hero Box 1 [ Iceman, Psylocke, Storm & Wolverine].

WOLVERINE

From the northern wilderness of Canada hails one of the gruffest, most irascible brooding X-Men you’ll ever meet. But the only thing more intense than his cynical posture is his savage rage. Wolverine has a complexity level of 2. With his adamantium claws and healing factor, with Wolverine there isn't much strategy at play, you just rush at your opponents and beat the hell out of them!

His basic move is a claw swipe that inflicts 4-pts of damage and renews him with 2-pts of health. Beware his berserker rage which deals out 12-pts of damage while healing him 3-pts. Defensively, an attacker will be hit with a point of damage for each claw die Wolverine rolls to counter an assault. Wolverine also has an "alpha male" feature that has an intimidating impact on his opponents. A fan favorite X-Men comic book character that has been made to be easy and fun to play in Dice Throne bouts. 

He is available The Op Games Marvel X-men Hero Box 1 [ Iceman, Psylocke, Storm & Wolverine].

Are you ready to rumble?! The fight is just getting started as the Avengers and X-men compete to win the Grandmaster's Dice Throne prize. Who do you think will come out on top?

Stay tuned because for the next few weeks, I'll be playing out a weekly match with the Marvel Dice Throne characters to select a winner for the Grandmaster's tournament. Future posts will provide a summary of each match's gameplay and dive more into features like characters' attacks and special abilities. First up: Thor versus Storm! 

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X-MEN JOIN DICE THRONE

We've had some fantastic family game nights playing The Op Games expansion of Roxley Games' Dice Throne which has characters from the Marvel superhero universe battle in gladiatorial duels. In The Op Games Marvel edition of Dice Throne, players can have battles such as Thor vs Loki, Black Widow vs Black Panther, Spider-Man vs Captain Marvel, or Doctor Strange vs Scarlet Witch. This dueling game involves the tactical use of unique character abilities and the manipulation of dice rolls to determine offensive and defensive actions to battle your opponent. It is a fun, fast-paced game that is complemented by fabulous artwork incorporated into its components.

Now one of my favorite Marvel superheroes is joining the Dice Throne fray. The Op Games and Roxley Games have teamed up for a Kickstarter campaign which will include Wolverine and eight other X-Men into Dice Throne duels as playable characters. Wolverine, Deadpool, Psylocke, Iceman, Storm, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit, and Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix. These X-Men can engage in gladiatorial combat versus prior Marvel character packs released by the Op Games (4-Hero Box [Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Loki & Thor], 2-Hero Box [Black Panther & Captain Marvel] and 2-Hero Box [Doctor Strange & Black Widow] or any of the other characters released directly from Roxley Games such as Cursed Pirate, Moon Elf, or Santa Claus. We've had some epic family game night battles between Thor and Santa Claus! 

In addition to adding nine new heroes to use in traditional Dice Throne duels, the X-Men Kickstarter is adding a new gameplay mode. Marvel Dice Throne Missions is a more of a traditional board game format. Players can utilize the X-Men or other Marvel characters previously available exclusively through usaopoly. In Marvel Dice Throne Missions, players navigate a tabletop game mat to complete missions that involve solving puzzles, achieving objectives, fighting henchmen, and ultimately facing a top tier Marvel Villian in an epic boss battle. An exciting way to utilize Game Throne components in a fun new way!

The Kickstarter also includes as add-on purchases, painted miniature gaming figures of the featured X-Men characters as well as Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Loki and Thor from prior Marvel Dice Throne character packs. Other add-ons you can purchase through this Kickstarter campaign are acrylic game tokens, card sleeves, collapsable dice trays, and neoprene playmats.

Are you geeked about the X-Men joining Dice Throne? If so, don't miss out on this Kickstarter! The Marvel Dice Throne X-Men Kickstarter campaign comes to an end on Monday, November 6, 2023 at 11:45 pm ET. Get your pledges in!

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MARVEL UNITED X-MEN EXPANSION

Excelsior! The MARVEL UNITED games is such a blast to play and I am so geeked that now you can expand upon the gameplay by adding mutant heroes and villains into the action. Up to now the focus has been on Avengers-based characters but with new expansion packs Alpha Flight, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four, X-Men and more can join in the action.

I arrived home to find my dog guarding a crate of MARVEL UNITED expansion packs I ordered through a pledge in a Kickstarter campaign for the game. The artwork on these game box covers is super! I need to figure out a nice way to display this amazing art as part of storing these games when they aren't being played. If you have some suggestions tweet them out to me at @Geekdad248!

The elements of these expansion packs to MARVEL UNITED are similar to its original gameplay. A cooperative game where players team up to defeat a villain's master plan. Players must manage their own deck of action cards while moving around a gameboard to complete missions and combat evildoers. It is essential to work together to achieve victory because when players unite in combining actions it can result in some spectacular outcomes.

While a lot has stayed the same, these X-Men themed expansions also have some upgrades to the game. Now you can have a player control the villain in manipulating their master plan rather than just have everyone in the role of heroes. Also, some of the included miniature figures included for gameplay, anti-heroes, can be utilized as heroes or villains. Additionally, heroes now have more special effect cards available to add more comic book style action to the game and each hero has a trigger that when a certain scenario occurs unlocks a unique ability. These changes should make the game more exciting to play!

CORE X-MEN BOX

There is a core X-Men themed game box that is required to play the game unless you have the original Avengers themed core box for MARVEL UNITED. You need to have one or the other or both to play the game or utilize any of the expansion packs that are available for the game. The X-Men core box includes deck building cards, board locations, gameplay dashboards, and miniatures of heroes Wolverine, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Beast, and Professor X; anti-heroes Magneto and Mystique; and villains Sabretooth and Juggernaut. MARVEL UNITED: X-MEN is available on Amazon.com.

In addition to the core X-Men MARVEL UNITED box, through pledging on Kickstarter I received a huge box filled with additional bonus characters from Alpha Flight, Excalibur, New Mutants and more. 

Plus, Oldman Login and '80s era Storm were bonus characters that I received for going all in and purchasing all of the available expansion packs through the CMON MARVEL UNITED Kickstarter campaign for the game's X-Men focused adventures.

FIRST CLASS

One of the new expansion modes available through the Kickstarter campaign allows you to play as the original X-Men. Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Iceman team up against Magneto's twin children, from the 1960s comic book stories not more recent Marvel Cinematic Universe tv shows and movies, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. In addition to adding playable characters this expansion also  includes four more locations to add to your game board.

GOLD VS BLUE EXPANSIONS

Two other expansion packs add future generations of X-men characters that followed the First Class. My goal was to be able to put together the X-Men team from the mid-1980s when I was a diehard reader of the comic books for several years in elementary and middle school. Yes, I'm an '80s kid! With these two expansion packs I was able to add Colossus and Rogue to go along with Cyclops and Wolverine from the X-Men core box as well as Nightcrawler, Storm, Kitty Pryde and Lockheed in my Kickstarter bonus box. Now I have the team back together time for some nostalgic fun!

THE HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE 

How will my '80s X-Men fare against Famine, War, Pestilence and Death? The Horseman of the Apocalypse lets you battle against the world's oldest and one of the mightiest mutants along with his four henchmen in a multi-stage scenario that provides for challenging and intense gameplay. If they can't beat Apocalypse and stop his master plan than there are numerous other characters from these new MARVEL UNITED expansions to incorporate into the game. How do you think Alpha Flight, New Mutants or X-Force would do? Or how about the Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy from the first MARVEL UNITED release would stand up against Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen?

SENTINALS 

When it comes to X-men battles you really need to be able to have a fight against Sentinals. And MARVEL UNITED: X-MEN doesn't let us down! The Days of Future Past expansion provides a number of these gigantic mutant hunter robots for players to engage with. Players are really going to have to work together and give it their all to defeat these techno terrors!

DEADPOOL

The Merc with a Mouth makes an appearance in the X-Men MARVEL UNITED expansions too. Deadpool has his own expansion pack. It really is a zany scenario that fits in with the madcap exploits of this character known for breaking the fourth wall of media and being a goofy smart aleck. This expansion will provide a zany time!

FANTASTIC FOUR

Now that the movie rights for the Fantastic Four have returned to Marvel the first family of comic books is once again in the publisher's good graces which means we are starting to see more of them including inclusion in MARVEL UNITED. This expansion pack lets you try to spoil the plot of my favorite Marvel comic books villains ... Doctor Doom! A master of both the mystic arts and mechanical technology, it will be no easy task to defeat Doctor Doom.

THOR

I didn't get the THOR expansion in the original MARVEL UNITED Kickstarter and regretted it. With the new Thor movie coming out this summer, I wanted to add the character to my Avengers roster for MARVEL UNITED games. So, was glad to get a second chance to get my hands on it though this X-Men MARVEL UNITED Kickstarter campaign.

I'll be sharing more information about these and other MARVEL UNITED expansions as have the opportunity to dig into all these boxes and enjoy playing game sessions. Stay tuned to ageekdaddy.com for more updates as I get the chance to play MARVEL UNITED with family and friends. Note the game pieces come unpainted so keep an eye on my Instagram and Twitter feeds for occasional pictures of this amateur painter adding some color to them.

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STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT 2 NERF RIVAL

Nerf's RIVAL series of toy guns definitely aren't the foam dart blasters many of us associate with the toy brand.  These toys up the intensity of playing with them a notch from foam darts providing for a paint ball type experience without the mess.  Meant for teenagers and adults, Nerf RIVAL blasters project high-intensity rounds that have an incredible 100 feet per second velocity.  These are great for people who really enjoy getting competitive when it comes to Nerf blaster battles.

Star Wars fans who want to get into the Nerf RIVAL action won't want to miss out on getting themselves a Boba Fett inspired APPOLLO XV-700 + Face Mask set available exclusively from GameStop.  This STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II branded special edition Nerf set has a spring-action powered RIVAL blaster with a detachable magazine that can be loaded with the seven high-impact rounds that are included in the package.  It also comes with a Boba Fett face mask and an embroidered Mandalorian insigna patch.  All of the items in this BATTLEFRONT II video game themed Nerf RIVAL pack have a color scheme based upon the notorious Mandalorian bounty hunter from the Star Wars movies .. who happens to be one of my all-time favorite sci-fi characters!

In addition to all the great gear, the STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II Nerf RIVAL package comes packaged within a reusable box.  Flip open the box and there is an impressive image of Boba Fett inside on the lid.  When not using the equipment place it in the plastic sleeve inside the box and combined with the mural you have yourself a nice display case.  Or close it up and know your Nerf RIVAL APPOLLO XV-700 blaster, ammunition and face mask are all stored up in one place and ready to go the next time you want to use them.



Who here is a Deadpool fan?  Gamestop also has a Nerf RIVAL pack based upon the Merc with a Mouth from Marvel Comics.  You are sure to be a menace in any RIVAL competition sporting the duel KRONOS XVIII-500 blasters in this Deadpool themed Nerf set.  Each pistol has an easy to load magazine that holds five high impact rounds.  The set includes 10 rounds of ammunition and a specially decorated storage box that also makes a nice display case.  No face mask with this set but you get an extra pistol compared to the Boba Fett pack.

For more information about these themed Nerf RIVAL blaster sets, please visit gamestop.com

PSA by Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds encourages people to "touch themselves" on Valentine's Day

Deadpool the movie about a wise-cracking, foul mouthed mercenary with a love for chimichangas from the Marvel comic book universe who has mutant powers that provide him with accelerated healing through enhanced cell regeneration so that he is never permanently injured, but which also has the side-effect of causing him to suffer from psychosis and mental instability, arrives in theaters across the United States on February 12, 2016.  While not as well known with mainstream audiences as  pop cult icons such as the Avengers and Spider Man, Deadpool has become one of Marvel's most popular characters with teen and adult comic book readers.  An interesting aspect of the comic book, which is also being incorporated into the film by Ryan Reynolds who is portraying Deadpool, is that the character has an awareness that he is a fictional character, breaking the so-called fourth wall of media, and often communicates directly to audiences with humorous quips that have bestowed upon him the nickname "the merc with a mouth."  While this film will most likely be an action-packed, joke-filled adventure that will appeal to Deadpool's comic book fans due to obscene behavior, sexual content, and violence this is not a movie to take children to go see.  I let my son sit on the movie's promotional display for a picture but that is as close as he is going to get to Deadpool.  That being said as a big comic book fan, I'll probably be picking up the movie when it is out on DVD to watch myself after the kids have gone to bed one night.

To promote Valentine's Day weekend debut of the movie, Ryan Reynolds has released a true-to-character PSA filled with Deadpoolish smart ass bravado and sexual innuendo encouraging men to "touch themselves."  Actually though there is an important message here (actually complete with diagrams)  as Reynold's promotes awareness of testicular cancer, which primarily impacts the young men who are the key audience for the film, and urging us guys to do self exams because early identification is crucial for treatment.  So whether or not you plan on seeing this movie, this Deadpool video does have some important details making it really worth a view for boys and men between the ages of 15 and 35 years old.



Of course not all comic book fans are men, and Deadpool didn't want to leave out the lovely ladies this Valentine's Day.  So here's a PSA on breast cancer from Deadpool (complete with charts and graphs) on how to do a self exam because early diagnosis can greatly improve a person's chances in combating the disease:



While Deadpool may be a bit silly, he is addressing a very serious topic. So go ahead and touch yourself this Valentine's Day! Your doctor would want you to do it, your family would want it ...and Deadpool would want it too!

Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore

This Christmas a whole bunch of people in our family received coloring books for presents and none of them were children.  My college-aged niece, wife, and mother-in-law all received coloring books during our family's gift exchange.  Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore.  Many adults are beginning to take coloring up as a hobby and books with intricate patterns and detailed drawings are beginning to skyrocket up the publishing industry's best seller lists.

Health professionals are encouraging this new trend noting that for adults taking some time out to color can reduce stress, spark creativity, maintain fine motor skills, help keep your mind sharp, and can be just plain fun to do.  Several studies have shown that coloring can also have a therapeutic value in dealing with anxiety, cancer, depression, and post-traumatic disorders.  We have a cupboard full of coloring books that my kids are always using but I can't recall the last time I spent some time doing some coloring.  During my last routine doctor's visit, my physician warned me that my blood pressure was starting to become troubling so maybe I should take some time to relax a bit with one of these new adult focused coloring books.

This video shares some information about the benefits for adults when it comes to enjoying a coloring book:



While many of these adult focused coloring books are marketed to the ladies there are plenty of selections that will appeal to guys as well.  Plus with the popularity, and profitability, of this new trend a bunch of new coloring books are on their way to retailers to join the existing ones that are already on store shelves.  Here are a few suggestion that dads, and moms, who enjoy the geeky side of life will probably appreciate:

Art of Coloring Star Wars: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation 

This coloring book is filled with pen-and-ink illustrations that portray exotic sci-fi landscapes, elaborate patterns inspired by the movies, and memorable characters from the Star Wars universe.

Secret New York: Color Your Way To Calm

Color your way through the boroughs of New York City with this book filled with images of everyday life in the Big Apple. 

Coloring Dragons

This coloring book is filled with fantastic imagery of these mythic beasts from John Howe, the concept artist for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.



Color Your Own Age of Ultron

Comic books aren't just for kids anymore and neither are coloring books.  Marvel has published a coloring book aimed at adults who enjoyed last year's blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. Also coming out in 2016 will be Color Your Own Deadpool and Color Your Own Civil War based upon those two upcoming movies.



The Official A Game of Thrones Coloring Book (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Ideal for any fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO's Game of Thrones, this coloring book contains forty-five exclusive illustrations of the characters and places in Westeros.

Creative Haven Steampunk Devices Coloring Book

30 illustrations of flying machines, locomotives, submarines, watches and other curious contraptions with a steampunk flair.

Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure & Coloring Book

Wonderful pen and ink illustrations take you on an underwater adventure through coral reefs and barnacle-studded shipwrecks to discover intricate shells and lost pirate treasure.  The sea life and backgrounds are as colorful as you want to make them.

Highlights Hidden Pictures: A Coloring Book for Grown-up Children

My grandma who was a librarian used to always give me a Highlights Magazine subscription for my birthday when I was a child.  Now this iconic children's brand has a publication featuring a nostalgic collection of Hidden Picture puzzles meant for a grown up audience.  Color the puzzles for a relaxing activity that will remind you of the fun you had as a kid doing the hidden picture puzzles in Highlights Magazine.

Plus coming out soon will be:

Doctor Who Coloring Book

This book features 96 pages filled with some of the best quotes from the television series and out-of-this-world images featuring the escapades of Doctor Who that will delight any Whovian.

Harry Potter Magical Creatures Coloring Book

Discover the magical beings and extraordinary beasts from the world of Harry Potter in this 96 page coloring book.  It also includes a selection of concept art and film stills from the making of the Harry Potter films to your coloring creativity.

There is even a Walking Dead coloring book based upon the AMC television show coming out in the Fall of 2016.

If you haven't colored in awhile with selections like the ones mentioned above you won't need to use your child's Care Bears, Paw Patrol, or Scooby Doo coloring book to have some fun....although there's nothing wrong with using a kiddie one if you want to.  Hey its all about relaxing and having fun! So get out those crayons, markers or colored pencils and embrace your inner artist.