This Buffalo, NY native is one for the books. Katie, when she isn’t running around with friends or posting on social media, enjoys working hard and having fun. She knows that a lot guys check out her great booty and that doesn’t bother her. In fact she goes out of her way to make sure all of her fans and followers on Instagram have a happy hump day. This natural blonde has ambition, drive and killer looks. Sounds like the perfect candidate for Slickster Girl of the Week. Change my mind.
Girl of the Week - Katie Niedz
Slickster Magazine features one stunning model per week.
Mya Massimi loves going to raves and dancing. All of that movement and music keeps her booty in top notch shape. She doesn’t mind guys checking her out when she wears a thong bikini… just don’t be creepy about it. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to maintain her figure, but when she is shaking to the rhythm it doesn’t feel like work at all. In the meantime check out her gallery here and be sure to follow her social channels (Listed below).
Girl of the Week - Mya Massimi
Slickster Magazine features one stunning model per week.
Betting Odds: Cejudo +180 or 7/4, Dillashaw -200 or 10/21.
Brief History of the Flyweight Division
ESPN is kicking off its coverage of the UFC in style, the last scheduled fight in the Men’s Flyweight division is the most exciting match-up the 125lb weight class has ever seen, having only been introduced in 2012 the division has failed to take off unlike the 135lb & 145lb weight divisions which have produced consistent talents participating in classic fights.
The lack of interest stemmed from a dominant champion who was winning fights with ease removing the entertainment value, had Demetrious Johnson been a polarizing character like a Jon Jones or a Conor McGregor he may have had a different angle to engage viewers but he is largely a humble champion who refuses to engage in the sort of behaviour that receives widespread media coverage.
That personal choice was good for Johnson’s legacy not so much for the UFC’s pay-per-view numbers, ultimately his lengthy reign as champion more than likely caused the axe to be dropped on the 125lb weight class.
Demetrious Johnson vs Henry Cejudo 2
Johnson’s record of 11 title defences (most UFC title defences of all time) was cut short by the ever-evolving former Olympian Henry Cejudo. Cejudo had previously been defeated by Demetrious Johnson in April of 2016, it was clear during that fight Cejudo wasn’t quite ready for a fighter of Johnson’s calibre.
In the two years leading up to the rematch, Cejudo made huge improvements to his skill-set. His striking was more technically polished & that has allowed Cejudo to use his wrestling more effectively to control fights, in the end, the wrestling was the deciding factor in earning a split decision victory over Mighty Mouse.
Watch the full fight in HD for a limited time below.
https://youtu.be/6vPyVUm4Tfg
The UFC Men’s Flyweight division had only seen one champion in its short history, after defeating Demetrious Johnson, Henry Cejudo became the second. He is also the only ever UFC Champion to have won an Olympic Gold Medal in any sport, extremely impressive considering Cejudo has only had 15 professional MMA fights.
T.J Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2
T.J Dillashaw is also coming off the biggest win of his career, a now two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion who’s only losses in the UFC have both come via debatable split decision. Dillashaw is never in a boring fight, his aggressive style makes for an interesting watch, as was the case for Dillashaw vs Garbrandt 2.
Watch the full fight in HD for a limited time below.
https://youtu.be/6u5AQZiPqCQ
After ending the rivalry with Garbrandt in style stopping his arch-rival twice within a year, Dillashaw has chosen to answer the challenge of Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo who called T.J out following his victory at UFC 227.
Curtain Call
Champion vs Champion fights are becoming more common in modern MMA, this one has a little more prestige attached to it because whoever wins will be remembered as the final flyweight titleholder. T.J Dillashaw is the one switching weight classes so he has the opportunity to become a double champion, a feat only 3 fighters before him have managed to achieve.
It’s not all bad news for Henry, he has the advantage of fighting within his own weight class, adding T.J to his resume is a big incentive in itself. If Cejudo manages to win he would be an immediate contender for the 135lb title which will surely be Henry’s next move regardless of the result when the 125lb weight class closes.
This is an extremely high-level fight, it may not be getting the coverage it deserves but that is no indication of how good these two fighters are, Demetrious Johnson was considered for a time the best ever, Cejudo was the man to beat the man, T.J had been chasing a fight with Johnson with no luck, Demetrious wasn’t interested, now he gets to fight the man who dethroned him.
To come back and beat an all-time great two years after being destroyed in a round takes something special, an incredible amount of self-belief, courage, & competitive desire, Cejudo and Dillashaw hate to lose, the story of their careers is a testament to that. There’s some similarity in their path’s if you look at their records, took losses early in their career but used it to learn and improve, both dealt with adversity in Championship fights to still go on and win.
The Flyweight Division gets to close the show in style, the first event to be broadcast on ESPN, Champion vs Champion, & a contest finally worthy of the main event spot.
Eilene Nazareno is from the islands of the Philippines. This lovely pinay can’t wait to wear her bikini and take some photos. She works out a lot to keep her body trim and toned and enjoys traveling to new places.
Ever since his big money move to Old Trafford in 2017, Romelu Lukaku has accumulated his critics with his performances in a Manchester United jersey. The £75m signing from Everton has come under much scrutiny in the first half of this season in particular, whereby he had looked a shadow of his former self.
Lukaku has looked disinterested, lethargic and generally poor in many aspects of his play, but now Jose Mourinho has been relieved of his duties, Lukaku has a chance to reinvent himself again. But it hasn’t always been this way for the Belgium striker, his record was more than impressive last season.
Jose Mourinho
Lukaku scored 27 goals over 51 appearances in all competitions last season, with 16 of those coming in the Premier League. Admittedly, Lukaku did go missing when playing against United’s rivals and title challengers, arguably the start of his critiques.
Looking further back, Lukaku scored a total of 15, 10, 18 and 25 in his four years at Goodison Park which is a strong record but considering the quality of his team mates at United, he should be looking at a minimum of 20 league goals a season.
Since Mourinho’s arrival in 2016, United have gradually struggled and it’s almost as if Lukaku has been a victim of that. In reality, he is one of Europe’s best strikers who with some improvements to key elements of his game, would probably be deemed world class.
Romelu Lukaku
This season
Ultimately, it’s all about hitting the back of the net on a regular basis and the Lukaku has struggled so far this campaign. Although, he has scored since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the reins after Mourinho’s departure, and he’ll need to keep the goals flowing to re-establish himself as United’s main man.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
It feels like there’s a long road for Lukaku to go to hit the number of goals he knows he is capable of scoring, but with a lot of graft and hard work he’ll put himself in the right direction. Team mate Marcus Rashford has looked sharp since Solskjaer’s appointment and it’s something for Lukaku to replicate.
Marcus Rashford
Physically, Lukaku is one of the biggest in the Premier League and although he’ll never be the quickest, he has the attributes to be one of the league’s best ever strikers. He has encountered a niggling injury or two this season but being dropped as well under Mourinho, would have done his morale no favours at all.
The 25-year-old has the chance now to go on and prove his doubters wrong with a strong finish to 2019. A top-four challenge is looking increasingly likely and with Paris Saint-Germain coming in the Champions League, Lukaku should be looking to make a name for himself again.
Already, Lukaku is Belgium’s record goal scorer and has 108 Premier League goals to his name. Much of his best years are ahead of him and although he needs to rediscover his scoring touch, and first touch for that matter, he has it within his armoury to justify his hefty price tag.
Atlanta-based electronic composer James Pinkstone aka EveningShade.
James was making slick homages to the 80’s long before Survive blew the genre up via their Stranger Things soundtrack. The sounds of horror and sci-fi movies permeated his sense of self while growing up, instilling in him a nagging drive to capture those retro sounds, which he did privately for years, until founding EveningShade as conduit to release his digital soundscapes.
Slickster Magazine – Hey, James. Thanks for talking to Slickster. You’ve dropped four tracks of new Synthwave on Impulses, but it’s not clear if these are the teaser of a larger project or this is small stand alone release. Are there plans to expand on these four tracks?
JP – Hey, thanks for having me. I consider Impulses to be a self-contained unit, because each track—hopefully—paints a vivid picture with no words. I released a full-length EveningShade album in 2015 called The Hungry Night, and although it’s very Synthwave-influenced, it also relies heavily on lyrics. A lot of synth music fans have strong opinions about vocals, and whether they have a place, but I’m more interested in writing songs than sticking to the rules of a specific genre, even if they’re simply de facto rules. In the case of The Hungry Night, ten of the eleven songs were written with vocals. This time around, however, the songs didn’t call for vocals, so they make a nice little congregation together. Listeners are more able to get what they want out of the music without necessarily being told what each song is “about.” With one exception, of course, due to its title…
Slickster – Let’s talk The Terminator for awhile. “Making Love to Sarah Connor” is an homage to the 1984 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Micheal Biehn. Your track actually references a deleted scene in which Kyle Reese (Biehn) and Sarah Connor (Hamilton) fall in love and conceive the father of the resistance against the machines, John Connor. How did you come up with this track, and can you take us through the steps you took to produce it?
Kyle Reese & Sarah Connor share a softer moment in The Terminator.
JP – This was a fun one. I’ve always loved that movie, and even when I saw it at eight or nine years old, Brad Fiedel’s score spoke to me. Most of the music had a calculated, relentless feel to it, even when it boiled with urgency (like in the alley chase and garage chase scenes). It was usually about the machine as an unstoppable force. But then, when the film called for it, the music took a much more tender—sometimes nearly acoustic—tone. I always wanted to make something just as soothing, but more sensual and synth-driven, that could fit into the movie. This track is the result of that desire.
I started with the low piano sustain chords. Rather than the drums, they are the anchor that keeps the song grounded. They give each measure a low, dark pulse that slowly decays while the higher instruments skitter along like little, glowing embers filling in the gaps. From there, I wrote the two synth melodies that play off of each other: the tighter one, which is more staccato, and the acoustic synth layered overtop with the longer, overlapping notes. I had to consciously stop there, because in early drafts I tend to layer too many competing melodies on top of one another.
The drums were one of the last elements I added. I knew I wanted something reminiscent of a break beat—which, for some reason, I’ve always considered sexy—but not quite so saturated or loud. Something that moved the song along without dominating it. From there, I just layered some strings to thicken it up a bit.
Slickster – I’ve got to admit it; I keep a quote of James Cameron (Director of The Terminator) on my desk. I have no way of knowing if he actually said or wrote this, but it goes like this, “Hope is not a strategy. Luck is not a factor. Fear is not option.” It helps me to get motivated when I feel like hammered shit! Is there someone in your artistic career that helps to motivate you?
JP – There are a lot of people who motivate me, so it depends on the day. Sometimes it’s an idol, like Leonard Cohen or T.S. Eliot. More often, however, it’s a contemporary—someone who motivates me to be a better version of myself in order to keep up, or to compete, or to impress. Although most of my paying gigs involve digital composing, I actually came up in rock bands just like a lot of people did. Some of those people still have an influence on me, even years later. Melodies are melodies, regardless of the instrument, and I’m still trying to capture them any way I can.
Slickster – Fast forward now to 2019. Never mind that all the plot lines with The Terminator and Skynet have long come and gone. Machines aren’t self aware, but there is some radical new A.I. going on around the world and online. I was just in South Korea and saw the autonomous robots at the Seoul airport. They don’t look that scary. I’d say they look more like the maid in The Jetsons rather than the T-800. Do you believe that computers and/or machines could enslave and exterminate the human race someday?
JP – Sounds like a fun trip! I don’t think machines will enslave us, because we’d likely serve little purpose to them, and the robots themselves aren’t what’s frightening to me—it’s the software, and the fact that it’s connected to so many missiles, fuel tanks, and financial infrastructures. If they eliminate us, which they could right now, it would likely be accidental, or the will of certain people directing them. People are still the greatest thing to fear, especially since they keep getting better at making ways to kill us all.
Slickster – In the original Terminator movie, Sarah Connor’s character arc transforms her from a cute, Southern Cali damsel in distress, into a badass, machine-fighting, resistance solider. In the nineties, we catch up with a PTSD-suffering, much harder version of Connor. Now, in anticipation of Cameron’s third installment of the franchise he created, a promotional poster has shown not one, but three women as the stars in movie that was once considered the epitome of macho guy movies. Care to weigh in on this?
All female Terminator 6 promo poster.
JP – I’m eager to see what they do, because the cast looks great, but I’m trying not to get too emotionally invested. It’s been a long time since The Terminator, and I’m not sure the circumstances that came together to make something like that can truly be replicated. We can always hope, but the only expectations I’m putting on it is that it’s entertaining. I’m rooting for Arnie, though, too. He’s due for a real comeback.
Slickster –Let’s get back to Impulses.How has your music career developed to arrive at this point?Did you start out playing drums in garage bands or just love tinkering around with DAW and drum loops?
The back cover art for Impulses.
JP – About twenty-five years ago, I started with a guitar. I played in various punk and indie bands, but tooled around on other instruments when I needed to convey an idea in a demo. Even then, writing was my favorite. More than gigging, more than self-promotion, more than trying out new gear. There’s nothing as exciting to me as conveying a new idea at least somewhat closely to how it sounds in my head. Expressing those ideas, sometimes more successfully than others, as well as incorporating the happy accidents that resulted during the process, was what held my attention and drove my passion.
After college, when I realized I didn’t want a real job—and that a degree in English may not necessarily land me one anyway—I attended The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe, Arizona. It was an outstanding technical school, and my experience there showed me that what little I knew was an even smaller speck than I’d realized.
After audio school, from around 2002 through 2010, I was the Studio Manager—as well as an Assistant Engineer—at Nickel and Dime Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a “real” studio, and some of the talent that came through that building was staggering. My coworkers, especially Producer/Engineers Don McCollister and Kris Sampson, were gracious enough to let me leech off of their mastery and expertise.
Around roughly the same time period, I was in a gigging rock band called Variac as the bass player. Again, the players in that band taught me more through example than I could have ever hoped to learn on my own. After Variac broke up, I released a Jangle Pop album, called The Ridealong, under the name Pinkstone in 2008. It did OK on internet radio, which was encouraging, but I was becoming more and more of a hermit, which meant it was increasingly difficult to find the time to play with other instrumentalists.
Sometime around 2011, I started going back and listening to the synth music I’d always loved growing up but had been too intimidated to try to emulate. Audio school had helped me realize that these were just instruments, albeit a different kind. So when I revisited pioneers like Tangerine Dream and Space, I now understood how they did it—although I may never know how they did it so well. Then I heard Lazerhawk and Kavinsky and realized that there were amazing artists making music like this right now. I began experimenting with sequencing, and those demos went on to become The Hungry Night, EveningShade’s first album.
About five years ago, I started selling compositions to production companies for television, mostly commercials. By that point, most of my work had become “in the box,” i.e. written on a computer. I’m now at a point where my default is to launch Logic on my laptop rather than pick up a guitar.
Impulses front cover
Slickster – What advice can you share with young musicians who are just starting to learn about music and the creative process?
JP – When you have writer’s block, change instruments. Even if you can’t play anything else, the first and simplest idea you pound out on a foreign-feeling instrument will likely be the best one. You can always replay it, and expand on it, with your native instrument later.
Slickster – Who are a few of your favorite Synthwave musicians out there right now?
JP– Lazerhawk, Crockett, Tesla Boy, and Kaivnsky (still, despite how long it’s been). For the most part, these artists all have something in common: they write songs instead of just making a cool-sounding groove repeat for four minutes.
Slickster – What about your favorite 80s movie babes? Can you name a couple?
JP –Great question. Catherine Mary Stewart from Night of the Comet may get first place, but Linnea Quigley gets the lifetime achievement award.
Actress Catherine Mary Stewart
Slickster – Well, thanks again for talking with Slickster mag. James, is there anything else at all you’d like to promote, comment on, mention? ANYTHING GOES!
JP – If you enjoy Impulses, which I hope you do, please check out the 2015 EveningShade release The Hungry Night as well. On a few of the tracks, the amazingly talented Naomi Lavender sings, and her voice is a gorgeous instrument that almost sounds like a fragile woodwind. We’ve known each other for a long time, and she’s always had one of my favorite voices; I specifically wrote some of those songs with her in mind. I deliberately steered into the Synthwave cliche of driving at night and wrote a song called “Night Driving” that she performs beautifully. It may be the best-sounding thing I’ve done.
Slickster Mag – Last question. What is the most important message you’d like toshare with the world right now?
JP – The world needs to know that season one of the 1980s iteration of The Twilight Zone is way, way better than it gets credit for. “Wordplay” alone deserves a Pulitzer. You had Wes Craven and Harlan Ellison in their primes, Rockne O’Bannon, Alan Brennert, and more. It was a creative dream team. I could go on and on about it.
My review of The Predator from back in September, while the film still plagued theaters, can be viewed here. The film is one of the year’s biggest disappointments. Shane Black has written Lethal Weapon 1 & 2 and directed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and The Nice Guys. The thought of him writing and directing a Predator film screams potential, but the end result is underwhelming, unfunny, and dull. This franchise has no idea what to do with itself. Here’s an excerpt from my review:
“This was one of my most anticipated of the year and it left me feeling lethargic and bored regarding where this franchise goes from here. It’s a sad day when you have to admit that a new Predator film is barely better than the AVP films, but The Predator rips the spinal column out of this franchise and chooses stupidity and redundancy over an actual evolution.”
The 4K Blu-ray release of the film has a little over an hour of extras including four featurettes and four deleted scenes. The deleted scenes total just under seven minutes and aren’t anything worthwhile or substantial.
The Predator’s variation of a hot dog on a stick.
Deleted Scenes:
Traeger Meets McKenna: McKenna catches a soccer ball, which Traeger shoots a hole through before paying the kid it belonged to. Traeger says that he’s taking McKenna to either Six Flags or prison. McKenna says he doesn’t like roller coasters. Traeger chews gum and says, “A remote secure prison it is.”
Lynch Goes Shopping: Lynch bounces a ball as a bald guy on a motorcycle revs his motor. The guy calls Lynch a fairy after Lynch tells him to keep it down. Lynch wows a woman with a card trick before a guy spitting chewing tobacco into a water bottle interrupts. He claims to have RBGs and other weaponry Lynch may find interesting. The two leave together.
Surveying the House: McKenna and the five crazy prisoners he tags along with for the rest of the film sit outside McKenna’s house and watch his wife from outside as Traeger questions McKenna’s wife.
Nettle’s Outtakes: Augusto Aguilera’s lame outtakes from trying to hit on Olivia Munn’s Dr. Casey Bracket character.
I SAID I GOT GUM IN MY DREADS AND IT’S REALLY STICKY, OKAY?
The four featurettes are what make up the majority of the disc’s content:
A Touch of Black (10:28) highlights Shane Black’s involvement with the Predator franchise dating all the way back to the original film. The cast and crew attempted to stay true to the mythology of the franchise and gush over Shane Black’s work along with co-writer Fred Dekker. The cast views Black as being incredibly influential to films from the 80s. Also briefly covers the importance of the camaraderie between the core group and the chemistry between them carrying the film.
Predator Evolution (20:11) is the most worthwhile bonus feature on this disc. It’s a 20-minute dive into the special effects regarding the look of the Predators in the film. They wanted to expand on the iconic original design by Stan Winston. The featurette takes you through the design process of The Predator beginning with the sketching stages, finishing the concept art in Photoshop, and fleshing out those designs as clay sculptures. The sculptures allowed them to add all the intricate details in the skin and sometimes took up to 4-5 weeks to complete. After that, they moved on to casting. Brian A. Prince, who is 6’10” and does parkour, portrays the main Predator. The Predator costume process included molding to Brian’s body, animatronics for moving mandibles, and updating the look of the dreadlocks. The costume is still miserable to wear that involves dedication and the ability to overcome possible claustrophobia. The end result is this breathing and seemingly organic alien organism that looks alive to everyone.
The Takedown Team (16:14) goes through the strengths of each cast member who claims to be lucky to be a part of the film. Shane Black has a particular devotion to deadpan, one-liners, and improvisation and requires his cast to adjust on the fly on a day-to-day basis.
Predator Catch-Up is a nine minute recap of Predator, Predator 2, and Predators.
Also included is an image gallery featuring 21 pieces of concept art, Theatrical Trailers for the film, and Sneak Peeks at Deadpool 2, Predator, and Alien: Covenant.
Family Feud is getting weird, you guys.
Final Verdict
The extras for The Predator are lacking and the disc has no commentary track whatsoever. Nothing on the disc is as interesting as the news that broke earlier this week that three alternate endings were shot for the film. Visual effects artist and puppeteer Yuri Everson posted on Instagram that each ending contained a different variation of the Predator Killer at the end of the film. According to Everson, Ellen Ripley from the Alien films was revealed in one ending with a different actress portraying the character (Breanna Watkins) rather than Sigourney Weaver. Everson says the sequence was removed due to the fingers and breathing mask being too facehugger-like. Considering that The Predator doesn’t reference anything in the Alien vs Predator films, this reveal is more interesting as a statistic rather than being an actual part of the film.
Like the film itself, the home release of The Predator is just as forgettable. The Predator failed to make back its production budget during its domestic run at the box office, but the film made a bigger profit overseas. However, if we could get a sequel to the far superior Predators from 2010 then that could be something fans should get behind.
Written by Jonathan Lee, December 24, 2018, 9:00pm. Tweet to: @Writerscube
Find Your Epic Battles Here
When you’re not busy looking at Winter Sales on Steam, GOG, or anywhere else, nothing says “passing the time” like “just one more turn!” Or maybe you’re more of a real-time strategy person, and you need to perfect that early-game rush. Since the rise of iconic series such as Command and Conquer, Warcraft, Starcraft, and Civilization, we’ve seen Strategy games explode into a myriad unique and fun approaches to the genre. Now, it’s easier than ever to have a proper watch of hundreds to thousands of soldiers, tanks, and ships, armed to the teeth and ready to bash each other to bits!
It’s great to be in the thick of it when playing an action game, but sometimes, players want to watch the world burn from the commander’s chair. So, get ready for our list of Top Ten Must-Own Strategy Games that’ll give you that sweet fix of computerized mass destruction.
Homeworld Remastered Collection
The first of our Top Ten Must-Own Strategy Games. While Homeworld originally came out in the late 90’s by Relic Entertainment, it’s uniquely-illustrated story and engaging true-3D strategy gameplay offered players something they had never seen before. Strategy combat was no longer on a flat plane, and you were given a plethora of unique ships and fighters with various functions to take on your enemies across all dimensions. Adding more depth, you also had ship tactics and formations, granting you new possibilities and advantages over your opponent in an ever-changing dance of death across the stars. I can’t stress enough how beautifully Gearbox Software has remastered these two amazing games. You won’t find many games out there like it, even with the growing-saturation of space strategy games!
From an epic story that deserves a movie to revolutionary 3D gameplay, we owe a lot to Homeworld for giving the Space Strategy genre the life it needed to grow.
Civilization 5
Come on, you knew it was going to pop up somewhere on this list, right? The great mother of “Just One More Turn!” Mainly this came down to what was improved and what seemed to falter in Civilization 6 that made me decide Civilization 5 (and its DLCs) was the better one to recommend to players who may not have delved into the Civilization Series.
For those new to Civilization, you begin by choosing one of many great Civilizations, both living and long gone, to decide who will be the next to conquer the world. The series is well-known for its extensive tech trees as you research your way to better units, buildings, and technology for your people. And with multiple ways to victory, every new game is a new experience!
Sorry, this isn’t the one that plays the Baba Yetu song. That’s Civilization IV. But you can have a link to Christopher Tin’s official YT, just so you can hear it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJiHDmyhE1A
Starcraft 2
Sequel to one of the biggest RTS game sensations that helped birth the RTS eSports culture, Starcraft 2 holds true to a lot of its predecessor’s best qualities. While it’s easy enough to learn how to play as the Terrans, the Zerg, and the Protoss, the eSports scene shows how hard it is to truly master this game. So, if you’re looking for an RTS with an amazing story and graphical fidelity, you’ve found your game. And if you’re also looking for an intense online challenge? You’ve definitely come to the right place.
Blizzard always had a knack for visually-impressive cutscenes, and Starcraft 2 was no exception!
Age of Wonders III
A turn-based strategy game that gives you both the in-depth engagement of a 4X and the in-depth hero mechanics of the renowned Heroes of Might and Magic series. That would be a safe description of how Age of Wonders continues to be a strong series today. And this is with Age of Wonders III having been around for a handful of years now. And that’s not all! Now, we have a Sci-Fi Age of Wonders coming our way in the form of Age of Wonders: Planetfall! If you’re interested in checking out Age of Wonders III before Age of Wonders: Planetfall, I would recommend also checking out their DLC. This is one of the few games where the DLC adds meaningful chapters of storytelling along with other new features.
Incredible depth of both story and faction mechanics. Age of Wonders 3 will keep you coming back for more.
Total Warhammer II
Continuing Creative Assembly’s reputation of creating games with truly large-scale combat, Total Warhammer 2 is one of the developer’s best iterations of their Total War games. And this is probably one of the longest running Total War games I’ve seen to date, in terms of support and community. There’s a collection of worthwhile DLC that’s rich with both story and new factions (there are so many factions and play styles now). And the mod community is absolutely vibrant with new content being created by players all the time. If you haven’t gotten into the Total War series yet, this is the absolute title to get started!
One of the latest DLC expansions allows you to be Vampire Zombie Pirates! How awesome does that sound?
Warhammer 40,000: Battlefleet Gothic Armada
Taking place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Battlefleet Gothic Armada brings you the majesty of grand naval combat… in space! Commanding ships into combat has never been so much fun as you can command your ships to perform various thruster maneuvers and special abilities to disable and ultimately destroy your enemies. Is that Eldar ship getting too close to your Space Marine cruiser? Ram it! Incoming Ork vessel trying to ram you? Put on those lateral thrusters to swerve out of the way and deliver a lethal broadside.
And when you’re done playing this, get ready for the sequel because it’ll be hitting stores in January 2019!
Fantastic combat visuals, visceral explosions as your ship rams its way through an enemy, what more could you need?
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
This is one 4X Space Strategy Sim that has continued to enchant its fans for many years. With engaging interstellar combat, unique ship designs, and keeping it all in real-time, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion makes for a refreshing take on the 4X space sim, as most titles in the genre are turn-based. The active playstyle keeps you on edge, while still granting you all the wonderful depth of play. It becomes clear why its fans remain faithful to this title. Recently, that faith was rewarded with some new content for the game, bringing the total DLC to four new packs of additional content. And it’s pretty worth it if you find yourself really enjoying the gameplay.
Get ready for some intense real-time space battles in Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Endless Legend
Endless Legend is a Fantasy-genre 4X strategy game with innumerable possibilities. From procedurally-generated maps to a vast collection of factions (and you can create your own), there are tons of ways to play this game and enjoy its tactical depth and storytelling potential. You also had access to heroes, and various quests to challenge your faction. Managing your faction comes with many tasks from raising an army to managing buildings and resources. This is not unlike the Civilization series from a broad sense. The combat though is much more like Age of Wonders with the control of individual units in a battle mini-map. The storyline for each race are quite engaging on their own, and I would even recommend getting the other faction DLC that’s out for this game as they all bring something new to the table.
In Endless Legend, these guys consume magical Dust to survive. Their price for immortality!
Warcraft 3
Another Blizzard great makes it into here. Like Starcraft, Warcraft 3 was rich with strategic depth as well as brilliant storytelling. With multiple races comes multiple playstyles and colorful heroes to lead your armies. And of course, Blizzard didn’t hold back on the beautiful CG cutscenes in this one either. But before you go on Amazon or Ebay looking for an old copy, check out the pre-order page for Warcraft 3 Reforged. According to the pre-order page for Warcraft 3: Reforged, you gain instant access to the legacy versions of Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion.
The Frozen Throne Expansion for Warcraft 3 was easily one of the best expansions for any RTS
Company of Heroes
Many strategy games have tried to cover the second World War. But none gave us the same visceral experiences like the first Company of Heroes. We’re treated to both an incredible campaign following the US forces as well as an ever-fun Skirmish mode and multiplayer. With Warhammer 40,000 and Homeworld under its belt, Relic Entertainment continued its tradition of strong Real-Time Strategy games. From playing with your favorite troops and tanks to well-executed cover and directional combat mechanics, this game brought a lot of new ideas to the RTS table.
The second Company of Heroes had a very engaging campaign, but it loses out to the first Company of Heroes. This is mainly due to how fragmented the second game’s DLC marketing had went. Compared to the first game, Company of Heroes 2’s DLC was a little messy. I actually wanted to have Company of Heroes 2 on our Top Ten Must-Own Strategy Games.
Of course, they did the Normandy beach landing. And of course, it was a fantastic intro mission!
Final Thoughts
It was not easy choosing our Top Ten Must-Own Strategy games. The genre has been a life-long favorite of mine, with RPG and FPS games close behind. There were a lot of close runner-ups, like Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Command and Conquer Tiberian Sun, Ashes of the Singularity, Supreme Commander, Empire Earth, the list goes on! I even wondered if Dungeon Keeper and Startopia would qualify for this list. For those new to the genre, these would be excellent titles to dive into. What do you think, Slickster Readers? Did you agree with this list? Did you think one or more of the runner-ups deserved a place in the list?
When your firing line goes REALLY wrong! (Giphy)
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Betting Odds: Jones -260 or 1/3, Gustafsson +240 or 12/5.
In recent memory, I can’t think of a title fight that warranted a rematch more than this one, nevertheless, it’s taken over five years for it to come. Jones vs Gus 1 was a fight that had fans divided on who deserved the victory, there were strong arguments for both Jones & Gus but ultimately Jones was awarded the win by the judges.
The unstoppable Jon Jones had been running rampant through the 205lb weight division, he was expected to walk through Gustafsson having been priced as a -700 favourite. From the first round, it was clear Jon Jones was in for the toughest test of his career, perhaps the only man who can match Jones’s stature at 205lbs Gustafsson pushed the then-champion to the absolute limit.
The shock value added an extra sense of drama to the fight as at the time Jones’s title defences were becoming a routine ritual until Gustafsson made him look human. If you haven’t seen the first fight or need reminding what a great contest it was you can watch it in full HD below.
https://youtu.be/bNKR65ZgT28
Jones should have gone on to greater things after that fight, instead, he fell into a myriad of personal issues. There was the hit and run incident in 2015 then a failed drugs test in 2016 resulting in a one-year suspension, another failed drugs test in 2017 resulting in a 15-month suspension.
These controversies have cost Jones a significant portion of his career, in the 5 years since fighting Gustafsson Jones has managed just 4 fights.
Gustafsson himself has only competed 5 times since the fight with Jones in 2013, interestingly enough out of the two Gustafsson is coming off of a longer lay off.
If the fight in 2013 was indicative of anything it’s that someone who can negate the physical advantages Jones has can cause him some trouble, inactivity aside Gustafsson is the man who can cut Jones’s reach advantage down more than anyone else at Light Heavyweight.
Jones wasn’t interested in a rematch with Gus in the years following the initial meeting, perhaps the fact that both men have had a similar amount of time away from competition has changed his mind.
This is the last & only fighter at 205lbs that has any chance of beating Jones if you ask me, Gustafsson is unquestionably a better fighter now than he was in 2013, no longer a stranger to 5 round fights he’s competed against a couple championship calibre fighters since the last meeting which has made him a more seasoned fighter.
How much better if any better is Jon Jones? the lack of fights isn’t the only factor in Jones’s life, all the court hearings, public humiliation, & personal criticism can change a fighters perspective. Although Jones is a unique case amongst the toughest of tough athletes he’s still got a maximum capacity in terms of mental pressure. Just like Tyson Fury showed a few weeks ago against Deontay Wilder there’s no telling what version of Jones will turn up, or if he can manage to make it to the octagon at all.
When rematches come 5 years apart usually one or both fighters are way past their prime, this isn’t the case with Jones vs Gus 2. Jones can still achieve remarkable things to further enhance his legacy maybe even a move up to Heavyweight in the coming years, for Gus this is his third crack at the 205lb title, more importantly, his last attempt at securing a career-defining win.
Betting Odds: Cyborg -247 or 4/11, Nunes +230 or 9/4.
Cris Cyborg has been undefeated since losing her debut fight in 2005, along the way she’s been as dominant as any fighter regardless of gender, not only winning but winning emphatically.
A viciously aggressive striker with the highest finish rate of any active female on the UFC’s roster, Cyborg is a terrifying athlete to witness compete, most of her fights end swiftly without any significant damage being absorbed.
Amanda Nunes is the last woman standing for Cyborg if there’s one fighter who could possibly challenge Cyborg’s dominance it’s Nunes. Carrying stopping power of her own she’s been responsible for brutally finishing two legends of the sport.
Nunes claimed the UFC Bantamweight title from Miesha Tate with a methodical beatdown at UFC 200.
Shortly after becoming champion Nunes demolished the face of Women’s MMA in 48 seconds. This was the last time Ronda would be seen in the octagon, Nunes effectively ended Rousey’s career.
Two more successful title defences followed against Valentina Shevchenko & Raquel Pennington. Nunes now finds herself short of contenders, she has decided to go up in weight to take the ultimate challenge which is trying to defeat Cris Cyborg.
For Nunes, it’s one of those high-risk high reward situations. If she wins that’ll put her in an unreachable territory with wins over Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko (who recently claimed the 125lb title), & Cris Cyborg who seems invincible right now.
If you look at Cris Cyborg’s record there’s only a handful of credible opponents, Nunes would certainly provide the icing on the cake.
(Predictions)
Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson (Jones by KO/TKO)
Cris Cyborg vs Amanda Nunes (Cyborg by KO/TKO)
Carlos Condit vs Michael Chiesa (Condit by Decision)
Ilir Latifi vs Corey Anderson (Latifi by Decision)
Chad Mendes vs Alexander Volkanovski (Mendes by KO/TKO)
Avital Cohen is a tremendously fit model. She needs very little introduction with a 1.4 million strong fanbase, and she needs even less clothing! Comfortable in a string bikini, tanning oil and a killer smile, Cohen loves to pose for the camera. But we wouldn’t want to challenge her to a fitness contest.
All men share a sense of dread when they are younger about being beaten by a girl in some sport. With the exception of maybe figure skating, the fear can be palpable. As we mature (Do we ever?), those fears diminish and we learn to compete in other ways. Finance, networking, solitary sports like fishing or climbing, and social accomplishment are ways real men define their existence.
Claiming a gorgeous girlfriend is another way men prove their worth over others. Do you think you have what it takes to earn the affection of Miss Cohen?
Girl of the Week - Avital Cohen
Slickster Magazine features one stunning model per week.
Ericka Leite was born and raised in Brazil. Lucky for Slickster readers, that means she loves being in her bikini around all bodies of water. The hotter the sand and sun, the more skin she likes to show. Don’t worry though, she has the figure and physique to pull it off. Matching her killer body with a mesmerizing smile and long blonde hair, she’ll make your heart skip a beat.
Girl of the Week
Slickster Magazine features one stunning model per week.
When you’re looking to make a difference to your physique you want to see almost immediate results. Unfortunately that’s not always achievable, it will take time to get a six-pack, pecs and huge piston-like legs. If you’re looking for quick, tangible results though the best muscle group to focus on is your arms.
If you’re new to the gym focus on big compound movements like deadlifts and pull ups, these exercises will help you to build muscle all over and leave you in a good position to sculpt your arms once you’ve bulked out.
For gym newbies these are quite easy exercises to get used to as well and help to build your muscles at a sustainable pace to the rest of your body.
Don’t forget triceps
Your triceps are one of the biggest muscle groups in your building and are split into three parts known as head. Whilst it’s appealing to just focus on your biceps, strong triceps will have the biggest effect on bulking up your arms.
Keep your triceps exercises varied by simply altering your grip when working out or just go for the close grip bench press that hits every area of your triceps.
Marginal gains
Boosting your biceps is hard, there’s no doubt about it but there is one way to make them look bigger quickly. Underneath your biceps is a muscle called the brachialis and working it helps to push your biceps out making them look bigger!
To focus on this muscle type perform reverse curls instead of traditional curls and do them slowly, focusing on your form.
Save isolations
Most people don’t realise how much your arms are involved in non-specific arm exercises like deadlifts. Make sure you go for compound exercises at the beginning of your workout instead of at the end.
If you do this you can save isolation exercises to the end rather than sabotaging your workout by tiring your arms out at the beginning. As a simple rule remember that pull exercises will work your triceps and push exercises will focus on your biceps.
Balance it out
Make sure you only do arm specific exercises twice a week and space those days out quite well, you don’t want to injure yourself by overdoing it. The other days you’re in the gym go for compound exercises that spread the load out on a number of muscle groups.
If your arms feel full of lactic acid and your movement is limited before you plan your workout then focus on less fatigued groups.
Written by Jonathan Lee, November 30, 2018, 9:45am. Tweet to: @Writerscube
After the fantastic Forsaken expansion, it’s up to Bungie to keep Destiny 2 players engaged until the Annual Pass: Black Armory content drops. With Destiny 2’s Season 5: Season of the Forge starting, there are some things of note that will probably keep us all occupied for at least a few weeks. And they come in the form of what we all love about Destiny 2…
Weapons!
All the weapons!! | giphy.com
Sweet Guns (and grenade launcher…)
With the Season of the Forge comes new Pinnacle weapons. One weapon, the grenade launcher known as the Mountaintop, can be earned through the Crucible. But there are two others that can be earned through Gambit and Vanguard Strikes. According to Bungie’s own community page for Destiny 2, we can thank the combined efforts of the Destiny community for speaking up about earning new and cool weapons through other game modes other than PvP.
The Mountaintop
Crucible-lovers, there is a sweet lightweight grenade launcher waiting for you! The Mountaintop is a kinetic weapon (explosive, naturally) and is capable of one-shot killing opponents with direct hits. But Bungie has decided to give it the Sticky Grenade selection, allowing more tactical flexibility for this weapon if you choose to not use its “Micro-Missile”, which grants the grenades a straight firing line instead of an arc. It goes without saying, this weapon earned through Crucible is also designed for Crucible players.
The Mountaintop | Activision/Bungie
Getting the Mountaintop
This is going to be a bit of a process, and for good reason. You just heard that it can one-shot most Guardians if you manage a direct hit with this beast! Here’s what you’re going to have to get done to get your hands on this sweet weapon:
Step One: You’ll need to talk to Lord Shaxx and reach the Glory level of “Brave” within a season.
Step Two: Earn 750 points in Grenade Launcher Final Blows. Non-competitive play will grant 3 points per kill, while competitive play kills grant 10. You will also need to quickly kill groups of two opponents or more. For those multi-kills, you’ll need to earn 200 points, and they come with point awards different from the Final Blows requirement. And last but not least, you will need to earn Calculated Trajectory medals. A fair number of them.
Best advice for this is to get your points in Competitive playlists because the point awards for all three things in Step 2 are over twice as great in that playlist versus Non-Competitive.
Step Three: Step 2 might’ve left you ragged, but it’s not over. You must attain the “Fabled” rank in Crucible to complete your quest for the mighty Mountaintop. When done… talk to Lord Shaxx and claim your prize!
The Loaded Question
Here’s my personal favorite of the three: The Loaded Question fusion rifle. Season of the Forge has just started and I’m already loving it. Fusion rifles have been a favorite since Destiny 1. This mean gun has an ability called “Reservoir Burst” which causes extra damage and even causes enemies to explode! This one could be useful in Crucible as well, great for bottleneck skirmishes. But I think the real place for this weapon will be in Strikes, Nightfalls, and taking down mobs in Raids. And what do you know? This weapons is earned through doing activities in Strikes or Nightfalls!
The Loaded Question | Activision/Bungie
How to Get the Loaded Question
Step One: Talk to Zavala to get the quest. Pretty simple, right?
Step Two: Don’t let the numbers scare you, but doing any Strikes and/or Nightfalls, you’re going to need to get 500 Fusion Rifle Kills, 1000 Arc kills, and 40 completed Strikes or Nightfalls. Might take you a while, but find some dedicated friends or clan mates and the time will breeze by.
Step Three: Great job! That’s actually it. Head to Zavala and claim your prize (and it’ll be Masterworked!)
The Breakneck
Breakneck is an auto rifle that you can earn through the Gambit play mode, and for good reason! With its crazy ability “Onslaught”, this weapon’s rate of fire increases with every stack of Rampage. In a game mode like Gambit, with mobs all over the place, you can bet this weapon’s going to have no trouble turning from a bullet hose to a lead blizzard. It almost makes me think I won’t pick up my top fave auto rifle Sweet Business again.
Breakneck | Activision/Bungie
How to Get Breakneck
Step One: Stop by the Drifter to pick up this quest! Then head on to Gambit
Step Two: Here comes the list. In Gambit, you’re going to need to get 500 auto rifle kills, 100 Auto Rifle multikills, 150 challenging enemies defeated, and 40 Gambit matched completed.
Step Three: Head back to the Drifter and claim your prize!
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, folks! Three really fantastic weapons, born from Bungie listening to the fans. Just from these three weapons, I know I’m excited for this season! And what’s more, if you got the Annual Pass, the Black Armory content will be dropping in less than a week now. That means even more goodies, more activities, a new level cap, and what sounds like a new Raid. Stay tuned, folks! Bungie wants to keep Destiny 2 on our minds, and with three phases of Annual Pass content, something tells me it’s going to work!
Every time I hear of new Destiny weapons! | giphy.com
Kathrine Haus is a blonde model from Texas. That’s in United States of America, but has always been a location where the individuals relish in their own unique identity. It can be an unforgiving land, one where honesty and integrity aren’t values as they are a means of survival. Mrs. Haus (she’s married guys…) embraces her natural looks, and doesn’t hide behind Instagram filters. She is proud of her booty and tattoos, and loves posing in thong panties and bikinis for her fans. We think you’ll approve too.
JP – There are a lot of people who motivate me, so it depends on the day. Sometimes it’s an idol, like Leonard Cohen or T.S. Eliot. More often, however, it’s a contemporary—someone who motivates me to be a better version of myself in order to keep up, or to compete, or to impress. Although most of my paying gigs involve digital composing, I actually came up in rock bands just like a lot of people did. Some of those people still have an influence on me, even years later. Melodies are melodies, regardless of the instrument, and I’m still trying to capture them any way I can.
