BUILDING YOUR BASICS :: Speed Vs. Acceleration

By Benjamin MartinSan Angelo TX Ask anyone in the West Texas hockey community what the fiercest rivalry is in roller hockey and the answer will always be the same; the Jesters and the Iguanas. There have been 2 things in common with every jesters-iguanas match; the first is the fact that the Jesters had never lost to the Iguanas. The second thing is that a fight has broken out at every game they have played against each other. At last years tournament, the Jesters Mickey Provost got in a scrap that landed him in the penalty box during the playoff round. In April when the Jesters returned to San Angelo, again Mickey found himself inside the penalty box for roughing.The animosity reached a peak when San Antonio hockey club refused to play the Jesters if Mickey was even in the rink. It took excessive negotiation between San Angelo Hockey Club and San Antonio Roller Hockey to even get an Iguanas team to this years tournament. Needless to say, the anticipation was already at a boiling point when the teams took to the rink for warm-ups, the jesters in their blue and black across from the iguanas sporting their white and green jerseys. The Tension was palpable, the skates froze, and the sticks hung quivering in the thick air of a Texas winter. And all eyes were locked as the referee dropped the puck.The acceleration of the skaters was blinding, and the sticks clashed as they met in the battle for the puck. The two historically elite squads in West Texas roller hockey moved the puck with authority and challenged possession unceasingly. The lead official Jo Pa continuously leaped out of the way as the puck careened underneath of him along the boards, pulling himself up on the fence to get clear his skates from the furious game-play that surrounded him.The polarizing Mickey Provost, short salt and pepper beard grizzled over clenched teeth, had his eyes fixed on the goal beneath his weathered black helmet. The puck ran along the boards on the far side of the rink, but Mickey saw Stoney in pursuit, swiftly gliding in to take possession in the San Antonio zone. Stoney scooped up the puck and forced his way towards the goalie in advance of the outstretched stick of the San Antonio defender. Looking up Stoney spied Mickey coming down the opposite boards behind the defenders. Stoney ran behind the goal and passed across the crease to the only open spot on the far side of the net. The Iguanas goalie Taylor Newton turned his head just enough to see that past the San Antonio defenders standing in front of the crease. There was a blue and black jersey in his blind spot.The smile that crossed Mickeys face was broad under the scraggly beard. The puck clinked off the rear post before the goalie could even move. The horn blew, and with that his revenge was complete. The Jesters had taken the early lead 5 minutes into the first half 10. The half continued at the break neck pace. Back and forth the puck went, the new goalie for the Jesters Ryan Andrich was making superb saves, blocking all 12 shots in the first half without flinching. Yet as the second half of the game started, the stamina of the younger San Antonio players began to play to their advantage. While the familiarity between long standing teammates had given the Jesters a distinct advantage in the first half, the breakdowns would start to become apparent as San Antonio started their second half assault with a ferocity that could not be quelled by the Jesters.David Penn scored the tying goal at the 12:55 mark of the second half, followed by the go-ahead goal by Gary Burdge at the 10-minute mark. San Antonio was pressing on offense, out-shooting the Jesters by a two to one margin in the second half. The final shoe dropped when, at the 7-minute mark when reigning tournament MVP Brandon Conder sniped a goal from the left side of the rink to put San Antonio up three goals to one.The frustration was palpable on the Jesters bench. The upset that was transpiring in the rink would undoubtedly lead to animosity blossoming into yet another round of fisticuffs if history is any indication. At 3:30 left in the game, Stoney went face down hard into the boards and it looked as though violence might again erupt between the players on the rink. But amidst the shoving and the chirping of the burly men on skates, Jo Pa blew the whistle. Number seventy-eight green, two minutes for tripping, came the call from the tall referee with the broad white mustache. Gary Burdge skated to the penalty box, the power play was on and the outbreak of violence had been diverted-even if only for the time being.Taylor Newton, the goalie for the Iguanas, and the rest of the San Antonio defense proved to be too much for the exhausted Jesters. Shots were few, and the net stayed untouched as the clock finally struck zero. The San Antonio Iguanas had beaten a San Angelo team for the first time in club history, and for the first time without a scrum.What had been made certain was that over the winter was that San Antonio had turned themselves into competitors, and the rest of West Texas had been put on notice. The defending tournament champion San Angelo Jesters had found themselves in an 02 hole and were desperately seeking a spark to get them back on track. The Final Score was San Antonio Iguanas 3, San Angelo Jesters 1.Benjamin Martin is the Director of San Angelo Hockey club as well as an amateur journalist, professional hockey fan, and sub-par defender who is a complete liability in the rink.During these turbulent times the recap of the 2019 West Texas Shootout hockey tournament will be republished on a daily basis to bring a little hockey excitement back into our lives as we wait for life to start again.

By Benjamin MartinSan Angelo TX The San Antonio Iguanas were no strangers to the Kirby Park Rink. It was only a year ago that they made their first appearance as a unified roller hockey club on the north side of San Angelo. They lost last year in the playoffs to the Jesters and had to settle for third place in the tournament. Since then they have built a South Texas hockey institution with a city-wide league that leveraged tournament wins in McAllen, Houston, and Round Rock. Their trophy case had begun to fill by the time they returned to the place where it all began a short year ago. Now they were back in San Angelo for another shot at the West Texas title. The San Angelo Wolfpack were right back in the thick of a championship game much like the previous year, when they were again the underdog to an undefeated team. The sweat from the semifinal match was still dripping down their face shields as they sat on the visitors bench preparing themselves for the Sanley Cup Finals. The team captain Scott Talley encouraged the timekeepers to forego warm-ups and start the match early, so that the Wolfpack could take advantage of the adrenaline rush they were still feeling from vanquishing their bitter rivals only half hour earlier. The Wolfpack goalie took one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it towards the already full trash can. Trey Duncan pulling his goalie helmet back over his messy hair, remnants of the long day of hockey that had brought them full circle into the annual championship game.It was the dynasty of the metropolitan juggernaut against the destiny of the cow-town hockey club that wouldnt say die. It had been a long year of practicing in the hot sun, staying late to shoot around, and skating sprints on a makeshift tennis court that had brought each of the 16 players onto the rink that day.There were other tournaments in the state of Texas, but only one of them was born out of the red dirt of West Texas. It was time to play for the Sanley Cup, and a glimpse of small-town hockey immortality. The puck dropped and the Iguanas took control. They skated with a smooth serenity that exuded confidence by a group that knew what their strategy would be. The Wolfpack by contrast played aggressively and with purpose, strung along by the exhilaration of the finals while also aware of the fatigue that lay in wait in playing a back to back game to end a long day of hockey. If San Angelo was going to win, they knew they had to get out to a fast start.There was a three on one advance by the Wolfpack at the 13-minute mark, but while crossing the zone, Scott Talley of the Wolfpack lost the handle on the puck. It was then scooped up by David Penn who drove into the San Angelo zone with a three on one San Antonio attack. But at the last moment, the puck skipped off the stick of the San Antonio forward and bounced toward the Wolfpack goalie who swatted it away with contempt, diffusing what could have been an early disaster.The Iguanas would own the point on the fore-check, constantly blocking and recycling the puck into the Wolfpack zone. The Iguanas defense was effectively corralling the Wolfpack into their own zone while letting 2 skaters at a time to rotate attacks on the Wolfpack goal. It was an effective tactic that forced the Wolfpack shooters to work defensively.There were flashes of attack from the home team. Wolfpack captain Scott Talley launched a long pass across the rink, barely missing the stick of Austin Scroggs as he broke free into the Iguanas zone, gone what could have been a crucial scoring opportunity for the Wolfpack. The Iguanas were isolating the Wolfpack offensive push by bottle-necking the offense with the players at the top of the zone. The Wolfpack would get a breakaway that would be stymied by the goalie, then the puck would be controlled by the Iguanas in sustained attacks down the middle with their star forwards like Brandon Conder, Brian van Vlymen, or Gary Burdge before being buried in a corner and passing it back out to the top to start all over again.Cycling the puck was working, it had begun to wear out the Wolfpack defense as they found it hard to substitute when the puck stayed in their zone constantly. The pressure was mounting, and the frustration was building for the San Angelo team until their worst fears were realized, and San Antonio Iguanas forward Brian van Vlymen passed the puck to Gary Burdge across the face of the Wolfpack goalie who put a wrist shot up, over and into the net.The whistle blew, the goal horn sounded, and the Iguanas had taken a one goal lead at the 6:30 mark of the first half.The Wolfpack responded with a frenzy of shots for the next 2 puck possessions, flooding the zone with all the red jerseys, trying to flip the strategy back on the visitors. But the fatigue was beginning to set in and passes were deflected, shots went wide, and even a magnificent performance from their goalie couldnt stop what was about to happen next. Iguanas forward Gary Burdge brought the puck into the zone and crossed it to Brandon Condor who immediately sent it back to Dan Ryan directly in front of the goal. The Wolfpack goalie didnt even see the puck as he frantically kicked his left leg outward. It was the second goal of the half at the 3-minute mark, and the Iguanas were building momentum.With a little more than a minute to go in the first half, the Wolfpack cleared the puck out of the zone. The gravity of the cycling San Antonio strategy saw the puck fall right back in and make its way toward the San Angelo goal yet again. There, a slap-shot by Brandon Conder ricochet off the blocker of Trey Duncan, who managed to fall on the puck stifling the play. The face-off in the Wolfpack zone saw the puck taken again immediately by Brandon Conder who skated out of the zone and back in with the puck. This effectively took 2 of the Wolfpack defenders out of the play before taking a shot 20 feet from the net. The puck was blocked but rebounded onto the stick of Brian Van Vlymen who backhanded the puck across the face of the goalie to land another blow to the Wolfpack.Wolfpack goalie Trey Duncan stayed crouched on his knees for a moment after the players cleared the crease. He was playing his heart out for his city arresting 20 shots alone in the first half. But for the first time he was feeling the exhaustion of a long day of hockey start to creep in.The score at the break was San Antonio Iguanas 3 San Angelo Wolfpack 0.Halftime had come not a moment too soon, and the home team that was denied a year before was desperately trying not to let another championship opportunity slip away. The frustration and fatigue of the home team could be felt during the five minute break, as the determined face of Kurt Beuker barked strategy at a San Angelo team that was reeling from the oncoming tide of the opposition. Weve got to be more aggressive, we have to make better decisions, we cant get caught playing their game! spittle was flying from his lips as he tried in vain to bring his team back into the fight. The game wasnt over, but the energetic optimism that had existed 15 minutes before had long since evaporated into the hot Texas sun. On the opposing bench the calm demeanor of the visiting Iguanas felt completely different. The players were talking and smiling, passing around water bottles while they verbally relived the glory of the previous half of game play. It was clear that the Iguanas had worked for this moment, and they were no longer the slapdash amateurs who shared a tennis court on the weekends in downtown San Antonio. They had come with a purpose, and it was being realized by their domination on the rink.The second half started much the same way the first half ended, with the Iguanas attacking the Wolfpack zone. A kick save saw Austin Scroggs make a dash down the boards before he was cut off by two defenders, effectively emasculating the fastest player in the city and ending the threat. It happened again a short moment later, almost in an act of desperation, as the San Angelo star forward was again cut off by the San Antonio defense before he could get a shot off.The Iguanas used their defense to control the flow of the game, as the San Antonio Goalie would only see two shots on goal for the remainder of play.At the 8-minute mark the frustration for the Wolfpack began to boil over as Lenny Christo put his hips into Dan Ryan and shoved him over. It was roughing on San Angelo, and the Iguanas would go onto the power play. San Antonio played the puck back and forth along the top of the zone as they waited for the Wolfpack defense to break, but the 3-man penalty kill team in red jerseys didnt give an inch.Moments later play was bogged down in the corner as Wolfpack defense-man Kurt Beuker and Iguanas forward Brian Van Vlymen fought over the puck on the boards. The ferocity of swinging elbows and shoulder blows echoed off the hot cement as if in this very moment the game hung in the balance. It was Van Vlymen that skated out of the corner with the puck, behind the Wolfpack goal, and took a shot back across his body. The deaf player from San Antonio couldnt hear it, but the puck clinked bar down for what would be the final goal of the afternoon. The Iguanas lead had extended to a commanding four goals, and the Wolfpack could not respond.The remaining time was controlled by the consistent offensive push of San Antonio punctuated with random offensive charges from the now exhausted San Angelo squad. The Wolfpack had been outplayed, and it hadnt been particularly close. The man who had become the San Angelo enforcer, Lenny Christo, was called for another penalty at the one-minute mark of the second half. Gary Burdge skated quickly toward the crease and Lenny swung his stick hard in what was an obvious tripping penalty. The remaining minute of the power play for the Iguanas was uneventful for all intents and purposes, as they cruised to the title when the final buzzer sounded. The game was over after the first goal, and the Iguanas had staked their claim to the Sanley Cup for the 2019 season.Finals MVP was awarded to Brian Van Vlymen of the San Antonio Iguanas who was involved in 3 of the 4 goals scored in the championship match. The reigning MVP Brandon Conder was again awarded Tournament MVP as he outscored every opponent with 10 goals for the day, followed by Austin Scroggs at 7 goals. Most Valuable Goalie award went to San Antonio Iguanas goalie Taylor Newton, who gave up just a single goal over the 5 games played in the tournament. Finally, the Iguanas team captain David Penn raised the cut steel trophy high over his head, as the San Antonio squad would for the first time in club history raise the Sanley Cup in celebration.The 2019 season was over, it had come to yet another unceremonious end as the San Angelo Wolfpack players shook hands with the victors and made their way back to the bench as the runner-up. Some of them mulled about to watch the trophy presentation, others just sat quietly on the bench with their eyes closed in quiet defeat. For the second straight year, the up and coming San Angelo team had entered the championship match only to be unceremoniously turned away. The only hardware of their hard-fought victory over their heated rivals lay in the sprinkling of Jesters players gathered around the fence to watch the championship match. To be on the doorstep of greatness and to fall short was a difficult pill to swallow for the few who waited so long for the opportunity.Such is life in the tight-knit community of West Texas hockey. One day your competing for a championship, the next day youre rebuilding an amateur squad while other teams are passing you by. But there is hope in what lies ahead, bringing new players into the game, and spreading the love of hockey even deeper into the heart of Texas.People who dont understand hockey have never played the sport. Because when you strap those skates on and take a shot with that puck, it changes you. People who experience hockey grow to love hockey and are welcomed with open arms into the small but growing guild of the Texas hockey community. The great thing is anyone can give it a shot, anyone can be a part of the hockey family here in West Texas.It all starts on Sunday Morning a little after 8 oclock. The one time every week when hockey players head to Kirby park on the north side of San Angelo, where we bring our gear and enjoy one more day on this earth God has given us to be hockey players. There is still time to hit the 11:30 service at PaulAnn, but for the hockey players of the great city of San Angelo, Sunday morning is when they lace up their skates and go to church. And the best part is everyone is invited. Hope to see you there. Benjamin Martin is the Director of San Angelo Hockey Club, a professional hockey fan, and an absolute liability for the San Angelo Wolfpack on defense.Live video of hockey games can be found on the San Angelo Hockey Club Ltd. Facebook page.If you want to get involved in the squad, feel free to join the San Angelo Roller Hockey page on Facebook. Practices are Sunday Mornings at Kirby park and there is spare equipment available for anyone with a pair of skates who wants to try it out.Special thanks to San Angelo Roller Girls for their help in the development of the club and volunteering to put on the annual tournament.Check the Facebook sites for upcoming 2020 games against Abilene, San Antonio, Round Rock, and McAllen.

The roller coaster ride that is Destiny 2 has once again been fairly active this past week. On one hand, the game received another influx of content thanks in large part to the annual Destiny winter event known as The Dawning. In addition to giving the Tower social space a festive look and feel, Mayhem, the fan-favorite Crucible mode, made its grand return. Not only that, players can participate in ice hockey matches at The Farm, utilize snowballs against enemies, and collect a vast array of new Dawning-inspired loot.Unfortunately, The Dawning also kicked off more fan unrest over what many are seeing as predatory microtransaction policies with regards to Eververse and the new Dawning gear. Much of the loot is locked behind the Eververse paywall, either requiring that players spend large amounts of Bright Dust currency or purchase premium currency to unlock it faster. Things got so bad that the community took over the forums on the official Bungie website posting messages saying that Eververse should be removed.Not even Christmas or the New Year can stop a Destiny 2 weekly reset. With the Dawning still in full effect for another seven days, Guardians also have a brand new slate of milestones to conquer before the week is up. Heres the complete guide to all of the new content for this week including the Nightfall, Flashpoint, and everything else for the week of December 26, 2017.Weekly Nightfall StrikeThis week in the Nightfall, players are heading to Io to take on the Brakion inside of the Pyramidion. Perhaps its due to The Dawning still being active, but the modifiers for this week remain the same from last week. So that means players should be mindful of the clock as the timer cannot be extended. Thankfully, Torrent is also active which means players can access their abilities much faster than normal, which should help thin out the enemies quickly.This strike is one of the more technical one available in the game as it requires players to work together and utilize some platforming skills as well. This can be seen in the first sections of the strike where players need to activate two plates while holding off waves of enemies. The quickest method would be to split the group in order to activate both plates to open the main door, while grenade spamming enemies thanks to Torrent. Once completed, players will navigate between rooms of enemies, followed by hallways with insta-death laser beams, which players should obviously be careful to avoid at all costs. After navigating through a number of laser hallways and battles with Taken and Vex, Brakion awaits in the large room at the end. Like most bosses in Destiny 2, Brakions fight occurs in multiple parts. Phase one has Brakion sticking to one location shooting at the players, then moving behind shields when his health hits halfway. Disable his protection by standing on a nearby plate, which causes him to teleport away as Vex reinforcements continue to flood in to the room. At 25% health, his head will pop off giving him enhanced speed and aggression like most Vex. Finish the fight to claim victory.Here are the modifier and challenge details:Torrent: Player abilities recharge much faster than normal. Timewarp: Zero Hour: Mission timer cannot be extended.The player challenges for this week are:Speed of Dark requires the fireteam to finish the Nightfall with at least 5 minutes remaining on the clock.To earn Unbroken, the fireteam needs to complete the Nightfall with fewer than three deaths. Siege Engine can be completed if players prevent Brakion from being shield for more than 40 seconds before defeating it.Flashpoint Location and Treasure MapsThe Flashpoint for this week has moved to the planetoid known as Nessus. As its been since release, participating in Public Events on the chosen planet go towards completing this quest. This weeks treasure caches can also be found on Nessus as well. Players will need to make sure to visit Cayde before embarking on this task as the maps themselves will first need to be purchased before the icons appear on the world map.Heres where to find all five chests this week on Nessus:Chest number one can be grabbed at the Exodus Black landing zone. Turn around after loading in, and head towards the entrance of the zone back towards the Glade of Echoes. The chest can be found on top of metal ship structures on the right side just before leaving the zone after going through the small doorway from Exodus Black.Next, head to The Cistern fast travel point and immediately go to the right along the path. The second chest can be found inside the first Servitor husk to the left of the path.Fast travel to Artifacts Edge and immediately head down either by jumping (watch the landing!) or taking the warp spire down. Head in the opposite direction from the public event location, following the path until a massive downed tree acts as a natural bridge over the road. Head to the left, follow the back wall around the downed tree and the chest can be found sitting in a small alcove.For chest 4, either continue heading forward into The Tangle or head back to Artifacts Edge and once again follow the path to The Tangle. Continue following the path through the zone until a small pool of Vex fluid is found off to the right side. The fourth chest is located in the center of it.Finally for chest 5 this week, fast travel to Watchers Grave and follow the path to Xurs tree towards the back of the zone. Climb up the huge branches to find the chest hanging out on a limb. Leviathan Raid Encounter Order/Weekly ChallengeAs expected each and every week, the Leviathan Raid encounter order has updated alongside the weekly reset. While this not only helps to keep the experience fresh for veteran players, it also helps players new to the experience get used to the Raid while also giving them an opportunity to play each part even if struggling.Those who want an added challenge this week can find it within the Gauntlet. This week, the order is as follows:Pleasure GardensBaths (Royal Pools)GauntletEmperor CalusHeroic Strike MilestoneFor players looking for more of a challenge when playing strikes, Bungie has only recently added Heroic Strikes to Destiny 2. Even with a bigger minimum recommended power level of 270, players have an opportunity to score better loot at the end of the mission. Complete three of these this week to earn a powerful loot engram. Heroic Strikes Complete 3 heroic strikes.Lord Shaxx Crucible MilestoneCall to Arms Win glory by participating, getting kills, and finishing PvP matches from either the Quickplay or Competitive playlists. Finish the milestone and return to Shaxx to earn his weekly engram. And thats all for this week, Guardians. Enjoy!Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

[Also published on youre a fan of both Lovecraft and tabletop games then youre spoiled for choice these days. Whether you want a board game, a miniatures game, an RPG or a card game, theres something for everyone. But what about Cthulhuesque dice games, or at least an alternative to the distinctly lacklustre Cthulhu Dice? Thats where Elder Sign comes in. I suppose Elder Sign, from leading publisher Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is more like a dice/card game cross-breed, but the cards are mostly for information rather than an active game mechanic for players. To determine success or failure in this game, theres going to be big handfuls of dice chucked around. And everyone loves big handfuls of dice.The game pits players in a co-operative battle against an ancient horror, which must be defeated by resolving adventure challenges using custom dice. Only by gathering enough of the titular Elder Signs from a number of locations in Miskatonic University can the players hope to seal away the mind-bending evil and save humanity at least for a while.ComponentsElder Sign comes in one of FFGs medium sized boxes thats usually reserved for card games. As you might expect (if youre familiar with FFG), it contains one of their standard crappy cardboard inserts padding out the box around the components, although its worth mentioning that if you remove the insert theres enough room in the core box for all the components plus an expansion of your choice. If FFG is well known for useless inserts its also known for quality components and Elder Sign doesnt dissapoint. The dice are a good size, with slightly rounded corners so they roll well, and feature engraved rather than printed symbols. There are two sizes of cards, the large tarot style and the US Small that fit FFGs yellow card sleeves. Incidentally, Id advise against sleeving youll need two packs of each sleeve type which will cost you over half the cost of the actual game. The cards are an excellent durable quality and you rarely shuffle them, so unless youre an obsessively compulsive sleever, dont bother.Whilst were talking cards, although they feature superb, evocative artwork on every one, and the information that you need is easy to read, concise and not cramped and verbose, the font used for the flavour text on the location cards is not good. I know it doesnt directly affect game play, but it would add a little thematic flavour to read as you uncovered a new location. As it is, you squint at the text, stumble over the first sentence, and then not bother for the rest of the game. Its a shame, as an old typewriter font would have been both legible and thematic for the 1920s. Apart from that small criticism Id liked to have seen some standees instead of the investigator counters provided, as they often get forgotten until you need to move them to a new location. Luckily the artwork is standard for all the FFG Arkham Horror Files games, so you could always pilfer some from another title in your collection.GameplayAfter choosing which Ancient One to face off against from the eight provided, all the monster tokens go in a cup or little bag to draw from during the game. Thats the baddie set-up out of the way. Each player then chooses a character and draws their starting gear (a combination a common items, unique items or spells) along with health and sanity tokens and corresponding character tokens (draw one at random to determine player order). The rest of the tokens and small cards are placed within easy reach.Six card are dealt from the top of the adventure deck (those lovely big tarot sized cards) in two rows of three, and the players character tokens are placed on the Entrance Card (basically the Museums lobby where you can regroup and recoup to tackle an failed adventure again or start a new one). So far I havent mentioned the single-handed clock face thats also included with the game. Players will advance the hand by a quarter hour at the end of their turn (sometimes additionally when directed by an adventure), and when the clock strikes midnight you draw a Mythos card and things often go rapidly pear-shaped.To give players a flavour for the horrors to come, the first thing you do before play starts is move the hand to point at midnight and draw a Mythos card, resolving its effects immediately. These cards are your constant bane during play, usually hitting you with something nasty immediately, with a lingering effect lasting until the clock strikes midnight again when you draw another Mythos card and the horror begins anew.When Ive played Elder Sign Ive usually found it helpful to give the clock to the active player. They advance the clock at the end of their turn and then pass it on, which means youre unlikely to ever forget a clock advance. It functions like a very flash Active Player token too!Onto the meat of the game, and each player must attempt an adventure location that might yield items, spells and/or, hopefully, Elder Signs with success, and cost either Health or Sanity (or both) with a failure. Worse still failure might add a token to the Doom track on the Ancient One. Fill that up and the world (and so obviously the game) ends. Every adventure card features rows of symbols that represent a task that must be completed in order to succeed in the adventure. To attempt a task players roll the six green die and try to match the featured symbols in one roll. If they cant, they discard one die and roll all the dice again until they either succeed or run out of dice. Complete all the tasks and the adventure is a success.Obviously at this point you may well be thinking that the entire game is just one huge luck-fest, and I suppose it is, as much as any dice game. However, that luck can be mitigated in a number of ways. First there are the abilities of the individual characters, that might allow you to change certain die faces, or gain rerolls. Second there are the item and spell cards that can lock dice in place for future rolls (even for another player), or perhaps even add the valuable yellow and red dice into the mix, which are subtly different to the standard green dice and usually more help in task attempts (although not always!). Lastly its possible for active players to attempt tasks with compatriots at the same location, utilising them to lock dice before rerolls. This means that by working together, utilising items and spells and attempting the right tasks with the right characters, you can vastly improve your chances of success and keeping safe your body and mind.As players work to complete adventures before the Ancient Ones Doom track is filled, they constantly face mythos horrors drawn from the Monster cup/bag that increase the difficulty of tasks by adding or changing symbols. Also making life tricky are locked dice, where an Adventure or Mythos card (or even a Monster) can keep a dice out of play until a task is solved (or creature defeated etc. )If youre wondering whether everything happens within the confines of the Miskatonic Univerity, youll be pleased/horrified to discover that there is a second deck of Adventure cards Other World cards that come into play in various ways and allow players to travel and adventure through some of Lovecrafts less terrestrial locations. These can often be more dangerous but usually yield far more Elder Signs than the usual museum fodder.The Low-downIf youve ever played the FFG game Age of War, then youll feel right at home with Elder Sign, but unlike Age of War there are plenty of ways to mitigate your luck so that you dont feel so frustratingly at the mercy of fate. It also gives you a more narrative reason to roll in the first place, although due to the practically illegible flavour text on the Adventure cards this could have been so much more immersive.The game claims that it supports up to eight players, but Ive found it usually works best with no more than four to avoid too tedious a downtime between turns. Its a great two player game, and rocks a pretty good solo game too (yeah! Friday night! Rocknroll!). Whether you enjoy Elder Sign is going to come down to the usual game considerations: theme, mechanics and play style.If youre sick to death of Cthulhu games or have no interest in Lovecraft in the first place then the theme might fall flat, although if you treat it like a generic horror sleuthing game to save the world you should be fine. If you find dice-rolling randomness unappealing as a primary mechanic then you also might not give Elder Sign a second look, but I think youll find enough ways to mitigate your luck so as to make the experience feel somewhat tactical and not merely in the lap of the (Elder) Gods. Finally if you like your games merely competitive, then you might be turned off by Elder Signs co-operative nature to which Id perhaps suggest you not be such a curmudgeonly killjoy and show some love for your fellow geeks!I find a lot to love about Elder Sign. Its a good medium weight choice regardless of whether Im looking for solo play or a game for a small group. Its thematic, the artwork is gorgeous, the components are top notch, and theres palpable suspense both when rolling the dice and as the clock ticks away towards seemingly inevitable doom. It also doesnt take up much space compared to many Cthulhu game offerings so is great to pack away and enjoy either as a solo traveller or as a family/group.Its also supported by a number of excellent expansions that dont just add new content to the base game, but dynamically change it for the better, so if you like Elder Sign but feel its lacking a little something, then try mixing it up with Gates of Arkham or its fellow expansions, after all, what have you got to lose but your sanity?Pros:Fantastic components that weve come to expect from FFGGlorious artworkSolo playableGreat bang for buckWell supported with unique, game-changing expansionsCons:That flavour text font. It may as well say I! I! Cthulhu fhtagn!Doesnt necessarily scale well to the claimed higher player counts. The Unseen Forces and Gates of Arkham expansions changes the game so much for the better that theyre almost essential purchases

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersThe hospital's modernization is inseparable from various advanced medical equipment, and the use of advanced medical equipment helps doctors to better judge the patient's condition. However, for medical equipment, high precision, high -priced, complex maintenance, shorter update cycle, the installation and use environment of equipment also requires relatively high requirements.In some large hospitals, medical equipment, as a fixed assets of the hospital, occupies more than half of the total asset value, and it is undoubtedly of great significance for the management of medical equipment. Preventive maintenance of medical equipment is the basis for managing medical equipment, extending the service life of medical equipment, and improving the accuracy of medical equipment diagnosis of diseases.Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the attention of medical equipment maintenance and establish and improve the management system of medical equipment in the hospital.Preventive maintenance concept: Preventive maintenance means that within a certain cycle, the device can systematically check, detect, maintain, and replace the wear parts, so that the equipment can work normally. Through preventive maintenance, the fault rate of the equipment is reduced, the maintenance time of maintenance is reduced, and the work of various tasks will be carried out smoothly.The necessity of implementation of anti -maintenance: The maintenance of medical equipment after use is essential. The implementation of preventive maintenance is to regularly maintain medical equipment. By maintaining the equipment to familiarize the structure of the device, understand the current equipment. During the maintenance process, the maintenance personnel accurately record the important conditions such as the equipment indicator and the work parameters, and then can make a rapid judgment of the fault position after recording the contrast after the medical equipment fails.Through preventive maintenance, the situation of the easy -to -wear parts of medical equipment, timely purchase parts and replace it, thereby reducing the incidence of medical equipment failure, avoiding normal examination and treatment of patients due to medical equipment failure or medical accidents. Implementation of preventive maintenance will allow medical equipment to run for a long time in a healthy state, and the service life will be extended. If you want to know more, please pay attention to the "Prun Medical Device Network", we will regularly update some new content for everyone to browse and read.

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersAt present, the epidemic is still spreading globally, and international trade and economic growth have stalled. Although the exports of Chinese medical equipment remain stable as a whole, they need to be alert to relevant risks and challenges. The relevant person in charge of the Medical Institution Department of the Medical Insurance Chamber of Commerce pointed out that in the short term, due to the needs of epidemic prevention and immunity, the global market has increased its dependence on the supply chain of Chinese medical device.In the long run, the epidemic has become a catalyst for reshaping the global industrial structure. With the introduction of policies in various countries, international competition will intensify, and the competition between Chinese medical devices in the global market will be more intense.In terms of market risks, the global economic recovery will lower the ability of the international market to procure ordinary medical supplies. The surge in demand for epidemic prevention materials, coupled with the decline in the efficiency of the port work, has caused serious lag in the circulation of containers, bringing a sharp increase in international logistics costs, especially shipping. The rise in raw materials and labor costs, and the strengthening of the supervision of merchants by cross -border e -commerce platforms will further squeeze the export profits of the enterprise.In addition, due to international travel restrictions, it is difficult for engineers and sales staff to conduct promotion activities in overseas markets and after -sales service for some large -scale equipment exported equipment, and it is not conducive to market sales.Overseas market expansion also needs to focus on the impact of changes in international market regulations. For example, the European Union has implemented new medical device regulations (MDR) and in vitro diagnostic medical device regulations (IVDR), pay more attention to the clinical performance of the product, strengthen the traceability of medical device products, and pay attention to improving the transparency of patients.These will improve the management and restrictions on medical device products entering the European market accordingly, and put forward higher requirements for the industry's employees, which will bring about increased costs to Chinese export companies, extending certification cycle, and increasing compliance risks, etc. challenge.

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersThe enzyme missionary instrument is commonly known as the enzyme -linked immunohistic detection instrument. It can be simply divided into two categories: semi -automatic and fully automatic, but its working principles are basically the same. The core of its core is a color meter, that is, the color method is used to analyze the content of the antigen or antibody. Clinical examination, biology research, agricultural science, food and environmental science. Let me introduce the application of enzyme -linked immune detector in pesticides and food.1. Fast diagnosis of animal epidemic.The enzyme -linked immune analyzer adopts the enzyme -linked immune adsorption measurement method and the corresponding reagent with a qualitative or quantitative animal disease diagnosis. Such as: pork blue ear virus, swine fever virus, pig pseudo -rabies virus, pig pseudo -rabies virus GE protein, pig ring virus, pork type encephalitis virus, pig mouth hoof disease 3ABC protein, pig mouth hoof disease virus IgG, pork fine virus, chicken chicken, chicken Bird flu, blue tongue disease, white spot syndrome, cattle infectious pleural pneumonia, cattle plague, cotton acne, and sheep acne detection.Second, pesticide residues.Organic phosphorus pesticides are commonly used in agricultural production in my country. Common types include methylmine, dichlorvos, oxygen fruit, phosphorus, and enemies. Most of them are highly toxic pesticides. By reducing the activity of cholthyne enzymes in the body, delayed neurotoxicity is caused, thereby achieving the purpose of eliminating pests. The enzyme -linked immune detector can be used to detect the methamidine content contained in fruits and vegetables.Third, food safetyThe enzyme -linked immune analysis method uses the special nature of the antibody and the corresponding antigen to detect the antibody contained in the food based on this. The immune enzyme method is to use specific enzymes as detection tags and reaction catalysts. The use of this method can be used to effectively avoid using radioactive elements during the detection process, or to conduct orientation and quantitative analysis of the detected objects. , Chemical residue, edible oil testing, water and wine beverage analysis, condiments, edible pigment, etc.At present, more automatic enzyme -linked immune detectors can be used for qualitative detection and quantitative detection. The detection only takes a few hours. It not only reduces the labor intensity of laboratory personnel, but also greatly improves the accuracy and repeatability of the determination. This is conducive to the further commercialization of ELISA technology in detection and analysis.

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersAs one of the current effective epidemic prevention and control methods, nucleic acid extraction and testing are no stranger to everyone. Prior to this, the method of extracting the traditional nucleic acid was chemical cracking and cylindrical method. However, with the rapid development of gene diagnosis, genetically modified food detection, and personalized medical care, traditional nucleic acid extraction technology can no longer meet the needs of today's biotechnology. As a result, magnetic pearl nucleic acid extraction came into being.No. A commercialized reagent that used the magnetic bead method to extract DNA and successfully applied for patents in the United States appeared in 1998. The magnetic bead method first absorbs the free nucleic acid molecule to the surface of the magnetic particles by cracking the cells, while the protein and polysaccharides are left in the solution. Under the influence of the magnetic field, the magnetic particles are separated from the liquid to discard the liquid to eliminate the liquid Later, the purified nucleic acid molecules were obtained after being eluted.The magnetic bead method uses the principle of combining and dissipating the magnetic acid activity group with a magnetic granular activity group under certain conditions to avoid the loss of nucleic acid during the extraction process as much as possible, and it can also remove the interference substances in the specimen (such as hemoglobin The effects of bilirubin and lipid blood), obtain high -quality nucleic acid templates. With the development of magnetic bead method extraction technology, DNA extraction has really begun to achieve standardization, rapidness and automation.The kits based on the magnetic acid extractor of the Magnetic Pearl Method are also widely used. Nucleic acid extraction kit does not require any organic solvent and no need to repeat centrifugation. At present, it can extract high -quality DNA and RNA from full blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, feces, cerebrospinal fluid, tissue and cells, and shorter time. The recovery rate is higher. And it can be automated and uninvited through mechanical equipment.In addition, the principle of magnetic pearl method is safe and non -toxic, and does not use toxic reagents such as benzene and chloroform in traditional methods. Mainstream nucleic acid extraction methods at home and abroad.

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersThe nucleic acid extract instrument is a supporting nucleic acid extract reagent from the motion to complete the sample nucleic acid extraction work. In the detection of the new crown, nucleic acid extraction is a very important step. At present, the extraction principle of nucleic acid extract instruments on the market is mainly divided into two types: magnetic bead method and membrane adsorption method, of which magnetic bead method occupies the mainstream market. So, what is the extraction step of the magnetic pearl nucleic acid extract instrument?Step 1: Add samples to the cracking solution.Step 2: In the cracking solution, the rupture cells release the nucleic acid to the cracking solution to transfer the magnetic beads to the cracking solution step 3: Fully mix the nucleic acid to adsorb the specific package on the surface of the magnetic beads.Step 4: Repeat the surface of the magnetic beads to remove impurities such as the unnecessary nucleic acid, protein or salt that are not needed.Step 5: Move the magnetic beads into the eluing solution and mix it fully. The nucleic acid is falling off from the surface of the magnetic bead and dissolved into the elution buffer.The magnetic pearl nucleic acid extract instrument is matched with different types of magnetic pearl nucleic acid extract reagents, and multiple samples are operated at the same time, which automatically separate the extraction and purification DNA/RNA from multiple samples such as blood, cells, tissues, viruses. The instrument uses a special magnetic stick adsorption, transfer, and releases magnetic beads to achieve the transfer of sample/magnetic bead/nucleic acid, avoiding liquid treatment, and increasing the degree of automation.Nucleic acid detection, as an important means of screening of new crown virus screening, is expected to maintain a high position for a period of time at home and abroad. The corresponding nucleic acid extract will be very strong in a considerable period of time. The operation is automated, fast, and simple, which provides a strong guarantee for the detection of new crown nucleic acid.

　　Author：MeCan Medical–ultrasound machine manufacturersNucleic acid extraction instrument is an instrument that uses a supporting nucleic acid extract reagent from the motion to complete the sample nucleic acid extraction work. It is widely used in various fields such as disease control centers, clinical disease diagnosis, blood transfusion safety, forensic identification, environmental microbial testing, food safety testing, animal husbandry and molecular biology research. In fact, with the normalized management of the epidemic, the nucleic acid extract instrument, as one of the commonly used equipment tested by various hospitals, has a higher frequency and the number of purchases has continued to rise. In fact, although everyone is familiar with the term of the nucleic acid extract instrument now, but it is very familiar with the term, but it is very familiar with the term of the nucleic acid extract instrument, but it is very familiar with the term, but it is very familiar with the term. I do nt know how to work and test the method of working principles. Let s take a closer look at the editor of Prank Medical Equipment.There are many classifications of nucleic acid extract instruments. In fact, the most commonly used is magnetic bead method. How does this method work? Magnetic pearl nucleic acid extract instrument is generally divided into two types: suction method and magnetic stick method. The specific operation process is as follows:First, suction method. The extraction of nucleic acids is achieved by fixed magnetic beads and metastasis liquids. Generally, the transfer of the robotic arm is generally controlled by the operating system.1. Crack. Add a cracking solution to the sample to achieve mixing and adequate reactions of the reaction solution through mechanical exercise and heating, cell cracks, and release nucleic acids.2. Adsorption. Add magnetic beads to the sample cracking solution and mix it in full. Use magnetic beads to adsorb nucleic acid under high salt and low pH value. Under the action of magnetic fields, the magnetic beads are separated from the solution. Mo the liquid out of the waste liquid tank and abandon the head.3. Washing. Remove the external magnetic field, add the new suction head to add the washing buffer, mix it fully, remove the impurities, and remove the liquid out of the magnetic field.4. Requesting. Withdrawing the magnetic field and adding the new suction head to add the elution buffer, fully mixed, the combined nucleic acid is separated from the magnetic bead, so as to obtain a purified nucleic acid.Second, magnetic stick method. By fixed liquids, the magnetic acid is separated to achieve the separation of nucleic acids. The principle and process are the same as the pumping method. The difference is the method of separation of magnetic beads and liquids. The magnetic stick method is to separate the magnetic beads from the waste liquid through the adsorption of the magnetic rod to the next step to achieve the extraction of nucleic acid.In fact, the characteristics of this magnetic pearl nucleic acid extract instrument is that it can achieve automation, high -throughput operations, safe and reliable operations, high efficiency, and pollution -free. Therefore, it is recognized by many buyers. When choosing a nucleic acid extraction instrument equipment, no matter which type of device is selected, you must have a basic understanding of it. You cannot judge the quality of the product from the price alone. For more product details, you can consult: 400-6656 -888.