After I've managed to scratch out some time, here's my thoughts on this Crypt. Glad I took time to reread the posts and open the deck a few more times to fully appreciate what Lotrek’s done.
TL;DR (also spoiler free): theme and concept is amazing. Lotrek’s technical wizardry with hot foil keeps pushing the envelope. To get full experience, open the seal. Right now, it’s also my DOTY 2020.
Longer review with some possible spoilers, but nothing that’s not already been discussed before.
First off, Decknowledgy hit the nail exactly on the head with his review in this part of the
thread. Spot on what Lotrek was trying to capture.
Secondly, it's more than just the deck of cards. It’s the entire experience of buying and opening the deck which Lotrek has created. From making this a true mystery deck to the experience which captures the theme so very well.
It starts with the bland plain tuck box, which has been revealed. It’s like the earth one has to dig through to get to the crypt.
Once the crypt has been brought out, you actually have 2 ways to get into it. Break in directly or go through the side like a tomb raider
I'm glad Lotrek gave us a chance to see the deck without opening the seal.
I went in like a tomb raider first. But I'm so very glad that, after rereading the threads, I decided to go in directly by prying open the seal with a blade. Opened easily with no damage to seal or box (if you're careful). Opening it as intended by Lotrek, you'll be rewarded with a tasty glimpse of the treasure waiting within. With the various layers Lotrek has put into the deck, he teases you while heightening the expectation of what lies inside. When you get to the final layer and hold the actual deck, you may either be wondering if it's worth all the hype or excited to see what Lotrek’s done.
The back is yet another Lotrek masterpiece. The technical wizardry involved with hot foils to create the back design breaks new ground. The amount of detail packed into that small rectangle card is amazing. It is like Arabesque in execution, but yet so different in design. I would love to know what Harvonsgard thought Lotrek did and was proven correct.
The face cards are something else. This is the longest I've ever spent admiring the details on the face cards. Those are, by far, one of the best, if not the best, face cards I've seen from a non-transformation deck.
The courts, I can see why some say are a let down. Compared with Arabesque, Silk and even Damask, this is the only part I find lacking, relative to the rest of the deck . Arabesque and Silk's courts are my top 3, along with the Venexiana series. MInd you, I'm comparing this with Lotrek’s past work here. If this is your first or you're a more recent Lotrek collector, this shouldn't be a problem for you.
So was it worth the hype? Well, as other have said and I mentioned at the beginning, it's not just about the cards.
He's brought the whole concept of a deck theme to a new meta level. For Crypt, you aren't paying $100 just for a deck of cards. It's a grand social experiment of a few hundred people keeping a secret in the age of social media; while keeping the mystery for you to enjoy the experience of opening a crypt to find the treasure. That's what you're paying for as well. The whole experience.
Is it worth the $? Yes. No deck I’ve seen has ever made the opening a deck of cards to be an experience in itself. It’s like buying luxury goods (not that I’ve ever had the chance to buy luxury stuff but from what I see and read). It’s not just buying the actual product but the whole experience of making a luxurious purchase. Lotrek has managed to capture that experience, IMHO.
Definitely DOTY 2020. No one will come close to bringing the whole theme and concept of a deck of cards to this new level that Lotrek has done. I can only imagine JR and Alex Chin coming close to matching Lotrek in terms and theme and concept.
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to me... they build up a tolerance (to be impressed) the more you're used to them.
Still no delivery of mine here in Australia, but dispatched June 10. Trying not to view any spoilers is difficult! Every day brings new hope...
. But in the immortal words of Chief Dan George in The Outlaw Josey Wales I shall “Endeavor to Persevere”
