Wizard of Oz - Kings Wild Project

[Strag]

Surprised that there wasn't a thread on these. I remember seeing some of the early drawings and thinking it would be a cool deck. Looking at the finished product I'm not so sure. Great to see that Jackson is experimenting with different designs but there's a few here that I just don't resonate with.

The Queen of Hearts just doesn't seem to fit in with the othe characters and the head seems to be almost on a different plane from the shoulders and collarbone. I really dislike mixing the colours of the indicies with the pips, pretty much consider this an unplayable deck because of that. The ratios also feel off on the Diamonds vs the Index. I own more KWP decks than any other designer/producer but all I really like about these are the tuck and the logo. Considering the price I will liekley not be getting these.

[masagin303]

Did your deck come with this kind of bow? I have to try to put it under a heavy weight to fix that.

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[Harvonsgard]

For me it's quite the opposite; I was bored by 95% of the KWP releases for about two years now - not saying they are bad but boring to me. Robin Hood, Beowulf (which I both passed on due to not being eager for shite stock), Oz and the upcoming Alice in Wonderland brought back my interest.
I see what Strag means though; but Oz and Alice are fantasy so I give them a lot of slack.
Price is definitely something I'm not really fond of either. I'll pick two up if the standards become deck of the week.

Edit: Welp... just say masagin's post... I might just pass then, lol.

[Decknowledgy]

Did your deck come with this kind of bow? I have to try to put it under a heavy weight to fix that.

This is one of the reasons I stopped collecting the more elaborate KWP decks. Most is of course my own reasons to save up on IRL finances, but I took a step back from KWP decks because although the artwork is top-notch, the bend and thickness from Expert's printing are annoying (e.g. Holographic Legal Tender or Foiled Federal 52) and for some reason the coating on the cards makes them feel like laminated art prints than playing cards.

Hence, for the more artsy KWP decks it's become 70% art and 30% playing card handle-bility, sometimes even 80%/20%. Most of the time I just open them once to admire the art then tuck them away, knowing for sure it'll be shelved for long.

[Strag]

Did your deck come with this kind of bow? I have to try to put it under a heavy weight to fix that.

IMG-0092.JPG

Seems like another reason not to get the deck. Shame.

[bdawg923]

I had the same issue with this warping. EPCC has the worst stock and quality control. These kings wild releases with the fancy foils and finishes feel even more like plastic cards than ever.

[masagin303]

I must say I don't mind that much about playability or handling with these KWP design decks. I would probably never play with them nor would I damage them with springs or other techniques. But I'd at least expect them to be flat.

Edit: And it's the first time it happened to be fair. So I just wondered if it's just me or if others have the same problem with this particular deck.

[Strag]

This is the image that I just cannot reconcile for myself. I really don't know why it looks so odd to me but it really does.

[Harvonsgard]

You're not alone there. It looks odd to me, too. It's just that I can look past that because it's a witch. Maybe that's her super power, haha.

[alric]

Did your deck come with this kind of bow? I have to try to put it under a heavy weight to fix that.

That's a pretty severe click bend. The best option is a Porper clip, but the problem is that EPCC decks will warp again after a little use. It's a shame that the Taiwanese/Chinese decks warp so easily because I like the thicker, stiffer stock. JR has actually improved the finish on his foiled decks (although they're still nowhere near cardistry appropriate standards) in that they've become more slippery, but they also have become more plasticky in feel as well. I guess the process of fine tuning has to continue a lot more before we can mention Chinese EPCC in the same sentence as USPCC or Carta Mundi in terms of finish.

What ultimately stops me from getting one of these for the collection is the $18 price point. If I remember correctly, Arthurian, RH, and Beowulf used to be $16, but JR had jacked the prices up to $18 and that's the breaking point for me. I guess he has to pay for the free shipping some way.

[EvilDuncan]

This is the image that I just cannot reconcile for myself. I really don't know why it looks so odd to me but it really does.

I think the art style is slightly on the abstract side of things, but also I think the way the hair curl on the left covers her neck make it look like it's crooked or something. If I look at it close and imagine the curl not being there, it's much better.

What ultimately stops me from getting one of these for the collection is the $18 price point. If I remember correctly, Arthurian, RH, and Beowulf used to be $16, but JR had jacked the prices up to $18 and that's the breaking point for me. I guess he has to pay for the free shipping some way.

Well, considering how much international shipping prices have gone up these days, I'm not really surprised by this move. As a subscriber it doesn't really effect me too much since we still get them for $12 each.

[hsbc]

My decks also came bent like that... I think this year's KWS decks are a step down from last year just in terms of themes, all the money deck reprints especially. EPCC instead of USPCC is just an extra kick in the face Especially the Table Players series..... The Cut was a nice branch out into something different, I loooove the limited tuck but I do wonder how long the cellophane is going to stay taut and look good

But it does seem to be Jackson has really figured out how to make a living with his brand, I'm not interested in the hats or shirts or coffee or whatever but tons of people are

The 13th deck from the 2020 series looks great though, as does the Made in America deck (bonus points since it's not EPCC)

[Decknowledgy]

It's a shame that the Taiwanese/Chinese decks warp so easily because I like the thicker, stiffer stock. JR has actually improved the finish on his foiled decks (although they're still nowhere near cardistry appropriate standards) in that they've become more slippery, but they also have become more plasticky in feel as well. I guess the process of fine tuning has to continue a lot more before we can mention Chinese EPCC in the same sentence as USPCC or Carta Mundi in terms of finish.

As far as I know, Expert has completely moved out of Taiwan in pursuit of the Chinese manufacturing plants. Maybe a few classic finish decks are still printed in Taiwan, but all the custom sectors have been moved to China.

[laitostarr777]

Did your deck come with this kind of bow? I have to try to put it under a heavy weight to fix that.

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Yes, I just received my Oz deck yesterday, and I observe... damn, this is the bendiest deck I got XD Maybe this is because it is only heavily foiled on the back

[laitostarr777]

I just drop this here in case of anyone wondering about the characters as the courts:
Jack of Spades = Soldier with the Green Whiskers
Queen of Spades = Dorothy and Toto
King of Spades = Wizard of Oz

Jack of Hearts = The Guardian of the Gates
Queen of Hearts = Glinda, Good Witch of the South
King of Hearts = The Tin Man

Jack of Clubs = Winged Monkeys
Queen of Clubs = Wicked Witch of the West
King of Clubs = The Scarecrow

Jack of Diamonds = Boq Munchkin
Queen of Diamonds = Locasta, Good Witch of the North
King of Diamonds = The Cowardly Lion

Diptych Joker = Travel on the Yellow Brick Road

[laitostarr777]

This is concerning.... today when I taken out the Wizard of Oz from the storage, I notice the deck swells, and when I take out the cards, it is so bendy, like it really curves a lot. Yikes X.X I think y'all who keep it close will notice a swelling deck

[Bradius]

I think some of the issues of the EPCC china printing have been noted. I think for the most part, printing is being done at USPCC. For some of his foiled decks, they will probably be from the EPCC china printer. Hopefully these issues will be resolved.

[laitostarr777]

Go check you KWP decks now, you might find the decks printed in EPCC with crazy foiling to have those swelling

I think so far: Wizard of OZ got the worse bending than the others

[Strag]

Wait, you mean OPEN them??? Nooooo.

[Bradius]

So, I do have one of my standard decks opened (Hey, they used to cost only $12 each when you bought them with your monthly subscription plan). I did notice that the deck did have a slight, but noticable cupping in the deck, so the center was sagging a bit. I didn't notice any swelling of the deck.

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Still, all in all, a great custom deck for $12-$15, even if a bit cartoonish and the intexes clunky. The Jack of Hearts was worth the price alone for me.

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[EvilDuncan]

I remember this is due to the foiling process and is most prevalent in this deck. I think the longer than expected transit time from China to the US led to these cards being affected by a lot of moisture. Jackson pulled these from his store a few months ago because of this and is planning to reprint them without foil at some point in the future. I think the Fed 52 series was not nearly as affected.

[laitostarr777]

Perhaps storage methods plays a role in here, it might be hot that the cards starts to bend a lot

But, I never know… best I can do is to stack so many decks on top of Oz deck in hopes of fixing the curve

[hsbc]

We will also be rereasing OZ in a few months. This time we reprinted it with USPCC but with no foil. We have a new tuck, and new back design but same face art

[laitostarr777]

We will also be rereasing OZ in a few months. This time we reprinted it with USPCC but with no foil. We have a new tuck, and new back design but same face art

Oh goodie! Oz v2 - this deck should be able to photograph now it is not bendy because of the foil. Pray the centering is good lol

[shunterino]

Has he mentioned reprinting any of the other EPCC decks without foil? The Robin Hood also suffers from severe bending and a USPCC version without foil would be very welcome.

[Harvonsgard]

Does are great news. Patience as always key.

[hsbc]

SoCal: Wizard of Oz Playing Cards by Kings Wild, $7.50

[Adamthinks]

SoCal: Wizard of Oz Playing Cards by Kings Wild, $7.50

I forgot to check their clearance section this morning. There were a few they must have had just one of that were added today I would have grabbed.

[manu]

Today only, get a bowed V1 Oz Deck for $1/ea, or 144 for $100. Just know, they're bowed.

https://kingswildproject.com/collection ... d-oz-decks

[Harvonsgard]

I'm not bowing to that offer.