Axolotl Playing Cards Live on KS

[Decknowledgy]

Motif: Be cautious while backing projects from Mexico. No discrimination intended here, but a large proportion of those KS campaigns either had delay issues or was never fulfilled, e.g. Enigma.

I did receive my Enigma deck (atleast the original black one) but it was indeed heavily delayed. Did not back the second so no comment there.

The red campaign is still under heavy fire as nothing is updated and delivered even when the funding ended last year around fall.

[Romeril]

The tuck box is obviously not black like they advertised in the beginning, but I do like how the spot UV is looking

The creators responded in the comments that the tuck box is actually black. It’s the lighting that makes it look how it does in the update photos.

[Decknowledgy]

Latest update:

Hi guys!
First let me thank you for your patience, we have had word from Cartamundi that the decks are almost here, so we are getting ready for all the fulfillment process, in a couple of weeks we will update you all with surveys (we need to conclude the imports process so please be patient with us as this part its a very paperwork heavy part of the process)

We also got a copy of the deck (thanks to cartamundi) so we can once and for all clarify that the box its not grey (check the pics please).

If you have any questions we will be more than happy to answer.

Thanks!

[chicken_ql]

Wow those look cool as heck, are they going to be in stores?

[Harvonsgard]

Wow those look cool as heck, are they going to be in stores?

I hope so. Thinking about picking these up aswell.

[druthulu2]

(...)(*1) If you have any questions about this projects you could have contacted us(...)

(*2) - 1. Sextante and Enigma are 2 separate companies (...), (*3) You can check our social media and main sites to check on our information and other work.

(*4)2. Enigma has been updating its own campaign with all the info on why they got delayed and delivery dates, from the beginning of their funding, ultimately those problems are related to them and their own campaign, it has no influence over our project here, so rest assured nothing wrong its happening here.

If you have any other questions regarding this problem you can contact us directly(...)

Thanks!

Axolotl Playing Cards Team.
(...)

I'm going to go through this quick as my very long and detailed and snarky first draft was eaten by the forum because i didn't login first.

*1 - how can we contact you? Here? Or do you have an email address? Or maybe KS? There is no Axolotl Decks on KS, and Axolotl Playing Cards' profile is private...
*2 - Odd that Ax and ER are different, and it seems that "Axolotl Deck" is actually Sextante, but doesn't create an account for Sextante on here. Sextante DOES have a FB page, with a post from late 2018 thanking for completely funding this deck, signed by.... Enigma Cards. So EC signs the post on Sextante's FB page, regarding 100% funding on the Ax deck, but they're not involved... or is it just not involved with the FUNDS, as you said in the full post? .. that brings us to
*3 - social media sites. Ok, again, Ax's KS profile is private, can't hit you there. You're only listed as a collaborator on the actual KS which is run by SX, but yet EC is the one who said thanks on SX's facebook page... wait, who am I contacting here? AX? SX? EC? How again? Which social profile?

Here is where I'm gonna get into a bit of detail. Enigma Red / Enigma Black are by Enigma Cards. The ER KS is being run by Hector Roberto Perez Bejarano. A little sleuthing by others in the ER KS has found that his gamertag is "hecrob"... and yet this here Ax account has a sale post up where the payment address is "hecrob@hotmail.com". Hmmm... (though its probably gone by the time you read this, I'm going to go take a few screenshots first before I post this)

I did dig, I found info, I didn't post it publicly. I found the insta account @enigmacards. I found the FB page 'enigmacards' where Hector did a weekly live videocast in Spanish (im rusty but could make a good bit of it out) where he was flashing the Enigma Red decks as well as other decks coming to his store, the custom deck he did for a recent Mexican Cardistry convention that was held in the last week of April 2019 (he managed to get that deck made... hmmm). The Insta page also had pics of the ER deck, as well as pics of the AX deck... but Enigma has nothing to do with Ax, right? Hit up Insta and search by the tag #enigmacards and you will find the photo of the AoS from the Ax deck that clearly says "Playing Cards by ENIGMA" (embed link? will it work? https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm6JItuFmNs ... _copy_link" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) Of course I have taken screenshots just in case, because...

*4 ER updates... ... as soon as I mentioned on the ER KS comments about his FB page and weekly webcasts where he flashes ER's AS WELL AS AX DECKS... not 24 hours later the page is gone. No, it wasn't a group gone secret, it was a page. A real page. and for a page to disappear, it has to be deleted by the owner, or killed by FB. It was pretty active and had nothing controversial on it, why would FB put it in jail?

Mind you at this point there is still no comment or update over on ER. I sent hecrob a message via KS asking about him just sending me an add-on that already exists and is sold in his store, mentioned his Insta account (this is in private), and that I'm pretty good at sleuthing around the interwebz, and head to bed. Here we are a few days later with him posting an update to ER talking about death threats and that there has been nothing to update and that he will be fulfilling them in small batches (while Cartamundi is supposed to be doing the printing, when has Cartamundi done small batches?), etc etc... and I go to get proof of the ER cards from his insta... AND HIS INSTA @ENIGMACARDS IS NOW GONE! So, hecrob has killed his FB, killed his Insta, the YT channel has long been gone...so I dig some more and here I find him, with Axolotl Deck NOT being Enigma, yet Hector Roberto Perez Bejarano is running the Enigma Black and Red KS's, runs the Enigma sales website (linked from his now deleted FB page but still alive, just very very sad inventory, like three decks, one being EBs...), but his email address, that email address, the one used by Axolotl Cards for his sales post here on UC... How many other posts can I find in google with that email address?

Well, over on PlayingCardForum (sorry if its uncouth to mention another forum on here, apologies) sure enough there is a hecrob account, that boasts that HE is doing the Torch Red Enigma Card Deck.... and also has stuff for sale and that they payments go to... hecrob@hotmail.com. Also posts about the AX deck and a futbol deck, with the use of the phrase "made by us" a LOT on all these decks... The futbol deck was run by yet another name, a first time KS'er, that didn't make funding, but quite interestingly had the exact same image at the top about MX$100 = $5 USD, IDENTICAL, except for the background changed, including bad English grammar (look, not knocking his English skills, its a second language to him, its just like a fingerprint identification, thats all) which is, coincidentally, used int he AX campaign.. but they're not the same... eh? OH, and good old hecrob has a profile HERE at UC with sales posts, payment going to.... hecrob@hotmail.com.

Note they didn't say they weren't the same PERSON, just not the same company.

I sure as hell hope the Ax deck makes it, it has far better communications than ER, and I hope it makes it into online sales so I can snag a deck or three. And while this could be considered way far afield as being a lot about hecrob and little to do with Ax, follow the trail. Different companies, same person? I'm betting thats what it is.

De tal palo, tal astilla. Música pagada no hace buen son.

[macstrat]

Full Deck Scan - https://www.flickr.com/photos/167981955 ... 9370333646" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cards came in this afternoon. Despite delays, this is a fantastic deck. They are the great Cartamundi Quality you have come to expect from them. They feel, faro, and fan fantastic.

[hsbc]

Got my deck today as well Very nice tuck with the UV printing and the cards look great!

[Bradius]

I got my decks today as well. I am glad someone else commented on the handling of this deck. I could almost be fooled that these were printed by USPCC, except they feel and handle better than a USPCC deck.

[Harvonsgard]

I got my decks today as well. I am glad someone else commented on the handling of this deck. I could almost be fooled that these were printed by USPCC, except they feel and handle better than a USPCC deck.

Wait a sec, aren't you on record for advocating that USPC is the pinacle of handling?

[Bradius]

Wait a sec, aren't you on record for advocating that USPC is the pinacle of handling?

Well, first I am really not an expert on card handling as I am a zero level cardist. That said, I do find the handling of USPCC superior to Cartamundi and all other manufacturers. That is until I handled this deck. I find it even better out of the box that a typical USPCC deck. I would like others opinions, but this seems to me like the best handling deck I have had out of Cartamundi.

[hsbc]

Yeah, I never really do anything with cards except admire them -- but I can pick up this deck between my index finger and thumb, and attempt the worst fan ever... and the cards that do fan out are almost perfectly spaced

Is there something about the extra QoH that I'm missing? There's also a 3oS/KoH, a joker, and a card talking about axolotls I must admit I wish it came with a double-backer

Well, first I am really not an expert on card handling as I am a zero level cardist. That said, I do find the handling of USPCC superior to Cartamundi and all other manufacturers. That is until I handled this deck. I find it even better out of the box that a typical USPCC deck. I would like others opinions, but this seems to me like the best handling deck I have had out of Cartamundi.

Have you handled Diva or Watermelon? They also seem to stand out in terms of feel and handling against my other B9 decks... or maybe I'm just crazy? NEO:WAVE Ultra too

[macstrat]

Yeah, I never really do anything with cards except admire them -- but I can pick up this deck between my index finger and thumb, and attempt the worst fan ever... and the cards that do fan out are almost perfectly spaced

Is there something about the extra QoH that I'm missing? There's also a 3oS/KoH, a joker, and a card talking about axolotls I must admit I wish it came with a double-backer

Nothing special as far as I can tell, just an extra card. Would pass for a double le backer in a pinch

I find uspcc to be a good middle ground. Theres all kinds of variations in handling, but Cartamundi for me handles the best, and MPC among the worst.

[erniesthings]

Received mine today. Tuck crushed in shipping so bad, it busted the cellophane open.

[rousselle]

Does anybody know where I can find a couple decks of the "Reino de los Muertos Playing Cards" without having to pay $19 a pop?

[hsbc]

Now for sale on Enigma's website

[Bradius]

The price I see on the decks is 400 MXN or about $21 USD. I am not sure if shipping is included.

[chicken_ql]

The price I see on the decks is 400 MXN or about $21 USD. I am not sure if shipping is included.

Included if you buy 4 of them