UnitedCardists.com - The forum for Cardistry, Magic, Custom Decks and All Things Playing Cards.

This will be the final Auspicious Beast to close out the series that includes Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird.

Close up

That looks pretty great.

KS preview link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/el ... m1zx0IWm4A

The previous two beasts will be available as rewards as well. It's a great opportunity to catch up if you missed out on the previous ones. I'm thankful that I'm not head over heels on these.

WHAT a dizzying array of cards.

Trying to get up to speed on these, I just pulled out of the king star campaign because it looked like the art was muddled and not that detailed.

Cant really tell about these, it looks like the company cares a lot more about the tucks than the cards.

No one does dizzying array like Ark

Here we see the splash on P52 from the last campaign in “recently added”:

I noticed that other than the title ACE and the back, this is basically the same deck of cards as the others in the series with different coloration.

Evilgamer wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 3:52 pm I noticed that other than the title ACE and the back, this is basically the same deck of cards as the others in the series with different coloration.

That's correct. The cards have been the same with each deck, just different coloration/gilding.

Of the varied box sets that Ark tends to do, the frame sets from this series are actually a decent value. Those frames can be used with any deck. Though of course it's Ark, and they're only available as an add on.

That purple in the Beech Boxset looks soooooooooooooo good.

PaulF wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 2:28 pm That purple in the Beech Boxset looks soooooooooooooo good.

But does it look like its worth having to buy a $300 wood box to get it?

Evilgamer wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 3:11 pm

PaulF wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 2:28 pm That purple in the Beech Boxset looks soooooooooooooo good.

But does it look like its worth having to buy a $300 wood box to get it?

When the box costs ~$5-10 (check Alibaba to see what I mean), and the artwork is basically the same across campaigns, the profit margins for these projects are insanely high. And for them to now use secondary market prices to try to create more hype leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

building my 10 drawer cabinet cost me less than $300 and I’m not a fan of glitter gilding (have I ever mentioned that?), so like most Ark campaigns the selection for a pledge narrows from it’s fancifully wide spread - somehow I never manage to find the one for me but I will give it yet another go…

New Pic

GandalfPC wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 4:35 pm building my 10 drawer cabinet cost me less than $300 and I’m not a fan of glitter gilding (have I ever mentioned that?), so like most Ark campaigns the selection for a pledge narrows from it’s fancifully wide spread - somehow I never manage to find the one for me but I will give it yet another go…

Is it the fact that glitter gilding only looks good in NDO?

I can live with a gilding that is NDO only depending on the deck, but the glitter and chip varieties leave me flat

Launching September 26th at 11am EDT. As expected, the project is already made and KS will be used as a storefront. They can't acknowledge it otherwise they risk going against KS TOS. The way they get around this is any promo decks they send to people beforehand are simply unnumbered to differentiate them. I learned this after someone tried to sell me a "prototype" from a previous series.

kevork wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:45 am Launching September 26th at 11am EDT.
Screenshot_20230923_095130_Instagram.jpg

As expected, the project is already made and KS will be used as a storefront. They can't acknowledge it otherwise they risk going against KS TOS. The way they get around this is any promo decks they send to people beforehand are simply unnumbered to differentiate them. I learned this after someone tried to sell me a "prototype" from a previous series.

Screenshot_20230923_094346_Gallery.jpg
Screenshot_20230923_094311_Gallery.jpg
Screenshot_20230923_094235_Gallery.jpg

I don't disagree about the first part, but atleast I think they really do prototypes they send out as promos. I can prove this point with the wrong Devildom box description that I pointed out. They did indeed changed it on production version. So unless they made the mistake of printing it on production versions (I highly doubt this as this is not their first rodeo with this format), and had to reprint them when they found out, I think they do make actual prototypes atleast.

Disenchanted_11 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 5:45 pm I don't disagree about the first part, but atleast I think they really do prototypes they send out as promos. I can prove this point with the wrong Devildom box description that I pointed out. They did indeed changed it on production version. So unless they made the mistake of printing it on production versions (I highly doubt this as this is not their first rodeo with this format), and had to reprint them when they found out, I think they do make actual prototypes atleast.

Fair point. They may make some adjustments to the final product.

Here are the previews for the frame version:

Evilgamer wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 3:11 pm

PaulF wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 2:28 pm That purple in the Beech Boxset looks soooooooooooooo good.

But does it look like its worth having to buy a $300 wood box to get it?

$185 I believe.... For me, yes... I love the total package from that beech box down to the cards. I have the other three so this completes and compliments the series for for me.

$185 may seem like a lot, but when you started collecting in May 2022 and paid the multiples required to get some of those Lotrek, Lorenzo, Giovanni, Jackson, and other gems out there, everything is relative... lol

Honeybee wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 6:58 am

GandalfPC wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 4:35 pm building my 10 drawer cabinet cost me less than $300 and I’m not a fan of glitter gilding (have I ever mentioned that?), so like most Ark campaigns the selection for a pledge narrows from it’s fancifully wide spread - somehow I never manage to find the one for me but I will give it yet another go…

Is it the fact that glitter gilding only looks good in NDO?

Excuse my ignorance. What does NDO stand for?

New Deck Order

kevork wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 8:30 pm

Disenchanted_11 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 5:45 pm I don't disagree about the first part, but atleast I think they really do prototypes they send out as promos. I can prove this point with the wrong Devildom box description that I pointed out. They did indeed changed it on production version. So unless they made the mistake of printing it on production versions (I highly doubt this as this is not their first rodeo with this format), and had to reprint them when they found out, I think they do make actual prototypes atleast.

Fair point. They may make some adjustments to the final product.

Here are the previews for the frame version:
380618570_625784226368032_71676633244950784_n.jpg
382051552_625784269701361_4886873858280766887_n.jpg
380981568_625784259701362_4188639147793117625_n.jpg
380991648_625784229701365_3987477479634921679_n.jpg

Gosh, It's soooooo beautiful

Honeybee wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 4:36 am New Deck Order

Thanks

May I ask for one to expand on this. Why the talk of NDO? I'm not sure I understand what's being said? Is it the worry that the gilding will breakdown over time?

PaulF wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 4:43 am

Honeybee wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 4:36 am New Deck Order

Thanks

May I ask for one to expand on this. Why the talk of NDO? I'm not sure I understand what's being said? Is it the worry that the gilding will breakdown over time?

Gilding with patterns other than solid color, will not look as pretty after when shuffled.

GandalfPC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 9:58 am No one does dizzying array like Ark

Here we see the splash on P52 from the last campaign in “recently added”:



IMG_7138.jpeg

There was a double entry…
And yup… i know… this is ARK we talking about haha

PaulF wrote: ↑Sun Sep 24, 2023 4:43 am May I ask for one to expand on this. Why the talk of NDO? I'm not sure I understand what's being said? Is it the worry that the gilding will breakdown over time?

When a deck is gilded, it is when the cards are ordered in NDO, a state which you found when you first opened the deck. Ergo, if the gilding has a pattern: like sparkles or grid or yada yada OR printed edges with a pattern or an image, the deck MUST stays as it is. If they are shuffled, the edges are ruined as in no longer formed the pattern or image This is an example of edge print with a printed image. Imagine if you shuffled this and take a look at the side of the deck after you shuffled them - it wont look like this after you shuffle

Thanks....

Disenchanted_11 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 5:45 pm I don't disagree about the first part, but atleast I think they really do prototypes they send out as promos. I can prove this point with the wrong Devildom box description that I pointed out. They did indeed changed it on production version. So unless they made the mistake of printing it on production versions (I highly doubt this as this is not their first rodeo with this format), and had to reprint them when they found out, I think they do make actual prototypes atleast.

Now that you mentioned it… yeah, I do received that Devildom standard set “prototype” - the decks are Devildom, yet the box has the Halidom description. I do open them to spare the “official” standard set, and the cards appear as if it is final print. You just have to be either lucky or to win their heart as a reviewer if you want to get freebies. There is no shame in just having them, as they “almost” perfect as the final pieces

PS; was expecting Halidom standard “prototype”, yet I got another Devildom: the box set has no description and the decks without their cards

kevork wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:45 am I learned this after someone tried to sell me a "prototype" from a previous series.

If I were you, I would PROBABLY take it, since their "prototypes" are close to hit home with the final one, only that you have to lived with the fact that it is not numbered. Although, THIS would raise the concern - the stated print run is NOT the exact print run

$70k and climbing these guys definitely have a following.

I think Im going to stay out of asian style decks, but I wish them luck.