What do you do when all the cool kids are going to Adepticon and you can't go? You make believe that you too are cool and discuss what Star Wars: Shatterpoint (TM) plastic toys you would bring of course! In this episode, Kenny, Sam, and Scott discuss the premier lists that they would have brought to Adepticon and give meta and other analysis and predictions. Everyone who is going, don't forget about us! Tell us everything that is happening!!! Join the Slack and get a promo!...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 40
IT HAPPENED! Sam was able to record an episode with Vince and we suffered no technical mishaps!!! Vince drops a serious knowledge bomb regarding thinking about "dead draws" and how to build and play around optimizing for the cards in your deck and assessing whether or not units should be brought in the first place. It is excellent. JOIN THE SLACK ! RATE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST! COME TO THE ZIFI INVITATIONAL ON MAY 18!!!!!!...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Hello and welcome to Episode 38 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, Kenny, JK, and Scott discuss recent games with Luke and Vader-2 and talk about the spoilers for Moff Gideon and the strengths of his card. (Spoiler, we think he's gonna be real good.) Rate and review the podcast! Join the Slack ! We love you all!
Mar 04, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Hopefully not the dystopian future of Huxley amirite. In this shorter episode (we'll tell you why when we start), Kenny and Sam give quick thoughts on minimal plays of Luke and Plo, and then give more substantial thoughts on revisiting Barriss, Sabe, and Snips in the context of the new units that have dropped. Thank you for listening! Join the Slack !
Feb 26, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Hello and welcome to Episode 36! In this episode, Kenny and Matt discuss the meta as it prepares to turn over and a whole swath of new units (and hopefully new archetypes) storm onto the scene. They discuss the top (and bottom) of the primaries at this point in the game's life cycle, why Dooku has such staying power, and how that is informed by a recent tournament that the Utah crew played in. Thank you for listening! Join the Slack and rate and review the podcast!
Feb 19, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Welcome to Episode 35! In this episode, Sam and Scott discuss different ways to categorize units (tanks, supports, snipers, etc.). They talk about how this informs your listbuilding, why you should always include certain classes of units (control), and how they think various units do and don't measure up to what they're intended to do. Thank you for listening! Join the Slack !!!...
Feb 12, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Lies. Tell me the odds. Right now. In this episode, Matt Bronson joins the brothers to discuss math in Shatterpoint and to provide some useful heuristics for calculating the odds of the majority of attacks that you will make in Shatterpoint. Check out his article on Math in Shatterpoint . From there, you can find links to his other excellent articles. Also subscribe to his Youtube channel . It is excellent. Join the Slack ! Upload your games to the Google Form ! Come to Utah on May 18, 2023 for ...
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In Episode 33, Kenny, Matt, and Scott talk about reassessments to various units, including Lumi, Anakin, Bo, GI, and Barriss. We talk about what we got wrong about the unit in our initial takes, where we think they fit, and try to give additional context for listbuilding in the face of a soon-to-be widening meta-game. Join the Slack ! Check out Full Tilt ! And their freaking awesome Etsy shop ! Results from Black Dragon (14 person in Idaho), Magic Stronghold (18 person in Vancouver, B.C.), and C...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Hello and welcome to Episode 30 of Zions Finest! In this episode, Scott, Sam, and Kenny discuss recent games and lists that they have been playing, talk about Leia (Boushh), Stormtroopers, and General Leia, and then give thoughts on running a successful tournament. Thank you for listening! Rate and review the podcast and join the Slack !
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Yes that is a reference to this song from Frank Sinatra. You're welcome. In this episode, Scott and Kenny briefly discuss the highs and the lows from LVO, what went well and what didn't, and what to expect in the future. Check out Chatterpoint ! A new Star Wars Shatterpoint podcast from some dudes in B.C.! Even if they're wrong about their support tiers! These guys are awesome. Join the Slack !...
Jan 22, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 32
OR WHATEVER WE WILL TAKE WHATEVER KIND OF TOURNAMENT! The boys are heading to LVO, and this episode is a discussion of the premier list that they would take if it was (and maybe is?) a premier event. Matt runs an Anakin core Republic list, Scott runs a Vader core good stuff list, and Kenny runs a Dooku core tech-stuff list. We had some mic issues this episode. I apologize in advance and will ensure that Scott and Matt are fired onto the surface of the sun. JOIN THE SLACK ! Link to the Longshanks...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 31
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Join us at your leisure for a fireside chat hosted by JK in which he queries Scott and Kenny on the future of Shatterpoint in 2024. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?! WILL SPECTRE CELL BREAK THE GAME?! HEAVEN HELP US!!! We love you all. Join the Slack .
Jan 01, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 29
MERRY CHRISTMAS YA FILTHY ANIMALS !!! In this episode, Kenny discusses the problem and possibilities of building communities for Shatterpoint. This is an episode for you to enjoy while sipping your hot chocolate next to your hearth in this holiday season. If you listen all the way to the end, (starting around the 56:00 minute mark) you will be treated to Kenny reading his favorite Christmas poem--Eliot's Journey of the Magi . THAT'S RIGHT I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!!! I love you all and hope you ...
Dec 25, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Hello and welcome to Episode 27 of Zion's Finest! This episode is a list-building and play strategy episode for the Separatist Alliance. It is especially geared toward newer players, but there is absolutely deeper discussions for those of you that are more experienced with the faction. Announcements: We are set up for LVO. There will be a night of official play there, and I am confident that people will be looking for games. Let us know if you will be there so we can schedule a meetup and some g...
Dec 18, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Hello and welcome to Episode 26 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, Matt and Kenny discuss what they undervalued, overvalued, and simply got wrong about the game when they first started playing. They also (briefly) discuss nerfs, buffs, etc. that they think necessary to ensure the long-term health of the game. Announcements: Cody is hosting a tournament on December 16 in Reno, NV at the Game Kastle . Dice roll at 11:30 Pacific and it's a $20 buy-in. DefCon is happening in Linkoping, Sweden an...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Playing Shatterpoint well is hard. Painting Shatterpoint figures well is even harder. In this episode, Scott and JK rank by ease-of-pop the figures currently released in Shatterpoint. Thee ranking is not based on which figures are the "best," or most dynamic models, but rather the intersection of ease of painting with quality of model. Even if you're not as interested in the hobby aspect, you will gain valuable insights in terms of thinking about how to approach the figures that you have not yet...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Hello and welcome to Episode 24! In this episode, Kenny, Scott, Matt, and Curtis discuss conditions and strategize about assessing their potential value and when you should go for conditions vs. damage. It's more strategy focused and generally muses upon coordinated fire, leveraging conditions for maximum value, and other such things. If you're in Reno or thereabouts, you should attend Cody's Shatterpoint tournament on December 16 . Dice roll at 11:30 AM. $20 buy-in. If you're ... in the EU? Nor...
Nov 27, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 22
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (To those of you celebrating in the United States or celebrating outside these states. For everyone else, eat a turkey sandwich in my honor or something.) We gathered round the board after playing multiple games to do some list breakdowns and talk about what we most enjoyed about Shatterpoint at this stage in the game's evolution. It's an excellent episode for you to listen to as you journey to your folks' house to enjoy a sumptuous feast, or for simple commuting. We love you...
Nov 20, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In Episode 23, Kenny, Sam, and Scott give a brief overview of a recent tournament and discuss results and what we think it (might) mean for the meta. They then pivot to an overview of Sabotage Showdown and how it plays differently from Shifting Priorities. JOIN THE SLACK ! Have a great week.
Nov 13, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Vader GG is good. Some would say too good. (Me. I say it's too good.) But let's say you are wanting to square off against it, or prepare for it at a premier event. What can you do? What can men do against such hate?! NEVER FEAR! Sam and I have played with and against Vader GG and have thoughts on how you can approach listbuilding into Vader GG and playing against it in your games. Thank you for listening! Join the Slack and get a promo !...
Nov 06, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Hello and welcome to Episode 20 of the Zion's Finest! In this episode, we complete our tier-list and discuss the currently-released supporting units. There is a general consensus around most things, but some interesting fights and discussions regarding units' strengths and weaknesses. I would highly encourage you to watch it on Youtube so that you can follow our ranking as we go. Join the Slack ! We love you! Have a great Halloween!...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Welcome to Episode 19! In this episode, Kenny and Matt discuss results from a recent premier tournament and break down different approaches to building a premier list. Their discussion is wide-ranging, but there is a lot of good stuff here to mull over as we start participating in premier events. Join the Slack ! Fill out the Google Form so you can get a promo (which requires you to be a member of the Slack)! Be good to each other! Have fun! That's all!...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Hello and welcome to Episode 18 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, the brothers take a break from the competitive grind (prior to immediately getting back on the grind) to discuss the hobby aspect of this game that we all love. Specifically, Scott leads a discussion as to how to develop and maximize your skill and time with respect to painting miniatures in Shatterpoint, and what to look for in terms of getting started but also improving and leveling up your skills. This episode is probably best...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 18
IT'S A BONUS EPISODE! JUST ONE THOUGH! DON'T GET ANY IDEAS! Matt, Sam, and I went on a bit of a tangent (Matt's fault [okay it was mine]) and while it was ultimately cut from the masterpiece that was Episode 16, Matt suggested that we release it as a bonus episode. You're welcome! Have a good week! Rate and review the podcast! Do it! Join the Slack ! Watch on Youtube !...
Oct 12, 2023•15 min
Hello and welcome to Episode 17 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, we rank the currently-released Secondaries from Jango (spoiler alert) to opposite-of-Jango. It's a lot of fun and I think largely uncontroversial (except for you Cody bros for whom there is no help). We love you all. Thanks for listening! Argue with us on the Slack ! Watch this on Youtube !...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Hello and welcome to Episode 16 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, we do the deepest dive possible in these preliminary times on Jedi Knight Luke and Plo Koon. We talk about their strengths and where we think they will fit--especially Plo Koon, who's faction is more of a known commodity at this point. We are also releasing this episode on Youtube and we encourage you to check that out in case you want to see our beaming faces and follow Luke and Plo's cards as we discuss them. For those of you i...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Hello and welcome to Episode 15! This is a bit of a new spin for us. Instead of approaching a particular topic or strategy in the game, we decided to yell at each other about the tiers (S-D) to which each of the currently-released primaries belongs. For those of you listening to us before, we will not have too many surprises here, but we try to think through why each unit belongs where it does. We are also releasing this on Youtube , and we encourage you to watch it there so that you can see the...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Hello and welcome to Episode 14 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, Sam and Ben Varnum (new to the cast) discuss a recent tournament in which Ben participated and how Ben was able to win struggles two and three in matches and how to negotiate the sharing of time in a tournament setting. Ben also discusses how he plotted his distribution of lists to account for terrain and matchups. They both offer excellent insights into the use and management of time and spend a good amount of time discussing it...
Sep 18, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Hello and welcome to Episode 13 of Zions Finest! This one is a doozy and I apologize for the length but it was genuinely difficult to get Matt to shut up when he started going. Mattistyping, more like Mattistalkingandwontshutup amirite?! Just kidding. Matt did awesome laying out what we think is a solid framework for parsing how to attack Struggles Two and Three when you fail to take the first struggle--or how you can slow the tempo down so that maybe you can actually take Struggle One against a...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Hello and welcome to Episode 12 of Zion's Finest! In this episode, Sam and Scott discuss Momentum and how to conceptualize it for purposes of control and tempo. Anakin serves as the unit highlight for this principal, and they do an excellent job talking about how to think through what you should be doing on your turn to give you a competitive advantage. It's a great episode. Here's the Facebook link to the event on September 16 at Black Dragon Games in Twin Falls. Please join the Slack ! Let me ...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 12
