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Patreon Announcement
Consider supporting team VectorSigma.info on Patreon so we can continue to bring you high quality Transformers TCG content on a daily basis!
Patreon Gen Con Recap
A deep analysis of team and patron performance from Gen Con..and a guide to what you're missing by NOT being a part of this Patreon !
The Post Energon Invitational Siege II Metagame
Tech Talk 66: Teams in the Transformers TCG
Scott and Vince dive into the deep topic of "Teams" in the Trading Card Game world, notably in the Transformers TCG. They attempt to define the subtle differences between "play groups" and "teams" and help players with ideas on the best ways to create, maintain, or join TF TCG teams. Let us know what you think!
War for cybertron siege I/II Analysis
Power of the Primes: Dan Arnold Energon Invitational Tournament Report (Champion)
Energon Invitational CHAMPION Dan Arnold discusses his experiences throughout the event and has some retrospective moments on other TCG experiences in his past. A great look behind the curtain of our champ!
Tech Talk 65: The Secondary Market in TF TCG
Scott and Vince discuss upcoming premium events, the PPG Championship and the Pax South Open before diving into understanding the nuances of the Transformers TCG Secondary Market.
Tech Talk 64-B : 2019 Look Back/2020 Look Ahead
Part II ! Scott and Vince recap 2019, not just for a trip down memory lane, but to understand the iterative process that led to team success throughout the year. It's always good to look back on failures, success, and ideas to prepare for the next chapter.
Tech Talk 64-A: 2019 Recap Part 1
Scott and Vince recap 2019, not just for a trip down memory lane, but to understand the iterative process that led to team success throughout the year. It's always good to look back on failures, success, and ideas to prepare for the next chapter. Part B will be posted tomorrow!
Novmember Patreon Exclusive Alpha Trion Chat!
SPECIAL PRE-ENERGON INVITATIONAL ALPHA TRION TIER PODCAST!
Here is an example of the type of extra content available to higher tiers of Patrons that helps them prepare for the competitive scene. This was recorded the week before the Energon Invitational and the honest, insider knowledge helped many prepare for the event. The results of the event are well known, but you can see that this type of knowledge was available prior to the event. Enjoy the preview! Contact us or see link below for more info! Happy New Year! ~ Scott
Scott and Dan Discuss the Limited format with some tips and tricks
then we breakdown your questions about Shockwave, the Meta-game, and General pip cards. also some additional thought process from the both of us about sideboard options.
Want some advice from the best play
Tech Talk 62: Responding to Energon Invitational "Misconceptions"
Scott and Vince discuss some of the backlash that has been leveled at the Energon Invitational from the perspective of what expectations SHOULD have been going in, and therefore how you could have adjusted your own expectations if they were not met. We take a lot of "industry views" with years of TCG industry experience and knowledge to back up our claims.
Tech Talk 63-B: Orange Spheres and Charity Event
We continue the discussion the post-Energon Invitational Siege II metagame focusing this time on the Orange side of things! We also give some details on our upcoming charity event on 12/28!
Tech Talk 63-A: PPG Dallas and the Blue "Spheres"
Scott and Vince discuss PPG Tour stop Las Vegas and the circuit in general a bit before using “Spheres” to organize a discussion on the current Siege 2 meta post EI
Tech Talk 62-B: Initial Thoughts Energon Invitational Part II
PART TWO! Scott and Vince go over JUST their initial thoughts (yes, over 1.5 hours of them total lol) with some shout outs, how the weekend went, etc. We touched the surface of many deeper topics so please let us know in the comments which ones you would prefer we tackle sooner rather than later since there is so much to unpack from this event!
Tech Talk 61-A: Energon Invitational Initial Thoughts
Scott and Vince go over JUST their initial thoughts (yes, over 1.5 hours of them total lol) with some shout outs, how the weekend went, etc. We touched the surface of many deeper topics so please let us know in the comments which ones you would prefer we tackle sooner rather than later since there is so much to unpack from this event!
Patreon Deck Tech : Octone/Sights/Flamewar
This deck tech was given to Patrons only pre-Energon Invitational. We wanted to show you an example of the type of material you can expect being a "Builder" or "Alpha Trion" Tier Patron prior to any event. This is a deck the team was heavily considering running and one we felt was well positioned in the metagame. One of our patrons played this deck to a 5-1 Constructed record on the day, feeling it was "Vastly Superior" the Octone list he was planning to play! Feel free to ask us any questions on it, this is just an example of the type of Tournament preparation you can expect from the team at VectorSigma.info...the team of Champions!
Tech Talk 61: Energon Invitational with Drew Nolosco
Scott, Vince, and Dan behind the camera sit down with Transformers TCG Brand Manager Drew Nolosco once again for a great interview on-site at Pax Unplugged! We discuss the Energon Invitational, how the Organized Play season went, the Siege sets, and get some hints for the future of the game! Thanks so much to Drew for his time and honestly his continued presence in the community and talking with us on a regular basis!
Note: our PC did not go very well, so we were unable to use our directional mic/pc so this was shot on a smartphone and came out pretty well considering ;-)
War for cybertron siege I/II Analysis
Tech Talk 60: Rules Changes, PPG Dallas, Energon Invitational
Note: this was recorded on 11/26, well before the banning of Multi-Mission Gear, so references to the Daring Escape combo are "outdated". If you want to skip the PPG Dallas coverage and get right to our thoughts on the upcoming Energon Invitational, feel free :-)
Today Scott and Vince go over the OP Rules changes (NOT the MMG banning), the results from the PPG Dallas, and then have a lengthy discussion around the upcoming Energon Invitational: how to approach the Marathon day, how to avoid long lines, what to prepare for mentally, etc.
Tech Talk 59: The Dangers of Combo
Note: this was recorded almost two weeks ago before other articles and rules addressed this issue directly. This is not a take on the "Daring Escape" deck per se, but instead a look at the place (or lack thereof) of combo decks in the Transformers TCG in general.
Join Scott and Vince as they discuss combo decks in the game, trying to take both sides of the coin, while admittedly biased towards the side of "they should not exist." Some discussion on the current combo deck (ie. public enemy #1) as proof of the concepts they discuss.
Tech Talk 57: Energon Edition and Top Battle Cards of Siege II
Scott and Vince discuss the week's Transformers TCG news that dropped around Energon Edition and the lack of set rotation in 2020. Then they discuss the Battle Cards in Siege II they are most looking forward to sleeving up!
Energon Edition Hot Take
Team VectorSigma.info gives you some first impressions of the exciting new Energon Edition boutique product!
See original WOTC announcement here: https://transformerstcg-support.wizards.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035509732-Introducing-the-Transformers-TCG-Wave-One-Energon-Edition-
Tech Talk 56: Top Characters from Siege II
Scott and Vince discuss the Siege II characters they are most excited about brewing new decks around. Broken down into "Deck defining" and "Support" characters! If you want to shortcut this exciting set with some expert competitive advice, stay tuned!
Tech Talk 55: Rounding out Siege II
Join Scott and Vince as they discuss the remaining, exciting reveals from Siege II from the week of 10/19. Then they have a free-form discussion of how they feel the set will shape the coming metagame!
Congruence Part I: Pogo and TF TCG
A new series where the team looks at other hobbies they partake in that have practical applications when trying to improve yourself as a Transformers TCG player. Dan starts with his high level PVP play in Pokemon GO!
Tech Talk 54: Siege II Reveals week of 10/14
Scott and Vince discuss results the Siege II reveals from the week of 10/14 including a lot of exciting new and large character cards! Only a few more cards to go and we are fully ready to test the known Energon Invitational metagame (probably?)!
Tech Talk 53: PPG Tour Columbus and PTA Ban
Scott and Vince discuss results from the first PPG Tour stop in Columbus, Ohio before getting into the really big news for the week: the Banning of Press the Advantage!
Press the Advantage Banned, Hot Takes
Whenever large events happen in the Transformers TCG we try and swarm as a group and address them..so you are in for a treat of various opinions on the recent banning of Press the Advantage.
See the Wizards of the Coast article for full explanation here:
Tech Talk 52: Siege II Reveals week of 10/8
You're only weekly Transformers TCG Podcast!
Join Scott and Vince as they dive into another round of Siege II Previews, this time from the week of 10/8!
Tech Talk 51: Battle Cards week of Oct 1
Part II of the massive number of Previews for the week of 10/1 ! This time we discuss the Battle Cards, including the very exciting and powerful Mercenary based ones! A lot to unpack here, cant wait to get into it!
WAR FOR CYBERTRON : Siege I and II
Tech Talk 50 (!!): Siege Characters Week of 10/1
What an exciting week! Mercenaries! New Character! Join Scott and Vince as they dive into this new territory for the Transformers TCG (and the Siege continuity!)
Siege I Metagame Mistakes: Part II
Team VectorSigma.info continues their journey of self-reflection on mistakes (with some wins mentioned) during the early stages of the Siege I metagame!
Siege I Metagame Mistakes: Part I
Similar to during the RotC metagame, team VectorSigma.info sits down to discuss mistakes made early on in the Siege I meta and how they evolved over time (Part I, Part II tomorrow!)
Tech Talk 48: PPG Tour and Siege II Characters Cont.
Scott and Vince return this week for an in-depth discussion of the exciting new PPG Circuit for Transformers TCG as well as going over the Siege II Character cards released the week of 9/23! Stay tuned next time for a discussion on the Battle Cards!
Tech Talk 47: Characters Week of 9/16
Join Scott and Vince for Part II of going over the @TransformersTCG Siege II previews the week of 9/16. Today we go over all the exciting characters, and there are a lot of them!
Tech Talk 46: Battle Cards week of 9/16
Say something interesting about your business here.
Siege II: Kinetic Upgrades : A Body in Motion Stays in Motion
Scott takes a deep dive on two new Upgrades from Siege II: War for Cybertron that feature a way to get more value from your flips!
Siege II Reveal: Sidetrack
Vince reveals the next member of the Battle Patrol : Sidetrack! Read about some exciting uses of this small defensive Treasure Hunter!
Siege II Reveal: Jam Signals
Dan shows off a great new secret action: Jam Signals..sure to be coming to a metagame near you when Siege II : War for Cybertron drops in November! This is team VectorSigma.info's first of FOUR reveals from the exciting and powerful new set, so stay tuned for our webpage at VectorSigma.info for others throughout the rest of this week!
Tech Talk 45: Siege II Spoilers Cont.
Two episodes in two days! In light of spoiler season kicking off in full swing and some exciting content the rest of the week, Scott and Vince return right away to discuss the next round of Siege II spoilers...enjoy!
Stay tuned for the rest of the week for some exciting reveals, live recording to discuss all the new spoilers and the Energon Invitational on Thursday!
Tech Talk 44: EIQs
Vince and Scott talk about some local Energon Invitational Qualifiers (one being the 31 player largest one on record!) and how to approach the rest of the season in its last few weeks!
Defensive Options
Tired of wading through a Sea of Orange throughout the Energon Invitational Qualifier season? Maybe you just need to explore some other options in your defensive decks. Join Vince as he highlights some strategies that may help your Blue based deck building!
Siege I: War for cybertron
Shock to the System
Fresh of the deck tech that qualified Bryan for the Energon Invitational ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYxWJXOlJsQ ), Dan takes a deeper dive as to how he arrived at the Specialst Shockwave list in its current form!
Tech Talk 43: EIQs
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Scott and Vince talk about the Energon Invitational Qualfiier season: how you should treat the season as a potentially already qualified player, what to do in certain situations, etc. Tech Talk is the only weekly Transformers TCG podcast, enjoy!
Rung's Ruminations: Letting it Go!
Vince continues his focus on the psychological side of the Transformers TCG with a look at when you may need to "Let it Go" when looking at your favorite characters in Lore compared to their competitive implications
Siege Metagame Analysis
Tech Talk 41: Siege II Spoiler Talk
Scott and Vince go over the recent Siege II spoilers (Trypticon, Hot Rod, Ratbat) and discuss some potential future use for them!
Trust your Team
Dan talks about his Top 16 finish at Gen Con and the importance of being able to trust your teammates to pick up the slack when real life has you busy before a big event!
Guest Article: Joel Grizzelle EIQ Report
Guest writer Joel Grizzelle tells us about his deck and EIQ win from Texas with an interesting deck build that uses both a Micromaster and Battlemaster to great effect! This deck shows how a concept can adapt over time and improve when given new tools to work with!
Siege I : Metagame ANalysis
Tech Talk 42: Spheres Cont.
Scott and Vince expand upon the "Spheres Theory" that Scott wrote about last week: an attempt to esoterically explain the metagame! Definitely one you do NOT want to miss, and please feel free to shoot any questions our way!
The Spherical Metagame Part II
Scott concludes (continues?) his theory on the Metagame, complete with a Spherical graphic that explains how various deck builds interact. Just the tip of the iceberg for this complex topic
The Spherical Metagame: Part I
A theory so large it had to be stretched over two day! Join Scott as he begins a journey of defining the Siege metagame..not on a deck by deck basis, but in a theoretical sense..
Gen Con Recaps
Tech Talk 40: Post Event Evaluation
Scott and Vince use Gen Con as a case study for how to evaluate your performance in an event. They go over how to understand your assumptions going in versus how it all worked out. This is a deep subject and one to be explored in more detail later on!
Hot Town, Summer in the City
Jon Palmer discusses his experience using the Titan Metroplex in the Friday AM Gen Con Open Invitational Qualifier!
Junkion Jank: Gen Con Recap
Fresh off a Top Eight in the Gen Con Open, Vince recounts the experience beginning with the dropping of Siege through the event itself!
Gen Con REcaps
Ranged General Optimus Deck Tech
Vince hosts Scott while he goes over his Top Four deck profile: General Optimus Prime/Barrage/Firedrive
Hot off the heels of Wizards own Scott Van Essen loving the deck and featuring it on the main Facebook page, find it here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/transformers-trading-card-game/gen-con-deck-profile-with-scott-van-essen/2299433336845145/
We go card by card for both the Characters, Battle Deck, and the sideboard ran at Gen Con.
This deck remains well positioned in the Energon Invitational Qualifier metagame, so give it a try!
Tech Talk 39: Gen Con Recap 1
Join Top Eight teammates Scott Landis (Top 4) and Vince DeGulis (Top 8) as they recap the general feeling of Gen Con and how the experience was for them. Sure to be only the first time they discuss the exciting weekend!
Blaster Deck Tech
Today Vince gives us his full Breakdown for his Top Eight Gen Con finishing deck: Four Wide Blaster! This deck utilizes the exciting new Autobot cassette strategy, full of nostalgia (how many of you ever even played a tape!?), fun, and effectiveness! Highly suggest you take this deck for a spin, and make your own improvements for your local Energon Invitational qualifier metagames! Note: Yes, we know they are not "spells"...old habits die hard I guess ;-)
Gen Con (Siege) Discussions
Tech Talk with WotC staff
Scott and Vince from Tech Talk had a great opportunity to sit down with many members of the WotC Transformers TCG design/brand staff and discuss both the event at Gen Con (recorded on Saturday AM), the design of the game, and the future of the game. Thanks to the staff for this unique opportunity! Enjoy!
Note: Audio is best you can do given the nature of a giant hall at Gen Con
Gen Con Prep: Know Thyself
Origins Open finalist Dan Arnold gives some last minute advice to prepare yourself for what is sure to be the highest attended, highest competition level Transformers TCG event to date at Gen Con! Even if you are not attending, there is some great tournament advice to be gleaned!
Tech Talk 38: Gen Con Prep
Scott and Vince quickly talk about the Soundwave/Blaster battle cards before a long conversation about how to prepare logistically for the Gen Con trip and how to mentally and physically adjust for the tough on-site schedule!
Siege: War for Cybertron
Self Reflection on the Why?!
Vince gives a short synopsis of his self-reflection playing the Transformers TCG during the RotC meta and how it affected his mental toughness and desires to compete
Interview with Drew Nolosco, Brand Manager on Organized Play
Drew Nolosco, brand manager of the Transformers TCG, was kind enough to sit down with Scott and Vince of Tech Talk again before his trip to San Diego Comic Con! We discuss all things Organized Play, and admittedly Drew dodged no difficult questions. Make sure you check out this honest and exciting conversation!
Note: there were some technical difficulties around 40-50 in that persisted due to sensitive Mic issues, sorry about that, we did not want to edit out any of the really great content!
Updating Orange Decks with Siege
Scott and Vince sit down EXCLUSIVELY with Drew Nolosco to discuss "Rise of the Combiners" as well as the exciting future of the Transformers TCG!
Siege: War for Cybertron (I) Metagame
Tech Talk 36: Play-testing Methodology
Scott and Vince start their series on preparing for and excelling at Organized Play events with a discussion of how they approach the Playtesting phase of the Transformers TCG given their long experience in this area from their many years of competitive TCG play!
Looking to the Past for Inspiration
In early attempts to make sense of this new upcoming Metagame, in such a short time frame, Scott Landis looks to Battle cards of the past for inspiration and synergy
Black Hats: A Critical Look at Black Pips in Siege
The VectorSigma Crew sat down after out first Wave 2 Event at the Adventures Guild. We played a post event game and discussed what decks were in the Top 4,; what we liked, disliked, and had some fun along the way. Top 4 decklists can be found in Decklist section
Siege: War for Cyberton (I) Content
Tech Talk 35: Blaster vs. Soundwave and Omnibots
Join Scott and Vince as they go over the recently spoiled Soundwave vs. Blaster product, including its legality at the upcoming Gen Con open, and the SDCC Omnibots!
Is Siege the Time to "All Hail Megatron"?
Vince takes a look back at the various iterations of Megatron that failed to make a splash on the competitive front, and looks forward to the new General Megatron who may succeed where others failed?!
Siege: Blue Meta Updates
Dan Arnold takes a look at using Siege to update two of the major players in the RotC metagame: Aerialbots and All Hail Optimus
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EXCLUSIVE Interview with Pastimes' John Temple!
Scott and Vince talk with Pastimes Marketing Manager John Temple about the upcoming Transformers TCG Energon Invitational and especially the upcoming Origins Game Fair!
Hot Take ORGANIZED PLAY Podcast!!!!
Tech Talk 31 Quick Turn around! Want the most in-depth theories on Organized Play from the most competitive Transformers TCG Content Creators? Then you MUST listen to this podcast!
Patreon Announcement
Consider supporting team VectorSigma.info on Patreon so we can continue to bring you high quality Transformers TCG content on a daily basis!
Siege: War for Cyberton I
Tech Talk 34: Siege Excitement!
Scott and Vince discuss the Siege cards they are most excited about sleeving up and testing this coming weekend for the first playtesting bonanza to get ready for Gen Con!
Sealed Deck Primer
Scott continues our Sealed Deck focused week with a Primer on the "rules" of Siege Sealed deck!
Sealed Deck Pools!
You've read and watched us all week give advice on how to build decks from six packs of Siege, now try it with us!
Origins: Energon Open
Tech Talk 33 : Origins Round Up
Since Vince could not attend Origins, he grills Scott on all the happenings that went on there. We go over the amazing performance of the team, including Dan's finals appearance, but most importantly we talk about the effects of the first Energon Open on Organized Play in the Transformers TCG..how it will be affected going forward. Tune in for a great look at the future of OP!
Origins Recap : Patreon
Scott Landis goes over a lot of team stats from Origins and further explains the benefits of the team when approaching the upcoming Gen Con and Qualifier Season
Dan Arnold: Recap (Second Place)
Dan Arnold recounts his Origins weekend (and some before) that led up to his impressive second place finish in the first major TF TCG OP Event!
Siege: war for Cybertron
Siege: War for Cybertron Preview: Private Top Shot
Scott Landis introduces us to a new Micromaster who mirrors a very popular Orange Battle card!
Building a Competitive Deck: Basics
Collaboration with Cameron of Arbitrary Hero!
Scott and Cameron talk about some of the thoughts that need to go into building a competitive deck . They discuss overall strategies in deck building as well as some ways to assess the value behind character and battle cards! No matter you experience level in deck building or playing in the Transformers TCG, everyone can get a lot of out this discussion...enjoy!
Tech Talk Latest Siege Reveals!
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Scott and Vince go over some Origins information and then deep dives into the remaining characters and battle cards revealed for Siege: War for Cybertron I (Two Part Podcast)
Strategy by Professionals
Content Creator/Site Webmaster : Scott Landis
Scott Landis has been a professional Trading Card game player since 1995. He has competed in all levels of TCG competition from the Magic: the Gathering Pro Tour, to the World Championship series in the World of Warcraft TCG. A Data Analyst by trade, Scott looks at the high level competitive nature of TCGs and applies strict mathematical analysis where possible; this is why the Transformers TCG is so appealing, it combines his love of the Transformers property with a love of statistical analysis due to mechanics of the game. As the the former head strategy writer for the World of Warcraft TCG, this new exciting game offers Scott another chance to help educate others on what they need to "up their game"
Looking to Contribute?
Looking for Writers/Content Creators,; Contact us at VectorSigma.info@gmail.com for more info!