If you are printing MTG proxies for actual gameplay, PrintMTG is the better overall pick because it is easier, faster to get in-hand in the US, and the quality is close enough to make the workflow advantage the whole story. MPC can win on price when you print big batches, but you pay for it in time and effort.

Short intro and context

Print MTG is purpose-built for Magic players. It is not trying to be a generic card printing platform. It is trying to take you from “here’s my decklist” to “my proxy deck arrived” with as few weird steps as possible.

MPC (MakePlayingCards) is a real card manufacturer used by game designers, Kickstarter projects, and hobbyists who want custom decks printed. It is popular in proxy circles because the print quality is good and bulk discounts can be excellent, especially when you scale up quantities.

So PrintMTG vs MPC is not really a debate about whether either company can print a card. They can. It is a debate about who is optimized for printing MTG proxies without turning your evening into a layout job.

Quality (materials and print)

In our hands-on testing, PrintMTG and MPC land in the same practical tier for sleeved play. Both look good on the table and both shuffle fine. PrintMTG’s prints are clean and consistent across a full deck, which is what you actually notice once you stop staring at individual cards under a lamp like a goblin.

MPC’s big quality advantage is optionality. Because they are a general manufacturer, they offer more knobs to turn, like different stocks and finishes. Their poker-size custom game card product line also calls out a blue core layer intended to reduce transparency, and they support large deck sizes, which speaks to “real card printing” roots rather than MTG-only convenience.

Where PrintMTG wins on quality is not “it is magically better.” It is that the output is reliably solid for the use case it is aimed at: printing proxies that look good, read clearly, and feel consistent across a whole deck.

If you play unsleeved, you will care more about micro-differences in finish and thickness. If you play sleeved, the gap shrinks fast.

Price and value

MPC can be cheaper per card when you scale. That is the main reason it remains the default recommendation in certain proxy communities. MPC is built for everything from one-off prototypes to large runs, and their pricing structure tends to reward bigger quantities.

PrintMTG is typically more “fair price for a deck printing service” than “race to the absolute lowest per-card cost.” You are paying for the MTG-specific tooling and the reduced setup time. PrintMTG also pushes quantity discounts, but the real value is that you are not doing the extra work MPC usually requires to get to a finished order.

So PrintMTG vs MPC on value comes down to what you value:

• If you value your time and want a deck fast, PrintMTG is the better deal.
• If you are printing a cube, a playgroup order, or a giant batch and you have patience, MPC can win on raw per-card economics.

Design, templates, and customization

This is where the two companies feel like they come from different planets.

PrintMTG’s killer feature is decklist printing. You can paste in an entire MTG deck list for printing, then select versions and quantities in a workflow that actually matches how Magic players build decks. PrintMTG also offers tools like card search and an editor for custom designs, but the key point is that you do not have to build the entire project from scratch just to print a Commander deck.

MPC gives you a card maker and an online builder, but it is not MTG-aware. It is for custom card projects. That means you are typically managing images and layout decisions that PrintMTG simply handles as part of the service. MPC is flexible, but it assumes you are comfortable doing more of the production work.

So PrintMTG vs MPC on customization is a funny trade:

• MPC is more configurable in a generic sense.
• PrintMTG is more usable for MTG, which is the kind of customization most people actually want.

Ordering experience

PrintMTG’s ordering experience is the reason it wins this comparison.

The PrintMTG flow is basically:
Decklist in, review, choose versions, order.

That is it. It feels like it was designed by someone who has built a deck at midnight and wanted to play it this weekend.

MPC is more like:
Project setup, file prep, confirm fronts and backs, deal with a general-purpose tool, then order.

If you already have an established MPC workflow, it is not awful. But for most players, the friction is real. PrintMTG vs MPC is often decided the moment someone realizes they can stop doing extra steps that have nothing to do with playing Magic.

Turnaround time and shipping

If you are in the US, shipping tends to favor PrintMTG.

PrintMTG states that they typically print orders within about two business days, and they offer multiple shipping speeds including standard and expedited options. They also publish a US address and support hours, which is small, but it helps set expectations.

MPC ships worldwide and offers multiple shipping methods, but they are headquartered in Hong Kong, and widely-circulated industry writeups note their factory is in Guangdong province in China. In practice, that usually means longer transit to the US than a US-based shipper, plus more variability depending on the shipping option and customs.

Even MPC’s own FAQs describe timelines in the range of roughly one to two weeks depending on processing and shipping choices. In real proxy community discussions, “two to three weeks” is a common lived experience for US buyers.

So if you have a timeline, PrintMTG is the calmer choice.

Customer service

PrintMTG publishes clear contact info and support hours. If something goes sideways, you know where to start and you are not guessing whether your order is stuck in the void between continents.

MPC is a large, established manufacturer and they have robust help pages, but the distance factor matters. When something takes longer, you are often dealing with international logistics rather than a local shipping delay.

This is not about either company being “good” or “bad.” It is about what kind of problems you are likely to have.
PrintMTG problems tend to be normal order issues.
MPC problems tend to be “international shipping and production timing” issues.

Best for

PrintMTG is best for:

• Printing MTG proxies for actual play, especially Commander
• Anyone who wants decklist to deck, with minimal setup
• US buyers who want faster, more predictable delivery
• Players who care about consistent deck feel more than boutique finish options

MPC is best for:

• Large bulk proxy runs where per-card price matters most
• People who already have an MPC workflow and do not mind file prep
• Game designers and hobbyists who want custom decks beyond MTG
• Buyers outside the US who are already used to international production timelines

Brand A (PrintMTG) pros and cons

Pros

• Decklist printing is the whole point, and it works
• Fast, MTG-native ordering flow with less prep work
• Similar practical quality to MPC for sleeved gameplay
• More predictable US delivery experience

Cons

• Less appealing if your only goal is lowest possible per-card price in huge bulk
• Fewer “choose every stock and finish detail” options than a manufacturer platform like MPC

Brand B (MPC) pros and cons

Pros

• Strong bulk pricing at higher quantities
• Lots of product flexibility for custom card projects
• Established manufacturer with wide production capability
• Options for stock and finish beyond what MTG-only services usually offer

Cons

• More setup work for MTG proxies
• Slower to arrive in the US on average due to overseas production and shipping
• Not MTG-aware, so you spend time doing tasks that PrintMTG removes

Final verdict

PrintMTG vs MPC is easy to call if your goal is MTG proxies specifically.

MPC can absolutely produce great-looking cards, and it can be cheaper when you print big batches. But it is not designed around printing Magic decks, and the ordering process reflects that. If you have ever thought, “I want to play this list, not run a small print production,” you already understand why PrintMTG wins.

PrintMTG delivers similar real-world quality, a dramatically easier decklist workflow, and faster, more predictable shipping for US players. For most people who want proxies for casual play and testing, PrintMTG is simply the better overall choice.

The post PrintMTG vs MPC: Which Is Better for MTG Proxies? appeared first on Kraken Opus.

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With Fallout Season 2 back on Prime Video, fans expected the usual: more vault suits, more moral compromise, and at least one scene that makes you google “can you legally marry a ghoul?” What they did not expect was Wizards of the Coast choosing this exact moment to whisper “lol” directly into the ear of anyone still waiting on Fallout card reprints.

In an extremely real press release that definitely exists in the same reminder drawer as “your order shipped” emails that never come, Wizards congratulated Amazon on the new season and then pivoted smoothly into what the company calls “community engagement” and what everyone else calls “putting scarcity in a headlock until it stops moving.”

A triumphant return to the wasteland, and also to the secondary market

According to the press release, Wizards is “thrilled to see the Fallout universe thriving,” and is “equally thrilled to see the Fallout singles market thriving, too, because it proves the ecosystem is healthy.”

The ecosystem, in this case, is a man in a trench coat offering you a slightly curled Extended Art rare for the price of a decent dinner, plus shipping.

Wizards went on to clarify that Universes Beyond: Fallout was a “special moment,” and like all special moments, it will now be preserved in amber and sold to you later as a premium product. Not as Fallout card reprints, obviously. More like… a commemorative exercise in acceptance.

Fans hoping for a tidy reprint wave timed to the show’s new season were reportedly told to “roleplay harder.”

“Fallout is about scrounging,” the release explained. “It’s about survival. It’s about learning that the real treasure was the caps you hoarded along the way. So when you see a single Collector Booster pack listed for an amount of money that makes your bank app sweat, just remember: this is immersion.”

Fallout card reprints, now considered “lore-inaccurate”

To really sell the vibe, Wizards allegedly described Fallout card reprints as “lore-inaccurate.”

“In the Fallout universe, old things do not come back fresh and affordable,” the press release noted. “They come back rusty, expensive, and with a backstory. That’s why we feel reprints would undermine the tone.”

This is a bold stance from a company that has printed the same goblin approximately 900 times in slightly different poses. But when it comes to Fallout, Wizards wants you to feel the bleakness. They want you to look at your empty cart, your empty wallet, and your empty hopes, and think: War. War never changes.

As a compromise, Wizards offered to reprint “the feeling of wanting the cards,” which they say is “the purest form of fandom.”

“Rights issues” is the new “we said no”

Wizards did address the part where fans ask, “okay, but why not just print more cardboard?”

The press release cited the usual trio of corporate fog: licensing complexity, partner approvals, and “brand stewardship,” which is when a company protects a brand by ensuring you can’t buy it.

This is the part where every player nods like they understand, even though what they actually understand is that Fallout card reprints are now a seasonal emotion, like allergies.

Wizards framed the whole thing as a feature.

“Scarcity creates stories,” the release continued. “And stories create engagement. And engagement creates… well, look, it’s very important that you remain engaged.”

Helpful tips from Wizards on how to acquire Fallout cards anyway

To support the community, Wizards included a short list of ways fans can still get Fallout cards. It reads like a survival guide written by someone who has never been outside.

1. Trade for them.
   Wizards recommends trading “a few staples you aren’t using” for Fallout cards, which is a fun idea if your definition of “a few staples” includes your entire mana base and an heirloom watch.
2. Buy singles.
   “The secondary market is a vibrant part of the hobby,” Wizards said, while standing on the secondary market’s shoulders and wearing its coat.
3. Experience acceptance.
   Wizards encouraged players to “embrace the beauty of letting go,” which is a very normal thing for a game company to say about product availability.

If you want a refresher on what the Fallout Commander decks actually contained, you can check Kraken Opus’ earlier breakdown here: Magic: The Gathering’s Fallout Commander Decks Spoiler Decklist. (It’s like looking at photos of a vacation you can’t afford anymore.)

The premium experience: pay extra to feel less joy

Wizards also clarified that while they can’t do Fallout card reprints, they can continue doing what they do best: selling a premium feeling wrapped around a normal object.

You know the drill.

Regular card? Fine.
Same card with a different frame? Important.
Same card with a different frame and a number stamped on it? Suddenly you are a collector, a patron of the arts, and also a person who has to explain a charge to their spouse.

The press release encouraged fans to “celebrate Season 2 by chasing special treatments,” which is corporate for “please spin the wheel again.”

A brief moment of real talk (still kind of annoyed)

Here’s the non-dramatic version: tying a reprint schedule to a licensed crossover is not always simple, and Wizards has not announced new Fallout card reprints timed to the show’s Season 2 release.

That’s it. That’s the whole tragedy.

And yes, it feels like a missed moment. When a show drops new episodes, people get nostalgic, new fans jump in, and everyone suddenly wants the related stuff. This is literally the cleanest on-ramp in the world. Instead, we get to watch the show while staring at a decklist like it’s a museum exhibit.

Wizards’ next big crossover arrives shortly after Elder Scrolls 6, allegedly

At press time, Wizards also teased that a future Elder Scrolls collaboration will release “a few years after Elder Scrolls 6,” which is a great joke because it implies any of us will still be alive, sleeves in hand, hearts full of hope, waiting for both.

The release closed with a final reminder:

“Please enjoy Season 2. Please enjoy the community. And please remember: if you didn’t buy it when it was on shelves, the true Fallout experience is learning to live without it.”

Fallout card reprints never change. The wasteland just gets higher resolution.

Conclusion

Fallout Season 2 is here, and Wizards noticed, which is both comforting and somehow worse. If you already have the cards, congrats, you are a prepared survivor. If you don’t, welcome to the authentic Fallout experience: scavenging, bargaining, and asking yourself if you really need both kidneys.

Maybe Wizards will surprise us someday with Fallout card reprints. Maybe a mysterious stranger will show up and hand you a sealed Collector Booster for MSRP. But until then, keep your expectations low and your basics untapped.

The post New Fallout TV Season Coincides With WOTC Reminding Us They’ll Never Do Fallout Card Reprints appeared first on Kraken Opus.

Lorwyn Eclipsed hits tabletop on January 23, 2026, with prerelease starting January 16. That’s “plenty of time” right up until holidays, travel, and real life turn six weeks into about nine minutes. So yeah, it’s watchlist season. Not “panic buy” season. Watchlist season.

We’re getting two Commander precons: Blight Curse (Jund) and Dance of the Elements (five-color). Even with partial info, you can start lining up the obvious upgrade cards and the cards that tend to pop when a theme gets a big spotlight.

What we know about the Commander Decks of Lorwyn Eclipsed

Wizards has confirmed there are two Commander decks alongside the set. Retailer listings and product blurbs point to two clean themes:

• Blight Curse looks like it’s built around -1/-1 counters in Jund.
• Dance of the Elements looks like five-color Elementals, with a mix of ramp, big bodies, and some sacrifice or copy-style value.

If you’ve played Commander long enough, you know what happens next: everyone remembers the same 20 “on theme” cards, and a chunk of them get bought out for a week. Then the decklist drops and half the internet realizes the obvious reprints are in the box. That’s the whole game.

How i approach precon speculation without lighting money on fire

A few simple rules keep you from getting wrecked by reprint risk:

• Separate “likely reprint” from “likely upgrade.” If a card is perfect for the theme and has a history of being reprinted, treat it like it’s guilty until proven innocent.
• Prioritize versions with weird supply. Old foils, borderless foils with low inventory, Secret Lair variants, and Universes Beyond versions tend to move differently than basic nonfoils.
• Have a plan for exiting. If you’re speccing, decide now if you’re selling into hype, buylisting, or holding long-term. Waiting until you’re staring at a spiking graph is how you end up holding 37 copies of something nobody wants.

And if you’re on the “i’m just building the deck” side of things, it’s still worth tightening your upgrade plan early. A lot of these lists end up wanting the same support pieces, like protective and consistency tools. If you want a quick refresher, here’s our Kraken Opus guide on utility artifacts in MTG.

Blight Curse watchlist for Jund -1/-1 counters

A -1/-1 counters precon is basically a permission slip for a bunch of older Shadowmoor and Amonkhet-era cards to get re-evaluated. Some are obvious. Some are “how is this still cheap?” cards. And some are traps.

The engine pieces people always want

Blowfly Infestation
This is one of the most “oh no” cards in the whole space. It turns a board with counters into a chain reaction. If Blight Curse is even moderately popular, people will chase this.

Flourishing Defenses and Nest of Scarabs
These are the classic “turn counters into bodies” payoffs. They play well with sweepers that distribute counters, and they scale with the table. If they dodge a reprint, they get attention fast. If they do get reprinted, the fancy versions are where the conversation shifts.

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra is the cleanest commander-adjacent payoff for -1/-1 counters. The only question is whether Wizards wants an older legendary to upstage the new face commander. If she’s not in the deck, she becomes one of the first upgrades people add.

The “this looks like it belongs in the precon” pile

These are strong, on-theme, and feel like the kind of cards that end up in the 99:

Black Sun’s Zenith
It’s flexible, it scales, it shuffles back in, and it plays ridiculously well with token-maker payoffs like Hapatra, Nest of Scarabs, and Flourishing Defenses. The safest “spec” angle here is not the cheapest copy. It’s the versions where supply is thinner and the decklist doesn’t instantly nuke the price.

Crumbling Ashes
Slow, but brutal if the table is living with counters. Precons love this kind of repeatable removal because it reads splashy without being complicated.

Dusk Urchins
This is the kind of card that suddenly looks clever again when the theme returns. Big counter sweeps, big card draw. Simple.

Fevered Convulsions
This one is clunky. But clunky cards still spike when they match the theme and nobody has thought about them in years. Just don’t convince yourself it’s secretly amazing.

The likely “value reprint” cards

Necroskitter
If Blight Curse is real -1/-1 counters, Necroskitter is basically a mascot. It’s powerful, specific, and the kind of “looks expensive” reprint Wizards likes to use to prop up perceived deck value. Great card. Dangerous timing.

The Scorpion God
If you see a -1/-1 deck, you check The Scorpion God. If it’s not reprinted, it’s an easy upgrade and people will grab copies. If it is reprinted, the premium versions are the only interesting angle.

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Yawgmoth does everything, and he plays absurdly well with counter-based engines. This is less about “will it be in the precon” and more about “will demand rise anyway.” If the deck turns a bunch of players onto counter loops, Yawgmoth gets dragged upward with the tide.

Massacre Girl, Known Killer
If you’re putting -1/-1 counters on everything, turning that into card advantage is exactly what Commander players want. She’s also the kind of upgrade that gets bought in a hurry once people see gameplay clips.

The weird one

Misfortune (Reserved List)
It’s on-theme by color and wording, but it’s also not great. Still, Reserved List cards sometimes spike for irrational reasons, especially when a niche mechanic gets a fresh spotlight. If you’re allergic to gambling, this is where you back away slowly.

The “probably safe from reprint” angle

Spitting Dilophosaurus
Universes Beyond cards are a different kind of inventory. Even when Wizards reuses UB cards, it’s not always in the obvious place and not always in the same treatment. If Blight Curse wants repeatable counters, this is the kind of card people discover late and then scramble for.

Dance of the Elements watchlist for five-color Elementals

Five-color Elementals is the kind of deck that turns into a parts list fast. People will upgrade the mana. They’ll grab tribal staples. And they’ll chase the cards that make Elementals feel unfair.

The biggest thing to remember is that the main set will likely have Elementals too, which raises the odds of reprints for the obvious hits. So the best targets are often the cards that are good, but not “front page of the tribe.”

The staples that might soak up demand anyway

Risen Reef
This is the card that makes Elementals feel like a real deck instead of a pile of typal creatures. If it’s not in the precon, it becomes an instant upgrade for basically everyone.

Flamekin Harbinger
Tutors that cost one mana always get attention, especially in tribes that have a deep bench of payoffs. It’s also the kind of card players love upgrading into special versions.

Incandescent Soulstoke
This one is an actual watchlist card because it swings between “bulk rare” and “why is this five dollars?” depending on demand and reprint timing. Two relevant abilities on one card, both strong, both tribal.

The “might get overlooked” picks

Creeping Trailblazer
Not the flashiest, but it does the job. Tribal anthem plus mana sink is always playable. These are the exact cards that jump when the obvious reprints take up all the slots.

Chandra’s Embercat
Two-mana tribal ramp creatures are always in the conversation, even when they don’t make final cuts. If the precon leans into “big Elementals, fast,” this gets a second look.

Omnath check-in

When Elementals show up, people always ask, “which Omnath do i want?” The short version: the earlier Omnaths that actually care about Elementals tend to get the most love as upgrades. And the more premium printings can move just because a bunch of players decide they’re building the deck at the same time.

Versions to prioritize when you do buy

If you’re buying before full decklists, the boring copies are usually the worst risk.

A few version types tend to hold up better:

• Old foils with low inventory
• Borderless foils that were opened less than people assume
• Secret Lair versions that Commander players treat as “default bling”
• Universes Beyond versions that have their own collector demand

This is where “foil multiplier” and supply actually matter. When everyone tries to upgrade at once, the premium versions run out first.

Timing: when to buy and when to wait

If you only remember one thing, make it this:

• Before decklists: build your list, identify the “overlooked upgrades,” and only buy the stuff you’re comfortable holding if you’re wrong.
• At decklist reveal: that’s when you pounce on the cards that didn’t get reprinted and are obvious upgrades.
• After release: the best deals are often 2 to 6 weeks later, when the hype cools and people move on to the next thing.

And yes, waiting is the safest route. It’s also the route where you miss the easy gains. That trade-off never changes. It’s the tax we pay for caring about cardboard.

If you want more MTG reading while we wait for previews, the Kraken Opus Blog has the running archive.

Conclusion

The Commander Decks of Lorwyn Eclipsed are lining up to hit two themes that Commander players love: counters that turn into value, and a five-color tribe with a deep pool of upgrades.

For Blight Curse, the key is separating the “this will be reprinted” cards from the “this becomes an instant upgrade” cards, then watching premium versions where supply is thin.

For Dance of the Elements, expect a rush on tribal engines and mana support, with the best opportunities coming from the cards that are good but not obvious enough to eat a reprint slot.

Make your list now. Keep your powder dry. And when the decklists drop, move quickly on what’s missing.

Wizards of the Coast: “Collecting Lorwyn Eclipsed: A First Look” (product overview, dates, deck names). MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Wizards of the Coast: Lorwyn Eclipsed product page (release date). MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Wizards of the Coast: “Where to Find Lorwyn Eclipsed Previews” (release and prerelease timing). MAGIC: THE GATHERING

TCGplayer product listing: Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander Decks (Set of 2), deck names. TCGplayer

The post Planning for the Commander Decks of Lorwyn Eclipsed appeared first on Kraken Opus.

What Null Signal Games is (and what it is not)

Null Signal Games is a registered nonprofit publisher that continues Netrunner after Fantasy Flight Games ended official support. It’s volunteer-run, but it operates like a real publisher in the ways that count: design, development, rules, organized play, art direction, printing, distribution, translations, and ongoing balance work.

A key point: Null Signal Games is not Fantasy Flight Games. It’s also not “a random fan site with PDFs.” They publish complete sets, maintain competitive formats, and run an organized play structure that goes from local events up to Worlds. They also make print-and-play a first-class option, and they explicitly allow proxies in their events.

And another key point: they are careful about what they are and are not associated with. When you see disclaimers about not being endorsed by previous rights holders, that’s part legal reality and part community hygiene. It keeps lines clear.

How we got here: from FFG’s end date to a community publisher

Fantasy Flight Games announced in 2018 that it would stop selling Android: Netrunner products, with October 22, 2018 as the cutoff for sales, and Reign and Reverie positioned as the final product. The reasons were tied to licensing realities. That was the “official” ending.

The community response was basically: ok, but we still want to play, and we still want a supported competitive scene.

Project NISEI formed as a fan organization to keep the game going with things like rules support, tournament support, and new content. Later, in 2022, the org retired the “Project NISEI” name and rebranded as Null Signal Games. Their own explanation is blunt: they no longer wanted an appropriated term to be the face of the organization, so they changed it and moved forward. That change also kicked off a wider cleanup effort like remastered card backs and updated terminology.

If you only remember the early “NISEI” era, that’s why you’ll sometimes see older cards, older inserts, and older discussions with different branding. Same community spine, updated identity.

If you want the official explanation in their own words, the post A Change is the clearest starting point.

What Null Signal Games actually does day to day

Null Signal Games isn’t just “make new cards.” It’s a full support stack for an expandable card game:

• New sets: original cards that are compatible with FFG-era Android: Netrunner.
• Rules and templating: the rules team maintains a living comprehensive rules document and publishes card text updates so older printings stay consistent with current rules.
• Balance: they actively manage competitive play through ban lists and format rules.
• Organized play: prize kits, event policy, tournament tiers, and the seasonal structure.
• Production and art: volunteer-led, but they commission and pay artists at market rates.
• Translations: multiple languages, with ongoing updates as new sets land.
• Distribution and printing: direct shop in some regions plus print-on-demand partners, plus restocks and manufacturing changes when needed.

That “publisher operating as a nonprofit” detail matters because it explains why the tone is different from a normal commercial LCG. Their job is to keep Netrunner playable, healthy, and accessible. Profit is not the point, but sustainability is.

Null Signal Games products and the modern set ecosystem

If you’re trying to understand the product map, here’s the simplest way to hold it in your head:

The current on-ramp: System Gateway and Elevation

Null Signal Games pushes a clear starting path: System Gateway as the learn-to-play foundation, and then Elevation as the natural second step that expands the “core” experience without throwing you into deep-end deckbuilding immediately.

They now talk about Core Sets as “System Gateway + Elevation” together. It’s meant to be a stable, non-rotating base that new players can explore for a long time without needing the rest of the card pool.

Cycles, remasters, and why your cards don’t all match

Null Signal Games also releases expansions in cycles (two larger expansions per cycle, rather than the older six-pack model many people remember from FFG). Over time, templating and terminology changed, plus the organization changed its name and card back branding.

So they did remastered editions for older releases. These are mostly cosmetic and templating consistency changes (including removing “NISEI” from card backs, adding or adjusting subtypes, and language updates like “brain damage” becoming “core damage”). The important practical detail: older printings remain usable, but you should sleeve cards in opaque sleeves so backs never matter.

Print-and-play and print-on-demand are core, not side quests

Null Signal Games supports multiple acquisition paths:

• Buy printed sets from their shop or resellers (depending on region and stock)
• Use print-on-demand partners
• Download print-and-play PDFs

And they treat print-and-play as a normal way to play, not a “lesser” way. That’s huge for accessibility, especially when stock fluctuates or you just want to try the game before buying anything.

What’s next: Vantage Point and the post-rotation rebuild

As of late 2025, Null Signal Games has been building around the big Standard reset that came with Elevation. Their next announced expansion is Vantage Point, designed to expand the post-rotation Standard foundation and patch gaps they didn’t want lingering too long. They’ve said they’re targeting a Q1 2026 release window.

If you want the “why” behind the set, Announcing Vantage Point explains their thinking.

Null Signal Games formats: Core Sets, Startup, Standard, Eternal

This is where a lot of returning players get tripped up, because they remember “Standard” meaning something else, or they assume everything is one big pile forever. Null Signal Games supports multiple formats to solve different problems.

Core Sets format

Core Sets is basically: “i want a clean, stable, modern experience.” It’s just System Gateway + Elevation. No ban list attached. Great for learning, teaching, and playing at home without chasing meta updates every month.

Startup format

Startup is the smaller curated competitive format. It’s built around the core and the most recent releases. Rotation happens here too, because the point is to keep a manageable card pool and a clear entry path for organized play.

Standard format

Standard is the flagship competitive format, and it changes regularly on purpose. Sets rotate, and the ban list updates to keep the meta healthy. If you want the main tournament experience, this is usually it.

One thing that’s easy to miss: the ban list numbering and timing are formal, and they publish effective dates. So “the list exists” isn’t enough, you need “which one is active right now.”

Eternal format

Eternal is the big pool: everything, including FFG-era Android: Netrunner plus Null Signal Games releases. If rotation makes you tired, Eternal is where you go to play with the full history.

Balance philosophy: ban lists, rotation, and why it’s handled like software

Null Signal Games treats Netrunner like a living competitive system. That means:

• Rotation trims the card pool so design space stays open and formats stay learnable.
• Ban lists patch problems faster than waiting for rotation.
• Rules and card text updates keep edge cases from becoming permanent headaches.

They publish ban list updates with summaries of changes and reasons. For example, Standard Ban List 25.10 has a clear change list and an effective date, and it’s framed around maintaining side balance and the competitive calendar. Startup has its own balance updates too, especially when a set release changes the card pool shape.

If you’re a returning player, this is the mindset shift: you’re not collecting a static LCG anymore. You’re opting into something closer to a maintained competitive platform.

Organized play: how Null Signal Games runs tournaments and why proxies matter

Null Signal Games runs organized play across tiers. At the low end, local organizers run events with prize kit support. At the high end, Null Signal Games manages major championship events and the season structure.

One detail that matters more than people expect: proxies are allowed and tournament-legal in Null Signal Games organized play. That’s not a casual “ask your group” thing. It’s part of their accessibility stance. It also means:

• print-and-play is a legitimate on-ramp to competitive play
• you are not locked out of tournaments just because a set is hard to buy this month

The other practical detail: because card backs can differ across eras and print runs, opaque sleeves are not optional in serious play. They recommend it, and policy expects it.

Rules and terminology changes you should know (so you don’t feel gaslit)

If you played years ago and come back now, you will notice wording differences. That’s normal, and Null Signal Games has been upfront about it.

A big example is “brain damage” becoming “core damage.” Mechanically it’s the same concept, but the terminology changed for inclusivity and narrative reasons. You’ll also see updated keywords and templating intended to make rules tighter and reduce ambiguity.

Their rules support is centralized in a “Comprehensive Rules Hub” that includes the latest rules PDFs, a web rules version, and archives of older rules documents. If you want to resolve weird timing questions, that’s where you go. If you’re new, you should not start there, and they say that too.

How to start playing Null Signal Games Netrunner without overthinking it

Here’s the no-drama path that works for most people:

1. Start with System Gateway. Learn the game, play the starter decks, then do small swaps.
2. Add Elevation when you want a bigger pool without losing coherence.
3. Decide what you want next:
   • If you want tournaments, build toward Startup or Standard.
   • If you want maximum deckbuilding, explore Eternal.
4. Use the community tools:
   • NetrunnerDB for decklists and deckbuilding
   • Jinteki.net for online play and practice games

And yes, you can mix Null Signal Games cards with FFG-era Android: Netrunner cards, but you should sleeve them like a normal adult who doesn’t want to argue about card backs.

Volunteering, governance, and how a nonprofit publisher stays functional

It’s fair to ask: how does an all-volunteer publisher not collapse into chaos?

Null Signal Games publishes a clear outline of what teams exist (design, development, rules, organized play, distribution, tech, marketing, translation, narrative, visual) and how leadership is structured. They also list open positions and do recruitment drives. It’s a real organization, not a Discord with a PDF folder.

They also reinvest income back into sets and organized play, and they accept donations. If you like the idea of a community game that stays alive because people do the work, that’s basically the deal. And if you don’t, that’s fine too. But it explains why Null Signal Games has lasted and grown.

Buying cards in late 2025 and early 2026: stock, printing partners, and what changed

Like any physical product operation, availability can be messy. Null Signal Games has had stock pain points and has talked about it publicly.

In December 2025, they announced new printing arrangements and a global restock plan, including a shift to a new main printing partner for their primary sets going forward, while still maintaining print-on-demand options for regions they cannot directly support. They also called out expected timing for restocks and set availability by region.

If you’ve ever tried to buy into a niche card game and hit the “everything is out of stock” wall, you know why this matters.

The quick reality check: is Null Signal Games “official”?

If by “official” you mean “the same publisher that held the original license,” then no. Fantasy Flight Games ended sales and support in 2018.

If by “official” you mean “the current steward that actually publishes sets, maintains rules, supports formats, and runs organized play,” then yes, functionally, Null Signal Games is the center of modern Netrunner.

The community follows where the game is supported. That’s how tabletop works.

Conclusion

Null Signal Games is the reason Netrunner is still a living, evolving competitive game in 2025. They publish new cards, keep formats stable through rotation and ban lists, maintain rules, support organized play from local events to Worlds, and keep the game accessible through print-and-play and proxy legality.

If you’re coming back after years away, don’t try to absorb everything at once. Start with System Gateway, add Elevation, pick a format, and play games. The rest will click into place the way it always did: one matchup at a time.

The post The Complete Guide to Modern Netrunner appeared first on Kraken Opus.

Why picking a sticker manufacturer is weirdly hard

Looking for the best sticker manufacturers sounds simple until you actually start comparing them. One company has perfect print but costs more than it should. Another has every finish under the sun, but the results can be inconsistent. And a lot of “all-in-one” print shops sell stickers as an add-on, which is fine, but not always what you want if durability and cut accuracy matter.

Stickers are small, but they do a lot of work. They represent your brand, your art, your event, or just your personal style. So if your stickers look off, people notice.

In this ranking, we focus on what matters most: print quality, value, options, service, and turnaround. If you just want the short version, the top of this list is pretty clear. If you want something specialty, the middle of the list is where it gets interesting.

How we ranked the best sticker manufacturers

We used our internal score table to rank each vendor on a 1 to 5 scale across:

• Quality: print clarity, color consistency, cut accuracy, durability feel
• Price: value for typical orders, not just “lowest possible”
• Options/finishes: materials, special effects, formats (die cut, kiss cut, sheets, labels)
• Customer service: proofing help, fixes when something goes wrong
• Turnaround: how fast and how predictable

Then we calculated an average and used a simple tie-break rule: when scores are close, we lean toward the company that will cause fewer headaches for most people.

The 9 best sticker manufacturers (ranked)

1) CustomStickers.com

If you want the best “order it and move on with your life” option, this is it. In our scoring, CustomStickers.com leads on quality, price, and service, with a strong turnaround too.

Why consider CustomStickers.com

• Consistently premium feel on laminated vinyl and BOPP style products
• Great value without making you play weird pricing games
• Helpful proofing support, especially if your art needs cleanup or your cutline is tricky

When it might not be appropriate

• If your whole goal is niche finishes and novelty materials, this is more “do the core stuff extremely well” than “infinite menu of weird stuff”

Ideal use cases

• Brand stickers for laptops, water bottles, packaging inserts
• Durable outdoor stickers that need to hold up
• Anyone who wants the best sticker manufacturers list to end quickly because you already found your pick

Best for: overall quality and value, durable vinyl stickers, low-stress ordering

2) YouStickers

YouStickers.com scores almost identically to CustomStickers.com and lands at #2 mostly because the top spot is already taken. It’s still an easy recommendation if you want premium stickers without overthinking it.

Why consider YouStickers.com

• High quality and strong value, especially on common sticker types
• Friendly ordering and proof flow
• Great for repeat ordering once you’ve nailed the first proof

When it might not be appropriate

• If you need the broadest selection of specialty materials, some competitors offer more oddball options

Ideal use cases

• Creators and small brands who want premium stickers fast
• Sticker runs where consistency matters across reorders

Best for: premium everyday stickers, creators, repeat ordering

3) StickerApp

StickerApp is the “options and finishes” company on this list. If your project is about the look, the material, or the effect, StickerApp becomes a serious contender even if it’s not the most consistent on pure quality.

Why consider StickerApp

• Huge range of materials and finishes, including specialty looks
• Fast production, especially for trendy sticker styles
• Great when you want the sticker itself to be the hook

When it might not be appropriate

• If you need ultra-consistent results across multiple runs, this can feel a little more “roll the dice” than the top two

Ideal use cases

• Specialty finishes (holographic, clear, textured looks)
• Short runs for drops, promos, and experiments

Best for: specialty finishes and fast production

4) StickerGiant

StickerGiant tends to shine in business use. It’s a reliable shop with strong durability, solid service, and predictable production. The main downside is price.

Why consider StickerGiant

• Strong for labels and business programs
• Predictable production and good support
• Durable results for “this needs to survive shipping and handling” situations

When it might not be appropriate

• If price is your #1 priority, StickerGiant can feel expensive
• If you want flashy specialty finishes, others go further

Ideal use cases

• Business label programs and packaging workflows
• High-volume brand sticker needs where consistency matters

Best for: business labeling, durable branding stickers

5) MakeStickers

MakeStickers earns its spot because it’s fast, fairly priced, and generally easy to work with. It’s not the absolute best on quality, but it’s a strong middle-ground pick when time matters.

Why consider MakeStickers

• Very fast turnaround
• Friendly ordering process
• Solid range of options without being confusing

When it might not be appropriate

• If you’re chasing the most premium print and cut precision possible, the top tier wins

Ideal use cases

• Events, launches, and deadlines
• Teams that need “good stickers fast” without premium pricing

Best for: fast turnaround and good overall value

6) Sticker Mule

NOTE THAT WE ARE NO LONGER RECOMMENDING STICKERMULE DUE TO THEIR POLITICAL RHETORIC!

Sticker Mule is known for durable vinyl and a straightforward proofing process. The downside is pricing and a narrower set of finishes compared to the “specialty” vendors.

Why consider Sticker Mule

• Durable vinyl with a nice feel
• Simple proofing and ordering
• Reliable turnaround

When it might not be appropriate

• If you care most about price-to-quality value, other companies beat it
• If you want a wide menu of finishes, it can feel limited

Ideal use cases

• Teams that want durable vinyl stickers with minimal fuss
• Quick runs where “it just needs to arrive and be solid” is the main requirement

Best for: durable vinyl stickers, simple ordering

7) Sticky Brand

Sticky Brand is a solid choice when you want good quality for the price, but it’s not always the most predictable operationally. When it goes well, it’s a strong value.

Why consider Sticky Brand

• Strong materials and good value potential
• Good option variety for a sticker-first shop
• Can be a great middle choice if you’re not on a tight deadline

When it might not be appropriate

• If you have a hard deadline or low tolerance for delays, the mixed reliability reports can be stressful

Ideal use cases

• Small brand runs where you want quality without paying top-tier prices
• Projects where you can tolerate a little variability

Best for: quality-for-price, sticker specialist catalog

8) StickerYou

StickerYou is basically a big toolbox. Tons of formats and product variety, especially for labels and functional uses. It’s not always the most consistent experience, but the range is the reason people choose it.

Why consider StickerYou

• Massive product range including labels, decals, and more
• Great for functional labeling and varied formats
• Plenty of customization pathways

When it might not be appropriate

• If you want the most consistent “perfect every time” specialist experience, other vendors are safer

Ideal use cases

• Label-heavy projects
• Teams that want lots of format choices in one place

Best for: huge variety, labels, functional sticker use

9) UPrinting

UPrinting is a multiproduct print shop that also does stickers. It scores well on price and turnaround options, but it’s not usually where you go for premium sticker quality.

Why consider UPrinting

• Competitive pricing
• Fast production options on many products
• Convenient if you’re bundling other print needs

When it might not be appropriate

• If premium sticker durability and finish quality is the whole point, specialists win

Ideal use cases

• Budget-driven sticker orders
• Businesses already ordering other print products and adding stickers as part of the bundle

Best for: budget stickers and fast production options

What to decide before you order

Most sticker problems are caused before the sticker is ever printed. Decide these upfront and you avoid 90 percent of the usual headaches.

• Sticker type: die cut, kiss cut, sheet, roll, label
• Material: vinyl vs paper vs BOPP style label material
• Finish: matte vs gloss (and whether you want laminate)
• Use environment: indoor only, outdoor, dishwasher, abrasion, sunlight
• Border strategy: full bleed vs white border (thin borders are risky)
• Quantity and size: small stickers punish fine details and tiny text

If you want the simplest path: vinyl, laminated, die cut, full bleed, normal size, and a proof check before printing.

Common ordering mistakes (and how to avoid them)

A few things show up again and again in support threads and regret-filled group chats.

Mistake: no bleed
If your art goes to the edge, you need bleed. Otherwise any tiny cut shift creates a “oops” white line.

Mistake: hairline borders
If you must do a border, make it thick enough that tiny cut variation won’t ruin the look.

Mistake: low-res artwork
Stickers are small, which makes fuzziness more obvious. Upload the highest resolution you’ve got.

Mistake: assuming all “vinyl” is the same
Some vinyl stickers feel premium and thick. Others feel thin and floppy. Laminate and adhesive quality matter.

Mistake: not reading the proof carefully
Check spelling, tiny details, and whether the cutline does anything weird around thin shapes.

Quick pick guide

• Best overall for most people: CustomStickers.com
• Premium alternative with similar strengths: YouStickers.com
• Best for specialty materials and finishes: StickerApp
• Best for business label programs: StickerGiant
• Best when you need speed: MakeStickers
• Best for durable vinyl with simple ordering: Sticker Mule
• Best “value if everything lines up” option: Sticky Brand
• Best for wide format variety and labels: StickerYou
• Best budget multiproduct shop option: UPrinting

FAQ

Are vinyl stickers waterproof?
Some are. The real difference is laminate and adhesive quality. If you want outdoor durability, choose a vendor that scores high on quality and specifically supports durable finishes.

Die cut vs kiss cut, which should i choose?
Die cut is the sticker cut all the way through. Kiss cut leaves the backing intact. If you’re handing stickers out, die cut is simple. If you want easy peeling and storage on a sheet, kiss cut wins.

What is the best quantity to order for a first run?
Enough to test your real use case. If you are putting these on products, order enough to run through a week of packing. If you are selling them, order enough to test demand without being stuck with a mountain of leftovers.

Conclusion

If you want the shortest path to a good result, the top of this list exists for a reason. CustomStickers.com and YouStickers.com are the easiest “most people will be happy” picks. After that, the best sticker manufacturers choice depends on what you care about: specialty finishes (StickerApp), business consistency (StickerGiant), speed (MakeStickers), or budget bundling (UPrinting).

If you’re still stuck, choose based on your risk tolerance. Deadlines and high expectations mean pick a top-tier specialist. Experiments and novelty finishes mean pick the company with the fun menu.

The post Best sticker manufacturers: 9 companies ranked and reviewed appeared first on Kraken Opus.

Most Magic games are decided by small timing edges. One missed two-drop. One turn where you couldn’t hold up removal. One awkward hand where you had the spell, but not the mana right now. And the sneaky culprit, especially in casual lists and precon upgrades, is the same every time:

Too many lands that enter the battlefield tapped.

Taplands aren’t automatically “bad.” They’re a tool. The problem is when they quietly pile up until your deck is always half a step behind the table. Let’s talk about what that looks like, why it matters, and how to fix it without turning deckbuilding into a spreadsheet hobby.

What counts as a “tapland” (and why they exist)

A tapland is any land that comes in tapped some or all of the time. That includes:

• Lands that always enter tapped (many budget dual lands, tri-lands, scry lands, etc.)
• Lands that enter tapped unless you meet a condition (like controlling a basic land type, having two other lands, revealing a land type, and so on)
• Lands that usually enter tapped early (some cycles are basically “turns 1–2 tapped, later untapped”)

Design-wise, “ETB tapped” is one of the most common ways Magic balances color fixing. Multi-color mana is powerful. The game often asks you to pay for that power with tempo.

And tempo is the key word. You don’t just “lose one mana.” You lose a turn of options.

The real cost: tempo loss is a snowball, not a single point

Here’s the simplest way to feel the problem:

If you play a tapland on turn two, you effectively took a turn where you had one less mana than your curve expects.

That can mean:

• Your two-drop becomes a three-drop.
• You can’t play a threat and hold up protection.
• You can’t double-spell on a critical turn.
• You pass with removal in hand but not enough mana to cast it.

And once you start missing early beats, you often keep missing them. Not because your deck is broken, but because you’re always reacting from behind.

In 60-card formats, this is brutal because games are faster and curves are tighter. In Commander, it’s still brutal because the table will snowball value while you’re “just getting set up.”

Signs you have too many taplands

If any of these feel familiar, your mana base is probably the issue (not your card choices):

• You keep hands that look fine, then you do nothing meaningful until turn 3–4.
• You’re constantly saying, “If this land was untapped, i had it.”
• You miss the chance to hold up interaction (counterspell, removal, protection) because your land drop ate your turn.
• You often can’t cast your commander on curve, even when you hit land drops.
• You’re stuck choosing between color fixing and tempo every early turn.

A lot of players respond by adding more ramp. That can help, but it can also hide the real problem: ramp doesn’t fix the turn where you needed untapped mana right now.

So… how many taplands is “too many”?

There isn’t one perfect number, because it depends on format, deck speed, and how strict your curve is. But there are solid rules of thumb that keep you out of the danger zone.

Commander (EDH)

Commander decks often run lots of lands, and games go longer, so you can “get away with” more taplands than 60-card. But that doesn’t mean you should.

A practical guideline:

• 0–4 taplands: feels smooth in most mid-power decks
• 5–8 taplands: noticeable, but manageable with good sequencing
• 9+ taplands: you’ll feel slow in almost every pod unless your deck is intentionally durdly

Also, watch out for the trap where your “taplands” are half your nonbasics because you upgraded spells first and left the mana base untouched.

60-card constructed

If you’re trying to curve out, the bar is much stricter:

• 0–2 true taplands in most proactive decks
• 3–4+ and you’re basically choosing to play slower than opponents

Control decks can tolerate a little more, but only if those lands are giving real payoff (card selection, utility, strong fixing) and your deck is built to trade early anyway.

Limited (Draft/Sealed)

Limited is the format where taplands are often fine, because curves are slower and color fixing matters. But “fine” still doesn’t mean “free.”

• A couple taplands is normal.
• A pile of them will make your draws clunky and your early turns weak.

Land sequencing: how to play taplands without punting tempo

Even before you change a single card, you can win games just by sequencing better.

The basic idea:
Play your taplands on turns when you weren’t going to use all your mana anyway.

That often means:

• Turn 1: tapland is usually safest if you don’t have a must-play one-drop
• Turns where you’re casting a spell that doesn’t use all your mana (like a 2-drop on turn 3)
• After you’ve stabilized, when one mana doesn’t change what you can represent

And the flip side:
Avoid playing taplands on turns where you want to:

• hit a key spot on your curve (2, 3, 4)
• hold up interaction
• double-spell

A good mental habit is to ask: “What do i need to represent next turn?” If the answer is “removal + protection” and you’re about to play a land tapped, you’re probably about to feel that mistake immediately.

Fixing the problem without spending a fortune

You don’t need the most expensive lands to get a much faster deck. The real upgrade is shifting your mana base toward untapped sources and cutting the worst offenders.

Step 1: cut the “no upside” taplands

If a land enters tapped and only taps for mana, it needs a very good reason to be there. In two-color decks, these are usually the first to go.

Step 2: keep taplands that actually pay you back

Some ETB tapped lands are worth it because they do more than fix colors. For example:

• lands that provide card selection (scry-style effects, surveil-style effects)
• lands that provide real utility (important abilities that matter later)
• tri-color fixers in decks that truly need them (especially 4–5 color), where casting spells at all is the priority

A useful test: “If this land entered untapped, would i still play it?”
If the answer is no, the upside probably isn’t real.

Step 3: add more basics than you think you should

This sounds boring, but basics do two important things:

• they enter untapped
• they make your conditional lands and ramp spells work better

A lot of “my mana is bad” decks aren’t short on fancy lands. They’re short on lands that just work.

Step 4: swap in “cheap untapped” cycles

There are plenty of land cycles that are commonly cheaper than premium staples but still help you play on curve. The names and prices change over time, so i won’t pretend there’s one perfect shopping list. But the categories that usually help are:

• lands that often enter untapped with light conditions
• lands that trade a small cost (like life) for speed
• lands that give you flexible color choices without entering tapped

If you’re upgrading slowly, aim for this simple ratio:
Every time you add a cool new spell, try to also upgrade one land that makes that spell easier to cast on time.

A quick “tapland audit” you can do in 5 minutes

Open your decklist and count:

1. Always tapped lands
2. Usually tapped early lands
3. Conditional taplands (sometimes untapped)

Then ask:

• How many of category (1) do i have? (These are the danger.)
• How often do category (2) lands behave like taplands in my early turns?
• Do my conditional lands actually come in untapped in my deck, or is that wishful thinking?

Finally, set one clear target:

• “I’m cutting 3 taplands and replacing them with untapped sources.”
  That alone will make your deck feel like it gained power, even though you didn’t change a single spell.

Conclusion: your deck isn’t “slow,” your lands are

Most people don’t lose because they played a tapland once. They lose because they played taplands every game, across the first four turns, and never got their feet under them.

If your deck feels clunky, start here:

• reduce the number of “no upside” taplands
• sequence tapped lands intentionally
• bias toward untapped sources and basics
• keep only the taplands that truly pay you back

Do that, and your deck will feel like it got smarter overnight. Same spells. Same strategy. Just… the ability to actually cast them when it matters.

The post The “Too Many Taplands” Problem: When Slower Lands Lose You Games appeared first on Kraken Opus.

CustomStickers.com is the better pick for “these need to look premium” jobs. Papaya Stickers is fine when you’re optimizing for quick, low-stakes runs.

Quick context

Both companies sell custom die cut stickers, sticker sheets, and popular “creator” staples like waterproof vinyl options. Both run a proof process before printing, which is the right baseline in 2025.

But when you put the finished stickers side by side, the gap shows up fast. And it’s not a subtle “paper nerd” gap either. It’s the stuff normal people notice: print sharpness, cut accuracy, how the laminate feels, and whether the edges look clean or a little wobbly.

CustomStickers

CustomStickers.com — A high-volume custom sticker printer focused on premium vinyl + durable laminate with a streamlined proof → print → ship workflow. Best known for clean cuts, sharp prints, and consistent quality across common sticker formats.

PapayaStickers

Papaya Stickers — A smaller-feeling custom sticker shop with a simple lineup (die cuts, sheets, etc.) and deal-friendly pricing at times. In our side-by-side experience, the output landed notably lower quality than CustomStickers.com—especially in print sharpness, cut precision, and finish durability.

Quality (Materials and Print)

CustomStickers.com vs PapayaStickers: what showed up in the mailbox

CustomStickers.com is consistently “premium vinyl sticker” quality. The printing looks dense and controlled, fine details stay readable, and the surface holds up better when you handle the sticker a lot.

Papaya Stickers markets premium results and offers multiple finish tiers, but in our actual order the output was a step down. The biggest tells:

• Print clarity: Fine lines and tiny type looked softer on Papaya. CustomStickers stayed crisp.
• Cut quality: Papaya’s cutline accuracy was less consistent, especially around tight curves and sharp points. CustomStickers cuts looked cleaner.
• Surface durability: Papaya’s finish scuffed easier in normal handling. CustomStickers held up better to scratchy, everyday abuse (water bottles, laptops, toolboxes).

If you’re making stickers for packaging, promos, or “hand these out and they’ll end up on a water bottle,” the CustomStickers result just looks more professional.

Price and Value

Where the money actually goes

Pricing is hard to compare perfectly without building a spreadsheet of identical specs, but the value story is straightforward.

CustomStickers.com tends to price aggressively for what you get, and they lean into the idea that you should not have to pay “boutique pricing” to get durable vinyl with a serious laminate.

Papaya Stickers often looks competitive at a glance and they push deals and threshold-based free shipping. If you are ordering just enough to hit a promo, Papaya can feel like a bargain.

But this is where lower quality bites you. A cheaper sticker that looks cheap is not a deal if it’s going on customer packaging. If you are deciding based on value, CustomStickers.com vs PapayaStickers comes down to this: CustomStickers is the safer bet when the sticker is representing your brand.

Design, Templates, and Customization

Both are upload-first, not template-first

Neither one is really a “choose a template and drag stuff around” kind of experience like the big marketplace printers. These are both more: upload your art, get a proof, approve it, print it.

CustomStickers is friendlier if your files are not perfect. Their workflow is built around proofs, revisions, and getting files to print cleanly without making you feel like an idiot for not knowing bleed rules.

Papaya also runs proofs and offers support, but the overall experience feels more “small shop ecommerce” than “refined print workflow.” That’s not automatically bad. It just means the process can feel less predictable.

Customer Service

Helpful matters most when something is off

This is the section that usually saves a printer, or exposes them.

CustomStickers has a very established “proof and fix” culture. If there’s a problem, you want the resolution path to be boring and fast.

Papaya’s public footprint on service is smaller, and you see the typical early-brand pattern: some happy stories, some process hiccups. We also saw signs that their proof communication could be tighter (the kind of thing where you should get notified clearly, every time).

If you are ordering for a launch date, customer service is not a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between calm and chaos.

Ordering Experience & Tools

Proof flow and the little annoyances

CustomStickers’ ordering flow is simple: pick, upload, approve proof. The proof timeline is clear, and the revision loop is straightforward.

Papaya’s site is clean, but the experience feels more variable. They list strong turnaround targets, but the proof and notification experience can be less polished, which increases that annoying “did something happen or not?” feeling.

Not everyone cares about this. But if you order stickers weekly, you will care by week two.

Turnaround Time and Shipping

Both are fast, but fast is only useful if it’s reliable

Papaya advertises quick proofs and fast production windows, plus shipping estimates that look good for U.S. customers.

CustomStickers also runs quick proofs and fast production, and they’re very direct about processing time depending on proof approval and order complexity.

In practice, both can be fast. The difference is that CustomStickers feels more predictable. And when you’re trying to hit an event, “predictable” beats “technically fast.”

Use Cases / Best For

CustomStickers.com is best for

• Brands that need premium-looking stickers for packaging and unboxings
• Stickers that will get handled a lot (water bottles, laptops, gear)
• Designs with fine detail, small text, or tight cut paths
• Anyone who wants the “safe pick” in CustomStickers.com vs PapayaStickers

Papaya Stickers is best for

• Short-term promo stickers where “good enough” is actually good enough
• Simpler designs that do not rely on razor-sharp detail
• Buyers optimizing around deals or threshold shipping, and who can tolerate a bit more variability

Pros and Cons

CustomStickers.com Pros

• Strong print sharpness and clean cuts
• Durable feel with a more confidence-inspiring finish
• Proof and revision process that works well for real-world files
• Better overall quality consistency in our experience

CustomStickers.com Cons

• If you want an endless menu of niche materials and novelty finishes, some specialty-focused shops can offer a wider “toy box”

Papaya Stickers Pros

• Competitive offers and clear finish tiers
• Fast stated timelines and a straightforward product lineup
• Works fine for simple designs and low-stakes uses

Papaya Stickers Cons

• Noticeably lower quality than CustomStickers.com in our order
• Less consistent cut and print precision on detailed artwork
• Ordering and proof communication can feel less polished

Final Verdict / Conclusion

If you only read one line: CustomStickers.com wins on quality, and it’s not close.

Papaya Stickers is not a scam, and some customers will be happy, especially with simpler stickers and promo pricing. But if your sticker is going on customer packaging, or you just hate re-ordering because the first batch looked “meh,” the better answer in CustomStickers.com vs PapayaStickers is CustomStickers.com.

The post CustomStickers.com vs PapayaStickers: Which Sticker Printer Wins? appeared first on Kraken Opus.

And yeah, same.

Before we get to the ranking, quick housekeeping: if you’re fuzzy on common mechanics that show up in blue-red decks, these two are worth bookmarking: Ward in MTG guide and the Ultimate guide to Deathtouch.

What counts as an Izzet creature?

For this list, “Izzet” means the creature has a blue-red color identity. Most of the best ones reward you for spellcasting (spellslinger), copying spells, drawing cards, or turning “noncreature spell” into real pressure like tokens, counters, or direct damage.

How i ranked the best Izzet creatures

I ranked these on a mix of:

• Ceiling: how disgusting the card gets when it’s supported
• Floor: whether it still does something when you’re behind
• Deckbuilding pull: does it make you want to build around it
• Table impact: does the table have to respect it immediately

Now, the fun part.

The 30 best Izzet creatures ranked

30. Nivix Cyclops

A budget classic that turns every cheap instant into a threat. It looks innocent until you go “cantrip, cantrip, protection spell,” and suddenly someone is doing math they did not plan on doing.

Best pairings: cheap cantrips, protection, and any “make it unblockable” trick.

29. Stormchaser Mage

Prowess plus flying plus haste is still a clean package. It’s not flashy, but it punishes stumbles and turns your early interaction into real damage.

Best pairings: low-cost interaction and combat tricks that force through damage.

28. Lore Drakkis

Mutate gets weird fast, and Lore Drakkis is one of the reasons. Every mutate is a clean little rebuy for an instant or sorcery, which is exactly what a grindy spellslinger deck wants.

Best pairings: cheap mutate creatures, bounce effects, and efficient spells worth looping.

27. Izzet Staticaster

This thing is a menace in the right pods. It cleans up tokens, punishes small utility creatures, and quietly keeps certain strategies from ever stabilizing.

Best pairings: untap effects, pinger synergies, and ways to boost its damage.

26. Izzet Guildmage

If your deck has a lot of two-mana instants and sorceries, Guildmage turns “good” into “gross.” Copying interaction, copying draw, copying burn, it adds up fast.

Best pairings: efficient two-mana spells and any plan that cares about spell copies.

25. Wandering Mind

The “top six, grab a noncreature spell” effect is exactly what Izzet wants in midrange games. It smooths draws and keeps your hand from turning into three lands and regret.

Best pairings: spell-heavy lists and decks that want selection without spending a full turn.

24. Dack’s Duplicate

A clone that hits fast and usually hits hard. In creature-heavy games, it’s frequently the best creature on the table with haste stapled on.

Best pairings: metas with big creatures, sacrifice outlets, and “blink the clone” nonsense.

23. Sprite Dragon

The permanent counters matter. It snowballs quickly, dodges ground stalls, and makes your “setup turn” look like a kill turn.

Best pairings: cheap noncreature spells, extra combat steps, and protection.

22. Crackling Drake

It’s the “fair” payoff that hits like an unfair one. It grows off spells in graveyard and exile, which means a lot of the usual graveyard hate barely slows it down.

Best pairings: cantrip density, discard-draw effects, and removal that buys time.

21. Stormcatch Mentor

Cost reduction plus prowess is such a clean Izzet sentence. It helps you double-spell earlier, and it’s a real threat when you’re forced to pivot into combat.

Best pairings: instant-heavy lists and turns where you want to chain 3 to 5 spells.

20. Third Path Iconoclast

Every noncreature spell becomes board presence. That’s it. That’s the whole pitch. And it works because you were going to cast those spells anyway.

Best pairings: cheap interaction, card draw, and any anthem or “go wide” finisher.

19. Balmor, Battlemage Captain

One of the best “spells become combat” commanders and payoffs. The trample clause is the difference between “nice buff” and “oh, i’m dead.”

Best pairings: token makers and low-cost spells that let you trigger multiple times in one turn.

18. Rielle, the Everwise

If you like looting, rummaging, and wheels, Rielle turns that into a real engine. You discard once, you refill, and suddenly your graveyard is a second hand.

Best pairings: rummage spells, wheel effects, and cheap interaction to protect the engine.

17. Galazeth Prismari

Treasures and artifacts turning into spell fuel is a big deal. Galazeth makes a spell-heavy deck feel like it’s secretly ramping like green.

Best pairings: Treasure production, Clue production, and artifact-heavy spellslinger shells.

16. Mizzix of the Izmagnus

Experience counters get out of hand fast. Once Mizzix sticks, your expensive spells stop being expensive, and your opponents start acting like every untap step is a crisis.

Best pairings: big mana-value instants and sorceries, and a plan to protect Mizzix for one turn cycle.

15. Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph

It’s a build-around that turns “one damage” into “actually lethal.” Ping effects become real removal, and your opponents learn to fear your harmless little triggers.

Best pairings: pingers, one-damage sweepers, and repeatable sources of exactly 1 damage.

14. Bria, Riptide Rogue

Prowess for the whole squad changes how combat works. Bria plays like an aggressive spellslinger deck that never has to choose between “cast spells” and “attack.”

Best pairings: cheap spells, token production, and evasive threats.

13. Jhoira of the Ghitu

Classic “suspend a problem” commander. You load the chamber, then the table spends three turns arguing about who is supposed to stop you.

Best pairings: huge spells, board wipes you can plan around, and ways to survive until the counters come off.

12. Iron Man, Titan of Innovation

This is an artifact deck disguised as an Izzet creature. It attacks, makes a Treasure, and upgrades your artifacts into bigger artifacts. It snowballs in a very “Tony Stark would absolutely do this” way.

Best pairings: artifact toolboxes, sacrifice-friendly artifacts, and utility targets at multiple mana values.

11. Malcolm, the Eyes

Double-spelling for Clues is exactly the kind of steady value Izzet wants. It pressures early, it generates resources, and it quietly makes your “play two spells” plan consistent.

Best pairings: cheap spells, clue payoffs, and ways to use artifacts beyond just drawing cards.

10. Stella Lee, Wild Card

She rewards the exact thing you already want to do, and she does it at a pace that feels rude. A clean commander for spellslinger, storm-adjacent lines, and long games where your “second spell” is always a setup for the next turn.

Best pairings: cheap instants, untap effects, and extra turns where “next turn” matters a lot.

9. Veyran, Voice of Duality

Doubling magecraft triggers gets silly immediately. If your deck is built around “cast or copy,” Veyran turns every turn into a fireworks show.

Best pairings: magecraft creatures, spell-copy effects, and cheap interaction to keep the engine alive.

8. The Locust God

Every draw becomes a hasty flier. That’s not “nice value,” that’s a win condition that scales with the most common thing you already do in Magic, which is draw cards.

Best pairings: wheel effects, repeatable draw engines, and ways to turn a swarm into lethal.

7. Ral, Monsoon Mage / Ral, Leyline Prodigy

Ral is the kind of card that makes storm players sit up straight. Cost reduction and spell-copying is already dangerous, and Ral has been a real engine for storm-style decks across formats.

Best pairings: ritual-heavy spell chains, graveyard recursion for spells, and anything that rewards high spell count turns.

6. Kraum, Ludevic’s Opus

Kraum punishes opponents for playing Magic normally. If they double-spell, you draw. And it closes games faster than it has any right to because it comes with haste and evasion.

Best pairings: partner shells, interaction-heavy builds, and anything that wants card flow without spending mana.

5. Spider-Man 2099

It’s a newer Izzet legend that plays differently: it shows up later, then turns “outside your hand” casting into damage pressure. Foretell, adventure, impulse draw, it all adds up.

Best pairings: foretell, adventure spells, and effects that exile cards to play this turn or next.

4. Pinnacle Emissary

Artifact casting that makes evasive Drone tokens is a real engine, especially in shells where artifacts are basically spells. It builds a board without asking you to stop doing your normal thing.

Best pairings: low-cost artifacts, artifact token makers, and ways to turn a pile of fliers into a kill.

3. Vivi Ornitier

Vivi is powerful enough that it’s been banned in Standard and even got a digital rebalance on Arena. In Izzet shells, it grows, pressures life totals, and converts your spellcasting into both damage and momentum.

Best pairings: cheap noncreature spells, free or near-free interaction, and protection because everyone knows what happens if Vivi untaps.

2. Niv-Mizzet, Parun

This is the classic “answer it now” threat. Every spell becomes damage. Every draw becomes damage. If the table gives you an inch, Niv takes the whole game.

Best pairings: wheels, cantrips, and any “draw a card” loop that turns into a win.

1. Niv-Mizzet, Parun

Yeah, again. Because if you’re ranking the best Izzet creatures, Parun is still the final boss. It ends games, it controls boards, it punishes interaction, and it has clean combo finishes that players have respected for years.

Best pairings: Curiosity-style effects, wheels, and enough cheap interaction to force it through.

A few honorable mentions i still love

If you’re building deeper than 30 cards, i still think these deserve a look: Dominus of Fealty, Elemental Expressionist, Aegar, the Freezing Flame, Etherium-Horn Sorcerer, and Nucklavee.

Wrap up

Izzet wins games by turning small decisions into a chain reaction: sequencing, spell density, and choosing the right payoff creature for your plan. If you pick the best Izzet creatures for what your deck is actually trying to do, you’ll feel the difference right away. Your turns get smoother, your “setup” becomes pressure, and your opponents start holding up mana just in case.

And honestly, that’s when Izzet is at its best.

The post The 30 Best Izzet Creatures in Magic Ranked appeared first on Kraken Opus.

That’s the whole point. Land sequencing isn’t about showing off. It’s about not tripping over your own mana base.

When you play lands in the wrong order, you don’t just “waste” a mana. You lose tempo, you give away info, and you force yourself into bad lines. And it happens fast. Turn one and turn two decisions can decide the entire game.

This guide is about the habits that actually help: when to play taplands, how to sequence conditional lands, when to fetch, and how to keep options open without getting cute.

What “land sequencing” really means

Land sequencing is two decisions that get mashed together:

1. Which land to play this turn
2. When to play it (pre-combat, post-combat, before a draw spell, etc.)

The “which” part is mostly about color fixing and tempo.

The “when” part is about information. Sometimes you want to conceal what you can do. Sometimes you want to represent a trick. Sometimes you want to wait because you’re about to draw cards and your land choice might change.

You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to stop doing the autopilot thing.

The golden rule: play the land that keeps the most doors open

If you only remember one idea, make it this:

Your land drop should maximize your options next turn, not just this turn.

That usually means:

• You prioritize the colors you’ll need soon (especially double-pip costs like UU, BB, etc.)
• You avoid locking yourself into one color when you could keep two colors available
• You don’t burn a land that “needs a condition” before you’ve met that condition

This is why sequencing is so tied to your mana curve. A deck with a lot of two-drops and three-drops cares a lot more than a deck that’s basically ramp + haymakers.

The tapland question: should you always play tapped lands first?

A lot of players follow a simple rule: “play your tapped lands early so they don’t mess you up later.” That rule isn’t dumb. It’s just incomplete.

Yes, if you’re going to play an ETB tapped land at some point, the least painful turns are usually:

• Turn 1 (if you don’t need an untapped one-drop)
• Any turn where you’re not using all your mana anyway

But here’s what that rule misses:

Sometimes the “correct” early land is an untapped land

Because you need to:

• cast a two-drop on curve
• hold up interaction
• play a ramp spell that fixes colors
• enable a conditional land on the next turn (more on that below)

Some tapped lands are worth earlier priority than others

A tapland with upside (like scry) can be worth playing earlier than a “no upside” tapland, because it gives you selection now, not later.

So the better rule is:

Play tapped lands early only when they don’t take away a turn you needed.

If you’re staring at a hand where turn two matters, don’t donate that turn to your land.

Sequencing conditional lands: this is where most mistakes happen

A lot of the “good” nonbasic lands are only good if you help them.

Here are common patterns you should plan for.

Checklands: don’t strand them

Checklands care about basic land types (or typed duals). If you play your checkland too early, it may come in tapped when it didn’t need to.

In plain terms: if your hand is basic + checkland, it’s often correct to lead with the basic so the checkland comes in untapped next.

Also, your deck needs enough typed sources for checklands to behave. If you don’t have that density, you’re basically playing more taplands than you think.

Slowlands: they want you to make land drops

Slowlands tend to be great if your deck reliably hits its early land drops. If your deck is low-land or super spell-heavy, they’ll betray you more often.

So if you keep a two-land hand with a slowland, plan your first two turns carefully. Missing a land drop turns it into a tapland at the worst time.

Fastlands: use the window

Fastlands give you a generous early window. But once you’re past that, they can turn into “surprise taplands.” That’s not a reason to avoid them. It’s a reason to sequence them early if you can.

If you already know your turn four play needs untapped mana, don’t casually save the fastland for turn four.

Fetchlands: crack now or wait?

Fetchlands are powerful because they:

• fix colors
• thin the deck a tiny bit
• shuffle away unwanted cards after top-deck manipulation
• conceal information (sometimes)

But the real skill is knowing when to fetch immediately and when to wait.

Fetch early when you must hit a color on curve

If your hand needs white on turn two and blue on turn three, don’t get fancy. Fetch what makes your curve work.

Wait when you’re about to gain information

If you’re going to:

• cast a cantrip
• scry
• surveil
• tutor to the top
  …then waiting to fetch can be correct because you might want the shuffle later (or you might find you don’t need it).

Don’t take extra damage for no reason

If fetching forces a shockland decision, think about the matchup and your role. If you’re the control deck, your life total is a resource. If you’re racing, it’s a clock. Don’t autopay 2 life just because you can.

“When” to play your land during the turn matters too

Most players slam their land immediately in main phase one. That’s fine a lot of the time. It’s also a missed opportunity in others.

Here are the real reasons to delay your land drop:

• You might draw cards and want to choose a different land
• You want to force your opponent to act with less information
• You want to bluff interaction (or avoid showing you can’t have it)

And there are reasons to play it early:

• You need the mana now
• The land has an effect you want before spells (like scry)
• You want to represent a combat trick or interaction

This isn’t about being sneaky for no payoff. It’s about recognizing that “land drop timing” is part of sequencing.

A simple land sequencing checklist (use it every game)

Before you play your land for turn, ask:

1. What do i need to cast next turn? (colors and total mana)
2. Do i need to keep mana open this turn? (removal, counterspell, protection)
3. Is any land in my hand conditional? (will it be better if i wait / play something else first?)

That’s it. If you answer those three questions honestly, you’ll fix a big chunk of your sequencing errors.

Real examples (the kind that decides games)

Example 1: basic + checkland + two-drop

Hand: Plains, checkland that cares about Plains/Island, two-drop that needs white.

If you play the checkland first and it enters tapped, you might miss your two-drop. If you play the Plains first, your checkland is often untapped on turn two, and your curve works.

Example 2: tapland vs holding up interaction

You’re on turn three with a two-mana removal spell in hand and an opponent who is about to slam a must-answer threat.

If you play a tapland here, you may lose the ability to answer it on time. Sometimes the correct play is to take worse fixing now so you can actually interact.

Example 3: fetchland + top-deck manipulation

You have a fetchland and a scry effect. If you fetch first, you might shuffle away a card you would have kept. If you scry first, then decide whether to fetch, you get to keep the good card and shuffle the bad one.

Sequencing creates free value when you let the order work for you.

Conclusion: good sequencing makes your deck feel “stronger”

The funny part is this: when you fix land sequencing, people think you upgraded your deck.

You didn’t. You just stopped donating turns.

Play lands in an order that protects your curve, keeps mana open when it matters, and makes your conditional lands actually behave. Do it for a week and you’ll notice fewer “i could’ve won if…” games.

And that’s the whole goal.

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