Preface

Egwene is a contentious character in the Wheel of Time fandom. Every week you can see a new post pop up discussing her, and many times it quickly becomes less than civil in the comments section. Insults are thrown around. Some think that people are overly harsh on her which comes from the misogyny that is prevalent in our culture. Others think that she earns every bit of hate that she deserves. While this post will argue that Egwene is most definitely a bad person, I want to shy away from saying that her supporters are wool-headed and that their ears need a good boxing. I’d rather focus on what the text has to say about her and support my viewpoint with evidence that backs up my claims. I hope that any discussion that spawns from this post doesn’t fall into personal insults but instead creates quality discussion about the character.

TLDR:

Egwene is a bad person who deserves much, but not all, of the hate that she gets on the subreddit.
When discussing any character, we have to understand what motivates a character. A character's motivations help tell us why they decided to go through particular a course of action. Why do they make the choices they do? When a character does something that goes against their motivations that have been previously established, it creates a whiplash effect. It’s hard to take a character seriously who goes against who they are at the heart. One of the strongest parts of Wheel of Time is that characters stay true to their motivations and grow with them throughout the story. Robert Jordan does this excellently with Egwene in the very first paragraph of the Eye of the World. “At nine, she was carrying water for the first time, but she was going to be the best water-carrier ever.” Egwene holds true to this ideal that she has to be the best throughout the entire story. The ambition she displays here is instrumental in the ultimate victory for the Light. But at the same time, it makes her a bad friend and a bad person.
Now that we have established who Egwene is at the heart of her character, we can dive into why she is a bad person and the many reasons people dislike or even despise her. When discussing a character who changes significantly over 14 books, we could find endless examples of various aspects of a character. Rather than jump between books to various examples, I want to focus down on the one that many are aware of. We can’t talk about Egwene being a bad person without mentioning the encounter between her and Nynaeve in the World of Dreams version of the White Tower. Rather than paraphrasing the entire scene, I think it’s best to read the text itself.
“'No, I will not,' Egwene said firmly. 'Not until you want to say something worth listening to. I said nightmare, and I meant nightmares, Nynaeve. When someone has a nightmare in Tel'aran'rhiod, it is real, too. And sometimes it survives after the dreamer has gone. You just don’t realize, do you?'
Suddenly rough hands enveloped Nynaeve’s arms. Her head whipped from side to side, eyes bulging. Two huge, ragged men lifted her into the air, faces half-melted ruins of coarse flesh, drooling mouths ful of sharp, yellowed teeth. She tried to make them vanish--if a Wise One dreamwalker could, so could she--and one of them ripped her dress open down the front like parchment. The other seized her chin a horny, callused and twisted her face toward him; his head bent toward her, mouth opening. Whether to kiss or bite, she did not know, but she would rather die than allow either. She flailed for saidar and found nothing; it was horror filling her, not anger. Thich fingernails dug into her cheeks, holding her head steady. Egwene had done this somehow. Egwene. 'Please, Egwene!” It was a squeal, and she was too terrified to care. 'Please!'
She half-expected Egwene to comfort her, and for once she would have accepted it gladly. But the other woman only said. 'There are worse things here, but nightmares are bad enough. I made these and unmade them, but even I have trouble with those I just find. And I did not try to hold them, Nynaeve. If you knew how to unmake them, you could have.'”
Egwene sexually assaults her so-called friend. I don’t see any way to get around that fact. To be completely honest, on my first read-through, this scene went over my head and I completely forgot about it. Only after finishing the series and getting onto this subreddit to read others discussing the books did I go back and reread this scene and realize how horrible what Egwene did was. I personally have seen people say that they headcanon this scene away, which is problematic in my mind, to say the least. Others may be just like me in that they didn't understand just how bad this is. This scene happens to mirror a scene from the Game of Thrones where Sansa gets sexually assaulted in almost the exact same way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45HLQ3DJoGo&ab_channel=ExploreWesteros
I think a visualization like this can help clear up any confusion about how traumatic this experience for was Nynaeve and help better show the intensity. All at the hands of a friend. A couple of portions that I really want to bring attention to help drive home the point. Egwene only stops when Nynaeve begs her. Egwene knows how this is affecting Nynaeve and is doing it very purposefully. We can’t say when she would have relented but she took it far enough that if Nynaeve hadn’t begged I could see it going much further. Another portion I don’t see mentioned is the victim blaming that Egwene does. “If you knew how to unmake them, you could have.” Egwene tells Nynaeve she could have prevented this entire situation if she had the skills in the World of Dreams. This is putting the situation on Nynaeves shoulders as if she is at fault for this happening. This entire scene mirrors the real world and is a brilliant piece of writing by Jordan. Power dynamics in sexual assault in the real world.
Before getting into power dynamics, there is a second half to this interaction. There also happens to be another video that is very relevant when talking about sexual assault. It’s worth a short watch before getting into the tea scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwvrxVavnQ&ab_channel=ThamesValleyPolice
Once again, I recommend reading the scene again straight from the source as I can’t give it the justice that Robert Jordan does.
The other woman ignored her interruption, “... And you lie to yourself. Do you remember what you made me drink the last time i lied to you?” Suddenly a cup was in her hand, full of viscous sickly green liquid; it looked as if it had been scooped from a scummy stagnant pond, “ The only time I ever lied to you. The memory of that taste was an effective discouragement. If you cannot tell the truth even to yourself…” Nynaeve took a step back before she could stop herself. Boiled catfern and powdered mavinslead; her tongue writhed at just the thought. “I did not really lie. Actually,’ Why was she making excuses? “I just didn’t tell the whole truth.” I am the Wisdom! I was the Wisdom; that ought to count for something still. “You cannot really think…” Just tell her. You’re not the child here, and you certainly are not going to drink. “Egwene, I--” Egwene pushed the cip nearly under her nose; she could smell the acrid tang. “All right.” she said hastily. This can’t be happening! But she could not take her eyes off that brimming cup, and she could not stop the words tumbling out. “ Sometimes I try to make things look better for myself than they were. Sometimes. But never anything important. Never, I swear. Only small things.” The cup vanished, and Nynaeve heaved a sigh of relief. Fool, fool woman! She couldn’t have made you drink it! What is wrong with you?"
Just moments ago, Egwene sexually assaulted her friend and then threatened to make her drink a disgusting concussion of tea just after. Once again, she only stops once she gets what she wants from Nynaeve. Now we can dive into power dynamics. Sexual assault is most common when there is an asymmetrical power dynamic between the perpetrator and the victim. That could mean being drugged or getting someone too drunk on purpose, men being physically stronger than women, or stopping someone from getting a job in an industry(Harvey Weinstein). At this point, Egwene is receiving training from the most experienced dreamwalkers and is also a natural dreamer who does not need ter'angreal to enter the World of Dreams. Nynaeve is inexperienced and does not have anywhere near the control that Egwene does. There is a massive power imbalance between the two and Egwene uses this to her advantage. She couldn’t pull this off in the regular world but because she can here, she does.
This doesn’t get talked about at all in the text that I could remember. But Nynaeves' abuser ends up in a position of authority over her. One that she is expected to obey. That is terrifying. I think it’s a missed opportunity.
This in itself is enough to say Egwene is most definitely a bad person and makes it hard to like her. But at the beginning, I said that to understand a character, you have to know their motivations. Egwene does this all because she doesn’t want Nynaeve to tell the Wise Ones that she is sneaking into the World of Dreams when she shouldn’t. Because if she did, there is a risk they would stop teaching her and send her away. This is directly supported in the text. “It was not punishment that frightened her, not the sort that Bair doled out. Had she woken to find a Wise One staring at her, she would have accepted gladly, but Amys had told her near the beginning that if she entered Tel'aran'rhiod without one of them accompanying her, they would send her away, refuse to teach her any longer. That made her quail far more than anything else they could do. But even so, she had to push ahead. As rapidly as they taught, they were not rapid enough. She wanted to know now, to know everything.”
She has to be the best at carrying water. She has to learn everything there is about the Power. She has to know everything there is to know about the World of Dreams. She quickly goes from being scared of becoming the Amyrlin Seat to trying to become the best at that as well. She is supremely ambitious and is clearly willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Her actions line up with her motivations. This doesn’t come out of the blue and is impossible to reconcile with who the character is. Instead, it fits who she is. She doesn’t even do this with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She still isn’t Amyrlin and has zero clue that she will be. She does this purely for personal gain. To be the best. While she may feel a little bad about it, she is excited at what she did because the power dynamic between Nynaeve and her may have shifted forever and she won’t have to face the consequences of her actions. “Guiltily, she realized as she turned a page that she was looking forward to seeing Nynaeve tonight. Not because Nyneave was a friend, but because she wanted to see if the effects had lingered. If Nynaeve tugged at her braid, she would arch a cool eyebrow at her, and … Light, I hope it’s held. If she lets out about that jaunt, Amys and Bair and Melaine will take turns skinning me, if they don’t just tell me to go.” Egwene does not feel any remorse about what she did. Or really anything wrong. It got the results she wanted, the ends justify the means if you will.
Nynaeve is traumatized by this experience. She has dreams before she wakes up that morning about it. “The dream about Egwene had been as bad in a way; boiled catfern and powdered mavinsleaf tasted just as bad in a dream as they did awake.” Her other dreams that were as bad included being collared like a damane or being captured by Eladia. That's how Nynaeve’s subconscious views the experience. She avoids visiting Egwene for multiple meetings using the excuse that she is visiting the World of Dreams too much and is tired. “‘I thought I would go tonight.’ Concern touched Elayne’s voice. ‘Nynaeve, you’ve been entering Tel'aran'rhiod practically every night except the meetings with Egwene. That Bair intends to pick a bone with you, by the way. I had to tell them why you weren't there yet again, and she says you should not need to rest however often you enter, unless you are doing something wrong.’” Nynaeve also struggles with the trauma that many sexual assault victims experience. She is in complete denial about why she is avoiding Egwene. “It had nothing to do with avoiding Egwene, and the Wise Ones. If she visited Tel'aran'rhiod so often that Elayne always went to the meetings with Egwene, that was simply how it fell out.” The author is very clear that this experience has negatively affected Nynaeve. And not just a little. This is someone who faced down a Forsaken and chased after Aes Sedai without knowing she could channel herself. This a brave person who is now terrified to see her "friend" after what she went through.
A more minor part of why people often despise Egwene is that she is a hypocrite. This is more apparent in the last 3 books but is also very relevant to this portion of the story. Egwene does all of this because she doesn’t want to get caught going into the World of Dreams behind the Wise Ones' backs. Because the World of Dreams is dangerous. But she traumatized her friend for doing the exact same thing. She tries to make Nynaeve drink the tea because she is lying, further traumatizing her after a horrible experience. She does this because she is also lying herself about doing the same thing. This isn’t a one off for Egwene. She is appalled at Rand for making Aes Sedai swear oaths of fealty and thinks he could have used compulsion, aka mind rape. I could see this being projection considering what she is willing to do but she is also very much against using compulsion. But she also makes Aes Sedai swear fealty to her and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
At the end of the day, Egwene is a bad person who did good things for the world. The way she treats her friends is despicable. She is unscrupulous in her goals, which as a whole may be good, but it leads to her being a terrible friend and a bad person.
Now diving into some speculation and a very subjective opinion that isn’t wholly supported by the text. Egwene is a character that is supposed to force readers to read a character that is a woman who as a whole does good but does bad things. Who is driven toward a goal and won’t stop for anything, who is a bad ass for being 18-19 and becoming a short lived but great Amyrlin Seat. But she is also supposed to make you question your biases when you see a female character sexually assaulting a character for personal gain and not feeling bad about it. Instead of head cannoning what she does away, ask yourself why did Jordan right her this way. None of that was by accident. She is a contrast to the 3 Ta’vern who are reluctant heroes but men. Who would rather be a shepherd, or a blacksmith, or dice in a tavern and dance with pretty women. Who when faced with leaving home are scared and would rather not but have to for the good of their people and to protect them. But in that moment Egwene may be scared but asks why they aren’t excited for the adventure they always talked about. She goes because she wants to, not because she has to. This post is long enough already that I can't really touch on the many comparisons with Rand that you see and how they differ. Maybe another day.

Hi everyone so today is my first day of Sure Smile aligners. I had braces for 4 years about 15 years ago. My teeth are pretty straight however my overjet/protrusion is what I am truly eager to fix as it makes me self conscious. Attached are pics of my smile before any aligners. I got my first set of trays today and have plans for two attachments. My dentist say i will have 9 sets of trays which is about 4.5 months of treatment. My question here is has anyone had success w fixing overjet/protrusion with clear aligners ? I am so anxious that my expectations exceed what results I’m actually going to achieve

So I'm a 24 year old female with hashimotos disease. It's managed by a morning dose of levothyroxine. I don't get sick often but when I do it's pretty knarly.
I recently had a baby. My baby is 2.5 weeks old. Today, around 3pm, I started feeling awful. I'm a social worker so I'm around hundreds of people a week. I thought I picked up a head cold and decided to go home around 4. I have My baby to take care of.
She has no symptoms yet so im not sure if she is covid positive. I am keeping an eye on her.
I've consulted her pediatrician but not my doctor. Does anyone else have stories of being immuno-defficient with covid? Or having covid with a baby?
For extra context- I've been steady down hill. Sore throat, headache, chills, small cough, but nothing so pressing I feel the need to go to the er. But the symptoms onset so fast as this morning I felt fine.

I'm really out of ideas and I really need advice. I 20fm is in a relationship with my 23m bf we're going to call Joe for a little over 2 years. I should state we also have been living together for a year. When I first got with joe a few months into our relationship I noticed he had a lot of partially naked/ strip tease etc. of girls on his Instagram feed. I talked to him about it telling him how all these girls in his feed makes me uncomfortable and insecure. He claimed that he couldn't do much about it and that's it's just on his feed (not like theirs an algorithm or anything) and he unfollowed most the accounts to my knowledge and I haven't saw as many nude girls on his feed.
Some time passed later and we have the same conversation but theirs a saved file on his Instagram called "girlz" that I told him I wasn't comfortable with him having and I felt it was unnecessary. I honestly don't remember how that conversation Went or what happened but I have been seeing less woman on his feed.
I vape and he doesn't like that I do it. I've been vaping since we got together and I've cut back quite a bit from sleeping with it to only taking a few hits through the day. I have lied to him once about quitting and he later found out and didn't do much about it. I kept it up for a little until I felt like I could quit on my own time. Im the person where if people pressure me to do something the less likley I am to do it I would just like to do it on my own time. It's not a habit I'd like to keep forever but it's a guilty pleasure.
As far as secrets go on my end was just vaping. My phone has always been open to be looked through. He's always had my password and I've never his my phone from him and vice versa.
We have had a pretty healthy relationship minus the little bumps that come with relationships. His family has moved back in the house with us (it's his parents house but they have 2 houses. They have family emergency so they moved back in with us) so I've been living with him and his parents for almost a year. I can't say I love living with them but it was better than my old housing situation with my dad. The only real issues we have had was communication. joe almost always refuses to communicate when we try to talk about something or I always have to work it out of him being like "how are you feeling" "how do you feel about that?" I always let him know that I'm open to talk and I care about how he feels and his opinions and feelings. We have never yelled or cussed at each other in. A fight. Usually we will cry a bit and I will have to force him to say what he's thinking and then we can't try to work on it.
Whenever we talk though one thing I was upset about was I feel like I always need to change things and whatever I'd like to see Joe do is just optional.
We got in a little argument because he is way more physically active than me and he was upset I couldn't bike a country block at his pace. It was the first time I rode a bike in at least 4 years. I told him we could ride bikes or be active but you have to consider that I can't do everything at the same pace he can. I mentioned maybe we could try a shorter route and then if I had more enegry we could go back again. His response was that "it's not fun when I go your speeed" He also doesnt like how I eat. His family is very healthy health food oriented. I wasn't raised like that so I'm use to ramen, some mc Donald's for dinner some nights. I'll get fast food for lunch sometimes instead of packing it. Sometimes when I eat he will make snarky comments about how it's not healthy or it's gross. We have talked about how I don't like how he does that and he doesn't make as many comments but I can tell he's still not happy about it.
But recently I had a reallly shit week at work so I caved and went to the gas station and bought a vape. A couple days later he was touching me and felt my vape in my pocket. I admitted to him that I did buy a vape but that I haven't been vaping nearly as much. He said he would "remind me" that he doesn't want to be with a girl who vapes and pretty much like this is my last straw. Which I thought was crazy he was willing to throw away 2 years of our relationship over a vape.
Not going to lie that night out of spite I checked his phone for the first time since we have gotten together. I go on Instagram while he was sleeping that morning and I found his saved insta file of nude girls. Or pretty damn close to nude. Like a piece of fabric covering the back of this girls coochie. Boobs. Ass etc . I could definitely tell he added to it since the last time I saw it. And last time I saw it we weren't living together. Half of his recently saved stuff was other nude Instagram models. I sent him a snap of it and he saw it when he woke up. I asked him why he had a collection and he didn't have any justifiable answers. Just "he likes girls" and I told him I like guys and I don't have a saved collection of half naked men on my phone. I told him I'd let him think about it because I had work. I just let it be that night because we both got home late.
I checked his phone one last time that night after he went to bed. I didn't check everything I was just curious if he still had the collection. I wasn't going to buy something was telling me to. I unlock his phone and I go through his recently deleted pictures on his android. Tell me why he had a screenshot of another bitch a month before we got together of her saying I legit quote:
" I'm ngl I'm WILDY attracted to the thought of you fucking the shit out of me... if I'm being honest".
Along with other pictures deleted of other naked woman from Instagram. I was livid. Somehow I went to bed and confronted him in the morning. I asked him who it was and if he still had her on social media. He said no to both and I told him I had a damn good idea of who the bitch was and her name since you know he also had a screenshot of her off her story in his deleted photos. He denied knowing anything about her and I also forgot to bring up to him how he had a locked app. One of those fake apps that u use to hide shit . I told him I want the file gone. He said it was for porn basically and if he deleted them he might not be able to find the same ones again. He claims he doesn't use it often but it weirds me out he won't delete it. And half of the woman don't loook anything like me.
He claims he loves me and is attracted to me but feels like I built a wall checking his phone behind his back and lying about vaping.Personally I didn't think it was a huge deal. I could understand why he was upset about the phone but he could always do the same to me and who's to say he hasn't already but just hasn't found anything to say anything. I just don't really know what to do. I don't want to really go to bed with a man that has has pictures of nude woman while I'm sleeping with him in his bed. Should I leave him? I don't want to control him sexually (that's what he said it felt like I was doing when I asked him to delete it) but I also don't understand why it's such a big deal for him to have them. He claims it's fine because he doesn't interact or follow them but it's more of the fact he is so defensive about deleting them. I've offered to send pictures but he never asks or saves them. I've even surpised him a couple times with pics and I've had minimal feedback from him. I dunno I'm at a cross roads. I don't want to leave but I also don't want to have to compete with online models. Please help me

Hi all! For those in the US - what steps were taken to get Botox covered by your insurance?
I’ll be going back to the derm for the first time in many years (new insurance) to see what can be done. Back then my derm told me it was pretty challenging to get insurance to cover it.
I was prescribed glycopyrrolate about 10 years ago for HH and hated the side effects of blurred vision, dry everything, thick mucous etc. so my derm suggested only using it on special occasions. I eventually just stopped all together because I couldn’t drive safely after usage. Since then I’ve also had MiraDry done about 4/5 years ago to try & combat things to little avail. I’m a bit weary on trying glycopyrrolate again & would really love to see the effects of Botox.

I remember when people threw a fit because Black Ops 4 didn't have a campaign and some people also get upset that the campaign is part of its own install pack rather than installed by default. This is a bit shocking to me because I genuinely thought nobody cared about the campaign.
To me, it's just Call of Duty, y'know? The story isn't going to be good, the characters aren't going to be good, and the level design isn't going to be good. Call of Duty's singleplayer is the most 3/10 shit you'll ever play in your life. I play Call of Duty's multiplayer because it's a casual, braindead, baby game and that's good for when I need to wind down after playing a game that actually requires me to use my brain.

So I recently competed with Goff Orks and went 2-3 in the Level Up Gaming GT in Pensacola, FL. It was a great experience and I would love to go back for more tournaments. We were running player-placed terrain in AoO, missions 21-32. The list I ran was completely focused on horde pressure, with a straightforward plan of slamming head-first into my opponent ASAP and tanking their Primary score while maxing my Secondaries.
My list consisted of:

• MegaBoss - Warlord, Ard as Nails+Da Krushin Armor
• BikeBoss - Brutal but Kunnin+Da Killa Klaw
• Boss Zagstrukk
• Banner Nob
• 2x10 Beast Boyz
• 3x10 Gretchin
• 10 Trukk Nobz w/Big Choppas+Choppas
• 2x5 Kommandoz
• 1x7 Meganobz
• 2x3 Squighogz
• 1x5 Stormboyz
• Battlewagon w/Deff Rolla
• 2 Kill Rigs w/Frazzle+Squiggly Curse
• Trukk

My deployment always consisted of throwing as much infantry into transports as possible, with the MegaBoss, Banner Nob, and Zagstrukk into the Battlewagon Partybus. The plan with the Partybus was a tech piece into DA/Custodes, as with a very CP and point-intensive combo I would be getting 28 attacks hitting on +2s exploding +5s at D3. This, in fact, never worked and tended to just give up points on Assassinate with a 6th support character with no defensive buffs in my opponents' lines. It was a fun combo nonetheless and the Meganobz were able to mulch through anything I got them into while hitting on +2s, and really it just felt like overkill.
Here are each of my games as well as I can remember them: Game 1: Raven Guard Successors (Terminators, Aggressors, and VanVets)
99-9 W
My Secondaries: Get Da Good Bits (GDGB), Green Tide (GT), and No Prisoners
Opponent's Secondaries: Secure and Sabotage, Oaths of Moment, BEL
I got the first turn and shut my opponent in their deployment zone. I maxed all but No Prisoners and my opponent only were able to score 4 on Primary. The other 5 were from Oaths. Everything was fast enough that I was able to get everything I needed into combat T1 and started butchering marines from the start. There wasn't much to say about this game as it was over very early and I've played against this opponent ever since I've been in this hobby. He ended 2-3 as well, scoring fairly high on his last few games to place him in 23/32 despite the rough start. Great opponent and would love to play him again, as he is actually a great player but just had the haymaker handed to him early. Game 2: Grey Knights (Dreadknights and Interceptors)
64-97 L
My Secondaries: GDGB, GT, Stomp Em Good
Opponent's Secondaries: Teleport Assault, Warp Ritual, Assassinate
My opponent had the first turn and moved his 4 Dreadknights up and Kaldor Draigo for Warp Ritual. He did very little damage in his shooting phase but did use a kamikaze Librarian to obliterate a unit of Squighog Boyz and score 5 on TA. I made the mistake of cluttering my deployment zone with terrain too much and was only able to get a single Kill Rig into Draigo and the 10 Trukk Nobz into his GMNDK. And then I proceeded to leave the GMNDK on 3 wounds and Draigo killed my Kill Rig, to which I spent 2 CP to fight on death and leave Draigo on 1 wound, meaning failing to kill both of those was a 4pt loss on Stomp Em Good. The rest of the game saw me suffering from not getting enough of a T1 punch in and I was basically wiped off the board while my opponent maxed his secondaries.
​
Game 3: Black Templars (Big Crusader Block, Sword Bros in Impulsors, and Gladiator Reapers)
83-84 L
My Secondaries: GDGB, GT, No Prisoners
Opponent's Secondaries: Oaths, Assassinate, Codex Warfare
I got the first turn and was able to send my Trukk Nobz into his Crusader brick, picking up 5, and sending the BikeBoss into a unit of Assault Marines, consolidating into an Impulsor and trapping him in his deployment zone. After the first wave was wiped I sent in the Wagon and Meganobz into the brick, picking up another 9, Kill Rigs into the flanks, and the Trukk into his two Gladiators to shut down shooting for a turn. He made the game-winning move to Guerrilla Warfare a unit of Infiltrators into my backfield on turn 3, which after making a 9" charge took my home objective away from the bravest of Grots. The rest of the game after turn 3 saw me maxing GDGB (which happened every game) and getting swept off the board with Reapers. I was confident I had won, but when I had forgotten to check the scores and when the game was over I had 2 pts subtracted from my Primary due to losing my home objective.
​
Game 4: Astra Militarum (30 Kasrkin, 30 Tempestus, 6 Mortars, 5 Tanks, 3 Sentinels, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree)
58-88 L
My Secondaries: GDGB, GT, Stomp Em Good
Opponent's Secondaries: Inflexible Command, Boots on the Ground, and Assassinate
This is the game where I felt player-placed terrain hurt the most. The terrain used in this tournament was supposed to be standardized ruins, but unfortunately, the new sets of terrain hadn't arrived at the store in time for the tournament, leaving this table to be a desert wasteland of Star Wars terrain without any way to enter ruins. The terrain was basically solid bricks placed onto the table that couldn't be moved through because the larger ones were so big that there was no way to get wholly through it in one 5" move. In addition to this, my opponent placed his terrain way back in order for me to run across the board while getting lit up with mortal wound bombs. I again got the first turn, which saw me play very cautiously, only sending one unit of Kommandos to attempt to destroy a Sentinal, again seeing it live on 1 wound, and losing me a turn of Stomp em Good. The Guard retaliated by using the Barbicant's Key and Lord Solar to buff up some Kasrkin and teleport it in front of my Kill Rigs, spending 2 CP to destroy one and leave the other on 2 wounds. At that point, the game was over, as I had no way to safely transport my Beast Boyz across the board and into his lines. While some high-rolling and poor terrain made this matchup a decisive loss, I definitely should've banked on getting the first turn in order to flood his lines ASAP. Instead, I was wary of failing to reach him or doing enough damage in order to make a difference. This could've scored me more points, or even won me the game, but in the end, it was a shooting gallery that saw me get all but a unit of Grots wiped off the board.
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Game 5: World Eaters (Lord Invocatus+Eightbound Pressure, and an allied Phase Cap Bloodthirster)
100-82 W
My Secondaries: My Secondaries: GDGB, GT, Assassinate
Opponent's Secondaries: Blood for the Blood God, Pile the Skulls, and Assassinate
This game was an absolute bloodbath fitting for Khorne. It saw both of us basically throw around terrain as the matchup wasn't very dependent on it, only seeing the two Kill Rigs and his Land Raider have any real shooting potential. We rolled off and I won the initiative, which caused my opponent to use Invocatus's WT to retreat with both of his Eightbound units, leaving his front lines with only the Bloodthirster and Landraider within reach. Using both of my Kill Rigs psychic and shooting, I was able to hit the Phase Cap in both phases, leaving the Bloodthirster vulnerable to the charge, and dying before it even left the deployment zone. On the other side of the deployment zone, with a combination of Trukk Nobz and Kommandoz, I was able to trap his Land Raider in combat, stuck between Orks and another large brick of terrain. This first wave trapped my opponent in his deployment zone for the entire game, only taking one objective the entire game besides his home objective with a unit of Bloodletters. This was my first game with World Eaters, and their secondaries are no joke. Despite only having around 12 models left on the board, my opponent scored 45/45 on his secondaries. If my opponent had used his Eightbound as a screen rather than saving them, I think this would've been a very different game, as it let me trap him in his deployment zone with no fly units besides a single Daemon Prince.
​
Overall I was quite happy with how I performed, and I was able to learn what worked and what didn't work throughout the tournament: Worked

• Battlewagon - Specifically its existence, not the Partybus function. Gaining 3" of movement with Zagstrukk and the Meganobz was huge at getting me across the board when necessary, and its large size and decent attack profile saw it used as an incredibly effective speedbump into lists that lacked fly.
• Grots - 120pts for a 15VP secondary is basically necessary.
• BikeBoss - Incredible reach and target elimination, he felt like a scalpel that was able to find priority targets and obliterate them. While he usually died the following turn, he would leave a large footprint for move-blocking.
• Kommandoz - Another vital tool for that first wave of Orks, they helped score GT on T1 and were able to either tie up enemy units or act as roadblocks to screen my more expensive stuff. The only time they felt bad was in Game 2, which didn't allow forward deploying, and therefore I wasn't able to get any boyz into the opponent's lines.

Wacky

• Kill Rigs - These felt very matchup dependent, as in some games they were incredibly effective obsec delivery vehicles and in others, they felt very underwhelming. Overall, if I had the choice I would keep them in the list, as 380pts for 2 feels very efficient.
• Meganobz - They always were either overkill, fighting mostly scraps of Wave 1, or not nearly enough, leaving the durable units I brought them to deal with alive and ready to retaliate. I am definitely considering either boosting their numbers to go all in on the combo or dropping them to a 5 man.
• Stormboyz - Were fast but weren't nearly deadly enough to commit them to anything, like failing to kill a single Chaos Spawn over 3 combats and dying. They were generally used as GT support or 1st turn GDGB fodder.
• Trukk Nobz - They were amazing pressure and offered enough damage to deal with any enemy unit without -1 damage. Unfortunately, as Trukk Boyz without any sources of buffs, they tended to be very swingy, costing me a lot of VP whenever they failed to kill the GMNDK T1. Will most likely keep them as a T1 scalpel, but they definitely need help finishing off bigger targets.

Disappointments

• Squighogz - I love the damage output of the Squighogz, but they almost felt entirely too slow. By the time they got into combat, the Waagh was over and they barely saw the fight phase over the entire tournament. I mostly used them to GDGB on objectives that my Grots couldn't reach T1, and rarely survived to even score it. They didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the list, and rarely scored me any points, as with only 3 models to a unit, they barely contributed to GT.
• Banner Nob - He was funny, I got a good laugh out of another Ork player when he found out my Meganobz were hitting on +2s. Unfortunately, with Kasrkin sniper rifles, he dies on 1 failed save with a mortal wound. He felt entirely too fragile without any damage output and opened my opponent up to leeway with Assassinate.
• MegaBoss - Despite the defensive stacking, he died to just about any dedicated firepower with only 6 wounds. He was also not doing enough in the Fight Phase to properly deal with enemies fitting for a Warboss.

Overall I really enjoyed every game and the tournament overall. I've been playing since 2019 and this is the best I've felt about the state of 40k and my own abilities. Any C&C on the list would be greatly appreciated, as I have way too many Orks and would love to know what everyone has to think about the list. Namely, I am considering fitting another 5 Kommandoz for a 10-man, boosting my Stormboyz to 20, and replacing the MegaBoss with a Vanilla Warboss with the Relic Choppa and Proper Killy to shred through marine bodies. Thank you to anyone who has read this far as it means a lot to me!

Well that was a pretty good start to the year! Not too much controversy nor many "teething issues" as umpires adjusted to the new 4-umpire system. Good stuff
Gradings:
Tigers-Blues: Umpired Well
Cats-Pies: Umpired Well
Roos-Eagles: Umpired Well
Port-Lions: Umpired Well
Dees-Dogs: Umpired poorly
Suns-Swans: Umpired Superbly
Giants-Crows: Umpired Poorly
Hawks-Bombers: Umpired Terribly
Saints-Freo: Umpired Well
​
Good call of the week:
This passage: https://twitter.com/RobsJourney87/status/1636516585623150593?s=20
Firstly Mckay takes a sideways step off his line so is called to play on. He is then bumped and the ball spills through. Had he been tackled this is a simple HTB, however as no tackle is laid HTB can't be paid and play on is correctly called. Great call
Saad is then tackled without a prior opportunity and the balls spills free in the tackle - play on is correct. He is then taken to ground without the ball - holding the man is correctly paid. I understand many fans feel the rule is unfairly slighted against the tackler - perhaps it is - however under the current interpretation this has to be paid holding the man.
Bad Call of the week:
This missed high contact: https://twitter.com/FOXFOOTY/status/1637051379998154757?s=20
As complicated as some rules are. High contact is pretty simple. This was a terrible miss as Franklin blatantly contacts his opponents head.
Some commentary on Dissent:
Both 50s against STK were correct.
It was made very clear at the start of last year pointing at the screen to argue a decision would be a 50m penalty. This is Textbook dissent and in both cases probably should have been paid sooner.
Footage of 1 of the dissent 50s is here for those who missed it: https://twitter.com/FOXFOOTY/status/1637339943348633601?s=20
I also want to say (Whatever you think of the dissent rule) that It's time to end the lazy "umpires need to stop being so sensitive" talking point. The AFL umpires are under STRICT instructions from the AFL to pay 50s for any dissent. They aren't just doing it because their feelings are hurt.
As always any questions feel free to ask.

Hi I’m a new player and really enjoying the game but i’m hitting a couple snags. Really appreciate any help i can’t get 😅

1. In a couple missions ie. the first mission in the man of few words quest, rescue the contractor, you have to use the consoles underwater to rescue prisoners. The problem is I’m not getting a prompt to use the console and I can’t figure out why
   
2. I’ve mostly heard the first thing to do is play though the whole planet system. Im upgrading and installing mods but they get pretty difficult solo now that I’m at neptune? Especially the ones with the 4 color coded keys, those are so hard
   

Thanks :))

I keep getting suggestions to read the Dresden Files. I'm on book 4 and I like them barely enough to keep going, so I was planning on just quitting the series. I don't love the characters, I'm tired of Harry being constantly broke, and no one ever seems to learn any lessons.
Then I read that the first few are not as good, but they get better. So, when? If I'm not enthusiastic by now, do I just give up? What do you like about the books? There are 18 of them, so someone is loving them!

I want to be clear about this post as I'm making it in hopes to help our my gf who is trying to lose weight. No I don't care about her weight but she is seriously starting to scare me with her depression which seems to be mainly caused by her current weight. I've already tried other avenues for mental health but I've had no luck convincing her, so let's assume this is out of the question at the moment.
Nevertheless to describe the current situation she is currently 36 years old around 220lbs at 5'8. She is a mom of 4 with her youngest being 8 years old. Her main issue is that any weight gain is pretty much gathered around her belly and torso. She previously was basically starving herself but recently decided to try keto and has been very faithful to the diet. She hasn't really gone to the gym much despite me suggesting it may help (I don't bring it up unless she does). She hasn't really lost much weight or just seems to plateau after a few pounds lost. It doesn't help she shares an office space with a couple women around her age that don't diet nearly as well as she does and even drink highly caloric things like beer quite regulary who dont gain weight and are thin. Any helpful advice?

Hello,
I'm trying to find 1 or 2 people to connect with. Things can get overwhelming when you post sometimes. I will try and put some things about myself here:

1. Childfree
2. Interested in science stuff
3. Back in vocational school for a healthcare program
4. Like a lot of different kinds of music. Right now into Sleep Token, Katatonia, Spiritbox, Opeth, Ghost etc
5. Single
6. On a weight loss journey
7. Not disabled
8. Rarely drink, don't smoke, or use drugs
9. Hitting the big 40 in the next few months
10. No pets atm

Are you in a similar life situation with similar interests? If so I'd love to hear from you! Across the pond people especially welcome! I prefer others with no kids because we can relate more. My dream penpal does cybernetics research or is some kind of neural engineer or physicist...I'd love to hear about your work (sort of live vicariously through you)! Looking for a direct messaging vs a chat situation because I tend to be an unreliable chatter I find. My life tends to be pretty boring and I try not to have a ton of drama, kinda interested in similar to remain on an even keel. Interested in suitable for work conversation. I plan on keeping this account, in the past I had an account and deleted it, going good with this one.

Thinking of hopping on the Crye train and was wondering what would be best, a JPC or an SPC. Have heard that the AXL Equinox cummerbund is a popular choice with the SPC so I guess I would go with that, but since this plate carrier comes with nothing, I guess I'll have to buy more things other than just the cummerbund. The JPC seems pretty complete out the box but I might be wrong. If there's things y'all recommend buying for the JPC or SPC, please let me know. Also, gonna assume that I should go with the 2.0 over the 1.0 (JPC).
I'm in the Army, but not infantry. If there's another plate carriers around this price point that would be better, I'm all ears. Thinking of getting level 4 sapi plates.
Thanks in advance

1. start with 2 less life than normal so 3 for mono 2 for dual
2. has 3000 power during your turn 6000 during your opponents
3. only gains 1 don per turn and 0 on your first if you go first(maybe a 7k?
4. triggers cant activate from your life
5. you dont gain any more don at the start of your turn past x maybe 6-8
6. all your characters lose 1000 power
7. you cant activate blockers
8. all your counters boosts this character by 1000
9. you cant attack your opponents characters unless required by a effect
10. you cant play characters or you cant play events
11. whenever you lose a life trash the top 5-10 cards of your deck
12. you cant attack your opponent if there are any characters you can attack(even things you might not want to like a tapped 1 drop 0 power with a 1 use etb

Hello! I just started a manga store and I had a bit of stock that I was looking to sell. Some of these come from my own collection as I am no longer interested in collecting them. However, there is a bunch of new volumes in there, so please have a look!
Free shipping is available for all orders over $50+
Imgur

Sets:	Condition:	Selling Price:	Retail:	Status:	Notes:
After the Rain Vol. 1-3	G5	$40.41	$53.85	Available
Black Bullet Vol. 1-3	G2	$27.00	$30.00	Available	Major shelf wear, Major yellowing, multiple creases on covespine
Cheeky Brat Vol. 1-3	G5	$29.25	$38.97	Available
Demon Slayer Complete Box Set	G5	$150.00	$199.99	Available
Dreamin' Sun Vol. 1-10	G5	$98.25	$130.90	Available
Dungeon Dive: Aim for the Deepest Level Vol. 1-3	G5	$29.25	$38.97	Available
Farming Life in Another World Vol. 1-6	G5	$53.82	$71.70	Available
Fly Me to the Moon Vol. 1-7	G5	$52.50	$69.93	Available
Kiss Him, Not Me! Vol. 1-14	G4	$100.10	$153.86	Available	Minor shelf wear
Komi Can't Communicate Vol. 1-13	G5	$97.50	$129.87	Available
LDK Vol. 1-18	G5	$147.00	$195.83	Available
Love in Focus Vol. 1-3	G5	$24.75	$32.97	Available
MeruPuri Vol. 1-3	G3	$22.50	$29.97	Available	Moderate yellowing
My Little Monster Vol. 1-3	G5	$126.75	$168.87	Available
Our Teachers are Dating! Vol. 1-4	G5	$39.00	$51.96	Available
Soul Eater Vol. 1-7	G5	$120.75	$154.93	Available
Syrup: A Yuri Anthology Vol. 1-2	G5	$21.00	$27.98	Available

Singles:	Condition:	Selling Price:	Retail:	Status:	Notes:
5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
A Tale of the Secret Saint Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Ao Haru Ride (Imperfect) Vol. 10	G2	$4.50	$9.99	Available	Spine is heavily misaligned
Arakawa Under the Bridge Vol. 1	G5	$13.47	$17.95	Available
Arata the Legend Vol. 2	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Arata the Legend Vol. 7	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Barakamon Vol. 18+1	G5	$13.50	$17.99	Available
Chibi Vampire Vol. 13	?	$3.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
Cirque Du Freak Omnibus Vol. 4	G5	$18.00	$23.99	Available
Citrus Vol. 8	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
Citrus Vol. 10	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
Daily Report About My Witch Senpai Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Demon Sacred Vol. 4	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
Demon Slayer: Stories of Water and Flame	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Drug Store in Another World Vol. 4	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Even Though We're Adults Vol. 4	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Failed Princesses Vol. 5	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Genshiken Second Season Vol. 2	G3	$3.00	$10.99	Available	Major shelf wear, Minor yellowing
Grand Blue Dreaming Vol. 14	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Grand Blue Dreaming Vol. 15	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Haganai: I don't have many friends Vol. 20	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
Happiness Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School Vol. 1	G5	$9.72	$12.95	Available
I Got Caught Up in a Hero Summons, But the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 3	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 3	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 4	G3	$7.15	$12.99	Available	Major misaligned spine
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 5	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 6	G3	$7.15	$12.99	Available	Major misaligned spine
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 7	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level Vol. 8	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Inside Mari Vol. 7	G5	$9.72	$12.95	Available
Inu X Boku SS Vol. 7	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Island in a Puddle Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Island in a Puddle Vol. 3	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Island in a Puddle Vol. 4	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 2	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Vol. 1	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Vol. 2	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Vol. 4	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 1	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 2	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Komomo Confiserie Vol. 3	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available
Love & Lies Vol. 4	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Love & Lies Vol. 6	G3	$7.15	$12.99	Available	Top of spine is dented, Minor shelf wear
Love & Lies Vol. 8	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Machimaho: I Messed Up and Made the Wrong Person Into a Magical Girl! Vol. 9	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Mad Love Chase Vol. 2	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
Mad Love Chase Vol. 5	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
My Lovey-Dovey Wife is a Stone Cold Killer Vol. 2	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
My Next Life as a Villainess Side Story: On the Verge of Doom! Vol. 2	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
My Senpai is Annoying Vol. 6	G5	$11.25	$14.99	Available
Nana Vol. 2	G3	$5.50	$9.99	Available	Big streak on spine; Spine has glue issue
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fauly I'm Not Popular! Vol. 16	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Parallel Paradise Vol. 9	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
Phantom Dream Vol. 2	G4	$3.00	$9.99	Available	Minor shelf wear, Minor yellowing
Phantom Dream Vol. 4	G4	$3.00	$9.99	Available	Minor shelf wear, Minor yellowing
Play It Cool, Guys Vol. 4	G5	$11.25	$14.99	Available
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Naoko Takeuchi Collection Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Priest Vol. 14	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
Re: Zero Starting Life in Another World Chapter 3: Truth of Zero Vol. 2	G3	$7.15	$12.99	Available	Many scratches on front cover
Reincarnated as a Sword: Another WIsh	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 2	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 3	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 4	G4	$8.45	$12.99	Available	Small tear on spine
Rent-A-Girlfriend Vol. 6	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Rhysmyth Vol. 2	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
Sankarea Vol. 7	G4	$7.15	$10.99	Available	Minor shelf wear, Moderate yellowing
School-Live! Vol. 7	G3	$8.45	$12.99	Available	Major shelf wear, Many scratches on spine/front cover
Sheeply Horned Witch Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Slow Life in Another World (I Wish!)	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Sorry For My Familiar Vol. 9	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Super Hxeros Vol. 6	G5	$10.50	$13.99	Available
Takeru Opera Susanoh Sword of the Devil Vol. 4	?	$1.00		Available	Not thoroughly checked, Getting rid of
The Exo-Drive Reincarnation Games: All-Japan Isekai Battle Tournament! Vol. 2	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter Vol. 5	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 1	G3	$6.05	$10.99	Available	Large bend on front cover
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 2	G5	$8.25	$10.99	Available
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 4	G5	$8.25	$10.99	Available
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 5	G5	$8.25	$10.99	Sold
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 6	G5	$8.25	$10.99	Sold
Vampire Dormitory Vol. 4	G3	$6.05	$10.99	Available	Small tear on front cover, Many scratches on spine
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Barnes & Noble Exclusive) Vol. 6	G5	$12.99	$12.99	Available
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Books-A-Million Exclusive) Vol. 6	G5	$65.00	$12.99	Available
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Kinokuniya Exclusive) Vol. 6	G5	$65.00	$12.99	Available
Yakuza Reincarnation Vol. 1	G5	$9.75	$12.99	Available
Yona of the Dawn Vol. 33	G5	$7.50	$9.99	Available​

Light Novels:	Condition:	Selling Price:	Retail:	Status:	Notes:
The Case Files of Jeweler Richard Vol. 3	G5	$11.25	$14.99	Available​

I’ve been playing with the same group as a player for 3-4 years. On an off night, I started running half the group through Death House. Now we’re bringing in the stragglers, and the party will have two, count em, two dhampirs.
Not a bad thing necessarily, but the inevitable vampire drama could pull focus from the other characters. Ideas from experienced players/DMs on how to handle the storytelling, and make it a plus not a minus? Thanks yall!