Sunday Update: Civil War, Nine Hour Streams, and What’s Next

Alright, welcome back to another Sunday update. That’s two in a row, which feels like a miracle lately. This one’s coming out a little later because it’s been a wild week and an even busier weekend, but I’m happy to keep this streak going.

Marvel Champions: Civil War Expansion Incoming

Let’s kick things off with the big news: Fantasy Flight Games has announced a new Civil War expansion for Marvel Champions. I’m planning to live stream my full thoughts tomorrow night, so keep an eye out for that. I skimmed the article but need more time to digest everything.

Civil War is something I’ve wanted for years. I was talking about it way back in 2022, probably annoying everyone with my top five expansion wish lists. Now, here it is. The twist is that they’re introducing PVP. I honestly didn’t think they’d do it. We even talked about this in a recent live stream—now already outdated, because news moves that fast. Maybe if I did content full time, I’d keep up better.

The PVP angle is interesting. Caleb (the designer) said in a stream that this expansion was a “stretch goal” for them, which is cool to see. My gut feeling is that he’s interested in doing a TCG or PVP-focused game next, maybe with co-op or solo built in. Lorkana’s made some noise in that space, so it’ll be fun to see what Caleb and the team do.

As for the expansion itself, some people aren’t super hyped about which heroes or “villains” are involved. Personally, I just want Civil War in the game, and I love that we get to see old heroes as villains for this story. It’s a neat twist.

There’s also speculation that this is a bonus cycle and we might get a third cycle this year. With new designers joining the team and Tony and Caleb finishing up, it’s not out of the question. My guess: the last one gets announced right at the end of the year and rolls into next year. More details on all that during the Monday night live stream. Join me at twitch.tv/d20woodworking or kick.com/d20woodworking.

The Nine Hour Live Stream and What’s Next

Speaking of live streams, we did a nine hour one recently—absolutely bonkers. I started with a two hour block, and every donation added more time. The support was amazing, and honestly, I’m still blown away. We did a villains tier ranking live, which was a blast, and I’m already planning to do the same with heroes soon. Reviews for Falcon and Winter Soldier are coming, but I need more games under my belt first.

Quick thoughts: Falcon’s pre-con deck is a mess, but there’s a cool hero buried in there. I know some people hate when I call things “garbage,” but it’s just my opinion. Winter Soldier, though, feels special—great design, and you can tell Caleb went all out.

A lot of people ask about how much I made on these streams. The nine hour stream brought in about $160 on Twitch and $100 on YouTube, so around $28 an hour, which is easily the most I’ve ever made. Usually, it’s closer to $2 an hour on long streams. It was an amazing show of support from the community—truly, thank you.

Editing the tier list video has been a journey. The raw file was over four hours long. I’m trimming it down because I know most people won’t sit through hours of content, even if I selfishly wish they would (ad revenue and all that). Still, those long videos tend to do well.

Blog and Newsletter Changes

Here’s a behind-the-scenes update: I love blogging and writing. It’s my real job, and I want to bring that energy into this space. I’ve been working on a new blog and newsletter platform. The newsletter system I use now is a bit clunky, so I’m transitioning to something better, where you’ll get a better reading experience, and I can combine the blog and newsletter more easily.

I’m planning to make everything available without ads, just cleaner content. There will be free and paid tiers—$5 a month, $10 a month, with a big discount for annual sign-ups and maybe an even bigger discount for the first few months as a launch promo.

Patreon will stick around, so you won’t lose access if you’re already there. The new blog will just be a different way to get my content. I want to give more options. And if you sign up for the newsletter, you’ll get weekly updates, and you’ll be able to comment right on the blog. More ways to interact and take in the content, however you prefer.

I’ll also be using the blog to share transcribed versions of my video or podcast content, for people who prefer to read rather than watch or listen. I think options are important—let people take in content their own way.

Upcoming: Arkham Horror, Lord of the Rings, and More

People keep asking if I’ll return to Arkham Horror and Lord of the Rings content. The answer is yes. I want to run through the Arkham “Return To” boxes on stream, even though they’re hard to get, because I know people want to see them. Same for Lord of the Rings—the channel started with that game, and I want to revisit it. Plus, new acrylic tokens just came out and look amazing.

As always, using my affiliate links helps support the channel. I can’t share exact numbers, but it really does make a difference.

Personal Life: Persona 5X, the Aquarium, and the 4th of July

Outside of games, Persona 5X launched and I’ve been playing it (without paying, so far). I’m a huge Persona fan, and it’s been fun to dive into that world again, even if the game starts off painfully slow. I’m also still grinding through Stellar Blade.

This weekend, we did the Baltimore aquarium and zoo trip. I’m not a huge aquarium or zoo guy, but I took a bunch of photos and put them up on Instagram. I want to start sharing a little more of my life outside board games, so if you’re curious, check out my stories.

The 4th of July is coming up, which is my favorite holiday—and not just because my birthday’s two days after. Growing up, things were tough. We didn’t have much money, and sometimes we had to choose between electricity or water each month. My mom always did her best, making birthdays and holidays special even when she couldn’t afford gifts. The fireworks on July 4th? She’d tell me they were for me. I believed her until I was eight or nine. Now it’s a family joke, but it made things feel special.

These days, I love being able to help her out. Every extra dollar I make through streaming or the channel lets me do something for her, like buy groceries or just take care of things she needs. That’s the best feeling, honestly. Family always comes first for me, and I’m grateful for the chance to give back.

Community, Mental Health, and Giving Back

I’ve talked before about dealing with anxiety and depression. Having a strong support system—family, friends, and even a community built around something like board games—makes all the difference. If you’re struggling, know that it can get better. Hard work and asking for help go a long way, and this community is proof that people will support you if you need it.

I’m always going to encourage and support other content creators, too. People helping people is what makes this space great. And for me, faith is part of that, but whatever your background, building that network is important.

Tangents: Board Game Industry Thoughts

Quick board game industry rant: I think we’re heading toward more environmentally conscious options in gaming. Fewer massive Kickstarter campaigns with mountains of minis, more STL files for 3D printing, more responsible furniture choices (solid wood over particle board, if you want to nerd out about carbon storage). There’s a whole tangent here about the environmental impact of game storage furniture—maybe that’s a topic for another day. For now, just know that if you buy old or solid wood furniture, you’re probably doing more for the environment than you realize.

Looking Ahead

That’s the latest from my world. Watch for the new blog and newsletter—if you’re on Patreon, you’ll get access automatically. Steam Summer Sale is on, so I’ll probably pick up a couple of games. Haven’t had time for Andor season two, but maybe I’ll get to it tonight.

If you haven’t yet, please review the podcast and subscribe to the channel. Be there for the live stream with my Civil War thoughts, and keep an eye out for the new website and newsletter updates. As always, thank you all for being here, for supporting the channel, and for listening to my rants. I know not everyone cares about every tangent I go on, but that’s what I love about these Sunday updates—they can go anywhere.

Thanks for sticking with me, and I’ll see you next Sunday.