Mysterio

For whatever reason, I couldn’t post this as text on the sun. So I had to do it this way. As the title says, this is my guide for the master of illusions, Mysterio. Since this is my first guide, I’ll keep it short, simple and sweet. I hope you guys enjoy! 
Character: Mysterio

Species: Human

Class: Blast

Side: Super Villain 

Skills:

Mysterio has the coolest and most visually appealing skills in the game in my opinion. However, he does NOT produce a lot of damage. Here is a list of each skill, what it does and how effective it is.
1) Bat Frenzy 

Mysterio unleashes a horde of bats towards the opponent and teleports behind them before flying across them and firing some purple rays. Very low damage but it does keep him moving.
2) Giant Phantom: Mysterio creates a gigantic illusion that slams a purple rod of energy down on the opponent. Again, low damage. My suggestion is only to use this skill when you need it. It leaves Mysterio a little vulnerable.
3) Misdirection

Mysterio teleports backwards and summons 3 illusions (of himself) that draw aggro. Solid skill, use it when available. 
4) Sleight of hand

Easily the coolest skill of them all. Mysterio teleports into a floating throne. In front of him, a game-like wheel spins with three different outcomes. Each outcome produces a different attack! It’s RNG at its finest! The outcomes are as follows: meteors falling from the sky, parachuting presents that explode on impact and scattered boxes that have spring-loaded boxing gloves in them. This skill is hilarious and it’s just purely awesome. Bonus: full iframe, use it as much as you can. You can also cancel out the skill if need be and still get the surprise!
5) Grand Finale

Another awesome attack in terms of visual appeal. Mysterio creates a floating platform and begins walking towards the enemy while a gust of wind swirls the enemies toward Mysterio. He creates a massive ball of energy (it’s actually a mini earth!) and slams the ball on the enemy. It’s a good skill but again, leaves him a bit vulnerable.
Passives: T1 – Stage Spectacle

When attacking, it silences enemies for 3 seconds and has a cool down of 10 seconds. Interesting skill, can definitely be useful in pvp. 

                T2 – Showmanship

Increases mind damage by 15%, increases all attacks and defenses by 15% and speeds by 10%, provides a 20% star boost to summoned characters as well as 15% extra hp and 10% longer duration of said characters. A lot going on here. On paper, this looks like it should give him a pretty decent boost. From my experience, the difference is NOT game-changing and poor Quentin Beck still struggles to do some solid damage. 
Gear: 

1) Hypnotism – provides energy attack and ignore defense, two solid stats that are extremely beneficial. You’ll want to roll all attack or energy attack for the slots. 
2) Acrylic Glass Helmet – Energy defense and Critical Rate. Not bad. All defense should be your priority here. 
3) Nozzle-Mounted boots – Skill Cooldown and Crowd Control time decrease. The cooldown is a nice piece here. You can go with HP or dodge here. Personally, I’m going with dodge for survival purposes. Mysterio has no heals or damage immune/invincibility built in. Aside from some i frames, he’s very killable. Keep him alive whatever way you see fit. 
4) Mysterious Cloak – Attack speed and movement speed. The attack speed is nice. The movement speed is meh. Rolls Skill Cooldown or Ignore Defense, whichever you need more. If you’re capped for both, critical damage then critical rate. 
ISO: Any attack set will benefit him. Go with Hawks Eye if you need Cooldown. I have POAH on mine. 

Custom Gear: This is really up to your discretion. However, I suggest an obelisk with the following stats if possible: Mind damage + dodge + damage proc. Mysterio struggles with damage and staying alive, Aj obelisk as such would help with both of those weaknesses. You could also go with an invincibility proc and it would not be bad by any means. It’s really up to you. ITGB is also a good option. 
Uru: Energy Attack, Skill Cooldown, Ignore Defense. If you’re capped, Critical Damage/Rate and dodge if you prefer. 
Usefulness in game modes: 
Story: he can clear anything up to chapters 11 and 12. I tried it and I failed miserably. Without good damage and survivability, Mysterio doesn’t do very well here. 
Villain Siege: Able to clear all 3 at T2. Third one may be a bit tough at T1 due to low damage. 
Alliance Battle: I cleared normal Alliance Battle with him yesterday. That’s about as useful as he gets there. Definitely don’t recommend him for open day or blast male day. There are WAY better options. 
Timeline: not recommended at all. He will get destroyed quickly since, again, very low damage and no real survivability. 
Shadowland: he can do a handful of floors, mainly relays. Rumbles? Nope. Bosses? EXTREMELY difficult. I wouldn’t recommend him on any floor higher than 15 unless you like a challenge or unless your Mysterio is built perfectly. 
World Boss: He can do it, just not quickly. Obviously I haven’t been able to test him against all the bosses since he was just released, but there are plenty of better options. 
WBU: I tried. It was humiliating. 
Overall: Impressions and tentative grade –
His skills and animations are AMAZING. I would use him in every mode just for fun. I’m a huge Mysterio fan. He’s my favorite comic book villain period. Sadly, Beck doesn’t shine here. He’s average on a good day and doesn’t do anything well other than having the coolest-looking skills in the game (my opinion). He dies quite easily and his damage is really not good at all. He isn’t meta and I wouldn’t consider him to be a strong character. Conclusion: Mysterio’s skills make him look mighty but it is simply an illusion. Grade: C

Thanks for reading, everyone! What do you think of Mysterio?

Farewell, Large Father

David,
I feel like I could write a novel about all the positive memories you’ve given me the last decade plus. From the 2004 ALCS to your final game in a Red Sox uniform, I’ve always been on the edge of my seat when you were at the plate, watching and waiting for something amazing to happen. To be honest, I even began to expect it from you because you have become a legend in your own right. Whether it was your powerful swing or your larger-than-life personality, you always gave me a reason to smile. I never met you, but I feel like I know you so well. You embody Boston and the never-quit spirit of the city. I can’t imagine what the game will be like without you and quite frankly I don’t want to. All I know is I’m going to miss you and the game will never be the same. The Red Sox will never be the same. Boston will never be the same. Thank you, Large Father, for some of the best memories of my life. Baseball will never be the same. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just “see you later.” When you put your cap on that boasts the Boston “B” during the Hall of Fame ceremony, I’ll be watching with all the fond memories you’ve given me over the years. I love you, Papi. Thanks for everything. 

With Opening Day closing in, are the Red Sox in trouble?

In December, the Red Sox looked like a solid team on paper. With additions of David Price, Craig Kimbrel, Carson Smith and Chris Young, Boston looked like a team to beat in the AL East. Surely, with those additions and the young talent already in place, the Red Sox couldn’t have another terrible season, right? Not exactly. Are there reasons to worry? As of today, yes. 

Injuries happen to every team. They’re impossible to escape. The Red Sox are already experiencing this with the loss of Eduardo Rodriguez and Carson Smith, the Red Sox are in somewhat of a hole to begin the season. Most likely, we won’t see either for at least a month. 

What about Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello? Well, certainly they’re primed to have a better season, right? Clay is finally “healthy” and Porcello is supposedly going back to his old methods that made him successful in Detroit. From the small sample size, it seems neither have overcome their woes. Clay turned in a decent outing recently and there’s at least some optimism that he’ll pitch well if he’s healthy. Porcello, on the other hand, has an ERA north of 10 and has looked like a minor leaguer with all his issues. Joe Kelly has looked somewhat efficient but his command is still in question. Henry Owens still belongs in Triple A and Wright isn’t the answer for me. 

Without Carson Smith, the Red Sox lose a flamethrower and their setup man. Can Koji be counted on to fill in? Sure, I trust him. Can Taz regain his form after wearing down significantly last season? Maybe so. But losing Smith creates a lot of “ifs.” 

What should they do? 

Trade for Sonny Gray. Laughable, right? If only it were that easy. Gray is practically unavailable. Practically. Every team has a price. If I were Dave, I’d call up Billy Beane and offer him anyone outside of the core major league roster and Yoan Moncada. It would likely take Devers, Espinoza, Benintendi and another high-end prospect to even get the base for a deal. Probably looking at losing at least 3 top 5 prospects. Painful? That word doesn’t do it justice. But as a fan, I’d be thrilled to have Sonny Gray pitching behind his good friend, David Price. The Red Sox can’t afford another last place finish. That would be more painful for me than losing some great prospects. Of course, all of this is hypothetical and highly unlikely to happen but it’s fun to speculate. 

Thanks for reading. As always, sound off and let me know what you think. 

The Price Was Right

You all know by now that the big news of the night (and perhaps the entire offseason) is that the Boston Red Sox agreed to a record deal with David Price. The deal is for 7 years and 217 million dollars. The catch is that there’s an opt out clause after the third year. Here’s my evaluation of the whole process and the deal itself.

The contract: 

The contract was huge. That’s an understatement. It makes Price the richest pitcher in baseball history, surpassing Clayton Kershaw by 2 million dollars. 217 million is quite a bit but the Red Sox can definitely afford it. The opt out clause is key here. If Price dominates like I expect him to for three years, he’s definitely going to use that clause and try to get a better deal. I doubt the Red Sox would go that high again and they could very well have to watch him walk after year three. Overall, for at least three years, the Sox will control arguably one of the best two pitchers in the game. My grade for this is an A.

According to multiple reports, the Red Sox were also HEAVILY involved with Greinke as well. So much so that the two sides probably would have worked out an agreement had Price signed elsewhere. Speaking of him signing elsewhere, it’s also been reported that David’s first choice seemed to be the Cardinals. St. Louis offered him a lucrative deal but it fell nearly 30 million short of what the Red Sox offered according to USA Today. Remember that Incarecerated Bob guy? You know, the one that said Price was going back to the Blue Jays a few days ago? Obviously, he couldn’t have been more wrong. Apparently, the Jays knew from the get-go that Price wasn’t returning and they did not waste their time pursuing him. In the end, it came down to the Cardinals and the Red Sox. As we’ve learned, money definitely talks. Is Dombrowski done? Most would assume he is. He’s gotten the three “items” he set out to get this offseason (power reliever in Kimbrel, 4th outfielder in Chris Young, and, of course, a real ace in David Price). This is just my opinion, which carries absolutely no weight, but I have a feeling Dave is going to try to get a solid #2 starter to slot behind Price. After all, do we really want to count on Clay Buchholz and his injuries and inconsistency? Look for Dombrowski to gauge interest in his pitching inventory now that we have Price (nearly any starter SHOULD be available outside of Price and Rodriguez). Miley, Owens, Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello, and of course, Clay Buchholz could all be traded if Dave finds someone he likes. He could also pursue another reliever for the bullpen. We’ll have to wait and see. But seeing how quickly Dombrowski has moved in his short tenure, we shouldn’t have to wait long.

The David Price Sweepstakes

David Price is the premier free agent target this offseason. His credentials speak for themselves and he’s a perennial Cy Young candidate. While many question his ability to pitch in the postseason, it is undeniable that Price is an immediate impact player for any contending team and that he would most certainly help get one of those teams to the playoffs. 

There has already been about 826642073 different reports about where Price will ultimately land. Though teams like the Dodgers, Cardinals and Giants have been mentioned and are very much possible landing spots, I see Price choosing between three teams: Blue Jays, Cubs and Red Sox. Which team has the advantage? I’ve divided it up into categories with a “score” for each team in each category with a score of 1-5, 5 being the best. Obviously, this is my opinion and not based off of anything more than that and the facts. 

#1 – Money

Money usually wins in any situation. Emphasis on usually. Though all three teams have money, they have spent it differently in the past. All three teams need a top quality starter but let’s face it: the Red Sox are the most desperate team to get one. The Cubs are more likely to go after someone like John Lackey in order to save big money for Arrieta. So, 1-5, which team is going to offer Price the contract he’s looking for? The Red Sox are reportedly prepared to significantly outbid the competition. 

Blue Jays: 3

Cubs: 3

Red Sox: 5
#2 – Familiarity

Comfort and familiarity go a long way in an athletes decision on where to sign. We know Price wants to be as close to his family in Nashville as possible and also that he’s already spent time with the Blue Jays. He knows Joe Maddon and I’m sure he’d gladly play for him again. Price has played against the Red Sox his entire career and knows Dave Dombrowski. Price seemingly really enjoyed his time in Toronto and bonded really well with his teammates and the fans, so I’d have the give the Jays the biggest advantage. 

Blue Jays: 4

Cubs: 3

Red Sox: 2

#3 – Immediate chance to win 

All three teams will most likely contend in 2016. The Cubs look to be perennial contenders for years to come. The Red Sox are in a similar position with stars like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. Ortiz will make sure his last season is a strong one. The Blue Jays have a deadly offense and a strong defense and look to have strong seasons from Donaldson and Tulo. As of today (November 27, 2015), all three clubs still have some holes to fill and this ranking will likely change by the end of the offseason when the teams have made more additions/subtractions to their rosters. 

Blue Jays: 4

Cubs: 5

Red Sox: 4

#4 – Future chance to win

As mentioned earlier, the Cubs look like they’ve finally “arrived” after a 100+ year layoff. They have plenty of young stars and will only get better. The Red Sox are also on the rise in young talent. With multiple prospects in the top 100 ranking, the Red Sox will soon boast an insanely talented lineup that will include Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr., etc. (not to mention the pitching depth of ERod, Owens, Johnson, Espinoza). The Blue Jays have the talent now but their stars are aging. The Cubs and Red Sox have the clear edge here. 

Blue Jays: 3

Cubs: 5

Red Sox: 5

#5 – Market

Marketing may not seem that important but it does play an important factor. Boston, LA and New York are arguably the biggest markets in sports and understandably so. Chicago is close but it’s not on the same level. If Price wants to continue to show he’s one of the best to ever play the game, what better way to do so than in one of the best markets in baseball? Advantage Red Sox. 

Blue Jays: 2

Cubs: 4

Red Sox: 5
Results: 

Blue Jays: 16

Cubs: 20

Red Sox: 21
Take it all with a grain of salt. Price could end up with any of the teams mentioned. Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts! 

Enjoy your summer, not the 2015 Red Sox

The 2015 Red Sox suck. There’s no sugar coating it. They’re awful in all phases. They can’t hit, they can’t run the bases well, they’ve pitched better, but the inconsistency is still there. The chemistry doesn’t exist, no matter what people may say. Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all we’ve heard this season. “They’re just a few games back.” “The division is awful.” “The bats will come around.” “It’s still early.” Stop. If you think this team is a contender, you’re only fooling yourself. The 2015 Red Sox are no better than the 2014 Red Sox. Sure, bigger names, bigger payroll, but same old shit. 

At nearly 7 games back, the team is rapidly losing what ground it could gain. They’re in last. The Orioles, Blue Jays, and the dreaded Yankees are all on a roll. The Rays, shitty as they may be, will still finish towards the top of the East. The Red Sox? No. What a shame it would be to finish in last for 3 out of the last 4 seasons but that’s exactly where this squad of overpaid drama queens is headed. Ortiz finally looks like he’s approaching age 40. Sandoval and Ramirez have been compared to Crawford and Gonzalez and with good reason. Napoli is hitting .200. Betts hasn’t had the breakout season we hoped. Castillo has been disappointing. Swihart has been rushed. The pitching staff has improved, but they’re still shitty (see Porcello, Rick). The lone bright spots of the season have been Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Eduardo Rodriguez. To think this team would quit would be a travesty, but let’s face it, they have. 

Come October, teams like the Royals and Cardinals will be eyeing a championship. And teams like the Red Sox, well, they’ll be eyeing 2016. 

The time to get an ace is now

Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto. Both are great pitchers, both are more likely than not to be traded by July 31. One, if not BOTH could be had by the Red Sox due to their stacked farm system. However, knowing how Ben Cherington is, he would probably go for only one, or, hell, none. He loves the “sit on my ass and wait” approach and look where that got us last season. The AL East is complete shit. It’s the worst division in baseball right now. The Red Sox are THREE games under .500 and are still within reach of the Rays, who are in first. There is no clear cut front runner and I doubt there will be until August when the teams have made upgrades or have decided to sell. The Red Sox could get a head start and put themselves in position to take first place right now. 

Johnny Cueto probably won’t be traded until July, but Cole Hamels could be had right now. There are more than a handful of Red Sox fans that are anti-Hamels. They say he’d get rocked in the American League and that his contract isn’t exactly team friendly. However, there are way more positives than negatives. He’s a left hander, he’s been dominant the last month, he has a track record for success, and he’s been a World Series MVP. Should the Red Sox decide to get off their ass and do something big, this is the time and this is the player. Amaro will trade Hamels now for the right price. What is the right price though? Betts and Swihart are untouchable. That would leave Owens, Johnson, and Rodriguez on the table. I can almost guarantee the Phillies would ask for E-Rod. 
Here’s my proposal: Eduardo Rodriguez and Rafael Devers for Cole Hamels and 10-15 million dollars from the Phillies. 

Before you grab your pitch forks for suggesting we trade perhaps our best future arm, let me state my case for why. Hamels would help the team right now. He would help the team for at least 3-4 more years in my opinion. With prospects, you can never really know what you’re going to get. Look at how many “busts” there have been even in recent years. Remember Will Middlebrooks? He was a number one prospect for the Red Sox just a few years ago and now he hits 7th in the Padres lineup. I’m not saying E-Rod will be a bust, in fact, I think he’s gonna be good. But again, you know what you’re getting with Cole Hamels and he would instantly make the Red Sox better now. With the highest payroll in team history and with the (stagnant) firepower in the lineup, this team is built to win right now. Guys like Ortiz, Pedroia, Napoli, and Ramirez aren’t getting any younger. The time to go get another ring is now. If the Red Sox can vault themselves ahead of the other AL East teams right now, imagine what will be available in July. Who knows, maybe Ben Cherington will do his job and make the team better. 

That’s all I have for today. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Thanks for reading! 

Why the Red Sox should fire John Farrell

Some of you are thinking, “woah, this guy is jumping ship way too fast. It’s still May. Oh, and we won a World Series just two years ago with this guy.” Others are thinking, “yes, it’s about time for him to get the hell out of Boston.” Count me in the second line of thinking. John Farrell’s time in Boston should be close to striking midnight. 

Two years ago when he was hired, the Red Sox were a mess. However, EVERYTHING went right for the team that season. Few injuries + timely hitting + veterans playing above and beyond what was expected of them led to the Red Sox winning their 8th title. Hell of a manager we must have hired, right? No. 

As manager of the Blue Jays, Farrell was a mediocre 154-170 in 2 seasons. With the Red Sox, through over two years, he’s 187-179. A winning record, but not by much. With the slide taking place this year, it’s bound to reach a losing percentage again. 

It’s not solely about the less-than-spectacular record he’s accumulated. It’s about the questionable managerial decisions he makes almost on a gamely basis. How about pitching to perhaps the hottest hitter in the game, Nelson Cruz, with first base open in a dire situation with the game on the line. And how many times has Farrell left a pitcher in WAY too long when it was obvious they didn’t have their best stuff that day. Just this season alone, Farrell has cost the Red Sox a handful of games because of his moronic decisions. Lastly, it’s justifiable to question his leadership ability and stubbornness. When a current lineup doesn’t work, he keeps it. He refuses to make a change and it can be said he plays favorites (Victorino) even when they’re as horrible as stepping in a pile of fresh horse shit. How do you have a lineup with Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, David Ortiz, and Dustin Pedroia and have a negative run differential? Is it ALL Farrell’s fault those guys have been forgettable? Not entirely. But some of the blame has to be placed on the leader of the team – I.e. Farrell. 

The Red Sox rushed to give him an extension before the season, even on the heels of a last place finish. Idiotic is too nice a word. Point is, John Farrell isn’t getting it done. I’m done having patience with him. As for Ben Cherington? I’ll save my rant for him for another time but let’s just say I don’t think his job should be safe, either. Thanks for reading! 

Should we worry about the rotation?

After a solid debut for each of our five starters, Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, and now Wade Miley looked absolutely awful in their second time through. Porcello had a pretty decent start, but it wasn’t anything that ‘wowed’ me. Kelly will take the ball tomorrow against the Orioles and his start could also have major implications for the future of the season. 

I know, I know, we’re 6-3 and we’re scoring a hefty amount of runs. We’ve won each series we’ve played thus far. All positive things, no doubt. And Buchholz, Masterson, and Miley are entitled to one bad start, right? I’m not so sure. Clay Buchholz was ROCKED by the Yankees last week. He left everything over the plate. It’s good to be able to throw strikes, but my God, Clay. He was so awful that night that even Stephen Drew hit a homerun off of him. Clay has the potential to be solid, and we’ve seen him do it before. But he’s not consistent. I don’t want a staff led by Clay Buchholz. Does that mean I don’t want him in the rotation? Not at all. I’d take him as a 3 or 4, much like the rest of this rotation. Masterson and Miley had horrendous comman issues. If you’ve ever seen Oprah giveaway something to an audience, just imagine her saying “YOU get a walk, and YOU get a walk, EVERYBODY gets a walk!” That’s how bad these guys were. Cause for concern? Still early, so I’m not on the “trade everybody” boat. But, from what I saw, I wasn’t pleased. Can these guys turn it around? Absolutely. Will they? We’ll see. Is anybody on this staff even capable of being mentioned in the same sentence as the word ‘ace’? No. 

An Opening Day Evaluation

 After a horrid season last year, it felt good to get that sour taste out of my mouth by seeing the potential we have in this team. Here are my takeaways from the first game of 2015, and boy, was it a good one.

The gold stars go to….

1. Dustin Pedroia – HUGE day. Not one, but two homers. If you don’t remember, it took Pedroia over 100 at bats last season to hit his first. Now he’s on pace to hit 324. Will he reach that? No. But he’ll tell us that he will. Pedey finally looks healthy and I can assure you he’s going to have a big year. Wouldn’t expect anything less from the heart of the Red Sox. 

2. Clay Buchholz – Good God. Who saw that coming? He gave up only 3 hits and not a single run. Oh, and he had NINE (count ’em) strikeouts. He looked like 2013 Clay, and that’s the Clay that can truly be an ace. Can he keep it up? We’ll see. But today was certainly positive. 

3. Hanley Ramirez – like Pedroia, Hanley went deep twice. One of those was a grand slam. He had 5 RBI today and looked really locked in at the plate. When Hanley is healthy, watch out – he’s truly one of the best hitters in baseball. 

4. MOOKIE Betts – he’s always in the highlight reels. He went 2-4 today. Remember those people suggesting we should trade him for Cole Hamels? Oh, the irony. Betts smashed a solo homerun off that very same Cole Hamels today. We have our lead off man for years to come. 

The less-than-impressive….

1. David Ortiz – 0-4 with three strikeouts. Papi seemed a little too impatient at the ate today and it showed. He had a rather uneventful spring, but we all know what he can and will do. But hey, he played first base pretty decently. Ortiz will be fine. 

2. Pablo Sandoval – the Panda’s stat line was similar to Papi’s: 0-5 with three strikeouts. New team, new league, but Pablo will be fine. He made some plays at third and we can expect his bat to be a force sooner rather than later. 

Overall team grade: A+ 

The homeruns were great, but we can’t rely on those every single game. We’re gonna need to find ways to score when we aren’t smashing it out of the park. However, if there’s anything we can count on this season, it will be the offense. It’ll be exciting to watch. Clay was lights out. And Taz and Layne looked solid in their short amounts of work. In other news, the Red Sox have announced a 4-year extension with Rick Porcello. Personally, I think it’s a good move. Rick obviously wants to be here and he’s going to do very well. He’s still really young and he’s only trending upward. Can he be an ace? I believe he can. We will certainly see. Thank God 2014 is behind us because we have big things ahead this year. As always, thanks for reading!