Content Creators Corner: Golden Dice Podcast

Unexpected Meeting

So this story starts with an unexpected meeting. I was recently sent to Philadelphia for work. While there, Star Wars: Destiny had their latest set drop: Spark of Hope. I had brought a booster box with me to open in my spare time. While browsing on the line I found a box tournament in New Jersey, not that far away from where I was staying. I called over and reserved a spot and waited until that Saturday. When I arrived I found that this was a home base to Golden Dice Podcast.

Before getting my head bashed in for three of the four rounds we played, I asked if they would like to be a part of this series. Jack, the leader of the group, accepted and we corresponded to get this together.

What I have learned is that this is a great group. They were very accepting and more than hospitable. “Our local scene has been doing okay. We had some tough times with one store closing and another not caring about us. We are finally stabilizing and figuring it all out,” Jack said when I asked how his local scene has been.

Starting Late

Unlike most of the CCs I’ve talked to this far, Jack said he actually didn’t start Star Wars: Destiny until just before Spirit of Rebellion came out. Even though he started a set behind, that never squashed his desire for the game. In the time that I have spoken and corresponded with him, I have come to realize that he has a great mind for this-or any other game.

If you haven’t checked them out please do at https://thegoldendicepodcast.wordpress.com/. There is always something that can be learned from their articles and their play videos. “I’ve always wanted to get into creating something, whether it was YouTube content, podcasts, or articles. Once I got into Destiny this seemed like the perfect opportunity as it is a Star Wars IP as well.” So even though he didn’t start day one, Jack always felt like becoming a CC was in the cards.

I asked who Jack and the crew felt like they were geared towards and what does it mean to be a CC for this game. “I think a CC’s role really depends on who they eventually want to be. There are several CC’s who provide content for competitive players, tuning decks and gameplay videos. Other CC’s just love talking about the less-played cards and trying to get them to see play. I think it is important to have both aspects of the game represented in content, it allows for anyone to find content that they enjoy reading. We at Golden Dice hope we fall somewhere in the middle!”

I asked Jack how it all began, and he said, “We became a CC in January 2018 right before Legacies dropped. We are Golden Dice Podcast from New Jersey. We post all our content through our Facebook page but mostly do podcasts that can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, on our YouTube, and we also stream once a week on Twitch.”

Enjoy the Beginning

“Play the characters that you want! Starting out, I loved just playing with Han. He couldn’t stand up super well against Poe or FN at the time but I just loved his ability and he is my favorite character. Starting out with the starter kits is also a great way to get into the game, even the 2p set is still a solid call,” is some advice he had for the newcomers. Being able to see that you can actually have fun and play when starting out is important.

“The community is huge. The fact that the community is so welcoming and friendly was a big reason I was excited to create content for everyone. I love competing in events but even more so I love meeting people, some of my best memories of this game were grabbing drinks with others at Worlds!” To see someone that enjoys the community and conversation is always refreshing. We can get caught up in the spice we are playing; but as Jack said take the time to get to know the community. That is the heart of this game.

Jack is not just a melodious voice to listen to on the streams, or when he does commentary like at the recent GenCon tournament. No he is an accomplished player on his own. “I have played in 2018 Worlds, 2018 Nova, plenty of regionals and everything below that. My best finish probably has to be at Worlds as I finished in Top 16 running Sabine/Ezra. I have done better as time has gone on, with getting more prep and understanding the game more. I will also be at Nova and Worlds again in 2019 so hopefully I can top cut both events again!”

DJ, Stupid DJ

As I have with everyone else, I asked Jack what he doesn’t want to sit down across from “I never want to play against DJ. He isn’t over powered but we just spend 20 minutes of you removing some of my dice to then lose anyways. Not fun for anyone.” DJ is one of those characters that is beginning to get spoken about during this question. The fact that Jack brings him up again shows that there is a big chance for a Negative Play Experience (NPE) with this card.

Besides the NPE of DJ, Jack had this to say about the Meta: “The meta seems very wide open! This comment is made post Gen Con 2019 where I feel many different droids decks are good, Aphra, Ewoks, and Reylo all have a solid spot in the meta.” Obviously, with NOVA just finishing opinions may change, but it is good to see that we are in a good Meta.

You Can Learn Here, Too

“I think we help bridge the gap between competitive and casual. We certainly do not have the credentials of a lot of the top CCs in terms of finishes but we take a lot of pride in our interactions with the community and having some decent finishes under our belt!” So this shows that you can send your Younglings to this site and feel safe they are learning to be better players.

Not only will they make viewers feel comfortable with their discussions and their jokes, they also try and put out content regularly. “We aim for a weekly podcast and a weekly live stream. The summer has been hard for us but the Fall should be back on schedule!”

My 5 is Stronger than yours

One of my favorite parts of these articles is to see where some of the cards we play relate to the CCs. Jack didn’t let us down. Here is his Top 5:

1. Entourage (CV152)
2. C-3P0 (SH77)
3. Megablaster Troopers (CV31)
4. Droids Day Out (SH79)
5. FIST (AG13)

I also asked Jack what his favorite set has been. “I think Legacies has been my favorite set and it had the best meta we have seen in Destiny to date.” That set brought us some great cards that are still highly competitive.

Can I See Your Invite, Please?

Ever since it was announced that Worlds 2020 was going to be invite only, I have wanted to get what the CCs have thought about it. Jack felt, “I am torn as I love that it is open currently, it makes it the perfect spot for people to go every year, play competitive Destiny and see friends you don’t normally see. Having said that, it is probably better for the game to offer exclusive World’s events as it gives more reason for people to attend things like Primes and Grands to win a seat.”

With that being said, how do you, the readers, feel about the change in Worlds? You get to hear from people like us on the subject – I want to hear from you, The Chance Cube Universe. Please let me know where you weigh in on this.

I want to thank Golden Dice Podcast and Jack for doing this interview. It took a bit to get everything together but it was a pleasure. For anyone in the New Jersey area, take a chance and check out Tiki Tiki Games, home to Golden Dice. This is a great group of people and they are a ton of fun.

Until next time The Chance Cube Universe, may you always roll what you need and need what you roll.

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