Below Deck Down Under is returning for a Season 3, as announced at BravoCon last year. Looking back though, BDDU Season 1 began airing in March of 2022. The following year, Season 2 popped up in June. Now, if we are going by just these dates alone, then Season 3 should be lurking right around any docks corner.

However, zero trailers, news, or even any minor details on this series in the Below Deck franchise have dropped yet. So, whats up, Bravo? The absence of this offshoot is palpable in my life, which is why I, and likely many others, need this series to finally happen. But why do we need thee, Captain Jason Chambers? Let me count thy ways now.

My loves, Captain Jasons loneliness is killin' him right now. This emotional blood is on the networks hands. And also, I volunteer as tribute. You know, for when the time comes to wipe his pretty little pointers clean.

Get in line, Amy. Aware. But also, let me live.

With a little help from Britney Spears, Jack Black, and also, his daughter, Captain Jason took to his socials. Here, he danced and lip-synced to Brit Brit, all to state that he too wants a Season 3, stat. As for his spoken words on this matter, he penned Below Deck Down Under Season 3. HIT ME ONE MORE TIME or 10 more. I think we can all say we cant wait too long for another season @bravotv. Its been a huge wait for us between seasons and I cant thank the huge support hanging in there and waiting, too long between drinks I say.

What our Captain Jason wants, our Captain Jason should get. For him, I hope that Bravo finds a way to make fetch BDDU happen soon.

Clearly, being a captain of a superyacht is no small feat. You have the lives of everyone on board to consider, as well as the structural integrity of the actual yacht itself. On these matters though, weve seen Captain Jason excel, time and time again. He isnt afraid to lay down the law, and when he does so, hes swift and firm, only addressing the facts at hand, and nothing more.

On top of protecting his crews physically, hes also a solid mental health advocate. In Season 2, we can all likely recall his skilled abilities in shutting down two different sexual assault instances onboard. In each situation, he removed the problematic yachties and then offered his support to the victims. After such a dark, unsettling season, which was only brought back to the light via his epic leadership showings, a Season 3 needs to happen, but like, now.

Across the BD franchise, the various yachts typically travel to either the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Obviously, all of these areas are stunning. But with Below Deck Down Under, we got to see new ports of call. Coming from someone who travels very little, because life is expensive AF, I lived for these new scenes entering my living room each week.

I thoroughly enjoyed couch-traveling to the colorful cays of the near-uninhabited Whitsunday Islands, in addition to finally seeing the Great Barrier Reef, located just off of the coast of Queenslands shores. Likewise, the plants, birds, insects, and wildlife that are native to this area also caught my attention(s), which is hard to do, because I get distracted very, very easily.

Overall, the filming locations and sights were very unique on BDDU. This is just another reason why it needs to return, ASAP.

For two seasons now, Ive watched Captain Jason and his Chief Stew Aesha Scott evolve into one of my all-time favorite dream teams. Their wit and banter made this series great. But also, they both led so well together. It really seemed like this duo was locked down, and that theyd always be coming in hot and consistent as the staples for this series.

But then, Aesha jumped the yacht. She is now back on Below Deck Mediterranean, working underneath her original boss, Captain Sandy Yawn. Three cheers for this win for Captain Sandy. But where does this leave Captain Jason?

I have so many questions. Will Aesha still return? Can the network get away with letting her take the lead on two different series? Or, will Tumi Mhlongo switch back to BDDU, becoming one of Captain Jasons crew members once again?

In an even wilder stretch of the imagination, Hannah Ferrier once said that shed be open to making a return, but only if she were assigned to Captain Jason or Captain Lee Rosbach. Could we possibly now be getting a little June Captain Jason, Captain Jason, Hannah?

Honestly, probably not. If you ask me, the most likely scenario is that Captain Jasons now going to be partnered up with someone whos brand new to this series. But, whoever this new leading stew is, will they be able to keep up the same fun, lighthearted momentum as Aesha? Also, if Aeshas out, will anyone else whos worked with Captain Jason still be in?

Come back, BDDU. You need to happen. For all of these reasons.

TELL US DO YOU ALSO THINK THAT BDDU SEASON 3 NEEDS TO HAPPEN ASAP? WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING AGAIN IN THIS SERIES?

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Why Below Deck Down Under Season 3 Needs To Happen - Reality Tea

Summary

Daisy Kelliher has starred as Chief Stew on Below Deck Sailing Yacht for four seasons, and it's time to talk about what the yachtie has been up to since her tumultuous love triangle imploded. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, the seasoned stew's onboard skills run in the family. Her parents also worked on yachts, with her grandfather even boasting an Olympic medal in sailing. The sunny 36-year-old is known for her hardworking and professional attitude, and there's hope she'll return for Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5.

Daisy's usual demeanor fell by the wayside when she found herself in a boatmance love triangle between Gary King and Colin McRae. During the season, Daisy hooked up with Colin, the Chief Engineer, despite having a long-standing connection with Gary, the First Officer. While a boatmance isn't out of character for most Below Deck franchise cast members, Daisy was known for being no-nonsense and focused on her job. Her performance suffered, leading to some disappointment from Captain Glenn Shepard.

Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.

Daisy chopped off her signature long blonde locks and traded them for a trendy platinum bob. The Chief Stew is ready for a hot girl summer with such a blunt, confident haircut. Fans in the comments were floored at her new appearance. "Nothing has ever been more meant for you. Looks incredible," wrote one follower, while another gushed, "I just did the same thing with my hair!!! You're hair looks fabulous!!!" Daisy is one of the most popular Below Deck franchise members, with very few negative opinions surrounding the bright yachtie.

" I just did the same thing with my hair!!! You're hair looks fabulous!!! "

Daisy's drastic change in appearance was shocking, but she probably wants to shake off last season's mishaps. She also recently appeared on the red carpet for the premiere of Star Wars The Acolyte, looking super sleek and glamorous with her platinum hair and a golden-hued slip dress. Daisy expresses herself without apologizing, and it's great to see her play with style during the off-season.

Daisy has been traveling the world since filming Below Deck Sailing Yacht. As a natural adventurer, it's no surprise that Daisy would want to explore during her time between seasons. "Last week," followed by pink heart emojis, accompanied these fun photos from a recent trip to Los Angeles. Daisy looked super cute in a sundress while holding a drink in the pool. However, the yachtie's travels haven't been confined to California. She spent the night partying away for her birthday and dove into the blue waters of Greece for two weeks.

Daisy's honesty and lighthearted nature are part of what makes her such a likable Below Deck cast member.

Daisy has always enjoyed traveling but feels most at home in the UK. She attended school in Ireland before deciding to pursue higher education in London, where she studied Hotel Management. After completing her studies, Daisy gained experience working in various luxury hospitality settings, which helped her develop skills in customer service and management. Then, Daisy worked on several high-end yachts, traveling to exotic locations and catering to the needs of affluent clients, which is part of what made her such an amazing Chief Stew.

When Daisy joined the cast as Chief Stew, she brought a wealth of experience from the yachting industry. From the start, she demonstrated her ability to run a tight interior crew. Daisy's leadership style was firm but fair, earning her the respect of her crew. As her time on the show continued, Daisy maintained professional relationships while still engaging in the camaraderie and social aspects of yacht life. Nearly everybody liked Daisy.

Season 4 brought significant personal challenges for Daisy, marking a turning point in her Below Deck Sailing Yacht journey. The season was dominated by the dramatic love triangle involving Daisy, Colin, and Gary. Despite her typically professional and composed nature, Daisy was at the center of a complicated romantic entanglement.

While she and Gary had a long-standing connection, Daisy decided to explore a romantic relationship with Colin. This decision led to various complications, including jealousy and misunderstandings, especially when Gary accused Daisy of not being truthful about the nature of her relationship with Colin. Throughout the drama, Daisy's usual professionalism is tested as she struggles to stay on top of her duties as Chief Stew. However, she still has a good reputation in the Below Deck universe.

While Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5's premiere date hasn't been announced, Daisy will likely return. She's been an excellent Chief Stew aboard Parsifal III despite some personal drama last season, and Daisy's changed appearance and behavior is a sign that she's ready to turn over a new leaf. The Below Deck spin-off remains popular and is sure to return soon. However, Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 will air first. In the meantime, Daisy enjoys traveling and showing off her new look, and hopefully, she will return to screens soon.

Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 premieres Monday, June 3 at 9 p.m. EDT on Bravo.

Source: Daisy Kelliher/Instagram, Daisy Kelliher/Instagram

Below Deck Sailing Yacht is a spin-off of the Below Deck reality television series. Premiering on Bravo, the show follows the life of a Yacht crew as they attempt to navigate a busy Charter season in which many customers make use of a 177-foot sailing yacht. Over the first three seasons, the yacht has been to Greece, Croatia, and Spain.

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What Happened To Daisy Kelliher After Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4? - Screen Rant

Photo credit: Tim Waltman / Evan Joseph Images for CORE

This breezy, modern two-bedroom condo at 12 East 12th Street has the pristine interiors, light-filled rooms, and dazzling views that command a $4,250,000 ask; a massive roof deck adds coveted outdoor space. But one detail that sets this Village aerie above its many competitors is revealed in an Architectural Digest feature: A sunlit studio space on the homes top level was created inside a decommissioned classic New York City water tank.

With interiors designed by Messana ORorke Architects, this Greenwich Village pad has the contemporary upgrades youd expect, beneath 12-foot ceilings punctuated by skylights. Extra luxuries include a gas fireplace, double-paned windows, central A/C, and plenty of storage throughout.

The combined living and dining rooms look out over the city from the Villages Gold Coast. Adjacent is a sleek kitchen outfitted with stainless steel worktops. Appliances include a SubZero fridge and a four-burner Viking cooktop. A powder room sits just off the kitchen.

The primary bedroom suite includes a hallway lined with closets and a skylit, marble-clad bath. A second bedroom makes a perfect office or guest space.

Up a spiral stair of hand-polished steel is the aforementioned rooftop cabin with the 24-foot ceilings that defined its past lifeperfect for a dazzling private yoga studio. There is central AC throughout the home, so your rooftop retreat stays cool

Outside the studio is a 1,000-square-foot private outdoor oasis, with city views in every direction. The roof deck is paved and landscaped, with a built-in irrigation system, lighting and speakers.

The 26-unit condominium building has recently updated the lobby and elevator. The prime Village location is just steps from Union Square Park with its famous Greenmarket.

[Listing details:12 East 12th Street, #12SW at CityRealty]

[AtCOREbyEmily Beare, Lexi Alper, and Beth Doud Tomashoff]

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Photo credit: Tim Waltman / Evan Joseph Images for CORE

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This $4.25M Village condo has a deck with city viewsand a rooftop studio inside an old water tank - 6Sqft

The Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon Deck in Magic: The Gathering is gaining traction as one of the most powerful new sets to play in the commander format. This is because you are playing new and old Eldrazi titan creatures with large amounts of colorless mana to get them online as fast as you can. Adding and cutting cards to upgrade this deck might be difficult as there are so many variations to choose from. In the end, it is all up to your budget and what you can get before you want to play with it.

The main goal surrounding the Eldrazi Incursion Precon Deck of Magic: The Gathering is using Ulalek to copy the casting abilities of other Eldrazi creatures. However, since this is part of the commander format, it might take a while to get these creatures on your board, which is where the term "ramp" comes in, adding many ways to get colorless energy on the battlefield. The more ways you can play by adding mana on the battlefield, the more likely you are to play the large game-changing effects that Ulalek and the other Eldrazis can do to guarantee a win.

From Tibalt The Fiend-Blooded to Vraska, Scheming Gorgon and more, discover the worst Planeswalker cards to use in Magic: The Gathering.

When upgrading the Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon Deck, look at the abilities of the new and old Eldrazi creature cards. Anything that has synergy with other Eldrazi creatures to put them into play faster or make them indestructible will instantly win you the game. Since Eldrazis are mostly colorless creatures, look for colorless mana adding cards as well that can benefit your entire board greatly.

Card

Description/Effect

Reasoning

Nulldrifter

Conduit of Ruin

Thief of Existence

Kozilek, the Broken Reality

Ulamog, the Defiler

Emrakul, the World Anew

Scavenger Grounds

Darksteel Monolith

Ugin's Labyrinth

Echoes of Eternity

The Hail, Caesar Fallout precon deck from Magic: The Gathering can be even more dangerous by adding and cutting a few cards in an upgrade.

Cards that need to be cut from Magic: The Gathering's Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon are worthless in this strong commander deck. They either have no use for Ulalek, Fused Atrocity or can be replaced very easily with something better. This is because the goal is to copy abilities to "stack shenanigans", which is what is stated in

Card Kingdom's blog post about their ideal upgrades and cuts.

Card

Description/Effect

Reasoning

Spawnbed Protector

Mutated Cultist

Inversion Behemoth

Twins of Discord

Ulamog's Dredsire

Bismuth Mindrender

Oblivion Sower

Opal Palace

Azlask, the Swelling Scourge

Idol of Oblivion

Video Credit: @GuysThatMagic/YouTube

Source: Chris Cornejo/Card Kingdom Blog

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The Best Cards To Upgrade Your Eldrazi Incursion MH3 Precon Deck (Magic: The Gathering) - Screen Rant

Manchester United will now attack the transfer market after deciding on the future of manager Erik ten Hag.

One of the concerns over the end of season review concerning Erik ten Hag, was the amount of time Ineos were taking to reach a decision.

Now with their minds made-up, and Erik ten Hag staying, Manchester United must get on with the job of reshaping the squad during the transfer window.

The task ahead has some practical elements. A defender is required to replace Raphael Varane. A striker is required to replace Anthony Martial, and a midfielder will be required to step in for Casemiro, who is expected to exit.

Uniteds budget is fairly limited, and once those three deals are concluded, there may be little left to buy another exciting playmaker to get fans off their feet. But a plan looks to be taking shape.

Manchester United have been consistently linked with a move for Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise in recent weeks, especially since his brace against the Red Devils in early May.

The questions have been, how can the team afford him, and where would he fit in? Especially with bigger, more practical priorities listed above, to solve.

Uniteds plan appears to be taking shape. Exits for misfit duo Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho can facilitate a move for Olise.

Juventus are pushing hard to sign Greenwood, with Gianluca di Marzio reporting personal terms are agreed between club and player. United want a high fee of around 40 million.

Jadon Sancho is also up for sale, with BBC Sport reporting United are looking for a 40 million fee.

The departure of both players frees up wages, in addition to boosting the clubs transfer funds.

It will also remove two attacking options from the squad, even if United dont intend to use them, where one attacking player, who the club do intend to use, can be signed.

Manchester United are battling with Chelsea for the signature of Michael Olise, The Athletic report.

Exits for Sancho and Greenwood address the clear questions of how and why United would intend to sign him.

Olise, 22, would be a very popular signing, he is Premier League proven, and young with high potential to further improve.

The Frenchman will add goals and creativity to the attack, which was too predictable last season, adding help for striker Rasmus Hojlund and an incoming new striker.

Last season Olise contributed 10 goals and six assists in 19 games, 16 goal contributions, a very healthy return and more Premier League goals than Sancho produced for United in two full seasons.

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Double exit would clear the decks for very popular Manchester United signing, plans appear to be taking shape - United In Focus - Manchester United FC...

Hometown: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Birthdate: April 22

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Years of experience in the yachting industry: 3

Favorite off-boat activities: "Anything that involves getting in the water, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, tubing, going down slides and jumping off the sun deck."

Special skills: "I did a course on manicures and pedicures, but never got the certification due to lack of time before yachting again. I can do nails, though."

What is your wildest charter guest story from your career?

"So many crazy things have happened that crazy stories for other people are just normal day to day occurrences for me. Id probably end up with a lawsuit if I had to tell you."

Favorite place youve been on charter/place you traveled?

"On charter, my favorite place has been the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands. I got to swim with dolphins and snorkel in my free timea literal dream."

Whats one thing about working and living on a boat that would surprise people?

"Believe it or not, but land sickness is a thing after spending a lot of time on a yacht. Your world rocks for maybe three days after hopping off the boat."

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A Potential Below Deck Mediterranean Cheating Scandal Is About to Rock the Boat - E! Online - E! NEWS

",'0'); }); as a creature-producing engine that makes winning the game trivial, but as this version of the deck shows, you can win without the Insect.

The goal with all Nadu shells is to churn through your entire library and win by resolving Thassas Oracle

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Read More: Unexpected Typal Tyrant Could be the New Best Deck!

Outside of Shuko and Lands, nearly this entire Nadu deck is made up of extremely efficient Creatures and ways to find them. Arboreal Grazer enables you to play Nadu as early as turn two. Zero-mana creatures in the form of Ornithopter and Memnite help speed up your Chord of Calling process.

Rather than mess around with value-oriented options cards like Coiling Oracle , this deck is trying to get the game over with as soon as possible. With such a high density of low-cost creatures, youre unlikely to fizzle while trying to combo. To further help in this department, the deck even plays four copies of Khalni Garden and three copies of Dryad Arbor as Lands that naturally increase your creature count for Shuko.

The biggest downside in constructing your deck this way is that the backup plan of winning via combat damage is much more difficult. While Springheart Nantuko can flood the board with tokens that you can attack with, cards like Arboreal Grazer and Ornithopter do almost nothing individually. However, this decks all-in nature comes in handy when trying to get the game over with quickly.

From Golgari Yawgmoth to Amulet Titan, Modern is chock full of other combo strategies. Because Nadu decks in general lack interaction, theres pressure to end the game before the opponent can do the same. This deck is fast, reliable, and surprisingly resilient. As a four-toughness threat, Nadu isnt the easiest creature to kill. If you expect disruption like Solitude or Fatal Push from the opponent, tutoring up Sylvan Safekeeper is a safe bet.

Read More: Second Hatsune Miku Secret Lair Features Fantastic Reprints!

Theres still plenty of time for players to adapt to Nadus rise to power, but its easier said than done. The fact that Nadu triggers when your opponent targets it with removal means that you almost always get a favorable exchange when you can land the powerful Bird. Meanwhile, neither combo piece costs much mana at all, so racing the Nadu deck can be difficult. We expect Nadu to dominate the format for weeks to come.

If youre looking to beat the archetype, there are a couple considerations that can give you a solid fighting chance. Right off the bat, we can look towards the deck that ultimately won the SCG Con Las Vegas $5k: Dimir Mill. Dimir Mill attacks on a very unique axis that many decks, including Nadu combo, arent exactly prepared for.

Rather than try to remove Nadu from play once it hits the battlefield, Dimir Mill players have the luxury of potentially milling over Nadu or Shuko, and then they can use a Surgical Extraction effect to break up the combo forever. Not to mention, if the Singleton copy of Thassas Oracle gets exiled, say by Tashas Hideous Laughter , the Nadu deck may struggle mightily to close the game.

Beyond exiling combo pieces, another reasonable strategy is to try to fight over Nadu or tutors on the stack. Azorius control decks have the ability to counter Nadu, Chord, or Pact at will preventing you from generating any value.

Ultimately, Modern Horizons 3 is bringing a lot of strong options to Modern, so itll be interesting to see how the metagame unfolds. For now, though, Nadu remains the talk of the town. Make sure youre prepared, and if you cant beat them, you might want to consider joining them.

Read More: Players Call for Array of Typal Support Cards in Bloomburrow

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Incredible Bird Combo Deck Spreads its Wings Early in New Modern! - MTG Rocks

Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut is now out and about on PC, sadly with the requirement of signing into a PlayStation Network (PSN) account in order to play the samurai action-adventures Legends co-op mode. The same requirement, you might recall, that Helldivers 2 players recently lobbied Sony into abandoning. No such luck here, and as previously warned, the need for said PSN sign-in to happen over Windows means that Ghost of Tsushima is essentially missing a chunk of itself on the Steam Deck.

To be clear, you can still play the singleplayer campaign (and the bundled-in Iki Island expansion) on the SteamOS handheld, but multiplayer is a hard no-no. Which is especially irritating, even by the usual account login pile-up standards, as Ghost of Tsushima is quite a tidy Steam Deck game otherwise.

Its weighty, methodical swordfighting handles beautifully on the Decks controls, and performance is up to snuff. Id suggest dropping from the default Medium settings down to Low, keeping FSR 3 on Dynamic mode, but doing so will typically keep you in within the comfortable 30-40fps range. These settings still make for a pretty-looking game on the 800p display, too, with few visible signs of the upscaler in action. HDR is also supported, a nice little treat for Steam Deck OLED owners (just as with previous Nixxes-made PS5 port, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart).

It does get rather battery-hungry, wolfing down my own OLED models full charge in 2h 10m. Thats level with Helldivers 2 (hah) as the second fasted battery drainage result Ive seen. Likewise, a classic LCD-screened Steam Deck went from full to flat in 1h 21m, also very much on the shorter side. At worst, though, thats just an inconvenience unlike the PSN requirement, which outright blocks you from playing a significant part of the game youve bought, on the grounds that its bolted-on collector of personal info doesnt know how to talk to your widely-used and otherwise completely compatible choice of operating system.

A damn shame, this is. Even if you can put aside the bonus ridiculousness of the requirement also forcing Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut off sale in the 170-odd countries where PSN isnt available (including Japan, the games own setting). Were told that imposing a PlayStation account on PC players is necessary for Legends PC/PlayStation crossplay feature, but this is only in beta itself, so there isnt actually any inter-platform matchmaking going on unless you invite a friend directly. At the same time, PSN seems entrenched deep enough in Ghost of Tsushima that theres probably no real hope for a U-turn anytime soon.

Again, if youre solely of the singleplayer persuasion, you can turn a blind eye to the PSN gubbins and just set about katanaing baddies on the Steam Deck in peace. I do worry, though, that ignoring this kind of account creep at a time when PC gaming already demands a little black books worth of different launcher logins is tantamount to encouraging it. Even when its not as egregious as Sonys attempt to crowbar PSN into Helldivers 2 post-release, should we be normalising the surrender of our time and our personal details to the online service of an entirely different platform? Preferably not, right?

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Ghost of Tsushima runs well on Steam Deck, making its PSN nonsense all the more annoying - Rock Paper Shotgun

Ursula's Return is Disney Lorcana's newest expansion, a story-driven set that reveals Ursula's evil plan to take control of the Inklands with the power of the Hexwell Crown. Heroes and villains take center stage in this expansion, but Ursula's story, which weaves through many of the new cards, isn't the only exciting thing about Ursula's Return. Encanto's Madrigal family is making their first appearance in Disney Lorcana - and they're featured front and center in the newest starter deck

As its name implies, Madrigal Magic is a typal deck that has built-in synergies for the members of the Madrigal Family. It also has a big emphasis on healing characters through actions and abilities, lots of support characters, a few singers, and a little bit of bounce synergy too. This deck is more unfocused than its Hero-centric, Sapphire/Steel counterpart, but with a little work, it won't be difficult to get it into fighting shape.

This guide features three upgrade paths for this starter deck.

The goal of this guide is to improve the consistency and performance of the deck without losing the core themes.

There are likely better Amber/Amethyst lists out there, but these decks are designed to focus on and elevate the things that already work in the original starter deck.

These are the best Madrigal decks, not the best Amber/Amethyst decks.

Disney Lorcana's Ursula's Return Amber/Amethyst Budget Deck Upgrade

Agustin Madrigal, Clumsy Dad (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Prophecy Finder (x4)

Ursula, Vanessa (x4)

Felix Maddrival, Fun Loving Family Man (x4)

Julieta Madrival, Excellent Cook (x4)

Maleficent, Sorceress (x4)

Mickey Mouse, Leader of the Band (x2)

Camilo Madrigal, Prankster (x4)

Dolores Madrigal, Easy Listener (x4)

Luisa Madrigal, Magicaly Strong One (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Gift of the Family (x1)

Bruno Madrigal, Out of the Shadows (x1)

Isabela Madrigal, Golden Child (x1)

Swing Into Action (x2)

Poor Unfortunate Souls (x2)

Heal What Has Been Hurt (x2)

Friends on the Other Side (x4)

Lost in the Woods (x4)

Look At This Family (x1)

Casa Madrigal, Casita (x4)

A lot of the core Madrigal cards that make this typal deck 'turn on' are rare or super rare, but there's still a lot we can do to tighten up the budget version of this deck. We've increased the number of all our common and uncommon Madrigal cards to four, but limited them to just the most impactful: Agustin, Felix, Julieta, Camilo, Dolores, Luisa, Isabela, and both Mirabels.

Our apologies to Atonio and Pepa who did not quite make the cut.

Since this is an Amethyst deck, there are a lot options for card draw. This list sticks with the most basic: Maleficent, Sorceress, and Friends on the Other Side. Julieta and Dolores also have the potential to replace themselves, while Bruno lets you return a character to your hand after they are banished.

Plus, Look At This Family is one of the most powerful card draw tools in the game now, so you should have a lot of options to keep cards in your hand.

This list replaces Sebastian with Ursula, Vanessa as its two-cost, Singer 4. Her higher willpower makes her more likely to live after singing, and including her sets this deck up for a Floodborn Ursula in the other versions. This deck has a total of 13 songs, up from seven in the original starter deck, so there are plenty of opportunities to put Ursula to work.

Other than Friends on the Other Side, she'll most commonly be singing Lost in the Woods to reduce the strength of all opposing characters by two. This can either be used to protect your characters while they quest or to take some favorable trades against your opponent's characters without having to banish your own characters in the process.

An efficient Lost in the Woods turn might start with Ursula singing the song, followed by Luisa rushing in to challenge an opposing character for free. This deck has two copies of Swing Into Action, which is both thematic for an Encanto deck, and a great way to give any of your characters Rush.

When Bruno Madrigal, Out of the Shadows is played, he makes a chosen character return to your hand when it's banished in a challenge. If you have Bruno choose himself, you could combine this play with Swing Into Action, have Bruno rush into a big target like Maui, Hero to All, then immediately return Bruno to your hand.

Healing is still a core strategy of this deck. Julieta works like a miniature Rapunzel, Gifted with Healing, by healing your damaged characters and providing a card draw. Heal what has been hurt does practically the same thing in song form too. By combining these tools with Lost in The Woods, you can safely challenge your opponent's characters and heal the damage they've taken - or avoid it altogether.

The game plan for this deck involves creative use of its Support characters, healing abilities, and card draw to efficiently trade with your opponent's characters. Mickey Mouse, Leader of the Band in Both Mirabels can quest and give support to weak characters like Agustin, Felix, and Ursula, who can challenge more dangerous targets, and then Julieta can heal the damage they take.

Poor Unfortunate Souls offers a little extra board control by removing threats before they can act, and once you have the board, Casa Madrigal will generate passive lore each turn while you continue to remove your opponent's characters through efficient trades.

Disney Lorcana's Ursula's Return Amber/Amethyst Mid-Cost Deck Upgrade

Agustin Madrigal, Clumsy Dad (x4)

Alma Madrigal, Family Matriarch (x4)

Bruno Madirgal, Undetected Uncle (x4)

Camilo Madrigal, Prankster (x4)

Isabela Madrigal, Golden Child (x2)

Julieta Madrigal, Excellent Cook (x4)

Luisa Madrigal, Magically Strong One (x4)

Maleficent, Sorceress (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Gift of the Family (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Prophecy Finder (x4)

Olaf, Friendly Snowman (x4)

Ursula, Eric's Bride (x4)

Ursula, Vanessa (x4)

Friends On The Other Side (x4)

Look At This Family (x4)

Lost in the Woods (x2)

The Boss Is On A Roll (x4)

Now we can start to access the core synergies in the Madrigal typal deck. Alma Madrigal gives us Lorcana's first tudor ability, which is a type of ability that lets you search your deck for a specific card. When Alma is played, you can look for any Madrigal and put it on top of your deck.

This is a great way to manage your curve. By playing Alma on turn three, you can ensure you'll draw a four-cost card you can play at the start of your next turn. Later in the game, Alma can help ensure you find a Madrigal with a specific ability you're looking for.

Alma also synergies perfectly with Bruno Madrigal, Undetected Uncle. After playing Alma to move a card to the top of your deck, you can exert Bruno, name that card, and put it in your hand. This is a great way to get a Luisa right away when you need a Rush character or set up a big play on the following turn. As a bonus, you'll also gain three lore each time you do it.

You won't always have an Alma to pair with Bruno though, so this deck also utilizes The Boss Is On A Roll, which allows you to organize the top five cards of your deck in any order you choose. This can set up Bruno for multiple turns, allowing you to draw at least three extra cards and gain nine lore as long as Bruno survives. Thanks to his Evasive keyword, he isn't easily removed, even when he's exerted.

Outside of the Madrigal Synergy, Luisa is a much worse version of Madam Mim, Fox. If you're not finding that her synergy with Alma and Mirabel is coming into play often, consider exchanging Luisa for Fox. You'll lower your curve and your uninkable count while gaining a potent bounce tool.

The other big addition to this version of the deck is Ursula, Eric's Bride. Ursula allows you to discard a non-character card of your choice from your opponent's hand every time she quests, which is an incredibly powerful effect that, unlike similar abilities, can be repeated multiple turns.

Ursula features the new discard version of Shift introduced in this expansion. You have to discard a song to Shift this Ursula on top of Ursula, Vanessa, but luckily, this deck has 12 songs, so it shouldn't be hard to do.

Disney Lorcana's Ursula's Return Amber/Amethyst Mid-Cost Deck Upgrade

Agustin Madrigal, Clumsy Dad (x4)

Alma Madrigal, Family Matriarch (x2)

Bruno Madirgal, Undetected Uncle (x4)

Isabela Madrigal, Golden Child (x2)

Julieta Madrigal, Excellent Cook (x4)

Luisa Madrigal, Magically Strong One (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Gift of the Family (x4)

Mirabel Madrigal, Prophecy Finder (x4)

Olaf, Friendly Snowman (x4)

Rapunzel, Gifted With Healing (x4)

Ursula, Eric's Bride (x4)

Ursula, Sea Witch Queen (x4)

Ursula, Vanessa (x4)

Friends On The Other Side (x4)

Look At This Family (x4)

The Boss Is On A Roll (x4)

The best version of this starter deck - and frankly, any Amber deck - has four copies of Rapunzel, Gifted With Healing. This is the card Julieta Madrigal aspires to be, and the two create a nice play line that can consistently provide early card draw.

Consider playing Olaf on turn one followed by Mirabel Madrigal on turn two. If the opponent quests, Mirabel can give Olaf her Support and Olaf can challenge the opposing character, allowing you to play Julieta and heal the Olaf, drawing one card. Julieta herself is a great target for Rapunzel's ability thanks to her four Willpower, so if you can challenge something with Julieta on turn four (using Mirabel's support again) you can immediately heal her with Rapunzel and draw even more cards.

This deck also completes the Ursula Shift line with Ursula, Sea Witch Queen. This powerful new legendary forces the opponent to exert one of their characters when Ursula quests, which opens them up to be challenged - and for one of your characters to take damage for a future healing effect.

Ursula also prevents other characters from exerting to sing, which is a massive disruption for a lot of decks , especially those that utilize the new Sing Together mechanic.

Speaking of which, Ursula's secondary function in this deck is to sing Look At This Family. Remember, Ursula only stops other characters from exerting to sing songs, not herself. Because Ursula is a seven-cost character, she's able to sing Look At This Family all by herself, allowing you to pull two characters out of the top five cards in your deck and put them in your hand.

Whether Ursula is challenging, singing, or questing for three, she offers a tremendous amount of late-game value to this deck, and given that there are eight other Ursula cards, it's likely you'll always be able to shift her in when you want to.

The Madrigal typal synergy is one of the most flavorful in the Ursula's Return expansion, and with Alma Madrigal, it introduces a brand new mechanic that's sure to make a big splash. The combination of Amber and Amethyst creates a lot of potential for interesting deck designs, but if you want to prioritize the Madrigal typal, it's best to hone in on the most important, useful Madrigals, and then fill the deck out with stronger strategies.

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Disney Lorcana: How To Upgrade The Amber/Amethyst Starter Deck From Ursula's Return - TheGamer

Traditional payment gateways have often hindered banks in their efforts to modernize their payment systems. Transitioning to real-time payment capabilities demands dismantling outdated procedures, a task many banks are unprepared to take on.

A recent PaymentsJournal webinar featuring Miriam Sheril, Head of US Product at Form3, Peter Gordon, Founder and Managing Partner at Atlantic Fintech Advisors, and James Wester, Co-Head of Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research, took a closer look at how a platform-based approach is helping banks commercialize their value-added services and develop a more client-centric service model when it comes to payments.

For banks venturing into real-time payments, grappling with legacy back-office technology can be frustrating. Real-time payments hinge on delivering seamless end-user experiences, a demand that traditional technologies have long struggled to meet, especially considering customers 24/7 expectations. Implementing FedNow and the RTP network effectively necessitates embracing modern technologies.

In the U.S., were going to see more banks needing to modernize their technology at the back end to make this happen, Gordon said. The legacy infrastructure that banks havebatch-oriented, mainframe-based systemscant handle the 24/7/365 scaling. It also means that were moving from silo-based systems to enterprise-based systems and platforms.

Managing individual transactions for FedNow and RTP differs significantly from the batch-oriented processing typical of ACH transactions. The infrastructure needs to become modern and cloud-based. Regulatory concerns, such as anti-money-laundering laws, further impel banks toward modernizing their architecture. By providing more seamless solutions through better technology, fintechs like Stripe and PayPal have been pushing banks to turn toward cloud solutions and APIs that allow banks to scale and work more directly with fintechs.

We focus on trying to insulate banks and financial institutions from having to deal with some of the nitty-gritty annoying stuff, so that they can focus on their customers, their end users, and where they want to make money, Sheril said. A truly seamless API will cover all the rails, instead of the bank having to worry about ISO spec version this for RTP, and version that for FedNow, and a third version for Fedwire.

Financial institutions are often stymied by the technological complexity of payments. The systems in place worked well for a long time, but banks are beginning to realize theyre being forced along the path to modernization. And its not going to get simpler, primarily because of the silos within their operations.

A large financial institution operates numerous disparate channels, each with its own dedicated system tailored for functions like treasury and wealth management. Yet theres growing desire within banks for payments to present a unified front, emanating seamlessly from a singular source. This entails breaking down the silos so theres a consistent experience across the middle and back office, as well as throughout the infrastructure and among technologists.

With this push for new technology, many banks accustomed to constructing their own infrastructure are opting against replacing outdated system internally. Instead, theyre forging partnerships with companies specializing in modern technologies.

Instead of it being one of the 75,000 things I do, streamline the piece that matters to me, Sheril said. Now that we have the ability to have better architecture thats easier to implement, that is going to be helpful in terms of where banks are going across lines of business and tearing down silos.

Ultimately, customers simply want convenience. However, theres growing awareness among customers regarding the various payment methods available to them. They can opt for installments plans, direct transfers, or transactions that accrue points. Financial institutions want to present customers with all of these options.

Thats where that technology kicks in and says to the financial institution, you have more power now, Wester said. Financial institutions have always just looked at a payment as a payment. But now that were seeing consumers care, there are ways that you can use that to reinforce the relationship.

In many instances, customers fully appreciate the advantages of real-time payments only once theyve had the opportunity to use them. Real estate firms, for instance, are showing interest in real-time payments not because theyre concerned about where their settlements occur but because they want to close deals on Saturdays, a day when most realtors are active.

Consider another scenario where instant payments afford retailers the ability to reconcile transactions at the end of the day and receive funds instantly. For example, on a Friday night, a restaurant reconciling its accounts can simply press a button, and the funds are deposited into its account, enabling them to promptly pay the wait staff.

However, many banks have been unable to facilitate such transactions on Saturdays due to wire closures. As a result, these options emerge as new products and services for consumers and represent novel competitive avenues for financial institutions.

Conducting operations in the cloud allows banks to integrate many of their services, yet there has been a reluctance to use such services.

Ten years ago I was at a conference about the cloud, and the CIO of a relatively large bank said from the stage, We will never put any mission-critical stuff in the cloud. Its just too risky, Wester said. And the bankers in the audience all nodded sagely. No, that will never happen.

Yet more banks are discovering that using a platform-as-a-service provider can reduce costs significantly if its done right. They can end up paying a fraction of the cost of building and maintaining a data center.

Another advantage of the cloud is translation. It can take an ACH file and convert it to an ISO 20022 format, maybe even enrich the payment instructions with information, then pass it through a payment system. Those who understand how rich this data is will be the real winners.

Implementing new processes in todays payments landscape means dismantling old ones. Its important for organizations not to underestimate the challenges associated with decommissioning legacy systems and instead focus on this task with purpose.

Organizations should embark on a journey toward modernization, starting by insulating themselves from risks and addressing their least risky areas first. Its imperative to start with smaller aspects that can coexist alongside the legacy system. This incremental approach ensures that each step is modernized. Not everything needs to be moved at once.

This is about getting something better out there and not waiting till your customers leave you for someone else, Gordon said. There are ways to do this that help you de-risk the whole migration. Some banks have only taken specific accounts and moved them over. Or only real-time payments. You can start real-time there, then move the other aspects over.

Said Sheril: The more complex these requirements get, the more modern the technology has to be. You cant do it on old platforms. You have to do it on things that are quick. We can only do it because we are on a modern 24/7 platform. Banks need to get this modernization done, but they dont want it to distract from the focus on whats important to them, which is their customers and their revenue.

Continued here:
Clearing the Decks for Real-Time Payments - PaymentsJournal