"Deck of cards" redirects here. For the recitation song that was popularized during the late 1940s, see The Deck of Cards."Pack of cards" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Pack o' Cards.

A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games. Playing cards are typically palm-sized for convenient handling, and were first invented in China during the Tang dynasty.[1]

Playing cards may have been invented during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century AD as a result of the usage of woodblock printing technology.[2][3][4][5][6] The first possible reference to card games comes from a 9th-century text known as the Collection of Miscellanea at Duyang, written by Tang dynasty writer Su E. It describes Princess Tongchang, daughter of Emperor Yizong of Tang, playing the "leaf game" in 868 with members of the clan of Wei Baoheng, the family of the princess' husband.[4][7][8]:131 The first known book on the "leaf" game was called the Yezi Gexi and allegedly written by a Tang woman. It received commentary by writers of subsequent dynasties.[9] The Song dynasty (9601279) scholar Ouyang Xiu (10071072) asserts that the "leaf" game existed at least since the mid-Tang dynasty and associated its invention with the development of printed sheets as a writing medium.[9][4] However, Ouyang also claims that the "leaves" were pages of a book used in a board game played with dice, and that the rules of the game were lost by 1067.[10]

Other games revolving around alcoholic drinking involved using playing cards of a sort from the Tang dynasty onward. However, these cards did not contain suits or numbers. Instead, they were printed with instructions or forfeits for whomever drew them.[10]

The earliest dated instance of a game involving cards with suits and numerals occurred on 17 July 1294 when "Yan Sengzhu and Zheng Pig-Dog were caught playing cards [zhi pai] and that wood blocks for printing them had been impounded, together with nine of the actual cards."[10]

William Henry Wilkinson suggests that the first cards may have been actual paper currency which doubled as both the tools of gaming and the stakes being played for,[3] similar to trading card games. Using paper money was inconvenient and risky so they were substituted by play money known as "money cards". One of the earliest games in which we know the rules is Madiao, a trick-taking game, which dates to the Ming Dynasty (13681644). Fifteenth century scholar Lu Rong described it is as being played with 38 "money cards" divided into four suits: 9 in coins, 9 in strings of coins (which may have been misinterpreted as sticks from crude drawings), 9 in myriads (of coins or of strings), and 11 in tens of myriads (a myriad is 10,000). The two latter suits had Water Margin characters instead of pips on them [8]:132 with Chinese characters to mark their rank and suit. The suit of coins is in reverse order with 9 of coins being the lowest going up to 1 of coins as the high card.[11]

Despite the wide variety of patterns, the suits show a uniformity of structure. Every suit contains twelve cards with the top two usually being the court cards of king and vizier and the bottom ten being pip cards. Half the suits use reverse ranking for their pip cards. There are many motifs for the suit pips but some include coins, clubs, jugs, and swords which resemble later Mamluk and Latin suits. Michael Dummett speculated that Mamluk cards may have descended from an earlier deck which consisted of 48 cards divided into four suits each with ten pip cards and two court cards.[12]

By the 11th century, playing cards were spreading throughout the Asian continent and later came into Egypt.[8]:309 The oldest surviving cards in the world are four fragments found in the Keir Collection and one in the Benaki Museum. They are dated to the 12th and 13th centuries (late Fatimid, Ayyubid, and early Mamluk periods).[13]

A near complete pack of Mamluk playing cards dating to the 15th century and of similar appearance to the fragments above was discovered by Leo Aryeh Mayer in the Topkap Palace, Istanbul, in 1939.[14] It is not a complete set and is actually composed of three different packs, probably to replace missing cards.[15] The Topkap pack originally contained 52 cards comprising four suits: polo-sticks, coins, swords, and cups. Each suit contained ten pip cards and three court cards, called malik (king), n'ib malik (viceroy or deputy king), and thn n'ib (second or under-deputy). The thn n'ib is a non-existent title so it may not have been in the earliest versions; without this rank, the Mamluk suits would structurally be the same as a Ganjifa suit. In fact, the word "Kanjifah" appears in Arabic on the king of swords and is still used in parts of the Middle East to describe modern playing cards. Influence from further east can explain why the Mamluks, most of whom were Central Asian Turkic Kipchaks, called their cups tuman which means myriad in Turkic, Mongolian and Jurchen languages.[16] Wilkinson postulated that the cups may have been derived from inverting the Chinese and Jurchen ideogram for myriad ().

The Mamluk court cards showed abstract designs or calligraphy not depicting persons possibly due to religious proscription in Sunni Islam, though they did bear the ranks on the cards. N'ib would be borrowed into French (nahipi), Italian (naibi), and Spanish (naipes), the latter word still in common usage. Panels on the pip cards in two suits show they had a reverse ranking, a feature found in Madiao, Ganjifa, and old European card games like Ombre, Tarot, and Maw.[17]

A fragment of two uncut sheets of Moorish-styled cards of a similar but plainer style were found in Spain and dated to the early 15th century.[18]

Export of these cards (from Cairo, Alexandria, and Damascus), ceased after the fall of the Mamluks in the sixteenth century.[19] The rules to play these games are lost but they are believed to be plain trick games without trumps.[20]

Four-suited playing cards are first attested in Southern Europe in 1365,[10] and are likely derived from the Mamluk suits of cups, coins, swords, and polo-sticks, which are still used in traditional Latin decks.[21] As polo was an obscure sport to Europeans then, the polo-sticks became batons or cudgels.[22] Their presence is attested in Catalonia in 1371, 1377 in Switzerland, and 1380 in many locations including Florence and Paris.[23][24][25] Wide use of playing cards in Europe can, with some certainty, be traced from 1377 onwards.[26]

In the account books of Johanna, Duchess of Brabant and Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg, an entry dated May 14, 1379 reads: "Given to Monsieur and Madame four peters, two forms, value eight and a half moutons, wherewith to buy a pack of cards". In his book of accounts for 1392 or 1393, Charles or Charbot Poupart, treasurer of the household of Charles VI of France, records payment for the painting of three sets of cards.[27]

From about 1418 to 1450[28] professional card makers in Ulm, Nuremberg, and Augsburg created printed decks. Playing cards even competed with devotional images as the most common uses for woodcuts in this period. Most early woodcuts of all types were coloured after printing, either by hand or, from about 1450 onwards, stencils. These 15th-century playing cards were probably painted. The Flemish Hunting Deck, held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the oldest complete set of ordinary playing cards made in Europe from the fifteenth century.[29]

As cards spread from Italy to Germanic countries, the Latin suits were replaced with the suits of Leaves (or Shields), Hearts (or Roses), Bells, and Acorns, and a combination of Latin and Germanic suit pictures and names resulted in the French suits of trfles (clovers), carreaux (tiles), curs (hearts), and piques (pikes) around 1480. The trfle (clover) was probably derived from the acorn and the pique (pike) from the leaf of the German suits. The names pique and spade, however, may have derived from the sword (spade) of the Italian suits.[30] In England, the French suits were eventually used, although the earliest packs circulating may have had Latin suits.[31] This may account for why the English called the clovers "clubs" and the pikes "spades".

In the late 14th century, Europeans changed the Mamluk court cards to represent European royalty and attendants. In a description from 1377, the earliest courts were originally a seated "King", an upper marshal that held his suit symbol up, and a lower marshal that held it down.[32][33] The latter two correspond with the Ober and Unter cards found in German and Swiss playing cards. The Italians and Iberians replaced the Ober/Unter system with the "Knight" and "Fante" or "Sota" before 1390, perhaps to make the cards more visually distinguishable. In England, the lowest court card was called the "Knave" which originally meant male child (compare German Knabe), so in this context the character could represent the "prince", son to the King and Queen; the meaning servant developed later.[34][35] Queens appeared sporadically in packs as early as 1377, especially in Germany. Although the Germans abandoned the Queen before the 1500s, the French permanently picked it up and placed it under the King. Packs of 56 cards containing in each suit a King, Queen, Knight, and Knave (as in tarot) were once common in the 15th century.

During the mid 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced playing cards to Japan. The first indigenous Japanese deck was the Tensh karuta named after the Tensh period.[36]

Packs with corner and edge indices (i.e. the value of the card printed at the corner(s) of the card) enabled players to hold their cards close together in a fan with one hand (instead of the two hands previously used[citation needed]). The first such pack known with Latin suits was printed by Infirerra and dated 1693,[37] but this feature was commonly used only from the end of the 18th century. The first Anglo-American deck with this innovation was the Saladee's Patent, printed by Samuel Hart in 1864. In 1870, he and his cousins at Lawrence & Cohen followed up with the Squeezers, the first cards with indices that had a large diffusion.[38]

This was followed by the innovation of reversible court cards. This invention is attributed to a French card maker of Agen in 1745. But the French government, which controlled the design of playing cards, prohibited the printing of cards with this innovation. In central Europe (Trappola cards) and Italy (Tarocco Bolognese) the innovation was adopted during the second half of the 18th century. In Great Britain, the pack with reversible court cards was patented in 1799 by Edmund Ludlow and Ann Wilcox. The Anglo-American pack with this design was printed around 1802 by Thomas Wheeler.[39]

Sharp corners wear out more quickly, and could possibly reveal the card's value, so they were replaced with rounded corners. Before the mid-19th century, British, American, and French players preferred blank backs. The need to hide wear and tear and to discourage writing on the back led cards to have designs, pictures, photos, or advertising on the reverse.[40][41]

The United States introduced the Joker into the deck. It was devised for the game of Euchre, which spread from Europe to America beginning shortly after the American Revolutionary War. In Euchre, the highest trump card is the Jack of the trump suit, called the right bower (from the German Bauer); the second-highest trump, the left bower, is the Jack of the suit of the same color as trumps. The joker was invented c. 1860 as a third trump, the imperial or best bower, which ranked higher than the other two bowers.[42] The name of the card is believed to derive from juker, a variant name for Euchre.[43][44] The earliest reference to a Joker functioning as a wild card dates to 1875 with a variation of poker.[45]

Contemporary playing cards are grouped into three broad categories based on the suits they use: French, Latin, and Germanic. Latin suits are used in the closely related Spanish and Italian formats. The Swiss-German suits are distinct enough to merit their subcategory. Excluding Jokers and Tarot trumps, the French 52-card deck preserves the number of cards in the original Mamluk deck, while Latin and Germanic decks average fewer. Latin decks usually drop the higher-valued pip cards, while Germanic decks drop the lower-valued ones.

Within suits, there are regional or national variations called "standard patterns." Because these patterns are in the public domain, this allows multiple card manufacturers to recreate them.[46] Pattern differences are most easily found in the face cards but the number of cards per deck, the use of numeric indices, or even minor shape and arrangement differences of the pips can be used to distinguish them. Some patterns have been around for hundreds of years. Jokers are not part of any pattern as they are a relatively recent invention and lack any standardized appearance so each publisher usually puts their own trademarked illustration into their decks. The wide variation of jokers has turned them into collectible items. Any card that bore the stamp duty like the ace of spades in England or the ace of clubs in France are also collectible as that is where the manufacturer's logo is usually placed.

French decks come in a variety of patterns and deck sizes. The 52-card deck is the most popular deck and includes 13 ranks of each suit with reversible "court" or face cards. Each suit includes an Ace, depicting a single symbol of its suit, a King, Queen, and Jack, each depicted with a symbol of their suit; and ranks two through ten, with each card depicting that number of pips of its suit. As well as these 52 cards, commercial packs often include between one and six jokers, most often two.

Decks with less than 52 cards are known as stripped decks. The piquet pack has all values from 2 through 6 in each suit removed for a total of 32 cards. It is popular in France, the Low Countries, Central Europe and Russia and is used to play Piquet, Belote, Bezique and Skat. Forty-card French suited packs are common in northwest Italy; these remove the 8s through 10s like Latin suited decks. 24 card decks, removing 2s through 8s are also sold in Austria and Bavaria to play Schnapsen.

A pinochle deck consists of two copies of each of the 9, 10, jack, queen, king, and ace cards of all four suits. It thus comprises just 48 cards per deck.

The 78 card Tarot Nouveau adds the Knight card between Queens and Jacks along with 21 numbered trumps and the unnumbered Fool.

The Unicode standard for text encoding on computers defines 8 characters for card suits in the Miscellaneous Symbols block, at U+26602667. Unicode 7.0 added a unified pack for French-suited Tarot Nouveau's trump cards and the 52 cards of the modern French pack, with 4 Knights, together with a character for "Playing Card Back" and black, red, and white jokers in the block U+1F0A01F0FF.[47]

Geographic origin:

Types of decks:

Specific decks:

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Sources for further information:

Playing card societies (collectors and researchers)

History of playing cards

Playing card iconography

Museums, Institutes and Organisations

Playing card collections online

Manufacturers

Designing Playing cards

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Playing card - Wikipedia

Designing and building a deck can be a fun and rewarding experience. But with any home improvement project it is important to always consider safety first. Please carefully read and accept the terms of use before we get started.

The deck designer and related plans are to be used as an educational guide and not to be considered a finalized deck building plan. It is your responsibility to verify the accuracy and compliance with your local building codes and site conditions.

Decks.com accepts no liability for any damages including personal injuries or property losses for the information published from the decks.com deck designer. We cannot anticipate your entire field working conditions or the characteristics of your building materials and tools. Consider your skill level and use caution and good judgement when using this information. If you have questions or concerns consult with your local building inspector, engineer or architect. Always obtain the necessary building permits and follow local codes and guidelines.

Be sure to follow the building plans and instructions carefully. You are responsible for ensuring that the measurements and design are correct. Due to the size, shape, height, site location, anticipated use and other factors you may be required to install additional structural support including knee bracing or bridging between joists that isnt included in the decks.com designer, related plans and construction guide. You are responsible for verifying that the design and any modifications you make meet local building codes.

Decks.com accepts no liability or responsibility for your design, construction or the use of any products supplied by Decks.com.

You assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the decks.com deck designer.

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Youve always wanted the area outside your home to be a place where you can entertain guests, watch sunsets, and dine outside. With a custom deck designed specifically to maximize the ambience, optimize your space, and highlight your yard, you can make these hopes a reality.

Ask the experienced contractors from Decks Decks Decks to help you transform your home with a new, custom deck today.

Discover How We Build Decks for Homes in Pittsburgh, PAWe use an industry-best deck product called Trex Transcend to build your deck and railings. This product combines a mold-, stain-, and scratch-resistant protective shell with a durable, composite core made of 95% recycled materials.

Unlike normal wood decks, our Trex Transcend custom decks are built to last, withstanding years of snowfall, rain, and cold weather. These decks maintain their value and require minimal upkeep. Our deck company offers a 25-year Limited Residential Fade and Stain Warranty on all of our Trex products.

To get started, explore ourDeck Visualizer tool, where you can create mockups of your dream deck.

Contact Us to Get Your Free Estimate Today

For the past 25 years, Decks Decks Decks has designed and created custom decks for homes in Pittsburgh, PA. Were one of the largest locally owned and operated deck companies in the greater Pittsburgh area.

If youre interested in remodeling or building a new deck on your home, contact us at (412) 247-DECK . One of our expert contractors will meet you at your house, examine the area where you want to build and provide you with a free estimate based on your budget.

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Enjoy the outdoors from the comfort of your home this Summer! We build high quality custom screened porches that not only add value to your home, but quality of life for your family! It is so much easier to cut yourself off from electronics and enjoy the outdoors when you don't have to worry about the great state of Oklahoma's growing mosquito epidemic!If you are looking for a great way to host a football game or party then we can customize your screened porch for a multitude of amenities! Grills, fire pits, wrap around seating, ports for all of your electronics, and more!

Pricing starts at $130 a linear ft and increases depending on the style chosen.

Upgrades include:

Custom screen doors

Pet doors

Metal/Cedar 2x2/Contoured Balusters

Barn door

Double barn door

This price is for screen wall additions only, full screen room addition to include walls, deck, roof is a case by case basis. Call to schedule a consultation. 405.448.8503

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Screen Porches - Decks, Norman | Deck Builders, OK | Pergolas ...

Adam Smith Times-News @adam_smithTN

DURHAM Duke filled up the bingo card in a hurry Saturday night.

The Blue Devils didnt dawdle, producing a bunch of points in a number of ways while overwhelming North Carolina Central 60-7 in a football season opener at Wallace Wade Stadium.

By midway through the second quarter, with the outcome decided and the margin ballooning, Duke had scored on touchdown runs, a touchdown pass, a field goal, an interception return for touchdown and a safety.

We wanted to show everybody, even all the ACC teams, what weve got, Duke running back Brittain Brown said. We came out strong. We just wanted to break their back, break their soul, just get this thing going.

The Blue Devils piled up 524 total yards on offense, with quarterback Daniel Jones passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns and Brown, a redshirt freshman, rushing for 120 yards and a score in his college debut.

Duke entered averaging more than 50 points per game against N.C. Central and this matchup of Durham schools, in whats known as the Bull City Gridiron Classic, quickly became another Duke blowout of the Eagles, the three-time reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions on the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Theres an excitement and an energy about us, Jones said. I think we have all the pieces, all the talent. There are definitely improvements to be made and progress to be made, but overall I think were in a good spot and weve got what we need.

After Shaun Wilson capped Dukes first possession of the season by plowing into the end zone from 1 yard out, cornerback Byron Fields Jr. picked off Eagles quarterback Micah Zanders and returned the interception 28 yards for a touchdown.

Just like that, just more than 3 minutes into the night, Duke led 14-0.

Browns 38-yard touchdown run he used some nice moves in the secondary to lose two N.C. Central defensive backs made it 21-0. And the rout effectively was on at that juncture, with more than five minutes remaining in the first quarter.

On the touchdown, I was kind of just weaving around defenders, Brown said. A lot of space out there to run in the open field.

By halftime, Duke led 47-7 and had given Quentin Harris, who backs up Jones, a series of his own at quarterback. Harris responded by directing a 10-play drive that he capped with a 3-yard scoring run.

That meant Duke had delivered six touchdowns on its seven possessions in the first half.

Jones, who finished last year on a streak of 173 passes without an interception, had a clean start to this season. He went 19-for-25 while connecting with Aaron Young and Johnathan Lloyd for scores.

The 54-yard touchdown bomb over the top to Young essentially was an easy pitch and catch, because Young was running so open down the field. Youngs five catches for 89 yards topped Dukes receivers, 13 of whom had at least one reception.

Moments later, with the Blue Devils now ahead 40-0, a shot of Duke basketball star Grayson Allen grinning his approval appeared on the massive videoboard that towers over one end zone here.

Lloyd, the former Southern Alamance High School standout, zipped in from 24 yards out on a swing pass in the third quarter, increasing Dukes lead to 53-7.

N.C. Centrals touchdown came on Isaiah Tottens 81-yard breakaway in the second quarter. Otherwise, the Eagles managed only three plays that gain 10 yards or more.

We learned a lot from this game, N.C. Central coach Jerry Mack said. We learned exactly what not to do and what to do. Some guys got exposed. We found out a lot about the character of our football team.

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We just moved to Cottonwood from Ohio and are thrilled with the outdoor living. Our home has a large deck and we would appreciate comments on how to maintain our deck for longevity. We love reading your column and hope you answer our question.

Sid and Mary, Cottonwood, Arizona

An outdoor deck is most certainly a place to relax and entertain and also represents a substantial investment of money. Decks can provide outdoor pleasure for many years when you take basic steps to protect the deck from the ravages of sun, weather, insects, animals and just plain old-fashioned usage.

Its easy to think a wood deck should be relatively impervious to the elements, for a few years, at least. The truth is, decks take a lot of punishment during a single season. The flat surface of a deck responds to the elements somewhat differently than a wooden wall. Water dwells on the wood longer, and sunlight can be more concentrated and damaging because theres no overhead protection. Foot and pet traffic, as well as moisture problems caused by landscape plants and other objects sitting on the deck and obstructing good air flow, can make your deck age prematurely, too.

Over time, nails can partially work their way out of deck floorboards. Boards may warp or crack, dirt and dead leaves can accumulate between the boards and bird droppings, dirt and pollution and household pet eliminations from cats and dogs stain and discolor the finish.

Because decks are exposed to the elements all year round, Joe Branson of Branson and Branson Inc. and Doug Thompson of Thompsons Remodeling Specialists both say, Its a good idea to establish routine upkeep to protect your deck and prevent expensive repairs.

Heres a simple maintenance schedule:

Late spring: Wash the Deck

An unwashed deck is an invitation to mold and mildew, which can cause rot. Heres how to wash your deck:

-- Remove all debris from between deck boards.

-- Thoroughly sweep the deck.

-- Choose an appropriate cleanser.

Wood deck: Use a standard deck cleaner and follow its directions. Some require the decking to be wet first. Some dont.

Composite deck: Use a cleaner specifically formulated for composite material. Attack grease and oil stains with a commercial degreaser and detergents.

-- Clean the deck. Choose a cloudy day when the decking is cool and the sun wont evaporate the cleaner.

Wood deck: Use a paint roller, a garden sprayer, or a stiff-bristled brush broom to apply the cleaner. Dont let it pool. Dont let the deck dry until youve scrubbed it clean. Then let it soak according to manufacturers instructions (usually about 10 minutes). Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Composite deck: Scrub with a soft brush. Do not use a pressure washer it can permanently damage the decking and will void any warranty.

-- Let deck dry. Wait two days before sealing.

Sealers and stains are readily available and here are some finish options:

Clear a sealer that lets the woods natural grain and color show through

Toner adds a bit of color but fully reveals the grain and provides some protection against sunlight (ultraviolet or UV light)

Semi-transparent stain tints the wood, but allows some grain show

Solid stain and opaque color seals weathering damage and completely covers the grain

You should expect to reapply clear sealers and toners annually. Reapply stain finishes as needed (every other year is a good routine) using the same or a slightly darker color. Here are sealer application helpful hints:

-- Lightly sand the deck. Use a pole sander equipped with 80-grit paper to remove any furriness caused by washing.

-- Apply the sealer or stain. Use a roller to apply the sealer to the decking, covering three or four boards at a time.

Deck sealants arent required or recommended for composite decks, although some composite decking can be stained to restore its color. Be sure the product is intended for composites. Dont expect the same density of color that you would achieve with wood

Midsummer: Inspect and Repair Your Deck

When the weather is warm and dry, its a good time to give your decks structure a close inspection. Pay particular attention to any areas within 6 inches of the ground or close to sources of water, such as downspouts and planters.

-- Look for signs of rot.

-- Inspect the ledger. Using a flashlight underneath your deck, pay special attention to the ledger that all-important piece of framing that attaches the deck to the house. A damaged ledger is the cause of 90 percent of all deck collapses.

The ledger should be attached with lag screws, not just nails. The flashing the metal cap that covers the top of the ledger and prevents moisture from getting behind the siding should be free of rust and holes.

-- Check remaining joists, posts and beams. Check all the hardware underneath, especially joist hangers, and replace any that are seriously rusted.

-- Check for cracks or rotten decking boards. Not all cracks are a structural threat, but theyll get worse with time. If you find damage, replace the piece.

-- Check the railing. Give it a good shake to be sure posts are not moveable or wobbly or damaged.

Early fall: Preventive Measures

Fall is also a good time to wash and seal your deck if you didnt get a chance to in the spring. The point is to do it when temperatures are mild.

Remember the main enemies of wooden decks are sun and water. The main defense is wood sealer or deck stain.

You can keep your wood or composite deck looking good longer by getting a jump on potential problems. Sweep your deck frequently. Dont let leaves, especially wet leaves accumulate on the deck. Keep the gaps between the decks floorboards free of accumulated debris. Clean food stains, bird droppings and pet droppings off the deck ASAP. If you have potted plants on your deck, elevate them to allow airflow underneath, or move them periodically.

Happy decking and welcome to the fine County of Yavapai. Always honored to assist.

Remember to tune in to YCCAs Hammer Time every Saturday and Sunday morning at 7 a.m. on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM or 95.5 FM or on the web at kqna.com. Listen to Sandy and Mike talk about the construction industry; meet your local community partners and so much more.

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Absolver is a melee brawler that may seem simple at first glance but, in actuality, has a very deep and complex combat system. Part of that system is improving your combat deck with faster, stronger, and less-predictable moves.

As a true-to-form martial arts game, Absolver requires you to study your opponents to learn more moves. This guide will help you figure out how to add more attacks to your combat deck with Absolvers unique learning system.

When you start the game, you choose one of three fighting styles with a fourth that can be unlocked later into the game. Each has a standard set of moves to choose from as you develop your style and combos, but theyre quite vanilla in the beginning. If you decide to fight in the PvP combat trials early, youll notice that you and your opponent exchange the same moves often and they become easy to predict and defend against. If you happen against a higher level fighter though, youll get hit with a plethora of attacks. Youd likely assume those attacks are learned as you level up, but not quite.

Your characters attributes are improved with points you learn as you gain experience and youll unlock combo slots for your combat decks as well. For the moves themselves, Absolver has a refreshing system where youll have to see and defend against unknown moves to steadily learn them.

When you use the standard guard against an attack you dont have in your combat deck, a small symbol will come up next to the opponent showing your learning progress. Sometimes the enemy will let out a full combo of moves you dont have and youll gain progress for each.

Another way to learn is by using your chosen styles unique defensive ability. Forsakens parry, Windfalls avoid, and Kahlts absorb all have to be timed perfectly to counter attacks and successful use of each increases your learning gauge for attacks by a large amount.

No matter which method you lean on, youll have to be extremely careful while learning abilities. If you end up losing the fight, all progress and experience from that individual conflict is gone for good. If you do defeat them, the move is immediately added to your combat deck and you can make it a part of your move set whenever you please.

Considering youll lose progress if you lose the fight, youll want to isolate characters with moves that you want to learn. We suggest taking them on one-on-one so be sure to defeat all other characters in the area before focusing on your main target.

Once the area is clear, guard and pay attention to the enemys patterns of attack. Some have only one pattern but more advanced adversaries have various combos that start from different stances. Once youve learned the timing, fight them normally and get their health low enough that you can defeat them with one or two attacks. This way, if you somehow slip up and they start to wear you down, you can knock them out and keep your progress.

Once their health is low, time your special defensive abilities so that you learn them at the quickest pace possible. In the case of the Kahlt style, youll still take damage when you absorb attacks so be mindful of your health at all time. With any style, dont hold your guard down because your stamina bar will rise slowly and it's a chance the enemy will break your guard and get off a combo before you can defend again. This is why we keep the enemys health low for training. Try to remember exactly which attacks you need instead of using your defensive move for every attack so that you learn quickly.

With this process, you'll add a great many moves to your combat deck and have a significant leg up on online opponents if they decide to take you on. Once you're confident in your deck, the combat trials await you.

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How to Add Moves and Attacks to Your Combat Deck in Absolver - Shacknews

Hello everyone and welcome to another Touchstone Tavern, our roundup of last week'sbest news stories and videos from the world of Hearthstone [Free]. As was to be expected, there's a lot of talk about the current power levels of Druid and the effects that has on the meta (and the game as a whole). So, we have stories both about getting on the Druid bandwagon and trying to beat Druid decks. Thereare also stories about the new short Blizzard has unveiled, which is lovely, as well as the results of the Global Games finals. Overall, the world of Hearthstone seems to be all about Druid issues at this moment, and it remains to be seen whether the Druid-mania will soon subside or whether it will continue until Blizzard does something about the current state of the meta. Let us begin.

Decks Designed to Beat Druid

If you've been having Druid issues, check out this story. The writer put together a list of decks specifically designed to take out that pesky Druid decks. Decks include Pirate Warrior, Exodia Quest Mage, Mill Rogue, and others, and they come with dekclists and short guides. So, if Druid is getting on your nerves, check out this story.

Frozen Throne Legend Decks

This story is all about super-powerful decks that have hit Legend, although not all of them are "interesting." There's a Murloc Paladin that's hit #1 Legend, a Jade Druid (of course), a Pirate Warrior, a Finja Aggro Druid, a Mage Highlander Priest, and many more. If you have the cards, this is a great list to check out, although you'll still need the skills to pilot these very powerful decks.

Token Druid Guide

If you can't beat them, join them, right? If you want to play around with Token Druid, this is the guide you'll need to read. It updates the old archetype with Frozen Throne cards and guides you through putting the deck together and piloting it properly. The guide goes into detail on what each card's purpose is and even what cards to replace in case you're missing some. A detailed guide that's definitely worth a read if you feel like going the Druid way.

Blizzard Responds to Druid Issues

As we wrote about last week, Iksar (aka Dean Ayala) went on Reddit to talk about the Druid issues in the game and how the team is thinking of moving forward on this issue. He talks about how early it is in the meta cycle to be talking about dominance and about nerfing, and how there have been stronger decks in the past. He then went on to talk about specific problematic cards and how the team sees them. Go read the whole story and let me know in the comments if you agree with Blizzard's position.

First Multiplayer Raid Pits Players Against Arthas

Gamescom 2017 saw the first ever multiplayer raid that felt more like an MMO than a card game. As this story discusses, this brawl set everyone at Gamescom against a one-million hit points Arthas. Every player tried to do as much damage as possible, and the more damage, the higher the rank the player would earn. The raid-like brawl is part of the new Fireside Gathering Brawls that are meant to make Fireside Gatherings more fun. Let me know if you had a chance to play this Brawl and what you thought of it.

After Frozen Throne, Matches Are Taking Longer

As this story points out, the latest expansion seems to have slowed down matches quite a bit, and that makes it less fun for casual players who want quick games. Although he can't say for sure, the writer of the storydoes believe that Frozen Throne has disrupted the usual Aggro dominance we usually see when new cards are infused into the game. The dominant decks now have strong anti-aggro options that allow them to go to the late game, which gives us matches that last from 20 to 30 minutes each. He even has stats to back that up. While he knows some players like a slower, control-leaning meta, it's challenging to only get through 3 games an hour, especially if you're trying to climb the ladder. Do you like the slower meta, or would you prefer a faster, more aggro-oriented one?

First Animated Short 'Hearth and Home' Is Lovely

Blizzard went all Disney last week and gave us a really nice short called Hearth and Home. This isn't a one time thing either; Blizzard is planning a whole series of comics and shorts (and, of course, merchandise) starring the cast of the short, and I'm all for that. I hope future expansions get the comics and shorts treatment because that would really help build up the game's lore. Check out our full story here.

Czech Republic Wins Global Games

After a long and fun tournament, the Czech Republic Team is the Global Games Champion, defeating the Ukraine in the final. Given that the Ukraine has players like Kolento and Neirea in its roster, beating them wasn't an easy task for the Czech Republic, but they did it. pokrovac, CzechCloud, and StanCifka managed to surprise their opponents with some interesting deck choices and take the title. Go here to see how each match in the finals went down.

Best of Rotface

5 Broken Interactions

Fail Moments #51

Kripp's Nine Lich King Kills

Frozen Throne WTF Moments

How RNG Looks Like

Hero Cards Don't Belong in Arena

Best Frozen Throne Moments

17 Hidden Cards in Hearth and Home

Saltiest Moments #29

Read more from the original source:
Best 'Frozen Throne' Decks, Decks to Beat Druid, and More 'Hearthstone' Weekly News in 'Touchstone' #110 - Touch Arcade

If you think your home's patio deck needs work, think about the deck of a ship that is 610' long or the deck of a submarine that is 312' long. Much of the decks of the vessels at the Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park are wood and a considerable construction project.

WBFO's Mike Desmond reports

From above, the wood on the deck of the U.S.S. Croaker submarine is very obvious because in the middle is a walkway of treated southern yellow pine flanked by rotting cedar. The Naval Park is waiting for bids to come in to replace that cedar.

The bids are already in on a major replacement of the deteriorating cedar on the U.S.S. Little Rock. When completed, replacement of the decking with the nearly maintenance-free composite will cost around $500,000.

"The whole deck replacement that we did here on the starboard side, this was budgeted right at about $150,000," said Park Superintendent John Branning. "And the new contract for the existing wood that's still on the ship is in excess of about $350,000."

When new, both the U.S.S. Croaker and U.S.S. Little Rock had teak decks, which require a lot of maintenance. But, at the time, there were plenty of crew members to do the maintenance. For example, the Little Rock had a crew of 1,400. Branning has six people to maintain everything in the Park.

There is even more aging cedar on the U.S.S. Little Rock cruiser than on the U.S.S Croaker. Some already has been replaced with a composite many can recognize from their own backyard decks.

"It's not real wood. It is a poly board," said Branning. "It is kind of what people are putting on their decks today because it will last 35 years with minimal work - and it does look pretty close to what teak would be after it's weathered a little bit and when it would be holy stoned, what they called it in the Navy, back in the day."

Branning said even composite is not cheap when there is so much of it.

Link:
Naval Park awaiting bids to replace submarine deck - WBFO

$799,000

Style: Contemporary

Year built: 2003

Square feet: 4,950

Bedrooms: 5

Baths: 3 full, 2 half

Sewer/water: Private

Taxes: $11,441 (2016)

Its as if the designer of this waterfront home were a big fan of those black-and-white cookies (the ones with the dark chocolate frosting slathered next to white vanilla frosting), because the second-story deck outside the master suite of this contemporary is a perfect echo. Consider: The left half of the deck is darkened by shade from towering trees, while on the other half, bright sunshine coats the hot tub, all of which overlooks Fort Pond. In fact, this Lancaster home has multiple decks with water views.

The master suite deck is only one of the serene spots in this 4,950-square-foot house perched above Fort Pond, which a 2011 state study says is 76 acres and 45 feet at its deepest point.

Stepping back into the suite via the slider, youll find an expansive bedroom with two walk-in closets. The bath has a double vanity and a separate oval soaking tub underneath a skylight and next to a frosted window. A large, tiled shower with a glass door sits next to that. The suite includes a separate office.

A door from the master leads to the heart of the house, a great room with 18-foot ceilings and a country cabin motif. The floors and ceilings are clear-stained resawn old timber: white pine above and oak underfoot. The space features a wall of windows, some triangular.

This open space encompasses dining and livings areas and, in the rear of the room, a kitchen with long dark-granite counters, a pantry, and a propane stove tricked out to appear as if it were an antique wood-burning stove.

Two bedrooms, connected by a bath, run off the great room, and a wooden corkscrew staircase leads to a carpeted loft. A half bath completes this floor.

A set of broad stairs goes to the front entry and then on to a plushly carpeted family room with knotty-pine walls and ceilings and a set of windows with views of the pond.

Off to one side of the family room is another bedroom suite, and on the other is an office with pond views so distracting that can serve as a fifth bedroom. A half bath completes this floor.

The 1.07-acre lot slopes to the pond, past a large screened-in gazebo with electricity and a cable hookup, and ends at a 201-foot stretch of sandy waterfront that includes an aluminum dock on wheels. The home has an outdoor shower.

The property is on a private road. Membership in the homeowners association is voluntary, but residents pay into a fund for maintaining and plowing the road.

The property includes a roughly 600-square-foot rentable cottage with one bedroom, a full bath, a kitchen, and a living room. The sale price reflects a credit for up to one year of prepaid rent from the seller, who wishes to live in the cottage part time without beach rights.

The listing broker, Rhonda Sprague of Harvard Realty in Harvard, will hold an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27. Her website is http://www.harvardrealty.com.

Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to homeoftheweek@globe.com. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we wont pursue.Subscribe to our newsletter atpages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.

More here:
Home of the Week: Waterfront contemporary features cottage for rent, multiple decks, and dock - Boston.com