Join DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff on a two-hour-tour of what’s expected to arrive to the Hero Realms digital app in 2026! Starting with what we thought was EVERYONE’S favorite segment (spoilers, it’s not), the crew keeps the game-state analysis flowing with another entry in the Looking For Lethal series.

From there the main segment hits and covers a wide range of topics – what balance changes may be coming down the pipeline, new ancestries for the beta, and new classes for the regular version of the game. There’s no shortage of talk on the impact and analysis these changes will have on the game.

There’s a brief highlight on a class performance spreadsheet from StefP and Scorium plus Jseph’s article regarding Tavern Brawl match-making. More to come on discussing this and future Tavern Brawls in the New Year! All that’s left from here is to round up the Community Events and sign-off. Thanks for listening!

An Apology to the Community: 6:27

WWYD: 11:05

LFL: 24:13

Future of HR Digital: 32:31

Content Releases: 1:40:33

Community Round-up: 1:48:26

Taps, Scraps, and Good-byes: 2:00:43

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/sparks-and-rec-92-what-lies-ahead-in-the-new-year

Jseph’s article: https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/tavern-brawls/exploring-weekly-matchmaking-formats-for-tavern-brawl/

StefP and Scorium’s Spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q7cRpnn_BvQhOXYHRFnzrsyH1Mp-KXPHOmronuyIP8w/edit?gid=1027498956#gid=1027498956

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a month long hiatus from Hero Realms discussion, the crew of Dubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff reunite to find out just what everyone has been up to both in and out of the realms! Discussions of Tuff's experience at Pax U includes brief coverage of both Legends tournaments that took place along with highlights of his most anticipated games from his convention haul.

Turning the spotlight over to Filtro, we get to hear a bit about how his recent wedding, reception, and honeymoon went before gearing up for the main segment -- what would happen if you could teach AI how to play Fighter mirrors in Hero Realms and then simulate millions of games under different builds and circumstances? Filtrophobe asked this very question and set his software engineering chops to vibe coding his way to the answers!

A beefy main segment supported by data from these simulations gets into what builds are favored and why, when it's worth it to actually buy a card off the market, and when one may even forgo skilling in order to purchase. (Time stamp included!) A usual stop through the community round-up and a WWYD are all also included of course. Thanks for listening!

WWYD: 4:50

Catching up with the crew: 20:13

Fighter mirror vibe coding: 1:01:07

When Filtro starts to get into which market cards to actually buy: 1:48:37

Community Round-up: 2:13:17

Taps, Scraps, and Good-byes: 2:40:00

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-86-arena-updates-and-nut-draw-finale

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a hot minute but while Filtrophobe is away on his honeymoon (congrats on tying the knot buddy!) Tuff decided to take the time to catch up with lead Draconis 8 Designer Carl Van Ostrand (AKA CVO) and talk about recent Draconis 8 events.

Carl Tries Hero Realms: 3:15

Next Fest: 10:27

Tournament Coverage: 22:36

New Features: 38:02

Draconis 8 Ability Summary & Roadmap: 1:06:18

Taps & Scraps: 1:38:47

BarberShop Games Discord: https://discord.gg/wVKZkMaJqw

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: John "Tuff" Labella, Carl Van Ostrand

Producer: John Labella

Tuff's Draconis 8 Deckbuilding Guide: https://www.realmsrising.com/draconis-8/tuffs-draconis-deck-construction-selection-guide/

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

Anvroser's Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/anvroser

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to all of our amazing Patrons and community members!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew is back, and this time we’re talking Tavern Brawl team management where we share some advice and lessons learned on how to help your squad run smoothly across a long season.

Next up, it’s been quite a while since the last balance patch, and one upside of that fact is that we have substantial sample sizes to work with. So that means it’s time for a Meta Mashup!

Speaking of data, Filtrophobe unveils a vibe-coded ELO system using Hero Helper stats, complete with four different ranking interpretations depending on which game types are being factored in.

And with upcoming nuptials on the horizon, Tuff and Dubz take a moment to deliver some advice to the husband-to-be.

All this and more on the latest episode of Sparks & Rec. Thanks for listening!

WWYD: 10:01

Meta Mash-up: 28:09

Tavern Brawl Team Management Advice: 1:07:14

ELO Four Ways: 1:35:52

Advice: 1:54:45

Community Round-Up: 1:57:54

Taps, Scraps, and Good-byes: 2:05:45

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-86-arena-updates-and-nut-draw-finale

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew kicks things off with a WWYD that spotlights a fundamental concept called deck halving – a crucial skill for success at the top tiers of play.

Next up, they make good on their promise to predict the total number of each class represented in the Tavern Brawl. And since they can’t resist a little friendly competition, it’s a full-on contest to see who’s the most accurate! From there, Filtrophobe leads a discussion breaking down the key team archetypes as he sees them, with plenty of detours and debates along the way about overall composition trends. Finally, the gang digs into some spicy Community Round-up drama before wrapping things up with the usual Taps and Scraps.

Thanks so much for listening!

WWYD: 6:44

TB Team Comp Predictions and Analysis: 26:29

Community Round-up: 1:37:00

Taps, Scraps, and Good-byes: 1:49:05

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-86-arena-updates-and-nut-draw-finale

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The standard crew of DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff set sail once again as the seventh Tavern Brawl gets underway! With the draft now complete, the gang breaks down some of the best value picks and surprise standouts from the draft board.

Then they turn their sights to perhaps the most fascinating feature of this season: team composition. With up to two beta classes allowed per team, the permutations explode – enough to leave even the Daredevils’ heads spinning.

All this plus signature segments like WWYD, Looking for Lethal, and the Community Roundup. Thanks for listening!

WWYD: 5:45

LFL: 19:51

Draft Recap: 32:10

TB Team Composition: 1:00:05

Community Ronud-up: 1:37:19

Taps, Scraps, and Good Byes: 1:47:51

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-86-arena-updates-and-nut-draw-finale

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crew kicks off the episode with the signature WWYD segment, followed by a Looking for Lethal submission from long-time listener Logan.

From there, we dive into the latest Arena updates and discuss the results of the experimental, community-driven balance testing from over the past few weeks.

Next up, we finally wrap up our three-part answer to Aarkenell’s mailbag question, analyzing how to counter a class’s nut draw. This episode covers Bard, Necro, Druid, and Monk. As always, we close with the Community Roundup and our usual taps and scraps. Thanks for listening!

WWYD: 7:08

Looking for Lethal: 25:45

Arena chats: 31:01

Mail-bag segment: 57:02

Community Round-up: 1:28:24

Taps, Scraps, and Good Byes: 1:42:21

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: Chris "DblDubz" Walberg, Cooper "Filtrophobe" Fitzpatrick, and John "Tuff" Labella

Producer: Chris Walberg

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-86-arena-updates-and-nut-draw-finale

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John "Tuff" Labella and Samwise embark on a half hour segment to figure out what expansion sets and build is best for cleric on ladder but go down a two hour rabbit hole.

Start: 1:19

Taps & Scraps: 1:51:00

Sparks and Recreation Presents: a Legendary Contest

https://challonge.com/34nulpfe

Tavern Brawl 2025 (Now with Beta Classes)

Signup: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUS3Z2wXtO2WadsdPWYLrLN4x7H6aFuY5zeOY-SaaKL0iU8g/viewform?usp=header

Rules: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nypsEE0rtZowZw2o-wsokaJwQtc5oyALAcGvzXOPKD0/edit?tab=t.0

Samwise's data sheet #1: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wWpzMMySLUEmDUM1AIP2xZP3JqG10tI7waPkPIdQeGA/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Samwise's data sheet #2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TMvs6NHQFdoQkHxkN-vwMwWK567mEi0grBr2OrZVtl4/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.k81vecaibhmi

Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games.

Hosts: John "Tuff" Labella. Samwise

Producer: John "Tuff" Labella

Hero Helper: https://hero-helper.com/

Realms Rising: https://www.realmsrising.com

You can find the WWYD screenshots for this episode here: https://www.realmsrising.com/podcast/episode-83-ancestral-ascendancy

Patreon: https://patreon.com/sparksandrec

HyperGeometric Calculator: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Community Tournaments & Events Primer (+ signup links): https://www.realmsrising.com/community-events/

Realms Rising Discord: https://discord.gg/8pTxKqzFDc

Contact S&R: contact@sparks-and-recreation.com

Support Sparks & Rec: https://hero-helper.com/support-us

Sparks & Recreation Website: https://www.realmsrising.com/sparks-and-recreation/

Thank you so much to Level 12 Hero Sarah T., Warden Slayer, as well as Level 7 Hero Nudeltulpe!

Specific songs used in this episode were:

Intro/Outro Music: "Uplifting Orchestra Pack" by GoodBunny. (Under the Music Standard License)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.