Book 2 – Page 74

[balder]

New One is up.

[MonteCristo]

Well i guess hat magicians do have offensive spells... but considering his self sacrifice, I'm guessing he's probably dropping all of his remaining juice into this final attack.

[oslecamo2_temp]

Great final fireworks! You show them how to make a final show Cubbins!

[Krulle]

Bun-bun! One of the first things I saw in the last panel!
Poor girl.........

Only later I read that it's really meant to be Bun-bun.
Fun! (For Bun-bun and me, not for the three red magic girls.)

[teratorn]

And Kreistor was claiming the guy didn't want to fight.

[Pax]

Woooo! Go, Bun-Bun! KA-CLICK!!

[Messenger]

Amazing work!

And that is how to go out- with dedication, style, and glory!

How come your characters are so ossom, Mr. Balder?

[goodmorning]

So Cubbins didn't have to die. He was much more use than a pair of archers, and there was nothing to suggest that he couldn't have cast that spell while mounted. Maybe that was some kind of uber-put-your-very-soul-into-a-spell abilities, but surely we'd have seen that before? It looks like he survived casting it. So putting the archers on the unipegataur instead of himself must have been from a personal belief that his life is not worth more than any other unit, as far as I see it. Staying behind does not serve his rulers interests in any way shape or form. He could have been just as much use mounted, because that is an AWESOME spell. Ok, maybe those archers will be useful, but comparatively, I think the difference is negligible. Therefore, he must be going on the basis that two lives are worth more than one, even if he is a caster.

Does that mean that, as Wanda has Loyalty to Fate, Cubbins has Loyalty to Life? Or something like that. I don't think so. I think this gives far more credence to some of the arguments being made in the previous threads about the nature of Loyalty. It would appear that Loyalty can be trumped by personal belief, honour, fate and all manner of things, suggesting Loyalty is not nearly the all important, well-defined stat we so often think it to be.

Interesting. Great end to the issue, just hope that he doesn't take a hiatus and moves straight on to the next volume.

[Radagast]

So Cubbins didn't have to die. He was much more use than a pair of archers, and there was nothing to suggest that he couldn't have cast that spell while mounted. Maybe that was some kind of uber-put-your-very-soul-into-a-spell abilities, but surely we'd have seen that before? It looks like he survived casting it. So putting the archers on the unipegataur instead of himself must have been from a personal belief that his life is not worth more than any other unit, as far as I see it. Staying behind does not serve his rulers interests in any way shape or form. He could have been just as much use mounted, because that is an AWESOME spell. Ok, maybe those archers will be useful, but comparatively, I think the difference is negligible. Therefore, he must be going on the basis that two lives are worth more than one, even if he is a caster.

Well, he knew he could cast all his juice AND give the King two extra mounted archers so that's what he did?

That seems like a LOT of offensive power though, especially considering he's already used juice making the backpack and then helping with the extra modding. Is he somehow harnessing the remaining tower defense spells and modifying them with his own magic?

[madmaw]

That seems like a LOT of offensive power though, especially considering he's already used juice making the backpack and then helping with the extra modding. Is he somehow harnessing the remaining tower defense spells and modifying them with his own magic?

The tower does give a bonus to spell casters, but yeah, I'm not sure that's all that's going on here.

[raphfrk]

Maybe that was some kind of uber-put-your-very-soul-into-a-spell abilities, but surely we'd have seen that before?

It was probably something like that, otherwise as you say, he could have cast the spell mounted. Maybe "final curtain" is a hat magician special or something.

[caffeinemancer]

I rarely read or post in the forums, but I guess there's a time for everything.

Are the text updates required reading? I ask because I have gotten completely lost trying to read only the comic pages. Was never sure after the first book what we were supposed to read versus what we were supposed to be able to skip.

[Saladman]

@ goodmorning

First, if you looked at that awesome panel and immediately picked it apart for your favorite theory I hardly even know what to say. I'm sorry; you're missing out.

Second, we know Towers give a bonus to spell-casting. It's likely he needed that bonus to pull all that off, especially since we've seen no evidence hat magic is considered a combat discipline, and Cubbins himself hasn't leveled from combat the way the Healomancer has.

Third, though it's speculation and I think the tower bonus is adequate for the story, it's possible some of what we're seeing depicted coming out of the hat is actually stored hat magic spell defenses cast long ago by Cubbins, and he needed to be there to fire them off. Which raises what's already been argued about firing first then departing, but to me there's a pretty clear advantage to doing that damage simultaneously with the king's flight, rather than doing it first and giving the archons time to regroup.

[drachefly]

Wow.

Also, the saw has given us our first glimpse of Erfworlders' insides, that I'm aware of.

[happyturtle]

So Cubbins didn't have to die. He was much more use than a pair of archers, and there was nothing to suggest that he couldn't have cast that spell while mounted. Maybe that was some kind of uber-put-your-very-soul-into-a-spell abilities, but surely we'd have seen that before? It looks like he survived casting it. So putting the archers on the unipegataur instead of himself must have been from a personal belief that his life is not worth more than any other unit, as far as I see it. Staying behind does not serve his rulers interests in any way shape or form. He could have been just as much use mounted, because that is an AWESOME spell. Ok, maybe those archers will be useful, but comparatively, I think the difference is negligible. Therefore, he must be going on the basis that two lives are worth more than one, even if he is a caster.

Well, he knew he could cast all his juice AND give the King two extra mounted archers so that's what he did?

That seems like a LOT of offensive power though, especially considering he's already used juice making the backpack and then helping with the extra modding. Is he somehow harnessing the remaining tower defense spells and modifying them with his own magic?

Yeah, I think he had to be in the Tower to pull it off, just as Vanna had to be in the Tower to pull off the Kingworld spell. Plus, staying behind gave Stately extra archers to defend him. We still don't know if Ossomer is still eligible as an heir, being decrypted and turned, and even if he is, it's still both Ruler and Heir in the airspace. All of Side Jetstones fortunes depend on them winning this battle, or it's game over.

I guess Trammenis might be captured by GK and given a heal before he croaks, to keep him as a live prisoner rather than decrypt him? I hope so - having all three of Stately's sons decrypted would be a bit repetitive, and he and Parson would be much more interesting as antagonists than teammates.

I'm so in love with this comic and that panel is absolutely beautiful. I really need to become a Tool and own the books. Just need to convince myself that the intl shipping fee plus customs won't bankrupt Turtle the Side.

[Godsire]

I rarely read or post in the forums, but I guess there's a time for everything.

Are the text updates required reading? I ask because I have gotten completely lost trying to read only the comic pages. Was never sure after the first book what we were supposed to read versus what we were supposed to be able to skip.

I don't believe it's mandatory to read the text updates, but I would really advise reading them. They give you so much extra insight and info you don't get to read in the comic itself.

Some text updates are even better than some regular updates imo.

[kefkakrazy]

Hat Magicians can summon murderous bunny rabbits?

Including Bun-bun?

OP need nerf nao.

[kagato23]

I rarely read or post in the forums, but I guess there's a time for everything.

Are the text updates required reading? I ask because I have gotten completely lost trying to read only the comic pages. Was never sure after the first book what we were supposed to read versus what we were supposed to be able to skip.

I don't believe it's mandatory to read the text updates, but I would really advise reading them. They give you so much extra insight and info you don't get to read in the comic itself.

Some text updates are even better than some regular updates imo.

Sticktly speaking, no. But they add a lot. You really should be reading them. All of them.

[M.A.D]

Huh.. so an archer is more useful to the king when mounted, but a Hat Magician is useful to the king on the tower? That's quite the optimal choice he's made, though not the best one

Also, let's see, a parody character, some pun on Popcap, and... end of issue? o.O

[Xenon]

I suspect we are seeing the tower defenses cook off, all at once. and without the bonus from the croakamancer and warlord, it looks like jetstone just earned a lot of cash from charlie.

So.... parson is about to enter a battlespace with minimal scout capacity, and a strong enemy force still alive with their ruler nearby? thats going to make book 3 quite interesting. heck of a place to end issue 2, certainly.