PODCAST · leisure
Sparks and Recreation
by jigmelingpa & agentc13
A competitive community focused podcast about the deckbuilding game Hero Realms. Each episode covers multiple topics that can help improve your gameplay and get you involved with community events. When not bottom-decking Fire Bomb and Domination as an avid Hero Realms player, Jigmelingpa is a weapon of mass instruction otherwise known as Matthew Rooks. A university educator based in Japan, he spends his time enjoying linguistics, games, nature, basketball, movies, music, and eats. He also sometimes plays Hero Realms a little. Tim McKenzie (IGN agentc13) is a Hero Realms Legend (2021 Origins Game Fair) and an avid player of board/card games. He enjoys streaming, game analysis, and spreadsheets. Be sure to check out the many articles he has written for Realms Rising and sign up for one of the online tournaments he organizes. Rounding out the podcast team are Sam "scrapforce" Parsons, who does a lot of the development for the Hero Helper app, Chris "DblD
Episodes
-
And then there were two
With the recent release of Druid and Monk to the retail game, there are now just two classes stuck behind beta access – Bard and Necromancer. Both also recently received non-Human ancestries for Legend backers, meaning every class and ancestry combination is now available to those players in…
more -
Meridian Ascension Analysis with Scorium, Part 2
Meandering about the Mediterranean, the crew continues its conversation with sails now set for glory in Meridian Ascension! All this analysis is hard work, so the S.S. Sparks & Rec docks briefly – only to return to sea and discover that new Bard and Necromancer ancestries have been released unto...
-
Echoes of Valor Analysis with Scorium, Part 1
The S.S. Sparks & Rec has sailed across three continents to assemble its crew for Episode 107, as DblDubz, Tuff, and Filtrophobe welcome Scorium for his podcast debut. The conversation begins with WWYD, then takes a wonderfully winding detour through Scorium’s story (and most of Seville, Spain)...
-
Stat Checks & Castle Renovations
For this episode of Sparks & Rec, the crew of Dubz and Tuff have come to port to collect their mail! And what should they find but four months of WWG Player Summaries? Digging into the numbers in search of buried treasure, they discuss their most-purchased cards, favored factions, and more. Tuff...
-
Upgrades Part II
The SS Sparks & Recreation dives into the dark depths of the Dungeons as DblDubz, Tuff, and Filtrophobe discuss all things level 20 for the game’s newest six classes. With a focus on treasures, character points, and ancestries, the crew takes a complete look at the landscape surrounding the new...
-
TB Team Talk and Lvl 20 Upgrades Pt. 1
For episode 104, the crew of DblDubz, Tuff, and Filtrophobe rallies aboard the SS Sparks & Recreation to break down the bounty of treasures introduced with the retail release of Level 20 AND what this means for the game’s original five classes. With the wind at their backs, the crew then docks at...
-
Heroes Helping Heroes Redeux
Scrapforce braves the perils of rooftop podcasting and returns to the pod with the latest on Hero Helper. He’s been vibe coding away, but this time he’s not alone! Jseph has joined the crew, and he hops aboard the SS Sparks & Rec for this voyage into the sea of podcasting. We take some time to…
more -
Tavern Brawl Draft Prep and Rules Recap
With the eighth season of the Tavern Brawl just around the corner, the crew of DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff assemble to go over what’s changing between seasons. One of the biggest tweaks is a new pairing system created by Jseph. To help explore this new method, Tuff and Dubz do a mock pairings...
-
Magic & Steel with Azgalor
DblDubz and Tuff sit down with Realms Rising community member Azgalor to talk with the creator behind Magic & Steel, a massive custom Hero Realms market deck built around spells, weapons, and the possibilities of digital design. We cover Azgalor’s background, the set’s inspirations, design...
-
Episode 100: The Busted Builds Centennial
The SS Sparks and Rec has gone to sea and returned home to port for 100 voyages now and what better way to celebrate than by revisiting some of the craziest characters in Hero Realms history! So many of the mentioned builds or combos were nearly instantly nerfed, while others reigned supreme for...
-
Brawlapalooza
In this episode of the podcast, the crew is joined by old friend DaKatSesMeow to break down his team’s latest Tavern Brawl triumph! As the first Daredevil to claim back-to-back season victories, DaKat dives into the AUTOBOTS championship run – covering team composition, pairing strategy, key...
-
The Fabio Druid
In the wake of recent bugs and balance shakeups, WWG has also dropped new ancestries for the Druid and Monk! Join DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff as they break down some of the wild new builds popping up in the community before turning their attention to the titular tree-hugging trendsetter – the...
-
Queue Carnage with Blinding Powder
Bouncing back from a buggy recap episode, the crew returns to the SS Sparks & Rec only to discover a couple more bugs still lingering in the hold. Also among the stowaways are a pair of new cards that have slipped into the Dungeons Promos market deck, along with perhaps the stealthiest change of...
-
Bugs, Balance, and Breakthroughs
Stormy seas battered the hatches of the SS Sparks & Recreation as news of a shuffle bug hits the Realms! Join the crew as they talk through this surprising discovery and what it means for players. The storm doesn’t stop there – more bug talk follows as the crew discusses the latest update before...
-
Echoes of Valor and Meridian Ascension Spotlight
The crew of DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff take off aboard the SS Sparks & Rec for a journey through two Realms Rising leagues, both run by Eindeloos. With both kicking off new seasons just around the corner, and the decision having been made to use the community balance script for them both…
more -
Playing with Principle 2.0
Three and a half years ago the original crew of Jigmelingpa and agentc13 released the 10th episode of Sparks and Recreation with the aim of exploring some general guidelines of the game. Here we are all this time later and Dubz, Filtro, and Tuff are here to give you their take on this beginner...
-
Sailing the Strategy Triangle
After coming to port for the holidays, the SS Sparks and Rec is off to sea once more! While many a sailor has been lost to the Bermuda Triangle, only slightly fewer have been swirled away by discussions of the Triangle Framework introduced in today’s episode. The discussion seeks to lay out the...
-
A Visit from the Ghost of Christmas Future
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…
more -
Machine Mind Meets Fighter Mirror
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...
-
Catching Up On Draconis
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...
-
Team Management, Meta Mash-up, and ELO
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...
-
Tavern Brawl Team Composition Predictions and Analysis
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...
-
Tavern Brawl Draft Recap and Team Composition Strats
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…
more -
Arena Updates and Nut-Draw Finale
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....
-
Samwise & Tuff Break Cleric
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...
-
Alchemist & Barbarian Make Waves in a New Meta
Kicking off this episode, the crew of DblDubz, Filtrophobe, and Tuff announce that they will be hosting a tournament with a grand prize of a Hero Realms Digital Legends account! (Available to non-Legend account holders only! Check the link below for details and to sign-up.) After this the crew...
-
Ancestral Ascendancy
The crew is back with their first post-Origins episode. The release cadence has been a bit slower but will hopefully settle back into our bi-weekly-ish schedule soon here. Wise Wizard Games made big waves with the introduction of ancestries for alchemist and barbarian so the crew takes a deep…
more -
SilentAl Speaks up on another Legends Victory
We’re back with Part 2 of our Origins recap, featuring none other than Silent Al, fresh off his fifth Legends victory between the Realms. (Apologies in advance for the audio quality here, we recorded on phones in the hotel lobby. The content hopefully makes up for it!) Up first though Dubz and…
more -
Wise Wizard Games Round-up with Rob Dougherty
DblDubz and Tuff sit down with Rob Dougherty, CEO of Wise Wizard Games, for a jam-packed conversation spanning the present and future of the Realms (and beyond). The journey begins in Hero Realms Digital, where Rob discusses the current state of the app and what’s next. From there, the crew dives...
-
Dungeons Promos Finale and Fighting the Nut Draw
EP 80: Dungeons Promos Finale and Fighting the Nut Draw Tuff, Filtrophobe, and DblDubz kick things off with a fresh WWYD to get the strategic soliloquies rolling. Then, at long last, they wrap up the Dungeons Promos with Tuff making a bold claim about the best $2 in the game! Next, a mailbag...
-
Dungeon Deluge
Tuff, Filtrophobe, and DblDubz assemble once again to kick things off with a WWYD plucked from the recent season of Thandar Combat League. Then it’s time to open the floodgates for another wave of Dungeons Promos, as the crew deep-dives into over 20 new cards from the set. Next podcast will...
-
Class Upgrades & Card Reveals
DblDubz and Tuff welcome Filtrophobe back aboard the SS Sparks & Rec for another round of analysis on the latest headlines out of Thandar. While a deep dive into Level 18 for the beta classes and a hefty heap of Dungeon Promos was on the docket, the crew can’t help but veer off course for an...
-
Advancing the Meta
Tuff and DblDubz open with a fresh WWYD before diving into the latest patch notes from WWG. Then it’s time for a Tuff-powered Counterplay Corner, this time focusing on the Necromancer. From there, the crew breaks down the Level 18 upgrades—who got the glow-ups, who got the let-downs? Tune in to...
-
Game Development
John "Tuff" Labella and his co-host, Lead Designer of Draconis 8 Carl "CVO" Van Ostrand take another stab at a WWYD, pose some fun questions to the community and then get into the nitty gritty of what it is to be a Game Designer. If that wasn't enough we go on a flurry of tangents so buckle up…
more -
Arena Brawls & Tactical Calls
Join Tuff, Filtrophobe, and DblDubz as the SS Sparks & Recreation steers back to Thandar to tackle some timely events! First up, we drop anchor in the Arena, where community balance changes are in full swing, and the latest announcement from WWG regarding the Dungeons Kickstarter makes waves.…
more -
Draconis 8 Beginner Tips
Join Tuff, Lead Developer CVO & special guest DanTheMeek navigate the first Draconis 8 WWYD and discuss Beginner Tips. We then get to know "Who is DanTheMeek"? followed by a Draconis Roadmap Update, talk of animated dragons and a tangent about possibly keeping your favorite beta packs? If that...
-
Journeys Promo Pack Pontifications
Set sail with the crew of the SS Sparks & Rec as we navigate the Journeys Promo Pack, diving into the Wild and Guild factions to chart their impact. Before we hoist anchor, we break down WWYD #62, pondering the best plays. Then, we dig into the mailbag to tackle questions from Lgnkstwrt…
more -
Draconis 8 Deep Dive!
Sparks & Recreations Episode 72 brings you a DEEP DIVE into Draconis 8! Jigmelingpa, Tuff, and Anvroser are joined by Draconis 8 creator Carl Van Ostrand, and the crew take the opportunity to interview the game designer with questions about the game design and history, future development...
-
Wise Wizard Games Developer Call Recap
The crew is back on track with your regularly scheduled episodes and to kick things off, they’re doing an immediate reaction to the live call with WWG teammates – Joel and Tan! The two hosted an event on the WWG discord to discuss the discrepancy between their data and the data of Hero Helper and...
-
The Fellowship of the OGs
For the 70th Extravaganza Episode of Sparks & Recreation, Jigmelingpa, DblDubz, Filtrophobe, Tuff, and DaKatSesMeow call upon the Fellowship of the OGs to critically discuss the current state of Hero Realms. With guest spots from Samwise, Nudeltulpe, Eindeloos, Horgle, Asawesomas, WardenSlayer,...
-
PaxU Retrospective with Tuff
In what is essentially part 2 of the PaxU experience, this episode features Tuff taking center stage to share his experiences at the con, where he participated in both the Star Realms and Hero Realms Legends tournaments. The crew first dives into the Star Realms event, where a controversial…
more -
PaxU Interview with Rob Dougherty
Sam "scrapforce" Parsons and Jeff "Tuff" Labella sit down with Hero Realms designer Rob Dougherty at PaxU to discuss the balancing process for the game, future digital game developments, and more! Hero Realms is a fantasy-themed expandable deckbuilding game from Wise Wizard Games. Hosts: Sam...
-
Build Lab Double Dip with the Down Under Duo
Draconis 8: 9:26 WWYD: 16:49 Getting to know Asawesomas: 32:56 Bard Build Lab: 51:38 Ranger Build Lab: 2:00:16 Community Round-up: 2:20:03 Taps/Scraps and Goodbyes: 2:34:48 Join DblDubz, Tuff, and Filtrophobe as they welcome special guest Asawesomas aboard the SS Sparks & Rec! After briefly...
-
Tavern Brawl Season 6 Retrospective
Interview with DaKatSesMeow: 1:39 Audio submission by Filtrophobe: 1:29:48 Audio submission by Romu: 1:38:16 Taps/Scraps and Goodbyes: 1:51:29 With the sixth season of the Tavern Brawl concluded, it’s time to take a look back at what happened. Tuff and DblDubz welcome the Daredevil of the winning...
-
Balancing the Scales: Game States
To kick off the episode, Tuff is welcomed into the fold as a Sparks & Recreation crew member! Happy to have him onboard, he and Dubz sail forward into a pair of in-game situations with a WWYD and an LFL. Then an initiate of the Damage goes Brrr! clan stops by to say hello. Up next is a…
more -
Interview with newest HR Legend Series winner - StormShield
Join Tuff and DblDubz for a conversation with StormShield that spans tabletop gaming, in-depth tournament coverage, and even some retro console gaming. It wouldn’t be an episode of Sparks and Rec without a WWYD as well as the community round-up so be sure to check those out. Our giveaway was also...
-
Necromancer Build Lab
On this episode of Sparks & Rec, join DblDubz and Filtrophobe with special guest Tuff as we take a dive into the first level 16 build lab for one of the Dungeons classes – necromancer! Tuff’s recent article on the class provides the framework for the discussion and Filtrophobe’s new article on...
-
Level 16 Meta Mashup with DaKatSesMeow
Join the Sparks & Rec crew as Filtrophobe presents the first ever level 16 Meta Mashup. DaKatSesMeow is on hand to give his reactions to the stats while also breaking down his level 16 Boots Thief later on in the Build Lab. Fear not Shadow Mask players as this playstyle is covered in the episode…
more -
Industrialization Insights with Designer Userkaffe
The Hero Realms digital app offers players the chance to design and code their own custom scripts. One player went so far as to design their own set from the ground up. That player is Userkaffe and he is here to tell us all about his experience in designing and developing this fantastically...
-
The Jam-packed Journeys Jamboree
With the recent retail release of the Journeys expansion, a swath of segments make their return in this episode as the crew of Filtrophobe and DblDubz take the SS Sparks & Rec out to the high seas. Killer combos? We’ve got ‘em. Build Lab on Wizard? Check. Build Lab on Fighter? Also check. The...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
A competitive community focused podcast about the deckbuilding game Hero Realms. Each episode covers multiple topics that can help improve your gameplay and get you involved with community events.
When not bottom-decking Fire Bomb and Domination as an avid Hero Realms player, Jigmelingpa is a weapon of mass instruction otherwise known as Matthew Rooks. A university educator based in Japan, he spends his time enjoying linguistics, games, nature, basketball, movies, music, and eats. He also sometimes plays Hero Realms a little.
Tim McKenzie (IGN agentc13) is a Hero Realms Legend (2021 Origins Game Fair) and an avid player of board/card games. He enjoys streaming, game analysis, and spreadsheets. Be sure to check out the many articles he has written for Realms Rising and sign up for one of the online tournaments he organizes.
Rounding out the podcast team are Sam "scrapforce" Parsons, who does a lot of the development for the Hero Helper app, Chris "DblD
HOSTED BY
jigmelingpa & agentc13
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sparks and Recreation have?
Sparks and Recreation currently has 118 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sparks and Recreation about?
A competitive community focused podcast about the deckbuilding game Hero Realms. Each episode covers multiple topics that can help improve your gameplay and get you involved with community events. When not bottom-decking Fire Bomb and Domination as an avid Hero Realms player, Jigmelingpa is a...
How often does Sparks and Recreation release new episodes?
Sparks and Recreation publishes regularly with 118 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Sparks and Recreation?
You can listen to Sparks and Recreation on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sparks and Recreation?
Sparks and Recreation is created and hosted by jigmelingpa & agentc13.
URL copied to clipboard!