Hi there! NAFA grad from COVID batch here! I previously wrote tips to not waste time at NAFA. Currently studying in NUS. If you're looking for post O levels/ITE options, look no further! 4 years ago, I attended NAFA's open house after receiving my O level results and back then I was as clueless as the many DMs I've received asking about NAFA ;) . So I'm making this post to clear those doubts!
Edit: Added academic calendar to general curriculum and important degree update

Content

Things to note before entering NAFA

What is NAFA and who is it for
Available Courses
When and how to apply
Application Timeline
Financial Aid

During your study

Useful Acronyms
Life at NAFA
Understanding NAFA's SOAD Standard
General curriculum
Electives
Using workshops/Loaning of equipment
Internship
Overseas Immersion/School Exchange Programme
CCA

Post-Diploma

Furthering studies at NAFA
Furthering studies at a local university
Finding Work

Things to note before entering NAFA

[1] What is NAFA and who is it for?
NAFA, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is Singapore's pioneering art school. It is a private arts institution. It provides diploma studies with a study duration of 3 years just like poly. The special thing about NAFA is that it provides 1-year degree programmes which any student (usually from relevant diploma courses) can pick up.
Well, we always say 'art is subjective', it is a freedom of expression. The school is really open to anyone (and that is on the account that you have a portfolio or passed the test). Literally, you can have aunties and uncles as your classmates! You also have people doing art because it's fun but in all seriousness do not sign up if that's what you think. I'd like to think of NAFA as a school that guides you in the beginning and later on they just kind of let everyone be independent learners. Anybody can say that NAFA teaches you the foundation but they do not intend to fully teach you long term or up to a professional level. The school is excellent for people who have existing art skills (you've won SYF, art awards, distinction in art before you were even 17 years old) and wish to be a local artist. It is also great for people who are passionate and have some sort of basic skill or are/have developing skills already (that's me!) however this group should avoid Fine Arts. You can also be passionate and start on a blank slate but be prepared to work doubly hard for the grades. The school is not competitive, it depends on talent to stand out.
Do not come if you are doing for the sake of the diploma because the difficulty of NAFA's diploma is no joking matter. Dropping out is common in every course and you do not wish to contribute to that. That is also the whole point of NAFA charging exorbitant school fees so that you don't run away. Many people actually bet their future on NAFA because they couldn't go to poly/uni course of their choice and it ends up being wasted because it's not what they wanted! You may have heard people of saying that the school's standard is trash but the truth is, it's not the school's problem 100% of the time.
For students looking to enter NAFA Foundation Programme, it's still new and dodgy. I strongly advise you guys to take O levels and head to Poly instead if you still wish to pursue further education at local universities. I personally find no point in skipping a year and getting L1R4>25 with an O level cert where you might've passed math seems to be a more lucrative choice to use for entering NAFA. The only benefit you're getting from the programme is a debt $$$.
Entry requirements:
O Level: L1R4 equal or less than 25 points excluding English (can use CCA points)
ITE: Full-time Higher Nitec or Nitec
Other Local/International Admission Requirements
Important note:
NAFA diplomas do not equate with polytechnic diplomas.
NAFA being the oldest art school does not mean that it is the best place to go instead of Laselle.

[2] Available Courses
One misconception is that NAFA has double diploma programmes for 3D Design. I'd like to announce that it is false. The school is not capable of teaching 2 types of diploma at a time but rather mash it up. So if you intend to take my course for example Diploma in Design (Landscape and Architecture), it is usually the 1st word that is mainly taught which is 'Landscape'.

List of courses:
School of Art and Design
3D Design

Design & media

Fine Art

Fashion Studies

School of Arts Management, Dance and Theatre
Arts Management

Diploma in Arts Management

Dance

Diploma in Dance

Music

Theatre

[3] When and how to apply?
Once you received your results is usually the time applications are open. Local and international students have until March to apply. It varies annually. More here ->How to apply
Method of Application: Online portfolio submission or physical admission test
Neither is better than the other. You method depends on whether you can show what you have within a given deadline.

Online Portfolio Submission
Minimum 10 images, various mediums allowed and a short writeup of 100 words.
1.Make the portfolio for the course that you want
To make them pick you directly for the course, make it look like you are built for the course.
2. Have a variety of work
Fine Arts doesn't only consist of drawings, it can also include some sort of sculpture or performance work. Same goes for the other departments. Click here for what each course requires. If you wish to showcase a single type of work because you are unable to show more, it can make your portfolio look okay/bad compared to other people.
3. A passionate statement
Only 100 words. Tbh I wrote what I wished to do after my diploma (plans have since changed and it was an odd statement lol). I don't suggest writing about your contribution to the sch because as long as you're a student you're contributing. Make it short and simple.

In case anyone is wondering, my application portfolio was mediocre, showing 11 images consisting of sketches/paintings/photos. If you have a god-tier portfolio because you have that artistic talent, there's a good chance to achieve a 1st-year full-coverage scholarship once you step into NAFA. You can submit whenever you want but my estimated deadline was 2 weeks after applying at the open house which waived my application fees ($70 better treat yourself Haidilao).

Admission Test (if someone has taken the test feel free to provide more info)
The test dates are staggered once per month from January-March. Held in groups. Consists of a drawing test and write-up.
I only know that the drawing test isn't difficult. People who took the test do not intend to submit a portfolio as it's quick and efficient. Nothing much to add on.
Important note:
If you are writing a 2nd choice as a safety net please be cautious. I do not recommend as you may get the 2nd choice instead if the slots for your 1st choice becomes full. They will just shift you to the 2nd choice and that's where the 'appeal' part comes.
Choose to submit a portfolio if you can commit to the deadline, it usually gives you an upper hand over admission test applicants because you're showcasing more.

[4] Application Timeline (I only know O levels if anyone can kindly tell me I'll update)
O levels:
January
Receive results > submit JAE > apply for NAFA
February
Wait for JAE AND NAFA results > receive JAE results 1st > receive NAFA results 2nd
You’ll receive NAFA results before poly starts unless you apply late. I applied during Jan on the day of the open house and got my results mid-end Feb. March is the last month to receive results.

[5] Financial Aid
NAFA Financial Aid
Now, we all know private school isn't cheap and many passionate young souls I've met depend heavily on financial aid like I do. If you're a Singaporean with a tight family income, the bursary is attainable for you. It covers half of the annual school fee. Can only be taken once for each year of study. If you are able to claim the bursary for all your years, you’d pay a total of $7050.
For those who are hoping to start at NAFA but is at a really tight end, you need perfect grades in art and portfolio to be considered a scholarship/merit in your first year. You'll need testimonials and pass the interview. If you ain’t good in art, pass this opportunity however you can work for scholarship/merit during your diploma years. I’d score close to the 4.0 (3.8X) in Year 1 in order to get a scholarship to cover my Year 2 fees.
Other options are the 0% interest study loan by DBS. You can make use of your PSEA which you can also use your sibling account to cover your own sch fees.
Last option but not really one is the student assistantship scheme should you already be a student of NAFA. The pay is peanuts, I would not recommend but it's nice to have a one-liner in your resume that you did some work for the school :).
There are NAFA students with a possibly far worse situation than yours but they are extremely talented and hardworking to end up not paying a single cent. NAFA is really expensive so if you do intend to work to cover the fees, take care of your grades as well. It is not impossible to do so. I chose to not work as I was in a hectic design course and needed to maintain my grade for university.

Next, you would need to understand how the system works.

During your study

[1] Useful Acronyms
SOAD: School of Art and Design (Department)
SOAMDT: School of Arts Management, Dance and Theatre
SOM: School of Music
D&M: Design and Media
FA: Fine Arts
3DD: 3D Design
FS: Fashion Studies
FYP: Final Year Project (used in almost every SOAD course lol)
OIP: Overseas Immersion Programme

[2] Life at NAFA
So you wish to know how life is like at NAFA? First thing, don't expect the same amount of glitz and glamour that exists in polys. It's much quieter where you won't even hear a mouse die.
Because entry to the school is quite easy, the population regularly consists of graduated ITE students (can’t make it to poly/NAFA is the last golden ticket) alongside many international students. O level cert holders are like a small 10% or less. So if you’re young, prepare to take care of the older lot and expect to carry lazy people.
You have to be very committed to the course and can’t skip class. More than 3 times and they start deducting marks. The workload is heavy and even if it comes in small numbers, it is intense. The number of student to lecturer ratio is not a big difference but later on, consultation times may not suffice. Facilities are sufficient unless you’re in a design course. There are CCAs in the sch but not all courses got time for it. Staying in school late is a common culture. Fine Arts students after class just camp in their respective studios and design students would camp till closing 11 pm at the computer lab waiting for renders to finish. Every student will experience staying late and you can say its #lifeatnafa.
The culture here is not as toxic and dramatic as poly but more towards weird because we’re creative artsy-fartsy people. It’s easy to get along with course mates but there’s a chance for things to get somehow cranky along the way. Could be you or your classmate. Everyone is pretty open and wild. There’s a lack of competitiveness which is both good and bad.
There won't be a course that goes without presentations. That's the point of producing works ain't it, to show it off to the audience. Group work to individual work ratio is about 3:6 so if you worry about bad groupmates, don't worry I've faced them too and it can't be helped ;). Carrying other people during group work is also common. NAFA does stand for lazy people what to do. Your complaints hold no power. (Arguably, many students want the school to make entry to the courses more difficult as there seem to be too many bums to handle)
If you're mentally depressed or anything the school does try to help but no legit support system other than the ECG counsellor (which I find it practically useless). Now, the school deals with this quite often so they don't give a damn about your life. Ownself take care ownself is the usual term.

School events anyone can participate:
Open House (1-day Sentosa fun time with other Open House ambassador)
Orientation (has a 1-night camp! Recommend)
NAFA Fun Day
Overseas Immersion Programme (1-3 weeks long, Asian countries. Recommend but need $)
Student Assistantship Programme (1 year-long contract. Peanut pay)

The list of programmes here may not seem much but you can add it in your portfolio (except Fun Day). There may be volunteer work available within some courses itself. Do try to be active
And that's about it. Nothing special just expensive and less fun.

[3] Understanding NAFA's SOAD Standard
Take a look at what past graduates have produced within their 3 years as a student. Only you can judge whether the school is great or the right fit for your goals (in being able to attain this particular level of skill for XXX course once you graduate for example). The best standard can be found under the best graduate tab.
2020 The Grad Expectations
Graduation Showcase

[4] General Curriculum
Academic Calendar
The 1st semester of your study begins at the start of August and usually ends late November or early December depending on the type of assessment received. The 2nd semester begins in January till May. The span of 1 semester is always around 4 months with a 1-week break in between. We don't really have any sort of term 1/2 thing like poly and is much compressed, so breaks are less. However, you do get compensated with a 3-month vacation between years so that's fair.

*Applicable to SOAD only
Year 1
1st Semester: Foundation Study (not the same as NAFA Foundation programme for N level)
+ Basic art and design theory
+General Education
2nd Semester: Course Foundation
+ General Education
+ Basic course theory
(+ Electives)

Year 2
1st Semester: 2nd Set of Course Foundation
+ Intermediate theory
+ 1st project
+ Basic report/essay writing
(+ Electives)
2nd Semester: Last set of Course Foundation
+ Another set of projects
(+ Electives)

Year 3
1st Semester: Internship/~~School project~~ (wouldn't want to get this)
2nd Semester: Final Year project (practically on your own)
+ Report/Essay writing
+ Research and development
(+ Electives, not recommended to do during this semester)

It’s clearly not much different from poly, slightly worse at certain points. Weekly school hours per week will increase each semester e.g year 1 sem 1 is 18hrs a week for classes, next semester you may get an additional 2-4 hrs increase of class time. The longest time I had for class each week was 24hrs, pretty sure the same goes for any SOAD course. Do expect late-night classes. It is inevitable because most lecturers are teaching part-time so do bear with them.
Important note:
For a lighter schedule, do electives early as that's one of the simplest things to do.
The difference in timetable won't affect application to university.

[5] Electives
1 common mistake students commit is not reading the student handbook (from studentnet)/contract on the number of credits required for graduation. They end up finishing their electives during Year 3 Semester 2 which is the time one should focus on their FYP. Start doing your electives once you’re in Year 1 Semester 2. Good planning consists of not stuffing your modules until it’s way past 24hrs/week (also known as overloading). You’re required to do cross-disciplinary modules 2-6 credits worth (meaning not related to your course, if you’re from D&M you have to do either FA/3DD/FS) and course-related electives worth 2-6 credits. Days before module registration, plan out the electives you want to do based on your given timetable and then rush to pick on the day of the module registration with no hesitation to secure your placement. You may have to do an elective that is unfamiliar to you.
My sample plan:
Year 1 sem 1: Can’t choose yet
Year 1 sem 2: Photography (Highly recommend, popular as well but must have time and skill + a friend who's free who be your model). 2 credits
Year 1 sem 2 special term (aka holiday): OIP to Hangzhou. China Academy of Arts for 3 weeks. Considered cross-disciplinary to FA. 3 weeks long. 4 credits
Year 2 sem 1: Intro to Rapid prototyping from 3DD (laser cut/3D print) (didn’t really learn how to use the machine as there are technical officers and I messed up at the end but still passed, great elective for embarrassing yourself if you’re a 3DD student who frequents the workshop ;) ). 2 credits
Year 2 sem 2 - onwards: No more electives can focus on FYP
Important note:
Plan well so you accumulate just nice 120 credits for graduation. No point in exceeding the total credits as you have to pay extra for it. If you miss a few credits for graduation, you will be retained for another semester to finish.
Cheat tip: if you go on the OIP to China only, you instantly get cross-disciplinary credits.

[6] Using Workshops/Loaning of equipment

The 3D workshop at wing B level 1 operates Mon-Fri 8 am to 6 pm but you need permission from the lecturer or Technical officer to use the machinery.
Laser cutting and 3D printing in the 3D workshop operates from Mon-Fri 10:30-4:30 pm and it is based on a first sign up first serve basis. Booking is always done a week prior to the day of actual usage and maximum of 4 people per day (unless you let others share your slot). Every Friday the slate inside the workshop outside the room is wiped clean for students to book for the week ahead. Even if your name is on the booking board and you don't end up cutting, you will get a temporal ban after multiple attempts. Do ask the Technical officer about the laser cutting template as well and follow accordingly when you create the template so as to not cause a problem of cleaning up your drawing which may overtake another timeslot.
Camera equipment for photography/filming can be loaned from a guy named 'Jack'. Priority goes to courses that require it, followed by the photography elective and so on. Loan lasts for a week and extension can be asked for after loan period.
Photography Studio/Darkroom use needs to have a form signed, given to 'Jack' and then approved. Literally, find this guy for all your photography needs.
Fine Art workshop time depends on the course instructor. People from other courses are free to walk in when its empty but usage not possible.

[7] Internships
Usually done in Year 3 Semester 1, this is one of the key semesters every student should complete for it plays a very important role in your portfolio for finding a job post-graduation. The school has a reputable network, however for courses like Fine Art and illustration the intern positions may be limited because Singapore is not very welcoming for such talents. There are top companies who are willing to hire NAFA students on the basis that they have good grades and a juicy portfolio. So if you want the best, you got to be the best.

[8] Overseas Immersion/School Exchange Programmes
Slots for OIP is limited (especially the ones to China), requires an interview. I think the max for some trips were 35-40 people at most. There are subsidies available and coverage varies.

Places NAFA has flown to:
*Xiamen (3 weeks)
*Hangzhou, China Academy of Arts (3 weeks)
*Beijing, Beijing Technology University (3 weeks)
Bangkok (1 week?)
Korea (might've stopped)
Japan (might've stopped)

*Special programme during Year 1 Semester 2 vacation only
I forgot the cost but I've personally have flown to Hangzhou. Best experience ever despite getting a C. Crazy stuff happened at one of the finest Arts school in China :)
Important note:
If you miss the chance to fly, fret not, NAFA's degree programme is a collaboration with a foreign university and they will open an exchange programme for 1 month (that is if COVID doesn't persist). Not sure about the cost though.

[9] CCA (The price list is not updated as of 2020)
List of currently available CCAs:

Muay Thai ( $63 10 sessions)
Yoga (basic: $50 12 sessions, intermediate: $42 10 sessions)
Entrepreneurship club
Urban runners club
Volunteer club

Short story: Long ago, I actually joined the photography club only to end up leaving before they even started anything because everybody was too busy to meet up and thus disbanded.
During my time, Muay Thai is the most popular followed by Yoga. Do check out NAFA OSC account on IG to find out what they do. Looks like they added Korean language class too hmm

Post-Diploma

[1] Furthering Studies at NAFA
NAFA Degree courses for Arts Management and Music
Update (thanks to the comment below): NAFA is going to change its programmes and collaboration starting from AY2021/2022. The new degree courses are collaborating with UAL (University of Arts, London) and it’s changing from one year course to two-year course which includes 5-7 weeks of going to the colleges in London. All the courses are affected except for Arts Management and Music.
Students with A Level certificates, as well as those without relevant diplomas will be allowed to enrol into NAFA’s degree programmes.
The stuff I wrote may not apply anymore but I will still leave it here as a reference for NAFA's 1-year degree. The degree website is empty for now.

How do you determine if taking NAFA degree is worth it and why should you take or not take the NAFA degree? There’s always a mixed bag of opinions over the degree. Personally, I’m not a fan of it but I won’t be biased and input the pros and cons that can better aid in one’s decision.

PROS
1.Existing CGPA from diploma is Low
Finding a job with the private diploma cert and low grades can affect your career progression. Make up for the mistakes that were done during the diploma study and try to do well for the degree.
2. High CGPA, expecting a scholarship (or free ride) for the degree course
If you easily meet these 3 criteria (1) Singapore's local unis are too expensive for your taste, (2) you might be older than 21 years old and need to work ASAP, (3) "broke" but did quite well during your diploma and has an excellent portfolio to show, taking the degree might not be such a bad option. In some instances, the 1-year degree + years of work experience can allow one to take up a master degree at local uni if the pre-requisites are met.
3. Changing career path (still art-related)
It's possible to change paths from design to fine arts. However, for a degree that lasts only for 1 year, it is impossible to acquire a decent knowledge at a degree level compared to the diploma stage in my opinion. Usually, the people who apply for the design degree e.g Spatial Design, have prior knowledge from the related course of study either from NAFA or other polys. 1 year is not enough but never said that it’s impossible and has been done over the years.
4. Increase in starting salary
Nobody says this when asked why they want to take the degree but I'm sure they want an increase in starting salary. If you have a fear of starting out with low pay and want to bump it up by sacrificing a short amount of time and money, go for it.

CONS
1.Not a legit degree
This isn’t a biased answer but an honest one. NAFA's degree is not a professional degree. 1-year won't be enough to acquire a lot of knowledge. There are no internships and full training of Softwares/techniques whatsoever. It's basically aimed at NAFA/poly students who have an existing skillset and internship experience during their diploma studies or international students with similar qualifications. I'm not discouraging anyone who wishes to take the degree because some companies do take in students and if they're lucky, they can work for them after graduation.
2. Not 100% applicable for postgraduate studies in Singapore
The local universities may not kindly cater to all NAFA degrees. A number of students after getting a NAFA degree would choose to study overseas to pursue a masters. If getting NAFA's degree is a mean of broadening your studying experience by going overseas, why not? One real-life example that I've heard of works is landscape and architecture diploma + Spatial Design degree + 3 years of work experience at a good company + an excellent portfolio which eventually led this person to enter NUS Masters in Landscape Architecture. Spatial Design has a chance for relevant postgraduate courses although this may not be the same for the other NAFA degrees.
3. Not worth if you are a Singaporean
The cost of NAFA's degree is considered affordable for an international student and it was practically built for them. If a Singaporean were to study at local uni for 3/4 years including subsidies + tuition grant for a design degree, it'd still be cheaper than a NAFA degree. Plus an actual degree from the public unis is still considered much valuable.

If you stand for better higher educational standards after staying there for 3 years, I say work hard and flee.

[2] Furthering studies at a local university
It’s not impossible. It was already allowed a million years ago. It just a matter of effort you put during your diploma years. The current standard at NAFA has dwindled where only less than 10 NAFA grads emerge victoriously so don't be surprised knowing that NAFA barely has high flyers, the school doesn't even push for it. Even my juniors don't know my degree existed 1 year ago...
2 things to note:

NAFA diploma is not allowed entry into many courses that are irrelevant from the diploma unless the GPA is high. The usual entry requirements are GPA 3.5-4.0 also dependent on the 10th percentile, juicy portfolio and testimonial (I didn't need it FYI)
Chances are higher for relevant degrees although any degree will definitely have entry requirements to meet. Some degrees require O level pass in elementary/additional math (they say they don't check anymore after 2019 but I don't want to play out my chances). I know of students who were optimistic about their GPA but they did not read the instructions beforehand.

You will be fighting with the best from poly, JC and beyond. Do your best to represent yourself as a student from NAFA and you'll find a way to stand out from the crowd.
A warning note to future/existing international NAFA students: I know most of y’all only started living in Singapore just before the beginning of the diploma. I don’t know whether your international qualifications can equate with O levels so consider your future plans in Singapore carefully. My dear international classmates weren’t called up for uni interview (GPA already wasn’t helping, no offence) and the super stringent admission criteria crippled their hopes. Many have remained in NAFA to do the 1-year degree or have returned to their home country. I cannot answer for employment rates. If neither one is the option you want to end up with, do take note.

[3] Finding Work
COVID really struck a lot of people hard. I can count the number of my coursemate who is employed with my 10 fingers or less. The full-time employment rate is terrible, believe it or not. The school hides it like the fine print in the student contract. Here in the Graduate Employment Survey, you can see the ending choices of NAFA graduates.
I really can't tell the success rate of one finding a job even based on IG stories itself. I see quite a number of freelancer or people doing other things. Who will remain in the same industry? The top 10% in the cohort but even the best have struggled or are still struggling to find a job. NAFA students are not only fighting among themselves, there are poly students with similarly named courses out there too with a proper educational lineup that a NAFA diploma can't compare with.
A portfolio is usually the passport for finding work and the past 3 years of study is meant to fill it up. Don't waste time being a stubborn student especially when you will be spending a lot of money to study. The best way to make yourself look hire-able is to definitely have good grades and a portfolio. Can't emphasise anything else other than that to convince the company to hire you.

Wrapping it up

NAFA is one of the schools that provides a unique and alternative route away from the usual poly lifestyle. I had some crazy times in there be it social life or workload. It isn't a bad school (I quote 5/10) but if you can work for what you love, you'll do just fine.
The Open House is open and I suggest for those interested to take a look. A whole bunch of admission guides are up for talks.
NAFA Virtual Open House
If you guys have any questions, comment down below so others can read or if you're shy, drop me a DM but I may be busy to reply. Thanks for dropping by!

The 2020 All-Underrated Team - Offense

Now that the season's wrapping up and the story of each player's season is about done, I thought it'd be fun to do an All-Pro team of all the most underrated players that shined in the 2020 season. I'll try to do players that are underrated in both the national spotlight, as well as this subreddit so it doesn't turn into a "Reddit's favorite underrated players" thread, but please post your own suggestions on who should make the team as I'm going to inevitably end up underrating players on the underrated team.
NOTE: A player being 2nd team behind another one in 1st team doesn't mean that I think the 1st team is player is better, but just more underrated.
QB: Derek Carr, Raiders
QB is generally the hardest to make an underrated pick for since all QBs get such a large amount of attention, but in a year where Carr came into the season with some people thinking he should be replaced, or Mariota should take over, or that he would never be good, he has responded with a return to form to his 2016 career year.
Let's get the stats out of the way to start this off. 8th in passer rating. 9th in ANY/A. 8th in DVOA. 9th in PFF grade. I would argue these are the 4 best "stat"-based indicators of good QBs, and Carr places top 10 in all of them. Mentioning Carr as a top 10 QB this season would get you a lot of weird looks, yet he's put up a top 10 passing offense with a supporting cast that is decidedly not top 10.
Carr is also top 10 in completion %, INT %, and Y/A. PFF tracks adjusted completion % which adjusts completion % for throwaways, spikes, drops, batted passes, and interfered passing attempts. Carr ranks as the 6th best QB here. People may also be familiar with expected points added per touch (EPA/play) and completion percentage over expectation (CPOE), Carr is top 10 in both of those as well. PFF also tracks deep ball stats for balls targeted more than 20 yards downfield. Here Carr is an excellent 4th in passer rating on deep balls, and an even better 2nd on deep ball accuracy (adjusted completion %) behind only Mayfield. His 14th overall deep ball attempts (55 attempts) show that this isn't just the result of never throwing it deep either.
Let's also talk a bit about Carr's supporting cast. The biggest names here are Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller. Jacobs, despite earning a Pro Bowl nod, has had a notable down year (along with the Raiders run blocking), and overall has led the team rushing offense to be the 25th rushing defense via DVOA. Waller is very obviously excellent and the 3rd best TE in the league behind only Kelce/Kittle, but as a top receiving option compared to other WRs, he's "merely good not great". But behind them he has an overperforming, yet mundane group of receivers. His entire WR corps is made up of Nelson Agholor, Hunter Renfrow, and rookie Henry Ruggs, after last year's leading WR Tyrell Williams went out for the season. A league average receiving corps at best, with depth the only standout factor. The offensive line isn't what it used to be with injuries to Trent Brown and Hudson coming down to earth a little bit. PFF's pass blocking stats and grades both place the Raiders' line in the 17-18 range in the league. With mediocrity all around him, Carr stands as the defining reason the pass offense has been as good as it is.
Carr's EPA/play doesn't drop (actually raises) compared to other QBs when not looking at plays when the game is between 20-80% win probability, so it's not like he's stat padding in garbage time. Carr's intended air yards per pass is 17th in the league, he's not just checking down the whole time. The more you look into it, the harder it gets to deny Carr's case as a top 10 QB this season, however ridiculous it may seem.
2nd Team: Kirk Cousins, Vikings
RB: Antonio Gibson, Football Team
As the season started, the presumed starting RB for fans who weren't paying too much attention to the WFT situation was still Adrian Peterson after coming off an impressive year for an elderly back, and reminding some people who he still was. However, after a surprise cut, Antonio Gibson was given the reins of the WFT run game, and he's taken it in stride beautifully.
This season, Gibson has been PFF's 8th best RB and 4th purely as a rusher. He's also been FO's 4th RB via DVOA, and 7th by it's volume equivalent, DYAR. He's averaging a very healthy 4.8 YPC, and has a solid 15th ranked success rate as a rusher (with 54% of his runs judged as a "success" given the down and distance of the play).
Gibson has been a tackle breaking machine when he runs, showing that he can run past what the line gives him. Among RBs with at least 100 runs, Gibson is 5th in forced miss tackles rate on runs (via both PFR's and PFF's independent tracking of broken/missed tackles).
He's also been good as a receiver, Gibson has the 5th highest PFF receiving grade, and is the 11th most efficient receiving RB (per yards/route run) right behind WFT receiving back JD McKissic. DVOA isn't the kindest to Gibson, suggesting that given the opposition/down/distance, Gibson isn't overperforming RB expectations or anything, but still being a reliable receiver with solid hands and good YAC ability is always a good thing to have as a RB.
And to top it all off, Gibson has done this with one of the worst QB situations in the entire league, and a receiving corps that has one great receiving threat and no one else. There's not really much for the defense to respect playing against Washington besides Gibson and Terry, and he's still having this type of success. His OL has some nice run blockers on it, but it's not like the line as a whole is a great unit either. He probably has the best argument for #2 rookie RB, and has also very arguably been a top 10 RB overall this season
2nd Team: Darrell Henderson, Rams
WR: Corey Davis, Titans/Nelson Agholor, Raiders
Both these players are known to be having strong bounce back years, but is it really known how strong of a bounce back year they're having? Let's start with Corey Davis, who has been the 2nd most efficient WR this season (2nd in yards/route run, 2nd in yards/target, 2nd in passer rating when targeted, and 2nd in receiving DVOA). He's also the 6th ranked WR by PFF grade, and 8th even in DVOA's volume equivalent, DYAR. With only one drop this entire season, and a respectable 5 TDs, Davis has been flying under the radar this season. Only Ridley, Davante, Hopkins, Kelce, Diggs, and Jefferson have more 100 yard games (FulleMetcalf/Beasley are tied). Granted he's had a top 5 QB with Tannehill, and having AJ Brown to share the field with and Henry to instill fear in the run game is a very ideal situation. But when you're putting up the 2nd best numbers for receiving efficiency, you deserve that top ~10ish WR level of respect.
Switching it up to Nelson Agholor now, the former joke of a WR has taken a situation that gave him another chance to shine and turned it to his full advantage. Finally blessed with a top 10 QB after catching passes from a QB that has since been benched (don't take this too seriously), Agholor has started to come alive going further into the season. He has so far been 5th in receiving DVOA and 15th in yards/route run. Agholor has a tendency of making his catches count, his 76.6% rate of getting a 1st down on each catch is 7th among 99 qualifying receivers. Add that onto a very impressive 8 TDs on 47 catches, and his catches tend to be bigger plays. Considering this is Agholor's first season with the Raiders, and COVID prevented normal offseason workouts, Agholor already being Carr's #1 WR and having such a strong start is promising for next season. If you look at Agholor's last 8 weeks of the season, he's been 7th in yards/route run among all WRs, so he seems to have gotten even better when given the proper time to adjust to Gruden's system and get chemistry with Carr. The "but" for Agholor has always been drops, and that is no exception with 8 drops this season via PFF. But he's been a good WR1 despite that, and if he can lessen that number as he gets more comfortable on the Raiders offense, he's due to be a good WR1 for them.
2nd Team: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers/Tee Higgins, Bengals
SLOT: Cole Beasley, Bills
Beasley has been a fan favorite on the Cowboys and now the Bills, but it's not just that now that Beasley is having his best season ever at the prime age of 31. With 89% of his receiving snaps in the slot (3rd in the whole NFL), Beasley is the definition of a pure slot receiver. And he has dominated that role like no other. Among the 31 qualifying receivers that spend at least 50% of their time in the slot, Beasley's 2.31 yards per route run while in the slot leads the NFL. The next best mark is Landry with 2.07, more than 10% lower. On 78 catches in the slot, he has 0 drops. He's tied with Keenan Allen for the best PFF grade among slot receivers (84.9), and Allen only plays 51.9% of his snaps in the slot. The next "pure slot receiver" by PFF grade would be Tyler Boyd (77.5 at 85.5% of snaps in the slot).
2nd Team: Curtis Samuel, Panthers
TE: Dallas Goedert, Eagles
If the Eagles are a factory, they are a TE factory. It's not common for a franchise to get back to back top 5 TEs, but the Eagles have managed with Ertz before this, and now Goedert. Goedert is looked upon well by people who know him, though the common "ism" for TEs is that there's Kelce/Kittle at the top, than Waller, than the rest. I would say that along with Andrews, Goedert is solidly in that 5th spot. Let's start out with his blocking because he leads the NFL in PFF run blocking grade this year, and was 2nd last year (1st among receiving TEs). Goedert makes an impact in the run game with plays like this where he immediately is able to push his man back 5 yards clearing a lane for a big almost to the goal line. Combine this with him being 9th in yards per route run, 10th in receiving DVOA, and 10th in PFF receiving grade (all with garbage QB play), he establishes himself as a rare combination of prowess in the receiving and blocking game that cements him as a top 5 TE in this league.
2nd Team: Robert Tonyan, Packers
LT: Garrett Bolles, Broncos
Having finally moved past the issue that was holding him back, Bolles has launched himself straight into the elite tier of LTs in the league, an extremely impressive accomplishment given the quality of LT play this year as opposed to previous years (from Bakhtiari and the NFCW LTs of Trent, Duane, Whitworth, and Humphries). He is 3rd in PFF grade among all OTs (Trent/Bakh). He and Bakh are also the only two tackles that are top 5 in run blocking and pass pro grades. He has the best pass blocking efficiency in the entire league (sacks and other hurries allowed per snap), with no sacks allowed this season among 537 pass pro snaps, absolute absurdity. I mean just watch Bolles almost single handedly take care of both players on a stunt here to give Lock the time to throw a beautiful pass to Xavien Howard. Or better, watch him place Noah Fant on his correct blocking assignment while making sure his man is blocked here. The plays here also underline how Garrett Bolles has had a terrible cast around here, and still has managed to look so good, getting those pass protection numbers while trying to protect for Lock is rough. Talk of the magic Munchak has been able to do with Bolles has already started circling fans, but this is a dude that should be talked about in the All-Pro conversation.
2nd Team: D.J. Humphries, Cardinals
LG: Justin Pugh, Cardinals
At left guard, we'll put up a pass protecting specialist with Justin Pugh. Pugh really hasn't been anything special in the run game, but in the pass game, he has been great to elite. 6th best PFF pass pro grade, 4th best pass blocking efficiency, 3rd best ESPN PBWR, 3 completely separate metrics, all point to him being at the highest level of pass protection ability among guards in the league. Add in the context that he is tasked with protecting Kyler Murray, whose constant scrambling makes it harder for an O-lineman to ensure that their QB isn't being pressured, and it's clear that Pugh has done something special as a pass protector this season. It's harder to find pass pro highlights, but after going through film of Pugh against the Niners week 1, he's just a stone wall for pass rushers. His play isn't particularly flashy, but great length and arm placement ensure that pass rushers never get close enough with good position to utilize their full arsenal of pass rushing moves.
2nd Team: Laken Tomlinson, 49ers
C: Corey Linsley, Packers
If you coordinated a poll where you asked who the best player at each position was, center would probably have the largest variety of answers among the offense/defense positions. The reason Linsley is here though, is he is doing his best this season to change that. League best 90.3 PFF grade at center, the next best is 80.3 (Frank Ragnow). That grade consists of a top 3 pass protection grade, the best run blocking grade, and a very low 2 penalties on the season. ESPN, through their completely independent pass block win rate/rush block win rate, has Linsley 5th and 1st respectively, no one else is top 5 in both. Football Outsider's on their independent adjusted line yards formula (how much the line contributes to the rushing yards, as opposed to the rusher), has Packers' runs towards the middle of their line ranked 4th in the league. That's 3 extremely different sources, with completely independent methods of evaluation, all coming together with this good of an opinion unanimously on just one center: Corey Linsley. The type of center that can one arm run block Danny Shelton while on the run so his other arm can prepare to lock up Jamie Collins while he passes Shelton to Elgton Jenkins
2nd Team: Chase Roullier, Football Team
RG: Shaq Mason, Patriots
If I'm being honest, there aren't a lot of options here, RG is pretty fairly evaluated with the best players here being stars among the guard world (Wyatt Teller, Zack Martin, Brandon Scherff). But Shaq Mason gets a shout out here after coming back from a terrible start to last season in 2019. That start got him to a point where he was known for being bad for awhile, and has had to put in work to get rid of that conception. His 3rd highest PFF run blocking grade sees him have a return to his dominance in the run game. That and only having 2 penalties on the year pushes him up to the 4th highest overall PFF grade among all guards, and 3rd among RGs. Football Outsider's also recognizes the Patriots IOL as the 3rd best one to run behind via their adjusted line yards metric. Mason and the rest of that Patriots OL are a big reason why the Patriots run game headed by Damien Harris can be so potent.
2nd Team: Chris Lindstrom, Falcons
RT: Michael Onwenu, Patriots
The way to my heart for an O-lineman is positional flexibility. Onwenu has played 1 game at LG, 1 game at RG, 1 game at LG/RT, 2 games at RG/RT, 1 game at LG/RG/RT, and the remaining 9 games at RT, and has looked like a stud doing it while being a 6th round rookie. It's actually absurd watching Onwenu start building a case to be the best Patriots 6th rounder in their rich history. He's a perfect fit for the Patriots offense, with his 6th best run blocking grade (2nd among RTs) bumping him up to a 7th based overall grade (1st among RTs). His 33rd ranked pass blocking grade (11th among RTs) among RTs is just good not great, but his pass blocking efficiency is an amazing 6th among all OTs (4th among RTs) and it's important to keep in mind that he achieved all this while playing 3 different OL positions throughout the year. Just enjoy him wiping out 2 linebackers with one hand each, or wiping out Nnadi here with a surprise block. However, it doesn't get much better than Onwenu absolutely clearing a lane for Cam Newton.
2nd Team: Taylor Moton, Panthers

UC Bearcats 2021 Draft Prospects

The Current State Of RDO For Veterans, Casuals & Newcomers Alike.

I've seen a lot of back and forth between veteran players, casuals & newcomers alike about this update, Rockstar and the game in general. Some are against thier actions, some defend them and some are neutral. Personally I love the game I played during BETA and now on PC, but I also despise it for it's issues. This latest update feeling like one big warning to stop playing altogether. For now, I'm taking a break from playing. So I've compiled and left a list of issues, general facts and lack-of for people to better judge & talk about the current situation of the game below:
•Online was first released in BETA November 2018, during BETA they introduced Microtransactions with a very scarce amount of content.
•Online later came out of BETA in May 2019 still scarce in content, and then in September it's first major update introducing 3 core roles.
•As a comparison to GTA Online, RDO lacks the Rockstar Editor, Creator Mode, Private Free Roam, aim locked Free Roam/PVP Modes (Free Aim or Auto Aim) & even text chat on PC.
•There was a 7 month period with no news or any information about an update alongside the community protesting as clowns to garner some communication from Rockstar to no avail.
•The collector role was nerfed/randomized due to how rockstar underestimated the ingenuity of the community, one of the main reasons being it was the best paying and easiest to do with a player guided map. Rather than also balancing other roles to make them equal. Such as bounty targets/target rewarding a measly $2
•Naturalist update releases, a sort of rehash of the collector role that lacks in useful content such as re-skins of the exact same legendary coat, being punished for killing animals despite a separate role & dailies that depend on it, pumping animals full of 20 rounds of sedative ammo just to take a sample, overpriced tonics & gold pamphlets that allow you to become an animal in a limited area for a limited amount of time for seemingly no purpose.
•We get outlaw passes, limited time content that relies solely on purchased or earned Gold along with XP or gold rank ups. This taking up a decent portion of content that people tend to get fixated on. This tactic alongside limited time stock clothing is just to put pressure on the purchase of Gold Bars (If you're running low) and to keep player numbers afloat for a longer period. (Fallout 76 has a similar tactic with Atomic Shop Items only being available for a limited time and the Legendary Run) We even have/had legendary bounties, emotes and legendary animals drip fed to us to drag out the update.
•Most of the new content that is added is either locked behind a Role or the Outlaw pass, hair styles, clothing, skills, horses, weapon styles, even emotes and walking styles. So essentially, we have to pay to unlock content so we can then buy or earn said content in game. Sounds a lot like buying a DLC pack with extra steps (As a comparison to GTA Online they can get 200+ new clothing options, hair styles, multiple vehicles, emotes, weapons, walking styles and tattoos immediately available to purchase or are free such as emotes and walking styles)
•There was a period after a botched update for about 1 to 2 days where the game was utterly broken and couldn't actually be played on consoles, they eventually reverted to a previous patch. People lost hard earned streaks and got no compensation for their screw up unless directly reported on an individual basis.
•There is often rampant hacking with modders even being able to stop themselves from being reported and being able to crash your system or boot you from a session, alongside bad Peer to Peer connection rather than dedicated servers. Hackers have even gotten players banned for tricking people into opening nearby illegitimate spawned treasure chests.
•There are many bugs and glitches that still haven't been patched to this day. Not to mention new bugs that come with new updates. For instance: (Not being rewarded XP & money, gold bar coupons not being rewarded, the infamous hanging gun bug, black screens, crashing, not being rewarded money for sales, NPC's suddenly firing their whole clip at you within less than a second, cloth wraps reverting to a different colour, gun belts floating, UI Errors such as not being able to use coupons or browse the full selection of bar decor and much more)
•Next to no advertising or info about this latest update before it released besides a small paragraph at the end of a social club post about the $5 Sale Of RDO. GTA Online on the other hand getting 3 in-game teases and 2 separate video teasers and a main post introducing a new island to a game that has been around for 7 years and 3 console generations now.
•We now have the daily challenge nerf that not only resets your streak automatically but is also rewarding half as much gold. As an example, with the old system if you did 5 daily challenges a day for 4 weeks you'd end up with 49 gold. If you did the same with the new system you'll get 24 gold. If you were to stay at the same pace and do 5 challenges a day with the new system you'd have to do it for 8 weeks straight or alternatively 10 challenges a day for 4 weeks to earn the same as the old system.
•With this latest update, technically they've added time limited pay-to-win skills/benefits behind an outlaw pass. Standard Ammo Capacity Upgrades, multiple meat cooking and wilderness camp fast travel (Outlaw Pass 5 has also leaked and is in the game files and has further ammo skill upgrades included such as arrows and varmint ammo) That's a slippery slope that could potentially lead to bigger and better things being P2W.
•We have to pay an extra 15 Gold towards the "Prestigious Bounty Hunter License" despite having already bought a license for the role.
This update alongside the standalone sale of RDO is nothing but a way to draw in and nickel & dime new unaware players of thier money. All the new players lured in by a cheap game will most likely know nothing of what the game was previously like. I saw one post of someone on here who bought it and spent £45 on gold bars to get the pass, roles and also advance the pass. And he didn't yet receive his free gold bar benefit tokens back from it. Don't forget that everyone before this had paid upwards of £45 or £89 for the base game or ultimate edition which includes Online benefits.
"It's free content bro, quit complaining" Just because it's technically free does not mean it's exempt from criticism. Especially being a live service game & the way they market and dish out their content. Might as well BE a paid DLC pack.
"You're just entitled gamers who want everything free and easy" At the end of the day it's a game, we play it because we want to have fun or to escape from the realities of day to day life. Not to feel like we're working a minimum wage job to survive. Why would you defend a nerf that makes the game harder not just for veterans but newcomers alike and sucks the general enjoyment out of the experience?
"They need money to give us free content bro" If that's the case, then the online content and live service they're currently providing people is pretty lacking and crap, plain and simple. If anything spending money towards the game in it's current state is only going to encourage them to stick with their new strategy. That being said, not everything they do is terrible. Some changes are good, such as the new $$$ bounties.
At the end of the day, we shouldn't be FORCED into a harder grind experience just to HOPE for some good future content. You can clearly see what title Rockstar & Take Two favor most, GTA Online their cash cow. If the content they put out for RDO was actually decent and bug free there wouldn't be this much uproar from everyone. People might actually be more inclined to buy gold bars if the content was good and consistent. If we're expected to further fund the content online they should at the very least listen and communicate with the community. They're a multi million/billion dollar studio, not a small indie dev team. I'm sure they can afford to produce better content and live services than what's currently available for a AAA experience.
The game is a bit like a slot machine, you can pay little for lesser reward but loose less cash (Grind) or double down for improved reward but bigger loss (Pay for gold) Either way when the wheels stop (Content Update) You're gunna get something, but it doesn't mean it's going to be what you wanted or what you were hoping for no matter what option you choose.

Moving into High-Level PvE: Guide for Beginners (Part 2, Season 12 update)

See part 1 of the guide here: https://www.reddit.com/DestinyTheGame/comments/k5fxg5/moving_into_highlevel_pve_guide_for_beginners/

Part 2: Weapons and Weapons Mods

Though the weapons meta changes season by season, depending on buffs, nerfs, and other changes made by the Bungie gods, you can expect a few things to stay consistently true.

For both raids and nightfalls/nightmare hunts, you will want to fill out your seasonal artifact to make sure that you have access to any important mods that it makes available. For Season 12 the champion weapon mods are in the first row (except for the shotgun mod, in the last row). Thermal Overload (fourth row) is important, and Surge Eater is also quite good for grenade refresh on champion disruption.
Exotic weapons that affect champions matter a lot: Eriana’s Vow (affects Barrier champions), Lament (Barrier), and Divinity (Overload) and Leviathan’s Breath (Unstoppable). Of these three Eriana’s and Divinity are really important; Lament does great single-burst damage, but requires you to be awfully close to champions to use it.
High burst damage (single-shot) weapons will be important. Right now these include, among exotics, Izanagi’s Burden, Eyes of Tomorrow, and Wardcliff Coil, as well as the swords Fallen Guillotine and Lament.
Sustained DPS weapons will be important. These are weapons that do significant damge per shot and have a large magazine or reload perks that allow them to maximize the DPS they do. Given the current reload meta, Xenophage is crucial to have; Whisper of the Worm fits in this category as well. Prospector is a slightly off-meta weapon that also does good sustained DPS. Many slug shotguns are also very good—Bonechiller (void), Heritage (kinetic) are both new in Season 12 and do excellent damage. And snipers, especially snipers with large magazines and perks like Triple Tap, can also be viable in certain situations.
If an important weapon has a catalyst, you need to have it and complete it.
Certain perks are far more useful in PvE than PvP. These include auto-reloading holsters, especially for special and heavy weapons, Overflow, and Disruption Break, again useful for Barrier champions. Recuperation is a great perk on slug shotguns like Heritage as it can give you up to 12 in the magazine.
High-end content will usually include the Match Game modifier, which means that enemy shields must be broken by weapons of the same type (void, arc, or solar). Having a reasonable range of weapons in these types—especially in the weapons that help you deal with champions (autos, hand cannons, scouts, and pulses in Season 12)—is part of being a flexible and good teammate. Only being able to run one loadout is … suboptimal.

For right now, season 12, here are the top five must-have exotic weapons:
Divinity
Why it’s good: Divinity stuns Overload champions and produces a 30% damage debuff on any mob it hits. It combines very well with snipers since the damage field it creates means that you do not have to hit critical spots on mobs to get critical damage (especially nice on console). In six-person content having a Divinity effectively adds about 0.7 people’s worth of damage to the fireteam (5 people x 30% = 150%, plus the damage Divinity does which is worth another little bit). In three-person content Divinity allows hard-hitting weapons like Izanagi’s to quickly bring down Barrier, Overload, and Unstoppable champions.
How to get it: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-08-destiny-2-divinity-quest-divine-fragmentation-6007
What replaces it: the debuff function of Divnity can be replaced with a hunter tether or a top-tree solar Titan shoulder charge. The overload stunning function can be replaced with Overload grenades or a seasonal weapon mod. Debuffs caused by stasis do not benefit the entire fireteam, only the caster, and so replace it only partially.
Izanagi’s Burden
Why it’s good: with the catalyst, an Izanagi’s Honed Edge shot does the damage of six single shots instantly. Paired with Divinity this makes Izanagi’s the fastest/best burst damage weapon in the game. Unfortunately a major nerf in season 10 means that the weapon’s reload speed is not fast enough to make it ideal for sustained DPS damage. But it’s still good. Two Izanagi’s shots plus Divinity is enough to kill a champion in a master nightfall, and to bring one down to about 20% health in a grandmaster.
How to get it: from the exotic vendor in the tower.
What replaces it: nothing, though on PC, where controlling weapons is easier, you can get off six or seven shots on a Vorpal sniper fast enough to come close. Whisper of the Worm if you hit all your crits (to trigger auto reload) does very good damage but nothing like the instant burst of the Izanagi’s. Izanagi’s was for a while the meta for many raid boss fights but has been replaced by other weapons on this list, though it’s still pretty good.
Note that without the catalyst Izanagi’s only does 5x damage on Honed Edge shots, making it less good.
Eriana’s Vow
Why it’s good: it breaks barriers on Barrier champions at range; the buff it gets from hitting crits on your first and subsequent shots makes it a pretty decent damage-dealer as well. In seasons where anti-barrier mods are associated only with short-range weapons (as in Season 10, when they were on sidearms and SMGs) Eriana’s is a must for dealing with Barrier champions.
How to get it: from the exotic vendor in the tower.
What replaces it: anything with anti-barrier rounds. For season 12, that’s pulse rifles or SMGs (but the latter are hampered by having to be used close-range, especially on console), or you can use the heavy attack of the Lament exotic sword.
Without the catalyst Eriana’s does not autoreload and only has 6 (instead of 9) in the mag, making it much worse.
Xenophage
Why it’s good: it’s basically a grenade launcher combined with a machine gun. It does very good sustained DPS over the magazine, but suffers from two drawbacks: incredibly slow reload speed and a lack of critical damage. That means that Xeno combines well with the Titan exotic Actium War Rig (which reloads it as it fires) or the Hunter dodge reload, and also with Divinity, which gives it a nice damage boost. Xenophage is sustained boss DPS king right now, not because it does the absolute best damage but because it does great damage and is very easy to use.
How to get it: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-29-destiny-2-xenophage-quest-6007
What replaces it: Whisper of the Worm, in situations requiring sustained boss damage (final boss of Garden of Salvation, e.g.). Also fast-firing grenade launchers with autoreloading holsters.
Anarchy
Why it’s good: Set it and forget it! Anarchy is the best damage-over-time (DoT) weapon in the game. Put two grenades on a boss, walk around a corner, and emote as the health goes down. More generally Anarchy allows you to do boss damage while paying attention to your surroundings and dealing with adds. It’s especially useful in solo content as a result, where you can lay two Anarchy shots on a boss and then hide behind cover or deal with other adds. Anarchy also allows you to control space and quickly deal with low-level mobs by tracing patterns on the floor for them to walk into.
How to get it: exotic vendor in the Tower.
What replaces it: Witherhoard can do similar DoT and low-level add control work, though it’s much less powerful.
Some other weapons are important to have and very useful in limited situations. These include:
Lament
Why it’s good: Lament is a very fun exotic sword-slash-chainsaw that does the highest burst damage in the game. Over time the need to wait for the heavy attack to recharge brings its overall damage down, but if you need to do max damage in a second or two, then this is a great weapon for you. It’s useful, for instance, in the Atraks encounter of the Deep Stone Crypt raid that reason.
The downside of Lament is that it takes up an exotic slot that might better be used on something else. At reasonable light levels (1250 or so, relative to the 1230 Atraks encounter) Fallen Guillotine does enough damage in similar situations so that Lament can feel more like a luxury than a necessity.
Where to get it: https://www.fanbyte.com/guides/destiny-2-lost-lament-quest-guide-all-the-lament-exotic-quest-steps/
What replaces it: Fallen Guillotine or possibly another slightly less good sword with Whirlwind Blade perk.
Whisper of the Worm
Why it’s good: it’s a hard-hitting, three-round sniper that reloads automatically from reserves if you hit all three crit shots. That makes it very useful for sustained boss DPS in situations where you can be pretty sure of hitting your crits: Morgeth encounter in Last Wish (or, in season 11, the boss in Scourge, or the tanks in the Zero Hour mission). It also comes from doing one of the most fun missions in the game, which has now sadly been moved to the content vault.
How to get it: the exotic vendor in the Tower (actually not? Sadly.)
What replaces it: any number of things in the list above.
Without the catalyst Whisper is less good; with the catalyst you get a significant damage bonus after aiming down sights for a few seconds before firing.
Wardcliff Coil
Why it’s good: it’s basically a shotgun rocket launcher that does great close-range damage. It’s very useful when you can tackle a boss at short range, and when you don’t blow yourself up with it.
How to get it: world drop
What replaces it: a grenade launcher with auto-loading holster, kind of.
Eye of Tomorrow
What about this weapon? It sounds amazing but early data seems to show that it will not be great for boss damage. It might however turn out to be really good for killing champions. More research is needed.
How to get it: chance to drop from final encounter in DSC
What replaces it: ???
Useful Legendary Weapons
Having a good slug shotgun for damage in the Deep Stone Crypt raid is very nice. Options include Bonechiller and Heritage, as well as First In Last Out. Look for reload perks or perks that increase magazine size.
Likewise, a good sniper with Vorpal Weapon and Triple Tap can come in handy for certain boss damage situations. Against barrier champions, weapons with Disruption Break are useful; the Ikelos SMG can drop with this, as can the Jian-7 pulse rifle.
The other absolutely critical weapon to own is the sword Fallen Guillotine, ideally with Whirlwind and Relentless Strikes.
Exotic Primary Weapons that Heal
For raid encounters where you don’t need boss damage (Gauntlet in Leviathan, first and second encounters in Garden of Salvation, many others), you can also run exotic primary weapons that help keep you alive: Crimson (heal on kill), Rat King (heal/invis on kill, with catalyst), Suros Regime (occasional heal on kill, especially with catalyst), or Vigilance Wing (heals when a teammate dies). In general you don’t want to waste an exotic slot on a primary weapon but if you’re not doing boss damage that’s fine. These can all be useful for the first three encounters of Deep Stone Crypt, if you’re having trouble staying alive. In sublight content (1280 lost sectors, grandmaster nightfalls) you won’t kill things fast enough to make these kinds of weapons worth it, but they can be very useful when soloing dungeons (Rat King is great for the Totem encounter in the Pit of Heresy, for example).

Weapons Mods

The only enemy-specific weapons mod is Taken Spec, which comes in handy in all sorts of high-end content involving Taken enemies (it does 10% more damage). Other than that a good selection of Boss, Major, and Minor spec (each does 7.5% more damage) will tend to be the most useful.
Remember also (and see above) that your weapons are very much affected by your armor mods, and that you will need to set up your armor mods with reload, reserves, and/or dexterity perks that affect your current loadout.
Also, an important note: champions, though they are yellow-bar enemies, count as majors. So Major Spec is the way to go here.

The Current Metas (Season 12)

These are the dominant strategies, not the only strategies. But they’re what you can expect when joining an LFG group.
Last Wish: right now Fallen Guillotine or Lament work for essentially every encounter. With Shuro Chi it’s nice to have one person running Thunderlord for low-level add clear. Having at least one well is useful. For Morgeth encounter you can also use Whisper, especially if you are on a Petra’s Run and don’t want things to be as risky as they are behind the back. For the final encounter (not legit, but cheesed) having a debuff of some kind (Divinity, or a hunter tether) is very important.
Garden of Salvation: For the first two encounters anything goes, with swords doing some good work. For third encounter use Xenophage or Whisper plus a Divinity; for final encounter same thing, except that you can just tether the boss and skip the Divinity. Warlocks are better off using 1000 Voices for final encounter instead as the Xenophage reload is too slow.
Deep Stone Crypt: This raid is nice because it accepts a wide variety of loadouts. For the first encounter, fuses can be broken by one Celestial Nighthawk shot, by Xenophage, or by any slug or pellet shotgun (especially one with autofire). In the second, swords like Lament or Fallen Guillotine are the way to go for quick replicant damage; Jotunn is an easy way to kill servitors from afar. For the final stand encounter (upstairs in space) one Celestial Nighthawk shot is almost enough to end the encounter on the first replicant, saving you lots of panicked running around. For the third encounter anything goes; for the final encounter someone needs to be running Divinity, and then damage can be done with Xenophage, slug or pellet shotguns, and snipers. It’s nice to save a Celestial for the final stand mechanic.
Shattered Throne (solo): Sniper rifles for first encounter and second. Be patient! Vorgeth is the difficult piece here. Part of soloing dungeons is recognizing that Bungie puts in sections with trash mobs that are specifically designed for you to fill your special and heavy ammo reserves; use them accordingly. My warlock guide is here: https://www.reddit.com/DestinyTheGame/comments/cohz2w/solo_shattered_throne_flawless_onephase_vorgeth/. The guide is out of date as the mods have all changed; I would make sure you’re running Concussive Dampener and Sniper for the first couple encounters.
Pit of Heresy (solo): The difficult encounter is the third one. Having a way to heal (devour Warlock, punchy Titan) or be invis (Hunter) or both (use Rat King with catalyst) is crucial. Xenophage makes short work of boomers, as does Izanagi. For boss damage in final encounter groups use a well or bubble and swords; for solo I prefer Anarchy and Loaded Question. Hive mods a must. My guide for Hunters is here: https://www.reddit.com/DestinyTheGame/comments/f5lo0p/solo_flawless_pit_of_heresy_hunter_guide_fo The guide is out of date as the mods have all changed; I would make sure you’re running Concussive Dampener and Arc Resist for the first couple encounters, as the loss of Hive Armaments and Hive Barrier are going to make life a bit more difficult.
Prophecy (solo): The easiest loadout used to involve Mountaintop and Anarchy. Since Mountaintop has been sunset you will have to try other things, like Xenophage, Witherhoard, Riskrunner, Fallen Guillotine, and even Trinity Ghoul for certain sections. Jotunn can also work especially in groups. One thing we don’t know about Prophecy (which is expected to return sometime this year) is how it will be affected by the loss of several key mods, including Taken Barrier and Taken Armaments. Will Bungie adjust the difficulty to reflect the change in the ability to resist damage? We’ll have to see. For now begin with a plan to use Solar and Concussive resist mods, and work from there.
GM NFs: The key here is to adjust loadout and mods to mob type. Depending on the nightfall boss damage can involve Fallen Guillotine (Lake of Shadows) or Wardcliff Coil (Strange Terrain) or Izanagi’s Burden (Festering Core) or Xenophage (The Corrupted) … or something else. Plan accordingly. The loss of Mountaintop and Loaded Question mean that new metas will emerge this season, but it is not yet clear what they are. I will post a more detailed GM NF guide after we’ve had a chance to try things out.
For now: much of your loadout consideration here will depend on the type of champions. For Overload Champions, Divinity is incredibly useful. It combines well with Izanagi’s Burden so you’ll often see a two Izanagi’s, one Divinity loadout. Having a second person run a scout with Overload rounds can be a godsend here. For Unstoppable champions you’ll want a pulse r hand cannon (and probably two people with this). Since they don’t heal they are in some respects the easiest champion to deal with. As for Barriers, the Divinity/Izanagi combo works well as long as you have Pulse Rifles (season 12) to break the bubbles, unless it turns out that Eriana’s Vow works better than pulses for some champions. We’ll see.
The other thing to remember is that since Match Game is on you will have to be able to break whatever shields there are.
In terms of subclasses: it is very rare to see anything other than void Hunters, void Titans, and void and solar Warlocks. In season 11 that’s especially true because of the presence of the Oppressive Darkness buff, but even in season 10 you didn’t see much else. Remember that in season 12 stasis grenades stun Overload champions and also stop Barrier champions from putting up their shields, so those classes may turn out to be very useful.
Last note: one of the weird things about these nightfalls is that the strategy tends to be split into two very different experiences: getting to the boss fight, which involves dealing with lots of champions, and then the boss fight itself. So for example in Strange Terrain Wardcliff Coil allows you to three-phase the boss, which makes things much easier, but it’s more or less useless against champions, so you have to figure out a loadout that works for the champions (auto rifles for barriers, e..g), which occupy the first twenty minutes of the strike.
Nightmare Hunts (time-trial): Most of these don’t have void shields, so you can spec into arc and solar. If you commit to a full invisibility strategy (which probably requires two bottom-tree void Hunters) you can skip all the champions, but I always find it easier just to figure out how to kill them and move forward. Many of the hunts have a safe area in the final boss fight where you can hide or at least control the flow of enemies toward you. Having a well and a tether is very useful here, and the Nightmare Breaker mod is incredibly useful for getting rid of those pesky solar shields.
Solo Lost Sectors: Here Anarchy really is your best friend. There are other options but making sure you can break all the shields you need to break (usually arc and solar) and that you can get champions stunned or barriers broken before they heal (which often means making sure you won’t have to reload at a stupid time) will really help. I have found that stasis classes, because of the grenade mods and the fact that the duskfield grenade keeps barrier champions from popping their barriers, are easier than others. Most of these are doable, with some practice, once you’re 20 power levels below them (so, 1260 for the 1280), and become much easier as you level up.
Master Empire Hunts: With an organized fireteam of three people 20 levels below the activity you should be able to handle things. I’ve found Eriana’s Vow surprisingly useful in these; Anarchy also is great for putting damage on stuff and getting into cover. The auto rifle Overload rounds often put you too close to the action, and seem kind of finicky; I prefer Scout, at least for now, as it more reliably stuns Overloads and keeps them overloaded and not healing. Without Anarchy I think you want to look at Witherhoard as a useful damage over time weapon, or consider having someone run Lament as an invis Hunter so that you can get close to Barriers without dying. I do think that the Barrier champions are by far the most difficult to deal with. The fact that you can bait Overload champions towards you and around a corner, where they can be stunned and then quickly killed with swords, makes them much easier to handle.

Q&A

What’s one thing I should do differently in PvE?

Throw more grenades! Most people underuse their grenades because normal-level PvE content means that grenades kill most stuff too slowly relative to SMGs, sidearms, shotguns, fusions, and so on. But they’re really useful in high-level/sublight content, where you’re almost always going to be at auto-rifle range, or farther.

What’s the one thing I can do to improve in raids?

Stop dying. Especially in the more recent raids, from Scourge of the Past forward (including Crown of Sorrow and Garden of Salvation) one player death during the third or fourth encounters can lead to a cascading series of disasters from which it is very difficult to recover. Likewise in DSC an Operator death at the wrong time in the fourth encounter, or a Suppressor death at the wrong time in the third or fourth encounters, can quickly produce a wipe.
Learn the map so you can use cover as you move; learn the spawns so you know when an Ogre will appear and are ready to kill it (rather than get melted because you were not aware it was going to be there); learn to avoid Taken blights and phalanxes and boss stomps that will slam you into a wall and kill you.
Stop being surprised when you die… so often that I hear someone complaining that they don’t know how they died, or that it’s unfair that the stomp or the phalanx one-shot them by bumping them into a corner. First of all you need to know what killed you or you can’t improve. Second of all it should really not take too many times of being booped into a corner to realize that this kind of thing is part of the game… and it means that you need to know where the boss stomp radius is (as in the final encounter of the Pit of Heresy) and where the phalanxes are, so that you can avoid them.

What’s the second thing I can to improve in raids?

Learn all the roles. It’s very easy to get comfortable with whatever role you have the first time you run the raid, and never do anything else. But it makes it harder for everyone else if they have to adjust to you. Some roles are more mechanical or combat difficult than others (for instance holding down the fourth corner in the second encounter of Garden, or running upstairs Scanner during the Atraks encounter of DSC); you can work your way up to them. Knowing how to do everything means that it’s easier for you to cover for your teammates when something goes wrong (and it will go wrong). If you’ve never gathered motes in the GoS boss encounter, for instance, and all of a sudden someone needs to jump through the portal to get another 10 motes because you had a sacrifice, you want to be ready to do that job. And likewise if you’ve never built ground, you can’t help if one of the defenders goes down and the other one needs you. Being a good teammate means understanding other people’s jobs as well as your own.

What are the important weapons/damage synergies?

The most important one is the Divinity/Izanagi’s combo. Three people who can put a Divinity bubble on a champion and then hit it with two Izanagi’s crit shots within a second of each other will really be able to do well in high-end nightfall content. Less important but useful is knowing how and when to take advantage of debuffs like champion stuns or Titan Melting Points—making sure you’re in a position to use as much of the debuff time as possible as efficiently as possible.

What are some important class synergies?

Beyond the obvious super-based ones (wells, bubbles and tethers), many of these belong to Warlocks, who tend (in my experience) to underuse healing grenades and ought generally to throw them at their teammates more often. Similarly Warlocks tend to cast their healing rifts when they need them. Cast them when your teammates might need them! As for Titans, they heal their fireteam on melee kills (top tree void) or grenade damage (middle tree void); be aware that you can use these skills strategically to help your teammates survive. Likewise with barricades, which can be critical in securing a rez or keeping someone alive after they’re rezzed. As for Hunters, beyond the obvious invisibility perks, I would say that they tend really to underuse smoke bombs in PvE—they can be critical in add control by giving your group time to breathe and pick off adds one by one.
Part of the reason to get better at this game is to get good enough so that you’re not playing just for yourself, but for others—to master your class so that it not only keeps you alive and doing good damage but helps your fireteam do those things too.

Above-light raids and sublight nightfalls/nightmare hunts: which is harder?

Raids when you are higher light level than the enemies are mainly a matter of experience, teamwork, and communication. You will engage ordinary mobs at short ranges and can use a much wider range of weapons. Sublight and/or solo content requires you absolutely to prioritize your health, which means using cover and abilities to stay alive as much as possible, engaging enemies at range and using movement to avoid fire. The latter is definitely harder and requires a real focus on gear and mods to make sure you’re giving yourself every advantage you can.
That said, part of building up good PvE gear is to give you the bonuses and boosts you need to help you stay alive in raids so that you can focus on learning the mechanics and doing boss damage. So you want a good set, even if you’re above light, because that will help you focus on the important stuff you need to learn, instead of worrying about dying.

How do I get the materials I need to upgrade all my armor?

The easiest thing to do is to farm the final encounter of the Pit of Heresy three times a week. Dismantling the crappy armor you get there will give you 18 enhancement prisms, the equivalent of 1.8 ascendant shards (10 prisms + 50k glimmer + planetary mats gets you one shard from the Gunsmith). Since masterworking one piece of armor costs 1.5 shards (1 shard plus 5 prisms) that will allow you to masterwork six pieces of armor every five weeks. (Thanks to bundleman for this info.)
Otherwise, the best way to get Ascendant Shards is to do grandmaster nightfalls, or to farm master (1280) nightfalls once you’re close enough in light to that number to make those easy. The other way is go flawless in Trials. So you’re probably best off farming the 1280 nightfalls.

This guide didn’t talk about something I’d like to hear more about. Or you didn’t tell people about some weapon/class/ability situation I think is important!

Well, yes. It’s already 8,000 words long. But if you post in the comments people will read them, and if I edit the document to reflect your suggestion, I’ll make sure to credit you! So please give me feedback.
Ciborium616 / Journeyers clan / https://www.bungie.net/en/ClanV2/Chat?groupId=4442617

Season in Review

Keep your heads up, flock. This was literally the weirdest NFL season of all time. For us to do this well with this young of a team bodes well for our future. This is a long ass post, thanks for reading.

Offensive Line

These units need time to gel and develop. With so many new faces, the significantly condensed off-season and lack of pre-season made things very difficult for this group.
Losing Stanley halfway through the year when things were finally starting to come together threw another wrench into the machine.
Multiple new players, rookies, and a center coming back from a nightmare injury - not ideal for a season with little to no prep. I liked DeCosta's approach because the cap was so tight and it would have worked had Stanley not been injured. But we lost Stanley just hours after he signed his new contract and that left a gaping hole at RT.
Orlando Brown took a step this year and showed his versatility. I hope we can pay him, but if we can't, he's earned a big contract elsewhere.
Bozeman should have been in the pro bowl this year. He played very well and it's great to have that LG position locked up.
The loss of Yanda both as a leader and as a player was huge, and something we sorely underestimated.
The experiments at Center were extremely costly. Skura did not play well coming back from the inury, and as he got worse he got the yips. Mekari is an UDFA Guard. He was fine as a backup, and he blocks fairly well. But this team would greatly benefit from a high caliber, pro-bowl level center who can diagnose blitzes and wall up the interior of the line. Oh, and snap the ball perfectly every time. I really hope Bredeson is not someone they're considering for the future.
Tyre Phillips played well for a rookie who kept getting moved all around the line. I don't know what else to expect from the guy. With some more practice I think he'll be better in his second year.
If I hear the words "Illegal Formation" next year I'm going to be upset.

Skill Positions

Ingram's production fell off a cliff this year. He had basically one good game. Love his energy, and he definitely coached up Dobbins and Edwards, but he will be gone this year.
Dobbins is the future of this team's running game. He had a bad game against the Bills but that's easily chalked up to rookie jitters. Still, he needs to work on his hands.
Edwards was extremely reliable and took some strides this year in his footwork, lateral movement, and vision. He also made a few big plays with his hands. The man deserves a real contract, but he'll have to wait till 2022 when the cap is higher. He's getting tendered this year, and he'll stick around.
The Wide Receiver room not having a whole off-season to work with Lamar was a major issue all year. With so many rookie and second year WRs, building chemistry and skill is key. Our WR coach isn't capable of developing WRs so a lot of that work will be on them this off-season.
Hollywood had ups and downs this year but I think he's fine and he'll get better. A bit of a sophomore slump.
Boykin didn't develop where he needed to. Once again he looked good in training camp but couldn't get open on the field. I don't think Lamar trusts him. Honestly, though, he's one of the best blocking WRs in the league.
Duvernay has a lot of potential but he was underutilized. He had a great season as kick-returner though - 2nd in the league for average depth of return. Still a rookie. I think he'll take on Snead's role.
Snead is probably gone. He did his best this year as a leader and he played with heart. He's just not the kind of vet we need. I still appreciate all he did for this team.
The Dez Bryant experiment didn't have the impact it needed to have. Having his veteran presence might pay off with coaching up Boykin though - we'll have to see.
With Justice playing well as our best gunner, it's time to finally part ways with Chris Moore.

TEs

Mark Andrews didn't have a great year this year, but he did improve at blocking. I'm not sure what happened with his hands this year, but we only saw a couple of crazy catches from him. As above I feel like it's an off-season thing, but not having Hurst around in those 2 and 3 TE packages definitely hurt Andrews' ability to defeat coverages.
Boyle was a crucial piece of this offense. He improved his catching ability this year and continued to be one of the best mobile blockers in the league. Losing him to injury was massive and I'm impressed that we even recovered from it.
Hurst's loss was big despite getting Dobbins for it - our off-season signings just didn't work out. Hoping that Breeland and Wolf are good to go next year.
Willson was bad. He was really just a placeholder.
Tomlinson did extremely well as a blocker but it looks like he's not a reliable receiver. Still, it's hard to believe we would have gotten as far as we did without his help.
EDIT: Don't know how I forgot Pancake Pat. All around great season from the big man apart from a couple of drops. I hope we can keep him around for a long time.

QBs

Lamar had his ups and downs this year, but a lot of our worst games were on the offensive line. Even when the game was going poorly this man never gave up and never stopped fighting. He took a step in his maturity this year, and is starting to become more of a leader.
Still, Lamar's passing regressed. I'm chalking this up to the lack of an off-season with his receivers and general lack of skill at WR. But the connection with Andrews wasn't nearly as strong this year either.
Lamar is the best running quarterback the world has ever seen, bar none. Can't wait to see this dude continue in his development. I really hope he recovers quickly from the concussion - sending positive vibes to our star quarterback.
RGIII is a good dude and a good leader. He's unfortunately no longer a good quarterback. I wish him the best and I think he'd be awesome as a coach or analyst. I'd much rather hear him talking on these sports shows than Michael Vick.
Trace showed up when he needed to. Appreciate his heart and his strength as a teammate. He'll stick around as a backup next year - let's hope his injury healing goes well.
Huntley has lots of raw potential. He could develop into the ideal backup for Lamar. I suspect that if he continues to improve he'll be second-in-command next year in the QB room.

Defensive Line

Big spending during the off-season here, and in general huge improvements. But having 3 gigantic veterans also makes this unit vulnerable to injuries
Injuries plagued Williams, Madubuike, and Campbell this year. Imagine how many more games we would have won had Williams and Campbell been healthy through the middle of the season.
Wolfe was our best run stopper. Re-sign him please.
Madubuike has a lot of promise and I suspect that he'll take a huge step next year. Coaching from Campbell was big for him.
Broderick Washington was a reach where we took him, even in the 4th round. I would be surprised if he sees the field much.
Ellis played his best year this year, even if he's not the greatest he's a solid depth piece.
Our interior pass rush leaves much to be desired. I think Madubuike has a shot here though. If even half of the holds against him were called this season who knows how that would have changed the complexion of some games.

Linebackers

Another unit that had too much youth.
Queen was a liability this year due to his poor coverage and bad tackling. I was worried about his tackling from his tape at LSU and as the season wore on it seemed to get worse. Hoping he can be coached up to pro level with this off-season.
Harrison has potential. He was great against the run. Ups and downs this season though - chalk it up to inexperience.
Board came on late in the season as a proxy dime back. He was fine, and obviously he was great on S/Ts, but his success was more surprising than game-changing. I still think he earned a spot.
OLB room was so weird this year. Very inconsistent.
Some games Judon would look like a premier Edge rusher, sometimes he'd completely disappear. He was solid in coverage though, and got more flack from the fans than he deserved.
Ngakoue hasn't found a way to prosper in this scheme, but if we re-sign him I'm hoping an off-season would do him good.
Bowser had a solid season. He's probably not going to be a superstar, but his skills in coverage made him extremely valuable and he had a few huge plays.
McPhee was mostly solid and his play in the Titans playoff game was absolutely spectacular.
Ferguson was slightly better than last year but he really didn't take the step we needed him to.

Secondary

Fuck Earl Thomas. Earl threw a wrench into this unit, which had the potential to be historically good.
Deshon Elliott played with heart and physicality, and by the playoffs he was doing well in coverage too. It took some time for him to develop but I think he'll be solid moving forward.
I still think we need to draft a strong Free Safety. Deshon would be better if he could play closer to the line.
Clark had ups and downs this year but came on more towards the end of the season. Lots of "what ifs" surrounding his many missed interceptions.
We had so little depth at safety this year, and it showed.
Humphrey had some excellent games, and some games/plays he probably wants back. His "fruit punch" ability was huge early in the season, but teams with good WRs and coaches preached ball security and as the season wore on it was less effective. Still, the Ravens' 25 forced fumbles led the league - the next closest was 17. I'm glad we paid this man.
Peters was a bit feast or famine this year. When he shows up to play he ranks with the best corners in the league. When he's lackadaisical, he's easily abused. I think Peters would have looked much better if we had a stronger coverage safety (and/or if we could have run more dime packages). His play and subsequent celebration against the Titans was one of the great moments in franchise history.
Jimmy Smith played lights out in the early season - you almost never heard his name called because his coverage was so good. Obviously his season was hampered by injuries but we've all come to expect that from him. I think he played well in the playoffs too, despite the opinions of some on this sub.
Anthony Averett had trouble early on but once he came back from injury he was rock solid. I'm beginning to feel like he can be trusted on the field, and I feel like big plays are going to come for him.
Tramon Williams was a band-aid in the slot and he played well mentally. He just couldn't keep up with the fastest slot receivers.
We had so many injuries in the CB room. Absolutely ridiculous number of injuries. Every cornerback missed at least one game. Marshall, Bonds, Desir, Averett, Smith, Peters, Humphrey's bout with COVID, and most importantly Tavon Young, whose injury history is really impacting our salary cap. He still has a year left on his contract.

Special Teams

Bills game was a fluke. The wind was just too weird and unpredictable. I still believe the wolfpack is the best kicking unit in the league.
This was not Tucker's best season but honestly... nobody's perfect. Dude is still the best kicker of all time, and he's going to come back next year pissed off at the fact that he missed a couple in the playoffs.
Justice Hill was an excellent gunner, apart from a few idiotic penalties.
Chris Board was great on ST early in the season, and Malik Harrison did well too for a rookie.
As I said above, Duvernay was an excellent returner. He had the second highest depth of return in the league, beating out even Cordarrelle Patterson, and a kick return TD. It was nice to not have liabilities there this year.
Proche caught punts well apart from a couple of mistakes but was rarely ever able to get anything on a return.

Coaching

I know, I know, you hate Greg Roman, All my homies hate Greg Roman, Greg Roman is horrible, whatever. There are two issues with Greg Roman - playcalling and inadequacy in the passing game. As a play caller, he struggles to innovate when reliable concepts aren't working, and he doesn't do well against zone coverages and certain other defensive schemes. Part 1 is tough and that may just be his downfall, but Harbaugh could play a bigger role in approving plays next year. Part 2 can be fixed with better route concepts and stronger film study on the opponents that gave our scheme problems. I have no doubt that we can diversify this system as Lamar gets more comfortable in it.
You have to remember that we were working with a compromised offensive line all year long. Roman's scheme relies heavily on peak offensive line play. It's no secret that we played our best offense when that unit was on their game. Apart from the passing concepts, Roman's scheme is one of the best running schemes in the league, and it's made possible by Lamar's ability to create real dilemmas for defenses. It's the right scheme for this team if the passing concepts can be improved.
David Culley is our passing game coordinator, WR coach, and Assistant Head Coach. He's also close with Harbaugh from the Andy Reid days. I'm holding him responsible for these putrid route concepts. Hopefully he can be taken off those responsibilities and we can bring in a passing game coordinator who can work with Roman to develop routes that will both benefit the run game and allow our passing game to punish our opponents who sell out against the run.
Wink is a treasure. I know that sometimes people don't like the amount of blitzes he sends but frankly our pass rush outside of blitzes stunk this year and he was doing everything he could to get pressure on the quarterback. Wink adjusted well when we needed him to, and his plan against Derrick Henry was nothing short of a masterpiece. I hope we have Wink on our sidelines for a long time.
Harbaugh helped this team fight through adversity and in general he cultivated a strong team-mindset. He's a great coach. I would like to see him be more critical at times and to be able to look past his biases as far as coaches and players go, but in general there are few coaches I'd rather have.

External Factors

COVID + Steve Saunders fucked us, big time. I think we would have easily won that Steelers game had the outbreak been limited.
We had a relatively easy schedule this year, playing the NFC east. However, the AFC South was no cakewalk and we still had the Chiefs.
Weather was a major factor in two games. The Patriots game was a wash. The Bills game was just weird. We have to be ready to make adjustments in those cases but there's only so much you can do against nature.
Shortened offseason led to a lot of injuries. We weren't quite at the level of the 49ers but our injury situation was bad in the middle of the season.

Best Moments

Mark Andrews' leaping one-handed grab vs the Browns.
Utterly destroying the Browns' idiotic fake punt in game 1.
Ingram's wildcat TD vs the Texans. Those first 2 games felt like we could see a repeat of 2019.
Duvernay's kick return TD vs the Chiefs. It almost looked like we could win that game when that happened.
6 DBs getting a sack on Joe Burrow
Chuck Clark hurdling Philip Rivers - just one of the funniest things I've seen an an NFL game.
Orlando Brown's "EASY MONEY" celebration vs Dallas.
Tyre Phillips' Angry Run vs Jacksonville.
Tyus Bowser picks off Baker Mayfield at a crucial point in the Browns game.
Lamar's heroic return against the Browns. That was spectacular - truly incredible moment, and the best game of the year.
3 straight sacks on Daniel Jones, sadly negated by the Justice Hill roughing the kicker penalty.
404 rushing yards vs the Bengals. Basically unheard of in the modern era.
Lamar's insane run against the Titans - one of the best runs in playoff history.
Holding Derrick Henry to 40 yards and no first downs - astounding D-Line performance.
Peters' pick and subsequent celebration versus the Titans. Delicious, and worth every penny.

Beat VW on Maddening/NG. Sharing my thoughts, strategies, hard chapters and character tier list!

Introduction
Hey everyone! I recently completed a Maddening/Classic/NG run of this amazing game on Verdant Wind and thought I’d share my experience.
Some background:

This is my 2nd Fire Emblem game, the first one being Awakening way back in 2012.
I picked up FE3H during October of 2019 and played my first route on Azure Moon, Hard/Classic/NG.
While I greatly enjoyed the run, by mid-game it felt like my characters were extremely overpowered, especially Byleth, Dmitrii and Felix.
I did the AM run without any kind of guides and just played blind; I didn’t know who learned which combat arts or what abilities you got from mastering which classes.
Even then, the game felt ridiculously easy as I never felt in any danger of losing any missions. I barely needed any strategy either, simply selecting one of my strong characters and plopping him in the middle of the enemies meant they all died.
Was hoping Maddening would deliver the challenging, strategically deep gameplay I was hoping for from a tactical RPG (and oh boy, it delivers. Sorta.)
Chose Golden Deer because I wanted to romance Hilda. She’s cute af

Some of the rules I had on the run:

Did it without consulting strategy guides; however I religiously studied the SereneForest for class mastery abilities, proficiency abilities etc.
No warp cheesing. It is considered cheesing if I seek to kill a bare minimum of enemies then warp an ace unit next to the boss for a fast win.
Only 2 recruits from other houses are allowed.
Knights of Seiros are allowed.
No DLC characters were used. However, I did use the DLC stat boosters (mostly cause I forgot they were from DLC, lol)

General Thoughts on Maddening Difficulty

To me, Maddening gives an excellent tactical RPG experience which requires me to carefully consider, calculate and make use of the mechanics at my disposal.
Stuff like combat arts, abilities, item weights, battalion stats, gambits, adjutants, cooking stat boosts, stat boosting items, support stat boosts all felt like irrelevant, unneeded fluff for Hard, but in Maddening you’ll be striving to optimize all of them to help your beloved characters survive their next battle.
Maddening is nowhere near the RNG-fest that some say it is. The only time this ever crossed my mind is during the early chapters where your hit rates are really low, and this is remedied by using Combat Arts.
To be able to beat missions, in particular early chapters, you need a strategy and proper planning. For example, ensuring everyone has potions to heal, light weapons, good battalions and gambits, and also keeping them in a good formation to protect your weaker members from being one-shot.
The game is hardest in its earliest chapters, specifically chapters 1-5. No shocker there, you have limited options and skills against vastly overpowered enemies.
The game does stabilize quite a bit in difficulty from chapter 7 onwards, although paralogues can be hard.
In fact paralogues can be some of the hardest but most fun chapters in the game; stuff like rescuing Manuela or defending a key point against waves of powerful enemies makes things really hectic and bumps up the requirement for tight planning and strategy.
Unfortunately, I found that you can still become quite overpowered and trivialize missions come mid-late game; my Vantage-Wrath Byleth was fully operational from chapter 16 onwards and it really felt like he could’ve done some of the chapters alone.

General Strategy
Free Time

Up to timeskip, spend all free time on Exploring to raise professor level.
Fetchquests, botany, choir, cooking, meals and tournaments are easy must-dos, I never needed to grind fishing that much aside from the Lots of Fish event.
Early on, cooking for the +1 speed or +1 def meals helped boost my stats for the difficult early game missions.
Mid-game onwards, use Sauna with at least one character each month for quickly training Byleth’s and that character’s proficiencies.

In-Battle

The “Box” formation was critical in many of the early levels.
- Basically this means you put tanky units like Byleth, Claude, Leonie, Raphael and Lorenz on the outside facing enemies, just on the edge of their aggro range, and keep the remainder “tofu” units like Lysithea, Ignatz, Marianne and Mercedes inside the box.
- Sometimes it is necessary to press up against a wall so that enemies with Pass cannot simply go through your tanks and kill the backlines anyway.
Early on it was extremely important to pay attention to some key personal skills and position units accordingly. * For example, Leonie gets boosts from males being next to her, Hilda boosts males next to her, finishing off a unit with Byleth adjacent gives more exp.
Every unit carried a lightweight training/iron weapon for basic hits, and a steel variant for maximizing combat art damage.
Every physical attacker carried an iron bow at least to contribute to chip damage.
Before priests are unlocked, healing is sparse so every character has to carry his or her own vulnerary.
Making smart use of Knowledge and Experience gems, including trading them mid-battle as necessary allowed me to optimize and train up characters much faster.
I hardly ever used shields on the run for fear of being doubled.

Character Optimization

Fed Lysithea as many kills as possible for the first couple of missions until she could spec to Monk at level 5. I’d heard she’s one of the strongest characters and needs to get out of Noble to get better Mag growths.
Where practical, the characters that would frontline went through Armored Knight promotions at level 10 for a free +4 defence stat boost. Did this for Claude, Hilda, Raph and Lorenz.
After proficiencies were at a good level for unlocking desired classes, I made every character prioritize Authority.
Battalions and abilities were to be kept up-to-date and optimized for the current mission.
Every physical attacker went through Brigand for Death Blow
Every magical attacker (only Lysithea and Lorenz really) went through Mage for Fiendish Blow
In late-game once a character had achieved their desired class and had authority of at least A, I got their primary weapon proficiency to S for +10 crit and prowess lv 5.

Character Reviews
Image version here: https://imgur.com/NB4v7KO
S-tier: Characters that were top performers in every situation

Byleth (M)

Class progression: Commoner (HP+5) —> Fighter (Str+2) —> Mercenary (Vantage) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Warrior (Wrath) —> Wyvern Rider —> Hero
Deserves S+ tier really, I wouldn’t have known what to do without him in the first few stages; perhaps that could be an interesting challenge for future runs. Able to tank, dodge tank, reliably kill foes, reliably hit gambits, Byleth carried the Golden Deers before they were able to stand on their own two feet, and well into the endgame. I originally had a Wyvern Lord endgame in mind for Byleth, but hit a snag around level 10. Because I focused on rushing professor levels in the first few months, I had no time to train any of his skill proficiencies, so I couldn’t promote to Brigand for Death Blow.
Training in Merc made me realize how interesting a skill Vantage was. It came in clutch in missions like Reunion at Daybreak and Lorenz’s paralogue, where I was dodgetanking like 6 foes at once in bushes. This led me to gain interest in the Hero path. I know Hero is strictly outclassed by Swordmaster especially in growths, but I liked the outfit and at that point the game was getting kinda easy so I thought “why not”. He completely roflstomped nearly every mission, especially when supported by rallies, Retribution, a guard adjutant and dance. I’d just toss him into the largest chunk of enemies I could find, and he’d crit every last one of them into oblivion. My final setup was Swordfaire, Vantage, Sword Prowess 5, Sword Crit+10, Wrath, Alert Stance and Death Blow.

Claude

Class progression: Noble (HP+5) —> (Armored Knight) —> Fighter (Str+2) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Sniper —> Wyvern Master —> Barbarossa
Claude did not start out hotshot like Byleth, but still pulled his weight being able to tank a hit and reliably kill. I rushed armored knight with him for the +4 defence, and also upgraded Heavy Armor to C for the -3 Weight skill. As soon as I got to those and Death Blow, Claude became a murder machine, being reliable in slaying almost any foe either from full health or with the smallest bit of chip damage. His post-timeskip class upgrade was even more obscenely powerful, getting flying while also rocking the overpowered Immortal Corp battalion with its excellent stat boosts and awesome gambit.

Leonie

Class progression: Commoner (HP+5) —> Fighter (Str+2) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —>Pegasus Knight (Darting Blow) —> Sniper —> Bow Knight
Her personal skill was really helpful in the early game, letting her be both offensively and defensively solid. She played a bit like a slightly weaker (but still solid) Claude early on, but then I realized it was fairly easy to side-spec to Pegasus, and the flying archer playstyle was incredible through several missions and paralogues, especially for sniping other pegasi and wyverns. As soon as she got Death Blow, Darting Blow and Point-blank Volley, things got absurd. Coupled with a Killer Bow+ I had 70+ crit every time, and it became a game of “pick which unit you want to die” just like in Hard mode. Post-timeskip she was probably the only unit that could compete with Byleth and Claude for MVP.
A-tier: Characters with minor flaws but mostly excelled

Lysithea

Class progression: Noble (HP+5) —> Monk (Mag+2) —> Mage (Fiendish Blow) —> Bishop —> Gremory
She did need some training wheels to get going in the early game; box formations were necessary to protect her, her spells had few charges and could be inaccurate, and I had to feed her kills to get her levels up fast, but this is a case where the babysitting has a such a massive payoff you’d still gladly do it every time. I can see why this is the best offensive spellcaster in the game; her spell list is ludicrously good and the important spells come at the best times. Dark Spikes made the Death Knight look like a fool every time he appeared, and Seraphim was invaluable throughout the early-mid chapters and paralogues which are usually infested with Beasts. Let’s not forget the sheer utility of Warp even in a run where Warp-cheesing was intentionally avoided. She had huge contributions in nearly every single mission from chapter 6 onwards, and I’ll have to consider in future runs whether I hire her, because she almost makes the game too easy.

Marianne

Class progression: Noble (HP+5) —> Monk (Mag+2) —> Priest —> Dancer (Special Dance, Sword Avo+20)
Any GD player will know that early on your only reliable healing option is Marianne, and truth be told she is kinda mediocre at it. I mean heal and physic are nice, but her physic range isn’t that good with the low Mag growth, and she is a very fragile unit early on with even kinda low Res so she can’t tank magic attacks like Mercie can. I recruited Mercedes to take over her job as healer and that was much better, then sent Marianne into Dancer where she really shone. Dancing is insane utility, helping me do otherwise hellish paralogues like Mannuela/Hanneman. The sword boon and decent Mag stat she has made her an effective Levin Sword user. Her Silence spell was also clutch in some situations where I’m swarmed by mages. I usually let her follow one of the units listed above, sticking to bushes wherever possible, and she got hit like once in five missions even when situated on the front lines.

Mercedes

Class progression: Monk (Mag+2) —> Priest —> Bishop
The best healer in the game for me, also my spouse from the previous BL run so I didn’t want to kill her. Not much to add on Mercie except that I recruited her around chapter 7, and just stuck her at the backlines for the whole game using Stride, Physic and Fortify.
B-tier: Characters that were good (but not great) throughout

Hilda, Petra

Class progression: Noble (HP+5) —> (Armored Knight) —> Fighter (Str+2) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Wyvern Rider —> Wyvern Lord
I consider these two as having similar playstyles, though I got Petra around chapter 9. Both were able to dish out good damage that killed with some prior chip, but were never as reliable at “alpha-strike” nuking selected units from full health like Claude, Leonie and Lysithea could. Hilda’s personal skill was also rather handy in the earliest chapters. Of course, by endgame they were solid attackers and invaluable for space control and baiting with Canto hit-and-run tactics.

Ignatz

Class progression: Commoner (HP+5) —> Fighter (Str+2) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Sniper —> Assassin
My most RNG-screwed character, his damage output suffered greatly even with Death Blow backing him up. However, he made up for this by being a toolkit, with rallies and interesting debuff arrows like Break Shot and Warding Blow, which were clutch for monsters and mage swarms respectively. He was also pretty ok in the early game with his Hit+20 skill making him the most reliable chipper. Post-timeskip I made him assassin (no longer targetable), a Retribution battalion, Venin Bow+ and kept him next to Byleth, providing rally and chip/debuff support. Ended up pretty satisfied.
C-tier: Characters that were kinda disappointing

Lorenz

Class progression: Noble (HP+5) —> (Armored Knight) —> Dark Mage (Poison Strike) —> Mage (Fiendish Blow) —> Dark Bishop —> Dark Knight
I actually started the run with the intention to bench Lorenz, since from using Felix as Mortal Savant in BL I felt that there was no point in hybrid units- I was gonna be sticking with one or the other and hybrids ended up mediocre in both. However, after feeding him a few levels I found him doubling more often than Lysithea with fire, which made him useful to snipe armored knights. Besides that, his surprisingly beefy HP stat made him a useful meat shield for box formations before level 6. Ultimately he still did OK as a Dark Knight and I didn’t bench him, but it does feel like you could plug that slot with someone more powerful like Wyvern Annette, Catherine or Felix.

Seteth

Class progression: Wyvern Rider —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Wyvern Lord
So I expected more from one of the 3 Swift Strikes users in the game. My Seteth wasn’t necessarily bad, but by the point I got him up and running my Hero Byleth, Barbarossa Claude, Sniper Leonie and Lysithea (just Lysithea) were already fully functional and could reliably kill threats in one turn anyway. Even with Killer Lance+, Death Blow and Swift Strikes I found him falling just short of killing enemies by chapter 19. Still used him as a filler unit and flying support with Impregnable Wall.
D-tier: Characters that I dropped

Raphael

Class progression: Commoner (HP+5) —> (Armored Knight) —> Brigand (Death Blow) —> Wyvern Rider
I love this big boy — his support scenes are great and I love his well-adjusted maturity. Sadly, he’s just not so great a unit. He could kinda-sorta tank one or sometimes two hits early on, but otherwise he was getting doubled (low SPD), missing gambits (low CHA), being susceptible to mages, and most importantly not reliably killing foes. I eventually made a quick spec to Wyvern for him pre-timeskip so he could just fly around and assist Lysithea in sniping during Reunion at Daybreak, then just benched him after that. Sorry big boy.
Difficult Chapters

Chapter 1: Three Houses

As anyone who has tried Maddening will know, your first real foray into the world of Maddening FE3H can feel hilariously overwhelming. You immediately realize that each of the opponent’s units can kill your units in 1 or 2 hits and double all of them, while you deal a pittance of damage to them even from your Lord unit and you only have a measly 5 charges of Heal. Even though it’s a mock battle and you can sacrifice units with no long-term penalty, strategy and preparation is still mandatory as Byleth and Claude can run out of steam if left to fight the others alone. My first couple runs went badly- either Ferdinand immediately killed my healer, or I got to the Blue Lions at the end with only a low health Byleth and Claude and got murdered by Dmitrii.
Got it on my 3rd run. I brought Byleth, Claude, Marianne (for heal), Ignatz (for Hit+20) and Leonie (for Rivalry). Outfitted all 5 characters with bows and vulneraries. The first step was to draw Ferdinand and Ashe with Byleth, kill them with combined might of everyone’s bows, then retreat into the bushes to the west. Then draw Edelgard, Hubert and Dorothea over with Byleth shooting an arrow. Those units are strong, but while hiding in the bushes and keeping Ignatz/Marianne tucked well out of sight, you can dodge tank with Byleth/Claude and kill them eventually. Finally you crawl up the left wall, defeat Manuela, and draw the Blue Lions over, fight them in the bushes for the victory.

Chapter 2: Familiar Scenery

I actually consider this the hardest mission in the run, at least by number of restarts I had to do. You are in immediate danger from fast, powerful foes with Pass, half of your units die immediately, and are really underpowered compared to the foes they are up against. Basically, you have to git gud right here, right now, or else you lose units. Had to play around the bridge for the first ~20 turns, drawing over the brigands by placing my “tankiest” units like Byleth, Leonie and Raphael just barely within their aggro range while keeping my tofu backliners far, far away. Spamming combat arts like Curved Shot and Tempest Lance, and making full use of Leonie and Hilda’s personal skills are mandatory. Once you cross the bridge it gets a bit easier, but you still need to have good formations to protect your weak units, not to mention conserve healing since your Marianne STILL sucks at this point. Vulnerary on everyone. Probably took me 6 or 7 resets.

Chapter 3: Mutiny in the Mists

This chapter felt like absolute bullshit at the start. I sent my tanks North but the endless units popping out from the forests dogpiled and killed them, while archers to the West appeared out of nowhere to snipe Lysithea even through my box formations. Eventually I learned about the existence of torches, and that a slow, cautious crawl through the bottom forests made things much easier. Took maybe 3-4 resets.

Chapter 5: Tower of Black Winds

The big one, and the single mission that took me most turns (I think 80+) to complete. I only had to reset once, but geez this is easily the most gruelling mission in the whole game. The whole thing is like an endurance test; your healing will not last you through the insane length of the map coupled with its dense waves of enemies, which once again are able to Pass. Also, same-turn reinforcements make their first appearance here, and boy it is brutal.
The first step is to let Gilbert die to the reinforcements that appear behind you. I’m not sure if the mission is doable without letting him die. Then you start your slow crawl forward through the first third of the map. The second spawn of Pass-thieves reinforcements is quite simply the gates of hell, and I burned like 20 turns and a handful of Divine Pulses here. I used Byleth to cross ‘that’ pillar, triggering the reinforcements, but before that I had to tweak my entire remaining army into a perfect box formation, huddled against the nearby corner. Failing to do so meant that the thieves would immediately zero in on the character they could kill in one turn.
On the Northern stretch, I accidentally triggered aggro from an archer next to Miklan, causing the ENTIRE HORDE of enemies including Miklan to come crashing down the corridor towards me. Needless to say I couldn’t handle this, especially with my exhausted Divine Pulses, Gambits and heals from dealing with the reinforcements. So I had to reset.
On my next run I was a lot more careful, and this time managed to beat Miklan. The last wave of enemies before you engage Miklan were still really troublesome to beat and required perfect placement and distribution of damage from my units, but ultimately I pulled through and mercifully they drop Vulneraries, healing up my battered units. Miklan himself was tough to beat what with my low accuracy and charisma at this point, but I exploited him not being able to move past the stairs. Ultimately Byleth landed a crit on Miklan’s last life bar.

Chapter 6: Rumors of a Reaper

The bulk of this mission is fairly simple, but I have to deal with one last hurdle at the end: killing the Death Knight. Surely, the route where Lysithea is available by default means this is easy? Unfortunately either I was underlevelled or my Lysithea wasn’t growing well at this point; I barely couldn’t get the one-shot even with Dark Spikes. This made me have to reset once, since I didn’t bring any units that could go against DK and take a single hit, not even Byleth. The next round I brought Catherine and she dealt some chip to DK, allowing Lysithea to annihilate him.

Chapter 9: The Cause of Sorrow

Trying to rescue all the villagers wasn’t easy on this difficulty. Had to rely on stride+warp antics to do so, and even then in my first run Jeralt dived right in to die. Wasn’t expecting that, had to reset once.

Paralogue: Oil and Water (Manuela/Hanneman)

This goddamn mission was already difficult on Hard mode, since Manuela dies almost immediately every time. As expected, it was even worse on Maddening. I probably reset 10 times all told, experimenting with different setups. I first tried using Lysithea to Warp Byleth onto Manuela’s platform, but this didn’t help against the pegasus knight that just zooms in on her for a 1HKO. Ultimately I used Marianne (dance + silence + stride), Flayn (rescue), Claude, Catherine and Byleth. Catherine and Byleth would first rush right to tank and defeat the enemies there, while Claude and Hanneman dealt with the enemies coming down from the left. Then came some dance-stride-rescue shenanigans that came down to the last tile, and I was able to rescue Manuela to safety. The mission after that was fairly straightforward, though I failed to get the Rapier.

Paralogue: Tales of the Red Canyon (Sothis)

Monster battle royale! This wasn’t extremely hard and didn’t require any resets but I should mention how bloody intense it felt since I needed to perfectly calculate every last action to make sure no one died. Dancer Marianne was beyond invaluable.

Paralogue: Land of the Golden Deer (Lorenz)

Most people list this as the easiest paralogue, but they tend to warp cheese it or use flyer Byleth. Seeing as I use male Byleth and have a strict no warp cheese policy, this turned out really goddamn hard and intense, involving at least one reset. The waves of enemies crashing down on you get really overwhelming. I stuck Catherine in the bushes to the left and Byleth to the right while using all other units to pick off and support. Keeping an archer in the fort to shoot down pegasus invaders was important. Marianne’s Silence came in clutch to stop mages from killing Catherine, Hilda or Leonie in one hit. Thrysus is worth it though, and I had so much fun with the strategy needed to beat this mission by routing.

Chapter 13: Reunion at Dawn

To no one’s surprise, this makes the list. However, I didn’t really find it an issue keeping my other units alive. Ignatz and Lorenz would probably have been easy pickings for the enemies, if they bothered to move. But by not touching Ignatz and Lorenz until Byleth/Claude was nearby, they didn’t move, hence I was never in any danger.
The really difficult part was the beginning, with Byleth and Claude hopelessly outnumbered. I wonder if the mission would even be possible without Claude’s spanking new Immortal Corps battalion. Even then, you only get 2 charges of the gambit, so luckily I had Vantage equipped on Byleth from his Mercenary specialization earlier. Hiding in the bushes, my low health Byleth took down the massive queue of mobs after his blood. After this mission, I told myself I wanted to make Byleth a Hero, since I was absolutely in love with Vantage.
As for killing the boss; nothing special. After I got all the chests (especially Axe of Ukonvasara), Lysithea with Thrysus just nuked him from a mile away with Hades, then got a dance from Marianne and double nuked him. Easy peasy.

Paralogue: Forgotten Hero (Marianne)

This one is kind of infamous but with Dancer Marianne (Sword Avo+20) I didn’t find it too bad. Just camp her in the fort up north and no monster can hit her. The rest of the party is in a bit of a pickle due to an evil combination of giant monsters, weird aggro ranges and fog. Eventually I did figure the correct way to get through the forest without aggroing too many beasts at once, and killed the boss monster with my last available character. Pretty tense, a fun mission once you get past the frustration of monsters appearing from the fog.

Paralogue: The Sleeping Sand Legend (Claude)

Probably the last mission to give me any kind of pause. The enemy formations are pretty insane with archers and wyvern riders that can’t wait to pick off your weak units. Followed by a ferocious boss at the end that also comes with endless same-turn reinforcement wyvern riders. Fun. Had to divine pulse quite a few times to figure out how I could dispatch of the bloody bird, who has surprisingly high charisma to lower your gambit hit rates. Ultimately had to create an exact sequence of gambit usage so that my characters could link-boost each others gambits, especially Lysithea’s Resonant Lightning Magic.
Other Frivolities

Started out wanting to romance Hilda but ended up choosing Lysithea instead for the interesting dual-crest storyline
Pairings:
- Claude-Petra (I like the bonding they get from being outsiders to Fodlan)
- Ignatz-Marianne (it’s kinda sweet how Ignatz encourages Marianne to get out more)
- Seteth-Leonie (given that they’re both kinda serious and bond over fishing I thought they’d be nice together)
- Lorenz-Hilda (feel a little bad for Hilda especially since I started out wanting her, but their supports were kinda cute so eh)
Still didn’t manage to get Rhea’s support points up in time to see the supports
Between Heaven and Earth (the music for the Gronder Field battle in Chapter 17) is the best fucking battle music on the planet
The animated cutscene where you kill Edelgard actually made me sad for the rest of the day
The post-timeskip cutscene with Claude doesn’t hit nearly as hard as Dmitrii’s did in Azure Moon. Still love Claude though
The Leicester alliance parts of the storyline felt kinda….weak, not gonna lie. It was just glossed over. Could honestly have been cut to trim off some of the fat on this campaign which I find overly long
I have no idea how I’m gonna go against Lady Rhea in my upcoming Crimson Rose run. Like I grew to love Rhea like a mother over the AM and VW runs, but then again Edelgard is best girl so
Similarly don’t look forward to killing Golden Deer members in the Crimson Rose run

2021 NFL Mock Draft with explanations for each pick (3 rounds) + Prospect rankings.

Hey everyone. Warning this is a massive post, but im sure that's normal here!
Decided to do an early mock and prospect analysis. I operate a 49ers blog and Slack server, and had done this with them, but I decided to share it here. fortheniners.com is my website if you want to check it out for more stuff, but it's mostly 49ers oriented. Give me some feedback, would love to hear it from you guys.
I created a custom order based on the rest of the season and i simulated the rest. Some picks might be switched in the 2nd round and 3rd due to the reordering of picks, but mostly it should be OK. I felt this order fit how I think the NFL will shake out by the end of season. I can't get the picks to number for some reason correctly.

Positional Rankings

QB:

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
D’Eriq King, QB, Miami
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State

RB:

Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis

TE:

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Pat Friermuth, TE, Penn State
Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
Hunter Long, TE, Iowa State
Grant Calcaterra, TE, Oklahoma

WR:

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

OT:

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson
Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota

OG/OC:

Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State
Creed Humphrey, OC, Oklahoma
Trey Smith, OG, Tennessee
Deonte Brown, OG, Alabama
Josh Myers, OG, Ohio State

DT:

Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State
Jay Tufele, DT, USC
Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh
Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU

DE:

Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami
Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan
Quincy Roche, DE, Miami
Carlos Basham Jr, DE, Wake Forest
Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

LB:

Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

CB:

Patrick Surtain Jr, CB, Alabama
Caleb Farley, CB, Virgina
Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

Jevon Holland, FS, Oregon
Paris Ford, SS, Pittsburgh
Hamsah Nasirlideen, SS, Florida State
Caden Sterns, FS, Texas
Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse

3 ROUND MOCK

1st Round

NYJ - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Maybe the best QB prospect… ever. Lawrence brings what the Jets have lacked for a very long time. “It”. Lawrence is almost a flawless QB prospect, complete with elite physical tools, mental tools, experience in big games, and the football IQ to be one of the best QBs ever.

JAX - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Make no mistake. Justin Fields is not a consolation prize. The Ohio State product is one of the best QB prospects in recent memory as well, with exceptional arm talent, elite ability to make throws on the run, athleticism, leadership, and good decision making. Gifted with a strong arm and a very good deep ball, he will do well on a team that can build around him. He’s also part of the new generation of mobile QBs - Fields is expected to run in the 4.4s.

WAS - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

Wilson is an interesting prospect. The eye-test shows a mega-talented QB with a knack for big plays, but reading in between the lines, his prospects become murky. Playing against a low level of competition, Wilson has never been truly under pressure from a pass rush during a game. Regardless, Wilson might be the most naturally gifted playmaker in this class - his ability to make throws on the run and extend plays is reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and more, and his arm talent fits that category. One year wonder, sure, but Wilson can be a superstar.

NYG - Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami

Passing on the best tackle prospect in recent memory is probably a bad idea. Unfortunately, Dave Gettleman has a penchant for that. Rousseau is a very raw albeit extremely talented pass rusher from Miami. Despite being underdeveloped as a pass rusher, his physical gifts alone made him a top pass rusher last season, trailing only Chase Young as the best pass rusher in college. The Giants add another big man to a talented DL, along with Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Rousseau is oozing with potential, and with his length, burst, and strength, can become a force that will terrorize the NFC East. Rousseau is going to test very well at the combine as well.

CIN - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Joe Burrow is screaming for joy. Sewell is the best OT prospect, arguably since Joe Thomas, or Trent Williams - he has everything. This is almost a cant-miss pick for Cincinatti, and it gives them two young, bookend tackles in Sewell and 2019 1st round pick Jonah Williams to protect the Heisman award winning QB.

DAL - Patrick Surtain Jr, CB, Alabama

Dallas is not as bad as this pick slot indicates, but regardless, they pick due to their injury concerns. Drafting on the defense has to be the priority here, and why not reunite Surtain Jr with his former Alabama teammate, and fellow DB in Trevon Diggs? It fills a need and is arguably the BPA at this spot.

LAC - Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

While they missed out on Sewell, longtime blindside protector for Justin Herbert, Leatherwood is a great prospect in his own right. A well rounded OL with experience in a tough conference like the SEC, Leatherwood is a stalwart that can start at guard or tackle, giving the Chargers a piece they can put anywhere on the line to protect Herbert, and he is NFL-ready on Day 1.

DET - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Passing on Micah Parsons! How? Last time they picked a LB in the first round, it was Jarrad Davis, and they were burned, badly. Instead, they opt for the explosive WR out of Alabama, marking 3 straight picks from Tuscaloosa. Waddle is a game-breaker, stirring up comparisons to Tyreek Hill - and rightfully so. His speed is incredible, and his hands and route running are right up there as well, and he brings rare instincts and elusiveness. Waddle was the best WR in college before getting injured this season. Waddle adds the last piece to the Detroit offense, giving them a great group around Matthew Stafford who is entering the twilight of his career - with Waddle, Golladay, Jones Jr, Swift, and Hockenson, the Lions have the makings of a very good offense.

MIA - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Brian Flores would sprint to the podium to pick up Parsons if this was the scenario. The former LB coach grabs one of the most gifted LB prospects in a long time, and he fits the Dolphins at one of their biggest positions of need, with Raekwon McMillan gone. Parsons forms a fearsome LB duo next to Jerome Baker, and brings rare instincts, speed, and physicality to Miami.

DEN - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

Denver was hoping that Parsons would fall one more pick, but alas, they have to settle. Cosmi is one of the most physically talented OTs in the draft, and although he is raw, he’s got plenty of ability and potential. John Elway grabs his hopeful franchise LT to protect Drew Lock.

ATL - Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

One of the fastest risers in the draft, Paye is physically dominant as an EDGE rusher and has the production to back it up. Atlanta could have taken a QB here, but considering that they have Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley both in their primes at the moment, they decide to stick with Matt Ryan - for the short term, instead of spending a massive asset on a rookie QB and waiting on him. Paye can become one of the best DL in the league, and replaces Takkarist McKinley.

MIN - Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State

Another team that could have taken a QB - Minnesota passes on the hometown kid, Lance, in favor for an interior lineman. While QB would be ideal here, Kirk Cousins’ contract is a behemoth, and it does not afford the Vikings a real opportunity to get off that contract - Minnesota would be better off shoring up the rest of their team, and looking for a new QB in the future, while sticking with Cousins short-term.

SF - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

The Garoppolo era is over - and the new era of Trey Lance begins in San Francisco. Lance is the only QB of the “big four” who exclusively works in a pro-style offense, and under center. His big arm, mobility, and IQ on the football field will be a welcome sight for 49ers fans who have seen none of those under the last couple years with Garoppolo at the helm. Lance, although in a weak conference, has showcased both elite ability as a pocket passer and a runner, with exceptional touch on deep balls. He can stand in the pocket, deliver while taking a hit, and Kyle Shanahan will like all of that. Great decision maker, and he limits turnovers.

NE - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Bill Belichick misses out on the last remaining big QB. He instead opts for the premier offensive weapon in the class, Kyle Pitts. Pitts is in the running for the Heisman. As a TE. Yeah. Belichick adds Pitts to a weakened Patriots offense in desperate need for a big weapon like Pitts, and he steps into the 6 foot 6 inch, 265 pound gap left by Rob Gronkowski in Foxborough.

CAR - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

With Teddy playing very well, Carolina likely opts to reinforce their defense, after doing so already last season. Their offense is all but set, with stars like McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel already in the mix - but the biggest problem is the defense. While they could go LB to replace Kuechly, why not provide one more big time player in the secondary. With Donte Jackson, Caleb Farley, Jeremy Chinn, and more, Carolina has the makings of a great defense.

LV - Marvin Wilson, IDL, Florida State

They will go DL and the BPA in that case is FSU’s Marvin Wilson. The big man has been one of the best interior DL in college for a very long time and will continue to do so in Vegas, and provides a physical presence next to Maurice Hurst, Clelin Ferrell, and Maxx Crosby. This is a reach, but the Raiders bet that Wilson can recapture his previous level of play in an NFL program.

CLE - Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama

Moses, physically, is one of the most talented LB prospects in the draft. A thumper at LB, Moses has seen everything coming from the long list of star Alabama LBs in recent years - but there are question marks. Before his ACL injury, Moses was supposed to go top 10, but after, his play level, and instincts have declined and he looks a step slow. Still, Cleveland opts to grab Moses and place him next to Mack Wilson, giving the Cleveland defense the leader and MIKE LB they need and that they had lost in Joe Schobert.

JAX - Pat Friermuth, TE, Penn State

Friermuth has drawn Gronk comparisons as a big, bulky target over the middle with blocking capability and red-zone dominance. While he may never reach that level, this is a no-brainer at 18 - Jacksonville gets Justin Fields his safety blanket for the next 5 years or more, and fills one of their biggest needs on the offensive end of the ball.

PHI - JaMarr Chase, WR, LSU

Philly fans are likely screaming in joy. Arguably the best WR in the draft drops all the way to 19, and right into the lap of Doug Peterson. Carson Wentz finally gets his #1 WR, and it’s a good one. Next to Jalen Reagor, Chase forms a lethal duo and both complement each other perfectly. He has everything a WR needs, and although he is not exceptionally fast, his hands, route running, ball skills, and physicality more than make up for it. He drops partly due to his speed not being amazing and recency bias favoring Jaylen Waddle.

TEN - Jay Tufele, DT, USC

Tufele is a gifted defensive tackle - with good athleticism, technique, and all-around ability, and young as well, he is nowhere near his ceiling both as a pass rusher and run defender. He can be a 3 down player and can start day one, and for a contender like Tennessee, that makes perfect sense. They shore up the DL again, with three pieces set in stone - Harold Landry, Jeffery Simmons, and now, Tufele.

MIA - Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

With Preston Williams, DeVante Parker, and Jakeem Grant, the Dolphins have a good WR corps. But they need that final piece, the #1 - and Smith is exactly that. Tua gets his favorite target back, as Smith follows in the footsteps of the Alabama route-runners before him in Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley, and Amari Cooper. He is thin, but strong at the same time, showcasing good speed, elite route running, elusiveness, and hands, giving Tua the target he needs.

CHI - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

The SAVIOR! The Trubisky saga is over, and Nick Foles time is short lived in Chicago as well. Chicago opts for Mac Jones, the signal caller from Alabama. Jones is an experienced QB - but the sample size of him playing well is small. Armed with an elite deep ball, a good arm, and functional mobility, Jones works in a pro-style system and is one of the few QBs that could start Day 1 in the NFL. With great decision making and ability to read the field, while playing tough defenses in the SEC - Jones opens up the entire playbook for Chicago because he can throw to any part of the field. They could take Kyle Trask, but instead opt for the higher ceiling in Mac Jones.

NO - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

A WR would also be a fit here next to Michael Thomas, but with Mac Jones gone, the Saints opt to add another LB next to the aging DeMario Davis and questionable Kwon Alexander. J.O.K. is a talented LB who can lineup at anywhere from MIKE, to S, to OLB, and do it at a high level. Great in coverage, and can play against TEs and occasionally WRs in the slot. He’s a defensive weapon for Sean Payton.

BUF - Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State

Tre White gets a partner in crime. Wade falls all the way to 24, where Sean McDermott picks up the best fit at corner for his scheme. Wade is exceptional both in press and in zone, and is an explosive and fast athlete with some swagger when tackling. He can work both outside or in the slot, and while he has some issues against taller and bigger WRs, it’s nothing that cannot be ironed out. The Bills form an elite, top 3 defense with Wade in the fold.

IND - Jevon Holland, S, Oregon

A QB could make sense here, but Trask once again falls as Indianpolis decides to stick with one of the three in Rivers, Brissett, or the Uber-talented rookie in Jacob Eason. Instead, they grab the best safety in the class in Jevon Holland. Holland is a do-it-all safety with great coverage ability, and a lot of range - and he gives the Colts a player they can plug and play at either FS or SS. Malik Hooker simply has not worked out for the Colts due to health reasons, so the Colts grab a long term starter at S.

ARI - Creed Humphrey, IOL, Oklahoma

Kyler Murray gets his old friend from Oklahoma. Humphrey is a plug-and-play center or guard prospect in the NFL and gives Murray some much needed familiarity - and at a big position of need. Arizona’s biggest focus should be protecting Murray, and Humphrey is a strong, technical stalwart in the interior, which is key against the NFC West’s talent like Aaron Donald, Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, and more.

GB - Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

Aaron Rodgers will riot if this pick is not another weapon. Despite the defensive short comings for the Packers, they have to take WR here - it’s holding back their offense. They opt for Rondale Moore, the explosive WR from Purdue. Moore is a game-changer with the ball in his hands, a YAC machine who will destroy you in the open field. And that is a perfect compliment to Davante Adams, as Moore can lineup anywhere, from RB, to the SLOT, to outside WR. Aaron Rodgers has clearly missed Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb - but Moore brings what Cobb also brought to the table.

BAL - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

The speed demon in Marquise Brown is already there - but the Ravens need a true #1. Bateman brings a physical, big presence at WR, something Lamar has not had since college, and something he really needs. Bateman’s sure hands, body control, contested catch ability, and explosiveness is exactly what the Ravens need - as the final piece in a juggernaut of an offense being created. With Mark Andrews, JK Dobbins, Marquise Brown, Jackson, and now Bateman in the fold, Jackson’s full ability as a passer can be unleashed and the Ravens offense with that.

TB - Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

When in doubt, take the Bama player. In all seriousness, there are plenty of options the Buccaneers can go with here - but clearly, reinforcing the DL is the most popular way of doing so. Barmore next to Vita Vea gives the Buccaneers a great duo, with Barmore a perfect candidate to play the 3-tech. He’s raw but plenty of growing room.

PIT - Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

Trask finally comes off the board, and to arguably the perfect team. Trask is not ready to start in the NFL day one - but he can be that guy in the future. Although he does not possess an amazing arm, he has all the intangibles, accuracy, and decision making to become the QBOTF in Pittsburgh. Trask’s biggest issue is his footwork - if he can fix that, everything else will fall into place. He possesses the physical attributes to be a star, tall, built strong, and he is fearless in the pocket. The throwing motion is good, but the overall mechanics in combination with the footwork need improvement. Fortunately, he will have time to do so under Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.

KC - Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest

Basically any pick is a luxury pick for Kansas City, but they opt for Basham here. Basham is a sure-thing, he won’t be a superstar, but he will be a very good defensive end. He is strong, big, and possesses both good burst and good technique - and forms a great duo across from Frank Clark.

NYJ - Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson

While they could take Etienne here, instead of the next pick right after, they take Carman first - for the 5th round option. RBs are usually easy to keep, but that 5th year option if Carman pans out will be massive. The Jets grab Trevor Lawrence two familiar faces back to back, in order to appease their new franchise QB, who may not have been enthusiastic to be drafted by NY.

2nd round:

NYJ - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

Jets grab another familiar face, this time in the best RB in the draft. Lawrence feeling at home. Etienne has incredible speed, acceleration, and is a complete RB, being able to play on 3rd down. The Jets get a dynamic weapon, a stark contrast to the slow and steady Le’Veon Bell.

JAX - Trey Smith, OT/OG, Tennessee

If Justin Fields is going to succeed, the Jaguars need to step it up everywhere. They’ve addressed TE, now they address the OL, with Smith. Rock-solid lineman with versatility, Smith is one of the best pass protectors in the draft.

WAS - Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest

First step in Washington with new management in the fold is building a new culture. Support players - and Surratt is squeaky clean off the field with academic awards and more. But really, this is about football - Surratt is a very good possession WR and fits next to McLaurin well, giving Zach Wilson a big target with soft hands and good speed.

NYG - Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

Passing on Sewell hurts - but Mayfield makes up for it. A very high potential player at OT, Mayfield can play at RT or LT, depending on where the Giants shift the struggling Andrew Thomas. Saquon Barkley breathes a sigh of relief.

CIN - Terence Marshall Jr, WR, LSU

Familiar target? Check. AJ Green is likely out of Cincinnati after this season, and Marshall can perfectly fit in as a height-weight-speed freak with production. Marshall can be the #1 WR in Cincy.

DAL - Caden Sterns, S, Texas

Strengthening this defense is key - and the next step is at safety. Sterns fits the bill as a playmaking coverage safety who can play in man or zone, helping this Cowboys pass defense take the next step.

LAC - Walker Little, OT, Stanford

Two tackles in a row? With a QB like Herbert, you need it. With Trai Turner, Leatherwood, Little, and Lamp on the OL, Herbert will have good protection and for a long time with two new bookend tackles. Little is a great fit at RT, with Leatherwood slotting on the left. Good technique, great size, and great length.

DET - Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan

Taking the Ann Arbor product, McGrone has sky-high potential as a three down LB with sideline to sideline speed. Detroit gets the chosen one at their biggest need.

MIA - Quincy Roche, DE, Miami

Besides the Miami connection, this is a no-brainer. Roche drops to the 2nd, where Brian Flores picks him up to reinforce a pass rush in need of a speedy, bendy edge rusher like Roche. Big time pick up, as Miami is nailing the draft.

DEN - Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh

Von Miller and Jurrell Casey should return next season, giving the Broncos a fearsome trio combined with Bradley Chubb. Twyman is the final piece and gives them a longterm solution. An explosive, undersized DL, Twyman is already an elite pass rusher on the interior with room to grow.

ATL - Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU

Narrowly missing on Twyman, they settle for Shelvin, the behemoth DT from LSU - a great fit next to Grady Jarrett, Dante Fowler, and now Kwity Paye. Shelvin can swallow up double teams.

JAX - Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh

Fields is in the fold, but that does not mean Jacksonville ignores the defense. They get a good safety in Paris Ford, a guy who is always around the ball. With Josh Allen, Chaisson, Myles Jack, CJ Henderson, and now Ford, they have high potential guys on every level of the ball.

SF - Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

Dee Ford is likely gone… so the 49ers need a speed rusher, an athletic one for DL coach Kris Kocurek to mold. While very raw, Oweh is a physical freak with speed, a quick first step, strength, and bend. He is not a finished product, and will be limited to pass rush duties in his first years, but once he develops, watch out.

NE - Joseph Ossai, EDGE/LB, Texas

Bill Belichick runs to the podium for this pick. Home run for NE, as they grab the perfect player they need at LB and the DL - someone who can fill the position that Jamie Collins left years ago. Ossai is very raw but Bill Belichick will savor getting a LB that he can mold in whatever way he wants for his defense. This is a perfect fit.

CAR - Jabril Cox, LB, LSU

A smart, fast and instinctive LB, Cox will not replace Luke Kuechly, but he can help. Next to Shaq Thompson, the Panthers have filled a lot of their holes already - and it’s still the 2nd round.

LV - Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse

Cisco gives the Raiders a nice, young, and talented safety duo in their secondary with Abram as well. Raiders continue to strengthen the defense. Cisco is coming off a torn ACL but is talented and was a 1st round prospect, arguably, until his injury.

CLE - Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC

Odell Beckham Jr is likely done - and either way, Baker Mayfield needs a new target, preferable one that can play in the slot or outside. St. Brown has great hands, great route running, and good speed. Cleveland has a big need at EDGE, but they opt to get their young QB one more target in hopes of a breakout season.

LAR - Josh Myers, OG, Ohio State

They could take a LB here, but Myers dropping this low is a no-brainer. The Rams add another athletic and polished OL. Myers is a good fit for the zone scheme that Sean McVay runs, and fill one of their most pressing needs. Jared Goff is not Jared Goff under pressure - this is the way to keep this offense chugging… investing in the OL, especially in the brutal NFC West.

PHI - Hamsah Nasirlideen, LB/S, Florida State

Perfect fit. Nasirlideen can play at safety or LB, and is physically incredible. Knack for forcing turnovers and he is a sure tackler, and although he has some coverage issues, he is still good vs. TEs and slot WRs at times. Philly gets a tone-setter at LB, their biggest need, or at S, arguably the 2nd biggest need.

TEN - Deonte Brown, OG, Alabama

The battle is won in the trenches. The Titans don’t have many needs, but strengthening the OL is always a good idea.

MIA - Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota

Miami is nailing the draft. Faalele is the most physically impressive prospect in this class, with great athleticism despite being 6 foot 9 inches and nearly 400 pounds. He’s a freak, and a perfect candidate to play at RT and protect Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side. Tua is very happy right now!

CHI - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC

Grabbing another athletic, and technically sound OL - Vera-Tucker fits Chicago’s needs well, especially with long-time starter Kyle Long retired.

NO - Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

New Orleans needs a true #2 WR next to Michael Thomas, and Emmanuel Sanders is the short-term for that. Toney is the long-term solution. Explosive YAC threat, Toney is a perfect fit in the West Coast offense that Sean Payton runs, and is seemingly uncatchable in the open field - and he comes with versatility, as a former QB; we know Sean Payton likes that.

BUF - Patrick Jones II, DE, Pittsburgh

The Bills need more from their DL to take their defense to the next level. Jerry Hughes is already 32, and by taking Jones, an explosive pass rusher with good technique and great size. Across from AJ Epenesa, Buffalo has two good EDGE rushers to anchor a DL and give Ed Oliver some help.

IND - Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

He does not have very much burst or an elite first step, but Hutchinson’s pursuit ability, motor, and strength are up there with the best. He’s inexperienced but he has a good assortment of pass rush moves, and offers versatility too - he is 280 pounds. IND gets a guy that they can play 3-4 DE, 4-3 DE, the three tech, or even 3-4 OLB if needed.

ARI - Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

Crazy talented athlete, Campbell is raw but he has a ton of potential. Great hips, great recovery speed, and he can run with anyone. Good size, he’s a player that can play in most if not all schemes, with the ability to play bump and run, press, zone, or man.

GB - Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

Adding two explosive weapons to an offense that already had Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams is stupid. That’s exactly what happens here - Green Bay grabs their TE of the future, in Jordan. Jordan is a gifted athlete with a lot of speed and explosiveness, built in the molds of the new wave of TEs like George Kittle, Noah Fant, and more. Green Bay now has weapons everywhere and are poised for the short-term with Rodgers, and the long term with Love.

BAL - Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

They took Patrick Queen last year, but they still need one more guy on that defense. While they have a pressing need at safety, Surratt’s potential is too much to pass up. Super talented with instincts, Surratt is a former QB and inexperienced, yet he has shown massive ability. High character and the leader the Ravens need on defense.

TB - Alec Lindstrom, OG, Boston College

Always pick the OL when unsure. Lindstrom is polished and although he does not possess a high ceiling, he should be a good starter in the NFL for a long time. Protect Brady.

PIT - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

Joe Haden is aging and Pittsburgh needs a boost of youth in the secondary to match Minkah Fitzpatrick. Horn has been one of the breakout stars this college season, and it’s a wonder he even dropped this far.

KC - Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

LDT’s status is unclear beyond this season, and besides, the Chiefs have needed a boost in the OL for a while. This is a trend - contending teams without weaknesses will almost always opt to strengthen the trenches.

SEA - Joe Tryon, DE, Washington

Tryon is far from a finished product but would represent the most hope Seattle has had at pass rush in a very long time. He is big, lengthy, has good burst, and good hand placement, and has a very high ceiling. The UW product stays in Seattle.

3rd round:

NYJ - Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

If the CB class was not so stacked this year, Stokes would have had a shot to go in the 1st. Either way, the Jets grab a talented, twitchy corner from Georgia with a knack for forcing turnovers. Stokes can be a #1 CB if developed correctly. Great in press coverage especially.

JAX - Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

Justin Fields’ favorite target joins him in Jacksonville. He is really polished in everything a WR needs - great route runner, great hands, and he can contort his body to make some tough catches. He is limited physically, that frame is not going to be able to take an NFL season. He is going to have to bulk up, but Fields gets a classic #2 WR who can play in the slot or outside.

WAS - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

Scheme-versatile, athletic, physical. He checks most boxes - he needs work on his technique, specifically when he comes out of his stance, but moving him to guard would eliminate that need. He can anchor himself well too.

NYG - Seth Williams, WR, Auburn

Prototypical X WR that fits well next to Darius Slayton. Williams cannot separate much, but with his hands and body control, is a great possession WR who will consistently make contested catches. Red-zone threat with upside.

CIN - Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

Two-down run defender with upside. He’s got a lot of athleticism and improving technique, but outside of the run-game, he can’t do much right now. Good fit, both for Cincinnati’s needs and also scheme.

DAL - Derion Kendrick, CB, Clemson

Weird prospect. He switched from WR to CB in college, so he is still clearly learning the nuances of being a corner, but you can see what he can be vs. what he is now. Kendrick is not going to wow anyone for a while, but if Dallas can develop him right, he can be very good. Very much a long-term pickup.

LAC - Asante Samuel Jr, CB, Florida State

He is really good with the play in front of him, classic slot corner. Good acceleration and he is a good tackler. He’s scheme-versatile, and with good hips, he can play off-man and press if needed. Good and easy replacement for Desmond King in the slot for the Chargers, especially with the aging Chris Harris. Samuel can get bullied by bigger WRs so DCs need to be careful with matchups, at least til he can get stronger.

DET - Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

Quandre Diggs being traded last season left a gaping hole in their secondary. Moehrig is a very good centerfield type safety with ball hawking ability and really good instincts. He’s got issues tackling, but most deep safeties have the same issues. Big time potential.

HOU - Alaric Jackson, OG, Iowa

Protecting DeShaun Watson needs to be the goal - Jackson is a good fit for Houston. Strong with good athleticism, Jackson has played at tackle for a long time at Iowa, but his flexibility and length limit him. He will move to guard - but that’s exactly what Houston needs.

DEN - Monty Rice, LB, Georgia

A tough inside LB with good closing speed and size, Rice is a good candidate as a WILL LB with coverage skills as well. He is a step late on some plays while diagnosing - which along with his size prevents him from playing at midde linebacker.

ATL - D’Eriq King, QB, Miami

Surprise! Well, not really. I expect Atlanta to hire a modern OC, and that means a modern QB is needed. King fits the bill as a dual-threat QB with a great arm. I really like his feel for the game, his arm talent, his improving accuracy, and anticipation, and the natural ability to extend plays and make throws on the run or scramble is great too. King may be undersized, but he makes up for it with his elusiveness and build. Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson succeeded, King can as well. Why not pick Trey Lance in the 1st? No matter what, the QB they pick will be a project. It would be better to invest in other positions early, and still grab the QB of the future late. He’s not Quinton Flowers, or JT Barrett - he’s much more. Great anticipation, strong arm, and he makes plays.

MIN - Azeez Ojulari, DE, Georgia

Really good bend and speed off the EDGE. He is another raw EDGE rusher, which is plentiful in this draft - but Minnesota needs a guy they can develop, just as they did with Danielle Hunter.

WAS - Grant Calcaterra, TE, Oklahoma

Weapons, weapons, weapons. Wilson needs all he can get, and now he has two talented WRs in Surratt and McLaurin, and Calcaterra joins that group. There are massive injury concerns with Calcaterra - he retired due to concussions and then returned earlier this season - but when he was healthy, he was considered a top TE in College Football. This is very much a bet for Washington, but it could pay off massive dividends.

NE - VOIDED by NFL
CAR - Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

NFL-ready frame and he’s got really good length. He can hold his own against most pass rushers, speed or power. Athleticism is average though - he is better off in a power-scheme more than anything else.

LV - Cade Mays, OG, Tennessee

Nasty and strong, especially in the run game. Jon Gruden will love this guy, but he needs to get more disciplined especially with his footwork and stance - when he maintains his leverage, he is elite. Needs to get more polished but the potential is there.

CLE - Richard LeCounte III, S, Georgia

Size is an issue with LeCounte, but his ball skills and instincts are great, as is his football IQ. He will be able to start Day One in the NFL - and with Grant Delpit at SS, LeCounte is a nice pairing at FS. Browns strengthen the defense again.

LAR - Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri

Rams biggest need is probably LB - but they wait til the 3rd to grab one. Bolton is a monster in the run-game, super hard hitter and he’s got good instincts to guess the gap and go. He’s limited in the passing game, but once again - he’s got plenty of time and potential to iron that out. Better in zone, as most LBs are.

PHI - Kary Vincent Jr, CB, LSU

Really good slot corner. Super twitchy with really quick feet - he can mirror anyone in the slot. The problem is with his size - but in general, this guy can play. He needs work on his tackling and hand fighting at the line but as a man-coverage type, Philly can’t get much better at this point in the draft.

TEN - Hunter Long, TE, Boston College

He’s just good at everything. Not a game-changing playmaker at TE, but he gets the job done and can do anything asked of a TE. Tennessee will love his blocking and good athleticism.

MIA - Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

As if Miami wasn’t already nailing this draft, this puts the cherry on top. Harris in the 3rd is incredible value - he’s physical, fast, elusive, and does everything a RB is supposed to do. Every-down RB. TD machine and he will always fall forward - he’s the alpha they need at RB, and a good compliment to Myles Gaskin. Another familiar face for Tua Tagovailoa.

CHI - Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn

The Bears need that extra #2 WR, Schwartz brings exactly that. Anthony Miller is better off in the slot, and while Allen Robinson is awesome, both Miller and Robinson cannot take the top off a defense like Schwartz can. He’s dangerous with the ball in his hands and is still improving. His frame is very flimsy however, and he’s got some issues blocking - but you can see his role in Matt Nagy’s offense.

CLE - Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington

They need a space eater next to Myles Garrett. Onwuzurike brings that and more to the table.

BUF - Dazz Newsome, WR, North Carolina

Gabriel Davis and Stefan Diggs are great, but Buffalo lacks a threat at slot WR - John Brown and Cole Beasley are again. Newsome is explosive, lightning quick, and has very good route running and elusiveness in the open field.

IND - Shaka Toney, DE, Penn State

Another DE? Justin Houston is aging, and if Indianapolis wants to keep building their defense, this is necessary to give DeForest Buckner some help. Toney is not ready to be an every-down player, but as most Penn State products are - he is gifted as an athlete. He’s got plenty of potential as a pass rusher.

ARI - Darius Stills, DT, West Virginia

There are questions about his run defense and is not disciplined as a DT should be. He more than makes up for it with his disruptiveness as a pass rusher. Rare get-off for a DT, and his size lends hm and advantage because he is so powerful and fast with good leverage.

GB - Jack Sanborn, LB, Wisconsin

Hard hitter with ball production tends to work out in the NFL. He’s a fine athlete and is a quick diagnosed of plays, and while his run defense is great, his coverage skills are better. Not often does a LB log multiple interceptions in one season, but Sanborn did just that. Do-it-all LB for the Packers, although he has some limitations.

MIN - Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston

Versatile weapon with a ton of speed and elusiveness. The production matches the skillset, and he brings the presence the Vikings need next to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen for the next couple of years.

TB - Kolby Harvell-Peel, S, Oklahoma State

He isn’t much of a coverage safety, but Harvell-Peel is a fantastic run defender and tackler at safety. He’s not a liability, but he is not someone you want covering the back-end on third down either way. Harvell-Peel gives Bruce Arians a piece that he can shift anywhere, from LB to SS to slot CB if necessary, and he can get physical in the trenches and hold his own.

PIT - Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State

Ruckert is a smooth athlete at TE and a very good blocker too. Despite not having much opportunity at OSU, Ruckert made the most of it - he’s got great hands as well. Pittsburgh grabs the future safety blanket for Kyle Trask… and forms a duo with Eric Ebron.

KC - Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

Reinforcing this defense again. Adebo is a good zone and press corner. He’s got limitations, but he’s still developing and could be very good in the future.

NYJ - Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson

If you ain’t noticed a trend by now, I don’t know what to say. But really, the Jets know that they aren’t exactly enticing for Lawrence. Making it feel like home for him is very important, both for his development and also for the future. They’ve alienated their defensive savant in Jamal Adams, they can’t have this happen again. Ross is mega-talented, but his neck injury last season caused him to drop from a 1st round prospect to a late 3rd prospect. Regardless, if the Jets can get Denzel Mims, Justyn Ross, Travis Etienne, plus two bookend tackles in Mekhi Becton and Jackson Carman - Trevor Lawrence has something he can work with. Ross is a prototypical #1 WR, with height-weight-speed measurements perfect and the production to back it up.

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Slot machines are up there with the most popular games in casinos.With their flashing lights, attractive graphics and the chance to win big, it’s no wonder people enjoy a spin on the reels. You You’ll see the results. Any slot offering an RTP higher than 97% is a good return, while 96-97% can also be acceptable. What is the Average Payout on Slot Machines? On average, slot games are usually programmed to pay out as winnings as little as 82% to around 98% of the money that is wagered by players, depending on a certain game. Keep in mind that slot machines with higher bet denominations typically also come with higher percentages for payouts. Choose the right machine for you. If you’re asking yourself how to win at a slot machine repeatedly and without success, it’s time to rethink the games you’re choosing. Slots may be a random game with less than ideal odds Above you learned which slot machines pay the best in 2019 and you can get the most of each dollar spent. Let’s have a look at the list of online casinos with the highest RTP rate: Zet Casino: By signing up a player gets 200 free spins and 100% up to 500 EUR bonus. GrandWild Casino: Welcoming bonus 150% up to 300 USD+ 100 spins for free. 888 Casino: one of the most reputable online casinos Below you will find a table with all the best and most popular online slot machines in 2020. Simply choose the games that strike your fancy and create an account with the partnering casino. Once you have created your account, remember to take your free spins and your deposit bonuses as part of your welcome offer wherever applicable. Use the information on this page to see what is trending in Best Payout Slot Machines By Software Provider. Whilst our comprehensive table of payout percentages for slot machines is undoubtedly illuminating, we have gone one step further in trying to help you find the best online slots. This graph shows the eight main software providers for online slots and the average payout percentage across all of their games. Essentially it shows you which The best paying slot machines take you from hero to zero even with a small bet. Finding which slot machines pay the best involves looking at RTP, bonus features, paylines and the minimum bet amounts amongst other things. To get the highest payout, you must play slots with the best odds of winning. Instead of wasting your time trying to figure Which slot machines pay the best? With most slots featuring a Return to Player of 92-96%, any games with a Return to Player above 96% (like these ones) is a good choice. While you can find out which slot machines pay the best by comparing the payout tables of different games, there are no secrets to winning on slot machines by understanding how to tell if a fruit machine is going to pay out soon. Basic probability theory would suggest that a slot that didn't pay out for a long time is probably going to hit soon — but there is no evidence to support this Where to find the best slot machines to play in Vegas 2019. Some are the best online slots with RTP over 96 % are mentioned below: Hot Ink; Simsalabim; Mega Joker; Blood Suckers; The list can go on forever. If you are a fan of indoor casinos, here is a list of best slot machines in Vegas for you to choose from.

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which slot machines pay the best 2019

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