MMOexp-FC 25: Olivier Giroud 98 – The Perfect Target Man for Cross Spam Players Big Ollie is in the building. Yes, you read that right-Olivier Giroud has received a stunning 98-rated Footy Zero SBC card in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, and he's making waves for more reasons than just nostalgia. With five-star skill moves, five-star weak foot, 99 shooting, and a towering 6'4" frame, this version of Giroud is anything but ordinary FC 25 Coins.   But is he the kind of card that breaks into your starting eleven, or is he more of a "fun but not meta" pick designed for fans of the French striker's legacy? Let's dive into his stats, gameplay feel, strengths, and shortcomings to figure out if this card is really worth your fodder.   The Stats on Paper   At first glance, Giroud's Footy Zero SBC looks incredible:    Overall Rating: 98  Shooting: 99 (Low Driven+, Power Shot+, Finesse Shot+)  Dribbling: Surprisingly decent, with control lengthy keeping him smooth in motion.  Pace: Not blistering, but serviceable with the right chemistry style.  Physicality: Outstanding, as expected from Giroud, with aerial dominance and strength.  PlayStyle+ Perks: Aerial+, Power Shot+, Finesse Shot+, Press Proven+.   The PlayStyle Plus abilities elevate him, particularly in shooting. His low driven shots feel automatic, the power shot packs insane venom, and finesse efforts curve with precision. The aerial threat is also a real weapon, and at 6'4" he is dominant both in the box and in link-up play.   The drawback? He lacks a Quick Step+ or Rapid+ boost, which would have made him genuinely meta-tier. Instead, he comes with Press Proven+-useful, yes, but not game-breaking.   Chemistry Style Choice   The best option here seems to be Catalyst. Why?    It maxes out his pace and passing, two areas that need the most support.  It keeps his controlled lengthy accelerate type, which works perfectly for his playstyle.  Shooting doesn't need a boost-he's already maxed at 99 across the board.   With Catalyst, Giroud becomes a surprisingly well-rounded forward. He's quick enough, smooth enough in link-up, and absolutely deadly in front of goal.   Price Tag & Accessibility   At launch, Giroud's SBC cost sat around 314,000 coins. That's not cheap, especially late in the cycle when fodder is abundant. But realistically, this isn't a huge barrier. With repeatable SBCs like 85x10 upgrades pumping out fodder daily, most players can complete him without breaking the bank.   So the real question isn't "can you afford him?" but rather "is he worth your fodder?"   On the Pitch: Gameplay Test   First Impressions   Sliding Giroud into an Arsenal Past and Present squad felt like the perfect test. Paired with Thierry Henry and backed by William Saliba, Big Ollie had the stage set. From the opening minutes, his presence was noticeable. His physicality and ability to create pockets of space stood out right away.   A few early chances highlighted both his strengths and quirks. He generated space well, showed surprising burst speed for a 6'4" striker, and unleashed some dangerous low drivens. But his first touches can feel a bit heavy, and he's not immune to being clunky in tight areas. Pace & Movement   Despite not having Quick Step+, Giroud does not feel sluggish. His stride length with controlled lengthy acceleration lets him cover ground quickly once he's in motion. Against defenders like Virgil van Dijk, he can hold his own-though he isn't going to burn past rapid fullbacks.   He's at his best making runs in behind the defense or holding up play to then release teammates. He thrives as a target man with surprising mobility.   Shooting   This is where Giroud shines brightest. 99 shooting feels real.    Low Drivens: Practically guaranteed goals if you get the angle right.  Power Shots: Absolute rockets. They thump into the back of the net with frightening force.  Finesse Shots: Curved beauties, particularly effective from the edge of the box.  Pens: Cool, calm, and clinical-he's a dream penalty taker.   One standout match had him score a hat trick with ease: a low driven finish, a finesse curler, and a powerful header from a cross. It was classic Giroud, updated for the digital era.   Dribbling & Ball Control   This is the area where expectations matter. Giroud is not Neymar. He doesn't glide or snap into sharp dribble chains. But compared to earlier iterations of target-man strikers, this card is far smoother.   With controlled lengthy, he can shift directions respectably, and when using left-stick dribbling combined with strength, he holds defenders off while gliding forward. It's functional, but don't expect tricks or saucy skill spam.   Physicality & Aerial Threat   This is where he feels unique. Cross the ball into him, and Giroud's Aerial+ trait makes him nearly unstoppable. Headers are lethal. In addition, his hold-up play is excellent-shielding defenders, chesting balls down, and distributing cleanly.   For players who miss old-school number nines, this is the card for you.Comparisons to Other Forwards   The most obvious comparison is Footies Erling Haaland. Both are tall, powerful, clinical finishers with a lengthy stride.    Giroud feels smoother on the ball than Haaland, making him slightly better in tight areas.    Haaland has the edge in pure pace and explosive acceleration, particularly thanks to Quick Step+.    In terms of finishing, they are neck and neck, with Giroud maybe edging it in finesse and Haaland dominating in raw power.   Another comparison is Thierry Henry's ICON card. Henry has more flair and raw pace, but Giroud offers superior physical presence.   Strengths    99 Shooting: Truly elite. He scores in every style.  Aerial Threat: Headers, flick-ons, and crosses feel automatic.  Physical Dominance: Hard to push off the ball.  Versatile PlayStyle+ Shooting Perks: Low driven, power, finesse-he does it all.  Great for Link-Up Play: Excellent target man.  5/5 Upgrade: Makes him unpredictable and fun to use.   Weaknesses    No Quick Step+: Limits his burst acceleration and overall meta viability.  Dribbling Under Pressure: Can still feel clunky compared to smaller, more agile strikers.  Price Tag: At over 300k, some might prefer saving fodder for guaranteed packs.  Not Meta-Breaking: He won't replace R9, Mbappé, or Prime Henry in competitive squads.   Verdict: Is He Worth It?   So, should you complete Giroud's SBC? The answer depends on your perspective:    If you're an Arsenal, Chelsea, Milan, or France fan-Absolutely. This card is a must-do for sentimental value and squad-building fun.    If you love target men or enjoyed Haaland's Footies card-Yes, Giroud will feel like a fresh but similar option.    If you're looking for the most meta striker-Probably not. He's great fun, but cards like Mbappé and R9 are still a tier above.   At the end of the day, Giroud is a fun, nostalgic, and surprisingly effective forward, particularly for casual players or those still grinding Ultimate Team deep into the game cycle. With fodder being easy to come by, he's well worth trying out Fut 25 Coins for sale.   Final Rating    Shooting: 10/10  Pace: 8/10  Dribbling: 7.5/10  Physicality: 9.5/10  Value for Coins: 8/10  Fun Factor: 10/10   Overall: 8.8/10-Not meta-breaking, but a brilliant, enjoyable card that celebrates Giroud's unique playstyle.

MMOexp-POE: Mapping Like a Pro With the Penance Brand Hierophant Path of Exile (PoE) is a game known for its complex mechanics, deep customization, and endless variety of builds. Each league brings new strategies, metas, and playstyles to explore. In patch 3.26, one of the standout caster builds making waves is the Penance Brand of Dissipation Hierophant. This build blends fast-paced gameplay, strong survivability, and satisfying mechanics into one of the most fun caster archetypes available POE currency.   If you're looking for a build that clears maps quickly, feels fluid to play, and scales well into the endgame, the Penance Brand of Dissipation might be your next character. This guide will walk you through the build's strengths, weaknesses, leveling tips, passive tree priorities, gem setups, gear choices, mercenary support, and overall gameplay strategy.   Why Play Penance Brand of Dissipation?   The Penance Brand skill attaches a magical brand to enemies, building up stored energy that periodically releases in powerful pulses. Once charged, the energy detonates in devastating area-of-effect (AoE) explosions. With the Dissipation variant, this damage-over-time playstyle becomes highly rewarding, as the brands scale beautifully with cast speed, duration, and AoE modifiers.   Here's why players love this build:    Smooth Mapping-Fast-paced explosions clear dense packs almost instantly.    Strong Survivability-Thanks to Hierophant ascendancy synergies with Mind over Matter and Eldritch Battery, this caster feels tankier than most.    Decent Bossing-Sustained brand damage combined with mobility allows you to handle bosses without being locked in place.    Fun Mechanics-The rhythm of placing brands, recalling them, and watching enemies melt is incredibly satisfying.   However, it's not without its challenges. Early leveling feels clunky, it's gear-dependent to truly shine, and it requires some micromanagement with Brand Recall to maximize damage uptime. Still, once mastered, this build feels powerful and rewarding.   Leveling the Build   Leveling as a Penance Brand character is not straightforward. The skill itself only becomes available at level 28, and even then, it doesn't feel strong until you invest in key supports and gear.   Early Leveling Recommendations:    Use Stormblast Mine, Arc, or Holy Flame Totem for the early acts. These skills provide reliable clear and smooth campaign progression.    Grab mana regeneration nodes and run Clarity to sustain casting costs.    Equip leveling uniques if available, such as Lifesprig wands or Tabula Rasa for a six-link early advantage.   Transition to Penance Brand:    At level 28, start slotting in Penance Brand with supports like Increased Duration and Swiftbrand.    The build improves drastically once you acquire Brand Recall, allowing you to reposition and reapply brands seamlessly.    By Act 6+, when you gain access to items like Call of the Brotherhood and ascendancy nodes boosting brand effectiveness, the playstyle becomes smooth.   Leveling might not be the strongest aspect of this build, but the late-campaign payoff is worth it.   Ascendancy Choices   As a Hierophant, your ascendancy nodes perfectly complement the brand playstyle. Prioritize them in this order:   1.Conviction of Power-Grants consistent power and endurance charges, boosting both damage and defenses.   2.Arcane Blessing-Ensures permanent Arcane Surge, providing increased spell damage and mana regeneration.   3.Illuminated Devotion-Adds cast speed and elemental penetration while Arcane Surge is active, improving damage output.   4.Sign of Purpose-A core node for brand builds, enhancing attachment/detachment speed and significantly improving Brand Recall.   5.These ascendancies work in harmony to keep your brands active, powerful, and mobile while shoring up survivability through charge generation and mana sustain.   Passive Skill Tree   The passive tree focuses on three key areas: energy shield, mana scaling, and brand efficiency.   Key Notables to Target:    Brand Equity and Holy Conquest-Enhance brand duration and recall effectiveness.    Deep Thoughts and Arcane Will-Strengthen mana regeneration and sustain, synergizing with Hierophant's ascendancy.    Prodigal Perfection and Essence Surge-Boost energy shield while also scaling spell damage.   The build naturally stretches between the Templar, Witch, and Shadow regions of the tree, prioritizing intelligence, energy shield nodes, and spell damage clusters. Jewel sockets near Witch and Shadow are valuable for scaling damage via cluster jewels such as Eagle Ruin or Vivid Spark.   Core Gem Setup   Your primary skill setup revolves around maximizing Penance Brand of Dissipation.   Main Six-Link:    Penance Brand of Dissipation    Awakened Controlled Destruction    Physical to Lightning    Arcane Surge    Awakened Lightning Penetration    Concentrated Effect (swap with Increased AoE for mapping)Movement Skills:    Shield Charge + Faster Attacks    Flame Dash or Blink for teleport repositioning   Defensive Setup:    Vaal Molten Shell + Increased Duration (automated with Cast When Damage Taken)    Determination + Vitality + Tempest Shield for armor, regen, and block chance   Utility & Auras:    Zealotry and Discipline for offense and energy shield    Clarity if additional mana sustain is needed    Curse on Hit setups with Punishment or Elemental Weakness to debuff enemies   This gem configuration provides a balance between raw damage, mobility, and survivability.   Recommended Gear   The build performs best with a mix of rares and uniques that boost spell damage, energy shield, and resistances while enhancing brand mechanics.   Weapons:    Royal Sceptre-Look for spell damage, mana regen, and brand modifiers.    Shield: Dawnbreaker-Provides strong defensive layering with armor and resistances.   Chest:    Rare Sacrificial Chainmail with high energy shield and armor for hybrid defenses.   Gloves & Boots:    Crafted rares with resistances, movement speed, and life/ES scaling.   Amulet:    The Eternal Struggle-Offers elemental penetration and strong stat scaling for casters.   Rings:    Two Amethyst Rings for chaos resistance and additional life/mana.   Belt:  Stygian Vise with energy shield recovery, resistances, and a powerful abyss jewel socket.   Jewel Options:    Watcher's Eye with mana/energy shield interactions is best-in-slot.    Cluster jewels boosting brand damage and recovery speed provide substantial gains.   Mercenary Setup   While not core to Path of Exile gameplay for most builds, if you're running companions in private leagues or themed play, prioritize those that scale with your auras and curses.    Ideal Choice: A Fallen Reverend mercenary with high strength/intelligence scaling.   Equip them with:    Crown of the Tyrant for elemental damage boosts    Gloves that apply Elemental Weakness on Hit    Rings enabling multiple curses (Doedre's Damning and crafted curse-on-hit mods)   This setup amplifies your overall offensive power significantly during boss encounters.   Gameplay Strategy   The Penance Brand of Dissipation build offers a fast-paced, strategic, and highly rewarding playstyle.    Place brands on packs → let them charge and detonate → recall to reposition → repeat.    Use Brand Recall often to maintain uptime on moving targets and to reposition damage while dodging.    Manage flask usage carefully, as utility flasks are vital for defense and speed.    Against bosses, drop brands consistently while focusing on dodging mechanics. Your brands will continue pulsing and exploding, providing reliable damage even while you move.   Defensively, the build leverages layered mechanics:    Energy Shield + Mana Sustain through Eldritch Battery and Mind over Matter.    Armor + Block from Determination and Tempest Shield.    Mobility via Shield Charge and Flame Dash to avoid incoming hits.   Once geared, this build excels at mapping and can handle endgame bosses like Sirus, Maven, and Uber Elder with good positioning and uptime.   Final Thoughts   The Penance Brand of Dissipation Hierophant is one of the most enjoyable caster builds in Path of Exile 3.26. While it requires some effort to set up-particularly during the leveling phase-it rewards players with incredible mapping speed buy POE chaos orbs, solid survivability, and a mechanically engaging playstyle.   With the right gear and practice, this build can carry you through the entire endgame, from farming maps to tackling pinnacle bosses. If you're looking for a caster that feels both powerful and fun, the Penance Brand of Dissipation deserves a spot on your radar this league.

MMOexp-Diablo 4: Everything You Must Do Before the Season Reset Season 10 of Diablo 4 is right around the corner, and that means one thing: it's time to prepare. Every new season brings the same mix of excitement, questions, and panic grinding before the reset. Will your characters carry over? What's the best class this time around? And what can you actually keep from season to season?   If you're asking those questions now Diablo IV gold, you're not alone. But don't worry-this guide will walk you through the most important steps to take before the season ends, what to expect at launch, and how to make the most of your journey into Season 10.   Step One: Remember Why You're Playing   Before diving into mechanics, let's start with the most overlooked but most important piece of advice: have fun.   It's easy to get caught up in meta debates, tier lists, and min-max strategies. But Diablo 4 is at its best when you're immersed in the world, experimenting with builds, and carving your own path through Sanctuary. Launch day of a new season is a unique experience-it feels fresh, alive, and full of discovery.   So before anything else, remind yourself why you play. Whether it's racing leaderboards, hunting loot, or just winding down after work slaying demons, play in the way that excites you most. That joy is what will carry you deeper into the season than any guide or spreadsheet ever could.   Step Two: Join a Clan-Seriously   Even if you're a solo player, joining a clan (or at least a Discord community) is one of the smartest moves you can make before Season 10 launches.   Why? Because at the start of every season, coordinated groups tear through content at lightning speed. They farm seasonal events, boss mats, and gear far more efficiently than lone wanderers. Many clans organize launch-day groups of four so no one gets left behind.   Still skeptical? Consider this: countless players who swore by solo play gave group play a chance and never went back. The game transforms when you share the grind with others-weekly boss runs, gear farming sessions, and the thrill of clearing high-tier dungeons as a team.   And here's the best part: you don't even need to be strong enough for late-game bosses like Balile. If you're in a good clan, there's always a group willing to carry newer players through. You'll still walk away with loot, mythics, and uniques, and the experience of community is worth its weight in gold.   Step Three: Finish Your Renown   If you only do one thing before Season 10, let it be this: finish your renown grind.   Renown is the reputation system tied to exploration and activities in each region of Sanctuary. Completing waypoints, strongholds, side quests, dungeons, and discovering altars of Lilith all feed into it. Why does it matter so much? Because renown rewards-extra potion charges, skill points, paragon points, and increased obol capacity-carry over between seasons.   That means if you max out your renown now, you'll start Season 10 with up to 12 bonus skill points (10 without the expansion) and 24 paragon points by the time you hit level 60. That's a massive head start compared to players who ignore it.   Tracking renown can feel overwhelming, but interactive maps (like those hosted on Maxroll or Mobalytics) make it painless. You can toggle objectives like dungeons or altars, check them off as you complete them, and ensure you don't miss a single reward. It may take a few sessions of focused grinding, but the payoff is permanent and game-changing.   Step Four: Plan Your Build   When the season launches, you'll want a leveling plan that keeps you efficient from 1-60. That's where build guides shine.   A good leveling guide breaks progression into stages: levels 1-25, 26-40, and 41-60. It shows which skills to prioritize, which aspects to unlock, and which dungeons to run first. Instead of randomly assigning points and hoping for synergy, you'll be following a proven path that keeps your character strong every step of the way.   Tools like the Codex of Power simplify this further. By checking which aspects you've unlocked and which dungeons you still need, you can plan efficient routes to collect the powers that fuel your build. Many guides even include "leveling paths" that show exactly where to allocate skill points as you progress.   This doesn't mean you should copy every guide blindly-if something looks fun, try it! But having a structured foundation gives you the freedom to experiment without falling into frustration traps.Step Five: Understand What Carries Over   One of the biggest sources of confusion each season is what you keep and what you lose. Here's the breakdown for Diablo 4:    What Transfers to the Eternal Realm: At the end of a season, your seasonal characters move to the eternal realm with all their gear, gold, materials, and experience. Your stash also transfers-but only if you empty it before the next season begins. Anything left unclaimed will be lost forever.    What Stays Seasonal: You can't carry gear, gold, mats, or items directly into the next season. Every new season is a fresh start.    What Permanently Carries Over: Renown bonuses. Once unlocked, those extra potions, skill points, and paragon points will always be with you, no matter what season you start.   At first, losing seasonal progress can feel discouraging. But many veterans swear it's what keeps Diablo 4 fresh. Every season has its own theme and mechanics, making the early grind feel new again. And because your eternal characters remain intact, you're never truly losing progress-you're just stepping into a new cycle.   Step Six: Manage Expectations on Class Balance   Now, for the question everyone asks: what's the best class for Season 10?   Here's the truth: we don't know yet. Public Test Realm patch notes give hints, but the final balance changes often shift before launch. Even then, balance is fluid-what looks weak on paper can end up dominating with the right builds.   A perfect example came from an earlier season where Barbarians ranked at the bottom of nearly every tier list. A month later, skilled players were pushing them nearly as high as Druids and Sorcerers. Tier lists are useful, but they aren't gospel.   Instead, pick the class that excites you. If you love summoning, play Necromancer. If you want brute force melee, go Barbarian. If you enjoy casting from range, Sorcerer might be your fit. The best build is the one you'll actually enjoy grinding 100 hours on.   Final Thoughts   Season 10 of Diablo 4 promises to be one of the most exciting yet. The fresh reset, the thrill of exploring new content, and the chance to push your favorite class to its limits are what make this game thrive.   So before the season begins, remember to: 1.Finish your renown. 2.Join a clan or group for launch. 3.Plan your leveling build. 4.Empty your stash when the season ends buy Diablo 4 gold. 5.Most importantly-play the class and style that make the game fun for you.   At the end of the day, Diablo 4 is about the journey. The loot, the builds, the resets-they're all there to support that core fantasy of slaying demons in a world on the brink. Season 10 is almost here. Grab your gear, rally your allies, and get ready to carve your legend into Sanctuary once more.