Branle Playing Cards by NoirArts (NPCC) by Roman Kotiv (KS)

[Rob Wright]

Branle Playing Cards by NoirArts (NPCC)

[chas0039]

This seems an odd way to structure a project.  After 100 single decks are sold, you are only allowed to buy multiples??

No thanks.

[Don Boyer]

This seems an odd way to structure a project.  After 100 single decks are sold, you are only allowed to by multiples??

No thanks.

It's a bit bizarre, I agree, but he's doing so probably because he's only got 1,000 decks in the print run and doesn't want to accidentally oversell it.  It's a crude way of preventing an oversell, but probably the only one at his disposal - Kickstarter's rewards management system is a little on the simple side.

[Justin O.]

I'm sad I missed this one, I really like the way it looks. I see that not everything ended up selling, hopefully we will see them at retail rather than the re-seller market.

[Don Boyer]

I'm sad I missed this one, I really like the way it looks. I see that not everything ended up selling, hopefully we will see them at retail rather than the re-seller market.

The whole Noir Arts thing doesn't look too good to me - they're making a hell of a push on Kickstarter, trying to get people to make decks with them, but I question their quality and their website makes them look really fly-by-night.

[Justin O.]

I'm sad I missed this one, I really like the way it looks. I see that not everything ended up selling, hopefully we will see them at retail rather than the re-seller market.

The whole Noir Arts thing doesn't look too good to me - they're making a hell of a push on Kickstarter, trying to get people to make decks with them, but I question their quality and their website makes them look really fly-by-night.

It's a shame to hear that's the printer for this one, you're absolutely right.

[Fess]

I'm sad I missed this one, I really like the way it looks. I see that not everything ended up selling, hopefully we will see them at retail rather than the re-seller market.

The whole Noir Arts thing doesn't look too good to me - they're making a hell of a push on Kickstarter, trying to get people to make decks with them, but I question their quality and their website makes them look really fly-by-night.

Shame on the printer for this one, you're absolutely right.

I don't know fellas, I think everyone needs to start somewhere and I'm not going to condemn NPCC for their web site. That can be improved just as anything else can.

I went a head and ordered a couple of these, they haven't arrived yet but I'm keen on checking them out. I'd like to see how the cards themselves are and how they hold up over a few hands of something. I'm sure most of us have seen reviews people have done of the various decks NPCC has done. They all come to about the same conclusions, the smooth is bad for handling and the textured isn't bad. Card stock seems to be about the same quality as the old mpc stuff. Small improvements from deck to deck in many cases, etc, etc. All things point in the direction of a company trying to grow and get it done as best they can. I can't fault them for that. When I get the decks and give them the ole ringer test for a bit I'm happy to report my findings here. It may be that they're pretty good, it may be that they're pretty not haha.

This is a very nice looking deck. That's what spurred me to decide it's time to investigate further, although to be honest I'd considered picking up an NPCC deck earlier and just didn't find one I liked enough to pay the premium. These decks tends to be on the expensive side. If anyone else would like to check them out who didn't get in on the KS, I didn't, check your list of online retailers. They're in stock some places already and I suspect more will be having them show up shortly.

[Justin O.]

I'm sad I missed this one, I really like the way it looks. I see that not everything ended up selling, hopefully we will see them at retail rather than the re-seller market.

The whole Noir Arts thing doesn't look too good to me - they're making a hell of a push on Kickstarter, trying to get people to make decks with them, but I question their quality and their website makes them look really fly-by-night.

It's a shame to hear that's the printer for this one, you're absolutely right.

I don't know fellas, I think everyone needs to start somewhere and I'm not going to condemn NPCC for their web site. That can be improved just as anything else can.

I went a head and ordered a couple of these, they haven't arrived yet but I'm keen on checking them out. I'd like to see how the cards themselves are and how they hold up over a few hands of something. I'm sure most of us have seen reviews people have done of the various decks NPCC has done. They all come to about the same conclusions, the smooth is bad for handling and the textured isn't bad. Card stock seems to be about the same quality as the old mpc stuff. Small improvements from deck to deck in many cases, etc, etc. All things point in the direction of a company trying to grow and get it done as best they can. I can't fault them for that. When I get the decks and give them the ole ringer test for a bit I'm happy to report my findings here. It may be that they're pretty good, it may be that they're pretty not haha.

This is a very nice looking deck. That's what spurred me to decide it's time to investigate further, although to be honest I'd considered picking up an NPCC deck earlier and just didn't find one I liked enough to pay the premium. These decks tends to be on the expensive side. If anyone else would like to check them out who didn't get in on the KS, I didn't, check your list of online retailers. They're in stock some places already and I suspect more will be having them show up shortly.

I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the deck after you have had some time with them, please do post what you think, some hands on input would be invaluable. I'm not sold on them as a printer yet, they don't present themselves as a quality brand, and I feel like the way you represent yourself speaks to how important your work is to you.

[Don Boyer]

I don't know fellas, I think everyone needs to start somewhere and I'm not going to condemn NPCC for their web site. That can be improved just as anything else can.

They have a California mailing address, but they're located in Kyiv, Ukraine.  I can deal with that, but they had no qualms about copying entire sections of someone else's website about playing card manufacture and pasting them into their own site as if they were their own words.  If this was school, we'd call that plagiarism; in the real world, it's theft of intellectual property.  When I called them out on it, they did NOTHING.  There's a reek of dishonesty all over tactics like that, and I've talked people out of using them, steering them to more reputable printers with proven track records and website text they authored themselves.

I trust them as far as I can throw my entire playing card collection in one big, fat heave - which is another way of saying I trust them as far as I can throw my back!  (Seriously, I think my car weighs less than my cards...)

[Fess]

I've had the deck for a bit now and thought it was high time I tell you what I thought of it in terms of quality. The art speaks for itself and that's not necessary for me to comment on.

The cards are thin. If you're a thin card guy, you may read that and get excited. Well read on. They're papery feeling, is the only way to describe it. The coating is very thin and the cardstock is very thin, it mixes to a flimsy feel. Not soft, don't get me wrong. I do mean flimsy, as in I would expect them to tear if I dropped them in on a gentle use friendly poker game. The texturing on the cards does make it feel a little better than if it was smooth.

The cut on the cards looks good. There is however a clear lip where the dye pressed through, card back down to card face, which makes them not move so smoothly. They don't fan well for me, nor do I find them easy to faro. Even after many gentle shuffles the lip remained triumphant and it was clear this lip wasn't going anywhere soon. I wasn't about to go to town on the deck like I would normally shuffle, without worry or thought just do it. This stock isn't something that gave me confidence in doing so and lets be honest, this is an expensive deck so I was gentle and methodical in my shuffling.

Lastly the printing on the indices. It seems very strange to me. Whether by design of by process I have no idea as I don't own any other NPCC decks. I tend to think it was by design but you can see spill over on the printing registry in other places as well. I don't just mean the pips. It is noticeable on the cards in hand by a man who doesn't see to well, namely me. See attached photos below.

Overall, I wouldn't purchase this deck again given it's price point or even half it's price point. I hope to get some light use out of it and enjoy the art on the cards. The texture on the cards is the only thing in my opinion that sets the quality of playing card apart from much less expensive decks with the catch phrase we all know, Plastic Coated. This is a deck you pick up to enjoy the art. It's just not for use. I would think that a deck like Branle would be a place to show off what you can do as a printer. NPCC may have done that here, I don't know. It's definitely a starting point. Overtime NPCC will likely improve that time just isn't here yet. As for being a contender for MPC, I'm sorry but no they're not. MPC produces a much higher quality product.

[PrincessTrouble]

I don't have the Branle but I have the Back to the Asylum deck from NPCC.  I HATE that thin, papery feeling.

[Don Boyer]

I've been saying this all along - Noir Arts doesn't look like a quality operation.  The cards appear to be speaking for the company...