Is this actually possible? I haven't tested it and am not very familiar with ratboy. I think the "spawn" mechanic of fruits as well as the spawned rats will make it very unlikely to place a fruit at the right spot on consecutive turns.
You do it by not using wererat’s order. Then if wererat is placed on the right hand end of the row, the spawned fruit will always be to its right. You do mess this up if you use wererat’s order (but that usually overfills your row anyway).
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Alissa Henson
Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 7
Strength: 6
Deploy: Shuffle a special card from your graveyard to your deck. If it was a bronze also shuffle one additional copy of that special.
Use Frequency: rare
Comments:
Although I originally intended to highlight primarily older, seldom used cards in this thread, I cannot resist addressing Alyssa. On the surface, she is an interesting card with a unique ability. In practice, she is probably unused with good reason.
Issues with her use include:
Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 7
Strength: 6
Deploy: Shuffle a special card from your graveyard to your deck. If it was a bronze also shuffle one additional copy of that special.
Use Frequency: rare
Comments:
Although I originally intended to highlight primarily older, seldom used cards in this thread, I cannot resist addressing Alyssa. On the surface, she is an interesting card with a unique ability. In practice, she is probably unused with good reason.
Issues with her use include:
- value: the special card returned to deck must be worth a relatively low tempo play. Moreover, it must either have value in the deck or become otherwise playable.
- timing: the desired card must somehow get the graveyard (usually by being played), then Alyssa must be played early enough to be able to draw or otherwise play the special card again at time when it is useful.
- consistency: value for Alyssa requires having the necessary cards available at the right time. Moreover, returning cards to the deck (especially if they are bronze) has a reverse thinning (self-clogging) effect.
- cost/benefit too low: unless a special card is so unique it has no substitutes, it probably far more cost effective to simply include the substitute than to include Alyssa and a means to draw the card. Since Alyssa only moves bronze cards that exist in the graveyard (the duplicate is not created), planning to play 4 copies of one bronze card is probably not worth the turns required both to play, then to replay the cards. Even combinations with Simlas are not worth the set-up cost.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Torque
Faction: Scoia’tael
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 8
Strength: 5
Ability: Whenever this card is boosted in your hand, boost a random different unit in your hand by the same amount.
Devotion: This card always starts in your hand.
Use Frequency: uncommon
Comments:
Today, I discuss another relatively recent card – one I think is badly underestimated. Torque can consistently come down for between 20 and 25 power. This card can out-point NG hyperthin in the final round and plays for more points than pre-nerf Gord.
Many players have restricted Torque to devotion decks assuming he needs the devotion ability – and traditional, devotion handboost decks lack control, have a weak first round, lack consistency, demand long rounds, and are vulnerable to removal. Hence, I believe there is little objection to Torque because he plays in a weak archetype.
I think his potential is overlooked in non-devotion decks. There he can be used for relatively cheap but incidental carryover (4 to 6 points of boost more than justifies his expense), or in an all-out hand boost deck using Iris’ Companions together with the cursed scroll stratagem to guarantee he appears in hand during round 1 about 7/8ths of the time. But non-devotion decks can augment boost opportunities for Torque in numerous ways, allow better removal options, allow cards like Ciri to improve first round play, or Matta Hu’uri to extend a round.
Time will tell whether Torque has the meme potential I believe he has. But I do find him a fun card to work with.
Faction: Scoia’tael
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 8
Strength: 5
Ability: Whenever this card is boosted in your hand, boost a random different unit in your hand by the same amount.
Devotion: This card always starts in your hand.
Use Frequency: uncommon
Comments:
Today, I discuss another relatively recent card – one I think is badly underestimated. Torque can consistently come down for between 20 and 25 power. This card can out-point NG hyperthin in the final round and plays for more points than pre-nerf Gord.
Many players have restricted Torque to devotion decks assuming he needs the devotion ability – and traditional, devotion handboost decks lack control, have a weak first round, lack consistency, demand long rounds, and are vulnerable to removal. Hence, I believe there is little objection to Torque because he plays in a weak archetype.
I think his potential is overlooked in non-devotion decks. There he can be used for relatively cheap but incidental carryover (4 to 6 points of boost more than justifies his expense), or in an all-out hand boost deck using Iris’ Companions together with the cursed scroll stratagem to guarantee he appears in hand during round 1 about 7/8ths of the time. But non-devotion decks can augment boost opportunities for Torque in numerous ways, allow better removal options, allow cards like Ciri to improve first round play, or Matta Hu’uri to extend a round.
Time will tell whether Torque has the meme potential I believe he has. But I do find him a fun card to work with.
Last edited:
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Armor Up
Faction: Skellige
Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 4
Type: Special
Ability: Damage an enemy unit by two. Spawn 3 Witcher Students on the opposite row, damage them by one, then give them one armor.
Use Frequency: rare
Notable Synergies: Bear Witcher Mentor, Giant Boar, bloodthirst cards, healing cards, some Witcher cards.
Comments: Armor Up is not a great card – even at four provisions. It generally plays for 5 points. And while it can have nice synergies, the cards with which it synergizes are not really good enough to justify it. But Armor Up is an interesting card with a lot of potential uses: feeding Keltulis, absorbing damage pings, providing quick spawn, thwarting Sabertooth, etc. It’s one of those cards I always want to include – and know better than to do so.
Faction: Skellige
Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 4
Type: Special
Ability: Damage an enemy unit by two. Spawn 3 Witcher Students on the opposite row, damage them by one, then give them one armor.
Use Frequency: rare
Notable Synergies: Bear Witcher Mentor, Giant Boar, bloodthirst cards, healing cards, some Witcher cards.
Comments: Armor Up is not a great card – even at four provisions. It generally plays for 5 points. And while it can have nice synergies, the cards with which it synergizes are not really good enough to justify it. But Armor Up is an interesting card with a lot of potential uses: feeding Keltulis, absorbing damage pings, providing quick spawn, thwarting Sabertooth, etc. It’s one of those cards I always want to include – and know better than to do so.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Mage Infiltrator
Faction: Nilfgaard
Color: Bronze
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 4
Strength: 1
Deploy: Damage adjacent units by 3.
Deathblow: Move self to the opposite row and remove spying.
Use Frequency: common
Notable Synergies: Braathens, Artorius, Hunting Pack, Thirsty dame, Van Moorlehem Servant, Mangonel, Seditious Aristocrats, Impera Enforcers, Emhyr, Stregobor
Comments: After the recent buff, Mage Infiltrator has become a very respectable card, able to play seven points for four provisions. An ability to damage two different cards can be very helpful in certain situations, as can a spying tag. While it is unlikely to be the target of choice for Braathens, it provides flexibility with him that NG often needs.
Faction: Nilfgaard
Color: Bronze
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 4
Strength: 1
Deploy: Damage adjacent units by 3.
Deathblow: Move self to the opposite row and remove spying.
Use Frequency: common
Notable Synergies: Braathens, Artorius, Hunting Pack, Thirsty dame, Van Moorlehem Servant, Mangonel, Seditious Aristocrats, Impera Enforcers, Emhyr, Stregobor
Comments: After the recent buff, Mage Infiltrator has become a very respectable card, able to play seven points for four provisions. An ability to damage two different cards can be very helpful in certain situations, as can a spying tag. While it is unlikely to be the target of choice for Braathens, it provides flexibility with him that NG often needs.
A great addition for NG. Even if you don't play this in your deck, just the existence (and playability) of this card helps if endreaga larva ever becomes a problem again. Or whisperer, elfswarm, fireswarm, any swarm....
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Dandelion: Poet
Faction: neutral
Color: Gold
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 11
Strength: 4
Deploy (melee): Draw a card, then play a card.
Use Frequency: uncommon, almost never in meta decks
Comments: Expert players generally consider Dandelion: Poet over-priced. He can be viewed as four points and deck-thinning without spending a turn. This can be compared to Roach (3 points for 9 provisions) or Knickers (3 points for 8 provisions), but there are differences. Poet must be played from hand – which means he must be drawn, while Knickers and Roach must be summoned from deck. Poet can be missed (undrawn) but is rarely bricked. Roach and Knickers are easily bricked, but rarely missed. And Poet constitutes two plays in one turn – while Roach and Knickers are one play and a summons. Cost aside, Roach and Knickers are generally preferable because it is usually much harder to draw a card than to keep one in the deck. However, I find the double play to be quite useful on occasion. It helps meet quests that require playing specified numbers of cards or units, and it can trigger cards like Nauzicaa Sergeant multiple times in one turn. I have also found that the points added by Poet to a given turn can be very valuable for tempo and reach. He may not be a top tier card, but he is still a very good card – especially for beginning players rarely encountering true meta decks.
Faction: neutral
Color: Gold
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 11
Strength: 4
Deploy (melee): Draw a card, then play a card.
Use Frequency: uncommon, almost never in meta decks
Comments: Expert players generally consider Dandelion: Poet over-priced. He can be viewed as four points and deck-thinning without spending a turn. This can be compared to Roach (3 points for 9 provisions) or Knickers (3 points for 8 provisions), but there are differences. Poet must be played from hand – which means he must be drawn, while Knickers and Roach must be summoned from deck. Poet can be missed (undrawn) but is rarely bricked. Roach and Knickers are easily bricked, but rarely missed. And Poet constitutes two plays in one turn – while Roach and Knickers are one play and a summons. Cost aside, Roach and Knickers are generally preferable because it is usually much harder to draw a card than to keep one in the deck. However, I find the double play to be quite useful on occasion. It helps meet quests that require playing specified numbers of cards or units, and it can trigger cards like Nauzicaa Sergeant multiple times in one turn. I have also found that the points added by Poet to a given turn can be very valuable for tempo and reach. He may not be a top tier card, but he is still a very good card – especially for beginning players rarely encountering true meta decks.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Yennefer: Conjurer
Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 9
Strength: 5
Zeal:
Order: Deal one damage to the highest enemy unit(s)
Cooldown: 1
Use Frequency: almost never
Comments: I saw Yennifer: Conjurer in play (for the first time) about a week ago. It made me realize something about the card that I had not previously read accurately. The damage is to all the opposing highest units, not just one. For me, that moves the card from the realm of ridiculously unplayable to merely bad. If it is not locked or removed, if it has sufficient damage pinging units to set it up, and a long enough round for the opponent to have several cards on the board, it can actually play for reasonable value. Unlike cards like Regis or Scorch, Yennifer does not have an initiative condition – it is possible to design a deck to give Yennifer: Conjurer good average value. Whether doing so is really worth the effort is a bit more questionable.
Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Type: Unit
Provision Cost: 9
Strength: 5
Zeal:
Order: Deal one damage to the highest enemy unit(s)
Cooldown: 1
Use Frequency: almost never
Comments: I saw Yennifer: Conjurer in play (for the first time) about a week ago. It made me realize something about the card that I had not previously read accurately. The damage is to all the opposing highest units, not just one. For me, that moves the card from the realm of ridiculously unplayable to merely bad. If it is not locked or removed, if it has sufficient damage pinging units to set it up, and a long enough round for the opponent to have several cards on the board, it can actually play for reasonable value. Unlike cards like Regis or Scorch, Yennifer does not have an initiative condition – it is possible to design a deck to give Yennifer: Conjurer good average value. Whether doing so is really worth the effort is a bit more questionable.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Yennefer: Conjurer
Another example of Powercreep. This Card is outdated but was quite strong in early hc. I found this deck wich is probably not the "real (old) meta/meme" but close. https://www.playgwent.com/de/decks/guides/76768
Remember Caranthir could target Neutrals (Yenn), Carapace could, too. Make a second Yen and protect it with +3 and shield from Carapace, alongside old Imlerith, wich was Nithral, and Nithral wich was an Artifact removal....
Basicly it was a "Control/Engine" deck comparable to Kelly decks nowadays.
There was also an iteration for NR. It played the old foltest pride (damage an ememy unit and all units with same power) along Yennefer to ditch out 5-10 damage from engines each turn and finish with old Hubert (boost self by dmg dealt this turn)
This was a "charge" based deck but this mechanic is also completely gone.
Another example of Powercreep. This Card is outdated but was quite strong in early hc. I found this deck wich is probably not the "real (old) meta/meme" but close. https://www.playgwent.com/de/decks/guides/76768
Remember Caranthir could target Neutrals (Yenn), Carapace could, too. Make a second Yen and protect it with +3 and shield from Carapace, alongside old Imlerith, wich was Nithral, and Nithral wich was an Artifact removal....
Basicly it was a "Control/Engine" deck comparable to Kelly decks nowadays.
There was also an iteration for NR. It played the old foltest pride (damage an ememy unit and all units with same power) along Yennefer to ditch out 5-10 damage from engines each turn and finish with old Hubert (boost self by dmg dealt this turn)
This was a "charge" based deck but this mechanic is also completely gone.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Ihuarraquax
Faction: Neutral
Type: Unit
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 10
Strength: 4
Deploy (melee): Each player summons the highest-provision unit from their deck to their melee row.
Deploy (ranged): Each player summons the lowest-provision unit from their deck to their ranged row.
Use Frequency: Rare except in Viy and mill decks where it is common.
Notable Synergies: High provision cards that are neither range row locked nor dependent upon a deploy ability.
Comments:
I like Ihuarraquax so well that I even learned how to spell its name. It is a card with surprising versatility as both a disruptor and a tutor.
Although it can disastrously draw a great card for your opponent, in the current meta, most top cards play for immediate value – which usually means significant deploy value which summoning denies. Ihuarraquax is usually the most reliable means of directly disrupting these cards. (Often, for factions other than NG, it is the only tactical – as opposed to strategic – way to disrupt them.) Fucusia, Geralt, Simlas, Mammuna, King of Beggers, Auberon, And Eist have all been victims of my little unicorn. Even when it draws a useful card for my opponent, it is often a card I am happy to get out in round 1. In later rounds, Irraquax can disrupt deck manipulation, e.g., it destroys hyperthin.
Ihuarraquax is also an excellent tutor if your most important unit is also your costliest card. However, you must have the right deck – typically one where the two or three highest provision cards are cards you want to summon.
Ihuarraquax is also an excellent information gatherer. When Ihuarraquax draws something like Hamadryad in round 1, you know your opponent has drawn virtually all his gold cards – perfect opportunity for a value bleed round 1! (Of course, you must be careful not to go too many cards down.)
And in rare instances where it is risky to play him melee row, you have the out of playing him ranged – not an ideal use of provisions, but usually better than simply discarding.
Faction: Neutral
Type: Unit
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 10
Strength: 4
Deploy (melee): Each player summons the highest-provision unit from their deck to their melee row.
Deploy (ranged): Each player summons the lowest-provision unit from their deck to their ranged row.
Use Frequency: Rare except in Viy and mill decks where it is common.
Notable Synergies: High provision cards that are neither range row locked nor dependent upon a deploy ability.
Comments:
I like Ihuarraquax so well that I even learned how to spell its name. It is a card with surprising versatility as both a disruptor and a tutor.
Although it can disastrously draw a great card for your opponent, in the current meta, most top cards play for immediate value – which usually means significant deploy value which summoning denies. Ihuarraquax is usually the most reliable means of directly disrupting these cards. (Often, for factions other than NG, it is the only tactical – as opposed to strategic – way to disrupt them.) Fucusia, Geralt, Simlas, Mammuna, King of Beggers, Auberon, And Eist have all been victims of my little unicorn. Even when it draws a useful card for my opponent, it is often a card I am happy to get out in round 1. In later rounds, Irraquax can disrupt deck manipulation, e.g., it destroys hyperthin.
Ihuarraquax is also an excellent tutor if your most important unit is also your costliest card. However, you must have the right deck – typically one where the two or three highest provision cards are cards you want to summon.
Ihuarraquax is also an excellent information gatherer. When Ihuarraquax draws something like Hamadryad in round 1, you know your opponent has drawn virtually all his gold cards – perfect opportunity for a value bleed round 1! (Of course, you must be careful not to go too many cards down.)
And in rare instances where it is risky to play him melee row, you have the out of playing him ranged – not an ideal use of provisions, but usually better than simply discarding.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Ragh Nar Roog
Faction: Neutral
Type: Special
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 9
Ability: Spawn cataclysm on an enemy row for four turns. (Cataclysm splits 3 damage randomly amongst units on its row at the start of the turn.)
Use Frequency: Rare.
Notable Synergies: Nivellen, Malena, Dagur, Saber-Tooth Tiger, most low provision removal cards.
Comments:
Ragh Nar Roog is a card that for the longest time sat virtually unnoticed in my deck-builder. At nine provisions, it never seemed to fit my decks, and with a respectable but modest 12 points of damage spread over four turns, it is not exactly a card you build a deck around. But once I actually played the card, I realized just how delightful it really is. No, I still won’t build a deck around it, but I find it a card that opens deep tactics (especially when combined with movement), and one that is far more impactful than I had expected.
Most row effects I find annoying to play against, yet unimpressive when I play them myself. Not so, Ragh Nar Roog. The extra damage ping seems to make a big difference. And the fact that it assigns three random pings (not three pings across random units) guarantees full value whether an opponent plays wide or tall.
I have found Ragh Nar Roog useful to soften up targets for later removal and as a deterrent / plan alterer. It is especially fun to envision my opponent squirming when I play Ragh Nar Roog after they open with a defender – either they expose the card they hope to protect, or they leave the defender to absorb so much damage that removal is easy. It also makes playing around certain cards, e.g., Saber-Tooth Tiger, much more challenging. I don’t want to claim that Ragh Nar Roog is truly meta-worthy. But it is an interesting card, one well worth trying.
Faction: Neutral
Type: Special
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 9
Ability: Spawn cataclysm on an enemy row for four turns. (Cataclysm splits 3 damage randomly amongst units on its row at the start of the turn.)
Use Frequency: Rare.
Notable Synergies: Nivellen, Malena, Dagur, Saber-Tooth Tiger, most low provision removal cards.
Comments:
Ragh Nar Roog is a card that for the longest time sat virtually unnoticed in my deck-builder. At nine provisions, it never seemed to fit my decks, and with a respectable but modest 12 points of damage spread over four turns, it is not exactly a card you build a deck around. But once I actually played the card, I realized just how delightful it really is. No, I still won’t build a deck around it, but I find it a card that opens deep tactics (especially when combined with movement), and one that is far more impactful than I had expected.
Most row effects I find annoying to play against, yet unimpressive when I play them myself. Not so, Ragh Nar Roog. The extra damage ping seems to make a big difference. And the fact that it assigns three random pings (not three pings across random units) guarantees full value whether an opponent plays wide or tall.
I have found Ragh Nar Roog useful to soften up targets for later removal and as a deterrent / plan alterer. It is especially fun to envision my opponent squirming when I play Ragh Nar Roog after they open with a defender – either they expose the card they hope to protect, or they leave the defender to absorb so much damage that removal is easy. It also makes playing around certain cards, e.g., Saber-Tooth Tiger, much more challenging. I don’t want to claim that Ragh Nar Roog is truly meta-worthy. But it is an interesting card, one well worth trying.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Sukrus
Faction: Syndicate / Skellige
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 9
Strength: 6
Ability: Prevent the unit to the left of Sukrus from taking any damage.
Use Frequency: rare
Synergies: Arnaghad, Knut the Callous, Mardroeme, Covenant of Steel, Melusine, Crach an Craite, Jutta an Dimun, An Craite Greatsword, Procession of Penance, Ignatious Hale, Tunnel Drill, Whoreson’s Freakshow, anything else important enough to warrant extra protection.
Comments:
Big news: Sukrus is not just meme any longer! Sukrus is probably best known for his cheesy (and very obnoxious) combination with Arnaghad. But with the recent change to Knut, Sukrus now has a second, extremely powerful combination. And even with neither Arnaghad nor Knut, Sukrus can gain decent value protecting critical cards (much like a mini-defender would), or preventing unwanted self-damage. Of course, If you prefer meme, it’s tough to outdo him. I have played him on a 15 power Arnaghad (thanks to Mardroeme) with Knut for an 8 point per turn damage engine that instantly destroyed any enemy unit played as a bonus. I have also used him on a 20+ power Melusine (with Knut) for a 10+ point per turn damage engine which grew two points per turn and spawned free rain every turn as well. Sukrus might be the best over-looked card in the game at this time. I think he is more valuable in Skellige than Syndicate, but he could have value in some Syndicate decks as well. Just be aware that he does not synergize with insanity.
Faction: Syndicate / Skellige
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 9
Strength: 6
Ability: Prevent the unit to the left of Sukrus from taking any damage.
Use Frequency: rare
Synergies: Arnaghad, Knut the Callous, Mardroeme, Covenant of Steel, Melusine, Crach an Craite, Jutta an Dimun, An Craite Greatsword, Procession of Penance, Ignatious Hale, Tunnel Drill, Whoreson’s Freakshow, anything else important enough to warrant extra protection.
Comments:
Big news: Sukrus is not just meme any longer! Sukrus is probably best known for his cheesy (and very obnoxious) combination with Arnaghad. But with the recent change to Knut, Sukrus now has a second, extremely powerful combination. And even with neither Arnaghad nor Knut, Sukrus can gain decent value protecting critical cards (much like a mini-defender would), or preventing unwanted self-damage. Of course, If you prefer meme, it’s tough to outdo him. I have played him on a 15 power Arnaghad (thanks to Mardroeme) with Knut for an 8 point per turn damage engine that instantly destroyed any enemy unit played as a bonus. I have also used him on a 20+ power Melusine (with Knut) for a 10+ point per turn damage engine which grew two points per turn and spawned free rain every turn as well. Sukrus might be the best over-looked card in the game at this time. I think he is more valuable in Skellige than Syndicate, but he could have value in some Syndicate decks as well. Just be aware that he does not synergize with insanity.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: King Belohun
Faction: Northern Realms
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 8
Strength: 6
Ability: When you play a unit with power less than 5, set its power to 5. Devotion: Increase the power limit to 6.
Use Frequency: uncommon (will probably become rare to never after the newness of the recent buff wears off).
Synergies: Coen, Phillipa Blind Fury, Prince Anseis, Queen Adelia, Seltkirk of Gulet, Black Rayla, Vysogota of Corvo, Anna Strenger, Temerian Drummer, Reinforced Ballista, Kerack City Guard, Redanian Archer, Redanian Knight, any other non-disloyal low provision card
Comments:
Even buffed, King Belohun is a relatively pathetic card – he can potentially play for a lot of value in a weak deck, or he can play for relatively little value in what would otherwise be a strong deck. Let me explain.
I believe any deck built around Belohun will be weak. Basically, Belohun decks have serious tempo/timing issues. Nearly every card that Belohun significantly boosts is a low power, slow (1 point per turn) engine. But, even with Belohun’s boost, these engines typically only play for a total of seven or eight points in a short round –a solid opponent can out pace these decks. And in a long round, a Belohun player faces an unavoidable dilemma – that player will have Belohun and five or more engines, all of which need to be played as soon as possible – and that’s not allowing for a defender to protect Belohun, or the possibility of interrupting one’s own development to respond to opponent threats. All these engines in a long round do not work – most cannot be deployed early enough to obtain significant value.
On the other hand, if the Belohun player keeps only two or three engines (a small enough number to get down in a timely way) for the round in which Belohun is played, it is likely he will only boost two or three cards – and these cards will each lose a turn of engine value (corresponding to the turn in which Belohun is played). In short, Belohun does not play for good value. Thus, it is unlikely he will strengthen an already good deck.
Finely, Coen / Belohun decks are horribly inconsistent. The potential of a bunch of 6 provision units all boosted 3 more points by a 6 provision Coen is appealing. But this requires Coen and Belohun to be played in the same round. And it assumes that no cards are pinged to other values in the course of play. And it precludes Belohun from being used with boost engines – which are generally his ideal targets. Oh, and rarely does Belohun play allow significant disruption of an opponent’s strategy.
Belohun is a card idea I really like. And I’ve tried to make him work. But for me – at least until he gets further buffed – he goes back into the scrap heap of essentially unusable cards.
Faction: Northern Realms
Color: Gold
Card Type: unit
Provision Cost: 8
Strength: 6
Ability: When you play a unit with power less than 5, set its power to 5. Devotion: Increase the power limit to 6.
Use Frequency: uncommon (will probably become rare to never after the newness of the recent buff wears off).
Synergies: Coen, Phillipa Blind Fury, Prince Anseis, Queen Adelia, Seltkirk of Gulet, Black Rayla, Vysogota of Corvo, Anna Strenger, Temerian Drummer, Reinforced Ballista, Kerack City Guard, Redanian Archer, Redanian Knight, any other non-disloyal low provision card
Comments:
Even buffed, King Belohun is a relatively pathetic card – he can potentially play for a lot of value in a weak deck, or he can play for relatively little value in what would otherwise be a strong deck. Let me explain.
I believe any deck built around Belohun will be weak. Basically, Belohun decks have serious tempo/timing issues. Nearly every card that Belohun significantly boosts is a low power, slow (1 point per turn) engine. But, even with Belohun’s boost, these engines typically only play for a total of seven or eight points in a short round –a solid opponent can out pace these decks. And in a long round, a Belohun player faces an unavoidable dilemma – that player will have Belohun and five or more engines, all of which need to be played as soon as possible – and that’s not allowing for a defender to protect Belohun, or the possibility of interrupting one’s own development to respond to opponent threats. All these engines in a long round do not work – most cannot be deployed early enough to obtain significant value.
On the other hand, if the Belohun player keeps only two or three engines (a small enough number to get down in a timely way) for the round in which Belohun is played, it is likely he will only boost two or three cards – and these cards will each lose a turn of engine value (corresponding to the turn in which Belohun is played). In short, Belohun does not play for good value. Thus, it is unlikely he will strengthen an already good deck.
Finely, Coen / Belohun decks are horribly inconsistent. The potential of a bunch of 6 provision units all boosted 3 more points by a 6 provision Coen is appealing. But this requires Coen and Belohun to be played in the same round. And it assumes that no cards are pinged to other values in the course of play. And it precludes Belohun from being used with boost engines – which are generally his ideal targets. Oh, and rarely does Belohun play allow significant disruption of an opponent’s strategy.
Belohun is a card idea I really like. And I’ve tried to make him work. But for me – at least until he gets further buffed – he goes back into the scrap heap of essentially unusable cards.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Ring of Favor
Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 8
Card type: Special
Ability: This card starts in your hand. Boost an allied unit by 4. While in hand, at the end of your turn, increase the boost by 2. When your opponent passes, banish self from hand and draw a card. When moved to the deck, banish self.
Use Frequency: It’s early to tell but Ring of Favor seems common.
Comments:
Originally, I created this thread to call attention to often ignored, undervalued, or meme or cards. But with Ring of Favor, I wanted to discuss perceptions of a new card. When I first saw the card, I thought it added an interesting dimension in anticipating opponent plays, later as I thought about strategy in playing certain decks, the value of a big tempo boost in round one became increasingly apparent.
I suppose I still find the card strategically interesting, although I think that in some ways it is too good – it is strong enough to almost single handedly carry round I unless the opponent also uses a ring. The ring costs 8 provisions, the average cost of all cards is about 6.5 provisions. Thus, choosing to not use the ring has a very minor effect on your average card quality. Low risk, high gain. Moreover, a lot of the most binary decks in the game: mill, clog, traveling priestesses, Vanadain, hyperthin all benefit immensely by winning round I. Thus, even decks that don’t need a round I win can find including ring of favor worthwhile. If virtually every deck carries it, Ring of Favor loses strategic interest and reduces deck variety. Of course, there are a few big losers in this exchange: devotion decks, decks that have no cards to give up, decks that cannot afford an eight-provision card after including all necessary archetype cards. And this reduces deck variety even more.
In retrospect, I am coming to fear the possible consequences of Ring of Favor on the game. I hope I am wrong. What do you think?
Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 8
Card type: Special
Ability: This card starts in your hand. Boost an allied unit by 4. While in hand, at the end of your turn, increase the boost by 2. When your opponent passes, banish self from hand and draw a card. When moved to the deck, banish self.
Use Frequency: It’s early to tell but Ring of Favor seems common.
Comments:
Originally, I created this thread to call attention to often ignored, undervalued, or meme or cards. But with Ring of Favor, I wanted to discuss perceptions of a new card. When I first saw the card, I thought it added an interesting dimension in anticipating opponent plays, later as I thought about strategy in playing certain decks, the value of a big tempo boost in round one became increasingly apparent.
I suppose I still find the card strategically interesting, although I think that in some ways it is too good – it is strong enough to almost single handedly carry round I unless the opponent also uses a ring. The ring costs 8 provisions, the average cost of all cards is about 6.5 provisions. Thus, choosing to not use the ring has a very minor effect on your average card quality. Low risk, high gain. Moreover, a lot of the most binary decks in the game: mill, clog, traveling priestesses, Vanadain, hyperthin all benefit immensely by winning round I. Thus, even decks that don’t need a round I win can find including ring of favor worthwhile. If virtually every deck carries it, Ring of Favor loses strategic interest and reduces deck variety. Of course, there are a few big losers in this exchange: devotion decks, decks that have no cards to give up, decks that cannot afford an eight-provision card after including all necessary archetype cards. And this reduces deck variety even more.
In retrospect, I am coming to fear the possible consequences of Ring of Favor on the game. I hope I am wrong. What do you think?
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Troll Porter
Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 6
Power: 6
Card type: Unit
Deploy: Banish all cards in your hand, then draw as many cards.
Use Frequency: It’s early to tell but I expect rare.
Synergies: none
Comments:
Troll Porter is another new card – one that entices me, but I for which I don’t see a synergistic use. I cannot think of a card that benefits by banishing other cards, or that benefits by having cards banished. At present, then, the only possible uses of porter are thinning and consistency. Although it could do very significant thinning, its timing is limited – likely awkward in the first round, inconsistent in the second, and too late in the third. And unlike most thinning cards, it lacks good tempo.
That basically relegates Troll Porter to being used as a consistency card – rescuing a hand from a disastrous draw. In this, its effect about as significant as Calveit’s, and at a much lower provision cost. But the mechanism is very different and far less predictable. Troll Porter is lower tempo than Calveit (not horrible, but far from good). Unlike Calveit, there is no mechanism to help draw Troll Porter (which may not be entirely bad if you rarely want him round 1). Troll Porter can create some awkward sequencing as you want to play good cards before banishing the hand, can overthin without care, and adds an interesting dimension to certain mulligan choices – do you choose to get rid of good cards in order to banish a lot of junk, not knowing what you will get in return or do you mulligan the bad cards hoping for better? Perhaps the safest use of Troll Porter is as a round 3 emergency rescue – use him if your hand is looking inadequate to win and toss him otherwise. At 6 provisions, he is not horrible Mulligan fodder. I expect he will prove most useful in highly polarized decks, or in matchups that depend highly on drawing particular cards. Time will tell if he is effective enough to be usable. I do find him a strategically interesting card, subtle, demanding thought and preparation, but potentially impactful in ways that are entirely situational.
Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 6
Power: 6
Card type: Unit
Deploy: Banish all cards in your hand, then draw as many cards.
Use Frequency: It’s early to tell but I expect rare.
Synergies: none
Comments:
Troll Porter is another new card – one that entices me, but I for which I don’t see a synergistic use. I cannot think of a card that benefits by banishing other cards, or that benefits by having cards banished. At present, then, the only possible uses of porter are thinning and consistency. Although it could do very significant thinning, its timing is limited – likely awkward in the first round, inconsistent in the second, and too late in the third. And unlike most thinning cards, it lacks good tempo.
That basically relegates Troll Porter to being used as a consistency card – rescuing a hand from a disastrous draw. In this, its effect about as significant as Calveit’s, and at a much lower provision cost. But the mechanism is very different and far less predictable. Troll Porter is lower tempo than Calveit (not horrible, but far from good). Unlike Calveit, there is no mechanism to help draw Troll Porter (which may not be entirely bad if you rarely want him round 1). Troll Porter can create some awkward sequencing as you want to play good cards before banishing the hand, can overthin without care, and adds an interesting dimension to certain mulligan choices – do you choose to get rid of good cards in order to banish a lot of junk, not knowing what you will get in return or do you mulligan the bad cards hoping for better? Perhaps the safest use of Troll Porter is as a round 3 emergency rescue – use him if your hand is looking inadequate to win and toss him otherwise. At 6 provisions, he is not horrible Mulligan fodder. I expect he will prove most useful in highly polarized decks, or in matchups that depend highly on drawing particular cards. Time will tell if he is effective enough to be usable. I do find him a strategically interesting card, subtle, demanding thought and preparation, but potentially impactful in ways that are entirely situational.
The only way I can think of using him is in Casino Lippy decks. In R2, when you already played all your good Golds, you only draw bronzes, so you can play Lippy and Troll Porter after it to swap all the bronze you drew for your good golds.
I believe it also synergizes with Snowdrop and Kolgrim, but wouldn't call it consistent for that purpose.
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Bare-Knuckle Brawler
Faction: Syndicate
Type: Unit
Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 4
Strength: 4
Intimidate
Fee 1: Damage the highest power enemy unit by 1
Use Frequency: Infrequent.
Notable Synergies: Crime cards, cards that exploit damage pings (Philippa Eilhart), Novigradian Justice, Yennifer: Conjurer.
Comments:
With powerful recent cards, Bare-Knuckle Brawler has flown under the radar, but with the recent buff, it has become a very nice card. I have long felt that SY needed a cheap, repeat spender that was not based upon boost or spawn. Brawler fits the bill. As an intimidate engine, it can carry considerable hidden value, but at low cost, it provides decent utility in almost Syndicate deck – especially those that need a cheap spender. The “outside the box” synergy to set up Yennifer: Conjurer is an unexpected bonus. Expect to see more of this card when Syndicate becomes more viable.
Faction: Syndicate
Type: Unit
Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 4
Strength: 4
Intimidate
Fee 1: Damage the highest power enemy unit by 1
Use Frequency: Infrequent.
Notable Synergies: Crime cards, cards that exploit damage pings (Philippa Eilhart), Novigradian Justice, Yennifer: Conjurer.
Comments:
With powerful recent cards, Bare-Knuckle Brawler has flown under the radar, but with the recent buff, it has become a very nice card. I have long felt that SY needed a cheap, repeat spender that was not based upon boost or spawn. Brawler fits the bill. As an intimidate engine, it can carry considerable hidden value, but at low cost, it provides decent utility in almost Syndicate deck – especially those that need a cheap spender. The “outside the box” synergy to set up Yennifer: Conjurer is an unexpected bonus. Expect to see more of this card when Syndicate becomes more viable.
This card’s order is really good on Blue with Tiger’s Eye: once accumulated enough coins, you can wipe the whole enemy board (especially with your strategem). This helps in immediate answers to single threats or multiple ones (e.g. Saskia: commander).
Now Brawler reminds me of old Freakshow with all these random pings, it can provide significant value while also being very cheap (in terms of provision only).