Gwent Card of The Moment

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DRK3

Forum veteran
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Iris’ Companions

Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 7
Strength: 5
Deploy: Draw a card of your choice, then discard a random card. If you have Iris in hand, choose which card to discard instead.
Use Frequency: rare
Notable Synergies: Iris: Shade, Iris von Everec, cards you want in your graveyard, cards you need in hand.

Comments: Let’s play a game of “Guess My Deck”. You have one clue – the deck was significantly improved by the inclusion of Iris’ Companions.
Begin by considering decks that benefit from the presence of Companions. Because the discard is random, I won’t play it for the discard unless I can beneficially include one of the Irises (preferably both). And because I risk discarding a critical card, I won’t play it for the draw unless I can include one of the Irises, or I have nothing I mind discarding, or I am so desperate for a certain card that I am willing to risk a bad discard. And because of the card’s conditions, I won’t play it if I have easier options to use. That narrows possible decks a bit – both MO and SK have clearly superior discard options and other factions are pretty limited in using cards from their own graveyard, or at least they would rather the cards get to the graveyard via the board. But for drawing cards, there are better tutors (e.g. Oneiromancy) – unless we specifically want the card in our hand and not directly played to the board. And even then, NR has access to a leader (Pincer Maneuver) that does a much better job of drawing desired cards to hand. Two strategems also do better (Mask of Uroboros and Cursed Scroll), though these only help on blue coin. And Selective Mutation does better for adrenaline cards.

I don’t guess I will use Companions to get a juicy discard – it will have to be to tutor a card to my hand. But what do I need in hand instead of played to the board? Now the possibilities are really limited: initiative cards (Regis, Scorch, Igni, or Blizzard), cards that trigger another card’s effect if in hand (Serrit or Auckes, dragons for Eyck, Palmerin or Milton) cards that other cards can copy if in hand (bronze firesworn cards for Ulrich, special cards for Land of a Thousand Fables, bronze soldiers for Ramon, bronze NR units for Adalia, Bronze Units for Raffard’s Vengeance, 10 provision or lower monster units for Caranthir, bronze units for Operator, special cards for Fercart), cards that actually do something while in hand (Wanderers or Torque) or cards you really want to boost in hand (Aglais). I will not count cards that contribute toward or receive a minor boost if in hand.

Most of these listed options are simply not worth a 7-provision card to bring them to hand on a low tempo play. The only exceptions that strike me are the four initiative cards, Aglais, Torque (in a non-devotion deck), a handful of Caranthir targets, or possibly a couple of operator targets. Because there is a relatively high probability that a given card is drawn by round three (and thinning generates more points than Companions), and because there is a good chance that at least one of two bronze cards will be drawn round one, Companions will most benefit a deck that needs a particular gold card in hand in round 1. That leaves Aglais or non-devotion Torque.

Non-devotion opens a whole new realm of possibilities for a Torque deck. Companions gives that deck some much needed consistency. That is the deck where I first found Companions actually useful.
I freakin hate that card, which is a shame because i absolutely love the card artwork.
And i maybe getting into conspiracy theory territory, but to me that card is one of the best proofs that the RNG algorithms implemented in Gwent are awful and do a terrible job at being random.

Because from my experience, and from what ive seen, (before that change was introduced when you have Iris in hand) the Companions discards the card you selected (and probably the one you least wanted to see discarded) way more often than the rest, even when you have 4,5,6, 7 cards in hand and the odds were supposed to be "minimal".

Ive been seeing the Great Dandelion YT channel for years and that thing is littered with clips of Iris Companion's terrible discards (and yes, im aware of confirmation bias). For a card that that is rarely played, it sure pops up a lot in those videos...
By now, most players know by now they should avoid that cursed card.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Ciri

Faction: Neutral
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 10
Strength: 4
Deploy: Damage 3 enemy units by 1.
Ability: Whenever you lose a round, return this unit to your hand.
Use Frequency: rare

Comments:

This version could be called Ciri: Never Seen. It is the one rendition of Ciri that tends to go unused – and probably for good reason. It is identical in provision, similar in effect (granting card advantage), but considerably harder to use than Ciri: Dash. But I find it an extremely interesting card – and quite handy in certain contexts.

What I find delightful is its strategic potential – used at the correct moment, it can alter the course of the entire match. In round one, it can rescue a deck with a weak (or potentially weak) first round by possibly preventing a loss on even. It can also help a player push round 1 deeper than it could normally be pushed. It certainly leaves an opponent with dilemmas. Should removal be used or saved for a more crucial card later? If no removal is possible, is it worth winning a round, but effectively losing a card? In round 2, Ciri significantly reduces the risk of a bleed – she can easily compensate for an otherwise lost card.

Unfortunately, she compares rather badly to Ciri Dash. Plain Ciri is generally only useful when you are likely to lose round one or in round two if you won round 1. Ciri: Dash is useful at almost any time. And Ciri Dash has one more power to resist removal. I consider plain Ciri a kind of tech/support card at a deck-shaper price. But she is easily underestimated – especially in decks with lots of low-tempo engines that might struggle in early stages of a match.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Thaler

Faction: Northern Realms
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 7
Strength: 7
Formation
Order
: If neither player has passed and your opponent’s hand is not full, both players draw a card.
Use Frequency: rare
Notable Synergies: engines or other cards benefiting from longer rounds

Comments:

I think Thaler is an overlooked gem. For Northern Realms, an extra card, especially in round one, allows more time for engines to generate points and more time for patience units to gain value. That one card can make the difference between losing a round or being at card disadvantage. Moreover, with a guaranteed 8 points of immediate value at a low cost of 7 provisions, including him is little risk. The order does not have to be used.

Thaler is also a potential counter to hyper-thin packages and can unexpectedly alter the strategic dynamic of a match.

Finally, Thaler is a bit a counter to highly polarized decks and high RNG – if a deck has already drawn most of its good cards, odds are a bad card will be drawn; if a deck has not drawn a lot of good cards, or if the deck has a lot of mid-value cards, odds are it will draw better. Because the mulligan and tutoring system increases odds of naturally drawing high provision cards, a random, round 3 draw is likely to hit a bad card.

Matta Hu’uri tends to overshadow Thaler (and probably for a good reason), but the uses are actually very different. Matta Hu’uri generally is used to target a specific card draw. Thaler would be used strictly to alter round length, plays for more points, and is cheaper.
 
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CARD OF THE MOMENT: Thaler

Faction: Northern Realms
Color: Gold
Provision Cost: 7
Strength: 7
Formation: Look at the top three cards from your opponent’s deck and move one to the top.
Order: If neither player has passed and your opponent’s hand is not full, both players draw a card.
Use Frequency: rare
Notable Synergies: engines or other cards benefiting from longer rounds

Comments:

I think Thaler is an overlooked gem. For Northern Realms, an extra card, especially in round one, allows more time for engines to generate points and more time for patience units to gain value. That one card can make the difference between losing a round or being at card disadvantage. Moreover, with a guaranteed 8 points of immediate value at a low cost of 7 provisions, including him is little risk. The order does not have to be used.

Thaler is also a potential counter to hyper-thin packages and can unexpectedly alter the strategic dynamic of a match.

Finally, Thaler is a bit a counter to highly polarized decks and high RNG – if a deck has already drawn most of its good cards, odds are a bad card will be drawn; if a deck has not drawn a lot of good cards, or if the deck has a lot of mid-value cards, odds are it will draw better. Because the mulligan and tutoring system increases odds of naturally drawing high provision cards, a random, round 3 draw is likely to hit a bad card.

Matta Hu’uri tends to overshadow Thaler (and probably for a good reason), but the uses are actually very different. Matta Hu’uri generally is used to target a specific card draw. Thaler would be used strictly to alter round length, plays for more points, and is cheaper.

There must be some error with your card description (https://gwent.one/en/card/122203/9.5.0):
  • There is no additional Formation description
  • He has guaranteed 7 value
Furthermore, I would add the milling potential combined with Stregobor.
 
  • RED Point
Reactions: rrc
I don’t understand. In my deck builder, when I play Thaler, and even the link you give shows formation. Are you overlooking it or do I misunderstand?

Stregobor can add some of the same effects as Thaler — and he is great if you want both. But I generally prefer Thaler for his cheaper price, his unlikelihood of setting a power to zero if I draw a higher quality card than my opponent, the higher power body, and for the reduced likelihood of removal. I generally use Stregobor as removal bait :)
 
I don’t understand. In my deck builder, when I play Thaler, and even the link you give shows formation. Are you overlooking it or do I misunderstand?

Stregobor can add some of the same effects as Thaler — and he is great if you want both. But I generally prefer Thaler for his cheaper price, his unlikelihood of setting a power to zero if I draw a higher quality card than my opponent, the higher power body, and for the reduced likelihood of removal. I generally use Stregobor as removal bait :)

I mean "Formation: Look at the top three cards from your opponent’s deck and move one to the top."
 
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Reactions: rrc
I mean "Formation: Look at the top three cards from your opponent’s deck and move one to the top."
Thank you. I usually create these posts from a copy of a previous post to keep consistent format. In this case I overlooked a phrase from the old card (Courrier) I had intended to delete. It was an unfortunate error as it actually fits and would make this card much better. I have now corrected the error.
 
Thank you. I usually create these posts from a copy of a previous post to keep consistent format. In this case I overlooked a phrase from the old card (Courrier) I had intended to delete. It was an unfortunate error as it actually fits and would make this card much better. I have now corrected the error.
Yeah I was thinking this is a huge buff for Thaler and looked in gwent. So I discovered it.
 
[...]
Stregobor can add some of the same effects as Thaler — and he is great if you want both. But I generally prefer Thaler for his cheaper price, his unlikelihood of setting a power to zero if I draw a higher quality card than my opponent, the higher power body, and for the reduced likelihood of removal. I generally use Stregobor as removal bait :)
If you use Stregobor and follow up with Thaler you have an actual mill effect like the infamous Strego/Mata combo. If used on blue you can "swap the coin". Both players draw from Thaler and then your opponent will discard the Stregobor draw because he has 10 cards in hand. The mill cheese.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Damned Sorceress

Faction: Northern Realms
Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 5
Strength: 5
Zeal:
Order: Destroy a unit’s shield then boost self by 2.
Cooldown: 1
Use Frequency: very infrequent
Notable Synergies: All cards with or granting shield, but most notably immortals, griffin witcher adept, immortal cavalry, and Kaedweni cavalry

Comments: After the recent buff to their cooldown, Damned Sorceresses are about one good supporting card away from playing well in a quality deck. With Immortals, a Damned Sorceress is a four point a turn engine, but it is also card that can be used to cash in on unneeded shields (as from Griffin Witcher Adepts or Immortal Cavalry) or a tech against an opponent relying on shields. Normally, I would not run Damned Sorceress for its own sake (usually the shields are worth more than Sorceress gains by destroying them), but I find it useful as a plan B for decks running Roegner or Immortals. In shield decks running Roegner, Sorceress can provide a valuable alternative in a round where Roegner is not used. In decks with Immortals, Sorceress provides an alternative way to trigger Immortals when an opponent is not using cards giving random pings.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Assault

Faction: Syndicate

Color: Bronze
Provision Cost: 4
Type: Special
Ability: Damage an enemy unit by 4. If you control2 Salamandra units, deal 6 damage instead.
Use Frequency
: rare
Notable Synergies: All Salamandra units, all intimidate cards.

Comments:

At first, Assault is a boring card. Every faction has four provision special cards whose primary purpose is doing damage. And Assault does nothing but damage. Syndicate has 7 four or five provision cards that do damage, and, aside from Wheel of Fortune, Assault is probably the least used despite the 6 possible damage. Ask why, and the card starts to become interesting.

Trying to use Assault in a deck, I quickly realize it is somewhat hard to find a deck that uses a significant number of Salamandra units. While individual Salamandra cards are not bad (some are quite good in fact), there are few internal synergies except for a self-poison archetype (which seems quite weak).

A second, and probably still bigger issue is one of timing. I typically want to play Assault early in the round against an enemy engine before it becomes unremovable; I typically want to play it round 1 thinking I will have better removal (Freakshow, Whoreson Jr., Professor) in later rounds. But I can’t wait until play two Salamandra units when I use Assault on an engine. And a lot of my Salamandra units beg to be used in later rounds.

Still, 6 damage for 4 provisions is excellent. I still think Assault ought to be a very useful card. And I’m still looking for a deck where that is the case.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wolf Pack

Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 4
Strength: 2
Deploy: Damage an enemy unit by 2
Color: Bronze

Wolfpack Haiku – A Lament:

The mighty wolfpack
Contends with squirrels and crows.
Loses.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wheel of Fortune

Faction: Syndicate
Provision Cost: 5
Special Card
Effect
: Damage an enemy by a random amount between 1 and 10.
Color: gold
Use Frequency: never
Synergies: Units with Intimidate and other units benefiting from crime cards, none with this particular crime card.

Comments: Wheel of Fortune is one of two epic cards I have chosen not to craft. I have never seen it used in play. While it plays for an average of 5.5 points damage (better than Alzur’s Thunder), its inconsistency renders it highly risky. It is ill advised to use it on targets that absolutely must be removed (you can’t count on enough removal); its reach cannot be predicted (potentially causing you to lose a card); you can’t predict potential waste (so you either risk lost points, or you must target a tall unit). Optimally, it could remove an engine that is too tall for standard removal, but it would be so unreliable in doing so that its use would be a last resort. It is a cheap, epic gold card if one is needed for a quest – although there are probably better alternatives even then. In short, I can think of no compelling reason to use the card – a feat even Peasant Militia can’t accomplish.

So why devote this article to it? Because I love the card’s ambience: the notion of a human dart board, the painted face on the dart thrower, the finger tapping the dagger – it’s all so Cutups. And it may have my favorite flavor text in the game, “A game where ‘good aim’ is considered subjective.”

It’s almost enough to make me want to craft the animated version – but first, I need to save scraps to craft Sirssa.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wheel of Fortune

Faction: Syndicate
Provision Cost: 5
Special Card
Effect
: Damage an enemy by a random amount between 1 and 10.
Color: gold
Use Frequency: never
Synergies: Units with Intimidate and other units benefiting from crime cards, none with this particular crime card.

Comments: Wheel of Fortune is one of two epic cards I have chosen not to craft. I have never seen it used in play. While it plays for an average of 5.5 points damage (better than Alzur’s Thunder), its inconsistency renders it highly risky. It is ill advised to use it on targets that absolutely must be removed (you can’t count on enough removal); its reach cannot be predicted (potentially causing you to lose a card); you can’t predict potential waste (so you either risk lost points, or you must target a tall unit). Optimally, it could remove an engine that is too tall for standard removal, but it would be so unreliable in doing so that its use would be a last resort. It is a cheap, epic gold card if one is needed for a quest – although there are probably better alternatives even then. In short, I can think of no compelling reason to use the card – a feat even Peasant Militia can’t accomplish.

So why devote this article to it? Because I love the card’s ambience: the notion of a human dart board, the painted face on the dart thrower, the finger tapping the dagger – it’s all so Cutups. And it may have my favorite flavor text in the game, “A game where ‘good aim’ is considered subjective.”

It’s almost enough to make me want to craft the animated version – but first, I need to save scraps to craft Sirssa.
I'm a Wheel of Fortune lover too! :beer:

(and the animated version is cool)
 

rrc

Forum veteran
It’s almost enough to make me want to craft the animated version – but first, I need to save scraps to craft Sirssa.
You are avoiding one horrible pathetic epic to craft another equally horrible and pathetic epic? WoF at least has meme potential.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wheel of Fortune

Faction: Syndicate
Provision Cost: 5
Special Card
Effect
: Damage an enemy by a random amount between 1 and 10.
Color: gold
Use Frequency: never
Synergies: Units with Intimidate and other units benefiting from crime cards, none with this particular crime card.

Comments: Wheel of Fortune is one of two epic cards I have chosen not to craft. I have never seen it used in play. While it plays for an average of 5.5 points damage (better than Alzur’s Thunder), its inconsistency renders it highly risky. It is ill advised to use it on targets that absolutely must be removed (you can’t count on enough removal); its reach cannot be predicted (potentially causing you to lose a card); you can’t predict potential waste (so you either risk lost points, or you must target a tall unit). Optimally, it could remove an engine that is too tall for standard removal, but it would be so unreliable in doing so that its use would be a last resort. It is a cheap, epic gold card if one is needed for a quest – although there are probably better alternatives even then. In short, I can think of no compelling reason to use the card – a feat even Peasant Militia can’t accomplish.

So why devote this article to it? Because I love the card’s ambience: the notion of a human dart board, the painted face on the dart thrower, the finger tapping the dagger – it’s all so Cutups. And it may have my favorite flavor text in the game, “A game where ‘good aim’ is considered subjective.”

It’s almost enough to make me want to craft the animated version – but first, I need to save scraps to craft Sirssa.
Well i usually include it when I play a Cutup Lackeys Crimes Deck since you need enough Crimes for those and Gord anyway, i included it for the gamble and because it fits the archetype flavor but compared to the worst high roll Card Gascon it at least offers some synergies and pay offs and at 5 provisions it isn't exactly that expensive so it doesn't really hurt that much if it should low roll (although that happened very rarely for me) with also some lackeys or intimidate Units on board, so especially on the dual cast seasonal mode it's not even that bad.
 
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CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wolfsbane

Faction: Neutral
Provision Cost: 8
Special Card
Effect
: Damage all units with even power by 2 or damage all units with odd power by 2.
Color: Gold
Use frequency: never (unless you are DRK3)

Comments: Wolfsbane is an incredibly interesting card with challenging interactions between enemy-damage and self-damage. It has useful anti-swarm characteristics. It demands both strategic deck building and careful board manipulation. It is definitely a “thinking” card. Unfortunately, at eight provisions, you want it to play for an average of 10 points (or more to get good pay-off) – something it is quite unlikely to achieve as scoring ten points requires it to hit 5 more enemy units than friendly units. This demands both a long round and a lot of board manipulation. Even at 6 provisions, it is probably over-priced. It is, however, a type of card I wish were more prevalent and viable – something requiring both careful deck building and round-long set-up and strategy.
 
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wererat

Faction: Monsters
Provision Cost: 6
Power: 6
Order: Reset this unit’s power and spawn a number of rats in this row equal to the amount of boost it lost.
Cooldown: 1
Effect: At the end of your turn, consume a unit to the right.
Color: Gold
Use frequency: almost never
Synergies: Spawn decks, deathwish units, Fruits of Ysgith leader, Cave Troll

Comments:

What a stupid card! This was my first reaction. Wererat appears to be a very awkward spawning tool as he quickly runs out of board-space, and he immediately starts to consume what he just spawned. But actually, Wererat is an excellent meme card (with potential in even some meta decks).

First, he is a useful spawn card in that he can quickly fill a row with far better tempo than other methods of doing so. This tempo can be useful against a bleed or in a short round.

Second, Wererat is an unlimited consume tool for deathwish units (of course, he will then go very tall which is dangerous.)

Third, Wererat can consume Fruits of Ysgith every round – allowing them to be spawned and to receive thrive every round (essentially doubling their value).

Fourth, Wererat is a passive trigger for Hybrids, Vran Warriors and She-Troll every round.

Fifth, Wererat can clean up row clog or spying units.

Finally, Wererat is the only consume card that can immediately consume whether played before or played after its target – which gives it a bit more flexibility than other consume cards.

Without extreme care, Wererat will grow extremely tall, but at six provisions for a six-point body, he can obtain value even if he is used with restraint. Cave Troll is a convenient tool to try and protect him. You also need to be careful of important units being moved into his path.

Wererat is evidence that at least some “bad” cards deserve a second look.
 

DRK3

Forum veteran
CARD OF THE MOMENT: Wererat

Faction: Monsters
Provision Cost: 6
Power: 6
Order: Reset this unit’s power and spawn a number of rats in this row equal to the amount of boost it lost.
Cooldown: 1
Effect: At the end of your turn, consume a unit to the right.
Color: Gold
Use frequency: almost never
Synergies: Spawn decks, deathwish units, Fruits of Ysgith leader, Cave Troll

Comments:

What a stupid card! This was my first reaction. Wererat appears to be a very awkward spawning tool as he quickly runs out of board-space, and he immediately starts to consume what he just spawned. But actually, Wererat is an excellent meme card (with potential in even some meta decks).

First, he is a useful spawn card in that he can quickly fill a row with far better tempo than other methods of doing so. This tempo can be useful against a bleed or in a short round.

Second, Wererat is an unlimited consume tool for deathwish units (of course, he will then go very tall which is dangerous.)

Third, Wererat can consume Fruits of Ysgith every round – allowing them to be spawned and to receive thrive every round (essentially doubling their value).

Fourth, Wererat is a passive trigger for Hybrids, Vran Warriors and She-Troll every round.

Fifth, Wererat can clean up row clog or spying units.

Finally, Wererat is the only consume card that can immediately consume whether played before or played after its target – which gives it a bit more flexibility than other consume cards.

Without extreme care, Wererat will grow extremely tall, but at six provisions for a six-point body, he can obtain value even if he is used with restraint. Cave Troll is a convenient tool to try and protect him. You also need to be careful of important units being moved into his path.

Wererat is evidence that at least some “bad” cards deserve a second look.

You forgot one:

Wererat synergizes beautifully with plague maiden and beast swarm decks, as it can efficiently fill a row with rats (beasts) and he's a beast himself (so will be affected by Morvudd).
 
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