Let's talk 4-5 provision cards - which ones are best?

[mzeebra]

Alright, this thread is not to complain about good (or bad) 4-5 provision cards, it's just a place to talk about good or great 4-5 provision cards. Instead of having to rely on netdecking, some people (me included) might learn something from a talk about such cards. Perhaps new players can also learn something from this, who knows.

Feel free to talk anything related to good or great or your favourite 4-5 provision cards! Explain it or name it. Make a list or just talk about them.
Some suggestions of some lists:
- Favourite/best/good/great 4-5 provision card from each faction
- Top 5-10 good/favourite 4-5 provision cards in the whole game
- Top X most useful 4-5 provision cards in the whole game
- Top X most versatile 4-5 provision cards in the game

Etc etc..
Best units? Best neutrals?
Cards you always bring.

Try to explain why if you can, and how you might use the card. That way, new players might peek in and find some useful tips.

Let the talk begin! (I will make a post of my opinion)

Post automatically merged: May 30, 2019

I always bring Dimeritium Shackles (neutral), but I don't really consider it a great card.

Monsters: Rotfiend, Slyzard and Harpy Egg. I think monsters have the best 4-5 provision cards in the game. I don't play monsters, but I quite like these cards.

Nilfgaard:
I always bring: Infiltrator, Alba Armored Cavalry, but these are not really great cards, just useful.
Best cards: Alba Pikeman (almost like a mini botchling)
Most versatile: Nilfgaardian knight. I use this alone or with Leo. Can also be used on Haralds friends or Nekker
+ Imperial Diviner. Can be a good utility card.

Northern Realms:
I haven't play this faction much since Crimson Curse, so I don't know the newer cards. But I see that alot of people use certain of the new cards.
Best card: Reinforced Trebuchet
Favourite card: Reinforced Trebuchet
Most powerful card: Tridam Infantry (which I rarely used)
Other cards I like: Trebuchet (charge deck) and Dun Banner (due to zeal)
Most versatile card: Lyrian Arbalest

Scoia'Tael:
I don't play this faction, and I'm not a huge fan of their lower provision cards. Exception:
Best card: Dryad Matron
Worthy mention: Vrihedd Dragoon

Skellige:
I don't play this faction, but they have alot of good cards.
Heymaey Protector, Svalblod Priest, Heymaey Skald, Drummond Shieldmaiden, Disgraced Brawler, An Craite Marauder.
Favourite: Heymaey Skald
Most powerful card: Disgraced Brawler
Best combo: Heymaey Protector + Svalblod Priest
Best overall card: Svalblod Priest

 

[Draconifors]

Here are good, cheap Bronzes of which I run two copies:

Nauzicaa Sergeant can get superb value for his 4 provisions. He can also act as lock or removal bait.
Spotters can be a bit of a gamble, but I find them to be worth the cost because they're always a safe play.
Bomb Heavers are great artifact killers because they're neutral, have a body, and lack a condition like "If X, destroy an enemy artifact".
Alba Armored Cavalry and Dimeritium Shackles are staples for me as well. Alba not only locks but also comboes with Nauzicaa.

Most of the cards I mentioned also have awesome voicelines.

Other factions I don't play so don't know about their cards.

 

[mzeebra]

Nauzicaa Sergeant can get superb value for his 4 provisions. He can also act as lock or removal bait.

I prefer Magne Division myself, as I might not always have alot of deploy cards.

 

[Draconifors]

I prefer Magne Division myself, as I might not always have alot of deploy cards.

And I've never used Magne because of how easy its to disrupt. I do have a ton of Deploy, too.

 

[SkiZophreniC]

Other factions I don't play so don't know about their cards.

I wonder why one would restrict himself to one faction only... you miss 80% of the game

On topic : it is difficult to compare 4 prov to 5 prov, as there is a clear frontier between the former (usually junk) and the latter (often the core of an archetype).

If we focus on 4 provs, I think that cheap engines are the most valuables ones, as they force an answer from the opponent. I'm talking here about Nauzica/Magne for NG, Tridam Infantry and Lyrian cavalry for NR.

Skellige (of course) has plenty of good choices, so good that you won't even mulligan them. Svalblod ravager, Svalblod butcher, Dimmun captain, marauder, etc., they are all breaking even with cheap condition, 6 pts or even 7 pts for 4 prov.

ST has most probably the weakest 4p. bronzes, Dwarven Skirmisher and Swordmaster being the only 'not-so-junk' cards. rrc would probably agree

Some 4 provision cards are also worth when summoned with portal. Ducal guards, the ST harmony dryad, and Lyrian cavalry of course !

 

[mzeebra]

Some 4 provision cards are also worth when summoned with portal. Ducal guards, the ST harmony dryad, and Lyrian cavalry of course !

This is a very interesting point. I "know" so to say, which cards are most likely to be drawn with portal for NG, NR and ST, but more unsure about MO and SK.

Personally if I use portal, I draw Infiltrator, by design. It's not great value, but it's a bit of tempo and getting to play both infiltrators and hopefully get them into the opponent deck, plus thinning my own deck.

Assimilate and "order" boost or "harmony" is ofcourse better, as an engine, but I still prefer infiltrators.

 

[SkiZophreniC]

My main concerns about Infiltrator are that

1) It bricks if you draw it last round

2) It can backfire if your opponent draws it R2, so that it would be shuffled back in your deck. It is a common situation. Not so much thinning right ?

3) Very low tempo, even when played with Portal. I don't see any situation in the current meta where you would prefer 2xInfiltrators instead of 2xNauzica.

Infiltrator could become a good card if it was transformed to useless junk when shuffled to the ennemy deck. Right now it is really weak.

 

[BoYoDes]

The solution to ping-pong Infiltrator is actually pretty easy: give him the Doomed tag once he switches decks.

Problem solved.

 

[mzeebra]

My main concerns about Infiltrator are that

1) It bricks if you draw it last round

2) It can backfire if your opponent draws it R2, so that it would be shuffled back in your deck. It is a common situation. Not so much thinning right ?

3) Very low tempo, even when played with Portal. I don't see any situation in the current meta where you would prefer 2xInfiltrators instead of 2xNauzica.

Infiltrator could become a good card if it was transformed to useless junk when shuffled to the ennemy deck. Right now it is really weak.

You're right. But, it can be useful depending on your deck. It can also brick and be risky. You can end up drawing both portal and infiltrator x1 in R3, or any combination in R1 or R2.

For me, I don't have a deck full of deploy units, so I rarely use Sargeant with huge success. I have quite a few special cards often and some "melee" cards (ex. infiltrator).
It's a decent tempo, not very low as you say. It can definitely assure the pass in R2 plus provide great value, if you lose R1 and draw only portal. It does thin your deck, unless as you say point 2.

In any case, in an optimal or even suboptimal situation, for me the 2x infiltrators with the portal justifies 13 provisions, probably not in many decks, but at least in my Ardal deck which is the only 1 I use this in. It's not often it bricks or I do not get to play it, sometimes I even have to play it R3 as first move, which overall is not too bad actually. Just not good or what was intended. Two units with artifact between, 8 points. It's not terrible in R3 although you don't really want it there.

 

[SkiZophreniC]

The solution to ping-pong Infiltrator is actually pretty easy: give him the Doomed tag once he switches decks.

Elegant. Maybe some dev lost in the forums will notice this suggestion.

 

[Draconifors]

I wonder why one would restrict himself to one faction only... you miss 80% of the game

It's called faction loyalty.

 

[mzeebra]

It's called faction loyalty.

North was my favourite faction and the one I felt loyalty to until I realized how bad it was. Made me a Nilfgaard man longing for the North. Luckily, Nilfgaard is a very fun faction to play.

This reminds me how "bad" the 4-5 provision Nilfgaard cards were before, and how good they now have become. In general, they are quite or very good.

 

[Raziel_888]

The solution to ping-pong Infiltrator is actually pretty easy: give him the Doomed tag once he switches decks.

Problem solved.

Not that easy: infiltrator doesn't stop by the graveyard

 

[tulamide]

The best ones?

MO: Predatory Dive, Rotfiend, Ice Troll, Slyzard, Bridge Troll, Wild Hunt Rider, Harpy Egg, Maerolorn, Nekurat, Feast of Blood, Werewolf, Foglet, Vran Warrior, Ancient Foglet, Bruxa

NG: Nilfgaardian Knight, Vicovaro Novice, Alba Pikeman, Venendal Elite, Imperial Diviner, Impera Enforcers, Mangonel, Alba Armored Cavalry, Spotter, Emissary, Dutchess's Informant, Tourney Joust, Ducal Guard, Nauzicaa Sergeant, Alba Spearman, Magne Division

NR: All 5p cards except Field Medic and Siege Tower, all 4p cards except Lyrian Scytheman

ST: All 5p cards except Vrihedd Sappers, Mahakam Guard and Mahakam Volunteers, all 4p cards

SK: Svalblod Priest, Dimun Warship, Drummond Shieldmaiden, Gutting Slash, Primal Savagery, An Craite Marauder

 

[mzeebra]

Cintrian Spellweaver and Aretuza Adept seems like a very frequent combination with Northern Realms.

Alone these cards are not that good, but as a combination, they might be one of the best 4-5 provision combination. I haven't played much NR after Spellweaver was introduced, so I've never played them, but when I meet them in a game, it's something I'm careful to always destroy or lock, otherwise the punishment is rather harsh.