This article discusses the movie in the spoilierest of ways. Ye have been warned...
So I went to see the new Solo movie on opening night. It was...okay. It didn't make me angry like The Last Jedi, nor did it entertain me and surprise me like Rogue One. It was a good enough movie that established some interesting things and has me interested in future installments. I have a couple of issues which I will get into but in general the movie was fine. For those of you that hated The Last Jedi because of its radicalization, this might calm you down a little bit, and those that hated The Force Awakens for being too derivative, this strays enough from the Star Wars bubble that you may like it. It definitely was very slow in the beginning, and only picked up when Lando comes on the scene.
That I didn't hate the movie is actually a pretty high feat as it is. I was not pumped when they first announced the movie would be made. I did not feel as though I needed a Solo origin story, and felt that they probably wouldn't be able to do Harrison Ford's portrayal any justice. Then add on top all of the shenanigans and drama that has accompanied this movie from the firing of the original directors, to the hiring of an acting coach, because apparently Alden Ehrenreich sucked at acting for a while there. Although I must mention that his portrayal was fine. It wasn't as good as Donald Glover's Lando, but it was perfectly serviceable.
But as I said, the movie was okay. It eschews a "normal" Star Wars plot in favor of a "heist" movie plot. We discover the origins of Han Solo, and see how he meets the people in his life, and how they start to shape his character. There are a bunch of jokes, a lot of betrayals, a ton of throwbacks and easter eggs, and ends on a sequel-baiting ending. I want to go through some of the stuff that I liked, and then some of the stuff I didn't like, and the questions that arise from those:
4 Things I liked
1. Lando - Donald Glover's Lando stole this movie. He was by far the best part. He channels Billy Dee Williams' original character so well, you have no problem believing he is the younger version. He is charming, suave, smooth, and just as duplicitous as everyone's favorite only-black-guy-in-the-universe. I would definitely love to see more movies with him in it. Also, he has a cape room.
2. The Visuals - This movie uses a lot of practical effects, actual sets, and costumes, which I love. It is part of why I loved the original trilogy so much. It feels real. I also really liked how the movie was shot. There were shots that made it feel like a Western, and the dirt and grimey nature of the galactic underground was shown. The scenes in the Maw with the Star Destroyer and the Cthulhu monster were all so beautiful they should be desktop backgrounds. The creature, character design, and costuming were all excellent as well. Shout out to poor John Favreau's Rio Durant, the monkey creature that died early on. I liked him too.
3. Easter Eggs, throwbacks, and references* - As a Star Wars superfan I appreciated this a lot. At times it felt like the movie was winking at me, but most of the time I just enjoyed seeing little references that helped enhance the movie for me. One of the biggest was the name dropping of Aurra Sing, who was apparently killed by Tobias. But she was a bounty hunter seen in the podracing scene of The Phantom Menace, and someone who had a ton of stories surrounding her in the old EU canon, and even a lot in the new stuff in The Clone Wars animated series. For most people that probably didn't mean much, but that instantly fleshed out Tobias and how good of a fighter he must be.
Another great one was the explanation of how a Parsec is a measure of distance, not time. This has always been confusing for a lot of people, and it was nice that this movie explained it. There was also a subtle nod to how Lando mispronounces Han's name in the original trilogy. And of course the biggest wink to fans was how Han shot first, in the closing moments of the movie when Han shoots Tobias, showing a semi-character arc for Han as he learns not to trust people.
4. Darth Maul reveal - This one was big enough to earn its own spot. This could be put in both the good and bad section actually. Probably the biggest spoiler in the movie was at the end when it is revealed that the former Darth Maul is actually the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. I recognized his voice even before they showed his face, considering they used the same guy that voiced Maul in the Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows. So on one hand I enjoyed the reveal, as it gives us some insight into a chapter unknown in Maul's life, and it helps bring the Star Wars universe together a little more, not to mention hinting at possible future stories involving the characters in the movie.
However, on the other hand it was probably very confusing to most viewers. I have already seen and heard people talking about the reveal as a twist that the movie is set before Revenge of the Sith, or just flat out confusion as they thought he died in the Phantom Menace. These are valid concerns. As far as the movie canon goes, the last time we saw Maul was that he was cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi, and fell in a giant pit in the Phantom Menace. Speaking of which, considering what Obi-Wan did something similar to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, can we be sure Kenobi has EVER killed anyone? It seems as though he keeps walking away thinking he's got the bad guy when in reality they just come back later. #pondababalives.
But anyway, for those of us who are huge Star Wars nerds, we know that Maul actually survived, and went on to have many plucky tales of woes and misfortune in The Clone Wars and Rebels, and then *spoiler alert* gets "killed" by Obi-Wan on Tatooine (look it up on wookiepedia). So this movie hints that Maul is part of yet another crime syndicate and explains what he has been doing in between The Clone Wars and Rebels.
4 Things I did not like
1. Reveal of Enfys Nest - This one was disappointing and confusing. Late in the movie, Enfys Nest, the cool looking bounty hunter who has been harassing our anti-heroes, is actually a biracial young girl! The pause in the movie seemed like it was supposed to be this huge, jaw dropping reveal. At the time, however, I thought it was a pause showing that Enfys Nest is actually the daughter of Tobias and Val (the poor character from Westworld who died way too quickly), especially considering that Tobias is white and Val is black, and Enfys Nest is biracial and young. This could still be the case, but that would be dumb because they would have wasted the father/daughter drama that should have enfolded.
So unfortunately, we are left to assume the pause on the reveal/twist was meant simply because Enfys is a young, biracial, girl. Considering Disney has said they are pushing for more diverse characters in Star Wars, I thought it was a little insulting the way they did this. It was like they said, "hey look, I bet you didn't think a little biracial girl could be this cool?! This is such a huge twist as there is no way a young, biracial girl could do that!". It shouldn't have been shot as a twist, but just had her take off her helmet like it was nothing and continue on with the story, which would normalize the event while obviously empowering both women and minorities, while also not slapping viewers in the face like we are stupid and ignorant. I think it kind of backfires on Disney. But who knows, maybe I'm looking too much into it.
My wife, who is not a Star Wars addict, was very confused by the twist as well. She wondered if Enfys was Tobias' kid, and then assumed she was some really big EU character, because the pause was so obvious. When I told her Enfys was not she agreed that it must have been that she was a little girl, and that that was dumb. I agree.
2. Lack of an ending - This was more confusing than anything else. I felt we did not have any kind of closure between the two main characters we met in the beginning in Han and Qi'ra. I don't really buy that Han is over her, even though he did kind of change when he didn't trust Tobias in the end and instead shot him. But it doesn't feel over with he and Qi'ra, and they clearly said she is going on to work with Maul in the crime syndicate. So maybe that is hinting at future TV shows, or additional movies, but I was under the impression these Star Wars story movies are all one-ofs. Don't get me wrong, I am fine with seeing more Han Solo movies now, especially if they involve Maul and Qi'ra, but that isn't a guarantee. If Solo doesn't do well enough in theaters then maybe they don't make anymore, and that will make the ending to this movie so much worse, because we will get no closure when it comes to the movies, and will have to wait for something else to explain what happened.
3. Han Solo's last name - Ugh, this was the worst explanation of a tidbit of Han's life in the movie. As a little joke, we find out that Han's titular last name, is not his actual name, but rather one given to him by an Imperial Officer since Han apparently doesn't have a last name. I mean, him not having a last name is fine, that goes along with the urchin and abandoned lifestyle (not to mention adhering to Disney's insistence in family legacy not being a thing in Star Wars anymore *cough* Rey), but it felt like a big let down, especially since it was delivered as a joke.
4. L3-37 - I heard a lot of hype surrounding this leetspeak character, but after seeing the movie, I was disappointed. I really did not like the character at all. Her becoming part of the Falcon is ok, as it makes Threepios lines in the OT a little more entertaining when he has difficulty communicating with the Falcon. I don't mind the rebellious nature, nor the want for a droid uprising, but the bathroom and sexual humor is very much out of place for a Star Wars movie.
That conversation L3-37 had with Qi'ra about she and Lando being "compatible" and how he wanted a physical relationship was just creepy. She also had that awkward scene where she makes a peeing joke and that she can't "go" with someone looking at her as she pulled out her phallic "saw" to cut the gate open to get to the Falcon. Oh, and this weird "period" joke I think L3-37 made asking Lando to help her with her sticky gears? It was very strange. Star Wars may not be a kid's franchise, but it definitely isn't about sexual innuendo and toilet humor. I did not like that at all.
Add on top of that how the writers decided that Lando was pansexual, and I guess that also means droids? If anyone in the Star Wars universe is pansexual I guess Lando could be, but it doesn't really fit in the world. Also, that whole thing reeks of what JK Rowling does with Harry Potter, where every time there is a social justice issue or debate, she chimes in and says one of her characters was a member all along, even though there wasn't any evidence before. You don't get to just keep changing what you wrote in order to stay relevant. The books were good, just leave them. Lando was good, just leave him. K-2SO was so much better in every way. No more L3-37 please.
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I also wish that Chewie and Han's relationship was more fleshed out, as I felt it didn't have enough, but if they are making more movies then we should get to see more of what brings them together. I get they are kind of partners, but I want to see how they become best friends and depend on each other, and that doesn't mean I want more shower scenes, lol.
But anyway, that's what I think so far. My opinion may change, but I was fine with the movie, will add it to my collection, and hope they make more with these characters as they are fun.
*Other easter eggs I liked:
Tubes from Rogue One - We see him in Enfys Nest's gang, and reveal where he may have started prior to his work with Saw Gerrara in Rogue One.
Weazel - Yet another Phantom Menace reference, as this Enfys Nest gang member was last seen in the podracing scene, not to mention rumored to also be Willow timeline/story jumping. It's also always nice to have a Warwick Davis cameo as he was Wicket the Ewok in Return of the Jedi as well.
How Enfys Nest and her band of marauders are another group that will help start the Rebellion.
Teras Kasi - Qi'ra's fighting style. Dumb Star Wars fighting video game, but kind of cool it got a mention. I believe Snoke's guards also use that fighting style, so it's nice to bring the universe together some more.
The Mandolorian armor and Xim the Despot's masthead crystal skull thingy, which is a reference to a crazy guy from way back in the old EU.
Chewie and the Dejarik holochess game and ripping the arms off that one guy, more references from A New Hope. Side note - why didn't Chewie just attack Tobias in the elevator when they were betrayed? It's not like Tobias could have really stopped him. Whatever.
Sabacc being played and how Han wins the Falcon fair and square. Also saying "I know" to Lando at the end, referencing Harrison Ford's famous improv line from The Empire Strikes Back.
Lando's Return of the Jedi costume being used by Tobias.
Side note - in the official visual dictionary it mentions Dryden's desk is made of obsidian from Exar Kun's tomb, so I guess he's canon now. That's pretty awesome, I wonder if they will do anything with it.
Sad to not see Threepio or R2D2, as they have been in every Star Wars movie ever except now this one, but there really wasn't a good place to put them. At least Threepio's Anthony Daniels made it as a cameo in the Kessel Mines scene.
There are many more, but it's a fitting movie to have a ton of easter eggs, and I appreciated them. I hope you appreciated this little novella of a semi review, and go out and enjoy the movie!
The Amazing Spider Tank
Spider-Tank, Spider-Tank. Does whatever a Spider-Tank does. Can he swing from a web? No he can't, he's a tank. Look out! He is a Spider-Tank!
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Epic Card Game: Uprising - Will of Zannos pack Analysis (4)
This is the 4th, and final analysis for the recently spoiled Uprising expansion to the Epic Card Game. I hope you've enjoyed the read so far. I've worked very hard to get this out quickly to begin the theorycrafting and build the excitement for this newest expansion. it will be released at World's later in November, and hopefully soon after that for retail so the rest of us who haven't qualified for Worlds will get it.
If you missed the previous entries, here they are:
Part 1 Kark's Edict http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Part 2 Flames of Scarros http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-flames-of.html
Part 3 Velden's Wrath http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-veldens-wrath.html
And here we go!
Zannos, Corpse Lord - Our last titular character is quite a thematic fun one. He's like a miniature Drinker of Blood that requires no build up other than Evil cards in hand. He doesn't hit nor heal as hard so he won't be ending games most likely, but it's a wonderful swing card to bring you back from the brink of death, as well as hit your opponent. He's also quite the establisher. Not only do you get a large 9/9, but for every loyalty you show, you get a zombie token! Playing this card even in your opening hand could be devastating. With a full hand of Evil cards you are talking about an 8 health swing, with a 9/9 and 4 zombies with a single card! Say nothing of a turn or 2 later when you have a full hand.
Constructed - Drinker of Blood decks rejoice! I'm not sure if this is the card to truly catapult that deck archetype to the forefront, but dang it it will help. This is an awesome card. This should be put into any deck with a decent amount of Evil, as it is an Epic card worthy of the game title. The shift in board position and even health for players makes this quite the turn-around card.
Limited - This card is a very strong pick, as long as you can hit the loyalty. Even showing 2 loyalty might make this worth a play. I can't wait to see what people can do with this card.
Corpsemonger - More discard pile manipulation, it really isn't a safe place anymore. Gotta say my favorite Soul Hunter is gonna take a hit. This card is very simple, but I doubt it'll be good enough to earn a spot.
Constructed - This won't be making its way into many decks. It just doesn't do enough as a 0 cost. Discard pile manipulation is great, but Evil has much better cards. The health gain is very negligible.
Limited - If one is strapped for discard pile removal then this might be chosen, but there are better options all over the place.
Plague Zombies - Yay for more themed stuff. The art feels out of place, it looks like the zombies are trying to do a superhero pose. I do really like this card for a zombie deck though. It's like having a mini Drinker of Blood without needing all the bits and pieces. Just straight damage.
Constructed - This will definitely see play in Drinker of Blood and other zombie decks. Just 3 zombies may not be enough to make it worth it, but Evil has a lot of ways of getting lots of zombies on the board cheaply (Hands from Below on the previous turn, Plentiful Dead, etc). Attack with them, and then maybe break them at the end for double the damage. Or just destroy them without giving your opponent the priority for guaranteed damage.
Limited - This isn't an awful card for limited, as it can mean 6 direct damage or even more if the zombies get through. And since there are so many zombie cards in Epic (and your opponent may even give you some with Zombie Apocalypse or Necrovirus), you will most likely be able to do more. It's not a guaranteed addition but it could be added without too much trouble.
Citadel Raven - Simple and elegant. It's an easy way to grab events back from your discard pile. I'm unsure that's worth a gold but then again I love Lesson Learned, and this puts a body on the board.
Constructed - I can't imagine this would replace Lesson Learned as I use that on defense half the time. However maybe I would use it in addition if there were events I felt like I needed to play a ton like maybe Drain Essence. But still, even though you put a body on the board it's hardly anything special. Every little bit can count though and if it can attack multiple times (it probably won't), then maybe it will be worth it.
Limited - If you are finding yourself with some really good event cards like Flamestrike or a board sweeper or Drain Essence or something, this might be worth taking so you can double up, but it's far from a guarantee.
Reusable Knowledge - Here's another card similar in vein to the Citadel Raven, except I think I like this better. Raven will most likely not get a chance to use its ability again. This lets you get any card and it replaces itself. Much more useful.
Constructed - If you love a small amount of cards in your deck, then including 3 of these should be easy. You get card draw and your favorite card back. There is a lot you can do with this card and it will be a valuable addition to many decks.
Limited - This will also see a lot of play in Limited. Your opponent finally figured out a way to deal with your Sea Titan or Steel Golem? Sorry, but you'll have to deal with it again. Thought you were out of direct damage options? Sorry, I just grabbed that Flame Strike again. Fun stuff.
Siren's Song - I'm not really getting this card. Yes it removes a blocker or some other decent 0 cost card for the turn, but that's it. It doesn't remove it, it doesn't let you use it, it just expends it essentially for the turn. The card draw option is hardly anything special. I think I'd much rather draw cards or actually destroy something or do any number of things other 0 cost cards can do. It's so restrictive too. Might be one of the worst cards in the set.
*Edit - It was brought to my attention that I somehow missed that you get the champion permanently. That definitely makes this a better card.
Constructed - Although you get the champion permanently, I still can't help but think I would be better suited simply to add the champion of my choice rather than wait for my opponent. I could be wrong, but I still probably won't play this.
Limited - This is definitely better than I initially thought, and since there will be so many 0 cost champions most likely in your opponent's deck, this is not a worthless card. I still think there are better options though.
Avenger of Covenant - Boy these guys sure are active in this set. Taking a not so subtle bow to a certain video game series, the Avenger of Covenant seems very similar to the Palace Guard, except it can be used defensively. It's quite a restriction though, as you have to take damage. I don't really like that. Also, stuff like Zannos above doesn't actually deal damage, it only makes you lose health, so that wouldn't even count.
Constructed - Someone might want to put this in their deck, although I think there would be better cards. Banishing can be nice but it seems so restrictive. You do at least have an ambush 8/8 body which is fairly decent.
Limited - Sometimes just taking the hit and putting out an 8/8 to strike next turn might make this a worthy pick. it would be a later pick for sure, but at least it doesn't require a loyalty trigger.
Bodyguard - Mr. nothing-but-keywords. I kind of like him. He's very simple, and he'll keep coming back.
Constructed - I could see this in a human token deck. He will benefit from a lot of those cards and he can do whatever is needed, and you will most likely keep getting him back. He can do a lot of little damage and it's a way to goad your opponent into spending gold when they are tired of taking a hit. I have dreams of grabbing 3 of these guys from my discard pile when spending gold.
Limited - Only take this if you have enough Good so to grab him several times in a game.
Gladius - Unbanishable is one of my least favorite keywords, as it never really seems that good. Luckily, the rest of him is fairly decent. The lack of speed means he will most likely not be able to put 3 tokens into play, and I'm not sure you'd always want to. 6/11 is a decent amount of damage. Boosting all of your other good champions is very nice though.
Constructed - This is obviously built for a human token deck. I'm unsure it's worth spending your gold on this as you probably won't be doing much with whatever tokens you have considering they won't have any evasion at all. But if they get through that could be a lot of damage. I just think there are cheaper and better cards that boost your token's attack. There was a little confusion with the wording since I think it originally said they "have" +3 strength. I think it was changed to "get" to avoid confusion. I see this image is fixed but the original as well as the one used by Epic Foundry (awesome deck building service by the way) http://decks.epiccardgame.com/
Limited - Not likely to see any play. Human token cards are not very good in Limited as you have to have a lot of them to make it worth it. And even then this card won't help you that much.
Entangling Vines - This one I like. This feels very out of place for Wild, I would have thought Sage would have gotten this ability, although I wont complain as Wild could use it. A strong, Ambushing champion is already nice, but to be able to expend target champions, and then KEEP using it whenever you play Wild, that's very impressive. I think the key will be to spend your gold on events right after an opponent ambushes what they hope is a blocker, only to have it expended.
Constructed - This is a very good card for Wild. I'm unsure it will find its way into burn decks as they have plenty of cards already, but large monster dinosaur decks could use something like this to remove blockers to allow the biguns in.
Limited - This isn't a horrible card even if you only had this in Wild, but it gets much much better with a large Wild contingent. it doesn't help against lone enemies, but if your opponent wants to use more than one attacker on the board, they are gonna have trouble. And then on your turn if you have to spend your gold you can expend a defender.
Pyrosaur - This was one of the earliest spoiled cards, and I think it's great.
Constructed - This will most likely be included in burn decks. You will most likely be able to deal 4 damage to each opposing champion and player, AND have a 6/3 attacker. If it survives it can keep doing it although that most likely won't happen. He's a little mini Scarros. This will go great against the inevitable Demon token deck.
Limited - As much as I love the card and the art, I doubt this will see much play unless you have a decent amount of Wild. But since Wild is so popular and has great cards for Limited, perhaps that will happen often.
Savage Uprising - This has one of the most entertaining card arts in the game. It encompasses Epic perfectly. Two giant, some could say epic, monsters duking it out. It's not the best card though.
Constructed - This is a decent card to go into a token deck, since it acts as an off turn board wipe to 1 costers. It's a decent board wipe in general although obviously Hurricane is just better in that regard. Dealing 5 damage to a player and drawing a card is nice, but it's a little low. In a pinch maybe it's ok, but I think burn decks have better alternatives.
Limited - This is a better Limited card, though. Board sweeps can be hard to come by, so this can give it to you, and it can give some direct damage, which is very useful in Limited. That card draw will be even more loved.
Final Thoughts
Well that ends the new Uprising cards.We still have a little surprise left in waiting to see what the tokens look like, and as a collector I can't wait to see new tokens (crosses fingers for a zombie Minotaur). I really like this set and I think it will add a lot of great stuff to the game.
I really like all the thematic token strategies that are added. I still think Kark might be the biggest deal and will have the biggest impact on the meta as it exists for Worlds, but time and testing will tell. I can't wait for Worlds and the chance to see what people will bring. I have another chance this coming weekend to qualify so wish me luck.
I hope you enjoyed all of these and happy gaming!
If you missed the previous entries, here they are:
Part 1 Kark's Edict http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Part 2 Flames of Scarros http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-flames-of.html
Part 3 Velden's Wrath http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-veldens-wrath.html
And here we go!
Will of Zannos pack contents:
Zannos, Corpse Lord
Corpsemonger
Plague Zombies
Citadel Raven
Reusable Knowledge
Siren’s Song
Avenger of Covenant
Bodyguard
Gladius, the Defender
Entangling Vines
Pyrosaur
Savage Uprising
and a Wolf/Zombie token.
Corpsemonger
Plague Zombies
Citadel Raven
Reusable Knowledge
Siren’s Song
Avenger of Covenant
Bodyguard
Gladius, the Defender
Entangling Vines
Pyrosaur
Savage Uprising
and a Wolf/Zombie token.
Zannos, Corpse Lord - Our last titular character is quite a thematic fun one. He's like a miniature Drinker of Blood that requires no build up other than Evil cards in hand. He doesn't hit nor heal as hard so he won't be ending games most likely, but it's a wonderful swing card to bring you back from the brink of death, as well as hit your opponent. He's also quite the establisher. Not only do you get a large 9/9, but for every loyalty you show, you get a zombie token! Playing this card even in your opening hand could be devastating. With a full hand of Evil cards you are talking about an 8 health swing, with a 9/9 and 4 zombies with a single card! Say nothing of a turn or 2 later when you have a full hand.
Constructed - Drinker of Blood decks rejoice! I'm not sure if this is the card to truly catapult that deck archetype to the forefront, but dang it it will help. This is an awesome card. This should be put into any deck with a decent amount of Evil, as it is an Epic card worthy of the game title. The shift in board position and even health for players makes this quite the turn-around card.
Limited - This card is a very strong pick, as long as you can hit the loyalty. Even showing 2 loyalty might make this worth a play. I can't wait to see what people can do with this card.
Corpsemonger - More discard pile manipulation, it really isn't a safe place anymore. Gotta say my favorite Soul Hunter is gonna take a hit. This card is very simple, but I doubt it'll be good enough to earn a spot.
Constructed - This won't be making its way into many decks. It just doesn't do enough as a 0 cost. Discard pile manipulation is great, but Evil has much better cards. The health gain is very negligible.
Limited - If one is strapped for discard pile removal then this might be chosen, but there are better options all over the place.
Plague Zombies - Yay for more themed stuff. The art feels out of place, it looks like the zombies are trying to do a superhero pose. I do really like this card for a zombie deck though. It's like having a mini Drinker of Blood without needing all the bits and pieces. Just straight damage.
Constructed - This will definitely see play in Drinker of Blood and other zombie decks. Just 3 zombies may not be enough to make it worth it, but Evil has a lot of ways of getting lots of zombies on the board cheaply (Hands from Below on the previous turn, Plentiful Dead, etc). Attack with them, and then maybe break them at the end for double the damage. Or just destroy them without giving your opponent the priority for guaranteed damage.
Limited - This isn't an awful card for limited, as it can mean 6 direct damage or even more if the zombies get through. And since there are so many zombie cards in Epic (and your opponent may even give you some with Zombie Apocalypse or Necrovirus), you will most likely be able to do more. It's not a guaranteed addition but it could be added without too much trouble.
Citadel Raven - Simple and elegant. It's an easy way to grab events back from your discard pile. I'm unsure that's worth a gold but then again I love Lesson Learned, and this puts a body on the board.
Constructed - I can't imagine this would replace Lesson Learned as I use that on defense half the time. However maybe I would use it in addition if there were events I felt like I needed to play a ton like maybe Drain Essence. But still, even though you put a body on the board it's hardly anything special. Every little bit can count though and if it can attack multiple times (it probably won't), then maybe it will be worth it.
Limited - If you are finding yourself with some really good event cards like Flamestrike or a board sweeper or Drain Essence or something, this might be worth taking so you can double up, but it's far from a guarantee.
Reusable Knowledge - Here's another card similar in vein to the Citadel Raven, except I think I like this better. Raven will most likely not get a chance to use its ability again. This lets you get any card and it replaces itself. Much more useful.
Constructed - If you love a small amount of cards in your deck, then including 3 of these should be easy. You get card draw and your favorite card back. There is a lot you can do with this card and it will be a valuable addition to many decks.
Limited - This will also see a lot of play in Limited. Your opponent finally figured out a way to deal with your Sea Titan or Steel Golem? Sorry, but you'll have to deal with it again. Thought you were out of direct damage options? Sorry, I just grabbed that Flame Strike again. Fun stuff.
Siren's Song - I'm not really getting this card. Yes it removes a blocker or some other decent 0 cost card for the turn, but that's it. It doesn't remove it, it doesn't let you use it, it just expends it essentially for the turn. The card draw option is hardly anything special. I think I'd much rather draw cards or actually destroy something or do any number of things other 0 cost cards can do. It's so restrictive too. Might be one of the worst cards in the set.
*Edit - It was brought to my attention that I somehow missed that you get the champion permanently. That definitely makes this a better card.
Constructed - Although you get the champion permanently, I still can't help but think I would be better suited simply to add the champion of my choice rather than wait for my opponent. I could be wrong, but I still probably won't play this.
Limited - This is definitely better than I initially thought, and since there will be so many 0 cost champions most likely in your opponent's deck, this is not a worthless card. I still think there are better options though.
Avenger of Covenant - Boy these guys sure are active in this set. Taking a not so subtle bow to a certain video game series, the Avenger of Covenant seems very similar to the Palace Guard, except it can be used defensively. It's quite a restriction though, as you have to take damage. I don't really like that. Also, stuff like Zannos above doesn't actually deal damage, it only makes you lose health, so that wouldn't even count.
Constructed - Someone might want to put this in their deck, although I think there would be better cards. Banishing can be nice but it seems so restrictive. You do at least have an ambush 8/8 body which is fairly decent.
Limited - Sometimes just taking the hit and putting out an 8/8 to strike next turn might make this a worthy pick. it would be a later pick for sure, but at least it doesn't require a loyalty trigger.
Bodyguard - Mr. nothing-but-keywords. I kind of like him. He's very simple, and he'll keep coming back.
Constructed - I could see this in a human token deck. He will benefit from a lot of those cards and he can do whatever is needed, and you will most likely keep getting him back. He can do a lot of little damage and it's a way to goad your opponent into spending gold when they are tired of taking a hit. I have dreams of grabbing 3 of these guys from my discard pile when spending gold.
Limited - Only take this if you have enough Good so to grab him several times in a game.
Gladius - Unbanishable is one of my least favorite keywords, as it never really seems that good. Luckily, the rest of him is fairly decent. The lack of speed means he will most likely not be able to put 3 tokens into play, and I'm not sure you'd always want to. 6/11 is a decent amount of damage. Boosting all of your other good champions is very nice though.
Constructed - This is obviously built for a human token deck. I'm unsure it's worth spending your gold on this as you probably won't be doing much with whatever tokens you have considering they won't have any evasion at all. But if they get through that could be a lot of damage. I just think there are cheaper and better cards that boost your token's attack. There was a little confusion with the wording since I think it originally said they "have" +3 strength. I think it was changed to "get" to avoid confusion. I see this image is fixed but the original as well as the one used by Epic Foundry (awesome deck building service by the way) http://decks.epiccardgame.com/
Limited - Not likely to see any play. Human token cards are not very good in Limited as you have to have a lot of them to make it worth it. And even then this card won't help you that much.
Entangling Vines - This one I like. This feels very out of place for Wild, I would have thought Sage would have gotten this ability, although I wont complain as Wild could use it. A strong, Ambushing champion is already nice, but to be able to expend target champions, and then KEEP using it whenever you play Wild, that's very impressive. I think the key will be to spend your gold on events right after an opponent ambushes what they hope is a blocker, only to have it expended.
Constructed - This is a very good card for Wild. I'm unsure it will find its way into burn decks as they have plenty of cards already, but large monster dinosaur decks could use something like this to remove blockers to allow the biguns in.
Limited - This isn't a horrible card even if you only had this in Wild, but it gets much much better with a large Wild contingent. it doesn't help against lone enemies, but if your opponent wants to use more than one attacker on the board, they are gonna have trouble. And then on your turn if you have to spend your gold you can expend a defender.
Pyrosaur - This was one of the earliest spoiled cards, and I think it's great.
Constructed - This will most likely be included in burn decks. You will most likely be able to deal 4 damage to each opposing champion and player, AND have a 6/3 attacker. If it survives it can keep doing it although that most likely won't happen. He's a little mini Scarros. This will go great against the inevitable Demon token deck.
Limited - As much as I love the card and the art, I doubt this will see much play unless you have a decent amount of Wild. But since Wild is so popular and has great cards for Limited, perhaps that will happen often.
Savage Uprising - This has one of the most entertaining card arts in the game. It encompasses Epic perfectly. Two giant, some could say epic, monsters duking it out. It's not the best card though.
Constructed - This is a decent card to go into a token deck, since it acts as an off turn board wipe to 1 costers. It's a decent board wipe in general although obviously Hurricane is just better in that regard. Dealing 5 damage to a player and drawing a card is nice, but it's a little low. In a pinch maybe it's ok, but I think burn decks have better alternatives.
Limited - This is a better Limited card, though. Board sweeps can be hard to come by, so this can give it to you, and it can give some direct damage, which is very useful in Limited. That card draw will be even more loved.
Final Thoughts
Well that ends the new Uprising cards.We still have a little surprise left in waiting to see what the tokens look like, and as a collector I can't wait to see new tokens (crosses fingers for a zombie Minotaur). I really like this set and I think it will add a lot of great stuff to the game.
I really like all the thematic token strategies that are added. I still think Kark might be the biggest deal and will have the biggest impact on the meta as it exists for Worlds, but time and testing will tell. I can't wait for Worlds and the chance to see what people will bring. I have another chance this coming weekend to qualify so wish me luck.
I hope you enjoyed all of these and happy gaming!
Epic Card Game: Uprising - Velden's Wrath Pack Analysis (3)
Halfway there, here is part 3 of 4 on my analysis of the new Epic Card Game expansion called Uprising. Like before, I will go through each card, and offer my thoughts on the cards and how I think they will perform in both the Constructed and Limited formats.
Here is part 1: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Here is part 2: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-flames-of.html
Velden, Frost Titan - Man that's a cool name and even better art. Sad that I actually am more intrigued by the guy who is attempting to go up against Velden, and I think we should know more about him. He seems to be the bigger deal and the more interesting one. Anyway, I think this is the weakest of the titular characters in Uprising. Actually, I take that back, he is amazing. Although he is custom fitted to be killed by Kong, he is a game ending character in the same vein as the Frost Giant. He is also very similar to the War Machine I previewed in the last pack. a 10/13 Blitzing champion is harm enough, let alone that he can completly remove all blockers from play, and in the case of tokens, destroy them. Great stuff.
Constructed - He'll be in most Sage control decks. He does what they love to do, mess with people. You thought Sea Titan was annoying when he popped someone back to your hand, try all your stuff! Oh, and I hope you have removal or else it's 10 to the face!
Limited - He'll be around in Limited for sure. Sage is extremely popular in Limited and even if it wasn't, he'd warrant an inclusion. A big guy with Blitz that removes a couple of blockers or kill some tokens? Yeah that's gonna be powerful.
Erratic Research - Sage does love its researching. This is an extremely simple card, and it does 2 of the things Sage love to do most: Disrupt your opponent and draw cards. I think there are much better cards out there though. Most cards have a draw 2 option, and although banishing a target player's discard pile is great, Sage already has those.
Constructed - As I said I think Sage has plenty of better ways to draw cards (Lesson Learned and Ancient Chant), and although Banishing a discard pile is nice, I don't think it warrants simply drawing cards. Amnesia banishes a pile and lets you draw 1 card with Recycle and it costs 0! Is 1 more card really worth it? This is awfully restricting for a gold.
Limited - This will see some play simply because most decks in Limited need to have discard pile removal. I think there are better options, but you will take what you get. As a side note this set seems to have a lot of discard pile removal, I am wondering if we will see less Draw Out wins than in hte past (although I've never seen it personally). It also makes me wish there were better strategies to make a draw out a more viable option in Constructed.
Frantic Digging - Oh man is this a good card. One of the best in the entire set in my opinion. I am always up for Biggs Darklighter art, although I wish I could see why he's franticly digging. Is that something in the top left? Not sure. I would have liked some Cthulhu-like tentacle in the background as motivation (and for Cthulhu to make it into Epic in fact). The text says it's Demons, but I wanted to see them, and Cthulhu could work. But anyway this card is amazing and will see a ton of play.
Constructed - I think most decks will have to think of a way to include this in their deck. just like in Magic, sifting through your deck is important, and this does a lot of it at 0 cost! This is the first card in Epic I believe to give you a card for free. Yes, you have to discard a card as well, but that's not always a bad thing (Soul Hunter, Ancient Chant). THEN, you get to recycle and draw another card! Ridiculous for a 0 cost!
Limited - Of course this will see play, it's an amazing card. I'm sure people will find all sorts of fun interactions to use with this card, but it's such a cheap way to draw 2 cards essentially. This is an auto pick for sure.
Angel of the Gate - I'm always up for more angels, they always look so cool. Angel of the Gate is also a very decent card. Airborne and Ambush is a great combination, and a health of 7 means she's staying around, and if she does, you will never die. +5 health at the start of your turn is amazing.
Constructed - Kark decks be praised. heck, any deck be praised. This angel has no loyalty requirement, and she's an ambushing flier! If you don't deal with her, she will give health every turn, and in the case of a Kark deck, she will much more easily help you to win the game via life gain. Fun stuff.
Limited - Angel of the Gate will see Limited play for sure. She's so easy to add in a deck. Bounce definitely hurts her as she's very slow, but like most angels if she can manage to survive, she will do a lot of damage, or in her case, do a lot of health? Sure.
Rescue Griffin - Is it just me, or are 0 cost cards getting huge? I know we've had Ankylosaurus but still, a 0 flier with 7 health sounds like more for some reason. I actually don't think this card is very good, but it has awesome art.
Constructed - I doubt this will see too much play. Griffins have no synergy with other cards right now like humans do, and although it is a flier and it has ambush, it doesn't do anything else. That 3 attack is awfully low so it's not likely to kill anything. It makes a good blocker to other 0 cost stuff, but I think I'd rather have those other 0 costers.
Limited - It's possible this will see more play in Limited, as its keywords are very desirable. It won't win you games, but it could save them in a pinch. It almost surely will require someone to spend gold to kill it or at least stall for a turn, but then again it's lack of punch means the threat will most likely stick around.
Village Protector - That's some really good art, and it is just dripping with theme. It also has errata built into it, lol. That little tidbit at the end really makes it a good card. As long as you have tokens on the board, any break all board wipes won't get her.
Constructed - I think she may be too slow for a human token deck. She doesn't remove anything, and although she is a threat, a human token deck relies on its tokens, with support from other champions, and she doesn't really do that. In a combative humans deck though, putting out some blockers and being very hard to get rid of should be a good thing. She will definitely be annoying
Limited - Without a good amount of human tokens she really isn't good at all. She at least comes with a couple, but you won't want to use them or lose them. I think this card more than most will show it's strength through actual play, rather than theorycrafting. We shall see.
Den Mother - What a wonderful card. My good friend, Josiah Fiscus got to spoil this card and offered some wonderful insight and strategy for this so you should go read it: http://www.epiccardgame.com/epic-uprising-preview-den-mother/. In general though, this card is amazing. Time will tell if it can live up to Raxxa, with whom she shares a lot of similarities.
Constructed - Oh man I hope wolf decks become viable. I always love a good themed deck, and the wolves have been on the periphery, never really viable until hopefully now. We are still waiting for Keira to become legal https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/202502/epic-card-game-keira-wolf-caller-promo-card, but until then, this Den Mother could very well be what allows us to have a wolf deck. Wolf decks aside, this is still a decent card in and of itself. It puts out blockers and a large body. Only board weepers take care of everything just like Raxxa. Unlike Raxxa, you actually want to attack with the Den Mother. If you remove her wolves she can get scary big. The tactics and choices one has to make when it comes to whether or not you should kill her wolves before attacking or whatever will keep players very entertained. I love Breakthrough so she is definitely a card I will have to think about adding to some decks. And just like Raxxa, I don't mind if she gets bumped (although I will be sad if she is like 20/20).
Limited - Den Mother will definitely be played. I think she is a strong choice, maybe even stronger than Raxxa. She puts out more blockers, and the annoyances with dealing with her vs her wolves can force an opponent to make a mistake. She can win games with breakthrough, and bouncing just means you can have more blockers. Be wary of Drinker of Blood decks though (to be fair, DoB doesn't see a lot of Limited play).
Flame Spike - This is a fun card. It of course reminds me of Wolf's Bite. This has a little more flexibility as you can target anybody, not just a champion. It has Recycle just like Wolf's Bite. It doesn't put out a wolf though which makes me think I would rather have that than this. I doubt 2 damage to the face will make this worth it, but then again, I've lost plenty of games with my opponent at 1 health. I also find it funny that the art on this card practically is a direct challenge to Wolf's Bite.
Constructed - In burn decks this definitely warrants a look-see. If every bit of direct damage counts, then even 2 can make a difference. I think I personally would prefer Wolf's Bite simply because having a blocker or a weenie attacker seems better, but I would not be surprised if this saw more play.
Limited - This will definitely see play. Considering how popular 2 and 1 life champions are like Muse and Thought Plucker, you will always have a need for this card. Heck, 2 damage to the face isn't bad either. Plus, it replaces itself so no worries!
Winds of Change - That art is awesome, and there should be a video game based on it alone. I think that's about as far as I will take this card, but maybe I'll be surprised.
Constructed - I can't really see me spending gold for this card, even though it permanently improves your guys. There is just too much bounce and removal in Epic to make me think anything will like that long. Breakthrough is amazing though and this card could win you a game, so I guess time will tell. The second option at least lets you draw a card.
Limited - For the same reasons above I doubt this will see much play. I think this is worse for Limited, as you really have to build around this and make sure your opponent has already spent their gold before playing this. And even then, you'll probably just be Hasty Retreated. I have been screwed by bounce effects too much to warrant also losing my gold.
Demonic Rising - Ok this looks straight out of Diablo 3 and that's awesome! This definitely tugs at the imagination strings. It is a board sweeper with a draw 2 option, fairly typical. I think this isn't a great card though.
Constructed - If a deck is built around this card it could be quite good. Attack with all your stuff, and then play this card to give you a second attack with demons! This could be awesome in a human token deck for that reason. Upgrading human tokens to demons AND attacking could end a game real quick (excited to try this out). However, it is just awful on defense and should never be done, and that's a shame for an off-turn board sweeper as there aren't many of them.
Limited - This is in the same vein as Army of the Apocalypse. It could win you the game, or just sit in your hand. I think it has some more utility than AotA as it is an off turn board wipe that in a pinch could downgrade some big guys like Sea Titans and the like which could definitely be worth it. On second thought, yeah that's pretty good. And if you can get a lot of attackers on the board, you can essentially have a double attack.
Raxxa's Enforcer - Who said Draka and temporals were the only ones with enforcers? This guy is an odd one. A weenie board wipe with an ongoing debuff. Sounds like fun but doesn't seem great for a gold. You have to acknowledge the amazing art though.
Constructed - I doubt this will see much play. It isn't killed by Raxxa's Displeasure, and it adds to a fun themed Demon deck, but it doesn't seem great. Draka is a flying 9/9 that does the same damage and although does require loyalty, just seems like a much better card. 5 health also really hurts, and he's so darn slow. A 1 cost Wither just doesn't seem great even though it's a body.
Limited - No loyalty cost is nice, and he can function as a weenie board clear so that's a great thing. I do like his defensive capability in that after he attacks, he still affects his opponents and can really slow down an offense. Since this is the first time we've seen an ability like this on a champion card and one that lasts forever (unlike Wither), I could be way off base in regards to how good this is.
Rift Summoner - More Demon stuff! There sure is a lot in this set, not that I'm complaining, as I said I love themed decks. This card is awesome.
Constructed - This is a must have for any Demon deck, and is a great addition to any deck with a decent amount of Evil cards in it. Ambush and Blitz is always fun, but that Loyalty trigger helps put out a total of 13 damage/life with 1 card! Heck, you can use her ability to break 1 of the demons and get 2 more, for a total of 17 damage/life spread out among 4 cards! That is insane! I love how this can be used on offense or defense, not to mention it is wonderful with Soul Hunters.
Limited - This isn't quite as good as it is in Limited, simply because the lack of a Loyalty trigger really takes this down, but I would be tempted to keep it anyway. You can guarantee a use of its ability as long as you have a target. In a pinch maybe you destroy your expended champion. Maybe you simply break a human token and get 2 demons! That's a heck of a deal! And the ability to use this on yours or your opponent's turn makes this pretty close to an auto pick for me.
End Thoughts
This was an amazing pack with some really great staples that will see play in all formats. This pack has me the most excited for some themed decks around wolves and demons. I hope you enjoyed this article and come back for the last bunch of cards. Until then, happy gaming!
Here is part 1: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Here is part 2: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-flames-of.html
Velden’s Wrath pack contents:
Velden, Frost Titan
Erratic Research
Frantic Digging
Angel of the Gate
Rescue Griffin
Village Protector
Den Mother
Flame Spike
Winds of Change
Demonic Rising
Raxxa’s Enforcer
Rift Summoner
and a Human/Demon token.
Erratic Research
Frantic Digging
Angel of the Gate
Rescue Griffin
Village Protector
Den Mother
Flame Spike
Winds of Change
Demonic Rising
Raxxa’s Enforcer
Rift Summoner
and a Human/Demon token.
Velden, Frost Titan - Man that's a cool name and even better art. Sad that I actually am more intrigued by the guy who is attempting to go up against Velden, and I think we should know more about him. He seems to be the bigger deal and the more interesting one. Anyway, I think this is the weakest of the titular characters in Uprising. Actually, I take that back, he is amazing. Although he is custom fitted to be killed by Kong, he is a game ending character in the same vein as the Frost Giant. He is also very similar to the War Machine I previewed in the last pack. a 10/13 Blitzing champion is harm enough, let alone that he can completly remove all blockers from play, and in the case of tokens, destroy them. Great stuff.
Constructed - He'll be in most Sage control decks. He does what they love to do, mess with people. You thought Sea Titan was annoying when he popped someone back to your hand, try all your stuff! Oh, and I hope you have removal or else it's 10 to the face!
Limited - He'll be around in Limited for sure. Sage is extremely popular in Limited and even if it wasn't, he'd warrant an inclusion. A big guy with Blitz that removes a couple of blockers or kill some tokens? Yeah that's gonna be powerful.
Erratic Research - Sage does love its researching. This is an extremely simple card, and it does 2 of the things Sage love to do most: Disrupt your opponent and draw cards. I think there are much better cards out there though. Most cards have a draw 2 option, and although banishing a target player's discard pile is great, Sage already has those.
Constructed - As I said I think Sage has plenty of better ways to draw cards (Lesson Learned and Ancient Chant), and although Banishing a discard pile is nice, I don't think it warrants simply drawing cards. Amnesia banishes a pile and lets you draw 1 card with Recycle and it costs 0! Is 1 more card really worth it? This is awfully restricting for a gold.
Limited - This will see some play simply because most decks in Limited need to have discard pile removal. I think there are better options, but you will take what you get. As a side note this set seems to have a lot of discard pile removal, I am wondering if we will see less Draw Out wins than in hte past (although I've never seen it personally). It also makes me wish there were better strategies to make a draw out a more viable option in Constructed.
Frantic Digging - Oh man is this a good card. One of the best in the entire set in my opinion. I am always up for Biggs Darklighter art, although I wish I could see why he's franticly digging. Is that something in the top left? Not sure. I would have liked some Cthulhu-like tentacle in the background as motivation (and for Cthulhu to make it into Epic in fact). The text says it's Demons, but I wanted to see them, and Cthulhu could work. But anyway this card is amazing and will see a ton of play.
Constructed - I think most decks will have to think of a way to include this in their deck. just like in Magic, sifting through your deck is important, and this does a lot of it at 0 cost! This is the first card in Epic I believe to give you a card for free. Yes, you have to discard a card as well, but that's not always a bad thing (Soul Hunter, Ancient Chant). THEN, you get to recycle and draw another card! Ridiculous for a 0 cost!
Limited - Of course this will see play, it's an amazing card. I'm sure people will find all sorts of fun interactions to use with this card, but it's such a cheap way to draw 2 cards essentially. This is an auto pick for sure.
Angel of the Gate - I'm always up for more angels, they always look so cool. Angel of the Gate is also a very decent card. Airborne and Ambush is a great combination, and a health of 7 means she's staying around, and if she does, you will never die. +5 health at the start of your turn is amazing.
Constructed - Kark decks be praised. heck, any deck be praised. This angel has no loyalty requirement, and she's an ambushing flier! If you don't deal with her, she will give health every turn, and in the case of a Kark deck, she will much more easily help you to win the game via life gain. Fun stuff.
Limited - Angel of the Gate will see Limited play for sure. She's so easy to add in a deck. Bounce definitely hurts her as she's very slow, but like most angels if she can manage to survive, she will do a lot of damage, or in her case, do a lot of health? Sure.
Rescue Griffin - Is it just me, or are 0 cost cards getting huge? I know we've had Ankylosaurus but still, a 0 flier with 7 health sounds like more for some reason. I actually don't think this card is very good, but it has awesome art.
Constructed - I doubt this will see too much play. Griffins have no synergy with other cards right now like humans do, and although it is a flier and it has ambush, it doesn't do anything else. That 3 attack is awfully low so it's not likely to kill anything. It makes a good blocker to other 0 cost stuff, but I think I'd rather have those other 0 costers.
Limited - It's possible this will see more play in Limited, as its keywords are very desirable. It won't win you games, but it could save them in a pinch. It almost surely will require someone to spend gold to kill it or at least stall for a turn, but then again it's lack of punch means the threat will most likely stick around.
Village Protector - That's some really good art, and it is just dripping with theme. It also has errata built into it, lol. That little tidbit at the end really makes it a good card. As long as you have tokens on the board, any break all board wipes won't get her.
Constructed - I think she may be too slow for a human token deck. She doesn't remove anything, and although she is a threat, a human token deck relies on its tokens, with support from other champions, and she doesn't really do that. In a combative humans deck though, putting out some blockers and being very hard to get rid of should be a good thing. She will definitely be annoying
Limited - Without a good amount of human tokens she really isn't good at all. She at least comes with a couple, but you won't want to use them or lose them. I think this card more than most will show it's strength through actual play, rather than theorycrafting. We shall see.
Den Mother - What a wonderful card. My good friend, Josiah Fiscus got to spoil this card and offered some wonderful insight and strategy for this so you should go read it: http://www.epiccardgame.com/epic-uprising-preview-den-mother/. In general though, this card is amazing. Time will tell if it can live up to Raxxa, with whom she shares a lot of similarities.
Constructed - Oh man I hope wolf decks become viable. I always love a good themed deck, and the wolves have been on the periphery, never really viable until hopefully now. We are still waiting for Keira to become legal https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/202502/epic-card-game-keira-wolf-caller-promo-card, but until then, this Den Mother could very well be what allows us to have a wolf deck. Wolf decks aside, this is still a decent card in and of itself. It puts out blockers and a large body. Only board weepers take care of everything just like Raxxa. Unlike Raxxa, you actually want to attack with the Den Mother. If you remove her wolves she can get scary big. The tactics and choices one has to make when it comes to whether or not you should kill her wolves before attacking or whatever will keep players very entertained. I love Breakthrough so she is definitely a card I will have to think about adding to some decks. And just like Raxxa, I don't mind if she gets bumped (although I will be sad if she is like 20/20).
Limited - Den Mother will definitely be played. I think she is a strong choice, maybe even stronger than Raxxa. She puts out more blockers, and the annoyances with dealing with her vs her wolves can force an opponent to make a mistake. She can win games with breakthrough, and bouncing just means you can have more blockers. Be wary of Drinker of Blood decks though (to be fair, DoB doesn't see a lot of Limited play).
Flame Spike - This is a fun card. It of course reminds me of Wolf's Bite. This has a little more flexibility as you can target anybody, not just a champion. It has Recycle just like Wolf's Bite. It doesn't put out a wolf though which makes me think I would rather have that than this. I doubt 2 damage to the face will make this worth it, but then again, I've lost plenty of games with my opponent at 1 health. I also find it funny that the art on this card practically is a direct challenge to Wolf's Bite.
Constructed - In burn decks this definitely warrants a look-see. If every bit of direct damage counts, then even 2 can make a difference. I think I personally would prefer Wolf's Bite simply because having a blocker or a weenie attacker seems better, but I would not be surprised if this saw more play.
Limited - This will definitely see play. Considering how popular 2 and 1 life champions are like Muse and Thought Plucker, you will always have a need for this card. Heck, 2 damage to the face isn't bad either. Plus, it replaces itself so no worries!
Winds of Change - That art is awesome, and there should be a video game based on it alone. I think that's about as far as I will take this card, but maybe I'll be surprised.
Constructed - I can't really see me spending gold for this card, even though it permanently improves your guys. There is just too much bounce and removal in Epic to make me think anything will like that long. Breakthrough is amazing though and this card could win you a game, so I guess time will tell. The second option at least lets you draw a card.
Limited - For the same reasons above I doubt this will see much play. I think this is worse for Limited, as you really have to build around this and make sure your opponent has already spent their gold before playing this. And even then, you'll probably just be Hasty Retreated. I have been screwed by bounce effects too much to warrant also losing my gold.
Demonic Rising - Ok this looks straight out of Diablo 3 and that's awesome! This definitely tugs at the imagination strings. It is a board sweeper with a draw 2 option, fairly typical. I think this isn't a great card though.
Constructed - If a deck is built around this card it could be quite good. Attack with all your stuff, and then play this card to give you a second attack with demons! This could be awesome in a human token deck for that reason. Upgrading human tokens to demons AND attacking could end a game real quick (excited to try this out). However, it is just awful on defense and should never be done, and that's a shame for an off-turn board sweeper as there aren't many of them.
Limited - This is in the same vein as Army of the Apocalypse. It could win you the game, or just sit in your hand. I think it has some more utility than AotA as it is an off turn board wipe that in a pinch could downgrade some big guys like Sea Titans and the like which could definitely be worth it. On second thought, yeah that's pretty good. And if you can get a lot of attackers on the board, you can essentially have a double attack.
Raxxa's Enforcer - Who said Draka and temporals were the only ones with enforcers? This guy is an odd one. A weenie board wipe with an ongoing debuff. Sounds like fun but doesn't seem great for a gold. You have to acknowledge the amazing art though.
Constructed - I doubt this will see much play. It isn't killed by Raxxa's Displeasure, and it adds to a fun themed Demon deck, but it doesn't seem great. Draka is a flying 9/9 that does the same damage and although does require loyalty, just seems like a much better card. 5 health also really hurts, and he's so darn slow. A 1 cost Wither just doesn't seem great even though it's a body.
Limited - No loyalty cost is nice, and he can function as a weenie board clear so that's a great thing. I do like his defensive capability in that after he attacks, he still affects his opponents and can really slow down an offense. Since this is the first time we've seen an ability like this on a champion card and one that lasts forever (unlike Wither), I could be way off base in regards to how good this is.
Rift Summoner - More Demon stuff! There sure is a lot in this set, not that I'm complaining, as I said I love themed decks. This card is awesome.
Constructed - This is a must have for any Demon deck, and is a great addition to any deck with a decent amount of Evil cards in it. Ambush and Blitz is always fun, but that Loyalty trigger helps put out a total of 13 damage/life with 1 card! Heck, you can use her ability to break 1 of the demons and get 2 more, for a total of 17 damage/life spread out among 4 cards! That is insane! I love how this can be used on offense or defense, not to mention it is wonderful with Soul Hunters.
Limited - This isn't quite as good as it is in Limited, simply because the lack of a Loyalty trigger really takes this down, but I would be tempted to keep it anyway. You can guarantee a use of its ability as long as you have a target. In a pinch maybe you destroy your expended champion. Maybe you simply break a human token and get 2 demons! That's a heck of a deal! And the ability to use this on yours or your opponent's turn makes this pretty close to an auto pick for me.
End Thoughts
This was an amazing pack with some really great staples that will see play in all formats. This pack has me the most excited for some themed decks around wolves and demons. I hope you enjoyed this article and come back for the last bunch of cards. Until then, happy gaming!
Epic Card Game: Uprising - Flames of Scarros Pack Analysis (2)
Here we go, part 2 of 4! This time we are looking at Flames of Scarros. I will be going through each card in the pack and offering my thoughts including what I think they give in terms of Constructed and Limited. I hope you enjoy!
If you missed the first one, Kark's Edict, here it is: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Scarros, Hound of Draka - As with Kark, and the other titular champions in Uprising, Scarros continues the new trend of the Loyalty X keyword, which is just a slight modification of Loyalty. Now your loyalty is only limited to the number of cards in your hand. If you go full Wild with this guy, you better watch out! As with most Wild cards, Scarros has a little bit of everything to offer. He deals damage to the board, damage to the opposing player, and he's a huge champion by himself. Boasting stats higher than even his owner, Draka, he will definitely be seeing a lot of play. I don't think his art fits with Wild as he looks more like a Demon than a wild creature, but I was assured by someone at Epic that Scarros may be "mutated by energy from an evil source, but he's Wild at heart"
Constructed - Scarros will be in most Wild decks, especially burn. He just does so much damage. He can wipe the board and hit your opponent in the face. Sure, Draka's Fire may be more consistent, but it can sometimes hurt yourself, and it definitely doesn't leave a giant 11/11 on the board for your opponent to deal with. I can't wait to have like 9 cards in my hand from card draw on my opponent's turn, and then hitting my opponent's board and face with 8 damage.
Limited - Scarros will see less play in Limited but that completely depends on what other cards you get. If you have a decent amount of Wild, he's a must have. And considering how popular Wild is in Limited, you will probably see a lot of him. I don't think his slowness is that much of a factor. He's awesome.
Hunting Pack - Wow, Wild gets all the awesome art. I really like wolves, and I'm so glad they are getting so much love in this pack. I think this will be a decent card but we'll see.
Constructed - If you are running a wolf deck, which I hope everyone who plays Epic does at some point, then this is probably going to see play. We'll see how competitive it is but I think it could be quite good. If you have a handful of wolves already out on the board and expended from attacking or something, this card could take out a lot of different Champions. You can definitely get something with 3 health, which is probably not great, but if you can hit something with 6+ life, then you got something. Adding 3 other wolves into play is important as an establishment. It may not be consistent enough for most people though.
Limited - I doubt this will see much play. It's just not consistent enough to spend your gold to just put out 3 weenies and maybe kill a low life champion. Other free cards can do a lot of that, and the wolves don't even have blitz. However, if you have enough wolf support and can find a way to give the wolves blitz, this could be good.
Go Wild - Haha, Wild also has the most hilarious art in Epic. This card just drips with testosterone and I love it. It's too bad the card itself is rather bland. When you have Lash and Rage in the same faction, this just doesn't hold any weight. Recycle is nice, but I'd rather have Lash and Rage almost in every case.
Constructed - Not much to say, I sadly think this card is a dud. maybe I'm missing something, but Rage and Lash are much better choices
Limited - Same thing here, although it may see more play if people don't have access to the 2 better cards. Recycle is always nice.
Little Devil - Here is another Evil 0 cost blitzing champion. The Airborne is nice, but I think Evil already has enough of these and they do a better job. I'd much rather have a Dark Knight or Guilty Demon. However, if the meta favors fliers more then maybe this will see play.
Constructed - Guilt Demon and Dark Knight are much better. Maybe if you are running a really specific 0-cost blitzing deck you will find room for this but I doubt it.
Limited - He could see play. A surprise 4 damage after your opponent spent gold can be nice, but he probably won't do too much else. 4 defense is at least annoying enough that it might draw out your opponent's gold though.
No Escape - I always like direct removal, so this card catches my eye. However, I prefer my removal on my opponent's turn, and this card just gives my opponent way too much flexibility. I like some of the shenanigans you can do on your turn, and there are situations where this card can save you, but I'm thinking there will be better choices. Tom from Tom's Epic Gaming Blog got to showcase this card and he does a great job of analyzing it. http://www.tomsepicgaming.com/epic-uprising-spoiler-no-escape/
Constructed - As I said I think there are better cards out there for Evil in terms of removal. There are some trick decks that I'm sure could use this card though. My Drinker of Blood and Soul Hunter deck comes to mind. Break your own Soul Hunter, dealing damage to your opponent, and then get a Drinker of Blood back to your hand for future use. Not the greatest play, but it could be fun.
Limited - Since there is a huge need for removal in Limited, I think this can always find a place in a deck. It's not the best card out there, but you can help yourself in a lot of ways on your turn, and it could save you in a pinch on your opponent's.
Saren, Night Stalker - This guy is very big, very hard to kill on your opponent's turn, and has the potential to stay around a little longer since he has the magic life total of 6+, but he's not amazing.
Constructed - I will be surprised if this sees a lot of play. I predict him being bounced or weenie blocked most of the time. He crushes if he can get through, but I don't think you could take a chance with him in Constructed.
Limited - This is definitely better in Limited, but sadly most of the bounce cards in Epic are must-haves so I fear the same thing will probably happen to him as in Constructed. However, your opponent doesn't automatically get bounce cards or weenie blockers, so Saren might work. He is awesome if your opponent has already spent their gold on your turn.
Force Field - This might be the first card to give us 2 "Or" options, although they are very similar. I do like the flexibility, but I doubt this card's usefulness.
Constructed - This is obviously meant for a control deck, but with Sage having so many good sweepers and bounce effects and such, I find it hard to justify spending my gold on a stall tactic. And the times that you really need to lower offense, is usually not before your opponent spends their gold. Usually the situation is that you are against the wall and you need the offense lowered immediately. Only now they will spend their gold AFTER you play this and you will be in trouble again. The 2nd option can be nice if the opponent has flooded the board and you need to stall a ton of units, then save your blockers for attackers that actually have any offense left, and it's nice to draw a card to replace it, but still. Fumble exists and is a 0 cost card that allows you to draw a card with Recycle.
Limited - Meh. There are better cards out there for Sage especially. Certain situations may call for it and if you have no sweepers I guess this will have to do, but you're in trouble already if that happens.
Reset - A similar Hasty Retreat and Vanishing, but this card costs 1 gold, and hits everyone. Could be good against tokens, but those decks aren't very popular right now. I hate giving my opponent a card and why would I want to do this on my turn and rob myself of doing anything really productive?
Constructed - The why is if I have a ton of 0 cost attacking cards. If I have a board/hand filled with Dark Knights, Ambush Demons, Shadow Imps, etc, this card could do work. Play this to return everything, including blockers, then attack with all your 0 cost stuff. Outside of that and only in desperate situations would I recommend this in another deck.
Limited - For the same reasons above, it can be a good finisher if your opponent has a ton of blockers or tokens, and/or if you have a lot of blitzing 0 cost champions, but other than that I wouldn't play it. I love seeing Minotaurs in the art though!
War Machine - I like this one. It reminds me of Frost Giant in that it can be good at removing blockers, but it's less consistent. Or maybe it's just different. Banishing is very nice. If you can manage to Surprise attack this guy you get around Dark Knight attacks which is nice. You have to hit that Blitz though or else this guy is a weak sweeper. I am happy it only hits the opponent though. I really like the card though
Constructed - I think he will go into a lot of decks, and not just because the art is amazing. We need a similar thing to chant when it comes in like "Grond!" from Lord of the Rings. This card can get rid of a ton of nasty stuff, and get rid of them forever. Sweeping banishing stuff without any drawback is practically unheard of in Epic, so this guy will fit it. In a strong Sage deck the loyalty shouldn't be a problem either.
Limited - You really need the loyalty to make him work, but I wouldn't blame an auto inclusion either, as it can be a decent sweeper for certain stuff and leave behind quite the body. The Blitz could wreck though (hahaha siege puns).
Brand, Rebel Fighter - Adding to our impressive list of 0-cost Good champions, the hardcore brand joins us. I am torn with this guy. I love ambush, and he can boost himself when he comes in, and the Loyalty thing is very nice if you can hit it, but I don't know where to put him. I'm probably missing something?
Constructed - I don't think he really fits into a human token deck as he just doesn't do much to help the engine like other 0 cost champions do, and he isn't amazing to be put into a combative big Good guys deck or a dragon deck. I dunno, I'm sure someone will figure out some amazing combo with him but at first glance I can't see it.
Limited - I really doubt this guy's inclusion in anything besides a heavy Good deck, and even that is in question. There are just so many better 0 cost stuff in even Good, let alone in other colors.
Master Zo - This guy looks like he will have some amazing background lore. He also looks like a huge pain to get rid of, but he might just not do much otherwise.
Constructed - He is quite the big body, and ambush is awesome, but your opponent will get a chance to remove him when he's played, and that would be awful. Meanwhile, if you play him on your turn, he will just sit there waiting to be killed too. I think there are too many ways to get rid of him before he can have some evasion, and he's just way too slow to be that great. However, if you expect or see that your opponent doesn't have direct removal, then he could last forever.
Limited - He has no faction loyalty, so that's a big plus. He's very big and has ambush, which are more pluses. And then if your opponent doesn't have a good answer for him, he can survive all over the place, so that's nice. I do worry about the many windows of opportunity an opponent has to remove him, and I hate how slow he is, but we'll have to see how he does in real life.
Silver Dragon - I love dragons, and this one looks different from the others, so that's cool! This dragon is very big, and can go toe to toe with almost every other flier in the game, and most likely will defeat them all and stand a good chance of surviving except for Draka (but at least it's a trade). it is slow, but it replaces itself and can remove some pesky tokens. Great stuff.
Constructed - I think it'll be in a lot of decks. It doesn't require loyalty, and there are so many good cards that add tokens that we need some good removal, and this thing does it in spades. It's a huge body with the natural evasion of flying, so it will be very hard to take out. Most other fliers cannot beat it and survive. The card draw really puts it over the edge as it is an amazing ability to have. I am sure I know of at least one Worlds Qualifier who will find a place for this thing in his deck.
Limited - This card is an auto include for me for the same reasons I said above. No loyalty needed, a huge body, a flier, it replaces itself, and can even remove so harmful stuff in addition. Great card!
Ending Thoughts
Well that wraps up Flames of Scarros. As I was going through this pack I definitely felt like it was weaker than Kark's, but there are some solid cards in here in the Silver Dragon, Scarros himself, and War Machine. Hmmm, actually that might be it. Oh well. Stay tuned for next time, when we go into Velden's Wrath! I hope you enjoyed this and as always, happy gaming!
If you missed the first one, Kark's Edict, here it is: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-uprising-karks-edict.html
Flames of Scarros pack contents:
Scarros, Hound of Draka
Hunting Pack
Go Wild
Little Devil
No Escape
Saren, Night Stalker
Force Field
Reset
War Machine
Brand, Rebel Fighter
Master Zo
Silver Dragon
and a Wolf/Zombie token.
Hunting Pack
Go Wild
Little Devil
No Escape
Saren, Night Stalker
Force Field
Reset
War Machine
Brand, Rebel Fighter
Master Zo
Silver Dragon
and a Wolf/Zombie token.
Scarros, Hound of Draka - As with Kark, and the other titular champions in Uprising, Scarros continues the new trend of the Loyalty X keyword, which is just a slight modification of Loyalty. Now your loyalty is only limited to the number of cards in your hand. If you go full Wild with this guy, you better watch out! As with most Wild cards, Scarros has a little bit of everything to offer. He deals damage to the board, damage to the opposing player, and he's a huge champion by himself. Boasting stats higher than even his owner, Draka, he will definitely be seeing a lot of play. I don't think his art fits with Wild as he looks more like a Demon than a wild creature, but I was assured by someone at Epic that Scarros may be "mutated by energy from an evil source, but he's Wild at heart"
Constructed - Scarros will be in most Wild decks, especially burn. He just does so much damage. He can wipe the board and hit your opponent in the face. Sure, Draka's Fire may be more consistent, but it can sometimes hurt yourself, and it definitely doesn't leave a giant 11/11 on the board for your opponent to deal with. I can't wait to have like 9 cards in my hand from card draw on my opponent's turn, and then hitting my opponent's board and face with 8 damage.
Limited - Scarros will see less play in Limited but that completely depends on what other cards you get. If you have a decent amount of Wild, he's a must have. And considering how popular Wild is in Limited, you will probably see a lot of him. I don't think his slowness is that much of a factor. He's awesome.
Hunting Pack - Wow, Wild gets all the awesome art. I really like wolves, and I'm so glad they are getting so much love in this pack. I think this will be a decent card but we'll see.
Constructed - If you are running a wolf deck, which I hope everyone who plays Epic does at some point, then this is probably going to see play. We'll see how competitive it is but I think it could be quite good. If you have a handful of wolves already out on the board and expended from attacking or something, this card could take out a lot of different Champions. You can definitely get something with 3 health, which is probably not great, but if you can hit something with 6+ life, then you got something. Adding 3 other wolves into play is important as an establishment. It may not be consistent enough for most people though.
Limited - I doubt this will see much play. It's just not consistent enough to spend your gold to just put out 3 weenies and maybe kill a low life champion. Other free cards can do a lot of that, and the wolves don't even have blitz. However, if you have enough wolf support and can find a way to give the wolves blitz, this could be good.
Go Wild - Haha, Wild also has the most hilarious art in Epic. This card just drips with testosterone and I love it. It's too bad the card itself is rather bland. When you have Lash and Rage in the same faction, this just doesn't hold any weight. Recycle is nice, but I'd rather have Lash and Rage almost in every case.
Constructed - Not much to say, I sadly think this card is a dud. maybe I'm missing something, but Rage and Lash are much better choices
Limited - Same thing here, although it may see more play if people don't have access to the 2 better cards. Recycle is always nice.
Little Devil - Here is another Evil 0 cost blitzing champion. The Airborne is nice, but I think Evil already has enough of these and they do a better job. I'd much rather have a Dark Knight or Guilty Demon. However, if the meta favors fliers more then maybe this will see play.
Constructed - Guilt Demon and Dark Knight are much better. Maybe if you are running a really specific 0-cost blitzing deck you will find room for this but I doubt it.
Limited - He could see play. A surprise 4 damage after your opponent spent gold can be nice, but he probably won't do too much else. 4 defense is at least annoying enough that it might draw out your opponent's gold though.
No Escape - I always like direct removal, so this card catches my eye. However, I prefer my removal on my opponent's turn, and this card just gives my opponent way too much flexibility. I like some of the shenanigans you can do on your turn, and there are situations where this card can save you, but I'm thinking there will be better choices. Tom from Tom's Epic Gaming Blog got to showcase this card and he does a great job of analyzing it. http://www.tomsepicgaming.com/epic-uprising-spoiler-no-escape/
Constructed - As I said I think there are better cards out there for Evil in terms of removal. There are some trick decks that I'm sure could use this card though. My Drinker of Blood and Soul Hunter deck comes to mind. Break your own Soul Hunter, dealing damage to your opponent, and then get a Drinker of Blood back to your hand for future use. Not the greatest play, but it could be fun.
Limited - Since there is a huge need for removal in Limited, I think this can always find a place in a deck. It's not the best card out there, but you can help yourself in a lot of ways on your turn, and it could save you in a pinch on your opponent's.
Saren, Night Stalker - This guy is very big, very hard to kill on your opponent's turn, and has the potential to stay around a little longer since he has the magic life total of 6+, but he's not amazing.
Constructed - I will be surprised if this sees a lot of play. I predict him being bounced or weenie blocked most of the time. He crushes if he can get through, but I don't think you could take a chance with him in Constructed.
Limited - This is definitely better in Limited, but sadly most of the bounce cards in Epic are must-haves so I fear the same thing will probably happen to him as in Constructed. However, your opponent doesn't automatically get bounce cards or weenie blockers, so Saren might work. He is awesome if your opponent has already spent their gold on your turn.
Force Field - This might be the first card to give us 2 "Or" options, although they are very similar. I do like the flexibility, but I doubt this card's usefulness.
Constructed - This is obviously meant for a control deck, but with Sage having so many good sweepers and bounce effects and such, I find it hard to justify spending my gold on a stall tactic. And the times that you really need to lower offense, is usually not before your opponent spends their gold. Usually the situation is that you are against the wall and you need the offense lowered immediately. Only now they will spend their gold AFTER you play this and you will be in trouble again. The 2nd option can be nice if the opponent has flooded the board and you need to stall a ton of units, then save your blockers for attackers that actually have any offense left, and it's nice to draw a card to replace it, but still. Fumble exists and is a 0 cost card that allows you to draw a card with Recycle.
Limited - Meh. There are better cards out there for Sage especially. Certain situations may call for it and if you have no sweepers I guess this will have to do, but you're in trouble already if that happens.
Reset - A similar Hasty Retreat and Vanishing, but this card costs 1 gold, and hits everyone. Could be good against tokens, but those decks aren't very popular right now. I hate giving my opponent a card and why would I want to do this on my turn and rob myself of doing anything really productive?
Constructed - The why is if I have a ton of 0 cost attacking cards. If I have a board/hand filled with Dark Knights, Ambush Demons, Shadow Imps, etc, this card could do work. Play this to return everything, including blockers, then attack with all your 0 cost stuff. Outside of that and only in desperate situations would I recommend this in another deck.
Limited - For the same reasons above, it can be a good finisher if your opponent has a ton of blockers or tokens, and/or if you have a lot of blitzing 0 cost champions, but other than that I wouldn't play it. I love seeing Minotaurs in the art though!
War Machine - I like this one. It reminds me of Frost Giant in that it can be good at removing blockers, but it's less consistent. Or maybe it's just different. Banishing is very nice. If you can manage to Surprise attack this guy you get around Dark Knight attacks which is nice. You have to hit that Blitz though or else this guy is a weak sweeper. I am happy it only hits the opponent though. I really like the card though
Constructed - I think he will go into a lot of decks, and not just because the art is amazing. We need a similar thing to chant when it comes in like "Grond!" from Lord of the Rings. This card can get rid of a ton of nasty stuff, and get rid of them forever. Sweeping banishing stuff without any drawback is practically unheard of in Epic, so this guy will fit it. In a strong Sage deck the loyalty shouldn't be a problem either.
Limited - You really need the loyalty to make him work, but I wouldn't blame an auto inclusion either, as it can be a decent sweeper for certain stuff and leave behind quite the body. The Blitz could wreck though (hahaha siege puns).
Brand, Rebel Fighter - Adding to our impressive list of 0-cost Good champions, the hardcore brand joins us. I am torn with this guy. I love ambush, and he can boost himself when he comes in, and the Loyalty thing is very nice if you can hit it, but I don't know where to put him. I'm probably missing something?
Constructed - I don't think he really fits into a human token deck as he just doesn't do much to help the engine like other 0 cost champions do, and he isn't amazing to be put into a combative big Good guys deck or a dragon deck. I dunno, I'm sure someone will figure out some amazing combo with him but at first glance I can't see it.
Limited - I really doubt this guy's inclusion in anything besides a heavy Good deck, and even that is in question. There are just so many better 0 cost stuff in even Good, let alone in other colors.
Master Zo - This guy looks like he will have some amazing background lore. He also looks like a huge pain to get rid of, but he might just not do much otherwise.
Constructed - He is quite the big body, and ambush is awesome, but your opponent will get a chance to remove him when he's played, and that would be awful. Meanwhile, if you play him on your turn, he will just sit there waiting to be killed too. I think there are too many ways to get rid of him before he can have some evasion, and he's just way too slow to be that great. However, if you expect or see that your opponent doesn't have direct removal, then he could last forever.
Limited - He has no faction loyalty, so that's a big plus. He's very big and has ambush, which are more pluses. And then if your opponent doesn't have a good answer for him, he can survive all over the place, so that's nice. I do worry about the many windows of opportunity an opponent has to remove him, and I hate how slow he is, but we'll have to see how he does in real life.
Silver Dragon - I love dragons, and this one looks different from the others, so that's cool! This dragon is very big, and can go toe to toe with almost every other flier in the game, and most likely will defeat them all and stand a good chance of surviving except for Draka (but at least it's a trade). it is slow, but it replaces itself and can remove some pesky tokens. Great stuff.
Constructed - I think it'll be in a lot of decks. It doesn't require loyalty, and there are so many good cards that add tokens that we need some good removal, and this thing does it in spades. It's a huge body with the natural evasion of flying, so it will be very hard to take out. Most other fliers cannot beat it and survive. The card draw really puts it over the edge as it is an amazing ability to have. I am sure I know of at least one Worlds Qualifier who will find a place for this thing in his deck.
Limited - This card is an auto include for me for the same reasons I said above. No loyalty needed, a huge body, a flier, it replaces itself, and can even remove so harmful stuff in addition. Great card!
Ending Thoughts
Well that wraps up Flames of Scarros. As I was going through this pack I definitely felt like it was weaker than Kark's, but there are some solid cards in here in the Silver Dragon, Scarros himself, and War Machine. Hmmm, actually that might be it. Oh well. Stay tuned for next time, when we go into Velden's Wrath! I hope you enjoyed this and as always, happy gaming!
Epic Card Game: Uprising - Kark's Edict Pack Analysis (1)
Uprising for the Epic Card Game has finally been spoiled! Players around the world clamor to try and find the best combination for their decks in preparation for Worlds. The rest of us simply marvel at yet another promising expansion to the already venerable and fun game. In the next couple of articles I plan on going through each pack and what they get in this new expansion, called Uprising. I will show each card, and give my impression, including what I think it offers in terms of the Constructed and Limited formats of play.
If you missed my initial review of the game, check it out here: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-review.html?spref=fb
Anyway, onto our first pack! Keep in mind that although they come in packs, they are not random, and I don't know anyone who just buys one, and not the rest.
Chamberlain Kark - Oh boy, starting off with the most controversial card in the set I am betting. We have our first alternate win condition in Epic. Before you could only win by dealing lethal damage to your opponent, or drawing your last card. But now, you can win by gaining tons of health! This guy is a beast. He has strong attack and defense, although it's his abilities that cause the most ruckus. His tribute ability can just win you the game. You do have to double your health, but no faction can do that better than Good. His Loyalty trigger can just help you finish that push over the edge for the alternate win. He is scary.
Constructed - This is where this guy will shine. You build a deck centered around health gain and defense, and we could very well be seeing the card that helps win the first World Championship. This card could break the game. I surely hope not, but this is the first real instance of me seeing a card and worrying. It just doesn't seem that hard to get to 60 life. I have already read reports of people playtesting this card and it remaining undefeated after even 50+ games. Time will tell, but this card has the potential to be huge
Limited - Kark gets a significant push to the bottom of the pile in Limited. You are very unlikely to win because of his Tribute ability. However, if you have a ton of Good cards, he is not a pushover. He could easily gain you 6+ health, and then your opponent will have a 9/12 champion in play to deal with after that. I doubt he will be chosen very often in Limited, but with the right number of Good cards, he could still make an impact.
Justice Prevails - Another attempt at helping out the human tokens deck. That deck saw a huge boost with Tyrants, and they are clearly attempting to help it further. I do like this card. I always love drawing cards, but the second ability is the difference maker. Not only do you get to replace the card (something the human token deck needs badly), but all your little guys gain a significant boost to their attack and defense, AND all of a sudden they could gain you a ton of life to boot. My personal opinion is that this card won't matter that much simply because tokens can be eliminated a little too easily, and this card gives tokens no kind of evasion other than some increased stats, but we'll see. I think it would be cool if someone brought a token deck to worlds just to try and throw everyone off.
Constructed - This is the format this card was made for. Since tokens decks either win or lose very quickly, I don't think the righteous part will help that much, but it may be enough to keep one alive. Typically though, if your tokens manage to get through, you want them winning the game, not just prolonging it.
Limited - I don't think this card will see much play at all. If one were to get a ton of 0 cost champions and events that spawned tokens, this card may be useful, but I'm pretty sure there will be better stuff out there.
Martial Law - Another human token spawning event. You get a handful of tokens, but it doesn't modify them in any way like Insurgency or Secret Legion. The 2nd option is one of 3 off turn board wipes we have in the game, but it's drawback is pretty steep. Sure you might get rid of your opponent's stuff, and banishing is great, but giving your opponent 4 tokens to either block with, or slowly attack you and try to force your gold out doesn't seem worth it to me.
Constructed - I just don't think this can replace Insurgency and Secret Legion, and although it can be a board wipe, it seems extremely counter productive to what a human token deck is trying to do.
Limited - As a board wipe, I think it definitely warrants a second look if it is in your list or hand in Dark Draft, but there are better ones out there.
Mythic Monster - Well that is some beautiful art. Arguably the prettiest thing we get in this set for sure. This is a wonderful example of what Wild loves: A huge raging monster (excuse me, mythic monster). He replaces himself and provides a ridiculous body that will be hard to get rid of. Fun
Constructed - Unless you plan on running something that will give this guy some evasion or breakthrough, I can't imagine he will see much play. He does replace himself which is nice, but he can too easily be blocked or removed or bounced. That 15 health does spare him from any direct damage lethality though, which is something.
Limited - If you happen to have Lash or Rage also in your deck, I could see maybe adding him. If you can surprise attack him in or get help from the Jungle Queen, it could be better. But without some support I doubt he will be amazing, but I always have a fondness of giant dudes that require your opponent's attention. That tribute ability really makes up for his shortcomings.
Fires of Rebellion - Another direct damage spell, as if they needed anymore, lol. I do like this card, except for the art which is rather lackluster. I like the flexibility it offers and I imagine it will see play. I also find it funny it has a clause for multiplayer in that it affects each opposing player, and not just an opposing player
Constructed - This will find its way into most burn decks I'm sure. It does force a conversation between it and Flame Strike. You do 1 less (or fewer) damage, but you get more flexibility. In those times you feel like you have to use it on an opposing champion, it is nice that it will replace itself.
Limited - I think this is a very solid pick. As I said above it's only 1 less damage and it's nice to have the flexibility. Since there are no loyalty issues I don't see why one wouldn't want to pick it. Great card.
Spore Beast - Ooooo, more wonderful card art. Our first 0-cost of the set, and it is quite good. Ambush is always desirable, and if you can hit that loyalty, this has the potential to really turn games around.
Constructed - I really like this card but I am unsure what deck it will go into. I doubt you will have the room for it in a burn deck. It could do well in a big dino deck or a deck that tries to use Rage or Lash. it's definitely a very good card though. A 0-cost card that has ambush and the potential to remove an opponent's 1-cost attacker for a turn? Awesome. This card can win you games. I really like that it doesn't return the champion to a hand, it just keeps them expended. You could do some fun shenanigans with Rage and Lash after removing a blocker (read it's health), from a battle, then playing that event for some great breakthrough damage.
Limited - This card can definitely find play as long as you have the loyalty. Without the loyalty trigger, this guy isn't very good. He will fall to almost anything and unless you get to use his tap ability, I doubt he'll be very good.
Consume - I do like this card a lot. It's so simple and elegant. Deal damage and gain health. It of course begs the comparison between it and Unquenchable Thirst. Although UT has higher potential, you do have to banish your own stuff, which is never a good thing for Evil. This is just more consistent.
Constructed - For players who do not want to remove cards from their discard pile, and simply want a card to deal with a Muse, Thought Plucker, or off turn Juggernaut, this is the card for them. Very solid.
Limited - This is a very solid pick. You will most likely run into 3 life champions that could cause you great harm, and every little bit of health gain can help. I would have to have a good reason not to pick this card, it has a lot of flexibility.
Grave Demon - It's hard not to love the guy I got to spoil (http://www.epiccardgame.com/epic-uprising-preview-grave-demon/), and I stand by that analysis. This is a very solid card that could easily be put in a variety of decks.
Constructed - He will be in a lot of Evil decks because of Ambush, his ability to not be trashed by Raxxa's Displeasure, and his ability to remove a discard pile. In other faction heavy decks I think he can still find space because he requires no loyalty, is a huge establishing champion that can ambush, and unlike every other discard pile removal card, he does not require at least 2 1-cost cards in order to be placed like Amnesia, Heinous Feast, Keeper of Secrets, Guilt Demon, Corpse Taker. That being said, Evil does have a lot of discard pile removal, so that might be a detractor. But still, come on. It's a giant demon with ambush! Why not?
Limited - This guy is pretty much an auto include in any deck. Discard pile removal is very important in Limited due to the lower deck size (30 cards), and so any card that removes the whole deck (previously just Amnesia and Heinous Feast), is highly sought after. The fact that you get an ambushing establishing champion is some serious icing on the cake. Plus that art is amazing!
Winged Death - Despite the card's very cool art, I'm actually not blown away by it. It can in theory be an amazing card, especially when your opponent only has 1 big champion out there, but what if they have a Soul Hunter? What if they have a bunch of tokens? That sounds like gold wasted to me. 3 defense will get killed by a lot, and 4 attack isn't much.
Constructed - I doubt this will find much play. I do like airborne units, and yes it could win you a game, but it could also easily be a dead card in your hand against certain opponents.
Limited - I think this card gets a little more utility in Limited. For one, you are less likely to be facing Soul Hunters, or reliable ways of getting a ton of tokens. For another, it doesn't require loyalty, so it can be splashed without issue. And since Limited favors the big giant attackers already in my opinion, this guy could be quite devastating.
Citadel Scholar - This little nerd vexes me a little. Sage can draw a ton of cards, so he has the potential to be quite big, but there are already a lot of very big 0 cost champions, some even in this set. Sure they might not be in Sage, but I'm not seeing the worth here. I do like that he will gain at least 1 counter at the start of your turn no matter what else you do, and of course most likely 1 when he comes into play.
Constructed - I doubt this will see much play, as there are better 0 cost Sage cards out there, but I will have to see how he does in practice. Sage draws a lot of cards, so he definitely has the potential to get quite big. If you can get him big enough that your opponent has to spend gold to kill him, that will be well spent. I do love recycle triggers.
Limited - I doubt he will see much play. yes he doesn't require loyalty, yes he has recycle, and yes everyone gets to draw cards, but when your deck is only 30 cards, surely there is room for something better. As I said time will tell though because Epic has a lot of card draw in it, and if he gets big enough to require gold to remove, he can be amazing.
Fairy Trickster - Nothing makes players more mad that using their own cards against them. In typical Sage screw-you-ness, this annoying little bugger can really mess things up. It's more likely he will be banishing the top card of a player's deck when he comes in, but if he can stay around, he could cause a lot of damage. I doubt that he'll actually be used very much, because you do have to pay the cost, meaning your gold will be spent randomly, and I hope you didn't just accidentally use a board clear or something else that can't really help you.
Constructed - As I said, I doubt he will be used much. He is just way too random. I'm more intrigued in his natural evasion with Airborne, combined with Ambush AND Blitz! I love that combo.
Limited - For the same reasons above I just don't see him being played that much, although fliers are significantly better in Limited. However, with yet another expansion giving us more fliers, this little guy will probably see even less time. I do find it rather silly that this little fairy is a 5/5. Hardly seems like he could cause any harm to a dragon or an angel, but maybe he has strong magic.
Knight of Elara - I like him. Besides the very cool art and theme to connect him with Elara, a Blitzing champion that can replace himself, and then even do more stuff! Sign me up. His blocking ability is something new to Epic I believe, and man is it devastating. You will be looking to remove him with other means rather that facing him. I do find it funny though that you can block with a human token and essentially upgrade it. So blocking with 4 human tokens will actually get him killed when for any other character it would not.
Constructed - In a control deck, I think this guy can find his way. He hits very hard so he needs to be taken care of. He will most likely replace himself with a card draw, and if your opponent doesn't have a way to get rid of him, he can really start to ruin their defenders.
Limited - I still think he will find his way into a lot of decks. Hitting that loyalty trigger really goes a long way, but he is hard hitting and has high enough defense to warrant a position. His ability could really wreck certain decks too if they don't have sufficient removal.
Ending Thoughts
And that is all for this pack, stay tuned for the remainder as we celebrate a new set for Epic! I am really excited about the set and cannot wait to see what people come up with for Worlds. My biggest game changer from this pack is definitely Kark. We'll see how crazy he gets. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this article, and happy gaming!
If you missed my initial review of the game, check it out here: http://amazingspidertank.blogspot.com/2016/11/epic-card-game-review.html?spref=fb
Anyway, onto our first pack! Keep in mind that although they come in packs, they are not random, and I don't know anyone who just buys one, and not the rest.
Kark’s Edict pack contents:
Chamberlain Kark
Justice Prevails
Martial Law
Mythic Monster
Fires of Rebellion
Spore Beast
Consume
Grave Demon
Winged Death
Citadel Scholar
Fairy Trickster
Knight of Elara
and a Human/Demon token.
Justice Prevails
Martial Law
Mythic Monster
Fires of Rebellion
Spore Beast
Consume
Grave Demon
Winged Death
Citadel Scholar
Fairy Trickster
Knight of Elara
and a Human/Demon token.
Chamberlain Kark - Oh boy, starting off with the most controversial card in the set I am betting. We have our first alternate win condition in Epic. Before you could only win by dealing lethal damage to your opponent, or drawing your last card. But now, you can win by gaining tons of health! This guy is a beast. He has strong attack and defense, although it's his abilities that cause the most ruckus. His tribute ability can just win you the game. You do have to double your health, but no faction can do that better than Good. His Loyalty trigger can just help you finish that push over the edge for the alternate win. He is scary.
Constructed - This is where this guy will shine. You build a deck centered around health gain and defense, and we could very well be seeing the card that helps win the first World Championship. This card could break the game. I surely hope not, but this is the first real instance of me seeing a card and worrying. It just doesn't seem that hard to get to 60 life. I have already read reports of people playtesting this card and it remaining undefeated after even 50+ games. Time will tell, but this card has the potential to be huge
Limited - Kark gets a significant push to the bottom of the pile in Limited. You are very unlikely to win because of his Tribute ability. However, if you have a ton of Good cards, he is not a pushover. He could easily gain you 6+ health, and then your opponent will have a 9/12 champion in play to deal with after that. I doubt he will be chosen very often in Limited, but with the right number of Good cards, he could still make an impact.
Justice Prevails - Another attempt at helping out the human tokens deck. That deck saw a huge boost with Tyrants, and they are clearly attempting to help it further. I do like this card. I always love drawing cards, but the second ability is the difference maker. Not only do you get to replace the card (something the human token deck needs badly), but all your little guys gain a significant boost to their attack and defense, AND all of a sudden they could gain you a ton of life to boot. My personal opinion is that this card won't matter that much simply because tokens can be eliminated a little too easily, and this card gives tokens no kind of evasion other than some increased stats, but we'll see. I think it would be cool if someone brought a token deck to worlds just to try and throw everyone off.
Constructed - This is the format this card was made for. Since tokens decks either win or lose very quickly, I don't think the righteous part will help that much, but it may be enough to keep one alive. Typically though, if your tokens manage to get through, you want them winning the game, not just prolonging it.
Limited - I don't think this card will see much play at all. If one were to get a ton of 0 cost champions and events that spawned tokens, this card may be useful, but I'm pretty sure there will be better stuff out there.
Martial Law - Another human token spawning event. You get a handful of tokens, but it doesn't modify them in any way like Insurgency or Secret Legion. The 2nd option is one of 3 off turn board wipes we have in the game, but it's drawback is pretty steep. Sure you might get rid of your opponent's stuff, and banishing is great, but giving your opponent 4 tokens to either block with, or slowly attack you and try to force your gold out doesn't seem worth it to me.
Constructed - I just don't think this can replace Insurgency and Secret Legion, and although it can be a board wipe, it seems extremely counter productive to what a human token deck is trying to do.
Limited - As a board wipe, I think it definitely warrants a second look if it is in your list or hand in Dark Draft, but there are better ones out there.
Mythic Monster - Well that is some beautiful art. Arguably the prettiest thing we get in this set for sure. This is a wonderful example of what Wild loves: A huge raging monster (excuse me, mythic monster). He replaces himself and provides a ridiculous body that will be hard to get rid of. Fun
Constructed - Unless you plan on running something that will give this guy some evasion or breakthrough, I can't imagine he will see much play. He does replace himself which is nice, but he can too easily be blocked or removed or bounced. That 15 health does spare him from any direct damage lethality though, which is something.
Limited - If you happen to have Lash or Rage also in your deck, I could see maybe adding him. If you can surprise attack him in or get help from the Jungle Queen, it could be better. But without some support I doubt he will be amazing, but I always have a fondness of giant dudes that require your opponent's attention. That tribute ability really makes up for his shortcomings.
Fires of Rebellion - Another direct damage spell, as if they needed anymore, lol. I do like this card, except for the art which is rather lackluster. I like the flexibility it offers and I imagine it will see play. I also find it funny it has a clause for multiplayer in that it affects each opposing player, and not just an opposing player
Constructed - This will find its way into most burn decks I'm sure. It does force a conversation between it and Flame Strike. You do 1 less (or fewer) damage, but you get more flexibility. In those times you feel like you have to use it on an opposing champion, it is nice that it will replace itself.
Limited - I think this is a very solid pick. As I said above it's only 1 less damage and it's nice to have the flexibility. Since there are no loyalty issues I don't see why one wouldn't want to pick it. Great card.
Spore Beast - Ooooo, more wonderful card art. Our first 0-cost of the set, and it is quite good. Ambush is always desirable, and if you can hit that loyalty, this has the potential to really turn games around.
Constructed - I really like this card but I am unsure what deck it will go into. I doubt you will have the room for it in a burn deck. It could do well in a big dino deck or a deck that tries to use Rage or Lash. it's definitely a very good card though. A 0-cost card that has ambush and the potential to remove an opponent's 1-cost attacker for a turn? Awesome. This card can win you games. I really like that it doesn't return the champion to a hand, it just keeps them expended. You could do some fun shenanigans with Rage and Lash after removing a blocker (read it's health), from a battle, then playing that event for some great breakthrough damage.
Limited - This card can definitely find play as long as you have the loyalty. Without the loyalty trigger, this guy isn't very good. He will fall to almost anything and unless you get to use his tap ability, I doubt he'll be very good.
Consume - I do like this card a lot. It's so simple and elegant. Deal damage and gain health. It of course begs the comparison between it and Unquenchable Thirst. Although UT has higher potential, you do have to banish your own stuff, which is never a good thing for Evil. This is just more consistent.
Constructed - For players who do not want to remove cards from their discard pile, and simply want a card to deal with a Muse, Thought Plucker, or off turn Juggernaut, this is the card for them. Very solid.
Limited - This is a very solid pick. You will most likely run into 3 life champions that could cause you great harm, and every little bit of health gain can help. I would have to have a good reason not to pick this card, it has a lot of flexibility.
Grave Demon - It's hard not to love the guy I got to spoil (http://www.epiccardgame.com/epic-uprising-preview-grave-demon/), and I stand by that analysis. This is a very solid card that could easily be put in a variety of decks.
Constructed - He will be in a lot of Evil decks because of Ambush, his ability to not be trashed by Raxxa's Displeasure, and his ability to remove a discard pile. In other faction heavy decks I think he can still find space because he requires no loyalty, is a huge establishing champion that can ambush, and unlike every other discard pile removal card, he does not require at least 2 1-cost cards in order to be placed like Amnesia, Heinous Feast, Keeper of Secrets, Guilt Demon, Corpse Taker. That being said, Evil does have a lot of discard pile removal, so that might be a detractor. But still, come on. It's a giant demon with ambush! Why not?
Limited - This guy is pretty much an auto include in any deck. Discard pile removal is very important in Limited due to the lower deck size (30 cards), and so any card that removes the whole deck (previously just Amnesia and Heinous Feast), is highly sought after. The fact that you get an ambushing establishing champion is some serious icing on the cake. Plus that art is amazing!
Winged Death - Despite the card's very cool art, I'm actually not blown away by it. It can in theory be an amazing card, especially when your opponent only has 1 big champion out there, but what if they have a Soul Hunter? What if they have a bunch of tokens? That sounds like gold wasted to me. 3 defense will get killed by a lot, and 4 attack isn't much.
Constructed - I doubt this will find much play. I do like airborne units, and yes it could win you a game, but it could also easily be a dead card in your hand against certain opponents.
Limited - I think this card gets a little more utility in Limited. For one, you are less likely to be facing Soul Hunters, or reliable ways of getting a ton of tokens. For another, it doesn't require loyalty, so it can be splashed without issue. And since Limited favors the big giant attackers already in my opinion, this guy could be quite devastating.
Citadel Scholar - This little nerd vexes me a little. Sage can draw a ton of cards, so he has the potential to be quite big, but there are already a lot of very big 0 cost champions, some even in this set. Sure they might not be in Sage, but I'm not seeing the worth here. I do like that he will gain at least 1 counter at the start of your turn no matter what else you do, and of course most likely 1 when he comes into play.
Constructed - I doubt this will see much play, as there are better 0 cost Sage cards out there, but I will have to see how he does in practice. Sage draws a lot of cards, so he definitely has the potential to get quite big. If you can get him big enough that your opponent has to spend gold to kill him, that will be well spent. I do love recycle triggers.
Limited - I doubt he will see much play. yes he doesn't require loyalty, yes he has recycle, and yes everyone gets to draw cards, but when your deck is only 30 cards, surely there is room for something better. As I said time will tell though because Epic has a lot of card draw in it, and if he gets big enough to require gold to remove, he can be amazing.
Fairy Trickster - Nothing makes players more mad that using their own cards against them. In typical Sage screw-you-ness, this annoying little bugger can really mess things up. It's more likely he will be banishing the top card of a player's deck when he comes in, but if he can stay around, he could cause a lot of damage. I doubt that he'll actually be used very much, because you do have to pay the cost, meaning your gold will be spent randomly, and I hope you didn't just accidentally use a board clear or something else that can't really help you.
Constructed - As I said, I doubt he will be used much. He is just way too random. I'm more intrigued in his natural evasion with Airborne, combined with Ambush AND Blitz! I love that combo.
Limited - For the same reasons above I just don't see him being played that much, although fliers are significantly better in Limited. However, with yet another expansion giving us more fliers, this little guy will probably see even less time. I do find it rather silly that this little fairy is a 5/5. Hardly seems like he could cause any harm to a dragon or an angel, but maybe he has strong magic.
Knight of Elara - I like him. Besides the very cool art and theme to connect him with Elara, a Blitzing champion that can replace himself, and then even do more stuff! Sign me up. His blocking ability is something new to Epic I believe, and man is it devastating. You will be looking to remove him with other means rather that facing him. I do find it funny though that you can block with a human token and essentially upgrade it. So blocking with 4 human tokens will actually get him killed when for any other character it would not.
Constructed - In a control deck, I think this guy can find his way. He hits very hard so he needs to be taken care of. He will most likely replace himself with a card draw, and if your opponent doesn't have a way to get rid of him, he can really start to ruin their defenders.
Limited - I still think he will find his way into a lot of decks. Hitting that loyalty trigger really goes a long way, but he is hard hitting and has high enough defense to warrant a position. His ability could really wreck certain decks too if they don't have sufficient removal.
Ending Thoughts
And that is all for this pack, stay tuned for the remainder as we celebrate a new set for Epic! I am really excited about the set and cannot wait to see what people come up with for Worlds. My biggest game changer from this pack is definitely Kark. We'll see how crazy he gets. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this article, and happy gaming!
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