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The Warlock's Guide to Promo Characters!

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PlatinumWarlock
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The Warlock's Guide to Promo Characters!

With so many promo characters popping up, thanks to special >G promotions and Kickstarter specials, it’s high time that we have a consolidated look at all of these hero variants in one place.  This guide aims to do just that. 

In terms of comparison, we’ll be looking primarily at hit point changes and how the new base powers interact with the existing hero decks.  We will not, under most circumstances, be discussing incapacitated abilities as they simply have much less bearing on the game than the two earlier elements.  Not to say that they’re not important; rather, they simply matter much less than a power that you’ll be using from the start of the game. 

If you weren’t lucky to receive a certain promo card yet, they’re always available for download and print on the BoardGameGeek page for Sentinels of the Multiverse.  

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The Freedom Six!

 

Base Legacy [32 hp; Galvanize - Until the start of your next turn, increase the damage dealt by hero targets by 1.]

Greatest Legacy [30 hp; Gung-Ho - 1 Hero regains 1 HP and may use a power now.]

Young Legacy [30 hp; Atomic Glare - Legacy deals 1 target 3 energy damage.]

 

Almost everyone loves having Legacy in a party.  Galvanize is an oft-pursued buff that any damage-dealing hero loves, with few exceptions (Nightmist, normally, is the only one to object).  As such, giving up that buff is a tough call and many would look at default Legacy as being the most powerful.  However, Galvanize isn’t the most “exciting” power, so if you’re looking for a more active play of Legacy’s deck, his variants offer great variety.

However, don’t overlook Greatest’s “Gung-Ho”.  His innate healing can really help out low hit point heroes with survivability while allowing them to use a power for free.  Argent Adept and Omnitron X can really use that hp boost while aiding the rest of the party in getting set up.  Glass cannon heroes like Ra or Chrono-Ranger appreciate the extra chance to deal some damage as well as the hp.  Gung-Ho also has great interaction with The Scholar, particularly when he’s in Energy Form!  Further, used in conjunction with the deck’s tanking cards (Lead From the Front, Fortitude, etc.) and Motivational Charge, Greatest Legacy can serve as a better tank than his base set counterpart!

Young Legacy definitely changes how a player plays the Legacy Deck, as Atomic Glare is currently the highest-damage base power in the entire game.  Surge of Strength becomes a much more optimal play, to say nothing of Legacy’s numerous damaging one-shot cards.  With the Legacy Ring and Surge of Strength out, Young Legacy can really lay out the damage with Atomic Glare and Motivational Charge! 

Recommendations?  Play Greatest Legacy to facilitate quick set-up or to keep glass cannon heroes alive.  Play default Legacy when there’s damage reduction to worry about or if your compatriots deal lots of 1 point damage pings.  Play Young Legacy when you’re lacking a true damage dealer, but still need a tank in the party.  All three are great options.

 

Tachyon [27 hp; Rapid Recon - Look at the top card of your Hero Deck. You may discard that card]

Team Leader Tachyon [28 hp; Team Leader - Each player draws 1 card.]

The Super-Scientific Tachyon [26 hp; Experiment - Reveal the bottom two cards of a deck.  If they share a keyword, put them into play.  If not, discard them.

Tachyon’s base power is great, even if it seems lackluster.  Tossing burst cards into her trash really fuels cards like Sonic Vortex and Lightspeed Barrage.  However, in reality?  Tachyon has so many cards that allow her to play multiple cards (Fleet of Foot, Lightning Reflexes, HUD Goggles, Pushing the Limits) that her Team Leader variant can easily keep pace with her base version while providing her entire group with tons of hand options.  All that, with a hit point increase?  This is an easy choice.

The Super-Scientific variant, however, adds a new wrinkle.  While at slightly lesser hit points, SST can really speed past base Tachyon in terms of putting burst cards into the trash or help a setup-heavy hero get cards into play.  SST pairs phenomenally with The Sentinels, whose entire deck is almost totally one-shots!  However, this can be a double-edged sword:  sometimes, you may end up playing cards that you don't want in play--End of Days, anyone?!  Used judiciously, SST adds a neat wrinkle to an awesome character.

Recommendations?  Play Team Leader Tachyon.  She’s superior in almost every facet of the game.  If you're looking for something new or have heroes that need accellerated set-up, try SST.

 

Bunker [28 hp; Initialize - Draw a card.]

Bunker Engine of War [27 hp; Locomotion - Discard a Mode card. If you do, you may destroy an Ongoing card.]

GI Bunker [27 hp; Panzer-Buster - Select a target. Damage dealt to that target is irreducible until the start of your turn.]

Termi-Nation Bunker [26 hp; Modulize - Destroy one of your Ongoing or Equipment cards.  If you do, Draw 1 card, Play 1 card, and use a power in any order.]

Bunker’s base power is useful to fuel his Gatling Gun or OmniCannon, but I find that I rarely end up using it after I have either a Grenade Launcher or Flak Cannon ready to go.  This problem is exacerbated by a well-played Ammo Drop, which provides tons of cards with little effort. 

Bunker EOW’s power covers a huge gap in Bunker’s deck, providing him 9 cards that can destroy ongoings.  However, against villains that don’t have ongoings, this power’s useless.  As such, playing EOW against The Chairman or The Ennead is a poor choice.  But, against ongoing-heavy villains like Kismet, Miss Information, or Citizen Dawn?  EOW Bunker can really become a powerhouse, doubly so when you consider that Locomotion can be used while in Turret Mode.

GI Bunker runs into the same issue as EOW, in that his base power is very situational.  Against villains with damage reduction like Apostate, Spite, or Akash-Bhuta, he can provide great utility.  Against villains with no DR, Panzer-Buster is useless. 

Termi-Nation Bunker marks Bunker's 4th variant and really offers some distinct power.  Despite the slight loss of hit points, the ability to get set up and to start churning out equipment--especially when your opening hand is full of Mode cards--really provides an interesting alternative.  

Recommendations?  Know your opponent.  I generally default to Bunker EOW unless I know that the villain has no ongoings.    If I'm in for a quick, no holds barred battle that can't waste time on set-up, I'll go for Termi-Nation Bunker.  If I know I’m in for a high damage reduction villain, I’ll go for GI Bunker.  Base Bunker is a reasonable generalist, but his base power is just too weak in comparison to his other deck options and the strength of his variant counterparts.

 

The Wraith [26 hp; Stealth - Reduce the next damage that would be dealt to The Wraith by 2.]

Rook City Wraith [27 hp; Sleuth - Reveal the top card of the Environment Deck. Discard it or play it.]

Wraith, The Price of Freedom [25 hp; Last Stand - The Wraith deals up to 2 targets 1 melee damage each.]

 

Base Wraith’s power suffers the same fate as Bunker’s in that it quickly becomes outpaced by her other deck options, particularly Infrared Eyepiece, Throwing Knives, and Razor Ordinance.  However, in conjunction with Utility Belt, Stealth really helps Wraith’s biggest weakness:  her survivability. 

I can’t imagine ever using Rook City Wraith.  There are so few beneficial Environment cards in comparison to the number of harmful or double-edged ones that playing additional Environment cards is rarely a good idea.  I can see good combinations when facing down Akash-Bhuta or when another character scrys the Environment deck, but overall there’s just no comparison.

The same goes for Price of Freedom Wraith.  While her ability to deal damage from the very start is a help, the loss of hit points on a low hit point character makes PoF Wraith a target from the start, and Throwing Knives are more effective than Last Stand under almost every circumstance, especially when linked to a MicroTargeting Computer.

Recommendations?  Base Wraith is likely the strongest, with Rook City Wraith being useful when facing Akash-Bhuta.  Price of Freedom Wraith is a weak sister.

 

Absolute Zero [29 hp; Thermodynamics - Absolute Zero deals himself 1 fire damage or 1 cold damage.]

Absolute Zero, Elemental Wrath [27 hp; Elemental Wrath - Absolute Zero deals 1 non-Hero target 2 cold damage.]

Termi-Nation Absolute Zero [25 hp; Violent Shivers - Until the end of your next turn, increase all damage dealt by and to Absolute Zero by 2.]

The biggest difference between these two variants comes down to play style.   Base Absolute Zero can heal himself with a single card play (Null-Point Calibration Unit).  Elemental Wrath cannot.  Elemental Wrath can significant damage from the very start of the game, while his base compatriot requires set-up time or assistance from support heroes.

Likely, if you’re playing as Elemental Wrath AZ, your play order will change significantly.  Focused Apertures become a higher priority play, as it’s a straight damage increase for your base power.  Module cards become luxuries, as opposed to mandatory equipment.  Further, AZ’s numerous ongoings (Impale, Cold Snap, SubZero Atmosphere) become much more desirable, as you’re not as worried about your constant yo-yoing hit points. 

Termi-Nation Absolute Zero exacerbates base AZ's yo-yo hit point status to incredible statuses.  While it can make him a damage-dealing powerhouse with his one shots, it also can also make him particularly vulnerable to cheap hit that might take him out.  It also pushes a much higher emphasis on his one-shots, rather than using Thermal Shockwave or even Coolant Blast.  Just know what you're getting into with this one!

Recommendations?  I find that I prefer Elemental Wrath Absolute Zero, particularly in short or medium length games.  His ability to deal damage right out of the gate makes him a much more potent force on the battlefield and much less reliant on aid from others in terms of set-up.  However, in a longer game (against a high-hit point villain like Akash-Bhuta or a villain with significant damage mitigation or DR), base Absolute Zero’s healing and survivability become much more vital.  Also, in a game with multiple support heroes like Omnitron-X and Argent Adept, base AZ becomes more appealing.  Save Termi-Nation AZ for when you have some games with AZ under your belt and really want to push his damage-dealing potential.

 

Unity [26 hp; Bot Hack - Destroy 1 Equipment Card. If you do, put a mechanical Golem from your hand into play.

Golem Unity [25 hp; Golem-Spawn - Unity deals herself 4 Energy damage. Put a mechanical golem from your hand into play.]

Termi-Nation Unity [27 hp; Reconfigure - Shuffle a Mechanical Golem from play into your deck.  Move a Mechanical Golem from your Trash into play.  You may draw a card.]

Unity has a tendency to be very polarizing in my play experience.  With a good flop, she’s able to unleash a horde of golems, utterly swarming her foes and dominating the battlefield.  With a poor draw, she struggles to draw cards and often ends up with a hand full of bots that can’t be played or equipment which has little effect on its own.  Luckily, Unity’s card draw is generally pretty high and she can usually at least contribute while she tries to mine the deck for golems.

Enter Golem Unity.  No longer reliant on equipment to play golems, her ability to throw down golems becomes a game of Russian roulette, as you gamble with hit points.  However, with a proper team around her—Tempest, Argent Adept, or a Motivational Charge-ing Legacy come to mind immediately—this weakness is mitigated, providing a way to throw down golems much faster than her base counterpart.  Golem Unity also has the added benefit of being able to reap the benefit of certain equipment longer than her base counterpart:  Volatile Parts becomes a useful damage-dealing contingency, Supply Crate can be left in play for the additional card draw, and Scrap Metal can reclaim damaged bots.

Termi-Nation Unity provides an interesting conundrum.  Need a Bee Bot?  Destroy a Cryo Bot to pull one out of your Trash.  Need some damage immediately?  Destroy Champion Bot to pull out a Raptor or Platform Bot.  Plus, Termi-Nation Unity's added card draw aids her in getting out golems and equipment faster, which she always needs.

Recommendations?  I tend to stick to default Unity, though with a heavy-healing party, Termi-Nation or Golem Unity’s quicker set-up can both her to dominance more quickly.  Just be sure that you have the others on board!

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The Other Base Set Heroes!

 

Ra [30 hp; Pyre - Ra deals 1 target 2 fire damage.]

Ra, Horus of Two Horizons [29 hp; Sunrise - Draw 3 cards. Discard 2 cards.]

 

The multiverse’s closest thing to a glass cannon, Ra starts off with a basic damage power that only gets better as he plays cards.  Imbued Fire, Staff of Ra, Blazing Tornado, and Solar Flare all provide ways to increase that basic damage.  Ra’s deck really revolves around that basic concept:  start small and as the game goes on, bring the heat.

Horus of Two Horizons, though, takes away that initial spark that gets Ra started, making cards like Blazing Tornado or Living Conflagration almost mandatory plays to get Ra’s damage cycle started.  Staff of Ra—a near-immediate play with base Ra—becomes a card that’s only really worth playing once you manage to find a damaging power.  That means that you end up turns behind in set-up, with no real net benefit.  While the extra choice in cards is nice, Ra already has reasonable draw options thanks to Summon Staff and Excavation. 

Recommendations?  Base Ra is superior in hit points, damage, and speed of play.  No contest here.

 

Fanatic [30 hp; Exorcism - Fanatic deals 1 target 1 melee damage and 1 radiant damage.]

Redeemer Fanatic [31 hp; Redeem - Fanatic regains 1 HP. Draw 1 card.]

Prime Wardens Fanatic [29 hp; Resolute - Fanatic deals herself 3 radiant damage.  Play the top card of your deck.  One hero may use a power now.]

Fanatic’s base damage power can really be a double-edged sword.  While a single point of damage reduction can neuter her early in the game, a buff or two can really put Exorcism over the edge and bring some pain.  It’s straightforward and effective under most circumstances, though Absolution is usually a more reliable choice once it becomes available.

However, much of Fanatic’s deck revolves around sacrificing hit points and/or cards to fuel her best abilities.  Divine Focus, for instance, costs both.  Redeem can really help offset the drawbacks of Divine Focus’s massive damage capacity, keeping Fanatic fueled with cards and her hit points relatively high.  Redeem also couples nicely with Absolution or Sacrosanct Martyr, after an Embolden or Smite the Transgressor.

If you're a fan of Fanatic's self-sacrifice angle (*cough-Ronway-cough*), her PW variant can provide an awesome variation, combining a free power use with a card play.  Beware, however, of what happens when you flop a card like End of Days!  Be judicious and PW Fanatic can be an absolute wrecking ball.

Recommendations?  All three versions of Fanatic are great.  Base Fanatic brings immediate damage and great synergy with damage buffs while Redeemer Fanatic works best with her self-sacrifice powers and cards that cost either hit points or cards.  If you prefer a more “reckless” Fanatic, PW Fanatic offers huge reward for a touch of risk.   If you prefer a more “safe” version, the base Fanatic’s the way to go.  Can't go wrong with any of the three, though!

 

Tempest [26 hp; Squall - Tempest deals all non-hero targets 1 projectile damage.]

Freedom Tempest [25 hp; Sacrifice - Destroy 1 of your cards. If you do, draw 3 cards.]

Prime Wardens Tempest [27 hp; Arc of Power - Play up to 3 cards.  Each time you play a card this way, the Environment deals Tempest 3 lightning damage.]

I’ll be honest:  I just do not get the Freedom Tempest variant.  Given a choice between 3 cards and leaving one of Tempest’s spectacular ongoings in play, I’ll leave that ongoing out almost every time.  Tempest already has numerous options for card draw and recovery:  Aquatic Correspondence, Localized Hurricane, and Reclaim From the Deep all provide ways for Tempest to draw cards.  Do you need more?  I don’t think so.

All this, coupled with a hit point reduction and the loss of the game’s only base power that damages all non-hero targets?  There’s no contest here.

PW Tempest, however, provides an interesting conundrum.  Paired with redirected or negated damage--Heroic Interception comes to mind, though Ground Pound and Grease Gun would not, as I was enlightened to below!--PW Tempest could be an absolute powerhouse.  That said, if you don't get one of his alternate powers down quickly, PW Tempest may find himself in an early grave.  Much like PW Fanatic, PW Tempest is all about high-risk/high-reward play.

Recommendations?  I tend to stick to normal Tempest, but Prime Wardens Tempest offers sheer firepower that few other variants can offer.  I avoid Freedom Tempest like the plague. 

 

Haka [34 hp; Crush - Haka deals 1 target 2 melee damage.]

The Eternal Haka [33 hp; Haka of Knowledge - Draw 1 card. You May Discard 1 card with "Haka" in the title. If you do, draw 2 cards.]

Prime Wardens Haka [35 hp; Guardian - Play a card.  If that card has "Haka" in the title, select one target to gain the benefit of your discarding.]

Haka’s power is almost identical to Ra’s, with only damage type changing.  However, his Eternal variant does provide more use than Horus of Two Horizons, as Haka actively gains benefit from having a large hand:  his Haka cards become more effective.  Having a larger hand means that when Eternal Haka unleashes that Haka of Battle, it hits that much harder. 

However, that comes at the cost of Haka’s base damaging power.  And, considering that both of Haka’s other primary damaging powers—Mere and Taiaha—are both equipment, Eternal Haka can quickly find himself without a way of dealing consistent damage upon which to build that Haka of Battle.   One could make the argument that in a long-running game, Eternal Haka’s hand size becomes more useful than base Haka’s, but the overall difference in card draw can easily be mitigated by Mere and Dominion, perhaps even through multiple Dominions. 

Prime Wardens Haka sets up some phenomenal possibilities.  Thanks to Haka's relatively superior card draw (all Haka cards, Dominion, Mere, Vitality Surge), it's entirely likely that he can throw down huge Haka of Battle bonuses for one of his allies or use Haka of Restoration/Shielding to keep low hp heroes alive much longer than they would otherwise.  And at 35 hp?  He's going to be tanking for a long time!

Recommendations?  Base Haka and PW Haka are both generally superior to his Eternal counterpart.  If you’re really interested in creating Haka of Battle ‘novas’, though, Eternal Haka can provide an interesting alternative, though I much prefer the versatility of PW Haka over the additional card draw of Eternal Haka.  

 

Visionary [26 hp; Enlighten - 1 player draws 2 cards, then discards 1 card.]

Dark Visionary [25 hp; Turmoil - Reveal the top 2 cards of a deck. Put 1 on top and 1 on the bottom of the deck.]

 

Visionary provides the perfect ideal of how the variants should work:  both powers are spectacular and could be of great use in nearly any sort of situation. 

Base Visionary’s power provides options for both herself and her comrades.  More cards in hand means that your fellow heroes are more likely to find a card suited to the current situation.  Equipment dependent characters particularly appreciate the additional card draws, as do heroes like The Scholar, Sky-Scraper, Haka, and Fanatic, who use cards as fuel for their various abilities.

Dark Visionary’s power can seem redundant considering her numerous deck-scrying cards, though Turmoil provides her the ability to scry without those cards in hand or, with a single play, scry both the environment and villain decks in the same turn.  If that’s not enough, Turmoil can also be used on hero decks, stacking them nicely to provide heroes with better options.  Dark Visionary does lose a hit point compared to her normal counterpart, which wouldn’t be a huge price to pay, if not for her overall low hit points.

Recommendations?  Either/or.  You really can’t go wrong with either version of Visionary. 

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Rook City, Infernal Relics, and Shattered Timelines!

 

Expatriette [29 hp; Load - Play a card.]

Dark Watch Expatriette [30 hp; Aim: Increase damage done by Expatriette by 1 until the end of your next turn.]

 

Base Expatriette is all about speed.  She can throw down guns and her ongoings with aplomb, setting up a huge arsenal for a coming Unload.  The issue here, however, is that Expatriette can quickly run herself out of cards.  While she has numerous ways to retrieve guns (Arsenal Access, Quick Draw), Expatriette has no cards that actually allow her to increase her hand size.  As such, her base power can become utterly useless after a turn or two, unless another hero allows her to draw cards. 

Her Dark Watch counterpart, however, requires planning and—pardon the pun—careful aim.  Her Aim power makes Submachine Gun and Assault Rifle much more appealing, helping her breach damage reduction and take out multiple foes.  However, if you’re prevented from dealing damage in the next round, your power’s been wasted.  Dark Watch Expatriette does gain a hit point for her trouble, as well, helping a character whose only true damage mitigation is Flak Jacket.

Recommendations?  Both versions are fairly good, though I’d give a slight edge towards Dark Watch Expatriette, given the deck’s overall lack of card draw.  However, if you have a party that facilitates card draw, I’d lean back towards base Expatriette.  On the whole, though?  Aim is typically more useful than Load.

 

Mister Fixer [28 hp; Strike - Mr. Fixer deals 1 target 1 melee damage.]

Dark Watch Mister Fixer [29 hp; Bitter Strike: Mr Fixer does one target 3 damage. Destroy an ongoing or equipment Hero card.]

 

One of the most common complaints about Mister Fixer is his overall lack of damage.  While Fixer has multiple ways to penetrate damage reduction, those Styles fill a slot that could be used for damage mitigation or damage increases.  While even a single buff can turn Fixer into a titan on the battlefield, that does make Fixer reliant on his teammates.

Dark Watch Fixer pumps up his damage output, but with the significant drawback of equipment or ongoing destruction.  This changes Fixer’s interactions with his deck significantly.  Bloody Knuckles becomes a one-round, two-point damage buff with no real drawbacks.  Overdrive changes from a no-brainer play to a heavily weighed risk.  Tire Iron and Jack Handle become more appealing options, as their efficacy increases significantly.  However, all this is predicated on the party being able to keep equipment and ongoings in play.  Villains that destroy these make life significantly harder for Fixer’s party to be effective.

Unless the situation requires speed, consider skipping DW Fixer’s first power phase in favor of getting ahead of his own destruction curve.  That allows Fixer to reap stronger, continual benefits from his Styles and Tools, rather than using them as single turn damage/effect sinks.

Recommendations?  I really like Dark Watch Fixer, but I’d never want to take him into battle against La Capitan.  In a party that facilitates out of turn card play, go with Dark Watch Fixer.  In one that provides damage buffs, go with base Fixer.  If neither is available, take your pick—they’re both good.

 

Argent Adept [24 hp; Vocalize - Activate a Perform text.]

Kvothe Six-String Argent Adept [23 hp; Sympathy - Reveal the top cards of two decks.  Put one card into play and the other into the trash.]

Prime Wardens Argent Adept [25 hp; Conduct - Put the bottom card of your deck into play.  You may activate an Accompany text.]

Argent Adept--rightfully, in my eyes--is often viewed as one of the most complex characters in Sentinels of the Multiverse.  The sheer number of combinations he can create through plays and power usages is staggering.  A well-set-up AA can hand other players entire turns, utterly ruin villainous ongoings or environment cards, and heal himself from near-death to full.  

The problem is getting there.  Base AA often struggles with getting both songs and instruments into play; both of his variants, however, fix this issue, accelerating his (and others', in the case of Kvothe AA) set-up time.  Kvothe AA also adds a degree of deck control as well, as you could easily toss a pesky villain card into the trash, after someone's had a peek at it, while simultaneously aiding your own set-up.

PW Argent Adept walks something of a balance between base and Kvothe, with a faster set-up time than base AA, but maintaining the ability to activate most of his songs without an instrument.  That said, PW Argent Adept cannot activate Melody cards without a Melody-performing instrument, meaning that PW's Sarabande of Destruction is right out until you've found yourself some pipes or a drum.  PW does work particularly well when using Arcane Cadence, as it essentially allows you a free play (from the bottom of your deck), while still allowing your to Accompany yourself!  That's some sweetness, right there.

Recommendations?  If you're just starting out, definitely make sure to start with base Argent Adept.  That said, both of his alternate versions provide worthy variations for him.  I tend to prefer PW Argent Adept, as he walks a nice balance betwen faster set-up and starting ability.  That extra 2 hp helps, as well, considering that Adept tends to be fairly squishy.

 

Nightmist [27 hp; Investigation - Nightmist deals herself 2 infernal damage. Draw 2 cards.]

Dark Watch Nightmist [28 hp; Attunement: Reveal the top 3 cards of your deck. Put them back on top of your deck in any order.]

 

Nightmist lives and dies on the size of her hand.  Many of her spells are predicated on discarding cards, which can quickly leave Nightmist with nothing in her hand, if not for Investigation.  However, Investigation’s damage rider makes this a dangerous proposition, usually offset with Amulet of the Elder Gods, Starshield Amulet, or Master of Magic.  Amulet of the Elder Gods also provides Nightmist a good deal of consistent offense through damage redirection, keeping her on her feet while dealing out significant damage.

Dark Watch Nightmist, however, is more methodical and deliberate.  Attunement allows DW Nightmist to set up chains of cards, making Heedless Lash even more appealing and taking much of the danger out of Oblivion.  Further, Attunement gives DW Nightmist leeway with the arcane value of her cards, either taking more or less damage, based on what’s more desirable at the time.  However, because of her relative lack of card draw compared to base Nightmist, DW Nightmist is much less likely to use either Amulet of the Elder Gods or Starshield Amulet, both of which require discards.  Master of Magic is much more important to DW Nightmist, as is Enlightenment.   Further, DW Nightmist has to be careful of cards that would force her to shuffle her deck or play cards out of turn, as they foil her well-made plans. 

Recommendations?  Both versions of Nightmist have merit, but I tend to prefer base Nightmist over her Dark Watch counterpart.  The more card draw a party has, though, the more preferable DW Nightmist becomes.  Try both and play flexibly.

 

Chrono-Ranger [28 hp; Quick Shot - Chrono-Ranger deals 1 target 1 projectile damage.]

C-R: The Best of Times [29 hp; True Purpose - Select a non-Hero Target.  Until the start of your next turn, all Bounty cards also affect that target and are not destroyed when a target leaves play.]

Chrono-Ranger's base power is fairly simple:  damage.  When his bounties are in play or with a few buffs, that measly 1 point damage-ping can be amplified into a brutal pounding.  However, it's quickly outclassed by the powers offered by his Equipment cards:  Masadah and Compounded Bow, particularly.  

The Best of Times Chrono-Ranger, however, starts to spread around the love.  When two targets of particular priority, it can increase damage on multiple targets, offer C-R additional healing, or wipe the field of small targets with The Whole Gang.  While it makes Chrono-Ranger much more reliant on his damage dealing One-Shots, True Purpose can really line up targets for other damage-dealing party members.

Recommendations?  Chrono-Ranger is another hero with two great variants.  I would take base C-R when there's one major target of priority in the villain deck (like Kismet, Chokepoint, or Spite), and opt for the variant when multiple, high-hp targets are on deck (Gloomweaver, Grand Warlord Voss, or others).  You can't go wrong with either, really.

 

Omnitron-X [25 hp; Timeshift - Reveal the top card of a deck. Put it into play or into the trash.]

(No Omnitron-X promos yet!)

 

The Scholar [29 hp; Better Living - The Scholar regains 1 HP.]

The Scholar of the Infinite [31 hp; Channel - The Scholar deals himself and 1 target X Infernal Damage, where X = the number of cards you've discarded since the end of your last turn plus 1.]

The Scholar's method of play can vary drastically, based on what's needed.  In Flesh to Iron, The Scholar provides a phenomenal tank.  With Mortal Form to Energy and his healing ability, damage is on the menu.  Outside of forms, he provides great card draw, healing and support.  

Really, the version of The Scholar that you want to use varies most by what form you prefer.  If you like to tank with The Scholar, Infinite Scholar provides offensive output with little drawback on your part.  However, Infinite Scholar also makes cards like Truth Seeker less desirable.  If you want to focus on Scholar's healing abilities and backlash damage, he needs the additional healing possibilities afforded by Better Living.

Recommendations?  Know your playstyle.  Both variants are viable and interesting, but both change the way The Scholar's deck works significantly.  Experiment and have fun!

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Vengeance and Wrath of the Cosmos Heroes!

KNYFE [30 hp; Energy Lance - KNYFE deals 1 target 2 energy damage.]

KNYFE Rogue Agent [29 hp; Infiltration - Reveal the bottom card of a deck.  Either put it into play or discard it.]

KNYFE may well be my favorite character from the recent expansions as of this writing.  She interacts well with support characters, has a number of interesting combinations, and can pour on the damage.  She feels like a somewhat more complex version of Ra, but that complexity comes with additional choices and unique opportunities.

At the end of the day, though KNYFE is all about damage.  And, while she has numerous opportunities for damage dealing powers--both through her equipment cards and through the phenomenal Battlefield Experience--her base power, much like Ra's, is where it all starts.  Rogue Agent KNYFE gives up that solid damage base for a degree of deck control.  But, while Ra has numerous other damage dealing powers in his deck that last, KNYFE has significantly fewer of these.  Really, only her Servo-Gauntlet and Primed Punch would provide a continuous damage-dealing power without being destroyed.  

Recommendations?  Base KNYFE's power may not be spectacular or innovative, but it allows her so much more stability and ease-of-setup than Rogue Agent KNYFE.  Without that, it's so much harder to build up to KNYFE's true potential.  All that, plus more hp over her variant?  Stick with base KNYFE.

 

The Naturalist [29 hp; Transform - Search your Deck or Trash for a Form and put it into play.  If you searched your Deck, shuffle your Deck.]

The Hunted Naturalist [27 hp; Desperate Prey - Select Crocodile/Gazelle/Rhinoceros.  Until the end of your next turn, you may activate that icon's effects.  Either draw a card or play a card.]

The Naturalist lives and dies by his animal forms and, anything that change those forms provides him additional versatility, if not necessarily the benefit of a given form.  The idea of maintaining multiple forms simultaneously?  Obviously desirable, as you trigger the effects of every icon representing a form you're in!

The Naturalist provides the easiest way to get in and out of a form.  With Natural Form's Power, you're guaranteed to be able to change form every round.  However, if you can get a form in hand with The Hunted Naturalist, you can activate two, even three forms per turn!  But, getting that form in hand relies significantly on luck, while simultaneously making him even more vulnerable to Ongoing destruction.  A lost Form for Hunted Naturalist can really set you back more than base Naturalist would be.

Recommendations?  The sheer power afforded by The Hunted Naturalist is tempting, but if you're going to try for tri-partite forms, be sure you have another character feeding you cards and keeping Ongoing destruction out of the way.  If you want versatility, though, stick to base Naturalist.

 

Parse

(No Parse promos yet!)

 

The Sentinels

Doctor Medico [13 hp; M.D. - 1 Hero Target Regains 3 hp]

The Idealist [11 hp; Telekinetic Jab - The Idealist deals 1 Target 2 Psychic damage.]

Mainstay [14 hp; Block - Reduce damage to all your Hero Targets by 1 until the start of your next turn.]

The Writhe [14 hp; Extract - Reveal the bottom card of a Deck.  Discard it or put it on the top of that Deck.]

The Adamant Sentinels

Doctor Medico [13 hp; Regeneration - Each of the Sentinels regain 1 hp.  You may draw a card.]

The Idealist [11 hp; T.K. Thump - The Idealist deals 1 target 1 Psychic damage.  Reduce damage dealt by a target dealt damage this way by 1 until the start of your next turn.]

Mainstay [14 hp; Haymaker - Mainstay deals 1 target 2 Melee damage.  The next damage dealt to that target is irreducible.]

The Writhe [14 hp; Shroud - The next time a non-hero target is destroyed, you may move it to the bottom of its deck instead of the trash.]

The nuances between the four Sentinels heroes make them particularly difficult to discuss, but I'll do so in the face of their biggest weakness:  Area of Effect Villain/Environment Damage.  Given that, mitigating the weakness is their biggest challenge.  Adamant Medico and Base Mainstay are best at this, providing group Healing (with added card draw!) and DR, respectively.  Both of Idealist's versions are reasonable, though I tend to prefer the DR- based rider from her Adamant variant.  Unfortunately, Writhe is still the odd-duck-out in the Sentinels in both versions.  Given the two versions, I'd pick Base Writhe, unless I know I'm facing someone like Apostate or Citizen Dawn, for whom his Adamant variant is desirable.

Recommendations?  As above, I'd generally take a team of base Mainstay and Writhe, with Adamant Medico and Idealist.  Your milage may vary!

 

Setback [31 hp; Risk - Add one token to your Unlucky Pool. Play the top card of your deck.]

Dark Watch Setback [30 hp; Mitigate - Remove 1 Token from your Unlucky Pool. Reduce the next damage dealt to a Hero Target by 2.]

Setback's always struck me as a sort of character that's at his best when he's active and moving.  While many of his cards have some type of drawback--usually damage to Setback himself, or occasionally destruction of another Hero's equipment or ongoing--the benefits nearly always outweigh the drawbacks.  Base Setback's power seems to fit him better thematically, adding "kinesis" to the sometimes-manic experience of playing Setback.

Of course, all of Setback's antics revolve around the Unlucky Pool, with a significant majority of Setback's cards requiring an expenditure from the Unlucky Pool.  Setback's best cards--Silver Lining, Turn of Events, and Karmic Retribution--involve spending quite a few tokens and, while Looking Up can really fill Setback's pool quickly, there's no guarantee to get or keep Looking Up in play.  Base Setback gets a player closer and closer to playing those great cards into play, while Dark Watch Setback actively works against that.

Recommendations?  I can't really see myself using Dark Watch Setback, outside of a "hardboiled Dark Watch slugfest" match.  While Mitigate's a perfectly fine defensive power, Setback lives and dies by his Unlucky Pool, which base Setback fuels more readily.  If you want to play Setback's best cards, you need those tokens in your Pool.  Risk adds them; Mitigate takes them away.  

 

Sky-Scraper [33 hp; Tiny - Sneaking - Play up to 2 Link cards. You may move to your hand either 1 Link card from play or 2 Link cards from your Trash; Normal - Surveillance - Draw 2 Cards; Huge - Concussive Clap - Sky-Scraper Deals each Non-Hero Target 2 Sonic Damage and each Hero Target 0 Sonic Damage]

(No Sky-Scraper promos yet!)

 

Captain Cosmic  [27 hp; Fabrication - Reveal the top card of your deck.  Put it into play or into your hand.]

Prime Wardens Captain Cosmic [28 hp; Absorption - Until the start of your next turn, whenever a Construct card is destroyed, you may shuffle it into your deck instead and either draw a card or play a card.]

Much as Unity lives and breathes her robotic Golems, Captain Cosmic lives and dies through his Constructs.  And, considering that those Constructs each only have a mere 4 hit points, keeping Constructs alive can be an incredible challenge.  

Both versions of Captain Cosmic deal with this issue in differing ways. Base CC simply lets you pump out *more*.  While you don't necessarily have control over the Constructs that enter play through Fabrication, there's no Construct that will be a negative for anyone.  And, of course, the more Constructs you have out, the more lethal some of CC's one-shot cards become.

PW CC, on the other hand,  provides a degree of mitigation through Absorption.  Unfortunately, this mitigation does not extend to yourself--if it had, CC's numerous Construct-destroying one-shots would become extremely appealing options and allow CC to chain card play in an extraordinary manner.  Even as it stands, the ability to return Constructs to your deck and either draw or play a card can definitely be appealing!  This goes double if you're working with heroes that facilitate either card draw or card play...such as his Prime Warden variant cohorts!

The issue with Absorption, however, comes in knowing your foe.  Against villains and environments that deal global damage or attack low-hp targets, Absorption will trigger early and often.  Against someone like Apostate, who rarely hits anyone but the highest hp hero?  Absorption becomes nearly worthless.  

Recommendations?  Honestly?  Unless I know that my Constructs are going to be taking damage on a regular basis and I have a party that's willing and able to support out of turn card draw/play, I'd sooner go with the sure thing in base Captain Cosmic.  That said, if you're facing a foe that often targets low-hp targets, Absorption can reap massive dividends.  Choose where you're comfortable in the risk/reward spectrum.

 

Guise [27 hp; Tough Choices - Draw a card or play a card (how to choose?!) then Guise deals 1 target 1 melee damage (but who?!)]

Santa Guise [25 hp; It's Gift-mas time! - Put the top card of each Hero deck face down in their play area.  OR One play may flip all face-down cards in their play area, treating them as if they were just put into play.]

Guise's deck, by and large, is particularly selfish and parasitic.  He provides little benefit to his fellow heroes, while benefitting from their own set-up, using their Ongoings and Equipment as his own.  Being able to play multiple cards per turn allows Guise to better benefit from this parasitic nature, though if others are struggling to get set up--or are focused more on One-Shots, based on the situation of the game--this leaves Guise in the lurch.

Enter Santa Guise, who has gifts for everyone.  With a few turns of power usage--or perhaps some out-of-turn power usage, gifted by a fellow hero--Santa Guise can help others get set-up, helping himself greatly in the long run.

Recommendations?  Anything that helps Guise's allies get set up faster helps Guise more in the long-run.  I'll go with Santa Guise pretty much every time.

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I wuv Rook City Wraith!  But you're not wrong that she's mechanically less than optimal, I just like the extra variety she brings to the game, interacting directly with the Environment in a way many heroes don't.  And since she's always got the uber-borkenness of Impromptu Invention in her corner, I figure she sort of deserves to have a weak promo.

Aside from that little quasi-complaint....great guide!


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I could be wrong, but isn't Freedom Tempest in the Freedom Six and not Legacy? They are pretty much defined by the fight against Iron Legacy.

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*shrug* I guess I was working from the perspective of Freedom 5 + Unity as intern.

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PlatinumWarlock wrote:

*shrug* I guess I was working from the perspective of Freedom 5 + Unity as intern.

 

yeah Freedom 6 is Tempest, not Legacy :) But awesome guide still!


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I would tend to imagine that there are some timelines in which Unity becomes a full member of the Freedom Six without having to have Legacy leave.  What I'm curious about is exactly how Tempest joined the F6 in IL's future but was never invited to join in the main timeline.


"Is there beauty in a forest, if no creature stops and calls it lovely, now and then? Isn't that what 'sapience' is for?"
--David Brin, "Brightness Reef"

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So far I've been absolutely loving DW Mr. Fixer, but I usually have teammates (like Ex-Pat or Wraith) who can get plenty of Equipment cards on the field for him to use as ammo.  And you're right, it definitely makes Tire Iron and Jack Handle more viable options and effectively turns Bloody Knuckles into a stark, 2 damage buff One-Shot.

 

Like most of the promo heroes, their usefulness tends to derive from other teammates who can help off-set their drawbacks.

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Envisioner wrote:

 What I'm curious about is exactly how Tempest joined the F6 in IL's future but was never invited to join in the main timeline.

Clearly Legacy has much in common with The Empire in that he views aliens as lesser beings, not worthy of full rights of sentience.


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That is disturbingly plausible.  It'd be extremely easy for someone who legitimately is The Chosen One, for reasons of bloodline, to be something of an elitist/bigot without even realizing it.


"Is there beauty in a forest, if no creature stops and calls it lovely, now and then? Isn't that what 'sapience' is for?"
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See, I don't think TL Tachyon is really completely better than regular Tachyon. The main advantage that I always cite for regular Tachyon is that she can make Lightspeed Barrages happen much faster, which is a very good thing. Don't get me wrong--TL Tachyon is great at being a support-oriented play, but regular Tachyon is amazing if you all need a character who can use three large attacks in a single turn and possibly swing the game.

Same thing with Horus Ra--I think he's just as good. He lets you get to your powerful one-shots faster, and it's not like Ra doesn't have other attack powers he can use after you've gone and grabbed the best cards you need via sunrise.

And doesn't everyone just use DW Fixer's own equipment and ongoings for the attacks, rather than use other heroes' cards? Just burn your own tools/styles and don't worry about asking your friends for favors.


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evandan55 wrote:

See, I don't think TL Tachyon is really completely better than regular Tachyon. The main advantage that I always cite for regular Tachyon is that she can make Lightspeed Barrages happen much faster, which is a very good thing. Don't get me wrong--TL Tachyon is great at being a support-oriented play, but regular Tachyon is amazing if you all need a character who can use three large attacks in a single turn and possibly swing the game.Same thing with Horus Ra--I think he's just as good. He lets you get to your powerful one-shots faster, and it's not like Ra doesn't have other attack powers he can use after you've gone and grabbed the best cards you need via sunrise.And doesn't everyone just use DW Fixer's own equipment and ongoings for the attacks, rather than use other heroes' cards? Just burn your own tools/styles and don't worry about asking your friends for favors.

I am completley of the same mind. No promo is straight up better than the original, or vice versa.

Only Sith deal in absolutes, ect ect.

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I can see where you guys are coming from, but I still disagree.

Tachyon's deck has so many cards that allow her multiple plays that the TLT variant is never going to fall far behind the original version in terms of burst efficacy. Plus the net gain having everyone draw is more than worth the potential loss of cycling a single burst card.

With Ra, its more a matter of making the most of both his Play and Power phases. Ra's one shots are great, no doubt about that, but both base and Horus get access to them. Horus has to choose to throw down a one shot or start a damaging power, while base Ra has the power already locked and loaded, saving him at least one (if not more) play phases. That makes him more powerful in my eyes.

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Tachyon's deck has so many cards that allow her multiple plays that the TLT variant is never going to fall far behind the original version in terms of burst efficacy. Plus the net gain having everyone draw is more than worth the potential loss of cycling a single burst card.

I agree.  Whenever we play with TL Tachyon, everyone ends up with pretty much every card they want in their hand at some point during the game.


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I liked the Ra promo a lot more before the now-infamous ruling 15.  To me, that was the whole point of Horus Ra: he could get that combo out quicker.  In light of ruling 15, I play core Ra much more commonly.

 

As for DW Fixer, I absolutely love him.  My standard (if I can pull it off) is to not use powers for a few turns and get out Harmony and a style or weapon.  Then each turn, I play a style/weapon, use the power, and sacrifice a style/weapon, based on what I plan to play next turn.  He's awesome.  Obviously, like you said, Bloody Knuckles becomes a straight buff, and Overdrive becomes iffy.  I also love that Salvage Yard now becomes an AWESOME way to fetch back all the tools you've been tossing away.  Fantastic variant.

 

One quick note on variants.  So far, I think that Legacy/Young Legacy, Fixer/DW Fixer, and AZ/Elemental Wrath are the pairs that play most differently.  I think that Bunker/EoW Bunker comes close behind, but like Wraith, you tend to be using other powers as the game goes on, so your base power matters less.  I also haven't played the NightMist variant yet, so I haven't evaluated her yet.  This is what I love about promos though.  Characters that play COMPLETELY differently with just the change of a base power.  Not just the ones that change turns 1-4, but the ones that make you look at specific cards in completely new ways.  So cool smiley


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The point where TLT starts falling behind regular Tachyon in effectiveness is Research Grant.  Everytime you use Team Leader over Research Grant you help the team at your own expense.  I would argue it is still a net win, until those cards are no longer improving the actual results of your allies plays enough to offset Research Grant's awesomeness.

The situations where regular Tachyon is better than TLT (same deck order and situations, self only) involves the time of the game before Tachyon has HUD Goggles and when is discarding every time she reveals.  Otherwise she is running out of cards or not milling her deck as fast as TLT.  It is still only a slight advantage because lightning reflexes offsets the gap as well.  The goal is to find Lightning Reflexes and HUD Goggles as TLT, and Research Grant as regular.  The time where TLT is not better than regular Tachyon for the rest of her team involves the point of the game where there is nothing further to be gained by them drawing extra cards.

That's a very small window of the game where you are attempting to offset your entire team getting loaded with cards with Recon being slightly better for you than Team Leader, there really is no comparison.

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My experience has been that TLT is definitely a lot of fun to have around, but I have not seen her go through her deck the way regular Tchyon can.

In one case I was playing Chrono-Ranger, Scholar, and TLT against promo Gloomy. Everyone but Tachyon went through their entire deck. Generally w/TLT Lightspeed Barrage just doesn't shine as much, but everyone else is happy (CR had everything he could ever want and Scholar kept up lots of forms). It really is a "Look at me hit things!" vs. "I'm here to help the team and not hit as many things." difference.

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but you could always just use TLT's base power until she draws research grant, then switch over to that.  At a certain point (once heroes have like 15 cards in their hands)  team card draw is no longer especially helpful.


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Yeah, it isn't Rapid Recon that is better for her than Team Leader, it is Research Grant.  If you want TLT to do really well herself you switch to Research Grant as soon as you can, just like Regular Tachyon does, and you will end up either almost as effective or even more effective (depending on when you have Goggles out) than regular Tachyon.

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I also weigh TLT's strength in terms of how many other characters use cards for fuel in some respect.
Bunker--Gatling Gun and Omnicannon
Fanatic--Divine Focus
The Scholar--all Elemental Forms
Nightmist--almost every Spell card, plus Starshield Necklace and Amulet of the Elder Gods
Expatriette--Ammo/Speed Loading
Haka--all Haka cards
Tempest--Vicious Cyclone

Is one or two points of damage on a Lightspeed Barrage or an extra target on Sonic Vortex generally going to be worth the overall output of the options on the cards themselves plus their alternative uses for all of those above characters? I'd say that 95% of the time, that answer is no. Chances are pretty high that at least one, if not several of the above characters are in the party (that's 7 of 18, and Tachyon herself makes 8).

Don't get me wrong: I see the utility of Rapid Recon and, in terms of theme it's spot-on. And yes, its better for both versions of Tachyon to later switch to Research Grant. However, in terms of Base powers? TLT easily can keep up with Base Tachyon in terms of card burning while still helping her entire party and gaining an HP in the process. There's no question in my mind who's mechanically stronger.

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The only way normal Tacky is better is if you can't get cards out of your hand, and the vast number of Environments with "discard cards to get rid of this" effects*, as well as several villains (Citizen Dawn being the big one) who force discards, mean that it's fairly rare for cards to be trapped in your hand when you want them trashed.  Thusly, the number of situations where TLT might be disadvantaged even a little is quite small.  I definitely think she should have had less HP instead of more, to make the comparison less unfair.  Also, while TLT is like Legacy in getting better with more allies, she gives those allies enough that I don't feel she's weak even in 3H, and in 5H she's just absurd.  In 3H I don't much enjoy using Legacy's power phase to give just two other heroes the ability to deal extra damage, because I can't use the bonus myself for the most part, but TLT can use her own card.

* On a tangent, it occurs to me that Spite's victims often ask you to discard cards to save them, which makes him feel interestingly as though he brings his own Environment with him.


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As long as there is even a single scenario where Original Tachy is better, you cannot say the TLT is strictly better. Nobody is saying that overall TLT isn't stronger, however, she isn't strictly better.


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Pydro wrote:

As long as there is even a single scenario where Original Tachy is better, you cannot say the TLT is strictly better. Nobody is saying that overall TLT isn't stronger, however, she isn't strictly better.

I think this is pretty much true for any of the promo/original comparisons.  One may be stronger OVERALL, but each has their niche.  Some also just favor different playstyles (Legacy/Young Legacy), but aren't better OVERALL.  That's why I love 'em smiley


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I would argue that the self benefits of Rapid Recon never outweigh the team gain of Team Leader.  The self benefit is so situational and low that at its best it could be offset by the rest of your team drawing 2 cards each.

I can't imagine a situation on a team where drawing extra cards and burning your deck is not a large benefit over the course of the game.

Giving up a situational and small benefit for a much larger benefit is a net gain.  

If there is a fight where a team is better off giving up team leader over the course of a fight for the benefit Rapid Recon potentially could give it escapes me.

I am pretty confident in saying that in any game played Team Leader Tachyon is going to benefit the team more than her normal self.

 

I don't play TLT anymore, I don't find her to be fun to play, and she ruins the challenge of the game.

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I can think of one situation where normal Tachy has the edge: when you need to kill one more target RIGHT NOW with Sonic Vortex, and are getting an incap ability to play a card after your turn or use a power before your turn.  If your allies are dropping like flies, TLT starts to look less appealing.  Ironically, the hyper-violent Iron Legacy might be one of the villains more likely to kill all her friends and leave Meredith kind of regretting that extra point of HP.  A better example, though, is Grand Warlord Voss.  Say you start with five heroes, so Voss has five minions in play.  First turn, he plays a Translocator, and then two minions emerge each turn thereafter.  Then Forced Deployment.  All of a sudden you have like 12 minions in play, and they've killed everyone with more or less HP than TLT.  Sonic Vortex probably doesn't make a difference in whether you have 9 or 10 minions left at the start of Voss's turn...but it might make a difference as to whether you die horribly or not.


"Is there beauty in a forest, if no creature stops and calls it lovely, now and then? Isn't that what 'sapience' is for?"
--David Brin, "Brightness Reef"

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The wording on Prime Warden Tempest doesn't involve a card dealing him damage.  Because of that Ground Pound will not protect him, neither will Mega Computer or any card focused on preventing damage dealt, since they all involve the word "card" and no card deals damage to PW Tempest for his power.  Heroic Interception is awesome for it, as is Smoke Bombs if your highest has good reduction.

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Smoke Bombs only redirects villain damage.


...yeah, me too.

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You're right, I was thinking Stealth Bot and screwed it all up.

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I was going to bring up Ground Pound. Haka is still good, because of enduring intercession.

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Humble-Knight wrote:

Haka is still good, because of enduring intercession.

No one has ever played Enduring Intercession seriously in the history of SotM

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Once. Check a La Capitan game from one of the PBFs. We comboed it with heroic Interception and Anchient Library and went wild. It was great.

Also Haka can deal with environment damage way better than tempest so it can combo well.

That said you're right, it's one of the most situational cards in the game

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Humble-Knight wrote:

Also Haka can deal with environment damage way better than tempest so it can combo well.

Tempest can get more DR than Haka and also can heal HP more consistently. Idk. I don't see it.

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phantaskippy wrote:

The wording on Prime Warden Tempest doesn't involve a card dealing him damage.  Because of that Ground Pound will not protect him, neither will Mega Computer or any card focused on preventing damage dealt, since they all involve the word "card" and no card deals damage to PW Tempest for his power.  Heroic Interception is awesome for it, as is Smoke Bombs if your highest has good reduction.

Very good point--I'll amend to reword this shortly!

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PW you said Salvage Yard and meant Grease Gun when talking about PW Tempest. Sorry that you keep having to change that

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Foote wrote:

No one has ever played Enduring Intercession seriously in the history of SotM

I have. Once in Pike Industrial Complex, the only time he took damage was with Checmical Explosion. It was certainly better than letting Chrono-Ranger take extra damage from the Supercooled Transolvant Vat while Hunter and Hunted was in play. Another time, with 2 Mega Computers and Ta Moko in play in The Final Wasteland, lots of Ancient Library abuse and heroes would not take any damage from the Environment. Freedom Tower was another use of it, Frost's Cryo Chamber only did 3 extra damage a round to Haka and it helped wreck the villain.

Yes, I have used every card in Sentinels of the Multiverse in a awesome way.

phantaskippy
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I used Enduring Intercession to kep Jackhandle in play for DW Fixer.

I think that beats Ronway's use.

Greywind
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Super Scientific Tachyon reveals the BOTTOM two cards of a deck. Not the top two.

JimB
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PlatinumWarlock wrote:
Galvanize is an oft-pursued buff that any damage-dealing hero loves, with few exceptions (Nightmist, normally, is the only one to object).

The entire party might have something to say if Sky-Scraper is involved. Captain Cosmic in particular finds her Legacy-inspired antics unamusing. Unity might have a polite, cocktail party laugh to spare if Stealth-Bot is out, but mostly she doesn't find them very funny either.


Kupo.

phantaskippy
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I love Skyscraper at +1 with conduit's and syphons.  Captain doesn't really struggle with low steady damage to constructs, a good chunk of your deck is useless if those constructs stay in play all game.

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Eternal Haka to me fills a beautiful niche, he'll draw the elusive savage mana much faster and will reliably have a rampage in hand for that moment he's the man to skewer the Chairman's or Dawn's deck. he also gets ground pound going at a quicker pace and can volunteer for discard duty when appropriate. Being able to draw a 10th of you deck in one turn is nothing to sneeze at. Add a couple dominion and your sure to find the card you were looking for quickly.

 

Darkwatch setback shines at tanking for defenceless party members: Parse will always be grateful that you reliably take highest hp damage as your healing runs on low tokens in the deck and at the same time pull out a soak for the first hit on mass damage. High risk behaviour can be an early play and two at the same time will contribute with free tokens at start of turn. He just isn't as instinctive but can have his rewarding moments.

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Without meaning to offend or slight, I make no apologies or concessions for my guide.  They're my impressions--your milage may vary, depending on your own playstyle.  You might find my advice useful; you might not.  Both are great.

That said, I think all these comments have quite a bit of value--and have even made me reevaluate my own decisions over time!--though they (like my own guide) may be of limited worth.  I disagree on your DW Setback thoughts, Medic-Tank, mainly because my experience has shown Setback to need more Unlucky tokens than he typically ever has and DW Setback drains that already-short pool very quickly.  Eternal Haka, I find, runs behind either of the other Hakas in terms of damage output and flexibility.  That makes him more valuable to me.

In the end, as said above, your milage may vary.  In any case, though, the discussion is worth having! :D

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I actually totally agree that using DW Setback is an uphill battle, doesn't mean I shy away from making the best of it. I find use and fun stuff on pretty much any promo characters except Freedom Tempest, but Tempest kicks so much ass that he can laugh that nerf bat away. RC Wraith I only like the extra Hp, but Wraith has more than enough power cards to not care so much.

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There's a couple more promos out, like Scholar of the Infinite and the Termi-Nation promos, any chance you'll update this, Warlock?

For my part, Scholar of the Infinite changes the priority of his Forms. With normal Scholar, I always try to keep at least one Energy and Liquid card out, let him take damage, and heal for damage every round (especially if he's got people like Legacy or Tempest or AA on his team to heal him further), usually building up to a huge "Get Out Of The Way!" to heal hugely and hit the villain two or three times.

With Scholar of the Infinite, however, Flesh to Iron is my first play and it stays out constantly -- without a guaranteed healing each round, Energy and Liquid are less worth the discard. That gives him a base 2-HP attack and he stays near or at the highest HP, making him a juicy tank that draws most of the villain's attention. With this kind of buffer, you get more leeway to use some of his other support rather than focusing as much on drawing and self-healing. Don't Dismiss Anything and Proverbs and Axioms see more play here than when I keep normal Scholar's HP yo-yoing up and down. Know When To Turn Loose becomes very risky, but with the right party can be devastating, though it's tricky as you need a) an out of turn card play, b) invincibility of some kind and c) out of turn power uses.

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Great guide, mostly! It definitely made me rethink some of the promo characters that I was hesitant to use before.

However, two points of contention: how come PoF Wraith's innate damage ability "quickly gets outpaced" by strictly better damage powers, but Ra's does not? For one character, the damage power is a plus, for another it's a minus?

Second, with Eternal Haka, you say there are cards that "mitigate" the difference in cards drawn, but that would imply that Eternal Haka doesn't also get access to those cards.

If your basis for hating on card draw is that you have to dig for a damaging power, that's no basis at all. The fact that you are drawing extra cards means you dig that much faster, and then you are drawing a crapton of extra cards!

I realize this is all just your opinion, but as I said, I think you massively underestimate the strength of card draw.

Of course, this could just be the Competitive TCG player in me coming out.

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The damage of Ra's base power can be boosted by cards in his own deck (Staff of Ra and Imbued Fire) leaving it comparable to his other damaging powers, but because PoF Wraith's base power is melee, it doesn't get the boost off her only boosting card (Micro Targetting Computer) meaning that any source of projectile damage instantly becomes preferable in 9/10 situations once MTC hits play.

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MCPooge wrote:

If your basis for hating on card draw is that you have to dig for a damaging power, that's no basis at all. The fact that you are drawing extra cards means you dig that much faster, and then you are drawing a crapton of extra cards!

Put it this way -- Base Haka and Base Ra are insulated against equipment and ongoing-wiping cards. Unless something specifically blocking powers comes out, they can always do some damage and contribute to the board. Switching that out for card draw might mean getting your more powerful stuff out faster, but it also makes them vulnerable to wipes.

If Devastating Aurora comes out, Base Haka and Base Ra are guaranteed to still be able to do damage the next turn. Their alternates will have to spend more time setting up to get to that point.

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And? If they have more draw, they have a much higher chance of being able to get back set up once the board wipe hits. Sure, base Haka is guaranteed to be able to hit one target for 2 damage after an Aurora, but Eternal Haka is muh more likely to be able to drop Taiaha and hit two targets for 3.

Besides, how important it is to do damage right now depends very much on the villain. If Voss has eight minions out, you want lots of damage in all of the places, but if he's all alone on 80HP it doesn't matter if you hit him now or later. Hell, if he's dropped a Forced Deployment it's very much in your interest to prioritise preparing for next round over hitting him (or his minions) now.


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The way I see it, there is never anything bad about getting extra draw (outside of villain effects that punish you for doing so, like Apostate's Tome, but you can always choose not to draw or something). The more cards you have in hand, the more stuff you can do, and if there are any cards you don't particularly like (or don't find really relevant in that particular battle), you can always keep them as discard fodder or put them into play as destruction fodder (whichever is applicable in a game, if any). I like Eternal Haka - you can build up a nice big hand of cards pretty easily and then smash something to bits with a massive Haka of Battle later :D.

Damage is nice, but it's not always the most important thing to be going for. Of course you want to defeat the villain, but not all heroes need to worry about doing so directly themselves. When I play the Adept, I very rarely deal any damage at all and instead focus on letting everyone else do stuff. And sometimes you don't want to do damage, if there's only one target you can hit and it's got some horrible retaliation effect or something (Baron Blade with two Backlash Fields, for example).


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