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Spirit Island: The Jagged Earth wishlist and discussion

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robb8888
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morph147 wrote:

I keep reading the many minds move as one and I am lost on this spirit is suppose to work

Thematically, it grabs bunches of little flies, insects and birds from all over the island and puts them in great big swarms/flocks which bite and sting the invaders, preventing them from getting anything done.  Think of Hitchcock's "The Birds," just set in the 17th century.  

Game-play wise, it creates lots of Beasts (faster/more numerous than Sharp Fangs) and can gather/push them (thanks to the special rule, as well as its innates and unique power cards) all over the island.  Whereever it has a swarm of beasts (and its sacred sites also count as Beasts thanks to another special rule), it causes fear/defends (Beset and Confound the Invaders), and can use its 0 (!) cost Unique Power card (Dreadful Tide of Scurrying Flesh) to make the Invaders skip actions.  Its power cards also give it even more abilities to gather/push beasts, create beasts (Ever-Multiplying Swarm allows it to double (!) the amount of beasts on a land) and allow it to use beasts to push Invaders around.

Imagine this:  You get up enough card plays (and with this spirit, that's not particularly difficult) to use your innates at their highest level.  You use your third growth option to add a presence and a beast up to 3 lands away from where you already are, AND gather up to 3 beasts in a land up to 2 away from there.  In Fast phase, you then use the first two levels of Teeming Host Arrives to Gather up to 4 of those beasts 2 *more* lands distant (thanks to Fly Fast as Thought) then use the third level to push those beasts 2 *more* lands distant (again, thank you Fly Fast as Thought).  Conceivably, you've now brought a swarm of 4 (and maybe more) beasts up to 6 lands away from where they started.  Still in Fast phase, you now use your other innate, Beset and Confound the Invaders, to cause up to *5* Fear and Defend up to 10 in the new land, or play Dreadful Tide of Scurrying Flesh to remove one just a single Beast tokens (who cares, because you have 4 or more of them there!) to skip a Ravage or Build entirely.  Then in Slow Phase, you play Ever-Multiplying Swarm and make 3 *more* Beasts in that new land to replace any you lost, then play Connect the Hive Mind and turn one of those Beasts into your Presence, or add still one *more* Beast. 

...and that's all with just the base cards.  Many Minds can take a land that formerly had no Beasts, and get 3+ Beasts there with no problem.  Combine this with (ex:) Tigers Hunting, and do 1 damage *per* Beast in the land.  Or Pent-Up Calamity and do *3* damage for every Beast token you remove.  Or Insatiable Hunger of the Swarm and do 1 Fear/2 Damage *per* Beast.  Or for complete overkill, turn your swarms of insects and birds into giant Sea Monsters, and do 2 Fear and 3 Damage for every Beast.  Or tag team him with Sharp Fangs and really step back.  Imagine what Sharp Fangs could do with an ally who can suddenly stick 3+ beasts in a land, or bring beasts across the board in the blink of an eye?   And remember, whereever the Beasts go, Sharp Fangs' presence goes with them -- Many Minds becomes essentially Mr. Scott in the Transporter room, beaming Sharp Fangs' presence all over the map.  

I think somebody else said it either in this forum or on BoardGameGeek:  Sharp Fangs primarily uses Beasts offensively; think of relatively small numbers of large predatory beasts (like a wolf pack or lone roaming tigers) killing Invaders (particularly Explorers) and causing fear.  Many Minds primarily uses Beasts *defensively* --  it uses of *lots* of little beasts to confuse/distract/scare the Invaders; with the right minor/major powers, it make those little beasts absolute killers. 

Medic-Tank
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I’m glad Fractured days was more revealed so i can finally say how the time token mechanic is awesome for the feeling of a spirit that taps the speed of its past and the power of its future. That said he felt like a handful so i nicknamed him Fractured Thoughts Split my Head but so awesome when you pull great combos.

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