Post by: Kuroaitou on December 03, 2010, 09:40:02 am
Choose the Other card that you wish to be featured next week!
What are Featured Cards?
Many other wikis, and Wikipedia itself, have daily, weekly or monthly featured articles. Likewise, Elements the Game Wiki (http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/) will have a Featured Card each week.
What's so special about the Featured Cards?
Featured cards are voted for by the community each week to receive a publicized article detailing the effects and strategies of the card. Once a Featured Card is chosen, the Wiki Editors and other members of the community will write a detailed analysis of that card, and it will be put on the wiki.
How are the Featured Cards chosen?
Each Monday, a poll will be put up in the General Discussion forum. That poll will list all cards in one of the elements, excluding the pillars and pendulums. Each forum user chooses a card in that element they want to know more about. The poll will cycle through the elements :entropy :death :gravity :earth :life :fire :water :light :air :time :darkness :aether :underworld; the poll of the first week will be Entropy, second week Death, third week Gravity, etc.
On Friday-Saturday, the poll will be locked and removed. The card with the most number of votes will be chosen as the Featured Card.
On Saturday-Sunday, a detailed analysis of the Featured Card will be written, and posted on the poll thread as the first draft. The community will read the first draft, comment on it, and post what in the analysis that they think need to be amended or added.
On Sunday-Monday, the analysis will be edited accordingly, incorporating the suggestions given by the community. The final draft of the analysis will go on the wiki.
The following week, the Featured Card and its analysis will be posted on the wiki. A new poll, of the next element in the cycle, will be made in the poll thread.
Featured Card Archive: Those are cards that have been previously featured. They may not be featured again, until all cards have been featured at least once. Cards in this archive will no longer be included in future polls, until there are no more cards left to choose.
:entropy Entropy
Fallen Elf | Fallen Druid
Antimatter | Improved Antimatter
Discord | Discord
Chaos Seed | Chaos Power
Nova | Supernova
Maxwell's Demon | Maxwell's Demon
:death Death
Bone Wall | Bone Wall
Aflatoxin | Aflatoxin
Arsenic | Arsenic
Skull Shield | Skull Buckler
Poison | Deadly Poison
Soul Catcher | Soul Catcher
:gravity Gravity
Otyugh | Elite Otyugh
Black Hole | Black Hole
Chimera | Chimera
Acceleration | Overdrive
Sapphire Charger | Elite Charger
Catapult | Trebuchet
:earth Earth
Graboid | Elite Graboid
Earthquake | Quicksand
Pulverizer | Pulverizer
Basilisk Blood | Basilisk Blood
Iridium Warden | Vanadium Warden
Antlion | Elite Antlion
:life Life
Adrenaline | Epinephrine
Empathic Bond | Feral Bond
Rustler | Leaf Dragon
Mitosis | Mitosis
Thorn Carapace | Spine Carapace
Horned Frog | Giant Frog
:fire Fire
Phoenix | Minor Phoenix
Immolation | Cremation
Fahrenheit | Fahrenheit
Lava Golem | Lava Destroyer
Rage Potion | Rage Elixir
Fire Bolt | Fire Lance
:water Water
Ice Shield | Permafrost Shield
Nymph's Tears | Nymph's Tears
Steam Machine | Steam Machine
Toadfish | Puffer Fish
Arctic Squid | Arctic Octopus
Flooding | Inundation
:light Light
Hope | Hope
Photon | Ray of Light
Crusader | Crusader
Sanctuary | Sanctuary
Luciferin | Luciferase
Guardian Angel | Archangel
:air Air
Flying Weapon | Animate Weapon
Firefly Queen | Elite Queen
Dragonfly | Damselfly
Unstable Gas | Unstable Gas
Wings | Wings
Thunderstorm | Lightning Storm
:time Time
Golden Hourglass | Electrum Hourglass
Eternity | Eternity
Reverse Time | Rewind
Ghost of the Past | Ghost of the Past
Dune Scorpion | Dune Scorpion
Fate Egg | Fate Egg
:darkness Darkness
Devourer | Pest
Voodoo Doll | Voodoo Doll
Liquid Shadow | Liquid Shadow
Cloak | Cloak
Nightmare | Nightmare
Vampire Stiletto | Vampire Dagger
:aether Aether
Fractal | Fractal
Mindgate | Mindgate
Silence | Silence
Parallel Universe | Twin Universe
Lightning | Thunderbolt
Dimensional Shield | Phase Shield
Links to each card's wiki articles will be added once the discussion is over. :)
Post by: xdude on December 03, 2010, 09:42:57 am
Post by: Kamietsu on December 03, 2010, 09:55:01 am
Post by: Hyroen on December 03, 2010, 10:33:54 am
What better card to study and explore than this one?
Especially its interactions with Antimatter, how it can normally be payed and chained off the mark after 4 turns, which creatures can and can not get through and its new relationship to the Spiders.
In my honest opinion, one of Air's most intriguing cards to study and feature.
May there soon be more to add to Air's arsenal.
+1 vote: :air Wings :air
Post by: kobisjeruk on December 03, 2010, 12:19:49 pm
(http://imageplay.net/img/m7Gbd107699/FartMan.gif)
Post by: Rastafla on December 03, 2010, 12:53:45 pm
Post by: Korugar on December 03, 2010, 02:08:36 pm
Post by: jippy99 on December 03, 2010, 03:04:54 pm
Post by: smuglapse on December 03, 2010, 04:56:51 pm
What's so special about the Featured Cards?Since all cards will eventually be featured, saying that they are the best is inaccurate. I think something like "Featured cards are voted for by the community each week to receive a publicized article detailing the effects and strategies of the card." would work.
The Featured Cards are considered to be the best cards in Elements, since they will be voted and chosen by the community. Once a Featured Card is chosen, the Wiki Editors and other members of the community will write a detailed analysis of that card, and it will be put on the wiki.
Minor nitpick aside, I am looking forward to continued excellence in this project, Kuroaitou. :)
Post by: chum3 on December 03, 2010, 06:18:48 pm
Also, woohoo, Air. ;D
Post by: nilsieboy on December 03, 2010, 06:30:41 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 03, 2010, 09:49:52 pm
Minor nitpick:Good point - I decided to change the wording accordingly to that of your quote, if you don't mind. ^^;What's so special about the Featured Cards?Since all cards will eventually be featured, saying that they are the best is inaccurate. I think something like "Featured cards are voted for by the community each week to receive a publicized article detailing the effects and strategies of the card." would work.
The Featured Cards are considered to be the best cards in Elements, since they will be voted and chosen by the community. Once a Featured Card is chosen, the Wiki Editors and other members of the community will write a detailed analysis of that card, and it will be put on the wiki.
Minor nitpick aside, I am looking forward to continued excellence in this project, Kuroaitou. :)
Also note that you can change your vote at any time you so choose before the deadline is over; regardless, I hope this project will always be continued in some shape or form. :P I'll try to make the deadlines more timely as well (1 card a week, links always posted once the analysis is finished, etc.).
Thanks again for your support guys! (P.S. - Go Wings)
Post by: the dictator on December 03, 2010, 11:44:51 pm
voted for owl's eye, very interesting card with nice control and attack.Wait, is that really nilsie betraying his own winged fishes?
Well, anyway, I voted wings, just because it is a direct win against lots of top50 decks (shrieker rush, life rush, golem rush (without explosions)).
Post by: EvaRia on December 04, 2010, 01:33:40 am
Post by: Memorystick on December 04, 2010, 02:45:44 am
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on December 04, 2010, 09:21:44 pm
Double your buffs, and you can keep it within 2 elements.
Underused, overpowered (not really). Great card.
(@Kuroaito: Thanks for making this thread, I've been with it since the start and am happy it'll stay active and maintain a good quality of writing. Good job, and good luck!)
Post by: PlayerOa on December 05, 2010, 10:21:37 am
Post by: Higurashi on December 06, 2010, 01:53:01 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 06, 2010, 11:35:36 am
Firefly Queen is one of the most recognized Air cards, due to its ability Firefly. For an initial seven :air quanta and two :life quanta the following turn, Firefly Queen (often abbreviated as ‘FFQ’) will spawn a Firefly onto your field, increasing your damage potential and quanta production simultaneously.
Firefly Queen is the first creature-spawning creature implemented in game (another example being the Pharaoh). With a fairly convenient health pool (7 HP) and moderate attacking prowess (3 ATK), the Firefly Queen is a pretty durable creature that can take some damage from creature control while also providing minor damage. The Firefly ability is unique and cannot be obtained by mutations, making the FFQ a very original creature that is often protected or valued heavily in decks carrying them. Because of these details, the FFQ is perfect for swarming the opponent with attackers overtime, given enough quanta.
One thing to note is that while the stats and costs of the FFQ don’t change between upgrades, is that the ability of generating a Firefly does. Regular Fireflies have 3 ATK and generate :light quanta upon attacking, while Elite Fireflies from the Elite Queen have 4 ATK and generate :fire quanta instead. In this case, the quanta production stemming from both types creates different combos for the two, and one may value using the non-upped card over the other or vice versa.
Life and Air have several synergies with each other upon using a FFQ. With the non-upgraded FFQ that produces :light generating-Fireflies, Rustler becomes an instant classic to refueling the quanta that the FFQ uses. As Rustlers convert 1 :light into 2 :life quanta (and it can be used multiple times), an FFQ can technically reproduce endless Fireflies as the Rustler assists in the quanta conversion process, making it a fairly simple combo once set up. Adrenaline can also be used on the Fireflies to deal 12 damage (cumulative, 4 attacks x 3 ATK) and produce quadruple the :light quanta without any other buffs. In addition, Empathic Bond can provide unparalleled healing with Fireflies and Queens on the field – the massive swarm of creatures will also boost up the healing you receive from Empathic Bond, especially if you have multiple Bonds out.
One special tactic that the unupped Firefly Queen has over its upped counterpart is the synergy with Hope – as regular Fireflies produce :light with their bioluminescence ability, they also build up considerable defense with the Hope shield. While slower at setting up, the damage dealt by the FFQ and its minions are much more significant compared to Rays of Light, making them more able to bypass damage-reducing shields.
Upgraded, the Elite Queen creates a new dynamic in providing synergy with Fire cards. The Elite Fireflies can help fuel the necessary quanta for cards such as Fahrenheit (which can deal massive damage with enough :fire) or Unstable Gas (that requires 1 :fire to set off). More importantly, while the spawning ability of the Elite Queen doesn’t change in terms of cost, the minions can be a game-breaker with their +1 ATK bonus.
Queens do have weaknesses though; although their HP is fairly high, Fireflies do not, and many opponent have dangerous CC cards that can delay or kill your FFQ. Cards such as Plague, Rain of Fire, or even Pandemonium will cripple an effective swarm strategy, nullifying both the damage and quanta creation with a single spell. Diamond Shield blocks 3 damage per attack, which will block all of the damage output from a regular FFQ and its Fireflies. Its swarming technique can still be considerably slowed even when upgraded. Most importantly, its cost of 7 :air to play can be hard to obtain compared to other creatures, which means denial tactics of either one’s :life or :air can also make it impossible to generate Fireflies. The strategies can be countered in various ways (by using Bone Wall to reap the benefits of killed Fireflies, by Mutating Fireflies via a Fallen Druid to high-ATK creatures, etc.), but there’s no clear-cut answer on how to stop these tactics from working. However, one should note that
No matter how one uses the FFQ (in either form), many people enjoy using FFQ in Rainbow Anti-FG decks to either provide extra damage, mutation or Bone Wall fodder, or specialized quanta creation. Its resourcefulness is vital for the Air element, and as a whole, is one card that many players protect (or target first!) when it arrives onto the field.
Quick Facts:
- Firefly Queen’s (FFQ) ability, “Firefly”, summons a Firefly creature onto your field (or Elite Firefly)
- Although its stats and costs do not change upon upgrading the card, the minions that it spawns (Fireflies) do change (damage and :light vs. :fire quanta generation)
- Rustler | Leaf Dragon
- Empathic Bond | Feral Bond
- Hope | Hope
- (almost) NON-UPGRADED False God Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,1615.0.html)
- Hope + Unupgraded FFQ (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4026.0.html)
- "Skittles" taste the rainbow! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12134.0.html)
Post by: Higurashi on December 06, 2010, 03:00:01 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on December 06, 2010, 07:43:42 pm
You should totally add CCYB to that list of decks, 'cause it's famous and all. :>a lot of people don't use it :P
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 07, 2010, 01:24:57 am
You should totally add CCYB to that list of decks, 'cause it's famous and all. :>I would, but then that deck wouldn't have any of the mentioned synergy cards in the above article, not to mention; CCYB has PLENTY of articles to feature certain cards (from Permafrost Shield to Pulverizer and Supernova, etc.). Also, these decks seem to carry enough weight on their own, and also star the FFQ as opposed to having it as a backbone for support (Lava Golems being the primary topic of a CCYB deck when it comes down to creatures).
Anyway, article is now posted, and I shall await for SG to update when possible. :)
Post by: Higurashi on December 07, 2010, 01:28:31 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 07, 2010, 01:34:14 am
Synergy or not, it's used differently than in the other three decks. If you wanted to focus on synergy, you're lacking a deck that uses the :fire you speak of....good point. :-[
I'll probably scrap the first deck then, because I suppose Otyugh, Fallen Druid, and Electrum Hourglass (if it gets voted up) will be the cards that the deck gets featured in anyway, and I'll toss in CCYB.
Anyway, changes made. :)
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 07, 2010, 10:13:24 am
SPECIAL NOTICE: I am currently working on articles for Fate Egg, Sundial, AND Procrastination, just to let you know... ;)
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on December 07, 2010, 08:41:50 pm
The new Time poll is now up! ^_^Already working on the Time Trials?
SPECIAL NOTICE: I am currently working on articles for Fate Egg, Sundial, AND Procrastination, just to let you know... ;)
Good Luck then.
I chose deja vu, because it just....works.
Already working on the Time Trials?
Good Luck again.
Post by: smuglapse on December 07, 2010, 08:47:04 pm
Bah. That joke's as old as the hills, er... sand dunes to be specific. <rimshot>The new Time poll is now up! ^_^Already working on the Time Trials?
SPECIAL NOTICE: I am currently working on articles for Fate Egg, Sundial, AND Procrastination, just to let you know... ;)
Good Luck then.
I chose deja vu, because it just....works.
Already working on the Time Trials?
Good Luck again.
Post by: lukce on December 07, 2010, 08:53:36 pm
Post by: Higurashi on December 08, 2010, 07:50:22 am
Post by: nilsieboy on December 08, 2010, 02:13:35 pm
Post by: Colloray on December 09, 2010, 05:38:08 am
Post by: Higurashi on December 09, 2010, 09:13:34 am
Post by: geekz_always_win on December 12, 2010, 07:54:36 pm
Post by: willng3 on December 12, 2010, 07:59:03 pm
Post by: Ant-n-ero on December 12, 2010, 09:18:33 pm
...and voting's ended for time atm, oh well :/
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 14, 2010, 06:56:36 am
As one of the most sought out weapons in game, Eternity is the prime rare weapon from the Time element. Its ability is a repetitive use of the Reverse Time | Rewind card allowing you to target a Creature, which is returned to the top of its owner’s deck. Despite its weak damage potential, Eternity is a renowned weapon for preventing deck-out and providing unique draw manipulation in various decks.
For 6 :time quanta (5 :time upgraded), Eternity can be played into the player’s weapon slot to deal 4 damage per turn. While the damage itself isn’t impressive, the ability is a powerful mechanic – after the player selects a target with Eternity’s ability, the creature will be rewound (or placed back) into their master’s deck as the next card drawn, making it an effective CC tool for denial and hand manipulation. The most popular use of this card is for preventing deck-out. As players often have to worry about the sizes of their deck (speed vs. stalling tactics), Eternity can assist in situations where the opponent has more cards than the player. By using Eternity continuously on a cheap creature such as a Skeleton (from Boneyard), one could infinitely play a match-up as long as the creature card can be replayed and rewound over and over again.
Conversely, instead of using it one’s own creature, players can also use Eternity’s skill on the opponent’s creatures, making it an effective tool for creature denial. Although the enemy may replay the creatures if they have adequate quanta, the strategy of controlling their draws comes into play instead. Rather than progressing through their deck, a player will be forced to draw the same creature over and over again. Smarter opponents will generally withhold their creatures and play them all at the same time to overcome Eternity.
Most importantly, the rewind ability of an Eternity can be beneficial to use on creatures that have major buffs or status effects applied to them, as such improvements (or detriments) can be removed upon being rewound. An Otyugh that was poisoned after eating a Chrysaora, for example, can be rewound via Eternity and replayed as if it was never poisoned to begin with. Voodoo Dolls inflicted with Gravity-Pull can be rewound to effectively waste a two-card combo for the enemy opponent. Even creatures with other beneficial buffs such as Adrenaline or Momentum or powerful stats from improvements such as Chaos Power and Blessing can also be reset to their original stats, nullifying strategies that rely on special buff cards to work right. In either case, Eternity can technically refresh any creature on the field to their original state.
Because Eternity can be used to ‘reset’ a creature to its original status before being played, the Fallen Elf’s Mutate ability can truly wreck havoc on the opponent’s creatures with Eternity. If the mutated creature is of another element the enemy can’t play (depending on their quanta), using Eternity would effectively ‘kill’ the creature by making it impossible to play the non-mutated creature. In other words, if a Fallen Elf mutated a Photon into an Abomination, but the player had no :entropy quanta to play it, then rewinding it back into the player’s deck will basically force them to draw a dead card that can’t be used.
Several other important cards that can also combine well with an Eternity weapon are Mummy, Mind Gate, and Dune Scorpion. Mummy’s passive ability requires a transformation into the Pharaoh card via a ‘Rewind’ effect, which the Eternity weapon can provide easily and repeatedly – instead of having a Rewind card for every Mummy in a deck, Eternity can settle that issue easily, shortening the deck (and allowing easier access to the rare Pharaoh cards). Mind Gate can allow one to steal creatures or other cards based on the opponent’s next draw – by using Eternity on a creature, one could then use Mind Gate’s ability to generate that very same creature in their hand, allowing the player to potentially use that creature’s skills before the opponent can. Eternity can also be used after Mind Gate in case one finds another card that the opponent will draw next (such as a Steal), in order to deny them while preparing another counter-strategy. Even Dune Scorpions can become lethal given the correct buffs – if Neurotoxin is applied, rewinding creatures against the A.I. will cause them to stack the poison counter even higher (since the A.I. will generally play their creatures given enough quanta).
Many more cards can also be used with Eternity in order to fully reap its ability for either denial, deck control, and general creature displacement, but players should always note that the rewind cost (3 :time) can be fairly expensive if the player doesn’t have a steady source of quanta to use the ability constantly. Because of this, players who use Eternity generally have their mark set to Time in order to ensure some form of :time quanta generation in rainbow decks. Regardless, Eternity is a very precious weapon that is often protected by players due to its endless potential to survive and manipulate the battlefield as needed.
Quick Facts:
Eternity deals 4 damage per turn as a weapon.
Its ability is based off the Reverse Time | Rewind cards, and costs 3 :time quanta to cast.
Eternity’s ability will effectively send a targeted creature back to the top of the owner’s deck, meaning it’ll be the next card they’ll draw on their turn.
Use This Card Together With:
Fallen Elf | Fallen Druid
Mind Gate | Mind Gate
Dune Scorpions | Dune Scorpions
Decks Using This Card:
The-Compeltely-Unoriginal-but-Semi-Original FGBow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,1748.0.html)
Inception (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15156.0.html)
Dune Scorpions killing FGs (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11131.0.html)
Darkness polls are now up! ^_^
Post by: Korugar on December 14, 2010, 03:03:07 pm
Post by: Ant-n-ero on December 14, 2010, 03:43:55 pm
P.s. 666'th post :-\
Post by: Falcon4415 on December 14, 2010, 06:56:07 pm
Voted for Nightmare (wow it's leading!). As a fairly useful, yet situational, card, I feel it is underrated. Fix it with one of your epic articles!
Post by: ddevans96 on December 14, 2010, 08:14:16 pm
Probably not going to happen because it was changed once, but having cards like photon being featured because people think it's funny is just wrong.
Post by: EvaRia on December 14, 2010, 08:39:45 pm
But Nightmare I don't see the reasoning behind.
Anyways, I voted voodoo doll, it's funness is too much to ignore ^^
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 15, 2010, 01:42:13 am
People voting photon just for the lulz is ridiculous. Can we change the poll back to 'Choose the card that you think is the best to be featured next week' to stop this from happening again?Photon actually wasn't a hard article to write about, because its free cost and versatility in both non-upped and upgraded decks are actually worth mentioning. Hard cards to write about are generally the dragon cards (most of them at least), because they're bland creatures, or any creature for that matter that doesn't have an ability of some sort (looking at you Abyss Crawler T_T).
Probably not going to happen because it was changed once, but having cards like photon being featured because people think it's funny is just wrong.
Also - I won't put Cloak in the polls because it's not in the game yet. Nonetheless, here's to hoping that Voodoo will win! ^^;
Post by: TheCrazyMango on December 15, 2010, 01:43:18 am
Post by: PlayerOa on December 15, 2010, 02:09:01 pm
Post by: Colloray on December 16, 2010, 02:24:50 am
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on December 16, 2010, 04:46:20 am
Come on guys, it's not that bad...
It synergises with Nightfall since you have to use those two elements anyway.
It works surprisingly well with voodoo doll.
And I just won one off an FG, so maybe I'll learn something even I didn't know (which shouldn't be very hard)
Post by: EvaRia on December 16, 2010, 08:41:32 am
Mine was the only vote for bloodsucker?Which is part of the reason why everyone else chose to vote Voodoo Doll :D
Come on guys, it's not that bad...
It synergises with Nightfall since you have to use those two elements anyway.
It works surprisingly well with voodoo doll.
And I just won one off an FG, so maybe I'll learn something even I didn't know (which shouldn't be very hard)
Seriously though, voodoo doll has been one of my favourite cards since I made my voodoo deck.
Sadly though, it may not work properly after the fractal nerf =[
Post by: Higurashi on December 16, 2010, 10:26:16 am
Mine was the only vote for bloodsucker?Part of the point, actually. Many vote for Nightmare because it sucks.
Come on guys, it's not that bad...
Post by: nilsieboy on December 16, 2010, 05:37:12 pm
Post by: geekz_always_win on December 17, 2010, 07:06:46 am
All of its bugs and mishaps during war are definitely praiseworthy and makes a semi-interesting article.
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 19, 2010, 02:57:00 pm
Voodoo Doll FTW. Or FTL for that matter.Heh, not gonna mention bugs here, as Zanz fixed them in the last update. ;)
All of its bugs and mishaps during war are definitely praiseworthy and makes a semi-interesting article.
Here's the article!
Voodoo Doll is a tricky Darkness card with an odd passive skill. If Voodoo Doll survives any damaging or otherwise negative effect (from spells, permanents, or creatures), the damage/debuffs are immediately transferred to the opponent or the opponent’s weapon depending on what type of effect was inflicted upon the Voodoo Doll.
Voodoo Doll’s passive skill, ‘Voodoo’, is an unusual passive skill that can’t be lobotomized off. Whenever Voodoo Doll survives the damage or debuff effect of any mechanic, the effect is also delivered to the opponent simultaneously (if it’s damage) and their weapon (if it’s a non-damage effect). A special thing to note is that none of the damage done via Voodoo Doll can be reflected, so spells (like Fire Lance or Drain Life) can bypass reflective shields when used on the doll. Since it only costs 2 :darkness, Voodoo Doll is cheap to play, but has no attack power aside from cards that can increase its stats. Its HP on the other hand (16 non-upped, 20 upgraded), is high enough so that damage and stuns can be delivered to the doll repeatedly to whittle down your opponent.
It’s important to note that killing effects (such as Immolation on a Voodoo Doll) will not cause any damage to your opponent whatsoever. This means that any ability that doesn’t cause damage (Paradox, Devour, etc.) won’t affect the doll. Also, while damage passes, the opposite doesn’t – healing the doll will not heal the opposing player, so increasing or recovering its HP will not help the enemy.
Many people have developed numerous tricks to make Voodoo Doll one of the most devious creatures to fight against. One particular spell, Gravity Pull, is a notorious card to use with Voodoo Doll – as Gravity Pull redirects damage away from the player and onto the target instead, the creatures will then attack the doll, triggering the Voodoo. This will then redirect damage to the enemy player (assuming that the doll survives the attacks). In a sense, Gravity Pull then acts as a way to reflect creature damage back to your opponent, countering adrenaline-affected creatures or creature-spam decks.
Rage Potions also have fantastic synergy with Voodoo Doll – unlike most buffing spells, such as Blessing or Chaos Power, which improves both stats to help the creature survive and output more damage, Rage Potion effectively has a double-dipping effect with Voodoo Doll. When used, the Rage Potion will deal 5 (6 upgraded) damage to the doll, hurting the opponent – and because of the positive attack, the Voodoo’s attack will then deal up to 5-6 damage again as the turn ends. In this case, Rage Potions help improve the combination of :fire and :darkness cards with high offensive potential, rather than defensive potential (via Gravity Pull).
Voodoo Doll can also transfer poison counters to the opponent with the right cards. Aflatoxin for example can be applied to the Voodoo Doll (inflicting the opponent with two poison counters), and upon ending the turn, the doll will receive 2 damage (thus, the opponent takes 4 damage total from their own poison and the doll’s poison damage). Because of this, Parasites (or Bloodsuckers) are extremely useful as poison-applicators. Their ability for 1 :death quanta, ‘Infect’, can be used repeatedly on a Doll to accumulate poison quickly on an opponent; combined with other Death cards (Arsenic, Deadly Poison, Deathstalkers with Eclipse), and the opponent will then have to deal with various poison afflictions on your field and within your deck.
Finally, stun effects can hinder your opponent in another, unique way. If your opponent has a weapon, freezing a Voodoo Doll will also cause the weapon to be frozen for the corresponding amount of turns. Freeze as well as Basilisk Blood are both effective stun cards that can help disable (not destroy) the opponent’s weapon, meaning that the weapons cannot damage you nor can they be used for their unique abilities (like Eternity or Trident). Basilisk Blood is used more often than Freeze though, due to the fact that it increases the HP pool (by 20) of Voodoo Doll, allowing it to absorb more damaging effects. Applying multiple Basilisk Blood alchemy cards on the same Voodoo Doll can be both very risky and also rewarding depending on the combination of cards you use alongside the more durable doll. Conversely, using Adrenaline will not make the opposing weapon attack multiple times (again, similar to the healing factor mention above).
Voodoo Doll isn’t completely unstoppable though. An early Quintessence on a non-buffed Voodoo Doll can actually render it completely useless, as there are no ways to effectively damage it via spells or other effects (shields included, as the Voodoo Doll has no attack unless you have Nightfall or Eclipse on the field). Rewinds often remove the buffs and damage accumulated from a doll, which can make strategies revolving around high-HP Voodoo Dolls futile, as the doll would be reset to its original stats. Various other cards (Mutation, Flooding, etc.) can also cause the doll to be nothing more than a waste of quanta, so it’s important to notice that effects that do not damage or delay Voodoo Doll will actually counter it effectively.
There are also a couple of secrets and tricks regarding Voodoo Doll. For example – because of it has no attack, Butterfly Effect can be applied to it, making it an incredibly dangerous creature to handle; reusable permanent control on a creature with fairly high HP that will deal damage back to the enemy if damaging creature control is used. Another surprise is Twin Universe. Using Twin Universe on a damaged Voodoo Doll will also reapply that same amount of damage (HP missing) from the second doll to the opponent again – with enough damage done to a Voodoo Doll (with multiple applications of Basilisk Blood), one could deal a massive hit by using Twin Universe on a doll, which can often score a victory for the player. However, these secrets are very specific and require precise timing to use properly, as it can backfire if you don’t manage to pull off the right card combinations in time.
No matter how a Voodoo Doll is used, the creature is a true symbol of indirect affliction – pain done to it, shall be done unto the foe.
Quick Facts:
All damage dealt to a Voodoo Doll from spells, permanents, or other creatures will be afflicted to the opposing player, as long as the Voodoo Doll survives the damage
Poison applied to a Voodoo Doll will also be applied to the opponent
If the Voodoo Doll is stunned, the opponent’s weapon will also be stunned (or frozen), making the weapon incapable of dealing damage or using its ability
Healing and buffing spells have no effect on the opposing player
Use This Card Together With:
Gravity Pull | Gravity Force
Rage Potion | Rage Elixir
Basilisk Blood | Basilisk Blood
Decks Using This Card:
Karma - Quit hitting yourself (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11228.0.html)
My Voodoo Doll Is On Fire! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9870.0.html)
Shak’ars Revenge (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,14435.0.html)
Aether polls are now up!
Post by: smuglapse on December 19, 2010, 10:08:55 pm
Good work, as always.
Edit: Oh, and vote PU | TU.
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 20, 2010, 11:02:28 am
Not that this article isn't long enough already, ;), but a mention of un-upped Pandemonium might be necessary since one of the new AI3s uses that combo.Hm. True, but I'm not sure where I can squeeze it in... perhaps I could fit it in the second-to last paragraph regarding a 'nifty' trick, but Pandemonium is somewhat situational. It could also just apply the Rewind effect (nullifies the Voodoo Doll), Lobotomize (no effect), or a basic damage spell (Ice Bolt, Siphon Life, Fire Lance, etc.) that doesn't do much since most people don't have high amounts of that quanta type.
That said, I agree with Twin Universe being a good article to write about. :)
Post by: PlayerOa on December 20, 2010, 02:26:56 pm
Post by: chum3 on December 20, 2010, 05:53:38 pm
Hm. True, but I'm not sure where I can squeeze it in... perhaps I could fit it in the second-to last paragraph regarding a 'nifty' trick, but Pandemonium is somewhat situational. It could also just apply the Rewind effect (nullifies the Voodoo Doll), Lobotomize (no effect), or a basic damage spell (Ice Bolt, Siphon Life, Fire Lance, etc.) that doesn't do much since most people don't have high amounts of that quanta type.I like the idea of adding Pandemonium. Putting it in the second-to-last paragraph is also a good idea; perhaps a sentence after Butterfly Effect. Maybe something like:
Quote
There are also a couple of* secrets and tricks regarding Voodoo Doll. For example – because it starts with no attack, Butterfly Effect can be applied to it, making it an incredibly dangerous creature to handle; reusable permanent control on a creature with fairly high HP that will deal damage back to the enemy if damaging creature control is used. Voodoo Dolls can also be used in conjunction with unupgraded Pandemonium; while providing mass creature control against your opponent, it is possible to damage the opponent's HP with whatever damage afflicts your Voodoo Dolls. Another surprise is Twin Universe.* "couple of" would be changed to "few," as there are now more than two examples in this paragraph.
** You don't have to use that sentence exactly, but it's a starting point if you want to add that Pandemonium bit.
Post by: nilsieboy on December 21, 2010, 07:28:29 pm
Post by: Ant-n-ero on December 21, 2010, 07:31:30 pm
voted for the mindgate (shouldn't silence be in this now 1.26 is out?)and how much would you have to write about it? not very much, you don't know what it's good (synergies) with or anything MUCH atm...
so new cards are usually left out till the next time....
Post by: Ele124 on December 21, 2010, 09:40:02 pm
Post by: Ant-n-ero on December 21, 2010, 11:04:46 pm
and seeing as I think MG is a piece of rubbish I voted for TU
(sorry lobo, but you weren't going ta make it :'( )
Post by: EvaRia on December 22, 2010, 09:31:17 pm
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,13420.0.html :DNot that this article isn't long enough already, ;), but a mention of un-upped Pandemonium might be necessary since one of the new AI3s uses that combo.Hm. True, but I'm not sure where I can squeeze it in... perhaps I could fit it in the second-to last paragraph regarding a 'nifty' trick, but Pandemonium is somewhat situational. It could also just apply the Rewind effect (nullifies the Voodoo Doll), Lobotomize (no effect), or a basic damage spell (Ice Bolt, Siphon Life, Fire Lance, etc.) that doesn't do much since most people don't have high amounts of that quanta type.
That said, I agree with Twin Universe being a good article to write about. :)
Anyways, I voted Spark | Ball lightning, they are just so cool to use in soooooo many decks.
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 26, 2010, 03:59:54 pm
Quick Facts:
* The use of Duality (Mindgate’s skill) costs 2 :aether to use, and can be used once per turn
* Mindgate only generates copies of the opponent’s next card in your hand, and cannot be used if you have a full hand
* Cards that you copy via Mindgate do not disappear from the opponent’s deck (they will still draw the copied card the following turn, excluding certain effects)
Use This Card Together With:
* Eternity | Eternity
* Dimensional Shield | Phase Shield
* Nova | Supernova
Decks Using This Card:
* Mind Riot
* Mirage Deck
* The Neutralizer
There are numerous cards in the game that allow a player to effectively steal and/or copy cards from the opponent’s field. Only one, however, allows them to take cards directly from their deck: Mindgate.
Mindgate is an Aether permanent (5 :aether unupped, 4 :aether upgraded) that, when used, allows the player to basically generate the opponent’s next drawn card. Mindgate’s ability, Duality, can be used only once per turn. Duality costs 2 :aether for both card versions, but it does not steal the card from your opponent’s deck – it only adds a copy to your hand, meaning that your opponent will still draw that card the following turn (excluding a few counters). Note that Duality’s effect is useless if the opponent has no cards left in their deck, or if you have a full hand.
However, the usage of Mindgate can allow the player to outmaneuver their opponent as they can figure out how to counter upcoming cards (or even play them) to deny certain strategies. For example, assuming a player with Mindgate has generated enough :darkness quanta by duplicating the opponent’s pillars, they can counter the effects of Steal by using the duplicated Steal card on their own stolen permanent. A duplicated Antimatter via Mindgate can help reverse the debuff effect immediately if it’s played on one of your creatures. Even a duplicated Gravity Pull can be used to redirect damage from one of your creatures to another (assuming it’s still alive by the end of your opponent’s turn). Many other cards can be copied to give the player another way of effectively negating the use of certain control cards, including various creatures.
From the last statement, the power of Eternity becomes wonderful to use in combination with Mindgate. Since Eternity places a target creature back into the owner’s deck (as the next drawn card), one could use Eternity’s ability to rewind certain creatures to either Mindgate them (making it an alternative copying effect to Twin Universe). The other tactic is to use Mindgate before rewinding a creature, allowing one to gain another type of card rather than the creature (which can be useful if it’s something involving permanent or creature control). One could also achieve a similar effect by using Nightmare on any non-playable creature (allowing them to be unable to draw their next card), but in either case, both of these tactics don’t work as well against those who have increased drawing techniques (Hourglasses).
Dimensional Shield becomes another great candidate for synergy with Mindgate. Against opponents who lack permanent control, having a Dimensional Shield can allow a player to stall and deny all creature damage dealt to them while they continue copying the opponent’s deck – the fact that they both cost moderate amounts of :aether quanta also makes it viable strategy in Mono-Aether decks. However, because Mono-Aether decks are generally limited in outside quanta generation (compared to Immolation), Dimensional Shields can also provide additional turns to hopefully draw the opponent’s pillars or pendulums for non- :aether quanta generation.
To counter the situation above, Nova (or specifically Supernova) assists with Mindgate’s quanta issues. Depending on the opponent’s deck and variety in cards, Supernova greatly eases the problems of having a certain quanta type to play the creature, permanent, or spell that was copied from Mindgate. In various rainbow decks, Supernova is a favorite for fast quanta generation to play as many different card types as possible, and with Mindgate, one could turn the opponent’s own deck against them fairly quickly without waiting turns for pillars and pendulums to trigger.
All in all, Mindgate is one-of-a-kind (for the time being); while many other cards from Aether and other elements allow one to technically take and copy cards from the opponent’s field, Mindgate goes beyond and duplicates cards from the opponent’s deck, making it a versatile card to counter the enemy with their own cards. Aside from permanent control, one should think carefully when facing an opposing Mindgate – depending on what card you draw next, your opponent might have the same (dis)advantage…
Post by: nilsieboy on December 26, 2010, 05:55:50 pm
Post by: icecoldbro on December 26, 2010, 09:11:17 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on December 30, 2010, 03:08:27 pm
Whatever, I voted Nova/SNova
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 04, 2011, 03:23:38 am
Discord (the rare weapon for Entropy) is both a fascinating and frustrating weapon to see on the field. For 3 :entropy quanta, Discord will not only deal damage to the opponent, but will also disrupt the opponent’s quanta pools, redistributing quanta from one element to another.
Discord is an incredible weapon to use against various decks that have limited quanta generation techniques, and is especially effective against mono or duo decks (ones that require only 1-2 specific types of quanta to function correctly). Upon dealing damage to the opponent, Discord will potentially affect up to 10 random quanta and reallocate them to other elements, acting as a form of denial. Mono and duo decks can be heavily interrupted in playing cards due to a lack of their main quanta resource, as Discord will often times remove their most important quanta type. In rainbow decks (where all or most of the elements are used), especially ones that use Supernova, Discord has a much less noticeable effect, as the quanta spread is generally unaffected by Discord (in a few cases, it might help the opponent). Regardless of whatever deck one goes up against, an early Discord on the battlefield is generally more effective than one in the later part of the game, as the quanta scrambling effect is weakened when the opponent has more quanta.
The best cards to combine with Discord in a deck are ones that also disrupt your opponent’s quanta. Black Hole definitely carries the most synergy with Discord, because it removes scrambled quanta and keeps your opponent’s main elemental quantum supply low, allowing Discord to continue its punishment. Given enough Black Holes, one could swing a battle due to the quanta destruction and healing provided from the alchemy spell – having a Gravity Nymph alongside multiple flown Discords, for example, could shut your opponent out of playing any cards due to pure quanta denial.
Earthquake is another great card with Discord. Given the limited amount of pillars or pendulums in some decks, being able to both destroy multiple pillars as well as scrambling the leftover resources can aggravate many players. Of course, this strategy doesn’t work as well if they use creatures or spells (Cremation or Firefly spam, for example) to generate the quanta they need.
Lastly, Devourers and Discords improve the synergy between Darkness and Entropy cards. While Discord scrambles, Devourers (or the upgraded Pests) will slowly absorb the remaining quanta, fueling you with :darkness quanta while depriving the opponent of theirs. Although this strategy can be fairly risky to pull off (as Devourers are relatively frail and may not absorb the right quanta to deny your opponent), this card combo can help you play some of the most expensive cards revolving around :darkness and :entropy quanta, including the two alchemy cards, Liquid Shadow and Antimatter.
It’s important to note that Discord does have counters aside from rainbow decks. Since it’s a weapon, various shields (Bone Wall, Wings, etc.) can block the damage that Discord deals, preventing its Scrambling ability. Permanent control such as Deflagration is often brutal against Discord; since Deflagration only costs 2 :fire (1 :fire upped), trying to remove the entire opponent’s :fire quanta to avoid that result is difficult and fairly unreliable. If you’re using a mono-Entropy deck with Discord, having it stolen and used against you can be equally detrimental. Even when a Discord is turned into a creature via Flying Weapon, its stats (3 HP and 4 (6 upgraded) attack) make it prone to practically every form of damaging creature control available, including the Maxwell Demon’s Paradox ability. In very rare situations, certain opponents may actually benefit from Discord to exchange quanta to give them access to off-element abilities of cards. Using a Discord against Seism, for example, may allow him to use the Pulverizer’s “Shatter” ability against your permanents, which normally doesn’t occur because he cannot generate :gravity. Because of this, Discord isn’t used as often in False God decks (for that reason, and for the fact that they generate too much quanta to Scramble usually).
Some players see it as an incredibly dangerous (but unstable) weapon, while others perceive it as a minor nuisance. With these issues and tips in mind, one must always be wary about what type of deck one faces with Discord, as the deck will generally determine its effectiveness.
Quick Facts:
Discord will scramble up to 10 random quanta from the opponent’s pools, meaning that their quanta can be random placed into other elements
Discord’s Scramble ability requires a direct hit in order for it to take effect
Generally has a lesser effect the more quanta the opponent has
Use This Card Together With:
Black Hole | Black Hole
Earthquake | Quicksand
Devourer | Pest
Decks Using This Card:
Dis-Chargers Revisted: Drag-ords (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8895.0.html)
Entropy/Earth Quanta Control (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5902.0.html)
Pesty Lycans with Scrambling Daggers! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15956.0.html)
Death polls are NOW up! :D
...also, new cards will -not- be in the polls until Janurary 21st, according to this post: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17535.msg245485#msg245485
Post by: smuglapse on January 04, 2011, 07:30:26 am
Small suggestion:
Regardless of whatever deck one goes up against, an early Discord on the battlefield is generally more effective than one in the later part of the game, as the quanta scrambling effect is weakened when the opponent has more quanta.To some one new to the game, I think the word 'weaken' may be construed as the mechanic changing somehow due to more quanta in play. I would suggest changing to 'less noticeable', or 'not as important'.
I pick Mummy for Death. Soul Catcher needs more play before voting for the high cost Death cards. ;)
Post by: EvaRia on January 04, 2011, 08:19:29 am
Post by: Ant-n-ero on January 04, 2011, 12:24:08 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on January 04, 2011, 05:58:46 pm
Post by: Higurashi on January 04, 2011, 07:10:21 pm
Post by: Bloodthorn on January 05, 2011, 02:59:57 am
Post by: nilsieboy on January 06, 2011, 02:11:33 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on January 06, 2011, 10:12:26 pm
it just got updated!!!
Post by: ddevans96 on January 06, 2011, 11:40:14 pm
Post by: willng3 on January 06, 2011, 11:44:57 pm
Post by: icecoldbro on January 06, 2011, 11:47:27 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 07, 2011, 08:30:47 am
Vote skellie if u like to troll and annoy people!!!And this is why your voting choice will probably fail hardcore. ^^;
On a side note folks; remember that when you're voting, consider the types of decks the card is usually inserted into, and more importantly, how good (tested) and popular those decks are. If we can't find a deck to place a card into, how is there going to be a good Featured article for it?
Food for thought. 8)
Post by: ddevans96 on January 08, 2011, 03:51:23 pm
Vote skellie if u like to troll and annoy people!!!Yeah don't even go there.
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 09, 2011, 12:22:13 pm
NOTE: Thank you to coinch to writing part of the article during the first Trials. :)
The rare Death card, Arsenic, is a dangerous card. Compared to the other weapons, it does a small amount of damage (either 2 damage unupped or 4 damage upgraded), but where it shines is its ability. In addition, Arsenic also adds 1 poison counter to the opponent upon hitting the enemy, making it a potent device when it comes to applying poison.
Arsenic is a specialized weapon for dealing damage over time, compared to some of the other tougher weapons, such as Titan or Fahrenheit, which deal huge chunks of damage upon being played. When Arsenic manages to successfully deal damage to the opponent directly, its Venom ability applies one poison counter on the opponent. The next turn, the opponent takes 1 more damage from the poison. This doesn’t seem like much initially, but the impact of the poison can become a crippling effect if your opponent is unable to remove Arsenic or continuously heal to counteract the poison. Since poison is cumulative, Arsenic can rack up several poison counters on an opponent if played early, which will slowly chip away at the enemy’s health if they’re not quick enough. Even if Arsenic gets destroyed or stolen, the poison damage is still in effect. Also, the cost is incredibly efficient; 2 :death to play either version (non-upgraded or upped). Because of that, having multiple Arsenics in a deck can annoy an opponent with limited permanent control (PC), as Arsenic is generally cheaper than most PC (Steal, Pulverizer, and Butterfly Effect).
Its major weaknesses besides permanent control are shields that are defensive enough to block the attack completely (Bone Wall, Dissipation Shield) or having it completely miss (Dusk Mantle, Improved Fog). If Arsenic cannot hit the opponent, another poison counter can’t be applied. Also, Purify (a Water spell that costs 1 :water) can utterly negate all of the poison damage by removing all of the poison counters. However, not every deck carries such shields or that specific spell.
One of the most common uses for Arsenic is in a Speed Poison type deck, where the goal is to put as many poison counters on the opponent as fast as possible. In most cases, players tend to assume that the enemy cannot remove the poison counters by packing a Purify in the deck, so they try to place as many poison-related cards in the deck. Obviously, the Poison (or Deadly Poison) cards are incredibly cheap spells that help rack poison counters on the opponent, so in most poison-decks, Arsenic and Poison are often paired up together.
Chrysaoras or Physalias are incredibly cheap creatures (1 :water) with the ‘Poison’ ability, which can help load poison counters on the opponent quickly alongside an Arsenic. Puffer Fish (not the non-upgraded Toadfish) can also apply poison using their ‘Venom’ ability; both of these creatures create a specialized synergy between Death and Water via the use of poison and slow damage over time to control the battlefield. Scorpio, the False God, uses these strategies to overwhelm players.
Lastly, Flying Weapon is another effective card with Arsenic – by having multiple Arsenics on the field (Flying Weapon turns the weapon into a creature), you can have multiple applications of poison while also ignoring nasty permanent control; Arsenic has 7 HP in both forms, making it fairly resistant towards most damaging creature control effects. In addition, it also has the ‘poisonous’ passive, giving it some resistance towards Otyugh and Scarab decks that tend to Devour creatures (if a creature consumes the Arsenic, they’ll be infected with poison as well).
With various creatures, spells, and permanents that can apply poison to your enemy and/or their creatures, it’s important to note that poison often takes time to whittle down your opponent. Because of its slow nature, many players usually combine Arsenic in decks as supplemental damage (rainbows) or focus on Arsenic as the main fighter with stalling cards (Sundial, Miracle, Bone Wall). Despite having a couple of hard counters, Arsenic is an iconic weapon for Death due to its toxic gift, and one that is loved and hated by anyone who knows the nature of poison.
Quick Facts:
Arsenic deals 2 damage (or 4 damage when upgraded), and afflicts one poison damage (adds a poison counter) to the opponent; the poison can only be applied if Arsenic manages to hit the opponent
The poison damage from the weapon can be stacked with all other poison effects, and can be reapplied each turn upon attacking
Has the ‘Poisonous’ passive ability
Use This Card Together With:
Poison | Deadly Poison
Chrysaora | Physalia
Flying Weapon | Animate Weapon
Decks Using This Card:
Mummies Riding Toxic Spiders (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10074.0.html)
Got Poison? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,365.0.html)
Divine Arsenics Praying for a Miracle (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8506.0.html)
Gravity polls are now up! :)
Post by: nilsieboy on January 10, 2011, 03:06:43 pm
go chimera 8)
Post by: PlayerOa on January 10, 2011, 03:31:13 pm
Post by: Alyzia on January 10, 2011, 04:30:29 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on January 10, 2011, 09:50:55 pm
Post by: Ajit on January 11, 2011, 01:23:44 am
Post by: EpicFirestorm on January 13, 2011, 06:23:57 am
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on January 15, 2011, 10:14:53 pm
chimera= daddy of otyughs. why, they nom all creatures in one big bite lol
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 16, 2011, 01:38:42 pm
With the quickest potential of reaching the maximum attack and HP threshold for creatures, Chimera is an amalgamation creature that combines all of your current creatures into one monstrous entity upon being summoned. In addition, it’s the only creature that can only be on its side of the field one at a time.
Chimera is a specialized ‘creature’ that actually merges all of the creatures on your side of the field for 7 (or 6 upgraded) :gravity quanta. Upon being played, all of your creatures become 'fused' together (they do not die, nor do they trigger any death effects), and the new Chimera gains stats equivalent to the total current stats on the field. Thus, it has no specific attack power or HP; its stats are truly dependent on what you’re fighting your opponent with. Because a Chimera will always absorb all other creatures on the side of the field it’s being played on, playing multiple Chimeras have no effect, as new Chimeras will reabsorb the old ones, preventing a person to have multiple Chimeras on the field at once. From that, Fractal and Twin Universe have absolutely no benefit on this card, as multiple Chimeras nullify one another.
More importantly, it has two additional effects upon being summoned: Momentum and Gravity Pull. Thus, with a lot of high HP creatures (found in the Gravity element for example), Chimera becomes an increasingly difficult target to kill, and a potential ‘tank’ for the player to absorb incoming damage from multiple creatures. Conversely, with a lot of high-attack creatures, it can be used to serve as a finishing blow against an opponent with a powerful shield. The fact that it can be used both ways makes it an incredibly versatile tool to be reckoned with, and one that can be presented as a major surprise for the opponent if they’re not paying attention to what creatures are being played.
Note that Chimera only gains the combined stat totals of the creatures, not abilities or status effects. For example, if there were several creatures afflicted with numerous status affects (Poison, Adrenaline, Freeze, Delay, etc.), none of them would be transferred to the Chimera upon it being played. Active abilities (Burrow, Infect, Bioluminescence) and passive skills (Mummy, Voodoo, etc.) are also not transferred. With this, Chimera is unaffected by previously played creature control, with the exclusion of stat-reducing effects.
One highly synergetic card to combine with the Chimera is Pharaoh. Pharaohs are rare Time creatures that have the ability, ‘Scarab’, which generates a Scarab (or Elite Scarab upgraded) for only 2 :time. While the Scarabs themselves are weak initially, given enough set-up time, their health will gradually increase with multiple Scarabs on the field due to their ‘Swarm’ passive. A full field of Elite Scarabs, for instance, would have 23 HP each, thus giving the Chimera the maximum amount of HP at 499 (if there was no HP limit in the game, the correct total would be 529 HP), and 69 attack power (or more if the Scarabs devoured other creatures). Because of this, Chimera serves as a wonderful finisher and tank once the field is filled with several Scarabs, and strengthens the synergy between the Time and Gravity elements.
Liquid Shadow also has a fun use with Chimera – granting easy Elemental Masteries. As Liquid Shadow grants a creature the ability, ‘Vampire’, placing a Liquid Shadow on a Chimera (which is guaranteed to always hit because it has Momentum on it also) can oftentimes recover the player’s HP to their full amount. Although Liquid Shadow poisons the creature with the ability, most Chimeras will often have enough HP that the poison will have very little effect.
Also, Armagio’s often serve two major uses alongside a Chimera; due to their HP, they can help increase the Chimera’s HP stat when they’re on the field before the Chimera, or if the Chimera is already out, an Armagio can redirect the Gravity Pull effect away from the Chimera onto themselves, thus keeping your Chimera safe from creature attacks.
In addition to the above cards, any stat increasing effect will oftentimes improve the effectiveness of the Chimera, especially ones that give off a high increase of either stat for multiple creatures (Eclipse and Sky Blitz).
Despite being a huge powerhouse though, several ‘soft’ forms of CC can oftentimes ruin the creature’s potential. Antimatter can counter Chimera directly (by placing it on the Chimera, which will heal the opponent for large amounts instead of dealing damage) or indirectly (placing it on high-attack creatures for the Chimera to absorb – positive and negative attack ratios are calculated when Chimera comes into play). Sundials can be a huge setback – playing a Chimera while one is out will often give your opponent an opportunity to stun, lobotomize, or otherwise negate its damage somehow. Above all though, Rewind is the most lethal counter. If a Chimera is rewound back into the deck, then it will be effectively useless even if you have the quanta to replay it again, as the creatures on your field have already been absorbed. Because of these cards, one should carefully calculate how much damage a Chimera can deal before being played, as in most cases, Chimeras are often finishers for a duel.
All in all, Chimera is a majestic and unique creature because of its highly variable stats, adaptability, and having its own foil art (which appears as relics in the spins) via donating.
Quick Facts:
Chimera absorbs (does not kill) all creatures on the side of the field it’s been played on
Gains variable stats; its attack and HP are the cumulative total attack and HP stats of the creatures on the field it has absorbed
Has both Momentum and Gravity Pull upon being played; it cannot absorb abilities or creature statuses
Two or more Chimeras cannot exist on the same field
Use This Card Together With:
Pharaoh | Pharaoh
Liquid Shadow | Liquid Shadow
Armagio | Elite Armagio
Decks Using This Card:
Stalling Scarab Amalgamation (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19400.0.html)
Dragon-Bow Speed AI5 EM (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18603.0.html)
Super Chimera (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16270.0.html)
Earth polls are now up!
Post by: volkers on January 16, 2011, 02:04:38 pm
Post by: $$$man on January 16, 2011, 02:39:02 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on January 16, 2011, 02:43:23 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on January 16, 2011, 02:46:46 pm
Post by: RavingRabbid on January 16, 2011, 03:04:38 pm
Post by: Higurashi on January 16, 2011, 03:18:33 pm
Post by: Alyzia on January 16, 2011, 06:32:17 pm
Though as a BE fan I must of course insist that the name of the upgraded version should be changed so that it becomes "Pulverizer | Pulveriser".
Post by: PlayerOa on January 17, 2011, 05:20:04 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on January 17, 2011, 06:14:29 pm
Post by: Chaotic Elitist on January 20, 2011, 01:48:06 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 24, 2011, 05:22:21 am
Pulverizer is the rare weapon for Earth. Like its name, the weapon is renowned for its ability to demolish the opponent’s possessions, namely their permanents.
Whether the weapon is non-upped or upgraded, Pulverizer costs 4 :earth quanta to play into the weapon slot. Dealing 5 damage per turn, Pulverizer is a pretty decent weapon for attacking the opponent, but where it shines is its ability. For 3 :gravity (or 2 :gravity in its upped form), Pulverizer can ‘shatter’ (or Destroy) a targeted permanent on the field, removing it and all of its effects from the user’s access. Unlike Earthquake, Pulverizer can target any permanent; whether it’s a pesky shield, game-turning weapon, or even a pillar from a stack of pillars, being able to continuously destroy the opponent’s permanents makes Pulverizer one of the best forms of permanent control (PC) available in game. The other two forms of reusable PC, Butterfly Effect and a mutated creature with either ‘Steal’ or ‘Destroy’ have several more limitations than Pulverizer. However, Pulverizer does require both :earth and :gravity in order to work to its full potential, but at the same time, it also strengthens the synergy between the Earth and Gravity elements in various ways.
Note that the Destroy ability can be somewhat devastating on Pulverizer for quick-clicking users. Many players with jittery fingers can accidentally destroy the Pulverizer using its own ability; one should be very careful about what they target with the Pulverizer, or they might find themselves disarmed!
For Earth, Earthquake is a no-brainer combo card that works well with Pulverizer. Since both cards utilize :earth quanta and deal with permanent control, a player can remove several pillars or pendulums from the opponent’s field to deny them of quanta, while Pulverizer can also remove other vital permanents (shields or Shards of Gratitude). The combination of these two can often ruin any person who relies heavily on such permanents, and especially those who have no other source of quanta generation besides pillar and pendulum stacks.
Enchant Artifact is also perfect with Pulverizer; given the cheap cost of the spell (2 or 1 :earth), one could have an unstoppable weapon of destruction, shattering permanents left and right. As Pulverizer can be destroyed by PC effects (Explosion, Steal, etc.), having Pulverizer protected and nullify those cards and abilities with ease. Note though that Voodoo Doll can still ‘stun’ a Pulverizer if it becomes afflicted with certain delaying-status effects (Freeze), so a protected Pulverizer can still be stopped (although not destroyed).
As Pulverizer is great for reusable PC, many rainbow decks often include one or two copies of this weapon in their decks against False Gods, as Pulverizer can be integral to removing dangerous or otherwise frustrating permanents that are heavily used by some of them (Feral Bonds from Ferox or Phase Shields from Gemini). Mono-Earth and Duo-earth decks often use Pulverizer to heighten the synergy between Earth and Gravity, especially as many of their cards are great for permanent and creature control and protection. Given the desirability of permanent removal, Pulverizer is one of the most used rare weapons for a reason – and one that should never be overlooked when one spots heavy amounts of both :earth and :gravity quanta in the opponents pools.
Quick Facts:
Pulverizer deals 5 damage per turn, and has 12 HP when flown
Has the ability to Destroy other permanents; costs 3 (or 2 when upgraded) :gravity quanta to use
Use This Card Together With:
Earthquake | Quicksand
Enchant Artifact | Protect Artifact
Decks Using This Card:
Too big for your boots (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6085.0.html)
Heavy Quintet (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7008.0.html)
CC? Why bother? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9545.0.html)
LIFE polls are now up!
Post by: Higurashi on January 24, 2011, 08:07:24 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on January 24, 2011, 08:27:53 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on January 24, 2011, 08:51:55 pm
so... why not vote for forest spectre?
Post by: Wonder on January 24, 2011, 08:54:32 pm
Post by: willng3 on January 24, 2011, 11:09:49 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on January 25, 2011, 02:29:32 pm
Post by: Hyroen on January 25, 2011, 03:50:29 pm
Post by: Higurashi on January 25, 2011, 03:58:24 pm
At least an article would help a bit.
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 25, 2011, 05:58:32 pm
Pepo will be proud.On a side note: If Rustler | Leaf Dragon DOES win, there's a high chance that I won't be removing anything from the current article here: http://elementswiki.co.cc/cards-life/rustler-leaf-dragon/ - pepokish has done a pretty awesome job in terms of the analysis, so the only modifications to the article are possibly a few edits to the overall 'layout' (intro and conclusive paragraph), and maybe a credit to pepokish's artwork for Leaf Dragon. :)
Post by: Tea is good on January 25, 2011, 11:38:15 pm
Also, the theme fits so well.
Post by: icybraker on January 27, 2011, 11:11:52 pm
Oh, and Staff all the way. Flying adrenalined staves are pretty intimidating.
Post by: Higurashi on January 27, 2011, 11:15:57 pm
Post by: Korugar on January 27, 2011, 11:17:29 pm
Post by: xdude on January 28, 2011, 07:50:45 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 28, 2011, 07:53:35 am
Pepo's gone? D:Agreed on the latter statement, but the first one regarding pepo is false. She's still here, floating in the clouds. :3
Oh, and Staff all the way. Flying adrenalined staves are pretty intimidating.
...and oh my god. Icybraker has returned! :o
Post by: Chaotic Elitist on January 28, 2011, 01:39:55 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 02, 2011, 08:01:20 am
MAJOR credit to Pepokish; I (Kuroaitou) actually didn't write much of this article, as pepokish had done an already fantastic job with the wiki information on this guy already. I made a few tweaks here and there (mostly the small intro/SoR/conclusion paragraphs, and the tibit on Ray of Light), but for the most part, its really pepokish's work. :D Thank you and <3 to pepo! ^_^
As one of the most adorable Life creatures, the Rustler (and its upgrade, Leaf Dragon), can convert :light quanta into :life quanta repeatedly in a turn, making it one of the most efficient quanta transformers in the game.
The Rustler opens up many windows of opportunity for Life-Light synergy. It can serve many purposes, from being a simple way to balance extra quanta, to being the absolute lynchpin of a deck. Rustlers work by giving 2 :life quanta per 1 :light quanta upon activating its ‘Photosynthesis’ ability, and the player can use this ability more than once every turn, which is particularly important for this card.
One special thing to note is that Shard of Readiness (a rare 'Other' card obtained by donating to the game) will allow a player to generate 2 :life quanta for free if the spell is used on a Rustler or Leaf Dragon, but it will prevent the player from activating the skill multiple times. This is to prevent situations where players can generate near-infinite amounts of :life quanta without any other requirement, and would throw off game-balance if it could.
Rustlers are a great way to quickly gain a lot of life quanta. They work quite nicely with unupgraded Fireflies, as fireflies produce light quanta, which can be turned back into life quanta by the Rustlers. One excellent example of this is a basic variation on the Firefly Queen Deck. As the Rustler transforms the :light quanta emitted from the Fireflies into :life quanta, the Firefly Queen uses the same :life quanta to produce additional Fireflies on the field. Sadly with only 1 HP, the Rustler is fairly weak in comparison to many other creatures, making it vulnerable in those deck archetypes to strong CC. However, the upgraded version (the Leaf Dragon) has a total of 3 HP. Though this +2 HP may not seem like much, it certainly makes a difference against certain CC cards such as Plague and Thunderstorm, which will oftentimes kill a Rustler upon being played. With the addition of Blessing (another Light card), Leaf Dragons and Rustlers become much more stable, and can become decent attackers as well as impressive quanta-exchangers.
By the same token, Rays of Light (the upgraded form of Photon) also works well with the Rustlers – as ‘free-costing’ cards, Rays of Light can be played at any time, and also generate :light quanta each turn similar to the Firefly. While the Rays of Light are weaker than the Fireflies (1|1 (Ray of Light) vs. 3|2 (Firefly) in regards to Attack & HP ratios), many consider the two cards to be an effective strategy of gaining additional :life quanta faster, and are another combo that demonstrates the synergy between the Life and Light elements.
Finally the Rustler also works well in combination with Miracle. Because Miracle requires a lot of quanta quickly, you may often find yourself with much more light quanta then you actually need. All of the excess quanta will typically go to waste, as Miracle consumes all leftover :light quanta after played. The addition of a Rustler will end this dilemma, by turning your extra light quanta into life quanta, which can then be used to quickly turn out dragons, adrenaline-affected frogs, etc. Thus, if you are generating excessive amounts of :light quanta to play expensive Light cards like Miracle, Rustlers become perfect for calculating and transforming quanta to ensure that nothing is squandered.
Because quanta can be a scarce and difficult resource to accumulate throughout matches, cards like Rustler can be wonderful to have as a back-up plan to strategize your quanta, and should never be overlooked in regards to the Life-Light synergy.
Quick Facts:
Rustler's ability, 'Photosynthesis', exchanges 1 :light for 2 :life upon activation.
Rustler’s ability can be used more than once per turn.
Shard of Readiness can remove the :light activation cost of the Rustler's skill, but it will prevent the player from using the skill multiple times.
Use This Card Together With:
Firefly Queen | Elite Queen
Blessing | Blessing
Miracle | Improved Miracle
Decks Using This Card:
Hope + Unupgraded FFQ (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4026.0.html)
The Creation of Life (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9542.0.html)
Pepoker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15361.0.html)
(Note: I know there are no decks in the above that use Miracle, but whatever)
Fire polls will be up soon.
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on February 02, 2011, 10:26:26 am
vote for RoF/firestorm
it's the single best CC (if your opponent has a lot of creatures out)
Post by: Jappert on February 02, 2011, 10:32:04 am
I'm much more interested in different Rage pot/Fire Nymph tactics.
Post by: Higurashi on February 02, 2011, 12:07:33 pm
Notably, as a side note, it was quite exciting to watch the Master's Tourney duel between kevkev and xdude, where a Fire Buckler and Fire Nymphs were able to kill off even Archangels, solely because kev had upped those Nymphs.
Post by: Jappert on February 02, 2011, 12:12:44 pm
And you're obviously right about the firestorm, but my vote stays :D
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on February 02, 2011, 12:53:48 pm
Yeah I have all of my nymphs (including that one fire nymph) upgraded aswell, wich could have been a mistake I read elsewhere. In the decks where I use it I mainly rage my own nymph and fire queen, but buffing it might decrease the overall opportunities to use it at all (as a buff), I'd like to read about that if rage pot or fire nymph turn out on top. To upgrade or not to upgrade.upping nymphs is a mistake if you participate in PvP events regularly, since you don't, it's not a mistake
And you're obviously right about the firestorm, but my vote stays :D
Post by: ddevans96 on February 02, 2011, 04:19:36 pm
That said, I voted for Rage Potion. I love cards that have double uses, and rage potions are one of those versatile cards that can be used as CC or as a buff for your creatures.
Post by: PlayerOa on February 02, 2011, 04:43:47 pm
Post by: Alyzia on February 03, 2011, 04:39:15 pm
Post by: Wonder on February 03, 2011, 09:50:28 pm
Post by: icybraker on February 03, 2011, 09:59:56 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on February 03, 2011, 10:18:15 pm
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on February 03, 2011, 10:23:43 pm
funny how no one is advertising for lava destroyer... yet it has the most votes...^that's because the strongest cards don't need to be advertised, since they're so well used and known.
"A truly well-known store has no need for advertisements." - Unknown
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on February 04, 2011, 04:53:59 am
Please add a change vote option so I can bring down this golem before it grows too strong!
No seriously, why are people voting for such boring and overused cards?
Post by: Hyroen on February 04, 2011, 05:46:45 am
Post by: icecoldbro on February 04, 2011, 05:58:16 am
Anything here is great vote really fire is amazing element overall
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 05, 2011, 10:01:13 am
...before I begin writing the article, does anyone happen to have a 'table' of the damage-quanta ratio's for the weapon (:fire quanta-damage) by chance?
Post by: Malignant on February 05, 2011, 10:42:43 am
So...
| Fire Quanta | BONUS Damage |
| 0~4 | 0 |
| 5~9 | 1 |
| 10~14 | 2 |
| 15~19 | 3 |
| 20~24 | 4 |
| 25~29 | 5 |
| 30~34 | 6 |
| 35~39 | 7 |
| 40~44 | 8 |
| 45~49 | 9 |
| 50~54 | 10 |
Nice enough?
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 06, 2011, 03:35:36 am
Here's the article for Fahrenheit:
The brighter the flame, the hotter the fire; Fahrenheit is an extreme weapon that gets stronger the more :fire quanta the player has. Because of its scalability, Fahrenheit is the only weapon capable of dealing major double-digit damage on a single hit, invoking the unforgiving power of the Fire element.
Fahrenheit only costs 3 :fire for either version (upgraded or not), making it fairly efficient as a damage dealer. While it may not have any unique abilities compared to the other rare weapons, Fahrenheit focuses on one crucial tactic: damage. If a player has Fahrenheit out without any additional :fire quanta in their pool, Fahrenheit does 4 (upgraded, 5) damage – a decent amount compared to many of the other weapons at the level. Eventually, given enough :fire-generating pillars, pendulums, and other cards, the damage begins to increase steadily based on the quanta you have, dealing more damage each turn. For every 5 :fire quanta the player has within their quanta pool, Fahrenheit will also deal an additional point of damage. With 24 :fire for example, a player would be dealing an additional 4 damage that turn, boosting the weapon to have up to 8-9 damage total. Given enough :fire-generating cards, Fahrenheit can easily become a relentless tool to wither the opponent’s health away.
One of the main cards Fahrenheit is usually paired up with is Fire Bolt. Since the damage from Fire Bolt scales with :fire quanta as well, both cards can be paired together to deliver a deadly one-hit (where all the damage is dealt within a single turn) K.O., although this type of damage requires some thoughtful calculations in order to ensure that enough damage can be dealt within that turn. The following table provides a basic list of values for how much damage Fahrenheit will deal given certain amounts of quanta:
| Fire Quanta | BONUS Damage |
| 0~4 | 0 |
| 5~9 | 1 |
| 10~14 | 2 |
| 15~19 | 3 |
| 20~24 | 4 |
| 25~29 | 5 |
| 30~34 | 6 |
| 35~39 | 7 |
| 40~44 | 8 |
| 45~49 | 9 |
| 50~54 | 10 |
Crusaders and Flying Weapon are also two other cards that can allow players to deal absurd amounts of damage with the Fiery skill alone – because both of these cards allow one to theoretically have multiple Fahrenheit weapons on the field at once, the amount of damage dramatically increases for both of these cards, although shields and rewind counter these strategies easily.
Because of its nature, Fahrenheit is generally suited for decks that focus on accumulating :fire quanta as quickly as possible, and thus, is a staple in many mono-fire decks or duos that focus on the Fire element. If you find yourself fighting one, it’s advised that you either remove it as quickly as possible before the heat becomes overwhelming to deal with.
Quick Facts:
Fahrenheit will deal 4 (5 upgraded) damage as a minimum
Its ability, ‘Fiery’, scales with :fire quanta – for every 5 :fire quanta one possesses, the weapon deals an additional point of damage
Fahrenheit has no limit into how much damage it can deal
Use This Card Together With:
Fire Bolt | Fire Lance
Ash Eater | Brimstone Eater
Crusader | Crusader
Decks Using This Card:
Fire Stall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6515.0.html)
Mindless Ruby Dragons (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11593.0.html)
The Fire Burns Bright into Their Eyes (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17268.msg234784#msg234784)
WARNING: The next week's poll will be a non-elemental (special) version of some of the other cards. In other words, generic articles for one or more of the following cards (Pillars, Pendulums, All Nymphs, SoR, SoD, and SoG) may be written and put up instead. ;)
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on February 06, 2011, 05:05:28 am
Post by: astraldragoon on February 06, 2011, 06:47:31 am
Post by: Higurashi on February 06, 2011, 12:52:22 pm
Post by: Korugar on February 06, 2011, 07:00:56 pm
Post by: Bloodshadow on February 07, 2011, 01:31:38 am
Pillars and Pendulums are fine, Dragons are meh, but Nymphs... I think each Nymph is unique enough to deserve its own article. Unless you write a generic article about the rarity of Nymphs or something, but that wouldn't fit in the idea of weekly featured cards.
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 07, 2011, 02:16:22 am
Bonus card, eh? That wasn't a part of my original idea, so I don't know what you should put on the front page. Do you put a random Nymph/Dragon or something?Actually, NONE of the these cards are going to be featured. Two reasons why:
Pillars and Pendulums are fine, Dragons are meh, but Nymphs... I think each Nymph is unique enough to deserve its own article. Unless you write a generic article about the rarity of Nymphs or something, but that wouldn't fit in the idea of weekly featured cards.
1. These articles may have decks and general synergy cards that go well with them, but they will be so short that they aren't really worthy of being front page. Pillars and Pendulums are practically straight-forward; Dragons are fairly easy to talk about, given that most have the same non-upped (or upgraded) stats. Nymphs might be the most 'unique', but for the most part, a link will provided to the alchemy spell in question to give the reader more accurate details of their skill.
I figure that I need a 'short break' from writing all these intense articles without them even being featured. The front page of the wiki is still on Chimera, and we're already on Water cards. That's pretty far down the list, so when SG (or someone) comes back and redoes the front page code to allow easier editing for the featured cards/main articles, the featured cards will start off again. ^^;
But yeah, this wasn't really 'part of the plan', but oh well. Sorry about that Blood. ^^;
Shards would be cool, but since they're not an option; pendies. This time I'll look on the article as an educational tool, and spreading knowledge of this nifty tool would be beneficial.If there was another bonus poll (...possibly sooner than one would think), All shards would be an option. ;)
Post by: Bloodshadow on February 07, 2011, 03:25:53 am
Quote
But yeah, this wasn't really 'part of the plan', but oh well. Sorry about that Blood. ^^;Oh well, it's not like I have a say in this anymore. You've officially taken over the project, so you can do whatever you want. You're doing a good job.
Hm, I might write an article or two sometimes if I feel like it. Not now though... Still feeling
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on February 07, 2011, 06:48:08 am
Unless...
Nymphs are rare. Very rare. Want one? Spin the oracle. Didn't get one? Try again the next day.
"Yes but can I just get one from..." No.
"I got that but" No.
"I heard something about tournament wins!" Yes. But for you, no. Unless the rest of the worlds internet crashes. In that case, hurrah!
"Zanz should make them T50 farmable so even the casual players can get them!" No.
If you have ever bought a lottery ticket, played a slot machine IRL, please do not complain about the nymph mechanism.
This article has nothing to do with the fact that I have 20.
Please enjoy your stay
And seriously, even my one sucked. So vote for those unloved dragons!
Post by: chum3 on February 07, 2011, 04:29:36 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on February 07, 2011, 05:16:19 pm
Post by: Bloodshadow on February 08, 2011, 05:31:13 am
I think Dragons are unique enough to have an individual feature for each of them. I'd agree that Pillars and Pendulums aren't interesting enough to each have their own feature, and Nymphs can be directed to their respective alchemy card for reference, but each Dragon has its own talking points and strategies.Some of the Dragons have their own unique characteristics (e.g. Ruby Dragon for rushing, and Phase Dragon is immortal), but most of the other Dragons are pretty similar... I wouldn't feature each Dragon individually.
Post by: Chaotic Elitist on February 09, 2011, 02:12:10 pm
Go Nymphs.
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 24, 2011, 08:29:13 pm
I'm really sorry about this, but I've been -very- busy these past few days with real life things popping up (mainly school, blargh), but I managed to get 3/4 articles done for the BONUS poll. Each of these articles will be posted as a 'generic' article for the card sets in question (nymphs, dragons, etc.), and they won't be featured anymore or be placed onto the poll, as they barely provide any analytical usage compared to the more diverse creatures, spells, and permanents found in-game.
Nymphs; as one of the most rare set of cards to obtain in the game, nymph cards are mainly known by their rarity. While some people have managed to obtain one or two of these creatures, very few have managed to obtain an entire set (one from each element) – because of this, Nymphs are generally cherished by their owners, and are rarely sold by players (except by the lucky handful who have more than 12 copies of a certain Nymph).
While the Alchemy spells can be commonly bought, their effects are generally limited to 6 uses within a duel (the maximum number of times a card can be played). However, Nymphs can allow a player to repeatedly use an alchemy effect (for cheaper, generally), and can be incredibly potent when the ability is spammed. Despite their vulnerability to CC, most nymphs have a higher HP pool to counteract damage (excluding a couple with potentially exploitable active skills). Likewise, their skill costs are some of the highest given the effects, but a Shard of Readiness can instantly remove that hindrance.
Nymphs are generally won through the lucky spin of the Oracle, but some PvP Events, Tournaments, and the PvP Leagues can also reward in-game ‘codes’ that can be refunded for a Nymph as well. No matter how you obtain one though, be sure to hold onto it, as it’s a treasure that you may not obtain for a very long time.
Specifically, the ______ Nymph has the ______ skill. (Click on the Alchemy Spell to learn more information on its uses)
* = Note the blanks in here can be filled with the respective name and ability of the Nymph in question.
Dragons are generally the brute force behind the element, oftentimes characterized by having fairly high stats (double-digit ATK or HP values). These cards are powerful damage dealers in most cases, but they are all incredibly expensive (usually costing at least 10 quanta of a specific elemental type).
The upgraded versions of these cards often have slight improvements to the ATK stat, with varying changes to the HP (most dragons gain small or significant boosts to the HP stat, while others have no change or lose HP to counterbalance the boost in ATK). Most dragons are strong against basic damage-reducing shields (as their ATK can still chip away the opponent’s health indiscriminately), but some shields can still block them completely (Gravity Shield, Hope, Dimensional Shield, and others). The Wings card has no effect on Dragons, as they are all have the airborne passive skill.
In most cases, the Dragons are often used in mono-decks to provide hard-hitters within a deck, and are always included in the starting deck for a new player. Most Dragons are generic and don’t have any special abilities or noteworthy stats, except the Phase Dragon (which is immaterial upon entering play, allowing it to be immune towards targeting effects), and the Massive Dragon (whose HP is one of the highest in-game, making it ideal for cards such as Acceleration or Gravity Pull).
Pillars are the staple of basic quanta generation in game; they are free to play (they require no quanta to place onto the field), and are considered to be the practical backbone of almost every deck in game.
Because of the requirements to play the various creatures, spells, and non-pillar/pendulum permanents in-game, pillars (and their upgraded form, towers) are essential for any player to generate a steady flow of quanta. Also, pillars are one of the few single-card permanents to create a stack upon being played (pendulums being the other permanent to stack on cards similar to itself). While this saves space on the permanent field, certain cards (Earthquake) can demolish the stacks of pillars very quickly as a form of quanta denial, so one should be careful about how and/or when they play these free cards when fighting certain opponents.
Since the front page of the Wiki can't really be modified, we'll just continue on with the Water polls and resume schedule as of now. Please provide comments or suggestions on these 'generic' summaries if you can; while the cards won't be featured, they'll still serve as an overall rundown on the card 'set' in question. :)
Post by: wizelsnarf on February 24, 2011, 09:43:24 pm
"specifically the _______ nymph's ability is _______ ...."
Can we get a sentence like that added to each dragon? You kind of started with phase dragon and gravity dragon.
For example: Ruby Dragon - highest initial attack in the game. Very weak to CC.
Obsidian Dragon - Well rounded and packs an extra punch if you can play an eclipse
et cetera....
Overall I think this will be nice to add to the wiki as the general information is helpful (with a couple specific tips).
Post by: Hyroen on February 24, 2011, 09:49:04 pm
Post by: Higurashi on February 24, 2011, 09:58:55 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on February 24, 2011, 10:02:14 pm
they created humanity you know? (actually no, but they are the start to all this technology we have today to play elements)
in other words, if it wasn't for steam machines, we won't have the game
Post by: pikachufan2164 on February 24, 2011, 10:06:21 pm
It's the perfect win condition for a stall deck -- once your opponent can't do much to stop its amazing steam-powered growth, you can essentially chalk up a win.
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 24, 2011, 10:17:59 pm
On the nymphs you have:You got it. :) I can probably do something simple like this:
"specifically the _______ nymph's ability is _______ ...."
Can we get a sentence like that added to each dragon? You kind of started with phase dragon and gravity dragon.
[snip]
Overall I think this will be nice to add to the wiki as the general information is helpful (with a couple specific tips).
"The ______ Dragon is _______________ ...", where the first blank is the name, and the second should be no more than 1-2 sentences making any notable stats changes or synergies for the non-upped and upgraded versions.
That said, I voted for Puffer Fish, as it's the only creature in game to have two different abilities between the non-upped and upgraded version (Firefly also have two different abilities, but they both revolve around the same mechanic). ^^;
Post by: willng3 on February 24, 2011, 10:42:55 pm
Post by: Wynden on February 25, 2011, 02:03:47 am
I see Chrysaora & Steam Machine are really going at it. Looks like it's gonna be one of those two.
Post by: icecoldbro on February 25, 2011, 03:26:33 am
Hopefully not a wasted vote.
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on February 25, 2011, 03:50:46 am
sure we both like phoenix, but his is cold and blue, while mine is hot and red...
and here he votes for physalia instead of steam machine
*sigh*
Post by: chum3 on February 25, 2011, 05:20:22 pm
Go Chrysaora!
Post by: nilsieboy on February 26, 2011, 12:02:22 pm
also my big metal friend from the phoenix who liked a glass of water :).
Post by: PlayerOa on February 26, 2011, 03:24:27 pm
Maybe not so strong, but cool 8)
Post by: EpicFirestorm on February 28, 2011, 09:19:43 am
Post by: Aves on March 01, 2011, 02:21:37 am
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on March 01, 2011, 05:18:24 am
Post by: Metoropolice on March 01, 2011, 06:43:51 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 04, 2011, 11:45:45 pm
Steam Machine is a creature that combines two opposite elements (in this case, Water and Fire) to increase its damage. However, its ability has a slight drawback; every turn, it always loses 1 ATK from the Steam ability, until it reaches 0.
The Steam Machine is an odd creature; aside from the Anubis, no other creature requires quanta of the opposite element to utilize its ability on the field, which makes Steam Machine somewhat tricky to use in any deck that has emphasis on Water cards. The ability, ‘Steam’, grants counters (which is equivalent to ATK) to the creature, gaining 5 ATK upon use. However, these counters fall off one at a time (the Steam Machine loses 1 ATK at the end of the turn). The reason for this is that Steam increases its Current attack, rather than the Full attack, meaning that unless the Full attack is raised (via stat buffing cards) to the Current amount, the ATK drops. Without a constant source of steam (or 2 :fire quanta, to be specific), the Steam Machine will slowly lose its entire offensive prowess and become pacified. However, because of its high growth potential, a player who has a steady flow of :fire quanta can increase the Steam Machine’s offense to levels that will bypass many shields (including the infamous 23-damage reduction shield, Hope).
There are several important facts about the Steam Machine: one of which is that regular buffs that increase its ATK will not be diminished by the Steam ability. For example, if Blessing was applied to the Steam Machine (before or after the ability was used), the Steam Machine will always retain the +3 ATK boost, making it impossible for the ‘counters’ to reach ‘0’ (they’ll stop at 3 ATK). Also, applying Antimatter to a Steam Machine will cause its counters to be unable to drop any further (a Steam Machine with a –7 ATK will only gain counters until it reaches above 0, where the counters will be removed one at a time like normal). Also, stunning effects will still cause the Steam Machine to lose counters.
If the steam ability is removed from being lobotomized, the Steam Machine will retain its current ATK (without the Steam ability, ‘counters’ won’t be removed). Finally, Adrenaline causes it to lose its counters at a rapid pace. The following tables provide the general growth-rate of Steam Machine (given constant :fire quanta and that it always attacks that turn without being delayed), as well as a fluctuating ATK when Adrenaline is applied to Steam Machine (given different ATK values):
ATK #1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
# of attacks 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2
ATK #2 0 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 3 4 4 4 5 5
ATK #3 0 0 1 2 3 2 2 2 3
ATK #4 0 0 0 1 2
Total damage 1 3 6 10 13 12 13 15 18 13 15 16 17 19 20
While main buffs can grant the Steam Machine a ‘permanent’ amount of attack, Rage Potion combines well with this creature, especially the upgraded version. Unupped, Steam Machine only has 6 HP, which allows it to survive most attacks. In its upgraded form though, the mechanical beast has a whopping 15 HP; given the apparently synergy of :water and :fire, Rage Potion can act as an opening boost to the Steam Machine. Although it’s generally advised to only use one Rage Potion on the machine to avoid being killed by the alchemy spell, certain defensive cards may prompt players to use additional Rage Potions (i.e. – as a way to bypass Gravity Shield’s effect by decreasing the Steam Machine’s HP).
One main creature that helps the Steam Machine is the rare Arctic Squid. In some Water-oriented decks, the Arctic Squid provides cheap CC in the form of Freeze (Congeal in its upgraded form), locking the opponent’s field down while your offense is continuously being boosted. While it has little offensive prowess, the Squid’s ability can greatly increase your chance of survival against hard-hitters and creatures with nasty abilities, all the while improving your usage of both :water and :fire quanta in a deck.
And for those who don’t enjoy the idea of having to use the Steam Machine’s ability due to the Fire-combo restriction, Shard of Readiness can alleviate that issue. Shard of Readiness (or ‘SoR’) will remove the cost of Steam, making it free to use without any :fire quanta. Because of this, SoR is generally used in those mono-water decks as a great way to bypass the opposite-element requirement, allowing Steam Machine to easily be paired up with other cheap and expensive water cards.
Despite its somewhat clunky nature, Steam Machine can be a brutal powerhouse if left alone, and is one of the most unique growth creatures (or technically, machines) found in game. With the various effects that can alter or stabilize its eccentric ATK stat, players should try their best to remember when and what cards can cripple or strengthen the Steam Machine.
Quick Facts:
Steam Machine’s ability, ‘Steam’, uses 2 :fire quanta to raise its ATK temporarily by 5, but will decrease by one at the end of every turn, even when stunned.
Lobotomizing the Steam Machine will make it unable to lose any attack
The Steam ability’s ATK reduction will not bring the Steam Machine below 0 (even when afflicted by Antimatter); it will also not be reduced when stat-buffs are applied to the creature
Adrenaline triggers the Steam Machine’s ability multiple times.
Use This Card Together With:
Rage Potion | Rage Elixir
Shard | Shard of Readiness
Arctic Squid | Arctic Octopus
Decks Using This Card:
Rage Against the Machine (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8197.0.html)
EM Machine (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19625.0.html)
Need a Parka? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12200.0.html)
NOTE: 1.27 cards will not be included in the poll until April 3rd, based on this post - http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20703.msg302200#msg302200
Light polls are now up! (Sanctuary is not included because of the above note)
Post by: Wonder on March 04, 2011, 11:47:45 pm
No surprise there.
It's such a powerful card, especially with it's buff.
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 05, 2011, 02:17:08 am
(tho I suppose crusader might win)
Post by: Hyroen on March 05, 2011, 02:34:02 am
Post by: Higurashi on March 05, 2011, 03:38:08 am
NOTE: 1.27 cards will not be included in the poll until April 3rd, based on this post - http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20703.msg302200#msg302200I think I'll vote for Angel this time. It's been my favourite Light card for so long. Crusader is a step in the right direction for Light, to give it that cool image that it was lacking. Once we get a Zealot, I'll be pleased. :>
Light polls are now up! (Sanctuary is not included because of the above note)
Post by: willng3 on March 05, 2011, 04:01:27 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 05, 2011, 04:50:17 am
But anyway, I personally voted for Guardian Angel | Archangel, not because it would be fun to write about, but also because I think it's underestimated nowadays in Light's arsenal of creature cards. People have already forgotten its uses and or tactical synergies, and I always feel bad for the 'veteran' creatures that were implemented earlier... :P
Post by: Metoropolice on March 05, 2011, 07:43:47 am
Post by: PlayerOa on March 05, 2011, 08:23:41 am
Post by: Chaotic Elitist on March 05, 2011, 05:59:41 pm
Crusader decks are yawn. --; So, poo on the rest of ya'.
Post by: Falcon4415 on March 05, 2011, 06:12:56 pm
For. Shame.
Post by: xdude on March 05, 2011, 06:28:17 pm
Post by: Korugar on March 05, 2011, 07:07:46 pm
I don't get this. How can no one, aside from me, vote for the single best weapon, in my opinion, weapon? It's absolute damage, and seven of it. All the other weapons are nice, but they're prone to PC. MG just says no to every other weapon's flaw. C'mon people. D:And Titan says no to MG's flaw: shields ;)
Voted for. The. BEST. SUPPORT. CARD. EVER.I'm sorry, not being a light elemental, I don't know which card you're referring to...
Post by: Wynden on March 05, 2011, 08:34:01 pm
Crusader would've been my second choice, but it's quite obvious what it does and how to use it - for the most part.
About the Steam Machine post: no mention of Skittles (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12134.0.html)? :o
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 06, 2011, 06:28:30 am
I'm going with Solar Shield; it's a nice "new" card that seems worth investigating.I was on the fence about that one. I -could- have put it into the Featured Card article, but the decks I chose have the synergy cards within them; I could probably change (add?) the Skittles deck later if you like, but personally I always try to find decks that include the featured card and combo cards together to show how they work.
Crusader would've been my second choice, but it's quite obvious what it does and how to use it - for the most part.
About the Steam Machine post: no mention of Skittles (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12134.0.html)? :o
Thanks to the changes to Solar Shield and Luciferin, I would be glad if one of those were also voted highly on as well. ^^;
Post by: nilsieboy on March 06, 2011, 08:00:18 pm
Post by: Funkyvenom on March 10, 2011, 03:52:32 am
Post by: PlayerOa on March 10, 2011, 04:18:23 pm
Voted for. The. BEST. SUPPORT. CARD. EVER.Hey, it's no time cards in the poll :P
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 12, 2011, 12:07:44 pm
As a ‘sister’ card to the Flying Weapon card, Crusader is a flexible Light creature with the Endow ability. For 3 (or 2 upgraded) :light quanta, Crusader can Endow a weapon, increasing its ATK by an amount equal to the weapon in question, while also gaining the weapon’s abilities.
Unlike the Flying Weapon card, Crusader doesn’t need to have a weapon in the weapon slot for it to be played. For 5 :light, the Crusader card is a relatively frail card in regards to stats (2|4 or 3|5 upped). However, its true prowess comes with its ability, Endow. After Endow is triggered and the player targets a weapon, the Endow ability is replaced with the weapon’s skill, and the Crusader gains 2 HP and ATK equivalent to the weapon’s full attack. In other words, one could theoretically have multiple ‘weapons’ on the field at once via Crusader; sometimes with the added benefit of having additional ‘weapon damage’ applied with the skill. Another special thing to note is that Crusader can target any weapon on the field; whether the weapon is flown or within the weapon slot, or on the enemy’s or the player’s side, Endow can basically give the Crusader any weapon ability that is visible and targetable, making it extremely adaptable to practically any situation.
Since the weapon needs to be targeted in order for Crusader to gain the ability of it, Morning Star (the rare Light weapon) doesn’t work with the Endow ability, as it’s immaterial (i.e. – cannot be targeted directly). Although the Crusader is relatively vulnerable, facing an opponent with heavy permanent control can be frustrating if you rely on certain weapon abilities (Eternity or Pulverizer, for example). From that, it could be said that the Crusader can double the effectiveness and reliability of your weapon (instead of immortalizing it via Protect Artifact), as the copying of the weapon skill can act as a failsafe against PC-oriented opponents.
A secret regarding the Crusader’s Endow ability is that the ATK gain from the weapon in question can be further modified by the use of ATK-changing spells on the weapon (if flown). For example: if a player uses a Blessing on a flown Vampire Dagger, increasing the Vampire Dagger’s stats to 9|7, a Crusader will gain 9 ATK rather than the usual 6 from the ATK boost. Likewise, if a Flying Titan is afflicted with Antimatter, a Crusader using Endow on the Titan will receive –8 attack (as well as the momentum ability).
Also, abilities given to flying weapons can also be transferred to the Crusader (i.e. – a Dagger given the ‘Destroy’ ability via Butterfly Effect will also transfer to the Crusader as well). Status effects (Adrenaline, spell-buffed Momentum, Infection counters, etc.) cannot be given to the Crusader though.
As there are 16 unique weapons in total, each of the weapons will be analyzed separately with the Crusader card:
Dagger 2/1 | Dirk 4/1 – Poor
While the Dagger itself is fairly weak (even with a Darkness or Death mark to boost its attack by 1), a very secret combo using Dagger, Animate Weapon, and Butterfly Effect can be used to give Crusader a useful ability; overall though, Dagger is generally avoided.
Short Sword 3/2 | Long Sword 6/2 – Poor
Again, the Sword cards aren’t very useful to pair up with Endow, but they are a semi-decent ATK boost.
Hammer 3/4 | Gavel 6/6 – Medium
Crusaders will gain the ‘Hammer’ ability, which means in addition to their attack, they’ll also deal 1 additional damage if the player has an Earth or Gravity mark. The Gavel can give a Crusader a fairly meaty amount of attack.
Short Bow 3/3 | Longbow 6/4 – Medium
Similar to the Gavel except it grants the ‘Bow’ ability instead (bonus with an Air mark). However, the Short Bow | Longbow also the passive ability, ‘Ranged’, which transfers to the Crusader when Endowed. Thus, this is the cheaper (and more ‘accessible’) weapon of getting around the Wings shield, compared to Air’s rare weapon.
:aether Lobotomizer 5/4 | Electrocutor 5/4 – Good
While Mind Flayers themselves require two elements to play, the synergy between Light and Aether is much stronger than what most people give credit for. Crusaders with Lobotomize can be quite annoying to deal with, although the Lobotomize ability becomes easily redundant when you have multiple Crusaders in a deck.
:air Owl’s Eye 5/7 | Eagle’s Eye 7/7 – Very Good
The relatively high ATK and impressive abilities (from the ‘ranged’ passive skill to the Snipe ability) makes the Eagle’s Eye an incredibly strong weapon to use Endow on. In addition to increasing the amount of CC available in a deck, Crusaders can also gain a huge boost in attack and overcome the Wings shield – Light and Air synergies can be greatly and further expanded on using these weapons in conjunction with Crusaders, and are an overall strong choice to pair up with them.
:darkness Vampire Stiletto 4/4 | Vampire Dagger 6/4 – Excellent
With additional access to other cheap Darkness cards like Steal and Cloak, Vampire Dagger is one of the top weapons to Endow; because of the weapon’s synergy with buff effects such as Blessing and Eclipse (if the weapon is flown), the Crusader can reap the additional benefits of the increased ATK, and thus drain life for even higher amounts from the opponent.
:death Arsenic 2/7 | Arsenic 4/7 – Excellent
In addition to gaining the ‘poisonous’ passive skill to counter cards like Otyugh or Scarabs, Crusaders gaining the Venom ability can be incredibly devious. One could say that unlike Puffer Fish, which can be blocked by Diamond Shield, Crusaders can bypass the shield with the additional ATK granted from Arsenic. Because Arsenic is also incredibly cheap (and requires very little maintenance to apply the poison), the combo between Crusaders and the rare weapon can be easily pulled off. From this, potent poison-stall decks revolving around Death-Light combinations can be designed for a very dangerous offensive.
:earth Pulverizer 5/12 | Pulverizer 5/12 – Medium
While Pulverizer may seem beneficial on a Crusader, the card combo requires three elements to perform optimally, making it less efficient than if the Pulverizer was used alone (or if Butterfly Effect was used on a vanilla creature). This combo can be useful if used on an opponent’s Pulverizer (assuming one has the :gravity quanta to use the permanent control), but otherwise okay.
:entropy Discord 4/3 | Discord 6/3 – Good
Similar to the article on the Flying Weapon, multiple Crusaders that Endow Discord can be a frustrating combo. However, if one attempts to also use Black Hole in addition to the effects of Crusader + Discord, the combination becomes a trio, which is much harder to pull off in comparison to the Flying Discord + Black Hole combo.
:fire Fahrenheit 4/5 | Fahrenheit 5/5 – Excellent
In regards to damage, Crusader’s given Fahrenheit’s ‘Fiery’ ability can rack up damage extremely fast; if Fire Bolts or Fire Lances are unable to be used, having multiple Crusaders with the Fiery ability can slice your opponent’s health in pieces after a few turns. In a duo-Light/Fire deck with high emphasis on :fire generation, Crusaders can be the perfect fit for dealing damage akin to a Fire creature, but with much more resilience to CC effects.
:gravity Titan 7/50 | Titan 8/50 – Good
Despite the massive ATK gain from either version of Titan, the effect of ‘momentum’ can be given to the Crusader beforehand. Thus, using Endow on a Titan can act as beneficial bonus damage, but can be generally considered as a lost potential when compared to the capabilities of the other weapons.
:life Druidic Staff 2/7 | Jade Staff 4/7 – Very Good
The healing from the Staff can be great for Endowing, and the synergy between the two cards is very valuable. While you can reap the benefits of major healing if you place Adrenaline on the Crusader with the Druidic Staff’s ability, you can simultaneously deal moderately high damage (higher than a flying Druidic or Jade Staff), especially against tough defenses such as Permafrost Shield.
:light Morning Star 7/7 | Morning Glory 8/4 – Useless
Because the Endow ability must have a weapon to target, Light’s own rare weapon cannot be coupled with the Endow ability, as Morning Star is immaterial. Thus, it’s important to note that Crusader is technically a duo-deck card rather than a mono-deck card.
:time Eternity 4/8 | Eternity 4/8 – Very Good
With Time and Light, having additional Rewinds for CC can be fun, but also really expensive. However, some Light-Time duo decks often rely on the Rewind ability for various reasons (as a stalling option with Blessed Dune Scorpions, for example), and the card advantage with additional rewinds can be great.
:water Trident 4/9 | Poseidon 4/9 – Medium
Unless a player manages to balance the usage of :light, :water, and :earth generation, a Crusader using Endow on a Trident can be very limiting, as the damage from Trident and Poseidon isn’t strong, and the ability itself being overshadowed by a few Earthquake spells.
With that said, Vampire Stiletto, Arsenic, and Fahrenheit are some of the best weapons to combine with Crusader, given the right setup and combinations with those cards. Ironically, one can counter a Crusader-using enemy by protecting the opponent’s weapon of choice (via Protect Artifact), or by not playing weapons/destroying them when possible. No matter what though, Crusader is an amazing utility creature that can be incredibly fun to use, no matter what weapon you (or the enemy) choose to wield.
Quick Facts:
Crusader gains the ATK (not HP) and the ability of the weapon it targets with the Endow ability
The Crusader’s ATK and Endowed ability are affected by weapon modifications (increased or negative ATK can be added to the Crusader; lobotomized flown weapons won’t transfer their ability)
Crusader’s Endow ability can work on all targetable (non-immaterial) weapons, regardless of which side they’re on or if they’re a creature (flown) or a permanent (slotted).
Use This Card Together With:
Vampire Stiletto | Vampire Dagger
Arsenic | Arsenic
Fahrenheit | Fahrenheit
Decks Using This Card:
Vader Sader (Vampiric Dagger + Crusader duo) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18038.0.html)
Literal Firearms (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18062.0.html)
Toxic Sun (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20841.0.html)
EDIT: Air polls are now up!
Post by: PlayerOa on March 13, 2011, 10:09:57 am
Post by: Hyroen on March 13, 2011, 12:34:40 pm
Post by: Jappert on March 13, 2011, 12:41:54 pm
Unstable Gas: Hard-Counter or lose.I was in doubt between voting UG or Sky Blitz. The reason you stated above is the reason I voted Sky Blitz :D
It's a versatile spell, wich costs alot. I always have trouble deciding if the cost is worth it in a rush.
Post by: Funkyvenom on March 13, 2011, 01:13:33 pm
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on March 14, 2011, 02:33:27 am
*looks like I'm too often using the term "most frightening" in this forum :-X "
Post by: willng3 on March 14, 2011, 02:34:13 am
Post by: Higurashi on March 14, 2011, 02:37:18 am
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 14, 2011, 02:45:53 am
where art thou, humanity!!!
Post by: icecoldbro on March 14, 2011, 04:37:34 am
Makes Air usable with every element great buff to its own element also.
Post by: Falcon4415 on March 14, 2011, 03:01:50 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 20, 2011, 07:17:42 am
Dragonfly is another small critter creature that packs a tiny punch. While it has the same stats as a Photon (1|1), its ability to generate 1 :air quanta each turn, regardless of whether it’s upgraded or not can help supplement decks that often focus on playing Air cards quickly and efficiently.
The Air element generally relies on its pillars, towers, and pendulums to gain :air quanta, but that’s where the Dragonfly comes in. While the Dragonfly requires 1 :air to play, as long as it doesn’t die that turn, one :air quanta will also be generated. From this, Dragonfly technically replenishes the cost needed to use it; its upgraded form Damselfly requires no quanta to use however, allowing it to act as an offensive pillar that can’t be targeted by Earthquake or other permanent control. Damselfly also has 2 ATK in comparison to its unupped counterpart, but both versions are still vulnerable towards all CC.
Because of its potential in a mono-deck, Damselfly is often paired up with various Air cards, especially those that have expensive abilities. The Wyrm, for example, is a decent attacker that uses a lot of :air quanta in order to use its ability, Dive. Having multiple Dragonflies or Damselflies on the field can help players use the Dive ability more often due to the quanta generation, while also simultaneously dealing modest damage to opponents. Likewise, the rare weapon for Air, Owl’s Eye, requires :2 air per turn in order to use its Snipe skill, which can often drain users quickly depending on the durability of the enemy’s creatures. Having a few Dragonflies in any mono-Air deck can significantly speed up the deck and often ease up the stress on :air quanta for such abilities.
Sky Blitz is one of the most potentially expensive cards to use in a deck with airborne creatures, especially as it drains all :air quanta. However, Dragonflies work well with Sky Blitz in two ways. Firstly upon playing Sky Blitz, Dragonflies can help refuel :air quanta to the player; the second is that the creatures also benefit from Sky Blitz as they are also airborne (like all of the other Air creatures, excluding the Nymph). With several upped Damselflies in the field, a Sky Blitz can double the damage from two ATK to four, making them incredibly potent attackers worth their cost, and that’s not including any other buffs used on them beforehand.
To add on a surprise tactic, one could use Immolation on a Damselfly in order to reap a large amount of :fire quanta for Fire creatures (like a Lava Golem or Phoenix) and abilities (Unstable Gas). The same tactic could be theoretically used on a Dragonfly, but because Dragonfly is not free, the combo can be considered a bit slower than the upped format. In either case though, Air and Fire have numerous synergies within their cards, and in this case, as both of these provide near-instant quanta, Cremation and/or Damselfly can help fuel an Air-Fire duo-deck easily.
Dragonfly can be a highly overshadowed card due to its low stats, but what it lacks it damage and durability is compensated by a nifty ability that often helps many :air-heavy decks within the game.
Quick Facts:
Generates one :air quanta per turn when in play (both forms).
Dragonfly’s upgraded form, Damselfly, does not require any quanta to play and has double the ATK in comparison.
Use This Card Together With:
Wyrm | Elite Wyrm
Sky Blitz | Sky Blitz
Immolation | Cremation
Decks Using This Card:
Powerful Wyrms (Air Rush) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12895.0.html)
Damseltal Blitz (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23190.0.html)
Damsels in Distress: The Best of Both Wyrms (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21928.0.html)
Time polls now up! :)
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 20, 2011, 11:18:06 am
it won me a tournament...
so I really would like to vote for it...
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 20, 2011, 11:50:32 am
um... where is GotPI would like to reiterate a post that I made in the past (no pun intended):
it won me a tournament...
so I really would like to vote for it...
NOTE: 1.27 cards will not be included in the poll until April 3rd, based on this post - http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20703.msg302200#msg302200The reason I stated this is because of the fact that new cards need to be given a leeway time (I said a month just so that it'd be easier for counting) for multiple strategies, counters, and decks to be created around the card, as well as a deep analysis by the community on what works best with it. Also, people should remember that you shouldn't just vote for the new cards because they're new. You should vote for cards that you'd like to see information about (whether it'd be new or old combos and synergies, as well as the complete analysis of the mechanics of the card in question), since the information is going to be provided on the wiki.
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 20, 2011, 11:57:30 am
precognition it is...
Post by: PlayerOa on March 20, 2011, 02:14:47 pm
But Rewind is more cool, and deserves an article 8)
Rewind +1
Post by: Funkyvenom on March 20, 2011, 02:17:35 pm
Post by: Falcon4415 on March 20, 2011, 09:04:25 pm
Post by: RootRanger on March 20, 2011, 09:13:38 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on March 21, 2011, 12:56:57 am
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on March 21, 2011, 10:28:06 am
Post by: Funkyvenom on March 22, 2011, 11:19:00 pm
Post by: ffun on March 23, 2011, 04:55:33 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 26, 2011, 07:48:31 am
It kinda feels like a deja vu (no pun intended), since I remember re-writing the Eternity article long ago...
While Reverse Time (commonly abbreviated as ‘RT’) may seem limited in comparison to the rare weapon Eternity, RT is a nifty spell that can swiftly turn the tide of the battle. When used on a (non-Mummy or non-Skeleton) creature, RT places that creature in the owner’s deck, forcing them to redraw the card again the next turn.
Reverse Time is a unique support card. While one can only have up to six potential Reverse Time (or Rewind when upgraded) cards in their deck, their cost is fairly cheap; 2 (or 1 upgraded) :time quanta to cast. Unlike Eternity, which can often suck players dry of :time quanta when tossed into the permanent slot and then used for its ability, certain situations may only require one or two uses of the Reverse Time effect. Thus, what RT lacks in tenacity (repetitive use in deck-out/continual creature denial), it compensates with speed and surprise (can’t be countered by permanent control). Although RT doesn’t kill or even damage a creature, it acts as a form of creature control by manipulating the opponent’s deck and hand, forcing them to replay it. In many cases, RT can grant a one or multiple card advantage if used properly as a denial tactic.
In general, RT is incredibly strong against decks that use flying weapons, buff-based creatures, and creature rushes; the first two being vulnerable because of the multiple card synergies required to pull off the combos, while the last tactic (rushes) can be slowed down considerably by a single RT. Also, if your creatures are afflicted by negative status effects, a quick Reverse Time can be used to 'refresh' the creature if you have a Precognition or Golden Hourglass on the field, as you could basically negate the poison/antimatter/negative status ailment completely while also maintaining your draw.
Earthquake is a powerful card when it comes to quanta denial. Paired up with Reverse Time, Earthquake can be amplified to an even greater extent, especially when this combo is used during the early rounds of a match. As Earthquake removes the main source of quanta generation for the opponent, Reverse Time follows to force the opponent to draw (and replay) any creature on their field, which can be trouble if the affected creature has an expensive cost. While decks with both pillars and pendulums can somewhat offset the effect of the Earthquake and Reverse Time combination, the synergy between these two cards is strong enough to often cripple and slow various decks down.
Nightmare, another denial card, can also be used alongside Reverse Time. While Nightmare can be used on a card that the opponent can’t play (i.e. – Ghost of the Past for the opponent with no :time quanta), Reverse Time can then be used on one of their actual creatures. With this combo, the opponent may be forced to discard one of their key cards instead of the Ghosts, while also being denied of the opportunity to draw the creature you rewound to begin with. Repeatedly using Nightmare and Rewind can put the opposing enemy in a near lockdown state, assuming of course you have the required cards. Nonetheless, this strategy is harder to pull off, but also very fun when done at the right time.
In either case, many of the cards that can be combined for fun or for special synergies with a single Rewind are numerous; some of them based off of special passives (Skeletons and Mummies, which can also be used against Reverse Time for the same reason), others, based on hand control (Mind Gate, Precognition, and Dune Scorpions). Ironically, Eternity can also be used in conjunction with Rewind, as the spell can offer a quick removal of a frustrating creature on the field, while the permanent comes into play to ensure that it doesn’t get to cause any further trouble.
No matter where a Rewind card is placed (from simple mono-time decks to rainbow decks that need a form of CC), many players often have to adjust their strategies greatly when this card is used; players should never undervalue the power of a lost draw, as it can effectively make or break a battle.
Quick Facts:
Reverse Time will send a targeted creature back to the top of the owner’s deck, meaning it’ll be the next card they’ll draw on their turn.
Has a cost of 2 :time quanta (1 :time quanta upgraded).
Use This Card Together With:
Earthquake | Quicksand
Nightmare | Nightmare
Decks Using This Card:
Five Minutes ‘til Lockdown (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20152.0.html)
Bad Memory – Haunted by your Past (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22588.0.html)
Rush Be Gone (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16499.0.html)
EDIT - Darkness polls are now up! GO DRAIN LIFE! :D
Post by: Higurashi on March 26, 2011, 01:57:24 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 26, 2011, 02:32:11 pm
but let's think for a minute, which one is more fun?
LS? or cloak?
I vote for cloak
Post by: Bhlewos on March 26, 2011, 05:55:17 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on March 26, 2011, 05:59:39 pm
Triple-use; lobotomizing, poison a creature or using on your own for HP.
Post by: Funkyvenom on March 26, 2011, 11:31:55 pm
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on March 27, 2011, 02:42:51 am
Post by: icecoldbro on March 27, 2011, 02:57:43 am
Post by: funerallaughter on March 27, 2011, 03:00:35 am
Post by: willng3 on March 27, 2011, 03:07:37 am
Let's talk about the under appreciated Gargoyle ;OOkay. Gargoyle isn't as awesome as Liquid Shadow ;D
Post by: icecoldbro on March 27, 2011, 03:12:59 am
Seconded.Let's talk about the under appreciated Gargoyle ;OOkay. Gargoyle isn't as awesome as Liquid Shadow ;D
Also Id like to add Gargoyle is in no way bad has a great damage, can be buffed easily with Eclipse to a collosal 9/4 and has a useful ability which can combo very nicely with LS.
But on the other side we have LS, nuff said.
Post by: funerallaughter on March 27, 2011, 03:42:13 am
Post by: chum3 on March 27, 2011, 04:56:20 pm
Nvm, Gargoyle was cool enough to get its own feature already :PActually, Gargoyle hasn't been featured yet.
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 27, 2011, 05:11:07 pm
You know chum3, you -can- be a bit honest about your contributions as a featured card article writer as well. :) You deserve credit for writing the articles on Drain Life, Gargoyle, Black Dragon, Pegasus, Butterfly Effect, and a few others. ;)Nvm, Gargoyle was cool enough to get its own feature already :PActually, Gargoyle hasn't been featured yet.
...not to mention, it would save me some writing time when your awesomeness was featured instead of mine. XD
Post by: chum3 on March 28, 2011, 01:32:35 am
You know chum3, you -can- be a bit honest about your contributions as a featured card article writer as well. :) You deserve credit for writing the articles on Drain Life, Gargoyle, Black Dragon, Pegasus, Butterfly Effect, and a few others. ;)Or I can continue ghostwriting/writing under anonymity. ;P
...not to mention, it would save me some writing time when your awesomeness was featured instead of mine. XD
Fire Bolt and Ice Bolt can be added to that list. Surprised you mentioned Pegasus (as that was written in the last 24 hours). Is there an edit history I'm unaware of?
Also, you're more than welcome to add/subtract from the articles should they ever be featured. At the very least, I figure what I've written could be a good starting point for the cards (it's better than a blank page, anyway).
And tough-luck having one of the things I've written topping the polls. Most of what I've freelance-written has been cards that get the least votes (I write about whatever happens to interest me; said interests don't seem to be popular among others). Although at this rate, I might meet you halfway, with you doing all the popular cards and me doing whatever else fancies me. :))
Post by: Chaotic Elitist on March 29, 2011, 11:22:38 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 31, 2011, 08:18:25 pm
The Darkness alchemy card, Liquid Shadow, is a multi-functional spell with various uses. After targeting a creature with the spell, Liquid Shadow removes any previous skills from the creature and replaces it with the ability, ‘Vampire’, but also infects it with one poison counter.
Liquid Shadow is an alchemy spell with several twists and mechanics all weaved into it. As a ‘triple-threat’ card, it can do three things: provide immediately healing to the player if they use in on a creature that will guarantee damage that turn via the Vampire ability, remove a creature’s ability by replacing it with the Vampire effect, and the affliction of poison to that creature. Since all of these mechanics can serve different purposes, some players may find it difficult to adequately find the right cards to use properly with Liquid Shadow, as its constraints and benefits are a true double-edged sword when used on either your opponent’s or your own creatures.
One simple technique regarding Liquid Shadow’s lobotomizing mechanic is to use it on creatures that have a nasty ability, such as an Otyugh. Because the Otyugh has no attack with a fairly strong ability (Devour), replacing the CC skill with a healing-on-attack effect can nullify the creature completely.
Creatures with a high amount of HP and defensive abilities against creature control, such as Phoenix, can also be removed. Because Liquid Shadow removes the ‘rebirth’ effect from the Phoenix (so that it can’t turn into Ash to resurrect back again) while simultaneously poisoning the bird, the Phoenix automatically dies the turn after, negating its ability to be survive CC. Growth creatures such as Lava Golem and Forest Spirit can also be killed within a few turns (if applied early) as well by poisoning them and preventing them from further growth. In both cases though, as Liquid Shadow grants the Vampire ability as exchange for removing the previous active skill, players should be careful if the HP swing is worth the destruction of the creature itself.
From the above, Antimatter becomes a perfect card to use alongside Liquid Shadow; both of these alchemy cards are a deadly combination against enemy creatures. While Liquid Shadow grants the opposing creature, ‘Vampire’ (allowing it to heal the foe), Antimatter reverses the effect, instead healing you while damaging the enemy instead. Instead of worrying about the healing swing, your opponent must either remove the ability off their own creature somehow (so that they don’t take damage) or remove the creature from the field entirely to prevent the healing effect altogether. Although this combination is somewhat expensive, it can be a very interesting play to pull off, especially if it’s used on a once valuable creature.
Of course, Liquid Shadow’s main characteristic (healing via Vampire) is the skill that’s focused on more. Various creatures can combine well with Liquid Shadow, although the strongest ones are with high HP values to reap the long-term benefits of the healing. Gargoyle, for example, can ‘Harden’ itself to increase its maximum HP by 20, allowing it to resist a majority of damaging effects applied to it. Applying Liquid Shadow after it has used its ability will grant the player several turns of reliable healing (excluding some CC), all the while being in the Darkness element. By the same thought, Black or Obsidian Dragons also have the same potency to swing health points from the enemy to you, but at a greater damage-healing ratio for fewer turns. Other non-Darkness creatures that can also go well with Liquid Shadow often have high HP (Chimera).
A minor tactic that expands on the use of the infection part (which is generally considered the restraint of the card) is to use Liquid Shadow on a Voodoo Doll – the poison damage afflicted onto the Voodoo Doll will be transferred to the opponent; if the doll has a high ATK via use of Acceleration, Chaos Power, or Rage Potion (see Hecate for details), the doll will heal you while also being damaged by the poison as a double dipping effect. Other players however, generally use cards such as Guardian Angel to heal creatures afflicted by the poison from Liquid Shadow, in order to extend their duration on the field.
Because it has three different uses (lobotomization, healing, and creature poison), users need to note all of the benefits and consequences of using Liquid Shadow on a particular creature, and more importantly, how to counter all of its three effects.
Quick Facts:
Replaces the target creature’s ability (if they have an active ability) with that of ‘Vampire’, and also infects it with one poison counter
Creatures with the ability ‘Vampire’ will instead heal the opposing player and damage the owner if they have negative attack
Use This Card Together With:
Antimatter | Improved Antimatter
Gargoyle | Gargoyle
Black Dragon | Obsidian Dragon
Decks Using This Card:
Liquid Antimatter (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11074.24.html)
Daywalker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17641.0.html)
Get that phoenix out of here! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16493.0.html)
EDIT: Aether polls are now up!
Post by: Higurashi on March 31, 2011, 08:40:02 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on March 31, 2011, 08:42:59 pm
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on March 31, 2011, 08:44:28 pm
Ball Lightning...
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on March 31, 2011, 08:46:22 pm
Post by: Jappert on March 31, 2011, 08:47:22 pm
Post by: willng3 on March 31, 2011, 09:22:19 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on March 31, 2011, 09:42:49 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on March 31, 2011, 09:50:19 pm
The original poster holds the right to veto any vote if there are no good decks which use the card.
Post by: willng3 on March 31, 2011, 10:36:24 pm
WARNING:I am willng3 and I approve of this message :p
The original poster holds the right to veto any vote if there are no good decks which use the card.
Post by: icecoldbro on March 31, 2011, 10:37:12 pm
Post by: Jappert on April 01, 2011, 07:35:45 am
You mean Silence has no chance of winning? Then why submit it to the poll?
Post by: willng3 on April 01, 2011, 11:22:43 am
@KuroBecause he thought it was obvious it wasn't as awesome as Parallel Universe :p
You mean Silence has no chance of winning? Then why submit it to the poll?
Post by: Kuroaitou on April 05, 2011, 10:02:36 pm
@KuroIf silence DOES win, I hope that people know of some popular/well-tested decks that center around Silence, as this information is going to be put on the wiki, THUS, needs to have a pretty good quality article regarding the decks that use it.
You mean Silence has no chance of winning? Then why submit it to the poll?
If you can provide me links to decks using Silence (not necessarily your own, either) should it win, then the vote won't be vetoed. ;)
EDIT: Silence article has been written (thank god). ^^;;; Here it is folks!
(Please note that all featured articles will have a much more unique formatting from now on, due to the changes in the wiki cards).
Overview
Silence is a relatively cheap control card in the Aether element. For the cost of 3 :aether (or 2 :aether when upgraded) quanta, a player can place a one-turn ‘lock’ on the opponent’s hand, preventing them from playing any card from their hand onto the battlefield.
General Use
Quick Facts:
- When used, automatically prevents the opponent from playing any cards (from their hand) for one turn.
- Does not affect cards already on the field and their abilities.
- Countered directly by Sanctuary.
Because Silence prevents any card from being played that turn, there are three main ways to use it throughout a match. The first is to use it whenever one can starting from the opening hand – in an upgraded format, one can generate enough :aether quanta from Aether Towers and Pendulums to play Silence on the first turn. Assuming that the opponent has several key cards in their hand alongside their forms of quanta generation, an early Silence can often ruin the opponent’s momentum of playing their key cards later on. Secondly, one can save a Silence near the end of the match; should the enemy have key healing or support cards (Miracle, Steal, etc.) that can easily turn the tide of the match, playing Silence will prevent any form of last-second recovery. The last technique is to use it whenever you suspect they might be setting up a combo (or for you to set up one easier). For example, if you don’t have enough quanta to play Quintessence on a vital creature, and you know that the enemy has enough CC (in their hand) to kill it, playing Silence can provide you leeway into getting the card combination you need.
Note that Sanctuary is a hard counter to Silence; if Sanctuary is on the opponent’s field, Silence will have absolutely no effect on the enemy. Also, Silence doesn’t negate any cards already on the field; permanent and creatures with active abilities can still be triggered despite being silenced by the spell.
Synergies
Precognition | Precognition is a perfect card to assist the usage of Silence. As Precognition allows a person to look at the opponent’s hand, the player can determine whether the use of Silence should be warranted that turn; if they see that the enemy player has certain key cards ready to play, Silence can then halt that strategy immediately, delaying the foe’s combo. Also, because Precognition draws another card for the player, one could speed through their deck to find another Silence card to chain accordingly. Both of these cards are relatively cheap together, and are fun to include in any deck that splashes both the Time and Aether elements.
Given an early lockdown, Discord | Discord can also be brutal when used alongside Silence. While an early Silence can prevent pillars and pendulums from being played in the early turns, Discord will scramble the later accumulated quanta, making it frustrating for the opponent to play anything at all as the game goes on. If one carefully calculates what types of cards the opponent could play with their current quanta pool, the player can choose to either let the Discord ruin their ability to play such cards (thus, forcing discards), or simply use Silence to force the discard anyway. Thus, Discord and Silence can also create the discarding effect in an efficient manner.
Other Cards With Synergy
Because Silence is a form of denial, several cards that negate quanta generation (Devourers, Earthquake, and Black Hole) can be greatly beneficial into halting the opponent’s momentum. Nightmare and Reverse Time are also fun cards to use alongside Silence, as they can also force discards on the enemy if they play their creatures recklessly. Even Mindgate can be vastly useful; by predicting what cards the opponent will draw next via Mindgate’s ability, Silence can follow if the card you duplicate from their deck is extremely potent.
Conclusion
While quick card playing or the Sanctuary permanent can counter Silence, Silence is still a fun denial card to include in various decks from simple mono-Aether decks to full-fledged Rainbows (using Supernova). Unless you can bust out an early Sanctuary or get the first coin toss, being on the other end of a Silence chain can spell the quiet end of you.
Popular Deck
Evil Flash Fire (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20637.0.html)
Code: [Select]
5f2 7di 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dp 7dq 7dq 7dq 7dq 7ds 7ds 7ds 7qb 7qb 7qb 809 809 809 809 809 809 80k 80k 80k 80k 80k 80kOther Decks
Mess You Up (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17293.0.html)
Rainbow Wraiths (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20258.0.html)
Entropy polls will be up shortly! Comments/suggestions on these articles are always welcome. :)
Post by: Higurashi on April 05, 2011, 10:38:24 pm
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on April 05, 2011, 11:02:43 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on April 05, 2011, 11:18:39 pm
Post by: nerd1 on April 05, 2011, 11:21:49 pm
Post by: willng3 on April 05, 2011, 11:23:31 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on April 06, 2011, 12:14:37 am
Post by: TheIdioticIdiot on April 06, 2011, 12:24:16 am
Post by: willng3 on April 06, 2011, 12:27:59 am
Post by: Hyroen on April 06, 2011, 07:19:35 am
Post by: funerallaughter on April 06, 2011, 08:41:56 am
Post by: PlayerOa on April 06, 2011, 12:44:09 pm
Post by: Falcon4415 on April 06, 2011, 03:37:59 pm
Awesome creature is awesome.
Post by: PlayerOa on April 06, 2011, 03:40:22 pm
(http://www.timemachinego.com/linkmachinego/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/schrodingers-cat-is-alive-dead.jpg)In Norway we actually have a TV Show named Schrödingers Katt (cat) :P
Awesome creature is awesome.
Post by: Funkyvenom on April 07, 2011, 02:04:48 pm
Post by: Higurashi on April 07, 2011, 02:06:26 pm
is it even possible for nova to not win?Haha.. *looks at poll*
Post by: laykaka on April 07, 2011, 06:13:46 pm
Post by: laykaka on April 07, 2011, 06:17:41 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on April 13, 2011, 10:37:51 am
That said, here's the article for Chaos Seed (mostly Chaos Power)! ^^;
Overview:
Chaos Seed is an unorthodox spell that upgrades into a completely different spell card, Chaos Power. Whereas Chaos Seed can oftentimes damage or remove creatures off the field, Chaos Power provides a variable buff to a creature’s ATK and HP stats. Because of these two completely unrelated mechanics, both cards are often separated in nature, and are rarely used together (non-upped and upped) within a deck.
General Use:
Quick Facts
- Chaos Seed and its upgrade, Chaos Power, have completely different mechanics from each other
- Chaos Seed applies a random non-alchemy CC spell effect to a target creature
- Chaos Power grants a creature a random boost of 1-5 ATK & HP, with a guaranteed minimum of +1/+1
- Lobotomize
- Thunderbolt
- Parallel Universe
- Shockwave
- Sniper
- Siphon Life
- Infection
- Fire Bolt
- Gravity Pull
- Reverse Time
- Freeze
- Ice Bolt
Known for its luck factor, Chaos Seed’s CC effect can be substantial (applying rewind on a highly buffed creature) or completely useless (lobotomizing a creature without any abilities). Thus, Chaos Seed is perceived as a very difficult card to revolve any deck around due to its unpredictable nature, and thus, is mostly used as support in non-upped rainbow or other decks that lack a direct (and possibly more expensive) CC.
Chaos Power, on the other hand, is where the card truly shines. Unlike Blessing and Momentum, which provide static and equal amounts of ATK & HP, Chaos Power can provide up to a whopping 5 ATK & HP for a target creature (Upgraded Rage Elixirs provide 6 ATK, but damage the creature for 6 HP). Of course, it also has the potential to provide the bare minimum of only 1 attack and HP, but in either case, the uses of Chaos Power are extremely beneficial to a variety of creatures that rely on their ATK to deal nasty effects or cause massive damage.
Synergies:
Dune Scorpion is an extremely fun card to use with Chaos Power, for the simple purpose of applying a deadly amount of poison (that builds overtime based on your opponent’s actions). Although Chaos Power might not be as strong compared to Momentum against shields (i.e. – Chaos Power only awards a +1 ATK boost to the scorpion, which won’t get past things like Skull Shield), this strategy opens up a unique synergy between upgraded Time-Entropy duos, especially with other Entropy cards that serve as healing (Antimatter) alongside Time cards for CC (Eternity).
Wyrms are another fantastic card to use with Chaos Power – because of their Dive ability, any spell or ability that increases their ATK will cause the Wyrm to be that more potent as a damage-dealing creature. From that, Chaos Power has the highest potential to award the Wyrm up to 16 ATK (20 attack for the Elite Wyrm) after using the Dive skill ((3 base attack + 5 bonus attack) * 2 = 16 ATK). Applying multiple Chaos Power buffs to a single Wyrm can force its ATK power to insane levels, although the amount of luck required to exploit this trick is rare.
Finally, a more fun combination is to apply Chaos Power onto a Spark. Sparks have a stat of 3|0, meaning that they will die at the end of the turn (after dealing damage). However, because Chaos Power boosts the HP of a creature, the spell can basically cause a Spark to live on after attacking. The numerous tricks to use with a stable Spark on the field are numerous; using Fractal on the surviving one to provide a one-time burst effect, granting the Spark an ability like Mitosis so that it can slowly generate more Sparks to deal damage/trigger death effects, and so forth. Because Sparks are free, the two cards barely use any quanta at all, although it does require upped cards for it to be viable in a deck.
Other Cards With Synergy:
Other cards that require ATK in order to improve the quality of their abilities (Deathstalker, Iridium Warden, Pegasus) also work well with Chaos Power. Maxwell’s Demon works with both cards, as its Paradox ability can only be used on creatures with an ATK higher than the HP (Chaos Power can grant more ATK than HP at times, while Chaos Seed can simply lower the HP for the Maxwell Demon to take it out afterward). Voodoo Doll can also combine well with Chaos Seed, assuming that a damaging CC effect from the Seed is used.
Conclusion:
Both Chaos Seed and Chaos Power are fun luck-based cards to use, and represent Entropy as two of the most unusual spells in game. Players should always remember that both the non-upped and upgraded versions are drastically different, especially in environments that restrict or allow one or both forms of these spells in question.
Popular Deck:
Eternal Chaos (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20173.0.html):
Code: [Select]
6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6u2 6u2 6u2 6u7 6u7 6u7 6u8 6u9 6u9 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q3 7q3 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q8 7q8 7q8 7qd 7qd 7qd 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7riOther Decks:
Powerful Wyrms (Air Rush) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12895.0.html)
Chaos Lightning (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12796.0.html)
Newb Entropy Deck (AI2 Farmer) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20487.0.html)
Death polls will be up shortly... hopefully the polls will have those 'bars' up soon as well. ^^;
Post by: PlayerOa on April 13, 2011, 12:56:06 pm
I WANT MAH SKELETONS!
Post by: willng3 on April 13, 2011, 01:59:13 pm
Post by: Jappert on April 13, 2011, 02:03:30 pm
I hardly ever use 'em, and the few times I did it was a fail. (think it was vs Nap in the draft where I didn't draw my momentums!)
And to top it off, my star sign is scorpion :D
Post by: Funkyvenom on April 13, 2011, 02:19:51 pm
1. look at my avatar
2. make a random guess
congratulations! now you know.
Post by: Tiko on April 13, 2011, 03:45:57 pm
Post by: funerallaughter on April 13, 2011, 05:16:27 pm
Post by: xdude on April 13, 2011, 05:26:48 pm
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on April 13, 2011, 05:45:50 pm
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on April 14, 2011, 05:45:46 am
Give Virus|Retrovirus some love here people.
Or Soul Catcher, but I think if death does as well as I'm expecting (top 4 at least), it'll make its own way up.
Post by: Bhlewos on April 14, 2011, 07:40:09 am
On another note, why isn't Bone Shield an option?
Post by: Kuroaitou on April 14, 2011, 07:45:55 am
On another note, why isn't Bone Shield an option?If you haven't been paying attention, Bone Wall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16848.0.html) has already been featured by the original poster of the original thread, BloodShadow. :) It was the first card voted on by the community actually. ;)
Post by: Kuroaitou on April 20, 2011, 05:22:52 pm
Overview
Although not the most reliable source of protection, Skull Shield is a nifty defensive permanent that can turn hostile creatures into frail bones. In addition to reducing all physical damage by 1, attacking creatures have a small chance of transforming into a Skeleton.
General Use
- Skull Shield reduces all physical damage by 1; creatures with less than 2 ATK aren’t affected by the shield’s special effect
- The chance of enemy creatures being turned into a Skeleton is based on the equation (50% conversion chance/Current creature HP). Creatures with higher HP have a lower chance of being converted
- Status effects (adrenaline, immortality, etc.) stay with a creature if they are turned into a Skeleton by the effect
- Triggers the death effect when a Skeleton is made
Equation: 50%/Current creature HP
| Current creature HP | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ... | 50 | X |
| % Chance of Conversion (approximated) | 50 | 25 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | ... | 1 | 50/X |
While Bone Wall can absorb hits better than Skull Shield can, Skull Shield has unique strengths that Bone Wall cannot provide. Creatures rushes (ones that involve either the spamming of cheap creatures or extremely strong, yet frail, ones) can often overwhelm a Bone Wall unless the player has mass CC – creatures with Adrenaline tear down the counters of Bone Wall faster. However, a Skull Shield can put a halt to a majority of these creature-spam decks. Fire-rushes (ones that often use Lava Golems or Phoenixes) can be stopped dead cold by a single Skull Shield by dramatically reducing the offensive monsters into bones. Mono-life decks that use Adrenaline on Horned Frogs simply give the shield more chances to turn each multi-attacking Frog into a Skeleton on each hit. As most creature-rush decks are based on cheap creatures with moderate or high ATK and low HP, Skull Shield can slow or even put a stop to the creature rush on the first turn its played, assuming its not destroyed in the process.
Synergies
Rain of Fire | Fire Storm can often sweep a field clean of creatures, but in other cases (if the opponent is using more durable fighters), the spell can serve as a softener to make such creatures more vulnerable to Skull Shield. Using Rain of Fire on a field of Toadfish, for example, can increase the chance of converting the creatures into skeletons by 37%! Of course, not all creatures (see Gravity) can be affected by a Rain of Fire spell, but even then, Rain of Fire can also serve as a way of getting rid of the opponent’s skeletons to trigger more death effects…
…and because the death trigger is integral to many of Death’s strategies, Boneyard | Graveyard also becomes a favorite to use alongside Skull Shield. Because of the death trigger from turning your opponent’s creatures, a player can reap these benefits by also generating Skeletons of their own to deal further damage to the opponent. If the opponent doesn’t have a shield, playing a last-minute Nightfall can greatly boost the damage of the Skeletons of the player (although the damage boost also applies to the enemy’s Skeletons as well).
While Skull Shield can be a chancy form of CC, it can also serve as a lockdown mechanic when coupled with the right denial cards. In this case, Aflatoxin | Aflatoxin has wonderful synergy with Skull Shield. Because Aflatoxin poisons a creature, creating a Malignant cell upon its death, the opponent’s field can slowly be infested with Malignant Cells via Aflatoxin and Skeletons from the shield, reducing their damage from creature sources significantly.
Other Cards With Synergy
Cards such as Flooding, Plague, and other CC can double the number of death effects to trigger alongside Skull Shield. Condor and Soul Catcher can also benefit from the Skull Shield procs. The usage of Eternity can also be a major benefit, as one could rewind the shield’s Skeletons into random creatures, then rewound again into your opponent’s deck to deny them a draw (unless the opponent has the quanta to play that creature). Finally, Otyughs and Scarabs can also eat the enemy skeletons as well.
Conclusion
Even though the Death element has a more reliable shield that can block more damage given steady CC, Skull Shield is a much cheaper shield for Death that can halt rush decks and also provide a fun way of killing creatures on the enemy’s field.
Popular Deck
CBS (Crusaders busting skulls) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20644.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6u8 715 715 717 74b 74b 77i 77i 7do 7do 7k5 7q0 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q7 7q8 80h 80hOther Decks
- The Most Hopeless Stuff (Hand Control) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5836.0.html)
- Confusion hath made his masterpiece (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8342.0.html)
Gravity Polls will be up soon... anyone have a third deck that uses Skull Shield (at least twice and has 10 or more replies on the deck?)? ^^;
Post by: PlayerOa on April 20, 2011, 07:28:34 pm
Post by: Onizuka on April 20, 2011, 07:52:43 pm
Post by: Higurashi on April 20, 2011, 07:55:09 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on April 20, 2011, 08:14:29 pm
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on April 21, 2011, 01:48:08 am
Post by: icecoldbro on April 21, 2011, 01:52:12 am
On to my vote:
Sapphire Charger, as it fills Gravity's damage needs, has an active Momentum and 7 / 5 stats, pretty amazing to consider its relatively low cost.
Post by: Kuroaitou on April 26, 2011, 10:32:16 pm
Overview
To further capitalize on high HP creatures within the Gravity element, Acceleration grants a creature up with a unique active (auto-triggered) ability: every turn the creature gains 2 (or 3, upgraded) ATK, but loses 1 HP each turn. For creatures with decent health points, this will slowly turn them into deadly damage-dealers.
General Use
- Acceleration grants a non-triggered active ability to a creature, causing it to gain +2/-1 each turn before it attacks (+3/-1 for Overdrive).
- Automatically replaces any active ability when used on a creature, if there is one.
Because Acceleration replaces any active ability of the target creature, the spell can be used as a form of (risky) lobotomization, similar to the Liquid Shadow alchemy spell. Thus, the spell can be used as a form of CC on weak creatures that have small amounts of health – for example, just like Liquid Shadow’s effect, applying Acceleration on a Phoenix will remove its Phoenix ability with that of Acceleration, causing it to die on the next turn (provided it deals additional damage when it does attack).
It’s important to note that if Acceleration (or Overdrive) is removed from the target creature by directly lobotomization or the addition of a new ability (Mitosis, Butterfly Effect, Liquid Shadow, etc.), the creature will retain its current stats. At times, this can be incredibly annoying, as the creature may not have reached its full potential for damage output. Cards such as Reverse Time, Electrocuter, and even Antimatter can negate the effects of Acceleration easily, unless you have another Acceleration in your hand. Conversely, some abilities that replace the creature’s acceleration/overdriven ability can become quite tricky to fight against.
Synergies
While many Gravity cards can work well with an Acceleration, the Armagio | Elite Armagio is an optimal choice due to its high HP and relatively cheaper cost compared to the other Gravity creatures. With at least a whopping 25 HP, Acceleration can turn the Armagio’s damage output equivalent to a Colossal Dragon in 3 turns, while still having more HP than the dragon as well. In addition, having multiple Armagio cards out on the field can help deflect damage from enemy creatures with their Gravity Pull ability, to give the main Accelerated one a chance to grow and cause serious dents in your opponent’s health.
Voodoo Doll | Voodoo Doll can also work wonders with Acceleration. Because of its similarity to Rage Potion, Acceleration can basically deal two forms of damage when coupled with the creature; first, by increasing the Doll’s damage directly via the ATK boost, and secondly by decreasing its HP by 1 every turn. Note that compared to Rage Potion, Acceleration is much slower in terms of racking up quick damage against an opponent. However, if you manage to keep the Voodoo Doll alive and active (i.e. – not lobotomized), the total damage done by a single Voodoo Doll can be much higher than spamming Rage Potions on the dolls.
Other Cards With Synergy
In addition to various high HP creatures such as the Massive Dragon, Scarabs (when you have multiples of them on the field), and Gargoyle (after using Harden), some spells can also go well with the Acceleration card. Heavy Armor can provide up to 12 (18 Overdriven) damage for a creature, while also be extremely cheap to boot, while already having synergy between Earth-Gravity cards. For further HP gain, Basilisk Blood can provide a 20 HP boost (although stunning the creature for 6 turns), making Acceleration last even longer on the affected creature. If you’re not too keen on increasing a creature’s HP to increase the effects of Acceleration, Guardian Angels can simply heal the damage, potentially providing a more efficient way of growing damage.
Conclusion
Although it may put your creature a little bit closer to death, Acceleration is a slow yet steady form of damage growth for high HP creatures, while being another form of CC for creatures that don’t have the HP to support the speed.
Popular Deck
Voodoo Overdrive (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23663.0.html)
Other Decks
- Nothing Hurts Gravity (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24777.0.html)
- The Driven Elite (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22310.0.html)
Earth polls now up!
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on April 26, 2011, 10:59:38 pm
Post by: Higurashi on April 26, 2011, 11:02:53 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on April 30, 2011, 09:11:59 am
EDIT: Didn't saw your [desc] before after posting, Kuro :P
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 03, 2011, 08:28:21 am
Basilisk is cool.Subtle persuasion then? ;)
EDIT: Didn't saw your [desc] before after posting, Kuro :P
Here's the article for Basilisk Blood folks!
Overview
Basilisk Blood is a specialized CC with the function of stalling a creature in exchange for increasing its defenses. Upon application, Basilisk Blood will delay (or stun) a creature for 6 turns, while also increasing the creature’s health by 20 HP. Using this spell can either be extremely beneficial or detrimental for a creature, depending on what mechanic you’re emphasizing.
General Use
- Basilisk Blood will delay a creature for up to 6 turns, while also increasing its current and full HP by 20 health points
- The delay effect from Basilisk Blood doesn’t stack; the HP bonus does stack however
The other mechanic of BB is the health increase. While cards like Plate Armor and Blessing can increase a creature’s HP by decent amounts, BB increases a creature’s HP by a whopping 20 points – arguably making BB an incredibly tool to strengthen vulnerable creatures with. Of course, players should be weary about what cards they choose to apply BB to, as the effect can still be reversed by other forms of CC (Reverse Time and Mutation). Despite these risks, if a player is able to stall the enemy long enough to take advantage of the HP boost, then the creature will be more durable to damage-based CC effects.
Note that the HP bonus of Basilisk Blood stacks, but the actually delay effect does not. In other words, using multiple Basilisk Blood spells on the same creature serves as a better tactic for raising the creature’s HP, rather than delaying it indefinitely (as the delay will always be placed at 6 turns maximum).
Synergies
One prime candidate for using BB with is Voodoo Doll | Voodoo Doll. Because of the Voodoo passive skill, Voodoo Doll can grant two special effects when used with BB – the first is that upon being delayed for 6 turns, the opponent’s weapon will also be delayed (i.e. – ‘stunned’ in that the player can’t use the weapon or attack with it). Against weapons such as Pulverizer or Eternity, tossing a Basilisk Blood on a doll can halt the weapon’s damage while also preventing the use of the abilities. The second bonus is that by increasing the doll’s HP, you can also deal more damage to the doll to transfer to your opponent (i.e. – if the doll is Gravity Pulled, it’ll absorb more damage for you from the BB’s HP bonus, and redirect it back to the enemy).
For players who don’t enjoy the idea of having to use three elements (Voodoo Doll :darkness, Basilisk Blood :earth, & Gravity Pull :gravity), Armagio | Elite Armagio can be a great substitute for applying BB to. Because the Armagio already has Gravity Pull as its ability, one can use the alchemy spell after the Armagio has started redirected damage to itself. For 6 :gravity and a splash of :earth quanta, one can theoretically gain over 100 points of damage absorption from the Armagio. While it may not ‘reflect’ damage back to the enemy, it ties well with the various Earth-Gravity synergies already available in game, and allows more room for different tactics to deal damage to your opponent.
Gravity Shield | Gravity Shield also serves a fun combo; if you choose to use BB for enemy creature control (stalling), the additional HP bonus will also prevent that enemy creature from penetrating through the shield (unless they have momentum). This strategy can be further improved by having an Enchant Artifact spell placed on the shield so it cannot be destroyed by PC, or by having Heavy Armor within the Earth-Gravity duo-deck (Heavy Armor also increases the HP of the target creature like BB by a decent amount).
Other Cards With Synergy
Other cards that revolve around the benefit of gaining HP (despite being stunned) are Trebuchet (more HP = more tossing damage), Chimera (simply combines the added HP into the final creature), and Rage Potion (coverts the excess HP into ATK). Otyugh can also be a decent creature to pair up with BB as it requires high health pools in order to consume major creatures, but this will require a lot of setup time to execute properly, as a 6 turn stun in trade for being able to Devour (practically) any creature on the field can be a challenge. Reverse Time can also work wonders, as sending a creature (that has broken free of the stun) back to the player’s deck will also prolong the enemy’s offensive prowess.
Conclusion
All in all, Basilisk Blood is still a situational spell when it comes down to ‘soft’ creature control or as an HP boost; but when it’s used right, you can stupefy the foe right in their tracks.
Popular Deck
Shak'ars Revenge (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23663.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 74d 74d 74d 77l 77l 77l 77l 77l 77l 7tg 7tg 7tg 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80b 80b 80b 80b 80b 80bOther Decks
- Stoned Arsenics (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21333.0.html)
- Scrambled Shriekers (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9749.0.html)
- Too big for your boots (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6085.0.html)
- Fire everything! Trio-Trebuchet (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25467.0.html)
Life polls are (almost) up! ^^;
Post by: Higurashi on May 03, 2011, 08:34:25 am
Post by: Jappert on May 03, 2011, 09:46:11 am
I'm a big fan of Spine Carapace though and I'm still looking for a good way to implement it into some stalls.
Post by: willng3 on May 03, 2011, 12:23:02 pm
Frogs. Adrenaline rushes and USEM have been my favorite decks for a long, long time.
Post by: ddevans96 on May 03, 2011, 12:51:32 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on May 03, 2011, 01:06:19 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on May 03, 2011, 08:12:53 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 09, 2011, 06:31:56 am
Oh well. Here's the article for Mitosis!
Overview
While similar to the Fractal spell, Mitosis provides an alternative way of generating multiple creatures from the Life element. After applying Mitosis to a creature, the owner can use the Mitosis ability to procure an original copy of the creature, based on the creature’s cost.
General Use
- Mitosis will grant a creature to produce its original (non-modified/mutant) self each turn.
- The cost of the Mitosis skill varies on the actual cost of the creature targeted.
- Cannot be used on flying weapons.
It’s important to note that Mitosis cannot generate exact copies of the creature you’ve targeted. For example – using the Mitosis skill on a mutated Abomination with increased stats will only allow you to generate regular Abominations (without any abilities). Thus, Mitosis often works well with creatures that are mainly used for their cost-efficient stats. It’s also vital that you know what skill you’re replacing with Mitosis – some creatures may have more useful that will prevent them from being hurt easily from CC or attacks that can help you in the short-term. Because of that, Mitosis can’t be used as a ‘burst’ maneuver to rush your opponent with creatures, but more of a gradual skill that becomes deadly as you keep making more daughter creatures.
One major tip is to never apply Mitosis to a creature that you’ve just played onto the field (unless you’re very sure the creature cannot be targeted). The reason for this is that by using the spell immediately on the creature played, the creature will still have to wait the one-turn rule to use the Mitosis skill, leaving it defenseless against the enemy’s CC, unless you have certain ways to prevent the creature from being killed.
In addition to all of the above, please note that flying weapons cannot be affected by Mitosis. Finally, in some unusual cases, applying Mitosis to an enemy AI creature can create innovative tactics, depending on what creature you use the spell on.
Synergies
While many Life creatures can work well considering their costs, Horned Frog | Giant Frog is one of the top candidates to use with Mitosis, considering its extremely cost-efficient damage. For essentially 7 :life (or less), one can begin spawning hordes of frogs that will slowly overwhelm your opponent, unless they have numerous CC cards to counter them.
And from the above, Quintessence | Quintessence is also a major support card. Many creatures that are cheap often have low HP, which renders them vulnerable to spell and creature-based CC from the opponent. Applying Mitosis to these creatures simply paints a bigger target on their head, but this simple alchemy spell can help prevent your main spawning creature from being trumped by a single Lightning or Rewind.
While many other creatures are great candidates for Mitosis as well as Frogs, Devourers | Pests are perfect in that their main mechanic isn’t overwritten by the Mitosis skill. Devourer, the ability, is a passive skill that triggers automatically each turn (while ‘Burrow’ is an activated ability). Because of this, Mitosis will keep the Devourer’s main quanta-draining technique while replacing their (potentially not so useful) Burrow ability, allowing you to produce swarms of the lecherous beings to deny your opponent of playing anything. Throw in a Nightfall, and the combination of damage and quanta denial will be quite a fight for you opponent to deal with, but again, Mitosis is much slower than Fractal, so it’s important that you time this combination carefully.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other free cards, such as Gnome Gemfinder, Dragonfly, and Photon can all work as an alternative to quanta generation, given that they don’t die immediately to CC or other effects. Sparks (when buffed to have more than 0 HP) can provide a new way of causing death-trigger effects, although the number of elements required to make that strategy work varies greatly. Other relatively cheap cards, such as Minor Phoenix, Crusader, and Vampire also work well given their abilities, but need an equally decent setup time for them to be useful. Empathic bond works wonders with the creature generator, improving the synergy for the Life element with any other creature. Finally, a rare (but very useful) card to have with Mitosis is the Shard of Readiness. By reducing the skill's cost down to 0, any creature (regardless of their cost) can be mass-produced for free over time; Dragons and Nymphs (creatures with the highest card costs in the game) can have an incredible synergy with this combo.
Conclusion
All in all, Mitosis is an alternative way of mass-producing creatures (beyond the 6-card rule) compared to Aether’s equivalent, and as such, is a great way to also surprise your opponent. Who knew that ‘an army of one’ could exist?
Popular Deck
Dark Purple Rain (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25226.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6rq 6rq 6rq 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6ve 6ve 6ve 6ve 6ve 77f 7ap 7h0 7h0 7h0 7h0 7k0 7n0 7t4 7t4 7t4 7t9 80h 80h 80h 80hOther Decks
- USEMosis (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10563.0.html)
- Neo-USEM (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19771.0.html)
- Might Mito-Mutants (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23911.0.html)
- Pestosis (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19816.0.html)
Time to turn up the heat folks! ;)
Post by: Higurashi on May 09, 2011, 06:38:34 am
Post by: PlayerOa on May 09, 2011, 01:34:09 pm
Post by: Jappert on May 09, 2011, 02:29:23 pm
I love the "surprise" value they have. It's a great attack boost for it's cost, while being great CC aswell. This diversity is what makes it an awesome card with lots of synergies in a wide variation of decks. Good stuff!
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on May 09, 2011, 03:53:39 pm
Post by: Shantu on May 09, 2011, 03:59:13 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on May 09, 2011, 07:48:32 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on May 09, 2011, 10:17:01 pm
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on May 10, 2011, 03:15:25 pm
also, i just like the card because it allows :fire / :earth duo to work like peanutbutter and jelly.
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 14, 2011, 07:28:47 am
Overview
While most creatures that have growth-based (stat-increasing) abilities are offensive in nature, Lava Golem outshines them all with its high starting ATK. For 5 :fire quanta, a player can command a Lava Golem to deal major damage (given supplemental :earth quanta as well).
General Use
- Lava Golem’s ability, Growth, requires :earth quanta to operate.
- Upon triggering its ability, Lava Golem gains +2|+2 (or 2 ATK and 2 HP each).
- Its ability can be used once each turn.
It’s important to note that although Lava Golem’s ability requires :earth quanta to operate, a single Stone Pillar (or even changing one’s mark into Earth) can fuel the Lava Golem’s skills. The very fact that Growth can be used repeatedly over the course of a battle is incredible; unless the opponent has an arsenal of cards to take down a Lava Golem when it has grown several times, very few cards are capable of stopping it.
Unfortunately, a Lava Golem isn’t completely immune to all forms of attacks (unless it is immortalized and affected by Momentum). The ability, Paradox, can be devastating to a Lava Golem (and most Fire creatures for that matter), as its CC effect is based on how high the creature’s ATK is compared to its HP. Antimatter can only halt the offensive growth for a short time, but cards such as Liquid Shadow and Acceleration can both lobotomize its Growth ability while slowly killing it (or outright killing it if it’s applied right after coming onto the field). Various spells and effects can help protect the Lava Golem if a player feels unsure about the opponent’s CC capabilities.
Synergies
Because of it’s relatively moderate cost, Immolation | Cremation is a near perfect card to use alongside Lava Golem. From the quick burst of :fire quanta (and 1 additional :earth quanta as well), a player can set up very fast yet simple card combos that involve sacrificing cheap creatures (such as Photon) to play the Lava Golem as quickly as possible. In both upped and non-upgraded deck formats, this synergy can be unforgiving to enemy players due to the speed of the combo (assuming you get the required cards of course).
Surprisingly, while Lava Golem is a strong creature that can hold its own in a deck, Phoenix | Minor Phoenix has an almost symbiotic relationship with the Lava Golem. While the Phoenix is also capable of dealing decent damage, its main use is to also serve as additional Immolation fodder (to help generate more :fire quanta), while also luring enemy CC onto it. With its ability to revive itself given one :fire quanta (and cheap cost to play when upped), Phoenix is the ‘wingman’ to the Lava Golem, providing additional damage and quanta generation when combined with Immolation. These three cards are used so often in Fire-based decks that they are also known as Fire Rushes when placed together correctly, and can be incredibly efficient in taking down unsuspecting opponents.
Finally, Lava Golem can be very frail when it hits the field – a single Fire Shield can shut it down outright, while various other cards can kill it when one ends their turn. In this case, Plate Armor | Heavy Armor can grant the necessary health for your Lava Golem to survive a few extra hits or become immune to certain effects (such as Paradox and Devour). Because Plate Armor is from the Earth element, and is incredibly cheap (1 :earth), this combo is straightforward and helps bind the Earth-Fire synergy closer together.
Other Cards With Synergy
Various other creatures can work well in any deck that uses a Lava Golem, especially Graboids (which can use up excess :earth & :time quanta (for Evolve)) and Sparks (Immolation fodder to generate the quanta for Lava Golem). Stat boosting effects such as Chaos Power or shield penetration from Momentum are also good spells to pair up with a Lava Golem, given its frail nature. And because Lava Golem is a high-priority target for many CC attacks, Quintessence is often used on the beast, and the Golem can gain absurd amounts of HP and ATK to obliterate your enemy’s HP down to zero. Support cards such as Earthquake and Explosion can also be used to help get rid of nasty shields/pillars that can affect the Lava Destroyer's ability to, well, destroy.
Conclusion
Lava Golem is one of the top creatures for dealing damage quickly and efficiently, and is one of the most loved (and despised) Fire creatures for its ability to melt the competition away. If you find yourself fighting against someone with multiple Lava Golems on the field, you should expect the game to end fast for you...
Popular Deck
CC? Why Bother? (1.24) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9545.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u7 6u7 77f 77f 7dq 7dq 7gp 7gp 7k2 7n3 7q5 7q5 7q5 80h 80h 80iOther Decks
- Lava Rush (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6960.0.html)
- No Upgrade Fire Rush (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3882.0.html)
- OGEM: OverGrow'Em (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21670.0.html)
Water polls are now up! :D
Post by: Jappert on May 14, 2011, 07:33:13 am
And yes, we can provide useful decks ;)
Post by: CPU24/7 on May 14, 2011, 09:00:40 am
Post by: PlayerOa on May 14, 2011, 10:57:35 am
Get's my vote.
Post by: Higurashi on May 14, 2011, 12:00:01 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on May 14, 2011, 12:56:24 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on May 14, 2011, 02:17:07 pm
i disagree ddevans, i think fire golem deserves to be spotted on the wiki since it's incredibly powerful, useful and a major powerhouse for may decks, including CCYB.That's all it does, is attack and gain more attack. Rage Potion on the other hand can be used both as a buff and control. But that's in the past now :)
also, i just like the card because it allows :fire / :earth duo to work like peanutbutter and jelly.
For this week, Fishes ftw!
Post by: nilsieboy on May 14, 2011, 07:23:25 pm
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on May 15, 2011, 08:33:40 pm
Post by: Jappert on May 15, 2011, 08:40:00 pm
i voted for trident because it need to be shown as a card that needs to be reworkedNothing wrong with Trident if used right!
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on May 15, 2011, 08:44:54 pm
i still think it's UPi voted for trident because it need to be shown as a card that needs to be reworkedNothing wrong with Trident if used right!
Post by: johannhowitzer on May 15, 2011, 09:32:40 pm
Its weaknesses are decks that use low-cost cards, decks with burst quantum sources like Immolation, pillarless decks, and of course, cheap permanent destruction unless you pack Enchant Artifact. Immolation/Nova decks being so popular, Trident does see very limited use in some areas, but I'm of the opinion that it's grossly underrated.
Post by: Higurashi on May 15, 2011, 09:57:12 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 19, 2011, 10:37:17 am
Overview
As one of the few cards that have a completely different mechanic while upgraded, Toadfish provides creature control in the form of Inflate. However its upped form, Puffer Fish, applies that poison onto the player via Venom. Because of the differing mechanics between the two creatures, they are hardly used together (non-upped and upped) within the same deck.
General Use
- The abilities for both Toadfish and its upped version, Puffer Fish are completely different.
- Toadfish’s ability, Inflate, poisons a creature for 1 damage per turn when activated.
- Puffer Fish’s ability, Venom, deals poison damage to the opponent when it successfully attacks the opponent.
- Both Toadfish and Puffer Fish are Poisonous.
In the Toadfish’s case, while it may not accumulate poison onto the player directly, it can still serve as a monitor for the enemy’s creatures if they aren’t paying attention. Given the synergy between Air and Water cards, the Inflate skill can often be used repeatedly over the course of a battle to wither the majority of the opponent’s creatures down. Its HP is only one less than the Puffer Fish, making it fairly durable against several AOE CC effects, and its ATK is double that of the upped version, making it a very strong mid-range attacker.
For the Puffer Fish though, many cards that involve dealing poison damage to the opponent work better with it. Its HP can survive a Shockwave, and its damage (while only half of its counterpart) is more lethal in the long run, as the poison damage can stack up pretty quickly against non-shield-wielding enemies. While the major loss of ATK and bare increase in HP seems like a terrible tradeoff, the Puffer Fish’s skill is not only deadlier, but also non-reliant on any element to work (i.e. – Inflate requires :air, while Venom can be used in any deck).
Regardless of which version of this creature is used, both of them are considered poisonous, making them somewhat resistant towards devour-based creatures such as Otyugh and Scarab, and other mutants with the Devour ability.
Synergies
Because the Toadfish has a fairly slow CC effect, cards that often ‘stun’ or stop the creature from attacking (while being dealt poison damage) pair up well. The Arctic Squid | Arctic Octopus is another Water creature with the capacity to Freeze (or Congeal) enemy creatures for 3-4 turns. While the creatures are still frozen, they are still vulnerable to targeting effects, and thus, a Toadfish can slowly infect the creatures while the Squid can refreeze them for a continuous lockdown. In upped environments, Puffer Fish cannot serve the same CC effect, so the Squids can help lock down nasty creature abilities while the Puffer Fish deal the damage to the enemy.
Shockwave | Shockwave also works well with the Toadfish and Pufferfish creatures, alongside Water’s arsenal of freezing techniques. Shockwave can deal instant damage against creatures that have relatively low HP (or lowered via Toadfish), to deliver a killing blow easier. Also, depending on how many cards are capable of freezing enemy creatures (or the enemy’s weapon!), Shockwave can instantly destroy such cards in a single stroke. Shockwave is a cheap :air card that helps reinforce the Water-Air synergy in various duos, and shouldn’t be ignored if you use Toadfishes of Puffer Fish exclusively.
Finally, Chrysaora | Physalia is wonderful to add if the deck is focused mostly on poison techniques. While the combination of three elements may be hard to pull off (:water, :air, :death), using the upped versions of these cards can create a very annoying but fun duo-Water/Death deck (from the Puffer Fish and Physalia). In most cases, Physalia can act as support damage while the Toadfish (or Puffer Fish) becomes the main star in dealing damage.
Other Cards With Synergy
The other two Water spells, Freeze & Ice Bolt can serve as alternate ways to stall your opponent’s creatures on the field, and are great when used with any of the above aforementioned cards as well. Adrenaline can be fairly beneficial on the Puffer Fish, which can help it deal 12 raw damage and apply 2 poison counters during its attack (unless certain shields are up). Ice Shield can be a great defensive counter towards creatures with moderate ATK & HP for your Toadfish to take down, while Owl’s Eye can act as the offensive counterpart. Finally, it’s important to note that Toadfish can actually apply its poison ability directly to the enemy via the use of a Voodoo Doll, although this combo is extremely rare in game.
Conclusion
All in all, Toadfish and Puffer Fish are two unique sides of the same coin. Poison the creature, or the player? No matter how that last question is answered, players should always remember the strengths and weaknesses of the version they’re using.
Popular Deck
Arctic Infection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10302.0.html)
Code: [Select]
4tb 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i4 5i8 5i8 5i8 5i9 5i9 5ib 5ib 5ib 5ie 5ie 5ie 5ie 5ie 5ie 5on 5onOther Decks
- Flowing Reflection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21448.0.html)
- Speed Nymphs (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,13524.0.html)
Let there be light. ;)
Post by: Higurashi on May 19, 2011, 11:23:43 am
Post by: Time_lord_victorius on May 19, 2011, 12:39:40 pm
Post by: Jappert on May 19, 2011, 12:53:43 pm
Pegasus get's my vote!
Post by: coinich on May 19, 2011, 12:58:14 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on May 19, 2011, 01:05:22 pm
Voted for it, I think it's an interesting card :)
Post by: ddevans96 on May 19, 2011, 01:28:00 pm
:)
- Flowing Reflection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21448.0.html)
As for this month, I basically agree with Higs - Luci is a fun little card that no one ever expects, and since the buff it's been placed in a few different PvP decks. +1 from me.
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on May 19, 2011, 08:05:53 pm
Post by: Raptor6789 on May 19, 2011, 08:07:34 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on May 19, 2011, 08:19:13 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 20, 2011, 12:45:56 am
From now on, is it possible to automatically feature cards that are newly released?No, because personally there might be people who believe that the older cards (like me) deserve the article moreso than the newer cards, due to the fact that strategies that used them are either neglected or easily forgotten about in the community. In some cases, I would rather have all of the 'new' cards be featured much later than the older ones, but that's just personal taste. ^^;
Sanctuary is in the lead, but you never know what might happen...
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on May 20, 2011, 03:15:08 am
Post by: ddevans96 on May 20, 2011, 03:07:28 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on May 20, 2011, 04:52:09 pm
Come on Luci, one more vote and we're tied ~.~It's almost that I change vote to Luci, just so Sanc doesn't become feautured instead of Luci/Angel :)
Post by: Korugar on May 20, 2011, 04:53:51 pm
It's almost that I change vote to Luci, just so Sanc doesn't become feautured instead of Luci/Angel :)Heh, I did :)
Post by: Kuroaitou on May 29, 2011, 08:55:24 pm
Overview
Sanctuary is a powerful healing permanent with capabilities to help keep Light-users safe from a variety of denial techniques. In addition to healing 4 HP per turn, Sanctuary also protects the owner from enemy attacks that affect their quanta pool or their hand.
General Use
- Sanctuary heals for 4 HP per turn, and prevents any enemy card from affecting your quanta or hand during their turn.
- Multiple Sanctuaries stack the healing effect.
- The quanta/hand protection from Sanctuary still lasts for one additional turn when the last one is removed from a player’s field.
- Quanta-reactive cards (Solar Shield, Dissipation Shield, etc.) do not work when Sanctuary is also in play.
- Black Hole
- Discord
- Devourer
- Nightmare
- Silence
Sanctuary does have a few drawbacks, however. As the card states that a player’s quanta pool cannot be altered during the opponent’s turn, certain shields are affected by Sanctuary’s protective qualities. Solar Shield, for example, coverts absorbed damage from enemy creature attacks into :light quanta. However, when a Sanctuary is on the same field as that shield, the damage is still absorbed, but the player won’t receive any additional :light quanta from the prevented damage via Solar Shield (their quanta pool cannot be altered). Similarly for Dissipation Shield, the quanta used to block all damage from the opponent’s creatures is negated completely while Sanctuary is out. Thus, the abilities of Dissipation Shield are completely removed, and cannot block any damage while Sanctuary is up. Finally, if an enemy’s creature dies on their turn, a player with Sanctuary and Soul Catcher will not receive the :death quanta.
Synergies
Miracle | Improved Miracle is well known for its massive healing and game-turnover capabilities; combined with Sanctuary, the recovery options are boundless. While Sanctuary can provide small healing over time to help a player survive their setup (or stall out the other enemy), Miracle can work as an instant refresher to one’s HP. A Miracle can assist the player in getting elemental masteries easier, while the Sanctuary can help protect :light quanta in using the expensive spell. Combining these two cards only improves Light’s own recovery skills in game, and re-strengthens the Light element as a whole.
Surprisingly, Fire Shield | Fire Buckler has a fun synergy with Sanctuary. Although Fire Shield cannot block any damage, enemy creatures receive damage upon attacking, which in some decks, can be devastating (unless the creatures have high HP). Sanctuary will then recover the HP slowly, and if Fire Shield kills the creatures, a player can survive with the shield and Sanctuaries on the field. This strategy is very prone to copious amounts of permanent control cards like Steal and Deflagration, but if the opponent doesn’t have enough PC to stop the healing and creature-reactive damage, their deck may be unable to kill a player with the combo.
Other Cards With Synergy
Because Sanctuary can be a prime candidate for removal by PC effects, Protect Artifact is a good consideration to include in an Earth-Light deck alongside Sanctuary. An untargeted Sanctuary will nullify any deck that uses the major denial cards listed above. Various other healing cards like Heal, Purify, and Stone Skin can further bolster one’s healing skills in battle, although the redundancy is better used in stall decks to prevent losing rather than giving a direct way to win.
Conclusion
While many players see Sanctuary as the non-rare version of Shard of Gratitude, Sanctuary is a key component to fighting against various quanta and hand denial decks. With the added healing and a fair cost, Sanctuary is great for filling in any deck that uses :light, and can be a major asset against some of the most difficult False Gods in game.
Popular Deck
Unupped Fire Stall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23347.0.html)
Code: [Select]
5f0 5f0 5f0 5f0 5f0 5f4 5f4 5f4 5f4 5f4 5f4 5f5 5f5 5f5 5f6 5f6 5f6 5f7 5f7 5f7 5lm 5lm 5lm 5lm 5lm 5lm 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mq 5mqOther Decks
Head up in the clouds...
Post by: Higurashi on May 29, 2011, 09:00:20 pm
Post by: Shantu on May 29, 2011, 09:05:08 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on May 29, 2011, 09:34:01 pm
Post by: Onizuka on May 29, 2011, 09:59:33 pm
Post by: Hyroen on May 29, 2011, 10:55:34 pm
Post by: Bonestorm on May 29, 2011, 11:15:03 pm
Just don't ask Air Nymph where she gets it from. :-X
Post by: YawnChainHow on May 30, 2011, 03:58:38 am
Post by: Jappert on May 30, 2011, 05:17:26 am
Very fun card that requires specific counter strategies, it's a very important card to keep in mind when playing team Air for example.
Post by: PlayerOa on May 30, 2011, 01:51:14 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on May 30, 2011, 05:35:16 pm
But seriously, it's not as bad as a lot of people think it is (in comparison to lightning, especially) and there's enough decks that utilize it.
Post by: nilsieboy on June 01, 2011, 05:29:49 am
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on June 01, 2011, 10:07:36 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 06, 2011, 08:42:36 am
Just letting you all know, the ability for me to write these articles may (and possibly will) decrease in quantity within the next few days/weeks due to an unseen internet connection disturbance with my computer. Polls will unfortunately be extended to a week until I can figure out how to fix my problem. Thank you for understanding this, and I deeply apologize for that - please keep on voting though! ^_^
Overview
As the only permanent that can deal damage to every enemy (and ally) creature on the field and the opposing player at the same time, Unstable Gas (also known as ‘UG’) is a one-use alchemy card that will deal 20 damage to the enemy player and 1 damage to all targetable creatures on the field.
General Use
- Unstable Gas deals 20 damage to the opposing player upon the 'Ignite' ability being triggered.
- Also deals 1 damage to all targetable creatures on the field (including ally creatures).
- Must trigger the 'Ignite' ability in order to set off the damage - removing the Unstable Gas via other permanent control will not set it off.
What players should remember is that the damage from Unstable Gas can stack quickly; multiple Unstable Gases played onto the field in the same turn can be a literal OHKO (one-hit KO) the following turn if the opposing player has no means to stop or suppress the incoming damage. For 20 damage a pop, 5 Unstable Gases can take any regular enemy from 100 HP to zilch given the right amount of :fire quanta if detonated back-to-back. Of course, such a setup can be difficult to pull off due to various PC like Steal and Deflagration, but careful planning and card combos can make this strategy viable against stall decks or ones with intensive healing capabilities.
Unstable Gas has some notable disadvantages compared to damage-dealing spells however. As a permanent, the 1 turn wait can give an opponent time to counter the UG with again, permanent control or healing effects. In addition, UG has no special bypass around reflective shields like Emerald Shield. A player can target his or her own reflective shield to bypass the opponent’s reflective shield with a spell such as Thunderbolt, but Unstable Gas only targets the opponent, making it a dead card. In addition, it also damages the player’s creatures as well as the enemy’s – frail critters with low HP might be killed or brought down to frail levels if multiple Unstable Gases are set off. Thus, players need to account for these small details to ensure that the Unstable Gases are used as effectively as possible.
Synergies
Deflagration | Explosion can be potent in many UG decks that only include a Mark of Fire for the :fire quanta generation. Unless there are other Fire cards being used, the spell can be effective in getting rid of weapons or other troublesome permanents. In most cases, Deflagration can help use up some of the excess :fire quanta a player would accumulate if they don’t get the Unstable Gases on the field early enough.
In other cases, the speed in getting the UG cards out is the most important aspect. Precognition | Precognition is the cheapest Time card that can instantly speed up a deck while also providing the player insight on the enemy’s hand – in case the enemy has PC, a player can then choose to withhold their Gases or even bait the PC with a weapon so that their Gases remain untouched, all the while going through their deck to get the explosive punch in time. Although this card turns a deck into a trio, Precognitions are only worth 1-2 :time quanta, and thus can be fueled by a few pillars or pendulums, or even the mark depending on the deck composition.
Other Cards With Synergy
The Elite Firefly can be a great way to merge the Air and Fire elements together, as it can easily produce :fire quanta for the Ignite ability. Other cards, such as Quintessence or even Cloak, can help protect ally creatures from being hit by the explosion, or sacred permanents from being hit by Explosion. Other cheap or useful cards that can work well with the UG damage include Boneyard (skeleton fodder), Bone Wall, Minor Phoenix, and even Mirror Shield or Jade Shield, as the UG (if stolen) can’t be used against the player that owns them.
Conclusion
For any player that enjoys the occasional boom in a deck, Unstable Gas is perfect to include for setting up the OHKO or even a quick burst of damage. However, the Blue Nymph would be the perfect gift for those who prefer to use a limitless amount of the volatile bottle, and serves a ongoing joke about the dangerousness of one’s expelled gases…
Popular Deck
Anti rainbow rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5923.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 7dm 7dm 7dm 7dm 7dn 7do 7do 7ds 7ds 7ds 7ds 7ds 7ds 7gp 7gq 7gs 7n5 7n6 7n6 7n6 7n6 7n6 7n6 7q8 7t9 7t9 7t9 80d 80d 80d 80d 80i 80i 80i 80iOther Decks
Countdown OTK (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22903.0.html)
A faster air deck? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5794.0.html)
Tick... tock...
Post by: YawnChainHow on June 06, 2011, 08:48:26 am
Post by: Higurashi on June 06, 2011, 10:41:01 am
Post by: willng3 on June 06, 2011, 01:44:46 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on June 06, 2011, 02:05:00 pm
Yep. Ghost is easily my fave this time around.Thirded.
Not often I vote for the new cards, but this one is great.
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on June 06, 2011, 07:39:05 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on June 06, 2011, 08:21:28 pm
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on June 07, 2011, 12:57:24 am
Post by: Hyroen on June 07, 2011, 03:13:57 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on June 07, 2011, 03:22:59 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 13, 2011, 01:12:45 pm
Overview
Ghost of the Past, commonly abbreviated as ‘GotP’, is a Time creature that has a somewhat risky ability. With an impressive attack-cost ratio, Ghost of the Past will deal 10 (or 13 when upgraded) damage to the owner if the Ghost is discarded that turn.
General Use
- Ghost of the Past has a passive skill, Obsession, that cannot be removed by Lobotomization
- Obsession deals 10 or 13 damage to the player that owns the card if it’s discarded (has no effect if it’s played, killed, or removed other ways)
Ghost of the Past also has a unique passive, Obsession. If a player discards Ghost of the Past, they automatically take 10 (or 13) damage based on the upgrade version. While this may make it a risky card against decks that deny the ability to play one’s cards (via quanta or hand denial), the Ghost can also be combined with a few key cards to make it a decent hard-hitter and also provide some devastating recipes for decks. It’s important to note that players who have this card in their hand should avoid discarding it at all costs unless they have more vital cards in their hand that they do not want to discard or play.
Also, Obsession is a passive ability and cannot be lobotomized or removed – thus, cards that grant abilities (Mitosis, Acceleration) can be given to it without removing the passive skill.
Synergies
Nightmare | Nightmare is one of the most devious cards to use alongside Ghost of the Past, due to the obvious synergy of clogging up one’s hand with the Ghost. Against an opponent that has no access to :time quanta, using Nightmare on a Ghost while the enemy’s hand is empty will not only guarantee a wasted turn, but will also force the foe to discard one of the Ghosts (and take the additional damage from Obsession). If used repeatedly, a player can be locked down and destroyed by this combination, as the inability to draw any new cards while taking additional damage from discarding can be easily underestimated.
To further amplify the Nightmare + Ghost of the Past combo, Reverse Time | Rewind can further add insult to injury. In certain cases, fast enemy decks can easily play 1 or more creatures on the field before being able to setup the synergy. To help alleviate that issue, Reverse Time can send one of those creatures back to their deck, so that upon using Nightmare on the Ghost, they can’t draw it on their next turn. Having an Eternity as well can provide a major lockdown against various opponents in conjunction with GotP, given that the opponent emptied their hand as much as they could on their turn.
Other Cards With Synergy
Silence can occasionally force a discard with GotP (given that the player managed to use Nightmare alongside the Ghost), although the strategy may be tricky to do with the three elements involved. Sanctuary can provide a major benefit against quanta denial cards like Discord and Devourer so that they can play the Ghosts without worry (unless it gets stolen). Finally, a full-offensive deck that doesn’t focus on the Ghosts can also use fast cards such as Precognition, Golden Hourglass, and Graboid to get fast damage onto the field.
Conclusion
Even with the potential backfire of Obsession, Ghost of the Past is a decent offensive creature for the Time element with a tricky passive skill. Most important however, is the ability for the card to play mind games on a veteran opponent – holding back cards becomes necessary against Time, rather than a haunting afterthought…
Popular Deck
Nightmares of the Past! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22026.0.html)
Code: [Select]
5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rg 5rk 5rk 5rk 5rk 5ro 5ro 5ru 5ru 5ru 5ru 5ru 5v1 5v1 5v1 5v1 5v1 5v1Other Decks
Bad memory (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22588.0.html)
I've GotP Time (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22028.0.html)
Dawkness mode has now been activated.
Post by: Higurashi on June 13, 2011, 01:24:56 pm
Post by: Jappert on June 13, 2011, 02:34:09 pm
I'm loving Bootsza's AI 3 EM grinder and love EM's in general. ;)
Post by: TheonlyrealBeef on June 13, 2011, 02:50:34 pm
Guess I might have to hide under it if it does get chosen ^_^
*cloaks*
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on June 13, 2011, 03:35:30 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on June 13, 2011, 06:23:45 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on June 13, 2011, 09:55:43 pm
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on June 15, 2011, 04:30:24 am
Post by: johannhowitzer on June 15, 2011, 09:46:13 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 20, 2011, 04:26:13 am
Overview
As an ‘area-of-effect’ permanent, Cloak will conceal a player’s creatures and permanents from being affected by single-target effects for 3 turns. However, the effects of Cloak can be removed if Cloak is directly destroyed by permanent control, or if an AOE creature control spell is used to break the invisibility.
General Use
- While affected by Cloak, enemy single-target effects cannot directly target any of a player’s permanents and creatures, excluding Cloak.
- Cloak only lasts three turns before being automatically removed from play.
- AOE spells (Thunderstorm, Plague, etc.) will break Cloak’s invisibility.
- Cloak does not conceal a player’s HP bar, quanta pool, or hand.
In terms of deck building, Cloak can sometimes clog up an enemy’s hand with specialized CC (Lightning, Reverse Time, Antimatter, etc.) and PC (Earthquake and Nymph’s Tears) cards, as the spells will be rendered useless against the invisible field. Moreover, Cloak can serve as a setup for more powerful combos that the opponent might not be able to guess at, as they may not necessarily see or remember what cards a person has played/generated while Cloak is up.
Cloak does have a few notable weaknesses though: a major one being AOE creature control spells. In addition to being removed by PC, Cloak will automatically dissipate when one of the following spells is used to damage multiple creatures:
- Rain of Fire
- Thunderstorm
- Pandemonium
- Plague
Having multiple Cloak cards on the field do not do anything besides provide the basic invisibility effect; an AOE CC spell mentioned above can actually removed multiple Cloak cards on a field as well, so players should be conservative on playing the card.
Synergies
Because Cloak lasts for a maximum of three turns, Dimensional Shield | Phase Shield can synchronize well with the darkness card as they both last the same number of turns. One could theoretically chain both cards at the same time against opponents with limited amounts of permanent control, making it difficult for them to destroy or penetrate through the shield.
Gargoyle | Gargoyle is another popular candidate to combine with Cloak for various reasons. One important reason is that Gargoyle is a solid attacker for 5 :darkness but lacks HP; because of this fact, various spells and abilities (Holy Light, Paradox, Snipe, etc.) can easily take it out on the first turn unprotected. Cloak however can provide immediate protection for the Gargoyle to use its Harden ability and gain the necessary HP to defend against CC.
Finally, to really confuse and startle opponents, one could use the controversial Mutation | Improved Mutation card to make several monstrosities on your field without revealing them to the enemy. Because of the randomness of Mutation, only the player with Cloak can witness what type of creatures are produced, while the enemy will have to make while guesses at what the creature is (how much damage they’re capable of doing and what skills they could have). Even with AOE CC cards, an enemy may not want to waste a Rain of Fire on a field of mutant Dragons with high HP or a Plague on a mutated Voodoo Doll.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other randomizer cards, such as Fate Egg, Fallen Elf, and Nymph’s Tears can also add some surprise to a battle if used correctly and with the right luck. Protect Artifact and Quintessence are also great synergy cards with Cloak; Cloak provides the initial setup for protecting the valued cards, while PA or Quintessence seals the deal.
Conclusion
As a veil of temporary protection, Cloak serves its purpose well and can often ruin decks that don’t have ways to remove the coverage (via PC or AOE CC). If players find themselves fighting against a Cloaked enemy, it should be noted that by carefully observing and remembering what cards they play from their hand, they could discover and prepare for oncoming combinations that are still ‘concealed’ by the Cloak.
Popular Deck
Cloaked Dragon Rush (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22364.0.html)
Code: [Select]
5op 5v2 5v2 5v2 5v2 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 711 77f 77f 7ad 7di 7gt 7q5 7q5 7q5 80d 80d 80dOther Decks
Daywalker (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17641.0.html)
Not many Cloak decks, I know, but apparently many of them became 'broken' once a hot fix was added later on that allowed the AI to target Cloaks normally again. Anyway, Lady Aether, do your advertising. ;)
Post by: Bhlewos on June 20, 2011, 05:24:13 am
Post by: Bonestorm on June 20, 2011, 05:52:48 am
It was a tossup and I almost fell for Quintessence..
..but I have to go with Twin Universe, it's nothing short of amazing 8)
Post by: PlayerOa on June 20, 2011, 09:27:51 am
Post by: Higurashi on June 20, 2011, 10:45:11 am
However, in these polls, I have voted for the most versatile cards. The ones that offer the most strategical or interesting options.
That naturally brings one's mind to Parallel Universe. This is, ironically at its 7|6 cost, the one card that can offer Aether the most speed. Be it using it on an evolved Elite Grabby, something either player has buffed to oblivion, a super-buffed Deja Vu, a Phase Recluse or Turquoise Nymph, any of the enemy's creatures, a buffed Voodoo Doll, a Crimson Dragon over and over, a Phoenix to break a stall or perhaps an Elite Charger, this card can always add the element of surprise.
When a card has that many options for usage, and is capable of still surprising even veterans of this game, we know it's truly pro. It's difficult to use and can turn a game around, just like Fractal, but unlike Fractal it has a higher surprise value. Doing the unexpected after over a year of playing the same game is what separates the inspired from the old and tired.
So with all of that exposition, you would expect me to vote for PU, right? Well, you got me. My first thought was to vote for Phase Spider because it is simply an essential mainstay card for the offensive Aether player (especially Recluse), and it kicks a ton of ass with Wings, but when have I ever voted for a trusty baseline card of an element? Maybe next time, recluse brothers.
Post by: Monox D. I-Fly on June 21, 2011, 12:46:55 am
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on June 21, 2011, 01:10:55 am
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on June 21, 2011, 01:16:51 am
Post by: ddevans96 on June 21, 2011, 01:43:34 am
*lol punnies.
Post by: EvaRia on June 21, 2011, 03:11:49 am
Post by: willng3 on June 21, 2011, 03:24:14 am
As part of team aether, vote goes to our MVC Lightning =P100x this^
Post by: chum3 on June 23, 2011, 10:14:57 pm
Voted for Phase Spider.
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 25, 2011, 01:03:08 pm
Unstable Gas and Retrovirus (unupgraded Virus isn't mass-CC) should be added to that list for things that break Cloak.Added. ;)
Gonna be a long weekend for me, but before that happens, here's the article for Parallel Universe~
NOTE: ...there were a lot of awesome decks to choose from this time around folks. :) Thanks again!
Overview
For a spell that can technically double the damage dealt by a creature or provide a player with the enemy’s army, Parallel Universe will generate an exact copy of a target creature (meaning a direct copy of its current stats and ailments) onto the player’s field.
General Use
- Parallel Universe will generate an exact copy of a non-mutant creature (copying its current stats/status rather than summoning a new one).
- Can be used on both enemy and ally targets.
- When used on a mutant creature, the copied creature will have a different mutant ability and improved stats.
Copying a creature exactly can be a blessing or a curse however. During battle, a severely debuffed or damaged creature becomes a fairly poor target for PU, as its stats and ailments will carry over to the copy. Thus, a poisoned Otyugh or a lobotomized Fire Spirit with little ATK are seen as targets that will give a minimal benefit to the duplicating player. On the other hand, a Puffer Fish with Momentum or a massively buffed dragon become ideal to replicate against the enemy, especially if they have shields or other cards that are hindering a player’s ally creatures.
Mutated creatures are the exception to the copying rule though. Upon using PU on a mutant creature, the duplicated creature is of the same identity (copying a mutant Ash Eater will still provide a mutant Ash Eater), but often with a new ability and increased stats. The stat boost varies between mutants, although using PU on a mutant will increase its ATK and/or HP by 0-4.
Synergies
A classic card to use alongside Parallel Universe is Voodoo Doll | Voodoo Doll. Although the doll is incapable of doing much on its own in terms of damage, a severely damaged Voodoo Doll can become a brutal target with PU. When used on a damaged doll, all the damage that was originally transferred by the first copy is dealt again. For example, a doll with 1 HP (current) out of 80 HP (full amount) against an enemy player will have already dealt 79 damage – using PU on that same doll will instantly deal that 79 damage again to the enemy player. Poisoned Dolls will also transfer that same poison when cloned, alongside any other status effects (an enemy with a frozen doll on their field will also have their weapon frozen if a player copies it). Because of these benefits, a Voodoo Doll (buffed or hindered) is a nasty card to use alongside PU, especially as a surprise finisher against unsuspecting opponents.
Another interesting card to pair up with PU is Wyrm | Elite Wyrm. The Wyrm’s ability, Dive, doubles its ATK stat during a player’s turn, making it a dangerous card when given spell-boosts to its offense. However, the real trick with PU is the timing; using PU on the Wyrm after Diving allows the duplicate to keep that boosted ATK (until it uses Dive again). In other words, repeatedly using PU on each new Wyrm after Diving doubles the latest Wyrm’s attack in an exponential manner. Within a few turns, a single (normal stats – 5|3) Elite Wyrm on the field can generate (via the use of PU) a Wyrm with an ATK and HP of 40|3. Eight times the damage seems almost impossible to fathom, but this synergy can be done if the player knows how to retain the Dive-affected ATK to exploit the ATK boosting.
Finally, Flying Weapon can open some interesting doors with Parallel Universe. While most decks can have a maximum of 6 of a certain weapon on the field (6 Flying Weapons + 6 of the weapon), PU can double that amount to 12, making certain Flying weapon strategies even more potent. A flying Titan for example is hard to get rid of (aside from using Reverse Time, which messes up all flown weapons). Mass duplicating flown Titans not only provides non-blockable damage, but can also cause enemy AI to waste CC on them. Multiplied flown Jade Staffs can provide one of the best forms of healing, and even cloned Fahrenheit decks can leave some nasty dents in the enemy. Regardless of the weapon, the important thing is that because of PU, a player can dramatically reproduce the number of flown weapons on the field, which is handy in a variety of situations.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other major cards that go along with PU are buffs. Cards such as Adrenaline, Momentum, Blessing, Chaos Power, and even Quintessence can help create deadly creatures that will overtake a field. Strong creatures such as Lava Golem, Crusaders, Pegasus, and Phoenixes also mix well with PU, given their relative durability and useful abilities. Most of all, Déjà Vu can also provide some shock value with PU; a heavily buffed Déjà Vu that is copied before being split by its ability will grant a major card advantage to the player wielding them, especially if the creature is given the right stats and status effects.
Conclusion
Whether it’s to help waste the opponent’s CC, pump out damage, or borrow enemy creatures for one’s liking, Parallel Universe is a surprising cards found in various decks nowadays. Despite its cost, it can provide a new layer of duplicity against even the craftiest of opponents because of its simple yet influential mechanic.
Popular Deck
Hourglass 1 and Only! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23950.0.html)
Other Decks
- Skyfall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,23656.0.html)
- The Essential Newbie Farmer (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5656.0.html)
- Scarab Lance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,13673.0.html)
- D.O.P.E. - Dolls Overdriven on Parallel Epinephrines! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22787.0.html)
- Diving Pegasi Pwnage (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9326.0.html)
Chaos smaos. :P
Post by: Higurashi on June 25, 2011, 01:08:16 pm
TU a big Spectre or Destroyer, TU a CP'd Vader Sader, TU the Uli to get more Lobo power, or TU anything from the opponent. :>
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 25, 2011, 01:12:15 pm
I also have to present this speedbow as the perfect example of how versatile TU can be: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19406.msg291955#msg291955Although that deck is awesome, I believe Supernova is the main star of that deck, rather than TU. >.> *hint hint*
TU a big Spectre or Destroyer, TU a CP'd Vader Sader, TU the Uli to get more Lobo power, or TU anything from the opponent. :>
Post by: PlayerOa on June 25, 2011, 03:25:15 pm
Post by: Higurashi on June 25, 2011, 03:29:24 pm
Which is why I didn't suggest it for the article.I also have to present this speedbow as the perfect example of how versatile TU can be: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19406.msg291955#msg291955Although that deck is awesome, I believe Supernova is the main star of that deck, rather than TU. >.> *hint hint*
TU a big Spectre or Destroyer, TU a CP'd Vader Sader, TU the Uli to get more Lobo power, or TU anything from the opponent. :>
I kinda have to vote for Nova here. It's the one card in the game that opens up the most deck-building options, and also one of the three most powerful ones (Nova, Immo, Fractal).
Post by: chum3 on June 27, 2011, 03:35:15 am
Would be appreciated if Kuroaitou/Gyrodiot could fix it (not sure how to do it myself).
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on June 27, 2011, 04:01:31 am
Post by: willng3 on June 27, 2011, 04:22:11 am
Has there been silly vandalism on the wiki recently? The most recent featured card article is not right. (http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/cards-aether/parallel-universe-twin-universe/).0.o
Would be appreciated if Kuroaitou/Gyrodiot could fix it (not sure how to do it myself).
Wow I'm glad we have people stalking the wiki because there's a good chance I never would have noticed that.
This week? Orite. Nova/Supernova: endless possibilities, colorful explosions, and the obvious speed factor which I adore oh so much.
Post by: Kuroaitou on June 27, 2011, 08:47:23 am
Has there been silly vandalism on the wiki recently? The most recent featured card article is not right. (http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/cards-aether/parallel-universe-twin-universe/).Major thank you to pointing this out! Apparently, 6 hours after I posted the original article, a crazy person decide to type in a bunch of random stuff and let it fly loose. I've reverted it back to the previous version and hopefully no one will tamper with it again. Otherwise... :|
Would be appreciated if Kuroaitou/Gyrodiot could fix it (not sure how to do it myself).
Post by: chum3 on June 28, 2011, 09:45:12 am
Wow I'm glad we have people stalking the wiki because there's a good chance I never would have noticed that.Besides the occasional grind (don't do it as much nowadays), checking the wiki is one of the few things I still do that's Elements related. ;P
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 04, 2011, 10:51:28 am
Overview
When it comes to pure quanta generation, Nova (and its upped counterpart, Supernova) is unrivaled. Upon casting the spell, the player will generate 12 (or 24 upgraded) quanta evenly distributed between all elements (1 or 2 per element). While the amount may seem small, its resourcefulness has made it one of the most impressive cards to use in many decks.
General Use
- Instantly provides 1 quanta (2 quanta if upped) per element, resulting in a net worth of 12 (24 upped) quanta.
- Nova doesn’t require a cost; Supernova requires 2 :entropy to use, but replenishes the drained quanta immediately.
Many decks often use Nova and Supernova in various trio, quartet, and rainbow decks that have multiple elements in them, especially ones that have cheap cards that require a small splash of quanta from other elements to use Other cards or non-element-specific cards to play.
In addition to all of this, Nova can be a great way to deter quanta denial cards. Devourer might not absorb the most vital quanta (say, that of a player’s mark), if that person is running a duo, while a Discord can actually scramble the various elemental quanta into the Nova-user’s favor. And Earthquake (which destroys the general source of quanta-production, pillars) can’t touch Nova at all. Conversely, a single Black Hole can absorb all of the quanta generated by either card, so players should beware of signs that the enemy might have the alchemy spell.
Synergies
In terms of fast-quanta generation techniques, Immolation | Cremation combined with Nova can provide one of the fastest ways to produce various high-attack creations on the field. A single Immolation is equivalent to a Nova’s mechanic (with more :fire quanta produced), given a sacrificed creature in return. In many rainbow speed-based decks, the combination of these two spells will often allow a person to play all (or most) of their cards in their starting hand on the first turn, resulting in a high-offensive front being laid out.
Graboid | Elite Graboid can surprisingly work well with Nova. Graboid is cheap and immune to target-based CC (as it enters the field burrowed). Costing only 3 :earth to play onto the field, the Graboid's real trick is its ability. As Graboid requires 1 :time in order to use its Evolve ability, multiple Novas alongside a player’s Earth mark will generate the required quanta to pop out the Shrieker in time. Again, this tactic is another fast and easy offense, but given other cheap non-earth cards, one could essentially mix several Graboid and Novas in a deck with other cards in order to create a powerful and versatile deck in non-upped PvP formats.
Although rare, Shard of Gratitude (SoG) is an effective card to use alongside Supernova (and its non-upped version in some cases). As an Other card, SoG uses 3 generic quanta to play, meaning that quanta from any element pool can be taken for the Shard to land. False Gods can often deal severe damage if a player lacks healing or defenses at start, but a single SoG can heal 5 damage per turn, which quickly adds up over the course of a game. Multiple SoGs on the field can be hard to pull off in regular mono and duo decks given the limited quanta sources, but a Rainbow that includes several Supernovas at the start will oftentimes lend players a hand into placing the SoG permanent as quickly as possible.
Other Cards With Synergy
It’s important to note that almost any card can work in conjunction with Nova and Supernova, assuming that the right sources of quanta production are in place. That said, cheap cards that splash multiple elements such as Sundial, Lycanthrope, Forest Spirit and Chrysaora can hit the field first and use their abilities the following turn.
When it comes down to dirt-cheap cards, Arsenic and Vampire Dagger are the most preferred weapons to use with Nova, although the non-elemental weapons and Discord can be played quickly as well. Improved Fog, Precognition, Momentum, Freeze, Protect Artifact, and Explosion only have a quanta cost of 1 for their respective elements, and can be easily inserted in any deck to counter a variety of situations.
Conclusion
No matter the deck archetype, Nova has almost become synonymous with the term ‘Rainbow’ when it comes to deck designing. While the spell might not be as useful for every deck, its versatility and cost-effective ratios are truly noteworthy, and should be expected when fighting many professional players.
Popular Deck
(1.272) Evaluation of Contemporary CCYB (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,25878.0.html)
Code: [Select]
6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6rn 6rn 6rn 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u7 6u7 6u7 77f 77f 77i 7dq 7dq 7gp 7gp 7k6 7k6 7n3 7q5 7q5 7q5 80h 80h 80iOther Decks
- CC? Why Bother? (1.24) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9545.0.html)
- Rage Quit Deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3807.0.html)
- DEMA: Destroy 'EM All! V2.1 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12700.0.html)
- TADAbow - AI3 Domination, Rainbow style (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22518.0)
- PVP Graboid Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7528.0.html)
- Elder Destruction 101 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19406.0.html)
- Scrambled Shriekers (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9749.0.html)
This topic has died a bit. :(
Post by: PlayerOa on July 04, 2011, 10:57:57 am
Post by: aigel on July 06, 2011, 05:05:33 am
Post by: aigel on July 06, 2011, 05:06:31 am
Next time add the pillars and the Pendulums please!! ;Dbut i voted poison instead!!
Post by: Shantu on July 06, 2011, 08:16:53 am
Post by: nilsieboy on July 07, 2011, 12:26:40 pm
Post by: Bonestorm on July 08, 2011, 02:01:01 am
I have to go with Poison and its raw unmitigated damage.
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 12, 2011, 01:18:20 pm
Overview
When it comes to damage over time, the Death element is no stranger. For only 1 or 2 :death quanta, players can cast (Deadly) Poison onto the opponent, causing the enemy to lose 2-3 HP each turn.
General Use
- (Deadly) Poison inflicts 2 (3 upped) damage per turn once applied to the enemy player.
- All poison applications and effects stack.
- A player’s poison status can only be removed by Purify.
- Cannot be reflected by shields.
While useful as a form of support damage, Poison does a few hard and soft counters. Purify not only removes all the poison off the user, but also applies a healing-over-time effect that will help further suppress the poison damage (if it’s reapplied). Other healing cards, such as Shard of Gratitude, Empathic Bond, and Sanctuary can also mitigate much of the damage caused by poison. However, permanent control cards can easily destroy those healing-over-time effects. Another bonus is that both of the spells have one major benefit over all direct-damage spells – they cannot be reflected by shields such as Emerald Shield.
Synergies
For a more reliable source of repetitive poison application, Arsenic | Arsenic is the go to card for various decks. Many mono-Death decks that include Poison often have Arsenic in there as well to help increase the poison counter (as both are cheap in terms of :death quanta and are easy to play within the first few turns). They can also help counter enemy tactics – Poison ignores all shields (including reflective ones), while Arsenic can overcome Purify-users by reapplying the poison and racking up the poison count well above 18 damage per turn.
Chrysaora | Physalia is well known for its ability to slowly cripple opponents, and paired up with the spell, a variety of ‘Speed-Poison’ decks is born. The jellyfish is not only cheap (only 1 :water for either version), but also surprisingly effective against opponents without hard creature control to kill or lobotomize it. While it only applies one poison counter at a time, multiple Chrysaora or Physalia can rack up poison damage faster than most would expect if left unchecked. In some cases, using the unupped version can benefit users who are weary of damage-inducing shields (Fire Buckler).
Naturally, those who use poison often need a reliable defense for the poison to take effect appropriately. While various shields can block damage completely, Sundial | Sundial is an underestimated card in regards to defense. Although creatures are unable to attack for either user while a Sundial is in play, weapons and poison damage still go through. In this case, using Arsenic and Deadly Poison spells together alongside several Sundials can stop various creature rush decks for a few turns while the poison ticks away. The upped Sundial can also encourage a Death-Light duo deck that focus primarily on poison damage, stalling via Sundials (while drawing more cards using its Hasten ability), and various Light healing cards to offset any damage.
Other Cards With Synergy
Many creatures with venom-like abilities can help apply more poison along the way, including the Scorpions (Dune and Deathstalker come in mind) and the Puffer Fish. Bone Wall and Phase Shield often act as major damage-blocking shields in conjunction with Poison, especially in conjunction with Sundial. Lastly, because of its ridiculously cheap cost, Poison can sometimes be found in a rainbow deck that uses Nova to fuel the necessary :death quanta.
Conclusion
Although its main use is for support damage, Poison and Deadly Poison are a set of spells that can cause more harm than most non-attentive players would give credit for. Players who are poisoned usually have only two choices: out-heal the toxin or kill the player first.
Popular Deck
Got Poison? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,365.0.html)
Code: [Select]
710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 710 718 718 718 718 718 718 71a 71a 7gl 7gl 7gl 7gl 7gl 7gl 7gn 7gn 7gn 7gn 7gn 7gnOther Decks
- Pandebonium (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26731.0.html)
- Mummies Riding Toxic Spiders (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10074.0.html)
- Poison dials (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26485.0.html)
Gravity polls are now up! :D
Post by: willng3 on July 12, 2011, 01:23:04 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on July 12, 2011, 01:30:09 pm
Go Catapult!^^^ Fixed :)
Post by: Calindu on July 12, 2011, 01:31:48 pm
Post by: Higurashi on July 12, 2011, 01:36:14 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on July 12, 2011, 01:45:33 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on July 12, 2011, 02:58:40 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on July 12, 2011, 08:05:39 pm
Post by: Jappert on July 12, 2011, 08:08:15 pm
voted gravity shield, one of the most underrated shields of the game while it can be very strong if used right.Same!
Post by: Bhlewos on July 12, 2011, 08:11:58 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on July 12, 2011, 08:16:07 pm
Post by: Korugar on July 12, 2011, 09:18:56 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on July 13, 2011, 01:28:11 am
Catapult has many more interesting strategies than Charger does. The latter is just a creature with momentum, nothing really exciting about it.
Post by: parasite99 on July 13, 2011, 01:39:04 am
:)I totally agree. Also after patch it got buffed and would be nice explaining to people how to use catapults :)
Catapult has many more interesting strategies than Charger does. The latter is just a creature with momentum, nothing really exciting about it.
Post by: Bhlewos on July 13, 2011, 02:33:23 am
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy150/BhlewosAQW/ElementsTheGame/chargers_ftw.png)
Post by: ddevans96 on July 13, 2011, 02:39:16 am
I like Catapults...but I like Chargers more.Win, this is.
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy150/BhlewosAQW/ElementsTheGame/chargers_ftw.png)
Post by: Svenningen on July 13, 2011, 02:43:29 am
chargers<3
Post by: Scaredgirl on July 16, 2011, 02:29:53 pm
Post by: TheCrazyMango on July 16, 2011, 04:32:24 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 20, 2011, 10:17:49 am
Overview
Sapphire Charger is one of the few cards in game that can ignore shields when it comes to dealing damage. As a Gravity creature, the Charger has the well-known status effect, Momentum, allowing it to ignore all shield effects and damage reductions upon attacking.
General Use
- Sapphire (and Elite) Charger has the ability-status, Momentum, which allows it to attack through shields without suffering any penalties.
- Will not cause damage if its attack is inverted (Antimatter) or if Sundial is in play.
The Charger’s “Momentum” skill can still be removed by direct lobotomization, but cards such as Liquid Shadow and Acceleration will not overwrite the Momentum status away. Instead, the new ability (Vampire for the first example) will be given to Sapphire Charger while the momentum ability still remains on the card (in the form of the icon). Two major counters to the beast are Antimatter, which (contrary to the card’s technically ‘reduces’ the ATK by inverting it to a negative number (healing the opponent that way), and Sundial, which stops all creatures (regardless of their status and abilities) from attacking for a turn.
Synergies
While shields might not be able to stop the stampeding creature, other nasty CC effects (Lightning for example) can cripple or even kill it after popping out the field. Given immortality via Quintessence | Quintessence, a player can have an unstoppable (no pun intended) creature that will be guaranteed to deal damage to the foe every turn. Sundial can still prevent immortalized Chargers from attacking, but one card (compared to dozens) makes this combination a formidable strategy in Gravity-Aether duos.
For those who enjoy swarming the enemy with multiple Chargers on the field, Fractal | Fractal can be a surprising spell. Despite their moderate costs, a single Fractal can greatly boost a player’s damage output when used on an Elite Charger, especially against swarm-countering shields. However, this tactic works best when a player can accumulate :gravity and :aether quanta reliably, and thus won’t work well against quanta denial tactics.
Other Cards With Synergy
Because of Momentum, buff cards such as Blessing, Chaos Power, and even Adrenaline can help further the damage potential of a Charger against shield users. In some cases, having applying Mitosis to a Charger can be just as menacing as using Fractal (although it does make the Charger more vulnerable to CC if not protected via Quintessence).
Conclusion
As a core card of any Gravity-based deck, the Charger is no stranger at pummeling away the opponent’s health. Although the unupped version may be overlooked at its somewhat steep cost, players should never underestimate a creature that can penetrate through even the toughest of defenses, given the popularity of various shields.
Popular Deck
Double-time!: Inertial Healing (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7817.0.html)
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5c5 5c5 5c5 5c5 5c5 744 744 745 745 745 745 745 74a 74a 74a 74a 7an 7an 7an 7an 7bu 7bu 7bu 7bu 7bu 7bu 7bu 7n2 7n2 7n2 7n2Other Decks
- Heavy Metal (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,15792.0.html)
- Fractal, Charger, Phase Shield (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5396.0.html)
- Fractal Feasting (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11353.0.html)
Mother Earth needs your vote!
Post by: Higurashi on July 20, 2011, 02:45:48 pm
In Earth, the most versatile cards are Warden and Gnome Rider, especially Gemfinder. EA and Armor can be used in a couple ways too, but the free quanta generator creatures are just the best when it comes to flexibility.
Post by: Jappert on July 20, 2011, 04:41:07 pm
lulz, top of the list...Even though I agree with Higs on this one, I voted for Steel Golem. Hard choice though considering earth is my favorite element.
In Earth, the most versatile cards are Warden and Gnome Rider, especially Gemfinder. EA and Armor can be used in a couple ways too, but the free quanta generator creatures are just the best when it comes to flexibility.
It's rushing capabilities and massive HP are so underestimated, it definately needs some love!
Post by: Higurashi on July 20, 2011, 04:59:38 pm
But yeah, Elite Antlion and Steel Golem are great creatures. It's a shame they're overshadowed by Elite Graboid.
Post by: Jappert on July 20, 2011, 05:02:07 pm
Pretty sure he gets enough with that package.Mandatory quote for future reference.
And just to get this post slightly back to topic: these guys pack steel! Vote for Golems!
Post by: PlayerOa on July 20, 2011, 05:41:54 pm
And Stone Skin makes the Golems even more steely/stony whatever! Vote for Stone Skin!Pretty sure he gets enough with that package.Mandatory quote for future reference.
And just to get this post slightly back to topic: these guys pack steel! Vote for Golems!
Post by: parasite99 on July 20, 2011, 05:44:01 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on July 20, 2011, 07:00:44 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on July 20, 2011, 07:10:41 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on July 21, 2011, 10:03:31 am
used it in tourney to, earthquake + warden is a very nice combo because opponent has less quanta = less creatures and the few creatures he has will be locked for the entire game by the wardens.
Post by: Bonestorm on July 22, 2011, 06:40:41 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 25, 2011, 09:18:30 am
Overview
Iridium Warden is a utility creature capable of stunning and damaging enemy creatures via the Guard ability, depending on whether they are airborne and if the Warden is capable of dealing damage to the opponent (i.e. – buffed).
General Use
- Iridium (Vanadium) Warden only costs 1 :earth to play and only 1 :earth to use its ability, Guard.
- The Guard ability will delay any creature that is targeted for one turn, but cannot attack the enemy player that same turn.
- Wardens can only damage (or heal!) non-airborne creatures via Guard if given a spell to buff (invert) their ATK.
- The Warden’s ability delay can stack multiple times on the same creature.
Note that the delay occurs no matter if the creature targeted is airborne or not, meaning that six Wardens can technically block six enemy creatures (assuming they can be targeted and given enough quanta), making the skill a 1:1 ratio as a soft CC. Also, the Guard ability has the unique effect of delay stacking – if multiple Wardens use Guard on the same creature, the creature will be delayed for the amount of times affected by the Guard ability. Thus, multiple Wardens can lock down enemy (or ally) key creatures for an extensive period of time more than freezing effects (and the delay from Basilisk Blood).
What players should also keep in mind is that the Guard ability has other several tricks up its sleeve. Wardens can cause damage via Guard if the Warden has a positive ATK value (otherwise, they only deal the default 0 damage). Conversely, if the Warden’s ATK is negative (via Antimatter), the Guard ability will actually increase the target creature’s full HP and recover its current HP by the inverted ATK amount. In either case, Wardens cannot affect the HP of airborne creatures (the delay is only applied), and if the Warden has the Adrenaline status, all of the remaining attacks after using the Guard skill will attack the enemy player instead.
Synergies
Blessing | Improved Blessing is a perfect candidate for either Warden, as the spell increases the Warden’s durability and offensive prowess for both versions. With 3 ATK, several dangerous creatures can be killed or brought down by other means, and an upped Warden with 9 HP can be fairly resistant towards various CC effects, requiring the enemy to sling multiple attacks at the warden to take it out. In addition to this, the Blessing can set the Warden up perfectly with Adrenaline to deal damage to the enemy player after using Guard (as the status will help remove the backfire delay from using Guard).
Surprisingly, the Otyugh | Elite Otyugh can gain a major benefit while paired up with the Warden. As the Warden stuns and damages enemy creatures, Otyughs can follow up as the cleaning crew eating whatever is within their range via Devour (and if that fails, the Otyughs can also eat the Wardens as well). The combo helps reinforce the duo synergy between the Earth and Gravity elements, and can often become a nasty tag-team of creature control if the Warden and Otyugh are well protected (or highly buffed to be durable).
Although Basilisk Blood | Basilisk Blood cannot stack repeatedly on the same creature (in terms of the delay effect), the Warden’s delay can actually prolong the delay effect on the creature (increasing it to a near 7 turns of delay). Both cards can be used in a Mono-earth deck and can be set-up with very little :earth quanta (“BB” costs 2 or 1 :earth based on the version), and provide multiple tactics to stall enemy creatures while assembling an offensive.
Other Cards With Synergy
Likewise, beneficial spells such as Adrenaline, Momentum, and Chaos Power will serve either Warden well. The unupped Rage Potion can be used conservatively on the Vanadium Warden (it only deals 5 damage in exchange for a 5 ATK boost) to turn it into a pseudo-Lightning on a stick. In rare trio or rainbow decks, Flesh Spider and Phase Spider can be useful alongside the Warden as their Web abilities can help bring Airborne creatures down into the Warden’s range to help deal damage to them. And if players don’t care about the Warden’s CC skills, the card can turn into Immolation fodder.
Conclusion
For being cheap, unorthodox, and relatively tactical, players should try to explore the unique possibilities of the Warden in their decks, especially ones that provide spell-buffs or lack any type of creature control.
Popular Deck
Sadface (http://)
Other Decks
(Still looking for more Warden decks, sorry about the blank space)
Vegetarians rejoice! :P
Post by: PlayerOa on July 25, 2011, 10:51:28 am
Team :life winner card, and made me win my first award (though the cake is not a lie).
Post by: Scaredgirl on July 25, 2011, 12:39:00 pm
Post by: parasite99 on July 25, 2011, 12:45:53 pm
Post by: willng3 on July 25, 2011, 01:20:52 pm
Post by: ffun on July 25, 2011, 02:33:49 pm
Post by: Higurashi on July 25, 2011, 03:35:58 pm
Post by: Jappert on July 25, 2011, 04:04:05 pm
I'm quite fond of shields in general aswell ;)
Post by: MatrimKK on July 25, 2011, 06:24:29 pm
probably the least used card on the poll in my gaming experience at Elements
Post by: Jappert on July 25, 2011, 06:27:37 pm
Emerald Shield | Jade ShieldIt's used quite alot in CCYB variants actually.
probably the least used card on the poll in my gaming experience at Elements
Alot more then Spine Carapace at least.
A solid choice nonetheless because of it's reflect and immaterial skills. That's one game changing shield right there ;)
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on July 25, 2011, 07:23:12 pm
Post by: Aves on July 26, 2011, 01:18:13 am
Post by: Jaymanfu on July 26, 2011, 01:25:41 am
Post by: Camoninja on July 26, 2011, 02:05:05 am
Every time I come back to this card I find a new way to use it. The problem is every time I use it I have trouble keeping up with the damage it slowly removes.
Post by: Qwandri on July 29, 2011, 04:33:18 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on August 02, 2011, 07:59:32 am
Overview
In comparison to Emerald Shield, Thorn Carapace is a shield based on indirect creature control rather than pure damage mitigation. For 7 :life quanta, attacking creatures have a high chance of being infected by poison.
General Use
- Attacking creatures have a 75% chance to be infected by poison; poison damage is cumulative
- Creatures that are blocked by the upped shield, Spine Carapace, or ones that have the Momentum status cannot be infected
| Number of attacks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | N |
| Damage dealt | 0 | 0.75 | 2.25 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 11.25 | 15.75 | 21 | N*N-1*3/8 |
Synergies
To improve the effectiveness of Spine Carapace’s damage reduction, Aflatoxin | Aflatoxin can serve as a field lockdown. If a player manages to use a spell on a creature that’s about to die, the enemy player will be forced to kill the offspring Malignant Cell that’s produced afterwards, or succumb to the infestation that will follow. The upped shield blocks Malignant Cells, making them unable to be killed by poison. Thus, it becomes apparent that Aflatoxin serves as a special form of CC and board control if played on the right creature.
Maxwell’s Demon | Maxwell’s Demon also works wonders with the Carapace. For 2 :entropy, players can use its Paradox ability to kill creatures that have their ATK stat higher than their HP. Unless they are immortal or momentum-affected, the poison from the shield will generally wear the enemy creatures down into the Maxwell’s range. If the Demon is killed, the poison will still continue to tick on the creatures instead.
To counteract permanent control, Enchant Artifact | Protect Artifact can be the most aggravating spell (for the enemy) to use alongside Carapace. While various other shields can be annoying while protected, Thorn Carapace is one of the few that will eventually set an enemy’s offense to 0. Because shields cannot be currently targeted by any other means (compared to weapons and Voodoo Doll), PA is the cheapest and most simple synergy players can operate between the Earth and Life elements.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other nasty AOE CC cards, such as Flooding, Rain of Fire, or Pandemonium can also work well to killing infected creatures. Lobotomizer can solve the problem when dealing with momentum. In a few cases, using Adrenaline on enemy creatures can actually kill them faster (as they’ll attack more times against the Carapace, racking up more poison), but players should be extremely careful not to use it on hard-hitting targets or ones with on-hit special abilities like venom.
Conclusion
Although infecting creatures seems more of a skill associated with the Death element, Spine Carapace flips that concept on its head. While not so effective at reducing damage initially, this shield can suppress many decks that rely on fast but weak creatures, and even hinder growth creatures better in the long run.
Popular Deck
Rage Quit Deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3807.0.html)
Other Decks
- S&M 500EM Deckout (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9483.0.html)
- The Evolution of Stall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26757.0.html)
- Flying Jade Staffs/Spine Carapace (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,5796.0.html)
Flame on!
Post by: Calindu on August 02, 2011, 08:16:52 am
Edit:Brimstone needs some love,just because brimstone thunder. :))
Post by: Jappert on August 02, 2011, 10:17:01 am
Post by: Jenkar on August 02, 2011, 11:14:10 am
Rage potion: the versatility of this card, being both a good CC and great buff card, makes it unique.+1
Post by: PlayerOa on August 02, 2011, 02:00:41 pm
The Rage Pot got my vote - double uses is always cool 8)
Post by: Bhlewos on August 02, 2011, 02:02:14 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on August 02, 2011, 02:39:49 pm
Post by: Bonestorm on August 02, 2011, 03:25:31 pm
Post by: Onizuka on August 02, 2011, 03:28:18 pm
Awwwyeah
Post by: Higurashi on August 02, 2011, 04:05:50 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on August 02, 2011, 04:33:42 pm
Rage potion: the versatility of this card, being both a good CC and great buff card, makes it unique.What he said.
Post by: nilsieboy on August 02, 2011, 04:39:29 pm
what HE said?Rage potion: the versatility of this card, being both a good CC and great buff card, makes it unique.What he said.
Post by: n00b on August 02, 2011, 04:47:41 pm
Post by: Hyroen on August 02, 2011, 05:08:15 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on August 02, 2011, 09:45:59 pm
Post by: willng3 on August 02, 2011, 09:50:06 pm
Rage Potion is awesome, btw. So many fun combos come from that card.
Post by: Kuroaitou on August 10, 2011, 06:24:48 pm
Overview
Perceived as both a mixed blessing and a massive single-target creature killer, Rage Potion can benefit the user for both offensive and defensive purposes. This Fire spell will cause a creature to gain 5 (or 6 upgraded) ATK at the cost of 5 (6 upgraded) HP, unless it dies from the HP loss first.
General Use
- Rage Potion grants a targeted creature 5 ATK, but also causes it to lose 5 HP. Upgraded, Rage Elixir sacrifices 6 HP for 6 ATK.
- Costs only 3 :fire quanta for both versions.
For other Fire-based decks, Rage Potion can serve as a risky buff to a creature’s offensive prowess. Many cards with high HP can shrug off the damage dealt to gain the offensive bonus, or even prevent further damage via healing and immortality abilities. In a few cases, some creatures may want the lowered health in order to take advantage of their passive ability or bypass certain shields (Gravity Shield).
Synergies
Voodoo Doll | Voodoo Doll is one of the few cards with an extraordinary amount of HP, but zero offensive capabilities. Given a single Rage Potion, the Voodoo Doll will gain the ATK boost while also dealing an additional 5-6 damage from its Voodoo ability; the double-dipping effect of Rage Potion on the doll can cause a serious dent in your opponent’s health if they’re not careful, and this combination is well known in many Voodoo decks (including the False God, Hecate).
Guardian Angel | Archangel is another interesting card. Unupped, Guardian Angel deals a measly 1 damage, but where it shines is its capability to heal any creature (itself included) for 5 HP. A Rage Potion can boost its attack, and its ability can help recover the damage. Likewise, Rage Elixir can be used on the upped Archangel for a whopping 6-damage boost, and it can use its Heal ability to recover it to almost full HP. In addition to this combo, Angels can also heal other creatures affected by Rage Potion, turning Rage Potion into a pure buff-based spell.
For those who plan on using this mainly as CC, Rain of Fire | Fire Storm can serve the AOE complement for creature control. Depending on an enemy’s deck, Rage Potion may be capable of taking out some hard-hitters with moderately high HP, but given the limited amount of spells one can carry, an army of creatures becomes troublesome. Thus, players are encouraged to save their Potions on more concerning targets, and save Rain of Fire (RoF) when dealing with swarms of creatures (such as Rays of Light in an RoL-Hope deck).
Other Cards With Synergy
Other creatures that can work nicely with the Rage Potion include Armagio, Steel Golem, and Steam Machine. Plate Armor can also provide some extra HP to recover the loss from Rage Potion, although the upped version Heavy Armor can completely negate the damage from even the Elixir.
In regards to the CC aspect, Fire Bolt and Fire Shield also provide more direct (or indirect) forms of damage to enemy creatures. Other users can also use other cheap CC spells such as Shockwave or Lightning to take advantage of the overall damage in a rainbow or immolation-based deck (both of those spells only cost 1 quanta of their element upped, which can be fueled by a single Cremated creature).
Conclusion
Rage Potion (or Elixir) can be the answer to a lack of offense, or a real problem-maker for enemy creatures. When it comes to aggression, Fire’s alchemy spell is a perfect match, and players should avoid getting upset if the concoction is used against them.
Popular Deck
Fire Stall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6515.0.html)
Other Decks
- My Voodoo Doll is on Fire! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9870.0.html)
- Em-Dow (Crusader Quartet) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17297.0.html)
- Fire Spirits and CC (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17308.0.html)
Water polls will be up shortly.
Post by: Jappert on August 10, 2011, 06:37:26 pm
As you guys might now, I love to stall and arctic pusses do a great job at that.
Admittedly it's not the best card out there but I remember some very frustrating matches vs Higs T50 deck (mass octopi + druidic staves/SoG's healing, very annoying) That's the kind of inventive deck building I like!
It has great synergy with healing cards in general, wich I like aswell!
Post by: RavingRabbid on August 10, 2011, 06:39:44 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on August 10, 2011, 06:44:16 pm
Squid!
Post by: Jappert on August 10, 2011, 06:49:38 pm
Ice Bolt!Might have been our key card last war.
Man, we owned alot of weapons back then :D
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on August 10, 2011, 07:01:02 pm
Post by: Calindu on August 10, 2011, 07:04:11 pm
Post by: EvaRia on August 10, 2011, 07:07:19 pm
I voted for Chrysaora. One of the best poison cards in the game.
Post by: Bhlewos on August 10, 2011, 07:12:57 pm
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy150/BhlewosAQW/ElementsTheGame/chill_bro.png)
Post by: n00b on August 10, 2011, 07:15:30 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on August 10, 2011, 08:45:30 pm
Seriously, it's one of the most unique and overlooked mechanics in the game.
Post by: Higurashi on August 10, 2011, 08:47:14 pm
Post by: Bonestorm on August 11, 2011, 03:45:41 am
Post by: Aves on August 11, 2011, 05:44:17 pm
As for flooding... it's virtually useless. Sure, it helps against creature spam like Fractal/FFQ/Boneyard/Pharaoh, but its very situational- it fails against basically everything else. Unless you know your opponent's deck is based on one of the above, you're probably not going to be relying on it.
Post by: parasite99 on August 12, 2011, 09:02:49 pm
Let's see some uses for that one...
Post by: Jocko on August 12, 2011, 09:29:46 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on August 27, 2011, 12:22:35 pm
Overview
Arctic Squid is a rare Water creature proven capable of halting entire enemy armies. Despite its low damage and health, its ability, Freeze (or Congeal when upgraded), can stop enemy creatures for 3-4 turns, making it a formidable card when it comes down to continuous creature control.
General Use
- For 3 :water quanta, players can deploy either version of this card; the costs for either ability are the same for both versions (2 :water quanta).
- Freeze will only stop the creature from attacking and using its ability for 3 turns, Congeal will do the same for 4 turns.
- The Squid’s/Octopus’ ability can be used once per turn, and thus can potentially lock down up to 3-4 creatures each.
Arctic Squid’s main ability is directly based off the cards Freeze and Congeal. The Squid’s ability can Freeze a creature for 3 turns, while the Octopus can Congeal one for 4 turns. Aside from the change in delay times, the ability of both versions is practically identical, as they only cost 2 :water quanta each to trigger the skill, and can only be used once per turn. That being said, players with multiple Squids on the field will generally be able to lock down the enemy’s field for multiple turns, unless they have status effects that can speed through the freezing effect (Adrenaline) or make them completely immune to it (Quintessence).
Synergies
Despite the overlap in freeze effects, Ice Shield | Permafrost Shield can be a decent complement with the Squid. In case your opponent happens to have Immaterial or Immortalized creatures, Permafrost can assist with freezing those creatures upon them attacking, while the Squid can target the non-immaterial creatures that hit the field later on. The combination of these two Water cards can often make a Water deck more potent in its capability to stall enemy damage, unless they have heavy control cards to remove or prevent the freeze effects.
Shockwave | Shockwave is an obvious combo with the Squid as well. Although the combination requires an additional turn to work (assuming the player has both cards in hand), killing any frozen creature with the Air spell is too hard to pass up. Also, in case the Squids get killed or somehow disabled, Shockwave can serve as more crucial CC against frail but noteworthy creatures.
Other Cards With Synergy
Two other creatures that can also work well with the Arctic Squid are Steam Machine, which requires stalling/ramp-up time in order to gain boisterous amounts of attack, and Toadfish (capable of slow, but damaging CC against all enemy creatures). Flooding can also be used alongside the Squid for massive creature denial and control in combination with frozen creatures, but that combination requires a notable amount of :water quanta to function comfortably.
Conclusion
While the Squid isn’t a durable assailant compared to some of the other Water creatures, the ability to stop creatures dead cold in their tracks is disregarded more often than people realize. Players who often enjoy using the Freeze spell should try to pursue this card as possible, as this chilled beast can provide an endless Winter for the most unprepared of opponents.
Popular Deck
Need a Parka? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12200.0.html)
Other Decks
- Arctic Infection (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10302.0.html)
- Submerged-Blizzard Water (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16288.0.html)
- Hope You're Packin', Pardner (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12135.0.html)
All of the lights...
Post by: gumbeh on August 27, 2011, 12:37:23 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on August 27, 2011, 12:37:38 pm
Post by: nilsieboy on August 27, 2011, 12:38:10 pm
Post by: Calindu on August 27, 2011, 12:51:44 pm
Post by: Jappert on August 27, 2011, 03:18:14 pm
Great offensive card wich fits into alot of builds, the synergy with blessings and CP is nice too.
I loved that Team :light Pegasusnova-deck from war 3!
Post by: Higurashi on August 27, 2011, 03:54:58 pm
Post by: Aves on August 27, 2011, 04:15:32 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on August 27, 2011, 09:27:30 pm
Post by: EvaRia on August 28, 2011, 08:40:13 am
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on August 28, 2011, 02:43:01 pm
Post by: Hyroen on August 28, 2011, 05:06:11 pm
Miracle. It's just such an amazing card it's hard to believe it's not featured.QFT. <3
Post by: johannhowitzer on August 28, 2011, 05:24:48 pm
Post by: ScaredGuy on August 28, 2011, 06:24:51 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on August 29, 2011, 03:10:22 pm
Miracle. It's just such an amazing card it's hard to believe it's not featured.It may be a Miracle.
:P
Post by: Qwandri on September 02, 2011, 09:58:50 pm
Post by: Aves on September 02, 2011, 11:53:20 pm
Post by: willng3 on September 03, 2011, 12:02:05 am
It's a tie???Indeed. I think now is the appropriate time to ask, "What would Jesus do?"
Post by: Aves on September 03, 2011, 12:37:34 am
Well, I suggest:
1: Let Master Majofa decide.
2: Make another poll with only the top 2 or top 3 answers (Go, Pegasus! Go!)
3. Write 2 articles.
4. Let the Council decide.
5. Let Kuroaitou do what Kuroaitou does.
Post by: Bhlewos on September 03, 2011, 03:53:51 am
Post by: PlayerOa on September 03, 2011, 01:29:57 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on September 04, 2011, 05:39:59 am
Post by: PlayerOa on September 04, 2011, 09:23:20 am
Top =/= older. Cards are listed by rarity and then age. If Kuro goes by age, then Miracle will be chosen.
In the event of a tie, I will -always- choose the one closer to the top of the list. ^^; Go go Sapphire Charger~
Post by: ddevans96 on September 04, 2011, 04:40:16 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on September 06, 2011, 01:42:16 pm
Jesus would probably follow tradition instead of trying to do what he wants to avoid drama despite the difficulty in doing so. :-XIt's a tie???Indeed. I think now is the appropriate time to ask, "What would Jesus do?"
Overview
When it comes down to quanta generation, the Light element has a varied arsenal of tools to obtain as much :light quanta as possible. Luciferin is Light’s cheap alchemy spell; upon being used, players will heal themselves for up to 10 HP, while also granting all of their own creatures without active abilities the skill, ‘Bioluminescence’.
General Use
- When used, it causes all ‘vanilla creatures’ (ones without an active ability) to gain the ability, ‘Bioluminescence’.
- Immediately heals the player for 10 HP.
- Doesn’t require :light quanta to play.
Ironically, despite its cost, its other mechanic helps users gain :light quanta. Creatures without any active abilities also gain ‘Bioluminescence’ when Luciferin is cast, which causes creatures to generate 1 :light quanta every time they attack. In other words, Luciferin can cause an entire army of basic creatures to become a second stack of quanta generators, and open a non-pillar duo possibility with other Light cards. Note that Luciferin cannot be applied to creatures with an active ability (passive skills such as Airborne and Obsession remain intact), nor are active abilities removed.
Like all buff-based spells though, tricks such as Lobotomization and Reverse Time can and will remove the light-generation skill if players are reckless in their Luciferin usage.
Synergies
In terms of synergy, Hope | Hope is one of the most common cards to place alongside Luciferin for its capabilities of providing light-emitting creatures. On a field of normal creatures, Luciferin will provide the :light quanta and defensive boost for the Hope shield. On top of that, unlike Rays of Light with Hope, Luciferin can be cast on a variety of tougher creatures to resist simple CC cards such as Fire Shield and Otyugh, or stronger creatures to penetrate enemy shields.
Dèjá Vu | Dèjá Vu is a fun creature to also use alongside the Luciferin. Although it requires 2 :time quanta to play and duplicate the Déjà vu, players can get two creatures with the ability and gain :light quanta twice as quickly. A major bonus with duplicating the Déjà vu is that other buff spells (such as Blessing) can also be used on the Déjà vu before they replicate, making both copies more resistant towards some CC and also equally damaging.
In other cases, the healing component of the spell is more vital to users; Miracle | Improved Miracle compliments Luciferin fantastically for two major reasons. The first is that because Miracle requires a huge amount of :light quanta in order to play, the alchemy spells fills that requirement easily (assuming it can apply its mechanic to several of the player’s creatures). If the creatures survive for several turns, Luciferin can easily supply the quanta to use multiple Miracles in a deck. Secondly, because Luciferin requires a generic amount of quanta, players often use Miracle first to heal their HP to an almost full amount, then apply the alchemy spell to top off the bar. This tactic is extremely useful in gaining elemental mastery (‘EM’) against opponents, especially against AI or enemy players where a notable amount of money/score can be obtained.
Other Cards With Synergy
While there are numerous creatures that can work alongside Luciferin, Horned Frog, Voodoo Doll, and Micro Abominations are known for their cheap costs and unique in-element synergies with the Light-element, alongside having decent stats to cause or absorb damage. Leaf Dragon can help turn the excess :light into :life quanta to play more expensive Life cards. Finally, Adrenaline and Blessing are two major buffing spells that also fare decently with Luciferase.
Conclusion
Although Luciferin is considered to be a niche spell for the Light element, its healing and :light quanta generation capacities are a nice combination to add to any deck that can use either one (or both) of its gifts.
Popular Deck
All Hail Gl1tch! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6653.0.html)
Other Decks
- Bedouin's Prayer (Hope/Dune) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=24094.0)
- Serious deja vu much? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=13715.0)
- Crazy Voodoo (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=27966.0)
May the wind be at your back.
Post by: Calindu on September 06, 2011, 02:21:01 pm
Red Bull, it gives you wings.
Post by: Jenkar on September 06, 2011, 02:32:02 pm
Post by: Higurashi on September 06, 2011, 02:40:51 pm
Post by: willng3 on September 06, 2011, 02:56:44 pm
Thunderstorm - because i want kuro to suffer x)Your assassination shall be discussed at the next Council meeting.
Fog, such a fancy, cheap yet powerful card. Let it be featured.
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on September 06, 2011, 03:01:12 pm
Post by: Jappert on September 06, 2011, 03:10:17 pm
The fact that Fog is such a well represented card in alot of Rainbow decks proves how versatile and good it is. It's probably the shield with the best damage reduction / cost ratio and therefore deserves to be featured. It's also a card that can totally turn any tournament or war match around, that little fog shield can hax his way to victory!
Post by: nilsieboy on September 06, 2011, 03:17:56 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on September 06, 2011, 03:41:10 pm
Kuro - since you put Wings that high in the polls while it's a newer card, do you want it to be featured? :
Post by: Kuroaitou on September 06, 2011, 04:33:15 pm
I'll agree with most of you and say Fog Shield.On the contrary - it's up that high due to how the Wiki is laid out: http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/elements/air/
Kuro - since you put Wings that high in the polls while it's a newer card, do you want it to be featured? :P
Dragonfly is already featured. Pillars, Pendulums, Dragons, Mark cards, and Nymphs do not get a featured article (at least not yet ^^; ). Thus, Wyrm is first, then Fog Shield, then Wings comes in third. :)
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on September 07, 2011, 12:52:59 am
Firefly.
Hope decks, Rage potion dragons, steam machine puffer-fish trios, unstable gases, rustlers.
(I also very much approve of Sky Blitz and Owls Eye)
Post by: gumbeh on September 07, 2011, 08:21:52 am
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on September 07, 2011, 01:26:14 pm
Tough choice. I'd either want to know about Thunderstorm, because it never seems useful, or Sky Blitz because I never seem to use it terribly well.Thunderstorm is in the Oracle counter for Eternal Phoenix and is quite an excellent destroyer of Golem Rushes (synergizes well with Bone Wall).
Post by: Scaredgirl on September 08, 2011, 09:26:19 am
Post by: Hyroen on September 08, 2011, 04:59:14 pm
I chose it due to being a fan of thematic mechanics. Not to mention the airborne mechanic was one of the first to unify the element of :air Air.
Epic art to boot.
Post by: Bhlewos on September 09, 2011, 08:56:49 pm
Another vote for wings.(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy150/BhlewosAQW/ElementsTheGame/redBull.png)
Red Bull, it gives you wings.
Post by: n00b on September 09, 2011, 09:01:44 pm
D: I believe this is a variation of my failed attempt at a joke in the Humor section... Ban ban ban!Another vote for wings.(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy150/BhlewosAQW/ElementsTheGame/redBull.png)
Red Bull, it gives you wings.
Post by: Bhlewos on September 09, 2011, 10:07:09 pm
tl;dr Vote for Wings!
Post by: Aves on September 10, 2011, 03:49:06 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on September 14, 2011, 10:04:08 am
Overview
As a clever defensive mechanic, Air elemental players can thematically grow Wings to soar above their opponent (and creatures). Wings is a shield that will last 5 turns upon being deployed, and will completely block any non-airborne creature (or weapon) on the opponent’s side.
General Use
- Lasts 5 turns upon being played.
- Blocks all creatures that do not have the Airborne passive; momentum-affected creatures can still penetrate the shield though.
The shield lasts 5 turns, which can end up being 30 turns total if chained properly (making it longer than using back-to-back Dimensional Shields). However, like every other shield, Wings can still be penetrated by creatures or weapons with momentum, and is also very susceptible to permanent control. For a couple of weapons (Owl’s Eye and Short Bow), rather than having the Airborne passive, they instead have ‘Ranged’, which still allows them to hit through players with Wings.
Despite these small drawbacks, Wings can make an Air player near invulnerable to damage from the opponent. While some elements have a variety of Airborne creatures to penetrate through the shield, others must solely rely on their Dragons (or other potentially weaker and/or utility based creatures) to strike.
Synergies
To help reduce the number of enemy attackers while Wings is in play, Flesh Spider | Flesh Recluse can often take out Airborne creatures by using its ‘Web’ ability. The Spider’s skill makes it one of two that can remove a passive skill (the other being the Phase Spider), and creates a powerful combo with Wings. As it deals a decent amount of damage, its skill can help reinforce the Airborne bonus of the shield, making it a noted design between the Death and Air elements.
Owl’s Eye | Eagle’s Eye can also assist with removing several Airborne creatures. With its Sniper skill, an Owl’s Eye will cause 3 damage towards a creature; the majority of dragons have 5 or less HP unupped, allowing two strikes of the bow to kill it. The downside of using Owl’s Eye in this deck, however, is that if the enemy decides to steal it, the weapon can still penetrate Wings due to the fact that it is Ranged.
Other Cards With Synergy
Shockwave, Thunderstorm, and even Unstable Gas can have their uses with a pair of Wings in a deck. Lobotomizer can also serve as a useful tool against momentum-based creatures that don’t have Airborne, as once they’re status is removed, they won’t be able to penetrate the shield.
Conclusion
Although Wings is a picky shield in terms of what it chooses to block, its opposing element (alongside a few others) will often find out that they are unable to reach the player above them with their creatures. The power of a 5 turn near-invulnerable shield can do wonders against most tactics, especially against deck archetypes that focus on rushing or non-flown weapons to do their job.
Popular Deck
The Wyrm (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=27337.0)
Other Decks
- Rage Quit Deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=3807.0)
- Winged Spider Duo (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=8400.0)
- Winged Speed Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=9001.0)
- Hawkeye (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=22575.0)
Time's up! ^^;
Post by: nilsieboy on September 15, 2011, 03:58:15 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on September 15, 2011, 04:02:54 pm
Deja Vu was the first non-pillar card I played. :P
Post by: Calindu on September 15, 2011, 04:06:15 pm
I end up choosing Deja Vu.
Post by: Tiko on September 15, 2011, 04:08:16 pm
Precog is my vote.
Post by: Jappert on September 15, 2011, 04:16:23 pm
Just look at the people packing purifies vs Time in war. It gave a whole new dimension to time as a poisonstalling element.
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on September 15, 2011, 08:16:23 pm
Post by: Higurashi on September 15, 2011, 08:44:08 pm
Post by: Camoninja on September 15, 2011, 09:07:46 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on September 15, 2011, 11:26:52 pm
Ah well, dune scorp is fun top :)
Post by: Rember on September 16, 2011, 03:50:13 am
Post by: sprtstr14 on September 22, 2011, 08:31:12 pm
Post by: rgurgelles1 on September 24, 2011, 02:28:12 pm
Post by: hello12 on September 25, 2011, 07:58:55 am
Post by: Xenocidius on October 05, 2011, 12:08:59 pm
Edit: Added.
Overview
This small creature may not look like much, but Dune Scorpion's powerful venom can yield deadly results. It holds an interesting and unique damage mechanism in that its damage grows each time the opponent plays a card.
General Use
- Dune Scorpion applies a neurotoxin counter to a player. It acts like a poison counter, dealing damage every turn.
- The neurotoxin counter increases by one each time the affected player plays a card.
- The neurotoxin status can only be removed by Purify.
- All poison applications and effects stack with neurotoxin.
- Adrenaline only causes one extra counter to be added each turn.
Although the results of neurotoxin can be devastating, it does have a hard counter in Purify. Purify removes the poison and neurotoxin status from the player while also applying a healing-over-time effect. However, should the Dune Scorpion attack again after Purify is played it will reapply the neurotoxin effect, even if the opponent is still being healed (the counter is still blue); the counter will go down (if blue) or up (if yellow) each time they play a card.
Synergies
Because Dune Scorpion has 0 attack it must first be buffed to have any effect whatsoever. And what better card to buff it with than Momentum? Because of its low cost it is easy to run off a :gravity mark, and its effect allows Dune Scorpion to completely ignore shields, guaranteeing that it will hit the opponent and apply the neurotoxin effect. It is often preferable over the cards described below for that reason.
Dune Scorpion's ability is incentive for the opponent to play as few cards as possible - so what better a card to use than Eternity? Eternity repeatedly forces the opponent to either replay their rewound creature and take more damage, or not play it and deal less. Eternity can also be used to target Dune Scorpion itself when the player runs out of cards - because the neurotoxin status remains, the Dune Scorpion can be bounced repeatedly until the opponent dies from poison damage.
Finally, one of the funner synergies is with Nightmare. This card fills the opponent's hand with multiple copies of a creature - this is especially effective against the AI, which doesn't take neurotoxin into account, and naively plays all the creatures given by Nightmare, boosting their neurotoxin damage to ridiculous proportions. Against a human opponent it can be used as an effective counter to Fractal and Golden Hourglass, even when used on the opponent's own creature - they will either refrain from playing the creatures, clogging their hand and reducing the effects of Fractal and Hourglasses, or play the creatures and take extra damage.
Other Cards With Synergy
Naturally, other buffing cards such as Blessing and Chaos Power can also be used with Dune Scorpion, although Unstoppable is preferred for its effect. Other poison cards such as Forest Scorpion and Poison can help boost the neurotoxin damage. Extra buffing spells can be played on Deathstalker to add more poison damage than Dune Scorpion would be able to on its own.
Conclusion
Dune Scorpion is a nasty card that can be hard to counter - a player that suspects that their opponent has Dune Scorpion in their deck should hurry up and kill them before they become the victim of neurotoxin. One who does become affected should play their cards wisely; each card they play could be their last.
Popular Deck
Eternal Chaos (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20173)
Code: [Select]
6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6rn 6u2 6u2 6u2 6u7 6u7 6u7 6u8 6u9 6u9 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q0 7q3 7q3 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q8 7q8 7q8 7qd 7qd 7qd 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7ri 7riOther Decks
- Rush Be Gone (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=16499)
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 07, 2011, 09:02:22 am
That said, Darkness polls now up! ^^
Post by: Jappert on October 07, 2011, 09:41:37 am
Key card in a few decks and very fun to play around with.
Can lock even platinum decks down and is awesome when combined with GotP's. Great card in general, sometimes even underrated a bit.
Post by: gumbeh on October 07, 2011, 11:04:41 am
Nightmare for me!It's not hard for people to undertand that nightmare IS good, and why.
Key card in a few decks and very fun to play around with.
Can lock even platinum decks down and is awesome when combined with GotP's. Great card in general, sometimes even underrated a bit.
A more interesting article would be one that defends Parasite and attempts to make the most of the poor little bugger.
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 19, 2011, 03:01:19 pm
Overview
Two of Darkness’ main strengths come in the forms of healing and denial. Nightmare mixes these two major concepts in one hand-altering spell. Upon being cast, Nightmare will fill the opponent’s hand with multiple copies of a target creature, while healing the caster for 2 HP for every card added to the opponent’s hand.
General Use
- Fills the opponent’s hand with as many copies of the target creature in question, preventing their draw.
- Heals 2 HP for every card added (up to a maximum of 16 HP if the opponent has no cards initially).
- Has no effect if the opponent’s hand is already full.
- The damage from Nightmare cannot be reflected by shields, but can be ignored completely from Sanctuary.
There are two major counters to Nightmare though; the first, subtler one is based on the enemy’s tactics as mentioned above. If a player using Nightmare plans on forcing the player to discard key cards (because they lack the quanta necessary to play them), they must also account the fact that any cards still in the enemy’s hand while Nightmare is cast could actually ignore the denial/discard strategy altogether. The second counter is a direct one: Sanctuary. If the opponent has Sanctuary in play, Nightmare cannot fill up their hand (as Sanctuary blocks all hand-disruption effects), preventing all damage, healing, and denial mechanics.
Also, unlike the major ‘bolt’-based spells, Nightmare cannot be reflected by shields such as Jade Shield or Mirror Shield, meaning that it will always be able to deal damage assuming Sanctuary is not in play. Using Nightmare on a creature while the opponent’s hand is full will have no effect as well.
Synergies
An obvious card to pair up with this spell is Ghost of the Past | Ghost of the Past. Ghost of the Past (or ‘GotP’) is a time creature with the passive skill called ‘Obsession’, which will deal damage to the holder if they discard it. Players who fill up the enemy’s hand with GotP via Nightmare can put up a nasty form of denial; unless the player is willing to take damage, they must play or discard whatever non-Ghost cards are remaining in their hand. Over the course of the battle, using Nightmare on GotP against a player with no access to :time quanta can often become a death sentence, as the repetitive denial, healing, and damage from this combination will ruin the flow of their deck.
Reverse Time | Rewind is another card to use alongside Nightmare, effectively creating a duet of denial spells. After Rewind is used to send a creature (that the opponent has played) back to their deck, Nightmare can prevent the subsequent draw of that creature afterwards by targeting a different creature, filling their hand with dead cards. Combined with the aforementioned creature, Ghost of the Past, and it becomes clear how much of a synergy the Time/Darkness elements become.
Other Cards With Synergy
Some other interesting denial cards to pair up with Nightmare usually involve quanta denial, so as to force the player to be unable to play their key cards while discarding the ones they have no way of playing. Pests, Discord, and Earthquake are major denial cards to combine with Nightmare.
On the flip side, using cards that the opponent can play can also cause some unique strategies as well. For example; using Nightmare on a Spark while having a Bone Wall shield up will cause the enemy AI to still play those creatures (as they’re free), causing the counters of the Bone Wall to build per attack. If the AI is infected with Neurotoxin or if the player has a shield up, using Nightmare on cheap and weak creatures such as Photon will build up the poison (the AI will still play it) or fill up their field with useless creatures (shield blocks the damage) respectively.
Conclusion
When it comes to denial, Nightmare is a unique spell that has an invasive demeanor; unless protected from such hand-manipulated spells, players should try to watch out for this card, as its simple yet insidious mechanic can cripple their tactics immediately.
Popular Deck
Ghostmare (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=20414.0)
Other Decks
- Day Traitors (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24954.0.html)
- Nightmare Denial (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=10652.0.html)
...SSSSSSPPPPPPPPAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...
Post by: Calindu on October 19, 2011, 03:08:37 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on October 19, 2011, 03:08:56 pm
Post by: UTAlan on October 19, 2011, 03:12:14 pm
Post by: EmeraldTiger on October 19, 2011, 03:22:45 pm
Post by: Rember on October 19, 2011, 03:29:16 pm
Post by: Higurashi on October 19, 2011, 04:01:50 pm
Post by: willng3 on October 19, 2011, 06:07:27 pm
Times are a bit different now, but still this.As part of team aether, vote goes to our MVC Lightning =P100x this^
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 19, 2011, 07:07:51 pm
Typo on Electrocutor.. I feel offended somehow!Deepest apologies Lady Aether, but as a Time servant, you know I have more important tasks to follow up on. XP
But I voted for Spark, despite the difficulty in envisioning an article for it. ^^;
Post by: Higurashi on October 19, 2011, 07:12:01 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on October 19, 2011, 09:12:05 pm
Post by: pikachufan2164 on October 19, 2011, 10:39:20 pm
Same here; all roads lead to Thunderbolt.Times are a bit different now, but still this.As part of team aether, vote goes to our MVC Lightning =P100x this^
Post by: Contrary on October 19, 2011, 10:40:59 pm
Post by: Aves on October 19, 2011, 10:50:48 pm
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on October 20, 2011, 01:20:19 am
Post by: mwaetht on October 20, 2011, 04:30:39 am
With so many new shards, will there be featured card articles covering 'Other' cards?
Post by: Elite arbiter on October 20, 2011, 10:37:53 am
Besides, to a lot of people it is one of the most rage inducing cards. Thats sure to be worth some looking into.
Post by: Xenocidius on October 20, 2011, 10:44:45 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 20, 2011, 02:22:38 pm
Sure, Dimensional Shield and Lobotomizer are good cards, but they're not very interesting. My vote goes to Spark, though Lightning's definitely a nice card too.I've thought about this, and I've decided to do Shard articles, but -only- after all 12 have been implemented. Otherwise, I feel like I would be overstepping the articles; I always wait for at least 1 month (I'll extend it to two potentially) for people to create and analyze new combos with new cards, so when the final shards come out, I'll expect people to find ways to include all of the rare shards in various decks.
With so many new shards, will there be featured card articles covering 'Other' cards?
Post by: Scaredgirl on October 20, 2011, 02:28:17 pm
Yep, this is definitely the best way to go. It's better to first learn more about the card, then do the article.Sure, Dimensional Shield and Lobotomizer are good cards, but they're not very interesting. My vote goes to Spark, though Lightning's definitely a nice card too.I've thought about this, and I've decided to do Shard articles, but -only- after all 12 have been implemented. Otherwise, I feel like I would be overstepping the articles; I always wait for at least 1 month (I'll extend it to two potentially) for people to create and analyze new combos with new cards, so when the final shards come out, I'll expect people to find ways to include all of the rare shards in various decks.
With so many new shards, will there be featured card articles covering 'Other' cards?
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 29, 2011, 03:54:04 am
Overview
Powerful and swift, this spell can instantly kill any creature (or even a player) if they have a low amount of HP. Lightning will send a single bolt of energy towards a player or creature target, dealing a whopping 5 damage on contact.
General Use
- Deals 5 spell damage to the target creature or player.
- Will be reflected by certain shields.
- Can affect both ally and enemy creatures and player targets.
While Lightning is considered to be a bland spell, the very fact that it can take out several dangerous creatures (Elite Otyughs, various Dragons, and Shriekers) makes it a noted spell for controlling the board. Unlike other creature control cards such as Freeze or Reverse Time though, Lightning can be used on the enemy to bring them down within killing range (in case the opponent has no creatures to remove). However, shields that can reflect spell damage (Mirror Shield and Jade Shield) can throw that damage back at the caster, so it’s important for users to ensure that their opponent doesn’t have such defenses at their disposal.
Synergies
When it comes down to the killing blow, Bone Wall | Bone Wall can benefit greatly by the usage of Lightning. With a single bolt, a player can gain 2 Bone Wall counters by killing an enemy creature (while simultaneously preventing the Bone Wall counters being removed from said creature the following turn). Because of its high damage output, Lightning can kill a majority of creatures, both frail and somewhat durable, to help replenish the shield.
Ironically, Otyugh | Elite Otyugh can also benefit from Lightning. In some cases, a single Lightning will be unable to remove a creature with high HP from the field. Instead, Lightning will instead as a softener for an Otyugh to come out and Devour that creature (if Lightning pulls the enemy creature within the Devouring range).
Other Cards With Synergy
Similar to the above cards, tools to either mitigate damage (Dimensional Shield) or kill creatures easier (Maxwell’s Demon) can benefit from a single use of Lightning. In the former case, Dimensional Shield will block a majority of threats, while Lightning can attack ones with dangerous abilities (such as Destroy) or status effects (Momentum on an Elite Charger). Likewise, the latter case makes it easier for Maxwell’s Demon to kill creatures with higher ATK than their HP. In some cases, adding Poison and Lobotomizer can also make Lightning even more synergetic: the combination of poison, spell, and physical damage can overwhelm enemies if they do not have ways to suppress or counter all types of damage.
Conclusion
From the heavens above, Lightning is a powerful card that can be used interchangeably as a tool for assassinating beasts or dispatching the foe a turn earlier. Despite being a simple spell, players should note that its mechanic should not be overlooked, given its potency.
Popular Deck
Bonebolt (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=28445.0)
Other Decks
Back to the beginning, Entropy polls are now up!
Post by: mwaetht on October 29, 2011, 06:14:18 am
I'm surprised, given how weak it is, but it's certainly going to be interesting to see what Kuroaitou comes up with...
Post by: Xenocidius on October 29, 2011, 06:25:29 am
Post by: willng3 on October 29, 2011, 06:41:24 am
Post by: PlayerOa on October 29, 2011, 11:21:46 am
Trivia: Butterfly Effect has a hidden heart in the upped description (Target a low attack power creature < 3).
Post by: Jocko on October 29, 2011, 04:33:51 pm
Also, if BE ends up being featured, be sure to include matt's scrambled eggs! Im not sure if he ever posted it, but its really fun.
Post by: Higurashi on October 29, 2011, 05:43:18 pm
Post by: Jappert on October 29, 2011, 05:48:10 pm
Even though Pandemonium really represents :entropy as an element. I have a personal favor for Maxwell's :)
I think Abom's would be a nice pick aswell because they are so different upped from unupped. It's one of the few cards that sometimes requires to be unupped in a rush.
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on November 02, 2011, 06:53:14 am
(Better than lightnings/RP's, shockwaves and ect)
It's a great card actually - people would be screaming OP if it was introduced to the game now.
Post by: TStar on November 03, 2011, 12:08:27 am
Post by: Filly678 on November 03, 2011, 01:34:44 am
Why does every element have 5 cards featured but Aether only has 4?Because Kuroaitou didn't feel like updating these featured cards? :P
Post by: ax1997 on November 06, 2011, 03:25:45 pm
Post by: mesaprotector on November 06, 2011, 04:41:18 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on November 06, 2011, 11:37:03 pm
Overview
Only a few creatures within the game are capable of directly killing hard-hitters such as dragons or Lava Golems. Maxwell’s Demon is one of them. Players who control Maxwell’s Demon can use the ability, Paradox, on creatures with a higher ATK stat compared to their HP, instantly killing them.
General Use
- Costs 5 :entropy for either version of Maxwell’s Demon.
- Its ability, Paradox, can instantly kill creatures with higher ATK than their own HP; has no effect on creatures with equal stats.
It’s important to note that the Demon is vulnerable to its own ability when unupped. With stats 3|2, careless players who may impatiently click (or double-click) the ability may accidentally kill the Maxwell’s Demon instead. Upgraded though, the Demon’s HP is raised to 3|5, making it immune to its own skill aside from other CC effects that could instantly bring it down to range again.
Synergies
Only a few shields are capable of damaging or permanently removing creatures off the board; Fire Shield | Fire Buckler will always cause non-momentum to take 1 damage upon attacking, making it one of the best permanents to pair up with the Demon. Fire Shield will inevitably harm attacking creatures, bringing them within range of the Paradox ability. In addition, unless the opponent has packed both copious amounts of permanent and creature control, the addition of both of these cards will often kill many types of frail monsters that hit the enemy’s field.
The other more noted shield, Thorn Carapace | Spine Carapace, will also damage enemy creatures over a longer period of time. Although this shield is more expensive (7 :life quanta vs. 6 or 4 :fire quanta), Thorn Carapace’s poison can last on multiple creatures and cannot be healed as easily (the poison builds up). In addition, unless the enemy has applied Momentum on their creatures, immortalizing poisoned creatures generally spells a death sentence. Thus, it becomes a choice for the player to either immortalize their creatures and hope they survive the poison long enough, or take their chances of trying to heal or preserve their creatures by their own targeting effects while facing a Demon’s Paradox.
In some cases, certain creatures with extreme amounts of hit points become a huge hassle to take down. Spending resources on damaging CC effects can be costly in a deck around speed; Antimatter | Improved Antimatter is the other way to get around this issue. While the Demon can take care of more frail targets, Antimatter can be used on high ATK|HP creatures that can’t be easily taken down. The fact that both of these cards belong to Entropy can create some sinister mono-Entropy combinations. The healing from Antimatter is another bonus to include it alongside the Maxwell’s.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other CC cards (Pandemonium and Chaos Seed) can sometimes help in mono-Entropy decks in case the Demon gets killed early on. Discord can serve as a powerful denial weapon to make card play incredibly difficult for enemy opponents, especially if they have to make choices in which creatures to play to avoid one’s CC cards. Adrenaline can be fun to apply to a Demon to its 3 ATK for either version (12 damage total), and for those who prefer pure domination types, the Amethyst Dragon alongside a few Demons can make a surprisingly fast deck in the upgraded environment.
Conclusion
Despite its simple ability, newer players forget how vicious the Maxwell’s Demon can be in any game, unless they have a variety of counters to protect their creatures given their stats. When it comes down to brute force, Maxwell’s Demon is a subtle card that may talk lightly with its low stats, but carries a big stick with its serious mechanic.
Popular Deck
Maxwell's Silver...Buckler (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=10966.0.html)
Other Decks
- Anomaly (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7596.0.html)
- You're Screwed!!! Maxwell's Buckler Redux (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,13386.0.html)
Death polls are now up!
Post by: Rutarete on November 06, 2011, 11:41:29 pm
Post by: Aves on November 06, 2011, 11:42:13 pm
Post by: Camoninja on November 06, 2011, 11:43:16 pm
Post by: furballdn on November 06, 2011, 11:57:03 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on November 07, 2011, 01:55:22 am
Post by: Xenocidius on November 07, 2011, 02:36:09 am
Post by: TheForbiddenOracle on November 07, 2011, 03:16:33 am
Post by: EmeraldTiger on November 07, 2011, 03:18:12 am
Post by: DrunkDestroyer on November 07, 2011, 05:05:51 am
I voted Boneyard, because i like to make skeletons and rewind them. I like to think of boneyard as "My Box of Chocolates" you never know what you'll get.You did always remind me of the person who first said that ;)
Post by: Calindu on November 07, 2011, 05:34:04 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on November 07, 2011, 05:37:49 pm
Hard to believe Boneyard hasn't been featured yet - let's do something about that!
Post by: Kuroaitou on November 17, 2011, 09:58:17 pm
Overview
Soul Catcher is a permanent from the Death element that can greatly assist players in quickly accumulating :death quanta. Whenever any creature is killed, Soul Catcher’s mechanic will then generate :death quanta for the owner.
General Use
- Always generates 2-3 :death quanta when any creature (ally or enemy) is killed.
- Soul Catcher has no cost, and can be played whenever.
- Creatures that are removed but not killed do not trigger the effect (i.e. – Rewind).
- Enemy creatures that are killed will not provide quanta if Sanctuary is on the same field.
Contrary to the above two spells, Soul Catcher only provides quanta for one element, but at the same time, can be kept in play indefinitely to generate vast amounts of :death. However, its mechanic is not immediately triggered when played onto the field; players who use Soul Catcher must have a way to kill enemy or ally creatures in order for Soul Catcher to be of any use. To put emphasis on the mechanic, creatures that are removed by other means (Reverse Time) do not cause Soul Catcher to react.
One small thing to note is that multiple Soul Catchers can all trigger simultaneously when a creature is killed. In other words, the mechanic stacks; if a Otyugh devours a creature while 3 Soul Catchers are on the same field, all three will trigger, generating 6-9 total :death quanta (depending on the version of the cards) for the player, acting as a form of burst quanta-generation. In addition, if both Soul Catcher and Sanctuary is on the same field, Soul Catcher will not generate quanta on the enemy’s turn (even if creatures die), due to Sanctuary’s mechanic of preventing quanta disruption from the opponent’s side.
Synergies
No matter if you take advantage of its ability or not, Virus | Retrovirus is a cheap and effective creature that has perfect synergy with the Soul Catcher. For only 1 :death (2 :death upgraded), players can provide a frustrating proposition for the enemy; force them to waste a powerful CC card such as Lightning on the creature (triggering Soul Catcher), or allow it to use its Infect or Plague ability for free, sacrificing itself in the process and potentially killing one or multiple creatures in the process (triggering Soul Catcher multiple times). Also, because of their cheap cost, Fractal can be used on them easily to generate multiple Viruses, which can be frustrating when combined with certain shields…
And when it comes to shields, Bone Wall | Bone Wall becomes a perfect fit. Because both permanents rely on death-trigger mechanics in order to work properly, having both cards in play can cause a killed creature to double the owner’s benefits. Even when the wall is taken out, the surplus :death quanta can be used to recast another Bone Wall immediately and recycle the death mechanics to build up stacks and more quanta.
For a more consistent and repetitive form of death, Schrödinger’s Cat | Schrödinger’s Cat can fill the niche nicely due to its ability, Dead and Alive. When Dead and Alive is used, it ‘pretends’ to die by triggering all effects in play that require a creature death. Thus, with only one Cat on the field, a player may generate :death quanta fairly quickly given one :entropy quanta in exchange per turn. Although this strategy is more gradual compared to other tactics, the synergy can often be unexpected when mixed with other quanta generation cards (such as Discord), which improves the overall effectiveness of Death-Energy duo decks.
Other Cards With Synergy
Immolation and Spark are two other free costing cards that have their own unique synergy with Soul Catcher, but may cost users card advantage against stall-based decks. Fractal is surprisingly useful with the permanent; players can cast Fractal on easy to kill creatures (such as Viruses or Ball Lightnings) as sacrificial creatures, and then cast another Fractal again on more expensive creatures of the Death element (Ivory Dragons) as a final burst tactic.
Conclusion
Even with a slight vulnerability to permanent control, Soul Catcher is one of the few cards in game that can help grant any element a touch of death to its deck by the fall of a creature. Players should still avoid putting excess Soul Catchers in a deck with other free-cost cards, as the mulligan will not prevent a hand with several Catchers and no Towers/Sparks/Cremations or other key cards to set up a combo.
Popular Deck
Retro deck (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19550.0.html)
Code: [Select]
711 711 712 712 712 712 712 712 714 71b 71b 71b 71f 71f 71f 71f 71f 71f 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 808 80i 80i 80i 80i 80iOther Decks
- DoSA - Fractal Retrovirus (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17967.0.html)
- The Kitten-tal! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18696.0.html)
- Cremation + Soul Catcher = fun (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,26657.0.html)
Gravity polls are now up!
Post by: Jocko on November 17, 2011, 10:05:36 pm
Voted for Cata since its the most unique of them.
Post by: Xenocidius on November 17, 2011, 10:06:04 pm
Post by: Jappert on November 17, 2011, 10:07:57 pm
It's a key card and should be featured for sure. Should be fairly easy to make an artical about aswell eh Kuro? :D
Post by: Kuroaitou on November 17, 2011, 10:09:21 pm
Even though I don't like the card and I don't like cata-decks at all, I voted for Catapult aswell. It's a unique and original card and opens up alot of new deck posibilities and combinations.If I can construct a table of the HP-damage ratio for catapult (alongside modifiers with freezing), I'm sure I'll be okay. But without decks...
It's a key card and should be featured for sure. Should be fairly easy to make an artical about aswell eh Kuro? :D
I DEMAND DECKS. >:(
Post by: Jenkar on November 17, 2011, 10:10:03 pm
Post by: Jappert on November 17, 2011, 10:10:39 pm
Did I mention I hate cata-decks? :D
Post by: CCCombobreaker on November 17, 2011, 10:14:02 pm
Post by: Rember on November 17, 2011, 10:28:17 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on November 17, 2011, 10:40:39 pm
Post by: willng3 on November 17, 2011, 10:52:57 pm
Post by: pikachufan2164 on November 17, 2011, 11:36:58 pm
Post by: Bhlewos on November 18, 2011, 06:05:13 am
EDIT: Also, post #555!
Post by: Calindu on November 18, 2011, 01:08:56 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on November 18, 2011, 08:08:48 pm
Post by: Higurashi on November 18, 2011, 08:23:36 pm
It's the number one card that represents Gravy, and it's surprisingly versatile.
Post by: nilsieboy on November 18, 2011, 09:51:42 pm
Post by: Pineapple on November 18, 2011, 10:28:51 pm
Post by: furballdn on November 19, 2011, 02:29:00 am
Post by: dr_nej on November 19, 2011, 09:02:32 pm
Post by: Danceman on November 19, 2011, 10:12:08 pm
Post by: Quabal on November 25, 2011, 06:36:08 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on November 30, 2011, 09:37:14 am
Overview
Catapult is a permanent belonging to the Gravity element, focused on literally flinging damage at the opponent. This card will sacrifice an ally creature on one’s field and deal damage based on its HP to the enemy.
General Use
- Damage from the Catapult is based on the following formula:{(100 x [creature HP]) / (100 + [creature HP])}
- Launched creatures that are poisoned will transfer the same amount of poison counters to the opponent.
- Frozen creatures will freeze the opponent’s weapon and deal 50% extra damage if launched.
- Bypasses all shield effects; damage cannot be reflected.
In a game where various defensive cards can either reduce or completely block all incoming armies with shields and other tricky cards (such as Sundial), Catapult can still bring on the pain given that the creature flung at the opponent is heavy enough. Unlike spells such as Lightning that can be reflected by certain shields, Catapult will ignore such effects (as its an ability, not a spell per se). In addition, creatures affected by certain status effects can also be applied directly to the opponent when launched by the Catapult, providing several unique combinations. Infected creatures, for example, will also poison the opponent based on the number of poison counters on them. Likewise, frozen creatures will deal more damage to the opponent and also freeze their weapon.
It is also important that Catapult’s mechanic will also trigger death effects, which means that cards that benefit from killed creatures will generally go well with Catapult indirectly. The following equation and table below provides a range of creature hit points translated into Catapult and Trebuchet damage:
Synergies
When it comes to overall damage output, Freeze | Congeal is a secret spell that can give out the extra push for demolishing the opponent. As frozen creatures will deal a whopping 50% more damage to the enemy while also freezing their weapon (should they have one), Freeze is a lucrative spell to include in any deck due to its cheap (1 :water) and simple damage boost. Should the frozen creature be unable to finish the enemy, having their weapon frozen can be a sneaky maneuver, especially against some of the nastier weapons that can ruin Catapult’s strategy (Pulverizer demolishing permanents and Eternity removing key creatures with buffed HP).
Another spell can also provide extra damage for the wagon to toss; Basilisk Blood | Basilisk Blood grants any creature with 20 HP while delaying them for 6 turns. Upon being applied to creatures with low single-digit HP, this spell can be just as effective for dramatically increasing the amount of damage when launched. While the unupped spell costs one more :earth quanta to cast, either spell can generally suffice for any deck with Catapults, and repeatedly using the spell on the same creature will often prepare a OHKO situation (one hit knock out).
Armagio | Elite Armagio is one of the top Gravity creatures (excluding a flown Titan) to toss with a Trebuchet, due to its relatively cheap HP-cost ratio. For 5 :gravity quanta, players can launch a creature with 25 (or 30!) HP at the opponent, excluding all status effects and HP buffs. Combined with the above spells, players can deal extreme amounts of damage in a short period of time (assuming Armagio or the Catapult isn’t removed off the field).
Other Cards With Synergy
Other users may use different creatures to buff and freeze before launching; Voodoo Doll and Schrödinger’s Cat are cheaper creatures that can be fueled by Supernova or by having a mark of Entropy respectively, and can be placed down in one turn for a final blow. Phoenixes are relatively weak creatures to throw as well, but due to their revival mechanic, can be an alternate way to deal damage against shields that may block all creatures anyway, as well as triggering death mechanics. Sundials also play a central role in many stall decks that plan on setting up the OHKO, both for speeding up one’s deck to find the key cards to preventing overall damage and (possibly) wasting the opponent’s PC against it.
Bone Wall, Condor, and Soul Catcher can be viable with decks that rely on self-replicating creatures (Phoenix, or any creature with Mitosis). Above all, an animated Titan will have a tremendous 50 HP for the player to fool around with; should the enemy find a way to somehow negate the unstoppable 8 damage from Titan, Catapult can easily smash such damage recovery with the Titan’s HP.
Conclusion
The Catapult is like a back-up battery; should the main power (creature offense, poison, spells, etc.) be cut off, it can come online immediately to temporarily (or permanently) empower the player and bypass the enemy’s defenses for a strong attack. With most decks, players should account for cards that can help the permanent last on the field against high permanent control or quick enemy offenses, as its potent skill cannot be used whimsically on any creature.
Popular Deck
CATapult OTK (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,30001.0.html)
Other Decks
- Throwing Titans (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,34071.0.html)
- Throwing Frozen Popsicles... no I mean Titans (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18774.0.html)
- Flaming Catapult (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17677.0.html)
Earth polls are now up!
Post by: Jenkar on November 30, 2011, 09:42:28 am
(to be serious, it's the only :earth card i haven't used yet)
Post by: Xenocidius on November 30, 2011, 10:02:00 am
Post by: Jappert on November 30, 2011, 02:13:38 pm
Allows Earth to build amazing stalls. I love stalling so easy descision, who doesn't love 500 HP EM's btw?
Seriously Stone Skin, along with Earthquake, is the reason why Earth is so versatile!
Post by: PlayerOa on November 30, 2011, 02:19:30 pm
A single card which has brought up lots of decks.
Post by: Jenkar on November 30, 2011, 02:41:20 pm
Stone Skin.Precisely.
Allows Earth to build amazing stalls. I love stalling so easy descision, who doesn't love 500 HP EM's btw?
Seriously Stone Skin, along with Earthquake, is the reason why Earth is so versatile!
What i see as a problem with this is that each time, a card whose uses have already pretty much been discovered and are easy to find is described. What use has it? It spares a small amount of work that can be rapidly done by anyone.
Look at less popular cards. An article on these would be SO much better, because you'd learn something. Reading the catapult article i was like... ''Yeah, yeah yeah... what's new?'' (btw, kuro, this ain't against you, your articles are high quality with good content each time =) ) The real reason i was like this is because i felt all that was obvious/easy to get to. Because there isn't something interesting about it that isn't known.
Take, for earth, this week, those cards :
-Plate Armor | Heavy Armor
-Antlion | Elite Antlion
-Hematite Golem | Steel Golem
-Shrieker | Elite Shrieker
Why would they be interesting? Because decks based around them are hard to come by. The three last ones i have only seen as backup.
And which one is leading? Stone Skin | Granite Skin. Why? Because it's used. Because it's ''easy'' to build or find decks based around it. Is that really the aim of this, detailing a well known card? In my opinion, no.
[/rant]
Post by: CCCombobreaker on November 30, 2011, 04:28:11 pm
Enlighten us! Show us the folly of our ways! Sing the praises of the Antlion, and show us his power!
Post by: Dengeki on November 30, 2011, 10:43:57 pm
Post by: mesaprotector on December 01, 2011, 01:07:01 am
Quote
Vote antlion! It's use is so mysterious team Earth didn't even find a way to use the 24 we started with (all converted to pends on a sad rainy night). It's powers are so elusive I've never seen one in a BL match. Surely there is something we are all missing here...Just changed my vote to antlion. We can do this! :P
Enlighten us! Show us the folly of our ways! Sing the praises of the Antlion, and show us his power!
Post by: willng3 on December 01, 2011, 02:02:37 am
Post by: Jocko on December 01, 2011, 05:10:48 pm
Post by: artise2012 on December 03, 2011, 12:50:28 am
Post by: Avenger on December 03, 2011, 11:59:57 pm
Yeah, i agree. I know what Stoneskin is for. I'm curious about the Antlion :)Stone Skin.Precisely.
Allows Earth to build amazing stalls. I love stalling so easy descision, who doesn't love 500 HP EM's btw?
Seriously Stone Skin, along with Earthquake, is the reason why Earth is so versatile!
What i see as a problem with this is that each time, a card whose uses have already pretty much been discovered and are easy to find is described. What use has it? It spares a small amount of work that can be rapidly done by anyone.
Look at less popular cards. An article on these would be SO much better, because you'd learn something. Reading the catapult article i was like... ''Yeah, yeah yeah... what's new?'' (btw, kuro, this ain't against you, your articles are high quality with good content each time =) ) The real reason i was like this is because i felt all that was obvious/easy to get to. Because there isn't something interesting about it that isn't known.
Take, for earth, this week, those cards :
-Plate Armor | Heavy Armor
-Antlion | Elite Antlion
-Hematite Golem | Steel Golem
-Shrieker | Elite Shrieker
Why would they be interesting? Because decks based around them are hard to come by. The three last ones i have only seen as backup.
And which one is leading? Stone Skin | Granite Skin. Why? Because it's used. Because it's ''easy'' to build or find decks based around it. Is that really the aim of this, detailing a well known card? In my opinion, no.
[/rant]
Post by: mesaprotector on December 08, 2011, 02:39:04 am
Post by: willng3 on December 08, 2011, 02:41:03 am
And somehow... Antlion wins. It's a crazy world we live in. :DMore like the majority of the world enjoys jumping off of bridges.
Post by: Rutarete on December 08, 2011, 11:43:54 pm
WEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO----! . . . . *Slam!/Crack!*And somehow... Antlion wins. It's a crazy world we live in. :DMore like the majority of the world enjoys jumping off of bridges.
Post by: CCCombobreaker on December 18, 2011, 03:23:12 am
Post by: Higurashi on December 18, 2011, 03:47:48 am
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on December 18, 2011, 03:49:09 am
I think we made Kuro quit by picking antlion. :(Fear not, he merely has learned to burrow. :P
Post by: ddevans96 on December 18, 2011, 05:59:23 am
Post by: Jocko on December 20, 2011, 05:43:14 am
Post by: mesaprotector on December 21, 2011, 01:12:23 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on December 22, 2011, 08:00:08 am
Look on the biright side - at least we have 12 weeks to figure out what to do with antlions :))Funny. I don't seem to recall you guys making any progress towards Antlion decks. :-\
Anyway, I unburrowed and managed to finish the Antlion article after several revisions... this was about as extrapolated as I could get it.
Overview
Antlion is an Earth creature that has a small bite but also with a small cost. For 2 :earth quanta, players can summon this creature onto the field; if they’re worried about it being killed however, they may also Burrow it in order to render it invulnerable to targeting effects.
General Use
- Both versions cost only 2 :earth quanta for both the non-upped and upgraded versions.
- Has the ability to Burrow, reducing its ATK stat by half (rounded down), but making it invulnerable to targeting effects.
However, its main vulnerability is its lack of HP. To counter this though, players have the option to use its defensive ability, ‘Burrow’, to escape dangerous effects. Burrow will reduce its ATK stat in half unfortunately, but also allows it to be rendered invulnerable to targeting effects, making several devastating spells (Shockwave) and abilities (Devour) unable to affect the Antlion. In some cases, the reduced damage output from Antlion can be easily reversed via the use of several buff spells. Other times, the temporary damage reduction is best served as a final ‘surprise’ attack (i.e. – unburrowing multiple Antlions on the field in order to technically ‘double’ their damage).
Synergies
Players who have fear that their opening hands will have a shortage of :earth quanta can still create decks with powerful rushing potential. Graboid | Elite Graboid can be mixed into a deck with several Antlions (assuming the player has their Mark set to the Time element), providing cheap creatures that can swarm the field and deal steady amounts of damage. Graboid’s evolution, Shrieker, can also Burrow as well, allowing players the chance to protect their Earth creatures without the usage of Quintessence or Cloak.
Similarly, if a player decides to keep deck entirely Earth-based (with an Earth Mark), Hematite Golem | Steel Golem is a more durable mid-ranged attacker that is less susceptible to CC without the need for to Burrow. In upgraded formats, Steel Golem and Elite Antlion can also create a powerful mono-Earth rush, with the Golems acting as stronger targets to either absorb or ignore the threats of damage, while the Antlions can serve as CC bait or offensive support.
Other Cards With Synergy
Fractal can be used on Antlions to spam them in masse, but players should note that this strategy is very quanta-heavy in non-upped formats, and not as cost-effectively unless both Fractal and the Antlion are upgraded. Momentum and Adrenaline can be used on an Antlion to help its damage output (assuming it doesn’t get killed after being played), and can help it thrive even while Burrowed. Of course, buffing spells such as Blessing will have diminished effects after unburrowing (it will not return its ATK stat to the odd number it was raised to, but rather, 1 lower than its original amount).
Conclusion
In the end, the Antlion is a tiny but swift creature for many Earth elementals; with the ability to protect itself upon sensing danger, and resurfacing again to deal its full damage, it can be a dandy form of offensive support alongside tougher and more alarming Earth creatures.
Popular Deck
Antlions, Golems, Hammers, and Dragons!? MADNESS!!! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18011.0.html)
Other Decks
- Cockalion, These Frogs are Quick (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12485.0.html)
- Landslide (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,17831.0.html)
- Fractal antlion! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,8286.0.html)
Life polls are now up! Ranting is also over.
Post by: pikachufan2164 on December 22, 2011, 08:47:04 am
*Rain of Frogs*
/ribbit
Post by: Hyroen on December 22, 2011, 09:05:13 am
Post by: PlayerOa on December 22, 2011, 09:07:57 am
War #3 made me think about Heal in a completely different way.
Post by: ralouf on December 22, 2011, 09:58:04 am
Post by: The_Mormegil on December 22, 2011, 10:53:30 am
Post by: Calindu on December 22, 2011, 12:22:56 pm
Post by: Metoropolice on December 22, 2011, 02:37:43 pm
Post by: willng3 on December 22, 2011, 04:33:45 pm
Post by: UTAlan on December 22, 2011, 04:37:20 pm
Post by: ddevans96 on December 22, 2011, 07:29:21 pm
If I wasn't stupid and Antlion had actually come in second like I thought, I'd thank you for proving what would have been my point.Look on the biright side - at least we have 12 weeks to figure out what to do with antlions :))Funny. I don't seem to recall you guys making any progress towards Antlion decks. :-\
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on December 22, 2011, 10:55:26 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on January 05, 2012, 05:36:30 am
Overview
Despite a wide assortment of creatures to choose from, Horned Frog is one of the most iconic Life creatures due to its coveted ATK-cost ratio and overall offensive prowess.
General Use
- Both versions cost only 2 :life quanta for both the non-upped and upgraded versions.
- An adrenalined Horned Frog deals 1 more point of damage than an andrealined Giant Frog.
- A Frog’s HP makes it fairly vulnerable to creature control.
Players may initially assume that because of its low HP, Horned Frog is a fairly frail creature highly susceptible to creature control (a Rain of Fire can take out an army of frogs). However, not all enemy decks are necessarily equipped with such creature control, and thus, Frog armies can usually deal decent damage to the opponent before dealing with shields or harmful spells. In addition, its cheap cost makes it viable in a variety of decks that primarily focus or partially splash :life quanta. Thus, its cost (cheaper than Cockatrice) expands its access to different deck archetypes.
Synergies
Combined with Adrenaline | Epinephrine, Horned Frogs can be quite deadly. Seldom should a frog go without Adrenaline, as it will essentially turn the amphibian into a dragon for half the usual quanta cost. With Adrenaline, the Horned Frog causes more damage (12 damage unupped, 11 damage upgraded) than the Emerald Dragon for only 5-6 quanta (while the Emerald Dragon costs 10). However, Adrenaline also gives the Horned Frog notable weaknesses. Because it causes the Frog to attack multiple times per turn, CC cards like Fire Buckler and Plague can destroy it. Conversely, Adrenaline can also help Frogs escape CC effects such as Freeze and Delay, and even chip away the various layers of a Bone Wall shield.
Despite its lack of health, the Horned Frog is a key card in most mono-Life Rush decks. In such decks, the Cockatrice | Elite Cockatrice can also serve alongside it for slightly more durable (and relatively quick) damage. In upgraded formats, both creatures can deal 5 damage upon attacking, making single-target CC futile against an army of fast attackers.
Additionally, its cheap cost to summon (2 :life quanta for both unupped and upped versions) allows it to be a great choice for creature-spam decks. Fractal | Fractal is an excellent card to use with Horned Frogs, as the critters can be played immediately in a turn given an abundance of :life quanta. Swarming the opponent with multiple Frogs will put the enemy on the defensive if they aren’t paying attention, and if they don’t have a way to mitigate or stop the damage outright, the Frogs can soften act as the killing blow.
Other Cards With Synergy
Frogs also work well with other Life cards, such as Emerald Dragons. The Dragons are able to take the place of an Adrenaline-affected Horned Frog when faced with high amounts of creature control. Mitosis can provide a slower, but equally troublesome creature generator for decks that may lack CC, especially if Empathic Bond is on the field to provide massive healing. Other defensive-oriented Life cards, such as Druidic Staff and Heal, compensate with healing over damage mitigation. Even in rainbow decks, Giant Frogs can provide a great source of damage (it only takes one Supernova for allow a Giant Frog onto the field).
Conclusion
Symbolizing the power of speed, Horned Frog and Giant Frog are indispensable when it comes down to the fast-damage in the Life element. Efficiency-wise, Frogs are one of the most used Life creatures and pack a decent punch for any :life-using player.
Popular Deck
Life Rush - (aka Ultimate Speed EM) (http://elementscommunity.org/wiki/decks/strategy/life-rush/)
Other Decks
- All Hail Gl1tch! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6653.0.html)
- GAEM: Giant Amphibi'EM v2.0 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21620.0.html)
- Frogtal (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3949.msg314930#msg314930)
- Frogs, and Epi's, and Swords, Oh My!!! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11285.0.html)
Fire polls are now up!
Post by: furballdn on January 05, 2012, 05:43:23 am
Post by: Xenocidius on January 05, 2012, 06:06:11 am
Ash eater. Want to see it's article improved from "test :fire test" :P*Quickly edits*
I voted for Deflagration. It is the simplest and cheapest permanent control card in the game. Flexible, versatile and useful, this is one of Fire's most iconic cards, and I'm surprised it hasn't been featured yet.
Post by: UTAlan on January 05, 2012, 06:07:23 am
I voted for Deflagration. It is the simplest and cheapest permanent control card in the game. Flexible, versatile and useful, this is one of Fire's most iconic cards, and I'm surprised it hasn't been featured yet.This. Deflag is the obvious choice.
Post by: Higurashi on January 05, 2012, 10:30:46 am
Post by: nilsieboy on January 05, 2012, 11:55:40 am
Post by: Calindu on January 05, 2012, 12:17:17 pm
Post by: xdude on January 05, 2012, 01:35:20 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on January 05, 2012, 03:45:17 pm
Post by: Larqua on January 05, 2012, 04:38:06 pm
in regards to the frog post.
"the Frogs can soften act as the killing blow."
Should that be "the frogs can often act as the killing blow"?
Post by: Aves on January 06, 2012, 01:06:42 am
Post by: Cheesy111 on January 07, 2012, 05:44:24 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on February 04, 2012, 08:02:37 am
Overview
Fire Bolt has only one purpose: to do massive harm, either to a creature or the opponent. The more :fire quanta you have, the more damage the spell can deal. As such, Fire Bolts are often used to deliver the final blow against opponents who aren’t fast enough for the K.O.
General Use
- Fire Bolt will deal a minimum of 3 damage.
- Fire Bolt can target both players (directly) and creatures.
- Fire Bolt's damage scales directly with more :fire quanta, until hitting the maximum amount in a quanta pool.
3-9 quanta -> 3 damage
10-19 -> 6 damage
20-29 -> 9 damage, and so on.
Using several Fire Bolts in one turn can result in an instant victory. Some decks ("sudden killers") rely on stalling, waiting for a mass production of :fire quanta, and killing the opponent in a single turn. It's important to note that this type of damage requires some thoughtful calculation in order to ensure the final blow can be dealt within a given try, else the opponent can use the opportunity to heal themselves or finish the attacker off the next turn. (For more help with calculations, jump to the end of this article.)
One small tip is that the "fire bolt effect" can be randomly summoned by Chaos Seed or Pandemonium. If either form of CC produces a Fire Bolt, the amount of damage dealt to the creature is based off the amount of :fire quanta the user possesses at the time. Below is a table of how Fire Bolts scale. The numbers given are the amount of :fire quanta needed to deal a certain amount of damage depending on the amount of bolts/lances a player can shoot off at once. NOTE: Due to the fact that quanta is capped at 75 for each elemental pool, some of the tables below prove that you cannot 'instant-kill' someone using a single Bolt.
Synergies
One of the main cards Fire Bolt is paired with is Fahrenheit | Fahrenheit. Since the damage from Fahrenheit scales with :fire quanta as well, both cards can work together to deliver loads of damage. In fire stalls, bolts can be used as creature control while the Fahrenheit can serve as the main form of damage, whittling the opponent's health away gradually.
Ash Eater | Brimstone Eater also has a simple, yet effective combo with Fire Bolt. While the unupped form of the creature can serve as Cremation fodder to quickly generate :fire, Brimstone Eater’s ability will trigger and generate 1 :fire each turn (as long as it isn’t frozen or delayed) after attacking. Although these creatures are extremely delicate (1 HP), they often can shave off modest amounts of HP (2 ATK each turn) from the opponent, thus decreasing the amount of :fire quanta needed for the final bolt blow.
As with all direct-damage spells, Fire Bolt will be reflected by certain shields when targeting the opponent's lifebar. Things can get tricky if the opponent equips one of these shields, as the immaterial shield will prevent a player from directly hitting the opponent's HP (unless the player wants the spell to boomerang back). Since the shields cannot be targeted by permanent control (e.g., Steal, Deflagration), using a reflective shield of some sort can work around the opposition's defense; if a player equips a Reflective shield | Mirror Shield and targeting themselves, the damage will bounce off them and hit the opponent instead. In this situation, Reflective Shield is often the preferred choice, as it only needs 1 :light quantum to summon, compared to Emerald Shield which requires 5 :life quanta to play.
Other Cards With Synergy
The majority of decks that use Fire Bolt or Fire Lance often use various other low-cost Fire cards to deal with major offensive and defensive threats; Deflagration can be used to remove risky weapons (like Discord, which affects one's quanta), while Rage Elixir can remove a single creature (since a majority of creatures have less than 5-6 HP). Fire Shield can also assist in indirect creature control, as attacking creatures will be damaged by your shield and more susceptible to other CC cards (or killed by the shield itself).
Players also tend to pair up healing cards when using Fire Lance as a final attack; Sanctuary as well as the elusive Shards of Gratitude and Divinity (depending on one's mark) can provide general healing over time or health boosts when needed, further increasing the difficulty of defeating a Fire Bolt spammer.
Conclusion
A quintessential example of the aggressive nature of the Fire element, Fire Bolt is a threat to any unprepared deck. If you see your opponent building loads of :fire quanta, act fast and finish them off as soon as you can, else you might find yourself finished in a single turn.
Popular Deck
Fire Stall (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6515.0.html)
Other Decks
- Antibolt (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20720.0.html)
- Golden Sun v2 (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29714.0.html)
- Unupgraded Mono Fire (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3922.0.html)
Water polls are now up!
Post by: Xenocidius on February 04, 2012, 08:07:26 am
Post by: Calindu on February 04, 2012, 09:04:33 am
Post by: Rutarete on February 04, 2012, 11:20:37 pm
Post by: MV296 on February 05, 2012, 07:54:16 am
You know he is awesome.
Post by: PlayerOa on February 05, 2012, 09:44:19 am
Post by: furballdn on February 05, 2012, 08:39:14 pm
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on February 06, 2012, 01:29:21 am
Post by: Hyroen on February 06, 2012, 02:43:03 am
It is one of the most, if not -the- most unique card in :water Water's arsenal. Sure it might not be the strongest, nor would I say balanced yet, but damn is it nifty.
Post by: Absol on February 08, 2012, 09:06:26 am
Hopefully an in-depth analysis will allow players to assemble their strategy using this card better. As this is one of the most underused cards.
Post by: Higurashi on February 08, 2012, 11:06:00 am
Post by: Jappert on February 08, 2012, 05:45:25 pm
Went with Icebolt: CC, freeze effect on both creatures and weapons. I love that card!
I agree though, Purify and Chrys are decent choices also.
Post by: RavingRabbid on February 26, 2012, 12:56:05 pm
Post by: Calindu on February 26, 2012, 06:10:50 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 01, 2012, 08:23:55 am
The Flooding | Inundation article.
Overview
Flooding is unique in Elements in that it’s an automatic form of mass creature control, locking both fields in play. Upon use, both players have their fields' edges submerged in water, ensuring that a maximum of 5 non-Water and non-Other creatures can enter play without drowning in the abyss.
General Use
- Will kill all but the 5 first creatures summoned by both players, except if the creature is a Water or an Other creature.
- Will drain quanta according to the permanent order. If a pillar is placed first, a :water will be generated before being absorbed.
- Does not affect immortal or burrowed creatures.
Compared to the soft CC delay of Freeze or the ramp-up spell of Ice Bolt as creature control, Flooding is an all-or-nothing type of mass CC card; the creatures are killed or they survive. For 3 :water (2 :water upgraded) quanta, Flooding will enter play and instantly kill all creatures on the edges of the field after they've attacked (unless they are a Water or Other creature). Note that because Flooding kills after a creature has attacked, it's considered to be a reactive form of mass CC - similar to a damaging shield, except with a guaranteed kill rate given the right conditions. However, Flooding cannot target creatures that are normally untargetable (i.e. - immortal or burrowed), and as such, players can protect their creatures within the water by quickly Immortalizing them directly (not with Cloak). Like the environmental card Nightfall, Flooding affects both sides of the field upon entering play, so players need to be careful in what creatures they choose to play if they utilize this card in their deck.
Because of its potential to lock down an opponent's playing field to 5 (possibly worthless) creatures, Flooding has an additional cost; each turn, it drains one :water quantum from the user. This means that if the Elemental does not have the required :water to feed into Flooding, the effect will fail, and Flooding will automatically destroy itself from the field. Thus, both permanent removal cards and quanta denial can effectively remove Flooding from one's field. Also, Flooding cannot stack; multiple copies of the card in play will simply consume more :water rather than occupy more spaces in the field. However, Flooding is easier to replace than the costly Ice Shield, so having extra copies in case one is removed can be a safe tactic should a tactic revolve around the watery graveyard.
Synergies
Because the first 5 creatures an opponent controls can still kill, Arctic Squid | Arctic Octopus is a good creature to halt them. While rare, one Squid is enough to freeze 3 creatures back-to-back in a cycle, and the upgraded version can keep 4 creatures in ice blocks. Because of that, 2 of either the non-upped or upgraded creature are enough to 'field lock' an opponent and prevent any creatures from dealing serious health dents (or using their abilities, for that matter). Keep in mind that this tactic will eat up :water quanta quickly, so Water tacticians should adjust their deck accordingly to compensate for the increased demand.
An alternative to 'field lock' is to exploit the condition that Other creatures can still survive in Flooding. Using Aflatoxin | Aflatoxin, a person can poison one of the creatures in the first five spots (preferably the first), to mass produce somewhat useless Malignant Cells. As the Cells have only 1 ATK, most shields can easily block the damage; if the combo occurs early enough, the foe will have their first five spots infested with the cells, and be unable to play any card without risk for it drowning. Such a combo can be expensive and difficult to pull off, but is one of the most rewarding strategies if accomplished, as without CC to remove the Cells, the challenger's deck will usually falter and be unable to do anything in the long run.
For players who are more offensive in their deck design, Shard of Patience | Shard of Patience can be used to further buff water creatures. With a flexible quanta cost, the rare permanent will slowly begin to increase the damage (and health, if it's Water) of all ally creatures. Water creatures in particular will gain 2 ATK and 2 HP each turn, despite the stun. However, Water creatures in the Flooded zones gain a whopping 4 ATK and 4 HP per turn, acting as a continual and stronger version of Blessing. Given enough time, the Water creatures on the edges will become behemoths in their own right, dealing major damage to the enemy - but only after the shard is removed. It's important to note that not every deck will have more than 5 creatures in it, and as such, Fractal or other creature-generators may be needed to take advantage of this.
Other Cards With Synergy
Ice Shield can protect the user and also freeze any creatures that survive the Flooding, given that they aren't also affected by Momentum. Enchant Artifact can also be splashed in, or to be used as a duo to fuel Trident active ability, improving the synergy between Water and Earth denial in both creatures and quanta generation (pillars). Boneyard combined with Bone Wall can provide tremendous defense should the combo be pulled off successfully, as the opponent's creatures will drown and the Skeleton produced will also drown and fuel the Bone Wall.
Conclusion
Despite its drawbacks of a constant quanta drain and restrictions to creatures of its own element, Flooding's very presence poses the question: what creatures should enter play first? Without concern to the previous question, players may be too late to change their own line-up if the tides rise up...
Popular Deck
Negative Five (N5) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,33584.msg429069.html#msg429069)
Other Decks
- Flood Control (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4513.0.html)
- MrSexington's "Rage Quit Deck" (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20258.0.html)
- Ragequit Factory (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,35411.0.html)
Light polls are now up!
If a person has any questions, concerns, or suggestions on how to improve the Featured Article, it is highly suggested that the person please post a response to this article, as well as vote for the oncoming article for the following element! :) Thanks again.
Post by: Xenocidius on July 01, 2012, 09:14:49 am
My vote goes to Solar Shield, which has come from being but a neglected vanilla shield to an interesting card with various synergies.
Post by: Calindu on July 01, 2012, 09:48:35 am
Post by: Higurashi on July 01, 2012, 11:55:40 am
Post by: Poker Alho on July 01, 2012, 12:42:12 pm
Post by: eaglgenes101 on July 01, 2012, 04:12:17 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on July 01, 2012, 04:45:27 pm
Post by: dragonsdemesne on July 01, 2012, 04:48:05 pm
Post by: willng3 on July 01, 2012, 04:59:12 pm
Post by: furballdn on July 01, 2012, 10:41:52 pm
Post by: Rutarete on July 01, 2012, 10:51:54 pm
Post by: Jenkar on July 03, 2012, 03:17:22 pm
Solar shield. Way too underappreciated shield.+1. Last BL it made monolight horribly resistant to denial >:D
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 07, 2012, 01:18:36 pm
Overview
In a game filled with cards capable of demolishing a single creature or field of critters, Light's very own Guardian Angel can be a saving grace for those that manage to survive the damage. Guardian Angel can heal a target creature for 5 HP, which is usually enough to undo the damage from almost any CC effect, including Lightning.
General Use
- Can heal a targeted creature with its ability, Heal, up to 5 HP.
- Cannot remove status ailments with Heal (infection, gravity pull, etc.)
- Cannot raise a creature's HP or heal the player with its ability.
Compared to the other Light creatures, Guardian Angel has a very specific use; ensuring that other creatures are still around to do deal damage or utilize their abilities. For 3 quanta, players can summon a fairly durable Guardian Angel into play, having health to withstand almost any damaging CC effect (save for Rage Potion, unless it's upgraded). On the battlefield, Guardian Angel will not deal as much damage compared to other Light creatures (or any other creature, for that matter) with its 1 ATK; but if one's creatures are damaged during battle, the user can activate the Angel's ability, 'Heal' to restore 5 HP to injured allies. Note that Heal cannot remove status ailments such as poison or Gravity Pull; in such cases, Heal may need to be used repeatedly in order to keep that creature from falling from such debuffs. Also, the Guardian Angel cannot heal the player (unlike the Light Nymph).
Upgraded though, Archangel's stats are quite different from its non-upped form. With a whopping 7 ATK and HP, Light elementals can call upon these winged monsters to deal impressive damage against their foes, while also having healing powers to undo damage. This significant stat boost comes with double the cost (6 quanta to summon), but can be seen as a decent trade, as the stronger angels are even more capable of ignoring CC effects and restoring HP to other angels in play.
Synergies
Because Angels can undo damage dealt to all creatures (including themselves), Rage Potion | Rage Elixir can be tossed onto the creature and healed back immediately for a free ATK boost. Unupped, the healing effect cancels out the damage completely, giving the basic Guardian Angel 6 ATK - if a player were to use Rage Elixir, however, they must also realize that the spell can only be used on an Archangel with the increased HP, so as to prevent killing their own creature. This tactic is fairly simple and easy to pull off between the Fire and Light elements, and can create a wonderful field of tough, CC-resistant creatures with high ATK. To further improve on this strategy, skilled (or lucky) elementals can use the rare Red Nymph to continuously apply the Rage Potion effect to the Angels.
Conversely, some players may prefer more healing with their deck (despite Light having several alternatives), and may combine Liquid Shadow | Liquid Shadow alongside the Angel. Although Liquid Shadow will remove the 'Heal' ability from the target Angel, it will grant the ability 'Vampire', allowing the Angel to heal its owner based upon the damage it deals. Obviously, the upped version is a stronger choice for the Liquid Shadow due to its higher ATK, but players should note that without a secondary Angel in play, the poison inflicted by the alchemy spell will wither away the Angel until its death. Thus, it becomes a necessity for the Angel's ability to be used constantly to keep the bloodthirsty angel alive, so as to provide its fully augmented potential.
Finally, for players who like to avoid being damaged altogether, they may summon the heavy-duty Armagio | Elite Armagio into play. For 1 additonal after summoning the high-HP creature, the user may then trigger the Gravity Pull active, redirecting all creature damage to the Armagio in question. Because the damage is inflicted onto the creature then instead of the player, Angels can easily recover such damage by redirecting all their efforts onto the targeted Armagio, creating a pseudo-invulnerability to attacks using creatures instead of shields. Unfortunately, this strategy can often fall prey to hard hitting creatures that remove chunks of health at a time; against a field of dragons, an Armagio may not survive against such heavy attacks for the Angel to save it in time.
Other Cards With Synergy
In some cases, Voodoo Doll can be a tricky choice to pair up with the Angel. As Dolls take damage in order to inflict pain unto the enemy player, Angels can easily heal up that damage back up to reinstill another wave of pain. Light Dragons are one of the top in-element Light creatures to heal due to their high HP and priority of targeting when facing AI. Damage done from Acceleration can also be replenished after 5 or so turns using Angels.
Conclusion
Although many players often ditch or ignore saving their armies after being struck by devastating attacks, Guardian Angel can gently remind them that such losses may be prevented with careful (or intensive) use of the protective spirit. Despite the majority of healing cards being from Light, and the plethora of healing spells available, the Angel is one of the tried-and-true cards famous enough to heal a creature back from near-death.
Popular Deck
Supah Angels! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,1474.0.html)
Other Decks
- Healing Angel Stompy (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12626.html)
- Vampire Dragons (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20695.0.html)
- Arch Titans (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7655.0.html)
- Feel the Heal? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,9241.0.html)
Air polls are now up!
Post by: Annele on July 07, 2012, 01:21:41 pm
EDIT: Was fixed.
Post by: Higurashi on July 07, 2012, 01:23:24 pm
Post by: Absol on July 07, 2012, 01:26:31 pm
Post by: Jenkar on July 07, 2012, 01:27:51 pm
Post by: Poker Alho on July 07, 2012, 01:32:09 pm
Post by: Calindu on July 07, 2012, 01:58:37 pm
Post by: willng3 on July 07, 2012, 02:22:06 pm
Post by: furballdn on July 08, 2012, 02:42:18 am
Post by: Holokausti on July 10, 2012, 10:02:26 am
Post by: PlayerOa on July 10, 2012, 11:28:33 am
Post by: Chapuz on July 10, 2012, 01:50:02 pm
Post by: Charming on July 11, 2012, 07:41:52 am
Post by: furballdn on July 12, 2012, 01:20:43 am
Actually works okay, but shockwave is a much better choice than thunderstorm for CC, but you can say that having AoE paired up with direct damage from the EE is nice too.
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 13, 2012, 06:17:17 pm
Overview
With the ability to zap an entire field of creatures to dust, Thunderstorm is a short and sweet CC card that deals 1 damage to all enemy creatures. Its cost is by far the cheapest out of all mass CC options.
General Use
- Thunderstorm deals 1 damage to all targeted enemy creatures.
- Removes an opponent's Cloak if they have any in play.
Thunderstorm is a cheap mass creature control spell capable of removing several enemy creatures at once (depending on the creatures' HP). For 2 :air quanta (1 :air upgraded), players can cast the spell in order to deal 1 damage to all enemy creatures for free. Of course, 1 damage may not seem as much, compared to the removal of 3 HP of Rain of Fire, but its incredibly efficient cost makes it easy to use and complements many of Air's other CC cards that directly (and indirectly) target and deal damage to enemy creatures.
A small thing to note is that, like all other mass AOE CC spells, Thunderstorm is capable of removing Cloak off an enemy's field; even with multiple Cloaks, a single Thunderstorm will still hit all enemy creatures despite their invisible 'non-target' field status. Combining Thunderstorm with other major CC cards can help demolish frail creatures or wither down more durable monsters to be killed off later.
Synergies
Although an unusual pairing, Death-Air combos are fairly impressive when mixed, and the alchemy spell can do wonders with a single Thunderstorm. Aflatoxin | Aflatoxin will poison a target creature; although this may appear redundant, the resultant Malignant Cells that fill the field afterwards will serve as both lock down as well as a set up for a multitude of death triggers. Since the Cells only have 1 HP each, a single Thunderstorm can wipe them all out in a single shot, which can work wonders with cards that gain bonuses from the deaths like Vulture and Bone Wall. The amount of ATK power gained by a single Vulture (or 'charges' a Bone Wall obtains) from this tactic is phenomenal. Despite being difficult to set up, this combination creates a fun synergy between the two elements with different CC mechanics.
In mono-Air decks, Owl's Eye | Eagle's Eye may be a simpler choice due to its reusable and effective CC capabilities. The rare weapon's ability, Sniper, can deal 3 damage to a single creature. Combined with Thunderstorm, the spell and the weapon can often clear out enemy fields with a moderate requirement of :air quanta, and can wither down tough creatures such as Stone Dragon to its knees in a few turns. The two cards combine well to tactic on a variety of decks; even when fighting Cloak, Thunderstorm can remove the invisible protection, granting the player true aim to shoot at whatever was hiding underneath.
Other Cards With Synergy
Other CC cards, such as Shockwave and Unstable Gas (if a player decides to bring it for both damage and the CC component), can work alongside storms to remove a variety and armies of creatures, allowing the Air element to take on most swarm or rush decks with ease. Skull Shield can sometimes eliminate hard-hitters (Fire creatures, for example) and transform them into easy-to-shock skeletons.
Conclusion
Thunderstorm can be an overlooked card in comparison to various mass AOE CC spells and permanents found in-game. However, because of its cheap cost, players may and should consider using the spell in case they find themselves fighting against swarm or low-HP creature deck types, as the extra :air quanta can be useful in the long run.
Popular Deck
A Fog Comes Before the Storm (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,10101.0.html)
Other Decks
- Condor's Storm (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,36211.0.html)
Time polls are now up!
Post by: furballdn on July 13, 2012, 06:22:02 pm
Post by: inthisroom on July 13, 2012, 06:25:50 pm
Post by: Calindu on July 13, 2012, 06:31:18 pm
Post by: Absol on July 13, 2012, 07:48:53 pm
Also, good work Kuro.
Post by: Jocko on July 13, 2012, 09:38:03 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on July 13, 2012, 09:46:52 pm
Post by: Poker Alho on July 14, 2012, 01:05:16 am
So I'm the only one who likes Fate Eggs?
you're not alone mate :P
Post by: Annele on July 14, 2012, 01:17:58 am
Go go Fate Egg. :>
Post by: Higurashi on July 14, 2012, 10:42:30 am
Post by: thispersonisagenius on July 14, 2012, 12:30:44 pm
Pharaoh is definitely the most defining creature for Time.That's true. However, only three time cards (as far as I can see) have synergies with other elements, and those are Anubis, Scarab and Sundial. Scarab in itself isn't too good of a card, and I felt that Sundial was too obvious to vote for. I voted Anubis, the god of the afterlife. :)
Post by: ddevans96 on July 16, 2012, 04:57:22 am
Can be buffed, immolated, etc. Should be a fun article to read.
Deja Vu.
Post by: furballdn on July 16, 2012, 04:58:23 am
Deja Vu.
Can be buffed, immolated, SoFrepi'd, etc. Should be a fun article to read.
Deja Vu.
YOU ARE A SIR, SIR.
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 20, 2012, 04:43:55 pm
Overview
Hard-boiled or raw, these incubated monsters can hide a potential wallop in them for those who are lucky enough. Fate Eggs cost 3 :time quanta to play, and have a one-time skill called ‘Hatch’, which transforms them into another random creature in the game.
General Use
- Both the unupped and upgraded Fate Egg's cost and skill cost remain the same (3 :time and 1 :time respectively).
- Fate Egg's "Hatch" ability will produce a random creature from any of the 12 elements.
- Non-standalone and special creatures such as Ash and Chimera cannot be gained from a Fate Egg.
Fate Egg is a creature that may seem extremely risky to play; for 3 :time quanta unupped or upped, players may summon the frail 1 HP creature onto the field. As the Fate Egg cannot deal damage (0 ATK), most players usually play the Egg to full utilize its ability, Hatch, will will transform the Egg into a random creature upon use. However, not all creatures are part of this lottery; the following creatures below will not be hatched from an Egg, due to them being extremely detrimental to obtain, exploitable, or simply redundant from older patches (both versions of the creature listed are considered):
Ash
Chimera
Devonian Dragon
Fate Egg
Immortal
Malignant Cell
Scarab
Shard of Focus
Shard of Integrity
Weapon 'Creatures'
Despite the few creatures that Fate Egg cannot become, the ability to generate strong attackers, such as Dragons, or highly impressive utility creatures, such as Nymphs, can be a very lucrative incentive to hatch (or kill) a Fate Egg once it's been summoned. In any case, a Fate Egg's stats are low due to the risk that both players must make; its slight quanta cost can be proved a waste if the owner winds up with an undesired attacker. Likewise, an enemy may find themselves taking on an unexpected threat if they leave it untouched by damaging CC effects or lobotomization.
Synergies
For players who don't want to risk their Egg being cracked upon hitting the field, Shard of Readiness | Shard of Readiness serves as a fast way to summon and transform the Egg into another creature. Because Shard of Readiness (SoR) automatically removes the ability cost of Hatch and allows it to be used immediately, some decks which rely on the Egg may combine these two cards to best utilize the Fate Egg. In addition, SoR will allow Hatch to be used "twice" in the sense that the Fate Egg will hatch into two creatures upon use, allowing for swarming/rush tactics and efficient creature generation.
In many cases, using Hatch will generate a creature with an active skill that requires non- quanta. To assist with using such skills, Nova | Supernova often provides Fate Egg's latter transformation the capability to use such skills, especially in Rainbow decks with multiple Quantum Pillars. Also, Nova works well with Shard of Readiness, as the quanta from a single Nova can instantly supply the random quanta needed to play the Shard.
Other Cards With Synergy
For more risky duelers, Fractal is an interesting and fun spell to use alongside the creature; a field filled with several Eggs can sometimes grant the person a chance to generate a useful creature out of the potential dozens. Cloak will not only protect multiple Eggs from single-target CC effects, but also make it harder for the opponent to see what hatched creature is damaging them and how to counter it given their cards. Shard of Serendipity also works well as a surprise factor alongside SoR for major card advantage in conjunction with the egg in a Rainbow deck.
Conclusion
While not quite reliable for any major deck strategy, Fate Egg is a fun creature to use successfully. While not always used for the most serious PvP games, Fate Egg is a polarizing card to both veteran and newcomer alike, as its luck-based creature generation can seal victory or complete failure once it hatches...
Popular Deck
Can haz moar eggz? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,16492.0.html)
Other Decks
- Frategg (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6340.0.html)
- Raw Idea: Ready? Fate! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,32104.0.html)
Darkness polls are now up!
Post by: RavingRabbid on July 20, 2012, 04:47:11 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on July 20, 2012, 05:15:57 pm
Dagger screams for votes.It does indeed.
Post by: Higurashi on July 20, 2012, 05:25:26 pm
Post by: Absol on July 20, 2012, 05:31:24 pm
Post by: willng3 on July 20, 2012, 05:33:46 pm
y u no love Parasite. It's a good midhitterlolwut
Voted for Vamps.
Post by: thispersonisagenius on July 20, 2012, 05:46:02 pm
Post by: bowlerdude04 on July 20, 2012, 05:52:23 pm
Nightfall being a pretty unique card and very thematically strong for Darkness earns my vote.
I picked Nightfall for this reason too.
Post by: furballdn on July 20, 2012, 06:12:51 pm
Post by: Zaisha68 on July 20, 2012, 06:29:20 pm
Post by: Poker Alho on July 20, 2012, 08:33:07 pm
Post by: Annele on July 21, 2012, 07:33:33 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on July 30, 2012, 09:03:18 am
Overview
As a card that provides a double edge in both healing and damage, Vampire Stiletto is the rare weapon of the Darkness element that steals life with every stab. For 1 (or 2, if upgraded) :darkness quanta, players may wield the dagger and recover life equal to the amount of damage the dagger deals.
General Use
- Vampire Stiletto (Dagger) deals 4 (6) damage, and recovers life equal to the damage it deals.
- Shields can reduce the amount of healing based on the damage reduction; buffs applied to it while flown can increase its healing capability.
True to its name, the Vampire Stiletto is a handy card for swinging both the opponent's and the owner's health bars, providing healing and damage in a single weapon. Its cheap cost of 1 :darkness quanta makes it easy to play off a player's mark (the upgraded version however is more expensive due to its increased damage). And although its ability is shared with many other Darkness cards, such as Vampires and Liquid Shadow, a Stiletto can sometimes be the key to swing the battle from inevitable loss to a bare victory.
Like all weapons that have damage-dependent abilities, Stiletto will not recover HP for the user if it fails to deal damage to the enemy. Thus, certain shields that completely block damage (Phase Shield) or effects that redirect the damage (Gravity Pull on an enemy creature) will nullify the ability. In addition, if Stiletto is frozen or delayed as a creature or in its weapon slot, its healing will not occur in contrast to Druidic Staff. Of course, Stiletto can heal for more than the Staff if given proper buffs when animated.
Synergies
While many weapons become twice as effective when flown in multiples, Stiletto is often one of the top choices to combine with Flying Weapon | Animate Weapon due to the impressive HP gain. Despite the weapon being susceptible to CC with its 4 HP, more cards can directly benefit the Stiletto while it's in the air. Buffing cards, such as [haos Power and Nightfall, can greatly increase the damage-healing ratio of the airborne weapons, while also giving them durability to survive damaging CC effects. However, this strategy can be completely thwarted by Antimatter, as it reverse the damage and healing dealt by vampires.
Conversely, if a player lacks multiple Stilettos, Crusader | Crusader can act as a viable alternative for high damage and healing combinations. The synergy between these Light and Darkness cards often create a powerful deck known typically as 'Vader Sader', where the Crusaders Endow the Stilettos for increased damage and healing potential. If the weapons are flown, they can also be further buffed by Blessing, which in turn further improves the damage gain when Endow is utilized. Thus, whether the player chooses to turn multiple Crusaders into life-stealing assassins or animate the weapons themselves, the combination of having multiple creatures with the Vampire ability can make enemy players feel that their attacks are only prolonging the inevitable.
Finally, because of the Stiletto's inexpensive summoning cost, Nova | Supernova becomes an idea card to pair up with the respective non-upped and upgraded versions. In various Rainbow decks, the Stiletto is the only elemental weapon capable of being brought into play with a single Nova on the first turn, making it an ideal start for fast damage dealers. Nova can likewise fuel the :air quanta necessary for Flying Weapon, and various other cards as well for the Stiletto to take advantage of in such speedbow decks.
Other Cards With Synergy
Given focus on mostly :darkness quanta, players can use additional Vampire creatures in conjunction with a Stiletto to provide both creature and permanent based healing, Dusk Mantle in order to help mitigate damage and recovery HP to full, Cloak to protect the weapon, and even Steal to remove pesky shields that may block the dagger completely.
Conclusion
Even with such a simply ability, Vampire Dagger is well known for its ability to chip away at an opponent's help early on in the game, giving the wielder each turn a chance to gain the advantage. And while the health swing may be tremendous or trivial based on how much damage is done, such a weapon (if used properly) can provide the clear cut to victory with each bloodthirsty slice.
Popular Deck
Vader Sader (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,18038.0.html)
Other Decks
- Day Traitors (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24954.0.html)
- DEMA: Destroy 'em All! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12700.0.html)
- Dastardly Daggers of Dangerous Dealings (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12842.0.html)
Aether and 'Secret' polls are now up!
Post by: ddevans96 on July 30, 2012, 09:08:01 am
Anyways, Spark.
Post by: Calindu on July 30, 2012, 09:36:58 am
Post by: Chapuz on July 30, 2012, 10:23:55 am
Anyways, Spark.Spark or TU, I voted for spark because of the funny:death decks it can make.
Post by: RavingRabbid on July 30, 2012, 10:29:22 am
Post by: Higurashi on July 30, 2012, 10:51:46 am
Post by: PlayerOa on July 30, 2012, 10:57:45 am
Post by: Poker Alho on July 30, 2012, 12:30:39 pm
Post by: Aves on July 30, 2012, 12:45:38 pm
Post by: furballdn on July 30, 2012, 06:43:20 pm
If there are other polls then my work in other will be uselesssssss
Post by: Kuroaitou on August 07, 2012, 06:42:27 am
Overview
Although its simple skill may seem easy to overlook, the Dimensional Shield is one of the most powerful stall cards this game has to offer, and is definitely one of the defining features of the element of Aether. For 3 turns, Dimensional Shield will block all physical creature attacks, granting the wielder 3 turns of near-invulnerability as long as the shield holds.
General Use
- Dimensional Shield (DS) will disappear after 3 turns (its mitigation will stop the turn after its counter hits 0).
- All non-momentum affected physical creature and weapon damage is blocked while DS is active.
- Spell, poison, and other non-physical attacks will still bypass the shield's invulnerability.
The basic jist of this card is straightforward: it gives the player 3 whole turns of immunity against a vast majority of forms of damage in this game. In comparison to other shields that reduce damage, block only certain creatures, or provide indirect creature control, Dimensional Shield is the only shield in game capable of blocking any non-modified creature attack without any drawback.
Even with a moderate cost (6 :aether or 5 :aether quanta, non-upped and upgraded respectively), players using the shield can often survive an onslaught of creatures if played in succession without interruption ("chaining"), and can essentially cause unprepared opponents to wait 18 turns before being able to do anything (in some cases, players who cannot penetrate or find ways to get around the shield with their cards are guaranteed to lose before the 18 turn mark).
While Dimensional Shield appears to be an invincible defense, it is not without counters. Spell damage, from bolts such as Lightning to Fire Lance, to alternative sources like Unstable Gas and Poison can easily ignore the shield and cause damage immediately. However, the most famous counter comes from a status effect, called Momentum. Creatures with Momentum will ignore all shield effects, thus ignoring Dimensional Shield's invulnerable defense. A similar effect occurs from Shard of Wisdom and Psion, which involve spell-based creature damage.
Basic permanent control can also become a problem, as Dimensional Shield will last 3 turns; its power is only as strong as its longevity, and two, one, or zero turns of invulnerability due to a Deflagration can become severely demoralizing. Regardless of the counter, several decks have made note of such counters, and thus either splash additional cards to maintain the shield's effect.
Synergies
Lobotomizer | Electrocutor is an effective way of removing various creature abilities that would otherwise make the creature futile. From stripping a Sapphire Charger of its momentum or rendering a mutant creature with Steal useless, the rare Aether weapon can turn any target creature into a vanilla, bland attacker incapable of doing any damage (unless they have a passive ability). Because of its cheap cost in terms of deployment and skill cost (3 :aether for the cost, 2 or 1 :aether for the actual lobotomy ability), almost any deck that utilizes multiple Dimensional Shields will usually have a Lobotomizer as the support weapon, given their mutual synergy.
Although expensive and not as strong as some of the other dragons, Phase Dragon | Elite Phase Dragon is only elemental dragon with an ability: immaterial. This dragon is incredibly difficult to remove from play unless one has indirect CC methods (such as Fire Shield), and because of that, it acts as a very reliable attacker. With 8 ATK (10 ATK upped), multiple dragons can be placed casually in play while Dimensional Shields protect the player's health. This combination may be costly, but is well known to work against various deck types that don't have enough control options to fight off the offense and defense.
Other Cards With Synergy
Cards that provide healing (Sanctuary, Shard of Gratitude, and Feral Bond) are decent choices in a stall-based shield deck, and can also seal an Elemental Mastery for the player should they find themselves unable to mitigate all damage. Sundial can extend the invulnerability period to 24 turns (excluding weapon attacks), as the permanent will stop all creature attacks. The Sundial can also provide an alternative form of drawing cards (or additional shields) in case of emergencies.
Both Cloak and Protect Artifact can serve as a way of maintaining 3 turns of invulnerable protection; as Dimensional Shield can be removed by permanent control, having an ensured way of keeping such defenses intact can be invaluable against PC heavy opponents.
Conclusion
A great addition to stall decks, Dimensional Shield can be helpful from OTK decks to Mono-Aether. With a high potential of ignoring almost all forms of damage for several turns (or throughout the entire course of a game!), players that encounter a shield must either find a way to deal alternative damage, remove it, or twiddle their thumbs at their eventual defeat.
Popular Deck
The Essential Halfblood Farmer (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,3154.0.html)
Other Decks
- Limitless Speed OTK (Semi-upped/Epic) (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,31572.0.html)
- I've GotP Time (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,22028.0.html)
- Mirage (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11135.0.html)
- Mindtheft (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,11834.0.html)
Other polls are now up!
...what have I unleashed? T_T
Post by: furballdn on August 07, 2012, 06:45:02 am
Post by: Kuroaitou on August 07, 2012, 07:03:51 am
I will not write an article on Shield, Malignant Cell, Relic, etc. - those who tried to vote or complain to me about those options now have your answer. The poll has been redone to allow changing of votes and the removal of such options.
Post by: Rutarete on August 07, 2012, 07:32:07 am
Post by: willng3 on August 07, 2012, 08:02:15 am
Also, I fear that an article on SoFo would need to be rewritten completely considering the rather obvious amount of discontent exhibited by the community as a whole towards the shard itself might cause it to be completely revised or removed x)
Post by: ARTHANASIOS on August 07, 2012, 08:28:33 am
Post by: McSod on August 07, 2012, 08:33:13 am
Post by: PlayerOa on August 07, 2012, 08:46:42 am
sod y u no vote SoD
Post by: McSod on August 07, 2012, 09:03:10 am
sod y u no vote SoD
Because a commonality to my name isn't enough to make tha' damn card interesting. :p
Post by: Poker Alho on August 07, 2012, 01:02:59 pm
Post by: Calindu on August 07, 2012, 05:50:06 pm
Post by: furballdn on August 07, 2012, 05:54:22 pm
Post by: Annele on August 07, 2012, 07:24:32 pm
Anyways, go Serendipity!
Post by: willng3 on August 07, 2012, 07:27:46 pm
Just wondering, why don't people just use SoB? There is no other shard starting with b.zanz made a joke in chat that people should call SoB SoBe and thus we followed his command. If I can find the quote I'll edit it in.
Anyways, go Serendipity!
EDIT:
Quote
[11:03:12] Onizuka: Change name to Shard of Courage! SoB is just so weird :V
[11:03:32] Malebolgia: Lol.
[11:03:36] Dandy: Maybe SoB is intentional. XD
[11:03:54] Wizardcat: There's already a SoC. I'd rather not have any more duplicates.
[11:04:35] Malebolgia: Yeah, with courage, we would need to say SoCou and SoCon...
[11:04:40] zanzarino: Use SoBe as an acronym, that way it sounds more like an energy drink
[11:05:00] Malebolgia: Lol.
[11:05:05] willng3: Heh.
[11:05:06] furballdn: oh gosh
Also, SOB is an acronym for a rather vulgar expression so people might not enjoy having SoB resemble that.
Post by: McSod on August 07, 2012, 07:47:43 pm
Also, SOB is an acronym for a rather vulgar expression so people might not enjoy having SoB resemble that.
I ~prefer~ it, because of that. ;)
Post by: ZephyrPhantom on August 07, 2012, 07:48:53 pm
Post by: PlayerOa on August 07, 2012, 07:49:31 pm
McSod in a nutshell. :)Also, SOB is an acronym for a rather vulgar expression so people might not enjoy having SoB resemble that.
I ~prefer~ it, because of that. ;)
Post by: Laxadarap on August 07, 2012, 08:23:15 pm
Post by: Kuroaitou on October 09, 2012, 09:07:18 am
Overview
Shard of Readiness is a relatively cheap card for what it does. For a simple cost of 5 random quanta unupped and 3 random quanta upped, Shard of Readiness allows you to change a creature's skill cost to 0, effectively saving you quanta in the long run.
General Use
Shard of Readiness is an other card that allows for much smoother bridging between elements. If one wanted to run a Firefly Queen deck for example, but didn't want to use any quanta, then Shard of Readiness can easily make a hard to balance duo into a very easy to balance mono. In addition to this, some creatures, such as Purple Nymph, Arctic Squid and Steam Machine often have very expensive costs to their abilities, but with Shard of Readiness, a few quanta can relive that problem for the rest of the game. In just a few turns, Shard of Readiness' ability to conserve quanta in the long run becomes apparent.
Synergies
Mitosis is a card that grants a creature a skill that can vary from no quanta at all, to 10 quanta for expensive creatures like dragons. Shard of Readiness changes that skill cost to become 0 regardless what it was before. A dragon with mitosis is pretty good, but a dragon with mitosis that costs 0 quanta is just excellent. When used with mitosis, every turn a new expensive creature can be produced. When coupled with time creatures, Mitosis and Shard of Readiness become an insane combo for fast damage.
Butterfly Effect allows small creatures to destroy permanents, but the upkeep cost is not cheap at all. Butterfly Effect requires a huge 3 :entropy each turn to keep destroying permanents. However, just like Mitosis, Shard of Readiness can make that cost instantly disappear, allowing a creature that can freely destroy permanents each turn, becoming even more powerful than Shard of Focus. When used in conjunction with cards like Deja Vu and Scarab, this combo can instantly destroy 2 of the opponent's permanents in one turn, along with continued permanent destruction after that.
Pharaoh is known for its notoriously long time to set up, with such a heavy :time investment, and slow build up of Scarabs. However, using Shard of Readiness with Pharaohs greatly alleviates the quanta strain as well as the slowness of the deck. A Pharaoh that can create two scarabs the moment it hits the field, and new scarabs for free each time, greatly speeds up any Pharaoh deck. When used in a Pharaoh deck, Shard of Readiness can also be used on the scarabs, for quick, free, immense gobbling and devouring.
Other Synergies
Fate Egg is another slow starter, but when paired up with the shard, it allows for instant hatching of two identical creatures, allowing more than double the speed and potential of Fate Eggs. Anubis has an expensive and awkward skill cost, but Shard of Readiness can fix that as well. Perhaps one of the most deadliest combos, Golden Nymph when used with Shard of Readiness allows for a powerful creature that also allows you to speed through your deck for no cost at all. A flying Eternity also benefits greatly from this, as without any limitations, a flying ready Eternity can keep casting Reverse Time on the opponent's creatures, locking down the field and gaining control.
Conclusion
Shard of Readiness is one of those cards for players who feel the need to pack in useful creatures but have difficulty balancing their skill costs. Shard of Readiness also allows the element of time to truly live up to its name, allowing double the casting of their skills and abilities. Shard of Readiness is a powerful and variable card, and deadly when used right.
Popular Deck
Instosis (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,32309.0.html)
Other decks
Shard of Readiness is a relatively cheap card for what it does. For a simple cost of 5 random quanta unupped and 3 random quanta upped, Shard of Readiness allows you to change a creature's skill cost to 0, effectively saving you quanta in the long run.
General Use
- Shard of Readiness sets any skill cost to 0
- Time creatures can immediately cast their skill twice when Shard of Readiness is applied to them.
- Deja Vu's ability is not affected by Shard of Readiness
Shard of Readiness is an other card that allows for much smoother bridging between elements. If one wanted to run a Firefly Queen deck for example, but didn't want to use any quanta, then Shard of Readiness can easily make a hard to balance duo into a very easy to balance mono. In addition to this, some creatures, such as Purple Nymph, Arctic Squid and Steam Machine often have very expensive costs to their abilities, but with Shard of Readiness, a few quanta can relive that problem for the rest of the game. In just a few turns, Shard of Readiness' ability to conserve quanta in the long run becomes apparent.
Synergies
Mitosis is a card that grants a creature a skill that can vary from no quanta at all, to 10 quanta for expensive creatures like dragons. Shard of Readiness changes that skill cost to become 0 regardless what it was before. A dragon with mitosis is pretty good, but a dragon with mitosis that costs 0 quanta is just excellent. When used with mitosis, every turn a new expensive creature can be produced. When coupled with time creatures, Mitosis and Shard of Readiness become an insane combo for fast damage.
Butterfly Effect allows small creatures to destroy permanents, but the upkeep cost is not cheap at all. Butterfly Effect requires a huge 3 :entropy each turn to keep destroying permanents. However, just like Mitosis, Shard of Readiness can make that cost instantly disappear, allowing a creature that can freely destroy permanents each turn, becoming even more powerful than Shard of Focus. When used in conjunction with cards like Deja Vu and Scarab, this combo can instantly destroy 2 of the opponent's permanents in one turn, along with continued permanent destruction after that.
Pharaoh is known for its notoriously long time to set up, with such a heavy :time investment, and slow build up of Scarabs. However, using Shard of Readiness with Pharaohs greatly alleviates the quanta strain as well as the slowness of the deck. A Pharaoh that can create two scarabs the moment it hits the field, and new scarabs for free each time, greatly speeds up any Pharaoh deck. When used in a Pharaoh deck, Shard of Readiness can also be used on the scarabs, for quick, free, immense gobbling and devouring.
Other Synergies
Fate Egg is another slow starter, but when paired up with the shard, it allows for instant hatching of two identical creatures, allowing more than double the speed and potential of Fate Eggs. Anubis has an expensive and awkward skill cost, but Shard of Readiness can fix that as well. Perhaps one of the most deadliest combos, Golden Nymph when used with Shard of Readiness allows for a powerful creature that also allows you to speed through your deck for no cost at all. A flying Eternity also benefits greatly from this, as without any limitations, a flying ready Eternity can keep casting Reverse Time on the opponent's creatures, locking down the field and gaining control.
Conclusion
Shard of Readiness is one of those cards for players who feel the need to pack in useful creatures but have difficulty balancing their skill costs. Shard of Readiness also allows the element of time to truly live up to its name, allowing double the casting of their skills and abilities. Shard of Readiness is a powerful and variable card, and deadly when used right.
Popular Deck
Instosis (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,32309.0.html)
Other decks
- Need a Parka? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,12200)
- Silence is Golden (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=35616.0)
- Your eggs are ready, Sir! (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=39974.0)
- Ghostosis (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php?topic=35756.0)
- Eternal Gold (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,40333.0.html)
In order to continue this project in a timely manner, I have personally hung up the 'featured card writer' title and passed it to furballdn.
PLEASE vote here (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,43980.0.html) for your featured card(s) of the week! And thank you to all who kept this going when it did. :)
Weekly Featured Cards Poll (III):
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,43980.0.html