SG updated the wiki, but it's Thursday already, so I think I'll reopen the poll next week. No point in voting for 1 more day, right?
And thanks to Kuroaitou for writing the Fractal analysis:
Fractal is a very unusual spell card that generates multiple copies of a target creature in your hand. This mechanic alone allows a player to technically bypass the 6-card (creature) limit in a deck. However, because of this powerful ability, Fractal also drains the user entirely of their
quanta, and thus is mostly used on other non-Aether creatures to play them upon duplication.
Fractal essentially generates up to eight copies of the creature you choose into your hand (not on the field). Depending on how many cards you’re holding, you can generate a massive army of a cheap creature, or substitute Fractal for a copy of the creature (similar to Twin Universe). Regardless, one thing to remember is that Fractal’s usefulness decreases as you have more cards in your hand; in other words, if your hand is cluttered, your potential output drops. Also, if you choose not to play any of the copied creatures (or other cards) down before ending your turn, you will be forced to discard one of them. This also implies that lacking the necessary quanta to play any of the duplicated creatures (or other cards in your hand) will resort in a forced discard. Note that you only create multiples of the basic creatures in question; for example, if you use this on a mutated Dragonfly with an ability, you’ll only get copies of the regular Dragonfly card.
Nonetheless, Fractal combines nicely with nearly every creature in game, including those with unique abilities. While dragons and hard hitters can be produced for a final rush (when played simultaneously), other cards become just as useful or potentially lethal when spammed. Horned Frogs, for example, are cheap cards that provide quite a bit of damage overtime. Of course, the nature of this card (consuming all your
quanta) confines this card in duo, trio, or rainbow decks that have creatures of another element. For example, you cannot play Phase Recluses because of being drained of
quanta, while Phase Dragons and Immortals are immaterial, so you cannot target them.
Creatures with unique abilities also have great synergies with Fractal, especially those that involve quanta generation. Devourer | Pest, for example, is an excellent target for Fractal as you can quickly generate a field full of Devourers that will eventually drain the opponent of their quanta, converting theirs into
for you to play more Devourers (or other Darkness cards). Decay (a false god) and the "Pesty FG deck" both follow this strategy.
Ray of Light is also one of the more popular creature choices, as the Ray of Light has a free cost to play. Because it has the ability Bioluminescence, you not only generate
quanta (without the use of Light Pillars, Towers, and Pendulums), you can also play the Hope shield, which increases in defensive prowess with more Bioluminescent creatures. Normally you can only have up to 6 Ray of Lights on a field (thus preventing up to 6 or 7 damage), but with a full field of them, no creature with more than 23 attack can hit you. This combination is more widely known in the RoL-Hope deck.
Two noted counters include various forms of creature control and Nightmare. Field (or AoE) creature control spells such as Rain of Fire or Flooding will limit your potential to play multiples of creatures down by killing them, and may ultimately reverse your tactics against you if you’re not careful. Nightmare fills copies of a target card in the opponent’s hand; when played against a player utilizing Fractal, they’ll have a filled hand, which also limits the potential of Fractal’s massive creature generation. Since Fractal is about going beyond the typical card limit, any card that either kills creatures routinely or restricts the ability to play several creatures at a time are effective ways to shut it down. Conversely, cards that gain benefit with multiple creatures on the field also improve with Fractal; having multiple Feral Bonds, for example, allows for massive healing due to the number of creatures on the field.
Despite these shortcomings, Fractal is one of the most flexible and powerful cards in the game. Utilizing this on a cheap creature with good damage, like a Vampire or Minor Phoenix, results in an instant rush of fast damage (with the former being useful for gaining life back, while the latter allows you to be more resistant towards creature control). Fractal is perfect for any rush or control deck, and thus, it finds a beloved spot in many strategies.
Quick Facts:
- Fractal will generate up to 8 copies of a target creature in your hand (not on the field), allowing you to bypass the "6-card rule" for certain creatures.
- This card consumes all of your Aether quanta upon use.
- Fractal will only generate regular copies of the creature (e.g. you cannot duplicate mutants).
Use This Card Together With:
- Photon | Ray of Light
- Devourer | Pest
- Horned Frog | Giant Frog
Decks Using This Card:
- CC? Why Bother?
- RoL-Hope Control
- Pesty FG
