Weekly Featured Cards poll - Other

[chum3]

Nvm, Gargoyle was cool enough to get its own feature already

Actually, Gargoyle hasn't been featured yet.

[Kuroaitou]

Nvm, Gargoyle was cool enough to get its own feature already

Actually, Gargoyle hasn't been featured yet.

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.

...not to mention, it would save me some writing time when your awesomeness was featured instead of mine. XD

[chum3]

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.

...not to mention, it would save me some writing time when your awesomeness was featured instead of mine. XD

Or I can continue ghostwriting/writing under anonymity. ;P

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.

[Chaotic Elitist]

Vampire Stiletto is one of my favorite weapon cards. Decent damage and healing, for a measly 2/3(?) darkness quanta. Granted, it's healing capacity is shield dependent, but I'd not turn in it down.

[Kuroaitou]

Okay! Here's the Featured Card article for Liquid Shadow~

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)

Aether polls will be up shortly!

EDIT: Aether polls are now up!

[Higurashi]

Yeah, it's PU time. Versatile cards get face time, and this is the best one as far as I'm concerned. <3

[PlayerOa]

Twin Universe, absolutely! Epic, fun card.

[TheIdioticIdiot]

just because you are the almighty lady/master of aether, doesn't mean I don't get to have my own propaganda re: aether...

Ball Lightning...

[ZephyrPhantom]

This may sound stupid, but Phase Shield. It is a key card in the world of stalls and Mono-Aetherism.

[Jappert]

Silence and TU are the most interesting and tactical of the bunch. I went with silence since I am less familiar with it.

[willng3]

Parallel Universe for sure.  I love watching the opponent cringe with pain as some gigantic creature comes and beats them into the ground TWICE in one turn.

[TheForbiddenOracle]

Dim. Shield because of all the annoyance it has (attempted to) caused me throughout T50 farming, and I respect that.