Liquid Shadow
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Contents
Overview
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.
General Use
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
Liquid Shadow is an alchemy spell (4 
quanta non-upped, 3 upgraded) 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.
Synergies
From the above, Antimatter | Improved 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 Dragon | Obsidian Dragon also has 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).
Other Cards With Synergy
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.
Conclusion
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.
Popular Deck
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