Now that I've finally separated the cards from the wrappers and put them nicely into my (now very full) card boxes, I got off some free time this morning to look over the cards very quickly. Here are some of my thoughts about the cards.
Action Cards
The Good
I think Vaticination is the most Amazing Action card in this set. Of course, it requires a True Brujah to use it, and it is not going to be commonly seen, but think of the power that it provides to any deck that it is in (Mata Hari is so going to love this). A +3 Stealth Action allowing you to see EVERYBODY's hand AND discard 1 card of your choice. This card alone gives you incredible Intelligence in the game, allowing you to eliminate key threat cards from your prey or predator, either as a preemptive measure or as the prelude to your impending attacks. Archon Investigation, Deflections, Immortal Grapples, Sense Deps, Pentex Subversion...all these deadly cards can be eliminated if you so deem. It also gives you incredible bargaining power on the table - afterall, you can choose to disclose whatever information you want to, to anyone of your choice, AND help or cripple them as needed. This is one hell of a card.
The Bad
Threading the Path of Oepheus. And that is that. No contest. And it is a rare. And I have 5 of them. I will sell them to anyone who wants them.
The mmm?
Minor Curse. Explain to me the use of this card at basic. Example - I Minor Curse you at basic, you don't replace cards until the end of the action - which is Minor Curse...so if you're not blocking...absolutely nothing happened for this action. It is of course marginally more useful at superior if you intend to card-drain the opponent so that he can't do much against your attacks, but that's only assuming that you can out-action his hand...
Combat Cards
The Good
There are many good combat options for so many of the Bloodlines this time, I think combat will become a lot more deadly. There are many cards who cancelled strikes, or cancel other combat cards, and they are powerful. But IMHO, they paled when compared to another of the mighty Temporis card - Outside the Hourglass. This deadly card can torpor an opposing minion without ever getting to the range step. Most allies with 2 life or less will just die from fighting this True Brujah without ever fighting back.
The Bad
The Black Beast is hands down the worst card in combat. !Salubri already had a great number of good combat options, enhanced by the incredible power-ups they get this time. The Black Beast is a situational card that can already be duplicated by !Salubri cards that are both better and deeply entrenched in most !Salubri combat decks. There is absolutely no reason for this card to exist in any !Salubri decks at all.
The mmm?
Lead Fist? What's the point? Gargoyles can use POT strikes in the first place, and they have no lack of presses from FOR cards. Why burn blood for it? Even younger Hatchlings can use Pounce instead of Lead Fist...but I guess if you really really want to play VIS-only decks...
Action Modifiers
The Good
I don't think I am Legion is such a big deal, since it is just another stealth card thrown in with pool gain. I prefer the more basic card of As the Crow. Now it may appears that it gives only the Gargoyles the ability to untap for free, which is pretty much just a Freak Drive clone, but that would be underestimating the flexibility it now gives to the whole lot of Flight-able little Hatchlings. In the past the Hatchlings, after burning 1 blood to gain Flight, has to hunt, keeping them out of action for 1 turn. With As the Crow they're much more efficient. Besides that, this card actually makes Flight much more useable in other decks. I shudder at the prospect of facing a Herald deck with this card, and I think the Patagia Limited Flight card may now make some sense to the Nosferatu. I think we shouldn't underestimate the power of this card.
The Bad
I don't like Knotted Cord, not at all. Old Baali mostly have superior PRE already, and if they're concerned over other voters this card isn't going to help much. A single Bewitching is probably going to do more than this card ever will.
Equipment
The Good
Journal of Hrosh is an interesting equipment, giving the Salubri another option to bloat (not that they are the ones who needed it...) The Equipment section in this expansion isn't that exciting, and most of them aren't that fantastic, which is why the Journal will actually shine.
The Bad
Come on! Foldable Machine Gun? Why not a .44 instead? There is absolutely no reason to use a Foldable Machine Gun in any deck except a Mass Reality deck, and even so it is questionable.
The mmm?
Amulet of Temporal Perception is kind of weird in a constructed environment. A Spontaneous Power would serve better. Given that both of them are unique, there is very little reason to use the Amulet instead of the Power, or even just another Sanguine Instruction. I guess the only good thing this one has is for THA-decks to summon it with magic and start using Summon History to do random things.
Referendum
What can I say? The Daughters Sing!!! Everything is good, really good.
Reaction
The Good
Diabolic Lure. Just for the art I'd have to be seduced and put it right here. Not many decks can handle Infernalism if they're not ready for it, and this card can give it to them. With Eagle Sight you can easily shut down your prey with this card, and it makes your predator think twice about random raids against your pool. This is a very powerful deterrent card. And it has boobs.
(Hide the Heart is powerful too, but I prefer the boobs)
The Bad
The Reactive ability of Gift of Sleep is quite pointless, but that wouldn't stop Slaubris from using this card anyway.
The mmm?
Again, the Reactive ability of Treat the Sick Mind is challenging to use, I guess I'll have to really sit down and think about how to create a DEM Salubri deck.
Master
The Good
No contest here - Wider View. Enough was discussed about this card that I'm sure everyone will agree with me that this is the most influencial card in thie expansion.
The Bad
Blessed Resilience is a very limited card of use, reminds me of the Turbo Baron deck. But besides that it's not going to see much use.
The mmm?
Ravager. Unblockable hunts for Kiasyds. Well...I changed my mind. Research and Development is kinda difficult to pull off at the moment, taking too many card space to do too little things. I guess as more R&D tech are disclosed in future expansion it will shed more light to it.
Overall I quite like this expansion. It has offered many options for the Bloodlines, I think the meta game will change quite a lot very soon.
(o.o)
7 comments:
Minor Curse stays on the target minion and triggers each time that minion takes an action.
That's how I interpret the card. Makes more sense, I think.
Good analysis! Also, really liking your blog - keep up the great work!
A couple of notes. First of all, I believe that Minor Curse affects the future actions that the cursed minion takes. In other words, when the opposing minion is acting, he doesn't replace cards, which can be extremely powerful especially at superior if you can get the minion into combat.
Treading the Path of Orpheus is useful for removing Fame and Temptation, but that is about it, really. Not a good card, agreed.
Note also that Patagia only gives flight in combat, so no As the Crow action unfortunately.
Minor Curse at minor maleficia don´t let the minion replace cards he or she plays in EACH action until the end of the action. At superior is until the end of the turn. So, I think it´s a good card. Greetings.
Minor curse is placed on the target minion. Then when THAT minion acts, cards played by that minion aren't replaced until the end of those actions, or turn respectively.
Also Patagia only allows a nosferatu to burn a blood to gain flight for a round in combat. Thus it still sucks balls.
Lastly, knotted cord is a combo, so can also be used to defend against referendums. Cancelling votes can be a really powerful defence against referendums, since it cancels the title of the vamp calling the referendum, and all modifiers giving that vamp more votes. May or may not be better then Bewitching Oration, but can be played even by Baali without (superior) presence.
@ Minor Curse -
Ya, you guys are right! It is going to stay I think, and it is powerful! I'm suddenly glad that I got 3~ :)
@Patagia -
Yap, Matias is right, it is for combat only. Aiya!
@ Knotted cord
Yap, as a vote defense it is slightly better, but still, younger vampires only, which makes it kinda weak in a Baali deck since the new Baali are quite young except for The Unnamed. I'd use Poison Pill or Delaying Tactics instead, or just Dive Bomb the voter with a Herald to teach him a lesson~
Thanks guys, for the clarification!
(o.o)
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