The Best of the Sticker Sets (for TAV)

The infamous sticker sets. Milennium, Inquisition, Chaos, and Conquest. Fan-created and approved for tournament play by Wizards of the Coast (before they stopped caring about Spellfire - or acknowledging its existence - at all). Some people love the sticker sets, some hate them. But whatever your opinion, some of the cards are just plain cool.

Dispel Illusion (Inquisition, 83/99) is one of the best sticker cards printed for Standard, and I'd say it's probably the best single card for the Antigonish Variant.

TAV is a fast-paced, sometimes brutal format, filled with instant-kill cheese. Fortunately, some cards can cut the cheese with the best of them. Dispel Illusion is a fantastic cheese-cutter. It has several awesome uses.

1 - When attacking in TAV, and your opponent blocks with a lower-level champion, you are already in trouble. In all likelihood he or she is going to hit you with an instant-kill card. With Dispel Illusion in hand, let them. After you get a good look at the Loup-Garou, the Haymaker, the Mindkiller, the Noble Djinn, the Ambush, or whatever nasty surprise they toss down, Dispel Illusion makes the card "go away" before the effect happens, as if it had never been cast. Furthermore, the opponent can't use it again until next turn. Hope they had a backup plan! ;)

2 - When defending, same deal. You get a peek into their hand, as it were, and yet the revealed card does no damage to you. You can continue the battle and be more prepared for that card next turn.

3 - At any time, you can use Dispel Illusion to stop an event or spell. Don't like the look of that Caer Allison? It's gone until next turn. Wish coming at you? Not so fast, it's back in your opponent's hand. Cleric just been sacrificed to bring out Sirrion? What a waste, cleric is still discarded but the big demon goes back to the opponent's hand! Fun stuff.

4 - Opponent needs one more realm to win. He or she tries to play it. Game over, right? Not so fast! Dispel Illusion stops them from playing it and they can't do so again until next turn. You get another turn of life to raze a realm*!(*Unless, as was pointed out by an astute reader, the opponent had a second land in their hand. Oops!)

So it's basically a counter card that stops events, spells, allies, unarmed combat, realms, any card in the game from being played. This thing is better than Enter Darkness Together, better than the Genie Bottle, better than a 4th Edition Dispel.          

Dispel Illusion is the single best card in TAV. It has to be in any deck with spellcasters, period. 

Next time: Mithas!

The Bird is the Word!

Some cards are ok in Standard Spellfire, but become awesome in the Antigonish variant (like the Headless Horseman). Other cards are great in Standard, but utterly useless in TAV (like Tithian and Gorynych). Then there are cards that are so phenomenally incredible that they transcend formats and are universally primo. Remnis (4th Edition, 481/500) is one of these cards.

The only downside to the "dirty bird" is that he's a bit hard to get into play. One or more flyers totalling 16 levels or more must be sacrificied for him to appear. Once that's done, however, Remnis will increase your chances of victory substantially. His power? Once per turn, at the end, he can fly into the discard pile, remove one non-champion card, and return that card to his controller's hand.

While this is a great power and has a multitude of possible uses, in reality the card should just say "go get your Wish spell back once per turn". I've used this guy for years, and 9 times out of 10 it's the Wish I'll go for.

Wish, do other things, Remnis gets Wish. Rinse and repeat.

Wish got countered? No problem - try again next turn. Wish worked? Great - it goes to the discard pile, where Remnis retrieves it so you can use it again next turn (or, since Wish can be cast at any time, again this turn!).

Remnis rivals Istus and Gib Drawsemaj as the greatest, most powerful, and just plain nastiest avatar ever printed. Once on the board, he attracts your opponent's champion-killing cards like a magnet. If he dies, use Silver Hands and BAM! the "dirty bird" is back.  

Paired with a Wish, an Abyssal Gateway, a Mindkiller, an Estate Transference, a Disintegrate, etc, etc, etc...Remnis is a beast.

And if you're the one who slaps him down first - you'll probably be doing the bird dance. Just don't ever, EVER attack or defend with him.

P.S. How does Remnis remain so calm with that giant tidal wave about to hit him? :)

Next Time: The best sticker-set card for TAV is....?

Dungeons and TAV

Dungeons. The last card type added to Spellfire before the game's cancelation in 1997. The card type that many Spellfire players still have a love/hate relationship with, all these years later.

Up above, you can see The Azure Tower of Onad the Fallen (Dungeons 24/100). This is the dungeon I use in my tournament deck today. Back when Hayden and I were putting together the rules alterations that eventually became the Antigonish Variant, dungeons were one of the main areas I wanted to change from standard Spellfire. This post will go over the rules regarding dungeon cards in TAV, and my rationale for altering them from standard.

Rule change #1 - Dungeons in Decks: Unlike in standard, you shuffle your dungeon into your deck in TAV. It's drawn just like any other card, and may be played during phase 2 of your turn. Rationale: To me, dungeons are personal rule cards. You don't start the game with your rule card in play, why should you start with your dungeon in play? Draw it as normal. As for the phase 2 rule, I'm not a big fan of the "play your rule card during phase 0" thing either. In fact I came within a hair's breadth of changing that rule as well in TAV. Ultimately it was left alone, but the dungeon is played at any time during phase 2, when you are placing realms and holdings into your formation. The playing of a dungeon does not affect your ability to play a realm or holding.

Rule change #2 - Attacking Dungeons: Just as in standard, you can choose to attack a dungeon instead of a realm in TAV. Unlike standard, however, there must be a "path" to the dungeon you wish to attack. This means there must be a way for your champion to walk there (no unrazed realms in the way). Rationale: This is very similar to the way a non-flying (or swimming, or earthwalking, etc) champion can't attack back realms. If there are unrazed realms "protecting" the dungeon, it cannot be attacked until those realms are either razed or discarded. A champion successfully attacking a dungeon is not removed from the game, nor do they suffer any type of penalty for winning the combat and discarding the dungeon. Play continues as if the champion had just razed a realm.

Rule change #3 - Dungeon Spoils: When a dungeon is successfully defended, the defender gets a spoils, which is playable in the same way as a spoils gained from razing or discarding a realm during combat. Similarly, when a dungeon is successfully discarded by an attacker, the attacking player gets a spoils. The differences between dungeon spoils and regular spoils that exist in standard have been erased in TAV. Rationale: A spoils is a spoils. Why confuse things with two different types? 

Rule change #4 - Discarding Dungeons Outside of Combat: There is no special requirements or rules when using a Wish, a Gib Kcir, or any other card to discard a dungeon. These cards function normally. The requirement to discard the casting champion when using Wish (or any other card) to destroy a dungeon is not in effect in TAV. Rationale: Why make a rule that affects two or three cards, total? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Rule change #5 - Where Do Dungeons Go?: Unlike in standard, there is no "special" pile to put a dungeon into when it is discarded. It simply goes to the discard pile. Have a way to get it back? Go for it. Play it normally during your next phase 2. Rationale: Why shouldn't you be able to retrieve your dungeon the same way you can retrieve your rule card? Dungeons are basically personal rule cards, and should be treated as such.

That's about it. I feel these rule changes make dungeons a more fun and less onerous part of the game of Spellfire. Be sure to send me your opinion about them or any TAV-related rule!

Next time: the Dirty Bird!                  

Ruins and...Ruins.

 

In TAV, attacks are difficult to defend against. It's a fast format, filled with instant-kill cheese. The best strategy is usually to prevent your opponents from attacking at all. That's where realms like these come in. The Ruins of Zhentil Keep (3rd Edition, 3/400) and the Ruins of Iolonia (Dungeons, 32/100) are two lands your enemies will struggle to visit.

Both have powerful movement restrictions, although both have weaknesses as well. First of all, they both attract realm-destroying cards like magnets. This goes without saying, since they are othwise tough to raze and/or discard. Secondly, they are both vulnerable to a popular category of attacking champion: Zhentil Keep allows clerics to attack, and most Avatars are clerics. Nothing like having Zhentil as your front realm when your opponent slaps down Istus. Whoops.

As for Iolonia, the undead are practically everywhere in Spellfire. They're cool and there are quite a few of them to choose from. Odds are you're going to face a few now and then.

Still, even with these vulnerabilties, I'll take these two lands over the typical "can only be attacked by flyers and swimmers" realms. In the right situation, if your opponent lacks the proper type of champion able to attack, Zhentil Keep and Iolonia can shut him or her down for turns at a time. You can concentrate on picking off the few champions that can attack, hopefully before they do their damage. With Zhentil or Iolonia up front, you get precious time to build your Formation and stock your hand. And if you are going to be hit with a land-destuction card like Cataclysm - at least you know where it's going to go. Your Avanil or Tyr is safe for now.

Sometimes hiding out in the Ruins can really pay off.

Next time: Dungeons.                      

If you can Dodge a knife, you can Dodge an ally!

Watch out, it's a poorly-aimed knife strike!

I have a Dodge (Runes & Ruins chase, 12/25) in four of my decks. Yes, it's that much of a monster card. I call it the cheese killer.

Worried about a Loup-Garou? Hang on to that Dodge! Nervous about your opponent slapping down a Fighting Dirty? Yup, better have a Dodge. Inellect Devourer? Dodge. Haymaker? Noble Djinn? That's right - Dodge.

When playing TAV, you will undoubtedly find yourself at the center of a cheese-storm of epic proportions. Luckily, most of the cheese can be cut by this nifty little event. In fact, if you use it to counter an unarmed combat card, you actually get to draw two cards for free! Nice.

But if you only get 10 events (and forget the rule book, every good TAV deck runs the maximum 10 events), why give a prized slot to Dodge, a card that will sit in your hand for turns while you wait for just the right opportunity to use it?

The answer is, the payoff is worth it. Sooner or later you *will* get the chance to use it. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Let's say you are enjoying a nice, peaceful three-person game. That's 3 Loup-Garous, guaranteed. A Haymaker or two. Maybe 3 Djinns. A Fighting Dirty? An Athasian Sloth? More than one? Everyone runs these cards in TAV. Trust me, that Dodge in your deck is going to be put to good use in short order.

Please note that Dodge can't stop the level-up of an opposing ally, just the power. But relax - that's not much of a downside. How many times has anyone lost a battle because of the Intellect Devourer's +1? I'll answer that for you: it's not happening.

If it does, however, please drop me a line. I'm sure that story would be interesting! :)

Next time: Life in the Ruins.       

Sucker Punch!

I have to admit it: I don't own a Fighting Dirty (Dungeons chase, 3/25). I traded the only one I had way back in 2001 to an unscrupulous scallywag. Actually, he's a good friend who just happened to make off like a bandit on the deal. This card is currently blazing on the online auction sites, hitting values north of $60 most times. 

An unarmed combat (UAC) card is by nature tough to counter. This particular UAC card is nastier than most. Once it hits the board, you must draw and discard a card (which hurts all by itself), noting the last digit. Say so-long to that many cards from your hand as they go bye-bye, straight to the discard pile.

Fighting Dirty also adds a bonus equal to the originally-drawn card's last digit to the employing champion.

There is no downside to this card. Nothing about it isn't awesome. You get a great bonus, force the opponent to draw and discard a card, and totally defenestrate his or her hand. Then combat continues. Good luck to your poor opponent. Most likely he or she is also razing a realm and giving up a spoils.

Standard, TAV, it doesn't matter what version of Spellfire you're playing. You want this card in your deck, and you want it in your hand.

The art adds another bit of awesome to Fighting Dirty. It's quite apt, as what the card does to the opponent when it hits the table is the metaphoric equivalent of the scene depicted in the art. Ouch! Amid all the cheese in TAV, Fighting Dirty still stands alone.

Next: duck, dip, dive, and DODGE! 
      

The Nuclear Option

Wish (4th Edition, 384/500) is one of the most powerful - and most popular - cards in Spellfire. Whether you are playing Standard or TAV, this wizard spell needs to be in your deck if you have spellcasting champions. Let's list the reasons Wish is so awesome.

1 - Wish discards any one card in play, except a realm. In reality, most players use it to rid themselves of enemy champions. 

2 - Immunities won't help against a Wish (unless your name is Lhadsemlo or Irod).

3 - It can be cast at any time, either on your turn or during an opponent's turn. This versatility allows you to respond to any developing threat on the board.

4 - Since it goes to the discard pile after use, Wish can be brought back again and again.

In TAV, Wish is best used during combat. If you are attacking, but things aren't going your way, you can always nuke the opposing champion with Wish, automatically winning the round of combat, razing the opponent's realm, and gaining you a spoils. If you are on defense, a well-timed Wish can remove the attacker, either before or after you block. Some champions - like Iuz or Istus - you will want to nuke before they get anywhere near your formation. Others you might want to block first and use the Wish to get a cheap spoils and prevent your opponent from attacking again that turn.

Don't forget, Wish is good for sweeping the board of Rule cards, Dungeons, Holdings, or anything else you don't particularly like. Wish is pretty awesome, no matter what version of Spellfire you are into.

Next time: When it's okay to Fight Dirty!