Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Top 5 TAV Events


Hey everyone! It's time for a look at the five best events for Spellfire: The Antigonish Variant. I am limiting this list to events that I personally own, because the nature of events dictates a familiarity with them is necessary before an honest evaluation can be made. A card may look excellent on paper, but gameplay might subsequently show it to be not that great (ex: Cold Cup of Calamity). So, without further ado:

Honorable mention - Discovery of Spellfire (3rd edition chase, 401/420) 
There are two kinds of great events. The first kind does something to the opponent (Cataclysm, Slave Revolt) or their champions (Tyranthraxus, Wrath of the Immortals, Wine of Eternity). The second kind does nothing to your opponent, instead it does something for you. Most of the cards on this list are the latter type. However, Discovery of Spellfire is definitely in the former category. The more players in the game, the better this card becomes. In a 4 or 5 player game, the ability to search each opponent's hand and grab one card to be discarded is extremely primo. While any events will most likely be used before they can be grabbed, your enemies will be unable to protect key champions, realms, magic items, and allies. Discovery of Spellfire just missed the number 5 spot on this list.

#5 - Unusually Good Fortune (Forgotten Realms chase, 11/25)
Our number five card is Unusually Good Fortune, a card I have previously written about here. It combines the "do something for you" effect and the "do something against your opponent" effect in one awesome package. Any time an enemy plays an event, you can piggyback off it to a sweet draw of three cards. If the event your opponent played was Good Fortune, then Unusually Good Fortune cancels the enemy's card draw. Instead, you get to draw the five cards, and the opponent gets none! This kind of punishment can shut someone down big time, while you fatten your own hand. The reason UGF is only #5 on the list is the unpredictability of when you will get to use it. Our next card is more straightforward and more regularly usable.

#4 - Good Fortune (4th edition, 120/500)

There's really no need to explain Good Fortune being on this list, is there? You get to draw five cards. Especially in TAV, card advantage is key to winning. The only question was where exactly GF would fall on the list of "best events". What events are better for you than drawing five cards? The answer - not many.

#3 - The Caravan (4th edition, 131/500) 
One of the few abilities that trumps extra cards is an entire extra turn! The Caravan allows you to do this between any two players' turns, so it's even more awesome. Use it just after you've ended your own turn, to get that last spoil and (hopefully) the win. Or use it between the turns of two of your opponents to "sneak" in extra actions or attack an enemy who is dangerously close to six realms. The only downside to this card is that you have to have ended your turn before using it - so if it's canceled, you're done. And the Caravan does attract event-canceling cards like a magnet.

#2 - Caer Allison (Forgotten Realms, 3/100) 
I've already written about Caer Allison here. It is the cheesiest event there is in Spellfire. Toss it down for your 6th realm for the instant win. Or use it to save champions after your last realm has been nuked by a Cataclysm. When played for the victory, there are only a handful of cards that can save your opponents. The Caer Allison has to be canceled, or it's game over. For its awesome ability to end Spellfire games, the floating castle gets the #2 spot on this list.
             

#1 - Enter Darkness Together (Dungeons chase, 10/25) 
I've also written about this awesome card here. EDT is the most powerful event in Spellfire and deserves its spot atop this list. Its ability to cancel any event or spell - and its immunity from being countered - makes it a cornerstone of any deck. Seriously, if you own one, it's going to be in your best deck. If I had 10 of them, they'd all be in decks. There's absolutely no reason to not have an EDT in every Spellfire deck you own. Standard or TAV, it makes no difference. Also, it should be noted that, if your opponent actually rips up his or her card to avoid the effects of Enter Darkness Together...well you've just been witness to an epic Spellfire moment. The entertainment value alone will outweigh the fact that your EDT didn't work. Playing this card is a win-win proposal! :)

Next time: Lesser-known awesome champions.