Weasel out of this!

Eaten by weasels - not a good way to go.

Ah yes, Weasel Attack (3rd edition chase, 428/440). That most sublime of events. A true powerhouse, and one of the few cards that is amazingly primo no matter what version of Spellfire is being played, standard or TAV. This thing attracts event-canceling cards like a magnet, and with good reason.

Imagine, attacking an opponent's realm and then slapping this down on the table. First of all, your attacking champion can relax. He goes back to your pool and chills. Next, you choose one of the champions in the defender's pool - he must use that champion to attack his own realm! Not only that, but he must fight himself with his own cards. If he wins, his realm is razed and both players draw spoils. If he loses, his realm is still razed, his champion is discarded, and only the player of Weasel Attack draws a spoils. So either way:

-His realm is going to get razed.
-The player of Weasel Attack is getting a spoils.

Not to mention the huge waste of cards if he decides to fight this. No wonder this card brings out Intercessions, Limited Wishes, Enter Darkness Togethers, etc.

Great photo art, super cool mechanism, and just an all-around-awesome event card. I only own one of these, but if I had six they would all be in decks. It's just that damn good!

Next time: A dream or a nightmare?

The Best Millennium Cards

Let's count down the seven best cards from the Millennium sticker set. As always, cards were judged by their usefulness and power in Spellfire: TAV.

7 - Dispel Evil (43/99)

This card causes any one monster in play to be discarded. No matter its immunities. The ability to get rid of a Gib Lhadsemlo, a Gorgon, a Living Wall, or a Kronos the Titan is absolutely primo. Dispel Evil can be cast before combat or during combat, which makes it even more versatile. Good removal is hard to find, and Dispel Evil snags the #7 spot on this list with ease.

6 - Sacred Flame (37/99)

Slightly better than the ability to remove one monster is the ability to remove any attachment from any champion. Get rid of the Ring of Winter. Remove a Divine Wrath. Strip off a Star Gem of Martek. Trash a Pseudodragon. The possibilities are endless. Solid, solid card which should be in just about every deck that contains clerics.

5 - Stunning Fist (98/99)

At #5 we find this awesome instant-kill unarmed combat card. After Stunning Fist is played, count up the levels of your champion and the opposing champion. If yours is winning by 8 or more, the opponent's champion is discarded immediately and you get a spoils. If not? Well....you've just gained 10 levels, which is nothing to sneeze at.

4 - The Forgotten Idol (34/99)

I may be a bit biased, since I designed this card, but I think it deserves the #4 spot. Actually, it could be ranked even higher. What's so good about the Idol? Well, let's say your opponent has one of those annoying champions entrenched in his pool - non-attacking champions who vex you with their special powers. Hettman Tsurin. Jella. Gwenyth. Cyric. Helm. You want these guys dead, but you don't want to waste Wishes and Death Spells. Here's where the Forgotten Idol comes in. Attach this baby to a champion and attack. Then switch your attacker with any champion from any opponent's pool! No matter what happens, the enemy champion (and the Idol) are discarded at the end of combat. Bye-bye!

3 - Insanely Good Fortune (47/99)

I designed this card as well (along with Hayden), but before you accuse me of stacking this list with my own creations, read it carefully. It negates any helpful event - like Caravan, Good Fortune, and Calm. These are events in almost every deck, and ones you definitely want to stop if possible. The secondary power is only a bonus. If someone is trying to use an Unusually Good Fortune (a popular chase event that definitely sees a lot of play), they are going to have a very bad day. Good enough for #3 on this list.

2 - Whirling Dervish (99/99)

I love this card. When I attack, I want the realm razed with the least amount of fuss. Instant-kill cards thrown down by a low-level defender are fuss. Major fuss. Luckily, this card eliminates any of those shenanigans. You can attach the Dervish during combat to eliminate your opponent's ability to use his cheese, or (even better) you can wait until he tries throwing down the Loup-Garou, Use Poison, Melt Bone, Noble Djinn, Vorpal Blade, or whatever else the sneaky jerk has saved up for you. Once he has tipped his hand, slap down your Whirling Dervish and counter the instant-kill effect. Bam.

1 - Kronos the Titan (62/99)

Not much to write here. The best monster champion in Spellfire is also the best card in the Millennium sticker set. Just read him. Imagine what you could do with him in your pool. Imagine what he could do to your opponent's pool. Champions just don't get better than this guy. Print one, and put him in your deck today.

Next: Weasel out of this, pal!

Out of the REALM of possibility!

One quirk of Spellfire: TAV is the variant's treatment of Realm (Conquest, 66/81). For some reason now lost to the mists of time, this sticker-set card has always been treated like Shaqat Beetles (4th edition, 234/500). That is to say, any number of Realms are allowed per deck, to the limit of 15 realms as indicated in both the standard rules and TAV rules.

Look at this annoying thing.

Because of this odd quirk, which may have been due to a misinterpretation of the Realm card text long ago, things like this have been legal in TAV for over 15 years:

"Cool, I win! Oh, wait..."

Another great reason to play TAV - you just can't do this sort of thing in standard Spellfire. :)

You can call it a house rule or an optional rule or whatever you like, but trust me: letting Realm be used this way adds to the fun of the game. Give it a try, and you may find that the only thing that beats winning a game of Spellfire by completing a formation of six realms is winning by completing a formation of six REALMS!

Next: The best cards in the Millennium sticker set.