Going Psycho

The Psychometron of Nerad (Powers chase, 3/20) is one of the most powerful artifacts in the game. It has two main powers, the first of which is merely okay. The Dark Sun champion to which it is attached gains immunity to psionics. Not bad, but not a power you will use every game.

The Psychometron's second ability is much more primo. If the attached champion is discarded, the Psychometron psionically destroys one other champion anywhere in play - including the champion that just won the fight! This won't work on champions who are immune to psionics, but just about anyone else is toast.

Often, players will have certain champions that they never block with. They don't want Hettman Tsurin or Gwenyth the Bard or Helm involved in a potentially fatal combat, because those champions are far better sitting in the pool where they are able to use their special powers to mess up your game. With the Psychometron attached, any Dark Sun champion becomes Lyr of the Mists! Even better than Lyr, since she can only target champions in pools, while the Psychometron can nuke any champion in play, anywhere.

It becomes a dilemma for your opponent: attempt to win the combat round, thereby losing a champion to the Psychometron, or just roll over and let the realm get razed, giving up a spoils and creating the same problem next turn.

One last interesting fact about the Psychometron: it doesn't matter how the attached champion is discarded, the effect still happens. So if your opponent gets the bright idea to target your champion with a Death Spell or something similar...you still get to take a long look at all their champions before deciding which one heads off to the graveyard with yours.

Next time: The 5 best allies!             

The Best TAV Champion?

Erellika is small but mighty.

What's the best champion in the Antigonish Variant of Spellfire? That question has been asked many times since 2000, and there's no clear answer yet. I would argue, however, that the best attacking champion is probably Erellika (3rd Edition, 262/400). Surprised? Don't be.

In TAV, the attacker wants things to be over quick. Since there is usually only one round of combat, you want to get in, win the round, raze the realm, and get out again fast. Erellika has the attributes to do so, usually with frightening speed. Here's the rundown on this card.

1 - She is level 2, and when attacking in TAV, lower is better. You're not going to be involved in a level-up war (at least, not often). Both players' hands are doubtless stacked with instant-kill "cheese" (to borrow a term from Magic: The Gathering*). The player who is able to get their cheese down first will usually win. At level 2, Erellika allows her player to throw it down first in most situations.

2 - She is versatile. As a hero able to cast both wizard and cleric spells, you have a wide range of possible options. Loup-Garou? Haymaker? Mindkiller? Wish? Everything's on the table. Erellika's ability to use both kinds of spells, plus the Hero's innate ability to use allies and unarmed combat cards makes her a primo attacker in this format.

3 - She has other powers, as obscure as they may be! Erellika negates all psionic powers when defending, an ability that might come in handy against say, an attacking Lyr of the Mists. Erellika also negates the powers of Holdings in play when she attacks, a rarely-used power, but...whatever! Might be useful some day. :)

For the reasons above, Erellika rules in TAV. She won't take up much space in your deck (I doubt you'll ever brush up against the 90-level limit by adding her), and you'll see her worth the first time you attack an opponent with a fat hand, but win because you hammer down the cheese first!

Next Time: TAV coup-de-grace king...Loup-Garou!

*"Cheese" was a term used fairly regularly in MTG around 1995-2000. It described red direct-damage cards, for the most part. I can't recall hearing the term lately, with all these danged kids playing the game. :)