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!             

Gib, Gib Trouble!

Yes, my choice of the best Gib is Gib Irod (Night Stalkers chase, 21/25). She just edges out Gib Lhadsemlo, who is also primo.

Both Lhadsemlo and Irod have a laundry list of immunities. But what puts Irod over the top is her card-drawing ability. When in combat, her controller can discard up to three cards and draw replacements. With TAV being a fast format filled with instant-kill cheese, the odds of drawing said cheese are quite good. Given that you have three chances, the odds get even better.

Irod is also immune to the powers of allies (such as the Loup-Garou) and harmful events (Trapped, Takhisis' Mirror, Wine of Eternity, etc). As well, the Wish spell does nothing to her. Did I mention that she casts both wizard and cleric spells? And she's level 13? Primo.

Why anyone wouldn't run a Gib Irod in their deck is one of life's great mysteries. This card rocks, in both Standard and TAV.

Next time: 5 overrated cards (for TAV).

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!