DAX PARAGON : FALSE WHISPERER

Dax earnestly examine the consolidated financial book of Paragon's group. He grins with excitement knowing the profit has rise meteorically. The turning point happened when he took the strategic moves to allies with Silus. Their Chaos Legion have helped him captured some of the most rich natural deposit. And in the past years alone, he has has constructed new processing factories to expand his business.
On the corner of his desk, a stack of letter waited to be read. Dax reached and sorted those letter. He find a paper roll in the size of a note. He opened it and take a glance on it, and then smiled knowing Mr. Wilnett has been taken care. False news and whisper have never failed him to divide his opposer.

Dax Paragon is a economical card costing only 2 mana. Among the Life Splinter factions, it is a magic card with the lowest mana cost. The card started with a decent 1 damage and 2 speed, but possess a quite high 3 health. Although intially it possess no abilities, later at max level it will gain 2 new abilities. The status will also grow significantly into 2 magic damage and 5 health. Dax Paragon is the equivalent of Temporal Master, having the same status parameter, but cost 1 mana less (Temporal Master cost 3 mana but has better striker ability coming from Stun and Recharge ability). So what can we get from owning Dax Paragon?

Pros & Cons

1. Its very rare to found magic card which 2 mana or less. From the entire Splinter (based on my traits mapping), there are only 5 cards costing 2 mana and 2 cards costing 1 mana. A magic card with low mana are very powerful in low mana cap battle, especially to counter against armor boost like Protect ability.	1. Other than the substantial health, basically Dax Paragon have nothing else to offer. Damage amount is fair but quickly overstepped by other high damage cards. Only at max level where it gained damage addition and become level to compete again.
2. Dax Paragon started with 3 health which is quite high for a card costing 2 mana.	2. Abilities are less useful although Affliction could contribute some negative effect to target; but its the contrary with Amplify since this ability would need Counter Abilities sub-group (ex: Thorns, Return Fire, etc.) to be activated.
*Reference for Archetype term : Striker --> Superior Damage / Tanker --> Superior Health / Ninja --> Superior Speed.

Market Price Analysis

The chart for the past 180 days showed that regular foil have passed its lowest point, and currently moving sideways with a tendency for uptrend, Meanwhile gold foil move in a consistent sideways trend. The current regular price is $0.78 while the gold foil price is $7.30. Both these prices is very much affordable for a Rare type card. Although the gold foil priced ten times than regular foil, if we calculate the total bcx to reach max level, regular foil will cost $36.19 while gold foil cost $73.00. Both price gap are considered normal, and its ambivalent to purchase which foil. Considering both price deviate less widely, purchasing by means of Cost Dollar Averaging should be more secure.

Progression Analysis

Basically Dax Paragon started stronger having 1 extra health than average card in the 2 mana class. Progression also looks promising since there's no penalty or no growth happens in each progression steps. The first progression grant Amplify which less worthy by reason this ability will need Counter Abilities to use, and then again this ability are triggered by sustaining damage therefor its better owned by Tanker card. Continue to Level 3 and 4, both grant +1 health growth, a powerful and attractive growth to pursue. At this point Dax Paragon already reached its maximum health and would be tough enough as either cannon fodder or mini-Tanker. Level 5 grant Affliction ability. This ability are very tactical and would be useful if opposition deploy powerful Tanker supported with Heal or Tank Heal ability. Its very worthy since Dax Paragon is one of two cards possessing such ability at 2 mana cost (the other one is Darkest Mage). While Dax Paragon will keep opponent Tanker in check, you can save a lot of mana to deploy other cards with stronger damage output. And the ultimate ability is the +1 damage growth which surely you would pursue at all cost.

Rulesets To Be Watched

Ruleset	Strategy
	Although Dax Paragon have 3 to 5 health which could benefit the opponent formation; things doesn't seemed to work that way, since Dax Paragon only cost you 2 mana, so there's no significant mana value sacrificed from bringing Dax Paragon (rather than other low health high damage cards).
	Again with 3 to 5 health, it seemed to be a slim chances for Dax Paragon to survive under poison. But considering it has better health than most cards, Dax Paragon might outlive other cards.
	Its clearly useless to deploy Dax Paragon when the damage would be reflected each time.

WATCH BATTLE

Here's one of my battle experience with Dax Paragon in my formation. Click here for the battle link https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_c65d6ce6ddbff929f7e27f080fef76c6&ref=kid.miniatures. The battle have 15 mana cap, with Keep Your Distance and Counterspell ruleset. For my formation, I used:

Position	Card Name	Level	Mana	Health	Armor	Speed	Damage Type	Damage
Summoner	Mother Khala	1	3	-	-	-	-	-
1st Row	Pelacor Conjurer	1	2	4	-	3	None	-
2nd Row	Dax Paragon	1	2	3	-	2	Magic	1
3rd Row	Time Mage	1	4	3	-	4	Magic	1
4th Row	Herbalist	1	2	2	-	1	Ranged	1
5th Row	Xenith Archer	1	2	2	-	1	Ranged	1
6th Row	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

My opponent formation:

Position	Card Name	Level	Mana	Health	Armor	Speed	Damage Type	Damage
Summoner	Obsidian	1	4	-	-	-	-	-
1st Row	Failed Summoner	1	2	4	-	2	None	-
2nd Row	Regarl Peryton	1	5	6	-	5	Magic	1
3rd Row	Khmer Princess	1	2	2	-	1	Magic	1
4th Row	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th Row	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th Row	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

My formation have better advantage in this battle as my total mana cost is 15 mana compared to my opponent 13 mana. Since no melee may be used, I have limited cards to used as Tanker. My only choice is to deploy non-attack cards, which is Pelacor Conjurer. Against counterspell ruleset, its better to avoid magic card. But I need to prepare in case opponent use armored card, so I balance the formation between magic and ranged cards. Mother Khala with its +1 health boost is a good choice in low mana cap battle, since the diminishing return are lower. To my suprise, my opponent just go with all magic cards, which seemed a very risky strategy. But with Obsidian as their summoner, they have extra damage output which could be dangerous.

The speed surge from Slow ability helps alleviate the speed gap, which allow my whole cards to strike hit right into Failed Summoner. But Dax Paragon and Time Mage have to pay the price from the magic counter damage. Pelacor Conjurer sustain damage from Regal Peryton and Khmer Princess, but lucky for him having 1 health extra allow him to survive.

Round 2 opened with Regal Peryton destroy Pelacor Conjurer. Then te battle follow with Dax and Mage both deal 1 magic damage to Peryton. With their health started thinning from magic counter damage, Dax Paragon finally meets his demise from Khmer Princess spell. But Princss have to pay the price by taking the fatal damage from magic counter. Xenith and Herbalist follow with strike, but only Herbalist managed to deal the hit.

Starting at Round 3, the fate is clear for my opponent. Even without any assault done, Regal Pertyon would meet its demise from magic counter.

CONCLUSION

Did your strategy work? What will you try differently next time?

I think Dax Paragon did pretty well, dealing 1 magic damage on each round, 1 damage to Failed Summoner, and 2 magic damage to Regal Peryton. If not for Dax substantial health, he would have been destroyed by each magic damage from Counterspell effect. But boosted by Mother Khala, it's incredible for Dax Paragon still able to block Khmer Princess attack at the end of Round 2.

Do you like DAX PARAGON? Why or why not?

I find Dax Paragon worthy. At least the substantial health for a 2 mana cost make Dax Paragon into a mini-Tanker. And while having 1 magic damage doesn't looks much. Its still useful to chip some health or strike the last hit. And the most important thing is again the card only cost 2 mana.