Step Up Your Game: Soulbound Rewards (DRAGON AND NEUTRAL)

Soulbound Reward Cards: Dragon and Neutral

thumbnaildragon.png

Summoner:

Helios Matriarch

1dragonsummheliosmatriarch.png
+1 Speed: The best buff, everywhere except 'Reverse Speed' ruleset
Conscript is the common ability of all 6 of the new summoners, allowing the use of one additional Gladiator card in any given situation; I'm unimpressed with it from testing, in general.
Summoners stats are all standard, so there's little to say in that regard.
Best Use: Anything except 'Reverse Speed' ruleset
Worst use: 'Reverse Speed' ruleset
"Conscript" may potentially be worthwhile even in these situations.

Epic:

Kra'ar Xoc

1dragonepickraarxoc.png

1 Mana, No Attack, 3-4 Speed, 2-5 HP

Scavenge: Gains 1 current and maximum HP whenever any monster dies.
Redemption (Level 6): Deals 1 damage to all enemy monsters when Kra'ac Xoc dies. Cannot miss, hits armor, is reduced to 0 by "Shield" ability.
Best Use: Slotted in between two "Weapons Training" legendaries.
Worst Use: 'Equal Opportunity' ruleset.

Legendary:

Berix Snakeye

1dragonlegberixsnakeye.png

10 Mana, 3-4 Ranged Damage, 2 Speed, 6-8 Armor, 5-7 HP

Weapons Training: Adds 1/2 ranged damage (rounded up) to any adjacent monsters that have no attack stat.
Void Armor: Magic Damage must hit armor before HP
Oppress (Level 2): Deals double damage to any monster with no attack (even if it has gained an attack stat by being adjacent to a monster with "Weapons Training" ability).
True Strike (Level 3): Berix Snakeye cannot miss any attack.
Best Use: Position with no-attack monster on either side, another "Weapon Training" monster (anyone except Ava the Undaunted) past that, and another no-attack monster on the other side; 'Armored Up' and 'Close Range' rulesets; "Repair" ability on allies.

Neutral Common:

Dumacke Orc

1neutralcommondumackeorc.png

6 Mana, 2-4 Melee Damage, 2 Speed, 3-8 Armor, 1 HP

Shield: Takes half damage (rounded up, except from 1) from all physical sources (Melee and ranged attacks, "Thorns", 'Earthquake' ruleset).
Retaliate (Level 5): 50% chance to strike back when hit by a melee attack.
Thorns (Level 9): Deals 2 damage to any monsters that hits Dumacke Orc with a melee attack.
Best Use: 'Weak Magic', 'Lost Magic' rulesets allow him to survive despite 1 HP, but you'll want a "Cleanse" in case of poison; 'Super Sneak', 'Melee Mayhem' rulesets allow attacks from a protected position; 'Up Close and Personal' forces opponents to deal with his armor and potentially activate "Retaliate" and "Thorns" to take massive damage from every hit; 'Equalizer' ruleset covers the glaring 1 HP weakness.
Worst Use: 'Unprotected' ruleset eliminates all armor; 'Equal Opportunity' ruleset makes Dumacke Orc the first target and he'll be absolutely melted if magic is allowed.

Gobson Bomber

1neutralcommongobsonbomber.png

7 Mana, 2-3 Ranged Damage, 2-5 Speed, 3-5 HP

Recharge: Attacks every other turn (starting on turn 2) and deals 3x damage (6-9)
Camouflage: Cannot be targeted by any attack unless Gobson Bomber is in position 1- EXCEPTION can still be trampled if the asjacent monster dies.
Piercing (Level 6): If an attack is blocked by armor, but deals more damage than there is armor present, any additional damage will carry through and be dealt to the target.
Best Use: Honestly I don't see much potential upside for this card; "Camouflage" is a saving grace allowing you to somewhat safely play him on the back line but ranged + "Recharge" is a bad combination IMO

Rare:

Venari Marksrat

1neutralrarevenarimarksrat.png

3 Mana, 1-2 Ranged Damage, 2-3 Speed, 1-4 HP

Martyr: On death, provides allied monsters to either side with +1 to all stats (any damage, speed, armor, HP); works great with resurrect
Snare (Level 5): 100% chance to hit vs. monsters with "Flying" ability; potentially great in 'Earthquake' ruleset, where the additional 2 damage at the end of each turn will automatically trigger "Martyr" at the end of turn 2 and Venari Marksrat will potentially strip two monsters on the other team of "Flying" and causing them to take extra damage.
Shatter (Level 8): Any hit will destroy all armor on any opponent creature, after damage is dealt.
Best Use: 'Equalizer' ruleset, positioned between two "Flying" monsters; 'Reverse Speed' ruleset; Low-mana matches.

Epic:

Clockwork Aide

1neutralepicclockworkaide.png

4 Mana, No Attack, 1(2) Speed, 7-9 Armor, 1(2) HP

Swiftness Adds +1 Speed to all allied monsters
Rust (Level 4): Removes 2 armor from all opposing creatures at the beginning of combat; If this reduces a creature's armor to 0 it cannot be repaired; When Sorriel leaves the battlefield, all opposing creatures regain any armor lost to this ability.
Strengthen (Level 6): Adds +1 maximum and current HP to all allied monsters
Note: The worst hit of the changes from original spoilers; I was SO excited for this card, now it's trash.
Best Use: Burn for DEC

Legendary:

Drybone Raider

1neutrallegdryboneraider.png

12 Mana, 2-3 Melee Damage, 1-2 Ranged Damage, 2 Speed, 3 Armor, 7-8 HP

Double Strike: Attacks twice each turn, with each attack type (if able), with all attacks dealing full damage and being subject to miss chance, "Thorns" or "Return Fire", "Shield", and armor.
Cripple (Level 2): Any successful attack decreases the target's maximum HP by 1; if the attack deals no damage due to armor and/or "Divine Shield" and the target is at full health, this reduction in max health will also reduce current health by 1.
Shatter (Level 3): Any hit will destroy all armor on any opponent creature, after damage is dealt.
Note: Ladies and Gentlemen, the best card out of the whole group!
Best Use: 'Melee Mayhem', 'Equal Opportunity', 'Super Sneak', 'Close Range' rulesets all allow Drybone Raider to attack FOUR times per turn; Also good in 'Reverse Speed' due to his lowly 2 speed; 'Armored Up' and 'Weak Magic' ruleset due to "Shatter" and "Cripple"; "Going the Distance" as a position 1 or 2 tank that can attack without "Close Range".
Worst Use: Don't try to force him in anything under 40 mana.

Conclusion:

Neutral has no summoner, naturally, and has both the best and worst cards of the entire group. Dragon has the least cards, and they're not the most obviously powerful, but in the correct context they're super strong. I really, REALLY wish Clockwork Aide didn't get nerfed so hard- I would gladly have traded "Rust" AND "Strengthen" to have "Slow" back. Alas, that's not what we get, so I'll just wallow in my disappointment. Thanks for your time and I hope you've enjoyed this set review as much as I enjoyed making it!

Links:

FIRE: https://www.splintertalk.io/@onthemountain/soulbound-rewards-review-fire
WATER: https://www.splintertalk.io/@onthemountain/step-up-your-game-soulbound-rewards-water
EARTH: https://www.splintertalk.io/@onthemountain/step-up-your-game-soulbound-rewards-earth
LIFE: https://www.splintertalk.io/@onthemountain/step-up-your-game-soulbound-rewards-water-3fdlcp
DEATH: https://www.splintertalk.io/@onthemountain/step-up-your-game-soulbound-rewards-death

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