Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 21,562
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 26,278
#Sideways# wrote:
Rarer than a console that doesn't play Skyrim.
We're back again with some new scans! These scans are almost all thanks to the TFW2005 podcast, WTF@TFW, and the official Facebook page! Wizards, of course, having reached out to several content creators to help reveal several cards.
If you noticed above, you might have noticed that we finally have the scans for Acid Storm, revealing his rarity as a Rare! These are roughly as rare as a Mythic from Magic or an EX from Pokemon, with somewhere around two to five being in each box. Acid Storm is a surprising addition to the roster, with a very useful ability to dominate several bits of the meta. If you'd like to hear my full thoughts on him, check out his reveal article here!
__________CHARACTERS__________
Squidhead.
Squi--Er, Thrust is another plane coming out of the WTF@TFW podcast, and dear me, I actually love this guy. Now, his stats aren't too much to write home about. His attack is middling in vehicle mode, his robot mode is just as average, his HP is just about as average as you can be, but the thing about him that I love the most is his vehicle mode's ability.
You see, adding your damage to your other character's attack actually helps you deal more damage than just attacking with each character alone. Why? Well, say you're attacking a character with 3 Defense with -- for this example alone -- Kup or someone else who has 3 Attack on your list. He has 3 Attack, so does Thrust. Assume the flips cancel each other out, so their three damage goes into their three defense -- in other words, no damage comes out of either attack. But, when you add the damage from Thrust onto Kup's attack damage, your damage would then penetrate their armor and deal damage.
This is fantastic for more than that reason, too. Take Grenade Launcher, for example. Grenade Launcher increases Thrust's damage by 4, making his damage 7 -- but now, his tapping ability doesn't trip the Grenade Launcher's self-scrapping effect, meaning he gets to keep it for when he attacks, or taps again. But now you're adding 7 damage to something -- and what could you possibly add that damage to?
How about Ramjet, with his own base 7 attack? Now, you're swinging for 14 with very little effort. The amount of effort that other decks to do that much damage compared to your own is well worth tapping Thrust. But here's the thing about that -- since you're attacking with two characters at once, you're essentially playing Tall since you only have at most one attack left in you. You would need to play multiple untapping effects for Thrust, just to make it a little more difficult for your opponents to punish your playstyle.
All in all, I think Thrust is a very, very good addition to the game, and I can't wait to see what power that Thrust will be able to put in Ramjet's hands. I'm also sitting on the idea that Dirge -- even though we have no confirmation that he will be in this wave -- will likely add another area to this archetype that I can't even begin to speculate.
Part car, part truck, all waifu.
First off, if you thought that Rodimus Prime was going to be the first Truck/Car combo that we were going to get, Novastar would need a word with you. Okay, a little context here:
Back in the earliest days of the game's release, there was a meme around Team-Up Tactics that was even reflected in the FAQ. The meme pondered what would happen if a Car/Truck combo would be targeted by Team Up Tactics, which had a different effect for either of the two. The answer? You would do both effects. Everyone was somewhat excited -- getting to Pot of Greed and heal 2 in the same turn was kind of an interesting prospect.
Everyone assumed it would be Rodimus, but how wrong we were. Novastar comes in like a lion, and with her, come a few interesting thoughts. One: She's the next meme character, taking the reigns from Sergeant Kup from the previous set. I mean, I think they even share an alternate mode. It's uncanny. Two: She's vanilla.
It brings up the vanilla character debate again, with wondering if using Team Up Tactics alone is a reason enough to use her in a deck. Honestly? I'm not quite sure what to think about her. My first reaction is "she's terrible", but my second reaction reminds me of the untapped potential of the Truck archetype, and that she can take advantage of the Car support.
She can pull Cargo Trailers, attack for a sizable amount given her high attack, not take a lot of damage and heal it off thanks to a high defense and the ability to use Team-Up Tactics, and then get to use Start Your Engines to untap again. It's very, very interesting -- I'm not quite sure if it's enough to get her into the meta, but she shouldn't be written off simply because she lacks abilities.
__________BATTLE CARDS__________
"Bad boys, bad boys / Whatcha gonna do? / Whatcha gonna do when I come for you?"
Bad Attitude is another card coming out of WTF@TFW and I personally think that this card does belong in several lists, but my favorite part about the card is the implications that it carries.
First, to the card's effects. It's essentially a combination of Strafing Run and Repair Bay, which could be used in Planes or Tanks to positive effects. I would prefer that it have a pip, a blue one to be more specific, but the effects that it brings are very niche for the decks that might use it. For instance, if Planes were to use it, it would be sort of redundant because of their reliance on Bombing Run.
It's kind of a goofy card that might find its uses in certain places, but I'm not convinced that many lists will be able to find room for it. The fact that it doesn't have a pip makes me concerned that adding it into a deck will make it less consistent in terms of attacking or defending. But, that remains to be seen.
Something that might very much enjoy this card are Decepticon Combiners. Healing one from each of your characters is a very good effect when cards like Armed Hovercraft and Photon Bomb can make your Combiner take 15-18 damage indirectly. Bad Attitude gives them a piece of their own medicine while healing your combiner by 5-6 damage before you Combine.
Combiners might actually be the best users of this Action, and I actually really like the options that it brings to their lists.
But the thing I like the most about this card? Wizards of the Coast know that people can mix-and-match factions, and that some more lore-focused players really dislike that. And, instead of forcing players down a pipe, they are simply making it more fruitful to keep factions together instead of mixing the proverbial mashed potatoes and peas on your plate.
It might not be for every list, but the lists that can make full use of it make use of it to its fullest.
"Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Sulu."
Evasive Maneuvers might just be a better Blast Shield. I'm not quite sure, but it might be. Let's look at the math for a little bit.
Blast Shield is an Armor that has a blue pip -- same as Evasive Actions -- and it gives +2 Armor. Evasive Actions gives 3 Tough, which is a random outcome. You could get 7 Armor off the top of your deck, or you cold get only 1. With Tough 3 you're probably going to end up erring to the former, but the randomness puts me off a bit when you consider Blast Shield's confirmed +2.
The most interesting thought is you could use this in Nemesis Prime as a very good way to mill your deck. Reinforced Plating still might end up being better due to its consistent defensive output, but let me know this: What about playing both? It'd be like playing Flamethrower and Grenade Launcher -- if we can play two Weapons, why can't we play two Armors?
Just a thought.
__________CONCLUSION__________
Thrust makes plenty of new, potential strategies, Novastar makes things more interesting for Trucks and the Battle Cards seek to supplement several archetypes that are forming up in the metagame.
These cards are evident of a paradigm shift in the Transformers Trading Card Game. A shift from crossing streams, a shift from mixing your potatoes with your peas. A shift from playing Autobots and Decepticons to making a homogeneous list. Wizards is aiming to pull off something that most early card game creators cannot not do: An easy transition. Most of the time, a fledgling creative director would simply make a rule change, or simply make "fake synergy" that forces certain playstyles.
Dragon Ball is one of the biggest abusers of this idea. Their power creep made more and more broken combos to where people couldn't play anything else than what they, the developers, intended. It's something that has a stranglehold on the game's health.
Wizards seeks to curb that by putting forward these new ideas, by making it fruitful to play tribal instead of mixing chocolate and vanilla. I only hope that they make it fruitful enough that the lore-minded players are satisfied.
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 19,455
Leaked from Cybertron wrote:Smash the competition with Optimus Prime // Battlefield Legend, a Rare card found exclusively in booster packs! Check back next week for the reveal of another Rare card!
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 19,258
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 22,928
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 15,409
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 18,278
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 42,546
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 34,847
Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 11,313
Goto Page: << 1, 2, 3, ... 10, 11, 12 >>
119 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.
News Archives: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
News Categories: View All Categories, Toy News, Movie Related News, Cartoon News, Comic Book News, Site News, Rumors, Event News, Digital Media News, Collectables, Sponsor News, Game News, Site Articles, Store News, Reviews, People News, Company News, Sightings, Press Releases, Unlicensed Products News, Auctions, Transtopia, Interviews, Editorials, Collector's Club News, Knock Offs, Podcast, Heavy Metal War, Contests, Book News, Top Lists