Pyrahmancy

Greetings all and welcome back to Pyrahmancy. It has been two weeks since my last post mainly due to keyboard failure last week making typing anything very difficult, but I’m now back in the swing. This week we finish of the Birds of Prey cards and get a first glimpse at the League of Assassins. On to the reviews.

103. Ted Grant <> Wildcat, Bullish Boxer

Small “blanket” attack pumps are obviously much better in swarm type decks (as Faces of Evil showed us). Unfortunately a substitute theme doesn’t really lend itself to this style of play. So while Ted’s +1 ATK for subbed girls is nice I don’t think you can “”build around it”.

His second ability means that not many 5 drops can safely attack him without fear of being stunned back; This is obviously a good thing and it can mess up combat maths for other attacks too, especially if he is hidden. But the fact that most 4 and some three drops can take him down any way means it’s not that great. I’m not sure it’s ever worth trying to use this ability offensively either as playing a four drop you are not attacking with to boost up the ATK of some team attackers doesn’t seem worth it to me (unless you have 8 or more attackers and really need the boost!)

2/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

How sad is it this is the preferred on-team character for modern? He does stuff, and triggers on himself (I think?), so can swing solid. It’s not what I usually look for in a 4, but with the terrible offerings of this team, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

On-team (Birds) 3-star. Meh, he’ll get you a few extra damage.

On-team (JSA): 1-star. That team specializes in 4, this guy won’t register on the radar.

Limited: 3-star. He has beatdown stats, an occasionally useful ability, and another occasionally useful ability. That’s good enough for limited.

104. Vixen, Totemic Mimic

Another BAMF! type effect, like the Dark Lantern this girl gives your characters a free pass on attacks for the turn, but unlike the lantern she doesn’t target one guy but rather effects herself and all of the BoP trinity. Also unlike the Lantern her effect only works on others if you Substitute her into play.

Substituting her in for Babs 3 on turn 6 when you play big Babs certainly seems like a strong choice for maintaining board advantage in the trinity deck but she doesn’t really have a home elsewhere.

3/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

I love her ability, especially as you can put her down and sub in Dinah over her immediately afterwards. When your team’s stats tell you they’re going to be stunned every attack, it’s nice to know she’s here to keep the beatdown going. Not quite the god-staple Dinah is, but very solid.

On team (Birds): 4-star. God this team got some 3-drops.

On team (JLA): 1-star. Really? Just because a character has been on a team once doesn’t mean they need the affiliation if it doesn’t fit the character’s text.

Limited: 4-star. I like hidden 3s, especially those that substitute in and can give me board advantage. She’s everything I look for.

105. Vixen, Pack Runner

Another across the board pump that relies on substitution. However this time she alone is able to take down a six drop unaided if substituted, she’ll also allow most 4 drops to take out a 5 drop perhaps allowing your six drop a direct swing, or at least a big swing into an unreinforced four drop. She is also not team stamped at all so is splashable in a lot of decks to be subbed in on 6/7 depending when you have the initiative. If this set had a booster release I think she’d be a good early draft pick.

4/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

A killer by any other name. When she sees play, you should be expecting to win, with a global +2 pumping up everyone and her hitting hard. This is what you want as a finishing 5, no ifs, ands, or buts.

On team (Birds): 4 stars. She ends games for you, not unlike Whiteout for the Injustice Gang

On team (JLA): 2 star. They don’t have good CIP effects, and they finish with ally effects.

Off team: 3 star. If you have a solid Come Into Play 5-drop and need a finisher, it’s two great tastes that taste great together. She’s a more widely useable (and earlier) Guy Gardner.

106. Aerie One, Unique – Blackhawk

This card seems very good in an aggressive BoP deck. It is basically a free Flying Kick every turn as long as you can recruit a hidden character. With hardly any characters that are not concealed or concealed – optional this shouldn’t be a problem. It also allows you to move concealed only girls visible if you want. A definite inclusion in any BoP equipment deck and a strong contender in most other BoP builds.

4/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

All right, I really want more from an equipment. Only good if you can transfer them back. It’s also unique, not that I would really want to play more than 1.

Any format: 1-star. If it could be equipped to a Hellfire club member I could see more arguments for it.

107. Vigilante’s Crossbow

Apparently Vigilante’s are much better at making Crossbows, but they don’t like to share them. On top of this if you are a BoP you can use two at once, making them almost twice as good as Dual Sidearms. Of course the real benefit these range granting weapons bring is that they are concealed optional meaning hidden characters of any kind can have their own Dual Sidearms equivalent. A good inclusion in an equipment deck as duplicates don’t cause as many problems. They also make Kate Spencer look somewhat more attractive.

3/5

Evil Dave’s Review:
Missing…

108. Clocktower Systems

(errata note – this card gives hidden characters +1 ATK).

This card looks like it is good friends with Aerie One, want the ATK pump but also to keep your character hidden? No problem move them out with the Aerie and back in with the Clocktower; Bang +4 ATK!

It also you better control over you formation and can give you some nice combat tricks especially when combined with the DWF Birds. Imagine  you opponent swinging his 4 drop for a “safe” attack into you visible Catwoman, you flip this and move her and all of a sudden he has 7 ATK to contend with. You can even reinforce her before making the move…

Of course this card also gives another across the board attack pump (well almost) with Ted and Vixen they could start to add up…

4/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

Well, moving back and forth isn’t really Birds “thing”, and most locations help off-team guys too when they just say “concealed get +1 atk” (see Hunte’s Castle). But it’s enough to warrant a 1-of, or possibly a 2-of. Also helps if a character gets stuck because of SKREEEEEEE! or some such.

On-team: 3-star. It’ll probably make the cut

Limited: 2-star. You’re less likely to be all-concealed or on team, so it’ll be harder to work, and not good enough to MAKE work.

 

109. Platinum Flats

This card looks like it will be vital in the substitute build. It gives you a way to get back cards that you substituted out of the game and increases your hand size. It does this effectively for free off initiative and gives 3 drop Babs something to do on initiative. A very strong card but only for the substitute deck.

4/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

Here we go. Keep the 3-drops subbing in and out, all day every day. This is a card engine like you would not believe. Sadly it does not work in team-ups (otherwise it’d be cool with Ultimates), but a staple in every birds deck ever.

On-team: 5 star. The team’s best non-character card

110. Confidential Information

This card is basically a Base of Operations. A card that has seen very little constructed play. As this card is not unique however getting multiples out can make its deck filtering quite powerful. However if you are searching out plot twists anyway you might as well get what this would be filtering for rather than more copies of this.

Probably playable in limited where consistency is much more of an issue (the only place I’ve really ever used Base of Operations is in the DS Marvel TCG game where tutors are very hard to come by). I can’t see myself wanting it in constructed though unless I’ve got some rally tricks up my sleeve…

1/5 (2/5 in limited)

Evil Dave’s Review:

Really? What happened birds? Terrible in multiples, never nets card advantage (give it a replace effect maybe?) I could think of no reason to play this.

Any format: 0-star. Really, I don’t even know what they were looking for here. It’s not even in-theme for the team.

111. Flock Together, Team-Up

A team-up with a built-in equipment transfer looks like it might be useful for a GK BoP equipment deck. However, few reservists or terraform locations along with probably a highish character count to capitalise on substitution means that the replacement cost is quite risky (It’s certainly no Planet X). If I’m teaming up with GK I’m probably going to be opting for The Hook-Up but this might fill a useful role in a F4/BoP deck. Not a bad card but not especially exciting.

3/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

It replaces itself, has an OK ability (which clearly is meant to help synergize the equip effects with substitute, a combo on this team that they try for). Overall probably you can find better, and as most of the members are GK you’ve got a better team-up already.

On-team: 2 star. Will probably never see play

Limited: 3 star. It’s a generic team-up, and can replace itself if you have an equip. That’s actually more valuable in limited.

112. Hard-Traveling Heroines

+3 DEF on a defender is pretty good, sometimes even enough to counteract an up-the-curve Beatdown attack. Acrobatic Dodge was a great card and unless your opponent has busted his way into your hidden area this is just as good, and just like Against All Odds you can use it on the attack as well if needed.

The fact this doubles as a Blinding Rage light for your hidden guys when needed is just an extra drop of awesome source. When MTU came out I loved Spider-Signal for it’s versatility and I think I;m going to love this too.

4/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

Now we’re talking. For the rare times you have a visible “damage soak”, it can make them bounce attacks nicely. Usually it’s a +3 with no noticeable drawback. This kind of versatility I like.

On-team: 4-star. Would be higher for teams that are more likely to use concealed optional (like the older Birds of Prey).

113. Pin-Ups

Sure Titans of Tomorrow can only be played in the build phase but I’m always going to choose that over this card. It’s not like I’m going to be substituting outside of the build phase very often…

Titans can get me any card that has the same cost as a character I control and that shares a team with a character I control, it doesn’t care when they came into play. One of the benefits of substitute is you can play a card that’s good on the turn it comes out but not so good later in the game, and replace it with one that is when the time is right. Titans allows you to do that, Pin-Ups doesn’t.

It does support some of the BoPs “only if substituted” character powers but this is certainly after mobilise on the list of character tutors even in a deck with that theme. With only access to this set I can see BoP decks having to play this card but I certainly wouldn’t be happy about it…

1/5

Evil Dave’s Review:

Are we that desperate? Really? If I missed my drop, this isn’t going to help me find it, and that’s what search is all about. But the answer is yes, this Modern has little in the way of generic search, and its ability helps set up your bouncing 3-drops and 5-drops that you need set up, so you will probably play it.

Constructed: 2-star. It’ll make the cut until someone reprints mobilize in a fanset.

Limited: 1-star. I just want to hit in limited, and this won’t help do that.

114. Swooping In

+4 ATK is nice and I’d certainly be taking it in limited, but at only one point cheaper than Beatdown and only one point of ATK bonus higher than Flying Kick I think it’s other restrictions means it will be ranking after those two cards in my ATK pump selections for a BoP deck where they are available, I’d rather have +3 ATK I can play on anyone rather than +4 that only works sometimes. Within just DCN it becomes a lot more attractive though.

2/5 (4/5 in limited and a top pick if you are already in Birds…)

Evil Dave’s Review:

ll right, seriously. Darkseid had a version of this card that only required the guy to have entered play for the +4, and they got +2 if they were just Darkseid. That card was only “pretty good”, why did they feel the need to make a strictly worse in several ways version? Poor birds and their support cards… it’s a shame a team with such good characters can’t at least get a good beatdown card. With its limited text, it should be a +6 attack; or +5 with +2 if they weren’t subbed in.

On-team: 1-star. Sorry, I’d play a generic +3 attack card over this, and plenty are available in Modern.

Limited: 2-star. They actually managed to make this card difficult enough to play where it’s an attack pump that would probably not make the cut in limited

115. Alpha, Michael Sommers

In their previous incarnation the LoA have always cared about locations, deep green showed us that this love could translate in to a powerful deck especially when helped by Ahmed. This guy is a normal sized 1-drop with range that has the potential to get pretty big. With the perfect row he’ll have no problem taking down 2 drops on turn two and some 3-drops on three. Under dropping him late game can net you a lot of ATK for one resource point.

4/5

Until next time…