Danian of The Week

This week's danian is Wamma, Hive Ordnance



The danian tribe's first remake, we met him first in Dawn of Perim: Secrets, then again in M'arillian Invasion: Rise of the Oligarch.
Now Wamma is a favourite strategy to be used with my favourite mechanic of the danian tribe - Infection. Yes, I am notorious for abusing compost, but in fact I prefer Infection. Creative use of Vunhra and Wamma H O is more fun to me than stacking up Neekwins and Ivelaans. Wamma is our number one weapon against kha'rall. Infection and a gear grind costs them 25 energy, an element, and defender, or even more if it is the Tidal Crest or Shard of Solitude. Not only that, Wamma can shut down Stone Mails, kha'rall husk armours, and with the help of gear grinds, balladeer flutes, heptadd's crown. Admittedly, his first ability isn't as often used as his latter, unless you are running Ramarhvir or choral of the app, but he is very useful all in all as a means of shutting down battlegear. Of the four contributing factors in a chaotic match, Mugic, Location, Attacks and Battlegear (besides creature of course) Battlegear is probably more intertwined with the strategy than any other.

Here is a small deck I put together for the occasion! Now, I don't have all the cards (yet) I am just missing majjcan and some of the attacks. Thanks go to kerberos for inspiring the idea.

1 - 2 - 3
4 - 5
6

1 - Noaz, Mipedian Cavalerist - Evergreen Tunic

2 - Majjcan - Torwegg

3 - Noaz, Mipedian Cavalerist - Evergreen Tunic

4 - Glapaal - Mipedian Balladeer's flute

5 - Vunhra - Mipedian Balladeer's flute

6 - Wamma Hive Ordnance - Indigo Sash

Mugic -
Illusion Glissando
Ode to Obscurity
Strain of infection (just in case, probably won't be used)
Jig of Reinforcement
Katharaz's Cacophony
The last is moot, you won't have any counters to use it..

Attacks:
3BP:
Whirling Wail (3BP)
Massblink (6BP)

2BP
Slowsands (8BP)
Braveglint x 2(10BP)

1BP:
Funnel Blast x 2 (14BP)
Vine Snare x 2 (16BP)
Poison Sphere x 2 (18BP)
Gear grind x 2 (20BP)
0BP:
Sediment Stormshield x 2
Aftermath feint x 2
Velocitrap x 2
Symmetry Slam
Shriek Shock

Locations:
Gloomuck Swamp x 2
Storm Tunnel x 2
Brawler's Burrow x 2
Gorram's Briefing
Northrange: The Highground
Marillian Pulse beaons x 2

Menaces to Compost!

So this article is revolving around the newest addition to danian strategies, our good friend, compost.

Compost is a fragile thing, as I'm sure many compost-users have found out the hard way (myself included). You think you are doing great, and suddenly they whip out a gravel grind, or a Lore's Chamber. Now your big bad drazz is just a bug again, and their mipedian strikers/Overworld Elementalists/Underworld Warriors/M'arillian Kha'rall are ganging up on your last hope.

So how does this always happen? If you ask me, it's outrageous that the entire compost strategy can be easily taken apart. It's not like forest of life during Aichlyss, which only stops invisibility for one turn (if even, now that the headmaster is around) Lore's chamber or forgotten origins or the like stops compost for the entire match! And it's not a strain on the opponent to shut down your whole strategy, all they need to do is stick a location in their deck and they probably never notice it again.
Plus, there's no way for us to combat it - Or is there?

I could sit around here ranting all day, or try to find a way to fight off this seemingly untouchable menace to our decks. So here is what I often employ to stop anti-compost decks.

#1
Lore's Chmaber is the most common and most devastating card that shuts down compost. So how do we stop a location? Notes of Neverwhere won't do it in time, you can't refrain a Location. The answer is not to stop the effect, but control it.



Futuresight is a really underestimated card. Sure, it's outdated, but it is one of the only cards (I think Fla'gamp is the other) that can alter your opponents locations and not just your own. If you bring two of these, (which I have done) you can look at the top four cards of the location deck. When you do, if you come across Lore's Chamber, put it on the top. Yep, the top. If it comes too early, your compost won't be in the discard pile, and they'll be safe and sound. If it doesn't come up in the top four, it's bound to come up in a turn or two, and by then it will still be too early. This isn't 100%, but it usually works for me :)

#2
Gravel grind is a forged unity card that is quite adept at bringing down compost whilst dealing damage. It only removes one, but this can often be enough. Removing one card can ruin your chances of activating hive, or plummet your stats and energy to their original levels. Stopping this is easier than the previous solution, however.



I've always said that Adaptive Progression is really a blessing for danians. Have you noticed the way danians are working toward an anti-elemental feel, like Underworld? Think about it: Chaac, Vilrik Landfarer, Katharaz's Cacophony, Adaptive Progression. Anyway, this card is great because it negates the full attack. No damage, no effect, no gravel grind.
And even if they don't have gravel grind, it never hurts to have this beauty in your deck.

#3
Void dirge and Forgotten Origins, more compost killers. How to fight these mugic? Cadence clash will only postpone the inevitable, as they can probably just cast it next turn. They are generic, so Rerain of Denial OW/UW wont work.



Get a Heptadd's crown on illexia, and casting this mugic is easy. Since when has 2 cost hurt danians? Pheh, Mahhrant, illexia, Necrabe, Lore AC, makrabon.. Getting mugic is easy for these guys. However, a cheaper alternative is Refrain of Denial OW, it dispels an overworld or generic mugic for one MC. It will stop forgotten origins and void dirge, as well as any OW mugic that might give you trouble.

So I hoped this article helped to give any compost users a fighting chance. Thanks for reading!

^,....,^

Forged Review Continued: Danian Allies

As forged unity progressed, each tribe gained one "Helps this tribe" creature and two "is helped by this tribe" creatures. For example, Glapaal Helps mipedians, Masilbaat and Klencka are helped by overworlders and underworlders. I'm going to take a look at the other creatures who help and are helped by danians.

First up, Majjcan.



In kerberos' new blog (there is a link to it over on the right) he features Majjcan in a deck of his, with this mipedians Best buddy, glapaal. Glapaal and Majjcan make a really sweet combo. Mipedians are known for their ability to stack up element 5's and outperform's and creating massive attacks (Can anyone say Noaz and symphony of the guard?), so it stands to reason that Danians, a more support oriented tribe, could work well with this guy who gets his attacks powered up. I would put him with someone like Glapaal or Vunhra, and another earthy mipedian like Rasbma Darini. Also, he has decent to good speed and courage, which goes great with danians and attacks like braveglint.

Combat,
Individuality: 5
Support: 2 (if you can get defender for him)
Versatility: 7

Overall: I'll give this guy a good 7

Next up, Kamangareth Unstable Ally



I'd like to say she would work well with Masilbaat, but not really. Masilbaat's ability just isn't practical. Once again, Vunhra (a very versatile creature) or Gorram would go great with her, keep them in the back, then give your creatures something like Ozlai's wreck or Vial of Liquid Thought. Shame that she's unique, though. I mean, you could just give your creatures AA: Might and save the trouble of having to get them unequipped and it's the same really. But then you wouldn't have to include a danian, and everyone wants to include a danian, right guys? Right? Right?!
Err.. Yeah, anyway, it'd be best ot put her up with creatures who benefit from having no battlegear. Ilx, Vunhra, and Ozlai's wreck can be killer. Yes, I know, I should stop saying vunhra xD I would say put her with Neekwin, but he doesn't have very high power...

Support/combat,
Individuality: 4
Support: 6
Versatility: 5
Overall: I'd say around a 6

Last up, is Hune Marquard, Brainwashed Scholar



Just as an anecdote, this was the first Forged Unity card I ever pulled :D

So basically, he is like a Raznus Ambassador to the Danians without his fireproof or elements. But he is also a lot cheaper on the rarity scale. I'd be more fearful of his brainwashed side than thankful for his non-brainwashed side, to be honest, because he could shut down Wamma Hive Ordnance, which is perfect for stopping Kha'rall decks. Still, he lets you totally swap out danian mugic for some OW mugic like hymn of the elements, rhyme of the reckless, dissonance of will, etc., He can be lethal in the right hands.

That's all I've got time for. The other authors, feel free to review the mugic such as Vidav's voicing and intertwined melody...

By the way, SirNainad, people had trouble PMing you - Have you added people to your friends list? If so, those people can't PM you :)

Laaaaaate Danian of the week...

This time round, it's Klencka Avenger! One of the more popular cards from forged unity this set, Klencka is equipped with some of the finest danian attributes one could hope fr. The staple Earth/Water elements, through-the-roof courage, and a great energy-gaining ability.




A great combo is using this guy with Blugon Winter Warrior and Iflar's Improvisation. If you are in a tight spot, you can give him invisibility strike 30, then make any attack of his count as the first attack this combat. Say, ohh, a popular danian attack - Ice Disks, with iflar's improv on what Blugy made be the first attack this combat - 60 damage, 60 heal - Not bad, ne?

Another interesting thing about this guy, is that he is a redux. If I may bring your thoughts back to the Rise of the Oligarch, we can see Klencka in another light.



As you can see, he looks quite different, has different elements, and is less courageous, weaker, dumber, but faster. But what I think is most interesting is, here, he is a minion, but the modern klencka we all know and love is not. This means he resisted the M'arillian mind control, and is the only creature (besides Maybe Tartarek Psi, to a certain extent) we know for sure has done so so far! I'm guessing since he works with underworlders, they used the minion's freesong mugic, but his abilities here are quite different. Waterproof 10, outperform courage 5 in Hive, and no hive needed in BW text. He has neekwin's elements, and sadly doesn't measure up to his Forged Unity counterpart at all.

Buzzer

Buzzer, I know you are still out there. I heard what happened. Please comment here, I would like to Email you a few things. I still don't beleive what happened is true.

Sorry for bringing this here.

-MandibleMuge's Edit-

I didn't want to make a different topic to overshadow this one..
Whatever happened on the forums, it has no effect here. I hope you'll continue to visit this blog :)