A Danian Differential.

I thought it would be interesting to post a rather under-spoken of topic concerning Danians. We all know that primarily, Danians are insectile creatures. We know this because of the 6 appendage insect rule, that is that insects have 6 "legs" which for Danians typically come in either 4 arms and two legs, or more commonly, 4 legs and two arms.

Now, what manages to slip through the cracks here is that there are a number of Danians who have upwards of 8 in combination, and depending on your definition of "limbs" upwards of 10! It is hard to tell unless you look for some, but several four armed Danians actually have a fully extended thorax like most others, meaning that they require 4 legs to balance. An example of this is Kepiaan, he is shown holding a weapon in one hand, while gesturing with three, and if you look at his rear, you see a long set thorax just like you see on creatures like Galin and Ibiaan. Another example of this is Khavakk, but in his case you can see all four arms and legs.

"Technically" this means that there are Arachnids amongst the Danians, and rather than just being just insects we have Insectile creatures, that is creatures with an insect like chitin (fancy word for bug skin) on the outside, no matter their number of legs.

Now as for that 10Lumb issue, this REALLY depends on what you judge to be limbs. There are onlya few major examples of this that I have amongst my own collection. Ghundac is the first example. You see two arms, six legs (an odd Danian for sure just from that), but you also see a pair of mantis like limbs with no hands. You see four similar limbs coming out of Neekwin's back. Now, whether these are limbs or not is really up for discussion. They can't hold items, it is difficult to say if they are used for attacking physically, or if they are possible of launching attacks themselves. In the last case, Mhein, if you count, he has 6 legs, and 4 arms, so there's less issue with what he can do.

Personally, I like to think of them as limbs. Neekwin having 10 limbs kind of expresses how he really is the "Mandiblor of the Mandiblor" when it comes to selecting a combat based Mandiblor! Although there are many, many more, I know very few people that can argue against the first thought in their heads when they hear the words "Combat" and "Mandiblor" in the same sentense is Neekwin.

Oh Sweet Memories...

This time around I feel like reminissing a little bit. Back when I first started playing chaotic 3 years ago now I had a very simple 3v3 deck... Lore in the back, with Ivelaan and Lhad taking up the front row. Back in the days of DOP, SOTH, and SS, Lhad had the highest average stats amongst pretty much all Danians. He is one of the only 2 Danians from the sets that could possibly get off a full megaroar. Though personally I enjoyed adding a Stonemail to him, if you're lucky enough to get a max stat copy of him like I did he could take on almost all comers. I defeated several Chaor, LVB, and Maxxor waaaaay back when using that old deck.

Sadly, the question comes up as to how good is Lhad compared to Current play? This question doesn't get a good answer... Yes Lhad has "fair" disciplines, but nothing of exceptional power, although a good compost deck could change this. With 40 average energy he falls somewhat short on the stand alone combatant list, although many Danians fit into that category. Lhad's other downfall is his element, Fire. This is not a very useful element for Danians unless you are attempting to construct a ore Fire based Danian deck, which is generally rather difficult to manage since so few powerful Danians can take advantage of it without help.

What I would really like to see, is a new, more powerful version of Lhad that can compete with already improved creatures such as Klencka and Lore... though with all of Lore's alterations being Ultra Rare this might be somewhat difficult. Then again, there aren't many players who haven't seen and drooled over the new Malvadine. Who knows, maybe Fire and Stone will have some extra suprises for us

The Future of the Hive?

Hey all! This is a deck that I was playing with since they first previewed Aszil way back when just to tease us :P This could be a standing point for some very powerful Danian decks to come...


Neekwin {Vial of Liquid Thought} Elna {Destructozooka} Aszil {Weightless Energy Vessel}

Illexia {Aszia Mindprobe} Neekwin {Vial of Liquid Thought}

Lore: HMOTH {Weightless Energy Vessel} /Lore: AC {Weightless Energy Vessel}/ Ulmquad {Mipedian Balladeer's Flute}/ Vilrick Landfarer {Mipedian Balladeer's Flute} Tassanil: Master of the Elements {Gigantroper} (this one totally depends on your personal preferences, myself I LOVE Lore: AC for this deck, BUT if you use Tassanil then you get a lovely shot of damage with 2 mugic)

Locations:
Stormtunnel: Flooding x2
Mount Pillar Reservoir: Liberated x2
Silchaw's Mine x2
Vidav's Reflectorium x2
Bodal's Arsenal x2

Mugic:
Unbalanced Battlesong x2
Adaptive Progression
Elemental Denial
Katharaz' Cocophony x2

Attacks:
Deadwater Devastation
Whirling Wail
Ice Disks
Twister of the Elements x2
Marksman's Preperation x2
Rustoxic x2
Purifying Mud x2
Invader's Tactics x2
Aqua Recoil x2
Inner Flood x2
Sediment Stormshield x2
Sleet Slide


All right, so as everyone can see this is a "cookie cutter" Neekwin concept deck. Now Aszil gives ALL danians you control Earth element, and in Hive Mandiblor gain Earth 5. So with Elna down, thats a Neekwin with 3 natural elements, and element 5 in two of them. Now, to take full advantage of Neekwin we have not only Unbalancing Battlesong, but Katharaz's Cocophony. Damage, Healing, and energy alteration effects.

If you choose to use Tassanil as your backrow creature, you have the opportunity to give Neekwin all 4 elements (or replace one if he loses it), which can make/keep Katharaz's Cocophany at 15-20 healing AND damage.

The attack deck is fixed so that it gives you what I feel are the best status inducing/damage dealing attacks to take advantage of the Element x effect Neekwin gains. Ice Disks and Whirling Wail drastically mess up opponents strategies, if you anage to pull both on the same turn it totaly shuts down their support ability. I like Deadwater Devastation more than Ice Disks for creatures such as Najarin: FF and Fluidmorphers, if you're facing a multitribal army it can also cut off one set of their mugic if they use a creature such as Xelfe or Kopond just to cast one tribe of mugic.

Locations are primarily support, Reflectorium is obvious, Mount Pillar Reservoir Liberated can help stack an extra counter or two onto Illexia just in case you get hit by a SCR, Silchaw's Mine makes Neekwin even more troublesome since he will only take 20 damage while hive is active from any attack, Bodal's Arsenal is a great location when it coes to using Vial of Liquid Thought, and Stortunnerl Flooding is a purely offensive location, giving 10 more energy and an extra water 5.

With Aszil coing, Danians will get an immense amount of new options, combining Aszil, Illexia, and Elna, it is possible to use any and ALL Danians as at least Pseudo combatants. Give Tabaal Earth and Earth 5, and even he can possibly take out a creature with a pair of well placed attacks. Daj-Huun gains element and element 5 making him a feaseable leaper into their back rows to take out their weaker support creatures.

Combining Tassanil with Aszil, any and all Danians become capable of using Elemental attacks from any two combinations that include Earth as one of the sets. The future will hold a lot of options for we insect lovers. Personally, I can't wait to see what else we're going to get!

An Interview?

Wow, I feel special! Base, from the blog newly added to the blogroll, has interviewed me and put it up on his blog. Go chck it out to see my bug-biased, inane ramblings!
And be sure to bookmark his blog while you're there!

http://basesdeckworkshop.blogspot.com/

Return to Glory

Your number one authority blog for the Danian tribe is back up and running from this point on. I'm going to be doing a lot more articles soon, and hopefully a video or two. Watch this space!

You may notice that there are now Pages up along the tabs at the top of the screen. Authors, feel free to add a page about your self.

piddan's hidden power

first of all this is not an army focusing on danian but a sadly unused card that has a lot of potential, piddan, this is not my own idea but loring's, a good friend of mine, well here is the army.

1-2-3
4-5
6

1-ttit/olkiex' apron
2-na-inna/MBF
3-nunk'worn/bi-mowercycle
4-na-inna/MBF
5-ttog/burithean axe
6-piddan/WEV

attacks
tidal surge
burning rain
fluid flame
flame breach
aftermath feintx2
inner floodx2
flamebloomx2
primal smash
reckless defeatx2
thermo ringsx2
perplexing heatx2
flaming coalsx2
supercooled rain

mugic
cadence clashx2
rhyme of the reckless
fighters fanfare
song of desperation

locations
bodal's arsenalx2
the rao'pa sahkk chimegridx2
lake ken-i-po ritual sitex2
gorram's briefingx2
mommark's catapult tower
UW colosseum

game plan:
well the game plan is very simple to follow most of the attacks are both water and fire four two reasons. First you will gain counters on nunk'worn and second you can take full advantage of piddan's ability by tranfering nunk'worn's counter to him thanks to na-inna, if you are lucky enoug you can code an ursis, chaor TF, tsk or a psi in one hit

Oh so Usably Unused and more!

It's time for another installation of Oh so Usably Unused and More! This time with a special addition. First, I will rate my favorite creature within the game, Kolmo: Assimilated. One of my best friends from Silent Sands, mostly to deal with his Mipedian counterpart.

c: 75

P: 70

W:30

S:60

E:60

Now Kolmo has several VERY key advantages, the first being that exluding the existance of the original Headmaster he is perfect for dealing with Mipedians invisibility abilities. His deleportation ability is also a key factor, because it forces your opponent to GREATLY attend to how they move their creatures, a single opening leaves their core support creatures vulnerable

to attack. Earth element is a good base for Danians, though the exclusion of Water is detremental, though this is easy to deal with.

Next are his stats, with two stats averaging 70+ and one with a possible 70, he works amazingly in a discipline based attack deck. Add one Ivelaan and thats a possible of 2 stats over 100. make it two and you can get a full Megaroar, with a Scepter of the Infernal Parasite that could be a good 40 damage.

Now, for the second part. This is a new and more for my article as usually I show a deck which focuses on that creature. But this time, I want to put forth a deck focusing on a deck idea that I once had a couple of page long arguement about with another player who came up with it. Sadly, I couldn't find the old record of the arguement, because I want to give him credit for bringing this deck idea to my attention. So here it is!

Makrabon {Azia Mindprobe} Neekwin {Vial of Liquid Thought} Lore: HMOTH{Talisman of the Mandiblor}

Illexia {Heptadd's Crown} Ulmquad{Stingblade Prototype}

Nunk'Worn: Assimilated {Weightless Energy Vessel}

Attacks:
Supercooled Rain
Deadwater Devastation
Twister of the Elements x2
Invader's Tactics x2
Flood Force x2
Unsanity x2
Coral Balls x2
Poison Panic
Inner Flood x2
Aqua Recoil x2
Tidal Surge x2
Sleet Slide

Mugic:
Cadence Clash x2
Strain of Infection
Ode to Obscurity
Hive Unsung
Gear Glissiando

Locations:
Mount Pillar Reservoir: Liberated x2
Storm Tunnel: Flooding x2
Vidav's Reflectorium x2
Ravanaugh Ridge x2
Bodal's Arsenal x2

Now this deck uses your standard search and cycle for air/water, focusing on keeping water on as much as possible. Using this deck, you can build counters on Nunk'Worn to use Ode to Obscurity to infect as many creatures as possible. Once this is done you use strain of infection to place counters onto markabon while keeping creatures infected, then using the Cadence Clash/Lore: Hmoth trick can pull out a total of 12 counters onto Markabon while keeping creatures infected so that Illexia can also maintain her counters. Using Markabon primarily (Illexia only once he runs out after flipping the Stingblade using Gear Glissiando), you can then use the Stingblade Prototype to continually control the opponent's attack damage. Locations are focused on additional infection, enhancing Neekwin further, regaining battlegear, and cycling attacks.

There are holes as I am still trying to utilize this combination as well as I have seen before, but if nothing else it's an interesting combo to try and utilize.

I'd like to see people try to utilize this deck concept better still, show me what you can do with the Stingblade Prototype to try and control the battle!