Post by Ben-Ra on Mar 13, 2008 16:32:34 GMT -5
I decided to cover these cards together since they have similar uses and strategies, though they are extremely different in application. They're the only cards which allow you to directly take control of a creature/land owned by a different player.
Possession (R) (NC)
ST:10 HP:10 G:40
Territory (80G): Steals target level 1 enemy territory, then is destroyed.
Trade (R) (SP)
Single Effect G:100
User chooses and exchanges equal-level territories owned by user and target enemy Cepter.
Possession is the more straightforward of the two: it only affects level 1 lands, and since the Possession itself is destroyed, you can look at it as a spell effect that takes a land outright, although obviously there is a minimum 1-turn delay between playing it and activating it, and unless you have Revelation or Telegnosis in hand, it is likely to be more than a 1-turn delay. It is more or less the easiest thing in the game to kill, and almost any opponent will do so as soon as possible, so it's unwise to play it if they have any applicable direct damage in hand or coming up on the board.
Trade is more versatile, and both more and less costly. The combined total of Possession and its TA is 120, whereas Trade costs 100. However, Possession steals 1 card for the cost of 1 card, Trade gives the opponent 1 of your lands (so you lose the cost of the creature as well), and costs the card Trade itself. Trade is instant and unstoppable (barring Land Protection effects, whether inherent or enchantment). It's important to note that equal level lands must be exchanged, but not equal value. Therefore, trading a level 3 land which was base value 80 (all starting neutral/morph/multicolor, some color lands) for a level 3 land which was base value 100-150 can be a huge gain in value.
So what good are they? They've got more uses than you've got Powder Eaters/Goblins/Hive Workers! Hate them having Hyde, Helltic, or Hypno Sloth? Take it! Their 5-chain give them enough TG to win? Break it! You need a 5-chain to have enough TG to win? Make it!
One powerful tactic you can use is to take control of an opponent's land next to a high-level land, and then when you pass by, direct your newly-stolen creature to invade. This is kind of like a ghetto Intrusion, requiring good spacing/timing, but cheaper and usable with any creature. Alternately, you can Trade high-level lands with the opponent if you know you'll have a neighboring creature which can retake the land you Traded away. You could even Paralyze your own creature prior to a Trade, making it easier to retake!
Another is to use Telekinesis to move an opponent's creature off a high-level land, then steal the creature, then move it back onto the high-level space. It can also be used to get rid of an annoying Boost creature or Idol, just steal and then exchange it off the board. There are many more uses depending on the situation, and creative thinking is key.
To maximize the effectiveness of these cards, you may want to avoid using color-specific items such as Magma Hammer or Wind Shield, since they may be less effective or ineffective with stolen creatures. Prismatic Wand is probably a bad idea since any creature you steal is likely to be the same color as some or all of the opponent's other creatures.
One of the great things about stealing creatures is that it allows you to leverage the enemy's strength against them, especially in the case of ability multipliers or similar. It's important to remember exactly how a creature's abilities are multiplied, though. Garuda, Mothman, Redcap, Hive Worker, Mudman, Branch Army, Ogre Lord, and Spudfolk are all based on total X in play, and so are likely to be very useful when stolen, whereas those based on user's resources, such as Undine or Coaloid, are less likely to be useful when stolen.
Possession and Trade are powerful cards with many, many uses. They also often take a more deep understanding of specific game circumstances to get great use out of. Trade is probably the better of the two overall, simply due to speed and ease of use, however Possession is better in terms of card efficiency. Of course, both can be used to really drive your opponent up the wall.
As always, question, comments, and corrections are appreciated.
Possession (R) (NC)
ST:10 HP:10 G:40
Territory (80G): Steals target level 1 enemy territory, then is destroyed.
Trade (R) (SP)
Single Effect G:100
User chooses and exchanges equal-level territories owned by user and target enemy Cepter.
Possession is the more straightforward of the two: it only affects level 1 lands, and since the Possession itself is destroyed, you can look at it as a spell effect that takes a land outright, although obviously there is a minimum 1-turn delay between playing it and activating it, and unless you have Revelation or Telegnosis in hand, it is likely to be more than a 1-turn delay. It is more or less the easiest thing in the game to kill, and almost any opponent will do so as soon as possible, so it's unwise to play it if they have any applicable direct damage in hand or coming up on the board.
Trade is more versatile, and both more and less costly. The combined total of Possession and its TA is 120, whereas Trade costs 100. However, Possession steals 1 card for the cost of 1 card, Trade gives the opponent 1 of your lands (so you lose the cost of the creature as well), and costs the card Trade itself. Trade is instant and unstoppable (barring Land Protection effects, whether inherent or enchantment). It's important to note that equal level lands must be exchanged, but not equal value. Therefore, trading a level 3 land which was base value 80 (all starting neutral/morph/multicolor, some color lands) for a level 3 land which was base value 100-150 can be a huge gain in value.
So what good are they? They've got more uses than you've got Powder Eaters/Goblins/Hive Workers! Hate them having Hyde, Helltic, or Hypno Sloth? Take it! Their 5-chain give them enough TG to win? Break it! You need a 5-chain to have enough TG to win? Make it!
One powerful tactic you can use is to take control of an opponent's land next to a high-level land, and then when you pass by, direct your newly-stolen creature to invade. This is kind of like a ghetto Intrusion, requiring good spacing/timing, but cheaper and usable with any creature. Alternately, you can Trade high-level lands with the opponent if you know you'll have a neighboring creature which can retake the land you Traded away. You could even Paralyze your own creature prior to a Trade, making it easier to retake!
Another is to use Telekinesis to move an opponent's creature off a high-level land, then steal the creature, then move it back onto the high-level space. It can also be used to get rid of an annoying Boost creature or Idol, just steal and then exchange it off the board. There are many more uses depending on the situation, and creative thinking is key.
To maximize the effectiveness of these cards, you may want to avoid using color-specific items such as Magma Hammer or Wind Shield, since they may be less effective or ineffective with stolen creatures. Prismatic Wand is probably a bad idea since any creature you steal is likely to be the same color as some or all of the opponent's other creatures.
One of the great things about stealing creatures is that it allows you to leverage the enemy's strength against them, especially in the case of ability multipliers or similar. It's important to remember exactly how a creature's abilities are multiplied, though. Garuda, Mothman, Redcap, Hive Worker, Mudman, Branch Army, Ogre Lord, and Spudfolk are all based on total X in play, and so are likely to be very useful when stolen, whereas those based on user's resources, such as Undine or Coaloid, are less likely to be useful when stolen.
Possession and Trade are powerful cards with many, many uses. They also often take a more deep understanding of specific game circumstances to get great use out of. Trade is probably the better of the two overall, simply due to speed and ease of use, however Possession is better in terms of card efficiency. Of course, both can be used to really drive your opponent up the wall.
As always, question, comments, and corrections are appreciated.
