I had the pleasure of doing a pre-release draft event at my house this past weekend with the new Dark Phoenix Saga Dice Masters Draft Packs, courtesy of WizKids Games. You can find the video HERE. Based off of the cards that we pulled in this one display, here are some of my quick thoughts on individual cards that you should be on the lookout for!
Sidekick Pump
Always a tried and true draft strategy, and it will definitely be a powerful one in this set.
Emma Frost: Influential – 4 Cost Common
While active, Emma is giving a +1/+1 pump for all sidekicks. We’ve seen this on countless cards at this point, so its not new, but its unique that its on a character with such great stats! This is almost a must draft card when you see it.
Corsair: Leading the Starjammers – 4 Cost Uncommon
If Corsair’s stats are increased by any effect, you can increase target SK by the same amount. This is is awesome if you have any kind of static pump (we’ll get to that a little later). It would be best with an Action Die that you can assign after blockers are declared, but there isn’t anything that would work easily like that in set.
Stat Pumps
Anything that camp pump up the stats of cards is a great way to win a draft. You’ll have multiple ways of doing it in this set:
Jean Grey: Peaceful Coexistence – 4 Cost Common
Jean Grey has the Founder Keyword and gets a Loyalty Counter (+1/+1) at the end of your turn every time you end your turn and nothing was KO’d. So if you can hang tight for a few turns after getting her out (hopefully turn 3), she can quickly become a huge die (starting stats are 3-3, 5-5, 6-6)
Cable: High Stakes – 6 Cost Rare
It’s a Rare, so I get that you probably won’t see it. If you do though, get it and get a ton of Overcrushing 2 Cost Common Beasts and you’ll win in no time! Cable doubles all the printed Attack Stats of your dice when he attacks. So your 2 Cost Beast is now a 4 or 6 attack with Overcrush. Yes Please!
Sabertooth: You Ready to Party? – 5 Cost Rare
So not as good as Cable, we have Sabertooth. He give +2A to any other Brotherhood die when he attacks. So not a banket doubling like Cable, but pretty good, especially when you pair it with the Global on the BAC Radicalization (Pay a Shield: Target die against X-Men or Brotherhood Affiliation). So you can still give your Beast Overcrush and +2A, which is pretty great. Just make sure you grant the affiliation before you declare attack or the timing of the effect doesn’t work.
Stat Dumps
Vulcan: Aggression – 6 Cost Rare
O….M….G….. He’s Back! (cue Harry Potter meme!) Yes, you heard it here, the Rare Venom from AvX IS BACK! While he’s active, your opponents non-fist characters get -2D. It’s not as good as the past Venom as there ins’t a pump condition for your Fist Dice and there isn’t a spin down global, but its still awesome and keeps every SK off your opponents field. It does however have a force attack global, so it can be removed if your opponent is willing to take the damage. Just pair him with Cable 😉
Direct Damage
Always a great way to win a draft. Build a wall and chip away!
Colosus: Piotr – 6 Cost Fist
I’m starting to sense a theme here…. This is a reprint of the full name (Piotr Rasputin) Rare from AvX as well, but better since its only 6 and not 7 this time. This is a must draft. You can just build a wall of meaningless characters and as long as they are level 2 or 3, each will deal 2 damage to your opponent at the end of your turn. If you can get this along with Mutation for the spin down/up global, you’ll win 9 out of 10 times by doing nothing but walling up. I love it.
Damage Mitigation
Colossus: Organic Steel – 5 Cost Uncommon
This is basically a more expensive and less effective reprint of the UC and SR Ronin from AoU. You’re able to redirect the first damage that one of your dice may take each turn to Colossus. On the Burst side you can completely prevent it. Its a great way to prevent your tiny die that has deadly from KO’ing from blocking a big incoming die, or being able to re-direct the Overcrushing die that you blocked with a SK. There are lots of interesting ways you can play around with this, as long as the timing is correct.
Ramp/Churn
A must have in draft where bag management is critical!
Beast: Combat Ready (2 Cost Rare) and First Class (3 Cost UC)
Both of these are fantastic, but function a little differently. The rare preps a die whenever it attacks. Awesome, and just like its AvX brother card (another reprint). It does have the condition that the first die of it you purchase is 3 though.
The UC Beast I think is where the big value is. It is a 3 cost, but I think it’s better. It has the keyword Founder and says that whenever a die with Founder attacks, prep a die. Notice it doesn’t say “on your turn” or “when one of your dice with Founder attacks.” This means that any of your dice OR your opponents dice with Founder attacks, you’re prepping. There are TONS of Founder dice in this set. Also, there is a Must Attack global on a few cards! I’m willing to pay a fist to force attack and get the benefit of prepping a die on my opponents turn (along with the SK that I’m going to block with!), along with prepping a die on my own turns. LOTS of opportunity here to build up to a 6 or 7 cost early.
D’Ken: Emperor – 4 Cost Common
This is also a “when attacks prep a die” ability, but you are able to prep a die from your USED pile, and not blindly from your bag. This is awesome because you can select the exact die you want, as I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how the die you want is always the last to come out of the bag!
Globals
Mister Sinister – Pay Double Bolt – Target Non-Sidekick die gains Deadly
This is fantastic. You can use a force attack (coming next) to send over anything you want gone for at least a turn, and then target your blocking die to KO the attacking die. Even better if the die you are blocking with has a When Fielded Effect that you can re-field the next turn – Gambit anyone…..
Vulcan – Pay a Fist – Target die music attack this turn
Removal and potential Ramp mechanism. It’s great.
Dark Phoenix – Pay a Bolt and KO one of your dice. the next die you purchase costs 2 less
Yup, it’s the Blue-Eyes White Dragon global! You can use this on your turn and utilize the cost reduction or on yours just to KO something to stop, lets say, the Jean Grey from getting more Loyalty Counters. Remember, KO’ing a SK is also a form or Ramp for the next turn! Going second, you can easily field a SK, KO it with this global, and then buy a 4 cost. Then turn 2 you have 5 dice, and can do it all over again to buy a 5 cost! Nothing wrong with that kind of start!
Magneto – Pay a Mask – Once per turn on your turn, if your Prep is empty, prep a die form your bag.
Ramp. All the Ramp. Just do it first before something may end up in the prep.
The Front Line – Pay a Fist – Target die can’t block unless the owner pays 1 life.
Perfect for some trickle life loss and AMAZING in late game when your opponent is below 5 or so life.
Increase/Decreasing Costs
Mystique: Taught by Magneto – 3 Cost Rare
Mystique allows you to field all of your Brotherhood dice for free. She even has an Energize ability that allows you to field a Brotherhood die for free. If you get this early in your draft, an all Brotherhood team is an easy decision.
Jean Grey: Xavier’s Dream – 4 Cost Uncommon
When Jean and a one of your SK are active, your opponent must pay 1 more for each global. It’s the Oracle reincarnated. Just bring a bunch of globals with you to tempt your opponent!
Deadpool: #1 Draft Pick – 4 Cost Common
A Draft Specific Ability! A first in the game. So in draft, pick a character before the game starts. That characters dice cost 1 less to purchase. This is really awesome. I won’t even buy Deadpool most likely, but I will make all of my Beasts for 1, Emma for 3, Gambit for 4, or Cable or Colossus for 5! This with the Dark Phoenix Global and you can really make something special happen.
Removal
Gambit: I Like Solitaire – 5 Cost Uncommon
UMBERHULK! Well… almost. It has the Umberhulk ability (when fielded, re-roll your opponents field and send all of them that come up energy to used), but it has to be the FIRST and only die that you field this turn. I think that’s a fine trade off, especially when many people wall up in drafts.
Deathbird: Treacherous – 2 Cost Common
Deadly. That’s it. but come one now….. its a 2 cost and has good stats actually (0-1-1, 0-1-2, 1-3-4). Pair it with a force attack and you’ll REALLY annoy your opponent.
Vulcan Global (discussed in the Global Section)
Wrap-Up
Well friends, I think this should give you enough to chew on when frantically reading and selecting cards next week while drafting! Remember that this review is only of the cards that were in our display, so I’m sure there are others that you will want to pay attention to as well!
Happy Drafting!
-Stuart
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