by DB Shinkai
The scale
This review will be my personal opinion on the new cards in the current rotation meta using a 1-5 rating scale with:
1 being completely useless or not worth running at all
2 being just below average in terms of value or use
3 being average
4 being above average, a card that is game changing/flexible at times and still strong when not
5 being a busted card that you should be running
*Keep in mind I am being very generous with my ratings and I’m trying to find what makes them good more so than what makes them bad.
Golds
Empyreal Unicorn – 4
Stats: 1/2
Effect: Ward.
Evolved:
Stats: 3/4
Effect: Ward.
Evolve: Give your leader the following effect – At the end of your turn, if your leader’s defense is 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18, deal 2 damage to the enemy leader. If it’s 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20, draw a card. (This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
Empyreal Unicorn is the new haven gold and is a 1/2 follower with ward. Just with that alone, I see this card as being better than average. It’s cheap, can be used in ward decks, and has a permanent leader effect on evo that can potentially be controlled to either do 2 dmg or draw you an extra card. Ward haven isn’t really viable right now in my opinion but this is just a good card that can be used in almost any haven rotation deck that has the room.
Parasol Witch – 4
Stats: 2/2
Effect: Fanfare: If allied followers have evolved at least 1 time this match, draw a card.
Then, if at least 3 times, restore 3 defense to your leader.
Then, if at least 5 times, gain +1/+1 and Storm.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/4
Effect: –
Parasol Witch in my opinion is an almost busted card. Rune has become one of the best classes in rotation to run the evo package and this card does it all. It can provide card draw, heal your leader 3 health, and can become a 3/3 with storm all for 2pp. This is definitely an amazing card and the only thing stopping it from being a 5 in my book is the fact that you need to have evo followers to gain these effects. It’s easy to get all 3 effects, but a busted card would probably just have a similar effect with even less prerequisites.
Tempest Slayer – 2
Stats: 4/4
Effect: Bane.
Fanfare: If allied followers have evolved at least 3 times this match, gain the ability to evolve for 0 evolution points.
Evolved:
Stats: 6/6
Effect: Bane.
Evolve: Banish an enemy follower or enemy amulet.
Tempest Slayer is just a little bit late to the party. When evo sword was popular, this card could have been played as a tech card. Sword has always lacked good banish and this card only requires 3 evos to be able to evo for free. However, this is a review on the card in the current meta so it’s going to get a low score no matter how good it could have been in a previous meta. It’s probably a 1 but I’m going to give it a 2 because getting 3 evos in sword is not hard and the banish + bane on this card is still kind of useful. I doubt this card is going to be played this expansion but it could definitely be worse.
Malevolent Wall – 1
Stats: 1/9
Effect: Crystallize (1): Countdown (10)
During your opponent’s turn, whenever an enemy follower attacks, subtract 1 from this amulet’s Countdown.
Last Words: Summon a Malevolent Wall.
———-
During your opponent’s turn, whenever an enemy follower attacks, randomly activate 1 of the following effects.
-Summon a Cursed Stone.
-Deal 2 damage to all enemy followers.
-Deal 2 damage to the enemy leader. Restore 2 defense to your leader.
Evolved:
Stats: 3/11
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form.)
You know how I just said it could be worse? Yeah, this is the worst. It’s effect doesn’t seem bad on paper, but what makes it bad is how unreliable it is with it being a random effect. This card will not be doing much for you besides being an annoying follower that your opponent won’t want to deal with. It’s effects probably won’t stop you from losing majority of the time and a fun fact about the effect that summons the cursed stone is that it triggers once the opponent attacks. This means that if the opponent attacks face, then it will summon the 3/3 ward and your opponent’s attack will still hit your face.
Racoon Enchanter – 3
Stats: 3/2
Effect: Rush.
Fanfare: Draw a card. If at least 2 other cards were played this turn, draw 2 cards instead and gain +2/+0.
Evolved:
Stats: 5/4
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form, excluding Fanfare.)
Racoon Enchanter is a pretty decent card. I like it’s effect a lot because it reminds me of a simpler time in Shadowverse. A time when fair cards like this were greatly appreciated and loved by all. This card is just average in the current meta because it costing 3 is a bit much when Forest wants to play multiple cards in the same turn and it’s body still might not be enough to clear big targets like Mistolina/Bayleon.
Prophetic Dragon – 5
Stats: 5/5
Effect: Accelerate (1): Gain an empty play point orb. If Overflow is already active for you when this card is played, draw a card.
(Can only Accelerate if this follower has at least 7 defense.)
———-
Ward.
Fanfare: Summon 2 Prophetic Dragons and change their defense to X. X equals this follower’s defense.
Evolved:
Stats: 7/7
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form, excluding Fanfare.)
Ok, maybe I’m wrong here but I feel like this card is busted. It’s played in buff dragon, which is not the best right now, but this is definitely one of the best cards for the archetype. It can be used as ramp (which good enough already) or it can be used to make a wall of 3 big dragons with ward and a lot of health. Something this impactful can save you from dying in situations where you would have had no other way to survive. For instance, this could potentially stop a Bayleon loop going face or Ladica going face twice.
Grim Desecrator – 3
Stats: 2/2
Effect: Accelerate (3): Deal 5 damage to an enemy follower. Burial Rite: Draw a card.
———-
Rush.
Bane.
Fanfare: Reanimate (8) and Reanimate (4).
Evolved:
Stats: 4/4
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form, excluding Fanfare.)
This card seems really good to me, but right now is not it’s time to shine. It’s effect itself is very strong, but isn’t as useful as it sounds in the current meta since last words shadow is still one of the best decks in rotation and you don’t have the greatest reanimate targets in that deck. Maybe if burial rite makes a return, we’ll see this card in action.
Automachina Maiden – 3
Stats: 4/5
Effect: Invocation: At the end of your turn, if Resonance has been activated for you at least 10 times this match, invoke this card.
———-
Ward.
Fanfare and Last Words: Draw a card.
Evolved:
Stats: 6/7
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form, excluding Fanfare.)
Automachina Maiden is nice when you get it for free but if you draw it, it becomes a lot worse. There is a way to put it back into the deck (Yuwan or Remembrance) but that requires you to evo. Also resonance decks draw a ton of cards, which means you have that many more chances to draw this card.
Master Chef – 5
Stats: 2/2
Effect: Ward.
Fanfare: Increase your leader’s maximum defense by 1 and restore 1 defense to your leader.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/4
Effect: Ward.
Evolve: Increase your leader’s maximum defense by 1, restore 1 defense to your leader, and draw a card.
This is just a really good card that speaks for itself. 2 cost 2/2 that has ward and increases your max health on play and evo. There’s no downside to this card and it’s a great defensive card. We are going to see this card being played for most if not all of its time in rotation.
Legendaries
Luna, Soul Keeper – 4
Stats: 0/2
Effect: Fanfare: Put a Luna’s Doll into your hand. Necromancy (6): Recover 1 evolution point.
Evolved:
Stats: 2/4
Effect: Evolve: Put an Allure of Shadows into your hand.
Luna’s Doll
Effect: Countdown (1)
Last Words: Restore 1 defense to your leader. Draw a card.
Allure of Shadows
Effect: Destroy an enemy follower that costs 5 play points or less.
Necromancy (8): Summon an allied copy of that follower.
Luna has an insane effect for being a 1 cost. Getting an evo back for 1pp is such an amazing deal and you can even get a removal card to help clear. The downside and reason why this card is not a 5 in my opinion is that both of her effects cost a lot of shadows. It costs 6 for the evo on play and her spell’s additional effect costs 8. This means that later in the game, you’re going to have to spend shadows even if you don’t want to and this can prevent you from getting your necroimpulse active on future turns or you might have to make plays with your shadows in mind.
Arisa, Evergreen Arrow – 5
Stats: 2/2
Effect: Fanfare: If at least 2 other cards were played this turn, summon a Forest Guardian’s Bow.
Whenever this follower’s attack or defense is increased by an effect, deal 1 damage to all enemy followers.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/4
Effect: Evolve: Choose – Put a Gale Arrow or Storm Arrow into your hand.
Whenever this follower’s attack or defense is increased by an effect, deal 1 damage to all enemy followers.
Forest Guardian’s Bow
Effect: Countdown (2)
At the end of your turn, give +1/+0 to all allied Forestcraft followers.
Whenever this card is returned to your hand, draw a card.
Last Words: Draw a card.
Gale Arrow
Effect: Give +1/+0 to an allied Arisa, Evergreen Arrow.
Deal 1 damage to an enemy follower.
(Can be played only when both a targetable allied card and enemy card are in play.)
Storm Arrow
Effect: Your opponent draws a card.
Deal X damage to the enemy leader. X equals half the number of cards in your opponent’s hand (rounded up).
Arisa kind of reminds me of Kokkoro, but way better early in the match and maybe less useful later. Her amulet is a good bounce target that has countdown 2 so you can use it to set up a future turn and it also draws you a card when returned to hand so it’s like getting a free Sagittarius amulet. Gale Arrow helps you clear wide, early boards a bit easier and Storm Arrow can deal chip damage or help close games out. In most situations, it’s probably better to use Storm Arrow as a finisher or to help set up lethal since it draws your opponent and additional card.
Yuwan, Dimensional Avenger – 4
Stats: 2/2
Effect: Fanfare: Banish a card in your hand and put a copy of it into your deck. Draw a card.
At the start of your opponent’s turn, if Resonance has been activated for you at least 5 times this match, deal 4 damage to a random enemy follower. Then, if it has been activated at least 10 times, deal 4 damage to the enemy leader.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/4
Effect: Evolve: Summon an Analyzing Artifact.
At the start of your opponent’s turn, if Resonance has been activated for you at least 5 times this match, deal 4 damage to a random enemy follower. Then, if it has been activated at least 10 times, deal 4 damage to the enemy leader.
Yuwan is a close 5, but I give it a 4 because it is only useful in one archetype (Resonance Portal). However, in said archetype, this is a must include 3 of card. Just playing him will let you gain 1 to your “times resonance activated” counter while also shuffling a card back into the deck (which might not always be useful). Upon evo, you summon an analysizing artifact with will help you trigger resonance again if it is not banished by the opponent. Triggering resonance 5 times will deal 4 to a random enemy follower at the start of their turn and triggering resonance 10 times deals 4 face. All of this on a 2 cost definitely makes this an overloaded card, but you won’t be seeing this played in Machina Portal this expansion.
Urias, Final Vampire – 5
Effect: Fanfare: If Vengeance is active for you, draw a card.
Fanfare: If Wrath is active for you, draw a card.
Evolved:
Stats: 5/5
Effect: Evolve: Put an A Horrible Night into your hand.
A Horrible Night
Effect: If there are at least 4 cards in your hand, discard 3. Otherwise, discard your hand.
Put a The Nightmare Begins, Bloody Claw, and Cursed Aura into your hand.
If any other allied A Horrible Nights have been played this match, deal 3 damage to all allies and enemies (excluding Urias, Final Vampires) instead of discarding and putting cards into your hand.
The Nightmare Begins
Effect: Give your leader the following effect: At the start of your turn, draw a card. (This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
If any allied Urias, Final Vampires are in play, deal 1 damage to your leader and recover 1 evolution point.
Bloody Claw
Effect: Give your leader the following effect: During your turn, whenever an enemy follower is destroyed, deal 1 damage to the enemy leader. (This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
If any allied Urias, Final Vampires are in play, deal 1 damage to your leader and 3 damage to a random enemy follower.
Cursed Aura
Effect: Give your leader the following effect: During your turn, reduce damage to your leader to 0. (This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
If any allied Urias, Final Vampires are in play, deal 1 damage to your leader and all enemy followers.
This is exactly what blood was looking for. Blood has been severely disadvantaged this expansion and Urias is here to help bring blood back into existence. He can possibly draw you a card or 2 on play and when you evo him, you get 3 (technically 4) unique spells. All of the 3 spells generated from A Horrible Night are permanent leader effects and all of them are very good. Unfortunately, this card is only a good enabler. Blood is still lacking a strong finisher, cards with a lot of flexibility, and cards with great value. There are some cards that fit the descriptions above (Mono is a very strong finisher with the right set up), but hopefully blood gets a little more love next expansion so that all the blood mains out there can play their favorite class a bit more comfortably.
Rowen, Dragon Lance – 1
Stats: 3/2
Effect: Rush.
Fanfare: If there are no Curse of the Black Dragons in your hand, put 1 into your hand.
Enhance (5): Summon a Dragonslayer Spear.
Evolved:
Stats: 5/4
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form, excluding Fanfare.)
Curse of the Black Dragon
Effect: At the end of your turn, if this card is in your hand and there are 3 or less Curse of the Black Dragons in your hand, activate the following effects.
-If Overflow is not active for you, reveal this card and deal 1 damage to your leader.
-If you have 10 play point orbs, reveal this card and deal 2 damage to a random enemy.
Effect: Countdown (2)
Summon a Dragonslayer Spear
While this amulet is in play, your leader has the following effect: Allied followers, spells, and effects deal +1 damage.
Last Words: Destroy a random enemy follower.
Rowen is complete garbage (IMO). This card is not going to see very much competitive play this expansion, if any at all. His hp is slightly lacking and his effects are too conditional and his on play effect has a downside. You won’t want to play him early because his spell will deal damage to your leader and you will have to play him for his enhanced cost a good amount of the time, even if you don’t want to. Dragonslayer Spear (the amulet) is good once you get it on the board but I’m not sure what’s the best way to abuse this at the moment. You might be able to get some value from it in buff dragon but you definitely don’t want to run Rowen in that deck because you have very few slots in your deck to work with. Natura Dragon has the same problem. This card might be better than I’m rating it but I highly doubt that it is.
Isabelle, Intrepid Mage – 5
Stats: 3/3
Effect: Fusion: Runecraft followers
Whenever cards are fused to this card, if it’s the first time this match, put a Quadra Magic into your hand.
If it’s the second time, put an Insight into your hand.
If it’s the third time, put a Crimson Sorcery into your hand.
Evolved:
Stats: 5/5
Effect: Evolve: Put a Fate’s Hand into your hand. Spellboost the cards in your hand. Recover 1 play point.
Quadra Magic
Effect: Deal 2 damage to X random enemy followers. X equals the number of other allied spells with different names played this match.
If X is at least 7, put an Elements of Creation into your hand.
Elements of Creation
Effect: Deal 10 damage to the enemy leader.
Restore 10 defense to your leader.
Give your leader the following effect: When you reach the Reaper at the bottom of your deck, reduce your leader’s maximum defense by 5 instead of losing the match. (This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
Isabelle is a busted card for two very big reasons. She creates spells in your hand when you fuse into her and also when you evo her. Evo-ing her also spellboosts the cards in your hand as a bonus. The other reason is Elements of Creation is an insanely powerful card. Elements of Creation is pretty expensive but getting Quadra Magic active is pretty easy and dealing 10 damage face and healing 10 of your leader’s health can be game changing. This card is probably going to see play for the entirety of its time in rotation.
Erika, Loyal Swordsavant – 4
Stats: 2/1
Effect: Storm.
Fanfare: Rally (7) – Put a Killer Instincts into your hand.
Whenever another allied follower or amulet comes into play, gain +1/+0 until the end of your turn.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/3
Effect: Storm.
Evolve: Rally (15) – Put an Erika’s Sleight into your hand.
Whenever another allied follower or amulet comes into play, gain +1/+0 until the end of your turn.
Killer Instincts
Effect: When your opponent plays a follower, destroy it and this amulet.
Erika’s Sleight
Effect: Summon 2 Quickbladers.
Erika is a pretty good offensive card that get’s some nice bonus cards if you have a high rally count when you play/evo her. Rally Sword really needed a card like this and she might even see play in other sword archetypes outside of the aggressive ones. I personally would just run her in Rally, but some people have been having success with her in some Bayleon decks. The reason why I gave this card a 4 is because if your opponent has a big ward on the board, you’re still going to struggle getting past it and Erika can only trade into it. Some of these other cards are always useful, whereas this one does have a few situations where it can be a dead card.
Eris, Atoned Priestess – 3
Stats: 2/4
Effect: Ward.
Fanfare: Put a Sphere Relic into your hand. Recover 2 play points.
Evolved:
Stats: 4/6
Effect: Ward.
Evolve: Give your leader the following effect – At the end of your turn, randomly summon 1 of the following amulets that is not already in play for you.
-Prism Relic.
-Cylinder Relic.
-Octarelic.
(This effect is not stackable and lasts for the rest of the match.)
Sphere Relic
Effect: Fanfare: Banish an enemy follower with 3 defense or less. If any allied Relic Goddesses are in play, banish an enemy follower with 9 defense or less instead, then banish this card.
At the start of your opponent’s turn, combine with an allied Prism Relic, Cylinder Relic, and Octarelic to become a Relic Goddess.
Prism Relic
Effect: At the start of your turn, deal 2 damage to a random enemy follower.
If any allied Relic Goddesses are in play, deal 6 damage instead.
Cylinder Relic
Effect: At the start of your turn, deal 1 damage to the enemy leader.
If any allied Relic Goddesses are in play, deal 3 damage instead.
Octarelic
Effect: At the start of your turn, restore 1 defense to your leader.
If any allied Relic Goddesses are in play, restore 3 defense instead.
Relic Goddesses
Stats: 6/6
Effect: Reduce damage to this follower to 0.
Can’t be affected by effects except for those that change this card’s attack or defense.
Evolved:
Stats: 8/8
Effect: (Same as the unevolved form.)
Eris is a good card, but IMO, not a great card. She provides a lot of utility and you can play Sphere Relic the same turn you played Eris as long as you have the board space, but the payoff is only a 7/7 beat stick that is not affected by effects. This is nice and all, but relics are going to be flooding your board and this is just going to buy your opponent more turns to set up a potential otk. I feel like this card is too fair to be rated any higher.
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