With the Rings of Immortality expansion dropping, I thought it would be a fun idea to talk a little bit about some cards I am excited to see play in Arena, Draft and of course, on Ladder! Having the privilege of testing these cards out in Q-Mode was an honor, and I am proud to have been able to have an influence in their balance. With that being said, here are my top ten favorite cards that I just couldn't get enough of playing!
# 10
Death Maiden's Eye
Starting off the list at the number ten spot is Death Maiden's Eye. Despite the fact that I am not often playing Fires of Creation, this artifact is extremely appealing to me simply because of how much agency a player has when using this. It is no secret that Alpha Strike is a potent keyword, and when Death Maiden's Eye is used in tandem with a minion possessing the Defender keyword as well, you can protect your other minions around it like never before. Even without defenders, though, its effect has great potential in playing mind-games with your opponent and preventing their minions from attacking yours. Though I believe it will see some Constructed play, where this card will really shine is in Draft and Arena, where spell-based removal will be nearly imperative to combat this amazing trick!
Judas Hex
Coming in at number nine is Judas Hex. The developers really kept my super-control archetype dreams alive with this spell, and lemme tell ya, this one can really be a doozy. Though there is no denying that Judas Hex can be hard to set up and play, the fact is that when you have that, the game is firmly in your grasp. Forcing your opponent to spend mana to kill off their own minions, lest they wish to take tons of face damage, is nightmare fuel for players that just filled their board. Just when you thought there was no better answer to a Seven Ring Ritual than a Thunderclap, Judas Hex arrives on the scene!
K-Nine
Number eight has a special place in my heart, it's K-Nine. Filling in the one-drop spot where Norden was lacking in the core set, K-Nine is a perfect addition to the game! And not only is it a great addition, it is quite strong as well. As if a 2/1 minion wouldn't be enough, Rhino Games decided that this card should also get the new Forge keyword whereupon it will get a permanent +1/+1 buff! This means that your dreams of playing a turn one 3/2 minion are now fully realized with this awesome little pupper. Bridgeway Troll may have been nerfed but K-Nine is here to make sure that Valkyries aren't a dead archetype!
Contagionoma
In at number seven is one of the more unique cards on the list, it's Contagionoma. As a 4 cost minion with a 1/7 statline, it is already evident that this Mythic virus is unlike anything else in the game. But the best part about it is that it is like a king of the Venomfang Mutants! Despite the fact that it is neither a mutant nor a spider, Contagionoma acts quite similar to these anti-aggro beasts in that it will give any minion it damages through combat Blight 1. Where it shines, however, is in its secondary effect, where it will gain energy every time you end your turn and one of your opponent's minions are affected by Blight and then deal damage to your opponent equal to that energy level! It's such a fun and unique way of pressuring your opponent that I couldn't help but include it on this list. And with all kinds of new ways to apply Blight with the expansion, this card is going to be sparking joy (and inspiring fear!) in the hearts of many.
Dead Angler
Planting itself right smack in the middle of the list at number six is Dead Angler. Crafting a niche of Spirit control all on its own, Dead Angler is sure to frighten more than just the fishes! At the low cost of a standard action and having to banish spirits equal to its energy, (starting at two and working up by one every time it is activated) you can look at your opponent's hand and discard any one of their cards! This, on its own, wouldn't be enough to make a 4 cost minion with a 0/6 statline really pop for me, but it also deals 3 damage to your opponent whenever it defends in combat. Combine this with a little bit of armor (like having Protect as your power) and this Spirit minion is going to be reeling in the victories!
Hammam Retreat
In at number five is a card that will undoubtedly see a lot of play, Hammam Retreat. This desert is sure to enchant anyone that dislikes the Aztlan faction, as Hamman Retreat is the first card in Mythgard to specifically and completely nullify Blight! Not only does it do this for the occupying minion, but for minions adjacent to the enchantment while it occupied. While it is often not such a great strategy to group minions because of area of effect damage like that of Magmataur and Perfect Grade, if your opponent is planning on controlling the game with their nasty Misanthropias, it might now be in your best interest!
Guise of Phobos
Number four is a spicy treat, in for Oberos is Guise of Phobos. Making Oberos aggro dreams a reality, this dirty little spell acts a lot like a single-target Alacrity on steroids. Granting the targeted minion Agile and a permanent +3/+0 buff, as well as debuffing opposing minions in all three lanes by -2/-0, Guise of Phobos is sure to punch holes in the defenses of control players for years to come. Don't fall under the guise of thinking this is only a great offensive tool, however! I love this card because it not only makes your own minion strong but it can also be used to severely weaken your opponent's minions. Used as a dual-threat, this card has a very high ceiling.
Merciless Koxinga
Get your kill spells ready, in at number three is Merciless Koxinga. What can be said about this Legendary Outlaw in order to do justice for my love of it? Well, first of all, it can move enchantments to unechanted lanes. That in and of itself is enough for me to enjoy this card. But it can also dish out 8 damage to an enemy artifact! Wait... it can also add a damage damage spell into your hand!? Yeah, that's Merciless Koxinga for you. This card is sure to add a lot of spice to Harmony decks with its unbelievable versatility. Just think of the potential here! Every turn you can add a card to your hand to either deal damage to enemy minions or use them as discard fodder for Disk of Circadia! Every turn you can move your opponent's enchantments, potentially chaining this with one of his damage spells to kill them off! Every turn you can deal 8 damage to a pesky artifact! Gone are the days where your opponent can safely shield their artifacts behind loads of other artifacts!
Aggravated Injury
Prepare yourselves for this one.. In at number two is one of Mythgard's top notch removal spells, Aggravated Injury. This card gets me all kinds of excited. Though I've never been a fan of card games having incredible removal spells with zero downsides, Aggravated Injury isn't really one of those. As a Mythic card that requires both an Oberos and Harmony gem in order to play, this spell is not going to be taking over the game any time soon. But it is going to be an absolute mind-blower of a card when it goes off. I love that the game is getting some good removal that isn't a common bomb everyone has to deal with dominating the meta. I also really enjoy that it won't kill a full health minion, thus negating much of its potential omnipotence. Neglected to use one energy to heal your Perfect Grade up to full health? Oops, sorry about that... I may have aggravated its injury!
Anhelli
And here it is, the moment you have all been waiting for... In at the number one card from Rings of Immortality is Anhelli. So, remember all that stuff I was saying about Aggravated Injury? Yeah, well, this might be even better. As an uncommon Dreni spell that acts a lot like a cross between Spirit Away and Extract Life, Anhelli is a card this is going to turn games around on the drop of a dime. You thought your Celestial Dragon was protected by its ward? Ha! Anhelli is great because it keeps the minion it removes out of the boneyard and thus out of reach of your opponent. Instead of killing the minion, it places it on the bottom of their deck, which is an ingenious way of making this spell feel more powerful than a regular “kill” spell. Just be careful about leaving games extended too long or Anhelli may come back to bite you!
Conclusion
Well, that's it. I could have very easily included another fifty cards to this list, as I rather enjoy most all of the cards from Rings of Immortality. What are your favorite cards? How do you feel about the expansion? Which Mythic are you hoping to open first? Join the Mythgard Discord and participate in the discussion! We look forward in hearing what you have to say!