CircleVIII here with my first article writing for KG, I thought it would be a fun idea to share my favorite rarely-seen cards in Mythgard!
With 421 unique cards in its core set, Mythgard allows its playerbase a whole lot of room to create fun and unique decks. Many of its cards see regular play, while the vast majority see some play. Just by happenstance, though, there are those outliers that don't see very much play at all. Here's a list of my favorites that belong in that group of outliers!
Norden
First up, from the Norden faction, we have Fey Plagiarist. As a 1 cost 1/2 B, this elf hacker is rarely seen because Daring Trapezists are very prevalent in constructed and limited play. Nonetheless, it lies in wait one day to be incredibly powerful with the introduction of other cards that are sufficiently able to support it. Being able to steal an artifact or enchantment is ripe with potential... just think of how demoralizing (and game changing) it would be to see your opponent playing a third Ollama Ring that they stole from you! The primary benefit of Fey Plagiarist being able to steal enchantments and artifacts, though, is that it has great synergy with cards that already exist in the Norden faction like Tailroot Worm, Hyperborean, Singing Stone and Bragi Runesinger (as he is able to discard the free cards you have obtained). Having the power to create extra (discounted) cards is of great benefit all around!
Second on our list is Triassic Kraken. This Mollusk is rarely seen because of its hefty cost. At 6 BB, it is often too expensive, with Norden generally opting for more aggressive early game strategies. But it is just waiting to be planted in the middle of your board! Unlike Fey Plagiarist, I believe that this card is currently very playable. Being a 7/7 with Regen 3 means that without your opponent having a way of immediately removing it, it's very unlikely to ever trade just 1 for 1. The fact that it gives all of your opponents' minions immobile is just icing on the cake as it means that if you drop this big boy in front of smaller minions, they aren't going to be able to escape its wrath. I should also mention that it is even better in limited formats where good removal is much less frequently seen!
Aztlan
Moving onto Aztlan, our next card on the list is Golden Axolotl. This little guy is overshadowed by Maze of Iyatiku at the 1 drop slot as it simply has greater synergy with the faction all around... but don't forget, he's still growing! As a 2/1 for 1 Y, there's nothing inherently special about its stats. Where it shines is in its ability to gain an extra health point every time you burn a card. This means that the longer it stays on the board, the larger it is capable of becoming. It also means that if you are able to buff it with spells, enchantments, artifacts or minion effects, it can grow to become out of control! The axolotl is another card just waiting for proper support to be fantastic, of which I am hopeful for with future expansions. I have had some success with it in arena as well as constructed, using it to great effect in tandem with other Aztlan cards such as Magpyre Squad Leader and Pack Mentality. Also we can't forget that when played in the center lane in 2v2 he gets buffed by both player's burns!
Our second Aztlan card on the list is Poxbringer. While a 1/1 for 3 Y doesn't look good on paper, having rush and the ability to dish out Blight 2 to whatever it deals combat damage to is a very substantial effect. This bearer of disease is essentially a removal spell in minion form. It has great synergy with Journey of Souls, as this path rewards trading and killing off your own minions. Like Golden Axolotl, this card is overshadowed by its other same-faction compatriots like Meso Libre; unlike Golden Axolotl, however, I think Poxbringer absolutely has a place in the current meta... and I believe a lot of players would find it very helpful to give it a chance in their own decks!
Oberos
Oberos is our next faction, and I have a fiery hot pick here for y'all. Amnesia! This card doesn't see much play because like Norden, Oberos generally focuses on aggressive early-game strategies and Amnesia simply isn't very aggressive. However, the amount of control this spell grants is immense. Not only will it completely shut down a minion's effect until your next turn, but it will also entirely prevent it from being able to deal damage to you or your minions. Score! It's a card that is waiting to be truly discovered, and one that I believe has its place in the meta currently. Just think of all those nasty minions you would have loved to silence in your own games... I'm looking at you Master of Shadows!
Second for Oberos is Enyo, Murder's Muse. Yes, the first mythic on the list! How could I not include this murderous vampire? It is fantastic. Not only does it have a high floor, (in that it can just trade with a larger minion than itself because it has Deadly) it also has a very high ceiling. A 3/3 for 5 RRR is a very hefty cost for its stats, but if you are already heavily invested into red, the fact that this card grows in health and strength for every minion that dies, as well as having the potential of gaining Frenzy and Immortal once it reaches 8 health means that it will absolutely win games if it's left unchecked! Play this card with a Hysterical Strength or two and your opponent in is for some pain! If you thought Golden Axolotl was great, Enyo is a Golden Axolotl on steroids!
Dreni
Dreni is where we really kick it up a notch. First off for our green friends is Alkonost. Recently buffed and ready for action, this harpy is just asking to be a powerhouse with certain color combinations. I have been personally experimenting with this one a lot and I can definitely say it's worthy of being played right now. With its ability changed from a standard action to a utility action, Alkonost is essentially the first part of a great kill-combo waiting to happen! It does this with stun effects like that of Meso Libre, Night Hag, Ice Spike, Bela Witch Queen but it also has great synergy with other cards in the Dreni faction like Iku Turso and Chort Stag. But even without its stun-killing wombo-combo, a 6 cost 6/6 GG is decent in and of itself. The fact that it also has Lurker and is capable of outright slaying cards with Defender as well as forcing smaller minions into making bad trades makes it one of the more versatile cards in the game!
Speaking of synergies with Alkonost, next up on our list is Revolutionary Totem! As a 0/5 5 cost YG, this card is severely lacking in stats, but its effect will make it exceptionally judicious in some very powerful decks. Though it doesn't currently have enough support in-game to make it viable for play, I guarantee you that this construct will see the board with the release of future expansions. Not allowing any minion with 4 strength or more to attack is a very potent effect, specifically when paired with one like Alkonost's.As new cards are released, I foresee agrand revolution with some very irritating control decks rising to the surface utilizing this Totem!
Parsa
Parsa is a strong faction all-around with the vast majority of their cards seeing some level of play. There are a handful, though, that remain off the board like the card next on our list, Mandatory Vigor. Acting a lot like Aztlan's Volition, this cerebral spell also serves to draw a card when played, which is something every player enjoys doing! Unfortunately, 2 strength is also temporarily removed from the minion when you cast this, making it useful only with those minions that already have high strength values. The fact that this card is so rarely played seems to work in its favor, as hardly anyone expects to get rushed down from the Parsa faction. With the nerf to Dire Benediction, I expect that Mandatory Vigor will start to see more play in its place over time, as it is quite solid and acts as a great surprise weapon for your larger minions!
Next up is everyone's least played herald. You've heard the name but have you seen it played!? Please welcome Herald of Death! As a 5 cost 2/6 RO, its stats are relatively unimpressive. Having deadly and possessing the ability to potentially nuke your opponent's entire board and life-total however, does sound quite impressive! Its ability reads “Demise: Deal damage to your opponent and all enemy minions equal to its strength” which means if you are able to buff its strength and then kill it off, it will deal that much damage to everything on your opponent's board as well as their life total! I love this ghastly centaur because it is often a bad strategy to buff one card on your board, as it just becomes apt for removal, but having an ability that rains death upon your enemy means removing it isn't quite so easy! Just like Enyo, Herald of Death has a high floor and ceiling. It is definitely one of the most undervalued of all cards on this list and really should see more play. Funnily enough, one of the only people I've seen play it on any regular basis is our friend and co-creator of KG, Ejecty. You think he knows something we don't? I sure do!
Harmony
Last but not least is the Harmony faction. With the (somewhat) recent buff to bring this faction into the light, many of the cards that weren't seen in regular play have now risen to the upper echelon. There are still those that dwell in the dark, though, and first up on our list is Zen Archer. This one is a Turn of Seasons player's worst nightmare! As a 3 cost 1/2 PP, once again we find that this card is lacking in stats but hitting hard with its effect. Not only does it grant you a 2 cost Phoenix Feather “give any friendly minion agile” item upon being played, it also has Lurker and ensures that whenever your opponent attacks with a minion that it must take 1 damage. I can tell you from personal experience that this little avatar can single-handedly (and super frustratingly) win arena games by preventing your opponent from attacking at all, lest they wish to part with their 1 hp minions with no return on their investment. With good support and a little luck, Zen Archer is a card that grants full-board presence, which is something that cannot be said about any other 3 drops in the game other than Plague Maidens, but those witches be crazy!
Second for Harmony and last on the list is one of my absolute favorite cards in the game, Reincarnation. At 5 cost PP, it will bring all of your minions back into your hand at 0 cost that were added to your boneyard on your opponent's last turn. Talk about countering Armageddon Angel! Not only does it have an effect that can and will win games outright after being played, it also has the added bonus effect of returning to your hand once there are 6 or more cards above it in your boneyard! I heard you like a little win-more? The reason this legendary spell does not see a lot of play is that there are many heavily played cards that can bypass this effect, such as Misanthropia, Seal of Exile, and Gigantomachia. Still, Reincarnation deserves more play and is just waiting to hit the meta harder than a 5 cost Ingrid and her goon squad.
Conclusion
There are many more cards in this game that do not see regular play, this list has only been the tip of the iceberg. I believe that there is much more room for experimentation within this core set and that there are still undiscovered tricks and tactics lying in wait for those brave enough to seek them out. Whether it be for fun or for ambitions of giving your opponents great competition, I hope that this list has helped to inspire you to try some of these cards for yourself. Be sure to join the Mythgard discord and let us know what your favorite rarely-seen cards are. Happy deck building, and good luck on all of your Mythgard adventures!