Foreword

Well after a couple of down weeks for my articles section I have finally been able to write part deuce of my article series! (*hears absolutely no applause*) Eh, last time we discussed how the defensive deck worked. This week we discuss what cards it takes to run a pure defensive deck. The cards I will list will be mostly unfranchised cards, but there will be exceptions. I do this so that you may build a defensive deck with your favorite shaman and not have to be stuck with just one. And again I will provide you with text from the cards after the article for reference. Read on

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Strikes in the Defensive deck

Point Blank

This is arguably the biggest card in the deck. Point Blank has a modest effect with a great effect and stats. In the defensive deck we want high defense strikes with decent force so that we can abuse Tao En and Spirit of Fire Immortal Legacy. Well this is abuse reincarnate. Bering able to have a 6/5 intercept strike with 6 force is nice. You can still block almost anything and still burn them with your stronger than average force. This is a big one and you should run 2/3 depending on how well you conserve your furyoku. For a more in depth review check out the card of the day section.

Manifestation of Power

Some will question this cards usefulness in most deck but here it is very good. Early game when we are taking one and two points to gain furyoku this is a really good card. It allows us to nab +2 green furyoku for nothing really. Once we get to late game though this card is dead weight. But when you take into account our filter cards it wont really make a difference. (Read on to find out what I mean.) This is preference, yes, but I like it in here. Run 4.

Swooping Talon

Another forgotten card that is abuse in here. With Spirit of Fire it becomes a 5 intercept 5 force and with Tao En a 4 intercept 5 force. Either way is pretty good. But when taking into account the effect of this card you can possibly really get a bruiser with Spirit of Fire. This card is overlooked by most but it has some nice uses here. Run 2 and see what you think.

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Teamworks in the Defensive deck

Silva Impartial Judge/Lililala Keeper of Memories

I really love the filters. And this one is the big daddy. Set him up in the green zone for crazy insane filtering, set him up in the yellow/red zones for insurance. Either way he is great. He has so many uses it isnt funny here. He skims off any late game Manifestation Power and gets us what we need. He is a major hitter here.

Lililala does the same thing basically. So really we want to run 4 of both. It is really nasty and you will see that for yourself. For a more in depth review go to the card of the day section.

Tao En

The big boy of the deck. If you are not running Zeke this guy is your backbone in a defensive deck. His effect is steeper than Spirits is and that makes him harder to run. You are going to want to stock up on Jaded Spheres and Point Blanks if you run him. But really you need him if you are running a defensive deck. Hes the whole point to the deck! Run 4.

Spirit of Fire Immortal Legacy

The great foob of the defensive deck. If there were a god of the defensive deck then he would be it. He turns weenies into behemoths. He is the reason the deck was conceived. There just isnt anything to say, run 4. For a more in depth review go to the card of the day section.

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Advantages in the Defensive deck

Ward Off

Ward Off is probably one of my favorite advantages in the game. It is cheap and effective. That is what I like in my cards. With Ward Off you get a +1 intercept and a charge. This is great if you are running Tao En to soften the blow of his effect. He gets you a free Spirit of Fire too. There just are way to many advantages to him in here. Run 4 if you run Tao En and 2/3 with Spirit of Fire.

Cherubs Blessing

When you are running cards like Ward Off that have a long field life then this is a great card. We gain furyoku and still get a re-flip. This is pretty darned good in my humble opinion. Our three main goals is defending, gaining furyoku advantage, and charging for big attacks. This card has dual purposes as it destroys their advantages too. It is cheap and effective. Run 2.

Feral Instinct

Being able gain two of the most precious resources in the game makes Feral Instinct a no brainer. If we are running Jaded Spheres then chances are we could be running low on red furyoku. And if we run Spirit of Fire we can regain what we lost from casting him. This card sees a lot of play in almost any deck that can use it. This deck in definitely no exception. Run 2 in most cases but if you are run Jaded Spheres too then go for 3 or 4.

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Conclusion

Those are but a few of the great cards in a defensive deck. Of course I cannot do a card by card analyses in one article, but I think you have a good start with this. Next time I will show you a finished version of a defensive deck and give you a play by play analysis of how it works and how the cards synergize with each other. (Yes I made up a word)

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Feedback Information

 

If you have any comments, question, or suggestions here are some ways of contacting me,
PM me on the forums at my user name-Darth Vailo
E-mail me at-darthvailo@yahoo.com
I ll do my best to get back to you asap. Thanks to you guys again for the kind words.

^_^v Peace, Love, and may you never find yourself on Tilt!

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Card Index

REI_139 Point Blank If you counterattack with Point Blank, look at the top card of your deck. You may put it in your discard pile. 1 2 7 4 Strike Common SK_0102

REI_078 Feral Instinct Immediate. Add two red furyoku. You do not charge from playing Feral Instinct. 1 1 1 Advantage Common SK_0095

REI_066 Spirit of Fire Immortal Legacy You may play Spirit of Fire only if you are Zeke. <p> Your strikes in Spirit of Fire's zone have -1 Intercept and +2 Force. 1 1 Teamwork Spectregram NASK_0038

REI_056 Jaded Sphere Your opponent adds a red furyoku. 1 1 9 3 Strike Common SK_0149 "Your strikes seem rather weak. Let me help you out a little."

REI_049 Cherub's Blessing Immediate. Eliminate all cards in all advantage areas. For each card eliminated, add a green furyoku. 1 Advantage Soul Common SK_0101

REI_040 Swooping Talon -2 Intercept >>> +2 Force. Use only once. 3 6 3 Strike Uncommon NASK_0019 A hawk can rend a man's flesh to the bone or pick a field mouse off a distant rock, unharmed.

REI_024 Ward Off Your strikes have +1 Intercept.<p>In your opponent's red zone, your strikes have -3 Force. 1 Advantage Common SK_0042

REI_023 Tao En Dark Dictator Your strikes in Tao En's zone have -2 Intercept and +2 Force. 1 Teamwork Common SK_0209 "I have enough Furyoku stored up to make me virtually invincible!"

REI_019 Manifestation of Power Pitch >>> Add two green furyoku. 1 3 1 Strike Rare NASK_027 "Now, we'll show you losers the power of a real shaman's guardian ghost!"

REI_013 Lililala Keeper of Memories Eliminate Lililala >>> Before flipping, draw three cards. Place two in your discard pile and one on top of your deck. 1 Teamwork Common SK_0025

REI_098 Silva Impartial Judge If you play a strike in Silva's zone, eliminate Silva. <p> Before flipping a card, draw two cards. Place one in your discard pile and the other on top of your deck. 1 Teamwork Common SK_0160