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mad-io · 3 years

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[Renascent Chronicles] Portalcraft Cards: First impressions.

Renascent chronicles’ cards are up!

Now we got more time for pre-launch analysis and the set looks fun. I like the focus of this set: Epilogue’s of the Isunia, Naterra and Aiolon stories, with some of the card texts expanding their lore. Yes, I really love the story mode and I’ll read all of the flair texts.

And the cards themselves aren’t bad; machina and natura traits are back in a way that won’t restrict deck building, every deck got a new playstyle that won’t kill the previous ones… well, except for those strong decks at the end of the Darkness over Vellsar expansion. Gremory is rotating out, forcing shadows players to find new ways to make big boards without losing lots of shadows… Will Chris still be an option, or will everybody shift to Machina combos? Portalcraft is losing a lot of support too, most of the artifact cards that started the paradigm shift playstyle are leaving rotation, hindering those decks, with Syntonization the biggest hit as the card was so versatile. Although Resonance/Magna Zero Portalcraft is still strong (I can’t believe how good it got during the mini expansion thanks to Absolute Tolerance, got me 4-1 in A Finals), new robots and my favorite boss are coming up to change the game.

So yeah, let’s check out the new cards.

(Click on their names to check the cards)

Legendary Cards:

Maisha, Purgation’s Vessel: Have you ever been so biased you shift the order you read cards to start with your favorite villain? This card is simple and amazing, her fanfare is a great removal tool at every stage of the game and will also greatly reduce Absolute Tolerance’s cost for early threats, but the best part is her evolution effect: the same effect she got through her token spell is back, now restricted for having 8 remaining play points that she won’t even consume. As great as always, some new cards will also aid us portal players to get evolution points in the late game; but, as I don’t know how easy it will be to get there, I’ll rate her as a 4/5.

Belphomet, Ultimate Creator: This guy is so great he even came back with his own skin. For just 1 Play Point higher than his last iteration, fusing cards one at a time will pay you back in the form of armored and assault tentacles, and playing him having fused at least three cards on him creates a board of himself and his furies, who also got new and stronger versions. The Megaera token, in special, recovers you on Evolution Point, synergizing great with Maisha and, given your opponent has to deal with Belphomet and his furies, builds an overwhelming threat in the late game. 4/5.

Gold Cards:

Mega Enforcer: A Machina follower that draws you one card, deals 4 damage on evolution and recovers the Evolution point he used if you have 3 Machina cards in hand. Allows you to play with resonance for some possible Magna Zero clears on turn 7 (I might be onto something here, I will have to test tho), but the best part is it recovers you Play Points for Maisha and Evo playstyles, though this one hasn’t been starving for evopoints. 5/5

Nefarious Invasion: This card seems good in a vacuum, it helps you deal with the pesky early aggression, and its enhance opens up for mid/lategame plays and control; but I think it will be the first one to be fused into Belphomet except against sword and shadowcraft. 3.5/5

Silver Cards:

Threadsnipper puppet: Puppet/rally support! By herself is a 1/2 but she also let’s you play one puppet that won’t leave the board, upping your rally count and your board presence. A reminder that Maisha used to win thanks to puppets, Threadsnipper and stringmaster are your go-to’s when playing rally/destruction portal. 4/5

Enforcer: Silver Machina follower that has rush and puts two machina cards into your hand, this card is really good as a removal tool and as an enabler of your Belphomet Fusions in case you want to save your other machina cards. 5/5

Dual Swords of Longing: Yes, more Maysia, let’s go. A spell that adds two token spells to your hands and can reduce their costs. Both spells are great removal tools, raising the control options Maisha and Belphomet need to reach lategame.4/5

Bronze Cards:

Iron Hero: This guy can deal with board, up the rally and destroyed followers count as puppets do, but with 1 pp cost each time; overall a nice addition in certain decks, that enhance made me laugh, though, I will definitely try to make it work. 3.5/5

Plucky Coil Wrangler: Listen, I think this card is bad. I love her accelerate and the fact golems are still alive thanks to her, but I am not sure about the state of artifacts after WUR leaves rotation and her high cost. I would definitely draft her in take two, though, and a part of me expects me to be wrong about her strength as I was with Double Arm Mechanic in my last review. 2/5

Tiniest Tank: LOOK AT THIS ABSOLUTE UNIT. He’s quite expensive, and his way of upping the rally count is behind Last Words effects, but you gotta love that art and the fact he summons an Automaton Knight. 1/5

Unnamed determination: MORE. MAISHA. ART. I don’t think destroying 10 followers or more will be difficult to achieve during this expansion (I know there’s a lot of banish around, but where Last Words Shadow could, Portal will), so I really believe this spell and the silver one will see a lot of play, draw two cards and recover one evolution point is really good to let it pass. 5/5

Overall, the new cards are good without making the deck building too restrictive except for Machina decks who need to fill as much slots as possible with the trait (good thing Magna Zero exists), I’m really hyped for this expansion and the state of portalcraft in it, even if it stops being top tier, because I love Maisha a lot. Besides my main classes (Portal, Haven and a bit of Forest), some other playstyles I’d like to tamper with are Machina Shadowcraft and Natura dragon, Valdain makes me forget my hate for dragoncraft.

And let’s hope haven’t run out of luck after getting Laramia and Spinaria this month, I’d like the Belphomet Skin (It’s not the Aiolon Belphomet, but he’s alright). Stay on.

#shadowverse #shadowverse ccg #portalcraft #first impressions #I'm too hyped to call it a card review

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