Welcome I’m going to be sharing my thoughts and ideas about how I think the upcoming cards will affect the meta and comparisons to similar cards based on spell type!!! There is a lot to go over and a lot to consider in these new sets.
Let’s start with Frost!!!!
Freeze:
A creature with Freeze conditions rolls 1 less die on non-spell attacks. At the end of a creature's activation, remove one Freeze condition if possible. Each Freeze condition on a living creature is also considered 2 damage that cannot be healed. If there are ever Freeze conditions on an object with Burn conditions, remove 1 of each. Repeat this process until there are only Freeze or Burn markets remaining. This is a frost condition and has a removal cost of 2. In Arena, freeze also grants the Lumbering trait to the affected creature.
Frost mechanic will finally be released so you may want start running bear skin for the first time!!!
Attack Spells:
Cone of Frost
1 air or 1 water
5 mana, full cast, 0-1 range, creature or conjuration
Range, frost, 2 die, effect 8+ freeze x2, sweeping
Beam of Frost
1 air of 1 Water
5 mana, quick cast, 0-1 range, creature or conjuration
Range, frost, 2 die, effect 6+ Freeze x2
Thoughts:
X2 means if it triggers 4 “direct” damage that cannot be healed! Creatures can just get ripped apart fairly fast with a couple of these spells from a mage. Downside is each turn remove one at the end of a creatures activation, so it is temporary.
Level 1 air or water offer a lot to any mage who wants to try and do some frost synergy.
Wizard and Siren have a clear advantage to effectively make these spells work for them being in school. They both can mass cast these fairly effectively with cards such as Naiya, or Wizard’s Tower. Naiya and a Siren Mage are able to shoot 3 beam of frost in one round. 12 direct damage almost guaranteed with at least 6 more die without any other buffs.
Beam of Frost looks way better stat wise with the better effect chance. 4 Direct damage is crazy strong, if they trigger! Also with help of hawk eye, gloves of skill, and/or akiros favor to either help increase the odds and amount of damage they do is nice.
Pros: pretty nasty verse small living creatures. Naiya and Wizard Tower combo= super fun to try Out!!!
Cons: 0-1 range is difficult to get to work on familiars sometimes with so many counters to familiars. Warlocks with fire Demons and or fire spells will have no problem removing the freeze condition markers.
?s
Who will be able to be the Best Frost Mage in Arena Siren or Wizard?
If Frost becomes big in the meta what nonliving creatures will be used to counter Frost threats?
Enchantments
Frost Trap
1 air and 1 water
2/4 Mana, Quick cast, 0-2 Range, Corporeal Creature
When this Creature activates you must reveal Frost Trap. Place 2 freeze conditions on this creature, then destroy frost trap.
Thoughts:
Frost trap is an interesting spell. Only Siren and Wizard can get this for 3 SBP. So Wizard or Siren will most likely be the only mages using this effectively. 4 damage guaranteed on living creatures is pretty freaking good and great for any Frost combo.
Deep Freeze
1 air or 1 water
2/2 mana, Quick, 0-2 Range, Non-mage Object
This object loses and cannot gain the melting trait. Additionally, Freeze conditions are not removed at the end of this creature’s activation. Flame attacks against this object roll 2 less dice.
Thoughts:
Great spell for the frost meta. Can be used in keeping things longer such as creatures or conjurations. Or Stick it on an enemy to build up those freeze conditions. I do see maybe shift enchantment being a fun strat to move this spell around to finish off some threats!
Wand of Ice and Fire (equipment)
1 fire, or 1 air, or 1 water
4 mana, quick, 0-2 range, Mage
Once per round, as a quick spell, you may pay 2 mana to place a burn or freeze condition on a target corporeal object up to 1 zone away.
Thoughts:
Maybe a better spell than frost trap for finishing off living creatures with freeze conditions. It has one less range and one less freeze conditions but it still guarantees one and for 1 SBP and only 2 mana for each use it can and should get some work done for you. Being able to use it multiple times for such little cost is a great deal. I like it a lot. Combo it with frost trap to guarantee 6 damage! Oh yea it can lay on burns too!
Conjurations
Ice Spikes
1 air and 1 water
6 mana, quick, 0-0 range, Zone
0 armor, 6 health, Melting 2, Frost Immunity
When a non-frost creature in this zone activates, it receives 2 points of direct frost damage. Flame attacks against ice spikes roll 2 additional dice.
Thoughts:
Not sure how popular this will be in arena. This hurts everything unless its frost. It could be used as a semi zone attack. With one or two attacks it could deal out 4 direct frost damage. So it could be more
Freeze Weapon
1 air or 1 water
4 mana, quick 0-0 Range, minor weapon or shield equipment
0 armor, 5 life, Melting 2, Frost Immunity
Increase Freeze Weapon’s cost by 2 if the target equipment is level 2. This equipment is Disabled and cannot be replaced. Flame attacks against Freeze Weapon roll 2 additional dice.
Thoughts:
Freeze equipment is a pretty good option if it is in school for your mage. Downside it is 0-0 range. Naiya or any aggressive mage could use this pretty effectively imo. In school spell it is useful otherwise you may want to just use dissolve. Biggest upside is it can bypass nullify. Downside is with a mage throwing 4 dice with their natural melee buff it could be gone in one turn costing you 4-6 mana. Not sure how much this will be seen in arena.
Creatures
Ice Golem
1 air and 1 water
8 mana, full action, 0-0, Zone
0 armor 13 life, melting 2 nonliving, frost immunity, psychic immunity, Flame attacks against the Ice Golem roll 2 additional dice.
3 dice quick attack, 3+ freeze condition
Frost Elemental
2 air and 2 water
15 mana, full cast, 0-0, Zone
0 armor, 23 life, Melting 2, nonliving, Frost immunity
Flame attacks against Frost Elemental roll 2 additional dice
5 dice quick attack, 7+ Freeze x2 condtions
Thoughts:
Both are fairly strong options for such low amount of mana they cost. Buffing them with deep freeze could save them from getting killed so easily. They have a lot of health and can both both burst the damage out. I like frost elemental a little more in regards to amount of attack dice and the 2x freeze chance is also really nice. They are fairly close in regards to damage output. The frost elemental will stay alive longer so it may depend on how fast you want to be targeting your opponent on which one you will go with. If your going full out frost strat you may decide to use both!
