Solforge Core Set Review: Uterra

Final faction, let’s not waste anytime. Other factions can be found here and here.

There’s enough life gain to keep him active and his level 1 and 2 aren’t unplayable without it. His level 3 is just straight up good.

Botanimate

Uterra removal. You’re not going to do any better.

Bramblewood Guardian

he’s good, he’s vanilla. You can do better.

Cavaderous Thicket

I’m rather underwhelmed by the poison creatures since I”d rather try to outpace the guys I’m playing htis to deal with and it’s just dead against armor.

Cavern Hydra

Like this guy. Decent stats, really good regen rate and if you pump him then he’s even harder to deal with.

Chrogias

His level 3 will still just end games. There are more ways to actually deal with him now though.

Cultivate

Clearly a build around card, good way to get value of out phytobomb

Deepbranch Ancient

There are two times when this guy will be relevant: you’re so far ahead that it doesn’t matter. Or, you have it filled with glass cannons and can use some beef. I think I prefer lifeblood dryad in this kind of role but it’s still decent.

Deepbranch Prowler

Hit them hard and hit them fast. Or try to stabilize a bit later on. This guy really drops in value the mroe you level him.

Deepbranch Bear Rider

Such a cool card, such bad stats.

Druid’s Chant

Lifegain is bad mmkay

Echowisp

This is powerful, this is also fair. If you have it, play it.

Enrage

This is the metric by which I judge all pump spells. I does what it does very well and levels very nicely.

Ether Hounds

Good way to fill up your board

Fangwood Ravager

By Uterran Standards this is not that good

Feral Instinct

I like this as a 1 of in some decks cause it gives Breakthrough, which the Uterran surge does not.

Ferocious Roar

What do you when you have a board of scary creatures? Make them even scarier. It’s good

Frostwild Tracker

His stats are bad, but level 2 and 3 mean you get 2 creatures for playing him so it balances out.

Gemhide Basher

He usually trades off with problem creatures, which is exactly what you want and is something that Uterra has a hard time dealing with

Ghostscale Cobra

Still not a big fan of poison

Glowstride Stag

Best Uterran common in my opinion. Incidental life gain is awesome and his body isn’t that bad.

Grove Huntress

Gives some pump, gives a body, decent deal

Grove Matriarch

You’re not exactly happy to play this but it does serve as a good engine card for sacrifice/death, swarm and Cultivate decks.

Heart Tree

All of your creatures are now harder to kill. They’re also relying on something that’s relatively easy to kill. I would have a better opinon on this if I had any.

Hunting Pack

There is a 50/50 chance that is an inverse Ether Hounds. It’s less likely for this to be better and you should do better.

Leafkin Progenitor

This guy is awesome during PL1. Once you activate him he’s hard to deal with and then it’s not long before you get board advantage. The only downside is that the later the game goes on the more likely they are to be able to deal with him easily.

Lifeblood Dryad

Decent on its own, pumps a full board and the pump is one of the bigger growths int eh game compared to level scaling.

Lifeshaper Savant

It’s a Shaper.

Lightbringer Cleric

It’s on par with Glowstride Stag.

Mossbeard Patriarch

It’s like Heart Tree but harder to kill and more limited in its ability.

Natural Selection

This is really hard to get to work. It might work in a deck that’s really dedicated to fill up the board.

Oxidon Spitter

Alloyin hate, you probably want one since it’s stats aren’t bad on their own either.

Phytobomb

this is better than you’d think at first glance since there are a lot of ways to take advantage of it, ranging from ltos fo death for a GGD, to triggering every lane full stuff to Cultivate, to Dryad triggers.

Primal Surge

It’s a non-Alloyn Surge.

Restless Wanderers

3 of or bust.

Rootforged Avatar

Strictly better Prowler in mono-Uterra.

Runegrove Guardian

I’m not a big fan of when you level triggered stuff. At least the Tempys card is unique, this isn’t.

Shardplate Delver

He starts off smallish and then gets big if they don’t’ deal with him. Good card.

Shardplate Mutant

Are 3 random cards out of your hand worth something that is at least a 2 for 1 and usually better/ Probably?

Soothing Radiance

This was better when it healed you as well and even then I didn’t really like it.

Spring Dryad

Building a deck around abusing this is viable to a certain casual/unheroic extent.

Swampmoss Lurker

It’s better than Fangwood Ravager

Talisin, Bard of Abundance

I like this guy in Alloyin/Uterra builds where you can hopefully skip his earlier levels and just get to the part where you overwhelm your opponent.

Toxic Spores

I liked this better when it was free and I like it more than the poison creatures since it can bypass armor and doesn’t feed grimgaunts.

Uterra Packmaster

He doesn’t buff as much and he doesn’t have as much health so he’s fair, but again still very good.

Wildwood Sower

Same deal as the other creatures that trigger off of spells. He’s probably one of hte better ones cause so much stuff cares about the tokens he makes.

Overall: Uterra has a lot of stuff going on, moreso than any other faction. I don’t think it’s the most powerful but it is the most meanigfully divers.

Solforge Core Set Review- Nekrium+

Week 2 and 3 of my review. First week can be found here. Let’s not waste anytime and let’s get in.

Blight Walker

Stopped by armor, slow and can be safely ignored. Pass.

Bonescythe Reaver

On one hand, it has the potential for 2 for 1ing your opponent. On the other hand, its stats are somewhat bad. He’s not bad perse but I want to be able to do more with my cards.

Contagion Surge

Nice combat trick, you might not feel like an idiot for playing the level 1 version.

Corpse Crawler

This guy is still good/arguably better since there are more creatures you want to sac.

Cull the Weak

My opinion of it this hasn’t changed since July. It’s still good and ever Nekrium deck should have them.

Darkheart Wanderer

This guy can be pretty annoying in a Nekrium/Uterra spell based deck as he grows.

Darkshaper Savant

Savatns are a really powerful cycle in general and this is one of the better ones.

Death Seeker

Nekrium staple.

Doomwing, Dire Drake

In a Nekrium/Tempys build this guy can be insane with flamestoke shaman, windcaller shaman and other effects. Otherwise he’s hopefully a 2 for 1 that I don’t really want compared to toher cards.

Dr. Frankenbaum

A build around card/a good source of reach in those decks. Otherwise bad.

Dreadbolt

This is really, really good removal.

Epidemic

Not hitting your own side of the board in exchange for smaller numbers is a nerf, manily in htat Nekrium didn’t really mind the effect. This card is closer to sonic pulse now, playable ,just not as good.

Explosive Demise

This card is somewhat deceptive, in that it’s a lot better than it appears at first glance. It’s a sac card, it provides a surprising amount of reach and can just end games and it doesn’t need to be aggressively leveled.

Fell Walker

Blocks better than Death Seeker, has a worse back end. Foundation of sac and/or stall decks.

Fleshfiend

This guy is still as sweet as he has been since the buff he got in the first patch.

Ghastly Touch

Best common Nekrium removal spell

Gloomreaper Witch

I feel like this has a place in a deck that can do a lot to minus power. Having never played against such a deck and lacking the ability to do so means it’s just a thought. Otherwise pass.

Grave Ghast

Limited fodder, nothing more.

Grave Pact

Closest thing to unconditional removal that Nekrium has. It’s not necessarily good, or rather I’m not that happy with it but it does get the job done.

Graveborn Glutton

He’s big, he trades, if he doesn’t trade he hurts and if he dies then he still hurts.

Grimgaunt Devourer

This is still the same powerhouse that he’s always been, now he just has more tools to make him grow big.

Grimgaunt Predator

So one hand he only grows when something opposite him dies, on the other hand, he has mobility, higher starting health(at level 1 and 2, level 3 he has better stats overall) and gets more for each kill than his legendary brethern. Yeah that’s a fair trade off.

Grimgaunt Spectre

Maybe it’s good in limited? Cause it’s not good anywhere else.

Hellforged Avatar

While he can’t grow to the same extent that Steelforged Avatar can, he still has a decent body and regeneration is pretty good. Also has a relevant creature type for tribal stuff.

Hungering Strike

It’s a combat trick, I prefer Ghastly Touch to this.

Keeper of the Damned

On paper he’s a good card, in practice I’d hold off on using him because of some rule/technical stuff that means he isn’t working as intended.

Lyria, Muse of Varna

Her actual stats are not good. The reason to play her is for the necrowisp lottery. In many cases it’s a pretty good reason to play her. the main reason when you want to bench her is against a cultivate/phytobomb deck.

Marrow Bat

He trades up well, he also dies to a light breeze.

Necroslime

Decent card right now, Kibler has stated this guy is really good in draft.

Necrotic Wurm

You can do better.

Necrovive

I don’t think this is worth a whole card.

Nether Embrace

In decks that have other cards that will trigger off of this/allow it to be played for free it’s pretty good since incidental lifegain is very good.

Rite of the Grimgaunt

On one hand, this makes anything into a Grimgaunt Devourer. On the other hand, it’s still asking to be killed before it can do anything and devoting a whole card to this effect means that you’re hurting your board position to be in a place where you can really use this. I’d rather run one two of the good grimgaunts instead.

Scavenging Scorpion

He’s okay, limited fodder.

Scourgeflame Sorcerer

I think this is too slow and fragile to still be good.

Soul Drinker

So I’m playing a 3/1 vanilla level 1 to get a 3/1 lvl 2 and 3 that can get huge attack and that I have to invest further resources into so that it isn’t dying to a light breeze? Or I can play something else.

Soul Harvest

This is the glue that holds my Grimgaunt deck together. I get more death triggers, I get Card Advantage. Not good in most decks though.

Touch of Blight

I don’t like Blight Walker, and I don’t like Auras. I really don’t like this.

Unrelenting Dead

I only this in Uterra where I can buff him and then take advantage fo the big regen he has.

Vengeful Spirit

Easier to kill, still trades up really well, in fact better than before. Solid card.

Witherfrost Succubus

Is Ghastly Touch on a stick good? Not really, the body is bad and activate means you’ll get to use her once in most cases.

Xithian Hulk

I’ts big, it’s primarily limited fodder.

Xrath, Dreadnight of Varna

Decent stats and you turn presumably all of my creatures into blight walkers? Yes, please

Zimus, the Undying

/the level one is bad, the level two and three make up for it, hands down.

Zombie Infantry

Good vanilla creature and relevant creature type.

Overall: Nekrium hasn’t really changed aside from the two tribal decks ti can make now. It’s still based around abusing sac effects.

TEMPYS

Abraxas, Avatar of Kadras

Shines in an aggressive heavy deck where you can use Cinderstoke Shaman to get him to activate when he comes into play. Ohterwise he’s not that great.

Aerial Surge

I don’t find myself in situations where I want use a whole card to just move something. This is the worst of the surge cycle.

Aquatic Embrace

Not worth a card, next.

Ashurian Mystic

He comes down, he beats, he gets bigger. What’s not to like?

Asir’s Blessing

It turns any creature into an Ashurian Mystic. Still an aura, still bad.

Avalanche Invoker

I’m iffy about the “when you gain a rank” trigger but he has high enough health to probably live if you play him late in a cycle. By that point you’ll also probably know if he’s worth playing in the match-up at all. Overall, not bad.

Call the Lightning

Cards that effect your whole board have to at least be looked at. Probably best in Tempys/Uterra where you’re more likely to fill out your side of the board.

Cinderfist Brawler

If he gets through then he hurts a lot. He also trades well on the defensive but is easy to trade with once he starts attacking. Very fair, very average.

Disinterage

It’s like Nether Embrace, but a lot worse.

Everflame Phoenix

Okay, at level 1 ti’s above average stats and has mobility. Level 2 is really bad but it can become level 3 when you gain a rank. And it’s level three is really good, can probably kill whatever killed it in combat and then it becomes a level 2 again, which can probably chump if nothing else. Yeah that seems playable, best in Alloyin/Tempys where I can skip playing the level 2.

Fervent Assault

I get mobility and something to take advantage of? This is actually good since I don’t have to wait for this to have an effect.

Firefist Uranti

Clearly best in Tempys/Uterra where there are plenty of growth effects to take advantage of.

Firestorm

So now it affects all creatures, doesn’t hit players and is in the faction that tends to have low health creatures. On the other hand it deals more damage, so it’s more narrow than it was before.

Flame Speaker

Maybe this gets played in a spell heavy deck? I’m guessing no.

Flameblade Champion

You have to respond to him or he’ll tear up the board. Add in granting him aggressive/making him bigger/mobility/clearing the way and he’s even more of a problem to deal with.

Flameshaper Savant

Best shaper.

Flamestoke Shaman

If he lives you can apply a lot of pressure and kills most a good chunk of creatures in combat.

Frozen Solid

Giving defender is really good, but it seems hard to really take advantage of the damage clause.

Glacial Colossus

Has Defender, not good, next.

Iceborn Fortitude

Messes up combat math for your opponent, keeps all of your creatures around longer and doesn’t nee to be aggressively leveled for its effect.

Lightning Brand

by large these spells that exist to grant a creature a key word are not good, this is no exception.

Lightning Spark

I was never sad to play this before and now it’s been buffed.

Lightning Wyrm

Not a fan since his health got raised in exchange for his power getting lowered.

Magma Hound

Best Tempys common

Master of Elements

Glue that holds a spell based deck together

Nargath Brawler

Buffing Health is fairly relevant and the body isn’t terrible, even if it is nothing to write home about.

Primordial Surge

It’s okay, there are better spells to play for similar effect.

Pyre Giant

It beats face in well but it doesn’t trade all that well. Maybe good in a rush deck?

Rageborn Hellion

How the mighty have fallen. Now that this is fair, it’s not all that good.

Riftlasher

Average

Rimehonr Charger

Meh, the only exciting part about this is that it has mobility.

Scorchmane Dragon

This hans’t changed since the closed beta days of being an utter bomb.

Seismic Adept

You only need one activation for this guy to pay off as you move something out of the way of your Flameblade Champion or similar high impact card.

Spiritflame Mystic

Fits right in with sac based Nekrium decks. Otherwise he’s just a body that might have his ability trigger.

Static Shock

So I get to do some damage, effectively slim down my deck and I get to play more cards? Yeah, let’s do that.

Stonefist Giant

Bland vanilla creature, next.

Storm Bringer

Randomly moving can just screw you over so much. And it’s stts are nothing ot write home about.

Storm Caller

Maybe this is okay in rush?

Stormforged Avatar

I think is this the worst Avatar. His creature type doesn’t matter, he can’t get really big and while mobility is nice it ins’t as useful as the other avatar’s keywords. You’re still gong ot want this guy in mono-Tempys which makes that analysis kinda pointless.

Uranti Bolt

It’s level 1 is worse, it’s level 2 and 3 are better and it still gives defender for a turn. In short, this is sis still really good.

Uranit Cyromancer

Average, I played with this for a bit in a few decks and wasn’t disappointed or impressed.

Volcanic Giant

He has a good body at all levels and he deals damage to the opponent if he lives for a turn.

Water Walker

It’s a glass cannon in a game that doesn’t lend itself well to glass cannons.

Windcaller Shaman

Can move guys around and has a decent body at all levels. Pretty good.

Zyx, Storm Herald

Either make him big or clear the way and he’ll do the job. Very good.