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.
Overall: Tempys is one of the less synergistic factions but it has subset of cards that pair well with other factions.