Thursday 29 October 2015

Moka Explains: Attack on Titan - Red & Blue!

Welcome Readers!
To some AOT Red and Blue deck list ideas!

 In part II of my coverage of Attack on Titan deck lists, we shall be focusing on looking at mono Red and mono Blue. As mentioned before, you can easily mix colours in Attack on Titan support but if you're new to the game or just starting at deck build, I would highly recommend trying a mono coloured deck then once you get accustomed to the game play and gain a good feel for what you want your deck to do, then proceed to mix colours; doing this, to me, makes it so much easier to keep your deck balanced and consistent.
 Also, these are only sample decks that I feel I would start off with, then slowly alter the cards and/or amounts depending on how I feel the deck runs personally for me, so please take that into account before reading onwards :D Thank you!
 If you missed Part I, just click here: Part I
    Red - Cadet Support: Mikasa and the Recruits!
 Now this deck list is what I have in mind at the moment so it may obviously change when I get round to a good time to play test it out. Although, the general concept of this Cadet deck list is to make sure there is consistent power throughout your attacks, with the odd defencive and aggressive flare with climax combos. Some red units, like yellow, have the ability to move during your opponent's turn to avoid them from being attacked; I really like this ability addition to the general effects as it shows how the cadets would use their gear to get away from oncoming trouble.
  Climax cards:   8
      - The Girl the World Saw   x4
      - I Can Hear His Heartbeat    x4
 I chose these specific climaxes due to the characters I chose to run in this build. You can easily swap these around if you wish to run other climax-based combos in your deck, so this part is always personal preference and down to what you want your climaxes to do; support a combo or act as a general climax card.
    Alternatives:
          - Same Class  ~  Double Soul Trigger;  [Cont] All of your characters gains +2 soul - works with "Bold Crime" Sasha.
          - Day of Resolution  ~  Door Trigger;  [Cont] All of your characters get +1000 power and +1 soul.
          - I Can Hear His Heartbeat  ~  Double Soul Trigger;  [Auto] When placed in Climax Area from hand, choose up to one Red card from your waiting room and put it into your stock, and all of your character get +1 soul until the end of turn.
  Level 0s:    12
      - "Strong Spirit" Reiner    x4
      - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Bertholdt   x2/3
      - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Marco  x3
      - "Battle Stance" Jean   x3/2
 Reiner is the Red assist card that gives all characters in front of him +500 power at all times. He also allows you to give one of your characters another +500 power each time another of your <Corps> characters becomes <reversed> which can easily damage your opponent's plans of clearing your Front stage. Marco is a quirky little character as when he is placed on stage from hand, you reveal the top card of your deck and if it is a <Corps> character, you add it to your hand, then you choose a card from your hand and discard it to the waiting room. He also [bond] with "104th Cadet Corps Class, Jean". Bertholdt is 3500 power for 0 cost so he cannot effectively be played if you do not have another <Corps> character on stage, otherwise he must be put into the waiting room. Battle Stance Jean is a typical Level 0 "suicider" that forces its Level 0 or lower battle opponent to <reverse> if he gets <reversed>, and has the ability to give one of your <Corps> character +1500 power until end of turn by paying the cost.
    Alternatives:
          - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Christa  ~  2500 power, 0 cost;  [Auto][(1) Put the top card of your deck into your clock] When placed on stage from hand, if you pay the cost, choose a Level 1 or lower character from your waiting room, and return it to your hand.
          - "Paving a Way for the Future" Mikasa  ~  2500 power, 0 cost;  [Auto] At the beginning of your opponent's attack phase, you may put the top card of your deck into your waiting room and if that card was a <Corps> character, you may move her to an open position on your centre stage.
  Level 1s:     14
      - "Battle Stance" Mikasa   x4
      - "Sore Loser Personality" Jean   x3
      - Hand of Salvation   x2    {event}
      - "Healing Goddess" Christa   x3
      - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Sasha   x2
 Now my Level 1 lineup consists of a nice defencive changer and powered cadets. Battle Mikasa gets +1000 power and +1 level when placed on stage by hand, and has the ability to [change] effectively when she is frontal attacked. If you choose to pay the cost, you may call up to one card names "Beyond the Walls, Mikasa" in your hand to the stage as a defending character. Hand of Salvation is the only event card I chose to run in this build where you may return a <Corps> character from your waiting room back to hand, choose a card from your hand and discard it, then choose one of your characters and give it +3000 power until the end of turn; a very nice salvage event with the ability to also power up a character as well. Sore Jean is simply a free stock-costing 5000 powered character that gains +1000 power continuously if all of your other characters are <Corps>. Sasha can gain +1500 power if you have two or more other <Corps> characters and also [Encore]. Finally, Healing Christa has the ability to give one of your characters in battle +2500 power until the end of turn if you pay the cost when another of your <Corps> characters is frontal attacked.
    Alternatives:
        - "Awkward Affection" Mikasa  ~  4500 power, 0 cost;  Now this card can ideally only be played if you plan on mixing Red with Yellow or vise versa as she is heavily reliant on "Eren" being on your stage: [Cont] If you do not have another character with "Eren" in its card name, this card cannot <stand> during your stage phase.  &  [Cont] If you have another character with "Eren" in its card name, this card gets +1500 power.  &  [Auto](1) When this card attacks, if "I Can Hear His Heartbeat" is in your climax area, if you pay the cost and if you do, choose an "Eren" character from your waiting room and return it to hand, and this card gets +1500 power until the end of turn.
  Level 2s:    13
      - "Beyond the Walls" Mikasa   x4
      - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Mikasa    x3
      - Mikasa Ackermann    x3
      - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Jean   x3
 Again, more Mikasa character cards to play with! Corps Class Mikasa is our [change] character that gains +1000 power - up to twice per turn - when another <Corps> character is placed on stage. At the beginning of your encore step if she is <rested>, you may pay the cost and if you do, she goes to your waiting room. Then you choose a card named "Resisting Fate, Mikasa" from your waiting room and place it on stage in the position that this card was on. Beyond the Walls Mikasa is unable to side attack, but at 8000 power base, she gains an additional +500 power for each of your other <Corps> characters. Then if you have "The World the Girl Saw" in your climax area and her battle opponent becomes <reversed>, you may deal your opponent one point of damage (this can be cancelled). Mikasa Ackermann is a trial deck exclusive card and was explained in the main Attack on Titan blog post: AOT. Jean gains +2000 power when another of your characters becomes <reversed> and has the following [Act] ability: Pay 1 stock and until the end of turn, he gains +1000 power and [Auto] When this card's battle opponent becomes <reversed> you may put that card on the top of your opponent's deck.
    Alternatives:
        - "Bold Crime" Sasha  ~  7500 power, 1 cost;  [Cont] Gains +1000 power if you have 5 or more in your stock. &  [Cont] Gains <Potato> on stage.  &  [Auto] When this card attacks, if you have "Same Class" in your climax area, choose up to one cards in your opponent's waiting room and put it on top of your opponent's deck, and this card gets +3000 power until the end of turn.
        - "104th Cadet Corps Class" Reiner  ~  7500 power, 2 cost;  [Cont] If the number of other <Corps> characters is two or more, this card gains +1000 power and [Encore][Put a character from your hand into your waiting room].  &  [Act][Rest] one of your <Corps> characters and this card gains +1000 power until the end of turn.
  Level 3s:    4
      - "Resisting Fate" Mikasa   x4
 Like a mono Green deck, this is your only Red Level 3 option I'm afraid. However, this version of Mikasa is pretty awesome with 3 abilities; her first ability is a powerup where she gains +2000 power continuously if you have two or more other <Corps> characters on stage taking her to 11000 power before assist or other power-ups. Her second ability states that when she is placed on stage by hand or by [change], you may put the top card of your clock into your waiting room so a nice healing ability to play with. Her final ability is occurs at the beginning of your opponent's attack phase where you may pay 1 stock and if you do, you may choose one of your <Corps> characters and this card and exchange them as <stand>, allowing Mikasa to step up the mark and protect one of her more fragile comrades: as also portrayed strongly in the anime.

 Obviously when it comes to decks where there are many cards to choose from, I can't recommend/state all of the possible and best alternatives for the colour/set so I encourage you to personally dig a little deeper into the set if you don't find what you are looking for here :) Best of luck!


    Blue - The Mighty Titans!
 Now this decklist is what I recommended to a friend (include the Green Hange card) and he won a very considerable amount of games with it; so hopefully it will also have the same luck to you! In summary, the idea of this Titan deck is to early game beat down your opponent, then while they gain some higher Level cards, you bind your time until you can unleash the ultimate Titan: the Colossal Titan!! Along with the assisting havoc that the Female Titan brings, she has a few tricks of her own to mess around with your opponent.
  Climax cards:   8
      - Subjugation     x4
      - And, in 850...    x4
 Seeing as there is only 2 Blue Climaxes for AOT out to date, these are the only choices you have sadly. However, they make up for it by being part of some amazingly powerful combos throughout the Blue Titans. Subjugation is a Draw/Book Trigger Climax, but does have the ability to give all of your characters +1000 power and +1 soul until the end of turn. 850 is a both a Soul and Treasure Trigger climax, and has the same ability as Subjugation. The treasure ability allows that climax to go to your hand instead of to Stock when triggered meaning you can slowly build your hand for the mega combo of the deck.
  Level 0s:   11
      - "Towering Threat" Titan   x4
      - "Predation" Titan    x7
  Now one of the best things I found about the Blue Titan build is how the deck portrays the real Titans in the anime as they keep on coming regardless of how many is slain by the Corps. What I mean by this is that you may run as many as Predation and Invasion Titans as you possibly want in the deck. Towering is a nice early game support card as it gives your other character in the middle position of the centre stage +1000 power and also has the [Act] ability to search your deck for up to one <Titan> character, reveal and add it to your hand if you pay the cost of 2 stock and <resting> Towering; also shuffle your deck afterwards.
    Alternatives:
          - "No. 1 Oddball" Hange  ~  2000 power, 0 cost;  [Auto][(1) Put a card from your hand into your waiting room] When placed on stage from your hand, if you pay the cost, search your deck for up to one <Corps> or <Titan> character, reveal and add it to your hand, and shuffle your deck afterwards.
          - "Captured Titan" Sawney  ~  1500 power, 0 cost;  [Auto] When placed on the stage by hand, you may put X cards from the top of your deck into your Waiting Room. X is equal to the amount of <Titan> characters you have.  &  [Auto][Put a card from your hand into your Waiting Room] When placed on stage from your hand, if you pay the cost, choose one of your characters and that characters gets +1500 power until the end of your opponent's next turn.
  Level 1s:    13
      - "Invasion" Titan  x7
      - "Cruel Smile" Titan   x3
      - Forest of Giant Trees   x3    {event}
 Now Cruel cannot side attack, but at 7000 power, he's pretty nice to have out as soon as possible once your lower Titans are destroyed; especially as he also has [Encore]. As for Forest, it allows you to search for up to two <Titan> character from your deck and add them to your hand, and the only cost it has is to discard a card and put it into the waiting room. A very nice event card to allow you to find the missing pieces to your puzzle! 
    Alternatives:
        - "Overwhelming Power" Female Titan  ~  2000 power, 1 cost;  [Backup] +1500 power  &  [Auto] When this card is used as [Backup], if the number of <Titan> characters you have is three or more, choose one of your characters in battle and that character gets +1500 power until the end of turn.
  Level 2s:    12
      - "Broken Wall" Colossal Titan   x4
      - "Threat to Humanity" Colossal Titan   x4
      - "High Intellect" Female Titan   x4
 For this Level 2 line up, there isn't much going on in terms of physical attack brutality as Threat and Broken cannot attack without Stature on the stage; Threat has abilities that focus around the other pieces of the Colossal Titan where if it is on the Left position on stage, it gives the other two piece +1000 power at all times. Also, if you pay the cost when this card attacks and the climax "And, in 850..." is in the climax area, all of your <Titan> characters get +3500 power until the end of turn. Broken has similar skills where he gives Threat and Stature Titan +1000 power each if he is on the Right position of your centre stage. Again focusing around "850..." when he attacks you may draw a card.
 Please find other important details on Threat and Broken with Statures description.
 However, the Female Titan can be a game winner. She gives all of your other <Titan> characters +1000 power at all times, also when you place a climax card in your climax area, you may pay the cost and if you do, you deal your opponent a huge five damage. Although that damage can be cancelled (if it is you just thin out their deck which can be a good thing), it may also not be cancelled and can finish the game! You may also <rest> her as an [Act] and if you do, she gives one of your <Titan> characters +1000 power until the end of turn.
    Alternatives:
        - "Hard Exterior" Armored Titan   ~  7000 power, 1 cost;  [Cont] If all of your characters are <Titan>, this gains +2000 power.  &  [Auto][Put the top card of your deck into your clock] When this card's battle opponent becomes <reversed>, if you pay the cost, draw a card.
       - Spreading War, Colossal Titan  ~  10000 power, 2 cost;  [Auto][Put a Level 0 or lower character from your stage into your waiting room] When this card is placed on stage from hand, you may pay the cost to keep him. If you do not, he gets sent to your waiting room. Also, he is a +2 soul character with a soul trigger.
  Level 3s:    6
      - "Enormous Stature" Colossal Titan   x4
      - "Plan of Capture" Female Titan   x2
 Now you don't have to run the Female Titan supporting Level 3 in this build, but as an iconic character in the anime, I really wanted to run at least 2 of her in this deck as it gain me another option to play with if the Colossal Titan focus doesn't go to plan. Colossal Titan has 3 wordy abilities: the first states that if "Threat" and "Broken" (the Level 2 pieces) are on your stage, Stature gets -1 level while in your hand; enabling the other pieces of the puzzle to get going! The second ability states that continuously during your opponent's turn, if Stature is in your centre stage and not <reversed>, "Threat" and "Broken" cannot become <reversed>; making them highly problematic for your opponent. The third and final ability of Stature is climax based - And, in 850... - and at the beginning of your encore step, you may pay the cost of putting that climax into your waiting room and if you do, return the top card of your clock into your hand and this card gets +3000 power until the end of your opponent's next turn; making the Colossal Titan 16000+ power easy during your opponent's turn if you have the right set up. 

 However, you must take into account that if the Colossal Titan head is gets <reversed> and slain to the waiting room, "Threat" and "Broken" automatically will lose its indestructibility and will also follow suit to the waiting room.
 The Female Titan also has 3 abilities: the first forces the character in front of her to have -1 soul continuously. Her second ability is climax based - Subjugation - because when she attacks with that particular climax in the Climax area, if all of your characters are <Titans>, draw a card, and until your opponent's next turn, the character facing her gets -1 soul. Her final ability revolves around being frontal attacked where you may discard a <Titan> character from your hand into the waiting room and if you do, she gains +2500 power until end of turn; so a very nice defencive ability there, especially when combined with that Blue [Backup] card!

 The Titans are forever ruthless and ready to cause problems for their Corps counterparts, and the Cadets have a long way to go before they can truly take down the Colossal Titan... right? Or perhaps they are ready to take him down to size or two! 
 Show your opponent that you have confidence in your build, and let them Cadets sore to victory, or those Titans smash through their defences! 
 Now I hope these deck lists have helped you with something you might have been stuck on before and that the details of each as aided you with learning how to use those cards to bet of their ability and potential.

   Anyway, that's all from me readers!   Take care and see you next time!
      Moka x x

No comments:

Post a Comment