Ikoro

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Bell
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Ikoro

Post by Bell »

[Art Not Yet Available]


Type: Creature
Race: Deep Thought
Quadrant: Dynasty
Element: Gravity
Cost: 2
Power: 2000
Effect: [Blocker]
This creature can't attack players.
Whenever this creature battles, compare only the base powers of this creature and the creature it is battling.
Set: Secrets of Vrystales (CF-02) Uncommon
Flavor Text: not yet available
Writer Text: "It said it would teach me a lesson but we all know I'm not into math. Charge!" - Relentless Hanzo


The Element

Gravity creatures tend to have set, stable ways of affecting their enemies, and sometimes they go a bit further and enforce their own brand of 'stable' altogether. This is exactly what Ikoro does, using the power of gravity to change things, not necessarily in its favor at all times, but certainly in very predictable ways. Despite being relatively small and easy to call into the conflict, Ikoro does not really grant Gravity much advantage in terms of moving forward early. What it does offer is defense against opponents that come quickly, something that Gravity does not always have the luxury of. Unable to attack players, Ikoro can still strike at creatures, and therefore does not really have a drawback when used to build a defense line. Knowing when to use its ability to Block and when to let things move past affects Gravity deck play quite a lot if they include this card.


The Combat Ability

Though it is hard to discuss Ikoro's combat ability as separate from its effect, the basics are still the same. With only two thousand power as a base, it is not hard for this creature to be rapidly outstripped by the strength of others that enter the conflict after it, and matched by many that enter the conflict along with it. Ikoro should therefore not be considered a defense line in itself. It certainly is no powerhouse. Players should rely on it mostly to stop early swarms, which is a good balance between its power and its purpose, since it is an early card itself. Being able to attack creatures, and being part of the element that has the most direct access to the Toxic effect through the rune Toxin Matrix, gives this creature more of a sustainable combat ability, naturally, than its direct power rating implies. Of course, generally, aside from protecting it from power based destruction effects, raising Ikoro's power does nothing for its combat ability really, due to...


The Effect

Ikoro's effect, at a glance, seems quite strange, and to many, might be considered to serve no purpose. When taken in the context of what a player that uses it is trying to do, however, its purpose becomes considerably clearer. An opponent that intends to use small creatures and then increase their power in one way or another to push through defenses is completely foiled by Ikoro, yet another example of its suitability for stopping small quick swarms. Furthermore, though, there are quite a few creatures whose power rises innately by their effects, yet Ikoro negates their increases as well, with the tradeoff of being impossible to power, itself. Known 'buildup' powerhouses such as Sunbliss Hara and Wisteria find themselves at the mercy of this creature, and it is always a match for even Gaia Rumble or Jonas. Still, the most important aspect comes back to the original one mentioned.

Against this card, the opponent cannot simply add power to their army of early creatures and scouts with only one thousand power and expect to steamroll through your defenses swiftly, something that many decks with slower defense systems may have some trouble dealing with. In contrast to even Vibra, which also deals with small opposing creatures which gain power, Ikoro is not even concerned with if the effect granting the power is relatively permanent, such as Morning Glory or Sentinel Matrix. This ability to act as a deterrent against swarms even on the turn it is called into the conflict is one of the most tactical effects one could ask for.


Ratings

Casual: 9/10
While the other options available to Gravity are often equal if not superior in this mode of play, decks that are not relying too much on Gravity discard effects to wear down swarming opponents can benefit quite a bit from this card if they want to play some defense. More players are likely to aim for more powerful effects here, and direct power is in that line, giving Ikoro either a lot to negate, or leaving it as a steady small defender.

Tournament/Ladder: 5/10
Trying to use Ikoro in your own high level deck may pose problems if it is not a heavily Gravity skewed deck. Defense walls are often reliant on their own ability to raise power, and Ikoro's drawback is seen a lot more often here, when being able to raise its power would be practically ideal. However, for the cost, this is not too bad, and the primary reason that this card loses its allure at the tournament level is its lack of overall effect on the gamestate, especially with less 'powering up' creatures around.

Random: 10/10
In a RND duel where defenses are scarce, blockers are one of the most important possible commodities. What makes Ikoro literally perfect in this setting is the fact that it not only blocks, it also stops a very large number of the 'early powerhouses' that any opponent could be lucky enough to get. This advantage is overwhelming in two ways, firstly forcing many players to use up their removal on it rather than having the luxury of waiting for a big hitter that will stomp everything, and secondly, drastically reducing the urgency of removing those same big hitters. One of the most effective possible blockers in a random game, especially if it comes early.

Overall: 8/10
It's not always the first choice for its cost slot, but it is almost always the first choice for its particular job. Even considering the lower number of options for blockers within Dynasty in terms of power, this creature is something one would choose for more than the fact that 'there's nothing else'. When used correctly, it is one of the cards most devoted to its overall purpose, in the game, and best of all, is often useful in decks of any Quadrant in a meta with a high rate of use for power boosting effects.
In chats wrote:<Wedjat> Why is there no function for converting "antagonizing fools" into "delightful servants"?
<ri> you don't have access to defool.exe?
<Wedjat> It would be an illegal operation.
<Bell> SIGGED
<Wedjat> \o/
User avatar
Gohar
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:01 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Ikoro

Post by Gohar »

lol, the writer text is awesome, it should be on the card as flavor text
[10:37] < ri> his name is gohar
[10:37] < ri> cause he go hard
[10:37] < ri> playing discard
[10:37] < ri> no holds barred
[10:37] < ri> got that killa deck
[10:37] < ri> ya'll hit the deck
[10:37] < ri> but before you check
[10:37] < ri> it's way too late
[10:37] < ri> you already lost, mate
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