Techfight Theoryguard:Nitpicking Techs for 

OTT & Pale Moon

This short post is just going to point out some cards I've been using lately. The tech cards will benefit Oracle Think Tank and Pale Moon.

- Subclan Crits -

Battle Sister, Muffin, and also Silver Thorn Assistant, Dixie, have a different effect ruling to the usual "If you have X, you may pay the cost". These cards instead let you return the card outright, then check for the required Vanguard. if they do not find that vanguard, they activate as much of the effect as possible; i.e., in this instance, they shuffle the deck. Handy for Silver Thorn and Battle Sister, right?

Well, how about considering using them in other builds across the clans? Magus, Susanoo, Harri and more can benefit in interesting and minute ways from critical stacking in this way.

Naturally, calling Muffin or Dixie straight from hand just to send them back to deck is a pure minus, but there are situations you can work around this, and turn matches in your favour- this wouldn't be the nitpicky-est of tech cards if it wasnt applicable in 95% of your games.

In most OTT builds (RIP OTT, I'll wait for you to get the attention you deserve), you will bully through your deck, drawing and drive checking. With very little deck replenishment available, Muffin may actually be a solution for that last turn when you have a few cards left in deck, and its all or nothing- send back a few Muffin, and you've literally stacked your deck with crits- you've a good chance of seeing them, and you won't deck out. 

Muffin is also nice because her effect might also let OTT decks tech in one of the Battle Sister stride when she's available- sure, the stride herself will be vanilla, but the critical's deck stacking, mass countercharging and slight power gain are nothing to sneeze at, especially considering there is room in the Oracle stride deck. Boy, is there room.

Dixie works in a similar way in Harri or Pure Magia builds, only you're not going to be dropping her often from hand. Instead, you can filter her through the random soulcharges, and turn those unnecessary Cat in High Boots later game calls (not as fun when there's no 5k sweetener) into a crit back to deck, before you activate Milward or Mephisto. 

It's all too easy to be a little overzealous with the Peryton and Cutie Paratroopers in the early to mid game, and deck out is a very real problem if you're not paying complete attention (it happens.) Dixie is forgiving of that.

-Personal Tech-

I might just have not seen many Nightmare Doll decks, so I'm unsure how creative or original this tech is, but Madcap Marionette is an interesting and useful card for Dolls, I find. On call it adds a card from hand to soul. This kind of minus for a specific soulcharge is mostly terrible in most other Pale Moon builds, but in Dolls, it has some nice synergy.

Firstly, he's a Workeroid, making him a friend of Beatrix. Secondly, he's completely optional. Thirdly, 6k isn't terrible in Dolls because he can be placed behind an active Jumping Jill or an Alice and hit for normal numbers.

In Dolls, I find that random soulcharging is never what you want. You want a Ginny in Soul, and Alice in soul, Catherine on VG, and an Alice in Hand or on RG. That's all. Catherine on Ride will give you one of those soulcharges, and Ginny is best ridden or even if you call her she'll swap with an Alice or Soulcharge herself. Beatrix herself can stack your soul if they're on RG, but by the time you stride, it's a little late for set up in Dolls.

Sometimes, things can go wrong. Consistency is shaky in Dolls, and sometimes, you're grateful for Madcap. He's a friend. Also, the drop from hand is fine because you shouldn't really be guarding early game anyway. You want the damage to counterstrike.

That concludes my little list of techs. What cards do you like to use?

- mawile

Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice:

 Genesis Witches

A decklist and theory guide

*J-Pop Intensifies* 

Grade 0 - 17

Fetter of Leather, Leyding x1

Witch's Familiar, Shiroma (Crit) x4

Lemon Witch, Limonccino (Crit) x4

Dreaming Dragon (Stand) x4

Witch of Big Pots, Laurier (Heal) x4

Grade 1 - 14

Witch of Quill Pen, Onion x4

Witch of Melons, Thyme x4

Witch of Strawberries, Framboise x4

Mythic Beast, Skoll x2

Grade 2 - 11

Black Snake Witch, Chicory x3

Witch of Golden Eagles, Jasmine x4

Witch of White Rabbits, Cardamom x4

Grade 3 - 8

Witch of Eagles, Fennel

White Snake Witch, Mint x4

Grade 4 - 8

Rain Element, Madew x1

Great Angel, Doombrace x3

Witch Queen of Holy Water, Clove x4

Grade 0 Overview

Fairly standard spread, crits help us to end games faster, and with the restacking capabilities of our Legion Vanguard, makes our drive checks likely to show something nasty. 

You might not find me so cute when you see me as often as you're likely to see me.

Shiroma works well, allowing us to selectively soulcharge something from top three- Cardomom/Onion/Camomile/Melissa all excellent choices - then drop the other two to drop, letting us legion faster with no need for any of THOSE turns where we over extend simply to kick our deck off. In tandem with Thyme, who has a largely similar effect, the deck thinning allows us to reach our dangerous state of "I'm all crits and PGs, baby."

Dreaming Dragon is a recent addition for me, it's currently in testing. Stands wouldn't usually work- but with Black Snake Witch being an inherently good target, and with Clove making all witches extra powerful, you can really stand to extend those pressure turns. It is Dreaming Dragon's effect you'll want, however. 

Decking out in Genesis is a very real threat, and a misplay or fighting a stalling deck can spell disaster. Dreaming will remedy this- he'll stop your deck from being the wonderland of crits it should be, but he'll also keep you in the game. So far, he's testing well, doing excellently against decks that can and will stall you out until you have nothing left.

Leyding, our starter, offers a rearguard to field, and then we can re-legion him back for recycled use. Testing will show if Prayer Angel is required for Clove plays, but out of the two, I prefer Leyding.

Grade 1 Summary

Onion is Melissa with clogs on. +2k on call if Witch Vanguard, a la Cardomom. She's a grey wollen jumper of sorts- practical, but fairly vanilla- worth running, naturally, as she's the literal upgrade to poor Melissa, and her +2k makes her a 21k column naturally on call with a Black Snake Witch or with an active Jasmine. Her "9k for a turn" also means she could be called front row if RG are reaaaally tight. Just something to think about.

I don't think Thyme herself even knows what is going on here. Very Melon indeed.

Thyme works like Shiroma, although she doesn't restack herself and replace herself with a card. She functions similarly- stack that soul, deck thin like crazy, so you can make the deck a manipulated pile of crits.

Stride fodder is fairly standard- you'll use Mint often too- Fennel is golddust and must be rode often to loop the deck, but having more opportunity to go into Clove is a good idea.

Grade 2 Summary

Jasmine can be 12k if you want, and she can give +3 soul for 1CB if you're super desperate. She's handy. Black Snake Witch is Mint's legion mate, and her 12k attacking status makes her good for rushing, not much else to say here, besides her easy 19k/21k with your G1s makes her real nice for RG sniping.

Finding it hard to be funny about this card. Think she's got rabies THERE I DID IT

Cardie is your friend. When you soulblast, she'll make herself appear for a counterblast.The population is super handy for our propensity for beating on down, and being 11k for a turn doesn't hurt. She's also handy because if your opponent is targeting your front row rearguards (and they should, because Genesis Witch will beat them down if they don't start to get rid of the powerhouses) she'll replace those with a wiggle of her bunny ears.

There's also the opportunity of getting off extra attacks- Mint, Fennel and Clove activate on/after their attack, so if you really need to push, and don't mind calling over your other rearguards- get yourself an extra lane- Onion and Cardamon are 20k altogether before triggers. Not to be sneezed at.

Grade 3 Summary

Fairly standard line-up. Fennel is the ideal ride, and should be looped endlessly to get that crazy deck you crave. Mint is less optimal now with the arrival of Clove, but if you cannot stride for whatever reason, and you've had to ride Mint- she still keeps up the pressure if you have to use her effect, and she can get you those extra soul charges if you need them.

Fennel Forever. You'll see her over and over again.

Grade 4 Summary

Doom Brace is fun, for starters- if you can't afford the 6 soul cost of Clove, are not using an active Fennel, and want to keep up the tempo while digging for that next Fennel ride, Doom Brace is your guy. His effect can work out as effectively costless, and he can even work as an interesting first stride, to call a few Cardamon and Onion from soul if you've accrued a few and your hand is less than stellar. In short, he's consistent and good.

Madew is a tech option I'm trying, as an emergency precaution. Want to ride Fennel again? Are all your Fennels either in drop, soul or damage? Is at least one in drop? Stride Madew over your current Jasmine Legion Mate, get that Fennel back, and carry on looping- and dig for one extra trigger check, too. Might as well get some crits going on, too. So far, I've not needed Madew, but with the options for our Extra Deck so limited (although still explosive) she can make a cameo appearance quite easily.

Clove hitting the town after getting her highlights done.

Clove, our new ace, is  powerhouse. For 6 soul, she hands out 5k boosts like candy and throws a crit at the opponent, attacking for 31 unboosted. And 43 boosted. 45 if it's a recently called Onion. Her pressure is amazing, and highly affordable. I'm going to test her at 4,but I'm sure that I'm being a little over-eager there. It's unlikely that I'll be able to stride her 4 times in one game, even with Dreaming Dragon replenishing my deck.

- - - 

In short, the Genesis Witch deck may not have been heralded as loudly as Mimi and Sinclair, but they are far from bad- they're a highly consistent, hard hitting crit advantage machine, hiding under the guise of beautifully adorable witches. 

They're going to be fun.

mawile  x