House Staples

By WonderWAAAGH, in KeyForge

I haven't spent any quiche on the 'bay, nor do I intend to in the near future, but I do like browsing through the various decks to see what's actually for sale. One thing I realized as I skimmed the various auctions is that there are a few cards I always look for in a given house, without regard to specific synergies or combos. Here are a few of the cards I generally keep my eyes peeled for:

Brobnar

Blood of Titans

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Dis

Key Hammer

Snudge

Stealer of Souls

Tocsin

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Logos

Batdrone

Quixo the "Adventurer"

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Sanctum

Bulwark

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Shadow

Bulleteye

Macis Asp

Mooncurser

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Untamed

Bigtwig

Inka the Spider

Witch of the Eye

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This list is by no means exhaustive, and in many ways not even competitive. So what are a few of the cards you guys look for within a given house?

Edit: Borrowed some strong suggestions from posters below.

Edited by WonderWAAAGH

Ugh... too many to choose

Brobnar: relentless assault, warsong, kelifi dragon (with good ways to play)

Dis: Gateway to Dis, Arise, Lash of Broken Dreams, Control the Weak, Restringuntus

Logos: Mother, Library Access, Reverse Time, Wild Wormhole, Experimental Therapy

Mars: Deep Probe, Chuff Ape, John Smyth, Zookeeper, Total Recall, Crystal Hive, Mass Abduction, Battlefleet

Sanctum: Virtuous Works, Grey Monk, Lady Maxena, Numquid the "fair", VaultKeeper

Shadows: Bait and Switch, ghostly hand (especially multiples), Subtle Maul, Mack the Knife, Mooncurser, Nexus, Shadow self, Silent Dagger

Untamed: Witches of any kind, Mimicry, Regrowth, Keycharge, Chota, Cooperative Hunting, Nepenth Seed

At this point if I open a deck with Sanctum that doesn't have GateKeeper in it I get disappointed. Not because I think it's a staple, but rather I've gotten at least 1 in every Sanctum set.

This is a tough one. I'll try to keep it to one or two. I don't really look at ebay decks (I will never pay more than $10 for a deck) but here's what I like to see in each house:

Sanctum - Inspiration, Raiding Knight

Brobnar - Blood Money, Punch

Mars - John Smyth, Soft Landing

Logos - Library Access, Phase Shift

Dis - The Terror, Dominator Bauble, Dust Imp

Shadows - Ghostly Hand, Speed Sigil

Untamed - Dust Pixie, Full Moon

I realized that, for some reason, I tend to gravitate towards creatures with solid-strong reap abilities.

Qualifications for consideration as a personal staple: reap, murder, arson, reap.

2o4z31.jpg

Edited by WonderWAAAGH
3 hours ago, WonderWAAAGH said:

I realized that, for some reason, I tend to gravitate towards creatures with solid-strong reap abilities.

I absolutely agree. Elusive creatures with "reap" shenanigans are my fave. Mars is great for this

Inka the Spider Play/Reap: Stun a creature.

Looter Goblin Reap: For the remainder of the turn, gain 1[A] each time an enemy creature is destroyed.

Ozmo, Martianologist Fight/Reap: Heal 3 damage from a Mars creature or stun a Mars creature.

Psychic Bug Play/Reap: Look at your opponent's hand.

Replicator Reap: Trigger the reap effect of another creature in play as if you control that creature. (That creature does not exhaust.)

Vespilon Theorist Reap: Choose a house. Reveal the top card of your deck. If it is of that house, archive it and gain 1[A]. Otherwise, discard it.

"John Smyth" Fight/Reap: Ready a non-Agent Mars creature.

Blypyp Reap: The next Mars creature you play this turn enters play ready.

Uxlyx the Zookeeper Reap: Put an enemy creature into your archives. If that creature leaves your archives, put it into its owner's hand instead.

Dew Faerie Reap: Gain 1[A].

Bulleteye Reap: Destroy a flank creature.

Tocsin Reap: Your opponent discards a random card from their hand.

Ganymede Archivist Reap: Archive a card.

Ulyq Megamouth Fight/Reap: Use a friendly non-Mars creature.

Yxilo Bolter Fight/Reap: Deal 2[D] to a creature. If this damage destroys that creature, purge it.
Zyzzix the Many Fight/Reap: You may reveal a creature from your hand. If you do, archive it, and Zyzzix the Many gets three +1 power counters.
Qyxxlyx Plague Master Fight/Reap: Deal 3[D] to each Human creature. This damage cannot be prevented by armor.

Commander Remiel Reap: Use a friendly non-Sanctum creature.

Grey Monk Each friendly creature gets +1 armor.\nReap: Heal 2 damage from a creature.

Nexus Reap: Use an opponent's artifact as if it were yours.

Faygin Reap: Return an Urchin from play or your discard to your hand.

Selwyn the Fence Fight/Reap: Move 1[A] from one of your cards to your pool.

Witch of the Eye Reap: Return a card from your discard pile to your hand.
Kindrith Longshot Reap: Deal 2[D] to a creature

Eater of the Dead Fight/Reap: Purge a creature from a discard pile. If you do, put a +1 power counter on Eater of the Dead.

Master of X Reap: You may destroy a creature with X power.
Guardian Demon Play/Fight/Reap: Heal up to 2 damage from a creature. Deal that amount of damage to another creature.
Snudge Fight/Reap: Return an artifact or flank creature to its owner's hand.

Grabber Jammer Your opponent's keys cost +1[A].\nFight/Reap: Capture 1[A].

Sequis Reap: Capture 1[A].

Doc Bookton Reap: Draw a card.

Protectrix Reap: Fully heal a creature. If you do, that creature cannot be dealt damage for the remainder of the turn.

Bigtwig Bigtwig can only fight stunned creatures.\nReap: Stun and exhaust a creature.
Troll Reap: Troll heals 3 damage.

Kelifi Dragon Kelifi Dragon cannot be played unless you have 7 or more [A].\nFight/Reap: Gain 1[A]. Deal 5[D] to a creature.

Upgrades

Rocket Boots This creature gains "Fight/Reap: If this was the first time this creature was used this turn, ready it."

Duskrunner This creature gains, "Reap: Steal 1[A]."
Silent Dagger This creature gains, "Reap: Deal 4[D] to a flank creature."

Ooh, +1 on Inka, that's a good call. Poison is just icing... or gravy... dammit. Uxlyx looks amazing in any deck that doesn't care about archiving its own cards, so kind of a nombo / Skornergy with Zyzzix or Logos.

Is there a critter with Poison and Skirmish?

Edited by WonderWAAAGH
6 minutes ago, WonderWAAAGH said:

Ooh, +1 on Inka, that's a good call. Poison is just icing... or gravy... dammit.

Is there a critter with Poison and Skirmish?

I know Macis Asp has both

33 minutes ago, WonderWAAAGH said:

Ooh, +1 on Inka, that's a good call. Poison is just icing... or gravy... dammit. Uxlyx looks amazing in any deck that doesn't care about archiving its own cards, so kind of a nombo / Skornergy with Zyzzix or Logos.

Is there a critter with Poison and Skirmish?

macis asp and mooncurser

2 minutes ago, Poposhka said:

macis asp and mooncurser

I knew there was at least one more I’d seen! Thanks