Counting down to #1– the top 10 spells in Factions: Battlegrounds (#4 and #3)

We have reached the FINAL 4! Today we will check out 2 more spells that I think rank among the best of the best. Check out the rest of the top 10 (to this point!) here: (Countdown Part 1) and here: (Countdown Part 2)

On to the top 4!

#4- PARALYZE

(Baazaria- Deathstorm Lich)

(Baazaria- Obayifo Aeromancer)

(Moonshadow- Malicious Hantu)

(3 mana- Place an activation token on an enemy unit within a range of 2 spaces. Remove the token at the beginning of the round as normal)

The second non-damage spell to make the list, Paralyze is a common, cheap spell that is found on a few different units. It is often overlooked, as it is one of the least-flashy spells in the game. Factions is a game of instant success and generally favors aggressive playstyles. Paralyze breaks that mold completely, which is partially why I think it is such a great spell. Paralyze completely shuts down an enemy unit. Wasting activations is one of the best ways to either formulate a comeback if you are down big or demoralize an opposing player to take control. It’s fantastic when used against the biggest, most dangerous threat on the board- but also works great to buy time on fast moving units that are closing in on backline Captains or spellcasters. At 3 mana, it’s extremely affordable and usually can be utilized more than once in a game, which is not something that can be said for a lot of spells on this countdown. Paralyze is one of the only spells that is designed for controlling the board long term- and that makes it very, very dangerous.

Due to the dynamic and frenetic nature of a Factions battle, Paralyze has to be used delicately. Enemies can simply change plans or recruit different units that change the scope of the battle entirely. Also, knowing where your units stand in the rank cycle is VERY important when using Paralyze.. If you use it on a unit but have no follow up to either re-position or weaken the unit, the spell becomes irrelevant. Overall, players who think multiple activations ahead will be able to use Paralyze in extremely effective ways. That makes it worthy of #4 for me!

#3- METEOR STORM

(Doom Sand- Anubite Astromancer)

(8 mana- 3 damage to all enemy unis on target Terrain Tile)

Throughout this countdown, I have favored efficiency and mana cost (the cheaper the better) when deciding on which spells should be in the top 10. That all goes out the window for #3. Meteor Storm is immensely powerful and has effects beyond just pummeling a Terrain Tile. 3 damage to a Terrain Tile is great, but what rockets Meteor Storm to the top 3 is the fact that it can be ANY Terrain Tile- not an adjacent tile or a home tile. This pure range means that no space on the board is safe. Meteor Storm has to be accounted for by opposing players when positioning units, and that opens up a ton of possibilities. Players might spread out too far and become easy targets for other spells or melee fighters. As the game progresses, mistakes are bound to happen and enemies have a good chance of winding up on the same tile. While it’s great in 2 player, in 3 and 4 player games Meteor Storm is downright catastrophic (for your enemies that is!). There are almost always multiple instances where more than 1 unit is on the same tile, creating major scoring opportunities. Meteor Storm is of course the most fun when you can hit more than one target, but that unlimited range enables you to let it loose as an emergency option to take out a single hard to reach backline enemy as well. Meteor Storm’s raw power makes it an easy top 3 spell.

The only drawback with Meteor Storm is the lofty cost. You have to make sure you maximize when you use Meteor Storm because it’s a challenge to consistently use more than once in a game. Waiting too long or casting it too early can put you at a disadvantage, both in resources and in victory points.

NEXT WEEK is the top 2!!! What do you think they will be? What are your thoughts on the countdown so far?? Let us know!