Sorry’s First Impression on the New Demacia/Noxus Cards – Heart of The Huntress Expansion

Bonehide Tri-Tail

Bonehide Tri-tail has the Cat subtype and synergizes with other subtypes, gaining +1|+1 for each different subtype other allies have. With a mana cost of 4, it offers a 3|2 stat line, and you'll want to aim for at least a +2|+2 boost.

The Overwhelm keyword makes this card even better, as you'll be able to use those additional stats you've gained to deal Nexus damage. Your opponent can't simply block it with a weak unit to preserve their health.

As one of the few cards that promote synergy among different subtypes, Bonehide Tri-tail foreshadows a potential increase in such mechanics with the reveal of Neeko.

Ravenborn Tome

Ravenborn Tome is a new equipment from Noxus with an intriguing ability—it copies the skills of its bearer. This equipment doesn't provide any health benefits, it only gives an additional 1 Power.

What are the units that benefit from having their skills copied? For example, Gwen can start snipping twice on the opponent's Nexus, allowing you to level her faster.

Miss Fortune can trigger her Love Tap twice, making it challenging for the opponent to block effectively. Meanwhile, Captive Greyback can deal a hefty 6 Nexus damage with its ability.

Ravenborn Tome opens up a realm of creativity, enabling unique and enjoyable decks to flourish. Including this equipment in archetypes that can capitalize on additional skill activations can turn it into a potent tool.

Captain Kalrix

Captain Kalrix is a 5-cost unit with a 1|5 stat line and Overwhelm keyword. A pretty low Power for a good reason...

The new Noxus unit has an extremely powerful ability! If Captain Kalrix manages to strike the Nexus, it'll damage it for half its health. This means Captain Kalrix can dish out a lot of damage if it's allowed to go through.

The Overwhelm keyword means players can buff up Captain Kalrix Power, allowing the Overwhelm damage to go through the blocking unit and deal Nexus damage. Cards like Elixir of Wrath and Sharpened Resolve work well with Captain Kalrix, facilitating its ability to strike the Nexus.

Additionally, The Darkin Ballista, a low-cost equipment, grants Captain Kalrix +2|0, increasing its threat during an attack.

Captain Kalrix finds its place in combo and aggressive decks, and we might witness its inclusion in decks featuring Darius, as it sets the stage for a leveled-up Darius to enter the board on turn 6.

Crested Lionhawk

New Bird subtype card! This one is on the high end of mana cost with a value-generation ability.

Crested Lionhawk is a 6-mana cost unit with a 5|5 stat line and the Tough keyword. At first glance, it may resemble a higher-cost version of Vanguard Cavalry, but its ability takes it to another level.

Crested Lionhawk can Manifest a Demacian spell if you have an ally with a different subtype. This highlights the significance of subtype synergy, which will likely become more important with the release of Neeko.

Without its powerful ability, Crested Lionhawk is underwhelming to play. This means you'll have to run it in archetypes with many different subtype units.

Mageseeker Junior

Denounce magic!

Mageseeker Junior embodies everything Stony Suppressor wishes to be.

While Mageseeker Junior is on the board, all spells costing less than 3 mana will now cost 3 mana to cast. This represents a potent answer against decks that heavily rely on low-cost spells as part of their game plan. Decks like Samira Seraphine will face difficulties setting up their strategies, forcing them to redirect their focus towards eliminating Mageseeker Junior.

There are a couple of distinctions between Mageseeker Junior and Stony Suppressor. Stony Suppressor increases the cost of all spells, regardless of their mana cost. However, Mageseeker Junior and Stony Suppressor shine the most during the early game, where cheaper spells are used. It makes sense that you'd want to focus on increasing the cost of cheap spells the most, so the drawback of Mageseeker Junior isn't that punishing. Furthermore, Mageseeker Junior increases the cost of 0 mana spells by 3 and 1 mana spells by 2, delivering even more pressure in the early stages.

Additionally, Mageseeker Junior performs better in matchups where increasing spell cost isn't effective. For instance, in a mirror matchup, the advantage gained from inflating the opponent's spell costs is limited. However, Mageseeker Junior still contributes as a unit with solid 3|3 stats. The same cannot be said for Stony Suppressor, as its 1|3 stats make it unable to trade efficiently with most opponent units, reducing its role to a mere chump blocker for preserving Nexus health.

Scrutinizing Sergeant

New Elite card that costs 5 mana with a 3|3 stat line. Although it may possess a seemingly weak stat line for its cost, its ability compensates for it.

Upon playing Scrutinizing Sergeant, you'll have the opportunity to select a unit costing 3 or less from the top 5 cards of your deck and summon it onto the board. This ability allows you to search for powerful 3-cost units like Blocking Badgerbear or Vanguard Sergeant, facilitating wide board presence and additional pressure.

This card proves to be a solid addition to Elite archetypes, contributing to their strategy of going wide on the board and pressuring the opponent's Nexus.