The exciting spoilers for Legends of Runeterra's Heart of the Huntress expansion have officially kicked off! Today, Riot Games treated us to a sneak peek at a collection of new cards, showcasing their innovative design approach and introducing an intriguing new keyword: Ambush.
I'll go through all the new cards and give my rating and opinion on them. It's likely that the new champion, Nidalee, will be revealed tomorrow, painting a better picture of how powerful these cards will be.
Unfortunately, all the new cards have been leaked publicly. However, I won't spoil the fun in this article and will showcase and talk only about the cards that Riot Games officially revealed.
The new Ambush keyword: Can be played hidden if you have no other Ambush allies. Hidden Allies are 2 cost 2|2s. You may pay a hidden Ally's Ambush cost to transform it into its base card.
Here’s my rating scale:
- 5.0: Meta-defining card, should prove itself as a staple in multiple top-tier archetypes.
- 4.0: Archetype staple, or auto-include in multiple archetypes.
- 3.0: A solid playable, could serve as a staple for some archetypes.
- 2.0: Could be used for specific synergies, or to counter some decks.
- 1.0: Unlikely to find its place in the meta.
Shadow in the Brush
This card is summoned through the new Ambush keyword, which means it will remain hidden until you choose to reveal it.
This is a powerful effect because your opponent won't know what the hidden card is and might regret trying to kill it with a spell or a challenger unit.
It can be a surprise factor on either defensive or offensive turns as you'll be able to burst speed transform Shadow in the Brush to its real form.
The fact that Shadow in the Brush isn't 1 health means it won't die to popular ping cards like Pokey Stick
, Group Shot
, Blade's Edge
, Vile Feast
, or Pie Toss
.
Blimp-Pack Poacher
Rating: 2.5
It has an extremely powerful ability, allowing Blimp-Pack Poacher to capture units with 6 or less Power.
It does have the condition of having to block or being blocked to activate its ability, and the opponent, knowing that effect, will most likely play around it.
This is where the Ambush keyword comes into play. You can transform Shadow in the Brush into Blimp-Pack Poacher, letting you catch your opponent off guard and capture their unit.
Although the ability is powerful, Blimp-Pack Poacher has a low stat line, making it easy for the opponent to kill it and get their unit back on the board.
You'll need to run this card in decks capable of buffing its stats to make sure that killing it is not a simple task.
All-Terrain Trooper
Rating: 4.5
I think All-Terrain Trooper will be a powerful card in the meta. It's a 2-mana 3|1 that allows you to give Vaulnerabe to the weakest unit.
This is similar to Rock Hopper
, but its activation is under your control. You can activate the ability immediately on summon or use the Ambush keyword to hold onto the effect for later in the game until a more valuable unit hits the board.
The All-Terrain Trooper's Ambush being at 0 means there's no drawback to holding onto the effect for later.
Big Game Tycoon
Rating: 3.5
A value card that Manifests a card with Ambush. It has a high cost of 7 mana to play with a solid 5|6 stats, so it won't be easy to kill. Storing spell mana and transforming Shadow in the Brush burst speed will ensure that you get value out of Big Game Tycoon even if the opponent tries to kill it.
Additionally, the card doubles the Power and Health of an ally that transforms. This is exceptionally powerful with your Ambush units, especially Blimp-Pack Poacher.
Big Game Tycoon isn't limited to Ambush archetypes but can find use with Transform units such as Gnar
and Teenydactyl
.
Anura & Froop
Rating: 2.5
An expensive card for its low stat line. However, it does allow you to set up powerful future plays with the mana cost reduction.
Anura & Froop needs to be included in decks that run a lot of allies with different subtypes to get the most out of it.
If this card remains alive, you'll have the ability to go wide on the board or even drop high-cost units a turn earlier than expected.
Bristlehog
Rating: 3.5
Basically a 2|3 unit for only 1 mana! However, you can't get access to the +1|+1 stats until you've transformed a unit.
This can be achieved easily with the new Ambush units but you'll have to wait until turn 2/3 to get the +1|+1 stats.
Bristlehog can be a solid unit in the early game, making sure to shut down aggressive decks or even dishing out some early damage.
Facecheck
Rating: 4
You're spending one mana to Manifest an Ambush unit that fits the specific scenario of the game.
So far, the Ambush cards revealed are all low-cost. However, the new Ambush cards with more powerful abilities will make Facecheck an extremely powerful Manifest spell that allows for adaptability depending on the state of the game.
Pakaa Cub
Rating: 2.5
A value card that creates a Pakaa Protector if it actually manages to strike the opponent's Nexus. The Fearsome keyword makes it difficult for the opponent to block it.
However, Pakaa Cub costs 3 mana to play and has a low stat line of 2|2. It could end up getting killed quite easily before it even gets the chance to attack. Getting a Pakaa Protector makes it worth the 3 mana you're spending to play it.
If you can buff its stats, Pakaa Cub becomes more of a nuisance and will force the opponent to have a Fearsome blocker on the board.
Closing Words
I'm thrilled about the new Ambush keyword as it introduces an element of surprise, forcing opponents to predict and adjust their plays accordingly. I'm excited about the upcoming patch and how the new cards will perform in the meta.