We were finally introduced to Android 18 and the new Black Style Mastery today and the time seemed right to examine what else Android players might have at their disposal once Evolution launches. We welcome back Tobye with analysis on two new Android-themed cards.

Android 17 – Beckoning

Another Android ally to play with!  When I first read his power, my mind ran wild thinking of all the ways to abuse it and deliver game changing damage each turn, with a huge setup count.  Then I remembered the new Black Perceptive Mastery.  Hmmm. He will be somewhat more challenging to use and abuse.

Android 17 – Ally will be great in some extremely board-heavy blue builds, where you block like a brick wall while playing allies and setups, protecting them with Blue Belly Smash.  Then once established throw out a Blue Draining Blast, and unload with a one-turn-kill.

The less logical side of my brain wants to use his bracketed effect to rejuvenate an Android card, in a mad Lord Slug Namekian ally deck.  Running all the Android cards he can with Android Presence, and the old Namekian mastery, you will be levelling up in ludicrous ways.  Not sure what it will achieve after getting to level 4, but hey…

Android Presence

Known for their brazenness, Android Presence sets out to make sure everyone knows and fears the Androids. It is not only powerful, like all cards that allow you to level up, but adds a mental element to a lot of match-ups.

For example, if you are playing a physical beatdown deck, you really want to keep an opponent’s Android 18 on level 1. So if you see 4 Android cards in their discard pile, and have discard pile removal in your hand (say, a Devastating Blow), you will feel compelled to enter combat to banish those cards. Even if the rest of your hand is rather lackluster. This fear can play into the hands of Android players, who may not even be running Android Presence in their deck.

What is also interesting is you do not need to be an Android MP to use this card. While there are not many non-named Android cards for non-Android MPs to run, it’s still possible to get a free level with this card, and there may be some builds that find a way to take advantage of this.

I am very fond of cards like this which are potentially very powerful, versatile, add skill and fear to plays even when not in a hand or even in the game, and are thematically accurate to boot!

As we get closer to Evolution’s release, I am seeing a whole lot of fun and interesting interactions to do with the Androids, and expect Android ally decks to be varied and legitimate contenders.

– Tobye.

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Game on!

– Trent (@TAKGames_Trent) and Kyp (@JustKyp).