Aradel: The Lady of the Mists

“Quiet your mind. Listen to my words.” – Aradel Summergaard

Ashes: Aradel Week at PlaidHatGames.com continues! Each week, all week long, we’ll take a look at a different Phoenixborn and their suggested deck build. The goal of these articles is to introduce you to the cards found in the base game, and to give you a basic understanding of the strategy of each of the pre-built decks.

Ashes is available for pre-order at the PlaidHatGames.com store. Pre-order today from our site and get $15 off the retail price! Order from PlaidHatGames.com and get a free Dimona Odinstar promo Phoenixborn, along with her exclusive Rayward Knight ally!

This week we get to peer through the mists and take a look at Aradel Summergaard. Her deck, The Mist Guardian, features a strategy that no other Phoenixborn in Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn is nearly as capable of implementing: the horde! All week long we’ll examine the cards in The Mist Guardian and how they come together to overwhelm your opponent. There are links to articles discussing the other Phoenixborn found in the base game at the end of this article, but I can’t wait to show you Aradel any longer! And here she is!

What You Need To Know About Aradel

The Stats

Aradel’s statline is truly unique; no other Phoenixborn in the initial release has stats quite like hers. These stats provide insight into what strategies might work best with her and clue you into what kinds of cards might work best in a deck constructed for Aradel. Combined with her ability, these features provide a play experience that differs from other Phoenixborn in the base game.

Life Value 16: At a life value of 16, Aradel has to be more careful with the damage she takes than others. With the overwhelming battlefield she can amass, you might not even notice that her below average life value, but it is something to keep in mind.

Battlefield Value 8: Woah! A battlefield value of 8 is huge! It is the largest battlefield in Ashes, which means Aradel can have many more options for attacking than other Phoenixborn. Often, she will win by having more units than the opponent can deal with.

Spellboard Value 4: With a spellboard value of 4, Aradel can set up whatever strategy you fancy and set up a few back-up plans should the opponent play a strategy that works well against your main plan. Her spellboard is average when compared to other Phoenixborn found in the base game.

Ability: Water Blast

Aradel’s ability is straightforward, but that doesn’t mean it’s not powerful! For 1 you can deal 2 damage to a unit. 2 damage for 1 magic! As a side action! This will often allow you to clear away a unit that could block one of your units right before you perform an attack action.

Water blast is super efficient, and efficiency is something that Aradel's deck excels at!

The Gaze of the Predator

I only have one bad thing to say about this conjuration: I want to play it in every deck but I can’t because it’s Aradel’s unique card! At 2  for a 2 attack value and 2 life value, Blue Jaguar's price is fair. It’s ability, Gaze 1, however, is completely unfair!

Gaze 1 allows you to place an exhaustion token on a unit when it comes into play for 1. This is extremely frustrating for your opponent since they have to wait a whole round to use a unit they wanted to use right away. But the best part is that once you have more unexhausted units on the battlefield than your opponents, you can maintain that advantage.

If you have 2 Blue Jaguars on the battlefield, you can use Gaze from both of them to place 2 exhaustion token on the unit that just entered play, shutting of that unit for 2 whole rounds! Just remember that once the Jaguar is itself exhausted, you can no longer use Gaze to exhaust your opponents' units.

The Strategy of The Mist Guardian

With The Mist Guardian you will have more units than your opponents, period. Aradel will seek to destroy the units she can, exhaust the units she can’t, and make her hoard of woodland friends into daunting foes. Your path to victory is to deny your opponent the ability to use his or her units and swarm them with your army.

Tomorrow we’ll see what other creatures hide within the mists and how Aradel uses the mists to her advantage!

Thanks for reading!

Bob          

Game Overview Previews: Phases of Play, Attacking/Defending, Placement, Card Types, Dice Powers, Multiplayer and Drafting
Maeoni Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Coal Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Saria Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Noah Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Jessa Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Aradel Previews: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Click here to pre-order Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn and get a $15 pre-order discount as well as the Dimona Odinstar Promo Pack.

Written by Bob Klotz.
Bob Klotz is the lead playtester for Ashes