We have the initial images for our new FanZ Masteries. While zipping around on a golf cart at my summer job I had a few thoughts on these new additions. Many Masteries allow players to take additional actions per combat. The Set 13 Masteries certainly fall into that mold.

The Set 13 Masteries:

1. Provide an outlet for cards in hand which may not be serving a positive purpose in combat.
2. Increase the fun factor by recycling cards for consistent play and empower archetypes already established in the card pool.

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Handy Work

 

Three of the Masteries utilize cards from the hand to perform different actions. This kind of hand cycling has tremendous value–Orange Energetic ditching a Drill on defense to apply more damage; Manipulative revealing a tech or anger-gaining attack to swing combat momentum and prevent damage; Commanding exchanging an extra block or other dead draw to throw an additional attack in combat.

Retro has done its due diligence in finding cards which sync with the Set 13 Masteries from the existing card pool

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

As the power level of personalities and attacks increases, plans must be made to not quicken the game too much. As a mid-range player, I love when matches hit the sweet spot of both players’ decks working leading to crucial decision points for each player.

The above three masteries allow for recycling of cards from your discard pile. While we must never forget the Card of Forever, accessing cards which have already been used or were lost to damage is incredibly valuable. Competitive deck-lists have always been tight, but these new masteries can vastly improve a deck’s consistency.

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Set 13 Just Days Away

In short, I had a lot more thoughts on these masteries, but I am cutting my analysis to a close in order to bring you another preview. I’ll summarize some final thoughts here though, our new masteries should bring some added fun and “feel good” play to FanZ. Players have more options in combat, including some pretty brand new effects (Black Manipulative Mastery). More options brings more hope to get out of tough situations or to push your advantage just a little bit farther.

I’m personally excited for the Set 13 meta and even more excited for the Tournament of Power!

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The Preview

While this card is clearly designed with Manipulative in mind, I am buzzing trying to apply it to Mischievous Mastery (possibly still the strongest mastery in the game).

Broly comes to mind immediately. Local hero, Albert Hendrickson, has repped Black Mischievous Broly quite a bit, and while many online have said that the combination is sub-par for the big man, I have to disagree. Broly has some of the most powerful effects and Named cards in the game, so adding him to one the best masteries in the game should yield some positive results. The deck packs enough anger to MPPV and plenty of damage to keep up in the life card game. In Mischievous Broly, this card essentially gains “raise your anger 1 level” when revealed through one of Broly’s effects.

The only other ways I have found to fire this off with Mischievous is through these beauties:

Now, Black Protective Drill I could honestly see in some decks these days. Hand knowledge is so valuable with both Mischievous and Manipulative masteries. Knowing when to fire the random discard or which attack to cancel out with one of your own attacks can turn the tide of combat.

With Named card mania in FanZ Black Unstable Punch could see some action in an obscure combo build, but I will not be adding it to any of my Frieza builds for this card anytime soon.

The effects on their own are strong enough here, and we’ve all seen how potent a random discard can be, especially when on the defensive end of combat.

Black Piercing Beam becomes quite the tool kit in a Manipulative deck. On the one hand, the attack gets buffed to 4 life cards of damage for just 1 stage. Immediately, banish an ally or attached card (goodbye Gotenks’ Galactic Donut). Then, on Hit, go ahead and lower some anger, which we have to admit will be vital as the meta settles out. The Endurance is a perfect capstone to give this card viability in the Set 13 Black deck scene.

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Thanks for reading, see you on OCTGN!

-Tommy

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