Nidhoggr is, for sure, quite situational. His debilitation is a big hit on the team and 10 mana's a hefty price to pay. I'm hopeful (and actually rather confident) that Conclave Arcana will bring some nice synergistic cards for him. In the meantime however, I'd like to showcase how Nidhoggr can dominate a particular ruleset: Explosive Weaponry (aka the Blast ruleset). The main reason for this is his Execute tactic, which activates on any blasted unit with 2 or less health.
Against Tofu - 36 mana
Battle Link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_7987e8231e890028e018d36c334cce22
On onslaught of ambush in this battle gives an early advantage that the opponent's Tofu/Venka/Mantaroth-laden team can't come back from. Despite the highly OP units and a ruleset that is highly favorable to Venka, Nid takes this one.
Against Cryptic - 51 mana
Battle Link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_bc986d1bb8525af37afb8fb5080a962f
You may look at this battle and think I got a few lucky misses with the Night Reaper, but I also got several unlucky misses with my Delya, so it evens out!
Halfway into the battle, it looks like it's dead for Nid, but Delya's double strike Execute Blast goes absolutely nuts at the end. One of those battles that comes down right to the wire.
Back 2 Basics w/ Blast
Battle Link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_3122495383c9cf0df85a87d18cc5154b
If Blast gets paired with the Back to Basics ruleset, Nidhoggr shines even more... In this battle, Ghostlybg crushes me by bringing big guns that relentlessly Execute my poor Lux Vega's team.
Kitty gets 0 hits - 26 mana
Battle Link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sm_iLcFqtk7I1ulO2UwR5IQ
In this battle, Nidhoggr ambushes Kitty in a 26 mana match thanks to an onslaught of Ambush. I repeat, Kitty gets ZERO hits.
IV down to III - 44 mana
Battle Link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_b0b212ed1179f2ad9b5b502f23b0dc9b
In this one, which has a IV ruleset already limiting the team, I decided to take Nid and bring in 3 big dogs: Mantaroth and Rage around Oshuur. The battle unfolded perfectly, with Oshuur landing an early execute to give the momentum needed to take the fight.
Delya scores again in Ranged Only w/ Blast
Battle link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_86a537a25b10bc41e87e208e5c1a9153
I love this battle which again showcases how deadly Delya's double strike is when paired with Blast and Execute. The ending is awesome and goes down to the wire again.
Olivia and Helmet vs Cryptic
Battle link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_f368be624e3bf4d38aa81091f6f24715
Here's one where Olivia gets going with Blast/Execute. Given her dual attack and Reflection Shield, she's awesome in Blast rulesets. She mimics abilities on Blast damage and causes her own havoc, and in this battle gets to Execute twice thanks to Nid.
A finale vs Cryptic
Battle link: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_dc946ff6b29cafdbc8edde906d1c45ec
Here's another battle against Cryptic where Ambush and Scattershot shine under Nidhoggr's Execute ability. With Oshuur bringing some support and Tide Biter getting in a nice hit against Oshannus, the battle's pretty easily taken.
To wrap up, here are a few more images of Nidhoggr, courtesy of Midjourney. These images are created using the original art as the character reference image, using the "pop art with retro comic-inspired aesthetic" I tried out in my Valentine's day post.
