It's been a while since I did a Community Engagement Challenge and when I saw that this week's theme was Tasoshi Drakamoto, I thought it looked like a cool card, so why not give it a shot?
First thing, I need to have the card right? A look at the market gave me a shock! Not sure why the card images are not loading, but wow this price is pretty steep compared to most of the cards in the market? Is it a really powerful card or is the price just hype?
Of course, there's the rental market for a "cheaper" option. So I did a season rental at 3 DEC/day. Pretty okay for a test.
The version I rented was a Level 1 one. So at Level 1, Tasoshi Drakamato does 2 Magic damage, which is not that exciting for a 8 mana card, because 5 mana cards can do the same amount of damage. BUT BUT the extra mana ensured that it comes with slightly bulky stats, with 2 Armor and 5 HP, which is pretty decent. And of course, the stats alone still don't justify the expensive the cost of this 8 mana card so here comes the scary Sneak ability! I have often seen Melee cards with Sneak ability, and recently some Ranged cards have them too, but for Magic cards, this is probably the first time I am seeing it at Level 1!
What better way but to use this card in a battle to test it out! But first I sometimes like to read the Lore for the cards, so here's the Lore for Tasoshi Drakamoto:
Bren Palesworn and his delegation of Riftwatcher emissaries came to Oasis seeking the Gloridax Empire’s aid. The Conclave Arcana had begun its hunt for the secret of Praetoria—an ancient power buried beneath the land—and the Riftwatchers could not stop them alone.
But the suam emperor turned Bren away.
The rebellion had left the Dragonsguard broken. Cities bore the scars of war, their streets lined with rubble and their homes gutted by fire. The Chaos Empire still festered beyond the southern horizon. No ronach would be spared. There was no appetite for distant crusades. The Gloridax Empire had more immediate concerns.
The consequences came swiftly.
Ore shipments from the Great Lowlands, vital to the empire’s reconstruction, began arriving late or not at all. And in the Pristine Northwest, scouts, surveyors, merchants, and caravan masters all reported that imperial maps no longer matched the terrain. Hills had shifted. Forests had moved. Rivers had changed course.
At first, the Grand Consul dismissed the reports. Anomalies. Exaggerations. The ramblings of simpletons who couldn’t read a map. Delays were blamed on poor planning, bad weather, or unrest in the borderlands.
But soon, the disruptions grew too widespread to ignore. Too late, Imperial Councilor Skarn and Commandant Councilor Songale realized they should have heeded Bren Palesworn and the Riftwatchers. But they couldn’t bring the matter back before the emperor. Not yet. Not without answers.
So they sent the one who could get them just that. They sent Tasoshi Drakamoto.
Some say she once trained with the Dragonsguard. Others claim she is a descendant of Shiimya Khapri, the first suam emperor, or that she is not Gloridax at all. No one knows for certain—not her lineage, her age, nor even if Tasoshi Drakamoto is her real name. Her past is a shadow, her face rarely seen, and her methods impossible to trace.
Tasoshi went alone, without escort or fanfare, with only a sealed directive and a course charted for the Wild Northeast, where storms raged endlessly and tides rose to reshape the land. Her orders were simple: learn what the empire had chosen to ignore.
She moved like a wraith across the land, navigating the floods and conjured storms unleashed by Jicarilla the Rime. She watched the orcs fight from the highlands, trying to slow the Conclave Arcana’s advance. Mostly, she watched them die.
As always, she used her magic swiftly and deliberately, eliminating outpost scouts or caravan guards. Clearing a path. Silencing those who might reveal her. Sometimes finishing what the orcs couldn’t.
As she watched Jicarilla tear the land apart in her search, Tasoshi realized the situation was far more dire than the Grand Consul could have imagined. Nothing she did would help the orcs turn the tide.
But before she reports back to the Grand Consul, she might as well blast a few more foes with her fireballs.
That part never gets old.
So this was a recent brawl battle that I encountered, and as I like to test out new cards all the time, I thought this was a suitable one to try it out. For this battle, I opted for a Fire lineup and Tasoshi Drakamoto sat all the way at the 5th card, protected by the cards in front.
At the end of Round 1, I had one more card on the board. While all of my 5 cards attacked from the front, Tasoshi Drakamoto went for the backline. My opponent didn't fill a weak backline so the impact was that significant.
At the end of Round 2, things moved a lot more quickly. It was down 5 vs 2 already. My front hitters were doing a very good job with all the heavy hits and Tasoshi Drakamoto was just silently doing her job.
And it was all over in 3 rounds!
So here's my initial verdict:
- Fire has a couple of strong Magic cards, be it Djinn Apprentice at 5 mana, Technowizologist at 6 mana and Djinn Inferni at 7 mana. Tasoshi Drakamoto adds to the options and depth at 8 mana but it's probably the least preferred options given that it costs the most mana and doesn't deal a great deal of damage.
- Its Sneak ability can be an interesting play from a strategy perspective and can catch opponents unaware, especially if they field a weak backline, and if Magic cards are only allowed.
All in all, it's not a "legendary" card but like many cards, there are certain rulesets and certain type of battles that it can perform well, so it's definitely a great addition for one to have in one's card collection. So I guess it's semi-Yay? Hehe!
That's all I have! Let me know if you have any thoughts too!
As always, thanks for reading and have a pleasant day ahead!
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