Dwarven Bracers (2U3): Difference between revisions
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= Strategy = | = Strategy = | ||
Dwarven Bracers | Dwarven Bracers is at the core of possession-focused Dwarf decks, including most Dwarven decks in Fellowship block. The strength boost and life-saving response on Dwarven Bracers make it a shoe-in for these decks. Even {{Card|Dwarf Guard}} reaches a respectable 8 strength with Dwarven Bracers, {{Card|Hand Axe}} and {{Card|Dwarven Axe}}, meaning a single {{Card|Flurry of Blows}} is often all it takes to overcome most minions. Should one of these beefed-up companions lose a skirmish, Dwarven Bracers gives the Free Peoples player an opportunity to trade strength for vitality in a pinch. | ||
Because the strength bonus of Dwarven Bracers can itself prevent wounds, it's best to keep the +1 strength from the Bracers on a main combatant as long as possible, rather than immediately sacrificing the Bracers as soon as the bearer takes a wound. Always sacrifice the Bracers if the bearer is on their last wound, of course; they'll get discarded anyway if the bearer dies! Likewise, if you have a copy of Dwarven Bracers in your hand or on a Dwarf character that is less likely to take a wound, then you can sacrifice your main combatant's Bracers and replace them in the next Fellowship phase, either from your hand or transferring them from a character in less danger. Without that luxury, choosing to put a companion in a situation where discarding Dwarven Bracers might be necessary can be a tough call -- particularly when keeping Bracers means allowing another companion to die. Bracers may be worth holding onto when there is healing around the corner, one point of strength is the difference between a win or a loss (for example, 10 strength defeats many of the Uruk-hai in Fellowship block), another companion can take a wound without risk of dying, or an expendable companion is already nearing the end of their use. Otherwise, losing Bracers is often the least harmful outcome. | |||
The exact number of copies depends on how many Dwarves you have and what the primary use is. A small deck | Its main weakness is that the benefit is split between two different effects. Wound prevention is a strong effect, and a small strength boost is always useful, but Dwarven Bracers will generally provide less healing than dedicated healing cards, and less strength than a weapon. It also makes your dwarfs more vulnerable to {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}, in formats where he is included. As a possession, it can be also discarded by cards that target possessions, but it generally won't be an opponent's first choice unless they're about to finish off a companion that Dwarven Bracers is protecting. | ||
The exact number of copies to include in your deck depends on how many Dwarves you have and what the primary use is. The more bearers you have and the more need to protect Dwarfs from wounds, the more useful they are. A small deck that uses {{Card|Gimli, Son of Gloin}} as a throwaway defender might want only want one copy, while a deck focused on multiple Dwarf companions could go up to four without much trouble. It's generally considered more useful than the similar {{Card|Endurance of Dwarves}}. While Dwarven Bracers have a weaker effect than the Dwarven rings from Reflections (particularly {{Card|Ring of Fury}} and {{Card|Ring of Retribution}}), there's generally little reason you can't play both, as long as you play only two cards per Dwarf to avoid Wormtongue or protect them with a strategy like {{Card|Slaked Thirsts}}/{{Card|Preparations}}. | |||
= Strengths and Weaknesses = | = Strengths and Weaknesses = | ||
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* {{Card|Gandalf's Cart}}, which can stow extra bracers away to be brought out when needed | * {{Card|Gandalf's Cart}}, which can stow extra bracers away to be brought out when needed | ||
* Recursion such as {{Card|Armor of Khazad}}, {{Card|Well-equipped}}, and {{Card|Honoring His Kinfolk}} | * Recursion such as {{Card|Armor of Khazad}}, {{Card|Well-equipped}}, and {{Card|Honoring His Kinfolk}} | ||
* {{Card|Slaked Thirsts}} and {{Card|Preparations}} to exhaust minions that exert to discard or otherwise remove possessions, like {{Card|Ulaire Cantea, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur}} and {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}} | |||
== Strong Versus... == | == Strong Versus... == | ||
* Wound-oriented strategies which don't depend on skirmish wins, especially direct wounding such as {{Card|Hate}} or {{Card| | * Wound-oriented strategies which don't depend on skirmish wins, especially direct wounding such as {{Card|Hate}} or {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} that could otherwise take out a key companion | ||
* Fierce minions or minions with damage bonuses | * Fierce minions or minions with damage bonuses | ||
== Weak Versus... == | == Weak Versus... == | ||
* {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}, | * {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}. Wormtongue places a soft limit of less than three cards borne per companion, and except for a ring-bearing {{Card|Gimli, Bearer of Grudges}}, all Dwarf companions are unbound. In formats where the Shadow player could be playing Wormtongue, Dwarven Bracers compete with not just weapons but also supplemental cards like {{Card|Hand Axe}} (both for its own effects and to enable {{Card|Flurry of Blows}}), {{Card|Endurance of Dwarves}}, and {{Card|Ring of Fury}} and {{Card|Ring of Retribution}}, as well as character-specific items like {{Card|Gimli's Helm}}. | ||
* Possession removal, like {{Card|Ulaire Cantea, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur}} and {{Card|Corsair Marauder}} | |||
= Rulings = | = Rulings = | ||
The response action of this card will not "stack" with the passive text of {{Card|Gimli's Helm}} to prevent all wounds -- Dwarven Bracers will prevent the first, meaning a wound was never taken for Gimli's Helm to prevent any subsequent wounds. | The response action of this card will not "stack" with the passive text of {{Card|Gimli's Helm}} to prevent all wounds from a source dealing two or more wounds -- Dwarven Bracers will prevent the first, meaning a wound was never taken for Gimli's Helm to prevent any subsequent wounds. | ||
= Alternate Versions = | = Alternate Versions = | ||
{{AlternateVersionTable|2U3}} | {{AlternateVersionTable|2U3}} |
Revision as of 13:04, 18 December 2021
Disquiet of Our People (2C2) | Back to Mines of Moria Index |
Endurance of Dwarves (2U4) |
Dwarven Bracers (2U3) is a Dwarven Possession from the Mines of Moria set. It is the sole member of the "bracers" class.
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Strategy
Dwarven Bracers is at the core of possession-focused Dwarf decks, including most Dwarven decks in Fellowship block. The strength boost and life-saving response on Dwarven Bracers make it a shoe-in for these decks. Even Dwarf Guard (1C7) reaches a respectable 8 strength with Dwarven Bracers, Hand Axe (2C10) and Dwarven Axe (1C9) , meaning a single Flurry of Blows (2C5) is often all it takes to overcome most minions. Should one of these beefed-up companions lose a skirmish, Dwarven Bracers gives the Free Peoples player an opportunity to trade strength for vitality in a pinch.
Because the strength bonus of Dwarven Bracers can itself prevent wounds, it's best to keep the +1 strength from the Bracers on a main combatant as long as possible, rather than immediately sacrificing the Bracers as soon as the bearer takes a wound. Always sacrifice the Bracers if the bearer is on their last wound, of course; they'll get discarded anyway if the bearer dies! Likewise, if you have a copy of Dwarven Bracers in your hand or on a Dwarf character that is less likely to take a wound, then you can sacrifice your main combatant's Bracers and replace them in the next Fellowship phase, either from your hand or transferring them from a character in less danger. Without that luxury, choosing to put a companion in a situation where discarding Dwarven Bracers might be necessary can be a tough call -- particularly when keeping Bracers means allowing another companion to die. Bracers may be worth holding onto when there is healing around the corner, one point of strength is the difference between a win or a loss (for example, 10 strength defeats many of the Uruk-hai in Fellowship block), another companion can take a wound without risk of dying, or an expendable companion is already nearing the end of their use. Otherwise, losing Bracers is often the least harmful outcome.
Its main weakness is that the benefit is split between two different effects. Wound prevention is a strong effect, and a small strength boost is always useful, but Dwarven Bracers will generally provide less healing than dedicated healing cards, and less strength than a weapon. It also makes your dwarfs more vulnerable to Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154) , in formats where he is included. As a possession, it can be also discarded by cards that target possessions, but it generally won't be an opponent's first choice unless they're about to finish off a companion that Dwarven Bracers is protecting.
The exact number of copies to include in your deck depends on how many Dwarves you have and what the primary use is. The more bearers you have and the more need to protect Dwarfs from wounds, the more useful they are. A small deck that uses Gimli, Son of Gloin (1R13) as a throwaway defender might want only want one copy, while a deck focused on multiple Dwarf companions could go up to four without much trouble. It's generally considered more useful than the similar Endurance of Dwarves (2U4) . While Dwarven Bracers have a weaker effect than the Dwarven rings from Reflections (particularly Ring of Fury (9R+7) and Ring of Retribution (9R9) ), there's generally little reason you can't play both, as long as you play only two cards per Dwarf to avoid Wormtongue or protect them with a strategy like Slaked Thirsts (7U14) /Preparations (7R12) .
Strengths and Weaknesses
Synergizes With...
- Durin III, Dwarven Lord (9R+3) and Thrarin, Smith of Erebor (12U15) , which typically get as many possessions as the Free Peoples can play on them
- Self-exhausting companions such as Gimli, Son of Gloin (1R13) , Gimli, Counter of Foes (8C5) , or Úri, Dwarven Lord (9R11) , which often put themselves at risk of getting killed
- Gandalf's Cart (1U73) , which can stow extra bracers away to be brought out when needed
- Recursion such as Armor of Khazâd (17U1) , Well-equipped (11R14) , and Honoring His Kinfolk (13C6)
- Slaked Thirsts (7U14) and Preparations (7R12) to exhaust minions that exert to discard or otherwise remove possessions, like Úlairë Cantëa, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur (1R230) and Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154)
Strong Versus...
- Wound-oriented strategies which don't depend on skirmish wins, especially direct wounding such as Hate (1R250) or Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul (1U231) that could otherwise take out a key companion
- Fierce minions or minions with damage bonuses
Weak Versus...
- Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154) . Wormtongue places a soft limit of less than three cards borne per companion, and except for a ring-bearing Gimli, Bearer of Grudges (9R+4) , all Dwarf companions are unbound. In formats where the Shadow player could be playing Wormtongue, Dwarven Bracers compete with not just weapons but also supplemental cards like Hand Axe (2C10) (both for its own effects and to enable Flurry of Blows (2C5) ), Endurance of Dwarves (2U4) , and Ring of Fury (9R+7) and Ring of Retribution (9R9) , as well as character-specific items like Gimli's Helm (1R15) .
- Possession removal, like Úlairë Cantëa, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur (1R230) and Corsair Marauder (8R57)
Rulings
The response action of this card will not "stack" with the passive text of Gimli's Helm (1R15) to prevent all wounds from a source dealing two or more wounds -- Dwarven Bracers will prevent the first, meaning a wound was never taken for Gimli's Helm to prevent any subsequent wounds.
Alternate Versions
Portrait | Name | Game Text |
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Dwarven Bracers (12U5) | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, discard this possession to prevent that wound. |