That’s the Trick
A Guide to Shadow Trickster

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Empyrea comes with some new shadow spells! Wizards will be invited to speak to Velma Von Venkman who has an offer you can’t refuse (You literally can’t — it’s part of the main quest line). She will introduce you to the Shadow Trickster, the star of today’s article.

The Basics

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The Shadow Trickster is the 4th shadow transformation along the lines of shadow shrike, shadow seraph, and shadow sentinel. As such it follows these basic mechanics:

• Lasts for 3 of your turns
• Starts with 30 backlash (30% of our health)
• Backlash decreases by 10 (10% of our health) when you cast a spell it “likes”
• Performing a “dislike” increases backlash by 10% to a max of 30%

Function

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The passive effect of Shadow Trickster provides a whopping additional 60% universal critical at the cost of 30% universal block.

The Shadow Trickster has the unique “Trick 1” mechanic. When casting certain spells, the Shadow Trickster will perform “Trick 1”. Trick 1 will remove one pip or power pip from your opponent and give you one pip. Note that the Trick 1 mechanic will steal a white pip first if available and will always award the caster a white pip.

Neutral
(Italicized Spells cast Trick 1)

• Traps (Damage Buffs only)
• Blades
• Bubbles
• Non-Damaging Utility Spells
• Sacrifice

Special Mechanics

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The Trick 1 Function will only activate with certain likes. All likes will decrease backlash but only drains and weaknesses will decrease backlash AND trigger Trick 1.

You will notice in the above list that traps are neutral. However, traps are unique in that they are neutral because they increase AND decrease backlash by 10%. Other neutral spells simply have no effect on backlash. Traps are also unique in that they activate Trick 1 despite being neutral.

Shadow Trickster’s backlash can only decrease by 10% per cast even if the spell cast contains more than one like. For example, using brimstone revenant under shadow shrike will reduce backlash by 20% because it contains 2 likes (hit and trap). However casting luminous weaver under shadow trickster will only reduce backlash by 10% despite the spell containing 2 likes (hit and weakness).

Shadow Trickster will react to spells that contain both a like and a dislike (such as Sabertooth or Wings of Fate) by decreasing backlash -10 and then increasing it +10, effectively making these spells neutral.

Like all shadow transformation spells, pet cards will not trigger likes/dislikes or additional mechanics (example: a pet trap will not trigger Trick 1).

Will You be Using the Shadow Trickster?
Let Us Know in the Comments Below!

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