Charging into Everfest: Boltyn's Signature Style In A New Era

Welcome back to my Boltyn series on card evaluation! In my last article, we spent most of our time deep in numbers. And while we're here this time for a decklist, I've still got a keen interest in the statistics of card efficiency. To get you warmed up, let's take a moment and deal with the fallout from Plunder Run, our fallen friend.  What are we losing?

Quick PV math says Plunder values at 9 PV when played from arsenal, or ~6+ when not from arsenal… which you probably don’t want to do unless the situation is dire.  I say 6+, because cutting the PV of card-draw in half is likely less than the actual condition, since any of your attacks hitting this turn will trigger the draw.

9 PV is pretty darn good, so it's no wonder a generic card with such great stats could get banned.  Can we find another 9 that will fit our needs?  If not, does our 9 PV consist of effects we might find on similar cards?

Plunder is a non-light 2 block, so there might be some value we can gain by finding a card with better Boltyn synergy in those areas.  But Plunder is also zero-cost; it threatens card draw and provides our charge attacks with the physical damage increase they need for us to be able to gain go again from soul.  This is going to be tough.

Nimblism is still a non-light that blocks for 2, so no synergy gain with those stats.  However, it is a zero-cost that pumps our charge attacks for the same damage increase as Plunder, so it is serving one purpose- but without threatening the card draw.  As with Plunder’s condition, you’re not likely to play Nimblism unless the condition of your attack costing 1 or less is met, so we’ll call it 8 PV.

Seek Enlightenment also blocks for 2, but it's a light card so we gain some synergy there.  Like Nimblism, it pumps our charge attacks for +3 but without the cost condition; and it adds its own condition of the attack action going to soul on hit.  Some upside!  If it weren’t for the pesky 1 resource cost, Seek would be at 9 PV instead of 8, but at least it synergizes well with Boltyn’s gameplan of building soul and enabling go again.

Razor Reflex removes some of that synergy, but it capitalizes in other ways.  Another non-light that blocks for two, Razor sets itself apart by being a reaction that pumps instead of an action- but also with its ability to be applied to a weapon attack, not just an attack action card.  This means we gain the element of surprise and utility to pump Raydn anytime you slide it up to the attack chain.  When you do target an attack action card, however, it has the ability to gain go again if it hits, which can save you soul in return.

I see clear upsides to Seek or Razor over Nimblism, so I think it's safe to rule that out, even at zero cost.  The synergy of Seek plays very nicely into the overall strategy of Boltyn’s abilities, but at one resource cost Razor’s utility allows it to be more flexible, increasing your opportunity to use it when you might not have many cards in hand.  Ultimately I prefer Razor, but I think it depends on your build.  If you prefer Boltyn’s slow but steady game plan, Seek could be a fine option, as it allows you to build for payoffs later.  Test to see which card fits your deck.  As LeVar Burton says, “Don’t take my word for it.”

Let’s quickly review some other popular cards you tend to see players testing in their Boltyn builds.

Enlightened Strike is one of those generics that comes up no matter what you're playing, but it has some especially potent synergy in Boltyn.  Consider these two lines of play:

It’s tempting to want to play a high-powered Enlightened Strike with go again from soul, but I think it might be better to consider it for its own GA ability, or as a finisher for 7, which adds AV 3.5 to any transaction line. It can also come in handy when you’ve blocked with two cards and only have this plus one other card in hand.

An ideal turn with Dusk Path Pilgrimage might look something like this: 

However, this is only if the opponent allows it to hit the first time you swing Raydn.  On turns when you aren’t pitching yellow, or have go again from Take Flight, it will feel significantly more awkward.  At the one-cost, non-light slot, I think Razor might be the better option.

The PV calculation on Glint the Quicksilver beats the average.  However, the only scenario in which Glint is strictly better than average is when Reprise is active, in which case AV is 4 (go again +2 & card draw +2).  In all other cases it is worth 3.  Pitch is 3.  Block is 3.  This can come in handy during a Lumina Ascension turn, but at non-light is it really worth including for an average 3 AV in most cases?  Your call.

I really want Ironsong Determination to be good in Boltyn. A zero-cost, three-block that pitches for two, has inherent go again, and an ability valued at 3 is amazing… but is the +1 and Dominate enough to force on-hits on a Lumina turn?  This could be good in the end game if you need to push that last bit of damage through, especially when paired with Courageous Steelhand or Razor.  Otherwise it's just a non-light that blocks for three.

Before Everfest's release, I was still running a Raydn-only build, and playing Boltyn in a way that would capitalize on the V of the Vanguard turns I outlined in Part 1.  This meant the early turns of the game would focus on building soul, paying close attention to which cards get put in arsenal and which cards get fetched from the deck when using Beacon of Victory’s tutor ability.  Is your Tunic counter on 3 this turn?  Grab a Valiant Thrust, or even a Battlefield Blitz if you want to save a soul card.  Is your Tunic counter only on 2?  Maybe grab a V and stick it in your arsenal so you can push damage next turn instead.

Playing to the big turns and conserving your resources on off turns felt much more like a controlled tempo match, similar to poker where you could simply ‘fold’ your bad hands by blocking out to save life and soul for a better turn later.  Even though the meta included decks like Lexi and Oldhim that would tax with frostbite, it was fine to take off for a turn or two and come back stronger when the opponent saw their off turn.  And Boltyn’s strong hands can be strong.

But can they be strong enough when the carnival comes to town?

The talented heroes of Flesh and Blood did not see new talent cards in Everfest, and the cards Warrior did receive predominantly supported one-handed weapons.  Since we’ve been talking about Raydn, we won’t spend much time on those.  Let’s look at the main class cards Boltyn could consider.

Shatter looks quite strong at first glance, and rightly so.  The ability to destroy equipment is not something often seen on FAB cards, and in this case its value comes at a price.  I’m not talking resource cost, since this does not require resources to play.  It does however cost a couple slots in your sideboard, and its conditions are expensive.  

In order to break equipment, said equipment needs to be in a blocking state on the chain, and your weapon attack would need to be dealing damage greater than the equipment’s blocking value.  Raydn deals 3 on your charge turns, and opponents are less likely to block it, as the damage does not come with any on-hits or other tax to them.  This is doable, but niche, and there are only a couple heroes this might be worth siding in for: namely, the Guardians who run shields.

Sure, any blocking equipment has the ability to be destroyed, but is it worth siding in for matches where you need to apply pressure and might not block as much?  For example, it would be great to blow up a Bloodsheath Skeleta in the early game against Viserai, but is there a consistently decent percentage of the time you’d expect the opponent to block with it?  Is it worth 2 slots in your deck when you might be better off racing them?

Note: I say two slots because running one copy means you might not see it until later in the game or not at all, and at that point you’re better off running something way less conditional.  So I think it's two copies or none.

Considering the PV, Shatter is a reaction so we’d like it to hit 6 or above.  Between its pitch value and the 2 block, it hits 5, but with at least two conditions on the ability, it never fully earns the last point that would get it to 6.

Ultimately, Shatter worked well in a couple Guardian testing matches, but in a meta that strengthened other heroes beyond Boltyn’s ceiling, Shatter is not the gas we want.  The opponent’s knowledge that Shatter exists is probably more valuable than actually including it in your deck.

Helm of Sharp Eye is gas, but be careful!  If you hit a defense reaction or non-attack action, such as Lumina, you will have wasted a card and a resource.  The best times to use Helm are when you have resources to spend on a turn where your other attacks have go again (or the ability to gain it), or on your V of the Vanguard turns when you have extra resources from pitching blue, for example.  

You won’t gain an AV advantage in any of your lines from Helm; you should think of it as another way to get a card “in hand” when you can afford it.  The average value for adding a card won’t increase just from Helm.  But reframing the value potential might help you compare it to alternative equipment: running Skullcap can block 1 (minimum) or 3 (maximum), whereas Helm could potentially earn -1 (min) since you have to pay for it, or 7+ maximum if you hit one of your larger attacks on a V line.

Helm can be a great help when you’re going all-in, maximizing damage output of a single turn, but I recommend testing it until you’re comfortable knowing the right time to use it.

New cards, new build, new plan:  run hybrid, know your matchups, only block the crucial stuff. 

Everfest did introduce some new tools that sped up gameplay, just not for Boltyn.  The big turns we were previously saving up for can be 20+ damage, but unfortunately, these are turns that other heroes can now have multiple times a game, sometimes even back to back.  Boltyn’s ceiling stayed in roughly the same place, while others’ increased just enough to make us need to race without brakes.

This brings me to the hybrid build I decided to run for the Pro Quest season, which allows the opportunity to switch to Cintari Sabers when matched up against heroes that can outrace Raydn, like Viserai and Katsu.  Let’s talk about the big three meta matchups.

I’ve had success against Starvo with Raydn (70% wins), to the point where I haven’t needed to test Sabers.  The game plan is to just block, block, block and build soul until they have an off turn, then come in full steam.  They may take it all to hold onto a Starvo fuse, so be prepared to go back into blocking mode right away.  The good news is they will eventually run out of good attacks, and thanks to Warrior blocking well, your soul and wide turns will help push you through the end game.  Side out your Command and Conquers, Celestial Cataclysms, and the Saber package.  Keep a defense reaction in arsenal for the crucial blocks, and watch out for Ice.  Go first if you win the die roll, to tick up your Tunic and get a card in soul.

Raydn is still your weapon of choice here, as it can put in massive work against auras.  Blocking in the endgame and still having enough cards to pressure Prism will be difficult, so pop auras throughout the match to minimize how wide they’re able to go.  Herald of Erudition is their strongest attack, so block that out and be smart about assessing the rest of the threats when you want to take damage to return some.  Thankfully, Boltyn has a plethora of 6 and 7 damage attacks that can pop Phantasm attacks, so keep those C&Cs in your deck.  Go first, Take Flight and charge into arsenaling a card, and if they play an aura in response, swing Raydn at it since you still have action point after they instant.  Otherwise, simply arsenal, pass, and swing Raydn for zero if they aura.

Boltyn’s future lies in uncertainty.  Split damage that Runeblade heroes can inflict- as well as taxing on-hits seen from Ice heroes- are just a couple ways in which the straightforward, combat-chain-based Warrior strategies struggle to keep up.  Without proper focused support to talented heroes with small card pools, our beloved Boltyn could end up occupying more of our hearts than our gaming tables. Who knows? Maybe we’ll visit Solana sooner than later, and Boltyn will have his day in the light once more.