Awakening Impressions: Day 5 Variety Pack

Awakening Impressions LoR Spoilers Day 5: Variety Pack

Hey all, it’s Trevor “Shugo” Yung here and today I’m covering the next reveals for the upcoming Awakening expansion!

Day 5 includes cards from Bandle City, Piltover/Zaun, and Targon.

To see the rest of the Awakening reveals, head to our Spoiler page where they’ll be revealed each day until its official release.

If you’d like to see our expert breakdowns for the cards, check out the rest of our reveal articles.

Mechapulverizer

At a baseline, this is the best rate of stats we’ve seen on equipment so far, or any spell for that matter. But of course, this comes at the cost of an additional card. This can matter a lot in later turns, as playing this card a second or third time may not be feasible because of the discard.

However, we’ve seen Riot push the Bandle discard archetype for quite some time now. Mechapulverzier’s ability to continually discard could actually be an asset at times, as it helps ensure there’s always a discard effect available alongside the discard fodder.

Outside of that, perhaps the most suitable home is the good old Bandle PnZ Yordle In Arms shell. Discard that Flame Chompers, drag their blocker, and send Mechapulverizer to the face!

Back Alley Bar

It wouldn’t be an LoR expansion without a big clunky Epic-rarity landmark.. But it’s a fun one! Back Alley Bar gives us support for the classic random card generator.

I think it’s safe to assume that by the time we play this, we’ll have played at least one Back Alley Barkeep. So Back Alley Bar becomes a six mana 3/3 that creates two random cards.. Yeah, still awful, but it’s fun!

Now that last line of text does need a bit of clarification. “Your new cards cost 1 less.” What exactly counts as a “new” card?

If I were to guess, this refers to any card that you have not yet played during the game. This would make some sense due to Barkeep’s crazy random nature. We aren’t limited to a small pool of cards.. We could get just about anything.

Or, this is just inconsistent text and should be properly worded as “created” cards. Though given how specific it is and how it does make sense with the card, my bet’s one option one.

The Darkin Lodestone

This is an interesting one. On the surface, this is +2|+2 stats split across two bodies with the added benefit of potentially granting more. However, it’s a support card, which comes with multiple inherent problems.

Not only will we need at least two units on board to really utilize the effect, but both of them need to be able to attack effectively. It’s pretty bad if the equipped unit would simply trade or die on the first swing.

A key reason why Esmus is an effective support card is that it can usually attack freely without harm. Esmus solves half of the issues. Unfortunately, The Darkin Lodestone only amplifies them.

It’s definitely cool that there’s a backside to the card. Equipment cards look pretty bad in the late game, so having the option to play an eight mana threat is a real upside. And not only is Horazi threatening, but it can turn another unit into a 7/7 with SpellShield. It’s a powerful swing, but without Elusive or Overwhelm they are prone to being endlessly chump blocked.

Cool design, and perhaps good enough to be considered as a one or two-of in Fated style decks. We’ll have to see!

Seal In Steel

I’ve always been a fan of these types of cards. They’re the ones like Glimpse Beyond, Single Combat, and Noxian Fervor. Ones where you have the option to cast proactively, but are often best used as a reactive counter when your opponent casts their removal.

Let me take a step back here, as I don’t think Seal In Steel is quite in the same camp in terms of power. It’s definitely the most narrow effect of the bunch, and really isn’t something you’ll want to cast proactively. I suppose there’s some cute synergy with Ephemerals, but let’s be honest, we’re not playing that.

While it may not be card draw, removal, or burn.. It can create one heck of an equipment! Imagine your opponent casts Vengeance on your big Fated unit and you cast Seal In Steel in response.

Do keep in mind that we still need to play the equipment, and so we’re investing five mana to see the entire benefit. In that light, we can’t fully see this as a protection spell. It’s a way to preserve some power in the event things go wrong, and that’s pretty cool!

Shugo’s Productivity Thought of the Day

We’re often at the mercy of the environment around us. With the potato chips on the counter and the TV remote ready by our side, we fall victim to a scenario that almost feels predetermined.

Making the right decision is hard, especially when the wrong choice is the easiest one.

Instead of focusing on the right choice, change your environment and you’ll take the decision out of the equation.

Stay tuned for more reveal articles! To build your own deck, head to our Deck Builder.