Rogue Champions- Valkyrie Review

Brunnhilde (Alter-Ego)

• Asgard.
• Recover: 4. Health: 12. Hand Size: 6.
• Setup: Set the Death-Glow upgrade aside, out of play.
• “Not this Day.” — Action: Detach Death-Glow and set it aside, out of play.
• Comments:
  • There is very little reason here to want to switch to Alter-Ego.
  • “Not this Day” is handy if you decide to throw Death-Glow onto the villain for awhile and want to move it somewhere else.
  • Her recovery is slightly above average, which makes healing quicker so that’s a plus.
  • Visit Valhalla and Annabell Riggs are Alter-Ego only actions but they aren’t worth flipping regularly to make use of.

Hero Deck

Ally

• Annabell Riggs (1)
  • Civilian
  • Cost: 2. Resource: 1 Wildcard
  • Attack: 1 Thwart: 1. Health: 2.
  • Alter-Ego Action: Exhaust Annabelle Riggs -> search the top 5 cards of your deck for a Valkyrie card and add it to your hand. Shuffle the rest back into your deck.
  • Comments:
    • Useful for fishing for a needed card or just an extra card. If you plan to flip regularly, keeping her out all game has value.
    • At two cost, an excellent chump blocker for most games when you’ll rarely flip to Alter-Ego.

Upgrades

• Death-Glow (1)
  • Cost: 1.
  • Condition.
  • Attach to an enemy. Forced Interrupt: When attached enemy is defeated, set this card aside, out of play. If Valkyrie defeated that enemy, ready her.
  • Comments:
    • This is Valkyrie’s key component. Most of her other cards revolve around where this card is attached.
    • In addition to triggering other abilities, it also provides a reliable and cheap ability to Ready Valkyrie.
    • If she faces a bunch of low health Minions, Valkyrie can chew through them with ease by moving Death-Glow from minion to minion and readying herself after each kill.
• Aragorn (1)
  • Cost: 2. Resource: 1 Mental.
  • Asgard. Creature.
  • Valkyrie gets +4 hit points and gains the aerial trait.
  • Comments:
    • Extra hit points are very nice, essentially buffing her by 25%.
    • The aerial trait has no impact on any of her hero cards so will only have value from your aspect cards.
• Dragon Fang (1)
  • Cost: 1. Resource: 1 Physical.
  • Asgard. Weapon. Restricted.
  • Valkyrie gets +1 ATK (+2 ATK instead while attacking the enemy with Death-Glow attached).
  • Comments:
    • A key piece of kit. With an average base attack of only two, Valkyrie needs to boost her attack so she can quickly kill her Death Glow target.
    • The extra attack against Death-Glow target is a nice bonus. Many minions have four or less health.
• Valkyrie’s Spear (1)
  • Cost: 1. Resource: 1 Physical.
  • Asgard. Weapon. Restricted.
  • Valkyrie gets +1 DEF (+2 DEF instead while defending against the enemy with Death-Glow attached).
  • Comments:
    • This upgrade is far less vital than Dragon Fang.
    • Extra stats always good but Valkyrie prefers to not have to defend, either soaking the damage or using chump blockers.
    • Restricted is the real negative. I can envision decks where you opt to not play this in favor of another Restricted weapon, like Godslayer or Jarnborn.
• Flight of the Valkyrior (2)
  • Cost: 2. Resource: 1 Energy
  • Response: After the enemy with Death-Glow is defeated, discard Flight of the Valkyrior -> remove 5 threat from a scheme.
  • Comments:
    • Valkyrie does not have a lot of threat removal potential aside from these cards.
    • Five threat for two cost is a decent thwart value.
    • As they aren’t limited or unique, you can trigger both of them on one kill for a 10 threat removal.
    • The main value of this card is it is an upgrade. You can play them whenever and wait to trigger it when it would be most helpful. The villain about the flip and he comes out with a nasty side scheme in phase 2/3? Save it to use then.

Supports

• Valhalla (1)
  • Cost: 2. Resource: 1 Mental.
  • Asgard. Location.
  • Response: After Valkyrie attacks and defeats the enemy that has Death-Glow attached, exhaust Valhalla -> draw 1 card and heal 1 damage from Valkyrie.
  • Comment:
    • A key piece of her kit. Valkyrie is going to aim to kill her Death-Glow target every round. With the card draw Valhalla provides she can then replay Death-Glow immediately.
    • The heal is minor but can help her stay hero as long as possible.

Events

• Chooser of the Slain (2)
  • Cost: 0. Resource: 1 Mental.
  • Hero Action: Search the encounter deck and discard pile for a minion and put it into play engaged with you -> draw 2 cards.
  • Comment:
    • A stand out event for Valkyrie.
    • Very similar to Defender of the Nine Realms/Looking for Trouble but better.
    • You do not get any threat removal but you also don’t discard a bunch of the villains deck searching for the minion.
    • Also excellent that you get to pick your minion instead of it being random. This allows you to find one you know you can pop Death Glow onto and smash.
    • Getting to draw two cards on top is just icing on the cake.
• Have at Thee! (3)
  • Cost: 3. Resource: 1 Energy.
  • Attack.
  • Hero Action(attack): Deal 7 damage to an enemy. If that enemy has Death-Glow attached, this attack gains overkill.
  • Comments:
    • This card is very expensive. You’ll almost never want to play it unless it’s against a Death-Glow target.
    • Handy if Valkyrie starts the turn exhausted as killing your Death-Glow target will ready her and she’ll get to do some damage to the villain.
    • Useful in combination with aggression cards that trigger off Overkill, such as Moment of Triumph.
• Shieldmaiden (2)
  • Cost: 1. Resource: 1 Physical.
  • Hero Interrupt: When the enemy with Death-Glow attached attacks, declare Valkyrie the defender without exhausting her. She gets +2 DEF for this attack.
  • Comments:
    • A handy way to defend, get some damage reduction, but without having to exhaust.
    • More valuable when you play Protection.
• Visit Valhalla (1)
  • Cost: 0. Resource: 1 Physical.
  • Alter-Ego Action: Return a Valkyrie card from your discard pile to your hand.
  • Comments:
    • This feels like it should be a Support or Upgrade.
    • You need to be Alter-Ego (which she rarely wants to do) when you draw it, limiting its value.

Nemesis Set

• Obligation: Trouble in the Otherworld
  • Boost Icons: 2
  • Valkyrie cannot attack the enemy with Death-Glow attached.
  • Alter-Ego Action: Spend Mental and Energy resource –> Remove Trouble in Otherworld from the game.
  • Comments:
    • This is a fairly unique obligation mechanic. You do not have to exhaust Valkyrie to remove it.
    • You also don’t get a free flip to Alter-Ego, which means you need to flip to remove it but don’t get to flip back.
    • The two different resource requirement is annoying.
• Nemesis: Enchantress
  • Minion. Asgard. Elite.
  • Attack: 1. Scheme: 2. Health: 5.
  • Boost Icons: 2
  • When Revealed: Search the Encounter Deck, Discard Pile, and Set-Aside area for a copy of Seduced and attach it to your Identity. (Shuffle)
  • Comment:
    • She’s mean. As she comes into play, she prevents you from making attacks to get rid of her.
    • Her revealed ability is far worse than her attack. If you can manage it, tanking the damage until just after the villain deck is shuffled is worth considering.
• Side Scheme: Powerful Enchantments
  • Threat 2 + Hinder 1
  • Boost Icons: 2
  • Acceleration Icon
  • Players cannot discard attachments that are attached to friendly characters.
  • Comments:
    • This makes things even more brutal. Enchantress comes out, prevents Valkyrie from being able to attack with Seduced, then this prevents Seduced from being removed until you can defeat the side scheme.
    • Fortunately, at a maximum of six threat, this is a relatively easy scheme to defeat. Unfortunately, Valkyrie is not going to be the one to do it with her 1 Thwart.
• Seduced (2)
  • Boost Icons: 2.
  • Attach to your Identity.
  • You cannot make basic attacks or play attack events.
  • Alter-Ego Action: Spend Energy + Mental resources –> Discard this card.
  • Comments:
    • As mentioned this shuts Valkyrie down hard.
• Beguiled
  • Boost Icons: 1.
  • Treat attached ally as an Enthralled minion with a blank text box. Attached minions Scheme is equal to its printed Thwart and it does not take consequential damage.
  • When Revealed: Attach to the Ally with the highest cost without Beguiled attached. Attached Ally engages its controller. Otherwise this card gains surge
  • Comments:
    • You don’t want to play Valkyrie with a Leadership upgrade deck or team member. Imagine a fully deck out Yondu getting Beguiled.