Aquablad's Card Review - Herald of War

This week I will review the six new cards that were added to the game following the Adventure Pouch announcement. Throughout the week I will give you guys my opinion on each card. Every article will have a list of decks which give these new cards a home.

The third card is Herald of War.

Herald of War gives Red a new toy when building around the Combat mechanic. At three Faeria he has decent stats but it doesn’t compare to the powerful Axe Grinder. To make up for this he has a Combat ability which empowers the next Combat keyword creature you summon by +1/+1. The more times you trigger this ability, the more power ups your next creature will receive. Combat decks are already powerful and Herald of War doesn’t offer anything game breaking to it’s arsenal.

Herald’s ability is very restrictive because it only powers up Combat themed creatures. He’s also contested by an amazing creature in the three Faeria slot. Underground Brigand doesn’t suffer Herald’s restrictions because his Combat ability will always be useful. When deciding which one of these creatures to use it’s hard to match gaining two Faeria over a Campfire’s worth of stats. You could say the Combat ability of Herald is worth one Faeria. Brigand gives you resources that aren’t restricted to power ups and Faeria is far more valuable.

I know I’ve given Herald a tough time so far but it does have one advantage with Gift of Steel. The 3/3 stat line buffs Herald up to a 6/6. This is good because Herald can challenge popular 5/6 creatures in the game. Ancient Herald, Groundshaker (post-shaking) and Seifer, Blood Tyrant are very popular picks in decks.

Red Combat

Unlike Triton Trainer, Herald offers nothing new to the Combat synergy decks. If you value extra power over Faeria then Brigand is the obvious replacement. If you value power over damage then he could replace either Grim Guard or Shedim Brute. I feel it is best to replace the Shedim Brute because Grim Guard offers defensive options with his taunt.

Red Yellow Burn

Red Yellow Burn can’t afford to lose Shedim Brute or Grim Guard because their abilities help the deck achieve its win condition. The additional power provided by Herald could provide a quicker win when combined with a card like Scourgeflame Spectre. The timing of this interaction could be tricky since it will always be the next Combat creature you summon. Saving this combo specifically for Scourgeflame could be a bad idea but a welcomed power up if it happens organically.

Conclusion

Herald of War is a card that is limited by his ability. It will be difficult to find a home for Herald with superior Combat options already in the core set. Perhaps if the card wasn’t restricted to powering up Combat creatures it would find more uses.

The rating I give this card is…

The standard-bearer may have disappointed you but our next card is awesome. I’m sure you will be convinced by the Voice of Truth!