Faeria Academy: Chapter 3 - Board Control

Faeria Academy is a series of articles created in order to help new players get started with Faeria. The game combines the pace of modern digital card games with a living board, creating a dynamic and exciting element that is unique to the game. As the combination of a card game with a living board is entirely unique, we created the Academy to help new players transition and adapt to this style of game play. Faeria Academy starts with the basics but eventually delves into deeper, more advanced tactics and concepts. Each article provides access to additional resources that provide further help on the subjects being covered, including videos and similar articles.

Click here to see the contents page of the Academy.

Creatures, summoning and movement

Creatures are the core of interaction in Faeria. Last time we covered placing land which is important to setup space for your creatures to be summoned. Creatures are more than just stats and abilities, they control the board by attacking, defending and harvesting Faeria. Creatures will shift in and out of these roles depending on what you need. Let’s take a look at some scenarios where positioning will be key.

Safe play

Keeping your creatures safe will be vital to winning the game. Faeria’s living board allows you to position your creatures out of reach of danger. Each land space represents how many turns it takes to move units on the board. This is important because it gives you an idea of how safe your creature is and what positions you summon them. Let’s take a look at an example.

In my hand I have a Sagami Warrior which I’d like to play this turn. I want him to be played in a safe position so he can gather Faeria. I’ve labelled two positions on the map and highlighted the range of the Gabrian Archon.

Position 1 offers the safest spot for Faeria harvesting. The Gabrian Archon can’t reach the Sagami Warrior. This Sagami Warrior will collect one Faeria next turn and maybe open a play to help win the board back.

Double collecting

Double collecting is when you position a creature in between two wells. This is the most effective way to harvest Faeria. Your creature moves back and forth the two wells, collecting two Faeria per turn.

Both my opponent and I have setup double collectors. Setting up a creature in a double collection spot can give you an enormous advantage. That additional Faeria every turn will add up and give you a huge advantage over your opponent.

Blocking

Blocking with creatures is an important technique to maintain board presence and get the most out of your cards. Let’s take a look at an example of blocking.

I’ve positioned my Axe Grinder to protect my Sagami Warrior. Axe Grinder won’t get destroyed by the 2/2 Spring Mochi which means the 5/1 Mirror Phantasm will have to clear it. My 3/4 Sagami Warrior will live which can challenge the Spring Mochi if it tries to move towards the wells.

This technique can be used to protect your Orb. If your opponent is a space away from hitting you then a creature blocking it might save your life. When you setup a block look at the stats of both your creatures and your opponents. You may be able to line-up creature combat that is in your favor.

Mobility cards

There are several cards in the game that allow creatures to move further than one space. The primary movement mechanics are Charge and Jump which we covered in chapter one. Green, Blue and Yellow have access to unique forms of mobility exclusive to their colour.

Green isn’t the most mobile of colours but they do have one trick up their sleeve. Grovecaller allows you to teleport your creatures to other friendly forests. This is a very powerful card giving you countless ways to adapt your game plan. You can teleport your big creatures to offensive or defensive positions, catching your opponent off-guard.

Yellow can push their creatures extra spaces with cards like Oradrim Monk. The extra move could be crucial in clearing an enemy or moving away from danger. Abilities like Oradrim Monk take into account keywords like Charge and Jump giving some creatures extra reach.

Blue specializes in moving lands directly. Sunken Tower can move both your own lands an your opponents! This opens up disruptive strategies where you can position your creatures and your lands in better spots.

Conclusion

The position of your creatures is an important part of Faeria and can be the different between winning and losing the board. This comes with practice and understanding the reach of your opponent and your own creatures. Remember that certain colours might have access to movement affects like the cards displayed above. This can be something to consider when trying to position your creatures in a safe place.