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Pojo's
Dreamblade Mini of the Day
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Image from
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Whirlwind Dervish
Valor
Base
Set
Reviewed December 20, 2006
Constructed: 4.35
Sealed: 4
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst. 3 ... average.
5 is the highest rating
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Charninja |
Whirlwind
Dervish
Here. We. Go.
Whirlwind Dervish is not only one of the best
pieces for Valor, but one of the best pieces in
the GAME. No, it may not be up there with Scarab
Warcharm, but it's definitely on a par with
Dreadmorph Ogre. Teleport is quite possibly one
of the best abilities out there, simply because
you can get WHEREVER YOU WANT TO GO. Warcharm
still needs a bit of set up, but Dervish here
can go wherever she feels like, whether it's
helping out a few buddies with her 4 power or
just claiming an otherwise ignored cell. It's
unlikely you'll be using her ability right at
the beginning, but with a good roll and some
extra spawn points from one or two creatures
dying, and she is packed up and ready to move.
Stat wise, she is very solid. 8VV does mean
she's gonna be sticking to mainly Valor Bands,
but that's ok, really. 4 power is good, could be
stronger, but still more than adequate, and 8|9
D&L is nothing to sneeze at. If you really want
to play mean, teleport her somewhere nice, then
spawn a Steelborn Griffin or Eagle-Feather
Warrior next turn to back her up, and suddenly
you have 7 or 8 power salvos coming right behind
your opponent's front lines. Might not
necessarily kill too much, but you will
definitely be shunting critters waaay on back,
and that means you earn a good 5 conquest
points. No matter how you slice it, that's just
nice.
As for activating her teleport, 2 spawn points
hella beats Unspeakable Freak's cost of 7 for
his warpstrike. The only things you could summon
with 2 spawn points are Spellbound scissors or
Cannibal Pariah, and even then, they will be 3
points if you don't already have some Madness or
Fear figs out already. So long you have at least
two Valor figs already on the board (rather
likely, I would assume) then all you need is 10
spawn points to spawn and teleport this chick
wherever you want to go. It's a bit up there,
but hardly impossible, and for 10 spawn points
in Valor... there ain't much. Inscribed Axebeast
is the only thing for that straight cost, though
there are a few 8 and 9 costed critters, and
since they would take a good deal longer than
Whirlwind Dervish to get anywhere... Yeah, she's
a must play, really.
Constructed: 4.5/5 If you have her and are even
THINKING about playing Valor, then you play
Valor and her. No questions asked.
Limited: 4/5 Little bit less because of the
spawn investment required, but that does not
mean she's really any less good.
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Rolf the Ruf |
Whirlwind
Dervish
8VV
Power: 4
Defense: 8
Life: 9
Ability: 2: Teleport
Whirlwind Dervish is a very cool Valor mini
that, like the Chrysalis Spinner, does not fit
neatly into any category, but its ability is
uniquely awesome. But let's start with the
basics. For an 8-drop, she has a modest 4-die
attack, which is not uncommon for Valor and a
solid but not overwhelming 8/9 Defense/Life.
Okay, so what this means basically, is that when
you spend 8 spawn, you are going to get quality
numbers, but among other 8-drops, this one is
pretty average. So if this is such a great mini
(and it is), what makes it great? Simple --
Teleport. For 2-spawn this agile little minx can
transport itself to any cell in the Dreamscape
except the two Portal cells. If you think
Reinforce is cool, you're gonna love this.
Reinforce works only once and it has to land in
a cell already occupied by a creature of the
required Aspect. With Teleport you can do it
over and over and without the limitations of
Reinforce. The way this babe can zip around
would even make Scotty jealous. Think of the
possibilities. With the initiative, she can jump
into a contested cell and tip the scales in your
favor. Or, if your opponent has taken a scoring
cell that your pieces in the field cannot easily
contest, she can drop in and deny him/her the
conquest. Or, if your opponent has left a
portion of the Dreamscape undefended, she can
materialize in an empty scoring cell and grab
some easy conquest points. Her versatility and
unpredicability will be giving your opponent
headaches trying to cover all of her options.
Another nice thing about the Dervish's Teleport
ability is that it is a spawn ability. Not only
does this mean she can do it every turn without
having to rely on blades to make it work, but
spawn abilities in general provide you with a
great alternative to use up extra spawn points
and make efficient spawn choices. One of the
problems that can happen in the late game is
that you find yourself left with only fatties in
your reserves and nothing to do with a low spawn
roll. Having creatures in the DreamScape with
spawn abilities is a great way to effectively
use points you would otherwise have to waste.
When it's time to fill that 8-drop slot in your
warband, consider reaching for this one... hey,
where'd she go?
Constructed: 4.25/5
Sealed: 4/5 (The double aspect hurts a little,
but this creature's versatility is too good to
pass on.)
Artwork 3/5 (Kinda cool in an Arabian Nights
sort of way.)
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