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| Dr. Hooves below the break! |
This week's preview article of Set 2, Canterlot Nights, is all about faceoffs! I don't want to steal his mojo, so I'll let lead developer Trevor take it from here below the break:
In today’s article about Canterlot Nights I’m going to go over a brand-new mechanic: faceoffs!
Wait a second, faceoffs aren’t new at all, they’re already a key part of how My Little Pony CCG is played and how players interact throughout the game! Many players have already discovered the importance of being prepared to win a faceoff. A Troublemaker faceoff is the most direct way to deal with pesky Troublemakers, and Problem faceoffs can have even more impact; the result of a double Problem faceoff often decides which player wins the game!
So, what’s new? In Premiere Edition the ONLY way for players to engage in a faceoff was directly with a Troublemaker or in Problem faceoffs. That changes with Canterlot Nights, because now faceoffs can happen in the Main Phase!
Each color gets an Event card that allows them to start a faceoff in the Main Phase. There aren’t any rewards or penalties for a faceoff of this kind, other than what’s printed on the Event that starts the faceoff. In the case of Hoofwrasslin’ above, the winner gets to look at the loser’s hand and discard a card of their choice.
I’m certain players will be excited about using their favorite faceoff manipulation cards from Premiere Set, like Assault Cake or What Went Wrong, in these new faceoffs. The ability to “pick a fight" with an equal or more powerful Friend gives some cards, like Night Watch, even more value than before. Additional faceoffs synergize with existing abilities like Studious, but also play VERY well with the new Canterlot Nights ability, Pumped!
Canterlot Nights doesn’t just get new ways to start a faceoff, but also a bunch of new cards to help your characters win those faceoffs. Here is one of my favorite ways to help win a faceoff.
Dr. Hooves, Just In Time is the first Friend card that can be played outside of the normal Main Phase timing. He can be played during any faceoff, be it a Troublemaker, Problem, or even the new type of faceoff during the Main Phase. The time-traveling Dr. Hooves really does show up Just In Time!
Cups here; thanks, Trevor! Hopefully now you can see how combining Pumped with these new Showdown Events, along with cards from Set 1 and Set 2, can cause games to go in ways that have never before been seen in My Little Pony CCG!
Next week we'll be coming back with another article, introducing Unique cards. See you then!
