Hi Splinterlander, I hope this post finds you well! Today, I would like to talk about my favourite Beta cards.
I have liked Beta cards since day 1. Even though there are a lot more cards around now, many of them being better or replacing Beta cards altogether, I still field many Beta monsters in battle.
When I first started playing the game, I wanted to own as many level 1 cards as possible and wanted to have a big collection. Just after the peak of the bull market in Autumn 2021, I started buying them one by one. Beta cards were expensive, but I saw it as an investment. Nowadays I don’t have many left and I mostly rent them now. With rental prices being low and renting additional beta cards giving me a greater variety of choice when putting together my teams, Beta cards remain indispensable in my gaming strategies. Today I want to introduce to you my top 5 Beta cards and tell you how and why I rank them as such.
As a new player at the time, I found the fire deck easy to play and got a liking for most of the red monsters. The KOBOLD MINER was my first significant investment as he was still quite expensive at the time. I used him a lot as a bronze League player because I loved the sneak ability and a 2 mana cost meant he could be included in almost any fire lineup. I could only afford 1 BCX copy yet his stats are amazing at higher level:
In my current game, I rent the KOBOLD MINER at level 6 to get him to 4 speed. He attacks early and often gets the Fiend or the Chicken. Although he has 4 health and can soak up a couple of sneak hits at the back, I prefer putting him in the middle of the pack for some protection, because 3 melee (when summoned by Tarsa) at 2 mana is just unbeatable. He is a great matchup with Serpentine Spy in low mana games, cleaning up the opponent’s tail very effectively. KOBOLD MINER is my 5th most favourite Beta card.
WATER ELEMENTAL is next at number 4 and another early investment in my level 1 cards collection I first had. He is another regular rental. Check out the stats:
WATER ELEMENTAL is tops at level 5 with 5 speed and dodge. Together with heal, he is a master plug in 6th position with high chances of avoiding most sneak attacks. 3 range attack is the other major advantage of having this card in water lineups. He can easily survive 3 or 4 rounds and deliver a 3 range load each time.
My third favourite Beta card is ELEMENTAL PHOENIX. He used to be expensive to rent, but now that rentals are cheap, I have him in my fire deck all the time. There are not many red magic monsters around, so this guy gets a lot of work. I rent him at level 2 to give him blast and with 3 magic, blast does lots of damage. At 5 speed he attacks early. In terms of mana, he is a bit pricey but well worth it.
Number 2 is HYDRA, a neutral legendary. This card is a regular inclusion in my teams, when I need more alternatives at the front of the lineup. Statistically, HYDRA is great, especially a level 2:
Being a neutral card, HYDRA has lots of usecases. Now with up to three rulesets in any one battle, I need more choices when it comes to selecting a tank. Heal is a very valuable ability for a tank and so is thorns, so I always rent HYDRA at level 2. HYDRA has a great track record in my battles and can hold out at the front end for 3 or 4 rounds, healing itself and inflicting thorns damage.
And here is my number 1 Beta card : TWISTED JESTER! There are a bunch of reasons, why this monster is at the top of the list. Firstly, I consider the snipe ability one of the most valuable abilities a monster can have is a regular factor in my strategic team formations. Next is the value I get for 4 mana at level 5: snipe, dodge, 3 range, 4 speed and 5 health! These are formidable stats! He is usually at the backline, shooting from a distance. He has a high probability to be missed with 4 speed and dodge, fires relatively early and often hits the right enemy monster. At 4 mana, TWISTED JESTER is unbeatable and can be accommodated in mid and even low mana games. At the beginning of a gaming evening, I always make sure he is there, ready for serious action.
In this top 5 lineup, I focused on damage dealers first, but there are other cards worth mentioning:
These support cards are very valuable in different circumstances. CREEPING OOZE takes 1 speed, ARMOURSMITH repairs shield, GELATINOUS CUBE scavenges and the CHICKEN, well, is the CHICKEN...
Depending on your needs, these cards can make quite a difference and influence the outcome of the battle. As these are easy prey in brawls, rapidly triggering bloodlust for the opposition, I avoid fielding them but in ranked battles, these feature a lot, especially in low mana games.
Beta cards play an important role in my game. They have been around for a long time, I know them well and many have attributes, that are hard to beat by newer edition cards. They allow me a greater range of choice when putting together my teams and overall, they are cheaper to rent than their Chaos Legion and Riftwatcher counterparts. I never pay above 10dec per card per day, which is great value for money and my ranking benefits greatly. Using Beta cards also give me a competitive edge from time to time, as my opponents will focus more on newer cards, sometimes forgetting that these guys are around. Long live Wild League! See you around, Splinterheads!
