• 5 votes
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What Firestorm lacks in cost efficiency, it makes up for in versatility. And it packs a punch. It's easily playable in turn 3, and can kill most creatures your opponent is likely to have in play at that point (being able to deal 5 damage). It can also pick off a couple early deployments -- Mantidae Warriors, Dedicated Cadets, and their kin. And it's useful after combat to finish off any creatures you may have only partially damaged.

But it's no Fatal Blow -- regenerating creatures can still recover from a Firestorm. And it's no Earthquake (for better and worse) -- it can't clear the field. But it's definitely better than a couple Lightning Strikes, being more versatile and as expensive.

• 4 votes
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Now, Influential isn't always useful -- your opponent might have a host of beasts on the battlefield (esp. if they're playing Slarv) -- but there aren't a lot of beast that are regularly played. And many of them are either really cheap (like Desert Ants) or expensive (like Glasvarks and Warp Spawns). So popping an Influential on one of your creatures might make it unblockable by your opponent. And if you have a Raider deck, this could mean that you're also forcing them to discard like it's going out of style.

It can also be a way to essentially force your opponent to block your creature with a beast they have in play. Want to get rid of that Wild Tarb? Make sure it's the only eligible blocker for your next attack. A well place Daemonic Calling or Zap might seal the deal...

It's cheap -- only 1 res -- and common. So it's easy to get your hands on -- and it might just win you games.