Badge of Justice Previews - Wrath Gate
July 9, 2010
Only four short weeks separate us from "The Best Four Days In Gaming" Gen Con Indy and the World of Warcraft TCG World Championship. With over $250,000 on the line, players will need any and every edge to take home the giant $50,000 check.
Wrath Gate recently hit store shelves, adding an expansion of awesome new cards which already made their presence felt during both the North American and European Championships. Today I will be revealing the last four Wrath Gate cards which will be legal for Worlds and available in exchange for three Badge of Justice cards.
Druid and Rogue gain access to a unique waist armor that promotes having a deck built around it. Pitching cards from our hand at the benefit of plus one damage might be a steep price at first glance, but consider the benefits when you build your deck around this theme.
Combat Rogue has access to Adrenaline Rush, giving its controller the potential for plus seven damage if you spiked a grip full of equipment. For quest interactions, Warm Welcome should be a breeze to complete and offer an inexpensive way to refill your hand, as would Orders from Lady Vashj and Akama's Promise. As for equipment, Khorium Boar's Death Rattle makes 1/1 piggies while adding a counter to your belt. Even something as simple as Field Repair Bot interacts nicely with Belt of the Twilight Assassin.
It's too bad neither of these classes have access to an equipment you can return to your hand from your graveyard like Unearthed Broadsword, but who knows what future expansions will bring?
Our plate wearing tanks gain access to a new pair of gauntlets which not only destroy an opposing weapon or armor, but provide a pseudo Warrior shout for equipment.
Bladebreaker Gauntlets might cost a lot to play, but their effect will be equally as noticeable in the right matchup. The first place I expect to see them played consistently is in the ever popular solo Death Wish archetype. Having access to Keys to the Armory means you can add the equipment as another singleton to tutor up. Especially in the Core format, this should be an auto include given the popularity of Lord Benjamin and the likelihood of facing the mirror match frequently.
Despite the ease of access in the Death Wish deck, I believe Death Knight is the long term winner here, adding a much needed non-ally removal card to their ever growing arsenal. As each set is released Death Knight will continue to get stronger— this armor piece is yet another brick in that foundation.
Paladin seems to come in third place in terms of their likelihood to run the gauntlets, but that doesn't mean it wont make it into the side deck of many list. Its effect is certainly powerful, provided you're playing against a build which relies on some form of armor and weapons. If nothing else, this is a perfectly fine metagame choice to bring in against Lord Benjamin.
Leggings of the Tireless Sentry provide my favorite effect of all of our new badge cards. Keeping an opposing army exhausted every turn synergizes beautifully with many different allies. Mikeal the Blunt loves this interaction as he gets to automatically deal two damage to any allies they play before they're even given a chance to attack for the first time. Similarly, Johnny Rotten and Doshura Risestrider will make short work of any fresh recruits off the synergy created by the leggings.
Maybe the best part of our new equipment is the fact that it simply turns off Protectors, such as the ones created by Weldon Barov. We also gain the benefit of nullifying Ferocity. Don't forget that Leggings of the Tireless Sentry exhaust opposing heroes, such as when a Master Hero enters play, or a new hero from a raid deck.
It's important to note that the first line of text on leggings is static and not triggered. This means that they cant use exhaust effects in response, such as Highlord Tirion Fordring's or Wanton Warlord.
Wraps of the Astral Traveler completes our new Wrathgate wardrobe, providing a pair of wrist garments for the three cloth classes. In line with what you would expect from our casters, this piece of armor forgoes big defense in exchange for an unique ability that will be sure to leave opponents scratching their heads.
A single activation waxes any opposing token, such as those created by Signet of Manifested Pain, Feral Spirit or Nathanos. You can also bypass temporary hosers like Cyclone, Barkskin, Blessed Life or Spell Suppression. Not to mention simply brushing armor aside or a pesky protector that tries to block your path. Don't forget that whatever you banish to the astral realm stays expelled until the beginning of your next turn. This should buy you plenty of time to go to work while their most threatening card is removed from game. Keep in mind that cards with come into play triggers will benefit from the wraps ability as they retrigger upon reentering play.
So there you have it, a brand new collection of equipment playable by all eleven classes and legal for the World Championship. Collect your badge cards and bring them to Gen Con Indy for your first chance to acquire these new epics!
-Phillip Martin
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