The Strength of Attack Reaction Go Agains: Boltyn

By: Dimos Kaloupis

Some of the strongest cards in Flesh and Blood are cards that can provide go again at reaction speeds. Snapdragon Scalers is one of the best pieces of footwear in the game. Glint the Quicksilver is a core card in Dorinthea, often touted as one of her best. Razor Reflex can be a lethal attack reaction to extend turns and catch opponents off guard. Induction Chamber provides attack reaction go again on Dash’s pistol and will leave opponents wondering if you will extend the current turn or preserve steam counters and arsenal a card for a future, bigger turn. Each of these cards are some of the most important cards to track within your opponents deck. Ira is much less threatening once Scalers and Razors are gone. Dorinthea becomes a lot easier to play around once Glint is gone. 

But Boltyn’s go agains can happen at any time. Which can be a huge concern when going up against him. Well, they can’t happen at any time, but they can happen with a lot less warning and a lot more frequently than any of the other instances (except Induction Chamber). This is where the strength of the ability comes from - if he chooses not to use the ability, his soul sticks around and likely grows during the turn, making him only more threatening next turn. 

I think Boltyn’s access to reliable attack reaction go agains will make him a formidable force in any format. A well-tuned deck will be able to reliably give attacks at least +1 power with any number of non-attack actions, attack reaction cards, or new mechanics specific to Light Warrior. Boltyn can have turns as big or bigger than any Ninja in the game, and often enough his opponent will not be able to do anything about it. Whelming Gustwave and Mugenshi Release can be blocked to deny their on-hit effects, where a lot of the damage ultimately comes from. Boltyn has no such issues. A V of the Vanguard turn can present over 20 damage with no way for the opponent to block or stop it. Every attack will be buffed, and getting enough cards into soul is not a challenge for him. Trying to block the attacks out will often lead to Boltyn dealing even more damage from his first ability. 

Boltyn’s explosive turns are truly explosive, and can often be set-up turns on their own. A single Tunic counter can fund, at worst, a 14 damage turn. With a V of the Vanguard in arsenal, paid for with Tunic, and 4 cards charging into soul from V’s additional cost, it comes in for 7 damage. Attack react to give it go again, since it is already over its base power, then swing Raydn, which is also coming in for 7. At the end of the turn, you have three more cards in soul than you began with. Alternatively, you could charge three cards instead of four and finish off with a free Bolting Blade for 6 attack, 6 attack, 10 attack. All for one resource from Tunic. Plus, you still end up with one more card in your soul than what you started with. There are even more insane combos that he can put out, such as by cashing in cards from his soul to use Beacon of Victory, finding a strong attack and continuing your turn. 

Boltyn’s weaknesses, like many Warriors and aggressive classes in general, are his one or two card hands. Boltyn, running Raydn, has no stand-alone weapon, as it is attacking for zero damage if you have not charged that turn. Even with his Hatchets, pitching a single card only deals an easily-blocked two damage. However, he has better set-up opportunities with low-card hands compared to many other classes. In addition to generic tools such as Energy Potion and Snatch, Boltyn has Light and Light Warrior tools that can help advance his game plan. Illuminate is four damage on a one card hand that threatens an on-hit effect. Engulfing Light and Bolt of Courage do the same on two card hands, putting out below-curve damage for two cards, but still threatening on-hit effects to set-up future turns. Plus, by charging you are advancing your board state without your opponent having any say in the matter. It is not all upside though, Boltyn’s biggest failing with low-card hands is when he does not have on-hit effects or an effective way to charge soul, he can also draw awkwardly and not see a Take Flight, V of the Vanguard, Lumina Ascension, or other reliable combo starter.

In contrast, Prism’s on-demand ability requires a card to be banished from her soul and a card to be pitched to pay the two resource cost. It happens at instant speed, but is weaker and more expensive because of it. It seems that the developers put a significantly higher premium on instant-speed events than reaction-speed events. Additionally, an opponent has ways of denying Prism cards into her soul. Other than Halo of Illumination (a one-time use), Soul Food (a heavy price to pay), and Soul Shield (actually pretty great), the only way Prism can get cards into her soul is by dealing damage with attacks. An opponent also has ways of eroding Prism’s board state by dealing damage and destroying her auras, which also eliminate her weapons. Boltyn has neither of these issues and, I believe, will have a more flexible in-game strategy. When he is on the defensive he can set up for the future more effectively than prism, and on the offense he can put out more total damage, although his offense does not come with built in defense like Prism’s does. 

Overall, I think Boltyn has very strong access to every element of value in this game. As I have discussed in previous articles, the ability to build a board state, push damage in awkward-to-block intervals, and prevents the opponent from having too much knowledge on his plan during any given turn. Boltyn can build a board state through his soul for explosive turns. His conditional +1 power on attacks allows for a lot of 3-attack cards to come in for 4 damage depending on how they are blocked. His on-demand go again happens at reaction speed and keeps the opponent unsure if the turn will continue. Should they block this damage right now, or wait to block an on-hit effect that may be coming next?