Drakesun Rebellion

Pyra has two standout features when compared to her fellow summoners. First, her starting setup includes the terrifying Brimstorm. When combined with Brimstorm Bond, the pair represent one of the strongest summoners with a flexible 4 strength range or melee attack and a combined total of 20 health. They are also immune to force effects which can neuter several factions’ deadliest combos. With Brimstorm’s Mount and Flight, your enemy will have a difficult time preventing Pyra from hitting something during her turn. 

On the flip side, once Brimstorm is taken down, Pyra’s effectiveness plummets dramatically. Without Brimstorm, Pyra is perhaps the weakest summoner in the game. Taking critical levels of damage on either summoner or mount can really hamper the threat that Pyra can exert. It’s important that, during the initial stages of the battle, you position Pyra and Brimstorm carefully to limit the amount of damage either can receive. Swapping between summoner and dragon to evenly distribute damage amongst them can keep Pyra and Brimstorm active well into the late game. 

The second feature to keep in mind is Gate Breaker. While Pyra may hate gates, that doesn’t mean that the player has to as well. The Drakesun Rebellion is one of the most gate reliant factions and knowing how to maximise your gate placements is vital. Thankfully, the rebels are flexible in their positioning and there are several layouts which can be effective depending on the game progression and opposing faction. 

Incidentally, the Drakesun Rebellion shares a few characteristics with the Cave Goblins. Mount and Cling are functionally similar. As such, staggered gates are just as effective for the rebels as they are for the goblins. Granted, where they differ is in Pyra’s inability to place gates on the opponent’s side of the battlefield. That means, the most aggressive you’ll be able to place a gate is in the fourth row. Gates in the L-shaped position from one another provide two sides which can be used for mounting.

A mighty champion forms the second half of the Drakesun Rebellion’s summoner. Given the strength of Brimstorm Bond, Pyra is defined just as much by Brimstorm as she is by her own abilities. But do not forget that Brimstorm’s Mount works on the other Drakesun units just as well. In dangerous matchups, there is value in leveraging Brimstorm’s inherent abilities while keeping Pyra safe. In those scenarios, Brimstorm can be played a bit more recklessly, serving as an early taxi for your first couple of Dragoons while also providing a very valuable 3 strength range attack. However, be aware that things will get significantly more difficult when Brimstorm falls. As such, the champion is a high priority target for your opponent, so keeping the dragon alive as long as possible will improve your odds of victory. 

Ashen Raiders help to alleviate the inability to summon on your opponent’s side of the board. Any unit which can survive a turn in enemy territory threatens to multiply into numerous threats. They can also instantly mount off surviving Wyrmlings. Raiders are excellent for clogging gates, as their 3 health is particularly challenging for your opponent to clear with only one attack. Their 2 strength is less than ideal and they’ll generally lose out on straight common for common trades. If you suspect you won’t be able to take advantage of their Raid ability, Raiders can be happily discarded for magic and more card draw.

While their stats more closely align with a 0-cost unit, Ember Outriders are not to be underestimated. Their closest point of comparison is the Phoenix Elves Ember Archer. They trade the ranged attack for melee accuracy but Quick Strike ends up serving the rebels better than Quick Shot would. Outriders will often be getting those extra points of damage on a heavily defended summoner, able to poke them for damage behind gates or when they’re surrounded by units. They can trade moderately well with other 1-cost units between their melee accuracy and assured damage but they will struggle to find value against most other commons.

Dragoons are a cornerstone unit for the deck. The first 0-cost common to have 3 strength, Dragoons will outmatch most other cards in the game. They’re perfect targets for flinging across the battlefield, chunking down the enemy summoner’s health each time their mounts can get them into position. The Dragoon is the primary reason that the rebels want to have strategic gate placement. They are fragile, however, and killing their mount renders them toothless so they can only be reliable for one attack per game. Thus, you want to expend them on the highest priority targets as much as possible. 

The modest Wyrmling is a support unit. Rather expensive with lackluster stats, the Wyrmling is summoned for the mobility it provides your other units rather than as a common meant to trade with your opponent. Getting multiple mount uses from your Wyrmlings will put lots of pressure on the enemy. Positioning them so they are available for newly summoned units while also requiring your opponent to move to disadvantageous positions to attack them will help to recuperate their cost. 

On first blush, Cinderwing looks simply like a worse Brimstorm. But what this champion offers is much needed redundancy. Sometimes mistakes happen. Sometimes your opponent will get the jump on you. Keeping Brimstorm alive isn’t always possible and Cinderwing can substitute for the big dragon in a pinch. Where Cinderwing shines, however, is working in tandem with Brimstorm. Having both dragons ferrying units around each turn creates a nightmare boardstate that almost assures you’ll be able to punch through the gaps in your opponent’s defences. 

As the only other unit with a reasonable ranged attack, Cinderwing can also serve in a temporary poke situation if necessary. But the rebellion is not equipped for a drawn out range skirmish so make sure to only stall long enough to cultivate a strong aggressive hand that can then bring the fight back to your foe. 

Raze wins games.

Simply put, the Lordslayer does what he says on the tin. Build up to 6 magic and now your opponent has to huddle up elsewise they could be eating 6 strength attacks to the face. If you’ve been diligent in whittling down the enemy summoner’s life, Raze will either finish the opponent off in one swoop or leave them so vulnerable that the errant auto damage from Outriders or Rain Fire will close the match. At 7 health, he can also be kept alive for an additional turn if his assault is adequately supported. Two rounds of Raze hitting on target is essentially game over for the enemy. 

The much maligned Coal is a powerhouse of a unit that punishes opponents for trying to naturally defend against the rebellion’s aggression. On Fire is much like the Storm Goblin’s Circuit with the notable exception of burning through enemy gates and structures. Coal can deal an absurd amount of indiscriminate damage over the few turns in which he features while weakening a clumped summoner’s defences. But make no mistake, Coal will flameout. Surviving three turns is incredibly rare. So it’s vital that if you bring the Inferno to the field, you get value from him immediately. 

Cluttered battlefields are where Coal thrives but there is a danger in dealing more damage to your units. And keep in mind, your opponent can build bridges back to Pyra so she is burned by the flames as well. Coal benefits from a little support but, generally speaking, the fewer units you have on the field the harder it will be for Coal to backfire on you. 

Firestorm is the more niche event in Pyra’s arsenal but it is quite a useful event when leveraged well. At its base, it sets up a turn where Pyra and Brimstorm can clear two enemy units reliably. It’s also good for dislodging an enemy unit hugging your forward gate spot. But don’t forget that you can target your own units with Firestorm. While rare, you can sometimes shift an opponent’s blocker away to force a Dragoon into position to finish off a hurt summoner. 

Blazing Speed looks simple but has innumerable applications. An off-phase move might not seem worth 1 magic. However, the rebels can utilise an extra move better than most factions. Blazing Speed allows another trigger of Quick Strike or Blaze Forward. It can help to steal an opponent’s summoning spot. Or you can use it on a dragon to pin an enemy summoner into position. Finally, Pyra and Brimstorm can perform hit and run turns where the pair clear the board then retreat to safety behind their own gate leaving the opponent with no good follow-up targets. 

The most variable event in Pyra’s arsenal, Rain Fire can reach an eye-watering amount of destruction. With three flying units, you can get up to nine or more damage to enemy cards making it the most powerful event in the game. Other times, however, it will be used to remove a 1 health blocker to open up a valuable target. Keep in mind that you can choose to destroy an enemy unit before placing a unit riding with the mount, thus stealing the blocker’s spot. 

Recall Brimstorm is an interesting epic event. It is, in essence, two effects wrapped into one card. While Brimstorm is alive, you can use Recall to reposition Pyra or Brimstorm on the battlefield. Typically, this will allow a turn for Brimstorm to perform a daring hit and run. Other times it will simply let you swap Pyra or Brimstorm as the front facing of the pair for an enemy’s retaliation or allow stealing a spot of a destroyed enemy card. When used for repositioning, keep in mind that you can play it after dice are rolled so you can take certain gambles and hold Recall as an escape hatch if the dice aren’t cooperative. 

Recall’s secondary use is if Brimstorm is dead. It simply gives Pyra a last ditch 5 strength attack. It can help secure a game quickly spiraling out of control but it’s more of a nice bonus rather than a key strategic element.