Alright, time for another #Splinterlands card spotlight!
Today I found another Water card that I think is pretty interesting.
The card I'm talking about is, Archer Koi.
At first glance, Archer Koi looks like a pretty simple ranged attacker. It has decent stats, but what makes it more interesting is the combination of its abilities.
This is a Rare Water unit, and at Level 8, which is the max level, it has 3 abilities:
Repair –> Restores 2 armor to the allied unit with the most damage to its armor.
Painforge –> Gains +1 power when damaged by Poisoned or Burning, or when hit by an ally.
Fury –> Deals double damage if the target has Taunt.
And the stats are:
Ranged Attack: 3
Health: 6
Speed: 2
Armor: 1
Mana: 4
So yeah, this little fish actually has quite a lot going on.
First Impressions
When I first looked at Archer Koi, the first thing I noticed was the 4 mana cost.
That's pretty reasonable.
For 4 mana, you're getting 3 ranged attack, 6 health and 1 armor.
The speed is only 2 though, so this isn't exactly going to be the fastest unit on the battlefield.
But honestly, speed isn't the reason I'm interested in this card.
The abilities are where things get interesting.
Especially Repair.
Ability 1: Repair
Repair: Restores 2 armor to the allied unit with the most damage to it's armor.
Let's start with Archer Koi's first ability.
Repair restores 2 armor to the allied unit that has taken the most damage to its armor.
This can be REALLY useful when you have a strong tank in the first position.
Imagine you have a tank with a big amount of armor.
The enemy keeps attacking it and slowly destroying that armor.
Then Archer Koi comes along and repairs 2 armor.
That might not sound like a huge amount, but if it happens round after round, it can make a pretty big difference.
Your tank gets more protection.
Your tank survives longer.
And your damage dealers get more time to attack.
It's one of those abilities that doesn't look flashy, but can quietly win battles.
Ability 2: Painforge
Painforge: +1 power when damaged by Poisoned or Burning or hit by an ally.
The second ability is Painforge.
This one is a bit different.
Archer Koi gets +1 power when it is damaged by Poisoned or Burning, or when it gets hit by an ally.
So basically, don't mess with the fish.
If the enemy manages to poison or burn it, Archer Koi can actually become stronger.
And if one of your own units hits it?
It can also gain power.
This creates some pretty interesting possibilities.
Normally, taking damage is obviously something you want to avoid.
But with Painforge, certain types of damage can actually turn into an advantage.
Of course, you don't want to deliberately destroy your own team just to activate it.
But if it happens naturally during the battle, getting extra power can be a nice bonus.
Ability 3: Fury
Fury: Deals double damage if the target has Taunt.
Now we get to the ability that really caught my attention.
Fury.
Fury allows Archer Koi to deal double damage when attacking a target with Taunt.
And this can be VERY useful against certain lineups.
Taunt tanks are designed to pull attacks toward themselves.
Normally, that's a huge advantage because they protect the rest of their team.
But Archer Koi basically says:
"Okay, but what if I hit that tank twice as hard?"
With 3 ranged attack, Fury can make Archer Koi hit much harder when the target has Taunt.
That means you can potentially use it as an answer to enemy formations built around a strong Taunt tank.
Combining Fury + Repair
This is probably my favorite part of the card.
Archer Koi isn't only there to deal damage.
It can also Repair your tank while attacking from the backline.
So you've got two completely different jobs happening at the same time.
Your frontline is getting damaged?
Repair helps keep its armor up.
Enemy has a Taunt unit?
Fury gives Archer Koi extra damage against it.
And if Archer Koi gets hit by Poison, Burning or even one of your own attacks?
Painforge can make it stronger.
That's a pretty interesting combination for a 4 mana card.
The Stats
Let's look at the stats again.
3 ranged attack is pretty solid for a 4 mana unit.
6 health is also respectable.
The 1 armor isn't much, but at least it's something.
The biggest weakness for me is probably the 2 speed.
That's pretty slow.
In some battles, Archer Koi might be attacking after a lot of other units have already taken their turns.
And obviously, getting hit before it attacks can be a problem.
But that's where positioning becomes important.
You don't want Archer Koi sitting somewhere where the enemy can easily reach it.
Where Would I Use Archer Koi?
Personally, I think Archer Koi is best when I know my lineup can take advantage of its abilities.
For example, if I expect the enemy to use a Taunt tank, Fury immediately becomes more valuable.
If I have a strong armored tank in front, Repair also becomes more useful.
And if the battle has Poison or Burning effects, Painforge can potentially activate too.
So there are situations where Archer Koi can become much stronger than its basic stats suggest.
That's something I always like seeing in a card.
A Good Support Attacker
I wouldn't call Archer Koi a pure damage dealer.
I think it's more like a support attacker.
It's attacking every round, but at the same time, it's helping your tank survive.
That's actually a really useful role.
Sometimes you don't need another card that only does damage.
Sometimes having one card that provides extra utility can make the whole lineup work better.
And Archer Koi fits into that category for me.
What I Like
There are quite a few things I like about this card.
First, the 4 mana cost makes it relatively easy to fit into many lineups.
Second, Repair gives it value even when the enemy isn't losing health quickly.
Third, Fury gives it a very specific but powerful purpose against Taunt.
And then Painforge adds another interesting layer.
You never know when that extra +1 power might come in handy.
I also like that the card doesn't feel completely one-dimensional.
It's not just:
"I have ranged attack, so I attack."
There's actually some strategy involved.
What I Don't Like
Of course, Archer Koi isn't perfect.
The biggest weakness is definitely the 2 speed.
That's pretty low.
It also only has 1 armor, so it isn't exactly a tank itself.
And Fury is very matchup dependent.
If the enemy doesn't use Taunt, you're not getting that double damage benefit.
Painforge can also be situational because you don't want your own units taking unnecessary damage just to activate it.
So you have to look at the battle before deciding whether Archer Koi makes sense.
My Overall Opinion
After looking at Archer Koi more closely, I actually think this is a pretty cool little card.
It doesn't have the biggest numbers.
It isn't super fast.
And it definitely isn't going to be the perfect choice for every battle.
But that's not really the point.
What makes Archer Koi interesting is the combination of Repair + Painforge + Fury.
You get a ranged attacker that can help your tank, become stronger under certain conditions, and punish Taunt targets with double damage.
That's a lot of utility packed into one card.
And I think the 4 mana cost helps a lot too.
You don't need to completely rebuild your team around Archer Koi.
You can just slot it into a lineup where its abilities actually make sense.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I think Archer Koi is one of those cards that can be easy to overlook.
You look at it and think:
"Okay, it's a 4 mana ranged attacker."
But then you actually read the abilities.
Repair.
Painforge.
Fury.
And suddenly it gets a lot more interesting.
The Repair alone can make it useful in the right lineup.
Then Fury gives it a specific job against Taunt.
And Painforge gives it the ability to get stronger when certain effects happen.
I wouldn't use Archer Koi blindly in every Water battle.
But if I see a ruleset or opponent lineup where these abilities make sense?
Yeah, I'd definitely consider throwing this little fish into my team.
Sometimes the smaller cards are the ones that surprise you the most.
What Do You Guys Think?
Have you guys used Archer Koi before?
Do you think Fury + Repair makes it worth using in Water lineups?
Or is the 2 speed too much of a problem?
For me, I think the card is pretty interesting when used in the right situation.
Let me know what you think!
More card spotlights coming soon.