Hi Splinterlander, I hope this post finds you well! Today, I would like to talk about my favourite Beta cards.
I have liked Beta cards since day 1. Even though there are a lot more cards around now, many of them being better or replacing Beta cards altogether, I still field many Beta monsters in battle.
When I first started playing the game, I wanted to own as many level 1 cards as possible and wanted to have a big collection. Just after the peak of the bull market in Autumn 2021, I started buying them one by one. Beta cards were expensive, but I saw it as an investment. Nowadays I don’t have many left and I mostly rent them now. With rental prices being low and renting additional beta cards giving me a greater variety of choice when putting together my teams, Beta cards remain indispensable in my gaming strategies. Today I want to introduce to you my top 5 Beta cards and tell you how and why I rank them as such.
NUMBER 5 - KOBOLD MINER Level 6
As a new player at the time, I found the fire deck easy to play and got a liking for most of the red monsters. The KOBOLD MINER was my first significant investment as he was still quite expensive at the time. I used him a lot as a bronze League player because I loved the sneak ability and a 2 mana cost meant he could be included in almost any fire lineup. I could only afford 1 BCX copy yet his stats are amazing at higher level:
In my current game, I rent the KOBOLD MINER at level 6 to get him to 4 speed. He attacks early and often gets the Fiend or the Chicken. Although he has 4 health and can soak up a couple of sneak hits at the back, I prefer putting him in the middle of the pack for some protection, because 3 melee (when summoned by Tarsa) at 2 mana is just unbeatable. He is a great matchup with Serpentine Spy in low mana games, cleaning up the opponent’s tail very effectively. KOBOLD MINER is my 5th most favourite Beta card.
NUMBER 4 - WATER ELEMENTAL Level 5
WATER ELEMENTAL is next at number 4 and another early investment in my level 1 cards collection I first had. He is another regular rental. Check out the stats:
WATER ELEMENTAL is tops at level 5 with 5 speed and dodge. Together with heal, he is a master plug in 6th position with high chances of avoiding most sneak attacks. 3 range attack is the other major advantage of having this card in water lineups. He can easily survive 3 or 4 rounds and deliver a 3 range load each time.
NUMBER 3 - ELEMENTAL PHOENIX Level 2
My third favourite Beta card is ELEMENTAL PHOENIX. He used to be expensive to rent, but now that rentals are cheap, I have him in my fire deck all the time. There are not many red magic monsters around, so this guy gets a lot of work. I rent him at level 2 to give him blast and with 3 magic, blast does lots of damage. At 5 speed he attacks early. In terms of mana, he is a bit pricey but well worth it.
NUMBER 2 - HYDRA Level 2
Number 2 is HYDRA, a neutral legendary. This card is a regular inclusion in my teams, when I need more alternatives at the front of the lineup. Statistically, HYDRA is great, especially a level 2:
Being a neutral card, HYDRA has lots of usecases. Now with up to three rulesets in any one battle, I need more choices when it comes to selecting a tank. Heal is a very valuable ability for a tank and so is thorns, so I always rent HYDRA at level 2. HYDRA has a great track record in my battles and can hold out at the front end for 3 or 4 rounds, healing itself and inflicting thorns damage.
And here is my number 1 Beta card : TWISTED JESTER! There are a bunch of reasons, why this monster is at the top of the list. Firstly, I consider the snipe ability one of the most valuable abilities a monster can have is a regular factor in my strategic team formations. Next is the value I get for 4 mana at level 5: snipe, dodge, 3 range, 4 speed and 5 health! These are formidable stats! He is usually at the backline, shooting from a distance. He has a high probability to be missed with 4 speed and dodge, fires relatively early and often hits the right enemy monster. At 4 mana, TWISTED JESTER is unbeatable and can be accommodated in mid and even low mana games. At the beginning of a gaming evening, I always make sure he is there, ready for serious action.
In this top 5 lineup, I focused on damage dealers first, but there are other cards worth mentioning:
These support cards are very valuable in different circumstances. CREEPING OOZE takes 1 speed, ARMOURSMITH repairs shield, GELATINOUS CUBE scavenges and the CHICKEN, well, is the CHICKEN...
Depending on your needs, these cards can make quite a difference and influence the outcome of the battle. As these are easy prey in brawls, rapidly triggering bloodlust for the opposition, I avoid fielding them but in ranked battles, these feature a lot, especially in low mana games.
Beta cards play an important role in my game. They have been around for a long time, I know them well and many have attributes, that are hard to beat by newer edition cards. They allow me a greater range of choice when putting together my teams and overall, they are cheaper to rent than their Chaos Legion and Riftwatcher counterparts. I never pay above 10dec per card per day, which is great value for money and my ranking benefits greatly. Using Beta cards also give me a competitive edge from time to time, as my opponents will focus more on newer cards, sometimes forgetting that these guys are around. Long live Wild League! See you around, Splinterheads!
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