Welcome back to another week of Shadows over Solis previews as we ramp up toward the official release! This week, we’re diving deep into two of SolForge Fusion’s factions and how they are represented in Shadows over Solis.
Violence Begets Violence
Nekrium has long been defined by its core mechanics: life drain, reanimating creatures, sacrificing its own for power, and destroying enemy creatures. As we expanded Nekrium’s mechanics in Shadows over Solis, we focused on the Warrior caste—elite soldiers and assassins who once served under Cercee. After her valiant sacrifice, these Warriors strive to maintain order as Nix’s rebellion surges forward. To reflect this, we leaned into Slay as Nekrium’s mechanic, rather than the self-sacrificial theme. This set pushes Nekrium toward a more combat-oriented playstyle, perfect for the Warrior theme. Let’s take a look at one such Warrior!
The Queen’s Assassin is a nightmare for opponents. At Level 1, it enters as a 6/6—a stat line that ensures it survives early combat, drains life from the opponent to enhance its survivability, and applies immediate pressure with six attack. This design philosophy carries through Shadows over Solis, as Nekrium’s Slay creatures are front-loaded with strong early-game stats. This allows them to establish board control quickly, forcing opponents to find answers before they snowball out of control.
To reinforce this strategy, we also introduce an elite Warrior who enhances your combat dominance—Verlana Bloodshade!
With Verlana leading your Warriors, your opponents will face an unstoppable force!
Let’s Go Squatching
Yetis have been part of SolForge Fusion for some time, but Shadows over Solis is the first set to focus on them as a dedicated archetype. Players have long expressed enthusiasm for these creatures, making this the perfect opportunity to highlight their playstyle.
We considered several approaches for the Yetis, ultimately deciding to highlight their reclusive yet formidable nature. This led us to explore Defender as a viable strategy. By ensuring that Defender-based decks could remain competitive and fun, we unlocked a unique playstyle. The key was making Defenders offensive threats rather than passive roadblocks. Last week, we introduced Snofir, who Blasts at the end of every turn. This week, let’s meet two more Yetis that bring the archetype to life!
Frostak is a deceptively powerful Yeti. Its ability allows any creature to lose Defender and gain Aggressive, transforming your defensive units into surprise attackers. Even if a creature lacks Defender, Frostak can still grant Aggressive, making it invaluable when you don’t have the Forge. As it levels up, its ability expands, enabling an all-out assault!
But with Yetis being so Health-heavy, you might wonder—how impactful is Aggressive? That’s where our next creature comes in!
Kragor turns your Yetis into devastating attackers by letting them use their Health instead of Attack in combat. As it levels up, it also increases your Yetis' Health, creating monstrous threats that can power through enemy lines. When combined with Frostak, your Yetis become relentless bruisers, and when paired with Snofir, Kragor helps Snofir clear the way for direct Blasts to your opponent’s health!
A-U-G-M-E-N-T
Last week, we introduced the Augment keyword, but we haven’t yet revealed an Augment creature from the Tempys faction. Each faction’s Augments attach in different ways, and for Tempys, we leaned into their spells matter theme.
Cinderheart embodies this by requiring spells to attach its Augment. Once attached, it grants a Spell Sprite-like ability to the creature it augments, turning every spell you play into a stat boost!
Faction Loyalty
Spells-matter strategies thrive on free spells, and Shadows over Solis delivers with a cycle of faction-based free spells! These spells are playable for free if you control multiple creatures of the corresponding faction, representing each faction’s unity in the face of the Darkforge threat. Since this week focuses on Nekrium and Tempys, let’s take a look at their Loyalty cards!
That’s all for this week’s preview! Be sure to check out more reveals from the SolForge Fusion community, including the introduction of two new Forgeborn! You can find all new spoilers in our discord in the #shadows-over-solis-spoilers chat! Join us next week as we explore Alloyin and Uterra!
See you then!
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https://www.solforgefusion.com/post/forging-shadows-over-solis-nekrium-and-tempys