Welcome back, fellow Forgeborn! Last week we explored some of the themes and mechanics available in Shadows over Solis for the Nekrium and Tempys factions. This week, we’ll be diving into how the Alloyin and Uterra factions are represented in the set.
Before we dig in, though, it’s time to break the news. Shadows over Solis will be released on Friday, March 14th, with a pre-release event taking place the preceding Saturday, March 8th!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled content.
Release the Beast
Uterra has traditionally been a creature-focused faction, and we wanted to emphasize that in Shadows over Solis. One of the ways we’ve highlighted this in the set is by incentivizing players to play creatures adjacent to each other, giving the feeling of attacking enemies with a pack of creatures. This is most prominently represented in the set with mechanics featured on the Beast creature type.
This gameplay style allows us to enhance SolForge Fusion’s lane-based gameplay, where positioning is crucial both in the moment and for long-term strategy. A great example of this is Nina, Pack Mother.
Nina enters the battlefield as a relatively unthreatening creature, but as you start playing other creatures adjacent to her, her pack instincts grow, transforming her into a formidable opponent for your adversaries!
To support the theme of playing multiple adjacent creatures, we also wanted to ensure there were ways to maintain a broader board state and make it easier to summon more creatures. Groma Brighttusk helps achieve exactly that.
When Groma replaces one of your creatures, she brings Minions along with her. At Level 1, she starts with just a Wisp, but she quickly advances to an Oakfather Minion before ultimately bringing in two Oakfather Minions at Level 3! If you pair Groma with Nina and choose to replace Groma herself with one of your Oakfather Minions, that could result in a potential +15 Attack and +15 Health for your Level 3 Nina with just one action!
Of course, playing creatures adjacent to one another isn’t the only Uterra theme highlighted in the set. There are several other exciting strategies within the faction, including unleashing the wrath of Dozer the Slumbering Fury!
At Level 1, Dozer is a solid 6 Attack, 5 Health creature with Breakthrough—a nice early-game threat. A Level 2, Dozen has to hibernate and will rest in your back row. But after a little rest, Dozer unleashes his full fury at Level 3 as it Strikes enemy opposing creatures before making a proper attack! This kind of power can close out a game in a hurry.
Assimilation
Metaminds are one of the most unique creature types on Solis, psychically linked together in a hive mind network and deeply integrated with Alloyin technology. The rise of Crux Cobalt has brought Metaminds more to the forefront of Alloying society, as they embody Crux’s ultimate goal of assimilating all minds into one.
To emphasize the theme of creating docility in enemies and manipulating their minds, the Metaminds in Shadows over solis focus on altering the Attack stats of creatures. Let’s take a look at a couple of the Metaminds featured in the set.
Axion Shift is a unique creature that allows you to swap the Attack stats of two enemy creatures. This can be quite powerful, neutralizing a creature that would otherwise pose a significant threat from keywords like Stealth or Breakthrough, while boosting a creature you’re more willing to battle and potentially trade with. Axion’s entry onto the battlefield can create considerable board control, and we’re excited to see how players will maximize this ability.
Building from the theme of Attack manipulation, we also wanted to introduce a creature capable of completely neutralizing enemy threats: the Mindbreaker!
The Mindbreaker strengthens itself for each creature of the same type you have in play. Assembling a force of Metaminds can turn the Mindbreaker into a serious problem for opponents, allowing you to establish complete control of the board.
But wait! There’s more! Let’s take a look at one final Alloyin creature who can truly disrupt your opponent’s plans.
Arion Kest is an Alloyin sniper who can eliminate enemy creatures while also dealing direct damage with his Stealth ability. Combining Arion with Augments can significantly enhance his damage output and help your Alloyin squad secure victory!
Loyal to the End
As mentioned last week, each faction in Shadows over Solis has a Loyalty spell that is free to play if you have two or more creatures of the appropriate faction in play. We explored the Nekrium and Tempys loyalty cards last week, so let’s take a look at the bonuses you can gain from deploying Alloyin and Uterra creatures to the battlefield.
That wraps up this week’s article! Keep an eye on the Shadows over Solis spoiler channel in our Discord to see what other exciting spoilers our players reveal throughout the week. Join the Discord here
We’ll see you next week as we uncover what truly lurks in the Shadows over Solis!
To learn more!
https://solforgefusion.com/post/forging-shadows-over-solis:-uterra-and-alloyin