MapleStory iTCG card preview - Maya

Maya

Today’s preview is all about the Magician class. Maya is one of two Magician characters in the first set, and is the one that can appear in the Starter Deck. She combines early damage with amazing Tactics flexibility for the late game to make a great choice for players who want to win with style.

Her first ability is Quest and it only costs 10. This means that she will always draw a card on her first turn. Half of the set one characters have a Quest ability at level 20 instead, putting them a turn behind you in the card drawing race. “Card advantage” is a concept in many trading card games, and Maple Story iTCG is no exception. More cards mean more options, and that generally means more problems for your opponent. By starting every game up a card, you make it more likely to cause more problems than your opponent can handle.

Her second ability is Fire Arrow and it costs 20M. This 10 point shot is much better than it looks. While Bowman has several cards that give you recurring damage on a level-up, Magician has none at all. This little 10 point shot allows you to clear up little annoying creatures without needing to waste a Tactic from your hand or a Monster attack on the board.

Magicians want to play Tactics and hit their opponent over the head with large amounts of damage all at once. Maya’s third ability ensures that you’ll always be able to play the best Tactic every turn. Think Fast X at the bargain price of 30MM means that you can play Tactics starting on turn three without needing to wait for a level-up card. How good can this be? Here is a small list of cards you can easily play with Maya:

• Magic Claw, level 30. It does 20 damage to each of two Monsters or Characters. You can hit the same thing twice, if you like. Monster swarms get cleaned up with Magic Claw. It can also take out every Monster your opponent can play at level 30.
• Side Quest, level 40. “Draw two cards.” Magicians draw cards faster than any other Character class in the game, and this card is a prime example of that.
• Energy Bolt, level 40. “Do 80 damage to a character or monster.” What more do you need?

If you want to build a two-color or three-color deck, you can play Tactics from other classes as well. Swipe (Thief) forces your opponent to discard a card, Pull (Warrior) lets you search your deck for a Monster card, and Focus (Bowman) gives your next Tactic or Monster attack +50 damage! All of these cards are easily enabled with Maya’s incredible Think Fast X.

Every character has a drawback, and Maya’s is her Hit Points. She starts with 190 HP, fewer than almost every other character in the game. (The only one with fewer is Stormwind, the other set one Magician.) Compare her stats to Starblade, a Warrior that begins with 260 HP! While Magicians can draw cards, they may not live long enough to play them all. Smart players will put in cards they can play right away to defend themselves, such as Magic Claw or some low-level Monsters (along with level-up cards that Spawn quickly).

With card drawing, direct damage and great Tactics flexibility, Maya is a fine choice for players who want to react to their opponent on the way to victory.