Maple Soul Searcher
The simplest cards are often the most deadly. Maple Soul Searcher is just such a card. The subtle power of both halves of this card will give the clever Bowman another weapon in their arsenal to defeat all comers.
Eight words that can devastate your opponent: “Damage from your character actions can’t be prevented.” In set one, the best way to prevent damage was to play many monsters. Each Monster you have in play reduces the damage your character takes by 10. Against a direct-damage Bowman deck it is a sound strategy to Spawn a monster just to force your opponent to shoot it instead of you. Maple Soul Searcher skips that entirely. The item allows a degree of certainty that simply was not there in set one. With Maple Soul Searcher in play, you can count on your direct damage actions to always deliver their full impact.
This becomes even more important when OMG! Bosses cards are released. Several cards prevent damage in some way. Bubbling, a Warrior monster from OMG! Bosses, has Ooze: “Whenever Bubbling is damaged, prevent all other damage to it this turn.” Another new monster, Jr. Pepe, has a similar ability. These monsters can cripple an unprepared Bowman… so be sure to pack your Soul Searcher.
The action-half of Maple Soul Searcher is Think Fast / Equip 40. This is amazing for two reasons: it appears on a card you want to level with, and it allows for a solid deck type featuring two of Bowman’s most powerful cards.
In set one, there was only one Think Fast / Equip action for Bowman and it was on Risky Shot. The top half reads “Flip a coin. If you win, do damage equal to your level to a character and draw a card.” While many players like coin-flipping cards, I tend to keep them out of my decks. But when I do play with Risky Shot, I never want to level-up with it because the top half wants to be played in multiples. Maple Soul Searcher is not like that at all. Once I have one in play, the others are extra.
Bowman’s best cards are equipment and one certain tactic from set one. The power of Rain of Arrows can’t be denied as it forces your opponent to play honest. If they are hoarding their cards for one huge turn in the late game, Rain of Arrows punishes them to the tune of 20 damage per card in their hand. It is a level 40 tactic, meaning it can be played from Maple Soul Searcher’s action. You can also play Battle Bow,, which gives +20 damage to a character action each turn.
With just these two cards and Maple Soul Searcher you can build several different decks. You can staying with Bowman cards only for a consistent deck, or splash in Thief’s items or Magician’s tactics for more power. Either way, Maple Soul Searcher is a powerful weapon for Bowman to consider.
Article by: Andrea Jennifer Shubert
