This card blocks 2 extra points from Kick attacks.
| September 06, 1999 | |
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| Type: Combat | |
| Keywords: Kick · Speed | |
| Requires: | Rage Cost: 1 |
| Style: Defense | Moon: New |
| Damage: 0 | Block: 2 |
| Text: If you take no damage this round, your opponent must discard all counterattack cards in his Combat hand. This card blocks 2 extra points from Kick attacks. | |
| Quote: "Fineous put Betty down, clutching her leg like Joe Theisman." - Gordon Goffe | |
| Phase: 6 | Artist: Clint Langley |
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Power: 18
This card is another in a long line of Rage 1 block cards, but I would say this is one of the more useful ones. The stats are standard for one of the small blocks, giving a Block of 2 at a Rage cost of 1. The keywords are pretty accurate. The meat of this card fall in the text area. You have two main effects here. First, you have the standard 'if no damage' clause typical of the 1R/2B combat cards. The effect, though, is sweet - your opponent loses every counterattack they are holding. Not just one, but all. You basically set up a nice attack the next round of combat without having to worry too much about backfire. Not very helpful towards the end of combat, usually, it works best as one of your early plays - which segues nicely into the second ability. Blocking two extra points from Kick attacks lets you have a good chance of pulling off this card earlier in the combat. Granted, there aren't that many Kick attacks, but this card will seem a godsend when faced with Vegas Showgirls in Steel Toed Boots. Be especially nasty - play this card in response to a Kick counterattack and really hit them where they live! Minke's prediction ability would coordinate nicely with this tactic if you are the Prey.
Usability: 20
Like most standard combat cards, anyone can find a use for it. Watch out for combining this card with a bunch of other Rage 1 blocks - you may find yourself on the wrong side of a discard effect. Otherwise, I can't think of a reason not to include it unless you know your opponent does not use counterattacks.
Limitations: 11
This card really doesn't have much of a downside. Primary weaknesses here include the 'take damage, no effect' clause, and the Rage cost. It's pretty easy to overcome a Block of 2, but the Kick block bonus can make it a little more difficult. The Rage cost normally wouldn't be a problem, especially with higher Rage characters, Sustained Rage, or even a bottle of Unicorn's Milk (Rage 1 cards cost 0). The weakness lies in that there are many Rage 1 cards, and this cost is frequently the target of discard/denial abilities. You may be left unable to play the card. Overall, though, there isn't much in the way of weaknesses. At worst, the most likely negative aspect you'll run into regularly is when your opponent isn't holding any counterattacks - but then, you've also gained an insight into the contents of his hand. This card would get a lower score if the effects were more powerful, but they aren't completely devastating.
Decks: 19
This card works very well in a number of concepts. First off, toss it in a weenie deck. They'll have low Rage to begin with, so will appreciate the low costs. They'll also appreciate the protection from potentially deadly counterattacks prone to take out smaller characters. This card also slides nicely into an aggressive big-game hunter deck (either Garou or otherwise), so you can make sure those big counterattacks don't come smashing back at you during that critical Rend.
Sprinkle in a few in a discard/denial deck, any cards that cause your opponent to discard are useful, especially if the conditions and specific cards vary from card to card. Lastly, building a prediction deck based on Minke and any way to consistently become the prey lets you know what attack they plan on smacking you with, then choose the appropriate defense to foil their plans. It helps to have a working knowledge of the keywords on most of the Combat cards, however.
Flavor: 18
I'm not a big fan of Clint Langley, his Crinos look like a shaved chihuahua. However, this piece works well. It makes me wince, in fact, because I can hear the snap of the shin as the leg bends in a completely wrong direction. Both combatants are in the thematic cowboy boots, one with spurs. The only bit out of place is the hand of the recipient. It definitely has the claws of Crinos, while wearing homid garb. This isn't quite kosher as far as Rage is concerned, but I won't take off much, seeing as how this is possible in the parent game, Werewolf. I'm not too thrilled with the watercolor yellow background, but it does not detract from the picture, and suits a desert environment. The name makes me laugh, though - this is Wild West cliché speech. The name matches well to the art and effects.
As far as the quote is concerned, it works very well on multiple levels. First, you get a piece of the puzzle when the Furies and Iron Riders go at it. Fineous must've been a dirty player, to take down someone as buff as Betty like that. On the second level, the quote links the past to the present both by having it spoken by one of the Garou who traveled into the past and by including the modern reference to Redskins quarterback Theisman. Ties things together nicely, don't you think? Overall, the card fits nicely into the theme. It represents some down-and-dirty fighting found commonly in the Old West. It sets some storyline at the same time, something definitely needed in the middle phases. My biggest complaint in the flavor of this card is that this should have been an attack or counterattack card. Most of the defense cards are defensive in description, naturally. A kick to the leg, breaking it, would seem more like an attack to me. Of course, you can argue a good offense makes a good defense, but this has not been the trend. Otherwise, the card works well.