All factions
Cease and Desist
IGNOBLES
High
Give control of your minions to other players for benefits, and take back control of them when the time is right.
Description
Meet the Ignobles, a faction from the Cease and Desist expansion that thrives on manipulation. They specialize in a unique strategy, willingly surrendering control of their minions to other players, only to reclaim them later. This unorthodox approach earns them a complexity rating of High. The Ignobles are joined in this set by three other factions: the Astroknights, Changerbots, and Star Roamers.
Cards Overview
The Ignobles faction is comprised of 10 minions and 10 actions, boasting a total base power of 30 among their minions, which averages out to 3 power per minion. Notably, they have also been granted a titan from the TITANS Event Kit, a rare distinction among factions.
Their action cards are varied, with all 10 being standard actions that influence one or more minions in different ways. Specific actions include Activate the Spy, which appears twice, as well as Banner Call, Fate of the Favorites, Hostage Exchange, Inevitable Betrayal, Out of Sight, Red Birthday Party, and Repaying Debts, also appearing twice. There are no actions that directly enhance a minion's power or are specifically designed to be played on minions or bases.
2x Activate the Spy - Take control of a minion you own. Play an extra action.
1x Banner Call - Take control of any number of minions you own.
1x Fate of the Favorites - Each player destroys a minion they own.
1x Hostage Exchange - Give another player control of one of your minions to take control of one of their minions of equal or less power.
1x Inevitable Betrayal - Special: Before a base scores, take control of a minion you own there.
1x Out of Sight - Each player returns a minion they own to their hand.
1x Red Birthday Party - Destroy a minion you own and all minions with less power on the same base.
2x Repaying Debts - Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw two cards and play an extra minion.
Actions
2x Activate the Spy - Take control of a minion you own. Play an extra action.
1x Banner Call - Take control of any number of minions you own.
1x Fate of the Favorites - Each player destroys a minion they own.
1x Hostage Exchange - Give another player control of one of your minions to take control of one of their minions of equal or less power.
1x Inevitable Betrayal - Special: Before a base scores, take control of a minion you own there.
1x Out of Sight - Each player returns a minion they own to their hand.
1x Red Birthday Party - Destroy a minion you own and all minions with less power on the same base.
2x Repaying Debts - Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw two cards and play an extra minion.
Characters
1x Aunt of Drakes - power 5 - Talent: Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw a card and play an extra action.
2x Foot of the King - power 4 - Ongoing: At the end of your turn, you may take control of a minion you own.
3x Betrothed - power 3 - You may give control of this minion to another player. Ongoing: The owner of this minion gains 1 VP if another player wins this base and controls this minion.
4x Sneaky Squire - power 2 - You may give control of this minion to another player to play an extra minion.
Strategy
Synergies
When combining Ignobles with other factions, several synergies emerge. Pairing with Kitty Cats allows you to reclaim your Sneaky Squires and potentially destroy them to trigger effects like Whiskers, Cat Fight, or Nine Lives. The tandem of Aunt of Drakes and Queen Fluffy enables the theft of weak minions from other players, which can be traded for card draw or returned to your control after being given away.
Teaming up with Sharks enables the destruction of Sneaky Squires to play Makos or bolster Hammerheads and other minions using Chum. Russian Fairy Tales offers opportunities to play additional minions by leveraging Sneaky Squires and Collecting Debts, and then transforming minions you own but other players control into extra minions under your command.
Mermaids complement Ignobles nicely, as a Captive Audience can be built using Sneaky Squires and Betrothed. Toll Bay can increase card draw, while Charmers and Charmed can easily move minions with a power of 3 or less, empowering Temptresses in the process. However, Sirens can diminish the contribution of these minions, and Becalmed Shores can nullify their power entirely, which may not be ideal for Betrothed. Siren Song can be utilized to gather shared minions at one base, setting up a Banner Call or following up on Activate the Spy.
Mechanics
Give control of your minions to other players for benefits, and take back control of them when the time is right.