All factions
Awesome Level 9000
KILLER PLANTS
Low-Medium
Play extra minions frequently straight from your deck, and play cards with delayed effects that usually benefit you further as turns go by.
Description
Meet the Killer Plants, a formidable faction from the Awesome Level 9000 expansion. These deadly flora start small but rapidly evolve into powerful forces to be reckoned with. With a complexity rating of Low-Medium, they're easy to grasp yet still pack a punch. They're joined in this set by three other unique factions: the fearless Bear Cavalry, the spooky Ghosts, and the ingenious Steampunks.
Cards Overview
The Killer Plants faction boasts a standard roster of 10 minions and 10 actions. Notably, their minions pack a punch, with a total base power of 32, averaging 3.2 power per minion - a slight edge over the typical 30 total power and 3 average. It's worth noting that Weed Eater requires a turn to reach its full base power potential.
Their action lineup features a mix of play-on-minion and standard actions. Choking Vines is the lone play-on-minion action, while five actions - Deep Roots, Entangled, Overgrowth, and two copies of Sleep Spores - are designed to be played on bases. The faction also includes four standard actions: Blossom, Budding, and two copies of Insta-Grow. None of these standard actions directly enhance minion power, and there are no actions in the faction that provide a direct power boost to minions.
1x Blossom - Play up to three extra minions that all have the same name.
1x Budding - Choose a minion in play. Search your deck for a copy of that card and place it into your hand. Shuffle your deck.
1x Choking Vines - Play on a minion. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, destroy this minion.
1x Deep Roots - Play on a base. Ongoing: Your minions here cannot be moved or returned to your hand by other players' abilities.
1x Entangled - Play on a base. Ongoing: Minions may not be moved or returned to hands from any base where you have a minion. Destroy this card at the start of your turn.
2x Insta-Grow - Play an extra minion.
1x Overgrowth - Play on a base. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, reduce the starting breakpoint of this base to 0 until the end of the turn.
2x Sleep Spores - Play on a base. Ongoing: Other players’ minions have -1 power here (minimum power 0).
Actions
1x Blossom - Play up to three extra minions that all have the same name.
1x Budding - Choose a minion in play. Search your deck for a copy of that card and place it into your hand. Shuffle your deck.
1x Choking Vines - Play on a minion. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, destroy this minion.
1x Deep Roots - Play on a base. Ongoing: Your minions here cannot be moved or returned to your hand by other players' abilities.
1x Entangled - Play on a base. Ongoing: Minions may not be moved or returned to hands from any base where you have a minion. Destroy this card at the start of your turn.
2x Insta-Grow - Play an extra minion.
1x Overgrowth - Play on a base. Ongoing: At the start of your turn, reduce the starting breakpoint of this base to 0 until the end of the turn.
2x Sleep Spores - Play on a base. Ongoing: Other players’ minions have -1 power here (minimum power 0).
Characters
1x Venus Man Trap - power 5 - Talent: Search your deck for a minion of power 2 or less and play it here as an extra minion. Shuffle your deck.
2x Weed Eater - power 3 - Ongoing: At the start of your turn, this minion gains +2 power until the start of your next turn.
3x Water Lily - power 3 - Ongoing: Draw a card at the start of each of your turns. Only use one Water Lily’s ability each turn.
4x Sprout - power 2 - Ongoing: Destroy this card at the start of your turn. You may search your deck for a minion of power 3 or less, play it here as an extra minion, and shuffle your deck.
Strategy
Teaming up with factions that boast low-power minions with potent abilities or offer shields against destruction can create a thriving partnership for the Killer Plants.
Synergies
Killer Plants thrive when paired with factions that boast minions with impressive abilities or protective measures. They also complement factions with strong on-play effects, as the Plants' ability to grow into new forms can trigger these effects.
Ghosts make ideal partners, as their Haunting ability provides additional targets for the Plants to grow into, while Incorporeal safeguards vulnerable minions. This synergy strengthens both factions, with the extra cards and minions bolstering the Ghosts' overall performance.
Steampunks' action-oriented gameplay aligns perfectly with the Killer Plants' abilities. The Plants can seamlessly integrate into the Steampunks' strategy, and the Zeppelins and Captain Ahab enable effortless base-hopping.
Zombies also form a potent combination with Killer Plants. By accelerating the deployment of Tenacious Zs and Walkers, the Plants facilitate the Zombies' aggressive gameplay. The short-lived Sprouts serve as convenient fodder, further fueling the Zombies' advances.
Pirates offer another viable pairing, as their First Mates can break bases with ease. The Pirates' mobility also helps maintain a strategic advantage, keeping opponents at bay while the Killer Plants grow and thrive.
Tips
The Killer Plants faction is characterized by its sluggish start, with underwhelming on-play effects. For instance, Weed Eater's ability has a self-nerfing effect that kicks in immediately, preventing Sprouts from searching your deck for it right away.
On the other hand, Water Lilies and Venus Man Traps are the backbone of this faction, continuously generating additional cards and minions as long as they remain in play. Notably, when a Sprout evolves into a Water Lily using its ability, it's still considered the start of your turn, allowing you to draw a card - a quirky but beneficial rule. Your opponents will likely target these key minions, but Killer Plants have ways to anchor them in place, preventing movement or return to your hand, although destruction is still a vulnerability.
Establishing a foothold on a base can be challenging if your opponents outmaneuver you, but once you gain traction, the Plants' expansive network of runners and seeds can help you consolidate your position. To buy time and create opportunities for growth, utilize Sleep Spores to delay base breaks, setting the stage for a potential snowball effect that can lead to victory.
Mechanics
Play extra minions frequently straight from your deck, and play cards with delayed effects that usually benefit you further as turns go by.