All factions
Smash Up: Disney Edition
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Medium-High
Gain power for having character modifiers in play and distribute character modifiers whose ability can either benefit you, or severely hinder your opponents.
Description
The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the 8 factions from the Smash Up: Disney Edition set.
They focus on character modifiers that usually have two abilities, one that's beneficial for you if they are attached to one of your characters, and one that's detrimental to another player if they are attached to one of their characters.
Their complexity rating is: Medium-High.
Other factions from the same set: Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Big Hero 6, Frozen, Mulan, The Lion King, Wreck-It Ralph.
Cards Overview
The Nightmare Before Christmas has the usual 10 characters and 10 actions. The total character base power (not counting any abilities) is unusually low at only 27 or an average of 2.7 per character compared to the usual 30 and 3.
Among their actions, there are:
* 8 character modifiers: Ghostly Presents (2x), Jack-O’lantern-in-the-Box, Monster Garland (2x), Oogie Boogie, Sandy Claws Costume, Zombie Duck Toy,
* 0 base modifiers,
* 2 standard actions (0 that affects one or more characters, in bold): Christmas Will Be Ours!, Winter Surprise,
* 3 actions that directly increase a character's power: Monster Garland (2x), Sandy Claws Costume.
[FACTION ICON]
1x Christmas Will Be Ours! - Look at another player’s hand. You may play an action there or in your hand as an extra action. If it is owned by another player, return it to their hand at the end of the turn no matter where it is (except the box).
2x Ghostly Presents - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, immediately destroy this card and play an extra character of power 3 or less. Otherwise, its controller cannot play characters of power 3 or less here.
1x Jack-O’lantern-in-the-Box - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, draw an additional card before the end of your turn; otherwise, this character’s controller may not add additional cards to their hand during their turn.
2x Monster Garland - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, it has +3 power; otherwise, it has -2 power.
1x Oogie Boogie - Character modifier. You may move this character to another base. Ongoing: This character has 0 power and its abilities are cancelled. Destroy this card if another character here has power 5 or more.
1x Sandy Claws Costume - Character modifier. Ongoing: This character has +1 power for each character modifier you control. Special: After this base scores, return this character to its owner’s hand and place this card on the bottom of your deck.
1x Winter Surprise - Play a character modifier from your discard pile as an extra action. Shuffle this card into your deck.
1x Zombie Duck Toy - Character modifier. Special: When this base scores, if you control this character, you gain 1 VP more; otherwise, its controller gains 1 VP less.
Actions
1x Christmas Will Be Ours! - Look at another player’s hand. You may play an action there or in your hand as an extra action. If it is owned by another player, return it to their hand at the end of the turn no matter where it is (except the box).
2x Ghostly Presents - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, immediately destroy this card and play an extra character of power 3 or less. Otherwise, its controller cannot play characters of power 3 or less here.
1x Jack-O’lantern-in-the-Box - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, draw an additional card before the end of your turn; otherwise, this character’s controller may not add additional cards to their hand during their turn.
2x Monster Garland - Character modifier. Ongoing: If you control this character, it has +3 power; otherwise, it has -2 power.
1x Oogie Boogie - Character modifier. You may move this character to another base. Ongoing: This character has 0 power and its abilities are cancelled. Destroy this card if another character here has power 5 or more.
1x Sandy Claws Costume - Character modifier. Ongoing: This character has +1 power for each character modifier you control. Special: After this base scores, return this character to its owner’s hand and place this card on the bottom of your deck.
1x Winter Surprise - Play a character modifier from your discard pile as an extra action. Shuffle this card into your deck.
1x Zombie Duck Toy - Character modifier. Special: When this base scores, if you control this character, you gain 1 VP more; otherwise, its controller gains 1 VP less.
[FACTION ICON]
Characters
1x Jack Skellington - power 5 - Place a character modifier from your discard pile into your hand. Ongoing: After you play a character modifier, you may place a +1 power counter on a character, OR you may draw a card.
1x Dr. Finkelstein - power 4 - Talent: Move a character modifier from one character to another.
1x Sally - power 4 - Talent: Play a character modifier as an extra action.
1x Lock, Shock & Barrel - power 3 - Special: Before this base scores, you may play a character modifier on a character here as an extra action.
1x The Mayor of Halloween Town - power 3 - Ongoing: If you control a character modifier here, your characters here have +1 power.
1x Zero - power 0 - Ongoing: This character has +3 power if you control any character modifiers here. Special: After this base scores, return this character to your hand instead of the discard pile and you may play it on another base as an extra character.
4x Halloween Town Folks - power 2 - Reveal the top three cards of your deck. If there are any character modifiers, draw one. Place the rest on the top and/or bottom of your deck in any order.
Strategy
Good partner factions: Aladdin, Mulan
Synergies
* Aladdin
* Mulan
Tips
* Most of your cards either are character modifiers, or search for, or react to character modifiers. Use them together to get more out of each play.
* Your modifiers are a great toolbox. Usually you’ll use them opportunistically, but sometimes you’ll want to carefully set them up. Lock, Shock & Barrel can help pull off surprise wins of bases.
* Halloween Town Folks help you sort your deck, placing the more useful cards on top.
Mechanics
Gain power for having character modifiers in play and distribute character modifiers whose ability can either benefit you, or severely hinder your opponents.