Submission: Holly, Black Spiral Buddy

Name: Holly, Black Spiral Buddy
Cardtype: Ally
Cost: 2 Pool
Clan: Gangrel Antitribu

Unique Werewolf
4 LIFE 2 STRENGTH 0 BLEED

When Holly is succesfully recruited, move him to the Ready region. During your untap phase Holly gains 1 Life (not to exceed his starting amount). He can enter combat with a minion controlled by your Predator as a D action. His hand damage is aggravated. He gets an additional strike each round of combat. He can play cards requiring basic Obfuscate or basic Celerity as if he was a vampire or capacity 4. During your discard phase, your Predator takes control of Holly.

Flavor text:
"Well! You're gonna miss me
Early in the morning, one of these days."
(Buddy Holly - Early in the Morning)

Art notes:
~A bulky, rock & roll werewolf in a leather jacket leaning on the side of a stolen pick-up van with big hipster glasses on, smoking a cigarette. It might be just moments until dawn, and you can see a body bag over the side of the van~

World of Darkness reference:
None.

How does this card address a compelling game need?:
By adding to the interactive minion card pool with a powerful effect, but one that circles around the table. By giving him to !Gangrel (or !Brujah with a change in flavour and effects) he adds to unique defensive options.

Additionally he gives more support for playing Abomination.

Created by:
Petrus "Kraus" Makkonen

Okay, a card that supports random results, depending on how the decks can deal with an aggravated damage dealing rush ally.
Might add something to the game or not.

Nevertheless, I am not sure if 2 pool for 2 strikes for 2 aggravated damage each is balanced.

I'm not exactly sure if results are that random. It's a question of if a deck can deal with an aggravetaed damage dealing rush ally, but then again, it's always a question of is a deck can deal with X.

In this case, which ever deck can deal with it best, as its control changes.

Balance is always an issue. There are plenty of ways to go over it:

- Up pool cost to 3.
- Reduce Life to 3.
- Remove the 'rush' ability and make it move at the end of minion phase. That way other players get to react to it.
- Tinker with combat abilities: remove Add. strike but add a Manouver/Press, do something about strength... whatever basically. Atm a single manouver can foil him. He goes through other allies, but bows to many combat cards.

Balancing is always doable. It's the compelling game need that requires more thought, if anything.

It's of course always debatable if things that keep you alive and stall the game are worthwhile inclusions instead of new options to go forward, but there's so much burst and speed in the game as is that I don't know if the game needs more front loaded pressure. And those inclusions are not as interesting to me personally.

Mainly this was just an idea that popped into my mind one morning when reading through the new crypt spoilers. It's just an idea basically.

Kraus wrote:

During your discard phase, your Predator takes control of Holly.

Barring out-of-turn recruitment, this means that your predator takes control of Holly in the turn you recruit him - before you get any chance to do anything at all with him. There are very few circumstances in which giving your predator a free minion to rush with (or block with) who can deal agg damage is likely to help you, so I'm guessing that's probably not what you intended.

Relevant rulings:
Ally text can be used even when in the uncontrolled region from recruitment (see the bit about Rom Gypsies): [LSJ 19980717]
When it changes controller, it stays in the uncontrolled region (unless text indicates otherwise) and then comes out at the end of the current turn: [LSJ 20040211]

I guess this is why this phrase appears in the card text:
»When Holly is succesfully recruited, move him to the Ready region.«

So the idea is that Holly can be used (to rush) in the turn it is recruited, right? I like this feature.

Hakuron wrote:

I guess this is why this phrase appears in the card text:
»When Holly is succesfully recruited, move him to the Ready region.«

Ack, eyes obviously completely glazed over.