Card of the Week
This week we review a few Quidditch cards that we've seen popping up in our local Wizarding Wars events. Do they make the grade?
classic card of the week
Card: Flying Laps
Type: Spell
Cost: 10 Quidditch
Set: Chamber of Secrets
Artist: George Davis
Effect: Count the number of Lessons you have in play. Do that much damage to your opponent. Then draw that many cards.
Flavor Text: "He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George."
Jimmy:
Flying Laps is a fun reach card for Quidditch Decks that can do a lot of damage, but Quidditch has plenty of those and this might be the worst among them because it's hard to get tons of Lessons into play. You need to fill your deck with Lessons (which isn't the best) and spend tons of actions to get them out. Blagging, Mid-Air Collision, and Out of Control are all stronger high-cost options. Spiral Dive is probably stronger at 5-cost even though it requires a big combo set up to be effective. With so many efficient ways for Quidditch to deal damage, play it if you enjoy it but otherwise skip out on Flying Laps!
John: Flying Laps is a misleading name for this card, because your opponent is the one who is liable to be flying laps around you if you are trying to play it. Getting up to 10 Lessons should be rewarded with a card or combo that is surely going to win you the game, and Flying Laps is not that card. Compared to cards like Venomous Tentacula Juice and Dobby's Help from the same set it may seem like another 10-cost high-damage option, but the decks those cards go in are much better at ramping up to high Lesson counts. I can see having one or two in a mono-Quidditch list that is abusing things that accelerate lessons into play, but I'd rather focus on solid mid-range options that Quidditch provides and lean more into the action advantage side of the element.
Draco was pretty talented, as far as Seekers go.
Revival Card of the Week
Card: New Slytherin Seeker
Type: Spell
Cost: 6 Quidditch
Set: Heir of Slytherin
Artist: Michael Silverleaf
Effect: Do 5 damage to an opponent. If there is a Match in play, you may have that opponent choose 1 of their Creatures in play and discard it.
Flavor Text: "'All right there, Scarhead?' yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom."
Jimmy: New Slytherin Seeker is a great card for Quidditch because the combo-cost of having a Match in play is negligible. If you're playing Angelina Johnson you're dedicating 8+ spots of your deck to having a Match in play anyway, and being able to remove creatures is a huge bonus without having to dip into another Lesson type. While you don't get to choose which Creature is eliminated, if you're able to play multiples of this you'll get to wear down your opponent's resources - dealing them 5 damage each time. The timing even works in your favor since you'll be able to use this Spell before your opponent's Creature has dealt damage!
John: This card is an excellent example of the solid, mid-range options that Quidditch has available to it. While you won't be able to utilize New Slytherin Seeker in Classic, it shows a dedication from the Revival team to take what is arguably the weakest of the Lesson types and give it some stronger cards. This card functions as a more targeted form of the typical Quidditch "your opponent chooses a card in play and discards it" which is excellent, because when Creature pressure is knocking on the door your opponent is happy to sacrifice a Lesson or two to your Cobbing or similar effect. All in all a solid addition to Quidditch lists, and 5 damage at 6 cost with a supplementary effect makes this a wonderfully efficient burn spell as well.