Maleficia & Striga

What's Happening, Metuselahs?

So, why don't we have a look at all the cards of the new "not-disciplines" for infernal minions, Maleficia and Striga of the Heirs to the Blood set?

MALEFICIA C , [HttB:C]
Master: Trifle. Put this card on an infernal vampire. This vampire may play cards that require Maleficia (not a Discipline). With two of these cards he or she may play cards that require superior Maleficia. Burn this card if this vampire is not infernal.

STRIGA C , [HttB:C]
Master: Trifle. Put this card on an infernal vampire. This vampire may play cards that require Striga (not a Discipline). With two of these cards he or she may play cards that require superior Striga. Burn this card if this vampire is not infernal.


Cards that require Maleficia

Evil Eye Combat / Reaction, 1 blood, Maleficia, C , [HttB:C]
Do not replace until your untap phase.
[mal] [COMBAT] Cancel a strike played by the opposing minion as it is played (no cost is paid). The opposing minion cannot choose another strike and gets no strike instead. Maleficia is not a Discipline.
[MAL] [REACTION] Cancel an action card as it is played and tap the acting minion. Burn option.

I start with this card, because I find it awesome. Cancelling strike cards, aggravated, or any combat card that annoys us. Also ranged Potence, and cards such as Taste of Death, par example. But the best part comes with MAL-> cancelling action cards, and leave the minion tapped. If you play Maleficia, a must-have.

Psalm of the Damned, Action Modifier, Maleficia/Presence, [HttB:C]
[pre] Burn 1 blood to get +1 bleed. You cannot play another action modifier to increase this bleed.
[mal] Choose a minion. The chosen minion cannot play reaction cards (including (reaction) abilities of power cards) this action. Maleficia is not a Discipline.
[MAL] As [mal] above, and the chosen minion cannot block this action.

The outferior may become handy, but with mal/MAL will make your actions pass. At superior is just like Seduction at superior, and mal will cancel reaction cards. Bleeders will love it.

Greater Curse, Action, 1 blood, Maleficia/Daimoinon, C , [HttB:C]
+1 stealth action.
[dai] (D) Bleed and gain 1 pool.
[mal] (D) Put this card on an ally or younger vampire. Bleed actions and combat cards cost this minion an additional blood or life. A minion can have only one Greater Curse. Maleficia is not a Discipline.
[MAL] As [mal] above, but the vampire need not be younger.

Outferior with dai, sweet&handy. The mal/MAL it's useful, their minions will get so dry if you put that Curse on them. All at +1 stealth.

Minor Curse, Action, Maleficia, R , [HttB:R]
[mal] (D) Put this card on any minion. this minion's controller doesn't replace cards played by this minion until the end of the action. Maleficia is not a Discipline.
[MAL] As above, but cards are not replaced until the discard phase of that turn. Burn option.

Rare card, and even if it's useful, I find it weaker than the Greater Curse mentioned above. At MAL can ruin the turns of a Metuselah if you stick that curse on a star vampire of his deck.

Barrenness, Action, Maleficia, R , [HttB:R]
+1 stealth action.
[mal] (D) Put this card on a vampire and untap this acting vampire. This vampire is sterile and his or her capacity decreased by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Maleficia is not a Discipline.
[MAL] (D) Burn a vampire whose capacity is 1. Burn option.

The last rare card of Maleficia, and if you manage to reduce the cap of a vampire to 1, the controller must forget about his vampire. Maybe synergy with Corruption decks, or you can make the Obedience work against older vampires...and with Contagion ;)

Cards that require Striga

Hexe, Combat, 1 blood, Daimoinon/Striga, C , [HttB:C]
[dai] Strike: 2R damage.
[str] Strike: 1R aggravated damage. Striga is not a Discipline.
[STR] As [str] above, and the damage is unpreventable.

I find Hexe a good card, but only for str/STR, for the outferior effect we have FotN, Conflagration, with better results. With str is like a Conflagration used at inferior, and STR you make it unpreventable. Bye bye, Flack Jackets, Kevlar Vests, Guardian Angels, etc against aggropoke ;)

Scobax, Reaction, Striga/Presence, C , [HttB:C]
[pre] Reduce a bleed against you by 1.
[str] The acting minion gets -1 stealth. Striga is not a Discipline.
[STR] As [str] above, and the action ends immediately (unsuccessfully) unless the acting minion burns 1 blood or life.

Personally I don't like it. Only str in my opinion it's worth it, because most of the time, minions can afford 1 blood/life if their action continues. If someday I run Striga, only a couple of this would be in there.

Masca, Action Modifier, 1 blood, Striga/Obfuscate, C , [HttB:C]
[obf] +1 stealth.
[str] This acting vampire gets an optional additional strike each round of combat until the end of this action. Striga is not a Discipline.
[STR] As [str] above, but with +2 stealth.

Costs 1 blood, in outferior only +1 stealth. In str I don't find it that useful, only STR. Thinking about a Great Beast visiting at +2 Stealth with an optional additional strike each round is nice. But you have to get the superior STR :)

Fractura, Combat, X blood, Striga/Celerity, R , [HttB:R]
[cel] X is 0. Strike: dodge.
[str] This vampire gets X additional strikes each round. Those additional strikes can only be hand strikes. Striga is not a Discipline.
[STR] As [str] above, and this vampire gets +1 strength for remainder of this combat.

I love it. The card and he art. The worst part is that those additional strikes must be hand strikes. Imho, this card was made to make The Great Beast own in combat. More. With MAL you get X additionals at 5 str!! xD sick!! But rare.

Strix, Reaction, 1 blood, Striga, R , [HttB:R]
[str] +1 intercept, even if intercept is not yet needed. If this vampire successfully blocks this action, he or she untaps at the end of the action. Striga is not a Discipline.
[STR] Only usable when a bleed against you is successful. The bleed burns no pool. Instead, this vampire taps and enters combat with the acting minion. Burn option.

So, I can't intercept all the stealth you got? You think you are really going to bleed me? This card is indeed the best of Striga. And of course, rare...

Drinking the Wine, Metuselahs!