Dev Download: Fang

Welcome to Dev Download, where we share red hot tips and tricks fresh from the game devs at Legend Story Studios so you can pick up a deck and play like a pro! This week we’ll be covering how to play each of the heroes in The Hunted, focusing on Booster Draft and Classic Constructed!

Today we prove our loyalty with Fang, Dracai of Blades!

Booster Draft

The Hunted is a dynamic Booster Draft experience with three unique heroes, each looking to mark their target then stab them with daggers!

Fang has access to Warrior and Draconic Warrior cards, shares Draconic cards with Cindra, and shares hybrid Assassin / Warrior cards with Arakni.

Fang's goal is to attack with a dagger, play a Draconic attack reaction or instant to give it go again, then attack with a second dagger. By marking the opponent then hitting them, Fang will create Fealty tokens. Once you have three or more Fealty tokens, your daggers become free to swing! Draconic Warrior and regular Warrior cards are typically a key signal that Fang is open to draft.

Key Draconic cards you will want to keep an eye out for are instants, such as Pledge Fealty and Tooth of the Dragon. Your opponent is expecting attack reactions, so these are perfect for sidestepping their defenses into a much bigger second swing. You'll also want to pick up a number of 0-cost Draconic attack actions such as For the Dracai, March of Loyalty, and Blaze Headlong. Lastly, you'll want to pick up several ways to mark the opponent and/or create Fealty tokens, so you can accelerate your hero ability. Cards that tick multiple boxes such as For the Dracai are absolute must-picks!

There are two main pathways to drafting a Fang deck. The first relies on picking up 1-cost attack reactions for heavier damage earlier in the game. This build leans on roughly 8-10 blues, and is less reliant on quickly securing three Fealty tokens. The second focuses on 0-cost attack reactions, and plays mostly yellows instead of blues. This build is lean, consistent, and extremely powerful once you get to three Fealty tokens, as your pitch cards suddenly become damage cards. However, you will need to include more ways to mark and/or create Fealty than you would with the first build.

Classic Constructed

This is the first time we've seen the Draconic card-pool properly blended with the Warrior card-pool (except for the Emperor, but he's dead, so...). Fang's daggers and attack reactions naturally synergise with older Draconic cards, offering exciting new ways to combine the fire of dragons with mastery of steel. Draconic attack reactions are your number one friend in any Classic Constructed Fang build, and you should aim to include a high number of them for consistency. Due to the higher life totals you'll also find yourself maintaining and using your Fealty tokens a lot more frequently than you would in draft.

One of the main two ways to approach Fang in Classic Constructed is with an explosive combo deck that aims to attack with daggers an absurd number of times during a single turn, extracting as much damage as possible out of cards like Oath of Steel and Rake Over the Coals. This build tries to firstly get to three Fealty, then set up any mix of the new 'stance' cards to grant power buffs, go again, and/or additional swings, then unleash a never-ending firestorm! This deck should be heavy on 0-cost Draconic attack reactions and instants in order to go entirely pitchless for your combo turns. Dragonscaler Flightpath is a key equipment, as it offers both go again and an additional dagger swing.

Another way to play Fang in Classic Constructed is with a grindier, more mid-range build. This version uses Valiant Dynamo, and aims to play 2-card hands every turn, swinging both daggers and resetting your boots. 0-cost attack actions like Oath of Loyalty, For the Dracai, and Blaze Headlong are perfect follow-ups to your dagger swings, allowing you to trade efficiently with the opponent and outvalue them over time. Grains of Bloodspill is a fantastic inclusion in this build, opening up incredibly efficient lines, especially when your hero ability is live.

Warriors are fantastic with a blade, but the battlefield is often plagued with strange enemies with unique abilities. It's important to know what matchups to expect, and what tools you can bring to shore up any disadvantages. Kabuto of Imperial Authority is obviously fantastic against Warriors, but it also puts in a huge amount of work against Runeblades, Ninjas, Mechanologists, and even certain unnamed Mystic Illusionists. Speaking of Illusionists, ward has long been a thorn in Warrior's chainmail, but The Hunted introduces an exciting new counter in Jagged Edge, letting you steal back some precious points that could make all the difference. Lastly, as a Royal hero, Fang has full access to Imperial Seal of Command, which not only punishes the opponent for sitting on their defense reactions, but also allows you to pick exactly the right moment to ruin their plans.

Want to take Fang for a spin but don't want to commit to expensive Legendaries and Majestics just yet? Try our Budget Fang Decklist below at your next Armory Event or even just casual games among friends.