Click here to pre-order Brennen and Rin, and other new Ashes products! And be sure to try out these new cards in our Ashes deck builder!

Everyone is familiar with the pure damage output of natural magic, from Summon Gilder to Molten Gold. Even the natural dice power side ability does damage. But sometimes in Ashes, just blasting things into oblivion doesn't solve your problems. With ready spells, that unit you just used a main action to destroy can easily be replaced on your opponent's turn. Timing is key, and in today's article we'll look at 2 cards in The Frostdale Giants that you can use to gain advantage if your timing is just right!

I know, I know, that's a lot of words on one card, so here's what it does in simple terms. You place Deep Freeze on a unit and that unit is now considered exhausted. Your opponent must now spend 3 side action to remove Deep Freeze and unexhaust their unit.

Why would you play this over something more blasty? Well, when you play this with perfect timing, you pay 1 to make a unit unavailable (any exhaustable abilities as well as its ability to attack, block or guard) for 3 of your turns, possibly over 2 rounds! Just play this bad boy when your opponent has nothing else they can do on their turn they remove a token and pass, you attack. Your opponent gets to remove another token and pass, you pass and a new round starts. But there is still a status token on Deep Freeze. The first player token passes to you and the deep frozen unit is still considered to be exhausted.

This is the kind of card that players with a keen sense of timing are going to love! Worst-case scenario, it will allow you to attack without having to worry about the opponent's biggest baddest blocker messing up your super awesome bears and golems!

I don't think I need to tell you how awesome this card is, it kinda speaks for itself! ...but I will anyway.

For 1 you get to destroy a unit that just entered play, even when it's not your turn! You can only destroy a unit with 2 life or less, but at the low cost of 1 magic, it's an amazing bargain. Besides, anything bigger will cost your opponent a lot of resources to play, and then your Frostback Bear can lock it down for multiple turns, putting you up on resources and providing you with yet more battlefield advantage.

One of the most frustrating things in Ashes can be when you have a massive army all prepped to attack, and then the opponent plays a puny little whimp to block your massive units of destruction. Well, Ice Trap stops that strategy cold! (See what I did there.)

And there you have it, this is how natural magic plays the timing game without just blasting things to bits. I've really enjoyed playing with both of these cards and I hope you all do as well.

Next week, Rin only gets one card, but don't you worry, it's the one you've all been waiting for. (Even if you don't know what I'm talking about, trust me , this is the card you've been waiting for!) Next week you get to see what all the buffing in The Frostdale Giants is about.

But before you go, I wanted to let everyone know a new podcast all about ashes has just started. It's called The Ashtray, and I'm on the first episode. Check it out if you just can't get enough of Ashes!

And don't forget about the first Ashes podcast, The Main Action. They're 11 episodes in already.

Thanks for reading!

Bob

Click here to pre-order The Children of Blackcloud, The Frostdale Giants, and even extra dice! Get Lulu Firststone or Dimona Odinstar FREE with each Ashes deck purchase, or buy them separately!

Rin/Brennen Previews:

Brennen: Blackcloud Ninja, Crimson Bomber and Poison, Chant of Protection and Chant of the Dead, Fire Archer

Rin: Rin's Fury, Frost Fang and Frostback Bear, Crystal Shield and Frozen Crown