Best Control Cards in Ice (Opus 1)

Last time we took a look at the Fire Element and what it brings to the table control-wise. Today we are hitting sub zero and examine the options within the Ice Element.

Put on your coats and join me. The cold doesn’t bother me anyway.

ICE

3. [4]Squall

There were so many cards I wanted to put in this slot. Honorable mentions include [3]Shiva, both versions of Terra and Jihl Nabaat.

But it ultimately choose [4]Squall. Why? One reason may be that I played a lot of Final Fantasy 8, when I was a kid since I did not have a PlayStation growing up and it just released on PC, when I got one strong enough to handle the game. That’s a very subjective foundation for reasoning you might say. Maybe. But it’s my list. So joke’s on you!

But seriously. I was legit surprised about how well [4]Squall performs. To unlock his full potential you would have to pair him with a Laguna, but as you will soon notice – this is no problem at all. In combination with his long haired buddy Squall grows into a 9K beater. But that’s not the reason I put him onto this spot. He also forces your opponent to discard up to two cards. At first i was skeptical about the impact of this effect. But after playing with this card I must say how good this is in the Final Fantasy TCG. Your opponents will sandbag cards they want to save up to play a lot of the times. Mostly paired with cards they plan to discard in order to resolve them. Making them discard 2 of them puts them in a really tough spot. They lose either their bomb or their resources. In most cases both. The tempo swing from this guy is totally bonkers. Additionally: [3]Squall is an awesome blocker and this version serves as a way to provide him with First Strike.

2. Time Mage

Oh boy. This. Dude. Is. My. Jam! Seriously. He probably was the shy kid back in mage school and did not have a lot of friends. But man… Do I wanna hang with him.

Time Mage is the kind of card I live for. People coming from Magic: The Gathering may remember Maze of Ith. This guy is exactly that. What is not to love? He is a 2-drop backup – great spot to be in – and is able to nullify any attack for just dulling and paying 1 ice CP. Also by being allowed multiple of those on the field you may be able to stall away two of their forwards by dulling four of your backups, while you dig through your deck or gather resources for your next move. I am willing to play ice in my control brews just to get access to this card. It is that powerful. Why is he not on number 1 than? As good as he is, he does not win us the game on his own.

Bonus points for being a card that allows you to be “that guy” in your playgroup.

1. [5]Laguna

Maybe you already guessed it when reading the paragraph about Squall. But it should be no shocker to see this card on the number 1 spot, since it is considered one of he best legendaries of the set: The man with the Machine Gun, [5]Laguna.

Besides having a kick ass battle theme, Laguna is bringing a lot to the table. Literally. With 9k for 5 CP he is well costed. But it is his ability to clear the board from remaining blockers and potential attackers, that makes him the one to play when you need to force your way. Desperado offers your a way to get rid of your extra copies of [5] und [4]Laguna. For only 2 additional ice CP he deals 9k damage to a dull forward without having to dull himself. Goodybye [4]Cloud. Farewell [4]Tidus. So long [8]Sephirot.

I am most certain that [5]Laguna will be a format defining card alongside [4]Cloud and Zidane.

Conclusion

While fire was a very subpar element when it comes to cards that would be viable in a control deck, ice delivered. There were so many cards that fit this archetype perfectly. But the also serve well in any tempo based brew. Comment with your favorite ice cards and the shell you play them in.

Next time we will take a look at Wind! You do not have to wait long. Don’t be afraid.

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Author Bio:

Prinny first dipped his toe into the pond of TCGs in 2002 when Yu-Gi-Oh! made it’s way to Europe. He has been taken the part of TO, judge and tournament player in several games. Mainly focusing on Magic: The Gathering and the World of Warcraft TCG.