This week for Brigade Basics it is time for the evil brigades. This week Brown and Pale Green are covered.
Editor’s Note: We encourage you to use the Redemption Card Viewer as you read this article: https://thejambi.github.io/RedemptionCCGViewer/. Enter N: followed by the card name into the search to view the cards Zac is talking about.
Introduction:
These articles are meant for beginner players looking for a good place to start deck building or intermediate players looking to broaden their Redemption knowledge. This series of articles is a jumping off point to give less experienced players a manageable list of cards for each brigade and theme out there so they can have a place to start in their own research and experimentation.
There are many powerful cards in Redemption that are staples in most every deck that you won’t see mentioned here. They weren’t forgotten, but are only mentioned in decks that have specific synergy with them, otherwise every article would need to include most every dominant and useful site, artifact, and fortress in the game.
If I missed something, please let me know in the comments below! This article will be updated with each new set, so your comments could very well make it into the next update.
Brown
Brown the past few years has been one of the biggest defenses in the game right now, or rather a splash Brown defense is. It still has some teeth. It is known for its powerful decrease abilities and being in just about every deck in some way. Before we get splashy, let’s go through the main themes. First, we have the Gates of Samaria deck. This defense can cause some major damage with its powerful decrease ability and surprise your opponents with site-lock, but it can be very unwieldy, slow, and tends to get big from all the sites needed to make it work. Top cards in this would be King Jeroboam I and King Nadab, King Omri, Jezebel, The Fallen King, King Ahab, King Jehoash, King Ahaziah, King Jeroboam II, Land Purchase, and Taking Naboth’s Vineyard.
Next we have the Gates of Jerusalem defense, which is usually paired with a Solomon’s Temple/Kings of Judah offense. While the old version of this fortress is still viable, you will probably be using the new one. This deck packs tons of power and flexibility, as most of your characters can be either good or evil. The defense revolves around using Meek Lost Souls, so you sacrifice a lot to use this defense, but in return get access to some powerful cards that only work on/with Meek souls. This defense pairs well with the new High Places (LoC). Top cards here would be King Zedekiah, Abijam, the Half-Hearted, Amaziah, the Arrogant, Manasseh, the Wicked or King Manasseh, Solomon, the Idolater, King Amon or Amon, the Forsaken Athaliah, Usurper Queen, Ahaz, the Unfaithful, Ahaziah, the Wicked, Jehoiachin, the Conquered, Jehoiakim, Puppet King, Rehoboam, the Divider (or King Rehoboam and Strife), King Saul, Doeg, Solomon’s Oppression, Treason! Treason!, Dungeon of Malchiah, Acts of Manasseh, and Led Astray.
Job is the next defense, which you will only see with a Job offense as well. This has lots of banding and big numbers, but lacks any kind of speed. It also needs to be huge and supplemented with some faster cards and initiative characters, but since Job offenses are tiny this can be arranged. Top cards are Behemoth, Zophar, the Naamathite, Bildad, the Shuhite, Eliphaz, the Temanite, Job’s Wife, Leviathan, Wild Ox, Affliction of Job, Fire from Heaven, Fires of Abaddon, and Foolish Advice. This is a personal favorite of mine for how it always catches your opponent off guard and makes them sweat, everyone should give it a try at least once!
Next we have Persians. The most notable thing they can do is play Haman’s Plot without ripping it because of Haman’s Gallows. They use a lot of end the battle abilities, which can be very powerful, but in a meta that uses a lot of banding can be very hard to pull off. Top cards include: Irrational Rage, Haman’s Boasting, Cast into Lion’s Den, Honor thy Enemy, Persian Conquerors, Persian Archers, King Darius, the Mede, The Bear, King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, Persian Horseman/Persian Horses, Zeresh, and Haman. They go well with White as they share some enhancements. In a different meta they could be something, but not right now unfortunately.
The last theme we will be talking about is the evil prophets. They could equally go in the grey brigade section, but I want them here and I am writing the article, so there! False prophets have lots of tricks up their sleeves, making them very annoying to deal with, but not a ton of power and none of their tricks actually help them win battles. The one thing that should be noted though is they possess some of the best speed/consistency elements out of any defensive build in the game in False Peace and Vain Vision. Top cards include: Prophets of Samaria, The Lying Prophet, Prophets of Baal with Vain Philosophy and Vain Vision, False Leaders, False Dreams, Profane Daughters, Mattan, Priest of Baal, and Prophets of Samaria. In a build focused on gray enhancements Balaam is a solid option since he is an evil prophet and uses gray enhancements.
Other notable cards in brown brigade not previously mentioned include: Turncoat, Gomer, Aliens, The Afflicted, Gibeonite Trickery, Confusion, Lacking Prophecy, Wasting Disease, Flying Scroll, Destroying Bands, All the Curses, Scattered, Reap the Whirlwind, Withered Plant/ The Worm, Stubborn Heifer, Lions, Accursed of God, Lost Anointing, David’s Census, Uzzah, Necromancer, Complainers, The Amalekites’ Slave, Foreign Horses, “Today”, Achan’s Sin, Korah’s Rebellion, Deceit and Vengeance, and Provoked. Brown is usually seen as a splash defense, so put all of the fastest and most powerful parts of this together and go to town!
Pale Green
Pale Green has been in many of the top defenses over the past years, mainly because of Magicians. Magicians’ power comes from the fact they pair well with just about anything, but they go especially well with Brown, Crimson, and especially Orange. You have Astrologers, Sorcerers, Elymas the Sorcerer, and Egyptian Magicians who can get cards off the bottom of your deck, such as the very powerful Invoking Terror. Damsel with Spirit of Divination is great drawing (or the newer version The Divining Damsel), Medium in Endor can shut down offenses if they have a weak hero out, Profane Daughters and Conjurers have amazing reserve access, and Necromancer and The Judean Mediums can create some nasty combos. One of the main reasons for running Magicians is Magic Charms, giving you a more powerful Unholy Writ without using an artifact slot. Other good Magicians cards include Soothsayers of Babylon, King Manasseh, Balaam, Simon the Magician, Chaldeans, Laban, Divination, Magicians’ Snakes, Magicians’ Staves/Magicians’ Snakes, Pride of Simon, and Mimicking Miracles.
Antediluvians are a bit of a relic at this point. You used to see them run with Flood decks, but now they are usually paired with Crimson, as Crimson has a lot of synergy with them and is one of the best brigades in the game. Antediluvians still have something to offer however. Between Corrupt People and Continuous Evil, you have great recursion of your characters and enhancements, good reserve access with City of Enoch, Zillah, and Tubal-Cain, and a strong protect ability in Naamah. Other prominent cards include The Flood, Violent Men, Beasts of the Earth, Cain, Wicked People, Wickedness Abounds, Cain Murders Abel, and Lamech the Avenged.
Finally, we have the Assyrians. Assyrians have gotten a lot of help in recent years, turning them from a T2 relic to a powerhouse wherever you find them. You get lots of banding, searching, and some powerful kill cards and weapons support. Top cards include: Assyrian Archer, Mounted Forces, Assyrian Survivor, Assyrian Siege Army, Nimrod, the Mighty, The King of Nineveh, Nineveh, King Tiglath-Pileser III (PoC), Assyrian Camp, Assyrian Ambassador, Assyrian Officer, King Sennacherib, The Rab-Saris (LoC), The Rabshakeh (LoC), The Tartan (LoC), Ninevites, Worship of Nisroch, The Rabshakeh’s Threat, Capture and Seize, Razor, Seigeworks, and Sennacherib Blasphemes.
Pale Green has tons of powerful cards not specific to a theme, such as Death of Unrighteous, Two Thousand Horses, Foreign Horses, Hired Sword, Forgotten History, Scattered, Achin’s Sin, Women of Snares, Confusion, Treasures of War, Plunder and Pillage, Balaam’s Teaching, The Serpent, Did God Really Say?, Shame, Forbidden Fruit, Blame Shifting, Corrupt Earth, Second Bowl of Wrath, Balaam’s Prophecy, Accursed of God, Withered Plant/The Worm, Assyrian Affliction, Delivered, Offer of Exile, Aliens, and Envy.
To buy singles, sealed product, and other gaming supplies mentioned, please visit Three Lions Gaming!
