Call It Shadespire!

Decision: Should You Play Soothing Companion? TL;DR: Most decks won't benefit from including Soothing Companion.  However, a few niche roles may see some real use from this card.  If you're playing Katophrane Tomes out of Mollog's Mob, Ylthari's Guardians, Thorns of the Briar Queen, Zarbag's Gitz, or any of the resurrect/summon warbands, it may be worth trying.  It won't blow your hair back like Upper Hand/Ready for Action, but you could find that it's subtle utility makes it well worth including. Factor: The Changing Meta Let's be honest, when the Grymwatch was released, we all pretty much dismissed Soothing Companion.  And who could blame us, with gems like Larval Lance, Survival Instincts, and Trophy Belt in the same pack?  But recent tournament results may have changed things a bit. Of the top four decks at the Southern California Open, 3 played Supremacy or a Supremacy-equivalent objective (In the Name of the King, for example).  Simi

Decision: Should You Play Survival Instincts? Tl;DR : Gitz and Thorns should definitely be considering this one.  Rats, Eyes, Guardians, Grymwatch, and Wild Hunt may also think about picking it up to keep important 2-dodge models alive. Brendan Gleeson is the most underrated actor working today. Factor: The Guard Let's start out by taking a look at what you actually gain from upgrading your fighter with Survival Instincts.  First and foremost, you're gaining an increased chance to successfully defend against your opponent's attacks.  Just how much you gain is largely dependent on where you start from.  The table below summarizes what you gain from upgrading with Instincts against various attacks.  1 Dodge 2 Dodge 3 Dodge 1 Block 2 Block 1 Sword 6% 6% 5% 3% 3% 2 Sword 7% 9% 8% 3% 3% 3 Sword 7% 10% 10% 4% 5% 4 Sword 7% 10% 11% 4% 5% 1 Hammer 11% 11% 9% 6% 5% 2 Hammer 11% 15% 14% 6% 7% 3 Hammer 9% 13% 16% 5% 6% Kind of like Brendan Gleeson, those