Welcome back to our Neverrift Effects Explained series!
In the first instalment, we explored two faction non-specific effects: Draw a Card and Scout. This time, we're looking at two more effects that can help you deal with your opponent's creatures and protect your own: Block and Return to Hand.
Both effects can influence the flow of a match, giving you ways to defend your creatures or disrupt your opponent's board.
Let's take a closer look!
1. Block
Effect: This creature blocks the next incoming attack.
A Block effect provides your creature with protection against an incoming attack. It prevents the first attack directed towards that creature from going through.
However, Block has an important limitation: every attack higher than 0 breaks a Block effect.
This means that even if an attack doesn't deal much damage, it can still remove the protection.
How to use it:
- Protect important creatures: Block can help keep a valuable creature safe from the next incoming attack.
- Think about attack strength: Remember that any attack higher than 0 breaks the effect, so don't assume your creature will remain protected indefinitely.
- Make your opponent think twice: Having Block on a creature can influence how your opponent chooses their attacks.
A little strategic advice: Don't forget that Block only stops the next incoming attack. Once an attack higher than 0 breaks it, the protection is gone. Make sure you get the most out of it!
2. Return to Hand
Effect: When this card comes into play, choose a creature {direction}. You may return it to its owner's hand.
Return to Hand is a surprisingly versatile effect that can be used both offensively and defensively. While it can remove an opponent's creature from the battlefield, it can also be used on your own creatures to create new opportunities.
One important detail to remember is that the creature returns to its owner's hand, not its controller's hand.
This means you can even reclaim one of your own creatures if your opponent has taken control of it!
How to use it:
- Take back your creatures: If your opponent has taken control of one of your creatures, you can return it to your hand and regain access to it.
- Reuse entering-the-battlefield effects: Some creatures have powerful effects that activate when they enter the battlefield. Returning them to your hand allows you to play them again and trigger those effects once more.
- Disrupt your opponent: You can also target an opponent's creature to remove it from the battlefield, forcing them to play it again if they want to use it.
A little strategic advice: Don't think of Return to Hand as just a removal tool! Sometimes the best target is actually one of your own creatures. Reusing a powerful entering-the-battlefield effect, giving a creature another chance to attack, or reclaiming a creature controlled by your opponent can turn this simple effect into a powerful strategic tool.
Final thoughts
That's it for Part 2 of Neverrift: Common Effects and How to Use Them!
This time, we've explored two effects that interact with creatures in very different ways. Block provides protection against an incoming attack, while Return to Hand gives you a way to remove a creature from play and potentially disrupt your opponent's strategy.
As always, understanding the exact wording of an effect is important. Small details, such as what breaks Block or whose hand receives a returned creature, can make a big difference during a game.