Storm of Souls Preview: Lifebound

By Brian Kibler

In the struggle for power that has gripped Vigil in the wake of Samael’s demise, members of the various factions have had to stick together to survive.  No faction is better at sticking together than the Lifebound.  Since the very beginning in Chronicle of the Godslayer, Lifebound has had a theme of working better with more of its own, first in Runic Lycanthrope and Snapdragon and then in Dandelion Witch in Return of the Fallen.  Building a deck packed with Lifebound heroes is a tried and true strategy.  In Storm of Souls, Lifebound heroes come together like never before. 

Unite is a new keyword found on Lifebound heroes in Storm of Souls. A card with Unite has an extra effect when played in the same turn as another hero of the same faction.  On his own, Lionheart is like a smaller version of Nairi, the Henge Queen, earning you three honor every time you play him.  Combined with another Lifebound hero, however, Lionheart not only nets you those three honor, but also replaces himself by drawing a card. 

It’s important to note that Unite works differently than previous cards like Runic Lycanthrope and Dandelion Witch.  Unlike Runic Lycanthrope, which always had to be at least the second Lifebound hero you played to get the bonus power, when you play a card with Unite, you get the extra effect whether you play another Lifebound hero before or after.  You also only ever get the effect once, unlike Dandelion Witch, which triggers for each Lifebound hero you play.

So if you have two copies of Lionheart, when you play the first one you’ll gain three honor.  When you play the second one you’ll also gain three honor, and then both Unite abilities will trigger and you’ll draw two cards.  Once you’ve already drawn the card for each Lionheart, playing another Lifebound hero that turn won’t have any additional effect as far as Unite is concerned. 

Lionheart isn’t the only Unite card in Storm of Souls – far from it – but Unite isn’t the only thing going on with Lifebound in the set either.  Storm of Souls continues to expand upon the things Lifebound is known for, like efficient rune production and honor gain, with cards like Starchild:

Starchild may not be flashy, but she certainly is good.  She’s what we call a “nuts and bolts” card – one that provides essential functions so that the rest of the set gels together around it.  Halfway between a Wolf Shaman and a Flytrap Witch, Starchild helps you buy bigger cards while accumulating honor at the same time.  It’s important to note that the “draw a card” portion of Starchild makes it play particularly well with Unite cards like Lionheart, since the faster you get through your deck, the more likely you’ll draw your Unite cards at the same time as your other Lifebound heroes. 

Buying a bunch of Starchilds and the like isn’t the only way to get your Unite cards working, though.  Sometimes, the stars just align for you:

That’s right – if Ogo Rising is the current event, all of your Unite cards are turned on every turn, no matter what other cards you draw.  Ogo Rising also plays well with the Lifebound-friendly cards from previous sets, ensuring you an honor every turn from Snapdragon and power from Runic Lycanthrope.  And the Trophy effect you gain from the fanatic with Ogo Rising in play is one that any Lifebound heavy deck can love – more runes to buy bigger and better heroes! 

So there you have it – Lifebound in Storm of Souls is just like the good old Lifebound you’ve always known, but with a twist.  How have the other factions fared?  Come back next time and find out…