Obsidian Flames is a popular trading card game known for its beautiful art, deep lore, and complex gameplay. The collectible cards come in randomized packs and decks, featuring creatures, spells, and heroes from across its fantasy world. Players build decks with different factions and strategies, then face off in duels of wit and skill.
Obsidian Flames has gathered a dedicated playerbase since its release in 2015. The vibrant artwork and regular new card sets keep fans engaged year after year. However, its complex rules and multitude of abilities make keeping track of cards a daunting task for new and experienced players alike.
This article will analyze Obsidian Flames through the lens of its card lists – the catalogs of available cards that drive gameplay, deckbuilding, and collecting.
Obsidian Flames Card List
Card lists serve multiple purposes in trading card games like Obsidian Flames:
- They enable players to discover which cards exist in the game and view their details.
- They allow players to strategize and build decks based on available cards.
- They provide transparency for card rarity and collectibility.
- They catalog meta shifts when new cards or rules are introduced.
For collectors and traders, card lists establish the scope of what can be collected and how rare each card is. Competitive players analyze card lists to identify optimal synergies and build dominant deck archetypes. Casual players browse lists to find cards that excite them both aesthetically and mechanically.
In essence, card lists shape the foundation of the player experience and metagame environment in trading card games. Their management directly impacts the game’s evolution, balance, and accessibility.
Description of Obsidian Flames Card List
Card lists can be presented in various formats, but generally include:
- Card name – The unique identifier for each card
- Faction icon – Denotes which in-game faction the card belongs to
- Rarity symbol – Visual indicator of common, rare, epic cards, etc.
- Type icons – Shows if a card is a Spell, Creature, Weapon, Hero, etc.
- Artwork – Visual depiction of the card’s art
- Rules text – Special abilities and gameplay instructions
Additional details like collector numbers, artist credits, and card variants may also be specified.
Obsidian Flames Cards Game
Obsidian Flames brings the fantasy realms of its rich lore to life through intricately designed cards brimming with magical creatures and sorcerers. Play unfolds across vivid landscapes depicted in its artwork as players unleash skillful combinations upon one another.
Gameplay Mechanics
The game has players become summoners locked in magical duels to reduce their opponent’s life to zero. They take turns summoning creatures, casting spells, and attacking with heroes under their control.
Key gameplay mechanics include:
- Mana – Resources needed to play cards, generated based on lands controlled
- Creatures – Minions summoned to attack the enemy summoner
- Spells – One-shot magical effects like direct damage, drawing cards, etc.
- Heroes – Powerful characters with unique traits
- Factions – Distinct clans with complementary play styles and abilities
Learning how to weave synergies between cards and their abilities is integral to mastering high-level competitive play.
Collectible Aspect
Obsidian Flames leverages scarcity through set rotation and rarity tiers to make certain cards more valuable to own and trade. This fuels the collecting side of the game.
Rarity System
Cards have special symbols to denote their rarity distribution:
Rarity | Drop Rate | Symbol |
---|---|---|
Common | 60% of all cards | C |
Uncommon | 30% of all cards | U |
Rare | 7% of all cards | R |
Mythic Rare | 3% of all cards | M |
The rarer a card is, the more sought after it becomes. This increases its trading value and prestige factor for collectors.
Card Distribution
Packs contain semi-random assortments from the current legal sets. Besides basic rarity rates, collector trends and metagame impact add additional weight regarding a card’s value.
Core Set Card Analysis
As the launch set of Obsidian Flames, the imaginatively titled Core Set introduced key characters and factions that defined the tone of the game for years to come.
Themes & Mechanics
The Core Set revolved heavily around spellcasting and controlling the flow of battle through careful resource management. Signature mechanics included:
- Riftstones – Special lands that generated amplifying mana.
- Ward – Ability that blocks damage or effects. Had to be dismantled before a creature could be targeted.
- Prophecy – Cards that activate unique effects if drawn at specific game moments.
Impactful Cards
Several Core Set cards left lasting impressions for their role in competitive play:
Izana, Archmage Ascendant
The prime spellcasting Hero, Izana enabled some of the most dominant control decks by generously refunding mana costs to recast spells turn after turn.
Sandstorm Colossus
As an efficient high-toughness Creature, Sandstorm held the line against aggressive decks while also being tricky to remove from its Ward ability.
Charcoal Diviner
Though modest in scale, the Diviner’s Prophecy effect that refilled mana became a lynchpin in many combo-oriented decks for years after.
Obsidian Flames Expansions
Obsidian Flames separates its cards into annual Base Sets and smaller Expansion Sets to keep gameplay fresh.
Notable expansions include:
Infernal Horizons
Themes – Fleshed out the mysterious Nether faction and “spell mastery” mechanic for casting certain numbers of spells per turn.
Impactful Cards –
- Nether Queen – Efficient Creature that could take over games if not answered quickly.
- Void Ripper – Situational removal spell that could completely swing combat.
Descendants of Zarr
Themes – Focused on the angelic Seraph faction and introduced multi-preview card cycles that synergized across rarities and sets.
Impactful Cards –
- Heaven’s Grace – Flexible healing spell.
- Zarr’s Chosen – Angels Matter legendary Creature.
Deck Building Strategies
Crafting an optimized 60-card Obsidian Flames deck requires understanding your win conditions, potential threats, and how to enable your strategy reliably.
Key aspects include:
Consistency
Build consistent access to your deck’s key cards through 4-of playsets and tutors. Avoid situational 1-ofs when possible.
Mana Curve
Balance spells across casting costs for smooth gameplay. Include enough lands and mana sources to reliably cast your cards when needed.
Synergies
Identify beneficial interactions between cards that enhance their impact. These combine into formidable engines.
For example, cards generating extra mana can enable expensive late-game finishers. Removal spells clear the way for your creatures to attack unimpeded.
Well-honed combinations form lethal deck archetypes that spiral out of control!
Meta Calls
When very strong decks emerge, tech choices specifically against those matchups improves win percentages.
However, be careful about over-sideboarding – don’t dilute the core focus of your 75 too greatly.
Competitive Play & Metagame Trends
The ebb and flow of deck archetypes jockeying for dominance defines Obsidian Flames organized play at both local and national levels. Skillful play patterns one week can be invalidated the next by a new deck configuration or tech choice. This ever-shifting landscape keeps the game perpetually fresh even years later.
Some all-time great deck archetypes include:
- Izzet Overload – A Legacy format combo deck that uses cost reducers like Emperor’s Signet to chain endless high damage spells in a single turn.
- Angel Ascension – A more recent Standard deck packing self-synergizing Seraph creatures and protection spells for incremental value generation.
Carefully predicted metagame trends allow savvy players to gain edges playing decks with positive matchups against expected field compositions. However, breakthrough rogue configurations can upend conventional wisdom. All part of the thrill!
Obsidian Flames Art & Design
Beyond strategic depth, Obsidian Flames immerses fans through its fantastical visuals and flavor — with art that brings its dimensional heroes and monsters to life.
Notable Artists
Between commissioned pieces and selected fan submissions, a wide spectrum of artists have left their mark on the game.
Popular contributors include:
- Ralinn Krue – Produced iconic box set illustrations and style guide designs that influenced the game’s visual brand.
- Hector Faraday – Prolific creature artist known for his vibrant color palettes.
- Lys Valente – Specializes in stunning landscape panoramas and architecture featured primarily on spell cards.
Storytelling Through Obsidian Flames
Woven subtly throughout cards or stated outright in prose, Obsidian Flames builds immersive narratives that raise the emotional investment of fans. Legends told of the shattered planes and those that quest to save this fantasy multiverse.
Impact on Design
Story beats both reference past cards and influence future developments through narrative arcs:
- Character deaths – Increase significance of existing versions or introduce new iterations.
- Allied factions – Enable mechanical combinations previously unavailable.
- Villain plots – Foreshadow future threats that have to be overcome.
This interconnected emphasis increases attachment to the colorful cast and fuels speculation for ambitious crossovers and climactic showdowns set for future card sets!
Managing Obsidian Flames Collections
From humble beginnings with a starter deck, passionate fans accrue massive collections over months and years of active play. Organizing these treasured hordes presents an epic challenge!
Sorting Methods
Some approaches include:
- By set number
- Alphabetically
- By card type
- By faction
- By artist
- By rarity
Digital deck builders also let players catalog and filter cards through advanced search queries for easy access to print lists.
Storage Considerations
Careful storage preserves cards from wearing down over repeated handling. Many collectors use:
- Binders with side loading pages
- Archival quality sleeves for extra rare cards
- Sorting boxes that can be easily labeled
Those with considerable investments even utilize humidity-controlled security vaults to protect the pinnacle of their acquisitions!
Obsidian Flames Community
Beyond gaming tables, aficionados build bonds at premier tournaments, design fan expansions, produce narrative podcasts, craft cosplay, and more to fully immerse themselves.
Organized Play
Official tournaments structured into competitive tiers offer prizes and prestige associated with mastering the game’s highest levels. Most visible are the seasonal Mythril Championships broadcast globally to thousands of spectators.
Fan Content
Grassroots activities let fans directly shape their experience through:
- Fan fiction exploring side stories of favorite characters.
- Custom card mods that design new gameplay elements.
- Artists selling fantasy accessories like engraved life counters and play mats.
Accessibility Concerns
Unfortunately, the distribution model of collectible card games means acquiring optimal decks relies heavily on financial means rather than skill alone. However, alternate avenues exist:
Budget Deckbuilding
Getting creative by omitting expensive staples for cheaper alternatives can still build decks able to compete and have fun!
Cube Drafting
This community format has players drafting cards from a shared pool, placing everyone on equal first pick footing.
Promo Rewards
Free card giveaways from tournaments or social media events help expand options for those less able to purchase vast product quantities.
While the collector side has inherent disparity, abolishing barriers to participation keeps the soul of the game alive.
Obsidian Flames Cards
- Card Name: Obsidian Flames
- Card Type: Enchantment
Description: The Obsidian Flames card exudes an aura of ancient power, embodying the intensity and depth of obsidian. When activated, the card conjures ethereal flames with an obsidian hue that dance and flicker, casting an eerie yet mesmerizing glow. These flames possess a dual nature, symbolizing both destruction and transformation.
Effect:
- Destruction Surge: The flames can be directed towards a target, causing immediate and intense damage. Anything caught in their path experiences a searing onslaught, leaving a trail of smoldering remnants.
- Rebirth Essence: In contrast to its destructive force, the Obsidian Flames hold the essence of rebirth. When strategically harnessed, the flames can purify and rejuvenate, turning the ashen aftermath into fertile ground for new beginnings.
Strategy Tips:
- Use the Destruction Surge strategically to eliminate formidable foes or obstacles in your path.
- Employ the Rebirth Essence to heal and revitalize allies or areas affected by previous conflicts.
- Beware of the delicate balance; too much destruction without rebirth may lead to unforeseen consequences.
Collector’s Note: The Obsidian Flames card is sought after by collectors for its dual-natured magic and the mesmerizing visual spectacle it creates. Rumors abound about the card’s connection to ancient civilizations and its role in shaping the destiny of realms.
Final Thoughts
Obsidian Flames’ strategic complexity woven among imaginative artwork and extensive lore provides a welcoming respite for trading card lovers. Regardless of one’s level of engagement with the competitive circuits or collecting goals, its myriad vivid cards offer avenues to escape reality’s troubles for Hours spent engrossed in flashy magical duels.
The evolving card lists shape ever-changing dynamics between deckbuilding, storytelling, and meta developments that keep each year novel and unexplored. This rich underlying ecosystem propels Obsidian Flames forward as a hobby with tremendous lasting power even a decade later.
When the gathering storm of everyday adversity arises, the illuminated radiance exuded from Obsidian Flames stands ready to re-ignite weary sparks once more. Just beware taking that first peek at the card lists… their siren songs may sweep you away forevermore into wondrous realms hiding just beyond!