Darkforge Uprising Preview: Ignir, Khan of Ashur

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Every generation the Tempys hold a sacred tournament to honor their ancestors and hone their skills in the crucible of combat.  The greatest warriors from each clan gather amid the molten rivers of Kadras to test their skill and win glory for their clan. And for the greatest among them, earn the title of Khan of Kadras: He who will unite the disparate elemental clans and change the face of Solis forever. 

Ignir, was but a youth during the last tournament, in which Korok became the Khan of Khans.  The resolve that Korok displayed during the tournament impressed Ignir greatly; but what truly inspired the young giant was how Korok united the fractured tribes of the Tempys.  The blood of giants ran through Ignir’s veins, and with that came the stubborn resolve that was his birthright.  If Korok was able to achieve such heights, there was no doubt in his mind that he too would become a Forgeborn.

So it began.  The days became a blur as young Ignir immersed himself within the molten lava pits of Ashur.  He studied the great masters of the flame within the Tempys.  He conversed with savants, shamans, and elementals.   He visited the mystics of Everflame and sparred with the Stonefist giants.  He mastered the primordial fires of Ashur.  He honed his power in the volcanic pits, burning away all doubt and weakness.  He sought the wisdom in the glowing embers of his fallen foes.   Ignir was a giant in stature and deeds, a raging volcano given the form of living flesh.

Through perseverance and determination he even joined the ranks of the Forgeborn – the first of the giant bloodlines to do so. 

This did not go unnoticed by the Khan of Khans – or his peers among the powerful Tempys. Although younger in years than his fellow Khans, Korok and Iztek, the mutual respect the three had for one another was well known.  With the next tournament many years distant, Ignir turns his attention to the present. A present in which dark, twisted shapes rise from the depths of Solis to threaten the hard won unity Korok fought so hard to achieve.  

A present with no future… unless Ignir and his fellow Forgeborn stand against the twisted Darkforged and their plan to cover all of Solis in shadow.

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Greetings fellow Forgeborn, Eon here, leader of team Battlebranded. I'm fairly certain you are all abuzz amidst the flurry of previews the past week, and this one is a bombshell. 

That's right, Ignir over here is a Forgeborn, being one of the select eight cards in the game to have a level four. Speaking of level four, it is probably worth emphasising that it does a whopping 24 damage to ALL things on the opposing side - both his creatures AND face, which is more than likely to both wipe your opponent's board and leave a severe dent in his life total. This puts Ignir right up there with the other powerful level four Forgeborn who have equally potent abilities.

But judging a Forgeborn solely on its level four isn't quite a fair assessment, so what does Ignir do for us when you play it in level one?

• Kill X/5s, many of which are prevalent in the metagame, with examples such as Borean Windweaver, Aetherphage, Duskmaw, Twilight Drake and the soon to be released Plunder Imp.
• Damage Shardplate Behemoths, causing them to shrink to a 5/5, which sets up a trade with Ignir. This is nothing short of a feat because very few cards can even hope to trade with a Behemoth.
• You get a 5/5, while not the most impressive body, is extremely workable.

Unfortunately for us, Ignir doesn't have the best eyesight to grace Ashur, and his random targeting might cause an otherwise profitable shot to go to your opponent's face, which while might hurt your opponent's feelings, doesn't to do anything to impact the board, and a 5/5 that doesn't impact the board is just begging for trouble.

However, on crowded boards, Ignir becomes more likely to hit a creature, and that's where he truly shines, sniping out creatures left and right.

Protecting Ignir is also a promising proposition, as hitting things multiple times is a sweet and easy way to accrue value, which brings me to decks:

Pause Paws

3 Flamebreak Invoker
3 Stasis Warden
3 Ironmind Acolyte
2 Ignir, Khan of Ashur
2 H.E.R.M.E.S (spoiled here)

3 Oratek Battlebrand
3 Static Shock
3 Energy Surge
2 Burnout
2 Glacial Crush
2 Lucid Echoes
2 Ambriel's Edict

Granting Defender to Iggy through Stasis Warden or H.E.R.M.E.S is a powerful effect, making it much harder for opponents to get rid of, alongside Flamebreak Invoker to chip away at the health totals of opposing creatures, which might bring something into kill range for Ignir. With a potent lategame with multiple draw effects in Lucid Echoes and Energy Surge and removal in Glacial Crush in conjunction with Stasis Warden as well as Flamebreak Invoker with Static Shock, Ignir can add the punch you need to either finish off the remaining opposing creatures, or your opponent himself.

AT Rage

3 Frostmane Dragon
3 Borean Windweaver
3 Ignir, Khan of Ashur
3 Brimstone Tyrant
3 Nexus Aeronaut
3 Relic Hunter
2 Korok, Khan of Kadras
1 Windspark Elemental

3 Rage of Kadras
3 Oratek Battlebrand
3 Oratek Explosives

A staple archetype for several sets, now with Ignir. Ignir is the kind of card your opponent wants to kill before he gets too many shots off, which means the Khan is likely to get blocked, making Rage of Kadras a super easy play. Furthermore, Windweaver allows you to get Ignir out of harm's way for a turn, letting you squeeze a bit more mileage from him.

Ignir also feeds into what the AT Rage deck wants to be doing, snowballing. With all blowouts between Oratek Explosives and Rage of Kadras, Ignir can serve as the knockout punch to keep your opponent far far behind.

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I hope you enjoyed this preview (I know I certainly enjoyed writing it), and I'll see you around for more articles and in the queues with the advent of Darkforge Uprising!

Pre-order here