Here’s “Dasein’s” version of comparing the new upstart combat card Shoulder Drop, to our esteemed elder statesmen of true combat mastery, Twisting the Knife.
Twisting the Knife
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 1 blood
Discipline: Potence
[pot] Only usable as damage from a hand or melee weapon strike is resolved; only usable if this vampire inflicts 3 or more damage. He or she inflicts an additional point of damage. Only one Twisting the Knife may be played by a vampire during a strike phase.
[POT] As above, with an optional press.
Shoulder Drop
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: nothing
Grapple. Play when you successfully inflict damage from a hand strike. After strike resolution, if this minion is still ready, the opposing minion takes 1 additional damage. The opposing minion cannot press this round. A minion may play only one Shoulder Drop each strike.
- Discipline:
- Twisting the Knife requires Potence.
- Shoulder Drop may be played by any stupid monkey.
- Everyone knows that Potence wins games, and stupid monkeys lose games, mainly to Potence decks.
- Winner: Twisting the Knife
- Cost:
- Twisting the Knife costs one blood.
- Shoulder Drop is free.
- Winner: Shoulder Drop (just)
- Requirements:
- Twisting the Knife requires 3 or more damage from a hand or melee weapon strike.
- Shoulder Drop requires any damage from a hand strike.
- Everyone knows that melee weapons are for winners, and winners are grinners. Only chumps make hand strikes.
- Winner: Twisting the Knife
- Damage:
- Twisting the Knife does one damage.
- Shoulder Drop does one extra damage.
- Winner: Tie
- Other effects:
- Twisting the Knife gives you a press, at superior. Everyone knows that winners play superior Potence. Although they will have to fish out a Potence skill card to give Appolonius superior Potence.
- Shoulder Drop means the opponent cannot press at all.
- Everyone knows that it’s fun when you and your opponent each play a bunch of presses. Shoulder Drop doesn’t let them play a press so you don’t get to cycle your presses. Although you don’t really need to, because Appolonius gets one in-build!
- Winner: Twisting the Knife by far
Overall winner: need I state the obvious?