One-Trick Raiden? 

     If you’ve played against Zor-Raiden, you know he’s the Shinobi’s best friend.  Both forms grant Global Charge, which adds an additional B-Die to Brawl attacks after movement, which increases their already formidable attack. 

     What the added B-Die means, in terms of probability, is that if a single S-Type Shinobi attacks after moving, he has a 50% chance of taking out a lightly (Defense 2) armored target.

     The devastating nature of the Shinobi only amplifies in groups, as Flanking makes things very ugly for the target of a Shinobi gang.  The addition of a single Shinobi to the attack creates an entirely new strategic difficulty for your opponent.  After movement, any unit with a Defense of 4 or less is all but assured destruction.  Specifically, a G Tank would be taken off the board 80% of the time.  Replace one Shinobi with an Elite and you’re looking at damaging virtually any monster with a Defense less than 7 80% of the time!

     Lightning Strike on Zor-Raiden’s Brawl assures us that he is an up-close and personal monster: there’s no denying that.  A light Defense and better-than-standard movement means Zor-Raiden gets in, does his damage, and then makes himself scarce.  With good dice management, it’s not inconceivable to see upwards of three solid monster activations, giving you the possibility of 6 damage to your opponent’s monster.  This is perfect synergy with the Shinobi.

     But you already knew that.  Zor-Raiden is a completely solid monster, even though he’s only a one-trick pony.  Or is he?

     One of Ultra Zor-Raiden’s skills that is narrowly viewed is the ability to Cloak.  What do you do with a monster that Cloaks?  Why, you utilize the Cloak defensively, moving frequently to keep just outside of Blasting range from enemy monsters or roving bands of units.  Raiden dances outside of firing range, then darts in for an attack when the moment presents itself.  Standard.  Nothing unusual.

     What if Cloaking wasn’t just a defensive skill?  What if we tried using Cloaking as more than a “run away and hide” skill?  Granted, Cloak will always have a large defensive component to it, but what if we look at in a slightly angled light.

     The Shinobi and Elite Shinobi will always have their rightful place beside Zor-Raiden, but that doesn’t preclude the Katana and Sun Fighter from sharing in that glory.  Specifically, I would suggest that the Katana and Sun Fighter have as much power when fighting alongside Raiden.  No, they do not benefit from Charge, but they have offerings the Shinobi cannot compete with: collaboration, and (in the case of the Katana) speed.

     On the surface, a one point difference in speed hardly seems worthy of mention, but take into account that the playmat is only 17 squares wide and long, and that additional movement becomes a little more valuable.  Moving over 41% of the map versus 35% has given me a tactical advantage more times than it hasn’t, and it’s not something that you should take lightly, either.  This game is, after all, one of percentages as much as it is about fun.

     As to collaboration?  I’ve already spoken on how well the Sun Fighter teams with the Katana, so there’s no reason to fully elaborate, but I will offer up the salient points:  primarily, a single Katana paired with a single Sun Fighter is capable of  taking out non-fliers of Defense 3 50% of the time, and fliers of similar Defense 80% of the time.  The numbers only compound with more units or Elites, but the numbers reveal Sun Fighters teaming with the Katana makes for a dangerous army basis.

     But how does that translate to a Brawl-based monster?  Simple: cloak and flood.  Given that Zor-Raiden can gleefully avoid all but the most persistent enemies, we are free to focus on how to incorporate units other than the Shinobi into his arsenal.  That’s where the ‘flood’ comes in.  With the speed of the Katana and Sun Fighter, we’re given a healthy skirmishing potential, insomuch that we are able to field, move and fire these units on a continual, rotational, basis.  Basically, you’ll work towards having a constant force of at least one Katana/Sun Fighter group in your opponent’s territory at all times.  Yes, he’ll send them straight back towards you, but that forces him to deal with their threat, while also leaving him to grumble about the next wave that is gunning for his units and monster.

     How does that do anything different than standard defensive cloak tactics: you’re not going to run from your enemy.  Rather, you’re going to utilize the cloaked, fast-moving Zor-Raiden as a blocking wall for your units.  By moving Raiden across the map, back and forth, you’re forcing your opponent to try to discern from when and where the inevitable Lightning Strikes will come, which, if you’ve been playing along, leaves your heavy-hitting Katana/Sun Fighter teams to take down his monster, point-by-point until you’ve decided it’s time to actually finish a form.

     While focusing your teamed units on the opposing monster, why not make the best of a highly mobile Zor?  I’ve found that Stomps are a popular tactic, but what I’ve become especially fond of is the Swat.  Dart in close enough to locate a single or teamed unit, then find another troublesome unit and kill two birds with one stone.  Or, if you’re feeling particularly cruel, send that unit crashing through a power structure.  You’ve got the blue dice to handle the situation, you may as well take advantage.

     Using your monster to shield your units is backwards thinking, at best, and outright dangerous, at worst, but it’s certainly going to give your opponent something to think about.  And, if you’re lucky, skilled or just a little bit of both, it should be enough to let you take on just about any monster with impunity. 

     As a caveat, you should always take into consideration the Defense of the opposing monster before attempting this strategy, as you’ll find the optimal Defense for this scheme to work lies at 5-6.  If you go against a heavier armored monster, you’ll need to certainly think about  the outcome probabilities before engaging in a swarming fight.

     Zor-Raiden is many things to many people, and all of them hold some ring of truth.  However, what Zor-Raiden is –not- is a one-trick pony.  The Shinobi belongs with Zor-Raiden, there is absolutely no denying that truth.  But, when you dig a little deeper, you’ll see the potential for so much more.  Think about the possibilities the next time you pick up a tired old monster.