Grave Stormborne, Wind Warrior

Grave Stormborne and his sister Jaina train under Master Midori at Dragon Tail Vale, the outskirts of Flagstone territory.

Grave is concerned only with increasing his own skills, not with politics. He strikes hard and true and reads his opponents well. His connection with wind magic hints that his veins flow with the blood of the blue dragon.

Bio

Grave Stormborne had the misfortune as a child of seeing his father Diago killed in battle. He was killed by a young commander who would later be known as General Onimaru. Onimaru took the Stormborne family sword as a war prize, but Persephone intervened. She returned the heirloom to Grave, but warned him not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

Grave was scarred by this event and became obsessed with training. He mostly uses a style of open hand attacks and trains to execute each one as well as he can. He strives for a balance of moves so that he can take on anyone of any style who would threaten him or his family again, and yet his life is not one of balance. It's a life of intense training and self improvement. Rook and DeGrey try to show him that that's a rather selfish choice when the world needs his skills for a purpose higher than winning for the sake of winning.

Playstyle

Graves' style relies around biding time with blocks (almost half his cards allow him to block) to rapidly grow his hand of cards, to then power up and deal explosive damage with his signature super move - "True Power of Storms".

Grave's style appeals to players who like to:

• Bide their time and play paitently
• Taunt their foe (via "Knowing the Opponent")
• Know their foe's Hand (via "Martial Mastery")
• Wait until your opponent leaves themselves open to demolish them with a brutal "one-two" combo.

Weakness

Graves typically leans towards biding time with blocks, which makes him vulnerable to Throws (which he can counter with Attacks). Thus fighting him will be a game of trying to recognize if he is playing aggressive (dodge and counter attack) or defensive (throw and counter-attack).

If Graves has powered up, be mindful whenever he deals a normal attack (he could be about to use his devastating Super Move). Bluffing with anything could make him hold off using, potentially wasting his Aces.

Strategy

Preparation

Know your Enemy (Innate)

Understanding the simplicity but effectiveness of this mechanic is a major element to mastering Graves, especially when you recognize when to follow through, and when to hold off:

• If you play the revealed card, you WILL gain a card (a Queen from the deck/ discard if it succeeds; a new card if it fails). Use this to filter cards and accelerate drawing.
• If you DON'T play the card, but your opponent acted to respond to it, you can create an opening (e.g.: you declare a Block, you play an Attack, and Counter the Throw they were going to use to bypass your "declared Block").
• If you reveal a Joker, this can intimidate your opponent from making any attack at all - meaning if you feel confident, you can use a Throw to overcome whatever defense the choose instead.

The Circle of Queen

Following on from Knowing your Opponent, consider revealing a Queen. If you use it and succeed, you gain a Queen... which allows you to reveal it later after a successful block.... to gain a queen.... which you can use to reveal...

Martial Mastery (7's)

While this card-ability allows you to convert your 7's into a new card (draw 2, choose 1, discard the other), its real benefit is being able to see your opponent's hand during the Draw phase. Use this when the opponent has only a few cards in hand will give you a quick and keen insight into what they could pull off against you.

Combos

Test the Water, Deliver the Lightning (Basic Attack + Queen/ Ace x3)

Graves has two decent Ender moves (Ace x3; Queen), both which do a decent amount of damage, and both have a combo of 3. And this gives Graves a very useful advantage.

If you have either of these in hand, DO NOT USE THEM FOR YOUR COMBAT REVEAL. Instead, open with a 2-6 Attack (these are Combo 1). If the attack:

• is stopped, you still keep your main damage dealer for when the 'jab' gets through.
• gets through AND the opponent didn't bluff, let loose with one of these and watch your foe's HP plumet!

Crashing Thunder (Throw + King/ Ace)

Grave's isn't know for making throws, but that doesn't mean he can't.

If you successfully Throw your foe, follow it up with Whirlwind (K) to deal anything from 14 to 21 damage (depending on how many Kings are used) or True Arc Spark (single Ace) for 19 damage.

Matchups

Setsuki

The speed that goes through her cards does reduce the effectiveness of Martial Mastery since she will quickly deplete and refill her hand, but even then its still possible to see what she is holding onto.

Deck

Hit Points:  90

Max Combo:  4

Normal Attack Properties: x.6 speed, x damage

Normal Throw Properties: x.6 speed, 7 damage, 2 CP Starter, Knocksdown

Innate Ability:

• Knowing the Opponent - When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you combat-reveal that card next turn but don't win combat with it, draw a card. If you do win combat with it, search your deck or discard pile for a Queen. (Shuffle your deck if you searched for it).

Individual Cards:

• 2-4: A/D
• 5-6: A/B
• 7*: T/B
  • Martial Mastery - [Draw Phase] Draw 2 cards, then discard a card, then the opponent reveals his hand.
• 8-9: T/B
• T*: T/B
  • Mental Toughness - [Reaction] Discard a face card (and this card) to counter an ability. (Prevent and undo the ability and the opponent discards the card if played from hand. You can't counter Aces, Jokers or character cards).
• J*: Lightning Cloud, Attack, 2.4 speed, 8(3) damage, 1 CP Ender, (Lightning Trap)
  • Lightning Trap - [During Combat] When you deal block damage with Lightning Cloud, return this card to your hand and the opponent doesn't draw a card from blocking.
• Q: Dragonheart, Attack, 0.0 speed, 10(2) damage, 3 CP Ender
• K: Whirlwind, +K, Attack, 2.2 speed, 7+7(1) damage, 2 CP Linker
• A: True-Spark Arc, Attack, 1.0 speed, 12(3) damage, 2 CP Ender
  • AAA: True Power of Storms, Attack, 0.4 speed, 45(1) damage, 3 CP Ender

Deck Analysis

Probability that combat option will appear on a card

• Attack - 36/54, 66.7%
• Block - 24/54, 44.4%
• Dodge - 12/54, 22.2%
• Throw - 16/54, 29.6%

Attack//* Correlation

• Block - 8/36, 22.2%
• Dodge - 12/36, 33.3%
• Throw - 0/36, 0%

Block//* Correlation

• Attack - 8/24, 33.3%
• Dodge - 0/24, 0%
• Throw - 16/24, 66.7%

Dodge//* Correlation

• Attack - 12/12, 100%
• Block - 0/12, 0%
• Throw - 0/12, 0%

Throw//* Correlation

• Attack - 0/16, 0%
• Block - 16/16, 100%
• Dodge - 0/16, 0%

Revisions From Old Deck

• "Knowing the Opponent" only allows Queen-searching if the revealed card wins next combat. If the player combat-reveals that card and it does not win combat, then he just draws a card.
  • For example, let us say that a player uses "Knowing the Opponent" to reveal a 8 of spades, and then he combat-reveals a throw from that same card. If that thow wins combat, then the player obtains a Queen. If that throw lost combat, then he just draws a card. 
• "Mental Toughness" also requires a face card, or a card ranked Jack through King, to be discarded in order to work.

Old Deck

Hit Points:  90

Max Combo:  4

Normal Attack Properties: x.6 speed, x damage

Normal Throw Properties: x.6 speed, 7 damage, 2 CP Starter, Knocksdown

Innate Ability:

• Knowing the Opponent - When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your face down combat card next turn, when you reveal it in combat you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.

Individual Cards:

• 2: A/D
• 3: A/D
• 4: A/D
• 5: A/B
• 6: A/B
• 7*: T/B
  • Martial Mastery - After the draw phase, you may discard this card to draw 2 cards, then discard a card, then the opponent reveals his hand.
• 8: T/B
• 9: T/B
• T*: T/B
  • Mental Toughness - Discard this card to counter the effect of any ability not on Aces, Jokers, or character cards. (Play this after the opponent spends any activation costs, then prevent and undo that entire ability. The opponent discards the ability card if it was played from his hand.)
• J*: Lightning Cloud, Attack, 2.4 speed, 8(3) damage, 1 CP Ender
  • Lightning Trap - When you deal block damage with Lightning Cloud, return this card to your hand and the opponent doesn't draw a card from blocking.
• Q: Dragonheart, Attack, 0.0 speed, 10(2) damage, 3 CP Ender
• K: Whirlwind, Attack, +K, 2.2 speed, 7+7(1) damage, 2 CP Linker
• A:
  • A: True-Spark Arc, Attack, 1.0 speed, 12(3) damage, 2 CP Ender
  • AAA: True Power of Storms, Attack, 0.4 speed, 45(1) damage, 3 CP Ender

Revision Changelog

Base -> 3.0

​No direct changes to Grave.

New gamewide rules:

• If you reveal a normal attack as your combat card, draw a card.
• If both players are knocked down during the same combat, then ignore the knockdown effect next combat.

3.0 -> 3.1

​​No direct changes to Grave.

New optional gamewide rules (testers did not have to use these rules during their testing):

• Alternate version of new rule involving normal attacks (from ver. 3.0): If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.
• "Handicap": At the end of the turn (after the powerup phase), discard down to 10 cards. (There's no limit to hand size during the other parts of the turn.)

3.1 -> 3.2

No direct changes to Grave.

Gamewide rule modified and is given a new name:

• If you reveal a normal attack as your combat card, draw a card.
• ->
• "Normal draw rule": If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.

3.2 -> 3.3

Innate Modified (This was an attempt to tone down Grace's innate.):

• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your face down combat card next turn, when you reveal it in combat you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.
• ->
• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you win the next combat with that card, you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.

New gamewide rules:

• "Hand limit": 12 cards. At the end of the turn (after the powerup phase), discard down to 12 cards if you have more. There's no limit to hand size during the rest of the turn.
• "Time Out": When a player draws the last card from deck, time is over. The winner is the player with the highest hit points. (If tied, it's a draw.) 

​Gamewide rule modified - Normal draw rule:

• If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.
• ->
• If your normal attack is blocked or wins combat, draw a card.

Gamewide rule reworded:

• If both players are knocked down during the same combat, then ignore the knockdown effect next combat.
• ->
• Double knockdown: If you're both knocked down, cancel knockdown effect next combat.

​3.3 -> 4.0

​Innate Modified (It's back the shipped version's state. While the change did something in every matchup, it was significantly weaker than the shipped version's innate.):

• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you win the next combat with that card, you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.
• ->
• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your face down combat card next turn, when you reveal it in combat you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.

4.0 -> 4.3

Ability Modified - T*: Mental Toughness (the counter) now starts with "Discard card this card and a face card to…" rather than "Discard this card to…".

New gamewide rule: Healing cannot go above max life. (This is correct flavor for fighting games, but more importantly, necessary for Yomi 2v2 mode to work.)

4.3 -> 4.4

​Innate Modified:

• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your face down combat card next turn, when you reveal it in combat you may search your deck or discard pile for a Queen, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your deck.
• ->
• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your facedown combat card next turn but don't win combat with it, draw a card. If you do win combat with it, search your deck or discard pile for a Queen and shuffle your deck.

4.4 -> 5.0

​Innate Modified:

• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you play that card as your facedown combat card next turn but don't win combat with it, draw a card. If you do win combat with it, search your deck or discard pile for a Queen and shuffle your deck.
• ->
• When you block an attack, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you combat-reveal that card next turn but don't win combat with it, draw a card. If you do win combat with it, search your deck or discard pile for a Queen. (Shuffle your deck if you searched for it.)

​Abilities Reworded:

• ​7*: Martial Mastery is labeled as a "Draw Phase" ability:
  • After the draw phase, you may discard this card to draw 2 cards, then discard a card, then the opponent reveals his hand.
  • ->
  • [Draw Phase] Draw 2 cards, then discard a card, then the opponent reveals his hand.
• T*: Mental Toughness is labeled as a "Reaction" ability:
  • Discard this card and a face card to counter the effect of any ability not on Aces, Jokers, or character cards. (Play this after the opponent spends any activation costs, then prevent and undo that entire ability. The opponent discards the ability card if it was played from his hand.)
  • ->
  • [Reaction] Discard a face card (and this card) to counter an ability. (Prevent and undo the ability and the opponent discards the card if played from hand. You can't counter Aces, Jokers or character cards.)
• J*: Lighting Trap is labeld as a "During Combat" ability.
• Joker*: Rewind Time is labeled as a "Combo Escape" ability.

Gallery

Default Card

Abilities Card

Stats Card

Gold Card

External links

• Fantasy Strike character guide: Grave