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Tournament Kit Cards, Part Two
by Andrew Parks
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Lock, Shock, and Barrel are among the most popular characters from Burton's landmark film, yet only one version of them appeared in the Premiere set due to space constraints. One of our goals with the Tournament Kit was to have them "catch up" to the movie's other leads with new versions, and to put a unique spin on them at the same time.
The Premiere versions of Lock, Shock, and Barrel (or "LSB" as we like to refer to them in abbreviated form) all have a certain connection to the other members of their gang right in their card text. For the Tournament Kit, our goal was to give them text that could be used individually if desired, but which was stronger in aggregate. We also thought it would be fun to simulate their "Trick-or-Treater" status by giving them abilities associated with movement from one Locale to the next (just like real candy-hunting Trick-or-Treaters!).
Barrel's text allows you to draw a free card whenever he moves, which gets the ball rolling for the other two (see below).
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Shock's text allows you to convert a card into a Pumpkin Point when she moves, allowing you to power up a Pumpkin Point with Barrel's acquired card (or with another card in your hand if you prefer). This can be a great way to score an extra Pumpkin Point while moving the naughty trio over to activate a needed Locale. |
| Lock's text allows you to burn a random card out of your opponent's hand every turn that he moves, if you're willing to sacrifice two cards of your own. This can be powerful when combined with a "hand denial" strategy (incorporating cards such as Something's Up With Jack, Mad Genius, and Behemoth, for example), or even just as an extra zinger whenever you happen to have some duplicate cards in your hand. |
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Each separate ability of the new Lock, Shock and Barrel is useful whenever the Character moves, but when moving together, they can be quite a powerful combo. Some players may prefer to use the Premiere version of Shock (who pulls Lock and Barrel along with her for free whenever she moves), in order to move all three Characters with a single movement. This is a valid strategy, but denies the player access to the new Shock's vital ability to generate an extra Pumpkin Point.
A great support card to use with these new Characters is Tub of Terror, which allows you to move all three Characters for a cost of 1 PP. Now you can generate their text without using a Function to move them, which can be quite powerful, especially when combined with Corpse Kid to cover the cost of the Surprise.
Keep in mind, however, that moving Lock, Shock, or Barrel using the Pumpkin King Activity during the Start Phase does not trigger his or her card text. Their text specifically works "during your turn," which means that movement during the Start Phase will not trigger their effects.
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The final card to round out the new Tournament Kit is Snake and Spider Stew. This new Creation is a reward for those players willing to pull off the Premiere set's big "storyline strategy," which involves getting Sandy Claws and Oogie Boogie together in Oogie's Lair. Because Sandy has to be played to the Tree Circle or Tree House and cannot move unless LSB are in play, it can take quite a few turns to get this combinaion set up.
In the Premiere set, the two biggest rewards for playing the Sandy Claws strategy are Oogie's turn to boogie, which allows you draw up to 7 cards, and I'm Santa Claus!, which stacks on Sandy and allows you to destroy an opponent's Creation for a very cheap cost. Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws has also been an important part of this strategy, as it allows you to draw cards to help get the combination set up.
However, the one challenge with this strategy has been that, since so many cards are devoted to setting it up, it becomes hard to generate enough Scare Points to make it all worth it. But Snake and Spider Stew more than makes up for that. Now, if Oogie and Sandy are together in your Lair, you can get out a 6 point Creation for only 1 Pumpkin Point! Sandy's presence in Oogie's Lair inspires the Boogie Man to cook up his greatest dish ever!
Of course, Sandy doesn't actually get cooked in the Stew yet. That will have to wait until a future Expansion (and your opponent's Jack may try to rescue Sandy from such a terrible fate!).
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