Culdcept 3DS - Thoughts on Minor Cards

Version 1: Started Normal
Version 2: Normal Finished
Version 3: Fire Finished
Version 4: Water Finished
Version 5: Earth Finished
Version 6: Wind Finished
Version 7: Spells/Items Finished

Done!

Recently I have been thinking about ways to use the cards that I rarely see other people use. Because you know, it is boring to see the same cards over and over again. It is boring to use those too.
And of course, like Pokemon, Kid Icarus, and other games, I want to find something ONLY certain cards can do, a reason to use that card over others.
Though there are cards that have an obvious special trait over others that have obvious uses, like Archbishop, but are still minor, so I won't list them, because those are self-explanatory.

It is a great game, so if you understand Japanese and have a Japanese 3DS, I definitely suggest trying this game out.

Also, I probably won't be able to finish this post tonight, since I have been busy lately, with schoolwork and part-time, so I'll keep an update note at the top. I'll start off with the Normal-element monsters.

Normal:
Great Fossil - Put it on a territory you plan to use later, level it up, and switch it. For instance, place it on a Water territory, level it up as much as you can, and then switch it with Sea Bonze.
As it always survives one attack, it does a good job of protecting the land from any powerful attack and of any kind. On top of that, it takes toll if your opponent decides to attack and destroy the fossil, so people will tend to avoid it. However, Evil Blast will permanently kill it, so protect it with Phantasm or Land Protection. Compared to say G. Eel and other typical Water monsters you can lay on the map, there is no monster in general that can kill and take a territory protected by this in one turn, giving you time to do something about it should Great Fossil be destroyed.

Clock Owl - Only for 2-on-2, you can place this near the castle and with Permission, can instantly next turn go back to the castle for a bonus on any map. However, since on online, you cannot choose your partner and therefore will usually not get a partner that has Permission, probably only you will benefit from it. On top of that, you need to use Peace to protect it from attacks, like the Idols. Though unlike the Idols, you need to place it near the castle, which usually will be a place full of occupied territory, which makes it just that much more dangerous.
However, you could use it with Chimera to quickly increase its attack. Same goes for other effects that strengthen as you gain round bonuses.

Squonk - Unfortunately, it being cheap really isn't much of a merit, since destroying the opponent will cause you to lose a territory. However, if you combine it with monsters such as the Will O' Wisp which have low ST, you could be able to defend yourself without destroying the other monster. Still, with only 30 MHP, one Evil Blast sends it flying.
What I think is the best way to utilize it is to combine it with high ST creatures like Executor and use it with an Ouroboros book. Since you can only have 4 territories, this will allow you to take out opposing territory without gaining any territory yourself, so you can avoid paying as well as destroy opposing creatures. However, the highest you can get is 80 ST, so it would be hard to take out really dangerous, high-level territory. However, Squonk can use any item, so adding a Life Stealer, Crown of Power, or Nuclear Fusion will give you more freedom in attacking.

Doppelganger - What hurts Doppelganger more than anything is the requirement of having to sacrifice a card in your hand. On top of that, it is very difficult to use. In general, the way to use him is to attack a creature who's ST>HP, but if the  creature is on a territory of the same element, the total HP will usually be greater than the ST. In other words, you have to use an item along with Doppelganger to take down territory, but then, your opponent can do the same.
So in the end, it might just be easier to use a different creature... is the final conclusion.
However, with no item restriction, you are able to transform into creatures like Decoy and at the same time, use Scrolls, which the actual Decoy couldn't do.
I think the best use of Doppelganger is to combine it with Protean Ring. When a creature that transforms transforms again with the Ring, at the end of battle, they do not return to their original form, but actually the creature they first turned into. So by using Doppelganger with the Ring, you can clone your opponent's monster. However, of course, the 2nd transformation is luck, so whether you will even survive or defeat the opponent is unknown and not a stable strategy.

Werewolf - It turns opposing creatures into Wolfs... But even if you use Tonfa, it can't take out the opponent because Werewolf only has 30 ST while Wolfs have 40 MHP... Therefore, to use Tonfa, you need to make sure there is an allied territory next to the one you want to attack.
On top of that, just like Rat Hunter Cerberus and Pan, the territory level cannot be higher than a level. In Werewolf + 10 + Tonfa's case, it can take out up to a level 4 territory. If there are two allied territory next to the target, then you can take out even level 5 territory.
The other option and one that only Werewolf can do  (that say, Medusa can't) is Werewolf + Life Gem. As long as your target territory does not have a +10 ST bonus from nearby territory, your opponent's creature will turn into a Wolf, attack and do 20 damage, leaving Werewolf with 10, allowing Life Gem to activate.
All of this and on top of that, this doesn't work against creatures with Attack First and you need to discard to summon Werewolf.

Wonder Wall - Why isn't this creature used more often? Because of Decoy. Who wants negation of 4 elements when you can reflect all elements back? It does have more MHP than Decoy, which allows it to survive Archer and Magic Bolt, but in the end, Kodama and Evil Blast takes it out all the same.
However, there are a couple of points that Wonder Wall have over Decoy.
One is that it can read Scrolls. However, as Wonder Wall is defensive, you have to use Chariot r=or Telekinesis to initiate an attack. It does work against invaders like Lunatic Hare + Gaseous Form, but...
Second, by using it with Son Ascetic, you can negate the 4 elements while surviving Nuclear Fusion and Tearing Halo.


Fire:
Fanatic - Technically, there is no need to explain about this guy because it is pretty obvious how to use him, but I just wanted to point out that if you cast Phantasm on him, you can negate the damage done to himself by his territory ability, so it's almost like free Magic Bolts.
without Peace or Land Protection, Turn to the Wall, attacks, Magic Bolt, and such all will be able to destroy him.

Phoenix - Very cheap, but at the same time, very weak. Even if he falls in battle and revives into your hand, you don't really need such a weak creature. Not only that, but revival doesn't count as a defeated monster, so it doesn't work with Soul Collector and Anubis.
However, because of its cheapness and slightly lower than average attack, you can use it to annoy creatures that are just placed on level 1 territory whenever you step on those territory. Even if Phoenix is defeated, it comes back to your hand and you can do it over and over again. You don't have to worry about losing a creature.
This strategy can be further boosted through Ares, giving Phoenix 50 ST, which is more than enough to take out creatures on low level territory. By combining Phoenix with Plague and Chariot, you can further strengthen the offensive power of Phoenix. So in other words, Phoenix probably works best as a cheap attacker you can mindlessly use in an offensive book.

Peri - I have been recently used her myself personally, but she is pretty useful despite me not seeing her at all. The main strength of her is the fact her stats in battle are set as "=", so your opponent cannot slowly wear her down in battle. She also has protection from spells, so even with only 30 MHP, Evil Blast will not destroy her in an instant.
However, with a territory cost, you cannot summon her immediately and by the time you summon her, your deck will probably be around 40, giving her around 50 ST and HP. This will also go down in time, so it is hard to concentrate on leveling up her territory. Because of this, you have to build a book focusing on her, using Revival. This also works well with Larvae, but even if you don't use Larvae, Revival and her is worth it. Revival also helps when your Fire Shield and such get Reformed.

Lava Wurm - If you plan to use a Fire to fight Water, you might as well use Fire Giant. That's the main reason why you don't see this guy. There is also General Guan. Fire Giant has no item restrictions yet Wurm cannot use Armor.
The major problem is that Wurm only has 40 ST. That's not enough to take out major water territories. Giant Eel has 50, Nessie's ability gives him 50 at level 1, and Vodyanoi will attack first with a high chance of instant death. On the other hand, Fire Giant can take Giant Eel and other 50 HP Water creatures up to level two territory.
With weapons, Fire Giant's critical hit greatly increases the power boost. Wurm also gains a boost, which could be enough, but then there are the items used by the defending side. If the defending side uses a HP boosting item, it is all over for Wurm, but Fire Giant could, for example, deal 165 with a +60 item. Wurm will deal 100 with the same weapon, but 50 MHP with Diamond Armor has 110. Fire Giant could take out the same enemy with a level 5 territory defense.
So basically, when Lava Wurm can do the job, Fire Giant usually does better.
One of the few times Lava Wurm gains advantage is using Black Orb, perhaps. In this case, Lava Wurm's main target would be Apsaras. Unaffected by opposing Gremlin Amulets, he can take out Apsaras. Gremlin Amulet is also a difference from Fire Giant against weakened Water creatures and ones with 40 MHP or lower. While Ixtol can destroy Apsaras with Revenge, Lava Wurm has the MHP to survive Attack First boosts, such as the Sword of the Falcon.


Water:
Aspidochelone - This creature has the unique ability to get stronger as turns past by, but the main reason he isn't used online is because the round limit is generally 40. So at best, his stats will be 70/70. However, no matter how high it is in battle, with only 30 MHP, Evil Blast and Tyranny hits its mark. On top of that, because it is HP+(amount), it is slightly weak against constant movement invasions. However, it's ST is also strengthened, so it isn't too much of a problem. However, by the time it gets strong enough to beat other creatures, it is only too late, so he doesn't act as a great guard for territories, especially high level ones. Not only that, but there are clearly stronger creatures for defending like Nessie. On top of that, his cost is not that low and he requires territory before you can place him.
So because there are better options for defense, his main row will be attacking during the last stretch of the game. With around 60/60, he can deal more basic damage to opposing creatures than Grendel. However, he cannot enter Earth, so leave that to Grendel.

Amazon - Average stats that require the use of items to succeed, but if you do use items, then his ability doesn't activate, which is a dilemma.
But without a territory cost, you can place him on Water territory right away and your opponent will not prefer attacking unless they can defeat him in one hit. However, by just doing that, there are still better options, so you ought to put Turn to the Wall in your deck, change nearby creatures into Walls, and then attack with Amazon over and over again to suck some magic. Compared to Will o' the Wisp, the potential amount is larger, but because of Amazon's ST, you will not be able to hit too many times before the opposing creature is destroyed. Of course, if your opponent is on high level territory, you will be fine.

Wizard - For Water's support, there is Blood Pudding. So to use him, you ought to put several Scroll items in. With both the possibility of Support and Critical Scroll attacks, with Wizard, you can preform all kinds of tasks.
However, with 0 ST, you might as well use the actual creatures instead of Wizard for attacking and for defense, Blood Pudding can absorb for permanent MHP. However, Wizard is cheap and has 10 MHP more than Blood Pudding. Also, if you increase Wizard's MHP through Mutation and such, his HP can reach over 100 with Support, which is something Blood Pudding cannot do.
The only other Water creature that can deal Critical Scroll is Dagon, so in cases, Wizard is the best Scroll attacker for the Water element, which lacks such offensive power.

Pirate - To be honest, even more helpless than Wizard. With only 10 ST more than Wizard, he lacks any other strength. Although he can use any item, Support is all you need when attacking in general. So you have to find a way to use the extra 10 ST to use Pirate. To a point, I guess you can equip Pirate with a Weapon that deals a special effect other than damage and find a way to use that. But to be honest, it is very hard to find a thing only Pirate can do.

Megalodon - You can't place him on any territory other than Morph and Water. Although he has high ST and MHP, you can't use his ST for invading because he can't invade anything but Water.
However, for 50/50, he is cheaper than Grendel. However, for defending, Giant Eel has the same MHP and can negate certain elements. So to use him, you pretty much have to use the fact you can place him without any cost, which is a good thing, and use items that give Attack First so he can ward off invaders through his ST. And just in case Evil Blast or something comes, he won't die because of his high MHP. Further more, he isn't shattered by Ray of Law.

Medusa - An interesting ability, but the main problem is the fact you need to discard to summon and with 30/30, she dies from Reflection unlike Cockatrice.
With Discard, unlike Cockatrice, you can't just constantly summon and try to turn all your opponent's creatures into Walls. However, with no territory cost, even after Bankrupting, you can come back and take out opposing creatures with the usual Luna Stone/Battering Ram combo.
Also, although Discard is painful, if you can find some way to constantly attack with Medusa, such as Chariot, Statue is far more painful than the other Walls because of all of its restrictions.

Rust Crawler - Gremlin with 10 extra ST. However, there is now a territory cost AND you cannot use items or the ability will not activate. In other words, as far as defending goes, it is far harder to use Rust Crawler as a defense than Gremlin. Even in invasion, Gremlin being able to use items makes Gremlin stronger.
So to use Rust Crawler, you need to use stuff like Turn Over and Ares and naturally increase Rust Crawler's ST. Then use spells to move Rust Crawler around. With Turn Over and Ares, Rust Crawler's ST will be 70, which is considerably high. However, even then, it is not enough to take out most Level 5 territory. However, you can easily crush lower level territory, so that should be Rust Crawler's job. On top of that, you can save your weapons for other creatures like Grendel.
Beware of Evil Blast though, which is the fate of all MHP <= 30 creatures. Also, no matter how much ST you have, the low MHP will fail against Attack Firsts.


Earth:
Woodfolk - The basic Support creature of the basic, it has no ability other than Support. On top of that, there are other Support creatures with 30 MHP that have other abilities that are even CHEAPER. Well of course this poor guy wouldn't be used.
In order to use him, you pretty much have to use him as your invader creature, because he has 10 more ST than the other Earth Support creatures. With Support's great friend Colossus, he can deal 100 damage, enough to take out MHP50 creatures on Lv5 territory. Although not used, as a Support creature, it isn't necessarily hard to use him. Just that there are generally more preferred creatures around.

Trench Worm - Oh this poor worm. What makes him so hard to use is that although he is supposed to be an anti-Wind creature, a lot of Wind creatures have Attack First, which makes it very hard to attack with him. He has 50MHP, so other than Master Monk and the situational Night Fiend, will not be able to defeat him in one hit by themselves, so if you can somehow disarm them such as Gremlin Amulet, then you can take those Wind creatures out. However, you will still be close to death after battle.
Another way to conquer this weakness is to pair him with Earth Amulet, which allows him to Attack First when invading. You can take out up to 70MHP, which is all of the Wind creatures other than the situational Garuda. However, in the case you use Earth Amulet, you have to watch out for your opponent's item too, so in general, it might be best to pair this creature with Gremlin Amulet. In the end, you generally have to use items to do something. Thanks to the territory requirement, you can't just instantly use him to take out creatures like Archer and Holy Lama, unfortunately.
The main rival is Dark Elf, who can deal 60 damage against Wind and Attack First as well as gain a great boost with weapons. Kind of similar situation with Lava Wurm and F. Giant.

Troll - An interesting ability, but a territory restriction of two elements and with 40 MHP compared to the other Support Earth creatures, it just seems hard to use. However, despite me not seeing anyone use this guy, I think this creature has plenty of potential. One is the fact he has no item restrictions. This is one point that Troll has over Sludge Titan.
If you couple him with Mutation and invade through movement, you can further increase his defensive abilities. With 40 ST, when you need, you can repeatedly invade nearby territories. There is a strict restriction, so it would mainly to open up and ward off other Earth creatures trying to take Earth territory. Compared to the Support Earth creatures, there is a lot more room to move than just eating other creatures for defense.

Pan - Just hard to use in general with a rare confusion attack. However, Confusion is not as suited for any situation like Poison. The main uses of Confusion would be attacking creatures defending territory that have high ST, but the biggest seeming target General Guan attacks first before he gets confused. In order to attack first, you'd have to use an item and in that case, at best, both creatures are defeated. Even in attacking a level 1 territory, when you rely on Confusion, you will always get a bit hurt.
The most known(?) combo is with Rat Hunter. Without any attack bonus from nearby territory, the highest level territory you can take out is Lv3. This is because your first attack will remove any territory bonus and then G. Rat's attack will do 20 and 10 to itself, taking it out. Just like with Cerberus, you can't do much against Attack First though with this combo. You'd have to rely on Attack First items.
However, Pan does have 40MHP with no territory cost or restriction, so if not just to take territory, he has uses even if you don't draw Rat Hunter.

Vampire - People just seem to prefer Gargoyle, but I think Vampire might be the easier one to use, especially for defending Earth territories. This is because Attack First Energy Drain gives Vampire an extra 40 HP. Although this disappears after battle, this means he can receive no damage if your opponent's attack is lower than territory bonus + 40. You can even increase this with +ST items. At Lv3, he can come out of battle with Colossus with no damage, something Gargoyle cannot do. As a defensive creature, he isn't affected by Tyranny like the other Support Earth creatures, which is also useful. However, his strength comes from Attack First, so other Attack First pose a threat. In this case, you would need to either rely on Hourglass or defensive items like Helmet.


Wind:
Chonchon - With only 20MHP, this creature dies easily. With 20ST, it isn't protecting any territory with Attack First anytime soon. In the Wind department, there are plenty of creatures to lay on the field as well, such as Holy Llama and Master Monk. However, he is quite cheap and with Attack First plus Anti-Element, your opponent will find it annoying to attack as they will be cursed even if they win the battle. However, this won't be the case for Normal creatures.
In general, the main use is to just take territory early on, cheaply. If you do draw this creature late in the game, you can kamikaze into an opposing territory and cast Anti-Element. If you put Exile in your book, it will make this card just that much more annoying.

Igneous Fatui - A very difficult summon requirement (2 Wind + Discard) with only 30MHP yet it always attacks last AND the instant death is only 70%. ON TOP OF THAT, it can't enter Water and Fire. Well of course it would be hard to use and no one would use it.
The best way to use him is in a Book that holds plenty of Hourglass and Winged Boots. You are not going anywhere without attacking first, so first, you need items that will allow him to do so. Thanks to his placement restriction, he will mainly be used as a final resort against Wind (Garuda) and Earth (especially Support creatures who count on defense instead of negation). While Hourglass/Winged Boots also creates a strong defense, Vodyanoi does a better job, so Fatui needs to mainly be used as an offensive measure. Chariot will allow Fatui to enter Water and Fire territory, but you have to first place him on the map nearby and with only 30MHP, Evil Blast will take him out right away.
Still even if you get to attack, the chance of instant death is 70%.

Roadrunner - A unique ability, but the status is just too low. With only 20 ST, there isn't much point in moving around with the ability and attacking other creatures, even with Attack First. 30MHP doesn't make him that durable either. Even if you use this ability to take Wind territory, Holy Llama can already do that better. He isn't that cheap either. On top of that, Sleipnir is around to do just what Roadrunner can do but even better.
I guess the main way to use him is to indeed use his movement ability with plenty of items. Boomerang will give a not-so-bad 40ST 40HP and you can use it over and over again as you move around the map. While it isn't the strongest idea, going around and attacking with weapons (Rat Hunter for instance) to weaken other creatures or defeat weak ones is probably what Road Runner can do best. The ability to attack creatures that can not be targeted by Spells is also the way to differentiate from Sleipnir.


Items:
Icicle/Air Slasher/Flame Tongue/Rock Biter - Considerably cheap and the rarity is normal, but the uses is just so limited. For just 35 extra cost, you can use the Vorpal Sword, which generally has more uses than any of these four separately. Even though it is cheaper, this small difference only really matters at the beginning of the game, in general. I guess if you really plan to use these weapons, it would be in an Ivory Idol book. Your target for these items would be creatures that are not affected by Vorpal Sword and are on low level territory (because for high level, the rings might be more useful). To use Critical Hit, you would need to use creatures that have naturally high attack.
Rock Biter probably has the most use of the four, because many high level territories in Earth are protected by Support creatures with low MHP.
 
The Hand - Not only is it more expensive than the Gremlin Amulet, but you might accidentally steal Stormcauser while defending or -ST items while invading. Unlike Gremlin Amulet, you cannot just use it and always gain an advantage. Items that boost both ST and MHP would be your target, but in the first place, those items are not popular, except Prismatic Wand and Power Bracelet (which actually would hurt creatures like Garuda). Also, it is useful against Support creatures, though Stink Bottle is cheaper and returns to your book.
I think the main use of this item would be to replace Gremlin Amulet in your book, in which you would use Reform to remove all of your opponents' Gremlin Amulets. Because Gremlin Amulet is more popular, this would result in only you having an item-removing item.
An interesting, but not so easy use is with Centaur. If you steal something from your opponent, what is stolen actually returns to your book, it seems.

Wind Cutter/Stone Hail/Firebolt/Freeze - Similar to the four weapons, these four scrolls are never used. Why? Because just like the four weapons, other than being cheap and low rarity, there is nothing going for these scrolls. While more expensive, Tearing Halo does the same damage and is immune to destruction. However, it is indeed 4 times cheaper.
However, you have a hard time defeating anything with just 30 damage and each scroll only Critical Hits one element, making their uses limited.
As is with the 4 weapons, the most simple way to use these would be in an Ivory Idol book. Also, a Nue book might work fair with these scrolls, though the other scrolls are generally enough.

Spells:
Life Stream - Although it would take an extra turn, you can use this in-between Catastrophe and Insect Swarm to avoid damage to your creatures, if you plan to use this in a book that does not have immunity to those spells. In general, if you plan to use Life Stream in case you meet up with a creature burn book, Mass Phantasm would be a better and more permanent choice.

Scourge - Not only is it rare to have a target, but you have to discard a card to use this. Your target are players who use Life Force, Barrier, and Anti-Magic. Haste and Slow has their appearances too, but it is harder to time Scourge to deal big damage.

Cure - It isn't bad in general to draw a card for this cheap cost, but there are better cards for drawing. Because of Culdcept's system, creatures either die or are not invaded, so it is rare that you will need this card. Metal Bug is pretty rare too. Although there are uses for healing, the circumstances are just too rare and you could use the space for more useful cards. If your book contains creatures that constantly invade through movement, such as Will o' The Wisp, you might use this occasionally to heal the damage received. Also, it works with Temperance for creatures such as Power Eater and Decoy, because Temperance does not increase the HP, just the MHP.

Echo - Really difficult to find a use for this card, mainly because of Drain Magic. If you use all but 80 of your magic, then 50% would be a better gain than 30%, but unlike Drain Magic, you do not actually hinder your opponent in any way. This helps in the fact that this does not annoy them, but that isn't much of a reason. As said, to use this card better than Drain Magic, you generally have to use all of your magic except the cost to activate this spell in order to gain more than you would with Drain Magic.
Also, unlike Drain Magic, people will not target this card with Shatter and such as commonly.