Although I don't have nearly as much time to play Poxnora as I'd like to, I have been moderately active most of the game since its initial Octopi release and I'd always had a penchant for this wonderful faction: the Underdepths. As such, I'm disappointed to see such antagonism towards our current play style and rune development, especially now that the last few expansions have provided us with some versatile and interesting play styles and themes. With that said, I'm going to list some rune synergies that I love. I don't know how many of them are well known to all, but I'm sure they will all help Underdepths players beat the Limited League out of their lunch money. These are all meant to be frustratingly difficult to combat and will hopefully - as the title suggests - give the opposition a real reason to groan at the sight of the Ermilion Shrine. Stitched First & Nefari Guardian I'm going to go ahead and save the best for first. These two are a brutal tag team, and I'm surprised not to see this used by anyone but myself. First of all, Nefari Guardian allows Stitched First to fully utilize his Transfer Life and Death Pact abilities without fear of being beaten down the next turn. The Death Pact is an especially hurtful blow, as it offers a powerful ranged attack that Stitched First can afford to overextend for as long as he is still within range of Bodyguard. And here's where this becomes nightmarish - Stitched First can use Transfer Life to consistently heal Nefari Guardian, lengthening the survivability of both champions. And Transfer Life has a cool down of 1, allowing it to be used every turn to bolster the phalanx by 10 additional health. Do note, that 10 health goes especially far on Nefari Guardian's highly defensive, physically-resistant frame. Imp Alchemist & Deep Elf Fanatic I'm going to bring this up more than once: the recent adjustment to Deep Elf Priestess and her relocation ability has dealt a blow to the demon-theme. But considering we have Imp Alchemist and a plethora of minotaurs, this may work out better than one might have expected. Imp Alchemist may - situationally - replace Deep Elf Priestess' utility functions with Grant: Action Potion. The cool down of 3 isn't ideal, but a range 3 ability that grants 5 AP allows for horrifying and unexpected power turns. Alchemist also costs a measly 58 nora, has Flying, and can provide his AP generation while staying behind the action. Combine this with Deep Elf Fanatic and the Manic ability, and you can actually drop a finishing blow 7 squares away from any font. And it's better than that. While its usage is situational, dropping Deep Elf Fanatic has some pretty deadly implications. For one, it forces the opponent to immediately handle Deep Elf Fanatic, lest they continue to be beat down by his free attacks. That becomes exponentially harder if her landed the killing blow (Note: This synergy should only be used when it will land a killing blow). Second, the presence of a nearby Nefari Guardian is game changing, as his Bodyguard will likely force your opponent to take a continued round of beating from the Fanatic, or retreat. And remember, that continued round of beating will net you nora from Essence Capture. Those of you lacking a Nefari Guardian can throw down a Masochism if you have the resources. Stitched First & Minotaur Stoker I'm going back to a former part: Underdepths players can now mix and match any of their champions without having to worry if they have synergy with the Deep Elf Priestess. And touching back on one more former point: I firmly believe that Stitched First has a home in any deck that has a Nefari Guardian or a Minotaur Stoker. I probably don't have to point this out, but Flame Siphon on Minotaur Stoker works meticulously well with Stitched First's Reconstitute ability. This may do you especially well in a Minotaur deck, who would otherwise lack a healer and a powerful ranged attack that Stitched First provides. In fact, this might be our first legitimate, reliable, meta source of nora generation that doesn't involve James A. Garfield chained to a wall, clumsily holding a pickaxe. I should note that this also works with Depths Doombringer, but for obvious reasons the Stoker is a highly preferable option. Stitched First & Minotaur Gladiator I'm realizing by this point that I could have just written an entire thread on why every Underdepths deck should be using at least one Stitched First. In any case, his synergy with Minotaur Gladiator as a ranged healer and occasional damage cannon is just beautiful. Minotaur Gladiator can restrict most units from reaching Stitched First using Binding Chains, and consistency of Transfer Life can really help keep Minotaur Gladiator alive long enough for his attack and defense to reach astounding levels. Pincushion & Tinderbox To whoever I argued with in a thread saying that these two runes weren't synergistically absurd, I was lying. These two runes are synergistically absurd. An Arrow Eater, Damage Shield 3, self-healing, 12 damage aura champion is entirely worth the 103 nora that you will spend on him, and is an incredible font rusher - especially against anyone deploying a single ranged unit at said font. K'lzik & Windowmaker I know, this is breaking all protocol, but in my defense it's only recommended against enemies who have not deployed a plethora of ranged units. Here's the thing, K'lzik's absurdly high damage and Multiattack 3 actually makes her a prime candidate for this equipment. Less than 30% of remaining HP usually constitutes for whatever K'lzik will leave a champion she's only gotten one attack off of, and it sometimes gives her the capacity to rush at an enemy - swing a single strike - and then kill it off with the Widowmaker. Imp Alchemist & Deep Elf Assassin To those who will say this isn't fair, I say it was never supposed to be. What Imp Alchemist offers here is astounding: he can actually give Deep Elf Assassin 3 full rounds to pull off an Assassinate attack. Do note: Grant Action Potion allows the targeted champion to utilize the extra 5 AP for 6 turns (or 3 rounds). Shadowrake & Demonologist There are real people who wake up in the morning with the word "Demonologist" on their resume. And you haven't lost faith in this species until you've met one. With that said, I, who have no hope in this species, do not advise you to run Demonologist due to the publicity it may unintentionally give to these individuals. If you so choose to ignore my warning, however, I would advise you couple that Demonologist with a Shadowrake. The tactic works something like this: Shadowrake's summons make excellent fodder for Demonologist's Drain and Ritual of Destruction abilities. But still, don't run Demonologist. I plan to add more to this in time. Hope It Serves, - Spataro
