The Correct Use of High-Voltage Current

[puntwothree]

The block meter seems pretty unique to PvZ, based on my personal experience with strategy card games. It’s fairly difficult to win without triggering it at least once or twice... but decks that can, should, and decks that do, dominate.

So the question is, how should Aggro decks play with a card like High-Voltage Current? (I single current out in the title of this post; it could easily have been called “the correct use of Zombie Middle Manager.”)

Current feels like card advantage, but I would argue that it is usually misplayed, ceding card advantage to savvy zombie players instead. Berries feels like Aggro, and a common line is Current/Shelf Mushroom/Strawberrian.

That’s cool.

But what if you opponent ignores Current (as I do, often)? Current beats for 1. Beating for 1 might give your opponent a Superpower, which is better than a random Berry. Advantage Zombies.

Another problem: Shelf Mushroom is in superpower-removal range. Now Current continues to beat for one. Do you eat it with Strawberrian on an empty board? What if Strawberrian triggers Superblock (3rd hit), leaving your opponent at 18 health with more free removal?

Or do you waste a Berry Blast (Read: great Zombie removal) to trigger superblock in an effort to power up Current?

This is sort of a thought experiment for Berry players as well as a strategy guide to the zombies they face.

I would argue that a turn 1 Current is wasted, unless you’re already resigned to giving your opponent all their Superpowers. I would argue that Current is great after Strawnerrian, but mediocre before. You want a card that produces a card AND demands removal. That’s card advantage. That’s what Current is all about.

The block meter is the mechanism that makes Captain Cucumber and Dr Spacetime fair. I would argue you want to think about how you use these cards, as well. If you’re beating face with your Doctor, and you’re triggering superblock without dealing any real damage, is that card advantage? Make sure you can capitalize on his first ability, and/or try to buff his power. Or run him in a Aggro build in which you’re resigned to trigger block early and often.

Cucumber, I would argue, should be planted in front of Zombies unless you’re planning to immediately buff him.

These are important points to raise, I feel, because if you’re not used to playing with block meter you’re liable to 1) over-estimate or under-estimate cards like the aforementioned or 2) underthink your strategy and deck construction.

Good luck.

Block on.

[npgibbs]

I think game flow, board and your current (no pun intended) hand dictate when you use a Currant. But remember you do draw a card from it as well. I play it on turn 1 regularly because the real meat and potatoes of my Berry deck are Strawberrian and Sargeant Strongberry and I use to for Strawberrian evolution.

To be honest I never find it particularly useful to consider Currant something worth keeping on the board but merely a distraction. Yes it gets insanely strong when you tag a board full of zombies with a sour grapes or you get a good Strongberry loop but at 1 health it will always be a juice box.

[puntwothree]

Really not interested in starting an argument here, especially seeing as you’re the only user to engage with my post (and I appreciate that).

But how can you say “gameflow dictates when to use” Currant if you use it on Turn 1? On Turn 1, you know zilch about gameflow, especially if your opponent passed without playing a zombie.

The secondary point of my post is that Currant is not card advantage if you’re not able to buff it. A savvy opponent is going to let it hit, gaining a superpower in exchange for your random Berry.

Superpowers are more valuable on average than random berries.

Only if you’re resigned to the idea that you can’t win without triggering the block meter multiple times should you go ahead and try to do it quickly without inflicting meaningful damage.

[npgibbs]

In order for us to have an argument I would have to believe there is a right and a wrong and I do not. I understand your position and subscribe to it in certain cases and of course it does come with risk:

1. Leaving backup dancers on the board from Prof is all good until he plays Flamenco. Or Disco-Naut. Or Aerobics. Or evolves a Gizzard. Etc.

But to get back to Currant the only way to increase Currant's survivability reliably is to use Mega Grow which locks you into the Captain. How useful then is Currant if you are say Solar Flare?

The wonderful thing about this game is how many approaches there are for us to explore. If I drop a Currant on Turn 1 on heights I get a free card. If the opponent removes it I am up 1 card. If it lives I can use it to get a Berry Blast from Strawberrian.

But at the end of the day I have soured on berries. Those nerfs hammered Berry decks and they just cannot survive like they should. And I blame Strongberry loop. Something I have never understood why they allow.

Gameflow is not the right word so you are right. But I will play it on T1 depending on my opponent, his first play and my starting hand.

[parstringer]

The way I use it, I play it turn one for card drawals. In late game, I find it useful to play it in the 4th lane so it can buff from berries that do damage before it. Also good with the mushroom berry fusion card.