Summon Monster loot card

[MrScott]

As I have played, I've been underwhelmed by the "Summon Monster" loot card earned in AD5. It allows you to summon a random monster from the deck to battle a monster for you, but you aren't allowed to use any boosts. If your summoned monster loses, you take no damage and the monster is undefeated. I want to think this is a cooler card than I give it credit for, but I really see it as an evade spell with a possibility of killing the monster. I would rather bulldoze the locations, using evades sparingly (unless they allow you to put it on the bottom), so it really doesn't fit my play style.

 

I tried using Summon Monster recently on Karzoug thinking it might be a way to get around the evasion restriction, but the spell doesn't apply to both times you have to face him. The spell took the brunt of the first combat check, but then I had to face him for a combat check of 40. If any of you have any tips on how to use Summon Monster effectively let me know. I feel like it should be more useful since it is an AD5 loot card.

[Guest]

Yeah, it sucks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it spawn something that actually won an encounter.

 

I, too, would love to hear how I’m doing it wrong.

[MrScott]

Yeah, it sucks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it spawn something that actually won an encounter.

 

 

I have seen it win encounters, but I would prefer if I were able to help it win encounters. It's too random for me.

[Ethics Gradient]

The card is indeed mostly a niche thing.  For most purposes, it is likely outclassed by anything your AD5 caster has at their disposal.

 

The one perk that it does have is that it lacks the Attack trait, and the designers confirmed that to be intentional.  So when Ezren or Seoni finds themselves facing a Clay Golem or the Karzoug Statue at the end of AD5, they've at least got something at their disposal.  

 

It might not reliably defeat a monster, but it's a quasi-evade that occasionally beats things if you're lucky.

[269Hawkmoon]

I reported a bug that Summon Monster isn't properly calculating the "highest difficulty of the check to defeat" from the card you draw. If you draw a Veteran, for example, it should add the adventure deck number to the difficulty of the card you draw.

 

I tend to keep this for a while with Ezren. Not only does it lack the Attack trait, but if you fail it deals no damage. If you run into a summoned monster where defeating it doesn't matter, Summon Monster means you don't take damage for the check (after you act and "if undefeated" can still get you though).

[DrinkFromTheCup]

If it can summon villains not involved in Adventures directly, there is a quite illusory chance to summon Sandpoint Devil. Better than nothing.

Besides, do playing orbs/flasks (and other combat-boosting ongoing effects) before summoning boost the monster?

Edited January 8, 2018 by Igeherd

[Ethics Gradient]

If it can summon villains not involved in Adventures directly, there is a quite illusory chance to summon Sandpoint Devil. Better than nothing.

Besides, do playing orbs/flasks (and other combat-boosting ongoing effects) before summoning boost the monster?

 

It sadly cannot.  It is limited to the Monster type of bane.  It should not pull any Henchman or Villain cards when cast (including the Sandpoint Devil).

 

It's a straight "highest number wins" sort of check.  Since you can't play any other cards on the check, the only thing that should help out are passive/global powers that adjust check difficulties.  But as 269Hawkmoon posted above, those powers aren't being processed evenly.  Discovered monsters get their check adjusted as appropriate, but monsters summoned with the loot card only count as the highest number printed in the top right of the card.

[MrScott]

Thanks everyone for your input. The best attributes of this card I've heard are the fact that it lacks the "Attack" trait and it is not banished if you don't have the Arcane or Divine skill. I don't think it is a good option for Merisel since she can evade anytime she wants. I am considering using it next time I play Ranzak though, since I sometimes get in over my head playing him. I'm just waiting until they fix the glitch with his "Bigger Ransack" ability before I make another party with him.

[ferrisvalyn]

I will say that I've found it's *ok* if I put it in Seelah.  Since weapon isn't her favorite card type, and RotR doesn't have a lot of offensive divine spells, this is something that can help her fight.  Second the Iomedae's Benediction flip makes it useful that way as well, allowing for a reacharge.  

 

It is not a great offensive spell, IMHO  - I agree.  It's more niche

[Sigurd33]

Personnaly, i gave this to Sanjan.

At a point in time, when you took all usefull feats, it remains spells and weapons. As Sanjan have no Divine, nor Arcane skills, i found the the Summon monster usefull as it is not banished after usage.

Sanjan fight with blessings, but when you are lacking blessings, Summon monster can be a success anyway or acting like an evade skill.

 

But this is the only one character that play with it. For all spell casters, there is much better spells to put in your hand.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Sigurd33