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Running With the Big Dogs - Poogle Racer vs
Quiggle Runner
Written by Daemon
Arena Advantage (AA) is a term my playgroup uses when referring to the stat advantages you gain while in contests. However, two different experienced neopets have begun a new discussion lately. Is a one time higher AA better than a constant, though lower, AA? This is the problem we delve into today.
Many a groan has been given since my group started playing the Neopets TCG as a Poogle Racer drops onto the board with loads of weapons and armor. Many games have simply been scooped when a second finds it place on the arena floor. But now, the groans of agony have given way to contemplative stares no that Quiggle runner has made its debut in the BfM expansion. The two pets have made not tapping to move into a new arena a whole new ball game. Undeniable advantages come into light when you get an extra combatant in a arena who can also tap for items and SHH cards.
Poogle Racer has a stat advantage against its Quiggle cousin in two arenas (Strength and Intelligence), equal stats in Agility, and only a point less in Magic. Its ability to move while untapped has made this pet an extreme defensive engine. It sit in any arena of your choice and adds to your stats on your opponent’s turn. When more than one happen to be in play you can strategically lock some arenas down. However, on your turn the Poogle is simply a mediocre experienced pet who moves where you want him to and taps to help bring things into play.
Quiggle Runner, while lower in overall stats than Poogle Racer, makes up for the
Poogle’s flaws in full. Whenever you start a contest in any arena you can move Quiggle Runner to that arena and he joins the contest (wait for it)…………UNTAPPED! That’s right, he joins contests untapped on your turn. This means you can leave him untapped to pay for SHH cards during your opponent’s turn. You’d be surprised how a well a Nothing Has Happened can shake up your opponent’s game plan. However, this isn’t the only way Quiggle Runner can be used. His ability says nothing about it having to be untapped to use it. So you can even use it to pay the costs for cards during your main step and then toss him into every fight you pick on your turn.
Multiple copies of either card on the board will allow you to quickly dominate the board, especially with large amounts of weapons and armor on them. However, a Nightstone placed on a single Quiggle Runner will set your opponent at a huge disadvantage. However, before either of these cards can come into play their basic forms need to see a little action. And, like the experienced forms, the basic
Quiggles are at a significant stat disadvantage. No basic quiggle can compare to the power of Blue Poogle has on your turn. And only
Yellow Quiggle will give you any kind of stat increase. But I think in the long run you’ll be happier with the Quiggle Runners.
The best deck to play this guy in is most definitely a Water/Air Control deck that utilizes the arena control of Air and the pure control Water gives you to set the tone of the game very early on. If you want to pack a punch with your Air then you want to go with Eyries. Battle Eyrie and Eyrie Guard are both solid threats, and using them with alongside the agile Quiggle Runner will definitely help you control the game tempo (especially multiple copies).
That's all for now. Until later, here's hoping you get 15 36 15 15.
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