Boosting isn’t the only crank in the Mechanologist toolbox anymore. With Bright Lights, we have new keywords, new effects, and new attack actions our favorite Metrix heroes can put to good use.

Big Machines with Bigger Attacks

After Nitro Mechanoid, LSS probably couldn’t resist putting in more gigantic mechs, and Bright Lights is just what Teklovossen ordered. Annihilator Engine, Terminator Tank and War Machine are big cost cards with bigger textboxes.

These six-cost majestics are all reds with six attack, three block, and a very special effect. They look at the amount of Evo cards you have equipped, and while they have a different effect for one or more Evo equipped, the rest of the effect is the same. If you have two or more, the attack action costs three resources fewer to play; with three or more, it gets overpower; and with four or more, it gains +3 attack. As for the one or more Evo effects, the Annihilator will destroy all cards defending it, the War Machine will destroy all cards in the opponent’s arsenal, and the Terminator will force them to discard a card, but only if they hit a hero.

Project Protocol and Evo Upgrades

On the topic of majestics, we have three Protocol cards: Demolition Protocol, Pulsewave Protocol, and Meganetic Protocol. In addition to the three cost and three block, they also share a new keyword: Evo Upgrade.

All three cards have a specific X number, where X is the number of Evos you have equipped. Demolition is a seven attack anti-mech card which says: when it attacks a hero, remove all steam counters from up to X equipment, items, and/or weapons they control. Pulsewave goes for six and says: when this attacks a hero, they reveal X cards from their hand and you then choose an action card with defense less than X and add it to this chain link as a defending card. As for the beautiful blue Meganetic, it attacks for five and says: the defending hero must defend this with X equipment they control with -1 defense counters if able.

Other Evo Upgrade cards include Heavy Artillery, Liquid-Cooled Mayhem and Mechanical Strength. These three-block rainbow rares are slightly pricey, but the cost is worth it. Just as with the Protocol cards, Mechanical Strength and Heavy Artillery will have an X, where X is the number of Evos you have equipped. Mechanical Strength gets +X attack while Heavy Artillery doesn’t let the defending hero defend this with attack action cards with cost less than X. Liquid-Cooled Mayhem costs fewer resources to play for each Evo you have equipped.

Breaking a Few Eggs with Galvanize

True to Bright Lights lore, Mechanologists aren’t afraid to give and take for science. This is exactly what out next keyword does. Galvanize gives you a bonus when you defend with these attack actions. When a card with galvanize defends, you may destroy an item you control. If you do, the cards gains an additional two defense.

Some galvanize cards include Soup Up red, Infuse Titanium red, Torque Tuned red, Ratchet Up red and Infuse Alloy red, all of which have a base block of two.

Looking for Actual Scraps

Sometimes the simplest effects are the best, such as “As an additional cost to play this, you may banish an item or equipment from your graveyard”. That’s all scrap, another new keyword, says, and it’s brilliant. Why? Because if you scrap certain cards, they get simple yet effective abilities. Some big cards with scrap that cost three and attack for six when red are Hydraulic Press, Junkyard Dogg and Scrap Harvester. If scrapped, Press gets overpower, Dogg gets +1 attack and the Harvester lets you put a steam counter on an item you control with crank (another new keyword from this set).

As for the smaller attacks, zero-for-three attack cards include Scrap Hopper, which gives you a Quicken, Scrap Prospector, which gives you one resource, and Scrap Compactor, which lets you play your next Evo this turn as though it were an instant.

Something Old, Something New

Not every Mech attack has some fancy new keyword though. Sometimes just a classic boost or other kind of effect is perfect for certain situations. Heist is a majestic that proves just that. It’s a two-cost, five-attack, three-block card with boost and a pretty cool on hit effect. When it hits a hero, you may put an item with cost zero or one from any banished zone into the arena under your control. Note the “any banished zone” part of this card, hence the name of the game – Heist.

Another simple yet effective card is Moonshot. It’s also a majestic card with three attack and three defense, but with a cost of XX and a condition – you may only play it if you’ve boosted this turn. It also has an additional cost – if you want to play it, you have to destroy X Hyper Drivers you control. Why is this good then? When Moonshot attacks, it gets +3 attack for each Hyper Driver destroyed this way, and if it has 10 or more attack it gets overpower.

Speaking of Hyper Drivers, Hyper Scrapper would also like to play with many of them. The blue three-block and two-attack majestic costs X to play. It also has an additional cost – to play this, you must banish X items from your graveyard. When Hyper Scrapper attacks it gets +X attack. If three or more Hyper Drivers were banished to play it, you gain six resources and it gets go again.

Last but not least is a card which doesn’t need much explaining. We’ve already played with it in Arcane Rising and is a card famous not only for being one of the strongest Mech attacks, but also for having an amazing flavor. I’m talking about Maximum Velocity, which was reprinted in Bright Lights and will continue to put a smile on Mech players’ faces.

Other Bright Lights set reviews:

Heroes & Weapons by Pheano Black

Equipment by Peter Buddensiek

Items by Tyler Horspool

Blocks, Instants, and Non-Attack Actions by Ethan Van Sant

Attack Actions Pt 2 by Kenny Suzuki

Non-Mechanologist Cards by Jonah Lara

Valera

Valera tried Magic in highschool then forgot about it. Some years later, she fell in love with broken FaB heroes (like Data Doll MKII) and tribal commander MTG decks. A shapeshifter, collector, traveller, writer... Who needs free time?