(Emperor, Dracai of Aesir | Art by Federico Musetti)

Welcome back to CnC! Through this series, we’ll break down just what each hero brings to the table, from abilities, to playable cards and equipment, and interactions with other heroes. Looking at Blitz, CC, and UPF, we’ll see which heroes are winners, playable, fun, or need more support.

The reveal of this hero hit players all across the globe by surprise. It was the first time this many talents and classes were combined. With Dynasty being the hottest set at the time and a different hero art being spoiled for him, everybody wanted to play or at least have Emperor, Dracai of Aesir. But was he worth it? Let’s take a closer look.

What Does He Do?

Emperor, Dracai of Aesir is exclusively a young hero with four intellect and 15 life. He’s a Royal Draconic Warrior Wizard which means he can play generic, Draconic, Warrior, and Wizard cards, however, he can only play red cards. He has an action ability to fetch for Command and Conquer for three, attack with it, and shuffle.

Weapons and Equipment

As the Emperor, you have a lot to choose from, but some builds will give you more value than others. As far as weapons go, it’s a simple choice between arcane damage and physical damage, which will depend on the playstyle you’re going for.

If you’re going for arcane, Waning Moon is a good choice. An instant that deals damage is mostly always good, but you may only attack with Waning Moon if you’ve played a non-attack action card this turn. On the other hand, Warrior weapons are also a good choice, such as Jubeel, Spellbane which costs only one resource to attack for three.

Equipment is a different story. As the Emperor, you want the best of all worlds. Flamescale Furnace is basically a must-have for that extra pitch and block. You’ll need a legendary piece for the legs as well. Destroying Storm Striders is a power move that could pivot your whole game. The headpiece is a crown (of course), and it’s Crown of Providence. Good block and a sink effect for the price of one equipment slot is a fair trade. Last but not least, hands. This will depend on the hero you’re playing against. Metacarpus Node is a good choice if you want to rush your games, while Braveforge Bracers are good against physical-based heroes.

The Fountain of Youth: The Emperor

Cards That Are the Core

Again, a wide variety of cards are available to you, and your choices will depend exclusively on what kind of game you want to play. The real heart of the whole operation is Command and Conquer, and it should always be included in your deck. You’ll want a nice variety of actions, instants, and reaction, but be wary of the card cost. Remember, only red cards are allowed in your deck.

Zero-cost cards with go again are your royal advisors, and Scar for a Scar is a great choice given your health will be on the lower end, at least during the first turn. Other cards include Enlightened Strike, Ravenous Rabble and Snatch, all of which are great, cheap choices for this deck.

After physical damage, sprinkling in some arcane doesn’t hurt. Zap is a fan favorite because of its zero-for-three arcane effect. And while it might not deal damage, Tome of Imperial Flame is a perfect choice for the Emperor because of the setup potential for a big swing that comes after it. Don’t forget about your d. reacts; Fate Foreseen and Sink Below are cards you’ll want to see in your hand when your opponent’s turn starts.

Some one-cost cards are also pretty good to have. Life for a Life, the sister of Scar for a Scar, is a good way to gain life. Give and Take is also a nice choice when thinking about physical damage. Scalding and Aether Quickening are good arcane options to have, while Oasis Respite is just an overall good instant.

More expensive costing cards that you might want in your deck (other than CnC) are Emeritus Scolding or Swell Tidings. These are cards that could be the final strike you deal to your enemy.

Let’s take a look at the formats Emperor can be played in.

Blitz

Cheap cards with go again, Draconic chain links, or just bombing as much arcane as you possibly can are the three ways your Blitz matches can go. Keep in mind that you’re squishy, and every card in your hand counts towards that extra block, so don’t put in cards that don’t block unless you’re 100% sure it’ll be worth it. You have enough block in your equipment (if you’re scared, you can always switch something, such as Arcanite Skullcap for the Crown).

You don’t have a lot of time in Blitz, but you can definitely try stalling. My preference? Do it fast and make it hurt. Create a deck that goes wide damage-wise and look for your opponent’s weaknesses. Do they have Arcane Barrier (AB)? How much block do they have in their equipment? Are they pitching a lot of reds in hopes of seeing them again? Take control of the match and play against their weaknesses. Only one AB equipment? Deal at least five arcane damage per turn, if not more. They’re trying to play late game? Bombard them with physical attacks so they have to block with full hands. Make them expect the unexpected and then throw them a curveball.

Emperor, Illus. by Sam Yang

CC

As a young hero, the Emperor can’t be played in CC.

UPF

Politics are your bread and butter. As the Emperor, your UPF strategy shouldn’t be based solely on the power of your deck, but rather on your power as a ruler to protect those around you and smite your foes, or just to show the table that switching targets is something you’re good at. That being said, you’ll want cards that don’t just benefit you, but others as well. Oasis Respite is something that’ll come in handy when trying to make truces in the early phases of the game.

Overall Score: Fun to Play

Maybe you won’t win every fight, maybe you won’t win the war, but playing the Emperor is a ton of fun. Every hand has potential to do something different and every match, depending who you play against and how you draw, can be a completely different experience.

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?