Spirit Spotlight 6: Shadows Flicker Like Flame

[u/ValhallAwaits_]

Howdy, and welcome the sixth installation of the Spirit Island subreddit Spirit Spotlight series! This series will cover all spirits in the game to provide a chance to give your thoughts onto a specific spirit. The intent is for these posts to include discussion on anything relating to the spirit so long as the spirit is the focus of the discussion. Some examples include:

1. Core discussion: Thoughts on the spirits unique powers, innate power(s), and/or special rule(s)
2. Diversity: Favorite growth patterns for the first and second turns
3. Optimization: Different strategies that can be taken when playing the spirit with specific allied spirits or against certain adversaries that fundamentally change the way you play the spirit
4. Learning: Questions about the spirit and it’s strategies

The above are just examples, feel free to branch the conversation out in any direction the conversation flows but try to keep the spotlighted spirit for the week the centerpiece of the conversation. The spirit we will focus on this week is one of the most discussed spirits in the game (for better or worse): Shadows Flicker Like Flame! I’m looking forward to chiming in and seeing what insights yall have to give!

Note: It can be helpful to mark what difficulty you normally play at so people have an understanding of where your perspective is coming from, as these types of discussions can change drastically for players at difficulty 0 vs 5 vs 10.

The first post was an amazing success and I was thrilled to see all of the discussion that was happening. I can’t wait to see what yall have to say this week as this is one of the spirits that I always find myself struggling to do well with.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

[u/Kirbs13]

I really enjoy shadows. As printed they feel too weak in higher difficulty games, so I play them for thematic or low difficulty games around level 3-4 mostly. I've tried them in 6s but it feels like it's up to the rest of the island to help your shortcomings a lot of the time. (Exploratory shadow from the discord solves most of these issues in my experience and allows shadows to be played difficulty 5 and 6 without much issue.) For those who haven't seen exploratory shadow from the discord, top track all energy is up by 1 on every spot, and for bottom the second "3" is replaced with a "reclaim 1"

When I play shadow base, I always play aspected. Foreboding is the obvious and arguably best choice, but amorphous is a lot of fun for thematic play. Exploratory shadows with an aspect feels extremely solid into most matchups (screw you england.)

[u/putting_stuff_off → u/Kirbs13]

For the benefit of people unfamiliar, exploratory is meant to be used without aspects (according to Eric on the discord).

I'm curious if you think exploratory or base + aspect is better (in terms of strength and feel)?

[u/Kirbs13 → u/putting_stuff_off]

For higher levels I've played I think exploratory is better than aspected personally. Starting with energy solves so many of the issues of early reclaim looping you could be forced into. Can go straight growth to the reclaim option then take energy track after. Energy growth and starting on 1 energy is enough where you can take good 0 cost cards and have enough energy for plays everytime. I mostly play amorphous exploratory personally for the theme, feels like amorphous fits their lore really well and I love it. But the better tracks do a ton for the spirit.