Anyone successfully use Rapidshot Magic Archer?

[EvilGenius]

I actually like Rapidshot Magic Archer. I can't argue against any Refess unit with a 30 AT, no matter how limited. Why do you think so many Refess players splash Salamander (aside from its awesome Open Skill)?

I was disappointed when the Refess starter only came with 1.

[Logress]

Personally, I think they put her in the EX packs because of her soul skill. If you don't have a high rarity card in your soul skills and you play refess, putting 2 or 3 in isn't a bad idea. Also, CSquared is obsessed with making her useful, we'll see.
There's really nothing to say is that she's the only straight combat unit with 5 RNG in the game. Unless that fact is important to you, don't bother. Now, as us Falkow players with our two big guns with RNG 2 can tell you, not being able to hit past the enemy's front line with arches can be pretty frustrating. You really don't want to put out RMA unless you have something in your first two rows, and you enemy has (at least) the same. Then, any time randomness causes you to hit anything but the back row, call it a loss.

[DanTheTimid]

Personally, I think they put her in the EX packs because of her soul skill. If you don't have a high rarity card in your soul skills and you play refess, putting 2 or 3 in isn't a bad idea. Also, CSquared is obsessed with making her useful, we'll see.
There's really nothing to say is that she's the only straight combat unit with 5 RNG in the game. Unless that fact is important to you, don't bother. Now, as us Falkow players with our two big guns with RNG 2 can tell you, not being able to hit past the enemy's front line with arches can be pretty frustrating. You really don't want to put out RMA unless you have something in your first two rows, and you enemy has (at least) the same. Then, any time randomness causes you to hit anything but the back row, call it a loss.

The problem with the soul skill logic is that the EX packs also come with EX Baron whose soul skill is arguably superior to RMAs for the reasons I highlighted in one of my earlier posts. Any chance the Japanese are atleast looking into this card to make sure its worth using and potentially buffing it if they find it lacking?

I actually like Rapidshot Magic Archer. I can't argue against any Refess unit with a 30 AT, no matter how limited. Why do you think so many Refess players splash Salamander (aside from its awesome Open Skill)?

I was disappointed when the Refess starter only came with 1.

The key difference between Salamander and RMA is that Salamander is level 1, RMA is level 3. Thats a huge gap in sp cost. I could also argue that Salamanders open skill will be more consistently useful then RMA's action skill (AND salamanders skill is free too! RMA's costs sp). Theres definitely something wrong with the balance of things when cards so far apart in level can be compared so equally.

[EvilGenius]

The key difference between Salamander and RMA is that Salamander is level 1, RMA is level 3.

True, but Salamander for a Refess is essentially a lvl 2 unit, that only returns 1 SP when it is sent to the Cemetery, which will be often, since its Open Skill is so useful. So you're losing 3 LP to RMA's 1.

Not a good argument, but it does mean RMA isn't totally counted out.

[Phades]

The key difference between Salamander and RMA is that Salamander is level 1, RMA is level 3.

True, but Salamander for a Refess is essentially a lvl 2 unit, that only returns 1 SP when it is sent to the Cemetery, which will be often, since its Open Skill is so useful. So you're losing 3 LP to RMA's 1.

Not a good argument, but it does mean RMA isn't totally counted out.

I would equate and subsequently balance out the LP cost against the open skill of salamander being a quazi SS, but you still have the option to revive it should the need arise. Furthremore, if you did include salamander and also were already invested 1 sphere level of gowen, it gives you the option to begin directly buffing with magic weapon assuming your cardfile had the space. Having played refress and in the instances where you had lion baron and spear woman out on the field, i would much rather one shot 2 cards between the lion baron (assuming he survived) and a magic weaponed spear girl (25+20+ 1sp skill = 65 damage ignoring defense) opposed to wasting any buffs on something as fragile as RMA and hoping she gets lucky and hits 1-2 weaker targets.

[Romdeau]

Anyone else think sensei looks a tad threatening with that whip of hers? Makes me wonder...

[Csquared]

Figured I'd chime in here. Everyone of course makes very reasonable points, but I think we're all missing the very obvious reason. RMA obviously exists for versatility, since she can either play cleanup batter to Refess's front line or very likely take out a unit all on her own. Granted it may be hard for her to do that, but as Logress and I were debating the other day (though admittedly about a different unit), even if she is weak, she's still a threat on the field. Throw a magic weapon on her if your opponent underestimates her, and see if they don't go gunning for her right away. And even if your opponent doesn't consider her a threat at first, they'll probably still go after her because she's a tempting target. Either way, they're devoting resources away from Refess's front line, and that's usually good for the color's strong point, sustainability.

That said, I have successfully used the Rapidshot Magic Archer, and it was pretty awesome. Playing cleanup is all well and good, but having some real firepower is what everyone usually wants, right? So a strategically placed Boy Combat Priest here, a magic weapon there, and maybe some EX Vordore soul skills too, and suddenly she's double-sniping your opponent's units in one shot pretty handily. A Cassowary King will help you get the setup there, as well as intentionally not setting off enemy soul skills in the beginning.

Anyway, Refess can be a challenge to play sometimes, especially against the powerhouses in the other spheres. But I always find Refess to be pretty fun to play since weird uses of cards like this often catch others by surprise and pique their interest.


CSquared

[Grain]

That said, I have successfully used the Rapidshot Magic Archer, and it was pretty awesome. Playing cleanup is all well and good, but having some real firepower is what everyone usually wants, right? So a strategically placed Boy Combat Priest here, a magic weapon there, and maybe some EX Vordore soul skills too, and suddenly she's double-sniping your opponent's units in one shot pretty handily. A Cassowary King will help you get the setup there, as well as intentionally not setting off enemy soul skills in the beginning.

That sounds like a lot of stalling while:

Falkow sets up their undefeatable support cards

Lawtia plays their 40 ATK frontliners & lycanthropes

Gowen just plain kills me

It also sounds quite dangerous to put so much effort into a card which can be killed so quickly.

[radishlaw]

Actually rapidshot archer is as "useless"* in the Japanese version as in US version.
The only difference is the SS skill, which in Japan is LP2, hitting a column for 30 damages.

I think there is one or more such "useless" cards in every deck in every single expansion of the game, except maybe the EX packs.

As a theory, such cards are there for filling up the card list, just like those "better luck next time" cards in lotteries...
...and then in FM lottery they actually got that kind of completely unusable card (a grimoire without any effect). Figures.

*by useless I mean "highly situational", I am sure some people can use any card to exciting effect

[DanTheTimid]

Well personally I've never bought into the "we need useless cards to make the useful cards look better" logic. Every time I spend money to buy cards, I'm doing so with the goal of getting something useful in return. If they could guarantee I'd never get useless cards when I bought cards using gran bought with real money, maybe I'd be less opposed to a card being useless. In an instance like that the useless cards are just extra road blocks to the free players between them and competing on an even playing field with the players who spend money.

That isn't the case though, I can buy gran with my hard earned money, play the lottery, and get nothing but rapidshot magic archers. In those cases its like I paid them for gold and was handed fool's gold.

As such I feel every card should atleast be some what useful. Yes some will inevitably always come out a little stronger and a little weaker then others no matter how much you balance and rebalance, but if you balance well you can make the margin of strength very minimal. Right now the margin in strength between RMA and most other units in the game appears to be pretty significant, thus why I brought it up.