Of the four spirits available in the PnP version, does anyone have any favorites, either in playstyle, art, or general theme? My favorite in terms of playstyle is hands down Vital Strength of the Earth. The slow but relentless presence deployment really suits me, and I love gathering up Dahan into my places of power to create forts across the land.
My favorite spirit art has to be River Surges in Sunlight. I love the juxtaposition of a gentle spirit nurturing the land and an angry flood washing away entire towns.
Mechanically, I find I like Lightning's Swift Strike the least so far. It is fun to play, but I've played the blow everything up type people before. I guess I appreciate the subtly at which the other three can operate. But I suppose you can't blame a lightning bird for lacking subtlety.
It's been quite awhile since I last played Spirit Island and I know they have changed since I last played. However, the spirit I remember liking most in the PnP, Lightning's Swift Strike is my favorite. I like rushing in and wrecking things.
While the ones that will be avaliable once the game ships, Serpent Slumbering Beneath the Island is wicked awesome.
I also love the diversity! Lightning is easiest to comprehend, because Fast actions are just easier to pick up on, but I kind of prefer the uncertain planning necessary to use slower powers.
My favorite so far is the Earth. I want to like the Lightning Spirit, but I always feel like I make next to no progress because people keep wanting me to use Lightning's Boon on them
I could easily go down the list and explain why each one is my favorite. I think that it's the wealth of diversity that I appreaciate the most; the spirits really feel different from each other and express their power in dramatically different ways.
That said, River Surges in Sunlight is probably my favorite of the low complexity spirits. I find the indirect action really satisfying.
Ya, slowly building up an army of Dahan is quite fun. I also love how the mechanics completely reinforce the story of each spirit. Shadow lurks in the jungles, picking off small band of explorers who venture to far beyond the protective walls of their cities. Lightning comes surging out of the sky, blowing apart houses and leaving the survivors to survey the shattered remnants of what was once their town.
I think it's the board control I like too - and it's so much fun to nudge things into the range of another spirit who happens to have exactly the right card but is that little bit too far away.
I really rather enjoy my Dahan breeding projects too.
And a fully-powered-up River can be extremely stompy and destructive too, which is a nice change of pace if you get there.
