Card of the Month: Jester

Overview

The Jester is a creature that begins its life on the board as a harmless presence, almost a joke in itself, with no strength on any side and only modest defenses. Yet this apparent weakness hides one of the most explosive scaling effects in the entire game. Each Jester gains two strength on all sides for every Jester currently on the board. One Jester is nothing. Two become dangerous. Three start to dominate. Four can overwhelm an entire battlefield. The card’s identity is built around this exponential rise in power, turning a group of fools into a terrifying force if left unchecked.

Role and Core Idea

The Jester’s role is that of a scaling engine. It does not win through early pressure or tactical tricks but through the sheer inevitability of numbers. Its core idea is simple: the more Jesters you manage to place, the more each one becomes a threat. This creates a dynamic where the opponent must constantly decide whether to spend precious removal on what looks like a weak creature, knowing that ignoring it for even a turn may allow the entire group to snowball out of control. The Jester rewards patience, timing, and a good sense of when the board is safe enough to begin assembling your troupe.

How to Use

The first rule of playing Jester is to avoid placing the initial one too early. A lone Jester has no strength and invites easy removal, which resets your entire plan. It is far more effective to wait until you can deploy two in close succession or until the board is stable enough that your opponent cannot immediately punish you. Once the first two are down, protecting them becomes your priority. Their survival determines whether your scaling engine ever gets off the ground.

Positioning matters as well. Spreading your Jesters across the board prevents your opponent from removing several at once and forces them to commit resources in multiple places. As your group grows, the Jesters begin to win trades naturally, flipping lanes and forcing your opponent into awkward decisions. The fourth Jester often acts as a finisher, pushing your entire formation into overwhelming strength and closing out the match.

Synergies and Combos

The Jester thrives when paired with cards that buy time or make removal costly. Defensive artifacts likethe Tower create safe pockets where your early Jesters can survive long enough to scale. Removal spells such as Putrefaction or Ruin clear threats before they can reach your fragile setup.

Buff auras and defensive enhancements also play a crucial role. A reinforced Jester is far harder to remove, and even a small boost can be enough to carry it through the vulnerable early turns. Cards that punish destruction, like Volk’ha or Shadows Banner make opponents hesitate before targeting your Jesters, buying you the extra turns you need. Finally, any origin that accelerates card deployment or supports a swarm strategy naturally complements the Jester’s exponential scaling, allowing you to reach critical mass before your opponent can stabilize.