Garus Rook, Stone Golem

Garus Rook started the Fantasy Strike tournaments at DeGrey's urging to unite the land.

Bio[]

Rook was not always made of stone, though the circumstances of his transformation are little-known. What is known is that his stone form seems to have slowed his aging and provide incredible armor. Rook has always loved nature and felt close to it and now he is a force of nature. Towering, mighty, and dangerous, yet gentle and warm.

Both Garus Rook and Jefferson DeGrey are unnaturally old. They’ve been friends for a very long time and they lived through a revolution together. Or rather, they almost lived through it.

They know what it’s like to live in times of peace where citizens have plenty of personal freedoms. They also know what it’s like for a dictator to take that away. They see it happening all over again with Sirus Quince, head of the Flagstone Dominion, and they feel compelled to do something about it. This eventually landed DeGrey in jail for civil disobedience. Rook visited him and asked DeGrey what he’s doing in there. “What are you doing out there?” DeGrey responded.

Rook asked what he should do and DeGrey’s suggested he create an event that would bring together people from all over the many lands. To frame it as a competition, but to actually use it as a way of getting powerful warriors together so they’d talk about the injustices going in their respective lands. Rook created the Fantasy Strike tournament to this end.

Rook's past is unknown, though he is known to be an old being, connected to nature. He governs the Morningstar Sanctuary, a haven for free thinking, artistic endeavors, and scientific research that is immune to the laws of Flagstone. He is kind, thoughtful, and wise.

Rook's rocky body makes him almost impossible to defeat, though Rook was never particularly interested in hurting others. Rook and his old friend DeGrey are old enough to remember the last time a government stole its citizens' personal freedoms, and DeGrey urged Rook to create an event that would unite the disparate peoples and remind them they are not so different from one another. That event is the Fantasy Strike tournament.

Playstyle[]

Rook's attacks are slow, but powerful. His rocky armor makes it hard for others to knock him out of an attack.

Rook's playstyle appeals to players who:

Prefer a straightforward style of combat
Don't care about dodging or counterstrikes

Deck[]

Hit Points: 100

Max Combo: 3

Normal Attack Properties: x.8 speed, x damage

Normal Throw Properties: x.0 speed, 10 damage, Can't Combo, Knocksdown

Innate Abilities:

Rock Armor - If your normal attack is hit by the opponent's faster normal attack or special attack, the opponent finishes his combo, then if you were not knocked down, you may discard two cards of the same suit as your attack. If you do, your attack is not interrupted and you may finish your combo.
Defense Mastery - Opponents don't draw when you block their normal attacks.

Individual Cards:

2: T/B
3*: T/B (Entangling Vines)
- Entangling Vines - [During Combat] This block avoids block damage, knocks down attackers, and deals 5 damage to them. When it does, next turn your attacks and throws are 3 speed faster, to a minimum of speed 1.0. (This doesn't return this card to your hand or draw from blocking.)
4: A/B
5*: A/B (Stone Wall)
- Stone Wall - [During Combat] This block reflects an attack's damage back to the attacker. (This doesn't return this card to your hand or draw from blocking.)
6-7: A/T
8: A/B
9: T/B
T: A/T
J: Thunderclap, Attack, 2.2 speed, 4(2) damage, 1 CP Linker
Q:
- Hammerfist, Attack, +1 any, 2.6 speed, 9+5(1) damage, 2 CP Ender
- Rolling Stone, Throw, 8.4 speed, 10 damage, 2 CP Ender
K*: Windmill Crusher, Throw, 2.4 speed, 15 damage, Can't Combo
- Windmill Crusher - [During Combat] This throw beats normal attacks with speed 5.0 or faster, but you still take damage from the opponent's normal attack.

A:
- AA: Wall of Vines, Attack, 0.8 speed, 20(3) damage, Can't Combo
- AAAA: Checkmate Buster, Throw, 0.0 speed, 50 damage, Can't Combo

Deck Analysis[]

Probability that combat option will appear on a card

Attack - 36/54, 66.7%
Block - 24/54, 44.4%
Dodge - 0/54, 0%
Throw - 36/54, 66.7%

Attack//* Correlation

Block - 12/36, 33.3%
Throw - 20/36, 55.6%

Block//* Correlation

Attack - 12/24, 50%
Throw - 12/24, 50%

Throw//* Correlation

Attack - 20/36, 55.6%
Block - 12/36, 33.3%

Strategy[]

What Dodge?: Note that Rook is the only character who has no dodges in his entire deck. In addition, two of his blocks have special abilities which do not allow him to put the block back into his hand. Rook's normal blocks are important cards to have in your hand.

Less Cards, More Damage: Rook is the most card-efficient character when it comes to damage. Out of his 13 cards (2-A), 9 of those cards can deal 10 or more damage on their own.

Matchups[]

Revision from Old Deck[]

Rook has "Defense Mastery" as wel as "Rock Armor".
"Entangling Vines" has a new and more card-efficient effect that koncks down the foe while they receive 5 damage, and all of his normal/special attacks and throws become faster next turn.
Windmill Crusher has an ability that allows it to beat normal attacks that are faster than speed 5.0, but Rook still takes damage from foe's attack.

Old Deck[]

Hit Points: 100

Max Combo: 3

Normal Attack Properties:

x.8 speed, x damage

Normal Throw Properties:

x.0 speed, 10 damage, Can't Combo, Knocksdown

Innate Ability:

Rock Armor - If your normal attack is hit by the opponent's faster normal attack or special attack, the opponent finishes his combo, then if you were not knocked down, you may discard two cards of the same suit as your attack. If you do, your attack is not interrupted and you may finish your combo.

Individual Cards:

2: T/B
3: T/B (Entangling Vines)
- Entangling Vines - If you block an attack or joker with this card, take no block damage. You may discard a normal throw card from your hand to deal 8 damage to the opponent. Do not draw a card from blocking with entangling vines and don't return it to your hand unless it was countered.
4: A/B
5: A/B (Stone Wall)
- Stone Wall - If you block an attack with this card, the attack does full damage to the attacker and no damage to you. Do not draw a card from blocking this way and don't return this card to your hand unless it was countered.
6: A/T
7: A/T
8: A/B
9: T/B
T: A/T
J: Thunderclap, Attack, 2.2 speed, 4(2) damage, 1 cp Linker
Q:
- Hammerfist, Attack +1 any, 2.6 speed, 9+5(1) damage, 2 cp Ender
- Rolling Stone, Throw, 8.4 speed, 10 damage, 2 cp Ender
K: Windmill Crusher, Throw, 2.4 speed, 15 damage, Can't Combo
A:
- AA: Wall of Vines, Attack, 0.8 speed, 20(3) damage, Can't Combo
- AAAA: Checkmate Buster, Throw, 0.0 speed, 50 damage, Can't Combo

Revision Changelog[]

Base -> 3.0

No direct changes to Rook.

New gamewide rules:

If you reveal a normal attack as your combat card, draw a card.
If both players are knocked down during the same combat, then ignore the knockdown effect next combat.

3.0 -> 3.1

No direct changes to Rook.

New optional gamewide rules (testers did not have to use these rules during their testing):

Alternate version of new rule involving normal attacks (from ver. 3.0): If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.
"Handicap": At the end of the turn (after the powerup phase), discard down to 10 cards. (There's no limit to hand size during the other parts of the turn.)

3.1 -> 3.2

No direct changes to Rook.

Gamewide rule modified and is given a new name:

If you reveal a normal attack as your combat card, draw a card.
->
"Normal draw rule": If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.

3.2 -> 3.3

Innate Added: Defense Mastery (Opponents don't draw when you block their normal attacks.) [The general buff to normal attacks made Midori, Rook, and Troq (the grappler characters) weaker until this innate was created for them.]

New gamewide rules:

"Hand limit": 12 cards. At the end of the turn (after the powerup phase), discard down to 12 cards if you have more. There's no limit to hand size during the rest of the turn.
"Time Out": When a player draws the last card from deck, time is over. The winner is the player with the highest hit points. (If tied, it's a draw.)

Gamewide rule modified - Normal draw rule:

If you normal attack as your combat card and its not interrupted (by a faster or same-speed attack), draw a card.
->
If your normal attack is blocked or wins combat, draw a card.

Gamewide rule reworded:

If both players are knocked down during the same combat, then ignore the knockdown effect next combat.
->
Double knockdown: If you're both knocked down, cancel knockdown effect next combat.

3.3 -> 4.0

Ability Modified - 3*: Entangling Vines is more independent:

If you block an attack or joker with this card, take no block damage. You may discard a normal throw card from your hand to deal 8 damage to the opponent. Do not draw a card from blocking with entangling vines and don't return it to your hand unless it was countered.
->
If you block an attack or joker with Entangling Vines, take no block damage, knock down the opponent, and deal 5 damage to him. Next combat your attacks and throws are 6 speed faster, to a minimum of speed 1.0. Do not draw a card from blocking, and do not return this card to your hand unless it was countered.

Ability Added: K*: Windmill Crusher - This throw beats normal attacks, but you still take damage from the opponent's normal attacks.

4.0 -> 4.3

Ability Modified - K*: Windmill Crusher ability doesn't work on all normals: "This throw beats normal attacks with speed 5.0 or faster, but you still take damage from the opponent's normal attack."

New gamewide rule: Healing cannot go above max life. (This is correct flavor for fighting games, but more importantly, necessary for Yomi 2v2 mode to work.)

4.3 -> 5.0

Innate Reworded: "Defense Mastery" innate no longer has parenthesis around its description.

Abilities Modifed:

3*: Entangling Vines is labeled as a "During Combat" ability, has its speed-up nerfed, and it no longer returns to your hand when countered:
- If you block an attack or joker with Entangling Vines, take no block damage, knock down the opponent, and deal 5 damage to him. Next combat your attacks and throws are 6 speed faster, to a minimum of speed 1.0. Do not draw a card from blocking, and do not return this card to your hand unless it was countered.
- ->
- [During Combat] This block avoids block damage, knocks down attackers, and deals 5 damage to them. When it does, next turn your attacks and throws are 5 speed faster, to a minimum of speed 1.0. (This doesn't return this card to your hand or draw from blocking.)
5*: Stone Wall is labeled as a "During Combat" ability, and it no longer returns to your hand when countered:

- If you block an attack with this card, the attack does full damage to the attacker and no damage to you. Do not draw a card from blocking this way and don't return this card to your hand unless it was countered.
- ->
- [During Combat] This block reflects an attack's damage back to the attacker. (This doesn't return this card to your hand or draw from blocking.)

Abilities Reworded: