Kalas - by Steve Crow At the end of his Draw Phase, your opponent must discard a card from his hand for each point of damage you inflict that turn with Attacks and Events. You may have up to five Master cards. Overview Although Kalas seems a puzzling and somewhat elusive Persona for many players to come up with strategies on, personally, I like the guy. What's Kalas' secret? You don't know what to expect with him. With every other Persona in the game, they're predictable. Are you facing Amanda? Expect dodges. Annie? Expect Flurry Strikes. Xavier or Nakano? Expect lots of Situations. Connor? A Master's Block combo and Mountain Cave. Even Luther and Khan, relatively vague Personas, have certain strategies that you can expect. For Luther, load up on anti-Standing Defense cards against Continuity/Endure Pain. Against Khan, add Misfortune or Thief. But Kalas is the true man of mystery. When you see an opponent using Kalas, you have no idea what to expect. He may use Plots. He may make Power Blows. He may use Extra Shot. Who can tell? Only Duncan comes close to matching Kalas' versatile, enigmatic and unpredictable nature. Game mechanics questions: Kalas' ability kicks in at the end of the draw phase, _after_ cards have been drawn or discarded. Thus, if you had an Ability of 15 and took two points of damage from Kalas, you end the turn by discarding or drawing to 13, _then_ discarding down to 11. The damage done by Kalas does not count if it is prevented. Cards such as Khan's Armor, Dr. Sonny Jackson, Dr. Anne Lindsey, etc., prevent damage from occurring. If it doesn't occur, it has no effect. Cards that increase Ability, on the other hand (Lost Love, Watcher/Treatment, Master's Advice) do _not_ prevent damage or otherwise keep it from happening. If you take two damage from Kalas, and then play Watcher/Treatment, you will still have to discard two cards at the end of the turn. Even if Bystander/Situation (lose cards instead of taking damage, CotW #4) is in play, discarding due to Kalas' successful attack damage still occurs. Kalas' ability only works on damage he inflicts from attacks and Events. Damage from Locations (Battlefield) and Situations (currently none) have no special effect. Ability loss that Kalas causes is similarly ignored. Persona-Specific Cards For his unreserved cards, Kalas has the "standard" Back Away, Flashback (ME version - discard/draw five cards), Extra Shot, and Combination. Back Away is mandatory in almost any Kalas deck, since it's his only dodge card. Flashback is useful in Renaissance-style, but otherwise Elizabeth Vaughn remains a better choice unless you're paranoid about Sovereign Media or anti-Ally/Event cards (none of the latter currently exist). Combination and Extra Shot both are more powerful for the addition of Lunge and Flashing Blade in Watcher's Chronicles. Personally, I prefer Extra Shot since Alertness/Hidden and Connor can get around the second attack of the Combination. Kalas also has the unreserved Trip and Continuity. However, these are different than "standard." Trip (a key to his power, as we shall see) lets him make one attack undodgeable. Continuity lets him make "free" Power Blows if his opponent does so. The last unreserved card Kalas has is actually a set of three: the Song of the Executioner plot series. I'm somewhat unimpressed by these cards. They are good for an end-game, but early in the game their effect can be minimal. This card conceivably lets your opponent gain the benefits of Elizabeth Vaughn (if he plays Patience after discarding) while still being able to play another Special! SotE, enhanced by Locations, isn't much better. An opponent can use it as an excuse to discard enough cards to trigger Factory's removal. This brings us to Kalas' Reserved cards. Master's Advice, no longer restricted, is straightforward. Given Kalas' five-Master limit and inability to stack this card, he probably won't want to use more than two. Given the number of powerful Masters now out there, he may not wish to use any Master's Advices. Forgery does for Plots what Alex Johnson does for Objects. This Event lets you recover a Plot Situation. It won't do anything for Plot Events. However, this recycling can let you reuse those three-parters possibly one more time than you typically would. Intimidate is an absolute shut-down of an opponent's ability to Exert. This may not seem like much, since many people don't _want_ to Exert anyway. But under the right circumstances, it can be very powerful. More on this below. The final Kalas Reserved card is Stalk. This Special Attack is the ultimate restrictor on an opponent's willingness to play Holy Ground. It may not seem like Kalas has the heavy attack firepower to force an opponent to _need_ to play Holy Ground. But it's something that an opponent must watch for, even if they want to play Holy Ground just to cycle cards. Also, don't forget that Stalk is an unblockable, undodgeable attack even if you _can't_ make it a Head Shot. And you may make Stalk a Head Shot, albeit a normal one, if your opponent didn't play a Holy Ground last turn. Generic Cards As noted above, Kalas is a Persona who tactically and strategically is difficult to pin down. He can use any number of strategies, and thus a number of generic cards benefit him. Flashing Blade and Lunge can enhance his Combination and Extra Shot, just like anyone else's "standard" versions. The penalty of Kalas successfully attacking makes the "bite" of these cards a bit more. If you're going to use Stalk, Dojo is an invaluable card. If your opponent plays Holy Ground/SE, you can discard any four cards and keep that Stalk and Head Shot. However, if they use the ME version, you may lose one or both in the reshuffle. Use Dojo to store them. Use multiple Dojos to diversify your assets and keep your opponent from removing the right one. Twist of Fate and Rachel Ellenstein are useful against all three incarnations of Alertness, since these three cards can thwart Kalas' Combination, Trip, and Stalk. Concerning plot cards, I find that Kalas' Forgery- enhanced talent actually works better to enhance an existing Plot like Unholy Alliance or Head Hunter, rather than his Song of the Executioner. Ability loss from the former is nothing to laugh at. And if the latter keeps an opponent from attacking or blocking, Trip can keep them from dodging, and Stalk will deter them from playing Holy Ground. Director's Cut (either version), if you can get it, help Kalas quite a bit. Master Swordsman, used as a Power Blow for the second attack of an Extra Shot/Flashing Blade combo, again works in conjunction with Kalas' Persona ability to give him extra bite, while Stalk keeps them wary of playing Holy Ground. It's also handy when used with Kalas' anti-dodge Trip. Darius makes Kalas even more unpredictable. A Sedarius combo is perhaps not as powerful as it once was, but Stalk prevents the inevitable Holy Ground escape route. Psyche (CotW #29) isn't the most powerful card in the world. However, the look on their face when you force them to play that Holy Ground prematurely, and then go Stalking after them next turn, is well worth it. Carl might seem redundant if Kalas uses Stalk. However, remember that a card that is countered is _still_ considered to have been played. As Alan suggests below, let them play the first Holy Ground and then use Carl against the second. Although difficult to accomplish, using Carl is currently the only way Kalas can use Stalk in a multi-player game. We'll address some specific strategies below. Generally, however, Kalas can make effective combinations with practically anything out there. Location Cards Dead-End Alley is the only Location Kalas should avoid, for obvious reasons. Similarly, Catwalk is probably his top choice. However, because of his versatile nature, almost any other Location can help him under the right circumstances. If Kalas goes with a disarm strategy, Parking Garage is the Location of choice. If he wants to try exhaustion (see below), Desert is good. If he just wants a lot of cards at any given time, Watcher Regional HQ and Watcher/Watcher Field Agent Situations will do the trick. Factory or Battlefield with Patience plus Intimidation have some interesting uses as well. The only Locations that Kalas should _probably_ avoid are Verona (errata'd version) and Lighthouse. The former cancels out his Stalk, while the latter gives him no strong advantage. How to Win The first trick to winning with Kalas is realizing that, in a sense, his Persona ability is somewhat of a red herring. While it is strong in an end-game, its application early in the game can potentially _benefit_ an opponent, by letting them cycle out unplayable cards. In the end-game, it is helpful because you can get them down to two Ability or so. If they have an Ability of four and you hit them for two, they will have no cards and an Ability of two. This gives you an extra round to pull off a Head Shot. Building a strategy around Kalas' Persona ability is difficult, though. Immortal Wound is the obvious choice. However, since it is a Situation, it is anything _but_ "Immortal." Your best bet is to go for a strong attack or damage strategy, and let the Persona ability work as it may. Don't underestimate Kalas' ability, though. If an opponent has a tightly-cosntructed deck, there may not be _any_ cards he wants to discard. Particularly if you're playing Kalas "cold" with little idea of his strategy. What does Kalas do _to_ win? Well, whatever he wants. Kalas is the ultimate generic, with tools to do practically anything well. The key here is Stalk and Trip, with Forgery, Continuity, Intimidate, and some generics giving him a boost in key areas. The obvious strategy for Kalas is direct damage. Pound your opponent with Street Punks (you might even find the ME version useful), Angry Mob/Careful Planning, and Darius in Alliance/Xavier and Toadies/Katana. Watcher/Watcher Tribunal can help you here. Police their Greenfields to their discard pile, then use the Tribunal to make them take damage based on the number of WFAs in their discard pile. Extra Shot, thanks to the boost from Flashing Blade and Lunge, is a dangerous weapon. Load Kalas up with extra attacks, and wait until you get the components (using Dojo as necessary) you need for this combo. Have a Watcher/Watcher Involvement or two out to stop those Master's Blocks, and launch your assault. Use Master Swordsman to make the second attack a Power Blow, and watch as they scramble to avoid this mess without playing a Stalk-provoking Holy Ground. Want to try disarming? Go with Parking Garage as your Location, and Forged Steel, Iron Will, and Circular Parry to help your disarms. Once you've got them disarmed, start Trip/Power Blowing, again using Master Swordsman if possible to avoid Exerting. Want to use Plots? Pick a good one. Personally, I prefer the following mix of three-parters: 1-1-2-3-3-3. With some timing and a little luck, you can complete a plot three times with only the standard six cards allowed. You may want to use Plot Twist to get that Part 2 down early. What do you choose for a Plot? Unholy Alliance is always good. Head Hunter can be deadly when you use Trip and Stalk. Destruction can minimize the need for you to rely on a Head Shot card for that Stalk. Oddly, Counterfeit isn't a bad choice here. Try an exhaustion strategy. Use Desert as your Location, and mix in with Pummel and Improvised Weapon/Object. Use Trip with these attacks for greater effect. You can use Forgery to recover those Parts 1 and 2 if you go by them. If nothing else, use Cat and Mouse. If your opponent is foolish enough to remove them from play, you can cycle them right back in with Forgery, nailing him or benefiting yourself ten times. You'll never get more than six in play at a time, but you can potentially play that sixth one five times if you get them down quick enough or your opponent is foolish enough to let them go until too late. Use Dojo and Flashback/Kalas to dump your Forgerys if your opponent doesn't fall for that sucker trap. If you can limit your opponent's defenses via Battlefield or Factory (using Patience and Reconnaissance to keep your hand fully stocked), Intimidate assures that they can't Exert for a defense, assuring a successful attack. When you reach that moment when they've failed to play a defense, start using Master Swordsman to make "free" Power Blows. Power Blowing is another advantageous strategy for Kalas. Once they play Ancestral Blade, Misfortune it, then start playing Lunge and Intimidate with a basic attack, and Exerting to make it a Power Blow. They can't Exert for a dodge _or_ for a Power Block. If you plan on any kind of Exertion-based Power Blow strategy, you'll want to use Master/Swordmaster and/or Collect to minimize your Exertions. You can rely on Master Swordsman, but this deprives you of the advantages of Lunge. Kalas' Continuity is a way to get "free" Power Blows and still be able to play Specials that turn. This requires that your opponent make Power Blows. However, with the introduction of Lunge this is much more likely from Watcher's Chronicles on. If nothing else, Kalas can put those Back Aways to good use. Play one, then use Trip and a Pistol. As is obvious, trying to pick just one key strategy for Kalas is difficult. A bit of imagination and you can come up with any number of them. How to Defeat Kalas has several weaknesses. His primary one is that like the other WC Personas, he has no inherent way to make Power Blocks. Unlike Fitzcairn and Annie, he is dodge-weak. And unlike Kern, he has no inherent way to make extra Exertions. Master Swordsman can help him here, as can Stamina if carefully managed via Elizabeth Vaughn, Flashback/Kalas, and Dojo. Still, even if Kalas is using his Continuity, he has to be able to attack after you make those Power Blows. Direct damage and plots are typical weapons in the Kalas armory. Greenfield can eventually backfire due to Watcher Tribunal (see above), so Police/Counter Damage and other damage reversal/sharing cards might be better. You may need the extra power of Underworld Contacts and Investigation in your deck. Extra Shot (due to Lunge or Flashing Blade) is unpleasant no matter who is wielding it. Dr. Alan Neyman (CotW #2) can help to at least assure that when you Exert, you get what you need. Kalas won't be the only person you run into using this combo. Kalas' Nemesis, Falsetto, is a mixed blessing. Certainly it's better than not taking damage _and_ losing cards. However, to a certain degree Falsetto is not a Situation you can take advantage of. What are you going to do: _let_ yourself take damage so that Kalas has to lose cards? I don't think so. Still, in an end-game it can be useful to you, much as Kalas' power is to him. Overall, Kalas is a difficult opponent to predict. The strategy that may work against him one game may backfire the next. Overall Kalas' main strength is his unpredictable nature. The only thing you can count on is that a Head Shot/Stalk is always near at hand, and limit your play of Holy Grounds accordingly. He doesn't have one crushing strategy (other than perhaps Sedarius, backed up by his Stalk). But he can catch you in several different ways. Overall, Steve gives Kalas a _7_. He may not be the most versatile Persona, looking only at his Persona-specific cards. To build a good deck with him requires an advanced understanding of the game and the various generic cards. However, this makes him a dangerous opponent. And Stalk, his best weapon, assures that an opponent is going to stand and fight. What Our Other Raters Say: Jim - One of the more unusual Immortals. Due to Forgery, Kalas can complete plot sequences better than any Immortal other than Xavier. Kalas' Song of the Executioner is very potent if he can impose an anti-draw strategy on his opponent. Factory is a good Location for Kalas, as it will keep his opponent from drawing up at the start of his turn. Twist of Fate is a good card to get rid of his opponent's Edge cards such as Reconnaissance, Focus, and especially Patience. Schemer is a great card for Kalas, and the Director's Cuts are useful if you can get your hands on them. Stalk is a truly excellent anti-Holy Ground card. I doubt many folks will play Holy Ground against Kalas unless they have Alertness/Dodge or Block in hand. Rick - Abstain Hank - Kalas has a _great_ set of cards available to him, which both capture the character well and are fun to build decks around. He's not too unbalancing, but he's definitely unique. I think he's one of my favorite card- game villains. Alan - One of the cheesiest personas to come out of Watcher's Chronicles. My favorite strategy with him is to have Chessex out, hit my opponent with a double-dose of Careful Planning + Angry Mob (for 6pts of damage), and then having Kalas' ability kick in, leaving my opponent with approximately six cards in his hand at the beginning of his next turn. Try it - it works. Jeff - Kalas is a Persona that I don't have a whole lot of use for. Plots are, of course, his forte, given Executioner's Song and Forgery, but we all know how powerful plot decks (excepting possibly Cat and Mouse) tend to be. His Stalk is very neat, but requires an opponent's action to be really useful. His Intimidate, coupled with Lunge and maybe a Slan Q, is interesting. His inherent ability, however, more often than not tends to help the opponent rather than hurt them (especially if they are playing Nefertiri or the Nef discard Q); in fact, he seems more useful playing _with_ his own Nemesis. So, while Kalas has some cool cards, I think he lacks a reliable strategy for winning consistently. Wayne - I'm not sure that the ability Kalas has of making his opponent discard cards when taking damage may not help him more often than hurt him. He has some interesting cards such as Stalk and Intimidate. Just the chance of an unblockable/undodgeable head shot makes players think twice before going to Holy Ground. Overall, I think that he is one of the weaker personas. Prodipto - Kalas is a Persona with a lot of potential. He seems best suited, unfortunately, for cheese decks. He starts to shine the more damage he can inflict on his opponents, leaving them with fewer cards in hand to deal with the next round. His Song of the Executioner plot lends well to keeping his opponent's hand size down, since most players would rather discard a few cards than take Ability Loss. Fortunately this won't also activate his special ability. Factory would be an excellent location for Kalas to use. Kalas also does a pretty good job of discouraging Holy Ground, since one never knows when he's holding a Stalk in his hand. While Kalas is not one of the most powerful personas in the game, he can still prove to be a competitive one. Allen - The dynamic of Kalas' interesting power is the one least like anything else in the game. He gravitates towards reliable direct damage, but with his versatile cards you can easily mix cheese with attacks. Kalas boasts all the standard combat cards and his Stalk keeps opponents wary of Holy Ground. (Let the first HG go through; use Carl on the second with Headshot!) Intimidate is great for making Power Blows or forcing Fitzcairn to take his damage like a man. Forgery grants Kalas a good chance at finishing a plot as he can go get whichever piece you are picking on with Police. Forgery also helps him avoid that other pitfall of plot decks -- exerting past the one piece he needs. Kalas' main strength is end-game. Once you get your opponent to low Ability, you can keep his hand empty of ways to defend himself. I usually take a two-pronged approach with Kalas. First, use direct damage to wound my opponent. Then, use attacks and Intimidate to move in and take Quickenings. Mix well and have fun. Ratings Overall: Steve 7 Jim 7 Rick N/A Hank 9 Alan 6 Jeff 4 Wayne 5 Prodipto 5 Allen 7 Average: 6.25 Highlander is a protected trademark of Gaumont Television, used under license by Thunder Castle Games. The card text is copyright 1997 by Thunder Castle Games. All rights reserved.