Introduction
Units with Ambush operate a lot like Fast Spells in Eternal. Rather than only playable on your turn, units with Ambush can be played during your opponent's turn, whether it's to block an incoming attack or just to spend some mana on their turn so you're full up on your own.
Mastering Ambush can be tricky, as it's all about timing and knowing exactly when to utilize the ability, and how. This guide will not only explain how to complete the Ambush puzzles, but also give some insight into how it works, so you can use that in a real match.
You can find the guides for all the other puzzles in Eternal here.
Bronze
- Cast Storm Lynx.
- Cast Unlock Potential.
- Attack with all units.
An introductory lesson to Ambush. You're given the chance to play a unit on your opponent's turn, before blockers are declared. Now the opponent is targeting the unit on the field, but after you play Storm Lynx, the opponent is forced to target the savior kitty. This applies to direct damage spells as well.
We play the Lynx because the opponent is going for 2 damage, and the Lynx had 3 health. Easy choice. As you'll see when you turn starts, the Lynx is ready to attack because one turn has passed since it was played, so it's not affect by what MtG would call "summoning sickness." Unlock Potential is played to boost the damage, of course.
Silver
- Cast Ayan, the Abductor.
- Attack with all units.
This puzzle shows how Ambush units take the hit from unit effects, in this case Killer. Now the temptation is to play Scorpion Wasp, because with its deadly the Predatory Carnosaur will die, and thus no longer be a problem. However, Ayan has Lifesteal, and Katra buffs your units when you gain life. Once you attack on your turn, Oasis Seeker will give you a quick life bump, but more importantly this triggers Katra's Lifeforce, bringing both units to the 10 total damage you need.
Because Killer causes the unit to exhaust, we don't have to worry about that big dino blocking either of our units.
Gold
- Cast Storm Lynx.
- Do not block the attacker.
- Cast Arcanum Monitor.
- Attack with your Flying units.
So what may stump you is not knowing you have a Xenan Obelisk on your player. This is key info because that means when you play your Lynx, to block the Killer effect for 3 damage, it's a 3/4, not a 2/3, so it will survive. Even though he's not going to attack next turn (he can't, but we don't need him to), we need him on the field to help boost Arcanum Monitor's effect.
Thanks to having 3 units on the field, and Xenan Obelisk supplying 1 extra strength, the Monitor comes in as a 5/5. Why is this important if he can't even attack? Friendly Wisp. Even though Monitor is a 4/4 in our hand, when he comes into play the Obelisk makes him a 5/5, and as soon as that happens, Wisp's ability to have you draw two cards when you play a 5 strength unit kicks in. Why is that important? Psionic Savant. She buffs herself when you draw a card. Now your Wisp is a 3/3 (thanks to Monitor) and your Savant is a 6/6, just enough to take out the opponent.
Diamond
- Cast Scorpion Wasp.
- Block a Cirso.
- Cast Weather the Storm.
- End combat.
- Cast Second Sight and put Rhinarc Huntpack on top of your deck.
- Cast Rhinarc Huntpack.
- Attack with Rhinarc Huntpack.
A tricky puzzle because of how much you need to pay attention to the order you play things. First, we have to block at least one of those Cirsos or we're dead. The Wasp is a cheap option, even though he won't get to kill the Cirso (but that's okay because we have to win next turn anyway). You'll be given the chance to play a spell before Cirso's effect resolves, but you have to let it go through. The reason is if you play Weather the Storm before the Wasp becomes a pig, it won't turn into a 2/6 pig, but a 2/2 pig. Storm is a spell effect, not a weapon.
Why do we want our pig to have +4 health? To avoid Overwhelm damage, that's all. Now the pig men are dealt with, and the opponent is about to slash at us with its relic weapon. Second Sight will put Rhinarc Huntpack onto our deck, where it has Warp and Ambush. Huntpack is played, taking the hit and saving our lives. Then our turn begins, and we can attack, unblocked, with the Huntpack and win the game!
Master
- Cast Refresh on yourself.
- Let the opponent hit you with their relic weapon.
- After damage is dealt, but before the turn ends, cast Dune Phantom.
- Cast Victory's Cry on Dune Phantom.
- Attack with Dune Phantom.
The way Ambush is being used here is not to block an attack, but rather to get a unit in before your turn begins, so it can attack when your turn begins. We don't play Dune Phantom first because, as you've seen, Ambush units must take the hit that's being directed at a unit or player. They're selfless like that. As nice as that is, we need Dune Phantom alive for the next turn.
Victory's Cry is too expensive to be played with another unit and Accelerate on one turn, with our amount of power. So by playing Dune Phantom on the enemy's turn, we don't have to pay for it on our own, nor do we need to use Accelerate.
