I really appreciate how you show the spirit and aspect cards on screen when you're talking about them. All round great video, but that specific details really speaks to me. Keep it up!
This was a phenomenal video. Made me excited to go back to a few spirits i havent played in a while. Your editing was soo appreciated (i liked that split second :D on the rumble pun in particular).
Really enjoyed the video. It's nice seeing a video about something as subjective as fun, rather than trying to define objective strength or similar and it was great hearing your thoughts and approach on each spirit!
I love your comments on Rising Heat because I had the exact same experience with it! I felt it was weak and hard to play, but I couldn't resist playing as a fire dragon. After a few more plays, I realized it was really strong! 1 damage from the unique power that moves 1 presence kills towns and the push power is great for moving a town out of a land where it would ravage. That saves 2 lands in one turn with only 2 cards. The innate is great for killing new explorers and later great for clearing lands.
Nice to know others feels similarly! I still want to dive into Heat more because I'd like to be more comfortable with it. I wonder if there's a bit of a mismatch of expectation because I'm much more comfortable piloting Eyes and I expect to feel the same with the other Horizons spirits 🤔
34:48 I used to avoid Finder because I thought it was weird to cause destruction as a peace keeper. However, after reading it "helps soulforms of dead dahan move swiftly on", the theme clicked. Finder is Spirit Island's Grim Reaper. Digging through major powers could represent searching for an unseen path that will lead invaders to their demise in the most respectful, painless and efficient manner. Too bad the art doesn't have hellish red eyes to represent this darker side of reaper-Finder
When transforming Wildfire turns invaders into beasts, just picture said beasts as little fire elementals doing their best Shadows Flicker impression across the land
I've recently discovered your channel and have been enjoying your let's learn series for each NI spirit! SI is such a fun game and it's so interesting to see how people can have very similar enjoyment (Deeps) of some spirits/aspects but wildly different enjoyment of another (Hearth Vigil). Just another tribute to how amazing this game is. Here's my mini tier list: Favorite Overall - Vengeance Favorite Theme - WWB Best Surprise: BoDDYS Teaching (Okay): Base River Least Favorite: Fractured I could go into why each spirit, but you already said it all. Breath I only fought liking it because of how popular it was after the reveal😅
Honestly, such a fun discussion, even though I had to stop halfway through because I didn't wanna be spoilered on nature incarnate. So many cool new aspects! I fell in love with Travel after recently obtaining it (German translation didn't get released until half a year ago) and didn't think they could improve. The apsects look amazing though, I really wanna try them. Is there any way you could publish the Excel template for recording your games? Or is there a place to download it from?
Thank you! I really enjoyed making this one! Ooo yes I love digging into a new expansion with fresh eyes! I hope you enjoy Nature Incarnate. It's a Google Sheets and I want a solution where I don't have to keep making copies every time I update my own personal copy. I'd share my own for others to duplicate but I have names of friends and family I don't want to share, and I use it to keep track of what videos I've made etc. Still figuring that one out 🤔
Have to say the take on Foreboding about the inates not building on each other being weird is counter to the spirit/aspect. watching a flame flicker on a candle or in a fire is more random and unexpected. Feeling more like "lets see what happens" with the innate with any play feels so much more like shadows flicker like flame. in base I think they over valued the range restrictions and over emphasized the ' shadow ' in flicker. I think that energy track spike was to allow going majors or easier use of Shadows of the Dahan. in reality range is rarely a restriction. heck when I play Sunbright Whirlwind 95-99% of the time Gift of Sunlight Air is for the +1 energy. no one outside of Ocean gives two poos about the +1 range. Sure since I'm the only occasional Ocean player in my usual group i'm working at cross purposes but one of my usuals is an occasional Volcano player and even he almost never gives a poo about +1 range. Seems to me in the low complexity spirits they under valued +Energy and way overvalued the +Range since almost everyone LOVES the +1 energy much less Rivers +1 per power card played. I for some reason don't think I have ever played a game with base River feeding base Lightning but as I think of it now it seems oh so OP.. energy seems so more important than range I am still not sure why it was treated so backwards , unless it is Ocean. but after that nobody cares about +range beyond fringe circumstances
I haven't played Darkfire aspect yet but it seems to solve a lot of the problems of Shadows. the WAAYYYYY over costed Innate blunted with combined with element flexibility and the added new special rule negating the biggest drawback of zero range Concealing Shadows power without the energy cost of 'Shadows of the Dahan' and making the innate more like one of Mists most powerful cards was a HUGE help. I''l have to try first but this aspect solves all the "problems" of base EXCEPT the goofy energy track. for Efs sake it is a 0/1/1 spirit , hampering it with limited growth , limited plays and an overly punitive starting energy track with its strongest card that already has a penalty (land still blights) AND (lose a presence) was just silly from the jump. The silly overvaluing of range extension and the systematic undervaluing of extra energy in base caused some serious problems. like Shadows energy track and Stone's WAY overcosted starting hand
Some of your feelings I have the exact same. Life difficulty with Heat :p, despite it supposed to be low complexity it just never works for me lol. Also difficulty with Fangs but I did not get throught it for now lol, and got branch and claws same time as Nature incarnate so did not see much play (started with jagged earth). Also Heart Vigil I really like Dahan spirits but my first game was frustrating. I did another solo game at low difficulty where I took notes and like won in a couple turns but some turns were like 20-30 minutes XD
Shroud is super strong as soon as it gets a little bit of a support. Like 1 early card gain for example and you can already carry. You should try that definitely : )
Im really surprised we have the same taste in spirits. I didnt play incercle yet but since you like them so much and we have similar taste, it will be my next spirit.
Great video! At 37:06 why do you keep saying you’re drowning in power cards with Stone? 🤔 Top track gives you just more card plays each turn, you get a power card only the first time you uncover that presence spot (so a total of 3 power cards if you maximise the track, which I wouldn’t call “drowning”) Basically this spirit has the energy and card plays track fused together into one single (top) track while bottom track is mainly there to spam Earth element and trigger the innates’ highest thresholds
Thanks for watching! Sure, I say this because for me, I get to a point quite quickly with Stone where energy is no longer an issue even when spending it to place blight. Without needing to restock on energy, the natural growth option to take is the right most which adds a presence and gains you a card. Doing this most turns and gaining three free minors feels like so much to me. Stone has so many power cards at the end of the game and this doesn't really gel for its theme for me which feels rigid, stubborn and stuck in its ways. So I wonder why it's so adaptable and is thematically changing so much through power cards? This disconnect (for me!) makes me enjoy it less.
im surprised you choose not to have a tier for spirits that will never get played 😂 we have almost the same choices for more than 90% of the spirits, our big difference is I will swap Downpour and Hearth Virgil with Sharp Fangs and the rest of the Very High in Orange tier (Second Tier) I prefer spirits that track a lot of things, its really puzzly and fun.
I'm still watching the video (great content) and I've realized you miss interpreted Stone's top track bonus. You don't get a new Power Card. You get an extra card play, compensating the lack of Card Plays advance on the bottom track. Have you already noticed it?
Thanks for watching! The special rule reads "The first time you uncover each of your "+1 Card Play" Presence spaces, gain a Minor Power." So Stone gets both! More card plays and more minor powers. It feels too much to me
@@cogwozplays you are completely right. Thanks for the kind answer to my dumb comment 😅, I haven't played Stone yet. I've just bought Jagged Earth, it took some time to get to Brazil.
But thematically, the name of the special rule is "Deep layers exposed". It could mean that, as the spirit "cracks" with it's tectonic movements, some powers from past incarnations that were imprinted on the rocks start re-emerge. Like when someone finds fossil or diamonds inside rocks. Some of those things can hava some kind of "mana" on it
@@cauegouveia Ah I had so much fun exploring Jagged Earth. I hope you enjoy it too! That's a great interpretation and you've made me realise something. I think the flexibility and adaptation given by getting extra cards goes against Stone's presented theme of being rigid and stubborn. Ironically, I feel stubborn about my view of preferring Stone to not be so adaptable!
I am with you on Downpour. I love the theme and having the ability to terraform the island into wetlands is fun, but Something doesn't click. For me I think it is my lack of love for the element of Water. I generally don't like the cards. Plus, the focus on needing them to trigger innates or Special rule is rough. Low card plays, low energy, and a focus on defense so good that not even invaders get hurt... it just feels like a stalling spirit with no clear way or path to win. I think that is also why I have a disconnect with Shroud, but I am still testing the waters with them.
Yea I can't put my finger on it. The spirit feels I don't know flat to me and that could be because like you say their game plan leans on being pretty passive. But like with most spirits, it could be I haven't played enough games with them to find that spark yet!
i love downpour, my number 1. and i can say it can compete with top tier spirits in terms of damage and fear late game. on my last game, im gaining 10 to 20 fear per turn on my last 3 turns.
Great video! If I can give you one advice, don't look up how to do the turn 4 earthquake strat with DUE. This really ruined my experience with this spirit because it just feels way to strong to always play it that way and it's super easy to replicate. Just like river bottom track but almost an instant win. Also what I don't like about DUE is that they get so many tools "for free" on their tracks. The concept of impending cards is so cool, why do they need a free Dahan movement, or a double element early on their tracks. Just give them some "dead" spaces on the tracks. I actually prefer it when Spirits have some blind spots beacuse then it feels great to pair them with other spirits that can fill the gaps.
Ah that's a shane. That's exactly why I haven't looked it up because I was afraid of that. I'm enjoying trying things out and learning myself though. After a few more games, I aim for a turn 5 earthquake but I'm open to adapt as I need and having smaller earthquakes which I find super enjoyable
I think if I am going to spend money on this game, I would like to start with more than the base game. What would you recommend buying right from the beginning, and what have I to expect in terms of costs?
I'm not sure what prices are like where you're from, but if you want more than base and you're not fussed about money, I'd go for Base + Jagged Earth. That's a lot of content already. If you want a cheaper path but still include tokens and events (which make the game more dynamic), swap out Jagged Earth with Branch & Claw. You could go even cheaper with Horizons + Branch & Claw. Horizons has great low complexity spirits. My personal path was Base, Jagged Earth, Branch & Claw, Feather & Flame, Nature Incarnate (requires Jagged Earth). Horizons is still missing from my collection :)
I really tried to like Sharp Fangs, but it is just painful to play as. It always feels like you're just hoping to get a good event card, and when you don't, you did nothing of value on your turn.
I get what you mean. Fangs feels very tempo based to me in that you need to put out and prevent small fires before they become too big else you get swamped. Innates do a decent job of this for me. The way this plays out to me is very much like a stalking creature pouncing so the theme is right up there with Volcano or Ocean for me.
![[Spirit Island] Advanced Finder Guide](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8d2HK_SGvbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video, great editing! Keep it up!
Thank you kindly! 😊
Aren't you that youtuber guy?
I really appreciate how you show the spirit and aspect cards on screen when you're talking about them. All round great video, but that specific details really speaks to me. Keep it up!
This is by far my favorite tierlist in all of youtube
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@@cogwozplays Quick question:
When adding broken pressence to a land, does it stay broken, or does it count as normal pressence?
@@felipearango4257 It is no longer considered destroyed and it acts as regular presence!
This was a phenomenal video. Made me excited to go back to a few spirits i havent played in a while. Your editing was soo appreciated (i liked that split second :D on the rumble pun in particular).
Really enjoyed the video. It's nice seeing a video about something as subjective as fun, rather than trying to define objective strength or similar and it was great hearing your thoughts and approach on each spirit!
I love your comments on Rising Heat because I had the exact same experience with it! I felt it was weak and hard to play, but I couldn't resist playing as a fire dragon. After a few more plays, I realized it was really strong! 1 damage from the unique power that moves 1 presence kills towns and the push power is great for moving a town out of a land where it would ravage. That saves 2 lands in one turn with only 2 cards. The innate is great for killing new explorers and later great for clearing lands.
Nice to know others feels similarly! I still want to dive into Heat more because I'd like to be more comfortable with it.
I wonder if there's a bit of a mismatch of expectation because I'm much more comfortable piloting Eyes and I expect to feel the same with the other Horizons spirits 🤔
34:48 I used to avoid Finder because I thought it was weird to cause destruction as a peace keeper.
However, after reading it "helps soulforms of dead dahan move swiftly on", the theme clicked. Finder is Spirit Island's Grim Reaper.
Digging through major powers could represent searching for an unseen path that will lead invaders to their demise in the most respectful, painless and efficient manner.
Too bad the art doesn't have hellish red eyes to represent this darker side of reaper-Finder
Really enjoyed this video! Your analysis was great and it was interesting to hear your thoughts on spirits and aspects I have yet to try out.
That's great! Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you find fun in those aspects!
When transforming Wildfire turns invaders into beasts, just picture said beasts as little fire elementals doing their best Shadows Flicker impression across the land
You know what, I could get behind that!
Awesome content!! love to hear your perspective of different spirits
I find these lists interesting since they are unique and vary based on preferred playstyle
Thanks!
I really enjoyed this video! I was overwhelmed by how many options there are and this video helped me clarify my thoughts
Really glad it was helpful! It was quite cathartic getting it all down and organising it for myself too!
I've recently discovered your channel and have been enjoying your let's learn series for each NI spirit! SI is such a fun game and it's so interesting to see how people can have very similar enjoyment (Deeps) of some spirits/aspects but wildly different enjoyment of another (Hearth Vigil). Just another tribute to how amazing this game is.
Here's my mini tier list:
Favorite Overall - Vengeance
Favorite Theme - WWB
Best Surprise: BoDDYS
Teaching (Okay): Base River
Least Favorite: Fractured
I could go into why each spirit, but you already said it all. Breath I only fought liking it because of how popular it was after the reveal😅
Fascinating list!! Will have to think of my own!
Thanks! Absolutely go for it!
Great video, and I appreciate the wildfire love. I agree that a solid theme goes a long way in making a spirit fun
I LOVE this video. It was fun, relaxing, and tbh it doesn't matter if I disagree. I think you did a great job.
Thank you kindly! So glad you enjoyed it!
I'm loving your content mate! This channel was a great find.
Thank you! I'm glad you're enhoying it and I appreciate the comment!
Fractured is the greatest spirit to be printed even with the NI stuff. But yeah the learning curve is something else. Loved your video!!!
Honestly, such a fun discussion, even though I had to stop halfway through because I didn't wanna be spoilered on nature incarnate. So many cool new aspects! I fell in love with Travel after recently obtaining it (German translation didn't get released until half a year ago) and didn't think they could improve. The apsects look amazing though, I really wanna try them.
Is there any way you could publish the Excel template for recording your games? Or is there a place to download it from?
Thank you! I really enjoyed making this one! Ooo yes I love digging into a new expansion with fresh eyes! I hope you enjoy Nature Incarnate.
It's a Google Sheets and I want a solution where I don't have to keep making copies every time I update my own personal copy. I'd share my own for others to duplicate but I have names of friends and family I don't want to share, and I use it to keep track of what videos I've made etc. Still figuring that one out 🤔
My poor boy vital strength of the earth
Nice list, now I am more hyped for NI. So far downpour is my overall favorite. What kind of tts version do you use that already has ni spirits in it?
It’s visible that devs have improved with time and spirits/aspects are better with each expansion
I certainly feel that too!
Have to say the take on Foreboding about the inates not building on each other being weird is counter to the spirit/aspect. watching a flame flicker on a candle or in a fire is more random and unexpected. Feeling more like "lets see what happens" with the innate with any play feels so much more like shadows flicker like flame. in base I think they over valued the range restrictions and over emphasized the ' shadow ' in flicker.
I think that energy track spike was to allow going majors or easier use of Shadows of the Dahan. in reality range is rarely a restriction. heck when I play Sunbright Whirlwind 95-99% of the time Gift of Sunlight Air is for the +1 energy. no one outside of Ocean gives two poos about the +1 range. Sure since I'm the only occasional Ocean player in my usual group i'm working at cross purposes but one of my usuals is an occasional Volcano player and even he almost never gives a poo about +1 range.
Seems to me in the low complexity spirits they under valued +Energy and way overvalued the +Range since almost everyone LOVES the +1 energy much less Rivers +1 per power card played.
I for some reason don't think I have ever played a game with base River feeding base Lightning but as I think of it now it seems oh so OP..
energy seems so more important than range I am still not sure why it was treated so backwards , unless it is Ocean. but after that nobody cares about +range beyond fringe circumstances
I haven't played Darkfire aspect yet but it seems to solve a lot of the problems of Shadows. the WAAYYYYY over costed Innate blunted with combined with element flexibility and the added new special rule negating the biggest drawback of zero range Concealing Shadows power without the energy cost of 'Shadows of the Dahan'
and making the innate more like one of Mists most powerful cards was a HUGE help.
I''l have to try first but this aspect solves all the "problems" of base EXCEPT the goofy energy track.
for Efs sake it is a 0/1/1 spirit , hampering it with limited growth , limited plays and an overly punitive starting energy track with its strongest card that already has a penalty (land still blights) AND (lose a presence) was just silly from the jump. The silly overvaluing of range extension and the systematic undervaluing of extra energy in base caused some serious problems. like Shadows energy track and Stone's WAY overcosted starting hand
Some of your feelings I have the exact same. Life difficulty with Heat :p, despite it supposed to be low complexity it just never works for me lol. Also difficulty with Fangs but I did not get throught it for now lol, and got branch and claws same time as Nature incarnate so did not see much play (started with jagged earth). Also Heart Vigil I really like Dahan spirits but my first game was frustrating. I did another solo game at low difficulty where I took notes and like won in a couple turns but some turns were like 20-30 minutes XD
Love this content! Thanks!
Glad you enjoy it!
Great editing and content! Subscribed!
Would it be possible to add timestamps in the video? I have no idea how difficult that is to do though.
Shroud is super strong as soon as it gets a little bit of a support. Like 1 early card gain for example and you can already carry. You should try that definitely : )
I love your content. Keep it up :)
Would you be willing to share your spreadsheet? Looks amazing. Thank you!
Very nice video, I agree with 80-90% of you list, and I would arange spirits very similary
Im really surprised we have the same taste in spirits. I didnt play incercle yet but since you like them so much and we have similar taste, it will be my next spirit.
Ooo then I'd be very interested in knowing if you like Encircle. I was like warm on it first but have grown to really like it.
I like your insight :)
Glad you liked it!
Great video!
At 37:06 why do you keep saying you’re drowning in power cards with Stone? 🤔 Top track gives you just more card plays each turn, you get a power card only the first time you uncover that presence spot (so a total of 3 power cards if you maximise the track, which I wouldn’t call “drowning”)
Basically this spirit has the energy and card plays track fused together into one single (top) track while bottom track is mainly there to spam Earth element and trigger the innates’ highest thresholds
Thanks for watching! Sure, I say this because for me, I get to a point quite quickly with Stone where energy is no longer an issue even when spending it to place blight.
Without needing to restock on energy, the natural growth option to take is the right most which adds a presence and gains you a card. Doing this most turns and gaining three free minors feels like so much to me.
Stone has so many power cards at the end of the game and this doesn't really gel for its theme for me which feels rigid, stubborn and stuck in its ways. So I wonder why it's so adaptable and is thematically changing so much through power cards? This disconnect (for me!) makes me enjoy it less.
Great video! It seems like you, just like me, value theme over power when playing.
im surprised you choose not to have a tier for spirits that will never get played 😂
we have almost the same choices for more than 90% of the spirits, our big difference is I will swap Downpour and Hearth Virgil with Sharp Fangs
and the rest of the Very High in Orange tier (Second Tier)
I prefer spirits that track a lot of things, its really puzzly and fun.
I'm still watching the video (great content) and I've realized you miss interpreted Stone's top track bonus. You don't get a new Power Card. You get an extra card play, compensating the lack of Card Plays advance on the bottom track. Have you already noticed it?
Thanks for watching! The special rule reads "The first time you uncover each of your "+1 Card Play" Presence spaces, gain a Minor Power." So Stone gets both! More card plays and more minor powers. It feels too much to me
@@cogwozplays you are completely right. Thanks for the kind answer to my dumb comment 😅, I haven't played Stone yet. I've just bought Jagged Earth, it took some time to get to Brazil.
But thematically, the name of the special rule is "Deep layers exposed". It could mean that, as the spirit "cracks" with it's tectonic movements, some powers from past incarnations that were imprinted on the rocks start re-emerge. Like when someone finds fossil or diamonds inside rocks. Some of those things can hava some kind of "mana" on it
@@cauegouveia Ah I had so much fun exploring Jagged Earth. I hope you enjoy it too!
That's a great interpretation and you've made me realise something. I think the flexibility and adaptation given by getting extra cards goes against Stone's presented theme of being rigid and stubborn. Ironically, I feel stubborn about my view of preferring Stone to not be so adaptable!
I am with you on Downpour. I love the theme and having the ability to terraform the island into wetlands is fun, but Something doesn't click. For me I think it is my lack of love for the element of Water. I generally don't like the cards. Plus, the focus on needing them to trigger innates or Special rule is rough. Low card plays, low energy, and a focus on defense so good that not even invaders get hurt... it just feels like a stalling spirit with no clear way or path to win.
I think that is also why I have a disconnect with Shroud, but I am still testing the waters with them.
Yea I can't put my finger on it. The spirit feels I don't know flat to me and that could be because like you say their game plan leans on being pretty passive. But like with most spirits, it could be I haven't played enough games with them to find that spark yet!
i love downpour, my number 1. and i can say it can compete with top tier spirits in terms of damage and fear late game.
on my last game, im gaining 10 to 20 fear per turn on my last 3 turns.
Great video! If I can give you one advice, don't look up how to do the turn 4 earthquake strat with DUE. This really ruined my experience with this spirit because it just feels way to strong to always play it that way and it's super easy to replicate. Just like river bottom track but almost an instant win. Also what I don't like about DUE is that they get so many tools "for free" on their tracks. The concept of impending cards is so cool, why do they need a free Dahan movement, or a double element early on their tracks. Just give them some "dead" spaces on the tracks. I actually prefer it when Spirits have some blind spots beacuse then it feels great to pair them with other spirits that can fill the gaps.
Ah that's a shane. That's exactly why I haven't looked it up because I was afraid of that. I'm enjoying trying things out and learning myself though. After a few more games, I aim for a turn 5 earthquake but I'm open to adapt as I need and having smaller earthquakes which I find super enjoyable
Can you share your data ark? Mine is a bit too clumsy. Cool video
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Did you make that spread sheet or get it from sonewhere else? Any chance you can share?
I think if I am going to spend money on this game, I would like to start with more than the base game. What would you recommend buying right from the beginning, and what have I to expect in terms of costs?
I'm not sure what prices are like where you're from, but if you want more than base and you're not fussed about money, I'd go for Base + Jagged Earth. That's a lot of content already.
If you want a cheaper path but still include tokens and events (which make the game more dynamic), swap out Jagged Earth with Branch & Claw.
You could go even cheaper with Horizons + Branch & Claw. Horizons has great low complexity spirits.
My personal path was Base, Jagged Earth, Branch & Claw, Feather & Flame, Nature Incarnate (requires Jagged Earth). Horizons is still missing from my collection :)
I really tried to like Sharp Fangs, but it is just painful to play as. It always feels like you're just hoping to get a good event card, and when you don't, you did nothing of value on your turn.
I get what you mean. Fangs feels very tempo based to me in that you need to put out and prevent small fires before they become too big else you get swamped. Innates do a decent job of this for me. The way this plays out to me is very much like a stalking creature pouncing so the theme is right up there with Volcano or Ocean for me.
What's the game tracker you're using?
some spirit time stamps would be very nice