After three sets of game play, we've gotten to see how the new values for triggers, including their shield values, weighs in on their overall usefulness.
Let's go ahead and list them:
SS Tier
Front Triggers
S Tier
Critical Triggers, Heal Triggers, Null Guard Draws
C Tier
Non-null Draws
As it turns out, the added shield value for Crits and heals has made them even better than before, albeit less impactful with 10k triggers and a ton of bonus power in the new format. That being said, I'd argue that Crits, Heals, and Draw-Nulls are about even in strength.
With non-Sentinel Draw Triggers being a pathetic 5k shield, they simply should never be run. The shield value is negligible in this format, the extra draws you get are marginal over many play tests, and in a format of sentinel negation, you really need shield value. As with my previous tier list, drawing into a draw trigger instead of checking into it now reduces your shield by a full 10k, and there's more variance making the Draw Trigger actually net you less average shield than if you had checked a front or a critical. I didn't think this would need to be said, but I'm seeing a lot of 6/6/4 lists floating around.
If it were in my power to not play Draw Nulls in non-Accel clans, I would. Sadly, the option to adjust your trigger line-up in Force and Protect decks just isn't there. They force you to run 4 or more draws, and I'm looking forward to this changing. I would gladly play grade 1 nulls for a 12 Crit lineup if it's beneficial for the deck in question. This is actually a philosophy I've applied in Nova Grapplers, where I play 7 front/5 crit/4 heal and play the grade 1 null, as grade 1 Novas are extremely lackluster at the moment and high-rolling is super important since it's the deck's win condition.
Finally, we have the newest trigger, the Accel Trigger. Wew lad is it ever amazing. Accel clans get bonus front row slots and this bad boy can net you 40k power with only one extra slot. It's simply a fantastic trigger, offensively and defensively, as it can make your entire board unable to be hit mid-game. It puts in so much work that it's actually crazy, which is why I've bumped it up to SS tier. It's currently the strongest offensive *and* defensive trigger, and if you get 2-to-passed and check this first, you don't have to worry about making the gamble to break through. It has so many facets that make it function quite nicely. Definitely run no less than 6 in any accel deck in my opinion.
That's it for this article. Have a good one!
