Card Spotlight: BY-Marshall.D.Teach from the Upcoming OP16 Set
Marshall.D.Teach gets a defensive yellow-black Leader in OP16, using Trigger cards to redirect attacks and protect key Blackbeard Pirates.
OP16, THE TIME OF BATTLE, brings Marshall.D.Teach a new yellow-black Leader, and this version looks very different from the usual Blackbeard game plan.
Teach is a 5000-power Leader with 4 life and the Seven Warlords of the Sea / Blackbeard Pirates types. During your opponent’s turn, all of your Characters gain +1 cost. He also has a once-per-turn effect when your opponent attacks: you may trash 1 card with Trigger from your hand to change the attack target to your Leader or to one of your Blackbeard Pirates Characters.
That gives Teach a pretty defensive identity. The +1 cost effect makes your Characters harder to remove during the opponent’s turn, especially against decks that rely on cost-based removal. That alone can make boards much more annoying to clear.
The second effect is where the Leader gets interesting. By trashing a Trigger card, Teach can redirect an attack, giving the deck more control over combat and making it harder for the opponent to attack the exact target they want.
That also gives the deck a clear building direction. Teach probably wants a high number of Trigger cards, plus Blackbeard Pirates Characters that are actually worth protecting. If he can keep important bodies alive while forcing awkward attacks, the deck can slowly take control of the game.
The 4-life count is a real drawback, but the defensive tools help balance that out. Teach does not look like a Leader that wants to race quickly. Instead, he wants to disrupt combat, protect key bodies, and make every attack decision uncomfortable for the opponent.
THE TIME OF BATTLE releases on June 12.