The Arcanist
Previewing How Syrus Has Changed in The Betrayer's War
As Terrinoth is threatened by its worst crisis in eight hundred years, Syrus Indahlu struggles to rise to the occasion. What the world needs now is a second Timmorran Lokander, a peerless sorcerer who led the Free Peoples out of the First Darkness, whose legacy is still unfolding today. If Syrus can’t step into that role, who can?
In The Betrayer’s War, the second Act of Descent: Legends of the Dark, Syrus blasts his way into battle with heightened powers and a strengthened bond with his phoenix companion, Indris. With Indris now being able to move independently from Syrus (complete with her own miniature), this dynamic duo can shape the battlefield like never before.
Ever eager to learn and improve, Syrus enters Act 2 with increased stats and a bevvy of new abilities. The most notable addition to his arsenal is the introduction of Indris as a new card type: companion. As a companion, Indris is able to move about the map on her own, and her position in relation to Syrus opens up all sorts of new tactics. For example, Syrus’s new Flames of Rebirth ability allows him to damage enemies adjacent to Indris, while his new skills Bonded Blast and Concerted Effort build off Indris’s adjacency to assail enemies or boost Syrus respectively. The Feed on Life skill allows Syrus to enfeeble or slow an enemy adjacent to Indris, while Feed on Fire lets Indris draw on the power of fires—a new terrain type in The Betrayer’s War—to heal Syrus's wounds. This bond with Indris culminates in one of his 3 XP skills, Phoenix Friendship Unity , in which Syrus can focus and prepare a massive number of cards for the whole group!
This barricade is on fire.
Outside of Indris, Syrus still has other magical tricks up his sleeve. Just like with Act 1, Syrus is still all about managing the amount of fatigue on his cards. The ability on the other side of his hero card , The Turning, gives him two options for more efficiently using any advantages he rolls, which pairs well with his new surge ability that adds three advantages to a result. Cloud Cover converts fatigue into successes, while Magnetism gives Syrus two different abilities: one to manipulate the battlefield, and the other to use his insight for a crucial test.
Syrus’s other new cards continue to build on his adaptable nature. His Arcing Wand gives him some action economy by letting him attack two enemies in a row, while the Guardian Staff gives him a new way to spend an advantage rolled during his attack or defense. The legend card Searing Heat gives him a way to deal damage outside of attacks (as well as some extra advantages during tests), while its counterpart Soaring Wind drastically increases his mobility. On the defensive side, Syrus can gain the Kindled Soul legend to increase his recovery from wounds; or, he could focus on utility with Kindled Power , increasing the fatigue rating of all of his cards. As always, remember that once you gain a legend, its other side is locked out for the rest of the campaign; you’ll have to plan ahead and carefully craft Syrus into the greatest sorcerer Terrinoth has ever known!
Legends Only Grow
With Indris fighting alongside him and even more mystic powers at his disposal, Syrus has grown a lot since Descent’s first Act, and he will only continue to get stronger. Look forward to seeing the magic Syrus brings to the table when The Betrayer’s War arrives in August!
