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"Genius of Jing Chu 荆楚之高俊 (jīng chǔ zhī gāo jùn)
(Note: Jing Chu is the ancient name for the area that is Hubei province today.)
Who is he:
The first time I came across the original Pang Tong character, a friend commented that his "Nirvana 涅槃" resurrection ability was to compensate for the early death of this historically important person. Yet somehow, despite being given "one life more" than others, the old Pang Tong could never quite live up to expectations of such a brilliant man.
I think this "upgrade" has been well deserved and the tweak has made him seem slightly over-powered. Oh well! Consider it payback for all the neglect that the old Pang Tong suffered. Finally, the phoenix has truly risen!
Why is he an SP character?
Pang Tong was probably one of the most under-powered characters in the original deck, and subsequently also one of the most under-utilized. I must say that I do adore his "Shackle 连环" ability from last time, though this complete makeover is most appreciated.
Character ability 1: "To Hell with Work 漫卷 (màn juàn)"
Whenever you are about to receive a card, you must place that card in the discard pile. If this happens within your turn, you can pick up any one card with the same number (Ace to King) from the discard pile and place it in your on-hand cards.
[Updated 25/04/2012]
Character ability 2: "Plastered 醉乡(zuì xiāng)" [Single-Use ability]
At the beginning of your turn, you can flip over 3 cards from the top of the deck and place them on your character card. You cannot use or play any card of the same "type" (basic card, tool card, weapon card, etc.) as those placed on your character card. All cards of the same type also have no effect on you. For every turn henceforth, you must flip over another 3 cards and place them on your character card, until any 2 cards placed on your character card has the same number (Ace to King). When that happens, all the cards on your character card will go into your on-hand cards.
Additional info based on changes:
According of ZYZ magazine, his two abilities comes from the story of Pang Tong clearing100 days of leftover work in one afternoon (RoTK Chapter 57). When Pang Tong first joined Shu, Liu Bei 刘备 sent him to a magistracy to work. Yet in his new position, Pang Tong refused to work (to hell with work!). Scrolls of complaint were accumulated on the table for 100 days and the town was in disarray. Upon hearing this news, an angry Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei 张飞 to check him out. When Zhang Fei arrived, he was surprised to find Pang Tong drunk (plastered). However Pang Tong promptly cleared his 100 days of leftover work in one afternoon without the slightest mistake.
One interesting trivia here is that both of the abilities have been drawn into the portrait illustration. "To hell with work" can be seen with him tossing scrolls worth of work over his shoulders, which is a literal depiction of 漫卷 (Translated: to toss scrolls into the air like you couldn't care less). "Plastered" can be seen with him holding a big drinking bowl, a huge vat of wine to his left, and a smile so wide you would think he was at the pub on Friday night.
[Updated 25/04/2012] Left this portion out when I first writing up this article. "To Hell with Work" paints a nice analogy, because when someone gives you work, you toss it away like you don't care. In this case, when someone gives you cards, you toss it away too! The mechanism for "Plastered" is a smart way for the creator to simulate the character getting drunk. You basically lose a few of your body psychomotor functions after having a drink too many, and this ability replicates that by making you almost useless after "drinking" 3 cards. Drink some more and you have the fighting ability of wallpaper. The not-so-children-friendly twist to this is that after drinking a ton of wine, the ability jolts you with a massive stack of cards and you instantly regain all your abilities.
That... doesn't quite happen in real life.
How to obtain this character:
Purchase the 15th issue of Zhuo You Zhi magazine (April 2012) to get this limited character card as a free gift! Or simply click here to purchase it separately through Sino-Games.com!
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ReplyDelete[Q] How to activate “Inebriation”?
ReplyDelete[A]You declare the activation of “Inebriation”. Then you reveal three cards and put them on your character card. If none of these cards have the same number, you continue your turn normally, but you cannot use nor play cards with the same type with any one of the cards on your character card. At the beginning of tour next beginning phase, you are enforced to reveal three cards [and put them on your character card].This procedure continues until any two of cards on your character card have the same number. After you reveal the three cards, you relocate all cards on your character card onto your hand and continue your turn normally. After this, you cannot activate “Inebriation” in this game.
[Q] When “Inebriation” relocate all cards on your character card onto your hand, is “Clearing the Leftover” activated one card by one card?
[A]No, similar to the previous concept, “relocating cards onto your hand” is not equal to “get”.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, what is meant by “You cannot use or play cards with the same type of any one of the cards on your character card.”?
[A]That means you cannot use or play cards with the same type of the cards on your character card by any means?
For example, if there are BASIC CARDS on your character card, you cannot use or play BASIC CARDS normally, cannot use ATTACK through SERPENT HALBERD, you cannot make the judgement of EIGHT TRIGRAMS, etc. When there are equipment cards on your character card, you cannot use EQUIPMENT CARD [i.e. put it in your equipment area] nor use an EQUIPMENT CARD to replace your equipment. When there are TOOL CARDS on your character card, you cannot use any time-delayed or non-time-delayed TOOL CARDS, such as NEGATE.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, what is meant by “All cards with the same type of any one of the cards on your character card have no effect on you.”?
[A]It means all cards with the same type of any one of the cards on your character card have no effect on you, but you can still be targeted by these cards. All abilities triggered by the targeting of cards still have effect on you.
For example, when there are BASIC CARDS on your character card, if you are targeted by ATTACK, you cannot respond to the ATTACK [i.e. using a DODGE] nor receiving damage. You will still receive damage by ATTACKS with attribute due to SHACKLES. Similarly, when you are on the brink of death, you cannot be saved by PEACH or saved by converted PEACH [i.e. “Emergency Rescue”]. When there are equipment cards on your character card, you can still be targeted by “Blunt Advice” and replace you existing equipment [Strange contradiction…], but all equipments in your equipped area have no effect. When there are TOOL CARDS on your character card, all time-delayed and non-time-delayed tool cards have no effect on you, but you can still be targeted. For example, ACEDIA and RATIONS DEPLETED would go to discard pile in the discard phase, without flipping the judgement card. LIGHTNING will be passed to the next player.
[Q]When you have been targeted by ACEDIA already, then you activate “Drunken Realm” at the beginning of your beginning phase, and TOOL CARD(s) are revealed and being put on your character card, how to resolve the ACEDIA?
ReplyDelete[A]Without flipping the judgement card, the ACEDIA would enter the discard pile directly. The similar method applies to RATIONS DEPLETED. LIGHTNING would be passed to the next player.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if BASIC CARDS are shown while TOOL CARDS are not shown and remained on your character card, how to resolve if DURESS is used on you? How to resolve if you target another character to use an ATTACK on you?
[A] If you are targeted by DURESS to use an ATTACK, because you cannot use ATTACK, if DURESS is not negated by NEGATE, you have to give the weapon to the user of DURESS. If you use DURESS to target another character to use an ATTACK on you, you cannot respond to the ATTACK (by DODGE), you do not suffer damage and end the resolving of DURESS.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if TOOL CARDS are shown and remained on your character card, do you need to reveal an on-hand card when you are targeted by BLAZE?
[A] No. BLAZE has no effect (on you). However, if a BLAZE is used on another character and deal damage to you through shackled state, you receive damage and leave shackled state.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if TOOL CARDS are shown and remained on your character card, do the calculation of card numbers revealed in HARVEST include you?
[A] Yes, but the HARVEST will skip the resolving on you, and you will not get any card.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if BASIC CARDS are shown and remained on your character card, can you be targeted by “Displacement”
[A] Yes, but you cannot respond to the ATTACK, and you will not receive any damage.
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if TOOL CARDS are shown and remained on your character card, how to resolve if Xiao Qiao receives damage from BLAZE and use “Heavenly
Aroma” on you?
[A] Yes, the TOOL CARD (BLAZE) is used on Xiao Qiao, “Heavenly Aroma” deflects the damage, but it would not make Pang Tong the target of the TOOL CARD. Similar to the effectless of BASIC CARDS, SHACKLES deliver damage is resolved normally, you receive the damage of BLAZE and draw cards equal to your loss units of health (due to “Heavenly Aroma”), and resolves “Clearing the Leftover” under different occasions (inside your turn or outside your turn).
[Q] During the activation of “Inebriation”, if EQUIPMENT CARDS are shown, if you have equipped RATTAN ARMOUR, ZHUGE CROSSBOW, FIREBIRD FAN and +1 Horse do you receive fire damage +1? Can you convert the attribute of ATTACK or use ATTACK unlimitedly? Do you calculate the distance +1.
[A] No. Your EQUIPMENT has no effect.
[Q] After Pang Tong kills Cai Wenji, how to resolve “Clearing the Leftover” and “Inebriation”?
[A] “Clearing the Leftover” is lost, so you can get cards normally like other characters. If “Inebriation” is activated, “The cards shown” and “When there are cards with on your character card with the same number” are consequential effects of the Single-use ability, although you have lost “Inebriation”, you have to resolve the consequential effect.
Example: Pang Tong activates “Inebriation”, showing 2 BASIC CARDS and 1 EQUIPMENT CARD on his character card, then use BARBARIANS to kill Cai Wenji and be targeted by “Sorrow”. After that, Guo Jia suffers damage and give two cards to Pang Tong through “Bequeathed Strategies” to give two cards to Pang Tong, Pang Tong will receive them normally, but he cannot use or play BASIC CARDS. During the oncoming beginning phases, he has to show the three cards of “Inebriation”, until any two of them have the same points and move all the cards to your hand.
When you are using "To Hell with Work", can you pick up the same card you discarded (since it has the same suit)?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteI think it's possible, but why using the skill then?
ReplyDeleteYou can pick up the same card you discarded (by the way, it is same number, not suit).
DeleteThe essence of this skill is that you can pick the card of your choice specifically. When you wish to bolster your defence, you may pick up BASIC CARDS and EQUIPMENT CARDS. When you wish to deal damage, you may pick up WINE, ATTACK and TOOL CARDS. So, it is basically an enforced "Seven Stars" or "Balance of Power" that allows you to pick cards as you wish, as long as the card is in the discard pile and has the same number. He is especially powerful in the later game, and you may enhance self-protection by "Inebrieation" ("Plastered").
Because I'm not sure if you allowed to check the discard pile at any time.
ReplyDeleteIn SGS Online, you can't see the discard pile. If you use the ability to retrieve the same card, then there would be no reason not to use it.
You are allowed to check the discard pile at any time.
DeleteWhen someone is using *SP Pang Tong, I strongly advise you to separate the discarded cards into 13 piles of each number for easier manipulation of cards.
By the way, please refrain from using *SP Pang Tong if you are in games with too many players, because "Clearing the Leftover" ("To Hell with Work") slows the entire game. Also, please do not use hi if you are the slow thinker type of person. lol
"When there are equipment cards on your character card, you cannot use EQUIPMENT CARD [i.e. put it in your equipment area] nor use an EQUIPMENT CARD to replace your equipment."
ReplyDelete"When there are equipment cards on your character card, you can still be targeted by “Blunt Advice” and replace you existing equipment [Strange contradiction…], but all equipments in your equipped area have no effect."
For the second point, do you mean that "Blunt Advice" can be used to give you equipment? It normally can't replace equipment.
Also, is it required that Pang Tong's gained cards be relocated to the discard? In the description in the post, it seems to be optional ("you CAN place that card in the discard pile") but in the comments you have been writing "you MUST relocate".
"Blunt Advice" ca be used to give you equipment. It is strange that the FAQ says "Blunt Advice" can replace your equipment, but it normally cannot. I believe the FAQ is written by the designer, who shows poor grammar in writing Chinese...
DeleteIt is required to place all gained cards to the discard pile, as written in the FAQ.
[Q]Is the effect of “Clearing the Leftover” enforced?
[A] The effect of “Whenever you are going to get a card, you must relocate it into the discard pile.” is enforced. But the effect of “If this situation happens within your turn, you may relocate a card with the same number from the discard pile onto your hand.” happens after the previous effect and it is not enforced.
P.S. Ricky, please fix it ^ ^
Don't get me wrong, this new Pang Tong is nice, but was the original Pang Tong really so bad that they needed to replace him? While I realize that the second life of the original isn't really a "fresh start", it still seems to give him longevity that most other characters don't enjoy simply because other players don't usually like to waste their time attacking him. Additionally, his chains power allowed for all sorts of nasty tactics, like chaining everyone up and playing lightning (then enjoying his rebirth while everyone else is dying). I have found that he is particularly good in teams with Zhang Jiao, Younger Zhuge Liang, and Demigod Zhou Yu. I am just surprised that they gave him an update instead of characters like Xu Chu and Xiahou Yuan who, in my humble opinion, need an update a lot more urgently than Pang Tong.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am sorry for the long post. I look forward to future posts about the new 2012 OKF expansion.
I'm with you on this one. I did write that I love his old Shackles ability, which is a serious killing machine if used correctly.
DeleteThat being said, this new version is welcome. Pang Tong isn't actually being replaced since you can choose either Pang Tong if you get to pick him.
In fact, Pang Tong is one of the best Loyalists of Zhang Jiao (Liu Bei and Lu Bu are the others). In one game, Pang Tong chains all characters except Ruler Zhang Jiao, and a LIGHTNING kills everyone except the Ruler and the revived Pang Tong...
DeleteAlso, Pang Tong can reforge his clubs (as a little extra bonus).
P.S. According to ZYZ#15, the remaining 8 characters are Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Da Qiao, Lu Meng, (Heroes) Wei Yan and (Heroes) Gan Ning. *SP005 would be Zhang Fei, whose abilities had been released and translated. It is slightly buggy, though.
Updated!! Thanks for the comments and to Jeremy Wang for pointing out that "To Hell with Work" is compulsory for Pang Tong to discard the card he receives.
ReplyDeleteSo while the first ability provides decent flexibility by letting you take cards from the discard, there are also some drawbacks. For one thing, you can basically never benefit from Harvest. Another problem is that your hand should will always be known by the other players if they pay attention, since even the cards you draw go into the discard (where they can see it, right?) before you relocate anything to your hand. Finally, Pang Tong can't received support from characters that give cards to others, like Guo Jia or even Fa Zheng.
ReplyDeleteAre the drawbacks worth the benefit?
It does more good to harm, believe me. This ability optimizes the hand structure with specificity, which makes him quite imba. Btw, he is vulnerable to abilities that cause harm with card gain as balance, as he has to discard the card,e.g. Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Xiao Qiao, Xu Sheng, Cao Pi, Fa Zheng...
DeleteUgh,
DeleteAlliance is gonna be deadly against Pang Tong.
And what about SP Diao Chan?
So if ability 1 is "you MUST relocate cards to discard", then shouldn't it say that it's an Enforced Ability? If it isn't, can't he choose not to use that ability when it's not his turn and take cards like normal?
ReplyDeleteAsk the insane designer of this troublesome character...nevertheless, this is written on the FAQ...
DeleteSo i find one thing still a bit confusing. Can someone clarify Pang Tong's ability when it comes to equipment cards. Specifically, Is it considered "playing" or "using" an equipment card when you wish to place it in your equipment area ? Or is this simply considered equipping the card ? I was under the impression that activating a weapon cards ability after it is equipped is when you "use" the weapon card. The same would apply for armor cards. Maybe you have it equipped, but it's basically in-effective. So maybe your equipment is useless, but you can still build it up for when when the ability ends.
ReplyDeleteIt is considered as using the equipment card when you place it in your equipment area.
DeleteSo if you have for example the Blue steel blade already equipped which bypasses defense. Then you activate the ability. Assuming you can use an ATTACK, your already equipped weapon ability still bypasses defense ? Or we can say, all equipments are still effective. Is this correct?
DeleteAccording to the Q and A's above, the equipment is simple considered ineffective and it seems you may still replace or exchange them.
DeleteSorry, never mind the last question. I re-read the Q and A's like 5 times before i got it. Thanks
Delete