Likkim

Likkim Card

Likkim is a 2 Mana Cost Rare Shaman Weapon card from the Rastakhan's Rumble set!

Card Text

Has +2 Attack while you have Overloaded Mana Crystals.

Flavor Text

"I double frog dare you!"

Likkim Card Review

I don’t exactly know what licking has to do with Overload, but the flavor behind this card’s name & art is quite cool.

The card (mechanics-wise, not flavor-wise) reminds me of Spirit Claws, another 1/3 weapon that turned into a 3/3 weapon once you met a certain condition. In Spirit Claws’ case, it was having a Spell Damage minion on the board. The weapon was overpowered at 1 mana, going into both Aggro and Midrange Shaman builds. It was nerfed to 2 mana, after which it basically stopped seeing play. I’m glad that they didn’t make the same mistake for a second time and Likkim starts at 2 mana.

But at the same time, unlike having Spell Damage on the board, being Overloaded seems like an easier condition to meet. Especially since it counts BOTH the turn when you overload your Crystals and the turn when you’re actually Overloaded. So for example – if you play this on T3 with Lightning Bolt, you can attack for 3 right away and you will be able to attack for 3 next turn too.

That’s why I believe that this card is quite strong. Playing just a few Overload cards will make keeping it at 3 Attack quite easy, actually. That alone will make it quite insane in aggressive Shaman – you want to play cards like Lightning BoltLava Burst, maybe even Feral Spirit.

This card might also push cards like Zap! or Voltaic Burst into viable range, especially in some kind of Midrange/Token Shaman with Thunderhead. I think that this kind of archetype is quite close to being viable already, it just needs a little push.

Of course, this card’s power heavily depends on the Overload options available. For example, slow decks right now run only Lightning Storm and Volcano, which obviously don’t combo THAT well with the weapon, which you’d rather use to prevent your opponent from developing a board worth AoEing, not hit him after you AoE. But with one or two more good Overload cards, maybe even those kind of decks could play it.

Overall, I think that this weapon is very strong, especially in an aggressive Shaman. Getting yourself Overloaded is not THAT difficult, and 9 damage for 2 mana that can also be used as a way to protect your own board vs other fast decks… it’s just strong.

Card rating: 8/10

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14 Comments

  1. PandaWolf525
    November 23, 2018 at 3:01 AM

    I need my Toad Spirit!

  2. Dark
    November 21, 2018 at 8:47 PM

    Even Shaman is gonna be even more cancerous in wild

  3. Indy
    November 21, 2018 at 8:41 AM

    Even shaman is already top tier, in wild this is going to be ridiculous. But even in standard there’s enough overload cards and the value after playing a single overload card is 7 dmg for 2 mana, yikes

  4. Omnitarian
    November 21, 2018 at 8:29 AM

    Ah, finally. Shaman hasn’t had a new weapon all year, and hasn’t had a new PLAYABLE weapon since, er.. Spirit Claws.

    I’m a bit bearish on this one, since it’s so similar to Spirit Claws, and that wasn’t really played once it was nerfed to two mana. On the other hand, though, a lot of that had to do with the nerf removing the Spirit Claws > Spelldamage Totem opener. Plus, there are very playable 0 and 1 mana Overload cards, which can’t be said for Spell Damage. So activating this shoooould be less clunky and certainly more controllable.

    I still can’t help but feel this will be cut to make room for other cards, but definitely worthy of experimenting.

  5. Soup And Salad
    November 21, 2018 at 7:51 AM

    Likkim is okay, but unlike Spirit Claws and Cogmaster’s Wrench from GvG, this will always require constant input into making it good. You won’t be able to just summon the Spell Damage Totem and protect it from threats with the weapon or play a Mech themed Rogue deck. Granted, one could just play their overload cards when they need the three attack weapon, and you will have overloaded crystals for two turns.

    It will end up seeing some serious experimentation, but there aren’t enough good Overload cards currently that you’d always be able to make have three attack on command.

  6. GlosuuLang
    November 21, 2018 at 6:57 AM

    Nice new weapon for Even Overload Shaman. Maybe in Standard it doesn’t shine that much, but in Wild with Totem Golem and 4 mana 7/7 this looks like a great weapon, definitely better than the normal 2 mana 2/3 Overload (1) one.

  7. sOuLii
    November 21, 2018 at 6:35 AM

    4/5 for not naming it Frogbiter Weapon

  8. Greg
    November 21, 2018 at 6:33 AM

    Love it! Thumbs up on this one

  9. Jed
    November 21, 2018 at 6:17 AM

    You can tell blizzard has learned their lesson about 1 mana 3/3 weapons so this is 2 mana.

    3.4/5

  10. Joeydungee
    November 21, 2018 at 5:52 AM

    All hail the hypnotoad!

  11. Shardokar
    November 21, 2018 at 5:15 AM

    Even with existing card its already good, if am not wrong with 1 overloard card played with this it have this turn and next activated so 2×3 and 1×3 weapon for 2 or 3 mana with zap lighting bolt or spark is pretty good even counting u would have 2 mana turn 3.
    Way to push overload shaman wich was almost viable already with the 4 mana proc spark on overload, with 2 or 3 more card related its would be playable

  12. Zek
    November 21, 2018 at 5:15 AM

    Very good card.

  13. Dustin
    November 21, 2018 at 5:13 AM

    feels kinda like spirit claws 2.0. love the artwork, toads/frogs are one of my fav animals <3