JWA Tournament: January Skills 2023 - Common Rare Epic All

Lucus1355 here again. Welcome to 2023 and the 1st of 4 weeks of the Lystrosavis Alliance Championship. This being the first Championship of the new year so let’s make it a good one! This will be a Skill Tournament featuring the Common, Rare and Epic creatures with No Restrictions! Your rewards? Coins!! Lots and lots of coins. With no stat boosts and all creatures set to Level 26, it’s a total free for all. So, without further ado and in the words of Craig Charles, “LET THE WARS BEGIN!!”

Before we jump into the creatures, first let's go over the Tournament itself. This tournament will allow all 42 Common, 74 Rare and 89 Epic creatures as there are no restrictions. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of Epics out there, with a splatter of Rare’s to keep you on your toes. The rewards for this Tournament are Coins! You'll be needing these coins to fuse, level up and create new creatures to power up your plethora of creatures to do well in Advantage Tournaments, assist with campaigns battles and missions, the Isla Events, and in the Arenas themselves. So, be sure to try your hardest and build a team to take down creatures. These are the numbers of Coins you'll be able to get for each placement:

Starting strong with ancient scorpions from the carboniferous period, Pulmonoscorpius. These 2-foot stingers have got one of the best opening abilities in the game for Epic tournaments, causing 100% chance to stun and a 25% damage over time. If you don’t become stunned and attack, this scorpion trio will leave you with a “Poison Counter” of 20% damage over time. With “No Escape”, if you haven’t resistance to swap prevention then Pulmonoscorpius will be keeping you in for the long haul. These are the worst of your worries with this scorpion, but they’re not the last. Its weakness is after using “Enfeebling Impact”, as then you only need to worry about the damage over time which can make it more manageable.

Alternatively, just knock it out in one hit. Enter Panthera. This one of four lethal Atrociraptors is at its best on the revenge when all of its abilities become priority attacks. But even without the priority, “Berserk Clawed Revenge” goes through all opponents with a precise hit and bypasses armour. “Berserk Biting Revenge” however, breaks shields and bypasses armour with a precise hit. However, using both of these moves causes negative side effects such as sacrificing 33% of its max health points. Best to revenge hit and “Retreat” as there’s no stopping Panthera when swapping out. Can anything stop this bred to kill on command creature when it’s looking for revenge?

Yes. Megalotops. This solitary mysterious creature has 100% chance to stun when it’s swapped in, providing its health is above 50%. If you haven’t got reduced damage resistance and a way to deal with dodge, then Megalotops will chip away at your health with its “Armor Piercing Counter” and barrage of distracting abilities. It’s also able to cleanse reduced damage and damage over time, along with causing vulnerability all in one move. If you want to escape, then Megalotops will gain an increase in speed, a critical chance boost and a dodge. What could stop this giant ground sloth?

A creature with jaws with strength more giant than any living crocodile. Sarcorixis preys on stunnable opponents that are faster than it, especially those lacking in ‘swap out’ resistance. It has one priority stun ability and one stun attack. It is also able to cause vulnerability and increase its damage for extra ferocity. Seems that Sarcorixis is simple to explain, yet as vicious as a desert scorpion. With its spike-covered body making it dangerous from every angle, who could challenge this creature?

A ‘big’ challenge can come from Diplodocus, among the largest of all dinosaurs. This creature is unable to be stunned and slowed down, and has 50% resistances to damage reduction. It also has one of the biggest first hits of all Epic creatures. Its “Group Decelerating Rampage” does 3000 damage and, as it says hits all opponents and slows them down too. This creature can also put up some shields and destroy the opponents at the same time, along with the ability to cause vulnerability. The health points on Diplodocus are nearly the highest of all creatures in the game, standing at a whopping 6000!! How on earth are you meant to take down this ginormous long neck?

With a fierce fusion of carnivorous DNA, Thylacotator has some big weapons in its armoury. Firstly, it is the only creature of 2 to cause 40% damage over time in the game in a single hit. The other is Hydra Boa with its “Fabled Fangs” ability. This may not kill the target, but this hybrid hunting expert will most likely the following turn! “Rending Takedown” breaks shields, bypasses armour and causes 60% rend damage, it has 40% chance to cause critical hits and what more is Thylacotator can increase this up to 90%, with the addition of a dodge and cleansing all its negative effects. It’s also able to hit a precise move with the addition of reducing speed. Lastly, it has “Swap In Distraction” reducing the targets attack down 100%. What could be stand against this otherwise unstoppable predator?

Only Rexy could take down this 43-foot-long creature and even then, needed a distraction from Therizinosaurus to achieve it. A bit different in JWA but it’s still not something to be taken lightly. Giganotosaurus has a lot of resistances compared to most epic creatures; damage over time, rend, vulnerability and swap prevention, with an immunity to speed reduction. It is about to cleanse all negative effects and devour heal a little, at the same time. Shields and armour will not stop this and with its “Group Defence Shattering Impact”, even flocks will need to be careful. On trying to escape from Giganotosaurus, it increases its critical chance up to 60% and may even stop the escape. If you swap in this 30mph carnivore when it is threatened, it will heal 100%, has 100% chance to stun the opponent and makes it unable to swap out. But would anything be able to stand up to this, the largest known terrestrial carnivore?

A challenger could be a hybrid creature with impressive problem-solving skills. The Velosrhacos is apparently a legend on the hunting scene. With 2 rampage abilities, that’s a lot of damage and with “Deliberating Prowl” it can increase its critical chance up to 55% making for some nasty hits. It’s very quick too with 130 speed and the ability to cleanse all negative effects while setting up a dodge. Velosrhacos cannot be stunned or bleed from damage over time and it is invincible against swap prevention. Finally, its “Cautious Strike” can be a very big pain to deal with against the right opponent; increasing its speed, giving it a dodge, being a precise attack and reducing the opponent’s attack. Those skills can be hard to deal with, for most…

Red is one of four lethal Atrociraptors and was engineered for viciousness. Tread carefully! This Dromaeosaurid Cunning Resilient with several 25%-33% resistances and immune to being stunned. Its main cannon is its “Berserk Resilient Rampage” – you may lose 33% of its health, but this attack will go through every defence put up except for shields and cleanses any reduced damage effects on Red. No flock is safe here!! Any if you think you can out speed her unique coppery-red scales, think again! Using “Accelerating Shielded Distraction” gives Red 2 turns of shields and a 50% speed boost = 184 speed! It also lowers the opponents attack by half. With the ability to also cause vulnerability, it lives up to its description at least from those that have lived to tell the tale.

Although you can’t hit what you can’t see. Majundaboa is a colossal snake that can camouflage within forested environments. Immune to reduced damage and stun and hard to stop swapping out and slowing down makes this creature hard to pin down. With a counter attack that removes dodge, cloak and goes through armour twinned with damage increase ability makes Majundaboa a very scary creature to attack. Being able to put up shields, slow down opponents and cleanse itself, you’d better come up with the right opponent to fight this ambush predator.

The survivor Ankylodicurus has high armour and priority shields, with resistance to damage over time and no chance to stun or cause vulnerability to this creature, Ankylodicurus is in it for the long haul. You think this creature is all about its defence but it is an opportunistic hybrid. With an ability to cause vulnerability and/or reduce the opponents speed on one turn and then, on the second turn attack with “Superiority Rampage” can cause a ton of damage even against armour and shields, along with reducing the opponents’ speed. Such a resilient ancient Armadillo.

With a recent buff to it, the large frill and powerful jaws of this hybrid now make it more of a danger. There is no stopping Dimodactylus from switching in and out during battle, especially when causing damage over time when swapping in and using “Cleansing Swoop” to do the same on switching out. What’s more is thanks to its recent buff, it now gets a 50% armour increase for 2 turns. It’s also able to put up shields and reduce the opponent’s armour. Finally, for every hit it takes, Dimodactylus dishes out counter damage, bypassing the opponents armour and reducing said armour. A creature that can give one of the most powerful wingbeats of all pterosaurs!

Keeping with the flying characteristics, what Argenteryx lacks in size it makes up for in craftiness, and in numbers. Even with ability delay, this flock has 2 rampage abilities: 1 dodge and 1 distracting rampage causing this tiny avian hybrid to dish out the damage when the delay is over. Argenteryx can heal on the escape of its opponents and when down to its last member, can also heal using its “Fearless Alert” ability. Using this ability also gives a speed boost, dodge and a cleanse of all negative effects. This ancestor of Egyptian vultures’ other abilities includes critical chance increase, cleansing speed reductions and “Swap in Distraction”. What a lot of strength and ability for a small bird.

Lastly, Procerathomimus. Swift and nimble and able to nullify its targets positive effects on switch in and on the counter. It has distraction and dodge priorities so can always get ahead of the opponent’s game. There is no reducing this creatures damage or critical chance, and it’s also immune to damage over time. It’s not likely you’ll be stunning or stopping this excellent sprinter from swapping out either. Procerathomimus isn’t short on attack either, with “Cunning Strike” doing 1600 damage and its “Distracting Rampage” doing twice that. This Ornithomimid uses its green hue to help it camouflage in lush environments, but it doesn’t sound like you’d like to find it hiding either.

Honourable mentions here going to Tiger, Antarctopelta, Microraptor, Anurognathus, Lystrosaurus, Compsognathus, Woolly Rhino, Brachiosaurus, Brontolasmus, Scorpios Rex Gen 2, Erlikogamma, Purutaurus, Ghost, Andrewtodon and Titanoboa. Who knows, some of these could be better than thought and cause upsets in creature matchups.

Some Rare opponents can be looking to cause difficulty for epics in this tournament and as usual Suchotator is at the forefront. With damage over time, ability to nullify all opponent positive effects, cause “Instant Distraction” and slow the opponent with a precise attack, this is sure widespread list of ability at its disposal.

Purrolyth has no relation to a pussy cat as that ‘purr’ is more a death hum. Able to increase its damage, heal a large amount of its health points and place shields up, it’s not an easy creature to take down. Especially since its counter attack deals 25% rend damage which with the attack boost can be difficult to deal with.

Albertosaurus makes the list here due to its strong attacks and ability to priorities one of those to cause some big, quick damage output on the battlefield.

Rodrigues Solitaire may not be as strong as its unique hybrid but that doesn’t mean it cannot be a problem. It’s able to rally heal and cause distraction doing it, not forgetting an ability to bypass armour. It also has a huge hitting “Cunning Rampage” to look out for.

You try hitting this creature if you can. Preondactylus can dodge 100% of an attack on swap in. With its priority ability and when the opponent switches out, it can also dodge 67% of attacks. Finally, it has a priority hit in the style of “Instant Cunning Strike” causing distraction, removing damage increases and opponent’s critical chance.

Dodge hardly effects Dracorex as when it’s swapped in, it removes opponents dodge and speed increases, causes 1100 points of damage and vulnerability. What’s more, is it slows opponents with a precise attack and has 75% chance to stun with its priority “Instant Charge”.

Megalonyx may not be as strong as its Megalotops hybrid, but it is still hard to hit. Megalonyx will also chip away at your health with its “Maximal Counter Attack”. Its “Cautious Rampage” attack and “Camouflage” ability increases its speed and gives it a dodge and if the opponent swaps out, then Megalonyx will gain speed, dodge and a critical chance boost too.

Lastly Dreadnoughtus. 6000 health points and “Swap In Invincibility”, a deceleration attack hitting all opponents and also slows opponents with a precise attack.

Honourable mentions here going to Majundasuchus, Doedicurus, Archaeopteryx, Compsognathus Gen 2, Fukuisaurus and Einiasuchus. Who knows, some of these rare creatures could be or do better than a few epic choices and again, look to cause upsets in battle matchups.

Well, that’s the end of this article and the start of your team building. Or. Maybe you already have your team sussed and just reading for comparison or to get ideas of how to move up the tournament table a little more. Whatever your plan, the very best of luck to you and see you on the battlefield!! If you have any questions or strategies of your own, join our Discord and get in the discussion today! Have a great weekend and may the odds be ever in your favour!! Happy New Year!!!