Mazahaedron. He’s a support mage, and his whole kit leans that way. His charge ability, Underearth Mantra, lets you gain a gem that costs 4 or less — it goes on top of your discard pile — and Gravehold gains 4 life.
He has four breaches, and Breach II costs just 3 Aether to open.
The first time I sat down with him, I stared at that opening hand far longer than I’d like to admit. Do I grab a gem? Do I work on my breaches? Who even benefits from this signature card, me or my allies? Sound familiar?
So I sat down and worked through it. In this post I’ll go over his signature card, his charge ability, and how his opening turns play out, using cards from Aeon’s End: War Eternal. Everything here assumes a 4-mage game.
Why Mazahaedron’s Opening Is So Hard to Read
Breach Setup
Breach I starts open. Breach II starts rotated to 9 o’clock, Breach III to 6 o’clock, and Breach IV to 6 o’clock.
Opening Breach II costs 3 Aether.
Signature Card: Worldheart Shard
His signature card is Worldheart Shard: gain 1 Aether, or gain 2 Aether that can only be used to gain a card. If you take the second option, the next card you gain this turn goes on top of an ally’s discard pile.
In other words, you get an extra Aether, and you can hand the card you buy with it to a teammate.
On turn 1 your hand is Worldheart Shard, 2 Crystals, and 2 Sparks. On turn 2 it’s 4 Crystals and 1 Spark. That’s exactly where it gets awkward: do you take a gem, or work on your breaches?
Charge Ability: Underearth Mantra
It gains you a gem that costs up to 4 Aether, and Gravehold gains 4 life. It goes off at 4 charges.
There aren’t many ways to heal Gravehold, so this is a really welcome ability. For the gem, I recommend Scoria Slag, because from Tier 2 onward it gives you 3 Aether.
The Key Decision: What to Do with Worldheart Shard on Turn 1
Here’s what you’re working with at the start of turn 1:
- Hand: Worldheart Shard, Crystal, Crystal, Spark, Spark
- Deck: Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Spark
- Discard: none
I see three ways to use Worldheart Shard here:
- Open Breach II
- Gain a 3-Aether card for yourself
- Gain a 4-Aether card for an ally
I want to go through each of these eventually. This post covers opening Breach II.
Team and Card Choices: Opening Breach II on Turn 1
You have two Sparks in hand, so this is a perfectly reasonable choice. Here’s how things look after opening Breach II, at the start of turn 2:
- Breach I: Spark
- Breach II: Spark
- Hand: Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Spark
- Deck: none
- Discard: Worldheart Shard, Crystal, Crystal
That gives you 4 Aether to spend. Your options:
- Gain a gem — 3 to 4 Aether
- Gain a relic — 2 to 4 Aether
- Gain a spell — 3 to 4 Aether
- Focus a breach
- Charge
If you gain a spell, it’ll pile up with the spells you cast from Breaches I and II, and you’re quite likely to end up with three spells in hand at once.
Focusing a breach probably isn’t needed early on unless Mazahaedron is the one doing the attacking.
Charging isn’t needed early either. You can build charges later and still heal Gravehold in time.
That leaves gems and relics, so let’s look at each.
Option A: Gaining a Gem
The 3-Aether gems are Frozen Magmite, Volcanic Glass, and Dread Diamond, and I recommend Frozen Magmite. When you use Frozen Magmite to gain a card, you can put that card on top of your deck.
If you go for a 4-Aether gem, I recommend Scoria Slag, since it gives 3 Aether from Tier 2 onward. Keep in mind, though, that in a 4-mage game Tier 2 doesn’t arrive until turn 6 or later. If you buy it now, it’ll probably still be Tier 1 when it reaches your hand, so you’ll only get 2 Aether from it. As for Breach Ore, I don’t think its breach-focusing will get used in the late game.
Here’s the board after taking Frozen Magmite:
- Breach I: Spark
- Breach II: empty
- Hand: Crystal
- Deck: none
- Discard: Worldheart Shard, Crystal, Crystal, Spark, Spark, Frozen Magmite, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal
You’re left with one Crystal in hand. Just leave it there.
Option B: Gaining a Relic
The relics that cost 4 Aether or less are Mage’s Totem, Conclave Scroll, Fiend Catcher, Primordial Fetish, and Cairn Compass.
If you take Mage’s Totem, you have 2 Aether left, and all you can do with it is take another Mage’s Totem or charge.
If you take Conclave Scroll or Fiend Catcher, things play out much like the Frozen Magmite line. After that, pick up gems like Frozen Magmite or Scoria Slag to get ready for your charge.
If you take Cairn Compass, here’s the start of turn 3:
- Breach I: Spark
- Breach II: empty
- Hand: Worldheart Shard, Crystal, Crystal, Spark, Spark
- Deck: Cairn Compass, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal
- Discard: none
You’re back to the same choice as turn 1. Breach II is already open, though, so the choice is just whether to gain a card for an ally or for yourself.
Cairn Compass shows up on turn 4. By then, though, your allies most likely have no discard pile yet, or if they do, it’s probably just a Spark or their signature spell.
Primordial Fetish lets you either heal yourself or focus a player’s breach, so it’s also worth considering.
Supply Notes: Why Frozen Magmite Comes Out Ahead
Here’s how the gem and relic options compare after opening Breach II on turn 1:
| Pick | Why |
|---|---|
| Frozen Magmite — gem, 3 Aether | A card you gain with it can go on top of your deck |
| Scoria Slag — gem, 4 Aether | 3 Aether from Tier 2, but in 4-mage you’ll probably still be in Tier 1 when you draw it, so only 2 Aether |
| Conclave Scroll or Fiend Catcher — relics | Plays out like the Frozen Magmite line. Follow up with gems to get ready for your charge |
| Primordial Fetish — relic | Heal yourself or focus a player’s breach |
| Mage’s Totem — relic | Leaves you 2 Aether, enough only for another Mage’s Totem or a charge |
| Cairn Compass — relic | When it shows up on turn 4, allies probably have little or nothing in their discard |
The Payoff: Turn 3 Opens Wide
Here’s where the Frozen Magmite line gets good. This is the start of turn 3:
- Breach I: Spark
- Breach II: empty
- Hand: Crystal, Worldheart Shard, Crystal, Crystal, Spark
- Deck: Spark, Frozen Magmite, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal
- Discard: none
Now you can hand an ally a card that costs up to 5 Aether, or Mazahaedron can gain a card that costs up to 4 Aether himself.
That leaves you with plenty of options, like:
- Give a spell to an ally who’s playing the attacker role
- Have Mazahaedron take a relic like Cairn Compass or Primordial Fetish, or a spell, for himself
- Use only the 3 Crystals and hold on to Worldheart Shard. Next turn, use it as 6 Aether to give an ally a 6-Aether spell, and also put it on top of their deck
That first turn of opening a breach is what makes this whole range of choices possible on turn 3.
Wrap-Up: Notes to Myself
- His charge ability, Underearth Mantra, is precious. Healing Gravehold is hard to come by. Take Scoria Slag with it, since it gives 3 Aether from Tier 2 onward.
- Opening Breach II on turn 1 is a sound choice, because you have two Sparks in hand.
- After opening Breach II on turn 1, take Frozen Magmite, or else take Conclave Scroll, Fiend Catcher, or Primordial Fetish.
- On turn 2, skip spells, breach focusing, and charging. A spell is likely to give you three spells in hand at once, focusing isn’t needed unless you’re the attacker, and you can charge later and still heal Gravehold in time.
- By turn 3 you have lots of choices: a spell for an ally, a relic or spell for yourself, or saving Worldheart Shard for a 6-Aether gift next turn.
Next time I’ll look at the other turn-1 line: gaining a card for yourself.
See you then!
Assumes a 4-mage game. Mileage may vary in solo and 2-mage games, but the core logic holds.
