Harry Potter Magic Awakened: Azkaban Card – New Card Preview

Introduction to the Azkaban Card

If you’ve been exploring the latest updates in Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, you may have heard whispers of a new card shaking up the gameplay – Azkaban. Though new to the global version of the game, Azkaban has already been available in the Chinese version for quite some time. It is a high-cost Dark spell with a mana cost of 7, and it requires specific board conditions to be most effective. One key feature of Azkaban is that when it successfully eliminates a target, it deals additional damage to any surviving targets nearby. This makes it a powerful tool for clearing the board and exerting pressure on multiple fronts. In this article, we’ll explore how Azkaban works, its best uses, and how it might enhance certain Echoes, with a particular focus on Luna, Dumbledore, and Hermione.

Azkaban’s Effectiveness Depends on Context

Azkaban is a spell that excels in specific circumstances. It is most effective when used against multiple targets: a combination of an opponent’s player and their companions, or a mix of companions and summons. Using Azkaban on a single target often isn’t worth the mana investment, making it a card that demands strategic planning.

Currently, Azkaban finds its best application in decks built around Luna’s Echo, as it synergizes well with Luna’s passive ability to enhance Magical Summons and control the board. The card’s high mana cost is offset by Luna’s ability to upgrade summons, making Azkaban a more valuable tool for maintaining pressure and versatility during matches. It has proven to be too costly for other Echoes, and thus doesn’t quite fit into their strategies. However, its introduction to the global version of the game has an interesting side-effect—a significant buff to Dumbledore’s Echo.

Buffing Dumbledore’s Echo

The addition of Azkaban to the global game makes Dumbledore’s Echo more viable in both 1v1 and 2v2 formats. When playing with Dumbledore’s passive ability, there’s a good chance of acquiring Azkaban as it becomes available through his skill when you hit the mana threshold of 6-7. This significantly enhances the versatility of Dumbledore’s Echo, particularly in the “Hyperaccelerated Dumbledore Variation” deck, which has recently gained popularity.

(Hyperaccelerated Dumbledore deck; recommended for 1v1)

This deck, while highly effective against most other deck types, sometimes struggles against summon-heavy or spell-book decks due to its slower start, which makes it difficult to keep up with the rapid pressure these decks can apply early on. Azkaban becomes crucial in these situations—it can turn the tide by eliminating multiple summons and reclaiming control of the board.

Dumbledore vs Flitwick

(Video by 七月一日a on Bilibili)

Azkaban fits comfortably into the current standard Luna Echo decks, especially those that also feature the Standard Book of Spells. Its versatility makes it superior to other 7-mana spells like Zouwu or Whizbang, thanks to its broader range of use cases. Unlike these other spells, Azkaban can effectively handle both single high-value targets and multiple weaker units without the need to combine it with any other card, such as a control spell or a dash. This inherent versatility gives it an edge in a wider variety of situations. It works well in both 1v1 and 2v2 scenarios, providing consistent value through its impactful board-clearing capabilities.

(Recommended for 2v2)

One notable advantage of Azkaban is its ability to turn the tide of a game, particularly in matches where the opponent has built up a formidable board. This card’s high mana cost is justified by its potential to neutralize multiple threats simultaneously, which is invaluable in matches against swarm decks or those that rely on strategic positioning of companions and summons. In Luna Echo decks, where maintaining control and upgrading Magical Summons is crucial, Azkaban serves as an essential tool that ensures board presence and mitigates the opponent’s aggression.

One common strategy when playing Luna’s Echo is combining Azkaban with Thestrals to deal significant damage. This combination can deal a large burst of damage, but it comes with considerable risks, as it requires the right board conditions and a clear assessment of the opponent’s resources. If the opponent has a quick counter, such as Obscurus or Protego Totalum, the entire mana investment can be wasted. The key to executing this strategy effectively lies in timing—knowing when your opponent has expended their counters and using Azkaban in a way that maximizes the impact. Ideally, this combination should be used in high-pressure moments where your opponent is running low on resources, enabling you to capitalize on their weakened state. To execute this strategy optimally, you would need a 7-mana Magical Summon in hand, which sacrifices the potential to upgrade it further. This adds another layer of complexity to the decision-making process, as playing Azkaban also limits the upgrade potential of other summons, creating a strategic trade-off that must be carefully considered.

Beyond its use in direct damage strategies, Azkaban’s true strength lies in its utility during the endgame of 2v2 matches, where eliminating an opponent’s Hagrid Companion can be the key to victory. In many late-game situations, the battle revolves around removing critical companions such as Hagrid, and Azkaban’s quick activation can provide an advantage that is difficult to counter. If Azkaban is used on a stationary target that has Hagrid’s protection, only Protego Totalum can save them, and utilizing it demands a very quick response from the opponent. The ability to decisively eliminate such important threats makes Azkaban a crucial card in tightly contested 2v2 matches.

Azkaban’s utility in Luna’s deck extends beyond just eliminating companions; it can be valuable in other specific situations as well. Sometimes, using Azkaban against an opponent is worthwhile, even if it only destroys one other entity alongside. The general rule is that the more you can destroy in one go, the better—particularly when you can injure the opponent in the process. For instance, a common scenario is capturing both an opponent and the Golden Snitch. The Snitch moves randomly across the map and loses its health points on the way, and its unpredictable movement often provides a good opportunity for Azkaban to be used effectively.

Another important consideration when using Azkaban is the tempo of the game. Typically, the game reaches one of its most dynamic moments around the 1-minute mark, which usually signals the use of the second companion card. Having Azkaban ready in your hand at this point, with enough mana reserved, can create the perfect circumstances for deploying it against an opponent’s newly summoned companion as soon as it appears on the board. Timing the use of Azkaban to align with these key moments in gameplay can significantly enhance its effectiveness, allowing you to gain control of the board and put pressure on the opponent.

The versatility and broad utility of Azkaban make it a unique asset in Luna Echo decks, especially during pivotal stages of a match. Whether used for direct aggression, strategic elimination of threats, or board control, Azkaban offers multiple pathways to victory, particularly in the challenging landscape of 2v2 games.

Luna and Flitwick vs Harry and Flitwick

(Video by 挨打专家梅菜 on Bilibili)

Can Azkaban work well in Hermione’s Echo deck? Theoretically, her passive ability to reduce Azkaban’s cost to 4 mana might make it seem appealing, but in practice, it has limited effectiveness. However, recent changes have provided Hermione’s Echo with a buff: cards enhanced by Hermione’s Echo now have a 50% chance to gain 2 levels instead of 1, with a maximum increase of 2 levels per card. This means Hermione will generally be a bit stronger overall, potentially increasing the impact of spells like Azkaban. Nevertheless, the core challenges of integrating Azkaban into her deck remain. The current meta in China is dominated by spell-book decks, squid-dessert master decks, suitcase decks, and Ginny or Dumbledore Echoes. Pure spell decks are practically nonexistent, which means Hermione isn’t seeing much play. The dominant strategies in the current meta favor more aggressive or versatile approaches that do not align well with Hermione’s playstyle, especially when trying to accommodate a high-cost card like Azkaban.

To utilize Azkaban effectively, you must maintain it at 4 mana until a critical moment, allowing it to provide a significant mana advantage by removing a target worth much more than the 4 mana spent. This requires patience and careful cycling, as any premature use can result in a considerable tempo loss. Furthermore, optimal board conditions are necessary, with multiple viable targets such as a player, companion, or summons, to maximize Azkaban’s value. This dependence on specific conditions complicates its inclusion in a deck that demands consistency and adaptability.

Deck combinations like Zouwu + Thunderstorm + Azkaban or Thunderstorm + Sectumsempra + Azkaban could potentially work, but these combinations still present several challenges. First, they are costly and can be quite clunky to execute due to the high mana requirements of these spells. Second, relying on these combinations often means sacrificing faster or more reactive plays, leaving the player vulnerable to early aggression. Even in optimal conditions, these combinations can be difficult to execute without falling behind. Keeping Azkaban reduced to 4 mana requires precise timing and strategic foresight. You need to hold it until you truly need it, which can lead to a suboptimal mana cycle, forcing you to either waste the card or disrupt your deck’s flow just to keep Azkaban in hand.

Here is an optimal base for a Hermione Echo deck (in the Chinese version, Frisbee would replace Expelliarmus). Use this deck as a foundation and experiment with including Azkaban to see how it fits into your strategy.

In summary, Azkaban is a costly investment for Hermione’s Echo. The recent buff to Hermione may slightly improve her overall effectiveness, but it does not fundamentally resolve the challenges of using Azkaban effectively in her deck. Theoretically, it could provide substantial mana value by eliminating multiple key targets, but in practice, it is inconsistent and situational. The current meta heavily disfavors such approaches, and Hermione’s lack of adaptability with Azkaban places her at a significant disadvantage.

Azkaban is a powerful new addition to the global version of Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, but it comes with its complexities. The card shines brightest when used strategically in Luna and Dumbledore Echo decks, allowing players to control the board and eliminate multiple threats with one spell. However, it requires careful timing and the right board conditions to maximize its effectiveness. While it’s not an ideal card for Hermione, Azkaban’s introduction certainly brings more depth and nuance to the current meta. As players become more familiar with its strengths and limitations, Azkaban could very well become a staple in the right hands—especially for those who value a well-timed, game-changing spell.