The Mental Power Game Mechanic in Naruto

In the Naruto Trading Card Game there is a wide variety of deck types available for the player to create. Most of the time it is the usual deck based on an element like water, wind fire and so on, but this game introduced a sub-arch deck that is arguably the most unpredictable in the game. Your ninja are normally evaluated by their physical strength, but this game introduces the game mechanic of mental power, where you ninja are evaluated by how smart they are rather then by how much muscle they possess.

Each character has an attack value, but some have mental power values as well. Characters like Sasuke Uchiha will not have any mental power value listed meaning they have zero, and characters like Shikamaru Nara have as much as four mental power. A characters mental power is actually useless without specific cards that allow you to use it. A characters normal attack value is applied in battle until a card states otherwise, like the jutsu Cheating which turns the battle from a physical match to a mental power battle.

There are some other cards that have the same effects as Cheating but are not jutsus, they are rather missions and characters. Ibiki the fist Procter is a character that has the effect of performing mental power battles whenever he is on the attack. Mission cards like Written Test and First Chunin Exam will also allow your teams to engage in mental power battles.

The damage for these battles is applied normally, just as if you were in a regular combat but you apply mental power rather then physical power. If your teams mental power is five points or more higher then an opponents then your opponent is overwhelmed in combat and receives damage accordingly. You add mental power up by combining all your ninjas mental power on that team. If you have Shikamaru Nara, Sakura and Ibiki, then your total mental power would be 4 for Shikamaru 3 for Sakura and 1 for Ibiki making you a very impressive 8.

Mental power decks can be so devastating if played right because they are so unpredictable. The dominating styles are based on power with ninja like Zabuza Momochi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kakashi none of which have any mental power. If you play with jutsus like Cheating that will switch the battle form a beat down match to a mental power battle, then your opponent is going to lose his best ninjas during this surprise move quickly turning the tide of combat.

Your opponent is going to be on edge while playing a deck like this because he is going to have to keep track of your total team mental power as well as their regular power. They may get so caught up in making a team to withstand your mental power that they totally forget about the average calculation of attacking power. Just because a ninja has strong mental capabilities does not mean they are weak otherwise. Shikamaru gives 2 support, Sakura gives 3 and Ibiki has 3 attack. If you put them on a team together then they have a mental power of 8 and a regular power of 7 making them formidable on all fronts. Many times a mental power deck can wreak havoc on your opponents mind, which is kind of the point of this deck.

This deck may not be as fun or direct to play, but involves a lot of thinking and strategy. You have to be thinking at least two moves ahead at all times, almost like your playing a chess game. For anyone looking to find a different or innovative mechanic in a trading card game that requires a little more thought then you may want to check out the mental power decks of Naruto