Tatsu Nullifier

Tatsu Nullifier

unit

(see more)

At the start of your turn, gain
: 5 (Chill 5: add 5 chill to target until next turn. Units with chill greater than or equal to their health cannot block.)

Supply:	4
Cost:	12
Build time:	1
Health:	2
Attack:
Position:	Middle Far Right

[data page]

A Tatsu Nullifier

Tatsu Nullifier is an offensive Red unit with the ability to constantly provide damage and Chill blockers for a high amount.

Panel

Strategy

Tatsu Nullifier is a strong attacker thanks to the constant Chill and damage it provides. It can freeze almost all the blockers of the game by itself, making it a particularly brutal counter to blockers with Lifespan. Even against standard blockers, having Tatsu Nullifiers forces a lot of additional defense from your opponent (Constant effectively nulls off an unit), and can let you create holes in their defensive granularity by freezing small blockers.

One of the best ways to counter the high Chill of Tatsu Nullifier is to not give it any interesting target. If you only defend using low-absorb blockers (a combination of Rhinos and Engineers for instance) against Tatsu Nullifiers, they lose a lot of their value, as most of it comes from the chill; buying Tatsu Nullifier only for its attack is a bad deal even compared to the base set Tarsier. Even if it chills an Engineer (Adding real pressure), that's 1 defense taken away after the opponent pays a 2 cost, being thus about 10 4 for 2 attackers. The worse downside is the heavy Tech cost, hard to divert efficiently otherwise.

You should almost never go for units against Tatsu Nullifiers, as blue generally relies on large absorb which Nullifiers can simply freeze. Since the only way to beat Tatsu Nullifiers is usually to pressure them and make them stop buying Nullifiers, you should instead go for attackers that are good at amassing pressure quickly such as Fission Turrets or Electrovores and forgo large absorb. Some blue units can fare well against Tatsu if their names are Apollo, Grenade Mech or Drake (in the case of Grenade Mech or Drake, remember to use their click abilities as often as you can). A single Polywall may also be strong against it, since it nullifies the first Chill threat and the early Attack value.

Tatsu Nullifier's power comes at the price of a heavy commitment to red tech. Unless the random set includes low-cost red sinks such as Perforators or Nitrocybes, it may be difficult to use it all once you have to start defending too, unless you have a rather high economy at your disposal. This is why Tatsu Nullifier rushes are considered not very threatening, as the Tatsu Nullifier's high cost will force you to stop their production and waste as soon as your opponent counterattacks. Building Tatsu Nullifiers once you have a decent economy and the technology to build efficient defense is often a better option.

Combos

Like any other double Animus unit, Tatsu Nullifier naturally combos with various red sinks:

• Nitrocybe
• Ossified Drone
• Perforator
• Husk
• Blood Pact (especially effective because the Grimbotches you give to your opponent have limited lifespan and are thus vulnerable to chill) Can also play against it by skipping deniable Absorb in favor of Husk and Engineer only defense.
• Tyranno Smorcus
• Blood Phage

Centrifuge can also be a combo. It allows you to get a single Tatsu Nullifier without committing to two entire Animuses for the rest of the game. A single Tatsu Nullifier is all you need to prevent your opponent from building units such as Doomed Mech, for example.

Openings

Turn 4 Rush

1. DD
2. DD
3. DAA
4. Tatsu Nullifier
5. Tatsu Nullifier
6. ...

This Player 2 rush can take opponents unaware and net wins if they don't answer it correctly. The best way to counter this openings is to go for red units yourself, as their low absorb renders the chill from Tatsu Nullifier ineffective. Simply giving up defense and building Gauss Cannons will lead to a loss as red defense with base set units is enough to win against that, and going for blue will give better targets for the freeze.

Replays

Srslysirius vs. Medar: http://play.prismata.net/?r=fXn1E-m0LB+

iminaBearSuit demonstrates the Tatsu rush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWkW-AuJIS4

Delayed Tatsu Nullifier

1. DD
2. DDE
3. DDD
4. DDDB
5. DAA
6. Tatsu Nullifier + Wall
7. Tatsu Nullifier + Wall
8. ...

This opening, available to Player 1, grants the player enough resources to get a Tatsu Nullifier and a Wall each turn. It is a few turns slower however. If high-cost blue units such as Omega Splitter are also in the set, this may catch opponents off-guard, as the build initially resembles a standard blue high economy opening.

Player 2 can use a similar build order, resulting in additional drones.

Replays

Kulenych vs. zzz: http://play.prismata.net/?r=FQZaA-ird99

Delayed by player 1 beating a rush by player 2: http://play.prismata.net/?r=YD1Dr-1j@3G

Random Set Openings

Player 1 Turn 4 rush with Galvani Drone (1) and a red sink such as Perforator:

1. EE11
2. E11
3. AA1
4. Tatsu Nullifier

Player 2 Galvani Drone (1) opening, needs Red sink

1. EE11
2. AE11
3. TA1
4. Tatsu Nullifier

Player 2 Xaetron opening:

1. DD
2. DDC
3. DDC
4. DDA
5. Xaetron +A
6. Tatsu Nullifier +D

This needs some Green sink to be efficient

Player 1 Xaetron opening:

1. DD
2. DC
3. DDC
4. DD
5. Xaetron +DD
6. DAA
7. Tatsu Nullifier

Requires some way to spend the Green

Player 1 Rush with Thorium Dynamo (1)

1. DD
2. D1
3. DD
4. AA
5. Tatsu Nullifier
6. Tatsu Nullifier

Delayed timing:

1. DD
2. D1
3. A
4. TTD
5. RA
6. Tatsu Nullifier

Bad without a Red support.

Player 1 Doomed Drone rush:

1. DD
2. DD
3. A11
4. TTA
5. Tatsu Nullifier

Adds sufficient Econ for a fast Rush very quickly. Requires some red sink.

Player 2 Doomed Drone rush:

1. DE1
2. DD1
3. A111
4. TTA1
5. Tatsu Nullifier +11

Adds sufficient Econ for a full Attack very quickly.

Player 1 Perforator (1)

1. DD
2. DD
3. DDA
4. A11
5. Tatsu Nullifier

Has 6 defense early, opponent should rush first.

Player 2 version:

1. DD
2. DA
3. TD1
4. DA1
5. Tatsu Nullifier

Slower than Player 1, gets pressure and 1 extra Attack.

Player 1 pressure rush.

1. DD
2. A
3. TD1
4. D11 (May attack instead)
5. DA
6. Tatsu Nullifier

Comes 1 turn slower, opponent is rushed first.

Player 2 Trinity Drone (1).

1. DD
2. DDC
3. DA1
4. TTA (click 1)
5. Tatsu Nullifier +E
6. Tatsu Nullifier +E

The line can play Red with advantage against enemy's Turn 5 rush.

Player 2 Auric Impulse (1).

1. D1
2. A11
3. TTA1 (RA11, 2 Nullifier)
4. Tatsu Nullifier

Requires Red support.

Player 1 Auric Impulse (1) rush.

1. 11
2. A11
3. A11 (+T waste R or better)
4. Tatsu Nullifier (2 left)

Requires a constant sink, Perforator or Nitrocybe.

Player 2 Auric Impulse (1) and Perforator (2) rush.

1. D1
2. A11
3. TA12
4. Tatsu Nullifier
5. 222

Extreme efficiency, threat and Defense.

Player 1 Auric Impulse (1) and Doomed Drone (0) rush.

1. 01
2. A11
3. TA01
4. Tatsu Nullifier

Better efficiency and Defense.

Player 2 Perforator (1) and Doomed Drone (0) rush.

1. DD
2. A11
3. A01
4. Tatsu Nullifier

Good efficiency and Defense.

Player 1 Flame Animus (1) and Steelforge (2) rush.

1. DD
2. DB
3. D1
4. DD1
5. A2 (Floats 2BR, can spend 1)
6. Tatsu Nullifier +click 2

Requires a constant Red sink, Perforator or Nitrocybe.

Player 1 Thorium Dynamo (1) and Trinity Drone (0) rush.

1. DD
2. D1
3. A
4. TT0
5. TTA
6. Tatsu Nullifier

Player 1 Wild Drone (0) rush.

1. E00
2. 000
3. DD0
4. DA00
5. TTA
6. Tatsu Nullifier +E

Change log

• August 8th, 2015
  • Cost increased from 11 to 12.
• November 1st, 2014
  • Health decreased from 3 to 2.

External Links

• iminaBearSuit Prismata Guide: Nullifier Rush, a video by iminaBearSuit. (October 9th 2014)
• Tatsu Nullifier - Prismata Unit Analysis, a video by Msven. (August 27th 2018)

Unit types
Colorless