RANK INCREASES
Twite: T1 to T0: Potential 10 point bird by game end if played in round one. It also lets you look 6 extra cards by the start of round three. All for the cost of two food. You’re forced to tuck cards, unlike Brambling, which lets you choose to tuck or not.
Mandarin Duck: T1 to T0: Passive card drawing. See 15 cards in the first three rounds. 7 point bird by game end with 5 egg nest.
Ruddy Shelduck: T1 to T0: Passive card drawing. See 15 cards in the first three rounds. 7 point bird by game end with 5 egg nest. Doesn’t give cards to opponents.
Wood Duck: T1 to T0: Easier to play from starting hand with OE. Draw two/discard one is one of the top powers in the game. Unique ability to be played in the Forest. Despite its food cost, its often worth the investment and strongly influences whether you are playing a Forest engine or not. Some players on the tournament discord think this card is so strong that it should be house ruled.
Red Breasted Merganser: T1 to T0: Easier to play from starting hand with OE. Draw two/discard one is one of the top powers in the game. Despite its food cost, its always worth the investment unless you have a cheaper bird with this power.
Black Throated Diver: T1 to T0: Easier to play from starting hand with OE. Solid five point body with a great card drawing power. Despite its two fish cost, you will probably go out of your way to play this bird as one of your starting Wetland birds.
Great Crested Grebe: T1 to T0: Easier to play from starting hand with OE. It has a great card drawing power and despite its two fish cost, you will usually go out of your way to play this as your first Wetland bird in the absence of better options. As your first wetland bird, this lets you look at more cards than White Throated Dipper and Black Throated Diver. Its star nest is just a bonus.
New Holland Honey Eater: T2 to T0: This is an amazing food-producing grassland bird. A stagnant birdfeeder is its primary weakness.
Silvereye: T2 to T1: This is an amazing food-producing bird that can go in any habitat. Its big draw back is that all players benefit from the free nectar, so it requires tactical use. In essence, this is just a hummingbird that gives everyone perfect food. I’m a bit surprised it costs two food since it benefits everyone.
Blyth’s Hornbill: T2 to T1: By discarding a single egg from a cavity nest, it becomes a 9 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Could theoretically be a net 13 point bomb by discarding 6 cavity nest eggs, which is Bonelli’s Eagle level points. This obviously takes a bit of set up.
Australian Raven: T2 to T1: One cached food at game end makes this an 8 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Great interaction with top tier bonus cards Omnivore Specialist and Rodentologist.
Wedge-Tailed Eagle: T2 to T1: A single success with this bird’s power makes it an 8 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Great interaction with top tier bonus cards Falconer and Rodentologist.
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle: T2 to T1: A single success with this bird’s power makes it an 8 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Great interaction with top tier bonus cards Falconer and Rodentologist.
Greater Roadrunner: T2 to T1: A single success with this bird’s power makes it an 8 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Great interaction with top tier bonus cards Omnivore Specialist, Falconer, and Rodentologist.
Little Penguin: T2 to T1: A single success with this bird’s power makes it an 8 point bird, which were ranked up in the last update. Great interaction with top tier bonus card Falconer.
Common Goldeneye: UUT to T2: Solid passive egg laying with the right set up. When it works, it works well.
RANK DECREASES
Fire Fronted Serin: T1 to UUT: Low point value and a bit harder to pull off power effectively.
