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Key Quest - The Power-Ups


by dipper70

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Key Quest has now been released from its beta status and with that change comes the introduction of some new power-up cards.

Power-ups are awarded when you land on the tile with diamonds and sometimes when you win mini games. The power-up cards play an essential role in the game and can make the difference between winning and losing. It is as important to be able to recognise the power-ups held by your opponents as it is to know how to use your own cards to maximum effect. As only three power-up cards can be held at any one time, knowing which cards are most advantageous to your game and which you can afford to discard is also useful.

This guide assumes a knowledge of how to play the Key Quest game. If you are unsure of the rules of the game, then you can read the Key Quest Tutorial, which you can access from most of the Key Quest game pages. There are also some excellent guides here in the Neopian Times.

There are currently 16 power-up cards, although the number available will depend upon the number of players in your game. The cards are described below, listed in alphabetical order:

Boots of Flight

Wearing these boots will carry you a great distance. Upon using this card you can throw the dice two times instead of one. This is a great power-up to use when you want to move as far as possible on the board with a view to collecting keys that are a distance away from you. It is not a good idea to use this power-up card if someone has played a Giant Lint Ball card on you as it will increase the likelihood of you reaching your target which, if a key or power-up, you will not be able to collect.

Bottled Quicksand

Only available in 3 and 4-player games, this power-up is feared even by Lost Desert residents. This card is used on one of your opponents, causing them to miss their next turn. It is best used on a player who is gathering a lot of keys, or who has a power-up that they could use against you to detrimental effect. It will only delay them for one turn, but it may be sufficient time for you to gain keys or power-ups that will swing the game in your favour.

Catapult

This power-up card is not available in 2-player games. It can be used on yourself or another player and will send the selected player back to their home tile. You may wish to send one of your opponents back to their home tile to delay them getting a particular colour of key, or to prevent them reaching the quest door. You may wish to send yourself back to your home tile to get closer to a similar destination.

Distraction Potion

If you get an opponent to drink this potion, you will be able to swap one of your keys with one of theirs. This can be advantageous if they have a key you require, and you also hold a duplicate key of a different colour. It can also be used if a player has all the keys they need to enter the quest door, as it can be used to change one so that they do not have the full set. Think carefully about which colour keys to exchange as you may inadvertently assist your opponent.

Giant Lint Ball

If you use a giant lint ball on another player, they will have their pockets full of lint and will be unable to collect any keys or power-ups on their next turn. This is most effective the closer your opponent is to a key tile as, if they are too far away, they may roll a small number and not reach the target you were hoping to prevent them from collecting.

Key Grabber

Not available in 2-player games, the key grabber is designed to steal one key from another player. It is best played against an opponent who holds the most keys to prevent them from gaining the full set. Ideally it will be used on a player who is holding a key which you do not hold and that is hard for you to access.

Loaded Gummy Dice

Playing this power-up card allows you to choose the value of the next roll of the die. This card is invaluable when you wish to land on the buried treasure. It is also useful when you want to ensure reaching your target, such as a specific key or the quest door. If the Giant Lint Ball power-up has been used on you, selecting a small number on the Loaded Gummy Dice may prevent you from reaching the tile you are aiming for, allowing you to collect your prize on the next roll.

Misdirected Compass

This power-up card can be used on yourself or another player. It causes the person whom it is played on to reverse direction. It can be used to prevent your opponent reaching their destination, or to stop yourself from a long journey where turning around would access a quicker route. On junctions, the power-up card will cause the person it is used on to go back along the path they have just taken.

Mortog

The mortog tile enables you to move one space ahead of the selected target player. If the mortog power-up moves you onto a key or power-up tile, you will be unable to collect it as it is the starting point of your move and is not included within your dice throw.

Rainbow Fountain Water

Use the water of the Rainbow Fountain to change a key to a different colour. It can be used on one of the keys you hold, or one that belongs to another player. It is a good way of utilising duplicate keys that you hold. It can also reduce the number of different coloured keys held by an opponent. If, by using the Rainbow Fountain Water card you cause another player to hold duplicate keys, those keys could be acquired later in the game using the Spare Keyring Power-up.

Rainbow Sticky Hand

Swing this sticky hand and you will be able to take a power-up card held by an opponent of your choice. Amongst the benefits is the opportunity to take a power-up card that you can use later, or to prevent that player from using a card on you during another turn. It is advisable to use your Rainbow Sticky Hand to take other players’ Rainbow Sticky Hand cards to prevent them from taking your cards!

Spare Keyring

You can use this card on another player to take any duplicate keys that they hold. This is a great way to fill your keyring with keys of colours you have not obtained. It can also deter your opponent from using a card like Distraction Potion as they will not have any spare keys to swap with one of yours.

Swap Keyrings

This is a valuable power-up card which swaps all your keys with those of another player. A good time to use this card is when someone has more keys than you hold or, better still, when they have the full set.

Tornado Ring

This power-up can be used on another player’s power-ups or on cards that you hold. Every power-up held by the target person will be randomly changed to a new card. It is advisable only to use this power-up on yourself when you hold poor cards or if you are hoping to obtain a specific power-up card. Use it on your opponent when they have cards that give them an advantage. The results of using this card is random, so be aware that you could end up in a worse situation than before.

Transporter Helmet

Although not particularly fashionable, this helmet can be used to swap places with another player. This is a great way to move a player away from a place that is to their advantage. It is also useful if you want to change places with someone so that you are closer to your desired destination.

Virtudice

This cool power-up card allows you to move six spaces. It is useful when you need to move a large distance as an alternative to the Boots of Flight card, which can be unreliable. It can also be used if six tiles will land you on the buried treasure tile.

The above descriptions give details of what each card does and suggestions for their use. The cards and keys held by the others players and the general game play will determine when to put them into play. Although there is a certain amount of luck in the cards that you win, using them efficiently is essential. These cards can make the difference between winning and losing the game.

As with all things, practice and familiarity will be of great assistance. The more you play Key Quest, the greater your understanding will be. Do not get disheartened if you do not immediately win the games you play. All players receive neopoints earned through play and even lead keys give one prize from the vault. Using the power-up cards and watching others play them will help greatly your understanding and in no time at all you will be winning gold keys too.

 
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