So my group was having a discussion the other day, and an interesting topic came up - Sonnia Criid. One of us felt that she performs best up close and personal, engaged with the enemy in melee.
The reason? Absorb Magic.
With a built-in Rams in her Cb, she is guaranteed to pull off the trigger, meaning that you're forcing your opponent to lose one Control Card everytime she hits successfully. If you cheated to make sure the hit goes in, or to add another Rams to the Cb total, you can get a Control Card back from the Trigger. Having Rams in your flipped/cheated card means your opponent loses 2 Cards (1/3 of his control hand!) and severely limits his options. The best part is forcing your opponent to lose cards and to set up a situation where a well placed Disassemble, or even the Executioner's Decapitate, will kill off a minion or even a Master.
Some of her abilities excel when she is stuck in. Disrupt Magic means even casters trying to Focus won't be able to pull off their spells easily. Inferno is 3 Dg during the Close Phase, bypassing Df or Rst duels. Advanced Counterspell works better too, especially if the target is now within 3" of Sonnia. Except for Flame Burst, her spells can be cast in combat.
Her Df IS a problem, but being able to heal 1 Wd from Absorb Magic helps. Not to mention Guild minions like the Guardian can absorb Wds, and Sidir Alchibad can step in to force the opponent to redirect his attack. The Brutal Effigy can toss out healing on the side. Speed a problem? Guild can now hire Oiran that can cast Lure.
What do you guys think? Or are we just crazy?