Below I list some cards that I think are slightly problematic in the new set and I will propose some possible modifications. I will also have a look at some cards from the first set. It is well worth pointing out that I think that the new set is, overall, very good and that jed has made a marvellous job coming up with all these cards! So, as always, this is a post that is intended to express some love
Shield Generator
I suggest that instead of giving Armor (2) to all ‘contiguous’ Figures, it gives it to all ‘adjacent’ Figures instead.
- Why? Simply because it invites those kinds of building decks that are more or less impenetrable if you don’t have very big creatures out or, alternatively, have destructive spells such as Volcano and Tremor. I think giving armor to ‘adjacent’ Figures is still very good for defensive purposes (such as having Osin Faith Healer and/or Abrixian Sparker next to your base)
Mana Dome
I suggest that the Mana Dome itself should be targetable.
- Why? Mainly because the obvious combo of Shield Generator and Mana Dome is otherwise too powerful. This will still make Mana Dome superior to, for instance, Null Stone and it will in all respects still also be a very good building.
Acmar’s Stabilizer
I suggest that Acmar’s should have either an increased Flux cost or, perhaps better, it should be a 3 level domain requirement.
- Why? The simple reason here is that it is too cheap for what it does. It can, on its own, effectively, undermine whole strategies for next to no cost to the caster.
Char
- Char was boosted just a couple of days ago and I suggest that it should be slightly nerfed. I have used it in a DL and Chaos deck but I think that the boosts it received made it perhaps too strong.
Why? It is costly to play both in terms of levels of domain and in terms of Flux, but if it is allowed to be in played (i.e., not negated, lysised (spelling?!)) it is extremely powerful with its special ability, move, health and vision. I suggest to either reduce movement from 5 to 4 or vision from 3 to 2 (preferably the former, I think).
Creeping Gloom
- I suggest that Creeping Gloom is either reshuffled into caster’s deck (rather than returning to hand) or that it should cast 2 levels of domain to cast.
Why? The fact that you can kill off early scouts such as Thistle Falcons and other things so easily and have it returned to your hand is making it hard to counter for many decks. It is the fact that you can do this again and again that makes it hard to deal with (especially if the opponent has 2 of them).
Here are some cards from the old set that I think are slightly problematic, many of which have been extensively discussed before.
Ord Beast
I have won with and lost to this card more time than I can remember and I have observed countless such games as well. It obviously goes well with Ord Stone and the Ragnarok + Plasma combo. Anything that generates a great deal of flux is great with the Ord Beast. I think it is a very interesting card but I would like to see it changed somehow. Not sure how though. If the cost of using the ability was 3 Flux, would that make it useless?
Ord Stone
This is a card that I have had my doubts about more or less since I started playing. It is simply a great card but you also know that if your opponent manages to get two of them out in round 2, you are probably doomed. Again I don’t have any exact proposal for a change, but I think something is needed. (See more about this below under Hadarck’s Throne.)
Negate
Negate is a great spell and every deck that has MF should have 3 of it. I suggest a Flux increase so that it costs 2 flux instead. This way you will have to plan a bit more carefully when to play with it and it takes some pressure off of you when you play against it.
Fissure
The faith of Fissure is still undecided, I think, and it is hard to evaluate it without knowing exactly what the new Autodraw Rule will amount to. As it is now, it is clearly too good and those proposed changes (that it should give opponent 4 Glory or that it will cost 4 Glory to cast) would probably be good enough changes. Still, I think the verdict of this have to wait until the new Autodraw Rule is fully implemented.
Training
People’s favourite card to love and hate! It needs a change, for sure. How about giving it one less Health and/or giving it a Lifespan (3)? It would still be good but it would be as good as it is now.
Hadarck’s Throne
So much of the meta-game seems to be connected with what will happen to this building. It seems as if it will be M4 and that might be a good change. Some have expressed doubts about the fact that we will see loads of mono MF decks if this change is implemented. I think so too, but I am not that worried about it. If some or possibly all of the ‘standard’ (Training, Negate, Fissure) MF cards are nerfed, MF might need something else to pride itself of. I have expressed my view elsewhere that if the Throne is such a big problem then maybe it should simply be taken out. There will, of course, be all kinds of administrative problems with that. After all, it is the most expensive card in the game. But the pains of dealing with that are, I am sure, worth it if it makes the general game-play better overall.
I have not seen the following two cards in play other than the games in which I have used them myself (which is, I think, something like 3 games so far). I think they are potentially very problematic and all I am urging at this point is that people pay some special attention to them. I am thinking of:
- Eminent Domain
- Agitator
A final note. How do people feel about spells such as Soul Plague and Earthquake? Since they obviously target both players they are not as nasty as, say, Fissure. But then again, you wouldn’t play a Soul Plague if you had ten creatures out or an Earthquake if you had no other means of securing Glory. I personally hate playing against them, but that is just me (I guess). Opinions please
Cheers!
