Disclaimer: I like tree decks, I got into the game for tree decks, the only cards I've collected are to help tree decks.

Ok, so as some of you have seen I've been trying to make tree decks work with the expansion. They don't. Even though silviculture, kudzu, arendor, and long root seem like cool cards they are all very flux inefficient. Basically if you want to make something like loyal wilds work you need to spend all your resources going for it at which point you have limited creatures and only a couple flux points. In addition, it is very dependent on the terrain of the map. Finally, with the addition of forest fire, land of dreams, and Sawmill you're likely to just lose the trees anyway.

While this may sound like a rant to save the trees (that's a joke btw) it's not. I want to get some help for all the potential theme decks. From my experience with tcg and online tcg theme decks are one of the best ways to maintain player interest. They don't have to be the best in the meta-game, but they do need to be viable.

Let's take a look at some possible themes for FW that aren't viable yet. (please correct me if I'm wrong)
Elves: Only the baron has synergy here.
Mutants: Yarnaga's Laboratory is the only card that helps here and it's a three domain with not a huge upside.
Kobolds: Warparty, that's all folks.
Knight: I hope I'm wrong but I can't find anything
Constructs: There are two cool new buildings, I would suggest both need to be buffed
Demons: Red Imp is still the only card that synergizes. It got Faceless Lord, so there's one new combo
Gnome: Again, I can't find any

This is not to say there aren't possible decks (ie Vampires seem decent although I haven't seen them run much), but overall they seem very limited and only gimmicky, not good.

Granted I'm not suggesting all this should get fixed before the new beta, but how about buffing one card for each of these themes. For example, give kobold warparty +1 speed, the construct buildings -1 flux, some gnome +1 attack to all other gnomes in vision.

It's drastic I know but at the very least I think themes should be shown some next love in the third expansion.

Another theme is Psions. I got destroyed by three Battle Linkr's played within 5 turns...

I've tried Vampires, and had fun with them against the comp, though I haven't come up with a fast enough deck to play against most of the other Beta decks I've seen.

_________________

Altren wrote:

I agree with Keyser, and that's what I'm planning to implement actually.

|| The Rise of the DCC | Plasmatium Netherious | Tastes Like Chicken | The Astridian Conspiracy ||

Guild -> | Platypus Rising|

Speaking of trees, I think the biggest problem is that it takes both too many cards and too much flux. Some things that would help...

Treetop Domain: Take this to 5 or more instead of more than 5.

Kudzu: Make the activation cost free like Desert Encroachment.

Belligerant Dryad: Make it 1 damage, 1 cost per activation...or maybe 2 damage, no flux but dim. Far, far more difficult to use than Ord Beast although tougher to get rid of. Much more difficult to use than Attrition and generally does less damage over the course of a game. With unlimited flux it would be amazing, but flux is limited.

Siviculture: Add a "draw a card"? Possibly fine as is.

Arendor Treefolk: Potentially a solid card with enough trees on the map, but still seems weak compared to the Dust Devil. On the other hand, it can reach out of the trees to hit someone while the devil is fully contained in the desert. My suggestions
1) Keep stats the same but give it 1-Teleport Forest
or
2) Make it a Forest version of the Swamp Thing. Bigger and with 0 or 1 cost Forest creation.

Forest Link: Instead of drawing a card, return the creature to your hand? Compared to Underworld Gateway it is prohibitively difficult to actually use.

it breaks my heart that tree decks still arent viable....
ever since i started this game its been my dream to make a powerful tree deck, and i was really hoping that this expansion would give me what i need to fulfill that dream

the problem with making kudzu free to use is that forests double the movement cost while deserts leave the costs the same, ignoring -strides. It's more powerful strategically and thus should cost more. I agree that the cost seems a bit high, but I don't think it's too far off honestly.

Maybe kudzu should die if not in forest?

Removing barriers is often just as strong as making them. Deserts also cancel one of Sylvan's biggest defenses in Entangle.

Swamps add to movement and the Scum Shambler can create up to 9 of them a turn for 0 flux cost. Granted, he is a 3 domain creature, but that's still a lot of terrain changing.

Goblin Sawmill can enable any creature to not only remove forests, but gain flux for doing so. Not overly powerful unless the opponent is relying on forests and creating those forests for 1 flux each.

Thinking some more about Kudzu: Is it really fair for it to be as expensive to run as Foul Termite Swarm? Not only that, but it starts slower since it needs to start in a forest then sit there for a turn before it can be used. Overall, it ends up being 1 flux cheaper since the initial cast costs nothing, so you get the first forest for 1 flux while the first termite swarm costs 2.

While at it, compare Foul Termite Swarm to Beligerent Dryad...

Swarm has only one use - kill creatures.
Forests, on the other hand, have soo many uses for sylvan. That's it.

All of those uses, either cost more flux and other cards, or are less powerful than the swarm by itself...

How many people play Belligerent Dryad?
How many play Elder Ent outside a fun theme deck?
Woodland Link?
Treetop Dominion has some potential, but with Kudzu it would only be good for a 3rd domain and it already combos better with Siviculture and still isn't that great.
Treehouse is good, but Ivory Spire or even Gossamer Palace is better, because of the effort of getting the woods in the right place and getting a 3rd domain to cast it.
Arendor Treefolk would be better with easier forest creation, and are marginal right now.
Pine Ents, Treeherds, and Saplings are only minorly influenced by forest creation.

That leaves Loyal Wilds and Long Root Elm and somewhat Entangle.

Did I miss any?