Elements 1.29

[zanzarino]

Added to the "under development" page:
Shard of Void
Shard of Patience
Shard of Serendipity (inspired by the competition winner "Shard of Intuition")

This 3 new shards are not in the trainer yet.

Miracle reduces health to 1 hp if used with SoS.
AI does not commit suicide anymore using SoS.

[OldTrees]

Those 3 shards  look very interesting.

[Xenocidius]

Interesting.



Does Shard of Void deal damage as well if it can?

[Elite arbiter]

The cost won't be reversed.
They are available from the bazaar.

I guess its simply my bad for taking for granted when I click "All Cards" I actually get all of the cards. Minor problem at best.

Also, new cards look interesting. Void can work well with a Drain Life theme, I'm seeing someone trying "Fractal Physalia" or "Fractal Ullitharid", and I can't help but feel serendipity will work wonders for a rainbow deck.

... I'm gonna try building that right now. Question though, does Shard of Patience Stack with itself? Ie, does having 3 make all your creatures gain +3/3, +9/9 in a flooded area?

[The_Mormegil]

First comments upon the shards:

Shard of Readiness will enable Time rush decks and amazingly common 4 turn wins against the AI. In my opinion this is bad, as it renders CC much more important: any deck without fast, reliable CC is going to be stomped hard by this rush. Denial doesn't really cut it either, due to SoR costing other quanta and the possibility to use novas.

Shard of Sacrifice is still outright broken, and the attempt to fix this with Shard of Patience is trying to patch a broken door with a new handle. Firstly, it isn't a true direct counter, it's a rather soft one. Secondly even if it WAS a direct counter it would run into the infamous rock-paper-scissor situation: either bring SoS, or SoP or any other deck. SoS beats every other deck which doesn't use SoP, and every deck beats a deck that uses SoP. Shard of Sacrifice needs a complete overhaul before entering the game unless it is meant to be banned from every single PvP event ever, including probably leagues.

Shard of Void seems a great shard at first (it reduces the power of Firestall, for one) until you realize the following:
- SoV is a permanent, thus subject to the heavy PC of Firestall (Deflagration is still a problem).
- SoV is a definite anti-stall, providing not only an alternate damage source but also reducing the power of healing. The metagame will be shifted towards rushes EVEN MORE (and I thought SoR was bad already for this).
- SoV costs other. Yes, of course, it's a shard. But my point is: you are essentially giving a better version of Poison to every element. REALLY? Poison stalls are strong (see Bonebolt, see Pandebonium, see PoisonDial...) but normally they require death. This enables a new version of poison stalls which works for EVERY ELEMENT. Sure, dark mark helps. Whatever, nobody will ever care, SoV is strong in any deck.

Shard of Patience is useless. First, see the above comments on SoS for the attempt at a direct counter (it IS an issue). Second, let's take a look at this card: what does it help?
You're holding back your creatures for one turn. Since the only reason you have to do that would be to activate the second effect of the card OR to prevent their death OR to prevent SoS healing. The SoS healing is factored above, now let's take a look at the rest. The effect sucks, as practically any Water attacker is better than a +1/+1 buff to every water creature. I mean, take a look at the Tsunami deck: nobody will ever play SoP there! An Abyss Crawler is as strong as a +1/+1 to SIX creatures, except in VERY marginal cases. The holding back is incredibly situational and useless in about every instance except VERY specific ones since you DON'T DO DAMAGE to the opponent that way. If you build the deck around creatures not doing damage with them is useless but so is the rest of the card! If you build a deck with attacking creatures you WANT them to attack! That's why Sundial stops the opponent's creatures.
All in all, SoP is a fail counter to SoS (which is in itself a pretty bad idea) AND a wasted card slot in every other instance.

Shard of Serendipity... I'm torn. It'll need some testing. There's one thing I know for sure though: if it WORKS, then it's essentially a "pay 3 random quanta, draw 3 cards" which is the ultimate rainbow rush card advantage ever. If it DOESN'T work, then you have an useless card sitting in the back of the metagame.

[Sevs]

Shard of Serendipity

When it says draw up to 3 random cards the first will be  . I think testing will be needed but having a card in a Quantum tower SN speedbow seems a little OP. Imagine you have the ability to call up a SN(since they are pretty much the only  cards there) and 2 other cards. I think a 36 card speed bow with 6 of these would be able to put out its entire deck more reliably and faster then a normal 30 card speed bow.

[The_Mormegil]

Shard of Serendipity

When it says draw up to 3 random cards the first will be  . I think testing will be needed but having a card in a Quantum tower SN speedbow seems a little OP. Imagine you have the ability to call up a SN(since they are pretty much the only  cards there) and 2 other cards. I think a 36 card speed bow with 6 of these would be able to put out its entire deck more reliably and faster then a normal 30 card speed bow.

I believe it is intended to act as a kind of Fractal or Mindgate card-creation engine. That means a QT Speedbow will use it to draw 3 cards and probably play them. It's either a new Fate Egg or a new rush powerhouse, we'll test it soon enough.

[dragonsdemesne]

Void: I already commented on this one in the individual thread when I saw it in my 'new unread threads', but basically it seems reasonable, although powerful, until you realize that it can stack like a pillar can.  This means that one of the disadvantages it would suffer if it came out now, i.e. blocking you from playing too many other permanents, no longer exists.  I'm not sure what the best solution to this would be; I'll let people try to work that one out.

Patience: I'm not sure if this is a permanent or a spell, but either way, it's pretty weak in my opinion.  It's useless outside of nonwater, except to prevent your creatures crashing into a fireshield/SoS, and if you want to do that, Sundial is better, and when upgraded is 'other' as well, with 0 cost instead of 3.

Serendipity: I love this card!  I love anything that gives card advantage, and this obviously does it.  It's clearly strongest in either entropy or rainbow decks.  It's also extremely fun, because it allows you to play with cards that you don't own or aren't using in your deck.  I think it should cost more to cast this card, like 5 or 6, but otherwise I would leave it as is, and think it would be a fun addition.

[Sevs]

Mono Other is going to be a very decent strategy, Mark of darkness, 6 Shard of Void, 6 Shard of divitity, 6 Shard of Sacrifice. 6 of some other stalling shard and 6 Quantum towers.

[Kuroaitou]

Mono Other is going to be a very decent strategy, Mark of darkness, 6 Shard of Void, 6 Shard of divitity, 6 Shard of Sacrifice. 6 of some other stalling shard and 6 Quantum towers.

That would be... well, a LOT of rares for a single deck.

That said, thank you Zanz for confirming that one of the shards was based off a card idea (i.e. - Shard of Intuition). Looks like I can finally dust off the 'How write a Reliquary article' book that's been sitting in the Curator libraries for months.

[The_Mormegil]

Mono Other is going to be a very decent strategy, Mark of darkness, 6 Shard of Void, 6 Shard of divitity, 6 Shard of Sacrifice. 6 of some other stalling shard and 6 Quantum towers.

No QTs, I'd rather play Novas. Way faster start. Also, how could you forget SoG?

[Sevs]

Mono Other is going to be a very decent strategy, Mark of darkness, 6 Shard of Void, 6 Shard of divitity, 6 Shard of Sacrifice. 6 of some other stalling shard and 6 Quantum towers.

No QTs, I'd rather play Novas. Way faster start. Also, how could you forget SoG?

because sos and sog dont mix