Flock | Flock

[AD TienzuStorm]

NAME: Flock ELEMENT: Air COST: 4 TYPE: Spell TEXT: Occupy all empty slots adjacent to target creature with Crows	NAME: Flock ELEMENT: Air COST: 3 TYPE: Spell TEXT: Occupy all empty slots adjacent to target creature with Crows

ART: No art IDEA: AD TienzuStorm NOTES: My first thought is that it's OP. But I think it can't be much worse than something like RoF or even Thunderstorm. Firstly, here's Crow | Crow. Spoiler for Crow | Crow: They're the same, just unsure if I wanted to only have unupped be summoned (I guess like how Ash has unupped and upped). Anyways, how this card works. 1. You play the spell Flock and target a creature. 2. All the available adjacent slots (so at most it would be the six slots in a hexagon around the creature) will be occupied by Crows now 3. You end your turn 4. The opponent ends their turn 5. All crows will attack the creature they're surrounding instead of attacking the opponent as usual (this creature is prioritized before any other adjacent creature) 6. The crows will die after this attack (think like Spark) Specifics: - If the creature surrounded is killed before a Crow gets to attack it, the Crow will attack any other adjacent creature (including other Crows) - In the situation that only one Crow is left on the field with nothing to attack, the crow will attack the opponent and die Unsure about synergies with Death and all the death effect abusing, but it's fine probably. CHANGES: None

[Mr Muffin]

My first thought is this with bone wall which would be 13 more bones at most. Is this ok?

[Manuel]

isn't OP, it can be OP probably in every other element, but not in air, since air instead of thinking about CC can simply kill the opponent.

also this will be first cc card that can be prevented: just play dessication, pandemonium or reserve time on some crows (gimmick as hell, but whatever); sopa makes this card fail so hard, same for sundials.

about death: death with sparks and fractals can do better things, and that deck is not even played so much in pvp.

[Jenkar]

Feels really weak.
Compare to lightning (5 for 2/1) or shockwave (4 for 2/1), a max of 6 (which rapidly diminishes to 4 or less) for 4/3, with a vast array of preventing cards, this doesn't look a card that'd get much, if any, play.

[AD TienzuStorm]

My first thought is this with bone wall which would be 13 more bones at most. Is this ok?

Technically the most possible is 12 deaths (so 24 more shields). But that's an unlikely scenario with even unlikelier probability of the Crows each attacking the right target and not killing each other.

In an optimal reasonable situation, I would expect that eight would be the normal amount of deaths. That isn't that bad. Although maybe Crows without targets should "fly away" and get off the field rather than attack and die.

Feels really weak.
Compare to lightning (5 for 2/1) or shockwave (4 for 2/1), a max of 6 (which rapidly diminishes to 4 or less) for 4/3, with a vast array of preventing cards, this doesn't look a card that'd get much, if any, play.

Okay true, maybe it's a bit bad in terms of CC. But it also serves as a great way to trigger deaths, which this card is much better at compared to Shockwave and Lightning. It also.

Okay yeah maybe a buff is needed. 3 and 2 maybe? I don't want it to be the same cost as Shockwave because this one is usually superior (albeit more preventable, but in a small amount).

[Hyroen]

Interesting card.

What is your interpretation of the suitability of this mechanic in Air?

[AD TienzuStorm]

Bringing this back up because I enjoy this card.

What is your interpretation of the suitability of this mechanic in Air?

I'd say the mechanic itself definitely fits more in Darkness, with a sort of "gang up" idea going on and underhanded fighting and all that. I guess really the part that made me want to put it in Air was the actual theme of the card because birds and flight and that's basically Air...? I don't know.

I didn't put it in Darkness also because I feel like Darkness doesn't need a card like this (I do tend to have a bias against designing for elements like Fire and Aether and Darkness because they are already so strong and don't need much more support).


Aside from thematics, would a cost change to 3 and 2 be a good idea?

[OdinVanguard]

One interesting point is timimg. It is very possible that the victim will get to attack before the crows that surround it do so. I.e. the victim may get to attack before the crows kill it.

Also important. Suppose that a crow ends up placed in between two creatures, e.g. its target and a creature 2 spaces away.
Does the crow only attack its target or does it attack its target as well as the other adjoining creature?

Lastly, what happens if a crow is lobotomized? Will it turn into a regular creature?
What about with spells like overdrive or liquid shadow? Will the crow still attack its target or will the new abilities overwrite this effect?

I think this card can be quite potent as a CC measure, but I don't think it will end up OP (no matter what you decide on the above points). The reason being that there is significant lag time between when this is cast and when the CC takes place. This leaves an entire turn for your opponent to deal with the potential CC threat.
Moreover, if lobo'd crows become normal creatures, this spell could end up backfiring on you.
E.g. SoPa + lobo...
lastly, the potency of this CC is very much correlated with the density of your opponents field. It is usesless against a full field and will have little effect against targets that already have several ally creatures nearby.

I think this is a very creative and interesting card. I'ld love to test it out in Cygnia some day if it makes it there.
P.S. What do you think about using "Murder of Crows" as the name instead? It sounds much more descriptive and gives a nice sinister CC feel to the theme

[AD TienzuStorm]

One interesting point is timimg. It is very possible that the victim will get to attack before the crows that surround it do so. I.e. the victim may get to attack before the crows kill it.

Also important. Suppose that a crow ends up placed in between two creatures, e.g. its target and a creature 2 spaces away.
Does the crow only attack its target or does it attack its target as well as the other adjoining creature? One individual crow only attacks one target and then dies. The creature the crows are surrounding has priority over other creatures when the crows attack. If the original creature dies, then other creatures will be attacked if any crows remain.

Lastly, what happens if a crow is lobotomized? Will it turn into a regular creature? I'd say that Mob would be lobotomized but not the "die on attack", so the Crow will just attack the opponent and die.
What about with spells like overdrive or liquid shadow? Will the crow still attack its target or will the new abilities overwrite this effect? Those new abilities would override Mob, but the Crow still dies on attack.

I think this card can be quite potent as a CC measure, but I don't think it will end up OP (no matter what you decide on the above points). The reason being that there is significant lag time between when this is cast and when the CC takes place. This leaves an entire turn for your opponent to deal with the potential CC threat.
Moreover, if lobo'd crows become normal creatures, this spell could end up backfiring on you.
E.g. SoPa + lobo...
lastly, the potency of this CC is very much correlated with the density of your opponents field. It is usesless against a full field and will have little effect against targets that already have several ally creatures nearby.

I think this is a very creative and interesting card. I'ld love to test it out in Cygnia some day if it makes it there. Thank you! ^^
P.S. What do you think about using "Murder of Crows" as the name instead? It sounds much more descriptive and gives a nice sinister CC feel to the theme I suppose, will change when I can.

Although, in regards to the lobotomy thing, it could be interesting that maybe "die on attack" should be the part that is removed/replaced so that if you lobotomize a Crow on the enemy's field, it will consistently deal one damage to a surrounding creature, so like an entry poison (ooh maybe I'll make that idea later). Although maybe that's too much.

[OdinVanguard]

a few more question (i know its a lot, but since this thing is a creature there are quite a few oddball strategies that could come up):

Will the "die on attack" and / or "attack surrounded target" be retained if this creature mutated? (e.g. when mutating / improving a creature, buffs like momentum and adrenaline are retained, but not active skills like vampirism)

What happens if this creature is cast from a player's hand? E.g. you hit one with fractal or rewind before it attacks.

[AD TienzuStorm]

a few more question (i know its a lot, but since this thing is a creature there are quite a few oddball strategies that could come up):

Will the "die on attack" and / or "attack surrounded target" be retained if this creature mutated? (e.g. when mutating / improving a creature, buffs like momentum and adrenaline are retained, but not active skills like vampirism) No, I imagine it would react the same way as other normal abilities do.

What happens if this creature is cast from a player's hand? E.g. you hit one with fractal or rewind before it attacks. It would send the Crow card out normally, meaning there's really not much to benefit by playing since it'll either be one damage to your own creature for one quanta or just damage equal to the amount of quanta you spend on the Crows.