Evolve | Superior Genes

[Devourer]

I voted to up the cost to 8|10. I also think that abilities should still affect you. For example, Scorpions would not give poison because their attack doesn't hit you, but Chrysoara would poison you because its just the ability, not the creature. I think basically that the card should block the attack and only the attack, for balance reasons. Otherwise, I really like the card, and I think it gives Life some much needed and thematically fitting soft control.

[bossitron]

I don't know what people are going on about soft control. this is RoF on steroids.

needles to say I don't like this card. at all.

[Espithel]

I don't know what people are going on about soft control. this is RoF on steroids.

needles to say I don't like this card. at all.

And it's in , the element that, above all others, shouldn't get this kind of control.

I like the card, but put it in another element. >:|
Or else life stall'll turn into yet another variant of the fire stall.

[Devourer]

I honestly don't see why this is so OP. Its obvious fractalhate, but to be fair fractal sort of needs hate. Any half-decent rush uses at least 3 or 4 different types of creatures, so at best you halve your damage at a very large cost to you. And this is removable with any kind of CC on the creature. The upped version I can see being OP, and probably needs some tweaking. But if your entire deck strategy can be blocked with this card, it might not have been the best deck.

[Sera]

3-4 maybe if you're counting the weaker hitting creatures, but you really don't need to shut down every single attacking monster. If you use this on the strongest monster, you basically shut down more than half the damage of most rush decks, and you can simply mitigate the rest using some healing. If your enemy is bringing CC to counter, it's even less likely to kill a stall deck that brings this. This also shuts down FFQ decks. It's incredibly hard to break a stall that uses this too, as this shuts down any grower or mass produced creature that has the potential to outdamage the stall. We know how much antimatter shifts the game when it hits, and this does at least double of that.

As an example, consider how many decks this can beat:

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

4t9 4t9 4t9 4t9 4t9 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bt 5bt 5bt 5bt 5bt 5c5 5c5 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 8pn

Edit: Oops.

[OdinVanguard]

Hmmm... Would this status be retained during mutations? If so I think it would make a wonderful counterpart to Fallen Druids and Fallen elves.

This + fallen elf becomes a near autokill like combo. Barring the off times when mutants get created.

In that case, I could see building decks using this, fallen druid, and quints (powered by nova / super nova).
-Mutate enemy creature into abomination.
-Cast this on it.
-Hit it with quint.
-Mutate any other creatures the opponent plays.
Should be quite an effective lockdown... Just save one or two in reserve for when an actual mutant gets created and hit that creature with extra Superior Genes. With a mix of upped and unupped, you can have all abominations disabled and still have leeway for 2 mutations in a pinch. A couple demons may help there too, since mutants have a moderate chance to have higher ATK than HP.

[Kakerlake]

Of course this card is quite powerful, it's supposed to give something against fractal. something minor just won't do the trick to counter something that strong *cough*OP!*/cough*.

I voted to up the cost to 8|10. I also think that abilities should still affect you. For example, Scorpions would not give poison because their attack doesn't hit you, but Chrysoara would poison you because its just the ability, not the creature. I think basically that the card should block the attack and only the attack, for balance reasons. Otherwise, I really like the card, and I think it gives Life some much needed and thematically fitting soft control.

Sounds like a valid point, thanks. I'll drop the lobomisation-like part, that was kind'a too much and isn't neccesairy for the card.

Spoiler for Hidden:

3-4 maybe if you're counting the weaker hitting creatures, but you really don't need to shut down every single attacking monster. If you use this on the strongest monster, you basically shut down more than half the damage of most rush decks, and you can simply mitigate the rest using some healing. If your enemy is bringing CC to counter, it's even less likely to kill a stall deck that brings this. This also shuts down FFQ decks. It's incredibly hard to break a stall that uses this too, as this shuts down any grower or mass produced creature that has the potential to outdamage the stall. We know how much antimatter shifts the game when it hits, and this does at least double of that.

As an example, consider how many decks this can beat:

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

4t9 4t9 4t9 4t9 4t9 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bs 5bt 5bt 5bt 5bt 5bt 5c5 5c5 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5cq 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 5de 8pn

Edit: Oops.

Gravity Shield. (1 card that can beat your whole deck? OP! nerf Gravy Shield!!)
The Immortal also easily beats this =) ~as do most stalls
DBH still hurts
MA / Fractal Psion Spider + Dims wins as well (not if you add an appropriate shield though)
Grabbow doesn't seem to be much affected.

Hmmm... Would this status be retained during mutations? If so I think it would make a wonderful counterpart to Fallen Druids and Fallen elves.

This + fallen elf becomes a near autokill like combo. Barring the off times when mutants get created.

In that case, I could see building decks using this, fallen druid, and quints (powered by nova / super nova).
-Mutate enemy creature into abomination.
-Cast this on it.
-Hit it with quint.
-Mutate any other creatures the opponent plays.
Should be quite an effective lockdown... Just save one or two in reserve for when an actual mutant gets created and hit that creature with extra Superior Genes. With a mix of upped and unupped, you can have all abominations disabled and still have leeway for 2 mutations in a pinch. A couple demons may help there too, since mutants have a moderate chance to have higher ATK than HP.

The status goes away as the creature changes by mutation. A fallen druid is a great counter to this card.
Your combo requires 2 cards. I got another one: Oty + Armor. does basically the same and no one considers it too strong.


-> nerf that you're immune to the skills will be applied in a couple minutes. (you're only immune to attack damage now)


I really like this card in life with the thematics, but if you think it too strong, there is always the option to reduce its effect. So instead of immunity, it will reduce the damage by a hard number from the same creatures, similar to a Titan Shield. Would have to be possible to cast it on multiple creatures then though.
In this case, it could also go to as a curse.
Or to as a slowdown illness.

[Treldon]

-snip-
I really like this card in life with the thematics, but if you think it too strong, there is always the option to reduce its effect. So instead of immunity, it will reduce the damage by a hard number from the same creatures, similar to a Titan Shield. Would have to be possible to cast it on multiple creatures then though.
In this case, it could also go to as a curse.
Or to as a slowdown illness.

You have received: one Treldon Approval 

[OldTrees]

Interesting card.

Question: What if this were a permanent that chooses the type of creature by targeting it when cast?

[Devourer]

Interesting card.

Question: What if this were a permanent that chooses the type of creature by targeting it when cast?

I dislike the idea of a permanent, simply for thematic reasons. Evolution is not a tangible object, and I think it should remain as a spell.

[OldTrees]

Interesting card.

Question: What if this were a permanent that chooses the type of creature by targeting it when cast?

I dislike the idea of a permanent, simply for thematic reasons. Evolution is not a tangible object, and I think it should remain as a spell.

Well the effect is a specific adaption not evolution in general. Specific adaptions would make sense as Enchantments/Alterations to the modified individual(the player). Feral Bond gives precedent for Alterations of Players as Permanents(Poison gives a precedent for status effects being used).

[Kakerlake]

Interesting card.

Question: What if this were a permanent that chooses the type of creature by targeting it when cast?

I dislike the idea of a permanent, simply for thematic reasons. Evolution is not a tangible object, and I think it should remain as a spell.

Well the effect is a specific adaption not evolution in general. Specific adaptions would make sense as Enchantments/Alterations to the modified individual(the player). Feral Bond gives precedent for Alterations of Players as Permanents(Poison gives a precedent for status effects being used).

As it is now, I don't like the idea of turning it into a permament. An evolutionary step can't really be exploded off of you. Same would go for Feral Bond, but it's a permament anyway.
Overall, I'd say I'm ok with it being a permament, but I wouldn't be too fond of the idea.

An option would be to turn the thematics of this into something more tangible. Like a Curse , some Bloodseeking Ivy or Racism