Defensive Stance | Offensive Stance

[OdinVanguard]

NAME: Defensive Stance ELEMENT: Earth COST: 2 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Target ally will deflect attack damage from any enemy in the opposing slot. Returns this card to hand if ally leaves play.	NAME: Offensive Stance ELEMENT: Earth COST: 3 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Target ally will redirect its attack at any enemy in the opposing slot. Return this card to hand if ally leaves play.

ART: Original artwork links: Unupgraded: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=927285 Upgraded: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1193494 Edited in GIMP by OdinVanguard IDEA: OdinVanguard NOTES: "Today is a day to remain firmly grounded" "Plant your feet, dig in, and don't let anything get past. Your turn to strike will come, and when you do your foes shall know your might. First be the mountain, then be the avalanche! Use it." The term "deflect" in the unupgraded version means that the damage will be redirected at a random target. This could be another creature or even the enemy player. -Selection is random but the defending creature, its owner, and the attacking creature will be exempt. -If the attacking creature has momentum, this effect will fail (just like with GP) The upgraded version is its inverse and will provide powerful CC capabilities. Both are meant to be relatively splashable spells to enable "Field Slot" based combat. SERIES: http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,48038.0.html

[whatifidogetcaught?]

Dat upped card art.

So this is just a focused Gravy Pull? I like the value of it targeting a slot but I don't like how much it is like Gravity Pull.

[OdinVanguard]

Dat upped card art.

So this is just a focused Gravy Pull? I like the value of it targeting a slot but I don't like how much it is like Gravity Pull.

Ya, I've been thinking about that myself... Would it be better to have it "deflect" the damage instead? (I.e. randomly redirect it)
Its a single slot effect (e.g. would only affect a single enemy's attack), so I think it should be safe.

[andretimpa]

I would change the upgraded one so that the card is returned when either the ally or the opposing creature is killed. This way the card could be more effective. The fact that you don't have too much flexibility on how to attack and that only one creature attacks keeps this from overshadowing gravity pull. Unless you are thinking about some mechanics that allow creatures to swap places.

[OdinVanguard]

I would change the upgraded one so that the card is returned when either the ally or the opposing creature is killed. This way the card could be more effective. The fact that you don't have too much flexibility on how to attack and that only one creature attacks keeps this from overshadowing gravity pull. Unless you are thinking about some mechanics that allow creatures to swap places.

Yes, this would indeed be very limited without the ability to move creatures around. Location swapping will be introduced in other cards in this series. Many of the creatures will have abilities that allow them to move to a chosen slot or swap places with an ally and then cause various effects.

Dat upped card art.

So this is just a focused Gravy Pull? I like the value of it targeting a slot but I don't like how much it is like Gravity Pull.

I have changed the unupgraded version so that it "deflects" damage instead of absorbing it. This should make it both unique and potent and should make up for the limitation of only affecting one enemy at a time.

[jazzfan27]

That upgraded one seems OP to me.  Not sure if it can be fixed.  I'd up the cost to about 8-9 I'd think.  If the discrepancy between the two casting costs is too high for you then I'd either make 2 separate cards or up the power of the unupgraded one along with the cost.

You could deflect the attack back on opposing player giving it an ability somewhat like Antimatter, if you wanted to go the 2nd route.

[andretimpa]

That upgraded one seems OP to me.

Actualy the way it is now and considering only the cards already in the game this is weaker and more expensive than gravity pull. Notice that your creature is the one that needs to leave play if you want to reuse this card. You could use it with eternity but it is a pretty expensive strategy.

[jazzfan27]

By my eye, it's a persistant source of free creature removal.  Say you have a dragon in the #1 slot.  You cast this on it.  The creature opposing it gets 10 damage a turn.  If it dies and a new creature is cast it will start in the #1 slot where it will also take 10 damage a turn.

It really just shuts down your opponent from casting new creatures, then if he manages to kill your dragon, zippo!  the card goes back to your hand for hte next round of destruction.

[andretimpa]

You have a point, maybe the whole returning to the hand part is a bad idea (I think comparing the resulting creature to a buffed warden might be a way to balance this)

[OdinVanguard]

I can change "leaves play" to "is killed", but I do want the card to be resistant to lethal CC.

Most elements do have a counter right now and those that don't will get one in the series... but I do see the point here.

Alternately, I could have the card get shuffled to deck instead of returning to hand. That would leave the opponent extra time before it comes back.

So, what about something like:
"Target ally redirects its attack at any enemy in the opposing slot. Shuffle this card to deck if ally dies on opponent's turn."

This makes
-poison a counter due to timing
-Rewind, and eternity are counters
-Shields that can kill are counters (effective since momentum will negate this card's effect)

Current counters / mitigators are:
-GP (overrides the effect)
-lobotomize (remove the effect, destroying it for good)
-Antimatter (causes it to heal)
-Voodoo doll
-Freeze effects
-Delay effects
-Evasion
-Quintescence (denied! lol )
-It is its own counter

Possible others:
-liquid shadow, mitosis, and butterfly effect? (could allow new skills to overwrite it)
-mutate / improve

So as best as I can see, only and get left out.

I'm not losing any sleep over annoying with CC it can't counter as effectively with its own versions.

I already had a good counter in mind for that I will be posting shortly as part of the series.

The series will contain a variety of other counter options as well.

Will this be enough to keep it balanced if the cost is raised a bit?

[andretimpa]

I think the rest of the series needs to be taken into account to balance this. So I'll wait you finish.