Shadow Sphere | Shadow Sphere

[russianspy1234]

"If an attack would kill you": This includes spells. But spells would bypass this right? so is it ineffective that way?

Spells aren't attacks.

Frack this... now the opponent might ragequit.

Do you rage quit against bonewall?  Cuz this is only slightly better if you have an empty hand and it requires two cards to do.

i like it, but no one would ever up it. make the upped cost 1 more than unupped, and be a 1/10.

I agree with Esran. Given that the main purpose of the card is as a damage shield, it wouldn't make sense for it to lose hitpoints when upgraded. Especially since the cost becomes irrelevant if it is held in reserve as a life-saver type contingent.

Changed

[dragonsdemesne]

I really like the idea of this card, as it expands the game in a new direction that we don't really have yet, other than something like ghost of the past.  The only thing I don't like about it is that you'll almost never actually pay the activation cost, or the casting cost for that matter.  Maybe there should be some sort of advantage for hard-casting it, or disadvantage to playing it from hand (comes into play with half hp from hand, maybe?)

Also, this isn't as good with fractal as you might think, at least not really any more so than with other good creatures.  Sure, you've got a bunch of these in hand.  Then, the next time you take lethal damage, they ALL come into play at once, but only the last one actually has gravity pull, so you get at most 8 damage worth of attackers, although with eclipse/nightfall that obviously increases.

Thematically, I think the card is fine in darkness; you duck into the shadows to avoid the deathblow (and leave your minion to take the hit :p) and of course the gravity activation cost makes more thematic sense over any other element.

[Pineapple]

Also, this isn't as good with fractal as you might think, at least not really any more so than with other good creatures.  Sure, you've got a bunch of these in hand.  Then, the next time you take lethal damage, they ALL come into play at once, but only the last one actually has gravity pull, so you get at most 8 damage worth of attackers, although with eclipse/nightfall that obviously increases.

If multiples are in hand, only one will trigger per event.

If they all went into play, then the card would be grossly underpowered because it would be extremely difficult to chain.

Easily abused with current damage monitor, Fractal, and maybe even Nightmare.

Yes fractal this does go quite well with fractal, most creatures do.  I actually planned to make the ability be gravity pull and burrow, but took out the burrow part because it wasn't thematic.  How does nightmare abuse this though?

Nvm, was thinking about swarming the enemy's field with a momentum'd creature, but I forgot that you would need the opponent to be almost dead for such a strategy.

[russianspy1234]

I really like the idea of this card, as it expands the game in a new direction that we don't really have yet, other than something like ghost of the past.  The only thing I don't like about it is that you'll almost never actually pay the activation cost, or the casting cost for that matter.  Maybe there should be some sort of advantage for hard-casting it, or disadvantage to playing it from hand (comes into play with half hp from hand, maybe?)

Also, this isn't as good with fractal as you might think, at least not really any more so than with other good creatures.  Sure, you've got a bunch of these in hand.  Then, the next time you take lethal damage, they ALL come into play at once, but only the last one actually has gravity pull, so you get at most 8 damage worth of attackers, although with eclipse/nightfall that obviously increases.

Thematically, I think the card is fine in darkness; you duck into the shadows to avoid the deathblow (and leave your minion to take the hit :p) and of course the gravity activation cost makes more thematic sense over any other element.

The idea with these autocast cards is that they have to be slightly underpowered if you were to hardcast them.  Most of the other ones are actually far more narrow than this one, and the idea is that they help you in a particular situation, but aren't completely useless if the autocast isn't triggered.   Making an advantage for hardcasting would defeat that purpose, and it would also be near impossible to fit on the card.
Originally, I actually was gonna have all of the autocasts trigger per event, making this was actually what changed my mind.  It is far easier to design this way, and more flavorful.

[OdinVanguard]

Here's an odd idea for an alternate version, that keeps a similar theme but would require the card to be played:
"Permanent invisibility
  : Gravity Pull
Activates automatically for free if an attack would kill you."

[russianspy1234]

Here's an odd idea for an alternate version, that keeps a similar theme but would require the card to be played:
"Permanent invisibility
  : Gravity Pull
Activates automatically for free if an attack would kill you."

not a bad idea, but i am trying to keep an autocast mechanic accross an entire series of cards for all of the elements.

[furballdn]

Why not call it something like decoy? Right now I don't really feel anything "shadowy" about it.

[Annele]

i like it, but no one would ever up it. make the upped cost 1 more than unupped, and be a 1/10.

I agree with Esran. Given that the main purpose of the card is as a damage shield, it wouldn't make sense for it to lose hitpoints when upgraded. Especially since the cost becomes irrelevant if it is held in reserve as a life-saver type contingent.

Changed

New version is way more balanced. Geat

[russianspy1234]

Why not call it something like decoy? Right now I don't really feel anything "shadowy" about it.

going for an "attack the darkness" flavor.  the idea is the attacker tries to attack through this and gets lost/confused.