Ask the Idea Guru

[OldTrees]

I forgot. What's the theoretical fastest way to deal 100 damage assuming you have complete control of the RNG and your opponent does nothing?

IIRC
Quantum Towers providing 3 quanta of your choice each.
Pandemonium providing Mass Parallel Universe.

So perhaps it was
1) Photon
2) Quantum Tower -> 3
3) 3 -> Improved Mutation (Photon -> 19|6 Ruby Dragon with  :Dive)
4) Quantum Tower -> 3
5) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 19|6 and 23|10 Ruby Dragons with  :Dive)
6) Quantum Tower -> 3
7) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 19|6, 23|10, 23|10 and 27|14,  Ruby Dragons with  :Dive)
Total: 92 damage turn 1 going first with 384 damage next turn.
If going second, a Ball Lightning can be inserted at step 3.5 for 4 Ball Lightnings, dealing an additional 20 damage.
Total: 112 damage turn 1 going second with 384 damage next turn.

Just want to point out that this scenario is impossible, due to the fact you cannot get ruby dragons from mutants.

Errata: I forgot Improved Mutation only created unupped creatures.

1) Photon
2) Quantum Tower -> 3
3) 3 -> Improved Mutation (Photon -> 16|7 Crimson Dragon with  :Dive)
4) Quantum Tower -> 3
5) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7 and 20|11 Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
6) Quantum Tower -> 3
7) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7, 20|11, 20|11 and 24|15,  Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
Total: 80 damage turn 1 going first with 336 damage next turn.
If going second, a Ball Lightning can be inserted at step 3.5 for 4 Ball Lightnings, dealing an additional 20 damage.
Total: 100 damage turn 1 going second with 336 damage next turn.

Anyways, OT, I haven't been paying much attention to war. For round 11, if we assume everyone has a 50% chance of winning, what are the percent chances that will win war? ? ?

I have not been paying any attention to the current war and do not have the vault management knowledge to make an accurate estimate of their current positions.

[Xenocidius]

OldTrees has asked me to announce that he is experiencing connectivity issues and may not have forum access for a while. That said, keep the questions coming.

[OldTrees]

Thanks Xenocidius. The connectivity problems appear to be over now.

[RavingRabbid]

1) Photon
2) Quantum Tower -> 3
3) 3 -> Improved Mutation (Photon -> 16|7 Crimson Dragon with  :Dive)
4) Quantum Tower -> 3
5) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7 and 20|11 Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
6) Quantum Tower -> 3
7) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7, 20|11, 20|11 and 24|15,  Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
Total: 80 damage turn 1 going first with 336 damage next turn.
If going second, a Ball Lightning can be inserted at step 3.5 for 4 Ball Lightnings, dealing an additional 20 damage.
Total: 100 damage turn 1 going second with 336 damage next turn.

Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed.

Photon+Mutation => 17 Crimson Dragon.
22 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
27 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
32 Crimson Dragon from Seed.

Or Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Seed, SoR, something

Photon+Mutation => 15 Devonian Dragon with Dive.
Sor => 60 attack Devonian Dragon.
Chaos Seed, party. 65 attack Devonian Dragon.


If going second, there is the chance to change that something with 1 more SoR and 1 more QT. Just to make things insane.

[OldTrees]

1) Photon
2) Quantum Tower -> 3
3) 3 -> Improved Mutation (Photon -> 16|7 Crimson Dragon with  :Dive)
4) Quantum Tower -> 3
5) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7 and 20|11 Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
6) Quantum Tower -> 3
7) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7, 20|11, 20|11 and 24|15,  Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
Total: 80 damage turn 1 going first with 336 damage next turn.
If going second, a Ball Lightning can be inserted at step 3.5 for 4 Ball Lightnings, dealing an additional 20 damage.
Total: 100 damage turn 1 going second with 336 damage next turn.

Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed.

Photon+Mutation => 17 Crimson Dragon.
22 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
27 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
32 Crimson Dragon from Seed.

Or Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Seed, SoR, something

Photon+Mutation => 15 Devonian Dragon with Dive.
Sor => 60 attack Devonian Dragon.
Chaos Seed, party. 65 attack Devonian Dragon.


If going second, there is the chance to change that something with 1 more SoR and 1 more QT. Just to make things insane.

Good point about SoR (to use the mutant's ability) and Chaos Seed(cheaper pandamonium if only 1 target, though 2 QT + 2 Pandamonium = 1 QT + 3 Seeds)

Improved mutation is +0-4|+0-4 A 16|7 (12|3 +4|+4)Crimson Dragon is the best stats mutation can initially obtain.

Devonian Dragon is not able to be obtained by mutation.

I need to check if multiple dives in the same turn stack. (Otherwise Mitosis might be better)

[Jyiber]

Two questions for the same card idea.

Thoughts on reusing a name that's been used multiple times, in this case Locust.

Thoughts on this card idea:
-  Locust  1|1 creature
-  Cost Undecided (what do you think would be balanced for life cost theory?)
-  Enters game burrowed. Skill: (Sacrifice card) create 3 Locust Eggs.

-  Locust Egg
-  0|1 creature
-  Skill: Hatch into Locust.

Wondering what costs should be applied to the skills. I'm thinking 1  or

[OldTrees]

Two questions for the same card idea.

Thoughts on reusing a name that's been used multiple times, in this case Locust.

Thoughts on this card idea:
-  Locust  1|1 creature
-  Cost Undecided (what do you think would be balanced for life cost theory?)
-  Enters game burrowed. Skill: (Sacrifice card) create 3 Locust Eggs.

-  Locust Egg
-  0|1 creature
-  Skill: Hatch into Locust.

Wondering what costs should be applied to the skills. I'm thinking 1  or

1|1 immaterial creature that can triple its attack every other turn at the cost of not attacking for a turn and temporary partial vulnerability to CC.

I would reccomend:
The initial skill be : (Sacrifice card) create 3 Locust Eggs. [Tie a exponential cost to the exponential benefit]
The second skill be  0: Hatch into Locust. [Have the cost be paid before the vulnerability to increase the significance of the vulnerability]
The 1|1 burrowed body with that pair of abilities is probably worth 3 + 1 card.

1) Photon
2) Quantum Tower -> 3
3) 3 -> Improved Mutation (Photon -> 16|7 Crimson Dragon with  :Dive)
4) Quantum Tower -> 3
5) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7 and 20|11 Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
6) Quantum Tower -> 3
7) 3 -> Pandemonium (Parallel Universe -> 16|7, 20|11, 20|11 and 24|15,  Crimson Dragons with  :Dive)
Total: 80 damage turn 1 going first with 336 damage next turn.
If going second, a Ball Lightning can be inserted at step 3.5 for 4 Ball Lightnings, dealing an additional 20 damage.
Total: 100 damage turn 1 going second with 336 damage next turn.

Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed, Chaos Seed.

Photon+Mutation => 17 Crimson Dragon.
22 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
27 Crimson Dragon from Seed.
32 Crimson Dragon from Seed.

Or Hand: Photon, Mutation, QT, QT, Seed, SoR, something

Photon+Mutation => 15 Devonian Dragon with Dive.
Sor => 60 attack Devonian Dragon.
Chaos Seed, party. 65 attack Devonian Dragon.


If going second, there is the chance to change that something with 1 more SoR and 1 more QT. Just to make things insane.

Good point about SoR (to use the mutant's ability) and Chaos Seed(cheaper pandamonium if only 1 target, though 2 QT + 2 Pandamonium = 1 QT + 3 Seeds)

Improved mutation is +0-4|+0-4 A 16|7 (12|3 +4|+4)Crimson Dragon is the best stats mutation can initially obtain.

Devonian Dragon is not able to be obtained by mutation.

I need to check if multiple dives in the same turn stack. (Otherwise Mitosis might be better)

Ghost of the Past (unupped) is the highest attack Time creature a mutant can be.
An improved mutant can get up to +4|+4

1) Quantum Tower -> 3
2) Supernova -> 22
3) Photon
4) 3 -> Mutation(Photon) -> 11|8  :Dive Ghost of the past
5-7) 9 -> SoR(Ghost) x3 -> x2^(2x3)=x64 attack = 704|8 Ghost of the past turn 1 going first.
Hand Summary: Quantum Tower, Supernova, Photon, Mutation, Shard of Readiness x3
Quanta remaining: 13 non

[furballdn]

Hello again OldTrees! If I were to make a card that allowed protection of your permanents based on the number of airborne creatures you have (like one airborne creature=one permanent protected), where would weapon/shield fall in the queue? Before pillars/others? After? In between? If such a card exists, would it be bad if the upped form of it used other quanta?

[OldTrees]

Hello again OldTrees! If I were to make a card that allowed protection of your permanents based on the number of airborne creatures you have (like one airborne creature=one permanent protected), where would weapon/shield fall in the queue? Before pillars/others? After? In between? If such a card exists, would it be bad if the upped form of it used other quanta?

For simplicity I would suggest permanents be selected in numerical order (1-3, S, 6-9, W, 11+). Skip the mark [5] of course. Usually this means it will be Pillars, Misc, Shield then Weapon.
I would recommend the card be airborne so it can be self sufficient. (and not protect itself)
I would recommend the upped still cost but I see good reasons for it costing  too. It has a strong thematic connection to Air but has sufficient support outside of Air that it could work mechanically as an other card. I think theme wins in this case but the opposition is not certain.

[furballdn]

Hello again OldTrees! If I were to make a card that allowed protection of your permanents based on the number of airborne creatures you have (like one airborne creature=one permanent protected), where would weapon/shield fall in the queue? Before pillars/others? After? In between? If such a card exists, would it be bad if the upped form of it used other quanta?

For simplicity I would suggest permanents be selected in numerical order (1-3, S, 6-9, W, 11+). Skip the mark [5] of course. Usually this means it will be Pillars, Misc, Shield then Weapon.
I would recommend the card be airborne so it can be self sufficient. (and not protect itself)
I would recommend the upped still cost but I see good reasons for it costing  too. It has a strong thematic connection to Air but has sufficient support outside of Air that it could work mechanically as an other card. I think theme wins in this case but the opposition is not certain.

Well that could work. Putting all the permanents in a queue (pillars and misc first based on order of play, then shield then weapon). One airborne creature protects one each. I was actually thinking this card be a permanent, so it could synergize very well with mono air and SoFre. I thought of a 3|2 cost at first, but now I'm considering 3 unupped and 3 upped. It'd make it more flexible while not being overly splashable.

[OldTrees]

Hello again OldTrees! If I were to make a card that allowed protection of your permanents based on the number of airborne creatures you have (like one airborne creature=one permanent protected), where would weapon/shield fall in the queue? Before pillars/others? After? In between? If such a card exists, would it be bad if the upped form of it used other quanta?

For simplicity I would suggest permanents be selected in numerical order (1-3, S, 6-9, W, 11+). Skip the mark [5] of course. Usually this means it will be Pillars, Misc, Shield then Weapon.
I would recommend the card be airborne so it can be self sufficient. (and not protect itself)
I would recommend the upped still cost but I see good reasons for it costing  too. It has a strong thematic connection to Air but has sufficient support outside of Air that it could work mechanically as an other card. I think theme wins in this case but the opposition is not certain.

Well that could work. Putting all the permanents in a queue (pillars and misc first based on order of play, then shield then weapon). One airborne creature protects one each. I was actually thinking this card be a permanent, so it could synergize very well with mono air and SoFre. I thought of a 3|2 cost at first, but now I'm considering 3 unupped and 3 upped. It'd make it more flexible while not being overly splashable.

Clarification: I did not say "Putting all the permanents in a queue (pillars and misc first based on order of play, then shield then weapon)". The shield is the 4th permanent slot. The weapon is the 10th permanent slot. I suggested having it protect the permanents from lowest to highest slot.

One question you should consider when designing effects: "How do I want this effect to be able to be removed?"
If it were a cheap permanent then it would be removed by killing all but 1-2 airborne creatures and then using 1 PC.
If it were a resilient creature then it would be either using multiple CC on it or using CC on a few airborne creatures.

Provided it is balanced at 3 , 3 |3 would be a fair upgrade. I think it is probably balanced around that cost depending on the final difficulty of removing it.

[furballdn]

Ah. shield was 4 and weapon is 10. That makes things a lot easier, since I thought shield and weapon were 22 and 23. Then yes, permanents are protected from lowest to highest.

How can this be removed? If it's a permanent, it'd be often played second or third in a mono air deck I imagine, so it'd require some light CC (or AoE CC) and a deflag/steal.

I priced it at 3 , since I tried to balance it to cloak. It requires creatures to be useful, so I made it slightly cheaper than unupped cloak. Is the requirement for its removal too much though for its price?