Ask the Idea Guru

[furballdn]

Would a card that made it so when a player ended their turn they had to have equal to or less cards than their opponent be good?

It would probably be used in a instant quanta based rush deck to force the opposing stall deck to discard several cards. This is probably too potent unless this particular usage is heavily nerfed.

I do think discarding would be beneficial to add.

Well at least you agree it's something beneficial and interesting. How would you propose to nerf it then?

[OldTrees]

Would a card that made it so when a player ended their turn they had to have equal to or less cards than their opponent be good?

It would probably be used in a instant quanta based rush deck to force the opposing stall deck to discard several cards. This is probably too potent unless this particular usage is heavily nerfed.

I do think discarding would be beneficial to add.

Well at least you agree it's something beneficial and interesting. How would you propose to nerf it then?

The problem is two fold.
1) Equalize the expected number of cards discarded for each use of the card. The number of cards in hand for a rush deck decreases much faster than that of  a stall deck. The difference decreases as the game advances. So you would need to make the card hard to play early with a instant quanta deck. Being played early by a stall deck would not be a problem.
How would you do that?

Spoiler for a solution:

Instant quanta decks avoid cards costing 4 or 6 non  for a reason (Supernova & Immolation). These cards are expensive for the means of quanta production used. I would go with the 6 non  to hinder Mark shifted instant quanta decks too.

2) Set a cost balanced for the expected number of cards discarded.
This is harder. I do not have the data to make an accurate estimate.

[Jyiber]

Thoughts on a passive skill that a creature uses "in hand"?

Applied to a creature that "every other turn" can be played for max hp instead of quanta.

I'm thinking a small to mid-ranged creature for balance. Thoughts on cost as well?

[OldTrees]

Thoughts on a passive skill that a creature uses "in hand"?

Applied to a creature that "every other turn" can be played for max hp instead of quanta.

I'm thinking a small to mid-ranged creature for balance. Thoughts on cost as well?

Obsession (Ghost of the Past) is a passive that triggers from the hand. (So obviously it is possible.)

Switching the cost is an interesting idea. It allows for more flexibility.

Costs in Max hp are hard to balance. Everyone gets about 50-75 free max hp that they can spend without taking damage.
Test 3 quanta / 15 max hp. (so all 6 would be -75mhp)

[furballdn]

More HP?

[OldTrees]

More HP?

Sure. There is not much difference between 10 and 15 hp.

[furballdn]

More HP?

Sure. There is not much difference between 10 and 15 hp.

Except, in this case, there is. Normally, the difference in hp diminishes after it gets high enough (like over 10), but in this case, (protecting other creatures) hp is actually an important point. If there should be an increase in HP, how much?

[OldTrees]

More HP?

Sure. There is not much difference between 10 and 15 hp.

Except, in this case, there is. Normally, the difference in hp diminishes after it gets high enough (like over 10), but in this case, (protecting other creatures) hp is actually an important point. If there should be an increase in HP, how much?

There is a significant difference between 10 and 18 hp for this card. Not as much between 10 and 15.
Changing to 15hp probably comes with a +1 cost. 10->18 would be +2.

[furballdn]

What about 3|15 stats for the upped? Still for 4 ?

[OldTrees]

What about 3|15 stats for the upped? Still for 4 ?

Yes.
-1 attack => -1 cost

[ZephyrPhantom]

How much do you consider protecting a target row (essentially, 1/3 of a cloak) to be worth?

[furballdn]

How much do you consider protecting a target row (essentially, 1/3 of a cloak) to be worth?

Cloak also protects permanents.