Setting the Field

[Demacry]

A thought came to me while I was reading some posts in the "bug" section. What about cards that affected the field directly instead of the monsters. Something like drown but a little more general. I can see an  card that will randomly affact 4 positions (yours or your opponent's) with a status or debuff. And vise-versa a card that buffs a given position (like a  card that gives -1/-1 and momentum to a portion/spot on the field). I even remember reading somewhere about a proposed card that would allow a player to change their shield slot into a weapon slot (and reverse). Also this could allow us a way to increase the effectivness of naturally immortal cards like the Immortal and Phase Dragon.
 
I can see this bringing up some issues because we cant directly choose which spot to put our creatures on; but I think it would add another layer of stratedgy to the game and how it plays out.

What are your thoughts and opinions on this?

[Stickmasterluke]

Hmm.. The card game Yu-gi-oh has field cards. I am not going to lie, they really do improve the game play. I am very unsure about this idea, but do lean a bit more to the pro side of this argument. Eclipse could be the Darkness field card. Inundation could be the Water field card. I saw someone with a card idea called "spikes" for the Earth element. It was a permanent that would deal 1 damage to all newly placed creatures. That could be the Earth field card. Basically treat these cards like normal permanents but only allow one at a time to be out like shields and weapons. I guess you have my support. 

[Hyroen]

Haha, I'm glad you like the thought!! I guess we're thinking along the same path.

Check HERE (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,20798.0.html) to see what I mean ^_^

[Demacry]

O.o chasm looks to be a sickening/rage inducing card... I love it!

Im not to sure what else to add but I really believe this would help advance the stratedgy of the game. Decks that rely on Airborn Weapon or large numbers would have to plan for these sorts of cards. Also, how bout cards that hard counter certain stratedgies (with all proper balancing in mind), a  card that removes the immortal ability for a couple turns or a  that slows the attack of larger monsters to every other turn?

[OldTrees]

Some of these slot targeting cards have been suggested.

Meta Game
However there are two important details about this kind of an idea.
1) It is very different from effects in game (flooding has a predefined area, other cards target cards)
This means that fewer higher quality suggestions are much more appropriate than many average quality suggestions.
2) This is a vehicle idea instead of a rider idea.
A vehicle is a system that other effects can be tied to. Card, Creature, Skill, Active Skill and Activated Active Skill are all vehicles.
A rider is an effect that is not a vehicle but has to have a vehicle to be placed in. Devour is an example of a rider. However the restriction on the targets allowed is yet another vehicle.
Vehicle ideas do not make cards. Rather they are tools that can be used to make better cards for rider ideas.

In conclusion, this affecting the field is a good idea but should be limited to 6 cards (minimum for a series) or fewer and should only be used when it fits the rider ideas.

In Game
Fractal, Firefly Queen and Mitosis use a lot of creature slots but most decks do not. This means that cards like this either need to not affect a specific number of creature or affect a small number of creatures.

[Demacry]

I believe I understand the point youre making OldTrees (I had to read it a couple times ^^")

1) It is very different from effects in game (flooding has a predefined area, other cards target cards)
This means that fewer higher quality suggestions are much more appropriate than many average quality suggestions.

(Im not ignoring your vehicle/rider explanation, just removing for the sake of size)

In conclusion, this affecting the field is a good idea but should be limited to 6 cards (minimum for a series) or fewer and should only be used when it fits the rider ideas.

So what sort of ideas are quality ideas? Would it be something that would more directly affect the hitpoints/player in a positive or negetive way through the cards placed on the field?

For example, a card that works the opposite of Empathic Bond, and damages both players for the creatures on their fields. This could be played with something like Aflatoxin (another duo-rider/vehicle card if Im not mistaken) in a way to enhance the stratedgy of certain decks.

Long and short of it, your post made me consider the numerous ways that field cards like some of the ones I previously suggested could actually break the game. I believe that "field cards" could hold a place in Elements and I think it would be awesome to see it done in a way that promotes new stratedgies without invalidating many of the ones we have now.

Thank you for your feedback.

[OldTrees]

Thanks for rereading until you understood. It was not a good explanation.

First, each slot is numbered as you know. This means that lower numbered slots are more likely to be targeted by a player. Thus the effect to a creature slot would either act like a safe buff (like equipment in MTG) or a repeated CC/debuff. Additionally these effects would probably have some geographical excuse. (Like Fissure)

So some kind of a buff/debuff would probably be a good idea. The debuff should probably eventually kill the creature so another would be placed. A buff would act like a pseudo Quint because they would not be able to remove the terrain feature with Creature control.

Since a buff/debuff would be more valuable in slot targeting form than in creature targeting form this would be an indeal vehicle to place an otherwise too weak effect.

Here is an example buff and debuff that were thought of previously that might work very well as creature slot targeting spells

Poison Ivy|Grove of Ivy
Cost: X|Y
Effect: Target slot infects any creature on it at the end of the turn. (a slow CC that might claim 2-3 creatures during a game)
Depending on cost might need to have a chance of not infecting per turn

Foxhole|Trench
Cost: X|Y
Effect: Creatures in target slot take 1 less damage from targeting sources (all damage except shields and infection)

[Stickmasterluke]

I think there should be field cards that buff your creatures. There are too many offensive and aggressive cards out there. Needs more cards like Blessing and Eclipse.