Elements the Game: Draco's Changes

[OldTrees]

You use usually and often in strange ways.
Usually = 50% 1hp in 1 turn
Often = 16.67% 3hp in 1 turn or 15.97% 6hp in 1-2 turns

Probablity Skull Shield would have skeletonized the creature on or by that turn. In Orange is where Fire Shield would have had 100%

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1hp	50%	75%	87.5%	93.75%
3hp	16.67%	30.55%	42.12%	51.77%	59.81%	66.51%	72.09%	76.74%
6hp	8.333%	15.97%	22.97%	29.39%	35.28%	40.67%	45.61%	50.15%

This probability is
Summation from i=1 to i=Turn of (50%/hp)*(1-0.5/hp)^(i-1)
The infinite summation of i=1 to i=Turn of i*(0.5/hp)*(1-0.5/hp)^(i-1) will predict the average turn of death by skull shield.

	1hp	3hp	6hp
Average Turn of death Skull Shield	2	6	12
Turn of death fire Shield	1	3	6

So it is clear the problem you are talking about is not the average case nor even a likely case. So there is a rare chance that you will have to have PC or more Creatures to play after the Skull Shield miraculously skeletonizes everything on the first turn. Drawing a Mummy rather than PC will still give you an additional 24 damage (after DR). If you play a Phase Dragon then you can expect an average of 84 more damage. PC is not necessary to combat Skull Shield. Just play more creatures.

[dracomageat]

I guess there is no point in me arguing/debating this further since you are proposing that it be balanced by probability while I am saying that its possible affects are simply too devastating to be allowed to remain unchecked. Our viewpoints will never meet on the matter.

[teffy]

I know, that the average turn of death is better for Fire Shield than Skull Shield.That´s a good argument that Fire Shield is better.
However: Fire Shield alone can´t kill a creature with X HP before the Xth attack. When the time of a creature´s death would be when the game has ended, Fire Shield alone is useless against this creature: e.g. a Fire Shield will never kill a Colossal Dragon, because games normally don´t last >30 turns. Similar for other creatures with high HP. A Skull Shield , however, can kill any attacking and blockable creatures even in the first turn.

[OldTrees]

There is a reason why balance depends on the average case rather than the best or worst case. It is possible for you to start with an all pillar hand or a no pillar hand. Either situation cripples the rest of your game. However those cases are balanced out by the times you start with your ideal or god hand.

Fate Egg could hatch as a Nymph or as a Fate Egg
Pandamonium could PU all creatures tippling your army or it could merely infect the opposing army and RT your army
Chaos Power could give +5|+5 or merely +1|+1
Mutation could give a Mitosis Crimson Dragon or a Immaterial Photon
Skull Shield could reduce a Massive Dragon to an effective 1|2 (upgraded vs DR) or never do more than DR 1 (worth only 1 )

If the complaint is about the extremes then the constant DR effect is not the problem to be addressed.

[dracomageat]

Your final sentence sums up my concerns when I typed the thing out.
You are probably right there but I would like to point out that, in an unupped environment, the creatures effectively become 0|1 and useless. That does seem a little worryingly good when compared to the upped.

[eaglgenes101]

Try building a deck with skull shield. If your sense of probability is as it is, you'll see phoenix falling only 25% each turn and phase dragon dying only one, if ever.

[dracomageat]

Yes, I've built the enchanted skulls deck. It sucks when I play it but when I face it, the deck works nearly every time. As such, my experience with the deck only serves to prove how "swingy" the card can be and not to give any reasonable idea of how balanced or unbalanced the card may or may not be.

[dracomageat]

Added gravity and yes, Black Hole has been omitted intentionally.

[Naesala]

Thanks for getting rid of one of the few cards that makes gravity of any use. Seriously, next to life Gravity is the weakest element. You just got rid of their best card. Why? Because it wrecks rainbows? Might as well get rid of discord completely. Rainbows are the most commonly played and most powerful decks as is, they deserve a hard counter. Other changes you made...I still think graviton merc needs more buffing personally, and while the change on catapult is thematic, it ruins its potential and one of Gravitys main abilities (unblockable damage). I do like that GP and creatures with it attract weapon damage.

[OldTrees]

I disagree with:
1) Removing the cost of Acceleration. (Did you seriously think a Free Growth was balanced?)
2) Moving Black Hole (a transfer spell) from Gravity to Void. (Quanta destruction fits void but healing does not nor does the theme of a black hole.) <-typo
3) 3|5 for 3 is still UP

I accept the catapult change because catapult should be able to deal enough damage to overcome most shields. Unblockable damage is represented instead through Momentum.

[dracomageat]

Black Hole has been stuck into Void on the grounds that that's where I've always thought it belonged. Yes, this does rather wreck Gravity but I believe this to be more of a problem with Gravity than anything else, if a single card makes the element. That will take work to fix. As for thematic complaints on the change, how is a black hole not Void in its purest form? I can see your objections on the life gain but there has to be some benefit for the Void user.

The cost of Acceleration has not been changed and a 3|5 for 5 is a lot better than the card was atleast.

As for Catapult, not all shields are going to be as effective against ranged damage as they once were.

[OldTrees]

Black Hole has been stuck into Void on the grounds that that's where I've always thought it belonged. Yes, this does rather wreck Gravity but I believe this to be more of a problem with Gravity than anything else, if a single card makes the element. That will take work to fix. As for thematic complaints on the change, how is a black hole not Void in its purest form? I can see your objections on the life gain but there has to be some benefit for the Void user.

The cost of Acceleration has not been changed and a 3|5 for 5 is a lot better than the card was atleast.

Void is the non element of nothing. Matter and Antimatter are something. Thus they are not void. Black Holes are one of the most massive concepts possible. In that respect they are the thematic opposite of void. The quanta destruction does fit void. Only the name and hp gain don't fit void.

You changed +2|-1 to +2|+1. You removed a major cost of the card. (was it a typo?)

I agree that you improved the Merc. It just is not sufficient yet.