Couple days ago I realized that I was just a few posts shy on reaching 500 post mark on these forums. I decided it was time for once to write something little more analyzed and thought instead of the usual rubbish I tend to post here.
I got this idea for making this table of "Game balancing creature control cards VS. Creature stats limits" when I saw ratcharmers topic on nerfing Purple Nymph. One of the choices of nerfing Purple Nymph was lowering stats on it, but to me that change would in fact rather end up buffing the card instead of nerfing it. How is that possible you may now ask? Well lets look this table I made first, and then I'll explain my thoughts bit more:
| CC Card | Limits to its use | Effect on game balance |
| CC Cards with direct effect on creature hp | | |
| Otyugh | Elite Otyugh | 3|5 hp | HUGE |
| Rain of Fire | Fire Storm | 3 hp | HUGE |
| Owl's Eye | Eagle's Eye | 3 hp | HUGE |
| Lightning | Thunderbolt | 5 hp | Some |
| Rage Potion | Rage Elixir | 5|6 hp | minute |
| Shockwave | 4 hp | minute |
| CC Cards with indirect effect on creature hp | | |
| Maxwell's Demon | attack>hp | Some |
| Gravity Shield | >5 hp | minute |
| CC Cards effecting creatures based on attack | | |
| Fire Shield | Fire Buckler | attack>0 | HUGE |
| Ice Shield | Permafrost Shield | attack>1|>2 | HUGE |
| Thorn Carapace | Spine Carapace | attack>0|>1 | HUGE |
| Skull Shield | Skull Buckler | attack>1 | Some |
That table has listed most situations that in my opinion should be taken into account when suggesting changing attack|hp stats on creature. As you see, some changes (like hp from 3 to 4) can dramatically change the creatures balance (survivability) Vs. many CC cards, but this is widely known fact by all of us, and it's not the point that I'm trying to make here.
The another, more subtle, effect on CC cards comes from changing the creatures attack: Some CC cards (like Fire Shield or Permafrost Shield) only affect creatures that have >0, or >2 attack. That is the thing what makes some creatures with higher attack worse compared to the situation if that same creature should have lower attack or 0 attack. For example using 0|2 Chrysaora is much better strategy than using 2|2 Physalia when playing against Fire Shield. Or using 2|2 Mind Flayer rather than 3|4 Ulitharid when facing Permafrost Shield.
That exactly same situation would be resulting from lowering Purple Nymph attack from that 3 it now has: if it had 2 attack it wouldn't be prone to suffer from Permafrost Shield, if it had 1 it wouldn't hit Spine Carapace or Skull Buckler, or if it was 0 it would become protected by Fire Shield. All those scenarios would actually buff Purple Nymph more than what the nerfing effect from reduced attack power would cause.
| Shard of Readiness | Huge skill costs can be nullified |
| Butterfly Effect | <3 power can be good |
| Acceleration | Overdrive | high hp has perks |
| Adrenaline | Epinephrine | low attack has perks |
| Wings | Flying or not |
| Sky Blitz | Flying or not |
| Nighfall | Eclipse | Death or darkness creatures |
| Luciferin | Luciferase | Vanilla creature ability |
Discussed later, maybe when I reach 1000 posts. ;)PS.
YAY, 500th post!!!
