Proposed Balance Changes for an eventual 1.33 Patch

[Tiko]

Thanks. Suggestions coming out of nowhere rarely stand too credible.

The following is my personal opinion, ignore it if you'd like.

Spoiler for Quotes and stuff:

Maxwell's Demon buffed to 3|3 unupped

Spoiler for Hidden:

Maxwell's Demon is very expensive and less useful than other CC creatures (Otyugh, Squid). This buff doesn't buff it greatly, but helps it survive slightly more.

- But this way you also make it immune to itself, but most importantly it gets out of reach for 'lesser' bolts to one-shot, yet Maxwell can be a very dangerous creature to face, which should have some kind of a tradeoff. I say no, the upgrade boost compensates this well enough.

Butterfly Effect now costs 1 quanta less to cast (4 unupped, 3 upped).

Spoiler for Hidden:

Butterfly Effect is borderline useless. I tried to make decks that use it well, but it just doesn't work. A quanta less to cast MAY help in it seeing a small use.

- I'd consider lowering the ability cost by one too/instead. No matter really, the card is overshadowed by Focus almost anytime for a deck where is Entropy involved..


Skeleton has now a slight chance of triggering death effects (5%)

Spoiler for Hidden:

Skeleton (Standalone) is the useless card. Boneyard/Graveyard is mostly unused, even in the gimmick decks that should abuse it. This buff may help in gimmick decks. Nothing too big.

- While the Skeletons are close to useless, picturing it the change just doesn't make sense: An undead Skeleton is trying to tear you apart - and it has clearly died already once before -, then it suddenly.. collapses without reason, only to stand right up next, resuming attacking you.. Now, after this said Skeleton is blasted by your Fire bolt, and let's say has a small chance to be able to reassemble itself (5%) and come at you again, that would make much more sense I guess, while ending up with almost the same result.

(Card) Poison is now treated as spell damage.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Poison is a spell, and should be treated as such. I don't see why it isn't spell damage.

- I don't like this at all. I had a discussion about this with Shantu, but I don't want to write all that here. Maybe he'll post it.. But no.

Shard of Sacrifice inverts only for 1 turn, HP cost halved.

Spoiler for Hidden:

While this may be too harsh of a nerf, I still find SoSa overcentralizing and hard to counter. A lesser nerf may be used.

- I think this isn't the way to approach the problem.

Virus now infects target creature for 2.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Virus fits with Skeleton in the borderline unusable cards. This buff helps.

- May help, but not much. I'd rather see both Virus free to play. That'd sure bring another approach to any use of Death! But if you think about it, even then it wouldn't be that much of a powerhouse.


SoFo enters play delayed for 2 turns (1 extra turn of summoning sickness).

Spoiler for Hidden:

SoFo is just too OP. It ruins everything. Pls nerf.

- I don't feel this one very well thought out. It seems that the point is to get rid of the card, not to make it useful/balanced. If the card is destined to stay. I'd try to start the fine-tuning first by looking at the investments needed to use the current Butterfly FX.


Plate Armor also makes the creature resist the first targetting. (This includes user's targetting).

Spoiler for Hidden:

Again, Plate Armor is almost unused. This adds both a new mechanic and an use for Plate Armor.

- I don't really know this one. Psuedo-immortality, yet Earth already has its options with Burrow or high base Hp. An interesting take, nonetheless.


Horned Frog stats lowered (3|2 unupped, 5|2 upped)

Spoiler for Hidden:

Doesn't hit Frog too hard, gives more niches to cockatrice.

- I'm all up for it. It's 'only' a frog anyway, even if it's a big one with horns.. And would be a proper revenge for the USEM filled T50 days too.

Upon play, Cockatrice restores 4 HPs to its owner.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Another niche for Cockatrice

- Why? Again, while it may widen the use of Cockatrices (also known as Basilisks in some parts of the world.. yes, the fat chicken-like abomination is a bit far from the real thing), the change would fit the creature in no way. There are many possibilities to enhance this card for the better, I find the one you suggest to be quite a cliché.

For every Light quantum converted, Rustler raises owner's current HP and maximum HP by 1. When Rustler dies, or is made immaterial, this bonus is removed.

Spoiler for Hidden:

It looked like a nice idea. And may help Rustler's use.

- Isn't this a bit complicated for one little creature?


Shard of Bravery now costs 4 quanta to cast upped, 2 to cast unupped.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Too strong, nerf please.

Cost increase is absolutely welcome.

Ash stats lowered to 0|3

Spoiler for Hidden:

Making ashes killable.

I'm quite happy with the current nerf. They haven't really troubled me since the last change.

Fire Bolt now deals 2 damage every 7 quanta. Costs 1 quantum less unupped.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Slightly weaker, but it keeps a damage edge over the other bolts.

Cost increase might be a good start to treat this card properly.


Arctic Squid is not a rare anymore.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Bring back Arctic Squid to the poor men who can't afford rares.

Nonsense.


Unupped Pegasus stats buffed to 3|3.

Spoiler for Hidden:

A small survivability bonus for a creature that needs combos to be effective.

No reason not to do so.


Thunderstorm now costs 1 quantum more (both upped and unupped).

Spoiler for Hidden:

This puts it in line with Rain of Fire/Firestorm. (2 RoFs cost 14 , 3 TStorms cost 12 , 2 RoFs cost 10 , 3 TStorms cost 9 , and they deal the same damage.)

Sounds good.

Fog Shield now costs 1 quantum more (both upped and unupped).

Spoiler for Hidden:

Puts it in line with Dusk Mantle.

Again no objections.


SoR - DejaVu interaction retest.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Please do, SoR is now much different than it was before.

Can't comment.


Parasite stats raised to 1|2 and 3|2.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Like Maxwell's Demon

It looks much better for Parasite.

Drain Life costs 1 quantum less unupped.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Put it in line with Ice Bolt.

A long deserved one.


Dimensional Shield now costs 1 quantum more (both upped and unupped).

Spoiler for Hidden:

Dim Shield needs a nerf most of everything, this is a first step in the right direction.

Dunno. More/alternative ways to deal with it would be more welcome.

Mind Gate now costs 1 quantum less (both upped and unupped).

Spoiler for Hidden:

Maybe it will see some use after this.

Maybe.

[laxnut90]

Suggested change to Shard of Void.

"Shard of Void drains 3HP from opponent each turn.  This effect counts as spell damage."

This would give Shard of Void a little bit more synergy with its element (since it currently does not have much synergy with anything) and it would buff the Reflective Shield at the same time.

[serprex]

Reducing the cost of parasite, rather than buffing its stats, seems more thematic

[omegareaper7]

Suggested change to Shard of Void.

"Shard of Void drains 3HP from opponent each turn.  This effect counts as spell damage."

This would give Shard of Void a little bit more synergy with its element (since it currently does not have much synergy with anything) and it would buff the Reflective Shield at the same time.

You want to make it.... more useless? Does not compute...

[Lluis83]

I don't like the nerf of shard of sacrifice, and also don't like the nerf of phase shield and Sanctuary. It will be harder to grind false gods. Also I don't understand why Nymph's Tear needs to be nerfed, it looks like ok like it is.

[Silux]

skeleton unupped is really useless unless you rewind it as it comes into play with eternity.Even so it's just a faster fate egg.

Maybe you shouldn't be able to recruit them directly, but through a spell like "2 put two skeletons in play" or they cost 0 to be played

I disagree on all buff/nerf about life, except something should be done about rustlers; they are too weak to be used as support creature and cats are more useful.

[tommygunner]

Some of these changes would make some cards either OP or useless
especially SoSac 1 turn what would happen to Pdials

[Calindu]

Some of these changes would make some cards either OP or useless
especially SoSac 1 turn what would happen to Pdials

When a deck is broken, it has to be nerfed, that's PDials, you are biased.

[cwkoss]

Horned Frog stats lowered (3|2 unupped, 5|2 upped) Good
Upon play, Cockatrice restores 4 HPs to its owner.Seems uncreative. I think we could do better. Never-the-less, it would improve the game.

I think a cool buff for cockatrice (which would be better themed to the card) would be having it start with mitosis.  I don't think it'd be too OP, but maybe increase casting cost by 1.

[omegareaper7]

Some of these changes would make some cards either OP or useless
especially SoSac 1 turn what would happen to Pdials

Poison dials doesn't need shards to work. Just for gods. Still a viable pvp deck even before.

[rob77dp]

Some of these changes would make some cards either OP or useless
especially SoSac 1 turn what would happen to Pdials

Poison dials doesn't need shards to work. Just for gods. Still a viable pvp deck even before.

Correct - SoSa just made PDials valid for FG's and usually/sometimes Platinum Arena.  One turn of inverted damage in exchange for 40 (or 48 un-upped) HP-damage is a bit too much nerf.  Although, changing to one-turn is probably a good idea the HP-loss would need tweaked a bit to balance.

Of course, as Master of Death I like my SoSa's strong - not that they ever get allowed in any sort of competitive PvP due to rule limits, player bans, or straight up no-shards being near 100% occurrence rate in such events.

[serprex]

The proposed SoSa nerf includes halving the HP cost