Which Cards are not worth upgrading?

[Malduk]

If it's alone, yes.  If not, a lot of the time it will grow before it's struck and survive, since death runs a lot of 1|1 creatures and Vulture often isn't the first one out.  More than one vulture and only one will die.

Boneyard is used for making a fodder for whatever (in death decks, to feed vultures/bonewall, or alternatively for mutations etc). Using boneyard as a source of damage is a fail more often than not. It is probably THE most useless upgrade from practical point of view. Sure you can theory craft about it and say that 2 dmg is double dmg, but in reality, if you dont need fodder, you dont need boneyard. If you need fodder, its better to get it cheaply.

Boneyard makes the skellies, though, it doesn't kill them itself.  Often you're relying on your opponent to kill your creatures for you, and until he does every skeleton gains one extra damage.  You might as well say Firefly Queen upgrade would be useless without the switch to Incandescence - it's only a 1 damage upgrade on creatures that are often used as "fodder."  Stick a few Boneyards on the table and every time your opponent kills a Virus he's got a handful of 2|2 skeletons to handle.  It makes a difference.

As I said, anything goes in theory. I have upgraded Boneyards and I never use them although I built lots of decks that revolve around stuff being dead.

That one extra damage is not always one extra damage. Unlike fireflies that pass through most shields, Skellies have attack 1-2 which is blocked by lots of commonly used shields.

So let me point out again - if you're using boneyard for generating fodder, you want it cheap. Fact that 5 skellies might do 5 more dmg doesnt mean anything to you there if you have to wait for another turn to play boneyard.
If you're using them for damage, then your deck probably has terrible win ratio.

[asymmetry]

I had this experience with Stone skin, while Mr sex's RQ deck still used it, and wondered "hey, if these are meant to be played late in.game, why bother upgrading?" And there it is, still un-upped (I still can't blame SS for a loss)

[tallguy2241]

I would suggest Thorn Carapace is less useful upgraded, as the upgrade stops 1 ATK creatures from taking the shield effect. Unupgraded can then be used to put an end to RoL, Squid, Parasite, and other ATK 1 annoyances.

Also, what's the consensus on upgrading Poison? The damage/card ratio goes up, but the damage/quanta goes down.

[jmdt]

I would suggest Thorn Carapace is less useful upgraded, as the upgrade stops 1 ATK creatures from taking the shield effect. Unupgraded can then be used to put an end to RoL, Squid, Parasite, and other ATK 1 annoyances.

Also, what's the consensus on upgrading Poison? The damage/card ratio goes up, but the damage/quanta goes down.

upped poison is definately better.  Poison counters over time are a big deal and 2 cost is still cheap.

[Thelonesun]

dissipation shield - dissipation field. worst upgrade EVER

Meant for rainbows.

Let me elaborate.

DS uses only quanta.

DF uses all.

Quanta Towers produce 3 of any.

towers produce 1 entropy. So actually, it depends on the deck.

[Bluesky]

Granite skin and Inundation. I just don't see any difference. For granite skin, you probably have lots of earth quanta before playing it. Also, if you want to play inundation you probably have lots of water quanta.

Also, holy flash and lucifrase. I'm afraid they will collide with auto-mulligan.

[twinsbuster]

and also purple nymph, +1 HP only

[johannhowitzer]

Also, holy flash and lucifrase. I'm afraid they will collide with auto-mulligan.

Luciferase has its use as I said - it brings light quanta splash to any deck containing creatures without an ability.

and also purple nymph, +1 HP only

Puts it out of range of Thunderstorm, though as with ALL nymphs many people prefer unupped for tournaments.

[Tiamatria]

Sometimes Hope is better unupgraded.If you play a deck with ray of light fractaling, the +1 damage reduce is insignificant.

[jmdt]

Sometimes Hope is better unupgraded.If you play a deck with ray of light fractaling, the +1 damage reduce is insignificant.

When going against a rush deck early in the game, that +1 can be the difference between winning and losing.  I've won several games against hope decks hitting them for 2-3 damage for turn with my shriekers before the second fractal.

[xdude]

Sometimes Hope is better unupgraded.If you play a deck with ray of light fractaling, the +1 damage reduce is insignificant.

When going against a rush deck early in the game, that +1 can be the difference between winning and losing.  I've won several games against hope decks hitting them for 2-3 damage for turn with my shriekers before the second fractal.

But ofc, that -1 cost can make you playing it earlier, thus being the difference between winning and losing

[BluePriest]

Sometimes Hope is better unupgraded.If you play a deck with ray of light fractaling, the +1 damage reduce is insignificant.

When going against a rush deck early in the game, that +1 can be the difference between winning and losing.  I've won several games against hope decks hitting them for 2-3 damage for turn with my shriekers before the second fractal.

But ofc, that -1 cost can make you playing it earlier, thus being the difference between winning and losing

exactly why I have it unupped. That 1 extra turn it will occasionally take to get it out upped will usually cause more damage than the 1 damage it will save you from per attack the rest of the game.