Shard of Focus | Shard of Focus

[Essence]

I am ready to test it.

^^ This. Theorizing is nice, but I've been caught off guard multiple times in testing by just how different games worked out vs. theory.

That said, this does look like another example of Zanz' classic "start high, edit downward" style.

[Bleys295]

Like the idea, I want a "if your mark is  , does this" Effect. Elemental alignments are important.

[Rutarete]

I already posted in the 1.30 thread, but I want to put my suggestions here also.

SoF, though, doesn't seem like a shard - not because it's a creature, but because it has nothing to do with the mark making a difference in its ability. The Mark is a major theme that ties shards to their respective elements. My suggestions are
1. Make the 'turning into a black hole' part a passive that can happen only if the mark is (and at some Hp amount).
2. Have it only gain the 10 Hp if the mark is .

I like #2 better than 1 because it adds the mark aspect, and also puts a limit on the destruction; also removes overshadowing of Pulverizer.

Having a mark requirement for Hp also adds to the 'focus' theme.

[Jocko]

That fix is flawed. If only mark gains 10 hp, then any other mark can use it indefinetly.

[furballdn]

I feel it's too powerful. It's basically 3 for 4 deflags in 4 turns. Any deck can use it and it only makes :rainbows even more powerful by giving it this huge PC advantage and free black holes.

[UTAlan]

That fix is flawed. If only mark gains 10 hp, then any other mark can use it indefinetly.

I'd suggest Mark of gains +0/+9 +0/+8, otherwise +0/+10. This gives it one more use than with any other mark.

[pulli23]

No one is seeing this as an ideal target to place overdrive on? Don't let it gravity pull and just make an unstoppable creature that wrecks you on it's own..


Only need overdrive + this card for it to work, stop at 45 hp, and let overdrive do it's work. - What can happen? It reaches way too much damage before it comes close to being cced. And if reverse timed: well you again have amazing perm control back. If the opponent decides to use congeal/bassilisk blood: just use your next  shard/overdrive, it's not THAT expensive. And if the opponent decides to rush: well simply let a shard grow to heal up a bit. Maybe add a few gravity pulls/bassilisk bloods for cc.


Seems way over powered in my eyes.

[EmeraldTiger]

If everyone thinks this is OP provide nerf suggestions and perhaps we need to vote on what is best.

[Nepycros]

If everyone thinks this is OP provide nerf suggestions and perhaps we need to vote on what is best.

I still opt for:
6 Fusion: Sacrifice SoF. If you have three similar cards in your hand, discard them, and play a single copy of the cards for free. Two are needed if your mark is Gravity.

[pulli23]

If everyone thinks this is OP provide nerf suggestions and perhaps we need to vote on what is best.

I honestly can't really think of nerfing it without really changing how it works. Growing hp (and thus having a powerful target for things such as gravity pull/overdrive) & perm control simply should go in 1 card.


This card simply has to many uses: perm control (duh) - potential creature control (gravity pull) - potential damage (overdrive) - healing/quanta control. It simply is TOO versatile.

Maybe change the max hp (& hp gain) - or even remove it and simply give it charges (is that possible?). Or better: let it lower hp on destroying & when death it activates gravity pull (this gives the opponent also a choice: do I wish gravity pull now or later and let a perm be destroyed yet don't waste my spell?)

Let it begin at 24 hp and lower 6 hp each "cast"?


Another option is to reduce the starting hp (while growing) - allowing a quickly timed cc-combo to nullify this. Though I'm not really in favour of such things (as this simply means you have to keep cc on hand if you have any doubt the opponent has this shard), maybe:
start with 8 (10 with gravity mark), gain 4. - gets destroyed when reaches 24 hp or more

[tallguy2241]

I have to admit I had a different interpretation of this card when I first read it. I thought that IF you destroyed a Permanent in some fashion (by Deflag, Pulvy, etc), THEN this card gets the +10 HP. It would still get a nice synergy with other gravity cards (GP and Catapult, for instance, and of course, the BH when it's "full"), but it's not this card itself that is doing the PC.

Based on everything else I've read here, that's not how it works...but maybe it should be.

[Xamuel]

Extremely easy and effective nerf:  replace "a permanent" with "one of your own permanents"