[Official] Shard of Focus | Shard of Focus

[Laxadarap]

First thing is : 0 activation cost is clearly OP.
Giving increasing HP isn't a good idea either methink, the card should get counter like a "get fat" counter and at 3 counter it become a BH. like that it stay a vulnerable creature, because when it's a 0/16 you will never kill it.

Yeh the 0 turn activation cost is my problem with it, For example, if I'm running a pestal, I can't play my eclipses, even if I have a total lock on the board.  It should be gg by them, but a couple SoFo can stall out for a significant amount of time (really not fun)

[memimemi]

Yes. Because I can obviously slip in PAs into every single deck I build and for every important permanent I have.

Well, anything that's vital to your deck deserves protection.  For perms, it's PA; for creatures, it's Quintessence.  Is it unreasonable to suggest that if you can't afford to lose a perm, don't play it unless you can protect it?  Especially when there are so many ways to protect your perms against SoF: in PvP, there's any CC spell, along with OE, Eternity, and Electrocutor; against the AI, Golden Hourglasses work as a sort of soft PA, as the AI targets them above almost anything else, along with all the CC.  Or, of course, run a couple PAs for either.

Eventually, the abuse of SoF will die out of the meta, just as SoS has died out since the Purity buff.  Just pack protection until then, is all I'm trying to say. 

[Cheesy111]

Yes. Because I can obviously slip in PAs into every single deck I build and for every important permanent I have.

Well, anything that's vital to your deck deserves protection.  For perms, it's PA; for creatures, it's Quintessence.  Is it unreasonable to suggest that if you can't afford to lose a perm, don't play it unless you can protect it?  Especially when there are so many ways to protect your perms against SoF: in PvP, there's any CC spell, along with OE, Eternity, and Electrocutor; against the AI, Golden Hourglasses work as a sort of soft PA, as the AI targets them above almost anything else, along with all the CC.  Or, of course, run a couple PAs for either.

Eventually, the abuse of SoF will die out of the meta, just as SoS has died out since the Purity buff.  Just pack protection until then, is all I'm trying to say.

Abuse of powerful cards does not die out of the meta naturally.  Also, simply because something can be countered, does not mean that it is not overpowered.    The argument here is not that permanent destruction in-and-of itself is overpowered, but that triple permanent destruction in a single card that can almost be played twice over off of a single nova while gaining HP and then turning into a quanta-drainer that also heals is overpowered.

[OldTrees]

tldr; this card is still OP after the nerf because i shouldnt be required to put CC in every deck.

Well, then, with the space saved by not putting in CC, you can slip in some PAs.  There are plenty of answers to this card, that are still useful when it's not being played against you.

There is a problem when every deck needs to either use or include specific counters (1-2 quanta CC or Protect Artifact is very specific) to a single card.
The last example was 2 turn Sundial.

[ralouf]

Don't be silly guys.. Go in the trainer, test vs a good deck with SoFOP and use a deck with protect artifact you'll tell me what happen next.

Also without even looking further, if your SoFo isn't killed the frirst turn it comes in to play (just mentionning also that any silence/BH can protect it) it'll destroy 3 permanent and then become a bh for 7 random quanta. it mean that for 7 quanta you can destroy 3 cards and then get a powerfull card. The card advantage is 4 for 1. I know hourglass or nymph can also do it but you'll never play a nymph or an HG turn 1 and their ability have a cost. Also I don't wanna use 6 PA in every deck just in case.

Finally just to mention that's it's not only good vs stall I had a game vs a rush deck where I played 2 SoFo very quickly I just destroyed all his pillar he couldn't do anything.

[BluePriest]

Dont get me wrong, I know this card is powerful, but saying that its only real counter is PA is really really wrong....

Other counters-Lobotomizer, LS, BE (although sorta counterproductive), Mind Flayer, Acceleration, BB, the earth card that has the effect guard that I cant think of the name of right now and the wiki is down so its not helping,CC the first turn, CC coupled with Rewind,  ect ect. Its not just a matter of Destroying the Card, or protecting your permanents. Its also disabling the card.

[OldTrees]

Dont get me wrong, I know this card is powerful, but saying that its only real counter is PA is really really wrong....

Other counters-Lobotomizer, LS, BE (although sorta counterproductive), Mind Flayer, Acceleration, BB, the earth card that has the effect guard that I cant think of the name of right now and the wiki is down so its not helping,CC the first turn, CC coupled with Rewind,  ect ect. Its not just a matter of Destroying the Card, or protecting your permanents. Its also disabling the card.

Since the problem is most significant with the turn 1 Shard of Focus, that is would be countered.

I predict there will be 5 metagame strategies for dealing with Shard of Focus.
1) Equalize by using the same strategy (Shard of Focus + Nova)
2) Structure your deck around reliable CC on turn 1.5
3) Play without permanents (Immolation, Nova, Supernova) [Black Hole hurts worse here]
4) Structure your deck around reliable Protect Artifact on turn 1.5
5) Overload your deck with quanta to overpower the denial

[blarp]

OPPPPPPPPP


A: it shouldn't become a black hole.
B: it shouldn't be gravity pullable.
C: it shouldn't be able to destroy pillars.
D: you shouldn't be able to use its ability without destroying a permanent


implement that and i'll be much happier.

[TheonlyrealBeef]

Hmm, would be nice if OP could be updated with recent changes, though I personally don't find this card to be balanced still. To describe but one situation that is completely ridiculous which just happened to me: I have one of this in a 60 cards deck. Naturally, this means I can lock down an entire platinum deck:

Spoiler for screenshot:

Spoiler for deck:

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6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6qq 6s2 6ua 6ua 71b 71b 74b 74b 77e 77i 77k 77k 77k 77k 77k 77k 7ak 7ap 7ap 7gq 7h1 7k6 7k6 7k6 7k6 7q4 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q5 7q8 7q9 7q9 7q9 7q9 7q9 7q9 80h 80h 80h 8ps

Solution to specific situation: disallow Shard of Focus to be targeted by Mitosis. Of course, the deck itself is not overpowered and it doesn't solve most of its issues. Personally, I just don't like permanent control for Other, least of all cheap and repeatable.

[Picheleiro]

If there is a problem,  is not in SoF+Mitosis -though I have checked how much strong is the combo-. but in SoF itself. ExtremeHighHp+CanBePlayedInTurn1+NoAbilityCost+BlackHole all in one maybe it´s too much.

But I think it can be fixed somehow. It causes a lot of yelling because it´s a denial card. And this community hates denial.

[Chapuz]

It causes a lot of yelling because it´s a denial card. And this community hates denial.

Only when played against the player. IMO denial is just boring, but pple who like denial have good time with it.

[OldTrees]

It causes a lot of yelling because it´s a denial card. And this community hates denial.

Only when played against the player. IMO denial is just boring, but pple who like denial have good time with it.

The people who hate facing denial tend to hate using it and thus don't use it.