[Official] Shard of Focus | Shard of Focus

[kimham8a]

IMO  nova bows can have a buff without harm to EtG.  mark usually would mean a slow QP deck, which wouldn't synergize with nova.

[ddevans96]

How would this fix the  Nova bows?
It does not. In fact it buffs them by freeing them from the  required to cast BH.

Costs to black hole opponent:

Currently: 4 quanta
With this: 3 quanta in every element

So this nerfs SoFo hugely in both nova-grabbies (common) and QT-based speedbows (common), but in turn buffs it in gravity-mark cremation bows (rare) and gravity-mark PSNbows (rare).

I think the trade-off is much closer to a nerf than a buff.

[OldTrees]

Guys... the perfect nerf has already been given on page 20 by a very intelligent user named DarkBaron12390 who has garnered much support over his idea.

I lol'd. Accretion count increase and instant BH cast? What?

Yeah, the problem is the user gets both PC and quanta control with a black hole. There is no downside. My idea is follows
•Starts at 0/1
•HP increase remains the same, +15.
•BH when HP > 45 (iirc the post had a typo with 50, so no PC increase)
•Black hole activates immediately on both players.
•If your mark is gravity, then it activates on only the opponent.

This decimates the rainbow abuse of SoF, mainly.

-snip-
How would this fix the  Nova bows?
It does not. In fact it buffs them by freeing them from the  required to cast BH.

Costs to black hole opponent:

Currently: 4 quanta
With this: 3 quanta in every element

So this nerfs SoFo hugely in both nova-grabbies (common) and QT-based speedbows (common), but in turn buffs it in gravity-mark cremation bows (rare) and gravity-mark PSNbows (rare).

I think the trade-off is much closer to a nerf than a buff.

Look at the yellow, then at my comment, then at yours.
A broken fix is still broken.

[Laxadarap]

Guys... the perfect nerf has already been given on page 20 by a very intelligent user named DarkBaron12390 who has garnered much support over his idea.

I lol'd. Accretion count increase and instant BH cast? What?

Yeah, the problem is the user gets both PC and quanta control with a black hole. There is no downside. My idea is follows
•Starts at 0/1
•HP increase remains the same, +15.
•BH when HP > 45 (iirc the post had a typo with 50, so no PC increase)
•Black hole activates immediately on both players.
•If your mark is gravity, then it activates on only the opponent.

This decimates the rainbow abuse of SoF, mainly.

How would this fix the  Nova bows?
It does not. In fact it buffs them by freeing them from the  required to cast BH.

It does nerf non Nova bows from 3 PC down to 2 PC.

From personal experience, hardly anybody runs gravy mark bows, mostly because other marks help a lot more efficiency wise.  This would make the bow focus on gravity, which means it would require a specialized bow, which I don't have as much of a problem with. 

[ddevans96]

Yellow part: Yep, I read this:
Your post: Read this too.
My post: Argues against yours taking the yellow into account.

Not sure what I'm missing

As Lax agrees, the nerf would force SoFo into more specialized decks, making it a definite nerf, though a double-edged one. Overall I think it is beneficial.

[DarkBaron12390]

Regarding the gravity bows -- they would already have perfect access to the Black Hole with very little cost (3 quanta). This is not a very large cost considering your mark. This does admittedly strengthen a gravity bow (marginally), but it nerfs all the sources of abuse (how popular are gravity bows, be serious). Considering the theme of shards staying true to an element, this is our only option. Let's be real: a gravity nova bow is so very very rare, and highly nonsynergetic with a bow-set-up.

It's like saying that Shard of Sacrifice was buffed toward death-nova-bows (scorpions anyone?). This is simply not the case, and is focusing on a very small sub-section of possible uses. The problem will not arise from Shard of Focus with this nerf -- the problem will be a very common problem: nova. Considering this nerf, focus on the card, not nova. Nova has a very long history of issues, and I don't think it's a coincidence it's the gravity-nova-bow that comes up in your challenge.

[OldTrees]

Yellow part: Yep, I read this:
Your post: Read this too.
My post: Argues against yours taking the yellow into account.

Not sure what I'm missing

As Lax agrees, the nerf would force SoFo into more specialized decks, making it a definite nerf, though a double-edged one. Overall I think it is beneficial.

So you do not think SoFo is OP in  rainbow rush (particularly  nova) and you think it will remain not OP even if given 4 free (cost of BH) per SoFo?
Your primary argument is that rainbow rush is underused due to better options. This indicates you understand the OP usage would migrate to rainbow rush. Whether it remains OP or becomes balanced by this migration is unknown.

As a middle ground between our estimates, what if it became a BH in the hand for  marks but triggered a 2 edged BH if not?

[furballdn]

Just going to put this here:

Hover over cards for details, click for permalink

Deck import code : [Select]

6s2 6s2 6s2 6s2 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u3 6u5 6u5 6u5 6ve 6ve 6ve 6ve 6ve 6ve 713 74f 74f 74f 74f 77g 7ae 7ae 7ds 7ds 7mu 8pl

12 usages of PC and 8 BHs (half of which are free) packed into a DBH PSNbow. Also consider a simple + duo using DBH and SoFo. More PC, up to 6 more free black holes.

[kimham8a]

@furball
I admit that looks powerful, but speed and raw power has been sacrificed here. In fact, it's not even a rush anymore. Entropy rainbow rushes can afford to have many/stronger creatures (like 15). This is already an example of limited deck possibilities from the  mark. Even firestall and mono aether could beat this, due to its slowness. In terms of pure speed, this is comparable to 24 life pillars and 6 giant frogs. Also the concern was about first turn nova then Sofo, not supernova then Sofo, though the pends partly increase the chance of first turn Sofo.

The point is that although Sofo may remain OP with the nerf its forced usage in gravity mark decks would be another huge nerf.

@OldTrees
That sounds like a good nerf, though it sounds like it'll take a lot of card text.

[Cheesy111]

I admit that looks powerful, but speed has been sacrificed here. In fact, it's not even a rush anymore. Entropy rainbow rushes can afford to have many/stronger creatures (like 15). This is already an example of limited deck possibilities from the  mark. Even firestall and mono aether could beat this, due to its slowness.

Gravity has plenty of speed if you substitute Chargers for Black Holes.

[furballdn]

@furball
I admit that looks powerful, but speed and raw power has been sacrificed here. In fact, it's not even a rush anymore. Entropy rainbow rushes can afford to have many/stronger creatures (like 15). This is already an example of limited deck possibilities from the  mark. Even firestall and mono aether could beat this, due to its slowness. In terms of pure speed, this is comparable to 24 life pillars and 6 giant frogs. Also the concern was about first turn nova then Sofo, not supernova then Sofo, though the pends partly increase the chance of first turn Sofo.

I highly doubt this, and I never said it was a rush. Not every PSNbow has to rush, this one is more control oriented. I believe this can easily take down mono aether and even put up a good match vs firestall with the PC it packs along with the heavy denial. As for speed, it is nowhere near the slow speed you've exaggerated, and even then, even if it takes 20 turns, you've gotten your opponent securely locked down, so what does speed matter?

[dragonsdemesne]

Also consider a simple + duo using DBH and SoFo. More PC, up to 6 more free black holes.

I did that for one of my CL decks.  6 discord, 6 black hole, couple SoF, gravity nymph, some animate weapons, and pends.  It took forever to win, but when it worked, I often won without the opponent playing a single card besides pillars that were instantly destroyed.  The downside is that if the opponent gets almost anything out at all, you're screwed :p  With the right draw, I've seen that deck lock out pretty much any tower-based deck from playing nontower cards.