[Official] Shard of Focus | Shard of Focus

[xsindomanx]

Really?

SoF's effect is "Destroy a permanent and gain +0/+15. If it doesn't destroy a permanent, it shouldn't have health gain, just like how an Oty's effect is "swallow a smaller creature and gain +1/+1", and it doesn't gain +1/+1 even if skill is activated then canceled.

Seems that it's programmed in an incorrect order in that: click SoF (to activate ability) -> Health gain -> Click permanent to destroy it -> done
Instead of: click SoF (to activate ability) -> Click permanent to destroy it -> Health gain -> done

[BunKeR]

The Oty's +1/+1 triggers after the creature is eaten , which is after you click the Oty and after you click the target and only if the target is viable . SoFo is programmed to give you the boost regardless of whether or not you actually used the ability .

EDIT : the above is my assumption I didn't program anything . 

card text =/= card functionality , unfortunately there isnt room on cards for a complete explanation .

Still , I feel like a small nerf is in order , but not a big one . Which brings to question the necessity of the nerf in the 1st place .

[Tirear]

Really?

SoF's effect is "Destroy a permanent and gain +0/+15. If it doesn't destroy a permanent, it shouldn't have health gain, just like how an Oty's effect is "swallow a smaller creature and gain +1/+1", and it doesn't gain +1/+1 even if skill is activated then canceled.

Seems that it's programmed in an incorrect order in that: click SoF (to activate ability) -> Health gain -> Click permanent to destroy it -> done
Instead of: click SoF (to activate ability) -> Click permanent to destroy it -> Health gain -> done

The problem is a difference in philosophy. SoFo's health gain ends up destroying it, putting a soft limit on the number of uses. This makes it a cost, and skill costs are always payed even if the player cancels the skill. Otyugh's stat gain is designed to be pure benefit, so it is a reward, not a cost.

Changing how SoF to work like Otyugh might be a good idea, since mistakes are probably very rare, making this only come up when players want the shard to gain health. But there is precedent to suggest that it was a design feature, not a bug.

[xsindomanx]

Thanks for your explanation. If such is the case, I think it should also be nerfed.

If the opponent has no targetable permanents (SoF click & cancel being intentional):

• If SoF health is below 30, the 15 hp gain can be used to avoid destruction and control damage
• If SoF health is equal to or above 30, player gets a black hole despite having destroyed no permanents

Either way, it's powerful against decks with zero targetable permanents (Ex. RoL + Hope with no towers / Fire rush using immo + nova) with no negative effect.

If the opponent has targetable permanents (SoF click & cancel being unintentional):

• If SoF health is below 30, the SoF loses one opportunity to destroy a permanent, but it can be used to avoid destruction and control damage, and there is still at least one opportunity to destroy a permanent
• If SoF health is equal to or above 30, player loses SoF for a black hole.

The last situation described is the only one in which the player really 'loses out', especially if the SoF was being used for purposes other than simply destroying permanents.

[Vangelios]

I have not seen anyone use it in BL, for me he needs buff.
 In arena or upgraded and FG he is strong? maybe but not OP.
 I think he needs some alterations, for me it would be great as well:

[xsindomanx]

BL is 100% unupped right? Unupped cost of SoF is 6 (2 higher than upped), so it's fairly hard to use with unupped towers. It's also possible that people don't use SoF as to not to annoy opponents..

Against FG, I think a good deck using SoF just hasn't been made yet, due to very good farmers with Sosa and SoP in existence. The famous FG grinder CCYB utilized ~two pulvys, which had the same  cost as SoF, with 2 additional cost to use ability. Certainly a card with so many possible uses and abilities can be used to make a decent FG grinder 

[laxnut90]

The main issue with Shard of Focus is not its cost, but its incredible card advantage.  Explosion and Steal both are one time uses, trading one of your cards to destroy/take one opponent's card.  Shard of Focus and Pulverizer, on the other hand destroy several permanents at the cost of one card.  Since Pulverizer takes two elements to use, this card seems quite balanced to me.  Shard of Focus, however, only takes one element and its only disadvantage is its vulnerability to creature control.

My suggested change would be for Shard of Focus to come into play as a 0/45 with Gravity Pull and then lose 15 Health any time it destroys a permanent.  This would allow the card to be destroyed or at least limited in number of uses by an all out attack of some kind.

[xsindomanx]

My suggested change would be for Shard of Focus to come into play as a 0/45 with Gravity Pull and then lose 15 Health any time it destroys a permanent.  This would allow the card to be destroyed or at least limited in number of uses by an all out attack of some kind.

Sounds decent, but if the player decides to use SoF to solely control damage, 45 health for just 4  is quite cheap..

[laxnut90]

My suggested change would be for Shard of Focus to come into play as a 0/45 with Gravity Pull and then lose 15 Health any time it destroys a permanent.  This would allow the card to be destroyed or at least limited in number of uses by an all out attack of some kind.

Sounds decent, but if the player decides to use SoF to solely control damage, 45 health for just 4  is quite cheap..

That is true.  Maybe it should have 30 health and lose 10 each time.  That way, it would be a 1 cheaper Armagio that doesn't give you the choice of when to activate Gravity Pull.

[legion_bre]

My suggested change would be for Shard of Focus to come into play as a 0/45 with Gravity Pull and then lose 15 Health any time it destroys a permanent.  This would allow the card to be destroyed or at least limited in number of uses by an all out attack of some kind.

Sounds decent, but if the player decides to use SoF to solely control damage, 45 health for just 4  is quite cheap..

That is true.  Maybe it should have 30 health and lose 10 each time.  That way, it would be a 1 cheaper Armagio that doesn't give you the choice of when to activate Gravity Pull.

When I first read this I agreed with it, but now I think about it more - this would mean for all deck with creatures (which is most) the card would have 10hp and so 1 chance to damage permanents gone instantly. In most cases 20 damage could be done over the two turns (Played + first permanent destroyed) it takes to cast it a second time. This means it would most commonly be limited to 1 and if your lucky 2 uses. On the other hand - high damage decks would crush it in 1 turn.

Conversely - at least it would be a means of damage absorption even if its other functions were destroyed.

It really changes the whole use of the card. is set up for momentum style creatures that deal consistent damage through shields and creature control through otyugh. The soft creature control of the SoF is strong, but giving gravity decks the ability to absorb even more damage (with armagio) could make it OP.
6x Armagio = +150hp
6x SoF = +180hp

means a player has 430hp essentially. This is even more than the lengendary stone skin typically boosts decks.

Consider if you had 2 saffire chargers (10dmg) and your opponent had a high damage output of 30dmg / turn. If you just played 1 of either Armagio or SoF each turn you would deal 100damg in 10 turns. They would deal 20-30 damage over the same time period.

[mega plini]

@Bunker
Increasing the activation cost by 1 would be a small nerf.

I think that ann activation cost in different element would be better.  would fit thematicaly but maybe another element?  has allready a lot of synergie with  . choosing another element for the activation cost would increase the synergie with that element as well.

[traceurling]

I feel like an idiot now for all those times I PCd myself against permanentless decks...anyways my suggestions for a nerf are
-add activation cost of 1 because I favor small nerfs(except in major situations like the previous shard situation) of tweaking a little here and there to kinda refine a card
-Make stats 2|1, vulnerable to paradox