[Official] Shard of Wisdom | Shard of Wisdom

[ARTHANASIOS]

I am disappointed that you would twist my words so.  I did not say that every deck was OP even though they had counters, or that every card was OP.  But having counters does not mean that a card isn't OP.  Thunderstorm counters SoFo, but that does not mean that SoFo is balanced.

 Have you ever noticed that some of the cards which are considered UP are excellent counters against some cards/decks which are considered OP? Thunderstorm, Reflective Shield, Flooding are some examples of cards which are always underestimated but they can wipe out some of the most annoying strategies.
 SoF is OP because it has few counters and all of them must be applied in the first turn. After a turn, SoF would be too healthy to be removed with ease. On the other hand, SoW can always be countered or overushed and it can only be used onto expensive creatures (Immortal, Phase Dragon) or it requires a combo (Quintessence & SoW & creature) in order to function.

 However, let's compare similar things, SoW with Momentum:
* Both are spells. (even)
* Both bypass non-reflecting shields. (even)
* Momentum bypass reflective shields. SoW doesn't bypass reflective shields. (+ Momentum)
* Momentum creature you controll never damages you. SoW creature you controll damages you if reflected. (+ Momentum)
* Momentum grants +1|+1. SoW grants +4|+0. (+++ SoW, because it is much better than Momentum here)
* Momentum costs 2 |1 . SoW costs 3 |1 (about even here but, since SoW can be used with any element, + SoW)
* Momentum targets non-immortal creature, so it has many targets. SoW targets immortal creature, so it has less targets. (+ Momentum)
* Momentum is easily combined with other buffs (Adrenaline, Blessing etc.). SoW is combined with other buffs only if used on Quintessenced creature. (+ Momentum).

Overall: Momentum = +4, SoW = +4, so they're even, except if someone thinks Momentum is also OP.

[OldTrees]

Just because an OP card has a counter does not mean it's not OP.

Evey card is OP if you don't have counters for it. Every card is UP if you have counters for it. Everything depends on your deck and your opponents deck.

Skeleton is not OP even in the absence of CC, DR, Healing and Denial.
A free 50 attack creature would be OP even in the presence of Instant kill CC.

Thus we can see that the presence/absence of counters is not the sum of balance.

[ARTHANASIOS]

Evey card is OP if you don't have counters for it. Every card is UP if you have counters for it. Everything depends on your deck and your opponents deck.

Skeleton is not OP even in the absence of CC, DR, Healing and Denial.

By 'card' I do not mean only single cards, but more likely decks strategies as a whole. Skeleton is weak alone, but powerful if spammed from Boneyard or if Time Reversed. There are various examples of decks which are completely broken against some decks/cards and completely UP against some other decks/cards.

[Bloom]

What about upping the cost? 4 Unupped, 2 Upped. Considering it's pretty much a more powerful version of Blessing, as well as Momentum, I'd say that's fair.

[Laxadarap]

Remeber that unupped, it basically costs 7 quanta, and upped it costs 4 quanta.  Its balanced.  Remember that you have to have a quinted creature to begin with, or it is restricted to monoaether.

[Bloom]

Remeber that unupped, it basically costs 7 quanta, and upped it costs 4 quanta.  Its balanced.  Remember that you have to have a quinted creature to begin with, or it is restricted to monoaether.

Most decks it's used in are Mono-aether or Aether with a splash of another element. I've rarely seen it used on a separately quinted creature, that's not to say it doesn't happen, it just isn't frequent.

[Cheesy111]

I am disappointed that you would twist my words so.  I did not say that every deck was OP even though they had counters, or that every card was OP.  But having counters does not mean that a card isn't OP.  Thunderstorm counters SoFo, but that does not mean that SoFo is balanced.

 Have you ever noticed that some of the cards which are considered UP are excellent counters against some cards/decks which are considered OP? Thunderstorm, Reflective Shield, Flooding are some examples of cards which are always underestimated but they can wipe out some of the most annoying strategies.
 SoF is OP because it has few counters and all of them must be applied in the first turn. After a turn, SoF would be too healthy to be removed with ease. On the other hand, SoW can always be countered or overushed and it can only be used onto expensive creatures (Immortal, Phase Dragon) or it requires a combo (Quintessence & SoW & creature) in order to function.

 However, let's compare similar things, SoW with Momentum:
* Both are spells. (even)
* Both bypass non-reflecting shields. (even)
* Momentum bypass reflective shields. SoW doesn't bypass reflective shields. (+ Momentum)
* Momentum creature you controll never damages you. SoW creature you controll damages you if reflected. (+ Momentum)This and the previous point are pretty much the same. Why are they two different points?
* Momentum grants +1|+1. SoW grants +4|+0. (+++ SoW, because it is much better than Momentum here)
* Momentum costs 2 |1 . SoW costs 3 |1 (about even here but, since SoW can be used with any element, + SoW) 1 rainbow is clearly cheaper than one gravity, as is 3:1 (consider relative quanta generating power of QP versus GP, or nova versus GP
* Momentum targets non-immortal creature, so it has many targets. SoW targets immortal creature, so it has less targets. (+ Momentum)
* Momentum is easily combined with other buffs (Adrenaline, Blessing etc.). SoW is combined with other buffs only if used on Quintessenced creature. (+ Momentum).Aside from old Deja Vu decks, when is momentum usually combined with other buffs? I see it used more often to make a normal deck better as a stallbreaker or to buff dunes or deathstalkers.  The only other time I can think of is that I think there's one in limitless speed.

Overall: Momentum = +4, SoW = +4, so they're even, except if someone thinks Momentum is also OP. Listing things and giving pluses to each side is not balancing.

[kira666]

Momentum would be OP if there were no ways to kill a creature. But there are, except for SoW.
For attack, costing 1 , its +4. 4 times more powerful than Momentum 1 +1 attack.
For defense? Who cares? I may be dumb, but I don't know a single way to kill a creature with SoW. No Fire Shield, no target, no Rain of Fire.
SoW must have a weakness and, as a shard, it can't be its cost, due to 12 from a single nova.

Example:
3
+3/-3 magic damage (the creature gets stronger in magic, but older... more like a wizard and its wisdom)
I dont know if its balanced, but why don't try?

[ItzSean]

After a quick skim of this thread, I'm just going to sum up the majority of the 'This card isnt OP, it's fine.' responses for anyone that doesn't wanna read the same thing over and over again for 7 pages...

'Be better, get a better hand than them, or find someway to stuff in a highly situational and outclassed shield(s) into your deck.'

Because, lets face it. Unless you know ahead of time what your opponent's going to use and you can use possible counters, you have absolutely no idea they're going to 1) have mono-aether or 2) use SoW.  I understand the logic behind SoW is to give a way to bypass shields, but I think the idea suggested before about having shields have a lighter effect on Wisdom'd creatures is nice.

Spoiler for Something like this:

Dissipation Shield/Field: Absorb 1 per 2 spell damage. / Spell damage costs 1.5x as much quanta to absorb.

Bone Wall: Spell damage breaks two shields. I couldnt find a way to balance that properly, as the x.5 effect trend I'm trying to uphold is impossible here because of how the game rounds.

Skull Shield/Buckler: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a .25/x percent rate of turning into a skeleton instead of .5/x , where x = current hp.

Gravity Shield: Any creature dealing spell damage that has more than 8 hp is unable to reach you. Same case as above, but only more so here because both of the immortals, Pre quint, in the game have under 8 hp. On top of it, leaving this shield as is would be unfair to the other shields. Any help here?

Titanium/Diamond Shield: Reduce spell damage recieved by 1./ Reduce spell damage recieved by 2.

Emerald/Jade Shield*: Reflect back 50% of spell damage. / Reduce spell damage by one and reflect back 50% of spell damage. Spell damage reduction happens on the damage that's not reflected. Example: 4|4 Psion attacks. You take 1 damage. Owner takes 2 damage. SoW'd 11|1 Lava Destroyer attacks. You take 4 damage. Owner takes 5 damage.

Thorn/Spine Carapace: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 38% chance of being poisoned.

Fire Shield/Buckler: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 50% chance of taking 1 damage.

Ice/Permafrost Shield: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 15% chance of being frozen. / Reduces spell damage by 1 and Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 15% chance of being frozen.

Reflective/Mirror Shield*: Reflect 100% of spell damage.

Hope: Spell damage is reduced by N/2, where N = the number of light emitting creatures on your field.

Solar Shield/Buckler: No damage reduction for spell damage but generates 1 per attack.

Fog Shield/Improved Fog: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 20% chance of missing you.

Procrastination/Turtle Shield: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 50% chance of being stuck in a time bubble for one turn.

Dusk Shield/Improved Dusk: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 25% chance of missing you.

Dimension/Phase Shield: Creatures attacking with spell damage have a 50% chance of hitting you.

Spoiler for *:

I know I'm going to receive some comments about how Emerald Shield only has 50% spell damage reflect so I'll state why. I see Emerald/Jade shield having the ability to reflect as a secondary effect as apposed to Reflective/Mirror Shield which sole intent is to do exactly that. You don't see light decks using Mirror Shield because it gives 1 DR. ..You don't see many life decks using Jade Shield either but.. In a rainbow deck, aside from cost, if you want a shield that reflects, most would go Jade for the higher DR plus reflecting at the same time, therefore, I made the idea.. 'reflect' that. Jack of all trades, master of none. Average DR, average reflection.

Another possiblity I was thinking of would maybe make the effect like eclipse for immortals, keeps the physical>spell damage mechanic,gives them +2|+0 unupped and +3|+0 upped, BUT fades after x turns. Maybe 3? Just my thoughts.

[makapse]

this card should remove the immortality of said creatures

[OldTrees]

Momentum would be OP if there were no ways to kill a creature. But there are, except for SoW.

Momentum + Quint  is not OP. Quint + SoW can be countered in more ways then Momentum + Quint.
However SoW also gives +4|+0

For attack, costing 1

Attack costs 1 not 1 . 1 = 1 > 1 .

[Ilias22]

The shard is balanced for me.