Event cards should be balanced towards every team, they should not provide an advantage for any one team. I think everyone can agree this is the first goal in creating event cards.
Event cards should be balanced for every round. If they're going to be randomly deployed half the event cards don't work because they reward a larger (winning) team more than they do a smaller team. I personally think there shouldn't even be event cards in the elimination rounds (7 onward) because they're too hard to balance.
Generally, it's better for event cards to reward teams for doing something right than it is to punish them for doing something wrong, punish them for doing something right or just plain punish them.
***** Flawless Victory - Players who defeat their opponent 2-0 can salvage 3 additional cards.
Small tweak to the rules that is available to every team, in every match.
*** Sacraficial Altar - Teams remove any number of cards from their vault. Each player may use that many upgraded cards during duels.
I like cards where you have options because they're more strategic than ones that don't. This however seems like a no-brainer and it puts a lot of emphasis on picking players will full collections. Could be heavily unbalanced in the final rounds.
** The Gift - Each team chooses 12 cards from their vault. These cards are given to one of the other teams choosen randomly.
Random card is random. You'd just get rid of 12 junk cards and hope whichever team that got them couldn't put them to much use. Not much strategy involved.
*** Depletion Victory - If you defeat your opponent by deckout they discard 6 additional cards.
*** Elemental Victory - Players who defeat their opponent by elemental mastery can salvage 6 additional cards.
Not every vault is gonna have healing and some elements stall better than others. EM's only tend to come into effect when you're facing a mismatch, extreme RNG or suicide deck, which shouldn't be supported by event cards.
** Reinforcements - Each team gets to add 12 cards to their vault.
Everybody likes free cards right? You can have too much of a good thing. We've already got the propaganda bonus, adding more free cards just puts less emphasis on constructing a solid vault in the first place. Adding cards that put your team over a breakpoint forcing you to field another deck could be a disavantage in the later rounds.
** Duality - All decks must contain at least 6 cards from exactly two different elements.
Burst of Colour - Before duels, all pillars and pendulums become quantum pillars. After duels they transform back to normal.
Putting a restriction on all decks is generally not good. You're going to end up playing decks that aren't competitive.. any time with Burst of Colour or possibly in the later rounds with Duality.
Viel of XX - During this round, all decks must use one of the following marks.
Age of YY - All Y cards, except pillars and pendulums can be played as upgraded this round.
Heavily skewed in favour of some teams over others.*** No Small Thing - All decks must have at least 35 cards
Limits deckbuilding even further, forcing some teams to play sub-optimal decks. I'd rather be using my best decks than having to add 5 cards because of the event card.
**** Level Battlefield - Players may use +6 upgraded cards if facing a General or +3 upgraded cards if facing a Lt.
Depends on the luck of the draw, if this card comes up the round your team drew a lot of Generals it's a big boost.
***** This Ain't Over Yet - All duels are best 3 out of 5.
3 out of 5 is more epic than 2 out of 3. This should be a baseline rule for the entire war, not an event card.
***** This Is My Power - Each player may upgrade an additional 3 cards that match their teams element.
Everybody gets a small bonus. In comparason to some other cards that affect all decks, this does not force you into any deck you wouldn't already be playing. Would be of greater benefit to leading teams if it was drawn late in the war.
***** Rewind - Each team may recover all the cards discarded from one of their losing decks in the previous rounds,
Totally unfair to teams that post a perfect round. : P The rest of the teams get a nice bonus.***** Loyalty - When you win using a monodeck you can salvage 6 extra cards.
Ah, unlike previous examples we have an option instead of a rule for deckbuilding. Likely very difficult or immpossible for some teams to field competitive monos late in the war.
**** Epic Battle - Everyone can use 3 extra upgraded cards.
Similar to T.I.M.P. I prefer the own element restriction.
* Flush of Victory - After winning a game, you can take an additional 6 upgraded cards to the next game.
Rewards a lucky first game with an advantage in the 2nd game. In a close matchup I'd rather see evenly matched decks get more chances, not less.*** Brainstorm - Decks this round cannot have more than 3 of any given card in them not including pillars and pendulums.
Advantage team Underworld. Could be too limiting in later rounds when you don't have enough different types of cards remaining.
*** United in Purpose - If your mark matches your teams element, you may discard 6 less cards if you lose.
Optional deckbuilding cards are better than ones where you don't have a choice. However a deckbuilding reward for losing is counter intuitive.
**** Charity Ball - Each team gives 12 cards to the team below them in rankings. The bottom team gives 6 cards to the top team.
Improved version of The Gift, rewards smart teams because they'll be able to give useless cards to the team below them.
**** The Spice of Life - This round, decks may be built using any element, the 50% rule is waived.
Free for all round, hope you packed your Antagon PvP Rainbows! Doesn't really fit the War theme but I think it'd be ok for one round.
***** Fatality - The winners this round may choose not to salvage, for every card they don't the enemy must discard one card.
Wonderfully strategic. Adds the wrinkle that you might want to send good salvage worthy decks on the chance that you lose.**** Generals Sacrifice - If the general doesn't use upgraded cards, all other team members may use up to 3 (except Lt.)
If this card drops during early rounds when all the teams have a full compliment of players then it's fair, if it drops during the later rounds when only some of the teams are full it's not.** Know Thy Enemy - Next round you may salvage up to 12 additional cards, additional salvage must be of your opposing element.
If your opponents aren't playing cards from your opposing element, you don't get any bonus. Some elements are going to be represented in the vaults more than others.
*** Supply Lines - Add six weapon cards of your element and six animate weapon cards to your vault.
I think I'd prefer 6 Flying Discord to 6 Flying Trident.
*** Watchful Eye - Disclose to opponents you defeated last round how many cards of their element are in your vault.
Interesting twist, doesn't really fit thematicly. Why are you giving them free information when you just beat them? I'd like it better if the advantage went to the winners.
**** Provision Mishap - Remove cards salvaged two rounds ago from the vault.
Encourages discarding/converting of salvage cards. Event cards as penalties, meh... I'd prefer "re-salvage cards salvaged two rounds ago, again adding them to the vault".
Dragons Breath - For each dragon in your deck, opponents must remove two cards from their vault, win or lose.
Heavily favours teams with the best dragons. Also what's to stop you from building a suicide deck with 30 dragons and killing 60 cards?
*** Misdirection - If you choose a mark different than all the cards in your deck and lose, discard 6 less cards.
I'd rather have an increased reward for winning than a reduced penalty for losing.** Double Agent - Add three cards to teams vaults whose decks contain at least three cards from their opponents elements.
If the 3 card bonus stacks each time you have a deck with cards from the opposing elements it's OP. Either way a bonus depending on if you happened to bring cards of your enemies element is too random.**** Sniper - If you win a match you may name a card. Your opponents team discards up to six copies of that card from their vault.
Could be crippling especially in later rounds. I'd like it better if the effect was toned down a bit.
**** Self Sacrifice - Each team chooses a martyr. If the martyr loses discard 20 extra cards. If any other player loses, discard 5 less cards.
I like the team champion theme but 9 times out of 10 martyr = general. Perhaps add that martyrs can't use upgrades? Could also be interesting if martyr was announced during deckbuilding phase, so teams could send their strongest deck in the hope of knocking out extra cards.
* Retreat - Each team can choose to withdraw from a single match. If they do discard half of the normal cards.
Not playing matches is not what War is about.
** Desert Fighting - For each battle a player loses this turn, it's team must discard 5 cards from their vault.
Harsher penalties even if you win 2-1. I think the penalty of discarding cards from your deck when you lose is tough enough already.
Challenge - Each team chooses a card. If they lose to a deck with 3+ copies of that card opponent salvages 12 extra cards.
What's to stop every team from choosing skeleton? Needs to be reworked.**** Backup Plan - Teams may prepare 2 decks for each match. Can switch to backup deck inbetween duels in 2 separate matches.
In later rounds, leading teams will be able to take advantage whlie other teams won't.
Feedback welcome.
