Steam Machine | Steam Machine

[ymmel]

tested a bit with SoR and it seems like REALLY killing card, though not sure if OP

[Essence]

It's in the trainer now

EDIT: And the unupped has 6 cost.

Oooh, oooh, can I take credit?!?  8)



[edit]
Having finally spent a day playing with Steam Machine, I have to say that it sucks.  It's too expensive to play, it's ability is too expensive to use. 

Graviton Fire Eater has 3 less HP and only gains 2 attack per turn, but only costs 2 to play and 1 to activate, and it's power doesn't tick down over time.   Graviton Firemaster is even better in comparison to Elite Steam Machine.

Both of the Graviton cards work well because they're splashably cheap in both directions -- deck with mark can use them well, and so can deck with mark.  Steam Machine doesn't splash in either direction.  It forces you to play a balanced water/fire deck, and it's not even stellar in that context.  The massive HP doesn't make up for the slow speed and the massive sink, and the extra 1 point of attack every turn vs. Ablaze doesn't either.

Fire Spirit vs. Graviton Fire Master is understandable -- both are cheap and quick Ablaze critters, but you pay for going off-element by adding some much-needed HP.   The HP you get for going with Steam Machine aren't worth the added cost, and the ability is so much less useful because of the tripled cost. 

It's slow, it forces your deck to be clunky, and it seems like it's only purpose is to get people to donate for Shards of Readiness, which is even more upsetting.
[/edit]

[Uncle Jellyfish]

It's in the trainer now

EDIT: And the unupped has 6 cost.

Oooh, oooh, can I take credit?!?  8)



[edit]
Having finally spent a day playing with Steam Machine, I have to say that it sucks.  It's too expensive to play, it's ability is too expensive to use. 

Graviton Fire Eater has 3 less HP and only gains 2 attack per turn, but only costs 2 to play and 1 to activate, and it's power doesn't tick down over time.   Graviton Firemaster is even better in comparison to Elite Steam Machine.

Both of the Graviton cards work well because they're splashably cheap in both directions -- deck with mark can use them well, and so can deck with mark.  Steam Machine doesn't splash in either direction.  It forces you to play a balanced water/fire deck, and it's not even stellar in that context.  The massive HP doesn't make up for the slow speed and the massive sink, and the extra 1 point of attack every turn vs. Ablaze doesn't either.

Fire Spirit vs. Graviton Fire Master is understandable -- both are cheap and quick Ablaze critters, but you pay for going off-element by adding some much-needed HP.   The HP you get for going with Steam Machine aren't worth the added cost, and the ability is so much less useful because of the tripled cost. 

It's slow, it forces your deck to be clunky, and it seems like it's only purpose is to get people to donate for Shards of Readiness, which is even more upsetting.
[/edit]

I have to agree entirely with this statement. Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying if the power didn't tick down at the end of every turn, but as is right now, it's just too expensive. Make the skill cost , and reduce the play cost of both the unupped and the upped versions by one and two respectively, and then this card might see some play. Otherwise, it'll be just another useless card. I had high hopes for this, but really, the only way I see it being played is with an FG.

[zanzarino]

Both those things already happened uncle - refresh

[Essence]

Zanz, you rock.  I don't know any other game designer that does what you do -- collaborating with his players on this level -- and I hope that Elements pays your bills and then some.. 

[jmizzle7]

Here's my take on a Steam Machine deck. It's super fun!

Code: [Select]

5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 5ii 6rq 6rq 6rq 6rq 6rq 6rq 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 7gk 808 808 808 808 80b 80b 80b 80b 80b
Steam Machines are unupped in order to take advantage of the lower cost.

I was quite surprised to see that the cooldown effect is part of the active skill and isn't a passive skill like swarm or mummy. That means that lobotomize removes it, leaving you with a Steam Machine with high attack power that doesn't decrease.

[tinkady]

this card looks great! i was a bit confused when i first saw it, because I thought it meant that each counter was +4/+0. would it be better to say instead that each counter is +1/+0? also, i really really really like the idea of generating  whenever a counter ticks off...twould make the card very interesting. for example it would go great in an elite FFQ deck...and just be really interesting overall.  i think it seems a lot more balanced with only a skill cost and a cheaper unupped version, the new card looks great in the trainer!

[Uncle Jellyfish]

Both those things already happened uncle - refresh

...I love you, Zanz. <3

[jmizzle7]

Seeing as Air is about to get a complete makeover (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7549.0.html), I think it's probably a good thing that this doesn't provide another opportunity to generate quanta.

[tinkady]

dont see why that should eliminate the ability to generate  ? would make for a really unique and useful card, to compensate you could increase the cost or make it weaker or have it work so that it depletes steams individually...aka if you use 2 steams it depletes 2 per turn until the first runs out(although that would actually make it generate quanta faster, so maybe not a nerf)
i've been messing with this card a bit in the trainer, and i like your setup jmizzle.  i added a few phase shields and scaled back on everything else (and changed mark to water and made more aether towers) but they might have just made things slower...PU really works well with this card.
i think shrieker/graboid rush is still much faster than the deck i was using

[Boingo]

It's slow, it forces your deck to be clunky

.....like a steam machine.

it seems like it's only purpose is to get people to donate for Shards of Readiness, which is even more upsetting.

Agreed.

Honestly, I don't like the addition of a machine to a game called "Elements".  Yes, I recognize Armagio looks like a robot/machine too--not a big fan of that one either, and thankfully it's never actually been played by a human player.

Of the 3 new cards, this is the most gimmicky.  I suppose it's aiming for unstable gas synergy (thus the high hp) and while I welcome cards offering new synergies, this card isn't as good as I had hoped for.

[$$$man]

all three cards could work together at this point by
A.making a water fire duo to use steam machine
B.paying for Wings(new air card)with machines cool down(if it happens)
C.Using pandemonium via mark and using the creature control for enemy creatures and barely even making the epically resistent steam machine flinch