When I was younger I liked to play a lot of Pokémon, Wi-Fi made it very easy to play competitive and meet new people who liked the game, HS is no different in the fact that you can find people with ease and there are a lot of people who want something beyond ladder and "let's play whatever is best"
I like creating funny decks and I like to play with cards that are fun in concept but maybe not that competitive, but while I enjoy playing those decks and refining them into the point where I can at least go 50% WR with them I would love a new format where we focus on having fun and cheating new strategies where netdeck is a bit harder, a mode where we can actually dictate the rules.
My idea is to create a community supported side mode of HS, while we don't have in-game chats we do have TONS of tools to communicate with other dedicated played who like the idea and we have hubs like HeathPwn where we can post, discuss and promote.
Let's give it a code name to begging with.
The Arfus Cup wants you to meet people who want something fresh and new, something that will hardly get netdecked and a format where rules can change.
It's all about having fun and playing those cards you like that can't be played in the Standart HS mode.
But wait! How is this going to work?!
My original idea was to only play the very very bottom of the trash tier cards in HS but that would create a world where we don't have many powerful tools and would end up playing boring combos, so... what if all we did was take out the 8 most played class cards in some of the best Standart classes? For example Warlock, Druid and Paladin
Sure, the idea isn't perfect and we would need to come up with some new bans or even bring up some Wild cards but it would end up opening new possibilities as some cards that are being pushed out of the Standart format would make their appearance.
Shaman
For some other Classes like Shaman we may need to do something different as they have not-so-powerful-decks that can spiral out of control if the power level goes down but they also can't lose to much without making the class even weaker.
In the case of Shaman I'd like to ban those cards that create frustrating experiences when combo'd, I do love Shudderwock but I hate the OTK combo with Lifedrinker and Grumble, Worldshaker, I believe that life Drinker isn't really a problem on it's own nor is the Grumble, but we may ban the ability to play Shudderwock and Grumble, Worldshaker in the same deck.
Other strong decks like Even Shaman may go and dominate the format but then we could target some key cards that make the deck strong like Primalfin Totem and Fire Elemental.
Neutrals
Speaking about Neutral Cards I think the need of banning some of them from Arfus Cup needs to be a work in progress, I'd love to see Even / Odd decks in the Cup, but cards like The Lich King, Tar Creeper, Fire Fly and Stonehill DefenderCobalt Scalebane are going to be auto includes in MANY if not all decks.
Other cards like Carnivorous Cube and Spiteful Summoner will get "nerfed" by taking some of their best tools away and some of the strong neutral cards that support the archetype so they may remain as interesting cards, we may see a take at Spitefull Hunter of any other class with somehow usable high cost spells.
Communication and Matches
We will need to use some tools to find people to play with, BNet does have a native Group Chat option but I don't know how viable that would be considering you need to add every single person in there, a chat room where people can just join will be the best option in my opinion.
I don't have big experience on chat rooms, Discord is one that have been mentioned here and I believe we all have heard about it.
I'd like to hear your feedback on the idea and how they would make the Arfus Cup a better format.
This post is a work in progress and I'll get all the proposed bans as I have time, all your feedback will be taken into consideration and highly appreciated.
Just so you know, I will read everything but please understand that I am very likely to give my focus to the people who actually want to see and play this kind of format.
I have no interest in this but I genuinely hope you find like minded people to do this. If a real casual format with special bans is going to happen it's going to have to come from the community, Blizzard seems content to have Casual mode as practice for ladder mode and Spike netdeckers like me utilize it for that purpose. There's also very little incentive for Blizzard to put their resources into a format where they implicitly state that X, Y, and Z card are not fun to have in the game. I have hope that the in game tournament mode that's been teased will help facilitate these kinds of community formats.
im in as long as we can get other peoples , i would be very happy if this actually can work , also i think the best communication tool we can have is discord
At first it seemed like an interesting idea but then you already proposed Bans which make it in some ways hard to play fun decks. Like Banning AoE cards from some of the classes but not others would cause issues with deck options you could consider. I'd join, but Bans would need to be very well thought out, not just Ban the most used cards in each class because those don't cause issue, what causes issues most times is individually powerful cards that cause extreme spikes of power.
Also, it would have to be Bans considering cards that actually create problematic situations, not just unfun situations. Most of the community cannot separate these two and that would always lead to problems. I don't mind players using any strategy and having counterplay to those strategies, what I do mind is terribly designed cards that cause issues. That would be cards like Spiteful Summoner, like Divine Favour, like Call to Arms. You know, cards that one can thoroughly explain the design problems they have, not just cards people don't like because they lose to them. (Like Ice Block, which people always hated, but was never a design problem, it just required a move to force other playstyles, different from cards like the ones I named before, which actually need changes, nerfs)
Edit: Something just came to mind. Would it be possible to create subsections matching up people by mutual ban interests?
Either that or have some public display of ban lists each player wants to match up with each other.
What bans would you recommend from lets say, your two most played classes that would force them to create new decks and deviate from the standart netdecks without looking too similar?
In my opinion Spiteful is very strong only if you keep the tempo shell that supports the archetype, it they lose Drakonid and some other strong cards that give them HUGE tempo it may move to other classes.
Of course it will be hard to make it perfect, but would you be willing to join and give it a beta-test to see what we can come up with?
I have no interest in this but I genuinely hope you find like minded people to do this. If a real casual format with special bans is going to happen it's going to have to come from the community, Blizzard seems content to have Casual mode as practice for ladder mode and Spike netdeckers like me utilize it for that purpose. There's also very little incentive for Blizzard to put their resources into a format where they implicitly state that X, Y, and Z card are not fun to have in the game. I have hope that the in game tournament mode that's been teased will help facilitate these kinds of community formats.
Thanks for the good wishes and civil response!
I understand that the Spike kind of player won't be interested and that is just fine, I respect those players because after all that's where the fun is for them.
Tournament mode will in fact be of GREAT HELP for this kind of ideas.
Kripparian used to host something similar to this.. before tavern brawl became a thing.. I really like the idea of a rotating set of deck restrictions... your ability to construct a deck is as important as how you play .. good luck
Instead of just specific card restrictions for each class.. you make different rules for the week.. like odd cards only, but Baku is banned.. or minions only, no spells.. or no epics and legendaries.. or no class cards.. or only class cards
When I was younger I liked to play a lot of Pokémon, Wi-Fi made it very easy to play competitive and meet new people who liked the game, HS is no different in the fact that you can find people with ease and there are a lot of people who want something beyond ladder and "let's play whatever is best"
I like creating funny decks and I like to play with cards that are fun in concept but maybe not that competitive, but while I enjoy playing those decks and refining them into the point where I can at least go 50% WR with them I would love a new format where we focus on having fun and cheating new strategies where netdeck is a bit harder, a mode where we can actually dictate the rules.
My idea is to create a community supported side mode of HS, while we don't have in-game chats we do have TONS of tools to communicate with other dedicated played who like the idea and we have hubs like HeathPwn where we can post, discuss and promote.
Let's give it a code name to begging with.
The Arfus Cup wants you to meet people who want something fresh and new, something that will hardly get netdecked and a format where rules can change.
It's all about having fun and playing those cards you like that can't be played in the Standart HS mode.
But wait! How is this going to work?!
My original idea was to only play the very very bottom of the trash tier cards in HS but that would create a world where we don't have many powerful tools and would end up playing boring combos, so... what if all we did was take out the 8 most played class cards in some of the best Standart classes? For example Warlock, Druid and Paladin
Druid
Would lose the ability to construct with Ultimate Infestation Malfurion the Pestilent Greedy Sprite Crypt Lord Druid of the Scythe Swipe Nourish and Lesser JasperSpellstone.
Warlock
Warlock wouldn't be able to use cards like Kobold Librarian Bloodreaver Gul'dan Defile Hellfire Lesser Amethyst Spellstone Voidlord Dark Pact Possessed Lackey.
Paladin
Paladin would lose Call to Arms Righteous Protector Sunkeeper Tarim Unidentified Maul Divine Favor Lost in the Jungle Blessing of Kings and Vinecleaver.
Sure, the idea isn't perfect and we would need to come up with some new bans or even bring up some Wild cards but it would end up opening new possibilities as some cards that are being pushed out of the Standart format would make their appearance.
Shaman
For some other Classes like Shaman we may need to do something different as they have not-so-powerful-decks that can spiral out of control if the power level goes down but they also can't lose to much without making the class even weaker.
In the case of Shaman I'd like to ban those cards that create frustrating experiences when combo'd, I do love Shudderwock but I hate the OTK combo with Lifedrinker and Grumble, Worldshaker, I believe that life Drinker isn't really a problem on it's own nor is the Grumble, but we may ban the ability to play Shudderwock and Grumble, Worldshaker in the same deck.
Other strong decks like Even Shaman may go and dominate the format but then we could target some key cards that make the deck strong like Primalfin Totem and Fire Elemental.
Neutrals
Speaking about Neutral Cards I think the need of banning some of them from Arfus Cup needs to be a work in progress, I'd love to see Even / Odd decks in the Cup, but cards like The Lich King, Tar Creeper, Fire Fly and Stonehill Defender Cobalt Scalebane are going to be auto includes in MANY if not all decks.
Other cards like Carnivorous Cube and Spiteful Summoner will get "nerfed" by taking some of their best tools away and some of the strong neutral cards that support the archetype so they may remain as interesting cards, we may see a take at Spitefull Hunter of any other class with somehow usable high cost spells.
Communication and Matches
We will need to use some tools to find people to play with, BNet does have a native Group Chat option but I don't know how viable that would be considering you need to add every single person in there, a chat room where people can just join will be the best option in my opinion.
I don't have big experience on chat rooms, Discord is one that have been mentioned here and I believe we all have heard about it.
I'd like to hear your feedback on the idea and how they would make the Arfus Cup a better format.
This post is a work in progress and I'll get all the proposed bans as I have time, all your feedback will be taken into consideration and highly appreciated.
Just so you know, I will read everything but please understand that I am very likely to give my focus to the people who actually want to see and play this kind of format.
I have no interest in this but I genuinely hope you find like minded people to do this. If a real casual format with special bans is going to happen it's going to have to come from the community, Blizzard seems content to have Casual mode as practice for ladder mode and Spike netdeckers like me utilize it for that purpose. There's also very little incentive for Blizzard to put their resources into a format where they implicitly state that X, Y, and Z card are not fun to have in the game. I have hope that the in game tournament mode that's been teased will help facilitate these kinds of community formats.
im in as long as we can get other peoples , i would be very happy if this actually can work , also i think the best communication tool we can have is discord
3.2.1 kill shot
Create the discord! i wanna join! is it a wild game mode? (to have more funny options)
Link the disscord!
Kripparian used to host something similar to this.. before tavern brawl became a thing.. I really like the idea of a rotating set of deck restrictions... your ability to construct a deck is as important as how you play .. good luck
Seems ok.
Instead of just specific card restrictions for each class.. you make different rules for the week.. like odd cards only, but Baku is banned.. or minions only, no spells.. or no epics and legendaries.. or no class cards.. or only class cards
Seems ok.
Off-meta and fun decks? Count me in :D