I think other than the Bard and the Pokemon Master, no one else expected to make the cut lol. Everyone's slamming the head against the keyboard for an idea to fall down. I know I am >_>
I have an idea. :P Ain't no keyboard slamming for me.
EDIT: So, there *may* have been a bit of keyboard slamming. I'm really worried about this Legendary being a bit "meh", but I spent a long time on it, so...
Drop the Base: You could make a case for keeping it 4 mana, as it's comparable to Hellfire. Where it gains the ability to protect a minion, it also loses the ability to damage heroes. Not only that, but you have to actually have a minion on the board to avoid saving one of your opponents creatures, which is no small consideration when balancing.
Chant: Hearthstone has shown that getting 3 creatures on the board is easy, 4 is not. Honestly, with cards like White Noise, Chant could fairly easily get pretty damn oppressive. The only comparative I can think of is Headcrack, and that shares the same mana cost for an ability worth about (0). I'm not sure whether the trigger is easier or harder, but I'd definitely consider dropping the damage.
Cellobot: I actually had a card like this planned from the very beginning, so I at least think it's cool.
Diresinger: My favourite of these 4, it reminds me of the mini tavern brawl we just had. I think the balance is spot on, good work.
Alright, so I'm one epic short, but here's the GvG expansion as it stands. First, these are the ideas that I'm definitely taking with me. The only one that is mildly concerning for me is the MX-Enforcer. I decided that I overstated the value a bit on my previous Deathless cards, but I'm not sure if the effect might be a bit too powerful. Reminder, Deathless is an effect that happens after the minion is played, times the number of times it was played previously. So the first time it is played, it does nothing.
These are the ones that I'm a bit sketchy on. Mechanize I tried to get more of a mech synnergy while staying in the classes theme. Same with Monstrous Assault, I was attempting to give more aggro options for a potentially very control centric class. Attack Gem: Fire gives another AOE damage card, but I'm not sure about the balance. I'm not married to any of these ideas, and feedback would be most appreciated.
For Gem Forge Reference, here are the current Attack Gems that the class has:
Alright, so I'm one epic short, but here's the GvG expansion as it stands. First, these are the ideas that I'm definitely taking with me. The only one that is mildly concerning for me is the MX-Enforcer. I decided that I overstated the value a bit on my previous Deathless cards, but I'm not sure if the effect might be a bit too powerful. Reminder, Deathless is an effect that happens after the minion is played, times the number of times it was played previously. So the first time it is played, it does nothing.
These are the ones that I'm a bit sketchy on. Mechanize I tried to get more of a mech synnergy while staying in the classes theme. Same with Monstrous Assault, I was attempting to give more aggro options for a potentially very control centric class. Attack Gem: Fire gives another AOE damage card, but I'm not sure about the balance. I'm not married to any of these ideas, and feedback would be most appreciated.
For Gem Forge Reference, here are the current Attack Gems that the class has:
Just some minor nitpicks (spelling-wise): MX-Enforcer is missing the "s" from minionS. Spare Parts in Gem Forge should be bolded. Monstrous AssAUlt :p. And I would make the Transgolem a Battlecry, because its effect is a Battlecry after all. Something like "Battlecry: Become a copy of a random minion in your hand".
The thing about the Defender is how abusable can get to be your mechanic. I'm guessing the... 3rd? Defender would make the enemy minions -4 Attack, right? As long as it keeps coming back, you're pretty much locking your opponent board. I would switch it to 1. I'm not sure about Monstrous Assault and Gem Forge either. Monstrous Assault because Charge, as long as your class doesn't have a way to abuse it... +3 Attack on the second play is pretty steep. Gem Forge just because you get really good spells, kinda like Antonidas in Mechmage, still it seems weaker because you can't spam the Gems (unlike the Fireballs).
Alright, here's the preliminary draft. As always, stats can be adjusted, mechanic-wise I'm really pleased with the outcome, I'll like to keep them as they are, but any input is appreciated.
Armorer Enthusiast: the Ogre card of the set, simple effect, if you try to gain Armor with him on board, you may give it to your oppponent.
Scrapbot: nothing fancy, taking face damage is considered losing Armor as well.
Rocket Hammer: I'm not sure about the stats, I think if I make it 2 Attack it goes OP (even bumping the Cost). Right now, feels like a permanent ping which is kind of the idea (as long as the Mechs keep coming).
Obsidian Spikes: mini conditional Swipe. The only direct damage card in the entire class (and a poor one at that), but since even warriors have Mortal Strike and Bash, it felt necessary.
Quicksand: same effect as Puple's MX-Enforcer :p, a reverse Savage Roar / Bloodlust. Doesn't affect your opponent's weapon or minions summoned after (with Charge for example).
Piercing Strikes: at first sight seems complex, but the effect is supposed to work as the Trample mechanic from MTG, but instead of going face, the exceding damage goes to a random minion (all about the board control, again). And yes, if you cast it on an enemy minion, the damages goes to your opponent's board, just like the similar spells work (Blessing of Wisdom and Power Word: Glory come to mind).
Quicksilver Anomaly: cheaper and conditional Faceless Manipulator. Favors a Mech deck (obviously).
The Lone Wanderer: the ultimate control tool, as long as you have Armor.
Molten Offering: simple enough, you play it after trading and you get the tokens.
Dragonscale Rider: I'm really digging this guy for some reason. If you Darkbomb him, he takes 2 damage instead of 3. The last line is added because, otherwise, he would be Immune to pings.
I don't see any mistakes, or anything yet, but with
The Lone Wanderer, but put as a note that Immune doesn't let minions have Taunt. Everybody seems to forget that, when a minion can have Immune for a while. Belive me, I've made cards in competitions with immune, and some people just say it's to OP because if Taunt.
Other than tgat, I like the rest if it. I'm going over it again, just for any more, little notes or stuff.
EDIT: Quick question, how much does your class value from Aftershock. Like charge is worth 1.5 mana ( Wolfrider).
I'll make a note about the Immune part when posted, just in case as you say, people forget they can't be Taunted.
Aftershock is valued around 1-1,5 give or take, same as Combo for rogues I believe.
This is not accurate. Charge does not have a set value but instead is variable, more often than not doubling the Attack value of the minion with it. This can be seen most simply with Stonetusk Boar, Bluegill Warrior, Wolfrider, and Stormwind Knight who with their Attack scores counted double have exactly vanilla-comparable stat totals for their cost. As usual, though, things get a little wacky when you get to higher mana costs and also when you consider class cards getting a bonus, which is why for example Kor'kron Elite and King Krush don't follow that math.
*exhales* I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
*exhales* I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
The neuralyzer is way OP IMO, in aggro decks may not seem much because they just vomit their hand, but agaisnt midrange-control it's just broken, they could wind up spending up to 4 turns literally doing nothing because of the Covered minions. I would lower the Durability (and maybe bump the Cost), it doesn't really matter it doesn't have Attack, because it's not it's main feature, like Sword of Justice.
Debris seems either too weak or too strong, you're getting potentially 4 cards for 1 mana (I'm thinking about a "Handagent" archetype here). But, on the other hand (see what I did there?), a spell that only generates Spare Parts seems bad. I had a similar card, something like "lose X Armor, add that much Spare Parts to your hand" but it felt awkward, because unless you're a mechmage, Spare Parts don't provide a relevant bonus most of the time. They help, yes, but they're minor buffs. Unless you're playing a Gazlowe deck. I would make a Mech that generates Spare Parts.
And Nessie, ATM seems pretty much unremovable for your opponent unless he Deadly Shot it or he's a paladin. You would be getting a free trade every 2 turns because this goes back to your hand and the low Cost helps you don't lose that much tempo. I'm not sure about this one.
I like the rest of the set so far, the Reptilian could end up being really annoying, but I believe your secrets were simple enough to trigger (there's is no Ice Block, for example).
Don't worry, I'm here to start bugging everyone with boatloads of crap again.
First, I'm going to start out with the CONFIRMED cards. These are going into this phase with probably 100% certainty.
I love all of these. Great balance. Perfect for the theme. I dig the pseudo-Tauntness of Halfling Bard.
These are cards I want to put in, but I have balancing issues:
Drop the Bass: I feel like the way to go is increase this to 5 mana, and then it should be fine?
Chant: Just not sure about the numbers on this card, if it's too rewarding or not rewarding enough.
Drop the Bass: Exactly the comment I was going to make. Balances it well against Hellfire.
Chant: 2 Mana. 2 damage. 2 minions. See Drain Life (gain Health), Darkbomb (one extra Damage), and Headcrack (direct damage to enemy Hero) for my justification :)
Cards that I want to put in but have design issues with:
Cellobot: I actually like this card, but other people were hesistant, so feedback would be cool.
Dirgesinger: I don't like the fact that you have to pay so much attention to play order, because when two minions trade into each other the one that gets summoned is determined by which one was played last. It could become random, and thus be controlled by only killing 1 minion. Changing it to "friendly minions" only wouldn't fit on the card, so I'm not sure where to go with this.
Cellobot: I would lower it to 1 Mana. I know you could score (pun intended) a number of great Songs from this card, but it is highly situational. You have no Bard cards that give you Spare Parts. There are few ways to get Spare Parts. If you go to the hassle of collecting them in your hand i.e. you are playing Mech Bard with its friends (Mechanical Yeti, Toshley, Clockwork Gnome, Tinkertown Technician), and actually pull this off then you totally deserve the spells. I liken this card to Reliquary Seeker a little bit.
Dirgesinger: Tough one. Great card. I wrote "Summon the last friendly minion that died this turn. Set its Attack and Health to 1." as per Keeper of Uldaman and Kel'Thuzad and it still didn't fit :/ Sigh. How about change the card to "Pied Piper", and make the card text "Battlecry: Summon a 0/1 Rat for each minion that died this turn." This fits nicely with Bard keeping the board full of buffable tokens and makes a great turn 4 play against aggro? Edit: or "Whenever a minion dies, summon a 1/1 Rat." might be more appropriate.
Alright, here's the preliminary draft. As always, stats can be adjusted, mechanic-wise I'm really pleased with the outcome, I'll like to keep them as they are, but any input is appreciated.
Armorer Enthusiast: the Ogre card of the set, simple effect, if you try to gain Armor with him on board, you may give it to your oppponent.
Scrapbot: nothing fancy, taking face damage is considered losing Armor as well.
Rocket Hammer: I'm not sure about the stats, I think if I make it 2 Attack it goes OP (even bumping the Cost). Right now, feels like a permanent ping which is kind of the idea (as long as the Mechs keep coming).
Obsidian Spikes: mini conditional Swipe. The only direct damage card in the entire class (and a poor one at that), but since even warriors have Mortal Strike and Bash, it felt necessary.
Quicksand: same effect as Purple's MX-Defender :p, a reverse Savage Roar / Bloodlust. Doesn't affect your opponent's weapon or minions summoned after (with Charge for example).
Piercing Strikes: at first sight seems complex, but the effect is supposed to work as the Trample mechanic from MTG, but instead of going face, the exceding damage goes to a random minion (all about the board control, again). And yes, if you cast it on an enemy minion, the damages goes to your opponent's board, just like the similar spells work (Blessing of Wisdom and Power Word: Glory come to mind).
Quicksilver Anomaly: cheaper and conditional Faceless Manipulator. Favors a Mech deck (obviously).
The Lone Wanderer: the ultimate control tool, as long as you have Armor.
Molten Offering: simple enough, you play it after trading and you get the tokens.
Dragonscale Rider: I'm really digging this guy for some reason. If you Darkbomb him, he takes 2 damage instead of 3. The last line is added because, otherwise, he would be Immune to pings.
Would decaying blacksmith also provide cards that interact with armour, like Shield Slam?
Also small typo on Piercing Strikes, exceeding has a double e :3 also the wording feels a little off, maybe extra instead of exceeding?
The blacksmith only provides cards that, one way or another, give you Armor. For example, Earthen Favor (double your Armor gain this turn, from the Basic set) wouldn't be considered.
Thanks for the typo call >_> didn't even notice. Yeah, the wording is weird because there isn't a thing like that in the game ATM. I felt the same way when Foe Reaper 4000 was revealed.
*exhales* I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
The neuralyzer is way OP IMO, in aggro decks may not seem much because they just vomit their hand, but agaisnt midrange-control it's just broken, they could wind up spending up to 4 turns literally doing nothing because of the Covered minions. I would lower the Durability (and maybe bump the Cost), it doesn't really matter it doesn't have Attack, because it's not it's main feature, like Sword of Justice.
Debris seems either too weak or too strong, you're getting potentially 4 cards for 1 mana (I'm thinking about a "Handagent" archetype here). But, on the other hand (see what I did there?), a spell that only generates Spare Parts seems bad. I had a similar card, something like "lose X Armor, add that much Spare Parts to your hand" but it felt awkward, because unless you're a mechmage, Spare Parts don't provide a relevant bonus most of the time. They help, yes, but they're minor buffs. Unless you're playing a Gazlowe deck. I would make a Mech that generates Spare Parts.
And Nessie, ATM seems pretty much unremovable for your opponent unless he Deadly Shot it or he's a paladin. You would be getting a free trade every 2 turns because this goes back to your hand and the low Cost helps you don't lose that much tempo. I'm not sure about this one.
I like the rest of the set so far, the Reptilian could end up being really annoying, but I believe your secrets were simple enough to trigger (there's is no Ice Block, for example).
Thanks for the thoughts!
Neuralizer is definitely one that's in super rough state right now, and I just really love the idea is all and wanted to get it out there. You're probably right that it's currently too powerful. Anybody who can help me figure out what Durability would be appropriately useful for it without being ridiculous, as well as what it should cost at that Durability, I'm all ears.
About Crash Debris, the thing about Spare Parts is that they're over-costed, low-power spells and are worth less than normal cards. That's why, for example, Clockwork Gnome costs less than Loot Hoarder. Yes, the spell is probably on the weaker side, but like I always say, I think some believably mediocre cards sprinkled about here and there make a card set feel more realistic. You are right, though, that Gazlowe and Hand-Agent mechanics are exactly what I had in mind here, in addition to the spell synergy with stuff like Gadgetzan Auctioneer that the Agent's Hero Power already potentially makes doable. =) My main worry with Crash Debris is that I might have made it too similar to Autopsy. XP
Nessie is a tough cookie to crack. Yes, she's extremely difficult to remove, but she's also extremely slow. For 4 mana you're getting 7 damage (Agent's don't have much of any Attack buff options) -- compare to Fireball -- but it it's on a turn delay rather than being immediate, which can be a huge tempo loss, and must also obey things like Taunt. Still, I can understand the potential frustration... What if, instead of being returned to your hand, it were returned to the top of your deck? Then, it can still be played every other turn as you say, but in addition to mana and tempo loss it also effectively costs a card draw? Plus, it's thematically flavorful, like you might not always see her, but rest assured that she's right beneath the surface, waiting: "Stealth. After this loses Stealth, return it to the top of your deck."
The Illuminati Reptilian is one I wasn't sure about, but that's exactly what made me think it'd probably be okay, what you say about the Agent's Secrets being on the easy side to trigger. Really, given the limited card text space I have for them, it's hard to include overly-specific triggers. I think that the main huge utility of it, though, would be when you have more than one Secret out at once. The Cover Up lasts until you control no Secrets, not until the Secrets you currently control have been triggered. If you have two Secrets up and they only manage to trigger one each turn while you play another one each turn, their Secrets might be gone for a while. Of course, they're still welcome to play new Secrets, even ones that they have copies of covered up (though returning duplicate Secrets are destroyed since you can't control more than one of the same Secret).
One thing I was curious about was the Piloted U.F.O. It fits in with GvG's theme of Piloted Mechs with Deathrattles that summon other minions, but... All of those GvG Mechs are randomized, so I can't decide whether this is simply unique or if it feels out-of-place since the Pilot is fixed. I could easily randomize it in some way, but saying for example "Deathrattle: Summon a Martian" Invader with 2-4 Attack and 2-4 Health" or something.
Alright, here's the preliminary draft. As always, stats can be adjusted, mechanic-wise I'm really pleased with the outcome, I'll like to keep them as they are, but any input is appreciated.
Armorer Enthusiast: the Ogre card of the set, simple effect, if you try to gain Armor with him on board, you may give it to your oppponent.
Scrapbot: nothing fancy, taking face damage is considered losing Armor as well.
Rocket Hammer: I'm not sure about the stats, I think if I make it 2 Attack it goes OP (even bumping the Cost). Right now, feels like a permanent ping which is kind of the idea (as long as the Mechs keep coming).
Obsidian Spikes: mini conditional Swipe. The only direct damage card in the entire class (and a poor one at that), but since even warriors have Mortal Strike and Bash, it felt necessary.
Quicksand: same effect as Puple's MX-Enforcer :p, a reverse Savage Roar / Bloodlust. Doesn't affect your opponent's weapon or minions summoned after (with Charge for example).
Piercing Strikes: at first sight seems complex, but the effect is supposed to work as the Trample mechanic from MTG, but instead of going face, the exceding damage goes to a random minion (all about the board control, again). And yes, if you cast it on an enemy minion, the damages goes to your opponent's board, just like the similar spells work (Blessing of Wisdom and Power Word: Glory come to mind).
Quicksilver Anomaly: cheaper and conditional Faceless Manipulator. Favors a Mech deck (obviously).
The Lone Wanderer: the ultimate control tool, as long as you have Armor.
Molten Offering: simple enough, you play it after trading and you get the tokens.
Dragonscale Rider: I'm really digging this guy for some reason. If you Darkbomb him, he takes 2 damage instead of 3. The last line is added because, otherwise, he would be Immune to pings.
I'm not sure about the wording on Decaying Blacksmith. I have the same problem with it as I have with Museum Curator in that it's vague as to what it means. Does a "Deathrattle card" include something like Feign Death or Lil' Exorcist? Would your card include Shield Bash or Siege Engine, or any of your numerous class cards that could be construed as "Armor cards" despite not granting armor? This might be a minor nitpick, though. =P
I love Scrapbot, would consider making it a 1/4 just to give it a little more staying power. =)
I'm not quite sure I understand Piercing Spike. When a minion kills another minion can be very vague to define. On the one hand, the intent seems to be with regards to damage done via attacks. But what about other minion abilities? Off of the top of my head, what happens if you use Feign Death on Chillmaw? Does that count? Or hey, take Feign Death out of the equation, does it affect Deathrattle damage like from Abomination since the minion is gone then? I could also easily imagine bigger versions of minions like Wild Pyromancer or Knife Juggler, so would those count? I dunno, I think this concept might need to be reworked.
Quicksilver Anomaly is adorable. =)
I expect some people to say The Lone Wandered is OP, and it definitely would be in Warrior, but while your class does deal in Armor, I just haven't seen that it has the potential to stack it up nearly as high as Warrior does, so I think it's fine. My only thing is the card art looks stretched out, and so I'd recommend looking for something else.
For Molten Offering, normally the BRM cards that depend on the number of minions that died that turn only require 2 deaths before they break even in terms of value. Solemn Vigil, compared to Arcane Intellect, is a great example. I think that the card is currently underpowered, and I think you could get away easily with having it cost (3) instead of (4) and having the tokens be 1/2's rather than 1/1's. Or you could keep it costing (4) and make them 2/2's. Or you could keep them 1/1's and make it cost (2).
*exhales* I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
The neuralyzer is way OP IMO, in aggro decks may not seem much because they just vomit their hand, but agaisnt midrange-control it's just broken, they could wind up spending up to 4 turns literally doing nothing because of the Covered minions. I would lower the Durability (and maybe bump the Cost), it doesn't really matter it doesn't have Attack, because it's not it's main feature, like Sword of Justice.
Debris seems either too weak or too strong, you're getting potentially 4 cards for 1 mana (I'm thinking about a "Handagent" archetype here). But, on the other hand (see what I did there?), a spell that only generates Spare Parts seems bad. I had a similar card, something like "lose X Armor, add that much Spare Parts to your hand" but it felt awkward, because unless you're a mechmage, Spare Parts don't provide a relevant bonus most of the time. They help, yes, but they're minor buffs. Unless you're playing a Gazlowe deck. I would make a Mech that generates Spare Parts.
And Nessie, ATM seems pretty much unremovable for your opponent unless he Deadly Shot it or he's a paladin. You would be getting a free trade every 2 turns because this goes back to your hand and the low Cost helps you don't lose that much tempo. I'm not sure about this one.
I like the rest of the set so far, the Reptilian could end up being really annoying, but I believe your secrets were simple enough to trigger (there's is no Ice Block, for example).
Thanks for the thoughts!
Neuralizer is definitely one that's in super rough state right now, and I just really love the idea is all and wanted to get it out there. You're probably right that it's currently too powerful. Anybody who can help me figure out what Durability would be appropriately useful for it without being ridiculous, as well as what it should cost at that Durability, I'm all ears.
About Crash Debris, the thing about Spare Parts is that they're over-costed, low-power spells and are worth less than normal cards. That's why, for example, Clockwork Gnome costs less than Loot Hoarder. Yes, the spell is probably on the weaker side, but like I always say, I think some believably mediocre cards sprinkled about here and there make a card set feel more realistic. You are right, though, that Gazlowe and Hand-Agent mechanics are exactly what I had in mind here, in addition to the spell synergy with stuff like Gadgetzan Auctioneer that the Agent's Hero Power already potentially makes doable. =) My main worry with Crash Debris is that I might have made it too similar to Autopsy. XP
Nessie is a tough cookie to crack. Yes, she's extremely difficult to remove, but she's also extremely slow. For 4 mana you're getting 7 damage (Agent's don't have much of any Attack buff options) -- compare to Fireball -- but it it's on a turn delay rather than being immediate, which can be a huge tempo loss, and must also obey things like Taunt. Still, I can understand the potential frustration... What if, instead of being returned to your hand, it were returned to the top of your deck? Then, it can still be played every other turn as you say, but in addition to mana and tempo loss it also effectively costs a card draw? Plus, it's thematically flavorful, like you might not always see her, but rest assured that she's right beneath the surface, waiting: "Stealth. After this loses Stealth, return it to the top of your deck."
The Illuminati Reptilian is one I wasn't sure about, but that's exactly what made me think it'd probably be okay, what you say about the Agent's Secrets being on the easy side to trigger. Really, given the limited card text space I have for them, it's hard to include overly-specific triggers. I think that the main huge utility of it, though, would be when you have more than one Secret out at once. The Cover Up lasts until you control no Secrets, not until the Secrets you currently control have been triggered. If you have two Secrets up and they only manage to trigger one each turn while you play another one each turn, their Secrets might be gone for a while. Of course, they're still welcome to play new Secrets, even ones that they have copies of covered up (though returning duplicate Secrets are destroyed since you can't control more than one of the same Secret).
One thing I was curious about was the Piloted U.F.O. It fits in with GvG's theme of Piloted Mechs with Deathrattles that summon other minions, but... All of those GvG Mechs are randomized, so I can't decide whether this is simply unique or if it feels out-of-place since the Pilot is fixed. I could easily randomize it in some way, but saying for example "Deathrattle: Summon a Martian" Invader with 2-4 Attack and 2-4 Health" or something.
The Neuralyzer: The problem with the mechanic itself is that is really strong. As long as this weapon is in play, you're pretty much denying your opponent from a board. Yeah, once it breaks, they all come back at once, but it may be too late by that point (Ooze or Harrison trigger the Battlecry, destroying the weapon?). I would prooooooblaby make it 2 Durability and 4 mana, so it's not as punishing as it is now, but I'm not really sure how to measure the value of the effect.
Crash Debris: I'm all for doing mediocre cards, it gives the class more realism, not just "yeah, every card in the set is very good", but I feel this card could either make or break a deck, hell, I haven't even thought about the Auctioneer, it's like a Miracle Rogue on drugs lol. I don't think I can help you with this one.
Nessie: denying you of a card draw could be really problematic. On the other hand, you have really good card draw in the class, so it could prove a good solution...
Nothing to say about the Reptilian, it was more of a comment rather than a critique. It's an interesting tech card.
If you're worried about the Deathrattle of the Piloted UFO, you could make it "Summon a random Alien". It goes with the flavor and it's not fixed like the current version. Still would be a small pool of choices though and probably would need some stats adjustment.
Feedback on the other cards has been taken, much appreciated!
I've decided to change the flavor of Novice's Flute to match the GvG theme more. I have the art I want, but I really need some help on the name. I have absolutely no idea where to go with it.
Feedback on the other cards has been taken, much appreciated!
I've decided to change the flavor of Novice's Flute to match the GvG theme more. I have the art I want, but I really need some help on the name. I have absolutely no idea where to go with it.
*exhales* I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
The neuralyzer is way OP IMO, in aggro decks may not seem much because they just vomit their hand, but agaisnt midrange-control it's just broken, they could wind up spending up to 4 turns literally doing nothing because of the Covered minions. I would lower the Durability (and maybe bump the Cost), it doesn't really matter it doesn't have Attack, because it's not it's main feature, like Sword of Justice.
Debris seems either too weak or too strong, you're getting potentially 4 cards for 1 mana (I'm thinking about a "Handagent" archetype here). But, on the other hand (see what I did there?), a spell that only generates Spare Parts seems bad. I had a similar card, something like "lose X Armor, add that much Spare Parts to your hand" but it felt awkward, because unless you're a mechmage, Spare Parts don't provide a relevant bonus most of the time. They help, yes, but they're minor buffs. Unless you're playing a Gazlowe deck. I would make a Mech that generates Spare Parts.
And Nessie, ATM seems pretty much unremovable for your opponent unless he Deadly Shot it or he's a paladin. You would be getting a free trade every 2 turns because this goes back to your hand and the low Cost helps you don't lose that much tempo. I'm not sure about this one.
I like the rest of the set so far, the Reptilian could end up being really annoying, but I believe your secrets were simple enough to trigger (there's is no Ice Block, for example).
Thanks for the thoughts!
Neuralizer is definitely one that's in super rough state right now, and I just really love the idea is all and wanted to get it out there. You're probably right that it's currently too powerful. Anybody who can help me figure out what Durability would be appropriately useful for it without being ridiculous, as well as what it should cost at that Durability, I'm all ears.
About Crash Debris, the thing about Spare Parts is that they're over-costed, low-power spells and are worth less than normal cards. That's why, for example, Clockwork Gnome costs less than Loot Hoarder. Yes, the spell is probably on the weaker side, but like I always say, I think some believably mediocre cards sprinkled about here and there make a card set feel more realistic. You are right, though, that Gazlowe and Hand-Agent mechanics are exactly what I had in mind here, in addition to the spell synergy with stuff like Gadgetzan Auctioneer that the Agent's Hero Power already potentially makes doable. =) My main worry with Crash Debris is that I might have made it too similar to Autopsy. XP
Nessie is a tough cookie to crack. Yes, she's extremely difficult to remove, but she's also extremely slow. For 4 mana you're getting 7 damage (Agent's don't have much of any Attack buff options) -- compare to Fireball -- but it it's on a turn delay rather than being immediate, which can be a huge tempo loss, and must also obey things like Taunt. Still, I can understand the potential frustration... What if, instead of being returned to your hand, it were returned to the top of your deck? Then, it can still be played every other turn as you say, but in addition to mana and tempo loss it also effectively costs a card draw? Plus, it's thematically flavorful, like you might not always see her, but rest assured that she's right beneath the surface, waiting: "Stealth. After this loses Stealth, return it to the top of your deck."
The Illuminati Reptilian is one I wasn't sure about, but that's exactly what made me think it'd probably be okay, what you say about the Agent's Secrets being on the easy side to trigger. Really, given the limited card text space I have for them, it's hard to include overly-specific triggers. I think that the main huge utility of it, though, would be when you have more than one Secret out at once. The Cover Up lasts until you control no Secrets, not until the Secrets you currently control have been triggered. If you have two Secrets up and they only manage to trigger one each turn while you play another one each turn, their Secrets might be gone for a while. Of course, they're still welcome to play new Secrets, even ones that they have copies of covered up (though returning duplicate Secrets are destroyed since you can't control more than one of the same Secret).
One thing I was curious about was the Piloted U.F.O. It fits in with GvG's theme of Piloted Mechs with Deathrattles that summon other minions, but... All of those GvG Mechs are randomized, so I can't decide whether this is simply unique or if it feels out-of-place since the Pilot is fixed. I could easily randomize it in some way, but saying for example "Deathrattle: Summon a Martian" Invader with 2-4 Attack and 2-4 Health" or something.
The Neuralyzer: The problem with the mechanic itself is that is really strong. As long as this weapon is in play, you're pretty much denying your opponent from a board. Yeah, once it breaks, they all come back at once, but it may be too late by that point (Ooze or Harrison trigger the Battlecry, destroying the weapon?). I would prooooooblaby make it 2 Durability and 4 mana, so it's not as punishing as it is now, but I'm not really sure how to measure the value of the effect.
Crash Debris: I'm all for doing mediocre cards, it gives the class more realism, not just "yeah, every card in the set is very good", but I feel this card could either make or break a deck, hell, I haven't even thought about the Auctioneer, it's like a Miracle Rogue on drugs lol. I don't think I can help you with this one.
Nessie: denying you of a card draw could be really problematic. On the other hand, you have really good card draw in the class, so it could prove a good solution...
Nothing to say about the Reptilian, it was more of a comment rather than a critique. It's an interesting tech card.
If you're worried about the Deathrattle of the Piloted UFO, you could make it "Summon a random Alien". It goes with the flavor and it's not fixed like the current version. Still would be a small pool of choices though and probably would need some stats adjustment.
The Neuralyzer is timed like Mirror Entity, so Battecries like those from Acidic Swamp Ooze would be allowed to go off to counter the weapon. I might decide to make that more clear by saying "After" instead of "When". And for the durability, remember that the last point doesn't matter; if it only has 2 durability, then your second Covered Up minion would also reduce the weapon's Durability to 0 and would immediately be returned. I could see it at 2 durability, but I'd probably make its cost, like, (0) in that case, since all it does then is maybe delay one minion for one round, like a worse Ice Lance.
And I thought about "Summon a random Alien", but there are just too few of them. Only 4 in Classic, then 2 in GvG, then 1 in BRM. The variation just feels too low. Sure, there are technically a few more Aliens, like from the Men in Black or Shapeshifter spells, but those are tokens and wouldn't be counted... Then again, maybe it could work. I mean, even just taking Classic and GvG alone, 6 aliens is enough variation not to make it predictable, and there are no real outstanding results because most of the Aliens are Battlcry-focused, so it'd be easy to cost... Hmm... AND it would give me an actual reason for having the Alien tag other than Autopsy, haha. I will ponder this.
Anyway, not sure if you saw, but immediately after my response to you about my set, I also gave some thoughts on your set. Not that you need to respond to my thoughts, I'm just saying in case you missed it, because double-posts like that can be easy to miss. =)
The Neuralyzer is timed like Mirror Entity, so Battecries like those from Acidic Swamp Ooze would be allowed to go off to counter the weapon. I might decide to make that more clear by saying "After" instead of "When". And for the durability, remember that the last point doesn't matter; if it only has 2 durability, then your second Covered Up minion would also reduce the weapon's Durability to 0 and would immediately be returned. I could see it at 2 durability, but I'd probably make its cost, like, (0) in that case, since all it does then is maybe delay one minion for one round, like a worse Ice Lance.
And I thought about "Summon a random Alien", but there are just too few of them. Only 4 in Classic, then 2 in GvG, then 1 in BRM. The variation just feels too low. Sure, there are technically a few more Aliens, like from the Men in Black or Shapeshifter spells, but those are tokens and wouldn't be counted... Then again, maybe it could work. I mean, even just taking Classic and GvG alone, 6 aliens is enough variation not to make it predictable, and there are no real outstanding results because most of the Aliens are Battlcry-focused, so it'd be easy to cost... Hmm... AND it would give me an actual reason for having the Alien tag other than Autopsy, haha. I will ponder this.
Anyway, not sure if you saw, but immediately after my response to you about my set, I also gave some thoughts on your set. Not that you need to respond to my thoughts, I'm just saying in case you missed it, because double-posts like that can be easy to miss. =)
Yeah, I forgot about that the last Durability doesn't really matter. I guess you could go with 3 Durability then.
Alright, here's the preliminary draft. As always, stats can be adjusted, mechanic-wise I'm really pleased with the outcome, I'll like to keep them as they are, but any input is appreciated.
Armorer Enthusiast: the Ogre card of the set, simple effect, if you try to gain Armor with him on board, you may give it to your oppponent.
Scrapbot: nothing fancy, taking face damage is considered losing Armor as well.
Rocket Hammer: I'm not sure about the stats, I think if I make it 2 Attack it goes OP (even bumping the Cost). Right now, feels like a permanent ping which is kind of the idea (as long as the Mechs keep coming).
Obsidian Spikes: mini conditional Swipe. The only direct damage card in the entire class (and a poor one at that), but since even warriors have Mortal Strike and Bash, it felt necessary.
Quicksand: same effect as Puple's MX-Enforcer :p, a reverse Savage Roar / Bloodlust. Doesn't affect your opponent's weapon or minions summoned after (with Charge for example).
Piercing Strikes: at first sight seems complex, but the effect is supposed to work as the Trample mechanic from MTG, but instead of going face, the exceding damage goes to a random minion (all about the board control, again). And yes, if you cast it on an enemy minion, the damages goes to your opponent's board, just like the similar spells work (Blessing of Wisdom and Power Word: Glory come to mind).
Quicksilver Anomaly: cheaper and conditional Faceless Manipulator. Favors a Mech deck (obviously).
The Lone Wanderer: the ultimate control tool, as long as you have Armor.
Molten Offering: simple enough, you play it after trading and you get the tokens.
Dragonscale Rider: I'm really digging this guy for some reason. If you Darkbomb him, he takes 2 damage instead of 3. The last line is added because, otherwise, he would be Immune to pings.
I'm not sure about the wording on Decaying Blacksmith. I have the same problem with it as I have with Museum Curator in that it's vague as to what it means. Does a "Deathrattle card" include something like Feign Death or Lil' Exorcist? Would your card include Shield Bash or Siege Engine, or any of your numerous class cards that could be construed as "Armor cards" despite not granting armor? This might be a minor nitpick, though. =P
I love Scrapbot, would consider making it a 1/4 just to give it a little more staying power. =)
I'm not quite sure I understand Piercing Spike. When a minion kills another minion can be very vague to define. On the one hand, the intent seems to be with regards to damage done via attacks. But what about other minion abilities? Off of the top of my head, what happens if you use Feign Death on Chillmaw? Does that count? Or hey, take Feign Death out of the equation, does it affect Deathrattle damage like from Abomination since the minion is gone then? I could also easily imagine bigger versions of minions like Wild Pyromancer or Knife Juggler, so would those count? I dunno, I think this concept might need to be reworked.
Quicksilver Anomaly is adorable. =)
I expect some people to say The Lone Wandered is OP, and it definitely would be in Warrior, but while your class does deal in Armor, I just haven't seen that it has the potential to stack it up nearly as high as Warrior does, so I think it's fine. My only thing is the card art looks stretched out, and so I'd recommend looking for something else.
For Molten Offering, normally the BRM cards that depend on the number of minions that died that turn only require 2 deaths before they break even in terms of value. Solemn Vigil, compared to Arcane Intellect, is a great example. I think that the card is currently underpowered, and I think you could get away easily with having it cost (3) instead of (4) and having the tokens be 1/2's rather than 1/1's. Or you could keep it costing (4) and make them 2/2's. Or you could keep them 1/1's and make it cost (2).
The wording in Decaying Blacksmith is a bit vague, but if I add something like "cards that give you Armor", feels clunky. It's just like you said about Museum Curator, it should said "Discover a minion with Deathrattle" since it's what id does, but in this case it would be like "adding a Dream card", "summon an AWESOME invention", and so on. You should look up what cards can give you eventually.
Scrapbot was originally a 1/4 but switched it for some reason, it felt a weak body. May revert the change.
Yeah, Piercing Strikes is a bit confusing. It's supposed to work when a minion attacks, no abilities included, but it just is wordy as it is. I'll see what I can do about it to make it clearer.
I thought about the potential problem about The Lone Wanderer, but while it's Immune it can't have Taunt, so you can easily ignore him and go face. And of course a 5/5 for 7 is weak. I checked the Armor gain between warrior and my class and it's pretty even, mine has potentially more bursty gain through Earthen Favor (double your Armor gain this turn), but otherwise the true gain from warriors come from the Hero Power, especially the Justicar version. Plus my class has cards that LOSE you Armor, there's no way to stack as much as the warrior. Yeah, the art looks weird for some reason, I'll try to fix it.
Will adjust Molten Offering accordingly, I didn't pay attention to that aspect, and summoning two 1/1 with Taunt for 4 mana is really expensive lol.
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
I have an idea. :P Ain't no keyboard slamming for me.
EDIT: So, there *may* have been a bit of keyboard slamming. I'm really worried about this Legendary being a bit "meh", but I spent a long time on it, so...
@DKPaladinMDL
Drop the Base: You could make a case for keeping it 4 mana, as it's comparable to Hellfire. Where it gains the ability to protect a minion, it also loses the ability to damage heroes. Not only that, but you have to actually have a minion on the board to avoid saving one of your opponents creatures, which is no small consideration when balancing.
Chant: Hearthstone has shown that getting 3 creatures on the board is easy, 4 is not. Honestly, with cards like White Noise, Chant could fairly easily get pretty damn oppressive. The only comparative I can think of is Headcrack, and that shares the same mana cost for an ability worth about (0). I'm not sure whether the trigger is easier or harder, but I'd definitely consider dropping the damage.
Cellobot: I actually had a card like this planned from the very beginning, so I at least think it's cool.
Diresinger: My favourite of these 4, it reminds me of the mini tavern brawl we just had. I think the balance is spot on, good work.
Alright, so I'm one epic short, but here's the GvG expansion as it stands. First, these are the ideas that I'm definitely taking with me. The only one that is mildly concerning for me is the MX-Enforcer. I decided that I overstated the value a bit on my previous Deathless cards, but I'm not sure if the effect might be a bit too powerful. Reminder, Deathless is an effect that happens after the minion is played, times the number of times it was played previously. So the first time it is played, it does nothing.
These are the ones that I'm a bit sketchy on. Mechanize I tried to get more of a mech synnergy while staying in the classes theme. Same with Monstrous Assault, I was attempting to give more aggro options for a potentially very control centric class. Attack Gem: Fire gives another AOE damage card, but I'm not sure about the balance. I'm not married to any of these ideas, and feedback would be most appreciated.
For Gem Forge Reference, here are the current Attack Gems that the class has:
Having a strictly Transform class and seeing all other class use it
Just some minor nitpicks (spelling-wise): MX-Enforcer is missing the "s" from minionS. Spare Parts in Gem Forge should be bolded. Monstrous AssAUlt :p. And I would make the Transgolem a Battlecry, because its effect is a Battlecry after all. Something like "Battlecry: Become a copy of a random minion in your hand".
The thing about the Defender is how abusable can get to be your mechanic. I'm guessing the... 3rd? Defender would make the enemy minions -4 Attack, right? As long as it keeps coming back, you're pretty much locking your opponent board. I would switch it to 1. I'm not sure about Monstrous Assault and Gem Forge either. Monstrous Assault because Charge, as long as your class doesn't have a way to abuse it... +3 Attack on the second play is pretty steep. Gem Forge just because you get really good spells, kinda like Antonidas in Mechmage, still it seems weaker because you can't spam the Gems (unlike the Fireballs).
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
Alright, here's the preliminary draft. As always, stats can be adjusted, mechanic-wise I'm really pleased with the outcome, I'll like to keep them as they are, but any input is appreciated.
Armor cards include every kind of card that gives you Armor: Claw, Bite, Bash, Shield Block, Armorsmith, Shieldmaiden, Ice Barrier, as well as the class cards.
Armorer Enthusiast: the Ogre card of the set, simple effect, if you try to gain Armor with him on board, you may give it to your oppponent.
Scrapbot: nothing fancy, taking face damage is considered losing Armor as well.
Rocket Hammer: I'm not sure about the stats, I think if I make it 2 Attack it goes OP (even bumping the Cost). Right now, feels like a permanent ping which is kind of the idea (as long as the Mechs keep coming).
Obsidian Spikes: mini conditional Swipe. The only direct damage card in the entire class (and a poor one at that), but since even warriors have Mortal Strike and Bash, it felt necessary.
Quicksand: same effect as Puple's MX-Enforcer :p, a reverse Savage Roar / Bloodlust. Doesn't affect your opponent's weapon or minions summoned after (with Charge for example).
Piercing Strikes: at first sight seems complex, but the effect is supposed to work as the Trample mechanic from MTG, but instead of going face, the exceding damage goes to a random minion (all about the board control, again). And yes, if you cast it on an enemy minion, the damages goes to your opponent's board, just like the similar spells work (Blessing of Wisdom and Power Word: Glory come to mind).
Quicksilver Anomaly: cheaper and conditional Faceless Manipulator. Favors a Mech deck (obviously).
The Lone Wanderer: the ultimate control tool, as long as you have Armor.
Molten Offering: simple enough, you play it after trading and you get the tokens.
Dragonscale Rider: I'm really digging this guy for some reason. If you Darkbomb him, he takes 2 damage instead of 3. The last line is added because, otherwise, he would be Immune to pings.
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
*dumps a first draft*
*exhales*
I ended up getting a lot more done on this today than I thought! o_o
It's just past 4 AM, so I've ended up a bit too exhausted to give substantial feedback at the moment, but I absolutely will later this weekend. It's much easier now that there's only 12 of us. And, I also feel less weird about it now since at this stage of the competition there are no more Wild Card privileges.
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
I love all of these. Great balance. Perfect for the theme. I dig the pseudo-Tauntness of Halfling Bard.
Drop the Bass: Exactly the comment I was going to make. Balances it well against Hellfire.
Chant: 2 Mana. 2 damage. 2 minions. See Drain Life (gain Health), Darkbomb (one extra Damage), and Headcrack (direct damage to enemy Hero) for my justification :)
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
My main worry with Crash Debris is that I might have made it too similar to Autopsy. XP
Siras Terra, the Geomancer
Feedback on the other cards has been taken, much appreciated!
I've decided to change the flavor of Novice's Flute to match the GvG theme more. I have the art I want, but I really need some help on the name. I have absolutely no idea where to go with it.
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Siras Terra, the Geomancer