The Custom Class Competition is back for its sixth iteration! We welcome any newcomers as well as old hands who've run through this grueling gauntlet of card creation before.
The good news is, said gauntlet is much smaller this time around. With the release of Demon Hunter, Blizzard has shown us how they release a custom class midway in the game's lifespan. Therefore, we will simulate this as close as possible. Take the time to read the rules or procedures below.
This is the Discussion Thread! Ask for feedback, return the favour, ask questions, etc. here.
All contestants will create one custom class, following the layout of Demon Hunter.
There will be a total of 45 cards, down from 65+ cards from previous competitions.
All contestants will select a past expansion to simulate their class releasing, like how Demon Hunter was released during Ashes of Outland.
The contest will run for 4 weeks.
Week One: 10 Basic cards.
Week Two: 10 "Initiate" cards.
Week Three: The other 10 "Initiate" cards.
Week Four: 15 expansion cards.
"Initiate" means the supplemental 20 cards Blizzard printed for Demon Hunter. Yours do not have to be named Initiate set.
Like the previous contest, barring a large number of contestants, all participants will move forward with each passing week, the victor being the one who gets the most total votes.
Challenge
Since some contestants may have decided to get a head-start on creating cards, I have decided to implement just one challenge, and it is a challenge that should have already been met:
At least one card (minion, spell, or weapon) can only have a single line, or less, of text.
You must adhere to the following rules or risk disqualification:
Unless otherwise stated, you are allowed three cards to showcase. All other cards must be hidden in a spoiler.
You may include flavour texts. For the showcase cards, their texts do not need to be spoilered.
You may include a single banner at the top of your submission post. It may not be overly fancy. This is entirely subjective and the moderators have the right to remove a banner they feel is too fancy and, therefore, gives an inherent advantage over other posts.
Golden cards are not allowed, nor are huge images that feature your cards with a background.
If you choose to include other images other than a banner, they must be hidden behind a spoiler.
F.A.Q.
What expansions can I choose from?
You may select from any expansion except Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. This is due to the nature of tri-class cards.
Uh oh spaghettios, class cycles.
As I briefly touched upon in a reply in the preliminary thread, when the fourth week rolls around and you have to choose an expansion to slot your class into, you must have at least one all-class cycle.All-class, in this context, means both a cycle shared between all 9 classes, and a cycle that the League of EVIL classes or Explorers classes share.
While, at first, it seems to make sense that your custom class should adhere to all all-class cycles in a given expansion, Demon Hunter did not have a Prime legendary. However, it is recommended that you include all all-class cycles in your custom class. Some all-class cycles hinge on other cycles within the expansion. Use common sense when choosing which cycles to use and to not use. (ex. You do not have a Loa, but instead choose to have a Loa shrine)
To clarify, here are the all-class cycles you may choose from:
GvG: A class mech.
TGT: There is no theme shared between all classes.
WOTOG: There is no theme shared between all classes.
RR: Legendary Loa, thematically supporting legendary minion, Loa Spirit card with a 0/3 statline
RoS: EITHER One Lackey generation card + One Scheme spell OR Two Twinspells
Furthermore, each of the EVIL members have a "callback" to the expansions they were first introduced in. However, you do not need to do this as your custom class is being introduced and has nothing to callback.
SoU: EITHER A Plague spell OR A singleton legendary, a Quest that changes your Hero Power as a reward.
DoD: EITHER Galakrond + a Galakrond support card OR a Dragon Explorer minion + Two Sidequests, a Legendary Dragon.
AoO: There is no theme shared between all classes.
9/10 classes have a Prime legendary, 9/10 classes have a Dormant minion.
What about card cycles not shared between all nine classes, like Omega cards, or Aspirant cards?
You may pick and choose from those.
What about Hero Cards like Hagatha, Dr. Boom?
After much thought, I have decided to, for now, disallow Hero Cards in your expansion set unless it is a Galakrond hero. While I am aware Warlock came with Jaraxxus in their Classic set, I feel as though a new class receiving a massive power spike in the form of a Hero Card while other classes did not in that expansion will create an even worse problem DH did upon arrival.
Can I rename the "Initiate" set to whatever I want?
Yes.
What watermarks do I use?
For the "Initiate" set, you can use whatever watermark you think makes the most sense.
Do I have to follow the rarity distribution of the Demon Hunter Initiate set?
Yes.
You may not introduce a Legendary spell or Hero in the Initiate set as there are none in the current Demon Hunter example we've been given.
Do I need to adhere to Warcraft lore?
The short answer: no.
The long answer: Try your best to do so. Even if your Hero is not a character found in Warcraft, you can still achieve a general feel of Warcraftiness by using in-game place names and references. Put in the work and use some elbow grease. Do your research on WoWwiki.
Demon Hunter introduced new keywords into the Basic Set. What keywords can I now use?
I have decided to interpret this precedent as strictly as possible. As only Rush and Lifesteal were added, no other keywords besides these two are allowed to be added to the list of Basic set keywords.
The list of keywords allowed in the Basic set now includes: Battlecry, Taunt, Spell Damage, Divine Shield, Freeze, Windfury, Poisonous, Rush, and Lifesteal.
Demon Hunter introduced a 1-mana Hero Power. Can we have non-2 mana Hero Powers?
Yes. Again, this precedent is taken as strictly as possible. You may have either a 1 or a 2 mana Hero Power, nothing else.
Maybe more?
Competition Process
Week One: June 7th - June 14th. There will then be a pause between the 14th and the commencement of Week Two, in order to set up a final voting period for Week One.
How the final voting period will be structured depends on the number of entries:
A small number of entries: Decided by a poll, votes are cumulative. No one is eliminated.
A medium number of entries: Decided by upvotes. Only the bottom-scoring few are eliminated.
A large number of entries: Decided by upvotes. A set percentage of entries will be cut. (For example, bottom 30% of entries)
Hey ! So before pitching anything, I would like to know if recycling an old class is ok.
I entered the 5th CCC with The Hexer and only got to phase 2 (the Basic set). I'd like to know if I would be allowed to rework this class for this new competition or if I have to come up with something new.
Thrilled to participate either way but I really don't want to invest time and energy into something that I can't post.
Hey ! So before pitching anything, I would like to know if recycling an old class is ok.
I entered the 5th CCC with The Hexer and only got to phase 2 (the Basic set). I'd like to know if I would be allowed to rework this class for this new competition or if I have to come up with something new.
Thrilled to participate either way but I really don't want to invest time and energy into something that I can't post.
It is very common practice for creators to recycle past ideas. I've done it multiple times, in fact. While I don't exactly outright condone this, I suppose it is unavoidable for people to use old ideas.
I think I'd be happier if you changed a few cards, maybe rebranded your class under a different name and Hero but keep the underlying playstyle and theme and most of the Basic set you already have done.
Well I've got an idea, even though I'm not sure if I'll stick to it. Here I present...
The Merchant
"Hey kiddo, wanna know the secret of success? Some will tell that strategy will make you victorious, while others say that's sheer power what you should achieve. But, believe me, none of that is important. What makes you succesful is money. Nothing more, nothing less. And if you want that, you'd better stick with me, pal!"
"Money fluctuates like magic, and is as unstable as the elements! In order to take the most out of it, you need to plan your moves ahead! That's what makes us better than other class. They just live the moment, they can't care how they'll be next turn. That's why you should invest part of your capita, even if it means you get a slower start. Gotta spend money to obtain money!"
"What to do when your pockets are full, y'say? Well, you can start sending the big guys! The beautiful thing about money is that it creates bonds between people. When talking about "people" I'm refering to fearsome henchmen and mercenaries, of course! Also don't get too afraid to enter a small debt... You always have a chance to obtain your money back with profitable businesses!"
"However, don't be afraid to use extra resources to stay on top of the economy! I have legions of merchants to ensure income never ceases!"
"However, if what you plan is to suck your rivals' blood slowly, we know the perfect partners for you! We have contact with some leeches that'll obtain your opponent's capital slowly but steady, leaving them in bankrupcy before they know what attacked them!"
"As someone might've already told you, your health is also a resource! Spend it wisely, and use some cheats to keep it flowing!"
"Are you already on the top? Well, that's when fun begins! Competition will never stop attacking, so you'll need to defend as hard as you can your properties!"
Thoughts on what I've got? Already made some profit cards, but then I've realised that Basic sets don't have class-specific mechanics. Oh well, at least I've got some cards for next week. Also, not sure if there's a problem with Gallywix being the hero, due to him being also a Battlegrounds hero.
Pardon me, but a quick question: I remember a long time ago that Monk and Demon Hunter were off limits. With Demon Hunter's release obviously it's out, but is making a Monk class fair game? I have some stuff bouncing around for it, but don't want to get too far in before knowing if it's fine or not.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
This isn't in the rules, intentionally, as this comes with experience, but you have, in my opinion, over-complicated your Basic Set. Mechanics such as destroying Mana Crystals, having less Mana Crystals, permanent Cost reduction... all those mechanics came much later, far after Classic. Before you say that we're releasing our classes after Classic, do keep in mind the Demon Hunter Basic set is as streamlined as the other 9 classes.
Elegance is key to the Basic set. In past competitions, the Basic set was often regarded as being one of the hardest, yet most boring. You have to somehow create 10, straightforward, beginner friendly cards that also lay down the framework of your class going forward and establish class identity.
Furthermore, I really dislike putting Keywords in the Hero Power. I honestly really wanted to make it a rule, but I actually figured most people would feel the same way as that is a core philosophy in class designing, in my opinion.
Pardon me, but a quick question: I remember a long time ago that Monk and Demon Hunter were off limits. With Demon Hunter's release obviously it's out, but is making a Monk class fair game? I have some stuff bouncing around for it, but don't want to get too far in before knowing if it's fine or not.
Good question, I actually forgot about this. I
...
t h i n k
I'll allow it. Mainly because Demon Hunter was actually done. Furthermore, we should have a fewer number of contestants that, hopefully, 5 Monk classes won't become an issue I have to deal with.
If this does become a problem I will forbid any *further* Monk entries, but I wouldn't be so unfair that I would force people already halfway through their class to switch themes. So, you can go ahead. I'll monitor this potential issue for the time being.
On my end, I've got my entire Basic set done. My custom class is the Ninja.
Tokens:
Would love feedback!
*That above image will not be what I use in my submission thread.
I would like to introduce my idea: Gelbin Mekkatorque, The Engineer. I initially planned on doing the Tinkerer, but I saw someone created a thread on here back in 2016 with that same idea, so I switched it up a bit. Note: I am going a completely separate route than what I saw this person do. These are all my ideas. Before I submit my entry to the Submission Thread, I am asking you, the community, to tell me whether or not these cards are balanced. I am confident in all of my other cards. These are tricky though. First off, here is my Hero and his Hero Power:
Without further ado, here are my problem cards:
My personal conflicts are as follows:
I really could not decide whether or not Upgrade was too expensive or not expensive enough. I really just based it off of Divine Spirit + Blessed Champion = 7 mana.
Cobalt Defender all around seems weird to me. I am essentially trying to mix Hunter and Paladin with this class in a way. This class has a Mech package like Hunter has Beasts, but it's very Divine Shield and Buff oriented. I tried comparing this to Tundra Rhino, but I can't figure out what else I could do to fix it.
Finally, Poultry Automaton. I justified this by comparing it to Voidwalker, Northshire Cleric, and even Goldshire Footman. I feel like this is slightly too powerful, but even if I reduced its health by 1, it would just be an Argent Squire.
I think you absolutely nailed the idea of it being a Basic Set. The cards you created definitely feel like reasonable cards that could be in the game. Maybe it's due to my experience, but I can't really find anything negative about your cards. All of them are pretty reasonably balanced. Double Trouble turns Fungalmancer into a spell and makes up for the 2/2 lost. Shadow Clones is very comparable to Feral Spirit in a way. I guess the only thing I can really think of is that the Refresh part of the Hero Power is a little more than other Hero Powers offer.
Unfortunately, I have to agree that the Hero Power and some of your cards may be a little too complicated for a Basic Set. Having said that, I really like the theme you chose, and your cards are pretty good for what they are. Gallywix is a great character, and I love the detail you put into your text. I would even have to say Grim Extortionest is a card I would really like to see in the game.
Pultry Automaton is one of the most broken cards ever. Having +1 health on an argent squire with a mech tag is beyond insane. Just having an argent squire with a mech tag is already crazy strong.
Oddly enough... I don't think the 1/2 Divine Shield is as broken as ManThighs made it out to be. It's definitely too strong, but that power level isn't unheard of. Righteous Protector does come a little close to this card, as well as Blazing Battlemage.
I think a very interesting nerf would be to take away the Mech tag. If you really want to keep the statline and Shield, taking away the mech tag will put it in line with Blazing Battlemage, for the most part.
Upgrade is honestly fine. It's a clunky card that isn't easy to pull off. A bit like Dinosize, in that regard.
Cobaolt Defender, I think, is rather weak. Stormwind Champion gives out the same amount of stats but loses only 3 stats from a premium statline. You can have Cobalt Defender be a 4/4 or even a 3/5 if you want to make it that much stronger.
Don't forget a bolded Hero Power on your Hero Power token. Most people forget that.
Pultry Automaton is one of the most broken cards ever. Having +1 health on an argent squire with a mech tag is beyond insane. Just having an argent squire with a mech tag is already crazy strong.
Y'know what's funny? We actually said that about Guardian Augmerchant, and it got completely overshadowed by DH's insane power. Augmerchant is still an insane card on paper yet it doesn't see nearly as much play as we thought it would.
That is not to say I don't agree with you; I do. A 1-mana 1/2 Divine Shield with a tribe tag is undercosted.
I think your basic set it looking very good! As funny as it is, the thing I see being a potential worry is Transformation Jutsu. The ability to make a favorable trade then turn a weak minion into an 8/8 Rush for 7 is potentially dangerous for a basic level card. I'd personally say 8 Mana for the symmetry and stuff but I'm also not the best at balance since I worry everything is too strong so that's just me! Throwing Kunai might also be pushing the edge a bit but it's probably fine!
I'm going to be redundant, but I'll also say that the Poultry is a bit scary, Upgrade looks to be in a good spot, and the defender seems weak. For the defender though you could try both giving it Taunt, and shifting it's stats to be Health heavy, then it could play more as a defender. That said, since you also focus on divine shields, perhaps a shift of flavor on him could also work. Having him grant maybe +1 Attack instead to better make use of your divine shields and the target dummies, while also giving his stats a bump. Just an idea!
But anyway here's what I'm sitting on the ever so creative Monk! Feedback also appreciated! I wanted to focus on more of a control style attack with your hero, with heals mixed in and some minion bouncing, but it's hard to capture all of that is just the basic set. Let me know if something could probably be switched out for something else, there might be too much overlap across some of the cards.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
Right off the bat, you've got your class keyword and Immune in your basic set. You can't do that.
Don't forget Hero Power in your hero power token.
I can't really give much more feedback since you have to go back and change quite a few cards. I will point out Spinning Crane Kick is rather similar to Blade Flurry, maybe a little too much. I also notice you have a few cards that get better with higher Hero attack. Will you have weapons in the class?
As for my decisions, Throwing Kunai is a tad strong, true, but I figured the face damage and also blocking half of the Hero Power if you use your Kunai that turn justifies its efficiency.
Transformation Jutsu was balanced against Dinosize.
I just finished up my Hero/Hero Power and wanted to check if it was Ok before going forward with card creation, so feedback on that would be great. The class itself is Inventor, and the hero is:
So the idea of "Gizmo" cards is that they're spells but they function in a similar manor to Shaman's totems- you can't get more of the same one until you cast it, and once you have all 4 you can't get any more until you use at least one of them, making the result pseudo-random. I don't know if adding this many cards just on the hero power is against the spirit of the competition, so I wanted to ask now before building more. Also these won't count towards the card with one line of text requirement because I am neither silly nor a cheater lol.
Edit: Also forgive me I'm not savvy with this forum, how do I make the pictures smaller? Sorry about their size.
so, poultry automaton is fine as i see it, its almost like a 1/3 which we've already had ones at 1 mana cost. plus 1/1 taunt divine shield is in the game, so without the taunt i think its balanced, and worthy of basic set, we've had worse.
i dont like upgrade at all, i dont think anyone would play that card. its too expensive even as a finisher as it needs a target with high attack to be remotely useful. i'd change it entirely. lower cost, maybe less buff and add divine shield, although we've seen that in paladin. plus if you wanna have a buff, dont go that high in cost, highest i can think of right now is 6 mana and it left a minion behind when killed. maybe something like resummon this minion with a mech tag and +2/+2 or something. mecha-upgrade or mechanize or whatever you wanna call it.
i dont like cobalt defender either... feels underwhelming? either change the effect or buff the stats (4/4) or reduce mana cost to 4. or give mechs +1/+2? although this would be kinda overpowered if its a minion heavy class?
good luck on the competition, i'm really stoked to see what people will come up with.
Ok so I figured that making something new would be more fun so here goes : THE PRIMALIST.
Tokens :
Like with Shaman's Hero Power, you can only have one of each and it's choosen at random which one you get. This Hero Power embodies the class' core mechanics : swarming the board and tribal synergies.
Cards :
Tokens :
I went a bit all over the place with keywords... I think Rush and Windfury will be the main ones to appear regularly because they bring a lot of board advantage. I didn't really give the class direct tribe synergy but don't worry I have a keyword planned for that. Lead the Packs' wording is a bit clunky, I might change that. I'm kinda worried about Omnicrab and Safe Heaven but I tried my best to balance them. What do you think ? Are some of these cards too complicated ? Should there be more direct tribal synergies ?
Btw, Journey to Un'Goro is absent from the list of expansions and the all-class cycles associated.
REVIEWS :
@whatTheHeck
I like your Hero Power's concept but not it's execution. Using a keyword almost always feels clunky and the fact that it's limited to the very next turn makes is rigid. Also, once you're at 10 Mana it becomes useless... You should consider this : 2 Mana "Add a Coin to your hand". Bascically the same thing but more flexible and with potential synergy.
Strong Box Guard and Luxury Golem seem fine and I like the theme of hiring big guys. Hire the Brutes is a problem no matter how you slice it. It's applicable to a wide range of expensive minions that should stay expensive (Malygos and Alexstrasza for instance) and it gives agressive decks lightning speed tempo so I would recommand to scrap it. Destroy the Competition is good but I worry that activating it's bonus effect might require more luck than skill. Grim Extorsionist and Leeching Banker seem unfun to play against because they require your opponent to deal with them before they run away with the game so maybe make them target minions instead.
@McF4rtson
Great Hero Power but I don't really get why you addedthe refresh part. It seems unecessary as the HP would be perfectly balanced without it. Also, I think that a refreshing HP would be more successful at 1 Mana (with proper balance of course).
Your cards are simple, to the point and balanced which I quite like. Sakura Shower and Transformation Jutsu might need little tweaks to there numbers and I could see Bamf! cost 2. My main problem is flavor. While your cards have good flavor, you seem to be going in a pretty control direction which isn't really what I picture when I think "Ninja". Where's the quick, agile and deadly ? It feels more like a Monk. Idk, maybe you need to introduce more "fast" cards or change the flavor of the class a bit.
@Screwjank
I think your Hero Power should specify that the Target Dummy has Taunt.
Upgrade is ok at 7 and could even cost 6 in my opinion because Blessed Champion was never played and fusing it with Divine Spirit doesn't make it that much better. Unless you have strong (and cheap) synergy with it, you're fine. Cobalt Defender should give your other Mechs +2 Health for clarity. Maybe make it a battlecry effect so you can easily compare it with other Tribe specific Health buffs like Coldlight Seer. As it stands, it's a bit weak. Poultry Automaton is fine as long as you keep it in mind when balancing other cards. Since your class has a lot of buffs and Mech synergy, you might want to turn it down a bit to leave room for powerful cards that don't become broken as soon as you point them at that thing. I would either remove the keyword or the tribe tag.
I would love to see the rest of your cards to better evaluate the balance of these ones.
@ravennos
Good HP, solid choice. And I see you make it synergize pretty well with your cards !
So obviously Chi shouldn't be included in your basic set. Still, it's an interesting keyword and it plays into the bouncing effects. Spinning Cran Kick seems interesting but you would need cheaper ways to give Attack to your Hero to really make it shine.
@GuruGamma
Your theme is quite similar to Screwjank's, might want to be careful with that.
I must say I don't like Hero Power that add a card to your hand. Not only is it quite vague because the player has to remember the options, it also mean the HP essentialy costs 3 Mana. That being said, your Gizmos seem balanced (Improvised Mount could use one more stat) and provide interesting synergies (hand size, Mechs, cheap spells, Armor and buff).
Finally, been waiting for this to return for months!
Some of the older people here may remember my class from the last comp but i did change up quite a few cards so behold, the new and improved
Bloodburner
Hero and Hero Power:
Classic Set:
And this will be my keyword for the classic set:
I'm including it for context as to why certain cards are the way they are. Flame Barrier for example is meant to be a simple way to activate Fresh Blood and increase the power of cards like Bloodflame Bolt without actually losing hp.
Sakura Shower was based on Cinderstorm/Shadow Bolt, and Arcane Missiles/Arcane Shot. Randomized damage is always given one extra damage point to make up for its randomness. This card then trades face damage potential for more consistent board clearing.
Transformation Jutsu is based on Dinosize. The thing about Jutsu is that it gets a small discount because you are required to spend mana earlier in order get a target for Jutsu.
Bamf might be a little too good at 2 mana. For whatever the reason, Hex was bumped to 4 mana so I decided to play it safe. It'll be strong no matter what, since polymorph effects always are.
The Hero Power ties into Ninja's playstyle (and I will address your flavor concern here as well). If I make it quick, agile, and deadly... y'know what that sounds a whole lot like? Rogue. Therefore, the challenge with Ninja is to forge its own style so it doesn't feel like a Monk or Rogue reskin. You can already see some hints of this. Low cost cards that allow you to use your Hero Power continually (saving up resources for bursts of play), some swarming support (going wide), and powerful transformation effects (removal or going tall). I suppose I could change up one card to lean a bit more into the bursts of play style, but, all in all, this class won't play like Rogue.
For your class, here are the problem I spotted:
Omnicrab seems way too good. It's a 2 mana 2/5, destroy basically half of the minions in existence. Some spelling errors: Heaven = Haven, Carring = Caring, Crystaline = Crystalline. Double check for any others I might have missed. For your overall Basic set, it might focus a little too much on minion and minion buffs. 4 minion, 1 spell that summons minions. All other spells have to do with minions. Perhaps consider adding a bit of utility.
I'm also a little on the fence about Cursed Waters... I get that giving your opponent Poisonous Murlocs is a bit annoying, but you probably get one or two as well, and a mass Polymorph in Basic... hmm. Curse of Murlocs came much, much later.
Right off the bat, you've got your class keyword and Immune in your basic set. You can't do that.
Don't forget Hero Power in your hero power token.
I can't really give much more feedback since you have to go back and change quite a few cards. I will point out Spinning Crane Kick is rather similar to Blade Flurry, maybe a little too much. I also notice you have a few cards that get better with higher Hero attack. Will you have weapons in the class?
As for my decisions, Throwing Kunai is a tad strong, true, but I figured the face damage and also blocking half of the Hero Power if you use your Kunai that turn justifies its efficiency.
Transformation Jutsu was balanced against Dinosize.
Thanks for the feedback! My inexperience is showing a bit! I have one or two weapons, but also several cards that grant attack for the turn, and others that work off your hero's attack. I will probably shift one of the weapons to the base set and adjust a few others. I'm just worried about having constant reliable attack to make use of since a few of the cards can get strong if that's the case. Maybe that's fine though.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
The Custom Class Competition is back for its sixth iteration! We welcome any newcomers as well as old hands who've run through this grueling gauntlet of card creation before.
The good news is, said gauntlet is much smaller this time around. With the release of Demon Hunter, Blizzard has shown us how they release a custom class midway in the game's lifespan. Therefore, we will simulate this as close as possible. Take the time to read the rules or procedures below.
This is the Discussion Thread! Ask for feedback, return the favour, ask questions, etc. here.
Do NOT post your submission here.
Here is the Submission Thread.
Overview
Challenge
Submission Format
F.A.Q.
Competition Process
Hey ! So before pitching anything, I would like to know if recycling an old class is ok.
I entered the 5th CCC with The Hexer and only got to phase 2 (the Basic set). I'd like to know if I would be allowed to rework this class for this new competition or if I have to come up with something new.
Thrilled to participate either way but I really don't want to invest time and energy into something that I can't post.
It is very common practice for creators to recycle past ideas. I've done it multiple times, in fact. While I don't exactly outright condone this, I suppose it is unavoidable for people to use old ideas.
I think I'd be happier if you changed a few cards, maybe rebranded your class under a different name and Hero but keep the underlying playstyle and theme and most of the Basic set you already have done.
Well I've got an idea, even though I'm not sure if I'll stick to it. Here I present...
The Merchant
"Hey kiddo, wanna know the secret of success? Some will tell that strategy will make you victorious, while others say that's sheer power what you should achieve. But, believe me, none of that is important. What makes you succesful is money. Nothing more, nothing less. And if you want that, you'd better stick with me, pal!"
"Money fluctuates like magic, and is as unstable as the elements! In order to take the most out of it, you need to plan your moves ahead! That's what makes us better than other class. They just live the moment, they can't care how they'll be next turn. That's why you should invest part of your capita, even if it means you get a slower start. Gotta spend money to obtain money!"
"What to do when your pockets are full, y'say? Well, you can start sending the big guys! The beautiful thing about money is that it creates bonds between people. When talking about "people" I'm refering to fearsome henchmen and mercenaries, of course! Also don't get too afraid to enter a small debt... You always have a chance to obtain your money back with profitable businesses!"
"However, don't be afraid to use extra resources to stay on top of the economy! I have legions of merchants to ensure income never ceases!"
"However, if what you plan is to suck your rivals' blood slowly, we know the perfect partners for you! We have contact with some leeches that'll obtain your opponent's capital slowly but steady, leaving them in bankrupcy before they know what attacked them!"
"As someone might've already told you, your health is also a resource! Spend it wisely, and use some cheats to keep it flowing!"
"Are you already on the top? Well, that's when fun begins! Competition will never stop attacking, so you'll need to defend as hard as you can your properties!"
Thoughts on what I've got? Already made some profit cards, but then I've realised that Basic sets don't have class-specific mechanics. Oh well, at least I've got some cards for next week. Also, not sure if there's a problem with Gallywix being the hero, due to him being also a Battlegrounds hero.
Old cards (will be used in initiate set I guess):
Click here to see my custom pirate adventure, The Treasures of VanCleef! https://www.hearthpwn.com/forums/hearthstone-general/fan-creations/240766-expansion-competition-the-treasures-of-vancleef
Pardon me, but a quick question:
I remember a long time ago that Monk and Demon Hunter were off limits. With Demon Hunter's release obviously it's out, but is making a Monk class fair game? I have some stuff bouncing around for it, but don't want to get too far in before knowing if it's fine or not.
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
This isn't in the rules, intentionally, as this comes with experience, but you have, in my opinion, over-complicated your Basic Set. Mechanics such as destroying Mana Crystals, having less Mana Crystals, permanent Cost reduction... all those mechanics came much later, far after Classic. Before you say that we're releasing our classes after Classic, do keep in mind the Demon Hunter Basic set is as streamlined as the other 9 classes.
Elegance is key to the Basic set. In past competitions, the Basic set was often regarded as being one of the hardest, yet most boring. You have to somehow create 10, straightforward, beginner friendly cards that also lay down the framework of your class going forward and establish class identity.
Furthermore, I really dislike putting Keywords in the Hero Power. I honestly really wanted to make it a rule, but I actually figured most people would feel the same way as that is a core philosophy in class designing, in my opinion.
Good question, I actually forgot about this. I
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t h i n k
I'll allow it. Mainly because Demon Hunter was actually done. Furthermore, we should have a fewer number of contestants that, hopefully, 5 Monk classes won't become an issue I have to deal with.
If this does become a problem I will forbid any *further* Monk entries, but I wouldn't be so unfair that I would force people already halfway through their class to switch themes. So, you can go ahead. I'll monitor this potential issue for the time being.
On my end, I've got my entire Basic set done. My custom class is the Ninja.
Tokens:
Would love feedback!
*That above image will not be what I use in my submission thread.
Let's see who come up with Monk first! (I suggest you to go with Pandas). I'm probably too busy/lazy for this, but wish you guys good luck ^^
I would like to introduce my idea: Gelbin Mekkatorque, The Engineer. I initially planned on doing the Tinkerer, but I saw someone created a thread on here back in 2016 with that same idea, so I switched it up a bit. Note: I am going a completely separate route than what I saw this person do. These are all my ideas. Before I submit my entry to the Submission Thread, I am asking you, the community, to tell me whether or not these cards are balanced. I am confident in all of my other cards. These are tricky though. First off, here is my Hero and his Hero Power:
Without further ado, here are my problem cards:
My personal conflicts are as follows:
I really could not decide whether or not Upgrade was too expensive or not expensive enough. I really just based it off of Divine Spirit + Blessed Champion = 7 mana.
Cobalt Defender all around seems weird to me. I am essentially trying to mix Hunter and Paladin with this class in a way. This class has a Mech package like Hunter has Beasts, but it's very Divine Shield and Buff oriented. I tried comparing this to Tundra Rhino, but I can't figure out what else I could do to fix it.
Finally, Poultry Automaton. I justified this by comparing it to Voidwalker, Northshire Cleric, and even Goldshire Footman. I feel like this is slightly too powerful, but even if I reduced its health by 1, it would just be an Argent Squire.
What do you guys think?
I think you absolutely nailed the idea of it being a Basic Set. The cards you created definitely feel like reasonable cards that could be in the game. Maybe it's due to my experience, but I can't really find anything negative about your cards. All of them are pretty reasonably balanced. Double Trouble turns Fungalmancer into a spell and makes up for the 2/2 lost. Shadow Clones is very comparable to Feral Spirit in a way. I guess the only thing I can really think of is that the Refresh part of the Hero Power is a little more than other Hero Powers offer.
Unfortunately, I have to agree that the Hero Power and some of your cards may be a little too complicated for a Basic Set. Having said that, I really like the theme you chose, and your cards are pretty good for what they are. Gallywix is a great character, and I love the detail you put into your text. I would even have to say Grim Extortionest is a card I would really like to see in the game.
Pultry Automaton is one of the most broken cards ever. Having +1 health on an argent squire with a mech tag is beyond insane. Just having an argent squire with a mech tag is already crazy strong.
Oddly enough... I don't think the 1/2 Divine Shield is as broken as ManThighs made it out to be. It's definitely too strong, but that power level isn't unheard of. Righteous Protector does come a little close to this card, as well as Blazing Battlemage.
I think a very interesting nerf would be to take away the Mech tag. If you really want to keep the statline and Shield, taking away the mech tag will put it in line with Blazing Battlemage, for the most part.
Upgrade is honestly fine. It's a clunky card that isn't easy to pull off. A bit like Dinosize, in that regard.
Cobaolt Defender, I think, is rather weak. Stormwind Champion gives out the same amount of stats but loses only 3 stats from a premium statline. You can have Cobalt Defender be a 4/4 or even a 3/5 if you want to make it that much stronger.
Don't forget a bolded Hero Power on your Hero Power token. Most people forget that.
Y'know what's funny? We actually said that about Guardian Augmerchant, and it got completely overshadowed by DH's insane power. Augmerchant is still an insane card on paper yet it doesn't see nearly as much play as we thought it would.
That is not to say I don't agree with you; I do. A 1-mana 1/2 Divine Shield with a tribe tag is undercosted.
I think your basic set it looking very good! As funny as it is, the thing I see being a potential worry is Transformation Jutsu. The ability to make a favorable trade then turn a weak minion into an 8/8 Rush for 7 is potentially dangerous for a basic level card. I'd personally say 8 Mana for the symmetry and stuff but I'm also not the best at balance since I worry everything is too strong so that's just me!
Throwing Kunai might also be pushing the edge a bit but it's probably fine!
I'm going to be redundant, but I'll also say that the Poultry is a bit scary, Upgrade looks to be in a good spot, and the defender seems weak. For the defender though you could try both giving it Taunt, and shifting it's stats to be Health heavy, then it could play more as a defender. That said, since you also focus on divine shields, perhaps a shift of flavor on him could also work. Having him grant maybe +1 Attack instead to better make use of your divine shields and the target dummies, while also giving his stats a bump. Just an idea!
But anyway here's what I'm sitting on the ever so creative Monk! Feedback also appreciated! I wanted to focus on more of a control style attack with your hero, with heals mixed in and some minion bouncing, but it's hard to capture all of that is just the basic set. Let me know if something could probably be switched out for something else, there might be too much overlap across some of the cards.
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
Right off the bat, you've got your class keyword and Immune in your basic set. You can't do that.
Don't forget Hero Power in your hero power token.
I can't really give much more feedback since you have to go back and change quite a few cards. I will point out Spinning Crane Kick is rather similar to Blade Flurry, maybe a little too much. I also notice you have a few cards that get better with higher Hero attack. Will you have weapons in the class?
As for my decisions, Throwing Kunai is a tad strong, true, but I figured the face damage and also blocking half of the Hero Power if you use your Kunai that turn justifies its efficiency.
Transformation Jutsu was balanced against Dinosize.
I just finished up my Hero/Hero Power and wanted to check if it was Ok before going forward with card creation, so feedback on that would be great. The class itself is Inventor, and the hero is:
So the idea of "Gizmo" cards is that they're spells but they function in a similar manor to Shaman's totems- you can't get more of the same one until you cast it, and once you have all 4 you can't get any more until you use at least one of them, making the result pseudo-random. I don't know if adding this many cards just on the hero power is against the spirit of the competition, so I wanted to ask now before building more. Also these won't count towards the card with one line of text requirement because I am neither silly nor a cheater lol.
Edit: Also forgive me I'm not savvy with this forum, how do I make the pictures smaller? Sorry about their size.
so, poultry automaton is fine as i see it, its almost like a 1/3 which we've already had ones at 1 mana cost. plus 1/1 taunt divine shield is in the game, so without the taunt i think its balanced, and worthy of basic set, we've had worse.
i dont like upgrade at all, i dont think anyone would play that card. its too expensive even as a finisher as it needs a target with high attack to be remotely useful. i'd change it entirely. lower cost, maybe less buff and add divine shield, although we've seen that in paladin. plus if you wanna have a buff, dont go that high in cost, highest i can think of right now is 6 mana and it left a minion behind when killed. maybe something like resummon this minion with a mech tag and +2/+2 or something. mecha-upgrade or mechanize or whatever you wanna call it.
i dont like cobalt defender either... feels underwhelming? either change the effect or buff the stats (4/4) or reduce mana cost to 4. or give mechs +1/+2? although this would be kinda overpowered if its a minion heavy class?
good luck on the competition, i'm really stoked to see what people will come up with.
Ok so I figured that making something new would be more fun so here goes : THE PRIMALIST.
Tokens :
Like with Shaman's Hero Power, you can only have one of each and it's choosen at random which one you get. This Hero Power embodies the class' core mechanics : swarming the board and tribal synergies.
Cards :
Tokens :
I went a bit all over the place with keywords... I think Rush and Windfury will be the main ones to appear regularly because they bring a lot of board advantage. I didn't really give the class direct tribe synergy but don't worry I have a keyword planned for that. Lead the Packs' wording is a bit clunky, I might change that. I'm kinda worried about Omnicrab and Safe Heaven but I tried my best to balance them. What do you think ? Are some of these cards too complicated ? Should there be more direct tribal synergies ?
Btw, Journey to Un'Goro is absent from the list of expansions and the all-class cycles associated.
REVIEWS :
@whatTheHeck
I like your Hero Power's concept but not it's execution. Using a keyword almost always feels clunky and the fact that it's limited to the very next turn makes is rigid. Also, once you're at 10 Mana it becomes useless... You should consider this : 2 Mana "Add a Coin to your hand". Bascically the same thing but more flexible and with potential synergy.
Strong Box Guard and Luxury Golem seem fine and I like the theme of hiring big guys. Hire the Brutes is a problem no matter how you slice it. It's applicable to a wide range of expensive minions that should stay expensive (Malygos and Alexstrasza for instance) and it gives agressive decks lightning speed tempo so I would recommand to scrap it. Destroy the Competition is good but I worry that activating it's bonus effect might require more luck than skill. Grim Extorsionist and Leeching Banker seem unfun to play against because they require your opponent to deal with them before they run away with the game so maybe make them target minions instead.
@McF4rtson
Great Hero Power but I don't really get why you addedthe refresh part. It seems unecessary as the HP would be perfectly balanced without it. Also, I think that a refreshing HP would be more successful at 1 Mana (with proper balance of course).
Your cards are simple, to the point and balanced which I quite like. Sakura Shower and Transformation Jutsu might need little tweaks to there numbers and I could see Bamf! cost 2. My main problem is flavor. While your cards have good flavor, you seem to be going in a pretty control direction which isn't really what I picture when I think "Ninja". Where's the quick, agile and deadly ? It feels more like a Monk. Idk, maybe you need to introduce more "fast" cards or change the flavor of the class a bit.
@Screwjank
I think your Hero Power should specify that the Target Dummy has Taunt.
Upgrade is ok at 7 and could even cost 6 in my opinion because Blessed Champion was never played and fusing it with Divine Spirit doesn't make it that much better. Unless you have strong (and cheap) synergy with it, you're fine. Cobalt Defender should give your other Mechs +2 Health for clarity. Maybe make it a battlecry effect so you can easily compare it with other Tribe specific Health buffs like Coldlight Seer. As it stands, it's a bit weak. Poultry Automaton is fine as long as you keep it in mind when balancing other cards. Since your class has a lot of buffs and Mech synergy, you might want to turn it down a bit to leave room for powerful cards that don't become broken as soon as you point them at that thing. I would either remove the keyword or the tribe tag.
I would love to see the rest of your cards to better evaluate the balance of these ones.
@ravennos
Good HP, solid choice. And I see you make it synergize pretty well with your cards !
So obviously Chi shouldn't be included in your basic set. Still, it's an interesting keyword and it plays into the bouncing effects. Spinning Cran Kick seems interesting but you would need cheaper ways to give Attack to your Hero to really make it shine.
@GuruGamma
Your theme is quite similar to Screwjank's, might want to be careful with that.
I must say I don't like Hero Power that add a card to your hand. Not only is it quite vague because the player has to remember the options, it also mean the HP essentialy costs 3 Mana. That being said, your Gizmos seem balanced (Improvised Mount could use one more stat) and provide interesting synergies (hand size, Mechs, cheap spells, Armor and buff).
After taking into consideration the feedback I have received, here is my full set.
Here are all of my cards. If there are any that aren't too balanced, make sure to let me know.
Hero and fixed Hero Power:
Minions:
Note: The mana sequencing for my minions is completely coincidental.
And finally, the Spells:
Finally, been waiting for this to return for months!
Some of the older people here may remember my class from the last comp but i did change up quite a few cards so behold, the new and improved
Bloodburner
Hero and Hero Power:
Classic Set:
And this will be my keyword for the classic set:
I'm including it for context as to why certain cards are the way they are. Flame Barrier for example is meant to be a simple way to activate Fresh Blood and increase the power of cards like Bloodflame Bolt without actually losing hp.
Sakura Shower was based on Cinderstorm/Shadow Bolt, and Arcane Missiles/Arcane Shot. Randomized damage is always given one extra damage point to make up for its randomness. This card then trades face damage potential for more consistent board clearing.
Transformation Jutsu is based on Dinosize. The thing about Jutsu is that it gets a small discount because you are required to spend mana earlier in order get a target for Jutsu.
Bamf might be a little too good at 2 mana. For whatever the reason, Hex was bumped to 4 mana so I decided to play it safe. It'll be strong no matter what, since polymorph effects always are.
The Hero Power ties into Ninja's playstyle (and I will address your flavor concern here as well). If I make it quick, agile, and deadly... y'know what that sounds a whole lot like? Rogue. Therefore, the challenge with Ninja is to forge its own style so it doesn't feel like a Monk or Rogue reskin. You can already see some hints of this. Low cost cards that allow you to use your Hero Power continually (saving up resources for bursts of play), some swarming support (going wide), and powerful transformation effects (removal or going tall). I suppose I could change up one card to lean a bit more into the bursts of play style, but, all in all, this class won't play like Rogue.
For your class, here are the problem I spotted:
Omnicrab seems way too good. It's a 2 mana 2/5, destroy basically half of the minions in existence. Some spelling errors: Heaven = Haven, Carring = Caring, Crystaline = Crystalline. Double check for any others I might have missed. For your overall Basic set, it might focus a little too much on minion and minion buffs. 4 minion, 1 spell that summons minions. All other spells have to do with minions. Perhaps consider adding a bit of utility.
I'm also a little on the fence about Cursed Waters... I get that giving your opponent Poisonous Murlocs is a bit annoying, but you probably get one or two as well, and a mass Polymorph in Basic... hmm. Curse of Murlocs came much, much later.
Thanks for the feedback! My inexperience is showing a bit!
I have one or two weapons, but also several cards that grant attack for the turn, and others that work off your hero's attack. I will probably shift one of the weapons to the base set and adjust a few others. I'm just worried about having constant reliable attack to make use of since a few of the cards can get strong if that's the case. Maybe that's fine though.
Rastakhan's Rumble has some good art, lemme tell you... Also I'm a Class Design Finalist! Check out the Monk here!
The Witch
Hero Power Tokens
Classic Set:
familiar token:
Feedback please!