Honestly just give them a balanced (for the current meta) overload cards. For most overload cards you pay to much in overload. The mechanic in it self is actually good and interesting in card games. You can switch your turn 4 and 5 for example. It's just way too hard to balance and because of that, and Blizzard is currently going the, we would rather overload cards a bad than broken route.
One change could be you can choose to pay the overload on the current turn though. Small Buff for the mechanic
I would simply merge overload with choose one mechanic, similar to Guidance. For example:
Lightning Bolt: 1 mana Choose One: deal 3 damage to a minion or deal 3 damage. Overload: (1). That way it could be played as Holy Smite equivalent (aka one of the best early game removals) without any tempo loss or as a face damage but with additional mana cost, borrowed from the next turn.
Lightning Storm: 3 mana Choose One: deal 2 damage to all enemy minions or deal 3 damage to all enemy minions. Overload: (1).
Honestly just give them a balanced (for the current meta) overload cards. For most overload cards you pay to much in overload. The mechanic in it self is actually good and interesting in card games. You can switch your turn 4 and 5 for example. It's just way too hard to balance and because of that, and Blizzard is currently going the, we would rather overload cards a bad than broken route.
One change could be you can choose to pay the overload on the current turn though. Small Buff for the mechanic
Yes, the mechanic is fine as it is, they just need to print strong enough cards.
I would simply merge overload with choose one mechanic, similar to Guidance. For example:
Lightning Bolt: 1 mana Choose One: deal 3 damage to a minion or deal 3 damage. Overload: (1). That way it could be played as Holy Smite equivalent (aka one of the best early game removals) without any tempo loss or as a face damage but with additional mana cost, borrowed from the next turn.
Lightning Storm: 3 mana Choose One: deal 2 damage to all enemy minions or deal 3 damage to all enemy minions. Overload: (1).
The powerspike might be to high. Shaman would get an insane amout of flexibility, imo there should be a spell or a minion that removes your overloaded crystals so you can make a swing turn.
I dunno if a change is needed but this sounds very complicated.
If anything like this, I'd make it count unspend mana. That would make a lightning storm in turn 5 possible without losing turn 6, if you Play nothing else.
I would simply merge overload with choose one mechanic, similar to Guidance. For example:
Lightning Bolt: 1 mana Choose One: deal 3 damage to a minion or deal 3 damage. Overload: (1). That way it could be played as Holy Smite equivalent (aka one of the best early game removals) without any tempo loss or as a face damage but with additional mana cost, borrowed from the next turn.
Lightning Storm: 3 mana Choose One: deal 2 damage to all enemy minions or deal 3 damage to all enemy minions. Overload: (1).
The powerspike might be to high. Shaman would get an insane amout of flexibility, imo there should be a spell or a minion that removes your overloaded crystals so you can make a swing turn.
Like 3-4 years ago I would agree with you, but right now power creep is so high, that I'm not sure if it would be even enough to make class viable again.
Honestly just give them a balanced (for the current meta) overload cards. For most overload cards you pay to much in overload. The mechanic in it self is actually good and interesting in card games. You can switch your turn 4 and 5 for example. It's just way too hard to balance and because of that, and Blizzard is currently going the, we would rather overload cards a bad than broken route.
One change could be you can choose to pay the overload on the current turn though. Small Buff for the mechanic
pretty much this, the only overload card right now that feels like its worth its overload is Lightning Bloom. The cards have to be near broken in tempo in order to justify the follow up loss
Overload isnt even the problem in the current meta, they have no end game, they can't heal enough to stay alive they have no card draw. No strengths, all weaknesses. They need Shudderwock in the classic set imo.
Overload isnt even the problem in the current meta, they have no end game, they can't heal enough to stay alive they have no card draw. No strengths, all weaknesses. They need Shudderwock in the classic set imo.
I'm currently experimenting with a totem mid range deck with Al'akir/ Ysera finisher, and when I get Mana Tide Totem with a Totemic Reflection out on 6, I draw so much to the point that I just overwhelm my opponent with the good cards shaman has. Point is, it's amazing what shaman can do with some actual draw. We need more versatile draw in the class to match the other classes.
Yes, the mechanic is fine as it is, they just need to print strong enough cards.
I agree with this.
However, if I had to offer something that would buff overload, it would be this: - Make overload cards so that at the end of your turn, if you have some unspent mana left, reduce that amount from the overload for the next turn.
I played many games with shaman and it feels so bad that you cant play a 10 cost card next turn if you need to play something that overloads you for any amount.
For example, you need to clear the board and you want to play Scrapyard Colossus next turn. If the opponent just keeps flooding the board (token druid for example) you just cant win. No matter how many Lightning Storms you have, you cant play a big card next turn because of the damn overload. I always thought overload as borrowing mana from next turn, why I cant pay that mana now if I had some spare mana? That wouldnt make the card imbalanced imo. It would really be nice and interesting I think.
I would simply merge overload with choose one mechanic, similar to Guidance. For example:
Lightning Bolt: 1 mana Choose One: deal 3 damage to a minion or deal 3 damage. Overload: (1). That way it could be played as Holy Smite equivalent (aka one of the best early game removals) without any tempo loss or as a face damage but with additional mana cost, borrowed from the next turn.
Lightning Storm: 3 mana Choose One: deal 2 damage to all enemy minions or deal 3 damage to all enemy minions. Overload: (1).
Choose One is a druid mechanic... they COULD introduce more optional overload effects, and maybe that's something they should have done more in Year of the Phoenix, but I dunno if they'll do it now.
I think MOST Overload cards are pretty reasonably balanced at this point. You get a lot of bang for your overload. But I think there could be more cards like Thunderhead who capitalize on that.
While I think that OP's idea is good in theory, it's a little complicated for the average casual gamer. Simpler solutions would be better.
1) Some overload cards are just too punishing. Lightning Storm would still be fine with Overload (1), for example.
2) There needs to be more payoff/mitigation to the overload punish. Landslide is an excellent example of a well-designed payoff card.
3) There are other weaknesses of the class to be adressed like missing draw. To fix both (2) and (3) I would suggest cards like the following:
Something like Spectral Sight, but replace outcast with "if you're overloaded".
A Refreshing Spring Water ripoff (not sure about which condition to use) that doesn't refresh spent mana crystals but unlocks overloaded ones.
Lightning Storm would definitely not be fine at overload 1. It'd be very, very strong. And maybe that's okay, it is just a removal card, but I think Shaman has enough other removal that having an insane anti-zoo card like that wouldn't be... great.
Agree with everything else. I dunno if Shaman should just have a flat up "draw 2" spell like that. Maybe some sort of reliable discover effect. Or I dunno, but even if it was a 0 card advantage card (like... 1 mana, discover a shaman spell, refesh all overloaded mana crystals) that'd be pretty sweet.
I guess... thinking about it, control isn't really the deck that has problems with overload. it's tempo shaman that does. But Tempo Shaman is pretty good because Shaman has A LOT of burst tools. So I'm not sure... where the problem lies exactly.
Most overload cards are finisher cards too. Doomhammer, Lightning Bolt... to an extent Serpentshrine Portal. Feral Spirit and Earth Elemental are overstated taunts, so that's different I guess.
overload is a mechanic that allows you to play a card on a turn you should not be able to play it
we can compare this to the new ranked spells.
overload: next turn you will have x less mana crystals. if you have 1 or card cost *2 + 2 x mana or 10 mana this effect will not trigger
examples:
lightning bloom: 1*2 +2*2 = 6 mana. if you have 6 mana you dont pay the overload.
lightning bolt 1*2 +1*2 = 4 mana
ancestral knowledge: 2*2 + 2*2 = 8 mana
4 mana 7/7: we have to use the rule of 10 mana this time
eye of the storm: without overload this looks like busted card. but id like to compare this to 3 other cards
the boomship 9 mana 42/42 - pulling 2 bloods of the ancient one and deathwing
nagrand slam 10 mana 12/20 no overload and can be 12 dmg to face.
pure stats of scrapyard collosuss are 14/14 again no overload.
10 mana 15/18 without rush for class card doesnt seem that broken anymore right?
Honestly just give them a balanced (for the current meta) overload cards. For most overload cards you pay to much in overload. The mechanic in it self is actually good and interesting in card games. You can switch your turn 4 and 5 for example. It's just way too hard to balance and because of that, and Blizzard is currently going the, we would rather overload cards a bad than broken route.
One change could be you can choose to pay the overload on the current turn though. Small Buff for the mechanic
Silver Hand Recruit
I would simply merge overload with choose one mechanic, similar to Guidance. For example:
Yes, the mechanic is fine as it is, they just need to print strong enough cards.
Overload cards have dominated in the past.
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The powerspike might be to high. Shaman would get an insane amout of flexibility, imo there should be a spell or a minion that removes your overloaded crystals so you can make a swing turn.
I dunno if a change is needed but this sounds very complicated.
If anything like this, I'd make it count unspend mana. That would make a lightning storm in turn 5 possible without losing turn 6, if you Play nothing else.
Like 3-4 years ago I would agree with you, but right now power creep is so high, that I'm not sure if it would be even enough to make class viable again.
pretty much this, the only overload card right now that feels like its worth its overload is Lightning Bloom. The cards have to be near broken in tempo in order to justify the follow up loss
Overload isnt even the problem in the current meta, they have no end game, they can't heal enough to stay alive they have no card draw. No strengths, all weaknesses. They need Shudderwock in the classic set imo.
I'm currently experimenting with a totem mid range deck with Al'akir/ Ysera finisher, and when I get Mana Tide Totem with a Totemic Reflection out on 6, I draw so much to the point that I just overwhelm my opponent with the good cards shaman has. Point is, it's amazing what shaman can do with some actual draw. We need more versatile draw in the class to match the other classes.
Just make overload get discounted by floated mana so it dont punish extra hard for no reason
While I think that OP's idea is good in theory, it's a little complicated for the average casual gamer. Simpler solutions would be better.
1) Some overload cards are just too punishing. Lightning Storm would still be fine with Overload (1), for example.
2) There needs to be more payoff/mitigation to the overload punish. Landslide is an excellent example of a well-designed payoff card.
3) There are other weaknesses of the class to be adressed like missing draw. To fix both (2) and (3) I would suggest cards like the following:
Ceterum censeo classum magi esse delendam.
I think that would make it complicated, especially since Blizz would want extreme simplicity in fundemental class mechanics.
I agree with this.
However, if I had to offer something that would buff overload, it would be this:
- Make overload cards so that at the end of your turn, if you have some unspent mana left, reduce that amount from the overload for the next turn.
I played many games with shaman and it feels so bad that you cant play a 10 cost card next turn if you need to play something that overloads you for any amount.
For example, you need to clear the board and you want to play Scrapyard Colossus next turn. If the opponent just keeps flooding the board (token druid for example) you just cant win. No matter how many Lightning Storms you have, you cant play a big card next turn because of the damn overload. I always thought overload as borrowing mana from next turn, why I cant pay that mana now if I had some spare mana? That wouldnt make the card imbalanced imo. It would really be nice and interesting I think.
Choose One is a druid mechanic... they COULD introduce more optional overload effects, and maybe that's something they should have done more in Year of the Phoenix, but I dunno if they'll do it now.
I think MOST Overload cards are pretty reasonably balanced at this point. You get a lot of bang for your overload. But I think there could be more cards like Thunderhead who capitalize on that.
Lightning Storm would definitely not be fine at overload 1. It'd be very, very strong. And maybe that's okay, it is just a removal card, but I think Shaman has enough other removal that having an insane anti-zoo card like that wouldn't be... great.
Agree with everything else. I dunno if Shaman should just have a flat up "draw 2" spell like that. Maybe some sort of reliable discover effect. Or I dunno, but even if it was a 0 card advantage card (like... 1 mana, discover a shaman spell, refesh all overloaded mana crystals) that'd be pretty sweet.
I guess... thinking about it, control isn't really the deck that has problems with overload. it's tempo shaman that does. But Tempo Shaman is pretty good because Shaman has A LOT of burst tools. So I'm not sure... where the problem lies exactly.
Most overload cards are finisher cards too. Doomhammer, Lightning Bolt... to an extent Serpentshrine Portal. Feral Spirit and Earth Elemental are overstated taunts, so that's different I guess.