Cards needing a buff/change

Morphis

This has been pointed out already but I think there is no specific topic about it.

There are several cards(not only mythics) that are in need of help right now.
sometimes it is because of high mana cost, sometimes is the card mechanic that does not work.

So I thought could be useful giving my suggestions on these cards.

Even if I see many common cards on this state I think that is done by design so I will skip all commons.

(Warning many cards so wall of text under these spoilers)
Uncommons:

- celestial flare. At the moment there are only a couple defender cards worth including so this card while being mana efficient is too situational.
Suggestion: add reach and/or vigilance to the effect and increase mana to 8-10

- chandra s fury. Costs too much AND the effect is too weak.
Suggestion: mana reduced to 10(or even 8) damage to creatures increase to 2.

- citadel castellan. Costs too much.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 13-14

- consecrated by blood. Costs too much.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 12

- cruel revival. Unable to cast if no zombie is discarded/killed.
Suggestion: able to cast even if no zombie is revived. Cost increase to 10 AND zombie is put in play, not returned to hand.
Since there are no HUGE zombies right now this would not be OP but good in the right deck.

- dwynen elite: effect is situational and weak.
Suggestion: spawns 2 1/1 elves instead of only one

-gather the pack: using a card to draw a card has little to no use in itself.
Suggestion: change the text to "draw the next 2 creatures. If there are 8 or more green gems both drawn creatures gain 3 mana.
This way you always gain one card and if used correctly the mana invested will be 0.

- gilt leaf winnower: costs too much if you compare with boggart brute.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 12

- Hydrolash: weak for the cost.
Suggestion: increase malus to -3 OR reduce cost to 8.

- Mage ring network: heavily overpriced.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 8 AND reduce mana return when destroyed to 4. This way full return occurs in 4 turn or 2 turn if destroyed. Fair enough.

- meteorite: a little overpriced.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 6. Full return in 6 turns with 2 damage attached.

- reclusive artificer: a little overpriced since situational.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 8-9. This way without effect is overpriced a little. With effect is a good deal.

- valor in Akros: heavily overcosted.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 12. Still high cost but has some use for combo like token decks.

- war horn: overcosted. Many other somehow comparable support cost way less.
Suggestion: reduce cost to 8.

- weight of the underworld: a little overcosted.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 6

Rares:

- alhammaret high arbiter: costs too much for an effect lasting one turn
Suggestion: reduce cost to 14 and change effect into " all card in opponent hand cost 2 more" (for ever). That means only card currently in opponent hand of course. This way you slow down opponent up to 2x6 = 12 mana in best case.

- fetid imp: good but too slow to get benefit from it.
Suggestion: effect changed from "activate 3 black" to "trap 4". This way it can be activated the same turn that comes into play.

-flameshadow conjurer: overcosted.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 12 AND additional effect of +2 attack(until end of turn of course). This way is a little more aggressive and also effective on demolishing opponent defenses.

- Gideon's phalanx: overcosted.
Suggestion: a simple mana reduction to 16 could do it but I find it lacking in design.
My real suggestion is changing it to: 12 mana " if you control no creatures summon 4 knight, if you control 1 creature summon 3 knight, if you control 2 creatures summon 2 knight. Each knight is a 2/2 token creature"
This way you can gain 8/8 value if you are behind(or starting)(mythic level value), 6/6(rare level value), 4/4(uncommon level value) depending on board state.

- hallowed moonlight: overcosted situational.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 8.

-knight of white orchid: it was overnerfed. Overpriced now.
Suggestion: cost reduced to 14

- managorger hydra: not functional design. Nissa herself has low amount of spells and opponent spells usually will take directly care of managorger.
Suggestion: add support to cards that trigger effect.
Adding cratures too would make it blatantly OP. If that was the case the mana cost would need an increase.

-orb of warding: a little overpriced.
Suggestion: mana cost reduced to 12

- Sentinel of eternal watch: a little overcosted.
Suggestion: mana cost reduced to 14-15

- shadow of the past: overcosted.
Suggestion: mana reduced to 12 and trap number increase to 3. Keep in mind that on average it is very rare that all 3 trap are activated.

- sigil of the empty throne: overcosted.
Suggestion: the effect requires too much time investment to get first benefits(cast this then cast another support than most likely wait next turn to get any use for the Angel).
So a mana cost reduction to 10 should be ok.

- tainted remedy: overcosted.
Suggestion: mana cost reduced to 12-13

Mythics

Here we go in the guess field since I am missing some so I have no direct experience with the card.

- archangel of tithes(guess): ok or could use a little mana cost reduction, do not have it.

- avaricious dragon(guess): same as above XD

- Chandra's ignition: very overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 12

- demonic pact(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 14-15

- dreadwaters: overcosted
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 10 reduce trap number to 4

- Ereboros titan(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 16-17

- evolutionary leap: very overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 14.
This requires too many turn to give benefit et the moment.

- gaea s revenge(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 16-17

- hangarback walker(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 17-18

- hixus prison warden(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 10-12.

- infinite obliteration(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 8-10.

- molten vortex: overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 10 and damage done with match to 3.

- nissa revelation(guess): mostly design flaw cause drawing 5 is overdrawing most of the time (ESPECIALLY AS NISSA).
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 13 and make it draw 3.

- pyromancer googles: overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 10 and change the effect to "draw a spell, last spell in hand cost 12 less". This to avoid huge benefit with high mana cost spells.

- skaab goliath: design flaw and overcosted.
Suggestion: change the drawback to be only one creature (first one)if you control 1 or more creatures. Also since it is a mythic reduce a little the mana cost maybe(one or two less mana).

- starfield of nyx: overpriced for the prerequisites and type of deck needed to be useful.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 13 and the stat bonus effect to " if you control 3 or more supports all creatures you control gain +3/+3"

- tragic arrogance: overcosted being so situational.
Suggestion: mana cost reduced to 10-12.

- woodland bellower(guess): overcosted.
Suggestion: reduce mana cost to 15-16

Phew that was hard

Upstartes

The thing about Demonic Pact is that it is very powerful against the 3 colors that don't have direct support removal, but too risky (in its current version) against the two colors that do. So it feels about right in some situations and overcosted in others.

While I like the idea of it hurting you when it is destroyed, I think that's a bad idea in the current environment. The drawback needs to be tied to something else - trap gems seems logical, perhaps a whole lot of them. Alternatively, it could do a little damage to you every turn (a common thing with Black cards in paper magic), making it powerful, but also a ticking clock for the player who casts it. In this case, a lower cost would probably be in order.

All the other suggestions look pretty solid.

Claimh

Good suggestions.

I also want to emphasize support for your changes to shadows of the past. The support gets removed too quickly with its 2 shield before the two trapped black gems are activated by the opponent.

Unknown

Most mythics could do with costing 2/3rd of what they currently do, and having an effect/power that is 4/5th the current effect.

Irving

pandabear wrote:

Most mythics could do with costing 2/3rd of what they currently do, and having an effect/power that is 4/5th the current effect.

True, though with mythics being so much rarer than rares, that would cause a lot of frustration from people who can't get them, since you can't buy them or trade for them, and you have to be #1 in an event to get one (not sure what the chances are if you finish 2-26; I've never gotten one finishing in that range).

Of the cards I don't have yet, 15/18 are mythics.

Morphis

Irving wrote:

True, though with mythics being so much rarer than rares, that would cause a lot of frustration from people who can't get them, since you can't buy them or trade for them, and you have to be #1 in an event to get one (not sure what the chances are if you finish 2-26; I've never gotten one finishing in that range).

Of the cards I don't have yet, 15/18 are mythics.

That is how the game should work.
That would be better for developers income(more reasons to buy packs) and for players(more reasons to play quick battles).
Also people can have them:
- buy pack(ofc)
- placing for fat pack in quick battle(not hard at all)
- fat pack monthly
- some big box/fat pack from story(nerfed with 1.3 heavily)
- 3 card pack(reaaaaaaally unlikely cause of low chance and inavailability to purchase as of patch 1.3)

The fact that ppl ahead will have an edge is normal... If that was not the case what would be the point of getting a better collection?

Irving

Morphis wrote:

That is how the game should work.
That would be better for developers income(more reasons to buy packs) and for players(more reasons to play quick battles).
Also people can have them:
- buy pack(ofc)
- placing for fat pack in quick battle(not hard at all)
- fat pack monthly
- some big box/fat pack from story(nerfed with 1.3 heavily)
- 3 card pack(reaaaaaaally unlikely cause of low chance and inavailability to purchase as of patch 1.3)

The fact that ppl ahead will have an edge is normal... If that was not the case what would be the point of getting a better collection?

Sure, that all makes sense. You need to give people an incentive to spend/play. There has to be a balance though - if it costs too much time or money, people will just give up and play something else. My argument is basically:

1. Mythics are very hard to get.
2. This is OK, because relatively few of them are particularly good such that their color's strategy relies on having them.
3. If mythics were made more powerful, and you were at a big disadvantage without them, I bet the game would lose players and revenue, because most people would not find it reasonable to play the lottery for the hundreds of dollars it costs to make sure you get a particular card.
4. This could be mitigated by either increasing the mythic drop rate or providing a way to buy/trade for them directly, and I bet that would lead to players spending more money if you priced it right.
5. I could be wrong about this - maybe the small percentage of people who would spend the money would spend so much that it would make up for the loss of players.

Unknown

My idea is that all mythics should be playable.

And that SOME mythics you should be able to base your deck around.

Rares should make up the backbone of your endgame deck, being all around strictly better than a similar uncommon.

Uncommons should be the backbone of your midgame deck, and should have some that are good enough to challenge rares and be included in endgame deck, if only as filler.

Commons should never be used past midgame.

Right now rares do their job too well, uncommons are right on the money imo, allowing people with bad decks to still beat the AI an overwhelming majority of the time, even vs rare decks, and mythics are pretty amazingly bad. Commons for the most part are completely unusable, but with a few that are amazing.

Even usable mythics I just feel "meh" about. For example, my gideon deck has angel of tithes as its only mythic, but I don't even care about her. She's just a flying fatty and can easily be replaced by any other rare (kytheon irregulars comes to mind) or even a common/uncommon flyer.

Similarly my nissa deck has wrath but I only use it...never. Only useful vs storyline decks. Nissa's mythic creatures are all just super meh too because they cost so much, why play them when you can play literally 3 4/4's for the same cost.

Gun Bunny

There are several mythics that are gamebreakers in their current incarnation, and ridiculously so.

Disciple of the ring - 8/7 (ridiculous creature size for blue), plus five activated gems (almost a guaranteed hit every turn) with mana drain that brings most decks to a standstill PLUS a ridiculous buff for blue, PLUS being one of the cheapest mythics? Suggestion - reduce to 4/4, reduce activated gems to 3 and/or reduce effect to 2/2/2.

Hangar back Walker - gets out of hand VERY quickly (not to mention the creature steal bug that gives thopters to the original owner if the walker dies). Suggestion - up cost to 23-25, reduce death thopters to 6

Thopter spy network - if you're playing anything but red of green, good luck getting rid of this before you get swarmed. Suggestion - reduce thopter output to 2 per turn, grant thopters some minor ability at beginning of turn, like vigilance or unblockable.

Unknown

Disciple is very good, I'd lower her cost and lower her activated ability.

Hangarback walker is utterly terrible for pretty much every deck except black.

Thopter is broken obviously but not nearly as much as it used to be with angel's tomb.

ajfirch

Celestial Flare says, "Target creature with Defender your opponent controls is destroyed." and Reach says, "Has Defender and can block Flying creatures.".

Why won't Celestial Flare destroy a creature that has Reach, which in it's very description says "Has Defender" right in it?

shteev

pandabear wrote:

Most mythics could do with costing 2/3rd of what they currently do, and having an effect/power that is 4/5th the current effect.

Hear Hear. Playing any creature that costs 20 mana and doesn't generate any advantage beyond itself being in play (like drawing cards, or putting other creatures into play) are just not worth playing when there are so many cards that cost 10 mana or less that can bounce/destroy them immediately.