How Would You Nerf It/Buff It?

Mainloop25

There's always been a lot of talk about balancing cards, and now with booster crafting we have much more of a chance of running into every powerful card out there. I think now is as good of a time as any to take a good look at the biggest offenders and make cards that could otherwise see lots of play with just some tweaking. If peaks and valleys were a little flatter, it would force us to experiment with a variety of cards instead of relying on the same cards and combos all the time.

For the record, a lot of these are just thought exercises. Very few of these changes I would actually advocate for strongly. I encourage debate on any of these proposals and to have you come up with your own ideas. This is something I've been writing and contributing here and there in my spare time, so I'm glad to be done and able to share with you now.

For the sake of organization, I am separating each set into its own comment.

Mainloop25

Origins

Nerfs

Day’s Undoing - Cost 15 mana. At 10 mana it’s a little too undercosted to swing the tempo your way so quickly and easily.

Gaea’s Revenge - As strong as it is, I probably wouldn’t touch it, but if I had to, maybe -2/-0 every turn?

Starfield of Nyx - Buff it to 5 shields but make it lose 1 shield every time it brings a support back to the field.

Buffs

Archangel of Tithes - Gain 3 mana instead of 2.

Chandra’s Ignition - Make it deal 9 damage instead of 6.

Demonic Pact - Lose the last 3 cards in your hand instead of first.

Dreadwaters - Make it cost 10 instead of 16.

Gideon’s Phalanx - Make it cost 14 instead of 18.

Hallowed Moonlight - Make it cost 12, but destroy’s opponent’s tokens only.

Honored Hierarch - Make 3/3, Renown 2.

Joraga Invocation - Reduce its cost to 11.

Knight of the White Orchid - Make it 5/5. I’m tempted to give it 6/6, but that may be too strong.

Kothophed - Make it cost 11.

Languish - Make it cost 10, and -8/-8.

Mage Ring Responder - Make it trigger on a match-4 instead of match-5 but have it only deal 5 damage.

Orbs of Warding - Reduce damage by 3 instead of 2.

Ravaging Blaze - Deal 6 damage instead of 4.

Sentinel of the Eternal Watch - Make it cost 14 instead of 17.

Skysnare Spider - Make it cost 13 instead of 16.

Tainted Remedy - Buff to 3 instead of 2, and affect planeswalkers as well.

Mainloop25

BFZ

Nerfs

Drowner of Hope - Make it cost 21.

Nissa’s Renewal - 15 gems, 20 life.

Part The Waterveil - Gain 5 mana, summon 4 tokens OR only trigger on a match-5.

Prism Array - Way too good for its mana cost. Should really cost something like 15 mana. OR, have it only trigger on your landfall (however, that may change the advantage it gives you a little too much.)

Titan’s Presence - Cost 4 instead of 2.

Buffs

Dragonmaster Outcast - Make it 3/3, reduce red gem requirement to 6.

Drana - Buff your creatures by +2/2 instead of +1/1.

Emeria Shepherd - Make it 6/6.

Felidar Sovereign - Make it 5/7.

Void Winnower - Reduce its cost to about 21.

General Tazri - Make it 6/6, reduce its cost to 17. 4 Activate gems that buff +2/2.

Inverter of Truth - Make it cost around 18.

Kalitas - Make it 5/4.

World Breaker - Make it 7/9, cost 18.

March From The Tomb - Make it cost 16.

Sanctum of Ugin - Make it give 3 mana instead of 1.

Ugin’s Insight - It should cost around 15 mana and draw instead of fetch to make sense.

Woodland Wanderer - Reduce its cost to 10.

Ayli - This would be a good card if triggering her ability didn’t destroy your own creature; only your opponent’s.

Captain’s Claws - It should cost around 11 and have 4 shields.

Gladehart Cavalry - WAY too expensive - Make it cost 15.

Matter Reshaper - Make it cost 9, and have it give 6 mana to your fetched card.

Munda’s Vanguard - Make it cost around 11.

Oath of Nissa - Make it cost 11.

Reality Smasher - Make it 7 /8.

Remorseless Punishment - Make it cost 16.

Stonehaven Outfitter - Make it 5 /6 and cost 13.

Mainloop25

SOI

Nerfs

Behold The Beyond - Each card gains 4 mana instead of 6.

Decimator of the Provinces - Hmm. Many different ways to go with this one. I would make it 6/6 instead of 8/8, give a 3/3 buff to creatures, and take out the Haste buff. It’s just too overpowered in its current form.

Deploy The Gatewatch - Make it so that it can only fetch White creatures.

Emrakul - Another tough one. Make it 10/10, and reduce card cost addition to 10. Still a tough card to deal with.

Geier Reach Bandit - Make it cost 17 instead of 12.

Gisela - Make it cost 16 instead of 12.

Olivia - 5/5, reduce cost to 16, make her buff only affect Vampires.

Startled Awake - Costs 8, gives 11 mana.

Ulrich - 6/6, buff 3/3.

Imprisoned In The Moon - Make it cost 7 instead of 3.

Niblis of Frost - 1/1 buff on spell cast instead of 3/3.

Prized Amalgam - Can only be brought back by non-token Zombies.

Sanctifier of Souls - Costs 10 instead of 7.

Buffs

Bruna The Fading Light - Costs 14 instead of 18.

Geralf’s Masterpiece - 4/4 instead of 2/2.

Grim Flayer - Starts at 5/5, buffs 3/2, converts 4 gems instead of 2.

Minds Dilation - Gain 3 mana when your opponent casts any card.

Mindwrack Demon - Give it Haste.

Mirrorwing Dragon - Costs 17 instead of 20, damage triggers when opponent casts any spell.

Odric - Costs 16 instead of 24.

Tree of Perdition - 4/13 instead of 1/13, costs 15 instead of 18.

Cryptolith Rite - Convert 2 gems instead of 1.

Declaration in Stone - You Investigate no matter whose creature destroyed. Cost 8 instead of 10.

Elusive Tormenter - Make it 4/5 instead of 2/2.

Eternal Scourge - “buff:” Only return 1 copy to your hand.

Falkenrath Gorger - 6/3 instead of 4/3.

Flameblade Angel - 2 damage instead of 1.

Inexorable Blob - Starts at 5/5 instead of 3/3.

Spirit of the Hunt - Costs 15 instead of 18.

Ulvenwald Observer - Costs 11 instead of 14.

Westvale Abbey - Give it Vigilance (hence the ability to block), nerf Ormendahl to 8/7.

Mainloop25

KLD

Nerfs

Black Vise - 2 shields instead of 3.

Angel of Invention - Base 5/5 instead of 8/8. Much too big of a body in its current form.

Lightning Runner - Should cost 9-11 mana instead of 6 OR remove 2 energized gems at the beginning of turn.

Metalwork Colossus - Cost 18 instead of 14.

Rishkar’s Expertise - Should cost around 9 mana, multiply gems by 3 instead of 4.

Eliminate the Competition - Raise cost to 5.

Solemn Recruit - Cost 8 instead of 6.

Buffs

Gauntlet of Power -  1 shield, but always gives Double Strike.

Lightning Greaves - 1 shield, but always gives Unblockable.

Champion’s Helm - 1 shield, but always gives Hexproof.

Architect of the Untamed - Reduce cost to 16.

Bristling Hydra - Start at 3/3, +2/2 on Overload 1.

Combustible Gearhulk - Reduce cost to 20.

Demon of Dark Schemes - Reduce cost to 16.

Depala - Reduce cost to 12.

Kambal - Reduce cost to 10.

Padeem - 6/6 instead of 4/4.

Rashmi - Reduce cost to 12.

Territorial Gorger - Reduce cost to 8.

Torrential Gearhulk - Give 6 mana to cards it returns to your hand.

Verduous Gearhulk - Reduce cost to 18.

Yahenni - 4/4 base instead of 2/2, reduce cost to 7.

Captured by the Consulate - Cost 12 instead of 16, 3 shields instead of 2.

Glint Sleeve Siphoner - Cost 13 instead of 17.

Gonti - Cost 15 instead of 18.

Kari Zev’s Expertise - Opponent’s first Vehicle OR creature is controlled by you (untargeted)

Paradoxical Outcome - Costs 14 instead of 20.

Release the Gremlins - Costs 12 instead of 16.

Wildest Dreams - Cost 14 instead of 20.

Mainloop25

AKH

Nerfs

Sandwurm Convergence - 2 shields instead of 3, Wurm tokens should be 3/3 instead of 5/5.

Pull From Tomorrow - Should cost 7 instead of 2.

Shefet Monitor - Convert 6 gems to green instead of 9.

Cycling

Cards with lower rarity should cost more to cycle and vice versa. Cycling cost is meant to be a drawback, not a benefit. The cost/rarity of cycling makes no sense in its current form. The cost of cycling a rare card should offset the cost of casting it.

Common cards should have a minimum cycling cost of 4. Uncommon 3, Rare 2. This would greatly offset abuse of New Perspectives/Drake Haven while still leaving it a viable strategy.

New Perspectives - Should cost 9 instead of 5, change cycling card draw mana gain to 2.

Buffs

Counterspell - Should cost 8 instead of 16.

Loyal Retainers - When it enters the battlefield, it should destroy the next creature in your library.

Cascading Cataracts - Should cost 9 instead of 13.

Champion of Rhonas - 5/5 instead of 3/3, cost 15 instead of 19.

Throne of the God Pharaoh - Should cost 13 instead of 19.

Vizier of the Menagerie - 5/4 instead of 3/ 4, Should cost 14 instead of 20.

Archfiend of Ifnir - Cycling 2 instead of 4, should cost 16 instead of 19.

Aven Mindcensor - 6/4 instead of 3/2, cost 12 instead of 10.

Dread Wanderer - Is not disabled when reinforced.

Soul-Scar Mage - 5/5 instead of 4/4, cost 15 instead of 19.

Trial of Knowledge - Should cost 8 instead of 11.

Trial of Solidarity - Should cost 12 instead of 16.

Trial of Strength - Should cost 11 instead of 14.

Trial of Zeal - Should cost 12 instead of 17.

Mainloop25

HOU

Nerfs

Omniscience - Should reduce the cost of cards by 16 instead of all the way to zero.

Hour of Devastation - I don’t actually think it needs a nerf, but if I had to, I’d make it deal 11 damage instead of 12.

Hour of Promise - Should cost 13 instead of 11.

Swarm Intelligence - Lower cost to 10, but should have 2 shields instead of 4.

Gideon’s Defeat - Hate to say it because I love this card, but it should probably only have 1 shield OR should cost 12 instead of 9.

Hazoret’s Undying Fury - Reduce cost of spells by 15 instead of making them cost zero.

Overcome - +5/5 instead of +8/8.

Buffs

Armageddon - Should cost 12 instead of 19.

Avatar of Woe - Should cost 20 instead of 30.

Lord of Extinction - Should cost 17 instead of 21.

Sunder - Drain 10 mana from all cards but should only affect opponent.

Angel of Condemnation - 7/9 instead of 6/6, should cost 17 instead of 21.

Djeru with Eyes Wide Open - 4/5 instead of 4/3, give First Strike and Hexproof.

Fraying Sanity - Should cost 16 instead of 20.

Hour of Glory - Should cost 9 instead of 11.

Hour of Revelation - Should cost 14 instead of 18.

Pride Sovereign - Should cost 13 instead of 18.

Razaketh - Cost 15 instead of 18, take 6 damage instead of 10.

The Scarab God - Should cost 22 instead of 27.

Torment of Hailfire - Should cost 9 instead of 17. This card is way too overcosted for the damage it typically does.

Wildfire Eternal - Should cost 18 instead of 21.

Champion of Wits - Should cost 5 instead of 9.

Earthshaker Khenra - Should cost 4 instead of 7.

Leave - I can understand how you can use this card, but it should cost 7 instead of 13.

Nimble Obstructionist - Should cost 13 instead of 18, and cycle 3 instead of 6. It would actually see play if these adjustments were made.

Ominous Sphinx - Should cost 16 or 17 instead of 22.

Resilient Khenra - I think both sides should have its Aftermath effect (first other creature you control gets +x/x equal to its power/toughness)

Scavenger Grounds - Should only affect opponent.

andrewvanmarle

Sorry my friend but i disagree with changing such a vast amount of cards. Yes some cards could doo with a look but not like this.

Nerfing should be reserved for truly game breaking cards and buffing only for those cards that cant fulfill their purpose. 

I appreciate the thought exercise though.... 

Mainloop25

andrewvanmarle said:

Sorry my friend but i disagree with changing such a vast amount of cards. Yes some cards could doo with a look but not like this.

Nerfing should be reserved for truly game breaking cards and buffing only for those cards that cant fulfill their purpose. 

I appreciate the thought exercise though.... 

Well like I said, it's not something I'm even advocating for, but more like if it were my job how I would go about the task if this was what the devs decided was necessary. I'm glad you gave your opinion about it though. 

ElfNeedsFood

I think making River Hoopoe cost less than 10 would make it totally playable. It’s an interesting mechanic but the card is just plain overpriced. 

ElfNeedsFood

Actually should be about 7 or 8 given Starfish is 8 and guarantees a card per turn. 

Mainloop25

Wow I didn't even realize it was 17. Good lord

khurram

Days undoing was already nerfed once. Don't you think 15 is too much of a cost for a mythic spell just to shuffle away opponent's hand. I don't see it getting much play even at 10 cast now. If it's cost were increased further I don't think anyone would really play it.

Right now you invest 10 Mana and get essentially 5 back along with the shuffle of cards. And if you consider drawing 5 cards a huge advantage the opponent draws 5 cards too.

khurram

Starfield of Nyx costs 20 and takes it's time to setup . Plus with the abundant support removal we currently have it can be dealt with. Challenging yes, but not that problematic.

khurram

Startled awake at 8 Mana and gives 11 Mana back.
So it's a mythic that essentially gives 3 Mana every 4th turn and also takes a creature spot. Doesn't sound very good.

In it's current form it gives 7 Mana every 4th turn. 
1st turn: enters the battlefield and gives Mana

2nd turn: attacks and flips
3rd turn: attacks and bounces to hand
4th turn: enters the battlefield and gives Mana.

khurram

Part the waterveil- already triggers on only match 5s. 

Olivia- a 5/5 for 16 Mana or an 8/8 for 20... Don't see much difference, although agreed to giving buff to vampires. The paper version makes other creatures into vampires though so maybe it should also effect all non-token creatures?

Emrakul- I think there is a reason that she has 13/13 lorewise. I am not very familiar with the lore though. Furthermore, it's not just the stats that make her formidable it's her etb effect. Don't think she is very problematic though unless part of a deploy the gatewatch combo.

Angel of invention- if it's stats are getting reduced so should it's cost. It's one of the better designed mythics imo. Didn't know people thought it was OP.

LR - should have increased stats if it was going to cost more. I guess if you had to change it I would remove a number of energise gems from the board everytime it buffed other creatures.

Houdin

I may not agree with all of your changes. However this kind of mass rebalancing is exactly what this game needs.

MTG_Mage

I like analysing stats like this and appreciate that you went through and commented on all these cards. 

I haven't gone through and made a list like you have, but will make a blanket statement about rebalancing that I do feel is needed. Basically all cards need to have their mana costs relooked at and adjusted, specifically all older (pre AKH) commons and uncommons need to have their costs reduced by as much as 30% just to be playable. 

There is a top tier of cards that is about 70 or so cards that always find their way into decks and included in those are the few overpowered mythics that keep coming up in threads. Those cards need to be scrutenized more closely as they directly affect the meta and people will get vocal when their most used cards are nerfed. Regardless, cards like omni, huf and the 3 cycling supports need to be adjusted, as well as staple super op mythics.

@Brigbyjust to make the devs aware of this thread.

Llorence

Slaughter pact needs a buff, 1 mana to destroy a creature, its colorless but it deals 10 damage to yourself, seems like 10 damage is a bit much...

Mainloop25

I actually think Slaughter Pact is very well balanced. A 1-mana creature destroy that any pw can use needs a good drawback or else it's going to be abused. Besides, there are ways to get around it, like Gideon's Intervention, Platinum Angel, etc. 

Llorence

Mainloop25 said:

I actually think Slaughter Pact is very well balanced. A 1-mana creature destroy that any pw can use needs a good drawback or else it's going to be abused. Besides, there are ways to get around it, like Gideon's Intervention, Platinum Angel, etc. 

yeah true, i think its a great card, but whenever i use it i feel like i take so much damage, maybe do 5 damage to youself instead of 10?