MArcomage

Upcoming christmas update cards preview is now available:

http://helppage.3dfx.sk/fendek/newcards_preview.png

Please note that this is only a preview - all cards may change until release.

Sidenote: Centaur trainer will be balanced in the next update (if you compare it to the Dark horde you will understand)

Wow. Bank and Greed is Good are my new two favorite cards.

Holy crap do those rule.

Bounty Hunter seems fairly weak. Only 4 possible cards it can target, costs more recruits than it can damage, and doesn't do any damage. Perhaps some added damage, or at least have it take away significantly more gems. Otherwise, it's going to be very very rarely used. Dragon Slayer has the same weakness.

Shadow Unicorn doesn't particularly more powerful than the rest of the Legends, but is rare, compared to uncommon.

I really like most of the commons.

Very nice! I really like the picture for Crystal golem.

Bank and Greed is good both look really fun.

I love these updates because everyones decks change a little. I'm looking forward to trying an alliance deck with these new cards.

Ah, good, a direct counter to Unliving decks! Corrosion cloud is a welcome addition.

Does Sheath your swords affect both players, or just the one playing the card?

Also, does Rainbow dragon give +2N stock, or does it set the stock to be exactly 2N as it indicates now?

I'm liking the cards that give percentages and stock/wall multipliers. This will be an interesting update.

I don't understand Purified ashes. Why would anyone use this rather than Caravan, especially if there exists a card that would cause your opponent to benefit from it being in your hand? Is there a game mechanic or card effect being added that causes Purified ashes to appear in your hand or something?

If every time playing a Holy card discarded an Undead card, it replaced it with Purified Ash, that card and Priest would make a lot more sense, as it stands, it's kinda weird.

Mountain Sentry is going to force every deck to include a Banish card because it's so awesome.

I'd have to see how it actually plays but Crystal Golem looks like it's going to be a bit over powered. With a Holy/Unliving deck, you would average, 5 other Holy or Unliving cards in your hand, at minimum. That means a common card will give 21 wall and 7 attack with a chance to give 4 bricks, 1 stock, and discard an Undead card for 8 bricks and 3 gems.

Also, Ranger will make an Alliance deck a viable option. As it stood, there was just no way for Alliance to compete with the more powerful keywords. Now with a card drawing option, and more Alliance cards focused on building stock, resource victory decks don't need to rely on pulling off the Gateway card play.

It's good to see how some of the cards player suggested are actually implemented.

Road to Valhalla & Frontier Outpost is a good combo

Last Order seems a bit too good? Cost 1 turn and is able to counter any enemy facility build

Dragon Slayer could probably cost slightly less

Invocation, how does this card works?

Shadow Unicorn could probably use some buff, Frost unicorn > Shadow

Over all nice addition, hard to comment on some of the new cards until I get to try them out

Cleansing will be changed - instead of discarding the Undead cards, it will replace them with Purified ahses.

The Rainbox dragon should add the stock in normal way.

The cards will be balanced until release.

Very nice! I would suggest adding the Always text to Water elemental as well. I think I took an opponent by surprise once or twice playing it for its attack while the "if" condition failed.

Edit: This post is in response to the balance changes, which is appearing after my message...

Here is the preview of the balance changes:

http://helppage.3dfx.sk/fendek/balance.png

These changes are most likely final.

Sidenote: "Always" word in the card effect is new. It is there to clearly separate the if-then-else effect from the rest. Everything below the "Always" word, always happens - it does not depend on if-then-else effect above. So for example cards like Goblin saboteur, Tarkhan and Warlord do the same as before, but their effect should be clear now (first the wall reduction part is evaluated and then attack happenes every time - it does not matter whether the wall was reduced or not).

List of remarks and questions that enter my mind:

New
- Crystal Golem is probably to powerful, as pointed out by JimmyMethod (though he meant 6 other, instead of 5). Also, it is'nt worth combining Holy cards with Unliving from the Unliving point of view, I think... But I don't really know what to think about that.
- Last order isn't too good if you ask me, it takes a turn and the cards it summons have quite a price tag. (Well, at least for the deck I play them in.) (In line with this card, I think Earth Elemental would be better of as a 15 brick costing non-Unliving. Since Unliving decks rarely have a lower Quarry then their opponent, they probably won't use it, in other situations the 4 bricks aren't worth the keyword.)
- Greed is good's condition is very likely to be met in resource decks... Making it too powerful?
- Mountain sentry... this update is doing good making Alliance decks a viable option.
- Bank would be too powerful in resource decks I think.
- Shadow Unicorn hasn't the condition that Frost Unicorn has making it still slightly better, though I do think the difference in power is currently too small. It's possible that the uncommons are too powerful too.
- Optimistic scenario for Invocation: Just played Clay Fabric and have 100B, and play a deck that barely uses Gems and have 70G. This gives Tower & Wall +20 and Enemy stock -14, with zero costs? Or will it convert the resources?
- You'll get a minimum of 30 wall for playing Dwarven Fortress?

Changed
- All Elemental attack becomes a bit too cheap this way I think, again especially for resource decks.

(My resource deck doesn't rely on Gateway BTW)

I might sound a lill negative, so Ill end with the remark that you could consider me not mentioning a new card as a compliment ;-).

Is something happening to Mage Guild? I ask because you have a new card that fetches non-rare mage cards and a balanced card that fetches rare ones.

Also, does wind need to be that weak? It seems really really bad now. Like, atrocious. I think it would be playable but still not as good as it used to be if it fetched a common in your deck or maybe a common in general (though this would still be not very good).As it is in your balanced version it almost guarantees that you will be getting a card that you don't want or at least a card that is not as good as any card in your deck in terms of implementing your strategy.

I agree that wind and militia needed to be lowered in power (good job with militia btw, I think that was a good fix), but you've just made wind very very bad.

I agree. All-Elemental Attack is now WAY too powerful. For a resource deck, drawing that card is a game ender, almost without fail.

I like how the Barbarian cards now have their descriptions fit how they behave. It always bothered me before.

Nerfing Wind is a good idea, but I liked it in the previous incarnation: Uncommon swift card that cost 4/4/4.

I think Last Order is a perfectly balanced card. 1, it basically takes 2 turns to use, allowing the opponent to react to a potentially devastating card play, but it still will be a heavy hit, in terms of card play, especially because of it's versatility (i.e. it can be useful against a mage deck, a tower deck, a soldier deck, etc.). To bring it back down, once you have played it, and your opponent hasn't had time to leapfrog over the -2 to whatever faculty you just damaged, you will start drawing it again, and again, when it's of almost zero use.

For old card balances:

Ninja got nerfed? IMO it's not even good at the moment
EDIT: sorry I always thought Ninja reduce opponent resources..my bad..but still..

I was expecting Imperial Griffin to get a buff, isn't that card too weak?

Good to see Hidden Treasure, Volunteer, Conjurer, Prayer, Draft, Demolition troop, Catastrophe and New Era become a whole lot more interesting

Ninja is actually improved this way.

Current:
Ninja
Durable.
Stock: -1
Enemy tower: -2

Altered:
Ninja
Durable.
-1 random rescource
Enemy tower: -2

So it will cost you less. I agree it still sucks. If you asked me, Id say we go back to the old Ninja, when (if Im not mistaken) it was a Brigand.

When will the new cards arrive? ;)

Update is planned on 24.12. 20:00:00 CET. Ho-Ho-Ho :D

got 2 finish all my current games till then ;)

Here are my thoughts on the new Common cards:

Purified Ash - alone this card would suck, but after a Cleansing it's a wish come true :)! I always wanted to stop the Undead decks from getting their cards because you spend resources to play a discard and the opponent can receive new cards with either the same or even higher usefullness. I'm definately an Undead hater :P

Priest - a nice combo with Purified Ash but it's not usable in any other situation. I'd suggest slightly increasing the card's cost, but also giving it a general situation ability like for example: "Next Card will be a common Holy card."

Road to Valhalla - Decent cost with a bitter additional fee, but a very nice effect for a Common card. Seems good for Charging decks. As previously pointed out, it can make a good combo with Fortified outpoust (but don't forget Watchtower and Foundations ;))

Road to Tartarus - seems good for a Titan-based deck (or as I call it "a Titanic deck").

Druid - a nice combo attacker for the Alliance. A Gem-based deck would certainly benefit from this dude (Gandalf if my eyes don't deceive me :P)

Ranger - looks like a "brick of life" for an Alliance deck. Seems very nice - I would love to play this guy.

Fortified outpost - very nice stand-alone and combo card. Will try it out for sure.

Crystal Golem - this little guy should be either an Uncommon card with its cost raised or an Uncommon with a max rule - for example (max: 4) like Prince of Thieves so that it doesn't become too powerful.

Wizard's cottage - looks good: a compromise between price and effectiveness. I love using such cards in my decks :).

Shadow fairy - wow! A thieving Holy card :). Definately a nice twist to the Holy theme.

Wolf spirit - a little something to keep a Beast-based deck well-supplied and attacking. God cost and effectiveness - will try it out for sure.

... and on the new Uncommon cards:

Last Order - it rules!!! I've been wishing for such a card for a long time :). However it does seem a little too easy ... why not add a little hidden cost ot playing the card: Loose -6 of the resource of the chosen card. Example:
Mode 1: receive Earth Elemental; Bricks: -7 (bricks are easier to accumulate)
Mode 2: receive Soul Cleaver; Gems: -6
Mode 3: receive Cultists; Recruits: -6

Sharpshooters - bullseye :D! The versatility of this card is so nice that it beats the high cost. Will use it in a resource stealing or a Direct Damage Deck (DDD).

Sheath your sword - Progressor asked some good questions about this card and what I can add is why not add a little hidden cost here as well: "Random resource -1 for each replace."

Greed is good - Why not add: "Rroduction: X0" to it?

Mask of the phantasm - this is the picture of the Diablo 3 unveiling ;). Decent cost for a very nice effect. I'd like to see what this baby can do in a real combat.

Mountain Sentry - Damn, this guy looks tough! May be removing the Skirmisher ability will make it less powerful because his current abilities seem too powerful at his current cost.

War Elephant - looks like a mini version of Orc Regiment. It could stack nicely with a Ballista. I don't think it's overpowered because of its high cost - when using a Soldier/Beast deck you will also be spending a lot of Recruits, giving the opponent some time to react to the War Elephant.

Bounty Hunter - The cost seems somewhat high. I'd suggest 8 Recruits instead of 11.

Dragon slayer - the cost appear too high seeing as how this card has very rare uses. Perhaps changing it to: Recruits: 7; Gems: 5 ?