If you were in charge of balance, which cards would be on your Watch Lists?

Hi all!

I'm not sure how things work now within the DT, but one of the key parts of the process we used to use for keeping the balance healthy was to track potentially problematic cards on a Watch List. Well, two in fact: OP watch list and NPE watch list. (There was also a watch list for weak/underused cards, but those aren't necessarily a problematic thing as they have their place in all TCGs)

Cards on these Watch Lists were then tracked, investigated and analysed to determine if they needed to change and understand better why they were problematic. After that, potential solutions were devised and some became balance changes. Other cards just remained on the Watch Lists or eventually left them without impacting the card pool.

Which cards would you have on your Watch Lists right now?

Please try to avoid saying what change you would make, but just share the cards that would be on your lists and why.

Thanks!

This is what I have in mind :

- War Giant : Superior in offensive and survivability. This Ally is like combination of Gargoyle and Aeon with Instant kill attack. Usually an Ally that's good in offense Will perform poorly in defense, vice versa, but this guy got all covered.

- Nanaya, Yari Conqueror : a 5/8 6cc Ally that have raw stats equal to 7cc ally. For her ability I think it's already balanced.

- Yari Plunderer : a 3/5 4cc Ally that somewhat equal to hasted Ally with 2 or 3 attack. A really fine ally with good body and Instant 2 or 3 damage.

- Wulven Tinkerer : a Wulven ally that's somewhat equal to summoning 2 Skilled Ironmonger with Night Owl cantrip ability. I prefer to cut down his ability to add only 1 durability instead of 2.

- Zailen Scholar : I think for 2cc Ally this guy got too much ability. He's able to renew your resource and also draw a card, just pick one ability, no need to add more

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rajawali

This is what I have in mind :

- War Giant : Superior in offensive and survivability. This Ally is like combination of Gargoyle and Aeon with Instant kill attack. Usually an Ally that's good in offense Will perform poorly in defense, vice versa, but this guy got all covered.

- Nanaya, Yari Conqueror : a 5/8 6cc Ally that have raw stats equal to 7cc ally. For her ability I think it's already balanced.

- Yari Plunderer : a 3/5 4cc Ally that somewhat equal to hasted Ally with 2 or 3 attack. A really fine ally with good body and Instant 2 or 3 damage.

- Wulven Tinkerer : a Wulven ally that's somewhat equal to summoning 2 Skilled Ironmonger with Night Owl cantrip ability. I prefer to cut down his ability to add only 1 durability instead of 2.

- Zailen Scholar : I think for 2cc Ally this guy got too much ability. He's able to renew your resource and also draw a card, just pick one ability, no need to add more

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Thanks for your input.

I take it all of these are for your OP watch list?

For now yes, I think I might also slap in Krugal Trapper for the cheap cost and easy to use for seek and Knight of the Crimson Dusk since it has 4/6 raw stats for 5cc ally

Edit: Shold, Tempest Gorge is already cool card for Rogue that play Coercion but I feel the opposite side is to punishing for opponent, instead of sustain 1 cc I think sustain 1 health for artifact is much more balanced.

I agree with trapper. Admittedly its not exactly a top tier turn 2 play in an Aggro deck or against an Aggro deck... currently it doesn’t exactly tutor up anything thats completely over powered but could certainly limit the power levels of future cards (although I suppose that’s often an unavoidable issue.) and yes it’s low tempo and easily removed when you are playing on the draw... but worst case scenario... it’s removed immediately but you’re not down a card. you thin out your deck, improve your curve and absorb either some creature damage or potentially even a card from hand, a hero power etc

https://i.ibb.co/ZcX8zVY/A1-FC0-FE9-...74801-EAA7.png

Best case scenario... you play a 2 drop and a 3 drop that generates at the very least a combined +3card / resource gain. And that is if you write off the trap as being a -1 supposing the opponent was able to deal with both cards efficiently without having to play a card of their own etc. If you factor in the additional value potentially generated from them having to deal with the cards... it’s nearly unparalleled value... of course compared to confluence unaxio divine favor.. everything pales in comparison. And you need set up.. you lost tempo and card advantage by playing 2 expensive cards that does not contest the board etc.

TLDR it’s probably pound for pound the best 2 cost ally in all of SE, and as long as it triggers a draw you essentially can’t go wrong.

In my experience two cost allies feel freaking bad, very rng. This is probably a classic example of loss aversion... any way, you want 1 in your opener 2 is an auto sac almost always. Sometimes you sac it and play nothing on turn 2 even with FTA.. because reasons. But certainly you value having an option. Sometimes it helps you curve a good tempo play on turns 5-7 etc. If you have enough draw or enough tempo / board presence. Sweet low risk. Often it’s a poor play after turn two. It’s a fine draw mid game if you don’t need it good, you get to resource something you don’t need. It’s like drawing blood frenzy. Always good in your opener, almost always the best play. But when you don’t draw one until turn 11 and you’re in top deck mode and you can only hope you don’t draw bloodfrenzy.

I’’m almost never sorry to draw it mid to late-ish. And if I start with 2 I’ll keep typically hang on to that second copy when possible.

Admittedly its not exactly a top tier turn 2 play in an Aggro deck or against an Aggro deck... currently it doesn’t exactly tutor up anything thats completely over powered, the flexibility is valuable. It could certainly limit the power levels of future cards (although I suppose that’s often an unavoidable issue.) and yes it’s low tempo and easily removed when you are playing on the draw... but worst case scenario... it’s removed immediately but you’re not down a card. you thin out your deck, improve your curve and absorb either some creature damage or potentially even a card from hand, a hero power etc



Best case scenario... you play a 2 drop and a 3 drop that generates at the very least a combined +3card / resource gain. And that is if you write off the trap as being a -1 supposing the opponent was able to deal with both cards efficiently without having to play a card of their own etc. If you factor in the additional value potentially generated from them having to deal with the cards... it’s nearly unparalleled value... of course compared to confluence unaxio divine favor.. everything pales in comparison. And you need set up.. you lost tempo and card advantage by playing 2 expensive cards that does not contest the board etc.

I made a whoopsie. I proposed changes and forgot gondo specifically suggested we not do that. Delete

•General of unaxio Ever since his creation, anytime priest has been relevant this guy shows up X4. He’s too good for priest in combination with Divine Favor Confluence of Fate and Safe Return. What this amounts to a damn fine draw engine / value engine as well as infinity loop. It’s efficiency is.. ultimately amazing albeit initially pretty wonky. Once you turn on the tap it’s unparalleled.

•The first half of the engine setup is ideally t2 Divine Favor + t3 Confluence of Fate.

2 cards from hand 5cc. The strain it puts on deck space is not insignificant. But it amounts to only a -1 card from hand after confluence triggers. Yes it’s expensive it requires many pieces but it delivers too much.

•The second part of the engine is General of Unaxio + Safe Return.

1 card from hand 6cc. Once again deck space, but potentially results in +2 cards in hand for summoning (+1 cards immediately, +2 upon death) General is a cantrip from hand. . Safe return is a cantrip from deck. Not exactly an immediate threat but still a very tanky 6cc +1 card advantage off the rip. When it dies rinse and repeat forever.

After establishing this engine I think it’s nigh on impossible for anything to efficiently shut it off for any meaningful duration. Only mass purification I would assume, this is Wimbleds opinion I believe