arebelspy SE Commentary #1 - Why Plague is Bad

[arebelspy]

Click here for the main thread discussing my commentaries: http://www.shadowera.com/showthread....Thread&p=76344

This is arebelspy SE Commentary #1 - Why Plague is Bad

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhj-s5go9vo

This commentary features a discussion on why the card "Plague" is bad. In essense, it argues that Plague has a very narrow use, and even when used in that scenario, may not win the game for the player using it.

My opponent in this video played turn 2 Blake, turn 3 Aldon, Turn 4 Plague. I played nothing turn 2, War Banner turn 3, and then was knocked to 0 resources for my 4th turn. The video shows how I handled that.

Please leave any specific comments to the video in this thread, any generic comments on my commentating or commentary requests in the main thread linked above.

[AnAdolt]

Watched the video. I wouldn't say Plague is a bad card. It widens your advantage even when the advantage you have is quite small; however, because I haven't been able to make a Plague deck consistent enough to my liking, I don't play Plague. I wouldn't discount the card in the future though, when there's more variety and cards that will possibly synergize with Plague more.

[arebelspy]

Watched the video. I wouldn't say Plague is a bad card. It widens your advantage even when the advantage you have is quite small; however, because I haven't been able to make a Plague deck consistent enough to my liking, I don't play Plague. I wouldn't discount the card in the future though, when there's more variety and cards that will possibly synergize with Plague more.

Sure, I will grant you that more cards could make a bad card good.

At this point in time, it is not a card that should be played in a deck. That's what I mean by a "bad" card.

It merely "widens an advantage," as you say. A "win more" card, as it is often called, should not be used. Plague is a perfect example of that, at the moment.

TBH, if it was playable, it'd likely be a huge NPE (negative play experience) and need nerfing, much like pre-errata Sandra and HBM. Resource denial is usually no fun to play against, and turns people off of the game. It's a GOOD thing Plague is a bad card.

[Pretty Pretty Princess]

Watched the video. I wouldn't say Plague is a bad card. It widens your advantage even when the advantage you have is quite small; however, because I haven't been able to make a Plague deck consistent enough to my liking, I don't play Plague. I wouldn't discount the card in the future though, when there's more variety and cards that will possibly synergize with Plague more.

When I get it together I'll post another Plague deck guide. I've been experimenting with another style and it's working out decently. It's definitely not a bad card, but it requires A LOT of patience to use correctly.

[arebelspy]

When I get it together I'll post another Plague deck guide. I've been experimenting with another style and it's working out decently. It's definitely not a bad card, but it requires A LOT of patience to use correctly.

If you play a game where Plague works out really well for you, I'd love to commentate it, just let me know.

[GustCM2]

You can't say that plague is a bad card only because it failed on this match.
Your opponent made 2 big mistakes here: keeping your Jasmine alive when you had War Banner on field (you could just kill his Jasmine and Paralyze one of his Blakes, so he would not finish you up in his next turn) and not playing a second plague.
The problem with plague decks is that they need to keep the resources at a low number. You can't just play one plague and hope to finish the match in 4 turns (as he did). So it's essential to put up a Draw Engine to increase the chance of getting a plague at least every 4 turns, and we only have Bazaar and Wizent's - which is kinda bad because costs 4 resources...

[Hatts]

You mentioned that priests only DD was special delivery - I think you forgot about smite. Regardless, I completely agree. A wizent's staff or a jasmine on turn 4 would probably have sealed the game for him... It's a huge waste of that blake + aldon opening.

[Pretty Pretty Princess]

The problem with plague decks is that they need to keep the resources at a low number.

They work fine without doing this, but it's tricky : /

[arebelspy]

You can't say that plague is a bad card only because it failed on this match.

I'm not. This was merely an example of where it was played in nearly an ideal situation, and still didn't work. I'm saying it's a bad card because most of the time it won't even be played at all.

You mentioned that priests only DD was special delivery - I think you forgot about smite. Regardless, I completely agree. A wizent's staff or a jasmine on turn 4 would probably have sealed the game for him... It's a huge waste of that blake + aldon opening.

Right, but smite only does 3 as well. Either way I had enough health to survive either of those.

Yeah, a wizents, then plague would seal it. But a wizents and then... pretty much anything else has him already so close to winning, why play the plague in the deck at all? It would work beautifully if he goes blake>aldon>wizents>plague. But that's such a narrow case, and it's useless if I'm the one with the tempo and board advantage. Why play a card useless at least half the time?

[arebelspy]

Let me clarify one point: when I say it's a "bad" card I don't mean it's completely unplayable, like, say campfire stories. I mean it shouldn't be in a top competitive deck.

Your deck size should be exactly 30 cards, or, if preparing for the minimum switch (or after the switch), exactly 40 cards.

A "bad" card is one that should not be played in that exactly 30 or 40 card deck. Plague is not SUPER terrible, but it should not be played in a 40 card deck, cause there's much more than 40 cards better than it. Thus, it is bad.

I'm talking to the higher end players here.

New and intermediate players can have all the fun they want playing bad cards like plague. Plague is certainly an ANNOYING card, so if you want to annoy your opponents, by all means, play it.

If you want to win, you don't play bad cards like plague.

My videos may tend towards the extreme of hyperbole, such as plague is a bad card, but what I mean by that is that it doesn't belong in a top tier deck.

At this time. As AnAdolt pointed out, future cards may change that. As of 1.26, plague is a bad card. That may not always be the case.