Design Workbench: A few card changes coming up soon

[Calmdown]

As we release the rest of the set and also look at implementing hero changes, there are a few - a very few - cards that also need a change. I'll explain what and why so you can scream and shout at me about how I'm ruining the game and killing your puppies.


Dual Wield

Warrior Item
Your weapons gain +1 attack. 0: Destroy Dual Wield. Return any weapon from your discard pile to play with +1 attack. Dual Wield may not be targeted.


Already mentioned in the hero thread - doubling is always bad. Always. This new card fits better with weapons being more useful for various heroes, and also provides a nice secondary option.


Surprise Attack

Hunter Attachment
Ongoing:Target ally gains Ambush. Whenever that ally deals damage, draw a card.

Hunters' main card draw option is, quite frankly, crap. Now it's not. Almost guaranteed to get you Ambush and it's card back on the turn it is played, and after that, card advantage.


Shriek of Vengeance

Shadow Ability
Sacrifice one resource. Destroy target item with a cost of 4 or less.

No longer can blanket target each and every item in the game, which was very boring and very problematic from a design point of view. There are a lot more 4-cost weapons/armour/items in the rest of the set, though, so it still has a serious use and still has a very good frontloaded cost. It's also balanced against the Human equivalent which is being released soon.


Rabid Bite

Wulven Ability
At the start of your opponent's turn, target ally attacks a random enemy ally, or hero if there are no allies in play. It is then exhausted.

Rabid Bite as it is now is pretty insane, and it's one of the only cards keeping Wulven remotely playable. I understand that. However, thinking about the future, quite simply this card is over the top - probably the most overpowered card in the game currently, the only thing keeping it in check being the rest of Wulven's issues. To be clear, this change cuts down the duration (and hence number of attacks) from two to one; however, it also means that the ally attacks at the beginning of the turn and adds exhaustion to the ability as well as preventing it from attacking.



Now, because I'm not a fan of outright nerfs, let me finish this with a preview by way of apology:


Wulven Tracker

Shadow Ally
Cost 4
Atk/HP: 2/4
Wulven tracker is a wolf ally. When Wulven tracker deals damage, draw a card.

[MattOG]

Views:

Rabid Bite: is the same as now, just 1 less turn? Also, if there are no allies, this should attack the hero.

Wulven Tracker: is ok... Some draw at last, doesn't come till t4 though, and even then only if you can attack... Add it to the v1.27 release list

Shriek: is now very limited. The only things worth shrieking were the big armours and weapons.... AoA, SS, VoW, King's Pride.... Not sure if it's worth using a resource to shriek the remaining items. Will it let you do weapons still.... For those that care, this is still available for shrieking:

War Banner, Research, Portal, Death Trap, Net Trap, Curse, Assassin Training, Shard of Power, Cover of Night, Rain Delay, Bazaar.

If it still lets you do weapons: What Big Teeth, Wrath of the Forest, Cobraskin wraps, JD, BDB, Wizents.

:EDIT:
There's more items, I'll add them late if I get time... this was just a quick skim and I missed quite a few.

Surprise attack: will be good for draw.

Dual Wield: is meh... I can see why you did it though.

[Kalland]

My puppy! You vicious horrible puppy killer!

Seriously though.. Not a fan of shriek's nerfing. With dual wield being changed to being untargetable, and no longer being able to target over a cost of 4... This will be a big boost to warrior and hunters, humans overall. Plus they are getting item destruction at some point themselves? No more destruction of soul seeker... Berserkers edge, AoA, King's pride, etc.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out on the test server balance-wise.

[Drakkon]

Rabid Bite... no

Shriek... still a pain in my ass.

Edit: WORST BIRTHDAY EVER.

[MrNice]

The Shriek nerf is hard, maybe change it to 5cc cards?
Dual wield is ok same for Wulven ally.
But Surprise attack is really balanced I think. Good work!

[Calmdown]

For those that care, this is still available for shrieking:

War Banner, Research, Portal, Death Trap, Net Trap, Curse, Assassin Training, Shard of Power, Cover of Night, Rain Delay, Bazaar.

If it still lets you do weapons: What Big Teeth, Wrath of the Forest, Cobraskin wraps, JD, BDB, Wizents.

..and 13 more items in the unreleased part of the set. Including weapons, yes.

Also, remember, you're thinking about *right now*. I'm thinking about the future. Releasing a card in your base set that can blanket destroy anything in the set with no restrictions kind of limits the usability and usefulness of future cards.

Rogues have no problem destroying items, btw :P

[Drakkon]

Rabid Bite

Wulven Ability
Ongoing: At the start of your opponent's turn, target ally attacks a random enemy ally and is exhausted.

Rabid Bite as it is now is pretty insane, and it's one of the only cards keeping Wulven remotely playable. I understand that. However, thinking about the future, quite simply this card is over the top - probably the most overpowered card in the game currently, the only thing keeping it in check being the rest of Wulven's issues. To be clear, this change cuts down the duration (and hence number of attacks) from two to one; however, it also means that the ally attacks at the beginning of the turn and adds exhaustion to the ability as well as preventing it from attacking.

It's always done that. I hope this card is going to be able to hit the hero atleast, or get it's cost reduced.. with the change it's just a very very very bad version of mind control which doesnt really work to anything.

[Schdawn]

I see Snow Sapphire / AoA users shed joyful tears with this Shriek nerf.

[Scion]

I think your way of dealing with Shadow Era in general is good, but with Wulven it sucks major time haha. Rabid bite nerf and on top a worthless draw engine? How can the wulven tracker that may live to attack at 5th turn is considered reliable draw engine? 4th turn cast with 4 life it will be toasted before it comes down.

So now facing a wulven you keep in mind one thing. Kill wulven tracker when he is summoned -> proceed as always skull ***** the sob wolf.

On the rest of the cards, i agree with the changes.

[Killtrend]

..and 13 more items in the unreleased part of the set. Including weapons, yes.

Also, remember, you're thinking about *right now*. I'm thinking about the future. Releasing a card in your base set that can blanket destroy anything in the set with no restrictions kind of limits the usability and usefulness of future cards.

Rogues have no problem destroying items, btw :P

Assassinate: exhaust a weenie, destroy target creature.

Destroy arms: destroy target item

Smashing blow: destroy target item

Boris: destroy target creature

Shriek: sacrifice a RESOURCE, destroy target item.

Just up the cost and don't cripple the ability to deal with cards. Please tell me how a creature heavy deck gravebone or majiya or elemental now deals with VoW. Kings Pride? SS when needed.

What. A. Joke.