The game is so different--and better--at 40 cards

**shannong** · 06-29-2011, 02:01 PM

Unlike a lot of my A1 teammates, I didn't get a real chance to play the 40-card format until Kyle finally released 1.26 for iOS devices (the web client and Mac app version both run too hot/noisy on my MacBookPro).

Now that I've been playing in the 40-card ladder (and watching *lots* of replays from other players in the Ladder40), it's clear that 40 cards is superior in every way. The meta is much more open, there's a lot more opportunity for the tide to swing either way in a game, and there's a lot fewer rock-paper-scissors matchups because you cannot tune a deck so tightly to be an auto-win in certain matchups. Even with known "best" decks, there's still a degree of uncertainty that is much more like it was in MtG, for example.

And yes, the current card pool *totally* supports variety and hard choices even in the 40-card format. You still struggle just as much to decide on which 39 cards to put in the deck.

40 cards as the official format cannot come soon enough. Kyle, please don't make us wait for 1.28 to make the transition.

Anyone curious to see for themselves should go join the 40-card ladder that GondorianDotCom has set up, or just hang out in the shadowera IRC channel and ask some folks there to play you some casual 40-card games.

**MattOG** · 06-29-2011, 02:29 PM

Agreed, Shadow Era would benefit from this. The uncertainty creates a nice level of... balance I suppose. With there being less ability to spam the power cards, there is more opportunity for others to get in.

Basically, what ^he^ said

**Sorter** · 06-29-2011, 03:09 PM

+1 Hope they make 40 official soon.

**ThEReApR** · 06-29-2011, 03:11 PM

Yup. 40 card decks open the possibility for more strategy, and deck construction. There is more variety in what you play. I hope this becomes a reality sooner than later.

**Killtrend** · 06-29-2011, 03:11 PM

Anyone with a half of a brain cell approves of this message.

Kyle, can we speed this up for 1.27??

**paddy55** · 06-29-2011, 04:36 PM

Can't agree more bring it forward at 1.27 pleaseee. As if certainly spice up the battle, when i get a quick game with a player sporing a 30 card deck i can pretty much que whats in it and thats just getting boring.

**AnAdolt** · 06-29-2011, 07:51 PM

I like the 40 card minimum deck size too. As for other players still playing on 30, personally, I don't mind one bit and see it as a good chance to really stress-test and tweak my 40 card decks against. Because in the live server, you don't run into many good players so their more consistent deck sometimes makes up for their skill ^^.