List of potential changes to CotC and DP 1 and 2 cost allies

[Veles]

Hi,

One of the main principles in designing cards in Shadow Era is not making strictly better cards and avoid as much as possible so called power creep, where a newer card outclasses older card in same or similar role. However, since its release, Shadow Era has evolved and over time it became evident that some of the early card designs are limiting designs of newer cards, especially in combination with one of Shadow Era's basic game mechanics, its combat system. In the early game, player going first often has an advantage where their ally played on turn 2 can kill opposing ally without retaliation damage. Break point here is usually dealing 3 damage. But to create more defensive early game allies would mean to power creep some of older cards, namely allies like Brutalis who is 1 attack, 4 health ally without an ability. To avoid that we consider doing following changes:

Call of the Crystals

Dirk Saber

Health increased to 3.

Puwen Bloodhelm

Ability changed to: Puwen Bloodhelm has +1 attack while any opposing player controls more allies than you.

Birgitte Skullborn

Base attack increased to 1.

Blake Windrunner

Ability changed to: When Blake Windrunner is summoned, your weapons have +1 attack until the end of your turn.

Katrin the Shieldmaiden

Base attack increased to 1.

Brutalis

Ability changed to: While there is an opposing damaged ally in play, Brutalis has +1 attack.

Fire Snake

Attack changed to fire. Ability changed to: When Fire Snake is killed, all opposing heroes take 1 fire damage.

Hellsteed

Base attack increased to 1.

Dark Flayer

Health increased to 2.

Dark Prophecies

Twilight Herald

Health increased to 2.

Ironhide Karash

Health increased to 3.

Rotling

Health increased to 2. Ability changed to: When Rotling is summoned, you may exile target ally in a graveyard and Rotling gains +1 base attack.

Twisted Familiar

Health increased to 4. Ability changed to: When an opposing hero or ally deals ability damage to Twisted Familiar, they take 2 damage. 0: 2 used resources are renewed, and Twisted Familiar is killed at the end of your turn.

Braxnorian Temptress

Ability changed to: Defender. When Braxnorian Temptress deals damage to a hero, that hero's weapons are returned to its owner's hand.

Master Trapsetter

Ability changed to: Ambush. Master Trapsetter has +1 attack while you control 2 or more traps. 2: Until the end of your turn, the next trap you summon costs 3 less resources.

Agent Rex
Health increased to 3.


Bonus changes would be adding elemental attack types to following allies to give them more flavor:

Molten Destroyer

Attack changed to fire.

Ogloth the Glutton

Attack changed to fire.

Crystal Titan

Attack changed to ice.

Magma Jackal

Attack changed to fire.


These changes would allow buffs to some SF, LL and CP cards, but I would leave that discussion for separate thread later in order to have easier discussion.

Please, tell us what you think about suggested changes or suggest your own ideas. I do recommend to focus only on 1 and 2 cost allies for now.

[Scout]

Ok here we go:

Dirk Saber

Health increased to 3.

Puwen Bloodhelm

Ability changed to: Puwen Bloodhelm has +1 attack while any opposing player controls more allies than you.

Birgitte Skullborn

Base attack increased to 1.

Decent and welcoming changes.

Blake Windrunner

Ability changed to: When Blake Windrunner is summoned, your weapons have +1 attack until the end of your turn.

Meh, but what can you really do about it lol

Katrin the Shieldmaiden

Base attack increased to 1.

oh yeah this looks great. I think Tala will appreciate this. Might get out of hand with this, zail crusader and standfirm/ellos but remains to be seen.

Brutalis

Ability changed to: While there is an opposing damaged ally in play, Brutalis has +1 attack.

Fire Snake

Attack change to fire. Ability changed to: When Fire Snake is killed, all opposing heroes take 1 fire damage.

Hellsteed

Base attack increased to 1.

Meh. But i can see how this will help the future stuff to be better.

Dark Flayer

Health increased to 2.

wow so ele can get a 3/5 with defender. this might be a bit too much but remains to be seen.

Dark Prophecies

Twilight Herald

Health increased to 2.

Ironhide Karash

Health increased to 3.

Rotling

Health increased to 2. Ability changed to: When Rotling is summoned, you may exile target ally in a graveyard and Rotling gains +1 base attack.

yeah nice

Twisted Familiar

Health increased to 4. Ability changed to: When an opposing hero or ally deals ability damage to Twisted Familiar, they take 2 damage. 0: 2 used resources are renewed, and Twisted Familiar is killed at the end of your turn.

not sure how i feel about this. on paper just sounds like a better deathbone with resource curve capability.

Braxnorian Temptress

Ability changed to: Defender. When Braxnorian Temptress deals damage to a hero, that hero's weapons are returned to its owner's hand.

this is alright. if it sticks (not likely) it can now just destroy badu

Master Trapsetter

Ability changed to: Ambush. Master Trapsetter has +1 attack while you control 2 or more traps. 2: Until the end of your turn, the next trap you summon costs 3 less resources.

gives a boost to the annoying minion vic but idc

Agent Rex
Health increased to 3.

still bad

Bonus changes would be adding more elemental attack types to following allies to give them more flavor:

Molten Destroyer

Attack changed to fire.

Ogloth the Glutton

Attack changed to fire.

Crystal Titan

Attack changed to ice.

Magma Jackal

Attack changed to fire.

cool

[Gondorian]

Based on a brief read, these changes look balanced within each other but I have a feeling these may make some class allies seem weak or actually be weak in comparison.

I will assume you have done this comparison yourself but I’d like to see that somewhere to set my mind at ease.

Definitely worth trying these on the Test Server but you never get much activity there so it won’t be a proper test until it goes Live and generally experimenting there is frowned upon. Maybe you announce it as something radical that you think will be good for the game and you are open to feedback and making further adjustments after a set period of time.

By the way, I think you should make Sandra Trueblade playable while you are doing these changes.