Preview of Balance Changes for 3.13

[Nik]

Besides of Jerry´s playability now, which really doesn´t matter as the card pool constantly changes and increases, Embers was definitely overnerfed. Now you have a card that ablazes an ally for 2cc, or that ablazes, makes 4 damage and becomes a cantrip for 2cc and 4SE if your use Jerry´s ability, or 6cc if you use Sever Ties. The -1SE and +3 health is a matter that comes from Lingering Essence, not this card, and also has it´s additional cost.
Now if you compare it to fireball, it´s costing you 3 more resources (or SE if you put them on the same level) only to get an additional ablazed ally and a single draw. That´s not worth for Jerry to use, specially thinking that you´re sacrificing his ability for that single 4 damage shot.
This card will need a future buff, like gaining more draw at its destruction, gaining draw even if it´s not destroyed by you (like Hunter´s Gambit), or even gaining 2-3SE at its destruction instead of the draw, so Jerry doesn´t lose his main ability and purpose. That will also make it even playable for other priests with the use of Sever Ties, Eriss and any other future abilities.

Besides of all this, I completely agree in not returning it to the hand for infinite recursion. That is the NPE part of the card.

[trevorJacobs]

I find the troll change hard to parse ... Takes a lot of work to figure out what's going on / going to happen when I kill it. I presume there's no indicator of whether he's undying?

(Also, undying might be good here - "when troll is killed with less than 3 attack, he returns to play with +1 attack")

[Zoki]

Does Groundshift now removes "disabled" from the friendly allies. Is "disabled" passive, I would say it is?

[Demnchi]

Does Groundshift now removes "disabled" from the friendly allies. Is "disabled" passive, I would say it is?

No, disabled is a Negative Effect and not a passive.

My comments on the changes incoming.

[Demnchi]

SHATTERED FATES

Bloodfang - Ability changed to "5SE: Target ally with claw attack in your hand is summoned at no cost, and it gains +1 base attack and +1 health if it is a Wulven ally." (from "5SE: Target Wulven ally in your hand is summoned at no cost, and it gains +1 base attack and +1 health.").

I didn't see this change coming. I'll have to give some thought on what this could be used for exactly, but overall I feel its a great change that really opens up the hero quite a bit.

Embers of the Just - Ability changed to "Attach to target opposing ally and that ally is set ablaze. If Embers of the Just is targeted and destroyed on your turn, target opposing hero or ally takes 4 arcane damage and you draw a card." (from "Attach to target opposing ally and that ally is set ablaze. If Embers of the Just is targeted and destroyed on your turn, it is returned to your hand and target opposing hero or ally takes 4 arcane damage.").

I'll have to play around with it. At the very least the NPE aspect should dissipate, but I'm not sold on it being the appropriate change quite yet.

LOST LANDS

Sabreen - Ability changed to "While Sabreen is the only ally you control, she has haste. 1: Target card in your hand is discarded: target opposing ally takes 2 arcane damage." (from "While Sabreen is the only ally you control, she has haste. 1: Target card in your hand is discarded: target opposing ally takes 3 arcane damage.")

Alright.

Towering Brute - Ability changed to "Towering Brute has +2 attack while damaged. Opposing allies with cost 3 or less have -2 attack the turn they are summoned." (from "Towering Brute has +2 attack while damaged. Towering Brute has +2 attack while in combat with allies with cost 3 or less.")

I rather like this change as it is potentially an anti-haste card which could see some good use.

Eternal Troll - Ability changed to "When Eternal Troll is killed while no friendly Eternal Troll entered play this turn, it is returned to play." (from "When Eternal Troll is killed while it didn't enter play this turn, it is returned to play.").

Meh. I didn't see a need to change it, but I guess at least now there are some people out there that will tolerate his annoying ability.

Aldmor Sentry - Abiity changed to "Aldmor Sentry can't be disabled, and opposing allies have meek the turn they are summoned. 2SE: Target non-Aldmor ally is disabled for 2 turns." (from "While no opposing hero has more shadow energy than your hero, Aldmor Sentry has defender. 2SE: Target non-Aldmor ally is disabled for 2 turns.")

Interesting, another haste interaction, although less effective. Not happy to see defender removed, but it was so conditional it doesn't really matter. Still hope we see some defender in part 2 or 3.

Ancient of Aldmor - Base attack reduced to 1 (from 9). Ability changed to "For each Aldmor ally you control, Ancient of Aldmor costs you 1 less resource to summon. Ancient of Aldmor has +X attack, where X is the amount of shadow energy your hero has stored." (from "For each Aldmor ally you control, Ancient of Aldmor costs you 1 less resource to summon. Ancient of Aldmor has -X attack, where X is the greatest shadow energy of all opposing heroes.").

Interesting change. No other comment really.

Groundshift - Ability changed to "Duration 1. Sustain 1HP. When Groundshift is summoned, the active location is exiled. Allies lose all passive abilities." (from "Duration 1. Sustain 1HP. When Groundshift is summoned, the active location is exiled. Opposing allies lose all passive abilities.").

Fair enough.

Shadow Cannon - Cost reduced to 4cc (from 5cc).

Still not sold on it, but at least it has a reason to be tried out since it can be put into play much cheaper now.

Lorhon: Twilight Encampment - Non-controller ability changed to "0SE: If an opposing Twilight ally was killed this turn, all friendly allies gain +1 health." (from "0SE: If an opposing Twilight ally was killed this turn, all friendly allies gain +1 health and this location is exiled.").

Sosilo: Brother's Landing - Turn Number reduced to T4 (from T5).

Okay, glad to see those changes.

Anmor: Garina Road - Turn Number reduced to T4 (from T5).

Meh, the NC ability is still too much of a downside in my opinion to ever consider using it.

Irum: Lightning Quarry - Non-controller ability changed to "2SE: All allies take 2 damage. Shuffle this location into its owner's deck." (from "2SE: All allies take 2 damage. Exile this location.").

Good change, allows the player to keep the train going without being punished so harshly for building their deck around it.

Racksul: Warped Desert - Controller ability changed to "0SE: The next card owned by an opposing player to be exiled this turn is placed in your hand." (from "0SE: The next card to be exiled this turn is placed in your hand.").

Normally I'd be the first against needing context on why particular cards are changed, but I really can't fathom a reason to change this card to this, the only thing I can think of is the recursive Mimic causing problems down the line. If that's the case, then the problem is more with Mimic, which is a SF card anyways and is still open to change. The NC ability was already really good and the effect seemed manageable enough. It's a fun effect and I'm sad to see it changed to this. Now I'd be relying on my opponent to have something worthwhile to nab rather than my own deck, and that feels like a bad direction to go with the card.

It could just be my bias towards really liking the card, but I really don't understand why the change was made and feel its a bit unwarranted.

Yahari: Valley of Doom - Controller ability activation cost up to 4SE (from 3SE).

Okay, it seemed to be a problem for some people so I can see this as a reasonable change.

Feel free to comment below with your thoughts!

Still hoping that Void Wretch will be looked at in future patches. Especially since everything around him seems to keep taking hits.

Other than that and Warped Desert, I feel this is an interesting set of changes and I'm looking forward to trying them out. Bloodfang in particular.

[Veles]

Normally I'd be the first against needing context on why particular cards are changed, but I really can't fathom a reason to change this card to this, the only thing I can think of is the recursive Mimic causing problems down the line. If that's the case, then the problem is more with Mimic, which is a SF card anyways and is still open to change. The NC ability was already really good and the effect seemed manageable enough. It's a fun effect and I'm sad to see it changed to this. Now I'd be relying on my opponent to have something worthwhile to nab rather than my own deck, and that feels like a bad direction to go with the card.

It could just be my bias towards really liking the card, but I really don't understand why the change was made and feel its a bit unwarranted.



Okay, it seemed to be a problem for some people so I can see this as a reasonable change.

Gravemonger, Arthyle Pass, Warped Desert and stall card of your choice: Into The Forest, Full Moon, Shadow Font in MS and Skervox... Example: http://www.shadowera.com/showthread....erhide-Baduruu

[Gondorian]

Gravemonger, Arthyle Pass, Warped Desert and stall card of your choice: Into The Forest, Full Moon, Shadow Font in MS and Skervox... Example: http://www.shadowera.com/showthread....erhide-Baduruu

I think you mean Arthyle's Crypt.

The issue is much wider than that though. We turned exiling, which is something that can be used to help with balance - to take something out of the game completely offensively or as a cost to yourself - into a way to recycle things. That's really bad for balance. This card opens up a door to recycle all kinds of stuff and limits what exiling of your own stuff we can do in the future as a cost.

With it now only working on enemy stuff, you can't build around exploiting this card to break the game. You can use it to steal an ally that Logan killed with Sledgehammer or a card that Loest exiled or turn Rotling into a Shadow Knight that can pick from either grave, etc, etc.

[Umbra7]

The NC for warped desert is still the same. Raksul beyond a shadowbof a doubt in my mind is a dead card after this nerf. I strongly urge anybody to prove me wrong, and show me with several in game battles that this is still a good card, but I'm willing to bet shadow crystals on it that you cant get 5 wins in a row with the new racksul.

All the other changes are good though. In regards to sosillo, since some have said the change wont matter, i will say the change matters a lot. T4 is when most cards want to start discarding, I.E. sabreen or bannerman. Trying to do so previously would deplete your hand at an immensely fast pace, but now that turn 4 discard is meaningful. Pesonally my favorite discarding card is moment of acquiesce, and i hated not being able to use it properly until turn 5, when it was often too late. This gives a definitive buff to the location that can make it playable even with that soul sucking NC. (it's personally the most punishing thing to me, having cards discarded from hand.)

[Demnchi]

Hmm I see. Well thanks for the explanation. I guess its a pretty good point, still disappointed, but at least I get it now.

[oggtheman]

Ancient of Aldmor - Base attack reduced to 1 (from 9). Ability changed to "For each Aldmor ally you control, Ancient of Aldmor costs you 1 less resource to summon. Ancient of Aldmor has +X attack, where X is the amount of shadow energy your hero has stored." (from "For each Aldmor ally you control, Ancient of Aldmor costs you 1 less resource to summon. Ancient of Aldmor has -X attack, where X is the greatest shadow energy of all opposing heroes.").

What the hell man, you just killed my favourite control finisher!