Lock - Unlock interactions

[Iuliandrei]

Lock - Unlock interactions

I noticed today a very strange thing and don't know if it's intended or not.

If you lock a unit right now, it loses all tokens and abilities but if you apply adrenaline rush on that unit it can't be removed via locking. Using Shackles on this unit, instead of removing the resilience buff it simply unlocks it and restores its ability.

Personally i feel it shouldn't work this way.

 

[4RM3D]

It's a matter of perspective. You could argue that once a unit is locked (i.e. thrown in jail), it can't do anything anymore until it's unlocked (released or replayed). At the same time, something can be said for the order of events. The unit was locked and a new status effect was applied after the lock. Gameplay wise it would be best if the order of events is taken into account, also considering Adrenaline Rush isn't played much and considering the amount of locks available.

 

[matrax]

Question about LOCK and UNLOCK

Ok, this is the situation: Player A plays a card with "relentless" ability (i.e."mahakam defender"). Player B lock that card. Player A Unlocks his card but relentless ability is gone forever.

i just wonder if that was designed that way or if it's a glitch. Right now the "lock" and "unlock" description doesn't explain much.

 

[Strollin]

I think its meant to be like that, at least for now. I could imagine they are experimenting with locks at the moment and testing what would be the best way to balanced locks.
Imo as long as shackles stays like that Tokens shouldnt return once units are unlocked.

 

[Archpriest]

When unlocked, abilities are given back. Tokens are not. Works as intended.

 

[SkippyHole]

What I don't get about locks right now, when you resummon something from the graveyard with a lock, why does it get rid of the lock. Surely the whole point of something staying locked in the graveyard is that you can't bring it back with that effect? Otherwise, its only there to counter Morkvarg.

 

[4RM3D]

matrax

thread merged

 

[arz0]

What I don't get about locks right now, when you resummon something from the graveyard with a lock, why does it get rid of the lock. Surely the whole point of something staying locked in the graveyard is that you can't bring it back with that effect? Otherwise, its only there to counter Morkvarg.

It applies to more than just Morkvrag

Ciri Dash
Roach
Foglets

To name a few.

The point of staying locked in the graveyard is so that it prevents cards abilities from triggering when there.
Resurection is a way to undo locking that doesn't involve a shackles vs shackles senario, which IMO is a lot better than forcing any counter play to be limited to a few cards.

and it also make sense gameplay-wise. whenever a card is returned from the board or graveyard to your hand, it resets all tokens and strength.

 

[Treamayne]

What I would like to see:

Lock - Does what it does right now - but the chains stay unless unlocked or returned to hand/replayed (not resurrected*)
While locked, a unit cannot gain a token (e.g. would not even be a legal target for Ad Rush).
Unlock - When unlocked, return abilities (it already does) and return those tokens that are unit abilities**
Add cards/units that can lock/unlock things in the GY.


Notes
*: unless resurrected to hand, then played - which would open up an interesting card variant. For example: Udalryk could become "Move a random card from opp GY to you hand and play it immediately" which would allow you to replay locked units and remove the lock.
**: if the card has the ability "Gain WX Immunity" or "Gain Resilience" then those tokens return when unlocked." Otherwise the token is gone forever.

 

[Rajarat56]

Nilfgaard lock unlock bug

So I used cleaver on a resilence card, the opponent re-did the resilence. I used cleaver again only to see the opponent card being unlocked, but still being resilent. Can you check and fix this.

 

[4RM3D]

Rajarat56

What you are describing is the intended behavior. I've moved and merged your thread to a topic discussing improvements regarding this matter.

 

[nobody606]

Missing information regarding "Lock".

Lock + Lock = Unlocked (ability/abilities work again). This isn't stated in the description of the ability in the game. In my opinion this is a vital information and should be covered by the description, if this is working as designed.

 

[4RM3D]

nobody606 thread merged

The double lock interaction is a matter of perspective as discussed in this thread. Regardless, the description could be clearer. Although, if you have to explain all the (fringe) cases, it's going to be a longer description. Instead it's one of those things you learn when playing the game and (hopefully) won't forget thereafter.

 

[LTK]

'Lock' is infuriatingly unclear

I've not played Gwent since it released some time ago in alpha, and I was surprised to see that almost everything has changed in the mean time. There are a few mechanics I'm still trying to wrap my head around but none of them are as frustrating as Lock. At first it seemed like it might work like Hearthstone's Silence, but I quickly saw it was very different.

First of all, I looked at the tooltip. It said "Lock: Disables a card's abilities. Disables and reveals ambushes." Lowercase 'a' abilities, so that's not a defined term. My first assumption was that abilities included any card text, and a Locked unit would not do anything that it would normally do. I initially thought that it would also undo any Boosts that the unit received, but apparently not. One of the Skellige challenges suggested to Lock Morkvarg to prevent him from resurrecting, and if he dies Locked he stays dead. So far so good.

Then I tried Locking an Ice Giant. I figured, my opponent will probably play Biting Frost and that boosts the Ice Giant, so I want to prevent that. Sure enough, Biting Frost did come out, and the Ice Giant got boosted by 5 like it always does. Why does Lock not work here? It worked when I played Barclay Els, who summoned Cleaver, and was the only target available to Lock. He was prevented from boosting Cleaver then.

Then there's the wording used on Cleaver, Fiend and Dimeritium Shackles. It says "Toggle a Unit's Lock." Seems straightforward: that means it Locks a unit that isn't Locked, and Unlocks a unit that is Locked. Useful if your cards are vulnerable to Lock, and you can counteract it with one of these cards.

As it turns out, unlocking a unit is useless! My Mahakam Defender got Locked by my opponent, so I figured I'd play Cleaver and Unlock it, restoring its Resiliance. That's what Toggle means, doesn't it? It puts a unit in one state, or it restores it to its previous state. Nope! My Unlocked Mahakam Defender still lacked Resiliance after I Unlocked it. Then what is even the point of undoing Lock?

Can someone explain to me in what situations Lock and Unlock will actually work? Is it actually working as intended?

 

[Malus.Grey]

[Sign]

Ive never questioning it but this is true.
Lock: Disables Card's abilities. Disables and reveals ambushes.

This is not what lock does.
"Disable" means that you can re-aktivate it, like unlocking and locking, but instead does it destroy all effects.
Either the description of "Lock" is wrong or its effect. This should be changed.

 

[arz0]

Lock is card debuff token, and it has 2 effects, one is an on play effect, the other is a passive 'silence' effect.

1) The act of locking will remove any current tokens.
This includes:
Resiliance
Quen

Once tokens are removed, that is it.
You toggle the lock only, not the tokens previously removed.
And that is important because you can actually apply tokens to a locked unit.
If you lock a unit that is already locked and has quen for example, you undo he lock and remove quen.

Note: spying isn't a token

2) Once a unit is locked the card no longer has a passive ability.
That means the card's ability description, it will not prevent a card from being buffed or de-buffed by other cards or effects.
You can buff a locked unit with a card such as swallow potion.
It is just a body on the board with a strength value.

Then I tried Locking an Ice Giant. I figured, my opponent will probably play Biting Frost and that boosts the Ice Giant, so I want to prevent that. Sure enough, Biting Frost did come out, and the Ice Giant got boosted by 5 like it always does.

Sounds like a bug. If the giant was indeed locked before frost, then it shouldn't have been buffed.

 

[kaalev]

Yeah, for whatever reason locking > unlocking. Even if it's the same card played. Locking and unlocking should have the same value and there's no debating it.

 

[4RM3D]

LTK

thread merged

 

[doctorcheese]

I think Mahakam Defender is worded wrong, it should say "Deploy: Give this unit Resilience" similar to Alba Spearman. Resilience and Shield are not "abilities," they're more like temporary buffs. That's why they just disappear when you "Lock" them instead of being toggled.

If I'm understanding it correctly, the true effect of Lock should be;
Lock: Disables Card's abilities. Disables and reveals ambushes. Removes Resilience and Shield.

 

[MooshieMooshie]

That means the card's ability description, it will not prevent a card from being buffed or de-buffed by other cards or effects. You can buff a locked unit with a card such as swallow potion.

Really? When I tried to buff a locked unit with Ambassador nothing happened, it just stayed at the exact same strength. A bug perhaps?