The state of Northern Realms as a viable faction
As some of you know, I play NR exclusively, and have done so ever since I finished the training modules, and entered ranked play. I started playing around June/July 2017. I do this because of my emotional attachment to NR from playing The Witcher games. While I understand and sympathize with any developer's endless (and seemingly futile) efforts to balance a CCG, I believe that each faction should have a card-pool from which one may build competitive archetypes. By using the word "competitive", I refer to a deck that has a roughly equal chance to make GM compared to other faction archetypes; this way, skill determines wins and losses. In Gwent's current state of point-spamming (which I think still prevails even after the latest patch), I don't think NR has a competitive archetype outside of Henselt Machines. The Foltest 40? No. Swarm? For me, it seems to work until one gets to R19+, where it really sputters. Cursed? Heck no! It's so slow to start, and easily shut-down.
I play a custom Radovid control deck. I am not doing well this session. I think I will attain R20 again, but it will be such a grind, and my record will be abysmal. I've tried out Henselt Machines, but it's just not my "thing", especially since I do not like to net-deck. Question: Is Henselt Machines viable at R20+? Regardless, I am getting side-tracked..
What is your opinion on NR? I think it is a very limited faction compared to others, especially NG. (IMO NG is by far the most versatile faction, and the most powerful, at the moment) I think NR lack synergy and must rely heavily on neutral cards. NR does not have much chain-summoning/resurrecting compared to other factions. It doesn't have hand-interaction (like SC and NG). It doesn't have movement and barely has swap. It does have swarm synergy, but I question whether it is as effective as NGs or SCs. Heck, SK has the bear archetype which resembles a swarm when the priestesses get going. (I kid you not: I had a two-to-one card advantage going into R3 against a SK opponent, who vomited so many points on chain-resurrecting, that he/she beat me by 10 points)
So, what could be done to make NR more synergistic with its different archetypes? Cursed needs a LOT of help. It's incomplete, IMO. Armor archetype needs more cards that interact with armored units. Right now, what do we have? Vincent? K-Cavalry + Redanian Elite?
As some of you know, I play NR exclusively, and have done so ever since I finished the training modules, and entered ranked play. I started playing around June/July 2017. I do this because of my emotional attachment to NR from playing The Witcher games. While I understand and sympathize with any developer's endless (and seemingly futile) efforts to balance a CCG, I believe that each faction should have a card-pool from which one may build competitive archetypes. By using the word "competitive", I refer to a deck that has a roughly equal chance to make GM compared to other faction archetypes; this way, skill determines wins and losses. In Gwent's current state of point-spamming (which I think still prevails even after the latest patch), I don't think NR has a competitive archetype outside of Henselt Machines. The Foltest 40? No. Swarm? For me, it seems to work until one gets to R19+, where it really sputters. Cursed? Heck no! It's so slow to start, and easily shut-down.
I play a custom Radovid control deck. I am not doing well this session. I think I will attain R20 again, but it will be such a grind, and my record will be abysmal. I've tried out Henselt Machines, but it's just not my "thing", especially since I do not like to net-deck. Question: Is Henselt Machines viable at R20+? Regardless, I am getting side-tracked..
What is your opinion on NR? I think it is a very limited faction compared to others, especially NG. (IMO NG is by far the most versatile faction, and the most powerful, at the moment) I think NR lack synergy and must rely heavily on neutral cards. NR does not have much chain-summoning/resurrecting compared to other factions. It doesn't have hand-interaction (like SC and NG). It doesn't have movement and barely has swap. It does have swarm synergy, but I question whether it is as effective as NGs or SCs. Heck, SK has the bear archetype which resembles a swarm when the priestesses get going. (I kid you not: I had a two-to-one card advantage going into R3 against a SK opponent, who vomited so many points on chain-resurrecting, that he/she beat me by 10 points)
So, what could be done to make NR more synergistic with its different archetypes? Cursed needs a LOT of help. It's incomplete, IMO. Armor archetype needs more cards that interact with armored units. Right now, what do we have? Vincent? K-Cavalry + Redanian Elite?