Draft Mode Patchnotes 7.4.1

[Anna_Zielinska]

Last patch we have released into the wild the new Draft Mode and were happy to see how much interest and excitement it was met with by the community. Quickly the forums started filling up with stories about wacky decks, but some of them seemed... too wacky. One short investigation later, it turned out that there were some issues with the configuration of packs, which led for example to packages that should have been disabled being offered in draft anyway. This has been fixed, and should make the experience more balanced, yet still keeping it fun and open for experiments.

Unlike with Arena, that once released was essentially left untouched, we intend to make the Draft Mode an ever evolving format, that will be able to keep players entertained and engaged. In short, that means that we plan to make regular updates and balancing changes to Draft Mode, like we do with Ranked Play Mode.

That said, let me introduce the first Draft Mode Patchnotes!


New arrivals:
New Card added , the great sorcerer himself - Alzur!

Mages package is now a default Tribal package.

Alzur is added as a Core Card. Choosing him increases chances of getting Tribal - Mages package and Special packages.

Triss: Telekinesis is added to the Tribal - Mages package

New Witcher Trio Wombo Combo package is added:

• Vesemir: Mentor
• Lambert: Swordmaster
• Eskel: Pathfinder

Departures:
Elves is no longer a default Tribal package.

Tourney Shaelmaar is removed from Mechanical - Create package.

Ge'els is removed from the Tribal - Wild Hunt package.

Sewer Raiders are removed from the Value - Hoard package.

Triss: Telekinesis removed from the Core Cards


Shuffling and balancing:
Prize-Winning Cow is replaced with Operator in the Tribal - Beast package.

The triple Drummond Queensguard package will now include two Drummond Queensguaurd and Cerys An Craite.

Odds of getting more deathwish cards in Mechanical - Deathwish package increased.

Chances of getting Vandergrift in Defence - Shield package are decreased.

Generally reduced odds of seeing the same exact thinning package twice.

The following Core cards and leader abilities now boost chances of getting Tribal - Mage package:

• Artorius Vigo
• Xarthisius
• Stockpile

Bronzes that come with Cave Troll have been adapted to the following Ogroids:

• Nekker Warrior
• Ice Troll
• Ice Giant
• Nekker
• Cyclops

 

[StanislavOZZO]

I don't see how CDPR addressed coin engine reign and charges combo. For me these two were the most annoying things in the draft, as for many others, as stated in a dedicated thread.

 

[Draconifors]

I don't see how CDPR addressed coin engine reign and charges combo.

Yeah, or the "always offer Coins" bug. That one might simply not be listed though, I suppose.

 

[vvinx]

If you're gonna copy Legends of Runeterra concept of the draft mode, at least do it right.

 

[DRK3]

Wait, did you add Alzur just to Draft Mode or he's properly in the game, can be crafted and also used on standard modes?

Did not expect any new cards until the expansion, i was taking a one month break but if there's a juicy new meme card i dont think i can resist it...

 

[ReaperTek]

Wait, did you add Alzur just to Draft Mode or he's properly in the game, can be crafted and also used on standard modes?

Yes he can be crafted and can be used in the normal modes, that was probably the small Meta shift Slama was talking about.

 

[Gewaltloser]

The feedback on the new draftmode was actually quite bad. Many players found the new mode very dull and boring. A majority of the players want the old Arena back with some small adjustments. It was much more strategic.

 

[Draconifors]

A majority of the players want the old Arena back with some small adjustments.

The sort of statement that isn't to be believed when there is no objective and representative data to back it up.

 

[Riven-Twain]

Also, it seemed like more users, at least here, complained about frequent re-drafting, lack of rewards, and no entry fee, rather dullness.

 

[Sensimilius]

I'd rather have redrafting limited by time, for example 10 minutes if you didn't finish all the 7 rounds, then to have an entry fee. :]

 

[StanislavOZZO]

The sort of statement that isn't to be believed when there is no objective and representative data to back it up.

Surely, you read the forums. Fanbase feedback is pretty clear. Most people want Arena back, even if Draft stays in some shape or form.

 

[Draconifors]

Fanbase feedback is pretty clear.

Forum will never be an accurate representation of the entire playerbase. Never.

 

[DRK3]

So, i come to check the patchnotes again and didnt see anything related to the evolving cards.

Before this midmonth patch, in draft the evolving cards were always at their 3rd stage, even in R1 right? Today this almost costed me the game, because my Viraxas didnt boost an Anseis, stopping me from removing a card. In the end, it didnt matter, that deck i got was ridiculous and got me my 1st 7/7 draft run (yay)

So, the evolving cards now behave in draft like they do in constructed? I know i had Neutrals in that deck, so it wouldnt reach Stage 3, but im not sure if it actually evolved into stage 2 or not.

 

[Vo1fger]

Today this almost costed me the game, because my Viraxas didnt boost an Anseis, stopping me from removing a card.

Shall I remind that Viraxas only boosts soldiers, not knights?
As for the evolving cards, they were in third stage right away, it didn't matter if you had neutrals or not (unless developers made evolving cards appear in stage 1 during the core card selection). I never tested the changes in draft, so I'll be in doubt until somebody confirms that evolving cards in draft work as they did before.

 

[DRK3]

Shall I remind that Viraxas only boosts soldiers, not knights?
As for the evolving cards, they were in third stage right away, it didn't matter if you had neutrals or not (unless developers made evolving cards appear in stage 1 during the core card selection). I never tested the changes in draft, so I'll be in doubt until somebody confirms that evolving cards in draft work as they did before.

Ooops, my bad. I never actually used shieldwall netdeck, didnt know Anseis wasnt a soldier and never paid much attention to the difference between Viraxas 2nd and 3rd stage since he's mostly used to give a 2nd use to the duel units.

But i still think they changed the evolving cards in draft, so they're not stage 3 always, makes sense from a balance perspective.

 

[Vo1fger]

But i still think they changed the evolving cards in draft, so they're not stage 3 always, makes sense from a balance perspective.

Then there is a better question since you had a recent experience with evolving card - did Viraxas boost any of the soldiers you had (I'm most certain there were a couple of those in your draft)?

 

[DRK3]

Then there is a better question since you had a recent experience with evolving card - did Viraxas boost any of the soldiers you had (I'm most certain there were a couple of those in your draft)?

Actually i had almost no soldiers, only 3x impera brigade, 1 revenant and a kerack frigate that creates soldiers but they obviously wouldnt get boosted by Viraxas since they're spawned.

And i dont think in all of the 7 runs i played them on the same round as Viraxas, since i kept him for R3 to combo with Anseis (2 Anseis actually - like i said, the deck was crazy), so i really cant say.

Hmm i checked the screenshot i have of the deck, but it only caught the bottom half (i found it funny that my "worst unit was endrega larvae, no 4p cards on deck).
But i think it was the Viraxas where he is holding is wife like in a dance.

 

[Six-Sided-Prism]

I just encountered an opponent using three different copies of "Aglaïs" alongside three copies of "Dunca". Ignoring the fact that "Aglaïs" should probably be a key card, I thought this patch made duplicate packages significantly harder to obtain, so how is that even remotely possible?

 

[Vo1fger]

Hmm i checked the screenshot i have of the deck, but it only caught the bottom half (i found it funny that my "worst unit was endrega larvae, no 4p cards on deck).
But i think it was the Viraxas where he is holding is wife like in a dance.

Then it is third stage Viraxas, which means nothing was changed in that regard.
I thought I'd never go in Draft but surprisingly found myself completing 4 of them. During one of it I remembered my desire to build Detlaff deck with all of NG vampires (first priority being dames) and I think they were decent enough, but the big dream of joining Orianna to this party was never accomplished.

 

[Vo1fger]

Update to my previous post: there are times when I think the game just heeds my call. The very day I made a post about not getting Orianna alongside Detlaff I decided to go into another Draft and got Detlaff as leader, almost every NG vampire (aside from hunters) and Orianna.

I just encountered an opponent using three different copies of "Aglaïs" alongside three copies of "Dunca". ... how is that even remotely possible?

Harder - doesn't mean impossible. In my draft (mentioned above) I got 7 nekurats in total; and speaking of your situation - I suspect that Aglaïs is a part of boost or handbuff package, which is why it can be found more than once. Besides, isn't it better for you that opponent divides his boosts between 3 Aglaïses instead of pouring all of them in one?

P. S. During my most recent Draft match I managed to get thirsty dame up to 35 points and have Orianna boost by 11 for 2 turns and by 9 in the third (and final) with the help of 3 nekurats; shame I won't be able to share screenshot of that event but I most definetly will remember that specific match forever.