Equip - An Artifact Nerf Suggestion

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When artifacts are not the main part of the deck, everything is fine, mostly. However, when artifacts are combined with a creature-less control deck, things might get out of hand. Furthermore, spamming up to 4 artifacts on both sides as the opening play (in the third round), can be a bit boring. So, how can we solve this issue (without completely destroying artifacts)? By introducing the equip mechanic:

Variation 1: Equip: this artifact can only be played next to a unit.
Variation 2: Equip: this artifact can only be used when there is a unit next to it.

Either way the idea is to have more units on the board and another way to counter artifacts.

An easy and straightforward fix, me thinks.

EDIT: added variation 2.
 
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Sounds like a good idea. It'd make a bit more sense too. You could argue the unit is using the artifact to pew pew stuff more better.
 
When the idea of Artifacts was introduced, my initial thought was they would work only if equipped on a Unit, meaning - you play Unit and than you "Thunderbolt" that Unit, so it can start buffing your stuff. I was even thinking it would work with placing an Artifact on a Unit in your hand as a turn play, but now I realize this will end like in the situation we're in at right now. I'm not sure if it's better to have the Artifacts next to a Unit or make it assigned to a Unit - a Unit that you can than lock or destroy, to interact with more than one way.

Someone mentioned in an other tread about giving Artifacts Armor, which will allow them to be destroyed too. I thought it a good idea at first, but than thought of it and I'm not sure it's actually viable, as to while you're busy wasting your removal points for 0 value on the other side of the board, you'll be overpowered easily a) and b), this means adding more cards with removal to the game.

So my opinion is either make Artifacts assigned onto a unit OR play their points only when there is a unit assigned next to them. Both solutions can lead to introducing of new units that will give the Artifacts 1 extra tick or point, or give the said unit armor. Artifact removal units that "beat" the Artifact out of an other Unit, filling the row with more cards is an interesting effect too. Than if you want to continue using that Artifact you must drop an other Unit on top of it, so it can consume it. Make D-Bomb row active (to remove not a single Artifact, but Artifacts from said row) or at least tutorable with a 1 point Unit... maybe the said Bomb Heaver.

You can do a lot of fun stuff with all of those, but we are stuck with the worst possible solution right now.
 
I'd actually prefer having the artifacts work only if there is an adjacent unit. I believe most of the buffing artifacts are supposed to be played first and protect your engines that you play later, like Thunderbolt or Petris Filter. If they can't be played beforehand, you wouldn't be able to keep a unit alife for 1 turn against heavy control decks such that those become useless.

Moreover, for a full artifact deck you need atleast half as much units as artifacts on the board. But if artifacts could be played only near units, a single unit would be enough.

If artifacts are changed this way, artifact removal should be changed too and become only a very high cost tool, such that artifact removal is only there for the worst case, while (re)moving the equipping units should be the standard way to counter them.
 
Any/all special cards should only work in conjunction with units. Artefacts need to "belong" to someone, else it makes a complete mockery of the card game and the Thronebreaker "battle" aspect. How can you throw spells without having anyone to cast it?

Here's how it's happening every other game - you play a card that has a timed (order) use, such as Ciri or Pavko - Thundered off. Play the other one - dead, predatory dive. Play another out of desperation - spear. Now you're just getting really annoyed, play another....Eithne levels the two units, and blam - epidemic. You know the oppo has another spear, thunderbolt, Schirru and scorch.

It's not playing Gwent, it's abusing a really bad game. CDPR have screwed up so badly - this isn't even a Beta, it's a broken 'development phase' game.
 
making artifacts an equipment to units will mean lesser play of creature less deck...
less diversity maybe?
 
Artifacts should only be usable with units adjacent to them. And somebody made the suggestion for units/card that temporarily shut down an artifact. That would weaken the binary aspect of the current artifact removal.
 
I'd go even farther.... Artifact is attached to a unit... if the creature goes, so does the artifact. If you wanted to soften it you could make transfering the artifact to a different unit an order
 
And somebody made the suggestion for units/card that temporarily shut down an artifact. That would weaken the binary aspect of the current artifact removal.
I like this suggestion.

And I agree that some special artifacts can remain without Equp, like traps.
 
I think that artifacts are a weak link of Gwint, each card must have strength on the field. Therefore, I propose to add armor to the artifact, after the destruction of which is discarded.
 
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but traps are triggered by the enemy that walks into them.

That would be the best way to use it. However, with Homecoming, you also now have the option to manually trigger the trap for less damage.
 
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