Fixing gold weather and First Light

[Nimraphel]

Fixing gold weather and First Light

The current flip-flopping between extremes on First Light is getting problematic. The only culprit for this is the new Golden Weather cards, Draught and Ragh Nar Roog. The fix should be centered around these two Golden Weather cards rather making First Light auto-include in every deck. The way I see it, there are two potential fixes that would solve both the problems of Golden Weather's power AND make First Light a choice rather than an auto-include.

I propose either of these fixes:

1. Golden Weather Cards have an Expiry Timer, are now 'rolling' and is played on 2 adjacent rows. CAN be cleared by First Light (IF First Light affects only one row). The person playing RnR or Drought picks two adjacent rows (melee + ranged / ranged + siege / siege + melee). The Golden Weather then 'rolls' one row at the beginning of the turn for 2 or 3 turns until banished. Example: RnR is cast on melee + ranged row. After turn 1, it moves to Ranged + Siege row. Turn 2, it moves to Siege + Melee row. Turn 3, it moves from Melee + Ranged row. After that, it expires.
2. Golden Weather cards have an Expiry Timer, is played only on 1 row, then 'rolls' for 3 rounds. CANNOT be cleared by First Light. This way, it puts a soft-cap on the effects of the weather card, diminishes its importance in later rounds, yet guarantees value that is consistent with general gold cards play. Example: RnR is played on Melee row, immediately nuking for 3 damage. 3 Turn Timer starts. Turn 1, it moves to Ranged Row. Turn 2, it moves to Siege Row. Turn 3, it returns to Melee row, deals its final damage, and is then banished.

The advantage of both approaches is that First Light can be more easily balanced, i.e. 'Clear Weather from 1 Row and/or Rally. Bronze weather remains much more viable than it would be with the new First Light (clear 3 rows or clear 1 row + rally). Alternatively, with the changes to weather always ticking twice (if I understood it correctly? Haven't watched PTR streams yesterday), First Light could be reduced to simply one option and not a dual option: Clear 1 row and Rally.

Both of the above-stated options should make Golden Weather manageable balance-wise.

In option 1, you can clear 1 row (or both one at a time), ensuring minimal value from the opponent's Gold Card while ensuring the opposing player doesn't feel like his Gold slot was completely wasted and hard-countered by a Bronze card.

In option 2, there is no counter-play from the 'victim', yet there is a manageable cap on the damage inflicted, which is in line with what you would expect from a balanced Gold Card. As such, it is not really that different from a card such as Philippa Eilhart, which also has no counter-play and 'just' provides a capped value.

Either way, it accomplishes several important things:

• It would ensure that First Light remains a choice rather than an auto-include.
• Bronze weathers would remain meaningful choices.
• Golden Weathers would have balanced value consistent with other Gold Cards.
• We can move on from flip-flopping between extremes.