Leader abilities that deserve a rework or a buff

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As you are well aware the current state of the leader abilities is not very healthy as some are too weak or sometimes there is just better altarnetive. Here is my list of leader abilities that in my opinion could use a buff or a rework:

Monsters

16 provisions
Carapace: Boost an allied unit by 3 and give it a shield.
Charge: 2

This ability is obviously supposed to protect with engines therefore has nothing to do in monsters but in NR
I am aware that it can also help with dominance but as dominance engines are too weak and generally dont
need help this is not a valid argument for this leader to not at least getting a small buff.

16 provisions
Force of nature: Boost an allied unit in your hand by 8.

This leader is dated and too weak for the current meta. Another thing is that this leader might just be the most
boring thing in Gwent. The fact that it does not synergize with much does not help either.

Northern Realms

17 provisions
Stockpile: Give one charge to an allied unit.
Cooldown: 2

After the recent NR rework where they removed all cards that gave this leader reason to exist it has just
become a too weak and inconsistent leader ability since it requires cards to put charges in which in turn can be controlled. Oh and it wont give you much value all together either.

15 provisions
Vicious slash: Damage an enemy unit by 8
Deathblow: give adjacent units bleeding equal to any excess damage dealt.

This leader ability used to make sense back in the day when it had cards backing it up like Hubert rejk.
But these cards got reworked and the mass damage engine which this ability belonged to dissapeared.
This leader should have be nn reworked together with the rest of NR. Vicious slash has nothing to do in
NR so i think it should trade places with Carapace. This would work, just think about it........

Scoia`teal

16 Provisions
Invigorate: Boost all units in your hand by 1.

This leader needs to be able to target a few specific units in your hand as the leader ability forces you to exclude anything that is not a unit when building decks with it which is not very healthy.
How about this: Boost 3 units in your hand by 3? or 2? Just saying...........

Skellige

15 Provisions
Sacrificial vanguard: Discard a card then draw a card
On round start refresh this ability
Whenever you discard a card damage a random enemy unit by 1

This leader is way too weak, not enough value. Same thing with the discard cards. Too weak.
I dont want to see discard wither and die so CDPR i beg you please buff and show discard some love
with the next expansion......


16 provisions
Onslaught: damage an enemy unit by 1.
Cooldown: 2

Too weak and controlly. Not enough value, not very healthy.............

And that concludes my list of unplayable leader abilities. What do you think? lets discuss........
Post automatically merged:

When i first made this list i guess it was too long and everything got twisted and crammed when i posted it. I then had to edit it a bit so if you notice any hiccups, forgive me.
 
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DRK3

Forum veteran
I dont think most of those abilities need a rework, but they definitely need a buff.

It's ridiculous how almost all leader abilities are in the 165-167 provisions range, with some of the weaker ones you mentioned having the same provisions as the most popular leader abilities, of course no one will choose them then.
 
I am aware that it can also help with dominance but as dominance engines are too weak

It's not about engines, it's about dominance itself, right now it's not important but if there were many cards with valuable triggers then the ability would be better.

Anyway, the big issue right now is about "leader abilities that can play 2 cards in one turn" vs all the others.
Personally i made some suggestions myself and i also think some abilities could be merged, like Stockpile and Royal Inspiration.
 

Payus

Forum regular
Id say sacrificial vanguard skill is not bad, but in mo way should be capped at 165. It's ironic because bran decks are very limited in building once you added the discard package(birna, coral, mork, etc) then CDPR makes Brokbar Hunters 5p... you also need more expensive cards if youre running Lippy like roach, nickers, renew, etc... or even Phoenix. Also the only good bronze discard cards besides skrimishers and crows are the raging bears, wich got so nerfed they never feel good anymore.

Imho, it needs both more provisions (168?) And a bit of rework on the cards.
 
Invigorate and Sacrificial vanguard are fine. What they need isn't a buff to the ability, but to their archetypes.
Both archetypes have around 7-9 cards out of which only 2-3 are payoff cards (targets for discarding/buffing) and most (lets call them) "enablers" were powercrept.

They could make cards like:
  • bronze 4p special - when discarded boost a allied unit by 3 (procks coral and can buff engines outside of removal range with bran)
  • 2 str 7p - Deploy: if this cards power is 4 or greater Duel an enemy unit. Whenever this card is discarded, strengthen self by 2 and shuffle into the deck (sacrifice consistency/tempo for future play, lower provisions for conditional deploy. Also great mechanic for handbuff)
  • 4 str 3 arm 10p - trigger deploy abilities of discarded units
 
Invigorate and Sacrificial vanguard are fine. What they need isn't a buff to the ability, but to their archetypes.
Both archetypes have around 7-9 cards out of which only 2-3 are payoff cards (targets for discarding/buffing) and most (lets call them) "enablers" were powercrept.

They could make cards like:
  • bronze 4p special - when discarded boost a allied unit by 3 (procks coral and can buff engines outside of removal range with bran)
  • 2 str 7p - Deploy: if this cards power is 4 or greater Duel an enemy unit. Whenever this card is discarded, strengthen self by 2 and shuffle into the deck (sacrifice consistency/tempo for future play, lower provisions for conditional deploy. Also great mechanic for handbuff)
  • 4 str 3 arm 10p - trigger deploy abilities of discarded units
Or just a provision adjustment. that works too.
 
I think there are only 4 leaders that really need a rework - Force of nature, Lockdown, Invigorate and Pincer. Maybe Echo as well, but i'm not sure about that.
And they should revert changes to Death's shadow.

IMO every faction should have at least 1 leader that works with everything, but has bad synergy (Vicious slash). 2 to 4 leaders that can be used in every deck, but have good synergy with some cards or archetipes (Stockpile, Reckless flury, Enslave). And at least 1 leader that works only when played with the intended archetipe (Deadeye ambush, old Death's shadow, Vanguard, Ursine ritual).
 
Almost all leaders need a buff or complete rework.
In homecoming it's a little easier to balance leaders and cards: because or Provisions.
It's clear that most of the leaders are too weak or just useless. A long time.
WHY NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT????????

Same about most of the cards too: many are too weak or useless.

Right now I think that cdpr doesn't care about this game anymore... They dont release balance patches, dont answer here on forum. I had so much faith in them and now I dont.
I am almost sure next "patch" will have broken crap cards or OP binary stuff. Same mistakes, again and again and again.

Only thing I want now is homecoming 2.0.
 
I agree with you, you definitely pointed out the abilities that are underwhelming.

Carapace for Monster needs to be reworked, this ability served as a replacement after Eredin was nerfed. It doesn't make any sense with the faction, they need to find something else.

Stockpile absolutely needs to remain imo, it's one of the best design of leader ability in the game and it makes for some very unique decks.
This ability isn't bad btw, it's just extremely match up dependant, if your opponent is capable of controlling your board properly, then the deck is screwed.
Maybe if they give them the ability to chose between giving a charge and 1 armor, for example but then you fall into a place where you end up throwing armors everywhere and not give charge anymore.
Pretty difficult to balance this one but I trully think it has to stay in the game.
 
This ability isn't bad btw, it's just extremely match up dependant, if your opponent is capable of controlling your board properly, then the deck is screwed.
Maybe if they give them the ability to chose between giving a charge and 1 armor, for example but then you fall into a place where you end up throwing armors everywhere and not give charge anymore.

My suggestion was to merge Stockpile with the Inspiration ability and cut down on the number of leader abilities overall. We don't need 6 each and this is mainly because they wanted to add new leader skins, but before the decoupling they were forced to make up new abilities. If they had this decoupling idea before HC, we wouldn't be having 6 abilities right now.
 
My suggestion was to merge Stockpile with the Inspiration ability and cut down on the number of leader abilities overall. We don't need 6 each and this is mainly because they wanted to add new leader skins, but before the decoupling they were forced to make up new abilities. If they had this decoupling idea before HC, we wouldn't be having 6 abilities right now.

I personally would love as many abilities as possible(but it is a nightmare to balance them).
They can try though! I'd say a few tweaks and some more archetype fleshing cards should do the trick.

For example my favourite leader skill is Sacrificial Vanguard(Bran's skill) and I think that particular skill would be better if instead of a charge every round it had 3 charges or 4 that you could spend whenever also it needs an increase on provisions because it needs very expensive cards. That + a couple of gold and bronze discard sinergy and your out to the races.

Stockpile could have 2-3 charges per round for example , or 3-4 in total with an added advantage once you use all, for example giving a shield to a unit, a shield + a boost, 3 armor to a unit or whatever, there's a LOT of possibilities!
 
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