So, there was a discussion on a thread about weather and how irrelevant it has become. From this I thought I would build a weather based gimmick deck just to test out what weather can actually do. It is not as bad as I expected, but it is also not very good.
I first tried it with Nilfgaard, which was somewhat underwhelming. But then I tried it with Skellige, and it was actually quite good.
These are just some thoughts derived from weather decks:
- weather CAN be good
- it could be possible to build a weather based deck
- it could be possible to use weather in other decks
- a single weather card is bad against most or any decks, and give poor value
- multiple weather cards can be good
- weather is probably better for some factions (ST, SK)
- weather is probably worse for some factions (NR, MO, NG, SY?)
- weather is probably more efficient against some factions (NR, SY?)
- weather is probably less efficient against some factions (MO, ST)
So, what are some possible options to make weather relevant again?
1. Be able to run 2x weather effects on the same row (rain+freeze=snow, fog+rain, fog+freeze)
I don't think this would be overpowered in any way, you still get only what you pay for and weather cards are not exactly great value. You still have the row "issue". It just makes it slightly more effective if you can play two at the same row. Especially for non-weather based decks. Weather based decks could actually become a real deck again, not just a gimmick.
The main problem is the faction balance and how weather changes this. Both ST and SK have cards that fit well with weather. For NR it could be a strong factor against them (and order/charge based units). Adding some weather relevant cards to faction X,Y,Z could make this balance finer.
2. Add duration to weather cards and/or nerf Vaedermakar & Avallach & Scepter of Storms
So in that thread where someone mentioned weather, it was mentioned what a poor value it is, potentially 8 for 7. It's also a very slow move tempo wise and can easily brick. So adding one more duration to weather cards, I don't think would necessarily hurt. Adding to this the factor of armor and you get an even worse situation.
3. Have weather ignore shields and armor (like bleeding)
If units are shielded up or using armor, weather could be a decent alternative to taking these units out using weather.
It's not &&&, but and/or, options, possibilities to make weather relevant again. I'm not saying weather should become important or a core mechanic again, I think that's pretty needless. I'm just saying it should at least be relevant, a factor to consider, and a solution to certain things. I think the above suggestions could be possible solutions to do that. I also think it's bad that weather is like it is now, pretty much irrelevant and unusable.
Perhaps there is some middle ground somewhere? Here are some other possible ways to change weather:
-Lower the provisions
-Add a body/value
-Weather cards, artifacts etc
-Always include row effects in every game that can be activated x amount of times of ones choosing
-Leader abilities
-Faction abilities
Anyways, just some thoughts on weather. I think it could be interesting.
So, I just could not stop thinking about this weather situation and I wanted to add something more here...
There are certain abilities that are better with weather decks or weather situations than others:
- Row movement/control
- Deathblow
- Boost on damage
- Bloodthirst
Anyways, I think the most important thing to change is in some way or another to allow two weather effects run at once in a row and/or combine weather effects to make a "new" weather.. Considering this, combing weather effects can be done in one or more of several ways:
- Outright allow and show two weather effects at once in the same row
- Combine weather effects to make a "new" weather effect (also possibly getting more value than each of the two weather cards alone)
- Allowing weather control cards to combine weather effects (Avallach, Vaedemaker, Scepter of Storms)
Those 3 cards can be nerfed in various ways to make some of the above suggestions possible.
Avallach:
1. Create and play weather feeze, rain, fog AND increase the duration by 1, 4 body like today
or
2. Create and play weather x and combine with existing weather y, 4 body like today
Scepter of Storms:
Same change as Avallach basically, add 1 duration to the one played or combine
The point being is that changing Avallach from a "give immunity" into a 4 body weather playing card (11) made it into such a great card... NOT! Such an underwhelming card, unless you happen to be playing a weather deck, which would be a pretty silly thing to do at this point.
Scepter of Storms, really? You use 8 provisions to choose a weather? Wow.. Not great!
Vaedermaker:
Adding 1 turn on the weather is not really that interesting unless you can combine two weathers in one row. The natural thing for this card to do is to increase/decrease weather by 2 instead of 1. But his name actually means "weather maker", so why not let him combine two existing weathers on the board into 1 and set the duration to the average of the 2 and add 1. But only add 2 to frost, fog or rain.
So...
What is frost + rain? It's snow! More specifically some new cards could be added to the game.
Snow = Snowstorm:
14 provisions.. Damage the lowest unit on the row by 2 & damage 2 random units by 1
Combining rain and frost would naturally become snow. Or it could just be showed as 2 different weather effects on the same row and let the fantasy of the player decide what it is. But Avallach and Scepter could combine to create snowstorm, or it could be shown as two different weather effects on the same row.
It's also possible to add Wind, 7p. Damage 1 random enemy by 2.
Combine wind with rain and you have storm.. Etc etc..
I first tried it with Nilfgaard, which was somewhat underwhelming. But then I tried it with Skellige, and it was actually quite good.
These are just some thoughts derived from weather decks:
- weather CAN be good
- it could be possible to build a weather based deck
- it could be possible to use weather in other decks
- a single weather card is bad against most or any decks, and give poor value
- multiple weather cards can be good
- weather is probably better for some factions (ST, SK)
- weather is probably worse for some factions (NR, MO, NG, SY?)
- weather is probably more efficient against some factions (NR, SY?)
- weather is probably less efficient against some factions (MO, ST)
So, what are some possible options to make weather relevant again?
1. Be able to run 2x weather effects on the same row (rain+freeze=snow, fog+rain, fog+freeze)
I don't think this would be overpowered in any way, you still get only what you pay for and weather cards are not exactly great value. You still have the row "issue". It just makes it slightly more effective if you can play two at the same row. Especially for non-weather based decks. Weather based decks could actually become a real deck again, not just a gimmick.
The main problem is the faction balance and how weather changes this. Both ST and SK have cards that fit well with weather. For NR it could be a strong factor against them (and order/charge based units). Adding some weather relevant cards to faction X,Y,Z could make this balance finer.
2. Add duration to weather cards and/or nerf Vaedermakar & Avallach & Scepter of Storms
So in that thread where someone mentioned weather, it was mentioned what a poor value it is, potentially 8 for 7. It's also a very slow move tempo wise and can easily brick. So adding one more duration to weather cards, I don't think would necessarily hurt. Adding to this the factor of armor and you get an even worse situation.
3. Have weather ignore shields and armor (like bleeding)
If units are shielded up or using armor, weather could be a decent alternative to taking these units out using weather.
It's not &&&, but and/or, options, possibilities to make weather relevant again. I'm not saying weather should become important or a core mechanic again, I think that's pretty needless. I'm just saying it should at least be relevant, a factor to consider, and a solution to certain things. I think the above suggestions could be possible solutions to do that. I also think it's bad that weather is like it is now, pretty much irrelevant and unusable.
Perhaps there is some middle ground somewhere? Here are some other possible ways to change weather:
-
-
-
-
-
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Anyways, just some thoughts on weather. I think it could be interesting.
Post automatically merged:
So, I just could not stop thinking about this weather situation and I wanted to add something more here...
There are certain abilities that are better with weather decks or weather situations than others:
- Row movement/control
- Deathblow
- Boost on damage
- Bloodthirst
Anyways, I think the most important thing to change is in some way or another to allow two weather effects run at once in a row and/or combine weather effects to make a "new" weather.. Considering this, combing weather effects can be done in one or more of several ways:
- Outright allow and show two weather effects at once in the same row
- Combine weather effects to make a "new" weather effect (also possibly getting more value than each of the two weather cards alone)
- Allowing weather control cards to combine weather effects (Avallach, Vaedemaker, Scepter of Storms)
Those 3 cards can be nerfed in various ways to make some of the above suggestions possible.
Avallach:
1. Create and play weather feeze, rain, fog AND increase the duration by 1, 4 body like today
or
2. Create and play weather x and combine with existing weather y, 4 body like today
Scepter of Storms:
Same change as Avallach basically, add 1 duration to the one played or combine
The point being is that changing Avallach from a "give immunity" into a 4 body weather playing card (11) made it into such a great card... NOT! Such an underwhelming card, unless you happen to be playing a weather deck, which would be a pretty silly thing to do at this point.
Scepter of Storms, really? You use 8 provisions to choose a weather? Wow.. Not great!
Vaedermaker:
Adding 1 turn on the weather is not really that interesting unless you can combine two weathers in one row. The natural thing for this card to do is to increase/decrease weather by 2 instead of 1. But his name actually means "weather maker", so why not let him combine two existing weathers on the board into 1 and set the duration to the average of the 2 and add 1. But only add 2 to frost, fog or rain.
So...
What is frost + rain? It's snow! More specifically some new cards could be added to the game.
Snow = Snowstorm:
14 provisions.. Damage the lowest unit on the row by 2 & damage 2 random units by 1
Combining rain and frost would naturally become snow. Or it could just be showed as 2 different weather effects on the same row and let the fantasy of the player decide what it is. But Avallach and Scepter could combine to create snowstorm, or it could be shown as two different weather effects on the same row.
It's also possible to add Wind, 7p. Damage 1 random enemy by 2.
Combine wind with rain and you have storm.. Etc etc..
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