Nilfgaard - Relentlessly Boring

[nedders]

What is going to be done about Nilfgaard? It's absolutely without question the most boring faction to play against.

It doesn't matter which boring leader is used, it's always the same cards. It's always Assire/Roach. It's always Letho/Auckes/Serrit, It's always Shilard, it's always Muzzle and Sweers but the real problem with playing it is it REALLY highlights how reliant this game is on a) the deal and b) the cointoss. Other players may be able to tell me - I can't play NG as I don't have the scraps to create the same boring deck, so no point in trying - but the deal always seems hugely biased in favour of NG. By that I mean my opponent almost always has Assire, Shilard and at least two from Auckes/Letho/Serrit - does anyone share this bias experience? As someone playing with the faction, do you see a favourable deal quite regularly?

Anybody else finding it incredibly boring playing against this? I don't mind playing against any other faction because there's variety (not much, but some), but NG is the same game on repeat. Bear in mind how many cards the game has it seems almost embarrassing that every NG player chooses the exact same 25 cards. Broke as ****-peddlars!

 

[mzeebra]

I've played Nilfgaard a fair bit. I myself don't play like that, and most players I've met don't play like that. So in my experience you are not right in your claim that "all/many" Nilfgaard players play like that.

 

[FG15-ISH7EG]

By that I mean my opponent almost always has [...] least two from Auckes/Letho/Serrit

The probability to have at least 2 out of those 3 is already about 70% if the player doesn't use thinning or mulliganning at all. So having them almost always seems right to me.

Back to topic, I haven't played much against NG, but seeing this combination is pretty boring in my opinion too.

 

[StrykerxS77x]

As a NG player I will leave some comments.

-I agree and disagree on how you are seeing the same cards over and over. There are certain powerful cards like leo and sweers that basically everyone uses. Although I do think you can say the same thing about most of the other factions and decks. In regards to a full 25 card deck I don't really think that's true although it might feel that way. Most NG players I see are doing something at least a little different than me. For instance I don't use that gold chick that buffs a card by it's provision cost and I tend to see that quite a lot.

-In regards to NG usually getting their combo's off I will say that I use Calveit with Albrich which helps a lot with consistency. Of course mulliganing aggressively helps.

 

[OG.laloquaint]

You realize that Auckes/Serrit/Letho are combo pieces right? You will obviously see all three of them if someone plans on running one of them. Hell, Letho doesn't do anything if you don't have Auckes or Serrit in hand. It's the same situation with the three crones from the Monsters faction, except all three are useful in most situations. There are always cards in every faction that people just auto-include in their decks. I personally hate seeing the same cards in every deck especially when it comes to NG because there's so much more that this faction offers. Some players just aren't creative with their decks, in my opinion.

I do hate the Assire/Roach/Vivienne package though, I don't use it myself because I find it incredibly boring. Muzzle and Sweers do seem kinda too strong at the moment. I don't know what to make of that.

Btw, this is coming from someone who lives and breathes NG.

 

[SkiZophreniC]

NG is an interesting matchup. It is all about monitoring which cards your opponent still have in hand. For example witcher trio is really strong but gives a lot of information. The fact that most of NG decks are built around the same cards allow the players to really focuses about the strategy, and not about some weird combo that you could not prevent.

You often complain about RNG but playing versus NG (or as NG), you often end up in a pretty balanced match where little things make the difference. In some sense we are closer to strategy games than to CCG here.

Last, a small reminder about consistency. We draw 16 cards + 7 mulligans, so a total of 23 cards are seen. Using Roach and Impera we get to 23, so no surprise if in the end you got the good cards. In average, you will draw.

 

[MysticJoey]

I completely disagree, they are actually the faction with the most cards that you should try to play around. Repetitive - sure, because of the good core cards, but boring - no.

 

[BoYoDes]

The problem is that CDPR made them into what they are - from the most diverse faction to the faction with these exact cards that you need to put in your deck to gain some actual value. With the last patch they even went far more further with the Soldiers Archetype-ish update. NG is stuck with these cards and this Archetype. You want actual points to win matches? You need to put these cards in your deck. Full stop. You can try playing other stuff too, but it feels clunky and ureliable for the most part.

This was the most diverse faction in Beta and it is the most mind-boggling faction today.

 

[petr_klokan]

I completely disagree, they are actually the faction with the most cards that you should try to play around. Repetitive - sure, because of the good core cards, but boring - no.

For me repetitive = boring. Of course this is my personal view and everyone is different.

 

[Draconifors]

I play NG only but don't use Assire, Shilard, Letho, Sweers, Vivienne, Leo or Muzzle. Maybe the top (net)decks use those, I don't know.

Maybe it's my faction loyalty speaking but I also like facing Nilfgaard, regardless of the deck.

 

[Gercho7]

It's funny how you complain in one thread that the game has so much randomness, and you should be able to chose a few cards you always draw, and in a different thread when you face a type of deck you perceive to have that characteristics you want to have, you complain that is too boring...

 

[BoYoDes]

It's funny how you complain in one thread that the game has so much randomness, and you should be able to chose a few cards you always draw, and in a different thread when you face a type of deck you perceive to have that characteristics you want to have, you complain that is too boring...

Variety IS good. Randomness is not. Variety like different cards in different decks. Not playing 80% of the same cards in different decks with different leaders, which is where NG is especially slotted at at the moment.

 

[DRK3]

The problem here is not in Nilfgaard, but in the players.

Nilfgaard has a lot of fun decks, in fact i've pratically only played NG this month and i'm having a blast. Im using a copycat deck with Henrietta that focus on using the opponent's strategies, and doesnt have a single reliable combo (yes, also has a lot of RNG), i have to adapt every match and it's always different.

Also have my Calveit Cahir deck, a "full-on seize" deck with Ardal, a regular soldier Vreemde/Vrygheff deck with Emhyr. Also tried a NG Mage deck but it was terrible.

But players are too afraid to try new things, opting to stick with the reliable and well-known. Another thing that aggravates this issue is that most NG Leaders work well with whatever deck. With the minimal exception of Ardal, who works best with at least a few Tactics, all other 5 NG Leaders can work well with a midrange deck with the "usual suspects".

 

[1990BW]

It's the problem with every faction people only play netdecks with the good cards and leaders.
The whole problem lies in the deckbuilding and poor archetype designs.
For most archetypes/factions there's only 1 type of finisher and this influences the choice of cards as well.
NG doesn't really have finisher cards they just play a lot of point spam.
Vattier could be a finisher but zeal on a 3 point card with a condition ain't worth it.

 

[StrykerxS77x]

I play NG only but don't use Assire, Shilard, Letho, Sweers, Vivienne, Leo or Muzzle. Maybe the top (net)decks use those, I don't know.

Maybe it's my faction loyalty speaking but I also like facing Nilfgaard, regardless of the deck.

What do you use and how far has it gotten you?

Post automatically merged: May 18, 2019

It's the problem with every faction people only play netdecks with the good cards and leaders.
.

This isn't even about netdecking. Any decent player can recognize the most powerful easy to play cards and throw them in a deck. Sweers is a no brainer. Leo is a no brainer. Witchers are a no brainer.

Post automatically merged: May 18, 2019

But players are too afraid to try new things, opting to stick with the reliable and well-known. Another thing that aggravates this issue is that most NG Leaders work well with whatever deck. With the minimal exception of Ardal, who works best with at least a few Tactics, all other 5 NG Leaders can work well with a midrange deck with the "usual suspects".

I'm not sure if I agree. I've made multiple Ardal decks and it just feels too unreliable and weaker compared to the regular type of NG power deck.

 

[Draconifors]

What do you use and how far has it gotten you?

Something like this but with a couple of Bronze changes made after the Nilfgaard update. I don't play much and am not interested in climbing up ranks.

 

[StrykerxS77x]

Something like this but with a couple of Bronze changes made after the Nilfgaard update. I don't play much and am not interested in climbing up ranks.

Ok thanks for responding. I think the point being discussed here is that to be competitive you are forced into using certain cards. I've tried to make witcher decks in the past as well as it's a fun idea but you really can't climb ranked with it. So as a result you are pushed into using the powerful cards being discussed here.

 

[Amaroc]

NG is really predictable and a bit overpowered in the moment, especially if you like engines. They can just kill everything with locks, Auckes, Serrit, Muzzle … EVERYTHING, and you can't do anything about it. If removal and control is not going to get nerfed, at the very least give more options for protection.

 

[Ulubey0]

Homecoming Nilfgaard has the most uninspired bronzes. A lot of them are just the same cards.

Recruit, Nazicca Brigade, Combat Engineer:
they all are 3 power, 5 provisions with boost/damage 3

Toussaint Knight, Alba spearman, Managerie Keeper:
all 2 power, deal 2 damage, with a conditional 2 extra damage.

Slave Hunter, Spotter, Experimental Remedy:
All pretty useless cards with no real synergy of any kind.

Nilfgaard Archetypes were so much better in Beta. You had so many choices on how to build your decks because there were so many well designed bronzes. I made a whole post just about reveal.

It's just so sad man, Nilfgaard used to be hailed as the best designed faction in Beta. All the cards used to be unique, they all had purpose in their archetype. Can't CDPR re-hire the people that designed the cards in the Beta game? At least give them a call and ask for pointers?

 

[StrykerxS77x]

NG is playable now but it's design is still awful compared to beta.