So it begins... [December Patch Preview]

[4RM3D]

Main focus are tweaks to card power and provision costs.

Other changes worth mentioning:

• Eithné - only 4 charges to her leader ability for the whole game
• Morvran Voorhis - ability tweak
• Hemdal added to the game
• Thunderbolt - Targets only allies and has two charges which boost by 3
• Wolfsbane - targets all units, not only enemies
• Xavier Lemmens - cost up to 12 provisions and can only banish up to 3 cards
• Also, well be introducing a quality of life improvement where you can right click on you deck and see which cards are left (in random order of course)
• We're also thinking about adding armor to artifacts, so units can remove them, but won't be able to implement this by December.

Nerfs to Eithné, Wolfsbane and Xavier are going to make a lot of players happy. Furthermore, we can finally see the cards remaining in our decks.

Many steps in the right direction towards the path of enjoyment.

EDIT: "We're also thinking about adding armor to artifacts, so units can remove them, but won't be able to implement this by December." So, the devs are looking for a solution for the artifact problem. If artifacts do get armor, their provision costs should be reduced.

EDIT 2: More leeks by Burza

Does any of the following card gets balanced (even if you can't give exact change, please say Yes or NO).
1) Letho of Gullet (Mulligan thief) - No
2) Sweers - Yes
3) Sabrina (the Dragon's Dream which triggers on the same round) - Yes
4) Draug - Yes
5) Derren (3 mulligan for 8 provision without any counter) - No
6) Birna (2 mulligan without any counter) - No
7) Adda - Striga - No
8) Golyat - No
9) Blue Mountain Elite - Yes
10) Ioverth (2 Pitfall trap guy) - No
11) Crow's Eye - No
12) Mandarake (+1 provision than AC and does the same as AC without even locking?) - No
13) Ciri Nova - No

L1) Also apart from Eithnè and Vroohis does any other leader get their ability changed or mulligan changed?
Muligan changes for:
Arachas Queen
Emhyr
Usurper
Foltest
Henselt
Filavandrel

 

[ardeathwing]

God's praise, all this sounds amazing. If they also nerf the RNG heavy cards (like give them a ceiling or something) the game will benefit a lot from 1 patch.

 

[_Kili_]

We will see...
I highly doubt they will touch the parts I hate most about HC anytime soon, sadly.

 

[partci]

So solution to Xavier is nerf him into oblivion. Nice. Never seen that before.

Also the Wolfsbane nerf. WTF are you doing, CDPR?

 

[_Kili_]

So solution to Xavier is nerf him into oblivion. Nice. Never seen that before.

Not been around here for long, have you?
They always nerfs cards that are dominating into oblivion. The tweaks they mentioned are probably a +1 to cards that don't see much plays, and a -1 to cards that are played too much in their eyes.

 

[ardeathwing]

So solution to Xavier is nerf him into oblivion. Nice. Never seen that before.

Also the Wolfsbane nerf. WTF are you doing, CDPR?

Since he shouldn't exist anyway, that works for me. Wolfsbane is a bit of an overkill though I agree. Now it will be heavily used only by control decks with bare to none units.

 

[Esmer]

Not been around here for long, have you?
They always nerfs cards that are dominating into oblivion. The tweaks they mentioned are probably a +1 to cards that don't see much plays, and a -1 to cards that are played too much in their eyes.

You are confusing CDPR with Blizzard. Banishing 3 cards will still make Xavier viable without making him an auto include.

He will still be able to counter big monsters, Roach, Bluestripes commandos, Phoenix, Cerys, Sihil, some spells Francesca could replay, etc.

Or protect your graveyard from Hanmarvyn's Blue Dream, Ozzrel and whatnot.

 

[partci]

... Banishing 3 cards will still make Xavier viable without making him an auto include...

For 12 Provisions? What will you take out for that price to include this counter of couple of niche decks?

 

[Mr_Mugglez]

ffs I barely got going with wolfsbane (about two weeks back) and prior to using it saw it nowhere! Tremendous...

 

[thetruerenter]

-Since he shouldn't exist anyway, that works for me. Wolfsbane is a bit of an overkill though I agree. Now it will be heavily used only by control decks with bare to none units.-

it will become exactly the missing card I need for my monster weenie deck. And that is great!

 

[kAiSeR007]

This is it? This is the december patch? 4 card tweaks, 2 leader tweaks, and an update to the interface? This are the changes worth mentioning? And for this it took so long?

 

[Void_Singer]

[...] If artifacts do get armor, their provision costs should be reduced.

I disagree. this makes them slightly more targetable, but it costs being able to target creatures which factor into score.

 

[partci]

I disagree. this makes them slightly more targetable, but it costs being able to target creatures which factor into score.

And I see a different problem - removal/damage cards are staying the same. Maybe what they should really do is make Artifacts working only if attached to a Unit.

 

[Esmer]

For 12 Provisions? What will you take out for that price to include this counter of couple of niche decks?

Depends on the meta. If control/damage decks cease to exist, big monsters and Foltest with bluestripes could become very popular (they are good even now). Denying 14 points ghouls or 16 points Pavetta -> Bluestripes could be very well worth 12 provisions.

 

[4RM3D]

This is it? This is the december patch?

As mentioned by Burza, those are just some of the highlights. More tweaks will be included. December is going to be a busy month because Homecoming and Thronebreaker will be released on the consoles. This also takes up a lot of CDPR's resources.

Maybe what they should really do is make Artifacts working only if attached to a Unit.

At least we agree on one thing.

I disagree. this makes them slightly more targetable, but it costs being able to target creatures which factor into score.

It makes artifacts even more riskier to use, up to the point that they are no longer worth the risk. Meanwhile, removal runs rampart everywhere.

 

[Restlessdingo32]

So Eithne goes from pinging units R1 to not pinging units R1, taking it through other means, dry-passing R2 (typical) and getting not 3 but 4 charges R3? Heh....

Any mention of leader mulligan adjustments? Those need to happen like now.

 

[jgolden234]

I think this all sounds promising, and like 4RM3D said, it is just the highlights. The game will not be perfect in on patch, but it is clear to me they hear us and are working toward making the game the best possible. I say, thank you cdpr for your continued hard work.

 

[Void_Singer]

And I see a different problem - removal/damage cards are staying the same. Maybe what they should really do is make Artifacts working only if attached to a Unit.

you'll find no argument from me = )

...sadly that's not what CDPR decided on

 

[kAiSeR007]

As mentioned by Burza, those are just some of the highlights. More tweaks will be included. December is going to be a busy month because Homecoming and Thronebreaker will be released on the consoles. This also takes up a lot of CDPR's resources.

We'll see.But I'd like to remember that we already waited half a year for HC. Patience has its limits.

 

[Void_Singer]

[...]
It makes artifacts even more riskier to use, up to the point that they are no longer worth the risk. Meanwhile, removal runs rampart everywhere.

most of which is randdom, and/or targeted at units... I very much doubt they'll blanket treat artifacts as "enemies"