While most of the cards in Homecoming have a more than satisfying design for a base set, some of them aren't so lucky and have some serious design flaws. Here we’re going to talk about the cards that are almost never used because of their underwhelming design, being their ability, or just their stats. Some of those cards might become better with more cards in the collection thanks to expansions, and for the most part I won’t talk about them, but instead talk about the ones that need to be changed sooner rather than later.
I don’t think that those cards should be ignored, because most of them could easily work with tweaks and number changes, and I’m going to focus on those two points, even though I’m also going to propose few complete reworks. Hopefully with buffs and tweaks those card will become more playable and bring more diversity to the game.
As always feel free to discuss in the comments below, to gather different opinions and have a better feedback.
Northern Realms
Note: It’s currently only useful against Northern Realms, and even if more factions get more charge dependant cards, it’ll remain a very match-up specific card, additionally it punishes a style of play which is already easy to punish through lock/removal. The change aims at making it a support card, while keeping the disruptive nature of the card to a lesser extent. You can swap around charges from cards with a lower value on their charges, for instance Kaedweni Sergeant, to others with higher value, such as Trebuchet. It's a similar change than what Thaler receives below.
Note: It’s very hard currently to develop a board full of Spectres, part being the lack of Spectre units, and even then the value reached by Forbidden Magic is often low. Making it a unit would allow for more synergies with Kaedweni Revenant, while helping with board building. The provision has been adjusted to reflect the changes.
Note: Thaler needs to be changed for the same reasons than Kaedweni Cavalry has to. This simple tweak totally changes the nature of the card, it goes from a disruptive strategy to a support one, you can use it to move charge around your own units. For instance you can use Margarita Laux-Antille or Saesenthessis: Blaze, both of which start with a high number of charges and each of their charges give a low value, then use Thaler on them to transfer the charges to units which might get more value out of them, such as Foltest's Pride or Trebuchet. The provision has been adjusted to reflect the changes.
Note: Dethmold requires too long of a time to set up, therefore it’s a bad removal tool but also a bad value card. The change aims at making it better in a boost deck by speeding up the build up (notably by draining a Poor Fucking Infantry), while keeping the order restriction, which can be bypassed with Zeal.
Note: Cursed Knight isn’t a bad card, it’s great to build the board with Spectres, even though the payoff for that are rather weak, and there are fun interactions you can have by using a Cursed Knight on Caldwell, and bringing them back in the deck with Pavetta for an Henselt later. But the high provisions really makes the card not that worthwhile, particularly since you might have to sacrifice an engine in the process. The provisions buff should give Northern Realms a decent tempo option for a decent price, while keeping the potential drawback of Cursed Knight being the transformation.
Skellige
Note: Restore feels like a worst Heymaey Flaminica because it often reaches little to no value. The change aims at making it a more unique heal, while increasing it's overall value, therefore the provision has been adjusted to better reflect the change.
Drummond Queensguard
Note: Compared to Harald Houndsnout it’s simply not good, the latter can activate its own self-damage synergy while Blueboy needs support (both through healing and self-damage), Harald has more immediate tempo while developing the board, and better value for 3 self-damage as Harald reaches 10 and Blueboy 8, and the two cards are only separated by 1 provision at the moment, hence the provision buff for Blueboy.
Note: Vabjorn feels like a bad Donar an Hindar as far as removal options go and a worst Hym regarding tall units punish, the small provisions buff will probably do nothing, but at least it’s progress.
Dimun Pirate
Note: It's currently a worst Heymaey Skald, because it doesn't have a discard keyword but also because you don't know what you're going to throw away, which might be a gold. In any cases Skellige doesn't need more thinning tools, so I'd recommend to completely rework this card, but at that point it's not just a tweak, but it's creating a new card, I don't really have any idea for this one, feel free to share if you have one.
Scoia’tael
Note: Zoltan Chivay is just a Yaevinn for dwarfs with a clunkier ability. The change homogenises the design which isn't necessary super interesting, but for base set cards it's good enough.
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I don’t think that those cards should be ignored, because most of them could easily work with tweaks and number changes, and I’m going to focus on those two points, even though I’m also going to propose few complete reworks. Hopefully with buffs and tweaks those card will become more playable and bring more diversity to the game.
As always feel free to discuss in the comments below, to gather different opinions and have a better feedback.
Northern Realms
Kaedweni Cavalry
Power 3, Provisions 4
Deploy: Remove 1 Charge from a unit, then give it to an allied unit.
Power 3, Provisions 4
Deploy: Remove 1 Charge from a unit, then give it to an allied unit.
Note: It’s currently only useful against Northern Realms, and even if more factions get more charge dependant cards, it’ll remain a very match-up specific card, additionally it punishes a style of play which is already easy to punish through lock/removal. The change aims at making it a support card, while keeping the disruptive nature of the card to a lesser extent. You can swap around charges from cards with a lower value on their charges, for instance Kaedweni Sergeant, to others with higher value, such as Trebuchet. It's a similar change than what Thaler receives below.
Forbidden Magic (becomes Tormented Mage)
Power 1, Provisions 6
Deploy: Damage an enemy by 1 for every other Spectre ally. Reach: 2.
Deploy: Damage an enemy by 1 for every other Spectre ally. Reach: 2.
Note: It’s very hard currently to develop a board full of Spectres, part being the lack of Spectre units, and even then the value reached by Forbidden Magic is often low. Making it a unit would allow for more synergies with Kaedweni Revenant, while helping with board building. The provision has been adjusted to reflect the changes.
Thaler
Power 5, Provisions 7
Deploy: Remove all Charges from an allied unit and give them to Thaler.
Order: Give 1 Charge to an allied unit.
Charge: 0.
Deploy: Remove all Charges from an allied unit and give them to Thaler.
Order: Give 1 Charge to an allied unit.
Charge: 0.
Note: Thaler needs to be changed for the same reasons than Kaedweni Cavalry has to. This simple tweak totally changes the nature of the card, it goes from a disruptive strategy to a support one, you can use it to move charge around your own units. For instance you can use Margarita Laux-Antille or Saesenthessis: Blaze, both of which start with a high number of charges and each of their charges give a low value, then use Thaler on them to transfer the charges to units which might get more value out of them, such as Foltest's Pride or Trebuchet. The provision has been adjusted to reflect the changes.
Dethmold
Power 5, Provision 7
Deploy: Drain all boost from an allied unit.
Order, Ranged: Damage an enemy by the amount Dethmold is boosted
Deploy: Drain all boost from an allied unit.
Order, Ranged: Damage an enemy by the amount Dethmold is boosted
Note: Dethmold requires too long of a time to set up, therefore it’s a bad removal tool but also a bad value card. The change aims at making it better in a boost deck by speeding up the build up (notably by draining a Poor Fucking Infantry), while keeping the order restriction, which can be bypassed with Zeal.
Cursed Knight
Power 6, Provisions 6
Deploy: Transform an allied unit that is not a Cursed Knight into a Cursed Knight without changing its power.
Deploy: Transform an allied unit that is not a Cursed Knight into a Cursed Knight without changing its power.
Note: Cursed Knight isn’t a bad card, it’s great to build the board with Spectres, even though the payoff for that are rather weak, and there are fun interactions you can have by using a Cursed Knight on Caldwell, and bringing them back in the deck with Pavetta for an Henselt later. But the high provisions really makes the card not that worthwhile, particularly since you might have to sacrifice an engine in the process. The provisions buff should give Northern Realms a decent tempo option for a decent price, while keeping the potential drawback of Cursed Knight being the transformation.
Falibor
Note: It's another card that punishes order, and therefore only good in mirror matches, but even then it's high provision cost is too high. It needs to be reworked.
Skellige
An Craite Warcrier
Power 2, Provisions 5
Deploy: Boost self by the amount a unit is damaged
Deploy: Boost self by the amount a unit is damaged
Note: More flexible and works with self-wound, adjusted power to better balance the changes.
Trophy Catch (becomes An Craite Whaler)
Power 1, Provisions 5
Deploy, Melee: Move an enemy unit to the other row and damage it by the number of units on that row.
Deploy, Melee: Move an enemy unit to the other row and damage it by the number of units on that row.
Note: Similar logic than with Forbidden Magic, it has no reason to be a special card and because it often reaches a low value the extra point should make it better, besides Dimun Corsair needs more Ship to be viable, and currently Trophy Catch doesn't work with him.
Restore
Restore
Provisions 7
Heal all allied units on the battlefield.
Heal all allied units on the battlefield.
Note: Restore feels like a worst Heymaey Flaminica because it often reaches little to no value. The change aims at making it a more unique heal, while increasing it's overall value, therefore the provision has been adjusted to better reflect the change.
Drummond Queensguard
Power 4, Provisions 6
Order: If this unit takes damage, Spawn a base copy of it and Summon it to the right.
Note: Queensguard currently doesn't work with Dimun Smuggler because the latter boost after the damage, limiting some self-damage interactions and the change should fix that, then bringing Queensguard back to 6 provisions should help her play rate, it's an engines that has a threatening growth but requires a lot of support, similar to a way to Kaedweni Revenant.
Order: If this unit takes damage, Spawn a base copy of it and Summon it to the right.
Note: Queensguard currently doesn't work with Dimun Smuggler because the latter boost after the damage, limiting some self-damage interactions and the change should fix that, then bringing Queensguard back to 6 provisions should help her play rate, it's an engines that has a threatening growth but requires a lot of support, similar to a way to Kaedweni Revenant.
Blueboy Lugos
Power 5, Provisions 7
Whenever this unit takes damage, damage a random enemy unit by 2.
Whenever this unit takes damage, damage a random enemy unit by 2.
Note: Compared to Harald Houndsnout it’s simply not good, the latter can activate its own self-damage synergy while Blueboy needs support (both through healing and self-damage), Harald has more immediate tempo while developing the board, and better value for 3 self-damage as Harald reaches 10 and Blueboy 8, and the two cards are only separated by 1 provision at the moment, hence the provision buff for Blueboy.
Vabjorn
Power 5, Provisions 9
Deploy, Melee: Destroy a damaged enemy.
Deploy, Melee: Destroy a damaged enemy.
Note: Vabjorn feels like a bad Donar an Hindar as far as removal options go and a worst Hym regarding tall units punish, the small provisions buff will probably do nothing, but at least it’s progress.
Dimun Pirate
Scoia’tael
Farseer
Power 3, Provisions 5
Ranged: If any of your other allies or units in hand are boosted during your turn, boost self by 2 on turn end.
Note: Farseer can be used as a tempo tool in a special card heavy deck, but similarly to Recruit it's just an underwhelming random card, besides I don't understand what Reveal does in Scoia'tael. Anyway I'm sure the old design could work in Homecoming, making it an alright engine in handbuff. Ranged: If any of your other allies or units in hand are boosted during your turn, boost self by 2 on turn end.
Mahakam Guard
Power 2, Provisions 5
Deploy: Boost self by the number of Dwarf allies on the battlefield.
Note: Mahakam Guard require to both build up the board but also to row stack in the process, which ins't easily with the amount of removal out here and puts you at risk of being Lacerated amongst other threats. Moreover some dwarfs have a row lock, making the placement of Mahakam Guard even more awkward. The changes should smooth the ability, and the power has been decreased by 1 to reflect the changes.Deploy: Boost self by the number of Dwarf allies on the battlefield.
Dol Blathanna Sentry
Power 4, Provisions 5
Melee: Whenever an enemy is moved to the other row, damage it by 1.
Ranged: Whenever an ally is moved to the other row, boost it by 1.
Note: Dol Blathanna Sentry is too weak to resist in most situation, particularly for an engine which requires other cards to be effective and doesn't grow on its own. The power increase should make it more competitive. Melee: Whenever an enemy is moved to the other row, damage it by 1.
Ranged: Whenever an ally is moved to the other row, boost it by 1.
Waylay
Provisions 6
Select a bronze allied Elf, then Duel a bronze enemy unit.
Note: Waylay both seems better on blue coin and has a random aspect to it, it's an awkward card to use and most of the time reaches bad value, or doesn't remove what you want. The change aims at making it more flexible, can be used to control or for value after boosting one elf, but also at giving more control to the player.Select a bronze allied Elf, then Duel a bronze enemy unit.
Zoltan Chivay
Power 3, Provisions 7
Deploy: Damage an enemy by 1 for every other Dwarf ally.
Power 3, Provisions 7
Deploy: Damage an enemy by 1 for every other Dwarf ally.
Note: Zoltan Chivay is just a Yaevinn for dwarfs with a clunkier ability. The change homogenises the design which isn't necessary super interesting, but for base set cards it's good enough.
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