Hello to everyone.
I guess you might've noticed contemporary LP Crimes probably need to be adjusted "a little bit". The question is, what to aim in the deck. While there are some obviously strong cards, that I can imagine lots of you may take into consideration first (like Cleaver, Drill, Philippa or Gord), I have quite a different idea today. I don't say some of those high provision cards couldn't be adjusted at all. But it's rather tricky, as some of those can compliment different archetypes as well and you wouldn't like to nerf those archetypes, I believe.
My idea is, this deck is based upon not just those high provs cards but a very solid bronze core as well. With quite a few bronzes being buffed recently. LP Crimes is typologically a control deck imo. These decks usually excel in reactivity but lack in proactivity. And that makes them kinda balanced. (You are favored in some particular matchups, while unfavored in others. As well as the coin flip is important for you.) But this deck, seems to me, doesn't lack (cheap) proactive plays at all. In fact the (very strong) round 1 strategy is pretty much relying on it. I'm talking about Safecrackers. I'm not sure whether any other cards of this deck are OP on their own or not, but this one definitely is. Let me do a small comparison.
Another typical control deck is NG Enslave / Tactics. And there is in fact very similar unit for this archetype in the NG faction. Venendal Elite, which has the exact same deploy ability (for Tactics) as the Safecracker does (for Crimes). BUT with the difference the Safecracker also has the Intimidate tag (thus bringing the additional engine value) as well as being tutorable with Novigradian Justice in more addition. This all "compensated" just by 1 point of power difference.
Let's say you usually want to have 4-5 Crimes / Tactics in hand for round 1 on average. By playing Venendal Elite you're getting 8.5 pts (on average) for 5 provs. That's allready more than decent. By playing Safecracker you're getting 7.5 pts immediately + up to like 4-5 other (you certainly don't play all Crimes you hold every time, but on the other hand you usually tutor some more with Ferko or even the Oneiromancy) making up to 12 (and possibly even more) pts for those same 5 provs. That's crazy. Also bear in mind, that you usually don't want 2 Venendal Elites in your hand as you don't want those Safecrackers, but in the latter case the second Safecracker is more than effectively tutorable.
MY PROPOSE IS: either remove the Intimidate tag from the Safecracker or his deploy ability. Preferably the Intimidate tag, as there are other units with it, while this deploy ability is uniqe within this faction. The possible compensational power buff (to 4 pts) is to be considered than, though I'm not convinced it'd be necessary given the fact of the added advantege of "tutorability" by NJ. And furthermore difference between 3 and 4 pts in terms of risk of potential removal are more likely negligable.
I don't say, this is an "all solving" change for this deck, but it's the most obvious one to me. And imo the fact, that you have to choose whether to play a tempo play with the advantage of Crownsplitter pocket with high chance of sticking on the board or whether to go for an engine with the risk of easy 4-5 pts damage removal actually can make you times a little bit harder after all.
What do you, guys, think of it? What other proposal do you have for adjusting this deck?
I guess you might've noticed contemporary LP Crimes probably need to be adjusted "a little bit". The question is, what to aim in the deck. While there are some obviously strong cards, that I can imagine lots of you may take into consideration first (like Cleaver, Drill, Philippa or Gord), I have quite a different idea today. I don't say some of those high provision cards couldn't be adjusted at all. But it's rather tricky, as some of those can compliment different archetypes as well and you wouldn't like to nerf those archetypes, I believe.
My idea is, this deck is based upon not just those high provs cards but a very solid bronze core as well. With quite a few bronzes being buffed recently. LP Crimes is typologically a control deck imo. These decks usually excel in reactivity but lack in proactivity. And that makes them kinda balanced. (You are favored in some particular matchups, while unfavored in others. As well as the coin flip is important for you.) But this deck, seems to me, doesn't lack (cheap) proactive plays at all. In fact the (very strong) round 1 strategy is pretty much relying on it. I'm talking about Safecrackers. I'm not sure whether any other cards of this deck are OP on their own or not, but this one definitely is. Let me do a small comparison.
Another typical control deck is NG Enslave / Tactics. And there is in fact very similar unit for this archetype in the NG faction. Venendal Elite, which has the exact same deploy ability (for Tactics) as the Safecracker does (for Crimes). BUT with the difference the Safecracker also has the Intimidate tag (thus bringing the additional engine value) as well as being tutorable with Novigradian Justice in more addition. This all "compensated" just by 1 point of power difference.
Let's say you usually want to have 4-5 Crimes / Tactics in hand for round 1 on average. By playing Venendal Elite you're getting 8.5 pts (on average) for 5 provs. That's allready more than decent. By playing Safecracker you're getting 7.5 pts immediately + up to like 4-5 other (you certainly don't play all Crimes you hold every time, but on the other hand you usually tutor some more with Ferko or even the Oneiromancy) making up to 12 (and possibly even more) pts for those same 5 provs. That's crazy. Also bear in mind, that you usually don't want 2 Venendal Elites in your hand as you don't want those Safecrackers, but in the latter case the second Safecracker is more than effectively tutorable.
MY PROPOSE IS: either remove the Intimidate tag from the Safecracker or his deploy ability. Preferably the Intimidate tag, as there are other units with it, while this deploy ability is uniqe within this faction. The possible compensational power buff (to 4 pts) is to be considered than, though I'm not convinced it'd be necessary given the fact of the added advantege of "tutorability" by NJ. And furthermore difference between 3 and 4 pts in terms of risk of potential removal are more likely negligable.
I don't say, this is an "all solving" change for this deck, but it's the most obvious one to me. And imo the fact, that you have to choose whether to play a tempo play with the advantage of Crownsplitter pocket with high chance of sticking on the board or whether to go for an engine with the risk of easy 4-5 pts damage removal actually can make you times a little bit harder after all.
What do you, guys, think of it? What other proposal do you have for adjusting this deck?