The Imperial Reform [Nilfgaard suggestions topic]
It's been a while that I thought about a similar topic, and now that balancing is approaching I've decided to do it, though I'im aware I'm late.
My purpose is to give a look at all nilfgaardian cards, going archetype by archetype, and suggest tweaks and changes - and with your help eventually submit some of them so CD Projekt Red. In fact I admit that not all of them are going to be great, some even a bit lazy, but I did my best.
SPIES
SOLDIERS
REVEAL
ALCHEMY
MISCELLANEOUS
It's been a while that I thought about a similar topic, and now that balancing is approaching I've decided to do it, though I'im aware I'm late.
My purpose is to give a look at all nilfgaardian cards, going archetype by archetype, and suggest tweaks and changes - and with your help eventually submit some of them so CD Projekt Red. In fact I admit that not all of them are going to be great, some even a bit lazy, but I did my best.
SPIES
Once the mightiest archetype of them all, spies have been heavily nerfed and are rarely seen on the meta. Overall I'd say that spy cards just need some points buffs here and there, plus bringing back retroactivity for enforcers, especially thanks to the strong sinergy of the archetype
Anyway:
Assassin: Doubt this card could be used again if it wasn't for some total twist of the card. Suggestion: make it deal 12 damage, to keep up with the point spam.
Ambassador: perhaps it needs a slight point buff. Otherwise: ST1 make two adjacent enemies duel
Impera Brigades: ST8
Impera Enforcers: ST8, bring back retroactivity
Emissary: ST1 (not necessary, still)
Rot Tosser: This one's tricky, because it can become really oppressive. ST 9 1 turn timer
Nauzicaa Brigade: it's fine
Infiltrator: ST11 or ST7/8/9 but double target
False Ciri: High risk High reward. She's fine; same applies for the other silvers and golds of the archetype
Anyway:
Assassin: Doubt this card could be used again if it wasn't for some total twist of the card. Suggestion: make it deal 12 damage, to keep up with the point spam.
Ambassador: perhaps it needs a slight point buff. Otherwise: ST1 make two adjacent enemies duel
Impera Brigades: ST8
Impera Enforcers: ST8, bring back retroactivity
Emissary: ST1 (not necessary, still)
Rot Tosser: This one's tricky, because it can become really oppressive. ST 9 1 turn timer
Nauzicaa Brigade: it's fine
Infiltrator: ST11 or ST7/8/9 but double target
False Ciri: High risk High reward. She's fine; same applies for the other silvers and golds of the archetype
SOLDIERS
This one's hard. Soldiers has potential, but lacks consistency, requires too much setup and the sentry+slave infantry final combo needs a lot of cards (Though there are other finishing combos)
Slave infantry: this is the staple of the archetype but it's just too weak compared to, say, Vrihedd officers. First thing I'd make 3,4,5 strenght in random orders, so epidemic won't utterly wreck them (I'm looking at you, Schirru); second all copies should end end up in the graveyard to avoid robbing and banishing; third, give it a slave tag
Standard bearer: others have already said it, they should also buff soldiers not played from the hand even by 1 poiny
Deithwen Arbalest: give them back their old soldier/officer synergy
Slave hunter: ST 2 [slaver tag] charm a 6 power unit or lower and give it a slave tag OR S8 buff by 2 for any unit with a slave tag
Slave master: [slaver tag] create a unit from the opponent's deck and give it a slave tag
Alba armored Cavalry: should work retroactively with soldiers or get an entire different ability (the old one wans't bad)
Pikemen: they're fine
Vreemde: remove pikeman, master of disguise and magne division
Recruit: look at two random bronze tactics card, then play one OR playa random tactics card. Archetype would finally get a strong thinning tool, and moreover synergystic with reconneisssance
NON balacing suggestions
Slave trafficker: ST8 4 timer spawn a 3 power slave infantry doomed unit (only one though)
Slave hunter hound:ST6 choose one of yout opponent's slaved units and damage two random units with the same tags by 3
Finally the deck needs a strong commander for consistency. Slave Lord: play two bronze units from your deck with slaver o slave tag (kinda like Henselt)
(Oh, and by the way it definetely needs some golds an silvers)
Slave infantry: this is the staple of the archetype but it's just too weak compared to, say, Vrihedd officers. First thing I'd make 3,4,5 strenght in random orders, so epidemic won't utterly wreck them (I'm looking at you, Schirru); second all copies should end end up in the graveyard to avoid robbing and banishing; third, give it a slave tag
Standard bearer: others have already said it, they should also buff soldiers not played from the hand even by 1 poiny
Deithwen Arbalest: give them back their old soldier/officer synergy
Slave hunter: ST 2 [slaver tag] charm a 6 power unit or lower and give it a slave tag OR S8 buff by 2 for any unit with a slave tag
Slave master: [slaver tag] create a unit from the opponent's deck and give it a slave tag
Alba armored Cavalry: should work retroactively with soldiers or get an entire different ability (the old one wans't bad)
Pikemen: they're fine
Vreemde: remove pikeman, master of disguise and magne division
Recruit: look at two random bronze tactics card, then play one OR playa random tactics card. Archetype would finally get a strong thinning tool, and moreover synergystic with reconneisssance
NON balacing suggestions
Slave trafficker: ST8 4 timer spawn a 3 power slave infantry doomed unit (only one though)
Slave hunter hound:ST6 choose one of yout opponent's slaved units and damage two random units with the same tags by 3
Finally the deck needs a strong commander for consistency. Slave Lord: play two bronze units from your deck with slaver o slave tag (kinda like Henselt)
(Oh, and by the way it definetely needs some golds an silvers)
REVEAL
there are already some quite decent reveal deck in the upper ranks, but the archetype is far from being strong. It still lacks finishers and strong synergistic golds and silvers, not considering the general lack of reliable bronze combos
alchemist: Just like master of disguise, I think he should have a double ability. Reveal two cards and buff them by two if allies, damage if foes or conceal two cards
Master of disguise: same but with conceal
Spotter: buff by an opponent's power (not base, no gold or disloyal units) doomed
Venendal elite: They should also target specials getting 10 points or set base strenght to 1 (instead of damaging)
Nauzicaa seargent: add the option to reveal one card insted of clearing weather. Otherwise they're fine
Fire scorpion: fine
Mangonel: ST9 Retroactive but damage by 1 or they can stay as they are
Henry Var attre: ST12
Vrygheff: give 3 armor to the machine or ST 9 OR draw a bronze machine
Hefty helge: I'm going to borrow a suggestion in another topic and say it should be gold with repeated ability. Another option could be 2 damage instead of one or damage to all enemyrevealed units.
Daerlan: when you reveal a card (daerlan included) play this card and draw another. So basically, if I reveal two firescorpions in my hand and I also have daerlan it's going to be played together with the firescorpions
Golem Fine or whenever an opponent plays one of his revealed card, summon a golem
alchemist: Just like master of disguise, I think he should have a double ability. Reveal two cards and buff them by two if allies, damage if foes or conceal two cards
Master of disguise: same but with conceal
Spotter: buff by an opponent's power (not base, no gold or disloyal units) doomed
Venendal elite: They should also target specials getting 10 points or set base strenght to 1 (instead of damaging)
Nauzicaa seargent: add the option to reveal one card insted of clearing weather. Otherwise they're fine
Fire scorpion: fine
Mangonel: ST9 Retroactive but damage by 1 or they can stay as they are
Henry Var attre: ST12
Vrygheff: give 3 armor to the machine or ST 9 OR draw a bronze machine
Hefty helge: I'm going to borrow a suggestion in another topic and say it should be gold with repeated ability. Another option could be 2 damage instead of one or damage to all enemyrevealed units.
Daerlan: when you reveal a card (daerlan included) play this card and draw another. So basically, if I reveal two firescorpions in my hand and I also have daerlan it's going to be played together with the firescorpions
Golem Fine or whenever an opponent plays one of his revealed card, summon a golem
ALCHEMY
Right now alchemy is too brainless like the rest of the meta decks and needs some adjusting especially to add more diversity. Therefore I'm going to also suggest some balancing regarding various alchemy cards. In General, though, it just needs more alchemy cards overall
Viper Witchers: It's probably the piece de resistence of the entire topic. Right now Witchers are just dumb 15/16 point bronzes. I think they should be something in between a tech card and tutor. I have different proposals for you.
1) 5 strenght, doomed
Create a random sing or alchemy card
Honestly another create bronze wouldn't be healthy for the game and would reduce witchers' consistency by a great deal. However, it's a possibility.
2) //
This is my main suggestion: create a sign or a potion based on your starting deck
But first and foremost let me explain signs
Igni
Fire Element
deal 7 (or 8) damage to a unit. If it dies, banish it (12/13 point bronze+ banishing. It's a lot, but compensation is needed.
Yrden
Blood Element
reset a unit
Axii
Water Element
Make two adjacent unit duel (really powerful sometimes, needs balancing and maybe a better ide9
Quen
Air Element
Buff by 5/6 and make it immune or three units with 5 str or less receive an Immune tag until they're 6 str or higher
Aard
Earth Element
Buff by 5; then move unit
Now, there are some considerations to be made: as we all know signs in the witcher game can be upgraded, potentially generating even more variety.
second, I have designed an intresting system and Alchemy could become the archetype with the most versions; however it's gonna need a lot of balancing.
So I've picked 5 elements for the five spells.They are rather arbitrary and if someone comes up with something better from the lore I'll be glad to change it
Witchers in a deck can't have more than two signs, else they become OP. To get a sign they need to have at lest two different potions of the same element
Swallow potion Fire
Mahakham Ale Water
Overdose Fire
Thunderbolt Water
Full Moon Air
D Shackles Blood
Crow's eye blood
Mandrake Earth
Mardroeme Earth
Ointment Air
Rune Fire
Golds count as jolly. So, for instance, if I have Mahakham Ale and thunderbolt and also swallow potion, if I have Ale of the ancestors, Blue dream or trial
I'm gonna have Axii and Igni
Regarding potion creation I'm yet to find a criteria but suggestions are welcomed
Potions suggestions:
Petri's filter:
Before I speak about this card, keep in mind that it's strictly bound to the others suggestions. Another important thing to keep in mind is that it should be adjusted on whether or not other decks are going to change drastically. If the meta is going back to pre mid winter times my suggestion probably will make the card overpowered, However, to see play this card needs some kind of buff. Right now 15 points distributed on 5/6 bodies is fair, especially taking into account that however it is gonna be my suggestion for Viper Witchers will stand, making it from dumb point removal to synergistic tech units. I have also tried to design a deck based on my own suggestion. I hope you'll help balance it.
Mahakham Ale: 12 points but remove the rng. Will help against scorches and resets. For example it could be something like "buff the right/leftmost unit on each row"
Overdose: 12 points on four bodies would be best
Ointment: If witchers become doomed, then I think they should be able to freely res any unit. Though skelligers could disagree.
Swallow potion: it's probably the most risky potion, but with the least set up, I think they should be incremental. First one buffs by 10, secondby 12, third by 14, fourth (telekinesis synergy) 16 (High tempo play/finisher)
I need to think about the other ones.
So I imagined a Petri deck, and it would be something like this:ù
3x Slave Infantry - if they become 3 bodies with 12 points they're going to be really useful
3x Petri
3x Novices
3x V Wtchers
2/3x Ointment useful to res you slave infantries
2x Sentries (optional) it synergises with slave infantries and can give high points and tempo in exchange for consistency. Why not
Not sure about the silver/gold body yet, obviously you won't be forced to play cards you don't like just for your witchers (unless required), Some cards will probably stay regardless of the alchemy deck though, like mandrake or vesemir.
So let's go into the details of the witchers. their first power is going to be Quen, the air sign (yes I've changed it so it works with ointment and petri)
Quen is going to be usedto protect slave infantry from being destroyed immediatly by hard counters like henselt, or other small point removals. This is probably sound overpowered to some and too weak to others. But don't forget that my witchers are able to use potions and are allowed a second power. To avoid making them too consistent some powers can't work together (example Igni and quen).
As you can see this version is high tempo with 15+2=17 points once you have your six bodies on the ground, with quen acting a shield for your units for the time being. Round three the finisher can be strenghened Calveit or sentries+triple infantry. Needs balancing, though.
Small non-balancing suggestion:
Witcher's bag: summon cadaverine venom, dragon's dream or a random bronze alchemy card/ dimeritium bomb
it's really powerful and should probably be neutral, but the idea is to make three useless card actually useful.
Viper Witchers: It's probably the piece de resistence of the entire topic. Right now Witchers are just dumb 15/16 point bronzes. I think they should be something in between a tech card and tutor. I have different proposals for you.
1) 5 strenght, doomed
Create a random sing or alchemy card
Honestly another create bronze wouldn't be healthy for the game and would reduce witchers' consistency by a great deal. However, it's a possibility.
2) //
This is my main suggestion: create a sign or a potion based on your starting deck
But first and foremost let me explain signs
Igni
Fire Element
deal 7 (or 8) damage to a unit. If it dies, banish it (12/13 point bronze+ banishing. It's a lot, but compensation is needed.
Yrden
Blood Element
reset a unit
Axii
Water Element
Make two adjacent unit duel (really powerful sometimes, needs balancing and maybe a better ide9
Quen
Air Element
Buff by 5/6 and make it immune or three units with 5 str or less receive an Immune tag until they're 6 str or higher
Aard
Earth Element
Buff by 5; then move unit
Now, there are some considerations to be made: as we all know signs in the witcher game can be upgraded, potentially generating even more variety.
second, I have designed an intresting system and Alchemy could become the archetype with the most versions; however it's gonna need a lot of balancing.
So I've picked 5 elements for the five spells.They are rather arbitrary and if someone comes up with something better from the lore I'll be glad to change it
Witchers in a deck can't have more than two signs, else they become OP. To get a sign they need to have at lest two different potions of the same element
Swallow potion Fire
Mahakham Ale Water
Overdose Fire
Thunderbolt Water
Full Moon Air
D Shackles Blood
Crow's eye blood
Mandrake Earth
Mardroeme Earth
Ointment Air
Rune Fire
Golds count as jolly. So, for instance, if I have Mahakham Ale and thunderbolt and also swallow potion, if I have Ale of the ancestors, Blue dream or trial
I'm gonna have Axii and Igni
Regarding potion creation I'm yet to find a criteria but suggestions are welcomed
Potions suggestions:
Petri's filter:
Before I speak about this card, keep in mind that it's strictly bound to the others suggestions. Another important thing to keep in mind is that it should be adjusted on whether or not other decks are going to change drastically. If the meta is going back to pre mid winter times my suggestion probably will make the card overpowered, However, to see play this card needs some kind of buff. Right now 15 points distributed on 5/6 bodies is fair, especially taking into account that however it is gonna be my suggestion for Viper Witchers will stand, making it from dumb point removal to synergistic tech units. I have also tried to design a deck based on my own suggestion. I hope you'll help balance it.
Mahakham Ale: 12 points but remove the rng. Will help against scorches and resets. For example it could be something like "buff the right/leftmost unit on each row"
Overdose: 12 points on four bodies would be best
Ointment: If witchers become doomed, then I think they should be able to freely res any unit. Though skelligers could disagree.
Swallow potion: it's probably the most risky potion, but with the least set up, I think they should be incremental. First one buffs by 10, secondby 12, third by 14, fourth (telekinesis synergy) 16 (High tempo play/finisher)
I need to think about the other ones.
So I imagined a Petri deck, and it would be something like this:ù
3x Slave Infantry - if they become 3 bodies with 12 points they're going to be really useful
3x Petri
3x Novices
3x V Wtchers
2/3x Ointment useful to res you slave infantries
2x Sentries (optional) it synergises with slave infantries and can give high points and tempo in exchange for consistency. Why not
Not sure about the silver/gold body yet, obviously you won't be forced to play cards you don't like just for your witchers (unless required), Some cards will probably stay regardless of the alchemy deck though, like mandrake or vesemir.
So let's go into the details of the witchers. their first power is going to be Quen, the air sign (yes I've changed it so it works with ointment and petri)
Quen is going to be usedto protect slave infantry from being destroyed immediatly by hard counters like henselt, or other small point removals. This is probably sound overpowered to some and too weak to others. But don't forget that my witchers are able to use potions and are allowed a second power. To avoid making them too consistent some powers can't work together (example Igni and quen).
As you can see this version is high tempo with 15+2=17 points once you have your six bodies on the ground, with quen acting a shield for your units for the time being. Round three the finisher can be strenghened Calveit or sentries+triple infantry. Needs balancing, though.
Small non-balancing suggestion:
Witcher's bag: summon cadaverine venom, dragon's dream or a random bronze alchemy card/ dimeritium bomb
it's really powerful and should probably be neutral, but the idea is to make three useless card actually useful.
MISCELLANEOUS
Xarthisius:
- Whenever you reveal a card, buff Xarthisius by two (so he's basically bloody baron)
- or make it an all-round tech card, so for example
choose one: shuffle back three card; reset two cards; clear weather
I know it's a lot for one gold card, but it thematically fits Nilfgaard more than anything else and at the same time the card would finally see play. Lastly, if we can have Schirru autoinclude and Coral autoinclude, why not?
- Leave it as it is if
Treason: play the last silver or bronze card from your opponent's deck. Yeah, it's more or less the old ability of the card, and I can see why it was changed, but the synergy with Xarthisius would be huge
Auckes; make him nine points, he's too low tempo
- Whenever you reveal a card, buff Xarthisius by two (so he's basically bloody baron)
- or make it an all-round tech card, so for example
choose one: shuffle back three card; reset two cards; clear weather
I know it's a lot for one gold card, but it thematically fits Nilfgaard more than anything else and at the same time the card would finally see play. Lastly, if we can have Schirru autoinclude and Coral autoinclude, why not?
- Leave it as it is if
Treason: play the last silver or bronze card from your opponent's deck. Yeah, it's more or less the old ability of the card, and I can see why it was changed, but the synergy with Xarthisius would be huge
Auckes; make him nine points, he's too low tempo
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