Unofficial PTR patch notes - 30th January 2018

[TV_JayArr]

There's no timer that I know of.[...]

I played a couple of games yesterday and there was a timer on CA spies; The timer was 1 and ran off on the start of your opponents turn. As I said I guess the "timer" is just the technical solution for CA spies only to proc once.

Because everyone runs Igni, draws the card, keeps it until the last moment, has card advantage and is always matched against everyone else using Ciri: Nova last, which they also drew and didn't have card advantage.[...]Making Ciri: Nova 24 strength is a buff, anything lower quickly turns into a nerf.[...]

First of all, you play for the card advantage to be able to answer Ciri:Nova with a scorch effect - not only Geralt: Igni - if you know that this is your only response to Ciri: Nova and keep your scorch effect. Secondly none of the scorch effects is bothered by Ciri: Nova being 25,24,22 or 20 points - conceptionaly, there are matchups in which those points can matter for chosing the scorch target I know. The points only matter in situations in which the opponent can't answer with a scorch effect and therefore 3 points very rarely matter, because Ciri: Nova is an overkill in most cases anyhow.

22 points is definetly a buff, 20 points would be a nerf, although you are right that the sweet point of nerf/buff on this matter is debatable and you don't draw your Geralt: Igni as an answer with card advantage every single time. It is one big answer - the best with Schirrú and Eithné, because you actually add a body to your board on top of scorching Ciri.

Besides that, personally I just think the card is weird. I don't know if adjusting it pointwise is a solution, for me it simply turned out that having 8*2 bronze cards in your deck - in the vast majority of cases - isn't enough of a punishment for this finisher. I do understand the idea of that cards design, I simply think it turned out to not work/not be healthy, especially for a neutral card. According to Gwentup's most recent meta report , Ciri:Nova got a play rate of over 50% (around 70% in a lot cases) - with around 50% of the leaders or more - not taking their playrate into account (3700MMR +). That's simply boring and leads to drawing luck being more of a thing that it should be.

Edit:

[...]Its one of the reasons CDRPs balancing has always been terrible - They never look at the whole picture rather than just the card in question.

You got a point there, it is not only in this PTR changes that they pretend that a 1 or 2 point buff solves a cards issues. Those 1 stat change for a card is a hotfix approach in my opinion and I like to see it as such - a real hotfix, don't want to be able to feel my tongue after sipping it. For a patch, that we waited more than one and a half month for - most likely close to 2 months, when it goes live eventually - I expect real solutions, but this is just underwhelming.
At least the communication issue on patch notes is most likely to be solved and something like 'We have no fix for these cards yet, but we are on it' could be an honest explanation.

Spoiler: source

Will you add small notes to the upcoming patches?

Whole question

Yes, we're planning to add such notes starting with one of the upcoming patches. We'd like our players to be able to understand better why we decided to make specific changes to the game.

 

[Zjiin]

Because everyone runs Igni, draws the card, keeps it until the last moment, has card advantage and is always matched against everyone else using Ciri: Nova last, which they also drew and didn't have card advantage. You know what, let's keep Ciri: Nova at one strength, to prevent it from ever getting Igni'd or Scorched. That's a pretty good buff, right? Making Ciri: Nova 24 strength is a buff, anything lower quickly turns into a nerf. It's debatable at what point. However, blatantly accusing CDPR while claiming everyone else sees it differently is being just as shortsighted as you claimed CPDR has been.

Do you actually play the game or just mod here? Because that HAS been the EXACT counter (Except for dwarves who can just vomit out enough to not care about nova) to Nova since its release. Its exactly why Nova is such a problem child as it forces the importance of CA even more. "Nerfing" nova to 22 points leave it as a finisher with far less risk as it can now be dropped on a empty row without fear of Igni. Its exactly why Igni has surfaced again as a card and why playing for CA now is even more vital than any time before, So you can counter Nova or lose.

TL;DR - Nova at 22 is without a doubt a buff.

 

[iamthedave]

I too am hoping they'll add notes to the final patch notes so we know where they're coming from. And communication on whether they have another patch in the works related to the larger issues. This patch - I thought - was really about killing dorfs and fixing create-a-spy.

 

[4RM3D]

none of the scorch effects is bothered by Ciri: Nova being 25,24,22 or 20 points [...] 22 points is definetly a buff

You have said so yourself that Ciri: Nova remains susceptible to Scorch effects. Then why would 3 points less be a buff? Because more often than not, it won't be Igni that kills her. On average you'll loose more than you would gain. But then again, it comes down to if those 3 points matter.

TL;DR - Nova at 22 is without a doubt a buff.

Just for the sake of countering Igni which isn't even the most used counter for Ciri: Nova. No, that would be Schirru, who still laughs at 22 strength. You may hold the opinion that it's a buff and that's within your right. However, don't talk like it's a fact. Putting Ciri: Nova outside of Igni range compensates for the nerf. It's debatable how much should be paid for that.

 

[jsachun]

You have said so yourself that Ciri: Nova remains susceptible to Scorch effects. Then why would 3 points less be a buff? Because more often than not, it won't be Igni that kills her. On average you'll loose more than you would gain. But then again, it comes down to if those 3 points matter.



Just for the sake of countering Igni which isn't even the most used counter for Ciri: Nova. No, that would be Schirru, who still laughs at 22 strength. You may hold the opinion that it's a buff and that's within your right. However, don't talk like it's a fact. Putting Ciri: Nova outside of Igni range compensates for the nerf. It's debatable how much should be paid for that.

Still reduces the counter by 1 (Conditional of course, if the player puts in on a row with other units then the IGNI counter still activates ). If they want to think it's a buff let them.

 

[TV_JayArr]

You have said so yourself that Ciri: Nova remains susceptible to Scorch effects. Then why would 3 points less be a buff?[...]

The intention of what I said is, that the exact strength of Ciri: Nova doesn't pester scorch effects at all; Means if you got the counter the point value doesn't matter. Hope that was a bit understandabler, in case my first post was muddled.

Just for the sake of countering Igni which isn't even the most used counter for Ciri: Nova. No, that would be Schirru[.] [...]

Geralt: Igni is THE counter to Ciri: Nova, because it is neutral and Schirrú is not. And even if it was just one counter jsachun said it, it is one less which is pivotal. Not every deck got an empty silver/gold slot for Scorch or Villentretenmerth, probably the deck works counteractively against those on top of that. These decks are screwed now, there is no other direct counter to Ciri: Nova. Succesfully fishing for a card isn't a huge problem in the majority of games with thin-efficient decks, thus Geralt: Igni has been the answer.

[...]Putting Ciri: Nova outside of Igni range compensates for the nerf. It's debatable how much should be paid for that.[...]

Thats true and the crucial point to decide whether this is a nerf or a buff, to keep it that pithy. I'm fine with you having this opinion and even tho Zjiin could express himself less oppressive and dogmatic, he is right - in my view.

[...]However, don't talk like it's a fact. [...]

Agreed.

 

[x1Cygnus]

Lol Ciri:Forfeit gets a buff to put it outside of G:Igni range.

The rest of it: Lol we all Nilfgaard now

 

[Void_Singer]

So, the Emhyr + NG Knight BS strategy remains unchanged, which will probably mean many weeks / months where we have to put up with that crap? Just great.
[..]

you would think so, but the change to ointment is actually a crushing blow to that deck. If you want something to really hate in NG Slave Driver going to did nothing appreciable to that crap and it's all over the ladder.

@ Thread
But seriously, the changes to dorfs did nothing to stop that train AFAICT... they still vomit the same points on the board they just do it in a different arrangement

 

[partci]

So, the Emhyr + NG Knight BS strategy remains unchanged...

You're late for the party, as there is a way better one outside NG.

 

[xDivinity]

Im glad my favourite archetype (movement ST) remains playable at least.

 

[TV_JayArr]

Just a sidenote to Ciri: Nova.
Please either fix the wording or the working of it eventually.

It says 'Strengthen self to 25.' (22 on the PTR). But it actually works as a strengthening by 24, meaning it keeps buffs; Albeit the wording would have it as a 25 point unit in total with its boost and base strength subdivided in:

Boost plus base strength(= 25 minus boost); In case it is boosted in hand. Always appearing with a total of 25 points, not necessarily 25 base strength tho.

 

[fo3nixz]

SK veteran new OP dorf spam

 

[Cougar1993]

Maybe I'm weird, but changing card names is the best of all.

 

[TV_JayArr]

Maybe I'm weird, but changing card names is the best of all.

That makes two of us. We even got some more full names than we had before they were removed. :victory: