Weather -An In-depth Look-
There have been many heated discussion about Weather. Most people agree something needs to change. However no one can agree on what. Some want to nerf Weather, while others want to buff it. So it’s time to take an in-depth look at Weather, by taking a step back.
Nerf vs. Buff
I think weather cards are very strong. But at the same time I think weather decks are generally weak. You might think this is a contradiction, but it actually makes senses. And it’s also the reason why people stand on both sides of the argument, because they look at it from a different way with an incomplete picture. Weather decks could use a buff, to have more ways to play weather, while individual weather cards should be nerfed to lessen the impact. Simply put, there is a middle road to walk, but it won’t be easy to find it.
Rows (Lanes)
One thing I want to mention in particular is how intergraded the weather mechanic is in Gwent. You might not have thought about it, but what if all weather is removed. What purpose do rows still have then? A few units and spells use it. Even so their impact is only minor if there would be one row (and can be tweaked easily). The reason rows exist is solely to play the weather mechanic.
Card Advantage
A lot of people associate card advantage with Decoy and spies. There is another form of card advantage, wherein Weather plays a huge part, namely neutralizing multiple cards with only one. Simply put, when you buff a unit twice and then the opponent uses a weather card successfully, you have traded three cards against one. Good deal for the opponent, not so much for you. This is why people are hesitant to buff units more than once and why everyone wants to have the final card.
Damage Spells
Direct damage spells (e.g. Alzur’s Thunder, Lacerate) are different in that they remove a fixed amount, rather than wrecking every non-immune unit. That’s mostly why damage spells are okay.
The Scorch Family is an interesting one. They remove the strongest unit, which can definitely hurt. But it’s also something you can play around and you can still safely buff units to a certain extend.
Solution
I don’t have a concrete solution for Weather. I think any real solution will have a severe impact on the gameplay of Gwent. Because Weather is entwined with Gwent, it cannot be removed. But other mechanics can be introduced that affect rows, to diversify the options (and maybe counters against Weather). Discussing these will make this thread even longer. So, I’ll wait first for people’s reactions.
There have been many heated discussion about Weather. Most people agree something needs to change. However no one can agree on what. Some want to nerf Weather, while others want to buff it. So it’s time to take an in-depth look at Weather, by taking a step back.
Nerf vs. Buff
I think weather cards are very strong. But at the same time I think weather decks are generally weak. You might think this is a contradiction, but it actually makes senses. And it’s also the reason why people stand on both sides of the argument, because they look at it from a different way with an incomplete picture. Weather decks could use a buff, to have more ways to play weather, while individual weather cards should be nerfed to lessen the impact. Simply put, there is a middle road to walk, but it won’t be easy to find it.
Rows (Lanes)
One thing I want to mention in particular is how intergraded the weather mechanic is in Gwent. You might not have thought about it, but what if all weather is removed. What purpose do rows still have then? A few units and spells use it. Even so their impact is only minor if there would be one row (and can be tweaked easily). The reason rows exist is solely to play the weather mechanic.
Card Advantage
A lot of people associate card advantage with Decoy and spies. There is another form of card advantage, wherein Weather plays a huge part, namely neutralizing multiple cards with only one. Simply put, when you buff a unit twice and then the opponent uses a weather card successfully, you have traded three cards against one. Good deal for the opponent, not so much for you. This is why people are hesitant to buff units more than once and why everyone wants to have the final card.
Damage Spells
Direct damage spells (e.g. Alzur’s Thunder, Lacerate) are different in that they remove a fixed amount, rather than wrecking every non-immune unit. That’s mostly why damage spells are okay.
The Scorch Family is an interesting one. They remove the strongest unit, which can definitely hurt. But it’s also something you can play around and you can still safely buff units to a certain extend.
Solution
I don’t have a concrete solution for Weather. I think any real solution will have a severe impact on the gameplay of Gwent. Because Weather is entwined with Gwent, it cannot be removed. But other mechanics can be introduced that affect rows, to diversify the options (and maybe counters against Weather). Discussing these will make this thread even longer. So, I’ll wait first for people’s reactions.