What is the fun in playing Nilfgaard?

[mazeebra]

Actually, getting back into it, I again remember that many people will just do anything to find the worst possible solutions in order to win, and Gwent is no exceptions.
Some cards and combinations are simply ridiculous (incl. some NG) and almost without counter possibility, and sees people replaying powerful gold cards over and over again.

So, what is my point here?

I'm starting to realize the only way to avoid such nonsense is to play with Nilfgaard, it's the only real way to have a certain degree of control and to avoid nonsense cards and combinations. I mean, what's the fun in not playing Nilfgaard. Sure Nilfgaard can also do nonsense, but I don't think I'm wrong in claiming all factions can. It's just a matter of which nonsense is most outrageous.

I think to play ranked I simply have to stop playing in a fair and decent way. But I don't want to sink to the depths of those whom explore the darkest and deepest caves of Gwent, so I'll just play a reasonably fair way with Nilfgaard as my main faction still, while I keep testing and playing a bit with other factions too.

Post automatically merged: Feb 27, 2020

I think it is the faction which is based very strongly on reaction and not on action.

Actually, you guys are quite right about that. There are very few proactive cards for Nilfgaard. There are few proactive bronze cards, and even fewer that are good (and don't depend on reactive gameplay).

Magne Division, Nauzicaa Sergeant, Impera Brigade and Daerland Soldier and somewhat Alba Pikeman are pretty much the only proactive Nilfgaard bronze cards without dependency on reactive cards. And one can argue about how good they are.

In my opinion Magne Division is the best one of those, while some might prefer Impera Brigade. Alba Pikeman is probably the "best value", but it's not really proactive.

You could argue Viper Witchers are proactive too. And then you have the assimilate decks too, but that's a different story.

Anyways, you guys are right, Nilfgaard is in many ways based on reaction, which in some cases I struggle with if the opponent force me to play in a proactive way. Depending on the draw it can be highly problematic.

 

[SpudCakes]

any news on when nilfgaard are getting nerfed?

 

[Emmchacon23]

I don't understand why do you play the Nilfguard faction. I saw some other threads of someone who said they immediately quit the game and don't GG when playing against Nilfguard. For me it's also the most cheesy faction. But i'm still curious what is the fun in it?

Agree, the game need to ban nilfgard, i just played 5 games and 4 of the 5 players went with "nilfgad poison scenario" literally the same combo with scenario in 2 rounds...BAN PLS

 

[Wuhan_Warrior]

Agree, the game need to ban nilfgard, i just played 5 games and 4 of the 5 players went with "nilfgad poison scenario" literally the same combo with scenario in 2 rounds...BAN PLS

A good way to rebalance NG is to make all scenarios banished upon entering the graveyard.

I would like to see them continue playing their shenanigans once that happens.

 

[Guest 4368268]

Having a lot of fun playing spies atm actually. It's one of those decks with a bit of a surprise factor and I've been surprised that it actually has won me the majority of games so far (granted, I'm not playing ranked) a lot of fun to pilot/deck build. Decent amount of variety you can have besides obviously picking the actual spies.

 

[Guest 4398794]

Same, I've had to forfeit quite a few games because of it. Ironically that could end up getting *you* banned though lol. Unless they only care about dozens of forfeits when it's in ranked.

Banns for forfeiting?
That's ridiculous, devs implemented the forfeit option, why would they ban for using it?

Post automatically merged: May 3, 2020

I'm afraid this is the last month for Damien.
Developers will kill this card just to be sure the same thing will not happen in other modes in the future.

still a thing

Post automatically merged: May 3, 2020

well i guess my oponent laughed himself to death by doing this.........

 

[NFGCahir]

I joined Gwent right at the time Nilfgaard became a faction in beta (closed at the time?). After trying the other factions, I couldn't help but be drawn to NG. So I mained them and never looked back.

My list as to why I enjoy NG.

. I've always liked the lore and characters.

. Style, archetypes, mechanics and play. It was so different and new compared to the other factions. It wasnt just point slam or damage.

. Lastly and probably the biggest reason is because its challenging to play this faction.

A lot of new players that didn't go through beta or even for vets that never played NG tend to forget that the faction was so underwhelming and laughable for the longest time.

That was the fun for me was to take such a subpar faction and prove players that NG can be a contender. It was so rewarding when I could win a match against a top tier deck.

 

[DRK3]

I think the problem is not Nilfgaard, but Nilfgaard players.

On the past few days i was reminded why NG has been my 2nd favourite faction for years. I played an assimilate deck, a spies deck, an agents deck, and finally a weird soldiers - boost your enemy - deck with 4 Geralts. All with no poison. And guess what - most of them actually did really well.

Yet 80% of NG i face is double ball... imposter double ball, tactical decision double ball, imperial formation double ball... Whew, so much leader variety!
So yeah, i complain about these NG players, copypasted one after the other, but i dont blame the whole faction for it.

 

[garashta]

winning games, maybe?

 

[Suicidal.8]

I don't understand why do you play the Nilfguard faction. I saw some other threads of someone who said they immediately quit the game and don't GG when playing against Nilfguard. For me it's also the most cheesy faction. But i'm still curious what is the fun in it?

Quoting emhyr var emreis From his taunt inside the game



careful u do not want me to snap on ya

futile this thread

you wast my time


You serve me well

 

[croloris]

Nilfguard is easily the best designed faction in Gwent... which is why it is so broken. NG has had poison since it had no support, and now that poison is overpowered, players are using it with all 6 of its leader abilities!

I get tired of playing against whatever NG deck is dominant at the time... including all OF the deck glitch / seasonal decks which always favor NG. Still, when i look at my play rates NG IS by far my highest gain played because you can play so many good obscure decks with it.

Bandits? best with NG. Mill? Yep use NG. Witchers, NG. Same for spies, artifacts, and even reveal of you want to go back in time

Quality cards.... weekday a concept.

 

[DrunkHemplar]

Nilfgaard can cope with just about anything without feeling like you're hopelessly outmatched (which usually isn't fun) and that's why I play them.

 

[Bleach25]

Nilfgaard can cope with just about anything without feeling like you're hopelessly outmatched (which usually isn't fun) and that's why I play them.

I probably couldn't have said it better myself. I think It's one great plus.

 

[Guest 4368268]

I think the problem is not Nilfgaard, but Nilfgaard players.

On the past few days i was reminded why NG has been my 2nd favourite faction for years. I played an assimilate deck, a spies deck, an agents deck, and finally a weird soldiers - boost your enemy - deck with 4 Geralts. All with no poison. And guess what - most of them actually did really well.

Yet 80% of NG i face is double ball... imposter double ball, tactical decision double ball, imperial formation double ball... Whew, so much leader variety!
So yeah, i complain about these NG players, copypasted one after the other, but i dont blame the whole faction for it.

NG always has access to some interesting mechanics that can make each game feel unique even using the same cards and I love that about it. You're spot on here, the faction has been 'hijacked' atm by the lowest common denominator of players that play double ball nonsense (even in casual against what I imagine will generally be newcomers) NG has a lot of cards that can just 'happen' to win you games with little strategy involved.

Unfortunately though, this category of players will always be there and the developers have done a poor job at limiting the tools these trolls have.

Post automatically merged: May 21, 2020

Nilfgaard can cope with just about anything without feeling like you're hopelessly outmatched (which usually isn't fun) and that's why I play them.

I understand this sentiment. It's why I've played lockdown before during terrible metas like Dijkstra townsfolk etc.
Thing is though, for a lot of players now NG has become that boogieman faction they feel helpless against because NG has an answer to everything.

 

[mazeebra]

NG always has access to some interesting mechanics that can make each game feel unique even using the same cards and I love that about it. You're spot on here, the faction has been 'hijacked' atm by the lowest common denominator of players that play double ball nonsense (even in casual against what I imagine will generally be newcomers) NG has a lot of cards that can just 'happen' to win you games with little strategy involved.

Unfortunately though, this category of players will always be there and the developers have done a poor job at limiting the tools these trolls have.

Post automatically merged: May 21, 2020

Sadly as long as double ball is possible, the rest of NG suffers. Due to double ball people overestimate the strength of NG and thus it becomes less likely they will buff cards that are in dire need of improvements.

NG certainly need some improvements currently, especially buffs to its bronze catalogue, but this will be prevented by the double ball as it gives an illusion that the situation is better than it actually is. And so the double ball hurts us way more than it does us any good.

Some of the core tactics of Nilfgaard has been suffering for some time now and is in a desperate need for improvements. I'm talking about things like locks and sabotage (viper witchers, infiltrator etc).

Other than that we also need improvements and further refinement to the soldier package (slave infantry for example darlean, maybe sargeant also)..

But all these desperate situations are undermined by the perceived strength of double ball, which is a shame for NG. We of all people should wish for double ball to vanish so that improvements to the faction overall will become a higher priority.

...And then there is the hope for an improved agent and spy situation.

 

[mazeebra]

For me Nilfgaard is the most advanced and strategical faction in the game with the most interesting and diverse tactics. Abeit a bit weak at the moment, my very favourite thing about Nilfgaard is the ability to sabotage the opponent in various ways.

One of the superbly genious things about this faction is to go beyond the normal gameplay and actually meddle with the opponents deck. Banishing their cards and meddle with the order of things feels wonderful. It feels like truly mixing things up and crushing stale decks and gameplay styles and unadaptive players who try to use force or just dump cards on the board rather than using strategy and clever gameplay. Few things are more rewarding than shutting down such opponents.

I do wish reveal was a thing again, as information gathering about the opponent deck is quite an interesting tactic too. It goes beyond the primitive and normative gameplay of playing a card or doing something on the board. I'm quite sad that reveal is gone, and I hope to see its return in some form. Reveal to me is more about peeking at the opponents deck, rather than determine RNG outcomes of cards played on the board. That's what I would like to see again. Rather than random reveal I think it could be interesting to reveal highest provision cards, highest bodies, special cards etc etc, to gather information about the opponents decks, while playing.

Locking down the opponents has been one of my favourite tactics in Gwent ever since I realized NR is not my faction (despite trying endlessly), and realizing NG is my actual faction and the most fun way of playing the game. Sadly both lockdown and locks have been suffering as the game has progressed, but both are supremely fun. Locking down pre-set tactics of the opponent and forcing them to change gameplan with lockdown leader is very rewarding and prevents stale decks and tactics. I absolutely love when people who rely solely on their leader or a single card cries and whines when their silly tactic was overcome so easily. It's highly rewarding.

I absolutely love shutting down shenanigans using the means at my disposal with NG. People who build ugly decks with very ugly tactics just to have them devastated by my ability to counter them and shut them down. Rarely is there a better victory feeling than that and overcoming players with truly distasteful decks.

Countering opponents both on the board and outside of the board is a brilliant tactic and for me really the core of what NG is. Destroying, locking down and stealing opponents cards might annoy them, but amuses me. And this reminds me of the movie 300, when the persians bitterly lose time after time, whatever they try, and their leader cries to the heavens in utter frustration, while twisting his hands and his face and feeling true pain of the losses. This is what I want the opponent to feel like when I play a pure NG tactic and deck.

Nilfgaard simply goes beyond primitive gameplay and expands the way to play the game far beyond just simply dropping a card on the board and doing something. This is what makes NG truly fun and rewarding to play with. Sadly the sabotage "type" of NG has been weakened due to recent expansions and changes, and is in a desperate need of a buff. Viper witchers are among my favourite cards in the whole game, and with the courier became even more fun. I think the potential is there with things like the Ofir Mechant, to truly make this kind of interaction amazingly fun again and less RNG based and more tactic based. But the tempo of such plays is truly bad and inhibits these kind of tactics from being viable anymore, as it was before.

I think this concept and the faction overall could be improved by further introduction of new spies and agents and some rework to this whole archype, while boosting "sabotage" units and locks. Reworking and re-implementing some type of reveal (maybe on spies) in addition would be awesome.

Well, so far I've mostly just touched upon parts of Nilfgaard as a faction, my favourite part of the faction, but ofcourse, NG is much more than just this. It's a faction that can trow up alot of interesting gimmics and deck variation, it can be controlling and/or oppressive as well or it can trick you or fool you. It can even use true power and blowing strikes. The faction is so rich in tactic variance compared to other factions, which is one of the things that makes it so interesting and fun to play with. But most of all my personal favourite thing about NG is oppressiveness, strategy and tactics that goes beyond the primitive, expected and predictable. And it's ability to truly crush and shame those decks that are primitive and predictable to the point of giving them a bad feeling about what they themselves brought onto themselves by playing such a deck, tactic or such a way as they did.

No doubt NG still needs to be buffed a bit and further refined, but it is without doubt the most fun and rewarding faction to play with.

 

[Guest 4398794]

Is not fun.
It's a terrible faction, with answer to everything.

When it will become an overwhelming army with few control, then we can talk.
Until then, poision poision remove poision, lock remove poision steal units, poision, reuse leader, steal units poision, lockdown remove reuse...... you get it.

It's way more criminal then the syndicate (criminal faction) .

 

[Draconifors]

@mazeebra Thread merged because your title was literally an answer to this thread's question. We're not gonna have multiple "Nilfgaard is great" threads any more than those "Nilfgaard sucks" threads.

(Wrong ping due to almost identical username...)

 

[Gyg]

And it's ability to truly crush and shame those decks that are primitive and predictable to the point of giving them a bad feeling about what they themselves brought onto themselves by playing such a deck, tactic or such a way as they did.

NG destroys ANY deck that relies on combos or engines which kills all creativity. The best deck to fight NG is a control-on-deploy deck with low bodies and enough control to counter defender/Damien/Skellen combo with Bomb heaver to counter Mascarade Ball. What you find fun, is frustration of your opponent.

 

[Suicidal.8]

Im an NG myself
Either you play them and enjoy!
Adapt and adjust against them like i do sometimes!
Or dont play against them and forfeit like i do sometimes.

bottom line
They serve me well
Futile this complains
You waste my time
Hahahaha