So I was playing against the NR mage nonsense earlier and realized one thing: ST handbuff is missing the Aretuza Adept-type card. This is pretty much why it can't hang. Where is the engine that boosts itself by one for every handbuff point that turn?? Why don't we have this card??
You mean, the beta Farseer? How can you expect good synergy? Even if some new card gets that ability, it would be a 4 for 6P. ST Handbuff will wade away in a week (if it hasn't already). It predates on Devotion and devotion has no place in Gwent now. Without GY hate, purify, heatwave, 3x Tall Punish and control cards, no deck can win (unless you are the aggressor like NR Mages or SK rain). But, even if ST gets 4 for 4 Farseer (boost self whenever a unit in your hand is boosted), it would still not make handbuff good.
Lets see how many ST appears in the open. My bet is 0. Last time I underestimated Spelletel. But with new super hyper mega ultra power creep cards and ST getting nothing (I know Torque is a great card. But it is irrelevant in this meta as it needs Devotion and Devotion ST can't do anything), ST would not see any play. My bet is, SK, NR, NG and MO to be the only 4 factions of the coming Open we will see.
Lets see how many ST appears in the open. My bet is 0. Last time I underestimated Spelletel. But with new super hyper mega ultra power creep cards and ST getting nothing (I know Torque is a great card. But it is irrelevant in this meta as it needs Devotion and Devotion ST can't do anything), ST would not see any play. My bet is, SK, NR, NG and MO to be the only 4 factions of the coming Open we will see.
Well, idk about devotion. I went over 2500 with an ST devotion deck last season, so it was definitely playable as recent a season ago, though this season meta definitely seems like a different sortof cluster f. That NR bs is just dumb, same goes for SK. Not sure how to you're supposed to outpoint that without heatwave. or hyper control ala degenerate Madoc decks.
Aretuza Adept is a 4p card, so you're probably right that they would make it a 6p unit if they ever gave it back to ST, lol. Funny how that always seems to be the case. I'd still try to make it work, as sad as that is.
Even I went 2450+ with my Devotion Nature Gift deck last season. But last season we didn't have Fucusiya, Messenger Of Sea, Meditating Mages, Alumi etc. All super greedy remove-or-lose 4P and 6p cards. Last season and this season has a light year distance in power creep. How would devotion deck handle Double Defender Double Kelly decks which is also seen often? How would devotion deck handle 7+ meditation mages or all patience engines? How would devotion deck handle triple Melusine, Messenger of Sea last turn 150 points swing? In this season, you either play these greedy decks or hard counter them with all neutral cards and control cards.
If you could reach 2450 with Devotion handbuff this season, then you would deserve to be in an Open tournament at least
I quickly skimmed through all the "streamers" who said "Handbuff is STRONG" and funnily, most of them faced ST decks only. I didn't see anyone winning an NR or SK deck (Fucisya - sorry about the spelling - won a game against SK, but that deck didn't run Messenger or Sea I think). I would bet that none of the sreamers are going to have a handbuff video in a week or so.
Beside mentioned lack of engines that benefit from boosting cards in hand, handbuff's another big problem is that it's so scattered along different archetypes. We have units that boost only elves, only dwarfs and only dryads. What's the point of them, when adding Torque as the main receiver of the boost?
Also, the fact that provision-to-points ratio in handbuff cards is well below curve doesn't help Circle of Life being 5 for 5, Agitators and Sabouteurs being 5 for 4 (and completely useless, as mentioned above), and don't get me started on Sirssa. Even Ithlinne is only playable because of Torque, otherwise being mere 10 for 10.
It's fun archetype to play, but I don't expect it to be anything that fun meme deck to play in casual from time to time.
Also, the fact that provision-to-points ratio in handbuff cards is well below curve doesn't help Circle of Life being 5 for 5, Agitators and Sabouteurs being 5 for 4 (and completely useless, as mentioned above), and don't get me started on Sirssa. Even Ithlinne is only playable because of Torque, otherwise being mere 10 for 10.
It's fun archetype to play, but I don't expect it to be anything that fun meme deck to play in casual from time to time.
When the Harvest of Sorrow ST cards were showcased, a lot of us believed that the introduction of new handbuff cards will be accompanied with changes to existing handbuff cards to make them more competitive, specifically buff Saboteur, Agitator to be at least 4 for 6 units and not locked to their specific race, make Hawker Smuggler a 5p card, rework Sirssa and arguably, make Circle of Life a 4p special. Also Freixenet's hanbuff should buff any unit rather than just a Dryad.
Sirssa is one of the most overlooked and anti-synergistic cards in Gwent at the moment. Even for an ignored archetype such as Harmony, she is still bad. I expected her to at least receive a damage buff rather than a provision buff or maybe a condition that would trigger the Deathblow even if the targeted unit is not killed, such as trigger deathblow if Sirssa was handbuffed.
Filavandrel should drop to 10 provisions. For what he can offer, he should not be a 12p card. Fucusya being 1 provision more expensive is an auto-include in almost every SK deck right now. Even frigging Tissaia has a deck now for which she can be useful and not just a win-more card.
Sirssa is one of the most overlooked and anti-synergistic cards in Gwent at the moment. Even for an ignored archetype such as Harmony, she is still bad. I expected her to at least receive a damage buff rather than a provision buff or maybe a condition that would trigger the Deathblow even if the targeted unit is not killed, such as trigger deathblow if Sirssa was handbuffed.
Filavandrel should drop to 10 provisions. For what he can offer, he should not be a 12p card. Fucusya being 1 provision more expensive is an auto-include in almost every SK deck right now. Even frigging Tissaia has a deck now for which she can be useful and not just a win-more card.
I'd change Agitator to boost any unit in hand, while change Saboteur to boost a unit in deck (with cooldown: 2), because this archetype is draw-dependent probably unlike any other. Freixenet could be interesting if gave vitality to a unit in hand, instead blatant boost to a Dryad.
There's so much room for experimentation with these cards and this archetype, it's sad how the devs are not willing to do so, even a bit.
There's so much room for experimentation with these cards and this archetype, it's sad how the devs are not willing to do so, even a bit.
Honestly, the LEAST they could do with SIrssa is give her the "Circle of Life" effect, where she always boosts a random unit in hand on deploy and can target a specific one with her deathblow condition. That way she would at least be always 8 for 7 and you could play her early enough for her Harmony to proc maybe a couple of times. But I guess that would make too much sense. And now that she's suddenly a popular card with the "pro" community she probably won't see a buff for another year, lol.
Even though im not a fan of handbuff, i still wish it was stronger with the new HoS cards than it is...
Because what will happen after these 1-2 initial weeks, is ST players will revert to that obnoxious Spellatael orb-spamming, Gord-finishing (15pt Gords are still quite strong, i would've put the limit at 13) when they realize its much stronger than handbuffs.
Because what will happen after these 1-2 initial weeks, is ST players will revert to that obnoxious Spellatael orb-spamming, Gord-finishing (15pt Gords are still quite strong, i would've put the limit at 13) when they realize its much stronger than handbuffs.
Nature's Gift is still Nature's Gift, but overall, I would say ST is arguably the weakest faction currently.
ST is clearly stronger than MO and weaker than NR. It is probably stronger than SY and weaker than NG. It is fairly comparable to SK.
Although I'm a ST main since the open beta days, I find handbuff as dull as the harmony archetype. To be more specific the sequence of your plays are always the same and the playstyle is limited. Anyway, I've tried my own "homemade" devotion handbuff deck but I didn't go full greed like most ppl do. I mixed it with some control and the results were okay.
It has potential and it could be easily a tier 1 or 2 deck, if ST had more decent Devotion cards though. Also, it's pretty obvious for someone who plays the game that ST needs desperately a tall punish gold card. Every faction except from Monsters, has 2, 3 or more options to choose from and we're stuck with Brehen, who outside of movement decks is unplayable.
I don't have any high hopes for some serious changes though, as balancing the game seems to me that it's not a priority for the devs.
It has potential and it could be easily a tier 1 or 2 deck, if ST had more decent Devotion cards though. Also, it's pretty obvious for someone who plays the game that ST needs desperately a tall punish gold card. Every faction except from Monsters, has 2, 3 or more options to choose from and we're stuck with Brehen, who outside of movement decks is unplayable.
I don't have any high hopes for some serious changes though, as balancing the game seems to me that it's not a priority for the devs.
Nah, the orb deck is so passe
. Just the devotion Nature deck with Harvest instead of orbs and filavandrel. Look under Nature's Gift in the deck library. I'm sure you'll find a few variations.
I prefer gezras instead of filavandrelNah, the orb deck is so passe
That's a variation. To me, Gezras doesn't play for enough points in that one turn that he actually lives. Also, he has no synergy with Symbiosis or handbuff. Also, you have no control over where treants spawn. In short, I only play Gezras in movement or Harmony decks, for the obvious reasons. I don't think he belongs in Nature decks
I prefer Sorceress instead of Filavandrel. In fact, I prefer Uma's Curse or ElfOnioinSoup instead of Filavendrel I haven't played either of these cards ever.
There are no suitable 12 point cards for Fila to pull. I really get the feeling that after all these years ST is the last faction that the devs consider. I started playing 2016.