Card Designs by Zfox Part 2

General
#1

As with my last entry (Card Design Ideas), the following post contais Faeria cards with a focus on multi-colour possibilities, especially removal options. I have decided not to attempt to find matching art for each design due to time contraints. As with last time, please let me know your thoughts. I will try to upload these to the discord channel for new card creation as well, if you prefer to look there. Cheers!

Zaldinfox Card Design Part 3
#2

Nice ideas, but I don’t feel the game would ever need that many removals. Moreover, adding removal to half-green decks would make them a bit too strong, in my opinion. As for the cards :

  • The oasis scout, by adding these two powerful movement cards, may allow too powerful outbursts, I may make of him an event at the same cost
  • oasis seer can be nice, but it means that you may have a flying deck with only one aquatic, Baeru, and it may be too easy to draw it
  • pacify, oak shot, sandstone trap, hamstring, drought : too specific, unplayable
  • scourgeflame circlet : I really like the concept, but due to the high land cost I may lower its cost to 3 faeria
  • return to dust seems a bit too specific, while shatter strength would often come in handy
  • sandstone spellweaver : nothing to say, seems ok in my opinion, but I would have had it blue/yellow
  • kiss of the gods is a really cool design, keep it, but then where’s the need for scalding geyser ?
  • seed bomb : too powerful for only one green and one red, as in the beginning of the game you may use it to put a terrain next to opponent’s god and steal him a farmer
  • red oakling combines well the two mechanics, but maybe would I lower his attack to 5
  • krog’s cupbearer : too slow, and relies too much on opponent’s choices. I would make him a 1/3, or 1/4 for 4 faeria
  • mesa sprite : a bit too poorly stated, I would consider adding it one attack
  • jungle sprite : not powerful enough when compared to tiki piper, I would give her 1 attack
  • frail alchemist : really cool interaction, but may be too powerful, I would consider to increase his cost by 1
  • hydrothermal blast : really nice for yellow rush, maybe too nice
  • frightful phantasm : awesome ability, but I’d rather name him dread phantasm
  • **esmerald wasps ** : could be op, (compared to battle toads), but due to the terrain cost it’s hard to say
  • feedback : too strong in the midgame, would make it cost 3 faeria
  • ** gabrian outcast** : really nice, keep it
  • essence drain : to powerful for one faeria when as green you can have the willow, would rather heal of half its life rouded up
  • ruby torrent : can be really nice to draw specific cards, may it could turn out op if you’ve a deck with only a few specific gift creatures
  • rainforest summoner nice , but why yellow ?
  • mutation : way to powerful, make it cost 3
  • eredon’s squire : awesome, but maybe under-stated
  • crimson mirror : awesome, but I would have it cost 2 lakes and 2 mountains
  • coastal tide : really nice, but it may be to strong for a reaver burst
  • desert wurm : understated
  • crazed inventor : not useful enough as it will end up sinking
  • caldera spire climber : love the mechanic
  • chromatic behemoth : costs too much, you’ll rarely have enough lands to make it worth its cost, would lower it to 5 faeria
  • chromatic faerie : too strong with the sandstone spellweaver
  • cactus sprite : really nice, keep it
  • autumn vision : nice design, but would be too strong in a specific deck where your only draw-able cards are tarum, stormspawn or the dragons. However, seen the land cost… it’s hard to say
  • apex song : due to the high land cost it’s not strong enough compared to triton banquet
  • brainstorm : costs too much in my opinion
  • bold suitors : can be too strong as there will often be no neutral in play
  • violet elixir : can be too specific to see play, but it is too strong against red and yellow
  • beach sprite : if it can move any creature, then the move a land choice will barely never be taken
  • waterfall sprite : too weak compared to flamespitter
  • ** warstorm horn** : seems decent
  • tiki firemender : it is too strong in defense, mostly against yellow’s one life creatures
  • verdant call : it is probably too slow to see play
  • twinsoul bangle really strong, but the high land cost and the condition makes it much more acceptable
  • taïga sprite : really nice alternative to tiki piper
  • soul strike : really nice design, but red isn’t so fond of sacrifices
  • flying gargoyle : seems me ok
  • syland coil maker : the jump might be worth charge 3, looks nice
  • syland cook : can be too strong with queen’s favorite and king’s faithful
  • taïga botanist : really nice design, keep it
  • shaytan soulstealer : awesome effect, but it can be difficult for you to kill it if you’re at low life with his drain ability
#3

Thanks for the feedback in general, and for taking the time to make specific comments on each card. Just a comment on why I think lots of very specific (unplayable as you say) removal is useful when growing a card game:

If we consider each card not merely in its orientation to the base card supply, but in the trajectory of where the game may grow, many of the “removal” options become more appealing. While they seem far too specific, the knowledge that one has access to such removal grants a lot of diversity to deck designers. You may remember the sudden use of Punishment after Steamforge Enforcer gained in popularity. Very specific removal provides a natural check to powerful cards/archetypes. Broad, general removal rarely does this, and thus, whenever you see a red player, you are forced to always play around (or play through) cards like Flameburst. To me, this narrows the range of opportunities for new cards, since the cheap, catch-all card is just so useful for every situation.

I am also interested in introducing removal options for multi-colour decks. Of course, they will not have the general effectiveness of the purists, so that those who run a Yellow control list will always be given absolute priority for “Destroy X card” effects. Instead, those who wish to make use of yellow and blue ought to have access to a lesser (more specific) removal option that is in keeping with Yellow+Colour. Likewise in the damage-oriented removal of Red (you may be right that Seed Bomb is under-costed in this regard). The multi-colour player should lose some of the general use but gain some flexibility within the keywords of the colours. They are already ceding tempo by having to build up lands in two colours.

Hence the reasoning behind some of the BY removal options:

Kiss of the Gods - 2 cost Frogify when conditions met (1 more land requirement) - attacking God
Scalding Geyser - 4 cost Last Nightmare when conditions met (1 more land req.) - adjacent to your well
Twinsoul Bangle - 4 cost Last Nightmare in creature-oriented form:
It has a heavy land req. to offset the permanent buff granted. Because it combines two of the most powerful creature buffs into one, it is further handicapped by the need for a creature of each colour to be present.

These 3 examples can be played around (as with the other options), but for someone investing card slots into removal for a multi-colour deck, they may be a good option (since space is so limited). That is the last element to consider.: in Faeria it is possible to have a deck with 10 cards (3 copies each), giving you a serious advantage over someone attempting to fit in multi-colour options. I think this is a healthy balance: multi-colour options ought to be powerful and flexible, but lack the strong general command of the themes of one colour.

Thanks again for your comments, and hopefully this helps spur on discussion about card design and balance for the future!