December Balance Update

04/12/2020

This update makes changes to a total of 15 cards in an attempt to bring the top-tier decks to an acceptable level and let more decks have a chance in competitive play.

We are also addressing some long-standing issues related to balance.

Life-gain decks that stall the game based on Word of Grace, a.k.a. One-Turn Heal decks, are no longer viable. That kind of gameplay evaded creature combat completely and we will try to avoid it from now on.

Ramp-based decks are also toned down with changes to New Horizons and Amethyst Scarab. With time, quick resource ramping has proven to be problematic, with the player to ramp faster winning the vast majority of games.

Hermelion, Hand of Justice – the hero skill requires three Order levels now
Neeva, Child of the Forest – the hero skill lets you give Swift to up to three creatures with a common creature type only
Zash the Annihilator – hero skill cost up to 6 mana (from 5)
Primal Battle – 2 mana (from 1)
Angel of Retribution – cost up to 3 mana (from 2)
Cannonade – cost up to 4 mana (from 3)
Selina, Princess of the Deep – down to 3 HP (from 4 HP)
Guardian of Balance – up to 4 mana (from 3)
Wilderness Guardian – invoke cost up 5 energy invoke (was 4 energy) and stats reduced to 4 ATK/4 HP (from 4 ATK/5 HP)
New Horizons – the card text reads “You gain a level in the aspect of your choice. The enemy hero gains a Spark of Initiative.” now
Amethyst Scarab – 2 mana, 2 ATK/2 HP, the card text reads “Whenever you gain a mana crystal, you may pay 1 mana to put a Might Emblem on ~.”
Devourer of Worlds – now has Tainted, and its stats are reduced to 5 ATK/5 HP (from 6 ATK/6 HP)
Word of Grace – you gain life only if you had 20 or less life; life gained equals twice your Order level
Merchant of Souls – can bring back creatures with ATK 2 or less (was level 2 or less)
Plague Crab – now loses all energy if it enters the field from the graveyard to prevent excessive recursion

We all hope for a new, healthier metagame after these changes. Let’s see what the future brings us!