Change One Card!

Games Sentinels of the Multiverse
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Hey, gang!  Long time, no see!  The summer's been kind of busy, so I haven't been available as much as I'd have liked.  However, a friend of mine came up with a bit of a challenge.  You see, he hates Absolute Zero.  Won't play him, doesn't like him.  Loves complex characters like Argent Adept, Nightmist, and The Naturalist, but he just doesn't care for AZ.  And, while I'm more of a fan than he is, I did have to admit:  "If I could make one change..."

So, that got me thinking:  if you could change ONE CARD from each deck, what cards would you change?  I'm not arguing that the decks aren't great as they are; just a matter of, if you were to "revise history", how might you do so?  To get us started, here are my thoughts so far:

Absolute Zero and The Wraith:  Quite simply, I'd swap the text on Impromptu Invention with that of Onboard Module Installation.  The Wraith is already absurdly versatile without Imp Inv, and Absolute Zero's greatest weakness is his long set-up time.  I'd love to be able to see him operate in a world where he could get down his starting modules in one turn.

Legacy:  I'd make Fortitude (rather than Next Evolution) unlimited.  Let him be the tank we all know he can be.  

Bunker:  I'd alter the Mode cards, such that you'd only lose out on one phase--Recharge Mode would let you *either* Play or Power, Upgrade Mode would let you *either* Power or Draw, Turret Mode would let you *either* Play or Draw.

Fanatic:  I'd add the following text to Undaunted:  "While this card is in play, Fanatic deals +1 damage to all targets."

Haka:  I'd alter Enduring Intercession, such that Haka would take -1 damage from Environment Targets while in play.

Tachyon:  I'd alter her base power:  "Reveal the top card of your deck.  Play that card, place it into your hand, or discard it."

Ra:  I'd add to Wrathful Gaze:  "If you destroyed a target this way, Ra deals +2 damage to all targets until the end of your next turn."

Visionary:  I'd love to see her have some kind of damage buff, to make Demoralization and her damage one-shots more appealing.  Perhaps add it onto Foresight?

Tempest:  I'd probably nerf Localized Hurricane, such that it'd only draw 1 card, if not 0 cards.  

 

And, for good measure, a few of the expansion characters:

Expatriette:  I'd revisit Reload to make it more attractive with Speed Loading:  "Take all Ammo cards from your trash and put them in your hand.  You may play a card."

Mister Fixer:  So much of his deck is built to work well together, it's hard to isolate a single card.  Riveting Crane Style, however, always seems to be particularly situational.  Adding a damage buff to it would make it a much more attractive option.

Argent Adept:  Scherzo of Frost and Flame gets so little love.  Why not make it "All non-hero targets take one fire damage.  All non-hero targets take one cold damage."?

Nightmist:  I don't think I've ever seen anyone use Mists of Time.  I'd love to see it become something like a rotation:  "Shuffle your Hand.  Your hand becomes your new deck.  Shuffle your Trash.  Your trash becomes your new Hand.  Place your old deck in the Trash."  That'd be really hard to word, but it makes it a lot more interesting as a choice...especially if casting it can get your "desirable" cards back.

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For Mr. Fixer, I would have his tool cards return to the hand at the end of the turn (change the text of his tools be "at the end of Mr. Fixers turn, if there are two or more tools in play, return all but one to your hand). That way you can chain them a little bit better, or just change his power to "Play a tool card, if you do deal one target 1 melee damage before returning any cards to your hand"

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That would make for an interesting change to how Fixed Point affects Mr. Fixer. Currently, if fixed point is in play, you can throw out a second tool and it'll stay there, letting you benefit from both for an arbitrary amount of time. With your suggested wording, Fixed Point would allow you to put out that second tool, benefit from it that turn, keep it out… and on your next turn throw out a third tool, but then going back down to one afterwards. Bigger benefit, but as a one-off.

Given the shenanigans possible with two tools, I dread to think what could happen with a third!

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Absolute Zero - Glacial Structure should either be a one-shot to draw three cards. If it stays as an Ongoing it should grant a second ability like playing a card or a second power use.  

The Naturalist - The Nimble Gazelle should have an effect that says the first time he would be dealt two or less damage each turn redirect it to another target.   Mostly I just feel this form should grant some static effect like the others.  

KNYFE - Infiltrate and Obfuscate should redirect damage to a target of choice or the villain target with the lowest health.   In the current form this Ongoing does nothing if there is only one villain target in play.   

Wraith - As currently setup the Wraith is only missing a way to recover destroyed equipment from her trash.   I feel Impromptu Invention should allow you to pull from the deck or trash for getting an equipment into play.   

Captain Cosmic - Construct Cataclysm should deal X times two damage if hitting a single target.   

Chrono Ranger - "The Ultimate Target" should leave play when it's target does just like the other bounties.   

Guise - Gimmicky Character should either heal Guise for an amount equal to twice the number of targets discarded through it or should give a flat amount of health back (anywhere from 2 to 4)

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I have said for a very long time now that Enduring Intercession is by far the single worst hero card in the entire game. The text for that card right now might as well read "discard this card to increase the damage dealt by your next Haka of Battle by 1"

I love your suggestion here though. I think that is exactly what the card could have used to make it a viable option for in-game situations.

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It's a rarely used card for sure.   I think having Ta Moko and that in play in Realm of Discord might be the main case I'd use it.  Even then I would likely play something else.  

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Expatriette's biggest problem is lack of card draw, so I'd change Arsenal Access to put both the cards you pull up in your hand, then play one. Or make it an Ongoing that lets her draw two cards during her draw phase.

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I like that one because even keeping both cards doesn't mean you can necessarily play either one but it still thins her deck for playable cards.    

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i don't think she needs a damage buff as that really isn't her game.   I'd like to see Foresight updated to allow her to do that with any hero deck.  This gives base Visionary an improved power to use and gives Dark Visionary potential pause about which power to use.  

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PlatinumWarlock wrote:
 Visionary:  I'd love to see her have some kind of damage buff, to make Demoralization and her damage one-shots more appealing.  Perhaps add it onto Foresight

 

Mass Levitation would also be better if the power was "reduce damage dealt by the environment to hero targets by 3" That way The Visionary could also have environment usage as a strategy

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Thematically, that certainly makes more sense - and creates some comical imagery of the heroes floating above (and occasionally taking pot shots into) a batterfield of the environment and villains going at it…

I don't know how that might affect it's power level, though, as that sounds pretty awesome.

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I don't think it would be too overpowered, because you would need to get the villian to a position where they can get hit by the environment, which isn't too easy. Other than that, you're just letting it take care of some lackeys. The only places I can see it be truly overpowered is when explosive wagons go off, and in pike

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My first thought was to make Enduring Intercession an optional redirect, like Lead From the Front but for Env damage instead of villain damage.

A+ idea!  There have been many games when I've hit situations in which none of Vis' powers were especially useful, and this would make for some interesting very strategies.

 

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Forced Entry.

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New text for Best Card Ever!: "The heroes immediately win."

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Ra:  I'd add to Wrathful Gaze:  "If you destroyed a target this way, Ra deals +2 damage to all targets until the end of your next turn."

 

That's a cool idea, but I think that Ra could afford something more than just damage. Right now he does damage, damage, and more damage. I don't think he has a single Environment/Villan card destroy in his deck. Perhaps Wrathful Gaze could more like this:

 

RA: "Destroy a target with 2 or less HP or destroy any non-target villain card.

 

This gives him a unique function in that he could destroy specific cards that others cannot. 

 

Argent Adept:  Scherzo of Frost and Flame gets so little love.  Why not make it "All non-hero targets take one fire damage.  All non-hero targets take one cold damage."?

 

Honestly, I wouldn't improve AA in any way whatsoever. Given 3-4 turns of buildup he can own pretty much any fight.

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See, my thinking is that changing a card should enhance the role the hero has, not change it -- AA is simply not meant to be a damage powerhouse. He basically has the damaging powers just in case he's the last hero standing.

Besides, when he's fully set up, Scherzo can help him do an obscene amount of damage (35 HP in one turn, going by the Nuking thread).

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Yeah, I would say the Adept is pretty perfect as he is - if he can get fully set up, there's very little he can't do :D.

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I really like the AZ with an Impromptu Invention like card idea!

My suggestion: Mr Fixer. Tool Box is a quite handy draw power card... I dunno if I would truely like this change in the ong run, but here is my suggestion anyway: Tool Box changed into a Meditation for Tools, thematically it fits and would overall improve his consistency at getting set up, but at the cost of killing a little late game speed. Really I'd rather just play with his deck numbers and drop a Bloody Knuckle and maybe an Overdrive for additional Tool Boxes.

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I really like the OP’s ideas for Ra, Fanatic, Tempest, and Haka. Some other ideas:

Absolute Zero – Make “Focused Apertures” a module. Also, buff the base power to deal 2 damage.

Bunker – Make “Recharge Mode” draw an additional card when you play it (or even per turn). 

Expatriette – Buff speed loading to play the ammo directly to the gun.

Mr. Fixer – Combine “Riveting Crane” and “Alternating Tiger Claw” effects. Create a new style with the open slot, for example “the first time each turn Mr. Fixer deals damage, Mr. Fixer deals one target one melee damage”

Nightmist – Change DW promo to draw 3 then put 3 from hand back on deck.

Captain Cosmic – Change the prime wardens promo to “until the next time you use a power” so it combos with his own destroy construct cards.

Nerfs:

Legacy – Change base power to buff only two heroes. On the other hand, I love that Legacy is really powerful, he is Legacy after all. 

Tachyon – Change TLT promo to cause only two heroes to draw.

The Scholar – Maybe limit Flesh To Iron to once each turn. 

Sky-Scraper – Change Emergency Evac to just one villain ongoing and one environment card.

The Sentinels – Remove card play and draw from Unique Capabilities.