Where are all the "How To Fix Chrono-Ranger" topics?

Let's look at it this way:  given a worst case scenario, and you open the game with Fixer with no desirable options but a Toolbox, you can draw 3 cards per turn and still deal 1 unmodified damage.  

By the end of turn 2, you're holding 10 of 40 cards–precisely 1/4 of your deck.  In two turns.  With no draw assistance from anyone.

At that point, you should have options galore.  So, for the sake of argument, lets say you have a ton of mooks on the table and were hoping for a Jack Handle.  Grease Gun neutralizes them for a turn, buying you time.  Dual Crowbars is slightly more limited, but deals more damage.  

Lets assume that the draw is Even worse–no toolbox.  Why not double draw?  Or heck, go without a tool?  Redirect damage with Riveting Crane, punch things with Grease Monkey Fist, play Harmony to prep for later.  The options are there.  Even when the specific tool desired isn't available, Fixer rolls  with the punches.  

It's just a matter of divorcing oneself away from the rote tactic of "First I pull out X artifact, then I use Y spell, then I add Z one-shot…"  That's a desirable routine that's easy to like and easy to fall into.  Nightmist, CR, Absolute Zero are all based on those precepts.  Fixer just doesn't work that way, dude…

[Edit–As has been corrected below, it's Mantis, not Crane-style.  My bad.  The point remains.]

 just one thing Warlock, you are thinking of Driving Mantis not Riveting Crane. The Riveting Crane is the one where Fixer hits a target and all damage dealt to that target is irreducible.

Toolbox is great for getting extra cards, but you're still entirely relying on luck to get the cards you need. Just because you have options, doesn't mean they're particularly good for the current situation you're in. CR has flexibility that Fixer doesn't because he can search for specific cards that are useful to the situation that you're in.

CR can also change his approach based on the situation by just playing the second equipment/bounty and using it. The old one doesn't go away. Then if he needs to use the old one again he can because it is still in play. When I say half Fixer's deck loses value after turn 2 I mean playing that new style or tool means he loses the old one. That is very inefficient. If you have the tool and style you want then you can't continue to setup for later. Even when AZ has both modules and Fixed Apetures and Thermal Shockwave in play he has plenty of options to continue to build his arsenal. Fixer only has Harmony.

On another note, my fellow Fixer haters are not complaining about his card drawing. He has good card draw. You can even skip your turn if you want to draw. It's his lack of equipment search that needs to be fixed. It doesn't even need to do 1 projectile damage when you play it.

Chrono Ranger wins.

And this is why people aren't posting up "We need to fix Chrono Ranger" topics.  He can draw/search for the card he needs for the situations he's equipped to deal with.

And this makes all of the "Fixer is the guy with the right tool for the right job" arguments even more disappointing.  I understand Fixer doesn't work that way.  What I don't understand is why he doesn't work so that he has the right tool for the right job, because every argument for Fixer that I've seen involves someone having the Tool or Style necessary to deal with a problem.

If we have established that Fixer just deals with what he has, and doesn't, in fact, consistently have the right tool for the right job, then how does one play Fixer?  Because my group plays Fixer with what he has and we often find him to be disappointing.  Not because he doesn't deal a lot of damage, not because he doesn't dominate the field every game, but because we have plenty of situations where he just doesn't do what everyone says he does.  We don't find Riveting Crane when we need to break through a villain's DR, and we don't find Jack Handle or Dual Crowbars when we need to deal damage to multiple targets, or Pipe Wrench when we need DR.

So, if the position is "just draw until you have what you need through repeatedly spamming Tool Box or not doing anything for the extra card draw," I'm quite confused.  I don't think there is any other character in the game (Expatriette aside) that has such a painful time getting the cards they need when they need them.  Your explanation seems more like an excuse rather than a strategy.

Chrono ranger strikes me as a character who is way more better on normal than on advanced...there are so many villains with DR, that I've seen CR neutered consistently

Depending on who you're fighting, the Masadah could come in really handy against DR.

That's probably because I'm trying to say that there's not a definitive Fixer strategy.  

When I sit down to play, say, Nightmist, my priorities almost always tend to be Amulet of the Elder Gods, either Master of Magic or Starshine Amulet (or both), followed by Astral Projection, then Mistbound.  If this pattern is interrupted in some manner, I end up using Call Forth or Enlightenment to get back on track.  Regardless of targets, I always end up playing Heedless Lash before Oblivion before Scouring Mists.  I dare say that the majority–perhaps even the vast majority–of people play her in relatively the same way, as she needs her basic redirection ability, some way to get back hit points, and then focuses primarily on deck control, with the occasional damaging spell thrown in the mix.

With Chrono Ranger–to hopefully get somewhat back on topic–I find that my first priorities are almost unequivocally Jim's Hat, Ultimate Target (on main villain), Dead or Alive (again, on main), Compounded Bow, any other +1 damage Bounty, and then other equipment.  Danny-Boy comes before Masadah, and Eyes on the Prize always gets played immediately.  He needs to be able to throw down cards quickly to increase his bounty-based variables, then capitalize on his sheer volume of damage instances.  When this is interrupted, what's his best play?  A card draw card, which can potentially net him 5 cards in a turn, at the cost of other peoples' options.

With Fixer, you're right in the sense that he doesn't have a way to look for a given card.  But, if you're that desperate for a single type of card–say, you're facing Voss and you need a Jack Handle for crowd control, the chances are good that you're going to have one, if not immediately, then pretty darn soon.  I think you're underrating the ability to potentially pull a full quarter of your deck within two turns, while still contributing to the combat, with no drawbacks, and continue to do so at will.  

Not every character needs or should have a "Search through your deck and find X card" abilities, because that homogenizes the game.  Sentinels wouldn't have the replay value it does, if every character played in this manner.   Legacy, for one,  has no deck-searching ability whatsoever–often, playing him comes down to "What will help the group the most, out of the cards that I have?"  To me, that's the same philosophy that Fixer runs on.  It does, however, mean that someone who plays Fixer has to be more flexible and less tied to a rote path of "this is how this Hero works, and these are the cards I need, in this order."  

I get that you don't like Fixer.  I get that you aren't happy with his inability to have the precise right card at the right situation.  We've had that discussion on other threads and we've both well and truly derailed this one.  But that still doesn't mean that he's weak by any stretch.  "Rolling with the punches" (to use the phrase I used earlier) isn't the same as "Having the right tool for the right job".  Rather, it means that he's going to be able to contribute meaningfully, even when everyone else is flailing around and rebuilding their precious tower-of-cards assembly from scratch.

It's true that not every hero needs to have a search card, but not every hero relies on having a certain type of card either. The best search card in the game is Impromptu Invention, but Wraith's deck has enough equipment cards to warrant a search card for them. Ra can search for the staff I think primarily because it is an important part of his backstory. Even though Bunker can't search for equipment cards, he has multiple ways to draw extra cards and can take an equipment card directly from the trash and put it into play. Legacy doesn't really need a search card becaue even though he has certain cards in his deck that you really hope to get, he doesn't rely entirely on a certain type of card to contribute meaningfully. He has good one-shots which work well without having any of his other ongoing cards in play. Haka doesn't have any search cards in his deck, but he has multiple ways to draw cards, and a lot of cards that are really good in multiple situations. Even his useless for the situation cards can be good to have since you won't hesitate to discard them for something like Haka of Battle.

It's true that Fixer can do okay with only a style or a tool, but in order to feel like you're really playing a hero, you need to mix styles and tools. I had a game against Voss once where I only drew two copies of the same tool. Fortunately, that tool was Duel Crowbars and it worked out really well, partly because I also drew a Harmony and Meditation in my opening hand, but I've had several games where I don't see more than two tools in my hand, no Harmony, and Riveting Crane when the villain has no DR, or I can't break through the DR anyway. I don't think allowing Fixer a way to search for tools would really homogenize the game since the combination of his tools and styles is really what makes him a unique and fun experience to play

Personally, and maybe this is how I play, i've seen too many devastating auroras and apocalypses that I can't get rid of to really like the "first I play this then I play this then I play this" strategy. Sure, it's nice to have some set plan, but there's nothing worse than a card that makes heroes destroy a certain number of ongoing/equipment and have all the players play a game of "Not it." I want to be able to say "Yes, I'll be it." Chrono-ranger suffers a bit in this regard because he does need his equipment and bounties to be really successful, but it's easier to bounce back for him. And while everyone else is using their play phase to rebuild, he can be rebuilding and pinging away at something. You can't win a game that way, but you also can't win many games if you go entire rounds without damaging something.

Beautifully stated, PlatinumWarlock! :+1:

I've never really looked at the heroes as one being better than another. I just play the hero that matches my mood and current style preference.

However, I get that some people want to be able to play all the heroes and have all the heroes match their style preferences. I just wish we could all understand none of us are wrong - we just have different opinions on these heroes. (I, for example, don't understand why people want to make changes to Fixer, but I need to just accept that they do and not worry about it. :wink: )

But to focus back on Spiff's original question, I think the general concensus is because CR just generally rocks. He can search for the right equipment for the job at hand, he can search for the best bounty for the situation (even if the "best" bounty might be debateable), and he can seriously dish out the damage very quickly and efficiently - in most situations. No "fixing" needed. :sunglasses:

The neat twist that Mr. Fixer has is that tools are returned to his hand when replaced by a new tool, not discarded.  So, once he has a few tools he can very quickly and effortlessly change modes.  This is a really cool twist for a Limited card, greatly increases the value of his tools, and very nicely evokes an image of a big red tool box in the trunk of his black '71 GT.  (I don't recall that his fighting stances work the same way (I'm pretty sure they get discarded), but he does have deck search cards that allow him to specifically search for them.)

 

I'm still trying to figure out if CR's "capture alive" bounty card is generally usefull.  I see several very specific examples of it's use (delaying Baron Blade's "15 cards in the trash" loose condition, for example), but I'm not convinced it's something I'd want to use all that often.

No Executions is useful for:

Removing cards from the trash you never want to see again: Citizen Truth being the absolute prime example.

It's other major ability is to prevent "On destruction effects." Play it on the explosive wagon and a lot of fear goes out of fightign the Dreamer in Silver Gulch.

Addiing +1 to the Masadah, Hunter and Hunted or Danny-Boy.

Preventing the Operative or Matriarch from punching you when you kill their minions.

Preventing Apostate's Relic Spirics or Runes of Malediction from bringing relics/demons back from the trash after ytou've spent all that time killing them.

Stopping the Illusory Demon or the Treacherous Ape in the Dreamer's deck from destroying your stuff.

And if all else fails, it's a great sacrifice ongoing card if you can't find antoher use for it.

Say, don't I know you from somewhere?

I think I'll start another topic about how Scholar doesn't have enough draw cards to power all of his elemental forms at once so he obviously needs to be "fixed" too. ;)

Dude, Spiff, you owe me a new computer. All this tea I just sprayed all over the poor thing while laughing has completely destroyed it… :wink:

Maaaaaaybe.

Haha! I'll admit, The Scholar is an odd duck. One the one hand, he doesn't have as much support potential as Legacy or Argent Adept, but he also doesn't have a sustainable engine a la Absolute Zero. Sure, he can draw some cards, and has a mere-like thing to help him contribute, but like Mr. Fixer and Expatriette, he can always use cards.

 

Of course, that's why I play most games with Team Leader Tachyon, to all but eliminate any card-related woes. Try it! I had one game where Mr. Fixer had half his deck in his hand once (of course that was against Miss Information, and he had to discard it eventually, but hey!)

 

As to Chrono Ranger, I do think he's not all that in a bag of chips: he's still rather suceptable to damage reduction, because even if The Masadah is out, you need bouties to make it go; if it's the second turn and you find yourself stuck with shaky arms or something, then that's no good. He's also suprisingly squishy, becuase of Hunter and Hunted, which can make him go down quickly without support. Of course, he's also rather good, too. 

I don't know, I usually play solo, but I find that team support always makes heroes better. And I'm glad we're having these conversations, becuase that means we truly love the game, and want it to succeed in the long run. That's cool. 

 

Although I wonder why Sentinels doesn't have a mulligan mechanic. I feel that would address most of the problems we have with these heroes…

No execution is a life-saver for things that get pulled out of the trash. Less for Matriarch's Hunnn'n and Munnnn (those are gross misspellings I realize) since she runs through her deck. It's been a while since I've played Apostate, but I think.... I think it would keep the sword out. (I think)

Best. House rule. Ever. :slightly_smiling_face: