We've been waiting with bated breath for the next balance patch. Quite a lot was riding on it honestly. It was the first of the 'aggresive' patches we were promised to overhaul Mortal Judgment and Core Set Refresh. TLDR: I'm happy. The patch hasn't fixed everything, but it has made big (positive) changes and is a great first step.
For full patch notes:
https://blog.godsunchained.com/2022/08/12/balance-update-august/
Headline Changes
Dralamar
Mana cost reduced from 7 to 6
Change text from
” After you play a spell, refresh mana equal to its base mana cost.”
to” After you play a spell, refresh mana equal to its mana cost.”
Aethersnap
Change mana cost from 3 to 4
Rejoice! This was actually how he was supposed to function originally. Now you can't reduce a card down to 0 mana and get refunded it's base cost when you play it. This makes it much less likely to pull off combos in one turn, which gives opponents a chance to interact with him on the board instead of just losing. Also consider that open decklists are going to be a standard thing in the game. You'll know if you're facing Dralamar, and will have until 6 mana to prep for him.
Dralamar shut out control decks and contributed to pushing the meta in a more aggro direction. You had to win before 7 to beat the deck.
Also, the change to Aethersnap is a recognition that the card can create problems for them in the future in other decks. Increasing its mana cost doesn't impact Dralamar (which refunds it anyway), but does make it less powerful in card draw magic lists.
Aggro Light / PoD
Prayer of the Desperate:
Change mana cost from 5 to 1
Change text from “Give +2/+2 to each friendly creature “
to” Heal you god for 4, and give it protected.”
Homeguard:
Change text from” Echo. Protected.”
to” Echo. Frontline.”
Great changes, which mean aggro light is going to be a lot less oppressive. Also, thinking bigger picture, the change to PoD is a clear signal that the balance team was serious when they said "sweeping/aggressive" changes.
Aggro Nature Nerfs
Penumbra Howler
Change mana cost from 1 to 2
Change stats from 2/1 to 2/2
Change text from” Roar: If you control two or more other Wild creatures, give them +1 strength.”
to” Roar: If you control two or more other Wild creatures, add a 1 mana 2/1 Eagle to your hand.”
Satyr
Change text from
” Roar: Give +1 strength to each friendly creature.”
to” At the start of your opponent’s turn, their god goes to sleep.”
Slowing down aggro nature similar to aggro light. Yes, please. I don't think Satyr sees much play, but I do like that she offers a counter to relic OTK war. Those lists run lots of relics, so removal isn't viable. They also try and keep your board clear with heavy use of relics. It's not enough - and relic war still needs nerfs - but it's something.
Other changes of interest
Change mana cost from 1 to 2
A good change. Harder to play a card with a strong roar effect and then meta them same turn. (Looking at you Crystaltech Scholar.) The card is still probably to strong, but we're getting there.
Change text from “Give each enemy creature “Can’t attack for 1 turn.”
to” Give each enemy creature “Can’t attack gods for 1 turn.””
An interesting change, but control light is just trying to stall face damage anyway, and the card still does that. Any nerf to super sleep (can't be blocked by ward) is a good one. I'd like to see this card completely reworked. Order is bad enough.
Change mana cost from 5 to 4
Change text from “At the end of your turn, summon a 1/1 Thaeric Militant. Empower 3: Summon a copy of this creature. “
to” Empower 1: Increase the mana cost of a creature in your opponent’s hand by 2, up to a maximum of 9.”
This is now a solid card for a midrange deck. I'm not sure yet if it's random or if you get to see your opponent's creatures and pick one. Need to test in PTR.
Change mana cost from 6 to 2
Change text from” Give +2 strength to each of your creatures. Give -2 strength to each enemy creature.”
to” Pull the strongest relic from your opponent’s deck to your hand.”
Over-tuned and (hopefully) won't make it out of PTR. It's probably better in most situations than counterfeit. It's definitely more reliable. You can grab magic's pallas wand right from their deck. You can also still use your own relics unlike Counterfeit. Playing zombies? Help yourself to one of their necroscepters.
Conclusion
The other changes all seem decent, but not as meta-defining as the ones above. Also, they made it clear that Anubians are going to get reworked (Land of the Dead). Over the next 1-2 patches, I expect to see lots of big changes, but for now, I'm glad Dralamar is neutered and the meta has definitely been slowed down.
Most importantly, they are getting back to what made this game fun: board interaction. Love to see it.
Hope there will be more space for slower decks. Pity to see that the whole Penumbra-Singsong thing may die but, at the same time, it is... too mechanical and boring imo which you can't say about Anubians "hated by the community". Playing Deception vs Anubians is always an unpredictable fight for Priestesses of Takhat + Anubian desperate attempts to stop hidden murderers.
I sold my last expensive Anubian assets, 2 shadow Priestesses even with small profit - just to lower risks. I will re-buy, if nerfed.
This phrase is one more brick for the wall of my skepticism... especially about GU Reddit with all those whiners, haters, etc.
UPD I understand that changes of Anubians may be needed as the result of other changes. But I dislike this devs' respect to haters and supporting the belief that the Anubians are worthy of punishment. Maybe, I misunderstand the things but I feel this sounds like this. Their is no community hatred to Anubians, there are a special type of people on Reddit who chose Anubians as a victim for their ignorant aggression. If devs respect the community, they better airdrop some tokens instead of flirting with that offensive crowd. This is how I see things, maybe I am completely wrong.
Good to see they remember about Death Nethers - Chiroptic Hemovore / Pact Fiend. Death Nethers might surge as the result of the upcoming changes. Probably, a good time to buy Death Nether cards when they are low as assets but got a sort of promise from the devs.
My impression of the GU subreddit is that a lot of newer players just go to shill/protect the cards they spent money on. They either have no idea what makes a card game fun/balanced or they willfully ignore it in favor or trying to pump their bags.
I have fun with Chiroptic Hemovore in my face race death deck. This change might actually make it workable in nether decks as you say. One of the few that heals you instead of hurts you.
Pact Fiend is now potentially a competitor with Void Banshee. 3 self-damage instead of 4, but much easier to remove. I think I still like Banshee better, but worth trying him out.
Nice Summary, I'm glad to see that the meta might slow down just a touch.
Overall I like the changes,
The one that for me is serious, to a point of them need to rethink what they are doing is Cadence
Cadence of the Infinite Sands – Text changed Change text from “Ability: Unlock a mana lock, refresh 9 mana, draw a card, and your creatures gain godblitz and twin strike.” to” Can’t attack. At the end of your turn, shuffle the strongest enemy creature into the opponent’s deck, and pull the strongest friendly creature in your void to the board.”this one is insane, going to try record why and do a post about it, I like where they are going with it, but like this is just insane, I just faced it in PTR and you can't do nothing with that in the board.
Need to check armory heist again, maybe I will sell a few, I bought a bunch expecting a buff, but never thought would go like this 😄
Yea, Cadence is definitely a great card. It feels like the a really solid top end of a midrange deck rather than a control card (due to the resurrection benefit), but I may be off on that. No ward/hidden/backline/protected means that it should be fairly easy to remove. This is important, because the effect is so strong and needs to removed immediately.
Yea you made a killing on those heists! nicely done!
Unless you are playing magic or have a nice builded board, what you would use to deal with cadence?
Imagine at mana 8 having one of your creatures sent back, plus having to deal with cadence and an helian elite, it's crazy, should at least be at the start of your turn, so you have a chance to kill cadence in your turn, even then. I am already thinking on combining this one with alastrina, and getting at mana 7 cadence and helian or something even worst, like avatar of magic, the scenarios are insane in my opinion, I might be wrong.
I will test that tomorrow, alastrina, cadence, dralamar avatar of magic combination
You're probably right. I was thinking about Hunting Trap for deception. Ratify/metamorph magic. Most gods have single target removals, they just fell out of the meta due to the wide+buff meta. Death used to run reap. But again, I think you're right: it's probably too strong right now.
I got back using 2 hunting traps, but I didn't even remember that for deception, death is mostly anubians now, so they don't use any removals, they have the vile reapers for that.
In any case, if goes trough people will need to get some of those removals, but just thinking, cadence and helian elite on the same turn with your biggest creature gone, that will be hard to deal with, no matter the situation (apart from magic, it can just transform both in rats 😄 (need to buy that pallas)
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I've heard Dralamar has a revamped combo in PTR with Alastrina, Static Aetherbug, and two Inks, the magic combo roach can't be stopped.
In a vacuum Prayer didn't look too bad but Light has so many sticky cheap creatures with Vicar, Homeguard, Hoplite, Vesper and can flood the board again and again so easily with echo that it had to go.
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