Another crazy idea, but for this prompt I obviously wanted something unique.
Effectively gives you a Shifting Scroll that costs durability to cast. You can choose to attack and cast the spell; or save your durability. Kept it at 3 Mana because it has a slow payoff and is subject to RNG (for both spells and targets), but 4 would also be reasonable.
If you have a better way to phrase it, I would be very appreciative to hear it :)
Otherwise, i'd go with the first one. "to equal" seems like an odd phrasing for Hearthstone and the third option changes its effect.
Quote From Demonxc95
The word "turns" also should be singular if the effect normally only lasts a single turn.
It doesn't, the counter was meant for uses. But I think there just isn't enough space to make its effect clear, so maybe sticking to the Objective layout is the best.
Sadly this removes the Arcane synergy I'm so fond of. I want it to be a 2-cost, since I think people underestimate how lucrative getting to choose your cards is, while it guarantees 2 draws and should only be worth including if you have extra card draw. It even supports cards like Refreshing Spring Water in decks that also use a few minions. Although I'd like to know which effect, cost and name you guys prefer?
Seems like there's plenty inspiration to go around this week.
Feedback
linkblade91
Twilight Hammer's Den doesn't seem like it needs to be spread out, since it already doesn't give any immediate benefits.
Wave of Ooze is okay, but I feel like it should really belong to Warlock or Warrior.
Sigil of Momentum is my favorite. It's quite unique and doesn't seem OP, since you have to pay upfront.
Wailor
I feel like this should probably be a Dormant minion.
Demonxc95
Voodoo Grounds is good, but indeed not very original.
Icewing Bunker is definitely more original, but I'm not sure how to balance its cost.
BasilAnguis
The Questline phrases it as "Deal damage with 2 spells.", so this is fine. I like how the effect works, although I'm not sure 1 damage makes this card worth it to me.
Buried in Ice is simple, but still a good option.
I'm not sure how I feel about Pacifism. I know Druid uses Taunt, but they also have a lack of removals and I'm not sure how often the draw will be worth it. I also don't like that it affects your opponent, which should probably make it a 1-cost.
BloodMefist
I like both of these. Rain of Chaos is very interesting, but needs a few turns to get strong and could backfire, but it's still a great control tool. I like Massive Hoard slightly better, because it seems really fun.
A daring 0-cost. It fits Arcane's resourcefulness perfectly. Normally it would be a bit unconventional, which is how I got the inspiration for this prompt.
Works like Tracking, but you'll have to get the draw yourself. The counter shows how many uses it gives and how many have already triggered.
Alone in the Woods seems kind of strong. Combo it with a 1/1 Divine Shield minion and you probably have a 5/5 that can already attack by turn 3. You should probably tweak how it works or stick to a 4-cost Risky Business.
linkblade91
Hold the Line! is fine, but it's just a 2-cost Intellect with a condition, which is boring and we've already seen plenty of them.
I like Yrel. Her effect is very original as well as useful, but if you control no other minions, she can wipe the enemy board. I'm assuming she doesn't count towards comparing minion numbers, since y'know… she dead. I guess she can't kill more than one minion with 2 or less Attack, but as a large removal, she probably needs to be a 6-cost.
Anchorm4n
It's very basic and kind of reminded me of Belligerent Gnome. With two similar cards, it probably needs something extra to make it unique.
Nirast
This really nails what this prompt is trying to do, however Strength in Numbers already exists, so it's gonna need a name-change. Should be fine as a 2-cost, since it requires some setting up.
Demonxc95
I'm gonna say AOE effects don't count. I like ServantMagatha, but besides the art she doesn't really feel like a Legendary. She also probably needs Taunt, since you generally don't want to play value cards while your opponent's board is populated.
I think creating a Prime is a great idea. Similar to linkblade's 7-cost Corrupt, it requires some setting up. That allows you to go a little nuts with the effect, which is exactly what a lot of the cards for this prompt need.
That being said, the Prime effect isn't very interesting to me. It already exists on Ysera the Dreamer and why Dream cards? Isn't Xavius suppose to be on the opposite side?
Demonxc95
The effect fits Druid and although it may look similar at first, in practice it works quite different from Celestial Alignment.
However, I just don't think it's very appealing. It's effectively a hard reset, which makes the match progress very slowly and will remove the advantage of any extra mana crystals Druid is so fond of getting.
I'm not sure that's what's going on here. I encourage you to keep the original Battlecry. It turned a strong summon into a perhaps even more powerful destruction. It fits the prompt perfectly, turning the effect around in a evil and (often) profitable way, similar to Circus Medic. I should have mentioned this in my original feedback, but my feedback tends to get pretty long, so I often focus on improvements.
I enjoy cards that are a bit more out there and have unique effects. Those cards do make it to the finals, but in my experience, it tends to be the saver (whatever that means) cards that win. But I don't think you should let that limit your creativity. And most certainly don't mistake your own creativity for ego.
I actually like your first idea best. It can create a 2 Mana difference between you and your opponent much like Overgrowth, or a 1 Mana difference when you play it on-curve. It also fits Druid's identity better.
I don't like Fever Dream. It just feels like on-curve damage with extra steps and it's kinda boring, since it doesn't interact with the board. You should probably go with Nightmare Lord Xavius instead, since it gives your opponent the opportunity to minimize the damage making it much more interactive.
TheHoax91
I like how the Dormant effect covers all bases. It obviously prevents healing/Armor, which is unique, but it also prevents attacking, so its effect isn't useless against most classes.
That being said, it is a tech card and doesn't seem too game-changing, so I think it'd be more fitting in Neutral.
linkblade91
I can see the create/destroy turnaround in the Battlecry, but I do agree the Currupted Hero Power should be more of an upgrade. They also become too strong too fast.
Maybe make the stacking effect only count for the next time you use your Hero Power. Then the normal one could upgrade it wherever you summon a minion and the Corrupted whenever ANY minion dies (since that includes the ones you summon that should be somewhat of an upgrade). It's possibly too weak, but it's just an example to give an idea of what I'm talking about while still staying true to the flavor of your card.
Gotta admire the use of Corrupt on a Hero card, though.
BasilAnguis
Dormant is a keyword. The Immune is indeed scary, but I don't see any immediate issues with it, since it does require a minion to "sacrifice" and I cant find any broken combos.
R
It works as a value card, but Warlock already has Shadow Council and Druid just doesn't have the Demon-synergies to justify this card for me.
Thank you, linkblade, for the thorough explanation. I don't know much about WoW lore myself, except the bits and pieces I get from Hearthstone. I believe this should be on-theme:
The idea behind it is that the Emerald Nightmare starts these outgrowths on some of the roots of the World Tree, which is taxing on the nature around it. In practice, it's a control tool that punishes decks that rely too heavily on extra card draw.
I'll specify that it adds one copy to your deck, but I think I'll keep 'duplicate' as-is, since that's how the Highlander cards also phrase it.
anchorm4n
Very original! I'm assuming you could put both in your starting deck?
I'm a big fan of these, but afraid you currently won't want to play them, because they're expensive and the Deathrattle will take a while to be effective. I enjoy the on-draw effect, but they simply work better with Battlecries. I'm also not entirely happy about the 'Fireball in the face' on the Fire form. I think giving it AOE would probably fix the 'let's just put this in my aggro deck and not worry about getting the Deathrattle'.
If you do intend to give them names, may I suggest giving them a single name (because they are reincarnations of each other) and adding something along the lines of ", Fire Form" and ", Ice Form".
Wailor
I like the idea and it fits the prompt well. You've already adjusted the stats well, so I've got nothing to add.
I was expecting to see festive/wintery cards for this comp, so those might get bonus points from me.
I see you've already decided, but I'll let you know I'm also a fan of Swift Assassin.
R
Being able to hit the hero seems fine to me, since it would just be an underpowered Fireball.
I'm a big fan of the Combo, but I do feel like 8 damage is a tad much. 6 would probably be fine. I know it doesn't double +Spell Damage that way, but that seems less important on cards that already deal quite some damage.
I also don't like how the effect is phrased. 'Deals' should probably be 'Deal' and the 'double damage' not specifically referring to the 4 damage feels weird to me, although I won't deduct for it.
Nirast
Healing Hail feels chaotic and doesn't really make sense.
Hail Storm is nice. The Combo makes sense to me and fits the art. But would maybe be fine as a 4-cost.
linkblade91
I like the second version of Scouting Owl better, since revealing doesn't really fit Druid's identity. But an unspecified cost increase feels weird, so I would probably make it target your opponent's next card and remove the enter in the middle.
anchorm4n
It should probably have a school and feels a little strong. You should probably reduce the cost reduction.
Right now you'll always want to wait keep it until you want to use Flamestrike or have Lethal, so you might consider reducing the costs permanently. A 2 or 3 Mana reduction would work well because you get two powerful spells in any case, but you can also get your Mana back.
Demonxc95
Seems balanced considering you need a Shadow spell + 3 Mana to get the effect, so you don't have a crazy amount of Mana to spend on minions. It's also less annoying due to the cost limit, but could end up helping your opponent that way. Overall a nice card, but it could be fine just returning your own minions, since that's what it already focuses on.
I'm personally not a big fan of simply repeating the battlecry. It's effective, but slightly boring, so I like the new Shadowfin Soulmancer best. It does need to belong to an expansion though, which should probably just be the same as other Soul Fragment cards.
Shadow Druid
I think the main issue with unusual combinations is that they're not on an equal playing field. They don't have much to compare them to, so people might be hesitant to give bonus points.
That being said, your first idea really didn't fit Druid, but your new idea is quite nice. I particularly like how the combo doesn't just duplicate the minion, but its effect as well. It's not something Druid has really done before, but still feels like it fits Druid's identity, which I enjoy. Balance looks good to me.
BasilAnguis
I quite like the idea of getting multiple combos, although I find that putting the keyword multiple times on the same card severely limits your options, as Equilibrium proves.
Equilibrium doesn't have an effect if you play it without the conditions, which I don't think should ever really happen. And its effects are quite boring. Kirin Tor Prodigy is far more interesting, but feels unbalanced. Even though you won't be able to play it on-curve, it can still give a lot of value and should probably be a 3-cost. I also think just drawing a single spell for Arcane would be more balanced.
Couldn't find the inspiration earlier this week, so I snuck this in at the last moment.
Remember, we're looking for increased costs - changing a card completely, even into one that costs more, wouldn't count for this prompt.
Didn't notice this part until it was too late, so I hope it still counts since it still increases the cost required for the Battlecry and doesn't transform them in-hand.
"Immune for 1 turn" lasts until the start of next turn, which I don't think is intended. It should be replaced with "Immune this turn" or Divine Shield.
Right now it would be a guaranteed 5 minion damage (+ 5 minion/face damage if you got the HK on the previous turn) + a 5/1 Charge.
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I'm just not sure which idea to submit now... Charon is also being well-received, but I still like how clean and simple Fierce Cub is.
My idea with the Cub was that it gets a bit too reckless, but as long as it manages to get a clean kill, it can return to the safety of the pack (It makes sense in my head and many cards are a bit far-fetched). It also fits the expansion better. But I understand if others disagree with that first point and apparently there's a lot of love for HP Mage. I'm just a bit scared most voters will find Charon too complex to do well in the comp.
I personally prefer Sunfire, because I love the Arcane school and this card totally fits its resourcefulness. I also think both cards are well-balanced.
Demonxc95
Your first card might be a little too complex to do well.
For the cost-reduction I'd say 4 Mana. It punishes using many small minions in your deck and at 5 Attack, the effect is quite difficult to pull off.
linkblade91
I Like the Elementals & spells synergy. Those always compliment each other well. What would the Tokens' costs be, though? Does it copy the destroyed minions' costs, or use Cost = (Attack + Health) / 2 rounded down?
grumpymonk
I particularly like how Vendetta combines multiple keywords, giving it stacking effects. Though it definitely needs a name change.
DestroyeR
Getting Health after attacking will always feels a little odd. And considering you won't be able to get the effect until the turn after playing this, it would probably be fine as a 3-cost. Also, don't forget that Attack is only more valuable than Health if the minion can attack afterwards.
R
Solid card. The art seems fine . The white background helps because many Alterac cards are set in the snow. I think it gives aggro decks some nice minion-removal without sacrificing face damage.
Come to think of it, Honorable Kill cards could really inspire some more use of Animated Broomstick in decks.
Another crazy idea, but for this prompt I obviously wanted something unique.
Effectively gives you a Shifting Scroll that costs durability to cast. You can choose to attack and cast the spell; or save your durability. Kept it at 3 Mana because it has a slow payoff and is subject to RNG (for both spells and targets), but 4 would also be reasonable.
Otherwise, i'd go with the first one. "to equal" seems like an odd phrasing for Hearthstone and the third option changes its effect.
It doesn't, the counter was meant for uses. But I think there just isn't enough space to make its effect clear, so maybe sticking to the Objective layout is the best.
Sadly this removes the Arcane synergy I'm so fond of. I want it to be a 2-cost, since I think people underestimate how lucrative getting to choose your cards is, while it guarantees 2 draws and should only be worth including if you have extra card draw. It even supports cards like Refreshing Spring Water in decks that also use a few minions. Although I'd like to know which effect, cost and name you guys prefer?
Seems like there's plenty inspiration to go around this week.
Wave of Ooze is okay, but I feel like it should really belong to Warlock or Warrior.
Sigil of Momentum is my favorite. It's quite unique and doesn't seem OP, since you have to pay upfront.
Icewing Bunker is definitely more original, but I'm not sure how to balance its cost.
Buried in Ice is simple, but still a good option.
I'm not sure how I feel about Pacifism. I know Druid uses Taunt, but they also have a lack of removals and I'm not sure how often the draw will be worth it. I also don't like that it affects your opponent, which should probably make it a 1-cost.
A daring 0-cost. It fits Arcane's resourcefulness perfectly. Normally it would be a bit unconventional, which is how I got the inspiration for this prompt.
Works like Tracking, but you'll have to get the draw yourself. The counter shows how many uses it gives and how many have already triggered.
I like Yrel. Her effect is very original as well as useful, but if you control no other minions, she can wipe the enemy board. I'm assuming she doesn't count towards comparing minion numbers, since y'know… she dead. I guess she can't kill more than one minion with 2 or less Attack, but as a large removal, she probably needs to be a 6-cost.
I agree the weapon was a bad idea. New card:
Keeping the same mechanic, but putting it on a Rush minion. Added an Overkill to keep the value of high Attack against smaller minions.
Wow, I can't believe I won! Thanks for the support everyone! I believe this means I get to decide on a prompt. Do I just PM it to ShadowsOfSense?
Immediately thought of Unleash the Hounds! and decided I wanted to make a Hunter card.
That being said, the Prime effect isn't very interesting to me. It already exists on Ysera the Dreamer and why Dream cards? Isn't Xavius suppose to be on the opposite side?
However, I just don't think it's very appealing. It's effectively a hard reset, which makes the match progress very slowly and will remove the advantage of any extra mana crystals Druid is so fond of getting.
I'm not sure that's what's going on here. I encourage you to keep the original Battlecry. It turned a strong summon into a perhaps even more powerful destruction. It fits the prompt perfectly, turning the effect around in a evil and (often) profitable way, similar to Circus Medic. I should have mentioned this in my original feedback, but my feedback tends to get pretty long, so I often focus on improvements.
I enjoy cards that are a bit more out there and have unique effects. Those cards do make it to the finals, but in my experience, it tends to be the saver (whatever that means) cards that win. But I don't think you should let that limit your creativity. And most certainly don't mistake your own creativity for ego.
I don't like Fever Dream. It just feels like on-curve damage with extra steps and it's kinda boring, since it doesn't interact with the board. You should probably go with Nightmare Lord Xavius instead, since it gives your opponent the opportunity to minimize the damage making it much more interactive.
That being said, it is a tech card and doesn't seem too game-changing, so I think it'd be more fitting in Neutral.
Maybe make the stacking effect only count for the next time you use your Hero Power. Then the normal one could upgrade it wherever you summon a minion and the Corrupted whenever ANY minion dies (since that includes the ones you summon that should be somewhat of an upgrade). It's possibly too weak, but it's just an example to give an idea of what I'm talking about while still staying true to the flavor of your card.
Gotta admire the use of Corrupt on a Hero card, though.
Thank you, linkblade, for the thorough explanation. I don't know much about WoW lore myself, except the bits and pieces I get from Hearthstone. I believe this should be on-theme:
The idea behind it is that the Emerald Nightmare starts these outgrowths on some of the roots of the World Tree, which is taxing on the nature around it. In practice, it's a control tool that punishes decks that rely too heavily on extra card draw.
I hope everyone here has had (or is having, depending on timezones) a pleasant Christmas and of course good luck to the other finalists.
I'll specify that it adds one copy to your deck, but I think I'll keep 'duplicate' as-is, since that's how the Highlander cards also phrase it.
I'm a big fan of these, but afraid you currently won't want to play them, because they're expensive and the Deathrattle will take a while to be effective. I enjoy the on-draw effect, but they simply work better with Battlecries. I'm also not entirely happy about the 'Fireball in the face' on the Fire form. I think giving it AOE would probably fix the 'let's just put this in my aggro deck and not worry about getting the Deathrattle'.
If you do intend to give them names, may I suggest giving them a single name (because they are reincarnations of each other) and adding something along the lines of ", Fire Form" and ", Ice Form".
I was expecting to see festive/wintery cards for this comp, so those might get bonus points from me.
I'm a big fan of the Combo, but I do feel like 8 damage is a tad much. 6 would probably be fine. I know it doesn't double +Spell Damage that way, but that seems less important on cards that already deal quite some damage.
I also don't like how the effect is phrased. 'Deals' should probably be 'Deal' and the 'double damage' not specifically referring to the 4 damage feels weird to me, although I won't deduct for it.
Hail Storm is nice. The Combo makes sense to me and fits the art. But would maybe be fine as a 4-cost.
Right now you'll always want to wait keep it until you want to use Flamestrike or have Lethal, so you might consider reducing the costs permanently. A 2 or 3 Mana reduction would work well because you get two powerful spells in any case, but you can also get your Mana back.
That being said, your first idea really didn't fit Druid, but your new idea is quite nice. I particularly like how the combo doesn't just duplicate the minion, but its effect as well. It's not something Druid has really done before, but still feels like it fits Druid's identity, which I enjoy. Balance looks good to me.
Equilibrium doesn't have an effect if you play it without the conditions, which I don't think should ever really happen. And its effects are quite boring. Kirin Tor Prodigy is far more interesting, but feels unbalanced. Even though you won't be able to play it on-curve, it can still give a lot of value and should probably be a 3-cost. I also think just drawing a single spell for Arcane would be more balanced.
I really like the art and the halo makes it somewhat holy, but let me know if it's too fiery.
Got a feeling this art will be overused.
He knows exactly what you want. But no sneaking in extra Legendaries, he's checked your deck twice!
Remember, we're looking for increased costs - changing a card completely, even into one that costs more, wouldn't count for this prompt.
Didn't notice this part until it was too late, so I hope it still counts since it still increases the cost required for the Battlecry and doesn't transform them in-hand.
I'll see what happens.
Good luck everyone!
Right now it would be a guaranteed 5 minion damage (+ 5 minion/face damage if you got the HK on the previous turn) + a 5/1 Charge.
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I'm just not sure which idea to submit now... Charon is also being well-received, but I still like how clean and simple Fierce Cub is.
My idea with the Cub was that it gets a bit too reckless, but as long as it manages to get a clean kill, it can return to the safety of the pack (It makes sense in my head and many cards are a bit far-fetched). It also fits the expansion better. But I understand if others disagree with that first point and apparently there's a lot of love for HP Mage. I'm just a bit scared most voters will find Charon too complex to do well in the comp.
For the cost-reduction I'd say 4 Mana. It punishes using many small minions in your deck and at 5 Attack, the effect is quite difficult to pull off.
Come to think of it, Honorable Kill cards could really inspire some more use of Animated Broomstick in decks.