Balance Update – Core Set Refresh Mar 17

Hey mortals, IMBryn here. 

Core Set Refresh cards are pretty strong, hey? Too strong in some cases. We’ve got a bevy of nerfs in this patch, as the first set of changes to this set are intended to directly address the overbearing dominance of Card Draw Magic decks (which, as the name suggests, focuses on drawing cards to control the board). But there’s Light at the end of the tunnel, as we also want to bring the golden domain up to par. Outside of this, we’ve proactively changed a few cards that were likely to cause trouble in a less Magic-dominated landscape.

Card buffs

Vexing Vicar – Strength increased.

• Changed stats from 0/1 to 1/1.

Shieldbearer – Strength increased.

• Changed stats from 0/1 to 1/1.

Aging Veteran – Mana cost reduced.

• Changed mana cost from 2 to 1.

Card nerfs

Wyrmbreath – Damage reduced.

• Changed damage from 6 to 5.

Leyhoard Hatchling – Mana cost increased.

• Changed mana cost from 8 to 10.
• Changed text from “Each turn, set this creature's mana cost to 8 minus the number of cards in your hand. Roar: Deal 4 damage.”
  to
  ”Each turn, set this creature's mana cost to 10 minus the number of cards in your hand. Roar: Deal 4 damage.”

Runed Asp – Stats increased. Deadly removed.

• Changed stats from 1/1 to 2/3.
• Changed text from “Deadly. Afterlife: Both players unlock a mana lock.”
  to
  ”Afterlife: Both players unlock a mana lock.”

Team: Although it feels odd for us to remove deadly from a snake, the Half Life / Runed Asp combo was too big a threat to ignore. Perhaps the Asp has been defanged?

Parthene Recruiter – Changed text.

• Changed text from “When a character is healed, summon a 2/2 Acolyte.”
  to
  ”Once per turn, summon a 2/2 Acolyte after a character is healed.”

Crystal Rain – Mana cost increased.

• Changed mana from 4 to 5.

Faithbreaker – Strength reduced.

• Changed stats from 4/4 to 1/4.

Managarmr, Moon Hound – Text changed.

• Changed text from “Confused. After this creature attacks, refresh three mana.”
  to
  “Confused. After this creature attacks, refresh one mana.”

Screams In The Night – Mana cost increased.

• Changed from 2 mana to 3 mana.

Ronellan Sparrow – Health reduced.

• Changed from 2/2 to 2/1.

Sound of Drums – Mana cost increased.

• Changed from 3 mana to 4 mana.

Penthesilean Warrior – Health reduced.

• Changed stats from 2/3 to 2/2.

Card changes

Prayer of the Desperate – Mana cost increased. Condition removed.

• Changed mana cost from 4 to 5.
• Changed text from “Each of your creatures with strength 2 or less get +2/+2.”
  to
  ”Each of your creatures get +2/+2.”

City Planner – Decoupled from Core set card “Rampart”.

• Changed text from “Roar: Summon two 1/4 Ramparts.”
  to
  ”Roar: Summon two 1/4 City Walls.” 
• New child card (using Rampart art) City Wall, 1/4 Frontline. Can’t Attack.

Team: To prevent any potential future changes to Rampart (not that we’re planning any) from affecting City Planner, we’ve decoupled the cards and created a new uncollectible called City Wall that is a reprint of Rampart for City Planner to summon.

Bug fixes

• Ladon, Uclid Dragon – Did not count spells and relics when reducing mana cost of Dragon cards in hand. This is now fixed.
• Raving Necromancer – Could raise the player’s health above 30HP. This is no longer the case. 
• Living Container – Could cause desync if it had been pulled to hand before getting destroyed.
• Static Aetherbug – Fixed a bug causing a delay to VFX.
• Parthene Recruiter – Fixed a bug causing a delay to VFX.
• Pyreshell Beetle – After attacking a creature, Pyreshell Beetl’s regen amount would set back to 1. This is now fixed.
• The combination of Eldritch Demonologist, Daemonic Offering, and Lysander’s Mercy were causing issues. This is now fixed.
• Catapult – Couldn’t deal damage to gods. This is now fixed.
• Sand Scorpion – Was not counting as an Anubian tribe card. This has been fixed.
• Ogre Archer – Was not counting as a Guild tribe card. This has been fixed.
• Nightveiled Impsqueezer – Was not counting as a Nether tribe card. This has been fixed.
• Svart Basilisk – Was not counting as a Wild tribe card. This has been fixed.
• Asterius, Glittering One – Was not counting as an Aether tribe card. This has been fixed.
• Morgana's Grimoire – Art updated.
• Demetrios, Playwright – Upgraded versions of Final Draft were retaining modifications to their mana cost. This has now been fixed.
• The delve tooltip will now appear on all Core cards with delve.
• If two creatures had the same mana, strength, and health, the left-most creature was also being chosen for strongest/weakest randomized interaction. This is now fixed.
• In some instances, Blessed cards with an effect were resolving out of order.