v1.6.3: No new keyword this patch

Patch is not out yet, posting early for feedback as I make changes.

This update is mostly here to begin the base set, and migrate to the new ability infrastructure. With better AI, some card evaluations also changed, so I've rebalanced a few cards according to what the new AI is telling me.

This patch also features flavor/reminder text on cards.

Base Set Changes

Titan (A12) 6/26 -> 7/21

This one is a change not motivated by balance, but by design. Back in swfmancer, pretty much every class had a 6 attack card, usually costing 8 mana, establishing 6 attack to be where creatures cap out. Tank (Mech) and Greater Lich (Death), Angel of War (Paladin), Archangel (Cleric) etc. all had 6 attack.

Meanwhile, Titan's 26 hp was not out of place, with the elementals at 24, Dragon at 26, earth elemental at 29. The statline has been updated to make it reflect modern design better, and make it easier to balance damage vs destroy based removal spells.

Hydra: 2/19 -> 2/20

Hydra has been underperforming in the stats. I want to give it a buff before trying anything more radical.

E5 has been underperforming in the stats. I've replaced a FWA managen die with FWAE for p1, and two FWAE dice with FWAEE for p2. For consistency, I also replaced the F die as p2 W5 with a FE die.

In summary, the managen table now looks like this:

What's happening in Aether

While the jury is still out on Darksteel Piston, the cheap Quintessence is clearly in Resto color pie. Quintessence is thus now Resto, with its cost lowered from 6 to 5.

I've also added a modal Quintessence of Sorts:

Darksteel Beacon (Restorer 7)

R: +5 life.

Magnetic. Indestructible.

0/5

Evoker gets a new toy, a clear knock-off of A5:

Perma-Fence (Evoker 5)

! Modify opponent with -3 regeneration.

0/15

Ritual of Glory had been replaced by Ritual of Fibonacci. It has the extremely significant upside of costing 8 aether rather than 9. In exchange, this core is a [41] rather than a [44], and multiplies charges by 1.618 (rounded) at the end of turn, rather than 2. This change is meant to allow more time to react post-ritual and encourage more interactive gameplay. The new ritual is in fact a bit weaker, (would be same power at [44]), but all of this is due to an AI improvement with it. Formerly, the AI would think its maximum useful aether is the highest cost aether card it has, which is less then 8, and proceed to promptly waste its aether before reaching the ritual.

Playing with Shrapnel a bit more, here's another creature, inspired by the hearthstone creature of the same name.

Meteorologist (Illusionist 5)

! Store shrapnel equal to your highest mana.

3/13

And finally, it gets its own rune as well.

Rune of Shrapnel [Illusionist -9]

R: Store 1 shrapnel.

Chain Reaction (Banisher 4)

! Attack all creatures.

+1 power per creature.

4*

Another balance pass over the cards:

Graveyard [37] -> [42], unloads at most 2 skeletons per turn.

Turn, Rank 4: Life Adjustment -1 -> -4

Machine Turret: 1/19x2 -> 1/16x2

Chain Darts, Rank 2/3/4/5/6/7: Life Adjustment -1/0/0/0/0/0 -> -1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2

end of patch notes