The Patch According to Discord: 0.2.9

Introduction

Welcome to the third Patch According to Discord post. Like the Meta According to Discord, this is a crowdsourced endeavour from various players of mostly a fairly high level; thanks to everyone who filled out my survey.

How It Works

I asked respondents to rate changes that weren’t clearly direct buffs on a three point “scale”: “Buffed”, “Nerfed”, or “Situational”, and requested a comment (especially for “situational” responses).

For the buffed or nerfed cards, I asked respondents to rate the changes from “Not Impactful” to “Impactful”, on a scale of 0-3.

The Fun Factor is a rating on a scale from 1-5 whether the change makes the game more or less fun to play overall. I’ve included quartiles to give an idea of how the mean is influenced by outliers who love or hate the change.

For the faction standings, I asked players to rank the factions from best to worst, allowing ties if they felt they were equivalent. I then averaged the rank assigned to each faction and ranked the average. There are other ways of interpreting the data, which might produce different results, but this is close enough.

Faction Standings

Due to increased volume of responders, many of whom I have never spoken to, never seen on ladder, and never seen in tournaments, and a non-zero number of responders apparently ranking factions in reverse order, I felt obliged to produce two lists here: One with coarse weights allocated to players based on their usual performance (frequent high S rank, tournament wins, extensive practice, and so on), and one without anything like that. Due to how close many of the results were, I’ve included their numeric position this time around.

Weighted Roughly By Responder Skill Level (Guessing)

1. Lyonar (Position 1.43)
2. Songhai (Position 1.79)
3. Magmar (Position 3.23)
4. Vanar (Position 3.41)
5. Abyssian (Position 3.58)
6. Vetruvian (Position 3.67)

Unweighted

1. Lyonar (Position 1.91)
2. Songhai (Position 2.07)
3. Vanar (Position 3.16)
4. Vetruvian (Position 3.56)
5. Magmar (Position 3.69)
6. Abyssian (Position 3.94)

Summary Infographics

Courtesy of the excellent ZeroUnderscoreOu, there are some visual representations of the faction standings and the fun factor of all the changes. Many many thanks! Click to enlarge. There is no visualisation for the impact of the buffs, as if you consult the Table of Contents you will see that there were only two. Feel free to imagine them on an axis if you wish.

Breakdown

Reworks

Celestial Phantom

3 Mana 1/5 After this damages an enemy minion, destroy that minion. ➝ 2 Mana 0/3 Opening Gambit: This gains +1/+0 for each card in your action bar.

Buffed (22): Most comments revolved around the fact that old Celestial Phantom was never played. Most also suggested that this still won’t see play, since it’s competing with high-power in-faction Songhai 2 drops like Tusk Boar, Chakri Avatar, and Kaido Assassin. It may offer some support for an Ancestral Divination Minionhai list, although that archetype is still lacking other support and heavily outclassed by Spellhai.

Situational (6): While the card is stronger as an isolated play, it misses its old niche (such as it was) being played with Inner Focus or as a peculiar form of the hard removal Songhai desperately lacks, aside from Onyx Bear Seal.

Nerfed (4): Previously, Celestial Phantom had a unique purpose even if it wasn’t very good and wasn’t playable. It now has no unique purpose, is still vulnerable to dispel, and is still unlikely to be playable due to being crowded out of the mana cost.

Additional note: Many people felt that while the power level is increased, the design is less interesting and it’s something of a loss to the game to have changed it.

Overall: Overwhelmingly Buffed, but it doesn’t matter

Fun Factor: 2.84 (Median 3, 1st Quartile 2, 3rd Quartile 3.75)

Hexblade

When your General damages a minion, set that minion’s Attack to 1. ➝ When your General damages an enemy, set that enemy’s Attack to 1 until your next turn.

Buffed (21): Reducing General attack is mildly useful and may have fringe uses with Sand Howler to hit face without losing durability. The debuff being temporary isn’t the biggest deal, since most things you hit with a Hexblade die anyway. Most responders noted that while this is a buff, it’s really a very small one.

Situational (11): Hexblade isn’t really something you plan to hit face with anyway (if you want to hit face, Staff of Y’kir is 2 mana for 2 damage, which is more efficient), so the buff isn’t much help, but you’re still losing the ability to hit a beefy minion and then ignore it. Hexblade is also just awkward to play in general, so changing it changes little.

Nerfed (1): It’s not as good at dealing with big threats, which is a problem given that it’s too expensive to run in aggro lists.

Overall: Mostly Buffed, but it also doesn’t really matter

Fun Factor: 3.4375 (Median 3, 1st Quartile 3, 3rd Quartile 4)

Gloomchaser

2/2 Opening Gambit: Summon a Wraithling on a random nearby space. ➝ 3/1 Opening Gambit: Summon a Wraithling behind this.

Buffed (15): 3/1 as a statline is capable of taking much better trades than 2/2. The controlled spawn means you can always plan around what you get.

Situational (6): The Wraithling always spawning at the back makes it better positioned to maintain a bit of board control if/when the Gloomchaser dies. 3/1 dying to pings doesn’t hurt that much if everything else in your deck dies to pings too.

Nerfed (12): 3/1 as a statline dies to pings, which is a massive tempo loss if it’s your T1 play and their T2 play is Bloodtear Alchemist + 2 drop or Bloodtear Alchemist + 3 drop. Backward is probably an aggressive swarm deck’s least favourite spawn position. It also can’t be played in front of your general, which is especially awkward as Player 2, since it means you can’t play it as your first 2 drop on the mana tile.

Additional note: The people who felt it was nerfed apparently felt more strongly than those voting for buffed, based on commentary.

Overall: Mixed (Slightly Positive)

Fun Factor: 3.22 (Median 3, 1st Quartile 2.75, 3rd Quartile 4)

Black Solus

5 Mana 5/7 When you summon a Wraithling, this gains +2/+2. ➝ 4 Mana 6/4 Dying Wish: Fill your action bar with Wraithlings.

Buffed (9): The Wraithlings, as 0 cost 1/1s, are brilliant ramp fodder for Darkfire Sacrifice, removal tools with Ritual Banishing, or range extenders with Nightsorrow Assassin or Spectral Revenant. The only other comments justifying it as buffed: “Cool”, “Wraithlings op”, “Don’t know what deck it should go in but seems strong”. I’m not sure what to make of those. #2 may have done the same thing as many people and assumed it was Opening Gambit.

Situational (12): It’s not a 5/7 without text if you don’t have support for it, and at 4 mana it’s not too bad at 6/4. With proper followups (Aphotic Devourer, Deathfire Crescendo, and so on), it can produce some powerful snowballs, but those followups are weak to dispel. It can now be played naked without being a complete waste of potential. Also, it’s basically just a new card. It’s hard to call it “better” or “worse”. It may have a lot of potential to do cool things, but it’s still probably lower power.

Nerfed (11): Solus was previously a midgame, scaling, threat that resisted board clears, which it no longer does. Its new niche competes with Bloodmoon Priestess as a Wraithling generator. At 4 health, it’s far, far more easily cleared than at 7 health, and Abyssian struggles for resilient minions. Solus represented a valuable budget win condition for newer players, who tend to be immediately drawn to the clear Swarm Abyssian synergies. Because it fills your hand after you draw at the end of turn, you cannot possibly get more than 4 Wraithlings from it, and that’s only if you empty your hand; it will usually give you fewer, even as few as one.

Overall: Mixed (Hard to Say)

Fun Factor: 3.16 (Median 3, 1st Quartile 2, 3rd Quartile 4)

Blazing Spines

3 Mana -> 1 Mana

Frigid Spines: 3/3 -> 3/1

Buffed (28): 1 mana is not a lot of mana to invest into this, which is good, as it offsets the ease of removal. It goes very well with Borean Bear at this price. The stat efficiency is extremely high, if you can place them usefully, and they have some shenanigans potential with Spirit of the Wild. They can also be used as an easy range extender to take mana tiles and activate Infiltrate, so it matters less if they die when you have the position.

Situational (1): Limited comment.

Nerfed (3): “Dies to Spirit Harvester”, “because it’s 1 health”, no comment.

Overall: Overwhelmingly Buffed

Fun Factor: 3.62 (Median 4, 1st Quartile 3, 3rd Quartile 4)

Mesmerize

Deal 2 damage to enemies on a row and Stun them if they are minions. ➝ Deal 3 damage to enemy minions in a column and Stun them.

Buffed (28): It’s like Lasting Judgement, except an area of effect, without the downside (although it does proc “on damage” triggers). Or Phoenix Fire, but AoE and it doesn’t hit the enemy General. 3 damage is a big step up from 2, as it clears most played 2 drops and opens up more use cases in general. It’s potentially a lot of value for only 2 mana. Although it’s not a buff, hitting columns is cute and plays nicely with Vanar identity.

Situational (3): Missing out on hitting face is a loss for aggro decks, and Vanar has a lot of efficient 2 mana removal, so this may still not make the cut in slower decks. Columns are technically a smaller area than rows, and missing rows also means it punishes Silithar Elder and Gloomchaser less, and loses synergy with Dancing Blades (playing around Blades played into row Mesmerize). Though it’s efficient, it’s still going to be awkward to target and somewhat easily played around, especially not hitting the General.

Nerfed (1): Not hitting the General any more and having awkward targeting puts it in a very odd niche.

Overall: Overwhelmingly Buffed, but with some reservations

Fun Factor: 3.61 (Median 4, 1st Quartile 3, 3rd Quartile 4)

White Widow

When you replace a card, deal 2 damage split randomly among enemies. ➝ When you replace a card, deal 1 damage to the enemy General and 1 damage to a random enemy minion.

Buffed (1): It loses highroll potential, but having more consistent behaviour makes it… well, more consistent.

Situational (1): It has more consistent behaviour, but can’t be used to aggressively push face damage after clearing minions.

Nerfed (31): It’s much less likely to completely board clear (by sending both pings to minions), and usually you want to damage minions. Equally, if you want to hit the General, like against Spellhai (and especially with an artefact equipped), it’s still less useful.

Additional note: Basically everyone appreciated or understood the nerf, and several people commented on how elegant it is. Especially in contrast to Glacial Elemental.

Overall: Overwhelmingly Nerfed

Fun Factor: 3.91 (Median 4, 1st Quartile 4, 3rd Quartile 5)

Buffs

Portal Guardian

0/7 ➝ 1/7

If you don’t have a snowball available or your snowball is reset by dispel, it’s now far, far better. It’s also much more playable in the case that you have to play it naked to try not to lose too much tempo. It was already one of Vetruvian’s strongest cards, so making it even stronger is mildly terrifying. A lot of confusion as to why Portal Guardian was buffed, rather than a less played or less playable Vetruvian card.

Average rating: 2.21, “Significantly Impactful” (Median 2, Mode 2)

Fun Factor: 3.28 (Median 4, 1st Quartile 2.75, 3rd Quartile 4)

Earth Sphere

Heal your General for 8. -> Heal your General for 9.

The overall opinion was somewhere between “this changes nothing” and “decks that play Earth Sphere will benefit very marginally; decks that do not, will continue not to”.

Average rating: 0.67, “Not Impactful”

Fun Factor: 2.77 (Median 3, 1st Quartile 2.5, 3rd Quartile 3)

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all the people who contributed:

.	.	.	.	.
krackocloud	Smarty	Zohan	Chocob0	calvin
Jay	Decoy	Fafares	Kieran	Navy Seagull
GoblinWarBuggy	ZeroUnderscoreOu	Nangert	coats	Paralykeet
johnsmith	EurasianJay	BaldEaglePC	ItsJustCosmic	Dylicious
Heron Crane	Cheridan	abracadani	Illus	And 11 anonymous respondents.

Hot Takes

To introduce some entertainment value, I have procured some specimens of the fieriest opinions respondents felt they held. Feel free to take them up with them on Discord.

Take	Owner
I’d like to see Auroras Tears reworked to be more generally useful and less win-moar.	Paralykeet
Haters gonna hate, I think the devs are doing a good job	BaldEaglePC
Spirit Harvester did nothing wrong.	ItsJustCosmic
Earth sphere is a fun card that has a solid place in magmar makes me happy to use	Dylicious
Gloomchaser goes in creep now	Smarty
White chocolate is the best	Anon
Jaxi is overrated – PSYCH (he DMed me to retract it)	Calvin
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a clunky, boring game that disrespect’s the player’s time.	Cheridan
Divhai is baller 🏀	GoblinWarBuggy
Game is fun	Zohan
Songhai only needs one more cheap damage dealing card, to make Storm Kage good enough to be complained about.	Illus
Buff Suntide Maiden	Anon
the arbitrary “no nerfs” rule is clearly not working very well and looking at what the comunity wants is really important. As a game dev of a game that people paid money to in the KS, game health and community input is more important than protecting your personal favorite cards/factions. Also new player experience is REALLY important and the care is not really being given to it. Sorry if that sounds harsh but it’s really the impression that it gives sometimes…	Fafares
What sets Duelyst apart from other card battlers is its revolutionary grid system. I would love to see the developers prioritise strategies that work with this system rather than against it. Spellhai and Tempo Lyonar, both of which rely heavily on the effects of cards played from hand, happen to be the two most consistent and effective strategies. The game will reach its full potential, both in fun and in balance, when board-based synergies are brought up to par.	Heron Crane

Harvester Jumpscare

Spirit Harvester was mentioned 0 times in the patch notes and 8 times in the survey responses.

Did you find the Spirit Harvester?