#549221
Happy Friday from the Balance Team!
This week I'm posting the Friday question, and it is about something the Balance Team often thinks about, the Ref mechanic.
In general, a lot of cards that are targeted by Ref cards are banned. And if those banned cards get errata and come back in a "safer" revision, the ref cards targeting them tend to get errata'd as well. Over time, the idea is that the need for a Ref Side Deck gets less and less as those trouble cards come off the ban list. And eventually maybe Ref cards are only needed to counter edge strategies that your specific deck can't handle.
From anecdotal evidence, I've personally seen a trend away from Ref decks when we are playing themed local "fun" tournaments, with maybe half the field not bothering to use a seed slot for it. And for some, I'd expect to see that trend continue even as we get into things like Regionals and other more competitive play. After all, if many people in a play group constantly rock a Ref deck, what's the point of bringing something that will get smacked around in at least half the games? So therefore I don't need to spend a seed slot on a ref deck...
That said, our play group is small, and doesn't often see teir-1 uber-competitive, Ref-card-counterable strategies on a given week. Online play is a different beast altogether, and every local group is different. So what do you see? What do you play?
Do you always play with Tribunal of Q, Q the Referee, and/or Ref Cards in your Tent or Civil War Tent?
Do you only bring them to "more competitive" events?
Do you pine for a world where you get seed slot(s) back?
Do you like the Rock/Scissors aspect of Ref Cards and Silver Bullets?
The Balance Team (and all the folks on the 1E development side, really) would love to hear your thoughts.
I'm looking forward to reading responses from online players, championship level players, kitchen table gamers... everyone. Thanks and have a great week!
This week I'm posting the Friday question, and it is about something the Balance Team often thinks about, the Ref mechanic.
In general, a lot of cards that are targeted by Ref cards are banned. And if those banned cards get errata and come back in a "safer" revision, the ref cards targeting them tend to get errata'd as well. Over time, the idea is that the need for a Ref Side Deck gets less and less as those trouble cards come off the ban list. And eventually maybe Ref cards are only needed to counter edge strategies that your specific deck can't handle.
From anecdotal evidence, I've personally seen a trend away from Ref decks when we are playing themed local "fun" tournaments, with maybe half the field not bothering to use a seed slot for it. And for some, I'd expect to see that trend continue even as we get into things like Regionals and other more competitive play. After all, if many people in a play group constantly rock a Ref deck, what's the point of bringing something that will get smacked around in at least half the games? So therefore I don't need to spend a seed slot on a ref deck...
That said, our play group is small, and doesn't often see teir-1 uber-competitive, Ref-card-counterable strategies on a given week. Online play is a different beast altogether, and every local group is different. So what do you see? What do you play?
Do you always play with Tribunal of Q, Q the Referee, and/or Ref Cards in your Tent or Civil War Tent?
Do you only bring them to "more competitive" events?
Do you pine for a world where you get seed slot(s) back?
Do you like the Rock/Scissors aspect of Ref Cards and Silver Bullets?
The Balance Team (and all the folks on the 1E development side, really) would love to hear your thoughts.
I'm looking forward to reading responses from online players, championship level players, kitchen table gamers... everyone. Thanks and have a great week!
Sir Dan