I agree with you about the variety and fun of CotG+RotF but i think we have too many copies of the same cards when we play 2v2. Raising the total honor is a good idea, but what do you think of playing the game with only one copy of each construct for instance ?
What do you mean 2v2? 4 player game? I don't have any issues with duplicate cards. I mean, there are certainly duplicate cards, but there is in any such game, including this one before RotF. I didn't really notice there being more duplicates showing up.
A worthy accomplishment, to be sure. But I witnessed at least one of those, and it finished with a one-point win for you only after you correctly guessed with that idiotic raven card on your very last play of the game. Otherwise, your streak doesn't exist.
Raven card is certainly the goofiest thing in the game, yes, but I don't mind it. Plus you can't just guess Apprentice. You have to take into account what cards are in your discard pile. If you've got a bunch of Apprentices in there it might not actually be the most likely card to draw. If you can hit it right a couple times in a game it's worth picking up. Plus you draw a card, so there's no harm in having it (other then initial cost). @Ashraam - I don't think having only 1 of each construct would be an improvement, but I will say that I wish some of these iOS card/board games allowed for rules variants.
I would like to add that "digging the trash" is a very good counter move when your opponent tries to barring you from getting the cards you want, especially high-honour constructs. I think power-deck is more a reality with The Fallen. I think it is the power-player's porn. You can build your own army of darkness. I know getting it does not mean a certain win but it is great fun. Speaking of fun. The Arha Sensei is a very flexible card is more than a card refresher -- I think one can switch between getting rune or power depending on the make up of the Central Row. I am not sure about the "balance" issue but with fate, the starting move can be different and the rest of the game is less predictable and there are more variations to adopt and adjust. Just my $.02. Another benefit brought by the expansion is now I get to know more players. In my book: losing < 5 points is luck, 5-15 points is technical lost and beyond that, is humiliating.... I am still losing too much.
I did get lucky with the Raven, but not because it was a wild guess. I had only one card left in my deck so I dug through my discard pile and worked out what it was
Lots of active players now =) really enjoying the real time games guys! But going in cinema soon. There's a bit of delay here
Real-time play is way more fun. So, yeah, I prefer that and really appreciate the addition of timers since it lets you find random folks who want to play the game real time... at least if they understand that 30 minutes is a chess clock, LOL. Of course it's even better with friends, except that for me most friend games end up asynch. Oh well.
Had an awesome game earlier against celeric where I killed a Samael early on. Ended up with about 5 monsters in my hand! Definitely an interesting concept. Played two monsters in one game and ended up with 11 attack!
Good game crunc. You may need to have a game plan in mind or else you'll be forever stuck picking the same average cards. Some notes I've picked up: Serpentcall is quite possibly the best unit in the game. Having 2 runes auto with the ability to acquire heroes from the void is a game changer. If it's early game, picking that over all the other cards should be priority (even over Adayu). Combos beautifully with Askara of Fate (draw two, banish center row card). Sadranis is a weak card. 7 runes to acquire a 3 power card just isn't all that good even with the void banish. It's a luxury card you can pick up if you're winning, but it's not going to turn the game in your favor. Get Mechana instead with the runes. Also annoying because you have to play it last or else the void banish goes to waste if you have power in your hand.
Whie I agree for serpent call, I avoid askara but love the stone circle. Still, I am yet busy studying the game to understand the flow and how to control it, like last time ... That means lots of errors while I try things. Also I love that new construct that gives cards, forgot the name, it makes collecting constructs soething even more strategic. Also I find that the expansion makes the beginning of the game a moment to really focus and build a deck for later use disregarding homers more than before.
Controlling the board is something you can work on, but it's also down to luck. If there are no controlling cards on the table, then you may just have to readjust and play a different game. Control usually revolves around banishing cards. Always look to have some of them, or have a more attack heavy hand. Killing monsters also gives you good board control with Mistake, Mephit, Gorph etc. Also, what's everyone's opinion on Dhartha's retreat? I've experimented a bit with it, and it doesn't seem worth it at almost any point...
That is was the previous game was also about, but there once the flow is understood ... Even luck can be a bit controlled. The new cards make the flow more complex. Banishing can be reverted. Certain cards can be balanced out. Fantastic, but that plus my not seriously playing for a long while makes my return more hard (plus my youngest son always kicking on my iPad forcing error ... Grrrrr). Dharta is such a game changing card. I love it. It is the way to avoid a fattening deck badly or when in need of higher scores for expensive cards.
I am making lots of mistakes while learning the new expansion cards, so take my opinion with several grains of salt. I have found little use for Dhartha's retreat. I'm curious whether anyone has come up with a strategy that turns it into a useful card.
As I said, when you get this construct before the flow changes (from deck building to attacking), it gives nice option of roll over to the next round without fattening your deck with useless cards or to raise further your scores in order to have a strong round. Imagine you have some silly 3/3 scores with high value cards ... play the construct instead of grabbing some useless cards or waste the round. Another use is when the cards are weak and you do not want to change that, especially if you want to defend your led. Play the construct. PS: I am also playing now for learning, hence my opinion might change overtime after many losses
