With Audio Amplifier going out with the next expansion now is the perfect time to look at new cards to play with hand size. On the same token I’ve noticed that there’s alot of cool potential with Velen but to benefit from a ‘large’ Velen is to battle with your hand size. To make things worse Velen’s deathrattle goes in a very random order (I think it should be done in order played or perhaps by mana cost but that’s another discussion). Because of this I would like to suggest a new card in keeping with the draenei theming based on Samaara, Yrel’s Sister.
I don’t know what cost or stats would be appropriate but I think it could be both powerful and fun to have an effect as follows.
“Battlecry: Increase your maximum mana by 1. For the rest of the game your hand size is equal to your maximum mana.”
I think this could be a fun card with unique interactions. Firstly it would be very potent for druid and warrior who can ramp beyond 10 mana which may seem weird but I think. With both classes losing meta-defining archetypes next year this could be a new way to add some power. As a neutral card it affords an opportunity for other classes if they can somehow get access to ramp to go beyond Audio Amplifiers power.
This part may be controversial but I believe she should be relatively low cost with low stats. (4 mana 3/3 maybe? This may actually seem -high- but I believe history has shown Rest of Game effects can be quite potent as shown by Brann’s 8 mana cost as a 2/4). Because of the potential to shine in Druid I think it should be appropriate that players could ‘self-sabotage’ with oaken summons in the same deck for conscientious deckbuilding. Beyond that, because of the card’s wording there is a drawback to playing it early. If your hand size already exceeds your max mana (Say you play her on turn 4 or coin her out on 3, and your hand size is 5-6. Just as Samaara is taken through a void portal by Nerzhul in the Warlords of Draenor expansion the Shadowmoon Chieftain will take your extra cards to Shaz’gul destroying them from right to left until you have the appropriate number of cards.)
This is just my humble idea and more than anything the biggest message I hope to get across is I find it fun when Blizzard plays with hand size mechanics and I hope to see more of it in the future!
doesn’t this set my maximum mana(for a non druid/warrior) to 11 so would also set my maximum hand size to 11(not my current mana crystal) and wouldn’t this mean if I play her after guff my mana and hand size are 21?
take into account this game is designed to function as a mobile game I think a maximum hand size like that would be unbearable, also some degenerate combo shenanigans’ or just using tolin golblet into golden kobold for massive number of legendary in hand for druid might be too much
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sounds like a druid card that would just be annoying with guff how the heck would they show 20 cards in hand anyway lol or 26 or however many they can get now.
That’s a good point, I was mostly thinking in regards to standard. Maybe a limit? Equal to mana up to X? Personally I’d like to see at least 13 (In keeping with the theming of hand size and mana crystals and 13 being the result of a single New Heights) and this would go at least one card higher than the warlock legendary iirc.
Your max mana would go up by one as per the first half of Druid’s “New Heights” spell but unlike the spell you wouldn’t gain an empty mana crystal. But you’re right I did word it poorly I meant to say something like
“Battlecry: Increase your maximum mana by 1. For the rest of the game your hand size is equal to your maximum available mana.”
The wording is admittedly a bit tricky because this new language implies it might interact with Overload in a negative way, which I’m not sure if that would be a good idea. What I -do- think is a good idea though is for it to interact with cards like Mana Burn and Doomkin, creating a neat weakness or interactibility. I hope even though I’m struggling to find a concise wording that could be printed on a card that at least for right this moment you’re understanding my intention for it?
Alternative phrasings might be
“equal to your mana.” but this implies spending mana lowers your hand size
“equal to your current maximum mana.” the ‘current’ modifier feels like it adds some clarity but falls short.
“equal to your available mana crystals.” this might work but but like the first one in this post I worry ‘available’ implies that empty mana crystals or overloaded mana crystals don’t count.
Addendum:
Wanted to add the reason it’s such a wordy card and the reason I think it’d be fun to tie hand size and mana crystals in this way is that “Rest of Game” effects have been such an infamous sign of the Hearthstone Power Creep and asides from prohibitive mana costs and poor stat blocks there’s very few ways to interact with them (asides from a good dirty rat). The wording at least insofar as my intention provides a continuous avenue for counter play (perhaps more mana reducing spells could also make a return to standard in the future.)
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