[Suggestion] Attack, Soldier! creates random attacks rather than always Bludgeon

It's a little boring that Attack, Soldier! always creates Bludgeon cards. Would be fun if it created a random Melee attack of that power level - Bludgeon, Stab, or Weak Chop, for instance.

Mimetic Armor and Mimetic Crown likewise could generate random Melee or Magic attacks of the appropriate power level, to make things more interesting.

 

This isn't a bad suggestion, in theory. The problem (especially for the mimetic armors) is that the cards in question would need to state something like "a Bludgeon, Stab, or Weak Chop at random" which is a loooooot more words.

 

Push the Button / Pull the Trigger don't name the cards they can generate, and neither does the Erratic Damage ability.

 

They all refer to one or more properties which define a specific set of cards. How would you reference the three Attack cards in question?

 

They do name that it must generate a laser card. The problem with create a random D rated melee attack card is that there are so many AI only cards that it could create.
Here is the list of cards it would create: Bite, Bludgeon, Bronze Punch, Buzzsaw, Draining Touch, Hard Tin Fist, Lunging Bite, Monkey Punch, Poisoned Cut, Spear Thrust, Simple Strike, Single-head Bite, Stab, Weak Chop, and I may have missed some.

 

this is one thing I have wanted for a loooong time. I actually avoided using that card b/c of the restriction to just blunt. why couldn't it just be described as 'create random slice/stab/blunt 4 damage melee card' ? the word melee probably wouldn't be needed actually. also the words 'range 1' seem unnecessary, and could be eliminated for space too, since that will be apparent once the card is generated

 

And card quality isn't really a functional gameic element that's transparent to players... there are zero cards that refer to quality. Most players don't even know what it is (experienced players and avid forum-readers are the exception, not the rule).

You want it to generate Pulverizing Bludgeons and Impaling Stabs sometimes?

 

You have to be an experienced player or avid forum-reader to know what the options for a Malfunction are (or that three of the four are actually good things in the right context). It's not trivial to look up, either - searching for "Malfunction" on the wiki doesn't currently return anything helpful, and the entries for Major/Minor Erratic Damage don't list them out.

I'd call it a "basic Melee attack" or a "simple Melee attack," and I think that would get the message across, whether those terms are keyworded on the cards or not.

 

I just want to note that i think attack soldier is okay. I specifically relied on it being crushing damage in past decks, i imagine a randomization (of the damage type) wouldn't be welcomed by all. More or less damage, why not.

 

i never said that, nor did i imply it in my post.

instead of the current description:

"Create a Bludgeon card(4 Crushing damage, range 1) and put it in target's hand."

you could word it:
"Randomly create a 4 damage slice, stab or blunt card and put it in target's hand."

people SHOULD be able to get the idea how it would work, and the range, if they use the card even once.

fry also has a good idea.

 

There is no 4-damage chop card (unless you meant something else by 'slice'?).

 

What's stopping us from just saying generates a basic attack card and then listing in hover-text over basic attack card, 'This card can generate the following attacks: Bludgeon, Stab, or Weak Chop'.

There could be reasons for avoiding this change, but I don't see text-mechanics being the basis for it.

It'd certainly be more fun, interesting, and appeal to the human theme of versatility.

Though, flip side, there's no mechanical/balancing need for the change, either.
In fact, getting weak chop randomly will likely be a downside (to damage output) more often than not, since you won't necessarily have played with appropriate positioning in mind [on a non-chop build].

Which isn't to say there's any reason to argue against the change; just that there's not really a functional reason to argue for it, either.

That said, I'm personally always in favor of 'more interesting'

 

Although it technically goes against Card Hunter's style (stating exact info on the card), in practice it's probably easier to grok (e.g.) "weak melee attack" than it is to evaluate "random handicap" or "random boost". A set of Weak Chop / Bludgeon / Stab / Penetrating Cut adds moments of interest, slightly rewards adaptive play, and keeps play straightforward for casual players. A set of Fright / Massive Chop / Festering Guts / ... has a much higher capacity for feeling cheated ("but I didn't know this card could do that!").

 

IMHO, this adds unnecessary randomness.

 

do you really take words for such strict literal values and don't apply flexible thinking? those were generic words used to convey several types of melee attacks. i guess there is no possible way to make a CHOP card with 4 damage? what would that take? like 5 minutes of work?

well you sure convinced me with that thought provoking retort. then the other option would be to make a card for each major damage type, that is exactly the same as attack soldier. which in my opinion would be pretty redundant. but hey, we all have opinions. i like more variety, seems like others want the opposite.

 

No need to get snippy. The more precise your suggestion, the easier it is for us to know what you're asking us to do. So yes, employing the in-game terms is useful.

 

Guys, I have another possibility for the Attack, Soldier! buff/rework.

If it's used on an ally, other than yourself, it allows you to give them your attack card. Then you draw/it's cantrip/something additional. It kind of makes more sense.

 

Unfortunately, while a reasonable approach, that does very nearly duplicate Battlefield Training.

Though if Battlefield Training cards allowed you to draw a card, even with the downside of only being able to pass attacks, they'd probably see a LOT more use..


If you really wanted to make it make sense, you'd have it force the target to draw the next attack card from their deck [which could also have some interesting versatility if applied to an enemy in certain circumstances ] ;
But again, that's a notable upgrade in power.

 

This sounds even better, actually. If you don't want for it to be too much of an upgrade, then draw a card and discard it if it's not an attack card.

 

Wait, why do we want to make Attack, Soldier! better? I thought this thread was about making it less boring. It's a very good card for its quality already.