Design Challenge #1 - Attack/Block cards

So, a lot of people seem to have ideas about designing new stuff for the game - classes, races, cards, items, whatever. I figured I'd start a thread that's mostly just some fun theory crafting, since a lot of people seem to have a grasp on the game now. However, rather than just throwing anything out there, I figure I'll give a requirement (or set of requirements) for people to think about, and hopefully discuss. If people like it, I'll make more threads. I don't recall if non-beta people can read or post here, but they're welcome to. However, I think people who are in the beta have a bit more of an idea about balance. So, with all that said...

Design Challenge #1:

As far as I can tell, there is only one Attack/Block (or Red/Green, if you prefer) currently in the game - Counterspell. It looks as if there was a second (Parrying Strike), however based on the wiki it doesn't appear to be in the game anymore (all items with it are labeled removed or had their cards changed). So this challenge is pretty straight-forward - design an Attack/Block card. It can be for any class, any rarity, anything as long as it is Red/Green.

 

Reckless Swings

Melee​

Attack: 4, Range: 1​

5+ Block Melee: Deal 2 damage to attacker. You take 3 damage. This damage can not be reduced by armor. Keep​

Polearm Poke

Melee​

Attack: 4 Range: 2​

4+ Block Melee: Move back 1​

Shield Bash

Melee​

Attack: 2 Range: 1, Push Back 1​

Encumber 2​

6+ Block Any: Keep​

 

Quick Hands (Weapon lvl 7+, Gold)
Attack: 1 Range:1 Cantrip
Block Melee: 2+

Guardian Angel (Divine Item lvl 14+, Silver)
Attack: 3 Range:3
Block Any: 3+

Kick Ass (Boots lvl 11+, Gold)
Attack: 3 Range:1 Keep: 4+
Block Any: 5+. When this card successfully blocks, Slide 1.

 

What a fantastic thread idea! I eagerly await everyone's contributions here

 

Weak Riposte
Attack:2 Range:1
Block Any with damage 3 or less: 3+. When this card successfully Blocks Add 2 Damage to any other Riposte you play.

Riposte
Attack: 3 Range: 1
Block Any: 5+. When this card successfully Blocks Add 3 Damage to any other Riposte you play.

Strong Riposte
Attack: 4 Range: 1
Block Any: 4+. When this card successfully Blocks Add 4 Damage to any other Riposte you play.


You get the idea

 

Frenzied Strike
Attack: 11 Range: 1 Penetrating
Block Allied Cards: 4+. Keep

Does this count?

 

I would actually make the attack half push back 1 rather than Encumber, to make it a proper "bash" card. Probably also damage down to 2.

 

Shield bash was my first thought too, it seems a natural concept for attack-block.

Friendly Sprite
Attack 3, Range 6
3+ Block magic or projectile, draw a card.

 

Charging Cleave
Attack: 7 Range: 1 Step 5 Linear
Block any: 1+. Take 4 damage, and the attacker may draw a card.
Have you ever tried sprinting with a broadsword raised? You'll be lucky if you don't drop it on your own head.

Although Step 5 might be a little too strong even for that kind of block.

 

ooh I got one:

Flask of Acid
Attack: 3. Range: 1. Ignore Armor. Target discards all Armor cards.
Block any: 4+. Your square becomes Acid terrain. (yada yada Acid specifics) Duration 2.
Must not drop, must not drop... oh dammit!

 

Strong Parry
Block Melee 2+. Draw a card.
Attack 0. Range 1. Defender discards his oldest attack card.

Is that all you've got? Come forth and let me show you how to wield a sword!

Shattered Glass
Block Projectile or Magic 5+. Blocked attack gets reflected back at the attacker. Take 3 damage.
Attack 5. Range 3.

The power of telekinesis has proven most useful for doing dirty work from distance - including laundry and cutting orc heads.

 

here's another,

Chain Hook
Attack 2, Range 3. Move target to a square adjacent to you.
5+ Block melee attack targeting you or an ally within 3 squares. Attacker must discard a random card.

 

Forbidden Spell
Attack: 5 Range: 5
You cannot play this spell if it is the only card in your hand. Discard another random card in your hand. Keep
Block any: 4+. Discard your hand. Take 2 damage, plus 2 for each card discarded this way.
This spell is so insideous, it will consume the other thoughts and ideas in your mind to keep powering itself. Be warned; if you lose your concentration when casting it, the result will be disastrous.

 

Spatial Rift
Attack 4 Range 1 Trade places with the target.
Block Magic/Ranged 2+, Trade places with the attacker. They are targeted by the attack instead.

Lead With Your Head
Attack 6 Range 1
Block Melee 1+ Take 6 damage, discard your oldest card.

 

Arcane Burst
Magic, Arcane
Attack: 4 Range: 3, All characters within 2 squares of target suffer 2 arcane damage.
Block Magic or Projectile 2+: All characters within 2 squares suffer 2 arcane damage.
Yeah, perhaps it was a bit much but I really hate misquotes!

Anti-Magic Field
Magic
Attack: 10 Range: 2, Hard to block 2. You may not play a Magic card other than Anti-Magic Field.
4+ Block Magic: Discard all Magic cards. Attacker discards all Magic cards.
Magic is a wondrous thing. Just when you think you have it mastered, it changes the rules.

Force Burst
Magic, Arcane
All adjacent characters take 2 damage and Slide Back 1.
3+ Block melee: Attacker Slide Back 2.
Leverage also applies to magic.

Conundrum
Magic
Range: 4, Stun, Duration 1.
2+ Block any: You suffer Stun, Duration 1.
Egg! No, chicken. Wait...

 

Flash Bang
Projectile ( Warrior item )
Range: 4, Attack: 1, Burst: 1
4+ Block Magic
Fuze M-201A1 IW 7-070 M-84

 

The attack part of this card should create a small 3x3 smoke tileset.

My ideas:

Fragile Sharp Sword (gold)
Range: 1 Attack: 11
3+ block any.
It's sharp, really sharp... just don't drop it!

Rebound Bash (silver)
Range: 1 Attack: 6, Bash, slides target 1 away from you.
4+ block any, attack suffers two damage and is moved away one square.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Unstable Strike (silver)
Range: 1 Attack: 3, On successful hit, target must discard their oldest block card.
2+ block melee, Lose your oldest attack card.
Be wary of your anger... it is equally your friend and foe.

Burdensome Curse (Grey)
Burdensome Curse cannot be discarded.
Encumber: 2, Range: 4, Attack: 2, On successful hit, burdensome curse is put into another player's hand.
5+ block any. On successful block, burdensome curse is put into attacker's hand.
This mean sonum*****' curse don't like nobody.

 

FWIW: Parrying Strike is still played by the Mom AI. It's very powerful. Counterspell is also very good.

I point this out because if you're designing these two-mode cards, they can be too good very easy... Limiting the scope that they are useful is probably a good idea.

 

Thanks for the update on Parrying Strike! I have the AI turned off for MP battles, so I didn't know Mom used it.

There's clearly a balancing act to be made between power and flexibility when it comes to multi-type cards. With Block cards, this is made more complicated by the fact that they are played automatically; you may not even have the opportunity to play the non-Block part. Counterspell is really good against casters - without card draw it can completely neutralize a caster for a round. However, it's also fairly easy to get rid of - there's a 66% chance of triggering it with any Magic card.

The relationship of Block/X cards is contrary to how judging Blocks normally works. A 6+ Block would still be weak as a block (see Unreliable Block) and thus the balance of the card is almost totally dependent on the Attack. Where the ambiguity comes in is that middle range - Counterspell is fairly easily triggered, so does that mean the attack part should be weaker because of that, or stronger? Does a higher trigger rate make the card more flexible, or less? This ambiguity is why I think this is an interesting design question.

 

Attacks in general should not be kept; infinite-use attacks are effectively an auto-win if used at the end of the round. Even though the Block has a chance to discard it, if your opponent doesn't have any attacks that will never happen. Also, while I get the idea behind it, Keep (as a mechanic) shouldn't have a trigger since (afaik) no other cards are randomly kept. Of course, you could simply use a different keyword ("Retain 4+").

This is an interesting mechanic, however I question how detrimental blocking only ally cards really is. If you're not using a Priest, this really has minimal effect. Additionally, it opens up the strategy of dropping Fireball and Firestorm on allies without consequence more than Impenetrable Nimbus already does.

I like the general idea as a version of Reflecting Block. I think that Block 2+ is too low; Reflecting Block is 3+. While swapping position could be either good or bad, the addition of an attack option more than makes up for that ambiguity. With RB as a Powerful card already (Emerald header), I think with an attack added on it is more than pushed into the Fantastic category (Amethyst header). Personally, I think this would end up being too powerful.

I like the concept, but I think it would be simpler to make it Attack:4, Range:3, Burst 1 and on block apply the attack effect to the blocker.

I think this ends up being Emerald strength. Compared to Parrying Strike (Silver) it does more damage (8 vs. 11), blocks more often (50% vs. 66%), and blocks more (Melee vs. Any). If it only blocked Melee attacks I could see it being in the Gold tier.