"Peasant" Card Hunter - Low-Powered PvP

CT5 and I have been testing a Card Hunter format that we've found we enjoy immensely: peasant. Peasant means you run only items that are common or uncommon—no rares, no epics, no legendaries. The advantages of this format are that some cards are either hard to get or impossible to get—there's no nimble strike, little nimbus, no obliterating bludgeon, etc.. It is harder to one-hit-kill characters, healing is a bit better, positioning is still super important, terrain effects are a bit stronger, the list goes on. Basically, it's a different game.

I personally greatly prefer the games I've played in this format to the games I've played outside the format, with a few exceptions. On the whole, I think the gameplay experience is much better. I don't say this to question BM's use of rarity in its loot comparison engine and grind progression, just to accurately describe the joy of this format.

If anyone would like to build a party, the rules are simple:
• Make a PvP party (level 18)
• Include only items of common and uncommon rarity.

In order to keep the meta healthy and ensure fun is had by all, we may institute a ban list down the line. In the meantime, get brewing!

If you want to actually play peasant Card Hunter:
• Go into PvP lobby.
• Look in active player list for people who have posted in this thread.
• Try talking to them to ask if they'd be interested in some peasant.
• If yes, invite to casual game using your peasant build.

At this time I think there is basically nothing in the game itself that will help us find each other. So use this thread to arrange matches or whatever. I'm pretty heavily invested in this format, and intend to keep it going as long as possible, so I'll be around and down to play as frequently as possible. I'm also interested in discussing the peasant meta (which is and will remain quite different from the actual PvP meta). Anyway, drop your thoughts below and I hope to cross low-powered blades with you on the field of battle!

 

It's fun! Really fun! The matches so far have been pretty darn intense. Definitely worth trying out!

 

I like this idea for that I hate being pwned by some god items like Vibrant Pain or Wym's Lavastaff.
Every player can be put on the same bases and a new player can fight with the elders without disadvantage in items.

 

Not 100% true because veterans will have more level 18 items (which are effectively rare because they only drop from high-level missions and can't be found in stores). But yeah it's better

 

Oh I forgot the Bejeweled Shortsword...

 

Yeah. Broken/inaccessible high-level cards might make it onto a ban list if they make the format too much less fun. We'll see.

 

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure how you could stop Wizard Control from stomping all over this format. All but one or two of their best items are in the Common/Uncommon range.

Also, I might recommend a max item level of 15. A lot of level 16-18 commons and uncommons can be harder to obtain than many rares on account of not being able to find them in shops.

 

Yeah that's one fear. One solution would be just flat-out banning runestone if it becomes a problem. CT5 and player1 duked it out just before and the control wizards weren't all powerful. player1 had a lite version of Scared Little Girl's build, and he won, but barely. He might have had some bad draws; CT5 definitely had some misplays. It was a solid game though.

That's a reasonable baseline. I'm aware of that scarcity (as I think I noted in my first response to Eton). If players feel like those items are too hard to access and/or too powerful we can definitely implement a blanket ban on them in the form of a level cap.

 

Level 16 items are available at The Goblin Bazaar. Only level 17 and 18 commons and uncommons aren't available in any shop.

 

I thought that was the case—so we would definitely have the cut-off at 17 if we go that route. Which I'm still not sure we will.

 

That's why I suggested a low-level PvP - if the PCs are around lvl 10, you only have a few blue tokens to build with. You could still have 1-2 Nimble Strikes in the deck but in total you'd have to work with a lot more "peasant" cards. No idea why everyone was against it back then.

 

It's funny that you just brought this up. My friend and I did this recently, and it was 100 times more fun. I think it was mostly that there wasn't 1 hitting. It felt like more tactics were involved. Someone stated above how everything seemed to matter more, and they were right. Terrain, location, positioning was more important than the cards themselves. As it stands now, obviously tactics matter; but the player is mostly staring and waiting for the good card(s).

This could easily be added to single player mode too. Maybe a slightly better chance of drops if done in peasant mode.

 

I love this idea. It's like Pauper for Magic - a format which I played heavily for 2 years on MTGO until work commitments forced me to stop. I'm definitely in on this. Going to kit up a team now.

 

Very interesting idea. I've suggested "common cards only" for a SP challenge but it might be even more fun as a MP thing as suggested here.

I had a look at my control wizards and I think they should have been pretty much unbeatable in a format like this if not for one huge problem: Trembling Staff. For Arcane Items I could just take a bunch of Runestones and perform well, but Trembling Staff is the only item in the build that doesn't have any good Common or Uncommon replacements (or any replacement really), and losing those 3 traits would probably be devastating. Staffs are not that great to begin with, and tokenless Staffs are even worse. Only way to make it work might be to free some tokens and take Pearwood Staff with that super annoying Fright.

Here's a quick build I made. There are probably better options but I think this is pretty close to the idea of the original build and should work ok. Of course they wouldn't be as effective without Short Perplexing Ray or volcanoes, but it would even out because the opponent would be forced to use common and uncommon cards as well.

3 x Dwarven Wizards
Level 20 Dwarf Wizard

Chillwood Staff
Pearwood Staff
Runestone
Runestone
Runestone
Sensate's Ring
Robe Of Lightness
Glimmer Boots
Perfect Toughness
Electroporter Novice
​

5 x Winds Of War
2 x Frost Jolt
1 x Dimensional Traveller
3 x Mighty Spark
1 x Acid Jet
1 x Cloth Armor
1 x Chilling Rime
1 x Spark Generator
5 x Squeamish
3 x Wall Of Fire
2 x Hover
1 x Spark Inductor
1 x Cold Snap
1 x Hardy Mail
1 x Rusty Armor
1 x Little Zap
1 x Improved Telekinesis
1 x Fright
2 x Toughness
1 x Bungled Bolt
1 x Run
​

I should probably post this in the control wizard topic as well in case people want to try the build but don't have the cards.

Back on topic.. this is a good idea and it would definitely improve the game. Having different tiers of MP based on card rarity would give us more deckbuilding fun and would make it easier for new players to get into MP.

P.s. That poll gave me a chuckle because it basically only gives you the "Yes" option. It reminds me of those elections where you have armed guards stand next to voting booths

 

Great idea!

I would suggest to be really egalitarian (or "fair") that the gear level be capped at the max level sold in the shops. At that point gear would be as close as possible to "free", no grinding and waiting for the level 18 commons and uncommons to drop.

 

Yeah, SPR only really needs to be in there because of stuff like Nimble and Arrogant. Stuff that would be a lot harder to get ahold of at common and uncommon.

For a this format a Robe with Resistant Hide might be a necessity. Something like Pixie Hide Cloak would net one less trait card, but with no SPR any enemy Wizard who flops his own hide is going to be more or less immortal against this build.

 

I think high-level commons are more fun than low-level rares. See note at Trembling Staff.

 

Glad to hear you and your friend had fun! I think at the highest tiers of normal PvP play, positioning is key, and I don't think peasant makes positioning more important. But it definitely rewards it, and as you said it's fun. I'm also interested to hear if the races are better balanced in this format, though I kind of doubt it.

 

Yes exactly. I think I got the name because some pauper fans started playing MtG with uncommons as well and called it "peasant." The idea behind the idea is basically the same, and I think it will reward in the same exact way. I look forward to seeing your team!

 

Thanks!

So that's two votes in favor of capping the item level at Goblin Market. Duly noted. Will keep thinking about this