So I've been reading around and got this (crazy, half-baked) idea for the often requested summoners that wouldn't require changing the existing game mechanics: In short: Priests turn terrain attachments into golems, which in turn are linked with the caster through a character attachment card (i.e. 3 minions per summoner). Summoner decks would be based around wiz creating terrain attachments and priests animating and maintaining them. More on the matter: How about making summoners an alternate path for PRIESTS to go in line with their (currently far from exciting) TERRAIN REMOVAL cards? I think you'll all agree that with the (badly needed) card engine nerfs the Priest line will be a bit less varied compared to Wiz and Warriors. The idea would be for Priests (who are a bit closer to a 'necromancer'-type than a wiz given the cleric/vampiric skills line if you think about it) to capture a spirit and animate a terrain attachment with it to create a golem-type creature. For example: lava terrain attachment would give rise to a fire golem/spitter, a stone wall would create a stone golem, an acid terrain would create an acid golem, blessed terrain would create a healer/debuffer spirit, etc. As you can see a priest on their own would require the terrain already in place (besides blessed terrain which would not give any aggro functionality) so could be either built around defensive/situational use of this card OR would require a presence of a wizard in the party for the creation of the terrain attachment to be animated into a minion. Since you would need to dedicate both priests and wizard skills to pull of a specialised summoning deck it would be fair to allow for summons to actually be powerful. When minion would be created it would turn an existing (and empty) terrain attachment into an uncontrollable ally NPC who acts during the 'minion' turn after the caster's turn. In the moment of creation there would also be a character ATTACHMENT (like traits, encumber, burning etc.) linked with the caster for each new summon (Summon 1, summon 2, summon 3, maybe generate some random names). Why? First of all to balance the minions around having a maximum of 3 per Priest. Also, that would create a feeling of vulnerability for the summoner who would have to think of defensive measures (breaking line of sight, missile blocks, smoke bombs etc) since pushing of the attachment card with another attachment would be equal to actually killing the minion. Of course removal of the summoner would also remove the minions which makes sense in the grand 'summoner-minion' scheme of things as far as games go without adding new complicated rules into the existing game mechanics. As every character attachment minions would also have a duration (3-4?). Making minions balanced around character attachment limit also creates other aspects that would make minion-based decks special: minimising use of traits and personal buffs, having to give up on popular items (no arrogant armor) or deciding over things like mass frenzy or an extra minion? Minions would use attack cards that deal the damage based on the type of terrain they are created from and would also be immune to that type of damage through armor cards. They would have simple decks that would be located on the left side (for the player) and right side (for the PC enemy) of the screen. That would be indeed tricky to do since although they wouldn't hold many cards and therefore wouldn't obstruct much view horizontally the current set up would allow for theoretically 9 minions per side which would be hard to fit vertically below the chat box (for example: a party of 3 priests vs geomancer mission, in MP you probably wouldn't see more than 6 at any time). A whole range of cards could be introduced that cater for minions and attachment cards, like - increase duration - explode minion (burst into terrain attachment?) - sacrifice (and heal) from minion, - increase 'tier' of minion (i.e. their cards improve, get range attacks, spike golem has penetrating, lava golem has burning, frost golem has encumber etc.) - haste, i.e. a few or all minions attack simultaneously next turn All of these would synchronise well with priest abilities such as altruism or healer. An possible aftermath of integrating minions in this way could increase the importance of terrain removal cards (since that's the start for each minion) as well as melee chops and other axe attacks in MP, since warriors would more often find themselves fighting multiple but weaker opponents, as it is in SP. I know I probably won't see minions in this shape or form (or at all) but it's still interesting to ponder ;]
It seems a little weird that you could turn terrain attachments cast by the enemy into summoned creatures, but I guess that would just mean putting the terrain somewhere the enemy does not have access to if you want to use it for a summon. To avoid needed decks for the golems, they could just be turrets that do not move, and between rounds they attack the nearest enemy/ally with a specific spell based on what type they are.
even if they were to be stationary they would require cards for attacks and armors, also not having a deck would make them immune to many effects that require cards in hand (mind worm, perplexing ray, savage curse, punishing bolt and tonnes of other cards) while the idea was to create them in a fashion which integrates them well into current mechanics without altering or adding new rules
They would not require cards, because they would each do exactly one (predictable) attack between rounds. Think about it this way, currently terrain attachments do a predictable attack to the character standing on them between rounds. These turrets would do a predictable attack on the nearest enemy between rounds. This is just a further simplification of your idea, not necessarily better, but probably easier to implement and understand.
