[UEP, withdrawn] Minion arkenstone

[Leon]

Name: The Arkenstone (M)

Status: Withdrawn

Proposal maintainer: Leon

Categories: Balance

Errata: Remove each dwarf in play has +1 mind

Problem: As this card is now I would not try playing dwarves against minions, just because there is a chance he plays the Arkenstone. The discarding ability is strong enough to annoy you very much, but at least you can decide to go into CVCC with the mean guy that came to you. The extra mind hurts awfully even if you are on the other side of the world, which I found heavily unbalanced. An Unexpected Party suddenly becomes hardly playable if this card enters play.

The Arkenstone
Type Greater Item (minion)
MP: 3
DI: [+5]
Text: Unique. +5 to bearer's direst influence against Dwarves and Dwarf factions. Each Dwarf in play has +1 mind. If the bearer of this item is at the same site as a Dwarf character, you may discard this item to force the discard of the Dwarf (and all cards he controls).
CP: 3

Solution: Remove each dwarf in play has +1 mind

Pros: Give dwarves some chance vs minions. Also the Arkenstone would become useful in a minion dwarf group.

Cons: Please tell me. It is not like dwarves are so awesome you need a card like this to hit them specifically.

Voting started at: 26 March 2007

Voting ends at: 9 April 2007

[Vastor Peredhil]

I believe that is another to play the hero version....

This is where UEP run wilds comes into play.

Everyone dislike some mechanism of some cards but htey all even out.

There are enough ways tp prevent being tp bothered by the minion version.

You just have to plan ahead, when playing hero dwarves.

mfg Nicolai

p.s.. and normally I am in favor of all UEP, but lately I had deceide against 2 already

[Leon]

I find it fair that you have to be aware of cards that can be played directly on you. In constructing a deck you know that you need a ranger if you move, because of the rivers and that you need some defence against Assassins for example. Since there are different allignments you need to keep in mind that the opponent could attack you. But these things you can all see in front and they depend at least partly on your actions.

This effect that the Arkenstone has does not have anything to do with where you choose to go, it is just a punishment for the general choice to take dwarves and it is not even a hazard. At the moment I cannot think of any resource which can have as profound an effect on an opponents deck as this card.

I find the idea of a minion coming to a dwarf and offering the Arkenstone to lure him away thematic. Most of the time the actions of one company do not affect another company except where people actively choose to. In my idea a large part of the charme of this game is that you play a part of the whole story as it could have been. Why would the Arkenstone have any effect on a group if it is in some company you never met?

[Jambo]

Sometimes, as minion player, I've found the minion arkenstone the only way I can disrupt a good hero dwarf deck based around Unexpected Party. Like Nicolai said, playing the hero version of the Arkenstone becomes much more important in a hero dwarf deck playing against minions.  I like the ramifications of the minion arkenstone and what it brings to the game. Without it I doubt we'd ever see the arkenstone even played...

If minions get it first, then go beat them up or attempt to influence the Arkenstone away. Or just adjust to deal with the +1 mind.  I'm not sure if the minion arkenstone can be used to discard a dwarf when it's not the minion player's turn - anyone?

[Bandobras Took]

Voted No.

It is not like dwarves are so awesome you need a card like this to hit them specifically.

As hero player, dwarves are so awesome.

Dwarven Rings (6 MPs EACH!), King Under the Mountain, Unexpected Party, Durin's Axe . . . there's very little to not recommend them.

If you're worried about the Minion Arkenstone as a hero, stick the Hero version straight up in your deck, Far-Sight, and store it.

Or keep it around for Dwarf Untapping.

Also the Arkenstone would become useful in a minion dwarf group.

It's good MPs for a minion item, and the +1 to mind is offset by the +5 to DI.

[Leon]

Ok, apparently I have had some other experiences than most with dwarves. I'll withdraw this proposal.

It is mostly that I find this card a) very annoying and b) it does not act like the rest of the game. What I mean by this is that you can stop your opponent by either your hazards or some active interaction, neither of which the Arkenstones mind effect is.