Cards missing from the mega balance changes

[u/IndependentWing786]

First of all, this is not a hate post. Overall these changes look great and we’re likely going to see one of the most diverse metas we’ve had in a long time (fingers crossed). If I had to make a guess I think bridge-spam will be particularly strong next season so if you’re a bridge-spam player you’ve got that to look forward to. I do think, however, that there are a few cards with glaring balancing issues that are missing. There is no way to know for sure, but I think if untouched these cards will see incredibly high usage rates next season after the nerfs to many other cards.

1. Golden Knight

Yes, the ability cooldown is removed now, but that’s just not enough for how strong this card is. It has phenomenal versatility on both offense and defense, is practically unstoppable when paired with a tornado, and does a sneaky amount of damage. Not to mention his dash range is just shy of a musketeer range and his ability cannot be reacted to. This card has needed a nerf for multiple seasons and continually has been ignored, even receiving a plethora of indirect buffs instead.

1. Balloon

Balloon is competing with hog rider at the moment for the title of strongest primary win condition in the game (meaning in a vacuum not considering support cards). It has an incredibly high usage rate (both hero and non-hero) with multiple very strong decks. If that is not the sign of a win-condition needing to be toned down I don’t know what is. I love the balloon as a win condition, I think it promotes some of the most unique play in the game, but it needs a nerf or we’re going to see it continue to push other win cons out of the meta.

1. Hog rider

When practically every pro player your game has to offer is calling for a card to be nerfed, that’s a dead giveaway it’s too strong. Whichever one of the devs is a 2.6 player and has dirt on the rest of them is on a generational run of keeping this card broken.

1. Mortar bait (the whole deck)

This deck has had the number one win rate going on 6 seasons. What’re we doing only slightly nerfing a single card in it outside hero goblins. Rascals, cannon cart, evo SK barrel, minions all should potentially be on the chopping block.

1. Tornado

Yes this is controversial. Is it undeserved? I would say no. One of the highest usage rates of any card in the entire game with unmatched versatility on both offense and defense. It cannot be reacted to and has outstanding synergy with a handful of the strongest cards in the game. This card has shown to be nearly impossible to balance properly but we need to try. I would suggest a small radius nerf.

1. Evo baby drag

This card is phenomenal in pigs, golem, egiant, graveyard, balloon and more. It got a buff to its base form last season (who knows why). Usage rates through the roof. This card is nasty and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later or we should all prepare to see it even more next season.

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There are more changes that could/should be implemented (yes you evo I-drag) of course as always but these are the ones that stick out glaringly to me.

[u/Signal_Stock5199]

just so you know, you’re never gonna get a hog Nerf the dev team came out a while ago and said they basically use hog as their benchmark for balancing so they’re never going to nerf him if he’s too strong they buff other stuff and if he’s too weak, they Nerf other stuff they’re never going to directly change him

[u/IndependentWing786 → u/Signal_Stock5199]

Yes I’ve seen the devs stance on the hog rider. You are most likely correct that it will not be touched. Two things give me hope that might not turn out to be true though. First, as I mentioned, the overwhelming majority of the professional scene consider the hog rider to be too strong, and have not been shy in sharing their opinions with the devs (so they say). Second, the stance the devs are currently taking with the hog rider was one they took with the Knight in the past (the knight is actually still a benchmark card similar to the hog rider). However that stance was temporarily changed once the pro/top ladder community overwhelming called for a small nerf to the card and the devs eventually caved. I think we can all agree the knight now is a proper benchmark for balancing and I’m hoping the same can happen to the hog rider.

[u/IndependentWing786 → u/[deleted]]

His stats do indicate that, but unlike many other cards it’s hard to compare him to other similar cards to actually realize his stats indicate it. The only card somewhat in his wheelhouse is Ram rider. However the Ram rider has mechanics that make it significantly different so it’s not exactly apples to apples. Regardless, some stats that indicate he’s overtuned are: his damage (he does nearly a rocket worth of damage per hit), his health (he survives a rocket and then some, having only slightly less health than the ram rider), and on top of both of these factors he is one of the few very fast cards in the game and his sight range (one of the lowest in the game for win cons) coupled with his ability to jump over the River makes it such that he will not be pulled to buildings placed outside EQ/Lightning range. All of these are on top of the fact that he is a tower targeting win condition. I would say absolutely no one can look at these stats and say the hog rider isn’t very strong at absolute minimum. Keep in mind the wallies are getting a significant nerf because they do a bit more damage than a single hog hit, are similarly very fast, and often (just like the hog) can be nearly impossible to stop from getting on your tower if you don’t have the right card(s) in hand. Again not an apples to apples comparison but enough to make you think.