Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Now Esarhaddon is WAY too powerful. CBN tutored banding to some of the best EC's in the game is altogether too much. When rebalancing UP cards, the best approach is to make small tweaks incrementally until it's balanced. The reason Thad was so broken is that the playtesters overreacted to him not being quite strong enough and made him too strong by far.

Nimrod's negation of play abilities would only effect Reach of Desperation and Words of Encouragement. I'd just get rid of it entirely, a warrior-class Crimson/PG Assyrian/Babylonian with a drawing ability is plenty good. As a minor quibble, there is a hyphen in "warrior-class."

Other than that, gj rebalancing!

That makes him too vanilla. I liked his original ability, just changed to make him not lose the battle. My suggestion would be:

"Play Nimrud Palace from deck. You may Remove this card from the game to add a Babylonian from Discard to battle."

Just want to make it clear I like your ideas. I don't sugar-coat my opinions so I may come off as overly-critical, but I do it to help a good idea reach its full potential or save a card creator from being saddled with a bad idea. If I think ideas are total rubbish I usually won't comment at all

Caught a few last-minute fixes. Xerxes as written would only work if you had Doubt on the table. He has to specify that he can remove an Evil Dominant in your hand from the game.

Susa, as written, would just end up with those characters stuck there forever because your opponent would just never choose to make you block with them. Remove the "may" clause and you'll be fine (when Opponent makes a Rescue Attempt at this Site, he chooses one character at random to block...).

Title: Shemaiah
Type: Hero
Brigade: White/Green
Numbers: 3/1
SA: Shemaiah repels King Rehoboam. Search deck for a son of Shemaiah and set them aside for X turns. While it is set aside, negate opponents' evil characters.   
Identifier: Gatekeeper, Prophet, X=number of evil characters opponent has in play
Verse: Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born who governed their fathers’ houses, because they were men of great ability...Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you..."  I Chronicles 26:6, II Chronicles 12:5
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Men+of+the+Bible&view=detail&id=519BD61618BBFC17D34E092E2514B99885D39389
Border: UR
Size: medium

Title: Othni
Type: Hero
Brigade: White/Green
Numbers: 3/3
Class: Warrior
SA: Search deck for Gatekeepers' House and put it in play.  May band to a Gatekeeper.
Identifier: Gatekeeper, Son of Shemaiah
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mighty+gatekeeper&view=detail&id=E6925EE18EA39B3C65A62FD6C661EC9231A1875B&first=76
Verse: The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers Elihu and Semachiah were able men. I Chronicles 26:7
Border: Red
Size: Medium

Title: Rephael
Type: Hero
Brigade: White/Green
Numbers: 6/6
Class: Warrior
SA: Discard a Son of Shemaiah to search deck or discard pile for an artifact and activate immediately.  May band to a Gatekeeper.
Identifier: Gatekeeper, Son of Shemaiah
Verse: The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. I Chronicles 26:7
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=knight&view=detail&id=1D927756A40068B226764C7BB4B8EC6183D05DA1

Title: Obed, Son of Shemaiah
Type: Hero
Brigade: Green/White
Numbers: 10/10
Class: Warrior
SA: If opponent has more Redeemed Souls than you, opponent must roll a 6 sided die.  Opponent must discard that many cards from hand or remove an evil dominant from the game from hand or deck instead to negate this. 
Identifier: Gatekeeper, Son of Shemaiah
Verse: Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born, that ruled throughout the house of their father: for they were mighty men of valour. I Chronicles 26:6
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=I+Chronicles+Knight&view=detail&id=8294696F589FDAD08DA6CB484641BF4C06D3C9AB
Border: UR/Grey
Size: Medium

Title: Elzabad
Brigade: Green/White
Class: Warrior
Numbers: 1/1
SA: If all your heroes are Gatekeepers, enhancements used by Elzabad cannot be negated.  Otherwise, remove this hero from the game.
Identifier: Gatekeeper, Son of Shemaiah
Verse: The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad...  I Chronicles 26:7
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mighty+gatekeeper&view=detail&id=8BB4232B97C8B73E94E285BDA4FDC7AB0222128C
Border: UR
Size: medium

Title: Gatekeepers' House
Type: Good Fortress
SA: Protect contents from opponent's cards.  While occupied, if an opponent plays an enhancement outside of battle discard a card at random from his hand.  Banding abilities on Gatekeepers cannot be negated.
Identifier: Holds any number of Gatekeeper heroes, May hold one Treasures of the House artifact
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/searchq=Guild+wars+temples&view=detail&id=9F1295A94270F879A9E8342D29CBB389536D698E
Verse: For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites. And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. I Chronicles 9:26
Border: Tan
Size: medium

Title: Treasures of the House
Type: Artifact
SA: Gatekeepers may use an enhancement from any brigade except Teal.  If an evil King successfully blocks a rescue attempt, discard this card and the Gatekeeper holding it.
Identifier: May be activated on a Gatekeeper, Gatekeepers' House Artifact
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=biblical+treasures&view=detail&id=D21AB8DEBE29B3D470EE7F1758B5A5C2E9D4E045
Verse: The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the LORD. I Chronicles 26:22
Border: UR
Size: Medium

There seem to be a ton of Shemaiahs in the Bible. If the gatekeeper is the same as the one from I Kings, he should be a Green Prophet. His sons should be warrior-class since they were "mighty men of Valor."

Pretty under-powered, but a fair niche setup. Gatekeepers' House could stand to hit a bit harder, maybe Discarding from hand?

they are the gatekeepers from I Chronicles.

Indeed. Is he also the Prophet from I Kings? The time periods seem to match up.

I'm not sure.  I'll have to research that.  As far as the brigade color, I was using white only because some of the porters (gatekeepers) David used in the temple as musicians as well.  I thought that if I made the gatekeepers white they would work well with the white musicians.  But that's only a thought....  I can change them to green.

Title: Stephen
Type: Hero
Brigade: Red/Blue
Numbers: 6/6
SA: Convert a N.T. evil character in each opponent's territory. If Stephen is defeated by the numbers, holder may take an enhancement from discard pile and shuffle it into deck. Cannot be negated.
Identifier: Martyr, Deacon, Apostle
Verse: While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7:59
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=stoning+of+stephen&view=detail&id=E6709B34AC83F92AB8FDCF235629BFC914E8EB68&first=46
Border: Blue
Size: Medium

Title: Prochorus
Brigade: Blue/Red
Type: Hero
Numbers: 3/3
SA: Convert an evil character in play to a brigade color of your choice.  Opponent may return that evil character to hand instead.  May band to a Deacon.
Identifier: Deacon, Scribe, Martyr, Bishop
Verse: And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch... Acts 6:5
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Prochorus&view=detail&id=030CE951E4991854A02B79F1165D99C5D0CFF986
Border: Orange
Size: Medium

Title: Antipas of Pergamum
Type: Hero
Brigade: Red
Numbers: X/X
SA: If there are two or more Martyrs in your discard pile, enhancements used by Antipas of Pergamum cannot be interrupted. If rescue attempt is unsuccessful, remove this hero from the game to make an opponent remove a heretic in territory from the game. If there are none, holder may remove an evil dominant from opponent's deck or territory instead. 
Identifier: Martyr, X= number of Martyrs in your discard pile
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Antipas+of+Pergamum&view=detail&id=C2407CF637FAEB0A31A18FD734DA8D4E01DFF652
Verse: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." Revalation 2:13
Border: UR
Size: Medium

Title: Polycarp of Smyrna
Type: Hero
Brigade: Red
Numbers: 1/1
SA: When this character enters battle, you may capture him to opponent's Land of Bondage to add a Martyr or Deacon to the battle.  Cannot be negated.
Identifier: Martyr, Bishop
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Polycarp&view=detail&id=ADE8A01FE009677D7FF811268E1EC3FFDA26E620
Verse: When ye are able to do good, defer it not, for Pitifulness
delivereth from death. Be ye all subject one to another, having
your conversation unblamable among the gentiles, that your good
works both ye may receive praise and the Lord may not be
blasphemed in you. Polycarp to the Phillipians 10:2
Border: UR
Size: Medium

Title: The Last Great Day
Type: Good Enhancement
Brigade: Blue/Red
Class: Territory
SA: Set your Martyr aside for two turns.  The next time this Martyr enters battle he may use any good enhancement regardless of brigade color and then remove him from the game immediately after battle.
Image: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=The+Last+Great+Day&view=detail&id=8A4712F750F7FF6FE2A8B751C0623292D066C8C0&first=112
Verse: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Come+to+me+and+Drink&view=detail&id=ECE3E87793694CB71E0E75173C3B2C89D7DC3131
Border: UR/Purple
Size: Medium
 

I agree with Pol on everything also if you want Stephen to do anything with the phars/sadds I would expand it to N.T. Evil characters given it a broader range.

First, Martyrs make much more sense in Red than Purple, and none of them should be warrior-class unless they were actually warriors (WC mostly has to do with being able to hold weapons, and that's kind of the opposite of the point of a martyr).

Stephen Discarding an EC doesn't really make sense with his story, and he seems to have more of an "on death" trigger than "on failed rescue" with a removal. Should be Blue/Red (for Deacon/Martyr)

Prochorus is laughably overpowered for TGT. Remove the banding to Peter and he's alright. Should be Blue/Red (for Deacon/Martyr)

Perhaps if you have a certain number of Martyrs in your Discard? Again, should work with death rather than removal. and should be Red.

Dig the soulgen/initiative utility. Change to Red and it's all good.

Just way powerful. Combo decks would have an absolute field day with that card and the two 1/1 Martyrs. A tutor+coat+CBN status needs a higher cost or less tools for a mere suspend 1.

I made them all warrior class with the idea that they were "warriors" for Christ and died defending their beliefs and upholding God's Laws.  But I fixed them as you suggested.  And I'm not quite sure what you meant by your comment "Perhaps if you have a certain...." and who it refers to.

For Antipas, since Martyrs' thing isn't really staying alive, perhaps he should trigger off having a certain number of them in your discard rather than all your Heroes being Martyrs.

The rest look good now, although I would add a "May" to Polycarp for some additional utility. Oh, and I'm not quite sure what TLGD is supposed to be doing now.

Fixed.  TLGD allows any of my martyrs to use any good enhancement upon entering battle, but the cost is to remove him from the game immediately after his battle.  It's where i got my title.  It's like one last huge offensive rescue for a Soul and then he's martyr'd.

Ah, ok, I thought you had changed it. I'd get rid of the tutor and then it'd be ok probably.

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by "get rid of the tutor..."?

Tutor=Search.

Ah ok.  Fixed.