Author Topic: Balaam (Read 2887 times)

katedid · « **on:** December 27, 2011, 12:59:59 AM »

On more than one occasion it has been suggested to me that Balaam prevents all enhancements, including any that are played on him. Is this true? Based on the fact that he can use gray enhancements I assume no because why allow someone to us enhancments only for numbers, unless there is some insane CBN gray enhancement I dont know of yet. Or am I missing some detail altogether?

Balaam (Di)
Type: Evil Char. • Brigade: Pale Green • Ability: 6 / 7 • Class: None • Special Ability: May use gray Enhancements. Search discard pile for a gray or pale green O.T. Curse. Prevent special abilities on Enhancements. Cannot be prevented. • Play As: May use other enhancements from gray brigade. Search discard pile for a gray or pale green O.T. Curse. Prevent special abilities on Enhancements. Cannot be prevented

lp670sv · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2011, 01:07:33 AM »

Only can use enhancements that are CBP or CBN

Drrek · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2011, 01:16:39 AM »

Quote from: lp670sv on December 27, 2011, 01:07:33 AM

Only can use enhancements that are CBP or CBN

Well he can use enhancements that aren't CBP or CBN, they just won't do anything.

I would think the reason he was given the ability to use gray enhancements is so he can use Balaam's Disobedience, which is CBN.

katedid · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2011, 01:35:09 AM »

Its still sems kind of pointless. Wouldnt it be easier and more simple to say he prevents enhancments played against him of something? This current interpretation is confusing The average new playr isnt going to understand this fine point and at the very least there should be some clarification in the REG

lp670sv · « **Reply #4 on:** December 27, 2011, 02:12:20 AM »

Because they don't just want enhancements played against him to be prevented. They want ALL enhancements used in battle to be prevented, including the ones used on him, minus of course for the ones that cannot be prevented.

Chronic Apathy · « **Reply #5 on:** December 27, 2011, 09:55:39 AM »

Honestly, katedid, I disagree. Balaam says that he prevents all enhancements, and I don't think it gets much more straightforward than that. I'd be more inclined to assume that Redemption has taught you to look for the most complicated wording possible for any given card, due to the poor wording in the past, than there's anything wrong with the wording on this particular card.

STAMP · « **Reply #6 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:41:21 AM »

Balaam is hilarious...sort of a pseudo-FBTN wannabe. I think I'll nickname Balaam, "Ol' windbag."

Josh · « **Reply #7 on:** December 27, 2011, 12:13:04 PM »

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 01:35:09 AM

Its still sems kind of pointless. Wouldnt it be easier and more simple to say he prevents enhancments played against him of something? This current interpretation is confusing The average new playr isnt going to understand this fine point and at the very least there should be some clarification in the REG

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 12:59:59 AM

On more than one occasion it has been suggested to me that Balaam prevents all enhancements, including any that are played on him. Is this true? Based on the fact that he can use gray enhancements I assume no because why allow someone to us enhancments only for numbers, unless there is some insane CBN gray enhancement I dont know of yet. Or am I missing some detail altogether?

First off, there is an "insane CBN gray enhancement" which was already mentioned, Balaam's Disobedience.

Second, to answer the highlighed question from the first quote above, I think the highlighted quote from the second quote gives you your answer. Your problem with the ruling is you think it is pointless. But there's nothing complicated with "Prevent all enhancements" ability, regardless of how many brigades the character can use.

Rawrlolsauce! · « **Reply #8 on:** December 27, 2011, 12:38:33 PM »

Don't be hating on Balaam. I used him all of last year in T2 and he's a rockstar.

STAMP · « **Reply #9 on:** December 27, 2011, 01:35:06 PM »

It's like calling Air Supply rock stars.

katedid · « **Reply #10 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:08:20 PM »

I don't have a problem with the ruling on Balaam and I have on in my deck. I just think it doesnt particularly make sense for to have an ability that essentially targets one specific enhancement.

SomeKittens · « **Reply #11 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:13:43 PM »

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 11:08:20 PM

I don't have a problem with the ruling on Balaam and I have on in my deck. I just think it doesnt particularly make sense for to have an ability that essentially targets one specific enhancement.

Confusion of Mind (which Balaam recurs) is also CBN. It's been mentioned before, said prevention can really hurt that non-CBN battlewinner that your opponent was planning to play.

katedid · « **Reply #12 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:17:25 PM »

Quote from: SomeKittens on December 27, 2011, 11:13:43 PM

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 11:08:20 PM
I don't have a problem with the ruling on Balaam and I have on in my deck. I just think it doesnt particularly make sense for to have an ability that essentially targets one specific enhancement.
Confusion of Mind (which Balaam recurs) is also CBN. It's been mentioned before, said prevention can really hurt that non-CBN battlewinner that your opponent was planning to play.

im talking about the ability to use gray enhancements

Drrek · « **Reply #13 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:28:12 PM »

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 11:08:20 PM

I don't have a problem with the ruling on Balaam and I have on in my deck. I just think it doesnt particularly make sense for to have an ability that essentially targets one specific enhancement.

I think it does make sense. What wouldn't make sense to me would be if Balaam couldn't use an extremely useful enhancement that is based entirely on his actions.

SomeKittens · « **Reply #14 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:37:22 PM »

Yeah, that kind of wording does happen occasionally. There's a great argument for set rotation.

katedid · « **Reply #15 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:38:46 PM »

Perhaps a future Balaam dual brigade release is in order

SomeKittens · « **Reply #16 on:** December 27, 2011, 11:49:44 PM »

Quote from: katedid on December 27, 2011, 11:38:46 PM

Perhaps a future Balaam dual brigade release is in order

Other than his disobedience, there's no reason to print Balaam as Grey. He doesn't fit into the themes (something Cactus is pretty keen on as of late).

Red Dragon Thorn · « **Reply #17 on:** December 28, 2011, 12:49:03 PM »

During design and play testing, we wanted Balaam to be able to play his Disobedience. Because Disobedience is already an extremely powerful card, not really in need of a reprint, that meant that somehow Balaam had to be able to play Gray enhancements. We toyed with the idea of making him split color, however, Balaam doesn't fit either of the established themes in the Gray brigade, so we decided to allow him to able to play gray via special ability. However, we also didn't want people to abuse him with things like False Peace+Confusion, etc. so we made him so that he would prevent special abilities on enhancements.

Red · « **Reply #18 on:** December 28, 2011, 12:55:35 PM »

Quote from: Red Dragon Thorn on December 28, 2011, 12:49:03 PM

During design and play testing, we wanted Balaam to be able to play his Disobedience. Because Disobedience is already an extremely powerful card, not really in need of a reprint, that meant that somehow Balaam had to be able to play Gray enhancements. We toyed with the idea of making him split color, however, Balaam doesn't fit either of the established themes in the Gray brigade, so we decided to allow him to able to play gray via special ability. However, we also didn't want people to abuse him with things like False Peace+Confusion, etc. so we made him so that he would prevent special abilities on enhancements.

This is an example of playtesting in it's finest.

Red Dragon Thorn · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2011, 01:29:02 PM »

Quote from: Red on December 28, 2011, 12:55:35 PM

Quote from: Red Dragon Thorn on December 28, 2011, 12:49:03 PM
During design and play testing, we wanted Balaam to be able to play his Disobedience. Because Disobedience is already an extremely powerful card, not really in need of a reprint, that meant that somehow Balaam had to be able to play Gray enhancements. We toyed with the idea of making him split color, however, Balaam doesn't fit either of the established themes in the Gray brigade, so we decided to allow him to able to play gray via special ability. However, we also didn't want people to abuse him with things like False Peace+Confusion, etc. so we made him so that he would prevent special abilities on enhancements.
This is an example of playtesting in it's finest.

Can't tell if sarcasm.

Chronic Apathy · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2011, 01:30:51 PM »

If he was being sarcastic (and I don't think he was), I'll balance it out with saying the same thing genuinely. It's really easy to see where the playtesting system fails, but it's nice to see solid examples where the playtesting cranked out a card that does exactly what it's supposed to.

STAMP · « **Reply #21 on:** December 28, 2011, 02:34:34 PM »

katedid · « **Reply #22 on:** December 28, 2011, 04:45:14 PM »

^ That's what I thought of but didnt say. Mostly because there are a bunch of David name cards

SomeKittens · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2011, 05:18:39 PM »

Quote from: Chronic Apathy on December 28, 2011, 01:30:51 PM

If he was being sarcastic (and I don't think he was), I'll balance it out with saying the same thing genuinely. It's really easy to see where the playtesting system fails, but it's nice to see solid examples where the playtesting cranked out a card that does exactly what it's supposed to.

I agree. I would be hugely in favor of more communication between playtesters and the general community.

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Author Topic: Balaam (Read 2887 times)

Chronic Apathy

Rawrlolsauce!

Chronic Apathy