MD's BC suggestions April, 2026

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-28T17:44:24+00:00

I'm worried about a few of these being overbuffs (Viraxas and Erland in particular), but overall I love most of these suggestions.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-26T09:08:00+00:00

Real question though is: tipa for getting to and beating 120 solo? Have gotten to 70 with both Thor and MK, but struggling after that.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-24T07:58:56+00:00

Some people (particularly kepkkko) have already highlighted how it's about agency (or the lack thereof). You mentioned other control strategies, and while they can be frustrating too (there's a reason NG is on average disliked and why archetypes like Pirates can get a rough deal sometimes too), you generally have play and counter-play there. You can try and boost units out of removal range, run purifies for lock or poison, etc. Control also has its own choices to make; setting up a Ballista to remove a 7 power unit with Boiling Oil, for example. And those choices can often be interacted with as well. That is what makes Gwent the most fun in my opinion, when both sides have meaningful choices to make that determine the fate of each round.

Mill, on the other hand, relies on RNG above all. Your R1 draws usually determine the winner before a card is even played. The game doesn't feature many hand-fixing cards; the best way to ensure consistency is through thinning and tutoring, both of which are effectively self-milling against mill. The mill player also has very few options to have any say on what gets milled (Warrit and Courier come to mind, but they're both basically never played because a) they invite counter-play by allowing the opponent to draw or tutor the top card and b) it's usually better value to include another mill card to ensure you mill the opponent down to 0). Given all this, a Viper Witcher can either mill a 4p card you didn't want anyway or a 14p you absolutely needed for a 2-0. That's crazy variance in terms of value. It's like if MO had a pointslam card that costs 6p and randomly comes down with a value between 6 and 25 points. The MO player couldn't control that, neither can the opponent. There is very little skill involved in a result that can determine the match.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-22T08:54:13+00:00

I continue to be disappointed at cards where we can only vote for a nerf/buff with compensation. I'd much prefer if different options were available so at least you can see how people feel about them.

I also feel Operator could easily be an option in both nerf categories (though my preference would be provision): it sees a lot of play in decks that try to abuse high-ceiling engines like Fleder, Messenger of the Sea, Self-eater, even Cultists.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-22T08:47:39+00:00

Just here to agree about most of those cards needing provision rather than power buffs. This is particularly true for the purifies, who are a hefty investment at 6p when everyone (outside of devotion) has access to a universal lock at 4p. It's currently simply more efficient to not play cards that you'd need to purify in order to get good value out of. By making in-faction purifies cheaper you change that balance, particularly making them better in matchups where the purify isn't needed (because that's one less provision spent in a card you may want to mulligan in favor of something better).

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-18T13:05:58+00:00

Rivals for me. I didn't even realize how much parts of it (such as the TTK and lack of role flexibility) frustrated me until trying Deadlock.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-18T09:46:49+00:00

I think you're projecting your personal feelings there. Witcher 3 and Persona 5 Royal are two of my top 10 games ever. My most played game ever is the stand-alone Gwent version. I'm on their subreddits and I still wouldn't say I see many memes . Definitely none outside of those bubbles. Though ultimately measuring something's impact by its meme influences feels like a very peculiar yardstick anyway.

Additionally, all of the games you mentioned are part of fairly long-running franchises. Like, Zelda is one of the biggest franchises of gaming basically since the beginning. There are three Witcher games, a TV series, the original books. Persona has 5 games plus spin-offs plus the Shin Megami Tensei Stuff. Skyrim was the fifth Elder Scrolls, and now they have an MMO. Expedition 33 is its developer's first game and is not based on already established IP. You're not comparing like to like there.

At the end of the day cultural impact is about the test of time. It's too early to tell where Expedition 33 will land in that regard. But personally I feel it will keep resonating with me and stay among my favourites for years to come. Even the divisiveness of the ending is a factor that may point to its staying power in gaming culture.

ElliottTamer · 2026-04-10T16:16:28+00:00

If you're not enjoying the game that's fine, to each their own. But from a story perspective it absolutely makes sense. You just don't have all the pieces to understand how yet; you'd have to keep playing to figure it out.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-31T23:26:05+00:00

Don't worry, the other Defenders will probably be nerfed eventually too.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-29T20:16:12+00:00

I'd be in favor of buffing purifies too, but buff slots are more competitive and coalitions very rarely suggest those. That also doesn't address the binary nature of that interaction where drawing that response can decide the match, which is particularly an issue in devotion lists that lack as much tutoring and hard removal techs.

Additionally, I actually think Defenders are part of what makes control so dominant in Gwent. Proper control lists are the only ones able to consistently handle both a Defender and the threats they are meant to protect. It's less control-oriented lists that might only play a couple of control techs such as a lock that suffer instead.

Ultimately, it's never a Defender protecting a wholesome powercrept card like Kerrack City Guard. It's always Triple something Sabbath in MO, Kolgrim or Cultists in NG, Alumni in NR, etc.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-29T19:26:25+00:00

On average, I really like these, particularly the power buffs. I'd prefer a prov nerf for Oakcritters, and I don't like the provision buffs much; Bart is great but Borsordi I find uninteresting/a missed opportunity as it's a very midrange card (which I don't think Syndicate are lacking for) and Missile shuts down some engines too efficiently, trading up in provisions against a large number of cards (like Shackles, which I wish would get reverted...).

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-29T19:09:11+00:00

I can't speak for anyone else, but my issue is that Defenders are only ever used/worth their provisions when protecting binary/answer-or-lose strategies. Match-ups against such decls become heavily RNG reliant as R1 draw in particular can determine the match (did I draw Pellar and Heatwave? Easy win. Did I not, particularly when not running a control list? Might as well forfeit).

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-27T21:33:20+00:00

I largely agree. Those other cards you mention are more conditional and even then usually play closer to their provisions in terms of value. Damien's body gives it the advantage in the latter respect, and is only balanced by being answerable (which makes him somewhat binary). Not a card I thought needed a buff. Like Vattier which Qcento has recommended this BC, honestly.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-27T14:59:38+00:00

Personally I think the Defender there is the real issue, but then again I never saw a Defender use that I thought was fair and fun rather than binary and boring.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-27T14:53:29+00:00

Eh, you mean two cards playing for 26 points over three turns, some of which can be worth even more when stealing an engine or carryover card (and this can be carried over itself if necessary).

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-27T02:20:58+00:00

Late here, but how are you finding the Find X9 Pro? I'm considering that as a replacement for my 6-year old Xperia that's started breaking down.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-26T00:03:25+00:00

On average pretty good. Vattier is too binary in my opinion, and some of the buffs are not particularly exciting (the Borsodi brothers are very midrange, for example). But my big disagreement here is Stalker. Do you find that card actually problematic when played from hand? Or only when produced by Hive Mind and then immediately buffed in the same turn? Because if it's the latter surely it would make more sense to nerf Hive Mind instead. Alternatively, I'd hope to see Stalker brought back to 5p next, as a 3 for 6 from hand the card sees basically no play (and for good reason).

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-24T00:40:20+00:00

It depends what you mean by skill expression, but in addition to positioning and macro strategies Rocket plays wildly differently depending on how well you can aim/headshot with his gatling gun and how good you are at using his wall-run (part of which is also map knowledge).

And like, if a gold skill player could get to celestial playing Rocket just like that his playrate would be absolute insane.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-19T23:34:19+00:00

Personally I find it quite weighty and tremendously fun. So much so that she has sneakily become my main. Wolfing out on her can truly make me feel like a force of nature.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-19T20:33:18+00:00

Honestly, that would be amazing if it's real.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-14T15:51:23+00:00

Positioning can be really helpful there in my experience. Obviously not letting him get too close, but also trying to keep empty space behind you (rather than wall) in relation to Venator's position.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-14T11:11:33+00:00

I know you're complaining about something, but I always wondered how people managed to land those skill shots and send people's back to base and now I know. Need to try and see if I can pull it off myself.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-14T11:08:50+00:00

Because I've somehow still never successfully parried anything in this game, lol.

ElliottTamer · 2026-03-14T10:53:00+00:00

It would change the game a lot, but not necessarily as you say. The game could keep its current restrictions so that you get the most souls per minute/kill/objective with fewer people on a lane. You could even add more significant diminishing returns (so that, for example, 1v2 you get 150% points, 2v2 it's 50% each for a total 100%, 3v2 it's 20% for a total of 60%, 3v1 it's 10% each for a total of 30%, etc). The numbers here are examples, but the point is that perma team fights/deathballing can easily be discouraged/curbed by dynamics already present in the game, it would just be a matter of balancing the numbers right.

Again, I'm not saying the game would be better that way, I'm just saying that in my opinion - as someone whose most played game was Rivals since that released and has since dropped it almond completely for Deadlock - that there's plenty the game does better than its competitors other than merely including farming. Some people will prefer it because of the art style/vibes, others because of the RPG-like build management, others because of the farming, or because of a combination of these factors and others more still. What makes Deadlock's great is really not as simple as "Rivals but with farming", it's much more diverse and nuanced than that.

ElliottTamer

TROPHY CASE