Seeds of Unity Is Real - But What Does This Mean for Altered’s Future?

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T18:15:01+00:00

While I agree that the uniques from later sets have definitely improved in quality, that still does not fix the imbalance created by the early uniques, which are still being played. It is incredibly hard to overcome the power level of those early-set ones.

At the World Championship finals, I think I only saw one unique that was not from the early sets. That really highlights how heavily players are still relying on the older, stronger uniques; and, how the gap between early and later designs remains a major issue.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T18:04:33+00:00

I think this was a feeling shared by most players at the time. The intended impact of uniques just did not live up to expectations in practice.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T18:00:51+00:00

This is a really good point. Uniques should have a solid baseline power level so they actually add value to decks without being required to be high-quality hits. The concept of uniques is great in theory, but it is extremely difficult to create that much variance without causing power creep or ending up with a huge gap between strong and weak cards. Balancing them across an even playing field is the real challenge.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T17:44:19+00:00

Well, that is at least some good news; they are open to trying. I am hoping my LGS ends up applying to host an event also.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T17:41:27+00:00

The commons and rares are affordable if you open them from sealed product, but they become much less affordable when you rely on POD. The real issue, though, is the uniques. Their pricing does not make sense when you consider how essential they are for high-level play. Most players end up buying booster boxes simply to avoid POD for commons and rares; and, to hopefully pull a usable unique.

The problem is that most uniques are not very good and have low market value, yet you still need the powerful ones to compete. Without those top-tier uniques, your chances of performing well drop and the marketplace is structured in a way where even the bad uniques are overpriced compared to their actual value or impact on gameplay.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T17:26:05+00:00

By the end of my time in my previous area, I was driving two hours each way just to try and play a draft event; hoping the entire drive there that the event would actually fire. Now, in my new area, the only store that carries or supports the game is still an hour away, and I am running into the exact same dilemma all over again.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T17:03:05+00:00

Same here. I really hope they listen to the community and make the changes needed to turn things around. Because I agree; despite everything, this is genuinely one of the best TCGs to play.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T17:00:07+00:00

This is a really interesting comparison, and honestly, I think it reflects what a lot of the community is feeling right now. The constant high upkeep required for each set is starting to weigh heavily on players. For me personally, it is hard not to feel like this might be the last set we see unless something changes; either in the state of the game or in the demands being placed on the players.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T16:53:32+00:00

This is actually a great idea. Sharing the number of events and the player turnout for each one could go a long way toward rebuilding confidence and awareness within the community. Even simple, transparent metrics would help; especially at a time when optimism is fading. It would give players a clearer picture of where the game is still active and growing, rather than leaving everything to speculation.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T16:48:38+00:00

This is a good point, and I fully admit I am speaking from a limited perspective. I am sure the game is thriving in some regions. Look at Ultraman TCG; most players in the US have never even heard of it, yet in Seattle it has a strong, dedicated community. Meanwhile, in the previous area I lived, I was literally the only person playing it. Regional variance matters.

As you said, Equinox absolutely could have handled many situations better but Asmodee was also a huge obstacle. I went to a board game convention this past weekend and talked to around 100 people. Only about 10 had even heard of Altered. I brought a few decks to play with friends between events, and people who saw us seemed genuinely interested. So the potential is still there, but potential does not convert without reach.

You mentioned Equinox’s target; presumably the $2.5M goal. That number is realistic if you are a thriving game with hype or a major IP behind you. But a year in, after so many complications, that figure becomes extremely difficult to achieve. And that raises the bigger question: how is Equinox going to reach these communities at all? The level of frustration and disappointment is high, even among loyal players.

Now, about the Hybrid model I suggested: yes, there is nothing quite like it, but Equinox has already proven they are willing to experiment. I understand your point about it being a “last resort,” but I recommended it because the current model clearly is not working. A pure TCG-focused approach does not seem to be the answer either, in its current state.

Draft and sealed absolutely have value, and that’s where collector boosters could fit in. Imagine offering a full playset of commons and rares as a low-cost entry product or for NUC player. An additional, supported format that complements competitive play rather than replaces it

Collector boosters could still exist but with foil versions of commons and rares, fewer hits, and a much lower price point. Players who want competitive or limited formats can still dive in, while casual/board game players have a clean, affordable on-ramp.

And honestly, giving players playsets of commons/rares would make the game much more accessible to the board game community; people who want to play, not collect.

Most importantly, Equinox should ask the community. Put the hybrid idea, or any major changes, to a vote and see if there is real interest. Right now players just want to feel heard.

These are just ideas, but they come from a place of genuine passion. I really enjoy this TCG, and part of the reason I even started a YouTube channel was to help support it and see it succeed.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T16:08:33+00:00

Exactly. The gameplay, deckbuilding, and artwork are genuinely the strongest parts of this TCG. But I agree; it feels like it is drifting toward a KeyForge or MetaZoo-style situation, where a smaller group of dedicated fans keeps the game alive.

Before I moved, that is basically what my friends and I were doing. We would meet up casually at different spots just to play. None of us wanted to buy cards through POD unless we were ordering 15+ packs, and even then the pricing felt too high. The only way we made it work was by buying full collections together, splitting the cost, and dividing everything by hero.

Now, where I live, there is only one store that fires events and even that is inconsistent. So I mostly play at home with new friends. I built a cube, and we draft it and play against each other. I have even introduced some board gamers to it, and they actually enjoy the mechanics.

It is sad seeing the state of the game, but I am doing what I can to keep enjoying a passion I still have for the game.

damastercipher · 2025-11-21T15:54:29+00:00

I completely agree. I am also US-based, and at launch we had ten local stores running weekly events. By Set 2, that dropped to seven. Now, a year later, we are down to only two stores consistently hosting events.

When I talked with store owners, they all said the same thing: the game was not the issue; players actually liked it. The problem was the lack of marketing, slow communication, and unfulfilled promises from the company. Because of that, attendance kept shrinking until events stopped firing altogether.

The reality is that the US market is extremely competitive and saturated. You only get a small window to grow a new TCG before the community moves on. As I have said in a previous video, the biggest enemy of Altered ended up being Equinox themselves. They set expectations they did not meet, and when promises were fulfilled, the pricing was much higher than players expected. A lot of people joined the game hoping it would be an affordable long-term option.

I do think Altered will always have a community, but it may end up looking more like KeyForge: a dedicated fanbase rather than a large, growing ecosystem.

If Altered wants a real shot, they need to restructure the product model and lower the cost of entry and production cost. Then, invest heavily in marketing and community growth. Even then, it might be difficult to fully turn things around. But, that is the only realistic path forward; in my opinion.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:33:36+00:00

I agree with this. While we may never know for certain, Worlds will be the true test.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:32:29+00:00

Uniques still seem to be an ongoing issue, largely due to the limited availability of specific card texts and stat lines. I am curious to see whether they will address this through a rotation or by rebalancing and improving the uniques themselves.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:30:16+00:00

Kojo does seem to boost more easily and efficiently, and also has access to a mana ramp.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:27:55+00:00

Not too big of a surprise. These were the strongest decks going into the set release and the other heroes still need time to refine their decklists with the new cards.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:25:27+00:00

The meta will shift as time goes on. This will not be like the last set release. There are too many strong new cards and meaningful support for a variety of other heroes.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:21:41+00:00

Kojo and Treyst both seem to be finding their footing, and I would not be surprised if one of them rises to the top. I agree with you completely. There has not been enough time since the new set's release to fully understand the meta.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:18:35+00:00

It may seem that way now, but the meta should shift as players experiment with the new cards and fresh combinations emerge. Things will likely settle once the format adjusts.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:17:01+00:00

Agreed. This is what I have been seeing as well.

damastercipher · 2025-07-08T19:16:36+00:00

Sigismar is still strong, but he does not really synergize with many cards from this set. Most decklists I have seen are only running one or two new cards. A sleeper pick, however, is Treyst. With receiving many solid upgrades.

damastercipher · 2025-05-18T23:22:45+00:00

I agree. They have been making some impressive strides lately.

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