Buckle up because this week's OTA is spicy! There are some much-needed nerfs and some really exciting buffs for deck-builders. I'll run through the changes and give you some ideas for what to expect in this brand new world.
Just as Kate Bishop has the arrows in her quiver, Second Dinner has OTA changes as their balance arsenal. I'll give each change a rating from 0 to 4 arrows and a final overall rating as well. Did Second Dinner hit the target with this OTA or did they miss the mark?
Torch was never going to last forever at 3/3. The decks were just too reliable and could out-scale nearly everything in the game if they drew well, while still being able to pack a tech card or two. It's a huge nerf, but the card was so overturned it's absolutely playable and still the best Move payoff in the game, though this definitely opens the door for Vulture.
Another well-executed nerf to get excited about. Not only does this make War Machine into Legion a thing of the past, it actually makes War Machine a much more interesting card. Previously, despite some clear synergy, it wasn't worth playing War Machine in a ramp deck, since you'd generally be wasting Energy (and therefore falling behind on points) by playing War Machine on Turn 4. Now, there is a smooth progression from Electro into War Machine into whatever you can dream up! This is such a great nerf because it makes the nerfed card more interesting, breathes new life into a fallen archetype (ramp), revitalizes an underplayed card (Electro), and takes balance pressure off of other cards (Storm, Legion).
What I'm less excited about is the notion put forth in the notes that Storm may still need a rework because “such a popular character shouldn’t be promoting such a frustrating play pattern.” If the game becomes just about points and all alternative play styles are deemed “too frustrating” the game will be a poorer, less imaginative place.
I've played more Morgan Le Fay than is probably responsible and she was just too inconsistent. You needed to draw the perfect cards in the right order, and, unlike some other combos cards, you were absolutely dead if you didn't. Even when everything came together you didn't always win and a lot of other decks needed to jump through fewer hoops for bigger payoffs. I'm excited to see this buff and it absolutely transforms the card. First of all, you can play her earlier or alongside more cards later. She just nestles in the curve more comfortably.
Additionally, Weapon X and other potential payoffs are being added this season that might help Le Fay out. Sure, you can no longer dig for her with Air-Walker, but you should need to less often now (Air-Walker and Firelord buffs next, please?). Yes, things are looking up for one of Marvel's most badass villains.
I was a huge fan of the initial release state of Elsa. Yes, I know she was way too strong, but she really leaned into play patterns I enjoyed. After she was banished to the 3-Cost slot, she's never been good enough, even in the decks that ought to have perfect synergy with her. The timing is just off. Having to spend 3-Energy on her at some point and then still get value filling often enough is just a real challenge. I'm glad to see her get an extra point, but I wish it were a buff I had more faith would increase her play rate, like 2/1 +2 or 3/4 +3.
I've fiddled with Sword Master in some rogue Discard builds, but nothing has really stuck. There might be something there with Ghost Rider, Moon Knight/Silver Samurai disruption decks, and hopefully this point will get more people experimenting before Weapon H drops like a bomb.
+2 is a pretty big buff! The synergies to keep in mind here are Quinjet, Collector, Corvus Glaive, Dracula, and Hela. There may also be some fun lines with Wong Discard builds too since you can generate a lot of fodder with Helicarrier.
Dormammu is interesting. He's been buffed multiple times, pretty significantly all told, and the deck isn't exactly unreliable. Something about the quest just ends up not being worth it. The extra point does help since Dormammu decks are absolutely relying on him to solo a lane, but I'm skeptical if this will get any non-believers to try him out.
Now that's a buff! Would a card that only included the first part see play even without that second clause? Honestly, with cards like Sinister and Brood it absolutely would. Basically, this card will be played for the first part, with the discount to 0 just being occasional frosting on top. I still think you make some considerations of hitting the requirement during deck-building, with things like Squirrels, other 1-Cost cards, card generators that provide flexibility, and cards that share synergy with such cards, but your game plan will revolve around the bonus much more. It's like a whole new card!
Final Rating - 4/4 Arrows
This is one of the best OTAs I can remember. The real villains got hit meaningfully, underplayed cards got buffed, and there are definitely changes that make you want to race to your deck builder. The only room for improvement would be buffs to fan-favorite characters like Colossus or Jean Grey, but Helicarrier probably counts in the Snap community. The most exciting change is Noir, but I'm personally very excited to build with Morgan Le Fay and War Machine as well.