Almost not worth playing pre-flip, but after, it's basically a flipped-Ashe threat level.
Thank the gods it's not "when you summon a unit," or Haunted Relic would be the end of everyone.
I'm not in love with the design, though. Requiring a critical mass of Nightfall units when there are so few to choose from will lead to a lot of very same-y deckbuilding.
Often better than Vile Feast unless you care about spiders. Nightfall units aren't great, but a card's a card. (And if you have the mana to play the unit immediately, you've already got the trigger.)
Then again, you have to plan more carefully to be sure you get the Nightfall value, so bad players may struggle to use it well.
To play devil's advocate for a sec (and I don't entirely buy into what I'm about to say):
We all know playtesting is a thing. Riot surely put their weird Behold deck up against existing meta decks to make sure the whole thing doesn't crash and burn. We also know that they want every card to have a home, and they have no incentive to print "filler" cards.
So maybe this card isn't the Dumpster fire it appears to be. It's half the cost of Wyrding Stones, and it can block a spider or two at the very least, or absorb a burn spell that might have otherwise hit the nexus. Played on curve, and assuming it lives, you can cast Catalyst of Aeons on the very next turn (turn 3, which is a pretty good investment). That bumps you up to 6 mana the following turn, when your opponent has only 4.
On the flip side, however, Faces of the Old Ones can't survive an Avalanche, which is one of the better ways you might survive early aggression. So like I said, I'm not really buying into it, but I still have to believe the devs have their reasons. I certainly would rather have borderline weak ramp tools than OP ones.
I dunno, I think 1 mana cheaper than Scarmaiden is pretty nice. I think everyone's really overestimating the challenge inherent in Behold.
All you're doing by keeping an 8-cost card in your mulligan is accepting the likelihood of early-game tempo loss. It's not the end of the world. There are all kinds of slow decks with little to no early-game tempo, and they do just fine. Sacrificing early tempo for future value is a time-honored, successful strategy in CCGs. Have you noticed that they put Behold in the region with some of the best mitigation and AOE damage? Maybe there's a reason for that.
If you evaluate every card as if it's going into a perfect curve tempo deck, you're basically ignoring half the game. Not to mention, having a critical mass of Regeneration (Troll Ravager AND Scarmaiden Reaver AND whatever else) will be utterly back-breaking for any opponent who's not running The Ruination.
I think this is the best from the bunch revealed today, draining 2 with a 2 mana body and potential nightfall synergies (nocturne is gonna have either a similar effect to the horse revealed or have nightfall itself.
Swim theorized that Nocturne and/or Diana might level up from Nightfall triggers. That is pretty much the only reason I'd ever use this card. (And I'd probably still never use Duskrider.)
I'm predicting Nightfall and Nocturne will be somewhat like Toss and Maokai: you're doing it primarily for the champion's level-up effect which is a game-changer if you can pull it off. The difference will be that whereas Toss is no immediate benefit for literally game-ending effect, Nightfall will be so-so benefit for (only) game-swinging effect.
Toss also gets you Deep, which may not be pertinent if you're not using sea monsters, but at least it's a valid, powerful synergy that exists.
Nightfall effects don't really get you anywhere (that we know of) besides a stronger 5-drop that's always going to be bad no matter how big it gets.
(UPDATE: It's confirmed that Nightfall units do level up Nocturne, who is pretty scary when leveled up, so I guess it's okay to play them to that end, but only to that end. You'd never play them without a Nightfall champ in the deck.)
There's a difference between "bad" and "meta-dependent."
Also, sometimes you can afford to make a little tech trade-off. If your deck is already super-strong against decks that don't summon(where this is dead or inefficient), it's probably fine to include one copy of Passage Unearned for the significant boost you'd gain against zombie decks.
If there were no opportunity cost to running this card, zombie decks would be absolutely dead. It's never good design policy to destroy an archetype that's good but not oppressive.
I think this is the best from the bunch revealed today, draining 2 with a 2 mana body and potential nightfall synergies (nocturne is gonna have either a similar effect to the horse revealed or have nightfall itself.
Swim theorized that Nocturne and/or Diana might level up from Nightfall triggers. That is pretty much the only reason I'd ever use this card. (And I'd probably still never use Duskrider.)
The main weakness I see is that Encroaching Shadows also effects champions. Currently, even champions like Hecarim would usually prefer to not have +2|+2 and Ephemeral.
Easily remedied, and something people already do all the time. A Champion brought back by The Rekindler or Mist's Call would not be Ephemeral.
Smells like a meme generator, but it can be tutored, so you might be able to consistently apply multiple copies to create an extremely threatening situation.
Did you say the same thing about Miss Fortune and Twisted Fate?
Would Endure like to have a chance at getting an extra Endure (albeit Ephemeral)?
Would Endure pay 2 mana to gain an Ephemeral copy of one of its powerful Last Breath units?
Yes to both.
Almost not worth playing pre-flip, but after, it's basically a flipped-Ashe threat level.
Thank the gods it's not "when you summon a unit," or Haunted Relic would be the end of everyone.
I'm not in love with the design, though. Requiring a critical mass of Nightfall units when there are so few to choose from will lead to a lot of very same-y deckbuilding.
Probably intended as a Nightfall trigger, but its applications are so much broader. For example, it makes Risen Mists even scarier.
"Mistwraiths are great! Fearsome isn't that OP."
A FEW WEEKS LATER: "Uh, guys, I think we have to nerf Mistwraiths."
A FEW MONTHS LATER: "Mistwraiths are great! Fearsome isn't that OP. Let's give the players Mistwraiths at Burst speed!"
Broken. Ephemerals are now S-rank. Will need an immediate nerf.
At least you can't get a Champion, but there are plenty of followers that make this thing crazy.
Often better than Vile Feast unless you care about spiders. Nightfall units aren't great, but a card's a card. (And if you have the mana to play the unit immediately, you've already got the trigger.)
Then again, you have to plan more carefully to be sure you get the Nightfall value, so bad players may struggle to use it well.
Nocturne is just OK, but everything else is bonkers! Burst-speed Mistwraith is terrifying.
To play devil's advocate for a sec (and I don't entirely buy into what I'm about to say):
We all know playtesting is a thing. Riot surely put their weird Behold deck up against existing meta decks to make sure the whole thing doesn't crash and burn. We also know that they want every card to have a home, and they have no incentive to print "filler" cards.
So maybe this card isn't the Dumpster fire it appears to be. It's half the cost of Wyrding Stones, and it can block a spider or two at the very least, or absorb a burn spell that might have otherwise hit the nexus. Played on curve, and assuming it lives, you can cast Catalyst of Aeons on the very next turn (turn 3, which is a pretty good investment). That bumps you up to 6 mana the following turn, when your opponent has only 4.
On the flip side, however, Faces of the Old Ones can't survive an Avalanche, which is one of the better ways you might survive early aggression. So like I said, I'm not really buying into it, but I still have to believe the devs have their reasons. I certainly would rather have borderline weak ramp tools than OP ones.
I dunno, I think 1 mana cheaper than Scarmaiden is pretty nice. I think everyone's really overestimating the challenge inherent in Behold.
All you're doing by keeping an 8-cost card in your mulligan is accepting the likelihood of early-game tempo loss. It's not the end of the world. There are all kinds of slow decks with little to no early-game tempo, and they do just fine. Sacrificing early tempo for future value is a time-honored, successful strategy in CCGs. Have you noticed that they put Behold in the region with some of the best mitigation and AOE damage? Maybe there's a reason for that.
If you evaluate every card as if it's going into a perfect curve tempo deck, you're basically ignoring half the game. Not to mention, having a critical mass of Regeneration (Troll Ravager AND Scarmaiden Reaver AND whatever else) will be utterly back-breaking for any opponent who's not running The Ruination.
Toss also gets you Deep, which may not be pertinent if you're not using sea monsters, but at least it's a valid, powerful synergy that exists.
Nightfall effects don't really get you anywhere (that we know of) besides a stronger 5-drop that's always going to be bad no matter how big it gets.
(UPDATE: It's confirmed that Nightfall units do level up Nocturne, who is pretty scary when leveled up, so I guess it's okay to play them to that end, but only to that end. You'd never play them without a Nightfall champ in the deck.)
There's a difference between "bad" and "meta-dependent."
Also, sometimes you can afford to make a little tech trade-off. If your deck is already super-strong against decks that don't summon(where this is dead or inefficient), it's probably fine to include one copy of Passage Unearned for the significant boost you'd gain against zombie decks.
If there were no opportunity cost to running this card, zombie decks would be absolutely dead. It's never good design policy to destroy an archetype that's good but not oppressive.
Swim theorized that Nocturne and/or Diana might level up from Nightfall triggers. That is pretty much the only reason I'd ever use this card. (And I'd probably still never use Duskrider.)
Easily remedied, and something people already do all the time. A Champion brought back by The Rekindler or Mist's Call would not be Ephemeral.
Effects like The Rekindler or Dawn and Dusk.
Smells like a meme generator, but it can be tutored, so you might be able to consistently apply multiple copies to create an extremely threatening situation.
I can see it being paired with Elusives.
LOVE IT.
A solid answer to Rekindler and D&D cheese. Thank you, Riot!
Balanced 1-drop, which means you'll use it if it suits the deck, but it's definitely not an auto-include.
Fairly weak, BUT the Nightfall effect gives Shadow Isles another source of Nexus burn, which some decks will love.
Overall kinda so-so, but will probably see some play.
Literal garbage. One of the worst 5-drops in the game.