OldManSanns

I actually really the synergy with L2 [runecard]Nocturne[/runecard]: you can play the spell at any time for a free nightfall activation, then after he levels drop the 2x [runecard]Daring Poro[/runecard] such that all allies have fearsome while all enemies have -2/-0. I just don't know if that's a strong enough combo to carry an entire deck--especially if you lose access …

Quote From FortyDust

So maybe this card isn't the Dumpster fire it appears to be. It's half the cost of [runecard]Wyrding Stones[/runecard], 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 [runecard]Catalyst …

Quote From linkblade91

Hmm...we really only have one more space for a champion, don't we. I thought we had two left, for ASol and Soraka together, but I miscounted (stupid [runecard]Nocturne[/runecard]). It's got to be Soraka, though...right? They've been showcasing Soraka cards throughout the week D:

Watch it be Tahm Kench and totally mess up …

I know exactly what you mean. It's such a bizarre archetype to theorycraft for--it feels really wrong to completely ignore early game board, but maybe if you can ramp fast enough and heal back up with [runecard]Revitalizing Roar[/runecard] it all works out?

For reference, here's what I ended up with:

[runedeck]1197[/runedeck]

Is it just me, or are these sooo much better than the SI nightfall cards?

2 mana 2/3 elusive and 3 mana 5/3 overwhelm versus 1 mana 2/1 with a temporary +2/+0 ([runecard]Stygian Onlooker[/runecard]) and 3 mana 3/2 with Drain 2 ([runecard]Doombeast[/runecard]).

Quote From Nevin

I’m curious about the focus on budget decks here. Does that really matter in Runeterra? I’ve been almost entirely a F2P player (other than the new player bundle), and I’ve had no trouble crafting a brand new deck every few weeks using the resources I get from the region road and my level 10 vaults …

I know it feels wrong to drop [runecard]Anivia[/runecard], but I think at the end of the day you either commit to running 3x [runecard]Trundle[/runecard] + 3x [runecard]Tryndamere[/runecard] or you keep the historic 3x [runecard]Anivia[/runecard] + some combination of Tryn and [runecard]Thresh[/runecard]. Decks that try to "hedge" with 2/2/2 usually don't do as well.

6 mana at slow speed sounds like a deal breaker to me--it calls to mind [runecard]Trueshot Barrage[/runecard] and [runecard]Winter's Breath[/runecard], both of which sound incredible on paper but in practice no one runs them due to how awkward they are to use. 

It's interesting to me that so many of the new champions ([runecard]Leona[/runecard], L2 [runecard]Nocturne[/runecard], and to a lesser extent [runecard]Taric[/runecard]) really want you to develop rather than open-attack. I wonder how the new meta will develop since so many popular cards ([runecard]Riptide Rex[/runecard], Yone, [runecard]Twisted Fate[/runecard], [runecard]Sejuani[/runecard], [runecard]The Ruination[/runecard], [runecard]Swain[/runecard] + nexus damage) severely punish developing in the late game.

This is a slightly above average card. 5 mana for a 5/5 + random card is usually the type of card you try to squeeze in but ultimately cut--compare it with [runecard]Avarosan Hearthguard[/runecard], who provides so much more value and still gets cut from many Frejlord decks, or [runecard]Greathorn Companion[/runecard] who in practice only exists as a product of [runecard]Remembrance[/runecard]. …

Perhaps. Your logic does remind me a bit of [runecard]Sejuani[/runecard], where when Rising Tides first launched people were trying (unsuccessfully) to jam her into decks like [runecard]Teemo[/runecard] puffcaps and [runecard]Swain[/runecard] crimson and she was widely regarded as the worst new champion; then they started just jamming her as a 6 mana tempo play with no particular support and now she's …

Quote From FrostyFeet

Doesn't Daybreak feel a bit too easy to trigger?

That's the clever thing--they are extremely easy to trigger; they are less easy to get value from. Notice that [runecard]Solari Soldier[/runecard], [runecard]Solari Shieldbearer[/runecard], and [runecard]Sun Guardian[/runecard] are all only "until end of turn" effects. Smart opponents will try to always open-attack to prevent …

Quote From Neoguli

Hmn... is Rahvun's text just a spice like [card]Power Overwhelming[/card] or does it indicate that the added card can trigger Daybreak despite playing other cards earlier in the turn?

I think it means the latter--Daybreak triggers irregardless of how many cards you've played

Quote From FortyDust

Often better than [runecard]Vile Feast[/runecard] 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 …

Quote From FortyDust

"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!"

To be fair, the nerf was to [runecard]Wraithcaller[/runecard], because 6+ damage …

Quote From jagu

You mentioned in your first point that you dropped HS completely yet included Scholomance Academy in one of your 'examples'. 

It's unfortunate, but I agree that Ashes of Outland's Demon Hunter meta was dominating the ladder for at least the first half of Ashes of Outland. Anyway, Day 1 meta is not an accurate …

Note that the text is "attacked with 5+ Nightfall allies", not activating Nightfall.

I'm not 100% confident I understand exactly nightfall works. If you watch the video from Riot's twitter, it shows little moon icons on units implying that all you need to do is attack with a unit that had the nightfall text, irregardless of whether you proc'ed …

Normally 2 mana for drawing a single card won't be that good, but

• You have some flexibility in which card you chose
• You get the copy
• It's burst speed, so it will work well with nightfall decks

I think it will be 3x for Nocturne decks. I'm less certain about other SI decks--e.g., would …

I'll try to respond by enumerating what I understand to be your points and responding to them one at a time:

1.) Does Riot really have a plan for this game?

I'm not sure if you meant this question literally or figuratively. For the former: they absolutely have plans, and they have been very open about them on …

Quote From FortyDust

Quote From DoubleSummon

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 …