This card is close to Venture. But Venture is limited to Treasure cards. This is not. So basically this seems like a $5-$6 card to me.
Venture is a Treasure though, so it operates differently, but your point is well-taken, because despite the fact Summon is an action card, it is distinctly better.
Another comparism would be Scheme. This is a $3 card which also allows you to play your favourite attack more often. I think at the first few turns both card would play similarly, but Summon would be more faster and more reliable in the mid- and end-game, what definitely makes it better.
Scheme can be more agile too, because it can allow for deeper tactics, while Summon really only functions well with a singular "marquee" card that you tutor for. Otherwise it becomes too random and really starts to sputter. Scheme lets you play more variety, while still keeping the best card of that set in your next hand. Still, again, your point is really well taken.
Also Summon has shuffle issues. Summon can sometimes shuffle to the bottom right next to the card you want to tutor. So you wait 2 turns to finally get back to Summon, you draw 5, then tutor the NEXT card for the attack, then you shuffle all over again and hope Summon isn't at the bottom. (You probably have to waste another buy on another Summon once your deck widens to this point this is a frequent danger).
But I am not really trying to argue with you, just letting you know how it plays and why Scheme, at times, is a stronger card.
Dicarding a card is a good try for a disadvantage.
But what about removing the +1 Action? So if you have no village in your hand, you have to search for a treasure for the cost of an action. That would make it a $3 card for me.
Yeah, this thought has occurred to me too. I was worried the card would lie dead on the board if I made this change. See the thing is, Summon+Village+Some really strong action card, is a really weak tactic. It will rarely come off, usually because the "some really strong action card" is also a terminal. And this is really Summon's strength, it summons that strong terminal to your hand and lets you play it often.
Once you add second and third action cards to the mix, it falters - a lot. I think even rinkwork's found this out with his card (he was initially testing it with two or three supporting cards and didn't see at first how much stronger it is with just one).
Still Qvist, you are right on every single point. Discarding might slow it down, but the key mechanic of the card is still strong. It is particularly strong with something like Torturer in the kingdom. You can virtually assure your opponent plays with just 3 cards every turn with Summon, and you can do this very early - and often, which is precisely the time you want that strong advantage, as it can catapult you ahead to a point where the opponent can't catch up.
There are several ways I can put an additional governor on the card:
1. I can limit the number of cards it can tutor. This is a pretty key way to kill its power. For example I could say, "reveal up to 5 cards". This does a few things. One of course, is it creates a chance you do not get the card you want. Second is, it slows down the speed at which you mill through your deck, (slowing down the speed at which you get the Summon back into your hand). One of the real strengths of Summon+1 really good card, is it often puts you in a reshuffle condition, (zipping past your green cards along the way, which is nice). A governor of this sort, can slow that ability down.
2. I can make you discard 2 cards. That's a steep price to launch a marquee attack.
3. I can push it to 4$. Although, in my experience, cost adjustments are weird. Because you don't really deal with the power of the card, sometimes adjusting the price just makes the card slower to reach, (which can increase the swing-factor). Putting it at 4$ assures its accessible to both players on the first 2 turns. Actually I'd welcome a whole other thread on costing. Because the difference between 4$ and 5$ is HUGE...while the difference between 3$ and 4$ is largely inconsequential in comparison. How to cost cards is hard, really hard and this Variants forum might benefit from a whole discussion on it. Sometimes LOWERING the cost of a strong card actually makes a card more fair and balanced.
4. I can make the card a one-off, (as in it trashes itself after the main tutor effect is resolved). This might be the more elegant solution, although I might add +1$ or something. This would make it a nice card in early rounds to ensure you get Chapel (or some other highly desired card) in an early shuffle. Of course, the card laughs at you when you get the card you want and Summon in the same hand. (You'd be a fool to play it, and it would become a dead card that turn). In the later rounds you'd buy it just before your next shuffle, to help ensure you can tutor up as your deck widens. Maybe if I made it self-trashing effect, I could also add a Duration to it? This way it kicks in twice, before trashing itself.
My apologies I am essentially thinking out loud here. What I really need to say is, that you are right Qvist and the card still needs more work. Cheers.
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Topic: Noob's Expansion - Part 2 - Come rip it apart even more... (Read 38469 times)