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[Gandi]

Well, I've slowly started to create a little expansion. Few days ago I've given amulets to your opinion, now time for the 'different' moat.

Force barrier (Action - Reaction) 4$
+ 1 action
Choose one:
Draw until you have 5 cards in your hand; or put this card on top of your deck.
---
When another player plays an Attack card, you may reveal this from your hand and discard a card from your hand. If you do, you're unaffected by that Attack.



First of all, I've been thinking about a reaction card, that each turn get's back to your turn. I realized, that it would probably end up like alchemist, that makes you unattainable for enemy's attacks. That would suck. Then I thought about a reaction, that protects you, but only from a few attacks. By combining both of those, came the Force barrier.

So what does it really do? It protects you from 4 attacks while having it in your hand. Or, in case of Torturer chains, even from more. It makes you decide - is this attack worth revealing my Barrier? It work like a cellar. Force barrier, gold, 3 estates and 3 spies incoming? Why not to discard the estates?
Ok, it came to your turn. If there were many attack this turn (4 or more), you can simply start with a new hand. If there were not, you can topdeck the barrier and use it next turn. And when there were only one or two attack? Than you have to decide again what would be better.

I've been thinking about setting Barrier aside to draw it and 4 cards next turn, but I thought that top-decking it would be more fun. If you have a terminal drawer and no more actions, than topdecking simply gives you nothing.

I like this reaction for it's flexibility. It's not the MOAT!, you have to.. MOAT!, I play wi... MOAT!. It's a card that makes you decide during each attack and than decide when it comes to your turn.

What do you think of this one? Is the cost ok? Do you think it would be possible to play with it?

[Drab Emordnilap]

Something to keep in mind -- you can reveal the same reaction multiple times to a single trigger. If I have Force Barrier/Gold/E/E/E, and you play Spy, I can reveal the Force Barrier three times to discard all the Estates (so that I can use Force Barrier to draw up to 5).

[LastFootnote]

You could remove the need for multiple reveals by saying, "you may reveal this and discard 1 or more cards from your hand."

[Drab Emordnilap]

You could remove the need for multiple reveals by saying, "you may reveal this and discard 1 or more cards from your hand."

I'm concerned that that's not an intentional feature, though; his example involves 3 Spies being played to get to discard 3 cards.

[DStu]

I have the feeling that it is to strong and kills most attacks dead.

So first +1 action, draw up to 5, is in the usual setting just a cantrip. Cantrip reactions (to attacks) are dangerous, because you can stock up on them without any real risk (beside opportunity cost). See rinksworks guide

(2) Non-terminal reactions.

If you create a non-terminal reaction, it's important to think through the ramifications.  In particular, consider drawing non-terminal reactions very carefully.  The issue is that making reactions non-terminal allows a player to stock up on them and thus pretty much always have one in hand when needed. Imagine adding a Moat-like reaction to Laboratory. You could buy them all up without harm to your deck, render attacks useless on virtually every turn, and still have a strong deck in its own right.

This problem is not insurmountable. The Reaction effect doesn't have to be an "attacks stop dead" effect like Moat has, and/or the Action component doesn't have to be as strong as Laboratory. But if you contemplate a non-terminal Reaction card -- again, especially drawing non-terminals, which do little or no harm to buy en masse -- consider the ramifications to the gameplay if one or more players decide to spam them.

Ok, but just a Cantrip for $4 is not to strong, so what is the reaction?

When another player plays an Attack card, you may reveal this from your hand and discard a card from your hand. If you do, you're unaffected by that Attack.

This is a Moat when you discard a card from your hand.  Given the primary skill of this card (+1action draw to 5), the discard is not a punishment for you, but a benefit on average, at least for the two first two cards you discard from your hand. You discard your worst card out of 4, and redraw an average card (on average) as replacement.

So defacto this one is not only a Cantrip Moat, but even stronger, a Cantrip Moat that helps you when you are attacked.  It also additionally combos with disappering money like Oasis, Fishing Village or even terminal money given enough Villages (and does not work so well with Caravan or Wharf or Tactician).

Of course it does only work against 4 attacks, but getting more of them per turn (at least in 2 player) doesn't happen so often, Torturer/Rabble chains with another attack as payload maybe, KC of course, Spies/Scrying Pool, but more often enough you are only faced with 1 or 2 attacks per turn, in which this is a more than perfect cantrip Moat.

[Bron]

What about
...
Draw until you have 4 cards in your hand; or put this card on top of your deck.
...

This should "fix" the mentioned issues whithout changing the "spirit" of the card.

[eHalcyon]

What about
...
Draw until you have 4 cards in your hand; or put this card on top of your deck.
...

This should "fix" the mentioned issues whithout changing the "spirit" of the card.

So, leave the reaction as is but have it only draw up to 4, without +action?

This card is very weak.  "Draw up to 4" draws 0 cards from a starting hand of 5.  And it's terminal.  It is OK against attacks, but if there aren't any attacks then it would be a liability.  Not even neutral.

Non-terminal draw-to-4 might be a better fix.  Or terminal draw-to-5 (or maybe even 6).

[Gandi]

I've been thinking about few solutions. Draw to 4 was one of them. But let me list them:

1. non-terminal draw to 4 cards

2. non-terminal draw to 5 cards but discarding two cards as a reaction. That would make it poor reaction for cursers (but well, not THAT poor in 2-players game) and stron reaction to discard attacks.

3. the same, but in the cost of 5$. Though, the 5-cost cards are the elite one and I'm not sure, if it's even possible to compare Force Barrier to Wharf, Mountebank or others.

4. terminal draw to 5. But than there's problem with a set-aside part. Putting it on your deck at the cost of an action would be pretty insane. And making one part terminal, other not would make it complicated.

There's also possibility to mix few of those points. I think I'll playtest this card with friends in some time and share the result.

[Bron]

What about
...
Draw until you have 4 cards in your hand; or put this card on top of your deck.
...

This should "fix" the mentioned issues whithout changing the "spirit" of the card.

So, leave the reaction as is but have it only draw up to 4, without +action?

This card is very weak.  "Draw up to 4" draws 0 cards from a starting hand of 5.  And it's terminal.  It is OK against attacks, but if there aren't any attacks then it would be a liability.  Not even neutral.

Non-terminal draw-to-4 might be a better fix.  Or terminal draw-to-5 (or maybe even 6).

shame on me - I'm too lazy; I meant to only change 5->4 so the +1 action and reaction part would be the same so non-terminal draw-to-4.

...
3. the same, but in the cost of 5$. Though, the 5-cost cards are the elite one and I'm not sure, if it's even possible to compare Force Barrier to Wharf, Mountebank or others.
...

I think that all issues will remain at $5; i.e. it won't help in this case.