Great coverage! I am happy that this is the path Ghost Galaxy is taking with Keyforge. I believe chains can still be very interesting with some synergic mechanisms (artifacts and cards that boost when chained - like you're still limited when drawing cards, but you can discard cards from other houses by the number of draw restrictions, etc.); otherwise, just as a restriction without synergy, it kills the tempo.
I am 100% on board with this design space. Don't get me wrong, I think chains are a fantastic design as well and a great handicap metric for the competitive scene too. That said, seeing them explore and experiment with alternatives, especially those tied to set mechanics, is wonderful to see. Imagine if in WoE there were token-only wipes, or more effects you had to sacrifice a number of tokens instead of any creature.
I think the alternatives to chains introduced in this set feel very tied to to the overall Geistoid and Haunted theme of GR. It may introduce speed and craziness, but there are other counters that will make GR games really interesting. I bet a lot of the new mechanics will stay in GR and not carry over significantly into future sets. Great video and analysis, and I loved the quiet contrast of Kaboom and Savage Clash bookending your theme.
Interesting thoughts! As for mechanics carrying over into new sets, I wonder if discard icons will stick around? The aember/draw/capture/damage enhancements all stuck around since their inception in MM, so I wonder if discard icons will do the same? Glad you enjoyed! :)
![My FAVORITE KeyForge Unchained Deck! [DAY 5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HrL2RRiP8VM/mqdefault.jpg)
![My FAVORITE KeyForge Unchained Deck! [DAY 5]](/img/tr.png)
One way you can see the lack of chains moving forward is the new starter set GG made has a chain tracker being a card instead of a cardboard token.
Great coverage! I am happy that this is the path Ghost Galaxy is taking with Keyforge. I believe chains can still be very interesting with some synergic mechanisms (artifacts and cards that boost when chained - like you're still limited when drawing cards, but you can discard cards from other houses by the number of draw restrictions, etc.); otherwise, just as a restriction without synergy, it kills the tempo.
100%! I think it's a pretty cool direction for the game as well!
I am 100% on board with this design space. Don't get me wrong, I think chains are a fantastic design as well and a great handicap metric for the competitive scene too. That said, seeing them explore and experiment with alternatives, especially those tied to set mechanics, is wonderful to see. Imagine if in WoE there were token-only wipes, or more effects you had to sacrifice a number of tokens instead of any creature.
Definitely agree! I love seeing them branch out a little, making things a little more creative and offering new choices as a player!
I think the alternatives to chains introduced in this set feel very tied to to the overall Geistoid and Haunted theme of GR. It may introduce speed and craziness, but there are other counters that will make GR games really interesting. I bet a lot of the new mechanics will stay in GR and not carry over significantly into future sets. Great video and analysis, and I loved the quiet contrast of Kaboom and Savage Clash bookending your theme.
Interesting thoughts! As for mechanics carrying over into new sets, I wonder if discard icons will stick around? The aember/draw/capture/damage enhancements all stuck around since their inception in MM, so I wonder if discard icons will do the same?
Glad you enjoyed! :)
Hopefully Mega chains in the Red Baron, next set
It seems like they're just replacing chains with 'your opponent gets cards', speeding up the game. I'm apprehensive about it.