6/8 Live Balance Update

As we’ve monitored the impact of last week’s balance changes, it’s clear that those changes did not go far enough to address how much of the Throne meta is dominated by explosive game-warping combos. While last week’s patch was a step in the right direction, there’s more we can do to help players frustrated by how often games come down to who can high-roll a combo first. There will always be a place for combo in Eternal. There’s a real thrill in using cards in creative ways to do something greater than any one card could. But when these strategies are too numerous to target, too hard to interact with, and dominate the game on early turns, it threatens the fun back and forth nature of what makes games of Eternal fun and replayable.

While we were reluctant to make any changes soon before this weekend’s Throne Open, careful consideration and hearing feedback concerned about the state of the meta led us to the conclusion that it would be better to take action now than wait any longer. Here’s what we’re doing:

Felrauk, the Outcast – When you discard Felrauk, you may 2 to play him from your void (was free)
Elding of the Final Hour – Now 3-cost 3/3 and when it goes to your void or hits the enemy player you may pay 2 to sacrifice a unit or relic to play a random Pale Rider (Was 5-cost 6/3 and pay 0)

Even in the absence of Grenahen as an enabler, decks filled with these two and lots of discard enablers have proven too explosive for Throne decks to contain. Felrauk and Elding’s effects being free despite also requiring a discard enabler have borne out as too risky for balanced gameplay. Too often players are facing boards filled with big threats on the third turn before they’ve even set up. By requiring actual power, it brings these two in line with other effects, slows them down, and puts a cap on how much can happen so early in a game.

Additionally, we are reworking Elding’s stats and costs to a 3-cost version. Putting Elding into play has been a modest option compared to the effect of just discarding it. This version gives players some new dimensions to consider as discarding becomes a less enticing route.

Clear the Way – Roadmakers now cost 6 (Were 9 cost).

By amplifying Clear the Way down to zero on an early turn, players can then take one of their currently 9-cost Roadmakers and immediately combine it with a Reweave or Fair Exchange to cheat out something gamebreaking like Kairos, Grand Champion, Azindel Revealed, etc. A clever combo, but one that takes it a bit away from the spirit of the card. While it’s natural to start with the tokens costing the same as the spell, after reflection, the Roadmakers will be more appropriate at costing 6, commensurate with what we’d expect to see if they were released as a standalone card in a future set.

Eccentric Officer – 5 cost (was 4 cost)

As players have learned to optimize their decks to abuse the Officer’s “random effect”, the tuned lists have ended up in a powerful and boring place. Repetitively sequencing market cards to go turn four Eccentric Officer into turn five play a Kairos or First Flame, game after game. It’s for the best to pull back on the efficiency of this kind of gameplay.

(Note: As Eccentric Officer is from a campaign, players who purchased the base version of the campaign will receive 1,250 gold and owners of the premium campaign will receive 2,500 gold.)

Diabolic Machinations – Now pay 2 life (was pay 1 life)

A game-ending combo with Overloader into a lethal Pyrotech Explosion, it’s been a tricky one to beat for a while now, a real player in expedition and now picking up in adoption in Throne. To help give players more ways beyond negate effects to fight back, we’re increasing how much damage the Machinations does, making attacking a more viable route to disrupting this deck’s gameplan.

Lord Steyer's Tower – 5 cost (was 4 cost)

Whether it’s Kira decks in Throne or Valkyrie decks in Expedition, Lord Steyer’s Tower really puts the clamps on opponents looking to attack back with a shrinking effect against wide boards and making multiple units to chump against a big attacker. Too often the best way to beat a turn four Tower is some kind of giant over the top combo that we’ve seen so much of. When looking at additional ways to open the format up for more fair strategies, we’re pulling back on how this site quickly takes over early boards.

A quicker turnaround on patches than normal, it’s a result of the passionate feedback from the community to deliver the best of our formats in Eternal. We’re excited to see how players will adapt to this new metagame in this weekend’s Throne Open.

As always, cards you crafted that are nerfed will have the option of being destroyed for a full shiftstone refund.

Be sure to check out the Throne format on display with the Revelations $5k Throne Open this weekend, running June 11-13, and official coverage on June 13th where we’ll see who earns an invite to the 2021 Eternal World Championship!