So I think everyone can agree that Heroes, for the most part, are still a little lacking. I use mine in my main build, and he works just fine but there’s nothing exciting about him either; he doesn’t feel like the powerhouse the story makes him out to be. Part of the problem is, of course, one of balance. The dev’s can’t make any one card, not even the Hero, too powerful or it will unbalance the game. So how do we make Heros feel more…heroic?
I believe the solution is to give Heros features not found on other cards. I’m not talking about unique traits (though that would be welcome, too); I’m talking about adding new gameplay mechanics not currently in the game:
Hero Pet Cards
A Hero Pet Card would be just like other troops (though hopefully of the Mythic or Guardian strength level) that are only usable in decks that include your Hero. Example: If there was a Undead Nightmare (horse) card that was only able to be put into decks that include your Hero but the card itself was traited to maximize and enhance the Hero’s Necromancer class. So you could use the Undead Nightmare with any Hero class, but it’s real synergy and true power would only come when matched with the right Hero Class. Some Hero Pets could work well with multiple classes; others might only work well with one.
I suspect this would not only add a lot of interesting strategies but also make the Hero class feel truly unique, something I, and I suspect most people, feel they are not at the moment.
Thoughts? Would this make using a Hero class more fun for you? Any ideas on other types of pets and their unique features that would enhance your Hero?
Edit: @Annaerith brings up a good point that (and I’m paraphrasing here), in the effort to keep dev development time to a minimum, there is no real reason to create a mechanic that keeps players from adding Hero Pet Cards to a deck without the hero as long as the traits and spells of the Hero Pet Cards are designed to be basically worthless without a Hero.
I think it would be interesting like a Familiar (special weapon), that allows each class a 1 time special spell, which summons the pet, and then returns to the normal weapon. So not a troop that could start in battle, but one that could be summoned in with a special effect. Then the hero feels like a 2 for 1. These Pets would have “On Summon” traits, so you could just put them in a normal team, but if summoning them with the right class you get a great bonus.
So your pet idea is cool. I’d like to see a way to make dynamic.
I agree that there would be other ways to make it even more unique, such as your idea, however, that would add not only new coding for the mechanics but also substantial GUI changes. I was trying to create the biggest impact with the smallest amount of Dev time overhead (though I could be completely wrong and my idea might take a huge amount of code and GUI work, too lol).
i think the “easier” way to make hero pets bind with hero would be just binding pet spell effects and/or traits to be boosted by hero presence or hero stats.
and allow it to go without hero at players own risk
Would be cool if there was several pets, that gave some form of extra skill to a troop or enemy troops status effects.
Probably one could only use one Pet at the time. Pets with differently rarity. They fight at the side of a troop or the Hero.
Some examples:
Hero pets:
Black Dog: 10 armor
Red Tiger: 5 attack
Flame Bird: Burn random enemies on 5 matches.
Ice Cat: Freeze a random enemy on 5 matches.
Troop pets(The troop need to be epic-mythic to have it,only some troops can have it):
Epic:
Rowanne: Oak Voodoo Figurine - gain 2 armor when opponent cast a spell.
Shadow Hunter: Purple Raven - 20% chance to deathmark all enemies after each use.
Legendary:
Orion: Orions Beaver: Orion now gains 100% true damage.
Shegra: Lava Rat: Shegra creates 2 more red gems and turn into skulls when used.
Mythic:
Ran out of ideas, but yeah big potential this is. So many differently pets to create…
thats too broken D:
change impervious to indigestible or hero could easily become immortal x_x and all the pvp would go even slower then mantibore meta…
I think the idea could be better embodied in a 4th trait that is added by the pet. This trait could be changed between say…6 pets,each with different ability. Like: +3atk to all troops on skull damage or All troops gain armored (would be so sweet), or redirect 25% of skull damage taken to hero. So many possibilities.
The issue with that is that the GUI and the cards themselves would have to be completely reworked to add a 4th trait. With the way I’m envisioning it working, they would just need to add a new set of cards just like they did with Mythic and Guardians but these cards’ traits would be written so that they needed the Hero to be of any use. That would actually enable the devs to push this out relatively easily (or at least, with comparable work to what it took them to make the Guardians and the Mythics).
There are a lot of interesting ways new features can be added to the game but if they require massive amounts of rework on the Devs part, the chances of them being added is slim since the Devs already have so much on their plates.
With the damage soaking third trait, it makes the troop way too weak, but buffs the hero’s staying power. Using multiple armadillos would be made pointless as each would take the full damage of what the hero would have taken. Armoured was to put this troop into the first spot and be used to protect aoe and split damage spells from hitting the hero. Impervious may be a little too strong on this troop given its traits so i can see that. However given its third trait and that it would need to tank for itself and the hero, the second trait would balance its soaking and sponging ability.
well if you really want it unstunnable i could go with thick head instead
just not impervious +armored coz a troop needs to have a weak spot, especially a troop like hero (due to its tendention to have higher stats then average)
The weak spot is its coverage with the hero. I do think i see your point though, it is too much of a tank even if you do not get the third trait. For theme i guess thick head is better than impervious.
