So after the great Guild Ball Errata 2017 I think the dust has settled and the trolls have had their time in the sun it is time to reflect.
For my own thoughts I like the vast majority of the changes so that for example Shark and Midas can continue doing what they are doing without ‘ruining’ the game for your opponent. There were other players who needed that little buff in the shape of Hammer and Theron but there were a few players I was scratching my head like Ox and Vet Siren thinking ‘and the point of that was?’. So just for fun (and it is just for fun!) I have decided to pick one player from each team who may have needed a slight change to their rules. This is just for fun and just my own thoughts so don’t take anything too personal!
Alchemists
Midas works, Smoke works, loads of their players are absolutely fine. For me it could come down to a slight reduction to Veteran Katalyst but I would rather give a slight boost to Mercury (why bring him over Harry if you want Burning condition?), Venin (what does he do?) but for me it would be Naja. The second Mascot might as well be the ‘reserve’ mascot such little table time the snake actually gets. That isn’t to say Naja is terrible it is just Flask is now so good with his survivability but has a momentum Intensify on 1 hit and can multiple wrap his playbook on the charge for handing out a LOT of damage! I think we just need to give Naja a boost to make her compete, maybe something like changing the Assist Venin into a straight damage and TAC buff to herself when targeting a player with Poison or giving a negative impact on incoming attacks (instead of Hypnosis).
Butchers
This is a touch one because do you look at maybe toning someone down (like maybe removing Hooked from Meathook does she need EVERYTHING!?) or boosting an underused player? For me it would come down to a toss-up between Shank and Tenderiser in terms of getting a slight buff. I would go with Tenderiser and make him work in conjunction with Ox (to boost that captain) a little more. He is quite a resource drain right now and either stands at the back (leaving you a man down in the fight which is not good for Butchers) or comes forward but doesn’t have a reliable knock down, high damage, etc. Some form of Fear might be the right move or a boost to his Kick since he is meant to be a goalkeeper and football(ish) player.
Brewers
Absolutely untouched by the recent errata but the whole team could do with….something? I would love to say something about PintPot ,as the game rarely lasts for multiple turns when he starts to become weaker so he is almost always strong, but think he is a great asset to the team. I will go with the easy answer for giving Stave a little boost. For me I would add +1 damage into Lob Barrel and then re-use his Heroic Play slot to do something else for him. This could be more survivability (maybe giving him Gluttonous Mass for the turn as he drink his barrels and ignores damage?) or some form of team boost (throw a beer to someone else and give them +1 tac or +1 damage or something for the turn). At the moment he is just the wrong side of being a great player and a small nudge wouldn’t hurt.
Union
Gutter…….come one why not Gutter!? Fine Hemlocke then……..if you wonder why when was the last time you saw Hemlocke on the pitch!?
Hunters
Would have been Theron before the recent errata so no longer anymore now. I like a lot of their players (and not sure why I haven’t played them more before now!?) and I think the internet answer would be Hearne/Vet Hearne but for me I would have a look at Jaecar. He is a great player but should he have momentous damage everywhere? Should he have to pay a non-momentum result or remember his traps to apply the Bleed condition? I’d give him something like Crucial Artery, change his damage playbook and swap out his Blood character play for maybe something like a Marked Target which boosts the other players on his team.
Fishermen
Is Corsair now too strong? Is Shark absolute rubbish? The answer to both questions is of course NO! There isn’t much to change about the Fishermen (one team has to stay ‘neutral as a baseline) but potentially boost Hag a little but if I was forced on one player it would be Angel. She is meant to be the striker but misses out because other Fishermen players are all strikers in their own right. Maybe getting rid of Tactical Advice Shark and replacing with something that boosts either goal scoring or may like Mash makes it easier for her to score snap shot goals would see more pitch time?
Morticians
Obulous needs a nerf! But this isn’t season one anymore and I’d probably look at the pairing of Vileswarm and Veteran Graves. At the moment there is no point taking them over Dirge and regular Graves so they need something. Maybe change the Heroic Play Packmaster into a trait so it is always active is a good start? The give Vileswarm automatic application of the Poison condition when he causes damage and we start getting somewhere….. (yes I know I picked 2 players here but can you blame me!?)
Masons
Granite or Chisel? Chisel or Granite? Who needs help more? Just give them both better playbook damage results (higher damage having momentum, lowering results needed for 2 damage) and hopefully it helps. The rest of the team are all solid already and don’t need much to help them win games and tournaments they just seem to be the most un-loved team in the game and I am not sure why only that I have no desire to play them??
Engineers
I have seen calls to nerf Mother but don’t think the Enginners need a rubbish mascot. For me I would have a look at the goalkeeper situation (in that a team doesn’t need two) and decide what role in the team Veteran Velocity is for because at the moment you’d almost always take the original version. Even her trait Fly Keeper allows you to keep changing what she does. Let’s at least let Fly Keeper give her +2 movement or gain Close Control for the turn just something to let her play football up the pitch. Leave the goalkeeping to Compound and at least try and compete with original Velocity!
As I say that is just my own opinion and thoughts on players I would look at next and I am sure no one actually agrees with me but this is my blog and these are my ideas! Any comments welcome as always J
Spuddyhammer 