August 2018
August 2018
I would agree with almost every word you wrote if not for:
1.) Forget-Me-Nuts
2.) Brainana
3.) Dark Matter Dragonfruit
There are other cards that can ruin zombie plans, but these ones really throw of your resource allocation math.
So I agree that:
1.) The zombie/trick phase split often makes zombies a little trickier to play;
and 2.) in part because they’re “trickier,” zombie/trick decks have a lot of creative potential.
But I think the three cards listed above prove how hard it is to take this information and assert that “Zombies are better.”
Sometimes Occum’s Razor applies. (Simplest = best.)
August 2018
August 2018
September 2018
So I think we all missed a grand opportunity here right out the gate when this thread was started.
There are lots and lots and lots of balance threads. Not including the officially sanctioned and stickied EA thread. And the fact is that the game is pretty balanced all factors considered, that more people play plants right now, that plants probably therefore have a slight edge, and/but that may and probably will be reversed with the next round of nerfs/updates, so really it is a non-issue.
What we are missing, though, is a light-hearted thread for airing grievances.
When this thread was published, we had a template, which was: whoever thinks ... [absurd anectdote]. As in, “Whoever thinks plants are balanced has never been forced to bounce double astrovera at the start of zombie tricks.” (This has happened to me before w/Excavator Zombie. Astrovera does not scare me, but bouncing two of them in one turn is a poor way to try to win.)
Plant grievances were excluded, but did not need to be.
”Whoever thinks zombies are balanced has never seen a turn 2 Bad Moon Rising.” (I haven’t either, but it is possible. This is the combo player’s wet dream.)
...Anyone else want to start over?
September 2018
It's berry clear what's the main issue.
September 2018
I just had a HG play an Octo Zombie on turn 3.
Turn 3.
And at the end of the day it is only possible to hurt you badly generating so many brains (he used a combination of buried treasure, terror former, interdimensional, brain vendor, and teleport) is because you can teleport a zombie in on the trick phase.
Teleport the trick and zombie destroy the game mechanics.
I can only say to that player "Well Played". I did not stand a chance.
September 2018
@npgibbs wrote:
It takes a super power from SF to get ahead of the sun count while a gourmet trick x 4 of uncommon quality gets any brainy Zombie there.
A Super Power or one of several sun-producing plants. Yes, they can be destroyed, but they can also be pumped up or even simply block a lane. Many of them also get Team-Up, which is a rather nice perk.
September 2018
@jj48car wrote:
@npgibbs wrote:
It takes a super power from SF to get ahead of the sun count while a gourmet trick x 4 of uncommon quality gets any brainy Zombie there.A Super Power or one of several sun-producing plants. Yes, they can be destroyed, but they can also be pumped up or even simply block a lane. Many of them also get Team-Up, which is a rather nice perk.
Yes they can be destroyed. But after seeing HG drop an Octo Zombie on turn 3 I laugh at any topic claiming plants are balanced. Zombie players are capable of some of the most outrageous tricks and unfortunately they can occur very early in the game.
September 2018
Ok, yes, Zombies have a few ridiculous combos. Plants have their entire decks consisting of nothing but ridiculous combos.
The problem is, most well-tuned Plant decks aren't playing against the Zombie deck; they're playing against themselves. If the Plant deck works properly, it is 100% guaranteed to win, regardless of how well or how poorly the Zombie deck works. The only way for a Zombie deck to win against them is for the Zombie deck to work well and the Plant deck to perform poorly.
I'm also curious as to how an Octo Zombie got out on turn 3, and how repeatable it is. Because I do repeatedly see Plant players play Lily of the Valley on Turn 2, followed by a Doubled Mint and +2/+2 power on Turn 3, for a 5/6 plant that's going to double every turn. I regularly see Berries and Freezing decks devoted entirely to making sure that the Zombie player doesn't get to do anything all game long.
Yes, Zombies have some potent combos, if they manage to get all their cards together, but Plants have far more synergy in their theme decks, and often synergize with actual game mechanics rather than just arbitrary keywords. The only Zombie decks that even come close to that level of synergy are Sports decks, and that's really just because of how ludicrous Invulnerability is. (Personally, I think all cards that currently make a Plant or Zombie invulnerable should instead just give it Armored 2. Still very useful, but at least possible to overcome with enough work.)
I laugh at posts that claim that one instance of a powerful Zombie combo completely balances against the very repeatable power of Plants.