Warning: Long post to follow. We're talking DeckBuilder size in length, lol
This thread really took off. I had to read 3 new pages before I could post, lol. I'm going to start my post by restating the goal of the thread. We want to make all mages equally viable. Currently we are working with the list provided by Charmyna as follows:
Power Level in the current Meta
1. Wizards (all flavours)
2. Druid, Necromancer, Warlock, Priestess, Forcemaster
3. Straywood, Priest, Jokhtari
4. Warlord
Since half of all mages are already on level 2, I think that is where we should aim for all of them ending up. This means nerfing the Wizard and improving the Priest, both Beastmasters, and the Warlord.
Knocking the Wizard down a peg
So far, people have proposed the following strengths that make the wizard more powerful than we want him.
#1 Cheap Arcane Spells
This is a problem because not only is Arcane very versatile, but a lot of it's spells are considered necessary. I like having versatile schools and believe a lack of versatility in other schools is actually more of a problem than the abundance in Arcane. However the necessitation of spells is a huge issue.
So why are these spells considered necessary? It's not because they are overpowered. It's because they have unique functionality. They do things that nothing else can.
Solution: There should be multiple options, in multiple schools of magic, to achieve any particular function in the game. I like having unique spells that do unique things. I am not proposing that we simply make copies of every spell. However, any card you look at could be categorized according to a fairly small list of functions which are performed within the game. It might perform this function differently than any other card, but there should be other cards that are capable of performing said function.
Example of a function:
Enchantment Removal. Defined as any card which eliminates the effect an enchantment has on the game. Now, there are several cards that can perform this function in a limited capacity, however the list of cards that can perform it in a general sense with any enchantment would be: Dispel, Destroy Magic, Seeking Dispel, Purge Magic, and Steal Enchantment.
The big problem with this list, is that it is entirely Arcane. We need non-arcane solutions. These solutions also need to be viable enough to compete with the Arcane ones. If you can find a card function that is performed entirely by one school of magic, then I believe you have an issue. Currently, this issue plagues the Enchantment Removal I mentioned, as well as Counter Spells (Nullify, Reverse Magic, Jinx).
A lot of people also will cite Repositioning Spells as a problem area (teleport). I think this category may be unbalanced in teleports favor, but I do not think it lacks alternatives. Any spell with a push effect would also fit in this category in a general sense, and there are other spells that could be included in a more limited sense (Charge). I think here we just need to balance the options. A similar case might exist with Equipment Removal (Dissolve, Explode, Steal Equipment, Corrossive Orchid) where there needs to be balance.
Alternate Solution: Whereas my solution is to release cards that perform the same function but exist in different schools from Arcane, DeckBuilder suggests we release Novice versions of the cards. This has the advantage thematically of keeping the flavor of the schools. It also has the advantage of not needing to worry about someone overloading on spells. It has the disadvantage of homogenizing the game.
I don't believe everyone NEEDS to be able to get a function at face value. I just don't think anyone should have the monopoly on it. Being the only one to get it at face value is bad, especially if anyone has to pay triple your price for it. However, the game has room to allow some people to get it at face value and some to get it at double value. Again, nobody should have to pay triple though.
Take healing for example. Currently ways to heal your creatures can be found in the Holy, Nature, and Dark schools. Nobody is screaming foul that Arcane, Mind, and War mages have to pay twice as much to receive this functionality. However, if all of the healing spells were Holy, we would have a major problem.
Worrying about people overloading on the different options is not an unfounded concern. However, I seriously doubt anyone will dedicate more than 1/10 of their spellbook to a single functionality. Currently most people spend around 10 to 12 spell points on Enchantment Removal (Dispel + Seeking Dispel) for example, including Charmyna's Blasting Banker build, and I doubt that will increase much if any. Thus a non-arcane alternative to Dispel would not be a problem. With a non-water alternative to Dissolve, water mages might carry around 8 or 9 equipment removal spells, but they can do that currently anyways with Corrossive Orchid. Granted the new option might be better than Corrossive Orchid, but I don't think it would change the game that much.
The main effect of releasing alternate school options, would be doubling the number of mages capable of fielding so many spells of that functionality. If we made a Holy Dispel, for example, now you have to worry about Priests having tons of enchantment removal. Everyone else would have the same amount, and Wizards would still have more due to having both Dispel and Seeking Dispel. This would definitely impact the meta, but I don't think it would actually impact game balance or the balance of different card types. We would not see Enchantment use plummet, nor would an alternate Dissolve cause Equipment use to plummet.
The Novice spell idea is actually what would flood the market. Yes, it guarantees no single book overloads on said spells, but as I've just stated I don't think that would happen anyways. However, what it does do, is guarantee everyone will be wielding the same number of these cards that Wizards currently do. That's nearly double the number of Dispels and Dissolves and Nullifies, etc, entering the meta. That will cause a big ripple effect.
Alternate Solution #2: Someone (too lazy to look up who right now, sorry) mentioned giving every mage training in level 1 Arcane. This is a horrible idea. It again homogenizes the game, would flood the market with such spells (like the Novice idea would), and have such a huge impact on the game on whole that nobody could possibly predict the consequences. I do like that it wouldn't require any card errata or even any new cards. It could be implemented over night. So I applaud you on elegance, but it is an elegant nightmare.
#2 Wizards Tower is overpowered
Why is it overpowered? It's not any more useful than other familiars. In fact, being stationary, it could be considered a lot less useful. However it is easier to get out. It is the cheapest familiar to get out (other than goblin builder) and only requires a quick action to do so. It is also tougher to bring down. Every other familiar currently can be gotten rid of with either a single attack spell or a dissolve, while the 3 armor and 7 hitpoints of the tower typically requires at least two actions to take out. Thus, the spell is harder to deal with and easier to replace.
Solution: Making the card Epic would definitely solve the issue. I support this solution.
#3 No weak school
I've stated before that the lack of a weak school for the Wizard has always flummoxed me, as it has others. It seems intuitively unbalanced. Earlier in this thread I even jumped on the bandwagon to grab up our pitchforks and demand such an errata. I would like to jump off that bandwagon now. As I just finished saying above, no school should have a monopoly on any sort of game functionality. If there are alternate solutions to every problem, then nobody should be forced to take their weak school. Thus, giving a mage a weak school should not inherently make them weaker. They should be just as viable with it as without it. Sure, it limits their options and makes them more predictable, but it does not actually make them weaker. Ringkichard made a similar statement somewhere in this thread himself.
Let's say we do make them weak in Nature. Well, they might not use Regrowth, but they could use Heal or Vampirism. They might not use Rhino Hide, but perhaps Fortified Position. No Tanglevine but still Force Hold.
Solution: None needed. It does not actually contribute to the Wizards power, just their versatility.
Conclusion
I think Wizard's Tower needs to be brought in line with other familiars. I'm not positive that making it Epic is the only, or even the best, way to do this, but it is the best solution I have heard. I also think there needs to be non-arcane alternatives to spells with unique functionality. Once those things have been accomplished, I can't think of any reason the Wizard should be out of alignment with the other mages.
I had planned to do a write up on the 4 sub par mages as well, but I didn't realize how long this was going to be, so I shall do those at a later time.
