Calmness to be Reckoned With
Legends of Norrath Oathbreaker Card of the Week
By Chuck Kallenbach, Game Designer at SOE-Denver

When we begin designing a new expansion set for Legends of Norrath, we go through a process of identifying certain “card slots” to be used for particular purposes. We try to make sure that lots of different kinds of decks get some cards to help them out.
 

This card began life as “[Light uncommon Priest tactic]” in the plans for Oathbreaker. We wanted to give players a reason to play a light Priest deck that wasn’t a questing deck. (That was an area covered well in the last set, Inquisitor.) Sometimes we start designing cards by asking, “What does this archetype do well?” One of the areas in which Priests excel is the readying of units. We wondered if “readiness” could be used as a resource, just like power or cards in hand. Priests have cards like Restoration and Rod of Faith which can be used to easily ready units. Well, that sounds boring. How can we get players excited about having ready units? We went right for the jugular – dealing damage. Nothing gets a player more excited than a card that deals damage. I put a note in the design intent column that said, “idea here is readiness as a resource used to deal damage for light priests.” The result was Calm, a tactic card that lets your units turn their “readiness” into damage dealt to an opposing unit. You’ll find other cards to support this concept in the light Priest cards from Oathbreaker. While we’ve seen Priest decks try AvA (avatar vs. avatar attack) and unit rush strategies, they haven’t been tournament winners. Perhaps this new idea of Priest light direct damage will bolster a few old deck types or even create new ones. Because that’s what card design for a new set is all about.

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Scorpion Venom
by Evan "Heimlich" Lorentz, Game Designer at SOE Denver

Over the last several sets, the Scout archetype has offered cards for the “Ranger” theme, “Bard” theme, and more. With Oathbreaker, fans of Beast Lords will finally be rewarded for their patience. You’ll now be able to choose from a few special warder units, and construct a deck in which your avatar and your warder work as a team to take down your opponent.

Both warders and the cards that take advantage of them come in a variety of costs and strength. Here’s a preview card that sits on the more expensive (but mightier) end of the spectrum:

 

With this ability in play, all damage dealt by your avatar or warder becomes instantly fatal. Popular defensive units with high health (such as the Dwarven Sentry or Elven Paladin) die in one shot to Scorpion Venom. And in many situations, a single win can mow down multiple units; damage bonus is no longer a matter of “how many points of health your opponent loses,” but rather “how many units your opponent loses.” Of course, it’s not just damage at the end of combat that picks up the extra kick from Scorpion Venom; your direct damage tactics become instantly fatal to units as well. Pick Off, Shrouded Strike, Desecrate, and more – each of them can now get rid of a unit in mid-combat.

 

While not all warder-related cards have as broad an effect as this one, you’ll find their “theme” to all be very similar. These cards commonly give the same benefit to both your warder and your avatar, turning your warder into almost a “second avatar.” If you like the idea of “double-teaming” your opponent in this way, the Beast Lord strategies may well be the choice for you.