Introduction
In this article I’d review Gwent: The Witcher Card Game Community Patch August 2024 generated by democratic voting via Balance Council tool. I’d sketch the situation before the patch, analyze the changes one-by-one and then provide summary and a general review.
Check out the discussion of balance changes on Reddit and for the influencers suggestions before patch check out Vote Map by A_Reveur here.
It was the second council I collaborated with Shinmiri and we published our suggestions on Reddit. I also welcome you to check out ‘Balance Council‘ page on leriohub if you haven’t yet – there is a lot of practical information and my Council philosophy.
Before Patch
After offseason in June, July was the season to grab spot for Top8/Top32 Community Masters qualifiers. I played on higher fMMRs, which gave me a better insight to high ladder meta state.
Syndicate was the most successful faction with Vice as the main archetype, although a few players also had decent scores with Crimes themed lists. The most popular version of Vice last days was Lined Pockets Bounty Vice originating from Kerpeten, but other versions and Off The Books leader were also frequent. My peak deck was a crimes themed Vice list, which didn’t run Candle, King of Beggars or The Flying Redanian, but felt smooth to play.
Not as successful as Syndicate but similarly popular at high fMMRs was Nilfgaard. Unlike SY, it suffered from not having one ulitmate archetype/list to follow.
The general NG winrate contradicted a bit with my high ladder record, where ~1/4 of games was against NG and only SY was more represented.
The main decks played according to my experience:
MO| varied and seldom, perhaps Nekker Vampires most frequent
NG | Renfri Imprisonment/Imposter, sometimes Cultists and other decks
NR | Zeal Devo, sometimes Priestess or Uprising Witchers
SK | Reckless Flurry Tempo with Crows, Pirates Otkell, sometimes Self-wound
ST | seldom, mostly non-Devo Gift
SY | Pockets Vice with Bounty, OtB Vice w Jacques or Savolla
Balance Council Results
Nerf Brackets
(++) Change I like a lot
(+) Change I like
(/) Okay
(-) Change I dislike
(- -) Change I dislike a lot
-1 Power Decreased
Simlas Finn aep Dabairr (2 -> 1)
(++) Reasoning
Ihuarraquax (4 -> 3)
(/) As there is little good power nerf targets, Quax takes a shot because losing to R1 Quax is no joy.
Ixora (7 -> 6)
(/) I don’t like the design of this card, which makes some archetypes, like Frost, suffer a lot in a binary, often unavoidable way. Ixora seemed balanced on average, but removing a power right now is not the end of the world – there are lots of other archetypes in Syndicate, strong and more interesting than evaporating opponent’s board with a Candle-buffed pocket Keltullis or winning thanks to surprise value.
Corrupted Flaminica (4 -> 3)
(++) Reasoning
Operator (5 -> 4)
(-) I don’t understand the logic behind this nerf and can’t identify the particular deck which was the reason behind this change. Copying units with Operator is a strategy as any other, often leading to unique, bizarre stuff. Power nerf wouldn’t matter much for decks which are probably perceived as toxic, like Practitioners spam or Cultists, but would impede memeing as well as more civilized decks using Operator (Vampires, Relicts…).
Udalryk an Brokvar (8 -> 7)
(+) Udalryk’s Berserk effect becomes instantly active, no self-damage required. Mostly upside, but there is also a slight downside when Udalryk is played for tempo or when the opponent doesn’t go taller than 7. In the context of how hard the power nerf bracket is, that’s a good change.
Dwimveandra (4 -> 3)
(++) Reasoning
Blue Stripes Commando (5 -> 4)
(-) Independent community overcoming *** CN pick. A bit sad revert for those who wanted to play more with 5p/6c Commandos in maybe less toxic versions than straight Foltest + Defender abuse, which could be nerfed separately. Looks like 4/4 is the only practically achievable way to go, with Blue Stripes being a kind of R1 carryover package rather than win condition.
Bare-Knuckle Brawler (5 -> 4)
(-) Does Brawler wipe out my board? Yes/No
Does he wipe out my board next turn with Acherontia? Yes/No
Sometimes Yes is unavoidable. Brawler is indeed a troublesome card, which could be either unplayable or perceived as toxic, especially from blue coin with Tiger’s Eye or when pushing R2. I don’t see a good solution to this problem; 5/5 was still better than 4/4 and Brawler in Eventide Plunder pool in my opinion. 4/5 would likely be unplayed due to too low value when not supporting control.
Dimun Warship (4 -> 3)
(+) Nice use of Power Nerf bracket, making Dimun Warship one step closer to tigger, but at the same time worse tempo, worse trade with locks and worse when played next to Crach. Quite sad that Arnjolf The Patricide has no Pirate tag, would help a lot for this card playability.
+1 Provision Increased
👑 Enslave (14 -> 15)
(/) Enslave is a leader ability enabling seizure of a unit up to 6 power when running 25 cards deck with 12 tactics. Strong leader ability, getting most value against engine decks and worth about 12 raw points otherwise when set up conveniently. Provision buff wasn’t necessary in my opinion, but for nerf brackets hardships and given how good Imposter leader is in the same application I won’t tear my clothes.
👑 Congregate (16 -> 17)
(/) Congregate is 6 raw points + 3 coins leader which lacks flexibility and some abuses other SY leader abilities are capable of. Okay change, leader could see more play now, maybe in crimes decks with Whoreson Senior.
The Acherontia (12 -> 13)
(++) Acherontia is an ‘infinite ceiling’ threat with very good deploy value, close to 20 for 12 after one trigger even outside Sesames/Vice synergies. Good change.
King Foltest (11 -> 12)
(+) Reasoning (I think power nerf could have been more appropriate)
Conjurer’s Candle (7 -> 8)
(++) Reasoning
Open, Sesame! (5 -> 6)
(/) Open Sesame is one of the wrong designed cards (along with Novigrad) which deepen carryover abuse in Syndicate. At 5 provision it is a red-coin abuse card, good value by itself, but also making Acherontia one turn killer with just a single spender sticking on the board. At 6 provision though Sesames would likely be too much of an investment in the deckbuilder, especially in Syndicate which needs provisions to include all necessary tools. Vice would still be playable for fun, but far on the weaker, less stable side of SY, especially from blue.
Teleportation (4 -> 5)
(-) Nerf=>Buff=>Nerf…
Kaedweni Revenant (4 -> 5)
(+) Deserved nerf which had to happen sooner or later – Revenant scaling is too good for a card worth 4 provision, even if we treat it as a payoff for damage setup. That being said, Rev now joins okay damage cards at 5 provision, which means big buff for Mutagenerator +/or Musicians decks.
Griffin Witcher Adept (4 -> 5)
(++) Reasoning
Eternal Eclipse Initiate (4 -> 5)
(+) This card provision nerf is basically a nerf to Cultists provision cap as a whole. I don’t mind this change because Cultists are still one of frequently met and most binary decks at high mmrs.
Buff Brackets
+1 Power Increased
Dettlaff van der Eretein (6 -> 7)
(++) Good change – this card was sometimes played in Renfri / Devotion Vampires, but with little impact. Dettlaff has to be real payoff for not running Golden Nekker. He would likely never be, but let’s pretend.
Jan Calveit (6 -> 7)
(-) Calveit is effectively a carryover card, balanced by provision cost, tempo and deckbuilding restrictions. He was very strong at 8 power, widely played at 7 power, good from red coin and needing some tempo support on blue at 6 power. This revert removes the hardship part and most incentive to build non-Calveit decks. We go all along into old decks – Enslave 6, Shupe Henry, Soldiers Calveit with Shupe and without… How to move forward when we can’t accept Tier 1 / high Tier 2 becoming low Tier 2 for a month?
Zoltan Chivay (4 -> 5)
(/) Effectively +2 power buff to resilient Zoltan. Okay change, but it is worth reminding that Zoltans trio is not Dwarf specific; it could be run for Eudora points in midrange decks, like Precision Strike or Invigorate (with Filavandrel into Zoltan’s Company).
Procession of Penance (12 -> 13)
(++) Reasoning
Kerack Frigate (4 -> 5)
(++) Reasoning
Nauzicaa Sergeant (3 -> 4)
(/) Gwent community making up for not playing table tennis at the Olympics. Sadly an ace was served and Slave Driver didn’t come back.
Harpy Egg (3 -> 4)
(-) In the current environment this change would only contribute +3 power to Golden Nekker Deathwish, which is one of the top Monsters picks.
An Craite Raiders (4 -> 5)
(+) This underpowerd card is a joint between Pirates and Warriors archetypes. Interesting and creative way to buff both without going down old paths!
Aen Elle Slave Trader (3 -> 4)
(+) Very high ceiling card for a bronze, unplayed in White Frost netdecks. Would lead to new experiments and probably a bit of a fiesta.
Radovid’s Royal Guards (3 -> 4)
(++) Reasoning
-1 Provsion Decreased
Hjalmar: Seawolf (14 -> 13)
(++) Good change, inviting more Pirates-themed decks rather than builds with casual pointslam high-end.
Regis: Reborn (13 -> 12)
(++) Good and justified; Regis: Reborn was often worse than Morvudd in dedicated deck.
Munro Bruys (12 -> 11)
(++) Unplayed Dwarf themed and unplayed in Dwarves – justified buff. Munro is a decent card, could find place now in some more threat oriented Dwarves variants.
Alzur (11 -> 10)
(++) Reasoning
Coup de Grâce (10 -> 9)
(+) Coup is a high ceiling, rich effect card which lacks stability but for dedicated builds and got cut out during transition from pure Assimilate to Henry decks. I’m excited by the possibility of playing Coup in Golden Nekker decks; would probably be very good in Imprisonment variants with leader setup. Could form a trio with Abduction and Hen Gaidth under Lady of the Lake tutor.
Water of Brokilon (10 -> 9)
(++) Good revert.
Cerys: Fearless (10 -> 9)
(++) Reasoning
Menno Coehoorn (8 -> 7)
(++) In line with buffs to 8-cost tutors. I have no idea why this card wasn’t picked earlier as it is very important (Battle Stations, Abduction…), but overcosted tutor.
Bountiful Harvest (6 -> 5)
(++) What kept Harvest unbuffed was probably fear of carryover and potentially highrolly bronze getting too cheap. Harvest was with no doubt weaker than Backup Plan when playing a single round, but costed 1 provision more. In my opinion the carryover aspect wouldn’t be too much of an issue and 5-cost still is felt at the deckbuilding level. Good buff to a variety of underplayed archetypes like Devo Symbiosis, Devo Midrange (2600+ for Kerpeten last season), or (low-unit) Handbuff.
Highland Warlord (6 -> 5)
(+) Warriors got overnerfed and dropped out from the meta mostly in favor of non-thematic tempo abuse decks. Good change, one can only argue War of Clans was a better pick to decouple all-in Raids and Warriors decks making use of graveyard.
Summary
All the information about council results: changes by the order of votes, support by influence group, number of changes per faction and attribution is accessible in the Balance Council Result sheet.
This time I’m thoroughly surprised by the number of independent votes which got through and how many of them are related to Syndicate, which is the least popular faction overall. Apparently the design issues of some Syndicate cards were as vividly common at 2600 as at 2400 fMMR and stood out more than other flaws. While I have expected Bare-Knuckle Brawler getting lots of hate, the direct Open, Sesame! nerf is peculiar and had happened before only during the first council when bracket size was 15. Meanwhile Novigrad avoids nerf like Mikoyan raindrops (the community even buffed it to 11-cost in one council!).
Another lesson about community sentiment is that ‘dummy’ nerfs like Living Armor or evolving cards are very unlikely to go through if not heavily supported. CN community with ** and * support didn’t succeed.
Analyzing the number of votes, Necrotal had the highest influence, with 12/12 changes going through and most picks high in the chart. What is worth noting is how community support matters – Coup de Grace is higher than Regis: Reborn in spite of having one star less in Necrotal’s council. The urge to bring Enslave Assimilate back to glory was visible. Similarly Dettlaff vdE is higher than Harpy Egg in spite of two stars difference! Community adjusts votes according to own judgement rather than blindly following order.
Shinmiri & Lerio Balance Coalition came second with 11/12 and most picks in the middle of Top10 table – big thanks for your support! The only change which didn’t get through is Olaf – exactly as were afraid of when preparing the council, Cerys: Fearless and Alzur were more popular in spite of having same amount of stars as Olaf in theory (C:F was *** in mine, * in Shin’s council; Alzur conversely).
The amount of independent votes going through could have been probably smaller with a full coordination between influence groups so that exactly 10 changes are supported overall. That being said, it could have really worked for 2 out of 7 fully independent votes: Ixora and Sesames at 10-th spot. The other picks were simply too strong. Full coordination could have helped to avoid the most impactful Vice nerf, but wouldn’t stop Calveit or Sergeant buffs. The only thing we could have done was supporting Slave Driver +1 provision nerf to reduce predicted Sergeant +1 power impact.
What To Try?
Monsters | Renfri and Devo Vampires for thematic value. Golden Nekker Deathwish for climbing. White Frost and Ale of Ancestors Aen Elle Slave Traders for science and kicks.
Nilfgaard | Enslave, Soldiers, Shupe… From new stuff, Golden Nekker with Coup de Grace, probably under Imprisonment for Coup setup.
Northern Realms | Boost Swarm NR with Kerack Frigates, Royal Guards and Queen Meve.
Skellige | Golden Nekker with Cerys: Fearless, Devo Raids Abordages with An Craite Raiders, Ulula, Harald
Scoiatael | Dwarves with Munro, Devotion Midrange, low-unit Handbuff w Harvest, Runemage Multiple Harvest
Syndicate | Cove Gangs with more guaranteed Pulling The Strings from Shady Vendors, Congregate Crimes with Whoreson Senior.
Closure
I rate this patch moderately high. I’m especially happy with the buffs, which are interesting and varied between factions. On the lowside of the patch, Nilfgaard is getting the most strong and blunt in history: we have Slave Driver 5-cost, Sergeant 4-power and Blightmaker + Assassin combo at 6-cost.
Syndicate Vice overnerf is also a downside. To be honest I’m fine with a season break from all ladder running the same Vice netdeck. Syndicate is still a powerful faction overall and one archetype getting weaker would only incentivize more people to get out of the Vice safe-zone. I predict SY to be the top dog along with NG. What I dislike most about Vice overnerf then is that we are likely to get a handful of reverts next patch and the magnitude of those is hardly predictable.
Hope you enjoyed the read, see you on ladder!