So, as I see it, this is the current state of our themes, going from the best position to the worst: Best Position Poison Well-developed and in a good position. Strong. Semi-Aquatics The cost decrease for semi-aquatic and rework of The Thing was nice and there is a ton of internal synergy and power. Snaptooths At least prior to the patch was strong and effective, if a bit narrowly focused. Need Some Work Boghoppers Some very good runes, but mostly just completely lacking a reason to run them together except for a few overly expensive surge units and the questionably useful Boghopper Bravado. Needs something interesting to time them together. A rework of existing runes seems like the best bet Firk A variety of flavorful runes with a lot of reasons to run them together. Unfortunately lacking on the power level. Salaman Just received a great rework and has a bunch of stuff to time them together. Is just lacking a bit on the power level. Probably just needs new runes. And a Fire Salaman rework. Jellebrium With a few exceptions (Extispicer, I am looking at you!) the champs we have are pretty fun and flavorful. We just need more. I feel this theme is oh so close. Need Lots of Work Aquatics/Beasts These only seem to marginally be a theme. Does anyone care about this being a theme in FS? Tortuns Got completely wrecked by the recent rework. Maybe they are in a transitory spot? My Question For You What do you see as being lacking in our current themes? What would you most like see developed? Do you prefer sets to have a mixture of different runes (like this most recent set) or to be pushing hard on developing one particularly theme (like the Ronin did)?
I would like a mixture of the two, but with a focus on pushing our themes that need some work first. Ideally we could have a set with most/all the runes being salaman and another one being jellebrium soon, with it mostly mixes after that.
I think Jellebrium was in a better spot before the patch. Coral Creeper's Noble Sacrifice + healing made Lightbringer and Mindbender amazing units, but this interaction got nerfed badly because of regal presence... Their racial IMO is barely enough to make the theme a thing. Firks are pretty nice but still too squishy and expensive, even more so now. You consider meta as a theme? If so, before this patch it was possible to run several diferent designs for meta FS, but now because of some of the changes, meta got more restricted, you could include a salaman or two but I think its lost more then it gained. (I might be wrong on this one, havent had much time to experimente) As for salamans they got this equip/relic racial, but it's mostly stuff to buff dmg, there are very few defensive features within the theme besides the ocasional blind here and there. So they are still pretty squishy with low HP. With that said they are pretty fun to play with, but just seems like a weaker version of dwarves. Anyways, my 2cents
Firk to competitive level. They are too squishy now. Also a serious review on FS equipment which mostly snck...
For my sal. I looked at damaging relics (please avoid the elephant in the room) But I couldn't find any to run specifically for damaged.
Only things i can think of Tort Cannon, Flashbang and Poison Trap. Cannons quite good as u can get a few shots and then reclaim it but the other two are a bit dodgy, especially as Trapper drops Flashbangs for free . Could do with a nice relic. I often look at things like Lotus Altar, and Rejuvenating Fountain and just wish they were better, Lotus Altar has potential but is not a damage based relic. Aquatics is definitely a theme man! All those fish and stuff, ive always liked FS beasts but they do need some work. Mentor change was nice but they need more. Marsh Raptor got a cost reduction i believe, he was already stronk. Edit: I agree with Boghopper sentiment, there is no real reason to run them as a race themed deck, they have very little synergy together other than the new Destiny which is really nice, and Goading Mask. Outlaw is expensive and u kinda killed Tide Master. Way too expensive with Vulnerability: Electricty. Boghopper Bravado should be reworked to be auto include, as it stands now its meh and not worth running really. Hoppers could do with a little more synergy. Maybe put Guarded: Boghopper on something other than Tads? or maybe Bulwark: Boghopper? Commander would be nice as Hoppers tend to be low on the damage side.
I would like to see current themes get a push rather than new themes being developed. I dont just me reworks, i mean more runes for current themes. SO many of the FS themes feel oh-so-close to me. I would personally argue that bogs are fine tho, maybe just fix tidemaster.
70 nora darkmarsh enforcer 83 nora tidemaster 84 nora augur of the deep 83 nora marsh warden 74 nora darkmarsh fury 85 nora darkmarsh witch 79 nora darkmarsh outlaw 82 nora boghopper huntmaster RIP pepperoni Wtf happenned to boghoppers?
I wonder if FS Monks will become a theme at some point. Seeing as they added 2 more and we now have 3! woot
Er, we've got a lot more than that, actually. Augur Blackhand Arcanist Paraform Thornflinger Misshapen and the Ninja With the 2 new ones, we've got 9 different monks. Granted, Thornflinger is bad, and Arcanist is Semi-Aquatic.
Also, there's a Vashal (KF) and a dead Jakei (FW) with NKD, but there are no Monks on that factions... It would be awesome to unite FS and ST regarding Monks and Psychic.
I would kind of like them to fix some of the themes above first. Though I guess if they do both at the same time I would not mind at all!