Been playing Eternal Card Game recently and it made me think of Pox. I'm about 4 expansions behind. My brother is about 6 behind. How much would we need to spend to play again and be competitive? As a comparison, in the other game I have played for 2 days, totally free, and earned 215 of the 445 unique cards while having a lot of fun and always having a competitive deck. So, 1. Does Pox still require the latest runes and all the exos/legs to be competitive? 2. Are there now enough players so the ranked matchmaking will pair you up with someone of similar skill rather than the game I remember where a new player would be facing full exo-cheese for a 30 minute slow beatdown? 3. Are runes more easily obtainable now there are so many?
1. Not really. Some themes in the game has yet to received any rune that would be considered "essential." Zombies, for example, has basically remained the same even though the theme itself received a few new support runes (that are not needed or even used from what I can see). 2. Players online per day is consistent but pretty low. That is because many players are waiting for the upcoming mega-ultra-super-cool update which will come "soon." There are new players (and old players) joining the game all that time, though. 3. Runes aside from the latest expansion can be crafted using shards. Shards could be obtained by forging your other runes, or as reward from completing quests. You also have poxbox.
So, as a follow up: 1. So, some themes are playable, some are not without the latest? 2. My guess is this means a low rank will still be facing high ranks most of the time. 3. I was around for shards, but the system was pretty slow to use and pretty low in terms of rewards for what you put in. Plus you didn't get shards for playing at the time. Either way, I am mostly comparing Pox to other F2P games that seems to allow pretty quick unlocking on content. How long, if I make a new account, would I need to obtain, say, 50% of the runes in the game without paying more than $30 (or using third party websites and wasting tons of time trading instead of actually playing)?
one doesnt need to have every rune in the game to be competitive, far from it. heck, half a faction is plenty. if theres a card game where I can unlock 50% of the runes in 2 days,,, I probably wouldnt be that interested. the complexity is the soul of pox nora.
1- nope, there hasnt been "autoincludes" un the latest expacs, just expanding themes. 2- Yes, low playerbase until New client release(New client, mega patch, PS4 and vita release on the work) 3- the New client Will come with a New pack system, you Will be able to buy faction specific packs every other match. Tho noone is supposed to obtain all the runes, pox is about factions and has a massive ammount of runes so you should aim your collection to build bgs instead
Runes are generally easy to get and this is coming from a brand new player. That being said, the matchmaking is pretty horrible. I have about 11 matches under my belt and I regularly play people with thousands of wins. And while exos and legendaries aren't exactly necessary, most people I have played against use nearly all exos and legendaries
1. For example, spirits rely heavily on new runes. Although they did rework the old spirits, I personally don't see them being "competitive" on their own (I could be wrong though). 2. Keep in mind that high rank does not equal good player. Plenty of low ranks beat high rank all the time. 3. Just focus on getting the thirty runes you need for the bg you want. It would be silly to think that a game is unplayable unless you have 50% its content. You also get runes as reward from quests, so that also helps you get other runes. A bg is like 70% non-leg/exo, so I'm sure people in your guild can donate their extra runes to help you out.
1. yes, powercreep is still a thing. 2. no, very few players atm, depending on time zone to get games. and sadly the AI is buggy, but it still beats me alot .-) 3. no, almost no one trades. But getting all old runes, and being able to forge them without paying is good. Still having fun in poxnora though, so much runes, so many different choices.
I have to agree with Eth. Having things costed on a formulae does away with creep pretty well. If anything new runes typically are designed to fill holes in pre-existing decks or be the core of a new or developing themes. They also have the benefit of being new and exciting so you will see new runes more often.
Well its not often i play games in ranked and face decks with old runes only (ie those that can be forged). Maybe its what markoth said, its new runes ppl want to try them out. But abilities like "one with nora" used to be unique, now a few other runes have it. I think its a powercreep if the expansions gives options that wasnt available before for that faction. Especially for themes that have surge: race/class whatever or other similiar synergies that was kinda hard to get with less runes available The formula cost helps against power creeps, but with no limit on buffs, wish more buffs did work like aid defense/sigil, a few turns at most. //Hiero
If you have anything worth trading not very much since you can forge most of what you are missing with little effort and the rest you can get off pox box
For a good idea of what the game currently is, I have played about 15-20 online matches. Atleast 90% were all exos and legendaries. I don't think I have seen a common or uncommon yet. Veeeeery rarely see a rare. Exos and legendaries aren't necessary, but if you have enough of them you don't really need to be good either. You will often lose because the other player can afford better cards. Unfortunate, but true
Heavily disagreed. As an example I went over my BGs and here's what it looks like (banners excluded - I assume that 1 rune = 3.33% of the BG as it's 1/30, should be roughly 100% total): Fae: - 1 Limited (Fan Faire, pushing for a LEG reprint); 3.33% of the BG - 4 Legendaries (2x Oracle 2x Corgi); 16.55% of the BG (with banner) (13.22% without) - 7 Rares (1x Chained Fae 1x Fae Trickster, 2x Conclave Concordance, 1x Bridge to Nowhere, 1x Grimlic's Bane, 1x Petrichor); 23.21% of the BG - 7 Uncommons (2x Crown of Petals, 1x Centaur Banner, 1x Burning Oak Seed, 1x Ancestral Anger, 1x Fae Dreamer); 23.21% of the BG - 10 Commons (2x Corgi Knights, 2x Conclave Wardens, 1x Snare Fairy, 1x Sun Blossom, 1x Nectar Fairy, 1x Carnivorous Vines, 1x Herbal Antidote, 1x Thorn Trap) 33% of the BG Archers (this one is LEG-heavy, I admit): - 6 Legendaries (2x Arrowsinger, 1x Condor Fury, 2x Bowmage, 1x Bullseye); 22.21% of the BG (with banner, 18.88% without) - 2 Exotics (2x Elven Strategist); 6.66% of the BG - 6 Rares (1x Elven Prodigy, 1x Petrichor, 1x Archer Commander, 2x Elven Fury, 1x Covenant); 19.88% of the BG - 6 Uncommons (1x Honor Coin, 1x Burning Oak Seed, 1x Centaur Banner, 1x Strategic Retreat, 1x Ancestral Anger); 19.88% of the BG - 9 Commons (1x Elven Tender, 1x Falconer, 1x Guardian of the Circle, 1x Solstice Marksman, 1x Thorn Trap, 1x Brambles, 1x Fire for Effect, 1x Herbal Antidote, 1x Epochal Oasis) 29.77% of the BG Magic Amp/Wizards: - 3 Legendaries (1x Aurora Investigator, 2x Garu Chosen) 13.22% of the BG (with banner, 9.99% without) - 5 Exotics (Menalaus, 2x Wisp, 2x Stellar Horizon) 16.55% of the BG - 8 Rares (2x Grimlic's Bane, 2x Aurora's Inspector, 1x Chained Fae, 1x Fae Trickster, 1x Naturalize, 1x Special Prize) 26.44% of the BG - 7 Uncommons (2x Nature's Wrath, 2x Elven Mage, 1x Ancestral Anger, 1x Inhibit Power, 1x Burning Oak Seed) 23.11% of the BG - 6 Commons (2x Elven Curator, 1x Nectar Fairy, 1x Herbal Antidote, 1x Devolve, 1x Throne of the Circle) 19.88% of the BG Rangers: - 1 Limited (Fan Faire, pushing for a LEG reprint) 3.33% of the BG - 3 Legendaries (2x Corgi Ranger, 1x Queen Anaru) 13.22% of the BG (with banner) (9.99% without) - 4 Exotics (1x Centaur Commander, 2x Ranger Elite, 1x Spikewood Abomination) 13.22% of the BG - 10 Rares (1x Fae Trickster, 2x Forest Lerper, 2x Reticulated Splinehawk, 1x Snake Charmer, 1x Skyshear Pegasus, 1x Petrichor, 1x Grimlic's Bane, 1x Elite Blade) 33% of the BG - 6 Uncommons (1x Vashal Quillquip, 1x Burning Oak Seed, 1x Centaur Banner, 1x Honor Coin, 1x Inhibit Power, 1x Strategic Retreat) 19.88% of the BG - 5 Commons (1x Nectar Fairy, 1x Herbal Antidote, 1x Aurora Banner, 1x Thorn Trap, 1x Frostcall Quiver) 16.55% of the BG As provided above, most BGs will feature an amount of legendaries + exotics closing within the range of 25 and 30% of the whole BG. The rest of it will be runes of lower quality. Out of the ones I mentioned Archers are the biggest offenders as 3 of their (imo) core runes (Arrowsinger, Bowmage, Bullseye) are legendary. This took longer to write than I'd expected.
Have to second Etherielin here. The two "meta" full action SL bgs I use as I noticed are quite budget rarity-wise and keep me in the top 50 of the ladder. (Stealing the format from above) Sandstriker Locust goodstuff: - 2 Legendaries (2x Primordial Enigma); 9.99% of the BG (with banner) (6.66% without) - 7 Exotics (2x namesake Locust, 2x Skeezick Vanguard, 2x Skywing Imperator, 1x Skywing Sonicbolt); 23.31% of the BG - 4 Rares (2x Skeezick Drummer, 1x Planar Dissonance, 1x Reforge); 13.32% of the BG - 7 Uncommons (2x Spark Crone, 1x Dragonfear, 1x Purge, 2x Sandstorm, 1x Verdict of Derifos); 23.31% of the BG - 9 Commons (2x Dunes Manticore, 2x Skeezick Whorl, 2x Quicken, 1x Tornado, 1x Hive, 1x Slum Market) 29.97% of the BG Skeezick: - 1 Legendary (Totem of the Fallen); 6.66% of the BG (with banner) (3.33% without) - 2 Exotics (2x Skeezick Vanguard); 6.66% of the BG - 5 Rares (2x Skeezick Drummer, 1x Reforge, 2x Skeezick Revolt); 16.65% of the BG - 10 Uncommons (2x Resilient Skeezick, 1x Skeezick Cannoneer, 2x Skeezick Trigger, 1x Cancel Magic, 1x Dragonfear, 1x Purge, 1x Taint, 1x Phalanx Marker); 33.33% of the BG - 11 Commons (2x Skeezick Alchemist, 2x Skeezick Whorl, 2x Valdaci Sentry, 2x Skeezick March, 1x Quicken, 1x Tornado, 1x Hive) 36.63% of the BG The skeezick theme is even more fortunate due to the fact that whole 11 runes come from the Core Set pool and therefore are twice as cheap as their rarity equivalents.
Checked my own current BG since i do/did have the same feeling as you do, but mostly its because i dont always check the spells, equipment or relic, they tend to be of a lower tier then champs which would explain why i think i face mostly limited, legendary, exotic champs with some support from rare-common champs. But with the poxbox website and ability to get runes, shards, gold from just playing i need to stop whine about new OP runes and just get them myself by grinding FF IS BG champs - 3 legendary - 5 exotic - 2 rare - 3 uncommon - 2 common other - 1 legendary (standard) - 0 exotic - 5 rare - 6 uncommon - 3 common
Oooh! Oooh! I wanna play this game too! D*ck Move (Shrine-rush deck) - 3 Limiteds (Christmas Grimlic, technically an Exo; 2x Pox Harbinger) - 1 Legendary (Banner) - 6 Exotics (2x Minotaur Portalwalker, 2x Shadow Hunter, 2x Retribution) - 5 Rares (2x Imp Thunderclops, 2x Stitched Magician, Arachnablade) - 9 Uncommons (2x Flame Skitter, Drain Vitality, Mindstorm, 2x Price of Victory, Sacrifice, 2x Summon Trap Spider) - 6 Commons (2x Deep Elf Scout, 2x Goblin Archer, 2x Imp)
Pox is in a great state balance wise right now. Alot of themes/bgs are viable. You could even craft a few common/uncommon/rare only bgs and still be competitive. I posted a FF UD bg for guildie the other day which only had 1 leg and 1 exo, banner and grimlic (both are extremly easy to get), that could get anyone pretty far on the ladder. You only need legs and exos if you want to build top tier bg's so you need specific runes for specific roles. But for begginers it really doesn't matter since even with all the runes in the game they would still loose to a vet playing a common/uncommon/rare bg. This game is really skill heavy and no single rune will make you win games. Also building up your collection is pretty easy nowdays with a ton of daily rewards and free runes from skirmish. A friend of mine started playing and within a single day he had over 5 exos and 2 legs without spending a single dollar (I only gave him a common/uncommon bg to start off).
