More alternatives to Block!! [Cards and Artifact Ideas]

[eharper256]

Alternatives to Block! At the moment, its very essential in all decks, and it would be nice to not always have to build so defensively and have some alternatives.

Life-leech and stun and possibly evasion!

Life-leech / HP restores
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• Ironclad already has the max HP up Consume thing, and Silent has the bite (?) thing from that event.
  
• Artifact: Restores +2 health, up to once a turn for using an attack card (Vampire Finche's Beak?).
  
• Ironclad: Demonic Consumption (Power, Heal for 5% (10%) of attacks health damage caused~ block not counted, can round down to 0). Eat Flames (End 1 enemies burning damage, Heal for 33% of the damage removed (Upgrade: then reapply the Burning at 20% its old value)).
  
• Silent: Sanguine Slash (Remove (all) enemies Weak, for each stack, restore 1 HP), Dagger Fetish (If you play at least three (two) 0 cost attack cards this turn, restore 1 HP)

Stun
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• Some enemies already get stunned from certain things. I see this being more of an Ironclad thing.
  
• Artifact: Stun 1 random enemy if you end a turn with no block, 1 turn cooldown (Spiked Gauntlet?)
  
• Ironclad: Bowling Bash (Stun 1 enemy (Stun 1 enemy and deal 1 Vulnerable)). Overwhelming Blows (If you deal at least 20 (15) damage to an enemy with an attack this turn, stun it for 1 turn). Coup de Gras (Deal 3 damage, If enemy is Stunned, deal 12 damage instead. (Upgrade, also 1 Weaken). Reckless Surge (Exhaust, Stun 2 random (all) enemies, take 2 (3) damage yourself).
  
• Silent: Mirror Clone Strike (Stun 1 enemy (Gain 1 Energy rebate on upgrade)).

Evasion
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• A new thing: goes off before block. The next 1 attack's damage is negated. Can't be stacked (except maybe with a power, see below), and dissapears if unused as per usual. Obviously pretty good against 1 x 30 type strong attacks, but rubbish vs. 4 x 6 swift attacks. Obviously more of a Silent Thing.
  
• Alternatively, stack it on yourself, depleted 1 stack for each attack, but it just 1/2's the damage from that attack, like inverse weaken.
  
• Artifact: If you take damage in a turn, gain 1 Evasion stack at the start of next turn. (Tengu Feather?)
  
• Ironclad: Fancy Footwork: Lose 1 Strength, gain 1 Evasion (Cost 0 on upgrade).
  
• Silent: Blurring Throw (Gain 1 (2) Shivs, Gain 1 Evasion). Lady of the Swamp (2 (1) cost, if you add Poison with a card this turn, gain 1 Evasion). Untouchable (Power, can stack up to 2 (3) Evasion Stacks). Hypervelocity (Power, Whilst active, counts Evasion stacks as Strength Stacks (Upgrade: Costs 0).

Hopefully all those sound moderately balanced whilst being synergistic. If I'm missing some crazy silly combo, though, please let me know, and add your own ideas!

These could also easily be applied to a Wizard type character (if that turns out to be the third character, with stuff like Entropy Coil/Fist of Force/Mirror Images).

[eharper256]

Oops, probably should have put this in Suggestions... a mod can move it if you like.

[WerWulf]

Ironclad has god tier blocks though

[eharper256]

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with blocks, just that it would be cool to see some alternatives in a given run, as it saves having to constantly build the same sort of thing.

[ezerferrefin]

I think I've only had success with ironclad when I'm running block spec, all the other build are not only second teir when put against block, some elite/boss could instantly ruin your run because you aren't building block. (not calling to nerf block, maybe buff others so they don't just fall over against elites like nemesis or time eater. Or if you think that'll make it too easy, then make some boss that is as harsh to block as other elites to attack builds. Because right now, just go block and win or go anything else and pray rng isn't against you on the spawn, which doesn't seem right.

[Transplanar]

I think that one relic that makes unblocked damage under 5 become 1 is on the right track to finding clever variations on damage abilities.

Here's another few rough ideas:
* Lose 10 life. Take no Damage next turn.
* Cannot take more than 20 damage next turn.
* Take no damage next turn. Exhaust.
* Gain X block, or 5 Block if this is in your hand.
* Gain X temporary health (goes away at the end of the fight. Maybe have a special name for it?)

[eharper256]

Originally posted by ezerferrefin:

I think I've only had success with ironclad when I'm running block spec

Yeah, and that's one of my problems. Pure DPS vulnerable-applying strength builds are fun for a while but are always horribly punished and that's a real shame. So coming up with alternatives to block so we can have some variety was the goal here.

[Sensei Le Roof]

The "bite thing" (I assume you mean accepting the vampires' offer, which makes you lose all Strike cards and gain 5 Bite cards) is not unique to the Silent.

[eharper256]

Originally posted by Sensei Le Roof:

The "bite thing" (I assume you mean accepting the vampires' offer, which makes you lose all Strike cards and gain 5 Bite cards) is not unique to the Silent.

Ah, fair enough. I've only seen it in Silent games through fluke then.

[Lyrin]

I really like those ideas.

Maybe something like a "Blind" effect could work too, where it would make an enemy's attacks miss for a turn or something like that. Sort of the inverse of the Evasion idea. It'd differ from Stun in that it wouldn't stop buffs/debuffs.