Hyperbeam seems weak

[Nanako]

Costs 2 energy
Deals 25 damage to all enemies
reduces your focus by 3

This seems a pretty crippling cost for something that's kind of a special case. I can see it being of use in a couple of many-small-enemies battles, but those costs don't seem worthwhile.

If it's meant to be a one-shot, burn-your-bridges kind of attack, i'd say give it zero energy cost, exhaust, and keep the focus cost

[Sinsling]

No, it is actually a viable attack option for a none orb deck. Making exhaust would actually make it worse.

[Zu]

p l a s m a

[Khor]

Compared to the new Immolate, it`s kinda... meh... on the understatement side.

[Sinsling]

Originally posted by Khor:

Compared to the new Immolate, it`s kinda... meh... on the understatement side.

Ironclad
-great burst
-low draw
-inconsistant energy generation

Defect
-variable burst
-dependable draw
-great energy

Hyperbeam may look meh on the read, but it goes in a deck where you are likely playing it 2-4 more times than comparable cards from the silent or ironclad.

[Khor]

The length of a combat encounter is roughly the same with all the characters.
Good draw and good energy generation don`t mean you can automatically cast it much more often.
If that`s what you`re saying


Hyperbeam, on its own, isn`t strong enough to be worth disabling your orbs (big downside, medium damage, and aoe isn`t always useful.)
We also lack other cards with Focus cost... to give it synergy, make him somewhat better and stuff.
It can work, like in a Scrape/All for one deck, but it`s more of a fringe case.

Until there`s a deck where you can say "well gee, now l really need to find myself an Hyperbeam !"... i`d say weak is a good description.
Like it`s a good description for a lots of stuff, that`s card games for you.

[GreenTea]

What the hell are you on about, hyperbeam is amazing! If you find it early and build for plasma anyway. Defect doesn't have many face melting turn 1-3 winning options, but this card will carry you in act one by itself. Especially on multiple enemy encounters. To make it better, get echo form, multiples or seek so that you can draw it quicker.

[Sinsling]

Originally posted by Khor:

The length of a combat encounter is roughly the same with all the characters.
Good draw and good energy generation don`t mean you can automatically cast it much more often.
If that`s what you`re saying :abethink:

What I am saying is that, like with any other build, a card is good when you actually use it right. Bad cards are cards where the correct usage is detrimental with fringe cases so far out that they are laughable. Masterful stab? Fire-breathing? Sneaky strike? (which is sad because sunder feels good) The old crippling poison? (3 poison and weak for 2 to a single target? just take deadly poison or bouncing flask and upgrade the f*ing neutralize)

[EagleWiz]

32 damage upgraded makes it a pretty great AOE finisher, and Echo Strike or Necronomicon + Hyperbeam will wipe out most fights

[kerputnick]

I guess you could use hyperbeam for trash, and then recycle it on a boss encounter

[Kushageddon]

It probably got me my first win. If you have a vulnerable deck with upgraded Hyper Beam, then it destroys and you don't have any need for your orbs.

[Sealer]

Hyperbeam seems strong until you realize that Immolate exists.

[Khor]

Originally posted by Sinsling:

What I am saying is that, like with any other build, a card is good when you actually use it right. Bad cards are cards where the correct usage is detrimental with fringe cases so far out that they are laughable.

Losing your orbs kinda falls under detrimental...
The "right use" should be something like :

Originally posted by kerputnick:

I guess you could use hyperbeam for trash, and then recycle it on a boss encounter

It`s no Crippling Poison: the Revenge... but hardly a must-have...

Sure, it will carry Act 1.
After trash start showing up with 80+ hp... that's another story.

[Dorrian]

I strongly disagree. Its for defect builds that don't rely on Frost, lightning, nor darkness orbs. Basically attack based.

This is like running a barricade deck, picking up clash and saying that its weak because your deck is full of block based skill cards.

[Khor]

Originally posted by Horrow:

I strongly disagree. Its for defect builds that don't rely on Frost, lightning, nor darkness orbs. Basically attack based.

This is like running a barricade deck, picking up clash and saying that its weak because your deck is full of block based skill cards.

Definitely not, it`s about numbers. Most of the time it's not worth it.
And well... Clash always was a risky card, definitely dead after Ascender`s Bane.

If someone can show me some Ascension 15 runs where he consistently won with Hyperbeam as the heavy lifter, i`ll absolutely (begrudgingly) change my mind.

[Bronto]

If I have a Recycling card or a Necronomicon, I like to pick it. If you get it early, I guess you can try to go for Plasma (never tried myself). And it's just great to clean some nasty fights.
Overall ok card, imo.