Balance out of boredom - Intelligence.

aka' "i made 3 decks for this rumble but I didn't play a single one because exams, thanks exams" edition

Disclaimer: i don't think all of these should be applied instantly. I'm not even sure if some of them should be applied at all. We're human beings. Sometimes we miss things completely obvious for other people. Sometimes a single person may have a better idea than a large group of people. Sometimes it's the other way around and it's brainstorming that helps. If you disagree with any of the proposed changes here, explain why.

The idea is meant to just be a fun "what if". The game we're all currently playing is really fun and Direwolf are doing a tremendous job at balancing the game and I'm very optimistic towards any future balance updates and new card releases.

I just want to give some love to these cards without it.

• Niben Bay Cutthroat: +2/0 when you have more creatures on this lane, rather than when opponent has none at all. I realize there were supposed to be some weaker early drops, but weaker doesn't mean outright trash alright

• Scroll Seeker: From Treasure Hunt - Two actions to Treasure Hunt - action and Intelligence creature. Rather than just reducing the hunt to one action or changing stats, this offers a decent balance in terms of how easy it is to trigger this particular Treasure Hunt. Also curve topdecking Cunning Ally is more rewarding.

• Arcanaeum Librarian: From 0/2 to 1/2. This is the card that should become your average 2/2 for 2 when it gets to attack unless you manage to make some insane draws. Also, I had to log in the game to read his name because Legends-decks version isn't updated LITERALLY UNUSABLE

• Crystal Tower Crafter: From 1/1 to 1/2. Buff to test the waters after the HUGE nerf that was cutting her stats by half. I think if this Tower Crafter were in play we'd see her a bit more, not to the amount pre-nerf probably (i don't remember these times btw).

• Dunmer Nightblade: Last Gasp generates a Steel Sword instead of an Iron Sword - to me it makes no sense there's a 2 drop that generates a worse 2 drop on death. That ain't how you make card advantage work.

• Embassy Guard: Added text - Pick a High Elf in your hand. It gains +0/+2. Do you like Thalmor Embassy? I looove me some High Elf synergy.

• Evermore Steward: Gains Regenerate and Breakthrough. Do you like single-time exclusivity rules bending? I do. By giving this 1/1 (ONE/ONE) these two extra keywords we allow this Breton to absorb items like a champ, while his weaknesses (silence, curse when just played) remain intact. We're also indirectly buffing Battlereeve of Dusk!

• High Rock Summoner: From 1/1 to 1/2, has a chance to give you a Flesh Atronach. This is to make her more comparable to Thieves Guild Recruit. Exclusion of Iron Atronach and Lava Atronach is due to balancing - Iron Atro would make some matchups impossible to finish a game (silence-less control mages going at it while both blink summoner for Iron Atros?) and Lava Atronach is exclusive to tempo-losing Conjuration Tutor.

• Moment of Clarity: Shows you 4 random cards. Controlled casino!

• Redoran Enforcer: From 2/3 to 2/4. There. Now he's more unique! And he'll finally acquire true value of Neravalor that is with the Neravar and the valor that is... nevermind.

• Wisdom of Ancients: On top of keywords, Wisdom of Ancients can grant creatures: Pilfer +1/+1, Slay +1/+1, Treasure Hunt - creature of the bearer's affiliation (?): +1/+1, Last Gasp: Give a random creature +1/+1, Deal 1 damage, Gain 2 Health, Beast Form: +1/+1, Immune to Silence. Wow that's a long one. I added all that to only Wisdom of Ancients to make it somewhat stand out and be more related to what Fabricate can create. Note - you can't get keyword AND extra text (ie. Slay). It's one or the other. Also, buffs stack with existing things on creatures - if Wisdom procs Pilfer on Daring Cutpurse, Pilfer gets applied twice.

• Arcane Enchanter: Identical change to Wisdom of Ancients. Items that want to slay? Sure, why not.

• Brilliant Experiment: On top of a copy being put into your hand, additional copy is shuffled to your deck. Sorcerer officially becomes THE shuffle class. Issue of Brilliant Experiment is that it's worse Dark Rebirth in 99% of cases. With this buff you're not dropping Galyn, but you're somewhat securing more copies of a card later. Also we're getting Cast into Time so this doesn't sound too bad.

• Craglorn Scavenger: From 1/2 to 2/2. This is a dedicated Support deck card not played in any support decks. Any buff to it helps in my eyes.

• Daggerfall Mage: When her Ward is broken, put Enchanted Plate in your hand. Every time her Ward is broken, next Enchanted Plate gains +1/+1. Oh boy... Personally I think this card is in a really good spot right now, but a nerf like this doesn't necessarily mean the card will be less used. On top of that, the longer this 2 drop survives, the better the benefits. Overall I think Daggerfall is balanced as is and I find it nearly impossible to nerf just a tad.

• Dark Rift: Now allows you to pick one out of 4 Atronachs that High Rock Summoner can get you. This is to increase versatility. I'm kind of surprised no Atronach deck uses this, because turn 7 is just after you drop Conjuration Tutor sometimes.

• Farsight Nereid: From 3/3 to 3/4 and only shows you, the player, card that is on the top of your opponent's deck. Why does this card exist in its current form?!

• Fire Breath: From 3 magicka to 2.

• Fire Breath Level 1: From 2 damage to 1.

• Fire Breath Level 2: From 5 damage to 3.

• Fire Breath Level 3: From 10 damage to 5.

• I'm not sure if the numbers are alright, 'cause this could be too good. Although I think that once we nerf Drain Vitality this wouldn't hurt too much. Hopefully.

• Ghost Sea Lookout cost from 3 magicka to 4, and stats from 4/2 to 5/3. That way Lookout can become a better card for midrange dragon decks, especially with Clockwork Dragon being something every deck can use that costs exactly 5.

• Keeper of Whispers: Becomes immune to Silence. As of right now the card is good enough, but it's easier to just remove the card than to use a silence on it to then silence other things.

• Thalmor Embassy: Cost increased from 3 to 4 magicka, gains Last Gasp: Draw a random High Elf. I think Last Gasps on some supports should become a thing, given an increase in amount of support removal. At 4 magicka tempo loss is probably bigger, but your magicka won't fully go to waste.

• Vigilant of Stendarr: Added text - Whenever Vigilant of Stendarr takes damage, she gains Ward. High risk should be followed with high reward if succeeds. In this case the reward is questionable, given how that 1 damage dealt to Vigilant means she is at 1 health. Curse kills her at this point.

• Ash Servant: From 2/2 to 2/3. Honestly Servant is way too worse of a Cunning Ally in non-ally decks. 2/3 should fix it.

• Dragon's Fury: Now counts as playing a Dragon as well. I'm buffing all the blue dragony stuff i'm kinda scared of how this will end up being in the end.

• Ice Wraith: From 2/2 to 1/3. Generating Ice Spikes is a powerful ability, however at 2/2 it dies way too easily to even warrant a 4 magicka cost. At 3 magicka it's too good however. This sounds like a good balance point.

• J'Zargo: Draws 2 Experimental Scrolls instead of 1. The smart blue Khajiit is way too random and way too big of a tempo loss to warrant play. The answer? More random.

• Mistveil Enchanter: From 2/2 to 2/3. I'm baffled by this card's power level and its cost. He badly needs more than below average stats.

• Court Wizard: On top of drawing a card when there are 2 Intelligence creatures on board, Court Wizard gains +1/0. Remember that one time when Intelligence Midrange actually had a good 5 drop? Let's try to replicate that...

• Dragonstar Rider: From 3/3 to 4/3. By giving various different kinds of midrange blue, we can increase the variety of cards people play, enabling further customization and promoting it.

• Thief of Dreams: From 4/4 to 5/3. Having both defensive and aggressive options with their own set of advantages and disadvantages promotes creativity.

• Insightful Scholar: From 2/3 to 3/3. We also cannot just leave riskier players craving, can we.

• Glenumbra Sorceress: From 5/1 to 6/1. Magic is too weak of an armor, lass should be slightly more powerful than just equal cost of her magicka.

• Memory Wraith: Now Banishes all creatures in your opponent's discard. Item decks and Stealer of Secrets decks didn't deserve it honestly.

• Spear of Embers: From +3/+3 to +3/+4. Again, because why not. Make it a small bit of a better prophecy.

• Battlereeve of Dusk: From 3/3 to 4/4. Just for the art. I understand keyword-based Intelligence decks can be really annoying to play against, but there's none of them on ladder, so we could at the very least buff them a bit.

• Echo of Akatosh: Instead of current text, Echo of Akatosh now adds a random keyword to the top creature in your deck (the same way Emperor Titus Mede II works). I feel bad for this card. Even after how absolutely bullshit it initially was, it didn't need to be nerfed to absolute trash. Especially with that gorgeous premium, man... I can't think of a better way to buff this card, this shouldn't be too bad of an RNG.

• Studium Headmaster: From 6/3 to 5/4. His effect is unique enough that I think it could see play for when you constantly pressure your opponent with bomb after bomb only for this to appear on board and make your opponent overdraw 2 cards. Also I hate seeing 6 cost creatures that can die to an Ice Storm.

• Summerset Orrery: Cost from 6 Magicka to 4, amount of uses from 3 to 2. Summerset Orrery is the only card in the game that can keep buffs of a card while simuntaneously moving it out of your hand into your deck. Should it be cheaper and better, you'd probably know that as well. I think at lower cost it could be a neat thing to play around, be it in some heavy buff decks like item battlemage (20x Ancestor's Battleaxe from prophecy? sign me in) or Assassins (shuffling even 5 cards with Thieves Guild Fence on board is insane). Not to mention Treasure Hunt decks!

• Mages Guild Retreat: Added text - Summon a Crystal Tower Crafter in each lane. This support could be another one of these cards that have a gigantic payoff for its high price.

• Shocking Wamasu: Now has Summon: Put a Reverberating Strike into your hand and lower its cost to 0. Less pings from creatures for an attribute that isn't Strength, more action support!

• Nahkriin, Dragon Priest: Now has Summon: Lower top card of your deck's cost to 0, then draw a card. What does this change? This can create insane combos with Murkwater Guide like no other card in the game does.

• Supreme Atromancer (and Expert Atromancer): Cost from 10 Magicka to 9. IT DIDN'T DESERVE THIS FeelsBadMan

• Speaker Terenus: Cost from 10 magicka to 9. Simple as that. Right now Terenus is kind of a joke card and one of the worst legendaries from Dark Brotherhood.

That's it for me. I hope you have enjoyed a read wayyy too long for this place lmao