Update
Ban and Errata Update 05/07/2024
UVS Games Game Design Team
The results are in from our first batch of regionals, and we have been looking over the results and data from those, trying to shape a healthy and enjoyable Standard meta for all of our players. With that in mind, we have some updates this month. The below Bans and Erratas will go into effect on Monday, May 13th, 2024
There will be one (1) card added to the UniVersus Standard banned list this month.
Mop Strike
Mop Strike is a card we reprinted from the Retro format with the original intent of offering up a powerful draw/disruption option. In its original time in the format, it was a powerful but generally non-problematic tool that saw a fair bit of play. While it was considered a sometimes frustrating card, it was not a power-level issue. In the present day, it has proven to be a meta-warping piece, drawing characters who can play it onto its symbols and providing an absolute ton of value. We have learned a lot studying the differences in this card's impact now compared to its original impact. In a way similar to Back Alley Haymaker, the card is putting up incredible usage and win rate numbers. This narrows the field and reduces competitive diversity in a way we are trying to avoid.
The following cards will be receiving an errata this month:
Younger Toguro
Rando’s Spirit Gun
Tuning In
Zero Satellites
Exhausted Slumber
Younger Toguro
Old:
Enhance: Your attack gets +X damage. X equals half the number of foundations in your stage (rounded down).
New:
Enhance Commit 1 foundation: Your attack gets +X damage. X equals half the number of foundations in your stage (rounded down).
Since his release, Younger has put up impressive competitive results, frequently placing in top cuts and winning some events since his release. The combination of tools on the Death symbol and his ability to leverage those tools brought the majority of this success. He is also finding his way into top cuts on one of his other symbols as well. Younger from our data functions as a high floor competitive character that has become the default answer to “What character gives me the best chance of making top cuts?”. This isn’t always a dealbreaker, but the numbers don’t lie, and he is winning above a rate that we consider acceptable.
This change cuts significantly into his early game strength and ability to always play at maximum efficiency. We want to try and preserve his late game powerhouse status, something key to the flavor and position we hope for this character, but we want him to have a less powerful early game in particular. By activating his enhance early, he will be pushing himself into more dangerous board states relating to opponent counterattacks. In the later parts of the game, he will continue to have a powerful offense, but one that requires a larger investment of resources.
Rando’s Spirit Gun
Old:
Enhance: You may play "[Once per turn]" abilities on your character a second time this turn. Only playable if this card is immediately preceded by an attack or face down card.
New:
Enhance: You may play "[Once per turn]" abilities printed on your character a second time this turn. Only playable if this card is immediately preceded by an attack or face down card.
We think Rando’s Spirit Gun is an exciting build around that has a very unique and powerful effect. This attack’s ability to allow players to use an ability normally limited to Once Per Turn a second time is both fun and allows for a lot of creativity in deckbuilding. Unfortunately, there is a significant interaction with the upcoming Toga character card from Girl Power that we want to go ahead and cut off at the pass. Using Rando Gun in conjunction with this character can create some severe NPE (Negative Play Experience) high-roll situations that we just want to avoid. This errata maintains 99% of the functionality of the card and all the fun stuff it can do while closing the NPE interactions we want to avoid.
With this change, the card works identically in nearly every situation it did previously, while cutting off the problematic interaction at the pass.
Tuning In
Old:
Charged - Ranged - Tech
New:
Charge - Ranged - Tech
This is a simple case of a typo not getting changed before printing. There is no change in functionality, just correcting the keyword trait.
Zero Satellites
Old:
Enhance: This attack gets +2 damage for each card with "Zero Gravity" in its name your card pool.
New:
Enhance: This attack gets +2 damage for each card with "Zero Gravity" in its name in your card pool.
This card is just missing one word.
Exhausted Slumber
Old:
Response [Tenacious] Flip: After this foundation is stunned during a rival attack, your block modifier to block that attack gets +2.
New:
Response [Tenacious] Flip: After this foundation is stunned during a rival attack, your block modifier to block that attack gets -2.
Exhausted Slumber is meant to improve your chance to block, not worsen it. By accident, the modifier received a plus instead of a minus. Also, note that there is new wording here in this ability. As will be codified in the rulebook, game text referring to a card being stunned refers to a card being committed due to a rival stun effect.
We will continue to be vigilant in watching the results of our local and competitive play events in pursuit of ensuring a fun, diverse, and overall healthy play experience for players at all levels of play.
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Keep an eye on our site https://www.uvsgames.com/ for official news and next month's Ban and Errata update!