Submission: Freeze!

I think it´s clearer, if you change the time to play the card.

Maybe: Only playable before strikes are chosen.

ur_vampire wrote:

Maybe: Only playable before strikes are chosen.

Can't do that or they wouldn't be able to play strikes from their hand at all even at inferior. The card would be a more powerful version of Thoughts Betrayed at that point without a blood cost. The goal is to have an aggressive Dominate/Dementation card that shuts down an opponent that is trying to escape. It should have combat utility at inferior and the superior should stop an escape in it's tracks. And after thinking about it. I am not sure it needs the equipment text. It is probably fine if the superior text is stronger with the inferior and both being the same. The inferior text stops additional strikes and prevent cards played from the hand. The superior text stops strike: combat ends. That might be good enough.

What about this:

Freeze!
Play after strikes have been chosen.
No additional cards can be played this round of combat. Freeze! provides a press to continue combat.
as
as and if combat ends this round with both combatants ready, it does not end; another round starts.

I think the new version is easier to play and not too powerful

Shutting down damage prevention seems a little odd to me, and perhaps too strong.

It stops cards played after strikes are chosen, things like Celerity, Taste, disarm, Claws of the Dead (if played after strikes are chosen) and prevention played from the hand. It doesn't stop cards played before strikes, the strikes, or equipment (or effects) that are already in play. A flak vest still prevents 1 and prevent that was played prior to strikes is still effective. Think of it this way, the card doesn't affect passive defense but it shuts down active defense and supplement combat tricks. It is a combat combo card.

Hey guys, I might be a bit late to the party, but there's been too much about this card to digest from the beginning.

Anyways, I have a few opinions about this card.

It stops cards played after strikes are chosen, things like Celerity, Taste, disarm, Claws of the Dead (if played after strikes are chosen) and prevention played from the hand. It doesn't stop cards played before strikes, the strikes, or equipment (or effects) that are already in play. A flak vest still prevents 1 and prevent that was played prior to strikes is still effective. Think of it this way, the card doesn't affect passive defense but it shuts down active defense and supplement combat tricks. It is a combat combo card.

Firstly, it's not exactly clear by the text if it actually stops Taste of Vitae and Disarm from being played. If you say that's the intention, sure, but those cards say that they are played 'at the end of a round of combat'. Your text says 'this round of combat'; does it translate as 'for the remainder of this round'? I don't know if there's difference there though...

Maybe word it like 'until combat ends or another round begins'? Would that work? I mean, that's just narrowing down the possibilities of ambiguousness.

That's about that though, and on to the second, and more important argument I have: no offense, and sorry if this comes out bluntly, but I don't think this card should exist.

As is, it's playable by two of the most common and widely spread in- or off-clan disciplines, which are generally agreed as the most oppressive bleed tools (and all-around tools in case of Dominate), for which the only relative weakness has been combat.

Sure, Dementation has presses, and makes for an interesting hybrid discipline with equipment. Dominate is just good all around, and is often paired with delivery disciplines. Well, we all know that stuff already...

My beef with this card is that it's not limited by anything like capacity or age, and it works just as well as a defensive option as it does as an offensive option. It could be argued that even more so as a defensive tool.

As it's worded it should cancel out Psyche! and Telepathic Tracking as well, both of which are main tools in battling Combat Ends that big caps might pack.

Many combat modules rely on exactly the cards like Disarm, Psyche!/Tele. Tracking, Additional Strikes, or Presses for their damage delivery. This card single handedly cancels those effects. That, in my opinion, makes it more effective as a defensive option than an offensive option.

Those disciplines do not need that kind of an effect.

But, to be fair, not many would pack this card as a defensive card, as defense is always very situational. Often you'd just play a single Obedience if you wanted to avoid combat. Freeze! plus a Combat Ends does that with a two card combo.

I'm not saying it's that effective. All I'm saying is that the card doesn't really address what it's meant to do, most likely, and it adds support to disciplines that balance wise do not need it.

I'd like to add here, that for the past month I've really loved how you've always found deep connection with the background stories and references for these cards. That is excellent, and it seems to be something they'd like to reinforce in new card designs and submissions.

That said, keep up the good work!

TL;DR, there's a high chance that as is this card would become a toxic annoyance to disciplines that do not need that kind of support, and used not as intended (as an offensive tool rather than a defensive tool). It could appear in edge case scenarios to much frustration, instead of being a skill-intensive and interesting option mid-game.

I hope you guys can get what I'm getting at.

Not sure what to do with this card though, sorry about that - the flavor is great, but I just think the card would need a complete overhaul. Adding anything to Dementation or Dominate is really risky business for the game as it is.