Cataclysm in Warstrom

[Edbert]

Warstorm already has enough randomness. The distribution of the ordering of cards is entirely random and luck based. This difference can though be alleviated by properly building your floor to make sure a sensible average wait time and unit distribution. Further, many times, the outcome of battles is very random because many of the game's key spell effects depend on luck. For example, the following effects are random: ice bolt’s freeze, animate, spell target selection, and fire bolt damage.

[Felix46]

Players should be rewarded for thinking. Cataclysm spam doesn't require thinking; it just requires luck. A strategy game should not reward luck to such proportions. Luck should be a determining factor in closely matched decks, not trash decks that just spam Cataclysm and undead. Even the decks are above cataclysm because they don't depend entirely on luck. At least as a player fighting against the spam, I know what to expect. This means I can prepare. Against a Cataclysm deck, unless I only play immunes, it's a crapshoot as to what will happen. And worse of all, aside from the one exception I've provided, there's no remedy. Despite the complaints about the spam, there are several plausible and reliable counters. Such isn't the case with Cataclysm. Even if I duplicate and spam animated undead units, I still require luck to allow my units to animate.

[Filiberto]

Well turning to Cataclysm, this spell is just bad. It's poor design because it is a random spell that determines the entire outcome of the game. This is not fun. It's not fun because it diminishes the skill factor of the game. Literally I can spam 4 squads of bone golems and 8 cataclysms and beat some of the best, well thought-out, and constructed decks. And it seems to me that this may be the ultimate post for you to know the same in detail.

[Aandaleeb]

Actually point is, there's already enough randomness in Warstorm. Cards like Cataclysm are bad for the game because they cheapen the though process and strategy of this game. Playing against Cataclysm decks is equivalent to tossing a coin. At least a missed Ice bolt or miss targeted Zap doesn't cost you the game like a well timed Cataclysm. As such, we shouldn't be rewarding players from diminishing the integrity of the game.

[mathews]

If such were the case in war storm, I would totally be in favor of cards like Cataclysm because at least the timing takes thought. You’ll need to think about when to use Cataclysm. However, in WS, there are 2 determinative factors. One the ordering of your cards and your opponent's cards and second the luck factor of animated effects. The WS player has zero control over either of these effects. Unlike MTG, the ordering of cards can be mitigated by timing when you choose to cast your spells. That mechanic doesn't exist in WS. Therefore, the absence of the ability to control the scripted outcomes just compounds to the randomness of the game.