v1.5 - Monster Mayhem

This release focuses primarily on monsters, but also tweaks shields and mana effects and adds some new cards.

Monsters

We realized that monsters are a big part of what makes a deckbuilder interesting. And our monsters were pretty basic before. So we've introduced new monsters with unique abilities and buffed old ones.

Even then, we still felt monsters weren't pressuring the player until late in each level, so now each ranged monster can destroy walls in the path of its ranged attack. Early floors have been made smaller too. The result is that turtling is a lot less effective.

Shields

It felt too hard to get value of shields, so shields no longer decay at turn end.

Health display

Health is now displayed as a number alongside a heart icon instead of a health bar. It's much easier to evaluate the map state and how close a monster is to death this way.

The Boss is back in town

The boss has been brought back but each boss is now a Guardian monster (instead of a random enemy) with increasing range per level. Eventually we plan to give Guardians unique abilities too.

Moon changes

The Moon mana effect has been changed to Illuminate to enemies on placement. The Illuminated status now increases damage on all effects including attacks.

New Overdraw status added to MOON cards.

Blood changes

The Blood mana effect has been changed to heal allies on placement giving the player more predictability and agency over healing.

We've increased the cost of some blood summons but tweaked their power to reduce the tedium of a summoning playstyle.

Fire changes

Added Fire Stance to some FIRE shields which reflects damage.

Added Firestarter Totem which gives bonus damage for each bonus mana consumed.

Electric changes

Shocked no longer jumps to the player.

New/updated monsters:

• Crystal Warrior: only killed by attack damage
• Dragon egg: turns into a dragon after a few turns
• Red assassin: when damaged, teleports next to its attacker
• Brutal monk: gains Berserk every turn
• Phoenix: turns into Ash on death, which will respawn a Phoenix in a few turns
• Unstable elemental: Explodes on death
• Fly: comes in swarms
• Mana gremlin: generates 3 mana on death
• Beastmaster: creates a Hawk every turn
• Hawk: moves up to two times a turn
• Mummy: dies within a few turns automatically, but curses you if you kill it
• Vicar: destroys walls near you on attack
• High priest: destroys walls near you on attack
• Gravedigger: walks through walks and destroys walls  near you on attack
• Ghost: walks through walls
• Magma golem:  adds a card to your deck temporarily that burns you

New card

• Lunar Tides: gives you 4 Overdraw (draw that many extra cards next turn)
• Refuse Temptation: Phase 1, 2 Overdraw.
• Fire Stance: gain 5 shield. Augment your shield with reflected damage.
• Firestarter: summons a Firestarter Totem which gives bonus damage per bonus consumed mana
• Marching Orders: MINIONS in a small AOE heal 10 and teleport next to their closest enemy.

Card updates

• Lunairetic: simplified, but now doubles illuminated stacks before dealing damage
• Boil the Blood: now gives AOE Berserk stacks
• All 0 cost shields now exhaust

Bug fixes

• Fix display of X card damage which wasn't taking mana used into account.