SO just taking a look at the different mechanics of Keyforge and notice some silicate balance design in the game.

1st lets talk about offense or point scoring (what you need to win the game). Amber cards put points on the board bringing you closer to score those keys thus winning the game.

So how to stop Amber is the defense and that is reaping. Reaping is defensive as it denies amber your opponent needs to score out keys.

So the counter to Reap is Combat, reap holds amber it doesn't steal but if they get hit then all reaped amber is returned (unless otherwise stated). However While good combat counters reap it doesn't counter Amber as most amber is placed upon summoning.

So we got this Amber<Reap<Combat<Amber type balance here. Now when looking at your deck you need to chose which of your three factions are better at what. Next I will talk about how you should approach Keyforge like a coach in a football (NFL) game although it is a bit more like 2 (or more) ball football.

Reap does not Capture aember unless otherwise stated by the card. All reap does is create another way to generate aember with cards on the field rather than cards in the hand. What you described was a reap effect or more accurately an action effect that allows you to capture aember (not steal).

Amber Production comes from: Reaping, playing cards that produce amber or playing cards that have a play effect that produces or steals amber.

Amber Disruption comes from: Capture effects, cards that increase the cost of keys, cards that limit or affect what your opponent may do next turn.

Combat by itself doesn't produce or disrupt amber. What it does is puts a limit on the choices you allow your opponent to make in his next turn. By killing creatures he can no longer reap or use their effects to produce his amber or disrupt yours. Killing a creature with captured amber releases that amber, this can be of some benefit, but I tend to see this as just getting my Amber back as it was mine to begin with (usually).

During your turn you may do all, some or none of these things.

In general I see this game as a whole lot of mini-decisions that come with an opportunity cost attached. In general if I reap, that creature can't attack and conversely a creature that attacks can't reap. Also, just to make it all less obvious as to what to do, various card effects combo with other cards. So you have to look at the order you play cards just as much as what you play. Getting to 6 amber is just as important as reducing your opponent to 5, so the game also makes you consider two further competing problems.

Further to all that you have 12 cards of each house and draw only what you play, so you have yet another decision with an attached opportunity cost to make before you even start your action phase of your turn. As the game goes on your chance of drawing cards of the house you have previously played diminishes. Two lucky turns may see you play 8-10 Dis cards, which leaves just 2-4 until you cycle through your deck.

This game looks great for these reasons, it is easy to learn from a mechanical point or view. Most players will have a good handle on the game mechanics after their second to third turn. But the decisions you are making are interesting and challenging within that framework.

7 hours ago, Marinealver said:

SO just taking a look at the different mechanics of Keyforge and notice some silicate balance design in the game.

1st lets talk about offense or point scoring (what you need to win the game). Amber cards put points on the board bringing you closer to score those keys thus winning the game.

So how to stop Amber is the defense and that is reaping. Reaping is defensive as it denies amber your opponent needs to score out keys.

So the counter to Reap is Combat, reap holds amber it doesn't steal but if they get hit then all reaped amber is returned (unless otherwise stated). However While good combat counters reap it doesn't counter Amber as most amber is placed upon summoning.

So we got this Amber<Reap<Combat<Amber type balance here. Now when looking at your deck you need to chose which of your three factions are better at what. Next I will talk about how you should approach Keyforge like a coach in a football (NFL) game although it is a bit more like 2 (or more) ball football.

You might want to gain a better understanding of how the game works before your next write up.