I couldn't have said it better. UDE previews the better cards first to create hype among players. If players like what they see, they buy more of the set. If UDE previewed boring and average-power cards, no one would get excited and buy boxes of the set.

Yup, I agree with that too.

JLA should be good, especially since the 2 most powerful sets have been the Origins sets and nothing and i mean nothing has compared to them, we need more origins type of cards, like more powerful than now, thats why MSM and DSM were horrible, both sets had no tier 1 in it, also in marvel knights and green lantern.avengers has finally hit the scene as tier 1 and i hope jla will also.

Still, there IS a bit of *necessary* power creep that we're seeing.

For example, 1 drops have become, essentially, stronger with better abilities. You get an extra point in stats these days there. And this is almost the case all the way up the curve.

At the end of 2004, the average stats were:

1- 1/1
2- 2/2
3- 4/4
4- 7/7
5- 8/9
6- 11/12
7- 15/16
8- 17/18

Thing have changed:

1- 1/2
2- 2/3
3- 4/5
4- 7/8
5- 9/9
6- 12/13
7- 16/17
8- 20/20

Abilities have only gotten better, in most cases. Its necessary creep, especially in the cases of the 1-2 drops, and the 8-drops. Why? People didn't play as much on those turns. Now, we reconsider.

Considering that 5 out of the 18 cards already previewed are rare and that usually you only get 1 rare out of 14 cards, I think that they, like they should do, preview cards that are really good as rares are (usually) better than commons and uncommons. This isn't always true, but often enought hat you can preview some really good rare cards.

While some of the cards do a good job in "making players excited" for the new set, it doesn't define teams and some of the previews certainly show that certain themes are not going to get what they really need. Who cares about Maxima for the Revenge Squad, for example? Sure, she can stun a 6 drop potentially on turn 6 without any non-ongoing plot twist support, but a 4 drop can stun her naturally when on defense. A 3 drop can still go into her with a beatdown.

So far, the only ability that I've seen that's not steller, but certainly decent, is with Green Arrow. His ability hurts an opponent's attack step, therefore making him decent as a character. Kooey cubed screams potential in that it's an "all-tutor". Look-Alike Squad shows potential in aiding the Team Superman strategy, as it allows for a very powerful offensive and a method of striking back when your opponent has initiative. This, when coupled with Cover Fire, gives you a good chance and making your opponent's initiative less exciting.

I doubt that the Ally mechanic will be overly broken due to its combat only timing. I have seen nothing so far that makes me think that there is a high level of power creep in JLA. Only the fullness of time will show how good JLA is but I expect it to be roughly the same power level as avengers.

I cant wait for the 1st fool to post an Ally/lost city "abuse" deck, that will be funny.

There's a problem with that logic though ... most people will jump to the characters with the biggest stats and avoid the characters with the lower stats unless their is an ability that makes it worth their while.

We've had Longshot, and Ant Man with a useful, no drawback ability and 2/1 stats for a LONG time. So having a '1/2' or '2/1' character isn't something that new ... they've just given MORE teams at least one 1-drop that's like that.

You can argue it for 7-drops. The first 2 17 attack 7-drops had HEFTY drawbacks. And then there was Bullseye [although he had a glass jaw]. Mar-vell is a T-Bolt with a big drawback so he's an abberation. But Supes is the first 7 with 17 and no drawback at all, including 'on par' defense.

But for everything below that ... considering the number of large characters, ESPECIALLY 3-drops that are 6/6 or 7/4, etc ... is having 5/4's and 4/5's really power creep?

It just means that they realize ... they only play the above average characters and ignore the below average ones ... so just move the average UP and you'll be making more playable characters.

Power Creep will only occur if they start giving a SINGLE team more above average characters and/or they increase the 'upper limit'.

If making 5/4 three drops was power creep, then they already creeped all over themselves with Wolverine, Thing, Rhyno, Mammomax, Orphan ... need I go on?

i'm fine as long as they keep the average stats per average guy at each drop in roughly the same range. please god, no more hideous abnormalities like DGL's 3/9, 4/10, etc.

Actually, Latuki Joe points out the only power creep that really matters. The reason I feel this way is this is still a char based game and so if your chars can't compete statwise in the current meta, they probably won't see much playing time, regardless of awesome effects. So, since we have seen that power creep overall, it really doesn't destroy the metagame.

I also agree that Origins contains the most powerful stuff in the game, but UDE is a business so in order to attract new players eventually they will have to have a really great powerful set. It could be JLA, I mean they might have a ridiculous card like this in the set:

Completely Broken Robot Man
6
12
12
Flight,Range
Discard a card-->Target character gets +1/+1.

or how about this one:

Completely Ridiculous Former Drug Addict Boy
Team Sickening
3
3
4
Range
Exhaust a Team Sickening character you control-->CRFDAB gets +2 attack.
Activate CRFDAB,KO a resource you control-->Stun target character if it's cost is less than CRFDABs attack.

Now, if they previewed those cards we would have reason to get upset.:grin:

3/9 etc. is fine in small doses. Like 2 per set doses.

I think stats like those spice up draft and sealed.

Speaking of draft and sealed, there hasn't been one card previewed that makes you say, "If I get this card I should win", like their was in Green Lantern (Oa or Chop) or Avengers (6 drop Cap or Multiple Faces). I draft much more than I play constructed, and am really looking forward to drafting a set with defensive plot twists, decks that don't need team ups, and decks that favor a skilled player. Granted, there may still be one of those cards out there that if you open it you should win every match, but it hasn't been previewed yet.

I would Say Aquaman and probally Martian Manhunter would be Equal to or Better than some of those cards.

The thing about Aquaman in sealed ... or any 'dumpster diving' card for that matter ... at best you'll be able to reuse a plot twist. However, in sealed, you are limited to what you pull ... so it's rarely going to ba-roken or anything. Depends on Ally effects, and more importantly, Ally 'enabling' cards. Being able to bounce a card like Quinjet could come in handy.

Manhunter I can agree with though, not just because of his ability which can be huge in sealed but the added benefit of being dual alligned to two of the sets teams.