Play the right domain and an opposing army can be trounced before the game even begins. Play the proper counter domain, and your problems are solved. But what if you don't have any domains? They are not as easy to get and some new and casual players may not even have any domains, simply for the fact that they didn't happen to pull any out of the few boosters they purchased. So doesen't this give an unfair advantage to the players who bought case load after case load and were able to collect all the domains? I know the same arguemnet can be made for uniques and relics, but they're tempered (to some degree) by a point cost. Domains however, are free to use by whoever managed to get them. Perhaps they should have a point cost associated with them.

The same bolds true about powerful figures.... relics....

Lets say you have an all out ranged army.... and I build a complete GF/LI army.... then what?

I completely disagree with you. For example, a new player who's only soaring fig is a blood shaman will lose every time to varatrix (assume no horrible die rolls and the trix player knows what he/she is doing). Sure, there is a point cost there, but it really doesn't make a difference how expensive he is because the new player probably won't have any possible way to combat it.

Sure, players who spend more will have more, including domains, but how often will a more skilled vet who owns most, if not all, of the set going to use his best domain in a tourney against the noob, I'd guess not very often.

Also, giving domains a point cost would be rather annoying. How would it work in a tourney? Does each domain you plan to use go to your build total? Just the one you're using that round? What about the round(s) you don't use one, are you just out of luck and have to field an under point army? Besides, how crappy would it be to have 20, 30, or whatever points of your army in the way of erratic winds being canceled by clear skies? No thanks, I'll take it how it is now.

I know what you're saying, because I would just get hosed over by wylden forest until like 2 weeks ago when I got the river valley (which still sucks for most of my armies), but I don't think that they are as overpowering as you seem to be making them out to be, and therefore should be left alone just as they are.

I think there are a couple parts of this. First Wizkids didn't realize just how rare domains were going to be (28 terrain cards, 36 relic cards and 20 domain cards all veying for one spot in a booster). Second domains level the playing field. So a new player with just one or two domains should build an army to play in the domains they bring. Third, Wizkids wants big communities of players so including items then really need to be traded for grows the community.

I know I got several people involved at work just so they would buy and I could trade for stuff they didn't want.

I would like to see two cards per booster though instead of just one. And I would like to see base set domains be packed one in every DR booster to fix the problem.

I hope you were talking to the other guy.... because what I said was pure logic.

Redtiger7, your points are well worded and accurate. In 2.0 Domains can:

1) Negate each other (in fact or tactically),
2) Put one opponent in a tactical advantage (however, not a tactical advantage that guarantees a win),
3) Severely limit your ability to win a match even if army and skill levels are the same.

Cases as you have described (someone with no domains or choses to play no domains) falls into #3. My experience is if you do not have a domain in play but your opponent does, then you have a tactical disadvantage.

If your opponent has a domain which helps his / her army or hinders yours and you have no counter domain or you play no domain then your chances of winning (conditioned upon reasonably similar player skills) are very limited.

Therefore, what I've seen develop at the venue where I play is either 1) players mutually decide not to play domains during the tourney (which actually can be a disadvantage to you depending upon the armies being fielded), 2) people play domains defensively (typically to counter an obvious threat or to counter an expected domain), and/or 3) people play domains offensively (to help their specific army).

I'm lucky because I've had the chance to acquire several copies of almost all the domains. I play at a venue with my 2 teenage boys, so this gives the 3 of us a pretty good selection for our deck.

What I then do when we've put together our decks I let anyone else in the venue use any of the remaining domains if they want. This helps the people who do not have any or not a good deck of domains so they can compete on an even playing field (one note ... if you do this it's a good idea to put your name on the back of the domains because they have a tendency to get all mixed up by the end of the tourney).

So, bottomline, IMHO domains have become a big factor in 2.0 and without playing them you will be in a disadvantage over the long run.

Steve

yeah, I meant redtiger, you hadn't posted by the time I had started typing, so I didn't even bother addressing the statement

I figured that was what happened :0)

The process of choosing domains can indeed result in some very one sided battles. I played a range heavy army, and my opponent played grasslands and tons of stealth guys, so I was at a severe disadvantage for that game. It was awful.

I dont mind losing, but losing while barely being able to play anything is really rough, and positively "no fun". Domains are the most drastic means to this unwelcomed end.

We usually dont use domains in our friendly games, but then again, our friendly games are the only times that we are apt to use the Fen Swamp or something equally cool.

Domains are important for tournament play, but I dont recommend them...

if a player with only wood golems faces a varatrix, isnt it unfair as well? its a collectable game, you get used to it.

I agree that domains are immensly powerfuly, but there are three points I do want to make:

First, they are available in EVERY starter. So every player should have at least 1.

Second, they are available cheeply from online retailers. When 2.0 came out, I bought a half-dozen on line for bout $7 including shipping. If all else fails - trade.

Third, Domains should be slightly more common in Dark Riders - Draddog has already stated that there is no CT in DA.

The problem always has been and always will be that this is a collectable game. If I buy/win a bunch of LEs, is it fair to my opponent who only has a starter? No, it's not. But it is the nature of the game. At least with Domains, one can have a better chance at assuring a batlefield more suited to what they want.

Lodi:

1) If you buy a starter. We had a thread going acouple months ago and the consensus was you got more bang for your buck by purchasing 3 boosters instead of 1 starter, especially if you already had Kiren Starsdawn from the giveaway.

2) Good point, except that a person has to know where to look, have a credit card, web access, etc... I know everyone's favorite online retailer requires a $10 minimum order which could get you up to 50 non's. And postage inside the US is cheap, but for orders to Canada alone, the US post office charges an additional $12 just for the insurance, making it very expensive for non-US customers.
As for trading, you have to find someone to trade with and have something that you want to give up that they want in return.


3) I hope you're right, this would help alliviate the situation, but I don't feel it would be a final solution.


Dark Crusader:

"if a player with only wood golems faces a varatrix, isnt it unfair as well? its a collectable game, you get used to it."

It's a very unlucky player who buys a few boosters and gets nothing but wood golems. But I'm saying that if you get 300 points worth of figs, then it's theoreticly possible for you to be competitive against your opponent. But if they have a domain, and you didn't get one, or one that doesn't hose your own army, that gives him a big advantage over you, for no (point) cost at all.

Noble Warrior:
It's great what you do at your venue. I wish there were more of that going around.

I agree with you redtiger7.

If a Newbie pulls Erratic Winds out of his starter what good does it do him.

No one is trading domains at the local venue because they're fairly rare and people are keeping the domains to make sets.

The online thing is just crazy. What 10 year old kid's parents are going to allow him to use their credit card online after forking out $40 to buy MK boosters for their kid. Just a ridiculous statement.

MK is starting to suffer heavily from a bad case of 'rich kids' disease. Too much of an advantage can be bought for the right price - I can see the results already amoung my players.

Hopefully as more 2.0 releases come out the playing field will even out a little.

A friend of mine and I call this the Ro-Sham-Bo effect. :)
You put down the domains and in some circumstances it's very obvious who will win. The same thing happens with army builds and certain uniques / relics, but it's far less common.

Personally, I would like to see more defensive domains. That would actually bring back more variety in armies at the venues I play at.

As usual, just my thoughts on the subject.

I don't think domains are that unfair, because :

A) Your starter has them.

B) Most people have some that they don't use. Offer to lend them to people if they want them.

C) They can be bought cheaply online, if all else fails.

D) You can trade nons and such for them.

I think they actual bring diversity, and a need to have a balanced army.