Howard vs. Ardam: Heaven or Hell

+5 life if not damaged is fine by me.

Heal or ten sounds fine to me, though it won't really be very useful. Well... I guess with Brick Wall or something.

So why not have a 1 activation cost, so as not to oershadow Ardam as a pure healer?

Sure.

1 activation for +10 life is fine by me.

1 activation cost sounds good.

activation, +10 life has my vote.

I'm fine with it.

I'd prefer free and +5 but and +10 also works.

I'd most like heal AND a slight life boost - to non-lifebars, now that I think of it - if he's given an activation cost, but and +10 if unhealable is okay.

Tally since the revival at post #57.

Ability changed to " If target is damaged, heal it, otherwise it gains ten life": sXeAndriex
Total: 1
Ability changed to " If target is damaged, heal it, otherwise it gains ten life": Serith, Blue_Elite, bubbleman2, azulknight, Nacho, �ルノ(?)
Total: 6
Ability changed to " If target is damaged, heal it, otherwise it gains five life": Kennisiou(fine with +10 life)
Total: 1

These are pretty much immediate reaction votes with no strong debate about why to go with "this" boost or not or even alternatives to the idea. The thread is pretty dead anyway and the originally strongly agreed to ability has already been veto'd. Unless there is more discussion, this is decided.

The ability is... actually pretty crappy in my opinion. Ten life isn't a stupid idea, but it's one that will make it Chook Xao. I'll admit to having a deck designed around Chook Xao, but he's far from a good card. As such, I'm pretty much of the opinion that this ability will balance Howard as so far as Chook Xao is balanced- it still won't actually be very good. Playable in a few specific decks, but could probably be better.

The cost is, to me, pointless. I don't see why. It seems like the ability is mediocre enough without a cost. I'd prefer a speed drop to that, but I'm really pretty uncaring in this area. If a cost is agreed upon, sure. Whatever.

Yeah, I really think AND a creature dizzy to heal is too much - none of the other vanilla healers have that restriction. If anything a low speed to make it vulnerable to preventive sniping and/or a slight stat cut would be a much more reasonable compensation (it's an ability that you'll want to use every turn, do you really want to give him basically maintenence: for an ability infinitely less effective than things like Triumph City, which warrant the maintenence?)

Admittedly, as a healer, costing in addition to dizzying makes Howard subpar compared to the alternatives of Healer Ardam, Reka in robot decks, and such, but as a life-booster, he can be used on lifebars for the cheapest definite and reusable lifegain. If you take out the lifebars, there is still the ability to push monsters past breakpoints.

As something else to consider, having innate versatility usually demands a decrease in efficiency but the fact that it's on such a weak monster kind of balances that out.

Well we can cut the mana cost I reckon, so long as he doesn't completely overshadow War Ardam.

Cutting the mana cost and giving him a speed reduction sounds fine.

I'd be tempted to suggest " creature is healed and gains (5-or-10) life" to better justify the activation cost, actually - the indirect maintenance and frailty would still make it tough to abuse. I forget - was that shot down as being uncodable yet, or did I just word it poorly earlier?

Failing that, " target creature is healed or gains (5-or-10) life if not damaged" would work well at low speed and/or with a small stat reduction (D speed, 17-20/25).

" creature is healed and gains 10 life" with a speed reduction to D sounds good.

And the change was implemented.
Was it the change that was consented? I didn't pay that much attention.
Feel free to rebalance it if it's too weak or whatever.

It wasn't, but I don't really have much of a problem with it.
Might be nice if you paid enough attention to actually implement the right balances though (There have only been seven posts since the last vote count.)