Great Maul testing notes:
Card active - removes opponent shield stacks in entirety, moves stack to hand, opponent can replay entire stack at cost of one shield stack (i.e. stack of 8 repulsors moved to hand can re-enter shield slot next turn at 6 gravity cost - not 48). That's a pretty powerful active on top of moving single shields back to hand. Thematically, I don't like that the 'great maul' that conjures a big hammer would have an active that 'moves something intact'. Great Maul conjures something more 'destructive' in my mind.
1/2 damage (while own shield equipped)- just odd, prefer something more thematic and simpler to understand be instituted
Blocking damage (while own shield eqipped) - practically okay, good game mechanice, but thematically odd with 'Great Maul'. I'd want a weapon concept that, itself, is more shield like in look and function. More on that below in concepts.
Serprex said they're considering a shield 'merge' concept. Here's a few ideas for the discussion:
1. Weapon that has active: Splinter/merge/alloy. Rather than physical splinter, a 'psychic' splinter - active that
steals opponent's 'skill' or 'trait' ---basically, their passive trait. Examples: Skull loses 'chance to turn creature to skeleton'; solar loses 'generate light when attacked'; phase loses 'block all physical damage. Once trait/passive is 'splintered' that passive merges to one's current shield in shield slot. Damage reduction (DR), which is more 'physical' is left alone on both sides. Example: own solar shield + splinter opponent phase = solar stats remain, generate light, block physical damage for 2-3 turns. Imagine splinter effect as stacking - clunky and dependent on opponent running multiple shield types (unlikely) or they can simply not play shields as soft counter. Super shield can be built, but difficult to do so. I understand the soft counter itself diminishes active's effectiveness, but complements can be explored: give shield. Example: Give thorn, active steal carapace trait, apply to own titanium shield = 2 DR shield with carapace trait = possibly worthwhile in a stall. Splintering might help expand stall decks, help explore slowing the game down for more 'absolute defense' style decks.
2. I've been thinking about weapons in general and companion cards that may deserve some synergistic design: lodestone, lifesmith, blacksmith, ferro golem. Can earth produce a weapon with a 'forge' or 'creation' style active? I present the concept of clay. Something that can be molded and applied to a 'copy' active. Can the weapon itself PU/mitosis a target weapon or Shield back to own hand? Can the active element be water? And, clay evokes 'golem' to me. Can the new earth weapon be clay-themed and 'golem' trait?
When applied to self, strategies like copy own phase shield can be looked at. Does the weapon itself have 'charges' and 'crumbles' after X usage? When applied to opponent's targets, what's the point of copying shields/weapons unless we're in some SNOVA/equalize build? We may not have the quanta to play or those shields are worse than the ones we're playing or don't provide help at all (i.e. opponent is playing Sh.of.voids with dusk mantle). I recognize the idea here is very problematic, but consider the 'clay' and 'forge' concepts in your own ways, perhaps you can move it forward in a better way.
3. Last idea: concept of 'umbrella'. A weapon that is sharp, pointed for offense, but, when the 'umbrella' is 'open' loses offense and becomes 'defensive' - even shield like. Can the 'umbrella' defense function by allowing two shield 'effects' to occur? Taking the great maul 'block' function, can the umbrella be easy to (a) replicate and (b) enter the board to (c) block various opponent targets? Block opponent weapon's damage when in weapon slot. Block opponent's opposite creature when on board? Here, I like Umbrella being earth with a life active. That can synergize with Lifesmith, Ferrogolem, Mitosis. I'll randomly throw out a build here:
Card name: Umbrella
Cost: 5
/ 4
Stats: 7|4, 7|4
Active "Canopy":
, stats change to 4|7 and block opposite target's damage; active can be toggled back to offense stats with 2
This makes me wonder more about using 'repositioning' mechanics so that certain cards can be specifically placed in various creature slots. Maybe the right term is 'summon'?
4. Non-weapon design note, but pondering a buff: How about lodestone increases active costs for everything
except weapon and golem actives?