4Game

Introduction
Consider this a follow-up to another post that I made, about Status NG. This post is also a consideration of how to change the archetype in other ways than buffing its strongest, most boring card: Slave Driver (though I will also talk about changing it). The goal is to see if we can buff pure NG Soldiers without accidentally enabling a different, worse, archetype.

There will be a significant difference between these posts though, because this time we are considering an archetype I have played for a very significant amount of time, and which is probably my favorite in the game. Because of this, I can be more detailed in my suggestions and my reasons for them.

What I will do is present a set of "packages" that could be changed/buffed, and discuss why I (don't) want to change it in a particular way. The idea is that I am suggesting all changes in each package together, but not necessarily suggesting all packages at once. The changes can be quite radical, requiring multiple rounds of changes. I am not saying that this will happen, or even is likely to happen, which is why I have titled this post the way I did. I will start by explaining why we might want to consider making a change, and then what we need to do to make that happen.

#1. Nauzica Sergeant & Slave Driver
The goal of this suggestion is simple; make NS appealing to be played in NG Soldiers, without making it oppressive in other decks. Why do we want this? NG Soldiers relies on playing many soldiers in a row, and those soldiers need armor. Battle Prep is too weak to be played in this way, and so I want to make NS actually play that support role. The most important card to consider as a synergistic link is Slave Driver, with which I will start.

SD always plays for: [base power] + 1 + 6 when it targets NS, except those rare circumstances where the opponent was able to remove the armor from NS but not the whole unit, when it plays for one less point. This interaction has been found to be too generically good and pointslammy. Because of this, then, we cannot buff NS without straightening out this power exchange.

Slave Driver: either -2 base power (1 for 5p), or +1 provisions (3 for 6p).

In both a literal and practical sense the simpler change is the provisions nerf. 10 for 6p is fine, imo. Its strongest application remains in Assimilate, where this plays for 2 points per unit with Assimilate (typically either 2 or 3). Depending on how strong Assimilate gets, you may consider also nerfing the power by 1 (though I don't think this is at all necessary now). I do not expect to need to buff the power by 1 in any case, but this also remains an option.
The other potential change is to straight nerf the power of the combo. Pointslamming 8 for 5p is also not problematic. There are three issues I have though. For one, I am going to suggest some big changes to NS provisions-wise, which means this combo becomes pretty damn cheap to include in any deck. Furthermore, if we pursue just power-nerfs, and SD still ends up being too strong, our only other option is to nerf the provisions.

Because the base power nerf is a more complex operation, is more vulnerable to the problematic aspects of the card, and is less flexible, my preference goes to putting it at 6p.

Then, Nauzica Sergeant. It plays for [base power] + 6 for 6p. This is currently 9 for 6p. I think that NS is one of the most difficult cards to try and balance. This is because buffing Slave Driver buffs Assimilate more than it buffs Soldiers. I would have preferred it if NS didn't spawn Battle Prep, but here we are. As far as I see it, there's only 2 ways to change NS to make it appealing in NG Soldiers as a general card, assuming that SD has been nerfed as described above.

Nauzica Sergeant: either -2 base power and – 2 provisions (1 for 4p), or +1 base power (4 for 6p)

The first buff can't not be controversial. As I said, any buff to NS is more of a buff to Assimilate. However, a pointslam of 7 for 4p isn't absurd. And even its application in assimilate isn't that strong (typically a 9-10 for 4p). If it turns out to be too strong, because NS is too good to copy, I would suggest nerfing those copyers instead. I think it can work, but it's dangerous. The advantage of this buff is that it disincentives the pointslam-and-copy playstyle NS is so known for, in favor of a support role for other soldiers, giving out protection in a longer round.
The second buff is more normal. It brings NS back to the normal pointslam strategy, but it gives the card back its power on its own, making it less reliant on spamming copies (note how nerfing the base power of NS does not nerf the interaction with many NG copyers).

Although my heart goes out to option 1, I truly do understand it might be too strong. If that is the case, then I don't think the card can be properly balanced for NG Soldiers, sadly.

#2 bronze 5p engines – Light Infantry / Crossbowmen / Pikemen / Imperial Marine
I only mention them to say that no changes should be made to these guys. They are strong enough already, imo. Moreover, the deck's most toxic aspect is how it can lock out an opponent, which should not be encouraged. The only one that could use a change is Pikemen, but that buffs Status again, so no thank you. I might've argued that Crossbowmen deserve an armor buff, but that's not possible.

However, because I can't help myself, I do want to ask. How bad would it be to buff Crossbowmen by 1 provision? It's condition is pretty steep, it's not targeted removal. It plays 6 for 4 on its first turn, with a 3 power and 1 armor body, with the potential of playing 2 points per soldier played. That's very strong, but is it too strong? Probably.

#3 Daerlan Soldier & Vreemde
I think I am the only player I have ever seen actually play DS and Vreemde. I think it's pretty clear they're too weak in the archetype, which is also the only place where they will be played. Because they have synergy together, I want to buff them at the same time.

Daerlan Soldier: +1 base power, +1 provisions (3 for 5p).

With this change, DS plays 12 for 5p, with thinning, assuming you control a soldier. Of course, there's also a drawback, DS bricks easy and hard. Because of this, it puts a somewhat substantial deck restriction that you cannot put in many other thinning cards, like Battle Stations!, or Magne, or such. And remember, if you have two in your hand in round one, you can still draw more of them. Because of this, I think it is completely fine to put DS at this power-level. The only concern I have is that it could maybe possibly be too strong with Calveit in round 1. That way you negate the issue of bricking more DS after drawing cards.

Vreemde: -1 provisions (4 for 5p)

Vreemde plays for 4 + 2*#Soldiers. You typically have 2 copies of a particular Soldier on the board, in which case Vreemde plays 8 for 5, which would be completely reasonable. His upper limit, from my experience, is 4 soldiers, so 12 for 5, which is not that insane as a pay-off on a gold card.

#4 Magne Division, Menno Coehorn & Tactics
Here's the idea. NG Soldiers wants you to play a soldier every turn, there's a handful of tactics that want to be played on soldiers, and some soldiers that play tactics. A match made in heaven? Turns out, no. The 4p tactics (Battle Prep and Ointment) are just too weak to be played, and the deck does not have such consistency issues that it wants these thinning cards, and neither does it have enough provisions laying around to play high provision tactics (Decree, War Council). Because of this, changes to these cards won't have much affect on the deck. The only changes I do suggest are more about pulling cards related to the archetype up to where they arguably should be in abstraction.

Menno Coehorn: +1 power (3 for 8p)
War Council: -1 provision (11p)

As a note. If I could, I would make it so that Nauzica Sergeant doesn't play Battle Prep, then buff Battle Prep to boost for 1 more on both ends, and Ointment to boost for 6, maybe even 7.

#5 Nauzica Brigade & Affan Hillergrand
Cultists are dead! The time has come to buff these bad cavalry cards into viability! Nauzica Brigade suffers from the fact that it can only thin in round 2 (if you lost) or round 3, in which case it's bad. Major buffs are in order.

Nauzica Brigade: +1 power, -1 provisions (2 for 4p).

I think that even with these buffs the card might be unplayable, but I don't want to overdo it. At this power-level I could see myself considering putting in these guys as a round 2/3 tempo-option. They're so awkward though, lol.

Affan Hillergrand: either -2 provisions, or +1 power, -1 provision.

Consider the comparison with Knickers. Affan needs you to spend your whole Leader Ability, in which case he pops out of the deck for 3 points, likely breaking flanking, playing for 2-4 extra points on the next turn, or this turn in the unlikely event that you have 4 flanking units (very rare in my experience). This will likely only happen in round 2 or 3, so it's vulnerable to bricking. Affan needs help, big time. I will strongly push for the first buff, but I could accept the second as well.

#6 Miscellaneous Cards
These are a bunch of cards that don't fit together quite as much, but could still use some love. I will be more brief with them, as they are all unplayable and therefore less controversial. Unlike the others, I don't necessarily suggest changing all of these together (though I think that's a fine thing to do).

Recruit: +1 base power (5 for 4p)
Buffing the power of the recruit doesn't make it play for more points, but does improve its survivability considerably. I think that's fine for a very slow bronze-only tutor that's vulnerable to removal and doesn't actually thin the deck.

Slave Hunter: +1 base power (5 for 4p)
The card is probably stronger than people realize in the archetype. The 3 damage it can do with set-up is frequently just about enough to kill really threatening cards alongside things like Crossbowmen and Light Infantry. I think it's fine to push this card into playing 8 for 4p regularly as a pay-off for the archetype, because it sees 0 play elsewhere.

Ard Feainn Tortoise & spotter: no changes
I would've liked to change these cards, but the issue is that they are already playable in Renfri Soldiers. That deck isn't the strongest in the world, but I would prefer to no buff it at all. The only change I think could be interesting is to buff the Tortoise to 8 power.

Peter Saar Gwynleve: -1 provisions (3 for 5p), or +2 base power (5 for 6p)
It's Spores on a 3-power stick, and Spores isn't a great card. I think it's fine to give Peter a big boost to make him either less awkward to include, or a more viable tempo-option against cards that go extremely tall.

Sweers: -3 provisions
Think about it. At 5p he plays 10 for 5, assuming there's something for him to yoink. That's still not even that crazy for a gold. If you think its too much, I disagree, but he could maaaaybe be viable at 6p.

Vrygheff: +1 base power (8 for 6p).
This way, if Vrygheff targets one flanking soldier, it's still 10 for 6p, which isn't crazy, and 12 for 6p, which is a solid pay-off and tempo play in the deck. He doesn't need it, but it would buff the archetype without breaking a deck somewhere else (like buffing Nauzica Sergeant).

Conclusion
My goal, as should be clear, was to push the archetype away from relying on spawning the same 3 engines, by making other cards more appealing, balancing out the strengths of the archetype. That's what an army should feel like. Many units with different strengths coming together, and you as the player considering which asset to use in the battle. Solid and dangerous, not overly reliant on one strength.

I can only hope that you agree that these changes are to those ends. Let me know what you think, and most of all, which changes you think are bad.