fwiw saying kano has no bad MUs and you have no agency against him is not the argument you think it is (im not a kano player fyi, its just a soggy take)
The only unhealthy thing about Kano is that the high roll can be so high that it ends the game immediately. That is exceedingly rare though. Most games require tight play to manage set-up and chip while retaining enough breathing room to weather hands that can't combo before the non-Kano player threatens lethal. The reason Kano feels so miserable to play against is because most players don't understand the agency they have in the matchup. They look at their hand and ask "How much damage can I threaten to get Kano dead before they combo?" They don't ask themselves the question "How much information can I conceal from Kano as I take my turn?". The higher your life total, the less Kano can risk unknown information. Some decks do this better than others, but a lot of people see the finish line in sight, put everything on the table against a full-grip, and wonder why they suddenly died shields down.
Ah man, a deck that punishes greedy play and plays on an alternative axis. If I can't unga bunga, the game is actively being ruined. Oh no! Sarcasm aside, saying Kano doesn't have any bad matchups is brushing up against bad faith. Any deck that hits the nuts off the top can squeak wins out, but saying that because of that he doesn't have bad matchups just isn't right. Go play Kano against an Illusionist or Mechanologist and say that with a straight face lol. Kayo can go off, Lexi could go off, Bravo and Victor can go off. There are other decks beyond those that high roll. You ever been slammed for 35 or 50 in one turn by a Kayo? Or been triple-bonds'd by a Katsu? There are decks in this game that are very polarizing. Decks have to be strong for people to want to play the game. I've played Illusionist, Wizard, Ranger, Guardian, Ninja, and Warrior over the course of the last four years. I've had far more non-games while playing Illusionist and Ranger than I ever have with Kano. Old Prism straight up kept other decks out of the format because she was so oppressive. Hell, I had more non-games with Iyslander than with Kano. The amount of turns I could just time walk the opponent with tax was shockingly high. And no, I'm not saying that your whole point is invalid because there are other broken things in this game. I'm saying broken things also exist out there, so making a statement that a single deck is ruining FaB is kind of a bad take. If Kano was going to ruin FaB he would've done it four years ago. You know, when he was introduced.
Plus when the new “All Arcane” set comes out Kano will need time to compete with other Wizard Heroes, just like Bravo did when Oldhim showed up. The Wizard playerbase will be doing different things, which Kano players need to keep in mind if they want to win events.
whats there to admit? deck is fine and does some really degenerate stuff but is really inconsistent. I already made a video talking about her like last week
Step 1: Hype up Kano Step 2: Convince people to play him at RTNs Step 3: Play Prism and wipe the floor with them >Step 4: ???? >Step 5: Gold Foil profit Excellent Psyop as always
One problem with a deck like Kano IMO is the big clumps of Arcane damage that you are dealing. If you want to block out a 5 arcane damage spell, you can’t just put two cards in front of it as usual, you can only use one card and still take a lot of damage, depending on how much AB you have. Thinking about it, it’s kind of like every card that deals a >1 arcane damage has dominate, and makes your opponent cards block for less depending on how much AB they have and you can’t block it with equipment. That sounds like quite a good thing to have to me. This in turn means that the cards in decks that are a bit slower block for 1-3, assuming you have AB3, compared to the standard 3 block. Which then leads to their effective HP being much lower than vs normal physical damage. To be fair, you can’t be fatigued by damage since you are pitching the cards instead of blocking, but If that is a fair trade off, I dunno. (This is also where the combo in Kano helps him go over the wall that the opponent is trying to present)
TLDR I think it's silly to say Kano is ruining the game when the game is almost inarguably & unanimously agreed to be in the best place it's ever been. I do think you bring up valid points about problematic aspects of Kano as a hero, but I do not think it's nearly as big an issue as you claim. This is kind of a silly take to have when the game is literally the healthiest it has ever been. Also, week 2 numbers are up & Kano's share of the wins dropped quite significantly, which really was to be expected. Kano has always been more of a flash in the pan than a consistent performer. Yes he's been relatively good for a few months, but I do think a lot of that has to do with a general lack of Kano respect recently. Like yes, he is still capable of winning through AB2+ & Oasis, but it does make it harder for him, & at a lot of the recent events where he did well people were not doing much of anything to tech for Kano. Idk, I think overall I do tend to agree that Kano can be problematic, getting blown up out of nowhere with no agency or watching him play for 15 minutes are not fun play experiences, however I don't think its fair or accurate to suggest that he's ruining the game, right now or at any point previously. Also it's really not that accurate to suggest that Kano has no unwinnable matchups. I don't think any of his matchups are literally 100-0, but also no deck in the game right now has matchups that are that bad. Boost Dash, both Illusionists, & Rhinar are all very rough matchups for Kano. DIO can be quite rough for him as well, although her lower life total makes her easier to randomly blow up. Also, I don't think its fair to completely disregard the points being brought up about other heroes having the same or similar problems you bring up with regards to Kano. I agree with you in the sense that they don't make your argument invalid, but that doesn't mean it's a non-argument or that it's not valid to bring it up.
I beat two Kano in the top 8 of my RTN. I was playing Big Dragon Dromai. I just side boarded out all my d-reacts and brought in all my yellows and blue pitches. I got a Themai out T2 in the first match which they couldn’t answer and I had 6 ashwings out in the second match. I was literally AB5 their Aether Spindles and not letting them land anything threatening.
He does sort of fill a required space within the metagame. He keeps decks honest. Also if we consider "Fab is a fighting game" the deck archetype is pretty neat, he's this fighter who can mostly only do light jabs that are more or less easy to block... has a few small combos here and there but once per game he has a "limit break" button that if unblocked unleashes a huge combo... thematically that's pretty cool. BUT sitting and watching a Kano player combo off is such a boring experience... part of that is a flaw in Kanos playstyle atm, part of it is a flaw in the design around arcane damage. So with that in mind I wonder if the issue with the Kano combo is more to do with the fact that it's a turn based game and some players can take 15minutes to do their math while others can do it in 30 seconds. ...and this is coming from a Kano main since ARC.
I think one of a crucial point for different views on kano matchups also come from not every classes having access to AB2/SV2 equipment, which means teching against kano requires one more slot in you deck.
@@pheanoThey have agency. If they choose to be greedy and use their entire hand that’s their own fault. You need to respect Kano like any other deck. Arsenal pass, use on-hit effects that he needs to block (Assassin disrupts Kano incredibly hard), keep a card or two in hand to pitch for Arcane Barrier (which if you kept doing will just fatigue a Kano player to death).
@@theatheistbear3117I hate explaining that for a millionth time. you need to pressure kano. its linear gameplay. if you dont maximize your hand offensively you dont get there anyway.
What FAB may need in the very immediate future, is a card like Imperial Edict that you name a card that cant be played, and it just stays in play as active the rest of the game. You name a card, it cannot be played the rest of the game, unless the hypothetical Super Edict is destroyed. Aether wildfire, lumina ascension, nitro mechanoid, bloodrush bellow, arc light sentinel, etc. It would create so many new decks and deck ideas, require diversification in deck composition. FAB would be FAB again.
I think we could make better "answer" cards than pithing needle. You also can't make cards like that without giving easy access to removing them from the board, we don't really have disenchant effects that are easy to access in the game.
@pheano the difference from pithing needle in mtg, is in FAB you would still be able to pitch the card for resources, you could still block with the card, you just wouldn't be able to play it for so long as the FAB pithing needle remained in play. It would help reduce the whole it doesn't matter how well you played and what decisions you made all game, I drew my "I win" card, so sorry you lose.
Your hypothetical card would be too strong. I understand wanting to prevent someone from playing a power card, but a lot of decks are dependent on key cards. Naming bonds or mauv skies or induction chamber or whatever would be too strong. You can argue “oh that’s a good thing, it will force them to diversify!” but that’s just not realistic with the current card pool for every hero. Almost every deck would play the pithing needle and everyone would be trying to guess which key card to name. Sounds awful.
@Krimm664 I'd respectfully say the fact you mention every single deck would play it goes to show how badly it's needed. A format of diverse decks using all sorts of different cards not even being played currently due to the "power card silver bullet" nature the game has come to sounds pretty enticing to me. Diversity in deck building would be awesome.
@@christopherlittle8916 Every deck wanting to play it doesn't mean it's needed, it just means it's strong. Which it would be. I think a lot of decks (not all) are already fairly diverse. The issue is that you just don't see the less-effective strategies at the top tables because they are, well, less effective. For example, I'm a huge fan of midrange club rhinar, but most successful rhinar lists are on aggro claws. I just don't see the merit of a hypothetical pithing needle. If a card is a problem, then LSS should errata it, restrict it, or ban it. I don't think having every deck play a pithing needle to completely shut down certain decks is healthy. Maybe someday down the road when the card pools are larger, but right now when the card pools are so small, it's not realistic or healthy imo. But we'll agree to disagree, debating hypothetical cards doesn't really get anyone anywhere, haha!
I was taken out in the quarters at the one RTN I could go to this season, taking 52 damage before I could play a single card. My opponent then told me afterward that they already had their invite, and is just playing more RTNs for money. I'm doing my best no to be really bummed by it, without much success.
I only think that your fun is not my responsability. I've played kano for 2 years now, and I've seen it all. People that love watching me combo, people that hate it, people that don't care, people that care. In the end, all I know is that everyone loves different playstyles. You have as much agency as any heroes.
i agree it isn't your fun, that is something on the game dev side not player responsibility. Zero shame for playing the deck you want to play the way you want to play it, its a competitive game and we are all here to win. This isn't commander.
Kano is a tricky hero to balance, I'm wondering what Kano would need to do to justify LSS to take action against him, though I'm not suggesting that he does or doesn't need something changed.
I have no idea how to fix Kano without gutting him. Idk if there is a way without doing it at the same time as giving him a bunch of new support so he can just transition over to those new cards instead.
@@pheano yes at some point u have to attack and not just let them set up turn after turn. Isylander, while being one of my fav decks ever, wasn't great for the game as most decks weren't even viable to play because of ice. HH meta is probably the best meta in FaB history but it wouldn't be had Isylander not LL'd
I don’t think he loses to kayo at all unless kayo high rolls a bit. Sure dash and prism can do OK against him. But none of that matters. You’re missing the point. The issue isn’t that he’s strong. The issue is that he’s not fun to play against, and there’s extremely little interaction. Packing oasis and AB3 doesn’t do a lot against skilled Kanos and they don’t make the matchup any more enjoyable.
Boy you havent played competitive magic have you if you think kano is the biggest negative experience in card games, kano isnt great but hes only been good for a brief period. If he continues to be good and not hated out of the format (literally never happening) then they should address that but it wont happen.
@ You think Kano is worse to play against than Hogaak? The entire meta was hogaak, it was so homogenous people were playing 4 leylines MB and it was still irrelevant for beating that deck - just added a extra step for them
I see two problems with Kano. 1: He’s pigeon holed into doing the OTK strider/wildfire gameplan 2: Oasis and any AB past AB1 is essentially wasted sideboard slots unless you’re on a very defensive package
its the opposite on the last one, if you are very defensive then it doesn't matter because he will just set up a pitch stack and nuke you. You need pressure plus the prevention to force him to go off before he is ready then stuff it.
@@pheano I meant that the oasis and extra AB will be taken solely for Kano and won’t help you win other matchups. Almost every other tech piece against other decks works into other matchups, I.e. unmovable helps with both into Azalea and Guardian
I refuse to play against it. On T i just leave and in any events I just give them the win. It’s pointless. Does every deck have to run AB3, 15 blues and 3 oasis respite just in case? He’s never going to LL either. I am dreading the ‘all arcane’ set.
the never ending cycle of "kano is a garbage hero", "nerf kano". he thrives in metas like this, where you least expect him. I play kano and i've NEVER unpacked AB from my list, even when iys LL'd. i always respect the wizard mirror. it's a choice not deckbuilding for 1% of the meta, but that's exactly what kano wants...
having said this, kano's hero ability is absolutely busted and hinders the card design for wizard. He would be fine, if wildfire didn't existed, but that's the most "consistent" gameplan, since his card are bellow rate. LSS should just release a cracked wizard card, turbo LL him and then start from scratch
Kano has bad match ups. It's quite easy to see in Talishar that he struggles A LOT against Prism and Dromai is really complicated too. Even Vynnset hast a 50% chances to win against him. I have to say that I have never lost with Vynnset against a Kano, but maybe it was just luck 😅
Just run ab4 or ab5 and you won't lose that often. If you don't respect the hero then expect to lose. I'm not even good and beat those talishar fiends often
so we are just in the hopium high that there won't be a new wizard? I personally just want to see a token base that has AB and passes on the AB to whatever is on top of it.
I kinda hope you don't cynically take away from your response that people reject getting your point because you're an illusionist player or because other toxic play experiences exist in the game. It is wholly clear what you're trying to portray but I don't feel it's wholly reasonable to have "things line up stupidly well" as an argument to call a deck a design mistake even if the manner of how that can take shape in Kano is among the most immediate. Kano doesn't prohibit you from having a tense and good game against him. It's understandable that his position changes in an overall lower powerlevel meta. What this argumentation furthers is petty gripes by people not willing to dig deeper into the matchup so that they can't just immediately rant. This deepens an existing and most often irrational rejection of getting the most out of your matchups which is completely antithetical to how we approach every other hero and that just by virtue of having petty gripes and not wanting to pay attention to verbose turns. Since the meta has become "too open" I've seen nothing but utter garbage takes by players thought to be the best and if that's how they now choose to engage well I will start considering myself a full on casual not caring for that and having a decent play experience into the occasional Kano I match into even if they double Wildfire me. Tough luck
I was hoping the title was a troll but this has to be the worst FAB take I have ever seen in my life. First off, anyone that plays Prism has zero credibility to complain about matchups. You guys had a long time with original prism that had so many auto wins (Guardian and Warrior). Now you complain that another deck does the same thing to you. Prism is one of the most oppressive hero's ever in FAB. And the newer version isn't that much better. Spectra, ALS, Genesis are some of the dumbest cards / concepts in FAB. Do like the rest of us had to do with Starvo, Chane, Prism, and either switch heroes are just take your L and move on.
@pheano "we're playing fab" "it's supposed to be a very grindy game" --- insert negative comments about Oldhim... every hero has something they do that could be complained about... you are complaining... simple fact... it's not good for your brand... and the only reason it's relevant now is from a sub section of RTN games... is Victor next to complain about? I want to watch your content... but the constant complaining is hard to bare... sad... because it could be such great content!
cope and seethe dude sorry other archtypes exist in your game. Also prism player complaining?????????? "man i hate it when rock beats scissors they need to be banned frfr."
