Many people use the term "trump" when speaking of some of the problem cards that have made their way into the Vampire cardset. In fact, it is not simply a matter of whether a card is or is not a trump that determines a card’s brokeness. Many cards make use of a trump format where one effect is trumped by another that is trumped by yet another. This is not inherently bad. However, to further our discussion of cards and their power, we must first define some terms so that debate will be more meaningful.
In this article I will briefly examine the ingriedients that make up a card's power. It is these ingredients that will illuminate our discussion of broken cards.
The degree to which you think a given card has these qualities, is of course, a matter of opinion. No card can actually be given a Flexibility score that everyone would agree on. Neither can a card be proven to have too great or too little Swing Effect. One man’s tastes might find a Return to Innocence bleed a completely acceptable situation given the resulting loss of the bleeding vampire while another might feel that this is the worst card ever printed.
For example, the cost of the Master Card, Pentex Subversion would be the space in your deck, one of your available master phases, and 2 pool. The benefit comes from the card text but is also somewhat variable depending on the opponent's situation. (i.e. victim’s only minion, et.)
Obviously, the "benefit" of a card includes many of the other elements of card power. However, for my purposes I am speaking of the initial, intended benefit of the card.
A quick survey of the Vampire cardset will show that almost every card has a very low Swing Effect. Even when played in concernt with other cards most small combinations are of little concern in regards to Swing Effect.
A Conditioning card is not particularly noteworthy on its own. Without the ability to successfully bleed, a modifier for that bleed is not much good. But used by a minion having superior Obfuscate in conjuction with a couple of stealth cards and a Govern the Unaligned action card, we now have a six bleed with a great likelyhood of being successful.
In general, the greater the number of cards in a combination, the greater the effect that is allowed without fear of breaking the game. If I were to build a deck with a particularly deadly eight-card combination, there would be little fear in the other players because they would know that the likelihood of that particular combination coming into play is low. In addition to the unlikeliness of the combination coming into play, it is also worth noting that this combination can only be performed a limited number of times before the Methuselah runs out of Library Cards.
Let’s look at all of the elements of card power in an analysis of Skin of Rock. Skin of Rock is priced appropriately (free) for its limited benefit (prevent 1 or 2 points of damage), has a limited use (preventing damage for a Vampire with Fortitude) and can be considered to have little swing effect on a game. Skin of Rock isn’t part of any particularly deadly combination. Though, in a particular instance, the playing of a Skin of Rock may eventually have the result of one Methuselah defeating another, on average this card will not be a deciding factor in many games.
On the other hand, examine an imaginary card called "You’re Dead". "You’re Dead" has no cost. It is an unblockable action that ousts up to 10 Methuselahs. It can be played by any vampire as an action or a reaction card. It is not part of a difficult 10-card combination but is a single card with a devastating effect. Obviously, this card is clearly overpowered for its price, is far too flexible in its use, and can completely change the outcome of a game when it is played.
When cards are produced that are too weak and can be easily countered we are left with what is often called a "wallpaper" card. The name deriving from the fact that you would have a large number of these worthless cards – enough to wallpaper a room! While this is unfortunate and should be avoided in design, it is not ultimately harmful to the game. In short, one of these cards will cause one card in the cardset to become worthless.
However, when cards are produced that have a strong effect but counters are unavailable outright or are unavailable to all but certain clans, disciplines, or players with large amounts of cash (in the case of rare cards as counters), there will be a shift toward that card in deck design. There will likely be many other cards that produce less of an effect but can be countered more easily. In short, each overpowered card makes many other cards in the cardset worthless.
Let’s examine a trump like Immortal Grapple. Immortal Grapple takes away an opponents ability to do any strikes other than hand strikes. IG even trumps the Strike: Combat Ends cards which are quite powerful trumps. Once this card is successfully played, the grappled Vampire is often sent to torpor if not completely destroyed. However, its Potence requirement, and range restriction in addition to the many other combat avoidance options available to the opposing minion, keep this card from being considered a problem trump.
On the other hand, a card like Thoughts Betrayed is widely accessible (any vamp with Superior Dominate can use it to devestating effect), costs only two blood, and prevents the oppossing minion from playing any cards. This cuts the opposing minion off from almost all of its resources. Weapons can still be used but they must already be in place and will still only allow you to strike back after your opponent has his way. The only effective counter for a Thoughts Betrayed is another TB (available if you are the acting minion) and Direct Intervention.
For example, many people feel that the Tomb of Ramses is a problem card. It can allow a vampire as powerful as an Inner Circle member to come into play with no risk or downside for the Methuselah playing it. There is no card text on the Tomb that allows it to be stolen or destroyed. It can only be countered by the few library cards that provide destruction or theft effects or by a Sudden Reversal. The existence of a Master card as powerful as the Tomb causes the playing of a Sudden Reversal to have a great swing effect on the game.
The same is true of Direct Intervention. If you believe Thoughts Betrayed is a problem Trump then the ability to play a Direct Intervention to stop the TB is of great importance. Most of the skill is removed from the situation at this point and the only thing that matters is whether or not a player was lucky enough to have drawn a Direct Intervention. Playing or not playing the DI at the point still likely results in a game swing in one players favor. Even more amazing is that Sudden Reversal can trump the Direct Intervention. The power of a Sudden Reversal or Direct Intervention is a function of the power of other cards in the cardset.