was there a version of this before intellect stat arose?
The rulebook before Intellect came out (Batman/Superman) doesn't mention the 58-point limit for 12 icons.
Quote from: Jack on April 25, 2011, 05:12:54 PM
The rulebook before Intellect came out (Batman/Superman) doesn't mention the 58-point limit for 12 icons.
Occasionally, I'll make a pre-IQ deck. Because there was no Sum Deck Rule, my group usually lets me ignore the rule.
There was a sum deck rule of 58 for old tournaments.
Quote from: Onslaught on April 25, 2011, 10:54:33 PM
There was a sum deck rule of 58 for old tournaments.
But this wasn't in the original rule book was it? Do you remember when this was introduced? I'm pretty sure it was in place for the first Regionals/Nationals. Searching the old news group postings for 'sum deck rule' brought back some memories but no definitive answer. Actually come to think of it I think there's an article in this in one of the early 'Monthly (hah) Ventures'. Perhaps that should be my next photographic task..
That's a good question....it had to have been in place by Powersurge at the latest (12 year old me was devastated when I found out my Iron Man/Iceman/Silver Surfer/Doctor Doom deck was illegal).
Looking at the very oldest 1995 newsgroup stuff, it looks like Frank Yue's old decks all abide by the sum deck rule. He doesn't mention it explicitly, but I haven't seen anything go over 58 yet. Hmm...now I really wonder how people even knew about the rule in the first place - most likely you're right about it being detailed in the "Monthly" Venture.
Quote from: Onslaught on April 26, 2011, 01:26:22 AM
That's a good question....it had to have been in place by Powersurge at the latest (12 year old me was devastated when I found out my Iron Man/Iceman/Silver Surfer/Doctor Doom deck was illegal).
Looking at the very oldest 1995 newsgroup stuff, it looks like Frank Yue's old decks all abide by the sum deck rule. He doesn't mention it explicitly, but I haven't seen anything go over 58 yet. Hmm...now I really wonder how people even knew about the rule in the first place - most likely you're right about it being detailed in the "Monthly" Venture.
The very first monthly venture (March 1996) alludes to it in an article on power cards that starts: '
Assume you have selected your four heroes; their power grids total less than 58...'. So it was in place before this date but after the original release. A newsgroup posting from later in 1996 implies that this rules 'amendment' may not have been well known before the DC rulebook came out:
How many times have players shown up at tournaments only to learn about their deck is unplayable because of the 58 point rule?
Definitely instituted sometime after the original release, and it looks like sometime before Powersurge. Here's a post from September of 1995 (Powersurge wasn't out until December?):
QuoteCurrent "limitations":
Discarding.
Rule of 58 total pts of your 4 heros.
(This is good, and isn't even a house rule.)
Some more discussion about the sum deck rule (also from September '95), nothing to do with the topic at hand but it's a neat tidbit about anticipating Onslaught posted by Matt Fell
QuoteI think that a total point limit has been and still is unnecessary, but
might be needed again soon in some fashion. Iron Man/Doom/Spidey are
not a challenge for a triple-8 deck like Cherie's GenCon deck. Even a
77xx deck (at least three heroes with two 7s) is only just competitive,
and doesn't exist yet anyway. An 87xx deck would probably be able to
beat the STR deck, even without spectacular specials. This deck also
doesn't officially exist yet, but might in a few months (Onslaught,
Brainiac, DrDoom, ProfX, DrStrange, ...). The whole key to whether or
not the dual- or triple- skill decks can compete is how many extra
teamworks (and boosted followups) they get, vs. how many level 7 and
8 power card opportunities they lose. Also important is the big-hit-
special factor, which is always present so I just skip discussing it.
Anyway, I'll keep looking to see if there are any mentions of it in August (which would be very close to the release date of Original).
Quote from: Onslaught on April 26, 2011, 01:26:22 AM
That's a good question....it had to have been in place by Powersurge at the latest (12 year old me was devastated when I found out my Iron Man/Iceman/Silver Surfer/Doctor Doom deck was illegal).
Ha. I remember when 12 year old me was sad to learn that my Doctor Doom/Spider-man/Venom/Silver Surfer team was illegal.