Keyforge vs Solforge: Fusion - Play This, Not That

[@jasonjanisewski78]

Keyforge is the better game and has the Best Meta of any TCG on the market. Trying to balance power turns and weaker turns is more tactical and strategic than just continually upgrading cards into stronger and stronger versions. Hand crafting is very important to make sure you minimize how many weaker turns you have in a game. It also take a lot of planning and analysis to determine how to optimize the balance between wanting to have as big of turns as possible vs responding to what your opponent is doing. If you have 4 nice cards of 1 house and 2 soso cards in another house that respond to what the opponent is doing, there is a lot of decision-making on how willing you are to reduce your own efficiency to respond to the problems they are posing.

[@JDGartandmusic]

I agree, with KeyForge you often spend smaller turns to set up, whether that be building a board of creatures, setting up artifacts, crafting your hand for a strong turn or setting up a game-winning combo. I really like with KeyForge that every deck does play very differently, and there's a lot of strategy in figuring out how to best play your deck given the specific matchup and where you are in the game state. So you might have a lot of smaller turns, but you are often trying to build up to something that feels unique to your deck. I actually have a few decks that often spend multiple turns discarding cards but then it builds up towards something strong (i.e "winds of death" action to bring back all your discarded creatures back for a very powerful turn or having "auto-encoder" artifact which allows you to archive the top card of your deck each time you discard a card from your hand)

[@lainusu]

Well said

[@PeanutFour]

Agree to every word

[@Papierzeit]

That's how it is :)

[@TheHeirof50]

I'll answer for Alex. Play Keyforge

[@PeanutFour]

For those who didn't know, and for short: Keyforge Worlds Collide (the set of Keyforge mentioned in this video), is one of the worst, if not the worst itself, set, amongst 7 sets and/or 2 side-sets (Unchained, and Menagerie which is Unchained-official-and-rightful-version) ever published of the game. And that applies for BOTH game mechanic and graphical design (graphical design is NOT artwork on the cards, please note). More than that, Keyforge Worlds Collide get released 4-5 years ago.

[@uchti]

I think you should point out that you described the sealed gameplay of both of these games. That is opening these decks as they are and just throwing random ones against each other. For both games this is only part of the whole picture and for keyforge in particular, the game changes drastically when you go into a game with your own champion deck that you hand picked as the best of your collection vs someone else who did the same. You have a strategy and counter plays in mind and more often than not you have a degree of escalation with an exciting finale towards the end when both players go back and forth around their last key or one player pulls out devastating combos that they prepared for for several turns etc. It truly does not deserve to be put down mechanically just because you only experienced a portion of what the game offers! But I was also pleasantly surprised that you covered keyforge again after such a long time! Good to see it still has a place in your collection and content after years even though you get so many new games every month! Thank you for the video! 😊

[@MatthewGoddard1]

The audio de-syncs at about 1:44? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJnJi4mcaaiWqrc

[@justinkirkman8596]

I've played Keyforge since 2019 and reviewing Keyforge from a set from four sets ago doesnt do it justice. Worlds collide had the worst house pod in all sets with brobnar and I noticed it was shown in the video which might explain some of the consistency concerns. The more recent sets Grim Reminders (2024) and Winds of Exchange (2023) are more consistent deck pulls and play faster than worlds collide. You might want to check them out based on your comments about this set. Keyforge is also running large tournaments and starting to ramp up OP events if you can find a store running them. It's also run by a new company called Ghost Galaxy, while Worlds Collide was made by Fantasy Flight Games. As far as solforge goes, I haven't really played it recently, but it has 3 sets now and seems like it is more focused on online play.(which makes since because of all the moving parts) I might pick some up if there is a flash sale of less than $10 per booster and try it again as it was fun.

[@PeanutFour]

The core mechanic of Solforge if I recall (and if it's still being intergrated in the latest set of the game) was to "upgrade" your creature. And I must say from the time I saw it: it was soooo "digitally", or super clunky "turn-based"-y @@ That mechanic shouldn't be 1 of the selling points of Solforge from the start at all, many interesting and easy to track, clear to learn mechanics had been developed in card games like Hero Realms or, I'm lazy to mention but, MtG... I really surprised Solforge could live on till now, even digitally... :v

[@andrewwilson895]

If you want more Keyforge lore, I can recommend the Qubit Zirconium novel, the Secrets of the Crucible Genesys RPG book, and the Tales from the Crucible short story collection. Also, Alliance has lately become one of the game's more popular formats, which allows players to choose 1 house from up to 3 different decks (from the same expansion) and combine them into one deck, offering the same type of customization as SolForge Fusion. Personally, I'm a fan of both games, but I agree that SolForge's quality is pretty questionable. I also like the freedom that Keyforge offers, rather than feeling limited by lanes and a stilted turn structure.

[@PeanutFour]

At the time I watch Solforge being published, Alliance mode in Keyforge didn't out at all. But I decided I wouldn't need any Solforge, just because I saw that a mode like Alliance today (or whatever the name) would raised, and I was SO right in my vision ;)))))

[@filippoghisoni6569]

Oh boy Alex, I'm a fan but making a video on a card game as complex and varied as Keyforge really need some degree of knowledge about the game itself. From what it looks you are displaying a very old set and the experience of newer one (and the next to come) is totally different and freshier. Plus using the wrong word like factions, tapping is not the best when showcasing a card game (but I can get that are words most people are used to). Want to really appreciate and like keyforge? Try the new stuff!

[@calicomics701]

I feel simular to your comment. I generally like Alex's reviews but I feel this review was kind of lazily put together and/or confusing. He compares two old sets of both games. He doesnt know when WoE is released or going to be released but later says he has some of the decks. I feel a quick google search on these games could have helped with some of these review depth issues. Im curious why this review happened after all these years. My guess is Keyforge is gaining more popularity again but not using a modern Ghost Galaxy set in a current review baffles me.

[@filippoghisoni6569]

@@calicomics701 Exactly, it hurts a lot when you know that he's a very knowledgeable person.

[@OnlyTheAwesomeness]

Solforge has been such a deeply frustrating game for me. From back in the day, the cancellation of the excellent PC version, to more recently the lack of non-US support of Solforge Fusion, the terribly outdated graphic design and way overpriced and wonky new PC client... This game has so much potential, but it's almost as if the creators don't want to have it succeed.

[@calicomics701]

I liked playing on the new client, but only played it for a couple weeks. If I new anyone that played the game I would play, but I dont know any stores that play it in FL. For Keyforge, I can still play once a week at my LGS though its the only location in the whole state that I know I can play. Otherwise its fun online leagues, but I would prefer in person play because Keyforge plays well in person.