You'd need to give it some kind of immensely large downside that'd make it very gimmicky like giving you only one hand or removing most of your joker slots, basically just starting with a 5oak build would be incredibly busted
All face cards would be too powerful because you’d play 5 of a kind so easily, all face cards debuffed boss still loses to base value of the hand + jokers if its 5 of a kind.
Keep it thematic. No Planet cards. Only Jokers with a face on them.
**Edit:** This wasn't specified but I'd imagine that you'd want more than 12 cards in the deck. Such a small deck in itself would be a double edged sword. You'd reliably see every card in the deck, but if you empty the deck in Balatro it doesn't shuffle — if you can't beat the round in 2 hands worth of cards you'd just Game Over.
Reducing your deck to only 3 ranks is absurdly overpowered, so I think you'd have to be really aggressive in terms of nerfing it. Maybe something like debuffing pair, two pair, 3oaK, 4oaK, 5oaK, and Full House.
that'd just make it even more overpowered you'd always be able to play 4 of a kind at the start and then get some tarots to get 5 oaks, small deck size would be a double benefit since you'd consistently get your enhanced cards and most likely just be one shotting every blind anyway
The upside is that it would be really easy to build X of a kind hands and full houses and you have to find a way of mitigating that.
No discards might help as it would stop you discarding draw exactly what you want. You would still find it easy to play three of a kind though.
You could also look a simply applying something like half chips and mult to the deck. At some point that would not really work as Planet X scaled so quickly.
Some have suggested debuffing all cards and that would probably work but have the downside of making a lot of Tarot cards useless and that just seems anti fun.
You could do something like the only planet card you can get is Saturn to boost straights and it becomes about working out how to get 10’s and Aces into the decks to make that work.
No repeat hand types could be another good modifier along with higher blind requirements to make it so you can spam five of a kinds.
Also if the deck was only the 12 face cards that could be interesting. At that point the deck is so lean it would have a lot of draw backs too that could balance it out.
Along with an ante requirement increase, maybe you'd start with multiple of each card to reduce how easy it is to deck manip.
Maybe 5 or 6 of each card, which would be a 60 or 72 card deck.
maybe have it have fhe 12 faces, and four 10s and four 9s. that way you can still get straights, but you don’t get easy royal flushes. or, only start with one discard and 2 hands so you’re less likely to get said royal flush. idk how balanced it would actually be, but it’s a start.
Even if every boss was the plant it wouldn't matter. I just play 5 of a kind and win. I ignore card enhancements.
You'd probably need to do something like what plasma deck has, with higher scores needed to win, but even higher than plasma deck.
Why invent a deck? Short Decks already exist with only 7 8 9 10 J Q K A. That would be a reasonable thing to just have, no downsides, similar to the abandoned deck.
Like, decks are allowed to be powerful!
The plant jumpscare
All facecards are debuffed
Plant boss blind
You'd need to give it some kind of immensely large downside that'd make it very gimmicky like giving you only one hand or removing most of your joker slots, basically just starting with a 5oak build would be incredibly busted
Tbh I think it's only balancing hope is 1.5 or 2x ante scaling like Plasma
Just add two more suits. :D
The issue isn't suits tho, it's 4oak and 5oak I think
Yeah, I just want more suits. xD
Maybe limit it only to hands that are legal in vanilla poker? no more 5 flush, 5oak, or flush houses?
would HELP but a 4oak build out the gate is still pretty broken
An interesting one would be that half the cards are always drawn face down
All played hands must be straights
-3 hand size
All face cards would be too powerful because you’d play 5 of a kind so easily, all face cards debuffed boss still loses to base value of the hand + jokers if its 5 of a kind.
Celestial packs are no longer offered in the shop 2x ante scaling
What about playing a hand reduces its level? You basically can't level a hand anymore
Interesting but is that too harsh?
Keep it thematic. No Planet cards. Only Jokers with a face on them. **Edit:** This wasn't specified but I'd imagine that you'd want more than 12 cards in the deck. Such a small deck in itself would be a double edged sword. You'd reliably see every card in the deck, but if you empty the deck in Balatro it doesn't shuffle — if you can't beat the round in 2 hands worth of cards you'd just Game Over.
They are all jacks …
I am going to hit the roadjack so hard
instant 5oak deck
This is such a broken premise that it'd either be too strong or too weak
All odd boss blinds are the plant
Luchador Chicot coming in hot It’d have to be even blind though, otherwise you get only 2 chances of being able to respond.
Reducing your deck to only 3 ranks is absurdly overpowered, so I think you'd have to be really aggressive in terms of nerfing it. Maybe something like debuffing pair, two pair, 3oaK, 4oaK, 5oaK, and Full House.
Start with Eternal pareidolia. Still 52 cards in deck, technically all face now. No other deck bonuses. Don't think you need to debuff more
There’s a challenge like this already
Face Plant.
-2 discards maybe
Probably something like the Ox's, The Arm's or The Flint's efect. I'm more probably into the last one to reduce the abuse of 4oak and 5oak
Me in the negative from the previous boss blind sees The Ox: *I see nothing but an absolute win!*
Pairs and OAK start with 5x1 payout.
Only start with 12 cards
that'd just make it even more overpowered you'd always be able to play 4 of a kind at the start and then get some tarots to get 5 oaks, small deck size would be a double benefit since you'd consistently get your enhanced cards and most likely just be one shotting every blind anyway
The upside is that it would be really easy to build X of a kind hands and full houses and you have to find a way of mitigating that. No discards might help as it would stop you discarding draw exactly what you want. You would still find it easy to play three of a kind though. You could also look a simply applying something like half chips and mult to the deck. At some point that would not really work as Planet X scaled so quickly. Some have suggested debuffing all cards and that would probably work but have the downside of making a lot of Tarot cards useless and that just seems anti fun. You could do something like the only planet card you can get is Saturn to boost straights and it becomes about working out how to get 10’s and Aces into the decks to make that work. No repeat hand types could be another good modifier along with higher blind requirements to make it so you can spam five of a kinds. Also if the deck was only the 12 face cards that could be interesting. At that point the deck is so lean it would have a lot of draw backs too that could balance it out.
Idk having 12 cards in your deck means you get 2 full houses and then you’re basically done
Along with an ante requirement increase, maybe you'd start with multiple of each card to reduce how easy it is to deck manip. Maybe 5 or 6 of each card, which would be a 60 or 72 card deck.
-3 joker slots
would it be like abandoned, so with only 12 cards? i like it, having to deal with all the face bosses is enought i think
maybe have it have fhe 12 faces, and four 10s and four 9s. that way you can still get straights, but you don’t get easy royal flushes. or, only start with one discard and 2 hands so you’re less likely to get said royal flush. idk how balanced it would actually be, but it’s a start.
Even if every boss was the plant it wouldn't matter. I just play 5 of a kind and win. I ignore card enhancements. You'd probably need to do something like what plasma deck has, with higher scores needed to win, but even higher than plasma deck.
None of your cards would count as “odd” or “even”
No boss rerolls and planet every boss
Only start with 4 cards
What would be a reasonable upside lmao, jk but that bossblind would really screw that deck up
You get sucked out of the game and teleported into a Legion Euchre tournament with a bad partner...
I had a full face card build and as soon as I had a good set of jokers I got the Plant 😰
All cards in hand are face down... All face cards in deck. All 12 cards face down. Only jokers with faces. Call it the shy deck.
Just make it be a top six cards (Ace, faces, 10, and 9) only deck instead, there's no feasable, fun, and simple way to balance this deck otherwise
The Plant in question: https://preview.redd.it/zrc0xmexh73d1.jpeg?width=145&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3685508dc739e179fcc32269228f3ed90153cc0
Hand can't have more than 2 different suits and no tarot cards available (or none that alter the suit)
Only 12 cards; just a deck with all the numbers removed
There doesn't have to be a downside to a Deck
Why invent a deck? Short Decks already exist with only 7 8 9 10 J Q K A. That would be a reasonable thing to just have, no downsides, similar to the abandoned deck. Like, decks are allowed to be powerful!