Wood Duck

[youknowwho1887]

I think the Wood Duck in the beginning is far too strong and should be banned. I think I almost never loosed with it and almost never win against it when it was played in the first two rounds.

[Guudys]

The Wood Duck costs 3 food (2 wheat and 1 berry) which is very expensive early on. There's birds that have exactly the same action but that are much cheaper like the Common Yellowthroat that costs only 1 worm.
It's also a good ability but I don't think it's broken. I prefer birds like the Ring-Billed Gull (Tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, draw 1 card.) if I have to get rid of a card from my hand because at least, I will have a victory point in the process instead of just thrashing the card away.
By the way, the Gull is 4 points and so is the Wood Duck, but the Gull only costs 2 wild food. I find this to be a much better deal. It's a good bird, but I would not say it's "way too strong".

[Fletcheese]

The Wood Duck costs 3 food (2 wheat and 1 berry) which is very expensive early on. There's birds that have exactly the same action but that are much cheaper like the Common Yellowthroat that costs only 1 worm.
It's also a good ability but I don't think it's broken. I prefer birds like the Ring-Billed Gull (Tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, draw 1 card.) if I have to get rid of a card from my hand because at least, I will have a victory point in the process instead of just thrashing the card away.
By the way, the Gull is 4 points and so is the Wood Duck, but the Gull only costs 2 wild food. I find this to be a much better deal. It's a good bird, but I would not say it's "way too strong".

The birds you brought up are nowhere near the power level of wood duck which is literally the only card that gives you net positive card draw in the forest. I am not entirely opposed to banning wood duck, but bans are somewhat of a slippery slope. What about Chipping Sparrow? I think that falls at a similar power level to Wood Duck. The remaining Crows? Same thing. If we start banning a lot of the early game birds, it may make games even more polarizing as there are less opportunities for good starts.

Not all birds are created equal, some are stronger than others and the line for bans has to be drawn somewhere. I think where it is right now at the power 4 is probably the right place.

[Lumin_S]

Not all birds are created equal, some are stronger than others and the line for bans has to be drawn somewhere. I think where it is right now at the power 4 is probably the right place.

Big agree on this, I will say in my opinion that the gap between the power 4 and everything else, is very very wide and is therefore a good place to set the ban threshold.

[Ze Monstah]

Are you really saying that the Wood Duck's unique ability of drawing cards in the Forest, when played there in the first 2 rounds, is that overpowered?

I think I am missing something, because I find it way too expensive (for just 4 points), and the fact it can be built in the Forest, perhaps completely bypassing Wetland Play, is interesting... but I have rarely seen people win on a regular basis with this strategy.

I might be wrong, but I find the early plays of Crows and the Chipping Sparrow/the 0-points grain-giving Towhee/the 1-point worm-giving Forest bird/the 0-points 5-egged moving bird, waaaay more overpowered than that expensive colourful Duck.

Of course, each with their opinion, but I find its ban extremely unnecessary.

[jpsweeter]

I believe wood duck is 5th strongest bird in wingspan right behind the 4 OP birds. Yes it is expensive, so only valid for the first two rounds. I hesitate playing it even in the second round if I can't develop a good forest engine. But if you have it as a staring hand or see it in tray early and can get the second grain, I will choose it over almost any other bird. You then focus on building a forest engine and you may even ignore first one or two round goals. If you can put the birds that generate eggs and/or points (cash, tuck), or even tuck and lay bird and fill three or four columns in forest, you can be as strong as having the OP birds. That's how strong this bird is. Allowing you to skip an activation in forest or wetland is always good. Any time you can find a way to generate different resource in any habitat, you are that much efficient.

Now, but I agree that it shouldn't be banned. It's powerful, but it takes extra effort and careful draws to make this bird useful. Plus, it can only shine when you play it early in the game. I think the current ban list is good.

[leiacats]

I agree with you that the wood duck is very strong but I think the key difference between it and the power 4 is that if you don't deploy it within Round 1 then its power falls off really fast. That is in comparison to the Power 4 which can be a game changing winning card in almost any round. I think that is why it makes sense not to ban it outright.

[Veraxiel]

I think that the wood duck by itself is not OP. But the wood duck-pileated woodpecker combo is. A complete self-sufficient engine that let you focus on just playing high-points birds to win the game.

[v62]

Are you really saying that the Wood Duck's unique ability of drawing cards in the Forest, when played there in the first 2 rounds, is that overpowered?

I think I am missing something, because I find it way too expensive (for just 4 points), and the fact it can be built in the Forest, perhaps completely bypassing Wetland Play, is interesting... but I have rarely seen people win on a regular basis with this strategy.

I might be wrong, but I find the early plays of Crows and the Chipping Sparrow/the 0-points grain-giving Towhee/the 1-point worm-giving Forest bird/the 0-points 5-egged moving bird, waaaay more overpowered than that expensive colourful Duck.

Of course, each with their opinion, but I find its ban extremely unnecessary.

Imo the wood duck is absolutely the strongest card not on the banned list already. If I have it to start in round 1, I win. If a strong opponent plays it in round 1, they win. Birds like chipping sparrow are definitely strong, but you can beat them. Wood duck engines from the start of the game though?

[Madlaine]

After playing a lot of games, i can also say Wood Duck is the best starting bird. And it's filthy strong with any egg layer. I never lost a starting Duck game as far as i can recall, but if it comes late it's a dead weigh.
Banning would be bad for several reasons :

1- I love to play it
2- It's not a no-brainer such as the Gull or the Ravens, for it does not not work as itself, you still have to manage creatives combos
3- Game publisher never mentioned it as problematic, unlike the big 4 which is printed as so in the rules
4- Their is way more powerful birds coming in Europe, Oceania and Asia extensions