Perhaps I should add that the game where I noticed the bug was also the first game ever where I noticed distinctive color markers by the each of the 4 patron icons on the right of the board. I have no idea whether those were there all along (but invisible to me), or whether they were introduced via today's maintenance.

Also, this was one of my first games ever at Expert rank.

The Mainland Inquiries that is labled as being a Hunding card indeed participates in Hunding combos.

Skvysh wrote: »

If, and only if (apart from one specific Founder which I can't remember), Expert AI picks Ansei deck, Way of the Sword will be replaced by a green Mainland Inquiries, which will have MI's play effects but for all intents and purposes will function like an Ansei card.

There are multiple threads and posts on this already.

I believe it’s Nhorhim who has a unique deck with Crows cards that are red and combo with the Pelin faction (as indicated by Pelin’s symbol in the corner). They are not actually part of the Crows or Pelin deck, though - the deck name is given as the Founder’s own name. If not a bug, this is a very interesting idea to give the Founder a sense of unique identity and challenge compared to regular games.

I suspect that the generic Expert NPC Ansei-colored Mainland Inquiries is a bug, though, since that’s the only card that happens with and it seems contradictory to give generic NPCs unique decks.

Skvysh wrote: »

virtus753 wrote: »

Skvysh wrote: »

If, and only if (apart from one specific Founder which I can't remember), Expert AI picks Ansei deck, Way of the Sword will be replaced by a green Mainland Inquiries, which will have MI's play effects but for all intents and purposes will function like an Ansei card.

There are multiple threads and posts on this already.

I believe it’s Nhorhim who has a unique deck with Crows cards that are red and combo with the Pelin faction (as indicated by Pelin’s symbol in the corner). They are not actually part of the Crows or Pelin deck, though - the deck name is given as the Founder’s own name. If not a bug, this is a very interesting idea to give the Founder a sense of unique identity and challenge compared to regular games.

I suspect that the generic Expert NPC Ansei-colored Mainland Inquiries is a bug, though, since that’s the only card that happens with and it seems contradictory to give generic NPCs unique decks.

All founders have unique decks they add, which feature both some (all?) of the original cards from the deck + cards from another faction. I haven't paid much attention past the whole "WotS/MI" swap dueling one of them - it's possible that in that particular instance it's intended.

However, Expert AI replacing WotS with MI is definitely a bug (unsure if addressed in the PTS, though).

I don’t recall seeing unique cards for any other founder, but I only played them once each. Maybe it’s because of the decks they chose or we never got to their unique cards, I’m not sure.

Skvysh wrote: »

virtus753 wrote: »

I don’t recall seeing unique cards for any other founder, but I only played them once each. Maybe it’s because of the decks they chose or we never got to their unique cards, I’m not sure.

Each one picks two specific decks, with one of them being unique to them (the deck's even named after them on the top right tool-tip of the card). You can (or well, in your case - could, if you could turn back time) click on the tavern deck to view all the cards still left in the tavern deck, including their unique setup.

I’m not sure what the point is about time travel when you can just play them again to check, but I fail to see the point in doing so.

I only started getting this (Hunding's deck using "Mainland Inquiries" instead of way of the sword as their starter card) against expert NPC's

Skvysh wrote: »

Arato wrote: »

I only started getting this (Hunding's deck using "Mainland Inquiries" instead of way of the sword as their starter card) against expert NPC's

Yes, that bug has been around since day 1 (well, safe to assume it was there from the start) and has been reported multiple times already. It only affects the Expert AI games, which is odd to say the least - but there have been so many ridiculous bugs with ToT already, it shouldn't come as a surprise anymore.

Yeah, it's only if the Expert AI picks Hunding, so that's yet another reason to cancel a match during patron selection I guess, along with them choosing Pelin, or Psijic Loremaster (I don't want a marathon game where I can't flip the patrons until some really nitpicky conditions are met). The rewards simply aren't worth 10+ minute matches that go to 40 prestige.
I also avoid the Sea Elf deck because they always flip that so it forces a game to go to 40 prestige unless you can flip a patron twice in one turn.
so that means against Expert AI they can only choose between 4 decks or I concede and try again lol.. I guess if they don't pick Red Eagle but pick Hunding I can tolerate the wrong card thing but if they pick Red Eagle, using Way of the Sword for power is part of my strategy. Otherwise the game goes long enough that they flip hunding every turn and I'm forced into a long game for prestige.

... to get some Bravil's Best Beet Risoto.

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Arato wrote: »

Skvysh wrote: »

Arato wrote: »

I only started getting this (Hunding's deck using "Mainland Inquiries" instead of way of the sword as their starter card) against expert NPC's

Yes, that bug has been around since day 1 (well, safe to assume it was there from the start) and has been reported multiple times already. It only affects the Expert AI games, which is odd to say the least - but there have been so many ridiculous bugs with ToT already, it shouldn't come as a surprise anymore.

Yeah, it's only if the Expert AI picks Hunding, so that's yet another reason to cancel a match during patron selection I guess, along with them choosing Pelin, or Psijic Loremaster (I don't want a marathon game where I can't flip the patrons until some really nitpicky conditions are met). The rewards simply aren't worth 10+ minute matches that go to 40 prestige.
I also avoid the Sea Elf deck because they always flip that so it forces a game to go to 40 prestige unless you can flip a patron twice in one turn.
so that means against Expert AI they can only choose between 4 decks or I concede and try again lol.. I guess if they don't pick Red Eagle but pick Hunding I can tolerate the wrong card thing but if they pick Red Eagle, using Way of the Sword for power is part of my strategy. Otherwise the game goes long enough that they flip hunding every turn and I'm forced into a long game for prestige.

... to get some Bravil's Best Beet Risoto.

I don't mind full-length games at all (I have plenty of fictional ESO wealth), so I play them out. Oddly, I don't recall an NPC opponent ever using the Hunding (or Red Eagle) patron against me.

However, they often use Hlaalu and/or Duke of Crows to excess, or at least too early.

They'll use hunding if they have power and have not used the treasury "patron", but they generally won't use duke of crows or red eagle or rahjin, in a game, they won't flip the patrons.
Their strategy is build up writs of coin (cause they play for 40 prestige long victories), but after that they WILL flip hunding, or hlaalu if they can... and if the orgnum deck is selected they will spam that even on their first turn.

If the rewards weren't literal trash almost all the time I wouldn't mind longer games but when most of the rewards are soul gems, trash potions and poisons, and trash white food and low level provisioning recipes, yeah I don't want a marathon game for those. only quick wins.
Playing for the game itself.. against NPC's.. is not that fun it gets old quickly. Repetition kills enjoyment of any activity for its own sake.
So yeah you want quick wins because it's the same stale thing over and over.
and at this point I'm just trying to finish the questline for it for completion's sake.
The rewards are 90% so bad it's wasting time to actually play it.

Arato wrote: »

FrancisCrawford wrote: »

Arato wrote: »

Skvysh wrote: »

Arato wrote: »

I only started getting this (Hunding's deck using "Mainland Inquiries" instead of way of the sword as their starter card) against expert NPC's

Yes, that bug has been around since day 1 (well, safe to assume it was there from the start) and has been reported multiple times already. It only affects the Expert AI games, which is odd to say the least - but there have been so many ridiculous bugs with ToT already, it shouldn't come as a surprise anymore.

Yeah, it's only if the Expert AI picks Hunding, so that's yet another reason to cancel a match during patron selection I guess, along with them choosing Pelin, or Psijic Loremaster (I don't want a marathon game where I can't flip the patrons until some really nitpicky conditions are met). The rewards simply aren't worth 10+ minute matches that go to 40 prestige.
I also avoid the Sea Elf deck because they always flip that so it forces a game to go to 40 prestige unless you can flip a patron twice in one turn.
so that means against Expert AI they can only choose between 4 decks or I concede and try again lol.. I guess if they don't pick Red Eagle but pick Hunding I can tolerate the wrong card thing but if they pick Red Eagle, using Way of the Sword for power is part of my strategy. Otherwise the game goes long enough that they flip hunding every turn and I'm forced into a long game for prestige.

... to get some Bravil's Best Beet Risoto.

I don't mind full-length games at all (I have plenty of fictional ESO wealth), so I play them out. Oddly, I don't recall an NPC opponent ever using the Hunding (or Red Eagle) patron against me.

However, they often use Hlaalu and/or Duke of Crows to excess, or at least too early.

They'll use hunding if they have power and have not used the treasury "patron", but they generally won't use duke of crows or red eagle or rahjin, in a game, they won't flip the patrons.
Their strategy is build up writs of coin (cause they play for 40 prestige long victories), but after that they WILL flip hunding, or hlaalu if they can... and if the orgnum deck is selected they will spam that even on their first turn.

If the rewards weren't literal trash almost all the time I wouldn't mind longer games but when most of the rewards are soul gems, trash potions and poisons, and trash white food and low level provisioning recipes, yeah I don't want a marathon game for those. only quick wins.
Playing for the game itself.. against NPC's.. is not that fun it gets old quickly. Repetition kills enjoyment of any activity for its own sake.
So yeah you want quick wins because it's the same stale thing over and over.
and at this point I'm just trying to finish the questline for it for completion's sake.
The rewards are 90% so bad it's wasting time to actually play it.

My experiences are rather different that yours. I noted the differences in NPC patron strategies above. My reward bags, while admittedly not worth all that much time and trouble, do often have expensive crafting components in them, like 20 jewelry dust, or some alchemy stuff (including the newer ones), or decorative wax/mundane runes.

I have indeed gotten tired of playing NPCs, but I made it all the way to Master before I did.

You're right that flipping patrons before the NPC is through making Writs of Coin is a lot faster way to win than playing straight-up.