Apparently Harold has a deploy ability too that isn't in the picture: Damage a random enemy by 1 (ignoring armor). Repeat 5 times. Definitely better and now the default leader for Xmen I think.

Wait, how is that balanced? He's 7 base power, deals 5 damage ignoring armor that can be split between multiple targets (= strictly better than Triss Merigold) and continues to generate value every turn after (like Dagon / Eredin etc). Sounds pretty OP to me.

Bad in a control match up, you can deny targets and further value is really only generated via synergy (which is how leaders should be made) because one damage a turn to a set row is nothing: you're forced to play Xmen to benefit. He's certainly strong but I'm willing to wait and see how he performs before I call OP.

This might also be the check to mill in the upcoming meta. When monsters aren't dominant mill is really strong as recent tournaments have shown. Xmen is a counter because it loves the long game. The buff to Emhyr that now lets you play Dshackles before returning the unit is only going to increase mill's popularity. I'm sure CDPR have put a lot of thought into their changes and have got feedback from the PTR users. The patch is looking to be pretty substantial so I guess we have to see what else they have planned before we make any judgements.

The problem with Harald in X-Men is that he doesn't tutor up Operator or Blueboy. I don't see people swapping from Crach just for a few flashy points.

Also glad I didn't push for the 4200 ladder, it's an eSport thing and I have no aspirations for that. Great for the game though!

Considering a lot of pros and players on the ladders I've seen using Xmen are using Bran over Crach for tempo and 'flashy points' along with the deck thinning, I can totally see them using Harald too. Xmen can easily use all 3, Harald will just be the most 'on theme'.

EDIT: Nithral is now 5 strength with a presumed reworked ability (not sure what).

Myrgtabrakke is now 6 strength (same ability).

Xmen now 4 strength, not sure if they're retaining armour.

Birna is now loyal, not sure on ability change.

The ever-increasing focus on tempo is one of the things that bothers me the most about the game's evolution, despite the fact that I like the progress they're making overall. It is better than the days of yore where it was all about setting up the last play of the game, though, I like that they've mostly removed that helpless feeling from the game.

Donar no longer discards: you now pick a bronze unit in the opponents graveyard and move it to your own. Targeted graveyard hate is still strong with the lock. I'm not even sure it counts as a nerf; less swingy and the lack of RNG will reduce tilt but it seems really powerful in a deck with res. Mirror stealing Skirmisers etc should be fun.

Coral has been gutted. She now changes and enemy unit to a 3 strength silver unit with no ability (Artifact Compression). In most instances this is sometimes a better Igni (no conditions), but becoming what is basically a gold lock seems underwhelming when compared to her current self. No synergy with Xmen is a pain.

Wild Hunt Riders remain 6 strength but reworked to increase frost damage on opposing row by 1.

Ge'els now 1 strength and disloyal but same effect

Caranthir can now only move one unit

NEW CARD: Wild Hunt Longboat (7 strength bronze - can be targeted by Eredin) - buffs all Wild Hunt Units by 1 once it enters the board

Yen:Con is now disgusting. 7 strength with the same ability but has a board-wide debuff that allows damage to gold cards plus she also has a deathwish (it only activates if she dies during the opponents turn) that hits the highest enemies for 1. People are going to need to carry a Thunder to deal with this.

EDIT: Golds could be possibly be targetable in general and might not be an effect specific to Yen, waiting for confirmation.

Jotunn movement effect damaged increased from 2 to 3

Stennis now plays the top loyal bronze of silver unit from your deck and gives it 3 armor. Now has deploy gain 3 armor.

First impressions:

Coral - Eh? Assassinate is strictly better than this?
Ge'els - when Djikstra does this so much better, what gives?
Wild Hunt Rider - a rework of some kind is needed so I approve in general. This particular rework may be pretty dangerous though, since it used to be on a silver unit. We'll have to see.
Caranthir - deserved change I guess.
Wild Hunt Longboat - I doubt this will see play. You need 5 Wild Hunt units on the board for it to be worth it, and that's just not likely. However each Wild Hunt unit is significant, since a Wild Hunt tribal deck might become a real thing, Eredin gets better, and so does Wild Hunt Navigator. Fair nerf to Eredin power I guess.
Yenn Con - on the one hand seems pretty obscene, on the other hand with cards like Tibor having 23 power, it'll be a long long time before Yenn Con hits for more than one damage. The real question though is, can you also Scorch / BTM / Thunderbolt Potion etc gold cards with Yenn Con on the battlefield?

Artifact Compression is also a new silver card in game with the same effect as Coral; you basically just gaining 5 strength by using Coral. I think a nerf to the number of units that can be hit or something would have been better. She was overpowered but her current effect could be tuned, I don't think she needed a rework. Especially not one that renders her practically useless.

As far as I'm aware the Yen;Con effect only allows damage, so buffs are out and I'm iffy on destroy effects. This is all up in the air as everything is being translated and it looks like all golds could possibly no longer be immune.

There are more changes and new cards and some of my info was incorrect. For example Wild Hunt Riders retain their previous ability and the frost damage buff is simply an addition. Thankfully they've finally made a megathread over a Gwent reddit so I don't have to keep editing/posting;

https://www.reddit.com/r/gwent/comments/6vbnos/gamescom_card_leak_megathread/

EDIT: also official confirmation on gold card interaction:

"Interactivity has been the most common complaint over the various months the game has been in Beta.
Gold cards have generally been the largest culprit of this, due to their immunity they gain a hidden large power boost that in some cases and situations just makes other cards obsolete. Being forced to take very specific answers is something I've commented on before, and something we're trying to do away with to increase deck/card variety.
Now you can answer Gold cards (or any other cards) in a more varied amount of ways, with a more varied amount of cards.
Hence the main aim of the upcoming patch is to increase interactivity between the player and their opponent.
Initial reactions will likely for many be that they are shocked, but I'd strongly suggesting playing like it before making a conclusion. We had a similar reaction to changes made to weather in the last update, however from what we can see in both onion and data, that change worked out for the best "

That Wild Hunt Rider change looks good on paper, but since Frost only ticks on the lowest unit you won't even get the extra damage most of the time. It'll take a massive amount of work to get 10 points from the card and getting even 8 requires setup and other low-tempo plays to get there. No thanks.

The more interesting one is the Wild Hunt Warrior. It was 10 power net before, if the damage to a unit in frost is 2 or more, that is a real, legitimate consideration.

I wish I could tell you, but CDPR would get mad at me.

It's no problem. Given all the changes, my deck will need to get rebuilt from the ground following the update, so it's useless information to me now. It won't be a 1-for-1 swap.

I always knew you were smart, so many people are seeing changes to cards and getting grand ideas as if that's the only card that's gonna change. Anyone who has been playing this game for any length of time knows CDPR is willing to experiment with ideas and make radical changes. This patch is no different and it's going to be a lot of fun, I just can't wait to be able to play it on my Xbox. This mouse/keyboard **** on a tiny laptop isn't for me. It's probably my advanced age and declining eyesight, but still.....

I use a GPD Win to play, which is essentially a computer, but I'm just streaming from my Xbox ("family needs the TV" problems). That's caused me to stick Geralt on the wrong row about 2-3 different times, just from squinting to see, so I feel your pain on the "declining eyesight" issue.

But yeah, it seems like there are massive power bumps across the board, so what's good today will likely be either equaled or surpassed by some of this stuff. Alot of the new Nilfgaard tricks have me very intrigued.

My favorite thing is the potential resurgence of Skellige Storm. No more shall gold units tank the damage!

(according to what I saw on reddit)

I really hope Elves get some legit bumps, because the inability to milk Gold units to win Round 3 with Control was their big thing.

I get Kambi'd the other day, so I'm guessing that will need a massive reworking if you can just hit it with something or consume it to kill it.

I also just learned that if someone D-shackles Old Speartip, you can resurrect (sure) but then if it becomes "Old Speartip, Awake" it's gold again.

As in, Old Speartip Asleep and Old Speartip Awake are treated as two different cards. The shocking part was he was Old Speartip Awake when he was shackled. So I guess he reverts to Old Speartip Asleep in your graveyard, gets reduced to Silver, and then returns to gold upon re-awakening.

I think the whole idea of being able to damage Golds could add a lot of value to Renew, depending on the strategy.