If you don't think a red deck weakens Blinding Surge, and that playing one Blinding Surge doesn't weaken the other, then I guess I can't belabor that point. And since it's the clearest example, I won't bring up Boba's or Luke's either. I disagree, but I'll move on to the PtV argument, since you've now brought that up.
QUOTE (Hags888 @ November 21, 2007 10:27 am)
The signature card and PtV are through his non-actions...not in using Blinding Surge to win. So, there's nothing wrong or counterproductive with Maul's design. He has a quite effective PtV.
Now let's look at how the red deck and Blinding Surge perform in relation to Maul's PtV. I'll call Maul's PtV "survive long enough to unleash hell" -- roughly translated into overwhelming an opponent on a single turn of attacking. The red deck doesn't support this PtV in any way. His power attacks are better than the basic attacks, and since 3 of them take actions, it isn't possible to use both the basics and power attacks when "unleashing hell." So the attack aspect doesn't support the PtV, and the lack of defense works against it. He needs to survive long enough to draw the non-action and big power attacks, and the red deck doesn't support his survival at all. It supports the theme of "attack attack attack" but doesn't support the PtV at all. Yes, he has a quite effective PtV, but it isn't supported at all by his basic deck, and you yourself say the PtV isn't through Blinding Surge, so an additional two of his talents don't support the PtV. And that lack of support weakens the deck so that it isn't overpowered. This is even more extreme than Vader's overall deck, where every element (except his minors, I guess) makes at least some contribution to support of the PtV.

Other comments...
QUOTE (Hags888 @ November 21, 2007 01:45 pm)
Wholly 2/3 of his cards accomplish the same thing
Choke is the only card that is only usable against minors, and that is less than 1/10 of his deck... not even close to 2/3.
QUOTE (Hags888 @ November 21, 2007 10:27 am)
It's just that they change from being valuable and useful to not usable at all (or only partially usable in the case of Wrath).
I think I've said something similar to this twice before -- valuable --> useful --> little to no use. I'm "missing the boat" as to how that's bad design, 'cause I think it's pretty amazing design considering they aren't conditional cards.
QUOTE (Hags888 @ November 21, 2007 01:45 pm)
The purpose of Choke is to destroy minors, and if the other cards do it first, then Choke's purpose has been defeated.
Uh, come again? If the minors are destroyed, then Choke's purpose has been fulfilled, wouldn't you say?

QUOTE (fishfleas2000 @ November 21, 2007 01:16 pm)
Tim .... forgive me if I'm wrong... seems to be arguing that the design is weak, and was weak on purpose.
Volleyballgy is arguing that the design is excellent (or at least good). The deck itself is on the weak end of the Hasbro deck strength spectrum, but that doesn't reflect on the design at all.

In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo-clock.
- Orson Welles