Chad Verrall

Implying a mechanic is fine just because it's thematic is a pretty weak counter argument. I've been playing this game non-stop since public beta and this is the only mechanic that consistently frustrates the hell out of me, and it does so to a huge chunk of the playerbase.

I think its pretty strong, way stronger than 'we don't wanna be hearthstone'

Touché, let me elaborate a bit more then, the "Yoink" mechanic, especially at a competitive level, adds a whole new level of chaos/variance to Runeterra that feels out of place, hence why it's so frustrating to a great portion of the playerbase. (1/2)

It being thematic (which it is, don't disagree there) does not equate into it being a healthy mechanic for the game. You could add in an Exodia package and say its thematic because it comes from gods in Targon, and while the theme would exist it certainly wouldn't be fun.

more to one aspect of the design and thats where the balance comes in. I dont think this conversation would happen if yoink was tier 4 and not tier. as for 'exodia' such is the nature of combo decks, usually not fun to play against, fun to pilot though. not sure how that matters

Their approach towards balance is pretty clear, they want every card to be viable in a certain archetype. Merchant/PGoods biggest issue do not lie in their powerlevel, which isn't even that high to begin with. It's the frustration factor.

Issues in card games go beyond card/mechanic powerlevels. The fun factor is just as important (if not more). Stealing a card from the opponents deck (and potentially a crucial one at that) and using it against them is incredibly frustrating, at all levels of play.

Is the frustration from them stealing the card or from you not knowing what they stole?