Guide to Battle Awareness and Conservation - Adding Depth to your game

[wreon]

Even this is only sometimes true. The great thing about SE is that it is a free move. So I most want to use the ability when I can make use of my excess resources. For example I play a Nishaven and I often come across a situation where I must decide between using my ability and Supernova. Both will clear the field so based on visibility and based on the fact that Nova is overkill if Nishaven can do the job I should use his ability right? This is not always true. If I simply need to clear the field to avoid getting pummeled but I don't have allies to retake the field often Supernova is the better play because it saves the free ability for a time I can best use my extra resources. Yes visibility is very important and should be accounted for in the calculation but sometimes it is just dwarfed.

Yes, but the fact that you have 5se on the side means the opponent will play as if you may wipe at any point, making the "surprise" effect much lesser, and extremely unlikely you'll catch more allies in your ability. When I know my opponent can wipe, I take the board via TO and PotL, and focus on weapons. I hold my aeon/SW for after.

[wreon]

Anyway all this is really good discussion, I may compile these discussions for a part 2 haha.

[Zhou86]

Yes, but the fact that you have 5se on the side means the opponent will play as if you may wipe at any point, making the "surprise" effect much lesser, and extremely unlikely you'll catch more allies in your ability. When I know my opponent can wipe, I take the board via TO and PotL, and focus on weapons. I hold my aeon/SW for after.

For this case, I agree with wreon, the opponent is already expecting an Nishaven ability anytime, so he/she keep the fatties in hand (unless you are a GB of course )
So I would go for the ability first, keeping the SN for the surprise effect.

[qaz92zaq]

Yes, but the fact that you have 5se on the side means the opponent will play as if you may wipe at any point, making the "surprise" effect much lesser, and extremely unlikely you'll catch more allies in your ability. When I know my opponent can wipe, I take the board via TO and PotL, and focus on weapons. I hold my aeon/SW for after.

Yes that is a severe disadvantage but when the other option is being less likely to ever retake the board it can often be worth it. Unless my opponent is getting card starved or has limited resources it can be quite hard to retake the field after a nova because your opponent still gets the important first play. I'd rather my field clear kill less and fight a non-overextented player when I'm in control than hope that he overextends himself and let him be in control the whole game. Also many players assume a mage has a nova in hand and won't play much more than they do when they can clearly see the board wipe.
I agree with you in a case where I'm packing retreats and would effectively be able to take the field after a nova.

[wreon]

Yes, both schools of thoughts are correctin different situations, and our debate is difficult mainly because of ambiguous circumstances and overall style of play.

However I ultimately still lean slightly more towards my opinion as I like to play for surprises, as winning an SE game often calls for different moves in order to win. It is indeed a gamble to use a move early without a retreat, as it means that the next sw or 6hp and above ally cannot be handled simply by nova (insert meme "One does not simply nova away an aeon").

I hope everyone else reading our convo realises the key differences in scenario which call upon our difference in opinion of moves, and that neither is wrong.

[Bayushi]

As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Very good post!

[Raphael Majere]

Bump, this is really good reading for all.

[The Solyom]

Great article and thank you for all the hard work you put in to creating it. Very enlightening read, I may have to print it off and read it a few times.
Thanks buddy

[SET Colosal]

*Colosal is wondering why this is not sticky...*

[Bayushi]

*Colosal is wondering why this is not sticky...*

Good bump and +1 post count. Hitting 2 birds with 1 stone.