Pro Tips

ReverendRevolver wrote:
Ive taken to running AI alongside 6-8 deflections. NOBODY anticipates it.
My prey "bleed for 5 with Lutz! I can di his bounce/block your bleed/bounce it back!"
My predator"Lutz kindre spirits bleeds, i confusion it when you block"
Me AI.

This occurred to me at a recent tournament organized by Brandon. I didn't expect my Tremere prey to run AI. His bounce got DI'ed, so I played Aire of Elation with Alexandra. She got burned.

Even with the fear of AI, I would still have done it, since one VP very well could have won me the tournament and I didn't get a lot of openings against my defensive prey. The thing is, the bleed would not have ousted him and playing the AI did not help him win the tournament. Instead, it meant that my predator won.

Yea, I time my stuff better. Im only petty enough to burn my grandprrdators IC member after i eat a bleed or two. I can only say "your bleeding into untapped dominate" so many times before i say "if you cant play nice with a bleed of 6, im taking your toys" and go all cost effective to stop with huge losses. Normally, i just deflect, but if its my predators allstar, and hes not blocking with it, it feels like solely my problem.

I can see some players playing AI the bad way, but i treat it alot like Ariadne eating people: dont unbalance the table unless you can win by it or rebalance things quickly.

ReverendRevolver wrote:
I can see some players playing AI the bad way, but i treat it alot like Ariadne eating people: dont unbalance the table unless you can win by it or rebalance things quickly.

Since when is Ariadne a posterchild for eating people? What happened to my lovely Tariq?

Anyway, i agree. It may be just me, but i really like AI, mainly because i play Assamites, and therefore often combat. And combat is minion control.
And AI is basically saying :"pay 3 pool to remove a vampire from the table that is trying to hurt your precious pool, without spending precious red cards"
Good

Shes behind Tariq and Muaziz as the poster child for eating people, and possibly tied with Basilia+Archon.

But, shes the one i use the most. Its all non-threatening stacking vessels and abactor hunting, then you start eatimg people and its not such a nonthreatening deck anymore......

AI is more akin to pentex than to dummy corp, so its better to see it that way. Its better to remove Gilbert duane or Mariel or Isabel G than someone with just inf dominate and a support discipline.

But i feel the threads been highjacked by AI philosophy, prayer card or not (graverobbing is more prayer card than AI,fast hands is the poster child for prayer cards...)

Back on track:

Never forget that diablery is an option. Its mean, its dirty, it wont win friends, but if it comes down to losing vamp like Jephta Hester or even Dragos in order to remove your predators Arika, it probably gaims you pool to lose the minion in some situations. Especially if you can see getting ousted soon if that minion is rescued. Ita not an always thing, but we see it as a never thing too often.

My 2 pool:

- Keep pressure on your prey, but not so much that they stop going forward.
- Know when to burn, torp or weaken a vampire.


*I was secretly hoping this was a thread about using Protean.*

I think this could use it's own section:
Get into your opponents' heads. Someone who does this really well is Dennis Lien - he loves to give "friendly advice".

Also, speak when necessary, and shut up when necessary. It's not always obvious which is the best choice - that comes with experience.

Figure out as early as possible what every deck on the table is - how it will oust, how it will defend, and how it threatens you. Determine at the same time the experience level of each player; or even better if you know the players - what their personal weaknesses and strengths are.

Chris