Tariq and merging

elotar wrote:

BenPeal wrote: 5-6 copies of a star vamp in your crypt is perfectly normal.

I think 5 is max (even maybe tech "5 in 13") and it's still not good, but necessary if your deck can't function without it. But still keeping in mind that having star vampire is always a disadvantage (everything else equal).

I repeat: There are plenty of examples of successful star vampire decks.

BenPeal wrote: Getting, say, a 2-vote title at +2 stealth and untapping is remarkably good.

Than we came to the second part of the question - +2 votes if cool if you got something like several 5 cap dorks playing fee stakes, but not so much for a star deck, where you can just put some voting powerhouse like Lutz or Arika.

So, you're saying that the problem here is the quality of the vampires in question. I said the same thing.

BenPeal wrote: You have a support vamp take a +2 stealth action and untap and the card is gone from your hand.

and replaced with other Epiphany They are not coming one at a time at the middle of your turn, they will be clogging your hand during important combat, or when you is in need of drawing bounce, or just when you haven't enough minions to discard them all.

This is hyperbole. They will not be clogging your hand only ever at the worst times possible. Take, for example, your "when you haven't enough minions to discard them all" scenario. Having three Epiphanies in your hand over the course of one turn after you've already merged (aka after the first time you've drawn one) is a very, very unlikely draw in an 80-90 card deck.

I think this is the only TWD which really used epiphanies:
www.secretlibrary.info/index.php?deck=view&id=19596

And it's because Kemintiri gaines +3 votes as vell as "justicarness" for merging, no combat in the meta and, presumably, in the fear of contesting Lutz/triphosa who still are better.

So your example of how the merging mechanic isn't worth it is of a tournament-winning deck from 2015 that has two advanceable vampires in it? And the deck won because of the quality of the vampires in question? You're a weird man, sir.

BenPeal wrote: You're a weird man, sir.

One deck in 20 years - not a good track record for mechanic.

elotar wrote:

BenPeal wrote: You're a weird man, sir.

One deck in 20 years - not a good track record for mechanic.

We've already established that it's not the mechanic that's the problem - it's the Advanced crypt cards.

And where are you getting 20 years from?

I would say the mechanic is a problem. I don't care to build star vampire decks. In decks where you run multiple copies of the same vampire just because you could merge them, you decrease the ability to get a more diversified crypt. I found my Pot/Dom deck with both Sutphens was just strictly better without both.

Certainly, the gains for merging are nowhere near sufficient. But, part of the reason they aren't sufficient is that you are decreasing your number of minions in order to merge.

Basic rules changes could be - if you merge a vampire, automatically decrypt the next crypt card. That's pretty weak. When you merge, filling up to full capacity with blood from the blood bank - that's kind of sexy. Weird incentives result, but whatever. And, a host of other ways to go that people have either thought of or not.

But, really, if the idea is to merge, then the merged minion needs a power greater than that of the Jurai Royal Family. If the idea is that you can casually merge, both versions need to be worth playing, which is a problem with older vampires that have suck versions when creating advancies for them.

elotar wrote: Really got no mood for working, so the list of vampires which are fine for merging in "Ben Peal's way" (from 37 with merged abilities)

Sarrasine - corruption counters are cool, but it's unnoing to put them
Tegyrius - +3 votes and parity shift good for assamites
Valerius Maior - you can save like 8 pool for not being infernal

...

that's all?

I would say that Sebastian Goulet is definetily worth merging also.