New round structure - OPTION B - we'd like your feedback!

Bloodartist wrote: During past year, I've been moving toward combat-heavy decks. I've yet to build a deck that utilizes IG however...

1) How do you deal with S:CE? 2) Are you using guns?

LivesByProxy wrote:

Bloodartist wrote: During past year, I've been moving toward combat-heavy decks. I've yet to build a deck that utilizes IG however...

1) How do you deal with S:CE? 2) Are you using guns?

Here is the direct example of an intelligent guy, who has quite thoroughly read all what is available about VtES, posses deep knowledge of other CCG games, but has no play experience. And as it seems he totally do not get the very basis of combat strategy.

LBP. Main idea of combat is to equip with some permanent source of damage (weapons or some other permanent +STR), additional strikes and more Psyche!'s than possible SCE's you can see from opponent. So you are not "spending" combat cards before strike phase, if you meet SCE than you restart combat with Psyche!, when opponents runs out of SCE, you deal damage with permanent source, then use cards for additional strikes. Then restart combat if he is still breathing.

No way it can be deduced from the maneuver-strike-press sequence from the rulebook

@Elotar: I got all that though... My assumption was that he was playing some variation of Cel Guns if he wasn't using IG.

Also, I have played a few games since joining VEKN but only 3-4 player games (so not 'real' VTES.) I even have a Toreador Guns deck with Psyche! and a Brujah bruise-bleed deck with IG and TSP.

No way it can be deduced from the maneuver-strike-press sequence from the rulebook.

Not sure what you mean by this. Baiting your opponent into playing cards or making a sub-optimal choices is general strategy/tactics that a rule-book can't (shouldn't) really go into.

LivesByProxy wrote: 1) How do you deal with S:CE? 2) Are you using guns?

1.) Psyche or telepathic tracking, depending on combat module (whether we go with trap or not. If trap, then teletracking.).
2.) Mostly no. Most successful so far have been Tzimisce or Matasuntha. I've played both with several different combat modules (I try out a lot of stuff). I've made gun decks but they weren't as successful as my other options. Many of my decks have some amount of combat but don't emphasize winning it, ie. Not that much anti-SCE. Aforementioned Tzimi or Mata however go into combat with the intention of torporizing/burning the enemy every fight. Tzimi can play either animalism combat with crows or horrid form + trap.

LivesByProxy wrote:
Not sure what you mean by this. Baiting your opponent into playing cards or making a sub-optimal choices is general strategy/tactics that a rule-book can't (shouldn't) really go into.

Nobody is baiting anybody and there are no choices involved - it's extremely basic scenario.

I've meant that all happening there has nothing to do with m-s-p structure: A plays SCE, B psyche, A - SCE, B - psyche, A pass, B plays blur, A removes counters.

Meanwhile in the actual game rounds pass and are filled with nonsense:
- nothing before range
- nothing
- build in maneuver
- nothing
- build in strike
- SCE
- psyche
- nothing before range
...

Look at what BA named:
Matasuntha - permanent +STR
Horrid form - perm +STR/prevent
Trap - practically permanent press
Crows - permanent damage
Aid - not permanent, but maneuver-strike-press in one card

Phases are just announced, cards are played and work in "parallel reality".

LivesByProxy wrote: Not sure what you mean by this. Baiting your opponent into playing cards or making a sub-optimal choices is general strategy/tactics that a rule-book can't (shouldn't) really go into.

Honestly, I don't think there is much room to even attempt baiting your opponent into playing specific cards/ making poor choices. For the most part VTES rules doesn't even allow it, due to the strict sequence in which cards have to be played.

For example, you cannot play additional strikes until after resolving initial strikes. If normal strike sends you to torpor, additional strike card is not "wasted" since you never could play it. You can only play taste of vitae after a 'succesful' round of combat after which you are not going to torpor. There is no way you can play these cards "poorly". For the most part combat is just a very long dance in which certain things have to happen in a certain order, but they rarely surprise anyone.

Baiting opponent into blocking an action where the combat surprisingly destroys them (I pull out this concealed deer rifle with dragons breath rounds) is another thing, but that was not the topic.