Mental Bridge | Soul Link

[AvusXIV]

NAME: Mental Bridge ELEMENT: Other COST: 3 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Choose a pillar: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you matching the pillar's element. Lasts 1 turn.	NAME: Soul Link ELEMENT: Other COST: 1 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Choose a pillar: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you matching the pillar's element. Lasts 1 turn.

ART: AvusXIV IDEA: AvusXIV NOTES: Marks and Pendulums are valid targets as well. The quanta given matches the element of the pendulum's base element (a Light Pendulum chosen, for example, always gives the player just light quanta. No matter which quanta is spent by the opponent, no matter which Mark the opponent has, no matter if the Pendulum is actually set at the Mark when Mental Bridge is used). The opponent does not suffer from any handicap, his actions are not impeded in any way. Hence Sanctuary or any other card does NOT prevent the effect of this card to take place! SERIES:

Spoiler for Version 'Two Turns':

NAME: Mental Bridge ELEMENT: Other COST: 3 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you. Lasts 2 turns.	NAME: Soul Link ELEMENT: Other COST: 1 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you. Lasts 2 turns.

ART: AvusXIV IDEA: AvusXIV NOTES: Another card about generating quanta. Besides that issues I also like to put antagonists in direct connection of their actions which are usually not targeting the opponent. This is my first card related to this idea. It has some uses, but if it really works/makes sense, I don't know. Experimental in any case. Feedback required. The opponent does not suffer from any handicap, his actions are not impeded in any way. Hence Sanctuary or any other card does NOT prevent the effect of this card to take place! SERIES:

Spoiler for Version 'One Turn':

NAME: Mental Bridge ELEMENT: Other COST: 3 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you. Lasts 1 turn.	NAME: Soul Link ELEMENT: Other COST: 1 TYPE: Spell ATK|HP: TEXT: Any quanta spent by your opponent is given to you. Lasts 1 turn.

ART: AvusXIV IDEA: AvusXIV NOTES: Another card about generating quanta. Besides that issues I also like to put antagonists in direct connection of their actions which are usually not targeting the opponent. This is my first card related to this idea. It has some uses, but if it really works/makes sense, I don't know. Experimental in any case. Feedback required. SERIES:

[Joseph7]

Interesting idea. I like the idea of the opponent's spending positively affecting you, I just wonder if it is way too situational that this card would actually help you. It only yields quanta if your opponent spends any, and only lasts 1 turn, so it is easy to dodge from an opposing standpoint. I would personally prefer to place pillars or pendulums in my deck over this spell card.

[whatifidogetcaught?]

I feel like that this could be too easily countered, but that's a part of the mind game, maybe preventing them from doing something. I like it!

Do you think this maybe fits in Aether?

[AvusXIV]

Before I respond to your input, I want to say something: Sometimes people ask the right questions or mention what's necessary to be said. Both of you did, and therefore I am grateful! You regarded my problematic points.

[..] I just wonder if it is way too situational that this card would actually help you. It only yields quanta if your opponent spends any, and only lasts 1 turn, so it is easy to dodge from an opposing standpoint. I would personally prefer to place pillars or pendulums in my deck over this spell card.

That's exactly what I was totally not sure about. Is one turn enough? Can my opponent dodge this spell easily by just delaying his planned action(s) for one turn? If he does, for how long can I make him procrestinate - can my deck deliver enough cards of those to do so efficiently/reliably; is one of that card enough in a delicate situation?

I feel like that this could be too easily countered, but that's a part of the mind game, maybe preventing them from doing something. I like it!

Do you think this maybe fits in Aether?

This mind game is part of my concept about this card. Does the opponent hesitate because of my cute Mental Bridge? Is it worth to do so?

One might say: 'What should I care about spending my earth quanta to my rude, godlike enemy while fighting a mono water?' Cauz of Trident, fool! The question is if the quanta synergies are considered enough, having this card in mind...are there enough symbiosisses (?) between certain types of elements?

However, I updated the card. 2 turns now. NOTES are also updated, one significant point added.

[Rutarete]

I quite like this card, it has great anti rush gentian, and functions as a partial silence.

However, what quanta do you get back? Random?

[Joseph7]

I would suggest that for this card to actually yield you effective quanta and pose a larger threat to the opponent, for every quantum they spend one of your pillars, pendulums, or your mark should produce one quantum. I'm not sure if the card should last 2 turns with this suggested improvement, so as to balance it; I'm really on the fence about whether it should last 2 or 1 turns.

[AvusXIV]

I quite like this card, it has great anti rush gentian, and functions as a partial silence.

However, what quanta do you get back? Random?

You get the same stuff your opponent spends. That's why I really tried to make this idea become visible by my art. It's like flushing the toilet by making somebody else gaining your waste water

Do you think this maybe fits in Aether?

I forgot to answer that question.
Not really. My intention is to stick to the idea of an element when I create new cards. Always, with a quite strong boundary (I hope that's the right word for it). Quote from Elements Wiki: "Aether is the domain of the immaterial things; it is where the stars reside and the medium where all the energy waves move. Aether elementals excel in manipulating the dimensions and electricity; most of the creatures they generate are immaterial."

[AvusXIV]

I would suggest that for this card to actually yield you effective quanta and pose a larger threat to the opponent, for every quantum they spend one of your pillars, pendulums, or your mark should produce one quantum. I'm not sure if the card should last 2 turns with this suggested improvement, so as to balance it; I'm really on the fence about whether it should last 2 or 1 turns.

Double post, yeah. Updated before you posted, you young rascal ;P But you push it towards 2 turns one more time. Can't feel more right to have done it so...

[OdinVanguard]

I would suggest that for this card to actually yield you effective quanta and pose a larger threat to the opponent, for every quantum they spend one of your pillars, pendulums, or your mark should produce one quantum. I'm not sure if the card should last 2 turns with this suggested improvement, so as to balance it; I'm really on the fence about whether it should last 2 or 1 turns.

This is a good point.
Currently, this card's utility would be rather limited and situational.
Rainbow decks would find some moderate usage, but monos, duos and trios would only see use in cases where both owner and opponent share at least one common quanta type.
The idea behind this card is definitely very cool, but unless there is a way to ensure that the quanta provided will be useful to the owner, it won't have a relevant game impact...

One option could be something akin to what I tried doing for the Blood card mechanics
Vial of Half God's Blood|Vial of False God's Blood
So one interesting idea would be to make this a permanent that counts enemy quanta usage for two turns.
The accrued counter could then be used as:

-An active ability that lets the accrued counter be used to power quanta costs of any type for the next spell or ability used. Then, once depleted, the card would get removed. (absorption would only last 2 turns, but the permanent would remain till the counter gets used)

or

-Allow owner to sacrifice it and add its accrued total to a chosen quanta type.

[Anarook]

I sympathize with those who say this needs to have only positive effects(ie. generate your quanta not just what the opponent spends) but doing so might make this too powerful, particularly as an other card.

Also as a personal vendetta, anything that empowers rainbow decks, which this currently does more than anything, should get thrown away...

[OdinVanguard]

I sympathize with those who say this needs to have only positive effects(ie. generate your quanta not just what the opponent spends) but doing so might make this too powerful, particularly as an other card.

Also as a personal vendetta, anything that empowers rainbow decks, which this currently does more than anything, should get thrown away...

...I don't think any card that might potentially help rainbow decks should get thrown out, just those that strongly favor them over other strategies. This typically means most cost cards since they strongly favor the raw quanta production advantage of rainbow archetypes.

As for being too powerful as an other card... I agree that this could be a problem. This card could be very potent if a player can too freely choose where the quanta goes to.

 One interesting way around this would be to have the card only generate quanta of the owner's mark.

 Another option would be to have it target a pillar or pendulum when cast and give back quanta from that type.
E.g. rainbow decks, which tend to only have quantum pillars would get back a random distribution of quanta. Mono's and Duos, however, could get back quanta of useful types.

The pillar / pendulum targeting version could actually be a very useful in making trios and quartets more stable since they could use it to balance out whichever quanta type they are short on.
Rainbows would actually benefit least since they would have little control over where the quanta goes too.

[AvusXIV]

I sympathize with those who say this needs to have only positive effects(ie. generate your quanta not just what the opponent spends) but doing so might make this too powerful, particularly as an other card.

Also as a personal vendetta, anything that empowers rainbow decks, which this currently does more than anything, should get thrown away...

[..] One interesting way around this would be to have the card only generate quanta of the owner's mark.

 Another option would be to have it target a pillar or pendulum when cast and give back quanta from that type.
E.g. rainbow decks, which tend to only have quantum pillars would get back a random distribution of quanta. Mono's and Duos, however, could get back quanta of useful types.

The pillar / pendulum targeting version could actually be a very useful in making trios and quartets more stable since they could use it to balance out whichever quanta type they are short on.
Rainbows would actually benefit least since they would have little control over where the quanta goes too.

It's going to be the pillar-choosing version. That leaves enough space for a big variety of uses and is not situational at all Are 2 turns still ok with that version?