Is Aether essential?

[smuglapse]

Perusing the Anti-false god deck board it is next to impossible to find a deck without some in it.
Because whether your strategy is to use a few strong creatures, a swarm of smaller creatures, or to stall  has everything beat.

- the best anti-creature control in the game.

Chaos Power, Heavy Armor, Blessing, having high HP creatures and the like protect your creatures from damage, but not against Rewind, Mutation, and Lobotomy.  Only Immortal or Burrowed creatures have this power and burrow is an active skill only available for a few creatures.  If you have a few creatures in your deck that have to retain their ability and not die, Quinting is essential.

Quint decks: Looks like all of yaladilae's, Rainbow with long title (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,1748.0.html), Nymph's Paradise (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7130.0.html), Non-upgraded Rainbow (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,1615.0.html), Sergio Leone (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,7548.0.htmll), Nymphomania (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,2630.0.html), Pharaoh (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4958.0.html), Fireflope (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6808.0.html)

- the best swarming in the game.

FFQ, Pharaoh, and Boneyard have the ability to produce multiple creatures, but of only one specific type.  And if the generator is destroyed you have to hope to get another one out that doesn't suffer the same fate (see above Quint).  Fractal is safely hidden in your hand until you are ready to pounce and can be used on any creature assuming you have the quanta to pay for it.  So, if you're strategy is to overrun the FGs with a bunch of creatures, Fractal is essential.

Fractal decks: Pesty (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6020.0.html), RoL/Hope (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6546.0.html), Scarabs (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4765.0.html), Water (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6609.0.html)

- if you're strategy doesn't fit above and you are planning on stalling, Phase Shield is one of the best options.  Bonewall and Permafrost may give it a run for its money but they are often left out in favor of Phase Shield.

Phase Shield decks: Aether/Rainbow/Time (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4383.0.html), Time/Aether (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,4148.0.html), Fire Lance (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,6758.0.html)


And if by chance a deck does not include one of these 3, odds are it has Twin Universe or Ball Lightning.
I am referring to all decks made in the last couple of months and/or have a high winning percentage.

So, is it possible to make a winning FG deck without  ?

[yaladilae]

Believe me, I am trying!

[sSethia]

Believe me, I am trying!

Yaladilae's next challenge 

[Getawu2]

Well, depends on what you mean when saying "without Aether". If you've got cards with skills using Aether is it by your definition using Aether? If you've got got a Fallen Druid in your deck and might get a mutant using Aether, is your deck using Aether?

Phase Shields aren't really necessary, Fractal is only needed in some builds.

Quintessence can be replaced by an Anubis - it's not an Aether card but uses Aether.

The original 30-card build of my Otydeck doesn't use Aether cards or in skills btw, though I wouldn't say it's got win rates like decks using Aether. But still it's a fast deck against easier gods.

[smuglapse]

Well, depends on what you mean when saying "without Aether"

Without Aether cards in your deck.

[yaladilae]

That would be easy lol

like getawu said, long as there is anubis!

[smuglapse]

That would be easy lol

like getawu said, long as there is anubis!

Don't you think Rainbows with Quintessence are more effective than Rainbows with Anubis?

And Anubis benefits from having Quintessence or at the least Twin Universe.

[yaladilae]

That would be easy lol

like getawu said, long as there is anubis!

Don't you think Rainbows with Quintessence are more effective than Rainbows with Anubis?

And Anubis benefits from having Quintessence or at the least Twin Universe.

you just limit yourself to rainbow, that wont get you very far =)

[icybraker]

Short answer: Yes. Aether is essential because it is clearly the best element; thus, it's logically an essential element in defeating the most powerful computer opponents in the game. When you see Yala saying "I'm trying!" on a deck idea, you know that it's a very, very tough one to make, and one that will NOT be better than other ones with in it

[unionruler]

Short answer: Yes. Aether is essential because it is clearly the best element; thus, it's logically an essential element in defeating the most powerful computer opponents in the game. When you see Yala saying "I'm trying!" on a deck idea, you know that it's a very, very tough one to make, and one that will NOT be better than other ones with in it

I second. Smuglapse's analysis looks solid enough--if you need neither strategically placed creatures or masses of creatures achievable only by fractal, you'd probably need phase shields to stall for quanta in a creatureless. At first glance there might be ways out via quantum denial without fractaling pests, or mass antimatter with antimatter cards and mortal purple nymph. I am wondering about the second idea in particular, whether it is possible to deflect creature control by putting multiple anubis down and not using their ability, since AI should target them. Or maybe FFQ decoys but they have 1 hp less.

Believe me, I am trying!

Good luck with the research Yala 

[Tea is good]

Just take extra shields and extra creatures. Extra shields for extra stalls (instead of phase shields) and extra creatures (doesn't matter if one dies, instead of quint)

[Supersonique]

I thinks is a good thing , realy , i thinks all the element has too have synergy with all the other element.