Mirror Pendulum | Mirror Pendulum

[ZephyrPhantom]

NAME: Mirror Pendulum ELEMENT: Other COST: 0 TYPE: Permanent - Pendulum ATK|HP: TEXT: Alternates between generating 1 quantum of your mark and 1 quantum of your opponent's mark.	NAME: Mirror Pendulum ELEMENT: Other COST: 0 TYPE: Permanent - Pendulum ATK|HP: TEXT: Alternates between generating 1 quantum of your mark and 2 quantum of your opponent's mark.

ART: Kamietsu, EvaRia, and Zanzarino IDEA: Zblader NOTES: A pendulum that can backfire on you very easily if used against the wrong opponent. Best used when you're aware of what your opponent will play. Remember my Void Pendulum (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,21443.0.html) and Divine Pendulum (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,24789.0.html)? In reality, these two cards were the start of a new series - The Alternate Pendulum Series, a series of Pendulums that use other mechanics and represent alternate sources of power being harnessed. All of the cards are Pendulums, so they can stack and be targeted by Earthquake. SERIES: Alternate Pendulum Series

[Thalas]

This would useful in Mind gate decks.

[Rutarete]

This would useful in Mind gate decks.

I think that's pretty much all it's useful for.

[ZephyrPhantom]

This would useful in Mind gate decks.

I think that's pretty much all it's useful for.

Not really. If you know your opponent's going to be playing a certain mark you could use for a deck in a PvP event, you could use the upgraded version to take advantage of that since Mirror Pendula can outproduce a normal pendulum of said element. With Mirror Pendulum it helps to know what your opponent will be playing.

[OldTrees]

Unupped is UP and only useful for Mindgate. Even there Quantum pillars might work better.
Upgraded might be OP considering it is faster than any Tower however I am unsure if it would remain so without situational support cards or situations.

All in all I do not see the value of adding this to the card pool. Please explain.

[johannhowitzer]

Not really. If you know your opponent's going to be playing a certain mark you could use for a deck in a PvP event, you could use the upgraded version to take advantage of that since Mirror Pendula can outproduce a normal pendulum of said element. With Mirror Pendulum it helps to know what your opponent will be playing.

Metagaming should not be a factor in determining a card's usefulness.  Of course the old Purify would be useful if I know I'm facing a poison-using opponent...

[ZephyrPhantom]

Not really. If you know your opponent's going to be playing a certain mark you could use for a deck in a PvP event, you could use the upgraded version to take advantage of that since Mirror Pendula can outproduce a normal pendulum of said element. With Mirror Pendulum it helps to know what your opponent will be playing.

Metagaming should not be a factor in determining a card's usefulness.  Of course the old Purify would be useful if I know I'm facing a poison-using opponent...

Sometimes I have to admit I feel that I'm pressured to make a card metagame useful all the time because of your opinion Oldtrees, no offense meant.

At some point every now and then I will make a card that doesn't necessarily have a perfect role in the metagame, rather better off being used in other ways like for example Mirror Pendulum that may see use more in events or tournaments that force players marks to be certain elements.  Not all cards will impact the metagame when implemented - especially after the card pool grows to a size where cards begin to double up on each other.

[OldTrees]

There is a balance that should be struck between too situational (old purify) and too versatile (old Sundial). My guideline for a minimum is 3 strategies. (for a max I use <50% of decks)

[ZephyrPhantom]

Strategy 1) Mindgate - the clearest synergy. If you get nonpillar cards before you get pillar cards, Mirror Pendula can generate the quantum needed to copy the opponent's strategy quicker, at the cost of a slower start up.

Strategy 2) Predicting the opponent - certain tournaments and PvP events confine players to certain marks or may encourage players to use certain elements over another. This sets up for trying to predict what deck your opponent will run so you can run a counterdeck that is mainly of the element of his or her mark.

Strategy 3) More of a hypothetical strategy, but if there was ever a card that could temporarily alter a target mark this could be used in conjuncting w/Mirror Pendulum to generate quantum of a desired element.

[OldTrees]

Strategy 1) Mindgate - the clearest synergy. If you get nonpillar cards before you get pillar cards, Mirror Pendula can generate the quantum needed to copy the opponent's strategy quicker, at the cost of a slower start up.

Strategy 2) Predicting the opponent - certain tournaments and PvP events confine players to certain marks or may encourage players to use certain elements over another. This sets up for trying to predict what deck your opponent will run so you can run a counterdeck that is mainly of the element of his or her mark.

Strategy 3) More of a hypothetical strategy, but if there was ever a card that could temporarily alter a target mark this could be used in conjuncting w/Mirror Pendulum to generate quantum of a desired element.

Perhaps I was not clear. 3 strategies in regular pvp/pve without relying on a future user suggested card. I really like the Mindgate Strategy and I hope you will have an inspiration that makes it more versatile while keeping the original idea.

[ZephyrPhantom]

Figured out another strategy-
Strategy 3 - Anti Nightmare
If you opponent uses nightmare and his cards of of his mark, you can counter it by playing them. Alternatively if he chooses to nightmare your own cards the Pendula generate quantum of your mark as well, so you can play your own cards too.

[johannhowitzer]

Zblader, your Strategy 2 is not something I would ever use in place of just using the actual pendulums of the opponent's guessed mark.  The only thing that changes is that you risk him using something you didn't expect and ruining your strategy... normal pendulums are otherwise just as efficient.