I hate to barge into your guys' conversation, but let's think straight, shall we? There ain't no reason to hate. He just read the guide. After telling him the first time ain't no reason to continue, and we can focus on the more important part right here.
... You know, the Cards.
Back to our replying game~
- Oh, now I understood. Let's say that Offensive would mean "Raise att". Now, on that sense, the elemental would easily overthrow the nymph, as Fire already has a lot of Creature Control (FireBolt, Rain of Fire, Rage Potion itself); a pair of so many elementals in Fire could also work as a CC such as a Nymph would, although less effectively. It is also Cheaper AND a "Common" card (as in, you can buy it in bazaar, while nymph is Ultra-Rare; Tournaments or Oracle). Those are my troubles with it, because I feel like it's just a "cheap" alternative to a nymph, although with a more offensive proportion and I admit the mechanics are a tad bit different.
Also, this + Lava Golem was just a random idea that popped into my mind. I must admit I lol'd.
- Well, if you follow that logic, when you're targeted by reverse time on a creature that had a buff used on it previously, you are losing :
1- The cost of the creature card;
2- The cost of the buff card;
3- The buff card (in this case Blessing)
4- The creature card (Say, Vampire)
5- One turn (You play and bless the vamp in one turn)
But, Blessing would only be 3 (or 2) Light, and Vampire would be (? I forgot. Let's say 3.)
So in total, you paid (and lost) 2 cards and 6 Quanta, which you can easily regain.
But for whatever reason you are using a gravity elemental. And you're also targeted by reverse time. The logic that would follow is, you are losing:
1- The cost of the creature card
2- The cost of the elemental card
3- The cost of the activation of the Elemental Card's ability
4- The creature card itself or
4b - The Elemental itself, or
4c - Both.
5- Two turns (The Elemental cannot use his ability the same turn he is cast. You lost two turns and will have to wait another after you play the Elemental again to buff the Vampire.)
Assuming only the gravity elemental is reversed, you will have lost: 6 Gravity quanta (The single card already adds up more than the whole loss of the previous explanation), and another single Gravity quanta for having to pay for the activation cost. You have, however, a 4/5 Vampire. Plus the very own card that was returned. You also lost two turns (The Elemental has a summoning sickness like all other cards, which means he had to wait one turn before buffing the vampire; and will have to wait one turn after he is played again to buff the Vampire again. It is also not unlikely that he may be Reversed/Rewinded the turn he is played, in which case you lose one turn and the vampire is left with it's original 2/3 state.)
Assuming only the Vampire is reversed (highly unlikely; the logic is always to try to stop the most problematic card, the Elemental), you will lose the Card, the buff that you had received (You will have to pay for the activation cost again), adding up for a measly 3 darkness quanta, 1 Gravity quanta; but you also lost the buff, which means the scenario will repeat.
However. When you are fighting an opponent that has Reverse Time, it is not unlikely for him to have more than a single Rewind/Reverse Time, because it's a good CC. It may even have eternity.
IN WHICH CASE..
Assuming both are reversed (likely), you will lose Six Gravity quanta from the Elemental Cost; 1 Gravity Quanta from the ability cost; 2 darkness from the vampire, and will have to wait yet another two turns (Due to the summoning sickness) to be able to boost the Vampire again. With the ability, if you used it, you lost 9 Quanta total -- Without the ability, you would lose 8 quanta total. And the two turns, I think I should add again.
Hope you followed all that through, it may seem confusing; but I'm really just adding up what you pay and what you lose assuming Reverse Time, which you said you disliked. Blessing would be more useful in this situation.
-- Photons, in a Entropy Shield deck, are fitting in spaces that could be used to fit in Entropy Pillars; which means that every photon you add, you are losing one potential entropy quanta. Which means when you play all of them, you have already lost Six potential entropy pillars, that could have been played and add straight to your quanta pool.
Not only that, but when you are using the photons in the entropy shield deck, you would have to wait to draw and play the Entropy Elemental; turns wasted may go and go until you find the elemental, while if these Photons were simple Entropy Pillars it would go straight to your quanta pool without any wait. To have high chances of finding the Elemental, you would need six of them (Entropy Shield decks are usually large and stallish), which means you just lost another six potential entropy pillar slots.
Further on, even if you find all six photons AND an Elemental in time and at the same time, you could have played the entropy pillars (Seven of them) adding up for seven entropy quanta in that turn, while if you play the Photons and Elemental, you win/lose no quanta for that turn (Read: You will pay six quanta for the Elemental, and have Six Photons, which means you will generate six entropy and lose nothing). Just by that, we can see the Seven Entropy Pillar slots that the Elemental + Photons are occupying would be more profitable already in the first turn.
Now, let's continue the game. Our seven pillars will generate another seven entropy quanta, adding up for a sum of 14 entropy quanta.
Our photons and elemental will generate a simple Six entropy quanta, and we will have generated only Six Entropy quanta so far (The first turn generated no quanta for us.)
Plus, let us not forget that the Photons (AND the elemental) can be CC'd. Let us assume rain of fire was cast, you just lost all 7 of the cards you have played and literally won nothing or will win no longer. That's the worst case scenario.
Best case scenario, FireBolt or some other cheap CC would be used in the Elemental itself, causing the Elemental to die and as such not generate any more entropy quanta -- You won nothing and won't win anything.
While the worst case scenario, EQ'd pillars will make us lose 3 pillars, although we have already generated 7 from the casting turn; and will continue to generate 4 every turn after.
In the best case scenario, a Deflagged or stolen pillar will make us lose 1 pillar only. We have already generated 7 and will continue to generate 6 every turn after.
In all the scenarios, the Pillars are more profitable than changing in a photon and elemental. Please be reminded that I was also thoughtful enough and gave you the best possible scenario from the start -- Six photons and one Elemental. If there are less than Six photons, the maximum you can have in your deck, you will actually LOSE Quanta for casting the Elemental (Five photons, the Elemental costs Six -- You just lost one quanta); and then will continue to generate even less than the same amount of pillars as has been proved above. That assuming it is not CC'd one turn after it was cast, a scenario I have already covered.
Sorry I was long.
