Fighting Half-BloodsThis is the deck I've decided on, as I love the consistency of a deathrush. Update: used up some Electrum to improve the deck. Restarted testing.
Recluse Brothers (
http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,19105)
Games: 55, Avg. ttw: 13,55, Losses: 15, EM: 1 - posted by - Higurashi
61t 61t 61t 61t 61t 61t 713 713 713 713 713 713 718 718 718 718 718 718 71a 71a 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81q 81qttw 10: 1
ttw 11: 6
ttw 12: 7
ttw 13: 7
ttw 14: 6
ttw 15: 5
ttw 16: 2
ttw 17: 1
ttw 18: 1
ttw 19: 1
ttw 20: 1
ttw 21: 1
ttw 22: 1
Article WritingYesh, this is long. I helped in the process of making these skills, so no wonder.
Tier 1Mark of Aether
The prerequisite skill for all other Aether skills, and one all Aether Elementals start with. Aether needs a lot of quanta, as we're all aware, and while it doesn't have any cards that change function when upgraded (like Phoenix -> Minor Phoenix), it's still a very good thing to be able to use one more upgraded card for economic reasons.
Phase Dragon and Immortal cost
more when upgraded, and won't be a primary upgrade target when your pillars and pendulums are unupgraded. Phase Recluse on the other hand may cost 1 more, but if you want a primary attacker in your mostly-Aether-deck that isn't expensive, it's a very good upgrade.
The rest of Aether's cards except Turquoise Nymph reduce cost in some way when upgraded. If you're using Lobotomizer repeatedly, it's a very economic upgrade, as the ability cost of Electrocutor goes down by 1.
Evasion
Could potentially be an extremely useful skill in some situations, though some Elementals can nullify the effect by using fast travel. Still, it's passive, so it will never hurt to have. Coupled with Dimensional Walk, this will make you
very hard to catch in case you need to retreat or even get past foes to get to key locations. For the latter purpose, it synergies well with Ethereal Bond: in the unlikely event you do get caught and defeated on your way to a quest location or to lay siege to a city, you can resurrect in the same hex and either get revenge or try to teleport past again.
Outworlder
Potentially a high-risk/high-reward skill. Using the mark of another Element can be very useful to pay for cards if you're using Mindgate, or if you plan on using Parallel Universe on creatures with skills you want, such as Forest Spirit/Lava Golem.
Bane of Time
A pretty good skill to have at the beginning if you plan on beating up on Time, and a prerequisite for two good skills. Incidentally, monotime has no chance against monoaether, so it could be a good matchup at the beginning depending on how much Time branches out into other cards. XP bonuses will always be useful, as levelling up makes you a lot stronger. Seek out your foe and destroy them first for an advantage over everyone else!
Duplication
Cheaper to use than Outworlder, but more restrictive and places more demand on knowing what your opponent is packing. Due to Pendulums being rare, duplicating anything but cheap cards will be difficult most of the time unless you dupe some pillars. Nonetheless, a powerful skill if used right. It's worth noting you may choose either to duplicate cards or just take the mark, or both.
Multiply
A very economical skill. Multiplying cards you need more in your deck/vault, or just to sell, the power of this skill only keeps building with time.
Tier 2Dimensional Walk
Also known as Teleport, this is an amazing form of non-situational fast travel. It'll speed up your travelling no matter where you are, and can let you ambush anyone on the map quite suddenly, or just let you take a useful hex on the map such as a town, a quest or a resource.
Ethereal Bond
A pretty hilarious skill as it nullifies some of the point of your opponent defeating you. The cost of a Relic is more than fair, as this will let you get right back at whatever you were doing, from laying Siege to slaughtering people on the map to questing or conquering resources. If you're in trouble in your current hex, Evade, Teleport and Phase Shift outta there.
Energy Barrier
An extremely powerful skill if used at the right time, this will make your targeted city strong enough to shake off all but the most extremely focused late-game onslaughts (if even then). Easily worth its cost to extend time you may need to crush the armies on your doorstep.
Doppelganger
Actually supposed to be spelt "Doppelgänger" or "Vardøger" (not really), this skill is almost never useless. TU is a very versatile card, easy to stall for in Aether, and will always supply you with 6 upped cards no matter how much you screw up.
Tier 3Phase Shifter
6 turns of invulnerability. Need a scout to pick stuff up on the map? Surrounded and need to survive? With this skill, it won't matter what pickle you get yourself into. Go jump into a volcano if you so desire. Of course, since you can't attack for a grand total of 6 turns either, this skill balances out, but damn is it nifty.
Energy Shaper
Want a more aggressive approach? I pushed for this branch myself (and invented the name), since I thought Aether needed something to focus on the immense forces it possesses, from the radiant stars to aetheric energies between dimensions, and not just be an Element for people who want to avoid battles. While it unfortunately doesn't give any advantage for the actual battle, it can severely cripple your opponent. 4 turns is a
lot, my friend. Ho yes.
Tier 4Champion of Aether
Right.. only one skill on Tier 4. So what does it do? No idea. Only very few people will ever know, as well it should be; the forces of Aether are incomprehensible to all but the most masterful. I plan to find out, and it's going to be grand. A completely unique skill, as your foes will only know once you rain doom 'pon their heads. Then, and only then, will they know.
