Blog post on Cheatiing Fate and Soul Stones

[Mxbedlam]

hey guys, bit of a cross post with the beginners section but I thought I'd toss this here too. Final blog post of the week talking about how and when to get the most use out of cards in hand and Soul Stones. As always I love suggestions and comments so feel free to leave them and stay to check out the post by the other writers on the blog. 

 

http://malifolks.blogspot.com/2015/02/out-of-hand-or-how-to-use-resources.html

[Insidiously Mad]

really enjoying your stuff so far. Have added you to the (small but growing) Blog roll at Abnormalifaux.blogspot.co.uk

[Mxbedlam]

Thanks!

[Vidd]

 If you have say, 4 cards 10+, a 5 and 4 then its probably a waste of a Soul Stone as you could very well get no gain at all.

Even if you get nothing in your hand, it also means you've just burnt two trash cards. Worth a soulstone? Perhaps not, but it's not a meaningless action considering you're not going to flip them now.

 

 

 

I tend to stray into the side of damage prevention. 

Same here, but I'm starting to reconsider since it also imposes a  to the damage flip. Not only does it increase the chance of lower damage, it likely prevents them from cheating. If nothing else, you're making them burn cards.

 

Interesting blog post since it's such a difficult mechanic. You need to know your own crew well, know your opponent's crew and be able to think several moves ahead. Considering all the models that can generate cards, flips or soul stones, it gets even more complicated!

[Dafty]

Wanted to point out a few things the Defender gets first choice on if they want to use a stone first. Not the attacker. Page 32 of the big book for reference.

So if they choose not to burn then burn away for suits or attack flips.

Side note you put very very very little thought into the initiative flip. Turn 1 generally it's just movement here and there. But turn 2 and on wards depending on the game state (whose threatening who) the initiative flip is the most vital part of the game. Losing that loses games. You will notice so many games hinge on that flip. Wether it's a scheme runner dying or not dying killing that model you weakened the prior turn before it can heal etc. Planning 3 models ahead helps but when it comes down to it that initiative flip is all important. Its one of the reasons I have been taking expert slueth lately. Just so I can win those crucial flips.

But all and all not a bad write up.

[Mxbedlam]

The biggest problem with these situations is just that, they are so situational. So much of what I wanted to write, i had to go back and say "well that's not always going to be true." It comes down to game knowledge and intuition. Which writing from the perspective of a beginning player, is hard to fully explain without saying, "you just get a feel for it."  Generally if the opponent's initiative flip is over 9, it seems like a soul stone is wasted in a failed flip. It really depends on how many you have left and what you need those stones for.

[Dafty]

You could save that stone for prevention or defense. True. But if you win that initiative flip you won't need that stone and it will save you other resources (if applicable ofc) but if my options are prevent x damage but still suffer or reflipping the initiative flip. Will go with the flip every time.

But you are right it is subjective to every turn. And changes every turn. But initiative flips win games.

If you went and browsed though battle reports you will see it. The Lamentable initiative flip,

[Mxbedlam]

I agree that initiative flips win games, but its all about the odds too. How likely is it that your second flip is going to be higher than your opponent's flip? If their initiative is 10+ and you know that your model can survive the attack with a damage prevention or positive defense flip, whats more important, the more reliable damage prevention or the unreliable initiative flip? If you have 4 or 5 SS, then maybe you can afford to burn that stone. If you have 1 or 2 left it becomes a gamble.

[Adran]

Side note you put very very very little thought into the initiative flip. Turn 1 generally it's just movement here and there. But turn 2 and on wards depending on the game state (whose threatening who) the initiative flip is the most vital part of the game. Losing that loses games. You will notice so many games hinge on that flip. Wether it's a scheme runner dying or not dying killing that model you weakened the prior turn before it can heal etc. Planning 3 models ahead helps but when it comes down to it that initiative flip is all important. Its one of the reasons I have been taking expert slueth lately. Just so I can win those crucial flips.

But all and all not a bad write up.

 

The iniitative flip is only vital if one or both players made it vital.

 

Unless I have put effort into winning iniative then I play my turn as if I am going to lose it next turn. When you play expecting that, you make different choices, but it does make that flip much less vital. I try and not have to rely on just that one scheme runner escaping to get me the points, or the killing of a vital model, I try to have a back up hitter ready to make sure that it goes my way.

Doesn't always happen, but you can certainly play to mitigate its inmportance 

[Dafty]

I don't disagree. But. In my experience putting yourself in position to kill anything of theirs makes their initiative flip vital. If your doing everything right then they need initiative to hopefully put you on your back foot. Then there is cards making sure bets fail. And vice versa.

Unless both players hide in their respective deployment zones. The initiative flip is and will be vital to one or both players in that game.

To mitigate that threatening multiple fronts will make your opponent make the choice of who he is going to lose. Or what vp he can't get.

[Bodiless]

The impact of the flip also depends on the master. If there is a model that is going to turn on some kind of crippling aura (Brewmaster) then getting an activation in before that hits can be worth practically any cost.