Combat discussion
by Darby Keeney - darby.keeney at gmail dot com


> What should combat actually achieve?

Combat is intended to remove minions from the ready region.

Combat Maxim: When no one else has minions, fewer things are relevant.

Who says you have to oust your prey fast even when you can?

In fact, a relatively fast oust is a huge problem for "real" combat
decks.

Disregarding the "Scariness Factor" -
Think about the situation where you clear your prey's playspace
of vampires early, while there are still 5 players.  You get him
eventually, only to butt heads with someone who had no pressure
all game.  They'll have more minions and more pool than you want
to see, and getting the 2nd VP is therefore more difficult.


Q: When does combat have a comparative advantage over other decks.
A: When there are 3 or fewer remaining Methuselahs.  The advantage
grows if players have partially depleted pool and/or blood resources.

Why?

First you only have to clear 2 (not 4) playspaces of vampires to have
complete free reign over the entire environment.   In addition, you
create what I call "turn advantage" - it's not just a minion advantage, 
you get all the extra perks of productive turns that others will not.

Second, it is now easier to interact with ALL other playspaces -
they occupy predator and prey slots with you.  You may get
interaction by bleeding and blocking - both cardless functions.

Third, there are fewer opportunities, or desire, for crosstable
rescue.  Such things SCREW combat decks, where so many
resources are devoted to putting minions in torpor.

Fourth, if you clear the table of vampires with 3 players remaining,
it should be easy to control the oust order.  Pool totals are
mostly irrelevant.  Given time, you'll get through your prey and
grandprey in order - even if you need to whack a couple more
moles on the way (assuming no self-ousts).

Fifth, your deck can focus more on combat+combat-based
pool loss and less on developing speedy or frequent bleed.
Your combat construct can be bulkier.  You still need to
create some pool damage - but now you focus on card efficiency
instead of speed (and yes, they are greatly different).

Sixth, with no other vampires left, you can vote and/or diablerize
pretty much at will.  The edge goes a long way unless both other
players are vote decks (and maybe, it is worth getting burned
at times).  One voter of your own, and it's smooth sailing for sure.

Seventh, if you do draw into bleed options, you don't worry about
blocks or bounces.  The value of action vs. modifier becomes
less relevant in your bleed choices, and you can go for card
efficiency again.

So, your goal is to get to a 3-player game (with, or without a VP
at that time).  If you can influence the WHOLE table into being
resource-depressed (pool and minions), your advantage grows.
This is part of why I like the several of the pool-loss cards I chose
for this deck [Perpetual Care, Ancilla Empowerment, Tension in the Ranks] 
- they are global, efficient and difficult to counteract.  

If possible, you want to feed VPs to players who have decks you
have a good chance to handle in the 3-way - even more than you
want a VP yourself.  But failing that, who cares in the end, as
long as you are one of the 3 remaining players.

One world-class player I know takes this even farther.  He very
clearly wants to get heads-up in the end, where he figures to
have an advantage due to his deck and play styles.  I've even
seen disciples of his (from his geopgraphical area) adopting
this "I wanna duel" thought process.

I certainly learned a lot from watching him.

But, back to the 3 player, where 1-2 people have died (depends
on table size) - and I don't really care that much who, or where
the VPs fell.

Frontal Assault to clear your prey of vampires and backrush (if
you need, or can based on cardflow) to eliminate threats
to your remaining pool, and if you can generate more pool, buy
another minion.  If you get that done, your combat deck wins.

> It is then you can make your move, and you will still have enough 
> cards to make it through 2 prey, and survive to be last standing...

There it is.....but I prefer those 2 preys to be the last 2
other players.   If I hamstring my first prey in the process, but
don't kill him until the 3-player, that's fine, but I'm likely now
facing my original grandprey as a final predator, and he'll may
be really strong.

That, my friend, is Mergen's Quandry.

For the first 2/3s of the game, you become
a combat deck that doesn't want to fight,
with bleed that you don't want to use,
and pool loss cards not directed solely at your prey.

Weird huh?  But I've seen it time and time again.  [CEL] gun decks,
driven by patient players, generating surprising results.