Mutually Assured Destruction

[BlankTrack]

Just had a super interesting thing happen in a Vaath vs Vaath match. I was playing my Vaath Control, against a somewhat standard midrange Vaath. I believe that my opponent was a somewhat newer player because his deck was missing some key cards that would have let him close out the game sooner.

Anyway, several turns after 9 mana, both players were at relatively low health. Not really low health, but when dealing with Overloaded Vaath that might have Bounded Lifeforce you can never really be too careful. We both refused to approach the other, and even after using an Earthsphere to heal up to 15 or so HP, I still didn’t feel comfortable duking it out.

We both just kept dancing just out of the opponents range, dropping our subpar minions(Blistering Skorn no AoE, Makantor dies to general attack, Celebrant doesn’t help at 9 mana) and removing them. We both knew that if either of us stepped forward the game would end with both of our deaths. After realizing this, I just replaced Bounded Lifeforce. The card was useless. All it could do for me was secure a draw. I toil with my mediocre deck creations in order to settle for a draw. I will try to win. Eventually my opponent grew bored and just went for the tie, but I drew or replaced into my trusty Groovy Lion a few turns back, and it won me the game.

Mutually Assured Destruction was a concept that I had learned about in High School. It was in reference to Nuclear War, and that if one country launched weapons at another, the target would have time to retaliate and would return fire, resulting in both nations devastation. Just gave me a moment to think about how much I enjoy playing this game, and the little intricate situations that can pop up. If only there were Grove Lions in real life…

[kelvindagr8]

Generally, if you don’t have repositioning cards, he who moves first, loses. After all, if you’re in a position to dispel and smash, you’re in a good place.

[BlankTrack]

Yup. I run 1x Silhouette Tracer, but I used it to create distance after I had gotten surrounded midgame. Card is for that situation, but too specific I feel to run more than 1 copy.

I want to include some dispel but I am not a fan of Eph Shroud, and Lightbender is awful with Vaath. Thumping Wave, Egg Morph, are usually enough for me, and Nat Selection and Plasma Storm can prevent effects a tad too.

[kelvindagr8]

Yeah, I used to like ephemeral, but after mana death grip, it’s just not my cup of tea anymore.

[deathsadvocate]

I love those games, only time decking out has ever been a concern, but they almost always end in a draw because the one that will die from the two damage deck out is forced to get agressive first, and if it has truely hit that point it’s going to be a draw. I have been in games where I just know both of us have used all tigers, elucidators, and makantors, and it’s wonderful.

[genkei]

Had a similar game a while (months) ago. I was at some 5 hp as Lilithe vs Zir’an. I had Deathfire equiped and around 38 attack (yes, thats how long we have been dancing on safe distance). I was just waiting for 1 of 2 Tracers in my deck, or the remaining copy of ritual banishing and Zir’an keept summoning minions and slowly peeled through my wall of wraithlings. I won on the last possible turn, before her army would have passed my wall and pushed me to the corner. If I remember corectly, that was at rank 6, and both of us wanted to win really bad. Fun times.