Estiah

[Severian]

Well, we have no chance against Evolutions' upcoming siege, but I don't think we'll lose building points since this time nothing is in progress.

Regardless, I took a closer look at our squads now that I can get some sense of people's decks from the last battle report. I've done a little more re-arranging, mainly making sure that inside the squads the focus-players are going first. I've put notes on two of the squads, which you can see on mouseover. I think our #2 squad level-wise (Vorpal Bunnies) might actually beat our #1 squad (Red Panda Platoon) head to head, since it has twice the focus and everyone is doing the same type of damage. That will get kills, and as soon as you get that first kill and it's 4 on 3 you've suddenly reduced the opponent's damage output to 75% (all else being equal). Any scattered will or spirit cards in guild decks are just wasted turns in GvG, and armor/ward isn't much better, unless you're the designated protect tank.

[sidereal]

Actually, I have focus in there.  Just didn't manage to come out in the last couple of fights.

Gear 'Siege' (29 charms)
Melee: 12 (20% P)
Magic: 318 + 9 (19% P), destroy 90 ward
Shifting: 36 (45% P)

Ward: 9 cumulative

Extra attacks: 2
Summons: 3
Banes: 1
Auras: 3
Focus: 3 (24)

I'd love to get more banes/poison.  Looks like the best choice at my level is Duelist Consuming Flame

[sidereal]

Also, we're a little gimped in sieges because we don't have any seals, which are sort of global attacks to help out defenders.  We need the Sanctuary to build to get them, and the one thing we're missing (other than cash) to start the build is a single Bloodred gem, which as far as I can tell are got by running The Abandoned Manor in Wildhowl.  I've run it twice in the past two days without getting a gem, but if anyone else is in the area and of a high enough level, it's worth trying to get one.

[Lantyssa]

I'm attempting to get more focus cards, but somehow forgot to get one of my primary ingredients.  So it'll be another two days.  Then I plan on heading over to that side of the map.

[Delmania]

I am trying to build a solid guild deck, but my money is rather limiting.  Since I am aiming for the Death Knight class, I've been trying to focus on sword, shadow, and spirit cards, but I've been holding off on buying any fighter charms until I hit 27..

I know it's been mentioned, what's the game's policy on alts in a guild?

[Azuredream]

Bat Country is victorious!

Bat Country's rating increases by 40.
Evolutions's rating decreases by 40.

They weren't very good and we managed to pair all their level 30 guys with our low levels.

[Lantyssa]

I am trying to build a solid guild deck, but my money is rather limiting.  Since I am aiming for the Death Knight class, I've been trying to focus on sword, shadow, and spirit cards, but I've been holding off on buying any fighter charms until I hit 27..

I know it's been mentioned, what's the game's policy on alts in a guild?

Alts in the guild seems fine, it's mentoring your own characters which I have seen said as a no-no.

I was thinking I'd go Death Knight, but I'm wondering about Inquisitor now.  I'm loving my magic decks.  Recent attack by a character two levels higher.  His deck didn't seem all that great, but I just shreded him.

[Ard]

Alts in the guild seems fine, it's mentoring your own characters which I have seen said as a no-no.

Tangental to this, one of my alts is apparently an award winning pet racer, if we ever need trophies to build vaults.

[sidereal]

The second battle in that guild rumble was fantastic.  Thus far it looks like about 80% of guild battles are decided before they start by the level difference, but that one was comparable levels and went down to the wire.

Still some bad cards rolling around guild decks, though.  Taking damage yourself to do spirit damage is a big minus.  I haven't seen an exhausted player in a guild battle yet, even with all the extra attacks.  Spirit damage and Willpower need to get taken out.

[sidereal]

Got the Bloodred gem.  The only thing between us and the Sanctuary is cash.

[FatuousTwat]

I was trying to get it yesterday, but that vamp was kicking my ass.

[Lantyssa]

Still some bad cards rolling around guild decks, though.  Taking damage yourself to do spirit damage is a big minus.  I haven't seen an exhausted player in a guild battle yet, even with all the extra attacks.  Spirit damage and Willpower need to get taken out.

In a guild battle a pure Spirit deck will be a weakness.  If everyone played it though, it could be pretty devastating.  Also, if dual-purpose spirit cards are played it could also  have the benefit of forcing them to discard some of the cards which let them do combos while not completely sapping your ability to do damage.

Mind-flay is a good card, but probably not in a guild battle as you say.  Too much damage is being thrown around so damaging yourself without significantly boosting your own damage or armor isn't a good trade-off.  (Two point spirit damage cards that don't hurt you aren't that far off, either.)

For my own build Will is very important.  It lets me cast my Scout Hastened cards without forcing me to discard half my deck and provides a bit of defense when I do run into a Spirit build.  Without it I do end up running out of cards.

[Pezzle]

Magic inclined extra turn decks would do well picking up blue dragon bones.

PS. dammit, I leveled.  I am inactive!  Really!

[Delmania]

I haven't seen an exhausted player in a guild battle yet, even with all the extra attacks.  Spirit damage and Willpower need to get taken out.

The purpose of spirit actions isn't necessarily exhaustion, more to reduce the what can be used against us.

[Severian]

I'm sure we could create a spirit attack squad, in fact I could man half of it, both my characters have strong spirit attacks (each currently has 10 of the 2x attacks and at least 10 singles). I'd be interested in how effective it would be. We can name the squads by tactic to make it easy to keep straight.

What I think is ineffective is trying to do two different tactics in the same squad, which means the same fight. If half of us are attacking HP and the other are attacking spirit, our opponent get two defensive pools to utilize, each being attacked at only half effort.

The purpose of spirit actions isn't necessarily exhaustion, more to reduce the what can be used against us.

Since cards are played randomly out of the deck, and spirit attacks remove cards randomly, there's really no such thing as reducing options unless you do reduce them all, inducing exhaustion. If the other guy doesn't run out of cards in a match, it doesn't matter whether he has 30 left or 1, and it doesn't matter what they are.


Armor/ward works still well against a disorganized opponent, I noticed. If they're spreading their attacks all over then it's as effective as if it were four one-on-one battles. In a focus vs. focus battle, however, my theory is still that it only helps 25% of the time, when you are the one under attack, and meanwhile 100% of the time when your squad is on the attack and attacking the opponent 4-on-1 you are contributing nothing.

[Severian]

Before:

Lost the guild battle.  They stuck all their worst guys in the first group, which our best group crushed, and then yadda yadda.  This, apparently, is a strategy.

After:

They weren't very good and we managed to pair all their level 30 guys with our low levels.

Subject demonstrates evidence of learning.

[Lantyssa]

I could offer to do a Spirit/Turtle deck, but I think right now I'm probably our top damage producer with my magic deck simply by dent (dint?) of levels.

[Kageru]

A paladin with protect, focus cards and their numerous gain armor + attack and add armor to damage charms looks pretty good. Though it's going to be quite a while before I'm even a recruit let alone at that point. Had a look at the heirarch class and it seems to be full of willpower mechanics which don't really interest me much.

[sidereal]

I'm running a Guard/Warlord alt (that I'll invite into the guild any day now) to see if tanking is a reasonable strategy.  And I just started up a Wizard/Inquisitor alt today to try to setup a heavy poison/bane deck.

[sidereal]

We should discuss which Seal we should work toward once the Sanctuary is complete.  Seals trigger at the beginning of each guild battle and offer some benefit to the defender.

These are the options that will be immediately available:
Stone Seal: 46 Armor
Water Seal: 46 Ward
Sky Seal: +59 to first magic attack
Forest Seal: 72 magic damage over 12 turns

I'm leaning to Sky (59 * 4 is 218 quick magic damage.  If a focus gets out early, most or all could be on the same target).  Forest is more total damage (248), but it gets spread evenly over the enemy units and is metered out over time.

Alternately, we could punt on it and wait for Wizard Study II to get Lethargy Seal (-9 to target's melee (ongoing)).

[Lantyssa]

I'd say Sky Seal, too, as it doesn't give them a lot of time to get wards up against it.  We might want to go for the War Banner next as people are hitting the 20s and the white shards are going to be level restricted for obtaining.

I'm waffling between Rogue->Death Knight and Shaman->Inquisitor now.  Any opinions?

[Azuredream]

I would pick inquisitor since the pure spirit destruction deck sounds like fun. I don't know what you were angling for.. deathknight seemed to have more versatility/split focus. I'm angling for novice->sage->heirarch. Sage's ward projection looks like it could be pretty good, and I like playing healing characters.

We might want to go for the War Banner next as people are hitting the 20s and the white shards are going to be level restricted for obtaining.

http://estiah.aswt.net/index.php?title=Soul_Blacksmith

No need to hurry on the Banner.

[LK]

I feel a gravitational pull from this thread but not enough to get invested in. Sounds fun though.

[Pezzle]

Estiah is very grindy and requires lots of planning/research in order to be a real success.  It can be quite fun though.  You can pvp in most places.  The one on one pvp has no real downside.


Behold the glory of my farmed up fury potions on some random guy!  Yes, I am willing to take advantage of those with vastly lower pvp ratings!  Only viewable to those who play.

http://www.estiah.com/character/combat/replay/id/4829545/owner/20859

[Soln]

why isn't this easier to play?  I signed up and I almost face palmed on the first page.  I mean, it's Eve all over again.  No?

[Lantyssa]

I don't know having never gotten invested in Eve.  I picked it up fairly quickly though.

[Severian]

I don't know having never gotten invested in Eve.  I picked it up fairly quickly though.

Likewise. Note the "Tutorial" link on the top right which gives you a basic introduction to the screens. And there's a FAQ, and the forum has additional beginner tips.

On another subject, gathering, specifically exploring, has become much more interesting since March 31. I've discovered a hidden shop with unique charms in one town and a hidden encounter in another, which once I figure out how to beat it, will give me the crafting materials I need for the shop. And develops a Treasure Hunter skill.

[ezrast]

The game design is actually pretty streamlined once you figure it out. Also, the only lasting mistake you can make early on is working a job with stats you don't need, which is pretty inconsequential at low levels.

It's probably easier to figure out than it is to have explained.

[Severian]

I'm starting to see how group battle gets more interesting. Just like the Seal we're working on which will give us a collective bonus, there are charms which apply to groups, and which can even be used in conjunction by multiple players to change/magnify their effects. I'm a few levels away from being able to acquire some of the charms here, which can do things like 22 damage to all enemies or +6 to all allies' magic attacks, and if those two effects are played by teammates on the same turn, they result in an ongoing -16 to all enemies magic.

I also like how it's somewhat unpredictable; you can increase the probability of the powerful combo happening, but only by discarding other useful charms. Like the Blessing of Grimox dynamic, I like how that's designed.

[Lantyssa]

I made it down to that shop today.  I'm going to bounce between Chopley and the Temple to collect a few sets of those cards.  I have a lot of higher level focus cards I'll be getting access to soon as well.

We did well in the Siege, again.  Two of our primary groups won, so it was enough to hold out.

[Delmania]

I also like how it's somewhat unpredictable; you can increase the probability of the powerful combo happening, but only by discarding other useful charms. Like the Blessing of Grimox dynamic, I like how that's designed.

I like that concept as well.  The only problem is that Lez and Nip are remarklably difficult to defeat.

[Azuredream]

I also like how it's somewhat unpredictable; you can increase the probability of the powerful combo happening, but only by discarding other useful charms. Like the Blessing of Grimox dynamic, I like how that's designed.

I like that concept as well.  The only problem is that Lez and Nip are remarklably difficult to defeat.

I found just stacking as much damage as you can and hoping you don't get focused off the start leads to victory a majority of the time, even for my L19 (at the time) guy.

edit: Also that siege was remarkably pointless 

Akasuki gains 23 honor points.
Akasuki's rating increases by 4.
Bat Country's rating decreases by 4.
Bat Country loses 0 building points.
Akasuki gains 0 gold.

[sidereal]

Totally pointless.  It's the Estiah equivalent of ganking, but it didn't even inconvenience the victim.

Speaking of victimhood, our Sky Seal is in process of building and we might be able to squeeze it in before the next siege (they're coming hot and heavy!)

The material gathering got a lot faster when I realized that most of the materials were for sale in Eclis.

[Pezzle]

It seems being an outlaw is a skill.  So I have that going for me.

[Ard]

Only need one more person to build to finish the seal, I can't again until tomorrow morning, unless you want to invite one of my alts.