Post by mikeEB on Jul 26, 2011 16:01:04 GMT -5
Dummy (v): To break off the of casting a spell, usually immediately before the final gesture.
The purpose of dummying is to present a new that requires a different answer from the original threat. A successful dummy yields a 1-gesture tempo advantage as your opponent spends a turn trying to answer the wrong threat.
Some gestures are inherently more flexible than others; they are the best to dummy from. They are more likely to have a delayed threat available that needs a different response from the immediate threat. Critically, the two most flexible gestures (D and S) have dummy options (SW/SF and DP/DF) that require different responses from each other and also from an almost-complete spell. Flexibility cuts the other way too. It's best in general to dummy at the same time as an expected lower-flexibility gesture because the opponent has fewer ways to transform their weave into something else useful.
In summary, you should consider dummying whenever:
*Your opponent is considering a counterspell OR cancelling mindspells
*The spell you are threatening exerts soft control (i.e. it requires a response)
*The weave you are dummying into is effective against the move your opponent, on the turn of the dummy, would use against the spell you are threatening
OR (this isn't really considered dummying)
*The spell you are abandoning will definitely be ineffective
*The weave you are using instead may be effective
And here are the game's basic dummies, along with what the opponent has to do at the same time as the dummy to come out ahead (the counter):
High flexibility gestures (these dummy into both immediate disruptions and non-disruption threats, and can have 3 or more viable continuations from the same position):
S
SF threatens to grab initiative and maybe damage with a goblin. The general counters are to hit with an equal or larger spell in 0-2 turns, to gesture S(threatening missile), PS(missile and charm monster) or to use Protection.
SW threatens immediate disruption. The counter is to use a fear-tolerant weave. or to complete your spell(s) next turn (i.e. the turn of the fear)
SP threatens a disruptive and potentially game-ending extended permanency weave, and occasionally time stop. The counters are W or disruption.
SD kills a goblin if they don't shield it or gains a small health advantage. The counter is generally to ignore it or to protect the goblin with a shield.
D
DP threatens immediate, heavy disruption. The generally correct counter is to gesture D or threaten another mindspell or counterspell.
DS threatens an immediate, light disruption with faster follow-up options including a potentially game-ending Disease attack. The general counter is simply to use a maladroit-absorbing weave or to start/continue a strong spell.
DF threatens several spells that gain a health lead. It also leads into a nasty fork between Lightning Bolt and paralysis. The best counter is to threaten a disruption or delayed disruption. A reasonable reaction is to gesture W.
DW does not immediately threaten anything, but reinforces a couple of W spells with the option to dummy into Blindness/Poison. The counter is to be aggressive in general.
Medium-flexibility gestures:
P (no immediate threat but a large variety of extended threats.)
PS Leads into ogre and both disruptive and defensive charm. This is the strongest two-gesture sequence in the game. The general counter is a W or a strong immediate or threatened disruption (i.e. not Maladroit), or a delayed disruption AND a P.
PW Leads into PWP and nothing else; however, PWP is itself quite flexible and feeds a number of extended weaves. The appropriate counter or response is to prepare disruptions with both hands in order to avoid the potential FoD or Haste.
PD Leads into a fork between the defensive PDWP and the D-based disruptions. The appropriate counter is anything but delayed disruptions and poison/disease.
PP Leads into invisibility and nothing else. The appropriate counters are W, P and D.
Low-flexibility gestures
W (Defensively versatile but non-disruptive. Can threaten to gain a health lead.)
WW Totally defensive; threatens counterspell and protection. Notably, it can be used to 'suspend' a counterspell for several turns. The general counter is to prepare something dummyable.
WP Fork threat between immediate counterspell, delayed Cause Heavy and highly delayed P weaves. Very similar to WW in terms of the required response. The usual counter is to grab initiative in two turns.
WF Threatens Cause Light and nothing else. It is often ignorable but especially bad against delayed summons.
WD Threatens to end the game if the opponent has low life. Correct response is W at low life but otherwise it's ignorable.
WS See WD except weaker.
F (anything but para gets countered on reaction)
FF Leads into paralysis, delayed paralysis, and extended parachains. Anti-para tactics are beyond the scope of this, but generally include protecting a summon spell with another spell.
FP See 'P' and delay everything by a turn. The correct response is pretty much any form of disruption.
FS Threatens to threaten to gain a large health lead. This wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the other good options out of S. A reaction of W neutralizes most of its lines, with the notable exception of SFW.
C
Clap is not really worth talking about in the context of dummying since it does not occur in the middle of any spells.
(tl;dr don't use F unless you mean it)
(work in progress. Help is welcome particularly with the counters and reactions)
The purpose of dummying is to present a new that requires a different answer from the original threat. A successful dummy yields a 1-gesture tempo advantage as your opponent spends a turn trying to answer the wrong threat.
Some gestures are inherently more flexible than others; they are the best to dummy from. They are more likely to have a delayed threat available that needs a different response from the immediate threat. Critically, the two most flexible gestures (D and S) have dummy options (SW/SF and DP/DF) that require different responses from each other and also from an almost-complete spell. Flexibility cuts the other way too. It's best in general to dummy at the same time as an expected lower-flexibility gesture because the opponent has fewer ways to transform their weave into something else useful.
In summary, you should consider dummying whenever:
*Your opponent is considering a counterspell OR cancelling mindspells
*The spell you are threatening exerts soft control (i.e. it requires a response)
*The weave you are dummying into is effective against the move your opponent, on the turn of the dummy, would use against the spell you are threatening
OR (this isn't really considered dummying)
*The spell you are abandoning will definitely be ineffective
*The weave you are using instead may be effective
And here are the game's basic dummies, along with what the opponent has to do at the same time as the dummy to come out ahead (the counter):
High flexibility gestures (these dummy into both immediate disruptions and non-disruption threats, and can have 3 or more viable continuations from the same position):
S
SF threatens to grab initiative and maybe damage with a goblin. The general counters are to hit with an equal or larger spell in 0-2 turns, to gesture S(threatening missile), PS(missile and charm monster) or to use Protection.
SW threatens immediate disruption. The counter is to use a fear-tolerant weave. or to complete your spell(s) next turn (i.e. the turn of the fear)
SP threatens a disruptive and potentially game-ending extended permanency weave, and occasionally time stop. The counters are W or disruption.
SD kills a goblin if they don't shield it or gains a small health advantage. The counter is generally to ignore it or to protect the goblin with a shield.
D
DP threatens immediate, heavy disruption. The generally correct counter is to gesture D or threaten another mindspell or counterspell.
DS threatens an immediate, light disruption with faster follow-up options including a potentially game-ending Disease attack. The general counter is simply to use a maladroit-absorbing weave or to start/continue a strong spell.
DF threatens several spells that gain a health lead. It also leads into a nasty fork between Lightning Bolt and paralysis. The best counter is to threaten a disruption or delayed disruption. A reasonable reaction is to gesture W.
DW does not immediately threaten anything, but reinforces a couple of W spells with the option to dummy into Blindness/Poison. The counter is to be aggressive in general.
Medium-flexibility gestures:
P (no immediate threat but a large variety of extended threats.)
PS Leads into ogre and both disruptive and defensive charm. This is the strongest two-gesture sequence in the game. The general counter is a W or a strong immediate or threatened disruption (i.e. not Maladroit), or a delayed disruption AND a P.
PW Leads into PWP and nothing else; however, PWP is itself quite flexible and feeds a number of extended weaves. The appropriate counter or response is to prepare disruptions with both hands in order to avoid the potential FoD or Haste.
PD Leads into a fork between the defensive PDWP and the D-based disruptions. The appropriate counter is anything but delayed disruptions and poison/disease.
PP Leads into invisibility and nothing else. The appropriate counters are W, P and D.
Low-flexibility gestures
W (Defensively versatile but non-disruptive. Can threaten to gain a health lead.)
WW Totally defensive; threatens counterspell and protection. Notably, it can be used to 'suspend' a counterspell for several turns. The general counter is to prepare something dummyable.
WP Fork threat between immediate counterspell, delayed Cause Heavy and highly delayed P weaves. Very similar to WW in terms of the required response. The usual counter is to grab initiative in two turns.
WF Threatens Cause Light and nothing else. It is often ignorable but especially bad against delayed summons.
WD Threatens to end the game if the opponent has low life. Correct response is W at low life but otherwise it's ignorable.
WS See WD except weaker.
F (anything but para gets countered on reaction)
FF Leads into paralysis, delayed paralysis, and extended parachains. Anti-para tactics are beyond the scope of this, but generally include protecting a summon spell with another spell.
FP See 'P' and delay everything by a turn. The correct response is pretty much any form of disruption.
FS Threatens to threaten to gain a large health lead. This wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the other good options out of S. A reaction of W neutralizes most of its lines, with the notable exception of SFW.
C
Clap is not really worth talking about in the context of dummying since it does not occur in the middle of any spells.
(tl;dr don't use F unless you mean it)
(work in progress. Help is welcome particularly with the counters and reactions)