Tempo - Pay the price

[R3m_Ark]

Since Gwent is a card game without mana pool, we could figure the cards have no cost. But it’s a common mistake. Imagine the game as a bid. Each player has a purse, with many coins. Each coin has a specific value, more or less expensive. For each action, you will have to pay for it, and find the right balance between the cost, and the reward. What is the price we will talk about? It’s not only the cards. It’s a learned mix between deckbuilding, cards value, card advantage, and more. Before each action, player should consider: “Can I pay the price? Should I?”
This article is another way to think about the tempo during the game . For each action, you will have consequence. Our objective will be finding a way to consider wich action is worth.


Deckbuilding: define the cards price.

Cards are played or not, because the price is cheap, and the reward is great. For example, Ciri:Nova. All we need is to play exactly 2 copies of each bronze card in our starting deck. The reward ?One of the most powerful single card finisher.The price seems high, but the reward is high too, so the balance is even, and the card is an usual play in ladder. On the other hand, Dandelion : Vainglory got an huge price, for a weak reward.Expansive cards are pretty uncommon, because we usually play for a certain win, and we need the best conditions to.
Here is the secret of the deckbuilding. Choose the cards with the lower cost, for the higher reward. It’s not only about the value, it’s about synergy, and fighting the meta. For some cards, the price and reward will never change, like Geralt vanilla . Some will change, depending of the meta, the match ups, and how far the game is. That’s why most of players will choose some swiss army knife. The more a card will adapt to the current game, the less she will cost. On the other hand, card with constant rewards or with too much random, or a specific way to be played are not priorities. Except if there is nothing to be played instead of them. Royal decree is a good example. You should not have all your golds in your hand, or she will be a dead card.
For a bronze card, the best price is an easy combo with another one. It could be an active one, like a card playing another one (Elven mercenary, alchemist, greatsword,…) or with a good passive (Redanian elite).The more the combo is easy, the more it will be efficient, because if you have the card without any combo, it’s a dead card, like a Dwarven Agitator without any dwarves.
Silver and gold cards will support your bronze core, and have a higher price, because you only have one example. Here, we have the most variations between players, because it depends of how you want to play, and which price you will accept to pay for this or this reward. If you choose to play your mage or not, depend of weather, will you focus to tech against some specific match-ups.
If you choose to have only one condition (a discard Bran only focusing on Ciri: Dash as an example), maybe the price is too high. Because if you lose this condition, defeat is near.

So, how to define the card price during deckbuilding?
We could tell apart 3 types of cards.

The first ones: they are easy to use, they adapt easily to different match up. Common in every decks, you can’t imagine playing without them. They will provide thinning, value, core game, win condition. Synergy with the others will be powerful, or at least won’t disturb your deck. Imagine playing as Skellige, Hym, Sigrdrifa, Coral or even priestess. Those cards get all the conditions, they will carry the deck, answer to most of situation, and for Coral, provide some powerplay.

The second ones: they are powerful, but more tricky. Usually, those kinds of cards are called “adaptable slot”. Always as an SK player, will you choose Birna for a long round, or Geralt:Igni to punish your opponent? They are powerful, able to make you win, but situationals and can be bricked in R3. So is Roach, because you don’t want to draw her. The reward is worth only if you can use them in a specific way. Those cards make the difference between the decks, and are reliable to the meta. They will change between players, what is currently played etc. Mandrake is a good example too. If you face too many Sabbath or alchemy feat Cahir, you can adapt yourself and play mandrake, in order to counter your opponents.

The third ones: the price is too high, and they are played only in a specific way. If they are played. King of beggars is a good example. He won’t make you win a round, he will use a silver slot. The price is hard, and the reward is too low to be interesting.

 

[R3m_Ark]

Let’s play, and pay .

The first step is the mulligan. Which card do you want to keep, which one do you want to black list. You pay the price here, deciding want do you want to keep and play now, will you mulligan a card, expecting to have it later or no. Obviously, it will depend of your deckbuilding, and the reward or penalty will be immediate. There is no rule here; it’s your own choice. How do you want to play, interact with your opponent, build your victory, here are the questions.
Loosing coinflip create another choice. Will you pay to win the first round, or will you drypass and let your opponent pay for the first round.
Depending of your opponent, but sometimes, you can consider an early pass, because the reward will be worth it. Some decks need a lot of thinning to be efficient, like Folest 40, NG Alchemy. Some will drypass, or play shorts r1, because your opponent will brick some cards. They need to play, to fill the graveyeard and thin too. If you do an earlypass, strategy will be damaged.
Be sure to have a good knowledge of the meta, in order to do the right choice.
Card advantage is another price. Some archetypes don’t need to think about CA, they can deal with 2 cards down, like MO consume. Because, even if they stopped playing, cards will keep playing alone, like vran warriors, redanian Knight-elect, or a Mahakam marauder on a beer row. Of course, they will like to have CA. But if their cards keep playing, or if they can create some huge value with few cards in the next round, they will pay the price of CA without problem.
Some cards are exponential. They need to be played as late as possible, in order to destroy the more powerful card. Coral, Schirru are good example, depending of MU and how your opponent is playing, it’s not a golden rule, sometimes the value is what your opponent can’t build, not what he did.
So technically…what happens during a game?
Tempo is like a pendulum. After you and your opponent played, check the value. Who is winning the round, how many cards in both hands, which cards where played, how many left in the deck, how is the graveyard. If you’re winning, can you pass easily, or can you create so much value he won’t be even in one card ?

Let’s imagine, you’re still playing Skellige. You’re even in card, but you opponent got more value on the board than you, let’s think about 15. If you play, you will be one card behind. You must ask yourself: «if I play, is it worth it? How can I create 15+ value?” Because if you only create 15, your opponent will be free to pass, and you will have the choice between playing another card, being 2 cards below, or pass and start final round 1 card below. To create this value, can you just play a bronze card, like a spearmaiden, giving you value AND thinning, or will you sacrifice Coral, while you can consider she will kill a finisher? Your archetype must play with your graveyard, so it could be interesting to thin and fill it.
Depending of your opponent, but sometimes, you can consider an early pass, because the reward will be worth it. Some decks need a lot of thinning to be efficient, like Folest 40, NG Alchemy. Some will drypass, or play shorts r1, because your opponent will brick some cards. They need to play, to fill the graveyeard and thin too. If you do an earlypass, strategy will be damaged.
How and when use your gold and finisher. Or your cards have a specific way to be used, like Brewess:Ritual, which need to fill your graveyard first, and is more enjoyable to be played in R3, or finishers like Ciri:Nova, or they will tutor your deck, and you need to play them in early game, like Jan Natalis. Or you cards need to be played at the very best moment to give you victory or a large advantage, like Djikstra, Schirru or Coral. It’s not so easy to find this moment, and this choice will certainly make the difference between good and very good players. And here we are, asking ourselves, is the reward worth it? In this moment, you need to consider all infos about the meta, why did you choose this card over another, what are the consequences, which is the impact to your opponent? As an exemple, imagine you are playing ST spell vs NG alchemy. When your opponent drops a viper witcher, you muzzle him. Consequence, one target less for ointment, and one less removal. Artefact compression one the second one, Eithne + artefact compression on the third one. Maybe it seems expensive for the value, but you’re building for the next rounds, so it could be worth it.
Loosing CA in first round could be nice rewarded. If your opponent pass, while you have your spy in your hand, you can accept to play some cards and take the first round, only for one card. Then open the second round with your spy, and pass. What’s the reward? You took the first round, are even in card, and will be the last to play. If you opponent choose to play his spy in final round, he will play last, but we will give you 13 points. Of course, it’s not a sacred rule. Depending of the match up, you can choose to bleed R2, because you will be in charge of the tempo, and choose if R3 will be short or long. We can say it’s a pretty nice reward for one card below in R1.


In conclusion, which and how?

Which card should be played? If some cards are played by all the pros, the reason is they all have the same conclusion: the reward of picking this card instead of this one is the higher they can have. Because the cards are easy to use, good synergy with the core deck, and flexible. The tricky one will depend of the players, how they want to play, which archetype they usually face or are uncomfortable.
How, depends of the situation and many set up. If you imagine to play a card only in a specific way, or the card isn’t flexible enough, or you should increase your knowledge of the use you could have. Many combos could be create, or broken, with a card. You spy can protect you from a scorch, your finisher could be used in R2 if you can’t pay to win the round.
Each decks and games are different. We can’t say “this game will be play that way, I must play this card then this card”, because your mulligan, coinflip, opponent’s choices won’t be always the same, including RNG. But one question is universal: if you want take an action, consider: what’s the cost, and what’s the reward?

 

[veirant]

Everything is absolutely true, but does the cyclical use of classical combinations require such an in-depth philosophy?

These reflections make sense in relation to the unique archetypes, and not to the current learned tactics and decks.

Google transleter, i hate you.

 

[BACONZAO]

Let’s play, and pay .

The first step is the mulligan. Which card do you want to keep, which one do you want to black list. You pay the price here, deciding want do you want to keep and play now, will you mulligan a card, expecting to have it later or no. Obviously, it will depend of your deckbuilding, and the reward or penalty will be immediate. There is no rule here; it’s your own choice. How do you want to play, interact with your opponent, build your victory, here are the questions.
Loosing coinflip create another choice. Will you pay to win the first round, or will you drypass and let your opponent pay for the first round.
Depending of your opponent, but sometimes, you can consider an early pass, because the reward will be worth it. Some decks need a lot of thinning to be efficient, like Folest 40, NG Alchemy. Some will drypass, or play shorts r1, because your opponent will brick some cards. They need to play, to fill the graveyeard and thin too. If you do an earlypass, strategy will be damaged.
Be sure to have a good knowledge of the meta, in order to do the right choice.
Card advantage is another price. Some archetypes don’t need to think about CA, they can deal with 2 cards down, like MO consume. Because, even if they stopped playing, cards will keep playing alone, like vran warriors, redanian Knight-elect, or a Mahakam marauder on a beer row. Of course, they will like to have CA. But if their cards keep playing, or if they can create some huge value with few cards in the next round, they will pay the price of CA without problem.
Some cards are exponential. They need to be played as late as possible, in order to destroy the more powerful card. Coral, Schirru are good example, depending of MU and how your opponent is playing, it’s not a golden rule, sometimes the value is what your opponent can’t build, not what he did.
So technically…what happens during a game?
Tempo is like a pendulum. After you and your opponent played, check the value. Who is winning the round, how many cards in both hands, which cards where played, how many left in the deck, how is the graveyard. If you’re winning, can you pass easily, or can you create so much value he won’t be even in one card ?

Let’s imagine, you’re still playing Skellige. You’re even in card, but you opponent got more value on the board than you, let’s think about 15. If you play, you will be one card behind. You must ask yourself: «if I play, is it worth it? How can I create 15+ value?” Because if you only create 15, your opponent will be free to pass, and you will have the choice between playing another card, being 2 cards below, or pass and start final round 1 card below. To create this value, can you just play a bronze card, like a spearmaiden, giving you value AND thinning, or will you sacrifice Coral, while you can consider she will kill a finisher? Your archetype must play with your graveyard, so it could be interesting to thin and fill it.
Depending of your opponent, but sometimes, you can consider an early pass, because the reward will be worth it. Some decks need a lot of thinning to be efficient, like Folest 40, NG Alchemy. Some will drypass, or play shorts r1, because your opponent will brick some cards. They need to play, to fill the graveyeard and thin too. If you do an earlypass, strategy will be damaged.
How and when use your gold and finisher. Or your cards have a specific way to be used, like Brewess:Ritual, which need to fill your graveyard first, and is more enjoyable to be played in R3, or finishers like Ciri:Nova, or they will tutor your deck, and you need to play them in early game, like Jan Natalis. Or you cards need to be played at the very best moment to give you victory or a large advantage, like Djikstra, Schirru or Coral. It’s not so easy to find this moment, and this choice will certainly make the difference between good and very good players. And here we are, asking ourselves, is the reward worth it? In this moment, you need to consider all infos about the meta, why did you choose this card over another, what are the consequences, which is the impact to your opponent? As an exemple, imagine you are playing ST spell vs NG alchemy. When your opponent drops a viper witcher, you muzzle him. Consequence, one target less for ointment, and one less removal. Artefact compression one the second one, Eithne + artefact compression on the third one. Maybe it seems expensive for the value, but you’re building for the next rounds, so it could be worth it.
Loosing CA in first round could be nice rewarded. If your opponent pass, while you have your spy in your hand, you can accept to play some cards and take the first round, only for one card. Then open the second round with your spy, and pass. What’s the reward? You took the first round, are even in card, and will be the last to play. If you opponent choose to play his spy in final round, he will play last, but we will give you 13 points. Of course, it’s not a sacred rule. Depending of the match up, you can choose to bleed R2, because you will be in charge of the tempo, and choose if R3 will be short or long. We can say it’s a pretty nice reward for one card below in R1.


In conclusion, which and how?

Which card should be played? If some cards are played by all the pros, the reason is they all have the same conclusion: the reward of picking this card instead of this one is the higher they can have. Because the cards are easy to use, good synergy with the core deck, and flexible. The tricky one will depend of the players, how they want to play, which archetype they usually face or are uncomfortable.
How, depends of the situation and many set up. If you imagine to play a card only in a specific way, or the card isn’t flexible enough, or you should increase your knowledge of the use you could have. Many combos could be create, or broken, with a card. You spy can protect you from a scorch, your finisher could be used in R2 if you can’t pay to win the round.
Each decks and games are different. We can’t say “this game will be play that way, I must play this card then this card”, because your mulligan, coinflip, opponent’s choices won’t be always the same, including RNG. But one question is universal: if you want take an action, consider: what’s the cost, and what’s the reward?

Excelent post