I'm not sure if this page has a search function of some sort, so forgive me if this has already been posted.
I really feel like any player that doesn't have an elemental with them is at a great disadvantage against the opponent that does. Elementals are crucial to the game, generating power while also emphasizing field presence and attack power on the board. I'm aware that the card randomization has certain rules, like only one elemental wipeout card per player (chain lightning, inferno, Fire 6), so it baffles me that this hasn't been thought of. Is this intentional?
Hello.
1.
You can search using the box on the top of the page, or you can using google syntax to to search in this specific domain:
randomness site:spectromancer.com
elementals site:spectromancer.com
2.
About card randmomeness I know for sure I've had Fire 11, Earth 9, and others, in the same game, so you are not limited to 1 of them.
3.
Also regarding elementals, they're good cards, and also are their 11-12 value counterparts are. And you always draw a mix of them.
¿Did you got a draw with no elementals?
Elementals can certainly be strategy-
defining, but I don't think they are strategy-essential like the presence of sweep spells (F6 F9 A8) or mana gainers or heals are - which is why I can't sign on to the idea that they need to be guaranteed in every opening draw.
I think newer players tend to play slower games, for a few different reasons, and as a result Elementals (which play very well in slow games due to their efficiency but lack of power early on) may look overpowered or crucial. But in games among higher-level players, Elementals are a much more situational move.
When you have no Elementals in your hand - and keep in mind this is a gross oversimplification - the best way to win the game is to defeat your opponent before the game goes too long. This is usually done in one of two ways: Rushing an opponent's life points, or Pressuring the board. Take a look at what cards you have in your hand - especially the cheap and medium-cost creatures - and figure out how you're going to win the game.
If you have cards like Armageddon, Wall of Lightning, Lightning Bolt, Bargul, Griffin, Giant Spider, Insanian Berserker, Wall of Reflections, Spectral Assassin, Timeblazer... then that's a good hand to rush the opponent's life points as early and nakedly as possible. Before choosing this strategy, consider what heals your opponent could have (based on ones you have as well as ones that seem unlikely based on their early plays) - you don't want your opponent to have Ice Guard or Rejuvenation. Try your best to pump whichever class contains your direct damage spell, and place your creatures in unblocked slots unless you really need to kill something. By opting into this all-in playstyle, Elementals will become nearly irrelevant as the game will be decided long before they can scale up.
If you have cards like Minotaur Commander, Inferno, Ice Golem, Giant Turtle, Lightning Cloud, Troll, Titan, Natural Fury, literally anything in the Mechanician or Cultist class, Blood Ritual, Hasten, Ratsmaster... then that's a good hand to try to pressure the board. Play strong creatures from the start, and make sure that anything you place down has a decent chance to win the slot against its opposing creature (considering the ability for both players to support with spells). Consider the chance that an opponent can use a global destruct spell (Armageddon, Acidic Rain, Stone Rain, Cursed Fog) anytime soon. If so, make sure you are only committing a little bit more mana to the board than your opponent is, while trying to attain maximum attack power and beefiness (and if you don't hold at least one of the global destructs, consider not playing this strategy at all). If your opponent is still a long way from being able to use a global destruct, or you suspect they don't have one, then play creatures as big and fast as you can, spending all the mana you need to. By winning creature matchups and breaking slots open, you will whittle your opponent's life points down long before they can get good use out of their Elementals.
Note that both of these strategies sometimes involve playing a bigger creature instead of a mana gainer on your first turn (though not always).
Finally, note the weaknesses of opponent Elementals when planning against them (keeping in mind that your opponent doesn't have to play the Elementals and may be able to easily pivot to other cards from that element):
* Fire Elemental - your opponent is very unlikely to have Armageddon, and will not be able to easily play Flame Wave or Inferno; all this enables your board control strategy.
* Water Elemental - this counts as a heal, and is the least powerful heal in the game over time at only 10 life per 5 turns; this enables your direct damage strategy.
* Air Elemental - not particularly weak to rushes/board control, but it will mean that your opponent will fear a possible Tornado (even if you don't actually have Tornado) and therefore might hesitate to play big creatures like Master Healer or Hydra. This can weaken their defenses to both strategies a bit.
* Earth Elemental - this is a very slow card with no immediate effect, which opens your opponent up to both strategies. It also temporarily weakens their ability to heal a lot with Faerie Sage and Rejuvenation, which enables your direct damage stragegy.
