Pentex Subversion (tm) vs Direct Intervention (& DI2)

I think they're both terribly designed cards. but I get more annoyed by Direct Intervention as a defense card. Pentex Subversion is a great offense card, but sometimes it can be wasted as defense depending on the situation. if one player has enough stealth and/or actions, all you've done is given them a chance to bleed you for 2. not that I'm excusing its power level and versatility, it's just not a universally safe play.

but the 1 pool cost on Direct Intervention makes it too safe to not use in every deck as emergency defense. at the very least you can cancel a conditioning and save yourself 2 pool. cancel your predator's deflection and that means one less bleed you'll have to eat. that's just for the most commonly seen discipline in the game, and that's not to mention all the other disciplines and decks where one well-timed DI can swing the game back in your favor. paying only 1 pool for all that makes it much more attractive for ash heap recursion as well. Dark Influences costs 2 pool and that seems to restrain its abuse, I still don't see it nearly as often as Direct Intervention.

also, DI counters 3/4 of all the library cards printed in the game, which make up around 4/5 of most decks. even in those "Girls will find" decks with a tremendous number of master cards, they still have a couple of Bounces and Deep Songs that are well worth cancelling for 1 pool.

The way I see it:

Pentex Subversion is an enabler, setting up lunges and moves the game forward. As a bonus it also is the only war around Henry Taylor or Magaji silliness if you don't pack Obf, Nec, Dai or Maleficia. it's pretty annoying and probably overplayed too, but it's a neccessity. I wouldn't mind it being once per Meth.

DI is a disabler. It prevents ousts, it silver bullets against stuff you can't be arsed to defend against (mostly seen as anti ally-steal tech) and it slows down the game.

I've been of the opinion DI needs to go from the second it was printed.

Don't forget: Henry Taylor and No Secrets From The Magaji are pure, refined BULLSHIT.

Pentex is the gentleman's way to oust. I'd reword it into allowing the minion to remove Pentex himself though, I don't see why Pentex should cripple Enkidu decks and the like.

If DI was banned, I would think the game was only the better for it. Ousting with Direct Intervention is just cheap, you can't play this or that card anymore and lololo now you fail miserably

Why doesn't anybody play Two Wrongs or Vox Domini? I don't know but I don't play them because DI is better. Also DI, like Pentex is a card that is almost in all my decks, but unlike Pentex it has no specific purpose, it's just a good all around card that can screw almost anything. Hoho you can't play another Immortal Grapple lol now you get 6 pool damage ousted