How do you play Temptation of Greater Power?

Every time I play Temptation of Greater Power, it's a disaster. I haven't been able to pin down the right time and way to play it. So let me open up discussion with a few questions:

What is its purpose?

Which vampire do you target?

How much pool do you spend on it? What is the optimal bidding strategy?

I don't tend to play it BUT...

1) It's a way to make your prey cripple themself to save a key minion.

2) The minion they would least like to lose and your GPrey would probably like to have. Good targets would be a Superstar, a Key Blocker, the Key Bleeder, the "Main Cog" (e.g. Sargon in a Sargon-Enticement Deck).

3) I tend to bid enough to make it uncomfortable for my prey and I also try to make sure I am not the one actually winning the bid.

1 - Do you have a target? Obviously, stealing Yorik won't be very useful.

1.1 - What is a good target?
A "good target" would be one of the following:
- A vampire that highly reduces your chances of a GW. Examples: Inner Circle with Legendary Vampire when you're playing a vote deck. Cailean when you're playing a close-range combat deck. Carna if you're playing a low-stealth deck. Aksynia if you're playing a heavy-single-bleeder deck.
Note that one shouldn't be mean with this card. Yes, you can buy your grand predator's Eze with 10 Oruns. But you're still going to bleed for not much with it ..

1.2 - Is it the right time?
Don't you have better to do with that Master Phase Action? (play Dreams to draw ousting cards?, Minion Tap to stay alive?)
If the move (playing the card + bidding, doesn't have to include the new vampire) doesn't guarantee at least a VP, then it's not the right time. If the VP is hypothetical and won't come before 2-3 difficult turns (when you'll have less pool), it's not the right time.
I don't consider denying someone else a VP the right moment. Denying someone else a GW, obviously, would be OK, if it gives you the GW.

1.3 - What next?
So you've spent 10 pool on that vampire. You're 8-13 pool shorter. You need ways to revive.
Usually, people use Parity Shift (since you've got that Justicar ...). Other options are : oust, vote. Or perhaps, Parthenon + Minion Tap that fat Queen Anne you just bought.
If you can't recover from the spending, then it wasn't the right time.


2 - How to bid
Well, there are actualyl two ways for this.
Usually, people start bidding "1, 2, 3, 5, .." .
I think that's bad bidding. It's not an auction where everyone has unlimited-ish resources. Players have a maximum bid, and it's diffferent from player to player.

2.1 You played to reduce someone else's pool.
Because paying 3 to have your prey burn 8 pool is worth it.
So, Mick is playing that turbo Nergal deck. It would be nice to buy that Nergal. We all know Mick is going to spend all +4 of his pool on Nergal.
If mick is your prey, just spend all his pool plus 4 minus whatever damage you know you'll inflict.minus 1 (so that, if he buys it, you can oust him).
If Mick isn't your prey (and you're being pretty mean), bid his pool.

Note that, if you're trying to screw someone over by buying their vampire, they'll probaly try to screw you too. "Oh, so now I can't get a VP. How about I help someone else than you get a GW?" (and that would be OK)


2.2 You want that Yorik.
For some reason, you're in love with Yorik, and want to buy him. Who, among those who might be interested in having Yorik, has the highest amount of pool ? If it isn't you, recheck 1.2 ("is it the right time?"). If it's the right time, then you should be reading 2.1 ("playing the card to have another player burn pool"). Because you're obviously not the one who'll buy that Yorik.

Now, let's assume you have enough pool to buy that Yorik, and you'll be the one to buy him.
The main question (and you should consider it before playing the card) is: How much would you pay for that Yorik?


The right answer depends on what's happening at the table. It actually depends on what the others will bid (thus showing how much they care about Yorik).

And now you realise the real question is: how much are they ready to pay to have Yorik? Just bid that.




Now, an important part about the card:

What to do when someone else plays the card.

Determine if you're in 2.1 (trying to burn pool from someone else - might be you) or in 2.2 (acquiring that Yorik).
The best strategy here, imo, is to revert it.

They're paying 8 pool to buy Nergal? obviously trying to dry out someone. Think how far they'll bid to have someone overbid. Bid that -1.
They're paying 9 pool for Nana Buruku whose controller has 3 pool? Obivously trying to get more MPAs. Keep bidding.

Pascal wrote:

1 - Do you have a target? Obviously, stealing Yorik won't be very useful.

1.1 - What is a good target?
A "good target" would be one of the following:
- A vampire that highly reduces your chances of a GW. Examples: Inner Circle with Legendary Vampire when you're playing a vote deck. Cailean when you're playing a close-range combat deck. Carna if you're playing a low-stealth deck. Aksynia if you're playing a heavy-single-bleeder deck.
Note that one shouldn't be mean with this card. Yes, you can buy your grand predator's Eze with 10 Oruns. But you're still going to bleed for not much with it ..

I would add: one of your prey's blockers that is moderately useful to you. It can be a Pentex on steroids: they lose one defender, you gain one attacker, and a VP is very likely to follow in the turn.

I have won many many games with this card.

First of, I have only played the card in vote decks (mostly stealth vote) and think that it is in vote decks it is a super power card.

1. Good target?

Well if possible buying your predators first vampire gives you alot of time to do whatever you need and want. Depending if you have a reins of power or a ancient influence or a political stranglehold choose prey predator or a bigcap. Play the powervote with the stolen vampire and then a parityshift with the justicar.

Next big option is to buy whoever who is holding you votelock back, an inner circle or a cardinle. When playing vote and beeing able to take votelock will alot of times give you the game falt.

Last, stealing a well equiped super blocker or bleeder can give you the game as you only have spent pool but the person you are stealing from have spent actions and pool and have built their deck around a vampire perhaps.

2. Right time?

ASAP. If you dont have the pool to buy someone as fast as you get the card chances are that you never will and then I just discard it.

3. Right bid?

Your prey has 13 pool and you want his/her vampire? Bid 18. He cant overbid you and if some other player wants to outbid you, let them. Bidding high also has a tendancy to scare others from bidding.

I have gone done to 1 pool and needing to poolgain during my turn or be ousted more than once. If I have the parity shift I just go for it. Perhaps i have an Acient, perhaps i get an oust perhaps i can votercap or have a bounce or two.

To be honest this card is one of the cards I think should be banned. There is simly to much power in a singel card. One master phase acion, one card and three pool to totally wreck another players game, beeing the it the player whos vampire you or someone took or the player who overextends by bidding to much and selfousts.

Randy wrote:

2. Right time?

ASAP.

You're a terrorist (and that's also probably the simplest way of getting your justicars rushed on sight )