[SUBMISSION] Slab of Steel

Lead wrote:

.44 deck using 0-blood celerity cards (Pursuit, Psyche):
Opposing minion goes long and shoots for 2, additional strike with Pursuit for 2 more.
Potence vamp responds with Slab of Steel -- it prevents 3 during the round so he takes only one damage during the 2nd strike resolution. At superior the opposing minion takes 1 ricochet damage (environmental). So it's 1 to 1. The other vamp had a gun (already or concealed) while you did not, you both played 1 card each and you both take 1 damage. Pretty good for you.

No, that is not good. In the long run, the gun deck wins because it has permanent sources of both damage and damage avoidance. To flip the odds, the potence player needs to disrupt the gun deck early by taking his vampires or guns off. Stalling is not enough. That is why the best potence anti-gun card remains Sewer Lid: you need the press to win the fight at second round.

It's certainly no Combat Ends and it has its ups and downs compared to a more straightforward dodge (notable ups: it can help you deal with environmental damage and with multiple strikes).

In other words: wallpaper. The only dodges that are currently played are the ones coupled to another better effect. If your card is not stronger, then it will not be played.