Re: Countdown
The Nexus takes the sum of all non-astral, non-blood gems used during the turn during ritual magic and forging and multiplies by 1/4 adds a small number and gives it to the controller after the magic phase ends.
Among its effects are:
1. Reduces casting among most players for fear of "powering" the Nexus.
2. Gives the owner an effective "25%" discount on everything cast, except the 25% return is given back in Astral pearls which are more valuable.
3. Once combined with Wish, the controller can wish for Gems and receive 150 gems in exchange for 75 Astral pearls. Once consumed, these 150 gems return 37.5 astral pearls back to the controller yielding 150 colored gems worth of whatever the hell you want for 37.5 Astral Pearls.
4. AI Players ignore the Nexus and power it.
5. Whenever a large global is cast, the nexus owner can use the average returns he's getting to gauge the number of gems put into the global so he knows how many gems he needs to take control of that enchantment.
I could probably think of more... It's not something you want to have up.
Anecdotally, I've seen single-turn returns from the Nexus at or above 100 pearls--especially on the first turn when everyone is casting and forging liberally. If everyone is being stingy it might go down to 25-30ish or so.
Usually, you have about 3-4 turns to dispel it, max, before it pays for itself. Once it pays for itself it sort of becomes a permanent feature until you destroy the player that cast it.
Once a healthy pearl "bank" is established for recasting (I like to increase the number of pearls in the nexus by 25-50 each recast), the Nexus can result in a wish every 1-3 turns strategy which is mindlessly simple to implement. Ever faced off against 5 Seraphs only to have 6 the next turn or Armageddon every 2 turns... You can use it to take over all of the globals by wishing for gems, steal artifacts, steal Unique SCs (especially if you find out one of them is controlling an enemy global), etc.
Oh, and anyone who accepts a "deal" valued in "someone else's provinces" in exchange for allowing the Nexus to live, is retarded and should quit playing right now. ^_^
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Even more:
He suggested that "everyone" was already on board with his plan in exchange for a pittance of provinces that you have to collect yourself. What does that mean? In addition to allowing him to keep the Nexus, he also got you to agree to assist him in dismantling his biggest enemy, so he won't have to spend as many of his Nexus pearls doing it himself. "Oh, how gracious you are Great Monkey King, to allow us to attack your sworn enemy. I am in your debt!"
Frequently, when someone initially casts the Nexus, they have made a gamble and have put a big bet down (sometimes All-In as in all of their gems because it's so easy to get them back once it's permanent). If you call their bluff and collaboratively Dispel it before it's 3rd turn of operation (which is the earliest you can do so since you have to send gems on the 2nd turn), Kailasa will lose the gambit and pay for it dearly.
If however, you allow him to continue the Nexus AND do not exact ANY pearls in rent from it (e.g. an equal share divided amongst all participants), you are fools, and I will point and laugh at you if you lose.
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"Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt." -- Sun Tzu
Last edited by Verjigorm; August 18th, 2010 at 09:05 PM..
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