Does anyone else feel like we're lacking in enchantment mind games?

[Sailor Vulcan]

The ability to use enchantments to trick and outmaneuver your opponent is a tactic I really like, but it seems really REALLY hard to pull off well in games between skilled players who  know all the cards, ESPECIALLY without enchantment transfusion. Most of the time there aren't that many possibilities for what kind of enchantment your opponent is hiding. If they try to bluff you with an enchant other than the ones you expect, most of the time the ones you expect would otherwise be the better options for your opponent.

I'm wondering why this is. Is bluffing your opponent with enchantment trickery a more viable tactic in face-to-face games? Is this just my imagination or something?

I'm interested to hear everyone else's thoughts on this.

[Mystery]

playing an armor ward sometimes instead of the nullify to protect equipment has worked
rhino hide expected but had divine protection and got a rust+wallpush but just 5dice
maybe block or reverse attack might work sometimes, but the points are rather expensive in spellbook but sometimes could work sitational well

[DaveW]

I think that it is good to sometimes make a "less than optimal" enchant from time to time. Sure, another option may be better in a general sense, but tossing in a Decoy every now and again has done me some good, as has putting a Nullify on a large Creature early on, well before it is needed. (I usually save Nullifies for my Mage.) One time the Nullify on the Creature idea saved a push through a wall of thorns after my opponent corroded its armor.

Also, when you play against the same two or three people all of the time, it can be good to change up your openings, enchantment play, and overall level of aggressiveness to keep from being completely predictable.

[Biblofilter]

Nah im pretty happy with the enchantment game as it is.

Im a big fan of Wall of Thorns+Push combos, but an unknown facedown enchantment makes this very risky.
It could be Nullify, Divine Protection, Rhino Hide, Brace Yourself.

Decoy is an enchantment im considering using now (with enchanters ring) after Enchantment Transfusion and the Seeking Dispel counter.

Armor Ward, an early Reverse Magic vs cursers, Retaliate, Block, Force Orb/Sword or sometimes an early regrowth.

[jhaelen]

Most of the time there aren't that many possibilities for what kind of enchantment your opponent is hiding.

I agree. It's even worse with zone enchantments. It's an untapped area of the game. I can just hope we'll eventually get a type of mage that focuses on this kind of stuff.

[ringkichard]

Yep.

[exid]

Also, when you play against the same two or three people all of the time, it can be good to change up your openings, enchantment play, and overall level of aggressiveness to keep from being completely predictable.

+1

[Coshade]

Most books usually have ~20 points that can be unique flavor. If you look at your conjurations it usually is telling of where you main strategy is. If you don't deviate from that, you should be able to add in tons awesome tricks. Personally I'm not a big fan of mandatory reveal enchantments as your opponent can manipulate them 

[aridigas]

I once (like last week) lost a game because of a mindgame I played with myself. My opponent was almost dead and I prepared a Boulder and Seeking Dispel instead of Surging Wave or something unavoidable. He enchanted himself while having initiative and I decided to wait with my boulder.
He walled himself in and won the game after several rounds. Turns out he enchanted a Rhino Hide, not Reverse Attack.
If I threw that Boulder during Quickcast, I almost certainly would have won the game.


So, for me there are mindgames with enchantments.

[jacksmack]

Regarding creatures - including mages - i often find that its the 120 spellpoint restriction that limits the 'enchantment mindgames' i can put into my spell book rather than the amount of various enchantments released.

Several of the candidates are level 2 or higher, and when out of school its just very expensive.
armor ward, reverse attack, damage barriers, cobra reflexes, eagle wings, enfeeble, force hold are all enchantments that i find help the 'mind games', but due to the steep costs i rarely use them.

Regarding the zone enchantments i agree with the previous poster. Simply not enough zone enchantments.
Right now its simply just always bad to enter a zone with a facedown enchantment. Either your fighting an uphill battle because of sacred ground / fortified position or its a trap that hurts you.

[exid]

what i see the most often is: "he should have played that, but if he doesn't had it in his book, it's just a lure" (see Aridigas' revers/rhino above).
it's nice pepper in the game, but not very varied...