If you have played a skilled arcane mage this will sound familiar. The opponent has a facedown enchantment on your mage and on himself. You want to target the opposing mage, but are unsure you will be able to get past these hidden defenses. Do you ignore the enchantments and fall into his trap? Then you remember the reflected curses and lost actions and spells from previous games and you hesitate. What should you do?
First let's look at the list of arcane enchantments and their effects:
Jinx - the enchantment on your mage might be Jinx. If you play a quick spell you know you can at least remove it from play, but you will lose that action
Nullify - either enchantment could be nullify. If you play an enchantment or incantation on either mage then the nullify will leave play, but your spell is lost along with mana spent
Reverse Magic - the enchantment on the opposing mage could be reverse magic. If you play an enchantment or incantation on the opposing mage the reverse magic will leave play, but your spell and mana are lost and gained by the opponent.
So any of the three enchantments will leave play if you target the opponent with a quick spell incantation or enchantment. But what should you play. If any of these enchantments are on the opposing mage there is a good chance your card will have little effect or even backfire.
Backfire. Here is the key. What if you could use the backfire to your advantage. A bad play backfired becomes a good play. But there is no guarantee for backfire so you don't want to commit too heavily, so an enchantment would be best so you don't have to commit (reveal) fully. Also two mana is not too much to invest. So you pull a Rhino Hide from your spellbook and prepare it face down on the table, and before you know it you spend two mana to enchant your opponent with the buff enchantment. Now the moment of truth.
Did you opponent have Reverse Magic on himself? If so he would likely immediately pay 5 mana to reveal it. It would leave play and your Rhino Hide enchantment would attach to your mage. You smile with satisfaction.
Did your opponent have nullify on himself? If so he would pay 2 mana, reveal it, and the nullify and Rhino Hide would be discarded from play. You are still even on actions and up two mana after the play.
Did your opponent have jinx on you? If so he would pay 1 mana, reveal it and it would leave play and your Rhino Hide would go back to your book along with your mana to your pool.
In any of these situations you have spent only a quick action and a maximum of two mana. After the play you can feel confident to play any other prepared spell against the opponent (attacks could be still be vulnerable to mind magic, however). How confident is the opposing mage? Probably not much. He is at your mercy.
