Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:53 pm
GS
So, obviously card usage, value and price is an evolving subject, and more information is still coming in, but:
Ignoring the fact that they all get used in different circumstance, for a loyalty duel, I would rate them that way too: Habeus > Demo > Counter-intel, but more from a cost perspective than from their effects. Habeus 3 VP < Demo $10 < Counter Intel $25.
I wouldn't use Counter-intel in a loyalty duel, although it is part of that set, because of the price (actually never played it at all against Athena, nothing to counter).
Counter-Intel (help me out here someone) actually cancels the opposing card, compared to counter-acting it. This is a strong ability (unless the cancelled card returns to the pool like with a normal failure, and then is kind of expensive for what you get) so is more pricey than the other loyalty cards. I consider it a part of the Loyalty-deck as well as the Detection-deck, and multi-purpose-use also justifies a higher cost. (Are Demos, Spies and Disinformation the only cards it can be played on?)
Still not sure of the overall value of loyalty-duelling in terms of cost-benefit. I have been using cards aggressively because they are new and I want to try them out. The military advantage that can actually be achieved vs. the cost (particularly for Demos) is still unclear in my book, and I await others' observations eagerly. So far I feel like Habeus is a no-brainer in places like Baltimore for the Union, but the jury is out on aggressive Demo usage. I want it to have a cost-effective impact, just not sure if it actually does.