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[Verjigorm]

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. ^_^


----

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.

[Debaser8]

Thanks for the explanation. The wiki has Wish at 100 pearls. Shouldn't it cost the owner of the nexus 100 pearls to wish for gems because they receive no discount on astral spells/items?

[TwoBits]

Originally Posted by Eximius Sus

My understanding, and of course I could have my interpretation wrong, was that each was offered 10 Marverni provinces. Not a bad deal really.

LOL, so it is "slit their own wrists" then, eh?

I mean, let me get this straight - for siding with Kailasa, each nation will get 10 Marverni provinces? Well, let me just say right now, no one is going to just "get" anything. They can each try to take ten provinces, but I can promise, it will be a long, hard, and bloody slog before they can claim their 10.

Meanwhile, Kailasa will be rolling in hundreds upon hundreds of gems per month! Debaser8, Arcane Nexus is a well known game winner, if allowed to stand unchecked. It doesn't include gems used in combat (you can bet, that's where I'll be using the bulk of my gems from now on), but it'll give Kailasa 50% of all non Astral/Blood gems used in forging and ritual spells - which would be a huge crap-load, just going by what Marverni was using each month in that regard.

So, those siding with Kailasa should be asking for way more than "the chance" to fight Marverni for 10 provinces that wont come easy. You should also be demanding a massive number of gems each month (he'll get half of them back anyway), like 50-100 at least. Otherwise, it's a fool's bet.

Oh, and for those worried about Marverni's power, I'm willing to make whatever accommodations you feel are required (giving up VP locations, withdrawing from border provinces, whatever), until Kailasa and/or the Nexus are no more. Just let me know what it'll take to make a deal

[TwoBits]

Ninja'd by Vergigorm. Crap, his description is way more scary than mine!

[Debaser8]

Is it 25% or 50%?

[Verjigorm]

25%

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by Debaser8

Thanks for the explanation. The wiki has Wish at 100 pearls. Shouldn't it cost the owner of the nexus 100 pearls to wish for gems because they receive no discount on astral spells/items?

You get 25 of each gem including Astral. 175 for 100 becomes 150 for 75 after you subtract out the astral pearls.

Wishing for gems is a no-risk bet, btw, since if you need the pearls back, since you got twice as many gems as you paid in, they alchemize back into the same number of pearls that you initially paid for them, and with the Nexus up, spending them is very beneficial to you.

Seriously... I MUST repeat this part as it is essential that you understand what he's trying to sell you:

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!"

Also use of the word "everyone" is a psych tactic called "social proof" which is more commonly known as "peer pressure" or the "if everyone jumped off a bridge" technique.. IMO, lemmings deserve to die.

[Eximius Sus]

Oh my. I think I better explain to my friend that he has enemies now. I think he might have missed that point. But frankly, Marverni has this game won if he had just declared his VPs. What is he playing? He's got near all the vps in hand for many turns and hasn't declared them? He's just waiting for the rest of the players to fart around fighting each other then he'll do a VP rush and win. The rest of you should be quite concerned.


Of course my friend running Kailasa is doing some spin doctoring. It's just sensible. Do you have a chance to stop the Marverni VP rush? If not you should join with Kailasa in any attempt to slow the hegemony of Marverni. Don't be fooled. Marnerni is trying to distract you from the real threat.

[Eximius Sus]

PS: Why listen to Verjigorm. He's kaput.

[Verjigorm]

lol. You listen to me because you know I'm right. Even if you decide to side with Kailasa against Marverni, you still shouldn't let them have the Nexus. Therefore, even if you don't like Marverni and want to crush them, you still have an obligation to your own personal survival in the future to destroy the Nexus.

You surely don't need Kailasa to have the Nexus in order to destroy Marverni large though they are...