I don't get the arguments here, yes, it gets priority, so? It doesn't cancel out any moves, and you still have to think about where to send it, where your foe will attack, and when to wield it.

@Feline: I'd say there's way too many airlifts right now.

Easy airlifts make it just too easy to maintain an advantage.

IMHO, airlift should be done different than what is in this game rule. Someone mentioned that they should be used as last card in a turn, which makes more sense.

Also, neither game should have both AL (like it is used in WL) and EBC.

There are another possibilities, which make it as strategic move:

1. Airlift starts as first order (before any moves or attacks) in the way that starting territory lose airlifted units, and they are temporarily put in buffer. Next turn they land on target location as LAST order (like blockade card, or gift card). If target location is not in friendly hands they land on starting location, BUT, if the starting location is lost, then AL card is wasted, and all armies in the process are eliminated. Therefore if someone AL units, there will be try, by opposition, to catch and eliminate both starting end ending location, or both must be secured by user.

2. Airlift starts as first order, removes armies from starting location, and finish as last order during the same turn, posting armies on landing location, and if it is not in friendly hands, the rule is the same as in #1.

3. Airlifts are used to transfer between connected lands (there must be undistrupted connection between starting location and ending location) otherwise it should not be possible to be used. So, big stacks on one location cannot be useful on another location if opposition holds interconnection.

4. Airlifts can be used to transfer only limited ammount of units, equal to part of income, or multiplication of ending location bonus.

5. Airlift card is used to "bank" units, so they are added to first reinforcement card that can be used from next turn, save to way they are usually used. Thus, units that are AL can be again on the map in later turns, if ever (if no reinforcement card is obtained, they will not be back). For this option, maybe it is better to have another card, but this can be useful, too.

I think that all of these 5 thesis can add strategic momentum to AL cards, if not the solution to use them as last order.

Airlift card isn't strategic in itself because of its priority,so you can make a heavy defence which pretty much can screw up a game and it's not a strategy unless you can do a heavy attack on opponent who is doing a defense by airlift by directly attacking by airlift which is prohibited by airlift's since it is transfer only.

No game is strategic unless you give your opponent a fair chance in countering your own strategy.

Technically they are Foresight and Management moves, which makes them technically strategic. So they could be called strategic yes. Anyone who says otherwise is just an elitist.

It's just an OP emergency blockade.

Your opponent has a stack against you, and he will break/eliminate you from the area if he attacks. He knows you or your team have an airlift card and that they can send enough troops in the airlift so you come out worse from attacking.

This just makes it a guessing game to if they will use their airlift card then, or some other time.

Also airlift cards can lower the skill needed to pick in team games sometimes, since then you just need coverage from the team, not individual coverage from each member of the team.


Tldr: Airlift cards suck imo

Edited 5/4/2016 19:39:33

It's just an OP emergency blockade.

It doesn't have to be OP, just depends on the settings of the game, how often you'll get the card. And furthermore, if both sides have it, can anything be OP?

And furthermore, if both sides have it, can anything be OP?

If the result of the game depends partly on prediction and guessing, the game can be fun and it can even be better because of the possibilities presented by bluffing and feinting. Warlight is a great example of this, as is poker.

If the result of the game depends entirely on prediction and guessing, the game will invariably not be fun. Rock-Paper-Scissors is a great example, as are PKs in soccer (just ask the Dutch!).

Airlift cards are ridiculous overpowered to the point that a well-played (read: lucky) Airlift card can completely decide the game, making the rest of the game irrelevant. That isn't fun. That's just an elaborate way to play Rock-Paper-Scissors.

And yes, if both sides have access to OP strategies (dynamite in Rock-Paper-Scissors, basic calculation skills in Tic-Tac-Toe) the game stops being fun. Video games nerf or altogether remove OP strategies from the game routinely to improve the quality of the game.

Airlift card can completely decide the game, making the rest of the game irrelevant. That isn't fun. That's just an elaborate way to play Rock-Paper-Scissors.

So can more common "lucky" cards, and this is just for me, but I always have some kind of backup plan (or try to) just in case something goes unexpectedly bad for me (in games that it can go unexpectedly bad), and I think building these backup plans is part of the fun.

The difference between Abandon and Airlift is that with an Abandon card I can change the value % that the abandon will work for. This means you can create an Abandon that will be a good play without making it the central goal of the template. IE: Using an abandon well won't always determine the outcome.

Airlift I can't change how much you could airlift at a given time, that's all dependent on your income. So in any template that incorporates an airlift card will have the central goal of the template to use that card well. The person who does so will win, the person who does not will lose. That's not a good game design. Would you enjoy a game of which said: Pick a door, if you pick the right door you win, if you pick the wrong door you're at a disadvantage and have probably lost.

Ok, I see that point, but then all that needs to happen is to make a limit to how much you airlift, not to change priority (necessarily).

Sure, if there was some sort of limiting factor, it could be strategic. The fact that it's both an ultra-priority move AND uncapped makes it the strongest card in the game atm.

I would also surmise Airlift on LD settings would be far better than non-LD settings.

Edited 5/4/2016 22:21:45

My name is anonym if you want a long term strategy where your opponent is always crushed and you dont want to give him any chance of countering you make a custom scenario in any map and eliminate your opponent first turn :P

Edited 5/5/2016 19:14:50

So type tactically all you want but according to you it's still a strategy

just ask the Dutch!

Why would you remind me :(

I would also surmise Airlift on LD settings would be far better than non-LD settings.

Intriguing. This would definitely increase the value of isolated bonuses. Aside from that, it seems like the previous criticism might still apply. However, it's probably worth playing a few games to find out.

The RT ladder Turkey LD template is https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?TemplateID=375211

Edited 5/5/2016 17:54:47