Sometimes, in life, it can be tempting to follow the leader. A successful strategy is one that is likely to be duplicated, sometimes even outright copied. This is as true as ever in the realm of CCGs. The successful decks are mimicked and copied. Changes are made to decks, but the core strategy stays the same.

    Even in the short period of time that I've played EVE, and even given the game's newness, I see this behaviour shaping up. A lot of people concentrate only on ships and swinging for the win with large fleets. The games turn into contests to simply see who can get out the biggest/most ships the fastest, and once a player is assured victory, a large attack seals the deal.

    While traditional and perhaps even noble, such strategies are rarely innovative. One player may have stumbled onto a combo that works well for his deck. Another may be using a novel selection of cards for his sideboard to counter what he is going to play against. The variety dwindles as players seek "the optimal deck.". Such narrow-mindedness opens a door for those who are willing to dare trying the unlikely or the unthinkable.

    Consider starbase structures: Most players treat them as being additions to their deck. Cards that add novel or helpful effects to their own strategy, or that perhaps hindering their opponent’s efforts. They play an auxiliary role in most decks, helping to set a player up for the win, which invariably comes about though use of his ships. You may not consider them as being something to build your deck around, but take another look. All of the tools you need for a winning strategy are right there, waiting for you to use.

    Construction Platforms are a great way to help get more structures on the board, and they boost your shields to boot, while Moon Harvesters provide location-less income more often than not. Sentry Guns provide you with good defenses against frigates, while EMP Minefields help keep your opponent from crushing your defenses with larger ships, and Warp Disruption Fields keep the number of quick, early attackers to a minimum. The Salt Mill can play a vital role in establishing your economy, as can the Market Research Lab.

    Further into the game, utility cards like Human Containment Facilities, Market Research Lab, and Investment Bank keep your deck chugging along, while a Censor Office and a House of Animosity can foil your opponent’s strategies by shutting down Exiled from the Empire and Depleted Resources, or by keeping their hand empty.

    The all-starbase structure deck even has cards to actively secure the win for you with multiple Furnace Mills chewing away at your opponent's deck. Simply sitting there and building up will not win very many games however, so Amarr players in particular are blessed with many options for thinning out the opposition. The card Blood Raiders looks suspiciously good in a ship-less deck. Even The Cult of Tetrimon's drawback is less stinging in a deck that builds up slowly over time, rewarding patience over haste.

    New strategies require new ways of looking at the game, and better yet, force other players to think even harder about how to play the game.

Michael Miller