I have notices recently that enemies might have an unfail advantage when it comes to using pips. I believe Power Pips counts as two (2) regular pips so that you can reach the attack you want to use a little faster. But when it comes to using pips, what I have noticed is that if I have an attack that costs three (3) pips, whether I have the combination of 2 power pips and 1 regular, or 3 power pips (which should count as 6 pips?), all pips are used for that attack. When the enemies are in the same situation, only a combination of 3 pips are used, 1 power and 2 regular and that leaves them with more pips for the next attack. That seems unfair to the wizards which makes winnig the battle that much more difficult.
Has anyone else noticed this or are my eyes getting blurry because I've been playing this game too long? Can someone confirm my imagination?
Keep in mind that power pips ONLY count as 2 pips for spells from your primary school.
For example: You are a Storm wizard and have 3 power pips. You are going to cast Storm Shark (which is a 3-pip card). It will use 2 of your power pips (because you can't split a power pip), leaving you with one power pip after the spell is cast.
However, if you are casting Sunbird (which is a 3-pip card) it will use all three of your power pips. Because Sunbird (Fire) is not a card from your primary school (Storm).
Power pips only count as 2 pips for a spell from your own school. So, if you're Storm, and you're going to use Storm Shark, which costs 3 pips, the pips used would be 3 normal pips, OR 1 normal pips and 1 power pip, OR 2 power pips. Half of a power pip cannot be used, so if you only have 2 power pips, and are using a spell for 3 pips, both of the power pips will be used up.
If you are storm and are going to use a spell like Sunbird, which costs 3 pips and is from the fire school, then you're going to use 3 pips, regardless of whether they are power pips, or if they are normal pips. In this case though, normal pips are used instead of power pips when possible.
Power pips only count for your own school of magic. Storm wizards use power pips for storm, death use for death, and so on. Any other school they count as one pip.
Hmmm....sounds like maybe you're trying to use a non school spell and that's why it took all of your pips. Only your school spells count when using power pips. I didn't understand this on my first character. Why did some spells that cost me 4 pips only take 2 when some cost me all 4 of my pips? When I created my second wizard I actually paid attention to what Diego was telling me when I went to him to learn about dueling. Guess I was so excited about playing the game with my first wizard I rushed through some of the key instructions. Anyway, say your school is myth and you cast a cyclops costing 4 pips ( I don't really remember what these spells cost to cast so bear with me) and you have 4 power pips. Well since the cyclops is a spell for your school it will only take 2 of those power pips but next turn you want to cast sandstorm from balance which cost 4 pips also. Since balance isn't your primary school, it's going to take 2 more pips to be able to cast because power pips don't count for non school spells. Probably same goes for the mob you're fighting. If their class is life, it's only going to cost them 2 power pips to cast seryph but would cost them all 4 of their pips to cast the cyclops. Hope I didn't confuse you too much with that. Easier way of saying this is primary school spells use power pips as 2 whereas non school spells count power pips as 1.
Keep in mind that power pips ONLY count as 2 pips for spells from your primary school.
For example: You are a Storm wizard and have 3 power pips. You are going to cast Storm Shark (which is a 3-pip card). It will use 2 of your power pips (because you can't split a power pip), leaving you with one power pip after the spell is cast.
However, if you are casting Sunbird (which is a 3-pip card) it will use all three of your power pips. Because Sunbird (Fire) is not a card from your primary school (Storm).
That was freakishly weird lol. My reply seemed so much the same as yours did.