Bend the Battlefield

In the fast-paced game of SCALE, strategic manipulation can be just as powerful as raw strength. The card AGAIN has a modest power of 3, which might seem underwhelming at first glance; however, its true strength lies in its ability to utilize the battlefield to your advantage, disrupting enemy plans and creating pivotal plays of your own.

Ability Mechanics

AGAIN's core function is deceptively simple yet incredibly versatile:

• Text: "You may add a card from the battlefield to your side of the loop."

• Targeting: You can target ANY card on the battlefield, whether it's yours or your opponent's. This immense flexibility is what sets AGAIN apart.

• Key Interaction: Cards returned to the Loop must be responded to again by both players. This forces both you and your opponent to re-evaluate cards in play, giving you opportunities to disrupt strategies or buy time.

Key Strategic Uses - Reusing Your Power

• 2nd Breakfast: Use FEAST to munch some of your battlefield cards, then use AGAIN to return it to the loop, potentially allowing you to reactivate FEAST again for even more treasure. You will need to play more cards to get them ready to be snacks, but this strategy can potentially win you the game in one turn. This same idea can be applied to any card you have to score a second use of its ability.

• Combo Extensions: Return a merged card to your side of the Loop and redeploy it. This lets you potentially retrigger effects in the order of your choosing. This is especially beneficial because you will get BOTH abilities, but your enemy will likely use a counter due to the jump in power.

• If a card has been cursed due to SLEEP’s ability, you can replay it with AGAIN. Doing this will remove the Enduring ability that was applied to it by SLEEP.

Disrupting Enemy Strategy

• Break Up Combos: If your opponent has a formidable or useful card on the battlefield, AGAIN can dismantle their strategy by returning it to the Loop and taking it for yourself.

• Wasted Defenses: Did your opponent commit valuable resources to defend against a card? Bring it back to your Loop, potentially forcing them to overcommit or waste their defense.

• Delaying Threats: Facing an imminent attack or a powerful ability about to trigger? AGAIN can buy you a valuable chance to counter their card with something like CANCEL.

Tactical Battlefield Manipulation

• Reaction Phase Protection: If your opponent is attacking, AGAIN can be used during reaction phase to remove one of the attackers, potentially sparing you a loss.

• Card Protection: If a powerful Loop card is about to be countered or destroyed, AGAIN can act as a clutch rescue. Save key cards to redeploy them when conditions are favorable.

• Play around SAVE’s universal ability: AGAIN can still remove key pieces of an opponent’s strategy while SAVE’s universal ability is present, since AGAIN adds the cards to the loop instead of destroying or exiling the cards.

Cautions and Considerations

• Situational Strength: AGAIN's value heavily depends on the current board state. Always evaluate if the disruption, trade-off, or tactical advantage gained is worth using it in your current situation. If you are relying on AGAIN for a key part of your plan, then watch out for issues such as PRUNE’s universal ability.

• Low Damage: AGAIN itself won't gain you treasure unless you use it in battle, but with a power of only 3, it’s not likely to tip the treasures in your favor.

• Opponent Reaction: Any card played to the loop can potentially be countered by a card your opponent is holding, so don’t bank on it saving you if they still have cards in hand.

Truly mastering AGAIN involves identifying the perfect moments to disrupt your opponent while maximizing the advantages gained for yourself.

Look for opportunities where AGAIN can:

• Draw cards. GREED is a great one for this. Cards are the most powerful resource in this game, so drawing more cards is usually the best strategy for winning.

• Protect your key cards and combos.

• Delay powerful enemy plays while progressing your own strategies.

• Re-trigger powerful abilities and steal enemy cards.

Cards are a precious resource in SCALE, and AGAIN offers a unique way to get access to more of them. Used wisely, this card gives you the power to control the battlefield and disrupt your opponents, paving the way for those decisive plays that bring you closer to victory.