It seems pretty common among magic blogs to offer up situations and get responses on the proper way to play it. So I’m going to do the same thing.
Let’s say you’re playing a magic game in the star format. In this one, there are 5 players, and each player has to try to defeat the 2 people sitting across from them. The first person to do that wins. One of your opponents is Phage, and their opponents are you and Akroma. The board is pretty developed, and choices here matter a lot. Particularly, you and Akroma are both in good positions to attack someone. Your situations are actually pretty similar.
If you both attack Phage, you can probably beat Phage down pretty badly so that she can’t counter attack as strongly. When it comes around to both of your next turns, you’ll both be at 15 life after taking a little hurt from Phage. If you attack Phage and Akroma doesn’t, then Phage will get beat a little, but she’ll be able to counter-attack, and since you attacked her, she’ll hit you back. So you’ll be at 5 life, and Akroma will be at 20 life. Conversely, if you don’t attack and Akroma does, Akroma will be at 5, and you’ll be at 20. If neither of you attack, Phage will just attack both of you, and you’ll both be at 10 life.
It’s your turn, and Akroma’s after yours. Do you attack or not?
(Edit: I guess an even better question is, in addition to how you attack, what else would you do and what factors caused you do choose to do what you did?)
well, this realy depends. you cant dirrectly assume that Akroma will follow up your attack right away, or that Phage will split the attack across 2 players.In my opinion the easier thing would be to see what Akroma does, since she attacks next.
the problem here is that after Akroma attacks(assuming that this is still a 5 player match) there is another player who is able to attack you, than phage gets the next turn after that.
using the color pentagram on the back of a card to demonstrate. phage would represent black. straight across from that would be white(akroma) meaning that you would be green. after akroma goes the player represented by blue(lets say Jace) is than in a position to attack you if youve left yourself reasonably open. which isnt overly all that bad, but phage is the next person in line so seeing the advantage. chances are your game is now over.
Opting not to attack andpassing turn, Akroma could possibly decide to attack, than phage could take advantage and hope that red(chandra) could follow suit.
given this id wait to see what phage decides to do. being opertunistic it would be safe to assume that if phage attacks, than chandra goes(who cannot attack you), on your turn you could hopefuly hit Phage for a significant amount. on Akromas turn, you however would have to assume that Akroma would take the advantage to illiminate Phage if it was possible.