4Game

Ok so obviously this isn't always the answer, self wound will need to play cards like Fruscya and Elves will need to play Simlas even if it means it will be given spying. But in many scenarios, I think decks can get away with just discarding cards like Gerhart or Fruscya for decks like pirates that aren't dependent upon it.

I understand the frustration of having to witness your assimilate opponent getting far more value from your cards than you ever will. I was playing assimilate against pirates a few weeks ago when I was holding onto my mage torturer, Terranova, and coup so I could play Fruscya twice like the degenerate I am. However, I then noticed they discarded Fruscya! I was shocked, I thought "This guy is throwing" but then I sat there, realizing I really had no card to give spying to, besides maybe some An Craite Raiders. My assimilate didn't proc twice as it usually does and spawn rained, it played for a very low sum and it killed me. For those of you who despise NG mains like me, you would of loved to see it. As a result, I've come to understand one of the best strategies is to simply deny them the ability to play it, at the cost of discarding it yourself. When I started playing other decks it was easy for me to think behind the eyes of an assimilate player and realize how this could be their worse nightmare. Yes bribery and double cross still exist and they'll probably hit those cards there, but they'll only be hitting it twice and only if the RNG favors them. I

This won't work for every deck as I said, but for many, I do think you may want to try it. Ask yourself, how many points is my Gerhart or Eredin gett ng me, versus how many points will it give assimilate once they give it spying? Assimilate is still strong even if they just play your lower provision cards of course, but they will without a doubt play for far fewer points, and in some situations that will make it worth throwing the card out for.