A Critical Analysis of Invisibility

Used properly, Invisibility provides the cover you need to make devastating attacks against even the most skilled warlocks. However, many players have trouble using it effectively. With that in mind, I've put together a list of some of the most common and most powerful weaves that you can do straight out of invis, as well as countermeasures against them that you need to keep in mind.

The Uses of Invisibility

1. Offensive Use. Invisibility can provide a watershed moment. With most of your gestures cloaked, you have the potential to make one of several different devastating attacks, while your opponent cannot defend against all of them. The traditional offensive attacks are Double Antispell and Time Stop Fireball, but there are other good ones, like Perm/Blind Combo, Double Charm, and Para/FOD. Most of these use either SP/SS or SP/SF starts, which prevent your opponent from identifying your attack -- and therefore, how to defend -- until at least your third invisible turn, when it is too late to change defenses.

   The flip side, however, is that these weaves are less flexible, if you end up needing to disarm an opponent's attack yourself. They also fall flat against certain countermeasures (such as invis, Time Stop, and sometimes summons). And they require dedicated gesturing. Given all that, it is not usually a good idea to pursue them if your opponent has much initiative or board control.

2. Defensive/Utility Use. If your opponent has control of the game, or if she is swift in preparing countermeasures, you will probably want to take a less aggressive tack. These kinds of weaves are very situational.

3. With Delay Effect. Successfully banking a spell can have as powerful an effect on the game as any of the offensive weaves, and it is relatively hard to prevent. If you have a little initiative, you can threaten Delay in addition to the offensive weaves, and almost certainly get something through. Dispel Magic can sometimes defend against delay weaves well, but as it masks gestures in the last invis turn completely, it opens up the door to profuse attacks afterward. Also, special attention must be paid to the mirrored Delay Effect setup that ensues in mutual DP/PS openings.

I have organized the weaves according to their initial gestures, to make it easier to see what options each set of gestures provides you with, and what information they give your opponent. For example, if you begin SP/SS, you have those weaves available as well as the SP/Sx ones, but your opponent has to consider the possibility of SP/SF and SP/SW weaves as well.

SP/SS Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Double Antispell	PPWSPFPSxx WSSPFPSxx	Game-winning if it isn't defended against.	Generally predictable. Bad against monsters.
Antispell/FOD	PPWSPWPFSSSD WSSPFPDWPP	If the antispell hits, they have few shots at avoiding the FOD, and those are both risky and esoteric.	If the antispell doesn't hit, you'll likely lose initiative. Very bad against monsters.
SP/SF Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Time Stop Fireball	PPWSPPFD WSFSSDD	Same visible spell pattern as Double Antispell, but it's nigh impossible to defend against both. Isn't prevented by Invis.	Useless if defended against.
SP/SW Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Fear Antispell	PPWSWDxxxxx WSPFPSDx	Disables several good defenses, including Invis and Time Stop, and may stop them from charming your monsters. If the antispell hits, you can get a lot of initiative and damage out of the perm threat in conjunction with Paralysis, Disease, or a goblin.	They may be able to absorb the fear and counter the antispell while launching their own attack.
Fear Invis	PPWSPPWS WSWDWS	Sets up Delay Invis if successful. Flexible enough to protect your monsters if needed.	Fear gives away your SPP making a counter likely in many situations. Often ends up stalling away your initiative. Weak against monsters. Can lead to an endless loop if your opponent goes invis when hit with the fear.
Ogre Killer	PPWSWFP WSPSxx	A handy way of taking out ogres and sometimes trolls. If successful, the PSFW or double PSDF threat should net you initiative.	Doesn't touch your opponent's spellflow, so properly timed attacks and disruptions can allow him to retain his lead.
SP/Sx Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Double Charm	PPWSPSxx WSxPSxx	Can threaten offensive weaves like Double Antispell and Time Stop Fireball. They may defend the charms with something like WWSWD/xWWS anyway, but proper dummying should earn you good initiative, or you can try to summon. Sometimes useful when facing monsters.	If they do defend the charms or summons, it's a waste.
Time Stop Antispell	PPWSPPFDxxxxx WSxSPFPSDx	Similar to Fear Antispell, but it relies on its shield pattern to disrupt their defenses, by making them defend against the threat of a Double Antispell. A useful threat when someone follows you into invis two turns behind.	Worse against monsters, and vulnerable to spells like Time Stop that Fear can block. Can be neutered by Goblin/Fear Defense if they see it coming.
Para/FOD	PPWSPWPFSSSD WSxFFFFFF	Potentially devastating out of invis. If they defend against an antispell and you don't hit them with para that turn, they may not realize they are facing FOD until PWPF, when it is usually too late to mount an effective defense.	If they have initiative and have their own strong attacks going, you risk taking massive damage. Undone by antispells, invis, monsters, etc.
SP/SD Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Perm/Blind Combo	PPWSPFPSDxxxx WSDFWFDxxxx	Potentially crippling if it isn't defended right; if it is defended right, you may still be able to dummy into a significant advantage. Can switch to Time Stop Bolt if they can block the antispell. Classic attack when you are paralyzed into invis.	Very bad against monsters.
Time Stop Bolt	PPWSPPFD WSDFFDD	Like Time Stop Fireball, but of less general utility since the missile gives away your initial D. A good alternative threat with Perm/Blind Combo, though.	Useless if defended against.
Invis Weaves without SP		Strengths	Weaknesses
Goblin/Fear Defense	PPWSFW WSWD	Very useful if you follow an opponent into invis and he prepares Time Stop Antispell.	Doesn't gain you very much, and lays your spellflow bare for your opponent to see, allowing your opponent the possibility of advantage, depending on what he does. Also, if they predict that you'll use this defense, they can prepare a more offensive weave with the same shield pattern instead, such as Time Stop Fireball or the ogre variant of Double Charm.
Double Goblin/Cause	PPWSFWFP WSFWPxx	The goblins are hard to prevent and hopefully unexpected. They also aren't very formidable, but you may be able to sneak in some damage while your opponent deals with them. Good if your opponent is at low health and preparing cures or counterspells to deal with more aggressive weaves.	In most cases, the goblins will quickly die or be charmed, and you are giving up your initiative completely, since your opponent knows you can't launch any major attacks off of W/W.
Dispel	PPWSCDPW WSCxxx	Mostly invulnerable answer to Poison and Disease. Destroys monsters. Several decent offensive lines: PS into Charm or Ogre, or DFF into Bolt or Para/FOD.	Vulnerable to time stopped antispells. If your opponent was already on the offensive -- very likely if you needed this weave -- they probably retain the initiative.
Storm	PPWSSC WSxC	Useful if you have a large health advantage and they have monsters.	Hitting yourself with an antispell and a bolt is not usually a good idea.
"Surprise!"	PPWSxxCW WSxxCW	If you succeed in bouncing a bolt or an antispell, you can turn the tides of the game.	Risky, not usually successful, and it is easily incorporated into only the weakest of the invis weaves.
Invis Delay Weaves		Strengths	Weaknesses
Standard	PPWSSPFPSxx DWSSSPFPSxx	Game-winning if it isn't defended against. Even if it is, the banked antispell may still win you the game. Unaffected by zero-hour Amnesia and Maladroit.	Very predictable, and allows you little flexibility. Horrible against monsters.
Time Stop	PPWSPPFD DWSSSPFP	Same shield pattern as Double Antispell, Time Stop Fireball, etc. More flexible than the Standard Delay Invis Weave around turns 1 and 2 of invis.	Horrible in mirrored invis delay.
Charm ("TaliDelay")	PPWSPSDFxx DWSSSPFxx	Trumps all other weaves in mirrored invis delay. If hit with an antispell, you can bank cW and they can't bank anything useful. If they bank when your charm hits, you get a banked antispell too, plus some initiative. Also useful in regular play, against monsters and other counterattacks -- defensively solid.	In regular play, the chance of not being able to bank something good is somewhat greater than with the other weaves.

Countermeasures Against Invisibility

If you already have significant initiative, this may not be a problem at all. Typically, however, your opponent is compensated for your impending advantage by getting a few turns free from harassment. Although Invis does protect you from many attacks, there are still disruptions and offenses your opponent can use this time to pursue. In order to use Invis effectively, you need to see potential countermeasures ahead of time and plan your moves accordingly.

As always in Warlocks, responses are situational. This is not an exhaustive list of the possibilities, but it covers the most common and most generally applicable measures.

Countermeasures	Strengths	Weaknesses
Equal or Greater Effects	Obviously, meeting Invis with simultaneous Invis, or Haste, or threatening a storm against a 5 life player, etc., prevents your opponent from obtaining a stronger position than you.	Usually, none.
Zero-Hour Disruptions	Charm mostly neutralizes any initiative bestowed by Invis, as Sx/S- isn't too useful. Antispell, Maladroit, and Amnesia all delay the most offensive lines, which require SP and are easy to defend if they are delayed; Amnesia also segues into your own Invis. Fear prevents the worst offensive lines and tends to make invis spellflow predictable. All of these are easily combined with other countermeasures.	If your opponent has significant board control (monsters, a health advantage, etc.) they can probably still work the invis to their advantage.
Following Invis	The conventional wisdom is that following someone into invis one or two turns later gives you an advantage. This is often true. Best when combined with zero-hour Amnesia.	One turn behind, they can dummy into a counter. Two turns behind, they can hit you with Fear or use the Time Stop Antispell weave; although you can counter the latter with Goblin/Fear Defense this leaves initiative up in the air. Requires having at least PP on the turn they go invis.
Counter Spell	Prevents Invis entirely. If they don't dummy the spell, you should have a significant advantage in spellflow.	They will probably dummy the spell -- and invis dummies into a number of dangerous weaves. If you don't have something useful brewing on your other hand, this can be a real problem.
Time Stop	Generally works the same way as the Time Stop Antispell weave. Works great if the time stop goes off the turn after invis. If it goes off later, you may be better off using an attack like Fireball in place of the antispell.	You'll rarely have SPP available, and if you do have SPPF on invis, good players will simply avoid going invis. If it hits the second turn after invis, Goblin/Fear Defense is a problem for the disruption version while the offensive weaves are a problem for the direct attack version.
Summons	The strongest offensive lines all have problems dealing with monsters. If your opponent's health is middling, summoning an ogre or two can steal the initiative from under his feet.	Most weaves can easily be changed into Double Charm. Opponents who begin more conservative weaves like Ogre Killer will also get an edge on you.
Post-Invis Attacks	Beginning a longer attack (such as Lightning Bolt) so that it will detonate on the first or second turn after invis wears off can put your opponent on the defensive.	There are several different ways for such attacks to be disarmed as part of a regular offensive weave (Fear on 2, Antispell on 3, and so on) and you can't defend against them all. Therefore, this tactic is only useful if you are fairly sure of what your opponent is going to do -- say, if he's poisoned, or you hit him with a zero-hour disruption.
Last Resorts	Strengths	Weaknesses
Dispel Magic	Properly timed Dispel Magic is the only way to stop a Delay Effect setup (unless you have the spellflow for Time Stop). It can't be disrupted by Fear, protects against Antispell, and the terminal W gives you further defensive options.	Your opponent sees your clap before he commits to any Delay weave at all, while the Dispel prevents you from knowing anything about his turn 3 spellflow. You are essentially left with Shotgun Counter Spells, and are likely to lose initiative over them, if not the game.
Shotgun Counter Spells	Firing as many counters as possible can protect against some of the most dangerous weaves, particularly Double Antispell.	If you counter at the wrong time or place, you'll receive the full attack. Even if you predict correctly, you're still likely to have lost the initiative.

Blindness and Haste

Haste is very powerful, but because it is so vulnerable to disruptions both before and after being cast, every attack you make with it is going to be closely tied to the individual game situation; the kind of static analysis I've done out here is impossible.