... and would you look at that? You've run aground.

I've been screwed by this card too many times... so it's high time we broke down the math on this terribly overrated Elemental building.

4 Flux, gives ele domain and base, takes one damage at end of round. If destroyed, it goes back into your deck. Because of the domain autodraw system, you'll get it back sooner or later.

The Ideal Scenario...

Let's choose the best possible elemental hand. Magma Chamber. You have 3 flux remaining. Round two, up to 6 flux. Cast Vapor Mahal moving towards center flux well. Two flux remaining. Round three, up to 5 flux. Cast Vapor mahal, catpure center flux point. Cast flamekin. You're lucky if you're not being attacked by yet. Round 4, up to four flux. Defend yourself. Cast a low cost creature (LOL), or perhaps a permanent building to hold the center flux well. This sounds perfectly reasonable right? Why don't more people play this way and actually WIN with elementals, you ask? Because this NEVER happens.

The Worst Case Scenario...

Vapor mahal is the only domain building you draw, and you only have one low cost creature to cast. If you play creatures (assuming you have a choice lol), you might not be able to build a magma chamber a few turns from now. Round two. You draw ANOTHER vapor mahal. Naturally, you feel the need to cast it. You could cast nothing this round, discard the mahal, and hope to draw a magma chamber... but let's say for the fun of it that you DO cast it. CRAP. Now you're getting attack by a pesky sylvan creature. Round three. Both of your mahals are down to 3hp, you have 9 flux, and you just drew a magma chamber. Thank goodness, you exclaim! I need to cast this near my flux well! Now you have 2 flux. You MIGHT be able to cast a sleet mogi... and hopefully you're not getting attacked by a falcon. Your opponent attacks the outer vapor mahal. Round 4. If you couldn't cast any creatures last round (which is likely), now you have 5 flux. You drew another vapor mahal. Rapture. You get to cast a creature now, hooray! But anything you cast will probably be attacked by your opponent, or they'll use a spell on it, sensing your desperation. Round 5, now you're back down to 2 domain, after your outer mahal died. There may be multiple creatures at your doorstep now. You can only afford to cast one creature that won't get insta-gibbed by the sylvan devils at your door. *sigh* Round 6: Your opponent finishes construction and starts gaining glory. You have flux, but you're back down to one domain, and your home base is surrounded by creatures. It's time to think about resigning.

I only play with one vapor mahal in my deck now to avoid this worst case scenario. That way if I start with a vapor mahal, I should get a magma chamber that I can cast next turn. But since elementals have a dire shortage of useful, low cost, single domain creatures, it's extremely tough to compete in the early game... which is where most games in The Far Wilds are won and lost.

So I promised math in the beginning. I lied. I can't think of a good way to mathematically prove how bad this card really is. I actually think it would be A LOT more useful if it didn't provide any domain, and cost one or two less flux. Then it would be more like the sylvan madness, and you wouldn't get screwed by the autodraw system. But that raises a different issue... Elementals are already short on buildings that offer domain. So I doubt this will happen.

at least they don't have heart of the mountain......

play moar thunderheads

Playing only Vapor Mahals is great if you can win the game in exactly 7 turns.
Which you cant (i would hope).

I no longer touch the silly mahals....


(okay truth be told you can do some funky stuff with it, but really add 3 flux, drop a magma, and it's "use moar diplomats" cause the thunderheads are worse than basic buildings)

I started trying to use thunderheads... but I regret to inform the community that because of thistle falcon, most decks are built with plenty of ways to counter any kind of flying entity.