Bravo HappyDD, well said. I have been playing this game from the start. I remember when Orc rush was too strong, and Skaven rush was too strong, and then High Elf bolt thrower was too strong, then Dwarves were too strong, Visit the Haunted City was too strong, Empire in general was too strong, Reclaim was too strong, Sorcerer of Tzeentch was too strong, now Empire and High Elf are once again too strong! What the hell guys?!? It's a living card game! it's going to go through cycles. Strong builds are going to come and go. Get used to it. Play/build around it! This game rocks and is so much fun, it seems a waste to sit around complaining about it. I remember those same comments that HappyDD was talking about when there was all this talk about the Empire being unstopable. But, the Dwarves won! Then excuses were made for that. Let's wait and see how new decks play after the errata before we start moaning again about yet another build. Also, another good point made by HappyDD, who really wants to be the winner of a tournament when official rules were not even used? Sad.

Our homerule to National Championships is also as You said "for more fun" its true, but what is more important - for competition. When every good player plays unstopable Arcane Combo deck, which can draw all deck for free and win in second turn it is no fun, it is no copetition, its not about skill, its about luck. That's why we have a homerule. Please, try to think about all new and even avarage players - they have no chance against such decks. Invasion is great game and there are many playable and fun combos without abusing Arcane Power tactic. That looks similar to VtHC times, when one card dominate whole meta, and everything was about that quest and ways to stop it or just slow it down. That is simply wrong. With limitation You can still use Arcane Power in for example HE Eltharion or RTF and win, but without truly too powerful options like drawing all deck for free generating unlimited resources and indirect damge the same time…

Some correction can be also done with Gathering the Winds, in my opinion posibility to play more than one spell is too powerful. Fix that and maybe we can play Arcane Power with current errata and without limitation… But if You ask me - that card should be limited - and that solve almost every problem.

HappyDD said:

In general, I support this point of view (fun!), however I must still add, that I loathe every infinite loop and unstoppable combo in general, and I like them to be removed from game entirely - not even because win-lose issue, rather just as a healthy rule. 

As I usually avoid tournaments due to their fun factor replaced in most cases by huge portion of angry youth frustration, so I guess this cannot be taken as serious voice in this discussion by some serious fighters here. :P Nevertheless, I understand when someone says that such thing can ruin game experience (and in effect - experience of "fair" competition); sometimes sheer awareness that pure luck and overpowered card IS ABLE to decimate you, no matter what you do, is enough to spoil desire to play the game.

But of course I understand what you say - yes, lamentations are generally pointless and equally destructive as the thing they address, as most of the time it's exaggeration. Replace theory of decks with playing these decks -  yes, sir.

HappyDD said:

Hey, it should be placed in sig! :D

Teokrata said:

I think it doesn't work because you have to target a card from your discard with AP and your gathering is always in play when you play AP

Maybe Mallumo or Entropy could confirm

Djibi said:

This is why you need the Scroll of Asur or another cheap cost spell in the mix. The sequence is:

=Remove tokens to play spells with GotW

=Resolve second spell played (in this case Scroll)

-Pay costs and choose targets (none). 

-Resolve spell text (not much)

-Trigger "then" portion of GotW (which discards it).

=Resolve first spell played (Arcane Power)

-Pay Costs and choose targets (oh, look! GotW!) 

-Resolve spell text (draw card, return GotW)

-Trigger "then" portion of GotW (N/A)

cyberfunk said:

First step : "remove token to play spells with GotW".

When you play AP, you need to choose your target. AP's target has to be in the discard pile. Right? GotW is still in play, so it cant be targeted by AP even if GotW is in the discard pile when you resolve AP. You need a valid target when you play the tactic and when you resolve it

When you use GtW, the only target you have to choose is the spell, which is already in your discard pile. You don't have to choose targets for AP at this point because you have not yet played AP, you have simply targeted it to be played in the future when the GtW action resolves. You only play AP when the GtW effect resolves. The first time the GtW ability resolves, GtW will not be in the discard pile and so AP will not be able to target it. The second time this happens, it will be in the discard pile, because the first GtW action will have fully resolved (including the the part about discard GtW).

It's a little counter-intuitive, to be sure, but the FAQ is relatively clear that this is how it works.

 it's clear now. thank you!