I try to design my decks so that I always have something to do. This way I rarely have to pass. 75% of the spells in my decks cost 0 or 1 mana. If I need an attack I dump extra cards as I continue to blade/trap/shield.
My most common reason to pass is that I do not have a spell that I can use, and is typically proceeded by discarding one or more cards that I foresee I will not be using. As the size of the deck increases, it becomes more likely that a player will get a hand without a card they can use, as the size of the hand does not increase. Using a general utility deck, rather than a custom one for a specific encounter, increases the number of available cards that will not be useful.
This problem also gets worse as new spells are added, as it increases the potential for getting cards that can't be used at a particular time. It will also get worse if we increase the size of the deck above the current cap once there are new expansions, but even keeping the same size deck will lead to the same problem.
One potential solution would be to increase the size of the playing hand, as even a marginal increase would dramatically reduce the odds of not having a useful card. It would be a nice ability change for the highest levels, as the decks are otherwise capped for cards and the designers are resorting to placing ability buffs on the deck itself.
1. Have no blades/traps, need pips 2. When somebody needs to make the winning kill and have no blades 3. Discarded all cards and had no attack spells or blades or traps left.
1) building pips (the most common) 2) don't have a spell I want to use and am discarding (much less common) 3) when somebody asks to make the killing shot and I can't buff them (rarely)
dayerider pretty much covered it.
I usually can blade or throw a zero pip spell of another type but if not - it's exactly as they said.
I don't pass often. When I do it is because I am building pips, looking for specific boosts, when I am stunned, or if someone is playing the killing hit.
1. I am fighting a Jade player and they are trying to Turtle, to run me out of cards. 2. I am digging into my TC sidedeck, and didn't get what I needed. 3. I don't have the cards in my hand that I need to use at the moment (which seldom happens).
Imo, the Jade or extremely high resist player is the cause of most passing in PvP. I have watched many PvP battles, mainly 1v1, and the passing starts when a Jade wearing wizard, with high resist, better than 60, is in the battle.
Being a Storm wizard I pass about at least 20 or 30 maybe even 40 times because I'm either looking for the spell I want to use. or I'm helping someone get "One in a Million" Plus now that the spells pip costs are getting so high in numbers I also need to wait for the pips to use the spell! And it also doesn't help when I finally find my spell fizzle with it then I need to re-find another which would be more passing. I have also notice I have to use some random attack when the enemy uses a weakness or tower shield which my pips would be taken so I need to re-gain the pips for my big attack. (I suggest some low pip spells with High damage)
I pass a lot because I see either: 1.the guy in front of me has a powerful attack that is sure to beat the enemy 2. I don't have enough pips 3.the person after me asks me to pass 4.i mean to click a card but end up pushing pass 5. I am afk 6. I am discarding cards (should be able to see 10 cards at a time)
I rarely pass when I'm playing by myself, or playing in my regular group. That's probably because I like to keep my deck very efficient -- filling it in such a way that I rarely have a hand where there is nothing I can use. When I'm playing in my regular group, I play with my Storm wizard, which means I pretty much set the pace of the battle. It's just going to take as long as it takes for me to buff and slay. I find that I am only passing a lot when I am in a group with my Life wizard. I'm just killing time/amassing pips until the hammer is ready, then I top everyone off before we head into the next battle.
I think maybe some tutorials on how to set up your deck would be good.
I usually don't pass unless i have too. If i don't have pips for the card i want to use i will double up on blades and traps for a later attack, or just use a wand spell. I also stack shields rather than passing so my opponent will have trouble getting a good attack through.
I'm going to go beyond the scope of your question for a moment. What I don't like is when people are "passing" for whatever reason, but they don't click pass. they just let the countdown expire. Then they say why they "passed". I think if they waste the timer more than three times in a battle the system should treat it as fleeing.
Back to your question. My best reasons for clicking pass: 1. (over 90% of the time) Waiting for more pips. 2. Trashed cards, let's see what's in the next batch. 3. Stunned, why go through the motions and watch nothing happen? 4. Damage over time will win the round for me. 5. Another wizard has something better than what I was going to do. 6. (very rarely) Somebody stepped in just as my last enemy died. But another enemy stepped in, too. Let them take over the battle.
When in battles, I try to keep my decks as small as possible. But, many many times all the wrong cards come up and I end up discarding some, passing, hoping the cards I need come up the next round.
Plus, I will discard to try and get something from my sideboard (like a cleanse charm), so I will pass then, too.
There are also times when you're looking at the cards that came up during a fight, that it might be all wand or spell attacks, or all Colossal, blades, or traps. Gotta discard some of those and pass, hoping you can get something else you can use for the next round.
1) Accidentally Dispelled the Card I was going to use. 2) Unwanted Cards in Hand 3) Timer ran out (25% of the time this is the reason) 4) Not enough Pips. (and my favourite) 5) Accidentally pressing the Pass button then realising it's too late.
Well professor Falmea, in my opinion you should check the background data again
Most of the people just pass about 25% or less of the times for all the reasons that all the people already said,but a few days ago i saw one 1v1 pvp match that both guys were passing and passing and passin and do nothing more. The big bains please make the math,i stand watching and talking for at least 20min and when i leave the fight didnt had finished yet, that give a lot of fake data. And the coment from the people with me was just "another one like this". That is something that you realy have to think about in ranked pvp and do something, like a draw or something.
Plese forgive me if i speak something wrong, but english is not my first language
I pass about 10% of the time. Usually, I'll have blades or shields that I use to build up pips and pass turns. Very rarely do I get a hand where every card is gray. I'm a life class, so I heal, mostly. A lot of times, no one needs a heal, and so I either pass or blade myself.
1) i am building pips 2) (we all do it) accidentally press pass 3) waiting for partner(s) to heal 4) the spell i want to cast is tc and not my school ( mine is )