Since I've seen quite a few posts along this topic, I thought I'd start an exhaustive list, especially because I myself don't quite understand a few (cough cough, Chrono, Nightmist, Vis, cough cough) and ask for the community's help in creating the list because I sure as hell can't word it properly. I will update to make an actual list, but until I get confirmation that editing works correctly, I'll just let the viewers scroll down. So without further adieu, I present to you "What IS the one and only way to play Nightmist?
Mr. Fixer Naturalist Onmitron-X Parse The Scholar The Southwest Sentinels Setback Sky-Scraper Tachyon
Tempest Unity The Visionary The Wraith
Characters done:
Fanatic- Best played when you sac your own health to do big damage and then use Fanatic's tricks (such as Aegis) to keep her alive (Phantaskippy)
Nightmist- Should have a lot of cards in hand, she does well when everything else goes wrong. Your 'backup plan' (Dandolo, Pydro, Phataskippy, Arcanist Lupus)
Ra- What don't you understand? Get some cards that will let him do more damage (Staff, Imbued, Tornado) and deal all the damage*. (LordFlashFire, Dandolo)
I can't pretend even for a second that there's only one way to play NightMist or that my way is necessarily the best way. But here's how I like to use her.
If the game is going well NightMist should not really be contributing much. My favorite early game cards are Starshield Necklace and the one-shots that help me increase my hand size. If you're going against a villain who hits the highest hero often or has doesn't have much ongoing destruction don't be ashamed to hide in Mist Form for several rounds. NightMist has 2 jobs: stay alive, keep increasing your hand size.
Maybe the other heroes can win without your help, if so great! However, more often than not at least once per game at some point something really bad for the heroes will happen.... NightMist's job is to have the solution to that problem in her hand when that happens. It could be an environment card you NEED gone plus 1 or 2 more you'd like gone as well (Planar Banishment). It could be a board that was empty a moment ago is suddenly full of non-hero targets (Oblivion). It could be your team is set up for a big round, but there's one villain card that could mess everything up (Astral Premonition or Mistbound).
I guess I can't really do a NightMist write-up without mentioning the Amulet of the Elder Gods (but I'm tempted to). This card is an excellent card to have in play but do not let it deplete you hand too much. If you can use redirection to destroy a target or the damage is 3 or more that's a good time to use it. Though, sometimes you will even want to let some 3 or 4 damage hits through. Otherwise it's good to have out.... in case of emergency.
To use a sports analogy, NightMist is a goalie. She takes the situations that would lead to a hero loss, and makes sure that that doesn't happen.
Am I oversimplifying? Absolutely. You always need to react to different situations on the table and there's a lot of other great stuff NightMist can do that I'm not mentioning. This is just my overall philosophy of the character, and the general framework I approach my games with her in them with.
I have found that NightMist has too many healing options, and if you try to get them all out, you tend to play much slower and not do much else. Yes, she will take a lot of damage, but she doesn't need to stay at max the entire time. She has a bunch of options to help her if she gets low. Take damage early, get 1 (maybe 2) damage prevention/healing cards. Otherwise, try to deal damage to the enemy when you can. Also, I am a big fan of Elder Ring, althought I know other aren't.
Amulet tends to dominate her play mechanic, because it is a very simple math game: If you are likely to get hit for more than 2 damage by the villain, then your best course is to take 2 to draw 2 (investigation) and use those 2 to turn the villain hitting you against them.
Don't ever redirect anything less than 2, unless by doing so you will destroy a target that otherwise will be hurting your friends, and if there isn't any decent damage to redirect, try playing ring and redirect your own damage.
Outside of Amulet Nightmist can wipe multiple ongoing/environment cards and clear nasty minion buildup, and even give her card-hungry allies a boost. Like Dandolo said, she solves problems, esp. big ones.
A big thing to remember is her relics have better than average spell numbers, so one of your best sources of cards for Starshield Necklace is Call Forth. And if you are playing with Mr. Fixer (you should, he's great with Night Mist) he can get them back to you for free.
To be clear, I wasn't talking about just Nightmist. I only got that title from a comment "Because there is only one definitive way to play Nightmist." Thanks though guys, I think I'm starting to understand her. (Or at least not be terrified of playing her.)
I find it amazing how often Astral Premonition is overlooked in Nightmist strategy guides. Sure it costs a card in hand rather than giving you one, but Infrared Eyepiece is one of the Wraith's best powers, and Premonition can be used on any deck, not just the villain deck. And yet I almost always use it as discard fodder.
One thing I will add for most characters is that you shouldn’t look at the drawback of a card only its positives. Most decks are built around compensating for that drawback. So don’t worry about it too much, and don’t compare it to other cards kn a different deck. I have found that when I do this, different possibilities often open up for the characters.
With all Nightmist's healing options, I generally don't fear that 1 extra damage the Elder Ring will cause her, or the group in the case of Oblivion. It may not be a priority card to get out, but I'll throw it down if I have nothing else that must be played right now.
If Elder Ring had on it, "When this comes into play, you may play a card," I'd use it more often. The fact that you're probably going to hurt yourself right after playing it is a detractor. I use it more on Dark Watch Nightmist.
Personally, I don't use Astral Premonition much because I don't care too much to use deck manipulation against most villains. Citizen Dawn, Grand Warlord Voss, and The Chairman are the only ones I feel deck manipulation is majorly important, because each of them have cards that I want to avoid as much as I can. Citizen Dawn has Devastating Aurora, Citizen Tears, Citizen Truth, Blinding Blast, and Return with the Dawn. Grand Warlod Voss has both ships and Forced Deployment. The Chairman has Prison Break. This isn't something exclusive to Astral Premonition, any hero with a power to manipulate a deck isn't my end goal with them besides the previously mentioned villains.
Plus, Nightmist lives or dies by her hand size. Infrared Eyepiece gets you an extra card, while AP makes you discard.
I've had successful games where all I got out for her was Master of Magic; there is a little risk involved in it, but you can play her as a straight damage dealer just as well as anyone, in which case the Elder Ring is fantastic (but if it's out, the Amulet is practically a prerequisite to keep from self-destructing).
The thing about Nightmist is every card is useful; some of them are always useful (Heedless Lash), some you want to hold on for the right moment (Oblivion), and others are only going to be useful on a once-in-ten-games basis (Mists of Time). But her biggest strength is you're basically guaranteed by the second or third round to have one of everything in hand, so you're ready for anything. If I don't have at least one Oblivion in hand, it's probably because I've used them all already.
You burn your health to burn the villain down, then use her myriad of shenanigans to stay alive. My favorite game yet as Fanatic involved using Aegis 3 times (Yeah Mr. Fixer) and surviving to the hero turns at 1-2 hp at least 4 times in the game.
Zealous Offense, Chastise, Embolden, all fantastic cards, and you can eat that damage with the best heal in the game, Aegis. Honestly, if you don't use Aegis at least once in the game you didn't cash in on your health-cost abilities enough.
Wrathful Retribution is nice, but honestly, it is only a bonus to a playstyle that is all about the smiting, and only a little bit about surviving.
Also Redeemer Fanatic is the worst. The worst. Stop healing and storing cards, hit bad guys more. Win.