I wanted to start a discussion on perceiving power generation in Tales of Tribute. I know this might seem obvious, but expressing it in this format might create a helpful framework to visualize power rush strategies. So, here it is:



Typically we like to think about power generation through cards such as Armory is 5 power or Siege Weapon Volley is 4 power, but we can condense the card specific details into the ratio shown above. And the reason to do so is to emphasize it's not just cards like Armory that affect the rate of power, but also how fast your deck moves either through cycle or thinning. When viewed in this way, the average power generation rate of a high power card like Armory can be equivalent to weaker power cards with cycle such as Time Mastery.

Hypothetical Example
If your opponent picks up Armory first, the game is not necessarily over. While they have a better numerator (Power), you can catch up by improving the denominator part of the ratio (Turns per Shuffle) through cycle and deck thinning. A simple example is that if they need on average two turns to play Armory that is essentially 2.5 power/turns per shuffle. If you picked up Siege Weapon Volley and can cycle or thin your deck to just about play it every turn, then that would be 4 power/turns per shuffle, outpacing the power generation of Armory in this example.

Application to Patron Selection
This is part of the reason why you might see Psijic+Red Eagle as a counter pick to Orgnum+Pelin. It gives options to whoever is behind to improve the denominator (Turn per Shuffle) portion of the ratio while still allowing a strong way to lock out a game if someone gets both power and cycle/deck thinning. Orgnum+Pelin is the numerator portion of the equation while Psijic+Red Eagle represents the denominator.

However, I want to comment that I feel (not necessarily correct) Alessia+Mora is probably one of the more consistent second turn plyer picks regardless what the first turn player picks. The possibility of the first turn player missing out on 4 gold, especially if they selected a patron with a non-gold card, and likelihood of the second turn player getting 4 gold to start Alessia spam is usually too advantageous to not pick. There are details to this that are off topic, like prioritizing Mora cards, so Alessia spam isn't a default.

Conclusion
The equation shown is a helpful way to abstract power generation from the card detail level to a simple ratio. Although it's an overly simplistic way to approach power rush, it can be used as a guide to making the right decisions in-game.