A Mana Skirmish refers to a battle between two groups of magicians seeking to gain an advantage over the opposing group by forcing the casting of disproportionately taxing defensive magic in response to relatively less-taxing offensive magic. It arose as a concept during the Great Abjuration where most spellcasters had the means and ability to effectively counter any large-scale spell without significant damage to themselves. “Victory” in a Mana Skirmish thus entailed defeating an enemy by depleting them of mana before one’s own mana was depleted, leaving them defenseless against further casts.
A Mana Skirmish typically involves three facets:
Deception: Fooling the opponent into wasting their mana on a spell, typically involving illusion and abjuration magic. The Black Army of Wudor strategy of preparing Heat Metal and making it appear as if fireball was being cast in order to bait an opponent to use Wall of Force or Counterspell is an example of this.
Abjuration: Forcing the opponent to cast a spell to protect themselves or their allies, ensuring they utilize more mana than the attacker uses. An example of this is casting Ice Knife on a caster preparing a more powerful spell, and forcing them to waste the spell avoiding the subsequent attack.
Mitigation: Forcefully breaking the concentration of an opposing spellcaster’s spell before it can be utilized to full effect. Casting Silence, a relatively cheap spell, in the middle of a group of spellcasters utilizing prolonged Blesses with somatic components, is an example of this.
Exceptions to the Mana Skirmish were present during the Second Ettish War, such as when Kenway Moonsail (Person) used Compel Suicide against the powerful mage Edmund de Wyltshire, who simply did not know Silence or Counterspell.