Energy hiding

Energy hiding is a tactic that uses multiple weapon sets to protect against energy denial. It requires a "low energy" set and one or more "high energy" sets for swapping.

Energy sets

 * A low energy set (-5) consists of any 1-handed martial weapon inscribed with "Brawn over Brains" plus any shield.
 * A standard or normal energy set (+10–12) is any wand/focus combo or any staff.
 * A high energy set (up to +42) inscribes the weapons with "Seize the Day" and/or "Live for Today."

How it works
Your energy pool can be thought of as being a static number as deep as your highest energy set, while your currently equipped set acts as a shallow allowance of your total.

For example: if you have 30 base energy and a +42 high energy set in your inventory, you effectively have 72 energy at your disposal. When you equip your low set, you have a shallow cap of that, limited to the top 25 energy. Though the other 47 energy still exists, it's currently being hidden.

Why it's important
Energy denial cannot reduce a player's energy below 0. While hiding energy in your low set, only your base energy (e.g. 25) is visible; the remaining blue bar (e.g. 47) of that is inaccessible both to you and to your enemies. This allows you to limit your enemies' maximum energy denial of you to 25. By practicing good weapon swapping habits, you will never be denied more than 25 energy and you can always have 47 energy available to you. Practiced efficiently, energy hiding nullifies the danger of energy denial.

Usage

 * Watch when your enemy uses energy denial skills; time your swaps around them; it is very hard to recover from getting drained while using a high-e set. Drained healers can result in a team wipe.
 * If you use up or become denied of all energy while in your low set, you will appear to have 0 energy. However, you have loads of energy hidden, e.g. instead of sitting 0/25, you can switch to 47/72.
 * On the other hand, if you cast from your high set (e.g. down to 40/72) and switch back into your low set, you will appear to be stuck at 0 energy for some time because your energy is regenerating from negative levels; only your base energy is visible. Once you have all of your 47 hidden energy regenerated, you'll see your 48th recover as "1 of 25" in your low set.
 * Managing energy well, you can defend indefinitely against e-denial. Try to maintain your energy just around your base: with the high set, you will have energy to cast; with the low, you will be at around 0 and resistant to Energy Surge and Energy Burn (if your foe cannot drain your energy, they cannot damage you).
 * You can reduce your energy by as much as 7 points below your base, if you sacrifice shield armor: equip a focus with a requirement you do not meet (i.e. giving you +3) and inscribe it with "Ignorance is Bliss" (adds armor, but drops energy by 5 for a net loss of 2). And, as with other low energy sets, add "Brawn over Brains" to your main-hand weapon.