May 04, 2024, 08:46:19 AM

Author Topic: Strategy for protecting your wands  (Read 3860 times)

cbalian

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Strategy for protecting your wands
« on: June 11, 2013, 07:37:43 AM »
I am fairly new to Mage Wars (played 6 games so far) LOVE it.  I am really liking the wands as I tend to go a bit more spell heavy than creature heavy in my decks.

My question is I'm looking for advice on the best ways to protect the wands from things such as dissolve, steal equipment etc.  In relation to that topic I have a few specific questions that will help my game in other areas as well.

Q1.  If you put (2) two different must reveal face down enchantments on yourself do you HAVE to resolve them BOTH if you are targeted or do you get to select?  For example can you put a "Reverse Magic" PLUS a "Nullify" both face down on yourself, or would that be really dumb because you'd have to resolve BOTH of them if you get targeted by something that would trigger.  And IF you do have both on you (to try to draw out someone to use a seeking dispell) but they target you with a Dissolve instead can you PICK which one triggers first (ie pick to Reverse Magic and the Nullify would just get wasted).

Q2.  Does Nullify block ALL incantations or enchantments cast on you (including positive effects, or just negative ones)?  For example...I was using nullify to hopefully nullify one of the dissolves I knew he was going to cast.  But I think nullify says it blocks any incantation OR enchantment cast on you.  So he cast a "Hawkeye" enchantment on me first then dissolve.  So I guess the real question is does the Hawkeye enchantment (even though it is positive) trigger the Nullify and the Hawkeye and the Nullify are both discarded?

ringkichard

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2013, 12:02:53 PM »
Sadly for your wands, stacking a Nullify and a Reverse Magic is of very little value. They will both trigger from a single Dissolve, and because they have red reveal costs you must reveal them both. At that point, you can chose which (if any) you want to pay for (and get the effect from), but they will both be destroyed because they were both revealed.

Also sadly for your wands, any face down enchantment will trigger Nullify. When your opponent casts an enchantment face down, you don't know what it is, and neither does your Nullify. It will trigger, and you must decide if you want to pay the reveal cost to get the Nullify effect, or just allow the spell to go through. Either way, Nullify will have been revealed and will be destroyed.

There is a new enchantment coming out in the next expansion (available very soon, this week probably) called Armor Ward that may help you defend your wands, but until then, my advice is to bring extra wands, extra spells to put on those wands, extra nullifies, and to stay more than one square away from your opponent if possible (Dissolve has a range of 1). 
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sIKE

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2013, 12:10:36 PM »
Reverse Magic is a nasty one to use on a opponent that always uses Dissolve right after you cast your Wand out. Wait until a piece of important equipment comes out on your opponent. Next round bring out your Wand and Reverse Magic on yourself in the Final QuickCast Phase. Next round smile.

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cbalian

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2013, 12:50:08 PM »
Thank you so much!  I will go with the Reverse Magic route on my Wizard with the wands.

sIKE

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2013, 01:09:26 PM »
Just be aware, the game is highly adaptive, so do this once or twice and the other team will wise up....
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MrSaucy

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2013, 01:14:33 PM »
One does not simply prevent their wand from being dissolved. Instead of devoting resources to protecting your wands, I think it might be better to just have a plan for when your wands get dissolved. To be honest, I would rather have the enemy dissolve my wand then dissolve my armor or regrowth belt.
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MrSaucy

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2013, 01:18:49 PM »
Just be aware, the game is highly adaptive, so do this once or twice and the other team will wise up....

Yep. Then they will just start running Seeking Dispel to remove your Reverse Magic. I don't really run Nullify or Reverse Magic anymore because Seeking Dispel seems to be too common and Nullify will never be enough to protect your equipment.
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sIKE

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2013, 01:41:04 PM »
To be honest, I would rather have the enemy dissolve my wand then dissolve my armor or regrowth belt.

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Re: Strategy for protecting your wands
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2013, 08:45:33 PM »
unless you are the wizard who relies on elemental wand you should be able yo adapt once your wand is gone (of course try to keep it).

note that seeking dispel and decoy will both destroy nullify and reverse magic

count the dispels the other mage has used (remember you are free to look at his discard pile) most mages will run 2-4 dispels in book. if you run 2 wands and manage to avoid 2 dispels you should be safe.

if you sense your wand will be stolen you should try a jinx, it will return the spell to there spell book so they can't even use it for there other action

and lastly know that when ever they are in range to dissolve you are also in there dissolve range so tit for tat 
Being Aussie we place all our cards face down, apart from enchantments which are face up