Hmm, when will the new cards be added to the database? It's hard to discuss a spellbook without access to the card stats.

Mhm...

What language is OCTGN coded in? 

Also is it open source?

I think, it's C#. Check out the source code on GitHub: https://github.com/octgn (i.e. looks like it's open source...)

Thanks to Biblofilter's success at Gencon I think Necromancer books will be seen a lot more frequently from now on.

So, ... is Necromancer the new Wizard? 

I don't get this intense dislike for Sardonyx. Yeah, it drains your life. Big whoop. It also gives you 3 attacks for 1 card, one of which is a very powerful AoE Ranged attack. I'd say it's worth it.

I agree. It's a great card, that I'd love my opponent to play!

Well, playing the same Mage all the time will make you predictable to a certain degree. It allows your opponents to tailor their spellbooks to have answers to your most likely threats. So, unless you create spellbooks that are very unusual for the type of Mage you're playing, you're basically playing with a handicap.

That alone would be sufficient reason for me to regularly switch to a different Mage. (In the past, the Wizard was a possible exception due to its flexibility, but now that they're only trained in the Air Elemental school, they've become just as predictable as the other mages.)

Well, currently, 4 of the 8 available mages have received an expansion adding a variant of the opposite sex, and 4 haven't. So, at least theoretically, the latter 4 will have fewer options. These mages are:

1) Forcemaster: this is the mage I'd like to se more options for the most. Currently, it seems it's a rather one-dimensional mage. It's about time for more mind creatures, and also more mind school attack spells and effects that don't revolve around 'pushing'.

2) Druid: as discussed in this thread, they have more options because the Nature school is well-represented. But apart from that, Druids don't offer that much variety. Main difference seems to come from which tree you choose for your bond. So, seeing more options for them would be nice, as well.

3) Necromancer: This mage comes with two main alternatives out of the box: being skeleton- or zombie-based. As I've already posted several times, I'd love to see a female Necromancer that focuses on ghosts, i.e. incorporeal undead that is less about raising an army and more 'controllery' in its abilities/effects.

4) Wizard: As the only mage from the core set that didn't receive a second expansion, yet, Wizards have had the least problems regarding variety, especially given that until very recently they were able to specialize in any of the four elemental schools. Now that they're limited to Air, I can at least see some merit in an expansion for them, but they're still the one mage who needs an expansion the least.