Shortbow
Equipment
Cost: 8
Quick Action
Range: 0-2
Target: Mage
Level: War 1
Equipment Slot: One Hand (Main/Weapon)

ATTACK - "Quick Shot" - Quick Action - Ranged Attack 0-2 range - 4 Dice

When using Quick Shot, add 6 to any defense rolls the target makes for each zone away.

Immolate
Attack (Fire)
Cost: 9
Quick Spell
Range 0-2
Target: Creature
Level 3 (Fire 2, Dark 1)
Ranged - Flame - 3 attack die - Unavoidable.  Direct Damage.  Critical Damage.  Burn for each damage dealt

I would design the death cards to require finite life for full effect.  Thematically, it is the fear of death that is exploited by the dark wizard, and bravery and priest cleansing that is the undoing.  I can imagine the epic battle of good versus light evil, with the tide of battle turning at the fall of the Deathlock (for example).

I think this would make Finite Life much more interesting.



Death
Incantation
Cost: X+X
Full Action
Range: 0-0
Target: Creature
Level: Dark 3
Target creature loses X life. Then, if it is not destroyed, it gains X life.


Unstable Affliction
Enchantment
Cost: (2)(X)
Quick Cast
Range: 0-2
Target: Living Creature
Level: Dark 3
Dark Mage Only.
X is the level of target creature.
This creature gains Finite Life.
During the upkeep phase this creature loses 1 life.
When Unstable Affliction is destroyed by an opponent place X Rot tokens on this creature.


Fear
Incantation
Cost: X
Quick Cast
Range: 0-2
Target: Non-Mage Living Creature
Level: 1 Dark
X is the level of the target creature. If the creature has finite life, immediately activate and control that creature but take only move actions.



Searing Pain
Incantation
Cost: 5
Full Action
Range: 0-1
Target: Creature
Level: 1 Dark
If the creature has finite life, place a stun marker on it.

If you have played a skilled arcane mage this will sound familiar.  The opponent has a facedown enchantment on your mage and on himself.  You want to target the opposing mage, but are unsure you will be able to get past these hidden defenses.  Do you ignore the enchantments and fall into his trap?  Then you remember the reflected curses and lost actions and spells from previous games and you hesitate.  What should you do?

First let's look at the list of arcane enchantments and their effects:

Jinx - the enchantment on your mage might be Jinx.  If you play a quick spell you know you can at least remove it from play, but you will lose that action

Nullify - either enchantment could be nullify.  If you play an enchantment or incantation on either mage then the nullify will leave play, but your spell is lost along with mana spent

Reverse Magic - the enchantment on the opposing mage could be reverse magic.  If you play an enchantment or incantation on the opposing mage the reverse magic will leave play, but your spell and mana are lost and gained by the opponent.


So any of the three enchantments will leave play if you target the opponent with a quick spell incantation or enchantment.  But what should you play.  If any of these enchantments are on the opposing mage there is a good chance your card will have little effect or even backfire.

Backfire.  Here is the key.  What if you could use the backfire to your advantage.  A bad play backfired becomes a good play.  But there is no guarantee for backfire so you don't want to commit too heavily, so an enchantment would be best so you don't have to commit (reveal) fully.  Also two mana is not too much to invest.  So you pull a Rhino Hide from your spellbook and prepare it face down on the table, and before you know it you spend two mana to enchant your opponent with the buff enchantment.  Now the moment of truth.

Did you opponent have Reverse Magic on himself?  If so he would likely immediately pay 5 mana to reveal it.  It would leave play and your Rhino Hide enchantment would attach to your mage.  You smile with satisfaction.

Did your opponent have nullify on himself?  If so he would pay 2 mana, reveal it, and the nullify and Rhino Hide would be discarded from play.  You are still even on actions and up two mana after the play.

Did your opponent have jinx on you?  If so he would pay 1 mana, reveal it and it would leave play and your Rhino Hide would go back to your book along with your mana to your pool.

In any of these situations you have spent only a quick action and a maximum of two mana.  After the play you can feel confident to play any other prepared spell against the opponent (attacks could be still be vulnerable to mind magic, however).  How confident is the opposing mage?  Probably not much.  He is at your mercy.

I wanted to imagine an Earth wizard, but it was hard with so few Earth cards released so far with only the Core Set.  So I started imagining my own... (I also posted this on BoardGameGeek forums).


Gargoyle
Conjuration
quick spell
casting cost: 5
School: earth 1
Armor: 5
Life: 4
During its action phase or while guarding Gargoyle has [-5 ARMOR] and becomes a Creature with Flying.
ATTACK: "Slash" [FULL] [MELEE] [2]


Boulder
Attack
Quick Spell
Casting Cost: X
School: Earth 1
Range: 0-2
Target: Creature or Conjuration
ATTACK: [RANGED] [EARTH] [X] : Blunt, Stun
(Blunt attacks only deal damage with non-critical die rolls)



Eruption
Enchantment
Quick Action
Casting Cost: 2
School: Earth 2 Fire 1
Life: 1
Range: 0-1
Target: Zone
Extendable
When Earthquake targets this zone you must reveal this, if you do that earthquake loses Blunt and causes an additional Burn.



Earthquake
Attack
Full Action
Casting Cost: X
School: Earth 3
Range: 0-1
Target: Zone
ATTACK: [MELEE] [EARTH] [X] : Blunt, effect die roll 4-9 daze, 9-12 stun


The ideas started from the basic theme that Earth revolves around armor.  Blunt attacks punish opponents who neglect armor, and reward the Earth Mage who focuses in Armor.

Gargoyle is a basic creature who complements a defensive style quite well, and is resilient to the Earthquake spell used by the summoning mage.

Boulder is the basic Earth attack and automatically stuns the target.  At low mana levels its damage does not compare to other elements like Fire, but it can do immense damage when more mana is spent, potentially crushing the opponent in one blow by sheer physical force.  This not only supports the defensive Earth Mage style, but also puts a clock on the opponent who is reckless and overaggressive if the Earth Mage is building a large supply of mana.

Eruption not only increases Earthquake damage dramatically but also serves as a deterrent for a rushing opponent.  Opponents will think twice before rushing an army of creatures into a space when a face down enchantment could be Eruption.

Earthquake is like Boulder, but hits an area of effect.  If the mage splashes fire he can use Earthquake with Eruption for increased damage, especially against armored targets who may have survived previous Earth attacks.