Arcane Wonders Forum
Mage Wars => Spellbook Design and Construction => Topic started by: SharkBait on August 20, 2015, 09:01:00 AM
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Alright, I feel it is time to post my GenCon2015 book and hopefully get some more people interested in playing my favorite mage.
[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Trogdor the Burninator[/spellbookname]
[mage]A Adramelech Warlock Spellbook[/mage]
[mage]built by the OCTGN SBB[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1A04]4 x Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A06]6 x Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]2 x Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA01]2 x Devil's Trident[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1J04]1 x Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNW02]1 x Wall of Bones[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKJ01]2 x Enchanter's Wardstone[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J22]2 x Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1E40]1 x Vampirism[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E27]2 x Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E29]1 x Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E14]1 x Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]1 x Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E31]2 x Poisoned Blood[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E24]2 x Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E19]1 x Ghoul Rot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E04]1 x Chains of Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE02]1 x Akiro's Favor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E17]1 x Force Orb[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E32]1 x Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE02]1 x Circle of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE04]2 x Brace Yourself[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E09]1 x Agony[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1Q15]1 x Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q16]1 x Leather Gloves[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q06]2 x Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q10]1 x Fireshaper Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q28]1 x Ring of Curses[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ01]1 x Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q14]1 x Lash of Hellfire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q08]1 x Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1I06]2 x Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I07]2 x Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]2 x Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI05]2 x Ignite[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI01]1 x Combustion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I24]1 x Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKI01]1 x Drain Soul[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1C16]1 x Flaming Hellion[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]
First, a little bit of background as to how this book came about. This book was able to get me a 3-2 record at GenCon. The only two losses coming to Nick and Tim who just so happened to be in the championship game. I lost pretty hard to Nick (The Arcane Duels guys got my two wizard matches mixed up, it wasn't as close as my other match) and was almost able to finish Tim off(30 damage/32 life. So close :P) but due to some extraordinarily skilled play, Tim was able to extend his life and weather the storm.
The book I'm posting is where I have ended up from a pretty different starting point (I actually think you can find the original build I made in a forum post buried somewhere.) When my former build wasn't working as well as I would like (I formerly ran adramelech and a few other demons in here as buddies), I began to transition to a solo mage rush style that has some pretty brutal results against a lot of mages. Sometime during the transition/development, I stumbled across Schwenkgott's Face Melter build and was able to take some really nice notes on how to open. I have since come up with probably 8 different openings that weren't along Schwenkgott's formula, but it definitely opened my eyes as to how I can use the beginning of the game to set myself up for a potential 5 or 6 turn end of game. I believe the post here is revision ~30 and has already been through about 10 more experimental builds as I try to find more options for openings other than just solo mage rushdown.
The "generic" opening that all of my other openings are variations of goes like this:
T1[19]: Battle Forge(-8) + Hawkeye Face Down (-2)
T2[18(1)]: Ring of Curses from Forge(-1(-1)) + Akiro's Favor FD(-2) + either another buff to myself FD(Brace yourself, regrowth, etc) or a curse if they're in range (Marked for Death, Rust, Poisoned blood, etc. Depends on the other mage) (-2)
T3[22(1)]: Assuming they weren't in range for a curse last turn: 2 x Curse FD (-4)
T4[~25 mana] Fire shaper ring from the forge, reveal hawkeye and appropriate curse(s) and double Fireball during the turn for either 18 or 19 dice of damage depending on choice of curse. Only flip Akiro's if you roll like I tend to do (seriously, some days I swear the dice hate me ;D) but only after you see the roll. Don't flip it if you roll well.
At this point, it's possible that you have a nearly 20 damage head start + burns on the opponent and can spend the rest of your attack spells burning through whatever defenses they try to put up. This strategy has won me many games, though obviously not all of them. It's because of this that I'm going through and trying to develop alternate strategies that I can still do with this book while keeping open the above Solo Mage rushdown as an option as well. If I can make this book a little less predictable and have an answer for some of the counters that work well against this book (looking at you, healing and Dragonscale Hauberk. Jinx hurts some too if you make even one bad play against a really good player).
Some of the lines of what I'm testing right now for the Thunderdome II include reducing the number of some of the attack spells (I cringed writing that, just so you know. :P) since it still has plenty of gas to lay down the pain, and increasing some utility enchantments and creatures to go with it. I still have a LOT of practice to do using creatures at all since I am so used to only having to worry about my mage, and because of this I haven't settled on a good creature selection yet.
I think this just about covers everything, hope this helps and maybe we can start to see more of this mage around. She is SUPER fun to play, and I personally like her better than the AC warlock.
When in doubt, kill it with fire.
I'll post an update, but here's the book that I used in the 'Dome II
[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Trogdor 3 - The gimpy book that could[/spellbookname]
[mage]A Adramelech Warlock Spellbook[/mage]
[mage]built by the OCTGN SBB[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1A04]3 x Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A06]4 x Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA01]2 x Devil's Trident[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A02]1 x Dragon's Breath[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A12]1 x Ring of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1J04]1 x Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J12]2 x Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J19]1 x Deathlock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO4]1 x Ballista[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]2 x Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E27]3 x Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E14]1 x Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E24]2 x Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E19]2 x Ghoul Rot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E40]1 x Vampirism[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E38]1 x Teleport Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E22]2 x Hellfire Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO79]1 x Blur[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E01]1 x Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E31]1 x Poisoned Blood[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1Q06]1 x Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ01]1 x Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q14]1 x Lash of Hellfire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q10]1 x Fireshaper Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q28]1 x Ring of Curses[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q21]1 x Moloch's Torment[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q15]1 x Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO53]1 x Gloves of Skill[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q23]1 x Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1I06]2 x Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I07]2 x Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I24]1 x Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]2 x Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI05]1 x Ignite[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I11]1 x Explode[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1C16]2 x Flaming Hellion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1C03]1 x Dark Pact Slayer[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]
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I really like this style of play (even when I lose to six 7-dice flameblasts in a row) and I'm all for helping you tune it up and find the right creature(s). Lady-lock is one of my favorite mages also. The good news is that with the inclusion of a couple of demons you can use all of her traits.
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If you're looking to add creatures I would suggest gargoyle sentry and sersiryx, imp familiar. The sentry for the intercept and the imp for adding a much needed action. You have plenty of curses and flame attacks and the imp gives you another way to get them out. The sentry could be used to protect the imp as well as your fire cannon mage.
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I should also point out that Shark and I played a game with our books online the week before GenCon and in an incredibly fast and nasty match, he won killing me the before my next action killed him.
Gregg
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This mage is difficult to master and I am happy to see someone being successful with one of the underrated mages ;)
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This mage is difficult to master and I am happy to see someone being successful with one of the underrated mages ;)
She doesn't leave much room for error.
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I run a quite similar book, problem is the dragonscales and elemental cloaks just take a lot of time of, together with a stun or other defense possibilites you then die rather fast as you have no defense.
I can do a defensive slow variant with battleforge and sersyrix where the main problem is that you are mana starved a bit and you can't cast battleforge and the imp (bad 9channel :(). Usually I can get some more curses up gear myself up, have the magebane and ghoul rot to do a bit of DoT. To survive sersix is usually the first target anyway, i have a few things like stumble, enfeeble, block, fumble to save a bit of time then dragonscale rhino hide and also a devine protection. i also have more wall of bones (all on cost of more attack spells)
I have disarm for range 2 dragonscale/cloak removal and can cast 1 9-10dicefireball then or i go and dissolve with the above protection it often is enough to survive and than do enough damage following rounds. If no antifire equip just 2flameblasts every round.
The issue is, my build is much weaker against unprepared players, but if one knows it yours is impossible to win or am i wrong? I thought this more as a casual deck.
Cool deck though, i am not sure if it is superior to just a fire wizard doing the same, of course flame+1 comes handy but at a cost of 1less channeling and you could opt for a wizardstower with the fire wizard living more room for attack spells from the tower(of course less dmg dies, but gives you actions) and still dissolving/disarming the other mage.
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Really cool deck! I'm really excited to play more Adramelech Warlock! Definitely going to try this book out :) Thanks for posting
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The issue is, my build is much weaker against unprepared players, but if one knows it yours is impossible to win or am i wrong? I thought this more as a casual deck.
I've had success against most (note: not all) mages regardless of whether they have actively helped me build this book or not. Sometimes going off script helps a bunch too. Against unprepared players, it's typically over in 6 turns if that. Part of the development that I'm going through right now is figuring out a way to open the game so that I can read what they're doing and either engage full throttle or shoot for more of a midgame strategy. I already know when and how to use the full throttle part, so developing contingencies and extended games is definitely the next step. Dragonscale is not as much of a problem as you might think, mostly because it doesn't typically come out before turn 3, and if it does, I can exchange one of the opening fireballs into a dissolve and still have a pretty devastating opening attack, just drawn out a little longer. Another note on that is 8 dice vs 10 dice still hurts unless you roll poorly.
Cool deck though, i am not sure if it is superior to just a fire wizard doing the same, of course flame+1 comes handy but at a cost of 1less channeling and you could opt for a wizardstower with the fire wizard living more room for attack spells from the tower(of course less dmg dies, but gives you actions) and still dissolving/disarming the other mage
You may be able to run a similar wizard build, but I contend that the style will be different enough.Cheap access to many of the curses are nice. I haven't tried building too many wizards (I really really don't like that mage) but I'm sure someone could come up with a similar wizard if they prefer.
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The flame +1 is really nice in this case. The opponent always casts armor or something else protective against the build and that +1 die/effect can really win you the game one turn early.
Shark has probably played this book more than most players have played any dark mage. I mean it, he used to do at least 10 matches a week with it. If you have any questions, you should grill him, he probably has a response.
I run a quite similar book, problem is the dragonscales and elemental cloaks just take a lot of time of, together with a stun or other defense possibilites you then die rather fast as you have no defense.
I thought the same thing about the cloak and hauberk. He just doesn't care with all the initial dice he's barreling down on you. I'm not saying it doesn't help, but you'll definitely need a backup plan against this much aggression.
That being said... You all should jump on octgn and beat him in a match.
;)
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then its maybe only our local meta, but usually there is a nullify (ok could come of on some curses) on the mage and probably the dragonscale on turn 3 at least if you start like this, and then you need more than just a dissolve and then elemantal cloak comes... and while thats that early creature or wizardstower or whatever was their start bangs you kind of.
But its mainly that here most run always a dragonscale and a elemental cloak except on the warlord(harshforge), and sometimes even a second dragonscale. with the dragonscales you are on 8dice than if you have marked for death the ring, hawkeye and fireshapper ring. its still quite some dice i agree. and then more damage, but you say heal is a problem
if i meet him :D
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I am curious how much use you get out of the Elemental Wand considering how many attack spells you run with. If you use it for a game that would end early then it's just a waste of mana and a (Forge) action. If you use it for a game that will go really long and you need more attack spells to burn down the mage then I wouldn't think this deck would fare so well against decks having established a strong late game position.
Second question: do you find walls played against you a problem? If yes, I'm throwing a couple in my deck as this deck is scary :)
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I am curious how much use you get out of the Elemental Wand considering how many attack spells you run with
Typically, it was there as one of the back up plans, and it was fairly situational. I didn't get much use out of it at GenCon because there wasn't a proliferation of Earth walls. I've been known on occasion to throw surging wave onto the wand as well.
Second question: do you find walls played against you a problem? If yes, I'm throwing a couple in my deck as this deck is scary
Walls are more of an annoyance than anything. The hammer, boulder, and eagleclaw boots are all options on how I could deal with them and have been fairly successful using those strategies. They don't work in EVERY case, but they cover a majority of cases
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. I still have smoke coming off my wizard three weeks later. He roasted me. I think I was a couple points from dead, maybe twice. Do not recall if the dice were above, below, or normal for the game. Do you recall? Did you have a kill shot that came up short, or was it a fair roll that That would have to have been much better to stretch for the win?
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Do you recall? Did you have a kill shot that came up short, or was it a fair roll that That would have to have been much better to stretch for the win?
I really don't remember that well. I don't think the dice were exceptionally one way or the other, everything roughly evened out. Though the timing of the down rolls may not have helped much. It was a pretty crazy game
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Love this build! This book is HOT! If you want to develop your skill against ranged mages this is the best training book. If you mess up it punishes you.
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[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Trogdor 3 - The book that could[/spellbookname]
[mage]A Adramelech Warlock Spellbook[/mage]
[mage]built by the OCTGN SBB[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1A04]3 x Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A06]4 x Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA01]2 x Devil's Trident[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A02]1 x Dragon's Breath[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A12]1 x Ring of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1J04]1 x Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J12]2 x Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J19]1 x Deathlock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO4]1 x Ballista[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]2 x Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E27]3 x Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E14]1 x Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E24]2 x Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E19]2 x Ghoul Rot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E40]1 x Vampirism[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E38]1 x Teleport Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E22]2 x Hellfire Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO79]1 x Blur[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E01]1 x Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E31]1 x Poisoned Blood[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1Q06]1 x Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ01]1 x Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q14]1 x Lash of Hellfire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q10]1 x Fireshaper Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q28]1 x Ring of Curses[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q21]1 x Moloch's Torment[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q15]1 x Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWPROMO53]1 x Gloves of Skill[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q23]1 x Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1I06]2 x Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I07]2 x Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I24]1 x Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]2 x Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI05]1 x Ignite[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I11]1 x Explode[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1C16]2 x Flaming Hellion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1C03]1 x Dark Pact Slayer[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]
Trogdor's back, WOOOOOOOO....oooo...
Alright, so there are some obvious differences between the GenCon version and the 'Dome II version.
First card of note: Blur. This promo is probably my favorite along with the next one. For those who don't play on OCTGN much, Blur gives the target the Obscured trait. Given my propensity to constantly undervalue armor, this card goes a long way to keeping me alive. It does many other things too, but that's the reason I run it. It's a bridge until I cast the cloak (if I even need to cast the cloak)
Next: Gloves of Skill. The other favorite card addition to this book. This allows me to reroll the dice for a ranged attack, similar to Akiro's favor. I generally thought of it as an Akiro's Favor that I could cast from the battleforge.
Other differences:
CREATURES: Oh my god I added some.
IT'S A TARP. I threw some traps in for the fun of it. Honestly, though they helped in one game, had I had the time to tinker more like I wanted then these would not have made the 'Dome book's cut. That last sentence kinda sums up the book for me, actually. I'll get to that in a minute.
Ok, so, those are the highlights (at least those that I can remember) of the different cards I added to this book. Unfortunately, I have been feeling since almost exactly a month ago now (due date for book turn in was 18 Sept.) that life got a bit busy and I didn't get to tinker enough with the new ideas. The book was a bit unfocused, and lacked the gas to do what I wanted to do in some cases. The newer versions that I've been running with lately are able to saturate a playstyle that I pick to run. I've never really been short of the attack spells, but some important curses I wish I had brought more. I also don't think Ghoul rot is a good spell for this book due to the cost and ease of removal. I have added more enfeebles, and cut mage bane and ghoul rot in order for more copies of other curses that I really can't remember off the top of my head that you'll probably see when I update this from the next tournament :P.
In general, the play style has changed from solo rush to more of a controlled aggression with a huge burst finish with the right setup. I've found that just the threat of a high damage burst still puts opponents on the defensive sometimes when they don't need to be. I've also started getting used to running a few creatures because if there is something this book still lacks, it's enough actions.
My lack of experience with creatures definitely hurt me in the American finals match, but there is always something to get better at. The issue with the current stock of demons is that the ones with the flame attack type are either imps or really expensive. I didn't feel comfortable enough to run an imp swarm, and it took a lot of effort to work some of the heavier creatures into my build/play rhythm. I spent a LONG time game planning for the 2nd round and felt comfortable with way I could get the creatures out. I got almost no time and no film to watch for the finals, and I believe I hesitated a few times when I had a creature prepared. I also spent some time casting curses instead of keeping up with actions first. That'll probably be the next direction I head in my practicing to make this book run a bit better.
All of that being said, the book was good to me and I was able to use it to make it to the American side finals in the Thunderdome II, which is the best finish I have had yet. I'll probably edit this post at some point to add more tidbits that I can remember, but I wanted to get these thoughts down first and go from there.
EDIT: I'm already hanging my head in shame for not mentioning the most valuable card in this book.
DEATHLOCK. This is my favorite and will continue to be my favorite conjuration. This conjuration is difficult to deal with when used at the right time, and I played my worst game when I didn't cast it. Something something Correlation causation. Either way, this is the grease that lets this engine run the way it does. Great card
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The worst thing that happened to me when playing my old facemelter was the dissolve of Gloves or Ring and the Dispel of Hawkeye. You only got these cards once. With that many attack spells that need these cards to be active, have you thought about running these cards twice or more often?
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I have considered it, and most of the iterations after this one have doubles of each of those. Typically, i find that most of my opponents don't actually go after those because they don't like to get close to me. That doesn't mean that'll last forever though. I could also probably adjust when I cast them to make the most use of them instead of just having them sit there on me while I build up a creature base.
Also, side note: WOOOO 100 posts! I'm a real boy!
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Hi SharkBait,
The Adramelech Warlock is one of my two favourite mages.
I enjoy playing her a lot.
So, obviously I'm curious about your book, how you play her, what you focus on and what differences we have.
Please allow me to post my current build here as well so it's easier to compare.
[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname][/spellbookname]
[mage]Adramelech Warlock[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a04]4 x Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a12]1 x Ring of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a06]6 x Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]3 x Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j22]2 x Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNW02]1 x Wall of Bones[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKJ01]1 x Enchanter's Wardstone[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j12]1 x Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j19]1 x Deathlock[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1c16]1 x Flaming Hellion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c03]1 x Dark Pact Slayer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE01]1 x Adramelech's Touch[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e21]1 x Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE02]1 x Akiro's Favor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e09]3 x Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e14]3 x Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e19]1 x Ghoul Rot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e24]1 x Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]1 x Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e29]2 x Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e28]1 x Mongoose Agility[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e01]1 x Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q10]1 x Fireshaper Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q28]1 x Ring of Curses[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q16]1 x Leather Gloves[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q15]1 x Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q08]1 x Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]1 x Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ01]1 x Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q23]1 x Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i12]1 x Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]1 x Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]3 x Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]2 x Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]2 x Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]
The first difference of course are the promo cards. I won't comment on them as I don't have them and thus don't use them.
I see you have 2 mana crystals. Do you play them both most of the time ?
I tend to play BF + Crystal as an opening and start building up after that and I find I have enough mana throughout the game ( if you can ever have enough of course ) ;)
Marked for Death is a 3x for you while I have none.
I had them too but found out I never played them.
All other curses give Fire +1 too anyway so you lose just 1 die but gain an effect which I value a lot more than a simple +1 die.
I tend to focus on the opposing mage and try to neutralize opposing creatures with just 1 curse / 1 action so that I get a mana advantage out of it.
I like to build up some armor (2-4) and then play an Agony ( 4 mana ) on a opposing critter in the 8-10 mana range with 4-5 dice, thereby reducing their dice to 2-3 which I can relatively ignore with my 2-4 armor.
Tougher creatures often get an Enfeeble. I tend to move the FireLock around all the time so the Enfeebled can't hit me. Enfeeble on a non-static mage is a must imo as is Adramelech's Touch usually.
The Ghoul Rot and Magebane are often used to probe for Nullifies.
Are there any specific situations when you use the Devil's Trident ? I find it relatively expensive and it's an avoidable attack and I would think it's used primarily to get a Cripple effect though there's only a 50% chance to that. Is it more effective than Enfeeble iyo ?
The traps obviously need to be replaced :)
Moloch's Torment.
Yes, it's a fit but it has done so little for me that I've removed it.
It's great to finish off a critter with just 1 life left but since I tend to work around creatures if I can it's no big help. How does it fare with you ?
Explode.
Another card I had in there but never used. Do you use it ?
A potential finisher but I usually like the Burn counters more.
Mostly the Mage has not enough counters on him yet or he's not close enough damagewise for a finishing blow
Elemental Wand
I like to have one available so I can put a Wave/Rock/Hammer on it for multiple use.
Mage Wand
Haven't used this yet with her but feel reluctant to drop it.
I also run a Mongoose Agility. Combined with Enfeeble on the enemy this can really buy you time.
Enchanter's Wardstone as a counter vs Purge magic should my curse total on the mage go over 2.
Tanglevines.
Those are spells I'm surprised not to see.
I added them specifically to get around Interceptors.
How do you handle a Guardian Angel or Gargoyle ?
Congratulations on reaching the final SharkBait :)
-
I love getting to discuss this stuff. Here we go
The first difference of course are the promo cards. I won't comment on them as I don't have them and thus don't use them.
Understandable, I only run them during the Thunderdome tournaments
I see you have 2 mana crystals. Do you play them both most of the time ?
This is a relatively new part of the book and is still open to tuning. In the 'Dome II, I did end up casting both in each game, and the extra mana definitely helped. I felt more comfortable and was able to save up for things I normally would ignore. With Academy coming out, I'm experimenting replacing a crystal with a wispwillow amulet or two to see how it goes. I'll report more on that later once I've thoroughly tested it.
Marked for Death is a 3x for you while I have none.
Being that it's a level 1 curse, I generally think of it as my default Nullify probe. If it happens to stick, the extra damage is really nice, especially when combined with the Flaming Hellion's attack.
I like to build up some armor (2-4) and then play an Agony ( 4 mana ) on a opposing critter in the 8-10 mana range with 4-5 dice, thereby reducing their dice to 2-3 which I can relatively ignore with my 2-4 armor.
That's an interesting idea, I like it. I may look into running Agony more. So much experimenting to do still.
Adramelech's Touch is definitely in the "I wish I played this version instead" book that I've had more recently.
The Ghoul Rot and Magebane are often used to probe for Nullifies.
I have cut GR and keep going back and forth on Magebane. I feel it's a somewhat overrated curse (for this book) that doesn't add much value. Some days I'm all for keeping it, other days I'm pretty "meh" about it.
Are there any specific situations when you use the Devil's Trident ? I find it relatively expensive and it's an avoidable attack and I would think it's used primarily to get a Cripple effect though there's only a 50% chance to that. Is it more effective than Enfeeble iyo ?
This spell has a TON of utility. It still does some pretty great damage (can be buffed up to 7-8 dice) and still cause a burn. The cripple is a nice extra effect, but I've found that relying on it only disappoints you. Treating it like a great bonus at least helps the mental mindset when using it. The REAL reason I keep it around is the piercing + 2. If you can pierce their armor and get lucky enough to cripple, then you are at a huge advantage. Side note: Akiro's favor makes this spell even better.
Moloch's Torment.
Yes, it's a fit but it has done so little for me that I've removed it.
It's great to finish off a critter with just 1 life left but since I tend to work around creatures if I can it's no big help. How does it fare with you ?
I generally only use the damage to hit the enemy mage. Direct damage is direct damage, no matter how small. I'm toying with switching to Adramelech's torment, but I still like Moloch's torment. It actually ended up helping me win the first round of the tournament.
Explode.
Another card I had in there but never used. Do you use it ?
A potential finisher but I usually like the Burn counters more.
Mostly the Mage has not enough counters on him yet or he's not close enough damagewise for a finishing blow
I really like explode because I can use it as a dissolve and throw some extra damage/burn on all in one action. If someone drops a hauberk really early, I can blow it up and flameblast and still put out 12 dice of damage with good burn chances and no flame - 2
Elemental Wand
I like to have one available so I can put a Wave/Rock/Hammer on it for multiple use.
Mage Wand
Haven't used this yet with her but feel reluctant to drop it.
I've RARELY had wands last long enough to make their value back. I typically have had more success just using the sbps on extra copies of the cards that I'd put on the wand. Of note: I have actually placed the wands back in the most recent builds in order to see if I can make them work.
I also run a Mongoose Agility. Combined with Enfeeble on the enemy this can really buy you time.
MA is in the newest builds. It was a good idea I took from your other post :P
Tanglevines.
Those are spells I'm surprised not to see.
I added them specifically to get around Interceptors.
How do you handle a Guardian Angel or Gargoyle ?
I used to run tanglevines, but the amount of teleports run in most books generally made these feel like a short term gimmick most of the time. Enfeeble can help a lot in terms of positioning and I generally view it as doing the same job.
Interceptors on the other hand mostly die in flames. If I can't kill them in short order, I'll probably push or tele them out of the way. Ideally, my creatures can help get rid of their guard marker too.
Enchanter's Wardstone as a counter vs Purge magic should my curse total on the mage go over 2.
I did run these at GenCon, and have considered bringing them back. Jury still out on this one, but I"ve only got 120 points to spend :P.
Congratulations on reaching the final SharkBait :)
Thank you! And thanks for the discussion, I always find this part to be fun and can spawn all kinds of new ideas.