Arcane Wonders Forum

Mage Wars => Spellbook Design and Construction => Topic started by: Pukeylukey on January 31, 2018, 05:29:20 AM

Title: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Pukeylukey on January 31, 2018, 05:29:20 AM
I always put 1 decoy in my spellbooks do other people use them that regularly or more than that
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Sailor Vulcan on January 31, 2018, 12:01:58 PM
Most people don't. Decoy can be a useful spell if opponent thinks it's a nullify, but if you're going to spend a spellpoint just to deal with nullifies or make opponent hesitant to cast a spell on one of your creatures, you're often better off just including nullifies and extra copies of certain enchantments or incantations. You can bluff opponent into thinking you have nullify with any enchantment, not just decoy after all. And any incantation targeting a corporeal creature can set off a nullify attached to it,  not just Decoy.

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Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: RomeoXero on January 31, 2018, 12:15:05 PM
Decoy is an awesome spell. It's much more useful nowadays since arcane ward came around. The only enchants that can target an arcane ward are arcane ward and decoy.
Without either of these spells you may find yourself in a very tough position burning 2 dispels per thing you want gone.
The most fun thing you can do with a decoy is put it I  the thing you want protected. Common moves nowadays are to aggressively cast your own arcane ward to pop the previous arcane ward. If the spell they want to get rid of (say it's your forcefield) has a decoy and not an arcane ward, now they have to burn through there own arcane ward to further destroy the item, and you flip your decoy for 2 free mana.
Little convoluted but uts hilarious as a mind game
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Sailor Vulcan on January 31, 2018, 01:10:23 PM
Decoy is an awesome spell. It's much more useful nowadays since arcane ward came around. The only enchants that can target an arcane ward are arcane ward and decoy.
Without either of these spells you may find yourself in a very tough position burning 2 dispels per thing you want gone.
The most fun thing you can do with a decoy is put it I  the thing you want protected. Common moves nowadays are to aggressively cast your own arcane ward to pop the previous arcane ward. If the spell they want to get rid of (say it's your forcefield) has a decoy and not an arcane ward, now they have to burn through there own arcane ward to further destroy the item, and you flip your decoy for 2 free mana.
Little convoluted but uts hilarious as a mind game
Can't seeking dispel also target an arcane ward? And reveal magic?

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Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Coshade on January 31, 2018, 01:13:30 PM
I am not a big fan of the nullify game personally. I tend to use Arcane Ward for level 2 enchantments or for a creature I really don't want manipulated. Instead of decoy I suggest looking at other level 1 in school enchantments you might be able to spam. Typically if they are going into nullify heavily, I run a mage wand with an ignite or lately I've been trying out 1-3 telekinetic bombs. The basic idea there being that if they don't have a nullify you did something useful, but still can use those spells in other situations.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Puddnhead on January 31, 2018, 02:22:31 PM
There is only one time where I was glad I had Decoy.  I was playing against a mana denial book and I was able to bank some mana for a future turn by casting Decoy.  In every other circumstance I would recommend the spell you're faking instead.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Biblofilter on January 31, 2018, 02:53:12 PM
No, but its nice to have.

That said theres not that many spell i would consider important.

Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: RomeoXero on January 31, 2018, 04:55:44 PM
Sailor yes they can, but those spells are incantations, i specifically was talking about enchantments. I believe i even said so in your qouted section ;)
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: jacksmack on January 31, 2018, 05:36:08 PM
If i remember correctly you do not gain 2 mana when it’s seeking dispelled.
So it’s pretty worthless most of the time.

It serves a few uses such as getting that 1 mana back for a specific opening.
(By Fellella or Enchanters ring).

Probing for a nullify before you cast a critical spell such as poisoned blood.
However... this is not longer very good, as new spells has been released such as rust and ignite which you are almost always better off casting due to action economy.

The last and probably best use is to trick the opponent into believing you do not have mana to pay for the nullify that protects your equipment. This requires a lot (too much imo) calculation and guessing.

I played decoy a few times but stopped long ago.

Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Pukeylukey on February 01, 2018, 04:24:19 AM
Thanks I think I may of been relying on it to much
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: drmambo23 on February 01, 2018, 08:36:12 AM
I would say decoy is good in a siren, songs, and a fm, forcefield and spells like charm, etc.

I ran one in my siren for a long time and it woukd immediately get seeking dispelled. Not sure how many people run 2 so that worked out well!

But since tele bombs release, as a fm i would much rather stick one on instead of decoy. If its nullified or seeking dispelled, you spen 1 sbp and they most likely spent 2. If it sticks then you have a useful spell instead of a decoy laying around.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: DaveW on February 01, 2018, 07:58:18 PM
It always seems that you are better off casting something else instead. Put on a Decoy to make your opponent think you cast something else? Just cast that other enchantment instead.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: farkas1 on February 01, 2018, 08:15:13 PM
Ohh nice thought drmambo.  any Mage who uses the enchantment game a lot may have importance to gain some tempo or possibly psych out the opponent.  I agree that especially the siren with some of her lvl 2 enchantments to be important to keep control or trick into using seeking dispel may be really useful.   Putting it on an opponent Mage  may also be nice to draw out a seeking dispel. 

I think arcane ward has somewhat replaced or in most cases is a better choice or like many have stated a second copy of a lvl one in school enchantment is always just useful. 
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: drmambo23 on February 01, 2018, 08:24:03 PM
Yeah, the only thing about arcane ward, if i remember correctly, is that it is a nullify for your cards too, if its on a creature. If thats the case just be mindful of what you need to play before the ward.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: RomeoXero on February 01, 2018, 08:44:59 PM
That was my point. If they use am arcane ward to try and clear off your arcane ward, and it was a decoy instead, then they have now protected your enchant from whatever they were trying to follow up their AW with.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Puddnhead on February 01, 2018, 08:53:14 PM
That was my point. If they use am arcane ward to try and clear off your arcane ward, and it was a decoy instead, then they have now protected your enchant from whatever they were trying to follow up their AW with.

Sort of.  On a mandatory reveal you are always allowed to choose not to pay the cost and discard the spell without effect.  So your opponent could choose not to pay the 0 mana and discard the ward in order to play a different spell on the non-mage object.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: Zuberi on February 01, 2018, 10:28:55 PM
That was my point. If they use am arcane ward to try and clear off your arcane ward, and it was a decoy instead, then they have now protected your enchant from whatever they were trying to follow up their AW with.

Sort of.  On a mandatory reveal you are always allowed to choose not to pay the cost and discard the spell without effect.  So your opponent could choose not to pay the 0 mana and discard the ward in order to play a different spell on the non-mage object.

This is correct.
Title: Re: Is decoy an important spell to have?
Post by: RomeoXero on February 01, 2018, 10:34:48 PM
That's true, but in that case they wasted half the arcane ward and shoulda used a decoy instead ;)