Drain power is interesting. Beastmaster has a huge starting advantage from pet and would love a game where both mages get only one creature. Using drain power to prevent any expensive full round actions may be worth it.

Turn 1: Pet Falcon, rouse, pet moves to far center. Mana left: 10
Turn 2: Cheetah speed self, pet attacks, move to fc and enchant self (bear str?) Or curse? (Poisoned blood or nullify?) Mana left: 12
Turn 3: melee attack and drain power if opponent hasn't cast yet.

Any time they have 8+ mana and no nullify drain power again, otherwise play buffs and curses and armor. You should win the damage race. Finish with a jinx and a hurl boulder. Of they are surprised they may never get to summon a creature.

Johktari Beastmaster - All Wizards - everyone else...

This smells like my meta from a year ago.  Super aggressive books that try to turn mana into damage with no investment in mana or action generators.  They simply lose to forcemasters though, so I still think FM deserves the #1 spot.  Anyone who charges a FM is going to regret it.

I'm also surprised to see straywood so low on the list.  You obviously have not felt the falcon fury.

I agree with fas723, although the opponents spell book matters a great deal, you have to make an an educated guess on turn 1 based only on the opponent's mage.  Once you've seen the opponent's turn 1 then everything is reevaluated but for that initial evaluation you have to decide which of the two of you is benefited from being aggressive.

Fundamentally in every game one of the two players would benefit from moving closer and the other would benefit from staying at max distance.  If both players stay back or both players move closer one of them is misreading the situation.  My list for first impressions is close to RedDawn's.

Forcemaster - Arraxian Crown Warlock - Straywood Beastmaster - Adramelech Warlock - Priest - Johktari Beastmaster - Bloodwave Warlord  - Druid - Wizard - Necromancer - Anvil Throne Warlord - Priestess.

If someone is higher then you on the list you should probably stay in your corner, if they are lower then move forward.  The change I made was moving the Warlocks up and the anvil throne warlord down.  Harmonized pentagram isn't too great and every other warlock plan involves getting in the opponents face.  The anvil throne warlord will out economy you if you leave him alone.  Do not let barracks+battleforge+meditation amulet actually get going.  Bloodwave is less likely to be going for a double spawnpoint.

The list is imperfect and will change depending on the actual book you are playing.  Really when designing a book I start with my 3 turn plan against "aggressive" and a different plan vs "defensive" and then when I'm done with the book you can categorize which types of opponent you consider aggressive and defensive.  And once your opponent plays their first spell then you can reevaluate.

You already can't shoot someone point blank. Let's say it's too easy to dodge at range 1.

The farther you are from a seige weapon the more distance it can adjust with the same change in angle.

I still think the fundamental issue remains with stacking instant attacking conjurations but it would help a lot. And it would make it much more of the siege season it is supposed to be. Designed to attack an entrenched but immobile defense.

Making it unique only pushes the problem into the future. Now they can't release any future conjurations with a creature targeting ranged attack. That seems like a design space they would like to explore more.

Anyway, even devouring ooze plus one ballista is really strong.

I voted for dispel because there is always at least one enchant your deck really can't stand.

However a close second is acid ball. Only a deck relying on direct damage effects doesn't need acid ball.

Looks decent, although remember you have to explain damage barriers now.

I'd give the wizard two arc lightning's too so he's got some choice with his low channeling.