A slower but hopefully surprising delayed aggro build.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Artillerypriestess[/spellbookname]
[mage]A Priestess Spellbook[/mage]
[mage]built by http://www.spellbookbuilder.com[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=lg2]1 x Gloves of Skill[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q13]1 x Ivarium Longbow[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q19]2 x Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_equipment7]1 x Radiant Breastplate[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1J19]1 x Deathlock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J15]1 x Mohktari, Great Tree of Life[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_conjurations7]1 x Pillar of Righteous Flame[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_conjurations9]1 x Steep Hill[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=pvs_creatures1]1 x Alandell, the Blue Knight[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_creatures16]1 x Light of Dawn[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWAPRC07]1 x Meditating Monk[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE02]1 x Akiro's Favor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E01]1 x Astral Anchor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_enchantments5]2 x Eye for an Eye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E23]1 x Jinx[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E29]1 x Nullify[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]2 x Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I06]2 x Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]2 x Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=pvs_incantations1]1 x Lesser Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I17]1 x Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI07]1 x Repulse[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I24]1 x Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI08]2 x Sniper Shot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x Teleport[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1A02]2 x Dragon's Breath[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A03]3 x Hurl Meteorite[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A13]2 x Thunderbolt[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

So, the basic idea is to take the first two turns walking slowly to the near centre square, casting Akiro's, Hawkeye and the boots on the way.
Turn three, the bombardment of the opponent mage begins with the range 3 attack spells, with the quick cast for force pushes, teleports and so on to keep approaching creatures off.
The hill and astral anchor come into play if they get too close, with the repulse if they actually get to the top.

Planned strengths:
a) a secure base that is very hard to break into (or pry out of)
b) an element of surprise (hopefully opponents would not expect a priestess to start lobbing bombs)
c) sheer damage output (meteorite + hill + hawkeye = 11 dice)

Noted Weaknesses:
a) A counter-bombardment. Hopefully the damage output of the meteorites will outrun anything else.
b) Defenses. This is what sniper shot + mage wand (x2) are for.
c) Failing to get the kill shot in. Move to phase two (Alandell and bow support)
d) healing-heavy opponents such as another priestess. This is what Deathlock is intended to counter (tucked away behind the hill)

Potential surprise:
a) opponent's reverse attack met with an eye for an eye...
 
I thought about making this a Warlord or Druid book. Both would have strengths, but the +1 channelling of the priestess and the slower starts either of those two would have kept me looking at the priestess.

Thoughts?

Intriguing discussion, this.

Another option for scoring seems to me to have been ignored.

Eliminating the enemy mage is still a straight out win, of course.

But don't measure a time-out victory by the difference in remaining life.

Instead, keep track over the game of how much actual damage has been scored against the opponent's mage from all sources. The winner would be the mage who has caused the most damage, irrespective of any healing or life gain.

I see three reasons why this might work:

1) It follows the ethos of win-by-elimination, and rewards those players who are endeavouring to kill the opponent.
2) It rewards the offensive tempo. Mages who have to step back and heal/restore/defend rather than attack are clearly on the back foot, and thus the opponent has the tempo advantage. In rugby, the sport I follow, there are many instances where the referee will award a free kick or other advantage "to the team going forward", that is, the side holding the tempo. I think this could be considered for board games/card games like MW.
3) It will not necessarily encourage crazy over-aggro or over-defensive builds, either. Defensive plays like aegis or armour are useful, in that they will reduce the damage made by the opponent in case of a tie, but without aggression and attack you will not win. 

That's my two cents worth. All it would take is a piece of paper and pencil to record damage caused overall. 

I had some pretty good work with Sir Corazin back in the day. Two whirling swords of death to go with the FM's own, and a useful defence.

Not sure how he would go now, mind you. A lot of new cards since those days.

Wait wait wait, if I'm playing a Priestess against a Forcemaster and I have a Guardian Angel that's been put to Sleep and the Forcemaster has a guarding Goblin Grunt in that zone, I can't attack my own Angel but have to attack the Grunt?

Yup. The first melee attack in that zone will have to be on the Grunt.

You could always shoot the Angel, of course. Even with a range 0 attack made in the zone.

Hi All

Question came up last night, as to whether a creature subject to the Siren's Call has to go through a wall with a passage attack if that is the only way to get closer to the Siren.

We ultimately ruled that it does, since the rules do not expressly say it doesn't (unlike, say, the rule for Thorg's Taunt), rather than on an obvious argument either way.

Is that right?

I guess driving men to their doom on the rocks is the canonical Siren thing to do...

I think Lich would be a Mage, not a creature. Any familiar that had 3-5 channelling would be way too overpowered.

But an actual undead Mage that needs to be reconstructed rather than healed, that could work.

This is perhaps a little off topic, but as there was lots of commentary towards the start of this thread about the Bloodwave warlord and how he is 'weak' and the veteran tokens need to be made automatic or stackable etc etc.

I return serve with this two-part suggestion to make him (and indeed the Anvil Throne) perhaps a little better indirectly:

1) Make Goblin Grunts a quickcast deploy rather than a full action, but add 1 point of Dark school to their existing War school cost.
2) Make the Goblin Grunt a cantrip.

As well as helping the warlords along, this change would reflect two things:

a) Goblins are supposed to be the swarming minions serving dark powers. That is their fantasy canonical role. They just keep coming. Kill one, and another pops up.

b) playing this would just be plain fun! An endless horde of little goblins getting underfoot, slashing with their poorly made swords while falling in droves before the kitted-out hero mages.