Arcane Wonders Forum

Mage Wars => Strategy and Tactics => Topic started by: sIKE on February 25, 2013, 09:59:52 AM

Title: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: sIKE on February 25, 2013, 09:59:52 AM
It seems to me that I could park a low level critter in his zone and not activate him until after the Stalker has been activated and attacked. If the Forcemaster has himself and the IS out it seems that if the opposing mage has three or more creatures in the same zone then the FM would not want to activate the IS. Am I missing something here? I think it would be quite easy to open a can of Whoop A!^ on him or just idle him as Mana waste. At some point you have to make him useful and then he would have to pay for it, correct?
Title: Re: Idling the Invisiable Stalker
Post by: Gewar on February 25, 2013, 10:22:36 AM
Maybe the fact that Forcemaster can easly regroup your army in a way she wants it is worth consideration in your plan.
Some force pushes and pulls, some sleeps and Invisible Stalker could be in very good position to strike.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisiable Stalker
Post by: Tacullu64 on February 25, 2013, 10:37:21 AM
The Invisible Stalker can still activate and move, he doesn't become visible until he declares an attack. Since he is elusive while invisible you can't pin him down that way. But you are right that at 15 mana he has got to earn his keep sooner rather than later.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisiable Stalker
Post by: sIKE on February 25, 2013, 11:10:05 AM
All to be taken in to consideration, but the main point is that for him to be effective and last long enough to make him worth the mana expenditure he has to make the last attack of the round. As a counter just don't let that happen.

Thinking a bit further, an Idol of Pestelence would really mess his day up.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisiable Stalker
Post by: Tacullu64 on February 25, 2013, 11:20:31 AM
Quote from: "sIKE" post=8032
All to be taken in to consideration, but the main point is that for him to be effective and last long enough to make him worth the mana expenditure he has to make the last attack of the round. As a counter just don't let that happen.

Thinking a bit further, an Idol of Pestelence would really mess his day up.


Neither the IoP or Ghoul Rot affect him. He is non-living.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisiable Stalker
Post by: Gewar on February 25, 2013, 11:23:49 AM
He doesn;t have to be last in a turn - he has to act after every creature that is thetening him, so:
- he can go after every creature in the arena (can be easly countered, as you've proven)
- he can attack lone, weak target, which will probably die be one hit or could not make decent damage
- he can be protected with spells like Block
- Forcemaster can separate his target from the rest of the group
- Forcemaster can make potencial threats to him incapacitated
Your oponent can try to counter those situations, but this is win for you too, becouse you are the one who dictates what your oponent does.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: sIKE on February 25, 2013, 11:46:24 AM
@GEWAR

I did say "not activate him until after the Stalker has been activated and attacked". With all of the powers that the Forcemaster has, specially with the Invisible Stalker there are other things you can do otehr than load up with AOE spells to counter him.

How could he be protected by a spell like Block if he is Invisible and can not be targeted?

The thing about the Invisible Stalker is he is predicated on taking the last attack action of the round. The other thing to think about here is that he is Ethereal so the Creature I speak of would also have the ability to attack Ethereally otherwise he would be toast.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Gewar on February 25, 2013, 12:12:47 PM
FM can pass untill there will be situation in which her oponent has only one active creature - you can easly outmanuver your oponent so that creature would be to far away from IS.

About casting Block:
When IS can perform an attack and ofter his action, with quickast marker, FM can cast Block.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: sIKE on February 25, 2013, 12:23:28 PM
But then my mage then could Qucik Cast a Attack spell too. I am not trying to go down the rabbit hole here, but to keep him alive on the board, all of the oppoents action markers (including the Mages Qucikcast) would have to be spent before you would want to activate the Invisible Stalker's attack.

Seems very restricting if played against properly.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Gewar on February 25, 2013, 12:56:25 PM
Yes - playing IS require certain strategy and he is not so flexible like ie. Grizzly. But it can do things Grizzly can't. And IS nicely synergise with FM's other spells - just pick up your targets and separate them from the group.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Shad0w on February 25, 2013, 01:10:15 PM
This was a balancing factor that we added in during play testing.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: piousflea on February 25, 2013, 02:19:52 PM
With 7 hp and Incorporeal (this is equivalent to 21 hp corporeal), non-Ethereal creatures actually have a lot of difficulty killing Invisible Stalker even after it is revealed.

Nothing about the Invisible Stalker says that you HAVE to keep it alive at all costs. In fact, if it soaks a few hits but doesn't die, it may have just wasted a bunch of the opponent's attack dice. (as it is very difficult to land additional hits to finish it off)

Of course, I don't recommend using invisible stalker against a Lightning wizard. Electrify and Circle of Lightning are way too effective vs it.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Teclis on February 27, 2013, 11:35:52 AM
You have to be very careful not to be to close to the enemy mage, cause he can easily damage IS with a quickcast attack spell in his quickcast phase at the end of the action phase. But if you are aware of this he can be a real thread to your opponent... :evil:
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Teclis on February 28, 2013, 02:19:52 AM
Obviously it is a great option to attach Reverse Attack to your Invisible Stalker. Your opponent will not have many chances to hit him, so he will try to do it whenever he has the opportunity. And when he casts that lightning bolt... BOOM... it hits him right in his own face! :woohoo:
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Tacullu64 on February 28, 2013, 08:42:36 AM
Quote from: "Teclis" post=8247
Obviously it is a great option to attach Reverse Attack to your Invisible Stalker. Your opponent will not have many chances to hit him, so he will try to do it whenever he has the opportunity. And when he casts that lightning bolt... BOOM... it hits him right in his own face! :woohoo:


That is a nice thought, unfortunately it won't work. Reverse Magic targets corporeal creatures and the Invisible Stalker is incorporeal. The stalker is still a solid creature (no pun intended).   :cheer:
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Teclis on February 28, 2013, 08:59:34 AM
Damn! Didn't remember that it has to be a corporeal creature... :oops:
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Koz on February 28, 2013, 10:30:35 AM
Quote from: "Teclis" post=8269
Damn! Didn't remember that it has to be a corporeal creature... :oops:


Yeah, he can't have a Block put on him either due to the same restriction.  To my knowledge, there is no beneficial Enchatment that the IS can have put on him, although a number of curses can target him.  You can't even cast a Battle Fury on him.  Right now the only way to "buff" him is indirectly, such as putting a Marked for Death on his target.    

The Stalker is very expensive IMO, perhaps TOO expensive, but perhaps not (I need to play with him a bit to see).  He certainly seems like he would be tough to get rid of for your opponent but him not being able to be buffed makes him only so dangerous.  I really wish he had at least Piercing +1 or his attacks were Unavoidable.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: jomurph86 on March 01, 2013, 09:41:44 PM
Like so many cards, I find IS to be perfect in certain situations.  Against enemy decks with low counts of zone effecting cards.  In my circles, a number of popular priestess builds have had a hard time coming up with a reliable counter to IS.  But Wizards have walked all over him.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: wtcannonjr on March 02, 2013, 11:24:49 AM
I haven't played IS yet, but he seems to be an interesting creature.

Once he is in the arena the threats he poses should force the opponent to make different decisions to counter those threats as the discussion above has pointed out. Knowing this, then the ForceMaster should be prepared to take advantage of the opponent's changes during the action stage. For example, if the opponent mage is forced to use a quickcast action at the beginning of a turn to counter another threat, then this provides the IS with more opportunities toward the end of the round.

Think of the IS as providing options to change the dynamics of the Action Stage, rather than just the Action Phase.
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Mathias on March 02, 2013, 06:07:18 PM
Question about the invisibility.

As long as IS is invisble my mage can't play stuff like bear strenght on IS because she can't see him too I guess?
Title: Re: Idling the Invisible Stalker
Post by: Tacullu64 on March 02, 2013, 06:53:04 PM
Quote from: "Mathias" post=8496
Question about the invisibility.

As long as IS is invisble my mage can't play stuff like bear strenght on IS because she can't see him too I guess?


You are correct, although your mage couldn't cast bear strength on him even if he could see him since I.S. is noncorporeal and bear strength targets corporeal creatures.