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Author Topic: Counter Priestess Temple Build  (Read 6312 times)

malgor

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Counter Priestess Temple Build
« on: March 22, 2013, 01:01:39 AM »
What are some strategies people use against a priestess build that is slow rolling and all about building up temples?

I've had some success using this strategy a few times, but most of my friends are even more new to the game than me, so i'm not sure of it's potency.  What are some tips me and me mates can use to counter when one of us whips this temple strategy out?

I know that Deathlink is a great card against her.  What are some general strategies, cards, or builds that you all have used?

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2013, 01:19:56 AM »
Well, when I play the priestess the opponents often takes out the Temple of Light right away. (I even have two in my book as of right now) The warlock with Lash of Hellfire can take the temples out quickly, beside the fact that he can get nine attack dice by turn three and use battle fury to attack again, the burns he can place on the temples will just wipe them off the board. That has to be the one best strategys. On the down side, stun is a solo mage nightmare but in my games more often then not, the warlock is going to take them out first.
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Koz

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2013, 09:04:11 AM »
Quote from: "malgor" post=9540
What are some strategies people use against a priestess build that is slow rolling and all about building up temples?

I've had some success using this strategy a few times, but most of my friends are even more new to the game than me, so i'm not sure of it's potency.  What are some tips me and me mates can use to counter when one of us whips this temple strategy out?

I know that Deathlink is a great card against her.  What are some general strategies, cards, or builds that you all have used?


You actually can't target a Mage with Deathlink, the targeting line reads "non-mage creature".  Did you mean Deathlock?  Yes, Deathlock is very good against the Priestess.

reddawn

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2013, 10:21:24 AM »
Fire spells on conjurations is usually pretty good, since you only need a burn or two (if that much) to activate afterwards.  I've found that Firestorm or Ring of Fire is pretty good at wiping out zone-heavy play.

Otherwise, try to get some creatures or equipment with piercing against the heftier temples.  Hand of Bim-Shalla can be destroyed easily without piercing, but the others are tougher.  

Luckily, I play the Warlock a bunch, and between Slayers and Hellions, and the Lash and Sectarus, I really only have to worry about ethereal conjurations.  If you go with the Beastmaster, you might want a Steelclaw Bear or Tarok, or Tooth and Nail if you're going for a swarm of foxes or falcons.  As a wizard, you'll probably have to settle for fire spells or just competing with your own Gate to Voltari.
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paradox22

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2013, 04:13:16 PM »
The temple build priestess relies on a slow, defensive, build up.  Take this away from her.  Rush her either with a super creature or a melee focused Mage.  Get in her face asap and give her some hard decisions to make.  Disrupt her temple build order.  This has worked for me in the past.
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malgor

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2013, 04:20:52 PM »
yeah was a typo, i meant deathlock.  the one that prevents healing.

sIKE

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2013, 09:23:00 PM »
What a nasty card that is......
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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2013, 11:13:45 PM »
Actually, this is one of the easier opening strategies to disrupt if you handle it correctly. If you look at the flow of playing vs the priestess, you will see that see will be completely reactive for first 4-5 rounds of the game. You will also see that she has two actions per round, and only two, to cast temples and other conjurations. The final point you may notice is that she is not casting creatures at all, so her total action count will remain at 2 for the first part of the game. This where you can gain the tempo edge. Rush her, not with creatures, but with one really annoying ranged or flying creature, and yourself. Stun her as often as you can within those first few rounds, and attack her as much as you can, because then, instead of playing out her temples, she will now be reacting to whatever it is your are doing. And if she is reacting, and not able to continue with her strategy without dying, you are winning. Let's look at actions for a second. The priestess, after four rounds, will have had 8 rounds of actions, assuming she is building, and not with creatures. If you cast a creature during your first turn and then RtB it, you are gaining one action after the first round. Continue that single action advantage for four rounds and now you will have had twelve chances to act to her 8. There should be no reason for her to be casting temples by this point. You want her on the ropes as soon as humanly possible, my good sir, and I can assure you, you will win the game.
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piousflea

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Re: Counter Priestess Temple Build
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2013, 11:29:17 AM »
There's two completely different "temple builds". The pure temple build stacks a ridiculous amount of temples (4-5 total, including ToLight) before getting any combat creatures. This build is extremely weak against any sort of early aggression, because the Priestess doesn't have any creatures to defend.

The "counter-rush" temple build gets out a single Bimshalla and a single Dawnbreaker, and then starts to summon Knights. This build is the exact opposite of "pure" temples in that it easily counters aggressive rush strategies. However, it sacrifices a lot of economy (channeling) and is very weak against a midgame swarm.

The slowest and weakest form of Temple Build is to go Temple of Asyra, Asyran Clerics, and then temple of light and additional temples. The problem with this build is that it spends 40+ mana in noncombat cards. Even a relatively slow rush will overwhelm it, just make sure to kill the Asyran clerics before they channel enough mana to summon multiple Angels.

If you start to rush a temple-building Priestess and she suddenly pops out a knight or two, just stop advancing and start building up a swarm of little creatures.