Arcane Wonders Forum
Mage Wars => General Discussion => Topic started by: Ravepig on April 13, 2016, 10:03:26 AM
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Some dude at Boardgamegeek posted the following:
"As others have mentioned (including Aaron, who's the lead designer), Paladin vs Siren is coming soon, albeit it's already long overdue. And there have been rumours (from Bryan Pope) that beyond that we can expect to see an alt-Wizard vs alt-Forcemaster (similar to Conquest of Kumanjaro and Forged in Fire), followed by a Barbarian vs Sorcerer. And the next Battlegrounds expansion is rumoured to be an Archmage (hinted at in Domination; probably a one-vs-many format). And they plan to release more mage types for Academy in the future (e.g. Forcemaster, Warlord, Druid, Necromancer, Paladin, Siren, ...)."
Barbarian vs. Sorcerer sounds awesome!
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We haven't locked down what the next two Mages will be for certain. Barbarian and Sorcerer are the two front runners, but we have 2 other Mages we've been looking at as well. So, right now Barbarian vs Sorcerer is a place holder, it could change, though I expect the set will have at least one of them.
And I've not been shy about how excited to work on the Barbarian I am.
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Damn that dude on BoardGameGeek spreading unsubstantiated rumours like that...
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Can you give a hint as to what the other 2 mages are?
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Can you give a hint as to what the other 2 mages are?
I'm pretty sure Bryan has mentioned them in some of his interviews.
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Can you give a hint as to what the other 2 mages are?
I'm pretty sure Bryan has mentioned them in some of his interviews.
The only thing I've seen "recently" was last Gen Con (e.g. August 2015) where this happened (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds1zIzAV7wY&feature=youtu.be):
Intangible0:
"Alright, so, last question: What are your future plans for Arcane Wonders. Where do you expect to see yourself going from here?"
Bryan:
"Well, Mage Wars is a very good franchise for us, and we're expanding it in multiple ways, so we're very excited about that. That is going to be more than half of our business - always. We're very dedicated. So we've got:
- a role-playing game coming up.
- we have additional mages.
- we just finished the artwork for the Barbarian vs the Sorcerer; kind of a "Conan" type thing, a "Swords & Sorcerery" type thing.
- we've got a dungeon crawl type game that set in with the Battlegrounds type universe where you can actually have like a little dungeon crawl, and build mages up from Academy level to Arena level and then beyond with new skills and abilities to become like Archmages.
Lots of great stuff..."
*edit*
Regarding future mages, the Illusionist and Shaman get mentioned here (http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=14503.msg40758#msg40758), but most of the talk (from Essen (http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=16076.0), for instance) is about the Barbarian and the Sorcerer.
Oh, and stuff about Archmage and Barbarian and other stuff gets lots of mention in this interview with Laddinfance. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=081xmQENwV0)
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insta buy take my money now!!!!!
i wants it!!!! my precious!!!!!!!
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If i remember right, in one episode of Mage Wars mondays, there was Vampire mage mentioned.
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and i'm sure i once wrote about an elementalist :D :D :D
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Alt-wizard vs alt-forcemaster... I kinda see 4 wizards in one so I would prefer alt-forcemaster vs alt-necro (vampire?) or vs alt-druid.
On the other hand I even more prefer not having alternatives to every mage but having more unique mages :D
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my hope is that the new mages will be strategically open.
among the last ones, the druide, the necro and miss warlord are diffcult to bring in experiment.
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If i remember right, in one episode of Mage Wars mondays, there was Vampire mage mentioned.
Vampire Mage was mentioned at Essen in a link I provided above - but that's the only time I've seen it mentioned (vs many times the Barbarian vs Sorcerer has come up, including Bryan stating that the artwork is done; and the several times Aaron has mentioned that he's stoked to do a Shaman). And a Vampire might satisfy some of the cravings for a Sanguinancer that have appeared around here. But I'm not convinced a Shaman is a good idea. How would a Shaman be significantly different from a Beastmaster or Druid. Seems to me it would share the same design space. If a totem-based and/or insect-based Nature Mage with level 1 training in Air (and/or Water) is the goal, why not just incorporate that into the alt-Druid? Nobody said both Druids had to be Nature + Level 1 Water specifically, right? Make the other Druid Level 1 Air instead and have it focused on Insects and totems that support its abilities (e.g. a new analog to Animal Kinship that cares about Insects and Plants) and "voila" - no need for a Shaman. (Or just say that in Etheria, a Shaman is the term for a male Druid just like a Priest is a male Priestess, and that all "Druid only" spells are also "Shaman only" and vice versa... although that looks a bit messy).
Similarly, while a Vampire Mage might be interesting, something like that could be incorporated into the alt-Necromancer - although I'd personally prefer a mummy-based Egyptian/Cleopatra-themed alt-Necromancer myself. Also, if you follow the OP stories, they include expanded maps showing an island in the (Mediterranean) sea called Luperta - which would be ideal for a microcosm of Werewolf/Vampire species and Mages. We haven't seen either a vampire nor lycanthrope since the core set ([mwcard=MW1C26]Necropian Vampiress[/mwcard] and [mwcard=MW1C17]Goran, Werewolf Pet[/mwcard]). Could be a Dark-based region that is independent of the Darkfenne and Arraxian Crown themes/stories - but would explain where the Warlock obtained his enslaved pet.
*edit* I lied. Apparently the [mwcard=MWSTX2FFC02]Blood Demon[/mwcard] has the Vampire subtype...
Alt-wizard vs alt-forcemaster... I kinda see 4 wizards in one so I would prefer alt-forcemaster vs alt-necro (vampire?) or vs alt-druid.
On the other hand I even more prefer not having alternatives to every mage but having more unique mages :D
Think of the alt-version mages as booster packs for existing mages. I'm a big Forcemaster fan, but she hasn't seen much love in follow-up expansions. Sure, she and her Thoughtspores can benefit from attack spells (e.g. Acid Ball and Hurl Rock) and Cascading Force Push is OK, and Devouring Jelly is a good option for a "buddy", but it would be great to get some new spells made specifically with a Forcemaster in mind.
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Think of the alt-version mages as booster packs for existing mages. I'm a big Forcemaster fan, but she hasn't seen much love in follow-up expansions. Sure, she and her Thoughtspores can benefit from attack spells (e.g. Acid Ball and Hurl Rock) and Cascading Force Push is OK, and Devouring Jelly is a good option for a "buddy", but it would be great to get some new spells made specifically with a Forcemaster in mind.
I totally agree with you ob that! I love playing Forcemaster but there are not many cards to play with. I prefer giving her a buddy that is out of school. Spores are hard to keep alive, the stalker is outplayable and psyloks ... meh!
There are good cards for her that are like auto-includes for all books. Enchantments (block and reverse attack), attacks (force hammer) and incantations (sleep) are super, but they are very limited.
Can't wait for new toys
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I am also curious why both mages need to play similarly or have the exact same stats besides special starting special abilities. I would like to see huge changes from each specified class. I would love to see a shapeshifting Druid. If my Mage can basically turn into to a steel claw bear or into an elusive cat with dodge in a single turn or several turns that would be awesome!!! Please make this happen Arcane Wonders!
:D
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Shapeshifter would be very cool- Agreed!
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I'm just waiting on more non-human species. And yes, I consider dwarfs and elves to be like 99.99% same DNA as a human. I mean the orc is the only non-human so far, but would be super cool to have something that's basically an Argonian/Iksar.
Maybe a different state of human would be really cool too. like one that is now dead but not crossed over so is now an incorporeal mage.
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Damn that dude on BoardGameGeek spreading unsubstantiated rumours like that...
I just made the connection- ha ha ha ha. Nice.
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But I'm not convinced a Shaman is a good idea. How would a Shaman be significantly different from a Beastmaster or Druid.
It clearly depends on what the designers believe to be a Shaman's shtick:
In the real world, Shamanism is about _spirits_. Shamans believe in a kind of spirit world that is a supernatural mirror of the mundane world. It is through their ability to preceive and enter this spirit world, and bargain with spirits that they are able to manipulate reailty.
Translated into Mage Wars I could imagine them being able to turn into an insubstancial 'spirit form' and summon and command spirit creatures to do their bidding, and banish or take control of creatures (or enchantments) summoned by their opponents.
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Yeah, what jhaelen just said. I very quickly imagined the Shaman as a spiritual oriented archetype.
Beastmaster, the animals of nature. The creatures and inhabitants.
Druid, the vegetation and growth of nature. The plants, water, and life.
Shaman, the spirit of nature. The energy that flows through life and connects it all.
So i could see Shaman having some incorporeal creatures.
Also possibly able to affect areas, like weather sort of conjurations.
Also, I'd say a Shaman would make sense as Nature, and Air school.
Could be cool as near Forcemaster levels of solo and arena manipulation with very few Shaman compatible creatures, like Forcemaster.
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A spirit-oriented mage that can become incorporeal and such sounds exactly how the Sorcerer is described in one of the links.
I still don't see how a Druid couldn't satisfy some of those things; perhaps I don't know the distinction between a "real" world Druid and Shaman.
As for shape-shifting, I always imagined that's what [mwcard=MW1J02]Animal Kinship[/mwcard] is about. Basically it allows you to take on the form and/or gain characteristics of your creatures. You become elusive like your cat, or toothy like your wolf, or tough like your bear, or hard-skinned like your reptile. (Seriously, no one cares about the ape or climbing, so I choose to exclude it).
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in the real world, a Shaman is an animist "magic man", so is the druid... both think that nature objects (animals, trees, stones, winds, mountains, etc.) have a soul.
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I am also curious why both mages need to play similarly or have the exact same stats besides special starting special abilities. I would like to see huge changes from each specified class. I would love to see a shapeshifting Druid. If my Mage can basically turn into to a steel claw bear or into an elusive cat with dodge in a single turn or several turns that would be awesome!!! Please make this happen Arcane Wonders!
:D
They don't have to play similarly. Just look at Priest and Priestess. Alt druid has to have vine marker ability or there would be cards with limited usability to him. This doesn't mean he will be played the same way current druid is played.
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My problem here is not the mage shtick but its access to different schools. the paladin for example could quite easily nerf the bloodwave warlord, depower the AT warlord and the priest by having full access to both holy and war. Especially if it is deemed that the paladin requires 10 channeling.
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I am also curious why both mages need to play similarly or have the exact same stats besides special starting special abilities. I would like to see huge changes from each specified class. I would love to see a shapeshifting Druid. If my Mage can basically turn into to a steel claw bear or into an elusive cat with dodge in a single turn or several turns that would be awesome!!! Please make this happen Arcane Wonders!
:D
They don't have to play similarly. Just look at Priest and Priestess. Alt druid has to have vine marker ability or there would be cards with limited usability to him. This doesn't mean he will be played the same way current druid is played.
I don't see that as a problem. All mages have cards that have limited usability to him and none of the current Alt mages have duplicate abilities. I think the combination of Mage specific abilities and Mage specific cards give the game most of its theme and flavor.
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I am also curious why both mages need to play similarly or have the exact same stats besides special starting special abilities. I would like to see huge changes from each specified class. I would love to see a shapeshifting Druid. If my Mage can basically turn into to a steel claw bear or into an elusive cat with dodge in a single turn or several turns that would be awesome!!! Please make this happen Arcane Wonders!
:D
They don't have to play similarly. Just look at Priest and Priestess. Alt druid has to have vine marker ability or there would be cards with limited usability to him. This doesn't mean he will be played the same way current druid is played.
I don't see that as a problem. All mages have cards that have limited usability to him and none of the current Alt mages have duplicate abilities. I think the combination of Mage specific abilities and Mage specific cards give the game most of its theme and flavor.
If Dwarf Warlord wouldn't have battle orders ability, then Horn of Gothos would be useless to him and Gurmash would be limited only to prepared spells. Just because alt druid should have vine marker related ability it doesn't mean that his version of this ability should be the exact copy of current druid's spreading vines.
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Good catch. I forgot that Battle Orders were duplicated.
As far as Druid abilities it will depend on how far the designers want to take the druid-nature connection. For example, a druid could just as easily be trained in level 1 earth which is another element associated with the natural world. Abilities could trigger off of rocks rather than plants. This may be more relevant as terrain types become more dominant in future expansions.
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As far as Druid abilities it will depend on how far the designers want to take the druid-nature connection. For example, a druid could just as easily be trained in level 1 earth which is another element associated with the natural world. Abilities could trigger off of rocks rather than plants. This may be more relevant as terrain types become more dominant in future expansions.
i think the third element in druide's tradition was the air... a third alternate druide playing with the wind?
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Alt druid should have spreading vines ability, but vine casting part could be replaced with some other ability.
For example:
Once per round as a quick plant spell sacrifice target vine marker and do one of the following:
- pay 1 mana and perform 2 dice ranged attack to a target in the vine marker's zone
- pay 1 mana and give armor +2 to a friendly vine creature in the vine marker's zone till end of round
- pay 1 mana and move friendly vine creature from adjacent zone to the vine marker's zone, X=creature level.
This allows Vine Tree to augment alt druid's ability while still giving different feel to the mage.
If I didn't see current druid as a plant mage then I would have been surprised about her being trained in water. I also expect the alternate druid to be simply plant mage, not cycle-of-life-druid or elements-druid.
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Alt druid should have spreading vines ability, but vine casting part could be replaced with some other ability.
For example:
Once per round as a quick plant spell sacrifice target vine marker and do one of the following:
- pay 1 mana and perform 2 dice ranged attack to a target in the vine marker's zone
- pay 1 mana and give armor +2 to a friendly vine creature in the vine marker's zone till end of round
- pay 1 mana and move friendly vine creature from adjacent zone to the vine marker's zone, X=creature level.
This allows Vine Tree to augment alt druid's ability while still giving different feel to the mage.
If I didn't see current druid as a plant mage then I would have been surprised about her being trained in water. I also expect the alternate druid to be simply plant mage, not cycle-of-life-druid or elements-druid.
To be honest I was surprised that she's trained in water and not earth. No soil for her plants? Also what about sunlight?
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My only worry with Barbarian is that they have really done this sort of character before with the warlords. This worry also carries over to Paladin. All extra War mages have the power to make the warlords, and especially the bloodwave warlord, superfluous.
Oh look I have this all the access to war, the war mage only cards, and I do not have to restrict myself to that ability set. This is compounded in the case of a dual school mage, such as Paladin. Eaxctly how much war and holy does it get? Minor only but thats enough to depower the warlords, and potentially the priest as well.
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i understand your concerne, but the druide didn't make the beastmaster superfluous!
(i speak of Mr beastmaster... Miss was superfluous by herself!)