Barbarian vs. Sorcerer

[Iudicium86]

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.

[Ravepig]

Damn that dude on BoardGameGeek spreading unsubstantiated rumours like that...

I just made the connection- ha ha ha ha. Nice.

[jhaelen]

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.

[Iudicium86]

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.

[iNano78]

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).

[exid]

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.

[Kaarin]

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!
 

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.

[Beldin]

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.

[wtcannonjr]

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!
 

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.

[Kaarin]

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!
 

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.

[wtcannonjr]

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.

[exid]

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?

[Kaarin]

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.

[Sailor Vulcan]

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?

[Beldin]

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.