May 04, 2024, 08:02:17 AM

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - iNano78

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4
16
Rules Discussion / Trample
« on: January 25, 2017, 06:57:39 PM »
Are Trample attacks affected by Daze?

And why isn't Trample in either the Codex nor Supplement (and the Grimoire rules aren't online yet)?

17
Spells / Demonic Bloodlust targets
« on: January 24, 2017, 03:59:11 PM »
Demonic Bloodlust is one of my favourite cards from Lost Grimoire v1.

It's most obvious application would be on a buddy for an Arraxian Crown Warlock, either his Blood Reaper, especially [mwcard=MWSTX2FFC02]Blood Demon[/mwcard], or even on [mwcard=MW1C17]Goran, Werewolf Pet[/mwcard].

But there's something possibly even more interesting about this spell: it's target is a "Non-Mage creature" - doesn't say anything about "Living" or even "Corporeal"!

Now before you get too excited, the spell has the subtype Psychic (and Curse), so that will rule out most of the Nonliving creatures as most have Psychic Immunity. ... But not all have Psychic Immunity!

So why am I so excited? Because usually it's quite difficult to buff the attacks of Nonliving, and especially Incorporeal, creatures. All of the Nature and Holy school Enchantments, and most of the War school Incantations, target a Living and/or Corporeal creature. Demonic Bloodlust is one of the very few cards that gives an attack bonus to a Nonliving and possibly Incorporeal creature - as long as it doesn't have Psychic Immunity.

Here's a list of Nonliving creatures without Psychic Immunity, which makes them possible targets of Demonic Bloodlust:

[mwcard=FWC02]Earth Elemental[/mwcard]
Fire Elemental
[mwcard=DNC04]Grey Wraith[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC08]Invisible Stalker[/mwcard]
Water Elemental
[mwcard=MW1C40]Whirling Spirit[/mwcard]

It's not a long list... but it's got me to thinking of how I can abuse this card. It turns any one of these creatures into an even scarier threat!
"Forcemaster with Demonic Bloodlust Invisible Stalker?! Sign me up!!"
(e.g. During the final quickcast phase of the first round that you attack with your [mwcard=FWC08]Invisible Stalker[/mwcard], quickcast a Demonic Bloodlust on him and let him rip!!)

** Special thanks to grga.curkovic for making this post possible. Searchable card attributes are a godsend, not to mention having a card image of Demonic Bloodlust on the internet!! THANKS SO MUCH!! **

18


Are "neutral" Sslak/Usslak orb guardians "inactive" for the purposes of Blightheart's bonus?

19
From Codex 3.1:
Quote
Incapacitated (Effect)
An Incapacitated creature cannot take any actions, including moving, attacking, guarding, or casting spells. It cannot make a counterstrike. It cannot use any Defenses, except for mandatory-reveal enchantments that count as a Defense. It cannot guard; remove any guard markers on it. A Flying creature loses, and cannot gain, the Flying trait as long as it is Incapacitated. Any damage barrier on an Incapacitated creature continues to function normally. Other creatures may ignore an Incapacitated creature, and it cannot hinder the movememt of enemies. An Incapacitated creature still takes an Action Phase (normally, the action marker is simply flipped over). Conjurations cannot be Incapacitated. Mages are affected by Incapacitation differently. A Mage's mind is so powerful that even if he is Incapacitated he can still work his magic! An Incapacitated Mage can still use actions to cast quick non-attack spells. He cannot cast full spells or attack spells.

I've highlighted the key part in red.... which doesn't seem to apply to my question (see *edit* below).

Example case: Sherean Leviathan:


If Sherean Leviathan becomes Incapacitated (say, by [mwcard=MW1I26]Sleep[/mwcard]) while in a zone with an aquatic terrain attached, does it still restrain enemy non-Mage non-aquatic creatures?
(Aside: It's interesting that Sherean Leviathan also restrains Flying creatures, which causes them to lose Flying... so he's kind of like a Knockdown + Tanglevine in one - albeit far more difficult to destroy and with a powerful bite!)

Similarly, the same question applies to lots of creatures, from friendly affects like [mwcard=MW1C20]Highland Unicorn[/mwcard] to damaging effects like Disciple of Radiance. Does Incapacitate turn off their card text - e.g. allow enemies to ignore it, and/or prevent friendly creatures from being affected by it?

*edit* Partially answered my own question, as the codex states that Ignore is a game term:
Quote
Ignore (Game Term)
An ignored enemy creature cannot hinder movement of friendly creatures. An ignored enemy creature that is guarding does not have to be attacked when making a melee attack.

This implies that the card text of an Incapacitated creature still applies, since nothing in the codex states otherwise (e.g. it can't guard and can't hinder anything and can't take actions and loses some traits like Flying and any defenses, but nothing explicitly says it loses any other abilities).

20
Spellbook Design and Construction / Multiplayer Domination: Siren
« on: January 08, 2017, 04:21:51 PM »
Here's my first attempt at a Siren book for three-for-all Domination. It might backfire - I had problems with Zombie Necromancer, partly due to the drawbacks of Bloodthirsty, but also due to lack of mobility - but I thought I'd give Deptonnes a try. It's risky, and if I find that Bloodthirsty doesn't work, there's always merrens, non-shark pirates and Water Elemental.

I also started from the Siren recommended spell book, which leaves out a lot of Domination staples (e.g. Battle Fury, any Flying creatures, strong counters for Flying creatures, Elusive creatures aside from Blightheart, Tanglevines, etc). I'll see what spells I miss most, then make room for them.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Shark Frenzy[/spellbookname]
[mage]Siren[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]4 x  Swell[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Tsunami[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A06]2 x  Windstorm[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]4 x  Bed of Urchins[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Coral Barrier[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1J04]1 x  Raincloud[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]4 x  Shallow Sea[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Swamp[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Whirlpool[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1 x  Blightheart[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Colossal Crab[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Deptonne Berserker[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Deptonne Bloodshaman[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Kraken[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Naiya[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Shoalsdeep Crocodile[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]6 x  Shoalsdeep Thrasher[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1 x  Ballad of Courage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Chant of Rage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E20]1 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Healing Madrigal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]4 x  Hydrothermal Vent[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Lullaby[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E03]1 x  Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Song of Love[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E04]1 x  V'Tar Force Sentry[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1Q07]1 x  Elemental Cloak[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Leviathan Scale Armor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Ring of the Ocean's Depths[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Shoalsdeep Trident[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1I06]2 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I07]2 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI04]2 x  Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Lesser Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Mending Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI10]1 x  Whirling Strike[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

The main idea here is to use creatures with Grapple (e.g. Colossal Crab, Kraken and/or the Croc) instead of usual ways to restrain. And an unorthodox idea (for Domination) is to use lots of Bloodthirsty creatures rather than guards to protect your orbs. This could be good against most living creatures... but might not work so well against undead creatures. In that case, it might be better to kill a Necromancer than try to beat his skeletons in a V'tar race.

If this doesn't work, I might go with Sherean Laviathan. I recently ran into it in an Arena match, and it might be broken in Domination - or at least difficult to deal with unless you anticipate it and have a specific strategy to deal with it. The idea is to park the Sherean Leviathan in a zone with a Shallow Sea and Astral Anchor next to the most valuable orb zone, then push (e.g. Force Wave) enemy creatures into its zone. They all get stuck, and unless they (a) kill the Leviathan or (b) swap out the terrain or (c) otherwise separate their creatures from the Leviathan (e.g. dispel the anchor, then teleport the Leviathan away, etc), then you end up with a pile of enemy creatures stuck in one spot while your other creatures are free to secure orbs.

*edit* Recent changes:
+[mwcard=]2 x  Swell[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=]2 x  Bed of Urchins[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=]2 x  Hydrothermal Vent[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=]1 x  Ballad of Courage[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=]1 x  Healing Madrigal[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=]1 x  Echo of the Depths[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=]1 x  Voice of the Sea[/mwcard]

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

21
Spellbook Design and Construction / Multiplayer Domination: Warlord
« on: January 08, 2017, 02:09:30 PM »
Here is a Warlord book, recently updated with PvS and Grimoire v1 cards, that is pretty solid in three-for-all Domination.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Goblin Outpost[/spellbookname]
[mage]Bloodwave Warlord[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA03]2 x  Hail of Stones[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]2 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A04]1 x  Sandstorm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Swell[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MXSTX2FFJ02]1 x  Altar of Carnage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1J01]1 x  Altar of the Iron Guard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ02]1 x  Archer's Watchtower[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ04]1 x  Armory[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Ballista[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ03]1 x  Barracks[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Consecrated Ground[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ04]2 x  Garrison Post[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1J02]1 x  Gravikor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Hidden Tunnels (Promo)[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ06]1 x  Mangler Caltrops[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Steep Hill[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFW01]2 x  Wall of Earth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWW01]1 x  Wall of Pikes[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1w02]1 x  Wall of Stone[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1 x  Gerard Matranga[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC06]1 x  Goblin Alchemist[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC03]1 x  Goblin Bomber[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC04]1 x  Goblin Builder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC05]6 x  Goblin Grunt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC06]1 x  Goblin Slinger[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1C01]2 x  Guard Dog[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Noble Vanguard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC11]1 x  Orc Butcher[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1C04]1 x  Slaknir, Goblin Chieftain[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1 x  Akiro's Game[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Ballad of Courage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE06]1 x  Fortified Position[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e32]1 x  Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Reinforce (Promo)[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e33]1 x  Retaliate[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]1 x  Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE05]1 x  Spiked Pit[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE09]1 x  Standard Bearer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q08]1 x  Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ04]1 x  General's Signet Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ05]1 x  Harshforge Plate[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ05]1 x  Helm of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ06]1 x  Horn of Gothos[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ08]1 x  Ring of Command[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i02]2 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI02]1 x  Conquer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]2 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]1 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI02]1 x  Earthquake[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI04]1 x  Flank Attack[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Group Mend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Lesser Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i17]1 x  Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Overextend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI10]1 x  Whirling Strike[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

The idea is to get your Barracks, other outposts and Altar of Carnage going early, then get Gerard out to both have high Piercing vs [mwcard=MWBG1C05]Sslak[/mwcard]/[mwcard=MWBG1C06]Usslak[/mwcard] guardians and making hard-summoning soldiers cheaper, then use commands to power your army of soldiers that follows. Beyond that, there are a few different ways you could approach it, threatening your opponents with Ballista, Conquer and Earthquake, or just stealing orbs using Elusive goblins (thanks to Slaknir) and holding them down with your Vigilant Vanguards and Guard Dogs. Garrison Posts and Hidden Tunnels let you summon and position your soldiers on either side of walls, which gives you a strong positional advantage, while your Slinger and/or Alchemist can use an Archer's Watchtower on a Steep Hill for some powerful Indirect Ranged support.

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

*edit* Recent updates:
-[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard] 
-[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ05]1 x  Construction Yard[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=FWW01]1 x  Wall of Pikes[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=FWC06]1 x  Goblin Slinger[/mwcard]
-[mwcard=]1 x  Noble Vanguard[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=]1 x  Swell[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=FWJ04]1 x  Garrison Post[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=]1 x  Consecrated Ground[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=MWBG1C01]2 x  Guard Dog[/mwcard]
+[mwcard=FWC11]1 x  Orc Butcher[/mwcard]

22
Spells / How do you deal with Water Elemental
« on: December 08, 2016, 08:39:42 AM »
Water Elemental

22 mana; Level 6
16 life; "infinite" Armor (Resilient)... which is statistically similar to 32 life with no Armor

Burnproof, Hydro Immunity, Non-living, Resilient (basically only takes critical damage, although Corrodes are dealt as direct damage), Unstoppable (Unmovable, Uncontainable, cannot be Hindered), Frost +3 (LOL)
5 dice quick Hydro melee attack that Pushes on 4+. "When Water Elemental Pushes a creature, after the push it may immediately move to the creature's zone."

On one hand...
  • You can't Tanglevine/Force Hold it.
  • You can't Poison it.
  • You can't Burn it.
  • You can't Push it.
  • It isn't Slow, so Teleporting it away doesn't do much, especially since you can't Hinder it.
  • You can't really swarm it, partly because it can attack a creature, Push that creature, then follow the Pushed creature for free, inching ever closer to the target it seeks.
  • It isn't Legendary or Unique... so god forbid your opponent casts a second one while you're still trying to figure out how to deal with the first!
  • Despite lacking Psychic Immunity, (Mass) Sleep is not an option since it requires a Living target.

On the other hand...
  • It isn't Psychic Immune, so Mind Control, Charm, etc, can work... but they're pretty niche spells. (Maybe not now that this thing is in the wild!)
  • You can wall it into a corner... assuming you can corner it.
  • Leviathan Scale Armor will soften its bite, but it will still roll 3 dice and Push on a 6+. Neither Waterfall Cloak nor Elemental Cloak help at all (aside from the latter providing Armor +1).
  • Assuming it doesn't Guard, Flyers can attack it, and it can't use Eagle Wings (non-living), so the Water Elemental in itself doesn't have any built-in counters against Flyers.
  • Eagleclaw Boots or the Paladin's shiny new Steadfast Boots are good to stop your Mage from getting pushed around by the Elemental. That might not sound like a big deal... until it starts Bashing your Mage into a wall turn after turn!

Any other ideas or suggestions on how to deal with this... thing?

Lucky for me, when used to push a creature into my Mage's zone for a free move action, it often "accidentally" killed the creature and therefore didn't get to trigger the Push'n'Move ability. But since it isn't Slow and can't be Hindered, it didn't matter that much. It's a menacing thing, always seeping towards you.

23
Spells / Altar of Infernia
« on: November 29, 2016, 01:53:12 PM »
Lost Grimoire volume 1 brings us this beauty from the school of darkness:

Quote
Altar of Infernia
Quick; 0-1; Zone
7 mana; Conjuration - Artifact; Lvl 2 Dark
2 Armor; 6 Health
Zone Exclusive; Epic

All creatures lose, and cannot gain, Melee +X traits. This does not affect Melee -X traits.

Sounds straightforward, right?

...

Or is it?

It turns out, when you look more closely (e.g. see the Codex), Mage Wars deals with adding attack dice in a variety of ways. Sometimes, the cards themselves or the rules and Codex as written state that a creature or creature type or damage type or mage gains "Melee +X", but other times it might say to "roll extra dice" instead. Depending on the wording, it may or may not be affected by Altar of Infernia. In general, you need to see if the trait keyword "Melee +X" is used in the effect of the ability or spell or condition marker, etc.

Here is a list of spells and abilities that are affected by Altar of Infernia, followed by a list that are not affected. Please feel free to post spells and abilities I've missed that you think are interesting.


Alter of Infernia affects:
- buffs that directly add Melee +X (typical examples include [mwcard=MW1E01]Bear Strength[/mwcard], Wolf Fury, Giant Size, [mwcard=MW1Q11]Gauntlets of Strength[/mwcard], Paladin's Valor, Blessed Focus, Knight's Courage, [mwcard=FWI06]Power Strike[/mwcard], [mwcard=MW1I03]Call of the Wild[/mwcard], etc)
- Growth markers (give Melee +1 for each Growth marker; thus [mwcard=DNC06]Kralathor, The Devourer[/mwcard], [mwcard=DNC11]Ravenous Ghoul[/mwcard], [mwcard=DNC12]Shaggoth-Zora[/mwcard] won't benefit as much with Infernia in play; each Growth marker still gives Innate Life +3 though)
- Rage +X (similar to Growth; thus [mwcard=MW1C25]Mountain Gorilla[/mwcard] is affected)
- Ehren, Enduring Paladin
- [mwcard=MW1C39]Valshalla, Lightning Angel[/mwcard]
- Steelclaw Matriarch
- [mwcard=MW1C29]Redclaw, Alpha Male[/mwcard] doesn't buff other canines (aside from Armor +1)
- Wychwood Hounds don't buff each other (aside from Armor +1)
- Knight of the Red Helm usually gets Melee +2 when attacking strongest creature
- Azurean Genie (a "wish" can still be used for Healing 2 or Stagger)
- [mwcard=MW1J08]Hand of Bim-Shalla[/mwcard] (similar to the Genie)
- [mwcard=MW1J20]Sacrificial Altar[/mwcard] (although a creature still gets the Piercing bonus and there is mana refunded)
- [mwcard=MW1J02]Animal Kinship[/mwcard] + canine(s)
- [mwcard=MW1Q30]Staff of Beasts[/mwcard] won't give a melee bonus to a friendly animal (but can still be used for healing)
- "Battle Skill" Mage ability (e.g. Straywood Beastmaster, Arraxian Crown Warlock, Bloodwave Warlord)
- Straywood Beastmaster's "Pet" (no general Melee +1 nor additional Melee +1 when in-zone)
- Bloodwave Warlord's "Veterans" AND command order "On Guard!" (although doesn't affect "Release Volley!" = Ranged +1, or "To Battle!" = Charge +1)
- Malakai Priest's "Holy Avenger" (no Melee +2 for you!)
- Johktari Beastmaster's "Wounded Prey" (no Melee +1 against that creature)
- "Siren's Call" ability wouldn't give a friendly creature Melee +2
- Paladin's "Vengeful Aura" doesn't give Melee +1, but still gives Piercing +2 so might still be worthwhile against heavily armored (but not Resilient) targets
- Aquatic creatures in Shallow Sea don't get Melee +1 (but non-aquatic non-flying still rolls 1 less die as normal...)
- [mwcard=MW1J06]Gate to Hell[/mwcard] wouldn't give  Melee +1 buffs to demons
- [mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ02]Bloodfire Helmet[/mwcard] wouldn't give  Melee +1 buffs to demons
- Demonic Link wouldn't give  Melee +1 buff to the demon
- Drakas, Imp Overlord wouldn't give  Melee +1 buffs to demons
- Similarly, Unholy Blood Ritual is a bad idea with Altar of Infernia in play!
- Kharne, Horned Demon normally gets Melee +X where X is the number of enemy creatures in its zone. Well, not with this Altar in play!
- [mwcard=MWSTX2FFC13]Wildfire Imp[/mwcard] wouldn't get Melee +2 for attacking an object with a Burn marker
- Wreck of the Viridian Lace would still grant Ranged +1 but not Melee +1 to pirates
- Temple of Meraveran becomes quite useless in Infernia!
- Shoalsdeep Tidecaller drops his Melee +2 bonus in Infernia, but still gets +4 to the effect die in initiative rounds
- Temple High Guard counterstrikes first but doesn't get Melee +2 when Guarding
- Metatron doesn't get bonuses for Temples in play
- Eligor Larington doesn't get a Melee +2 bonus (but does still gain Piercing +1) when counterstriking
- Alandell, the Blue Knight isn't worth putting mana into unless you REALLY need that Daze effect to trigger
- [mwcard=DNC01]Acolyte of the Bog Queen[/mwcard] can't give Melee +1 to zombies (but still reconstructs Skeletons and does Cleric stuff)
- [mwcard=MWBG1E03]Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard] wouldn't get Melee +1 when guarding, but would still get all the other bonuses
- [mwcard=FWE09]Standard Bearer[/mwcard] wouldn't give Melee +1 but would still grant Armor +1 to other friendly creatures
- [mwcard=MW1Q27]Dawnbreaker Ring[/mwcard] would only grant Ranged +1
- [mwcard=MW1Q17]Lightning Ring[/mwcard] would only grant Ranged +1 (...)
- [mwcard=DNQ03]Deathshroud Staff[/mwcard] wouldn't buff undead creatures with Melee +1
- [mwcard=MWSTX2FFI04]Flank Attack[/mwcard] would only grant Piercing +2

But has no effect on:
- Ranged +X (obviously)
- Piercing +X (making it a good alternative against armoured foes when Altar of Infernia is in play)
- Charge +X (!)
- Bloodthirsty +X (!!) <- think zombies, sharks, some demons, [mwcard=MW1C17] Goran, Werewolf Pet[/mwcard], etc
- most melee weapon Equipment's melee attacks (e.g. Arena melee weapons usually roll 4 dice + effects/traits/abilities, rather than having a Melee +X trait, so this is a way to mitigate against Infernia; and Academy melee weapons still roll one more die for Arena-level Mages as usual despite Infernia)
- Arraxian Crown Warlock's "Blood Reaper" (since it gains Bloodthirsty +2, not Melee +2)
- Necromancer's "Eternal Servant" (Piercing +1)
- Adramelech Warlock's "Smoldering Curses" ability (since enemy creatures gain Flame +1)
- Similarly, Malakai's Basilica works as normal (since it gives an enemy creature Light +1)
- Interestingly, unlike the "Wounded Prey" ability, [mwcard=MW1E27]Marked for Death[/mwcard] doesn't have anything to do with Melee +X, but rather specifies that enemy creatures each roll one more die when attacking
- Gloranna, Avenging Angel rolls an extra die for each Holy creature in its controller's discard pile (up to a cap)... which isn't technically getting Melee +X!
- Lightning Raptor still charges up as normal (changes the number of dice of the attack directly, not Melee +X)
- Afflicted Demon works as normal; e.g. the Weak tokens are both a bane and a boon as usual
- Ballad of Courage (Charge +2, Fast and can't be Hindered)
- Smite (rolls "2 additional attack dice," not Melee +2)
- [mwcard=DNI06]Zombie Frenzy[/mwcard] is unaffected... as are pretty much all other zombie-related bonuses (aside from Deathshroud Staff)

** I didn't mention it above, but "+X vs. ___" traits will still work as normal (e.g. [mwcard=MW1C36]Tarok, the Skyhunter[/mwcard]'s "+2 vs. Flying", [mwcard=MW1C31]Samandriel, Angel of Light[/mwcard]'s "+1 vs Nonliving or Dark", Joseph Trublood's "+2 vs Nonliving and Dark", [mwcard=DNC06]Kralathor, The Devourer[/mwcard]'s "+2 vs Undead", Titanodon's and Mountain Ram's "+2 vs Corporeal Conjurations", etc)

24
Mages / Maybe an Elementalist in the future after all...
« on: July 06, 2016, 02:34:28 PM »
With yesterday's Wizard errata news comes a lot of new design space for future mages.  No longer do the designers have to worry about every new Fire, Water or Earth school spell pushing the Wizard over the edge in terms of power level.  And the female alternate Wizard will most likely follow suit in terms of training.

...

Which means, there are a few creatures who suddenly appear to be homeless, namely the Elementals and the Golems.  Sure, the Warlord can still play [mwcard=FWC02]Earth Elemental[/mwcard] and [mwcard=FWC09]Iron Golem[/mwcard] efficiently, but does he really want to?  Both Warlords and their spawn points and other conjurations care about soldiers, and they also tend to be mana-deprived, so they have little incentive to summon these very expensive (not to mention Slow) non-soldier creatures.

Likewise, Fire Elemental, a longtime promo, is about to be released in the Lost Grimoire v1 set.  And Magma Golem was a popular Fire Wizard spell on OCTGN.  These would have been reasonably strong options for a Fire Wizard once legal in real-life Mage Wars.  And while the Warlocks are still trained in Fire, both Warlocks are reluctant to run them because demons have more synergy with both Warlocks' abilities and are otherwise similarly priced. 

It would be kind of sad if these non-demon Fire-school and non-soldier Earth-school creatures never really see play anymore because there's no longer a mage that wants to use them.  Which got me to thinking...

Perhaps we'll see an "Elementalist" mage in the future after all.  What would an Elementalist look like?  In the past, it seemed a long shot because it appeared it would overlap strongly with the Wizard we already have.  But with the Wizard changing to Arcane + Air training only, it opens up some options that could be exclusive to the Elementalist.  For example, maybe the Elementalist will replace the Wizard as the mage that gets to choose its training from among the minor schools, and/or who is trained in "Elementals" and "Golems" (e.g. creatures and other spells with those subtypes).  I'd imagine he would NOT be trained in Arcane, would have channeling of 9, and more conditional mage abilities (e.g. no built-in ranged attack spell and not as strong of a damage reducer as Voltaric Shield), less powerful (or no) spawn point/familiars, etc.

Here are some ideas:

Trained in a minor (elemental) school of his choice, plus Elementals and Golems. Or has training in Level 1-2 of all minor (elemental) schools, plus Elementals and Golems.  Pays triple for War, including Novice.

32 Life. 0 Armor. 9 Channeling. 120 sbp's.

Master of the Elements: When the Elementalist casts an Elemental spell, reduce its mana cost by the spell's level.

Quick Construct: Once per round, the Elementalist may summon a Golem creature spell as a quick spell.

Obviously there should be at least one Elemental and one Golem for each minor school (e.g. currently need Air and Water Elementals and Golems).  No Spawnpoint for the Elementalist (although s/he has access to Battle Forge, but pays triple for War, so... not an efficient use of sbp's), which means every creature is going to get hard-casted.  Maybe include a reverse Lifelink-like enchantment or eqipment where s/he transfers damage to a friendly Golem or Elemental, since they tend to have lots of hit points and the Elementalist isn't particularly good with Armor.  And s/he needs some ways to buff non-living creatures, since there are few good buffs that don't require living targets, whether these be "Elementalist Only" or have some other ways to discourage use by, for example, the Necromancer. (Perhaps the target needs to be an Elemental or Golem, or something similar to Zombie Frenzy, e.g. All friendly Elementals and Golems lose Slow and gain Fast until the end of the round?)

Other ideas?

25
An untested book (which includes some spoiled cards from Paladin vs Siren and Lost Grimoire v1) that I have some hope for.  Probably needs a lot of work, and I have fewer copies of some key cards than I'd like, but here's my starting point.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Sanctimonious Supremacy[/spellbookname]
[mage]Priest[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1a01]2 x  Blinding Flash[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2x  Luminous Blast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA03]1 x  Hail of Stones[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1J02]1 x  Gravikor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j08]1 x  Hand of Bim-Shalla[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Malakai's Basilica[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J12]Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j22]2 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j23]1 x  Temple of Asyra[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j24]1 x  Temple of Light[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWW01]2 x  Wall of Pikes[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1c02]1 x  Asyran Cleric[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Aurora Lucere, Dawnbreaker's Chosen[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]3x  Disciple of Radiance[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Gloranna, Avenging Angel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC06]1 x  Guardian Angel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c20]1 x  Highland Unicorn[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Lowland Unicorn[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Meditating Monk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Messenger of Bim-Shalla[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Temple High Guard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]3x  Temple Sentry[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Victorian Griffin[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1x  Ballad of Courage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2x  Blessed Focus[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Circle of Protection[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e11]1 x  Divine Intervention[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Divine Reversal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e20]1 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e21]1 x  Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e28]1 x  Mongoose Agility[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Paladin's Valor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Panther Stealth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Restore[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E36]1 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e37]1 x  Sacred Ground[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Second Chance[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E03]1 x  Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]1x  Asyran Robes[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q27]1 x  Dawnbreaker Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Resplendent Bow[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i02]1 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1I01]1 x  Cascading Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Cure[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]2 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]1 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI04]1 x  Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i13]1 x  Group Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Group Mend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i15]2 x  Knockdown[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i17]1 x  Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1I02]1 x  V'Tarrian Healing Song[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Looking at it quickly, I have way too much healing and not enough action advantage cards (like Whirling Strike / Badger Frenzy / Battle Fury) ... so I think that will be a good place to start.  I just wanted to make sure I had plenty of fuel for those lovely Disciples of Radiance.

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

26
[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Aerial Dominance[/spellbookname]
[mage]Straywood Beastmaster[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A09]1 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]1 x  Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNW01]2 x  Bloodspine Wall[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNJ03]1 x  Etherian Lifetree[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j10]1 x  Lair[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j15]1 x  Mohktari, Great Tree of Life[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ08]1 x  Renewing Spring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j22]3 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j03]1 x  Tooth & Nail[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFW01]2 x  Wall of Earth[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1c04]2 x  Bitterwood Fox[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c07]1 x  Cervere, The Forest Shadow[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c20]1 x  Highland Unicorn[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Lowland Unicorn[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1C02]1 x  Oscuda[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Ridgeback Skunk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c33]1 x  Sosruko, Ferret Companion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC16]1 x  Spitting Raptor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c36]1 x  Tarok, the Skyhunter[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Tarraki, Thousand Bites[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c37]6 x  Thunderift Falcon[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Wychwood Faerie[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=]3 x  Badger Frenzy[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e01]1 x  Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e13]1 x  Eagle Wings[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Gator Toughness[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Giant Size[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E20]1 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Joined Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e28]1 x  Mongoose Agility[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Panther Stealth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Iguana Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]1 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E03]2 x  Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Tangleroot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Wolf Fury[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q25]1 x  Ring of Beasts[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q09]1 x  Enchanter's Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q19]1 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Packleader's Cowl[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1I02]1 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I03]1 x  Call of the Wild[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Crumble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Disperse[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI04]1 x  Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i13]1 x  Group Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Group Mend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i23]2 x  Rouse the Beast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Here's a pretty straightforward Beastmaster book for multiplayer Domination.  The idea is to use efficient  fast/elusive creatures to grab an orb quickly and steal orbs from your opponents.  Probably open with Lair + Ring of Beasts or Wychwood Faerie or Harmonize->Lair, then start popping out a couple Falcons per round while attacking the nearest Sslak.  But there are lots of options available.

There are way more creatures, enchantments and zone-exclusive conjurations than necessary here, mainly because I'm trying things out to see what works and what doesn't.  For instance:

Is Oscuda's strong melee attack and disruptive zone attack worth his cost? How about his cousin, the Ridgeback Skunk? How annoying can Sosruko's "Taunt" be in Domination?

Similarly with all the healing/regen cards:  Is Renewing Spring too costly in terms of (wasted) actions to be useful in Domination?  Is Mohktari too restrictive?  Would I be better off with a Raincloud's mobility? Or is a Highland Unicorn the way to go? Only one way to find out: Put it in play and see what happens!

Creatures, enchantments and conjurations that get cut will likely be replaced by more copies of key incantations and attack spells, which I'm a little light on.  Changes will be noted as this book gets revised.

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

27
General Discussion / Lost Grimoire v1 SPOILERS
« on: June 08, 2016, 02:50:04 PM »
Here is the first information I've seen for this product (delayed to "late Q3 2016"):



"The Lost Grimoire contains 108 previously unreleased spells that augment every playstyle. Do the secrets in this ancient tome contain the advantage you need to crush those who oppose you in the Arena? Trample is a new trait found on large creatures that allows them to run over enemies dealing damage as they move and new creatures are included such as Titanodon, Fire Elemental, Messenger of Bim-Shalla and more! Requires the Mage Wars: Arena main game to play."

Source

Trample (keyword)!  Titanodon = more dinosaurs!  And a couple of promos are confirmed (Fire Elemental; Messenger of Bim-Shalla).

*edit* The box cover image is Mordok's Tome, so that's another promo we should expect to find inside this expansion.

28
Rules Discussion / Spiked Pit (Domination terrain)
« on: June 01, 2016, 05:51:11 PM »
Does a Spiked Pit marker disappear if it fails the d12=9+ roll? Or does it only disappear after it is successful? (Wording in the rules is vague and could be interpreted either way)

29
Spellbook Design and Construction / Multiplayer Domination: Warlock
« on: May 27, 2016, 08:43:17 AM »
In principle, this book could work for either Warlock.  I chose Adramelech because (1) I don't feel I need Curseweaving or Battle Skill and (2) I like the idea of moving Burn tokens around (via "Fireweaving") to fuel my demons (e.g. Wildfire Imps, and via "Demonic Reward").

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]And Hell Followed With Her[/spellbookname]
[mage]Adramelech Warlock[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA01]1 x  Devil's Trident[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a04]1 x  Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a05]2 x  Firestorm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A06]2 x  Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a12]2 x  Ring of Fire[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1J01]1 x  Altar of the Iron Guard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j06]1 x  Gate to Hell[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J12]1 x  Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j17]1 x  Pentagram[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J20]1 x  Sacrificial Altar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1w03]2 x  Wall of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNW02]2 x  Wall of Bones[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC04]1 x  Cerberus[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c15]3 x  Firebrand Imp[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c16]1 x  Flaming Hellion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC06]1 x  Goblin Alchemist[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1C03]1 x  Skeelax, Taunting Imp[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1 x  Unstable Fire Imp[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC13]6 x  Wildfire Imp[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1E09]1 x  Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E01]1 x  Astral Anchor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Badger Frenzy[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE02]1 x  Circle of Fire[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e14]1 x  Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e20]1 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x  Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e22]1 x  Hellfire Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e25]1 x  Maim Wings[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e27]1 x  Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]2 x  Panther Stealth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E03]1 x  Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ01]1 x  Adramelech's Torment[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ02]1 x  Bloodfire Helmet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x  Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q10]1 x  Fireshaper Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=]1x  Wychwood Ironvine[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i02]2 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI05]2 x  Ignite[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]3 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]1 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]1 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]2 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI04]1 x  Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I15]1 x  Knockdown[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI07]1 x  Repulse[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

* Edit* Made the following changes after a first (close) match.

-[mwcard=MWBG1A02]1 x  Dragon's Breath[/mwcard] (too expensive for what it does)
-[mwcard=mw1a04]1 x  Fireball[/mwcard] (Devil's Trident is better aside from the range; Flameblast is cheaper for most purposes)
-[mwcard=mw1e14]1 x  Enfeeble[/mwcard] (rarely need more than 1)
-[mwcard=mw1e22]1 x  Hellfire Trap[/mwcard] (only have time to use 1)
-[mwcard=mw1e34]1 x  Reverse Attack[/mwcard] (was intended to put on a Sslak an opponent wanted to take, but it's too expensive; might replace with the Academy equivalent when it's released.
-[mwcard=mw1q14]1 x  Lash of Hellfire[/mwcard] (too expensive; basic melee is sufficient for tapping orbs)
-[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI01]1 x  Combustion[/mwcard] (unnecessary most of the time)
-[mwcard=mw1i10]1 x  Evade[/mwcard] (unnecessary when you have Panther Stealth)
-[mwcard=mw1e28]1 x  Mongoose Agility[/mwcard] (Panther Stealth is cheaper; most creatures worth making Elusive are Minor)
-[mwcard=mw1i29]1 x  Vampiric Strike[/mwcard] (not strong enough)
-[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard] (great card, but I needed points; besides, my Imps already teleport)
-[mwcard=mw1w03]1 x  Wall of Fire[/mwcard] (to make room for 2x Wall of Bones)

+[mwcard=MW1J20]1 x  Sacrificial Altar[/mwcard] (cheap conjuration for Cerberus to protect in an important zone, plus can be beneficial to sacrifice a creature that's going to die anyway)
+[mwcard=MW1J12]1 x  Mana Crystal[/mwcard] (because 9 channeling sucks)
+[mwcard=MW1A06]2 x  Flameblast[/mwcard] (cheap attack spell with chance to Burn; more versatile than Lash of Hellfire + melee attack)
+[mwcard=mw1c15]1 x  Firebrand Imp[/mwcard] (early enablers for Wildfire Imps that follow)
+[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC06]1 x  Goblin Alchemist[/mwcard] (versatile; enables Wildfire Imp and benefits from Flame +1 on cursed creatures; drops armor of Sslaks; can tap orbs; cheaper and better range requirements than Flaming Hellion's ranged attack)
+[mwcard=MW1E09]1 x  Agony[/mwcard] (great on an Usslak or on your opponent's best creature)
+[mwcard=MWBG1E01]1 x  Astral Anchor[/mwcard] (keep Cerberus in position, although it goes against Wildfire Imp strategy)
+2 x  Badger Frenzy (cheap Battle Fury for Minor creature that you can cast in an earlier round and reveal when desired) (*edit* Non-animal demons are illegal targets for Badger Frenzy)
+[mwcard=MW1E21]1 x  Hawkeye[/mwcard] (for stronger Attack spells)
+1 x  Unstable Fire Imp (flava-flav; hilarious to guard with in a busy zone; enables Wildfire Imps, etc)
+1x  Wychwood Ironvine (protection; more versatile / cheaper than Reverse Attack)
+[mwcard=MWBG1E03]1 x  Sentinel of V'Tar[/mwcard] (a better Astral Anchor just for Cerberus)
+[mwcard=DNW02]2 x  Wall of Bones[/mwcard] (stronger area control than Wall of Fire, and cheaper both in sbp and mana)

Usually open with Harmonized Pentagram, then get out some Firebrand Imps and boost them with a curse on the nearest Sslak + Bloodfire Helmet, then bring out Wildfire Imps when things are burning nicely.

But you could instead gear up for a 10-dice Fireball on a Sslak (Fireshaper Ring; Hawkeye; Marked for Death; Fireball) and summon creatures manually as needed.  Would probably be a better strategy if Galaxxus was legal, since then hypothetically you could tap the orb + cast Galaxxus in round 3, then summon Cerberus on the following round to protect your orb. (He'll need a Dark conjuration in that zone, though, to enable his ability)

I'll be honest: This book attempts to use a bunch of "bad" cards that rarely see play - like Pentagram (the worst spawn point, especially in the Domination format), Cerberus (a powerful guard, but very pricey and easily Teleported away from his conjuration), and Gate to Hell ('nuff said).  It also uses an unorthodox Domination strategy that aims to aggressively burn everything in sight in order to both disrupt opposition strategies and activate friendly creatures (e.g. Wildfire Imp teleporting, "Demonic Reward," Bloodfire Helmet, etc).  There are some other obvious weaknesses (Wall of Earth comes to mind), and I'm not sure it will work against the swarmiest of mages (Necromancer, Straywood Beastmaster, Bloodwave Warlord), but it looks like a fun book to try.  I'd love to hear thoughts on how I might improve this book before taking it into battle (e.g. [mwcard=MWBG1E01]Astral Anchor[/mwcard] to pin [mwcard=MWSTX2FFC04] Cerberus[/mwcard] to his Pentagram or Gate to Hell zone?).

I'm looking forward to the Academy Warlock deck to flesh out some of the themes with cheaper versions of some spells benefiting minor creatures. 

When in doubt, kill it with fire!

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

30
Spellbook Design and Construction / Multiplayer Domination: Wizard
« on: May 27, 2016, 08:16:55 AM »
Here is an Air Wizard I'm toying with for multiplayer Domination. 

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]The Schoolyard Bully[/spellbookname]
[mage]Wizard (Air)[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1A01]2 x  Bolt of V'Tar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a02]1 x  Chain Lightning[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a03]1 x  Electrify[/mwcard]
2 x  Forked Lightning
[mwcard=mw1a09]2 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A04]1 x  Sandstorm[/mwcard]
1 x  Voltaic Discharge
[mwcard=MWBG1A05]1 x  V'Tarrian Energy Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1A06]2 x  Windstorm[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j07]1 x  Gate to Voltari[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j16]1 x  Mordok's Obelisk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j18]2 x  Poison Gas Cloud[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1J03]1 x  V'Torrak Gate[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWW01]1 x  Wall of Pikes[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKJ02]1 x  Wizard's Tower[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
1 x  Azurean Genie
[mwcard=mw1c05]3 x  Blue Gremlin[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c09]1 x  Darkfenne Hydra[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC08]1 x  Gargoyle Sentry[/mwcard]
1 x  Jade Gremlin
1 x  Lightning Raptor
1 x  Redcrested Cockatrice
1 x  Sailfin Hydra
[mwcard=mw1c40]1 x  Whirling Spirit[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e05]1 x  Cheetah Speed[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e06]1 x  Circle of Lightning[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e15]1 x  Essence Drain[/mwcard]
2 x  Giant Size
[mwcard=mw1e20]2 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e21]1 x  Hawkeye[/mwcard]
1 x  Minor Essence Drain
4 x  Shrink
[mwcard=mw1e38]2 x  Teleport Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1E04]1 x  V'Tar Force Sentry[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1Q01]1 x  Gale Force Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q17]1 x  Lightning Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]1 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
1 x  Staff of Storms
1 x  Sistarran Robes
1 x  Repulsion Cloak
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWBG1I01]1 x  Cascading Force Wave[/mwcard]
1 x  Crumble
1 x  Disperse
[mwcard=FWI03]1 x  Force Bash[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i13]1 x  Group Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI07]1 x  Repulse[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i27]1 x  Steal Enchantment[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

It's going to get off to a slow start, but then hopes to overwhelm in the late game by bullying opposing creatures and messing with the board state.  This book is far more about screwing up the plans of the opposition than simply grabbing and holding down orbs.

A Harmonized Gate to Voltarii would be a decent start.  Then a Jade Gremlin gets summoned to poke the nearest Sslak and "phase out" to dodge its counterattack.  A Hydra (of either size) could get summoned next and double/triple strikes to do serious damage to Sslaks, not to mention makes for an intimidating threat.  Or a Lightning Raptor might make a decent second creature, but it won't be very effective for several rounds (and for that reason might get cut... but I do like that it can Stagger).

After that, a Wizard tower tossing Jet Streams or Bolts of V'tar can really mess with opposing Guards.  And all those full-action attack spells do similar when cast by my mage, either Push or Daze or Stun or Stagger.  And when all else fails, Shrink turns an opposing Guard into a Pest, while Giant Size can make a Sslak much harder for an opponent to take out.  If I need another threat to distract the opposition, Mordok's Obelisk is a terrible bane to the swarmy tactics that traditionally dominate in Domination... and it's somewhat asymmetric in this book (e.g. hurts other mages more than mine), especially if there's time to get Sistarran Robes on.

The weaknesses I see are (1) lack of walls (aside from Pikes to guarantee LoS from the Tower), (2) expensive friendly guards (e.g. generally take a full round of mana to summon), and (3) generally fewer creatures than most would run.  This might be the first mage that considers summoning his own [mwcard=MWBG1C05]Sslak[/mwcard] via Vtorrak, as they're cheaper and just as useful as many of the creatures in this book.

I'm not sure it's "good," but worth trying and seeing if I can get it to work while figuring out how to improve it.

Thoughts?

* This is part of a series of spell books designed for Free-for-all Multiplayer Domination.  The main discussion can be found here. *

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4