[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Horde Mentality[/spellbookname]
[mage]Warlord[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ04]1 x  Armory[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j22]1 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ07]1 x  Quicksand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MXSTX2FFJ02]1 x  Altar of Carnage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWW01]1 x  Wall of Pikes[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ03]1 x  Barracks[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ05]1 x  Construction Yard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFW01]1 x  Wall of Earth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ03]1 x  Altar of Domination[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ04]2 x  Garrison Post[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWC11]4 x  Orc Butcher[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC06]2 x  Goblin Alchemist[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC07]1 x  Gurmash, Orc Seargeant[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC05]2 x  Goblin Grunt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC09]1 x  Otto Kronig, Master Engineer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC04]1 x  Goblin Builder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC01]1 x  Dwarf Kriegsbiel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC07]1 x  Dwarf Panzergarde[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC06]3 x  Goblin Slinger[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWE06]2 x  Fortified Position[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE09]1 x  Standard Bearer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE04]3 x  Brace Yourself[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWQ06]1 x  Horn of Gothos[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q23]1 x  Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x  Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ08]1 x  Ring of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ04]1 x  General's Signet Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ05]1 x  Helm of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ11]1 x  War Sledge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ07]1 x  Veteran's Belt[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI04]1 x  Flank Attack[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]2 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]1 x  Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i13]1 x  Group Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i17]2 x  Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i04]1 x  Charge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI02]1 x  Conquer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]3 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI06]1 x  Power Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI08]1 x  Sniper Shot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]2 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Here's the latest iteration of my Bloodwave deck.  I'm sure you all know how this type of book works by now, so let's skip straight to the discussion, If I may 

I'd like this thread to be more about your thoughts and experiences than my own.   I'm very interested in what has been working well for you all as Warlord (BW or AT), what hasn't, and your thoughts.  This can be general, or card specific.  For example, I've learned new respect for [mwcard=MWSTX2FFE04]Brace Yourself[/mwcard] recently as a cheap way to give my mage lots of armor that is acid resistant (though action heavy), but have had trouble justifying continued inclusion of [mwcard=FWQ06]Horn of Gothos[/mwcard]. 

If you don't play Warlord, but have been having recent success against, or trouble with, the Warlord, be sure to share.

Also, I'm interested in the amount of copies of cards you include, and why.  I feel like one of the biggest challenges as a Warlord is deciding exactly how many of each command, etc, to include in your book, and the variance between how many of a card I choose, and how many you choose, could represent interesting differences in our respective meta.

Be sure to include a list of your own book, if interested, so we can compare.  All discussion, comments, and criticisms welcome.

So I've been trying to make the Anvil Throne Warlord work, but I just can't seem to get it right.  I feel like I'm missing some basic understanding of how he functions.

Could someone (playtester/designer pref) with more experience, or a better understanding of the ATW explain how to play him best?

(Note:  I've played about 10 games with so far and I always end up at an action disadvantage.)

Tried uploading my Warlord book today (to the sbb) and it wouldn't let me add Construction Yard.  The error given said "You need to be this type of Mage:" but the space after it was blank. 

Kindof odd considering you need to be any particular mage to play Construction Yard (No "(Blank) Mage Only).

Subject:


I've been trying to work in him in to my build since I got my hands on FiF, but I can't seem to get it down in a way I like, so I'm wondering what your guy's experience with him is.  I'm looking for a more concrete way to fit him in, or if it's not a good idea that kind of advice too.  I'm really only looking for opinions based on experience.

My opening is usually:

Turn 1: rax + construction yard
Turn 2: deploy butcher/slinger + general's ring
Turn 3: deploy butcher/slinger + command ring

I'm thinking I could get Gurmash in on turn 3 instead of deploying something else + the 2nd ring (same cost).  Sortof don't need the 2nd ring that early if Gurmash is out anyway.

Post your Gurmash experiences below, plz 

Hey guys, I'm looking for more people around Pittsburgh that would be up for meeting up at one of the various game stores around.  More specifically, I'm located on Pitt's campus so if anyone frequents Phantom of the Attic, Games Unlimited (in Squirrel Hill) or even Mr. Nice guys out in Monroeville I'd most likely be down to come by.  Maybe we could even start a league?  I figure since Oakland is a college town there's got to be more people playing MW here than I know about, lol.

Most of you have talked about this issue before, so I won't beat a dead horse and try to keep this short.  My suggested errata to teleport is simple, restrict it to only friendly creatures.

I've seen people house rule this in real life and on OCTGN.  It seems to work very well and contributes to the overall health of the game in a positive way.  It promotes more interaction between creatures and looses the grip arcane has on the core of every book. 

Some others have suggested it be "epic", but I don't think the problem is that teleport can be used more than once, it's that it can be used on an unwilling mage.

Anyway, I know most have a relevant opinion so I'd like to here them and see if we can come to some kind of formal conclusion on the issue 

As some of you already know, I'm a pretty big supporter of the Warlord.  So, what better way to show your support than have the forums dissect your book?  As requested, here it is:

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Warlord[/spellbookname]
[mage]Warlord[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]2 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWJ04]2 x  Garrison Post[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1w01]1 x  Fog Bank[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNW02]1 x  Wall of Bones[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ03]1 x  Barracks[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC07]1 x  Dwarf Panzergarde[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC15]1 x  Thorg, Chief Bodyguard[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC14]1 x  Skeletal Knight[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC06]2 x  Goblin Slinger[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC05]2 x  Goblin Grunt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC11]4 x  Orc Butcher[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC01]1 x  Dwarf Kriegsbiel[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e09]2 x  Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE09]1 x  Standard Bearer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e32]1 x  Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNE03]1 x  Stumble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]1 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e29]1 x  Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e31]1 x  Poisoned Blood[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e02]1 x  Block[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE02]1 x  Divine Might[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ05]1 x  Helm of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q08]1 x  Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ08]1 x  Ring of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ10]1 x  Meditation Amulet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x  Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x  Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i04]1 x  Charge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i02]1 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i26]1 x  Sleep[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI06]2 x  Power Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i19]1 x  Piercing Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i10]1 x  Evade[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI08]1 x  Sniper Shot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]2 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i17]3 x  Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i20]1 x  Purify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]3 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i18]1 x  Perfect Strike[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

The main of the book is to basically churn out butchers because they are hands down the Warlord's best generically good creature.  This is mostly accomplished through barracks and meditation amulet.  The starting turns usually look like this:

Turn 1:  Move, drop barracks in center, QC garrison post into either starting zone or to the left (depending on opponent)
Turn 2:  Deploy butcher, QC Amulet, FC Meditate
Turn 3: Deploy butcher, QC enchant or ring, FC meditate, etc, etc
 
That's the basic gist.  Obviously, depending on what your opponent does, you're not going to be able to keep bringing out butchers each turn; you're going to need to react to armor (acid ball), with commands, etc.  In the turns you need more mana to deal with other concerns, you would make a grunt.  This book is all about action advantage, so you should really always be deploying something.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lets go through each card to explain it's purpose:

Thorg:  Play vs larger creatures, control them.

Dwarf Panzerguarde:  Intercept, great body  ()

Dwarf Kriegsbiel: Sweeping.  Great against multiple creatures/swarm. (Replaced by hammer in battleforge build)

Orc Butcher:  Generically strong.  Meaty, 4 dice.  Main source of damage (usually). 

Goblin Grunt:  Fills in for butchers on barracks when low on mana.

Skeletal Knight:  Counter bloodreaper, wounded prey, any living weakness.  Provides a larger soldier to deal with mid range threats.

Goblin Slinger:  Ranged support.  Best played when butchers are engaged.  Deal with mid/low range flying threats.  Easier to position thanks to Garrison Post Errata.

Rhino Hide: Armor.

Stumble: Pay 3 mana.  Cancel potentially large attacks.  Could be considered flex space.

Standard Bearer:  Armor buff, melee buff.  I honestly don't like it that much, it promotes grouping and isn't the easiest enchant to gain value from.  Probably needs a buff through errata, though, awesome against swarm.  (Probably flex space)

Regrowth: Regen.

Poisoned Blood:  Cancel healing/life gain.

Nullify:  Stop dissolve, etc.

Block:  Stop attacks.

Divine Might:  Ethereal hate.

Agony:  Very strong against beefy unliving creatures.  Easy and effective way to deal with otherwise difficult threats.

Wand of Healing:  Deal with conditions (corrode, sleep, etc)

Ring of Command: Discounts on things you're probably going to be doing anyway is nice.

Elemental Wand:  Bind acid ball against armor stacking, bind boulder for damage (I usually only do the first)

Meditation Amulet:  Make mana, deploy creatures.  Offsets relatively costly start, extremely important.

Dragonscale Hauberk:  Armor, fire resist is nice.

Helm of Command:  Pretty much a less costly, more/less restrictive version of a mage wand, but for your head.

Eagleclaw boots:  Jet stream on a wizard tower getting 5 dice and possible daze for 4 mana is terror.  Lets you climb walls (actually got to do that the other day  ).

Sleep:  Mid/Big creature control.

Sniper Shot:  Unavoidable ranged attacks.  Best combined with a hurl boulder to 1 shot Falella 

Evade:  Elusive. (Flex)

Piercing Strike:  Piercing (Possible Flex)

Power strike:  With discount ring, you're paying 1 mana for 2 more dice, very solid.  Even without ring, 1:1 ratio of damage to mana is solid.

Charge:  Helps with positioning.  Situational, but get get you damage not otherwise able to get.  (Possible Flex)

Dissolve:  Duh.

Battle Fury:  I prefer power strike in most situations, but still, usually a 1:1 dmg to mana ratio which is good.  Nice against low armor targets.

Perfect Strike:  Unavoidable (possible flex)

Dispel:  Need utility.

Purify:  Probably one of the most underrated cards in MW.  Removes all poison conditions, AND enchantments.  Deals with poison blood and ghoul rot at in an action efficient way. 

Minor Heal:  Keeps you and other alive.  1 of the 3 might be flex.

Hurl Boulder: Damage, attack cancel.

Acid Ball: counter armor

Teleport: for those awful situations.  Try to stay 3 zones away from enemy mage at all times (unless you need to go in to acid ball or something), and you usually don't have to use this

Force push:  Utilityyy

Wall of Bones:  Block LoS, block movement.

Fog Bank:  Block LoS.

Barracks:  Deploy, deploy, deploy.  Other main half of the strategy.

Garrison Post:  Errata makes having more than 1 out worth it.  Fuels Barracks, helps with positioning making creatures more relevant quicker.

---------------------------------------------

Hopefully all of that makes some kind of sense.  I find the biggest counter you need to be looking out for is armor stacking (usually through battleforge) or bloodthirsty.  The first drops your damage output significantly (potentially) and the second counters the efficiency of your creatures (to some extent).  Luckily, even right now, they're counters to both (acid ball, skeletal soldiers)


Notes:

I may use some of the flex space soon to fit in skeletal sentries (since their recent update in subtype), but right now bloodthirsty isn't too much of a problem in my "meta," though could definitely develop into one.  Also, I could probably use a geyser, but honestly I've only had someone attempt to burn my Barracks down maybe twice, ever.

I know this book, and the Warlord in general, are getting some really nice buffs in FiF.  The General's Signet Ring is looking to be an auto-include for this book, along with Flank Attack, likely Atlar of Domination, Defend, brace yourself, etc.  However, I think most of those would take up the flex space and not have that large of an impact on the basic function.  It may be possible the discount from General's Signet Ring may end up being so significant throughout a game that mediation amulet is no longer required, but at this point I don't think that's the case.

After the advent of meditation amulet, I believe their are two builds the Warlord (and possibly most mages) have access to.  Both of these are based around action advantage.  The first is the battleforge build that centers around buffing your mage through armor and equips.  This build is used often for many mages and I believe most consider it strong, and it is.  Battleforge build lets you stack armor effeciently, react to many threats through equips, and protects #1: your mage.  The second build, seemingly, is the one I use and is described above; the barracks build.  It also gains advantage through actions, but instead does this through deployment of efficient creatures (intially) and, similiar to battleforge build, has the ability to respond to threats, except instead of through equips, it does it through creatures.

It might be possible to combine both barracks and battleforge in a build for a sort of "ultimate" action advantage build, but I'll admit I haven't figured out how to stave off that kind of mana starvation early game.

Also, it's entirely possible that there are builds for the Warlord that are tournament viable that don't include either Barracks or Battleforge, but from my experience you need at least one of them.  I feel this experience is at least somewhat supported from those I've seen/played against on Octogon and IRL, but I could be wrong.

Anyway,  comments, criticisms, etc, all welcome.  I like talking about the Warlord so even if you want to say "your book sucks, do this, this, and this, instead" I'd like to hear it  .

Today's preview.  Seems like a game changer