Really struggled not just calling this one DrunkenSaint. It is however best to stick with the chosen form!

Standard rigamarole:

For anyone who missed it I have just decided to start uploading my current decks! Ill try to upload 1-2 a day and give a rundown of how any games I play with them go, as well as any tweaks I make to them along the way.

I'm fairly new to the game/ have only recently found a group of players to compete with. as I have only been playing new players for the most part my games are often undeserving victories!
I am trying to keep 6 functional decks so that I can have some variety and so that any new players i introduce can have their pick of interesting mages (I currently have the Kumanjaro and DvN expansions) and while I have purchased a few extra cards, some of my card choices are based on a lack of availability. I know teleport is awesome!

Anyways onto my:

Priestess
(Westlock)

---  Conjuration  ---  (16)
1 Temple of the Dawnbreaker
1 Hand of Bim-Shalla
1 Temple of Light
1 Temple of Asyra
1 Battle Forge
1 Wall of Steel
---  Creature  ---  (27)
2 Knight of Westlock
1 Brogan Bloodstone
2 Guardian Angel
1 Highland Unicorn
2 Royal Archer
2 Asyran Cleric
---  Enchantment  --- (28)
1 Teleport Trap
3 Healing Charm
1 Bear Strength
2 Decoy
3 Nullify
1 Armor Ward
1 Regrowth
1 Divine Intervention
3 Divine Protection
1 Sacred Ground
---  Equipment  ---  (20)
1 Veterans Belt
2 Mage Wand
1 Leather Gloves
1 Leather Boots
1 Crown of Protection
1 Meditation Amulet
1 Dragonscale Hauberk
1 Ring of Asyra
1 Enchanter's Ring
---  Incantation  ---  (29)
2 Teleport
2 Dissolve
2 Dispel
1 Purify
1 Purge Magic
1 Seeking Dispel
2 Minor Heal
1 Group Heal

This spell-book is I imagine, fairly standard. I don't dip heavily into any other schools and am not trying anything too tricky. I probably play much as most people who first pick up the standard priestess spell book might. focus on build up, some board control with the archers and strong survivable guards, lots of heals to make sure that mine are the last men standing. My only real included variety comes from the inclusion of the forge and the ability to equip my mage  differently to deal with changes in fortune. It is straight forward, but has been effective thus-far. I do think that this is one of my favorite spell-books to use when teaching the game. It tends to efficiently illustrate most aspects of the game, not favoring any one thing to the exclusion of anything else.  I use ranged attacks, counter attacks, guards, dodges, flying, enchantments, spawnpoints and equipment in most every game played. As such I have played with it more than most of my decks, the games have however been fairly similar and straightforward. I'll outline my play in general terms rather than game by game.


Games: (wins )
(lumping all of my vs newbie games together here.)

Battle Forge/Asyran Cleric, I start with the forge and the cleric because I like the security the forge gives my early game, rusher's tend to take a second to think when they know you can be decently equipped by the time they got to you. The cleric's action token can be nice to have right off the bat; while weak it offers up lots of play options. My second turn depends on whats going on of course, but I like to have the forge cast a med amulet, while I cast temple of Asyra (In my starting square)  and use the amulet for my full action. I now have a strong mana base (16) , and lots of options.

Game 2: (win Vs Druid)
(this game was actually played with the priest, and a slight variation of the book, namely the addition of a Staff of Asyra, and another bear strength or 2. It was also played against an at least slightly more experienced player)

move, Battle Forge/Bear Strength. I decided an all out offensive would be fun to try with this guy. I moved and equipped until I was at the extent of my battle forge's range, then I summoned a knight and a Temple of Asyra (their side of the board). My thought was that I would hopefully not be needing all of my mana at this point and that I might be able to get some use out of the summon action sooner or later, (was thinking a unicorn support may come in handy). Turns out I did need my mana, the spawn point wound up getting destroyed with a whopping 6 mana unused on it He wasted some valuable time killing it though, so i think it was, more or less a wash. The game as a whole was less than elegant, and I think I won due purely due to my greater experience. I don't know that I would try the rush again with the priests, unless forced to it.

~

So far I feel like the priestess is solid, though mine at least offers up few opportunities for really imaginative play. There is much to be said for solid and reliable though, and I can heartily recommend a book like this for new players!

You can't bond with Togorah (he's pretty useless in my opinion, nerfed for not having a quick yet Vigilant)

Well crap that's what I get for not reading the instructions thoroughly! My second grade teacher would be soo disappointed. "tree CONJURATION" lol I see it NOW. though it kinda dose make me sad... I am really trying to find a way to make use of Togorah.

I don't see how not having a quick nerfs vigilante. I mean I do! hes gets no counter attack, but hes there to prevent damage to others more than anything, and he makes up for the lack of counter with the ability to FULL attack and guard... which amounts to an upgrade, guarding means your opponent gets to pick who is taking the hit, and you get a quick action counter. This way you get to pick the target for the damage, and it is a full attack. He can also move 2 spaces and guard, which may have its uses. My problem with him is simply the cost, between the 6 spellbook points and the  mana investment 21 up front +2 to move he is a spendy "situational" creature. I would almost rather he had no attack at all and was more affordable. just a mobile meat shield.

Anyways I agree that this deck seems manic! In a way its kinda supposed to at the moment. My tendency has been to throw together all of my ideas about how the spelbook MIGHT work well. I then play around with it and remove/tweek/throw out, until the book has been paired down to one or 2 central themes. In the case of the Druid I simply haven't had her for very long, and have played very few (2) games. Additionally she feels quite a bit different than the rest of thee mages, and I really had no idea where to start. So at the moment it's still an admitted mess! But I will get around to thinking it through a little more, and playing with it a bit more, and I have high hopes for the mage in general! I think there is quite a bit of as yet un-tapped potential in there. I'll post my book again when it sees it's next iteration.

I tend to favor bonding with Vine Tree.

I too think that the Vine tree will wind up being my go to, just trying sow them wild oats a bit before settling down sensibly.

Thanks again for the input! and the support!

Wow a lot of negativity in here. Just wanted to get in my 2 cents!
First I just want to say that I work as an analytical mathematician. My firm deals with market trends.
It is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy anything in the real world. One of the things that makes this game more enjoyable for me than any other strategy game I have ever played; Is that it too has a truly intense number of variables to consider. 
I think that Given the currently available data this is a great collection of data! I think that most peoples problem lies not so much in the math, but in its presentation. they seem to think that just because an item appears higher on the list, it is better (or that the creator is claiming that it is). It is simply a cost/benefit analysis. One with  high margin of error but one that is more than acceptable given the lack of data.

If you grouped them by true cost (most to least expensive) and then arranged them with the calculated cost (again greatest to least) you might get a decent idea of how they would match up  in an "ideal world". I use "decent idea" and "ideal world" because this will in many cases not be true but in general the guy at the top of each true cost list should match up favorably with the next one down. and the guy at the bottom of each  true cost list should, in general lose to the ones above it. It does not take into account everything, and certainly does not compare direct synergy. It is however a place to start! and I think that that is all it ever claimed to be!

So I have not posted much yet and I thought I'd get involved! What better way than to start uploading my decks!

I should mention that I am still fairly new to the game. I didn't have any friends that played the game and bought it on a whim. I LOVE it! I have owned the game for a while now, (since November) but have only recently been able to get others interested enough to purchase copies, though I have shared it with 5 friends now who each bought one, YAY! All of that is to say that until recently my play has been sporadic and always against newcomers using books I built. Additionally I never play with the same deck 2x in a row. For that matter I try to play them all evenly; I have 6 mages and only get 1-2 games in a week if I am lucky, so most have only been played a few times. I tweak them after the game but usually don't get to test the results for quite a while. Some seem to be working quite well others are a little iffy. I have also tried to make 6 functional books so some of my card choices are based on availability. all of this is to say I know that some of these are less than optimal some advice I wont be able to implement, at least not now, (I have no more teleports or enchanters rings could we get a few key guards in just like a 5 pack? that would be awesome!) anyways, I'd still love to hear any advice/criticism.

We'll start with the:

Wizard (sortilege)
(Air)

---  Attack  ---  (6)
2 Jet Stream
1 Thunderbolt
1 Windstorm
---  Conjuration  ---  (35)
1 Wall of Poison Gas
2 Wall of Thorns
1 Wall of Fire
2 Wall of Stone
1 Bloodspine Wall
1 Suppression Orb
1 Mana Syphon
2 Mana Crystal
1 Gate to Voltari
1 Wizard's Tower
---  Creature  ---  (24)
1 Gargoyle Sentry
1 Blue Gremlin
1 Darkfenne Hydra
1 Gorgon Archer
1 Devouring Jelly
2 Whirling Spirit
---  Enchantment  ---  (17)
1 Harmonize
1 Regrowth
1 Circle of Lightning
1 Eagle Wings
1 Decoy
2 Nullify
2 Essence Drain
1 Teleport Trap
---  Equipment  ---  (15)
1 Gale Force Ring
1 Mage Wand
1 Elemental Wand
1 Suppression Cloak
1 Dragonscale Hauberk
1 Arcane Ring
1 Eagleclaw Boots
1 Dispel Wand
1 Leather Gloves
---  Incantation  ---  (23)
2 Dispel
2 Dissolve
1 Seeking Dispel
3 Force Push
2 Teleport
1 Sleep
1 Minor Heal

This is probably my favorite deck so far, has lots of options for play and its just so much fun shoving people around! Anyways I have thus-far played him three times well four, once with the recommended build. so far my openings have been:

Game  1:  (win)
Gate to Voltari/harmonize (in my corner). This was followed by my mage  (and a blue gremlin ) advancing and causing mischief until i was fairly weak followed by a retreat  towards my gate. The opponent pressed hard, I used the gate to get a nearly free hydra teleported the opponent in and shut the door with 2 stone walls. the following turn it summoned a jelly, ( I continued to run from his minions outside) and he Died fairly quickly (broke down the wall, I made a fiery one and shoved him back in.

game 2 :  (win)
Mana Crystal/(move) Mana Crystal. He left his corner so I moved again and placed a mana siphon. He already had 2 smallish creatures and a spawn point, so i placed a Suppression orb down as well. he felt the need to come after me and mine at that point I moved in to slow things down a tad, and put up a wizard tower when I could, along with some walls, eventually an archer. i retreaded at that point and let my ranged hits, pushes and walls do most of the work. Lost my gorgon eventually, but it was too late for him to make a comeback.

Game 3:  (win)
Mana Crystal/(move) Wizard's Tower (center). He stayed put (gearing up for I thought mass production with the necro), I got a gorgon to overlap my tower, then equipped myself with some wands, he stayed put and got himself that doomsday alter dealie and a bog acolyte.  i moved into bunker breaking mode, he walled himself in fairly quick, using his graveyard to get a few wimpy guards outside, i ignored them moved up close and got my hydra out right next the the wall, he got mort out and kept the walls up for a while, i misplayed and knocked down the wall at the wrong moment, allowing him to get a new one in place. next time i got it down i was ready and teleported his mage out, and into range of my tower/archer, i walled off his retreat,  and proceeded to kill him faster than his damn alter could do the deed to me.

Ill post another of my books soon! they will all be titled Drunken(type) just to keep it simple!

like the looks of it! always fun looking at people's builds. As for input:

I might consider removing some of your heals. especially group heals with regeneration on all of your stuff how often do you really find that multiple targets have taken serious damage? 2x on each of heal/group heal and renewing rain seems a bit excessive. I'd look for some cards that might be able to help you defensively when you need them to, but also expand your options. Another teleport/force push/ or even a standard wall, will all often be able to save your bacon giving your creatures time to make use of their regen. They have the advantage of also giving you more offensive options when those are called for.

You also might find that having an armor ward or some nullify enchantments might be more effective than just having 2 copies of the equipment you like.

Anyways I too love the druid! and am exited to see more builds for her!

sadly the game store options in my area kinda suck.... I guess ill have to figure something else out.

Hey ad me to the list! would love to get in some more Mage wars Games! any way I can!
My user name is DrunkenSaint! cya there!