Trapmaster

[Borg]

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a competitive spellbook built around traps ?
And who would be the best mage to operate such a strategy ?

The problem with traps is that they can be unreliable in regards to who steps into them unless you have a means to "force" the matter.
The Forcemaster may actually have the answer to this problem : his relatively unheralded ability Force Pull.

Think of it : move, play a Trap and QC Force Pull the opposing mage into the Trap.
Immediate success against the target you're looking for.

From that point on my creative juices started flowing, immediately seeing possibilities to (ab)use
[mwcard=MW1E22] Hellfire Trap[/mwcard] [mwcard=MW1E38] Teleport Trap[/mwcard] [mwcard=MWSTX1CKE05] Spiked Pit[/mwcard] and [mwcard=MW1E10] Decoy[/mwcard]


What else would fit in this strategy ?

Obviously a Force Ring ( generated through a Battle Forge ? ) to let you Force Pull for free.

Mangler Caltrops to not only pull the enemy mage into a Trap but also into a 2 dice unavoidable piercing+1 attack

Poison Gas Cloud.

Devouring Jelly. Put the Jelly in one of the centre zones, with a Caltrops and a poison Gas Cloud and pull the enemy mage into that zone or if the enemy mage is 2-3 zones away pull him into a Teleport Trap and send him to the Jelly.

Thoughtspore. Put a Force Push on the Spore and combined with the FM's pull you can pretty much put the enemy mage where you want him.

Charm. Neutralize enemy creatures. If they try to get rid of their Charm by guarding, simply pull/push the mage or creature away.

Enchanter's Wardstone.

Surging Wave ( on a Wand through the Forge ? ) to push and Slam.
A Dazed creature trying to hit a FM with Deflect has only 25% chance to hit

Force Hammer ( + Hawkeye ) 7 dice ( 9 dice vs Conj ) for 8 mana with Slam chance.

Dissolve to hit primary targets like Eagleclaw Boots and Cloak of Shadows

Dispel to hit primary target like Enfeeble

And last but not least : once Blur will be official this could make the FM hell to deal with


Other cards which may fit in on the second level :

Psi-Orb, Colossus Belt, Dancing Scimitar, Suppression Orb, Mordok's Obelisk (?), Pacify, Mind Control, Akiro's Favor, Chains of Agony, Adramalech's Touch.

This is obviously still in the "idea" stage so any input is welcome.

[bigfatchef]

I just realize that amazing combination of spiked pit and poison gas cloud. Or tanglevine and the cloud. I just wish there would be a way to stop that easy teleport out of all such problems. I have not really seen domination or academy cards, so maybe blur and cards I don't know will help out there. Well nullify and jinx work...

[Gogolski]

...
I just wish there would be a way to stop that easy teleport out of all such problems.
...

Poison gas cloud in a corner.
Wall it in.
Teleport trap. (The trap does not need line of sight, if I'm correct. I'm 1700km from home and my MW stuff, so I haven't checked it)

When the wall comes down, QC tanglevine + cast new wall... (Or something)

During the time the oposing mage is trying to escape, you can easily set up a similar trap in another corner to split up the oposing minions when they come out to make the walls last longer...

[Moonglow]

I probably haven't totally captured what you were after, but here's a starter - its 126 points atm, so needs trimming:

I don't think I've held to the core concept hard enough and have added other flavours like the battleforge that probably erode the viabillity of the concept, but I felt they gave more options to the book at the same time.

I really wanted the gorgon in there, with all the spatial control of the thoughtspore and FM, it seemed having the gorgon to strike from the centre with weaken would be really strong.  In the end 12 sb points was too expensive. 

Most of the traps are pretty expensive for the FM, so I threw in the Force Crush as another option - getting it working with the poison cloud would be pretty nice.  Actually, its only the pit and cloud that are 4 points, teleport trap and hellfire are 2 each.

Actually just looking at it as a whole, I realise I've really built it around force crush/poison cloud and then keeping them there, fumbling/jinxing attempts to dispel etc.

I've included a lot of other cards to protect the creatures pretty heavily as there are only 3.

Ok, version 3, down to 121. I've gone with the mage wand to run minimal incantations that can be used between the wand or thoughtspores.  I've boosted the poison clouds and that's probably the main focus of the book as the Jelly and Clouds synergise nicely with the push.  I've kept a fire and spike trap as options for poison immune creatures and wardstone to protect them all.

I was torn between moonglow and harmonise.  I went with moonglow in the end as I figured the battleforge can cast it and the mage's mana is being drawn on from the thoughtspores and the battleforge so better to have the +1 there.

If I dropped the archer (9 points!) I could probably add a few different tricks, another couple of traps, but I like having the range on top of the position control.  Gives versatility against flying, although I've got main wings there just in case too.

Do you have to reveal the spell bound to the wand or thoughtspore before you use it?  I like the ideal of loading a thoughtspore with steal equipment and harvesting from the other mage, but felt it kind of was a risky play to rely on and also depreciated the forge.

Ok, version 5,  you talked me into it   I've dropped the archer, boosted the traps.  I've chucked in a couple of rhino hides to reinforce the thoughtspores; could also strengthen the FM if necessary.  I did think about bearstrength for the FM, but have just stuck to the lion savagery atm; although that would have the FM on 9 dice +3 piercing.  Would need to find 2 SB points.


[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Trapmaster[/spellbookname]
[mage]Forcemaster[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWA02]2 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j21]1 x  Suppression Orb[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKJ01]1 x  Enchanter's Wardstone[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x  Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j18]2 x  Poison Gas Cloud[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWC16]2 x  Thoughtspore[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC03]1 x  Devouring Jelly[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e34]2 x  Reverse Attack[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE01]2 x  Charm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE04]2 x  Force Crush[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e38]1 x  Teleport Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e02]4 x  Block[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE05]1 x  Forcefield[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e23]2 x  Jinx[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE06]2 x  Lion Savagery[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e24]1 x  Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e25]1 x  Maim Wings[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e29]3 x  Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e22]2 x  Hellfire Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE05]1 x  Spiked Pit[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e10]3 x  Decoy[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE05]2 x  Fumble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]2 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q22]1 x  Moonglow Amulet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ07]1 x  Psi-Orb[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ04]1 x  Galvitar, Force Blade[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q11]1 x  Gauntlets of Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q23]1 x  Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q33]1 x  Wind Wyvern Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ01]1 x  Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]1 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ03]1 x  Force Ring[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i12]2 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]1 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI03]1 x  Force Bash[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]2 x  Disarm[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

[Borg]

I have several openings which I like very much. I have to say this goes much faster than first expected.
This is where I currently stand :

Full aggro opening :
R1-20: Cheetah Speed (15) - move to NC - FD Brace Yourself (13)
R2-23: Devouring Jelly (10) - Final QC Spiked Pit ( 8 )
R3-18: move to FC - play Teleport Trap in zone adjacent to enemy mage (16) - QC Force Pull enemy mage in Teleport Trap (15) - Teleport mage into Spiked Pit (13) - Trigger Pit ( 8 ) - attack with Jelly ( 9 attack dice total + possible corrode + Stuck )

Depending on initiative or not you can prepare for one more round for more damaging effect :
R1-20: Cheetah Speed (15) - move to NC - FD Brace Yourself (13)
R2-23: QC Mangler Caltrops (18) - Devouring Jelly (5)
R3-15: Don't move - Hellfire Trap (13) - Final QC Spiked Pit (11)
R4-21: move to FC - play Teleport Trap in zone adjacent to enemy mage (19) - QC Force Pull enemy mage in Teleport Trap (18) - Teleport mage into Spiked Pit (16) - trigger Caltrops (good vs Wizard imo to trigger his Voltaric Shield) - trigger Pit (11) - trigger Hellfire Trap (9) - attack with Jelly ( 15 attack dice total + possible corrode + possible Burns + Stuck)

And this is probably the safest and strongest opening :
R1-20: Steelclaw Grizzly (3) - FD Bear Strength on Grizzly (1)
R2-11: double move to NC - QC FD Brace Yourself (9) - double move Grizzly to NC
R3-19: Devouring Jelly (6) - Final QC Spiked Pit (4)
R4-14: move to FC - play Teleport Trap in zone adjacent to enemy mage (12) - QC Force Pull enemy mage in Teleport Trap (11) - Teleport mage into Spiked Pit (9) - Trigger Pit (4) - attack with Jelly - Reveal Bear Strength and attack with Grizzly (1) ( 18 attack dice total + possible corrode + Stuck )

The nice thing about this book is that it is not a must at all to keep the mage in the same zone as your creatures.
If he gets away 1 zone that's just fine.
Play another Spiked Pit and Pull him back in it for extra damage and a Stuck counter.
If he gets away 2 to 3 zones just Teleport Trap & Pull him back in.
So basically you can keep a Spiked Pit and Teleport Trap ready to cover your options.
The fact that the FM has his Force Pull ready at all times as a third spell makes this strategy work imo.

My first impression is that this might actually turn out to be a lot stronger than first expected ( given the general idea that Traps are not that strong) as it seems you can't really get out of range of the FM.
The fact that Force Pull has range 2 is very powerful imo as you can control virtually the entire board from within one of the centre zones.

Eagleclaw Boots and Cloak of Shadows may delay you but nobody runs more than two copies of those I reckon and once they are Dissolved you get going and besides ... nothing stops you from just pulling your own creatures into the enemy mages zone if that turns out to be the easier way to handle the situation.

Another spell which looks promising at this point is [mwcard=FWA01] Arc Lightning[/mwcard]
 With an Akiro's favor this has a 55% Stun chance ( and would probably fit nicely on the Thoughtspore too as a successful Stun means there's no return attack spell coming in return.)

This way I achieve the following results :
- enemy mage is incapacitated, thus stays in place
- he can't play full spells - no creatures coming out to help him
- he can't play attack spells - my mage and creatures stay safe from potentially damaging spells.

And finally : the question that needs to be answered : how will you handle the Wizard's Tower ?
Well, I plan to keep it simple, ... I'm not going to spend a lot of actions and mana to destroy it as the Wizard will just play another one but instead I intend to throw a Wall of Bones between the Tower and my kill zone. I can pull the enemy from anywhere on the board into my death zone anyway.
The Wall should buy me at least two rounds and then I can simply play another one.
By then the Wizard should be about finished.

I'll continue working on it today and will try to get a first 120pt spellbook up.

Thanks for your input fellas, I hope you like it too

[Bluebaron]

This sounds very promising. Well done.

[bigfatchef]

Wow Borg, that Strategie is indeed really promising. Well done so far!

[NerdGuy]

I like the book, its similar to an idea I have been messing around with.  I have been building a 'Labyrinth' spellbook that uses quite a few traps, hadn't thought of using the Forcemaster though

[Borg]

I'm still in the process of evaluating different combinations and situations. I don't have a full 120pt book to show yet.
I can only say I'm very excited about its results so far. I get the impression it can be pretty lethal fast.

[sIKE]

Might want to look at adding in some Stumbles too....

[echephron]

I have seen a few trap-based books, and yours is one of the better ones. I would do it differently. The way I'd try it:

ooze +caltrops +spiked trap +astral anchor +poison gas NC or FC. Keep pulling/pushing->teleport trapping him in. I see a big problem if he has creatures to get in the way of the traps and such.

astral anchor+stuck sounds fun. Needs a better way to deal with swarm or buddy builds imo.