My first beast master deck

[Jock McFistpunch]

So for the beast master that comes in the core set, what's the best way to use him?  I want to try a creature swarm since he has the ability that lets him cast level 1s as a quick cast, but what other method could I use to pummel my opponents to keep them off guard?

For sets I have all of the Academy cards, the Core Arena set, and the Forged in Fire expansion because setting things on fire is fun. Unless I'm playing as the beast master.

[Brian VanAlstyne]

Lots of low level creatures, a buddy or 2, and tons of enchantments. You can buff up the beastmaster a bit as well with some of the totems.

[farkas1]

Straywood swarm with academy and core set you have asps and you have thundereift falcons.  With the ring and or wychwood fairie you can get out creatures fairly cheap.  I like a pet falcon opening myself turn two.  With bear strength you can be hitting for 7 dice in your mages zone.  I prefer lions savagery but I'm not sure yoh have that card.  Yoh also have some excellent low lvl academy nature enchantments that allow you to hit harder and burst out damage.  The other thing is you have some great control spells such as Tangle vine and rouse the beast which allows you burst damage even more.  I like to press early with beast master bc of his life total 9 channel and his ability to get about a lvl creature with a quick allows you to move and get better positioning.  Other cards I like to include in that you have is marked for death, poison blood, charge totem and of course a teleport or two. 

[Biblofilter]

1. Well for a first Straywood Beastmaster deck i would highly recommend that you use Lair.

Its an amazing spawnpoint, pretty easy to use.
Use Pet over and over, get into the action with your BM so you can get full value from Pet.

Theres lots of other options:

2.Always found it hard to play without a spawnpoint. SBM should be one of the best at it, with the Quick summoning.
Open with two Mana Flowers, Enchanters Ring + an enchantment, Mana Flower + Hand of Bim-Shalla.
Get a big buddy or two out and summon level 1 as you advance.

3. Battleforge. Another amazing spawnpoint - again most likely with a buddy or two and then level 1 creatures.


4. Felella. Enchantments are also amazing

5. Use more than one spawnpoint. I recently tried using all 3, and even if i could normally only use 1 or 2 each round it worked great. Lots of options. Try them out!

What kind of creatures your going with wont matter much. Thunderift Falcon are still really good value - compare them to Bitterwood Foxes and see that you get flying for a bargain 1 mana/creature.

Bitterwood Foxes do have the canine subtype. Canine swarm still seems solid. Wychwood Hounds, Redclaw ad a few Wolfs and your good.

Cats? Id say no. Tricky. Wait a bit with those.

Ive been working on a Cub swarm for years..

Animal Kindship is also tempting. Nice way to buff your BM.

A few rangers might be nice.

Just like farkas1 im going to recommend Darkfenne Asps.
I mostly think of those as the perfect antiguard tech. When people try kill them with stuff like Surging Wave you know your doing great. Normally they will kill your Asp with that, but when they fail doing that just smile

[Jock McFistpunch]

Thanks for the tips friends.  I'm going to throw something together, and from there I'm guessing it's going to be some trial and error.  One way or the other, it's still going to be a blast though.