Beastmaster build

[wranglathor]

I would like opinions on this build.  I can do fairly well with it, but I don't seem to be winning a lot of matches.

Male Beastmaster (Straywood Forest)

Equipment:
Ring of Beasts
Mage Wand
Leather Gloves
Bearskin
Regrowth Belt
Staff of Beasts

Creatures:
Bitterwood Fox x2
Feral Bobcat x2
Emerald Tegu x2
Thunderift Falcon x2
Spitting Raptor x3
Darkfenne Bat x3
Mountain Gorilla
Galador
Steelclaw Grizzly

Enchantments:
Rhino Hide x2
Cobra Reflexes x2
Bull Endurance x2
Cheetah Speed x2
Eagle Wings x2
Bear Strength x2
Harmonize x2
Agony x2
Regrowth
Block
Nullify

Incantation:
Dispel x2
Dissolve x2
Knockdown x2
Sleep x2
Shift Enchantment x2
Call of the Wild x2
Battle Fury x2

Conjuration:
Mana Flower x3
Lair
Tanglevine x3

Attack:
Jet Stream x2

Turn 1:
Ring of Beasts
Mana Flower or Harmonize

Turn 2:
Steelclaw Grizzly (pet)

Turn 3:
enchant the steelclaw
mana flower

I have tried doing this where I'm putting out the Tegu's on turn 2 with the Darkfenne Bat's coming out soon after (putting a lot of rot on the board), but it isn't quite working right.  It was recently tweaked to add in the raptors and the second knockdown and sleep (so I haven't tried those yet).

All opinions are welcome.  Thank you in advance for any thoughts you can provide.
Wranglathor

[ringkichard]

My advice would be that when you play a Pet Steelclaw you're telegraphing your intentions pretty clearly, and putting all your eggs in one basket. Your opponents can probably avoid one Bear for quite a while. A Pet Steelclaw with Bear Strength costs 27 mana, 28 with Ring of Beasts, too. Even though Ring of Beasts + Double Steelclaw costs slightly more at 34, it has a higher damage output and is far more durable and resistant to disruption.

If your opponents are playing living creatures mostly, consider playing a Dire Wolf book. You can get a Ring of Beasts and three Dire Wolves for 35 mana (which, again, is slightly more) but they are quite scarey if you're aggressive with them. If your opponent is guarding with non-living or otherwise very tough creatures, use Teleport to bring his or her Mage to your Wolves' zone, and use Bear Strength on the Wolves as opportunities allow.

[wranglathor]

Thank you very much.  By swapping out the Gorilla for a second Steelclaw, I find that the spellbook is working much better now. 

[Shad0w]

Good to hear keep up the testing and let us know 

[wranglathor]

The last game I played with him went something like this for my turns.  I was playing a mostly solo warlord build.

Turn 1: Ring of Beasts, Mana Flower
Turn 2: Grizzly #1, Mage Wand
Turn 3: Buff Grizzly #1 (hidden), Mana Flower
Turn 4: Grizzly #2, dissolve the defense
Turn 5: ??
Turn 6: Battle Fury x2

Grizzly #1 moved up on turn 3 to take a 5 die swing at the opposing Warlord.  Turn 4, Grizzly #1 made a 7 die swing at the warlord.  Turn 5, Grizzly #2 came up to Grizzly #1, both bears hit the warlord.  Turn 6: Battle Fury both bears and beat down mode

[silverclawgrizzly]

Bout the only things I'd say is the Staff of Beasts isn't as useful at it seems to me. It's nice but limited. Also I might swap out those Darkfenne Bats for some extra Thunderift Falcons if you got them. I love those birds.

[wranglathor]

Changing out the Staff is a good idea, although I'm not sure what I would put in its place.

I like having the bats in the deck because of the rot conditions.  Yeah they aren't very strong or very healthy, but the rot conditions is a small secondary bonus in the deck.  The two Tegu's help with the rot too.

[sIKE]

Mage Staff would work well.

[silverclawgrizzly]

Hey if the bats are working for you keep em. I haven't messed with them much myself.

[wranglathor]

I haven't actually used the bats yet.  They were a later addition to the deck and haven't been necessary in the last two games I played with this BeastMaster.  I put them in hoping to get a "Rot Wall" going.  Get out both Tegu's (pet one of them) and all 3 bats and just hound you with rot chances.  I have heard that Rot is particularly hard to get rid of so that is extra damage every round that creatures would be taking.  At least that was the thought behind throwing the bats in.

[Aylin]

I haven't actually used the bats yet.  They were a later addition to the deck and haven't been necessary in the last two games I played with this BeastMaster.  I put them in hoping to get a "Rot Wall" going.  Get out both Tegu's (pet one of them) and all 3 bats and just hound you with rot chances.  I have heard that Rot is particularly hard to get rid of so that is extra damage every round that creatures would be taking.  At least that was the thought behind throwing the bats in.

Rot can be removed by:
Renewing Spring
Purify
Wand of Healing
Restore (Priestess-only ability)

When the game first came out conditions were hard for everyone but the Priestess to remove. Now players can just use the Wand of Healing for their own slightly-suckier version of Restore.