Arcane Duels Episode 8 - Forcemaster

[Intangible0]

This is the Forcemaster build from our 8th episode.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname][/spellbookname]
[mage]Forcemaster[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1a09]1 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a08]1 x  Geyser[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]3 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a06]1 x  Flameblast[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j08]1 x  Hand of Bim-Shalla[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x  Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j12]2 x  Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWC16]4 x  Thoughtspore[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE04]2 x  Brace Yourself[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE06]1 x  Lion Savagery[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE02]1 x  Akiro's Favor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e17]1 x  Force Orb[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e16]2 x  Force Hold[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e27]2 x  Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e25]1 x  Maim Wings[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e01]1 x  Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e09]2 x  Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE05]1 x  Forcefield[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q08]1 x  Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x  Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ10]1 x  Storm Drake Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x  Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ02]1 x  Defense Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q15]1 x  Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q23]1 x  Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ10]1 x  Meditation Amulet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ01]1 x  Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ05]1 x  Dispel Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q04]1 x  Deflection Bracers[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ04]1 x  Galvitar, Force Blade[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q07]1 x  Elemental Cloak[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i02]1 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]2 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]3 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i21]1 x  Purge Magic[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI07]1 x  Repulse[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]2 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]1 x  Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i15]1 x  Knockdown[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

The idea here is to throw down Thought Spores with spells bound to them that cater to the situation. After you control the board you follow up with Galvatar and other attack spells.

[Coshade]

Hey

This is my Forcemaster book. It's meant to be more toolbox type of Forcemaster. It's definitely not finished yet but here it is so far!

[mwcard=FWC16]Thoughtspore[/mwcard]: My favorite familiar by far. I get a similar play style feeling to how I play a Wizard. The cool part about the creature is you can react to your opponent extremely well.

What to put on a Thoughtspore?
I prefer to put on Acid Balls, but there are other options that are really good as well. If you opponent is going for lots of enchantments then maybe a dispel would be good. If you see a Batlle Forge then a dissolve might be a good option as well (although acid ball is still very viable as well). The fact that the Thoughtspore doesn't use the spell it casts is what makes it so cool.

The typical opening is Thoughtspore and Battle Forge. You attach an Acid Ball on it. The more aggressive your opponent is, the more you will rely on the Battle Forge. The less aggressive your opponent is, the more Thoughtspores you cast along with Mana Crystals. If you manage to get 3 Thoughtspores up you're ready for the attack.

The point of the meditation amulet is to give yourself an option to cast an attack spell and meditate so that you can cast all the spells from your Thoughtspores.

As a late game option you have plenty of equipment to make yourself a force to deal with.

I've thought about putting in a Thunderbolt and having a Thoughtspore force push me around to get in range for using it. It seems like a weak play though. Would love to get opinions on this.

My major problem with this deck is how to keep the Thoughtspores alive. Attack spells like Fireball will just barley kill them in one hit. I've thought about Brace Yourself and Reverse Attack as an option. As long as the Thoughtspore gets 1 spell off I wouldn't mind losing it. The opponent will usually spend way more mana to deal with it then you spent casting it and it channeling mana as well.

The combos you can make that a flexible to whatever your opponent is doing is what makes this build so strong.

Tell me what you guys think.

[echephron]

after watching the video, I too was wondering what to do to keep thoughtspores in the game:

1)a brace yourself, block, or reverse attack is good for one shot attacks like fireball, but bad against sustained small damage(like from a [mwcard=MW1C37]Thunderift Falcon[/mwcard] or archer

2)[mwcard=DNJ03]Etherian Lifetree[/mwcard] and/or [mwcard=FWE06]Fortified Position[/mwcard](danger of zone attack if you clump them under it), combined with healing or regeneration([mwcard=MW1J15]Mohktari[/mwcard], [mwcard=FWJ08]Renewing Spring[/mwcard], thoughtspore with minor heal)

[Coshade]

Thanks for the response!

I've actually had some requests to replay this mage in another episode with a revised book.

Etherian Lifetree might be enough to let your Thoughtspores survive more then one attack. From my experience it's really demoralizing to not kill these guys in one hit. I guess as long as your consistently using the spores actions, you don't have to worry to much about overcommitting to protection. It's a delicate mana balance game.

It might be better to consider more agonys. They are really good at preventing the low and medium level creatures to doing damage.

Also this book needs more teleports. This book is all about positioning.

[Rinc]

In my toolbox Forcemaster, i almost always put teleport on 2 or 3 spores and acid ball on one if I have time. The teleports disrupts the opponents whole game and it has allowed we to win "unwinnable" games. Be prepared that it may take a while though.

[chiller087]

In my toolbox Forcemaster, i almost always put teleport on 2 or 3 spores and acid ball on one if I have time. The teleports disrupts the opponents whole game and it has allowed we to win "unwinnable" games. Be prepared that it may take a while though.

Do you take the time to Harmonize that shizzle?  And do you use Battleforge?

[Rinc]

No battleforge, but quite a lot of other manaproducing things like mana crystals or flowers, and sometimes harmonize on myself. At 12 channeling I feel that I can hold the teleports up and still beat the opponent. Everything above that is sheer bonus and makes me more flexible ofcourse.

[V10lentray]

No battleforge, but quite a lot of other manaproducing things like mana crystals or flowers, and sometimes harmonize on myself.

Harmonizing yourself costs more than Mana crystals / Mana Flowers.

[Rinc]

Indeed, but I am more lightfooted than the crystals and the flowers.

[chiller087]

The fact that the Thoughtspore doesn't use the spell it casts is what makes it so cool.

I'm still learning the finer points of this game.  Why does this matter?

[V10lentray]

It's because it's spellbound and not a one shot deal.

Thoughtspore can cast it every turn provided they have the mana available to cast the spells.

[BoomFrog]

Because a familiar is an investment in a long game and if the game goes long and people start running out of spells then spellbind will really help. A thought spore with acid ball is 4 sp and is a threat that must be delt with.

[Coshade]

@Rinc - Personally I don't like to harmonize myself. I find it to be a waste of mana. I find that if they waste actions attacking a crystal (or mana themselves!) it usually has already paid for itself. There is also the risk of having a Purge Magic played which is not fun.

@Chiller87 - The fact that you can use the spell as long as the Thoughtspore is alive is awesome! It makes the Thoughtspore much more viable to use then other familiars like Huginn

I still have not had a chance to play people with the revised deck. I'll let you know how it does!

[Rinc]

Yeah, I dont really like harmonize on myself either, but sometimes it works surprisingly well. With the teleports on the spores I find that I can hold people off from me if needed, for example if I fear a purge magic.

Anyway, I find that the toolbox forcemaster is much more fun to play than the straightup beatdown variant.