Help with the Anvil Throne Warlord (Playtester/Designer Info preferred)

[Arlemus]

So I've been trying to make the Anvil Throne Warlord work, but I just can't seem to get it right.  I feel like I'm missing some basic understanding of how he functions.

Could someone (playtester/designer pref) with more experience, or a better understanding of the ATW explain how to play him best?

(Note:  I've played about 10 games with so far and I always end up at an action disadvantage.)

[Marhem]

That is the part you must overcome.

AW designed it like this (to my understanding): either shut yourself up and build talos, spend your spell points on a good start, or try a piece of equipment and probably be destroyed.

My advice is to block off half the talos and a few creatures and equipment.

[Sailor Vulcan]

Look for synergy between his abilities. What sort of strategy makes sense with both equipment and soldiers? How can those abilities interact, directly or indirectly? My suspicion is that the anvil throne warlord tends more to want to be on the front lines with ranged support, whereas the Bloodwave warlord tends to prefer supporting his troops from behind while they melee.

[HerrMaximuss]

I've got a question to, one of his runes says "pay -1 mana"
but you need to pay 1 mana extra for the rune... so what's te use for that rune?...

Or am I misunderstanding his ability??

[Boocheck]

You probably mean power rune. It provides discount for your spellbounded spell (elemental wand, mage wand) or a discount for built in spells (wand of healing).

[BoomFrog]

I've got a question to, one of his runes says "pay -1 mana"
but you need to pay 1 mana extra for the rune... so what's te use for that rune?...

Or am I misunderstanding his ability??

You pay 1 mana only once when you first cast the equipment spell (like mage wand with rune of power cost 6 total).  The -1 mana discount is for the rest of the game whenever you use the wand's power (the spellbound spell on the wand, or the 3 mana cost for changing spells).

[HerrMaximuss]

You probably mean power rune. It provides discount for your spellbounded spell (elemental wand, mage wand) or a discount for built in spells (wand of healing).

yes that's the one (hadn't had my stuff with me)
Ok now I get it, so for example:

I cast Helm of command and give him the power rune (paying 5 mana), and atachtPower strike to it.

Then if I cast power strike I only have to cast it for 1 mana?

Awesome!!!
THanks guys!!

[Boocheck]

Some orders combined with Command ring are more than awesome

[zot]

   Have you tried running without the battle forge? I have found that helps. Then make sure to summon some creatures to help with actions. The walls can be a delay tactic, but mana is always tight for this mage. Mana generators early help with that. Not casting the forge saves mana, but is counter intuitive to say it also saves actions. It takes several pieces of equipment to get the value out of the forge. I think you need minimum of 4 before you see any benefit from casting the forge initially. From there you start to gain. The dwarf may only have only a few more than this in his book, and casting these pieces also take up mana, albeit with the one discount of the forge. So why not bypass the forge and save spell book points, and cast creatures instead?

[Sirscott13]

Try using a defensive tactic. Take a corner, put up your snipers and tower. Build a wall around them. Now stand guard with iron golems, Your taunting orc of enemy hatred, and your fully equipped dwarf dangerous at short distances.

play around with creature buffs, but keep them in the corner. Guarding Golems, and Taunting combined with constant sniper coverage will destroy any frontal assault. Keep the big guys coming (Earth elemental, Golems, Sir Cozian, Talos [if you don't think you can deploy him don't bother trying] and spend some spell book points on other legendaries and incorporeal creatures.

The enemy will not stand a frontal assault. And when you have a DEVASTATING army of pure power (don't waste time on grunts and weaklings).... you. march. muhahaha