How to Druid?

[wtcannonjr]

You are playing with a more polite crowd than I am if you are able to keep your tree alive longer than the third turn.  Our group tends to turn the spawnpoints into rubble by the third turn, so I have learned to avoid depending on it early game.  Since Druids do not have an easy interceptor (Gargoyles or Guardian Angels are six spell points each), I just wait to cast my tree until I need to additional life recovery.  Otherwise, it will just be turned into kindling before I get my mana out of it.

Isn't your opponent spending more than 9 mana to destroy your tree? If so, doesn't this put you ahead of the game. You can be attacking his mage while he is attacking your tree. Seems like you come out ahead in the race.

[ACG]

You are playing with a more polite crowd than I am if you are able to keep your tree alive longer than the third turn.  Our group tends to turn the spawnpoints into rubble by the third turn, so I have learned to avoid depending on it early game.  Since Druids do not have an easy interceptor (Gargoyles or Guardian Angels are six spell points each), I just wait to cast my tree until I need to additional life recovery.  Otherwise, it will just be turned into kindling before I get my mana out of it.

Isn't your opponent spending more than 9 mana to destroy your tree? If so, doesn't this put you ahead of the game. You can be attacking his mage while he is attacking your tree. Seems like you come out ahead in the race.

Not at all. If the vine tree is central to your strategy (which it often is), then your opponent comes out ahead if he destroys it, even if he is behind on mana, because he has disrupted your strategy and has possibly made your spellbook significantly less effective. Best example is focusing down a super-aggressive mage's battle forge. For similar reasons, you can often come out ahead when dissolving/dispelling if your target was critical to your opponent's strategy.

[Obsidian Soul]

I agree, which is why I have learned to not use my spawnpoint unless it is defended or the opposing mage already on the defensive.  The Druid's Tree is actually more important than other spawnpoints though, because her very life is impacted by its existence.  Of course, it is very tempting to use the Druid's Tree, but it is necessary to be strategic as well as tactical.