Viper bite on a garden path (Druid shenanigans)

[The Dude]

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Viper bite on garden path[/spellbookname]
[mage]Druid[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]2 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x  Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 X Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNJ02]2 x  Corrosive Orchid[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNJ12]1 x  Vine Tree[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x  Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j22]2 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNJ10]1 x  Stranglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j13]2 x  Mana Flower[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1W04]2 x Wall of Thorns[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNC10]2 x  Raptor Vine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC06]1 x  Kralathor, The Devourer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC08]1 x  Gargoyle Sentry[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC20]4 x  Vine Snapper[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e29]2 x  Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]2 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e23]2 x  Jinx[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNE01]1 x  Barkskin[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e01]1 x  Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNQ07]1 x  Veteran's Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]2 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q16]1 x  Leather Gloves[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ01]1 x  Sunfire Amulet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q09]2 x  Enchanter's Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q07]1 x  Elemental Cloak[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ04]1 x  Druid's Leaf Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x  Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ08]1 x  Vinewhip Staff[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q11]1 x  Gauntlets of Strength[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i06]2 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]3 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNI02]3 x  Burst of Thorns[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]2 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]


This basic shell is from my previously posted book, Steve miller. This book... I love it. No. I LOVE IT.

This is the craziest idea I've had in a while, and I think I'm going to run with it.


When a Druid is brought to the battlefield, there arse a number of preconceived notions. This book walks the opponent down the quintessential path of druids. We start out with a control shell that happens to use a BF as an action generator... seemingly. It's straight control at this point, using the staff to stick them while I build up seemingly very control like. And then. And then I get in their face. The turning point is when I use BF to switch my gloves for gauntlets. Because this is deployment, they are hit with such a different concept of what my druid is doing. I then reveal BS and start to beat face.

Other notable entries:

2 mage wands??? No way. Well, I need actions in everyway I can get them. During my BF deployment, I can cast the second wand and just replace the first. Brand new spell. So, I avoid the having to pay a quick spell to change my spell. This comes in pretty handy considering i can then QC that spell.

Gargoyle: CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP

Eagleclaw boots/leather boots. No,  I don't got 4 feet. But I can switch them out. With the battleforge.


Mainly I'm trying to get as much efficiency from each of my cards as possible. Stuck lets the opponent waste their teleports while I prep for tangle/stranglevine death. I'm also abusing the deployment phase pretty hard, letting my opponent come up with a plan only for it to backfire as they have to backpedal. Cards like Jinx during the critical turn only goes to help that.

The only truly difficult match is a hyper aggressive mage. You will have to pray for some decent dice rolls early on so you don't die, and then your life gets easier.

Save dispels for poisoned blood. Save seeking for face down enchants on opponent. Don't be afraid to seeking dispel wand. It will do work.

Force hammer is for two reasons, three if you count promos. Deathlock. Wizard's tower. Ballista. Take them down. These are real threats that need to be shut down as quickly as possible.

Force Push is another way to throw them a curve ball. If they neglect armor because they don't thing they need it, I can deploy wall and move and push. I can also use it to buy some breathing room in case the room gets too hot. They will have to waste lvl 2 spells to attack efficiently the next round, which not only do I have plenty of armor for, but also this really cool cloak that helps with that pesky flame trait.

Three thorn bursts are so that I can double thorn for two rounds rather than one with burst on a wand.

Unlike most Druid builds, my creatures are not nearly as important in the late game. I only need them to help finish the job, not do the whole thing. It is for this reason that there is a major lack of creature support in this book is that I don't need it nearly as much in this book.


Anyways, guys, I would really love your impressions of this idea, if you've tried it before, and what we can do to make it better. I think this book is tournament viable, and with the right tweaks, maybe we can do that! Thank you all for taking a look at my thoughts, and I can't wait to hear your input!!

[Drefan]

I like this book.

I have a few opinions, though:

Why are you using Sunfire Amulet?
What's your game plan for it? Is it to force an early deathlock? Make them panic and come towards you?

My suggestion - Replace it with Meditation Amulet
If your true goal is to create a sense of panic, I think this is the perfect way to achieve that.
Turn 1: 19mana - Opening with Forge + Tree = 17.
Turn 2: 2mana + 10(channel) + 1(tree) + 1(Forge) gives you 12 mana.
 
Which can result in a lot of different things depending on how your opposing mage reacts.

Even though this might seem super greedy, I've yet to be punished enough for me to reconsider the opening.

The new card Tangleroot is perfect for dealing with aggression towards you if they decide to go down that path. The card is from the academy and is basically a nature school agony with 3 dissipate dice for 2+2(-1 with Leaf Ring) Mana.

Vinewhip Staff.
Besides hitting birds, I don't see this fitting into your deck.

Using the Vinewhip staff to be able to root them for a turn is very expensive, sure you'll save spellbook points but then again you'll lose actions. I love the vine tree for this very reason, I'd suggest one or two more tangle vines or even add a force crush or Astral Anchor into the mix!
Forcing them to focus your tangle vine might be even more effective than you think.

Enchanter's Ring x2.
I do not believe anyone will go after your ring. And if they did, you do not have that many enchants that it would hurt you more than them.

I think that you bulk up a bit too much on equipment in general, I think two Mage Wands are okay, but I hardly think you'll get use out of both.

I'm a bit tired so I hope this make sense!

[iNano78]

Regarding early leather gloves to be replaced by Gauntlets:

And the eagleclaw boots are a good decision.

...

I just wish I could fit a few more pieces of versatile equipment. I can actually get away with both pairs of boots. I can boots now, and the round that I go anywhere near my walls, deploy eagleclaw boots. The Harm on the BF means either pair of boots will be really cheap.

That's what pants are for. Drop the leather boots for leather pants and you don't lose anything when you put the Eagleclaw Boots on. Same goes for your Glove --> Gauntlets idea in your other Druid book thread: no need to waste mana / lose Armor if you use pants instead of gloves.

[The Dude]

I like this book.

I have a few opinions, though:

Why are you using Sunfire Amulet?
What's your game plan for it? Is it to force an early deathlock? Make them panic and come towards you?

My suggestion - Replace it with Meditation Amulet
If your true goal is to create a sense of panic, I think this is the perfect way to achieve that.
Turn 1: 19mana - Opening with Forge + Tree = 17.
Turn 2: 2mana + 10(channel) + 1(tree) + 1(Forge) gives you 12 mana.
 
Which can result in a lot of different things depending on how your opposing mage reacts.

Even though this might seem super greedy, I've yet to be punished enough for me to reconsider the opening.

The new card Tangleroot is perfect for dealing with aggression towards you if they decide to go down that path. The card is from the academy and is basically a nature school agony with 3 dissipate dice for 2+2(-1 with Leaf Ring) Mana.

Vinewhip Staff.
Besides hitting birds, I don't see this fitting into your deck.

Using the Vinewhip staff to be able to root them for a turn is very expensive, sure you'll save spellbook points but then again you'll lose actions. I love the vine tree for this very reason, I'd suggest one or two more tangle vines or even add a force crush or Astral Anchor into the mix!
Forcing them to focus your tangle vine might be even more effective than you think.

Enchanter's Ring x2.
I do not believe anyone will go after your ring. And if they did, you do not have that many enchants that it would hurt you more than them.

I think that you bulk up a bit too much on equipment in general, I think two Mage Wands are okay, but I hardly think you'll get use out of both.

I'm a bit tired so I hope this make sense!

First off all 2 rings are supposed to be one! opps:/ I will fix.

In regards to my use of sunfire, I am going to be getting in their face, and my druid is pretty fluffy. Any buffer I can have will benefit me greatly in the long run.

Meditation amulet is for a book where I can spare the actions, and this is not one of them. The mana would be nice, but the full action is all I have to work with during the first few rounds, and there are many more things I need to do besides gain 3 mana. It was a thought for a while though.

Regarding your opening, that's how I open!

T1

tree+forge

T2

Deploy staff

QC vine marker via staff, harm on BF

This places a vine marker in the far center, so if the mage is trying to get aggro, it buys me the time I need to finish building.

Staff is specifically in here because of the QC vine action and the QC stuck. Four mana to stick them is not a bad return on investment at all, especially if done last QC. I don't have as many tanglevines because I won't need as many to get the job done. Believe me, I know how awesome Tanglevine is, I wrote an entire post about it

The reason so much equipment is used in this book is because that's the entire idea of it. I want to see if the "switching" of equipment is a viable idea in Druid, and I think with the amount of control the Druid can push, she has  the ability to do bigger mage builds like this.

@iNano78


This card is fantastic! I play with it in Academy, but I haven't really had the chance to play with academy cards in Arena. I think the extra ring will go in exchange for pants.

[SharkBait]

Do you have a backup plan for the battleforge being broken early? With such a reliance on the forge, it may be beneficial to have a back forge despite the sbp expense

[The Dude]

Yeah, I've been thinking about that. That is probably what will end up happening.

as far as back up strats go, I'm not too sure. I can potentially rush the end of the game over three rounds of casting, but I don't like to rely on that as a back up.

If they decided to rush my forge, I would equip wand w/tele and begin kiting. I will have to keep an eye on my tree, but that's okay. I could also double wall myself in and begin building that way. I could also FP them through wall of thorns to buy some time, get them out of my hair a moment. So, there's a few different options, but none of them are nearly as strong.

[aridigas]

Force Push is another way to throw them a curve ball. If they neglect armor because they don't thing they need it, I can deploy wall and move and push.

I'm afraid you can't. WoT is not a vine spell, so you'll have to hardcast it.

[iNano78]

Force Push is another way to throw them a curve ball. If they neglect armor because they don't thing they need it, I can deploy wall and move and push.

I'm afraid you can't. WoT is not a vine spell, so you'll have to hardcast it.

You can do it with Bloodspine Wall, though (not currently included in the spell book).  And Bloodspine works nicely with Thornlashers, if going that way - e.g. "snatching" enemy creatures back and forth through Bloodspine Walls is fun.

[The Dude]

This is true guys, this is true... I knew there was a reason I had spine wall in in the first place!