Air Wizard

[jmoodie]

I've had a fair amount of success with this guy.

The general strategy is Gate to Voltari first round in the center of the board - oh and harmonize it. Forgot to put that there.  Then work to summon a Gorgon as soon as possible.  In general, this mage will keep running in circles.  Never stop moving.  As soon as the Gorgon appears, get it wings. With the harmonize, the gateway can produce 4 mana per turn. As a weird side effect, I've observed it making opponents reticent to cast spells for not wishing to power up the gate. Not a big strategic win, but an interesting quirk.

In the mean time, begin to react to whatever the other mage is.  If it's a beatdown, use traps and teleports to keep them at bay.  Use tanglevines and force hold to slow them down.  Also, get the gorgon to start pitching weaknesses around.  Alternatively, get the whirling spirit out to protect the mage.

For creature rushes, drop the suppression cloak and orb.  If it's a big beast rush, force hold, teleport, and essence drain and pacify. 

Basically, whatever they are doing, don't try to stop it, just annoy the hell out of them to distract them.

The end goal is to ping the opposing mage and frustrate them by some mana denial and the fact that they have to get rid of the gate and the gorgon before they can get to you.  Almost all of the creatures are designed to slow or distract rather than doing anything meaningful.

After several rounds of annoyance and pinging, hopefully having done about 15 damage to the opposing mage, you then switch to aggro damage.

Drop the poison blood and bring the electricity. 

I go into the game fully expecting to take damage, but I don't worry about it.  Try to have so many things going on that they are wasting their AP getting rid of the annoyances that they forget to focus on my mage.  Once you get their mage into a favorable position, you turn and shoot while backing up.

I also believe that the threat of having a card is almost as effective as having the card.  Most players will assume I'm bristling with dispels and dissolves. 

Mage:
Wizard (Core) Air


Total Cards: (58)

Total Spellbook Cost: (120)
Attack (
Jet Stream (Core #1A09) x2
Lightning Bolt (Core #1A07) x2
Thunderbolt (Core #1A13) x2
Electrify (Core #1A03) x1
Chain Lightning (Core #1A02) x1

Conjuration (9)
Poison Gas Cloud (Core #1J18) x2
Gate to Voltari (Core #1J07) x1
Mana Crystal (Core #1J12) x2
Mana Siphon (Core #1J14) x1
Tanglevine (Core #1J22) x2
Suppression Orb (Core #1J21) x1

Creature (7)
Whirling Spirit (Core #1C40) x1
Blue Gremlin (Core #1C05) x1
Huginn, Raven Familiar (Core #1C21) x1
Mana Leech (Core #1C24) x2
Gorgon Archer (Core #1C18) x2

Enchantment (17)
Circle of Lightning (Core #1E06) x1
Essence Drain (Core #1E15) x2
Harmonize (Core #1E20) x2
Reverse Magic (Core #1E35) x1
Teleport Trap (Core #1E38) x3
Nullify (Core #1E29) x1
Pacify (Core #1E30) x1
Block (Core #1E02) x1
Marked for Death (Core #1E27) x1
Poisoned Blood (Core #1E31) x1
Eagle Wings (Core #1E13) x1
Force Hold (Core #1E16) x1
Hawkeye (Core #1E21) x1

Equipment (4)
Elemental Wand (Core #1Q08) x1
Lightning Ring (Core #1Q17) x1
Elemental Cloak (Core #1Q07) x1
Suppression Cloak (Core #1Q32) x1

Incantation (13)
Dispel (Core #1I06) x2
Seeking Dispel (Core #1I24) x2
Teleport (Core #1I28) x4
Minor Heal (Core #1I17) x2
Dissolve (Core #1I07) x2
Purge Magic (Core #1I21) x1

[paradox22]

I have faced this build and can tell you that it is indeed annoyong and works well as described.  My forcemaster was running laps trying to get to his wizard.  Very frustrating indeed.  Nice job JMoodie. 
Until we meet again sir....  ; )

[ringkichard]

I like your gameplan a lot, and I'm a huge fan of the Snakes on a Plane flying Gorgon.

I think you may find, though, that disciplined players with aggressive decks will find ways to break your Gate before it pays back its investment, and then use that tempo gain to hound your Wizard and try to melee your Wizard directly, while building up a mana reserve. You can always try to race with lightning, but Forcemaster, especially, is dangerous to race because of her Defense and Force Field, and both Warlock and Beastmaster can put out quite a lot of hurt in a short period of time, too.

That's why I'd recommend at least one solid defensive creature. I know your stated game plan is, "Damn the Torpedoes," but a single Iron Golem or Darkfenne Hydra or Gargoyle Sentry (when it comes out) might help make you a lot harder to race. 

Other than that, have you considered a Stonegaze Basalisk?
My regular opponent swears it makes his Archers much more effective, and from my end of the table I agree completely. Cripple also fits your "annoy him and stall him" gameplan really well, and gives you a good answer to flyers so that you can hit them with Tanglevine.

I really love that you have Teleport x4 and Teleport Trap x3. Some might consider this excessive, but I think it's a sign of brilliance! I almost never regret having more teleports. That said, have you considered dropping 1 Teleport for 2 Force Push?

In my Nonstandard Beastmaster book, I initially had 2x Dispel and 2x Seeking Dispel, but I found, much like you said, that the threat of Seeking Dispel was just as strong as the execution. So much so, that it caused my opponent to reveal enchantments immediately. This often stranded Seeking Dispel in my book, or worse, in my hand. Seeking Dispel is so mana efficient that often my opponent just played around it, and I lost half of my enchantment hate. Long story short, I play 3x Dispel and 1x Seeking Dispel now, and I think it's an improvement.

What's your plan for the mirror match against another Air Wizard or an Earth Wizard or even an Angel Priestess? You've got a lot of cards to delay agro, but if the enemy mage stays out of range might you have a problem?

What program are you using to make your lists?

[ringkichard]

On the other hand, if Paradox says you had his Forcemaster doing laps, clearly you don't need an Iron Golem. Shine on you Crazy Air Wizard!

[sdougla2]

I might trade 1 Teleport for 2 Force Pushes in some books, but remember that it would be 1 Teleport for 1 Force Push for the Wizard.

Your build looks pretty solid. I would consider a few more creatures for the Gate to summon in a long game, but you have a solid game plan and answers to the big threats. I would consider adding some armor in case your opponent manages to catch up with you at some point.

[ringkichard]

Arg, yep. I even checked the cards before making that comment. Thanks for catching that.

[nitrodavid]

the blue gremlin doesn't suit your build take him out and find another point some where to get a hydra. if for nothing else at least a safe square for you to stay in

[jmoodie]

The points raised are definitely valid - many of which have actually happened.  I can shed some light on a few of them, and will try out a few others.

One overarching thought though (and this may just be tied to the meta of our local players): my assumption with any build is that at some point, the other Mage will have something that I don't like and probably can't take the time to deal with.  I think the in-game part of tempo that many players miss is that they try to deal with everything.  Much like a knife fight, the key to winning is that you're gonna get cut. 

And I want to use the fact that the other Mage doesn't know what I have to my advantage.  On more than one occasion, I've been in very precarious positions, but escaped largely b/c I presented my opponent with several options and questions. 

I think once you know exactly what's in this build and what it's exact strategy is, it's not super difficult to tear it down with a specific counter book.  I don't expect this guy to hold up in my local group long term just b/c everyone will learn it if it doesn't evolve.  Smoke and misdirection only work so long as the person you're against doesn't realize that's all it is.

Re: the teleports.  I have actually run out of those.  I constantly cast them.

To date, it's faced down the Warlock build from BashCon, 2 forcemasters, 2 beast masters, and a priestess.  I have not yet gotten to play an opposing Wizard.

"I would consider adding some armor in case your opponent manages to catch up with you at some point."

I used to have armor, but removed it.  If they catch me and pin me down, I'm cooked.  There's no question about it.  I found that I rarely casted the armor b/c it slowed me down.  It's just a risk I've decided I have to live with.

"the blue gremlin doesn't suit your build"

I agree I'm not sure about him.  He's a cheap arcane creature to summon from the gate.  I go back and forth between him an a Moonglow.  The point of the creature is to be cheap and annoying.  I need a least a few small things I can get out in a pinch.

"disciplined players with aggressive decks will find ways to break your Gate before it pays back its investment,"

Yup.  Has happened.  Paradox22 specifically did that.  He also had a huge roll, so he got rid of it sooner than he was supposed to.  It was problematic, to say the least.  My goal is to get at least two creatures out of it.

"have you considered a Stonegaze Basalisk"

I actually had one in the build.  He's definitely one of the 'alternate' cards that I want to figure out how to get in.  He works very well in the slow down, but don't necessarily kill theme.  I think shuffling some stuff to get him back in is a good idea.

"but a single Iron Golem or Darkfenne Hydra or Gargoyle Sentry (when it comes out) might help make you a lot harder to race. "

I'm really piqued by the Sentry.  I started with a Hydra in the build.  I ended up switching him out for another Gorgon.  The Hydra would be effective if I can pin the person down or throw them into his zone.  But there is one thing the Hydra doesn't do well, and that's draw attention.  When he appears, the first instinct is to run away from him.  I don't want that.  The Gorgon, on the other hand, is one of those creatures that you have a hard time ignoring - for the weaknesses alone.  Given the expense of both creatures, it is unlikely that I will summon more than 2 of the 16 cost creatures. 

I've never had a good opportunity to get the Hydra into play and use it effectively.  That's likely just a product of my play style, though, and not really any indictment of the Hydra.

"Long story short, I play 3x Dispel and 1x Seeking Dispel now, and I think it's an improvement. "

I think you're right.  This is definitely going into the book.

"Air Wizard or an Earth Wizard or even an Angel Priestess?"

I think we'd have an old fashioned Mexican Standoff.  My inkling was to shoot first and ask questions later. Elemental cloak and then start throwing damage as much as possible.  It may also just be the meta in our group, but the Gate to the Voltari seems to be little used among the Wizard players.  The reaction when I bring it out is usually a mixed "huh..." as if they're not sure exactly what I'm supposed to do with it.

"What program are you using to make your lists?"

Deck builder over at Cardgamedb.  It only has the core set.  But since that's all I own at the moment, it works well enough for me.

[jmoodie]

Oh - and a really like to teleport a baddie into a teleport trap.  saves some mana and gets me the 3 squares.

[The Dude]

I do like this build a lot, and it makes me want to put another fattie in My earth Wizard deck besides Iron golem JUST for this match-up, because I think the matchup is a good one, as I think the Earth Wizard trades in the chance to stun/daze for the harder hitting, which is more the "shoot first, apologize to the family, and then boulder their faces just because they looked at you wrong later" style that I am so accustomed to.

I just noticed that that entire paragraph was a single sentence, and for that, I apologize.

[Fentum]

Thanks for sharing your build and strategy.

I ran a similar type of wizard, but with just a gorgon archer and stone gaze basilisk.

I had fewer teleports, but bound one to a Mage wand and a lightning bolt to a elemental wand.

The idea was to slow, cripple, weaken, hold, teleport etc the opponent and opposing creatures whilst dancing around and using attack spells. Is a wand bound teleport too slow for your theme?

[ringkichard]

Oh - and a really like to teleport a baddie into a teleport trap.  saves some mana and gets me the 3 squares.

This is delicious.

[jmoodie]

Thanks for sharing your build and strategy.

I ran a similar type of wizard, but with just a gorgon archer and stone gaze basilisk.

I had fewer teleports, but bound one to a Mage wand and a lightning bolt to a elemental wand.

The idea was to slow, cripple, weaken, hold, teleport etc the opponent and opposing creatures whilst dancing around and using attack spells. Is a wand bound teleport too slow for your theme?

Not at all. I had a Mage wand, but I needed the points to swap something at one point. It kind of floats in and out at various points. definitely useful, if for no other reason than its one of those ap sucks for the opponent. I actually end up queuing the same spell I have attached to my wands a lot of times.

I think I'm definitely going to go back to the basilisk. Somehow.

[jmoodie]

Oh - and a really like to teleport a baddie into a teleport trap.  saves some mana and gets me the 3 squares.

This is delicious.

I suppose, you could get 4 blocks if it worked out correctly.

[MrSaucy]

Nice build! Gives me some great ideas for my Lightning Wizard build.