Opening moves

[ShamanX]

Just got my copy. While I'm digesting rules and looking for players to teach / play with, I thought I'd ask what people are doing with their first 3-5 rounds.

I understand that everything is situational to a degree, and even opening moves can be circumscribed by an aggressive opponent. But what are you aiming for with your first moves in different situations? Equipment? Creatures? When are you looking to get a spawn point in play? What's working and what's not?

Would love to hear some people's experiences with their first few rounds... successful or otherwise!

Thanks!

[theduke850]

while I don't have the game yet, I was thinking it would be somewhat like chess. I'll have a repertoire of opening plays and adjust to the opponent as soon as I get a feel of what they are planning. Or, if they seem to be tailoring their game to me, I'll try to use that as well.

incidentally, I was also thinking that area control will also be an important factor in this game, as it is in chess. I'll have to actually get some games played to understand that better.

p.s., I am in no way any good at all at chess, I just know the basics.

[goofy]

I like mana siphon on the frost turn.  :evil:

[paradox22]

My opening moves are usually designed to increase mana channeling.  Mana crystals/flowers, moon amulet, spawnzones, or harmonize.  The sooner you get these out the more efficient they become because they have more time to do what they do...generate mana.  

I will then try to get out a large to mid range creature to deal with whatever my opponent summons.  This provides interference while you continue to summon utility cards you'll need.

[ShamanX]

I read a post here recently about mana efficient spells (persistent) vs. non efficient. I can see that being an important consideration throughout the game. Are you playing a Wizard? Or, are these helpful for the early game with any mage?

I'm curious about about spawn points... Do they become a priority target for your opponent the moment they're put down? They seem like a fairly important object in the arena. Do they require some preliminary protection or are they better to get out right away?

[Klaxas]

if i am playing a spawn point (as i frequently do) i try to play it very soon, with maybe a harmonize on it.  its not just the extra mana that makes me use the spawnpoints, its the extra action you get to cast spells.

as for will they become a target.  i think that largely depends on who you are playing against and what spawnpoint you lay out.  most people ignore battle forges i think, by the time you can kill them they have mostly done thier job.  however a beastmaster lair usually becomes a target, as does the gate to voltari.

[piousflea]

I feel like it's never "wrong" to start with your basic Spawnpoint (Lair, Gate to Voltari, etc.). Almost every build will spend 15 or more mana on creatures over the course of a game, and the Spawnpoint will almost always generate 15 or more mana over the course of a game, so it is never a "bad move". Also, putting your spawnpoint on your starting square puts it as far "back" as possible, so it is more difficult to attack.

That said, there are definitely very low-creature or creatureless builds that won't really benefit from a Spawnpoint. In that case I'd go mana crystal first.

[paradox22]

That said, there are definitely very low-creature or creatureless builds that won't really benefit from a Spawnpoint. In that case I'd go mana crystal first.

I generally go with 1 or 2 mana crystals as my opeing move... but I'm still pretty inexpirenced.  Still, I think it's a pretty generic opening move you cant really go wrong with.

[Klaxas]

I feel like it's never "wrong" to start with your basic Spawnpoint (Lair, Gate to Voltari, etc.). Almost every build will spend 15 or more mana on creatures over the course of a game, and the Spawnpoint will almost always generate 15 or more mana over the course of a game, so it is never a "bad move". Also, putting your spawnpoint on your starting square puts it as far "back" as possible, so it is more difficult to attack.

That said, there are definitely very low-creature or creatureless builds that won't really benefit from a Spawnpoint. In that case I'd go mana crystal first.

not all spawnpoints spawn creatures.  the battle forge is also a spawnpoint.  i have used a creatureless wizard build with 2 battle forges that worked pretty well.

[Qixter]

I like building my mana base early, but if I am using creatures heavily, I like to use my full action as much as possible to summon creatures each turn. I usually lay out my spell book for my first three or four turns as I love the consistency you can have with this game in preparing your board. Having  a  plan and foundation early really helps the middle and late game. It's also fun to throw out a
small flyer or fast creature early to start disrupting the other mages plans and if you can incorporate this into your opening moves its great to see spells from the other Mage wasted on things that are not important to your overall strategy.

[ShamanX]

"It's also fun to throw out a
small flyer or fast creature early to start disrupting the other mages plans and if you can incorporate this into your opening moves its great to see spells from the other Mage wasted on things that are not important to your overall strategy."

Blue Gremlins!

[Dapuma]

If I am a Wizard, is there any reason not to summon my familiar first turn to get him generating mana?  Is it better to get the Voltari out first, I reasoned the position of the spawn point would not be that important because you can teleport with a mage wand, mainly want to protect it to get extra actions and and extra mana

Is the necklace for 1 channeling worth it or does equipment get nuked too fast the first few rounds of battle to really matter?

[Klaxas]

i do not usually use the familiar myself.  personal preference.  he does generate more mana if you summon him sooner though.

as for the 1 channeling equipment it useually survives.  most people only put 2 or 3 disolves in a deck, and they save it for nasty stuff.  lash of hellfire, or a mage wand with heal, or an elemental wand with an attack spell.  things like the increased mana generaly get ignored.

[paradox22]

as for the 1 channeling equipment it useually survives. most people only put 2 or 3 disolves in a deck, and they save it for nasty stuff. lash of hellfire, or a mage wand with heal, or an elemental wand with an attack spell. things like the increased mana generaly get ignored

Agreed...  This has been my expirence as well.  Can't focus on the moonstone when the warlock has that damn helmet out or a heal wand.

[Dapuma]

With such powerful equipment out there, how come there is not 6 copies of anti equipment stuff in each deck

Is it becaue there are not enough cards per core set and mage tome to run 6 of everything there?

Kind of like 3rd edt Magic - everyone ran 4 copies of Disenchant because there were so many enchantments or artifcacts, you pretty much had to