From Druid vs. Necro cards previewed so far, Etherian Lifetree and Corrode potentially have a huge synergetic effect on the current meta. Etherian Lifetree is level 2 playable by any mage, Unique not Epic so you can base a strategy around it, supported by multiples. Corrode combats armoured targets, the bane of low dice attacks. Together, they have the potential to raise the Straywood Swarm build to tier 1.
Although I currently play Earth Wizard in serious matches (will change as Golems will be far weaker), my Mage Wars heart belongs to my first love, the first mage I ever played in Mage Wars, the Straywood Beastmaster. I always have a love affair with suboptimal factions (e.g. Jinteki in Netrunner, Lannister in Game of Thrones). But each time I return to Straywood, I always end up with the same build: Battleforge + Beast Ring + Enchanter Ring + Few Bigs + Few Pets + Few Level 1s + Buff enchants + Aggro equips + Utility incants. Yes, he now has Galador (great in the current Golem meta), both Dragon Scale and Storm Drake, plus other single toolbox copies of Eagleclaw Boots and Falcon Precision (mainly for Forcemaster match-up). But otherwise he is exactly the same 1 Core pool Beastmaster I nervously posted on BGG when I got such a warm reception from The Dude and Scott Douglas, stalwarts here. However, Etherian Tree and Corrode hopefully makes an unloved archetype playable again.
The Good. The game theory behind Straywood Swarm was simple:
1. Only the Straywood Beastmaster can generate 2 creatures in 1 turn (without a spawnpoint) or freely move 1 zone to attack as well as cumulatively generating 1 independent threat
2. Ring of Beasts provides maximum % benefit with cheaper creatures (albeit once per turn)
3. The Straywood has an alternative quick action: a Fox costs 1 spell point 4 mana (with Ring) and creates at range 0 a new 3 dice fast attack threatening from next turn while Bear Strength costs 1 spell point 4 mana (with Ring) and upgrades an existing range 2 threat by 2 dice right now just before it attacks
4. A 1 spell point Bobcat guard costs the same (with Ring) as a 2 spell point Block yet may survive on an 8+ to block again
5. Animal upgrades (Tooth & Nail, Rajan’s Fury, Call of the Wild only for the mirror match) are most efficient in a Swarm
6. A Swarm avoids placing “too many eggs in 1 basket” that control builds can efficiently remove (stacked buffs or curses Purged, buffed threat neutralised with Force Hold, Turn to Stone, Mind Control, Charm, Banish etc)
The Bad. However, the issues with a Swarm were greater than the benefits, namely:
1. The lifetime of a 3 dice Fox is shorter than the bonus 2 dice you have placed on a Grizzly; a Bear Strength will give you at least 1 benefit use (cast just before, revealed after any Defence or Block) while that Fox may never get to attack (though this diverts an attack on you)
2. Low dice attacks are blunted by armour (X dice attack vs. Y armour becomes more efficient if X > 2Y threshold) then popular Wizard’s Voltaic Shield absorbs critical damage
3. Vulnerability to zone attacks, damage barriers and Epic control spells (Obelisk, Orb, Idol, Suppression Cloak etc)
4. Lack of spike damage synergies (e.g. Big + Bear Strength + Vampirism + Retaliate + Battle Fury)
5. Outside the Straywood, creature spawn points need to be played for swarming and the popular belief is that the current meta is too aggressive for such heavy early investment (Watergate bucks the trend)
6. The game’s most valuable resource is the fleeting “opportunity window” (hence having that ideal card from a toolbox) and casting your biggest affordable threat is often the best expenditure of that resource
The Summary
Your swarm may get more actions per turn but each are more short-lived so less actions in total.
Your swarm may roll more dice combined but deal less damage due to the armour soak mechanic.
The current meta reflects the lack of swarm being played by others. Zone attacks are minimal, culled from books as they are full actions (no Wizard’s Tower utility) and often pricey spell points. Epic control cards (Obelisk, Orb, Idol, Cloak) see less play (although Earth Wizard kill zone plays them, along with Deathlock). In fact, as players remove anti-swarm cards in books (often to make way for expansion toys), this “gap in the meta” makes the game ripe for a blindside meta-call: The Return of The Swarm.
If you summon a Swarm of creatures and your opponent is following a Few Big strategy, then the Etherian Lifetree is far more beneficial to you. It also gives your weaker creatures a greater % life gain, raising your Foxes and Falcons to 7 life. For the usual attacks encountered to deal 7 damage is far harder than 5 damage, hence your threats live to attack 1 more turn. This is like doubling the potency of their threat (turning them from living attack spells that can be one-shot removed to probable two-shot attacks). Flying makes fast Falcons far harder to target with creatures, increasing their lifetime further. Obviously this growing overlap of attacks will then accumulate.
The Straywood always had multiple Tooth & Nails to help penetrate armour. But this was inefficient against Few Big, the most common strategy played. Now however against Few Big, we have a stronger targeted anti-armour effect in Acid Ball. Permanently removing 1 (33%) or 2 (67%) armour before your swarm attacks while also dealing 2 dice damage is better than the swarm staple Marked for Death.
There are so many other benefits. The Swarm often attacks the opposing mage after his guard is in Tanglevine. Etherian Lifetree makes those vines that bit tougher. Those Mana Flowers you rejected before have become more viable, giving you the option to switch tempo to mid-range. Those Walls of Thorns (no barrier for your level 1 swarm) you plan to Jet Stream or Force Push opponent through once you Corrode all his armour is now harder to destroy, giving your swarm ranged cover. Your Unicorn pet used in a Swarm build has even more life buffer to leverage its regeneration. It's all good for the Straywood Swarm strategy.
I confess I was underwhelmed by the Druid mage card (I appreciate this is grossly unfair without seeing all her new cards). I am however excited to see Straywood Swarm resurrected as competitive. Maybe I've misread the impact Etherian Lifetree and Corrode will have on the meta. But if I am right, Arcane Wonders is to be congratulated for simultaneously weakening Iron Golem (much needed) while addressing some of the weaknesses of Swarm, making a Swarm archetype competitive.
