Okay, so that last post came off as REALLY abrasive, and kind of killed what was turning out to be a really productive thread. Sorry about that!
Anyway, let me give an improved version of the above post.
What I think slows down this game is concern about creatures. After trying a few different options to investigate the problem - including a Creature-only beastmaster book and a no-creature Wizard book, both actually Silly fun! - i've come to the conclusion that creatures are serious tar pits in this game, as are walls. Both require the mage to dedicate serious resources to remove in terms of turns, spells, and mana. So how do we get around that?
Sorta-quoth the rulebook: "The game ends when one mage's damage exceeds their maximum life."
Sorta quoth the rulebook again "One mage's damage exceeds their maximum life."
So, how do we speed up Mage Wars as a whole based on that quote? Easy.
First, we have to recognize that most non-legendary creatures aren't serious threats. A mage can take several hits from a small unnamed creature and laugh it off. This is based on the fact that only 1/3 of the dice faces guarantee damage, and even then only 1-2 points at a time. I don't have the math handy, but it takes 5-6 dice to guarantee any damage to stick before we include armor. Once armor gets involved, it starts getting to unattainable numbers for unnamed creatures, and even some named or legendary creatures!
So, that means all this time spent trashing firebrand imps and the like is basically a waste; let them run at you, slap on some leather gloves and head on your way. It also means that you can be considerably more aggressive on mage movement, and assign small creatures in your spellbook to tarpit duty, considering there aren't elusive critters on the other side that ignore hinder.
My advice is to play mean once you have the creatures all tied up. Take the mage around the edge of the arena, pull out some 0-2 ranged spells and hammer your opponent into dust with a wand or something. My previous post about the flying dual-wand nightmare of a mage is still totally valid, though.
My Thoughts on Tournaments
Having participated in the gen con apprentice tournaments, i can say that the 50-minute time limit is perfect for that mode. However, I think its not that great for actual, 120 point book play.
I'm stealing some ideas from other game systems for this, but I think the variable clock idea from Hordes/Warmachine may be an option to persue. Matches there last X + Y amount of time. X is a set number based on the tournament size, while Y is a roll of 2d6 additional minutes. The clock is kept secret, known only to the TO, so players can't bank on having a set amount of time and must work quickly to ensure they're able to complete the game in time. Books down (no more actions) when time runs out, even if you are mid-action.
The other option is chess clocks (i prefer Death Clock). In-game, it would be represented by an enchantment cast on the mage that kills them after X amount of time. For us in the real world, each player has 1 hour on a chess clock for the game. When your time runs out, your mage instantly dies. Phases alternate, so the initiative player would complete channeling, hit the clock, then his opponent, and back and forth through the phases and actions and make decisions. This means each player has the option to use their time as they see fit. Stalling and slow play are not acceptable here, as they literally kill you. I like this option the most of the two, but it would require some work from Arcane Wonders on how exactly the details work. IE quick cast phases and mandatory enchantments.
