So are the Necro and Druid any good in a tournament environment?

[Koz]

I've been away for quite awhile and haven't played in many months, so I was wondering if the Druid and Necro had turned out to be any good in a competitive environment at all (I've yet to actually play with either).  I ask because I don't see a lot of threads about winning builds with these two or any reports of strong showings at tournaments with them.  I had a lot of hope for the Necro so I'm hoping it wasn't a big swing and a miss for Arcane Wonders.

I'm not looking for how good these two are in some random playgroup, I'm hoping for some feedback from top players as to the viability of these mages in high level play.  Any such feedback to be had?

Thanks!

[Shad0w]

I have so much fun playing a toolbox Druid in tourney games, but she is one of the hardest mages to play if you do not know when and how to change gears. As far as Nerco zombies do a ton of work since they can only take crit damage and direct damage. One of the reason most people are not talking new build is Origins in coming up this June and AW will have an event. People do not want to reveal any new tech they have found if they are going to be playing.

[tarkin84]

In my experience, Druid is tournament-worthy. But building a resilient Druid spellbook is very tricky. As soon as I got my hands on the DvN expansion I've been toying with her because I really love her mechanichs and I have tried lots of different builds (aggressive, turtle, miriad of plants, solo, animals&plants) and here are the builds I've tried which, in my opinion, have a chance of performing well in a high level environment:

1. Very aggro Druid with plants. Plants have a very good cost/attack ratio but their survivability is quite low, so they can really shine in a fast build which aims for a quick game. Vine sappers are extremely good against spawnpoints and, combined with rouse the beast and vine spreading, can start the fight very quickly. In the meanwhile, the mage can actually go into melee as her lifebond makes her quite durable. I usually start Vine tree+double move to NC (10), then double vine+Raptor vine+Rouse the beast+double move towards the opponent (, followed by several rounds of Vine sapper+Rouse the beast (I play 5 copies of it) to take down any spawnpoint.

2. Mid range Druid with animals. Just imagine you are playing a regular Beastmaster but with very good abilities and 10 channeling after deploying Vine tree. Use the spawnpoint for 1-2 Raptor vines and 3-4 Tanglevines (maybe another couple of vines), but do not rely on it to spam plants as they can be killed quite quickly. Instead, use animals as your main force, buffed with the awesome nature enchantments. I usually start Vine tree+Mana flower (5), Timber wolf+Mana flower (2), Enchanter's ring+any face down enchantment (11), grizzly+enchantment (5).

3. Solo Druid. I developed this spellbook while Charmyna was working on his BB, using Battle forge to stack some armour and Veteran's belt while the mage spends her mana and actions on enchantments and Dissolving/corroding enemy's armour. At some point, when I have saved some mana, I will start throwing Hurl rocks with elemental wand until I get the kill. As I said, it plays extremely similar to Charmyna's BB. I tried it in some games and it is undefeated yet (though I need more testing).

I have little experience with the Necro, but I think he is a nice contender at tier 2 (tier 1 is Wizard).

Hope this helps!

[Shad0w]

As Tarkin pointed out Druid can be played in several styles. I would say try out a few different styles and find how she fits you

[silverclawgrizzly]

We just had a local tournament and it was a Druid that took 1st place. The other 2-0 Mage they fought in Round 3 was a Necromancer so I'd say they're both pretty good. The Necromancer even beat the dreaded Wizard in Round 2.

Tarkin and Shadow both have it right about the Druid though she is a tough Mage to get down, but from what I've seen once you do get her where she's comfortable for you then she'll do tremendous damage.

[Koz]

Ok, thanks for the responses.  It seems that they both have some potential but aren't exactly tearing up the tournament scene just yet (if they ever do).  I had high hopes for the Necro so hopefully he ends up being viable in high-level play, although the jury seems to be out on that one at the moment.

 

[Lord0fWinter]

At first I loved the Necromancer and didn't like the Druid at all. Then I started figuring out how to play her somewhat well and she quickly became my favorite mage. I still love the Necro, but when played right, the Druid is very versatile and dangerous. She can be so hard to kill.

I think with the FiF release, she will become a bit weaker b/c of all the new fire attacks and creatures that come out, but for now, she is IMO one of the best mages, behind the various Wizard builds obviously.

[ACG]

I think with the FiF release, she will become a bit weaker b/c of all the new fire attacks and creatures that come out, but for now, she is IMO one of the best mages, behind the various Wizard builds obviously.

Not necessarily - In a fire-themed expansion, I am hoping for some cards that protect against fire, which I would immediately add to my druid deck, regardless of cost. It might not all be bad news for her.