How do YOU stop the early rush?

[Archwizard07]

So I know that it is currently the fashion to play an early aggro style spellbook and rush the opposing mage as soon as possible, but that's not my style.

I prefer 4-5 rounds to really let my master plan unfold, which means I frequently need to find a reasonable way to hold off the early rush.

My favorite moves for rushing mages are

1) Walls - often expensive and sometimes quickly beaten down, but they can also buy me a round or two
2) Blocks - cheap, disenchantable, and side stepped by unavoidable attacks, but again they can buy a round

Even using my preferred methods, many games I am racing the "life clock" to get my game plan in motion and survive the initial onslaught, but hey, that's my style.

So how do you other spell slingers slow/halt the early rush?

[silverclawgrizzly]

Tanglevine and Enfeeble can slow it down nicely sometimes. You can also go Surging Wave someone and knock them backwards with a Slam if you're lucky.

[lukard]

Here a few things for you to think about:

1) Summon a "hard to kill" creature, guard, and support that creature

2) [mwcard=MW1E38] Teleport Trap[/mwcard] (super useful)

3) [mwcard=MW1E14] Enfeeble[/mwcard]

4) [mwcard=MW1I28] Teleport[/mwcard]

5) Armor plus [mwcard=DNQ07] Veteran's Belt[/mwcard]

6) [mwcard=DNJ10] Stranglevine[/mwcard]

7) [mwcard=MW1J22] Tanglevine[/mwcard]

[mwcard=MW1E11] Divine Intervention[/mwcard]

9) [mwcard=DNQ08] Vinewhip Staff[/mwcard]

10) [mwcard=MW1I12] Force Push[/mwcard]

11) [mwcard=MW1A09] Jet Stream[/mwcard]

12) [mwcard=MW1C35] Stonegaze Basilisk[/mwcard]

[sIKE]

[mwcard=MW1W04]Wall of Thorns[/mwcard] + [mwcard=MW1I12]Force Push[/mwcard] (x2) and/or [mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]Surging Wave[/mwcard]


[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC06]Guardian Angel[/mwcard]

[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC07]Dwarf Panzergarde[/mwcard]

[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC08]Gargoyle Sentry[/mwcard]

[mwcard=MW1C18]Gorgon Archer[/mwcard]


If you are a Druid spread your Vine Markers all over the board.

[sdougla2]

Divine Intervention is fantastic for this. Remember to try to counter something juicy with this if you get the chance, or at least cancel an attack.

Playing a bit of armor can go a long way. Particularly Dragonscale Hauberk/Elemental Cloak against Lord of Fire. You can go all the way to 5+ armor and Veteran's Belt, but I think every build should run at least 3 armor for their mage.

With my Johktari Beastmaster, I put creatures in the way, and then try to maintain range 2. My opponent is typically hindered by my creatures, and I can use Tanglevine, Teleport, Mongoose Agility, and Surging Wave to help me maintain that range. Hindering + running away is a great way to slow down aggro.

For more passive builds, I like to use Block, but a defense like Deflection Bracers or Cobra Reflexes can help too.

Gorgon Archer supported by Teleport, Tanglevine, Teleport Trap, and other position control can really hurt many rushes. Once you've stacked enough Weak conditions on your opponent's creatures, they're not nearly as threatening.

Tough guards go a long way. Pet Timber Wolf and Iron Golem particularly come to mind, as they are relatively cheap for their stats, can go toe to toe with an aggressive mage, and are just solid options.

Agony can be huge, particularly on creatures with Doublestrike/Triplestrike/Sweeping. It's my favorite thing to play on an enemy Brogan or Lord of Fire.

[Dr.Cornelius]

Tanglevine and Enfeeble can slow it down nicely sometimes. You can also go Surging Wave someone and knock them backwards with a Slam if you're lucky.

Good suggestions, but not particularly effective against an experienced player.  When running aggro, I choose Teleport nearly every turn as a backup in anticipation of my opponent playing some kind of movement or control.   

I also usually play Nullify no later than the first quick cast of turn 2 to counter many of the cards mentioned.

Guards are easily avoided with [mwcard=MW1E28] Mongoose Agility[/mwcard].  Plan on your aggro opponent to be packing two, and perhaps even the elusive [mwcard=MW1C07] Cervere, The Forest Shadow[/mwcard]. 
Defenses are a similar story: count on your opponent having a Falcon Precision or two.

Be aware of the power of the power of [mwcard=MW1I23] Rouse the Beast[/mwcard].  Your opponent will be looking to start a turn in your square, have your mage tap out, then summon and rouse a heavy hitter.  Ideally the hitter will be summoned on a turn when the aggro mage does not have initiative, so he can first quick cast a Jinx the following turn and have the hitter get in another full attack.   Keep hitting your opponent with effects that make him burn actions, so he does not have tempo to drop Rouse the Beast. 

Things that disrupt aggro:

• Destroy their Battle Forge.  Many aggro books will stall out if starved for actions.

• Alternatively, put a LOS blocking wall between the Battle Forge and the aggro mage.  Very annoying.

• Agony.  Usefully in nearly every book.

• A carefully timed [mwcard=MW1I09] Drain Power[/mwcard] is very effective at stalling.  Due to the high spellbook cost, this is likely to only be an option for Wizards.

• Previous statements about Nullify and Mongoose Agility notwithstanding, the new FIF cards Defend and Fumble are strong against the rush.  Disarm also has possibilities.

[sdougla2]

Without support, Cervere doesn't hit hard enough to deter me. If I have 2 Armor, eh, whatever.

Sure, Mongoose Agility and Falcon Precision allow you to ignore guards and defenses respectively, but only with one creature. If you're only attacking me with one creature, there are a lot of options for trying to avoid you and make you waste actions, plus your damage output is not going to be as scary.

[barriecritzer]

Traps, teleports and putting out a medium to large creature early on

[Wildhorn]

Teleport Trap is a pretty damn effective way to repel an aggro.

[Archwizard07]

All great stuff! Also while we all know there is a way to counter any strategy I appreciate that this didn't devolve into that!

[gw]

[mwcard=MW1E09]Agony [/mwcard], [mwcard=MW1E14]Enfeeble [/mwcard] and Armor counter early aggro best imho.

It's too easy to play around guards and armor alone is too easily corroded.
Armor comboed with defensive curses is the most effective way I can think of  to stop early aggro.

I actually don't play defensive books, so this is what I find toughest to play aggro against.

EDIT:
Also just having a hidden enchtantment on you can save you from a Wall+Push combo because the "threat" of revealing a RhinoHide or Nullify forces the aggressor to spend an action (and by that slowing down) to deal with that.

[MrSaucy]

Teleport Trap is a pretty damn effective way to repel an aggro.

I agree. Teleport Trap has saved my life many times playing as wizard. It doesn't do much against swarms but against large threats it can work very well.

When it comes to defending aggro I usually choose one of the following: delay tactics (walls, traps, force push, teleport, teleport trap, tanglevine, etc); creatures that make excellent guards; protective enchantments & equipment; or aggression (fight fire with fire). The one I choose depends on what mages are in play.

[timer000]

put 2 x velt belt(mayabe 3x ) + 3armor in your spellbook.
only need 12 mana and 5~9 spellpoint

This will save you efficently from most of rush (even bears).
And force your oppenent to dissolve velt belt again & again

[blackirishguilt]

Be aware of the power of the power of [mwcard=MW1I23] Rouse the Beast[/mwcard].  Your opponent will be looking to start a turn in your square, have your mage tap out, then summon and rouse a heavy hitter.  Ideally the hitter will be summoned on a turn when the aggro mage does not have initiative, so he can first quick cast a Jinx the following turn and have the hitter get in another full attack.   Keep hitting your opponent with effects that make him burn actions, so he does not have tempo to drop Rouse the Beast. 

Hello everyone!  I'm pretty new here (as you can see), in fact, I just played my 3rd game of Mage Wars last night.  I was teaching a friend to play and he did something interesting.  He bound [mwcard=MW1I23] Rouse the Beast[/mwcard] onto his wand which made me think that an opening of something like that with a Mana Crystal followed by Ring of Beasts and a Summon could be an effective opening play for the Beastmaster.  Granting every creature you cast from turn 2 on "haste" seems pretty strong.  Anyone had success with that type of opening play?

[silverclawgrizzly]

Be aware of the power of the power of [mwcard=MW1I23] Rouse the Beast[/mwcard].  Your opponent will be looking to start a turn in your square, have your mage tap out, then summon and rouse a heavy hitter.  Ideally the hitter will be summoned on a turn when the aggro mage does not have initiative, so he can first quick cast a Jinx the following turn and have the hitter get in another full attack.   Keep hitting your opponent with effects that make him burn actions, so he does not have tempo to drop Rouse the Beast. 

Yes actually this has worked for me in the past. Since most of the Beast Masters early game creatures are normally Level 1 creatures like Falcons and what not this can be a VERY good plan to surprise an opponent with an early game swarm.


Hello everyone!  I'm pretty new here (as you can see), in fact, I just played my 3rd game of Mage Wars last night.  I was teaching a friend to play and he did something interesting.  He bound [mwcard=MW1I23] Rouse the Beast[/mwcard] onto his wand which made me think that an opening of something like that with a Mana Crystal followed by Ring of Beasts and a Summon could be an effective opening play for the Beastmaster.  Granting every creature you cast from turn 2 on "haste" seems pretty strong.  Anyone had success with that type of opening play?