The Chargeotaur v2 (Bloodwave Warlord)

[MageHorst]

Here is the updated version of an earlier build of mine (see http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=13774.0).

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]The Chargeotaur v2[/spellbookname]
[mage]Warlord[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j22]1 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFW01]2 x  Wall of Earth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWJ07]3 x  Quicksand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x  Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC07]1 x  Gurmash, Orc Seargeant[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC07]1 x  Dwarf Panzergarde[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC11]2 x  Orc Butcher[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC06]1 x  Goblin Alchemist[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC06]1 x  Goblin Slinger[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFC03]2 x  Bloodcrag Minotaur[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e20]1 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE03]2 x  Healing Charm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNE03]2 x  Stumble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e29]2 x  Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE06]1 x  Lion Savagery[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE02]1 x  Akiro's Favor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE01]1 x  Armor Ward[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x  Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ08]1 x  Ring of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q11]1 x  Gauntlets of Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q15]1 x  Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q23]1 x  Regrowth Belt[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ05]1 x  Harshforge Plate[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ05]1 x  Dispel Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ05]2 x  Helm of Command[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFQ06]1 x  Morning Star[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i19]2 x  Piercing Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i10]2 x  Evade[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i04]2 x  Charge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i02]2 x  Battle Fury[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]2 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i17]1 x  Minor Heal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]2 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]2 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]2 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i29]1 x  Vampiric Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i18]2 x  Perfect Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Opening 1 (attack on turn 3):
(19) Move 1, Battle Forge ( in NC, Harmonize on Forge (4); 7 Mana left
(16+2) Deploy Ring of Command (1+2), Fullcast Minotaur (15); 0 Mana left
(10+2) Deploy Helm of Command (2+2), Lion Savagery on Minotaur (5), Charge (Battle Orders) (0), Minotaur attacks for 9 dice.; 3 Mana left (could be used for a hidden enchantment, e.g. Armour Ward)

Opening 2 (attack on turn 4):
(19) Move 1, Battle Forge ( in NC, Harmonize on Forge (4); 7 Mana left
(16+2) Deploy Ring of Command (1+2), Wall of Earth (5) to protect the Forge; 10 Mana left
(19+2) Deploy Helm of Command (2+2), Fullcast Minotaur (15), unrevealed Lion Savagery on Minotaur) (2); 0 Mana left
(9+2) Deploy Leather Boots (if opponent seems to go for you), Wand of Healing (if your fear condition markers on the Minotaur) (2), Charge (Incantation via Helm of Command) (3), reveal Lion Savagery (3), Minotaur attacks for 10 dice.
Instead of the Charge Incantation, one could also the Charge Battle Orders (0) and put a Nullify on the Minotaur.

I put in Gurmash in in order to have some more mana, actions, and another source for Command spells so my Mage could pack the Morning Star and go for melee as well, but I haven't tried this yet. My first match with a slightly different version ended in a loss because I packed no Force Pushes (and only had 110 spellbook points, shame on me!) - and because I lost the Forge on turn 3. I had the most important equipment on the Mage, but still it was problematic for the overall idea. That's why I came up with the second opening if the opponent goes for the Forge. Squeezing in Shift Enchantment might be a good idea for mid game in order to move Harmonize from the Forge to my Mage.

[BoomFrog]

How is a single wall of earth going to really project your forge?

This seems like it'd work better with a force mage then warlord. What is warlord bringing to the table here really?

[jacksmack]

I also suspect that the wizard or the FM can carry out the Chargeotaur build better than the warlord himself.

[MageHorst]

How is a single wall of earth going to really project your forge?

This seems like it'd work better with a force mage then warlord. What is warlord bringing to the table here really?

I haven't tested this second opening, so I cannot tell yet. If it's a quick game (and that's what I'm going for), the Forge doesn't need to be protected an awful lot because I don't need that many turns anyway. It's about how the first game (without the wall) went: an early wall would've stopped that Surging Wave which took out the Forge. Or one could simply play the Forge further away from the opponent. Or start with Panzergarde, but that would slow the whole thing down...

As for FM as an alternative: yes, that might work, and probably will work better with the FM. Still: I want to make the Warlord work by sticking to what he has at his disposal (Battle Orders, War spells, possibly Veteran tokens), as I tried with the first version of this build. And now, with FiF out, I think it's better than before, so that's at least something to play around with.

[Wildhorn]

Why do you harmonise your battleforge? So it get more tempting to your opponent to double geyser/wave it to death?

[Myrddin]

Why do you harmonise your battleforge? So it get more tempting to your opponent to double geyser/wave it to death?

This is obviously a big thing in some play groups: I've rarely seen it. It relies on them having double geyser/wave, plus it's only really good value if they do it within a few turns of you laying down the forge, and for lots of builds, running towards your minotaurs and using all your spells against the forge would leave them pretty vulnerable, albeit with a longer-term advantage.

[MageHorst]

The basic idea from the first build was to cast equipment every turn, so I definitely spend the mana. Plus: I can replace the Helm of Command by deploying it via the Forge, i.e. no quick action for switching the spell bound to it.
Then again, I haven't used the Helm that much anyway, and feel like trying out an opening with Gurmash instead of the Forge+Helm idea.