Arcane Duels Episode 5: Guest Starring Lord Of Winter

[Coshade]

Hey Guys!

Here is the 5th episode of Arcane Duels. This week we have a special guest Lord of Winter! I was in Atlanta for Dragoncon and we decided to meet up. I will be playing a skeleton Necromancer and Lord of Winter plays the Water Wizard.

Sorry about the quality of the video. I was using my gf's laptop and did not have all the proper programs installed. We recorded the audio separately but sometimes it cut out.

Here is a link to the episode ---->http://youtu.be/8ql-7cDX8kw
Feel free to subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Here is the spell book I used and I think Lord of Winter will post his later.

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Soul Reaper[/spellbookname]
[mage]Necromancer[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]1 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j19]1 x  Deathlock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNW02]3 x  Wall of Bones[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j11]1 x  Idol of Pestilence[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFJ04]1 x  Armory[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j12]2 x  Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1c32]2 x  Skeletal Sentry[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC07]1 x  Mort[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c23]1 x  Malacoda[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC14]1 x  Skeletal Knight[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC02]1 x  Deathfang[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC13]2 x  Skeletal Archer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c08]1 x  Darkfenne Bat[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC15]5 x  Skeletal Minion[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e25]1 x  Maim Wings[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e27]2 x  Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e24]1 x  Magebane[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE07]1 x  Rust[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e14]1 x  Enfeeble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e04]1 x  Chains of Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e22]1 x  Hellfire Trap[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e19]2 x  Ghoul Rot[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e09]2 x  Agony[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q16]1 x  Leather Gloves[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q15]1 x  Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q05]1 x  Demonhide Armor[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q04]1 x  Deflection Bracers[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ02]1 x  Death Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ01]1 x  Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ05]1 x  Libro Mortuos[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ03]1 x  Deathshroud Staff[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNI03]1 x  Reassemble[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i08]2 x  Drain Life[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKI01]2 x  Drain Soul[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i11]2 x  Explode[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNI05]1 x  Unholy Resurgence[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]2 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]1 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]1 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]1 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Special thanks again to Lord of Winter!

[Lord0fWinter]

Thanks again for having me Coshade, I had a blast! Thanks once again for the promos

Here's my spellbook. Threw it together in about 45 minutes or so. Kinda had an idea of what I wanted to do with it, but always looking to improve it, so any feedback is very welcome!

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Water Wiz 1.0[/spellbookname]
[mage]Wizard (Water)[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWA04]1 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]2 x  Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a09]2 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNA01]4 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a04]1 x  Fireball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]2 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a08]2 x  Geyser[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1j07]1 x  Gate to Voltari[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j04]1 x  Battle Forge[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j24]1 x  Temple of Light[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j08]1 x  Hand of Bim-Shalla[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKJ02]2 x  Wizard's Tower[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC08]1 x  Gargoyle Sentry[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNC03]2 x  Devouring Jelly[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c05]2 x  Blue Gremlin[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e10]1 x  Decoy[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKE04]2 x  Enchantment Transfusion[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e20]2 x  Harmonize[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e21]1 x  Hawkeye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e23]2 x  Jinx[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e29]4 x  Nullify[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]1 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q18]1 x  Mage Staff[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]2 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q22]1 x  Moonglow Amulet[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ04]1 x  Reflex Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ10]1 x  Storm Drake Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=DNQ09]1 x  Wand of Healing[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q06]1 x  Dragonscale Hauberk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]1 x  Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q07]2 x  Elemental Cloak[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q08]2 x  Elemental Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q09]1 x  Enchanter's Ring[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q15]1 x  Leather Boots[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q16]1 x  Leather Gloves[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]1 x  Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]5 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]5 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]1 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]2 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

[sdougla2]

As you noted at the end, Climbing doesn't let you move freely over a passage blocked wall. It lets you move across it as a full action. I don't think that had a big impact on the game.

In addition, it looked like you forgot that the Necromancer was immune to the push effect on Jet Stream after he played Eagleclaw Boots and gained the Unmovable trait, which meant that Lord of Winter shouldn't have cast 3 Jet Streams on the Necromancer later in the game, as there was very little point.

Strategically I felt like neither mage did a good job of handling defense, and the Wizard's plans were completely disrupted by the early Walls of Bones. Using Force Hammer on the Wall of Bones just put the Wizard behind since he didn't have a strong enough board presence at that point to justify the mana difference between Force Hammer and Wall of Bones. You could capitalize on having line of sight to the enemy mage, but not mana efficiently enough to justify the cost of smashing down the wall with attack spells, particularly when you were behind in economy. You had no big mobile creatures to threaten your opponent with, and your damage potential for a telepit play was quite low even after playing the Devouring Jelly. Idol of Pestilence was not a big enough threat to break down the wall to get at it regardless.

Blue Gremlins would have been a reasonable followup for continued aggression, but I would have switched into economy. The Necromancer just invested 22 mana into something that doesn't represent a real short term threat or a strong long term economy and drastically constrained his options for making further economic plays, respond with Battle Forge and/or a Harmonized Gate to Voltari and you're abruptly in a stronger position for the mid and late game than the Necromancer. You already know that the Necromancer can't threaten you in the short term. After a few rounds, play a Regrowth Belt or Regrowth to undo the damage from Idol of Pestilence. Your opponent will have to come out from the wall off if he wants to prevent the healing, which puts you in an advantageous position anyway. Since the Mana Crystals were left exposed, you could have killed them at very little cost with creatures, putting you further ahead in economy.

I also feel like your Water Wizard spellbook is built in a weird halfway state where it doesn't have the creature base for the dominating late game you can build towards with Gate to Voltari, but it also lacks some of the tools for a strong rush. And if you want to do a Wizard's Tower rush, run at least a Wall of Thorns so that you can potentially kill your opponent extremely quickly if they don't play armor or Eagleclaw Boots.

As for the Necromancer, I didn't like the way the early game developed, and the Deathshroud Staff is an inefficient threat if you aren't playing with enough creatures to justify using the spells. Idol of Pestilence worked out for you because your opponent drastically overreacted to it, but overall I don't think walling off the way that you did was the most efficient option. I would have rather put the walls along the edges of NC closest to you, as that would have still prevented attack spells from the Wizard's Tower, but would have protected your Mana Crystals and left you room to maneuver.

It also looked like you might have forgotten about the ability to do damage with Plague Master.

If you want to swarm skeletons, as it looks like you do from your spellbook, you should open with Death Ring -> Libro Mortuos. That will help a swarm play more than double Mana Crystal. If you want to open with double Mana Crystal because it strengthens the Drain Life/Drain Soul spam late game that you have planned, you should probably come up with an opening that isn't better implemented with Death Ring + Libro. The main things that come to mind are creatures that inflict poison conditions or do poison damage that you can't play with Libro. Examples include Grey Wraith, Gorgon Archer, Darkfenne Bat, Malacoda, and Emerald Tegu. Against a Wizard Tower opening, I would probably opt for the Emerald Tegu out of those choices personally. Grey Wraith is too easy for a Wizard to kill efficiently, Weak conditions won't do much to reduce the incoming damage, Malacoda will be hard to use as an efficient threat, and Darkfenne Bats will get melted by Jet Stream and Arcane Zap spam.

Alternatively you could play a single medium to big undead creature like a Skeletal Knight and made it your eternal servant. It just seems like a big chunk of your spellbook is optimized for swarm but that isn't how you've geared your late game or the opening that you used in this game.

[Lord0fWinter]

In addition, it looked like you forgot that the Necromancer was immune to the push effect on Jet Stream after he played Eagleclaw Boots and gained the Unmovable trait, which meant that Lord of Winter shouldn't have cast 3 Jet Streams on the Necromancer later in the game, as there was very little point.

LOL you are quite right. We only had about an hour to play so we were kinda rushing through it a bit, which is probably why we missed it. I probably would have just dissolved it at some point and continued shooting him with Jet Stream though. Still, a big rules mistake that we missed.

I also feel like your Water Wizard spellbook is built in a weird halfway state where it doesn't have the creature base for the dominating late game you can build towards with Gate to Voltari, but it also lacks some of the tools for a strong rush. And if you want to do a Wizard's Tower rush, run at least a Wall of Thorns so that you can potentially kill your opponent extremely quickly if they don't play armor or Eagleclaw Boots.

Agreed completely. It's still a work in progress. I know I need more creatures but I'm not really sure what to put in. I really don't like tele-pit strategies and the Blue Gremlins aren't exactly the heaviest hitting creatures, and aren't the most durable either. I suppose I could just run more of them and summon them every turn though. Maybe when PvS comes out I'll put some Water creatures into here or something.

It also looked like you might have forgotten about the ability to do damage with Plague Master.

I believe he did it every turn he had a poison condition on me.

If you want to swarm skeletons, as it looks like you do from your spellbook, you should open with Death Ring -> Libro Mortuos. That will help a swarm play more than double Mana Crystal.

I'm not totally sure about this but I think his reasoning for the double mana crystal was because he wasn't sure what I was going to do and it was the safer option. I was completely expecting him to use Libro. If he had, I would have just Dissolved it immediately. One of the cards I prepared on the 2nd turn was actually a Dissolve in case he played it. But because he saw that I was rushing him, he probably figured I would Dissolve it right away if he brought it out and chose to wall himself off because of it.

You're completely right about everything you said on my side of things though. I'll let Coshade respond to your comments about his play.

[sdougla2]

Yeah, that's my problem with running a Water Wizard as well. I get bored with telepit plays, but there isn't a strong creature base for a more dynamic playstyle. The two issues with Blue Gremlins are that they are small enough to efficiently kill, and they are Pests, so you can't use them as guards or for hindering. Moonglow Faeries and Mana Leeches seem even more fragile, and aren't as strong offensively. If it wasn't for Pest, I would try a Wizard based on 4 Blue Gremlins. Gargoyle Sentry is pretty expensive for his offensive stats. Gorgon Archer and Stonegaze Basalisk don't do much damage for their cost. Darkfenne Hydra and Devouring Jelly lend themselves more to telepit plays than to other lines of play.

I didn't notice the Plague Master damage being noted. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I noticed the Idol of Pestilence damage being noted.

[Ahlano]

Hi! Nice game... That water wizzard reminds me of the one i often face...but he usually gets hydras out with gate to voltari...i liked the idea of the rush wizzard tower + jet stream... Pretty cheap on mana ...i dont play much wizzard so cant comment much stragedy wise...

On the necromancer.... Daaam 2 drain life xd... It almost doesnt seem fair... Quick action and 16 mana for a 12 life gap...and quick tainted...just like mr sdougla2 also think the double crystal first turn is a bit slow... Maybe crysta l+ death ring would also be safe and flexible...i loved how you boxed yourself with the wizz .. A bit risk tho.. But seems fun... Hope one day a bonemancer will come up with bone cages spell...

Vid quality is ok..sound a bit low at times but overall good... Would love a bit more light...that and maybe some camera angle changes... Or closeups.. Keeping it dynamic...

Thanks for the great content and Keep those games comming wish i coukd play in one u.u call me if you come to mexico xD... Or san diego california.. Pretty close for me...

[Coshade]

@Sdougla2

Dude great catch with the Eagleclaw boots. I didn't even think of the pushing being an issue. If the jet stream got a push & Daze on the D12 are you dazed? I would assume yes but it's worth asking.

You are definitely right about the walls not needing to be broken down. I suppose if he retreated I would have deathring/libro combo then started going for an endgame strategy. When he started attacking it I decided it was all or nothing because running would have been bad for me.

I definitely agree that the Death ring/Libro opening is the superior play, in most cases.
I have the 2 Mana Crystals when versing a Wizard or if I think someone will rush me turn 1. The point of it is to diversify my mana so round 2 I can do the appropriate response. I did the double mana crystals specifically for the double move wizard tower turn one. I find that if the opponent chooses to go after the mana crystals the mana/actions it takes to kill 2 crystals is far more of an investment, then dissolving a libro. On top of that I can get the mana I put into the defense back much quicker. As you saw though my response to the wizard turn 2 is not fully formed yet. The Emerald Tegu is awesome! I will definitely be considering putting it in if I can figure out what to take out. Otherwise your advice of the skeletal knight and maybe sentries will probably work as well.

I appreciate you pointing out the glaring problem with my book.

*Edit because I missed Plague Master* - Sorry if I missed it for editing the video. I tried to indicate the Necromancer Ability between the rounds, but in the game I did use it as much as possible.

[Coshade]

@Ahlano

Yeah I consider the double Drain Life/Soul to be my end game. I figure if you can heal just enough health to survive you can get the win. It's not perfect but it's very Necromancer like IMO XD

I would love a Bone Cages spell. Something like Diablo 2 would be sweet

The quality was totally my fault. I was working at Dragoncon (I work in conventions) and I didn't have the right equipment (using my gfs laptop) and it was in a hotel room that I couldn't find the best area for lights. But it was still a blast to make!

I will be in California in Februrary and around the Texas area then as well for a few conventions. Although It's in LA which is so far from San Diego. I'll probably start posting where I'm going if people want to have a match!

[sdougla2]

Well I wouldn't advise trying to kill the Mana Crystals except with incidental attacks (or maybe Conquer) under normal conditions, but if it's much harder to attack you than the Mana Crystals because you have multiple strong Slow creatures in your zone like Iron Golems or you've walled yourself in, why not kill off the mana crystals? That way you're not wasting the attacks on the creatures you summon.

[Arlemus]

List form because I'm lazy and don't want to make a coherent paragraph.

1).  [mwcard=DNQ01] Cloak of Shadows[/mwcard] is amazing and definitely a better counter than extending wall of bones, IMO.  Best dark equip in the game, best or 2nd best equip in the game probably.  Obscured is so, so good.

2).  Was fun watching the double drain soul, though I'm not sure how practical it really is...lol.

Best episode so far, I thought; Will comment more later.  Keep em coming

[YoungDave]

Coshade, LordofWinter,

Thank you very much indeed guys.  I have just spent a most enjoyable hour or so watching your very entertaining - and informative - video while enjoying a pleasant cup of coffee.  Top stuff indeed gentlemen, and I appreciate your time and effort to share the game with us.

Just must get down to watching some more!  And playing more games!!!

Thanks again.

[Coshade]

@sdougla2

Yeah I completely agree. Most likely if that was the situation it would become a big brawl fest. After a few turns of building up.

[Coshade]

@ Arlemus

Cloak of Shadows makes a lot of sense. I need to start thinking about using that more. It is so good! Thanks

Drain Soul is a big surprise play. The wand of healing and purify create issues with it though. I usually like to wait until I can be lethal to use it.

Thanks for the comments and I hope you enjoy the future episodes!

[Coshade]

@ YoungDave

Thanks for the wonderful compliment. I learn a lot from making these videos and having great players critique them. It has really improved my play style a lot. I hope it helps improve yours too. I look forward to making more videos in the future!

[sIKE]

Drain Soul is a big surprise play.

Once it is no longer a surprise it is bait for both Nullify, it really hurts to loose that much mana, or Reverse Magic which hurts to loose both that much Life and mana.

I have learned to save up mana then pull it out at random times so I am not being predictable with its play.