Arcane Duels Episode 13 - The Beastslinger (Straywood Beastmaster)

[Coshade]

Hey Guys!

So I've been thinking about a faster Beastmaster for awhile now. His main focus is to use his Quickcast level 1 summons and rouse the beast to "sling" creatures at the enemy. I haven't tested it yet but I made an episode showing how it works

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname][/spellbookname]
[mage]Beastmaster[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=DNA01]3 x  Acid Ball[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a09]2 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA04]2 x  Hurl Boulder[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1a08]1 x  Geyser[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1w04]2 x  Wall of Thorns[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J01]2 x  Rajan's Fury[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1c08]4 x  Darkfenne Bat[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c14]5 x  Feral Bobcat[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1c37]5 x  Thunderift Falcon[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKC02]1 x  Dire Wolf[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1e27]1 x  Marked for Death[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e03]1 x  Bull Endurance[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]3 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e01]2 x  Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e05]1 x  Cheetah Speed[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE06]2 x  Lion Savagery[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e09]1 x  Agony[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e32]2 x  Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e31]1 x  Poisoned Blood[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e10]1 x  Decoy[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1q25]1 x  Ring of Beasts[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ01]1 x  Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q19]1 x  Mage Wand[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1q02]1 x  Bearskin[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i24]2 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]2 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]4 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i06]4 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i03]3 x  Call of the Wild[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i23]6 x  Rouse the Beast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]3 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i15]1 x  Knockdown[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

Here is a breakdown of the opening

Option 1)
Power Play If they don't move
T1 Rajans, Ring of Beasts (move 1)
T2 Rajans, Mage Wand (move 1)
T3 Move 1 Thunderrift +Pet , Rouse the Beast- 6 Dice

Option 2)
Power Play if they move
T1 Rajans, Ring of Beasts (move 1)
T2 Move 1 Thunder rift + Pet, Rouse 5 dice



Option 3)
Rush Play If they don't move
T1 Rajans, Cheetah Speed FD (Move)
T2 Move 2 Thunderift + Pet, Rouse 5 Dice

Option 4)
Rush Play if they Move
T1 Rajans, Cheetah Speed FD (Move)
T2 Move 2 Darkfenne Bat (Pet), Rouse 4 Dice + Rot

I'm thinking that I will play option 4 the most. I think the round 2 rot chance and pressure from a bat is enough to make the opponent feel pressure.

Some points to bring up
1) There is not much economy but you don't need it. Most of the creatures you cast will last awhile. You could even cast 2 creatures a round if you have the ring on.

If they choose to kill my pet creature then it uses an action or more and allows me to continue doing damage next round. But killing a pet requires commitment.
All the creatures casted should be a pet if possible (if they kill constantly)

At 3 creatures I will Marked for death or call of the wild (If Nullify is on the opponent)
Darkfenne Bat - meant for Direct Damage (better opener and bypasses armor)
Bobcat - The real damage dealer (6 damage minimum!)
Thunderift Falcon - Effectively allow a 3 space attack (1 move, then use fast trait).

I am thinking a lot of these games will be the opponent realizing I have no armor and trying to race me. I might consider putting on armor but I'm not sure when.

I'm still debating if I want to use a Bulls endurance or just put in a Heal

The knockdown is to prevent a guard and allow my creatures to annihilate them.

I'm not sure if I should keep the Dire Wolf. It's meant for a later game bleed to death thing. It doens't really sync with the rest of the build at all.

Instead of getting mana from a Lair or Mana Flower I hope that Rajan's Fury will trade that mana for dice.

Problems
Armor - Acid Ball, Dissolve, Dispel
Buddy- Agony, Dancing Scimitar, Attacking with my own cheaper creatures. attack spells
Solo- Agony, Dancing Scimitar, swarm
Rush, Attack Spells, summon creatures,WOT

Tell me what you guys think!

You can watch the episode here ----> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FexhCW4vekE&list=UUJlTpUZS02GTO9rWXbR-jow

[BoomFrog]

I think wither you want to super rush our not depends on what your opponent summons. If they summon a creature or conjuration like Battleforge that you want to destroy then I could see using rouse for early dice. But if they just play a very study conjunction like gate to Voltari then you would probably be better off investing in more dice round 3+ them using rouse to get turn 2 dice.

I like Rajans but I think you want to maximize your summons. Turn 1 face up cheetah speed, QC regular falcon. Turn 2 move next to them summon pet bat and rouse. Turn 3 falcon and melee.

Without a lair your actions per round are so limited. You can't afford to play rouse unless it's killing something 1 turn earlier then it might be worth it. If you are just going after the enemy mage you'll get more out of a rust or marked for death or even mage bane.

[Coshade]

I like your comments. This is totally an experimental deck so it could fall flat on it's face.

I think that looking at rouse the beast as an attack spell is why I like it. It is really committed but it will also force the enemy to react a certain way. If they get out a Gate of Voltari I think it will be a race. The way I see it is that a Rajan's Fury can produce probably 6-8 dice with this build. It might be better to actually go double Rajan's round one to get more of a punch.

I appreciate your input. This is a pretty rush style, but you could easily take the concept and add things for more of an action and mana economy.

[Sailor Vulcan]

I would say if your swarm doesn't finish them off, use your mage, not the dire wolf.

This is pretty ingenious! Lv1 creature +rouse the beast is always 5, 6, or 7 mana. However even with the beastmaster's quick summoning ability that's still two quick actions for the equivalent of an attack spell rather than 1. You basically are getting lower mana costs and reusablity for your attacks in exchange for using an extra quick action. The strength of this build over an attack spell rush seems to be that if your initial rush doesn't kill them, some of your attacks might still be reusable. Might I suggest including Renewing Spring? Or maybe staff of beasts or group heal? A pet unicorn might also be good instead of the extra Rajan's. Great even. Gives your creatures regen 1 if your opponent decides to stay put with your creatures, and they'll all get charge if your opponent dares to move away. And if they try a zone attack, jinx or teleport them, or use tanglevine then force wave your swarm out of the blast radius. The enemy mage will likely already be high on damage from the initial rush by the time such tactics are used.

[ACG]

I wouldn't bother with [mwcard=MW1Q19]Mage Wand[/mwcard]. Do you really expect to be rousing more than 6 beasts? Since you are already short on actions and mana, scrap the wand and just cast rouse the beast from the start. BoomFrog's suggestion of [mwcard=MW1E05]Cheetah Speed[/mwcard] would be a much more effective use of that 5 mana for this build. If you do run out of copies, your existing creatures should be able to keep the enemy occupied while you wait for new summons to wake up.

And if they try a zone attack, jinx or teleport them, or use tanglevine then force wave your swarm out of the blast radius. The enemy mage will likely already be high on damage from the initial rush by the time such tactics are used.

Unfortunately, there isn't really a very good defense against a zone attack for a swarm.

- Jinx doesn't work (zone attacks are full actions)
- Teleport/tanglevine/forcewave don't work because you can't see it coming; you would need an enchantment to prevent it.

Some possible options are [mwcard=MW1E37]Sacred Ground[/mwcard]/[mwcard=FWE06]Fortified Position[/mwcard] to boost your swarm's defense or a QC [mwcard=MW1I09]Drain Power[/mwcard] to deplete their supply. [mwcard=DNJ03]Etherian Lifetree[/mwcard] is also a must-have for any swarm oriented mage that will significantly reduce the likelihood of a 1-hit kill for your summons, and you could keep a [mwcard=MW1I13]Group Heal[/mwcard] prepared to clean up the damage after a zone attack.

In general, though, [mwcard=MW1A12]Ring of Fire[/mwcard] is going to be pretty devastating.

[BoomFrog]

Drain power is interesting. Beastmaster has a huge starting advantage from pet and would love a game where both mages get only one creature. Using drain power to prevent any expensive full round actions may be worth it.

Turn 1: Pet Falcon, rouse, pet moves to far center. Mana left: 10
Turn 2: Cheetah speed self, pet attacks, move to fc and enchant self (bear str?) Or curse? (Poisoned blood or nullify?) Mana left: 12
Turn 3: melee attack and drain power if opponent hasn't cast yet.

Any time they have 8+ mana and no nullify drain power again, otherwise play buffs and curses and armor. You should win the damage race. Finish with a jinx and a hurl boulder. Of they are surprised they may never get to summon a creature.

[Coshade]

These are all really good suggestions!

I will probably take the Dire Wolf out. I'll probably replace it with a unicorn, as it allows me to be passive about healing while still using the Rajan's. I'm not too concerned about keeping my creatures alive. I'm still torn if I want to get the extra dice (because its a rush) or go for a tree which plays toward the longer game.

I am not actually too worried about my creatures dying. I have 14 level 1 creatures and could be attacking as early as round 2. If they choose to wait till round 5 or 6 to use a zone attack I probably have already done at least 25 dice and rots!
Getting 2 attacks with my creature, or one attack and absorbing an enemy attack are both really good for the cost - but the pets probably won't die from one attack round 3 unless they spent the mana for it.

I originally started with 3 mage wands but kept reducing it. I need to do some test games but you may be right about never using it. I don't anticipate running out of mana since my channeling can do the basic combo.

Most of the time you are left with 2-3 extra mana a round that you can't really use. Intangible0 was saying it might be a good idea to use [mwcard=MW1C13]Fellella, Pixie Familiar[/mwcard] to buff or curse stuff. It lets you be a little bit more flexible. And you can still open with a Rajan's fury. She is pretty vulnerable to unavoidable attack spells though.

@ACG - I like the idea of using Drain Power. It lets you really control what is happening in the game and with BoomFrogs suggestion on how to open it is pretty awesome!

What I like about this build is that there are a lot of ways to personalize it but the core is to use Rouse the Beast and low level creatures without a lair to hit faster.

Thanks again for the suggestions. They are really helping me get a better idea of what I should be aiming for with this deck.

[Biblofilter]

Im looking forward to see this build in action!

I don´t think running 2 Drain Power is a good idea - that 12 spellpoint, for something thats probably only going to work with initiative. I don´t like Drain Power much as a more than once per game spell, because an opponent often can use most of his mana in deploy (if he has a spawnpoint)

Akiro´s Favor might be a good enchantment for Drain Power - rerolling 0-6 (7) results.

[Intangible0]

Im looking forward to see this build in action!

I don´t think running 2 Drain Power is a good idea - that 12 spellpoint, for something thats probably only going to work with initiative. I don´t like Drain Power much as a more than once per game spell, because an opponent often can use most of his mana in deploy (if he has a spawnpoint)

Akiro´s Favor might be a good enchantment for Drain Power - rerolling 0-6 (7) results.

Unfortunately it won't work. Akiro's favor says it only affects attack spells.

[MageHorst]

Nice build! I'd love to see it in an Arcane Duel in the not so far future.

As for the finisher, I agree with Sailor Vulcan: I would also use the Mage instead of the Dire Wolf.

You have a lot of small creatures and therefore plan to remove the enemy mage's armour whenever possible. Therefore, a suitable finisher would be the good old Force Push through a Wall of Thorns.

[Borg]

Putting enchantments on small creatures is usually not a formula for succes. It increases the cost of the creature and takes two actions, where you could just as well summon an equally costed higher tier creature with one action.

Enchantments like Bear Strength and Regrowth are better suited for more "durable" creatures, not lvl 1 creatures.
A Bear Strength costs 5 mana and adds two dice whereas a Fox has the same cost and adds 3 dice and an action ...

Also, without any help from a spawnpoint or familiar, I think you're going to be action starved.
If you want to focus on rousing your creatures, how do you want to get the enchantments in play ?

You don't have the equipment to switch to solo mode and not the right tools ( = conjurations ) and actions to support your weenies imo.

[Coshade]

Im looking forward to see this build in action!

I don´t think running 2 Drain Power is a good idea - that 12 spellpoint, for something thats probably only going to work with initiative. I don´t like Drain Power much as a more than once per game spell, because an opponent often can use most of his mana in deploy (if he has a spawnpoint)

Akiro´s Favor might be a good enchantment for Drain Power - rerolling 0-6 (7) results.

That is true. 2 of those are a pretty big commitment. Maybe this is a deck where [mwcard=MW1I01]Banish[/mwcard] could be useful. In those three rounds you can do some serious damage

[Coshade]

Putting enchantments on small creatures is usually not a formula for succes. It increases the cost of the creature and takes two actions, where you could just as well summon an equally costed higher tier creature with one action.

Enchantments like Bear Strength and Regrowth are better suited for more "durable" creatures, not lvl 1 creatures.
A Bear Strength costs 5 mana and adds two dice whereas a Fox has the same cost and adds 3 dice and an action ...

Also, without any help from a spawnpoint or familiar, I think you're going to be action starved.
If you want to focus on rousing your creatures, how do you want to get the enchantments in play ?

You don't have the equipment to switch to solo mode and not the right tools ( = conjurations ) and actions to support your weenies imo.

I agree by not putting the enchantments on the small creatures. If anything you can double call of the wild to buff them for a turn. I was thinking the enchantments would be good for buffing your solo mage.

I agree that most people are going to be able to predict your moves as you are action starved. I also think a lot of decks have a problem with dealing with them properly.

I'm going to have to test this and I cant play for the next week or so

I've been thinking that if I want to go solo as a followup I may need [mwcard=MW1C13]Fellella, Pixie Familiar[/mwcard] or a [mwcard=MW1J04]Battle Forge[/mwcard]. It depends on average how low an enemy mage will be at from the beginning of round 6

[BoomFrog]

Fellalla delays everything an entire round because she is a full action to cast. She is only useful in defensive books.

You seem to be forgetting that if you are casting two spells in a round you are giving up your melee attack which is basically a free 4 dice attack spell. It's worth it for a combo like wall if thorns + push (sometimes), but it's not worth it for a call if the wild. Stick to high impact expensive spells, look for double effects like reverse attack. That's how you make it work without extra actions.

[Biblofilter]

Fellalla delays everything an entire round because she is a full action to cast. She is only useful in defensive books.

You seem to be forgetting that if you are casting two spells in a round you are giving up your melee attack which is basically a free 4 dice attack spell. It's worth it for a combo like wall if thorns + push (sometimes), but it's not worth it for a call if the wild. Stick to high impact expensive spells, look for double effects like reverse attack. That's how you make it work without extra actions.

If your Mage is going to use his melee attack a Battle Forge seems good. I would then add a Mage Staff (Etheral and Reach) and Leather Gloves+ Leather Boots and maybe open with cheetah speed (move 2) and Battle Forge.
Then Ring of Beast from Battle Forge in T2.

The Mage Wand im unsure about, i might replace it with an Elemental Wand as Acid Ball, Jet Stream and Hurl Boulder seems like good choises for the wand. I might just drop Wands altogether, without Nullify its probably not going to last long anyway. In fact if this game goes on for long, your probably losing anyway.