SPOILER ALERT! Mage Wars: the Nature of the Beast commentary

[Laddinfance]

It's completely possible for him to have "innate psychic powers". In general Mages would train to use various types of magic. Diggur started with a leg up in that sense, having an innate connection to those powers. Now you're right all Mages can cast mind spells, but they do need to be trained in them generally. Also, if he didn't have an inherient aptitude for Mind Magic, it's reasonable to assume that the Anvil Throne would have taught him in a more traditional form, and he would not have been a forcemaster.

[Sailor Vulcan]

It's completely possible for him to have "innate psychic powers". In general Mages would train to use various types of magic. Diggur started with a leg up in that sense, having an innate connection to those powers. Now you're right all Mages can cast mind spells, but they do need to be trained in them generally. Also, if he didn't have an inherient aptitude for Mind Magic, it's reasonable to assume that the Anvil Throne would have taught him in a more traditional form, and he would not have been a forcemaster.

Except why would the anvil throne teach him Pellian force magic? They're supposed to be isolationist remember? And if they already had forcemasters with that training, where did they learn it from? Perhaps the anvil throne is only relatively recently isolationist, but I find that somewhat unlikely considering their preference for pragmatism and tradition. If they'd been trading knowledge and wares with outsiders long enough, for hundreds of years, to have forcemasters with Pellian training without sending anyone to the Mage's academy,  which would only be case if they benefitted from that trade, then I don't see why they would have become so isolationist in the first place, unless it was just because the current higher ups in the anvil throne are irrationally distrustful of outsiders. But the book makes it like its the whole anvil throne, not just its leaders.

And Digur's training is clearly Pellian. He fights just like the Salenian forcemaster in the Forcemaster vs Warlord expansion.

Although I can see how someone would have an innate affinity or aptitude for certain kinds of magic, areas where they naturally excel and someone else would need more practice to master. But calling them innate "powers" rather than just an aptitude or affinity is a stretch.

[Laddinfance]

I would think it's much more likely that a forcemaster came to the Anvil Throne mountains and taught the young dwarf. Digur is one dwarf. In an individual's life, all sorts of circumstances can happen that go against the norm. Just a thought.

[ACG]

I would assume that the board game takes a few liberties with the story in order to make an interesting game, as many such games do. Likewise, the story takes a few liberties with the rules of the game in order to make an interesting story. I would not be too worried if the precise mechanics of magic and magical training are not exactly the same in both.

[Sailor Vulcan]

I would think it's much more likely that a forcemaster came to the Anvil Throne mountains and taught the young dwarf. Digur is one dwarf. In an individual's life, all sorts of circumstances can happen that go against the norm. Just a thought.

I wonder why they let the foreigner in their territory and live there long enough to train Digur. I think it's more likely that they would have sent Digur away somewhere else to train, since they probably wouldn't invite a foreigner into their territory if they didn't have to. And also because he probably annoyed them in the same way Lithann annoyed her people.

Also, if they don't ever send any mages to train in other countries, they would be at a significant disadvantage both in the arena and in war, because other countries would have learned of a wide variety of tactics and how to counter them, and the Anvil throne would not. For an industrial nation of pragmatic dwarves whose territory is highly coveted by their enemies (and they probably have lots of enemies, considering how valuable harshforge is), that is unbelievably stupid.

The arraxian crown wants their harshforge. Westlock probably wants it to, and will try to get it before the arraxian crown can lay their demonic hands on it. Westlock is a much more powerful nation than the Anvil Throne. They might be apologetic about it, but they would still want to occupy the Anvil Throne to protect both its people and its resources from the forces of Infernia if they could do it in a way that they wouldn't  lose favor in the international community. Regardless of whether the Anvil Throne wanted them there or not.

I'm guessing all it would have taken was for the anvil throne to start losing their war against the infernal invaders, and Westlock would have swooped in to "save" them. It's fortunate that the forces of infernia were weakened enough during the demon wars that the Anvil Throne could hold them off without Westlock's "help". Although if their Mage's aren't familiar with foreign battle tactics, then it's kind of hard to see how they could have won, at least not without massive casualties.

[Laddinfance]

I guess the point I'm getting at is, Digur is a unique individual and there are many possibilities on where he received  his training.

I'm sure going forward we'll share more about the workings of the Anvil Throne and its people.

[Sailor Vulcan]

Okay. I'm looking forward to it! And if the actual explanation for all these things ends up in some way contradicting itself or contradicting information already established as canon, it's no big deal. I'll just have to suspend my disbelief and write more fanfiction.

Also, I've added a few more things to my post in the last ten min, some points and questions that might be worth addressing.

[Boocheck]

Is it possible to just take picture of one "window" of the comics? I am so far not able to get at least a glimpse on the comix or see his cover. Google seems to ignore my wishes

[Sailor Vulcan]

Is it possible to just take picture of one "window" of the comics? I am so far not able to get at least a glimpse on the comix or see his cover. Google seems to ignore my wishes

It's actually a novel, not a comic book.

[Boocheck]

LOL... for all this time... dynamite entertainment = comic book for me

I feel ashamed!

[Sailor Vulcan]

One question that occurred to me is why can't mages dismiss summoned creatures in the arena but they can dismiss summoned creatures in every day life? If I'm fighting in the arena and I want to get rid of my own creature for some reason, do I just will it to happen? Because you can't do that in the game.

[iNano78]

One question that occurred to me is why can't mages dismiss summoned creatures in the arena but they can dismiss summoned creatures in every day life? If I'm fighting in the arena and I want to get rid of my own creature for some reason, do I just will it to happen? Because you can't do that in the game.

Well, you sort of can, by not paying an upkeep (from [mwcard=MW1E15]Essence Drain[/mwcard] or [mwcard=MW1J16]Mordok's Obelisk[/mwcard] or built in).  Otherwise, if the creature doesn't cost anything to keep it around, why would you dismiss it? (in the game, that is)

*edit* Also, if you could just dismiss your creatures, [mwcard=FWE07]Mind Control[/mwcard] would be even more terrible (well, it usually puts a Stun on a creature for two rounds for a cost of 2+3X to you and 2+2X to your opponent).

[Sailor Vulcan]

Maybe there's a rule that prohibits dismissing your creatures mid-duel in case enemy wants to use mind control? That's kind of clunky though. Why make a special exception rule for mind mages? I think it makes more sense if mages can't dismiss their creatures conjurations enchantments or equipment and that these things will wear off after they go to sleep or fall unconscious.

Which means Johnart's spells should all have worn off when he fell unconscious after being abducted by the morga

[rodriguekhalil]

And what's that about this wizard using light attacks? Is that a future mage? Light wizard? Paladin (I would have assumed Paladin wouldn't be trained in Arcane)? Or is it just a regular Sortilege Wizard that used one Blinding Flash?

[Sailor Vulcan]

And what's that about this wizard using light attacks? Is that a future mage? Light wizard? Paladin (I would have assumed Paladin wouldn't be trained in Arcane)? Or is it just a regular Sortilege Wizard that used one Blinding Flash?

What are you talking about? I thought he used Electrify?