Togorah

[Phoenix]

Good morning,
     I have an idea for a druid opening that I would like some feedback on.  Last year at the Origin's Mage Wars tournament I learned to use a druid.  I am reviewing my book and would like to replace the guardian angel with the more thematic Togorah. 
     Togorah with a 21 mana cost can be cast as early as turn two. This is accomplished very much like the warlock casting the lord of fire. Turn one run to NC and quick cast Mohktari and treebond it.  This leaves the druid with 11 mana.  Turn two cast Togorah in the NC square, this uses all of the mana of the druid.  At the end of turn two, I have a solid defender for my tree, some mana regen, life bond, life regen, and of course board position.  However I have no quickcast for the second turn. The general idea is cast the two rings on turn three and use vines, surging waves, enchantments and thornlashers to control movement around the 'grove'.
     What do you think, is this a viable openning?

[iNano78]

Depending how valuable the NC position is to you (vs staying in starting corner, or one space to either side), you could open with:

1  (19) - move (optional) + [mwcard=DNQ04]Druid's Leaf Ring[/mwcard]; [mwcard=MW1J15]Mohktari, Great Tree of Life[/mwcard]/treebond
2 (20) - [mwcard=DNC18]Togorah, Forest Sentinel[/mwcard]

You still have the issue of no quickcast on turn 2, but at least you've already equipped one ring (and it has paid for itself).

I personally prefer to keep my Druid along one of my starting edges and use a combination of [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard]s (in a row protecting my starting edge) and [mwcard=DNW01]Bloodspine Wall[/mwcard]s to control the enemy creatures/mage, with [mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard] to keep me from getting pushed through my own walls... so I often don't need a guard, at least not until later in the match (and I can usually get away with a cheap one).  But if you're going more aggro, perhaps being at NC is more important than getting a ring out a turn earlier (or at all).

[Phoenix]

That is my normal opening, with the guardian angel and enchanters ring turn two instead of Togorah. I was thinking that getting Togorah in the center with a lasher and maybe a later game renewing spring will allow me to better control the board position of enemies.
My biggest concern is that having not played the second turn Togorah yet, is will the loss of the turn 2 quick cast and the low mana on turn three leave me flatfooted? I liked the idea of the druid setting up a small grove in the middle of the board and causing grief with vines and vine creatures while being able to occasionally drag in the stray creature/opponent for fertilizer.

[iNano78]

That is my normal opening, with the guardian angel and enchanters ring turn two instead of Togorah. I was thinking that getting Togorah in the center with a lasher and maybe a later game renewing spring will allow me to better control the board position of enemies.
My biggest concern is that having not played the second turn Togorah yet, is will the loss of the turn 2 quick cast and the low mana on turn three leave me flatfooted? I liked the idea of the druid setting up a small grove in the middle of the board and causing grief with vines and vine creatures while being able to occasionally drag in the stray creature/opponent for fertilizer.

Do you find you need a guard on turn 2?  I prefer to get some channeling (and extra vines) early, and turtle near my own corner to some extent, so my opening tends to be:

1 (19) - [mwcard=DNQ04]Druid's Leaf Ring[/mwcard] (2), [mwcard=DNJ12]Vine Tree[/mwcard] (8) /treebond
2 (19+1) - extra vine (1), deploy [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard] NC (6+1); [mwcard=MW1J13]Mana Flower[/mwcard] (4), FD Enchantment (2)
3 (17+1) - extra vine (1), deploy [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard] (6+1); [stuff]
4 (??+1) - extra vine (1), deploy/extend [mwcard=DNW01]Bloodspine Wall[/mwcard] (8+1); [more stuff]

[Stuff] could be [mwcard=MW1J11]Idol of Pestilence[/mwcard], or [mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard] + FD Enchantment, or another [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard], etc.
[more stuff] could be [mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard] (usually played the same turn as the wall is deployed), [mwcard=DNI02]Burst of Thorns[/mwcard] (x2?), another [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard], another FD Enchantment, [mwcard=MWSTX1CKC06]Guardian Angel[/mwcard] + [mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]Defend[/mwcard], etc.
Could also shift the walls up a round against very aggressive opponents.  Once the walls are in play, I often keep a Force Push in hand as a back-up plan and/or get out a Mage Wand of Teleport to keep myself on the right side of my wall.

If my opponent is also slow/turtling, I might do [mwcard=DNQ10]Meditation Amulet[/mwcard]/Meditate on turn 3 and start deploying more aggressive creatures (e.g. [mwcard=DNC06]Kralathor, The Devourer[/mwcard], [mwcard=DNC10]Raptor Vine[/mwcard]s, etc) on turn 4.  But I find an early Idol, which is pretty one-sided between Lifebond and Regenerate, encourages the opposing mage/creatures to come to me.

[Phoenix]

WOW! I had not even considered the Idol of pestilence.  With the regeneration ability of the druids creatures it would be a rather one sided effect.
    The angel was to protect from my hyper aggressive son's Jak. Beastmaster.  He likes nothing better than running forward and force hammering my newly summoned bonded tree.
Recently, he has realized how easy it is to remove the guarding angel, though it slowed him down a bit.
    I figured that the rooted and vigilance Togorah would make a more appropriate, more effective, and more thematic guard for my bonded tree.  This led to the thoughts on how to generate 21 mana to get him out.
    I will have to look at what I will have to lose to put in an idol of pestilence, and may try it next time I get to play.
Unfortunately, with the exception of my son, who is at college, my opponents are few and far away in SW Pennsylvania.
   

[sIKE]

He likes nothing better than running forward and force hammering my newly summoned bonded tree.

[mwcard=MW1E34]Reverse Attack[/mwcard] along with your double prepared [mwcard=FWA04]Hurl Boulder[/mwcard] will cure him of that habit real quick. Along with the [mwcard=FWA02]Force Hammer[/mwcard] that is 20 dice of damage, much like running head long into a car shredder!

[Phoenix]

reverse attack will not work, the bonded tree is not a creature.  So it can not be enchanted with reverse attack.

[iNano78]

WOW! I had not even considered the Idol of pestilence.  With the regeneration ability of the druids creatures it would be a rather one sided effect.

Yeah, it's dirty.  Unless/until your opponent comes for your bonded tree, the upkeep phase goes "living creatures (incl Druid) takes 1 damage, lifebond that (and another?) damage to the bonded tree, all trees/plants regenerate." And even if you lose your bonded tree, with all the additional ways to regenerate (Regrowth Belt, Barkskin, Mohktari - even the Guardian Angel's guarding bonus) it's VERY one-sided.  Just make sure [mwcard=DNC17]Tataree[/mwcard] hides under Mohktari, if you play her.

[Phoenix]

I have considered Tataree, but have never actually used it to support the plants. It is interesting that it is the only quickcast creature in the game, other than of the BM's ability with level 1.

[iNano78]

I have considered Tataree, but have never actually used it to support the plants. It is interesting that it is the only quickcast creature in the game, other than of the BM's ability with level 1.

I haven't used her, either.  I figure she's equivalent to putting Harmonize on your Vine or Samara Tree, but more versatile and (potentially) more difficult to deal with (e.g. she can't just be Dispelled; doesn't get destroyed when the tree falls; pretty much takes an unavoidable ranged attack to take her out).  Kind of cool, but risky if you want to use Idol of Pestilence (especially if your opponent then drops [mwcard=MW1J19]Deathlock[/mwcard] - yikes!).

[Phoenix]

[Stuff] could be [mwcard=MW1J11]Idol of Pestilence[/mwcard], or [mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard] + FD Enchantment, or another [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard], etc.
[more stuff] could be [mwcard=MWSTX1CKQ06]Eagleclaw Boots[/mwcard] (usually played the same turn as the wall is deployed), [mwcard=DNI02]Burst of Thorns[/mwcard] (x2?), another [mwcard=DNC21]Thornlasher[/mwcard], another FD Enchantment, [mwcard=MWSTX1CKC06]Guardian Angel[/mwcard] + [mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]Defend[/mwcard], etc.

What do you mean by "FD" Enchantment?

[ACG]

I have considered Tataree, but have never actually used it to support the plants. It is interesting that it is the only quickcast creature in the game, other than of the BM's ability with level 1.

I haven't used her, either.  I figure she's equivalent to putting Harmonize on your Vine or Samara Tree, but more versatile and (potentially) more difficult to deal with (e.g. she can't just be Dispelled; doesn't get destroyed when the tree falls; pretty much takes an unavoidable ranged attack to take her out).  Kind of cool, but risky if you want to use Idol of Pestilence (especially if your opponent then drops [mwcard=MW1J19]Deathlock[/mwcard] - yikes!).

The primary value of Tataree is in making Seedling Pods bloom faster. If you want mana, a Mana Flower or Harmonize is much more efficient, since Tataree doesn't pay back its cost until the 7th turn after casting at the earliest. The thing that Tataree can do that no other mana booster can do is to put additional mana on the pods.

[iNano78]

What do you mean by "FD" Enchantment?

FD = face-down.  Your choice of whatever you might need early on: Barkskin or Brace Yourself or Nullify or Reverse Attack or just a Decoy.

[Phoenix]

This has been an enlightening discussion. It has definitely thrown fuel on my book building frenzy.  If anyone tries the Turn 2 Togorah in the NC square opening I describe please post the difficulties you had on turn 3 and beyond.
Of course look for me at Origins 15.  I will be 'lurking' in the MW area looking for games. See you there!