Exile and arcane ward

[drmambo23]

Has anyone had any success with arcane ward in arena? Either on equipment or on a creature as a cheap nullify?

Also, same with exile to get a pet or holy avenger out of the way for a few turns?

[RomeoXero]

Arcane ward is awesome. It's also turning into a necessity because if your opponent is ruining them then you must have either decoy, seeking dispel, or another arcane ward to get rid of its target, otherwise it costs you two dispels. Cheap nullifies are not the best use of them as they trigger on your own spells too. But fir keeping an investment around longer than intended they work great! I'm talking about cobra reflexes or any of the damage barriers, force crush, or force field, any of those big defenseless enchantments that you might not have wasted the mana on in other cases. I try to pack at least one. And a decoy just because the target line is so specific they are hard to get rid of.

[DaveW]

Agreement on Arcane Ward. I don't use it myself (I don't have one), but I've played against people who do, and it can be quite a pain. The way I've seen it used mostly is on an Astral Anchor in a zone where my Mage is Tangle/Strangle-vined.

I was debating between Exile and Banish for a Wizard book the other day, and it was a toss-up. If I had room for both, I would have taken one of each. The Banish can handle level 3+ creatures, but costs a ton more to cast. A pet Timber Wolf out for two turns is super, but a big Angel out for three is well worth the Banish.

[drmambo23]

Yeah. I never thought of revealing it so that it has to be dispelled as well. It makes sense though since it is a giveaway to enchant an enchantment. :b

[bigfatchef]

I don't get the point about decoy
Can somebody please explain? Thanks!

[Mystery]

decoy can target enchantments and therefore get rid of the arcane ward protecting the enchantment so it can be dispeled. This is 1 spellbook point cheaper than 1 more dispel, if it is hoodwink or a decoy itself you gain your mana back too

[bigfatchef]

Thanks Mystery! I was Thinking waaayyy too complicated.

[exid]

i think arcanward is usefull and i play it in a lot of books... but it didn't bring me a big advantage yet...

about banish and exile, are 2 or 3 turns realy worth it in a game?
(i think use it in domination, in shorter games)

[Kaarin]

i think arcanward is usefull and i play it in a lot of books... but it didn't bring me a big advantage yet...

about banish and exile, are 2 or 3 turns realy worth it in a game?
(i think use it in domination, in shorter games)

Pet Grizzly can deal at least 18-27 dice of damage in 3 turns. How much mana and how many actions do You have to spend to heal or prevent 27 dice?

[exid]

i think arcanward is usefull and i play it in a lot of books... but it didn't bring me a big advantage yet...

about banish and exile, are 2 or 3 turns realy worth it in a game?
(i think use it in domination, in shorter games)

Pet Grizzly can deal at least 18-27 dice of damage in 3 turns. How much mana and how many actions do You have to spend to heal or prevent 27 dice?

yeah... but if there's no pet grizzly, or if i have 3 guards, or if i have a defense,...
and after these 3 turns, it comes back and i was low mana becose of the banish...
i'm not convinced!

[RomeoXero]

Banish is just as much a "finisher" as hurl boulder or drain soul. Its very much a gamble that says i can kill you in the three rounds that this creature is gone. Yes it can bite you if you fail to kill the mage beforr the creature comes back but I've spent 16 mana on a pair of boulders or fireballs that failed to end the match and paid for that failure wit a loss before. Anything you can Exile is minor anyway so in arena i dont think id use it, but banish definately has a place or two where I've seen it be very powerful. Just my 2 cents

[exid]

but the 2 boulders can kill directly.
the banish gives you time... you still must have to find a way to kill befor the creature comes back!

[RomeoXero]

Exactly, banish is not a substitute for poor preparation, so it won't save you if you don't have a win condition prepped. But it would open a3 round window for say a priest or paladin to throw 12 dice a turn at you for 10 mana (luminous blast + DB ring + hawkeye + melee attack with a weapon [likely the staff of asyra) that's 36 dice with dazes and stuns and possibly burns if its a priest. If the banished critter was your huge buffed grizzly bear or a guardian angel who was intercepting all your attempts at ranged attacks well now those 3 rounds of freedom seem like forever! Banish is an expensive  way to buy some time. If you can't capitalize on that time well that's your fault. Besides banishing Sardonyx could really hurt the other guy. That's 6 life lost. Lol

[Kaarin]

Just like You don't simply throw a boulder at someone with 5 armor and reflex boots, You don't cast Banish without preparation. It's mana sink so You should make sure it's worth it. Also You don't have to kill the enemy mage in those 3 turns. Just make the threat You banished useless. If it's slow creature then move action to different part of the arena and You will have more than 3 turns.
Hurl Boulder will do only 4 damage against someone with 3 armor with an average roll. That's 6 damage for two boulders that cost 16 mana, but banishing Sardonyx will cost 2 mana less, use only 1 action and your opponent will lose 6 life for nothing. If he has Sacrificial Altar out just, Jinx enemy and put Reverse Attack on yourself. In the best case your opponent will sacrifice Sardonyx and attack himself with 12+ dice.

[zolikk]

We actually have a house rule that Arcane Ward cannot be put on Enchantments. We feel like it really messes with the game to be able to do that (not to mention messes with the card placement a lot). We don't want to have every deck needing to counter Arcane Ward as well (there's enough of that going on).

It's a cheap, Novice spell, and it can already do well enough without placing it on Enchantments. Nullify can only go on corporeal creatures. Arcane Ward also has a downside (triggers on your own spells), which isn't in effect at all when it goes on an Enchantment, since you almost never target your own Enchantments.