Eye in the Sky - Forcemaster

[Borg]

UPDATED 19 march 2017

[spellbook]
[spellbookheader]
[spellbookname]Eye in the Sky[/spellbookname]
[mage]Forcemaster[/mage]
[/spellbookheader]
[spells]
[spellclass]Equipment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=FWQ04]1 x  Galvitar, Force Blade[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWQ01]1 x  Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1Q07]1 x  Elemental Cloak[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Conjuration[/spellclass]
[mwcard=LG01J04]4 x  Mind's Eye[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1j12]1 x  Mana Crystal[/mwcard]
[mwcard=PSJ06]1 x  Pillar of Righteous Flame[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1J22]1 x  Tanglevine[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWBG1W01]2 x  Wall of Force[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Creature[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWAPRC07]1 x  Meditating Monk[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1C26]1 x  Necropian Vampiress[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWC16]4 x  Thoughtspore[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Enchantment[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MW1E01]2 x  Bear Strength[/mwcard]
[mwcard=LG01E03]2 x  Critical Strike[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE03]2 x  Falcon Precision[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1E33]1 x  Retaliate[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e32]1 x  Regrowth[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1e36]1 x  Rhino Hide[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE08]1 x  Mind Shield[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWA01E02]1 x  Arcane Ward[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFE04]2 x  Brace Yourself[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWAPRE05]2 x  Glancing Blow[/mwcard]
[mwcard=PSE03]2 x  Chant of Rage[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWE05]1 x  Forcefield[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Incantation[/spellclass]
[mwcard=mw1i06]3 x  Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i07]3 x  Dissolve[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i24]1 x  Seeking Dispel[/mwcard]
[mwcard=LG01I01]2 x  Clear Mind[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI06]1 x  Defend[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i28]2 x  Teleport[/mwcard]
[mwcard=mw1i12]2 x  Force Push[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI04]1 x  Force Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFI03]1 x  Disarm[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWI09]1 x  Steal Equipment[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1I26]1 x  Sleep[/mwcard]
[spellclass]Attack[/spellclass]
[mwcard=MWSTX2FFA02]1 x  Hurl Rock[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A06]1 x  Flameblast[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MW1A09]1 x  Jet Stream[/mwcard]
[mwcard=MWSTX1CKA01]1 x  Surging Wave[/mwcard]
[mwcard=FWA02]1 x  Force Hammer[/mwcard]
[/spells]
[cost]Total cost: 120 pts[/cost]
[/spellbook]

More info about the changes can be found in replies #15 & #62

END EDIT

***********************************************

The book started out originally like here
http://forum.arcanewonders.com/index.php?topic=17747.0
but has since been much improved upon imo.

It started out with Alandell but he's been removed since for a variety of reasons
1- very high sbp cost
2- boosting his attacks can at times just be too taxing on your mana resources
3- the mana you save really opens up the Thoughtspore game
4- he's an all-out offensive powerhouse but is not as good defensively and for this book and its strategy I prefer to have a creature that can excel at both
5- I prefer a creature with more staying power and who requires less maintenance
6- being Legendary, there's always the risk your opponent might play him before you thereby crippling you

Thus, Alandell has since been replaced with a Necropian Vampiress who fits the job description far better and who requires a lot less mana and attention overall to be effective in this strategy.

Vampiress with a Bear Strength is a serious offensive threat but at the same time is a tough defensive nut to crack as well.
Put the Vampiress on Guard and she can take a hit, swing back hard and heal herself in the process.
A guarding Vampiress also has much better synergy with Chant of Rage than a Guarding Alandell.

Her ability to gain Flight means she can take care of enemy Fliers, hop over walls, attack opposing Mind's Eyes etc.

Another addition I'm very happy with is Meditating Monk.
He's 1 sbp and 1 mana cheaper than a Crystal and since the FM (normally) prefers to stay in her zone during the early rounds, the full cast is not a handicap.
Opening with Monk-Crystal allows you to up your mana income to 12 per round for just a 9 mana investment and 3 sbp's.
The other bonus the Monk brings is that he gives you an extra action.

When you have a couple of Thoughtspores out you effectively generate 14 mana per round, which is usually more than enough to support the two spores every round if needed.

In the meantime, the number of Spores and Eyes has gone up to 4 copies of each.
Yes, you'll need them, want them and may one day play all four of one or the other, they are that good and I'm sure they are going to get more attention as they become more prominent.

The standard opening which I like very much goes like

R1 20 : Meditating Monk - Mana Crystal
R2 22(+1) : Necropian Vampiress - FD Bear Strength
R3 16(+1) : Thoughtspore - FD Glancing Blow or Mind's Eye
R4 18/14(+1) : plenty of mana to work with.

[jacksmack]

No Acid Ball?  - One of my favourite spells to put on a thoughtspore.

What spells do you in general prefer to put on the spores?

[Halewijn]

With only the vampiress and the forcemaster to attack, critical strike is way better than Acid ball. I would consider a third copy though.

[jacksmack]

With only the vampiress and the forcemaster to attack, critical strike is way better than Acid ball. I would consider a third copy though.

You cannot put that on a spore.


Critial strikes are certianly better in several ways, but it also has its downsides compared to acid ball.

[Halewijn]

Additionally, you have dissolve/dispel spores if needed that can take out anything with mind's eye and are protected with glancing blow.  I really don't think he needs acid ball.

[Borg]

Hi Jack, Halewijn,

The first thing this book is looking for is to take away the opponent's equipment.
Armors, weapons, wands all just have to go.
But not only those. Gloves, Rings etc will eventually be taken out as well as it can be done so cheap and without Mage actions.
Therefore the first spore will likely be a Dissolve Spore, certainly if the opponent gives me the best clue of all in that regard : Battle Forge.

Contrary to a lot of other books who will be looking to take out a Battle Forge quickly, this book doesn't mind.

Other early clues you may get are Enchanter's Ring ( Dispel Spore likely coming up ) or Ring of Beasts ( Hurl Rock Spore )

The Critical Strikes are mainly meant to take on creatures with 2+ armor.

I prefer to spend just 5 mana and 1 action on Critical Strike which I can possibly reuse multiple times and protect with an Arcane Ward if necessary instead of casting multiple Acid Balls and spending a lot of mana on them.

If the opponent doesn't focus on equipment, you can still go with Rust & Critical strike to counter up to 5 armor.

[bigfatchef]

Nice to see you coming back to the vampiress. As I said I think she is working very well as FM buddy for all reasons you described.
I always had the feeling in many cases you don't need mind eye. Some spore or target is in reach all the time. But I guess that heavily depends on the enemy mage.

I really like the meditating monk in your book! Much more versatile than a second crystal. I use a wispwillow amulett for its cheaper mana cost, but for a longer game you're losing advantage with it.

I haven't tried critical strike with that setup yet, but like it. I was with the acidball fraction here

I miss some healing.
I personally prefer vampirism as you wanna punch anyway and that heals you the same time without further action.
But a mend or minor heal spore is also definitely a solid option.
I am not  to wand of healing. Only few dice, gets dissolved quickly and you might need your action for some other things.

And I see you don't run steal equipment. I like that to get a chitin or hauberk armor and dissolve ot the same time. It is expensive but so much fun to play

With only 1 scimitar that would not stay long in our local meta.

All in all these are all minor thoughts. In general the book looks solid and great!

[iNano78]

Regarding the Acid Ball discussion, AB is good against Zombies, while Critical Strike is useless (aside from when attacking the opposing Mage).

Do you have a particular strategy against Zombie Necromancers? When the Vampiress was my Forcemaster buddy, I found she really struggled against the undead. I suppose you can push/pull Zombies into a Pillar of Righteous Flame...

I guess the argument goes either way: Necromancer will struggle with the Mind's Eyes (probably needs a Mage Wand or some Ethereal attack spells to deal with them); and the Forcemaster/Vampiress have trouble with the hordes of zombies. Maybe the idea is to avoid the Zombies themselves (some are Pests, and the Vampiress can always take flight to avoid being hindered), so maybe a Teleport Spore could work to keep separating the Necromancer from his minions.

[Borg]

Do you have a particular strategy against Zombie Necromancers? When the Vampiress was my Forcemaster buddy, I found she really struggled against the undead. I suppose you can push/pull Zombies into a Pillar of Righteous Flame...

I guess the argument goes either way: Necromancer will struggle with the Mind's Eyes (probably needs a Mage Wand or some Ethereal attack spells to deal with them); and the Forcemaster/Vampiress have trouble with the hordes of zombies. Maybe the idea is to avoid the Zombies themselves (some are Pests, and the Vampiress can always take flight to avoid being hindered), so maybe a Teleport Spore could work to keep separating the Necromancer from his minions.

I haven't played vs Necromancer yet with this book but the idea is to Hurl Rock & Flameblast him from across the arena.
The Necromancer is likely going to have trouble with the Flying Eyes and Thoughtspores.

[Borg]

@chef

Regarding Healing : I have a Regrowth available and a Raincloud to protect my starting zone and Spores against things like Idol of Pestilence.
A Minor Heal on a spore sounds great but in practice I usually have a more important spell to put on the Spore.
I do not exclude however that I might still move into that direction at one point.
In general though, I prefer passive healing.

As such, the Wand of Healing is there mostly to counter devastating conditions like Stun, Cripple, Tainted etc

The built-in Vampirism and Flying is one of the great advantages of the Vampiress and allows me to save 8 sbp's ( Vampirism and Eagle Wings for Alandell)

Steal Equipment : what do I cut for it ?
It's a situational card and therefore less "necessary" to have available imo and it's cheaper sbp wise to have a piece of armor in the book instead of Steal Equipment.

Scimitar is not meant to be an early card and has yet to come out with this book.
FM plays a "manager" game early on, bringing the right counters/tools into play.

Galvitar-Scimitar-Forcefield are more meant as middle to late game options and may not be needed at all if things work out OK. They are however too good to leave out and may come in handy at any point in the game.

[farkas1]

Just want to say this looks like a really cool book.   Props for the design. I look forward to trying it out and/or making my own version.  Minds eyes and thoughtspores are a perfect combo.  Can't wait to see how force master changes as these newer cards are explored. 

[bigfatchef]

@chef

Regarding Healing : I have a Regrowth available and a Raincloud to protect my starting zone and Spores against things like Idol of Pestilence.
A Minor Heal on a spore sounds great but in practice I usually have a more important spell to put on the Spore.
I do not exclude however that I might still move into that direction at one point.
In general though, I prefer passive healing.

As such, the Wand of Healing is there mostly to counter devastating conditions like Stun, Cripple, Tainted etc

The built-in Vampirism and Flying is one of the great advantages of the Vampiress and allows me to save 8 sbp's ( Vampirism and Eagle Wings for Alandell)

Steal Equipment : what do I cut for it ?
It's a situational card and therefore less "necessary" to have available imo and it's cheaper sbp wise to have a piece of armor in the book instead of Steal Equipment.

Scimitar is not meant to be an early card and has yet to come out with this book.
FM plays a "manager" game early on, bringing the right counters/tools into play.

Galvitar-Scimitar-Forcefield are more meant as middle to late game options and may not be needed at all if things work out OK. They are however too good to leave out and may come in handy at any point in the game.

So the book is meant to be more manager-style than I thought. Vampirism on yourself with galvitar for sure only makes sense if you want to go melee. But you actually don't want to do that.

And yes, steal equipment is not a card you need. Just a fun surprise. But again this only works when you are at your enemy.

[Borg]

So the book is meant to be more manager-style than I thought. Vampirism on yourself with galvitar for sure only makes sense if you want to go melee. But you actually don't want to do that.

Well, you need to set up first of course and that will take about 3 or 4 full casts. Monk (mana), Vampiress ( defense) and 1 or two Spores.
I'm cautious as not to cast the first spore too soon, not before I get a clear/better idea of what my first spore should "do", so I don't make a crucial mistake.
Sometimes it's clear right away what you want, sometimes not. By R3 at the latest you should know how to proceed.
Against a Necromancer for example you might want to start with 2 spores ( Hurl Rock and Flameblast ) and two eyes to put on the pressure immediately.

Once you're set up you'll likely want to spend the FM's next actions casting spells ( like Chant of Rage, Critical Strike ) or force pulling or whatever to improve your current board situation. If that situation dictates you to pull out Galvitar and the Scimitar you can do that too of course but usually ( if things go as planned ) that will not happen early game.

[Beldin]

Why the vampress and not guardian angel?

What happens once I kill the raincloud and all your spores?

[Borg]

Why Vampiress ?

From a pure defensive standpoint Guardian Angel is even stronger but offensively she can't tip the Vampiress and I need my main creature to be strong in both areas.

Angel can heal herself, but only if she takes a Guard action, not while attacking. The heal is also fixed at two. Intercept is generally nice but it doesn't help the Spores at all unless they go on Guard as well, which is not the plan.

Vampiress can potentially heal herself when Guarding but also when attacking. Her Healing is also higher at average 4 ( with a Bear Strength on, that is )
Also, Vampiric Healing is not limited to once per round. She can potentially heal multiple times in 1 round.

Then there's the damage output.
I'm looking for 7 dice as a sweet spot.
7 dice with a critical Strike can take out a Forge in 1 attack ( on average )
7 dice with Divine Might can take out an enemy Mind's Eye with 1 attack
7 dice allows you to take out all those 12/13/14 life creatures in two attacks on average.
The Vampiress can do that with a Bear Strength.

Angel with a Bear Strength rolls just 5 dice.
That means she needs 2 rounds to take something out that the Vampiress does in 1 round and she needs 3 rounds where the Vampiress needs 2. This means you fall further back every round compared to the Vampiress.

Bridge Troll has 5 basic dice as well, but Flame +2 and no armor hurt big. The biggest miss however is no Flying ability. He can't protect the Spores vs enemy Flyers.


With regard to the changes that have been made since the opening post.

Force Wave has been added to potentially max out Pillar of Righteous Flame.

A Defend and a Retaliate have been added to allow the Vampiress to go on offense when she spots a nice opportunity and not be a sitting duck after the attack.
The nice thing about Retaliate is that it can really take an opponent by surprise and it's a non-mandatory reveal, so you can keep it around to lash out at the target you want.

Biggest change was probably made to the attack spells.
I took out Force Hammer and slimmed down to three attack spells.

Why 3 ?
That's the most I'll ever put into play on a spore. One Spore will always have a Dissolve, Dispel, Teleport, seeking Dispel or Sleep on.

I don't want to cast Attack spells and throw away sbp's with my FM. I think I can get more dice in by working Galvitar instead then.

So which 3 attack spells and why ?

Hurl Rock is simply the best bang for the buck. 5 dice for 4 mana with a Daze chance on top. Plain damage though and not unavoidable.

For the two others I wanted some extra's built in in the form of extra elemental damage.

Fireblast is obviously excellent vs anything that has a reason to fear Fire and it's unavoidable and can add Burns. Pretty obvious choice.

But then, what in place of the Hammer ?
I took him out because he's too mana intensive to be put on a Spore. This book generates 14 mana per round ( with two spores out ) and wants to be able to Force Pull, use the FM defense if necessary and Fly the Vampiress if necessary, that leaves 11 mana to work with to fuel two spores every round.
Spending 9 mana on a hammer that rolls only 6 dice vs everything that is not a corporeal conjuration is not a big deal.

So I went looking for a cheaper alternative and found it in the form of a Piercing Thunderstrike.
Piercing Thunderstrike is much cheaper at just 6 mana and does a lot of the things that the hammer does, just a little different.
Both are Ethereal, so I've got that covered again.
Hammer rolls 6 dice but Strike rolls 4 + Pierce 2 which comes down to pretty much the same result vs Objects who have 2+ armor. ( except corporeal conjurations )
The difference here is that I get a 7+ Stagger Chance instead of an 8+ Slam chance and it's Lightning damage, which ups my attack dice vs certain Lightning sensitive folks.

I'll add the updated book in the first post of this thread.