Spiked Buckler

[silverclawgrizzly]

Anyone else getting good work done with this card? I've been combining it with Bear Strength and smacking fools for daring to step to me. With my anvil throne I'm see huge pay offs.

[drmambo23]

In my dwarf book with armor ward and defense rune and defense ring its been working great!

Thinking of putting it in my paladin but have yet to do so

[Borg]

It's certainly a good card and combination.

As a tool for the Anvil Throne Warlord, I think it faces stiff competition from runed up Elemental and Mage Wands though. And he can still get a runed Defense/attack from Dancing Scimitar.

I think that the Buckler might suit the Bloodwave Warlord better. He already has melee +1 and Mage Wand is something I would recommend less on him as he doesn't have the cantrip ability.
A Vorpal Blade / Morning Star + Spiked Buckler + Champion's Gauntlets + Bear Strength + Battle Skill takes only 4 quick actions and 20 mana to set up and can dish out quite some damage.

[silverclawgrizzly]

I've been using my wands in my weapon hand and using the shield as my main beater. It's not as many dice but it is a nice dodge. Combine it with the Reflex Boots and you've got something nice going.

[Powlich]

Is it only me who think that the buckler shouldn't benefit from traits on your mage, like +melee or vampiric? Sure, if that was the case, it probably cost 1 mana too much right now. But when you can benefit from vampiric and such, I would say it's one of the strongest cards in the game. As it works right now, I would have no problem paying 10 mana or more if it's in the right deck.

With the Anvil Warlord, you have 3 different runes that you can attach to the buckler, which is pretty cool. Paladin is also interesting, since he get an extra chance to attack his challenged creature or the strongest enemy creature. Vengeful Aura will benefit the buckler attack. Also you have a cheaper Temple of the dawnbreaker.

[iNano78]

Until this thread, I thought Spiked Buckler was basically a [mwcard=MW1Q04]Deflection Bracers[/mwcard] with built-in counterstrike that only performed an attack when the defense was successful. I hadn't really considered using it as a primary attack, and didn't consider that it's attack, whether used as an action or as a counterstrike, stacked with other melee buffs.

I guess for most mages, as a melee attack action, the only benefit of using the Buckler's attack over the basic 3-dice melee attack is Piercing +1, but it could be especially beneficial for mages lacking a natural 3-dice primary attack (like Adramelech Warlock and Priest of Malakai). And unlike [mwcard=FWQ01]Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard], it stacks with Battle Skill and any other melee buffs on your mage, even when counterstriking... That can be huge!

So I guess a better way to think about Spiked Buckler might be that it's a melee weapon (3-dice attack with Piercing +1) that uniquely provides an attack with the Counterstrike trait (limited to once per round on a d12>7), and that also happens to double as Deflection Bracers.

[bigfatchef]

Until this thread, I thought Spiked Buckler was basically a [mwcard=MW1Q04]Deflection Bracers[/mwcard] with built-in counterstrike that only performed an attack when the defense was successful. I hadn't really considered using it as a primary attack, and didn't consider that it's attack, whether used as an action or as a counterstrike, stacked with other melee buffs.

I guess for most mages, as a melee attack action, the only benefit of using the Buckler's attack over the basic 3-dice melee attack is Piercing +1, but it could be especially beneficial for mages lacking a natural 3-dice primary attack (like Adramelech Warlock and Priest of Malakai). And unlike [mwcard=FWQ01]Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard], it stacks with Battle Skill and any other melee buffs on your mage, even when counterstriking... That can be huge!

So I guess a better way to think about Spiked Buckler might be that it's a melee weapon (3-dice attack with Piercing +1) that uniquely provides an attack with the Counterstrike trait (limited to once per round on a d12>7), and that also happens to double as Deflection Bracers.

I also never thought of it as a weapon. Strange. Must be the shield optic and defense... That fact is definitely changing the card. Thanks for the hint!

Obvious that I have nothing to tell you all here

[silverclawgrizzly]

Now I haven't taken my melee weapons out of my book. It's just as they're 5 mana and the buckler is 8 it's a lot easier to swap them for a wand if needed.

[Kelanen]

Anyone else getting good work done with this card? I've been combining it with Bear Strength and smacking fools for daring to step to me. With my anvil throne I'm see huge pay offs.

Yes, I've been using it since a promo, it's a good card!

[farkas1]

Trying the spiked buckler this weekend.  Giving my Mage bear strength and getting some work done is going to be fun.   Also I think this card is great for warlord or paladin.  With the champions gauntlets it makes it more of lasting strategy. love how the warlord is becoming a Mage that really can rely on his equipment without too much worry with the addition of the gauntlets.   

[silverclawgrizzly]

I got some work out of it yesterday. Lost my vorpal blade but  with critical strike and a Paladin aura I still had 6 piercing.

[DaveW]

So the buckler can be used as a weapon without having to defend against an attack first? I didn't know that.

Also, what is Champion's Gauntlets? I have heard that and Gloves of Skill, but I don't know what they are or where they come from. Which set are they in? Thanks!

[farkas1]

Champions gauntlets are glove equipment that protect your rings slots, as well as shield and weapon slots from being destroyed.  And the opponent must pay an additional 2 mana to destroy the gauntlets or it is prevented from being destroyed.  So there is a two step process if the opponent wants to destroy you useful wands or weapons.  It's really awesome.  The gauntlets are from Paladin vs siren.  Gloves of skills basically is an akiros favor for ranged attacks and only the attack die not the effect. That one is in lost grimore. Both sets are awesome. 

[silverclawgrizzly]

Yeah the buckler obviously isn't as hard hittin as some weapons but it is still a viable beater.

Champion Gauntlets are a major reasons Warlords are getting a lot more love as of late. I'm far more likely to keep my stuff now.

I run Gloves of Skill with my Adramelech Warlock. Good stuff.

[Beldin]

Until this thread, I thought Spiked Buckler was basically a [mwcard=MW1Q04]Deflection Bracers[/mwcard] with built-in counterstrike that only performed an attack when the defense was successful. I hadn't really considered using it as a primary attack, and didn't consider that it's attack, whether used as an action or as a counterstrike, stacked with other melee buffs.

I guess for most mages, as a melee attack action, the only benefit of using the Buckler's attack over the basic 3-dice melee attack is Piercing +1, but it could be especially beneficial for mages lacking a natural 3-dice primary attack (like Adramelech Warlock and Priest of Malakai). And unlike [mwcard=FWQ01]Dancing Scimitar[/mwcard], it stacks with Battle Skill and any other melee buffs on your mage, even when counterstriking... That can be huge!

So I guess a better way to think about Spiked Buckler might be that it's a melee weapon (3-dice attack with Piercing +1) that uniquely provides an attack with the Counterstrike trait (limited to once per round on a d12>7), and that also happens to double as Deflection Bracers.

Yes I thought this.