Priestess

[DaveW]

Here is a few big Priestess that I've been playing with for a while now. Enjoy!

Total - 120

Attack - 27
1 x Tsunami (6)
1 x Hurl Boulder (4)
1 x Force Hammer (4)
4 x Luminous Blast (4)
3 x Pillar of Light (3)
2 x Swell (4)
2 x Dazzle (2)

Equipment - 17
1 x Elemental Cloak (2)
1 x Assyran Robes (1)
1 x Leather Chausses (1)
1 x Leather Gloves (1)
1 x Staff of Asyra (2)
1 x Resplendent Bow (1)
2 x Dawnbreaker Ring (2)
1 x Colossus Belt (2)
1 x Eagleclaw Boots (2)
1 x Sunfire Amulet (3)

Creature - 19
1 x Brogan Bloodstone (4)
1 x Artemis, Dawnbreaker's Eye (4)
1 x Dorseus, Stallion of Westlock (4)
1 x Joseph Trueblood, High Cleric (3)
1 x Messenger of Bim-Shalla (2)
1 x Light of Dawn (2)

Conjuration - 14
1 x Pillar of Righteous Flame (2)
1 x Tanglevine (2)
1 x Consecrated Ground (1)
1 x Fog Bank (2)
1 x Temple of Asyra (3)
1 x Temple of Light (2)
1 x Hand of Bim-Shalla (1)
1 x Malakai's Bassilica (1)

Enchantment - 14
1 x Rust (2)
1 x Brace Yourself (1)
1 x Restore (1)
1 x Eye for an Eye (1)
1 x Galvanize (1)
1 x Bear Strength (2)
1 x Hawkeye (2)
1 x Cheetah Speed (2)
1 x Rhino Hide (2)

Incantation - 29
2 x Heal (4)
1 x Minor Heal (1)
1 x Mend (1)
1 x Martyr's Restoration (1)
1 x Resurrection (4)
1 x Force Push (2)
1 x Lesser Teleport (1)
2 x Dissolve (4)
2 x Seeking Dispel (4)
1 x Reveal Magic (1)
2 x Dispel (4)
1 x Remove Curse (1)
1 x Purify (1)

The idea in general is to use Light attacks to inflict Daze / Stun conditions while inflicting damage. To this end, Malakai's Bassilica usually comes out early, and Hawkeye usually is one of the first Enchantments cast on the Priestess. My first pieces of equipment are nearly always the Ring and the Robes. When I go on the offensive, I like to have Bear Strength and the Staff out, and when I want to play a ranged game I use the bow. Having the weapon attacks saves mana.

The specific Creatures to be brought out generally depends on the opposing Mage; they each have abilities that complement specific strategies. Three of them have Light attacks, Brogan cuts through armor, etc. In particular, I like to have Dorseus out with the Asryan Robes equipped since that nearly forces someone to play a Deathlock or Poisoned Blood fairly early. Joseph Trublood is generally good in support of nearly any creature combination.

In addition to the Light attack spells, the Force Hammer is primarily in the book to deal with a Deathlock, Swells are for Battle Forges, and Tsunami (along with the Pillar of Righteous Flame) is general swarm defense.

The book can play Temple-heavy (if I let the enemy come to me), or just to have one or two out and go on the offensive. I like the option to deploy the Messenger from the Temple of Asyra to get passive healing during Deployment. On only having six creatures and a Temple of Asyra... I tried to play without the ToA, but having it just helped in so many cases, some action advantage, the ability to cast some of the full-action cost spells and the ability to use my actions to attack.

Did I miss anything that you are curious about?
Dave

[Biblofilter]

  Seems strong.

Lots of attack spells and a nice light focus with the daze/stun.

Noticed no Teleport/Divine Intervention. But if you do that you would have to remove something, and that´s not fun.

Im making a list of luxurious spells in your book:

Tsunami - love that spell.
Colossus Belt - nobody uses it, still though -2 is really good.
Sunfire Amulet - only 3 spellbookpoints, might draw an early Deathlock
Joseph Trueblood - if you use him just for praying. I think i would put a level 1 cleric in. (not instead of him)
Fog Bank - not really a luxury, but a nice little wall.
Mend - well id rather have a better holy level 1 spell. Like Assyrian Cleric/Cure/Wand of Healing. Even if condition markers should not be a problem.
Cheetah Speed - love fast. Still it might be to expensive if its only used once.
Reveal Magic - just curious - whats your experience with this card?

[DaveW]

>Joseph Trueblood - if you use him just for praying. I think i would put a level 1 cleric in. (not instead of him)

One opening is JT turn 1 and Temple of Asyra turn 2, when JT can pray if nothing else is needed.

>Fog Bank - not really a luxury, but a nice little wall.

This is mostly in there to give a small amount of ranged defense, especially against conjurations with attacks.

>Mend - well id rather have a better holy level 1 spell. Like Assyrian Cleric/Cure/Wand of Healing. Even if condition markers should not be a problem.

I put it in for use in case I want the Life gain for little mana, while healing just a little. I had a second Minor Heal in there instead at one point. I'll have to consider the Wand though as an alternative. Thanks for that suggestion.

>Cheetah Speed - love fast. Still it might be to expensive if its only used once.

It is a luxury, and one of those spells that I sometimes think about taking out for something else. I don't really need Fast... usually just to surprise my opponent when I decide to close sometimes, maybe to be able to double Swell a Forge, or to get a couple of attacks on a Deathlock when my opponent thinks I can't get to them quickly.

>Reveal Magic - just curious - whats your experience with this card?

I don't use it often, but I really like it. For one thing, when I'm planning and realize that I will be out of mana, I can give myself a life and have a side benefit. I usually use it more to keep my opponent from revealing Hydrothermal Vent, or an enchantment on the Mage. It is also nice to disable a fragile creature's enchantment defense should I decide to kill off Fellela, etc. I look at it as a sort of in school temporary Seeking Dispel.

[silverclawgrizzly]

I like it a lot Dave. It looks plenty strong to me. Let us know how it plays for you.

[DaveW]

I like it a lot Dave. It looks plenty strong to me. Let us know how it plays for you.

I played something similar at GenCon last year. If I remember correctly, I had to Tanglevine my own Artemis twice that tournament due to Chant of Rage.

I haven't finished in the top half anywhere in tournaments with it, but I think that's more a reflection of the player than the book. I enjoy playing it because of the variety. I think I used three or four different openings in one tournament (WinterWar) with this book.

[DaveW]

I think the spell that is most likely to be removed is Resurrection, so I could put something like a Teleport in, if I wanted one.

[Jbuzzsaw79]

I think I might pull boulder for few extra points, I would try to put in maybe knight of wrst lock or few other level 2 like messager or bin or light of dawn.  Also would surgeING wave be better than swell? If no forge then slam might be nice to deal with creatures rather then push

[DaveW]

I put in the Swells for the lower mana cost. You're right, the conditions are better if attacking creatures, but I have other ways to deal with creatures anyway. The book can sometimes feel very tight on mana, depending on what I'm doing with it at the time.

I really like the Hurl Boulder as a Mage killer... last turn attack... the damage that you can do with one or two of those can finish your opponent off before he gets to react. At one point I did have a second Light of Dawn and a second Messenger, but I think those got cut due to not being used often.

Thanks for the input.

[Jbuzzsaw79]

Was wondering if it would be better to run metatron or anendell rather then artimes? I wish she hand normal spear as quick attack

[DaveW]

I toyed with the idea of adding Metatron. I think I finally decided not to put him in due to Altar of Infernia and due to not always using temples. It might not be bad putting him in for those cases where I do play temple heavy games. Good call there. If he was put in, I probably would change my enchantment support slightly also.

Artemis is just too good in terms of answering specific challenges... in particular she is a Forcemaster killer.

[Obsidian Soul]

Why focus so many points on attack spells?  You could easily get more utility from putting in an Elemental Wand.  You are also quite vulnerable to ranged attacks because you are lacking a couple of Guardian Angels.  With only six creatures, you will also find that creature heavy books like Necromancers and Warlords will overwhelm your defenses pretty quickly without suffering much in the way of pain.  I would also suggest adding a Mage Wand and a couple of Teleports and I would replace the Colossus Belt with a Regrowth or Veteran's Belt (Priestesses should not care about condition markers, as they can remove them with minimal effort).

[Reddicediaries]

Why focus so many points on attack spells?  You could easily get more utility from putting in an Elemental Wand.  You are also quite vulnerable to ranged attacks because you are lacking a couple of Guardian Angels.  With only six creatures, you will also find that creature heavy books like Necromancers and Warlords will overwhelm your defenses pretty quickly without suffering much in the way of pain.  I would also suggest adding a Mage Wand and a couple of Teleports and I would replace the Colossus Belt with a Regrowth or Veteran's Belt (Priestesses should not care about condition markers, as they can remove them with minimal effort).

Disregarding the other points, no a creature heavy book will not overwhelm his defenses quickly without suffering much in terms of damage. That just is not true, I know I have and I'm sure Dave and many others have played against such strategies and been just fine. As long as you play the matchup well, you won't get overwhelmed.

[Coshade]

Why focus so many points on attack spells?  You could easily get more utility from putting in an Elemental Wand.  You are also quite vulnerable to ranged attacks because you are lacking a couple of Guardian Angels.  With only six creatures, you will also find that creature heavy books like Necromancers and Warlords will overwhelm your defenses pretty quickly without suffering much in the way of pain.  I would also suggest adding a Mage Wand and a couple of Teleports and I would replace the Colossus Belt with a Regrowth or Veteran's Belt (Priestesses should not care about condition markers, as they can remove them with minimal effort).

Disregarding the other points, no a creature heavy book will not overwhelm his defenses quickly without suffering much in terms of damage. That just is not true, I know I have and I'm sure Dave and many others have played against such strategies and been just fine. As long as you play the matchup well, you won't get overwhelmed.

This

[zot]

Why focus so many points on attack spells?  You could easily get more utility from putting in an Elemental Wand.  You are also quite vulnerable to ranged attacks because you are lacking a couple of Guardian Angels.  With only six creatures, you will also find that creature heavy books like Necromancers and Warlords will overwhelm your defenses pretty quickly without suffering much in the way of pain.  I would also suggest adding a Mage Wand and a couple of Teleports and I would replace the Colossus Belt with a Regrowth or Veteran's Belt (Priestesses should not care about condition markers, as they can remove them with minimal effort).

you casually throw out that he needs 22 points of cards in his book, suggesting only to cut a few attack spells and a swap of one belt for another. 22 points is a huge number.

part of the awesomeness of this game is the deck building. everyone has so many different views/approaches to how they would do it. and it is a ton of fun to face different strategies in the arena. the struggle to see how well your build fares against others.

[Obsidian Soul]

I think that there is 24 spellpoints of bloat in the book.  Tsunami, the Pillars of Light, and the Dazzles can go (I would actually suggest two Hurl Boulders instead of a Force Hammer and a Hurl Boulder), which gives 11 spellpoints.  Collosus Belt, Eagleclaw Boots, and Resplendent Bow can go, which gives 7 spellpoints.  Resurrection and Lesser Teleports can go, which is 6 spellpoints.  Of course, this is only my opinion as a player, so take it with a grain of salt.