Defeating the swarm?

[Klaxas]

honestly, ive missed targeting requirements on a lot of cards.  the ones i usually miss are "non mage" and i assume they can target any creature.

[theduke850]

out of curiosity, how effective is Mordok's Obelisk at oppressing/suppressing a swarm?  Is that strategy best used with the Wizard (with other mana sapping effects) or can it be used effectively with another mage type?

[Shad0w]

It all depends on how much your opponent has played against mana draining builds. If they do not plan for it a well time Mordok can be game breaking.  Personally I try to have no more than 5 creatures down during my swarm just in case of of things like Mordok's.

Also if your going to slow down somebodies mana add Mana Siphon and Essence Drain (put if on the threat creatures not the weenies.)

[Nihilistiskism]

Priestess doesn't have much of a problem in my games. She can control the direction of attack with walls and her Archers tend to be able to weaken the swarm as it approaches enough to finish off the weenies before they are too much a threat.

-nihil

[Shad0w]

Priestess doesn't have much of a problem in my games. She can control the direction of attack with walls and her Archers tend to be able to weaken the swarm as it approaches enough to finish off the weenies before they are too much a threat.

-nihil

I have recommended this before and it does work if they give you the few extra turns to set it up.

[Nihilistiskism]

If I start the game by laying down a wall I have immediately shut down 1 avenue of attack, thus forcing my opponent to approach from the angle of my choosing or deal with the wall. Depending on the situation and the opponent I will often do this and a mana flower or this and an archer or this and a spawnpoint or whatever. The wall immediately forces the opponent to play on your terms. I don't need them to "allow" me to put down a wall...I just do it.

-nihil

[paradox22]

I used 2 walls to create a bottleneck and my opponents buffed up warlock  simply smashed his way through.  It slowed him down a bit, but thats about it.  Walls are good, but not without flaws/counters.

[Nihilistiskism]

I used 2 walls to create a bottleneck and my opponents buffed up warlock  simply smashed his way through.  It slowed him down a bit, but thats about it.  Walls are good, but not without flaws/counters.

Key phrase has been bolded.

Your opponent had to utilize resources to smash his way through, much like you had to expend resources to make him need to do so. The difference is that you were forcing the avenue of attack, and he had to take time and resources to deny that force. Controlling the flow of battle whether he goes around or goes through is the same result; he's playing on your turf, and playing by your rules. Yes, walls can be destroyed. Yes, they are not too difficult to destroy. However, in destroying them, you are taking time away from your attack and that is just as good from the defender's perspective. While you take your actions to destroy my wall, my Archers are taking shots at you. While you concentrate on my wall, I'm free to drop the Aegis 1 zone enchantment in the area I'm protecting.

At any rate, no, nothing is foolproof or certain, but Walls are very important strategic elements, and, when used correctly, can utterly devastate an in-your-face approach.

-nihil

[Jon.Ambriz]

Remember Nihil, that walls block LoS so if your archers can't see the over the walls then they can't attack over them.

Though, using walls to block a spawn point or bottle-neck certainly is the way to go. Especially when you have put up DOT zones like Poison Cloud to cause their creatures early damage when coming out of the spawn point, and depending on where they placed the spawn point, you could completely isolate the creatures coming from the zone. A good tactic that I have developed to deal with those points in to play a Poison Cloud, and throw in two or three Walls of Fire, depending on placement of the spawn point, so that the walls can't be hurt by physical attacks and i have a forced path for walkers to take. The DOT damage makes killing a lot easier, and the loss of the "sprint" action keeps swarmers from running creatures out of their spawn points. Should they try to run through the fire I have a Force Push waiting to send them back. Sure, I have to spend 3 mana to send them back through, but that equals out to 10 attack dice worth of damage at a max of 20 regular damage (if you perfect rolled reg. dmg) or 20 crit damage (again if you perfect rolled) and 2 - 4 burn tokens.

If a swarmer tries to run through that, their creatures would seriously be in pain.

[piousflea]

As a Wizard I would just put on a Suppression Cloak and laugh as the swarm guy ran out of Mana. It's almost hilarious how strong Suppression Cloak is.

As the Warlock I would blast the entire swarm out of existence with Firestorm or Ring of Fire. No subtlety required.

As the Priestess, check out Sacred Ground. The AoE Aegis 1 is just amazing against swarm decks. Reducing 2- and 3- dice attacks to 1- and 2- dice means that a lot of the enemy hits will  do zero damage against anything with positive Armor. Even Asyran Clerics (1 armor, 5 hp) can be annoyingly hard to kill when standing in Sacred Ground.

[PBKWMatt]

yes AOE spells and damage walls can help (with pushes and such)  taking out the spawn point can also help (or putting a gas cloud on the spawn point)  also a damage barrier (the circle of lightning) can help greatly.

I love the cloud on the spawn point.  That is great.

Suppression Cloak works well, as does flying.  Just cast Eagle Wings.

[paradox22]

Suppression Cloak works well, as does flying. Just cast Eagle Wings.

Be careful.  Eagle wings is non-mage only, and the beastmaster can always counter flying with Tarok the skyhunter...awesome defense, and +2 vs flying creatures.  Couple that with bears strength, and the bird can dominate with air superiority.

[Koz]

Suppression Cloak works well, as does flying. Just cast Eagle Wings.

Be careful.  Eagle wings is non-mage only, and the beastmaster can always counter flying with Tarok the skyhunter...awesome defense, and +2 vs flying creatures.  Couple that with bears strength, and the bird can dominate with air superiority.

Eagle Wings is non-mage only?  Crap!  Totally missed that.  I used that in my last game on my mage, doh.  Those targeting lines sure are pesky and easy to overlook  :oops:

That's kind of crazy that it's non-mage only though.  If it was seen as powerful for a mage, why not just have a steep Magebind cost?  Guess they don't want their mages flying...looks like I'll have to rely on Teleport and gaining the Fast trait for my mobility.

[paradox22]

yeah, I missed it too during my second game.  ...Wanted to have my priestess flying with her bow + eagle eye raining down shots.  : )