I've been tinkering with a deck based around Path of Knives, Gusts/Winds of War, stalling terrain (acid jet, hypnotic beacon, illusory wall/barrier), and the occasional volcano. It's pretty good for up to 1100 or so but I could use suggestions on how to make it better. Boreas Level 18 Dwarf Wizard Cold Laser Whiterune Staff Sensate's Ring Booming Ring Orzo's Excellent Wand Overheated Mesmerizer Bloodfoot Robes Quellic's Boots Advanced Toughness Novice Teleportation 1 x Cooling Laser 1 x Telekinesis 1 x Penetrating Bolt 2 x Reliable Mail 4 x Chilling Rime 1 x Flanking Move 2 x Acid Jet 1 x Brain Burn 1 x Frost Jolt 1 x Volcano 1 x Toughness 1 x Big Zap 1 x Hypnotic Beacon 1 x Squeamish 4 x Gusts Of War 1 x Arcane Aura 2 x Force Bolt 2 x Little Zap 2 x Dimensional Traveller 2 x Jarring Block 4 x Path Of Knives Ambrose Level 10 Human Wizard Trog Melter Yoloxl's Staff Command Stone Crude Raygun Blood Locket Wallbuilder's Bracelet Bloodfoot Robes Sliding Boots Untrained Flexibility Novice Teleportation 1 x Flash Of Agony 1 x Flash Flood 3 x Melt Armor 1 x Squeamish 3 x Gusts Of War 1 x Team Walk 1 x Force Blast 1 x Stone Spikes 1 x Retreat 2 x Flanking Move 1 x Wall Of Fire 1 x Magma Spray 1 x Arcane Aura 1 x Slowed 3 x Jumpspark 1 x Laser Beacon 1 x Sparkling Cloth Armor 1 x Memory Loss 1 x Hypnotic Beacon 1 x Illusory Barrier 2 x Dimensional Traveller 1 x Force Bolt 2 x Winds Of War 1 x Force Cannon 3 x Path Of Knives Morgana Level 15 Elf Wizard Wallbuilder's Staff Whiterune Staff Crude Raygun Round Jade Stone Blood Locket Blood Locket Hutul's Robes Mouse Boots Wariness Novice Teleportation 3 x Winds Of War 2 x Gusts Of War 2 x Chilling Rime 2 x Flanking Move 2 x Acid Jet 1 x Force Cone 1 x Leather Harness 1 x Scouting Run 2 x Squeamish 1 x Reflexive Teleport 2 x Flash Flood 1 x Mystical Drakehide 1 x Arcane Feedback 3 x Wall Of Illusion 1 x Skip 1 x Laser Beacon 1 x Cautious Sneak 1 x Healing Dash 1 x Memory Loss 1 x Illusory Barrier 2 x Dimensional Traveller 1 x Force Bolt 1 x Maze 2 x Path Of Knives
I haven't found dimensional traveler that essential, and blocking is sometimes a problem; with the nerf to Electroporter Novice, I'm thinking maybe Untrained Electromancy?
Well, I'll be happy to make a few general suggestions so long as you promise not to use Untrained Electromancy Anyways, first lets talk about race. Your elf is rather suspect. Elves, at the cost of being incredibly frail, have good movement on their own. However you've given it a 0 trait skill and 0 trait 3 movement boots. Too much movement is thinning your attacks and creating unreliable draws. I usually use Goat Boots for tokenless mage footwear, but mouse boots are good. If you do keep them, put them on a dwarf at least. Next up is your human. Untrained Flexibility may seem like it has synergy with your build but it really doesn't. The idea with a control deck is that they never get near you. If you need a quick fix to a warrior that got too close it means you need more control/trait cycling, not a retreat card. In the current map rotation, I'd make both of these characters dwarves if you have good racial traits (I'm noticing how obsolete my trusty Apprentice Ferocity has become whilst writing this). Next up is your staves. They're all good, and all fit your team, but they're not that common, and here's why: control decks thrive at putting the opponent where they want them but are terrible at doing damage. And while your staves provide support, they lack good damage. Keep an eye out for staves such as: Searing Pain, Charring Staff, Blue Destruction, Staff Of A Million Embers, Dianon's Staff, Heartripper, Staff Of Burning Ice, Staff Of The Fire God, and Kazmir's Staff (In no particular order; just to name a few). These allow significant damage output while your opponent is being kept at a distance. Robes? I prefer the tokenless Robes Of Lightness to get 2 traits to cycle and to free up tokens elsewhere. If find it more optimal to keep Bloodfoot Robes then go for it; they're decent. Finally, to your support items. Because you have so many knives (from items and from your robes), you're actually a little short on the most important part of a control deck...control. I'd stick with no more than 5 or 6 Path of Knives total. Try to find a ton of Ring Of Appropriation. It should be replacing your less desirable items such as Round Jade Stone, Crude Raygun, and Orzo's Excellent Wand. Next, focus on 1 (at most 2) type(s) of terrain damage. Having lava, stones, acid, and laser is less than desirable because its too inefficient; you'll rarely be able to dispense all your terrain attacks in a turn. Try Bloody Bracelet to kill 2 birds with one stone. I'm bias towards only using lava and laser and using attacks to rid my opponent of armor. Waiting for the end of the round for acid squares to work their magic is usually a poor option. Speaking of acid, once you remove Trog Melter, you're going to want armor removal. D-623 Disruptor is perfect for that (but better when you have a priest to buff). My only other suggestion is, once you replace your staves with higher damage burning attacks, use your left over major tokens on Accelerate Time items and utilize the fire related arcane skills. Also keep an eye out for items that do damage and control your opponent such as Aloysi's Ring.
Exactly the sort of feedback I was looking for, thank you! Untrained Electromancy appeals to me because of the trait cycling. Defensiveness is a gamble, but so long as I have control on at least one toon I figure I could push them away from the defensive wizard. I bow to your superior expertise, however. I'd already started making some changes along these lines, and I just got my first Ring of Appropriation; I'll work on it and post the next iteration soon
I've mostly been doing damage with terrain attachments and Path of Knives, seems to work well. Do I *really* need direct damage? I rather like Squeamish
Okay, take 2. Keep in mind I'm working with a fairly limited selection of top tier cards. Badb Catha Human Wizard Yoloxl's Staff Trog Melter Ixtli Amulet Ring Of Appropriation Boiling Warper Caustic Warper Bloodfoot Robes Naradoc's Boots Trainee Command Novice Electromancy 3 x Gusts Of War 1 x Spark Generator 1 x Walk, Team! 1 x Magma Spray 1 x Spark Inductor 3 x Illusory Barrier 1 x Force Cone 1 x Force Cannon 1 x Long Spark 3 x Jumpspark 2 x Telekinesis 1 x Boiling Armor 2 x Accelerate Time 1 x Arcane Aura 1 x Flash Of Agony 1 x Burning Fingers 2 x Flanking Move 1 x Immovable 1 x Vulnerable 2 x Acid Blast 1 x Bloodied Block 2 x Path Of Knives 3 x Melt Armor Macha Ruadh Human Wizard Whiterune Staff Wallbuilder's Staff Runestone Runestone D-623 Disruptor Blood Locket Robe Of Lightness Glimmer Boots Trainee Command Novice Teleportation 2 x Gusts Of War 1 x Hardy Mail 2 x Acid Jet 3 x Winds Of War 1 x Run 2 x Hover 1 x Walk, Team! 1 x Force Bolt 3 x Wall Of Illusion 2 x Flash Flood 1 x Vulnerable 2 x Chilling Rime 4 x Squeamish 1 x Bloodied Block 1 x Dual Laser Beacon 2 x Dissolve Armor 1 x Maze 2 x Wall Of Fire 2 x Dimensional Traveller 1 x Cloth Armor 1 x Path Of Knives Anann Human Wizard Staff Of The Fire God Staff Of The Fire God Flame Warper Ixtli Amulet Pendant Of Artax Pendant Of Artax Bloodfoot Robes Goat Boots Trainee Command Focused Pyromancy 1 x Weakened Armor 1 x Walk, Team! 2 x Flame Spit 4 x Magma Spray 3 x Firestarter 4 x Fireball 1 x Immovable 1 x Acid Blast 2 x Telekinesis 2 x Illusory Barrier 1 x Accelerate Time 1 x Arcane Aura 1 x Bloodied Block 2 x Path Of Knives 1 x Dangerous Maneuver 2 x Instant Burn 4 x Glob Of Flame 2 x Little Zap 1 x Vulnerable
I recently realized Jump, Soldier! works *really* well with control decks, especially ones with Trip from Boots Of Discretion or Redstone Pendant, so I swapped some things around to make room for Thoughtful Guidance
Just got Basic Edition, did the treasure hunt for another Ring Of Appropriation. We'll see how it goes.
I abandoned direct damage entirely; without it Blood Lockets and Runestones are much more viable. I'm not using both of my Rings of Appropriation since I need the tokens elsewhere and Blood Lockets/Runestones are significantly better at a distance (Winds vs. Gusts/Telekinesis) and Squeamish doesn't hurt me much. On the lookout for Asmod's Telekinetic Chain to replace Sensate's Rings. Badb Catha Human Wizard Yoloxl's Staff Whiterune Staff Sensate's Ring Amulet Of Blades Runestone Sensate's Ring Explorer's Force Suit Glimmer Boots Thoughtful Guidance Novice Electromancy 6 x Gusts Of War 3 x Path Of Knives 1 x Long Spark 1 x Force Field 1 x Jarring Block 1 x Block, Soldier! 5 x Squeamish 1 x Run 2 x Winds Of War 3 x Jumpspark 1 x Hardy Mail 2 x Chilling Rime 1 x Spark Inductor 1 x Wall Of Fire 1 x Spark Generator 2 x Acid Jet 2 x Little Zap 1 x Illusory Barrier 1 x Jump, Soldier! Macha Ruadh Human Wizard Whiterune Staff Wallbuilder's Staff Blood Locket Runestone Ixtli Amulet Booming Ring Warp Robes Glimmer Boots Thoughtful Guidance Untrained Electromancy 1 x Defensiveness 2 x Gusts Of War 3 x Squeamish 1 x Jump, Soldier! 1 x Jarring Block 1 x Force Bolt 1 x Dimensional Traveller 1 x Mystical Drakehide 3 x Path Of Knives 1 x Dangerous Maneuver 1 x Run 2 x Winds Of War 1 x Hardy Mail 1 x Acid Blast 3 x Wall Of Illusion 1 x Wall Of Fire 1 x Maze 2 x Acid Jet 1 x Block, Soldier! 2 x Illusory Barrier 2 x Chilling Rime 2 x Flash Flood 2 x Spark Generator Anann Human Wizard Whiterune Staff Whiterune Staff Sarigo's Rod Ring Of Appropriation Blood Locket Sensate's Ring Warp Robes Goat Boots Thoughtful Guidance Novice Electromancy 6 x Gusts Of War 2 x Squeamish 2 x Telekinesis 1 x Spark Inductor 1 x Dimensional Traveller 1 x Mystical Drakehide 3 x Path Of Knives 2 x Dangerous Maneuver 2 x Winds Of War 1 x Long Spark 1 x Jarring Block 4 x Chilling Rime 1 x Immovable 1 x Spark Generator 4 x Acid Jet 1 x Block, Soldier! 1 x Little Zap 1 x Jump, Soldier! 1 x Weakened Armor
