Quite the unique board this one, and one i do enjoy for both it's simplicity and the diversity of builds one can encounter. However although i haven't got to play this league yet in the current rotation, previous history suggests, that at the mid to top tier at least, there are 3 main ways to go about it. The question is: what method works best? 1. Terrain- An abundance of illusion wall or barrier together with flash flood can make it hell for the opponent. First turn has probably never been more integral at a start of a game or in a round for this reason. Along with stone spikes, wall of fire, volcano, acid and some telekenisis etc, this can be a primary strategy, even without the other cards. 2. Burst- With one channel it would be no suprise to see ember burst, arcane burst and fireball being prominent here. A priest for buffs and heals is probably a standard as well. Elements of the first strategy would probably also be considered here, just to a lesser extent. 3. The Counter- Sometimes a wiz with an abundance of smoke bomb to neutralize the opponents potential strategies like above. Others might be so game to use 2 wars (probably raging armored nimble dwarves) with a priest to lend them a hand. The constant buffed nimble strikes together with maybe some wings of faith or a sprint, can certainly put an end to strategies 1 and 2 very quickly. What is the most consistent winner?
The basic strategy you'll see goes something like this. Wiz with all the illusory barriers War with all the parries Priest with all the heals / buffs. Put down a barrier on your opponents side of the VP. Run the warrior to the VP. Pass a lot. It's hard to beat because the barrier shuts down both movement and ranged attacks. Force cone is a reasonable counter, but you have to be clever with it.
1 x human burrft buffing priest (+ card cycle), 1 x barrier/control wiz, 1 x damage wiz of your choice 1 x dwarf tank warrior, 1 x block/cleanse/heal priest, 1 x smoke wizard These seem to be the only two strategies I see working consistently.
1x illusion/counterspell/force cone wiz, 1 x heavy armored shieldrip basher, 1x heavy armored remote block healer, all human with teamsprint and cantrip movement for good measure. Worked 'consistently' for me. Gosh i hate those words, "reliable" and "consistent" are labels for all the boredom plaguing mp.
Well, that build is variations on a theme. Death March is the most restrictive map, so it's going to feature the most restrictive builds. I'm very short on illusionary barriers (they never show up in the shops for me, granted I don't play every day). I can fit six on one mage right now with 2 x Yoloxl's Staff and 2 x Ixtli Amulet. If I can get one fired off first, then I'm 90% sure I'm going to win that match. Possible counters? Force cone a dwarf tank to the VP, then nimbus and heal him while he goes camping. Ugly, for sure. You need two cleanses to defeat one barrier, unless you've wasted moves to get to the middle of it (cleansing ray helps out here). Smoke spamming works well against burfft barriers, not so good against a tank party. Or, you could try to fly your party over the barriers, but fly is very techy. Loading up with flight auras, leaps and wings of faith means your party is going to be that much weaker when it comes time to throw down. By that time, it's likely that the enemy priest is going to have a couple of big attacks/counters saved up, and your flying warrior is going to be exposed, too far from the priest blocks and still vulnerable to winds, gusts and telekinesis.
Violent spin in your friend in DM. Strongly recommended on all characters on your team. An almost uncounterable way to force your opponent off the VP. Great for shuffling folks through barriers, first round to get your whole team on the move, Also handy to swap characters around on the VP in a single action if the HP on your tank is getting low. I even pack it on my mage to throw back approaching enemies and then fling a warrior up front.
