As for the gem generators/converters/creators we have everything a plenty except the purple gem. Yeah spider makes purple, but has something extra that’s rather a negative side then a plus side. And we have green slime that’s very conditional. . And of course sacrifice that has even bigger downside them GS xD
if/when Kraken gets its 3rd trait fixed, I will try that in first. Green/Purple only blocks Mab (which gets full from blue anyway), will do damage while cycling, and in a pinch can cast for damage, blue gem creation, and potential devour.
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That’s my plan, too. Purple isn’t a big deal if you get it blocked and Mab only ever should cast if your first troop is entangled, your first two troops are dead, the enemy has something like a Gorgotha that you want dead faster, or their first troop has like 6 HP left and you don’t want to take skulls off the board to kill it
On another note, I’d like to add that the title of this video/thread is what I made the long textwall thread about. The state of invade teams is ridiculous, and there isn’t really any challenge in it any more if you play things right. Honestly, I look forward to the next big patch to add some more flavor to this, and maybe tone down Guardian power a bunch
I tried placing a fully traited Assassin in the first slot for shits n giggles and I do say it works out quite nicely in a Mab Justice setup! Still use the Cauldron to catch green/brown but otherwise it’s hilarious whenever the Assassinate trait triggers 
It can be rather fragile though until the loop starts.
Any comment from devs? @sirrian @nimhain?
Seems all the Guild Guardians need some adjustment, one way or another…
People keep saying that, but I don’t get why. Creating gems in and of itself has no value unless you also gain mana from it, and since Mantis’ spell can not guarantee even a single 3 match, it means his spell has a chance to do absolutely nothing (for you, that is. the enemy will quite enjoy it). If anything, I’d say that spell costs a bit too much.
In comparison, any other (single or double) gem creator also does something else, so even if they miss you still gain something. Deep Borer (cost 9) guarantees getting the mana from the column it destroys, and the armor gain. Serpent (cost 7) poisons and gets life. Siren (cost 9) and Rock Worm (cost 8) deal damage. Anariel (cost 12) gives life to everyone. and so on.
On top of it, the (cost 9 or less) troops I mentioned actually have a higher chance to get a 4-match and an extra turn (assuming there’s enough of their color) because all of the existing gems on the board are guaranteed to stay where they are, while if for example you cast Mantis on a board full of blue, some of the blue gems on the board may be switched to yellow, making it harder to get a match unless the board is full of both colors (which is also harder to achieve).
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Justice is lovely when it works. It’s also tooth-grindingly frustrating when it gives you nothing, but sets up 4-of-a-kind skulls for the enemy over and over.
RNG teams are feast or famine, kinda by definition.
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And same can be applied to mantis.
I don’t know… I’ve always hated gem creators because they can and will backfire. Over and over again. When you compare them to proper loopers they are vastly underpowered because they have such a huge downside. Proper loopers can choose which color to change and guarantee a four of a kind. Gem creators can not.
Also with jarl… he’s easily comparable to mantis. When I use him I have to pair him with Mab because that backfires half the times I use him I swear lol. The competing colors that mantis has is another form of balance. Makes it harder to match 4
Mantis is in a spot where I wish all gem creators were in in terms of amount created. It’s bad enough that the gems you create aren’t actually created because they can take over the same color they’ve created and instead really only create half of what it says (that was my horrible experience with the devoted one when I used her with my rowanne team for an armor buff)
I don’t know if I’m just unlucky or…
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In past I used a lot of Jarl (since he was my first legendary and back then before the new pvp and traits he was quite strong. But asides that he dealt very nice damage and could refill itself he tended to missfire which usualy results in complete kill to your team. At least it used to be xD
Haven’t really used random gem generator in any recent times. Goblin shaman is the only random creator that can work because he can’t fail (unless he is frozen but hey).
The team you suggest is still a lot better with soothsayer than with the mantis, I’ve lost a few games with it already after casting the mantis and giving my opponent a 4x or 5x prior to being able to cast justice. Not as good as you mention.
Let’s just disagree on that. Creating gems is possibly very powerful. You could easily fill Mab, Khorvash or other strong troops straight from this, and get the extra turn, so getting you their strong spell for only nine mana.
Mantis creates eighteen gems for only nine mana, which is a lot by comparison to any others I can remember.
If they were all the same color, maybe that would amount to something.
If you want something to compare that to, Anariel also creates 16 gems (yes, it’s 16 for both, not 18), but also gives life to everyone (for me it’s 16 life to each ally) and costs 12 mana, which means the giving life part of the spell is supposedly only ‘worth’ 3 mana. How much do you think you can up Mantis mana cost without making him look like a joke compared to Anariel? I personally think he already is.
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That’s why I always try to include Mab on gem spawn teams, even when they’re not focused around blue or purple. Freeze spam really helps reduce the backfire.
Or you don’t get the extra turn and set the board for enemy mab/khorvash to freeze/stun you and get filled. That coin had 2 sides and no matter how much you try you can’t manipulate the outcome.
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I agree. Gem creators are great, until they aren’t. Give me converters anytime.
pets her Forest Guardian
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Basically this. But if you create enough gems. Say… Fifteen or sixteen, like this or the guild guardians, you’re bound to get a match somewhere. Especially on boards that have been prepped by converters.
Also gem creators are a LOT less dangerous with Mab in your team.
I’d like to take this opportunity to express my burning h̶a̶t̶r̶e̶d̶ love for Celestasia.
@Velkyn and I have co-nicknamed her “Moon-Moon the Mana Dragon”, as she is capable of turning a match either way with her cast, either carrying a match 1v4 against a full health enemy team, or completely ruining everything for everyone, screwing you over, and acting like she has intelligence on par with a certain very derpy wolf in a (hopefully) somewhat well-known meme.
I have seen Celestasia, unascended and untraited finish a match against MercyMaw at the peak of its awfulness after Maw had devoured my first and last troops, and murdered the second with skulls early on. Gem creation and looping can be VERY powerful
But on the other hand I have also had it create brown gems in all the right places for a Maw to devour it straight out, then go on to murder the rest of my team with extreme prejudice.
I want to beleive mantis is good, even in the team that was shown mantis looked good, however i just do not feel the insect is more than an insect.
Meanwhile on planet @killerman3333… translations can be made available for other readers at a reasonable price in gems…
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