                     The ELF's Guide to the Forests
                          Supplement 2, Part II
                      version 1.1; July 29th, 1994


The soft patter of rain falling on leaves high above where you stand can
be heard quite clearly, as you wait for the Defender of the Forests. He
had been called away quite unexpectedly during when last he spoke, but his
call has gone out once again, and you are in attendance - albeit in a
slightly different place than before.

The canopy of leaves prevents any of the rain touching you, and soon the
ELF himself appears, returned from his latest journey. He nods as he sees
you, and looks around at the others who have arrived.

"Good day to you," he says. "My apologies for my hasty departure last time.
 My good friend, Raphael of Karakas was beset by two scheming wizards
 wishing to dispossess him of his home. With my aid, Raphael was able to
 send them scurrying back to their home among the Islands.

"I shall now continue my treatise on how the magic of the Forests can be used
 to foil the magic of other spheres. I have covered the Plains and the
 Islands, today comes the Swamps and the Mountains."


                           -------------------

                       The Forests and the Swamps
                       ==========================

Black magick is the form of spellcrafting I fear most when using the power of 
the Forests. My creatures are too vulnerable to most of its spells. For this
reason, any spell that can aid me against Black is doubly valuable.

Chiefly among these spells are Lifeforce and the Whirling Dervish. Lifeforce
is an expensive enchantment to run, and it slows down the development of your
deck as you keep green mana in store, but it will stop the Necromancer from
using any more of his spells. Of course, Black has Deathgrip - the absolute
equal of Lifeforce, which once out is almost impossible to get rid of using
just Green spells, as it will counter any spell you attempt to use. Try to
reduce the mana your opponent has - remember that Deathgrip has no use on
spells already in play. Green however has the advantage over Black, as it
should have more permanent mana sources in play.

The Whirling Dervish, although extremely useful against Black, suffers from
two problems - it begins out small, and is of little use and vulnerable
against other colours. For this reason, the Whirling Dervish is best
enchanted with either a Seeker spell, made unblockable by the Dwarvish 
Warriors. In this manner it can grow to be a true threat to your opponent.
Against Black, it is generally best used in defense. I have won a duel
because my Whirling Dervish could block my opponent's Cosmic Horror.

Some of Green's other spells come in handy against Black magic. Instill
Energy is the perfect solution to Paralyze. Tranquility will destroy many
of Black's more potent enchantments: Fear, Paralyze, Evil Presence,
Unholy Strength, and perhaps Weakness, if your creature has not already died.

Against Black's most feared creatures, Green has some defenses, generally
in a combination of spells. The Sengir Vampire is best stopped by a
Giant Spider and a Giant Growth spell - destroy the Sengir if you can,
leaving it around only means it will grow. The Demonic Hordes are of little
use if you gain most mana from creatures, but remember this: Pestilence will
quickly bring you down to size. It is Black's greatest attack against Green,
and there is little a Green player can do to stop it. For this reason, Green
magic should be augmented with magic from the other colours.

Pestilence will destroy Green's small and useful creatures: Elves, Druids
and Birds of Paradise. Without these, a lot of Green's abilities are lost.
To remove yourself of a Pestilence, you have only two spells, both Sorceries:
Tranquility and Desert Twister. Far better if you use the Lifeforce so that
it never is cast.

Black has little defense against Red's destructive energies, nor the
twisting enchantments of Blue. In addition, Black truly struggles against
the artifact creature - these are very valuable in your deck.

For those lucky enough to own him, the Northern Paladin, a summoning
magick known by White of course, is your best defense against Black.
A Northern Paladin and a Lifeforce will totally destroy the Black player...
if you can get them out.

A short word on how Green & Black go together: very well. Your main form
of damage dealing is still your creatures, but the magick of the swamps can
easily remove or weaken your oppoenent's creatures. Fear and Unholy Strength
make your creatures terrible to behold, and the Howl from Beyond has a large
quantity of mana available for use.


                      The Forests and the Mountains
                      =============================

Magick most destructive lies in the Mountains. All know of the power of the
Fireball and Lightning Bolt, the permanent effect of the Disintegrate. And
as these spells may be aimed at creature or wizard alike, they are feared by
many.

The Forests contain no simple defense against Red Magick: indeed, the best
counter-measures are to be found in White and Blue. However the Forests can
anticipate this strategy with one spell: Stream of Life. This will build your
health to levels from which the Red Mage must use all of his power to bring
you down, in which time your creatures can raze his fortresses. But this is
not a strategy which will lead to success: A red mage can knock down your
health far faster than you can build it up with Stream of Life. Blue and
White provide the best solutions for avoiding this damage.

The best strategy I feel can be used against the Red mage is this: Swamp
him with creatures. If he spends his time destroying those, he cannot hit
you with large Fireballs and Disintegrates.

Unlike Black, Red has no cheap destruction spell for large creatures. 
Lightning Bolt will quickly slay your smaller creatures - be grateful that
not many are likely to spring from the hands of the Geomancer, at least not
in a short sequence of time.

The creatures of the mountains are generally either (a) small and skulking
or (b) hard to get rid of. In category (a) are such creatures as the 
kobolds and goblins - hardly worth mentioning, except for their annoying
tendency to get better as their leaders appear. In category (b) are such
creatures as the Fire Elemental and the Uthden Troll - both quite 
dangerous creatures. Fortunately, the Forests often hold their equal or
better.

When facing a Red Mage, place trust in your creatures, and use your Stream
of Life. A Lured Rampager is extremely effective against Red hordes - most
of their creatures tend to be in the small to very small area.

Red has few enchantments, however one must always be wary of the Dwarven
Warriors, for a single Firebreathing on a creature so insignificant as a
Goblin can quickly ruin your day. As Red also lacks a defense against
enchantments, you can use them copiously in your deck - especially against
the Red/Black player.

Red works well together with Green. The Kird Apes in particular suit
Green's love of cheap, powerful creatures. Lightning Bolts and Disintegrates
should be used to clear the way for your creatures, or to win you the game
in a final burst of glory. Green's mana is useful in this regard.

The Keldon Warlord is dangerous in a Green/Red deck, as are the Dwarven
Warriors, which can combine with many of Green's special creatures, such
as the Whirling Dervish and the Florral Spuzzem to allow them to use their
special abilities to full effect.

I believe Fireball to be less effective than Disintegrate in a Green/Red
deck, as Green has the spells and creatures to destroy any small critters
which may block your path. Disintegrate can be used to remove creatures
permanently - use it in quantity.

Also, Tranquility is necessary in a Green/Red deck. Red has little defense
against enchantments, so this will aid you in the case of your opponent
being heavily enchantment dependent.

                    -----------------------------

The ELF rests after his talk, and awaits the inevitable questions.
He realizes that this may cause much debate, and welcomes the chance
to see others views on this subject - the eternal fascination with what
combinations of magicks work best.

"As a request," he asks of those who can hear him, "I would like those who
have knowledge of the Forest Magick practised in the Arabian Nights to
contact me, telling me of its uses - unfortunately my knowledge is lacking
in that area."

The ELF waits and remembers the past. Soon he will speak again, will duel
again... these things are always certain in Dominia.


============================================================================
"The ELF's Guide to the Forests" is a document intended as an aid to new
and old players of Magic: The Gathering. It is written by The ELF, a.k.a.
Merric Blackman, who is very interested in people's opinions of the work,
and whether he should continue to revise and expand upon his examination
of the forests. He is quite happy to have people copy and use this document,
as long as his name is always attached to it. :-)
