#NAME: Pyromancer
#
#DESC: Creature's Decks 5:
#DESC: "The deck that a Prodigal Pyromancer
#DESC: would (and could) assemble"
#DESC: (v1.01)
#DESC:
#DESC: Well protected by solid stone
#DESC: I scorch you with lances of fire
#

Prodigal Pyromancer (10E)   *1 # actually the deck evolved to a
                               # state where it would fare better
                               # without its main creature ...

Wall of Diffusion (TMP)     *4 # 12 walls for defense
Wall of Earth (LEG)         *4
Wall of Stone (RV)          *4

Beacon of Destruction (10E) *3 # 19 direct damage spells
Flame Burst (ODY)           *4
Kindle (TMP)                *4
Lava Spike (CHK)            *4
Lightning Bolt (M10)        *4

Howling Mine (10E)          *4 # accelerates the game, makes more
                               # damage spells available

Mountain (10E)  *24


# Cards considered, but not included:
# Shock - nice damager per cost ratio, but 2 damage is too little,
#   especially since the AI likes to use it on creatures with
#   toughness >2
# Steam Blast - nice effect on all creatures and players, but
#   damage amplitude of 2 is just a bit too little.
#
# Aetherflame Wall - no need for a 4th wall
# Ball Lightning - powerful card, but the AI sometimes just casts
#   it and then doesn't attack with it, so the card is wasted
# Blaze - AI currently casts spells with "X" cost for too weak an
#   effect
# Char - damage per cost ratio too low, and damages caster as well
# Earthquake - difficult to fine-tune for the AI: too little mana
#   and the effect might be wasted, too much mana and the effect
#   might be dangerous for the AI and its creatures as well.
# Fault Line - more expensive than Earthquake for same effect
# Fire Tempest - very expensive, and too dangerous for the AI
# Fireball - AI doesn't choose targets well
# Flame Javelin - 3 mana for 4 damage is too expensive
# Flamewave Invoker - ability too expensive compared to Beacon of
#   Destruction
# Lava Axe - Too expensive for one-time use, esp. since red mana
#   acceleration is currently not possible
# Lightning Blast - Too expensive
# Puncture Blast - damage per cost ratio too low. Wither damage
#   would help against big creatures, but so do the walls, and the
#   opponent hopefully won't last long enough to bring many big
#   creatures out anyway.
# Puncture Bolt - effect too weak
# Scorching Spear - effect too weak
# Sonic Burst - AI doesn't make smart discarding decisions
# Zap - too little damage, the AI often uses it on a creature
#   that doesn't get killed by it, so the card is wasted.
# Jayemdae Tome - casting cost and ability cost too expensive in
#   that deck; Howling Mine serves the same purpose, and hopefully
#   the opponent will be dead before he can make much use of the
#   cards he draws.
# Dancing Scimitar - Perhaps add as a defense against flyers as
#   long as Aether Membrane isn't available?

# Cards removed from the deck:
# Volcanic Hammer - was a stand-in for Kindle as long is that was
#   buggy.

# Notes:
#
# The AI doesn't target the damage spells well, often wasting them
# on creatures that are tough enough to survive the damage.
#
# Oddly, the AI often doesn't block attackers although it could.
#
# Also, the AI summons walls even if no enemy creatures are on the
# battlefield. This could be useful in case the opponent has
# creatures with Haste, but nevertheless the AI would fare better
# if it prioritized other spells over wall summoning as long as no
# enemy creatures are out.
#
# The deck would profit massively from Mana Flare and Aether
# Membrane, but neither card is currently implemented.
