There were multiple options open before Xander. He could use his Chaotic Gambler skill to retrieve the card he had just played. It would allow him to summon the illusory clones once more. However, he had a hunch that the mage would not fall for the same trick twice.
The second option was to use his direwolf to create a distraction, but now that the Frostweaver was armed with an ice scythe, handling a beast at close range would be easy work for him.
The best way to handle a magic caster was by stabbing him with the Dagger of Diminishing to silence his spell casting and turn him vulnerable. But Xander hadn't re-awakened the relic before entering this Dreamscape.
Instead of rushing at the Frostweaver and engaging him in close combat, Xander measured him from a distance, carefully analyzing his stance. Just by looking at the way the mage held his weapon, Xander could sense that he was trained in melee combat.
