Hearthpwn

• With 25 likes I will post mulligan strategies. 👍
• With 50 likes I will add matchup strategies. 👍
• With 100 likes I will add more tips&tricks that will boost your winrate with Secret Mage! 👍

Changelog:

• 25.02.2018 - deck created
• 26.02.2018 - mulligan and strategy added
• 27.02.2018 - featured video from kiwiinbacon
• 01.03.2018 - added success stories
• 02.03.2018 - adding more and more tips
• 03.03.2018 - changed formatting and linked cards
• 07.03.2018 - deck hit 100.000 views - woohoo!

Thank you all for the upvotes and great feedback! I am super happy that it works for you as well. It feelsgoodman to hear someone hit rank 5 or even legend (especially for the first time!)

Success Stories:

Strategy and Tips&Tricks:

General tips:

• • obviously, you need to be smart about mulligans. if you have Kabal Lackey, secret and Medivh's Valet it is probably worth to keep everything even if it's not described here - this combination it just super rare so describing it is like saying "go and win a lottery"
  • Flame Geyser is a keep against paladin and sometimes mage
  • I usually keep Explosive Runes as early damage is very important and puts pressure on opponents
  • minions are more important than spells as you want that cheap damage so always mulligan for minions and leave Aluneth or Explosive Runes if you already have two minions. The only exception is Flame Geyser vs Paladin
  • Pinging face is very important, for example, if you have 4 mana and Medivh's Valet and Frostbolt in hand you don't play both: play Valet and ping face. Other situations: if you have 5 mana and Fireball and Frostbolt: play Frostbolt and ping face
  • Trade with the board only vs Paladin and Mage however only until mid-game. Recognizing the moment when you stop trading and go only face is the most important thing
  • You want your opponent to trade: he will try to be effective but for that, you have Flame Geyser and ping
  • using Counterspell to counter Coin is ok against Paladin and Warlock: they will protect their Call to Armsanyway - the goal is to slower those plays down (you will not counter them anyway and if you have the second counterspell there is a chance net turn)
  • Kirin Tor Mage + Secret is usually a keep if you have Coin
  • Ice Block is a keep only with Kabal Lackey - it will make your Medivh's Valet more useful

vs Warlock

• • Mulligan: go hard for minions as you only have 5-6 turns before taunt will keep them away from face. Keep Explosive Runes - playing it early is the only way to put damage from it to the face, you will also get rid of early taunts, Doomsayer or Mountain Giant. Keep Aluneth but don't keep both (only time when you do that is if you have Card NameKabal Lackey)
  • the matchup is pretty straightforward as Warlock doesn't play many early minions
  • it is ok to waste coin if your opponent played Mistress of Mixtures on turn 1 (don't trade with it)
  • vs Warlock 90% of games are won by finishing them with Pyro
  • try to keep Counterspell for after turn 5-6 when they want to use Dark Pact or Lesser Amethyst Spellstone

vs Priest

• • Mulligan: go for minions but keep Explosive Runes and Aluneth (yes, you can keep both)
  • Play Kabal Lackey even if you don't have secret to follow up
  • it is ok to coin out Arcanologist even if they have Northshire Cleric on the board - they will be tempted to draw
  • don't use Frostbolt or Medivh's Valeton minions, the only time you use Frostbolt this way is if you need to stop some bullshit minion from killing you
  • Do not over invest to the board turn 3-4 if you are playing against Dragon version. Duskbreaker will clear your board so ideally you want to have Explosive Runes and refill
  • If they have Drakonid Operative on the board and you Kabal Crystal Runner ping it so its 5/5. Priest will have to spend 2 mana to heal it before the attack or trade, if he trades he will have 1hp left anyway

vs Paladin

• • Mulligan: Flame Geyser is a keep but you really really need minions, if you have 1 and 2 mana minion you can keep Primordial Glyph: look for cheap AoE from it (2 mana Fireball is also fine;-))
  • this (and vs Mage) is the matchup when you don't care about pinging face that much: focus is to win the board, however, don't over commit to that as you really need damage to go face
  • matchup is actually not that hard - the most tricky part is to recognize when you lost the board - usually turn 4-6 you will know. Often you will win the board (I know this sounds surprising); with some early minions and Kabal Crystal Runner it is possible(!). If you lost it your only way to win is go face
  • if you have Mana Wyrm it is ok to use Frostbolton face to prevent them from using a weapon
  • Don't ping Righteous Protector on turn 2, it is way better to play minion instead
  • if Paladin is face tanking your 4/3 it is fine but you probably need to change strategy and go all face
  • vs Murlocadin: do everything to clear the board until turn 4-5, if you manage that you should be fine

vs Mage

• • Mulligan: as usual: you want minions. If you have 1 and 2 mana minion you can keep Aluneth or mulligan for it. I usually keep Aluneth if I have 1 mana minion or 2 mana minions with Coin
  • In this matchup, your Medivh's Valet Battlecry probably trades
  • if you have two minions and one of them is cheap Kabal Crystal Runner and you expect Explosive Runes play one with less health first (except Kabal Lackey - 5 damage is too much)
  • Don't give too much credit to counterspell (Flame Geyser is perfect card to sacrifice it, but Primordial Glyph is also fine)
  • Flame Geyser and token are perfect to finish minion or kill Sorcerer's Apprentice
  • Usually, however, starts trading minions will get behind and lose
  • Trade with spells not minions
  • If you feel or you tested and know he played Counterspell sacrifice yours instead of sacrificing Explosive Runes. Damage will be important than spell if you want to win.
  • This matchup is not race - it is fight for the board 

vs Hunter

• • Mulligan: wait as much as possible and see how many cards opponent kept - usually they mulligan hard for Barnes and you want minions but keeping Primordial Glyph for Barnes bullshit is good
  • Explosive Runes is useless, almost the same with Aluneth (too slow)
  • you want to play Counterspell turn 3 to prevent Animal Companion 
  • don't use Frostbolt on the face - you want them to face tank, keep it for Barnes bullshit
  • the matchup is pretty good actually 

vs Rogue

• • Mulligan: minions, Explosive Runeis always a keep
  • this is easy if you see it is Kingsbane Rogue don't equip Aluneth [/card]and keep [card]Frostbolt to use it when the weapon will become big as you don't want them to heal

vs Druid

• • Mulligan: minions but keep counterspell (you want to slow them down/prevent turn 4 armor) and/or aluneth (depends if you have turn 1 play)
  • hardest matchup as Druid has a lot of armor gain, fortunately there isn't many druid on the ladder

vs Shaman

• • Mulligan: minions, Explosive Runes is a keep
  • turn 6 or 7 they will do evolve bullshit but it should be too late
  • Jade version has some heal but you should be good with doing enough cheap damage early (Counterspell on Jade Lighting is great) to finish it it in the mid-game

vs Warrior

• Mulligan: as always:-) keep counterspell, don't keep Aluneth as they play Coldlight Oracles and can make you overdraw

Video from kiwiinbacon 

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