(Budget) Mech Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

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(Budget) Mech Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

Last updated Mar 13, 2016 (Explorers)
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Wild

22 Minions
8 Spells

Deck Type: Ranked Deck
Deck Archetype: Unknown
Crafting Cost: 1360
Dust Needed: Loading Collection
Created: 7/11/2015 (Blackrock Launch)

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wingsofwaxiii
Deck Architect
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Battle Tag:

WingsOfWax
Region:

US
Total Deck Rating

7351

View 85 other Decks by wingsofwaxiii

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Mage Cards (14)

Name	Cost
Mana Wyrm × 2	1
Flamecannon × 1	2
Frostbolt × 2	2
Snowchugger × 2	2
Unstable Portal × 2	2
Fireball × 2	4
Goblin Blastmage × 2	4
Blizzard × 1	6

Neutral Cards (16)

Name	Cost
Clockwork Gnome × 1	1
Cogmaster × 2	1
Annoy-o-Tron × 2	2
Ironbeak Owl × 1	3
Spider Tank × 2	3
Tinkertown Technician × 2	3
Mechwarper × 2	4
Piloted Shredder × 2	4
Azure Drake × 1	5
Loatheb × 1	5

Hey there everyone!

I am a 16x Legend Player with 2x Top 100 finishes who goes by the battletag WingsOfWax or WingsOfWaxIII on other social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Twitch, and YouTube).

Don't forget to +1 if you enjoyed the guide/decklist. A lot of time and effort went into these and it's a free and easy way to say thank you.

Introduction to my YouTube Channel:

Currently I will be starting up a series of guides to help newer or budget players develop decks that can be purchased for under 2,000 Dust each (also Requires Naxxramas Unlocked) and compete with the current Meta enough to help you achieve your goal of High Ranks or even Legend.

As of right now, these are the guides I have available:

**I know a lot of players are interested in the Mech Mage strategy still, but I felt I must tell you that I believe the Budget Tempo Mage list is more consistent and gives you more ways to out play your opponent. If your looking for a more solid Budget Mage solution, the Tempo list is what I'd recommend**

Along with this deck list, I have wrote up a small guide to help any new players understand how to choose Mulligans/Opening-Hands, Play-style, and adapting to your current Meta.

Here is a "Rough" Guide to help you on your quest to Ranking Up/Legend

Mulligans/Opening Hand Keepers:

Vs Warriors - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 1x Annoy-o-tron, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank

Vs Mages - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Mechwarper, 1x Snowchugger, 1x Frostbolt, 1x Flamecannon, 1x Spidertank

Vs Druid - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 1x Flamecannon, 1x Annoy-o-tron (if Mechwarper = Yes), 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank, 1 Piloted Shredder (if Mechwarper = Yes)

Vs Paladin - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 1x Annoy-o-tron, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank

Vs Hunter - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Annoy-o-tron, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, Ironbeak Owl, 1x Goblin Blastmage (if Coin = Yes)

Vs Shaman - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 1x Frostbolt, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank, 1x Piloted Shredder (if Mechwarper = Yes)

Vs Warlock -
Opp Kept 2 cards or more (Aggro)? 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 1x Frostbolt, 2x Unstable Portal, Ironbeak Owl, 1x Annoy-o-tron, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank

Opp Kept 1 card or less (Control)? 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, Ironbeak Owl, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank

Vs Rogue - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 1x Annoy-o-tron, 2x Mechwarper, 2x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank

Vs Priest - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Cogmaster, Clockwork Gnome, 2x Unstable Portal, 1x Frostbolt or Flamecannon or Ironbeak Owl, 2x Mechwarper, 1x Snowchugger, 1x Spidertank, 1x Piloted Shredder

Play-Style:

You are for the most part the Face Aggressive deck. There isn't any great late-game plan here, so you need to get in for as many points of damage as possible. Versus other Aggro decks you (other than Hunter) you can afford to make small profitable attacks to kill opposing troublesome minions. However I would recommend only attacking your opponents minions if it means you will come out ahead in the race or will be able to deal more damage in the following turns.

Vs Warriors - Your ideal opening start would be something along the lines of Annoy-o-Tron or Snowchugger (hopefully with a Mechwarper involved) to help prevent them from getting Weapon Value or slow them down. However there are a lot of great aggressive 1-drops in this deck and I would not advice you to mulligan them because occasionally Warriors don't always have the Firey Win-Axe. Try to prevent your opponent from getting Armorsmith and Acolyte of Pain value, since this is one way they can easily take over the game. If your against Control Warrior, save your Ironbeak Owl for Sludge Belcher, if your up against Patron Warrior, feel free to use Owl on Acolyte of Pain.

Vs Mages -

Tempo Mage: Typically you are faster in this matchup, however Tempo Mage usually earns its wins through Flamewaker, so this is priority number 1 to clear. I would try to push for as much Damage as you can and use your Flamecannon and Frostbolts to clear early Mana Wyrms or Flamewakers. Whoever gets early Tempo in this matchup is the winner, so try build a board presence, get in as much damage as possible to your opponents face, kill minions if it forces your opponent into awkward scenarios or leads to dealing more damage in the future. Some Tempo Mages do still play 1x Flamestrike, but I would not play around it mostly because you can't afford to in this matchup, so if they have it you will lose but not all do.

Freeze Mage: This is one of your worst matchups. One of the nice things about this deck is we don't run Mirror Entity which is beneficial against Freeze Mage since they try to abuse this by giving you a Doom Sayer. Just keep pushing for Damage and pray for a miracle to find enough burn to kill them. Try to time your Loatheb for a turn where there's at least 2-3 minions on board and it prevents them from board clearing.

Vs Druid - If your opponent gets a nutty start with Innervate or Zombie Chow into Wild Growth you will have some issues since you can't punish them with Mirror Entity. However I have not seen a lot of Druid in my Meta, which if you are I will leave a set of changes in the FAQ to fit Mad Scientist and Mirror Entity. For the most part tho, you need to use your Spells to remove minions and keep pushing for damage to your opponents face. Annoy-o-Tron can setup to protect your board for a turn and Snowchugger can keep their Hero Power on lockdown for a while. If you get a very aggressive start, you have a very high chance of winning the game. Try to save Ironbeak Owl for Sludge Belcher or Ancient of War if you suspect your opponent of being Taunt Druid. Feel free to use Flamecannon on a Shade of Naxx or use it later on a troublesome taunt.

Vs Paladin - Mana Wyrm will always be your best start against any Paladin, but your other 1-drops are also good. Try to preserve Snowchugger to keep your opponent from getting weapon value. If your playing against Control use your Owl on Sludge Belcher or Tirion. If your playing against Aggro Paladin, use your Owl on Haunted Creeper or Shielded Minibot to get some value. Aggro Paladin can out race you so you should try to control the board best you can, where as Midrange/Control Paladin I would advise the opposite and try to push for as much face damage as possible.

Vs Hunter - Mana Wyrm again is the best card to start with in this matchup, but just about any 1-drop would do. You need to be the one pushing for Face Damage and if the Hunter puts you in a Control role, you will most likely lose. Try to use Annoy-o-Tron to protect your lifetotal or other minions. If you can, get Snowchugger going before your opponent gets the chance to play an Eaglehorn Bow. There are a lot of cheap minions in this deck, so Freezing Trap isn't as it is against a lot of other classes. Keep in mind Explosive Trap before playing a fist full of minions if you see a Secret in play. Goblin Blastmage is another strong card in this matchup, so try to get some value out of him. Uses for Ironbeak Owl include Mad Scientist, Haunted Creeper, and a Taunt Minion.

Vs Shaman -

Mech: Try to keep your opponents board cleared as best as possible. As long as they can't connect for a ton of damage with minions you should be able to beat them. Snowchugger and Annoy-o-tron are always great cards against weapons, so use them wisely. Uses for Ironbeak Owl include a Powermace Target, Flametongue Totem, and Whirling Zap-O-Matic.

Midrange/Control: Your best way to win is cluster the board with about 3 minions, and keep the board under control while getting in for small increments of damage. Doing this allows you play around Lightning Storm without getting blown out too hard. Whenever you trade a minion away, replace it with another and try to keep a second wave of minions (at least 2 minions) in your hand for back up. Ironbeak Owl targets include Mana Tide Totem, Flametongue Totem, Sludge Belcher, or any Taunt in your way.

Vs Warlock -

Aggro: You need to be the aggressor in this matchup and try to push for damage while making small trades here and there to prevent your opponent from getting too much value. If you spend too much time and resources trading your opponent will out pace you with their Hero Power or mid to late game minions. Ironbeak Owl targets include Nerubian Egg, Haunted Creeper, and Void Caller.

Control: In this matchup try to be as aggressive as you can and save your burn spells to finish out the game. When casting your minions, keep Hellfire in mind since this can cause blowouts if you let it happen. If you can help it, play around Molten Giant + Taunt or Shadowflame. Ironbeak Owl targets include Taunt minions and only Taunt minions.

Vs Rogue - This matchup tends to be in your favor if you can get some of your decent cards for this matchup. Annoy-o-tron and Snowchugger are your best tools here so use them wisely. Try playing around Bladeflurry best you can (do not extend more than 3 minions at a time on the table). As long as you drew some of your best tools and you could connect for some damage, you should have an easy time winning this matchup since Rogues don't typically play Taunts and only run 1x Antique Healbot for their heals. If you find any value for Ironbeak Owl, take it because it's typically dead in this matchup.

Vs Priest - Mana Wyrm and Cogmaster are your best 1 drops since they can trade for a Zombie Chow or eat a Northshire Cleric. In this matchup I would consider keeping the Ironbeak Owl to answer Deathlord since this can be a huge problem card in this matchup. Don't be afraid to use your burn spells on minions to keep yours alive longer. Try your best to play around board clears such as Auchenai + Circle, Shadow Madness, Holy Nova, and 1x Lightbomb. This is not a great matchup since Priests are designed to hate on aggressive decks, but the matchup is still winnable.

Adapting to your Meta:

More Taunts, less Aggro? -1 Blizzard +1 Ironbeak Owl

More Patron Warrior? -1 Blizzard +1 Flamestrike

More Aggro, less Control? -1 Flamecannon +1 Ironbeak Owl

Make other changes as you see fit or if you just have the urge to try something new.

Card Choices:

Mana Wyrm - There are a lot of Mech Mages that don't run Mana Wyrm mostly because there isn't a lot of spells to support it. However since we are on a budget, I found trying to make the deck more aggressive our best option to having a competitive deck and Mana Wyrm is the best Mage early minion for the job. There is also just enough spells to support it as well as gives your Coin some extra value as well.

1x Clockwork Gnome - Not the strongest minion in the deck, but felt worthwhile to at least include a one of in this list for the matchups where players don't have a Hero Power to answer it. However having 2 in the list would start getting a bit clunky and setup for really poor topdecks mid to late game. The Spare Part isn't all that important but can find occasional uses.

1x Ironbeak Owl and 1x Flamecannon - I feel these can be interchanged depending on what you are facing so having a mixture of both seemed like the best bet for now. The Owl is here mostly to have a decent answer against Sludge Belcher, Nerubian Eggs, and Mad Scientists. Flamecannon is there to help combat Taunts, Shade of Naxxramas, early 3 or 4 health minions, and help pump up your Mana Wyrm.

Blizzard - Since we don't have the option to run Archmage Antonidas or Dr Boom in this budget version, I figured a board clear would be appropriate. You may be asking, why Blizzard over Flamestrike? Flamestrike is an overall great clear for 7 mana, however in this deck we are not looking for a clear. Blizzard serves the purpose of weaking/killing minions on our opponents side of the table as well as freezing them for a turn to allow our on board minions to get an additional attack in to get ahead in the race. Blizzard against aggro decks is like Loatheb against control decks, it buys you another turn to attack with your minions and get in for more damage. However if you are running into a lot of Patron Warriors, I would recommend trading in the Blizzard for a Flamestrike to clear their first combo wave properly.

Video:

Deck Overview -

Gameplay & Commentary:

FAQ:

Q - Budget Not a Problem?
A - This is the decklist I recommend: http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/272934-mech-mage

Q - 2k Dust and Naxx? That seems like an expensive "budget."
A - These guides are intended for people looking to spend some Dust/Gold and have the ability to acquire at least the bare essential Adventure Mode, Naxxramas. Budget is much different than F2P, which is why I don't label my decks and guides as F2P to cause confusion. Budget means you are willing to spend a little, where as F2P means ...well....Free.

Q - Why not use BRM in your series?
A - I was trying to build a series based on the bare bones to help encourage newer or budget players try their hand at Ranked with competitive decks without spending too much Dust/Gold. Naxxramas is completely necessary to building most decks, where as BRM mostly just creates new strategies and gives you extra tools that compliment decks.

Interested in learning more? Feel free to stop by my stream, in which I play a variety of decks and try to help educate players on making better decisions and improving their game play. Here's to hoping this deck/guide is in some way beneficial to your Grinding Experience!

Hearthpwn

(Budget) Mech Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

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