(Budget) Tempo Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

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(Budget) Tempo Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

Last updated Jul 13, 2015 (Blackrock Launch)
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Wild

16 Minions
14 Spells

Deck Type: Ranked Deck
Deck Archetype: Unknown
Crafting Cost: 1200
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 (20)

Name	Cost
Mana Wyrm × 2	1
Flamecannon × 2	2
Frostbolt × 2	2
Unstable Portal × 2	2
Counterspell × 1	3
Duplicate × 1	3
Kirin Tor Mage × 1	3
Mirror Entity × 2	3
Fireball × 2	4
Polymorph × 1	4
Sorcerer's Apprentice × 2	4
Water Elemental × 1	4
Flamestrike × 1	7

Neutral Cards (10)

Name	Cost
Mad Scientist × 2	2
Shattered Sun Cleric × 1	3
Piloted Shredder × 2	4
Azure Drake × 2	5
Loatheb × 1	5
Argent Commander × 2	6

Hey there everyone!

I am a 14x 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.

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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:

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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 Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, 1x Piloted Shredder or 1x Water Elemental

Vs Mages - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt or Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric

Vs Druid - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, 1x Mirror Entity

Vs Paladin - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric

Vs Hunter - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric

Vs Shaman - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt or Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric

Vs Warlock -
Opp Kept 2 cards or more (Aggro)? 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, Flamestrike

Opp Kept 1 card or less (Control)? 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, 1x Mirror Entity

Vs Rogue - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x Frostbolt or Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, 1x Piloted Shredder of Water Elemental

Vs Priest - 2x Mana Wyrm, 2x Unstable Portal, 2x Sorcerer's Apprentice, 1x or Flamecannon, 2x Mad Scientist, 1x Kirin Tor Mage, 1x Shattered Sun Cleric, 1x Piloted Shredder

Play-Style:

For the most part you are looking to control the Tempo of the game (be the player with on board minions, choosing the attacks, dealing small increments of damage over time). Making trades with opposing minions is pretty common, but you must keep in mind that eventually around turn 5 you really have to start pushing for damage because you can't survive in extreme late game scenarios (beyond turn 10). Try to save your Duplicate til mid to late game when you can almost guarantee solid value. Don't cast Counterspell until your opponent has used their Coin.

Vs Warriors -

Control Warrior: Be as aggressive as you can and try to play around weapons as best as possible (give them the least amount of value you can). Prevent your opponent from getting too much Armorsmith and Acolyte of Pain value to prevent huge blowouts in value. Try to save your Mirror Entity(s) til your opponents turn 5 (Sludge Belcher Turns) and beyond to hopefully get a few small minions out of their hand first. Duplicate can be your best tool against any Control deck since most of them are planning on you having Counterspell and Mirror Entity. There aren't many early minions in this deck, so you can eventually attempt to setup value for Duplicate with some of your midrange minions. Polymorph should be used on Bomb minions like Sylvanas, Dr Boom, Alexstraza, Grommash, Ysera, etc.

Patron Warrior: I've found this matchup to not be so bad depending on the number of weapons and early minions my opponent has. However if an Armorsmith or Acolyte of Pain starts to get them too much value, you will easily lose the game. Since Patron Warriors are more about building a board presence than worrying about their lifetotal, you can abuse this many times and put them on a clock. Polymorph should be used on Emperor Thaurissan, but in a pinch can be used to take out a Frothling Beserker. Flamestrike allows you 1x combo board clear if it arises, but you should be able to pressure them enough before a huge Combo and make them use some of their resources too early.

Vs Mages -

Tempo Mage: This matchup is dependent on whoever draws more early game, but the Flamewaker version is more interested in becoming the Aggro deck since they can Machine Gun you down with the Waker. If you can put them on the Defensive and gain early Tempo on board, you stand a good chance at winning since Flamewaker Tempo Mage decks typically include better quality Bombs to finish out the late game.

Freeze Mage: This is not the greatest matchup, but you have many ways to "outplay" your opponent and win. Try to be extremely aggressive in the beginning of the game and pressure them a lot. Since Freeze Mages are expecting Mirror Entity to be your first Secret, I'd recommend saving it until after at least 1x Doom Sayer has been played and bait them with a Counterspell or Duplicate first. Polymorph is your only easy answers for Alexstraza and Archmage Antonidas. If your Duplicate hits either Piloted Shredder, Azure Drake, Loatheb, or Argent Commander you can try to out value your opponent. I would not have more than 2-3 minions on the board at a time, since board clears are scary and cause blowouts if you overextend too much.

Vs Druid - This is one of those matchups where the deck shines. You have a lot of tools to defeat Druids in cards like Mirror Entity, Flamecannon, and early pressure however if you get any of your Secrets Kezan Mystic, things could change quickly. Try to be as aggressive as you can and attack your opponents face while using burn spells and removal to kill opposing minions.

Vs Paladin - Your Hero Power is extremely useful vs any type of Paladin, so don't be afraid to use it. Setting up an early board presence to control the Tempo of the game is also Key to winning this matchup. Aggro Paladin can cause this deck to lose for sure since they pressure you early and give you bad Mirror Entity targets, but you should have a decent matchup against Midrange/Control strategies.

Vs Hunter - This is yet another tough matchup and is mostly determined by you having Mana Wyrm in your opener. Midrange Hunters are a little easier than Face when playing Tempo Mage, but that doesn't make the matchup become in your favor. If Face Hunter, try to keep their board as clear as possible and when you think you can initiate a race, take it, however you are bound to lose. At least versus a Midrange Hunter, your Mirror Entities have the opportunity to snag something beefy around turn 5 or 6. Try to save your Polymorph for Savanah Highmane or Dr Boom (whatever comes first). Use your small minions to attack into Freezing Traps to avoid large Tempo blowouts. Like I said, this is a tough matchup so don't expect to win, but play towards your outs.

Vs Shaman - I would expect just about every Shaman to be Mech, so plan your hand for them. At least have 1 removal spell or early minion to clear a Whirling Zap-o-Matic or Mechwarper to hopefully put a wrench in their plans. If they turn out to be a Control/Midrange Shaman having 1x Removal spell in your hand is not a completely dead card and can eventually find some value. If you can hold early Tempo of the game and board, you will most likely win the game. Try not to overextend too many minions for a potential Lightning Storm blowout (max of 3 minions but if vs Control try to keep it to 2 minions). Mirror Entity should come down sometime around T5 to get the best value.

Vs Warlock -

Aggro: This is a bad matchup mostly because your opponent has a lot of early minions to gain early Tempo advantage. Most of the time it comes down to, "did I draw Flamestrike and get enough value? or am I dead." Aggro Warlocks also play around Mirror Entity the best since there's a lot of early minions who deny you great value. I would try to force your opponent into a situation where they need to be on the Defensive and your the Aggressor applying face damage, that way you have a better chance at burning out your opponent late into the game, I do realize this is easier said then done.

Control: This should be a decent matchup if you can pressure your opponent early and save your burn spells for mid to late game. Mirror Entity coming down right before your opponents T4 is typically the correct move to slow them down. Ancient Watcher is their best tool against Mirror Entity, but there's no way of preventing this properly. Polymorph should only be used on problematic Taunts to ensure more damage. If you don't have a lot of burn in your hand, play around Molten Giant + Taunt or Shadowflame the best you can.

Vs Rogue - This is typically a pretty good matchup since you are to focus your efforts on dealing as much damage to the Rogue as possible and have enough burn to typically finish them off. Polymorph on a Violet Teacher, Azure Drake, or Loatheb typically are your best targets. There are draws a Rogue can get that never allow you to be a part of the game, but these are rare and include some combination of Backstab, SI:7 Agent, and Prep to come ahead on Tempo. Mad Scientist is the greatest early play you can make for Tempo in this matchup since they have typically don't have many bad cards to give you.

Vs Priest - Typically Priest vs Mage is usually in the Priests favor, but this matchup feels a little more 50/50. If you can stay ahead on board and Tempo you will stand a decent chance at winning. Also knowing how to play around Priest cards is a plus, like Auchenai + Circle, Shadow Madness, Holy Nova, and Lightbomb. These are the key cards you should always keep in mind when making decisions. Don't be afraid to use your burn spells on troublesome minions to preserve your board state since minions are most likely going to be the way you win most games against Priest. Polymorph should be used on Deathlord or Injured Blademaster + Circle.

Adapting to your Meta:

Facing more Hunters and Mages? -1 Shattered Sun Cleric, -1 Flamecannon, +1 Kezan Mystic, +1 Ironbeak Owl

Facing more Face Hunters and Aggro? -2 Azure Drake +1 Antique Healbot +1 Sludge Belcher

Facing A LOT of Face Hunters and Aggro? -2 Argent Commander +2 Sunwalker

Facing more Weapons? -1 Shattered Sun Cleric +1 Water Elemental (if more control) or Acidic Swamp Ooze (if more aggro)

Facing more Control & Taunts? -1 Flamestrike +1 Polymorph

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

Card Choices:

Duplicate - I wanted a way to gain some card advantage in matchups, but was opposed to playing Arcane Intellect since you spend 3 mana to do something that didn't effect the board. At least in this deck Duplicate can come from a Mad Scientist or get played for free with Kirin Tor Mage. Also half the minions in this deck get you some great value in a lot of matchups.

Water Elemental - I wanted another 4-mana cost minion similar to the power level of Piloted Shredder that was helpful in Warrior, Rogue, Druid, Paladin, and Hunter matchups and Water Elemental was the best choice. This is also a great target for Duplicate as well.

Shattered Sun Cleric - I was in the market for another 3-drop minion to keep the mana curve of this deck balanced, but wasn't looking for a second Kirin Tor Mage (if we had 1 more secret in the deck I would consider 2x Kirin). Shattered Sun Cleric helped Mana Wyrms, Mad Scientists, Sorcerer's Apprentice, and other minions trade up as well as became an ok target for Duplicate. This card is interchangeable, but like I said was selected to smooth out the mana curve.

Argent Commander - This deck was in dire need of an end game minion that could apply pressure. So my choices in a budget strategy were either this or Sunwalker. Depending on what you are facing in your meta, you could interchange Sunwalker and Argent Commander (even do a 1-1 split). Since I was trying to stay somewhat aggressive when building this list, Argent Commander became my choice and has been working out well since the addition. These are also two great options to get out of a Duplicate as well.

Video:

FAQ:

Q - Budget Not a Problem?
A - This is what I recommend: http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/272935-flamewaker-tempo-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) Tempo Mage - Legend Grinder - Guide

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