Hearthpwn

Hey Guys!

This is a variation of the aggro freeze mage list that LBYS played to rank 1 legend in asia!
I updated the list to the current meta. We don't play arcane golem anymore, after a lot testing I think Sir FInley isn't pretty good here. I play 1 acolythe now. It's good against the agro decks and especially paladin decks. -1 Madder Bomber +1 Acolythe of Pain. I removed Sir Finley and Arcane golem for Sorcerer's Apprentice. It allows us to play better combos with our spells. -1 Sir Finley -1 Arcane Golem +2 Sorcerer's Apprentice. 

PowerofCheez was very kind and helped me with a guide! Check out his comment below and give a like; maybe check out his decks!

Quote from PowerOfCheez >>

OnlyArion asked me to write a play guide for this, so here it is.  OnlyArion can copy/paste it into the main article if desired.  I have played about 50 consecutive games with this, from rank 16 to rank 10, and have found it to be a pretty consistent ‘fast’ deck.  Win rate of nearly 70%.  Toughest matchup in that stretch was Druid (4-4).  Encountered not a single Rogue.  The rest were all between 62.5% and 75% win rates, except 100 against two Warriors. As most agro decks should expect, I lost to every (played) Reno Jackson (any class) except one, but only encountered 4 total.  My wins nearly all occur between t6 and t11 (usually 7-9) and games were mostly 6-9 minutes (but that was mostly because I am a slow player, another reason I like fast decks).

My stats and tips are for the non-variant LBYS version of the deck (without the Sir Finley change).  I have not tested that, and only recommended it (in comments below) as a possible sub for those who hate the Mad Bomber.  Personally, if I were going to try it, would probably try it in place of a Mana Wyrm, as I love the Mad Bomber.

Play tips: Very important to open with creatures, start as the Beatdown, and force them into control mode, so mull hard for them (mulling specifics below, card by card).  The most consistent way to get in a winning position is to start by facing them with creatures as much as possible until you can’t anymore. 

Save as many damage spells (except Forgotten Torch and, sometimes, Arcane Missiles) for later play.  With the Ice Lance/Frostbolt combo serving between 7-14 damage alone at 4-6 mana (with more possible from other plays), all you need is for the early creature rush and mid game damage spells to deal about 16-23 damage (not so hard with 2-4 6 damage spells).  And stay alive long enough to collect cards required to face closing spell damage ftw.

Leper Gnome:  Always keep on the mulligan.

This is almost always your best t1 play (w/no coin).  It is more damage than the Mana Wyrm, even buffed from spells, can do with speed. When you have coin, there are sometimes better choices, depending on board state and hand.

 

Mana Wyrm:  Always keep on the mulligan.

This is your second best t1 play (no coin).  Unlike tempo decks, you want to be judicious about what you cast to buff it. If on curve, all the following are good to buff with: Coin, Forgotten Torch, Arcane Intellect, Arcane Missiles, and Ice Block. Frost Nova is ok as a buff only if being cast primarily to delay several creatures. Almost never buff with Frostbolt or Ice Lance unless it is to facilitate the finishing blow.

 

Mad Scientist:  Always keep at least one on the mulligan; you can keep 2 if you have a t1 play or coin, but it’s a judgment call…  probably better to keep two of these than pitching it and getting one of the ‘always mull’ cards.  I would always pitch the second one if you have no t1 play, though.

This is most always the best 2 mana single card play on empty board.  The reason is, you want to extract at least one Ice Block from the deck into play before you would draw it.  This makes your draws more likely to be damage needed to win.  It also lets you hold the second block if you draw it, for perfect timing after the first one is used to buy a turn.

See also the notes on Ice Block below about some timing nuances.

 

Mad Bomber: Always keep at least one on the mulligan. I would tend to keep 2 with no turn 1 play, and pitch the second one if I have a turn one play.  Reason being, most turn one plays will require you to hold this for later than turn 2. 

Early game, this is generally the best 2 mana single card play when your side is empty and the opponent has creatures down.  While it can help you establish or maintain board control, it is fine if the damage goes to the opponents face, also.  Generally, more face damage is better, as long as the opponent is forced into the control mode of having to remove your creatures, or racing evenly or at a disadvantage (from either you damaging quicker, or having stall available). 

If your hand has no other creatures, you may have to play this on an empty board or even a board you have other creatures down on… it’s a gamble, but this deck requires early game creatures to be in play and to stay on curve as much as possible.  If it hits your gnomes or hoarders, it’s not a total loss, and can, in fact, work in your favor.  Wyrms are rarely killed by it. 

 

Loot Hoarder: Always keep on the mulligan.

This is a fine play most anytime the previously mentioned cards are not available or have already been played.  Any attacks it gets are gravy, the board presence (to force opponent into control mode and keep you in beatdown) and draw to replace itself and progress you toward being able to burn them down is more important.  Never forget you can kill it yourself with hero power or a Mad Bomber if you are in top deck mode trying to reach lethal late.

 

Coldlight Oracle:  Always keep at least one on the mulligan.  Generally would pitch the 2nd one if I don’t have a t1 play or coin. Two of these with coin are great, though.

This is preferred over Arcane Golem early.  The pace of this deck and available stall options will usually give it much greater advantage over the opponent for the cards given both sides.  Against Handlock, you can even cause them to burn cards with a couple of these in a row sometimes. Generally, you cannot worry about how the cards will benefit your opponent, even when they are handlock… as long as your draws don’t hose you, you will get more from yours than they will from theirs.  This is also generally preferred over Arcane Intellect, and should be played before the spell, as it improves your board in addition to your hand.

 

Arcane Golem: Usually keep on the mulligan. except for sometimes when one or both of the other creatures are Coldlight Oracles. Also, consider pitching against Druid, as they have enough ramp.  Don’t like giving this bonus early, but I tend to keep it and hope I can wait till t4 or later from better t3 plays that I draw.

This is an ok t3 play if it’s all you have. If we were not willing to play it t3, it might as well be a Leeroy Jenkins (which is actually too slow/chunky for this deck). If you have other options that deal damage or advance your cause, usually better to play them, though. Especially play Forgotten Torch before it, as that will advance your cause faster and not benefit the opponent.  Don’t hold this for the final blow though, unless you are low on cards and trying to play around a board sweeper.  Usually you will be better getting this damage to the face before they can taunt, and using damage spells and hero ability to finish them.

 

Bloodmage Thalnos:  Always pitch back on the mulligan.

This is the only creature in the deck usually best to hold until you can get your final salvo for lethal off.  The boost to all the damage spells will usually net 3-5 more points on the last turn when you can.  You will rarely get more value from this with playing it earlier, though, if you are close enough to lethal but lacking the fire, then it can be better to play it for the draw off the death rattle.  As with the Hoarders, always remember you can kill it with your ability or the Mad Bombers if in top deck mode.

 

Arcane Intellect:  I usually pitch all these back on mulligan.  Sometimes, if I have to pitch the other two cards (two spells), I gamble and keep it, just so I will have a t3 play into extra cards if the mull is bad, too.  Have not decided yet if this is better or worse than pitching all three.  Sometimes it helped, sometimes it hurt.

This is one of the decks few clear mid-game cards. This is OK to play early if you have no other creatures, but every creature except the Bloodmage Thalnos should be played first.  Likewise, always play the Forgotten Torch  before this, even if it’s just to their face.  Because unless you have mana left after you play Arcane Intellect to use some of what is in your hand after, the only other thing it can do early is buff the Mana Wyrm.  Unless buffing Wyrms is situationally better than dropping more creatures or facing them with fire, hold it until mid to late game when you have more mana or have no other cards to play. 

Another reason to hold for later, its best played after at least one Ice Block is in play (maxing damage drawn), and even better when the other is in hand.

 

Forgotten Torch: Always keep one on the mulligan if you have a couple creature plays; usually mulligan the second, unless you have a t1 creature and coin, in which case it could be worthwhile to coin the first one out followed by the second.

This is an MVP in the deck.  Because it represents 9 possible damage (up to 11 if Bloodmage Thalnos is in play, which can happen on the same turn with Loot Hoarders/Arcane Intellect), it is a star.  NOT drawing this in a game at all will often be a factor in losing. 

Forgotten Torch is the only damage spell you really want to cast early.  And you DO want to cast it early, so you can increase the 6 damage spell count in your deck.  Forgotten Torch is also one of the only spells besides Arcane Missiles I would consider as OK to use for spot removal of even non-taunts to slightly improve board position (especially on their accelerants, like Darnassus Aspirant or Mechwarper), but even facing with it is far preferable to holding it. Only use it for removal if that happens on curve (or maybe with a mega-threat like Flamewaker).  It is usually more important to cast this ASAP than whether it hits face or board. 

Increasing the number of 6 damage spells from 2 Fireballs is very important, especially because Roaring Torch is only 3 to cast, which allows you to get 12 damage as early as t6 (2x Roaring Torch) or t7 (1 Roaring Torch, 1 Fireball).

 

Arcane Missiles: Always mulligan, unless you have 2 Mana Wyrms or Wyrm/Gnome with this. 

This is one of the weaker cards in the deck, but in combination with either the Mana Wyrm or the Bloodmage Thalnos, gains a little extra value.  If you think a t1 Mana Wyrm can live to see t3 (especially if you have a 2^nd Wyrm or a Leper Gnome in hand to play t2 with it on curve) then it’s an OK t2 play, even just to face.  I usually prefer this hits face, actually, though can be good removal, especially in combo with the Hero Power, if you need it, against enemy smalls.

 

Roaring Torch/Fireball:  Always mull Fireball.  If your opening hand contains  Roaring Torch, you are amazing, lol. 

Both are critical mid to late game cards.  Once your initial creature rush has been dealt with via removal or taunt, it’s time to split your mana between face damage from spells and stall plays to buy time for dealing the lethal you have or drawing it, whichever the case may be.  These two star players are too huge to hold if you have them.  Use them to face almost always.  Exception being, if you still have enough creature presence that they will be able to make up significantly for burning through something like a Sludge Belcher or Druid of the Claw, then sure, smart trade.  

 

Frost Nova: Always Mulligan.

Two of the four primary stall cards (six stall cards if you count the Mad Scientist as part of those mechanics, and up to 10 if, to a much lesser degree, you count Ice Lance and Frostbolt freeze mechanics). 

These are midgame/late game cards.  With these and the Ice Block, it is important to be tracking both what your opponent shows as available to face you with, and what they might have in hand… triggered Ice Blocks will always save you from lethal, but Frost Novas can be played around easier. 

It’s a tricky balance to decide whether to hold them for one more turn and maximize the damage prevented, or use them immediately and preserve a high life total earlier.  This is very dependent on both what you have in play and hand, and what they have showing.  It can be one of the more critical judgment calls, and is often the difference between winning or losing. 

I tend to favor playing it if it helps me stay on curve due to no better options, though occasionally that cost me a game where I would have won if I just held it one more turn.  You just sort of have to figure this one out.  Drawing these too early is pretty bad, as its one of the decks few dead cards, unless timed right.

 

Ice Block: Always mulligan.

The better of the stall cards, you never want to draw both… always best to get at least one out off a Mad Scientist.  The second one is better to have in hand, for best timing (except against Mages with Counterspells). 

If you need the 2^nd Mad Scientist to bring the 2^nd Ice Block out on schedule, you will be forced to gamble by playing it, and hoping they either have to attack over it with everything to trigger the first one, or that they just misplay and don’t kill it while the first secret is out.  The latter is one of the most frequent misplays I see against the deck.  Because it does not come across as the usual freeze mage, if they have not triggered your first secret, they sometimes do not realize you only have two identical secrets in the deck.

While this is always vulnerable to Kezan Mystic/Flare, you just can’t worry about those much.  You can give them a bit of consideration, timing wise (e.g. better played when opponent has a low or empty hand) but mostly, you just want to get the first one out from a scientist ASAP to improve the odds of drawing damage, and the second one in hand mid to late, so you can time it perfectly.  But if they have anti-secret tech in hand, it often hoses you as bad or worse than Reno Jackson or Justicar.  It’s just a trade-off for having such a fast deck.

 

Ice Lance/Frostbolt:  Always Mulligan: 

These are your kill cards, your combo.  You collect these and hold them at almost all cost during the rest of the game.  You have to have one bolt to maximize damage from any Ice Lances.  Together, all four are 14 damage with 6 mana, equal to Druid’s feared 2 card combo for less mana, and invulnerable to taunt.  With Bloodmage Thalnos in hand, that is 18 for 8 mana.  You can throw in an Arcane Missile, Bomber, or hero power to season to taste.  Any three of the four will also combo with the other sources of damage. 

One important consideration… all four of these can be used in a pinch to freeze a character, either some big critter, or the opposing hero. This is generally a desperation play, because unless you are very close, it hurts your maximum facial reach ftw, but if you are close, and a card short, it can buy a turn for a topdeck. 

When calculating lethal, always remember, you can use one Ice Lance to the face for no damage, to set up four from the second one, if that will get you there (along with everything else).

Also, don’t forget that you can Frostbolt your own Mad Scientist in a pinch (on a creatureless board) for anIce Block to buy a turn, or to kill a second Loot Hoarder (if you already pinged the first one) searching for that desperation topdeck ftw.

 

A close second MVP in this deck is the hero power, which you want to face them with every chance you can mid to late game.  Many of my wins would have been impossible without 2-4 pings to face over the course of the game.

I may add stats and some matchup stuff later, but mostly you play everything the same.  As with much agro, the interactivity is low, so you are less dependent on what the other guy plays than how you play what you draw.  There are a few subtle differences, like playing around board sweep, or divine favor, but mostly, its the same.

Thanks to OnlyArion for inviting my input.  I hope this helps.  Feel free to check my decks, too!  I will comment on yours if you comment on mine!