Hearthpwn

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for Loathebs (don't use your Time Warp after he is dropped as the +5 mana cost effect WILL last throughout your extra turn), Dirty Rats pulling Antonidas or Apprentices, Eater of Secrets, Flare, Eye for an Eye or fatigue damage at 1 health, etc.

You can actually recover from most of the above things if you plan ahead, except for Eater of Secrets/Flare and Eye for an Eye if you're at one health. Fatigue should be avoidable and Loatheb will only beat you if your opponent knows the precise turn to drop it (they usually drop him too early).

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KFT UPDATE:

(CURRENTLY RANK 5 (played from rank 9 w/ 20-8 record; will include matchup breakdown soon when I have played more games.  Meta is much more Exodia friendly since KFT [less aggro]).

After some testing of the new cards, I found that Simulacrum is superior to the previously discussed Echo of Medivh and Duplicate.  Being able to copy a minion without playing it first is just better and it provides protection against an Apprentice that got Dirty Rat'd / Deathlord'd.  You can accelerate your combo with additional Sorcerer's Apprentices, get more cards with Coldlight Oracle, more quest pieces with Clockwork Gnome, or even get an extra Emperor Thaurissan, etc etc.

Take a look a the change-log for specific card swaps.  Thanks for the support.  -Kiz

 

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(**OUTDATED**) STATS FOR PREVIOUS SEASONS (reached rank 5 and rank 10 the following season over the course of 100 games; currently testing KFT updates and will update progress)
68-32 (breakdown of matchups are below)

HOW TO PLAY THIS DECK

-It's a tricky deck, but the goal is contest the board early with your mix of 1- and 2-drop minions, Frostbolts, and Primordial Glyphs.  There is less aggro out there right now, but if you're getting steamrolled in the early game consider using Mana Wyrms and Mad Scientists.  You will inevitably have to give up the board and wait as long as you can before using your freeze spells to stall out the game while you continue drawing through your deck.

-The Coin satisfies the Open the Waygate Quest requirement.  Make sure you don't forget this.  If you have coin, the best play is still just Mana Wyrm on turn 1 (don't coin out two one-drops).  Hold your Quest and Coin until the next turn unless you have an Arcanologist (or Clockwork Gnome) to drop, in which case you can just continue to disguise your deck's true intentions.  Just make sure you play the Quest before your Coin.

-Use your glyphs after your opponent has dropped a minion or two so that you can best pick how to react.  It's hard to pass up an extra Molten Reflection, Ice Block or Frost Nova, etc., but if you think a big removal like Flamestrike or Meteor will do a better job at extending the game by clearing the board, then go for it.

-Your Spare Parts from Clockwork Gnome can work wonders.  In particular, Time Rewinder, Finicky Cloakfield, and to a lesser degree Emergency Coolant can all be game-changers.  More on these below.

-Simulacrum is a fantastic new tool for Exodia mage.  You can use it to copy whatever you need most, be it more Apprentices, Coldlights, Clockworks, Doomsayers, or even Thaurissan.

-If you've included Echo of Medivh, try to use it on at least 2 targets.  Coldlight Oracle is probably the best target, but Mana Wyrm, Sorcerer's Apprentice (which will make using Echo and potentially additional spells easier during the turn), Doomsayer, Clockwork Gnome and Arcanologist are all great to copy.  This is not intended as a part of the combo, but with the right discounted combo pieces from Emperor it can also serve that role.

-Frostbolt can be used early to clear threats or late to freeze up a big minion in order to stay out of lethal range.

-Only use your Frost Novas and Blizzards when lethal becomes a possibility for your opponent (unless you think a Doomsayer/Nova combo will 100% clear an early dangerous board)

-How do you beat other mages with Ice Block? Easier said than done, but you want to get your entire combo in your hand before dropping Emperor Thaurissan.  While E.T. is not technically necessary in this deck, being able to pull off your infinite Fireball combo, pop the block, and cast Time Warp all in one turn makes this deck that much more potent.

-Calculating your combo can be tricky.  If your only chance to win is to pull off a one-turn combo because you haven't completed your quest, then Emperor Thaurissan needs to get a tick on 4 out of 5 pieces (2 Apprentices, 2 Moltens, Antonidas).  Just make sure you have a spell ready to begin your infinite Fireballs (the last Molten can usually be used to begin your chain)

If you've completed the quest when you drop E.T., that's when you'll be able to pop block and cast Time Warp in the same turn vs. Mages or Priests who've stolen an Ice Block.

OVERDRAWING & FATIGUE DAMAGE

-Planning out the order you drop stuff will help you avoid overdrawing. Experience with the deck will help you avoid fatigue. Unless you're facing a Mill rogue it's not usually an issue to overdraw.

PLEASE be careful and remember that Time Warp is a spell that will be added to your hand. Make sure you're not holding too many cards with a Clockwork Gnome on board. Make sure you don't have a secret up like Duplicate or Mana Bind which can both be awesome but dangerous while holding 9 cards.

WHY CLOCKWORK GNOME?

I have found that Clockwork Gnome is pretty much the MVP of this deck. The Spare Parts synergize excellently with:

Doomsayer - you can receive Stealth (Finicky Cloakfield) and assure yourself of a board clear or Taunt (Rusty Horn) and one-attack (Whirling Blades) spare parts which both make a huge difference against aggro.

Coldlight Oracle - the primary draw engine of the deck. Combo with Time Rewinder. Pull this off and you can reach your combo two turns earlier. Huge deal.

Arcanologist - same as Coldlight Oracle; thinning your deck is hugely important.

Emperor Thaurissan - Stealth him and gain an extra tick on everything. GG.

Archmage Antonidas - Stealth him when facing aggro to set up a faster kill. Bounce him for a free Fireball

Sorcerer's Apprentice - you can't put these on the board until your TTK unless.... you have a Time Rewinder. If you have a logjam of spells in your hand, play your apprentice before casting your spells, then your spare part to bring it back to your hand.

Reversing Switch - great for facilitating board trades, removing shaman totems, or just making an aggressive enemy minion less of a threat.

Emergency Coolant - Mixed with your Frostbolts and Cabalist/Glyph freeze spells, you can often muck up your opponent's plan for lethal and delay them while trying to find your Frost Novas or Blizzard or last Ice Block etc.

Did I mention these satisfy the Quest requirements also and for always a guaranteed 1-mana?  Spare Parts are the secret ingredient to open the Wild Waygate!

MULLIGANS & CARD CHOICES

Always keep Open the Waygate - duh. Even against PW and Egg Druid. HOWEVER, you should always avoid tipping your hand and never play this on turn 1 if possible. The best turn one play is always....

(PREVIOUS VERSION) Mana Wyrm - Excellent for contesting the early board. Excellent for disguising your deck's true intentions. Excellent to draw late! Why? Well, sometimes you're not going to draw your combo in time before your opponent overwhelms you, so Mana Wyrm can instead be used to reach lethal in case Antonidas never made it to your hand or you just couldn't play him. It's not uncommon to get an extra 10-damage out of it at the end.

Clockwork Gnome - MVP! MVP! Play this on turn 1 and make your opponent think your a Mech Mage. Save your awesome Spare Parts (like freeze, bounce and stealth) until just the right time for the best results.  Ping it vs. Priest unless it's a turn one drop, but don't leave it on the board long vs. those thieving tricksy Priests!

Arcanologist - This is the runner-up for MVP. It's more powerful than Mad Scientist (in this build) because you thin your deck immediately and you're not susceptible to a silence or Priest using Potion of Madness. That said, always keep...

Mad Scientist - Faster than Arcanologist in that you don't need to spend 3-mana on your secrets.  This is crucial versus aggro.  If you're seeing lots of aggro, you probably want to use these over Arcanologist.  These of course also thin your deck.

Primordial Glyph - You may keep this if you have a few other one-drops already, otherwise it's often best to toss this away. Personal preference.

Doomsayer - If facing aggro, Doomsayer on turn 2 can be a lifesaver.

Simulacrum - Exodia's new secret weapon doesn't look so great at first, but it it superior to Echo of Medivh in ways that are very beneficial.  More Sorcerer's Apprentice = faster, easier to pull off combo.  More Coldlight Oracles = easy to draw to whole deck and maybe burn off your opponents' cards.  More Doomsayers to keep the board clear longer.  More Emperor Thaurissan for ridiculously-priced combo pieces.  It's a great card and very easy to use.  Feels like a perfect fit in this deck.

OTHER POSSIBLE CARDS

Yogg-Saron, Hope's End - oh how I love this card. And while Yogg can sometimes be used with spectacular results, it's often hard to find a time to play him in this build. Trust me, I tried. If you want more fun, auto-include. If you want a more consistent deck, don't include him.

The problem with Yogg is that he will often draw you cards and you're almost always going to be holding 7+ if there's an appropriate time to play him. Overdraw your combo pieces and GG. The best timing for Yogg is after you've exhausted your last freeze spell. Yogg is great at flipping the board state and delaying lethal, but if you need to cast Ice Block instead.... well, he just sits in your hand sometimes.

If you're set on Yogg, I suggest you sub out Mana Wyrm and use Volcanic Potion.

Mad Scientist and Ice Barrier - Wtf why aren't these included?  Well, they were, but Priest is kind of a big thing in Wild and Scientist is usually worthless against them.  Also, Arcanologist thins your deck instantly whereas you must wait for your Mad Scientist to die.  It might seem like a trivial thing, but drawing a secret on your turn's draw rather than pulling one from your deck can be crippling.  Scientist is a bit stronger vs. Aggro if you're seeing a lot of PW, Hunter or Egg Druid.  Also, swap out Duplicate for Ice Barrier if using Mad Scientist.

Doomsayers - If you want two, I don't blame you (currently running two). Though I caution sometimes he's just useless or even a liability (against Dr. Boom Boom Bots for example). I would never drop him with 1-health vs. a board that isn't full just in case Dr. Boom is lurking (destroying the bots and taking the damage to your face on your turn does not activate Ice Block, in case you were wondering).

Echo of Medivh - Extremely versatile tech choice.  It can be used to copy additional Coldlights, Doomsayers, Clockwork Gnome, or even Arcanologist and Mana Wyrm.  Try to hit two targets.  This can also be used as part of the combo if Emperor has discounted the right pieces.  Duplicate also works but can be a bit gimmicky.

Volcanic Potion - Great vs. aggro, but there's been less since KFT.  Good choice if you've chosen to go the Yogg route.

Babbling Book - I advise against this. This deck thrives because of the Spare Parts and with those, Glyphs and Cabalist's Tome, it becomes unnecessary and a weak body which won't really help contest the early board.

Spellslinger - This was a pleasant surprise, but ultimately I just don't think there's room for him. The body is good and it's a great turn 3 play when you already have a few minions on board, but ultimately not necessary to complete the Quest.

Blizzard - Why not 2? Boom Bots can make it a liability. No room. Also, you can discover freezes from Glyphs or Tome.

Bloodmage Thalnos - Possibly my favorite legendary for it's versatility.  It probably couldn't hurt to him somewhere, but finding a card to cut for him is hard.  He serves as more of a luxury (like Yogg) in this deck.

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MATCHUPS & HOW I FARED

PALADIN (13-5) - My most common opponent was Paladin and there were a wide variety.  As best as I could tell, these were the decks I faced:

Token-Divine (4-3) / Murloc-Aggro (3-0) / Buffadin (3-1) / Control-Taunt 2-0 / Secret 1-1

PRIEST (8-4) - Control (2-0) / Quest (2-2) / Lyra (2-0) / Dragon (1-1) / C'thun (1-0) / Reno (0-1)

WARLOCK (11-1) - Reno (7-0) - avoid a bad Dirty Rat and you win, beware of Deathlord as well / Zoo (3-1) / Discard (1-0)

WARRIOR (8-4) - Pirate Warrior (3-4) - probably statistically a worse matchup than this.  Ship's Cannon can wreck havoc / C'thun and/or Quest Control (5-0) - Same as with Warlock, avoid a bad Dirty Rat and you should win this matchup.

MAGE (5-7) - Aggro-Secret Mage (1-4) - This is a nasty matchup / Freeze (3-2) / Reno (1-1)

SHAMAN (8-3) - Jade (2-2) / Quest (2-1) / Elemental (1-0) / Aggro (1-0) / Kel'thuzad Ancestral Spirit sillyness (2-0)

DRUID (6-4) - Aggro-Egg-Token Druid (2-3) / Jade (2-0) / Beast Druid (1-1) / Ramp (1-0)

ROGUE (7-0) - Mill (4-0) - I feel like this was very lucky.  When I was milled, combo pieces were missed or I already had them.  Sometimes the extra draw ends up working out / Miracle (2-0) / Jade Raptor (1-0)

HUNTER (2-4) - Bad matchup.  All were that aggressive mid-rangy deck you see out there since Hunter doesn't have much else.