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Budget AoE Mage - Heroic Gothik

  • Last updated Aug 10, 2014 (Naxx Launch)
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Wild

  • 12 Minions
  • 18 Spells
  • Deck Type: Ranked Deck
  • Deck Archetype: Unknown
  • Crafting Cost: 2240
  • Dust Needed: Loading Collection
  • Created: 8/10/2014 (Naxx Launch)
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  • Battle Tag:

    N/A

  • Region:

    EU

  • Total Deck Rating

    4

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Oh, Gothik the Harvester! After hours of relentlessly ravaging my hero with your endless waves of minions and surreal mana curve, you have harvested my soul all right!

But it’s time for payback with this heroic deck, who could also have been called AOEye for an Eye. Other Gothik decks out there use buffing minions to turn those inevitable Spectral fiends into targets for the enemy, while awaiting card fatigue. That’s not much fun. And I want my fun back, damnit! And also my soul, thank you very much. So, while this deck should help you stall until Gothik is out of cards, it gets there by using Gothik’s strengths against himself, aikido style. Interested? Read on.

Gothik’s strategy is to flood the board with minions. That means 2 things:

  1. You’ll need to clean the board a number of times, with direct AOE (always fun) and indirect AOE (extra fun!)
  2. His damage potential will add up real fast, and you’ll need to divert it (with taunts), to mitigate it (with secrets), and leverage some of it.

AOE cards

Doomsayer is an excellent board-clearer. For once, you’ll be glad your own minions are wiped in next turn’s cardpocalypse, since many of those will actually be Souls. Don’t use the card with less than 3 enemy minions though, unless you’re cornered.
Wild Pyromancer sprays everyone with 1 damage after you cast a spell. Use it wisely.
Frost Nova is just for stalling, but an AoE stalling. And you’ll need stalling oh so much, when a freeze is all that stands between you and a conga line of angry overpowered minions.
Blizzard deals 2 damage and freezes all enemy. You’ll get amazing value out of this one if you play it well, preferably when Gothik’s side is full and he has one or more Abomination. The final combo can actually wipe the board twice, killing everyone present and then the newly created Souls on your side. 
Cone of Cold is a more focused ‘freeze and spray’ spell, but nothing to be sneezed at (was that a pun?)

Taunt cards

Mirror Image is a good starter. For 1 mana, that’s 2 Gothik shots that won’t be landing on your face. You want them in your starting hand.
Unstable Ghoul is a taunt that Gothik uses himself. That's the start of a just retribution right there: so he likes minions who do indiscriminate damage upon death? Fine, let’s add more of them! Taunt + general AOE as a deathrattle is actually good in this fight (cf. Doomsayer)
Abomination is more of Gothik’s own medicine. Okay, so its Deathrattle also hits you for 2, but the ensuing board clearing is so worth it  to me.

Mitigating cards

Ice Barrier : 2x8 Armor. You’ll need both of them for a chance of surviving long enough. At some point I also used Ice Block, but realized their saving power was illusory: when you’ll be in a position for it to trigger, you’ll also be in a position where a couple of Souls are on your side, ready to deliver the final blow on the next turn.
Vaporize: minion remover. If the minion removed is an Unstable Ghoul o rAbomination, all the better.
Polymorph. Obviously useful, especially to mute those nightmarish Undertaker.

Leveraging cards

Master Swordsmith makes those unwelcome Souls useful by giving them a bit of attack. I’ve observed that Gothik tend to try and eliminate any minions with a bit of extra power. So I’m gladly preferring this card to Sunfury Protector: taunts who don’t fight back are no fun.
Mirror Entity. This card could be swapped for anything else, really, but it keeps in the spirit of making Gothik taste his own medicine. If you want to swap, maybe try Flamestrike?
Mind Control Tech. Stealing is even better than cloning, and this card is highly usable since you know Gothik will eventually have 4 more minions, or more.

Misc.

Arcane Intellect might not fit neatly into one of the previous categories, but it will be critical in making the fight. You’ll need the extra cards to delay that inevitable moment when you’re down to a empty hand and Gothik’s only about to fatigue.
 
So, tell me how you fared! It took me 5-6 tries with this deck, but the luck factor is huge anyway, and I’m not convinced a Legendary card would dramatically turn the tide. Still, if you have Alexstrasza or other, you can easily swap with Mirror Entity.