"Freeze Mage is a fun deck that has been around for over three years now, and we’d like to see more variety with Mage decks after each major release. This move allows Freeze Mage to continue existing in Wild, while creating more variety in Standard. Ice Lance also prevented us from making powerful Spell Damage cards and designs that allowed you to duplicate your cards. Ice Lance was also a very high burst damage card, sometimes being a key component of 30 damage combos."
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It's about time. I love playing the mage class in general, but freeze mage was one of the most annoying decks around. Stall, stall, stall, then burst for 20-30 as soon as you have all the combo pieces in hand.
This is the only one of the cards that I am actually ok with them moving into wild. But then I absolutely hate freeze mage and will be glad to see it buried. So I am biased. If the card was used in other decks I would be more upset about it.
Originally I voted hate it but it's true that this is targeted at freeze mage. Blizzard was trying to push a tempo based frost deck with the last expansion but that didn't take off much at all. Therefore frost lance is only really included in burn decks. I guess if the goal is to push classic freeze out of the meta then it's better to target this card than others like Ice Block which are an important defensive tool in non-burn control mage decks.
I don't think this was necessary.. I agree with all the other cards moved to wild, but this one does not deserve it.
Freeze mage does not deserve all this hate. Thaurissan will move to wild as well, this is a big enough nerf.
Freeze Mage has been around since beta, long before Thaurissan ever existed.
This change is probably the only thing that could have destroyed a deck that truly relied only on Basic and Classic cards.
It won't destroy freeze mage.
As long as mages have burst spells, card draw, and board freeze/clear, Freeze mage will always be there ;)
I mean, a lot will depend on what is released. Some form of burn mage will always exist because that's part of Mage's class identity. (Random aside: I wish people would call tempo mage burn mage, because I think it would make a lot more sense.)
But without (1) Emperor (2) Ice Lance and (3) Forgotten Torch, it's going to be much more difficult to assemble the classic Alex Turn then 15 damage.
I feel you! I was kind of suprised by this, I thought they might go for ice barrier (or was it block?) but ice lance was never on my list. It might be the most elegant solution though.
I think it's a perfectly valid reason to simply say "we don't want freeze mage in standard anymore." I mean, it's been 3 years. Literally, since the beginning of HS.
And like I said above, the other core Freeze Mage cards still have interesting applications outside of Freeze Mage. But Ice Lance only ever served one purpose.
There will still be a burn mage, because that's one of the things that Mage does. But the harder you make it to burst someone from a high life point total, the less viable "buy one more turn by freezing the board for as long as I can" is as a strategy.
Freeze Mage has been around since beta, long before Thaurissan ever existed.
Sorry, mate, but you don't seem to understand very well what you are talking. I don't think that you played in beta nor that you are a freeze mage player. You can answer me if you want more in-depth explanation.
Freeze Mage has been around since beta, long before Thaurissan ever existed.
Sorry, mate, but you don't seem to understand very well what you are talking. I don't think that you played in beta nor that you are a freeze mage player. You can answer me if you want more in-depth explanation.
Ehm no you don't know what you're talking about... The guy's right... Freeze has always been around, long before Naxx and BRM came out... Yes,Emperor rotating out is a blow of catastrophic proportions,only comparable to the loss of Scientist,but it doesn't change the fact that the Deck was already playable before all the OP cards came out... Unless they release some really good cards to support it (basically impossible) it's not going to be meta defining anymore in Standard, but it's not like it will disappear as archetype.... And now if you excuse me,I'll go get myself 2 beautiful Golden Ice Lances to kick asses in Wild...
Freeze Mage has been around since beta, long before Thaurissan ever existed.
Sorry, mate, but you don't seem to understand very well what you are talking. I don't think that you played in beta nor that you are a freeze mage player. You can answer me if you want more in-depth explanation.
Am I misunderstanding something here, or are you claiming that Freeze mage wasn't a thing before Emperor?
Again, it's not healthy to joy of something being taken away, but this one isn't much of a big loss, really. I'd just rather put Shatter from WotOG packs into the deck, burst dmg spells will do the trick without IL combos anyway.
OMG my dreams are coming true !!! Hahahaha good riddance freeze cancer :DDDDDD. Do NOT press 'F' to pay respects, this archetype doesn't deserve any.
I would have preferred if they moved Alexstrasza but that's good enough. I'd never have expected Blizzard to reckognize that this archetype should go away even in my wildest (no pun intended) dreams.
Freeze Mage has been around since beta, long before Thaurissan ever existed.
Sorry, mate, but you don't seem to understand very well what you are talking. I don't think that you played in beta nor that you are a freeze mage player. You can answer me if you want more in-depth explanation.
Am I misunderstanding something here, or are you claiming that Freeze mage wasn't a thing before Emperor?
We're also losing Forgotten Torch, which was a big part of the deck. Losing five very key cards, one being an absolute must-include. I hate saying that these changes make an archetype disappear from the game, but the future of Freeze Mage looks very grim. I'll be happy to play the deck in wild, as I wasn't even playing Hearthstone when the deck was in its prime. I enjoy its playstyle and I hope that something similar to it is created in the future. However, knowing Blizzard, it seems very unlikely.
OMG my dreams are coming true !!! Hahahaha good riddance freeze cancer :DDDDDD. Do NOT press 'F' to pay respects, this archetype doesn't deserve any.
I would have preferred if they moved Alexstrasza but that's good enough. I'd never have expected Blizzard to reckognize that this archetype should go away even in my wildest (no pun intended) dreams.
Freeze cancer?
What in the hell are you talking about? I play against freeze maybe about never. In the past month I've played against maybe ONE freeze mage.
Vicious Syndicate has freeze mage at < 1% of the ladder. That's why I don't get this rotation, freeze mage is already pretty much nonexistent.
We're also losing Forgotten Torch, which was a big part of the deck. Losing five very key cards, one being an absolute must-include. I hate saying that these changes make an archetype disappear from the game, but the future of Freeze Mage looks very grim. I'll be happy to play the deck in wild, as I wasn't even playing Hearthstone when the deck was in its prime. I enjoy its playstyle and I hope that something similar to it is created in the future. However, knowing Blizzard, it seems very unlikely.
Well, I agree. It's very unique, and I hope Blizzard are finding new ways to improve in the freeze mage experience in the new expansion, rather than killing it.
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"Freeze Mage is a fun deck that has been around for over three years now, and we’d like to see more variety with Mage decks after each major release. This move allows Freeze Mage to continue existing in Wild, while creating more variety in Standard. Ice Lance also prevented us from making powerful Spell Damage cards and designs that allowed you to duplicate your cards. Ice Lance was also a very high burst damage card, sometimes being a key component of 30 damage combos."
I didn't have a signature so Flux added one for me.
Here's the question: "How do you move Freeze Mage out of Standard?"
This is probably the best way to do it without crippling a bunch of other really cool cards. Ice Lance served only 1 purpose in this game ever.
It's about time. I love playing the mage class in general, but freeze mage was one of the most annoying decks around. Stall, stall, stall, then burst for 20-30 as soon as you have all the combo pieces in hand.
This is the only one of the cards that I am actually ok with them moving into wild. But then I absolutely hate freeze mage and will be glad to see it buried. So I am biased. If the card was used in other decks I would be more upset about it.
Why am I sticky?
"Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? They have neither a soul to lose nor a body to kick." -- Lady Saba Holland
Originally I voted hate it but it's true that this is targeted at freeze mage. Blizzard was trying to push a tempo based frost deck with the last expansion but that didn't take off much at all. Therefore frost lance is only really included in burn decks. I guess if the goal is to push classic freeze out of the meta then it's better to target this card than others like Ice Block which are an important defensive tool in non-burn control mage decks.
Original article link: http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/20475356/a-year-of-mammoth-proportions-2-16-2017
It's an odd but understandable change. Just something to hurt combo.
That shatter nerf though.
I feel you! I was kind of suprised by this, I thought they might go for ice barrier (or was it block?) but ice lance was never on my list. It might be the most elegant solution though.
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I think it's a perfectly valid reason to simply say "we don't want freeze mage in standard anymore."
I mean, it's been 3 years. Literally, since the beginning of HS.
And like I said above, the other core Freeze Mage cards still have interesting applications outside of Freeze Mage. But Ice Lance only ever served one purpose.
There will still be a burn mage, because that's one of the things that Mage does. But the harder you make it to burst someone from a high life point total, the less viable "buy one more turn by freezing the board for as long as I can" is as a strategy.
Ice lance? I thought the freeze mage combo was Fireball Fireball Frostbolt?
I like to make cards and discuss game balance.
I enjoy when "No similar decks were found."
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Again, it's not healthy to joy of something being taken away, but this one isn't much of a big loss, really. I'd just rather put Shatter from WotOG packs into the deck, burst dmg spells will do the trick without IL combos anyway.
OMG my dreams are coming true !!! Hahahaha good riddance freeze cancer :DDDDDD. Do NOT press 'F' to pay respects, this archetype doesn't deserve any.
I would have preferred if they moved Alexstrasza but that's good enough. I'd never have expected Blizzard to reckognize that this archetype should go away even in my wildest (no pun intended) dreams.
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