Sons of Arugal
- Last updated Aug 10, 2018 (Boomsday)
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Wild
- 25 Minions
- 4 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Hand Mage
- Crafting Cost: 12480
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 4/7/2018 (Patches Nerf)
- user-10109854
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Battle Tag:
Pillowise#2103
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Region:
EU
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Total Deck Rating
386
Sons of Arugal (video from Witchwood day 2)
The Game Plan - Tribe-based, Mid-range Tempo Hand Mage.
Step 1. Establish board control, with strong minions, and start putting on pressure:
Fire Fly, Pyros, Faerie Dragon, Nightmare Amalgam, and Tar Creeper.
Step 2. Back up early game board control with strong synergies and bodies:
Scaleworm, Twilight Drake, Leyline Manipulator, and Servant of Kalimos.
Step 3. Continue board domination while retaining a full/ large hand size:
- The Archmage Arugal draw synergy. He combos perfectly with Book of Specters, Research Project, and Stargazer Luna.
- Elemental Card Value. Elementals make more cards, such as Fire Fly, Pyros, and Servant of Kalimos.
Step 4. Take advantage of internal synergies for tempo swings (smallest to biggest):
- Twilight Drake, a 4/10 for (4) mana allows for some great control and consistent threat.
- Scaleworm, a Rush 5/4 for (4) mana, is crazy powerful, it's nearly a fireball but can also often remain a body on the board afterwards.
- Leyline Manipulator, discounts a large portion of the hand, allowing for crazy turns.
- Astromancer, large swing from hand synergy.
- Mountain Giant, having a large hand means you can normally play Giant for 3-4 mana.
- Luna's Pocket Galaxy, in order to overwhelm the opponent (when draw is considered).
Wombo Combo
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Playing Mountain Giant turn 3 as 'Player 2' (with The Coin):
- Standard: turn 1 Fire Fly, turn 2 Book of Specters, turn 3 Mountain Giant. - 9/10 worth of stats and a 9 card hand by end of turn 3 (2 cards are The Coin and Flame Elemental).
- Stronger: turn 1 The Coin + Archmage Arugal, turn 2 Book of Specters, turn 3 Mountain Giant. 10/10 worth of stats played, and a fantastic hand for Leyline Manipulator but you discard a card.
- No Discard: turn 1 The Coin + Archmage Arugal, turn 2 Research Project, turn 3 Mountain Giant. Same as above, however you only have ten cards in hand if your opponent doesn't kill Archmage Arugal on their turn 2 (unlikely).
There are lots of variations, but the earliest 'Player 1' can play Mountain Giant is turn 4.
Mulligan Guide
- Always Keep: Fire Fly and Book of Specters.
- Against Aggro: keep Tar Creeper.
- Against Control: keep Research Project, Faerie Dragon and Pyros.
Guide for specific cards:
- Archmage Arugal, if you go turn 2, keep, just for the chance you can play turn 1 uncontested. If you go turn 1 only keep if you are against control and really only if have Fire Fly in hand.
- Mountain Giant, only keep if you have are going second and have Fire Fly and Book of Specters (and/or Archmage Arugal).
Ongoing Refinements
The Witchwood:
Day One (refining mid-range):
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- -Twilight Drake x2 - As people have rightly pointed out, it disrupts elemental synergy, not worth it
- -Blazecaller x2 - The tempo of this card is great, but not enough
- -Cauldron Elemental x1 - The few times I got this to work it was amazing... but I was wrong after all.
- +Glacial Shard x2 - Such a useful minion, especially for protecting high value minions, not for turn 1.
- +Questing Adventurer x2 - Yes, really! All credit to: 'dyonthegrey1', who showed me the way.
- +Servant of Kalimos x1 - Turns out that this is more valuable than Bonfire Elemental (Just!)
Day Three (going aggro):
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- -Arcane Intellect x2 - Intellect was a bad play without Archmage Arugal.
- -Nightmare Amalgam x2 - Amalgam was underwhelming a good turn 3, but otherwise unplayable.
- -Bonfire Elemental x2 - Servant was better than Bonfire and Bonfire was only good on turn 5,
- +Shimmering Tempest x2 - Now that there is a lower cost focus, this is good as it adds a card to the hand.
- +Knife Juggler x2 - As there are now so many 1 drops, brought in so that the deck performed better against paladin.
- +Igneous Elemental x1 - Igneous brings two (worse) cards to hand but these can be discounted and has a 2/3 body, had the same effect on giant as Arcane Intellect.
- +Cult Master x1 - Master draws like crazy, replacing Bonfire.
Day Four (back to mid-range):
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- -Glacial Shard x2 - I found a better minion for the current dynamic.
- -Shimmering Tempest x2 - Arlght turn 2 elemental, underwhelming for the rest of the game.
- -Knife Juggler x2 - really good against paladin but not against anything else, taunt works just as well.
- -Igneous Elemental x1 - Only really good if your going for an aggro, small minion build.
- -Cult Master x1 - Only really good if your going for an aggro, small minion build.
- +Mana Wyrm x2 - great one drop, works with: The Coin, Book of Specters, Primordial Glyph, and Flame Geyser... Also doubles the chance of having good early game against paladin.
- +Vicious Scalehide x2 - Great at hampering aggressive decks, and otherwise is a ping with a body and 1 life-steal.
- +Stonehill Defender x2 Decent taunt, that messes up aggro and discovers, want to keep on mulligan against Aggro.
- +Voodoo Doll x1 Decided to tech in one, to help a little bit more vs contol.
- +Bonfire Elemental x1 - Bringing mid-range draw back and a big body.
- +Countess Ashmore x1 - Draws Vicious Scalehide x2 and Pyros or Voodoo Doll, all things that you want out of the deck and in the hand in the late game.
- +The Lich King x1 - To shore up the late game, to play Jaina. Also generates cards.
Day Six (multi-tribe, is much more powerful, but may require tweaks):
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- -Mana Wyrm x2 – Good 1 Drop but now with only 1 spell in deck, has no place.
- -Vicious Scalehide x2 – Lack of synergy.
- -Primordial Glyph x2 – Space in deck has decreased.
- -Voodoo Doll x1 – Better slots filler in either Polymorph or Spellbreaker.
- -Zola the Gorgon x1 – This was really hard to do, but have to make cuts somewhere.
- -Steam Surger x2 – Didn’t quite make the cut, but I may change my mind, it is fantastic.
- -Countess Ashmore x1 – An experiment that didn’t pan out. I hope you guys appreciate the fact that I crafted this card just to try this for you.
- -The Lich King x1 – Too high cost, for too low impact.
- +Faerie Dragon x2 – Really nice, well stated and strong effect Dragon.
- +Nightmare Amalgam x2 – Welcome back Amalgam! I missed you and now we have duel tribe, you are amazing.
- +Scaleworm x2 – Does not grant dragon synergy, but is a fantastic card, and grants removal.
- +Spellbreaker x1 – Really not sure about this or Polymorph, also not sure if I should make the sacrifice to have two of them…
- +Twilight Drake x2 – Welcome back Drake! Now that you have Dragon and Hand synergy you are really strong.
- +Bonfire Elemental x1 – Second one back into the deck, now that more draw is needed.
- +Cobalt Scalebane x1 – would love to have 2 in, but 4 and 5 drops are contested slots.
- +Wyrmguard x1 – Only need 1, but it can be the death stroke to aggressive decks, basically ensuring you can get to Frost Lich Jaina.
Day Seven (tweaks):
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- -Spellbreaker x1 – Only helps against big decks, most are playing aggro.
- -Cobalt Scalebane x1 – winmore card (in retrospect).
- -Bonfire Elemental x1 - Improving the curve.
- -Wyrmguard x1 – need to get to turn 7 against aggro.
- +Arcane Intellect x2 - The decks needs that extra draw.
- +Steam Surger x2 - The deck needs this card for optimal curve.
Day Ten (counter-meta tweak):
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- -Arcane Intellect x1 - Only actually need 1 for reliable draw (it appears).
- +Tinkmaster Overspark x1 - Essentially because this is a 3 mana polymorph that isn't a spell and has a body (so not game loosing against paladin), essentially the purpose of this inclusion is to Transform a Voidlord, or any minion for a druid, into either a Squirrel or a Devilsaur (which because it is a beast, messes up druid).
Boomsday Project:
Day Two (acquainting myself):
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- -Arcane Intellect x1 - Making room for Research Project.
- -Tinkmaster Overspark x1 - This card is no longer needed.
- -Servant of Kalimos x1 with Mecha'thun, Bonfire Elemental becomes the stronger card.
- -Steam Surger x1 - Needed to make a slot, this may be changed later.
- +Research Project x1 - Stronger then Arcane Intellect because of 1 mana cheaper (Giant combo) and mill potential.
- +Stargazer Luna x1 - Obviously...
- +Bonfire Elemental x1 - As above, this is better with Mecha'thun.
- +Mecha'thun x1 - Allows the deck to be unworried about fatigue, thus allowing for greater focus and a win condition.
Day Three (some realism and optimisation):
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- -Mecha-Thun – no way to kill it myself.
- -Stonehill Defender x2 – need more tempo and reliability.
- -Bonfire Elemental x2 – With removing [cardMecha’Thun[/card], the worry off fatigue returns, additionally Servant of Kalimos is stronger due to the Leyline Manipulator synergy.
- +Steam Surger x1 – One of the core synergy cards.
- +Servant of Kalimos x1 – Reason above, replacing Bonfire Elemental.
- +Astromancer x2 – May limit this to one at some point, however this brings a strong swing.
- +Luna’s Pocket Galaxy x1 – I don’t know yet if this deck can afford to skip a turn, but there is enough draw to take advantage of this card.
Thank you for reading!
Didn't have Nightmare Amalgam so replaced them with Shimmering Tempest and having a lot of luck with that at the moment. Also didn't have Zola or one of the Sunfury Protectors so threw 2 Voodoo Doll in there. Great synergy with Frost Lich Jaina.
This deck is absolutely insane at the moment. Being able to drop giants on turn 3 is nothing to sneeze at. dropping Coin Arugal on turn one can sometimes win you the game flat out. Cherry on top, This deck destroys Shudderwock decks so you don't have to worry about the "current meta" lol
I made a video showcasing the deck in action, I really hope you all enjoy
Drop a sub if you enjoy I got plenty more coming :D
Hello friend,
I've been chaining a bunch of victories since I started playing your deck, and I wanted to congratulate you on crafting a well-performing Arugal-elemental mage :) ! Some stray observations:
- Since I didn't have any Nightmare Amalgam, I replaced both of them with Fire Plume Phoenix x 2, and I must say it's been a very good substitute. It doesn't sacrifice elemental synergy, and for 1 less HP, it actually does come in handy against small minions that most decks run these days.
- I have no idea how well does Zola the Gorgon perform, but I replaced it with Baron Geddon, and it has been doing a fine job. In late game, with Frost Lich Jaina popped out, Geddon becomes completely insane with lifedrain. Just my 2 cents.
- Pyros is most probably the better card to use here, but I had to fill its spot with 1x Shimmering Tempest, which works quite ok.
- Overall, the decks works really nicely. Bonfire Elemental, while obviously strong, often comes as a dead card if it isn't played on turn 5, but otherwise, I would say this deck is extremely consistent.
Kudos !
I didn't open Arugal :'( How is the deck working ? I see you put Questings in, why ? Peace
Alright ! I still have quite some dusts so after trying out more Cube/hadronox druid I might craft Arugal ! If so I'll come by this thread ive you some news.
most op deck ever wtf i got 90% winrate
Hey, great work with the updates! I piloted your original build with a few tweaks and went on a win streak from rank 10-7 before starting to meet just too much aggro. Now I'm making a few adjustments that have worked out pretty well and wanted to share. I felt that the Sunfury Protector were only really good if you could line them up next to your giants, which was pretty rare for me, so I subbed them out for two Ironbeak Owl . They provided me instant board disruption with their silence, cost one cheaper than Spellbreaker plus they acted as an easy target to remove with Frost Lich Jaina for added value late in the game when you were facing things like Void lords.
One of the tweaks I made off the bat was including the two Glacial Shard , which are always clutch against aggro and helping you to survive another turn. I haven't tried the Questing Adventurer but would like to. Right now I'm facing too much aggro and I need more protection, so I run two Lone Champion as often enough against aggro I'm trading my turn 1 and 2 minions for board control and dropping a 3 mana 2/4 with taunt and divine shield is just clutch against really aggressive decks. The only drawback is that it's not an elemental for synergy with turn 4, but if I don't need as much protection I'll usually go with Tar Creeper instead for more elemental tempo. Overall, this deck has a lot of tempo and value but really struggles against aggro and against the new shaman deck which pretty much forces you to win the game by turn 10 or 11 or else you just lose.
I don't have Nightmare Amalgam so I subbed in Voodoo Doll and Baron Geddon. Geddon has been my early MVP of the WW meta.
Geddon seems counterintuitive in a minion heavy deck... but it is a great comeback tool, one of the few a spell-lite mage has... and it's amazing heal with Jaina.
Deck is terrible with no board clear at all. unplayable at any rank above 20
I played this deck for few hours yesterday and it's fun to play. win ratio was about 50%.
I met so many aggro decks in rank 18, so I had to replace few cards with taunt, I'm now getting used to play this deck and I think I could hit around 60% win ratio.
P.S. I'm recently coming back to hearthstone, so I'm still learning new meta, and I don't know how good it would be against tier 1 decks, and thanks for sharing Cheeky :)
played this deck with lost of expectation ... going reasonably but losing against all aggro deck, in particular Baku Paladin and Baku Hunter which are quite frequent ... any counter? tks
What can i replace Pyros with? Dnt wanna waste too much of my dusts :c
Fantastic deck and writeup. With it being SO early in the Witchwoods release, this is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Looking forward to trying this deck out today.
I'm having a BLAST with this deck. Thank you! I'll continue to follow this thread as you and the community make adjustments to the deck. I really appreciate the edits section with your explanations... it has helped me understand the synergies better.
How do you Milligan with this? Aggro matchup and control matchup please
What about Dollmaster Dorian? Have a lot of synnergy with the Questing Adventurer
I've read through the comments re: Lesser Ruby Spellstone - Has anyone had any success in adding it with the most current version? & Ty for posting Cheeky. Love ele mage decks, looking forward to trying this one.
I've had some success with it. Removed the sunfury protectors for it. Tons of elementals to get more spells and Leyline for big discounts. Sometimes you need extra damage to push face or board clear, a 2/3 body and taunts if your minions stick wasn't doing it for me so I tried the Spellstone instead.
Curio Collector instead of questing adventurer because of the massive draw synergy. I got it from turn five to turn nine and buffed it’s attack to 11 in that time with the draw synergy.