Tricaster Quest Mage
- Last updated May 3, 2019 (Rise of Shadows)
- Edit
- |
Wild
- 9 Minions
- 21 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: TTK Mage
- Crafting Cost: 6380
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 4/7/2019 (Level Up Nerf)
- RavenSunHP
- Registered User
-
- 11
- 36
- 204
-
Battle Tag:
N/A
-
Region:
EU
-
Total Deck Rating
302
Welcome! Fellow Seekers of the Arcane
Disclaimer
This is a VERY HARD deck to play, and definitely NOT A META-BREAKER. Play it carefully.
I play this deck mainly to chillout: whenever I want to relax, I like to Discover spells and figure out the best way to use them.
The Real MVP: Ray of Frost
Would you like to play Cone of Cold and make it count for your Quest?
Well, Ray of Frost's second spell also contributes to the Quest, as well as with usual stalling purposes.
Basically this card plays the role of Cone of Cold (1 less target, no ping, but (2) mana cheaper!), as well as that of Magic Trick. In other words: playing Ray of Frost means stalling (surviving) and completing the Quest (winning) AT THE SAME TIME.
Also, unlike Cone, the Ray is much more flexible, as you can use it twice on a big minion, in different turns.
This entirely changed my deckbuilding, because it meant 2 extra free slots in the deck, and much less Tempo loss (which also means better chances of survival).
Main Strategy and Combo
This deck stems from the original Archmage Vargoth Quest Mage Theorycraft, envisioned a few days ago by other players. The idea is that the Quest with Archmage Vargoth requires less cards than the old Exodia Quest Mage, while generating a different kind of conditional OTK.
From there, I added Kirin Tor Tricaster for an increased damage option.
Either way, you can easily switch your Combo Package back to classic Exodia with Uncle Tony, while keeping the rest of the deck as it is. (see Replacements section below).
The main Combo of this Quest Mage requires the usual setup:
- Survive long enough to draw all you need (the hardest part of the deck)
- Complete the Quest and obtain Time Warp
Then comes the Combo, here in its basic form, see below for additional damage and required pieces.
- On an empty board on your side, play Archmage Vargoth + Time Warp (this will generate 2 extra turns for you)
- (extra turn #1) play 1xMolten Reflection (this will produce 4x Vargoths total)
- (extra turn #2) Greater Arcane Missiles (total: 45 damage)
Notice that Greater Arcane Missiles will deal damage also to enemy minions at random, so if you want to ensure lethal, you must count them in. If 45 is not enough damage, you can extend further the combo with different optional steps (you choose which ones fit best your game status):
- at step #2, cast your 2nd Molten Reflection (total damage increased to: 63 damage)
- at step #2, play Kirin Tor Tricaster as your last move (total damage increased to: 90-108 damage)
"The Math checks out!"
> NOTICE that you can actually attack with your minions during the Extra Turns. You can either trade to improve the efficiency of the Combo, or go directly to face, if the way is clear from taunts. This will generate up to +15 additional damage.
Just make sure none of your minion dies in the process!
Mulligan & Tips
- Always keep your Quest, but if you can, without wasting resources, avoid playing it on turn-1, and hide it as long as you can.
- Always keep Mad Scientist and mulligan away Ice Block.
- Magic Trick is a great turn-1 play, and it is surprisingly good to find more survival tools for the next turns.
- The Coin counts toward the Quest.
- Polymorph is your tech card, mainly for nasty stuff like Ragnaros the Firelord, Malygos, Mal'Ganis, but the spell is pretty versatile in Wild.
- Arcane Artificer is a key card for survival: try to use it with board freeze effects, to ensure the best chances for the card to survive another turn, and stack up armor.
- Try to use Arcane Artificer after your Ice Block has be popped: at this point, your opponent is likely to have spent their best resources to rush you down as fast as possible, so now they are vulnerable to stall. Additionally, this is helpful against Fatigue, in case you have to dig your whole deck for Combo pieces.
- Finally, depending on the state of the game and that of your hand, your 2nd copy of Molten Reflection is not necessary for the final Combo, and can be used on Arcane Artificer or Doomsayer for extra survival.
Replacements
You can easily turn from the current Vargoth setup to old Exodia (1-2 more combo pieces are required for Exodia, but you are granted infinite damage instead of 45-108):
- - Greater Arcane Missiles - Archmage Vargoth - Kirin Tor Tricaster / +2x Sorcerer's Apprentice + Archmage Antonidas
Finally, Polymorph or Stargazer Luna can be replaced with a series of cards, adjusting for different situations:
- Novice Engineer (cheap cycle card, sometimes it's all you need)
- Violet Illusionist (to go back to the original wincondition option, based on Research Project and Mill, to be used against slower and/or draw-heavy decks)
- Doomsayer for early board control (the card is pretty bad in later turns tho);
- Harrison Jones against weapons (tons of them in Wild);
- whatever else you like.
The Supreme Arcane Missiles Combo
This strategy sacrifices some consistency for an additional Combo piece, leading to slightly weaker middle options than the Tricaster version, but to a higher output in its full version (5 Combo pieces) . Tips to InfiniteAnswers for the Drakkari Enchanter.
- -1x Polymorph / -1x Stargazer Luna, +1x Drakkari Enchanter
- - Kirin Tor Tricaster, + Cosmic Anomaly
- On an empty board on your side, Archmage Vargoth + Time Warp;
- (Extra Turn #1) play Molten Reflection, and then Cosmic Anomaly (this leads to up to 4x Vargoths or up to 3x Anomalies)
- (Extra Turn #2) play Drakkari Enchanter and then Greater Arcane Missiles (total damage depending on the outcome of the previous turn)
This leads to an upper total of 135-147 damage!
Depending on the package chosen, the Combo stages (with required combo pieces, i marked the stages with higher damage efficiency per number of pieces) are:
Tricaster + tech card: 45 (3), 63 (4), 90-108 (4), NA.
Cosmic + Enchanter: 45 (3), 63 (4), 75-84 (4), 117 (5), 135-147 (5).
Exodia: NA (3), NA (4), infinite (5).
Basically the best package depends on the average required damage, and on its variance. If ~100 is generally enough, the Tricaster package is better, if you consistenctly need more, Cosmic+Enchanter is better.
For a completely different take at Open the Waygate, check this deck:
|
|
---|---|
Minion (9)
|
Ability (21)
|
Loading Collection |
Hey buddy, its been several expansions and we've finally been given the ultimate cards!! Evocation, Incanter's Flow and Mo'arg Artificer. I hope we can share an updated version, as I've been playing this deck since shadows when we updated it.
Hey Raven, thanks for the deck. I've always been a fan of OTK/Freeze/Exodia Mage in general.
While I'm not so sure about this deck's viability for laddering, it truly is fun and relaxing to play.
Also this has inspired me to make another similar strategy deck, but with an alternative winning condition and defensive take.
I took out:
-2 Arcane Artificer, -1 Stargazer Luna, -1 Kirin Tor Tricaster, -1 Banana Buffoon, -1 Polymorph
and instead I added: +2 Mana Cyclone, +1 Conjurer's Calling, +1 Drakkari Enchanter, +2 Arcane Giant
To activate Time Warp, instead of using bananas I use cards generated by cyclones. Calling is also a twinspell card, so it sometimes adds up. Instead of transforming threat into sheep, I use the Giants as trade-bait. Sometimes, coupled with Calling I can also get a 7/8 taunt as well. If the opponent doesn't have taunts and ignore the Giants, two 8/8 Giants can hit face for 16 damage, with Time Warp this can hit for 32 damage.
Thank you!
Tbh,i can't say which version is better, a hybrid like yours may actually be.
Imo, IF one chooses to go for Greater Arcane Missiles, I think my list is already ok as it is. Since the gameplan here is to build a nearly OTK, adding a secondary wincon just dilutes your chances to draw what you actually need to either stall or gather the Combo pieces.
But i can definitely see why you mention Giants, and i am using them myself in alternative Quest Mage lists (namely the Miracle lists).
I'm just unconvinced with running no Poly effect at all, with so many Big Priests and other pesky minions that get resurrected in the meta.
I like your take with Conjurer's Calling tho, i will surely try that.
Just wanted to come on here and say this deck is awesome. I've always loved the mage quest, and greater arcane missiles even though it was a garbage card. Having 6 vargoths on board all casting greater arcane missiles is the best feeling I've had in years playing HS. THANK YOU!
Also shout-out to my big priest opponent who stayed till the very last missile was cast, props dude.
Thanks to you. I'm glad you like it! :)
Update soon please!
14-4 from rank 15 :D
dude well done !!
Love it
Various matches always with combo only two loses agro hunterstone :(
Keep on fighting
CHEERS
Just realized that Drakkari Enchanter on the turn you play Greater Arcane Missiles is insane. I tried your change, didn't have Luna, and remembered this card existed...
Man, i'm gonna have to give you a honor quote in the description hahaha!
Wait. Drakkari Enchanter cannot be used in the Kirin Tor Tricaster version of the combo. So basically the two cards are redundant in the same deck.
You can use it in addition to the double Molten Reflection version, leading to 9x13 = 117 damage. This is worse than the Tricaster/Emperor version (126), while using the same amount of Combo pieces (5).
BUT you can replace Kirin Tor Tricaster with Cosmic Anomaly, leading up to 147 damage in the full 5-cards option. I added this option to the guide, in the place of the Emperor one.
Depending on the package chosen, The Combo stages (with required combo pieces, i marked the stages with higher damage efficiency per number of pieces) are:
Tricaster + tech card: 45 (3), 63 (4), 90-108 (4), NA.
Cosmic + Enchanter: 45 (3), 63 (4), 75-84 (4), 117 (5), 135-147 (5).
Exodia: NA (3), NA (4), infinite (5).
Basically, the best package should be chosen depending on the frequency of average required output. I have no idea what the best could be.
Have you considered Kalecgos I tried him for 2 or 3 games and he has "taunt" and gives you a random spell towards quest. He can also give you a life saving spell. I'm running him in place of luna.
I have seen him in other Quest decks, as an option.
Imo, having more card draw is more important, and i think he's a bit too slow.
But i have him, so i can try.
Dunno. 45 damage can't impress me that much knowing I used to do infinates. Stil, I love QM. My first craft in Un'Goro and I got rank 1 4* with it.
45 damage is only the basic combo! And it takes only 3 cards (against 5 of Exodia).
Play also Kirin Tor Tricaster, and it becomes 90-108. ;)
Less combo cards means also more room for defensive tools in the deck, this is the real upside of this version.
You are a wonderful person. My first game I forced my opponent to concede with endless freeze. The second game i pulled off the machine gun vargoth combo.
Edit: I made my third opponent mill his win condition and concede. We are kindred spirits my friend. This is the most relaxing deck i've played in a long time.
Haha I'm so glad to hear that!
Cheers man!
After 50 games, I won 26. Out of those 26 games, 4 of them were through conceding before reaching the combo. In the other 22 wins, I pulled the combo off in 21 of them. The most reliable method was Vargoth + molten + tricaster. In all of my games when i pulled the combo off, my opponent had >45 total minion health (After rounding to the nearest multiple of 3). In the 1 win that I did not combo, I beat my opponent down with random spells. In 2 of the games I lost, I did the combo. (RNGesus wasn't with me)
Here are some things I noticed,
If this was useful, I'm glad I could help. Let me know if any of this gives you some ideas on how to increase the winrate!
This was extremely useful!
I didn't expect Nerubian Unraveler was so famous! Was it from the new Darkest Hour Warlock?
And yes, Doomsayer is incredibly vulnerable, i think it is also because this deck helps with fishing cards for both opponents.
At this point, i wonder if a 2nd Arcane Artificer isn't just a better solution...
But thanks a lot! This is very valuable data. I'm also glad you had a 50% wr, despite the early stage of refinement.
Just wanted to say this deck is very cool and has a huge skill cap so be careful if you think you can jump right in and use this. The rest of this post is my findings for the decks so if you don't care about that just ignore it!
As I said above, this deck is awesome and props to for giving Mage a ticket onto the Mill train. However, after playing 25 matches against a wide variety of decks from Odd Paladin, Even Paladin, Renolock, Big Priest, Mech Hunter, Mill Rogue, and even a standard Exodia Mage, I found that this is probably the most infuriating iteration of Quest Mage I've ever played. Going into this deck I felt pretty comfortable with the idea of it all around, I've run Quest Mage since KFT and Exodia with Tony is my most used decklist by far and I've run various mill decks for an extended period from Druid to Warrior. In the end, even after teching in various options including Simulacrum to get some extra Vargoth value and Ice Barrier/Volcanic Potion to curb some of the Aggro I was running up against, it felt like I should just be using regular Exodia Mage.
I ended up going 2-23, one win being against a Midrange Hunter by drawing the Missiles combo by Turn 11 and the other being a Turn 1 concede. Here's how the losses broke down:
I think one of the coolest things about Quest Mage, and what really defines the strength of the deck, is what you do when everything hits the fan and you don't have an opportunity to go off. Exodia using spell generation besides the baboons can do this fairly well, even though it's less consistant in completing the actual quest. Where it lacks in consistency it makes up for in alternate win conditions. Vargoth Quest Mill does not have this alternate win condition because it lacks the generation Tony has as well as simple minion damage. The Mill side of the deck was just too dependent on my opponent having an ultraslow deck that I only had one real opportunity to test it. I'm going to try messing around with this deck for a while to see what cards can up its winrate but in the end it feels like I'm trying to play two different decks at once.