Surprise Mage
- Last updated Nov 18, 2019 (Shaman Nerfs)
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Wild
- 9 Minions
- 21 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Hand Mage
- Crafting Cost: 4040
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 11/10/2019 (Shaman Nerfs)
- 2SDD
- Registered User
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- 3
- 20
- 22
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Battle Tag:
SDDS#2150
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Region:
EU
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Total Deck Rating
25
I went from 15->4 since I've published this deck. I made some changes but core is the same. It's extremaly satysfying to play because it's basically shaman abuse and only loses to priest/hunter or ridiculous rng like transform discovery. Mage is tough too but in general more greedy deck wins. It's not nasty at all and I in fact found few new friends who gave me props after I burned their face.
If you hate shamans I can recommend this deck.
Another incarnation of Surprise Mage. I finally managed to build a variant that carried me to rank 4. Thanks to lots of paladins on ladder Power of Creation made an edge. I looted Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron so I included it for giggles. I used it only once and I had full board clear but I lost anyway :)
Rules stay the same:
- Mully for Arcane Intellect / Arcane Flakmage / Ancient Mysteries.
- Against priest it's wise to keep Polymorph, and against shaman or paladin it's wise to keep Flame Ward.
- Control the board and play for value. When enemy runs out of steam you can push face with Cloud Prince and Sunreaver Warmage.
- Splitting Image should be used combined with Khartut Defender.
- Keep Naga Sand Witch untill you can lower mana cost of 2x Pyroblast - this is the finisher that hits more often than anyone thinks. Nobody plays around 2x Pyroblast.
Few things I learned while playing:
- - it's always good to use Arcane Intellect on 3. Board doesn't matter
- - if you can play Cloud Prince on 5, while playing secret for 0 it is worth it
- - shamans have Hex and they ruin Splitting Image
- - hunters always have Dinotamer Brann on 7 and Ragnaros the Firelord on 8
- - let's not talk about druids
PS2. People who don't like Vaporize shall remember it's Surprise Mage
PS3. I do not recommend this deck at rank 5. I lost most of my games after I posted the video and never came closer than 2 stars anymore :D
you know what I'm going to say lol
p.s. I'm 9-3 with the version I've been running and at rank 6 currently
I love this deck, its oryginal and it surprises many opponents.
I am thinking about including Sathrovarr but not sure what to replace with it? Would work great about very control heavy decks but at the same time be quite useless against aggro decks. Any ideas ?
Very unlikely to have anything on the board at all times. N'Zoth, the Corruptor is only a plan C but mentioned in other comment - I think Splitting Image isn't all that great so you could try with this, replacing Mountain Giant is an option too. It's usually play for 5 mana so you can imagine it doesn't work too well in this heavy aggro madness. It catches removals and sometimes you can have nice value from Splitting Image but it's not reliable at all.
And heavy control matchups are all about removing the heal (Zilliax) and armor then use Alexstrasza, emote 'well played' and hope they forgot you used Naga Sand Witch 5 turns ago
The idea of playing Vaporize in a competitive deck just makes me cringe with so many aggro decks out. Is there a reason you are set on it? I know you said earlier that it was for priest but if priest is a loss I'd abandon that card asap.
I think I can answer with two legendary minions that happen to be on the empty board way too many times - Siamat and Zilliax.
Other reason is you need secret that doesn't go off too fast. I can agree it's not very useful vs aggro unless you can make it cost 0 and play with Arcane Flakmage + Cloud Prince followup. Once shaman got Octosari from Mutate and casually burned 5 cards thinking it's Flame Ward.
NOBODY PLAYS AROUND Vaporize
What do you think about these ideas? More board control, extra 5/4/5 deathrattles with healing and taunt.
-Meteorologist 2x
+Rotten Applebaum 2x
-Vaporize
+Mind Control Tech
-Mountain Giant
+Doomsayer
-Conjurer's Calling
+Blizzard or Frost Nova
Also Acolyte of Pain could fit for Arcane Intellect with no negative synergy with Naga Sand Witch ?
Hope it won't be too slow...
Meteorologist usually hits for 5-9. Shaman usually has full board of low health minions therefore I don't think it's good idea. Also 6 drops are better than 5 drops for Conjurer's Calling
Rotten Applebaum is slow, doesn't give instant effect and ruins N'Zoth, the Corruptor
I was thinking about puttin Mind Control Tech but for sure not in place of Vaporize, more for Mountain Giant, Vaporize wins too many games :)
Doomsayer has no place in this deck. It does basically nothing
Blizzard was in this deck in place of Polymorph, for most of the time it just sits in your hand and you die before you can use it. Frost Nova does exactly nothing without Doomsayer
Acolyte of Pain could make you overdraw almost every game. :D It's hard enough to play cards, unless we put another Mountain Giant and play more secrets or cheap spells - that's different deck
Naga Sand Witch has no negative synergy because when you are ready to use it you don't have cheap spells in hand(worst case scenario is useless secret like Flame Ward or Conjurer's Calling which is not that bad). And if you would like to play Naga Sand Witch earlier and you have Arcane Intellect in hand you probably already lost anyway.
Thought of Doomsayer with Nova/Blizzard ofc to slow down aggro.
Yea, so as I mentioned 15->7 I've made with Blizzard in place of Polymorph and it annoyed me to the point I decided to replace it. 8/5 mana play is too late for aggro. And if you manage to survive this long vs aggro you got this. Most of games this deck finishes on very low HP (countless times when I finished enemy with 1 HP left).
The biggest issue I have right now is to stabilize drawing Ancient Mysteries / Arcane Flakmage
Most of games ends because these two comes too late (like on 5 or later)
I was considering replacing Flame Ward and Splitting Image with card draw like Witchwood Piper as it flows with Conjurer's Calling. Probably will test some of these ideas.
due to the fact that Arcane Flakmage is your lowest minion....i'd consider Witchwood Piper or 2 to ensure drawing him. The worst case scenario is that you are going to end up getting a Cloud Prince or something with her. I thought I was a genius until i finished reading your post and you mentioned piper as well. Good on you ;) Definitely try her. I dunno if I would replace the Flame Ward as its early cc that for cost cant be beat with a deck that synergizes with it like this. Especially against $hit show shaman lately.
Thanks for all comments and suggestions. All my opinions are from experience. I was playing this deck for 15 hours and I kind of feel its issues.
Reason why I would replace Flame Ward and Splitting Image is vs. shaman you really need only one - if they Evolve you will need for sure more than 3 damage which involves playing two secrets and if you weren't lucky to draw Ancient Mysteries that's game. After you reach 6 mana and considering your hand isn't empty (which doesn't really happen) you have answers for days. Opponent has to deal with your higher cost minions to avoid Conjurer's Calling especially if you can mix Splitting Image with 6 drops or Mountain Giant. I saw rogues using Eviscerate to get rid of Meteorologist or Cloud Prince. They are scary because of Sap so the faster you can drain their removals and secret checkers like Backstab the better. It implies you need to have board control before turn 5 - otherwise he threats lethal with Sap. It works the same vs shamans :D. Deck starts slow and looks like unlucky control mage but it quickly gains momentum and aggro starts playing attrition and they lose :)
Flame Ward is the best vs Murlocs and there are not many shamans and paladins playing murlocs.
I think at this point these two are the weakest but I'm looking forward what you guys test out.