Hearthpwn

If you have any questions or ideas how to improve the deck please leave a comment below, i'll try to answer each of them. If you have fun and/or success with it climbing the ladder, hit the "+" button. Thanks!!

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1. Introduction
2. FAQ
3. Changes
4. How to play
5. Card choices
6. Replacements

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Introduction:

 

I'm JJ, a german Hearthstone player. I made Legend nearly every season and mostly with my own builds. After the new cards were announced and i saw Reno Jackson i knew i needed to build a deck around it. I love highlander decks (only 1 copy of each card) from Magic the Gathering so this is just perfect. Mage is my favorite class so i started to try different builds and came up with this beauty <3.

This deck is alot of fun and still very competitive. It feels like you never run out of gas and have an answer to everything.

I played the deck from rank 5 to legend. At rank 3 i had a hard time but then it was very easy. My last 30 games went 22-8, so ~73% winrate. Overall it was something between 62-65%.

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Changes:

 

• 18.11.2015: Out: Abomination ; In: Nexus-Champion Saraad. More power for the late game and another creature that has to be removed asap or you will generate alot of value. Since the release of LoE the meta is changing more an more to control matches, mostly because of Reno Jackson.
• 20.11.2015: Out: Water Elemental ; In: Ethereal Conjurer. Same reason like the last change. Now you have two ways Ethereal Conjurer and Jeweled Scarab to get an additional Ice Block or Duplicate.
• 25.11.2015: Out: Nexus-Champion Saraad ; In: Brann Bronzebeard. Works pretty good so far!

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FAQ:

 

Why only 1 copy of each card?

• At the beginning i tried to run a 2nd copy of Mad Scientist, Ice Block and/or Duplicate. But after i lost some games with Reno Jackson in hand and still 2 copies of the same card in the deck (could'nt heal up), i changed it to 1 copy each.
• You can swap out cards that are not needed to make the deck work (Water Elemental, Abomination, etc.) against the current meta. That way you make these matchups better without losing much power against the others.
• It's a Highlander Deck!!

Will you add Brann Bronzebeard?

• Yes i did! :-)

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How to play:

 

(If you think different about a matchup or that i forgot one, let me know)

• Warrior: Keep Mad Scientist, Jeweled Scarab, Emperor Thaurissan, Polymorph, Arcane Intellect, Piloted Shredder. You will need to figure out if he is Control or Patron or Mill. Against Control you try to Duplicate cards like Emperor Thaurissan and Archmage Antonidas and just outvalue him. A well timed Echo of Medivh should seal the game. Try to save Polymorph against Ysera, you should have enough removal for the rest. Be aware of his Sylvanas Windrunner and sometimes Faceless Manipulator, if they get your Archmage Antonidas it can end badly. Against Patron you just try to remove everything. The only way how you can lose is a Patron turn that you can't handle (use Flamestrike only for these turns). A duplicated Reno Jackson wins most of the time. Against Mill you try to keep your handsize at 7 (Coldlight Oracle will make you overdraw otherwise) and you don't draw with Arcane Intellect. Try to steal his Deathlord with Sylvanas Windrunner and play Mad Scientist only if there is no secret left. It's not an easy matchup but it'll be easier if you manage to do those things ;-).

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• Rogue: Keep Frostbolt, Flamecannon, Mad Scientist, Ice Block, Jeweled Scarab, Emperor Thaurissan, Reno Jackson, Antique Healbot. Try to remove everythin asap and take as less dmg as possible. While he tries to set up his burst turn (Deadly Poison, 2x Tinker's Sharpsword Oil, Blade Flurry) you need to find your Ice Block! If you survive this turn and heal up afterwards with Reno Jackson or sometimes even Antique Healbot you win for sure. Try to play around Sap, i know it's not possible sometimes but just try :-).

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• Mage: Keep Frostbolt, Flamecannon, Doomsayer, Forgotten Torch, Mad Scientist, Emperor Thaurissan, Antique Healbot, Reno Jackson, Zombie Chow, Jeweled Scarab, Polymorph. Against Tempo you try to prevent early dmg and play the control game. You'll need to heal up at some point, Reno Jackson wins the game always. Use Doomsayer and Explosive Sheep to trigger Mirror Entity that will always clear the board without spending much mana. You need Polymorph or Flame Lance for his Archmage Antonidas or the game turns in his favor. If they run out of gas the game is won. Against Freeze you try to pressure him and to get up an Ice Block, the goal is to copy either Antique Healbot or Reno Jackson, that should win you the game. You need to have an answer to Archmage Antonidas asap, so don't waste Polymorph or Flame Lance for cards like Alexstrasza. Normally you have other removal for it (like Big Game Hunter. Emperor Thaurissan needs to be removed asap too! Overall Mage (Tempo and Freeze) are good matchups.
  

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• Hunter: Keep Frostbolt, Flamecannon, Doomsayer, Forgotten Torch, Mad Scientist, Antique Healbot, Reno Jackson, Zombie Chow, Explosive Sheep. Against Face you just try to remove everything and to stay alive. At some point you'll need the heal or you lose the game. If you manage to copy either Antique Healbot or Reno Jackson the game is over. Use Alexstrasza only to heal yourself up to 15. Triggering traps is nearly never good, only if you can heal up afterwards with Reno Jackson. Against Midrange it's mostly the same strategy, only that you'll need Polymorph for his Savannah Highmane. Try to play around Loatheb and Flare. If you manage to outvalue him and he runs out of gas you win the game. Heal isn't needed that much like in the Face matchup but at some point you'll need it too.

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• Priest: Keep Mad Scientist, Jeweled Scarab, Frostbolt, Arcane Intellect, Flamecannon, Emperor Thaurissan, Doomsayer, Zombie Chow, Piloted Shredder. Stay alive and set up a good Blizzard, Flamestrike, Doomsayer turn. If you manage to Duplicate Emperor Thaurissan, Archmage Antonidas or Sylvanas Windrunner the game turns heavily into your favor. Be aware of the Shrinkmeister Cabal Shadow Priest combo. Try not to overload the board too much, most likely there will be 1-2x Lightbombs.

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• Paladin: Keep Mad Scientist, Explosive Sheep, Frostbolt, Doomsayer, Forgotten Torch, Jeweled Scarab, Reno Jackson, Zombie Chow. Against Secret try to remove everything until turn 6, if you manage it you can handle Mysterious Challenger with some of your big removal. The best way is getting it buffed to 7+ power and kill it with Big Game Hunter. The MVP is Reno Jackson, its hard to lose a game with him because he buys you that much time. Try to save Polymorph for their Tirion Fordring. Doomsayer can be played on turn 2/3 or later in combination with Frost Nova. Don't use Explosive Sheep for 1 creature! Against Midrange/Control just trade everything, he will run out of gas earlier. Save Polymorph for his Tirion Fordring and be aware of Quartermaster turns. Duplicate cards like Archmage Antonidas, Reno Jackson, Sludge Belcher. Doomsayer is best played early to get more time. Later in the game it will get handled with Equality and Ironbeak Owl.
  

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• Druid: Keep Zombie Chow, Frostbolt, Flamecannon, Forgotten Torch, Doomsayer, Jeweled Scarab, Big Game Hunter, Emperor Thaurissan, Explosive Sheep, Reno Jackson, Antique Healbot. Against Face remove everything and try not taking too much dmg in the early turns. You'll need an answer against Fel Reaver asap or try to freeze him 1-2 turns. Some games will be won just by milling your opponent with their own Fel Reaver. Play Doomsayer on turn 2 if he coined out a Darnassus Aspirant. If you get up an Ice Block and find Reno Jackson the game is won. This matchup is similar to Face Hunter, if you get 1 heal you are favored. Against Midrange you play not much different, you just got a bit more time. A copied Reno Jackson wins almost every time! Getting an early Emperor Thaurissan can be the key to get that extra mana your opponent already got through Wild Growth. Some play Kezan Mystic but it's not worth playing around it. If you get a 2nd Ice Block out of Jeweled Scarab take it!

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• Warlock: Keep Mad Scientist, Jeweled Scarab, Frostbolt, Doomsayer, Arcane Intellect, Emperor Thaurissan, Zombie Chow, Big Game Hunter, Reno Jackson. Against Handlock/Reno just focus on boardcontrol. A duplicated Big Game Hunter will grant you enough removal for their big threats. Emperor Thaurissan and Archmage Antonidas are good targets too. The only way you lose is a bad draw or an early Lord Jaraxxus. If he hasn't played it and the game is near fatigue you won the game. Try to play around Molten Giants and Sylvanas Windrunner + Shadowflame. Against Zoo you remove everything and just try to survive. Reno Jackson is the MVP again, but Antique Healbot can be enough too. Try to set up good Doomsayer, Blizzard, Flamestrike turns and be aware of his burst in form of Doomguard and Power Overwhelming.

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• Shaman: Keep Doomsayer, Mad Scientist, Frostbolt, Forgotten Torch, Polymorph, Reno Jackson, Jeweled Scarab, Arcane Intellect, Zombie Chow, Piloted Shredder, Big Game Hunter. Against Aggro try to have removal for their Fel Reaver and other threats and just stall the game, you will win the late game. Use Duplicate and Echo of Medivh for your heal cards. Against Control you have more power and too many threats to handle for your opponent. Try not to play Duplicate if he hasn't played an Hex yet. Use it on Jeweled Scarab or other cards he won't hex.

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Card choices:

 

1. Zombie Chow: Great against aggro and midrange to buy the needed time for getting into the late game.

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2. Flamecannon: Good early removal to get rid of Knife Juggler, Darnassus Aspirant, Mana Wyrm, etc. and also good in the late game.

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3. Frostbolt: Same as Flamecannon with a sometimes needed freeze effect.

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4. Doomsayer: It's a good mass removal and what makes it even better is that after clearing the board you are first to play new stuff. You can play it in the first turns to buy time or later in the game in combination with Frost Nova and Blizzard to clear the board. Don't play it if you're on low life if you think your opponent plays Dr. Boom, it might kill you even with an active Ice Block on your turn.

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5. Explosive Sheep: Cheap board clear (ping it with your hero power). Against Tempo Mage you can save it until he has an active secret, if it's Mirror Entity you'll get an easy board clear. Same goes for Doomsayer

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6. Jeweled Scarab: At first i thought it's only ok but now i really love it. Playing 2-drop into 3-drop is just good and you can pick the card which is best for the matchup. Sometimes you'll get Forgotten Torch, don't play it if you already played one copy of it!!! Then you will have 2 copies of Roaring Torch in your deck and Reno Jackson won't heal you. The chance you'll get a mage card is 4 times higher, so alot of times you'll get an additional secret out of it.

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7. Mad Scientist: One of the best 2-drops. You can trade with early creatures and get Duplicate or Ice Block from it.

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8. Arcane Intellect: Card draw is never bad!

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9. Duplicate: I think i don't need to say much about this card. Great with Emperor Thaurissan, Reno Jackson, Sludge Belcher, Sylvanas Windrunner, and so on. It's very flexible, so you can duplicate the cards you need most depending on the matchup.

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10. Forgotten Torch: It's a good removal which sometimes wins you long games that go to fatigue

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11. Brann Bronzebeard: Got some great synergies with Jeweled Scarab, Ethereal Conjurer, Antique Healbot, Dr. Boom to generate alot card advantage and is a must removal for the opponent. Try to make it cheaper with Emperor Thaurissan to play it with 2 battlecry cards in 1 turn.

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12. Frost Nova: Great card to stall the game. Very good with Doomsayer and Archmage Antonidas.

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13. Ice Block: Sometimes you just get bursted or let the opponent burst you down. It grants you an extra turn were you can heal up with Reno Jackson, Antique Healbot or Alexstrasza and get back the board control.

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14. Big Game Hunter: Perfect removal against Dr. Boom and every 7+ power creature. Great against Handlock (you want to Duplicate it against them).

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15. Echo of Medivh: Another very flexible card. Great with Molten Giant, Reno Jackson and the cards that are good in specific matchups.

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16. Polymorph: Much needed removal against cards like Ysera, Archmage Antonidas, Tirion Fordring etc.

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17. Piloted Shredder: Best 4-drop in the game!

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18. Flame Lance: I thought you'll need an additional removal for big creatures and until now it was never bad.

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19. Antique Healbot: Heal for 8 and a 3/3 body, deal! Much needed card against Hunter and all the other Aggro-Decks.

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20. Ethereal Conjurer: Great cards in control matchups. Finds Mage spells 4 times more often. That way you might get a 2nd copy of Ice Block or Duplicate
    

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21. Sludge Belcher: Really good to stall the game and great with Duplicate.

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22. Blizzard: Sometimes you just need mass removal.

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23. Emperor Thaurissan: This card is just great. Good with Archmage Antonidas, Duplicate, Echo of Midvh or just to get alot of extra mana.

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24. Reno Jackson: I really want to see the faces of the hunter players who try to burst you down and on <10 life you heal up to 30 :-). Had 1 match were i healed up from low to full life 4 times!! Insane card and reason i build this deck!

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25. Sylvanas Windrunner: If you have played against it you know how stupid it is. Great to Duplicate. Sometimes you can kill it with 1 of your spells to instant steal something like Ysera, Tirion Fordring.

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26. Flamestrike: Sometimes you just need mass removal #2 :-).

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27. Archmage Antonidas: Good finisher. The opponent needs to remove it asap or you'll win the game most of the time.

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28. Dr. Boom: Still not nerfed, so we play it too. Another sick card that can turn the game to your favor.

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29. Alexstrasza: You can use it to heal up to 15 or to burst the opponent down. Most of the time you'll heal yourself.

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30. Molten Giant: It's great in combination with Echo of Medivh and Antique Healbot or Reno Jackson after you got bursted down. Lets you regain Boardcontrol for 0 mana or pressure the opponent!

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Replacements:

 

• Kezan Mystic: You already got a good matchup against all kinds of mages so you dont need to waste 1 slot for this card. The only bad Mage matchup might be Mill Mage, but i never player against it.
• Frost Giant: It's better than Molten Giant in control matchups, but there are still enough aggro and midrange decks on ladder to not play it. (even after Reno Jackson helped to get rid of alot face decks)
• Ragnaros the Firelord: Can be good sometimes, but i don't like to add cards that are that rng heavy. If you got no Archmage Antonidas you can play him.
• Rhonin: It has no direct impact on the board and your opponent can ignore it, so there are many better choices.
• Fireball: Thought about it and might add it soon. Good removal and you can play it on your own Sylvanas Windrunner to get your opponents creature right away. You can swap it with Water Elemental.
• Effigy: I don't like the card in this deck. You always want Ice Block or Duplicate from Mad Scientist.
• Bloodmage Thalnos: It's a very good card and it actually could fit in the deck. I'll need to test it. You could take out Zombie Chow for it.
• Acolyte of Pain: I never needed additional draw and since the meta is changing to more control decks there will be more fatigue wars.
• Youthful Brewmaster: It's good on paper with Reno Jackson, Antique Healbot, etc. but i think that's not enough.
• Blood Knight, Mind Control Tech: If they work you made the right decission, but most of the times they are just 3/3 vanilla.
• Refreshment Vendor: Since there isn't that much face aggro anymore you don't need more heal. If the meta changes it can be a nice addition to the deck.
• Azure Drake, Loatheb, Abomination, Stampeding Kodo, Nexus-Champion Saraad: Great cards, can be played instead of Tomb Spider or Flame Lance. Let me know if it works out for you!
• Summoning Stone: Way to easy to handle and most of the times you would win without it after playing that many spells to make it good.
• Baron Geddon: You got enough mass removal!
• Chromaggus: Nearly no way to get instant value out of it. Still good stats and if not removed it will probably win you the game. You can play it instead of Molten Giant.
• Kel'Thuzad, Sneed's Old Shredder, Nefarian: I don't like them in this deck, but if you are missing some high cost cards you can add them.
• Ysera: Very good control card, probably the best replacement for cards like Molten Giant, Alexstrasza, etc.

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