So after being severely disappointed in the mage specific Elemental support I decided I should at least try to do something with it. However it felt the mage elemental synergies were more interested in generating bad cards then actually developing tempo, though it did improve in the late game slots. As such I began to think of another forgotten Mage archetype that actually got some good support this set, Secret Mage, and decided to try and hybridize the two utilizing the secret theme for early game and leveraging the elemental theme to provide power for the mid-late game.
Shudderwock means driving a clown car in circles around your opponent while he swings his sword at you. Half the time he chops you and your car to pieces. The other half you park on his legs and 40 clowns come out one by one, trampling him to death.
Why only four secrets? Some of that secret synergy depends on secrets in hand / in play. Would Arcanologist really be reliable enough?
I didn't want to risk harming the consistency of the Elemental part of the deck. I could see going up to five secrets though to help with consistency on that end. I'm also considering replacing Igneous Elemental with Fire Fly since it'll be easier to slip into the curve.
If you replace the Ice Barriers with Ice Blocks, you'd have better guarantee of triggers for Medivh's Valet. That 3 damage on a 2/3 for 2 is kickass.
I think 2 Ice Block would be over kill and wouldn't help a tempo oriented deck like this much. I see what you mean though, and it wouldn't be too bad an idea to change 1 of the Ice Barriers for an Ice Block.
If you replace the Ice Barriers with Ice Blocks, you'd have better guarantee of triggers for Medivh's Valet. That 3 damage on a 2/3 for 2 is kickass.
I think 2 Ice Block would be over kill and wouldn't help a tempo oriented deck like this much. I see what you mean though, and it wouldn't be too bad an idea to change 1 of the Ice Barriers for an Ice Block.
Hope that answered some of your questions.
Counterpoint: we don't get synergy with armour. So the sole purpose of Ice Barrier is to maybe-extend our game by a turn. Ice Block does that too, but guaranteed. Unless the estimation is that 8 armour will buy us 2 turns at game-end more often than it gains us zero, Ice Block is strictly better -- and if there isn't room for 2, that second life-extension secret should be something that helps the board instead like Mirror Image.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Shudderwock means driving a clown car in circles around your opponent while he swings his sword at you. Half the time he chops you and your car to pieces. The other half you park on his legs and 40 clowns come out one by one, trampling him to death.
I have been having a lot of success laddering with the below list. Warlock Zoo and Egg Druid are a bad matchups, Hunter and Pirate War are about even with good play, but Quest Rogue, Miracle, Taunt War, Paladin are all highly favorable. The various Priest/Druid/Shaman decks are easily beatable also.
The Mana Wyrm, Arcanologist, Kirin Tor Mage curve is just the best the class has to offer right now. My best successes with Mage this season have all involved these cards, with enough Secrets of course to make them work.
What ties that package together with Elementals are the similarities in function between Medivh’s Valet, Steam Surger and Blazecaller. These creatures will damage effects attached give you the board in the middle turns against basically everything but Zoo.
Servant of Kalimos I have not found good in Mage at all. None of the class elementals are really very good at that stage of the game, except for maybe Surger. Chances are high of getting Water Elemental or worse, and Water Elemental is just not a late game threat.
Pyros though has been solid, despite all the negative reviews. The missing context is that a free 6 mana 6/6 is a lot better than it looks when it activates Blazecaller, and also there is Dirty Rat in a lot of matchups. A lot of time the 10/10 is the only minion left in your hand, so they are either stuck not being able to play Dirty Rat or they play into it. And really, Pyros is starting to show up in a lot of Control-oriented decks. Exactly the kind of minion that you want in a spell-heavy deck so that you have enough minion density.
So after being severely disappointed in the mage specific Elemental support I decided I should at least try to do something with it. However it felt the mage elemental synergies were more interested in generating bad cards then actually developing tempo, though it did improve in the late game slots. As such I began to think of another forgotten Mage archetype that actually got some good support this set, Secret Mage, and decided to try and hybridize the two utilizing the secret theme for early game and leveraging the elemental theme to provide power for the mid-late game.
I know better ways to spend my 1600 dust than Pyros
Saved! Questions:
Why only four secrets? Some of that secret synergy depends on secrets in hand / in play. Would Arcanologist really be reliable enough?
No Mirror Image for tempo?
If you replace the Ice Barriers with Ice Blocks, you'd have better guarantee of triggers for Medivh's Valet. That 3 damage on a 2/3 for 2 is kickass.
Shudderwock means driving a clown car in circles around your opponent while he swings his sword at you. Half the time he chops you and your car to pieces. The other half you park on his legs and 40 clowns come out one by one, trampling him to death.
Whizbang Strategy Reference -- update complete for Rastakhan's Rumble!
Shudderwock means driving a clown car in circles around your opponent while he swings his sword at you. Half the time he chops you and your car to pieces. The other half you park on his legs and 40 clowns come out one by one, trampling him to death.
Whizbang Strategy Reference -- update complete for Rastakhan's Rumble!
I have been having a lot of success laddering with the below list. Warlock Zoo and Egg Druid are a bad matchups, Hunter and Pirate War are about even with good play, but Quest Rogue, Miracle, Taunt War, Paladin are all highly favorable. The various Priest/Druid/Shaman decks are easily beatable also.
The Mana Wyrm, Arcanologist, Kirin Tor Mage curve is just the best the class has to offer right now. My best successes with Mage this season have all involved these cards, with enough Secrets of course to make them work.
What ties that package together with Elementals are the similarities in function between Medivh’s Valet, Steam Surger and Blazecaller. These creatures will damage effects attached give you the board in the middle turns against basically everything but Zoo.
Servant of Kalimos I have not found good in Mage at all. None of the class elementals are really very good at that stage of the game, except for maybe Surger. Chances are high of getting Water Elemental or worse, and Water Elemental is just not a late game threat.
Pyros though has been solid, despite all the negative reviews. The missing context is that a free 6 mana 6/6 is a lot better than it looks when it activates Blazecaller, and also there is Dirty Rat in a lot of matchups. A lot of time the 10/10 is the only minion left in your hand, so they are either stuck not being able to play Dirty Rat or they play into it. And really, Pyros is starting to show up in a lot of Control-oriented decks. Exactly the kind of minion that you want in a spell-heavy deck so that you have enough minion density.