Appreciate the feedback. I will experiment with the ideas. The following are just thoughts and not arguments.
I did try Cloud Prince and secrets. I am aiming to win by turn 6. Dropping a secret is often a tempo breaker without a goal related effect. Cloud Prince is great but... the secret has to still be in play, his damage is not boosted by spell damage and he doesn't hit the board early (without Evocation). Removing ~5 cards to make this happen defocuses and slows down the deck... it really becomes a different animal at that point. With all that said, I have been thinking about trying it again.
Mana Resevoir has been in and out a few times. The 2 cost Elemental helps trigger Elemental Allies quicker and more reliably. The +1 spell damage isn't huge on it's own but combined with the others it can be enough of a difference to win before the momentum changes. But I am certain he will come and go a few more times yet as I try things.
Mage just doesn't have enough face damage spells to make a Face deck work fast enough. This deck uses + spell damage and early minion hits to bring this goal into range early enough. Elemental Allies is a significant assist getting enough damage spells early enough so having enough low cost elementals is critical. Once the moment changes, as it does vs all enemies, your turns are limited. It's a struggle to finish up before that so the main focus is speed and pressure.
Learn Draconic seems to trigger too late since the first 4 turns or so should be Elementals and Elemental Allies. But more importantly it dilutes the spell pool. Since Mage is kept just shy of enough direct damage to build a face deck around this deck 1) must do early face damage with minions and 2) must still do significant face damage with spells mid game. What enables consistency is Elemental Allies which must pull face damage spells to play early enough to end the game before you have to spend them defending yourself. Diluting the pool seems to significantly affect results.
Yeah, that was my experience, too. I really enjoy the deck, but you're right that Learn Draconic never seemed like the right play, and it usually sat in my hand while I pushed an actual win condition. For now, I dropped it for a single Leper Gnome, but I'm not sure that that's the right move long-term. I'm gonna keep tinkering with it.
Currently I am trying the deck I last posted minus 2x Battlemage for 2x Arcane Servant. It is a 2 cost 2/3 Elemental. I would sub out one for scorch if I had one. I wonder if Azerite Elemental works or if waiting a turn for the first +2 spell damage is too taxing.
I am hoping the next release contains one or two more low cost useful Elementals to complete this deck.
I haven't really tried, I am playing casual. I guess it's time to try. I will report back.
I swapped out the 2x Arcane Servants for 2x Living Dragonbreath. The prevent freezing is techy but occasionally useful. I made the swap more for the 4 health so that it can survive to do a couple rounds of 3 damage vs Mage and Rogue if dropped on turn 1. It should draw out some creature kill spells or force your opponent to use a couple early creatures to take it out.
Rank 14-3* to rank 9-1* so far in just 21 games (16-5). Actual win rate can't be that high, must be a streak. I think Living Dragonbreath was the right sub for the reasons stated previously.
is probably a better bet to climb. Mountain Giants are just too good.
To make it more budget friendly you could easily swap out Khadgar for a second Bonfire, same goes for Leeroy instead of Siamat, but elemental synergy is better i'd say. AI instead of Book of Specters is another option.
What do you say? Could that be a built you would be happy with?
I appreciate the deck info. But I'm not looking for a better Elemental deck to climb ranks. I was very specifically looking to create a better Face mouse trap than Face Hunter. One that was fast enough to finish of Res Priest before he got started.
So far I am up to rank 6-1* with a record of 32-13 starting from 14-3*. It seems to be very solid. My first time higher than rank 8 ever.
But... I will for sure try your deck at a later time. Very much appreciated.
Wow Living Dragonbreath is better than I thought. I just played a Rogue who had to use a Zephyr to grab a Frost Nova to freeze my minions for round 5 from taking him down to 2 life. After doing so, on my turn I played Living Dragonbreath and it instantly unfroze my creatures ready to attack.
So I decided to try this deck out in Wild. I haven't played more then 2-3 wild games ever before today. With Cinderstorm, Elemental Evocation, Celestial Emmisary and Cosmic Anomaly all rotating out and Leeroy going HOF, there wasn't really any way to save it in Standard.
Started at the beginning with 3 star bonus. Made it through bronze without loosing. Silver I get just 1 star and the bonus start for win streaks. I am still undefeated at Silver rank 7-3*. I know I'm still really low in the ranks but undefeated is fun ;)
I am going to get Evocation in here now. Apexis Blast I think is that little more face damage it was missing, too bad you don't get the minion with it.
I have only been playing since August so I don't really have any wild cards except some that just rotated out. I also don't know any wild cards really so not sure what I am playing against or what can make the deck better. Just posting in case someone else has fun with it or a version of it.
I was also playing (and really enjoying!) this deck in Standard, but I agree that the rotation just eliminates too many vital pieces.
Since you mentioned not knowing Wild as well, here are some candidates. Not necessarily sure where they fit, but I'll explain what I like about them in the context of this deck.
Fire Fly gives you two cheap Elementals in one card, which is absolutely fantastic for reliably activating Allies. Flame Geyser gives you 2 direct damage and a small Elemental. It's useful, but I've rarely had a game where 2 damage on its own would have turned the tide. Could be good with Spell Power, though. Pyros is three Elementals in one card (when the 2/2 dies, you get a 6/6 for 6; when that dies, you get a 10/10 for 10), but it might be a little too slow. Steam Surger is a beefy 4-drop, which gets you 2 more damage and another Elemental, but again, probably too slow. Fire Plume Phoenix is another 2 damage on an Elemental stick, but is a little over-costed for this deck. Blazecaller can probably replace the Avalanches -- it's 5 damage on a 6/6 body. Ragnaros the Firelord is technically an Elemental, but generally going to turn 8 is a death sentence. Still, he can close out a rough game as a long-shot.
For non-Elemental cards, consider Flamewaker, who adds additional pings to every spell you cast. It weaponizes your quests and your Elemental Evocations, and pairs especially well with Arcane Missiles. Explosive Runes might help as board-control paired with some face damage. Forgotten Torch is 3 direct damage, and shuffles 6 more damage into the deck. Dragon's Breath is 4 direct damage, and can be discounted if you have to trade into taunts. Firelands Portal costs more than Apexis Blast, but it guarantees you the minion. Greater Arcane Missiles is fine if you're ahead, but I can't see including it in the deck.
Wow lots of options. I was considering whether or not I could get Avalanche out. Thanks for the quick study tips, I will look into each of those. I did have some fun with Flamewalker and Ragnaros the Firelord when we got them temporarily for free.
For now I just swapped out Astromancer Solarian for Evocation.
I made it to silver rank 5-2* and 5 other casual match wins before a Rez Priest handed me my first loss. Probably has a lot to do with the fact I am seeing no Embiggen Druids and a lot of DH, which it does well against.
Let me know how Evocation treats you. I don't play enough Wild to justify crafting it for this deck, but I am very interested in how it would work out. There are so many dud spells in Wild that don't serve the win-condition, so I'm mainly curious about how consistent it is. Of course, my hand-size tends to be fairly small, so it'd be likely to get 7+ options, which isn't bad at all.
One last thought, in addition to the cards I mentioned above: It might be worth considering Frost Lich Jaina for those games where you're almost out of gas. Especially if you have a board presence when you drop her -- that Lifesteal is no joke, and it would apply to Blazecaller damage too. Again, it's a question of consistency, but I might put her in for now, since I don't have Evocation.
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You can get much more off this deck by adding secrets and 5 mana elementals that deal 6 damage
Mana Resevoir is just no.
Appreciate the feedback. I will experiment with the ideas. The following are just thoughts and not arguments.
I did try Cloud Prince and secrets. I am aiming to win by turn 6. Dropping a secret is often a tempo breaker without a goal related effect. Cloud Prince is great but... the secret has to still be in play, his damage is not boosted by spell damage and he doesn't hit the board early (without Evocation). Removing ~5 cards to make this happen defocuses and slows down the deck... it really becomes a different animal at that point. With all that said, I have been thinking about trying it again.
Mana Resevoir has been in and out a few times. The 2 cost Elemental helps trigger Elemental Allies quicker and more reliably. The +1 spell damage isn't huge on it's own but combined with the others it can be enough of a difference to win before the momentum changes. But I am certain he will come and go a few more times yet as I try things.
Mage just doesn't have enough face damage spells to make a Face deck work fast enough. This deck uses + spell damage and early minion hits to bring this goal into range early enough. Elemental Allies is a significant assist getting enough damage spells early enough so having enough low cost elementals is critical. Once the moment changes, as it does vs all enemies, your turns are limited. It's a struggle to finish up before that so the main focus is speed and pressure.
I am trialing another version with Leper Gnomes, Kobold Sandtroopers and Lifedrinkers.
Is it worth trying Learn Draconic? Seems like if you're pulling spells anyway, it's a 1 mana 6/6, which seems pretty good.
Might be worth a try, thanks.
Learn Draconic seems to trigger too late since the first 4 turns or so should be Elementals and Elemental Allies. But more importantly it dilutes the spell pool. Since Mage is kept just shy of enough direct damage to build a face deck around this deck 1) must do early face damage with minions and 2) must still do significant face damage with spells mid game. What enables consistency is Elemental Allies which must pull face damage spells to play early enough to end the game before you have to spend them defending yourself. Diluting the pool seems to significantly affect results.
Yeah, that was my experience, too. I really enjoy the deck, but you're right that Learn Draconic never seemed like the right play, and it usually sat in my hand while I pushed an actual win condition. For now, I dropped it for a single Leper Gnome, but I'm not sure that that's the right move long-term. I'm gonna keep tinkering with it.
Currently I am trying the deck I last posted minus 2x Battlemage for 2x Arcane Servant. It is a 2 cost 2/3 Elemental. I would sub out one for scorch if I had one. I wonder if Azerite Elemental works or if waiting a turn for the first +2 spell damage is too taxing.
I am hoping the next release contains one or two more low cost useful Elementals to complete this deck.
Which rank did you reach with this?
I haven't really tried, I am playing casual. I guess it's time to try. I will report back.
I swapped out the 2x Arcane Servants for 2x Living Dragonbreath. The prevent freezing is techy but occasionally useful. I made the swap more for the 4 health so that it can survive to do a couple rounds of 3 damage vs Mage and Rogue if dropped on turn 1. It should draw out some creature kill spells or force your opponent to use a couple early creatures to take it out.
Not a bad turn 2...
Rank 14-3* to rank 9-1* so far in just 21 games (16-5). Actual win rate can't be that high, must be a streak. I think Living Dragonbreath was the right sub for the reasons stated previously.
It was just a good streak. At rank 10 the decks are better and things are settling down. I will collect a lot more data before posting stats again.
### Custom Mage
# Class: Mage
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Dragon
#
# 2x (0) Elemental Evocation
# 2x (1) Elemental Allies
# 2x (1) Magic Trick
# 2x (1) Ray of Frost
# 2x (1) Violet Spellwing
# 2x (2) Book of Specters
# 1x (2) Khadgar
# 2x (2) Mana Cyclone
# 2x (2) Sorcerer's Apprentice
# 2x (3) Arcane Amplifier
# 1x (3) Chenvaala
# 2x (4) Conjurer's Calling
# 1x (5) Bonfire Elemental
# 2x (7) Animated Avalanche
# 1x (7) Siamat
# 2x (8) Mana Giant
# 2x (12) Mountain Giant
#
AAECAf0EBM7yApaaA4SnA/isAw3mBOEHzu8CyIcDg5YDn5sD4psD/50D+6wD/awD868Dh7YDiLYDAA==
is probably a better bet to climb. Mountain Giants are just too good.
To make it more budget friendly you could easily swap out Khadgar for a second Bonfire, same goes for Leeroy instead of Siamat, but elemental synergy is better i'd say. AI instead of Book of Specters is another option.
What do you say? Could that be a built you would be happy with?
Always expect the unexpectable!
I appreciate the deck info. But I'm not looking for a better Elemental deck to climb ranks. I was very specifically looking to create a better Face mouse trap than Face Hunter. One that was fast enough to finish of Res Priest before he got started.
So far I am up to rank 6-1* with a record of 32-13 starting from 14-3*. It seems to be very solid. My first time higher than rank 8 ever.
But... I will for sure try your deck at a later time. Very much appreciated.
Wow Living Dragonbreath is better than I thought. I just played a Rogue who had to use a Zephyr to grab a Frost Nova to freeze my minions for round 5 from taking him down to 2 life. After doing so, on my turn I played Living Dragonbreath and it instantly unfroze my creatures ready to attack.
Not sure who was more surprised, me or the Rogue.
So I decided to try this deck out in Wild. I haven't played more then 2-3 wild games ever before today. With Cinderstorm, Elemental Evocation, Celestial Emmisary and Cosmic Anomaly all rotating out and Leeroy going HOF, there wasn't really any way to save it in Standard.
Started at the beginning with 3 star bonus. Made it through bronze without loosing. Silver I get just 1 star and the bonus start for win streaks. I am still undefeated at Silver rank 7-3*. I know I'm still really low in the ranks but undefeated is fun ;)
I am going to get Evocation in here now. Apexis Blast I think is that little more face damage it was missing, too bad you don't get the minion with it.
I have only been playing since August so I don't really have any wild cards except some that just rotated out. I also don't know any wild cards really so not sure what I am playing against or what can make the deck better. Just posting in case someone else has fun with it or a version of it.
I was also playing (and really enjoying!) this deck in Standard, but I agree that the rotation just eliminates too many vital pieces.
Since you mentioned not knowing Wild as well, here are some candidates. Not necessarily sure where they fit, but I'll explain what I like about them in the context of this deck.
Fire Fly gives you two cheap Elementals in one card, which is absolutely fantastic for reliably activating Allies. Flame Geyser gives you 2 direct damage and a small Elemental. It's useful, but I've rarely had a game where 2 damage on its own would have turned the tide. Could be good with Spell Power, though. Pyros is three Elementals in one card (when the 2/2 dies, you get a 6/6 for 6; when that dies, you get a 10/10 for 10), but it might be a little too slow. Steam Surger is a beefy 4-drop, which gets you 2 more damage and another Elemental, but again, probably too slow. Fire Plume Phoenix is another 2 damage on an Elemental stick, but is a little over-costed for this deck. Blazecaller can probably replace the Avalanches -- it's 5 damage on a 6/6 body. Ragnaros the Firelord is technically an Elemental, but generally going to turn 8 is a death sentence. Still, he can close out a rough game as a long-shot.
For non-Elemental cards, consider Flamewaker, who adds additional pings to every spell you cast. It weaponizes your quests and your Elemental Evocations, and pairs especially well with Arcane Missiles. Explosive Runes might help as board-control paired with some face damage. Forgotten Torch is 3 direct damage, and shuffles 6 more damage into the deck. Dragon's Breath is 4 direct damage, and can be discounted if you have to trade into taunts. Firelands Portal costs more than Apexis Blast, but it guarantees you the minion. Greater Arcane Missiles is fine if you're ahead, but I can't see including it in the deck.
Wow lots of options. I was considering whether or not I could get Avalanche out. Thanks for the quick study tips, I will look into each of those. I did have some fun with Flamewalker and Ragnaros the Firelord when we got them temporarily for free.
For now I just swapped out Astromancer Solarian for Evocation.
I made it to silver rank 5-2* and 5 other casual match wins before a Rez Priest handed me my first loss. Probably has a lot to do with the fact I am seeing no Embiggen Druids and a lot of DH, which it does well against.
Let me know how Evocation treats you. I don't play enough Wild to justify crafting it for this deck, but I am very interested in how it would work out. There are so many dud spells in Wild that don't serve the win-condition, so I'm mainly curious about how consistent it is. Of course, my hand-size tends to be fairly small, so it'd be likely to get 7+ options, which isn't bad at all.
One last thought, in addition to the cards I mentioned above: It might be worth considering Frost Lich Jaina for those games where you're almost out of gas. Especially if you have a board presence when you drop her -- that Lifesteal is no joke, and it would apply to Blazecaller damage too. Again, it's a question of consistency, but I might put her in for now, since I don't have Evocation.