Basic Mage Deck

[Damien 1,512]

This thread is for comments about our Basic Mage Deck.

[Guest Valahir]

Thank you Sottle for your basic decks. They help me a lot as I've just started playing this game. Including Naxx cards 'Card Swaps' section is also very helpful as it is easy to get for a newbie like me. I'm always very interested in updates as I'm getting more cards and have no idea if or how can I include them in my decks properly.

One thing: when you suggest making a swap please be specific for what cards preferably (or give some best examples/options), saying 'some of the 3 and 4-drop minions' makes a small confusion and I'm doing this more randomly than other experienced players.

[Sottle 221]

Thanks, i'll keep that in mind.

 

Razorfen Hunter would be the specific card i'd look at cutting first for Secrets.

[Guest Meridian]

This deck is so good! I've only been playing Hearthstone for a couple of days and since finding this deck I have been able to beat opponents with much stronger deck including Secret and rare cards etc when I am just using this very basic deck.

 

The one thing I might look at changing is swapping out one of the Flamestrikes for something that does lower damage to more minions. It would be pretty unusual to use 2 Flamestrikes in a single match, yet I find one of the ways I am occasionally losing is when an opponent gains the initiative and gets lots of 1/1 or 2/1 minions out, which seem to be this deck's main weakness as it's geared for large damage on single targets. 

[Sottle 221]

There's two schools of thought on including a card as a two of in a deck. The first one is that it's a card like you say, that you'll want to use twice in a match. The second, is playing two copies, to double the chances that you have access to one when you need it. Flamestrike falls into the latter category in this deck.

If your opponent is rushing out a bunch of little guys, you should be able to stall long enough with your Hero Power and 2-for-1ing them with your better minions to get to your Flamestrike turn. If you want to try and include some more early removal, then by all means try it out if you access to some.

[Recklessdreamer 0]

I started using these premade decks and they really helped me... at first.

 

I was haveing a 4-1 win ratio and then suddenly I stopped. For a few days now I have been losing. I hold on pretty good but everyone I'm playing against slams out legendary cards. a lot of them. Is this because I was winning so much? Will I eventually start winning again after I lose a bunch? I have to win to earn gold so it is really frustrating to be up against people who can play terrible cards one after the other.

[Vaag 0]

I started using these premade decks and they really helped me... at first.

 

I was haveing a 4-1 win ratio and then suddenly I stopped. For a few days now I have been losing. I hold on pretty good but everyone I'm playing against slams out legendary cards. a lot of them. Is this because I was winning so much? Will I eventually start winning again after I lose a bunch? I have to win to earn gold so it is really frustrating to be up against people who can play terrible cards one after the other.

 

Are you playing ranked or the casual play mode?

From my experience if you are about rank 18+ you often get more easier/beginner opponents in ranked than in casual. 

 

And it's really not that hard to stay in the 18+ zone, you can simply concede a few games to lower your rank.

[Sottle 221]

I started using these premade decks and they really helped me... at first.

 

I was haveing a 4-1 win ratio and then suddenly I stopped. For a few days now I have been losing. I hold on pretty good but everyone I'm playing against slams out legendary cards. a lot of them. Is this because I was winning so much? Will I eventually start winning again after I lose a bunch? I have to win to earn gold so it is really frustrating to be up against people who can play terrible cards one after the other.

 

Yeah, naturally once you start to win a lot and climb the ladder then you will encounter people with stronger cards and stronger decks, just take it as a compliment that you're on the same level as these guys with a basic only deck!

 

Switching to Casual or Arena for a while to build up some Gold is a good idea if you feel like you've hit the wall.

[Guest Peky]

Worst deck eu

[Oltier 471]

Worst deck eu

Care to elaborate?

[Guest rmon222]

Hi Sottle,

 

First thank you for the content in icy-veins. I have convinced 15 friends to start Hearthstone and I host weekly tournaments just started this year. I'll be contributing to your twitch (I'd like to do it through icy-veins but don't know how) later.

 

Can I ask about the matchups when playing basic cards only? Specifically for this basic mage deck, how does it stack up against the other basic only decks?

 

[Sottle 221]

Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate the support.

Mage is definitely one of the most powerful basic classes. Flamestrike, Fireball and Polymorph are just kings amongst men when it comes to basic cards. I think Mage is probably favoured against most of the other basic decks, maybe Hunter gives them a problem. Hard to say, not something i've put a huge amount of thought into :P

[Guest Fifty]

Thanks alot for putting this together Scottle! One quick question for you

 

I got lucky and got an Azure Drake and a Bloodmage Thalnos in the first 4 packs I opened. Is there any place for those 2 cards in this deck, and if so what should they replace?

 

 

[drumsmani 47]

Thanks alot for putting this together Scottle! One quick question for you

 

I got lucky and got an Azure Drake and a Bloodmage Thalnos in the first 4 packs I opened. Is there any place for those 2 cards in this deck, and if so what should they replace?

 

You can definitely replace the Kobold with Thalnos. I guess the Drake can replace the gnomish inventor, maybe?

[Sottle 221]

You can definitely replace the Kobold with Thalnos. I guess the Drake can replace the gnomish inventor, maybe?

 

Yes and Yes :)

[Guest Fifty]

Yes and Yes

 

Thanks so much for the quick replies! Already enjoying the deck!

[Guest guest]

Any place for a Sorcerer's Apprentice in this deck? Replace the kobold with it?

[Chikn 0]

I built a pretty successful deck out of mostly basic cards, I just started and have only opened maybe 10-15 packs. It wasn't anything like this though, it relies a lot more on synergy with +spell damage and direct damage spells. Actually, I've replaced some of the more useless +spell minions (like the 1/3 mage) with some other stuff. Also, one of the last packs I opened had the Archmage legendary minion in as well so you can imagine how happy I was about that. It is able to fully control the board with spells and +spell damage on most opponents. Once I get them below 20 health its a flurry of fireball/frost bolts.

[Guest Ric]

Thank you for this posting.  I was down 13-6 but the combination of ooze and shattered sun cleric saved the day.  

[Guest turcurudin]

Thanks for this deck build guide. I've tested it against expert AI heroes, and found it to be quite good. However, it was very weak against Rogue until I swapped some of my high-cost minions for extra lower-cost minions with taunt.

[Guest Navki]

Firstly, thanks for sharing this deck.

 

Now the noob question:

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for which cards are best to keep in your hand at the start of a match please?

[Sottle 221]

Keep Frostbolt, your 2-drop minions, and Shattered Sun Cleric if you have an otherwise good hand.

[Guest melted_cow]

Thanks for the deck. I've been playing it for the past week or so and it's been working really well.

 

I just finished the first wing of Naxx. Apart from Haunted Creeper, are any of the cards suitable for this deck?

[Sottle 221]

No, not really.

[trackz 0]

hi,

just started 2 days ago never played a similiar card game before, pretty complex on first look and not so easy to get into game. i made first a random mage with deck helper sucked hard lol. now use ur base mage and working on unlocking all classes thx ^_^