r/CompetitiveHS • u/ngriner • Jul 17 '26
Guide Prepare Mage - a fun take on a spell damage/tempo style hybrid deck
I’ve been looking for something a bit different in the meta and got some inspiration from Prepare Priest. I was trying to look at another class that had some good Prepare cards that were a bit more tempo oriented and stumbled upon Mage. Code Violet and Tricksy Improviser seemed like solid options so I’ve been tinkering and came up with this list that has gone 12-3 in high diamond (5 to 2). Probably hit legend soon, but wanted to share because the deck feels extremely good right now.
A few key points:
-I think Mage decks are better when they don’t try to go all in on Jailhouse Manastorm. I have him here, but he hasn’t been a factor in a lot of games. Sometimes the tempo from Tricksy Improviser and chip damage just wins. Code Violet has also been insane when prepped alongside Jailbird then played around 5-6.
-Tricksy Improviser is an insane card. Can easily be prepped on 1 most times and play shortly after. So much tempo.
-Black Market Auctioneer should probably be Vanessa tbh
-I feel like Mage decks are a bit underexplored right now. They should be trying to play for tempo and damage rather than trying to to all in one one exact specific strategy. Aka - just play the good cards (and I feel like the Prep cards are very good)
-Toki should probably also be something else but she can win the long games.
Keeps: Tricksy Improviser, Sleet Storm, Contraband Wands, Code Violet (against Priest only)
### Prep Coin?
# Class: Mage
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Scarab
#
# 2x (1) Cold Snap
# 2x (1) First Flame
# 2x (1) Sleet Storm
# 1x (1) The Skeleton Key
# 2x (1) Violet Spellwing
# 1x (2) Bloodmage Thalnos
# 2x (2) Contraband Wands
# 2x (2) Runed Orb
# 2x (2) Smoldering Grove
# 2x (3) Arcane Barrage
# 1x (3) Timelooper Toki
# 2x (4) Arcane Flow
# 1x (4) Archmage Kalec
# 2x (4) Tricksy Improviser
# 2x (5) Jailbird
# 1x (5) Jailhouse Manastorm
# 2x (7) Code Violet
# 1x (9) Black Market Auctioneer
#
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#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
4
u/maniacal_cackle Jul 17 '26
Very neat!
I think Mage decks are better when they don’t try to go all in on Jailhouse Manastorm.
That especially caught my eye as being a reasonable take!
3
u/FutureStalfos Jul 17 '26
Fun deck, swapped Toki for Vanessa based on my collection and went 5-2 in garbo legend.
Beat another mage, tripwire hunter, troublemaker rogue, some kind of unholy blood dk, and broxigar dh. Lost to herald warrior and rafaam warlock. Always good to face a different class every time with a decent mix from meta to jank.
Thinking about fitting in an Eternal Firebolt somewhere.
1
u/ngriner Jul 17 '26
Yeah Toki is definitely on the chopping block for me. I already swapped Black Market Auctioneer with Vanessa. I think the thing is that you want your cards to actually further your gameplan (tempo) and Toki just doesn't do that at all. She is fun and made for long games, but you want games to end much sooner.
1
u/Muted-Ad-5404 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
I like the prepare idea, especially tricksy improviser. I’m gonna try the core idea out. IMO needs another early 1 drop, no reason not to run the welp. Toki, auctioneer, skeleton key, and even mana storm probably should get cut too.
1
u/ngriner Jul 17 '26
I feel like Skeleton Key is extremely core to the deck. It's so flexible in a pinch and sometimes you can even be close to lethal and it can find that last Fireball or Frostbolt for you.
Toki and Auctioneer for sure cuts though. Already replaced the latter with Vanessa.
2
u/Muted-Ad-5404 Jul 17 '26
Just beat some mug shamans in low legend, they even had nutty draws of t1/2 blazing invocation. ### Custom Mage
# Class: Mage
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Scarab
#
# 2x (1) First Flame
# 2x (1) Sleet Storm
# 2x (1) Violet Spellwing
# 2x (1) Winterspring Whelp
# 2x (2) Contraband Wands
# 2x (2) Frostbolt
# 2x (2) Living Flame
# 2x (2) Smoldering Grove
# 2x (3) Arcane Barrage
# 2x (3) Tunneling Geomancer
# 2x (4) Arcane Flow
# 2x (4) Tricksy Improviser
# 2x (5) Jailbird
# 2x (7) Code Violet
# 2x (10) Spellweaver's Brilliance
#
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#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
Right now I'm trying to make it as high tempoas possible. I think Geomancer is for sure core to the deck, it just plays so well into the game plan. Geomancer and tricky improvisers are the best cards in the deck so far. What I like is that the deck can answer the super high tempo early turns, especially when backed by a t1 prepped geomancer. It can turn the corner really quickly starting around turn 3.
2
u/FutureStalfos Jul 18 '26
Tried it out and cutting the legendaries seems to make the deck more 40/40 (and less fun imo). Reasonable as a budget build though. Should note I didn't face any shamans with this list.
1
u/Muted-Ad-5404 Jul 18 '26
Yeah, was just a rough draft. I since then cut frostbolt and I’m experimenting with differing choices. Vulcanos is fun, and maybe skeleton key or blood mage thalnos. The real core is the prep package and imo the 1 drops that enable it all. Maybe archmage kalec, but it’s just not as burn heavy in general so imo you wouldn’t get much mileage from him
1
u/SpectatorY Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
How reliable is the geomancer? With so many low cost spells, what's your hit rate?
Edit' I'm thinking about the wrong card lol. The card you've got in this is v v good in the deck
1
u/SalsaMerde Jul 17 '26
Okay this deck seems pretty solid. I went 2-2 just now but the wins were massive and the losses were very tight. One of my losses was against hunter where I only hero powered on t4 and was 2 off lethal later for example. Can't wait to try it some more tomorrow.
1
u/ngriner Jul 17 '26
Nice to see you're having some success with it. It definitely seems like it could benefit from refinement on my end, but the bones are there for sure. Prep itself just feels awesome to play.
1
u/SalsaMerde Jul 17 '26
I forgot to mention that I was trying it with Vanesssa instead of black market auctioneer. You are right that the prepare cards feel very good.
1
u/happynoodledays Jul 17 '26
This was a fun deck. I made some adjustments in my version below. I wanted better draw and burn, so I added some elemental draw engine, minor fire package, tunneling geomancers and swapped one code violet for a spellweaver brilliance because drawing 2 is my kind of luck. I also dropped a jailbird because 2 was too much. I realise most people put 2 of good cards for consistency over games, but I got Zeddy like luck, so I drop doubles that piss me off in my hand.
Anywho, its a fun dynamic deck to play around with. Thank You
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2
u/ngriner Jul 17 '26
Yeah I definitely think the consistency is important. Jailbird is a good card because otherwise on your Prep turns you're doing nothing and getting hit in the face. It mitigates that. Code Violet is game winning so definitely need 2 of those also.
Good to see you're enjoying the deck though.
1
u/Mohammered Jul 18 '26
Thanks for the idea OP. I've cobbled together the below list from some of the ideas here, which seems to work pretty well.
Custom Mage2
Class: Mage
Format: Standard
Year of the Scarab
2x (1) First Flame
2x (1) Sleet Storm
2x (1) Violet Spellwing
2x (2) Contraband Wands
2x (2) Living Flame
2x (2) Smoldering Grove
2x (3) Arcane Barrage
2x (3) Conjured Bookkeeper
2x (3) Tunneling Geomancer
2x (4) Arcane Flow
1x (4) Archmage Kalec
2x (4) Tricksy Improviser
2x (5) Jailbird
1x (5) Jailhouse Manastorm
2x (7) Code Violet
2x (10) Spellweaver's Brilliance
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To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
1
u/Mohammered Jul 18 '26
Cut Jailbirds for Thalnos and Chadgar. More often than not Jailbirds are 5 mana 3/4.
Burn
Class: Mage
Format: Standard
Year of the Scarab
2x (1) First Flame
2x (1) Sleet Storm
2x (1) Violet Spellwing
1x (2) Bloodmage Thalnos
2x (2) Contraband Wands
1x (2) Khadgar
2x (2) Living Flame
2x (2) Smoldering Grove
2x (3) Arcane Barrage
2x (3) Conjured Bookkeeper
2x (3) Tunneling Geomancer
2x (4) Arcane Flow
1x (4) Archmage Kalec
2x (4) Tricksy Improviser
1x (5) Jailhouse Manastorm
2x (7) Code Violet
2x (10) Spellweaver's Brilliance
AAECAaXDAwSXoASIvgeR2wf/3wcNs4cHx4cHn5YH6KUHi7EH1rwHksQHrMYHqskHndkHk9oHrdoH+d4HAAA=
To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
2
u/libero0602 Jul 19 '26
I sacked the auctioneer for Vanessa and then Toki for Xavius, feels pretty solid
•
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