by Jeremy Waxman on May 19, 2015
Hearthstone is a fantastic card game that offers enough complexity to be a deep game with many different possibilities, while having been designed to be accessible to a broad audience. The release of the game on both Apple and Android mobile devices has served to bring in a whole new wave of players eager to get their game on. However, with so many different cards and deck types in the game, getting started on the right foot can be a daunting task. In this series of guides, we’ll be taking a look at what makes each class tick, as well as providing a starting point for playing them effectively. We’ll be taking the sample deck lists provided by the Trump’s Teachings video series that came out before any new sets, or expansions, to show that solid mechanics can still win you games when you haven’t yet played a single match or opened even one pack.
(Note: For the purpose of these guides, we’ll assume you’ve hit level 10 with each hero, giving you all of the free cards. If you haven’t yet reached level 10, simply play against the beginner AI until you get there. You can use the decks provided, but might need to make a few substitutions until you’ve unlocked your free cards.)
I'm glad you asked!
If you've decided the Mage playstyle is for you, there are two popular deck types: Freeze Mage and Mech Mage.
As the name suggests, this deck revolves around freezing your enemy's minions, so that they cease to be a threat and allow you to deal with them as you see fit. This is a very control-oriented strategy, with cards like Ice Lance, Blizzard, Frostbolt and Frost Nova all bringing back the Ice Age. Here's a recent example from pro player Chakki of what a full deck list might look like:
Another option is to use the excellent Mage-only Snowchugger, along with Goblin Blastmage, as the basis for a Mech-focused deck. There are plenty of neutral cards that work well when you have a Mech, including Cogmaster, Mechwarper, and Tinkertown Technician. This version of mage is more aggressive, though it can still pack powerful removal such as Frostbolt and Fireball to round it out. Here's a recent take on this archetype from pro player StrifeCro:
Mage is a versatile hero, and the ability to always have removal at her disposal definitely comes in handy. She may not be at the very top of competitive play right now, but Mech Mage in particular still makes appearances at high level events, showing that Jaina still definitely has something to offer at any level of competition. She's a fantastic hero to begin learning the game with, and will help you improve if you decide you want to stick with her.
Check back tomorrow, as we'll be continuing this series of guides by covering our resident Priest, Anduin Wrynn.