Back when Hearthstone was still in beta, many people considered Mage one of the best classes in the game. The various freeze-based decks that a Mage could build was a big reason for this line of thought. However, after a few adjustments were made, the strength of a Mage Freeze deck dropped a bit. It’s been awhile, but now the Freeze deck is coming back into style, partially due to the fact that RDU won Dreamhack Summer with a Freeze deck. Let’s take a look at RDU’s deck so you can become a Hearthstone champion (or just win a few more matches in ranked play).
Acolyte of Pain (2)
The Acolyte of Pain is there primarily for draw card purposes. As a Mage, you can ping (use your hero power) the card for an immediate draw, then get another draw when it takes additional damage. Under the best circumstances, you can get three cards from it, but even until the worst circumstances you get at least one card draw, and that’s the reason this card is included in the deck.
Alexstrasza
This Freeze Mage deck is not one of the higher damaging decks in the game. Because of this, it helps to give yourself a bit of a boost. The Alexstrasza Legendary card is one of the minions that allows you to do this. It can be used to drop your opponent’s health to 15, or if you’re close to death, you can raise your own health to 15. It’s a dual purpose card that can be used offensively or defensively depending on what’s needed at the time.
Azure Drake
There are several ways to draw cards in the deck, and while the Azure Drake offers another card draw option, it’s also a solid minion. With four health and four damage, plus a slight boost to your overall spell damage, the Azure Drake is a multi-purpose card that can be put to good use in almost any situation. It can give you a big spell damage boost at end game, soak up a few minions as the opponent tries to get rid of it or simply give you another card draw.
Blizzard (2)
Blizzard is a partial board clear depending on the minions in play, but it’s really more of a stall card. It inflicts two damage to all opposing minions, but it also freezes them. This allows you to follow with a Flamestrike next turn, or attack the opposing hero directly to end the game or inflict near lethal damage.
Bloodmage Thalnos
The second Legendary card of the deck has two purposes. First and foremost, it is in the deck to give you yet another card draw. It also gives you a slight spell damage boost. Because it’s a very low cost card (two mana), it can be played in conjunction with other cards for devastating results. For example, you can play Thalnos, then two Fireball cards on turn 10 and deal 14 damage to the opposing hero.
Doomsayer (2)
Doomsayer is strictly a board clearing card when it comes to this deck. It is there exclusively to clear the board. It works very well with Frost Nova or Blizzard. In addition, given that the card has seven health, even if your opponent chooses to get rid of it, the card soaks up some damage in the process (or at the very least uses up some of your opponent’s resources). You need to get to the later turns so you can unleash the fury of the Freeze Mage deck, and this is one of the cards that helps you stall for time.
Fireball (2)
The Fireball card is pretty self-explanatory. It is in the deck for direct hero damage and nothing else. Yes, you can use a Fireball to take out a minion, but that’s not why it’s in this deck. This is a relatively low damage deck, which means that cards like this need to be used to directly attack the opposing hero. You have many other ways to clear the board, so don’t waste a Fireball on a minion unless you’re in dire need.
Flamestrike (2)
Anyone who plays Mage should know how useful the Flamestrike card is. This is a Mage’s primary board clear, and it does that job well. You can even couple it with one of the many cards in this deck that increases spell damage and takes out minions with higher than average health. This works very well after a Frost Nova or Blizzard, and can be very frustrating to an opponent.
Frost Bolt (2)
This is another standard card for most Mages. It inflicts three damage and freezes the target. It works extremely well on the opposing hero when combined with Ice Lance. If you have two Ice Lance cards, you can inflict 11 damage without any spell damage cards in play. If you have even one spell damage card on the board, the damage jumps up to 14.
Frost Nova (2)
The Frost Nova card is in this deck to stall the opponent. It freezes all minions and can be easily followed with Flamestrike or Blizzard. This is just another way to stall until you have the cards and the mana you need to take down your enemy.
Ice Barrier
While people have debated the importance of the Ice Barrier card, in this deck, it simply gives you another way to stall. The extra eight health you get from the card (in the form of armor) can extend the life of your Mage by a full turn or more. That may be all you need to finish off an opponent.
Ice Block (2)
The Ice Block cards serves the same purpose as the Ice Barrier card. It’s in your deck to stall for time. Two Ice Blocks means you can’t be killed on two turns. Once again, you only need to have the right cards and mana to finish off an opponent with this deck, and these two cards may just give you the time you need to make that happen.
Ice Lance (2)
The Ice Lance is another multi-purpose card in this Freeze Mage deck. It can freeze a minion or the opposing hero to stall for time. It offers an end game burst of damage, especially when coupled with some of the other cards in this deck, and it ruins your opponent’s tempo. It’s one of the few cards in the game that can give you four damage for one mana, and that’s without any spell damage cards in play.
Loot Hoarder and Arcane Intellect (2)
Both the Loot Hoarder and Arcane Intellect are in this deck for card draw. You can use the Loot Hoarder to engage an enemy minion, but that’s a secondary feature of the card. Your goal with this deck is to get the cards you need to be lethal, and that means you need to draw as many cards as you can to reach that point.
Mirror Image (2)
This is another staple of most Mage decks. It gives you two taunts instantly for the low cost of only one mana. It ruins the opponent’s tempo and buys you some time so you can get the cards and mana you need. It can also protect your spell damage cards, giving you an extra damage boost if you have spell cards to play next turn.
Pyroblast
This is your lethal blow. Dealing 10 damage directly to the opposing hero with a single card is big. However, it also costs 10 mana, which means you should not toss it out whenever. It should be used to finish off an opponent, or at the very least, guarantee you can finish the opponent on the next turn.
Vaporize
Yet another Mage staple, Vaporize gets rid of a minion for you. It’s not essential to this deck, but it can come in handy in certain situations. At the very least, it prevents damage, and takes out an opposing minion. Once again, buying you more time to get the cards and mana you need to finish off an opponent.
