by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

After spending a weekend coming up with new and inventive ways to construct decks and repeatedly getting crushed, I came up with a brand new approach: just pick cards I like, and throw 30 of them in a deck.

Simple.

The result is exactly the kind of deck Zenstyle would hate. It’s a horrifying mishmash of things, running counter to any deck building philosophy.

If I learned anything from my co-host, it’s that you come up with a specific strategy, then choose the cards to best support that goal and play style. Instead of pursuing an aggro build, a turtle deck or minion swarm, this deck does none of these things in particular – but you know what? It works and it wins for me.

While it may seem that this deck gives you both everything and nothing, I like to think of it as actually being focused on one particular purpose: giving you options.

Centered around the Mage, this deck includes almost any spell or minion with card draw ability. In addition, it includes a handful of healing cards for survivability, something the Mage generally lacks.

Throw in a few minions and board control spells, and you’ve got yourself a winner – especially since this deck is very easy and inexpensive to build.

Card Advantage:

• Loot Hoarder x1
• Novice Engineer x2
• Arcane Intellect x2
• Gnomish Inventor x2

Survivability:

• Voodoo Doctor x2
• Ice Barrier x1
• Earthen Ring Farseer x1

Board Control and Defensive Spells:

• Arcane Missiles x2
• Mirror Image x2
• Fireball x2
• Frostbolt x1
• Ironfur Grizzly x2
• Polymorph x2
• Sen’jin Shieldmasta x2
• Flamestrike x1

Offense:

• Water Elemental x2 Chillwind Yeti x2
• Stormpike Commando x1
• Stormwind Champion x2

Arguably, some of these cards can easily fit into multiple categories (a Taunt minion both taunts and can help with damage, the +2 Damage Battlecry for the Stormpike Commando can be used both offensively or to help with board control), but I sorted each card based on how I primarily use them in my deck. Your results may vary.

Of course there is never a perfect deck build, or a perfect hand. Too much simply depends on luck, on your opponent, and the luck they are having in drawing the right cards – but you can stack the deck by literally stacking your deck, and always having plenty of cards to choose from.

Note: an updated build of this deck replaces the Chillwind Yeti with the Water Elemental.