With meta-changing patches hitting, it’s good to get a grasp on the abstract and unusual decks that still end up performing pretty well. Mages have been pigeon-holed into the Tempo variety, and while it’s a strong deck, with Yogg-Saron getting hit with the nerf stick, it won’t be a great closer for much longer.
It’s no secret that Reno Jackson decks have been some of my favorite. The archetype allows for a lot more creativity and versatility when compared to most decks, due to the simple fact that Reno decks are only allotted one of any card (for the most part). Cards that I’ve opted to try out aren’t particularly played often. Avian Watcher can be great when you throw down the Ice Block secret early in the game, as can Medivh’s Valet.
A lot of this deck boils down to a Control archetype – opting to react to problematic situations with removal spells and raw spell damage. Spells like Flame Lance are underrated, but necessary cards. Few spells will deal with giants and elemental lords in quite a solid fashion. New Karazhan cards like Firelands Portal and Babbling Book fit well in the Reno Mage, as well. Anything adding more spells to your tally, even if they’re random, are bound to be great additions.
Medivh, the Guardian isn’t the strongest 8-mana minion in the game. However, his staff, Atiesh, can complement this deck’s versatility well. With it, for three uses, whatever spell you cast will summon a random minion of equal cost. This works well with 6+ cost spells primarily (think Blizzard, Flamestrike, Firelands Portal), though the occasional 3 and 4-cost spells yield good results, too. It’s not the win condition that many other legendaries can offer, but it puts your opponent in a difficult spot.
This deck will struggle against a lot of fast-paced, aggro decks. Period. However, with the aforementioned nerfs, those decks aren’t quite as omnipresent. A lot of the spells can be used to be reactive, dealing with big minions. At the same time, it can be proactive, freezing opponents and tossing out Doomsayers to directly control the board.