Dear Blizzard,
The addition of the Potion of Illusion mage card will potentially lead to the return of the Exodia Mage with the Infinite Fireball Combo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgHyoPhCUSA).
- Quest (Sidequests) + Licensed Adventurer (x2) = Coin (x2)
- Antonidas + Coin + Potion of Illusion = Antonidas (1 mana)
- Antonidas (1 mana) + Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2 mana) (x2) + Potion of Illusion (2 mana) + Porcerer’s Apprentice (1 mana) (x2) = 9 mana and Fireball (0 mana) combo
Even the possibility of this combo is a problem, because it is impossible to defend against it at all for slow control and maybe midrange decks.
Boompistol Bully (Neutral) and Glide (DH) or maybe some other existing technical cards just slow down the combo and does not destroy it.
Increase of the mana cost (from 4 to 5) also does not help.
Without fixing this combo it will potentially destroy the control decks during next two expansions (may be even for two years). Probably we will have the agro (DH) meta again for a long period of time, because mage can sucessfully survive againt midrange and slow decks…
There is the first version of the deck, probably it is not optimal and should be improved…hearthstonetopdecks.com/decks/exodia-mage-scholomance-academy/
There’s no chance that’ll be a real deck (without additional new card support) as you need too many combo pieces and in a specific order. If you’re playing super greedy control, then yeah you might get meme’d on but mage doesn’t have the tools to survive whilst consistently drawing their whole deck, while carrying so many dead cards (I.e. combo pieces).
I mean it’s only marginally easier to do than the current standard Exodia mage and I’ve never seen that played against me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnksvSkadH0&t=853s
It all depends on the decks and the meta that will come with the new expansion. It is a viable combo and it’s scary indeed, but at the same time it’s a very big combo, needing quite a few combo pieces, so it results inconsistent. Easily defeated by fast aggro decks, not only by card disruption (that you say doesn’t kill the deck, but trust me, for how many cards the combo needs if you make them shuffle even just one or two and you go aggro they’re dead).
And for the moment, for what we’re seeing, there will be many aggro or fast pace decks coming. Priest and Warlock are getting the Flesh Giants that can be heavy swings, the Paladin cards with divine shield might pose as a threat, Druid and Shaman with the new Innervate type card might be powerful. At the end you might say that Mage has the resources to counter aggressive plays, but still if they draw combo piece cards those are dead cards in hand, so you’ll have less answers.
I think that before talking about the possibility of broken combos or decks, we need to see all the cards, what all class get as options, and how the meta evolves. And if it becomes a real problem i’m sure Blizzard will address it as soon as possible. But as of now, the combo you’re proposing requires at least 6 cards in hand and plays only after turn 10, very slow and weak against disruption or just aggro (and not only DH is aggro).
We’ll just have to wait and see how things evolve. It did capture my attention too, but at the same time there are many things to keep in mind. So many times i hear about “broken super strong 5 star cards!” before the expansion, then they never actually get much play time.
Hmm it’s actually easier to do than you put it:
step 1: same, except 1 coin.
step 2: Sorcerer’s apprentice X2 + Potion X2 = 4 Sorcerer’s apprentice (1 man)
step 3: Antonidis + coin + 4 sorcerer’s apprentices = 11 mana and firebal (0 mana)
The reason why that’s easier is that you don’t have to wait until 10 mana to do step 2 (8 mana) or you can throw in some stall on top, like frost nova. Still don’t think it’ll see much play as is, but if mage get’s some decent draw options, it might actually be an issue.
Looking at the announced cards, regarding this deck, i’m not confident it will take place. Demon Hunter has disruptive cards that make you shuffle cards back into the deck, and for what i know discounted ones when shuffled lose the discount, therefore DH would just have to wait for the mage to use the potion and make them shuffle. Then the new Priest legendary that switches hands and decks of both players for a turn you could time it right and steal the discounted apprentices and play them yourself, interrupting the combo. Druid as always has ramping to make pressure, and there are some strong cards that can achieve the same effect. Add the fact that as you say Ixnay they need a more consistent card draw (and i haven’t seen it) and i see this as a meme deck, to play for fun and try out, but in a competitive meta might not take flight.
But again, we’ll have to see how things evolve and what more skillful players than myself can think of as playable high winrate decks.
Incanter’s Flow is also a potential card for the easier combo.
Hopefully priest (especially Galakrond) has incane Mindrender Illucia card for the combo deck destruction .