Quest Mage deck list guide - The Witchwood - Hearthstone (April 2018)

Our Quest Mage deck list guide features the best deck list for The Witchwood (April 2018). Our Quest Mage guide will also be updated with Mulligan advice, card combos and strategy tips.

Quest Mage is a Hearthstone deck with a win condition that's simple to understand but considerably trickier to pull off before you run out of time. In simple terms, you hope to complete the Open the Waygate quest and field a pair of Sorcerer's Apprentices which can be duplicated with Molten Reflections. From here it's a case of hitting Time Warp and then playing Archmage Antonidas and an endless stream of Fireballs into the opponent's face.

Historically it's been something of a gimmicky deck, but the release of Knights of the Frozen Throne made it feel at least a little bit more consistent on the Hearthstone ladder. Its fortunes in Kobolds and Catacombs is uncertain, but we've put together a guide that's packed full of tips to help you get started.

First of all we've got a solid deck list for you to pilot, followed up with a bit of advice on Mulliganing the deck correctly. After that we've outlined the strategy involved with playing this archetype, then wrapped up with the the usual breakdown of combos and card synergies. This section above all others will help you get started, but only experience will teach you the rest!

Let us know if you find success with this deck in the comments - good luck!

UPDATE - THE WITCHWOOD

We’ll be overhauling our deck guides comprehensively once the launch dust has settled, but we wanted to bring you an update for Quest Mage that you could start playing with at launch.

When we know the shape of the meta, we’ll be completely overhauling all of our deck guides to reflect the settled deck list. Until then, all the content in this article should be considered general advice that refers to a previous version of the deck.

Quest Mage - The Witchwood Deck List

This deck list was created by Joe_Universe:

Select and copy the long ID string below, then create a deck in Hearthstone to export this deck into your game.

Deck Import ID: AAECAf0EArgI0MECDskD2sUC3s0CudECywSrBPsM5gTHxwKYxAKW0wKKAc7v ApbkAgA=

Right now we're racing to update a lot of Hearthstone content on Metabomb. Everything below this point refers to a version of Quest Mage that was in play before the launch of The Witchwood.

When we have something like a final version of Quest Mage we'll be overhauling this guide completely to match the latest competitive take on the deck. Thanks for your patience as we update the site!

Quest Mage deck list and strategy

Try this Quest Mage deck list on for size. There are many variations out there but this is a great starting point for the archetype and seems to be the most popular:

Select and copy the long ID string below, then create a deck in Hearthstone to export this deck into your game.

Deck Import ID: AAECAf0EBO0EuAjQwQK50QINigHAAZwCyQOrBMsE5gT4B5KsAoGyAsHBApjEAtrFAgA=

As we've already mentioned in the introduction, the name of the game here is to stall the match out for as long as possible until you've able to drop your big combo: 2 x Sorcerer's Apprentices copied by 2 x Molten Reflections, followed by an infinite stream of Fireballs generated by Archmage Antonidas.

If you've been checking the maths as we go, you'll realise that it's not possible to field that many minions in one turn and that's where Open the Waygate comes in. Completing this Quest rewards you with Time Warp, which provides you with the necessary Mana reserves.

Completing Open the Waygate requires you to cast a total of six spells that did not originate in your deck list, and so that means making use of certain Discovery cards: Babbling Book, Primordial Glyph and Cabalist's Tome. By acquiring and then spending these cards efficiently throughout the match, you'll set yourself up for your devastating finish. Don't forget to keep a playable spell in your hand to generate those Fireballs either...

This is not an easy deck to pilot if we're completely honest, and it requires you to not only juggle your own cards and resources effectively, but also have a solid understanding of the current meta to ensure you make efficient plays with one eye on the next turn. There's really no substitute for experience with this kind of deck, but here's some advice for dealing with specific opponent types:

How to beat aggro with Exodia Quest Mage

Just like it is with any control / OTK deck, the challenge really is to simply stay alive until you reach your huge late-game play, or have gained enough direct damage spells that the full combo isn't even necessary.

Do not be afraid to play an early Doomsayer in these match-ups (they'll very often struggle to remove it from the board), and look for extra defensive spells when rooting around in your Primordial Glyphs.

If you survive into the mid-game then you should be in strong shape to go the distance, but it is not going to be easy to get there and in an aggro-heavy meta you're probably going to struggle to climb consistently.

How to beat control with Exodia Quest Mage

In these kind of matches you have a lot more time to idly cycle through your draw cards and start bringing together the pieces of your win-condition.

Look for big removal in your Primordial Glyphs to buy you extra time, but keep in mind that it is possible to grab too many cards in a slow match-up - it's horrifying when you burn a crucial part of your combo but it will happen while you learn this very fiddly deck!

More great Mage guides:

• 1. Secret Tempo Mage - Secret Tempo Mage deck list guide (Witchwood)
• 2. Big Spell Mage - Big Spell Mage deck list guide (Witchwood)
• 3. Elemental Mage - Big Spell Mage deck list guide (Witchwood)
• 4. Odd Mage - Odd Mage deck list guide (Witchwood)
• 5. Spiteful Mage - Spiteful Mage deck list guide (Witchwood)
• 6. Witchwood Decks - Best Witchwood decks
• 7. Monster Hunt - Hearthstone: Monster Hunt guide

Quest Mage Mulligan guide

In general, your most important keeps here are Open the Waygate, Arcanologist, Babbling Book and Primordial Glyph. Novice Engineer is another solid keep, while Doomsayer can be very effective at frustrating aggro opponents.

Quest Mage tips, combos and synergies

Here are the combos you need to keep in mind when playing this particular version of the deck:

- Your show-stopping combo involves your Sorcerers Apprentices getting the Molten Reflection treatment. You can then use Time Warp to play Archmage Antonidas, followed by an endless feast of Fireballs.

- Any spell you play while Archmage Antonidas is out in play will cause a Fireball to be added to your hand. Keep churning them into the opponent's Health pool!

- Frost Nova and Doomsayer can be played together to greatly increase the chances of a successful board clear.

- Each Sorcerer's Apprentice on the board reduces the cost of your spells by one Mana.

- The following cards can all be used to generate spells that qualify for the quest completion: Babbling Book, Primordial Glyph and Cabalist's Tome.

- Try to set your hand up in such a way that Simulacrum copies a Sorcerer's Apprentice for you. It's really helpful for completing the combo when there's a stubborn missing piece!