A detailed guide to the magician's secret. Screenshots with interesting situations

Hello, dear subscribers and site visitors

Presented to your attention full guide on The Magician's Secret. This archetype can be confidently called young, even though the prerequisites for its existence have existed since the days of classic Hearthstone. It is also interesting that the Secret Mage, even in the Expedition to Un’Goro, did not immediately become a significant force. It took the players a month to evaluate how flexible, versatile, and reliable the archetype is in the current meta.

Why Secret Mage is the strongest deck in the current meta, how to use it to achieve excellent results, which build is best for this - you will find answers to these and other questions below. As always, you will be offered the following main sections of the guide: variations of archetype builds, discussion of main and optional cards, mulligan, strategy and match-ups. In addition to them, other interesting information will be given about various mechanics of the Secret of the Magician.

In this section you will find most of the deck variations, ranging from one of the first to the most unusual and original. But first we should cite the so-called “ default» assembly, that is, the most common. When you encounter Secret Mage on the ladder, expect to see her. Although, it’s also worth keeping in mind the cards not presented here.

Standard Secret Mage

So, here is the classic and most common Secret of the Mage build on the ladder. There are only four secrets in it, as well as several potentially “heavy” cards that help you extract high value if necessary. These cards are and. Their advantage is that not in slow match-ups, where the issue of depleting Secret Mage resources is not so acute, these cards can be used in another role: for some kind of tempo, spending unused mana crystals.

" Chapter: Guides

Guide to the HearhStone hero Jaina Proudmoore (mage)

Introduction

Statistics

So let me first show you the stats for this deck:

As you know, in ranked games, the win rate (win-loss ratio) of strong players fluctuates around 55-65 percent. This allows them to take a Legend every time. But, of course, some matchups (confrontations with certain heroes) are easier, others more difficult.
Let's see what win rate this deck has:
So, at the moment the deck has a win rate of 56% , which allowed me to rise from rank 18 to 8 without straining.

The most common were Hunters, Priests and Warlocks. Least of all are Mages, Rogues and Paladins. Let's now look at the matchups for this deck.

Analysis of the Soundboard

Deca

Description of cards

In order to collect this deck, you will need to complete "Curse of Naxxramas"

1. Arcane Arrows- excellent cheap removal, and in addition it allows you to pump up your Manaswyrm. Don't hold it in your hand unless you have Mana Wyrm and are playing against control decks. In the middle of the game it is also useful, it often helps to clean the table. Always try to get it against aggro decks (always against hunters and warlocks).

1. Manazwyrm- An ideal creature to start the game with. 3 units of health allow you to exchange with any creature for 1 mana (except for demons) and stay alive. Very often, Mana Wyrms pumped up to attack inflict 5 or more damage to the enemy hero.

1. Ice arrow- possible to select at the beginning of the game. Cheap removal that also freezes enemy characters. Undoubtedly the strongest spell for its mana.

1. Mad Scientist- this is truly a godsend for a magician. Required for starting hand. Helps build momentum. Despite the fact that the secret will be played randomly - let you lead the game. Feel free to exchange with stronger enemy creatures + removal.

1. Antimagic- perhaps the most powerful secret in the game. Very often it was “Antimagic” that won matches. The main thing to remember is which turns the hero can use which spells. And this will either delay the casting of the spell for a turn, or eat up mana and stop the spell.

1. Sorcerer's Intelligence- drawing cards. No comments)

1. Reflected Entity is the secret that speeds up your pace. It doesn’t matter what creature the enemy summons, you will have a copy of it. This is also a secret that can win games. Especially valuable against control decks.

1. Bifurcation is a powerful secret, but one must be careful with it. It is important to remember that the secret only works during the enemy’s turn and remove your unnecessary creatures in time, exchanging them with the enemy’s creatures, leaving one of your own as a trap;)

1. Mage of the Kirin Tor- This creature interacts well with secrets - after all, the magician makes their cost equal to 0. This way you can play many interesting combinations, outpacing the enemy.

1. Fire ball - 6 damage for 4 mana on any target is a dream. What else can I say? :)

1. Transformation- This is removal for the late game and mainly against control decks. Particularly good against legendary cards and cards with the death rattle - such as “Savanna Highmane”, “Slime Belcher” and so on.

1. Water Elemental- a very strong creature for 4 mana. Firstly, it has strong characteristics, and secondly, when attacking, it freezes the enemy character. He really likes heroes with weapons)

1. Slime Belcher- after the release of Naxxramas, he became on a par with the best provocateurs. It is good because after its death it leaves 1-2 small mucus with a provocation.

1. Lotheeb- one of best cards Naxxramasa. It interacts very well with the “Anti-Magic” secret - play them in turn and the enemy will be deprived of the opportunity to use spells for two whole turns!)

1. Harrison Jones- is actually a controversial card in this deck and can be replaced with: Sorcerer's Intelligence, Fire Wave, Cairn or Shield of Argus. Used if there are many heroes with weapons playing against you.

1. Silvana- is very strong in this deck due to excellent interaction with secrets and Qel-Thuzad. We can say that this is a 5+x/5+x creature, where x = the creature that will capture Sylvanas for you)

1. Wave of Fire- the strongest mass removal. Always helps to clean the table.

1. Kel"Thuzad- thanks to the secrets - "Antimagic" and "Division" - it is not so easy to destroy it. And a necromancer who survives the first turn can completely change the course of the game.

Possible replacements

1. Shield Bearer Senjin- a good provocateur that will help you hold off aggro decks. It is possible to replace Harrison Jones with one transformation.
2. Defender of Argus- I took this unit to the deck earlier in order to increase the number of provocateurs. Think for yourself - making a 4-7 provocateur out of an Elemental is very good!
3. Cairn- unfortunately, I don’t have this card, but it should look very good in the deck. Replace Cairn with one of your water elementals.
4. 2nd Wave of Fire and Sorcerer's Intelligence- it is possible to add if there is a need to draw cards or clear the table.
5. Ragnaros- is an alternative to Kel-Thuzad. However, due to its “accuracy” it is less in demand.

Muligan

Muligan- this is the period before the start of the game, when you are offered to replace the dropped cards.
Try to get the following cards into your starting hand (in descending order of importance):

1. Manazwyrm
2. Mad Scientist
3. Mage of the Kirin Tor
4. Arcane Arrows
5. Reflected Entity
6. Bifurcation
7. Water Elemental

The ideal start for you would be - Mana Wyrm + Mad Scientist + Kirin Tor Mage.

Matchups

Shaman

You have approximately the same chances of winning. The shaman always has a strong mid game. At this time, his table begins to be completely filled with small creatures. Try not to let the shaman fill the board, as he will then be able to make profitable trades or deal a ton of damage. Remember that your secrets “Essence Reflection” and “Divide” are not very effective in this matchup, since you can easily get 2 frogs into your hand or copy a not very useful creature. If everything is bad, use a wave of fire. in due time keep your transformation for Alakir. Water elementals against the Shaman are your main trump cards. Take care of them.

Warlock

Things are a little worse for warlocks. 4 out of 5 will be zu. Against them, it is important to have more Mana Wyrms, Ice and Arcane Missiles in your hand. Secrets play an average role in this game. However, anti-magic will protect you from soul burn. Try to hang up “Split” before deploying the “Slime Belcher” - this will significantly increase your chances of winning. Often, Kel-Thuzad coming out on the 8th move will bring you victory.

Warrior

Warrior for you is an easy up match. All warriors are predictable, so you can easily play your creatures and strengthen the field with secrets. Remember that the warrior can use brawl, so try to play Anti-Magic by the 5th turn - in case you have an advantage on the board. Depleted Elementals can bring you victory, just like copied Warrior legendaries.

Paladin

There are very few paladins. This is more of a good matchup than a bad one. However, it is important to remember that the paladin can clear the board with Equality+Purify and Equality+Raging Pyromancer combos. Always keep one transformation until “Tyrion” appears, since only Sylvanas will help you get rid of him. Often, matches against a paladin are won at the very beginning, since they do not have strong starting creatures. Antimagic, on top of everything else, will not allow the paladin to heal.

Druid

Druid is a good matchup for us. This is where our secrets have very great power. Very often, druids simply gave up in the middle of the game, when they used “Innervate” and summoned a strong creature, and we had the secret “Reflected Essence”. If you can use the “Split” secret on your Lothib, then consider that you have won. No Druid can survive the release of 3 Loathibs in a row.

Priest

Priest, like Warrior, is the best matchup. To defeat the priest, it would be a good idea to collect more secrets and then play “Split” and place “Mage of the Kirin Tor”. If the priest kills him, then you will immediately gain a huge advantage in tempo by playing the combination - “Mage of the Kirin Tor” + free secret. Often the game is won from the very beginning by the “Manasnake” pumped up to 4 units of attack. Remember that the Priest does not have strong creatures - all his strength is mainly in strong spells. Anti-Magic, Loathib and Kirin Tor Mages are cards to defeat the Priest.

Robber

Miracle horns are now a rare occurrence. However, sometimes they can be found. This is a good match. It all depends on how you predict your opponent’s actions. For example, on turn 4 it’s a good idea to play “Reflected Essence”, and on turn 5 Lothiba. Take care of your Slime Belchers - they will protect you from Leeroy Jenkins.

Hunter

The Hunter is hell for mages. Very bad matchup and the win rate is only 30-40 percent. Try to lure the “Rocket” hunter into using your “Anti-Magic” secret. Copy ONLY water elementals and slime belchers. Use Polymorph on Savannah's Tallmane. And don’t forget that it’s better to save the “Arcane Arrows” spell and wait until the Hunter uses his “Bird + Dogs” combo ;)

Mage

I've only met magicians on the death rattle. No magicians similar to this deck have been seen. And we have the advantage. Try to get "Manasnake" and more arrows. With these cards you will gain early board control, which will help you play the game and play the secrets as you wish. In this matchup, a copied Loathib and Anti-Magic can be a nightmare for a mage in the mid game.

Screenshots with interesting situations

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Hello, dear readers of the site

Secret Mage– a tempo deck based on “unfair” mechanics related to the Mage’s secrets and cards that synergize with them. There have been attempts to do something similar since Hearthstone Beta (the Kirin Tor Mage and Ethereal Sorcerer already existed), but the archetype has become more or less playable thanks to the latest additions. Lackey Medivh from “Party in Karazhan” and Henchman “Cabal” with the Crystal Peddler from “Grilled City of Gadgetzan” set the direction for development, and the Expedition to Un’goro completed the matter by adding the Arcanologist. In combination with cards that give a free secret draw, the Arcanologist really works wonders of tempo, comparable to those of the Mad Scientist who went into Wild mode.

The most popular on this moment the assembly (which is discussed in the guide) was created by a player under the nickname Sveiks. He reached the 1st rank of Legend on the European server. Another player (under the nickname Sytrax) achieved Legend rank 4 with the same deck.

Un'Goro Mage's Secret Deck

Mulligan of the Magician's Secret deck divided into two sections: against fast decks and against slow decks. By “fast” we mean aggro decks (such as Pirate Warrior) and tempo/midrange decks (such as Midrange Hunter). By “slow decks” we mean classic midrange archetypes and control decks.

Against fast decks

High priority (keep in hand at all times):

• Manazwyrm – best creature for one mana. 1/3 stats are already enough against 1/1 and 2/1 creatures, which are most often played by aggro decks on the first turn. And the fact that the Mana Wyrm is also growing makes it the perfect start.
• Arcanologist– a great card, the best second move in the entire deck. Along with Mana Wyrm, it provides an early table and guarantees a turn three secret for combination with Kirin Tor Mage.
• Ice arrow– early removal; always useful as a response to early aggression.
• You should not leave secrets in your starting hand - they are too slow (unless there is an opportunity to play them for free).

Low priority (keep only in certain situations):

• Henchman "Cabal"– leave only with a secret. In most cases, a turn 1 secret against an aggro deck will provide little to no benefit, but will add a bit of tempo, which can be important.
• Medivh's lackey– can be left only if there is a “Cabal” Henchman and a secret. Thus, on the second turn we get 3 damage and a 2/3 creature, which looks good in terms of tempo.
• Mage of the Kirin Tor– leave if there is already a secret or Arcanologist.

Against slow decks

High priority:

• Manazwyrm– as already mentioned, the best creature on the first turn. While it's not all that important to have early game against control, Mana Wyrm can create serious pressure with cheap spells (eg Coin, Petroglyph, Frostbolt).
• Arcanologist– again, the best second move. In addition, card draw is very important against control decks.
• In slow matchups it makes sense to leave Kirin Tor Mage even without a secret. The chance of getting the secret before the third turn is not so small, but even if you are unlucky, it doesn’t matter, a 4/3 creature can be played at tempo to create pressure on the enemy.
• Secrets without synergy should still be discarded.

Low priority:

• Henchman "Cabal"- only with a secret, if it is not Anti-Magic (especially if the enemy got a Coin).
• Chatty Book– good if you don’t get other creatures for one mana. Worse than Mana Wyrm or Cabal Henchman with a secret, but better than nothing. And a random spell can be useful.
• Crystal peddler– if there is a Kirin Tor Mage or a Cabal Henchman with a secret. Already after playing one secret it becomes an excellent 4th move. And if you're lucky, you can make it even cheaper, which gives you incredible tempo for subsequent moves.

Secret Mage is one of the strongest examples of a tempo deck in Hearthstone history (maybe even better than the classic Tempo Mage). The essence of this archetype is to gain early tempo through the “cheat” use of mana. Henchman "Cabal" and Mage of the Kirin Tor in combination with a secret, roughly speaking, give 3 mana out of the blue. The Sorcerer's Apprentice makes all spells cheaper, and in combination with Petroglyph generally allows you to cast expensive spells almost for free. The peddler of crystals best case scenario, can be cast for zero mana, but for two or four mana a 5/5 creature looks incredible. In general, each Secret Mage card is aimed at providing a powerful burst of tempo, especially in the early stages of the game.

As you can see, "tempo" is the main term used to describe this deck, and in guide to the Magician's Secret it will be used frequently. Outpacing the opponent is the main goal of the Secret Mage, and this is how the archetype earns most of its victories.

Against fast decks

In most matches against aggressive Secret Mage decks takes on a supervisory role. Sometimes, of course, it is possible to overtake the aggressor at the beginning, if good hand with Mana Wyrm, Arcanologist and free secrets, but this rarely happens. More often you will have to take a defensive position and clear out everything your opponent plays. After which, by turn 4-5 you need to start turning the game around, picking up the pace on the board and collecting explosive damage in your hand. With a certain combination of cards, it can be possible to turn the game around in one turn and immediately begin to cause damage to the enemy.

Although Magician's Secret deck and looks simple, planning ahead is very important here. You need to try to get the most out of every card and every mana crystal. It is thanks to these features that the archetype survives and even shows good results. For example, playing Lackey Medivh without a battle cry on the second turn is unprofitable. But what if you still have Cabal Henchman and Reflected Essence in your hand? Most players would play the combination on the first turn, but this is a blunder. Since the game is against an aggressive deck, Reflected Essence will copy a 2/1 on the first turn at best, and Medivh's Lackey Battlecry will be inactive on the second turn. Instead, you can skip the first turn, kill your opponent's small creature with Hero Power on the second turn, and on the third turn play Cabal Henchman, Reflected Essence for zero mana, and Medivh's Lackey with Battlecry, killing the second creature your opponent played. In this situation, the same friendly table is obtained, but in the meantime the enemy will have nothing on the table.

The main rule Secret Magician decks in general it sounds like this: first the pace, then the benefit. For example, if on the third turn there is a choice: to play Kirin Tor Mage (without a secret) or Sorcerer Intelligence, the choice is obvious. It’s better to put at least some creature on the table than to miss an entire turn just to draw cards. With this approach, the benefit that the Kirin Tor Mage could bring is lost, but capturing the table is more important.

It’s also worth noting that against aggro decks, Petroglyph can save a Mage’s life, or even win the game with one successful dig. Good examples of such excavations are Ice Block and Ice Barrier. These secrets not only allow you to stay alive longer, but also synergize with the Mage's Secret deck. AoE spells will also be useful, but it is best to choose cheap ones, so that after clearing you can also cast creatures. Volcanic Potion is ideal, but Blizzard and Meteor are also good (they cost 4 mana thanks to Petroglyph). Sometimes targeted removal can also be a good choice, especially if the hand is full of creatures and you don’t want to make unfavorable trades.

Against slow decks

Matches against control decks are completely different from those against aggression. Instead of a controlling role, you need to take the role of an aggressor, trying to build up a big table and deal as much damage as possible before the enemy stabilizes.

It is very important to follow the mana curve, using the full potential of your cards every turn. Over the course of 1-4 moves, you need to get as much tempo as possible starting hand and other cards that arrived. And don’t be afraid to go all-in, dumping everything in your hand in one move. These are often the decisions that win games. Also, creatures should always be a priority. For example, if on the second turn you can play Petroglyph or Medivh's Lackey (without a battle cry), best choice there will be a 2/3 creature. It is unlikely that the opponent will have an answer to every creature, which means Medivh’s Lackey, even without his battle cry, will give 4-6 units of damage to the enemy’s face.

The pace gained from secrets is also very important. Reflected Essence is best played before the opponent might want to put up a big threat, and Anti-Magic is ideal when the opponent is forced to use AoE. For example, when playing against a Dragon Priest, Reflected Essence can be played before turn five, expecting to get a copy of Draconid Spy, and Anti-Magic before turn six if there is a threat of Dragonfire Potion. Of course, an experienced opponent will try to play around secrets, but this is also beneficial. For example, in an attempt to beat Anti-Magic, the enemy will use mana to cast an additional spell, which means he may no longer have enough mana for an AoE spell, and the table will survive another turn. Thus, if a secret forces the enemy to make a suboptimal move, it has already brought benefits and was not played in vain.

The choice of spells from Petroglyph is also different in these matchups. Here, defensive secrets and AoE spells are extremely disadvantageous. Targeted removal spells such as Polymorph are a good choice, as are additional “tempo” secrets (Anti-Magic, Reflected Essence, Spellbinder). But it is best to choose direct damage spells: Portal: Firelands, Fireball, Pyroblast. Spells for drawing cards are also suitable: Sorcerer's Intelligence and Tome of the Conspirator. In rare cases, freezing the board can be more beneficial than damaging it (if you need to protect the board from trades for one turn).

Also, don’t be greedy: it’s perfectly acceptable to use direct damage to control the board if you have something to protect. Creatures can deal more damage than spells if they survive longer than one turn. For example, if there are essentially 5/5 creatures on both sides of the board, then it is better to use Fireball to kill the enemy creature while saving yours. Creature damage is much better as it increases with each turn. And while the opponent spends his removal, this will give him time to find the necessary cards to finish the game. The only situation in which you can hold off on a damage spell is before a mass clear. If you can’t beat Dragonfire Potion or Brawl, it’s better to invest as much as possible in damage without worrying about your board.

• If your plans include casting several spells in one turn, it is better to play the Sorcerer's Apprentice first. After just two cheaper spells, you get a free 3/2 creature. It is most profitable to combine the Sorcerer's Apprentice with the Petroglyph, because this makes the spell twice cheaper.
• Sometimes you shouldn't play a secret, even for free. For example, Cabal Henchman + Anti-Magic on the first turn when the enemy has a Coin is not the best move. Roughly speaking, a card is exchanged for a Coin, which does not bring any tempo, and even gives the opponent a card advantage. With the same “success”, the Reflected Essence can be wasted on the first turn. Sometimes it's still worth doing this, but it's better to keep the secrets until certain point. For example, when playing against a Midrange Hunter, you can play Antimagic before the third turn (cancel Pet), and Reflect Essence before the sixth turn (copy Savannah Highmane). This doesn't necessarily work all the time, but the Hunter simply may not have the ability to play around the secrets and will have to give up precious resources.

• Playing Crystal Bringer for 4 mana is fine. Don't be greedy by trying to get the card's cost down to zero, especially if it breaks the mana curve. Let's say on turn 4 there is an opportunity to play the Crystal Deliverer, or put a secret and make it cheaper. But in this case, the Crystal Carrier will cost 2 mana, and you won’t be able to place it in the same turn. Thus, one mana crystal is lost, and this is not very good.
• If you have Medivh's Lackey and two different secrets in your hand, it is better to play the one that your opponent will most likely not knock down on the next turn. For example, if your opponent is likely to play a minion, it is better to play Anti-Magic so that on the next turn you have Medivh's Lackey activated to control the board. Then you can play the Reflected Essence. Thus, there are 2/3 on the table, two secrets hanging, and the enemy table is weakened by the battle cry of Lackey Medivh.
• If there is no good target for the spell Portal: Firelands, you can simply throw it at the enemy hero. Every point of damage makes a difference, and a random minion for 5 mana is better than nothing.
• Be careful with Reflected Essence against decks that play Doomsayer. If you get a copy of it, not only will the secret be wasted, but the friendly table is guaranteed to die at the beginning of the turn.

The Mage's Secret deck has no legendary cards, and only two copies of Petroglyph from the epic ones, which makes the deck very budget-friendly in terms of arcane dust. However, the purchase of "Party in Karazhen" is required.

• Petroglyph is the only epic card in the collection. The deck can easily do without it. You can replace the Petroglyph with additional secrets (you can read about this option below), or with cheap spells like Mirror Copies or Arcane Missiles. You can also put Water Elemental, a classic 4th move for a Mage.
• As for the cards from One Night in Karazhan, Portal: Firelands is free, and Chatty Book is far from a required inclusion. However, Medivh's Lackey is strictly required, and he is in the fourth quarter of the adventure.

Alternative secrets

Anti-Magic and Reflected Essence are two of the most versatile secrets that perform well in any meta. These make up an excellent core set of secrets needed for Secret Mage to be competitive. But no one forbids experimenting with other secrets, because each match-up has its own characteristics, knowledge of which can help change the build for the better. There are currently four other secrets that suit Secret Mage's playstyle:

Ice Block – Great for aggressive matchups. Gives an extra move, which is usually enough to win. Also, this secret is good because it makes Medivh's Lackey active for the entire game. However, in control match-ups, Ice Block is useless - rarely when an additional move radically changes the situation.

Spellweaver is sometimes even better than Anti-Magic. If your opponent is playing a deck with any buffs, Spellbinder can bring a lot of benefits. For example, in a game against AggroDruid (Mark of I'Shaarj) or Midrange Paladin (Crested Steed). However, this secret will not stop AoE or targeted removal, so it is considered more of a situational replacement.

Potion of Transmutation is a good tool for controlling matchups, but is practically useless against aggressive decks. While Reflected Essence will copy the same 1/1 creature, Polymorph Potion simply won't do anything.

Mana Bond is another one good way getting tempo. This secret is very similar to Anti-Magic, but instead of canceling an enemy spell, it makes it possible to cast the same spell for free. The benefit of the Mana Bond secret depends on the spell it copies. Something like Portal: Firelands will give an incredible boost to the tempo for the next turn. But a copy of, for example, Brawl, does not promise anything useful to the Magician.

The more secrets there are in the deck, the more difficult it will be for the opponent to play around them. But, at the same time, the more secrets there are in the deck, the less stable it will play.

IN last days This Secret of the Mage build with Pyros and a heavier mana curve is becoming much more popular. Sometimes Yogg-Saron can be added to the deck.

Secret Magician Deck by Fenomeno

Secret Magician from Fenomeno

Finally, the moment came when the Tempo Mage archetype, which had left the ladder, found its new manifestation. And this manifestation turned out to be a deck The Secret of Mage Un'Goro, covered in this tutorial. He is not as fast as the classic Tempo Mage with his Pyros and Arcane Blasts, but he still desperately fights for his place in the sun.

Good luck on the ladder, and see you again, dear readers of the site!

Translated shakal, edited drulezzz, designed redsnapper

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Secret is a spell that, when activated, is displayed on the hero’s portrait in the form of a question mark. It will remain active until a specific action occurs to activate it. Your opponent can see you play the secret (the question mark will be visible to both you and him), but he cannot know which secret you played. As a rule, the enemy also sees the cost of the secret. Several different secrets can be active at the same time, but only one secret of each type. This article will reveal to you the secrets of the Mage, their mechanics, and how they can be countered, or how to play them most effectively.

1. Secrets of the magician and their description

The Magician has 6 different secrets in his arsenal. They all have the same cost - 3 mana. We'll list them all before going into their mechanics in more detail.

The secret is triggered when the magician is directly attacked by a creature or weapon of the hero and increases his armor to 8 units. Only physical (direct) attacks are taken into account, which means that if the mage takes damage from a spell (or from a card with a battle cry or from a Hero's Power), the secret will not work. This means that the magician may well die with an activated Ice Barrier if his opponent uses a spell to finish off the hero. However, once activated, the armor will protect you from any type of damage, both from direct attacks and from spells and Hero Power. Armor actually increases your base health stat.

The secret triggers when the mage's opponent plays a creature card, and summons a copy of that minion to his side. Reflected Essence will only trigger when the opponent plays a creature card, meaning that if the minion was summoned in any other way (spell, battle cry, etc.), the secret will not trigger. For example, the Hunter's Pet spell will not make the secret work. It is very important to understand that the copied creature will not have a battlecry trigger, because it was not played from the hand (for example, the battlecry of Ironbeak or Defender of Argus). However, it is worth remembering that it copies a creature after its warcry has worked, i.e. if the enemy plays Wounded Grunt, you will get a 4/3 minion, because this minion’s warcry deals 4 damage to it. The same goes for the Twilight Dragon.

1.3. Spellweaver and Antimagic

Both secrets are very similar, so it makes sense to sort them out together.

• triggers when the mage's opponent casts a spell and cancels it. This means that the effects of the spell will not pass, but the opponent's Mana and the spell card will be used. Anti-Magic is not activated by Hero's Power or a creature's Battlecry (such as Alexstrasza) and only interacts with spell cards.

• is very similar to Anti-Magic, but has a few key differences. Like Anti-Magic, Spellweaver triggers when the mage's opponent casts a spell, but Spellcaster only triggers when casting targeted spells. While Anti-Magic will save you from Fire Wave or Blessing, Spellweaver will not be activated by these spells since they are not targeted. Examples of spells that activate Spellbinder are Seal of Kings or Mind Control. When the secret is triggered, the target of the spell changes to the summoned 1/3 mage creature, i.e. if the secret was activated by the Seal of Kings, this minion will receive a buff effect and ultimately you will receive a 5/8 creature (similar to mind control, etc.).

If Spellbinder and Anti-Magic are active at the same time and the enemy uses a spell that activates both of them, Anti-Magic will work first.

The secret is triggered when the Maga attacks an enemy minion and kills that minion. is capable of destroying any creature, even if it has a Divine Shield or immunity effect (for example, from Bestial Wrath). It is important to note that the secret triggers before the creature deals damage.

Triggers when the Mage takes lethal damage, making him invulnerable to all damage until the end of the turn. The secret activates from any type of damage (direct attacks, battle cry, spells, Hero Power, weapon attacks), and blocks attacks of any type while active.

1.6. Kirin Tor Mage and Ethereal Sorcerer

These two creatures are very closely related to the secrets of the magician, so it makes sense to mention them in this article.

- a 4/3 creature whose battle cry reduces the cost of any secret you play this turn to 0 mana.

Has a passive ability that increases his stats +2/+2 at the end of each turn if the mage has at least 1 active secret. The ability has no restrictions, meaning if the Ethereal stays for long enough, you can get a very powerful creature.

2. Parrying and recognizing the Mage's traps.

If you are playing against a Mage, or you are playing as a Mage, it is very important to know how to parry and play against his secrets. We'll approach this section as if your opponent had played a secret, but you can use this information if you're playing a Mage yourself to figure out how your secrets can be countered.

Whenever the Mage uses a secret, you should make it a priority to reveal it in order to counter it at minimal cost. Once the Mage casts a Secret, you will have to perform the following actions in the order that suits your situation:

• Attack the enemy with a weak minion to check for Ice Barrier and ;
• Play the most useless minion to check for Reflected Essence;
• Use a cheap spell to check for Anti-Magic and (if possible) .

If you have completed all the steps above and none of them activated the secret, then this is . Remember that these actions can be done in any order, as they depend on what options you have in your hand (whether you have weak minions on the board or in your hand, etc.).

Let's look at each Mage secret in more detail.

2.1 Turning to Steam and Ice Barrier

Both secrets are triggered by a direct attack from the magician. The best way to check their presence is to use a weak and cheap creature to attack (for example, Novice Engineer or Treasure Collector). If it was, you will lose a not very important minion.

Naturally, you need to remember what secrets the magician used during the game, and if you know for sure that both copies of Turn to Steam have already been spent, you can attack with any minion you like. It is also interesting to note that since Weapon attacks activate Ice Barrier, but not Turn to Steam, so if you have a weapon equipped, it makes sense to attack with it first.

Unraveling this secret is perhaps the easiest way, all you need to do is play a weak minion. However, do not forget that the secret does not work on creatures summoned by the power of the Hero, so if you are playing as a Shaman or Paladin, do not expect to activate the secret this way.

You should try to play a minion with minimal health so that you have the opportunity to get rid of it right away.

2.3 Antimagic and Spellweaver

You can check the Mage for the presence of both secrets by using a cheap spell aimed at a minion (for example, face of decay). If you are in a position where your opponent is clearly very vulnerable to a particular spell from your hero, you should not cast that spell first, as it is very likely that it will be countered, or redirected. In any case, you should be very careful when using targeted spells, especially if they increase the stats of your minions, because if such a spell is activated by Spellbinder, the mage will get a very powerful minion.

The secret cannot be activated until the magician receives lethal damage, so if you suspect that the magician could use this secret, try to minimize its effectiveness (reduce the magician's health to 1-2 units and only then deal lethal damage).

Ice Block prevents lethal damage and essentially negates it. So if you have activated this secret, it makes sense to clear the table of enemy creatures, since the damage to the hero himself will still not occur and he will survive the current turn in any case.

3. Effective use of the magician's secrets

How to make the best use of your secrets? In the case of a magician, it mainly depends on the situation you are in. Let's start with the fact that if you have a Kirin Tor Mage or an Ethereal Sorcerer, you should wait for the opportunity to use the secret at the same time as playing one of these creatures because they interact perfectly with each other. You should always try to combine your secrets with these minions because... The Kirin Tor Mage will allow you to cast the Secret for free, and the Ethereal Sorcerer is guaranteed to get at least +2/+2 if you cast it while the Secret has not yet been revealed.

We will look at each of the secrets and show you several examples of how they can be played most effectively. But remember that whenever you use a secret, there is some element of risk, because it is not always clear what the opponent's next move will be. Experience in the game and knowledge of your opponent will give you more benefits when using your secrets.

The ice barrier is the most simple secret. Basically, you should use it when you need to protect a hero or you have no other options to play (for example, you have a 3 Mana crystal, but no 3 Mana creatures that you can summon). Since the increase in armor is permanent, you can consider this secret as a treatment for 8 health points.

Obviously, to get the most out of this secret, you should use it to get a strong minion, but it's not certain that you'll get that one. We'll give you some examples illustrating the worst and best moments to play this card:

• Turn 2, you have a coin and Reflected Essence - this is usually a very bad time to use the secret, since your opponent will likely summon a very weak minion on his turn. This makes the secret ideal for use later in the game for greater benefits.
• Turn 7, control of the board in the hands of your opponent (he has 3 creatures on the board, and you can’t get rid of them) is also not the best time to use the secret. Once Reflected Essence goes off, your opponent will have many options to deal with the summoned minion, leaving you at a disadvantage. We recommend that you use this secret in such a situation, only to slow down the enemy (i.e. you should have options further development events).
• If you control the board and have a fairly strong minion on the board, while your opponent has no creatures at all, using the secret will be the most the right decision. It's likely that your opponent will be forced to summon a strong minion to avoid taking too much damage.

Reflected Essence is especially useful in the very late game as it can allow you to finish off a wounded enemy or curb their aggression. The variety of situations is great, so we cannot give you any specific instructions on when to use this secret. Simply try to predict what your opponent will do and use Reflected Essence when you feel it will be most beneficial.

Much like Reflected Essence, it is especially effective against powerful and expensive spells. Thus, we do not recommend using this secret at every opportunity, but saving it until later in the game, when the enemy is most likely to use spells that are important to him.

For example, playing Anti-Magic on turns 2-4 is not the best idea because at this time rather weak spells are used that do not particularly affect the course of the game. Of course, the exception is a situation in which you have a large number of creatures on the board with low health. Using Anti-Magic at a time like this can really increase your advantage because... your opponent will waste his turn, and your creatures will remain untouched.

The ideal time to use this secret is when you have a clear idea of ​​what kind of spell your opponent might cast on his turn. For example, if you are playing against a priest, it is a bad idea to summon strong creatures after turn 8, because... most likely he uses Mind Control on them. However, this is the ideal time to use Anti-Magic. If you use it on turn 6 or 7 (and your opponent doesn't activate it) and then summon a powerful minion, the priest will likely waste Mind Control, guaranteeing you a win. Don't forget that Anti-Magic works when using any spell, so use this secret wisely.

Charplet should be used almost identically to Anti-Magic. If you have the ability to use one of these secrets, and you have good reason to believe that the enemy is using a buff spell, such as Seal of Kings, it would be better to use Spellweaver.

This secret can be a very powerful spell if you use it at the right time. Naturally, it can also be activated by a cheap minion, so do not activate the secret if the opponents have several weak creatures on the table. The best time to use this secret is at the end of the game, when your opponent has one strong minion on the board (or a strong minion and several weak ones that you can finish off with spells or hero power). In this situation, if your opponent doesn't have a minion with dash to check the secret, he will be forced to miss a turn or attack with a minion that is dangerous to you.

Unlike other secrets, the Ice Block will work exactly when you need it. That is why best time To use this secret it will be the beginning of the game. Not only will it be able to buff your Ethereal Sorcerer, but this secret will also force your opponent to play less aggressively and focus on maintaining control of the board. However, don't forget about the Hunter's Flare, so if you're playing against this hero, we recommend you hold off on Ice Block until you really need it.

Ice Block is especially useful against rush decks. These decks are usually aimed at dealing lethal damage in one turn, after which they lose their effectiveness. The ice block not only allows you to survive such attacks, but also gives you the ability to respond to them. (the mage has a huge amount of AOE damage with which you can get rid of all the enemy’s minions).