Every weekend, tens of thousands of players put up their best decks to compete in the Weekend Ranked event for a chance at free packs. Every week, I post about my experience playing during this heated event.
Yeah, I know this is the 4th week in a row I'm playing Tempo Magic, but it has performed ridiculously consistently for me, so I'm hesitant to switch it up. That being said, I'll try not to bore everyone with the same old content style, so this time around I'll be explaining how each match-up against the deck archetypes feels to me, with less emphasis on other parts of my Weekend Ranked matches. Let's dive right in!
Giveaway Results
Every week, I give away a few units of Hive SBI which help to upvote your posts for visibility for as long as they run. I explained the mechanics of how this works in another Weekend Ranked Rundown post, but in short, the more active you are in the GU Hive community, the more chances you have to win.
I changed the formula a bit to weigh posts equally with comment count this time since you already get rewarded for posting quality content here. We have 1 forfeited prize from last week, so I'll be giving out 3 Hive SBI units today.
The winners:
Leave a comment to accept the prize/give it to someone else or it will be forfeited once I post the next giveaway's results. Once you've accepted the prize once, you don't have to leave a comment anymore; future prizes will automatically be sent to you. Congrats, and thanks for being part of the GU community!
Deck Overview
Deck Link: GUDecks
Since I enjoyed playing this deck so much, I decided to shell out the cash for 2x Ancient Texts and the last Form of Power. Was it worth it? I think so, and it does make a few uncomfortable board situations feel better to deal with as compared to using Illuminate. I've explained the thought process and deck alterations that I've gone through in my previous posts (1, 2, 3), so I won't be going through them again here.
Performance and Matchmaking Breakdown
Starting Rank: Mythic
Wins: 18/25
Reward Packs: 2x Core Rare, 1x Core Epic, 1x Core Legendary, 2x DO Rare, 1x DO Epic, 1x DO Legendary
Theoretical pack value based on current pack prices: $36.96
| Opponent Deck | Score (Wins / Total Games) |
|---|---|
| Nature | 7 / 8 |
| War | 4 / 6 |
| Magic | 1 / 2 |
| Death | 3 / 5 |
| Deception | 1 / 1 |
| Light | 2 / 3 |
| Total | 18 / 25 |
Analyzing Each Match-Up
In this section, I'll be giving my thoughts on each match-up, referencing the Match-up table on GUDecks in the Mythic bracket.
vs War
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aggro War | Favored (60%) | In this match-up, it's most likely a win if I manage to draw a bunch of early-game removal spells and if my opponent doesn't equip an Enduring Shield on T1. This match-up makes slower cards like Monolith and Pallas less useful but is ultimately favorable for me as long as I survive the first few turns. |
| Midrange War | Toss-up (56.7%) | IMO this match-up is harder than Aggro War due to the copious amounts of Leech these decks have. Since these decks are slower, it is possible for my deck to become the aggro deck and try to finish the game early before they stabilize. In the case where the match is drawn out, never put down a raw Monolith - it is often the sole win condition for this match-up and you do not want it to be removed by a Carnage Sweep or Sole Survivor. |
| Control War | Toss-up (53.1%) | If I see the opponent including cards like Avatar of War, I definitely try to mulligan hard for my early tempo cards like Assistant Alchemist to end the game early. Similar to Midrange War, once the game is drawn out the only win condition is often utilizing a charged Monolith ability, so you have to Ward and Protect it or lose. |
vs Nature
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aggro/Midrange Nature | Toss-Up (~50%) | This is one of the most common deck archetypes that everyone faces due to how accessible it is to build the deck. The good thing about this match-up is that most decks aren't fully optimized, so it can be much easier to eke out a win when your opponent doesn't play an Underbrush Boar to kill your All-seeing Spire for free. The bad thing about it is - well, Nature has tons of cheap removal spells and bulky creatures. To win, I fight hard for board presence so that I get enough Favor to supplement my hand. Getting out Oni Spellsword early and safely in conjunction with Shadow Scryer can easily spell out a win, since it makes Canopy Barrage, Lightning Strike, and Selena's Mark GP useless. |
vs Magic
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tempo Mage | Toss Up | In the mirror match, I think it boils down to who gets out a board of Warded creatures first (Oni Spellsword/Shadow Scryer). If I can do it, I like to play Pallas on T2 with a pip, it's usually too annoying for the opponent to remove without slowing their tempo by a great deal (2 mana GP + Starshard Bolt at minimum). Once both players get out of the early game, IMO it is imperative to maximize value out of cards like the Familiar and Pallas in order to win. Similar to the Midrange/Control War match-ups, Monolith can often be the win condition in long matches, so don't play it raw! |
| Structure/Control/Ramp Mage | Favored (52-57%) | This is where the "tempo" in Tempo Mage comes into play - I try to play cards efficiently and quickly to end the game before the opponent plays their big creatures. Once the game drags on, the Monolith win condition comes into play again. |
vs Deception
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Rush Deception | Unfavored (41.7%) | Deception as a whole is pretty annoying to deal with, but this variant is one of the worst. This deck is faster than Tempo Magic and Mage doesn't have too many untargeted spells to deal with all the Hidden creatures. Thankfully, this archetype isn't that popular now. |
| Order Deception | Toss-Up (52.9%) | This variant isn't too bad since it's slower than Hidden Rush. Since this deck mostly tries to control the board with spells rather than going for the face each turn, a well-timed Oni Spellsword can win the game. Just be sure to always consider the possibility of Cutthroat Insight (steal a card from your hand) and Rapture Dance (board clear). |
| Sleep/Control Deception | Toss-Up (58.8%) | You won't see this deck archetype much in the wild due to its prohibitive cost, but it is really annoying to play against. I deem this match-up as a toss-up due to just how many removal spells this archetype can have, making it impossible to make any headway if you don't get the right draws. Of course, Ward can make things way easier but you don't always draw Oni Spellsword when you need it. |
vs Light
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Light | Unfavored (43.6%) | Yup, this is one of this deck's major weaknesses. Zoo Light is an absolute monster at snowballing with multiple creatures a turn, and Tempo Mage doesn't have enough spells that can stop a horde of creatures. It also feels incredibly bad to get your Demetrios stolen by Light's Levy. IMO this match-up almost feels like an instant loss unless I manage to get the perfect answer each turn, or if the opponent draws badly. |
vs Death
| Deck Archetype | Favored/Unfavored (GUDecks Win %) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Board Wipe Death | Toss-up (51.8%) | Again, Monolith is often the key to winning this match-up, although I can win early if a well-timed Oni Spellsword manages to nullify BWD's annoying sleep effects. If I manage to deal a good chunk of health before Turn 5 (where they can start sleep-ing your creatures turn after turn), one good Monolith ability can end the game. |
| Zombie Death | Favored (58.0%) | Magic has many tools against Zombies, so this match-up isn't too hard. Make use of the fact that the opponent has to spend 3 mana to play Obelisks or Necroscepter to set-up an Oni Spellsword/Pallas, and the match should feel relatively easy in most circumstances. |
Tips, Tricks, and Common Pitfalls for Tempo Mage
The Monolith Win Condition
I have repeated this many times in the section above but Monolith of Storms is often one of your key win conditions in longer games so absolutely do not play it raw unless you have to in those matches! I've learned this lesson the hard way multiple times and seen what could have been a winning game be lost just because I decided that I didn't want to let 5 spare mana go to waste. Monolith into Vow of Learning is the absolute best way to protect it, making it near impossible for your opponent to remove in just one turn. Usually, if the matches have dragged out long enough, I'd have 2 Wyrmbreaths in hand as well. So after a turn of Monolith surviving at 8-mana, I can deal 10 + 11 = 21 damage to the opponent's face.
Replenishing Your Hand
While it does feel pretty good to play Assistant Alchemist into another Alchemist into a Shadow Scryer on turn 1, I wouldn't recommend keeping such a hand unless you have been blessed by RNG to draw perfectly in the next few turns. In many matches, I try to mulligan for one Draw-type card so I don't empty out my hand too quickly, like Demetrios, Pallas' Wand, and All-Seeing Spire. If I can't get these cards in my opening hand, then I at least try to mulligan for a curved hand where I don't get stuck with unplayable cards early. After all, this is tempo mage, and tempo decks shouldn't be wasting unused mana unnecessarily.
Oni Spellsword Strats
This takes a little practice to get right, but you should always aim to maximize the number of Wards that Oni Spellsword gives. For example, let's say you want to play Oni Spellsword, Miraculous Familiar, and a Shadow Scryer on the same turn. You should play Oni into Familiar into Shadow Scryer, and not Shadow Scryer before Familiar. This will give you a 50% chance of giving Ward to the Familiar, which can be the difference between a win and a loss.
The puzzle of optimizing Oni Spellsword Wards can be stressful when you have limited time available and have a large hand, so you'll have to practice to get it right. You can even Mageblast GP your own creatures in order to manipulate the Ward triggers; I had an opponent do this to me to Ward his entire board and he subsequently won the match.
Historical Performance
Past Weekend Ranked posts and performance in order of recency:
| Time Period | Deck | Score (Wins / Total Games) | Starting Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2022 W3 (Current) | Tempo Magic | 18 / 25 | Mythic |
| Feb 2022 W2 | Tempo Magic | 19 / 25 | Mythic |
| Feb 2022 W1 | Tempo Magic | 18 / 25 | Mythic |
| Jan 2022 W5 | Tempo Magic | 19 / 25 | Mythic |
| Jan 2022 W4 | Mid-range Nature | 17 / 25 | Mythic |
| Jan 2022 W3 | Mid-range Nature | 15 / 25 | Mythic |
| Jan 2022 W2 | Mid-range Nature | 11 / 25 | Mythic |
| Jan 2022 W1 | Aggro War | 18 / 25 | Mythic |
| Dec 2021 W4 | Aggro War | 19 / 25 | Mythic |
| Dec 2021 W3 | Aggro War | 16 / 25 | Mythic |
| Dec 2021 W2 | Aggro War | 21 / 25 | Twilight Shadow |
Concluding Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy write-up on my Tempo Mage experience after playing it for many weeks, and hope that it has provided you with some additional tips to pilot this deck against the varied match-ups during the Weekend Ranked event.
See you again next week!
Post Header image source: Freepik
If you chanced upon this article and are interested in starting Gods Unchained, you can use my referral code to sign up to play here. It's free to play and free to earn!
Some of the card images in this post are generated by GUListCreator, a tool I created for fast card list lookup and creation to write posts like this on Hive. Do check it out if you like to create content for Gods Unchained!