Introduction
Hearthstone's latest balance patch is finally out! Because of the latest buffs and nerfs*, the Standard meta has changed, and Rogue is definitely more popular, considering there are multiple tier 1 Rogue decks around.
Today, we'll explore Mech Rogue, a budget option for free-to-play players who want to climb ranks and have fun at the same time. This list only plays two legendaries, and the only epic in this deck, Preparation, is part of the Core Set. This means it is free, so you don't need to use your precious dust to craft it.
Ad
Mech Rogue
Mech Rogue, as the name suggests, focuses on Mechs. By the way, all the minions in this deck are Mechs.
The idea is to take advantage of how they interact with one another, as they'll buff each other and give you resources so you can play even bigger minions. A great combo is Invent-o-matic and any of the multiple Magnetic minions in this deck, such as Coppertail Snoop, Bronze Gatekeeper, and SP-3Y3-D3R.
Furthermore, this list also includes other ways, which we'll see soon, of getting even more Mechs with Magnetic. This will make Mimiron, the Mastermind even more valuable, and the cards it creates are extremely impactful.
All your minions are quite cheap, so this deck is quite fast and aggressive.
Minions
This deck includes many great choices for your turn 1. Drone Deconstructor and Frequency Oscillator will put pressure on your opponent very early on, and will give you a significant number of resources. Drone Deconstructor, in particular, gives you a Magnetic Sparkbot, and a random bonus effect. As for Frequency Oscillator, it discounts the cost of the next Mech you play.
On turn 2, you'll most likely be able to play Invent-o-matic. However, before you play it, ask yourself if your opponent can destroy it in any way because this is one of the most crucial Mechs in this deck. Losing one copy of it early on will be quite frustrating, and, if there is a high chance this will happen, you're better off playing a spell or a weapon.
All Magnetic minions that start in your initial hand cost 3. Besides buffing other Mechs, they'll give them important keywords.
SP-3Y3-D3R gives you Stealth, so you'll be able to protect a target minion for one turn. Bronze Gatekeeper gives you Taunt, and has a lot of life, so it will protect the other minions on your board and your hero. Finally, Coppertail Snoop, despite not giving you any specific keywords, gives you a Coin whenever the Mech you magnetized with it attacks.
One of the best cards in this deck is Mimiron, the Mastermind, which we mentioned before. Considering how many Mechs you play, this legendary minion will give you many resources. After all, whenever you play a Mech, Mimiron gives you a random "Mimiron Gadget".
These Gadgets are great in this deck: each one is different, but they're all very powerful!
Finally, your four-cost minions are Tiny Worldbreaker, which deals four damage to an enemy if you have a Mech in play, which is nearly always, and Zilliax Deluxe 3000. You'll play Zilliax with the Power and Haywire modules, which will make it very powerful, and double its power at the end of each turn.
Ad
Spells
We all know Mech Rogue is usually a fast deck that wants you to play as many cards as you can as fast as possible. So, this list plays Preparation, as it will discount the cost of the next spell you play that turn by 2.
Because you'll play many cards quite fast, you'll have to refill your hand by drawing more cards or Discovering them. So, this list plays Stick Up, Gear Shift, Pit Stop, and From the Scrapheap.
The only thing this deck doesn't play much is removals. You'll only have a few tools to destroy enemies, so use them wisely.
For instance, you'll have Deafen, which Silences a minion for one mana. With this spell, you'll be able to deal with giant minions with Taunt for very little mana. You'll also have Dubious Purchase, which draws cards as well.
Weapon
The only weapon this deck plays is Quick Pick, and it is just another way to fill your hand.
Win Condition
Your main win condition is Zilliax Deluxe 3000: it has a lot of potential and doubles its power every turn, which is great with Magnetic minions. If you attach SP-3Y3-D3R to Zilliax, its 3 power will be 6 at the end of the turn, and it will have Stealth, which will protect it until you attack with it again.
However, if you manage to keep Invent-o-matic in play for several turns, you'll also be able to set up incredibly powerful Mechs and win, particularly if you use the 1-cost Magnetic minions that Drone Deconstructor and From the Scrapheap create. However, you won't be able to double their power like Zilliax.
Mulligan
Obviously, you should keep your two 1-cost minions in your starting hand. Besides them, you should look for Mimiron, the Mastermind and SP-3Y3-D3R. This Magnetic minion is your main way to protect your other minions.
You can also keep Zilliax Deluxe 3000 in your starting hand because, despite not being an option early on, it is your main win condition.
I don't recommend you keep Invent-o-matic in your starting hand because it is more fragile, and your opponent can easily destroy it before you can create value with its effect. Though it is crucial to keep this minion and Mimiron, the Mastermind in play, Mimiron has 5 life, and is a lot more resilient early on.
Matchups
Aggro
The fact you don't have many removals means you're more vulnerable against aggressive decks. You'll struggle to keep up with the pressure zoo* lists put on the board, considering their win condition is putting as many 1-cost minions in play as possible.
Ad
For these matchups, I highly recommend you stick to the standard mulligan, except for Invent-o-matic. This card will be more useful in your hand than Zilliax, as you'll have to save it for the final rounds. Even if your opponent destroys your Invent-o-matic, it will be a great minion to resist your opponent's early game board.
Deafen can also be a viable option in your starting hand.
Control
Slow decks that don't threaten much in the early game are usually easier to deal with. You can stick to your standard game plan: create resources in your hand, and, whenever possible, set up massive minions, preferably Zilliax Deluxe 3000 with SP-3Y3-D3R.
SP-3Y3-D3R's Stealth will make one of your Mechs immune for one turn, and you should take this opportunity to strike the enemy Hero with as much power as you can on that turn.
Final Words
Mech Rogue is one of the best budget lists for free-to-play players who want to dominate the ranked queue. It is simpler than most Rogue decks, so I highly recommend it if you have just started playing Hearthstone.
I hope this article helped you learn more about this deck! What did you think of it? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.
Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
— Comments0
Be the first to comment