Play the Sparkmage...Aggressively
Justin (Metroidpikmin on the Sorcery Discord) has been an active Sorcery: Contested Realm community member since Alpha playtesting and has placed in the top 8 in the Sorcery League. You can often find him answering rules in the dedicated Sorcery Discord channel - if you haven't already joined the community, head on over!
This week, Justin breaks down how he plays the Sparkmage with a deck he has efficiently labeled... “Sparkmage Aggro."
You can view Justin's full deck list on Sorcery’s deckbuilder here.
Let's get into it!
Justin's Sparkmage Aggro Deck
Deck Inspiration: What inspired you to create this deck? What theme or concept behind this deck makes it stand out?
I thoroughly enjoy the Sparkmage ability. Upon first reading it, I found it incredibly cool, and I immediately envisioned going all-in with it. This deck's theme revolves around a teleporting ball of lightning, and the Sparkmage is set to play a significant role!
Key Card Choices: Tell us about some of the key cards in your deck and why you included them. How do they synergize with your deck's strategy?
The Teleports play a crucial role as the deck’s victory hinges on the Sparkmage. It’s vital to position the Sparkmage close without tapping, so they can their ability. But let’s be clear - Kythera Mechanism stands out as the deck’s top card. Sparkmage, Lightning Bolt, Thunderstorm, Headless Haunt, and Raise Dead all share the word random. Mechanism puts in a lot of work, letting you hit what you want to hit.
There are several other notable cards, Poisonous Dagger enables the Sparkmage to eliminate any minion and handle those with 5 of more power with ease. Highland Princess proves valuable for fetching the Kythera Mechanism or a Core. Every card in the deck serves a purpose, and the majority, excluding artifacts, Blink, and Lightning Bolt, share a commonality of requiring two air threshold allowing the Sparkmage to get a lot of work out of them.
Playstyle Tips: What's the recommended playstyle for this deck? Are there any specific strategies or combos that players should be aware of when using it?
This deck is aggro, though not the type that secures a win by turns 3 or 4. It thrives on aggression once you have sufficient mana, allowing you to teleport near your opponent and consistently inflict 2-6 damage per turn. While it has the potential for a fast win, the deck’s strategy revolves around reaching 6 to 8 mana swiftly. Once there, the goal is to approach your opponent, cast spells to accumulate threshold, and tap for damage.
I love casting teleport, then 2 lightning bolts and tapping to deal 4 with Sparkmage, if all of that hits the opponent's avatar you just did 10 damage in one turn.
All the minions in the deck serve the purpose of maintaining pressure and facilitating the ability to deal 2 damage with the Sparkmage. Take, for instance, the card Phantasmal Shade, often overlooked due to its vulnerability to anything that strikes it. However, in this deck, it is a valuable asset. For a cost of 3 manage, I acquire a 4-power minion, and coupled with the Sparkmage, I can deal 2 damage. It is really good.
Matchup Insights: How does your deck perform against popular archetypes in the game? Are there any particular matchups where it excels or struggles?
This deck excels against the prevalent Earth air Midrange meta, primarily due to its effective response to their minions, especially with the inclusion of Poisonous Dagger. This allows for a successful defense against their threats while also maintaining the ability to match their damage output, ranging from 4 to 10 damage per turn.
Playing into aggressive Battlemage decks, I have been pleasantly surprised to discover that this deck can hold its own against such aggressive Avatars. The proximity of the opponent didn’t bother me much, considering that my Sparkmage thrives in close quarters. With all my minions dealing 3 or 4 damage, except for the Highland Princess and Grandmaster Wizard, the Battlemage struggles to eliminate most of them unless they have equipped weapons.
I look forward to diving into the next season of the Sorcery League with this deck and am eager to explore how it fares against some of the most skilled Sorcery players in the community!
Connect with the Community
Justin can be found on the Sorcery Discord and is a participant in the ongoing Sorcery League.
Join in the discussion of the Sparkmage in the Sorcery: Contested Realm Facebook group.
