After Cataclysm, it feels like mage cards have once again been left behind in terms of spell design, especially when it comes to countering the massive amount of Deathrattle summoning, minion buffing, and other powerful mechanics available to some classes. In the past, there were tools to deal with opponents who filled the board with minions, but at this early stage of the game now, some classes can flood the board with high-attack minions almost immediately. This makes it extremely difficult to respond using outdated and poorly designed mage spells.
For example, mage Imbue cards only add +1 damage to the hero’s Fireblast, while druid Imbue cards stack onto the hero power “Blessing of the Golem.” If we compare the two, four mage Imbue cards result in four Fireblasts randomly distributed among enemies, whereas a druid can summon a single +4/+4 Golem. The chances of all four Fireblasts hitting that one Golem are essentially zero. This imbalance becomes even worse when the druid’s hero power costs 0 or when they can summon multiple Golems. Meanwhile, Shadow Priests benefit from Imbue effects that provide both strong damage and healing.
Overall, the game feels very unbalanced. Why don’t mages have access to spells that summon Water Elementals that can be buffed? Why are there no reliable silence effects? Why can’t mages gain armor, lifesteal, or stronger defensive tools through spells or minions?
This patch feels like one of the worst for mages. Other classes seem thoughtfully designed, but mages currently feel underpowered and neglected.