Why would give the hunter a counterspell better mage when not even spell class. I mean mage counterspells don’t even increase the cost of the spell but let give to aggressive face class so make removable harder.
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Counterspell actually… ya know… counters the spell. LOL
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It’s like blizzard finally admitted that after years of being in the dust by themselves, mage secrets were never really quite good enough.
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If hunters were given the option of “would you like to pay 1 more mana to remove that spell from their hand?” Every single hunter would say yes.
If you’re going to argue that it’s better, at least think about the strength in the difference first.
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Yeah, Counterspell’s better.
Paladins with Oh My Yogg though. I’d play 3 mana Oh My Yogg over Counterspell any day.
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At least oh, my yog does another spell this force back in hand and make the cost more.
So is your main issue here more to do with class identity then?
Blizzard said a while ago each class would have its strengths and weaknesses but that went outdoor. It like really is no true class identity no more warlock heal like a priest , the hunter like a mage, and the list goes on.
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Its like a freezing trap for spells seems very much within hunters normal identity to me.
Hunter has always had secrets. It’s part of their class identity.
That went out the door with the Team that said that and had a clear distinction for each classes strength and weaknesses. New team means new rules and no need to adhere to the old guards design philosophies.
Hunter has always had secrets that went off when the opponent plays a spell.
When mage got a secret that summoned a water elemental when one of their minions was attacked, did you make a post complaining how Mage was stealing the Hunter identity?
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Do you really think so? Hunter secret does enough: it delays key spells for 1, maybe two turns. If the spells needs a minion alongside it, even better.
I know for a fact counter spell is only played, and I mean only, when there’s secret sinergy to be had. I know that hunter secrets have been mostly evergreen in their decks because they’re functional enough/ unreplaceable.
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It’s not really a counter spell though. It’s more of a delaying tactic which is EXACTLY what other hunter traps do. It’s thematic and adds another layer to how hunters can be played beyond “Going Face”. Keep in mind it’s also a pseudo nerf to hunter secret selection. You only get 3 choices and adding another one into the mix means the chances for the hunter to hit the one they want is much more difficult.
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Hunter secrets are played when they can be played for free, ideally straight from deck. Same as Paladin secrets. Which usually means there’s synergy to be had.
Outside of meme territory no one is going to hard run Open the Cages in a Hunter deck. Just like no one hard runs Counterspell in a mage deck.
And costs one mana more, and doesnt have a secondary effect, and cannot currently be discounted by anything other than IF, and cannot be tutored by anything else as Ice Trap can.
It’s the same flawed logic being used to defend OMY.
Ice Trap functions as a CS and cost increase, and everyone knows it.
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Game Master is still in Standard.
Arcanologist is in the Core set.
Also, Inconspicuous Rider is still in Standard and has always been better for Mage than any other class because of the higher cost of Mage Secrets.
While it may not be worth running a Secret package in Standard Mage decks, it’s not because the Secrets themselves are bad, or an absence of mana discounts or tutors. There’s just no real payoff cards that help you win the game.
The only things a Standard Secret Mage would have as payoffs are Occult Conjurer, maybe a discovered spell or two from Apexis Smuggler, and the draw from Sayge. None of that is really enough to make a deck powerful, and Secret Mage decks need to go in too heavily on Secrets to easily hybridize with any other package available at the moment.
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I’m having some solid success playing a strictly ping mage no frills deck just trying to power through the deck for the setup on 7 and 8. Funny the Arcanologist was mentioned. I am actually running a copy in deck for my 2 barriers. Keeping the deck lean on spells and just to one of each school became my focus so I have a measure of control over Dawngrasp. Playing minion heavy was also a goal as i really don’t like pure spell.
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None of that defends the flawed reasoning that OMY and Ice trap are not cheaper versions of CS. They perform precisely the same function: (disruption) for less mana and added effects, and anyone who says otherwise is denying the truth.
My deck bears little resemblance to yours I imagine. I have never found a use for arcanologist since secret mage rotated.