Hearthpwn

I've played more games with paladin than any other class to date and I'm still thoroughly enjoying it. If you're wanting to play paladin but are struggling not to get overwhelmed early game by decks such as Zoo-Lock then this may be a solution for you. This deck is being refined at the time of writing. I hope that most cards are self explanatory but I will outline what are staple cards and what can potentially be swapped out.

Humility This card is so good, but having 2 in the deck slows the deck down too much. It's worth saving for when you sense either the tempo is not in your favour or there's a heavy that needs to be handled. This synergizes perfectly with Stampeding Kodo for a 6 mana cost enemy minion removal. Put 1 of these in your deck.

Undertaker This card is becoming the new staple card for many deathrattle decks. Prioritise this card in your starting hand, if you have another low cost deathrattle card in your hand consider waiting so you can play both as a combo.

Equality Staple card. This is good in so many situations, most notably for when you may be feeling overwhelmed by the enemy board presence. For best results combo this card with Consecration for 6 mana. Otherwise use Wild Pyromancer for a tactical board clear (be careful you're not detrimenting your own board too much - if you have the minions just trade them off instead so you get value from it).

Holy Light A necessary heal to have in the game to make sure you're paly is not feeling on edge. Holy Light works nicely with Wild Pyromancer for 1 damage to all minions which could make the difference between clearing the enemy minions and not. Also - consider using it on your fat minions to keep them topped up, eg. Guardian of Kings, Tirion Fordring, perhaps a buffed Cairne Bloodhoof etc

Loot Hoarder Deathrattle and card draw. Yep, it works well in this deck.

Wild Pyromancer This card can be used in conjunction with your spells for 1 damage to all minions, I strongly suggest holding onto it for if/when you feel it's time to wipe the enemy board clean and comboing with Equality. Note it's a 3/2 card, so useful early game against cards such as Northshire Cleric, Mana Wyrm, Voidwalker etc.

Acolyte of Pain I've found running one of these in my deck to be worth the card slot. It draws the attention of the enemy who wish to let you have as few cards as possible. When played right it can be very effective to use against ememies that you've applied either Humility or Aldor Peacekeeper on. Also synergizes with Wild Pyromancer & a spell (except Equality)

Harvest Golem This card is great value for a 3 drop, with the deathrattle synergy it's too good to pass up. 2 of these help curve the mana of this deck nicely.

Aldor Peacekeeper This card is great, perhaps my favourite of all the Paladin class cards. Use him either to gain tempo early game or save him for when you think a fat card from the enemy is due late game. Better still, if you have board presence and are concerned of playing your own fat minion, hold this one in hand so if your fatty is stolen or copied you can counter it with this and turn the tides back in your favour.

Truesilver Champion I only run one of these in the deck. I've found that running two is also effective, however I prefer to maintain board presense where possible and I need minions for that. Having 2 of them in the deck sometimes lead to not having anything else to play due to a poor hand. Testing the deck with just 1 Truesilver Champion gave me better results. Experiment with this yourself and see how you get on.

Consecration This card is great, and having 1 of these in the deck is essential. You can run 2 if you find it necessary. It really comes down to the current meta, I'm currently running 2 as despite the release of the naxx cards that introduced the paladin to some much needed early game presence, I think the necessity for having 2 Consecration is still required to survive early game rush decks like zoo lock. Use this card sparingly, if it's the only board clear you have then use it otherwise try and save it to combo with either Equality or Wild Pyromancer to max your damage output.

Defender of Argus This card just works well in the mana curve of this deck. There are a number of cards that don't have taunt so can make the benefit of it and the +1/1 stat boost, especially the lower cost minions, allowing them to trade more effectively. Perhaps not a staple card, but I wouldn't consider removing it unless you're desperate to insert a different set of card.

Gnomish Inventor I've found having one of these in the deck curves it really well. Card draw is required for the deck to be effective, and in testing having one of these in the deck just seems to work nicely. Consider swapping it out if you wish to prioritise for something else like a Taunt minion such as Sunwalker or another Legendary like Ragnaros the Firelord

Harrison Jones 5/4 for 5 is pretty good when you're looking for something to play and don't have anything else for the mana at the time. Or, when you're at end game and are concerned of having one of your major cards removed hard by a Hex, Polymorph, or Shadow Word: Death or Mind Control etc. He does well at soaking up spells, and when given the opportunity he rewards you for destroying weapons like Doomhammer and Assassin's Blade etc.

Loatheb This card can be extremely annoying against many types of decks. When used properly he has the power to stop the tempo of the enemy and buy you time that leads to victory. 5/5 for 5 mana is solid too. Consider swapping this out for something different if you're trying to prioritise cards with deathrattle.

Sludge Belcher Value. This card is just so good, I run 2 of them, coz they're awesome! :) Did I mention deathrattle?

Stampeding Kodo Try and use him only when his battlecry will be effective. Used with Humility and Aldor Peacekeeper this can make removing enemy fatties like Ysera a piece of cake.

Cairne Bloodhoof Great value! 4/5 x2 = 8/10 for 6 mana. Deathrattle synergy.

Sylvanas Windrunner I've included the card in this deck for the deathrattle. She is very effective at making the enemy hesitant of what to play when on the board. She will usually soak up an enemy silence or force the enemy to trade so they don't lose their big minions to you. You might want to consider swapping her out for something else if you find she's too situational for your liking.

OR

The Black Knight There are few decks that don't use a taunt of some kind. This is another card that may not give a deathrattle buff but there are still a number of decks that are running a taunt of some kind so try and save him for when the enemy has played a heavy taunt such as Tirion Fordring, Sunwalker, Ironbark Protector etc.

Guardian of Kings 1 of these is all you need, try and use him when you're going to make use of his heal otherwise play one of the other big cards where possible. A staple for the playstyle of this control paladin as he brings some much needed board presence and sustain.

Lay on Hands 2 of these is overkill for the pace of this deck. 1 is very effective. Ideally used when you're going to make the most of the heal (at least 4+ health return) and the 3 card draw is fantastic. Another staple card for this deck.

Tirion Fordring Arguably the strongest class Legendary in the game. This card gives extreme value. Be very cautious of when you play him, for example if you sense the enemy is holding onto something like a Hex or Mind Control then keep using your hero power and other minions to bate out the use of such cards. I believe Tirion Fordring is a fundamental card in any paladin deck. If you find yourself against a priest or a an opponent that runs Sylvanas Windrunner your Tirion Fordring will be their #1 priority (and they'll be waiting for him) so try hold onto your Harrison Jones so you can draw some cards back off the weapon they steal.

Honourable mentions

Zombie Chow This card is very good value in my opinion. I can understand why some people may prefer to go with Leper Gnome, however the extra life on zombie chow means it trades with a lot more stuff, whether it's a minion or a spell, it's less damage hiting your face and that's just what we want with this card. Don't be too concerned with healing the enemy player as we have enough heals and sustain in the deck that we'll simply outlast them despite the health return.

Baron Rivendare This card is included for the very useful double deathrattle proc. There are a lot deathrattle cards in this deck, so getting a useful combo with this guy later in the game is fairly easy. Some examples of effective combo's - Loot Hoarder for 2 card draws, Cairne Bloodhoof for spawning 2x Baine Bloodhoof, Sludge Belcher to summon 2x Slime, Sylvanas Windrunner to steal 2 enemy minions when possible, etc.

Feugen Deathrattle chemistry and lovely stats, especially against a priest & Stalagg - Same principles as Feugen except the stats aren't so great, despite having 7 attack. If you've dodged removal spells  and both have been destroyed then Thaddius is your new friend! If you've played your deathrattle alongside Baron Rivendare you might feel like a troll, spawning 2x Thaddius. Marvellous! :)

Ragnaros the Firelord This card is so tempting, it helps to win big when you're already winning. He can potentially turn the game around for you but he can also cost you the game when he hits the wrong target. With the playstyle of this deck it's hard to justify including him.

Faceless Manipulator This card is nice to have but it's tough to give him a spot in the deck. When the enemy summons a Ragnaros or Thaddius you'll wish you had one. But if the deck is on your side you'll be able to remove theirs whilst maintaining board presence anyway. Perhaps consider swapping this in for the Gnomish Inventor if you believe it will serve you more.

Ysera I love this card. It costs a lot and rightly so. Much like Ragnaros this card allows you to win big. With the curve of the deck I feel it's still a gamble to pack the deck so heavily with late game minions.

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Edit - Somehow I forgot Bloodmage Thalnos! This card could well be swapped out for 1x Loot Hoarder. There are pro's and cons in my opinion, the major con being that Bloodmage Thalnos only has 1 attack, he won't trade with much [if anything?] but the deathrattle and spellpower buff fits nicely in this deck. I encourage you to experiment with him and test it for yourself.

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And there you have it....so, give it a try. Be sure to leave a comment and give a +1 if you like this guide.