Hearthpwn

This is my first time submitting a deck.  I've been having lots of success with it, and... its just so satisfying to mind control and steal your opponents cards and throw them back at them.

Every card serves a purpose.

Key Cards & Synergies

1 Cost

Holy Smite x 2

This card is amazing for early game control against zoo & warlock, and against control decks, it synergizes perfectly with Vol'jin Vol'jin.  Since Vol'jin has 2 health you can use this tactic of playing Vol'jin and using holy smite as a removal against ANY creature! If possible try to save 1 of these for the Vol'jin combo.

Power Word: Shield x 1

Combo's well with the cleric and to buff enemies you steal later, as well as draws you a card.  I personally feel only 1 of these is needed because its otherwise a relatively weak card that is only good in the start and certain circumstances.

Abusive Sergeant x 1

This card is simply to be used with Big Game Hunter.  There will be games where you are facing mid-range enemies, use abusive sergeant to make that 5 attack creature a 7 and kill it good while putting a 4 - 2 on the board.  Very useful combo.

Northshire Cleric

This card is great for drawing cards.  Its a good idea to play 1 of them early to draw the attention of the enemy and get them to waste removal spells, and if you are lucky you can use it to run into an enemy heal it and draw cards.

2 Cost

Shadow Word: Pain x 2

Great card for early game removal.  Necessary if you want to survive Zoo & Hunter rush decks.

Shrinkmeister x 2

Youthful Brewmaster x 2

These cards are really misunderstood.  They are extremely powerful in this deck and synergize with Shadow Madness and Cabal Shadow Priest.  Using this allows you to steal a minion with '4' attack or '6' attack if you have '10' mana available and 2 of these guys.  This can also synergize with Youthful Brewmaster and Ancient Brewmaster when you use Shadow Madness.  You simply take control of an enemy with 3 or less attack, and use either of these cards to steal the opponents card back into your hand and play it that turn or the next, basically stealing a card.  The ultimate combo is Shrinkmeister +Shrinkmeister + Shadow Madness + Youthful Brewmaster, for 9 mana to steal a 7 attack creature and put it into your hand.  Works great for stealing Dr. Unbalanced Dr. Boom if you can pull it off.

3 Cost

Shadow Word: Death x 1

This is great for large minion removal, and you can also use it with Sylvanas Windrunner for an instant mind control if there is only one target on the board, and you can get 9 mana worth of value out of the target.

Big Game Hunter x 1

With everyone running Dr. Unbalanced Dr. Boom, this is a must have to stop this, but for the situations where you don't run into him this can synergize with Abusive Sergeant to kill a 5 attack minion by raising its attack to 7.

Blood Knight x 1

This is a bit experimental, but almost every paladin and mage deck...hell almost every deck runs at least 1 Annoy-o-Tron.  Use this to punish that card and get a 6/6 in return! Force some removal out of your opponent early to keep your tempo up.

4 Cost

[card]Shadow Madness[card] x2

Wouldn't be mind control without it =).  Refer to my explanation with Shrinkmeister and Youthful Brewmaster to use this card correctly.

[card]Ancient Brewmaster[card] x1

Because of the high cost on the minion and low value because of its 4 health, its wise to only have '1' of these.  Great alternative to Youthful Brewmaster and can be used in the same way, but with lesser combos, also puts a decent threat to draw removal from the opponent.  Sometimes its smart to use this to bring back your Cabal Shadow Priest if its still alive on the board after you play so that you can use its ability again to steal minions.  This is especially smart if you are playing against rush decks.

[card]Kezan Mystic[card] x1

This card is a game changer.  With all the face hunters these days running 'explosive' trap and 'freezing trap' this is great to throw the tempo right back in your favor.  Against the mech mage you can steal their mind control for even more tempo gain.  A must have card for mind controlling secrets :).  I used to have 2, but that wound up being to many, so I run 1 now.

What you can do though is combo with [card]Youthful Brewmaster[card] to use it again on secret decks.  Try not to use this to steal a secret unless you can get it right back.  This will cause your secret opponents to rage quit :).

5 Cost

Holy Nova x 2

Because of the decks limited healing and lack of minions early on, this card is great to wipe the board and synergizes well with a Northshire Cleric and Lightbomb.  Many times you will run into creatures just out of the range ofLightbomb's deadly effect.  Use this spell then follow up withLightbomb to completely wipe the board.

Harrison Jones x 1

This card has saved me on more than one occasion and is the anti rouge, warrior, face hunter card to stop their weapons in their tracks and draw you cards for the much needed combos this deck has.

Vol'jin x 1

Rather than run 2 Shadow Word: Death, I feel its better to run this card since you can kill any minion when you combo with Holy Smite.  Also you get a nice 6 / 6+ card on the board.  Try to target a minion with high health for maximum effectiveness.  Ideally a 6+ cost minion for a nice trade.

6 Cost

Emperor Thaurissan x 2

I added Emperor Thaurissan since a lot of this deck is just waiting around, might as well get the card costs down to pull even more crazy mind control combos :).

Lightbomb x 2

This card is great for removal since we don't have too many creatures in the early stage this is great since you will be removing the enemies minions not your own.  This card is essential to survive long enough to pull off the combos.

Cabal Shadow Priest x 2

This card is required for this deck to work and key to the mind control theme.  Use it with Shrinkmeister to steal '4' attack minions and if you are lucky '6' attack minions.

Great targets for this are cards like Sunwalker.  This will really frustrate your opponent.

Sylvanas Windrunner x 1

No mind control deck is complete without these card.  Use it in combo with Shadow Word: Death for an instant mind control effect or just throw it on the board to draw out silences and stall your opponent.

7+ Cost

Mind Control x 1

The reason we only run '1' of these is its very difficult to actually use this card right away, and with all the removal and mind control we have already, it would be overkill to add another mind control.  Save this as the last resort mind control if all else fails.  Nice targets are Ragnaros the Firelord since stealing it will give you the instant 8 damage effect.  You can also use it on Deathwing to ruin your opponents plans.

 

How to play

It's very critical to mulligan for early removal and get the cleric out there to get as many cards as possible.  If you are lucky you will draw into Emperor Thaurissan to make the bunch of cards you have even more powerful if the opponent is control or a mill deck.

Never play first, ALWAYS react to your opponent.  Make sure to have a board clear always in your mulligan if you can, you will usually need to use them early on... and you might be only a live by a fraction of a health.  I had a game where I had 1 health left but went on to win thanks to the priest hero power :).  Just keep using that hero power on yourself.  That hero power and the holy nova's is ... just enough to survive in my experience.