Hearthpwn

Hello again,

I'm Bloor, an Italian streamer and (multiple) legendary player. Maybe you heared about me because i wrote the guide of the most viewed deck of Season 18, the Midrange Secret Paladin. I just hit legend with this deck and i want to share the deck list and a guide to play it. 

Legend Proof:

Today i climbed from rank 2 to rank Legend with 73,3% Winrate (11-4). The average winrate of the deck is 66%, and i played it since rank 8. Proof and matchups:

 Deck Intro

Just start saying that actually this deck is OP because it can win against every single deck in the current meta. The deck is not so simple to understand at start, but we also have to say that it is not so difficult as Patron (ARGHHHH Nerf incoming!) or Handlock, because they have a lot of possible plays every turn, and this fact makes a deck harder to play.

The "Fast" concept of Druid is possible thanks to Darnassus Aspirant, the new TGT card that allows to ramp more with druid. Wild Growth and Innervate made possible the "Ramp" concept, but this something new, and maybe more efficient. You will not see a lot of high cost minions like Kel'Thuzad, Ragnaros the Firelord or Ancient of War but a different and midrange mana curve.

Deck Guide

The "Fast" concept means that you always have to do tempo plays and control the board. The key cards are Innervate, for example. If you are at Turn2 and you play a Turn4 minion, like Piloted Shredder, your opponent is in trouble because he only has Turn3 cards to answer you! Think to the next turn every time you play a card because you always have to be in tempo and your opponent has to be in danger, you always have to have the initiative to play a minion and the opponent has to trade! If you're late in tempo and you have to trade a lot of minions probably your gameplay is wrong and you will not come back.

By the way this is a midrange deck so you're not supposed to only go face: trade the board but try to not lose your minions because they are really important for your combo and control board.

Strategy & Cards explanation

Let's talk about the strategy. This is a "combo" deck, this means that you have some cards that, with an appropriate sinergy, could make the difference in the encounter and let you win the game. An example of "combo" deck is Grim-Patron Warrior.

The "main" combo is:

• Force of Nature + Savage Roar: 14dmg (9 mana standard, 7 mana with Thaurissan)
• Force of Nature + Savage Roar + Innervate + Savage Roar: 22dmg (12 mana but also possible with Thaurissan)

Clearly the dmg is not standard because sometimes you will have a minion (or more) on the board, so you will have more dmg, but it is important to remember the main combo dmg because it is also easier to calculate the total dmg!

Remember that the Deck Strategy is not all about the combo! Sometimes you will win without it, or maybe just with a piece of combo (i mean, for example, only thanks to a Force of Nature).

I've already said how to do to tempo plays, This is the key to play better than your opponent! The mulligan is very complicated and it requires a lot of game to improve it. Let's try to say something about it:

Mulligan Guide & Matchups

As i said, it is difficult to do tempo plays and choose what to play in that turn. Sometimes you could play a bigger minion thanks to Innervate, but you have to think if it worth it! Generate a solid mana curve is the main thing to learn if you want to play this deck.

In general, if you are at Turn 1 and you have Living Roots, you will always play it. This card is OP and i removed an Ancient of War to play it. It is strong because you can easily proc the Paladin's Secrets but in general you can trade something at Turn 2 and gain tempo.

Turn 2, you have Darnassus Aspirant that is OP because it is basically a "Taunt" minions, which means that your opponent HAS to trade it if he wants to survive. If the Aspirant survives, you will have a Turn4 play and maybe a Turn6 play with Innervate, which is definitely insane.

I'm actually speaking about "general" mulligan but maybe it is better if we say something about each class:

• VS Warrior: this is a matchup in which you have to ramp a lot. The key to beat a warrior is to always have something on the board and let him do the trade. Turn 2 is correct to play Darnassus Aspirant but, to contrast this minion, now Warriors run 2xFiery War Axe. This is not a problem but remember that if you have something to play Turn 3 because the Aspirant will die. If you can play something like Shade of Naxxramas, this is good because you don't lose tempo. If you have to choose between Aspirand and Wild Growth and you don't have a Turn 3 play but only a Turn 4 play like Piloted Shredder, play Wild Growth so u're sure to play a Turn 4 minion and don't lose tempo. Shade can grow a lot if you play against Patron but be careful because if you play against Control Warrior, Brawl can probably remove it. Also, be careful because sometimes it is not correct to do a play like: Turn 1, Coin + Innervate + Piloted Shredder. Remember that the warrior's Weapon can remove it so you will lose a lot of tempo.

• VS Hunter: this is a quite good matchup actually because we don't see so much Midrange Hunters. MidHunter is a problem because Freezing Trap can contrast your tempo plays with Innervate. By the way, this is a matchup in which we cannot hold Wild Growth. The card is amazing but it is slow, and if we lose a turn 2 to play it we probably lose the game because we have not the time to clear the enemy board and come back in the game. I reccomend to hold Keeper of the Grove instead, because this card is insane against Hunter. If you silence a Mad Scientist, for example, you slow a lot his rush and you're free to play other minions since the Scientist cannot proc the secret. Another very important card to hold in this matchup isSwipe, not only for Snake Trap but in general because hunter run a lot of 1 health minions and if you clear the board you can probably win or come back.

• VS Paladin: this is a quite good matchup! Secret paladins (especially my Secret Paladin Deck) suffers a lot Druid because they cannot clear Darnassus Aspirant, so if you start with it and ramp, you will probably the game with not so much difficulties. Cards to hold: Innervate, Aspirant, Swipe to clear Muster for Battle, Keeper of the Grove. Remember that the first Keeper is good to counter early game minions like Secretkeeper, but if the game lasts a lot you have to hold the 2nd Keeper for Tirion Fordring. If you don't silence him you will probably lose. Remember also that you have to trade until Turn 6, than you can start rushing the opponent. If you have the combo at turn 6-7 and he has not so much board control, you can rush it at the end because Secret Pala don't runs so much healing, only Truesilver Champion.

• VS Druid: Mirror matches are just "RAMP". The player who ramps more and better wins. There is not so much to say about it! Actually a lor of druids are "Aggro" and they runs Fel Reaver. This card is a problem, in fact if you only face Aggro Druids, i reccomend to hold a Big Game Hunter in mulligan. If you don't meet aggro druids than hold Ramp cards.

• VS Mage: this is another matchup in which you have to ramp. It is not a good matchup, it is hard to play and probably 50/50% against Tempo. Tempo mages are really good against Druid and you cannot do so much if he clears the board with Flamewaker or something like this. In general. Frostbolt easy clear Piloted Shredder and Fireball easily clear Druid of the Claw in taunt form, and they are your Turn 4 & 5 better plays. WARNING: do not hold Shade of Naxxramas because it could be removed with Flamecannon. Just try to do ramp plays and do not lose to much the board, try to avoid his spells and maybe you can win the game. Swipe is not so efficient to trade aoe, but you can use it to trade Flamewaker single: it is good. Against Freeze MAge is a quite easy matchup, just go face and you will not have so much problems. Against Mech always remember to trade the board, in particular Snowchugger. Remember that your only strong 4mana drop is Savage Combatant: don't be afraid using it with Innervate because the only mage spell which can remove it is Flamecannon, since Frostbolt doesn't kill it!

• VS Priest: this is a quite difficult matchup. The priest has a lot of early removal like Shadow Word: Death that makes your game difficult. For example, if you're happy to play an Emperor Thaurissan ad turn 3-4, you will be sad because a priest can remove it with only 2 mana. Cabal Shadow Priest is also dangerous because on a Keeper of the Grove is very good and Lightbomb can easily clear your board, which is everything to win the game. In general, play aggressive and try to close the game earlier than him.

• VS Shaman: this is actually a bad matchup if you're against midrange shaman/totem shaman, but it is good against Mech. In general, the Mech archetipe is easy to counter with Fast Druid. Midrange Shaman is a problem because he can removes your minions with Earth Shock (really good against Shade of Naxxramas) or Lightning Storm, You only way to win against it is to ramp so much and let him only do trades. Remember that if he plays a totem, you cannot leave it there, you have to trade it! Probably if you let a totem surivive you will lose the game because now totems could be empowered and he could easily gain board control (it is also dangerous forBloodlust). Druid has not an efficient aoe removal likeFlamestrike. Swipe it is maybe the weaker aoe in the game and your only way to do more dmg with it is Azure Drake + Swipe but it is a 9 mana combo.

• VS Warlock: this is probably one of the easiest matchups. Handlock in general is hard to beat because if you play Ramp cards, you make the game difficult for him. Remember that Handlock life is always between 10/20hp and a combo can easily end the game. A Thaurissan played earlier than Turn6 probably will last there for 2 turns minimum, because the only early removal for Handlock isDarkbomb, Hellfire and Shadowflame, but if he has no board he cannot use it. The Zoo/DemonZoo Matchup is easy again. Swipe is a key card against Imp Gang Boss and in general you always have to trade. Living Roots is amazing to clear Flame Imp turn 1 and stop the Zoo rush at start. Remember that using Big Game Hunter on Dr. Boom is somethimes wrong because you will have to use it on Mal'Ganis. If you can clear Dr. Boom with minions or spells, do it, and hold BGH for later turns.

• VS Rogue: Shade of Naxxramas is quite useless in this matchup. Don't be afraid to play it and use it to remove Rogue's minions because Shade will not survive to Blade Flurry. Try to ALWAYS remove minions because rogue can easily empower his minions, so if you have not board control and the rogue has, the game is lost. Hold Keeper of the Grove for Edwin VanCleef! If you play Aspirant with coin is good, but he can easily remove it. Try to be very aggressive but don't forget to trade enemy minions!

Why do you run +1 Sludge Belcher instead of Druid of the Claw?

I actually think that Belcher is better against aggro decks. When your opponent trades you Druid of the Claw, "it is over" and he can attack face. When he attacks Belcher instead, he also have to attack the 1/2 taunt. This play gives you a lot of time to play another minion and protect him with the 1/2 taunt! For example, you can protect a turn6 Thaurissan with it.

Another important thing is that if you play Belcher at turn 8 (for example) and you opponent cannot clear the 1/2 taunt, you have another minion for the combo! So, a 14dmg combo could easily become a 17dmg combo.

Belcher is also good against mage because if a Fireball can eaily remove Claw, it is not so easy to remove Belcher. In general, Sludge Belcher is a minion that your opponent wants to silence. This is good because it makes the game more difficult for him.

Card Replacements

I will update this part as soon as i receive requests in comments. In general the deck is good without modify, but if you miss a card or if you think that something is better, write in comments and if it is a good idea i will probably write it here.

• -1 Sludge Belcher, +1 Druid of the Claw: as i said before, this change allowed me to win a lot of games with this deck, but if you do not appreciate the idea you can change it with the Claw.
• -1 Savage Combatant, +1 Piloted Shredder: there are a lot of tempo mages in this meta and i decided to switch to Savage. It's good because it's clearable only with Flamecannon, if you do not meet to much mages you can switch to Shredder.

Updates

• 15/10/15: too much mages in the current meta. Piloted Shredder is not useless but it has not so much value agains Mage, because it is easy clearable with Frostbolt. Switched to Savage Combatant because it is stronger.

 

Final Discussions

First of all i want to say THANKS again to those one who supports me. I'm growing a lot as streamer and player and it is only thanks to you guys. My goal is to make a monthly guide for a deck. I started with the Midrange Secret Paladin and i'm now doing the druid one. I don't know which will be the next one, but i see that most of you appreciate so i'll keep working like this.

This deck is good because, as i said, it can beat every other deck in this meta and it also has a lot of good matchups. I mostly used it from rank 8 to legend and if you want to check more plays at rank legend you can follow my stream. Thanks again and let me know if you need help in comments, or maybe if you just want to say something about my Fast Druid.

 

Social

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bloor95
• Twitch Streaming: http://it.twitch.tv/bloor95
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTZrP2X4B4TjlVTYLBzPRkQ

 

Hope you enjoy!

Bloor