Hearthpwn

PROOF OF LEGEND: Rank 81 Legend

Hello my name is Boozer, multiple legend player, playing since day 1 release. I mostly play hearthstone for fun and only play decks I find fun. Occasionally I switch over to top tier decks if I need to hit legend quickly for the chest rewards.

This deck is giving me consistent results so far. Pretty standard midrange shaman with a lot of the strong shaman cards, mostly just testing out the card maelstrom portal. Drakes and Thalnos for portal synergy. Attempting to head towards a spell power theme, eagerly awaiting for the new spirit claws card! Portal is a very good card.

Currently at rank 2 and climbing fast, 65% win rate with this deck (most losses against face shaman). Able to fend off against midrange hunter, tempo mage, zoo, and dragon and control warrior comfortably.

Possible additions: Yogg, ragnaros, 4 mana 7/7s... they don't seem to be necessary so far and it's hard to find the space.

Try the new portal card! :)

Update 8/13/16: Added mana tide for draw instead of ancestral knowledge, and added two flametongue totems for added board control pressure.

Update 8/14/16: Got legend with the deck boys! Played this deck from rank 5 to legend with a 70% win rate. Played a little bit of games in legend and got up to rank 81 so far. Going to see where I end up by the end of the season! :D

Guide~
Ok so as requested, I will be making a guide the best way I can. I've never done this before so please forgive me and I hope it helps.

General Strategy: Mulligan for early minions, play on curve and pressure you opponent with every turn. Always go for board control. This deck aims to have a strong turn every turn, and has incredible cheap spell damage board clear like thalnos/air totem + lightning storm/maelstrom portal. Twilight hammer, fire ele, thing from below, incredible mid game tempo swings. Al'akir + rockbiter combo as a finisher OR as an incredible board clear.

Mulligan Strategy and Game strategy (by class):

Warrior(favored): Keep totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, stormcrack, flametongue totem. Keep twilight hammer if you also have totem golem and other good early minions to start with. Keep trogg only if you also have feral, totem golem, or flametongue in hand.

Never play trogg turn 1 versus warrior, axe and alexstrasza's champion destroy it too easily. The best thing you can do is wait for totem golem, or coin out totem golem. Better to play trogg after totem golem. Trogg can be played turn 1 if no other early minions are in sight, flamtongue totem is also a good play after trogg if hopefully they don't have a counter. The dragon warrior matchup is easy, keep pressuring them and make the most efficient trades vs them. Against control you want to pressure the same way, but never play into the first brawl, two or three midrange minions and some totems on the board is more than enough, don't over commit. After you see the first brawl you should flood the board again, never play around second brawl unless you know they have it. You can still win even if you get brawl'd twice. Al'akir + rockiter combo won me that matchup every time.

Mage(favored): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem, stormcrack, maelstrom portal (only one). Again just pressure the mage as much as you can. Tempo only runs one flamestrike so it's not that scary. Twilight hammer and stormcrack are very good against their minions. Don't let them out tempo you and you will be fine. Spell damage portal and lightning storm are incredible comeback mechanics :)

Zoolock(equal, technically favored.*): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem, stormcrack, maelstrom portal (only one). You can keep one lightning storm if you have plenty of early minions as well. Do not play trogg turn one unless you have rockbiter, flametongue, or totem golem to back it up, or it will get rekt by flame imp. Also don't play trogg turn 1 If you have trogg and lightning storm/feral in your hand. Always stall them until you can pull off that combo, on turn 3 or 4. Maelstrom portal DESTROYS zoo(and lightning storm of course), try to save it against tentacles if possible.

Shaman(aggro: unfavored. midrange: equal): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem, stormcrack, maelstrom portal (only one). You can keep lightning storm if you have plenty of early minions as well. Aggro shaman is a tough matchup for this deck has no healing. Not much to say about this, the good news is it's not impossible at all, this deck runs 4 taunts and the hero power is also a taunt, and it can procure it's own burst damage. Try to get a good start on them, remove as much as you can and do your best to avoid damage.

Against midrange you will both have double hex and double lightning storm. We normally have the advantage with twilight hammer since it's an overall better card vs doomhammer in the mirror. Try to use your hex on 7/7 or fire ele or thunderbluff. If it's possible to kill big minions easily through other means, do it, and save hex. Normally other midrange do not run al'akir or rag and that is to our advantage. Pressure him hard and try to pull off epic spell damage lightning storm and portals to kill their whole board. Sometimes you will have to hex a medium sized minion like 5/5 taunt so you don't have to sacrifice any minions on your board. Play around the first lightning storm but not the 2nd. Board control is key in this matchup, kill all their totems!

Rogue(unfavored): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem. Rogue's incredibly efficient trades and coneal shenanigans can destroy this deck because we have no healing. It's very possible to win this matchup with a good enough early lead and pressure board. You can flood the board in this matchup. Sap hurts this type of shaman way more than aggro. It's easily possible to kill the rogue with Al'akir rock biter combo, but if board control is a must, then use him to clear minions. We have many tools to clear all of rogue's minions. If you have to hex auctioneer, do it. Hex is best against Edwin so keep an eye out for that. Pretty linear matchup, you two are just trying to kill each other. Do what you can to kill his good minions, if you can't, you can't. Concealed minions can be dealt with sometimes via spell damage lightning storm and portal.

Priest(favored): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem. Don't play trogg turn 1 if you don't have follow up golem or rockbiter, this plays around northshire cleric. Our spell damage theme doesn't really affect this matchup at all, priest is a completely reactive class for the most part. But they don't have enough reaction to handle the constant powerful midrange minions this deck has. Keep pressuring them, evolution value is immense in this matchup. This deck has plenty of 4 attack minions to give priest a bad time. Dragon priest is also favored since we are just plainly a stronger midrange deck. That is also a linear matchup, just pressure and make efficient trades. Spell damage combos do well against dragon priest.

Hunter(favored): Probably the most linear matchup in the game. Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem, stormcrack. Don't play trogg turn 1 without follow up to kill thei 3/2.  Just play on curve and make efficient trades. Portal and lightning storm wreak havoc against them. The only minion to hex is highmane pretty much. You can hex a houndmaster'd beast to gain a big tempo swing and keep your minions alive. You can flood the board in this matchup. Hunter has such a tough time dealing with your minions and it's easy to deal with his minions. Easy game.

Paladin(aggro: favored. control: equal): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem. Aggro pally does not nearly have the raw power and burst damage that shaman has. Double portal double lightning storm and double hex tears them a new one. Play on curve, pressure, make efficient trades.

Control pally is a stressful matchup. There's nothing you can do about equality. So stick to the philosophy of only playing around the first equality/consecrate. Flood the board if you see the first equality used already. This deck has enough power in the mid game to kill the paladin. Al'akir + rockbiter in the end if needed. Sometimes you will stomp them easily because they have no equality. Sometimes it will become very difficult if they have the god draw. That is how the matchup is.

Druid(favored): Keep tunnel trogg, totem golem, feral spirit, tuskar totemic, rockbiter, flametongue totem, stormcrack, maelstrom portal (only one), Keep one hex if you have enough good early minions in your hand. Our deck seemingly completely obliterates beast druid(6-0 against it). I don't know why people are playing that deck, it runs out of steam so quickly. Maybe it's good against other decks. Beast druid is linear, just play on curve and make efficient trades for board control and outpace him.

Yogg druid is also favored, but not a stomp like beast druid. The deck has plenty of aoe removal against their constant waves of tokens, use them accordingly. It's ok to hex violet teacher, fandral, and ancient of wars. You must deal with teacher and fandral immediately when they come down. Play on curve and pressure them, make efficient trades and get evolve value. That's it.

*I am hesitant to put zoolock as favored as it is normally a tough matchup for shaman. My statistics show that it's definitely favored, double maelstrom and double lightning storm do massive work, I have 80% winrate against zoo. However, zoolock is a deck that can win any matchup with godlike topdecks and draw and I don't want players to walk in thinking it will be linear and easily winnable. It is matchup you have to learn to play against before it becomes favored.