[Witchwood] Wild Hands (Handbuff Paladin)
- Last updated Apr 15, 2018 (Witchwood)
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Wild
- 26 Minions
- 2 Spells
- 1 Weapon
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Handbuff Paladin
- Crafting Cost: 18240
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 2/28/2017 (Aggro Downfall)
- joey_jojo_48
- Registered User
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- 14
- 39
- 75
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Battle Tag:
JoeyJojo48#1451
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
194
Hello Hearthpwn!
Here's my fifth deck (Handbuff Paladin). I've been playing the hell out of Handbuff Paladin ever since Mean Streets, and I even took it to legend in Un'Goro (proof below). And while it may not be allowed in Standard anymore, it'll live on in wild! It's fairly tricky to play and is definitely off-meta, but it's one of the most fun decks I've ever played. If you've got the cards I highly reccomend giving it a try. I'll do my best to keep this page updated with the most current decklist I am running. Cheers!
*APRIL 15th: The first Wild version of this deck is here! This is far from a final refined list given that I am not a wild main and that the wild card pool is so huge, but it's at least a solid starting point for anyone wanting to try out the archetype.
If you're interested in a "standard version" of the deck, feel free to check it out Piperbuff Paladin. While obviously not exactly the same, it plays very similar.
Also I made another standard deck, a Big Deathrattle Hunter, so feel free to check that out if you're into that kind of thing.
Best of luck in the Year of the Raven!*
~ General Strategy ~
The general strategy of the deck is fairly straightforward. Your goal is to use the handbuff cards (Smuggler's Run, Prince Keleseth, Grimestreet Enforcer, and Val'anyr) to make your hand very big, and then use those big cards to beat down your opponent. To help with this, this deck runs a ton of cards to disrupt/neutralize your opponent's threats (such as Aldor Peacekeeper. Ironbeak Owl, and Sunkeeper Tarim) as well as cards who scale very well with buffs (such as Chillblade Champion, Wickerflame Burnbristle, and Saronite Chain Gang). One of the nice things about a handbuff deck is you can run a decent number of tech cards, but since you can handbuff them they can still be useful in other matchups. It's a pretty tricky deck, but just be patient, think things through, and you can beat almost anything.
~ Mulligan Guide ~
Smuggler's Run |
Prince Keleseth |
Zola the Gorgon |
Paragon of Light |
Aldor Peacekeeper |
Wickerflame Burnbristle |
Coldlight Oracle |
Stonehill Defender |
Saronite Chain Gang |
~ Card Choices ~
The Handbuffers |
The purpose of these cards is to buff the cards in your hand (and deck). Smuggler's Run and Grimestreet Enforcer are core cards and the deck will not work without them. If you don't have Prince Keleseth you can use 2x Grimestreet Outfitter and the deck is still very powerful (and it also allows you to run other 2-cost cards like Hydrologist or Acidic Swamp Ooze). If you don't have Val'anyr don't rush to craft it yet unless you've got 1.6k dust lying around. It can easily be replaced with some of the suggestions below based on what you have.
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The Taunts |
Wickerflame Burnbristle |
Taunt cards scale very well with handbuffs, and these cards form the core defensive of the deck. There are lots of other taunt cards that could work in this deck, such as Soggoth the Slitherer, Grimestreet Protector, Corpsetaker, Stegodon, Dirty Rat, Righteous Protector, Spikeridged Steed, Tar Creeper, The Lich King, or Second-Rate Bruiser. Feel free to try them out!
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The Neutralizers |
Uther of the Ebon Blade |
These cards are all meant to mess with your opponent's gameplan so that your cards can shine. Pretty much all of the cards except Aldor Peacekeeper and Sunkeeper Tarim are replaceable. I expect this part of the decklist to shift a lot as the meta changes. Other good tech cards you could consider are Acidic Swamp Ooze, Ivory Knight, Gluttonous Ooze, Golakka Crawler, Lorewalker Cho, Harrison Jones, The Black Knight, Nerubian Unraveler, Hungry Crab, Dirty Rat, Skulking Geist, Stormwind Knight, Spellbreaker, Deathwing, Blackguard, Stampeding Kodo, Mind Control Tech, Truesilver Champion, and Mindbreaker.
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The Heals |
Wickerflame Burnbristle |
You need heals to keep yourself alive. From my experience these cards are often enough. Alternate cards you could consider are Alexstrasza, Benevolent Djinn, Earthen Ring Farseer, Truesilver Champion, Corpsetaker, Bloodworm, Ragnaros, Lightlord or Ivory Knight.
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The Main Event
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Wickerflame Burnbristle |
In handbuff decks, you obviously want to hit as many cards with your buffs as possible. But these cards in particular are the ones you really want to hit. They are either ones that have beneficial keywords, have card draw/pseudo card draw, and/or can squeeze extra value from the buffs. One package of note in here is "The Curator Package" (1x The Curator, 2x Primordial Drake, 2x Coldlight Oracle, and 2x Ironbeak Owl). This package gives a very reliable minion-based card draw engine to help keep your hand full and ready to buff.
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Let's play some Hearthstone together! JoeyJojo48#1451, Americas :)
I'm guessing this is the end of my favorite deck and deck archetype, huh? :p
It's admittedly been a challenge to figure out what cards that could work (Lacking a few things). No idea what parts of the mech package (Or mossy) would be good to have...
Maybe Mossy Horror as additional board clear? I mean, you even have Eadric for some occasional combo when you drop enemy's board attack to 1 and then clear it on next turn with Mossy.
Really fun to play! Awesome deck!
Glad you like it! :)
So I was about to dust my Bolvar, Fireblood to make Tirion Fordring when I decided to just throw him in this deck instead. Although Tirion is an awesome card and I SHOULD get him at some point, I am glad I didn't dust Bolvar for him.
With the handbuffs in this along with other more threatening minions that are usually on the board before him, he has definitely made for some awesome games (100% WR after I have dropped him, only about 4 games so far but still decent). After dropping the Grimestreet Protector and already being hand buffed, he is just another big minion that is annoying to clear.
He is not meta breaking what so ever, but I would try him out in this deck for the lulz.
I haven't decided yet. I think if people want me to I probly can, I just likely wouldn't keep it quite as updated as i have while the deck has been in standard.
This deck is really fun to play. Have been looking for a buffadin I like and finally found one. THanks bro
Glad you like it! :)
Hello! That's awesome I'm so happy you like the deck. I still like Blackguard a lot and would love to find a way to slot him back in. I haven't tested him lately, so maybe I'll try him out again.
Hello there!
I sign up just to comment on this deck (which I love) and thank you, is truly a fun deck.
Now, I wanted to ask you, there are several cards si don’t have, , like Zola, the Curator and Ysera. I have crafted all the Paladin legendary as a see good use of them in other decks. Because of the patch I have 1600k dust lying around, should I craft one of the recommended legendarys? Or should I go for something that I can run in other control(ish) decks like Ragnaros or Uther? Thanks in advance!
Hmm, based on those options I'd craft Zola the Gorgon or Ysera as they'll both be in standard for quite a while and are usable in other classes. If you want to focus on Paladin, I'd go Uther of the Ebon Blade as it's fun and could be very good in the future if they release support.
Working great post-nerf! Did a few tweaks bc I'm broke af:
-2 x Corridor Creeper, -1 Val'anyr, -1 Wickerflame Burnbristle
+1 Stampeding Kodo, +1 Righteous Protector, +1 Stonehill Defender, +1 Gluttonous Ooze (has saved me twice so far)
Coldlight Oracle has been the surprising game-changer. Just faced a spell hunter with a full hand, dropped two oracles and goodbye 5 crucial cards :)
Dropped 1600 dust for Ysera, last game I ended up with a 9/17 Ysera lol... totally worth.
Actually, in my test version (Which isn't very good, admittedly) [card] Uther of the Ebon Blade[/card] was a tempo play that let me completely control the match. I run that instead of Ysera, since i also dropped The Curator in my version.
EDIT: (Err... air head moment, I forget to mention this was a cubelocke warlock situaton, which was a matchup I wondered if I could win)
Prince Keleseth into Zola the Gorgon and into Prince Keleseth again around turn 4/5 also helped.
I've yet to come across the mage matchup though, so not particularly sure ho it would hold up there.
Have the Grimestreet Outfitters been doing well for you? They certainly allow for the other two useful tech choices you put in to work, but they don't often show up when I need them.
Yup, good eye! I called it cold hands to be thematically linked to the Frozen Throne expansion. I changed it to gold hands to sound more thematically linked to the Kobolds and Catacombs expansion. I think when i made the original version it was called "Big Hands." The "hands" part of the name is the consistent piece I've kept over the iterations to show that the deck is, was, and always will be a handbuff deck. The other part I've changed to sound more topical.
Hey! I just wanted to pass by and thank you for keeping what I consider my absolute favorite deck archetype alive. I'e been dabbling with changes for the upcoming needs myself, and with Reza out, we have,a lot more breathing room.
After moderate playtesting, i find Leeroy Jenkins to be extraordinarily powerful here, in exchange for corridor creeper or curator (the latter of which I removed since Creepers gone, and draws haven't been a great issue for me). It gives A fairly good burst.
Admittedly not too sure what else worse fairly well, save for possibly Seargeant Sally (Legendary, and it' not too great, but works really well against aggro, if you'e a but lucky.) Or Stonehill defender, that can be tempo played even without buffs for a potentially better card. But both options can be rather underwhelming.
Sally is kind of a dead card against control, while the defenders are kind of weak to play against aggro un-buffed.
I don't think my input will help much, but I'm not the greatest at deck balancing, and i want the last few months this deck type is in standard to b e spent enjoying it.
Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it. Sergeant Sally was mostly to give the deck a board clear that synergies with the deck, but after losing Bonemare to the nerf I don't think it'll be worth it. I'm expecting to cut her when the nerfs go live. Leeroy Jenkins is an excellent finisher option since it can give a lot of burst (budget option being Argent Commander since it also gives a divine shield activator for Corpsetaker).
The big decision I'm having right now is whether to keep The Curator package after the nerf to Corridor Creeper. I haven't decided what to do yet, and I really need to see how the meta looks post-nerfs to know how best to change the deck.
You're welcome!
As an 8 drop, Bonemare might still be usable for this archetype, but not as fluidly or as a good combo piece.
Personally, The Curator loses one of the best draws you could get, leaving only Ysera or a Coldlight Oracle to draw. If the deck were to add in possibly Vicious Fledgling, or Stampeding Kodo (Both cards I used, and worked decently well in my old Knights of The Frozen Throne version), the latter of which being a decent card, although possibly a bad draw against Warlock)
Is Doppelgangster returning to the deck a possibility? It's a bid of a slow, but strong play, and can provoke a response from, I think, any class but Mage.
I like Stampeding Kodo a lot and it's my go-to beast for The Curator, but I want to give Corridor Creeper a fair test before replacing it. I personally dislike Doppelgangster as I think Saronite Chain Gang is basically a better version of it, but it's not a bad card by any means and is always under consideration to add to the deck (especially if The Curator package gets cut).
This deck is amazing i kind of had to modify it as i dont have curator or ysera so i put lich king and grimstret protector in their and ive gone 10-4 with this deck the only decks i lose to is OTK priest but other than that destroy everyone else amazing deck
Thanks I'm glad you like it! I've been testing Grimestreet Protector and it's a really good substitute and a generally underrated card