Hearthpwn

Hello people, I just reached Legend with this deck in NA. Took me about 3 hours to climb from Rank 4 to Legend. This deck has been optimized to reduce the likelihood of dead cards/hands. For instance, double Mortal Coil when I would rather be playing some solid 1drops.

I would like to share it with you in case anybody needs some idea on how to incorporate the new Naxxramas cards into their Zoolock decks. And you SHOULD include them, as the first wing has strengthened Zoolock quite abit.This deck was also developed to deal with the prevalence of Zoolocks and Aggro Rogues in Ranks 1-5.

The strategy is pretty much the same as the original Zoolock deck - astute timing of your Soulfire and Doomguard, and knowing when to hit the face and when to hit a minion are integral to this deck. 

Card Explanation

Nerubian Egg: Similar concept to Harvest Golem this card ensures your board has something leftover even after the opponent uses a board clear. A 4/4 for 2 mana, what's not to like? Dark Iron Dwarf, Abusive Sergeant, Dire Wolf Alpha, Hellfire and Power Overwhelming are in the deck to give you the tools you need to hatch (kill) the Nerubian Egg and hopefully kill an enemy minion as well. For avoidance of doubt, the Nerubian Egg is typically hatched by giving it some attack and using it to suicide attack an enemy minion.

Power Overwhelming: A good way to hatch the Nerubian Egg, plus the 4 damage can be helpful in clearing taunts or retaining board control. Also works as a 1 mana Soulfire to finish the opponent. You may also use it on a Harvest Golem, but this would be less optimal.

Hellfire: This card is useful to deal with Zoolocks and it can be comboed with Nerubian Egg to swing the tempo back in your favour. For instance, a turn 2 Nerubian Egg followed by a turn 3 Coin and Hellfire will give you a high chance of winning the mirror. Some Zoolock decks use Mind Control Tech, but I find Hellfire is more consistent and has better synergy.

Common Questions

Why only 2 taunts?

I only included 1 Voidwalker and 1 Shieldbearer because having two of these low damage taunts in your starting hand can impede your momentum gain. 

Why the lack of divine shield minions?

I find that many Zoolock decks run a Blood Knight, hence I swapped out Scarlet Crusader and Argent Squire. Feel free to put them back in if you are not having this problem.

Why no Blood Knight? 

Blood Knight is unlikely to be drawn at the correct time and you do not want this card in your starting hand. To deal with the opponent using Blood Knight on their own minions, just destroy their shields asap. Especially important for Aggro Rogue where an Argent Squire with Cold Blood is likely. 

Why no Haunted Creeper?

I have faced several Zoolock decks running this card but I dont find it to be particularly powerful. It can be stopped by taunts like Shieldbearer and the death rattle tokens can be pinged out by Mortal Coil, Mage Hero power or Wrath. The death rattle tokens are also vulnerable to Swipe and other AOEs. Also, the death rattle tokens do not do much by themselves. Admittedly, it has the potential to synergize well with cards like Knife Juggler, but this is not enough for me to justify its inclusion. 

Basic Mulligan Strategy

You want to start with some one drops like Leper Gnome, Young Priestess and Flame Imp. Knife Juggler is also good to start with assuming you have one drops. I usually discard Soulfire and Doomguard because keeping them increases the likelihood of drawing another one and risking the discarding of one or more of these high value cards.

Common Matchups

Zoolock (mirror): Keeping a Hellfire when you already have a Nerubian Egg is a decent mulligan strategy. Do not hesitate to use a turn 1 or 2 Soulfire on the Opponent's Knife Juggler or Flame Imp if this will swing tempo your way. 

Miracle Rogue: A difficult matchup, though if he doesn't get his Backstab SI:7 Agent combo at the start, you have a decent chance of winning. 

Aggro Rogue: A favourable matchup. Aggro Rogues are unlikely to run Fan of Knives, leaving them with only Blade Flurry to clear your one HP minions. Simply keep their board clear and destroy the shields of their Argent Squire. 

Ramp Druid: A highly favourable matchup, since the Ramp Druid thrives on greedy plays like Coin into Wild Growth. You should be able to take down Ramp Druids before turn 9. Ensure your board is not vulnerable to Swipe - e.g. 1x 4hp minion and a bunch of 1hp minions. Defender of Argus and tanky minions like Dark Iron Dwarf are your friends here. Try to hatch your Nerubian Egg asap so as not to get silenced by Keeper of the Grove. For this reason I try not to play Nerubian Egg unless I have nothing else to play, or he has used one or two Keepers already.

Freeze Mage: A slightly favourable matchup where constant aggression to the face is key. Pray that he doesn't Frostbolt your starting Knife Juggler. Nerubian Egg, Doomguard and Harvest Golem are essential to ensure you can apply pressure even after a Doomsayer or Blizzard.