[Spark] Beasty Tactics (S4)
- Last updated Sep 20, 2016 (Karazhan)
- Edit
- |
Wild
- 14 Minions
- 14 Spells
- 2 Weapons
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Midrange Hunter
- Crafting Cost: 2440
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 7/30/2014 (Naxx Launch)
- Sparkaz
- Pro Player
-
Country:
-
Tournament Decks:
0
-
Ladder Decks:
29
-
Submitted By:
The Deck has been updated to Death Trap since the Starving Buzzard nerf and Beast Master since BRM !
Hello everyone I'm Spark, Legend player from Hearthstone, you probably know me for my Pyromaniac Secrets Control Hunter build and today I'm glad to present you another Hunter Deck.
I've always liked the synergy that this class has around beasts and I think the meta shift and the new cards from Naxx is bringing it back to life.
Why bring back Mid Range Hunter ?
You probably remember the time where Sunshine Hunter was dominant back when Unleash the Hounds had a 2 mana cost. At this time, I played it a lot and made an older guide which was kind of a basis for this new deck.
After the nerf, this build died almost instantly but I think that it's time to bring it back with a major tweak : switch back to the Eaglehorn Bow and Traps synergy which was really dominant in my Pyromancer build. This time, Snipe is swapped out because of all the Nerubian Egg and other painful Deathrattle minions (plus the fact that the Miracle Rogue era is kind of dying with Naxx), Explosive Trap is mandatory as a lot of people are playing Zoo with the new power Naxxramas gave to this deck and Freezing Trap is just an amazing tempo card that allows you to keep board control against other Mid Range and Control decks.
What Naxxramas is bringing to the deck ?
First of all, the deck now has the perfect turn 1 : Webspinner. This card will almost always die but you don't really care since it is just giving you a free card kind of like a cheap Loot Hoarder but the card doesn't even comes from the deck and it will always be a beast. There are a lot of useful beasts for the deck in the collectible cards going from Dire Wolf Alpha or Stonetusk Boar to Stranglethorn Tiger or King Krush and including the cards that the deck already use (having 3 Savannah Highmane during the same game can totally crush your opponent).
Drawing a less valuable beast is not really a concern since the card is free and it will still have the synergy with the deck : drawing with Starving Buzzard, powering up a Scavenging Hyena or giving a target to Houndmaster.
The fact that it costs 1 mana also allows you to use it on Starving Buzzard turn for one more draw, or to give you a cheap way to activate Kill Command or Houndmaster. If it stays on the board, it can make great use of Hunter's Mark and combo with Scavenging Hyena.
I think you get the idea, after testing it a lot, I just love this card (for a beast focused hunter off course).
The second new toy to work with is Haunted Creeper. The deck finally has a decent turn 2 to play apart from the vanilla River Crocolisk, it can be played on its own contrary to Dire Wolf Alpha or Scavenging Hyena which are more combo oriented.
Basically, this card ensure you to have something on the board and more importantly a way to kill hunter's marked target (since you work with a 1/2 or 2 1/1). The only sad thing about it is that the 1/1 spiders are not beasts but it would have been too strong because of the easy trigger on Starving Buzzard and Scavenging Hyena. The card itself is really valuable and annoying to deal with because it ensures you some form of board presence and the fact that it is a beast and a 2-drop makes it perfect for Mid Range Hunter.
The last card to notice is Maexxna, it is not that great on his own but the fact that it is a beast make it a great pick for this deck. It will generally force your opponent to deal with since it is a strong threat regarding board control and therefore lack answers for the Savannah Highmane play. It is an insane follow up to Tundra Rhino and is also really awesome when combined with Houndmaster even if they silenced it before because it will give a resilient taunt like Oasis Snapjaw can do.
Anyway, we'll need to see how people adapt to this card but at the moment it is just awesome at baiting out silences and hard removals, and if not dealt with it just kills everything on his way. I'm just a bit sad that it is not a 5-drop with a bit less toughness because the card can only find a spot in a beasts focused hunter decks righ now in my opinion.
Tweaks around the initial basis :
In comparison to the older Sunshine Hunter, I also found useful to cut some of the situationnal cards to play them as a one of and therefore improve the consistency of the deck.
- Timber Wolf is a really great tool when going for an Unleash the Hounds combo but having 2 of them can struggle in your hand. You can also consider Dire Wolf Alpha for its great synergy with Haunted Creeper but it has less flexibility with Unleash the Hounds plays and that's pretty much the purpose of this slot.
- Scavenging Hyena is an awesome Hunter card but the fact the it needs to be combo'd doesn't make it a great turn 2 play on its own. It also often baits silences or hard removal for your later threats when played properly. Having one in the deck is really perfect for the consistency of the deck so it doesn't rely too much on it working but can surprise the opponent when used at the right time.
- Ironbeak Owl can bypass taunts for the finishing blow or deal with painful effects by silencing the minions. Very useful overall and I may play 2 in the future as there are so many things to target with the release of Naxx.
- Tundra Rhino can set up very interesting plays when followed by Savannah Highmane or Maexxna the next turn if it survives. It also benefits greatly from Houndmaster thanks to its nice toughness and is good at killing weak minions when it comes into play. Its unique effect also allows you to get instant value out of Hyena from our beloved lion king and Webspinner combo'd with Hunter's Mark or the dream powered up Scavenging Hyena with charge. Its weaker stats and the fact that your opponent will often want to deal with it makes it perfect as a one of to fill the curve.
- Stampeding Kodo can be really useful at killing the lower minions for free and giving you a presence on the board. It will sometimes act like Tundra Rhino on turn 5 by killing a weak minion but this one won't hurt himself and has one more attack that will be valuable to trade the next few turns and off course it doesn't come with the unique effect of giving charge to your beasts. It is possibly the best target for Houndmaster once it is on play but its battlecry can be useless in some situations so playing one is the best way to ensure it doesn't struggle in your hand. Those 2 situationals cards give the deck some versatility on turn 5 or later.
Those cards and Maexxna remain situationals and the slots are really flexible depending on personal preferences or can simply evolve depending on the state of the metagame ;)
Update with Mad Scientist release :
- Inclusion of 2x Mad Scientist as the card brings good card advantage and tempo.
- Addition of 2x Flare to adapt to the current meta loaded with Hunter using traps.
- Loatheb comes in the deck to prevent board wipes or finishing combos.
- Leeroy Jenkins is used to close out games faster.
They replace the previous tech cards : Timber Wolf, Scavenging Hyena, Ironbeak Owl, Tundra Rhino, Stampeding Kodo and Maexxna
Last few tips :
- Don't hesitate to play Starving Buzzard followed by a couple of beasts in the late game if you have a lot of mana and no other plays, the card isn't restricted to its synergy with Unleash the Hounds since there are many beasts in the deck ;) I also sometimes see myself playing it in the mid game with only one or two beasts if I have both copies in hand and save the other for a potential combo. Off course it depends on the plays available to you, if you have an optimal play to take control of the board go for it ! Overall I would say that the deck is now less reliant on getting a Starving Buzzard into Unleash the Hounds combo thanks to the Webspinner value and the stickness power of Haunted Creeper so you shouldn't be afraid to play those cards independantly if it seems like the best play ;)
- I can't say how many times I finished the game with Kill Command or even double Kill Command. This card is just amazing at finishing games so be aware of how you use it in the late game. However, don't be too greedy if you're opponent plays a Chillwind Yeti on turn 4 and your only response is a beast into Kill Command just go for it, it's great at controlling the board too. The card is the equivalent of Mage's Fireball and its versatility really help the deck ;)
- Eaglehorn Bow is great at controlling the board and threatening the opponent's life, use it efficiently and don't waste its durability ! Remember that you have two copies in the deck so sometimes using both charges to kill their consecutive plays is the right thing to do, but using the last charge for the face without a reason and without the other bow in your hand is not a good idea.
On this topic, be sure to make the most value out of your traps, you'll need some practice to acquire the art of it, remember that they have a very strong utility. Explosive Trap is very good against Zoo and Freezing Trap just wrecks a Druid tempo for example.
Conclusion
I'm really happy to bring back a beast focused Hunter and play it on the ladder and I feel it's really great in the current meta as it has favorable match up against Zoo, Druid and Shaman (which are the classes I face the most currently). If you face too much Freeze Mage, including a Flare could be a good idea ;)
Here are my results with the deck from Rank 15 to Legend :
Total : 86-26 (112) 77%
Hunter Mid Range : 19-7 (26) 73%
Warrior Control : 11-3 (14) 79%
Zoolock : 9-3 (12) 75%
Priest : 9-2 (11) 82%
Shaman : 9-1 (10) 90%
Druid : 7-3 (10) 70%
Miracle Rogue : 5-2 (7) 71%
Hunter Aggro : 3-3 (6) 50%
Handlock : 4-1 (5) 80%
Paladin Control : 3-0 (3) 100%
Paladin Mid Range : 3-0 (3) 100%
Backspace Rogue : 2-1 (3) 67%
Secrets Mage : 1-0 (1) 100%
Giants Mage : 1-0 (1) 100%
That's it for the guide guys, I hope you'll enjoy the Deck as much as I do !
Don't forget to show your support by upvoting the Deck if you liked and don't hesitate to discuss about it or ask any question in the comment section below ;)Follow me for more content and updates !
- Twitter : SparkazHS
- Youtube : Spark Hearthstone
- Hearthpwn : Sparkaz's Decks
- Facebook : Spark Hearthstone FR
stuck at Rank 5 for 2 weeks , any suggestions ?
My guess is that it has nothing to do with the deck you are playing but your general mentality about the game and climbing ;)
Don't get nervous about ranked, don't rage at RNG and also note when RNG saves you (not just when it kills you), recognize your mistakes and focus on improving. If you are able to get Rank 5, you are also able to get Legend just a matter of time and focus ;)
Also, read this article : http://hearthstoneplayers.com/closing-that-gap-from-rank-5-to-legend/
I dont have one mane, so i replace it with Harrison Jones, because of all this warriors, miracle roges and other hunters. Works pretty fine for me (especially when you destroy bow). So, what do you think about it?
And, sadly, still without Leeroy, but i've replaced it with Arcane Golem. Is there other, better option?
I think you need the second Highmane in the long run but Harrison is good in the current meta.
Arcane Golem, I'm not really sure about that one I would just prefer an Ironbeak Owl personally ;)
You should probably replace those cards with the older version, I would say Ironbeak owl scavenging hyena and timber wolf maybe ^^
No the post is like that because the deck was updated but those situational cards are still fine considerations (especially when you lack some cards of the final version like you do) ;)
I like some of the card changes, will give it a try. Thanks!
I don't agree with hound master in the deck. What beasts are you supposed to reliably taunt? Web spinner? the high mane hyenas? 4 mana for a 4/3 that can be removed by a frost bolt and is meh. And creating taunts is too passive IMO. A hunter deck should be putting on the pressure not taunting and waiting. Houndmaster can work in decks with more beasts and in more control ly decks that have deadly shot etc. but even something as simple as arcane shot would be better than houndmaster for this deck
oO What did I just read ?
Putting taunt on a beast is worth it if your beast is high health to begin with i.e. oasis snapjaw or maexxna. But the beasts you get from webspinner are rng so you can't count on a good taunt target. Putting it on savannah highmane makes silence even scarier for that card and 3 health for 4 mana for the body itself isn't great.
Just trying to give some feed back. Disagree if you wish, but please don't mock me for giving an opinion.
Ok let's be constructive then.
You don't care about what the taunt will accomplish the thing is that for 4 mana you got a 4/3 body along with a +2/+2 buff which is insanely valuable. I very rarely put it on Savannahs unless it allows me for straight 8 damage to the face, then the opponent can silence or whatever it already has done its job ^^
Generally Haunted Creeper and Animal Companion are the best targets for it but even a turn 5 webspinner + houndmaster will make your opponent in a bad spot you know ;)
Overall, Houndmaster is one of the main reason to play Mid Range Hunter because it's just too much value to be ignored so I don't really get your reasoning, it's not a rush deck you know ^^
Haha, for real... I smell a troll.
Edit: If not troll, just know that this is probably THE best deck in the game at the moment, and houndmaster is one of the better cards in the deck. 6/5 + a taunt for 4 mana? Bad? Are you joking?
Just wanted to say thank you for this deck ;-) ...although I'm new and only learning to play in ranked, but I won straight from rank 14 to 10 just getting to know this deck. I especially like to play all kinds of totally different combos. I replaced Leeroy Jenkins and Loatheb and use Kind Krush and Ironbeak Owl instead. I love a last turn of King Krush plus The Coin plus Ironbeak Owl to silence taunt and then win with the combined attacks of King Krush, Eaglehorn Bow and whatever is already on the board, like a Savannah Highmane. Nobody expects 17+ damage from a hunter at rank 12 or so :-) Also, the beasts Webspinner gives me have been amazing, several legendaries (but yes, also several Chicken... a deck that really does not only win, but is really fun to play! Thanks again!
Edit: I used Loatheb and Leeroy Jenkins now and see why Loatheb is so strong - ask the four Rogues who were practically stunned for one decisive turn. I'm learning, and I'm impressed, and I like the deck even more :-)
Yeah in fact Loatheb is a really huge addition to the build since most of the time you use it to set up your lethal for next turn and they can't really answer it. I especially love it when you go Savannah on turn 6, Loatheb + hero power or trap on turn 7 and then closing the game after that, it is also a strong turn 5 to prepare for the Savannah turn ^^
As for Leeroy, the synergy with UTH is just too good i can't count how many times I won on turn 7 with Leeroy + UTH + Hunter's Mark on the ennemy's taunt, or sometimes on turn 10 with Kill Command ;)
Thank you for your thoughts and combo tips. After another 15 or so games I start to really miss the Owl, though. When I lose (often to Priests and Paladins) I feel I could have done better with it, because often I have no counter against one very strong opponent's minion like Kel'Thuzad or something like that.
I personnaly don't really fell the need of it anymore since when those big minions come out I'm generally looking for lethal damage and not control of the board anymore. But still, Ironbeak Owl has many utilities so I can understand if you want to still find a spot for it, maybe a mad scientist, haunted creeper or one of the traps I don't know ^^
I used this deck from rank 7 and made it to legend today. Compared to the variants of the more traditional hunter and undertaker deathrattle decks i liked Spark's a lot more. There were struggles against warriors for me personally. When facing other hunters it was usually 50/50 depending on how lucky my draws were. Other than that the deck performs very well if you are on a budget. If you can't afford Leeroy then owl is a great substitute, either of them can grab you a win. Thanks again Spark!
You're welcome and gratz for the fast rush to legend with it :D
I reached it yesterday (playing only few games a day since the reset)
The thing with this deck that people seem to fail at (which may explain my huge winrate in the mirror match up) is to know when to start ignoring the opponent's board and going ham on his face to plan for lethal !
If you have savannah on board, uth in your hand along with hunter's mark, nothing should afraid you so go for those 6 damage to the face play loatheb to force him to play minions and not wipe your boards then go for the final push the next turn.
It really depends on the situation and your hand but generally the savannah turn is when you start to go for it ^^
King Krush is pretty bad against Zoo man it's like a slower Leeroy ^^
I lost 5 games in a row with this deck subbing Leeroy with a second KC, my first 5 games. 4 of those games were priests, I was never even close to getting ahead in those games, they had an answer for everything. Chalking it up to rng, and priests seemingly countering hunters hard, but god damn.