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TOKEN DRUID deck-ing 101 (ladder climb)

  • Last updated Jun 15, 2017 (Un'Goro Launch)
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Wild

  • 16 Minions
  • 14 Spells
  • Deck Type: Ranked Deck
  • Deck Archetype: Token Druid
  • Crafting Cost: 2260
  • Dust Needed: Loading Collection
  • Created: 5/6/2017 (Un'Goro Launch)
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The beauty of token druid and the construction of a token druid deck is the flexibility you have. This is the decklist I have used recently on my ladder climb, so far I am however only rank 5--but the deck has displayed a promising 70% win rate since rank 13.
*Edit: I recently hit legendary with an adaptation of this decklist available at http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/850682-littalwabbits-legendary-budget-treant-juggler-deck ...this page will remain a standardised "how to token" guide.

 

Scroll down for an upbeat video/montage (or two!)!

Decklist:

For the most part YOUR OWN deck can constitute of whatever cards (particularly minions) you currently have available, with the only requirement that you include the signature cards: Power of the Wild, Enchanted Raven, Mark of the Lotus, Mark of Y'Shaarj, Savage Roar, and Living Mana. Highly recommended is also that you take Fire Fly and Pantry Spider. The rest is really up to you.

Try just to have some tech cards to prepare for difficult situations. Like Soul of the Forest to prevent a board reset from either a normal clear--or worse--a Doomsayer Frost Nova combo. Evolving Sporescould serve a similar purpose in dropping the two plant 1/1s, whilst simultaneously offering you offensive options if you're looking to close the game. However, if you are frost nova'd and doomsayer'd, and you can't find that deathrattle... you're in trouble. 

Another option is to pick up a Crazed Alchemist, this is no less awkward than a ravasaur runt on its own, but at the same time has amazing synergy with the rest of your deck and when playing against counters. You can instantly kill a Doomsayer or get through a high-health taunt by swapping the stats. Also if you swap a minion affected by savage roar, the stats of the minion will permanently change to their new values. I have run this a lot and it almost always seems to give value.

Hungry Crab and Golakka Crawler are other good bets in today's meta. Probably my two favorit cards, and often cause my opponents to autconcede if I successfully open with it. I recommend to only pick up one each, so far I have yet to be defeated by either pirate rogue or any murloc based deck. This is because this deck really dominates in aggro matchups, and so even without the crabs you are fit for fight. Still, take one of each I say! It definitely helps secure the win or make up for otherwise bad card draw (assuming you draw the crabs).

Some other cards that are not part of the decklist, but work very well in it are: Dire Wolf Alpha, Razorfen Hunter, Knife Juggler --I highly recommend trying this one if you have a lot of two for one cards--otherwise it's just amazing with Living Mana, Mire Keeper... even Moroes or Imp Master (these two can replace Violet Teacher to passively create tokens--could be too slow in many matchups however). I also see some people run Tortollan Forager or Devilsaur Egg, the latter particularly useful if you also use a Defender of Argus--I have recently added one each of these two into my deck, and although I haven't found much use of Argus (often is too clunky), the egg is amazing deterrent or bounce-back from board clear. Tortollan Forager is actually not a bad pick to stay relevant as the game progresses, and is a nice way to prevent the otherwise costly result of drawing two innervates...

If you are ready to committ to the dust you can also go for the Pirate package (Patches the Pirate + Bloodsail Corsair x2) or the Murloc Finja combo (Finja, the Flying Star + Bluegill Warrior x2 + Murloc Warleader x2), or tech into Leeroy Jenkins as a strong closer.

 Edit: Someone suggested adding Vicious Fledgling to the deck, and I will give it an honorable mention here--because it can work wonders if you manage to Innervate it out turn one. But I myself do not run it for the same reason I don't run Bittertide Hydra... They can be great but to me that would make this more of an "aggro" deck, not "token"! They also don't synergize too well with my recent adaptations.

 

Drawbacks:

Literally, the drawbacks are the draw. I sometimes find myself dead in the water with a weak board and two Innervate in my hand. This raises the question whether a Loot Hoarder or two--or perhaps even one Nourish--could work in the deck (Edit: I have for a long while now run 1 Nourish--it is amazing in many matchups, when you throw all you got on the board and your opponent throws everything they have to clear it, and you end up top decking). I am not sure if it's justifiable to remove an Innervate, they can be very strong in generating early board presence, or finishing off your opponent with a Savage Roar after dropping the Living Mana (your opponent might expect you only to have one mana leftover, and decide to ignore your board). But truth be told, I have lost a lot of games from having two innervates in my opening hand...

 

Mulligans:

Argent Squire, Enchanted Raven, Fire Fly, Mark of Y'Shaarj if you have a beast to play it on... sometimes I keep it just because of the momentum it offers. Golakka Crawler if you're up against a Warrior or even Rogue and Hungry Crab if you're up against a Paladin or even a Shaman.

Pantry Spider and Power of the Wild are debatable pickups. If you already have a strong curve (1 and a 2 drop), pick up Pantry Spider as well. If you have lots of one drops and/or a Fire Fly in your hand, an early Power of the Wild could give you a decent momentum. It is also a choice if your hand is looking terrible and you want at least one minion to play by turn two! I normally risk-it-for-the-biscuit and try my luck for some 1 drop minions, however!

Don't keep Ravasaur Runt in your hand, it's very clunky without a board and early in the game. If you don't have The Coin, you can't play it at turn two for the battlecry. If you have the coin, even if you coin out two one drops turn one, it is very likely only one of them will stick. 

Try keeping Living Mana against classes like Priests, I find myself this is one of the only win conditions. If I don't draw it fast enough I run out of steam too fast.

Basic Tips and Tricks:

-Sometimes it's best to use [card]Savage Roar/card] despite lacking lethal, if you believe you won't have a bigger board than you have now or if you don't think you'll be able to keep it for much longer.

-Spells that buff your minions such as Power of the Wild, Mark of the Lotus, and Soul of the Forest trigger after Violet Teacher summons a 1/1. Use to your advantage.

-Against other aggro decks, go for board presence--make trades! If you are up against control, go face and trade only if very favorable or if you need to kill off a powerful minion.

-Living Mana is most often best used to refill your board after your opponent clears. Save it for that time! Remember that the spell also uses your mana crystals, not your mana. Don't Innervate it out for "more" minions. Furthemore, don't let mana go to waste by playing this card before you've used the excess. What I mean with this is, for example: If you are at 7 mana and play this spell--which only costs 5 mana--on an empty board, you will destroy ALL your mana crystals, meaning that you effectively spent 7 mana to cast the spell. Even if your hand was empty, you wasted a free hero power!

-When adapting Ravasaur Runt, if played, try to go for divine shield, deathrattle or extra health if you're trying to establish a board--you want your minions to stick so you can buff them. If your opponents are slow and lack single target damage or early aoe, such as priests, adapt agressively to close the game before they can recover. If playing against pirate warrior, cross your fingers for a taunt!

-Beware ofVanish andDevolve, if playing against Shaman or Quest Rogue. You WILL lose if you just played Living Mana.

I was inspired to create my own version of a token druid deck after trying the super budget version (http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/815728-f2p-legend-token-druid-1k-dust) and engaging in the comments section. I even recorded of few of my games and made a montage which I uploaded on Youtube (first video ever, too!)

Part 2 up soon! now!

Comments, suggestions and general words of encouragement or other positivity is greatly encouraged! (:

 Edit: my latest version of this deck is doing really well (just hit Legendary), and I am contemplating putting it up as a seperate decklist and guide, focused on explaining its playstyle. Also it feels like old decks are pushed into the dark by the Hearthpwn search mechanics, regardless if updated?