Crockett's Aggro Priest (70% Winrate/Updated De...
- Last updated Nov 19, 2017 (Marin's Treasure)
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Wild
- 19 Minions
- 11 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Unknown
- Crafting Cost: 2460
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 11/15/2017 (Marin's Treasure)
- CrockettTAWHS
- Registered User
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- 2
- 5
- 13
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Battle Tag:
ColonelCrock#1303
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
54
Firstly, in the interest of full disclosure let me say that I did not make a legend run with this deck. However, I am confident that had I continued to tweak the deck and fiddle with it it could maintain a legend climb with a better than average win-rate. Aggro archetype is definitely not the priest forte. Why? Because the class generally has poor draw mechanics among all the classes. Sooo … to compensate for this weakness I built a combo deck in an aggro shell. This means that using Divine Spirit + Inner Fire as a basis I built a deck that skirts around the meta's current common removals. You will see this later.
I used the deck in this form and one earlier form to climb from rank 13 to rank 7
The Mulligan
The only cards you keep irregardless of the matchup are the Northshire Clericand theRadiant Elemental. The temptation to keep Crystalline Oracle is a result of its being played in control priests in the past. This makes Shadow essence a little worse and just gets killed against pirate package and Firefly starts by opponents (As people pointed out in the comments). If you have the coin you can get away with keeping Kabal Talonpriest but I would still not keep the oracle in the hopes of turn two buffing it.
The Game Plan
Play the first 3 or four turns with mana efficiency trying to bait out early removal or play around it if you can. Making 4+ health guys with low attack takes precedence over removing enemy minions (except doomsayer of course).
Turn 4-6 you are trying to keep the board and accumulate combo pieces either through drawing them off the clerics or with Shadow Visions. Also, a well timed Bittertyde Hydra will either stick to the board or bait the removal after a combo (if you don't have lethal)
Turn 7 is the telling turn and I often found myself playing Shadow Visions (for either missing piece)+Divine Spirit+Divine Spirit+Inner Fire for lethal. In the rare case where I had to play a combo piece to preserve board I would play Shadow Essence to get a 5/5 to draw the heat of the opponents next turn and then chip away at the enemy health with my other minions for the next turn or two for lethal.
Substitutions
If you are seeing a lot of the pirate package You should definitely find a spot to put in Golakka Crawlers … Someone in the comments mentioned replacing the Crystalline Oracles and that makes a lot of sense.
One substitution that I like is taking out Arcane Anomoly and Shadow Essence for the Cairne Bloodhoof + Bonemare combo. However this may make your odd number earlier turns off-curve (the majority of your minions are even mana cost so turn 3 and 5 are potentially under-whelming or inefficient).
Deck Weaknesses
If you lose board you lose the game. This can save you time on a ladder climb. You can potentially Shadow Essence and get a worse Bittertyde Hydra but this is a small statitistical risk (if you replace the essence with Cairne that isn't a problem). Cobalt Scalebane is worth a spot somewhere perhaps but has anti-synergy with Lightspawn.
Deck Strengths
There is power in the anti-meta surprise. If the opponent expects the usual turn 1 pass and turn 2 heal face priest he may mulligan away Doomsayer, Backstab, or something equally anti-aggro. This works out well for this particular deck.
The strongest opener chain is Northshire Cleric+Shadow Ascendant+Kabal Talonpriest+Tortollan Shellraiser. This is a winning chain. The precise counter to this opening is what? The problem is that this is a “God draw” and is just luck. BUT it exists.
Archetype Notes
This archetype might actually be a better Tier if it had a few better support cards. Another 1 drop with 1/3 stats would be broken. Perhaps cards that buff minions with higher defense than attack for a small amount. As of now I would call it a Tier 3 or 4 deck with potential and it certainly can be fun for the builder and rage-enducing for an opponent at times if they never get into the game.
If you have a question post it in the comments
Visions is a slow card, I'd recommend it being a one of
probably in a sense true but this is a combo deck. If priest had, say, another one drop with 3 health then that would be in place of the second one.
What about going for the elemental synergy?
Elementals only have synergy that is effective in later turns (8+). If you do not win with this deck by turn six or seven it is hopeless.
- oracles + crawler (wins games)
- shadow essence + bonemare
- arcane anamoly + firefly (more reliable)
- shadow vision + silence (useful vs most decks)
Not perfect but I find this makes the deck far better for climbing.
These are great changes. I have tried various versions of the deck with something else in the oracle spot but sometimes the surprise value in a card you get from it is worth. Golakka was one of those attempts for this, yes. Thanks for looking.
70% winrate. Rank?
20 max i guess, and that's not bad for such a list
13-7
I agree to some extent, I'd swap Arcane Anomaly and Shadow Essence for 2x Bonemare
And perhaps Crystalline Oracle and removal for the pirate package. Or at least 2x Fire Fly
Indeed, your fundamental point is correct. If you fall behind on the board you will lose with this deck. The idea is to not fall behind in this way and kill the opponent by turn six (combo goes off on turn 5 for lethal or never at all). Here is the crux of the win percentage as I saw it. Rogues and the lesser aggro decks were mulliganing for their early minions and sending away backstabs and such for those minions and then here is a priest playing minions for the first three turns ... they had mulliganed away the tools to crush the deck. And that was what I attributed the success to ... plain and simple mulligan choices. Opponents sending back doomsayers and such for Prince 2 and flappy bird and getting wrecked.