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2013 Control Warrior Returns

  • Last updated Dec 16, 2017 (Kobolds Patch)
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Wild

  • 13 Minions
  • 14 Spells
  • 2 Weapons
  • Deck Type: Ranked Deck
  • Deck Archetype: Control Warrior
  • Crafting Cost: 10040
  • Dust Needed: Loading Collection
  • Created: 12/12/2017 (Kobolds Patch)
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  • Battle Tag:

    Zenthon#1478

  • Region:

    US

  • Total Deck Rating

    334

View 6 other Decks by ZenthonTitan
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Sup fellas, Zenthon here, trying to bring back 2013's Control warrior which has been mildly successful for now.

30 upvotes for the guide:)

AAAAAANNNDDD WE ARE AT 30<, and on the warrior’s tab thank you so much!

 

Woah i did not expect such a surge in responses and us making it to the front page, no less a feature by Hearthpwn! Thank you all for your support fellow hearthpwners!

Hello guys, I am Zenthon, presenting to you a deck of old, 2013’s control warrior before the inclusion of Justicar Trueheart! Unlike the other warrior deck that i posted here http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/700264-koft-nzoth-control-warrior, where the deck aims to go infinite with a deathrattle army, this control warrior deck aims for a more traditional, big hitting play style in the late game, is faster and also more straightforward. This deck has Scourgelord Garrosh to provide Whirlwind effects at your call, which synergise well with the various minions that benefit from being damaged and enraged, providing a steady stream of card draw, amor gain and as well as burst damage.

Yes, I know there is only one new card from the latest expansion that has been placed in, but lets go through the warrior cards of the set that i left out:

Drywhisker Armorer: Getting full value off this guy would be at a decent 14 amor, which you should be kinda dead by that time. This deck is moreWhirlwind centric, so it is a little difficult to find space for him.
 
Kobold Barbarian: While interesting, i would rather have a controllable attacker as board presence, than something unpredictable to such a degree. It is an idea that can be played around though.
 
Gemstudded Golem: This minion is a worthy inclusion, but as of now, there are better taunt minions with better effects that are hindering its inclusion, perhapsBloodhoof Brave could step aside to make way for at least 1 copy of this…
 
Bladed Gauntlet:Fiery War Axe died for this. This weapon was supposed to be able to stabilise the early game, but it comes at a high price that is difficult and not worth paying. In the late game it is bonkers though.
 
Woecleaver andGather Your Party: Our deck relies on certain minions with battlecry effects. some of the minions that it can pull out are not that big either, therefore i justify the need of including this weapon.
 
Lesser Mithril Spellstone: We only have 2 weapons, why bother?
 
Reckless Flurry: This is an interesting one, which i think has definite potential of inclusion. the only thing hindering it is the presence and power ofSleep with the Fishes and how much it synergises with theWhirlwind-centric deck we have here.
 
Geosculptor Yip: Include him all you want, this guy has potential, and its up to your imagination to decide where he can fit in! :)

The Deck

Control warrior was all about outlasting the opponent until they ran out of resources, until they ran at a low health level, then the burst kicks in. It also relied on drawing many cards to gain advantage and hold its answers for massive AOE clears.

Removal

Rule of thumb:

Always consider the following levels before using removal:

1. How much damage does the opponent have on the board. Only consider using removal if he deals 4 more damage than your rate of armor gain. It is often the best play to do nothing and wait for a much more valuable play.

2. Minion or spell? Sometimes it is better to use minions to intimidate opponents' bigger minions and force inefficient trades, or placing a taunt minion to safeguard against the smaller minions. Sometimes your thought process would end at this level.

3. How do you want to remove minions? Board clear or targeted? It happens often that the best play is to remove only one minion when you are facing maybe 5 - 6 minions on the board, because you know that if you do use an AOE, you would not be getting full value from it.

That being said, the deck contains a variety of AOE spells that deal with aggressive boards:

Execute: Not much to explain for the best hard removal a warrior can get.

Slam: Flexible removal yet also a cycling spell, which is crucial in this deck. This deck definitely needs obscene cycle to obtain its answers especially against Druid.

Brawl: Ultimate board clear against many token or big decks, which are rampant everywhere. 

Sleep with the Fishes: by far the only card worth playing in control warrior from MSOG, this card contains insane value against enemy boards when combined with the various AOE damage effects the deck runs.

Shield Slam: High amor count in this deck makes it for a very good removal tool any time.

Other Spells

Shield Block: Cycling spell that is very useful in the early game. Hold on to it against priests to avoid being shot down by the machine gun.

Unidentified Shield: of the 4 effects, each one has good potential when used at the correct timing: Tower Shield +10 can put you back to safety, Runed Shield can give you board presence, Spiked Shield gives you a weapon for final burst damage and Serrated Shield is basically a harder Bash. Each shield has its own purpose in the right timings, so time them properly.

Survival and Value:

Minions in this deck provide means of defence and also maintain your advantage and options, stalling to get massive results from AOE clears.

Armorsmith: To face the current situation of highly aggressive minion-based decks, 2 copies are included to combo with the few whirlwind effects. This allows for the deck to go out of range against Razakus Priests and also many aggressive decks while this minion hides behind taunt minions .

Acolyte of Pain: Mandatory card draw to find the answers in this deck, i run 2 copies against the meta that threatens to generate value to find my answers almost immediately. Never drop him when you cannot guarantee at least 2 draws off him.

Ravaging Ghoul: Absolute mid-game board clear against aggressive decks and also a better curve filler in this deck. The 3/3 body is a better plus than Whirlwind and compliments cards like Sleep with the Fishes and Acolyte of Pain very well. With the surge in more tempo based decks, this minion has found its way back to ensure a body to contest the board.
 

Jade Druid is the natural enemy of Control decks, running cards that spawn the powerful Jade Golems that grow by 1 each time they are summoned. Jade Idol is a key card in this deck as it allows for infinite value and minions that can grow up to 30/30 powerhouses. The current state of the ladder is dominated by Druid, with the Jade variant being highest I have encountered.

Skulking Geist: This is our failsafe minion against Jade Druid, mulligan especially hard for it when facing a Druid no matter what. Armor would be a priority once they have exhausted their jades and you are safe to drop bigger minions. There are many other decks from other classes that run 1 drop spells that warrant his minion to be run as well, therefore this card will always be a solid inclusion in the long term, even after the rotation of Jade Idol.

 

Weapon: Blood Razor is your only weapon in the deck, so use it wisely.

Blood Razor is especially good when combined with various spells and minions, to damage the board or proc their abilities. Try to ensure at least 2 draws from Acolyte of Pain by timing theWhirlwind effect efficiently.

Finishers and Support:

This deck focuses on the main combination of Grommash Hellscream and Alexstrasza to mow down the opponent. There are definitely enough cards and effects to trigger Grommash Hellscream, so it all boils down to the setting up of 15 health- opponent.

Ysera: Her dream cards are immensely important to us for utility value. She is relatively tanky and can indeed win games outright when she sticks to the board for multiple turns, especially against priests. 

Living the Dream 

Laughing Sister provides an impressive body with the handy ability to elude spells and hero powers. 

Emerald Drake is good for late game pushes along with Direhorn Hatchling, with the 7/6 body seemingly very threatening. 

Nightmare is an interesting utility card, which could either give you the final push for lethal situations, or aide your defensive plays.

Ysera Awakens is an ultimate AOE card that could combine with the extra board damagers in this deck, perfect for extreme board clears. Its combination with Sleep with the Fishes can potentially deal 8 damage on both sides on the board, which can deal with many popular minions like The Lich King and Bonemare combinations.

Dream can pull back Grommash Hellscream and give him another chance to shine yet again.

 

Mulligan

Always search for Slam, Blood Razor and Acolyte of Pain. Against Druid, mulligan especially hard for Skulking Geist after the above cards have been obtained, or get hold of any card draw you can to draw into this Jade-Killing minion. Against Aggressive decks, aim for Ravaging Ghoul and Armorsmith especially.

In this deck, you have to prioritise armoring up, while placing defence measures to stall the game. Cycle to find your answers and make sure that the opponent overextends instead of using single removal on each of his minions, while drawing into the finishing combinations. However, be prepared to stay flexible as not everything can go your way.

 

Tech Choices: Harder Control

 

Against control decks which are even more oppressive, you may want to consider the following change:

- 1x Skulking Geist

+ 1x Dead Man's Hand, which can reshuffle the cards you need for a second wave of bust damage, especially from Grommash Hellscream.

 Shoutout to Kadakk and his channel for this awesome video right here below, please do follow him, like and subscribe to his channel:

I would also like to highlight a really good and informative video made by Kiwiinbacon, showcasing the strengths of the deck especially against the paladin and priest classes, which currently run rampant on the ladder right now.

While i had my doubts about Scourgelord Garrosh, i would say that this deck does show the importance of Whirlwind effects, which can indeed be very powerful in the late game. Kolbolds is a fun expansion, that is definite. But I would say that it is not impactful enough to bring Control warrior out of the gutter it is back to its former glory in the days of the old gods, as there are many classes with cards that still hold it back. This deck is not infinite, that is for sure, and it definitely is not perfect, but it is one that can be made with reference to the deck we knew from back then. And we shall try, and try again, to make control warrior great again!

At the same time, do check out my other deck, which could probably be more powerful at http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/700264-koft-nzoth-control-warrior. It is a deck focusing on N'Zoth, the Corruptor, which goes infinite with extreme board presence at all times. Other than that, happy laddering, challengers!