Crusher Handmage [Legendary]
- Last updated Mar 19, 2015 (Undertaker Nerf)
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Wild
- 19 Minions
- 11 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Unknown
- Crafting Cost: 6720
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 9/23/2014 (Naxx Launch)
- HSCrusher
- Deck Architect
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- 12
- 23
- 46
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Battle Tag:
N/A
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
1574
Peak NA Legend Rank (Season 6): 301
Mission Statement: Build your hand early and protect your health. Then exhaust your opponent with a nearly endless supply of taunted giants and dragons. (This sounds strangely familiar.)
I was inspired after playing my Divine Paladin against a player named Asklepius, who was playing a modified version of Hyped's Miants Gage. I was really impressed with the synergy between Duplicate and Twilight Drake, and I decided I would make a hybrid of this deck with Handlock.
Compared to Hyped's deck, this deck runs far less freeze, replacing it with taunt granting, burn, and card draw, while changing some of its heavy hitters to Mountain Giants. By forcing my opponent to engage the unusually cheap, big minions via taunt granting, I find that I can consistently reach the late game, even without the freeze. Once you're in the late game, your 7 (up to 11) giants and dragons will usually be enough to exhaust your opponent, securing the win. A nice consequence of this deck's divergence from Frost Giants is a substantially reduced dust cost: 4,320 dust, less than half of Hyped's for comparison and most cards you already have if you've played Handlock.
I took this deck from rank 6 to Legend with all but the last two games before the (much anticipated) Starving Buzzard nerf. It is strong against Miracle Rogue, Handlock, Control Warrior, Zoo, and Priest, but horrendous against Hunter. With the nerf, this deck could be a real monster.
Mulligan Strategy (usually):
Against All:
Acolyte of Pain (against aggro, only keep if you have no coin or no 4 drop, because you'd rather coin turn 3 for tempo)
Against Aggro (or possibly aggro like Warlock):
Additionally,
Frostbolt
Sunfury Protector
Defender of Argus
Sludge Belcher
Molten Giant (setup for the taunted Molten Giant combo is key to beating a lot of aggro, but especially Zoo)
Against Midrange:
Additionally,
Sunfury Protector against Shaman (good totem killer)
Arcane Intellect if no Acolyte of Pain
Duplicate if not against Mage or Shaman (Polymorph and Hex are a substantial risk early, but can be smoked out)
Against Control:
Additionally,
Arcane Intellect or Acolyte of Pain
Duplicate
Fireball or Polymorph against Druid (Innervate counter)
Mountain Giant if with Acolyte of Pain or Arcane Intellect (otherwise too slow for starting hand even against Control).
Matchups: I have the stats for most of my games from ranks 1-5, though unfortunately records of a few random games were lost. All but the last 2 games were played prior to the Starving Buzzard / Leeroy Jenkins nerf, so this deck should be even stronger in the current meta, since Hunter was by far its worst matchup (23% win rate with a 73% win rate against everything else). Matchups are listed from statistically strongest to statistically weakest with all decks faced fewer than 4 times relegated to the "other" category. Feel free to ask for advice on individual matchups in the comments.
Miracle Rogue: 9/10, 90%
Other: 9/10, 90% (Only loss to one of two Control Paladins I faced)
Warrior: 8/10, 80%
Handlock: 4/5, 80% (Only loss to a surprise Lord Jaraxxus)
Shaman: 3/4, 75% (All Midrange)
Zoo: 13/18, 72%
Priest: 15/21, 71% (Did not distinguish control from deathrattle, though there were by far more deathrattle)
Mage: 3/7, 43% (Builds were so varied I didn't know how to label them. Some Frost Giants, Aggro, and Secret Mages with plenty of decks lying between these archetypes)
Ramp: 2/5, 40% (This surprises me, but perhaps there is some weakness here that I can't place)
Hunter: 7/31, 23% (Atrocious and frustrating, but it's all over now...right?)
Card Choices:
Threats: The teeth of this deck are its durable and powerful giants and dragons. You have seven of them and the ability to generate up to four more via Duplicate. Even decks that are prepared to face Handlock will likely not have enough answers for all the massive bodies this deck can field. With the exception of Alexstrasza, you should also be able to play them cheaper than is on curve for their stats.
Twilight Drake: One of the two "hand minions", which the deck is based around. It should be a primary target for an early Duplicate. Play it first thing on a turn (unless something else needs this order like Mountain Giant), but don't try too hard to buff its health. Against aggro and even midrange, you'll often want to coin it out on turn 3 and/or forgo trading tempo for cards. Weak to silence, but if duplicated, they'll run out of silence quickly.
Mountain Giant: The other of the "hand minions". Not as reliable to play early as with Handlock, but devastating when duplicated.
Molten Giant: Key to winning against aggro. Make sure to hold back a taunt granter, so that when your health gets low you can drop Molten Giants and taunt them (ideally with Ice Block support against burn)
Alexstrasza: Could easily be part of the protection category as well, but its 8/8 body is just as threatening as the giants'. Usually held back until health gets low enough that you need a heal (often after a popped Ice Block). Remember to drop Molten Giants first! Can also be used to make lethal when you have two giants survive to your turn or have 2 x Fireball and Frostbolt. Really versatile despite its cost.
Duplicate: Key to coming out ahead when the dust settles in a clash between control decks. Ideally you are duplicating one of the above threats though sometimes a duplicated Sludge Belcher (endless taunt) can be effective depending on the context. Make sure you don't accidentally duplicate a weaker card like an Acolyte of Pain or a Mad Scientist. Use removal to maintain control while waiting for Duplicate to trigger and grant taunt to direct enemy attacks.
Card Draw: Maintaining a large hand is important to getting the most value possible out of your Mountain Giants and Twilight Drakes, so card draw is key, but requires surprisingly few cards slots (in addition to Duplicate's ability to increase hand size).
Mad Scientist: Incredible value as a 2/2 for 2 cantrip (better than loot hoarder) that plays the drawn card (secret) for free. Play early, play often, but make sure that you are prepared for a Duplicate to get pulled. If you are about to die, see if you can destroy your own Mad Scientist for a last ditch attempt at Ice Barrier or Ice Block.
Arcane Intellect: Keep your hand large, but be wary of trading away tempo with this card in aggro and midrange matchups.
Acolyte of Pain: Also helps keep your hand large, but can additionally make an annoying presence for your opponent. You don't always have to get more than one card off of it for it to be effective.
Protection: Though you should be playing your threatening minions for less mana than their stats would indicate, they still aren't that cheap. You'll need some cards that disrupt your opponent's game plan, protect your life, and help stabilize the board.
Sunfury Protector: Taunt granter that will help you through the early game against aggro, and will help you direct what gets duplicated later. With Molten Giants, they make a last ditch wall, which can stop a lot of aggro decks (especially zoo) in their tracks. Can be played on its own on turn 2 (especially against shaman where it can kill totems), but make sure you hold back some way to give taunt to your threats if you're facing a somewhat or very aggressive deck.
Defender of Argus: Similar to Sunfury Protector, but pretty useless on its own.
Ice Barrier: Some extra health will help you survive. Used instead of a second Ice Block since they can be played in parallel. Don't play Barrier too early, or you delay your Molten Giants, but don't play it too late or you risk being burned to death without triggering it. Often a card you will dig for in desperation when your opponent has lethal (I have won games with Acolyte of Pain + ping into Ice Barrier/Block).
Ice Block: Very strong in this deck. Frequently you will let your Ice Block get triggered and then play Alexstrasza to bring yourself back to life (play your Molten Giants first). Another card to dig for in desperation, including killing your own Mad Scientists. Be aware of your opponent's burst potential and make sure you play Ice Block before they can unload.
Water Elemental: It's a little bit of a stretch including this in the protection category, but this minion is fairly versatile with great stats. Can destroy weenies for board control, freeze large threats to keep your life total up, or continuously freeze the opponent's hero for protection against weapons. Occasionally, it's a good Duplicate target (can really mess with Warrior).
Sludge Belcher: Seems like this is a two of in every deck these days. Here it can be a 4 of if need be. Excellent for stalling until you get your giant pieces together, but try not to rely on it too much against control, because in the long run, it usually doesn't trade all that well.
Removal/AoE: Another key component to taking board control in the midgame is an assortment of removal and AoE spells. It's especially important to be able to control the opponent's board from your hand when you're trying to duplicate a strong minion, and don't want to play weaker minions that could accidentally trigger it.
Frostbolt: Great for early game board control, freezing a dangerous enemy minion (like Sylvanas Windrunner), or burn to close the game out. Try to trade on the board rather than using Frostbolt until you get Duplicate out, as Frostbolt is great for forcing your opponents to destroy the minion you want them to.
Fireball: Similar to Frostbolt, but more late game focused. Very effective as burn, if you can hold onto it.
Polymorph: Tempting to remove this, since Fireball usually functions similarly, but it's the only good answer to Sylvanas Windrunner and Ysera, who can otherwise be devastating.
Blizzard: AoE for stabilizing in the midgame. Also can be used to freeze the opposition and get extra swings out of your giants.
Flamestrike: Board clear that helps you leverage your card advantage.
Good luck to everyone who tries this out! It's great fun dropping all those giants and dragons, and with the Starving Buzzard, it should be an excellent meta call. Questions, suggestions, and general opinions are welcome in the comments. Enjoy!
News:
Lumin has created a 1 minute video deck guide explaining how to make and use this deck. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeAVeF7BGCg
Day9 showcased this deck on his regular segment, the Hearthstone Decktacular! http://day9.tv/d/Day9/day9-hearthstone-decktacular-45-crusher-handmage/
0 - 2 so far (rank 6).
Absolutely clobbered by a hand lock and stomped on by a bad preist deck (holy fire..??)... Very draw dependant, not overly flexible....If you get the right conditions it crushes... but I've yet to get that.
It is hard to keep Control Warrior armor down, and so Shield Slams are likely to just kill two of your big minions, which is unfortunate, but you have a lot of them. Control Warrior is one of those matchups where you absolutely have to Duplicate one of your strongest minions, ideally a giant. I recently added a second Polymorph in place of a Sludge Belcher, so that may help against Control Warriors who are increasingly anti-control focused. I was consistently beating Control Warriors in the very late game. Often at fatigue, but if not, with 5 or less cards left in our decks.
As for Argus, you want to make sure you give at least one thing taunt, but don't always want to hold out for two. Make sure you actually want taunt when you play it too. If your opponent is going to want to trade with your minions anyway, don't waste the mana and the taunt granter. The real value in Defender is the double Molten Giant taunt play. In this deck I would rather have a third Sunfury than a Defender, since the minions are already so beefy that the buff isn't a substantial improvement, but you can only have two, and I felt that two taunt granters were not enough.
Drakes definitely (your hand gets larger right when you get two of them). Water Elementals are something you won't target to Duplicate, but against aggro take whatever playable minions you can get.
I've been playing this deck for a couple of days now. Only rank 5 but I feel I can comment.
Playing this deck vs. control warrior is tricky. The key is showing restraint in putting threats out on the board and getting your Duplicates to work efficiently. Early face damage to a warrior is meaningless; you're not going to rush them down with this deck. The only way you beat them is to duplicate your big threats, particularly your giants.
Your big advantages against warrior are:
* They have no transform or return-to-hand mechanics, so you don't have to worry about your giant being polymorphed/hexed and winding up with a duplicate frog or sheep in your hand; their only way to deal with your big threats is to kill them directly
* They have lots of means of dealing 1 damage to everyone, which means your Acolytes of Pain should show good efficiency
* Once you've exhausted their available removal, they're helpless to remove big threats
Over the course of a game with a control warrior you can expect execute x2, shield slam x2, which means 4 big threats they can remove. A single duplicated giant means 3 of those cards are gone. We're not flooding the board so brawl is of limited value. And our creatures or as big or bigger than his are, and cheaper, so we have the advantage if we can deal with those 4 big removal spells.
I've found that against good control warriors the match revolves around a game of Duplicate-chicken where I have a single taunted wounded mountain giant on the field (that he has reduced to something like 8/3) and he has a sludge belcher up. I don't want to attack it lest I risk not being able to duplicate my threat, and he needs to not attack it lest he trigger my duplicate. In these spots you really need to resist the temptation to just start dumping cards onto the field because you can afford them. Play the game of patience and leverage your extreme-lategame advantage.
Played this deck for about 15 games, not impressed at all, most decks just outright counter it and its just a weaker version of Handlock, maybe I'm playing wrong but I'll be sticking to my Secrets/Deathrattle mage as I actually win games with that one.
Fun to play, dosen't seem to quite get the job done
Crusher, this is a great deck. Lately I've been playing Handlock so when it was turn 4 and I had 10 cards things felt very familiar.
A couple of quick comments, I don't like Acolyte in the deck, since Turn 4 is so important, you can't drop Acolyte on turn 3 and hero power him on turn 4 for a card. Also, in a late game situation, if you had 10 mana and played Acolyte + Hero Power you'd be down to 5 mana. Instead, I'd play Bloodmage Thalnos because the spell power can really help. Especially if you combine it with Blizzard or Flamestrike.
Also, one of the biggest differences I'm seeing from Handlock, is that there's not as much healing. I'd replace the second Acolyte with an Ice Barrier. I think this will add to the deck's ability to withstand Aggro and Zoo.
Finally, I would sideboard a Loatheb for the Flamestrike if I knew it was going to be a control match up. Flamestrike is great for Mage because it's like Shadowflame'ing a 3 mana, 4 power minion in one card, but it isn't valuable if your opponent isn't building his board.
Thanks, I hope you read my comments!
I generally am not looking to hero power my own acolyte early in the game. Acolyte can still be a good turn 3 play because many decks are dropping early 1 and 2 attack minions that you can get multiple cards off of. Keeping it in the mulligan is very matchup dependent for this reason. That said, I've already begun experimenting with swapping one of the Acolytes for Bloodmage Thalnos. Not sure one way or the other yet.
Zoo and aggro have been some of the stronger matchups for the deck as it is, so I don't really want to tech for it until I start having trouble. I've actually been experimenting with trading the Ice Barrier to another Ice Block. Not sure if this is better or worse in this matchup.
I used to run Loatheb and swapped it out for a second Sludge Belcher near the end of my climb. It's definitely something you want to have in mind depending on the meta, but I was seeing a lot of minion heavy decks at that point. I've already taken that second Sludge Belcher out again, but I replaced it with a Polymorph this time, because I'm seeing a lot more control since the nerf.
Thanks for the reply, that all makes sense. I guess it comes down to the simple fact that card draw and healing aren't a Mage's strong suit. I still think the deck's great and you've already proven it has a high win rate %.
One final thought, could Nat Pagle actually make it into this deck? It sounds ridiculous but maybe?
I've tried Nat Pagle a couple times since his nerf, but I just can't seem to get value out of him. Even in decks that were more prepared to protect him and even buff him with Blessing of Kings, he wasn't quite good enough. I think he'll stay out. Bloodmage Thalnos though, I'm kind of liking. I had him in before, but removed him for some reason... not entirely sure why.
Great Deck Crusher. I have experimented swapping barrier for a 2nd ice block and the water elemental for Sylvanas. They both have come in handy against zoo and handlock. Not sure if it's better, but it's working for me. Thanks for the decks! :>)
I'm already making that change for the ice block and like it. I've been very tempted to find room for Sylvanas and with the control shift in the meta, now might be the time.
Mulligan aggressively for minions that cost 5 or less, Frostbolt, and Molten Giants. The main goal is to hang on until you can drop Molten Giants and give them taunt, since Zoo has a really hard time handling them. Other than that just focus on tempo, so avoid playing Arcane Intellect and Duplicate.
well I have run into the deck a few times on ladder now, and knowing the deck makes it a little easier to country. I completely destroyed both molten giants with a my modified zoo deck. Shadowflame can be an evil card, especially when used with a power overwhelming. When players see a popular deck by a quality deck builder, they do couple of things.
I played against this deck yesterday, and i must say i was not impressed by it. yes if you are able to take control over the board. But just like a handlock it is easy to just shut down. It will have a real hard time against a control deck. I was playing deathrattle/secret mage.
How many games is your statistik over?
Statistics are over 121 games, a little less than the number of games it took to go from rank 5 to legend.
I had a 72% win rate against Zoo. Hunter aggro was admittedly a terrible matchup, but should hopefully be dying off some. I beat all of the other hand full of aggro decks that were spread across other heroes. I did not see any Paladin aggro though, which I imagine is probably a bad matchup for this deck.
If you're really struggling that much against aggro, you could try fitting in the double Doomsayer + Frost Nova combo in somewhere.
I presume if you ever want to win against these match ups you have to duplicate your sludge belchers, which will allow you to stall for flamestrike/blizard. Since they will ignore your minions its most likely you will able to dup your sludge, but if you dont get this combo. I don't see how you can keep up with the opponent.
awesome deck. I really want to give this a try. hopefully I will get a chance tomorrow. I have a question. What do you think about adding Bloodmage Thalnos. It goes in theme with the deck. The card draw is nice. Bloodmage Thalnos + Blizzard or Flamestrke is great or used in finishing opponent with Fireball and Frostbolt. If I were to add Thalnos what would I remove?
I used to have Bloodmage Thalnos in, but took it out, and I'm not entirely sure what my reasoning was. I guess I just felt like it was sitting in my hand a lot. It could replace an Acolyte of Pain.