Hearthpwn

GENERAL OVERVIEW

This is my version of odd paladin, which I used to climb to 10 with relative ease. How it performs from 10 to 5 and even beyond remains to be seen. I'll be testing that in the coming days. This deck probably leans a little more midrange than the more aggro-focused odd paladin decks. It can still put plenty of pressure on the board early but what I like about it is that it also allows you to be competitive in those matches that go past round 6.

This version of the odd paladin deck really goes all in on cards that either buff the Silver Hand Recruits or benefit from having them on the board. In addition to buffed dudes you get some fairly heavy hitters in the way of Marsh Drake (great early) and Frostwolf Warlord (great mid to late). Everything in this deck synergizes pretty well and there's not much in the way of dead cards.

With only four exceptions I run two of everything. In my experience consistency tends to win out over time and I prefer decks that double my chances of getting the cards I need.

STARS OF THE DECK

Marsh Drake allows you to put crazy pressure on the board early. A 5/4 on round 2 if I have The Coin? Yes, please. It probably goes without saying to NEVER put this minion out on the board unless you have the means to remove the poisonous Drakeslayer it summons, but I'll say it anyway.

Frostwolf Warlord can be insane and with so much ability to pump out multiple minions, usually is. At WORST he's generally a 5-mana 7/7 and often an 8/8 or even 10/10. He's kind of Sea Giant in reverse but one we can run since it's an odd cost card.

Sword of Justice is a card I've always liked the IDEA of but in practice I found it to generally be too slow. In this deck, however, it works pretty well due to the deck's ability to generate multiple minions in a single turn. Turning 1/1s into 2/2s really helps them to stick until you get the chance to further buff them. It's also quite helpful in mirror matches so don't get greedy -  use it to remove your opponent's Silver Hands if you need to.

MULLIGANS

Mulligan is pretty straightforward. You want to mulligan for the one drops - Acherus Veteran, Argent Squire, Dire Mole, Lost in the Jungle and Righteous Protector. I'd also keep Sword of Justice and Marsh Drake but only if you have at least one 1-drop in hand. Finally CONSIDER keeping a Level Up! if you can as it sucks to need it and be without it. But that's going to depend on what else is in your hand. So long as you have the cards you need to get off to a solid start you can keep it.

If you have any comments or suggestions for making the deck stronger I'd love to hear them. Everything is very much in flux at the moment and I imagine this deck will continue to be refined as I climb the ladder. Another Ironbeak Owl may be something I need to consider if it's Warlock City after level 10.

The last thing I'll say about this deck is that it's relatively inexpensive. If you're new to Hearthstone (and this is a great time to jump into the game) you should be able to craft this deck without it costing you an arm and leg.