Hearthpwn

Remember to vote b4 u leave! (25+ votes = mulligan/match-ups guide)

Attention!! (06/08/18) All new visitors to this deck post. While this deck may still be viable, it was not made for this current meta - as you can gather from the description. I think this deck has been a catalyst in the resurgence of the Big/Katherina hunter that has become more popular in the current meta and those more recent decklists may prove more effective than this.

Post Nerf changes: (05/26/18)-1Gluttonous Ooze (rare cubelock encounter), -2 Spellbreaker (not as useful against meta full of cheap minions and low cubelock), -1 [card]stonehill defender (too slow). +1Saronite Chain Gang, +1Mind Control Tech, and +2Flanking Strike(this card is mvp right now in this cheap minion meta! reach over taunts and take out what u need while producing a minion...great value)

UPDATE!!: I appreciate the feedback on the deck! The critiques have been noted and I have scaled back the language of this guide  to be careful not to oversell. This is not Hunter's Savior in this meta, BUT it is a strong option for those who play hunter competitively and wish to climb. With that said...match-ups and mulligans have been added :).

Hey everybody, thanks for the upvotes and showing Hunters some love! I am made4victory and would consider myself a cheap to play (C2P) player. Since I have most of the hunter collection and don't care to invest too much in other classes, I have been on a quest to make a unique competitive Hunter deck. I love the Big Hunter archetype and this deck is great for this current meta to potentially DOMINATE. I am absolutely ecstatic to share it with you! 

Why this deck is different and WILL WORK:

• NO SECRETS/SPELLSTONE PKG! - too passive watching you opponent play around your secrets while building their board, while often having answers to your Greater Emerald Spellstone. 
• Aggressive early board presence/control. The 1-drop assortment and cheap taunt pkg help to keep pace in the early game with even Odd Paladin decks. (or even EVEN paladin decks)...( or even EVEN/ODD paladin decks) (lol, couldn't resist the puns!)
• Very tailored big-recruit pkg. Every triggered recruit has immediate impact on the game, defensively or offensively.

In sum the deck for turns 1-6 play like a Spiteful deck, except this deck far outpaces the aggressive tempo post turn 6 with the Seeping Oozeling synergies. Arguably one of the most aggressive mid-late games as the big beasts come flooding in turns 7+. If your opponent has been "keeping up", they'll most likely lose after this point :).

Special Deck Mentions:

• Dire Frenzy - This works great to cycle your giant charging beasts back into your deck to blast through your opponents taunt wall, if they've managed to build one. (or their face if they haven't)
• Prince Keleseth - After building 95% of the deck i found I had no 2-cost cards...so why not? Not essential to deck,  a good sub would be Acidic Ooze if you need to tech it in.
• Faceless Manipulator - I love the versatility of this card. Clone your charging beast for extra damage or use it a pseudo-spiteful-counter to get a copy of whatever your opponent got before you remove their threats.
• Deathstalker Rexxar - nearly unmatchable end game value. Must have for games that dare to go the distance.
• Unleash the Hounds - perfect against pally.

The above mentioned cards (except UTH) are flex cards to the success of this deck if you need to tech in substitutes to give you the extra edge in your frequent match-ups.

Very powerful deck that requires some skill. Practice, and Good Luck! 

For those who care, here's my stats since this posting to show this deck is solid. Even Pally is trending around 63% and i'm at 62% in about 40 games. Started at Rank 12 since the post and am now at Rank 8. I expect % to increase as I master the deck and decrease my misplays.

Mulligans/Match-Ups

Always Keep: Candleshot, Firefly, and Prince Keleseth (except for maybe against Warlock - details below)

Never Keep: Any of your 7+ cards!

Now for match-ups we'll go from easiest to hardest (generally):

Shaman: Only have really Shudderwock/Elemental decks. Mulligans aren't too critical here. Just keep cheap and play on curve. Try to close the game before turn 10 if possible. Most times they're too busy removing your stall board that they don't get to play the minions for the shudderwock combo, and our turns 7-9 are such a big game swing it's too late to catch up for them.

Shaman Game

Warrior: Haven't faced Rush Warrior, just Control/Taunt. Mulligans aren't too critical with these decks, just keep cheap cards and play the curve. Be careful not overextend when you get into your big beasts and can't finish the game - Dire Frenzy is your pal here.

Taunt Warrior game

Hunter: This is a lost class right with the near extinction of Baku Hunter, but there are some out there. Again, just keep cheap cards to trade and taunt - save health for turns 6+ and you will quickly out-value your opponent.

Hunter Game (not much hunter on ladder, lost to spell hunter. Baku games are unrecorded)

Priest: Spiteful/Mindblast mostly. In these match-ups I'll occasionally keep a Seeping Oozeling since I know the game will go the distance, and want to ensure I tap into my big minions. Otherwise, choose cheap except for Play Dead, Unleash the Hounds and Dire Frenzy...a Hunter's Mark is better to have against a Spiteful gen or any other big threat.

Spiteful Priest Game

Mage: Big Mage is easy, similar match-up to Shaman. Tempo mage is harder. Since you never which one you're going to get. Mulligan for tempo by choosing taunts, fireflys, and candleshot. If you smell an Explosive Runes and can drop an Oozeling, it's usually gg after that since they have to sac face dmg to deal with board. If you can hang in and trade through the early game with health intact, you're good to go. 

Tempo Mage game , Big Spell Mage game

Druid: Taunt Druid is easy, similar to Taunt Warrior - just can't keep up during the big game swing. Just try to close by turn 10 before the Hadronox combo if possible. Spiteful druid is harder. Mulligan for spiteful by choosing fireflys, candleshot, taunts and hunter's mark.

Taunt Druid game , Spiteful Druid game

Rogue: Quest is slightly easier than Odd Rogue. For quest, keep early game pressure to distract them from completing quest. Trade all bounce-able minions, leave the 3/2's and 2/3's and go face to bring their life within a charge attack's reach. For Odd, opt for early trade/taunt cards and trade trade trade. We have better late game board presence so try to keep the board to a minimum until then.

Quest Rogue game , Odd Rogue game

Warlock: Though it can be annoying to play with all their health gain/defense, it's one of my favorites because the games can last for interesting combos and finishes. In this match-up I'll keep a Gluttonous Ooze and Spellbreaker but otherwise I'm going for Candleshot+Hunter's Mark for their Mountain Giant - Be careful not to play Candleshot before the Giant or it may get oozed. If I get a lot of early damage in I'll save my silence for Voidlord, otherwise Possessed Lackey will most likely get it. Hang in there, tough but fun game with great odds to win.

Cubelock Game

Paladin: Tough in every form for us but we utilize the best tools we have as hunter with the exception of Explosive Trap. Keep Candleshot, Firefly, Unleash the Hounds, and even keep Deathstalker Rexxar if you have coin. Keep their board clear as best you can every turn until you can draw into your big recruits, then you can go face over board.

Even Pally game , Bonus Even Pally game