Hearthpwn

Hi, everybody. It’s my first guide and English isn’t my mother tongue, that’s why, sorry for any mistakes and etc.

I wanna share this Taunt Druid deck I got legend this season.

Taunt druid is a control deck with giant value that helps easily win most control decks in game (for example, Control Warlock and Control/Fatigue Warrior). In perfect game we can make 7(!) powerful boards with Hadronox + Naturalize, 2 x (Witching Hour + Carnivorous Cube) (that’s rare but still real).

Gameplan

Gameplan is obvious and not really complicated: control board (Lesser Jasper Spellstone, Naturalize, Wrath, Swipe, Primordial Drake), ramp (Wild Growth, Nourish), stack armor (Ferocious Howl, Branching Paths, Oaken Summons, Ultimate Infestation) and draw cards (Wrath, Ferocious Howl, Branching Paths, cycle deck with Oaken Summons, Nourish, Ultimate Infestation). As you see lots of cards can make several things at once – it means that against agro and control we play in different ways with the same cards.

In this “Paladin and Warlock” meta Taunt Druid shows really good results. Let’s consider the game plan against certain decks:

Odd Paladin

At all, it’s very good matchup for us: about 70-80% wr.

You are to clear all Recruits to prevent Level Up! as long as possible. Play all cheap taunts you have and try to save at least 15 HP. The only chance for Paladin in this game is to face race with Ironbeak Owl + Leeroy Jenkins+ Blessing of Might. So always have at least 2 taunts at the table. Try to save Naturalize for Baku the Mooneater or Stormwind Champion.

If Paladin plays Argent Squire at first turn and you have Wild Growth you would better destroy its bubble. Otherwise he can use Blessing of Might and 4/1 with bubble will make lots of problems for you.

One moment Paladin will go out of resources and play Divine Favor – he’ll lose temp and then you can aesier get board.

Despite the fact that it’s odd deck, remember that he can get Sunkeeper Tarim from Stonehill Defender.

Even Paladin

This matchup is quite difficult for us cause Equality + Consecration: about 35% winrate.

The way Paladin wins this game is: make cool board, trade or silence all taunts and finish us with destroying our Big Boards with 2 x (Equality + Consecration/Avenging Wrath).

To prevent it our aim is saving as much HP as possible by clearing all his minions and playing your own ones. To win this matchup you have to play tempo and to play your Nadronox + Naturalize when opponent board isn’t too powerful. Also when you play Witching Hour + Carnivorous Cube try to Naturilize your Cube. It will prevent getting damage to your face after Equality + Consecration/Avenging Wrath.

Another ace of paladin is Val'anyr. Remember his combo: Val’anyr + Argent Commander (8/4 with bubble and charge that kills your The Lich King)/Saronite Chain Gang (two 6/5 taunts).

Murloc Paladin

This matchup more difficult than Odd and less difficult the Even.

Almost the same as Odd Paladin. Always kill murlocs cause Gentle Megasaur, Murloc Warleader and Coldlight Seer.

Remember, he has Tarim Sunkeeper.

If you have Primordial Drake or other draws in your hand can play Nourish for ramp.

Cube Warlock

It’s an easy matchup for Druid: about 75-80% winrate.

The only way Cube Warlock wins a game is tempous Mountain Giant, Doomguard + Carnivorous Cube + Dark Pact. To prevent it always keep Naturalize on mulligan and play it to the giant or the Doomguard.

So, if you don’t die at 8-10 turns: you almost exactly win.

About Nourish: keep it on mulligan, play ramp if you have other draws or The Lich King, else play draw. The Lich King and Primordial Drake are keycards at this matchup: you need really good board after Hadronox. Always keep The Lich King on mulligan.

Control Warlock

This matchup is cool for us too: about 75-80% winrate.

Control Warlock can’t crush us in early and midgame – means we can just draw cards and search for The Lich King, Hadronox and etc.

The only way this Warlock can win us – fast Rin and Seals. If he plays Rin at sixth turn you ARE to draw as much as possible. Also you have to place powerful taunts and smorc him to make warlock play other control cards. When Warlock is ready for playing Azari, the Devourer play your Hadronox + Naturalize. Then, if he plays 10/10  you kill Warlock with Branching Paths double +1 attack or Anti-Magic Shell.

If Warlock doesn’t play Rin, the First Disciple, try not to play Hadronox before The Lich King (even if it’s last card).

Tempo Mage

This 50/50 matchup is about Mage play. But, off course, you can prevent his win by playing around Counterspell.

At all, if you stay alive after his early aggression, you almost always win the game getting tons of armor. That’s why always keep Lesser Jasper Spellstone, Wrath, Swipe on mulligan. If you that enemy played Counterspell try to trigger it with Naturalize.

Main rule: NEVER play Ultimate Infestation if there’s even miserable chance of played Counterspell!

 

Control/Mindblast Priest

Good matchup: about 65-70% wr.

He only wins you in two ways:

• His early played dragons made a lot of damage to your face and he found his Shadowreaper Anduin very fast;
• His Alexstrasza damaged your face at least once.

Your way to win is playing taunts, drawing cards and stacking armor – nothing extraordinal. Advice, don’t use Branching Paths for draw – it’s 12 armor that can win a game.

Never let you HP fall to 16 – it’s lethal vs DK with 2Mind Blast (19 – for 3 Mind Blasts).

Control Mage

Very difficult matchup. Winrate less than 40%.

The main problem is Skulking Geist that destroys your Naturalize and Polymorph (another beast for Witching Hour).

 Play your usual game and pray for not having Geist (then play Hadronox + Naturalize as fast as you can) and for not having Polymorph (if gest was played, play Hadronox as faster as you can).

Spiteful Druid

Not a bad matchup. Winrate – about 50-60.

Always hold naturalize against Spiteful Summoner.

Play your game: play taunts, search forHadronox + Naturalize. Remember, he has 2 Spellbreakers and can have Leeroy Jenkins. Try to play around Mind Control Tech.

Usually, if you played Hadronox + Naturalize at least for 3-4 taunts you win.

 

Quest Rogue

Ohh, it’s our kryptonite. Wr less than 25%.

So, you get any chances if rogue makes the quest VERY slow. Alsways play early Hadronox + Naturalize and remember about Vanish.

 

Other architypes I played against were TOO rare (for example, token Druid).

About nerfs

After nerfs our general winrate will increase. Even and Murloc paladins will lose their temp with Call to Arms, Spitefull Druids will become slower, Warlocks will suck even more, can’t tell anything about Rogue (this change 5/5 > 4/4 will mean nothing for us). The main problem for us after nerfs is Tempo Mage. So, maybe exchange: 1 Wrath > 1 Chief Inspector (but not exactly).

 

If this guide gets about 20 likes I'm going to write about exchanges and write more about niceties in tactic.

Thanks for attention and dont forget that Nature must be preserved