Hearthpwn

Hey guys, currently struggling (as everybody) between ranks 5 to 3, I got bored of playing the same decks (Spells hunter, Odd mage, Kingsbane rogue), that always goes the same. This way, I crafted this deck that I saw on Thijs's Youtube channel many times. I have to admit that it is really good and that every game is different. 

 

This way, here is my guide to this EZ Big Priest. I just changed one card (I cut one Spirit Lash and added Mass Hysteria) and saw other versions with Power Word: Shield. If you have any advice, just feel free to express yourself!

 

Principles of the deck/Mulligans:

• Here is a deck that offers many possibilities. The Idea is to play big minions by not playing them directly (through Shadow Essence or zerek's clones gallery), and to revive them, in order to finish your opponent with burn cards. But this deck can also offer many other possibilities, given by Lyra the Sunshard, or just outvaluing your opponent by reviving you strongest minions (Obsidian Statue, The Lich King).
• VS Aggro: This matchup usually is a difficult one if you don't have a good early game. This way, I usually mulligan for Radiant Elemental, gilded gargoyle, Shadow Word: Pain, Spirit Lash. Shadow Visions can be important if you want to secure a Psychic Scream for turn 7, but it can be too late. I would add that I usually keep mass hysteria against Hunter because it's the best way to deal with his Greater Emerald Spellstone on turn 5.
• VS Control: This matchup is usually good for you. All you have to do is to stay in the tempo and to try to get out of control on the mid-game phase. You can keep Lyra the Sunshard if you have The Coin and/or a Gilded Gargoyle.  Otherwise, you can keep Shadow Essence or a Lesser Diamond Spellstone, but it's really greedy. Furthermore, I would say that you have to keep your burst cards (Holy Smite and Mind Blast) for the lethal. The best case scenario is for you to have Prophet Velen and Malygos on the board at the same time for the kill.
• VS Warlock: I find this matchup over hard on the mulligan, because you cannot know whether your enemy is playing Zoo or Control. This way, I usually mulligan like in an aggro matchup, but I like to keep my Shadow Word: Death for an eventual early Mountain Giant.

Tips & Tricks: 

• Given that you are playing a big priest, your reviving spells (Eternal Servitude and Greater Diamond Spellstone) have to be efficient. Of course, the RNG is not something that you can control, but you can influence it. Let me explain: if you correctly identified your matchup, you know what your win condition will look like (surviving or gathering enough burn damages to finish your enemy). As soon as you know this, you have to work on the recurrence of your minions, by reviving in priority the ones that will give you this win condition. If you had Prophet Velen with Shadow Essence, or played him directly, and if you revive him once or twice through the eternal servitude, it's more than likely that you will get him back when you will play a Greater Diamond Spellstone.
• About the damages of your burn cards (Holy Smite, Mind Blast): 

1. Best case scenario: you play Zerek's Cloning Gallery (or a Greater Diamond Spellstone) and get Prophet Velen, Malygos, one Radiant Elementals and Bloodmage Thalnos on the board. Your burn damages then deal :  16 damages for the Holy Smite, and 22 damages on the Mind Blast.
2. Most usual scenario: As it happens frequently, you will draw one of your big threats before you can copy them from your library. Malygos is over hard to play because you can do much after playing him. This way, your burn damages will deal: 5 for the Holy Smite and 12 damages on the Mind Blast with Prophet Velen and Bloodmage Thalnos; 8 damages on the Holy Smite and 11 damages on the Mind Blast if you have Malygos and Bloodmage Thalnos on the board.
3. "Worst" scenario: You only have one of your big guys on the board. Then it's easy to see that the Mind Blast will "only" deal 10 damages and that the Holy Smite will "only" deal 4 damages with Prophet Velen, and 7 damages with Malygos.

 

Interesting replays/Detailed matchups:

• VS Meca'Thun Druid:  Only This type of Druid plays a Gadgetzan Auctioneer. This way, you have to be careful with him because he will just gain armor and cycle his deck. His combo depends on him not having any more creature than Meca'Thun, no hand and no deck left. This is the reason why I used my Psychic Scream to give him Malygos (he takes him one whole turn to play, and cannot be easily suicided). Once I knew how behind he was, I just took the occasion to go ham with Lyra the Sunshard and Prophet Velen.

• VS Token Druid: God it's annoying to play VS Druid because you can't know what the guy is playing until turn 6-7 or later. Seriously, even token Druids play Wild Growth, Nourish, Spreading Plague, Oaken Summons, Arcane Tyrant, Ultimate Infestation... I found out what he was playing as I discovered a Sea Giant (thank you Lyra the Sunshard) on turn 6.  As I knew it, I focused on controlling the board (because if it was a Meca'thun deck, that plays many same cards, I would have tried to slow him down with Psychic Scream). and tried to deck as fewer damages as possible. Once the two Savage Roars passed, I knew he wouldn't have that much burst left.

• VS Deathrattle Hunter: God this matchup is difficult. I know I took a greedy risk by keeping Lyra, the sunshard on the mulligan, but I had Mass Hysteria and a Gilded Gargoyle along with her (I thought I was facing a spells hunter). Once you know the type of enemy that you are facing you have to try and deal with his board as much as possible, because Carnivorous Cube and Play Dead can kill you extra quickly. Psychic Scream is your best friend here because hunter decks do not have many draw options (just Tracking). If you are able to get control of the board and heal, all you have to do is to progressively hit his face when possible (and when he does not have big minions).

• VS Tempo rogue: You have to mulligan for an aggro matchup, whether you are facing the Kingsbane or a tempo deck. In this particular matchup, all you have to know is that once you have dealt with the power plays that he will do on the early phase, your enemy will struggle hard to come back. This way, you have to keep on pressuring him and make him do difficult choices. I would just add that Mojomaster Zihi is a great card for this kind of decks and that I will think about him more often.

• VS Shudderwock Shaman: Tight matchup. You really draw dependant on this one. The two things that you have to be careful about are Hex (and he will target Malygos and Prophet Velen in priority) and Mind Control Tech (which can be avoided). Psychic Scream is a good card to use if you feel that he does not have his combo piece in hand, or if the board he has would be too dangerous if he would play Grumble, Worldshaker on the turn after. I let you enjoy the end of this game, that was pretty close (if he played one more Lifedrinker I would have died). Yes, the top deck was real on the last turn, but the game is about these critical moments. I could have left once he played Shudderwock, but I had to see if I had a chance of winning anyway.

•  VS Odd Warrior: I did my mulligan as if I was facing a rush warrior, which can be a difficult matchup. Once you see that he is playing an odd deck and that your enemy does not play Fire Plume's Heart on turn 1, you know that the game can be extra long if you don't make it difficult for him to control you. First, it's fine for you because odd warriors do not have many board pressure options. Second, it's really hard to know when to play your burn damages, because you have to remove the ton of armor he puts on himself every turn (unless he plays his Reckless Flurry). I would just add that Zerek's Cloning Gallery is really hard for him to deal with, as he can't use his Supercollider to control your board. Yes, I know I high rolled on the last turn, but I knew I would have lethal if I gathered the right minions with Eternal Servitude (and let's face it, this game is about high rolling).

• VS Odd/Quest Warrior: This matchup can be a bit dangerous for you if you don't force your enemy to make plays that won't just make him go forward in his quest. The good point about the fire plume's heart is that your opponent will not be able to get 4 armor on every turn if he wants his win condition to work. This way, you have to try and pressure him as much as you can. You can consider yourself efficient if you have him playing reckless flurry (then you can start digging in his HP and building a board). Odd warriors have 6 board clears (2 Shield Slam, 2 Reckless Flurry, 2 Brawl), and 2 Supercollider. They usually keep one Shield Slam and/or a Reckless Flurry o the mulligan. As you see that your opponent's hand is getting thinner and thinner, you know that at some point he will not be able to control your minions. This is when you have to secure your win condition and burst his face.