Hearthpwn

Hi all!

After struggling a bit with the first decks I built in the new format, I wanted to try a more controling deck and I came up with this control/ midrange Shaman deck. My record with the deck is currently 12-2, in the ranks 7 till 5, and I am planing to play it further. It performed very strong in the games I played so far. I tried to build it in such a way, that it is good against the decks that are popular right now. So, especially with the popularity of Token Druid, Tempo Rogue and Murloc Shaman, I added a lot of early game.

Deck idea:

I first thought about the deck, when I thought that it would be cool to play Earthen Might on Walking Fountain. Then I concluded that an elemental package would be a perfect shell for a control/ midrange style Shaman deck. However, I have not pulled of that combo, but still both cards performed very strong. The higher amount of  minions snyergize well with Hagatha the Witch, which is the most important card in the deck, if you plan to grind out the opponent. Most times you win that way. Swampqueen Hagatha and Shudderwock are also ways to win a long game. Shudderwock is manly there, because it is great with Swampqueen Hagatha, as you get both the effect of casting both spells, and an additional horror to the hand. Walking Fountain is also an imortant card, as it is one of the best cards for stabilizing.

What makes this deck so strong (at least in the games I played) is that you have great and efficient ways to keep the board in control with 4 good mass removal spells (Hagathas Scheme is the great addition from the new set) and good and efficient spot removal. Also Thunderhead and Voltaic Burst can help, too. Theay are great against the aggro decks, especially Token Druid and Murloc Shaman. Likkim is also an efficient way to keep the board clean, especially in the early turns. Another great card for this is Sludge Slurper, which seems to be a bit out of place at first sight. But it has synergy with Hagatha the Witch, as it provides you with two spells, and it is great for contesting the board against other aggresive decks. One game against a Mech Hunter I won, because I had two Sludge Slurper on turn one and two and played the curve, such that I was ahead on the board in each turn and won on turn 8.

The main reason, why I like the deck so much, is that it is a control deck in it´s core and you can grind out and stabilize against a lot of opponents, but it also has a good curve that allows you to make some preasure and most importantly have efficient ways to deal with the opponents board.

I will keep you updated and write some more (mulligan guide, detailed card choice explanation), if I see that you are interested in it.

 

Edit 14.04.2019:

I added a Storm Chaser and Archivist Elysiana and put out one Fire Elemental and the Electra Stormsurge. Elysiana helps a lot against Warrior or other hard control decks. The plan is here to fatigue the opponent: When your deck is empty you can refill it with Elysiana and if the opponent does the same, you can do it a second time with Shudderwock.

I played with the new list in the Brawlisium and went 7-3. My overall record is now 20-7 with a WR of 74%.

Edit 15.04.2019:

First of all, thanks for the upvotes! My overall record with the deck is now 27-10 with a winrate of 73%.

Card choices:

Hagatha the Witch: Probably the most important card in the deck. Good against aggro, as it provides a board clearer and important against slow decks as it provides a lot of value.

Walking Fountain: Also very important. Together with Hagaha the Queen the best way to stabilize, as it gives you heal and takes out opposing minions.  Especially imortant, as there are not so many good ways to heal for Shaman.

Shudderwock, Swampqueen Hagatha, Archivist Elysiana:

Cards of choice to win a long game. They synegize quite well with another. Shudderwock and Swampqueen Hagatha can be also useful against more aggresive strategies, but Archivist Elysiana is only good against Control, especially against bomb Warrior, as it removes all bombs from your deck.

Harrison Jones: Quite good in the meta, with all the Rogue decks and Warrior decks. Also provides some card draw in those matchups, which the deck lacks a bit. Maybe if the meta shifts towards more Druid or Mage decks, then something else might be better.

Thunderhead, Voltaic Burst, Lightning Bolt, Sludge Slurper, Likkim:

Thunderhead and Likkim are very good against the token decks and other aggresive decks. The many one cost overload cards provides good consistency to it and are generally good against aggresive style decks. With those 10 cards you have a lot of cheap and efficient ways to interact with the opponents board or get some board presence.

Menacing Nimbus, Earthen Might, Fire Elemental:

I added a bit of an elemental theme, since we have with Walking Fountain and Thunderhead some elementals anyway (Earthen Might is the only payoff card, though. But keep in mind that you can get some other elemental payoff cards with Menacing Nimbus and Earthen Might, like Arcanosaur or Bonfire Elemental). Those cards give you value and can provide you with some board presence.

Storm Chaser: Card draw, elemental. Gives you Hagathas Scheme, which you always want as soon as possible, so that it can tick up.

Hex, Zilliax: Obviously

Lightning Storm, Hagatha´s Scheme:

Both great AoE. Great against aggro/ token decks which are very popular right now. Hagatha´s Scheme also great against Big decks, as you can remove a board of multiple big minions, which is difficult with most other AoE.

Gameplan:

Against Aggro:

Use your AoE, spot removal and other early cards (the Thunderhead package) to keep the board clean and then close out with Hagatha or the other value cards.

Against Control:

Maybe try to preasure the opponent a bit in the early-/ midgame. Swampqueen Hagatha is great for that. If you can´t preasure him enough (which happens most times) play Hagatha the Witch early and generate a lot of value. It might be worth it, to keep some of the cheap minions to play after Hagatha the Witch. If your oppnent wants to fatigue you, play Archivist Elysiana when you have few or none cards in your deck and refill it. If you think that the opponent has also Archivist Elysiana, it might be worth to wait with Shudderwock until you play Archivist Elysiana to refill a second time.

Difficulties:

The deck can be quite difficult to play. Especially against control decks, you might need to be patient and evaluate correctly when to commit threads and removal. If you are Hagatha you must also pay attention to the hand size. In general you must also be aware of overloeaded mana crystals. So always think, what you want to do next turn and if you can afford to overload.

Mulligan:

I would always keep one Hagatha´s Scheme as you want it as eraly as possible, so that it can tick up. The only class there I might consider mulligan it is Warrior. I am not exactly sue when you want to keep Hagatha the Witch. Against decks there you think you can get to turn 8 I  would probably keep it, as it is such an important card. Menacing Nimbus is also a card that is never bad to have on the early turns.

Never keep Archivist Elysiana, Shuderwock and probably Walking Fountain, since they are too slow. I would also mulligan Earthen Might most times. I tried some times to keep it and play it on an early Menacing Nimbus, but it has not worked out that well.

Against Hunter, Rogue, Warlock, Druid, Shaman, Paladin:

Those clases are most likely more aggresive. Keep any cheap cards and/ or removal. Maybe Zilliax. Against Rogue maybe not Sludge Slurper, as it dies easily against the dagger.

Against Mage:

same. I would also keep Hex, as it can be Big Mage, and not Sludge Slurper.

Against Priest:

Most likly slow deck. Keep Hex.

Against Warrior:

Look for Hagatha the Witch.

Against Rogue and Warrior I would also keep Harrison Jones, as that decks have quite important weapons.