Hearthpwn

This is my first upload to hearthpwn. I get it, why would you try a n00b deck? Well, because I'm not actually a noob, and this thing WORKS and it's AWESOME, that's why. I've had massive success from ranks 5 and up. This deck can *definitely* go legend. 

The Background:

I've really enjoyed quest hunter, but it felt a little too draw dependent. Either you find the pieces you need in the order you need and you win, or you don't and you lose. Searching for ways to increase the viability of the deck, I saw Trump's Highlander Quest Hunter list and took it for a spin. I love highlander decks: they're so much fun compared to the 2-of-every-card lists, and of course Brann & Zeph are incredibly powerful. But after playing a number of matches on ladder (rank 5 and up) with Trump's list, it just wasn't coming together for me. I didn't like the compromises his list made to enable highlander mechanics. The mech package felt meh, and it didn't solve for the issues I was trying to address with the original Quest Hunter list. So I wondered what would happen if you pulled the majority of Trump's mech package and inserted the secret package? I reviewed win/loss rates by card on hsreplay, identified the weakest performers in the deck, and then rebuilt the list including the secret package and a few other pieces to ensure you survive long enough and can play enough minions to enable the quest. 

The Result:

I've been playing this list quite a bit and have a very high win percentage with it. I'm one of those players who usually gets to rank 5 or so each month, but spends the rest of my time in arena. I've never attempted to get to legend, but I know I could, and I know this deck will take you there. Seriously, play it, win with it, love it.

The card I'm most unsure of at the moment is Zul'jin. In theory, Zul'jin serves a ton of different purposes. With all the secrets, Animal Companion, UTH, and Swarm of Locusts, there's a ton of value late game. If you're behind, with all the secrets and rushing minions he'll pull, Zul'jin can be an awesome defensive move late, giving you just enough disruption to hold on and win. Further, sometimes at the very end of matches with traditional quest hunter, I found myself missing the old 2-dmg-to-the-face Hunter hero power. Zul'jin gives you that back (as well as the quest!) so that if you just need to ping down face and are having problems sticking bodies on the board, no problem. That said, not sure if all of this is necessary, and losing the quest-activated hero power may seem like a bit of a head scratcher. If you don't like Zul'jin here, Sea Giant is the obvious substitution choice. 

How to Play:

You mulligan just like traditional quest hunter. Look for a good curve, draw, and early removal tools like Eaglehorn Bow, Hench-clan Hogsteed, etc. Dump any secrets in mulligan to maximize Subject 9 value. If you can, try to not deplete Eaglehorn; let the secret activation refresh your durability whenever possible. You won't activate the quest quite as quickly as traditional Quest Hunter, but this deck has a lot more survivability in it, so that when you do activate, you're in a much better position to win the game. It's really not a hard deck to pilot. The results are just better than traditional Quest Hunter, and I have yet to encounter any real downside. 

So give it a try, let me know what you think, and if there are any substitutions you feel would help the deck, please feel free to comment. Thanks, and happy hunting! :)