Legend 75% WR Circus Amalgam Dragon Hunter
- Last updated Dec 8, 2020 (Darkmoon Faire)
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Wild
- 22 Minions
- 6 Spells
- 2 Weapons
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Dragon Hunter
- Crafting Cost: 2080
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 11/27/2020 (Darkmoon Faire)
- WololoTaku
- Registered User
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- 4
- 18
- 40
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Battle Tag:
Wololo#1780
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
205
[Platinum to Legend] Circus Amalgam Dragon Hunter
Hi, my battle-tag is Wololo#1780, and I came back to HS after some months of break because of quarantine and stuff to bring you an old Galakrond classic, Dragon Hunter, with some spices from latest expansions, as a last goodbye before it rotates with the next expansion in 2021.
This deck had a 75% winrate with 48 wins and 16 losses from Platinum to Legend.
I hope it works for you too, and I won't said that I will make a guide if X upvote, because the guide is just below! But if you like this deck an upvote or a comment would be good so more people can know this deck and try it. Thanks!
EDIT: I make this replacements for December 2020 climb:
- 2 Adorable Infestation - 2 Wolpertinger
- 2 Faerie Dragon - 2 Evasive Feywing
+ 1 Tracking + 1 Deadly Shot
+ 1 Acidic Swamp Ooze + 1 Frozen Shadoweaver
+ 2 Hench-Clan Hogsteed + 2 Crimson Hothead
I made this changes with the hopes it helps a little bit against the meta, you can change whatever you feel its needed, like adding different techs or a Dragonbane or Veranus if you want.
------------------ Here the thematic of this deck, you can SKIP if you want ------
The new flavor to Dragon Hunter introduced by this new expansion:
The Circus:
Circus Amalgam is THE 4 drop that Dragon Hunter need it. A lot less conditional than Twilight Drake and Crimson Hothead. Yes its just a yeti with taunt but still just being a Dragon (it says All so it counts always as Dragon) is enough, and sometimes you can pull out crazy random stuff thanks to it having all types, like a random hunter spell you got that need a beast, or a random murloc you got somehow haha.
Circus Medic is to be honest the last change I made to this deck climbing and I really regret not have included it earlier. Its really the best answer to the worst aggro and control matchup and its even thematic for this expansion, with the Circus and the Corrupt.
Both help against aggro (taunt and healing) and against control (dragon activator and damage).
Its a cheap deck with only the typical two Stormhammer and 4 rares. Still its sad that you need 3 wings of Galakrond for Rotnest Drake, but I think its pretty irreplaceable for a Dragon deck.
--------------- END SKIP ---------
Mulligan:
Priority: Against aggro at least one 1 or 2 drop first. Then you can keep Stormhammer, Primordial Explorer or Scalerider.
Against control almost always Stormhammer, Primordial Explorer and as much dragons as you want.
With coin could be good idea to keep a Circus Amalgam against aggro or Rotnest Drake against control (especially vs Paladin and Druid).
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Guide:
The play-style of this deck is similar to Dragon Warrior back in the day, you can both put pressure or/and control board with your weapon and minions that impact the board ASAP.
Most of the time control the board, as your biggest tempo swings (Rotnest Drake and enabled Stormhammer depend of it. But don't overcommit in board control sacrificing face damage. Remember than in Hunter a good defense is a good offense.
Tap as much as you can, if you have 6 mana is generally better a 4 mana play and tap that a 5 or 6 mana play, except is needed for board control. This way you are in a better position in case of losing board later to AOEs (the opponent is at lower health and you have something to play in your hand because you didn't empty it before)
Also when you can keep some dragons in hand, playing them one by one allow you to secure an infinite weapon and the so needed activators (of the dragon synergy cards).
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Replacements / Techs:
Sorry but you can't replace the weapons, other than that almost all the deck is already super cheap.
You can add Dragonbane for extra damage, or replace Rotnest Drake with Krolusk Barkstripper or Deadly Shot if you don't have Galakrond.
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Proof of Legend:
Winrate from Platinum to Legend:
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Video (thanks to ManGawy)
Thanks to his video I made the change Faerie Dragon for Bonechewer Brawler. If you see his video you will see the Brawlers would have been better.
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To finish:
Any question or suggestion you can write here or add my battletag Wololo#1780. See ya!
I think you are right, I will take out one Tracking an one Ooze for 2 Faeries.
With Demon Companion I have the bad luck of always getting the worst of the three for every situation haha. But if you are lucky then yes its a good option too.
I do agree taking out both of the Wolpertinger's was a good idea. They really shine when you have Scavenger's Ingenuity in the deck.
Nice deck, ended up taking out a few things to fit me better, but your card explanations for the reason you used certain cards helped me make my own decisions. Great deck great guide threw you a +1 rating.
Thanks, I really appreciate it. I always keep changing a lot for the meta and what I test.
For now I'm playing with the changes I commented below but still is important to tech for what you like, whenever you feel is needed.
Thanks for the tech on Circus Amalgam, it's probably the best dragon in the deck other than Primordial Explorer and a great turn 4 drop after the hammer on 3. Excited to pull out the old Dragon Hunter cards.
But I had similar results as GamerPanda. Close to victory, but couldn't close out games.
Feels so wonderful to smack faces with Stormhammer again. But there's so many Taunts with 5-6 toughness out there. Paladin feels unwinnable and DH is over if they get enough lifesteal to sustain. Same could be said of just about any Hunter build right now though.
Some changes I'm trying for this month that could work are:
- 2 Wolpertinger +2 Intrepid Initiate
Wolpers are not as good as I thought, so I go back to the Initiates that I had originally.
-2 Circus Medic +2 Tracking
This change hurts are I wanted to maintain the theme but the tracking must be necessary in Dragon Hunter because winning depends on getting Stormhammer and Rotnest Drake, especially against decks with heals and tempo like Paladin and DH.
If this works well I'll edit it in the deck later, if not maybe I'll try the Acidic Swamp Ooze or Frozen Shadoweaver, or just go for a different approach with the deck.
Went 6-7 and mostly ladder losses and casual wins. Going back to Highlander, unfortunately. :( I wish Dragon Hunter was good again.
Some changes I'm trying for this month that could work are:
- 2 Wolpertinger +2 Intrepid Initiate
Wolpers are not as good as I thought, so I go back to the Initiates that I had originally.
-2 Circus Medic +2 Tracking
This change hurts are I wanted to maintain the theme but the tracking must be necessary in Dragon Hunter because winning depends on getting Stormhammer and Rotnest Drake, especially against decks with heals and tempo like Paladin and DH.
If this works well I'll edit it in the deck later, if not maybe I'll try the Acidic Swamp Ooze or Frozen Shadoweaver, or just go for a different approach with the deck.
Yeah I was trying it without Wolper or Medic. I was using Veranus Dragonbane and 2x Tracking but yeah I was wanting Kill Command for extra reach. Maybe that's what's needed + a few more beast cards?
With Veranus won't you need the Wolpers? Or a Unleash the Hounds? And that even more if you want to include Kill Command.
Or maybe for the reach if you include Dragonbane you could also include Toxic Reinforcements, that also after summoning the Lepers could have good synergy with Veranus.
For now I'm trying only the changes that I put above because I want the deck to be as cheap as possible being viable, because a lot of people can't have all this expensive cards (Veranus, Dragonbane, Toxic Reinforcements).
Got about a 50% winrate with this going from Bronze 10 to Plat 9. I moved up because of my bonus stars.
It really needs more draw because when you are down to one card in your hand with your opponent having a full hand, you just lose.
I removed one Wolpertinger and added in one Dragonbane. I find the 1/1's do nothing late game.
I'm trying to find a way to include at least one Onyx Magescribe in there, again for late game. I thought about Cobalt Spellkin being cheaper and instant spells coming back but I find they give a lot of the quests out which is too slow in this deck.
Yes I didn't include Dragonbane because I wanted to make the deck cheap, and Circus Medic is basically the same, but is a really good inclusion. What I did to win even against the heaviest control decks with this deck (as the warrior in Rank 1 going to legend that you can see in the top of the stats pic) is to hard mulligan for Stormhammer (all that it isn't that can go) and then Tap-a-LOT. I mean a LOT, like:
Turn 3 Stormhammer, turn 4 Faerie Dragon and Tap instead of Evasive Feywing, turn 5 Primordial Explorer and Tap instead of Big Ol' Whelp (And discover a 4 mana dragon instead of 6 so I can play it and Tap next turn) and like this all the match.
The Wolpertinger was a tech against DH as they are single minion efficient removers but Wolper is two minions, so it leaves at least one to buff with Adorable Infestation, and it save me against the eventual priest or hunter with their "Destroy random enemy minion".
So basically I would replace what you like for a Tracking to search for weapon or dragons, or a Toxic Reinforcements and TAP A LOT against control. Against aggro you need to control board from the start (that why so many 1 drops) if not hunter doesn't have good AOEs to comeback.
Or you can go even further for the draw and TAP synergy and go:
- 2 Wolpertinger - 2 Adorable Infestation -1 Circus Medic
+ 2 Manafeeder Panthara +2 Scavenger's Ingenuity + 1 Dragonbane
The Circus Amalgam are beasts too so Scavenger give you a buffed Panthara for more draw or a buffed dragon with Taunt, both good.
Roadblock at plat5. Everything I'm facing is just faster. Ten losses in a row and no end in sight lol.
In Platinum 5 is when I started tracking so the 75% is from there to legend, and that was from 10 days ago when I started to 5 days ago that I reached Legend, and it doesn't seems to have changed that much. But still this deck may not be for everyone and its fine, I'm not good at all playstyles either.
I won't said is an easy deck but if you feel you have problems with aggro or control, tech for them.
Against aggro as I said in a previous comment you can replace Evasive Feywing and Circus Medic with Bone Wraith and Acidic Swamp Ooze or Khartut Defender.
Or as I said before include more card draw with Manafeeder Panthara or Tracking if you think you need it against control.
I dont know but this deck cant really win against demon hunter cause its to slow but its a really refreshing deck
Yes Demon Hunter is the hardest because even if you hardly win the board with your mid swings they can go Aldrachi Warblades + Twin Slice + Blade Dance and then heal, attack face and clear your board all in the same turn. Or the Mo'arg Artificer + Felosophy shenanigans for almost the same.
Some would say its balanced because it requires some cards but with the OP draw DH has (which in aggro DH is absurd), I don't think so . You can tech against them and hurt other matchups, but it could be worth it if all you see are DH.
You can try Bone Wraith or Khartut Defender, Acidic Swamp Ooze or Frozen Shadoweaver, Boompistol Bully or Cult Neophyte.
In my case I'm tired of having to tech all decks against DH, in next year rotation I'll see if DH and the rewards system are a little better balanced, if not maybe its time for me to let HS RIP.
Thanks for the reply but as you said against aggro dh no deck can do anything only etc and maybe paladin but playing hs right now is just sad i face 7 out of 10 dh
At least against aggro DH if you somehow win the board in the early (not mid or you are dead) you can win.
Against Soul DH only if you get Stormhammer really early and they have at least some of their lifesteal and soul cards at the bottom of their deck.
That's why I said that is so important to mulligan hard for Stormhammer, the constant damage of it is what give you a chance with most matches. And that's why I put Tracking again as I said in the more recent comments, to get the weapon (or other cards you need if you already have it) more consistently.
Played it, loved it. This version feels completely different from the face ones, maybe because deep inside I'm a priest main and love board trading more than counting lethal.
Also, the consistency on this! Every turn I get some option select, almost every card is useful and playable on its own. With SMOrc I keep throwing cards into their face and hope: it's enough, they won't heal, no taunt, 1-2 health board won't get wiped by a sneeze etc. Most of the time I can't reel the perfect starting hand, or skill command turn 6-8 out of the deck, and end up losing.
Haven't met many demon hunters and warlocks, but lots of mages, shamans and druids, even couple of priests. And as long as you stay out of libram paladins' way, the rest were all beatable.
Not having the galakrond rotnests unlocked, I swapped them to evasive wyrms. Looked into dragonmaw sky stalkers, but those seemed slow-ish.
All in all, a great new experience with this. Thank you!
Wow thanks, its good to know and I understand the love for the board, I have always liked board midrange decks (shaman, hunter, zoolock and the old dude paladin).
I love Evasive Wyrm and I have played successfully in previous Dragon decks. Still if you don't have Rotnest Drake and you see a lot of Paladin I would include at least Krolusk Barkstripper or Deadly Shot, maybe taking out Circus Medic which will be less efective now you don't have four 5 mana minions to activate it early.