Hearthpwn

Intro

This is Trump's latest build of To Battle! (formerly Quartered) as of 07/01/14. The deck has undergone a few changes, losing such cards as Piloted Sky Golem and Spellbreaker in favour of cards such as Defender of Argus and Ironbeak Owl in order to better counter that aggro-heavy meta.

Now the archetype for midrange Paladin decks post-GvG, To Battle! focuses on winning in the mid-game through efficient use of Quartermaster and big minions, without sacrificing a slow start to aggro decks.

Mulligan

Keep: Zombie Chow, Shielded Minibots, Muster for Battle, Aldor Peacekeeper and Consecration if aggro is suspected. It may sometimes be correct to keep an Antique Healbot in your opening hand if facing Hunter and you have an otherwise good curve

Discard: Anything over 3 mana unless it suits the matchup eg. Consecration vs. a Shaman/Zoo

Strategy

As a midrange deck you're aiming to win after aggro has burnt out but before control has worn you down. This is difficult in Hearthstone due to the relatively short length of games and low hp of heroes, so you tend to play leaning more towards one than the other and in this case, To Battle! is more on the control-y end of midrange.

For that reason you should attempt to contain and burn out aggro such as Hunter and Zoo rather than race it, but against slower decks such as Handlock and Control Warrior you are no doubt attempting to beat them down with Muster +Quartermaster and Muster + Knife Juggler combos as well as high value midrange minions like Piloted Shredders and Sylvanas Windrunner.

Understanding the versatility of Muster is key to making this deck shine; against aggro is an early game removal card, against control it is a late game combo.

Video

Matchups

Mage - If you suspect Mech Mage, Mulligan hard for a strong early game eg. Zombie Chow, Shielded Mini Bot and Muster for Battle. It may also be worth keeping consecration. Mech Mage is really a control deck but you tend to find most players using it as a face rush deck instead. Against Freeze Mage, be aggressive, use Truesilver to top up your health and time your Healbot/Lay on Hands in order to disrupt their OTK. Against secret Mage simply play around their secrets as usual.

Hunter - As with essentially all other decks in the game, surviving against Facehunter relies on drawing a strong early game almost immediately. Undertaker is a worthy silence target. Zombie Chow on turn 1 is the best start you can have. As usual, a perfect draw on their part or an imperfect draw on yours is usually an auto-loss, otherwise the Hunter will run out of steam and go out with a whimper.

Control Warrior - Against Control Warrior you will want to play aggressively, saving your silence for Sylvanas and baiting out AoE removal before using Muster and single target removal/silence before using Tirion or Bolvar. Use the predictability of the deck to your advantage, you know exactly which cards every Control Warrior runs and more or less which order they play them, so don't overextend on turn 5 in case of Brawl, don't use your heals before Alexstrasza etc.

Zoolock - Much like Hunter only Zoolocks are more likely to interact with your board so aim to make value trades and control them whilst they hopefully whittle their health down through lifted until running out of steam in front of a taunt or Healbot.

Handlock - Just like always Paladin vs. Handlock equality or lose, draw two equalities and probably win. Being a controlish deck you want to play more aggressively. With an equality in hand you can rush them down and force early giants and clearing them, but be careful not to blow all your equalities before their big threats are on the board. Save Harrison for Jaraxxus.

Shaman - With the abundance of silences and removal you are hard pressed to get value out of your big minions and QM + Muster can easily fall foul to Lightening Storm, making this a tough matchup depending on your opponents draw. Save your equality + consecrates for the later game when you can too often find yourself facing a <10hp Shaman in front of an impenetrable wall of Fire Elementals and totems.

Priest - The other of Paladin's difficult matchups, being a class that relies quite heavily on card advantage and tempo and Priest being able to cheaply and effortlessly steal that. Tirana is near unplayable in this matchup as it is almost always going to be stolen, much like anything else of value in your deck. Try to play aggressively and rush them down and try not to smash your keyboard at the unfun of it all.

Sideboard

Cairne Bloodhoof - can be subbed in if you are lacking a Piloted Sky Golem or Sylvanas Windrunner

Kel'Thuzad - may replace a missing Dr. Boom or Tirion Fordring and with more experimentation may even be worth a main slot in the deck

Loatheb - or any other valuable 5 drop such as an additional Sludge Belcher or a Stampeding Kodo are valid replacements for a missing Harrison Jones.

Acolyte of Pain - may be an alternative to Cult Master.

All Thanks Where It's Due

Credit goes to the Mayor of Valuetown himself, Trump, for this already classic and continually refined deck.