TheJordude's 100% Winrate (#4 NA) Midrange Hunt...
- Last updated Jul 19, 2015 (Blackrock Launch)
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Wild
- 17 Minions
- 11 Spells
- 2 Weapons
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Unknown
- Crafting Cost: 2880
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 7/8/2015 (Blackrock Launch)
- TheJordude
- Registered User
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- 7
- 11
- 17
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Battle Tag:
N/A
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
494
Hi, my name is Jordan aka TheJordude and I am a pro player currently playing for compLexity gaming. I recently hit legend (July 2015 season) with my interpretation of Midrange Hunter. I had a 100% win rate from rank 5 to legend (#4 currently) with this deck, climbing from 5 to legend within 3 days (school and work prevented me from playing all day).
You can find me on:
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/TheJordude
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coL_TheJordude
Here is the image of my spreadsheet just keeping track of my matchups (yea its a crappy spreadsheet, working on a better one)
Here's a screenshot of #4 legend with this deck
How to pilot this deck
A lot of people will tell you that Hunter is the easiest deck to play. I am one to disagree as there are many decisions you have to make with this deck, and any hunter deck to be honest.
With this deck, try to:
- Get board control as early as possible (by turn 6 max). This may require some aggressive plays to get this control... so yes you will have to trade minions, and use your spells and weapons
- Try to gain big tempo swings. Cards like Mad Scientist into Freezing Trap, Houndmaster, Hunter's Mark, Knife Juggler [/card], [card]Unleash The Hounds, Eaglehorn Bow and more all help you achieve this. Yes there is a lot! (That's why this deck is op)
- Try to be as efficient as possible. After say turn 3 or 4, really try to utilize your mana as efficiently as possible. Later in the game try to weave in your hero power every turn to maximize your damage and so you don't run out of steam so quickly.
- Know when to be aggressive. After a certain point in the game, you want to transition your board control into aggression. This can happen anywhere from turn 4 onwards, depending on your situation and who you are against. Against other aggros you may want to keep controlling the board, or race them. Against midrange/control you may want to be aggressive because you know you are running out of steam and need to kill them soon.
- Your power spike is from turns 2-6. If you can snowball your early game advantage and stay efficient, it is hard to lose.
Card choices:
Hunter's Mark - Can get a lot of value by either killing a big taunt such as Ancient of War, or simply just getting tempo by running a Webspinner into an annoying threat like Druid of the Claw
Webspinner over Abusive Sargent or Leper Gnome [/card] - Webspinner synergizes well with [card]Kill Command and Houndmaster. It can also get you amazing beasts like Savannah Highmane or Stranglethorn Tiger for later in the game or filling the curve better. You are playing for control, you don't have as fast of a game plan where you would play aggressive cards like Leper Gnome which doesn't provide you much in the longer run.
Freezing Trap - Huge tempo card when played at the right time or brought out by Mad Scientist. If you also manipulate the board to isolate a minion it is also good
Snake Trap - Can bluff as an Explosive Trap or Freezing Trap which can really mess up their plays. When it goes off, the snakes are very useful for getting board control by trading against aggro minions, or combining with Houndmaster, Hunter's Mark or Kill Command
Haunted Creeper - Strong, sticky 2 drop that's a beast and can normally stick around as a great target for Houndmaster
Ironbeak Owl - There are so many targets to get a good silence you would be crazy not to run an owl.
Knife Juggler - Combo's well with Snake Trap and wins you almost every game agains zoo when combo'd with Unleash the Hounds
Mad Scientist - Can't play secrets without this card, absolutely broken. Also you have 3 secrets so there is a lower chance this card is dead if you open up with a secret in your hand
Eaglehorn Bow - Great weapon to clear minions for board control. Can also get a lot of face damage in, especially when you get secrets activated
Animal Companion - Anything you get off this card is good
Kill Command - Helps you get the reach you need to finish off your opponent, It can also be used as removal as it is very efficient
Unleash the Hounds - A lot of people cut 1 UTH. But I REALLY like 2, there are so many times where this card is very useful. Either for reach for lethal, dealing with a big board and comboing with Knife Juggler, getting value off Houndmaster. A lot of decks right now fills there board, which is why this card at 2 copies is good right now.
Houndmaster - 2 copies are really good in my opinion because you will normally always get the battlecry off since you have so many beasts that are sticky enough to last.
Piloted Shredder - An alternative turn 4 play when you can't play a battlecry Houndmaster. Very sticky minion that fits in all midrange decks.
Loatheb - Great 5/5 body that locks out your opponent and secures your win when you are ahead
Savannah Highmane - Best minion in the game. Can't be BGH. Sticky. 2/2 leopards are great. The Kappa rule is that if you get a hit to face with this card, you are probably going to win the game (seems to be true every time though)
Dr. Boom - Boom bots op. Applies a lot of pressure. Helpful when you are running out of steam or when played on curve on a follow up of Savannah Highmane
Optional Cards:
Harrison Jones - I either have Jones or 2nd Piloted Shredder depending on how many weapon classes I see in the ladder
Sludge Belcher - Solid 5 drop, just not my preference in this deck as I feel it doesn't apply enough pressure
Explosive Trap - Good when there is a lot of aggro and would replace Snake Trap. I feel this card is a bit weak in this version of hunter though.
2nd Quick Shot - 2 is fine and replaces Snake Trap or 2nd Piloted Shredder. I don't like the 2nd one right now because it doesn't develop your board and is awkward when you have 2 in your hand.
Glaivezooka - Good weapon that can punish some plays, but a lot of times I find it awkward when I want to playEaglehorn Bow on 3 but have to waste a Glaivezookacharge
Mulligans:
Always try to get:
Consider keeping based on your matchup, have the coin, how your hand will curve:
- Any secret
- A 4 drop (if the rest of your hand curves really well and you have the coin)
Matchups
Hunter: Either way
Normally depends on the draw, how efficient you are, and if you can gain early tempo. However if you're against face, you are unfavored.
Warrior: Favoured
Midrange versions of Hunter are favoured against control. Patrons however will depend on how well you can get the control and apply enough pressure early in the game before they can draw a bunch of cards and combo you.
Mage: Either way
If against tempo, the matchup really depends on the early game tempo swings and board control, like the Midrange hunter mirror. Against Freeze, it really depends if you get a good Loatheb turn as well as applying enough pressure early on.
Shaman: Favoured
Against mech or midrange, I find you are favoured because you get good tempo swings, Shaman gets behind from overload, and they have no heal.
Paladin: Favoured
Against aggro, Unleash the Hounds win you the game, get that and you are favoured. Against midrange you are favoured, again from good tempo swings and early board control. They have a much better chance when opening with a good curve from turn 1 or 2.
Priest: Favoured
Priest's are usually slow in the early game which allow you to get the board control and apply a lot of pressure, forcing them to have clears. Pirest can be unfavored for you if they open up with a Zombie Chow
Rogue: Favoured
Freezing Trap seems to really hurt Rogue. You can normally out tempo them and apply enough pressure and damage that they can't come back.
Warlock: Favoured
All matchups are favoured either because you get early board control and pressure against slow Warlocks. Or against Zoo they build a big board and you win from a Knife Juggler, Unleash the Hounds. Your secrets are also important against warlock.
Druid: Favoured
You will normally out tempo the Druid and just pressure them with a strong board that they can't come back. They have to open up with Wild Growth or Innervate into a good curve to win.
That's basically all I have to say for this deck. If you don't seem to find success for this deck for some reason do not give up. This deck does require some practice so that you can really fine tune your decision making. There are always quite a few options during a lot of your turns, so it may help to look back at your games to identify them and confirming which was the best.
I also provide private coaching for anyone that prefer individual guidance to improve. If that is something you would be interested in just send me a private message here and we can go on from that.
Here is a demo session of coaching with midrange hunter http://www.twitch.tv/thejordude/v/7967967. This run went 17-2 from ranks 14-8
Have fun being a dirty Hunter and I'll see you on ladder!
*Update: no longer 100% win rate, the streak has been broken while trying to climb to #1 NA. However i have some youtube videos up playing this deck in the top 10 legend level for those that want to see but don't want to go through the VOD
My midrange vs face hunter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw5PO4Iwh14
My midrange vs justsaiyans aggro pally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFt3gSvSdeI&feature=youtu.be
Awesome Deck
Thanks for this you made me love my Hunter again :D <3
Ive been trying to figure out how to slot in Steamwheedle Sniper but it just doesn't work in most semi-aggro decks... Any thoughts? Maybe instead of a Knife Juggler? I never feel like I get good value from Juggler. But it is good bait.
still players who need hunter to reach legend, less brain
Still players who dont know how to play against hunters. =(
I main druid but it takes forever to get passed rank 5 because the games take so long, this deck is time efficient and good but definitely not that hard to beat.
ok
I swapped 1 belcher in for a hound master. Gonna give that a whirl.
If you look under Optional Cards, he suggests that you can replace snake trap with Explosive Trap or second Quick Shot. But snake trap really seems to work because people assume explosive shot.
On a side note, if the ladder is swarming with other Hunters or Mages, I replace the second Piloted Shredder with Kezan Mystic (i really like the card also).
After how often Boom is BGHed by control opponents, leaving them with that critical turn to stabilize, I'm going to give this sub a try. "Let's Do This!"
Had a 9 games winstreak with this deck, then my router broke. +1
I'm a reletively new player and this deck has helped me get a lot better at playing hunter. +1 and Thanks for sharing!
I replaced a Houndmaster for Feign Death and a Savannah Highmane for a Sylvanas Windrunner.
I did this for personal preference..I might miss out on more from losing a potential taunt and maybe Kill Command opportunities but the combos from Feign Death are pretty fun with this build if you have 2+ minions out with deathrattle.
Think this was a bad move?
I've removed one Eaglehorn and replaced it with gahz'rilla, crazy as it sounds it have worked wonderful, despite the fact that it's a huge beast and can be used with beast triggers such as houndmaster, but also you can use quickshot or kill comand on this creature and dealing 12 dmg in one blow
Sometimes the webspinner dropped tundra rhino (the combo damn) and 3 times in a row the shredder dropped steamwheedle making it a easy 12/7 creature
I win alot with this change, the gahz'rilla is one of the scariest legendarys in the game IMO, the opponent will remove it or silence it but that doesn't matter, you can still use its beast feature
The eaglehorn is quite good imo, by removing this i did find more benefits than disadvantages
And playing the Gahz'rilla, it's one of the most entertaining things to do in Hearthstone, playing with this beast will always favour you
Also great deck, i win like 80 %, but when i do lose it's still fun to play the deck
The reason I would disagree with you is that I don't think that the problem this deck has is a lack of win conditions. Gahz'rilla seems to have the role of "if they can't kill it right away, I win". However, the 2 Savannah Highmanes and Dr. Boom already provide that role. Rather, the Eaglehorn Bow is extraordinarily important at taking and maintaining board control, given that at the worst case it is 3 mana for 6 damage split among two enemy minions. This allows the hunter to control the board in the midgame, setting up for a turn where you can ideally drop an uncontested Highmane. Furthermore, the bow will often kill your opponent's 3 and 4 drops if you drop it on turn 3, meaning that your Piloted Shredder can also be uncontested, which is a huge deal.
Jones works well. Question: is Webspinner outlawed? i know i'm noob for asking, but in MTG they outlaw good cards. I drew an Core Hound from Webspinner, so seems too powerful. is this question meant to be here?
great deck.
Core hound is a pretty bad card...
But no it isnt, also Unstable Portal is arguable a better card, and look at what that has done in tourneys
The original poster is right.
I streaked from 14 to 8 in a little over an hour. Only loss was to a face Hunter who had a perfect draw.
I didn't need to change one single card. I don't know whether it's the perfect curve or what, but the deck works as advertised for me.
The Shredders give turn 4 the options it desparately needed.
I'm doing great against everyone except other Hunters.
9 games and all lost!
took my from rank 4 to 6 -.-
What do you think about substituting Leeroy for Loatheb for some fast damage instead of the more defensive approach offered by Loatheb's ability?
Or Leeroy for BOOM--I have been facing (as is typical) lots of aggro from hunters, warriors, and even Warlock, and a few times I needed 7 or 8 more damage, would draw a Boom and be game over for me.
Loatheb is quite crucial in a number of match-ups for midrange hunter, and it isn't really a defensive card like you think it is. The point of Loatheb is one of two things:
1. Gain tempo by playing a solid 5 drop while simultaneously blocking a turn where your opponent would want to play spells to contest your board.
2. Buy yourself one more turn to set up lethal by blocking your opponent from castings the spells that would finish you off.
Furthermore, another reason for Loatheb being preferable in this deck is that it is a much more consistant card. Leeroy Jenkins can almost only be played on a turn where you are killing your opponent, but absent any great plays Loatheb is always a solid drop that will help you build a board.
You are probably right that Dr. Boom is not very helpful against full on aggro decks like face hunter (although I think most zoo decks in the current meta are slow enough for Dr. Boom to be very relevant against them). However, if aggro is your problem, I don't think that Leeroy is your best answer. Consider adding in a Sludge Belcher or two to help you stablize the board