Hearthpwn

Background

In season 19 (October) I had a lot of trouble in the aggressive meta (Secret Paladin, Face Hunter, Aggro Druid, Mages) and was looking for answers. I saw that Druid was performing reasonably against my Secret Paladin so I tested Midrange Druid. That brought me to the top 250 legend last season so I wanted to use it again in season 20 (November). I got bored a bit and wanted a change, so I gave Aggro Druid a try. I was immediately stunned by the deck! When I was playing vs Aggro Druid and lost I mostly thought the opponent got super lucky. Oh boy I was so wrong. The deck is designed perfectly and is consistently able to stomp the board early and finish the opponent between turns 7-9. Even in top deck mode the has impressive results.

Why should I play the deck now?

The meta on EU for me was like this:

 

And here is how the Aggro Druid performs overall vs:

Bottom line you have 2 slightly unfavored match ups and 5 favored match ups. What the hell are you waiting for?! The time is right to play the deck now. It is insane! There is a reason why it's getting more and more popular and getting close to Secret Paladin in terms of popularity! Here are the stats to prove my statements:

Legend proof:

Video series: Road to legend with Aggro Druid

A series of videos of my way to legend in Season 20.

Video series: Coaching Aggro Druid

A series of videos where I coach a viewer with the deck.

Strategy

The deck gains control of the board immediately with cards like Innervate, Darnassus Aspirant and Living Roots. Even against a Midrange Paladin opening with Zombie Chow, Shielded Minibot and Muster for Battle you often times have the means to fight back. If you get a decent draw, aggressive decks like Face Hunter will completely be overwhelmed by your early game minions. When the board is secured, you have high damage threats like Fel Reaver and Savage Combatant. Often times you will have 3 or more minions to release a super strong Savage Roar early on. For the late game you have multiple charge minions and direction damage sources to finish your opponent (e.g. Druid of the Claw, Force of Nature or Druid of the Saber). Very often you will be able to finish the opponent between turn 7-10 and if not, the deck has a high top deck quality. Many players think that this is a pure face SMorc deck, but it is not. You want to control the board first and than kill the opponent fast.

Mulligan

You are always looking for Innervate, Darnassus Aspirant, Living Roots, Leper Gnome and conditionally for Knife Juggler, Druid of the Saber. With Innervate you sometimes also keep Piloted Shredder, Shade of Naxxramas, Druid of the Claw or Fel Reaver depending on the match up. It is very important to aggressively mulligan for Innervate and Darnassus Aspirant, because you never want to get these cards in the late game.

Match ups

• Mirror: Druid of the Saber and Knife Juggler are decent to kill  Darnassus Aspirant. You must always trade in this match up unless the trade is really unfavorable (e.g. sending a Shredder into a 3-2 Saber). An early Fel Reaver is super threatening, but can be dealt with Druid of the Claw and small minions. Trade until you control the board and than the opponent has almost no comeback mechanism. Good Innervate cards: Shade of Naxxramas, Fel Reaver or in best case Dr. Boom.
• Midrange Druid: This depends on the opponents deck list. The more taunts he runs, the better his win chance is. It also highly depends whether he gets Wild Growth on turn 2. Kill the opponents Darnassus Aspirant and save your Keeper of the Grove for Sludge Belcher. Ignore Sylvanas Windrunner and other mid game threats after he is below 15 health. Most of the time, you can overwhelm the Midrange Druid early. Good Innervate cards: Shade of Naxxramas, Fel Reaver, Druid of the Claw. Druid of the Claw, Savage Combatant or in best case Dr. Boom. You are favored, but watch out for his combo.
• Ramp Druid: Similar to Midrange Druid, but they run many taunts like Druid of the Claw, Sludge Belcher and Ancient of War. Keep your Silence for taunts and hope that you can rush them down. If they get an early Wild Growth there is almost no chance for you.
• Face Hunter: Darnassus Aspirant, Living Roots, Knife Juggler and Swipe are super strong early game cards. Make sure to toss Shade of Naxxramas even with Innervate. Good Innervate cards: Fel Reaver, Druid of the Claw (in taunt mode), Savage Combatant. Face Hunters can't deal with Fel Reaver. Many games you will be able to race them with the 8-8 and Savage Roar. I usually go face when he has no minions left. This is one of your best match ups.
• Midrange Hunter: This match up is a bit tough. Freezing Trap is often times hard to deal with in the early game, especially, because these days you can never be sure if it is not Explosive Trap, Snake Trap or Bear Trap. They also have multiple ways to deal with your Darnassus Aspirant to slow you down (e.g. Knife Juggler, King's Elekk, Quick Shot or Eaglehorn Bow and even Kill Command). Best cards to innervate are Druid of the Claw and Savage Combatant, because Hunters have trouble dealing 4 damage. The late game usually belongs to them, because they have Savannah Highmane which you cannot answer. You will also have trouble with Houndmaster and sometimes Sludge Belcher. Fel Reaver is not really threatening, because they have Freezing Trap and Kill Command for 5 direct damage (sometimes even Hunter's Mark). The Hunter is favored, but if you get a good start and he doesn't, you can rush him easily.
• Midrange Paladin: The main reason why I think Aggro Druid is favored is that Paladin has no answer to Darnassus Aspirant. You should hard mulligan for that card to gain mana advantage. If you play Living Roots on turn 1, Darnassus Aspirant turn 2 and Piloted Shredder turn 3, you are usually winning the board. Also Swipe is such as powerful card against Midrange Paladin and many Midrange lists are cutting the Sludge Belcher and the Antique Healbot these days. A month ago Paladins would run 2x Belcher, 1x Healbot which is pretty strong against Aggro Druid, but now they run Murloc Knight and Justicar Trueheart which is very weak vs Aggro Druid. Just remember to be careful with your Fel Reaver. I only play it when I have Keeper of the Grove in hand and I throw it away even with Innervate in mulligan. Fel Reaver is not the best card here, but there are also games where they don't have Aldor Peacekeeper or sometimes they are so far behind, that they have to use the Peacekeeper on your Piloted Shredder or Savage Combatant. If I have Knife Juggler + Living Roots, I keep the roots to jungle down his guys. I still think that Paladin has high chances against Aggro Druid, but it is not highly favored. 55-45 for me, but this changes if they run many taunts and anti aggro cards.
• Control Warrior: You have to play it slow here. Fel Reaver is not that strong so I would never Innervate and it and never keep it in my opening hand. Shade of Naxxramas I usually let grow in stealth until I have a Druid of the Claw protecting it or at least a Savage Combatant/Knife Juggler as other target on the board. Here Darnassus Aspirant is weak, unless they don't have Fiery War Axe. Still, you often control the early game and Warrior has no Silence targets except for Sludge Belcher. I usually trade everything and play it very slow to avoid Brawl. You can easily win by turn 15 or later, because the run out of removal. Often you need a decent top deck to finish them, but the deck has a high quality top deck mode. Do not over commit and do not play to fast. Living Roots tokens + hero power + Shade of Naxxramas is a perfect opening which makes it really awkward for the Warrior. Also, with 2x Combo you have a lot of late game fuel and don't have to worry about his Armor Up!. Clear 60-40 in my personal opinion, but 40% is still pretty high chance for the Warrior, however, he is unfavored.

• Tempo Mage: This was hard for me in the beginning. Remember that they have Mirror Entity. You need to save minions for this if they stard with Mad Scientist and you have no Silence (best minions to play into it are: Leper Gnome or Darnassus Aspirant). Also never Innervate a Shade of Naxxramas, since they can just Arcane Missiles/Flamecannon it. Also never Innervate a Fel Reaver unless you saw a Frostbolt. Save your Keeper for Flamewaker/Mad Scientist. Save Swipe for Flamewaker. The player who controls the board wins.

• I will add more here, if the deck receives 25 Likes!

Tips and tricks

• Protect your Darnassus Aspirant if the mana gives you a benefit for the next turn.
• Use your spells to remove minions and protect your board.
• Keeper of the Grove can Silence your Fel Reaver or Darnassus Aspirant, but if your Fel Reaver is still at 8-8 and the opponent played a Sludge Belcher, it is better to silence the Belcher and go face for 8 damage.
• Living Roots gives you 2 juggles from a Knife Juggler and Force of Nature 3.
• Early Savage Roar on some tokes is fine for extra damage and your hero can trade into threads.
• Use the inspire effect of Savage Combatant to kill minions.

FAQ

Does the deck need card draw?

No, it does not! It also doesn't need Wild Growth. If you add card draw you are playing Midrange Druid which is fine but a different deck. The deck was perfectly designed by Cursed!

Is Fel Reaver burning all your cards?

Most of the times it will not burn many cards. With this deck you will anyway never be able to draw all your cards and if so, you lose.  It is just burning cards you would have never drawn anyway. Many times the Fel Reaver burns cards you don't want to draw anymore like Innervate, Darnassus Aspirant or early game minions. The 8-8 is insane and can sometimes be played on turn 1. You just have to be careful in some match ups like Rogue or Tempo Mage which are able to 5+ cards in one turn. In most match ups Fel Reaver is a big threat and in some it wins you the game (e.g. Face Hunter). Due to Aldor Peacekeeper, I don't play Fel Reaver against Paladin unless I have Keeper of the Grove or I have to play it.

Change Log

• Version 1.0: Initial guide
• Version 1.5: Added video play list "Road to legend with Aggro Druid"
• Version 2.0: Added Control Warrior, Midrange Paladin and Tempo Mage in match ups.
• Version 2.5: Added video play list "Coaching a viewer with Aggro Druid"

Other guides/resources from me

• [Legend S18 & 19] TGT Midrange Hunter *Update* Unknown Deck by tomwaitforitmy - Sep 25, 2015 View Deck String Export to BBCode Export to Cockatrice Export to MarkDown Export to Html Clone this deck
  Minion (18) 1x Dr. Boom 1x Loatheb 2x Savannah Highmane 1x Sludge Belcher 1x Haunted Creeper 2x Ironbeak Owl 2x King's Elekk 2x Mad Scientist 2x Piloted Shredder 2x Webspinner 2x Houndmaster	Ability (10) 1x Unleash the Hounds 2x Animal Companion 1x Explosive Trap 2x Freezing Trap 2x Quick Shot 2x Kill Command	Weapon (2) 2x Eaglehorn Bow
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• [Legend S19 & 20] Secrets to counter the secrets! Unknown Deck by tomwaitforitmy - Oct 27, 2015 View Deck String Export to BBCode Export to Cockatrice Export to MarkDown Export to Html Clone this deck
  Minion (18) 1x Dr. Boom 1x Tirion Fordring 2x Mysterious Challenger 1x Aldor Peacekeeper 2x Knife Juggler 2x Secretkeeper 2x Sludge Belcher 1x Haunted Creeper 2x Keeper of Uldaman 2x Piloted Shredder 2x Shielded Minibot	Ability (10) 1x Competitive Spirit 2x Muster for Battle 1x Redemption 1x Repentance 2x Avenge 1x Blessing of Kings 2x Noble Sacrifice	Weapon (2) 1x Coghammer 1x Truesilver Champion
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• [Legend S22] Midrange Druid - always top tier! Ramp Druid Deck by tomwaitforitmy - Jan 27, 2016 View Deck String Export to BBCode Export to Cockatrice Export to MarkDown Export to Html Clone this deck
  Minion (16) 1x Dr. Boom 1x Emperor Thaurissan 1x Loatheb 2x Ancient of Lore 1x Big Game Hunter 1x Shade of Naxxramas 2x Azure Drake 1x Darnassus Aspirant 2x Keeper of the Grove 2x Druid of the Claw 2x Piloted Shredder	Ability (14) 2x Force of Nature 2x Innervate 2x Living Roots 2x Wild Growth 2x Wrath 2x Savage Roar 2x Swipe
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• YouTube
• Twitter
• CompetitiveHS reddit post about this guide/reasons to play the deck

Further resources

• Guide from Cursed who made this deck
• Guide from Krupstone