Dragonz'rilla
- Last updated Jul 10, 2016 (Old Gods)
- Edit
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Wild
- 23 Minions
- 6 Spells
- 1 Weapon
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Unknown
- Crafting Cost: 9760
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 12/22/2015 (Explorers)
- lHlakai
- Deck Architect
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- 14
- 40
- 64
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Battle Tag:
Hakai
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
2373
New Channel @ twitch.tv/lHlakai
The Deck is split into two distinct classes, the Dragon Class and the Support class. The Dragon class cards include your Dragon minions, and also non Dragon minions that require the possession of a Dragon in your hand to activate their high value Battlecry abilities. This class contains the majority of the muscle in the deck and heavily revolves around the synergy within itself. While the class might be powerful and favored when it comes to making trades on the board, it can’t get things done all by itself and requires some support in order to maximize control of the board/game.
The Support class cards include your weapon, spells, and minions with very unique abilities that provide, but not limited to, card draw and area of effect damage. Most of the cards in this class are reactive and only meant to be played in particular situations. While it is not the most active class when it comes to minion board presence, the Support class has a very powerful synergy and does account greatly for how smooth and efficiently a match progresses and develops.
Card draw is one of the most important aspects in a control build, and in this particular deck card draw comes in a variety of flavors. Dragonz’rilla contains 8 cards that possess the ability to draw, but only 6 of those cards are applicable.
Quick Shot has a secondary ability which allows the drawing of a card when your hand is empty. However, due to the highly unlikely occurrence of having an empty hand this card is not considered an option and its draw ability should be ignored.
King's Elekk x2:
This card has been chosen for its ability to joust and still provide the traditional stats of a 2 cost minion. I consider the 3/2 stat line favorable in a world with Darnassus Aspirant, Voidwalker, Mana Wyrm, and Twilight Whelp. You always want this card in your starting hand. Sometimes I use Elekk without even caring if I win the joust because i just want to see what my opponent is running early to help shape my decision making moving forward.
With the multitude of heavy hitters present in the deck, you will find more often than not King's Elekk will provide you with that extra draw. It’s also a great tool for snatching a dragon early to enable your dragon dependent cards like Blackwing Technician.
Acolyte of Pain x2:
This card is straight forward, he takes damage and draws a card. While it's fine to play the Acolyte all by his lonesome, he works very well with Wild Pyromancer and Dreadscale and it’s best to take advantage of that synergy. Because Acolyte can be silenced he doesn’t have to provide a draw, but you should still count him as at least 1 draw.
Azure Drake x2:
This is the only guaranteed draw in the deck and doubles as a dragon. In addition to card draw the spell damage bonus will come in very handy far more often than you think. The Drake's Spell Damage buff helps in the process of clearing the board, and at times provide a small but well appreciated extra damage to finish off the opponent.
With any control deck comes the required ability of clearing the board and performing efficient removal. Hunter has never been very strong at this particular aspect of the game which makes control difficult. However we do have the tools to methodically pick off our targets, resulting in what I consider an ongoing tempo oriented board clear.
In other words, Hunter might not have the convenient ability to deal 2-4 damage to the entire board on command, but with the combination and synergy of Dragons, minions like Dreadscale and Wild Pyromancer, paired with Hunter's Mark and other spells, clearing the board effectively is a reality; A very interactive and fun one at that.
Hunter's Mark x2:
This is the card you use to deal with any major threat. Your choice of combo can be with Wild Pyromancer or Dreadscale. Another option is a very basic method of using a minion on the battlefield to trade after designating a target. I must stress that you should not squander this card on mundane things.
Dreadscale:
This miniature Baron Geddon is a Paladin and aggro deck's worse nightmare, especially when it hides behind a taunt. It might not be the most effective board clear by itself, but it does contribute a great deal and shines in specific matchups where a lot of tokens are prevalent. Combining this guy with Hunter's Mark is effective for eliminating a huge threat.
Chillmaw:
A 6/6 Taunt with a built in Excavated Evil. This card can be played as a standalone minion on an empty board, but it is best played when the opponent's board is occupied and its ability can be used to maximum effect. Chillmaw also has the ability to play mind games with your opponent, causing them to play inefficiently thinking the A.O.E. will trigger when you actually have no dragons in your hand.
I have questioned myself whether I should have an Antique Healbot in the deck. Even after all my time of playing the deck I have still yet to be met with a case where a heal would have won me the game or saved me. Health just has not been much of an issue, and one of the reasons for that is the Longbow.
When it’s crunch time and you find yourself in a situation where you would need to heal, the Longbow dishes out the damage and provides the well needed immunity. From another perspective the weapon has a flexible heal. Whatever the attack value of the opponent you strike is how much health the bow provides you. So when you are helping your minions by crashing your face into a 8/8 giant, allowing King's Elekk or Blackwing Technician to finish him off, is essentially playing an Antique Healbot simultaneously.
I have won games due to this weapon and I understand fully why it has to be so expensive. I will just share with you a memorable example. I had a match against a Shaman and he was on an insane rampage. One of those games where the opponent top decks the most ideal card for every turn and seemingly has a counter for everything you do. I managed to hold on till late game where I had only 2 health remaining and he had a healthy 26.
His board consisted of a 3/4 Spider Tank, a 0/2 Healing Totem, a 5/4 Piloted Shredder (due to The Mistcaller), a 0/2 Stoneclaw Totem, and a 4/4 The Mistcaller. My side of the board consisted of an equipped Gladiator's Longbow and a 4/1 Azure Drake. The only way to come out of it was if the shredder dropped something with less than 2 attack.
I began with an Arcane Shot killing the 0/2 Stoneclaw Totem, then I Longbow the shredder and out comes a Captain's Parrot. Now I know this was the hand of RNG, but consider the fact that I could hit a 5 damage minion and take no damage at all. I traded the Azure Drake into the Spider Tank and killed The Mistcaller with Rend Blackhand, leaving him with only the 0/2 Healing Totem and Captain's Parrot on the board. He drew nothing on his turn that could immediately provide the extra 1 damage and I stalled by playing Twilight Guardian. The following turn I drew Alexstrasza to reset my health and eventually won the game.
There simply is so much I can say about Gladiator's Longbow, but one thing I must say is that this card plays a major role in the deck's board clearing ability.
A proper mulligan is something that comes with experience and understanding of the deck and matchups. From a very basic and general standpoint, not taking matchup (advanced knowledge) into consideration, there is always a set of cards to look for.
For new players or those without extensive experience, you want to get your low drops and things to start controlling the board with. Essentially you want to look for things you can start playing immediately, and not holding onto things you would like to play later.
Anything from 1-3 mana is fine. These are listed in order of preference.
Some of these cards should be kept together if already in hand. Example, if you have Wild Pyromancer and Hunter's Mark then keep those.
For the more experienced player you can take matchups into account and make the more appropriate choices. Most will still come from that general list but priority/preference will change. For example, when playing against aggressive decks like Face Hunter or Zoo I keep my Arcane Shot. Arcane Shot also helps against Mage and Sorcerer's Apprentice from getting out of control. It is also a nice keep against Paladin along with Wild Pyromancer for Knife Juggler, Shielded Minibot and Muster for Battle.
Mulligan for cards that best help you gain control early. Don’t mulligan for cards that you would like to see gain value later. An example of this would be holding onto an Azure Drake, or a high costing dragon because you have Blackwing Technician in your hand. Don’t force it, it will happen naturally.
Rules can always be bent, as long as you are doing it from the understanding of your matchup and environment. This part of the mulligan is very experience based and not something that can be easily written in a deck guide. The more you play and understand the flow of the deck the better your mulligan will become.
What exactly are my Decks?
These decks are created as concepts. When I construct a deck it is meant to be a base of inspiration. Mainly finding ways of approaching cards most players probably never thought of using before.
These builds are not the most efficient or competitive ready, but a concept I make sure does work well enough before I release it. “Well enough” meaning I personally have successfully climbed through several Rankings, and most importantly making sure it is FUN to play and performs well above average in a Casual setting.
Who are the Decks for?
These decks/concepts are mainly targeted toward those who want something new, those interested in exploring new ideas.
There are those in the Hearthstone Community who only think about competitive ladder, but Hearthstone does not solely revolve around those players, neither does Hearthpwn. There are many types of other players that the game supports.
The Competitive Players?
For those looking for something ladder competitive, make the changes you think should be made, and also share those changes so others can make use of it. Don’t take the deck as it is and feel it should never be altered. That’s the whole point of sharing it with the Community. Each individual is going to think of something the other never thought of. From that we are supposed to learn from each other as a Community and shape these decks as a Community.
The decks we play today have been consistently refined over time by a multitude of players in the Community. Every deck starts from an idea and then evolves. That is what should be the goal here. If it becomes something great competitively or fails miserably then so be it, that’s the nature of things.
There are those who are truly competitive minded and understand this very well, and then there are those who are merely ‘plug and play’ players. I have very little interest in that category.
The Guide... The Intent?
When I build my guides, I do build them for the concept. The deck itself is not intended to be the final say, or the forever build. The guide itself will always remain as the concept, the foundation where all the ideas can spur from. But there should be many decks forming out of the concept.
Providing you with the best ladder deck or deck period is not my goal. There are already thousands of decks out there to play which meet that requirement. If you are looking for the most efficient and best deck for a class, it already exists. The playground for the best competitive decks is pretty small.
Looking at the history of the game, decks have barely changed. If they have changed, it’s one or two cards due to refinement or card expansion providing better options to replace the old. We already know the most efficient, effective, and highest tier of competitive cards. Not much changes, the foundations remain the same.
Final Thoughts
If the deck can be competitive, then it’s the Community’s job to make it so. Otherwise the deck is there for something different. Even if it’s just to spur an idea. You could get an idea from the concept which you could apply to your already competitive deck; Simply because you never looked at a particular card in a certain way. Because of the concept you could have a different view of a card and figure out how to use it to your advantage.
That is what I hope you take away from these concepts. Not whether or not it’s a plug and play and you can just jump on it and it will be the best deck you have ever used for the class. That is not my interest or intent. My intent is to inspire and get the Community to look at more cards and deck types. Otherwise the game is just going to be stagnant and remain the same.
Having Trouble?
For those who are having trouble managing the deck, especially against certain matchups, there are changes you can try.
Trouble in the Health department
-1 Drakonid Crusher
+1 Antique Healbot
Trouble with Secrets (mainly Paladin)
-1 King's Elekk
+1 Flare
Trouble with Control & Stability
-2 Drakonid Crusher
+2 Powershot
Match Videos
Day[9] Decktacular Series
FailCraft 2 Minute Deck Guide
HearthstoneJosemi using the deck [ESPAÑOL]
P4wnyhof using Dragonz'rilla
-2 Drakonid Crusher
+2 Savannah Highmane
User created match video: Vs Face Hunter
I haven't played it per this guide as I'm still crafting it, but it looks like it's a hard deck. Control decks in general need to have the right cards for the situation that's why they have a lot of card draw built in. With this deck you're balancing some of your board clear with your card draw coupling the Pyromancer and Acolyte that it's certainly gonna be on the tougher side. Personally for me control decks are my hardest to play but they're definitely rewarding and fun to pull off. I've just accepted the fact that I'll lose a lot to bad card draw. Nature of the beast. Knowing your enemy matchups intimately only helps more I'm sure, but that's something I'm still working on.
The deck architect did warn right at the top of the guide that this deck has a high learning curve and has also said in the Architect's Notes that it's not meant only for Competitive Ladder:
The design of the deck is quite ingenious with its synergy. The guide is very detailed in providing ways and means to play it. Perhaps you might want to take a closer look at your decision making in accordance to the deck's design. On a similar note, everyone is also encouraged to customise the deck according to their playstyles and needs.
I have been using this deck for a while and it is AMAZING! dreadscale helps so much vs flood paladins and that gahz'rilla finisher is awesome aswell, (ill never ragret making them) i even want to buy alleria to make this deck even better :P . thank you very much!
You are very welcome :)
Thanks for the support, greatly appreciated.
I really wanted to like this deck. I fell from 11 rank to 15 today because of it. It just can't keep up with the fast decks, and the other control decks out there are just better. The only games I won were due to perfect draws.
Just wanted to thank you for this deck. It's the most fun I've had since playing Hearthstone and has turned me from a strictly casual player over the last 2 years into a Hearthstone addict. I've made several changes that made the deck a little less top-heavy and assist with some board clear, but I'm not a top-tier player by any means so let me know what you think. I feel like when I play this deck often times I'm in a position where I want to bully the opponent into using their removals on my seemingly big threats so I can then throw down Gahz'rilla if he's in hand on turn 7 and basically say "what are you going to do?" If they can remove it they usually burn through cards & I still have other big options; if not - I win because 48-96 damage to the face does that. I removed 1x Drakonid Crusher & replaced with 1x Savannah Highmane. I feel it's a much stronger card, often draws removal/silence/etc. & can be played before Gahz. I also removed Alexstrasza, Rend Blackhand, & Chromaggus; replacing them with 2x Explosive Trap & 1x Hungry Dragon. This gives me some more clear against mech/face/murloc as well as extra Gahz triggers w/ Wild Pyromancer. The Hungry Dragon puts another big body on the board to draw early removals; but it's a flex slot I'm experimenting with.
All in all I love the deck, thank you & always fun dropping Gahz as it's often a "put up or shut up" for the opponent.
Please by all means feel free to experiment. I will also try your changes :) Glad you are enjoying the deck!
Hey there, just wanted to say nice deck man!
i'd also like to ask, between Gahz'rilla and Dreadscale, which one should i craft first?
thank you
That really depends on what type of hunter decks you generally play, but I would recommend Dreadscale for the first craft between the two.
sorry for the follow up question XD thanks for the quick reply tho!
what would be a good replacement for Gahz'rilla ?
Dr. Boom
does this deck work on EU?
Works great vs. face hunter.....for them that is.
im the same as you i think its over-rated deck tbh the guide and the concept definetly deserve a+1 i think most the rates are for that anyway :D
Just a couple hundred dust from crafting Gahz'rilla! I've played against it three times in ladder, and after the third defeat I was convinced to give it a go myself. (All the positive feedback was a heavy influence as well). Can't wait to play it!
Thanks for this deck Hakai, it actually requires focus and a lot of thinking in every phase of the game, but that is what makes HS so fun for me...
Have you ever tried Malygos with this deck? I'm using the deck posted by flaviusmercurius, and I'm thinking about replacing Chromaggus with Malygos, in order to maximize damage with spells...
Yes I have tried Malygos, doesn't work well. Mostly when you are able to actually play Malygos, you are out of spells.
What to do against Tirion? Is there a place for some kind of silence minion?
swap whatever card you feel has not been working for you and include a silence. Drakonid Crusher are the most flexible slots.