Priest of the Dragonlord - Now 100% Less Theore...
- Last updated Apr 27, 2016 (Old Gods)
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Wild
- 21 Minions
- 9 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Dragon Priest
- Crafting Cost: 8400
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 4/13/2016 (Explorers)
- Hammurabi1337
- Registered User
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Battle Tag:
Hammurabi#1583
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
106
"Anduin... clearly you are intended for something greater. Some powers are best left buried... unless you are one of the chosen few who can handle them with a clear mind... but you're one of them, aren't you? Yes, of course you are..."
Anduin's new master calls from the spoiler list. Will you answer his call to arms?
Dragon Priest is an interesting deck. Since TGT it has consistently sat somewhere in the second or third tier of competitive decks, never really becoming irrelevant but always outshined by Patron Warrior, or Tempo Mage, or Renolock or Secret Paladin. With the release of the Standard format, this is going to change.
Every competitive deck archetype is taking a sizable hit when Naxx and GvG rotate out, except Dragons. Every class is taking a sizable hit except for Priest, who only lose Dark Cultist, Velen's Chosen and Lightbomb, which were nice to run but by no means essential.
Put Crackle-less Face Shamans in their place.
This list will be updated as more cards are revealed and an extensive guide will be written and updated as Standard rolls out and the new meta solidifies. In the mean time I'll be active in the comments and be making notes of synergies I'm considering. Feedback (especially from other Dragon Priest veterans) is much appreciated.
Current thoughts:
I really, really want Scaled Nightmare to work but it probably isn't going to work. A shame, really. And this deck doesn't have space for Inner Fire.
Ancient Harbinger and either Twilight Guardian or Cyclopian Horror on a 10-mana turn seems pretty solid. 12 health total to deal with through trades or removal spells and if Harbinger survives you have the 10 mana to immediately drop what it pulls. If they commit to killing that Harbinger they have that much less to deal with another Legendary out of your hand the following turn.
The third and final Dragon of the expansion, Midnight Drake, is a rough fit for this deck. The biggest assist from this last set of reveals is Cyclopian Horror, which will help against aggro.
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FRONT PAGE HYPE
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The new cards are out and so are a good number of cards from the old list! This variant has gone undefeated through all of Rank 6 and 5, still going strong. Note that Forbidden Shaping has been dropped not because of its own merit but because there just isn't space at the moment. Maybe if the aggro shaman decks die off it will replace Cyclopian Horror.
I think I most certainly acknowledged that this was about standard. I said a lot about the lack of cards because of their removal. As for the meta changing, I am quite aware of that, but the meta can only slow so much. The meta would have to be so slow for this deck in this iteration it would practically be a different game. The meta can only slow down as much as aggro decks are weak. Is aggro shaman weak? I don't think so.
Looks like we made the front page at some point last night. Thanks for the support everyone!
The next tweaks to the deck will be made once we see more of the new Priest cards or a neutral comes along that changes this deck for the better. Until then, if you have any suggestions I'm all ears.
I hate to be the one who is a downer, but this deck will never see the light of day. Maybe withVelen's Chosen the deck could have a chance of being able to tempo out, but like this there is no way. Very few decks, outside of ones with ridiculous and cheap removal, could ever run 11 slots 5+ Mana. Ancient Harbinger is going to be a terrible card, essentially a 4/6 Taunt, or they'll just ignore it and kill you before your 10 Mana could even have an impact. Plus even if the Harbinger did pull a ten drop, both the 10 drops in the deck are also going to just be ignorable if you are at all in range of death. Oh thats a nice 12/12, it would be too bad if it got countered by the all powerful Mirror Image! Essentially the only way that this deck has a chance is if it hits at least 2/3 Taunts (Wyrmrest Agent, Twilight Guardian, and Chillmaw) on curve with the activators against aggro. Also Deathwing is just a dream in this deck, considering you only have eight other dragons in the deck, the majority of which you are going to have to play well before it to even have a chance. Only two of them even feel that good to get out of the Deathwing (Ysera and Chillmaw) as the other ones arent going to trigger their battlecries. Shifting Shade is going to be a really weak tempo play here as well. My advice if you really want this deck to work is to cut one Forbidden Shaping (Though I do really like that card and think it would honestly be better than trying to do the high mana curve here) and adding a second Holy Nova to fight for the board better. I understand that the Museum Curator is there to get the theoretical full board from N'Zoth but I honestly think it is going to be terrible here. The three cards that you would really want from it to help control the board at all (Dark Cultists, Piloted Shredder, and Sludge Belcher) are all gone. I think you cut one and put in something to fight for the board more. That card in particular is really hurt by losing Velen's because thats essentially the only way to make it worth anything besides token removal.
I honestly look at this deck and feel really conflicted about it as we go into a completely new meta. It has the framework of a deck that was built in a time in which Paladin dominated, and I don't think that will be the case at all anymore. The meta should shift from token>larger single minions, and thus I am somewhat at a loss for why the deck only has one single minion removal, and more at a loss for why it is Entomb when Entomb is better when you need to add large threats to your arsenal, and Shadow Word: Death is better for when you need tempo swings and to control the board. I most certainly think Death is better here.
It's really tough because I kind of see where you are coming from in a sense having such a high mana curve, because all the early game tempo is either gone or just doesn't really fit. A Piloted Shredder would be so much better than a Shifting Shade or an Ancient Harbinger, but it just isn't in the cards. A Wild Pyromancer could be interesting, but then again there will be less tokens. Its tough, but I just don't think this is it.
Thank you for taking the time to type all that out and contributing!
On the subject of removals, I've mentioned in the deck description that the removals are a guess and will most likely shift. If it ends up being 2 Death 2 Nova or something I wouldn't be surprised. I'm guessing that the meta slows but I can't guess which of those will be best until I've played around for a day or two after release.
Ill definitely take some of these points into consideration on the next revision.
That's what I'm talking about
Two points in a recent Ben Brode stream are quite relevant to this deck and format:
A BGH/Ironbeak nerf and upcoming new deathrattles would both help the endgame of this deck immensely. Original thread chronicling the stream.
I think you're underestimating the impact that Velen's Chosen has on tempo, it allows you to trade up with all those early minions that will otherwise become useless very quickly (Northshire Cleric, Twilight Whelp, Museum Curator, Wyrmrest Agent - that's 8 cards, almost a third of your deck!)
I'm very wary of having Chillmaw and N'zoth the Corruptor in the same deck. I know that summoning a taunt off N'zoth the Corruptor is super important, but the anti-synergy is too costly IMO (espescially if you're running Shifting Shade).
I agree about Shifting Shade/Chillmaw. The more I look at Shade the more I feel it's not so great an addition.
I'm doing fairly well with a Chosen-less Dragon Priest at the moment. It is nice but it isn't the only way to keep up tempo, especially with Dragons.
You have no clue do you? This curve doesn't work without Velen's Chosen, yet you claim it isn't "essential". I guess nothing is essential at rank 15.
And why, may I ask, would someone with any sense in his head want a guide on a deck that hasn't even been tested?
By the way good luck getting value from a 4 mana 4/3. Your plan seems to be playing a minion on curve each turn and this crap trades very poorly with Fiery War Axe, Frostbolt, Rockbiter Weapon, Wrath, King's Elekk, Wild Pyromancer, Knife Juggler or his juggles and an even worse minion --- to name a few.
Deck update for the reveal of Shifting Shade! Not entirely sold on it yet, but it fits the curve beautifully and even the anti-synergy with Chillmaw's deathrattle (if they're both revived by N'Zoth) leads to a free stolen card.
Cards currently on the fringe of being included: Shadow Word: Death, Sylvanas Windrunner, Cairne Bloodhoof, Naga Sea Witch, Justicar Trueheart, Chromaggus.
Why use Elise, it doesnt seem to fit in. Why change all you synergies into random legends?
When you're screwed and about to lose you might as well use the monkey and hope for a miracle. No more Mal'ganis to bail us out but there will be other things.
It's one of the cards I would first consider replacing, but it has its merits. It's a solid 4 mana body that can swing games back in your favor against Jaraxxus or Control Warriors. It also combos with Brann.
But yeah, if you were going to pick a card to cut for, say, Shadow Word: Death, Elise is a good candidate. If a solid 4 drop is revealed that outclasses it, it could easily not make the first test version.
Plus,
A 4 mana 6/6 taunt is pretty good for its mana cost.
Ancient Harbinger pulling out a Nzoth would be bad.
Pulling out an expensive card so you don't have to draw into it? How is this bad?
the battlecry would be wasted
nevermind, i thought it put Nzoth strait into play, it puts it into your hand though. sorry.