Hearthpwn

A Druid token deck, with some interesting twists.

 

Argent Squire gets things rolling with an early, difficult to remove 1/1 creature (for all classes save Shaman, who has an answer in the form of Earth Shock. Attempt to mulligan for an Innervate + Acolyte of Pain or Imp Master against this matchup.)

The use of 2 Savage Roars in the deck allow for far more versatility, allowing you to use one for an emergency board clear, or to use both at a later point for a devastating finisher.

Imp Master and Violet Teacher serve as the main token engines of this deck. Why Violet Teacher over Force of Nature? At a 3/5, Violet Teacher  provides for a very tricky body for most classes to deal with as early as turn 4 without the use of mana accel, and a late game Teacher followed by a couple of spells suddenly finds your opponent facing down a board full of tokens - tokens that they may be unable to get rid of in time for your finishing blow. Remember that Violet Teacher triggers before Power of the Wild, meaning that the new token will become a 2/2 as well.

Reasonings:

Argent Squire: Fantastic 1-mana card with survivability, something other 1-drop cards cannot boast. This deck thrives best when it can exert pressure and deal quick damage, and the Squire exemplifies that.

Naturalize: This card is great for wiping out...well, anything that is slowing you down. Taunters, threats, everything falls to this one mana removal spell. Use this with Violet Teacher on the board for added value if possible. Also, this sets up as an incredible way to eliminate any hindrance to a followup kill with Power of the Wild and Savage Roar.

Acolyte of Pain: No-brainer. This guy just oozes utility, with the opponent being forced to concede at least 1 card draw to you, or use an outright kill or silence to eliminate him. 

Soul of the Forest: When the going gets tough, the tough become trees. Use this before initiating a full board trade, or when you already have an overwhelming board presence. 

Keeper of the Grove: 2 more mana than Ironbeak Owl, but far sturdier. You'll likely find yourself using one of these guys for his 2 damage ability per match.

Nourish: I've never had to use this for mana gain. At 5 mana, this is an extremely powerful draw spell, and this deck doesn't require ramp (hence the absence of Wild Growth).

Faceless Manipulator: Gamechanging. Use him to copy an opponent's large taunt creature before killing with Naturalize, or any other target that you please. The uses of this guy are literally endless.

Ragnaros the Firelord: Everyone uses him, because everyone fears him. 8 damage guaranteed on an opposing target, and he will soak up any kill spell your opponent may be holding if they plan on living long. Slowing down to kill Ragnaros unknowingly could set you up for a combo in the following turn(s). Keeper of the Grove's silence effect works well here, to allow him to attack on a following turn.

Alexstrasza: She can singlehandedly turn the tide of one of those long games by dropping your opponent to 15, followed by a Savage Roar combination for the game next turn. Oh yeah, she only costs 9 mana - meaning you can Naturalize any threat to her currently on the field after playing her and force your opponent into devoting precious resources.

 

This deck is still very much a work in progress, but it is seeing success at lower and mid ranks.

 

CHANGELOG 1 (4/28/2014):

-1 Druid of the Claw

-1 Soul of the Forest

+1 Big Game Hunter

+1 Ysera

Due to the recent changes in the meta, Druid of the Claw just doesn't see enough value to justify running 2. Big Game Hunter offers more for a lower cost in the form of an additional big creature removal, with a 4/2 body to top it all off. Druid of the Claw rarely stays alive or viable for more than 1 turn, with the abundance of silence and spot removal in the current meta. Druid of the Claw may see a complete removal from this deck, depending on how further playtests go.

Soul of the Forest is a good card to hit for an emergency situation, but what else can it really offer? For 4 mana, it just wasn't seeing enough value to justify staying in the deck. Ysera, on the other hand, offers a great late game card with major presence, since every turn that it remains on the field can potentially shift power overwhelmingly in your favor. Ysera Awakens and Laughing Sister are both particularly nasty to grab from a Dream Card draw, as the former nearly guarantees a clean slate and the latter offers a unique challenge in removing from the board. Nightmare can also be extremely helpful in a pinch, to help with smashing down a large taunter or for closing a game out.