[Easy Rank 5] Tempo Dragon Priest
- Last updated Feb 9, 2017 (Gadgetzan)
- Edit
- |
Wild
- 21 Minions
- 9 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Dragon Priest
- Crafting Cost: 1740
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 12/17/2016 (Gadgetzan)
- ZASE7
- Registered User
-
- 5
- 16
- 26
-
Battle Tag:
Zook#11101
-
Region:
US
-
Total Deck Rating
227
*This deck was made in an earlier season, with a different meta. I've noticed that it doesn't fair well with current decks. Please consider using traditional Dragon Priest instead.*
On my journey to finding a faster priest deck, I seem to have hit the jackpot. This is dragon priest, but with a more consistent early game. The goal of the deck is to curve out with overstatted minions, keep board control, and gradually push for face damage. You will find that many games end before turn 10.
I'd also like to note that this is only my second time hitting rank 5, with the last time being 5 seasons ago. I'm actually surprised how easily I was able to rank up with this deck, with a win streak from ranks 11-8 that I just wasn't able to achieve with other decks in past seasons.
Mulligan
In your starting hand, aim for Northshire Cleric, Twilight Whelp, Wyrmrest Agent, Faerie Dragon, Blackwing Technician, and Kabal Talonpriest. Against Shaman, Warrior and Rogue, keep Holy Smite to deal with Small-Time Buccaneer as well as other early game drops. Keep Twilight Guardian if you can curve out well.
If you keep cards that need a dragon to activate their battlecries during the mulligan, make sure to keep a dragon so that you can actually use them. This is a general rule for dragon decks.
*Notice the amount of cards that are good to keep. A good starting hand should come often.
Why is (card) in the deck?
Wyrmrest Agent and Twilight Guardian - Overstatted taunts that help immensely against aggro decks. You'll usually want to only play these if you can activate their battlecries.
Holy Champion - IMO one of the most underappreciated cards. Allows the deck to push for face damage. This card can be preettty insane when used with Holy Nova, allowing it to gain more than 5 attack sometimes. It's also a good play on turn 6 to drop Holy Champion and heal something else.
Holy Nova - A boardclear that can be played earlier than Dragonfire Potion while still having synergy with Holy Champion and Northshire Cleric. The fact that it heals your own minions too helps to keep minions alive on your board. Against decks that you don't really need board clears for, like Renolock, sometimes it is good to just play Holy Nova just for the mass heal rather than to kill an opponent's minion.
Drakonid Operative - Easily one of the best cards in the new expansion. It's a 5 mana 5/6 with the potential to give you a card that's good for the current situation. Sometimes you'll find Ragnaros the Firelord and have lethal next turn; sometimes you'll pull an Acidic Swamp Ooze and destroy that upgraded 4/2 Fiery War Axe. It's also not a bad play on turn 5 if you don't have a dragon.
Faerie Dragon - A good hard-to-remove 2 drop that works well with Kabal Talonpriest.
Defender of Argus - Against aggro decks, it can save a lot of life. Against control decks, it's good for pushing face damage.
Why isn't (card) in the deck?
Blackwing Corruptor - You'll usually want to already have board control by turn 5, so the battlecry isn't as effective as it seems in this deck. 5 mana for a 5/4 body isn't ideal either.
Dragonfire Potion - It doesn't serve the purpose of the deck as well as Holy Nova can. Many of the minions you play - notably Blackwing Technician, Kabal Talonpriest and Holy Champion - get damaged by this card.
Thanks for looking at my deck. I will answer questions in the comments.
You could try to use Hungry Dragon, but it's not nearly as good as Twilight Guardian.
TERRIBLE DECK .
Maybe you're right, rank 5 isn't an accomplishment at all :)
I like the look of this deck and I will be trying it out. I was wondering though, for control match ups do you think adding the Prophet Velen 14 damage combo package (Velen, Mind Blast and Holy Smite) would help out in that regard? I would likely go -1 Holy Smite, -1 Twilight Whelp to make room for Velen and the Mind Blast.
I'm honestly not sure how that would go, as I don't have Prophet Velen. It's definitely worth a try, though, as it only replaces two cards in the deck.
It's really effective, even whitout Prophet Velen.. won a couple of times whit Holy Nova - Smite > Mind Blast!
My changes were - Northshire Cleric and Holy Champion
Offensive deck priest decks is always lot of fun
Great recommendation on the Prophet Velen and Mind Blast! They provide really good burst and that extra bit of reach to close out games. Velen was my first-ever legendary, so I'm always glad to use him.
I think one of the most underrated cards in this expansion for priest is Kabal Talonpriest, is an awesome card that brings you a lot of board control.
replace for Twilight Whelp
First of all i think the deck is strong but just against aggro. this is my experience
matches:
1º against warlock minute 4:20
2º against rogue minute 16:40
3º against Control priest minute 21:18
4º against tempo warrior 24:58
Your deck takes care of those pirate decks very nicely! It is surprisingly effective - at first glance I wasn't sure... but it absolutely can make quick work of some aggressive decks.
I hadn't used Holy Champion in quite a while, and had forgotten how easily its numbers can grow - you are absolutely right! Paired with a Northshire Cleric or two for great draw. Plus choosing Holy Nova over the newer AoE Dragonfire Potion as you said, make for amazing synergy. The other key card for me so far, was your clever inclusion of Holy Smite - it can often finish off some stubborn enemy minions ;)
Thank you for sharing ZASE7 :)
The deck is not designed to last for the late game against control decks. Make sure to push for face damage as well with cards like Holy Champion and Defender of Argus. However if control decks are just your style then that's fine, control dragon priest is still a great deck.
sweet deck, ive been struggling with other dragon decks and this one ive had most success with. thanks for sharing
Glad to see the deck's working out for you!
a) I didn't put in Brann Bronzebeard because the deck really only wants to play the strongest minions each turn, not having to rely on combos with other cards (besides dragon synergy of course). However, Brann could maybe work if you're versing lots of control decks on ladder.
b) Circle of Healing seemed like a good card to put in at first, but then I realized that healing enemy minions would be pretty bad for the deck, even if it draws you a card. Board control is what this deck relies on, so you wouldn't want the opponent to have any minions at all. Holy Nova is a good card in the deck because it simultaneously damages their minions and heals yours.
c) The deck is already teched to beat aggro decks with Wyrmrest Agent, Twilight Guardian and the numerous amount of other early game minions, so I don't think Potion of Madness is needed.
This is a very solid deck that can achieve a very strong curve that usually will win you the game. However, it's basically an aggro deck and aggro decks just don't win late game. The only win condition is board control which is strong in itself. Overall, I think this deck is a good choice if you're looking for something more aggressive.
Make sure you try to make favorable trades and remove the opponent's minions with spells. Use health buffs from Power Word: Shield and Kabal Talonpriest to make sure your minions survive more than one trade.
Make sure you're not playing with a control-style either, as the deck's lategame is weak. You have to push for face damage as well when the board is under control.
This is an aggro deck. You need to consider ignoring their minions and just going for face. I've ended many games by the 5th round with this deck. This isn't the typical dragon priest where you generally trade. I'm currently rank 5 and this deck is very competitive at this rank.
It also depends on who you're playing against. If you're going against pirate warrior then you always trade and make them run out of steam. If you're going against renolock you need to go face and hope they lack enough answers.
Awesome deck but i made few changes ( because i didn't buy mountain and spell dust on Yogg (for another deck )). I put Yzera , greater healing potion , mind vision , thoughtsteel ( i stoled Reno , Leroy ,and faceless manipulator (sorry for my English ) in one game against warlock ) , twilight dragon and dragonfire . Thank you for this deck easy 7 rank after 16 from my own deck.
This is actually great in the current meta. All those extra early game cards really helps you curve out against the 90% of decks that are aggro. The fact there's 10 dragons (my old deck had 9) is also a small bonus since it makes the holding a dragon activations slightly more reliable.
You need to play aggro too though. Without historians you will lose against other priests unless you rush their face and end the game quickly.
I'm using songstealers instead of holy champions though. The silence has a lot of value for neutralizing threats and for punching through big taunts.