Meta-destroying Tempo Rogue
- Last updated Jun 3, 2017 (Un'Goro Launch)
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Wild
- 21 Minions
- 9 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Pirate Rogue
- Crafting Cost: 9760
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 6/1/2017 (Un'Goro Launch)
- mangomonkay
- Registered User
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- 3
- 7
- 13
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Battle Tag:
mangomonkay
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Region:
US
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Total Deck Rating
77
Update: Thanks so much to everyone for your interest in this deck! It is such an honor to be able to make it to the front page of Hearthpwn! Thanks!!
Hi, this deck has carried me to legend this season. It is crafted specifically to handle all types of match-ups on the wild ladder. It has enough aggression to keep up with aggro decks, while also having a stronger mid-game, and it has the burst to beat control decks. This is also my first deck that I'm posting to Hearthpwn even though I've been a member for a while now, so if you have any suggestions on how to make it even better, please drop me a comment!
First, a little about myself. My name is Mangomonkay#1147 and I have been playing since beta. I have consistently reached Legend rank many times using different original decks. I am also an arena player with about a 7 win average. I am completely F2P;I have never spent a single cent on this game, have never crafted a card using dust, and have only played with decks using the cards I currently own (yes you heard me, all the cards, including legendaries, that I use were pulled from packs, NEVER CRAFTED A SINGLE CARD.) All the cards I use were all pulled from packs, meaning often times I have to use alternatives to powerful cards found in other popular decks, even common cards. I just basically want to say that even F2P players can have success in this game : D
Reaching legend in May 2017:
I can post a guide if this gets many views.
Update: Thanks so much everyone for all the interest in this deck! I'll try to continually update this with more in-depth commentary for this deck:
MULLIGAN
This is just a rough guideline. Mulligan depends heavily upon who you are facing. I will explain more in the next section.
Without the coin:
- Backstab
- Swashburglar
- Southsea Deckhand (don't keep against priest if you don't have Ship's Cannon, but even then don't play turn 1 against priest)
- Ship's Cannon
- Undercity Valiant (against possibly aggressive opponents like rogues, druids, and warriors, valued more if you already have a 1-drop or Backstab)
- Southsea Captain (ONLY if you have Ship's Cannon, since you can turn 2 cannon, turn 3 Southsea Captain for massive tempo of 2 cannon shots and 2/2 charge minion. This is even better if you also have a 1-drop already.)
- SI:7 Agent (ONLY if you have Backstab)
With coin (having coin is so much better than not having it with this deck):
OPENING STRATEGIES/COMBOS
This is probably the hardest part of the deck. Whether you can win a match-up or not depends heavily on what you do in the first few turns. Remember, this deck is all about TEMPO. Try to establish board dominance as quickly as possible because it's not easy to come back from behind with this deck. But against aggressive decks, sometimes you have to plan out your turns ahead of time and not throw everything down immediately.
1. Rogue's dagger hero power is the best early game hero power in the game. Oftentimes, it's not wrong to simply dagger up turn 2 and not do anything with it until later. In some situations, such as facing other aggressive decks like pirate warrior, quest rogue, token druid, etc., dagger turn 2 and saving your Southsea Deckhand for turn 3 can help you steal board pressure away, especially if you can play another 2 drop like Ship's Cannon and Undercity Valiant on turn 3.
2. Most opponents you face now carry some form of turn 2 removal. (Warrior with Fiery War Axe, Mage with Frostbolt and occasionally Flamecannon, Druid with Wrath, Priest with Shadow Word: Pain, Hunter with Quick Shot, Rogue with Eviscerate or Backstab + Dagger, Shaman with Lightning Bolt and aggro Shaman with Rockbiter Weapon and Crackle.) Understand this and learn to play around these for you're important minions like Ship's Cannon and Southsea Captain. For Ship's Cannon, don't drop it on an empty board turn 2 unless your opponent threw away all their cards in the mulligan. Remember, especially against aggressive opponents, saving your Ship's Cannon for a turn 3 play with a 1 drop pirate while dagger-ing turn 2 might be the correct play. If you have no strong turn 3 play, and are likely to only play a Ship's Cannon on turn 3, then play it turn 2 for the tempo as if the opponent can't remove it, you have a good chance to make a powerplay turn 3.
3. Play for the board in the early-game. This means running your 2/2 buffed Patches the Pirate or 3/2 buffed Southsea Deckhand into the opponent's 1/1 (1/3 minion like Sir Finley Mrrgglton, Northshire Cleric, and Tunnel Trogg too for Southsea Deckhand, especially if the opponent is playing an aggressive deck, even if they have a hero power that can deal 1 damage. Remember: when you have stuff on the board and they don't, they not only have to put stuff on the board, but also have to clear your stuff using mana to get board back. If they hero power to remove something, they are already behind on tempo, unless they're Rogue.
4. Sometimes, it's best to put out a Naga Corsair on turn 4 or 5 without using it's battle-cry strictly for the having a minion on board.
5. Never keep 2 Backstab's in your opening hand. Remember: you can't have board dominance with just removal and no minions.
6. Good Early-game Combos:
Turn 2
- Backstab + Dagger Hero Power: 3-damage removal
- Backstab + Undercity Valiant: 3-damage removal, 3/2 body
- Backstab + The Coin + SI:7 Agent: 4-damage removal, 3/3 body
- Backstab + The Coin + Edwin VanCleef: 2-damage removal, 6/6 body
- Backstab + Eviscerate: 6-damage removal (for those freak cases when the opponent Rogue puts out a turn 2 6/6 monster Edwin VanCleef)
Turn 3
- Dagger Hero Power + Southsea Deckhand: great if you still have a Ship's Cannon on board from turn 2 (8-damage potential)
- The Coin + Naga Corsair if you dagger-ed turn 2 (good for removing a 3 health priority minion your opponent put turn 2: 2 atk weapon + Patches the Pirate)
- Southsea Deckhand + Undercity Valiant if you dagger-ed turn 2: potential 4-damage
- Ship's Cannon + Southsea Deckhand: great to play after a turn 2 Ship's Cannon or turn 2 dagger
- Southsea Captain + The Coin + Southsea Deckhand if you dagger-ed turn 2: potential 6-damage
- Backstab + SI:7 Agent: 4-damage removal, 3/3 body
BASIC EXPLANATION OF CARD CHOICES
I am adding in this section to explain some of the reasoning behind my card choices. It can also help you see what cards to modify in your own decks to meet your needs.
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2x Backstab: One of the defining cards of tempo rogue, 2-damage removal and combo set-up, MUST HAVE.
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1x Shadowstep: This card allows the deck to close-out so many match-ups. The best way to use it is with Leeroy Jenkins to deal at least 12 burst damage, but it has great synergy with other cards too like Southsea Deckhand, Undercity Valiant, SI:7 Agent. If you can bounce back a Southsea Deckhand with Ship's Cannon on the board, you can think of it as 4 more damage for 0 mana. In some matchups like against control Mage or Shaman (with all its aoe clears), bouncing back Loatheb to use again can help you win the matchup by giving your minions 1 more turn to attack. I only put in 1 because I feel 2 will make the deck more clunky and drawing 2 in your hand will basically make you lose. Most of the time, it's solely used for finishing.
*Sorry I'm out of time right now, I will finish this section later...*
GAME-ENDING BURSTS
I know some combos are near-impossible to pull off, but I put them in just for fun : P
2-mana
- Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood: 5-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Shadowstep + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood: 6-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 7-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep +Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 9-damage
3-mana
- Patches the Pirate + Eviscerate: 5-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Eviscerate (with weapon): 7-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 8-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood: 9-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 9-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Shadowstep + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood: 10-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 11-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 11-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand+ Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 13-damage
4-mana
- Patches the Pirate + SI:7 Agent: 3-damage
- SI:7 Agent + Shadowstep on SI:7 + SI:7 Agent (if you can play Backstab before combo): 4-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 5-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 13-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand+ Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 15-damage
5-mana
- Patches the Pirate + SI:7 Agent + Shadowstep on SI:7 + SI:7 Agent: 5-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent + Shadowstep on SI:7 + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 7-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 7-damage
- Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 9-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 13-damage: 14-damage
- Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand+ Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 16-damage
6-mana
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate: 7-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand (with weapon): 9-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Cold Blood: 10-damage
7-mana
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood: 11-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Shadowstep + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood: 12-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 13-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Cold Blood + Cold Blood: 14-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 15-damage
8-mana
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Eviscerate: 11-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Shadowstep + Leeroy Jenkins: 12-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Eviscerate (with weapon): 13-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 14-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood: 15-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 15-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Shadowstep + Patches the Pirate + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood: 16-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 17-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood (with weapon): 17-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 19-damage
9-mana
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + SI:7 Agent: 9-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 11-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Shadowstep + Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate: 13-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Shadowstep + Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand (with weapon): 15-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Shadowstep + Leeroy Jenkins + Cold Blood: 16-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 19-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand+ Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 21-damage
10-mana
- Leeroy Jenkins + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent (with weapon): 13-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 19-damage: 14-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Shadowstep + Leeroy Jenkins + Cold Blood + Cold Blood: 20-damage
- Leeroy Jenkins + Patches the Pirate + Southsea Deckhand + Southsea Deckhand + Shadowstep + Southsea Deckhand+ Cold Blood+ Cold Blood (with weapon): 22-damage
To be continued...
is Loatheb replaceable by any chance?
Oh gosh, when I have more time i definitely need to finish that section on card choices since so many people are asking me about individual cards haha. Loatheb is an unique card in hearthstone mainly because it can disrupt many AOE spells for 1 turn (many classes run standard AOE-clear cards in this meta, such as Priest with Lightbomb or Dragonfire Potion, Shaman with Lightning Storm and Volcano, Mage with Flamestrike and sometimes Blizzard, and Warrior with Brawl.) When you control the board, this often means being able to swing 1 more time with your minions to deal damage to the face. It also provides a 5/5 for you to attack with next time if the opponent can't remove it. If Dr. Boom is Dr. 7, Loatheb is kind of like Dr. 5; it's kinda the best card for the mana.
Honestly I can't think of a good replacement for it right now as it's function is pretty unique. Maybe try a sticky minion like Piloted Shredder or Sludge Belcher that the opponent has to try to remove. Tomb Pillager might also work. I'll tell you if I can think of better.
A good deck. 12-1 from rank 16 to 11 this season. Will see how it performs on higher ranks.
Thanks a lot man! I actually made this deck when I was doing my last climbs around rank 5-legend. Good luck!
Have you ever thought about adding in Shaku to this deck? I think he fits the tempo style of the deck so I want to hear your thoughts.
Shaku, the Collector does feel like it might fit the deck rather well, especially since it gives another source of "card draw." The reason I haven't considered it much is because I don't actually own him haha. But I can definitely see its potential in this deck. I'm not really sure what I would take out to replace it though... Please experiment with it if you can and tell me how well it works for you!
isnt in better to give up on Undercity Valiant for shadow step?
Undercity Valiant has been working very well for me early-game because of the removal and body in one. Having two Shadowstep's slows down the deck too much and if you draw 2, the game is most likely lost.
Why op 4 drops (shredders or tomb pillagers)?
Like in one of the comments I made below where I considered Tomb Pillager as a replacement, I agree that the 4-drop slot is kind of weak in the deck. However, oftentimes I find myself playing some sort of combo on turn 4. Examples include maybe Southsea Deckhand + SI:7 Agent or a Southsea Captain + Southsea Deckhand. Sometimes even dagger-ing up and dropping a 2-drop is better than simply dropping a 4-drop because I can set-up something the next turn by clearing the opponent's board on turn 4. If I were to make replacements, the 4-drop slot is definitely a place to start with.
Why no thalnos ??
I actually did consider Bloodmage Thalnos for the additional draw power and synergy with spells in the deck. But in the end, I felt like he was a little too slow for my liking as if I drew him early on, there would be other better options to play for board pressure. I can definitely see his potential though so please try it out if you can and tell me how well it works!
I don't have enough dust to craft Leeroy. What are my alternatives?
Reckless Rocketeer
Leeroy Jenkins is a great "burst finisher" card for the mana cost and even better with Shadowstep. If you can't get it, the closest one would probably be Reckless Rocketeer. Its 1 extra mana for 1 less damage, but still combo-able with Shadowstep on turn 9 for a 10-damage burst and with a Cold Blood on turn 10 for 14-damage. Argent Commander is another possibility, but I think it's a worse option because it's 2 less damage and the divine shield gets cleared pretty easily now, so it's hard to get extra value off of it.
Okay, I would like to share some results and maybe others can compare and we can find a replacement / solution. So ffar I've played 18 matches and I'm currently 11-7. I'm really liking the deck and feel that it's very strong, but I also feel some of those losses coulda been avoided. Have you or anyone else expiremented with any draw options such a acolyte, cult master.... Maybe even pod or hallucination? If you were to go this route, what would you replace?
Oh yes, I considered a lot of draw options when i was drafting the deck. The main thing i felt was that a lot of the draw options like Acolyte of Pain or Sprint were simply too slow for this deck. Even Bloodmage Thalnos felt too slow for me, despite having some synergy with this deck. If I had to add in some card draw though, that might be one of the better picks. This deck isn't meant to be able to last for too long. Like basically around turns 7-10, you should already be looking to close out the game. There are exceptions, as this deck is able to hold out for a bit longer than some other hyper-aggro decks, but usually if you are basically out of cards in hand and are far from finishing, the game is lost. I feel Cult Master doesn't work too well with the theme of this deck as 1. there are not that many small minions for you to trade with and 2. its usually better to let the opponent deal with your minions after you get board control. Mimic Pod is too slow and unreliable and Hallucination is unreliable too.
In short, most draw options are anti-tempo and putting too much in weakens the theme of the deck. I feel the two Azure Drake's and Fan of Knives have been sufficient for me.
Ty for the response.
Np : D