Hearthpwn

Edit:

I really didn't like Avenge after playing with it for a while. Currently testing Bluegill Warrior instead of Argent Protector just for another charge minion. Given the popularity of Sludge Belcher, I'm testing out Blessing of Kings to have a good answer to them by buffing a token.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Daily and I wanted to share the deck that I used to climb to legend this season.  I’ve had the most fun playing tempo decks in the past, and so I naturally try to build my new decks to be tempo-oriented.

It pretty much runs as a fast tempo/board control deck that snowballs the board and aims to end the game by turn 8-9.  The difference between this deck and standard aggro Paladin is that you are actively trying to control the board which gives you much better matchups against taunt-heavy control decks. Early game try to win the board with your sticky minions and Knife Juggler triggers, and then continue to add to the board while efficiently trading and playing around removal. Always be aware of how close you are to lethal, and try to figure out the correct time to start rushing face instead of clearing the board.

Before you ask, yes, that is Wisp and Tinkmaster. Those were actually the first cards that I added to the deck.  The initial goal was to build a pure Wisp-synergy deck that plays some fun, under-used cards while still being competitive.  After tweaking and testing with the new Naxx cards I took it to the ladder and played this exclusively from about rank 7 to legend.  I’ll now go over the individual card choices.

Argent Squire- Fantastic sticky minion that has excellent synergy with buffs. You want this in your opening hand every single game.

Abusive Sergeant- This guy is one of the reasons why early board control is so vital. Most games his battlecry becomes “Deal 2 Damage” and it is amazing for snowballing the game.

Elven Archer- Another great early board control minion. The battlecry is very relevant, especially vs other aggro/tempo decks, and combos with Equality.

Blessing of Might- This turns your weak minions into big threats to be used for efficient trading or face damage.

Equality- A paladin staple, and this deck is no exception. Gets around large taunts blocking your way or removes large threats from the board. You can be pretty liberal with your Equality use if contributes to snowballing your board. I’ve used it on turn 4 Taz Dingos to keep up the tempo.

Argent Protector- A huge package of value in a 2/2 body. Great for clearing threats while keeping your board intact. I originally ran 2 but I didn’t find enough use for both of them.

Haunted Creeper- Ahhh my favorite Naxx card, and one of my favorite cards overall. It is often ignored by your opponent which almost guarantees a target for your Abusive Sergeants, the tokens trigger Knife Juggler, and can be combo-ed with Equality. Without Haunted Creeper this deck’s 2-slot would be very weak and you would not be able to consistently win the early board control battles.

Knife Juggler- Another very important minion to the deck, Knife Juggler is the engine that creates your snowball. Obvious synergy with Wisp, Haunted Creeper, hero power, and Equality, make sure to get the most out of every juggle early in the game to maintain the board.

Divine Favor- You all know this card. This is the draw engine of the deck and is pretty much vital to success. This card is also the reason why Wisp is viable in this deck. By playing Wisp at any point before you Divine Favor, your Wisp essentially became a 0 mana Novice Engineer. You can’t expect to draw it every game, so if Divine Favor isn’t in your hand you need to be a little safe with your cards so you don’t run out of steam early.

Coldlight Oracle- I noticed the power of this card after playing Aggro Mill Rogue and it is equally powerful in here.  Coldlight is a nice secondary draw engine because there will be games when you can’t rely on Divine Favor. It refills your hand when running out of steam while simultaneously thinning your deck to get closer to your Divine Favor. The cards that you give your opponent usually just end up fueling your Divine Favor because most opponents can’t use their cards as quickly as you can.

King Mukla- Definitely my favorite card in all of Hearthstone, and he brings the pain in this deck. The ultimate goal is to play Mukla on turn 3 onto a clear board and then let him demolish your opponent. But Mukla also has great synergy with Divine Favor later in the game, potentially letting you draw 2 extra cards. Always be careful using him against decks that run Wild Pyromancer because the bananas can be used to clear your 1 and 2 health minions. Budget Replacement: Dancing Swords or Blood Knight

Tinkmaster Overspark- Probably the most fun card in the deck and can also single-handedly win the game. Many cards in the deck create the ideal situations for a Tinkmaster play to where a lot of times the RNG is at a minimum. Your hero power, Wisp, Archer, and Haunted Creeper tokens are all perfect targets for Tink, giving yourself a 50% chance for the 5/5 while also not harming yourself if you lose the flip. Try to always give yourself the best odds of a positive outcome and keep in mind that sometimes a YOLO Tink play is the best play. Budget Replacement: Blood Knight, Dancing Swords, or Harvest Golem

Truesilver Champion/Consecration- More Paladin staples that give you board control and reach.

Leeroy Jenkins- Everyone’s nightmare finds a home in this deck. Usually acts as a Fireball and provides a nice target for Blessing of Might. Budget Replacement: Arcane Golem or Argent Commander.

Avenging Wrath- A good combination of board clear and burst damage. Don’t be afraid to fire this off against an empty board even if you aren’t pushing for lethal; the 8 damage isn’t something to underestimate.

Loatheb- The most powerful new Naxx card is especially good in here because you will usually control the board by turn 5. Slamming Loatheb to protect your board from a clear wins games on the spot.

And last but certainly not least, Wisp- Most of the synergy has been explained, Wisp can be a beast with the right support. One thing worth mentioning is that it isn’t always right to play Wisp immediately every time it is in your hand and its use can vary by matchup. Hold onto it if you expect a board clear, or if you think can potentially combo it with Juggler or Tinkmaster.

Matchups

Token Druid: Slightly unfavorable. If they open with Squire, Haunted Creeper, Harvest Golem it can be very difficult to win the board. A good Consecration can swing the game back in your favor.

Other Druid: Favorable. They don’t really have any way to stop your early tempo, and you can chew through their big creatures with your efficient trades and Equality. Don’t completely overcommit to Swipe and you should be fine.

Midrange Hunter: Favorable. You can usually win the board early and start to out-pressure them with face damage. UTH clears your board, but if they get greedy and combo it with Buzzard then your Divine Favor becomes huge. Truesilver and Consecration are incredibly strong in the matchup so use them wisely. The current popularity is excellent for this deck to excel on the ladder.

Mage: I don’t remember facing a single Mage on the climb, so I don’t have a good grasp on it. I would guess that you are favored against Freeze because of huge Divine Favors and slightly favored against aggro because they don’t have a good answer to your board snowball.

Control Paladin: Slightly favorable. They certainly have the tools to stop you in your tracks if they get the perfect draw, but most of the time you will run them over. Be aware of Consecration and always be prepared to get through a big taunt. They usually can’t prevent you from a big Divine Favor.

Priest: Even. They have a lot of things in their arsenal to ruin your day, including the new Deathlord. Sometimes you have to be reckless and mash face because you won’t be able to out-value their minions after a while. A well timed Loetheb to protect your board is huge against Priest.

Miracle Rogue: Even. There is no stopping a Miracle with the right draws, but that’s true for any deck. Your strengths in this matchup are your early board flooding and your burst. Both Truesilver Champions represent 16 damage that Miracle can’t prevent, and Loetheb gives you 1 more turn to finish them off. Unlike traditional aggro Paladin, your minions don’t have charge to try to do whatever you can to make them stick to the board.

Shaman: Slightly Unfavorable. They have so much early removal that can prevent you from every developing a strong board, and they have Lightning Storm to punish you for overextending. Many Shamans I faced also ran Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper, which makes it a struggle to ever control the board. Your advantage is that Shamans don’t run any healing, so try to get damage in when you can.

Zoo: Unfavorable. Zoo has stronger early minions and prevents you from having any board presence, while also dumping their hand to make your Divine Favor useless. You need some pretty good draws to win, but if you can clear the board in the midgame you have a good shot at winning. There isn’t a lot that can be tweaked to turn the matchup towards your favor, so don’t get too upset if you lose this matchup.

Handlock: Slightly Favorable. You don’t have great answers for their Giants outside of Equality, but you will get maximum value Divine Favors. The mulligan is very annoying because Divine Favor is useless vs Zoo and amazing vs Handlock, so sometimes you have to trust your gut.

Control Warrior: Slightly unfavorable/Even. Armorsmith and Whirlwind wreck you, but outside of that they don’t have many answers. Kill Armorsmiths whenever they hit the board and try to get a big Divine Favor to have enough burst to finish them off. They only have so many AoE spells and you have enough swarm to take back the board after a clear.

Mulligans

I still don’t have a great grasp on mulligans with this other than you really want to look for a 1 drop and/or Haunted Creeper. I constantly find myself second guessing whether or not to keep Coldlight Oracle, but I’m pretty sure it is correct to keep it most of the time. I usually keep Tinkmaster or Mukla (but not both) to give myself a potentially threatening board early.

Closing Thoughts

This has been the most fun deck I’ve played in a long time, and it is certainly viable in this metagame. There are still a few cards that I haven’t tested yet, which includes the upcoming Naxx secret, Avenge. I will be here to answer any questions you might have.