Snowball Priest
- Last updated Feb 15, 2018 (Patches Nerf)
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Wild
- 22 Minions
- 7 Spells
- Deck Type: Ranked Deck
- Deck Archetype: Aggro Priest
- Crafting Cost: 5300
- Dust Needed: Loading Collection
- Created: 8/11/2017 (Frozen Throne)
- abubillito
- Registered User
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- 5
- 27
- 45
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Battle Tag:
N/A
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Region:
N/A
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Total Deck Rating
178
I updated the deck with some K&C cards. As always, suggestions are appreciated.
This deck is not Tier 1 or 2, just one that'll help you climb the ladder a bit near rank 15 or lower, and can be really good if things turn out properly. It's meant as a solid, fun, casual deck rather than one for reaching legend. Have fun with it!
This is an aggressive priest deck that focuses on a few "at the end of your turn" synergies to create a powerful early game threat with minions that buff each others. It has also got a significant late-game tool, Shadowreaper Anduin, that can help you survive and finish off low health enemies.
Gameplay Footage:
Here's a video with a few pretty decent matches so you can see how the deck works, and a replay posted in the comment section by _barat_ :)
https://hsreplay.net/replay/72vhcSPktqJWHaCQRi9i7d
The Game Stages:
Mulligan:
The best cards to mulligan for, as a turn 1 drop is Northshire Cleric. You'll also want to get some 2 or 3-drops, such as Fallen Sun Cleric or Shadow Ascendant. Shadow Word: Pain and Happy Ghoul are both very good cards to keep if you are encountering many aggressive decks.
Needless to mention always replace your expensive drops, such as Shadowreaper Anduin and Cobalt Scalebane, but also Mind Blast, which you are in no rush to play, as it only serves for applying pressure or reseting your Void Form Hero Power in the late game.
Early Game:
In turn 1, the best possible drop is Northshire Cleric. It has good stats and can be a good defense against early threats, and it's unlikely it'll die by turn 2, in which you can buff it. If you don't draw it though, you can play Acherus Veteran if your opponent has not played any minions and is not a Mage, Druid or Priest (which have easy removal with their hero powers), or wait until turn 2 to drop the Radiant Elemental or another 2-drop.
In the following turns you'll want to play Shadow Ascendant and Master Swordsmith, together with Drakkari Enchanter and Mirage Caller to maximize their value, and focus on keeping them alive by buffing them with Power Word: Shield, Fallen Sun Cleric or Kabal Talonpriest.
As mentioned previously, Shadow Word: Pain and Happy Ghoul are your only defenses against early threats, so you'll want to create a more threatening board than your opponent in order to win the early game.
Mid Game:
There are two possible scenarios in which you can find yourself upon reaching turn 5 or 6. If you have been able to keep the threat on board during the early turns, you'll have a lot of very powerful minions, that even powerful removal tools like Flamestrike can't kill. In that case you have probably won already, Each turn you'll deal more and more damage, and your minions will become harder to deal with.
However, you can also be in a less favorable position, in which your opponent has been able to deal with your minions, and you have little or no board presence. In that case you'll have to keep yourself alive by playing small minions, drawing cards and healing yourself with your hero power until you reach turn 8 and can drop Shadowreaper Anduin.
Your best tools to keep up the pressure in the mid game are Cobalt Scalebanes, which use the same synergies as Master Swordsmith and Shadow Ascendant, and are very good to buff your minions, aside from being a strong body on board. Prince Valanar can also protect you and help reach the late stages of the game.
Late Game:
If you happen to reach the late game, there is only one card that can help you win the game, and that is the so-mentioned Shadowreaper Anduin. Upon playing him, you'll destroy all "big" minions of your opponent if there are any, and your own, if you don't mind the sacrifice. He'll also grant you 5 armor, which can be essential or just useful for survival.
The hero power can finish off the remaining minions, and then start hitting your opponent's face. Unlike other aggressive decks, you can benefit from drawing cheap minions or spells, as they reset your hero power. The two copies of Mind Blast deal a significant 10 damage in total, and can deal 16 damage in a single turn if alternated with your hero power.
Overall this is an aggro deck, and you won't want to reach the late turns of the game, but if you do you have Shadowreaper Anduin to scratch off those points of damage you weren't able to deal during the early turns, or destroy your opponent's threats and begin flooding the board with minions again.
Card Changes:
This is a list of some of the changes that can be made depending on the different decks you're facing, your own playstyle, or if you happen not to have some of the cards, especially the epics or legendaries:
-1 Prince Valanar, +1 Defender of Argus
-1 Prince Valanar, +1 Acolyte of Agony
-1 Unidentified Elixir, +1 Acolyte of Agony
-1 Mind Blast, +1 Herald Volazj
-1 Shadowreaper Anduin, +1 Herald Volazj
-1 Fire Fly, +1 Hungry Crab
-1 Kabal Talonpriest, +1 Shadow Word: Pain
-1 Young Priestess, +1 Acherus Veteran
I will update this section with suggestions from the comments section, as I can't try all different possibilities and don't have all the cards myself.
Change log:
15-02-18:
-1 Acolyte of Agony, -1 Golakka Crawler, +2 Unidentified Elixir
-2 Fallen Sun Cleric, +2 Shrieking Shroom
-1 Young Priestess, -1 Radiant Elemental, +2 Fire Fly
13-08-17:
-1 Shadow Word: Pain, +1 Happy Ghoul
-2 Acherus Veteran, +2 Young Priestess
12-08-17:
-1 Acolyte of Agony, +1 Prince Valanar
By the way, -1 Acolyte of Agony +1 Holy Nova - helps vs agro in midgame
Is the deck a lot worse without Drakkari Enchanters? I know end of turn effects is the whole point of the deck, but I was wondering whether the value you usually get from them is critical.
Well, it's like playing murlocs without Murloc Warleader or Gently Megasaur.
Edit: If you wonder whether or not you should craft them, I wouldn't recommend thought and would suggest you to save your dust for something more practical.
A lot of fun
This is a very fun deck. What are your thoughts on adding a Circle of Healing to go for the classic cleric+circle combo? I have found in many matches that I have multiple injured minions on board and I am running out of cards in hand.
It's a possibility, though I haven't found myself in that situation much. What would you replace it for?
Very fun deck and it's actually giving a great win percentage! I don't have shadowreaper so I am using Herald instead. But so far, I've not had to go into the late game. Right now with so many people trying out greedy control decks, something like this is really unexpected and can be pretty effective. Thumbs up!
I don't care if this deck is Tier 1, 2 or Whatever ... it's fun to play :)
I just won a game against Jade Druid who BM me on last turn, and allowed me to take one more while I was Shadowreaper Anduin ... that was a mistake since I had 2x Mind Blast on hand :D
https://hsreplay.net/replay/72vhcSPktqJWHaCQRi9i7d
BTW. I use Moroes since I don't have Prince Valanar. His token generation is nice :)
Anybody got gameplay of this deck? (or can anyone record some?) I want to craft this and i want to see how it stacks up against other decks. Thanks in advance!
I'll see if I can record some games tomorrow.
I've found this deck to be a lot of fun. it has a lot of trouble when you can't get the right minions out early. But I am looking forward to running Young Priestess . I've found that The Lich King is an alright substitute for Prince Valanar if you have him and not Valanar. Adds some more sustain to late game if you get there.
Not sure, but Young Priestess might give this deck an upgrade, because it synergizes with Drakkari Enchanter and Mirage Caller, and because, like kimohno said, you have so many minions that are optimized when you play a turn 1 1-drop. I.e. how good is Fallen Sun Cleric on turn 2 if you have an empty board? What value does a turn 2 Shadow Ascendant add if you have an empty board? What value does turn 2 Master Armorsmith add to an empty board? What good is Acherus Veteran's battlecry on an empty board? Now imagine the difference when you open on turn 1 Young Priestess, turn 2 Shadow Ascendant, and they mutually buff each other. Plus, this is a semi-aggro deck that does not have a lot of 1-drops that it wants in its opening hand, and that is bad tactics.
Also, like reaperhascome said, Herald Volazj could be a good fit in this deck (not for aggro reasons, but because so many minions have good, copiable abilities). Cobalt Scalebane, Master Swordsmith, Shadow Ascendant, and Radiant Elemental are all minions I would love to have a 1/1 copy of, not to mention Northshire Cleric. Herald Volazj also has an indirect synergy with Drakkari Enchanter, in the sense that Herald can add 2 more 1/1 copies of Scalebane / Ascendant / Swordsmith, and then Enchanter has 2 additional creatures to proc.
If you do both of these things, then it also introduces a new synergy between Young Priestess and Herald Volazj. Priestess would add yet more minions with solid, copiable abilities. Priestess also adds to the Volazj + Enchanter synergy salad.
I like your idea, I'll try Young Priestess in place of Acherus Veteran, I didn't add it before because I thought it was just too bad, but maybe you're right. As for Volazj I already suggested adding it in the card changes section (it doesn't have to replace Anduin though), but I can't try him out myself because I don't have him :D.
would lyra fit in this deck? or is it too much of a control card?
I don't think it would be of much use in the deck as it is, as it focuses more on aggro rather than on control and casting spells. There are only 6 spells in the deck, and that's why there is only 1 Radiant Elemental, and it's a card that I have thought of replacing. If you try it though, make sure you share your results if it turns out successful!
I CAN MAKE USE OF MY PRINCE?????? YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!
Definitely a worse zoo. No comeback mechanics. Runs out of cards. Very fun when it goes off and potentially steamrolly.
Just smashed a Quest Warrior like it was nothing!!!! Those big taunts just had no answer. Awesome deck when everything comes together.
The guide is out! Please comment if you felt anything missing, and give any suggestions on how to improve the deck.
Opponents wont expect such a deck, good winrate and fun to play. :)