Howdy. Been fooling around with dragon priest since TGT launch. Made rank 2 in August playing this from rank 6. It's fun!
I'll answer any questions anyone has, and if anyone has any suggestions (say, ways to replace Dragonkin Sorcerer and Velen's Chosen without hating myself) I'd love to hear them!
Shadow Madness is great tech against a lot of stuff - it can really wreck various aggro decks, including the new Paladin decks and traditional hunter decks.
The Wild Pyromancer package really locks down aggro as well. We can't always depend on hitting our above the curve early dragons, so this gives us another way to control the board.
Ysera is your win condition after you've cleared the board, although against other midrange decks, you can just swarm with your dragon army.
Just let Rend Blackhand sit in your hand until you either slam it victoriously or your opponent is in topdeck mode.
Chillmaw is a great card, even if you don't have a dragon in your hand - the bluff alone can make opponents make some poor plays. Against patron, save it until the opponent's Death Spite has 1 charge left.
Don't hesitate to drop Wild Pyromancer with no spells in hand. You can suss out important information about your opponent's future plans based on what they do to it.
It's very frequently better to heal a minion than to play another one. Card advantage will win you the game. Putting your opponent into topdeck mode is a good way to guarantee a win.
Prepare to lose almost every game against Control Warrior. Handlock is unfavorable but I've won 4-8, so it's not an auto-loss. Oil Rogue is also tough, and you've got to extend quite a bit to maintain board presence. Keep your life total as high as possible in that matchup.
Most midrange match ups are favorable. Most aggro is favorable. Patron is favorable. The new Shaman deck is about even - if you're very familiar with both this deck and that deck, you can try to assume a control role and you'll be able to win that way. Shadow Madness on Al'Akir the Windlord is the dream. The mid-range druid running around is a tough one as well, since their minions are bigger and dying to combo forces you to play the aggro deck.
Important mulligan notes:
- Unless your first hand is given a Twilight Whelp or a Wyrmrest Agent, mulligan away all the cards in your hand except Wild Pyromancer, Dark Cultist, and Northshire Cleric. Exceptions: Against Paladin and Hunter, you can keep a Power Word: Shield if you have a Wild Pyromancer in hand. Also keep Shadow Madness and Holy Shock in your opening hand against Paladin, Hunter, and Shaman. Keep Chillmaw in your opening hand if you're facing a Warrior, because there's a good chance it'll be Grim Patron or that new SMOrc Warrior, and it's a key card in those matches. These are just guidelines, of course - if you've got the coin, and your hand is Wyrmrest Agent, Wyrmrest Agent, Velen's Chosen, Ysera, you can probably keep that comfortably. Just try to have things to do, but don't hesitate to drop your minions sans Dragon bonus if you're losing control of the board and it's turn 2 or 3.
Part of my problem with Control Warrior may stem from the fact that although I have it crafted, I've only played a dozen games or so with it, and not very successfully. I do a lot better against decks I've played myself.
Lightbomb has been a key part of my handlock wins. Sometimes though, there's really nothing to be done in that match. They have more answers and a better late game than we do.
Thanks for very good list and guide. I don't have Vol'jin. Is Chromaggus or Loatheb a reasonable substitution? And if I sub out Vol'jin, does it make sense to also sub something in for holy smite?
Loatheb would be a fine replacement - in some circumstances, I can even see him being better. Knowing your opponent's key turns and when they might play troublesome spells can make it fantastic. I'd still keep the Holy Smite, however, since there are times against faster decks where the tempo gain from a 1 mana removal spell can swing a game wildly. It can also remove pesky divine shields before a Holy Nova/Lightbomb.
Loatheb would be a fine replacement - in some circumstances, I can even see him being better. Knowing your opponent's key turns and when they might play troublesome spells can make it fantastic. I'd still keep the Holy Smite, however, since there are times against faster decks where the tempo gain from a 1 mana removal spell can swing a game wildly. It can also remove pesky divine shields before a Holy Nova/Lightbomb.
Sounds perfect. Loatheb it is then. Ty for quick response.
It is easily the worst card in the deck. Depending on the matchups you're facing, you can swap it out for Hungry Dragon or Twilight Drake. Twilight Drake may actually be the superior card in general - I'll do some testing with it and report back.
It is easily the worst card in the deck. Depending on the matchups you're facing, you can swap it out for Hungry Dragon or Twilight Drake. Twilight Drake may actually be the superior card in general - I'll do some testing with it and report back.
I find Twilight Drake to be a pretty weak card in this deck due to the limited card draw, and how you almost always want to play cards in the first few turns due to how good the curve of the deck is. You can switch it out for something like Darkbane.
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Howdy. Been fooling around with dragon priest since TGT launch. Made rank 2 in August playing this from rank 6. It's fun!
I'll answer any questions anyone has, and if anyone has any suggestions (say, ways to replace Dragonkin Sorcerer and Velen's Chosen without hating myself) I'd love to hear them!
Shadow Madness is great tech against a lot of stuff - it can really wreck various aggro decks, including the new Paladin decks and traditional hunter decks.
The Wild Pyromancer package really locks down aggro as well. We can't always depend on hitting our above the curve early dragons, so this gives us another way to control the board.
Other tech moves include using Shadow Word: Death on your own Sylvanas Windrunner, Lightbomb + Azure Drake to take down minions with one more health than power, and Holy Smite or Holy Nova + Vol'jin to kill anything.
Ysera is your win condition after you've cleared the board, although against other midrange decks, you can just swarm with your dragon army.
Just let Rend Blackhand sit in your hand until you either slam it victoriously or your opponent is in topdeck mode.
Chillmaw is a great card, even if you don't have a dragon in your hand - the bluff alone can make opponents make some poor plays. Against patron, save it until the opponent's Death Spite has 1 charge left.
Don't hesitate to drop Wild Pyromancer with no spells in hand. You can suss out important information about your opponent's future plans based on what they do to it.
It's very frequently better to heal a minion than to play another one. Card advantage will win you the game. Putting your opponent into topdeck mode is a good way to guarantee a win.
Prepare to lose almost every game against Control Warrior. Handlock is unfavorable but I've won 4-8, so it's not an auto-loss. Oil Rogue is also tough, and you've got to extend quite a bit to maintain board presence. Keep your life total as high as possible in that matchup.
Most midrange match ups are favorable. Most aggro is favorable. Patron is favorable. The new Shaman deck is about even - if you're very familiar with both this deck and that deck, you can try to assume a control role and you'll be able to win that way. Shadow Madness on Al'Akir the Windlord is the dream. The mid-range druid running around is a tough one as well, since their minions are bigger and dying to combo forces you to play the aggro deck.
Important mulligan notes:
- Unless your first hand is given a Twilight Whelp or a Wyrmrest Agent, mulligan away all the cards in your hand except Wild Pyromancer, Dark Cultist, and Northshire Cleric. Exceptions: Against Paladin and Hunter, you can keep a Power Word: Shield if you have a Wild Pyromancer in hand. Also keep Shadow Madness and Holy Shock in your opening hand against Paladin, Hunter, and Shaman. Keep Chillmaw in your opening hand if you're facing a Warrior, because there's a good chance it'll be Grim Patron or that new SMOrc Warrior, and it's a key card in those matches. These are just guidelines, of course - if you've got the coin, and your hand is Wyrmrest Agent, Wyrmrest Agent, Velen's Chosen, Ysera, you can probably keep that comfortably. Just try to have things to do, but don't hesitate to drop your minions sans Dragon bonus if you're losing control of the board and it's turn 2 or 3.
Part of my problem with Control Warrior may stem from the fact that although I have it crafted, I've only played a dozen games or so with it, and not very successfully. I do a lot better against decks I've played myself.
Lightbomb has been a key part of my handlock wins. Sometimes though, there's really nothing to be done in that match. They have more answers and a better late game than we do.
Thanks for very good list and guide. I don't have Vol'jin. Is Chromaggus or Loatheb a reasonable substitution? And if I sub out Vol'jin, does it make sense to also sub something in for holy smite?
You're very welcome!
Loatheb would be a fine replacement - in some circumstances, I can even see him being better. Knowing your opponent's key turns and when they might play troublesome spells can make it fantastic. I'd still keep the Holy Smite, however, since there are times against faster decks where the tempo gain from a 1 mana removal spell can swing a game wildly. It can also remove pesky divine shields before a Holy Nova/Lightbomb.
Sounds perfect. Loatheb it is then. Ty for quick response.
My pleasure!
Isn't the Dragonkin *slightly* weak? Any suggestions for a replacement?
There are only 3 buffs for that and plenty of other targets that can benefit from those buffs are well.
(technically 4 buffs cause you might get the +5/+5 from Ysera but... can't really count that very situational circumstance)
Nightblade Argent Lance Flame Imp
Argent Watchman Argent Squire Frost Giant
Aviana Hogger Snipe Sea Giant
It is easily the worst card in the deck. Depending on the matchups you're facing, you can swap it out for Hungry Dragon or Twilight Drake. Twilight Drake may actually be the superior card in general - I'll do some testing with it and report back.
I find Twilight Drake to be a pretty weak card in this deck due to the limited card draw, and how you almost always want to play cards in the first few turns due to how good the curve of the deck is. You can switch it out for something like Darkbane.