Hearthpwn

Not really. Control Warlock doesn't have any new tools and is just even slower than what is left of Quest Warlock. Zoo (or Fatigue Warlock) is also worse. Night Vendor and Hecklefang Hyena builds - can't even reach 50% winrate. So standard Quest Warlock tier 3 deck is the best you can get for now.

VS is calling standard Handlock "potentially the best deck in the format", but keep in mind, that their evaluation is based primarily on his performance in top 1000 legend, which, most of all, is completely different environment from other brackets. There's much, much less Quest Mages, Paladins or Face Hunters (aka very bad matchups for Handlock), while everywhere else, even at non-top 1000 legend, their population is close to 50% of the entire ladder. Therefore I don't really see how Handlock can be any good outside of the top legend.

Quote from TwistedCardmaster >>

VS is calling standard Handlock "potentially the best deck in the format", but keep in mind, that their evaluation is based primarily on his performance in top 1000 legend, which, most of all, is completely different environment from other brackets. There's much, much less Quest Mages, Paladins or Face Hunters (aka very bad matchups for Handlock), while everywhere else, even at non-top 1000 legend, their population is close to 50% of the entire ladder. Therefore I don't really see how Handlock can be any good outside of the top legend.

I was really surprised when I heard their evaluation because they don't normally drop the ball like this. I think the premise always is that everything trickles down from Legend but as you say, this assumes that bad matchups will also go away and that will simply not be the case given how many people like to play Mage, for example. Best deck at high levels of play and middling everywhere else is what we will have until the mini-set changes the meta again. 

Question is: can you play a Warlock deck that is strong against those bad match ups (even at the cost of other match ups)?

Quote from Finalstan >>

(...) we will have until the mini-set changes the meta again. 

It's true, but honestly, I'm not overly optimistic about that. Warlock already had his "5 minutes of glory" (which lasted less than 2 months, while Paladin has been in T1 for over a year, with a short break...), so I'm afraid we'll have to wait another 2-3 years to have that pleasure again.

This is Hearthstone after all, and some classes (like Warlock or Priest) simply cannot be good for too long, because people can't stand their playstyle (SMOrc and burn from hand = good, anything else = bad).

Classes with spells such as Warlock, Priest, Mage tend to suck in Standard with limited pool of cards but they tend to overpower in Wild with increasing pool of cards over the years.

Classes with good aggro tools (Hunter, Warrior, Paladin) thrive anywhere regardless Standard or Wild mode.

Classes with quick combo tools like Rogue do well in Standard (but suck in Wild) while they (Druid) do better in Wild with late-game combo tools.

Shaman class is a mix of everything above..... (aka no identity...) 

Quote from Finalstan >>

Quote from TwistedCardmaster >>

VS is calling standard Handlock "potentially the best deck in the format", but keep in mind, that their evaluation is based primarily on his performance in top 1000 legend, which, most of all, is completely different environment from other brackets. There's much, much less Quest Mages, Paladins or Face Hunters (aka very bad matchups for Handlock), while everywhere else, even at non-top 1000 legend, their population is close to 50% of the entire ladder. Therefore I don't really see how Handlock can be any good outside of the top legend.

I was really surprised when I heard their evaluation because they don't normally drop the ball like this. I think the premise always is that everything trickles down from Legend but as you say, this assumes that bad matchups will also go away and that will simply not be the case given how many people like to play Mage, for example. Best deck at high levels of play and middling everywhere else is what we will have until the mini-set changes the meta again. 

Question is: can you play a Warlock deck that is strong against those bad match ups (even at the cost of other match ups)?

 I guess you can try Zoo approach with Cult Neophyte and Revenant Rascal. I was able to defeat Mage with such build few times. But then what to do against Token Druid...