Hearthpwn

There has been many debates over the difficulty and playstyle of aggro decks in comparison to control decks. I will not address this point but a different one. Are controls decks actually hard to play with to begin with? Perhaps, control decks might be harder to play than aggro decks but if both task were menial tasks to begin with, then neither would really be notable achievements. Say the difficulty of an aggro deck was the equivalent of that for basic arithmetic. Then to put control decks in perspective, its difficulty could be the equivalent of doing basic algebra. Neither task are really difficult to begin with and therefore, neither task are something to be proud of.

Control decks are difficult because every turn you have many options to play and answer any given threat.

A control warrior can for exemple armor up on turn 2 and 3 or he can equipe a fiery war axe on turn 2 and armor up on turn 3....the first one sets up a shield slam with the intention to play death's bit on turn 4.

The second option let's you answer all the early game minions but your shield slam will probably be a dead card for the entire duel against agro.

In turn 6, a warrior can attack with his death's bite and execute a challenger, or shield slam it....one of those can mean that he won't have a way to answer a Dr boom on the following turn, the other makes you at risk of having your shield slam have no good targets if the paladin decides to play muster and an uldaman keeper when you just used your death's bite and execute.

Many control decks are hard to play not because you can't answer things...but because if you ever choose the wrong removal you might set yourself on a dangerous path in future turns.

Control decks need to predict their opponent threats, agro decks need to predict their opponent removals and deffenses, however when you are playing from behind it' a much scary place because no mistake will be tolerable, when you play with a lead you might make a mistake but only extend the duel for 1 or 2 more turns.

Aggro (tempoish and face) will be always easier by the nature of the mulligan system.Aggro is somewhat immune(not completely but you get what i mean) to bad draws while control can be fucked up by its mulligan.So as control player you have to make the best out of the answers you draw.As someone who likes control better but has played the fuck out of all archetypes i can say this:A well made control deck that is pilloted by a competent player loses only  to bad draws or other well piloted-made control/combo decks.

Aggro is indeed easier since it requires less choices(but is not braindead at all),while control is as easy as aggro when you draw all your answers,but since that rarely happens you have to make the best out those that you have and thats requires experience,insight and thinking.So that's why control is overall much more demanding.

I'm an average player, so my opinion may not be valuable, but I find playing control much easier, at least "safer". Because it's the opponent who plays proactively, and I'm reacting to his play by defending myself to survive until late game. Playing aggro feels "wrong" to me (especially face decks). It's like your only option is to go "all in" and pray for good draws. Of course, there is the fact that depending on the meta, it may be harder to win with control decks.

-Depends on the deck (for example, C'Thun warrior is way easier to play than control mage)

-Depends on the matchup (versus aggro decks the plays are often very obvious, whereas they aren't in mirrors)

But in general I think they are harder to play optimally.

Edit: Also, from experience I know aggro decks generally get punished less for small misplays. This is also why I often play more aggro-ish decks when I've drunk a bit or when I'm tired.

Quote from cemakkartal >>

I'm an average player, so my opinion may not be valuable, but I find playing control much easier, at least "safer". Because it's the opponent who plays proactively, and I'm reacting to his play by defending myself to survive until late game. Playing aggro feels "wrong" to me (especially face decks). It's like your only option is to go "all in" and pray for good draws. Of course, there is the fact that depending on the meta, it may be harder to win with control decks.

I think combo-decks (most rogues, freeze mage, patron warrior) are generally the most difficult, as you have to make a lot of decicions to use a card in a big combo later or tempo/removal now. Every one of those matter, and every matchup is different.

Control mirrors are also skill intensive, especially old handlock and control-warrior ones. The better player should have the upper hand in those.

Idk if aggro is easy, there are important trade/non trade-choices to be made, aoe-to be played around and draw-chances/damage to be calculated.

The easiest is probably tempo vs control when control draws badly, just play curve and run them over...

Combo decks are the hardest to play. You are easily punished by wrong mulligan, you have to count every point of your damage, sometimes you just have to play a part of your combo just to survive, which makes your combo a lot weakier. You have to calculate the perfect timing to play taurissan, etc. And combo decks usually lack powerful removals. Personally i consider malygos rogue to be the most difficult deck to play in current meta.

I'm a Midrange/Tempo player and sometimes i use control warrior or Murloc paladin on the ladder  (but i use also aggro decks, and is not an auto win) and i don't see the problem you have against aggro decks, ok i know a zoo can be incredibly strong and a pirate can set the letal in one turn, but also a freeze mage can, and a malyrogue/druid.

you can destroy the entire strategy of an aggro deck with a single AoE and set the game whit a Taunt after.

loose a game using a C'thun Warrior agaist a Pirate means that you are not good at using the deck or that the player against you, sometimes happens, is stronger than you (sometimes is rng).

Zoo is like a school, I started playing in May and the first decent deck I got was Zoo. I am still learning but I improved at the game basically playing Zoo.

This month I tried to play Freeze, but it is still a deck over my knowledge. So I settled playing Miracle Rogue, which is a excellent deck to learn. How you plan for combos, get ready for Miracle turn, not wasting resources, counting enemy damage to see if you need to kill something this turn or can go bigger at next turn, it is amazing.

Ive won many games playing Miracle with a Questing Adventurer umchecked, or with a board Concealed, saving Sap for the burn. Those games for sure I wouldve lost before using Sap on turn 2, FoK at turn 3 and a empty hand at turn 4.

Control Warrior requires skill, but Miracle Rogue requires way more and, at least on my opinion, way more satisfying to play and win with.

The fact that you can have amazing comback in high skill deck like Freeze, CW or Miracle Rogue make me play them alot. Can you comeback from a bad start with <10 hp playing Zoo, midrange hunter or shaman. Most of the time its nôt gonnna happen

All decks require a good grasp of the basics. Beyond that, different decks require entirely different skill sets, so it makes little sense to compare them in this way. Two people can be good at Hearthstone and still be bad at piloting a deck style they are not comfortable with.

Just listen to adwcta and Merps talk to ShadyBunny about how to build and run an aggro deck, and it becomes very apparent that ShadyBunny has a much better grasp of that deck style. Hafu, one of the best arena players on the planet, specializes in aggro, not because she lacks overall skill, but because she enjoys it and is more comfortable with it. Trump is more of a control player, but he does his best to try different things in both arena and constructed. (The way he gets so wrapped up in value that he forgets to check for lethal is kind of a hilarious running gag.)

My point is, these are all very good players. Diff'rent stroke for diff'rent folks. That's all it is.