Hi I currently have enough dust to craft either of the decks but I would like some opinion on the current meta. I don't care about having fun with the decks because I just want to climb ladder and hit legend. I want to craft the most optimal decks in the current meta. We can assume that skill isn't a issue.
I'm leaning towards Secret Paladin because Patron is out and I could build a mid-range paladin deck with the cards from Secret Paladin.
I heard Freeze Mage is a strong counter to Secret Paladin however it sucks against Control warrior which I see quite a bit at rank 10. I can add another piece to my uncompleted Control Warrior (Alexstrasza)
For Dragon Priest i currently don't favor it much but the Priest class is the only class I don't have a deck with and it can RIP face hunters.
Please share your opinions especially if you use any of the decks to climb ladder.
Secret Paladin is probably the best option because it plays the fastest games of the three decks you listed, though both Dragon Priest and Freeze Mage do counter the deck pretty effectively. If control warriors are something you see a lot of though it's not going to be worth your time to play Freeze Mage, since the game will be long and you'll lose anyway. The Meta is becoming more hostile to Secret Paladin but it is still probably the most effective deck to climb with, as you'll just be able to play more games.
Freeze mage all day. It is one of the most fun decks to play and it gives a great deal of satisfaction when you crush hunters. If you want to surprise those ranks go with SilverHand deck. I think both Noxious and StrifreCro gave the first impressions.
Basically: spam dudes, Warhorse Trainer, Quartermaster (or Mukla's Champion), Silver Hand Regent, Grand Crusader (or another 6 drop x2), Boom, Tyryion and Bolvar (in my variant, love him to eat removals for Tyrion).
Freeze mage all day. It is one of the most fun decks to play and it gives a great deal of satisfaction when you crush hunters. If you want to surprise those ranks go with SilverHand deck. I think both Noxious and StrifreCro gave the first impressions.
Basically: spam dudes, Warhorse Trainer, Quartermaster (or Mukla's Champion), Silver Hand Regent, Grand Crusader (or another 6 drop x2), Boom, Tyryion and Bolvar (in my variant, love him to eat removals for Tyrion).
It works, A LOT.
Kappa
Yeah freeze mage is fun but doesn't seem to be consistent enough.
Freeze Mage is fun. Secret Paladin loses its novelty after a while, especially with people learning how to play around the secrets. Same with Dragon Priest. All three are very inconsistent, but Freeze Mage has more draw power to get to its combo than the other two when you get a bad draw.
True Midrange Paladin (without the secret nonsense) is the most consistent of the four. You can catch a bad draw in a lot of matchups and still stall out for responses in the mid-late game (Equality + Consecration is AMAZING).
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If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
Freeze Mage is fun. Secret Paladin loses its novelty after a while, especially with people learning how to play around the secrets. Same with Dragon Priest. All three are very inconsistent, but Freeze Mage has more draw power to get to its combo than the other two when you get a bad draw.
True Midrange Paladin (without the secret nonsense) is the most consistent of the four. You can catch a bad draw in a lot of matchups and still stall out for responses in the mid-late game (Equality + Consecration is AMAZING).
Which mid-range deck are you using? Does Mid-range Paladin need Trion to be good? and does Midrange counter secret paladin?
That's my deck list. I still have a few things I'm playing around with (just added +1 Harrison Jones for -1 Big Game Hunter for the Warriors and Hunters I've been seeing a lot of). Still trying to decide whether Tuskarr Jouster is worth leaving in in place of Big Game Hunter.
On the positive, it's a 5/5 I can drop on turn 5, and winning the joust is just a bonus (whereas Harrison Jones needs to be saved for a weapon [when facing a weapon class] and Quartermaster shouldn't be dropped without at least 2 Silver Hand Recruits on the field usually).
On the negative, if I'm facing a class that doesn't use weapons, then I can just drop Harrison Jones turn 5 and don't have a Big Game Hunter if a big threat comes down and I don't have my removal combo (or don't want to waste it on 1 minion).
As for needing Tirion Fordring to be good, I'd say yes. You can probably get away with something else in his place for the time being, but you really need to craft him ASAP if you can.
As for Midrange vs Secret Paladin, I think Midrange is favored (personally). Both decks pretty much open the same way, with Midrange actually getting a slight nod if they drop Zombie Chow turn 1 (most Secret Paladins don't run it). From there, it's a matter of knowing how to play around the turn 6 Mysterious Challenger and the secrets he brings out. If you can play around them effectively, then Midrange wins after turn 6. If you can't/don't play around them correctly, and you don't have/draw an answer in the next couple turns, you're in trouble.
Still haven't faced the Midrange Secret variant yet, but I still feel like Midrange > Midrange Secret due to the extra cards Midrange can bring in place of the 4-5 secrets and Mysterious Challenger. That being said, I think it would DEFINITELY be more important for you to know how to work around the secrets, as Midrange Secret will still have the Dr. Boom and Tirion Fordring to follow up with. If you misplay against the secrets and end up with a 9/8 or 10/9 Mysterious Challenger to deal with alongside Dr. Boom and his Boom Bots and THEN Tirion Fordring to follow those up, you better have a way to pop the shield on Tirion Fordring and follow with Equality into Consecration (if it's not too late by then, as you'll still have an opponent with his 5/3 Ashbringer)
That's my deck list. I still have a few things I'm playing around with (just added +1 Harrison Jones for -1 Big Game Hunter for the Warriors and Hunters I've been seeing a lot of). Still trying to decide whether Tuskarr Jouster is worth leaving in in place of Big Game Hunter.
On the positive, it's a 5/5 I can drop on turn 5, and winning the joust is just a bonus (whereas Harrison Jones needs to be saved for a weapon [when facing a weapon class] and Quartermaster shouldn't be dropped without at least 2 Silver Hand Recruits on the field usually).
On the negative, if I'm facing a class that doesn't use weapons, then I can just drop Harrison Jones turn 5 and don't have a Big Game Hunter if a big threat comes down and I don't have my removal combo (or don't want to waste it on 1 minion).
As for needing Tirion Fordring to be good, I'd say yes. You can probably get away with something else in his place for the time being, but you really need to craft him ASAP if you can.
As for Midrange vs Secret Paladin, I think Midrange is favored (personally). Both decks pretty much open the same way, with Midrange actually getting a slight nod if they drop Zombie Chow turn 1 (most Secret Paladins don't run it). From there, it's a matter of knowing how to play around the turn 6 Mysterious Challenger and the secrets he brings out. If you can play around them effectively, then Midrange wins after turn 6. If you can't/don't play around them correctly, and you don't have/draw an answer in the next couple turns, you're in trouble.
Still haven't faced the Midrange Secret variant yet, but I still feel like Midrange > Midrange Secret due to the extra cards Midrange can bring in place of the 4-5 secrets and Mysterious Challenger. That being said, I think it would DEFINITELY be more important for you to know how to work around the secrets, as Midrange Secret will still have the Dr. Boom and Tirion Fordring to follow up with. If you misplay against the secrets and end up with a 9/8 or 10/9 Mysterious Challenger to deal with alongside Dr. Boom and his Boom Bots and THEN Tirion Fordring to follow those up, you better have a way to pop the shield on Tirion Fordring and follow with Equality into Consecration (if it's not too late by then, as you'll still have an opponent with his 5/3 Ashbringer)
I'm starting to wonder if I need the 2nd Quartermaster as well. It's definitely useful once Justicar Trueheart hits the field, as for 7 mana you can make 8/13 worth of bodies (minimum). Often times, though, having both in my hand is a waste, so cutting one for Big Game Hunter might be the best option.
Emperor Thaurissan might have some use if you don't have Justicar Trueheart. He's a better body (5/5 vs 6/3) that helps reduce your late game curve, which is never a bad thing. Acidic Swamp Ooze can be used in place of Harrison Jones. You give up the card draw and the bigger body, but it's also easier to fit the Ooze in and still make another play the same turn.
I don't know that I would use Loatheb, but that's personal choice because I've been running into more aggro. The primary use for Loatheb is to prevent control from throwing their combo down the turn before you go for lethal. That being said, Loatheb can and will find use as well (especially if you're facing control, combo Druid, or feel like your opponent can wipe your board when you will have lethal next turn). If you're facing a lot of any of the decks I just mentioned (or even the Midrange Paladin Mirror), Loatheb could be useful.
As with most decks, a deck list isn't something you should follow to the T. I have tech cards in there for what I've been seeing recently. Most decks have a core list of cards that should always stay, and then the tech cards that they swap in and out based on the matchups they're getting. That's why a lot of people that "net deck" throw a fit about decks not working. Instead of taking the core part of the build and adapting it to what they're facing, they just C&P the decklist and complain about it not working because, for instance, they're facing a lot of control and the deck they found it built more to deal with aggro.
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If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
That's my deck list. I still have a few things I'm playing around with (just added +1 Harrison Jones for -1 Big Game Hunter for the Warriors and Hunters I've been seeing a lot of). Still trying to decide whether Tuskarr Jouster is worth leaving in in place of Big Game Hunter.
On the positive, it's a 5/5 I can drop on turn 5, and winning the joust is just a bonus (whereas Harrison Jones needs to be saved for a weapon [when facing a weapon class] and Quartermaster shouldn't be dropped without at least 2 Silver Hand Recruits on the field usually).
On the negative, if I'm facing a class that doesn't use weapons, then I can just drop Harrison Jones turn 5 and don't have a Big Game Hunter if a big threat comes down and I don't have my removal combo (or don't want to waste it on 1 minion).
As for needing Tirion Fordring to be good, I'd say yes. You can probably get away with something else in his place for the time being, but you really need to craft him ASAP if you can.
As for Midrange vs Secret Paladin, I think Midrange is favored (personally). Both decks pretty much open the same way, with Midrange actually getting a slight nod if they drop Zombie Chow turn 1 (most Secret Paladins don't run it). From there, it's a matter of knowing how to play around the turn 6 Mysterious Challenger and the secrets he brings out. If you can play around them effectively, then Midrange wins after turn 6. If you can't/don't play around them correctly, and you don't have/draw an answer in the next couple turns, you're in trouble.
Still haven't faced the Midrange Secret variant yet, but I still feel like Midrange > Midrange Secret due to the extra cards Midrange can bring in place of the 4-5 secrets and Mysterious Challenger. That being said, I think it would DEFINITELY be more important for you to know how to work around the secrets, as Midrange Secret will still have the Dr. Boom and Tirion Fordring to follow up with. If you misplay against the secrets and end up with a 9/8 or 10/9 Mysterious Challenger to deal with alongside Dr. Boom and his Boom Bots and THEN Tirion Fordring to follow those up, you better have a way to pop the shield on Tirion Fordring and follow with Equality into Consecration (if it's not too late by then, as you'll still have an opponent with his 5/3 Ashbringer)
Does the deck really need 2 Quartermaster? I read other threads that said one is enough(I have to craft 2).
Justicar is a must-have, at least for me. It'll win you the game in a control matchup, especially if paired with the QM. Harrison is a tech choice.. you don't need it at all.
In my opinion it's not that good as everyone thinks to play the "most powerful" deck. At the moment many people believe Secret Paladin is the most powerful deck, especially since GP got nerfed. Paladin is at around 30% play rate and it doesn't look to go down this season and probably even next season it will look like this. This looks like a perfect reason to pick up this powerful deck but it is NOT.
Such a big population on the ladder, will divide the meta into pick or counter pick decks. So you will face many mirrors that are a coin flip and counter decks (or lists with special cards against you). Yes your deck is probably really strong, but even decks that you can pray on normally are now teched against you and if they draw this tech cards they flat out win.
Decks that counter the "most powerful" most popular deck are often the next part of the group. This time many people go for face hunter or even midrange hunter with flare, to counter secret paladin (Freeze mage is also part of these but not as common on the ladder because its slow). But often these decks are kind of prey too from the third group of decks.
Decks that try to beat the counter while still achieving an even matchup against the big deck. Dragon Priest is a deck like this, because it can deal with Face hunter. Control Warrior could fit into these category too, if you see Freeze mage as counter against Secret Paladin. Several other decks fit also in this category.
TLDR: Pick you own poison. I would go with Dragon Priest, because its solid but not in everyones mind while he is building his deck. Good Face Hunter matchup hasn't hurt for climbing till rank 5.
I think the gamebreaker is that I can make 2 decks for the price of one. Dragon Priest relys too much on a good draw. You need to draw the right cards at each turn to utilize Dragon Priest's advantage which is early big body minions.
I wouldn't play Dragon Priest honestly. I've played it to legend and it IS a legend capable deck but it's slow, boring, and lacks any creativity. Most of the skill is tied to the mulligan phase, outside of that there are VERY few decisions to make. You slam down your best minions on curve, trade efficiently, and try not to be vulnerable to board clears. Rarely do you have a choice between multiple minions to play and if you don't happen into an early drop/dragon things get really awkward really quick with few good comeback mechanisms. I know every deck is draw dependent but this deck is REALLY draw dependent.
It's also insanely predictable - any control warrior worth his salt knows exactly what's coming and saves removal for Ysera. Same with priests; dragon priest vs dragon priest becomes this odd game of chicken where neither side wants to play their Ysera because they know their opponent is going to shrink steal it. That is, if it even makes it to that point. Twilight drake into coin velens or Wyrmrest into velens pretty much ends the game right there considering Dragon priest plays no silence and a Velens'd Drake/Agent falls out of range of both pain and death.
This is going to be controversial, but I feel that even aggro decks have more meaningful and interesting choices than Dragon Priest. Whether you play something like creeper/glaivezooka or wolfrider/leper gnome can make the game dramatically different, and decisions of WHICH minions to drop and when to hero power instead of a minion are vitally important in aggro decks. I've never played face hunter on ladder but having played a bit of aggro paladin I can tell you it was a lot more fun. That said, I still vastly prefer decks like Malylock.
I've never actually played a game of any type with secret paladin but I can tell you that Midrange is a lot of fun.
I wouldn't play Dragon Priest honestly. I've played it to legend and it IS a legend capable deck but it's slow, boring, and lacks any creativity. Most of the skill is tied to the mulligan phase, outside of that there are VERY few decisions to make. You slam down your best minions on curve, trade efficiently, and try not to be vulnerable to board clears. Rarely do you have a choice between multiple minions to play and if you don't happen into an early drop/dragon things get really awkward really quick with few good comeback mechanisms. I know every deck is draw dependent but this deck is REALLY draw dependent.
It's also insanely predictable - any control warrior worth his salt knows exactly what's coming and saves removal for Ysera. Same with priests; dragon priest vs dragon priest becomes this odd game of chicken where neither side wants to play their Ysera because they know their opponent is going to shrink steal it. That is, if it even makes it to that point. Twilight drake into coin velens or Wyrmrest into velens pretty much ends the game right there considering Dragon priest plays no silence and a Velens'd Drake/Agent falls out of range of both pain and death.
This is going to be controversial, but I feel that even aggro decks have more meaningful and interesting choices than Dragon Priest. Whether you play something like creeper/glaivezooka or wolfrider/leper gnome can make the game dramatically different, and decisions of WHICH minions to drop and when to hero power instead of a minion are vitally important in aggro decks. I've never played face hunter on ladder but having played a bit of aggro paladin I can tell you it was a lot more fun. That said, I still vastly prefer decks like Malylock.
I've never actually played a game of any type with secret paladin but I can tell you that Midrange is a lot of fun.
Yeah I think i'll be making a paladin deck. Control warrior is too expensive and Freeze mage doesn't work in this aggro meta.
Freeze Mage actually holds up pretty well in the aggro meta. It holds up just as well, if not better, than most other control decks. The only downside really is the re-emergence of Control Warrior, which is pretty much a turn 1 concede for the Freeze Mage. Your absolute only option is a MASSIVE value Archmage Antonidas, and that's really only if you can get him out before you cast all your spells AND he survives long enough to produce a LOT of Fireballs (TIP: just concede once you realize he's Control).
Paladin is a solid choice as well though. Pretty much any Paladin deck you make is going to be strong.
Hi I currently have enough dust to craft either of the decks but I would like some opinion on the current meta. I don't care about having fun with the decks because I just want to climb ladder and hit legend. I want to craft the most optimal decks in the current meta. We can assume that skill isn't a issue.
I'm leaning towards Secret Paladin because Patron is out and I could build a mid-range paladin deck with the cards from Secret Paladin.
I heard Freeze Mage is a strong counter to Secret Paladin however it sucks against Control warrior which I see quite a bit at rank 10. I can add another piece to my uncompleted Control Warrior (Alexstrasza)
For Dragon Priest i currently don't favor it much but the Priest class is the only class I don't have a deck with and it can RIP face hunters.
Please share your opinions especially if you use any of the decks to climb ladder.
Secret Paladin is probably the best option because it plays the fastest games of the three decks you listed, though both Dragon Priest and Freeze Mage do counter the deck pretty effectively. If control warriors are something you see a lot of though it's not going to be worth your time to play Freeze Mage, since the game will be long and you'll lose anyway. The Meta is becoming more hostile to Secret Paladin but it is still probably the most effective deck to climb with, as you'll just be able to play more games.
Nothing doing, traveler.
If you don't mind playing the stupid fotm deck go for Secret Pally.
Secretless Midrang Pally might be a good option because it has a good winrate against pretty much every deck out there.
Freeze mage all day. It is one of the most fun decks to play and it gives a great deal of satisfaction when you crush hunters. If you want to surprise those ranks go with SilverHand deck. I think both Noxious and StrifreCro gave the first impressions.
Basically: spam dudes, Warhorse Trainer, Quartermaster (or Mukla's Champion), Silver Hand Regent, Grand Crusader (or another 6 drop x2), Boom, Tyryion and Bolvar (in my variant, love him to eat removals for Tyrion).
It works, A LOT.
Kappa
Yeah freeze mage is fun but doesn't seem to be consistent enough.
Freeze Mage is fun. Secret Paladin loses its novelty after a while, especially with people learning how to play around the secrets. Same with Dragon Priest. All three are very inconsistent, but Freeze Mage has more draw power to get to its combo than the other two when you get a bad draw.
True Midrange Paladin (without the secret nonsense) is the most consistent of the four. You can catch a bad draw in a lot of matchups and still stall out for responses in the mid-late game (Equality + Consecration is AMAZING).
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
Which mid-range deck are you using? Does Mid-range Paladin need Trion to be good? and does Midrange counter secret paladin?
That's my deck list. I still have a few things I'm playing around with (just added +1 Harrison Jones for -1 Big Game Hunter for the Warriors and Hunters I've been seeing a lot of). Still trying to decide whether Tuskarr Jouster is worth leaving in in place of Big Game Hunter.
On the positive, it's a 5/5 I can drop on turn 5, and winning the joust is just a bonus (whereas Harrison Jones needs to be saved for a weapon [when facing a weapon class] and Quartermaster shouldn't be dropped without at least 2 Silver Hand Recruits on the field usually).
On the negative, if I'm facing a class that doesn't use weapons, then I can just drop Harrison Jones turn 5 and don't have a Big Game Hunter if a big threat comes down and I don't have my removal combo (or don't want to waste it on 1 minion).
As for needing Tirion Fordring to be good, I'd say yes. You can probably get away with something else in his place for the time being, but you really need to craft him ASAP if you can.
As for Midrange vs Secret Paladin, I think Midrange is favored (personally). Both decks pretty much open the same way, with Midrange actually getting a slight nod if they drop Zombie Chow turn 1 (most Secret Paladins don't run it). From there, it's a matter of knowing how to play around the turn 6 Mysterious Challenger and the secrets he brings out. If you can play around them effectively, then Midrange wins after turn 6. If you can't/don't play around them correctly, and you don't have/draw an answer in the next couple turns, you're in trouble.
Still haven't faced the Midrange Secret variant yet, but I still feel like Midrange > Midrange Secret due to the extra cards Midrange can bring in place of the 4-5 secrets and Mysterious Challenger. That being said, I think it would DEFINITELY be more important for you to know how to work around the secrets, as Midrange Secret will still have the Dr. Boom and Tirion Fordring to follow up with. If you misplay against the secrets and end up with a 9/8 or 10/9 Mysterious Challenger to deal with alongside Dr. Boom and his Boom Bots and THEN Tirion Fordring to follow those up, you better have a way to pop the shield on Tirion Fordring and follow with Equality into Consecration (if it's not too late by then, as you'll still have an opponent with his 5/3 Ashbringer)
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
What if I'm missing Harrison Jones and Justicar Trueheart? Can I sub Acidic Swamp Ooze and maybe Loatheb/card] of maybe [card]Emperor Thaurissan?
Does the deck really need 2 Quartermaster? I read other threads that said one is enough(I have to craft 2).
I'm starting to wonder if I need the 2nd Quartermaster as well. It's definitely useful once Justicar Trueheart hits the field, as for 7 mana you can make 8/13 worth of bodies (minimum). Often times, though, having both in my hand is a waste, so cutting one for Big Game Hunter might be the best option.
Emperor Thaurissan might have some use if you don't have Justicar Trueheart. He's a better body (5/5 vs 6/3) that helps reduce your late game curve, which is never a bad thing. Acidic Swamp Ooze can be used in place of Harrison Jones. You give up the card draw and the bigger body, but it's also easier to fit the Ooze in and still make another play the same turn.
I don't know that I would use Loatheb, but that's personal choice because I've been running into more aggro. The primary use for Loatheb is to prevent control from throwing their combo down the turn before you go for lethal. That being said, Loatheb can and will find use as well (especially if you're facing control, combo Druid, or feel like your opponent can wipe your board when you will have lethal next turn). If you're facing a lot of any of the decks I just mentioned (or even the Midrange Paladin Mirror), Loatheb could be useful.
As with most decks, a deck list isn't something you should follow to the T. I have tech cards in there for what I've been seeing recently. Most decks have a core list of cards that should always stay, and then the tech cards that they swap in and out based on the matchups they're getting. That's why a lot of people that "net deck" throw a fit about decks not working. Instead of taking the core part of the build and adapting it to what they're facing, they just C&P the decklist and complain about it not working because, for instance, they're facing a lot of control and the deck they found it built more to deal with aggro.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.
Justicar is a must-have, at least for me. It'll win you the game in a control matchup, especially if paired with the QM. Harrison is a tech choice.. you don't need it at all.
I think the gamebreaker is that I can make 2 decks for the price of one. Dragon Priest relys too much on a good draw. You need to draw the right cards at each turn to utilize Dragon Priest's advantage which is early big body minions.
I wouldn't play Dragon Priest honestly. I've played it to legend and it IS a legend capable deck but it's slow, boring, and lacks any creativity. Most of the skill is tied to the mulligan phase, outside of that there are VERY few decisions to make. You slam down your best minions on curve, trade efficiently, and try not to be vulnerable to board clears. Rarely do you have a choice between multiple minions to play and if you don't happen into an early drop/dragon things get really awkward really quick with few good comeback mechanisms. I know every deck is draw dependent but this deck is REALLY draw dependent.
It's also insanely predictable - any control warrior worth his salt knows exactly what's coming and saves removal for Ysera. Same with priests; dragon priest vs dragon priest becomes this odd game of chicken where neither side wants to play their Ysera because they know their opponent is going to shrink steal it. That is, if it even makes it to that point. Twilight drake into coin velens or Wyrmrest into velens pretty much ends the game right there considering Dragon priest plays no silence and a Velens'd Drake/Agent falls out of range of both pain and death.
This is going to be controversial, but I feel that even aggro decks have more meaningful and interesting choices than Dragon Priest. Whether you play something like creeper/glaivezooka or wolfrider/leper gnome can make the game dramatically different, and decisions of WHICH minions to drop and when to hero power instead of a minion are vitally important in aggro decks. I've never played face hunter on ladder but having played a bit of aggro paladin I can tell you it was a lot more fun. That said, I still vastly prefer decks like Malylock.
I've never actually played a game of any type with secret paladin but I can tell you that Midrange is a lot of fun.
Yeah I think i'll be making a paladin deck. Control warrior is too expensive and Freeze mage doesn't work in this aggro meta.
Freeze Mage actually holds up pretty well in the aggro meta. It holds up just as well, if not better, than most other control decks. The only downside really is the re-emergence of Control Warrior, which is pretty much a turn 1 concede for the Freeze Mage. Your absolute only option is a MASSIVE value Archmage Antonidas, and that's really only if you can get him out before you cast all your spells AND he survives long enough to produce a LOT of Fireballs (TIP: just concede once you realize he's Control).
Paladin is a solid choice as well though. Pretty much any Paladin deck you make is going to be strong.
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you.