Hearthpwn

Frustration Rogue (Control) -  Hallucination + Evasion

Even if you don't win, you can still glean satisfaction, frustrating your opponent by forcing him to actually play a game instead of just trying to pop off fast.

Frustration Rogue (Control) -  Hallucination + Evasion

This is a deck for those wanting to actually play a quick game, instead of looking for a degenerate combo.  It is not meant to be a killing machine.  instead you are changing the parameters of the Brawl, by selecting choice cards with Hallucination and tailoring your hand to try and out-play your opponent.  Due to the RNG nature of Hallucination there is a lot of variance with how the deck performs, but Evasion gives you the time you need to see if you can pull off a turnaround.

It won't always work, and cheap aggro/buff decks will give you trouble unless you can pull some AoE.  However even if you don't win, you can still glean satisfaction, frustrating your opponent by forcing him to actually play a game instead of just trying to pop off fast.

 Not use Toggwaggle to fill his hand with Crap too.

The Echo method of Trying to use quest is ok.  But that's it.  Just ok.  It is quaint in theory, but in practice, you are going to be hard pressed well before turn 6 before you can BEGIN to put a full two turns (three if you count the quest itself) of work to get rolling.  If you are up against some slow control junk, maybe(?) thats ok ... but we should be winning versus control anyway so I don't see the appeal.

Meanwhile trying to hard mull into two cards with a deck that is required to keep one in hand is a recipe for disappointment. The math just isn't there.

It's not that the idea is infeasible.  More simply, in practice, you are going to be better off playing more mana efficient and using Shadowstep on something more valuable so that you aren't completely giving up the board to chase the quest.  You are almost always behind on board anyway until you get the quest active.  So even getting to turn 6 is questionable.  Even more rare is the turn 6 where I feel the best play is burn one of the most valuable spells in my deck (shadowstep) to pass turn turn leaving only a single 2/4 taunt in play.

It might be worth it if It finished the quest so that it could be ACTIVE the next turn.  but as a setup into a setup, you are asking to lose too much tempo.

Not knowing what "meta" decklists you are referring to makes it even harder to asses how to answer your question(?),  comment(?), criticism?

If your problem with quest rogue is that it is slow and unfocused, then don't play quest rogue.  Miracle is still good.  Smorc Rogue is fairly simplistic and easy to pick up, if that is what you are looking for.

But every Quest rogue list lost the same cards that were part of how the deck functions.  I can't imagine someone has a list that is any faster than this one at setting up the quest and winning.  Moreover, I doubt there is a list that is more consistent.  If you want to try and highroll the quest, maybe there's some weird-assed list out there I haven't seen yet.

But if you'd like to be specific about any of the vague "questions" you have about my list. I'd be happy to answer them.

Zola is sort of a redundancy to  Sonya Shadowdancer.  It is another way to copy a needed effect back to your hand.  It is extremely valuable, but it might be the most expendable slot in the list.

I love mimic pod, but I hate the tempo it loses.  Any list that runs mimic is 2xPrep Mandatory, even if it hurts your consistency.

If I absolutely had to? Maybe a Glacial Shard.  They both serve the purpose of buying time, and don't necessarily impact other cards in the deck.

He is mostly there as an alternate beefy demon target that can give you some lifegain shenanigans.  Despicable Dreadlord can be ok, or any large butted Demons that doen't screw you if you have to cast from hand.

I find Rogue's Echo cards to be anti-synergistic with the Quest. Phantom Militia does have a little bit of wiggle room, but the end game takes too long, with about 9-12 mana in chunks of 3 over multiple turns to activate.  Other methods are more mana efficient and less tempo draining.

If you have a build that works for you, that's fine.  I don't feel a burning need to have preparation every game, and 2 of them in hand often costs me a win, since that one less cards to enable my quest, even before I can cast it.

I'm not saying it is without merit... but part of this list is about slowing down a little and feeling out the combo. not throwing cards left and right and hoping for the best.

The deck runs fine for me as is.  Scalehide is more useful as a 5/5 rather than burning bounce on something that may never finish your quest.

Preparation was a tougher choice. but it was a choice.  I had too many games where 2xPrep was dead in my hand and I needed something else.  As a singleton, it can sit in my hand and wait for setup with Vanish, Valeera, or Quest, without messing up another draw step. Truth be told, I rarely even need it for casting my quest.  I'd rather have a more proactive card.

Just to get this out of the way up front.  This is NOT OTK Shudderwock.  Why?  Because Shudderwock OTK tends to get wrecked by anything with a plan before Turn 11.  So why is Shudderwock even in the deck?  Because  all the battlecry cards in your deck pile on to make Shudderwock the best closer and recovery tool in Shaman's arsenal right now.

This build is aiming to play strong tempo throughout the game, marrying a little bit of control with positive board interaction.  You can be competitive versus any deck in the format, and many games are won simply through board play.  Should the game go long, Shudderwock steps in to clean things up and provide amazing game-ending value.  He buffs himself (including rush) and then sends 1-cost clones of himself into your hand. So if one Shudderwock isn't enough... just play another!

How does Hagatha work?

First of all, she is removal.  Her battlecry is yet another AoE in Shaman's arsenal of blowing $%!^ up.  Secondly, once she is in play, every minion you play nets you a random Shaman Spell.  That's card advantage, virtually for free!  And yes the RNG element can make it a bit awkward at times, but free cards are free cards and we aren't even at the best part!  Hagatha has a best friend... and he's the Third part of the Hand Advantage Generator (or H.A.G. Engine).

The H.A.G. Engine -- Hagatha the Witch + Bogshaper:

Casting Minions with Hagatha gives you spells, Casting Minions with Bogshaper tutors minions from your deck.  This creates a circle of perfect card advantage that lets you search for any missing pieces or effects while dealing with the board.  This also lets you play more proactively in games without leaving yourself open to card loss.

Card Choices:

So that's it for now In essence this is an updated version of my Hagatha Control... but the playstyle is so different I felt it deserved it's own write up.  So far I have about 20 ladder games with it and its pushing about 70%.  I'm sure that may come down later, but I and suitably impressed  how solid it feels compared to other more OTK focused lists.

Hagatha is amazing, especially with Bogshaper.  In fact, I am in the process of posting my second build with her.

But just to illuminate:

Just to get this out of the way up front.  This is NOT OTK Shudderwock.  Why?  Because Shudderwock OTK tends to get wrecked by anything with a plan before Turn 11.  So why is Shudderwock even in the deck?  Because  all the battlecry cards in your deck pile on to make Shudderwock the best closer and recovery tool in Shaman's arsenal right now.  He may not be the main focus of the deck, but he is a real house when you can survive to play him.

For most of the game, you are simply playing incremental advantage control.  You have a ton of board AoE, a little bit of spot removal, and one of the best advantage engines in the game at the moment: Hagatha the Witch.

How does Hagatha work?

First of all, she is removal.  Her battlecry is yet another AoE in Shaman's arsenal of blowing $%!^ up.  Secondly, once she is in play, every minion you play nets you a random Shaman Spell.  That's card advantage, virtually for free!  And yes the RNG element can make it a bit awkward at times, but free cards are free cards and we aren't even at the best part!  Hagatha has a best friend... and he's the Third part of the Hand Advantage Generator (or H.A.G. Engine).

The H.A.G. Engine -- Hagatha the Witch + Bogshaper:

Casting Minions with Hagatha gives you spells, Casting Minions with Bogshaper tutors minions from your deck.  This creates a circle of perfect card advantage that lets you search for any missing pieces or effects without blowing deckspace on other card drawing mechanics that are more restrictive or tempo draining.  Just play the game normal and up-tempo, and for as long as Bogshaper is in play you get free advantage AND setup for your closer Shudderwock.

Shuddering with anticipation:

As you play the game normally, you should be able to build a critical mass of battlecries that will make your Shudderwock more than capable of closing the game, even if you DON'T have an OTK.  I mean... the guy makes copies of himself with rush that go back into your hand and reduce their cost to 1.   So if one Shudderwock isn't enough... just play another!

Obviously there is no such thing as perfection in a deck, but even in hotly contested games, Shudderwock is a great recovery tool that can gain you back sickening amounts of life.  So don't fret about gunning for the perfect OTK. Just play a solid advantage based game, and you might be surprised just how good Shaman really is.