Hearthpwn

Quote from TuddFudders >>

Coming from a top 100 legend player, I am really confused how this deck is viable for legend.

With so many duplicates in the deck Reno usually doesn't get to come in during a critical moment. I am abit skeptical at the fast climb in legend rank for you considering this deck plays 3x longer per game to finish.

I will admit I could be playing this wrong, but I am making the most efficient plays possible and this deck doesn't seem that great. 

Fun deck (gimmick), but the druid basic mulligan (fatigue), oil rogue, any control priest deck (and others) beats this quite easily. It's definitely not a ladder deck.

Without the significant changes I'm finding the vanilla deck to not be strong enough. It's too slow AND if you aren't lucky enough in the beginning to control the beginning game, it's most likely gg as  there is no recovery with being able to only play 1 card at a time vs an enemy controlled deck with 4-5 enemy minions on the board.

I went 1-6 w/ the vanilla build. With the KingofFatties suggested few card changes I went 11-5, with what you see below, I am 8-0. 

The following opening strategy is what has helped me the most with this deck (I've tried a variety of openings) and is partly inspired by KingoftheFatties' suggestion below.

This is what you should do during your first 6 turns to significantly increase your odds of winning the match.

Change out your 1-6 mana cards so that the following are played in their respective turns:

1. Shieldbearer - it's just there to protect your next turn's card.
2. Doomsayer - this makes sure you control the board, which is absolutely necessary for turn 4.
3. Acolyte of Pain
4. Astral Communion. Immediately attack with Acolyte of Pain. This draws a big minion. Then immediately play that big minion. To be clear, at the end of Turn 4, you should have a minion on the board.
5. Abomination or Sludge Belcher (pick what works best for you). I run 1 Ab, 2 SB, substituting the giants for them.
6. Shapeshift (hero power). Justicar Trueheart. Shapeshift (hero power). You can use your hero power twice this turn.

 Win the match.

Notes

1. Get as many big taunts in the deck as possible.
2. Mulligan: get rid of your 1-6 mana cards and taunt cards, you need them to be drawn (not in your opening hand).
3. Sometimes the beginning won't play out exactly as above, but that's ok. Stick to it and adapt. 
4. The only times I've lost w/ these changes is vs other Druid decks. It's strong
5. Deathwing is a great, high value card in this deck because a) it clears the board and b) it's unlikely you'll have many cards to discard.

As I said above. These changes have dramatically increased the win rate for me. It's practically a new deck (but I'm too lazy to create a new one and post it).

// EDIT //

Due to the amount of changes I made, I decided to just go ahead and create and post the full deck and guide:  Astral Assassin

Well, so far I have lost 100% of all matches vs Rogues. Are rogues a hard counter to this deck or am I just playing it wrong?

So to be clear, if you cannot establish dominance w/i the first few rounds, it's game over w/ this deck?  That is what appears to be happening and how the deck is built. There are several decks I face (from almost every class) that just out control me in the beginning and from then on, I just can't catch up.

I did well w/ this deck when it first came out (gained about 4 ranks to 12). The meta has changed however, and I've lost 6 matches in a row with it.

Quote from sukez0r jump

You are playing CW the wrong way then. 

What's the right way to play them then?

This deck just doesn't seem fast enough for a face deck. I went from Sigma's Midrange to this, played it as face of course, but it isn't getting the job done. Control decks control it.  Other aggro decks are faster. 0-3 with this, rank 13 US.

Quote from Penguin0007 jump

I'm here to say thank you for this deck.

From rank 14 to rank 5 in 3 days. I'm trying to hit legend.

Bad match-ups for me: Patron and control warrior and Face hunter. Secret paladin is 50/50.

GL to everyone!

I'm finding this to be true vs Face Hunters. Face Hunters so far, just roll this deck like there's no tomorrow. Too fast, too much removal in the beginning (when is where you need to establish control of the board w/ this deck), nothing you can do.

However, that's why you just change out cards a bit...modify it to your own meta.

Quote from CurlyMuch jump

I can definitely say chrom has won me many games I should have lost, but that's the whole reason hes in the deck. 

Yes, he definitely fits in this deck and is the direct reason for some of my wins.

However, I'm still finding it to be true that this deck (for me) loses against Shammy's 100% of the time. It's the first time in all the time I've been playing HS (since closed beta), that I've played a deck that loses consistently to another class.

Could just be crazy bad luck, could just be that despite being an above average player (who can almost always get to rank 10 or better every season) just has no clue how to play this deck vs Shammy (not not likely). But it's the 1 consistent weakness that I've found playing this deck.

I'm almost at the point now that when I see a Shammy, I just concede as I know it's just a waste of my time. I've never experienced that with any deck, ever, in all my time with HS. It's unreal.

I can deal with not having fan of knives but does 1 sap really work? If druid plays ancient of war, there is only little chance to remove it effectively. Still a great deck though. 

I forgot to add you need lots of taunt. Lumberers, Ancient of War, etc.

One Each

1 Gadgetzen Jouster
2. Mark of the Wild
3. Acolyte of Pain
4. Astral Communion. Attack with Acolyte of Pain into anything they have on the board, drawing a fattie.

Add 2 Nourish, One abomination, one Tree of Life, One Deathwing.

I am getting abosolutely no where with this deck, it seems to get wrecked by aggro and control, especially tempo mage seems to counter this deck well. From someone who has been rank 4 and cant even get past rank 9 with this deck, I applaud u for getting legend, but I cant take my record of 3-10 with this deck and say bad luck or I dont undestand when Ive been playing control warrior forever.

I want to like this deck, I really do, but I have no idea how this beats aggro unless they get unlucky. And Tempo decks and Handlocks wreck this deck. I've only won a single game playing the deck as is at ranks 16-14.

Hmm I don't know what im doing wrong.  Maybe i just have terrible luck. I'm not saying it is a bad deck, I like it and i want to succeed with it and im going to keep trying it out. But so far ive gone 1/8, i lost to 2 hunter aggro decks, 1 secret paladin, 1 dragonpriest (he had 5 cards by the time i was topdecking), 1 zoolock, and 2 midrange paladin decks. My only win was against a priest where i had a god hand and he must have drawn poorly because he wasn't on curve. I'm just always drawing the wrong thing at the wrong time and it hasnt felt like it flows for me at all.

The changes i made were -1 Ragnaros the Firelord and -1 Big Game Hunter for +1 Revenge and +1 Ysera for aggro and control respectively. In control match ups im constantly outdrawn and in match ups that have a large board presence i can never play catch up and rarely am i getting more than 1 for 1 value with creatures and take out with the exception of Piloted Shredder. So far the changes haven't helped though ive had a small sample size. Maybe the law of averages will take hold soon and i wont keep getting hands with nearly nothing but 6+ drops. I like the idea and thank you for posting your deck :)

This guy speaks the truth. I'd even go as far as to say that there are even better control warrior variants out there. As cool as Varian is, he simply does not sync well enough considering there are so many battle-cries in this deck. Fun deck yes, competitive.. no.

fantastic deck but you are rarely able to play Competitive Spirit strategically so i recommend swapping it

Thank you for your very insightful and helpful post.  I'm sure it will inspire growth and prosperity in this community.  How would the forums even exist without your eloquence.  We all thank you, truly.

Beneath the Grounds doesn't really put cards in the opponent's deck since they draw another card after the Ambush.