Hearthpwn

I'm calling it, Echo cards are going to be the most powerful cards in the upcoming Witchwood arena meta. They just give you massive card advantage when no other types of card can. They can fill up your curve on multiple turns (think that's also what helps you build an odd/even cards only constructed deck), giving you the flexibility to react to the boardstate. Take Phantom militia as an exmaple, you can use it as a 2/4 taunt on turn 3, or sort of your own Spreading Plague on turn 9 onwards. Compare to card draws like Devour Mind, Echo cards are minions which they can be played immediately and you gain tempo right away. When your opponent sees you just drew 3 cards, they will try to end the game as soon as possible. But they can never expect an Echo card, generating huge value from one single card. Their value increases as the game progress and you would happily draft them no matter you have a aggro or control deck.

I would think otherwise. Cho is useless. Patches is only gonna be a ping which you already have as a hero power. In this meta, priest and warlock are very popular. These control classes can often outvalue mages and run you out of cards. if you have the advantage, you can just hold Aluneth. But it will be the best answer to those classes, as you can just drop minions and draw your fireballs to finish them quickly.

1st time real recorded 12 wins with Shaman. The last one was on the phone and over 2 months ago, so I'm happy to have good result with Shaman in arena again. Right before I drafted this deck, heartharena bugged so I just draft it myself (I'm pretty proud!). If it's rated by heartharena, I think it would have a rating more than 70. It just has tons of reach, weapons, tokens generators and discover effects. Not a single boardclear but I got ways to win other than pure control,

I never lost the early game with this deck. Card draws and reach allowed me to compete with or finish my opponents with value-oriented decks. Cult Master has to be MVP, just won me a lot of games by gaining massive card advantage and outvaluing my opponents. Cult Apothecary saved my a$$ a couple of times too. Only lost to a mage with 2 Firelands Portal, Antonidas, 2 Arcane Intellects, and a shaman with crazy dragon synergies. Rewards are 495 gold and a card pack.

The curve is pretty good but I think your deck lacks solid on curve minion. You only have 4 playable on curve 2 drops and some rather weak 3s and 4s. You should mulligan aggressively, control the board early. Chip damage is going to be crucial for you to close the game early.

Match 10: your opponent had some really good adaptations from the 2 Volcanosaurs. I think you could use your first Bog to stall his first volcanosaur, instead of clearing it out immediately. Using the whole turn and 2 cards to kill one thing is really anti tempo. On your turn 11, if you play the commander to kill his blazecaller instead of the threshadon, you might still have a chance to stabilize with your MCT and Bog Creeper.

http://www.heartharena.com/arena-run/rw4232

2nd 12 wins with Rogue. This deck is really strong in early to mid game. Needless to say how good Envenom Weapon and Vilespine Slayer are. Only loss is to a paladin, who somehow knows I have a pirate and keep his Golakka Crawler until turn 7 so he can eat my Naga Corsair for free. Oh and the pack rewarded gave me the mage quest. Sweet.

Is it possible to update this useful guide? Tips for beginners are still true to date, but key cards recommendation is out of date since the arena changes from wild to standard.

2nd 12 wins in Un'Goro. Elementals are cool. Counterspell did well. Meteor is op. 'Nuff said. 

http://www.heartharena.com/arena-run/wr4215

Aw well I guess that was just unfortunate in the receiving end. Just got 12 wins with mage with some pretty uninteractive cards lol.

Come on!! Wtf is this? My 2 five drops never has a chance to attack. He has nothing to damage me except dealing damage to my Hydra. Guess my only missplay is not playing around the second Meteor. I know this sounds like something I should rant in the salt megathread, but sometimes arena mages are just so bullshxt. Fun and interactive yeah right. I went 5-3 after this match. FeelsBadMan

https://hsreplay.net/replay/ZpomakfmCFfi4PvEWcKduH

http://www.heartharena.com/arena-run/us1r8b

First 12 wins in Un'Goro. This run is carried by Envenom Weapon and Vilespine Slayer. Got lucky not to encounter a lot of mages. Just play safe and clear everything from paladins and shamans then you will win lol. That satisfaction from silencing a Spikeridged Steed recruit is pretty Kreygasm.

Mulligan: I always keep Truesilver when I go second. It is the best card to get back the board. Going first you can consider keeping it, but you need to have a 2 drop in your opening hand. Luckily you drew it early on.

Plays: above has mentioned about the secret play. On turn 4 you made a huge mistake for not trading, got you 4 less hp. What if he pings your boar and play a 3 nest turn? Your opponent is going aggressive and is going first. You should not be greedy when you are behind on the board , and try to clear everything possible. On turn 8 Im not sure why you didn't use the hydra to attack the 1/1 taunt. He could just trade in your snail and ping, and then you lose the value of the snail.

Overall the misplays caused you taking much more damage than you should and that's the game. You might have a chance with the hydras if you didn't take as much face damage.

I think I actually perform better in this expansion. I had about 5.5 average wins in MSG. Now in Un'Goro I have 6.3, including 3 9-3 runs and 2 2 10-3 runs. The arena is more dynamic than ever which is a really good thing. The quality of decks is not as terribly extreme as after 7.1, and there are more ways to achieve comebacks. This meta is really exciting :)

I have much more fun playing paladin in this expansion. In the MSG meta, paladin always rely on early handbuff tempo but always run out of steam in the late game. I hate the fact that you either crush your opponent early on or get grinded out after turn 7. Right now buffs like Spikeridged Steed and Dinosize add more dynamic and flexibility to the class. The increase in rarity bonus also increase the chance you get spells like Equality and weapons like Vinecleaver and Sword of Justice. I think paladin have better cards for arena in this expansion than shaman overall and shaman lost the occuring bonus for drafting jades which are their power cards, makes paladin a better class.

Quote from Caddage >>

Match 5: Shaman.

https://hsreplay.net/replay/KoLybWD3P8F2DjvMKUFfeY

So apparently this was Control vs. Control, and I failed to consider one thing: what threats I have remaining in my deck. Turn 9 I have my 3 biggest drops in my hand: Volcanosaur, Sunwalker, and Sabretooth Stalker. Had I gone all-in, I may have been able to rush Opp. down. Instead I continue playing board control until we're both top-decking... only I have already drawn and played my biggest minions. Let this one get away from me. 3-2.

Match 6: Hunter.

https://hsreplay.net/replay/zMqeWBkRpgRzPASKJDm3MG

Going second against Hunter I go ahead and keep Volcano in my mulligan. Turn 1 Opp. plays Raptor Hatchling; I freeze the Raptor with Glacial Shard. Turn 2 Opp. plays both Fire Fly and the Flame Elemental it gives; I coin out Stonehill Defender (which gives me Sunwalker... REALLY loving that card!), then trade Shard for Fly. Turn 3 Opp. plays Jungle Panther and passes the attack; I wipe the board with Lightning Storm and pop face. Turn 4 Opp. drops Houndmaster (SO glad I cleared those beasts); I HP (Searing) and pop face again. Turn 5 Opp. plays Spiked Hogrider (seems like it will be easy to activate that one in this meta), clears the taunt with Houndmaster, and smacks my face with the biker; I drop Jungle Panther and Blowgill Sniper, using the Totem and the Sniper to remove the Houndmaster. Turn 6 Opp. clears my Sniper with Dispatch Kodo and smacks my face again with biker and HP; I drop Sunwalker and trade Panther for Kodo. Turn 7 Opp. pops the 'walker's shield with biker, shoots me in the face, but makes a fatal mistake: Bittertide Hydra; I check Opp.'s health (28), count minion health on the board (14), emote "Well played," hit face with Sunwalker and play Volcano. The Hydra does the rest. 4-2.

Another run into "Tier 2," and without strategic misplays in my two losses I could be at 6. So hard to pinpoint the moment when the only way to win is SMOrc-fest. Live and learn... well, die and learn, I guess. Onward!