LEGEND RANK NAXXRAMAS ZOOLOCK DECK GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

With Naxx officially released, the Arachnid Quarters have brought out a few new cards, from Nerubian Egg to Maexxna herself. Some have even said that Zoolock is pretty much dead, especially with Sludge Belcher, Unstable Ghoul, and Nerub'ar Weblord all proving to be obstacles to the speed of Zoo. But of course, Naxx has also provide the annoyingly effective Zoo deck with new minions. Redditor debating109 was able to go from Rank 10 to Legend in just a couple of nights (2-3), thanks to some modifications and additions. Here's the decklist:

THE CARDS

1. SOULFIRE - A Zoolock staple.

2. ABUSIVE SERGEANT - This card is used to trade with bigger minions using your early drops. Additionally, you can use it to power Nerubian Egg and get it killed to get that 4/4. However, he only put a single copy because there are already enough cards to buff Nerubian Egg, aside from Sergeant himself having a weak body. There's no harm in adding a second one, though.

3. ARGENT SQUIRE - A very resilient turn one drop that can survive AoE spells. You can also use this to trade with big minions by powering her up. Again, there is only a single copy of this in exchange for two of Young Priestess, but substituting it wouldn't be a mistake, either.

4. ELVEN ARCHER - This one is of course in the deck for you to be able to get some direct damage to the opponent's face, or the his minions in case of the quite often mirror matches. There is only one copy because it has a weak body, though it combos greatly with Knife Juggler and Ironbeak Owl.

5. FLAME IMP - A staple to the Zoolock deck. An early 3/2 is always great to have.

6. VOIDWALKER - Staple defense. Also quite annoying to get rid of early.

7. YOUNG PRIESTESS - It's a great card to have as it allows your minions to survive longer, which is very annoying if you're the opponent. One minor problem is that it's situational (you always need another minion in play).

8. DIRE WOLF ALPHA - A staple in every Zoo deck.

9. HAUNTED CREEPER - Fresh from Naxxramas, this minion provides a decent body that when killed provides little pesky 1/1s that can of course be buffed too. It works fantastically with Knife Juggler and Defender of Argus (once its Deathrattle triggers).

10. IRONBEAK OWL - This is played because of the meta. With players often using Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper, a single copy of this card can dramatically change the battle. It neutralizes any buffed minion, and of course give you a chance to silence a taunt minion to swing for the kill. Its weak body is the reason why there is only a single copy in the deck.

11. KNIFE JUGGLER - Works great with Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper. Basically, it works well in Zoo.

12. NERUBIAN EGG - This is a very powerful card, but debating109 realized that there are also many people who use this card the wrong way. He argues that it is almost never a great decision to trade the buffed egg just to get the 4/4 if it's not going to kill the minion right away. Moreover, the egg should be used to intimidate the opponent and prevent him from using AoE spells. Do worry about having it silenced when you're up against Shamans and Druids.

13. HARVEST GOLEM - A great staple.

14. SHATTERED SUN CLERIC - Buffs your early drops to be able to trade with big minions.

15. VOID TERROR  - This isn't a staple, but the Naxx cards have paved the way for a better look at this guy. The ideal combo with this is to have Nerubian Egg on turn two and then cast Void Terror on turn three, giving you a 4/4 and a 3/5 in just three turns. Additionally, you can use it to sacrifice your minions to make a big Void Terror if you feel like your opponent is about to cast an AoE spell. A single copy is enough.

16. DARK IRON DWARF - It has a pretty solid body that buffs your little minions, including the egg.

17. DEFENDER OF ARGUS - Aside from a bit of defense, it also works very well with Haunted Creeper's deathrattle ability.

18. DOOMGUARD - A staple and a finisher. Usually wrong to play this right away on your fifth turn.

MULLIGAN

Always mulligan for your one-drops, such as Flame Imp, Voidwalker, Argent Squire, and Young Priestess. Keep the Priestess if you already have it in your opening hand. Also, never hold on to a three-drop unless you have a great curve, say, turn one Flame Imp followed by a turn two Direwolf Alpha and then a turn three Harvest Golem. 

STRATEGY

If you do not have cards that can buff Nerubian Egg, playing it on turn 2 instead of another two-drop is weak especially against another Zoolock user. If that is your only two-drop, trade it off immediately. Additionally, do not trade with minions if it won't kill them or if it won't give you the best value. Simply put, don't let your minions get killed just to activate their deathrattle ability, even if this might lead you to a loss on occasion. Since the meta is rapidly evolving with the release of Naxx, just keep in mind that you need to have a good opening hand and very aggressive early turns. Be careful of getting your board cleared. There's Shaman's Lightning Storm, Mage's Blizzard, Druid's Swipe, Warlock's Hellfire, and Rogue's Fan of Knives and Blade Flurry.

Finally, this updated Zoo deck works well against other Zoo variants, so it'd be advisable to use this on the ladder. Be careful with the surge of Ramp Druid, Aggro Shaman, and Handlock which are modified to deal with thew new Zoo, though. Enjoy!

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LEGEND FACE HUNTER: No UTH, No Starving Buzzard

INTRODUCTION

You read that right. Someone used a Hunter deck without utilizing the infamous Unleash the Hounds + Starving Buzzard combo, and he reached Legend Rank. The objective of the deck, as it is called "Face" Hunter, is to consistently deal damage to the opponent each turn, ideally killing your opponent after six or seven turns. It sounds rather easy to play, but the player who used it states that it takes a bit of skill to determine whether to play a minion or use your hero skill.

THE DECK

GAMEPLAY

Always be wary of a board swipe. It could be Paladin's Consecration, Mage's Flamestrike/Blizzard, Druid's Swipe, or Warlock's Hellfire, among others. Do not flood your board with minions. Always use your hero power whenever possible as most of your minions have Charge anyway and are better saving for the fourth turn and beyond in combination with your hero power. Remember, there is only one Tracking in this deck and that is used to get your finisher, which is likely Leeroy, or an answer to a threat, such as Eaglehorn Bow and Explosive Trap. Know when to play your cards, and use your hero power as often as possible.

When it comes to your opening hand, mulligan aggressively for great one-drops such as Leper Gnome and Elven Archer and do keep the Eaglehorn Bow since you should be expecting to increase its durability by playing traps. If you're going second and have two one-drops, mulligan for a two-drop to keep the early game pressure. Finally, against zoo, mulligan for Elven Archer and Explosive Trap.

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LEGEND AGGRO MAGE: No Epics, No Legendaries [900 Dust Budget Deck]

INTRODUCTION

Redditor cplayer wanted to prove that you can reach legend without having epics or legendaries, and he did it by using an aggro mage. He already leached Legend Rank in the Asian Server, but that deck included Bloodmage Thalnos and Leeroy Jenkins. So, he decided to make a totally affordable aggro mage deck on the North American Server, costing only 900 dust in total, and he reached Legend Rank with after 150 wins, starting from Rank 19.

THE DECK

THE CARDS

Ice Lance, Frost Bolt, Azure Drake, Arcane Intellect, Mana Wyrm, and Fireball are staple Mage deck cards. Arcane Missiles sometimes do not appear in such decks, and are replaced with Arcane Explosion. The Loot Hoarder is for card-draw, but some players use Novice Engineer instead if they don't have a Bloodmage Thalnos.

Amani Berserker: More and more aggro mages are using this card, simply because it has a three-point toughness and can deal five damage in one attack. It can kill a Chillwind Yeti if it became a 5/2, and survives a Consecration or Holy Light if it's a 2/3. What's best about it is that you can trigger its enrage ability with the Mage's hero skill.

Elven Archer: This is a great card to have if you're going second and this is in your opening hand. If you're opponent plays a Leper Gnome or something similar, the Elven Archer can just ping it for free. It's great for doing the last-damaging point and helping build your tempo. It works nicely with the fair amount of 1-damage pings coming from your Arcane Missiles and Knife Jugglers.

Harvest Golem: This is the replacement for Bloodmage Thalnos, but it many situations, the Golem is actually the better card, especially against aggro and because it's an annoying card to battle.

Argent Commander: The replacement for Leeroy, and although it costs two more mana and has a lesser attacking power, it does stand on its own because of its Divine Shield, aside from not giving your opponents a couple of 1/1 whelps.

Polymorph: This spell is your deck's third Fireball, especially when there are too many big minions that can prove to be deadly. In addition, Polymorph is a better card to use on Sylvanas Windrunner and Cairne Bloodhoof because it won't trigger Deathrattle. This is also good if you want to get rid of a taunter minion.

Chillwind Yeti: The game's best free four-drop, Chillwind Yeti packs a punch and will always provide good value for its cost. In some situations, it would be better to play this rather than Water Elemental on turn four, if you're expecting your opponent to play something with four or five health (if it's 5, that's where you use the Mage hero skill).

Leper Gnome: It's a great first-turn play (except when you're battling Mage or Druid or Rogue) and deals two direct damage upon death.

Mirror Image: There is only one copy of this card in the deck because this is an aggro deck that has a lot of cards that will trade against the opponent's minions efficiently and help in controlling the board. The deck doesn't always need to buy some time or protect the board, although the card works greatly with Knife Juggler in play.

Sorcerer's Apprentice: She provides good tempo and has a decent 3/2 body for a two-drop, but the card is situational and depends on you holding spells to cast in order to provide the best value, making Amani Berserker a better play on turn two.

Wolfrider: This is still good to have, especially against Shaman and Warrior, but two of it might be too much, with its meager 1-point health and all.

GAMEPLAY

The aggro mage has a lot of "control" tools, with Knife Juggler and Arcane Missiles providing random pings. Moreover, the four-drop Water Elemental can seal you the victory against Hunter, Warrior, Rogue, and sometimes, Paladin. Your direct-damage spells can of course be used for removal instead of burst damage to the opponent's face, so your play has to depend on an opening hand and a mulligan that can provide a great early game play, and of course, efficient use of mana.

With the deck costing only 900 dust because of ten common cards and five rares and having been proven of being capable to help you reach Legend Rank, you might want to try this out.

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GAARA'S FAST DRUID: Focusing On Ramping Up For An Early Win

INTRODUCTION

Aside from introducing his "Nightmare Hunter" deck a few days back, Gaara is also discussing about a different kind of Druid deck, one that still aims for mana acceleration, but replaces some of the ramp deck staples that can provide defense and offense in the late game for an advantage in the early game. The main problem with the deck, of course, is that it can't handle matches that have dragged on for far too long, including against fellow Druid players using a control version of Ramp.

THE DECK

VIDEO

Finally, Gaara has provided a useful video on YT, discussing about the Fast Druid deck. It's a card-by-card analysis, explaining its place in the deck. Check it out below:

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BASIC [And Free] TEMPO ROGUE: Shen's Beginner Guide For 0 Dust

INTRODUCTION

Hearthstone player Sheng finished at rank 6 on ladder last season thanks to Tempo Rogue, and so he decided to share the fun by creating an absolutely free, yes, 0 dust version of the deck. Of course, as it is a deck with basic cards, don't expect to go beyond Rank 10 with this. The purpose of this deck, more importantly, is to introduce players to the game while using a decent deck that they can improve as they get more cards from packs.

THE DECK

OBJECTIVE

The key to winning with this deck is to efficiently use your weapons (the one you create with your hero power and also Assassin's Blade) and your removal spells (such as Assassinate and Backstab) to maintain board control.

MULLIGAN

This basic tempo rogue deck of course does not have those nifty combo cards such as Eviscerate and SI:7 Agent,  so the cards that you want to have don't differ whether you go first or second. As it is all about tempo, you want to have an aggressive start with your opening hand, and this can be achieved if you mulligan for two and three-drops while having a one-drop card such as Deadly Poison or Backstab to play especially on your third turn (ideally, with a two-drop minion). These two-drops would include the high powered Bloodfen Raptor and weapon-destroying Ancient Swamp Ooze while three-drops would be comprised of taunted Ironfur Grizzly and Shattered Sun Cleric. If your're going second and you already have a removal spell, a two-drop, and a three-drop minion, you can opt to keep that 4-drop Chillwind Yeti or Sen'jin Shieldmasta.

With regards to Kobold Geomancer and Ogre Magi, you're better off on the average if you mulligan them as they are "combo" pieces that you would want to topdeck later in the game, along Fan of Knives to counter aggro decks.

THE CARDS

MINIONS [19]

2x ACIDIC SWAMP OOZE - This is probably the best two-drop basic card in the game, simply because it's already strong with its 3/2, but it can also pack an additional punch by destroying your opponent's weapons. This could be handy in the late game against Warrior, Paladin, and Rogue to get additional value.

2x BLOODFEN RAPTOR - It's not really a great card, but it's still a basic minion having a 3/2 body, making it able to kill even four-drops, such as Spellbreaker.

1x KOBOLD GEOMANCER - You would not want to have this in your opening hand if you don't have Fan of Knives but if you do, this is a sweet fifth turn combo to sweep your opponent's board.

2x IRONFUR GRIZZLY - Razorfen Hunter might seem like a better basic minion three-drop, but its 1/1 buddy dies too quickly. This beast has a decent 3/3 build with a taunt ability for little bit of defense.

2x SHATTERED SUN CLERIC - It's best to play this card on your third turn if you played a 3/2 or any other two-drop minion so that you can give it a +1/+1 and lengthen its stay on the board. Even in the late game, this assures that your weaker minions can trade with the big ones.

2x CHILLWIND YETI - Considered as the best four-drop basic minion out there, it can kill other minions with four health without dying himself. It's the best vanilla minion in Hearthstone, aside from Boulderfist Ogre. It will often survive a few turns and trade up against a couple of minions before going out of the board.

2x GNOMISH INVENTOR - You would want to mulligan this because it is wiser to topdeck this in the late game as you will lose your tempo fuel by then, but at least you will probably have the mana to play whatever you draw from the Inventor.

1x OGRE MAGI - Like Kobold Geomancer, you wouldn't want to have two copies of this in your deck since it only really gives you value when you have Backstab or Fan of Knives. Aside from that, 4/4 for four is decent.

2x SEN'JIN SHIELDMASTA - Along with Chillwind Yeti, this is one of the best basic four-drops, as it can survive four-power attacks with its 3/5 build, aside from providing additional defense.

2x BOULDERFIST OGRE - Considered as one of the best vanilla minions in Hearthstone along with Chillwind Yeti, the Ogre can survive a mage's Fireball and even outlasts other six-drops and even seven-drops, such as Stormwind Champion. Moreover, it does not die to Big Game Hunter!

1x STORMWIND CHAMPION - Only one copy of this is good for the deck, as it's value depends on keeping your otherwise weaker minions alive by the time he arrives, and that isn't likely as you would lose fuel in the late game if you don't have a Sprint.

ABILITY [10]

2x BACKSTAB - This is one of the better basic cards that the Rogue class can provide, as it deals with pesky minions such as Knife Juggler and Ancient Swamp Ooze for free. It also provides the necessary push to remove that damaged big minion.

2x DEADLY POISON - You can use this with your hero skill's weapon to kill off some 3/3s and even 4/3 to pave the way for your minions to hit face and maintain tempo, but using this on Assassin's Blade can win you the game. 

1x SAP - This helps you push for the offensive by returning any big taunted-up minions dropped by your opponent. This can also ruin a Druid's day, especially if he does the second-turn Innervate + Chillwind Yeti play.

2x FAN OF KNIVES - This is a pretty weak AoE spell on its own, but partnered with Kobold Geomancer and/or Ogre Magi, it can realistically clear your opponent's side of the board, apart from the card draw it provides to amp your tempo.

2x ASSASSINATE - You want to play this on the huge taunted-up minions if you don't have Sap in hand. Be wary of your opponents casting bait minions though. A player might cast Chillwind Yeti, luring you into using Assassinate so that he can safely play, say, Druid of the Claw next turn.

1x SPRINT - Because it costs seven mana, you wouldn't really want two copies of this in your deck. One is good though, as it refuels your hand in the late game, and you can even play a bit of the cards you draw from it if it's the tenth turn or so.

WEAPON [1]

1x ASSASSIN'S BLADE - A very good weapon for Rogue, as it lasts for four attacks and can kill off a lot of minions. You can even win with it if you use Deadly Poison.

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