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Hunter Myth (GvG Legend Control Hunter Guide)

Forum Index > Constructed Strategy
Post a Reply
mythandier
Profile Joined January 2011
United States352 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-03-17 18:24:04
February 09 2015 21:38 GMT
#1
[image loading]

Background:
Back in August of last year I introduced mid-range demonlock deck guide that went on to great success in the days after Voidcaller was introduced.

As someone who gets tired of playing the same "standard" and popular decks over and over again I strive to innovate new builds. I'm honestly not sure how someone can play the same Control Warrior/Zoo/Handlock/Face Hunter deck for a year and still be entertained by the game -- but I digress. Upon the release of GvG the meta started to destabilize a bit and the Undertaker was finally nerfed. As a result, I decided to once again construct a build using cards that most people seemed to be ignoring. As such, I managed to piece together a successful Control Hunter that got me to around 200 Legend at the end of last season. When I initially put the deck together I tried a few things including, but not limited to: Kill Command, Explosive Shot, Multi-Shot, Unleash the Hounds, Cult Master, and various Traps. Ultimately, none of those cards ended up in what I'm currently running. Below you'll find the deck list, guide, matchup specific mulligan considerations, and card combos to keep in mind.

There will be periodic changes to this guide so check back for updates.

Current Decklist:: (3/17/2015)

2x Hunter's Mark
2x Arcane Shot
1x Feign Death
1x Glaivezooka
1x Ironbeak Owl
2x Steamwheedle Sniper
2x Wild Pyromancer
1x Acolyte of Pain
2x Animal Companion
1x Big Game Hunter
2x Deadly Shot
1x Eaglehorn Bow
2x Piloted Shredder
1x Antique Healbot
1x Loatheb
2x Sludge Belcher
2x Savannah Highmane
1x Sylvanas Windrunner
1x Dr. Boom
1x Kel'Thuzad
1x Sneed's Old Shredder
Crafting Cost: 8720                                                                        Mana Curve:
                                                                                                      [image loading]
Matchups:
Strong Against:
[image loading][image loading][image loading][image loading]
Weak Against:
[image loading]
Neutral Against:
[image loading][image loading][image loading][image loading]

Matchup Guide:
+ Show Spoiler +
Overall the matchups are favorable with the primary weakness currently Mage. If you are facing a mech mage and they roll a good start and you don't have immediate answers/board presence then it's very unlikely you will come back (although this is the case for most decks). That said, if you also have a good start with Steamwheedle/Animal Companion/Shredder and a weapon/removal then you may be in good shape. Additionally, Freeze mage can be somewhat of an issue with this deck as there is no mechanism to burst them down quickly. It's still a better matchup than mech mage though.

Face hunter isn't much of a problem unless you completely whiff on your mulligan + first/second draw. You should be able to keep a board and keep up the damage to eek out a win (Healbot can often be MVP). If you can keep a Sniper on board against an aggressive deck then it can often single-handedly win games.

The slower matchups are all generally favorable because of 2 reasons 1) they'll mulligan wrong 2) cheap removal and value-providing minions can clinch the game. I've often considered ditching the single Feign Death but even without Sylvanas it can provide a fair bit of value.

The current paladin is about 50/50 and hinges on Pyro clearing out muster before you have a ton of 3/3 dudes in your face. If you do, it's not too terrible difficult. Save Owl for Tirion or Sylvanas (though not all paladin decks run her).

Both Handlock and Zoo are dealt with fairly efficiently and I have a 60+% winrate against both at the moment. Use your hard removal + combo removal against handlock, and early game minions, weapons, and removal vs zoo and it should go fine.


General Strategy:
Early Game:
+ Show Spoiler +
The general flow of the early game consists of utilizing Arcane Shot, Sniper, Pyro, and Weapons to control the board. You can effectively draw off of Acolyte with the Pyro ability. Animal Companion is as solid a 3 drop as ever and rounds out the early game.


Mid Game:
+ Show Spoiler +
Your mid game will consist of keeping up with removal, Shredders, and Belchers.

Important Note on Efficient Use of Removal: If you have multiple methods for removal in hand it is important to use the most conditional removal first. Take the following examples into consideration:

Scenario 1: Handlock drops Mountain Giant on an empty board on turn 4. You have Deadly Shot and Big Game Hunter in hand. (Use Deadly Shot)

Scenario 2: A Control Warrior drops Ragnaros on turn 8. You have Steamwheedle, Big Game Hunter, and Hunter's Mark in hand. (Use Big Game Hunter)

The reason for these choices is that you want to use the removal that has more limited options later on. In Scenario 1 if you hold onto the Deadly Shot then you run the risk of having to roll the dice with RNG later if they have more than 1 minion on board. In Scenario 2 if you use Steamwheedle + Hunter's Mark then you might not have an answer for a <7 attack threat later.


Late Game:
+ Show Spoiler +
Your lategame will hinge on your ability to maintain board presence in the early and midgame and come in the form of Highmane, Sylvanas, Dr. Boom, and Kel'Thuzad. A turn 8 Sylvanas + Feign Death is fairly game ending in most control matchups. However, if you can Feign Death a Belcher + Highmane or even a Shredder then consider that as an option to apply pressure as well (but don't over commit if they still have board clear options). Healbot can give you a bit more staying power and Jones + Black Knight will allow you to keep tempo against some of the more popular matchups.

Keep in mind that the current version of the deck is very much a work in progress and runs several tech cards (Big Game Hunter, Harrison Jones, The Black Knight, and to a degree Loatheb). These cards can be subbed out and will likely vary depending on the meta. For example, due to the high number of Strifecro paladin and smattering of Burst Shaman, Control Warrior, and Rogue/Hunter...I feel Harrison is worth a spot. Similarly, most druids have gone back to Ramp style instead of 2x Roar. That plus Handlock and all the Belchers gives good cause for TBK. As Kel'Thuzad is not a tech card he will likely be the first change made. Be on the look out for changes to come.


Matchup Specific Mulligan Guide:
Druid:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Animal Companion, Piloted Shredder, and Deadly Shot

Generally speaking, the 2 drop minions are not very good against Druid as they'll likely end up on the opposite side a wrath. That said, if you have Steamwheedle or Wild Pryo AND Hunter's Mark then you should keep them. If you know the opponent is a fast Druid then avoid keeping anything over 3 mana.


Hunter:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Arcane Shot, Steamwheedle Sniper, Wild Pyromancer, and Glaivezooka

The vast majority of Hunter's are aggro/face. That in mind, mulligan exclusively for your Sniper/Pryo/Arcane Shot. Glaivezooka can do some work but avoiding face damage is always priority.


Mage:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Steamwheedle Sniper, Wild Pyromancer, Eaglehorn Bow, and Animal Companion

When you mulligan you should really only assume Mech Mage since it's tremendously popular at the moment. That in mind, stay away from any 4+ cost minions and look for weapons and early board presence. Arcane shot doesn't do much work against mech since they're all 3+ Health (other than the 1 drops and Annoy-o-Tron). Acolyte is too slow to keep but will at least cycle if it's your only play (and if it's your only play you're probably very far behind). It is still quite possible to clear the board with Wild Pyro and pull back (I've done this a number of times) -- so resist throwing it out to trade 1-for-1 if possible.


Paladin:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Acolyte of Pain, Steamwheedle Sniper, Wild Pyromancer, and Animal Companion

Against Paladin you'll want to keep the Acolyte to punish their dudes or even the minibot. The other early drop minions are good at making 2 for 1 (or better) trades with the Paladin's.


Priest:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Steamwheedle Sniper, Acolyte of Pain, Animal Companion, and Piloted Shredder

I tend to keep Acolyte against Priest to draw off of greedy Cleric plays. Otherwise, early board presence and removal is good to have on hand as you enter the mid-game.


Rogue:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Loatheb, Eaglehorn Bow, Acolyte of Pain, Piloted Shredder, and Animal Companion

Rogue is in such a weird place that I'm still never sure what to expect. It seems that almost everyone has finally started to run the same deck though (although I still don't think it's that great). Keeping the 3 drop minions (other than BGH) is fine as is keeping the bow to deal with common 3 drops from Rogue. You may keep the Sniper although it will usually just be a 2/3 2 drop that trades 1 for 1. With coin I'll hold onto Loatheb in the event things get #dicey.


Shaman:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Eaglehorn Bow, Animal Companion, and Steamwheedle Sniper

Shaman is another weird matchup because it's in such flux since GvG was introduced. Lately it seems almost everyone is running Firebat's aggro weee-bot Shaman. If that's the case then I'd ditch Dr. Boom and go for more early board presence. Against the traditional slower Shaman you can keep a slower minion since you shouldn't be under real threat.


Warlock:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Arcane Shot, Steamwheedle Sniper, Wild Pyromancer, and Glaivezooka

Generally it's safe to assume you're up against a Zoo deck; however, lately with the undertaker nerf there's a lot more Handlock and even combo-demonlock out there. That said, if you're not sure, err on the side of zoo and go for early game removal, weapons, and minions. It's okay to keep Big Game Hunter as well since he can still trade against Zoo and if it is a Handlock you'll be happy to have it.


Warrior:
+ Show Spoiler +
Keep: Acolyte of Pain, Animal Companion, Piloted Shredder, Savannah Highmane, and Dr. Boom

Virtually the only Warrior deck anyone plays is Control Warrior. With that in mind, it's not really necessary to hold onto your early game minions as they'll just get axed down unnecessarily. You can hold onto Acolyte to draw off of his 1-attack minions (or tragically get axed down). Otherwise, keeping mid-game minions and using your hero power to cancel his out isn't terrible.


Key Combos & Synergies:
+ Show Spoiler +

1): Arcane Shot / Hunter's Mark + Wild Pyro: This fairly obvious combo is one of the primary tools for removal vs either a small board or single big minion respectively. Wild Pyro + Hunter's Mark is a simple tool for removing Dr. Doom if you don't have your BGH. If you're lucky you might even keep your minion and make it a simple 1-for-1 trade. Also keep in mind that Animal Companion triggers Pyro so that, against Zoo for example, a turn 4 Pyro + Coin + Animal Companion will sweep for 2 damage and give you a minion. It does more work than you might think.

2): Hunter's Mark + Steamwheedle Sniper + Hero Power: This is one of my favorite combos out there. For 4 mana and 1 card you can remove any single threat and put a 2 drop into play. Obviously less effective against deathrattle but great against most legendaries, giants, or otherwise difficult to deal with minions.

3): Feign Death + Any Deathrattles: Obviously you want to at least get 2 mana worth of value out of this card so using it on a single Sludge Belcher isn't the best. However, using it on turn 9 after playing Dr. Boom can sometimes help out considerably. A scenario I've found myself more than once is as follows:
- Turn 6 I play Highmane
- Opponent can't remove and plays Taunt or 5 Attack Minion
- Turn 7 Belcher + Feign Death
- Turn 8 Kel'Thuzad

Now obviously, that turn 7 board is fairly weak against a 2+ damage board clear but the potential threat it represents is enormous. It's possible that the opponent would have lost anyway since they couldn't immediately deal with Scar, but the sudden surge of minions makes the situation dire.

Additionally, you always have the Sylvanas + Feign Death combo for a mind control + Sylvanas if you can land it (looking at you Tirion). Otherwise, you don't always have to use the spell for that reason.

A final consideration is that Feign Death can be used to trigger Wild Pyro in a pinch. There are times where it's ugly but necessary.

4): Acolyte of Pain + Wild Pyro + Any Spell: If you're in need of card draw and damage on the board then this does nicely.

5): Steamwheedle Sniper + Hero Power: I want to call out this minion specifically to talk about how I've found him to be best used. Against any matchup where the opponent commonly has a 3 damage removal (Shaman, Warrior, Mage, Druid, Handlock, and sometimes Rogue) it is generally incorrect to play him on an empty board on turn 1 or 2. Against Hunter, Paladin, and Priest I usually have no problem throwing him down on a clear board. In those other cases you should generally hold onto him until you can also use the the Hero Power to effectively make him a 4 mana 2/3 with a Battlecry: Deal 2 damage. There are exceptions to this, however, it should be considered the general guideline.


Cards for future consideration:
+ Show Spoiler +

Kill Command: With only 4 beasts currently in the deck it isn't always easy to get 5 damage and 3 damage kill commands just aren't worth it. I tried them out for a while but in the end switched them out for Deadly Shots and have had much more success. It's possible that future variations will contain many changes including more beasts and Kill Commands...just not right now.

Bomb Lobber: The 4 damage utility is great but I couldn't find room with the current setup.

Mind Control Tech / Blood Knight: I've considered both of these tech cards for a few reasons. Obviously MC Tech is very popular now and people are still not playing around it very well. If I added Blood Knight(s) then I'd likely add Argent Squire 1 drops as well for a sure fire way to proc them. Otherwise, their primary use would be to abuse the very high number of Annoy-o-Trons out there. Either way, the deck already runs a fair number of tech cards so several adjustments would need to be made.

Ragnaros: He's big, he's fiery, and he's always purging stuff. He could replace KT for more potential impact in close situations but KT is currently doing a good job coming into play with a board intact.

Alexstrasza: Since the deck doesn't run any sort of finisher/high damage burst there isn't a whole lot of reach. However, in practice I've found Alex just doesn't get enough value in Hunter since the aggregate damage from Hero Power and minion damage usually makes her a 9 mana giant that does 3 or 4 damage at most.

Other legendaries: Cards like Foe Reaper 4000, Gahz'rilla, Troggzor the Earthinator, and Sneed's Old Shredder are certainly worth exploring in the future. My main issue with those type of minions is that they don't do anything immediately and Hunter doesn't have the same survivability as Warrior or other Control decks.


Cheers.
smr
Profile Joined April 2011
Germany65 Posts
February 10 2015 01:00 GMT
#2
I'm currently running Spark's Explosive Snipe and while I had a good start to the season I soon started to lose and lose and lose. Hope to find the time tomorrow to play your list a bit. Guess I'll miss the snipes as they are great against quite a lot of 3-4 drops.

One question. In your matchup guide you're talking about the healbot as a possible mvp. There's none in your decklist. What would/did you switch out for that?
mythandier
Profile Joined January 2011
United States352 Posts
February 10 2015 02:16 GMT
#3
On February 10 2015 10:00 smr wrote:
I'm currently running Spark's Explosive Snipe and while I had a good start to the season I soon started to lose and lose and lose. Hope to find the time tomorrow to play your list a bit. Guess I'll miss the snipes as they are great against quite a lot of 3-4 drops.

One question. In your matchup guide you're talking about the healbot as a possible mvp. There's none in your decklist. What would/did you switch out for that?

Hi there smr. I hadn't seen Spark's guide until just now when I Googled it after reading your post. They are definitely similar deck strategies. I'll have to think a bit about some of his ideas.

That aside, I sometimes find with any deck I can go on a hot winstreak and then end up on the other side of the coin with 5 or 6 losses out of 8. Usually I'll take a break or switch things up but it can happen to just about anyone.

The Antique Healbot was accidentally left out of the decklist -- there were only 29 cards listed. Thanks for catching that ^_^.
smr
Profile Joined April 2011
Germany65 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-02-10 09:51:31
February 10 2015 09:44 GMT
#4
Won my first match! (Priest went afk or something turn 8. Was all open at that point.) Just watched for your mulligan guide afterwards and noticed that you mentioned rogue twice in the matchup overview (the icons, not the guide) and you missed the priest.

I miss the second sniper and as you already run 2 pyromancer I added an earthen ring farseer. I like the heal and a 3-3 body isn't the worst. What would you suggest as the best replacement? A second eaglehorn?
Tried unstable ghoul in the 2mana slot a few days ago but wasn't satisfied with them because against all the early 3hp cards mech mage etc play one still needs a pyro to kill a board.

Added Ragnaros for Harrison because I do not own him either. I guess I'll try a few different things there.
- Azure Drake seems like an okay option to get another draw.
- Might try gahz'rilla. If that guy draws removal it's perfectly fine because of the number of big threats we'll have left. And if the opponent doesn't answer gahz'rilla there's a good chance that he might deal an unexpected finishing blow through a combination of sniper/pyro/arcane shot. Add that he's only a bgh target after the opponent threw ressources into him to buff him.
- A second highmane? Sticky, no bgh target
Shamanigans
Profile Joined September 2014
United States79 Posts
February 10 2015 12:50 GMT
#5
Any idea of what could be substituted for the snipers? I'm intrigued by this version and I'm curious to test control versions of Hunter. I feel like the deck could use some more draw power as well.

I think Sneed's Old Shredder would be the next big guy to fit in being another Deathrattle for Feign Death
SiaBBo
Profile Joined February 2011
Finland97 Posts
February 10 2015 13:42 GMT
#6
Only one Highmane seems like a mistake since it's one of the best 6-drops in the game.
mythandier
Profile Joined January 2011
United States352 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-02-10 15:36:06
February 10 2015 15:23 GMT
#7
On February 10 2015 18:44 smr wrote:
Won my first match! (Priest went afk or something turn 8. Was all open at that point.) Just watched for your mulligan guide afterwards and noticed that you mentioned rogue twice in the matchup overview (the icons, not the guide) and you missed the priest.

I miss the second sniper and as you already run 2 pyromancer I added an earthen ring farseer. I like the heal and a 3-3 body isn't the worst. What would you suggest as the best replacement? A second eaglehorn?
Tried unstable ghoul in the 2mana slot a few days ago but wasn't satisfied with them because against all the early 3hp cards mech mage etc play one still needs a pyro to kill a board.

Added Ragnaros for Harrison because I do not own him either. I guess I'll try a few different things there.
- Azure Drake seems like an okay option to get another draw.
- Might try gahz'rilla. If that guy draws removal it's perfectly fine because of the number of big threats we'll have left. And if the opponent doesn't answer gahz'rilla there's a good chance that he might deal an unexpected finishing blow through a combination of sniper/pyro/arcane shot. Add that he's only a bgh target after the opponent threw ressources into him to buff him.
- A second highmane? Sticky, no bgh target

Congrats. Thanks for noticing the Rogue / Priest icon. I've fixed that.

As for replacements I'll probably add a section to the write-up that deals with this topic. For now, I think I'd probably try a 2nd bow before going with Earthen Ring. However, if you find that's working for you then go for it.

Ragnaros is rarely a bad card to add to a mid-range/control type deck. I think when I take Harrison out I'll probably replace him with Azure Drake. You can try the other big guys too if you like, they should both do a fair amount of work. I'd be more likely to add an additional Highmane before Gahz. As the guy above me pointed out, it's one of the best (if not the best) 6 drop in the game.

On February 10 2015 21:50 Shamanigans wrote:
Any idea of what could be substituted for the snipers? I'm intrigued by this version and I'm curious to test control versions of Hunter. I feel like the deck could use some more draw power as well.

I think Sneed's Old Shredder would be the next big guy to fit in being another Deathrattle for Feign Death

I'm not 100% sure what you can sub for the snipers as their ability is so unique. I had the idea for this deck right after GvG was released but waited until I opened my 2nd Sniper from a pack at the end of last month before building it. I suppose you could try additional weapons to have similar tempo but the additional face damage might end up being too much (as it is I win many games with fairly low health).

I have rarely run into a situation where I'm out of cards or options but I will concede the possibility that additional draw could be good. Initially I tried running a Cultmaster + UtH and had Haunted Creepers in the deck to try and draw but it actually hurt having those cards more than the card draw helped. You may want to replace Harrison and another mid-game card with Azure Drakes.

As several reddit posts have shown, Sneed's is good with Feign Death for sure and has been something I've considered adding. I may end up removing the Animal Companions to make room for more late game changes.

I invite all of you to test variations on the play style and see what works.
smr
Profile Joined April 2011
Germany65 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-02-11 10:22:03
February 11 2015 01:22 GMT
#8
Played quite some games tonight but I was rather unsuccessful. I guess I have to blame most of it on my experience and bad play. Where you win a lot of your games on low hp I lose most games. (I'm one of those guys people who rank up meet between ranks 12-15 just to crush them in 3 turns.)

Decklist:
+ Show Spoiler +

2x Hunter's Mark
2x Arcane Shot
1x Feign Death
2x Freezing Trap
2x Snipe
2x Mad Scientist
1x Steamwheedle Sniper
2x Wild Pyromancer
1x Eaglehorn Bow
2x Deadly Shot
1x Big Game Hunter
1x Earthen Ring Farseer
2x Piloted Shredder
1x Antique Healbot
1x Azure Drake
2x Sludge Belcher
2x Savannah Highmane
1x Sylvanas
1x Dr. Boom
1x Ragnaros


In the end I swapped a few cards (noticing that I missed Loatheb, adding a 2nd Azure Drake).
I did not play Deadly Shots before and I really like them. With Hunter's Mark, Deadly Shot and Snipe Hunter is great at killing single minions that's why I swapped the Explosive Traps that I used before to Freezing Traps. I wanted to keep the enemy board as thin as possible. I liked the freezing better as explosive kills absolutely nothing (mechwarper, cleric, chugger, minibot etcetc).

But against aggressive starts my start seemed to 95% rely on drawing a pyro and a spell which is not the most reliable gameplan on ladder. I was even thinking about deathlords because whatever minion comes out, chances are that I have single target removal. (Didn't try it yet.)

Most of my games tonight came down to about turn 5. If I was able to stabilize at that point with ~15 hp I felt pretty good. Only against heavy control decks I blew my removal too early on things like belchers leaving me with an empty hand when the last big guys came to the board.

In the end I'm still pretty clueless if I use my removal too early on small things or too late hoping for a better target for the hunter's mark/freezing. Maybe I have the wrong idea about hunter control. As seen by the amount of heal I'm playing I'm really defensive-minded which might be the wrong approach?
mythandier
Profile Joined January 2011
United States352 Posts
February 11 2015 16:15 GMT
#9
On February 11 2015 10:22 smr wrote:
Played quite some games tonight but I was rather unsuccessful. I guess I have to blame most of it on my experience and bad play. Where you win a lot of your games on low hp I lose most games. (I'm one of those guys people who rank up meet between ranks 12-15 just to crush them in 3 turns.)

Decklist:
+ Show Spoiler +

2x Hunter's Mark
2x Arcane Shot
1x Feign Death
2x Freezing Trap
2x Snipe
2x Mad Scientist
1x Steamwheedle Sniper
2x Wild Pyromancer
1x Eaglehorn Bow
2x Deadly Shot
1x Big Game Hunter
1x Earthen Ring Farseer
2x Piloted Shredder
1x Antique Healbot
1x Azure Drake
2x Sludge Belcher
2x Savannah Highmane
1x Sylvanas
1x Dr. Boom
1x Ragnaros


In the end I swapped a few cards (noticing that I missed Loatheb, adding a 2nd Azure Drake).
I did not play Deadly Shots before and I really like them. With Hunter's Mark, Deadly Shot and Snipe Hunter is great at killing single minions that's why I swapped the Explosive Traps that I used before to Freezing Traps. I wanted to keep the enemy board as thin as possible. I liked the freezing better as explosive kills absolutely nothing (mechwarper, cleric, chugger, minibot etcetc).

But against aggressive starts my start seemed to 95% rely on drawing a pyro and a spell which is not the most reliable gameplan on ladder. I was even thinking about deathlords because whatever minion comes out, chances are that I have single target removal. (Didn't try it yet.)

Most of my games tonight came down to about turn 5. If I was able to stabilize at that point with ~15 hp I felt pretty good. Only against heavy control decks I blew my removal too early on things like belchers leaving me with an empty hand when the last big guys came to the board.

In the end I'm still pretty clueless if I use my removal too early on small things or too late hoping for a better target for the hunter's mark/freezing. Maybe I have the wrong idea about hunter control. As seen by the amount of heal I'm playing I'm really defensive-minded which might be the wrong approach?

Sorry to hear you're having trouble. The deck is definitely very difficult to play as it relates to most styles so if you find yourself losing close games then it's possible that decision making plays a role. Against aggressive starts the game is difficult but not impossible. I, like most people, think that Deathlords are pretty terrible but feel free to try them and let me know. Since I noticed you took your Animal Companions out I'd say you should consider adding them back in as it's important to continue to contest the board early and Misha/Leokk can often go 2-for-1 against other < 3 drops (especially with Glaivezooka). If you want to try a different early game minion that can trade 2-for-1 with other < 3 drops then go with the 4/4 Ogre. I haven't tried it but who knows. Alternatively, as suggested in another post, you could try Doomsayer and see how that goes.

Not having the 2nd Steamwheedle might be an issue as well. I haven't tried playing with just 1 but you certainly want to draw them early in most matchups. The Azure Drakes are perfectly fine.

Overall, you're correct that it's one of the more difficult decks to play. It's certainly not one made for quickly grinding through ranks -- but it can get you there.
goofy5507
Profile Joined November 2012
Belgium2 Posts
February 11 2015 18:02 GMT
#10
I have tried this deck on European server and I admit I don't have a lot of experience and i'm 50% right now which isnt bad but isn't good either. I feel like the Kelthuzad almost never does anything. Unless you are ahead then it guarantees the win but I rarely have board control so that almost never happens.

I also encounter like 50% mech mage which as you indicated this deck struggles against. The steamwheedle snipers are way to slow for this matchup since its only really effective at 4 mana. I feel like all matchups against aggro are really dependent on drawing the pyro + spells to get a huge boardclear but even afterwards you probably get swarmed with minions after which they just go face and since there is little heal you and little taunt you are dead by the time you get boardcontrol.

Against pally it is the same. You really need pyro + spell or you insta die vs all the 1-1 tokens.

Certainly not a bad deck but in this aggro meta (in europe server) I feel this deck really struggles.
mythandier
Profile Joined January 2011
United States352 Posts
February 11 2015 21:43 GMT
#11
On February 12 2015 03:02 goofy5507 wrote:
I have tried this deck on European server and I admit I don't have a lot of experience and i'm 50% right now which isnt bad but isn't good either. I feel like the Kelthuzad almost never does anything. Unless you are ahead then it guarantees the win but I rarely have board control so that almost never happens.

I also encounter like 50% mech mage which as you indicated this deck struggles against. The steamwheedle snipers are way to slow for this matchup since its only really effective at 4 mana. I feel like all matchups against aggro are really dependent on drawing the pyro + spells to get a huge boardclear but even afterwards you probably get swarmed with minions after which they just go face and since there is little heal you and little taunt you are dead by the time you get boardcontrol.

Against pally it is the same. You really need pyro + spell or you insta die vs all the 1-1 tokens.

Certainly not a bad deck but in this aggro meta (in europe server) I feel this deck really struggles.

If you're facing majority aggro then I agree that it's not the best time to play it. When I started playing the deck I was facing mostly decks that were designed to survive and beat Huntertaker (Control Warrior / Taunt Heavy Druid / Priest).

Rag is a perfectly suitable replacement for KT. I just don't like using him
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