Scalise’s Sessions: Aggro Druid

Introduction

As we continue to move towards the blazing days of summer, we also move through the classes. We’ve seen some of the bigger decks over the past few weeks, and this time we are going to break down the list I used to climb in May. Aggro Druid is quite a popular deck right now, and it will likely remain strong until the next set. This is likely the fastest deck in the current meta (even faster than those pesky Pirates), but that does not mean there are not difficult decisions to make. This week we are going to see how the hyper-fast deck operates and why it is so strong despite its definitive all-in route.

The Deck

This build is my own, but that does not mean it is terribly unique. There are quite a few Aggro Druid builds running around the ladder these days and they all are extremely similar. You need buffs, you need quick burst, and you need lots (and lots) of cheap minions. However, what exactly those cheap minions are is going to differ for each deck. In this build I chose to go with more beasts to give the list a little more early game push. While you do sacrifice a little bit by taking the explosive route, you don’t have much of a choice with a deck like this one.

Early Game

The early game is your everything. In fact, it is probably your middle and end game as well (but more on that later). You are an extremely fast deck that greatly depends on getting out ahead of your opponent. You have no real end-game power and most matches that go to turns seven plus are going to be a loss. For those reasons, you want to play your first three turns like a combo deck in that you read your hand to see how you can get the most damage out of your buffs.

Sticky minions are going to be your first priority here, but that changes based on a few factors. If you are going first against a board-centric or early game deck you typically want to lead with Bloodsail Corsair or Firefly to get two bodies to set up a turn two buff or strong follow-up minion like Ravasaur Runt. However, when going against decks with a ping hero power you want sticky bodies, and when you’re facing slower classes like Paladin or Priest you should try to find ways to set up a Mark of Y’shaarj.

Reading your hand is essential with this deck and you always want to take the plan that is most likely going to give you the board. An example of this is when going turn one against Pirates you never want to play Bloodsail Corsair because the effect (as well as Patches) are very good when facing that build. You’d much rather have it turn two. However, if you have no other turn one play you need to just get the bodies out there. Or, let’s say you need to choose between an Argent Squire or Enchanted Raven against a Mage and you have a mark in hand. Raven seems better, but it is likely to eat a Frostbolt while squire will likely live. As a result, it is often better to run out squire and save raven/mark for turn three. Those micro-decisions are everywhere in the early turns and you need to properly read them.

Middle Game

You will notice that there is no “late game” section in this one, and that’s because there is no late game with this deck. You are one of the most hyper-aggressive builds on the ladder and you need to play that way. One of Druid’s biggest weaknesses is the lack of good topdecks. Beyond Living Mana or a clutch Savage Roar, there is almost nothing that looks good coming off the top. Yes, your Bloodsail Corsair is great when it pulls Patches the Pirate on turn one, but on turn four it is horrible. That rule applies to almost every card here, which means you need to end things sooner rather than later.

When trying to find ways to push for lethal you always want to know when you need to be careful and when you need to go all in. Savage Roar helps you conserve some of your minions because you don’t need too many threats to make it good. Just a few bodies on the board are enough. However, if you don’t have any burst you need to commit to the board as much as possible and push for pressure.

You have a lot of buffs in this deck, and trading is going to be important to protect your smaller bodies to keep up pressure. However, it is important to read when you need tempo and when you need to get in damage. There is almost no point in clearing against your opponent who has AOE coming up next turn. In addition, it is also not smart to try and trade into a Mage who is building towards Alexstrasza. Knowing when and how to push is key to this deck, and you will find that making the right choice often leads to victory.

Matchups

A breakdown of the different decks I see while playing ladder.

Pirate Warrior

As with many of the decks you will face, getting control of the early board here is absolutely essential here. However, unlike many of the decks you face, this is a game where damage becomes less important as the game goes on. Pirate Warrior is as fast and as consistent as ever, but it also has a major weakness in that it cannot properly answer the board without giving up either tempo or damage. As a result, all you need to do is get a hold of the first two turns to win this one. Even if you don’t get ahead, stalling (and matching) Pirate for the first three or four turns of the game can quickly run them out of cards. Once that happens, you can then push ahead on the board and quickly burst them down. All it takes is one Savage Roar hit to wrap this one up.

Value trading over everything else for the first three or four turns of the game. While you do want to race Pirate at some point, that isn’t going to become important until they can equip an Arcanite Reaper. Many builds are running things like Southsea Captain, and if they can cement the lord onto the board you will get locked out in a hurry. Also note that there are many uses for Golakka Crawler. The crab is your best tool in this game, but you don’t need to pull the trigger right away. If you have a slow or poor start you should use it to take turn two. However, if you have a good opening you can hold off until you get a bigger body to eat.

Midrange Paladin

Paladin is a very strong deck these days, but like Rogue (as we will cover below) it has very little AOE. Midrange is one of those strange decks where if it curves out it is pretty hard to stop, but when it falters you can run them over. For those reasons, I would say this is your best matchup. In fact, the prevalence of Paladin is the reason I started to play Aggro Druid in the first place. Your biggest strength is your explosive starts, which will end the game in two or three turns if they don’t get interrupted. Unlike other decks, Paladin has no early removal and largely depends on their murlocs to carry the day. As a result, if you get a fast start with buffs and minions (or just an Innervated Vicious Fledgling) your opponent is going to die before they can do anything of value.

Paladin’s only answer to you is Consecration and that’s it. Know this, and do what you can to keep your minions above the two health threshold. Make smart trades and do not be afraid to use a minion if it means keeping other, smaller threats alive. You typically want to close this out on turn five before your opponent can leverage their bigger taunts like Spikeridged Steed or Sunkeeper Tarim. In order to that you are going to need your whole board. The only reason you need to lose your minions is when you are taking down Murlocs to limit your opponent’s snowball potential. Kill the fish creatures on sight.

Discover Mage

One of the more annoying decks running around, Mage is a weird hybrid of burn, damage, and control that is tough to combat. The key to this game is going to be early buffs. This not only helps you trade into Mana Wyrm and Arcanologist without giving up value, but it also makes it so your minions don’t die to pings, Frostbolts or randomly generated Volcanic Potions. Your game plan when facing Jaina is to get quick buffs, ramp up your minions, and hit her hard. You need to close this game out by turn nine because, outside of your opponent having a terrible draw, you won’t beat Alexstrasza. I would say this game needs to end by turn six or seven or it is going to be out of your reach.

Turns four and five are going to be the most important in this matchup because that is where Mage usually gets a secret up with Medivh’s Valet. The 2/3 may not seem like a big deal in a vacuum, but when that amount of tempo is all Discover needs to stall out a game. You typically cannot afford to have a dead turn in this one, and that play sets you back a lot. Though there is little you can do about your opponent having Valet, you can combat it by going wide. Volcanic Potion is a card that some lists play, but you are not in a position to play around it. You need to flood and you need to do it fast. Once you lose the board or your stream of pressure this game is going to rapidly slip away.

Midrange Hunter

This game is going to be the swingiest around. Either you get out ahead of your opponent, clear their beasts, and never let them properly set up their curve, or you falter early and get absolutely smashed by a flurry of Houndmasters and Kill Commands. The rules in this game are going to be the same one they have always been when facing Hunter, which is make sure they never get anything to stick. As with Pirate, you want to them to answer you. The way you make that happen is by getting Rexxar to use removal on the board. Running out solid threats like Vicious Fledgling or a Dire Wolf Alpha are going to force Hunter to react. That then gives you the time to play other threats and buff up the board.

Use Living Mana offensively in this matchup. If you and your opponent are fighting for the board on turn five (or if you’re ahead) they are going to be pressing hard for Savannah Highmane. The 6/5 is a disaster if you can’t handle it. One of the best ways to take it down is by filling up your board with the 2/2’s because it is going to threaten a massive amount of damage that your opponent will likely not be able to take. The other big card you need to watch out for is Unleash the Hounds. Not only is it the best way for Hunter to clear your board, but it can allow your opponent to get ahead in a race or string together lethal. Trade efficiently and only have three (maybe four if they’re buffed) minions at one time.

Quest Rogue

If you want to beat Quest Rogue you want to play this deck. Period. This game is going to be as close to as an auto-win as you can find because, like Paladin, Rogue has some very slow starts. However, unlike Paladin, they also lack strong early minions. Just stick to your curve in this game and play as many threats as you have. Rogue simply has no spells that can deal with multiple threats. Even the decks that tech in Fan of Knives are going to have trouble with your buffs. The only minion you want to clear out as soon as you see it is Glacial Shard. The 2/1 can do some real work against you and is the only way you lose. Also note that in the unlikely event your opponent does get to the middle turns at a decent life total you should clear out their board if you suspect they can hit you with The Caverns Below on the following turn.

Tip and Tricks

The most difficult part of this deck is knowing how and when to use your buffs. Mark of the Lotus and Power of the Wild are both amazing, but only if you can maximize their value. You want to hit them on as big of a board as you can, so it can often be right to wait one key turn to get an extra two or three targets. However, if you need to trade early or protect your minions you should get their health up right away.

Try to set up Mark of Y’shaarj in any way that you can. The beast buff is your only source of draw, and those extra cards matter quite a lot. While you aren’t going to miss a good trade (this card does good work on a turn one Argent Squire) it is often better to play out your other bodies when you have no beasts and sit on the spell.

Savage Roar is your main finisher, but it does not have to directly kill your opponent. As you have two, you can always use one to clear out a pesky taunt or trade up into the board. While this isn’t going to be your first priority, it is there and you should pay attention to it. In addition, do not be afraid to use this card to get your opponent very low. This spell only works when you have a board, so do not be afraid to use it when you see an AOE or clear coming.

While most of the time you just want to slam threats and push for face, you want to be careful about the way to use Vicious Fledgling. The 3/3 is an incredible card that can win a game on its own. However, it is also very easy to remove. Don’t be afraid to hold this back one turn or play out a threat like Dire Wolf Alpha to test for things like Frostbolt or Fiery War Axe.

Living Mana is one of your best cards and it has two modes. If you have the board you want to hold this back and wait to drop after AOE. This instantly refills your minions and helps you keep up pressure without missing a beat. On the other hand, you can also use this aggressively when you have a smaller board. This is not the first choice, but do not be afraid to run this out when you need some gas.

Mulligan Guide

Aggro Druid is, of course, an aggro list, but you want to treat it much more like a combo deck. That is to say, you do not care about what your opponent is doing. Your whole goal is to get out your early threats and buff them up as quickly as you can. Always look for cheap minions early and only keep one buff. Going too hard into early spells usually puts all of your eggs on one or two minions, and you do not want that. Rather, try to achieve a balance. Also note that Innervate is going to drastically change how you sculpt your hand. Getting that extra mana goes a long way and helps you keep some bigger cards or greedier openers.

Must Keeps:

Innervate Argent Squire Bloodsail Corsair Enchanted Raven Fire Fly

Situational Keeps:

You should only keep one Mark of the Lotus or Power of the Wild if you also have a fast, cheap-minion opening.

Dire Wolf Alpha is very good if you have a one drop before it.

Golakka Crawler should always be kept against any Pirate class or with a curve.

You always want Mark of Y’shaarj when you have a fast opening that has a cheap beast.

Ravasaur Runt is very good following up a multi-minion turn one, but it can be awkward on its own.

Eggnapper and Vicious Fledgling should both always be kept with Innervate or if you have a strong opening.

Replacements

As noted above, most Aggro Druid decks are very similar. There are only a few good early minions and you need the buffs. However, as this list shows, there are quite a few flex spots that you can tweak to match your own personal preferences. Nothing here is strictly better than anything else, it is all dependent on the meta you’re facing the most.

Dire Wolf Alpha is my own tech choice that can be replaced with a wide range of different early minions. Murlocs are good here, as are tech choices like Tar Creeper. If you want to raise the curve, bigger threats like Bittertide Hydra could work as well.

Golakka Crawler can be switched around with Hungry Crab depending on if you’re seeing Pirate or Paladin more. Though, I have also seen some builds that are running both crabs, and that works as well.

Ravasaur Runt and Eggnapper are part of the beast package that can easily be switched out for the Murloc water package with Bluegill Warrior, Murloc Warleader, and Finja, the Flying Star.

Vicious fledgling is by no means a staple, but I would recommend it. I was hesitant of this card at first, but it can generate an insane amount of value if it doesn’t die. It is a must-kill threat that, when played with Innervate or coin, can end the game on the spot.

Conclusion

This is a deck I have wanted to get to for a while. Though many people do not care for aggro decks, I have had a blast with the archetype. I always love a good opening and this one is full of them. If you love going wide, or if you love bashing your opponent’s face in, there is currently nothing better on the ladder. I hope you enjoyed the article (as always) and I hope things are good wherever you are. Until next time, may you always play your whole hand on turn one.

---