Weekly Legends: Murloc Zoo

Note: In the video I added in two Golakka Crawler to the list for a Grimscale Oracle and a Murloc Tidehunter.

Introduction

Oh Warlock, how the mighty have fallen. There is no doubt that, over the past few months, the power level of this game has gone down. Cards that would never have seen play before rotation are everywhere, a 2/3 for two is good again, and minions actually live for more than a turn. This has had me wondering, what on Earth happened to Zoo? The speedy Warlock build always preyed on weak metas and slow decks. Today’s game is chock full of both. However, it just hasn’t seemed to get all the pieces together. This week we are going to change that by breaking down a Murloc-based Zoo build created by a player known as Dysgenics. This deck has all of the fast-paced action Zoo players love with a new twist that brings it onto my series. Once upon a time covering Warlock would have been run in the mill, but these days it is quite rare.

Key Cards

Soulfire

Everyone and their mother knows how strong Soulfire is and what it can do. However, I want to discuss it to highlight the fact that this deck has two different modes that need to be balanced for it to work. On one hand you have all of the murlocs that blend together to create the core and main win condition, but there is also the outside “good stuff” shell that helps keep it all together. The discard package is very powerful, but it also comes with its own risks. Doomguard could fit into this section as well, but most of your cards are going to be gone when you use it. The same is not always true of Soulfire. In fact, most of the time you need to use this card as a tempo play to help cement your early board. That mode is especially important when fighting against decks that need that early push, such as Druid, Hunter, or Warrior. For those reasons, you want to be careful when using this spell. Discarding a key murloc can hurt you a lot, and you always need to weigh your options before pulling the trigger. Losing something like a Warleader or Finja can ruin you end-game plan against some decks. As a result, if you have those strong cards with Soulfire you always want to see how much you really need the spell. Sometimes it is better to just trade your board off and play you own threat. However, if that is going to cause you to lose tempo, it is better to just go for the discard.

Bilefin Tidehunter

Taunt is, and always has been, Zoo’s best tool. While the mechanic is inherently geared towards control, aggro has always gotten the most out of it. That is the reason Voidwalker is so powerful. Protecting your minions matters, and that goes double for a deck like this that has so many strong bodies you want to keep alive. Things like Murloc Warleader and Murloc Tidecaller simply climb out of control if your opponent cannot answer them. For those reasons, you want to always try to set up Bilefin Tidehunter in a way that is going to make your opponent do some extra work to take down your more powerful cards. It may not seem like much, but forcing them to use two mana on turn four to ping down a 1/1 can go a long way towards helping you hold onto the board. Do not always run the two drop out as soon as you can, take your time to put it into a good board state.

As control decks continues to dip in popularity, removal spells become more rare. In fact, Mage (and to some extent certain Priest builds) is one of the only decks that relies on spells for the early board. For these reasons, minion combat has become extremely important. That means the 1/1 slime off of Bilefin Tidehunter can be very tricky for most decks to get through. This is especially true of lists that want to hit their curve. For example, lets say you play a Murloc Tidecaller turn one and then bilefin on turn two against a Hunter’s Kindly Grandmother. While your opponent may have ways to clear the 1/1 in their hand, it is key for them to play something like Animal Companion. As a result, they need to let you keep your one drop and just trade in at face value to stay on curve. Understand those type of plays and use the taunt to put your opponent into situations where they need to eat the slime or go off of their plan.

Coldlight Seer

You are a murloc deck, but you are also Zoo. As we have covered in the past few weeks, bodies are more important than ever. Good stats have always been strong, but they are fantastic right now. This deck is quite fast, which means that even one good buff can end the game. In fact, you could even look at Coldlight Seer as a win condition. The extra two health across a board of murlocs is incredible, and even hitting this on one or two should give your opponent fits. We covered last week how good a 2/3 body has gotten in the early game, and when you can have a few as early as turn three you should be able to dominate the board. If you see an opportunity to drop the seer while ahead you should do so immediately.

The other important note (and I really cannot stress this enough) is that you do not want to get caught up in your own synergy. Murloc decks have so much interaction and strong swing plays that it is easy to hold off for big value. Doing this will almost certainly lose games. While classes like Paladin have the luxury of sitting back and regrouping for later turns, you feed off of tempo. If you ever lose your hold on the board or allow your opponent to get ahead you will quickly fall apart. For this reason if you have something to play, unless its ability is a key part of your win condition, you want to get it out when you can. Putting down a vanilla 2/3 on turn three may feel bad, but just the murloc tag is going to be enough to make your opponent react. Not only that, but it can help trade and give you a way to build into Gentle Megasaur. Play your threats first and then worry about what they can do later.

Seadevil Stinger

Most likely the biggest reason to play Murlocs in Warlock, Seadevil Stinger is a strong card that gives you an incredible amount of tempo. Four months ago this could not be played because removal and tempo were too efficient. Simply put, nobody was scared of a 4/2 murloc, even if it gave you another one for free. However, now that early tempo can just blow people out of the water, this card is an amazing turn four swing. All it takes it one other strong move to control the board, and if you are already ahead this is largely going to be the pressure you need to close games out. It does not take much for this card to be good. Do not hesitate to run it out when you have the opening to do so, even if the murloc you have with it is lackluster.

Set this card up. That is to say, always think about how to use it to get the most value. There are two scenarios here. You either want to drop the sorcerer alongside a buff minion (Coldlight Seer, Murloc Warleader), or you want to set it up as a way to conserve mana. For example, if you have this in hand on turn three and you have the option to play two smaller threats or one bigger one, it is better to go with the smaller ones. This then lets you stretch out your crystals and gives you a lot of wiggle room. Also note this card is a fantastic way to respond to AOE. If you think your opponent could be holding back a clear spell you should likely hold onto stinger to get back your value once your other minions are gone.

Finja, the Flying Star

Finja is extremely pivotal in this list. Outside of the ever-present Doomguard, the five drop is going to be your main finisher. What makes the 2/4 so strong is that it solves one of your biggest problems, which is being able to get back onto the board. Lifetap is always going to go a long way towards helping you pace longer games, but this deck is still susceptible to AOE. Being able to slam down Finja after a clear or into a board state full of small minions gives you the ability to refill whenever you need. Not only that, but you can also do some cool combo turns where you clear to get both murlocs and then drop down a Gentle Megasaur or other synergy cards for maximum value.

You do not always need to attack with Finja, the Flying Star the turn after you play him. This is key to note because there are going to be situations where you want to keep him stealthed to test your opponent or keep him hidden as a present threat. This is especially strong against decks that cannot interact with a hidden minion (Hunter or Druid). Just be aware that you want to work hard to make sure his ability triggers. Pulling a pair of murlocs is so important that you should really use your resources to get them out. Trading typically makes this happen, but using Soulfire or Doomguard to chip down a bigger threat works as well. Just make sure the route you takes keeps you in control. There’s no use in losing four murlocs to get two.

Matchups

These are the decks that I see the most while playing ladder.

Discover Burn Mage

Mage continues to climb in popularity and it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. The class just has so many tools (and Ice Block) that it is hard to correctly play against. Even so, it does have a weakness. And that weakness is pressure. While it may seem odd based on how Mage plays, this matchup is going to be fought in the trenches of the early round. You are a tempo deck, but that is especially on display here. One of Mage’s biggest secrets is that they have a lot of plays that inherently take a turn to set up. Things like Ice Block, Medivh’s Valet and Medivh, the Guardian all take time to get use out of. These leaves your opponent open to quick damage. If you can get out pressure early and keep up your damage output it should wear down your hand. Make use of your quick starts and double plays to constantly keep them on the back foot.

As strong as Mage is, you have a big advantage here because of how awkward you can make their removal. Discover is a deck that really wants to make good use of its mana, and you can take them off of that plan quite easily. For example, playing a turn two Bilefin Tidehunter after a turn one Murloc Tidecaller puts them in a precarious position. They want to Frostbolt the one drop, but if they do then they are likely going to spend turn three pinging down the tidehunter. This then allows your three drop to go unscathed and set up turn four. That type of pacing where you play out your threats ahead of your opponent’s curve is how you win this game. Do whatever it takes to bait out removal and stay ahead at all costs. The more burn you get Mage to use, the better your end game will be.

Pirate Warrior

Arrrr. Pirate, for all its faults, still has its place in the game. The fast deck is very good at killing people quickly, but that isn’t going to matter too much in this matchup. The reason is, you and your opponent are going to hyper-focus on the board for the first five turns. This entire game is about getting early control because murlocs and pirates will dominate the game once they’re ahead. You can build into fast damage like Doomguard and Soulfire, while your opponent will be able to hit you in the face with cards like Kor’kron Elite and Arcanite Reaper. Damage is going to be your last priority here. Clear as much as possible and never let a pirate stick. Only switch to damage once your opponent switches to their weapon plan.

Save your taunts if you can. No matter how much you and your opponent fight early on, there will come a time in the game (likely when you opponent loses the board) that Pirate will just start bashing your face in. You need to be ready for this moment. Being able to drop down a Bilefin Tidehunter or Voidwalker to shut off an attack can be the difference between winning and losing this one. If you have those cards early you should always think about taking other routes or playing different options if you can. The utility of a late-game taunt is often going to be worth much more than an extra murloc.

Midrange Paladin

While it may sound odd, this is the closest you are going to see to a mirror matchup. Midrange Paladin is a deck that thrives off of tempo, and it is your job to take them off it. If you see an early murloc you need to clear it, but once you get past that (or if your opponent has a dead turn) you want to flood as much as possible. Paladin is great in the first turns because of how well they can cement presence in the early board. However, they have no real catch-up mechanism outside of Consecration (turn four) or AOE/Equality (turn six). For those reasons, all it take is one strong health buff (or divine shield) to lock Paladin down when they’re behind. As soon as they have a weak minion turn you want to push hard here and dare them to have an answer.

This game is largely going to be a race to turn six. While you can recover, both Sunkeeper Tarim and Spikeridged Steed are going to give you massive amounts of trouble. Furthermore, even if you do manage to get through that, you then have to worry about Tirion Fordring and Primordial Drake on turn eight. You do not want this one to go long because Paladin gets stronger each turn and you get worse. One of the best ways to take your opponent down if you sense this is going to be a tough battle is by conserving your Soulfires. This will give you a chance to push on your opponent and then take them down once they spend a turn trying to hide behind a big taunt.

Aggro Druid

Another deck that continues to climb, Aggro Druid becomes more and more popular with each passing week. This is a game that is going to play out much like Pirate Warrior, but with a bit of a twist. While you do need to get the board as soon as you possibly can, you also need to find ways to work in pressure because you have a huge disadvantage when it comes to turn five. That is because Living Mana instantly gives your opponent the board. You simply cannot combat the 2/2’s because they leave you no good options. As a result, this is going to be a tricky balancing act. You need to keep your opponent off of their minions and beasts to prevent buff synergy, but you also need to get in damage where you can.

There are two ways to win this game. The first is through sheer dominance. You kill all of your opponent’s minions, build up a gigantic presence and then take them down before they get set. However, you can also space out your threats and slowly take priority. Having a huge board up by turn five is a great way to stop the trees because it then opens up your opponent to take a massive amount of damage. Just be hyper-aware of Savage Roar. The three mana spell is the only way you lose once you get ahead and you never want to get lazy and leave yourself open. Swipe is barely played these days so you don’t have to worry about spells. This one is going to be all focused on minion combat.

Midrange Hunter

While I still see it more than Rogue and Priest, Midrange Hunter has slipped all the way to the bottom of the pile. Even so, the deck still has some power, and it can be a very difficult game. The game is going to be a massive tempo fest, where you need to decide when to push through damage and when to let your opponent’s minions live. Of course stopping things like Houndmaster is important, but there are many smaller decisions such as how much damage can your opponent’s Kindly Grandmother do, or how worried you should be about Kill Command. These microdecisions matter a lot, and understanding them is how you pace the game. Beyond that, the trickiest aspect of this match is playing around Unleash the Hounds. You want to pump out as many murlocs as you can, but the dogs will crush you. I would say your goal is to only have three solid minions out at one time unless you have some buffs. If you don’t have ways to get big, simply keeping three murlocs with the added threat of extra damage should be enough to force your opponent’s hand.

Mulligan Guide

You’re Zoo, and that means you want cheap minions. Malchezaar’s Imp, Voidwalker, and Murloc Tidecaller are how you want to start every game. From there, you should always keep Murloc Tidehunter, Bilefin Tidehunter, and Rockpool Hunter with the coin or the curve. Soulfire is very good against another aggro deck if you have opening minions. The same rule applies to Grimscale Oracle and Coldlight Seer.

If you have solid opening cards, you should also look to keep Coldlight Seer, Murloc Warleader and Primalfin Lookout. You can also keep seer and warleader with the coin. Finally, look to keep both Gentle Megasaur and Seadevil Stinger if you have the coin and a strong curve.

Conclusion

Zoo, I knew thee well. It has been a long time since we’ve gotten to break down Warlock, and I honestly did not think murlocs would be the thing that brought it back into my series. I have a soft spot for the aggro deck and have taken it to legend more than a few times over the years. This is a cool take on the archetype and something that is a fun break from the normal decks buzzing around. If you like this archetype, or if you like murlocs, I would try it out. Until next time, may you always mrgglrlglg.

---