Weekly Legends: Evolve Shaman

Introduction

The summer sun has begun to beat down on the Earth, and with it comes the sweltering days of midsummer Un’goro. As with any set, the middle months have started to wane. So, the question becomes, how do you keep the game fresh? With new decks of course! This week we are going to cover an interesting take on Midrange Shaman that takes the recently popularized token build and blends it with more traditional control elements. Those two lines of play are both strong, and they get even better. As with so many decks we’ve covered, this is a build with many interesting cards that help fight the meta. Such changes are important because they aren’t quite as “all-in” as classic lists. It also gives you multiple paths of victory, which is never a bad thing.

Key Cards

Evolve

Evolve, while not the point of the deck, is one of the strongest cards you have at your disposal. In the past, the one mana spell has been too weak because there simply weren’t enough targets. That typically meant you ended up holding onto it for the later game, where it would usually be completely dead. That problem changes here for two reasons. The first is that there are so many ways to get the board. This deck has a lot of strong tempo plays, and that allows you to keep bodies around. The other reason this card has gotten better is because of the overall drop in power level, which means games go longer. The more drawn out the game goes, the more you wear your opponent down and set them up for a big Evolve turn they cannot answer.

You always want to find the best situation to use this spell. Sometimes you want to drop it when you’re putting pressure on your opponent to force them to have AOE, and other times you just want to get value out of a packed board. The main way you use Evolve is on a Doppelgangster after your opponent handles your earlier threats. This combo works very much in the same way Living Mana operates for Aggro Druid. That is to say, it acts as your “catch up” mechanism for after your opponent has run out of strong answers. However, the spell can also be a great way to push when you have pressure or need damage. One Evolve can instantly give you the board, which then instantly lets you take priority. Do not be afraid to hit a few smaller threats.

Flametongue Totem

Everyone knows what Flametongue Totem can do, but that does not make it any less important in this build. The 0/3 has always been instrumental to Midrange Shaman decks simply because it is one of the best tempo plays in the game. There are two modes you can use the two drop for, and both are extremely strong. The first mode is to use this as a value card where you just try to get efficient trades. This whole deck is built on the backs of small bodies, which means you will usually have something on the board to get value from. It is easy to try and wait for the home run, but you should not hesitate to drop this down and trade up.

The other (and main) way you want to use Flametongue Totem is as a tempo card. The way you do this is by playing it down onto board where you are already ahead. This makes your opponent react to it, which then ties up removal and forces them into some very awkward positions. Like Evolve, this card is a fantastic way to put on more pressure than your opponent can deal with. It is not always about getting lethal right away. Sometimes you just need to turn two threats into two more dangerous threats or two totems into damage machine. This makes it so that, even if your opponent can take out your bodies, you are still going to have control. As totem is always going to be your opponent’s first target, taking this line of play can also help protect some of the smaller bodies on your board as well.

Spirit Echo

As with so many different cards in this build (Bloodlust comes to mind) Spirit Echo is a card you need to work to set up. AOE is prevalent is the current meta, and there are many (many, many, many) decks that want to actively fight for the board. That means it is not going to be easy to keep bodies around. When you have the chance to get some value from this card you need to take it. Treat Spirit Echo like Cult Master (which we discussed last week). That is, you want to build towards it and pull the trigger as soon as you can get some decent value. Think of this as a pure value machine. You do not have to go all-in, and you don’t have to wait for a full board. Just getting a second Flametongue Totem or Kalimos, Primal Lord can be enough to lock down games.

This card is particularly strong in games where you’re putting on a lot of damage because it makes your whole board sticky. Hitting this on a Flametongue Totem or Mana Tide Totem can be a great way to keep up pressure when pushing damage. Then, if your opponent spends valuable removal taking something out on the board, you simply replay whatever they killed next turn. For that reason, you want to look to copy cards that get immediate value as soon as they hit the board. The best single card to use this with is Aya Blackpaw. In fact, hitting the panda and her golem can act as a win condition on its own.

Volcano

Volcano may seem like a very strange inclusion, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, it is very good. With any midrange deck, you goal is to steadily control the game. However, life is not always so kind. You are going to lose the board sometimes, you are going to fall behind, or you simply by outclassed. This spell is for all of those situations and gives you a way to comeback in contests that would otherwise be lost. All you need is one strong AOE swing followed up by small minions to instantly take over the game. Contesting the board for five or six turns and then slamming the clear alongside a jade golem or totem is a great way to get ahead. You also have options to play Volcano when your opponent is low on cards and then leverage a big threat like Kalimos or Aya the following turn.

The biggest reason Volcano is so good is because your opponent is never going to see it coming. Almost all current Shaman builds (besides Elemental Control) abstain from the big AOE. That means it is very easy to set your opponent up for a big blow out. You don’t need much to get this card to do some work. If you find yourself falling behind, or if you think your opponent is going to make a big push, try to hold back on this one or prepare your minions for a trade. This will help set up the clear without giving too much away. Fifteen health is the goal here, so be sure you have as few minions as possible when setting up the eruption.

Kalimos, Primal Lord

Even with Volcano, Kalimos, Primal Lord is likely the most interesting inclusion in this deck. Anyone who has played any version of Elemental Shaman knows how strong the elemental lord is. Every single one of his options is powerful, and in this build that versatility is key. He often comes up big when you need a heal or AOE, but being able to instantly get a full board or six quick damage is extremely important as well. The reason Kalimos is so strong is because he lets you adapt to any game state while also providing you with a large 7/7 body. A clutch clear is a great way to break up a race, while the damage is very often lethal after an early push. Though his Onyxia impression is not always going to be your first choice, a quick board refill is a great way to make use of otherwise dead cards like a late-game Flametongue Totem or Bloodlust. Just remember he does have a trigger. It is very easy to slam the legendary without playing an elemental the turn before and instantly regret all of your life decisions. You should save an elemental for turn seven if Kalimos is in your hand and, if he is one of your only outs, you should also keep a small body to play just in case you draw him.

Matchups

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

Mage

Well, it finally happened. Pirate Warrior has been dethroned, and by Jaina of all heroes. Mage has two modes right now (Secret and Discover) and both are extremely prevalent at all different rungs of the ladder. However, you are going to take on both in the same way. That is, you need to tempo early and preserve your health in anyway that you can. Though it may seem strange, pressure is very important in this game. Mage is a class that is predicated on Ice Block, and as long as they have the secret up they can dismiss your plan. To overcome that, you need to do everything in your power to make them care about the board. Evolve is one of the best ways to do this, but even playing must-kill minions like Flametongue Totem or Mana Tide Totem can keep pressure off of your face.

The biggest challenge when facing down the spell class is staying one step ahead of their finishing burn. You need to be hyper aware of your health and do anything within your power to kill their early minions. Treat all of their bodies as damage and limit it as efficiently as possible. Your only real source of healing in this game is going to be Kalimos, Primal Lord. While taunts are good for a while, they do nothing against Alexstrasza or burn. You cannot sit back and relax in this matchup. Find ways to pump out threats, get bodies onto the board, and hoard all of your healing.

Pirate Warrior

Well, Pirate didn’t fall far. The blazingly-fast Warrior deck is still strong, still popular, and it will still kill you if you take the time to blink. This game can be quite tough or quite easy depending on how your draws pan out. Setting your curve with cheap, early removal helps you trade and gives you a way to build up into your more serious threats. This is a game where Stonehill Defender is going to do a lot of work. As you are an aggressive deck by nature, you only need one or two walls to close out a game. Throw out your early game and build into Evolve (which helps you put out a strong board). Pirate is a deck that lives off of tempo, and if you can interrupt that push with big threats it is going to put your opponent on the back foot.

Your two serious win conditions in this one are Thing from Below and Kalimos, Primal Lord (for the quick twelve health). You and your opponent are going to spend a lot of time contesting the board, which means you only really need one good stall tool to take this game over. Not only do your walls help you shut down pressure and weapons, but they also provide damage in their own right. Do not be afraid to put on pressure if you have one in hand. When Pirate gets threatened they will go face hard to try and win the race. If they take that route against you it puts them into a situation that is extremely vulnerable to any resistance. All you have to do is hit them with one well-timed wall and the game slips out of their grasp.

Midrange Paladin

Midrange Paladin holds strong at the third position simply because of the fact that it has a fair chance against everything. Uther has one of the best toolboxes in the current game, but he also greatly depends on the board. This is very good news for you and your ample sources of removal. Treat this matchup much more like a slow control deck than a midrange build. Let Paladin run out some cards, take them down, and respond with your own big threats. You are not in a hurry here. Your whole goal is to wear your opponent down turn after turn until they are out of cards. Of course, you should push if you can, but there is no reason to overplay your hand. Paladin only has a few big finishers. AOE down their murlocs early on and save your bigger spot removal for the real threats.

Hex is the most important card in this game. You do not mind going long, and once you shut down Paladin’s early push they will try to go long with you. Not only does that mean you are going to have to answer Tirion Fordring, but it also means you are likely going to have to deal with Getaway Kodo. The secret can be a real problem if you want to try to play the attrition game because they will just get their big legendary back again and again. As soon as you suspect they have kodo up, Hex their target and give them a frog. The only other big rule is to watch out for Equality. Your Evolve combo is one of the best ways to beat Paladin, but you never want to run it out only to get shut down by a single card. Make them work for it.

Midrange Hunter

Midrange Hunter is a game that plays out very similarly to Paladin or Warrior. That is to say, you want to fight for board throughout the game as you steadily build towards your big finishers. All you want to try to do is get out ahead of your opponent. That allows you to become the aggressor, which quickly shuts Hunter out of the game. Rexxar is very bad at playing behind, especially against a deck with so many large threats as yours. The tracking orc has never enjoyed being behind in tempo, and all it takes it one strong AOE or removal play to take over the match. Think about all of the cards in your hand and try to figure out what their best targets are going to be. This will help you conserve your spells and allow you to properly pace the game.

This is probably going to be your best matchup simply because of the fact that you have a ton of strong spells that blow Hunter out. Hex eats a lot of their bigger minions and strong deathrattle bodies, while your AOE will keep their swarm cards like Rat Pack and Alleycat in check. While your removal is strong, the tricky part in this game is to figure out where to sneak out minions. Keeping pace with Hunter is not hard, but getting ways to contest the board are. You want to lean heavily on your jade package in this one and try your best to get out Aya Blackpaw or Kalimos, Primal Lord. Those cards are the way you become the aggressor, and if you have them on an empty board you’ve basically won.

Aggro Druid

This is the matchup where you want to slow things down and take the role of a pure control player. I have mentioned this many times in the past, but Druid (as strong as they are) have some of the worst topdecks in the game. All you need to do is survive their initial two pushes (first their minions and then one Living Mana) and this is going to be a breeze. The golden rule of this game is to never let anything live for any reason. Druid feeds off of small combos. Even one 2/2 can become buffed in three ways to instantly give them a threat you cannot answer, and something as simple as a frog can be hit with Mark of Y’shaaj for instant value. Your goal is to put up taunt walls whenever possible. Stonehill Defender (and what it creates) is your main win condition. This game is not about damage or pressure, it is about preventing lethal in any way that you can. The last note is to know you do not always have to clear Living Mana. Sometimes a big taunt does the job just fine because it prevents your opponent from getting their crystals back while still forcing them to trade.

Mulligan Guide

This is a pure midrange mulligan through-and-through. You want to find your early minions/removal and then build up from there. This deck has no fancy mulligans or tricky plays. You know what you want, and you need to get it. Fire Fly and Jade Claws are your two must keeps, but you always want Flametongue Totem, Stonehill Defender and Mana Tide Totem with a strong curve. Defender and Mana Tide are both great with the coin as well. Evolve is typically too slow to keep, but Devolve is good if you think you’re playing against Miracle Rogue or Aggro Druid. Maelstrom Portal and Lightning Storm should be kept against any flood or aggro deck, while Jade Lightning is strong with the coin and a good curve.

Conclusion

I have always loved me some Shaman. While the Year of the Mammoth brought the class down for many people, it always feels good to get back to some of the old lists that first endeared me to the class. This deck has a very nice feel to it, and is very strong to boot. What else could you possibly ask for? I hope you’re all out getting some sun, and I hope the light reaches you wherever you are. Until next week, may you always

---