Aggro Decks: Warlock, Hunter, and Rogue

Introduction

Hey guys! Modded here with part two of my series all about Aggro decks! View Part 1 here!

Today I will be talking about three of the top Aggro decks in Hearthstone, with decklists, explanations of the card choices, and what makes them better or worse than other Aggro decks.

Charge Aggro Warlock

Example Decklist:

Deck Theory:

This deck relies on getting a solid start with one of the many strong early minions in this deck, then keeping up the pressure with charge minions. This deck is sometimes called the “from 16” deck as Arcane Golem + 2x power-overwhelming + soulfire is 16 damage for only 5 mana.

Defining Cards:

flame-imp: This guy is a tempo upswing, allowing you to keep up large amounts of damage for only a little mana.

bluegill-warrior/wolfrider/arcane-golem: Cheap Charge minions allow you to keep smacking your opponent in the face even after they clear the board.

ironbeak-owl: Since trading is not in the best interest of the deck, a cheap Silence allows you to ignore taunts.

Notable Exclusions:

doomguard: The high health is irrelevant to charge aggro, only attack is. The absurd discard will also dump cards usually held for burst damage such as power-overwhelming and soulfire.

Loot Hoarder: Whilst most other decks in this category run this card, this deck doesn’t due to the reliance on the hero power for card draw, leaving this card slot open for other cards.

Unique Strengths:

The Warlock Hero power lets you keep up the aggression by drawing two cards per turn in the late game. This deck is extremely fast, and capable most non-aggressive decks. This deck tends to be one of the most consistent of the Face Aggro decks due to the extra supply of cards.

Deathrattle Face Hunter

Example Decklist:

Deck Theory:

This deck relies on having an extremely fast start and overwhelming your opponent with threats they cannot deal with. This deck takes advantage of the Hunter’s hero power to continually hit your opponent’s face, despite any taunts they may have.

Defining Cards:

undertaker: Hunter uses so many cheap deathrattle minions (especially webspinner) that is rare for this guy to not proc at least once. It’s all pure value from there.

mad-scientist: One of the strongest cards in the game, I’m not sure how Blizzard thought this guy was balanced. This guy not only tutors a secret from your deck, it then plays it for free. Oh, and it also procs Undertaker.

eaglehorn-bow: Pre-Naxx a lot of Face Hunters were dropping Secrets and Weapons, but Mad Scientist changed that. The insane value of a 3/3 or 3/4 weapon for only three mana is simply irresistible. Also, freezing-trap is even stronger now as it not only is a pseudo-hard removal (often time the bounced card won’t get get replayed), since the minion doesn’t actually die (unlike vaporize) the Deathrattle is bypassed.

Notable Exclusions:

hunters-mark: Most Hunters have dropped this card and the few who haven’t generally only use it as a one-of. Since the nerf of starving-buzzard – Hunter’s ex-draw engine – Hunter needs to get a certain amount of value of it’s cards, and thus can’t afford to 2-for-1 itself for the sake of tempo.

timber-wolf: This card pre-Naxx was usually run as a one-of to double the effectiveness of unleash-the-hounds cheaply. With the nerf of Starving Buzzard and hence the decline of Unleash (which is now mostly a counter-aggro tech) and the end of Beast-oriented Hunters, it has lost it’s pace in Hunter decks. Even the potential role of a one mana kill-command proc has been transfered over the webspinner.

Unique Strengths:

Whilst Hunter has what I consider to be the weakest Hero Power in the game (when compared in a vacuum), it does synergize with an aggressive mentality. Combined with the strength of kill-command, this deck has inevitability (the ability to win by not losing) against decks without lifegain.

Flare: This card’s plethora of uses singlehandedly can win so many matchups: The mirror, Freeze or Secrets Mage, Shockadin and Miracle. This level of versatility and potential value is almost unparalled in this game (rivaled only by kelthuzad). And if you aren’t in one of those matchups, then you don’t care, it’s a one mana deck thinner.

Aggro Rogue

Example Decklist:

Deck Theory:

This deck is designed to win through pure speed (this deck has been nicknamed “Turn 6 Rogue” for a reason), taking advantage of the strength and efficiency of Rogue’s Combo cards as well as the Charge minion + shadowstep combo.

Defining Cards:

defias-ringleader: This card gives a large amount of early board presence for a low cost if one can combo it (the-coin>Defias Ringleader on Turn 1 was as dirty as it got pre-Undertaker). The one-health defias-bandit consumes some class’s entire turn has they Hero power it off, leaving you ahead on tempo.

arcane-golem: This is one of the few decks crazy enough to run this card, but the fact that it doesn’t die to Hero powers for essentially free is a huge deal. It also combos well with shadowstep, meaning that this deck can burst out 16-20 damage for only six or seven mana with Arcane Golem + 2x Shadowstep + 1/2 cold-blood.

coldlight-oracle: Aggro decks need cards to win, and who cares if you give your opponent cards if they don’t have the mana to play them yet? And if you’re really desperate for cards, you now have yet another Shadowstep target. Plus you leave behind a 2/2 minion, so you aren’t completely neglecting your board in the search for cards.

Notable Exclusions:

backstab: A spell that can’t damage the face? No point in running it in an Aggro deck. Unlike Tempo Rogue, you don’t care about board control, just reducing your opponent’s hp to zero. We never see shadowbolt for the same reason.

fan-of-knives: Another spell that does nothing to your opponent’s face. At three mana, it’s also too expensive to be used as a deck thinner. No that you can really afford to run any anyways since this deck runs out of steam so fast.

Unique Strengths:

This deck is not only brutally fast, it has a massive amount of burst damage in case you get behind in the mid game. This deck has a fair amount of versatility with a multitude of Shadowstep targets, and quite a few ways of getting in a ton of damage. Outside of earthshock or ironbeak-owl, there’s no easy way to deal with an argent-squire>cold-blood. a turn one or two 5/1 with divine shield will most likely become a two mana pyroblast effectively.

Conclusion

I hope that today that you learned a bit about a few of the Aggro decks present in Hearthstone, about how they operate and what makes them successful.

A few notes:

• Deathrattle Hunter is the most popular Aggro deck in the current meta, and whilst it does go for board control, it is unlike ZooLock in that is Aggro first, board control second, whereas ZooLock is the other way around.
• Charge Aggro Warlock is not represented much in the current meta due to the Popularity of ZooLock, though ZooLock tends to kill much slower.
• Face Aggro Decks tend to not due well against aggressive controlling decks like ZooLock and Token Druid, so their popularity and effectiveness are limited in a semi-aggressive meta. Aggro Rogue was popular pre-starving-buzzard nerf as it could consistently win the damage race against midrange Hunter. Now that most Hunters are Face Hunters, Aggro Rogue has greatly recessed.

Next time, I will be covering Aggro Mage, Shockadin, and Aggro Shaman. Until then, best of luck on the ladder (especially after the Bot ban wave!!!)!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know down below and I will do my best to answer! I want to hear your opinion!