Introduction
New set! New set, new set, new set! After the two months of waiting, we are finally grabbing our machetes and journeying into Un’goro Crater. The land is dense, the minions are terrifying, and (much more importantly) the cards are new. I can honestly say I have not been this excited for a set since Naxxramas first got revealed two years ago. As a deckbuilder, I’m always looking for cards that really spark my creativity and add a lot of new creative options to the field. I think this set has really nailed that aspect and there are so many cards and combinations that I just cannot wait to try. Though I do not have the time or space here to cover all of my ideas, in this article I will look at some interesting archetypes I plan to build on release day later this week.
Note: I’m only covering two quests in this breakdown because I’m really going to go in-depth for all nine during my “Questing for Un’goro” series.
New Reno Priest
Losing Reno Jackson is really going to hurt both Mage and Warlock, but I think Priest is going to be fine. Not only do they still have very strong one-of choices like Kazakus and Raza, the Chained, but they also get a fantastic (if not more inconsistent) Reno replacement in Amara, Warden of Hope. Awaken the Makers is going to be a game changer for this list and give it some powerful longevity it needs to survive. Being able to get your health up to 40 is huge, especially because the quest is always going to start in play. That makes that heal much more reliable than it seems and allows you to really get greedy with some of your plays. As you notice here, I have decided to go with a more classic package, putting in just about every viable deathrattle body and then using N’zoth, the Corruptor as the finisher. This helps cover your bases because it both gives you a strong way to beat out aggro (Amara) while providing enough late game value to outlast control. There are also very few spells because Shadow Visions helps you dig for whatever you need when the time arrives.
I think the best way to adapt Highlander Priest is to play the classic Dragon build but switch out the lizards for deathrattle cards. This keeps the already strong shell intact and gives you a good starting point. However, one of the hardest things about making a deck like this is figuring out how many deathrattle cards you are going to need. This list has thirteen, and while some of them aren’t that exciting, I think you can now get away with cards like Abomination and Bomb Squad since the health loss won’t matter as much when you eventually Amara. There are also a few lackluster minions here (such as Bloodmage Thalnos) but you have to play deathrattles and you might as well get some cards while doing it. Honestly, the only card I’m skeptical of is Spiritsinger Umbra. While she seems strong at first glance, I fear she may be too slow. However, there are enough targets here that the turtle is at least worth testing.
Note: I think you could get away with double Shadow Visions because of how strong tutoring is in a deck like this.
Buff Paladin
My, oh my, Uther, it has been too long. I am always excited to get back into the Paladin side of things, and this new expansion is no exception. This is a very interesting build that, despite the midrange shell, really works as an OTK combo deck. Unlike most quests, The Last Kaleidosaur is one that is almost always going to end the game the turn after it gets played. Galvadon is not a creature that messes around. Despite the fact that there will be some games where he’s clunky or is simply a big body, almost all of the time you just want him to be a 1000 attack minion with windfury and stealth. Can’t kill it. Game Over. Goodnight. That is how you want to play every game and all of your cards should simply build towards powering out the 5/5 as soon as you possibly can. So much so that it may be right to cut out the Silvermoon Portals or Consecrations for Hand of Protection just to lower your curve and pump out buffs.
I think it is best to treat this deck as a combo build that can also play the midrange game should things not work out for one reason or another. That is to say, after the quest you want to play a solid minion (or minions) that you can immediately buff to start ticking off your quest requirements. There are a ton of good early game minions here, from Meanstreet Marshal to Emerald Hive Queen to Runic Egg to Primalfin Champion, and all of them wear buffs extremely well. In addition, you have Lost in the Jungle to provide you with reliable bodies, Devilsaur Egg to curve into Blessing of Kings/Silvermoon Portal, and The Voraxx to go off with some cheaper spells. While the quest is going to take up turn one, you can come bursting out of the gates on turn two.
Note: Aldor Peacekeeper could be Humility. I like the 3/3 body as a tempo play, but Humility can be used on your opponent’s minions as well as your own. That is very cool and provides you with some extra utility when it comes to getting those sweet quest ticks.
Midrange Zoo
Though I have never been a fan of small minion Warlock, I do not have the same feeling about Big Zoo. Being able to go large and snowball quickly is always fun, and Un’goro gives us some new cards that really build the archetype out. The card that excites me the most is Ravenous Ptettordax, which has incredible potential. Destroying a minion is something Zoo has always been able to easily do, and if you can hit Devilsaur Egg (which also really brings the deck up) you are going to spiral out of control. Being able to adapt twice gives you an instant threat that will let you immediately take priority. In addition, the new egg allows you to play Dark Iron Dwarf. While the 4/4 has been deemed much too slow in the past few months, it is a very good on curve and just gives you even more pressure/blowout potential during the middle stages of the game.
Ravasaur Runt is admittedly one of the stranger inclusions here, but there are many ways to get multiple minions on the board and being able to adapt on a 2/2 gives Zoo a lot of versatility is normally doesn’t have. There is a chance that things like Knife Juggler are just better in that slot, but the dinosaur is at least worth testing. In addition, there is probably a case to be made for Eggnapper. A 3/1 body is weak, but two 1/1’s is very strong. This deck aims to really go up and over your opponent by turn four or five, combining overcosted bodies with the new discard package that includes both Lakkari Felhound and Clutchmother Zavas. Though heavy discard can sometimes limit your card advantage, the bodies you generate on board with this build should easily make up for that. You want to start fast and end by landing haymaker after haymaker after haymaker.
Elemental Shaman
Jade Sha…zzzz. Sorry, fell asleep there for a second. Who cares about Jade? We’re here to discuss some elementals! This is one of the most exciting archetypes in the new set, and I think that nobody is going to be able to team up with the fiery/wet/aerial/rocky creatures better than Thrall. Shaman not only has some nice curve-fillers, but they also have an absolute mega-oh-my-God-did-they-really-print-that bomb card in Kalimos, Primal Lord. The eight drop is probably the strongest big threat in the new game and is going to carry this archetype through a lot of hard times. As expected, elementals are primarily midrange and, like so many midrange decks, it’s the opening cards that are the biggest problem. You definitely want to have some way to mitigate the early board, and I am not quite sure what that is going to look like without Tunnel Trogg or Totem Golem roaming around. For now, I think you just want to go with Lightning Bolt/Jade Claws as your early removal and then depend on your strong minions to carry the day.
Similar to Priest’s deathrattle cards, choosing the elementals for this deck is not easy. There are quite a few to pick from, and almost all of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. I think the biggest choice is going with Blazecaller over Stone Sentinel. You don’t have room for two seven drops, and I’d always want to deal five damage over getting a board. Yes, Sentinel is better if you’re being rushed down, but the body (even with the trigger) feels much weaker than adding a 6/6 and doing five. Beyond that, Fire Fly is important to make sure you hit your triggers throughout the game, and I believe Fire Plume Harbinger, despite the weak body, is going to be very important in terms of both curve and tempo. While the elementals are strong, I also decided to fill in the cracks with Jade. Claws and Lightning are both good on their own as removal, and the fact that you can sometimes high roll your opponent with Aya Blackpaw doesn’t hurt.
Beast Hunter
We’re baaaack. Hunter has been at the bottom of the pile for too long, and it is time to give Rexxar the love that he deserves. While I have some very strong ideas for the quest, I wanted to focus here on a more beast-centric build. This deck, which I have played around with a lot over the past two months, has a ton of strong tools. You have Rat Pack, Dispatch Kodo, Shaky Zipgunner, Savannah Highmane and Houndmaster. All of those are threats in their own right, but the problem is that they have not yet had the necessary support to make that viable. That should all change very soon. Un’goro brings Hunter a wide string of one drops in addition to things like Swamp King Dred and Crackling Razormaw. This really helps out the entire curve and builds up each turn in the way that Hunter needs to be able to do. The most contested spot here is the Scavenging Hyena slot. I like the 2/2 because it combos with small minions and gives a way to bait removal. However, Dinomancy (which I think may be too slow) and Trogg Beastrager are both worth considering as well.
Some of you may be wondering my inclusion of Hemet, Jungle Hunter. I think this card actually has a lot of applications, and one of them is with Rexxar. Midrange Hunter is only as strong as its build. Very little classes can keep up with Hunter once it gets rolling and being able to cut out all of your early game seems very powerful. In fact, it is the reason I decided to add in Call of the Wild. Making it so you can only draw Houndmaster and up at the end of the game should allow you to pile on haymaker after haymaker at your opponent. There will be no more topdecked Alleycats or Small Raptors. Rather, you can just go Savannah Highmane into Savannah Highmane into Call of the Wild or Swamp King Dred. Yes, you will soon be in fatigue, but with the amount of power you are going to have that really shouldn’t matter. Burst is always going to be on Hunter’s mind and you just need to hit your opponent until they have no answer.
Note: If Pirate manages to survive into the next set you could easily port in a pair of Golakka Crawlers to blow them out.
Conclusion
I cannot put into words how excited I am for this set. It has been years since I’ve been this ready to crack some packs and make new decks. There is just nothing like innovation and this set looks to get all the creative juices flowing. Not only does Un’goro have a ton of new and interesting cards, but it also is coming during a rotation period. There are just so many things to talk about and so many new decks to take to ladder. While I didn’t get a chance to cover them all here, tune into my guides over the next two months and we’ll see exactly what the crater holds. As always, thanks for reading!
Published: Apr 3, 2017 02:27 pm