Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis: Vs. Shaman

Welcome friends! My name is Blackacre and I piloted the Miracle Rogue to Top 20 NA. After receiving numerous requests for a guide on how to mulligan/play each of the major matchups in the metagame I have given in and created a comprehensive guide, containing 11 matchups analysis. I’ve broken up the match analysis into […]

Welcome friends! My name is Blackacre and I piloted the Miracle Rogue to Top 20 NA. After receiving numerous requests for a guide on how to mulligan/play each of the major matchups in the metagame I have given in and created a comprehensive guide, containing 11 matchups analysis.

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I’ve broken up the match analysis into multiple guides (it’s too much for one guide/sitting). This guide covers the matchup analysis of going against a Priest, as a Miracle rogue.

For the deck list and core deck guide, please find it here.

Matchup Analysis

There is some slight variation in the popular Shaman lists being run, but they are all mid range board control decks that function nearly identical. The Shaman attempts to gain early board control with cheap removal spells like rockbiter-weapon and lightning-bolt in combination with durable minions such as argent-squire, unbound-elemental, and feral-spirit. Then once board control is achieved the Shaman will make favorable trades while pressuring your life total until they can get lethal with the chosen finisher of the deck.

Shaman are much less effective when they don’t have control of the board. Cards like flametongue-totem and defender-of-argus turn into dead draws for them, and they aren’t able to get substantial value from their totems if they are being cleared each turn.

Mulligan Guide

Keepers

shiv

Shiv is a great early game card in this matchup. When combined with a hero power dagger it can clear totems and keep the board clear. Keep one of these if you are lacking early game action in your hand.

loot-hoarder

Loot Hoarder is our ideal turn 2 play. Even if it gets earthshock by the opponent that will almost certainly disrupt their turn progression and that is what Loot Hoarder is meant to do. If they don’t have the Earthshock then we get even more value from its ability to clear totems.

azure-drake

Azure Drake is great in this matchup. The 4/4 body is outside of the 3 damage range that Shaman are comfortably able to deal with cards like Lightning Bolt, Rockbiter Weapon, and Fire Elemental. The fact that it draws us a card and adds spell power to the board only make it better.

gadgetzan-auctioneer

Shaman is a value deck in many ways, and in order to beat them we need to have value of our own. There is probably no better card in the game for extracting extreme amounts of value then Gadgetzan Auctioneer. Keep one of these and make sure you only cast it when you can protect it.

Situational

conceal

This matchup is slow enough that is it worthwhile keeping this in our starting hand IF we have a Gadgetzan Auctioneer to go with it.

eviscerate

The 4 damage from Eviscerate can be very useful in this matchup. It can deal with an Unbound Elemental before it gets out of hand or even clear an Azure Drake for a tempo gain. Despite this fact, we would only be interested in keeping an Eviscerate in our opening hand if we already have strong cards to pair it with.

edwin-vancleef

VC is vulnerable to 2x hex and 2x Earthshock in this matchup. It can still be worthwhile to expend some resources to make him a 4/4 or 6/6, but don’t go crazy unless you can do so without card disadvantage.

si7-agent

The 2 damage from the combo is not super effective at anything but clearing totems in this matchup, but the 3/3 body is relevant. These factors combined make him a worthwhile keep if you have the ability to combo him easily.

Throw It Back

backstab

This matchup is not favorable for Backstab. While the tempo is nice to help gain board control, the 2 damage simply doesn’t interact well with any of the minions commonly run in Shaman decks.

preparation

The card disadvantage that Preparation represents when used in the early game is relevant in this matchup. We would much prefer to save these for later when we have a Gadgetzan Auctioneer in play. Since that is the case, we are better off mulliganing these.

shadowstep

These are generally best saved for finishing with Leeroy Jenkins in this matchup. As that is the case, we don’t want them in our starting hand.

cold-blood

Cold Blood should never be kept in your opening hand.

deadly-poison

This is not a strong matchup for this card. The most common Shaman lists have only the 2/3 Spirit Wolf minions with 3 health, and having to attack into them twice is obviously not ideal. Mulligan these for better options.

blade-flurry

Blade Flurry is a fine card, but it does require some help in this matchup. If you have spell power available it will clear totems for you and if you have a Deadly Poison it can be even more effective. That said, you are better off forgoing this in your opening hand and looking for more consistent options.

sap

Sap is a fairly poor card in this matchup. Shaman run cards that are either efficiently costed, have charge, or have some sort of battlecry that gives them value as they enter the board. The only real target in the matchup is an Unbound Elemental that has gotten out of hand, and that is certainly not an optimal usage. Mulligan these for sure.

fan-of-knives

FoK + spell power is often a great way to clear totems that have gotten out of hand. Save this for later in the game when you have gotten behind on clearing them and enjoy the fresh board it helps create.

bloodmage-thalnos

Thalnos is great in this matchup, but should be saved until later in the game to be combed with cards like Shiv, FoK, and Blade Flurry.

earthen-ring-farseer

The life gain is not particularly effective in this matchup, but the 3/3 body is relevant. I would recommend mulliganing this card unless it is your only early game minion. In that case keep it as an insurance policy.

leeroy-jenkins

Leeroy Jenkins should never be kept in your opening hand.

Closing & Other Matchup Analysis

Hope you guys find this matchup analysis helpful! I’ll be adding and creating more guides of other matchups.

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Handlock

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Token Druid

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Aggro Mage

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Priest

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Shaman

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Aggro Paladin

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Ramp Druid

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Control Warrior

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Miracle Rogue

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Aggro Hunter

Miracle Rogue Matchup Analysis Vs. Zoo Warlock


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