MUA: Oil Rogue vs. Patron Warrior

Introduction

Patron Warrior has rise through the buffs to become one of the strongest midrange decks in Hearthstone. Not only does it have a very strong combo, but it also has a lot of draw, early minions and reliable burst. That means you are going to encounter it on ladder, and you need to know how to beat it. In this guide we will look at a deck that does very well against Patron, Oil Rogue, and explore how it uses quick damage and efficient removal to win the game.

Sample Decklists

Oil Rogue is a deck that needs to run a lot of cards to be viable. However, that does not mean there is only one version of the deck. Some lists run a lot of spells, some run more minions and others pack themselves with removal. Each list is good against different decks, so you always want to choose one that is going to be best against what you face most often, or the one you best understand. To help you make this decision, three sample lists have been linked below.

One, Two, Three

Mulligan Guide

When facing Warrior you just want to keep as much early game as you possibly can. You are not going to know whether you are fighting against Control or Patron, which means you have to hedge your bets with early removal and minions.

While you always want some strong board presence, your removal is especially important because it answers key cards like Armorsmith, Piloted Shredder or Acolyte of Pain.

Cards to Keep

Backstab Deadly Poison Eviscerate SI:7 Agent Fan of Knives

Situational Keeps

Bloodmage Thalnos can be kept with early spells like Backstab but it is too weak to keep on its own.

Preparation is powerful alongside go-big spells like Sprint.

Blade Flurry is a strong keep with weapon buffs.

Piloted Shredder can be kept with a strong early curve and the coin.

Violet Teacher follows the same rules as Piloted Shredder.

How to Win

There are two ways to beat Patron, and the first is by simply overpowering them. While Patron runs a lot of aggressive cards, they also have a lot of turns where they simply are waiting to set up their combos. You have access to much more damage out of hand, which means if you can reliably churn out minions your opponent will fall behind. You always want to look for ways to make Patron answer you, because that will be less cards they have to combo with later on.

The other way to take on the dwarves is through removal. This is a slower game, but Patron only runs so many threats. If you cannot stack up the proper damage or put together the right burst, you can just out-value your opponent until they run out of cards or minions. Be smart with your removal and save your AOE for their big turns. This is not the way you are going to win all games, but understand that you can simply make your opponent run out of damage if the games goes long.

Early Game Strategy

The first turns of the game are going to be rather uneventful, and you want to use them to figure out what type of deck your opponent is playing. There is a very different path to beating Patron and Control, and you need to know what you are up against. You can usually tell this on turn turn two if your opponent plays cards like Unstable Ghoul or Armorsmith (which almost no Control Warriors run). Dread Corsair or Frothing Berserker are also early tells.

Watch out for Armorsmith and Acolyte of Pain. Each of these cards can be big problems because they help Patron get a lot of value. Armorsmith is the only real way Patron gains armor beyond their hero power. Killing it severely limits the health they can get during the game, and makes your burst stronger. Getting rid of Acolyte helps prevent big card draw turns that keep Patron’s engine running.

Also try to not let them keep any damaged minions on the board if you can help it. This will help you play around an early Battle Rage, which can limit their chances of drawing Grim Patron and its various activators by turn five.

Fan of Knives should be used early to just draw a card, since there are almost no scenarios where you want to ping your opponent’s minions for one. However, do not do this for Bloodmage Thalnos, since the spell damage will be extremely value during the later turns when you are looking for ways to kill Grim Patrons.

Midgame Strategy

The middle of the game is going be spent trying to make sure Patron never gets out of hand. They are an aggressive deck, but the depend on their combos and midgame pressure to make that happen. You have to get the most out of your removal by only using your AOE when your opponent goes all-in, and taking down bigger threats with spot removal. Card conservation is very important and clearing in the wrong way can leave you open as the game progresses.

Anytime you are going to face Patron you need to watch out for turn five. Grim Patron is still a very strong card that can win the game if unanswered. However, you do have the tools to deal with it. Blade Flurry is your go-to option for this, and you want to save one for the big combo turn. Using it early to stop pressure is fine, but try to save it with a Deadly Poison or oil if possible.

Loatheb is one of your best tools in this matchup, especially one turn ahead of a Grim Patron combo. While it still may die to a Death’s Bite, putting this down stops your opponent from getting extra value from things like Inner Rage or Whirlwind. When you aren’t using this card to stop a combo, you typically just want to use it to solidify board control and help you dictate the pace of the game.

As mentioned earlier, always look for ways to use Bloodmage Thalnos. This card really helps your AOE get some extra reach, and gives you ways to better use clearing cards like Backstab. In fact, with Bloodmage you can use Backstab and Fan of Knives to clear a board of patrons, which comes in handy from time to time.

Do not be afraid to utilize Sap. While your opponent has a few cards that give them a lot of immediate value, they also run a lot of slower cards as well. Playing the two mana spells on one of those minions to get in some hits or set up the board can give you enough pressure to take your opponent off their game plan and make them answer you.

Late Game Strategy

The last part of the game is going to be different depending on where you are at. If your opponent is at low life you just want to try and put together a finishing combo, but if they have a lot of armor or health, you want to outlast them with removal. Understanding your role in the game is always going to be vitally important, and help you plan the final turns. Count your damage, and always know if you need to be pushing for the face or clearing out the board.

Every Patron list these days runs Dr. Boom. This card is incredibly powerful against Oil (especially when you are low on health), so you need to be ready for it come turn seven. Hard removal should always be your first choice, but you also shouldn’t be afraid to Sap it if needed. Once they have the doctor you just want to push hard and try to kill them before they can finish you.

Something to remember is that Patron has a lot of burst. While Grommash Hellscream means you always want to stay above twelve life, they also have access to weapons as well as Kor’kron Elites. Knowing this, you need to always calculate the cards they’ve played, and look at any potential damage they might have.

Final Tip

Always count your opponent’s Executes. This is the only real non-weapon removal card that Patron has access to, and once they run out they will no longer be able to easily kill large threats. Always try to bait out the first Execute with one of your lower impact minions, before trying to set up a higher-quality threat.

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