Introduction
Though not as popular as it once was, C’thun Druid is a real force in the current meta. It has an incredible curve, a very strong finisher and some of the most powerful ramp options in Hearthstone. As a result, knowing how to beat it is a very important part of successfully climbing the ladder. This guide will look at how to do that using Tempo Warrior, one of the slickest and well-made midrange decks in the current game.
Sample Decklists
There are many directions you can take Tempo Warrior in and they all have merit. There are slow decks that favor more heavy finishers, ones packed with more removal and some that just want to run a high amount of midrange beaters. Each list has its strengths and weakness, and you typically want to choose the one that best fits your playstyle. If you see a lot of aggro you should go with a slower curve, but if you see control it can be a good idea to pack in more end-game. To help you understand the base deck, two deck guides have been linked below.
Mulligan Guide
When facing down Druid you need to be able to try and stick to your curve. While it is very hard to keep up with their perfect curve, you can outpace them if you build better than they do. You need to try and look for your early cards, but this is a match where you can go for your three and four drops since those are your powerhouses and you don’t want to get stuck with late-game minions. The only card you need to absolutely keep is Execute in order to combat an early Innervate.
Cards to Keep
Execute Armorsmith Slam Fiery War Axe Ravaging Ghoul Acolyte of PainSituational Keeps
Fierce Monkey and Frothing Berserker should always be kept with the coin or on curve.
Kor’kron Elite is a good keep with a fast opening.
Bloodhoof Brave should be kept if it slots in your curve.
How to Win
The way you win this game is by applying pressure. While it is easy to get complacent, Druid always has you on a clock. C’thun is going to end the game nearly every time it comes down, and for that reason you cannot allow your opponent to get comfortable. While they no longer have the combo, C’thun fills a very similar role. You do not want to let them run away with the board.
Another big part of facing Druid is forcing them to use removal instead of minions. You and your opponent are going to be largely playing one minion a turn and then trading out to keep up one side of the board. Druid’s removal is going to cost them a lot and usually force them to sacrifice them a turn. Because of this, your goal should be to get them to use a Wrath or a Swipe. This will make Druid essentially skip a turn, which then gives you priority for the next play.
Early Game Strategy
You are going to largely dominate the early turns of the game, and you need to if you want to push through. Druid has an incredible about of midgame threats and you have to try as hard as you can to make sure those threats do not stack up. If you are behind moving into the middle turns of the game it is going to be very hard to come back, which means you need to have the board by turn four.
A big rule of these turns is to always play Fiery War Axe over armoring up on turn two, even if there are no targets. Not only does this help you play axe into Ravaging Ghoul to kill a turn three Twilight Elder, but it also allows you much more flexibility moving forward. Harrison Jones is barely run these days, so you should not be fearful of having a weapon equipped. Most of Druid’s early minions are small, so this will help with clearing as the game moves forward.
Turn three is going to be your strongest turn as well as Druid’s weakest. Barring ramp, they only have one strong turn three play, which gives you priority to build into turn four. Frothing Berserker, Fierce Monkey and Acolyte of Pain are all great at instantly baiting out removal on turn four, keeping you in control of the board for turn four.
Watch out for Innervate. This is not something you can actively do, but it is a card you should always keep in mind. One of Druid’s inherent strengths is their ability to ramp out of nowhere. While you cannot directly interact with that, you can make plays like holding back an Execute on a smaller target just in case. For this reason, it is usually better to add minions early rather than try to use hard removal. You are going to need it later on.
Midgame Strategy
The middle turns are where this game is going to be decided. Druid is going to start playing their huge threats, which you are going to counter with big threats of your own. While you may have solid minions, Druid has some of the best midgame creatures in the game. To come out ahead you have to make sure you are using your removal effectively, getting the most out of your trades and always looking for card advantage.
The way you win these turns is by planning a head. C’thun Druid has a very strong curve, which locks them into their turns. While that is scary, you can use it to your advantage by just knowing the play they’re going to make each turn. For instance, if you know Druid of the Claw or Azure Drake is going to be their most likely turn five play, you can set up six or four damage. That type of thinking will keep you locked in and help you progress the game in the way that you want.
Your best card here is Bloodhoof Brave, especially if you can set it up when your opponent has no minions. Six health is very hard for Druid to get through, and the threat of five damage is equally as strong. A strong turn three into this on turn four will really stretch Druid’s removal thin and wear them doing as the turns go by.
Always look for tempo plays even when adding to an empty board. That is to say, your goal is to just play minions first and worry about their abilities second. While it may feel bad to play Sylvanas Windrunner into an opponent’s Swipe, it is much better than playing a weak minion that they can then crush with Druid of the Claw or Dark Arakkoa.
In that same vein, do not hesitate to use Kor’kron Elite to pile on pressure. The four drop minion is very good at clearing or taking down large minions, but it is also very good at forcing your opponent’s hand. As mentioned, this game is mainly going to center around control, and forcing your opponent to low health can be a good way to make them take inopportune plays. Besides, a 4/3 is pretty good on its own.
Late Game Strategy
Once you enter the later turns of the game you need to race. Hard. C’thun is a card you simply cannot match, which means you have to be able to kill them before their old god comes to town. While you do have a higher curve and many control cards, there are a lot of ways to do damage in Tempo Warrior. You need to play to them all if you want to come out on top.
Ragnaros the Firelord and Grommash Hellscream are going to be your primary finishers. You should play to both of them as much as possible, always pushing towards them if you have them in hand. While Gromm is mainly going to clear and Ragnaros is fine as a kill spell, you can also use Gromm to just kill a small minion and than sit as a threat. Druid has very little removal these days, making it very hard for them to get rid of the charging orc.
The number one card you have to watch out for is Twin Emperor Vek’lor. Two 4/6 taunts will absolutely lock down the board, especially if Druid is already ahead. As mentioned, you should be building up your board each turn. While you may not have twelve attack at your disposal, if you have removal this is the card you need to save it for.
Final Tip
Do not be afraid to gain armor. While you are a deck that is mainly focused on board control and damage, you are still a Warrior. Druid has less ways to push for lethal, but they still can bring on the pressure. Always look for ways to armor up, keep track of how big their C’thun is, and if you are getting to low life you shouldn’t be afraid to go in for a big Armorsmith turn.
