The New Standard: Control Shaman

Introduction

Token Shaman has been popular for months now, and it has gotten even stronger after the nerfs. However, we don’t cover the popular on this series. We look at the weird. To continue that trend, we are going to analyze a new legend list from Satellite that takes Shaman and slows it way, way, waaay down. Control Shaman is an archetype I have always loved, and that love grows stronger each time a new version pops up. What makes this week’s build interesting is that, instead of going the elemental route (which seems to be the most obvious), it takes a step in the other direction and goes in on N’zoth the Corruptor. This deck is largely a hybrid build that combines the midrange jade core with an extremely powerful slew of finishers. That versatility allows it to beat both aggro and control decks, and gives it a good chance against all sides of the spectrum.

Key Cards

This section will explain certain key cards to the list as a whole.

Ancestral Spirit

Ancestral Spirit is a strange card that has popped up many times in Hearthstone’s history. Sometimes it’s great, and sometimes it is just plain awful. Right now, the two mana spell is quite strong. Not only has Hex gotten nerfed (increasing the chances that it will stick) but Mage (and Polymorph) has greatly dropped in popularity. That means whatever you play it on is going to come back, which then generates a ton of value that is too much for most decks to deal with. Your two main targets are going to be Aya Blackpaw and White Eyes, but hitting Al’akir the Windlord can also put games away. Beyond that, the card also does a great job on taunts wen you need to clog the board or slow your opponent’s down.

The trick to Ancestral Spirit is knowing how and when to set it up. For example, when playing against Aggro Druid or Tempo Rogue you are likely not going to get minions to stick. Those decks make a living by pushing on the board, and you are going to be on the back foot most of the time. For that reason, you typically need to get spirit down the same turn you play a minion. Plan for that and do not leave yourself stranded. Even putting down something as simple as a Stonehill Defender on turn five alongside the spell can really set back some of the faster decks in the game. However, when you’re facing off against slower decks you typically will have a little more leeway. Nobody is going to see this card coming, so you don’t have to force it. If you think your opponent has a silence or some transformation effect at hand, it is best to play carefully. Don’t double up on a silenceable minion and get blow out.

Devolve

Though it may be hard to see, Devolve is a very powerful control tool. The card is common in Token Shaman as a way to remove taunts, but it does two things that a control list really wants to do. The first is get rid of hard-to-kill or deathrattle minions. Note that this build does not run Hex. The four mana spell simply costs too much and is not as efficient as it once was. Devolve fills that hole by giving you a way to instantly take out a any annoying threat. While this card is extremely powerful against fast decks (as covered below) do not be afraid to use it as a 1-for-1 against things like Hunter and Warlock. Using Devolve to remove a Savannah Highmane or Doomguard may feel like wasted potential, but most of the time you’ll come out on top.

The number one reason this card is in this list because of how well it plays with AOE. Devolve is almost always going to lower minions stats. More importantly, it gets rid of health. That then makes your clears much, much more powerful. Being able to turn an entire board of small buffed minions into 1/1’s and then cleaning them up with Maelstrom Portal is one of the most consistent ways to take down Aggro Druid and Token Shaman. However, even being able to turn a 3/4 into a 5/2, or a 2/6 into a 3/3 can be invaluable. Your AOE is capped, which means it can only do so much damage. To overcome that, you want to do what you can to lower overall minion health. Devolve is the best way in your entire deck to make that happen.

Dirty Rat

While I’m not taking full credit for the inclusion in this list, I was the first one to put Dirty Rat into Control Shaman way back when. The two drop worked like a charm then, and it is still amazing now. Not only does the 2/6 give you a way to easily to stop things like Raza the Chained or Vilsepine Slayer, but it also forces your opponent into one of the hundred different AOE options your deck has. One of the best ways to beat Control Shaman is to hold back cards, increase board value, and force them to use clears at inopportune times. Good players will conserve cards like crazy against you, which puts you into a lot of tight situations. The rat fixes that problem by forcing your opponent to overextend. If you notice your opponent holding back, do what you can to push them onto the board.

When you Dirty Rat, make sure you are ready for whatever it could bring out. Just about every deck in the game is going to have some scary minion that you don’t want to see too early. However, that won’t be a problem if you have an answer at hand. Devolve is the best way to mitigate that, but AOE or hard removal work against decks with a lower curve. For that reason, you are almost never going to run the rat out on turn two. Try your best to set the 2/6 up during the middle turns of the game when you have spells to along with it. The only exception to that rule is when you’re going against a class like Rogue or Priest and you simply want to limit a strong battle cry.

Lightning Storm/Volcano

As touched upon in the above paragraph, both Lightning Storm and Volcano are incredibly powerful clear spells that can serve as win conditions in their own right. There are a lot of board-centric decks in the game right now, and if you can get a full clear against them it will likely set them back beyond the realm of no return. Decks like Aggro Druid, Zoo, and Token Shaman do not respond well to clears. Not only that, but they also need to be able to consistently push their minions to close out a game. Do not get greedy, but also do not let your opponent get too wide. Buffs run rampant across the meta right now, and you don’t want to see yourself locked out. This is a tough balance, but one you should be able to find the more you play with the deck.

The rule here, as always, is to do what you can to pull your opponent into the line of fire. Anyone going up against a slow Shaman deck is going to be wary of AOE, but you can bait them in numerous ways. Of course, there is always Dirty Rat, but even when you don’t have the two drop at your disposal you can slow roll really hard. If your opponent is not putting you under pressure or setting up a direct line to lethal, do not be afraid to sit back and wait. Play out taunts, clog up the board, and make your opponent use all of their resources and minions. Then, once their hand is whittled down, you can pull the trigger and blow them out. Beyond that, you can also use smaller AOE to set up bigger ones. Since you have so many clear spells, there are times where you can use a Lightning Storm on a small board. Then, when your opponent floods because they think the coast is clear, you hit them with Volcano.

Hallazeal the Ascended

Though the meta is still in flux, there is no doubt that aggressive decks still have a hold on the ladder. Token Shaman, Midrange Hunter, and Aggro Druid are all extremely popular, but even decks like the Kazakus Priest, Pirate Warrior and Tempo Rogue can bring the pain. Hallazeal the Ascended is the best to counteract that pressure because he instantly gives you a gigantic push. In fact, there are going to be many situations where he acts as your finisher. When setting up the 4/6 up you typically just need to use him with one clear, be that Maelstrom Portal, Volcano, or Lightning Storm. However, he can also be combined with Jade Lightning in a pinch as well. Most of the time it does not matter how you get health with Hallazeal. Getting even four or five can be huge because, if your opponent cannot deal with the five drop, they will then get blown out the following turn. Just know when you need the legendary to win games, and always save one AOE for him when possible. Even something like using Volcano on your own board can be the right play when you’re under a lot of fire.

Deck Code

AAECAfe5AgYg7QXgrALCrgKmvA KUvQIMlAOBBPUE+6oCoLYCh7wCz7wC0 bwC9r0Cx8ECm8IC38QCAA==

Matchups

Some of the most common matchups I see while playing ladder.

Tempo Rogue

Tempo Rogue is likely the best reason to play this deck. Control Shaman has always been strong against Valeera, and that continues to hold true. Rogue is a deck that seeks to cement the board early and then use that push to set up powerful blow-out turns with cards like Vilespine Slayer. You need to fight against that by clearing everything you see and then sticking taunts whenever possible. Ancestral Spirit on any wall, no matter how big, is fantastic against Rogue and one of the main ways you lock them out of a game. They no longer run bounce cards like Sap, which means they are going to have to kill whatever you buff. That then puts damage on their board and makes them more susceptible to AOE. A double taunt is also a great way to make sure you are not vulnerable to Leeroy Jenkins.

Dirty Rat is by far your best tool in this one. Rogue has a ton of small minions with extremely powerful battlecry abilities. For that reason, you should not hesitate to play the two drop. Yes, it can occasionally hit a bigger body like The Lich King, but most of the time the odds are in your favor. As long as you have some AOE coming the following turn or two you should be able to eat whatever your opponent gets. In addition, watch out for Southsea Captain. The 3/3 is extremely popular right now, and it can lead to massive blowouts if you aren’t ready for it. Always think about ways your opponent can do damage. A 1/1 may not seem imposing, but it gives your opponent ways to stick Bonemare or Cobalt Scalebane. Mass clears should be your first priority in this one and you need to clear aggressively when you’re low on life.

Kazakus Priest

Priest continues to storm across the ladder, which, admittedly, is not great news for this build. You want to go long in your games and slowly wear your opponents down. That is great against just about everything, but it is dangerous against Raza the Chained and Shadowreaper Anduin. You are not a fast deck, which means Anduin is likely going to hit that combo every single game. To deal with that, you need for force your opponent to use all of their cards. That is not an easy task, but it is attainable if you can pump out a consistent string of threats. That will then run your opponent’s hand down, making it so they cannot properly use their finishing combo when the time comes. Anytime you can get a body you need to slam it down and you should go all in your jade package. Prioritize the golems and grow them as quickly as you can.

Your two best cards in this matchup are Dirty Rat (which can neuter both Kazakus and Raza the Chained) and Ancestral Spirit. Rat should always be dropped on turn four. Not only is that the turn before Raza comes down, but your opponent will have played their smaller minions by then, increasing your chances of a good hit. Ancestral is good because, as discussed above, it simply creates more threats for your opponent to deal with. Most Priests do run Silence, but that is not something you can afford to play around. Anytime you want to extend into AOE or push hard with damage you should buff up the biggest body on your board (or Aya Blackpaw). That will cause Priest to use even more cards to handle you, further weakening their win condition.

Midrange Hunter

Midrange Hunter is a deck that you can beat if you correctly use your cards. However, if you incorrectly sequence plays, or if you have one wrong turn, this game can turn into a disaster in a hurry. Hunter is explosive, which you need to combat through a combination of strong taunts and powerful AOE. Liberally use your clears in this game and prioritize clearing damage. This is another matchup where Ancestral Spirit will destroy your opponent’s plan. The double taunt is tough for Hunter to blast through, and they will spend quite a bit of damage trying to clear the board. You want to save Devolve for Savannah Highmane at all costs, and you should always clear out beasts before turn four. While there are some control decks that would wait in such situations, you never want to afford your opponent a Houndmaster. Limiting damage is important in this one because you have very little ways to fight against Steady Shot and Kill Command. Burn can break you down if you get hit too much early on. Fight back against the board where you can. Everything you kill is less pressure you need to worry about at the end of the game.

Zoo

This new meta has given many different classes a chance to shine, and that includes Warlock. Prince Keleseth Zoo is back in a big way, which is great news for you. The aggressive Warlock deck comes with a slew of buffs and strong minions, but they are very weak to AOE. Your job in this game is to run your opponent out of cards as quickly as possible. To do that, you want to clog the board with every taunt you can find and then slam down your mass removal once your opponent extends a bit too far. Zoo can do a lot of damage, but they need a board to make that happen. As soon as they get to three or four threats you should pull the trigger on things like Volcano or Lightning Storm. That will force your opponent to rebound with more minions, which you can then clean up with your next spell.

Devolve is great in this matchup. Not only can it reduce any annoying buffs, but it also turns demons into non-demons. Every Zoo deck out there runs Bloodreaver Gul’dan, which can be very tricky to deal with. You should always save an AOE for the death knight, but simply turning a few big demons into something else greatly cripples the finisher as well. Just be aware of your opponent’s burst potential towards the end of the game. Soulfire and Doomguard are both extremely popular, and Doomguard will come back with Bloodreaver. That then allows your opponent to turn the DK into instant damage. Factor that into your calculations, and always try to get a string of taunts going once your opponent has ten mana at their disposal.

Mulligan Guide

When mulliganing with this deck you want to look for all of your early removal and jade cards. Starting with good removal options is very important right now, and you do not want to leave yourself exposed if you can afford it. Jade Claws is your only true must keep in this game. However, you should always keep Stonehill Defender with the coin or a strong curve. Mealstrom Portal and Lightning Storm are great against aggro, while Mana Tide Totem is amazing against control. Devolve and Bloodmage Thalnos are both great against any aggro deck if you have AOE to go along with them, and Dirty Rat should always be kept against Priest and Rogue. Always keep Jade Spirit or Jade Lightning on curve.

Conclusion

Here comes the AOE. Control Shaman has a great pace, and it does a fantastic job against most of the current meta. While the Priest matchup is tricky, every other popular matchup should fall into your favor. This deck is a great balance of control options and powerful minions. Not to mention, you also get a chance to use some of Shaman’s most fun cards. It is a really exciting blend of different gears that come together to form a single, powerful machine. I hope you like, and, until next time, may you always Dirty Rat your opponent’s best battlecry minion.

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