Introduction
It’s a new set, and you know what that means, time for a new Aggro Paladin list! Ok, fine, this deck isn’t strictly Aggro Paladin, but it definitely scratches the same itch. Blizzard has been doing a lot of things over the last few sets, and one that has flown under the radar, is the pushing of Silver Hand Recruit synergy. There are quite a few things that work with the 1/1’s now, and they are all on display here. This build, which I have been primarily using to climb, is an all-in tempo style list that uses swarms and swarms of minions to take over the early board and grind your opponent down to nothing. Not only is it insanely cool, but it plays differently than such list I’ve played in the past. 1/1’s may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but there is a lot of power here if you know where to look.
Key Cards
Drygulch Jailor
While I was not sold on the card when it first got spoiled, Drygulch Jailor has been a huge surprise for me so far. The card is one of the best in the deck, and acts as a strong engine that helps everything tick. This card essentially reads “deathrattle: draw three one mana 1/1’s.” That’s a lot of value for a two drop, especially in a deck that just wants to get as many recruits as possible. Getting those three extra draws is extremely important because it ensures you never run out of fuel. Typically, fast Paladin decks get going quickly, but fall off if their opponent can reset the board. Jailer helps you get over that problem because he represents four bodies (one up front and three on the back end). There are many times where you will get cleared, and then instantly have three fresh recruits to play down next turn. That helps you pace the deck and makes sure things like Level Up! always have a target.
When playing or trading Drygulch Jailor you should always look for where you can get instant value. That is to say, try your best to do something with the 1/1’s. Trading the Kobold in and then playing the recruits alongside Knife Juggler, Steward of Darkshire, or Level Up! is one of the best tempo plays you have. Even just getting two or three 1/1’s alongside a Crystal Lion can be a great midgame play. It seems odd that a two mana 1/1 has so much potential, but being able to instantly refill your hand is always going to be strong. Just note that there are going to be many times where you save the recruits. If you can’t use them right away, or if you don’t need the board presence, don’t feel forced to play them. Being able to drop a body is very important with this deck.
Unidentified Maul
More good stuff. This deck got a ton of strong options in the new expansion, and another great tool is Unidentified Maul. The weapon is just a 2/2, but three of its four modes (everything but taunt) impacts the board in a big way. You are a swarm deck, which means you are going to have a big board for most of the game. Being able to suddenly buff that board’s attack or give it divine shield is a game-winning swing against other tempo lists. In addition, getting the two recruits on a 2/2 weapon is oddly reminiscent of a certain Muster for Battle. While the three mana weapon is not quite that good, it will often swing boards in your favor. Yes, it can be inconsistent at times, but three of the modes are so powerful that it really doesn’t matter.
Unidentified Maul is strong, but it only truly shines when you already have a board. This is important because you want to work to set it up. Making a few 1/1’s trade up is a lot of value, and trading in your suddenly divine shielded board is game-winning. This deck runs off of silver hand recruits and you are going to have them out a lot. Do not be afraid to hold off the weapon to get some power. Now, that being said, the maul is still a weapon, and you should use it to control the board when needed. Not killing something on turn three against a Zoo or Tempo Rogue deck just to get a divine shield buff later on is never the right play. Like Rallying Blade, this is a card where it is a weapon first. Getting the buff should always be on your mind, but don’t let that cripple you plan. I should also note that, while there are quite a few weapons in this deck, they are all very important. You may want to switch them around or feel like you’re overloaded, but because they all do something when they come down, they are never static.
Level Up!
Easily the best card in this list (and a card that has flown waaay under the radar), Level Up! is just another version of Quartermaster come to life. The five drop general was one of the best Midrange Paladin cards back in the day, and anything that can do even a decent impression of it is going to be insane. Not only that, but you get taunt on top of the 2/2 buff, which means it can be used defensively as well. There are a lot of payoffs for running silver hand recruits, but this is by far the best. Just look at this as Sunkeeper Tarim two and three, a card that instantly buffs up your small bodies and enables you to have a strong finisher. This is the reason your opponent will try to pick off your 1/1’s, and it is the main way you close out games.
The way you play Level Up! is by being very patient. There are two modes here, when you play the spell on the same turn you drop your recruits, and when you set it up after as a blow out surprise. I rarely use the first mode. In fact, the only reason I would ever do that is against a deck like Druid or Warlock where you are specifically playing around a card. Otherwise, it is typically right to wait a turn. That will not only give you the element of surprise, but it will also allow you to adapt. Perhaps you don’t want to run out Level Up! on that turn. It always pays to see how your opponent is going to react, and then you need to strike. Also do not be afraid to slowly build up recruits while you’re doing other things. Your opponent will almost always ignore the 1/1’s over other minions, giving you plenty of time to set up your five mana burst.
Crystal Lion
Crystal Lion is another vastly underappreciated card that helps this deck flow. A 5/5 with divine shield is not the most exciting thing in the world. However, one with a constantly-shifting mana cost is a different story. Yes, this does not have the taunt that Thing from Below does, but I would argue the shield is even better for Paladin. In Shaman, getting taunt is key to protect fragile totems and set up finishers like Bloodlust. This deck does not want to play like that. Rather, you want to advance your board as much as possible. A 5/5 with divine shield does that extremely well. The six drop fills out your curve in a lot of ways and helps you make pushes that you wouldn’t normally be able to.
It is easy to get caught up in trying to cast a one or zero mana Crystal Lion. However, that is not what the makes the card strong. What makes it strong is that is so easily slots into your curve. Being able to drop this down around your turn three Unidentified Maul or turn four Call to Arms is what gives this so much power. It is a lot like Kabal Crystal Runner in that it rewards you for doing something you were going to do anyway. Dropping it down alongside two or three smaller minions instantly gives you a threat that not only brings damage, but also takes the heat off of your recruits as well.
Val’anyr
I’ve seen a lot of people messing around with Val’anyr in various aggressive Paladin lists where they can use it with charge minions to get in repeatable damage. While no such combo exists here, the weapon definitely packs a powerful punch. As with so many of the strong cards in this build, the legendary weapon gives you a source of repeatable value. I was skeptical of the 4/2 at first, but the fact that is re-equips makes it very strong. It is a one time investment for infinite 4/2’s. This is another card that works well with Drygulch Jailor. As long as you have something in your hand you are going to get value. Remember, the cheaper the better. It is good to try and use your big mana cards before breaking the weapon when possible. Also, it should be mentioned that you should not underestimate Val’anyr‘s ability to go face. Four attack can do a lot of work against slower decks, and you want to get in as many hits as you can when pressing for priority. Normally, it is correct to use the legendary weapon to steadily pick off the board while you go in with your minions, but sometimes bringing the pain can be the correct path.
Deck Code
AAECAaToAgb0Bc8Grwe 5wQKDxwLZxwIMpwXZB7EIu68C/68CuMc C48sC+NIC1uUCieYCteYCt+cCAA==
Matchups
The four decks I’ve played against the most in the early days.
Dragon Priest
While there is no one set version of Priest yet, all of the decks right now run some sort of dragon package that can tear their opponent to shreds. That includes you. This game is going to play out like a classic match of aggro vs control, where your entire plan is to get something to stick. However, that is not going to be easy. Priest comes equipped with a ton of AOE, and they are probably the only class (maybe Warlock) that can continuously clear your board over and over again. Plus, they also have quite a bit of healing. The way you circumvent that is by putting up big bodies that your opponent cannot deal with. Things like Blessing of Kings and Val’anyr do a lot of work because most people will try to hold off their hard removal at first, giving you a chance for extra hits. Always try to get buff onto divine shield minions, and only run out two or three things at a time.
As noted in the videos, to win this one you need to play around AOE. There are two sides to that. The first is being able to set up boards that are extremely difficult for your opponent to deal with. Divine shield minions are a nightmare for Priest because, with the exception of Psychic Scream, all of their AOE is damage based. You should always try to hold back recruits or Stand Against Darkness for a Steward of Darkshire. That combo is game winning because it is going to force Priest to jump through a lot of hoops to clear. Then, once they do, you can easily refill. The other part of pacing this game is to bait out removal. You have a lot ways to make minions. Always prioritize Call to Arms when getting your opponent to use AOE because it often comes with Drygulch Jailor, which then enables you to keep playing dudes.
All-Spell Hunter
All-Spell Hunter continues to gain popularity, and I expect it to be a big part of the coming meta. This matchup is going to be largely in your favor as long as you can find something to do every turn. Spell Hunter is a strong deck, but it needs to be able to pressure. If they can’t, they are forced to play defensively, which is where they don’t want to be. You need to press your advantage as much as possible in this one and do everything you can to make Hunter answer you. Being aggressive is going to be easy here as long as you protect your minions. Divine shield is the MVP of this game, and an early Crystal Lion alongside some 1/1’s can run Hunter right off the board. They have a lot of strong spells, but those spells are meant to deal with single targeted threats. Go wide early and often.
The two cards you need to be aware of are Wandering Monster and Explosive Trap. Monster is extremely common right now and you don’t want to attack on turn one or two only to find yourself staring down a solid threat. Rather, you should only check for secrets when you already have a few solid threats. Explosive Trap, while not as popular as monster, can still cause problems. Try to trigger it early on with just one or two small threats. If your opponent brings it down later in the game, you should always use your surprise buffs to blow your opponent out of the water. Cat Trick can hurt as well, but that is much easier to plan for. Only run into the 4/2 when you already have a solid stake on the board. Beyond that, you typically want to be ahead by turn six so that your opponent can’t leverage To My Side!.
Control Warlock
Another early player, Control Warlock got a ton of extremely strong tools in the new set. Almost all of them revolve around AOE and healing, which does not spell well for this build. You are in a race in this one, and the goal is to kill your opponent before they find a way to get Voidlord into play. The nine drop is just too much taunt for you to deal with, and even if you do manage to kill it, it’s going to come back with Bloodreaver Gul’dan. That puts this game on a clock. Utilize your divine shields and get after your opponent. You don’t have much in terms of burn, so if you do find yourself getting into a tight game where you’re going to need to burst through a taunt, you should always hold onto Sunkeeper Tarim or Blessing of Kings.
The way you win this game is by being extremely aggressive and setting up board states that Warlock cannot deal with. Go face often and do everything in your power to make sure your opponent cannot get ahead of you. Turn five is going to be the turn you absolutely need to play around. Despicable Dreadlord can beat you on its own, but only if you let it. Get your buffs going ahead of the 4/5 and never set up your minions in a way where they all have one health. The other important card to watch out for is Defile. It can be easy to forget about the two mana clear, but you should never stagger your minions health. Always try to them uniform (and above one) when possible.
Tempo Mage
Well, this should be no surprise. Tempo Mage is another strong deck that has exploded out of the gates. Even so, as powerful as it is, this one falls greatly in your favor. Mage has always been reliant on tempo, and the new version even more so. The deck has gotten faster, but that also means they are more dependent on using burn on their opponent’s face. If they need to use valuable spells to control the board they are never going to be able to properly pace you. Everything here happens within the first three or so turns. If you get into the middle game ahead, you can easily chip your opponent down to nothing as they desperately try to keep up with swarms. Flamestrike is almost nonexistent right now, so I wouldn’t play around the card too much. However, if you cannot get a good foot hold on the first two or three turns and you let your opponent get their secrets out ahead of you, you’re never going to have a chance because they will spend the rest of the game going face. Be careful with your life and always do what you can to tempo the board.
Mulligan Guide
Be aggressive. You are a deck that needs to begin early, but you don’t have that many early cards. To make up for that, you need to mulligan as low as you can and actively search for your early silver hand recruit generators. Lost in the Jungle, Righteous Defender, Drygulch Jailor, Dire Wolf Alpha, and Knife Juggler are your must keeps. Steward of Darkshire, Rallying Blade, and Unidentified Maul can all be kept on curve, but I also like the weapons with the coin against other board-focused decks. Divine Favor should always be kept with a strong opening against slow decks, and both Blessing of Kings and Call to Arms are great on curve.
Conclusion
Yeessss. I will always enjoy small minion Paladin builds, and this is one of the smallest of them all. There is such a good pace here, and everything fits together incredibly well. Synergy is always fun when it works for a class you like. Paladin has long been my go-to for the early sets because of how much time I’ve spent with the class. This list has a ton of power and matches up well against just about everything out there. As long as you know when to swarm and when to hold back, you should be good. I hope you’re liking the set, because I’m having a blast. Until next time, may you always call to arms.
