Scalise’s Sessions: Jade Midrange Shaman

Introduction

With the nerfs looming above our heads, I want to continue to look at decks that will be good in the weeks following the change. Though I think there are going to be some big surprises (Hunter, anyone?) one the pirates go away, there should also be some less-than-surprising shifts as well. A big one is going to be the continued dominance of Midrange Shaman. Even by losing Spirit Claws (which will be covered below) the deck is going to be one of the best in the game. The Jade cards are efficient, the minions are incredibly powerful, and the removal is top-tier. All of that comes together well to create a very fun and very strong list that can handle a lot of adversity. To climb you need to have a deck that can fight back against anything the ladder throws its way, and that is exactly where Midrange Shaman shines.

The Deck

There are a ton of different Midrange Shaman lists out there right now. Some prefer to go the fast route, running the Pirate package alongside things like Tunnel Trogg and Totem Golem, while other decks are much slower. I much prefer that slower style. Because of that, I am going to look at the list Somitequila finished at rank 1 legend with last month. Though the build has some more control elements that the other versions, it is still a midrange shell. I enjoy that because, even though it does not have that quick punch, the slower curve allows you ways to both resist aggro and grind out slower decks. The Jade Golem package is one of the strongest around, and just being able to stall while you build up stats is a very good strategy.

Early Game

Unlike other Shaman decks, the opening of this game is going to be quite slow. You are going to depend on your weapons to control your opponent’s minions, and then start getting things rolling at around turn three or four. Spirit Claws (or most likely Lightning Bolt after the nerfs), Maelstrom Portal and Jade Claws help you pick off aggro and keep you long enough to get to the real meat of your deck. Just play as a control list for the first two or three turns before switching.

The way you sculpt your first turns is by seeing what card in your hand you are going to build to. For example, if you have a Jade Lightning you typically want to prioritize clearing early so you can use the spell to get a golem onto an empty board. However, if you have Jinyu Waterspeaker or a Thing from Below you can make totems because you are going to get healing later on. The cards you have in your hand are going to change the game and decide the way you build to you middle turns.

Middle Game

This is where you win the game. Your deck is all about Jade Golems, and these are the turns where you need to work to make them as big as you possibly can. Always look for opportunities to grow them. For instance, playing a Jade Claws to get to a bigger Aya Blackpaw on turn six can often be better in the midrange matchup than trying to put down a Thing from Below. The same goes for pushing a Jade Spirit and waiting on your Lightning Storm. Always weigh how much growing golems is going to matter against

Tempo is also very important here. No matter how you play you are still a Shaman. That means you have the potential to play strong minions and then clear your opponent’s very effectively. Hex and Jade Lightning are the way you pace the game because they enable you to also do other things with your mana. Even making a totem can give you a lot of power for your next turn. Playing in this style will also allow you to build into Aya Blackpaw, which is how you win a lot of games.

Your AOE is very important and you always want to try to set it up in the best possible way. It can be right to take an extra hit from time to time just to push your golems and set up your opponent for a big Lightning Storm or Devolve. You typically cannot afford to be greedy in this meta, but as things (hopefully) slow down you should be able to really wait on these type of cards. Unless you are facing a ton of pressure you should challenge with your golems first, then worry about your clears.

Late Game

This deck is a midrange build, but you have a very low curve. Even so, there are many matchups that you are going to take long. One of the biggest advantages of this list is that you can do the normal “power out big minions” thing, but you actual get stronger and stronger as the game progresses. That versatility allows you to switch between two different modes, both of which you want to understand.

When facing an control deck (Reno) you just want to get as many big golems onto the board as you possibly can, but when you’re going up against aggro you need to utilize all of your protective resources. You can out-grind aggro, so don’t be afraid to just hide behind all of your Thing from Belows and Jinyu Waterspeakers until they are out of cards. When facing control you just want to push as hard as you can and make them answer your ever-growing board.

It is also important to figure out when to push for damage rather than control the board. You have very little burst in your deck, but there are going to be times where you can put out a lot of damage very, very quickly. In addition, because of your nature you can leverage your priority very well. Hitting face with a 5/5 and then making a 6/6 is very strong. Understand that, and recognize when you have enough of an advantage to start putting on pressure.

Matchups

A breakdown of the different decks I see while playing ladder.

Midrange/Aggro Shaman

It is very unlikely you are going to play a mirror match. And by that I mean when you play Shaman you are only going to see the faster versions. That means you are either going to face the classic aggro package with Lava Burst or you are going to see the Midrange burst that has Pirates but a much higher curve. While you have tools to beat versions, no matter what you’re going up against you just need to control the board as much as possible. Shaman lives off of being able to pace the game in their way, but once they fall behind on the board they start to get worn down very quickly. Keep them locked in overload, and do your best to play out Jade Golems as much as possible. The current builds may be able to take down one or two Jade, but the third and fourth with kill them.

AOE is essential in this matchup because it allows you to take out annoying boards. One of Shaman’s biggest advantages over other classes is that they can do a lot with very little. It does not take much for them to have a full board, nor does it take much for them to go Small-Time Buccaneer/Flametongue Totem alongside their Spirit Claws to suddenly threaten you with nine damage for three mana. Those type of boards often are how they win, and you have to be able to answer them right away before they pressure you too much. If you don’t have AOE in hand, make the most of your removal and always trade into your opponent’s board. This is a game of attrition much more than it is a game of pressure. Just focus on staying alive and then get to damage later.

Pirate Warrior

This is going to be one of your better games, but that does not mean it is going to be easy. The goal of this fight is to prevent damage in any way that you can. You have taunts, and once you make it to those you should be able to stabilize. However, before that point you should prioritize big threats. This can sometimes bait out a trade, which then buys you more turns to not die. You have to make your opponent care about you in this game because, even with your healing, it is going to be hard to get beyond Pirate’s ample burst. Plays like Brann Bronzebeard onto an empty board can make your opponent second guess their plan of just hitting you in the face. Yes, he may immediately die to a Kor’kron Elite, but that is four damage you didn’t have to take.

You should realize that most people aren’t going to know what type of Shaman you are earlier on. They will almost always assume your are aggro (which is the most popular) and then play to that deck. You can take advantage of this against Pirates by getting them to commit a lot of minions early on and then blowing them out with AOE. They also will not expect your healing, which can absolutely destroy them if used at the right time. Pirate loves to go over your head around turn four or five. When that happens they open the door to take some damage. If you ever have healing do not be afraid to get into a race and then jump out of lethal range at the last second.

Reno Mage

Grind. Grind. Grind. Reno Mage has become the most popular control deck in the game, and you need to be ready to get to your golems as fast as possible in order to beat it. This is one of the matches where your heavier curve is going to hurt you. Beating Mage is the long game is almost impossible to do. That means you have to burn your resources here and get your threats down as much as possible. Yes, this can let Mage blow you out in some situations, but simply waiting around is going to lead to the same end. To win you have to play as many minions as you can, and that means creating golem after golem after golem. That might not even be enough, but a lot of the time it will force Mage to burn cards and stretch their removal thin. Beyond that, just be careful about playing into Mage’s removal. Save your two minion cards for after AOE and always try to play a lesser threat into a Fireball or Polymorph before supplying a big body. These type of plays will help you keep on damage and prevent your opponent from taking priority with things like Emperor Thaurissan or Alexstrasza.

Jade Druid

Jade Druid continues to get more popular with each passing day, and that is extremely good news for you. Shaman has always been strong against Druid, and this build is very good against it. That is because you and your opponent are both going to play the classic Jade game, but you have efficient removal that they cannot keep up with. If you can pace the game by using your cheap spells to protect your bigger threats you should be able to take this one down. Everything here should be spent on attempting to get ahead of your opponent’s curve. Though you can play the tempo game better than your opponent, no class can keep up with Druid once they have the board. In fact, is is very easy to crumble if you ever lose the board and then try to respond with a minion that is smaller than your opponent’s.

Every single body you play is going to be annoying for Druid to deal with. It does not matter if that is a 2/2, a 3/6 or a 7/7. Druid is never comfortable when they have to deal with the board because they largely rely of their minions to carry the game. If their board is easily answered it puts them in a very tough position. Take advantage of that by just running out anything you can. Abilities are important, but they should never trump tempo. The biggest example of this is going to be Jinyu Waterspeaker. While the healing can be relevant (and sometimes life saving) having a 3/6 against Druid on turn four is much better. Not only will Malfurion work really hard to get to six health, but if they can’t answer it also pairs with your removal to take anything else they come up with down.

Miracle Rogue

Wow, did Miracle take a hard hit over the past week. Though more popular than other decks at this level, it just isn’t seeing nearly as much play as it once was. While that may might some decks nervous, you are fine with that shift. Miracle is by far one of the most difficult decks for you. This is because, even with your ample removal and strong minions, there is little you can do against Conceal. A stealthed Edwin Vancleef and Questing Adventurer are both going to hurt you immensely, and you always have to try and press your opponent down before they can assemble those combos.

This is the game where you have to be the aggressor. This is not going to be your natural mode, but you can really bring the heat if you need to. Rogue is just one of those decks where taking your time or messing around too much will get you killed. In addition, even if you do bring some early heat you will likely die if you then sputter out or have some dead turns. This game should be treated a lot like Druid, but where you want to focus a lot more of your minions on face rather than trading. It is important to never give Rogue a clear window to kill you (and you always want to take down their big targets) but try to use removal on their board. This will help you play a tempo game of sorts where you overwhelm them turn after turn until they are at zero.

Tip and Tricks

Do not be afraid to use Devolve on early minions. It is very easy to try to save this for some gigantic mid-game minion, but just turning a Tunnel Trogg or Small-Time Buccaneer into a 1/1 can save you a lot of damage.

Brann Bronzebeard does not need a lot of value to be good. The 2/4 is just here to get you two Jade Golems or two heals in one turn. You don’t need to be glamorous. Just running him out with a Jade Spirit can be a great tempo play. Not that he also works to trigger Jade Claws twice.

Use Mana Tide Totem as a tempo play. The 0/3 is one of the best ways to force your opponent’s hand, eat damage, or take priority in the game because it must be killed right away. Recognize that, and always try to run it out onto an empty board to force your opponent to use removal on their next turn.

As mentioned earlier, Jinyu Waterspeaker makes for a very good tempo play. Healing is important against many decks, but a 3/6 body is also very good right now. Holding this card back for a good heal is strong against Pirate and Shaman, but it doesn’t do as much against everything else. Even against Shaman it is a good way to get the board.

Always keep your damage in mind. It is very easy to fall into a control or tempo mindset with this build, but you are still a Shaman and you still have access to lots of ways to kill your opponent. Do not be afraid to push and do not be afraid to switch into an aggro deck. Constantly think about those lines and always see them when they arrive.

Mulligan Guide

One of the most important aspects of the current meta is being able to fight with your opponent during the early turns. That means you just want to look for your early weapons and then adapt to whatever you’re up against. You have a lot of strong removal tools for fighting the popular aggro decks that have taken over the ladder, but you are only going to need them in those games. When facing slower decks or decks where you have more time you want to go in on the jade package instead.

Must Keeps:

Spirit Claws Jade Claws

Situational Keeps:

Devolve is very good against Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Druid.

You can keep Bloodmage Thalnos with other early AOE when playing against aggro or midrange, especially if you have Maelstrom Portal.

Maelstrom Portal should always be kept against aggro.

Hex is a strong keep against Shaman, Druid and Rogue to halt

Lightning Storm is very good against both aggro and midrange, especially with a strong opening.

Mana Tide Totem should be kept when facing all Reno decks and Druid.

Jade Spirit and Jade Lightning are both very strong when you have a coin and a good curve. They also can be kept on their own with the coin when fighting midrange.

Jinyu Waterspeaker is strong against aggro if you have a good opening or the coin. It can also be kept on its own against Pirates.

Replacements

The good thing about a deck like this one is that the core is so strong you have a lot of freedom when it comes to tweaking different cards. While you can’t touch the jade or removal package, there is a lot of liberty with the fringe cards and they can be freely moved in and out depending on what decks you’re facing the most.

The elephant in the room here is Spirit Claws. And the big question is, will it still be good enough after the nerfs? I honestly have no idea, but my gut says no. If that is true, I would replace them with other strong midgame threats if the meta slows or other early removal spells (such as Lightning Bolt) if it stays fast.

Devolve, while very strong, can also turn into more removal or midgame threats. It is currently a great option, but it may get worse during the coming meta shift. If the meta slows down you could also try things like Dirty Rat as well to break down Reno decks.

Once Pirates drop down in popularity I would cut the Healing Wave for a strong body like Sylvanas Windrunner or White Eyes.

One of the Mana Tide Totems can be cut if you want to make room for more dynamic threats to strengthen your middle curve. It can also be a second Healing Wave if you’re having trouble with aggro.

Jinyu Waterspeaker can also become strong midrange cards like White Eyes and Sylvanas Windrunner. It could also become Hallazeal the Ascended if you still ways to gain life.

Conclusion

In times of flux it is always good to look ahead. The nerfs are coming, and you are going to need to be ready. This list is strong that is going to be very good in the opening days and will probably remain strong up until rotation. Midrange Shaman has a lot of strengths and very few weaknesses. Because of that it has the ability to pace just about any deck in the game. And really, that’s all you need. Thanks for reading and, until next time, may you always roll spell power totem.

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