Scalise’s Sessions: Renolock

Introduction

Mage is done, now onto Warlock. Renolock is one of the old-but-cool decks that has always had a certain place in the meta (well, since LOE first existed). The archetype just oozes with value tools and, unlike other classes, Warlock can get away with playing bad cards because of its absolutely insane hero power. Lifetap has carried many a deck up the ladder, and this build is no exception. Your goal is to simply draw as many cards as you can while also working to balance a combination of strong minions and healing. As with any Reno deck, it is not easy to find a balance between those different modes. However, if you can see how they all come together it makes for a very rewarding experience.

The Deck

Did somebody say c-c-combo? There are two current builds of Renolock, and each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. There is the more classic anti-everything package that just comes with more good stuff than you can shake a stick at, and then there is the combo version that runs the Leeroy Jenkins/Power Overwhelming/Faceless Manipulator combo for twenty out of hand. I much prefer the combo to the non-combo simply for the fact that I enjoy decks that can accidentally win games they have no business winning. Every game on the ladder matters, and being able to take some you shouldn’t really helps the climb.

Early Game

The early game is going to be very simple with this deck. If you are facing aggro you need to work to get any minion you can down if you don’t have Reno in hand. On the flip side, against slower decks you want to bleed yourself and tap to get as many cards as possible. This is not always going to be black and white, but you often want to get your draw in early. This will really help you make better use of your mana as the game progresses.

Just be aware of the different strong minions you have for the early game. It is easy to say “I’m Renolock, I need to tap” but you want to be aware of the different ways you can get ahead. You are not strictly a control deck, and this build in particular has a strong curve. Seeing an extra card is always good, but running out a Mind Control Tech on turn three to force out removal so you can play Twilight Drake on turn four is often going to be better than just relying on the raw drake.

Middle Game

Though you are traditionally a late-game deck that wants to stretch out the turns, one of Renolock’s biggest advantages is how strong its midrange threats are. You have some of the biggest bodies in the game and you need to make use of them in any way that you can. Mountain Giant and Twilight Drake instantly dominate a board, but even something like Refreshment Vendor or Second-Rate Bruiser can give your opponent some trouble. Always try to make the play that slows your opponent down or forces them to use removal.

The most important aspect of the middle turns is getting ahead on board or in priority. Unless you are facing down hyper aggro, you are often going to depend on making it to the final stages of the game. For that reason you need to focus your energy into clearing just about everything. This will take things slow and continue on at your pace. Surviving is essential, so it is best to view your minions as removal spells more than anything else.

It is also important to set up Reno Jackson. The six drop is very strong and will often be a win condition of sorts. For that reason you need to always read what damage your opponent could have. If they have any way to kill you (even if it unlikely) you typically want to play it safe and take the heal. Some games it is ok to risk it if your opponent needs one specific card, but if they have a few outs you should go to thirty. Dying with Reno in hand is never an option.

Late Game

A big part of the ending stages of the game is playing to your hand. Though fast damage is always going to take top priority, you can win games by just being a control deck. For this reason, know when you need to kill your opponent before they can kill you (such as when facing Rogue) or when you are in a position to just use your resources for survival. Faceless and Leeroy are both great together, but you can also use them as both removal and threats if needed.

Try your best to set up Alexstrasza in a way that is going to either set up your combo or put your opponent extremely far behind. View her role here similar to what it is in Freeze Mage. While playing her into a full board can be ok in games where you need to force your opponent to react, you usually want to try to get her down while ahead of when the board is clear. This then forces your opponent to tie up their mana on removal, opening the door for you to finish them off.

It is also worth noting that you need to be careful when playing Twisting Nether. The spell is your best AOE and you always want to maximize its value (especially because you can often do nothing the following turn). If you have the clear in hand you want to wait until the last moment to pull the trigger, especially if you have healing in your hand as well.

Matchups

A breakdown of the decks I see the most while grinding up the ladder.

Aggro Shaman

A 50/50 matchup, Aggro Shaman is going to be a slog that will usually be figured out around turn four or five. Either they just come out rolling and you start too slow, or you have some early plays and drag the game out to the point where they simply don’t have the power to keep up. Shaman is an interesting class because they can take a seemingly innocent board and suddenly be up out of nowhere. While a Tunnel Trogg and Searing Totem don’t look like much, all it takes is a Flametongue Totem and Jade Claws to turn it into threatened lethal. Because of that it is very important to use your minions to keep theirs in check and not to be afraid to pull the trigger on AOE if you ever think they might be able to make a strong push.

The most important part of this game is, if you do make it past the opening turns into the later stages, you want to always count how much damage your opponent can do. Healing is going to be imperative for Renolock, but in this matchup you need to also get control of the board. If you limit Shaman’s minions and wear them down to a hand full of spells you should be able to win. It is when they can back up their minions that you get into trouble. You beat that by finding the small windows where you can play bodies. Keep track of the spells your opponent has played and note what burn they may have left. It is almost never worth it to risk them not having one or two spells, but if they’ve already played some you can usually take the plunge.

Miracle Rogue

Rogue is another coin-toss-type matchup because, while you have some incredibly big bodies that Rogue cannot answer without a well-timed Sap, they also come equipped with a massive amount of burst. Rogue is a class that lives and breathes priority. When they have it they are practically impossible to beat. However, when they don’t it really forces them into uncomfortable situations. Valeera’s biggest weakness has always been high health minions. Know that and always do your best to put down your best-bodied threat on each turn. This will keep Rogue focused on what you’re doing and not on how to set up their combo. No matter what happens they will eventually get through their cards, but it won’t matter if you can kill them before that happens.

Leeroy Jenkins is one of the most important aspects of facing Rogue because he enables you to hit your opponent and control the game through sheer will. Slamming Rogue for large amounts of damage is a very good strategy that Leeroy and Power Overwhelming both help you do because you can actually push for lethal. If you have either card in hand it is generally right to try to figure out ways to get in damage and end the game before Rogue can draw their whole deck. On that note, it is also important to conserve your AOE. Using it on early minions is almost never going to do much for you because today’s Rogues go big with Conceal. That means you need to be ready to take down Edwin Vancleef, Questing Adventurer or Gadgetzan Auctioneer before they get out of hand.

Pirate Warrior

Buckle in, this one’s quite a doozy. Cutting back on taunts has made this deck better in a lot of situations, but that is not the case here. Once they see that you’re a Warlock, Pirate Warrior is going to come fast, and they are going to come hard. They are not a deck built to go long in games, and they will almost always play to the “if they have Reno I lose” type of mentality. Either that or they are going to try and kill you by turn five. For those reasons you want to be ready to heal at every opportunity and watch your tapping. You must kill Warrior minions early on in order to even have a chance here, but even if you do it is easy to die to an Arcanite Reaper. Unless your hand is very bad or you have healing there is no reason to bleed yourself out.

You win this game through either Reno Jackson or Kazakus. Living to Reno is going to be your primary win condition, and that means you need to fight back against Pirate in anyway that you possibly can. Taunts are very strong, but any body that can then kill a minion is often going to be good for you. The best way to win this game is by making sure Pirate’s minions can only hit you once or not at all. There is very little you can do about charge or burst, but you can limit it. Kazakus is also very strong against Garrosh because the five mana potion (take the five mana potion!) helps you in wide variety of different ways. It can clear the board, gain you life or draw you cards to find Reno. Always play the four drop on curve if you have the chance to do so.

Renolock

The mirror match is going to be interesting. Though a good portion of this game is going to be tapping and passing, you have a massive advantage when playing the combo. Renolock loves to dip into their health and take damage all throughout the game. While they usually even out around the mid-to-high teens, that is well within your range. The combo is your entire goal when fighting in the mirror, so you want to work hard to stall your opponent as much as you can. You do not mind this game going long because you will almost always win in the end. Fight for the board, but understand you don’t need to push or go over the top. You have no problem trading and taking up turns doing not much at all.

As your opponent needs to be aware of your combo, you should be aware of theirs. Not all Renolocks run the burst package, but you never want to lose a game you are controlling by simply dropping too low. If they ever drop down Emperor Thaurissan you want to be very careful about going down to twenty or below. Another important note in this game is that you need to try to get value from Kazakus. The four drop should almost exclusively be played with Brann Bronzebeard to get two ten mana potions. The legendary is one of the deciding factors in these games because of how much card advantage he creates.

Jade Druid

Jade Druid has made a quick return in the past two weeks. I am not sure why that is, but it is something you want to be ready for. This is one of your stronger matchups because, where many Reno decks run out of steam against a never-ending Jade army, you can burst your opponent down before they start to combo off. This game is going to be played exactly how you face off against Rogue, except where you need to be wary of combo pieces and burst you just need to watch out for large threats. This game is only going to be about minions and you need to make sure you have some gigantic ones. Druids no longer run Mulch, making them very susceptible to big bodies. If you can play out a decent string of threats in front of their Jade Golems you will have priority.  The golems are strong, but they also take quite a while to set up. You only have a few turns before Druid starts really putting the pressure on you, and you need to run out whatever you can during that time.

Tip and Tricks

Know when and how to use Dirty Rat. The two drop is very strong, but you never want to run it out early and you never want to play it with a weak hand. Against most decks you should drop this during the middle turns, but against combo decks (including Reno) it is better to wait until later when they’ve played out their smaller threats.

Brann Bronzebeard should primarily be used with Kazakus. That is why he’s in the deck and that is how he should be played against any midrange or control list. He can be a good tempo play from time to time, but if you feel like the game is a grind you want to pace him.

The rules for Kazakus are simple. If you’re playing him on turn four against an aggressive deck you should take a five mana spell and if you’re playing him turn five against an aggressive deck and you’re under a lot of pressure you should take a one mana spell. However, when under pressure against midrange you should go for five and when you have time go for ten. Against control you always want to go for ten.

Taunts and healing are very important for this deck. Though you do not have a lot ways to survive pushes, there are a few options. Most decks these days come equipped with burst, and you need to toe that line. Count damage potential every game and then play out your threats accordingly.

You should always play to the combo. It is very easy to forget about the damage in your hand, but if you have a way to get in a big hit or set up the two turn kill you typically want to do it.

On that note, Faceless Manipulator does not have to be used for combo purposes. There are many games where you won’t have a good answer to a strong threat and copying it can buy you some time.

Mulligan Guide

It is always tricky to mulligan with Reno decks because once you get rid of a card it may be a while until you get that card back. For that reason, you just want to keep all the early board presence you can with this deck and let everything naturally come to through your hero power. It is a fast world out there, and often just living until turn six to Reno will win you many games. When going up against slower builds you should try and keep strong midrange threats.

Must Keeps:

Mistress of Mixtures Acidic Swamp Ooze Dark Peddler Doomsayer

Situational Keeps:

Mortal Coil is a solid keep when facing aggro because of how strong it is against patches.

Demonwrath should always be kept against Shaman and Pirate.

Earthen Ring Farseer is a good keep against aggro, but it also works well on-curve against midrange decks.

Imp Gang Boss should be kept with the curve or a coin.

Mind Control Tech is primarily in the deck against Shaman.

Shadow Bolt is a very good keep when facing Pirate, Rogue or Shaman.

Hellfire is your best board clear against Shaman.

Kazakus should always be kept on curve but can also be kept with just one opener against aggressive decks.

Refreshment Vendor is a good keep when facing aggro, especially with the coin.

Twilight Drake and Mountain Giant are both very strong when facing anything that isn’t hyper aggressive. However, they should always be kept with a good opening because of how well they take over the board.

Second-Rate Bruise should always be kept against faster decks and thrown back against everything else.

Reno Jackson is very close to a must-keep in the current meta. Keep him against anything except other slow Reno decks.

Replacements

As mentioned above, there are two versions of Renolock right now and both can be freely switched between depending on your preferences. If you’re seeing a good mix of slow, midrange, and fast decks the combo is often better. However, if you are just facing aggro you should tech more against that.

The Faceless Manipulator/Leeroy Jenkins combo can become any good mid-range cards or lower anti-aggro options. Sylvanas Windrunner is a good choice, but you can also choose to go with Sunfury Protector or even Harrison Jones to help out your ooze.

It should also be noted that when looking for ways to play more healing or anti-aggro options without cutting the combo you can shift around Mind Control Tech. While the three drop is good with Dirty Rat and against Shaman, it doesn’t do a whole lot outside of that matchup.

Finding room for more taunts like Sunfury Protector and Defender of Argus are also options. Both of those minions are classics, but they do not quite fit the spin on this deck as much. I would only tech them in if you’re seeing a lot of Pirate because of how well they work against weapons. You have better options for your other matches.

The final important change is moving Alexstrasza for Lord Jaraxxus. This is the only switch you could make for the dragon, and it is the right move if you aren’t running the combo. However, with the combo the versatility of being able to instantly take control and put your opponent into lethal range is too good to pass up.

Conclusion

Renolock is perhaps the most rewarding deck in the game. I say that because it is has a very high ceiling cap, but if you know how to play the deck it runs like a well-oiled machine. Every deck takes some work in Hearthstone to really work through and get good at, but adding in the combo takes this one over the top. If you want to play some slower fun decks, this is one of your best options. There is a lot to do here, and I always look for the chance to bust out Kazakus. Until next time, may you always tap your way to victory.

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