Introduction
Last week, Paladin. This week? Paladin. I typically don’t like to double up on the same class twice in a row, but it does happen from time to time. This week, we’re doing it because, as you all know, I love talking about adaptation. A lot of decks died off (and rose to power) after the latest round of nerfs, but none were hit harder than Murloc Paladin. The midrange deck lost some tools, and the shift in the meta to faster early board decks really set it back. Even so, the class has slowly creeped back into the meta. This week we’re looking at the list that Zalae took to top 10 legend last month. It does some great things, mixing the classic early murloc power with some tempo tools for the new world order. Just about every change here is with the ladder in mind, which is a really good way to learn about deck building.
Key Cards
The Murlocs
Those that have been paying attention will know that Murloc Warleader got hit hard by the nerfs. While you still get the two attack, you no longer get that extra health. That is a big deal in terms of trading (which is all this deck wants to do). Even so, there is no doubt that your murloc package is the reason this entire list works. As mentioned, the meta is about board presence, and early murlocs are a great way of making that happen. I would look at this deck a lot like the current iterations of Zoo. You want to get the early board with some overstatted minions and then build up. Your murlocs are those overstatted minions and everything is going to rest on them. Preserve the fish as much as you can, and always look for value trades. Rockpool Hunter on a one drop can be all you need to get the board.
I should also note, in terms of murlocs, that the original list did not run Finja, the Flying Star. Rather, it ran a second Cobalt Scalebane instead. While the dragon has some potential (especially against AOE decks like Priest) I think the ceiling of Finja is much better. This deck is all about getting a lot of value out of a little. Things like Spikeridged Steed and Tirion Fordring are entire armies in a can. Finja and Cobalt both do that as well, but I like that Finja gets you so many bodies. Pulling murlocs is almost always going to be game over, especially against decks that have to put things down onto the board. Aggro Druid, Shaman, and even Hunter to an extent have no choice but to play into the five drop, which is quite nice.
Rallying Blade/Dread Corsair
These two cards get lumped together because they, like the murlocs, are all about board presence. I know I sound like a broken record, but that is the name of the game and we’re sticking to it. The pirate package is extremely important, and gives you one of the best ways to get ahead in games that might slip away. There are a ton of matches (Rogue, Shaman, Hunter, Druid) where you can lose the game by turn four if you don’t have the board. That may seem like an understatement, but almost all the popular decks in the game are predicated on their first three turns. Being able to clear out small early threats is all you need to care about if you want to climb. For that reason, Rallying Blade (even without divine shield minions) is essential. Three attack will almost always two-for-one early minions, which clears the way for your board. Not only that, but being able to drop the weapon and then follow it up with a 3/3 pirate with taunt and a 1/1 pirate with charge is the exactly what you need to get out on top.
The real meat here is the Dread Corsair/Patches the Pirate package. Even without Prince Keleseth or Southsea Captain, Patches gives you a ton of tempo. One extra damage may not seem like a huge deal, but that can be the difference between being able to kill a Cobalt Scalebane with your Truesilver Champion and quickly dying to the dragon. It also helps you flesh out your early turns and gives you ways to comeback should you fall behind. Just note that you want to play Dread Corsair into a situation where you are facing an empty board, or when you can get value from Patches. Running out the 3/3 just to run it out is almost never going to be correct. You want to do something with that tempo.
Gentle Megasaur
We have already touched upon the nerf to Murloc Warleader, but it comes up again here. The loss of health crippled Paladin and definitely forced the deck to change. While the three drop is still strong, it isn’t as powerful as it once was. For that reason, Gentle Megasaur is going to slide in and fill its role. That is to say, it is going to help you cement the board and put out more value than your opponent can handle. Getting any type of defensive buff (divine shield, deathrattle plants, stealth, etc.) on your murlocs is often going to push you extremely far ahead. As a result, you should always keep turn four in mind. Getting the 5/4 down into a favorable situation is the definition of tempo and should push your opponent back into a tight corner. Yes, they might be able to get back into the game or answer the four drop, but by the time they do that you should already be two or three spaces further up your curve.
It is also important to note that you don’t have to go big with Gentle Megasaur. Yes, there are going to be a range of situations where you want to hold the card back to try and get as much value as possible, but that is not the way this deck wants to play. Remember, you just want to get value out of everything you can. Sometimes that means this is going to be a game-ending play (plus three attack or windfury can give you lethal out of nowhere), but there are going to be plenty of times where you only need to hit one or two murlocs. Even something as simple as getting poison on a 1/1 to trade up and give you a 5/4 on an empty board can be the correct play. As long as you have your opponent answering you, you are in control. And that’s all you really want.
Sunkeeper Tarim
Sunkeeper Tarim is the most important card in any Midrange Paladin list. That may sound like hyperbole, but trust me when I say it’s true. The 3/7 has a ton of potential. It can be used as removal, it can be used defensively, and it can instantly put you ahead in games you’re losing. Efficient trades are the heart of this build. Being able to keep things alive is how you get the early turns, and being able to trade up is how you win. Sunkeeper makes it so any body on your board can trade into anything your opponent plays. It also turns any of your minions into a 3/3. Recognize that, and do what you can to set up the 3/7 when it’s in your hand. Even putting this down alongside a hero power and trading instantly puts you ahead in the game and guarantees that your opponent will not be able to answer you back.
The best use for Sunkeeper Tarim is damage. This card has a thousand different uses, and many of them are going to win you the game. However, the most powerful is that it can be used as a pseudo-Bloodlust to strike your opponent down out of nowhere. You are a deck that wants to control the board, but that does not always mean you need to constantly put on pressure. There are going to be many situations where you have a lot of small minions running about. Do not be afraid to milk that and try to lure your opponent into a false sense of security. Even three or four 1/1’s can suddenly put your opponent into a terrible spot if you have Sunkeeper. Be smart about baiting removal, do your best to resist AOE, and try to sneakily build up small minions against slower decks before going for the throat.
Ragnaros, Lightlord
Ragnaros, Lightlord is a common finisher in Control Paladin, and a great curve-topper in midrange decks. So, why discuss it? The answer is because this card did not make the original cut. Zalae’s list ran The Lich King instead. While I respect that choice, it is my opinion that it is straight up wrong in the current meta. The 8/8 taunt is extremely popular in the eight drop spot, but Ragnaros should be your choice for a couple of reasons. The first, and biggest, is that Rag (if you set it up right) is almost always going to get your eight health. You could argue that The Lich King does that as well, but taunt does not hold up as well as it once did (Vilespine Slayer is everywhere). Yes, you get a card with the undead warrior, but the card just doesn’t matter as much as it once does. Staying alive is much more key in today’s world. Of course, you can always run The Lich King if you prefer it. I just don’t think it’s the right move.
Deck Code
AAECAaToAgb6Bua uApG8AuO+ArnBAsrLAgzbA88G7ganCNOqAtmuArPBAp3CA rHCAuTCAojHAqbOAgA=
Matchups
The four decks I see the most while playing the ladder.
Tempo Rogue
The Tempo Rogue deck is going to be a 50/50 matchup that, like so many of the games on ladder, is all about your early turns. You should treat this one much like a mirror match. Use all of your resources to strike first and do everything in your power to have the board by turn four or five. If that doesn’t happen, you absolutely need to get ahead by turn seven to make sure your Bonemare comes out first. Not only does playing your seven drop ahead of your opponent keep you in control, but it also helps you curve right into your turn eight threat without too much resistance. The best way to win this one is by tying up all of Rogue’s cards with your murlocs during the first two or three turns and then using your weapons or beefy threats to take them off of the board. As long as you stay one step ahead of your opponent you should be able to win. Go wide when possible. Rogue is not equipped to deal with large swarms. While that is not your first goal, anytime you can sneak out an extra body or two you should.
Note: You need to watch your health in this one. If you are ever on the back foot, you should depend on Spikeridged Steed over your other taunts because it is the only one that truly dodges Vilespine Slayer.
Kazakus Priest
As with any other deck, you need to focus on damage when battling Priest. The Kazakus build just has too much endgame power for you to deal with, and their new combo cards will kill you out of nowhere. They can get to twenty eight from hand with the right cards, which you means you need to bring the pain in any way you can. Never extend too far into AOE, and never play into Shadowreaper Anduin. Typically, one or two threats (Bonemare plus a minion, Cobalt Scalebane and a small threat) are all you need to get Priest to bite. That can then slowly chip them down and force them to make plays they don’t want to. In terms of Shadowreaper, if you’re pushing damage you want to try to keep your board below five attack. The only time you can go all-in is when you have a wide board and the DK can only kill one or two threats on it. However, most of the time you want to have a bunch of three and four attack threats come turn eight.
I know I say this every week, but if you can’t get out ahead of your opponent the only way to take down Anduin is to run him out of cards. In fact, that is how you’re typically going to win this one because it is easy to get your opponent’s hand down with this deck. The basis of Midrange Paladin is a diversification of threats where everything can bring the pain. Even something as simple as a unopposed Gentle Megasaur can bait out a Shadow Word: Death, which opens the door for your higher curve. You need to look for those type of plays during each turn of the game. The more pressure you bring, the worse Priest’s end game is going to be. Yes, they will always be able to go directly at your face, but you will likely take limiting damage throughout the game, making it hard for them to finish you off. Play a body each turn, eat as many cards as you can, and try to get out Ragnaros, Lightlord after your opponent transforms.
Zoo
Zoo continues to grow in both power and popularity, making it something you absolutely need to watch out for. This game is going to be like the Rogue match, except it is even more important to get the board. Nobody controls the pace of the game like Warlock. To limit them, you want to allocate all of your resources into removal. Use your weapons liberally, always try to get value trades, and play to your bigger threats. Even one Spikeridged Steed can stonewall Zoo for one or two turns. That’s all you need to pull ahead. Damage should always come second here. Zoo is never truly out of a game until they have no cards in their hand. You need to understand that and make sure you never get lazy or leave yourself exposed.
You can wear decks like Rogue, Hunter, and Shaman down by controlling the board and forcing them to burn cards each turn. However, you cannot do that against Zoo. Not only do they have access to Lifetap, but they also pack Bloodreaver Gul’dan. The Death Knight has a ton of staying power that will kill you should it come down. The hero power basically puts them out of lethal range, and the instant board of taunts and big demons is rough for a deck that does not pack Equality. You need to be aware of turn ten and do everything in your power to make sure that it does not happen. That won’t be an easy thing to do, but you should be able to get aggressive once you have the board.
Jade Druid
Jade Druid is back, knocking Hunter from the top of our list, which is amazing for you. Midrange decks have always done great against Druid, especially ones that can pump out as many big bodies as you can. The way you win this game is by getting your board up as soon as possible. Even two or three strong minions will quickly take Druid to zero life without too much work. The new versions of Jade are similar to the ones of old, which means they are susceptible to quick aggression. Bait removal early and punish your opponent for ramping. Yes, they may be able to play Wild Growth, but they may then suffer running headfirst into a Murloc Warleader or Gentle Megasaur. You do not need synergy to win this one. All you should care about is playing a body each and every turn.
The card you need to watch out for is Spreading Plague. Even at six the spell has a ton of utility, and it is one of the only ways Druid can lock you out of a game. Most matches against Jade are going to be you trying to kill them, while they attempt to get to ten mana for Ultimate Infestation. For that reason, you almost never want to trade into their small Jade cards (let them hit you) and you never want to give them too many taunts. Having two or three big bodies should be more than enough to win this game. Limit your hero power and try to set up big Bonemare turns. If you go too wide, you can suddenly get locked out. That then allows your opponent to infestation into a million jade cards that you can do nothing about.
Mulligan Guide
The mulligan for this deck has never changed. You want early murlocs, you want board presence, and you want a strong curve. Always keep Vilefin Inquisitor, Murloc Tidecaller, Hydrologist, Golakka Crawler and Rockpool Hunter. You should keep Rallying Blade with the coin or a curve, and you always want Murloc Warleader if you can curve into it with early murlocs. Dread Corsair is good with an on-curve weapon, while both Gentle Megasaur and Truesilver Champion are strong with a curve.
Conclusion
Some of you may feel like you’ve seen this deck before, but there are some notable changes in this one that really give it a unique feel. Every single change to a deck, no matter how small or large, matters. Murloc Paladin was locked out for the past month, and all it took were a few choice moves to bring it back. The deck is continuing to gain steam in the higher ranks, and I expect that to continue into the next set. Hope you all enjoyed the deck and, until next week, may you always ggrrlllrlrlrlggg!
