Weekly Legends: OTK Warrior

Introduction

Aggro Paladin is, without a doubt, my favorite deck of all time. However, you could easily make a case that OTK Warrior is second. I have brought every single version of the deck (Grim Patron, Warsong Giant, Worgen Charge) to legend, and the pace of drawing cards, gaining armor, and killing my opponent in one hit never gets old. I love the way the archetype plays because, not only is it fun to balance the different pieces, but it also presents a lot of interesting puzzles. This week’s list, which is another version of the above decks, seeks to use Warrior’s staple cards to provide a way to end the game in one fell swoop. While that may seem crazy in the current meta (and it is) Monsanto showed the power of that strategy by taking it all the way to rank 9 legend. Anyone who has played past OTK decks will recognize some pieces here, but there is no doubt it has a new flair for the current ladder.

Key Cards

The Combo

For those who can’t see it (and I wouldn’t blame you) this combo of this deck does thirty damage out of hand. The way that happens is first by getting Don Han’cho to hit Leeroy Jenkins (which gives you an 11/7 charger). From there, you then double Inner Rage Leeroy (putting his attack to fifteen) and use Sudden Genesis to get a second 15 attack Leeroy. Game. Over. While that may seem both fragile and hard to pull off, it is much more consistent than you might think.  The reason for that is because this deck is filled to the brim with card draw, which then cycles into more card draw, which then cycles into armor and removal. Being able to tear through your deck with cards that inherently help you stay alive is exactly what a combo decks wants to do. Typically, you need to sacrifice health or consistency for these type of decks, but with this build you get to have your cake and eat it to.

While the deck is strong, setting up the combo can be a bit tricky because it needs Don Han’cho to work. That means you want to play the 5/6 when Leeroy Jenkins is your only minion in hand. Yes, there will be games where you need to take the 50/50, but most of the time you want to save the don for when you can control the buff. You cannot go off until you have ten mana, which means you are always going to get to at least turn ten. When you see your finisher coming (or when you are playing towards game-ending damage) you should start to unload every non-charge minion in your hand. This will help you get to your end-game much sooner. In addition, know which games you need Leeroy to win. If you’re up against a control deck where you need the full thirty you should save both Inner Rages at all costs. Against faster decks, you really only need to save one.

Armorsmith

Look at all the Whirlwind effects in this deck. Seriously, it’s a bit unreal. Being able to do damage to the entire board is very strong in combo decks, and here you get the added bonus of proccing a ton of different cards. While there are many triggers we could discuss, I believe that Armorsmith is the most important. There are two halves to the two drop, and both of them are equally important. First, it acts as a very strong wall. This deck is hyper-focused at staying alive, and any damage you can soak up on your board could be the difference between drawing a clear spell and dying on turn five. For instance, if your opponent uses a turn two Soulfire on the smith, she took away a key burn spell, ate four damage, and got one armor all in one go. Do not be afraid to run the 1/4 out onto a board just to have it die. Every time your opponent runs into Armorsmith they are giving you health in two different ways, which will be invaluable as the game goes on.

In the past, you always played Armorsmith early on, no questions asked. While there are going to be many games where you want to get the two drop down as soon as possible, there are also going to be many situations where you should hold it back. There are two reasons for this. One, the four health allows you to easily proc the two drop with something like Slam or Blood to Ichor. That then can give you an easy way to get Battle Rage value when your opponent isn’t letting anything stick. The other reason Armorsmith is so strong later in the game is because you can combine it with a ton of different Whirlwind effects. If you can afford to be greedy with the card, you should. For example, holding it for a Wild Pyromancer/Commanding Shout turn will give you insane amounts of armor and can act as a win condition against a lot of faster builds decks. Managing your health is key with this deck, and the two drop is a great way to guarantee massive amounts of armor.

Battle Rage

In order to win with this deck you need to be able to draw cards. Lots and lots of cards. Acolyte of Pain is a great way to make that happen, but Battle Rage is cheaper and has a lot more potential. The two mana spell is vital to making this deck work and you constantly need to think about ways to set it up. The way you decide how to use the spell is going to be based on your hand. If you have strong cards with a lot of powerful card draw, you don’t need to go out of your way to make rage work. However, if you’re suffering, or if your hand isn’t coming together, you need to get greedy. There are many ways to make that happen, but do not be afraid to work to increase your hand. Even playing Blood to Ichor into Whirlwind just to get an extra draw can be worth it. You never want to get caught short on cards.

The goal is to get at least two cards off of Battle Rage. Anything beyond that is simply an extra bonus. Two cards for two mana is a great deal, but do not be afraid to get greedy with this card. As with any combo deck, there are a lot of cards here that can be rather dead if you don’t draw them in the right way or at the right time. Not only that, but there are a lot of mini combos that you need to work to set up. Always have certain cards in mind when figuring out how much you need to draw. Yes, your finishing combo is important, but most of the time you are going to need to find a clutch Sleep with the Fishes or Wild Pyromancer first. Play to what your hand needs. Spending four cards to draw two or three may seem like a net loss, but if it gives you a stabilizing card it is worth it.

AOE

Another interesting aspect of this list is, unlike most past combo decks, you have a lot of ways to pace the game and control the board. This build is not just all in on the combo. It can do a great job of playing control as well. In fact, when facing Zoo, Token Shaman, or Aggro Druid your win condition is mostly going to be clearing their minions, running them out of cards, and then gaining so much armor that they cannot kill you. Never underestimate your AOE. The constant Whirlwind effects (not mention your weapons) do a great job of keeping your opponent’s minions at bay. Unless you are playing Priest or Ramp Druid, your first mode should always be to get control of the board. Ignoring threats is one of the easiest way to lose with this list. You do not want to race to your combo as fast as you can. Rather, you want to play it once your opponent’s defenses are down. Clearing lets you do this, and helps you fight back against many of the popular swarm decks. If you’re up against any aggressive class (including Rogue) you should forget your finishing combo and do what you can to kill everything you see. This is another scenario where it is ok to give into greed. Waiting an extra turn to drop Sleep with the Fishes or Wild Pyromancer can go a long way towards draining your opponent of resources.

Grommash Hellscream

The final important note here is to realize that you do not need your combo to win games. Yes, that is plan A, but you have many other ways to put on damage. Grommash Hellscream is a finisher in its own right, and the charging orc is a staggering fifteen enrage damage out of hand if it gets buffed with Don Han’cho. Even on its own, the 4/9 becomes ten damage with a damage trigger and twelve with Inner Rage. As a result, you can always try to get the eight drop rolling when you can’t seem to find Leeroy Jenkins. The legendary also works wonderfully with Scourgelord Garrosh. The DK gives you twelve damage over three turns, and you can also use his hero power with Gromm for an extra ten. That’s twenty two damage without using any of your finishing pieces. See those extra lines and try to maximize your damage where you can.

Do not be afraid to wear your opponent down. Leeroy Jenkins can go to thirty with the right set up, but sometimes you can just use him with a single Inner Rage and Sudden Genesis for a cool sixteen damage. Those type of plays can be easy to overlook when you’re plugged into the full combo, but they matter. Your opponent will know you’re a combo deck starting on turn two. For that reason, you shouldn’t worry about tipping your hand. Push for damage as hard as you can once you enter the later stages of the game. Your opponent will fight against it as much as they can, but if you can properly set up your thirty that won’t matter.

Deck Code

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Matchups

These are the five decks I see the most while playing on the ladder.

Tempo Rogue

While this deck is strong against most of the meta, Tempo Rogue is going to be one of your hardest battles. The midrange deck has a lot of ways to stack up pressure, and they also punish weak turns. This is a game where you are going to be on the back foot the whole time. For that reason, you should embrace the control role and do everything in your power to keep Rogue off the board. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security here, and always think about damage potential. Armor up as much as you can and try to set up Armorsmith into a position where it can immediately get value. That rule also applies to a late game Acolyte of Pain. The 1/3 is not easy for Rogue to kill early on, but they will Vilespine Slayer it to deny value. Don’t just run something out and expect it live.

The most important aspect of this matchup is going to be your clears. AOE is very strong against Rogue because, outside of Leeroy Jenkins, they cannot do that much damage out of hand. Rather, they depend on buff cards like Bonemare and Cold Blood to put on finishing touches. If you can keep a handle on the board you should be able to maintain your health. You want to get a lot of value from removal in this game. If you can afford to wait an extra turn before going in for a full AOE you should. Rogue only has so many options at their disposal, and every minion you kill is going to be a huge bonus.

Kazakus Priest

Priest is still extremely popular, and it makes for a very interesting matchup. While the class does very little during most of the game, it is not as easy as you would think. That is because you are on a clock in this one, and you need to get to your finishers before Anduin gets to his. If you are even one turn behind in this one you will not be able to catch up. Because of that, you should always try to get a lot of value from Armorsmith and you should hit your hero power as much as possible. Armor is invaluable once Priest runs out their DK, and even one extra turn can give you a win. Do not underestimate the strength of that extra health, and do not be afraid to go out of your way to get it.

Prioritize your card draw. As this is a race, your whole goal should be to get through your deck faster than your opponent can get through theirs. This is a game where you want to do your best to get as much value out of Acolyte of Pain and Battle Rage as you can. Both cards can be easily nullified by your opponent, so you need to try to use them instantly. Dropping Acolyte along with two pings is a normal play here, as is using your Whirlwind effects (which don’t have many targets) just do draw three cards with rage. It is also important to know that you’re going to need the full thirty damage (and sometimes a little bit more) to win this game. You cannot afford to give up any of your combo pieces as even losing one point can lock you out for good. Hoard all the damage you possibly can and run everything in at your opponent’s face.

Midrange Hunter

Midrange Hunter, which continues to strive across all sections of the ladder, is very powerful against Control Warrior. However, you are not Control Warrior. This matchup falls in your favor as long as you can get a handle on the board. Hunter builds very quickly, but they have a lot of glaring weaknesses when it comes to consistent clears. You should pace this game by clearing with AOE on turns three or four, and then switching to your Executes or Wild Pyromancer combos during the middle game. The only big threat card you have to worry about is Savannah Highmane, which you need hard removal to deal with. Things like Kindly Grandmother can be tricky, but as long as you properly set up your Whirlwinds you should be fine.

The only thing you truly need to keep an handle on in this one is your opponent’s damage. Once Hunter starts to run out of cards they allocate all of their energy into going face as fast as they can. Not only does their hero power cancels yours, but Kill Commands combined with Eaglehorn Bow can stack up in a hurry. This is another game where you want to get massive value out of your Armorsmiths. Anytime you draw one later in the game you should try to proc it as much as you can. Hunter’s damage is constant, and you do not want to leave yourself exposed. For this reason, you also need to be careful when you turn into Scourgelord Garrosh. The weapon and five bonus armor can be great here, but it also means you won’t have any way to gain health moving forward. Don’t transform without a solid back up plan.

Zoo

Oh, yeah. Zoo is back in a big, big way, and it comes with plenty of new tools. That is bad news for many of the board-focused midrange builds running around, but it is fantastic news for you. Zoo is a strong deck that can do a lot with a little. However, they also are very weak against AOE. More specifically, AOE that just keeps on coming. Your Whirlwind effects, combined with Sleep with the Fishes, should blow the swarm deck out of the water. In fact, I have yet to lose a game against Zoo. You want to just view this one as a pure war of attrition. Your combo will win the day, but you should mainly focus should on removing every single card that your opponent plays. They put something down, you kill it, they try it again. This process will eventually run your opponent out of cards and stretch them thin. Then, once they’ve lifetapped to the mid teens, you take them down with your various charge options. Just be sure to hold onto Execute for Doomguard and keep one clear (Sleep with the Fishes or Wild Pyromancer/Commanding Shout) for when your opponent drops Bloodreaver Gul’dan. The Death Knight is in every build and he will absolutely blow you out if you aren’t ready.

Mulligan Guide

This mulligan is surprisingly similar to Control Warrior’s. That is because you want to throw back any combo pieces and just keep the cards that help you get to your engine. Armorsmith and Slam are the only two must keeps. However, Wild Pyromancer should be kept against any non-control deck as well. Blood to Ichor and Whirlwind are both strong against aggro, while Battle Rage can be good against control. Sleep with the Fishes can be kept against a swarm decks if you have an activator. Acolyte of Pain and Shield Block are both great with a curve or the coin, and Blood Razor should always be kept on curve.

Conclusion

Pure awesomeness. Anytime I can get back to the good ol’ Warrior combo I will. That goes double for a meta like this one. Your opponent will never expect the thirty damage combo, which means every deck is going to be susceptible to it in one way or another. Getting a hang of this list is not easy, but once you understand the different matchups you should be able to roll. Be patient, look to optimize your cards, and always play to your finishers when possible. Until next week, may you always hit for thirty.

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