Weekly Legends: Swarm Paladin

Introduction

Before you guys ask, no, this is not an Aggro Paladin list (I swear). However, it is a swarm token Paladin deck that lives in a hybrid world between aggro and midrange. These type of decks are always good choices for the climbing the ladder because, as we all know, versatility is key. Sometimes you can get out fast and strike your opponent down before they ever get set, and sometimes you sit back and try to slowly run them out of cards. Being able to freely adapt to each situation you face is great, and helps push a deck from good to great. This legend build seeks to do exactly that by giving you a way to constantly wear your opponent down while you sit back with a nearly full hand. The deck has a low curve, but don’t let that fool you. Attrition is the name of the game with this one.

Key Cards

Equality

Though it has fallen out of Uther’s favor over the past few months, Equality still has a ton of potential. As always, this card shines with Consecration, which helps you both clear and push damage at the same time. However, it also works wonderfully with what this deck’s core plan. Your board is going to be chock full of 1/1’s at all points during your match, and this helps you use them to their fullest potential. Be careful with the clear, and use it only when you’re getting a huge tempo push or when you need to clear a big threat. While many of the cards in this list can be adapted on the fly, you should always have a set plan for Equality. You may not always use it in that way, but there is always going to be a good target for the card. Pulling the trigger too late or too early can often lead to a loss, especially against bigger decks.

We live in a world of taunts. Just about every deck (including this one) runs things like Tar Creeper and Stonehill Defender. Some even go up higher than that with threats like Primordial Drake and The Lich King. You need to be aware of those type of cards, and try to catch them in Equality as best you can. The important thing to remember is that this card is always going to be a removal spell first. Don’t just burn it to burn it. If you’re losing the board you should see how many minions you can catch in the blast. Also realize that this card is going to make your own units susceptible to AOE. Don’t give up a strong push or leave yourself exposed when you had other ways to take out your opponent’s minions.

Steward of Darkshire

Anytime you are generating large amounts of Silver Hand Recruits, you are going to want Steward of Darkshire. The three drop has a ton of potential and, as we’ve covered in the past, just generates an insane amount of value. Even if you just drop this down alongside a Lost in the Jungle, you get a 3/3 that must be dealt with immediately on top of two Argent Squires. That’s an incredible amount of tempo that can instantly put you ahead in any game. Your goal should always be to drop down the 3/3 when you have an empty or almost empty board. That is because of how strong Steward’s ability is. Being able to force your opponent to use their whole turn on removal can be a great way to pull ahead in a game. That is so strong that there are some games you should play her for small value when you need a breather.

You always want to make a read on how much value you need to get out of Steward of Darkshire. This is going to be based on what type of deck you’re up against as well as the state of the match. However, the general rule is when you’re against faster decks you should go for minimal value (even using Steward alongside a single hero power on turn five can be strong) and when against control decks you need to get greedy. A lot of slow games with this list are going to be about fighting against AOE, and being able to swarm with a lot of divine shield threats can wreck many carefully laid plans. Don’t get caught up in getting value out of this card. Yes, Steward has a ton of potential, but wasting your tempo push to get value in a few turns is not what you want to do with this archetype.

Rallying Blade

Though we’ve discussed Rallying Blade (as well as the potential of a 3/2 weapon) in the past, I bring it up here because, unlike most lists that use the weapon, you can get a ton of mileage from its battlecry. The ability to give an extra 1/1 to your divine shield minions is a gigantic boost that helps you make good trades, build walls, and push damage. Even something as simple as turning a Righteous Protector or Argent Squire into a 2/2 divine shield minion can swing an entire game. Not only can you suddenly trade into something like a Bloodsail Corsair or Fire Fly, but you also get your weapon that can clean up the board. While you never want to stall your own plan to get extra value, it is important to recognize when you are going to get a good buff. Waiting one turn to get an extra 2/2 or 3/3 across your minions is almost always going to be worth it. That goes double in today’s board-focused meta game. Being able to get one up against things like Shaman, Aggro Druid, Pirate Warrior, or Midrange Hunter is fantastic. Many decks these days seek to push their own tempo, and if you can get ahead of that you should take the board and never lose it.

Stand Against Darkness

Now we’re getting big. One of the best things about this deck is that you can do a lot with a little. You run a few threats out, your opponent has to answer them, then you run out some more. Every card in this deck helps build towards that plan, but none of them hit quite as hard as Stand Against Darkness. Five 1/1’s may not seem like a lot, but that is an instant board of threats you can work with. Maybe they can be buffed, maybe they can trade, or maybe they set up lethal. You want to use stand to either play around or play into AOE. This, similar to Living Mana, is an excellent way to generate instant board presence when your opponent takes out your minions. However, it can also be a good way to get your opponent to use AOE when you’re saving more important cards. Yes, you do lose a bunch of minions, but at the end of the day it is just a card-for-card trade.

If you are planning on going late into a game you should prepare to combo this card with Steward of Darkshire. This is one of the core interactions in this list, which can truly push you into the stratosphere. This is not something you need to push for (getting five 1/1’s are more than fine) but, as with Rallying Blade, if you have a chance to go for the big swing you should. In addition, it is also best to use Stand Against Darkness when your opponent is weak. I like to hold this back and run out all of my other threats first. That plan eats many valuable resources and then sets the table for your swarm to be even stronger on the back end. Stand is an incredible tempo push, but it is important to realize that it tends to end the game if your opponent has no immediate response.

Vinecleaver

Stand Against Darkness is the heavy hitter in this deck, but Vinecleaver is a finisher. Seven mana may seem like a high price to pay for what appears to be an unassuming weapon, but the 4/3 is truly fantastic. As discussed above, you are trying to pace the game in a very specific way. You want to constantly generate bodies each turn, which forces your opponent to react and never gives them a chance to get comfortable. That will then help you take the lead in every turn. Vinecleaver is one of the best ways to play that style because you can hit your opponent in the face or control the board without sacrificing presence. Getting rid of a midrange threat and adding two 1/1’s to the board is a truly incredible swing that gives you a lot of staying power towards the end of the game. This also acts like a delayed Stand Against Darkness, and can be a good way to respond to a clear. Do not be afraid to simply keep one equipped as a constant threat against pending AOE.

Always do your best to set Vinecleaver up in a way where it is immediately going to get you pressure. Damage is a very underrated part of this deck, and you should recognize that you have many ways to set your opponent back. One of the most reliable ways to do that is by hitting for damage while also adding your own threats onto the board. Everything you have, even something as small as a 1/1, is going to build pressure. While you aren’t running the typical buff package that Paladin has, your opponent doesn’t know that. In fact, they are going to expect things like Blessing of Kings. Take advantage of that as much as you can and realize how much damage even a single body can threaten. Do not hold back from taking routes like equipping and going face with Vinecleaver.

Deck Code

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Matchups

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

Tempo Rogue

Still number one, Tempo Rogue continues to dominate at the top of the meta. While the list is very strong against some of the more popular builds, they are definitely going to have trouble beating you. That is because Rogue does not do well against swarms of minions. They have cut almost all of their spells (no more Fan of Knives), and most of their removal options are tooled to take out one big threat. That leaves them open to decks that want to go wide. Your goal in this matchup is to get as much stuff onto the board as possible. An army of 1/1’s does a lot against Rogue. Not only does it invalidate most of their strong tempo plays, but it also gives you a handful of ways to both trade and push. Your main goal here is to simply clear, then hit for damage. Valeera loves minion synergy. Do not give her a way to buff things up with Bonemare if you can avoid it.

Damage is your best friend in this matchup and you should do whatever you can to use it to your advantage. Rogue has a ton of strengths, but they also have one big weakness: aggression. Though most tempo lists have a few taunts, they have no healing of any kind. To take advantage of that you should always try to look for the avenues that will give you the biggest push. Rallying Blade‘s ability should be utilized to its full potential in this one, as should cards like Sunkeeper Tarim and Lightforged Stegadon. It does not take a lot to put Rogue on the back foot, and once they’re playing from behind they are going to have a lot of trouble trying to properly respond. The aggressive route also forces them to use damage cards as removal, which goes a long way as well.

Kazakus Priest

Valeera is the queen right now, but Anduin is king. Kazakus Priest packs a ton of power alongside great minions, strong spells, and one of the best finishers the game has ever seen. To beat that, you need to push from turn one and never let up. Priest is a strong deck, but that deck is only strong as long as it is comfortable. They want to sit back for the first half of the game and draw cards. If you can use your resources to push back against that they will never get set. That then causes them to have some weak turns, allowing you to add more to the board. Work hard for your buffs in this one, do what you can to play around AOE, and always keep your divine shields. The bubbles are invaluable against Kazakus and friends. It is almost always better to lose a body or two than it is to have a board with no protection.

One of the most important parts of winning this game is putting your opponent into a position where they cannot get proper value from Shadowreaper Anduin. The Death Knight is a win condition, but it typically needs a turn to properly get going. You are never going to be in a position where the DK’s battlecry matters. However, the hero power will lock you out almost immediately. To fight that, you want to always put up an imposing board that can threaten lethal should your opponent transform. That type of power might be hard to keep up, but the more you play to it, the more you can keep your opponent off of their finisher. This is the only matchup where you are a true aggro deck. Come out of the gates as fast as you can. Your curve is your strong, and the harder you play to it, the better off you will be.

Midrange Hunter

Hunter has slipped, but that does not mean it is bad. The class still has some power and it can bring the pain. This is a game where you want to do everything you can to hit your curve. The board is Hunter’s best friend, and you need to do everything you can to make sure they can’t have it. Damage is going to go on the back burner here. You need to hyper-focus on trades and getting a hold of the board. Once you get ahead, you then should take out any beasts that come down to limit Houndmaster. Your damage will come, but that is not going to be your focus. Hunter is a deck that wants to control priority and then use that to force you into a tight corner. If you do that to them, they will likely crumble. They have no healing and very limited taunts. For that reason, once you’re confident of your position you should make them answer you.

Once again, you have to get a hold of things by turn six. I know it sounds like a broken record, but so much of beating Rexxar is staying one turn ahead of Savannah Highmane. The big lion not only instantly puts them ahead in tempo, but it also controls the board and forces you to race. And you do not want to get into a race with Hunter. Always try to have a couple of beefy threats at your disposal come the mid game. Even going wide can be a good deterrent. The two other cards you want to be aware of are Unleash the Hounds and Deathstalker Rexxar. Deathstalker is becoming increasingly popular and the battlecry can hurt. If you’re ahead with a lot of small minions try to make sure they have divine shield. In regards to the hounds, never extend too far if you can avoid it. You only want to pull things like Stand Against Darkness if you absolutely have to.

Zoo

Another board-centric aggro list? Color me shocked. Zoo gains more popularity with each passing day, and this is easily going to be your biggest blood bath. Hunter likes the board, but Zoo absolutely thrives on it. This entire game is making sure your opponent is playing their minions into yours. You have a lot of ways to swarm, but you’ll never catch up to Gul’dan once you’re behind. Know that and do everything you can to get ahead. Your minion abilities are much less important than their stats. The two cards you want to watch out for are Despicable Dreadlord and Bloodreaver Gul’dan. As with Shadowreaper Anduin, the Death Knight is going to be too much for you to handle over a long game. As such, you need to wrap this one up by turn ten if you want to win. In that same vein, Despicable Dreadlord is insanely strong against this build. You need to always try to get your minions above one health (or make sure they have a divine shield) once you hit turn five.

Mulligan Guide

Curve? Curve. As a hybrid list, you need to be able to adapt. However, in order to adapt, you first need to get a hold of the board. Lost in the Jungle, Righteous Defender, Argent Squire, Bloodsail Corsair, Fire Fly, and Hydrologist. Rallying Blade is solid with any curve, and Stonehill Defender should always be kept with the coin or a curve. Divine Favor is very powerful against slower decks with a good opening, Consecration is strong against aggro, and Cult Master does wonders with a swarm opening against midrange. Steward of Darkshire is also a good card, but isn’t strong on curve. Only keep it when you have a good opening.

Conclusion

Going wide is not a strategy that always works, but it is a great call for the current meta. Many decks want to tempo the game through minions, and if you can beat them to the punch you should always come out on top. Not only that, but there are also a lot of great avenues you can take with builds like this. Do not be afraid to adapt to different situations and always play to what your hand gives you. This list may seem unassuming, but it packs a powerful punch. Until next time, may you always swarm your opponent down.

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