Introduction
I always love playing decks I enjoy. While I always (ok…mostly always) have fun no matter what I’m taking to ladder, there is no doubt that there are just some things I like more than others. This week, I’m really excited because we play my second favorite deck (besides Aviana Druid) that I have played since Mean Streets dropped. Tempo Rogue has long been one of my favorite archetypes. However, the deck has been dead since early Naxx because it does not typically do well in fast metas. Despite that, there is always going to be room for innovation. This week we get to dive into a version of the list that not only gets to play in that true tempo style we all love so much, but it also does quite well against the fast cards around it.
This list is a very interesting legend build that runs a whole gambit of powerful Rogue cards. You get some of the usual free spell nonsense combined with some very strong minions and on-curve threats. In this way, the deck enables you to take the board early on and then never give it back. Bodies are very important in the current Hearthstone, and being able to reliably play something at all times is very good. Priority is one of the most important aspects of any strong deck, and this week we get to see why that is.
Key Cards
Preparation
Preparation is the most important (and best) card in this deck. Period. The free spell has always had a place in Miracle because of Gadgetzan Auctioneer, but it has always been much better in tempo decks. The reason is that Rogue has a lot of powerful swing spells, and if you can play them for free while also taking over the board the game is going to be over. Something as simple as an Azure Drake/Preparation into Fan of Knives for a clear can give you enough priority to snowball any board right out of your opponent’s reach. Moves like that are what this deck so powerful because you are both adding and removing in the same turn. And that’s the definition of tempo.
When this card is in your hand you always want to think about the best ways to use it. That does not always mean what other cards you have, but also what other cards you may draw. For instance, do you want to save this for Sprint or is it better to use right away to get Fan of Knives and trigger your SI:7 Agent? Those type of plays will make or break a game and you need to always weigh your different options. On that note, it can also be right to sometimes hold back a prep as well. For example, not using it with Eviscerate on your opponent’s Tunnel Trogg and just challenging it with a body. Then, if they kill your minion you can do it the following turn. If they don’t, you saved some cards. However, if you really need the board presence, maybe you just kill it anyway because the tempo is more important.
Cold Blood
Damage. This deck is a tempo deck in the fact that you use tempo to get what you want. However, what you want is damage, and lots of it. Cold Blood is a very peculiar card because it is a lot of power for very little work. Normally, you want to use this card as a finisher, and it is often right to save it for the final blow. This deck ends most games with burst, and being able to surprise your opponent with double Cold Blood before they can stabilize is a very strong play. However, you should also not be afraid to play this earlier than intended. While Cold Blood is a good way to clear out taunts, putting it down during the middle game can force your opponent into a very awkward positions. There have been many games where I have set this onto a Argent Horserider and watched my opponent struggle to kill it as I beat them over the head turn after turn.
Beyond that, the one mana spell can also be very powerful on body to take heat off of your other minions. For example, putting this on a SI:7 Agent means your opponent will use removal on that instead of the Azure Drake next to it. Not only that, but you already got in your damage and have something else on the board. That then builds to your next turn. Those style of plays are what helps this deck tick.
It is also important to note that it is ok to show your hand with this deck. Once you put down things like Southsea Deckhand or Argent Horserider, people will assume you’re more aggressive. They will then play on the back foot and do their best to limit any damage they can. This means you can blatantly show two turn lethal in order to make the most of your mana. Do not be afraid to just Cold Blood a threat to put your opponent into burst range.
Edwin Vancleef
As strong as he is in all versions of Rogue, Edwin Vancleef is absolutely critical to this deck’s success. We are currently in a meta where people have a very hard time removing big threats. Pirate has no way of doing it, and neither does Aggro Shaman. Mage needs to have Polymorph on hand, Renolock needs Blastcrystal Potion and Druid just crumbles. In fact, the only decks that can cleanly take it down are Midrange Shaman with Hex and Miracle Rogue with Sap. That means you should really try to go in on a big Vancleef when you have the chance to do so. This is very important against aggro because it lets you take the board and puts them in a position where they have to answer you. Think about how big you can get the 2/2 in those games and then try to play to it. I have had many games where I saved my early cards for a Backstab/Pirate/Coin/Edwin play on turn three.
The most important part of staggering Edwin in this build is understanding how to use him. He is a very versatile card with a body that can be adapted to a wide range of different situations. Sometimes you just want to coin him out as a turn two 4/4 to challenge a Totem Golem, while other times you want him to be a 6/6 alongside a strong board or an early 10/10. Each mode he has is going to be good in different situations, and you should adapt him accordingly. If your opponent likely has an answer then you don’t need to go all in, but if you’re controlling the game and pressing for damage then using him as an addition threat with little work (he only takes two other cards to become a 6/6) can land the final blow.
Leeroy Jenkins
This deck is a combo deck. Yes, it is a “tempo” deck in the sense that it is tempo oriented, but most of the time you are going to control the board and keep priority until you can kill someone with Leeroy Jenkins plus Cold Blood or Eviscerate. It’s not the most glamerous win condition, but man does it do the job. Six damage from hand is good, but ten, fourteen, or eighteen is just insane. This combo is about as old as the game, but it never fails to deliver. Your whole goal with the 6/2 is to kill your opponent before they can kill you. Burst is everywhere in the current meta, and you need your own in order to end games before they get out of hand. Letting Reno decks get to turn ten is a recipe for disaster, as is trying to keep up with Jade decks. However, you also need ways to close out Shaman or Pirate before they take you to zero. Leeroy does all of those things and more. Do not shy away from playing to this extra damage. In fact, there are going to be many times where you’re playing tempo and then you draw the five drop and you become an aggro deck. Understand what those situations look like and embrace the transition when it comes.
Note: Be aware of taunts when playing with Leeroy. Six or more damage is going to be a lot, but it won’t matter if your opponent suddenly locks you out. If you think your opponent has one coming, sometimes it can be right to just run out Leeroy and get in the hit. Especially because your dagger naturally kills one of the whelps.
Sprint
I have had many people ask me, “Joseph, why don’t you just play Auctioneer in this deck?” The reason? Sprint is better. Much, much better. Out of every card in this deck, Sprint was the one I was the most suspicious of when I first saw the list. However, the more games I played, the more I found myself hoping to draw it. Four cards is nothing to mess around with, and anyone who has ever played Divine Favor knows the kind of advantage that can have. Being able to refill your hand in a deck that has so many versatile and efficient cards like this one instantly brings you back into games you’re losing and helps you ice games you’re ahead in.
Preparation/Sprint is one of the most powerful plays in the game, and you always want to be aware of when and how to use it. Board priority is always going to be your goal here, but only when you absolutely need to get something down. Playing this combo on turn four can be a very good way to set up your middle turns, but you shouldn’t take that route if you’re already behind. Get control of the game first, then draw your cards. Even using Prep/Sprint on turn eight or nine can be an extremely strong play because your get four new cards alongside a bunch of mana to play them with. You don’t have to use this early on for it to be good. There are going to be many games where you go back-and-forth with your opponent and then trump them with card advantage.
Matchups
The five decks I see the most while grinding up the ladder.
Aggro/Midrange Shaman
Strap in, girls and boys, because Shaman isn’t going anywhere. The most important thing about facing Thrall is recognizing which version you’re playing because you are going to have a very different plan against Midrange than you are against aggro. When fighting aggro you just want to pace the game by using all of your resources early to control the board. Then, you need to power out every big threat you can and beat them before they can beat you. However, when playing against Midrange you need to prepare for a longer game. To do that, conserve your resources and play around their ample supply of removal. You then need to manage that balance while also pushing damage to set up your eventual burst.
No matter what version of Shaman you’re playing, it is also important to think about how they are going to answer each threat you play. Putting down a Dark Iron Dwarf on turn four is often a great way to eat a Jade Lightning before you run out an Azure Drake. Those small choices are extremely important because they allow you to shape the game in the way you want. If Shaman is using their burn on your board you will be able to steadily grind their hand down and then burst them when they fall into range. Also be careful about letting any minions on the board. It may seem trivial, but if Shaman can ever get use of a Flametongue Totem they can turn the board in their favor extremely quickly.
Pirate Warrior
Moving higher and higher before its inevitable destruction, Pirate Warrior is going to be one of your toughest games. The reason is because if you slip up once or have one bad turn you are going to lose. If you fall behind on board, you are going to lose. And, if you take too much damage early on, you are going to lose. All that being said, if you take the early board you are very likely going to win. Pirate operates in the same way you do, and while they are faster, you still have enough burst to pressure them right out of the game before they get to their real damage. You typically want to have this one wrapped up by turn five. That does not necessarily mean that you need to actually win the game, but that you’re in a point where you can outrace an Arcanite Reaper.
The most important thing to remember when playing against Pirate is that they are going to become an almost all-face deck around turn four or five. Garrosh has a ton of damage at his disposal, and he cannot afford to use it on your board. Every good Pirate players knows this, and they will point their Kor’kron Elites and Arcanite Reapers at your face once they start to fall behind. That is going to spell trouble for you a lot of the time, but it will also give you a chance to control the board. While you typically want to trade, if Pirate ignores your minions you can leverage damage and play to the spells in your hand. Cold Blood and Eviscerate both help you really stack up damage out of nowhere. That typically opens up your opponent to lethal blows they never see coming. For that reason, it is also key to leverage Cold Blood as much as possible. Putting it down and hitting face is a great way to take priority here.
Reno Mage
As if in anticipation for the coming nerfs, Reno Mage continues to grow in popularity at all ranks of the ladder. It is by far the strongest Reno build right now, and has many tools to fight against. This is likely your hardest matchup because, not only do they have ways to put off your healing, but your entire game plan revolves around quick burst. As a result, Ice Block just crushes you. So much so that I would say you are almost never going to win a game against it. To combat that, you want to prioritize damage by making sure you always have something to do. The most important part of this game is being fast and doing everything you can to get in damage. You should care much more about bodies than abilities in this game. Don’t hold back your Dark Iron Dwarf or SI:7 Agent to try and get value out of them later on, just run them out and see if your opponent has an answer. Every turn that goes by in this game is one more turn that your opponent has to draw into Reno Jackson or blow you out with AOE.
Jade Druid
The silent assassin, Jade Druid continues to creep up in popularity more and more each day. It does not make a lot of noise while doing so, but it is there. This is another game where you undeniably have the advantage. As strong as Jade Druid is, unless they get their plan together extremely early your curve is going to trump there’s almost every single time. Druid is only built to answer a few bodies, and you start putting down strong threats on turn one. That then forces Druid to use removal over their early turns, which limits their Jade Golem and ramp potential. From there, you just want to build up your threats as much as you can and make your opponent answer you turn after turn until they die to burst.
You want to play this matchup similar to how you go up against Reno Mage with a little bit of Pirate thrown in. That is to say, just worry about getting bodies down. It is very easy to let this slip out of your reach and you need your opponent to think about you at all times. Even having one dead turn can give Druid the board, and once they have the tempo it is going to be extremely hard to get it back. Yes, you can break them down again, but those moments are going to be few and far between. This is a classic example of using your board to build into burst. Keep your opponent on the back foot, conserve all the damage you can, and then pressure them out of the game before they find their finishers.
Miracle Rogue
Man, did Miracle take a free-fall. The deck has absolutely plummeted in popularity over the past week and half, something that I attribute to the spike in Pirate Warrior due to announcement of the nerfs. While you are still going to see this deck, it just won’t be as common as it once was. And that’s a shame because this is definitely one of your better games. This battle is going to feel a lot like a mirror match, except you’re just a few turns faster than your opponent. That spells success. This is a game where you want to be purely aggressive. Getting in damage is extremely important because even missing one dagger hit can make you a little slower than your opponent, and that cannot happen.
Play smart. Obvious advice, but you need to constantly keep track of your opponent’s spells. Rogue has a lot of burst, and they can also effectively end the game by putting down a huge Edwin Vancleef, Gadgetzan Auctioneer or Questing Adventurer underneath a Conceal. You aren’t going to come back from that. Know your limitations, and know how fast your can kill your opponent versus how quickly your opponent can kill you. Pacing the board is going to be extremely important in some games, but in others you want to ignore threats and kill your opponent before an Auctioneer. Choosing the right mode is going to be important and you always want to make the choice based on fast you get ahead or put on damage.
Mulligan Guide
Pirates. To tangle with the big boys of the meta you have to be able to win those crucial early turns, and that means you need to look for your Pirate package alongside any removal spell you can find. It is also key to remember to mulligan as low as possible. Backstab, Swashburglar, Small-Time Buccaneer and Southsea Deckhand are your must keeps. Preparation can be kept with Sprint against slow decks or with strong combo plays like Edwin Vancleef/Fan of Knives against aggro.
Sap is good with a strong curve against Shaman and Druid, while Eviscerate should be kept with a good opening versus aggro. Edwin Vancleef, Argent Horserider and SI:7 Agent should be kept with an opening curve or the coin. Fan of Knives is very good against all aggro.
Conclusion
Now that’s what I’m talking about. I must admit I do absolutely love this deck. Tempo-Aggro is probably my favorite style of game to play (Fish anyone?) and this encapsulates that on all levels. The deck seems straightforward at first glance, but it has quite a high skill cap and forces you to critically think about your turns. Oh, and it’s Tempo Rogue as well. What’s not to like? Until next time, may you always go big with Edwin Vancleef.
Published: Feb 27, 2017 06:24 pm