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Matt Thrower wrote: Don't really play Mage or Priest much.

Today I got stuck with a "win 3" Priest daily but I scrapped all my decks after RoS came out, so I went looking for a budget Priest deck that I could just use for quest completions.

I found this Silence Priest deck that's only 1,440(!) dust. If you're looking for something cheap to toy around with, It's incredibly fun with a lot of interesting decisions. The curve tops out at 5 so, if you have your silence effects in hand, it's not uncommon to get an early foothold on the board and snowball it from there with Dalaran Librarian (neutral 2 mana 2/2: Battlecry: Silence adjacent minions), Faceless Rager (neutral 3 mana 5/1: Battlecry: Copy a friendly minion's health) and Unsleeping Soul (4 mana Priest spell: Silence a friendly minion, then summon a copy of it).

This deck can win by going wide - Arcane Watcher (neutral 3 mana 5/6: Can't attack unless you have spell damage) + Dalaran Librarian is powerful, as is Faceless Rager + Witchwood Grizzly or Henchclan Shadequill - or by bursting your opponent down with a Divine Spirite + Inner Fire combo on one of your fat-butted minions.

Having the Librarian and Unsleeping Soul available as Silence effects makes a huge difference because then you can save your Silences to use for neutralizing annoying taunts, like that mini Obsidian Statue in the mirror, or Zilliax. I also like how they bit the bullet and supported the archetype with neutral minions such that it's a fully fleshed out deck with multiple Silence effects and viable Silence targets.

SebastianBludd wrote: I found this Silence Priest deck that's only 1,440(!) dust. If you're looking for something cheap to toy around with.

Thanks - you're right, it does look unusual and fun. I've played control Priest the most from that class, and this looks way more interesting.

I had all the cards bar one common. Also had most of the cards, bar one epic, for a variant of the new tempo Rogue build so I'm trying that out too. 405 dust to get a foothold in Standard doesn't seem a bad deal

I am playing Silence Priest in the Tavern Brawliseum, and it's a subtly different build, trying to exploit Quartz Elemental and Archmage Vargoth.

# 2x (0) Circle of Healing
# 1x (0) Forbidden Words
# 2x (1) Inner Fire
# 2x (1) Northshire Cleric
# 2x (1) Power Word: Shield
# 2x (2) Dalaran Librarian
# 2x (2) Divine Hymn
# 2x (2) Divine Spirit
# 2x (3) Faceless Rager
# 2x (3) Injured Blademaster
# 1x (3) Vivid Nightmare
# 1x (4) Archmage Vargoth
# 2x (4) Hench-Clan Shadequill
# 2x (4) Unsleeping Soul
# 2x (5) Convincing Infiltrator
# 1x (5) Power Word: Replicate
# 2x (5) Quartz Elemental
#
AAECAZ/HAgSC9wL1/gLWmQOYmwMN+ALlBNUI0QrSCvIMke0CvfMCgpQDg5QDh5UDgp0DyJ0DAA==

I have to try some silence priest but am not excited about priest right now. I had so much fun with all kinds of Quest Priest, Raza and recent OTK priests were ok. But the whole Inner Fire Priest wincon has been around for so long. I am kind of bored with playing big butt idiots and buffing them. I am liking the minions that have cool abilities and do crazy things right now. I tried Zalae Neutral Taunt Rez Priest, it was bad, and boring.

I get a lot of decks or deck ideas from Twitter HSprodeck feed, because I am a filthy NETDECKER and proud of it. Anyone who says they aren't is lying, or is getting pwned by n00bs at rank 23.

Anyhow decks I like a lot right now. Firebat Mech Hunter, Dog Control Shaman, Orange Pirate Rogue, Wabeka Zoolock (w mech synergies... wargear and magnetic shit is nuts). I don't always play their exact build, sometimes a card here or there doesn't work to my sensibilities. For instance Firebat has 2x the guy who doubles death rattles. Not too sure about that.. its a win more card if its working you have the board already... I run Animal Companion instead for Zuljin rez. Dog Control Shaman he had 2x Thunderhead, I only have 1 so I put in Kragwa. It turns out Kragwa is broken in Control deck. Scheme on 5 and blow the board. Kragwa on 6 and get the scheme back to hand. Or Kragwa on 10+ after a Scheme and a couple of heals. You can beat Bomb Warrior with all the healing you can get. I am sure there is some midrange decks that can beat Control Shaman but I beat Dragon Pally and Big Rez Priest easily. 4x scheme with haunting visions and Kragwa that game.

Dog was messing with Pally build that leveraged Prismatic and Duel to cheat mana on big minions. Looked ok and fun.

Trying all kinds of things, it's nuts out there.

Token Druid is solid but the meta is shifting under its feet to clamp it down. Big Shaman is hilarious, and a little fragile because you only have like four dudes. I was playing Miracle Mage, just feel like my Golden Chef Nomi isn't for nothing (it's still kind of for nothing), and Control Paladin is SO CLOSE to being a good thing. I just need to tune it up a tiny bit. Honestly, I could probably use that fatty Reno Dragon, but who wants to craft that?

### Control
# Class: Paladin

# 2x (2) Flash of Light
# 1x (2) Lightforged Blessing
# 1x (2) Sound the Bells!
# 2x (2) Wild Pyromancer
# 2x (3) Aldor Peacekeeper
# 1x (3) Bronze Gatekeeper
# 1x (3) High Priest Thekal
# 1x (3) Sword of Justice
# 1x (3) Time Out!
# 1x (3) Witch's Cauldron
# 1x (4) Annoy-o-Module
# 1x (4) Equality
# 2x (4) Truesilver Champion
# 2x (5) Mechano-Egg
# 2x (5) Shrink Ray
# 1x (5) Zilliax
# 1x (6) Mechanical Whelp
# 1x (6) Mossy Horror
# 1x (6) Safeguard
# 1x (7) Kangor's Endless Army
# 1x (8) Da Undatakah
# 1x (8) Lay on Hands
# 1x (8) Tirion Fordring
# 1x (9) Ysera
#
AAECAaToAhLSBIMF9AX6BqIJy+wC+ewCpfUCtPYC7vcC4f4C8f4CoIADz4YDzocDi4oDwJgDipoDBs8G9gePCYT8ApGAA+yGAwA=

Hey Jeb -

I think I played you earlier today. I was a mage but my connection failed and I just had to watch as you beat me down. In any event, I sent you a friend invite.

So far, I have avoided the internet and built/refined decks from just playing others. The two classes I like the most (warlock and mage) have been a struggle for me. I have four decks so far -- dragon mage, a mage deck that combines some freeze with draw and questing adventurer, and a couple different plot twist decks.

Hrm. I'm getting to the point where I think the problem with Warrior goes beyond Elekk and the bomb stuff. They just have too many answers. With Dr. Boom, it's like playing a combination of midrange and control at the same time. Big creatures? Brawl, Shield Slam, Execute, Omega Devastator. Wide boards? Brawl, Warpath, Dyn-o-Matic. Control? The constant influx of mechs and bombs. Combo? Good luck. And Boom's powers interact with all of this, since you can create Rushing, untargetable, quite sizable mechs. And, like everyone these days, if you outlast them into fatigue, they can just use the Archivist.

And that's the problem: A midrange deck contesting the board shouldn't even be using Archivist. But since the Boom decks can do both, she finds a place and they contest the board with Boom's powers, Magnetic minions, and Omega Assembly. There aren't any really bad mechs for the latter to fizzle on and, of course, they'll almost all be castable because Assembly is only one mana, which means they can all Rush.

I think we're going to find in a couple months that the Boom decks are shaping the entire meta (People playing Archivist even in decks that shouldn't be, just to avoid bombs and try to outlast them) and something will have to be changed. I assumed that it would be Elekk, but now I think there needs to be a change to the Boom hero. It's simply too versatile, which was overshadowed under the Odd/Even plague, but is really coming to the fore right now. Zul'jin has to be built around. Hagatha has a counter-balance built in (her Battlecry is antithetical to aggro/midrange decks, her hero power is less useful to low minion count control decks) but Boom is designed to be useful in a host of situations. Too many, I think.

It was clear after they previewed RoS that Warrior was going to be loaded based on their removal alone. Since I've decided to play again I've resigned myself to the fact that some matchups will be close to auto-losses unless I get a god draw since there's always at least one OP class per expansion/year and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

Right now I'm enjoying the fact that there are several functional Paladin decks and four out of my five current decks are different Paladin builds: Secret, Jackwraith's Dragon, Dragon and Jeb's Control (MCT subbed in for Thekal because, like Jeb said about the Reno Dragon, who want's to craft that?).

I've mostly been playing Jackwraith's Paladin. It can have problems against Token Druid and Tempo Rogue so I took out an Aldor and the Glowstone Tech and subbed in an Equality and Pyromancer. That might be too many changes but I imagine the deck will need to be tweaked again when the meta settles. I've even been eyeing Rebuke as a way to shut down Rogues, Warriors or Druids for a turn and grab tempo.

Regardless, if this deck can get some buffs rolling it can be hard to beat. My inner Timmy loves dropping 4 mana 7/7's on the board and last night I got to play a 10/18 Ysera after I ran my opponent's hand down to 1-2 cards.

### Jackwraith's Paladin
# Class: Paladin
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Dragon
#
# 2x (2) Cathedral Gargoyle
# 2x (2) Faerie Dragon
# 2x (2) Firetree Witchdoctor
# 1x (2) Wild Pyromancer
# 1x (3) Aldor Peacekeeper
# 2x (3) Bronze Herald
# 2x (3) Nightmare Amalgam
# 2x (4) Blessing of Kings
# 2x (4) Consecration
# 1x (4) Equality
# 2x (4) Scaleworm
# 2x (4) Truesilver Champion
# 2x (5) Dragon Speaker
# 1x (5) Dragonmaw Scorcher
# 1x (5) Zilliax
# 2x (7) Crowd Roaster
# 2x (7) Wyrmguard
# 1x (9) Ysera
#
AAECAaToAgb0BfYHjwmiCaCAA+yJAwzcA+EEzwavB4zvAonxArjyAt6CA+iJA62UA7GUA+iUAwA=
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

Coolness. No worries about changes. Play what works for you. I've been thinking about Rebuke, too, having had it turn up a couple times to good effect off a Witchdoctor. Another Paladin thing I've been playing is something that Jeb tried against me the other day that actually uses Sword of Justice. This is the kind of healing deck I was trying to make in Rumble and played before Rise came out, but it's an actually effective one. Not sure it's even Tier 2, since it is extremely draw dependent, but it's hilarious if you get the Villains rolling:

### Villain
# Class: Paladin
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Dragon
#
# 2x (2) Flash of Light
# 1x (2) Lightforged Blessing
# 2x (2) Sound the Bells!
# 2x (3) Call to Adventure
# 1x (3) High Priest Thekal
# 2x (3) Paragon of Light
# 2x (3) Sword of Justice
# 2x (4) Blessing of Kings
# 2x (4) Consecration
# 2x (4) Defender of Argus
# 1x (4) Equality
# 2x (4) Truesilver Champion
# 2x (4) Zandalari Templar
# 2x (5) Faceless Manipulator
# 1x (5) Harrison Jones
# 2x (5) Recurring Villain
# 1x (8) Lay on Hands
# 1x (8) Silver Sword
#
AAECAZ8FBtIE9AWQB+HwAs6HA4qaAwzcA5MEgwX7Bc8Grwf57AL+8wLshgPSigO0mwPPnQMA

It's pretty cheap, since it only has two legendaries and 5 epics, all of which are Basic/Classic stuff that most people should already have if they've been playing Paladin. The version I saw Kripp playing replaces a BoK with Archivist, so if you have her, it's probably not a bad idea to use her, since this is one of those controlly things that will often go to the late game (which is basically what healing does.) With this much buffing stuff, you'd like to think that Immortal Prelate would be an include, but that card is still simply too small and slow to really be viable. Not sure if Jeb's list is like this, though.

And it concerns me that you cite the fact that some matchups are going to be "auto-losses". That's exactly what VS was complaining about in their meta reports (which Donais reacted to rather pointedly) and it's unfortunate if that's still hanging over the game. A counter to your deck shouldn't reduce you to simply quitting and looking for another opponent.

Jackwraith wrote: And it concerns me that you cite the fact that some matchups are going to be "auto-losses"....A counter to your deck shouldn't reduce you to simply quitting and looking for another opponent.

It shouldn't, but it might, and my observation was just me hoping for the best but preparing for the worst in HS meta terms. I probably wouldn't auto-concede - unless I'd faced the same hero/deck 5-6 times in a row and was on tilt - but I wouldn't hesitate to concede early if it's a bad matchup and I drew poorly.

Unfortunately I'm probably all talk as I have a bad habit of sticking with games to the bitter end on the off-chance I can eke out a victory. With the previous iteration of Token Druid I always played out every game against (Murloc?) Paladin and didn't win a single one, but now I don't know if I have the patience to play a 8-10 min. game where a Warrior sits on my chest and slowly pounds my face while I'm unable to do much of anything about it.

That being said, I neglected to mention the bonkers Duel! Paladin deck I saw yesterday. It runs all big minions and uses Duel! as both hard removal and a way to negate battlecries. It has plenty of Rush minions so they can attack an additional time after their Duel! attack and seeing a Batterhead clear a Token Druid's board is both awesome and hilarious.

Prismatic Lens is there to cheat out your big dudes (as noted on the page for this deck, it reduces Shirvallah and Mountain Giant's costs to 0 if it hits them) and Oondasta is included to generate massive swing turns (I'm not allowing myself to drink and look at the decklist because I'm afraid I'll drunk-craft Oondasta for this niche deck...). I'm definitely waiting a few weeks to see if it remains viable but I'm keeping my eye on it.

Yeah, I saw the Duel deck, too. I'm as cagey as you are about it, not least because I don't own Oondasta, but also because the latter only summons one card in the deck: the bears. So, the combo is to not draw Oondasta but do draw one of the bears so that Duel hopefully grabs Oondasta and you can get the two-fer...? Eh.

Dr. Boom value is for real. I don't find the whole Bomb angle that devastating, really, but the value they get from Dr. Boom is just crazy. I played against someone that rolled 3 extra Dyn-o-Matics from that HP and I don't think anyone is beating that shit.

As noted above, Warrior was going to be nuts, regardless. I think the Tier 2 Control Warrior deck from last Season lost like 1 card in the rotation, and gained a variety of options. So, it's crazy out there. I think I'd be a little happier if every fricking card wasn't a Mech, I tell you what.

One piece of advice I have for folks in general is to give up on games you very likely won't win. There can be things to learn by sticking it out, but if you know their deck and they have 7 cards in hand and you're at 6 life to their 22. Just hang that shit up and start another one. That's one habit I am trying to pick up from ApxVoid, who usually has a really solid read on his opponents. He will look at these kind-of-even-looking board states and just Concede because he's very likely not to win based on what's been played already, the board, cards in hand counts, &c. And I am watching him duke it out in Top 100 Legend, so it's not like he does this willy-nilly; he just doesn't waste time on unwinnable games.

And that's exactly the problem, IMO. In most games, if you're in a negative position, there's a way to recover. In HS, you're vastly better off just not continuing to play. This is what VS was talking about a few months ago, when they said that the direct counters to deck weren't something that changed the odds from 55-45 to 60-40, but instead to something like 20-80 or worse. If you played the deck that counters yours, you might as well not play because it's easier to just move on and find another opponent who isn't minimize your chance for success before a single card is drawn.

My problem with Dr. Boom at the moment is that the variety and versatility granted by his hero power and an entire deck of Rush minions means that he's the direct counter to a lot of decks out there. I played two long games yesterday with Big Shaman against Boom decks and, with a friend watching, explained everything that made my continuing those games ridiculous until both of them hit fatigue and both of them played Archivist. Get ready to shell out your 1600 dust if you haven't already because that card is going to be absolutely necessary in anything not Token Druid or Murloc Shaman; and maybe even those.

hsreplay.net/replay/esY9XuF3EbQWQt2Bfrs74N

Just a Kripp "Every Life point counts!" game.

Holy shit, this deck is stupid. But it... kinda works. It's nowhere near Tier 1 or 2, but it draws well enough that seems like there could be something there in another set or two. The optimal model is Rogue, with things like Headcrack, but I don't play Rogue and Shaman can turn out some ferocious direct damage and has a 25/33/50% chance to roll spell damage with every button press.

hsreplay.net/replay/8vDNbCKsJa827dfGjnnMxR
hsreplay.net/replay/BtcnxuJjXiifMYMGMXUBuA

# 1x (0) Zap!
# 2x (1) Lightning Bolt
# 2x (1) Totemic Smash
# 1x (2) Bloodmage Thalnos
# 2x (2) Mana Reservoir
# 2x (2) Omega Mind
# 2x (2) Spellbook Binder
# 2x (2) Spellzerker
# 2x (3) Arcane Watcher
# 1x (3) Electra Stormsurge
# 2x (3) Lava Burst
# 2x (3) Lightning Storm
# 1x (4) Archmage Vargoth
# 2x (4) Hex
# 2x (5) Hagatha's Scheme
# 1x (6) Krag'wa, the Frog
# 2x (6) Violet Warden
# 1x (8) Hagatha the Witch
#
AAECAaoIBu0Fp+4C9vACmfsCwYkD1pkDDPkD9QT+BeAGm/8Cl4ADo4cDrZEDwZgDyJgDrpsDzp0DAA==

I'm tempted to cut one of the Omega Minds, but it has no route to healing out side of a lucky Hagatha draw. Of course, you should be trying to kill everything that can hurt you. I'm not sure about Vargoth, either, since the random targeting could be a real issue. I'm half tempted by Ancient Mage. Giving an Arcane Watcher its own spell damage would be convenient.