The first Tour Stop of the set has passed and that means its time to evaluate the new meta at its early stages. It might be too early yet to analyze the full impact of Rastakhan’s Rumble, but we can get an early feel of the most impactful cards. We will be taking a look at the best decks from HCT Philadelphia.
To no one’s surprise, and likely to everyone’s disappointment, Druid was not dethroned as the best class in the game. Most Druid decks don’t run any of the new cards as most of the cards in the Druid class were actually not that good, likely to compensate for the previously overpowered Druid card releases.
One of the most meta defining cards in Hearthstone history
That didn’t mean Druid wasn’t impacted by the set however. Thanks to Mojomaster Zihi, a lot of Druid’s power could be sapped away from it. Druid thrives on having a lot of mana. Mojomaster Zihi can help those decks that play lower curves have a chance to win against early ramping Druids.
13 of the players in the top 16 brought a form of Druid deck. Of those, eight decks were Malygos Druid. Malygos Druid has stood the test of time, as it is the longest lasting deck that is in the current meta. Druid’s stall and health gain is insane. It is also the best suited to make use of Malygos burst damage with Flobbidinous Floop and Twig of the World Tree.
Three of the top 16 brought Token Druid. The other two brought Taunt Druid. Token Druid belongs in more of an aggressive lineup, and that’s why three players brought that form of Druid. Taunt Druid has seen some experimentation with Da Undatakah but the two in the top 16 had the traditional lists. This is probably because there are not a lot of decks being ran to counter Witching Hour resurrecting Hadronox.
Another class not really featuring new cards is Warlock. It has definitely been affected by the new cards though as many players have moved away from running Zoolock. Evenlock has made its way back to the top of the Warlock archetype pile.
Anti-combo tech card
Warlock was the second most represented class in the top 16 with 12 players having a Warlock list in their lineup. Of these, seven players were rocking with Evenlock decks. Evenlock was the only deck to have a new card in it as well with Mojomaster Zihi. Evenlock typically only has up to three cards that cost more than six mana, most importantly Bloodreaver Guldan. This makes the card not too much of a detriment to the deck and good against those pesky late game combos.
Three players had the more controlling Cubelock in their lineups. The deck is a little less consistent in matchups overall, but also has a potentially higher upside. If the deck is able to curve into Skull of the Man’ari followed by several demons and Carnivorous Cubes, it’s probably just winning.
The two remaining Warlocks were one Zoolock and a Mecha’thun Warlock. The Mecha’thun deck was just one of several very odd decks in the lineup, so it is really still out of meta. The Zoolock was among a lineup of arguably more aggressive decks. It made sense to slot the deck, but Evenlock might have performed better in its place.
Rastakhan’s Rumble has definitely brought forth new life in the Paladin class. Odd Paladin is still of course could be argued as the strongest deck in class, but most players were experimenting in tournament. We saw a lot of Even Paladin and a few OTK Paladins.
Paladin’s Ice Block
Paladin was the third most represented class with 11 players in the top 16 having a Paladin deck. Of those, Even Paladin was the most prevalent, with six players bringing the deck. This deck was another of those to utilize Mojomaster Zihi, as the deck was hardly hindered by its inclusion. Some also brought Spirit of the Tiger, which seems really good with cards like Spikeridged Steed.
The second most popular Paladin in the top 16 was Odd Paladin. This should be of no surprise, as the deck is just good. The interesting new deck to come through was the solidification of OTK Paladin. This deck is probably the one that features the most new cards. Thanks to Time Out and the other stalling and healing cards available in the new set, Paladin can last to its combo much easier.
Images courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment via the official Hearthstone website.
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