The Hearthstone Grandmasters Season 2 Week 5 meta sees some minor changes as players refine and search for their niche decks. As the meta settles down we can look more at individual card inclusions over reasoning for bringing an archetype.
Combo Priest and Quest Druid
Combo Priest and Quest Druid still sit atop the Hearthstone Grandmasters meta. Priest has an unmatched power in the early game, and Druid has unmatched power in the late game.
Card inclusions in Priest have some minor variance. Some players still don’t like running Bwonsamdi the Dead and instead will run something like second Acolyte of Pain. Some players have cut Extra Arms entirely and are running two Silences. Some even drop a Wild Pyromancer, as its not a great card in some match ups due to its low life total and anti-synergy with your side of the board.
Another card sliding its way into Priest lists is Forbidden Words. This card can be really good in the mirror to remove a turn one cleric, or a minion that has had Divine Spirit popped on it without Inner Fire.
As for Druids, it’s a lot more open in terms of cards that don’t have the Choose One effect. Some players run Mind Control Tech or BEEEES!!!, and also decide between running Chef Nomi or King Phaoris, sometimes they run both.
Also there’s the alternative of playing Malygos Druid. The deck provides a little more consistency with a burst damage combo that can be activated before fatigue becomes the deciding factor. Control Warriors can Brawl away Chef Nomi boards, but can’t stop Malygos damage.
Control Warrior, Quest Shaman, and OTK Paladin
Control Warrior and Quest Shaman maintain their popularity, while OTK Paladin is becoming a more stable
Control Warriors have completely shifted their way of thinking away from the Taunt Package and Omega Assemblies. Now we are seeing double Weapons Project with Harrison Jones, and double Plague of Wrath. Some players even drop Omega Devastator, so large single target removal has become more difficult. Some players have even thrown in Hecklebot to try to disrupt their opponents game plans.
Quest Shaman really only has three or so flex spot for card inclusions. Some players run as many as two Giggling Inventors. Others don’t like the card and run none. In that spot, some players run double Former Champ, or throw in a Witchwood Piper for increased cycle.
OTK Paladin seems to perform well against the field of decks. The deck can deal a lot more than 50 damage now as well thanks to Zephrys the Great being able to fit into the deck to discover all kinds of damage. It’s definitely a difficult deck to pilot, but seems nearly unbeatable when played right.
Mech Paladin, Mech Hunter, Peanut Shaman, Aggro Warrior
All four of these decks see some surprise representation this week in Hearthstone Grandmasters. Players must feel a certain connection with this decks, as we have not seen them in previous weeks.
Mech Paladin is an interesting call, since both Warriors and Priests are running silence. There aren’t many Mages and Control Shamans, so they at least dodge transform effects. Either way this deck probably feels worse than OTK variants.
Mech Hunter is a pure aggro deck, but once again can be susceptible to silence. It’s likely being played to beat Quest Druid or Shaman, but those decks can sometimes discover silence effects as well.
We see a return of the deck lovingly known as Peanut Shaman, which is basically just a Control Shaman that tries to grind the game out to the very end. It’s a Control deck that can beat any other Control deck, thanks in part to its ability to get two Archivist Elysianas with Shudderwock.
Aggro Warrior is an interesting choice over Control Warrior. It beats Combo Priest like Control Warrior, but also has better game against Quest Druid. It can struggle elsewhere though, so facing those targeted match ups are optimal.
The Rest
A couple players still favor Highlander Mage as a personal choice, but Rogue is still an abandoned class. Ladder players have found Rogue to be favorable against Priest, but it needs to be good against more than just that because of Warriors and Druids.
Masters Tour Bucharest is fast approaching so some Grandmasters who will be making their way to that tournament might be eyeing some decks that might be good in that tournament. A Top 8 appearance in a Masters Tour event is definitely something to work for.
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