Deck Archetypes: Control

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Throughout the history of CCGs there have been certain constructed deck styles or “archetypes” that have remained consistent. Today we’ll take a look at one of the most well known of these archetypes and how it relates to current popular decks that are being playing at the top level of the Hearthstone ranked ladder.

What is Control?

Every deck you make should try to control the game board in some way, but that’s not exactly what we’re talking about here. What your deck can do after gaining that board control will determine what kind of deck it actually is. Therefore there’s a difference between controlling the game board and playing a Control deck. Let’s take a look at what a Control (with a capital C) deck is!

The basic premise of a typical Control-type deck is to maintain a defensive board-state through an intentionally longer game and win late with threats that your opponent won’t be able to respond to. In Hearthstone these late game threats can be cards like Ancient of War for Druids, Pyroblast for Mages, or neutral cards like Ysera. The idea is to survive without taking much damage while at the same time draining your opponent’s deck of all their means to achieve victory. Oftentimes control decks don’t worry too much about doing damage to their opponents during the earlier phases of the game. A good control player knows that they’ll be able to win quickly in the late game once their opponent’s deck has run out of steam.

Typical Control Deck Components

While Control decks differ pretty greatly in terms of what they actually consist of, there are usually a few common card themes that are consistently found in most control-style decks.

- Cost-efficient “Taunt” minions like Ironfur Grizzly and Sen’jin Shieldmasta.

- Passive/defensive card draw like Arcane Intellect and Northshire Cleric.

- Hero damage prevention like Frost Nova and Fade. Gaining Armor for your Hero works too!

- Powerful and expensive late game minions and spells like Archmage Antonidas and Cenarius or Pyroblast.

These types of cards all fit with the Control theme of staying defensive early on and then bringing out serious damage dealing cards in the late game, which makes them important to consider when you’re trying to play with this style.

Control Through Damage

Certain types of control decks also maintain their board status through quickly destroying their opponent’s minions with damaging spells. Probably one of the better examples of this is the popular Druid Control decks that have become popular on the ladder lately. Cards like Swipe and Savagery give Druids great board clear throughout the game and pave the way for a smooth transition into playing big minions late game. A common mistake a lot of newer players make is to immediately use their spells to try to do damage to their opponents and then find themselves unable to deal with the minions their opponent sends at them. A good Control deck player will save his damage and make sure to prioritize board clearing rather than direct damage in most situations.

Is Control for You?

Now that we know what goes into a typical Control deck and a bit about how to play it it’s time to make a decision! You might like playing Control style if:

- You enjoy getting a chance to play expensive and powerful spells and minions that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise

- You like playing a slower game that lets you think and make defensive, tactical decisions

- You take pleasure in frustrating your opponents by constantly thwarting their plans (you sadistic monster)

If the above list looks good to you, then give Control decks a try! The Classes and cards of Hearthstone offer a lot of potential for a large variety of decks so go make one and starting taking… err… control of the situation!

Side Note: The Myth of Rogue Control

A common misconception among players and fans right now is that the popular “Magic Rogue” or “Value Rogue” are types of control decks. The amount of spell-oriented damage from cards like Fan of Knives and Backstab does mean that the deck has good board control, but doesn’t mean that it’s a Control deck. If you remember our earlier definition of what Control decks are, then you can see that the current popular Rogue decks don’t fit that mold. These decks try to control the board in order to do damage quickly and end the game as fast as possible, which actually makes them a type of Aggro deck! If you look at it in Magic: The Gathering terms these decks are closest to the ever-popular “Red Sly” or “Red Deck Wins” style of play.