Deck Guide: Reincarnate Shaman

Author: Joseph Scalise

1. Introduction

It’s been a seasons of up and downs, but after two weeks of exploring some very interesting decks, I return this week with a creation of my own. The deck I will talk about in this week’s guide is one that I have been dreaming about since the start of Naxx, but have never put together. Why? Truth be told it was because I never owned Sylvanas Windrunner. However, after some very successful (and lucky) arena runs, the spicy banshee is finally apart of my collection. As such, I was able to finally get in touch with the elements and make Reincarnate work…Wait, Joseph did you just say Reincarnate? I did. Yes, today I am looking at the Reincarnate Shaman list that I took to from rank four to rank one. I am writing this the day before Halloween, and due to time restrictions as well as some ghostly plans I doubt I will be able to make the final push to legend. However, this is an interesting twist on mid-range Shaman that I am really excited to share with you guys.

2. Key Cards

This deck, like any other good constructed deck, still holds the all of the staples like Lightning Bolt, Fire Elemental and Lightning Storm. However, it does deviate from the path a little bit, using death rattle triggers and Reincarnate for some extremely powerful plays. As always, there’s going to be essentials, but there are some other interesting cards that will be outlined below.

Nerubian Egg

Nerubian Egg was all the rage when the first quarter of Naxx came out, but has quickly fallen out of favor in everything that isn’t Zoo. However, it is still a very strong card that can give your opponent nightmares. It does a wonderful job resisting popular AOE like

Holy Nova, Brawl, Hellfire and Lightning Storm. In addition, it is also fantastic when combined with Baron Rivendare or Reincarnation. The main uses of the egg are for Flametongue totem and Rockbiter Weapon, but anyway you can activate it works. Yes, the card is very weak to silence, but Flametongue gives any minion you have on the field some value.

Reincarnate

The namesake behind the deck, Reincarnate is a card that is incredible when it’s good, and very bad when it’s bad. However, there are many constructed playable cards that fall into that category (Savage Roar, Divine Favor and Big Game Hunter to name a few) and the upside of this card heavily outweighs the downside. Not only does the card make deathrattle triggers extremely powerful, but this can lead to plays that outright win games. One of the biggest problems with Reincarnate is that it is a utility card that people were trying to build around. This card isn’t made to craft an entire deck to fit, rather you use it to make the deck you have better. I would look at this card like a Lightning Storm or a Hex, a good card when used in the right situations that really helps further your end game.

Feral Spirit

While Feral Spirit is a fairly straightforward card, I wanted to discuss its inclusion in this deck because it currently sits in a flex spot with the next card I will discuss, Unbound Elemental. What that means is, these four cards are really more of a judgment call than anything else. Midrange decks are powerful in that there are many options of what you can play. You don’t have to play Feral Spirit, as there are other strong mid-game options (Harvest Golem comes to mind) that work a lot better with Reincarnate. However, as stated above, while testing this deck I realized that Reincarnate is a great utility card rather than a “build around me”. This means that you can still play other cards that don’t work with it to give your deck more cohesion.

The way the meta is currently set up (hello Zoo and Hunter) I believe the wolves are essential in Shaman. The class has no healing, and taunts aren’t that easy to come by (you will notice this deck also lacks a certain belcher). As such, two 2/3 taunts for three mana is incredible, and being able to be paired with Flametongue make them even better. They also give you a great way to reestablish your board after AOE or apply pressure while only committing a single card.

Unbound Elemental

The other half of the “flex” space, Unbound Elemental is a judgment call more than anything else. If you do want to go the more deathrattle route you could easily warp the list to include either Harvest Golem or Sludge Belcher. However, there is so much overload in the deck (especially with the inclusion of Doomhammer) that I really like unbound. The card is essentially a three/five for three and can really get out of hand in a hurry. I bring this card up purely to say that I wouldn’t cut it due to the fact that it is quite difficult to kill when paired with any overload, and give you a strong early game option to play as a two/four does trade with a lot of early game minions.

Doomhammer

It is nearly impossible to play Shaman these days without a proper finisher. When destroying people with the elements you have many ways to do this (Bloodlust, Al’Akir) and they are all viable. With so many minions, this deck could probably include a Bloodlust. Then again, Al’Akir is also very strong with Reincarnate and can lead to some surprise lethals. However, I like Doomhammer over the two aforementioned options for several reasons. The most important of these reasons is you just want as much removal as possible in this small minion meta. There are so many annoying creatures running around that being able to clear them out reliably and quickly is very important. Doomhammer allows you to do that while also allowing a way to suddenly kill people out of nowhere. In addition, this card also naturally fits into this list as you are already running two Rockbiter Weapons (an essential with the hammer) as a way to activate Nerubian Eggs.

3. How to Play

This deck plays like any other mid-range deck. You want to use your early minions to make way for the heavy hitters in the middle of the game. One of the strengths of midrange decks is their ability to combat wide swaths of decks. This deck has the ability to deal with aggro decks through the huge amounts of cheap removal, while also being able to handle control with larger minions through things such as Hex, Fire Elemental or Sylvanas. The main goal of this deck is to exhaust your opponents resources until they can’t answer a minion, be it a Fire Elemental, Cairne or even some flametongue powered totems. Efficiency is the name of the game with this deck, and playing slow is the key to winning most games.

All decks in Hearthstone pilot in different ways. Some decks you want to run out your cards and hit face early and often, others you want to sit back and react to what your opponent does. This deck is the latter. I would compare to playing this deck to playing chess in a way, it’s all about taking your time. There is no need to coin out a turn one Haunted Creeper when you can use a Lightning Bolt. You want your opponent to play into your removal, and waiting for them to do so is fine. Does the board really need to be Lightning Stormed? Or could you wait another turn to catch another minion? Sometimes (like if you’re playing Zoo) it’s right to Reincarnate a Haunted Creeper, while in other games you want to hold onto it until you have access to a much better target. This deck is all about patience, answering threats and trying to make your opponent burn through their hand much faster than you.

4. How to Mulligan

For this deck you mulligan just like you would any Shaman deck. Look for the early game. You want to mulligan any combo pieces away, and always, always have Undertaker answers (removal). Flametongue totem is essential in this deck, especially with targets like Nerubian Egg and Haunted Creeper, and should be kept in any matchup. If you can get an early Flametongue paired with totems then it is very hard to lose. It should also be noted that mulliganing doesn’t change from class to class as all of your

removal is good against everything. Every class has Earthshock targets, things that can be Lightning Bolted or Flametongued. Lightning Storm is a must keep against Hunter and Zoo. My general rule is to mulligan any card that costs more than two in hopes of getting a stronger opening. While it might seem odd, I also mulligan away Hex, as you only really need it towards turn six and there are better opening cards that you’d rather see.

5. Matchups

Zoo

I rarely build a deck that has a bad matchup against the Warlock menace, and this deck is no exception. Zoo is probably the easiest matchup. All of the early game options are great against them, and both Lightning Storm and Feral Spirit have the ability to stop them in their tracks. I will almost always save Earth Shock for Nerubian Eggs, and kill anything else on site. Zoo is only strong when they have minions, and if you can match them hit for hit they really don’t stand a chance. Yes, there will be games where you can’t keep up, but for the most part if you get out an early creeper or a turn three Lightning Storm you should be just fine.

Handlock

A much trickier matchup (because you have to mulligan for Zoo) Handlock is all about playing the slow game. Hex and Earthshock are both incredibly strong here, as is your later game. Cairne and Sylvanas (especially paired with Reincarnate) can just drive your opponents crazy. Early threats are good here, pushing for damage and applying needed pressure, but overall you’re going to win in the later stages of the game. The primary lethal is Doomhammer/Rockbiter as that allows you a way to push through for the win without giving them a chance to play free Molten Giants.

Shaman

A mirror match (of sorts), Shaman is a very interesting game. By no means easy, the name of the game is board control. Removal is at a premium here, and you should always be aware of what they can do. Never play Cairne or Sylvanas without Reincarnate as Hex or Earthshock can just ruin your day. You want to make as many totems as possible and use whatever means you can to kill of their minions. Like Zoo, Shaman decks are only as strong as the minions they have in play. If you can keep their minions off the field then you should be able to win. One of the most important aspects of this matchup is whoever blinks first usually loses. What I mean by that is, you never want to be the first person to play Lightning Storm, wait it out and strike when the iron’s hot.

Miracle Rogue

It took some time, but like a zombie not yet done with this world, Miracle Rogue has crawled back from the shallow grave it once lay it to lay havoc once again. I have been seeing Miracle more and more on ladder in the past week or two and it still packs a punch. Yes, Leeroy is gone, but auctioneer and Conceal are still as annoying as ever. I will never mulligan away Lightning Storm as it is the only way to deal with a Concealed Auctioneer (and even then you need some luck). Just like Zoo and Shaman, you never want them to have access to any minions. They no longer have Leeroy, and most lists rely

on things like Violet Teacher or Azure Drake to kill you. If they have nothing to put a Cold Blood on, it is very hard for them to win. Loatheb is probably the biggest problem here, but if you can kill off everything else and force them to use things like Eviscerate on minions you should have a solid chance.

Hunter

I say with extreme caution, but I do think that the Hunter matchup falls in our favor. There is a ton of anti-aggro tools packed into this deck, and they are all really good against Hunter openings. Haunted Creeper gives them trouble, and Earth Shock is an all-star. I usually save it for things like Mad Scientist or Haunted Creepers, but it’s also good against Leper Gnome, Webspinner and Undertaker in a pinch. The main rule of Hunter is to always play around their traps, and always be aware of how much damage they can do. While I do like our chances, every game you win is going to be at very low life. That’s just a fact you have to live with. Fire Elemental is also very strong here, and Hex is your only real tool against Savannah Highmane. Don’t forget that. I will do everything I can to not use it on anything else.

Priest

As days go bye and we slip further into the cold winds of Autumn, Priest seems to be falling off of ladder like leaves from a tree. This class, which was so powerful just a month ago has really taken in a hit in both effectiveness and popularity. However, it still does exist and will pop up from time to time. When you play Priest you want to play the game out slow, taking your time to set up big Lightning Storms and using your removal to the best of your abilities. If you can kill off an early Northshire Cleric or Undertake/Chow combo you will usually be fine. They need to have Shadow Word Death to kill your big minions and Cairne gives them nightmares. This is a matchup where Reincarnate really shines, and I have won using it on Sylvanas, Cairne and Nerubian Egg. The only thing you really need to be aware of here is Auchenia/Circle which you never want to play into. This is probably one of the only matches where I won’t mulligan away Bloodmage Thalnos if I have a Lightning Bolt or Storm as you need the extra damage to kill of Dark Cultists.

Control Warrior

The ultimate waiting game, nothing should be taken slower or more carefully than the Control Warrior matchup. Although it may not seem like it, you have answers for everything they play. Hex is incredible, early removal can kill off things like Acolyte of Pain and Armorsmith, and Earthshock does a nice job of dealing with things like Sylvanas and Cairne. The rule of Warrior is that you want to apply enough pressure to make them use their removal on inefficient targets while never over-committing into a huge brawl. They have tons of removal at their disposal, so wait it out until they have to use their Execute on something like an Unbound Elemental. When they do that, punish them by dropping your Cairne or Fire Elemental. If you exhaust their resources well, and are always aware of Grommash, you should be fine.

6. Budget Replacements

Sorry guys, this time around there are no real budget replacements. The reason for that is the two main Reincarnate targets in this deck as Sylvanas and Cairne, and there is no replacement for what they do. Sylvanas is more than essential here, and in a similar vein so is Cairne. They are heavy hitters and can take over the game by themselves. Without them, the core of the deck falls apart. The other legend in this deck, Bloodmage Thalnos is also pretty key for any Shaman deck. He can be replaced with some other spell damage minion (Azure Drake not Kobold Geomancer) but even then his cheap costs just makes him so effective.

Alright guys, that’s this weeks list. I hope you all have a great week and are excited for the new season. Until next time, may your Lightning Storms always roll high.