The Meta Report #36

Team DKMR: Twitter | Website

Sponsored by: Gunnar | 2P.com | Waypoint Media

Are you tired of seeing the same class at the top of the meta each and every week? Well Hunter has left the building! After the most recent patch Hunter has lost all its killing power and with it, popularity. With Hunter gone, who’s come to claim the ladder? Read on to find out!

Here’s Team DKMR’s weekly Meta ranking. Keep in mind, it’s about which classes and archetypes are played the most, not about which are the strongest. Most of the time, the strongest decks will also be the most frequently played, but that’s not always the case. That’s just part of how the Meta works.

Warlock: Without Hunter at the top, Handlock is arguably the game’s strongest deck. It sports some of the game’s strongest and fastest threats as well as an unparalleled draw engine. Zoo remains an ever present threat, so don’t assume your opponent is Handlock when queuing.

 

Priest: Deathrattle Priest wasn’t only good against Hunter, and it’s still a fantastic and popular deck! Current builds are teching The Black Knight and a second copy of Shadow Word: Death to combat the popularity of Handlock and other control decks. Deathrattle Priest is one of the current meta’s more resilient and versatile decks, so expect to see it around for a while.

Paladin: Aside from being a fan favorite, Paladin shines in a slower meta. Additionally, Equality and Aldor Peacekeeper are some of the game’s best answers to Handlock’s early giants. Some builds are even teching Spellbreaker to enable a turn 2 Silver Hand Recruit to remove an opponent’s turn 4 Twilight Drake.

Shaman: Shaman was popular before the recent nerfs, and has lost none of its potency. While it suffers some from its Priest and Paladin match-up, the deck remains high tier due to its consistency and strong Handlock match-up. Don’t be afraid to tech a Big Game Hunter or The Black Knight.

Druid: With the meta shift, Druid is the de-facto go-to for many players. Midrange Druid was one of the stronger decks in the meta just before Hunter took dominance. Those decks still pack double Savage Roar and Force of Nature. They have eschewed Azure Drakes for Spectral Knights and frequently make room for Shade of Naxxramas.

Warrior: Much like Shaman, Warrior remains a very powerful deck in the current meta. With Hunter gone, Unstable Ghoul may no longer be the Whirlwind you’re looking, but can still generate significant advantage alongside Armorsmith and Acolyte of Pain. Consider Slam as an option against other control opponents in order to proc Execute and add consistency to your deck.

Mage: Mage was briefly a hot tech counter to Hunter, however, Mage continues to languish at the ladder’s lower rungs. Secret Mage is the current Mage deck of choice. Expect players to experiment with Freeze Mage as the meta slows down.

Rogue: The Leeroy Jenkins nerf took a lot of wind out of Rogue’s sails. While Backspace Rogue and Tempo Rogue are perfectly sound strategies, they were already struggling to find their
place in the meta before the nerfs. With the nerfs, Rogue has entered a bit of an identity crisis. Expect to see many interesting builds of Rogue on the ladder in the coming weeks as the class looks to find its own.

Hunter: Once more cast from its throne, Hunter has plummeted to a near non-existent status. Hunter has been on a rollercoaster ride of success and failure, being one of the most nerfed classes. While there seems to be no bright side to the current round of nerfs, it may only be a matter of time before a new build of Hunter comes around and it is once more the most hated class in the game.

Deck of the week: Kitkatz Warrior #1 NA

This week we will take a look at the class that made Kitkatz famous and the list that brought him to Rank #1 of the NA Ladder once again. This deck is a variation of the standard Control Warrior that was always around. Its strong card draw mechanic and many late game threats combined with cheap removal makes this deck always a force to be reckoned with.