The Meta Report #42

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Check out this week’s rankings to the right and a discussion of the meta below. Keep in mind that DKMR’s weekly meta rankings are 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.

Silence/Weapon Removal

The biggest change to the meta recently has been the widespread adoption of Silence and weapon removal effects. Spellbreaker and Ironbeak Owl have seen increased play in Warrior, Hunter, Warlock, and other decks. Warrior Control had begun to adopt a single Spellbreaker in order to answer Sludge Belcher and Savannah Highmane. The Silence is also useful against Twilight Drake, Undertaker, and the slew of smaller minions used to power Undertaker. However, with Hunter decks getting faster, running Knife Juggler and Snake Trap, Ironbeak Owl has taken Spellbreaker’s place in Warrior. Ironbeak Owl still answers powerful deathrattle effects but can also come down early to stymie an Undertaker and trade. Ironbeak Owl has also gained traction in Hunter since it is a beast which can easily deal with Sludge Belcher. Ironbeak Owl has always been common in Handlock in order to proc Ancient Watcher, however, some players only played a single copy. With Sludge Belcher and Undertaker becoming so popular, nearly all Handlocks now run two copies of Ironbeak Owl. Zoo plays Ironbeak Owl more frequently now in order to push through Sludge Belcher.

With the rise of Warrior and double Doomhammer Shaman, Harrison Jones and Acidic Swamp Ooze have also seen a large increase in play. Either minion can seal victory against Shaman by removing its game ending Doomhammer. Harrison has the added benefit of drawing a slew of cards. While Doomhammer is usually Shaman’s only weapon, it is so significant to their game plan that a single Ooze or Jones can be devastating. Similar to how players have subbed out Spellbreaker for Ironbeak Owl, many players have opted for Acidic Swamp Ooze over Harrison Jones in order to remove an early Eaglehorn Bow and trade more effectively against Hunter’s minions.

Due to the increased popularity of these cards, double Doomhammer Shaman has decreased in popularity. Doomhammer can in fact be a liability against opponents playing Harrison Jones. The Silence minions won’t likely deter players from using Sludge Belcher and Undertaker, but you should be mindful of the increased popularity of these cards and their ability to impact your game plan.

Deck of the Week: Handlock.