Team IHearthU Deck Guide: DTwo Mech Hybrid Druid

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Introduction

Fast Druid - ie, the Druid that ramps into mid-range minions and high-damage combinations - has been a staple in Hearthstone since before the release of Naxxramus. Though it has gone through a few changes, the general concept is the same: rush out minions that your opponent can’t deal with, and inflict enough damage to finish them off with the Force of Nature + Savage Roar combo. The deck I want to introduce here maintains that same concept, but it incorporates a few mech minions to both lower the curve and allow for even more ways to ramp.

Iconic Cards

All of the cards you’ve seen in Fast Druid for months are retained in the deck: Wild Growth and Innervate to ramp, Wrath and Swipe for removal, Druid of the Claw and Keeper of the Grove for their versatility, Ancient of Lore because it’s amazing, and of course two copies of the Force of Nature and Savage Roar combination. Loatheb is kept in the deck because it is one of the main ways to maintain tempo after securing the board, and Big Game Hunter is pretty crucial for Druid because it has no way to deal with minions like Ragnoros and Dr. Boom.

The mech cards in the deck are two copies each of Mech Warper, Spider Tank, Mechanical Yeti, and Piloted Shredder, and one copy of Piloted Sky Golem. The Mech Warper provides a third way to ramp for the Druid, while being a reasonable pickup in the late game. The rest of the mech cards are simply value picks for their mana slot and can work by themselves even without the aid of Mech Warper. That aspect is pretty important, because Fast Druid is less of a card-synergy deck and more of a “use whatever means necessary to kill you” deck. Finally, having four non-situational four-mana creatures makes the deck more consistent, as you will usually have something to play if you use Wild Growth on turn 2.

Lastly, Dr. Boom was added to the deck because it is one of the most powerful cards in Hearthstone right now, and it works very well with Savage Roar (or even just the threat of Savage Roar).

Mulligan Guide

Against a mid-range or control deck, mulligan for Mech Warper, Innervate, and Wild Growth. Don’t keep more than one of Wild Growth or Innervate because there isn’t much card draw in the deck. Against aggressive decks, also keep Wrath, Keeper of the Grove, and occasionally Swipe if it works well with the rest of the cards you’ve kept.

How to Play

This deck is played the same way Druid has been played for awhile: ramp into your midrange minions and attack the face as much as possible without giving your opponent super-efficient trades. Once your opponent is low, burst him/her down with one of several options in your deck. Against aggressive decks, do your best to stabilize, but always keep in mind the possibility of racing your opponent instead of trading.

How to Play Versus:

Handlock: Keep Big Game Hunter and Keeper of the Grove first, and ramp second. Try to put as much pressure on your opponent as possible and force them to clear your board instead of putting down threats (unless, of course, you have the answers in your hand). Threatening lethal via the Force + Roar combo can cause your opponent to make inefficient trades just to stay alive. Finally, keep in mind that you can usually kill your opponent from 20 life if you have one minion on the board, so don’t give them the option of playing any Molten Giants if you don’t have to.

Shaman: It’s difficult to regain board control in this matchup after you’ve lost it, as Swipe doesn’t fully clear totems. Therefore, try to Innervate out a minion to keep their board clean. Mech Warper has the perfect damage to kill totems and can bait out removal, giving you initiative going into turn 3 or 4. Though most matchups dictate that you should push face damage, Shaman can use its totems and small minions to effectively clear your board if you aren’t careful. In particular, it’s a good idea to clear anything with spell damage, and be careful about what your opponent can do with Flame Tongue Totems.

Paladin: The GvG additions to Paladin have made this matchup very difficult, but it’s still possible to win with a decent ramp. Favor Wild Growths over Innervates, as Aldor Peacekeeper can ruin your day if you rush something out. Early Mech Warpers usually stay alive for a turn against Paladin because of the lack of single-target removal outside of weapons. In the end, remember that most mid-range Paladins run one copy of Lay on Hands and two copies of Truesilver Champion to heal, so if you sense an opportunity to burst them down, go for it.

Card Combinations

Mech Warper and any of the seven other Mechs in the deck obviously work well together. Savage Roar is good to use not only with Force of Nature, but with sticky cards like the Sky Golem, Shredder, and Dr. Boom. Loatheb is very potent in forcing out minions instead of answers for your opponent, so you can punish them - in the face. Finally, the Mechanical Yeti can help you sneak in some damage occasionally, with the help of mechanics like Freeze and Stealth.

Budget Legendary Replacement Guide

You can take out Dr. Boom for another Piloted Sky Golem or perhaps a Spectral Knight, depending on how you want your deck to curve out.