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[ViviOggi]

It does. The guy also had a different card back than I've seen. But he wasn't super good or decisive. Maybe he just spent a bundle of money.

It's way more likely that such players have simply been playing for much longer than you. It doesn't take much to grind out your dailies every three days, and unless you're exceptionally good at arena they will be your main income source. That's just how HS is structured, except for a small percentage of arena nuts someone who plays for hours on end won't get far ahead of a player putting in a handful of hours each week. The majority of players doesn't invest much time into watching streams, studying guides or frequenting threads like this one, they're content with having fun with their own wonky or cheap cookie-cutter decks and get new cards.

So don't assume they spent loads of money just because they have some legendaries, it usually isn't the case. Often like you mentioned their card back at least gives you an estimate of how long they've been playing.

 

[Xanathus]

Why in the hell am I rank 20 facing people with Dr. Boom and a Faceless manipulator in their deck?

I don't even understand how these people have such good cards. I play very well for what I have but I don't own a single legendary and only a handful of epic cards. I'm just grinding out daily quests trying to make some more gold facing these monster decks.

Sigh. Sorry. Rant over It sucks when I dominate the board and play well for what I have then just get crushed by superior cards.

This is why I farm ranks 16-18 instead, rank 20 is filled with other farmers. Kappa

 

[Magnus]

I really need to get better at Arena, fuck.

I'm confident I play decently enough that I should be getting more than 0-2 wins each time. I'm just putting together terrible decks.

Are people concentrating on finding synergies as they draft cards, or are you going with standalone cards (typically with great solo payoff, or great deathrattles/battlecries)?

 

[Mutombo]

I really need to get better at Arena, fuck.

I'm confident I play decently enough that I should be getting more than 0-2 wins each time. I'm just putting together terrible decks.

Are people concentrating on finding synergies as they draft cards, or are you going with standalone cards (typically with great solo payoff, or great deathrattles/battlecries)?

I'm not doing well either. I usually get 3 wins. I got 6 today with a mage that had 1 spell (seriously) but then I had 1 win with a paladin. What got me a lot of wins was card draw with the mage, with the 4-2 card that gets a card when a friendly minion dies.

The paladin had zero card draw so I ran out of steam after turn 5, which sucked, and I had zero removals, which sucked. I got some nice avenge combos out. But I don't know. I guess my mana curve was bad. Yeah, I guess mana curve and no card draw made my deck shit.

You can get lucky or bad luck with a deck though.

 

[gutshot]

Try using heartharena.com for drafting. It does a good job of identifying synergies and actually crafting a deck that fits a certain archetype as opposed to other draft evaluators which just tell you which card has the most value in a vacuum.

 

[egruntz]

How would you guys feel about playing a collectible card game through a website outlet rather than a downloaded game? Any browser-based collectible card games out there? Seems like something I'd like to get into. Can't really argue why though. Just seems better.

Wonder how hard something like that would be to code on my own.

 

[garath]

This is why I farm ranks 16-18 instead, rank 20 is filled with other farmers. Kappa

Lol. I believe it. Before the reset I had the worst time at rank 20 and rank 18. All other ranks were comparable deck quality (though usually a BIT better. I only recently started spending gold opening packs).

 

[inky]

I really need to get better at Arena, fuck.

I'm confident I play decently enough that I should be getting more than 0-2 wins each time. I'm just putting together terrible decks.

Are people concentrating on finding synergies as they draft cards, or are you going with standalone cards (typically with great solo payoff, or great deathrattles/battlecries)?

First 15 or so cards pick the best value, after that, try to look for synergies, although synergies count as value too, so you always want it. 20 creatures to 10 spells ratio is recommended, but it's hardly a rule, and completely depends on what you have available. It's more important that you have enough early game, a few board clears and other removal to make a balanced deck. Obviously, you can't expect to get all every single draft.

Look at your curve too and consider your class and its play-style. Not all classes are suited for control play in arena, but control usually takes you farther. Even if a late game card might seem better value, sometimes you just have to pick an early curve to deal with that first few wins. From 1-5 wins you'll find rush opponents galore.

Pick strong classes too: Mage, Paladin, Priest, and abuse their strengths. Don't get demoralized. Believe me, even pro players go 0-3 or 2-3 with decent decks. It's the nature of arena.

Watch some tutorials, and use sites to identify what cards are valuable. A card like Boulderfist Ogre, which you'll hardly see in constructed, is excellent in Arena for example, even though it has no deathrattle or battlecry. Its stats make it superb to play on turn 6.

 

[zoukka]

lol faced my first mill druid... maybe it can win 1 our of 10 handlock matches?

 

[ZealousD]

Decided to try something that isn't pure aggro, and made this Paladin Deck. Not sure how it will deal vs aggressive decks yet, but the last 3 Control Warriors got destroyed by it.

This just looks like a control Paladin deck that has been watered down with secrets. You gotta remember that these are 1 mana cards, so they just don't do very much. Like Redemption is just awkward here, you don't have any of the taunts that might make it with including, like Sludge Belcher or Sunwalker. Not even Tirion. Its also really hard to get value with Get Down, most of the time its just like a weak taunt. I think you're gonna just run out of cards and you don't have enough high end threats to close the game.

 

[jblank83]

This just looks like a control Paladin deck that has been watered down with secrets. You gotta remember that these are 1 mana cards, so they just don't do very much. Like Redemption is just awkward here, you don't have any of the taunts that might make it with including, like Sludge Belcher or Sunwalker. Not even Tirion. Its also really hard to get value with Get Down, most of the time its just like a weak taunt. I think you're gonna just run out of cards and you don't have enough high end threats to close the game.

As someone who "mains" Paladin, I completely agree with this assessment.

 

[Magnus]

First 15 or so cards pick the best value, after that, try to look for synergies, although synergies count as value too, so you always want it. 20 creatures to 10 spells ratio is recommended, but it's hardly a rule, and completely depends on what you have available. It's more important that you have enough early game, a few board clears and other removal to make a balanced deck. Obviously, you can't expect to get all every single draft.

Look at your curve too and consider your class and its play-style. Not all classes are suited for control play in arena, but control usually takes you farther. Even if a late game card might seem better value, sometimes you just have to pick an early curve to deal with that first few wins. From 1-5 wins you'll find rush opponents galore.

Pick strong classes too: Mage, Paladin, Priest, and abuse their strengths. Don't get demoralized. Believe me, even pro players go 0-3 or 2-3 with decent decks. It's the nature of arena.

Watch some tutorials, and use sites to identify what cards are valuable. A card like Boulderfist Ogre, which you'll hardly see in constructed, is excellent in Arena for example, even though it has no deathrattle or battlecry. Its stats make it superb to play on turn 6.

Thanks! And thanks to the other posts that offered advice here.

 

[Nirolak]

IGN just put up a giant interview about Goblins vs. Gnomes: http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/11/hearthstone-the-craziest-new-mechanics-of-goblins-vs-gnomes

Some highlights:
- It sounds like Druid Beasts are going to be a thing over the long run.
- They want each class to eventually have multiple viable avenues a la Warlock.
- When building up the class tribes (murlocs, pirates, etc), they try to go slow so they don't overpower them and make it harder to add cards later, but over the releases they want them to all become notably viable.
- They feel Unstable Portal is fine.
- They decided that Druids aren't good at direct removal as a class trait. They talk about naturalize for a while and how they came up with the current cost, but interestingly noted that's where they're "starting" the cost, so it sounds like they're not decided if it will always cost 6 mana.
- Piloted Shredders and Unstable Portal came out of Webspinner and its mechanic being popular. They're currently trialing draw effects with Flame Leviathan to see if people like that mechanic, though they sound decidedly less convinced that it's a successful experiment.
- Gahz’rilla is a Timmy card, but they feel that Mimiron’s Head is decidedly less of a Timmy card.
- They noted they try not to push spell decks too hard because spell vs. spell match-ups with basically no minions tend not to be very fun, but that Gnomish Experimenter was built to work with those kinds of decks.
- The rest is about individual unusual cards and how they came up with them and some more general notes.

 

[Lyng]

lol faced my first mill druid... maybe it can win 1 our of 10 handlock matches?

Dunno what deck it was.

The one that Kripp highlights is not so much about milling but more about removing threats until fatigue. That particular deck if played well is very very strong against Handlock in specific.

This is a quote from the guy who made the deck:

Handlock: 75% winrate. You have 5 cards that kill giants outright, two of which can take out multiple ones. Starfire/Swipes can also do the trick along with attacking tenders/coldlights/watchers. 3 silences should be enough for the Twilight Drakes. Don't let them get in Molten range until the fatigue starts to hit, and you've already cancelled half their giants. If they panic and Jaraxxus on high health at this point you've probably already won.

This is the deck:

http://www.hearthpwn.com/decks/140918-natural-remedies

Notice he changed the deck since the Kripp video.

 

[zoukka]

The deck has a decent winrate against handlocks and sucks against everything else.

 

[inky]

The deck has a decent winrate against handlocks and sucks against everything else.

It has an even better winrate against Control Warriors too.

 

[zoukka]

It has an even better winrate against Control Warriors too.

Not possible.

 

[inky]

Not possible.

It's very possible. Have you seen the deck been played?

It makes armor irrelevant, and the warrior hand gets filled with removal they can't use.

 

[Raxus]

It's very possible. Have you seen the deck been played?

It makes armor irrelevant, and the warrior hand gets filled with removal they can't use.

Assuming the warrior is an idiot and doesn't realize he is playing mill and just dumps those cards.

 

[inky]

Assuming the warrior is an idiot and doesn't realize he is playing mill and just dumps those cards.

It depends. Some mill Druids play Clockwork Giants, Malorne, etc. So you very much have targets for that removal. That specific deck above is more uncommon, and doesn't have the same creatures in play, and even if they get removed and they dump executes and shield slams on 3 mana creatures (then other weapons and early minions become as useless) the playstyle is to wait for fatigue, heal up and combo Naturalize and Oracles to kill the Warrior through fatigue damage. The deck can heal up well, and deal with the Warrior's big minions. It's also common to see a few turns where the Druid has no creatures in the board at all, so yea, good luck executing or shield slamming that.

We can all assume what we want, I've seen the deck played against a ton of Warriors, admittedly, not in Legend rank, but close and the same net deck all of them use and the results were extremely positive.

 

[dk_]

Got my third Dr. Boom now (2 normal and 1 golden).

Can't auto-disenchant anymore. :-(

 

[rac]

IGN just put up a giant interview about Goblins vs. Gnomes: http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/11/hearthstone-the-craziest-new-mechanics-of-goblins-vs-gnomes

spare parts are really cool

good one

 

[Magnus]

Got my third Dr. Boom now (2 normal and 1 golden).

Can't auto-disenchant anymore. :-(

First world problems.

My only two card pack legendaries have been King Mukla and Al'akir. Lol. I rather like the latter, though.

 

[Dahbomb]

Mill Druid destroys Control Warrior, its in fact the best match up for Mill Druid.

Priest however does much better against Druid (because they can heal and create cards outside of their deck).

 

[Magnus]

What does Mill Druid mean?

 

[BananasWithGuns]

What does Mill Druid mean?

It's a deck that focuses on forcing you to burn cards and end up dying from fatigue with cards like Coldlight Oracle, Naturalize, Grove Tender, etc.

 

[Dahbomb]

What does Mill Druid mean?

Its a deck which focuses on over drawing your opponent and burning their cards. It forces a fatigue war and the deck is loaded with AOE clears, removals, heals and utility minions. Basically the other deck can't really play much of anything (their removals are useless, minions get removed, burn damage gets healed etc).

 

[Majine]

I think playing Mill Druid is really fun. It's not unbeatable, not by a longshot but still.

 

[Magnus]

Hilarious.

Fatigue wars usually end up happening every time I square off against a priest with my priest.

 

[Lyng]

Not possible.

Control Warrior is the best match for that deck. The druid would have to be retarded not to win that match.

 

[Dahbomb]

I think playing Mill Druid is really fun. It's not unbeatable, not by a longshot but still.

Of course it's not unbeatable, never said anything like that. I already stated their prime weakness is combo decks that can do big damage with small board presence (like the Druid's own combo). These decks can also be beaten if you manage to Mill their combo components though.

 

[Szadek]

The deck has a decent winrate against handlocks and sucks against everything else.

Not even close.All control decks have a hard time beating the deck.
Rush decks are harder,but it's manageable.
The only really bad match up is mech mage.

 

[forgrim]

If I spot a mill druid quickly, most of my control aggro decks can win by keeping cards in hand lower than usual.

Only way I win w control warrior is if I can abuse armor smith quickly. If not its pretty over since playing one creature a turn to get three cards back next can be pretty damning (naturalize plus draw)

Edit: one of my favorite wins against mill druid happened w my control priest. I copied his ancient of lore and managed to play it when both our decks ran out of cards. The five heal stalled it out one more turn while we were taking ten damage a turn and saved me. Knowing I would die the next turn after his was sooooo satisfying

 

[ViviOggi]

Okay so what's considered the best Mill Druid list

 

[Nirolak]

I think the only mill druid I've ever lost to was when I was playing Paladin and then all four of my bigger minions were the last four cards in my deck, which was just when he managed to fill up my hand.

That said I usually don't play super slow control decks since I don't have a large enough array of legendaries so being given tons of cards is normally a huge boon.

 

[Dahbomb]

If I spot a mill druid quickly, most of my control aggro decks can win by keeping cards in hand lower than usual.

That doesn't work with the Mill deck which has the deck filled with AOE clears. That's the first thing people think of doing but it doesn't work out as well in the actual match.

Okay so what's considered the best Mill Druid list

I have tried 3 different ones and this one is the best for me personally:

2x Naturalize
2x Wrath
1x Brewmaster
2x Wild Pyromancer
2x Grove Tender
1x Big Game Hunter
2x Coldlight Oracle
2x Healing Touch
2x Swipe
2x Keeper of the Grove
2x Poison Seeds
2x Starfall
2x Antique Healbot
2x Force of Nature
2x Starfire
1x Tree of Life

1x either Ooze or Harrison Jones (for weapon decks)


This deck doesn't have any minion bigger than a 3/3 or a 2/4. It's all AOE clears + big nukes, utility minions and heals. It's also the cheapest one to make. I also really like Loatheb in this deck.

You can choose to have a second Brewmaster in there as well but often it ends up being a dead card for me.

Most people are actually not that good with this deck from what I have seen online. Even I make a lot of mistakes, it's not the easiest deck to play.

 

[johnsmith]

I've lost once with deathrattle priest. But I misplayed and gave him too much value from his board clears and drew with Northshire before realizing what he was playing. Even then he barely squeaked out a win. It's a pretty garbage deck imo. It's a "fun" deck, but not a good one.

 

[FiveSix4Three]

Was messing around with a hodgepodge rogue mech deck for quests and I'm surprised at the burst possibilities the deck presented.

It was like playing rogue pvp in vanilla wow. Ambush -> Backstab -> Dead

 

[Professor Lich]

It was like playing rogue pvp in vanilla wow. Ambush -> Backstab -> Dead

Good thing it's a rock, paper, scissors system. Scissors beats paper, paper beats rock, and rock beats scissors. Except rock can't find scissors because scissors is invisible.

 

[Magnus]

I fucking LOVE Thoughtsteal.

Mashed a control warrior just now with the products of my two Thoughtsteals:

1x Brawl (took out three of his minions - Ragnaros, Armorsmith, and Taskmaster - leaving my one minion alive)

1x Shield Block (drew my Mind Control)

1x Death's Bite

1x Grommash

Death's Bite deathrattle enraged Grommash right on cue for a 10-charge-hit. He executed it, then played his own Grommash.

Which I MC'd.

lololololol

The mind-controlling and stealing nature of so many Priest cards make it such a fun class to play. I'm in love.

 

[Servbot #42]

I think i'm gonna save gold all this week just to see how much gold i can get weekly, with some luck i can get 500 by sunday. I just want to open a bunch of packs at once since that seems better.

 

[Blu(e)]

I fucking LOVE Thoughtsteal.

Mashed a control warrior just now with the products of my two Thoughtsteals:

1x Brawl (took out three of his minions - Ragnaros, Armorsmith, and Taskmaster - leaving my one minion alive)

1x Shield Block (drew my Mind Control)

1x Death's Bite

1x Grommash

Death's Bite deathrattle enraged Grommash right on cue for a 10-charge-hit. He executed it, then played his own Grommash.

Which I MC'd.

lololololol

The mind-controlling and stealing nature of so many Priest cards make it such a fun class to play. I'm in love.

Mind Control: Nominated as "Spell Most Likely to Make Your Opponent Punch the Wall." Priest is probably the most infuriating class to play against if his luck is really good.

 

[Magnus]

Mind Control: Nominated as "Spell Most Likely to Make Your Opponent Punch the Wall." Priest is probably the most infuriating class to play against if his luck is really good.

Word.

I can FEEL the rage from my enemies when I blow up two of his minions with Shadow Madness, or steal a valuable minion that just happens to have low attack power with a Cabal Shadow Priest.

Or of course, swiping a Rag or a Deathwing with MC.

TEARS

BEAUTIFUL SALTY TEARS

 

[ACE 1991]

http://2p.com/20659741_1/GvG-Cancer-Zoolock-by-Xixo-by-Jamniczek.htm

Running this deck at the moment because I am a bad person. Went from rank 20 to 15 incredibly easily, it's borderline broken. I imagine it'll be less powerful the higher I go in ranks, however.

 

[tylerf]

I normally suck at drafting so after reading all the complaints about arena in this thread I decided to give it a shot. Took every 2 drop offered and just spammed face. 6 win run without even trying. Thanks guys!

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

lol, playing face hunter just to finish hunter quest quick... queue into mill druid... he naturalizes and then loses the game.

I normally suck at drafting so after reading all the complaints about arena in this thread I decided to give it a shot. Took every 2 drop offered and just spammed face. 6 win run without even trying. Thanks guys!

drafting high amount of 2s is a viable, but not the only viable, way to play arena. Probably won't get you 12 wins often.

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

Word.

I can FEEL the rage from my enemies when I blow up two of his minions with Shadow Madness, or steal a valuable minion that just happens to have low attack power with a Cabal Shadow Priest.

Or of course, swiping a Rag or a Deathwing with MC.

TEARS

BEAUTIFUL SALTY TEARS

I've got the beast in my sights.

 

[JSR_Cube]

Bad luck: had Ragaros, two Coghammers, and Toshley In my arena deck but still only managed three wins as I lost all three to Face Hunters.

Good luck: got 60 gold and Sneed from my arena pack!

 

[OJdaKiller]

Used to play a lot prior to June/July 2014 and just started playing again yesterday.

So I know about the old builds, but with the new cards (Naxx and GvN) what's become popular?

I played around with Abominations and Eggs...Deathrattle run stuff...but that was just testing stuff.

In short, what are the new styles for Priest and Druid? (the two I primarily play0

 

[NameGenerated]

I love drafting mage and having no fireballs or flamestrikes or blizzards show up. Love it.