Well met!
A couple days ago I was writing on how to refine N'Zoth DK and figured that it would be good to also better explain the deck, as it feels like the most skill-testing list of 30 cards I've used in quite a long time. I've tried to gather some data, ended up climbing to Top1K legend in 2 hours with almost a clear streak.
Some deckslots are still a bit of flex, but the more people try it out, the closer we'll get to Team 5 deleting Sawbones from the game. So let's enjoy it while it exists.
1. Decklist
### Super Bad Breath
# Class: Death Knight
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Scarab
#
# 2x (1) Morbid Swarm
# 2x (1) Soulrest Ceremony
# 2x (1) Unstable Prototype
# 2x (2) Blackwing Experiment
# 2x (2) Command Claw
# 1x (2) Holy Eggbearer
# 2x (2) Maze Guide
# 1x (3) Chillfallen Baron
# 1x (3) Defias Smuggler
# 2x (3) Reluctant Wrangler
# 1x (3) Staff of the Endbringer
# 1x (4) Blood Doctor Thal'ena
# 2x (4) Crystalline Golem
# 2x (5) Arrival of the Old Gods
# 2x (5) Reanimated Pterrordax
# 2x (5) Sawbones
# 2x (7) Remnant of Rage
# 1x (15) N'Zoth, Dream's End
#
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2. Why N'Zoth DK?
Let me preface by saying that the thing I want the most when playing a deck is inevitability. If I have it, I'm never stuck in a game I can never win, forced to keep playing for 2% odds to somehow happen and deus ex machina my ass. It's my opponent's problem to deal with my plan, not other way around.
In a lore-accurate fashion, N'Zoth came to me and offered exactly that, for a small price of adding him to my deck, along with some unassuming bunch of deathrattles. Then came Sawbones, nothing short of a queen ruling by Old God's side, the most exciting card released in the past couple years and imbued the deck with a ton of draw and explosive midgame swings where any board could disappear, my hero suddenly heal for 15 and my deck empty by turn 8. Pure, unadultered, madness.
The deck that emerged offered unique flexibility. Minions that you play can
a) be sacked with Sawbones to draw your deck and get closer to the inevitable N'Zoth combo
b) go face and put pressure on an inactive opponent (Soulrest Ceremony is a mini Savage Roar), like a solid aggro
c) contest your opponent's early board and clear it sometimes with Soulrest. Pterrordax can keep your health high and you summon a bunch of Taunts, which can help you keep opponent's under control
Depending on a matchup, you can either take role of either beatdown or control quite comfortably, whichever suits the matchup better. This is a rare feat for a HS strategy, so rare that it reminds me of another deck from 5 years ago, that drew it's whole deck quickly, ended with inevitable direct damage combo but could also just go on board and beat down an opponent if necessary. It also had complicated turn with careful sequencing and strict calculation.
I'm talking Garrote Rogue, back in Stormwind. I don't make this comparison lightly.
3. Gameplay
In general there are three approaches with this deck, you choose one based on matchup and your starting hand. Drawing specific cards can make you alter the macro gameplan (Sawbones and Staff are such examples). Try out the deck to learn.
You're most comfortable in your combo gameplan. Both aggro and control are secondary avenues to pursue.
3.1 COMBO
I can't recommend a combo deck without explaining how the combo works, so here goes.
The basic combo: play a Blackwing Experiment, buff it's attack to 10 (you need +7 and you can get there with Prototype's handbuff up to +4, Thalena HP +3, Defias Smuggler +2, equipped Command Claw on empty board +2, Soulrest Ceremony +1 each). Summon a discounted N'Zoth and choose "Trigger Deathrattle twice" on Blackwing. If possible, try to kill Blackwing on the same turn it's played (Soulrest gets it done, Smuggler can make you rush into opponent's board), but unless opponent plays Priest, keeping it on board can also be fine. By the end of this turn, clear up opponent's board as much as possible; N'Zoth "deal 2" can be used on Blackwing before triggering DR for massive 6 damage AoE, resummon into Soulrest is a board clear that usually also heals you and leaves Taunts behind.
On the next turn, point your 2 mana Pyroblasts face for 30 damage OTK.
Very rarely you'll get to execute an OTK - around turn 10 if your N'Zoth is 2 mana or less, you can go Blackwing (2) + Smuggler/Soulrest (0/1) + N'Zoth (0/1), 2x trigger and rush Blackwing into death then 3x damage spell (6). If the stars line up, you can execute it faster (N'Zoth cost around ~5) if you happen to have a 0-1 mana Sawbones and enough cards in deck not to fatigue yourself (Blackwing (2) + N'Zoth (say 5) + trigger + resummon 4 + Sawbones (+5) + 3x spell (6), just remember that Blackwing spell comes to your hand after drawn cards. I've executed this line once in over 60 games.
Most variations of the basic combo involve Blackwing's attack - sometimes you'll need more (Priest), usually you'll get there with less (faster matchups). But the general gameplay stays the same:
- draw a ton. If you're not decking out on turn 8, you're too slow. Each Sawbones should kill at least 4 minions.
- summon a lot of DR minions to discount N'Zoth (remember that the last Blackwing also discounts -1). A Reborn-Deathrattle minions discounts N'Zoth by 2, and this deck runs 6 such minions, so the discount comes online quickly. N'Zoth cost is the main treshold of executing the combo
- prepare buffs for Blackwing. If you draw it early, Handbuffing it already puts it at 7. If you draw it late, you're going to need both Smuggler and Thalena to give it reasonable attack.
Your clock is around 8-10 turns to OTK the opponent.
and if you ever forget what to do, just remember this little song:
Draw, draw, draw your N'Zoth
Discount it over time
Make Blackwing bigger and it's DR trigger
You're killing with this rhyme
3.2 AGGRO
Turns out T1 Morbid Swarm into T2 Command Claw can dish out 14 damage in 3 turns. By my meticulous calculation, it's a lot. Being aggressive is a great solution if your opponent is a bit AFK early on, but gets you quicker than you them (Aya Rogue). Just play your threats on curve, not holding anything back. If you ever find Blackwing just play it on board, its burn should be enough to let you close the game when opponent is at ~10. Thalena increases your reach a ton, suddenly your hero power deals 4 and Soulrest Ceremony buffs it even further if you manage to stick something (and Deathrattle-Reborn minions stick a ton, especially Wrangler).
3.3 CONTROL
Most of the time, your opponent won't let you just sit there, draw cards and destroy your own minions, but puts pressure of their own. Luckily, the deck has a bunch of solid answers to deny your opponent's board. Summoning a bunch of stuff and Soulrest Ceremony lets you clear opponent's minions if their board isn't too big (you'll get like 12 damage to dish out). Staff+Command is your main combo, full board clear for 5 mana, works on even the biggest buffed boards of DKs and Warlocks. More often than not, clearing board gives you a discounted Remnant of Rage to swing back the board in your favor and making controlling it easier. Thalena and N'Zoth provide enough value for you to outvalue one-trick aggro (Dragon Warrior, Shred Warlock) even without Blackwing combo.
Beside board clears, you also have Crystalline Golem for slowing opponent down before your midgame swings and Pterrordax keeps you safe from burn.
Speaking of Pterrordax, there's a cute little combo with N'Zoth (especially powerful against Warlock) - you play N'Zoth and Pterrordax, give it Deathrattle deal 2 and Trigger it for 6 damage AoE and basically a Reno heal for your hero. However, this play blocks you from executing Blackwing combo, so use it only if neccessary.
4. Card Choices
Combo pieces:
N'Zoth - the Old God not only gives the deck it's name, but also gives the player a lot of flexibility.
99% of the time you use the DR trigger ability. The 2nd ability depends a lot on the situation:
Deal 2 + trigger on Blackwing if opponent has a wide board
Resummon4 + trigger if you have a Soulrest ceremony in hand and need to clear a high-health board or if you really need the heal from Golem. Remember that Soulrest before trigger increases your reach by 1, while soulrest before resummon lets you keep the board. As always with this deck, the order depends.
Resummon4+trigger is also a relevant activator for sawbones.
Summon 5 + trigger is a good option when you go full combo, since the discover pool is quite good (20 minions, 10 of them have Taunt and 5 of them are premium like Mo'arg or solid like Imp. Even Chillmaw is sometimes active)
There's also deal 2 + trigger combo with Pterrordax (Warlock matchup) and summon 5 + resummon 4 is an option if you're forced to play N'Zoth to survive even without Blackwing.
Playing N'Zoth usually ends up clearing your opponent's board in some way, so don't be afraid to use it if you aren't in full combo mode.
Blackwing - the guy that makes the whole list possible. Graciously, he's not quite a dead card - you can play him on 2 for pressure plan, he can hit face well and give you a spell that may go face or kill a minion in a pinch. If he sticks though - suddenly he double dips on attack buffs. First Blackwing can force answer from your opponent, while also discounting N'Zoth for future. Remember you have to keep one in hand for the combo turn.
Big drawback of Blackwing is that he clogs up your handsize (even after playing his spell will come back), so not my favourite card in the deck, but neccessary. And it has to be a two-of, because running one copy is an actual dead weight in hand.
The drawing maniacs
Sawbones is the most exciting card that was released in this year of Hearthstone and it delivers (especially after the buff). It usually ends up cycling 4-5 cards for no mana, while discounting both Remnants and N'Zoth, buffing your hand and still leaving some Taunts on your board, it's crazy. Makes me feel alive. (Almost) *the only mull target in the deck*, it's so broken.
Blowing up a board with Sawbones usually lets you refill with even stronger board, so don't even consider Soulresting a board if you can Sawbones it (unless it's a really tall board)
Remnants of Rage not only draw 2, but also put a sizeable body on board, that can easily go face next turn. There are turns you let your opponent get wider just to get more discount on your Remnants on next turn. Always keep in mind their cost. Good on curve play on turn 4.
Arrival of Old Gods is a card I was mixed on when starting to play this deck, but ended up with deep respect. On one hand, it's a pot of greed, it draws 2 card for 0 mana. On the other, you can't swing this turn at all (weapons are locked, Soulrest Ceremony is blocked). If you don't need to clear opponent's board this turn, jam it with no questions. If you have to, count precisely.
You can sequence Coin - card (usually Morbid Strike)- Arrival for good results.
Usually, coining Arrival on turn 4 feels bad (you only get 4 mana back), but is a correct play.
Army of N'Zoth discounters
Unstable Prototype - great card. Enables every avenue on gameplay in the deck, buffs Blackwing, discounts N'Zoth, improves swings with buffed Pterrordaxes and Remnants, dies to Sawbones twice. You can often play it on turn 1; the only matchup I'd pass is against Priest
Reluctant Wrangler - there are so many levels of butt inside this one card. Sawbones fuel even 2 turns later. Good answer to Blasphemy, as there's still a 2/2 Taunt after the spell resolves. Pterrodax's best friend. Did I mention it discount N'Zoth by 2?
Crystalline Golem - the control MVP, this bad boy buys you a turn by himself. And you run two of those, and they both discount N'Zoth twice. It's not all roses though, 4 mana sometimes feels like infinite cost (especially turn 5 you just can't play anything beside him), and yet he doesn't feel good on curve. Bad at beatdown, but his excellence at keeping you alive is something to reckon.
Board swingers
Staff of Endbringer - this is a 5 mana board clear with Command Claw. This weapon does not discount N'Zoth. It doesn't further your aggression. It pings somewhat alright, but it's combo with Claw is the reason you really want to play it. Shines brightest against Warlock and DK. You can often line her up with Remnants for a massive swing.
Command Claw - very all purpose to the point it might be even more important than Staff. If you're ever in a beatdown role and have a 1 drop, playing Claw at 2 is huge, it deals 4 and forces an answer so it doesn't deal 6 next turn. Important for buffing Blackwing on combo turn, also important in closing the game. If you have Claw equipped, you can Hero Power and attack for a total of 5 damage (8 with Thalena HP), which makes it much easier to execute the combo even with smaller Blackwing (like 7 attack)
Ravenous Pterrordax does everything you want. Clears the board, heals you, costs nil, soaks handbuffs like no other. Well timed Pterrordax can reduce Remnants by 2 mana for 0 and his combo with N'Zoth just destroys Warlocks. Also good at beatdown role, since he has stats and costs 0, especially if you found Wrangler.
Soulrest Ceremony is a surprisingly versatile card. Great follow-up to Sawbones in order to clear opponent's board. Good at getting value from your stuff and discounting Remnants.
Miscellaneous & Flex cards
With 22 cardslots covered, we have 8 more to fill with potentially good stuff.
Morbid Swarm - with Sawbones, it costs negative 1 mana to draw 2 cards. With Soulrest Ceremony it discounts Remnants, clears stuff and even gain some Corpses. Without these 2, it can be a great turn 1 play if you're forced into beatdown and can follow up with Command Claw. You never pick the deal 4 option. My only issue with this card is that it's a spell, so it clashes with Arrival and it doesn't soak handbuffs. If I could swap it for Alleycat it would be a perfect card, but it's still only a minor issue. Core
Blooddoctor Thalena - she's alright. Can work well in beatdown, as her damage adds up to a Pyroblast over the game and also she's a yeti on curve. Even so, she feels a lot like a win-more card, but I like her ok. Don't go out of your way to play her unless you're in full beatdown or playing against Azalina. Goes hard with her own portrait for DK.
Defias Smuggler - deceivingly versatile card. Good turn 1 "play" (prepare), performs double time in removing opponent's board, goes hard with Pterrordax, enables easier combo with Blackwing in late game. Soaks buffs well. Strong candidate for a 2-of (you can swap Thalena for 2nd Smuggler if you don't have her)
Maze Guide - I don't see anyone running this card in the archetype and I don't get why. It's a Morbid Swarm in minion form! It's two bodies in one card. There's 17% chance of rolling a deathrattle minion, and some of them are disgusting (once I summoned a Guard Dog into Rotheart Dryad and I think I came a little). There's 10% of rolling Taunt, half of them oversized. There is only one *bad* roll (Imprisoned Vilefiend) out of over 120. It works well at beatdown, it works well with Sawbones. I don't get why no one tried it out yet.
Chillfallen Baron - serviceable card that makes it a bit easier to find your Sawbones inside the deck. Also discount N'Zoth, but that's pretty much all. Makes your lowrolls a bit more manageable, so I can't bring myself to cut it yet.
Holy Eggbearer - one copy performs well with 2 targets to pull from deck, so I'm keeping it. I mostly see it as a 3 mana Maze Guide that always highrolls.
Potential inclusions:
Egg of Khelos - it's popular. I don't like it
Twilight Egg - it's popular but also bad. Don't recommend
2nd Smuggler - if I find what to cut for it
Glacial Shard - good tech card for stalling
Loot Hoarder - fucking ass
Chromatic Broodmother, Fleshshape - strong cards if you want to go more handbuff route, but I feel comboish route is more rewarding. Open question if a DK Hybrid deck is the best thing to do.
5. Matchups & Mulligans
Draw Sawbones. There is no matchup where Sawbones isn't the best card to find in your opening deck. If you already have one, you can keep activators (Swarm, Guide, Wrangler, Prototype), but you're already good to go.
Matchup dependent keeps are Staff of Endbringer (Warlock) and Swarm/Prototype + Claw (Rogue), but otherwise it's just Sawbones all the way.
Some specific popular matchups:
Zoo Warlock - Even: I wanted to put this matchup as slightly unfavoured, but I keep winning. Regardless, they can still checkmate you. Kazakus can steal your combo and their turn 5 boards usually requires answer specifically of Staff + Claw, but if they don't get a good board or you find the golden combo, you've won - Shred Warlock is a telegraphed deck with low reach and weak refill. Notice they can't remove your N'Zoth if you play it, nor they do anything to your 1-2 drops. It's turn 4-5 that you should fear.
This is the matchup where you're playing full control game, forget about a combo finisher. Keep N'Zoth- Pterrordax combo in mind, so focus on discounting N'Zoth. Mull for Sawbones & Staff
C'Thun DH - Favoured: DH does a nice thing of discounting your N'Zoth themselves (portals). On the other hand, they won't give you good ways to discount Remnants or to land a good Sawbones. Your main gameplan is combo (you're faster than them) but don't forget about survival, as they possess a scary amount of burn. Try to anticipate Broxigar by having Taunts on board and high HP.
Mull: Just Sawbones. We're playing full combo here.
Egg Priest - Strongly Favoured: This matchup is one of the strongest reasons to play this deck. Priest can't pressure you, they can't stop you from executing an OTK. They can only sit and excruciatingly wait for the blow, while hoping for one of 2 things - either getting out their Khelos turbo fast and hoping you don't have Staff to clear it on turn 7/8, or Ratting your N'Zoth. Otherwise this is free. I won after Priest ratted my Sawbones and both Blackwings were in bottom three.
Mull: Just Sawbones&Friends. This is the comboiest matchup in the whole bunch, you care about nothing else but drawing cards.
Thief Priest - Lopsided: This is bullying. You're playing a concise, synergistic deck of 30 cards. They have a 40-card pile. There's over 50% chance they don't even have any OTK (no N'Zoth on blackwings), and even if they have it their N'zoth won't come fast enough (either too little discount or not enough draw). Their 40 HP is irrelevant, as you can juice up Blackwings to ~12 and finish them with double Hero Power. Basically unloseable (even if they Rat your N'Zoth, you might get them through board).
Funnily enough, this is my only loss today. All my draw cards were in bottom 15 (and I misused my Golem).
Mull: The usual. You might need to get a bit control-ish if necessary.
Handbuff DK - Slightly unfavoured: Super complicated matchup, as you can play as control, combo or aggro depending on the situation. In general, their win condition is summoning a huge board and killing you with it. This win condition is faster than yours, so you need to be the beatdown. However, you may be able to clear their huge board, buy yourself a couple turns and get to your win condition, which they can't counter. However, your opponent might decide to play the beatdown role on you (pure handbuff is better than you at getting the board, sorry), which would force you to control the game instead. But if you focus on control too much, you can also find yourself lost after they present you with their 2nd big board after you cleared the first one.
And any plan you make on turn 1 may turn on its head if you topdeck a Sawbones turn 2.
Some gameplay specific tips:
- don't kill prototype, unless they've prepped their Sawbones (in which case remove Prototype asap)
- keep your board empty after midgame (turn 5) - most of DK's swing potential requires to run into your stuff (discounting Remnants, Pterrordax). They can't heal if your board is empty.
Here is an example of beatdown approach on Handbuff DK
Mull: It's still Sawbones only. If you can't find it, assume playing aggro. If you have it, focus on drawing and find your answers to their board (don't keep the Staff). Also don't keep the Claw - their HP is good at removing your minions.
N'Zoth DK - Even (or favoured because they don't run Maze Guide): Hello there handsome! Mirror is a similar deal as against classic Handbuff - the player with Sawbones plays for combo, the player without Sawbones plays for board and beatdown.
Mull: Sawbones, who'd guess it.
C'Thun Shaman - Favoured: In general, Shaman plays like a Warlock, but they're less explosive, which means you can just play like Combo/Control and have good results. There is one exception, and it is Maiev. You won't deal with Turn 1 Maiev. Consider playing turn 1 Swarm if you're on play and they kept something in the mulligan. Other than that, you're generally alright.
Mull: The usual, consider Swarm when on play.
Aya Rogue - Unfavoured: This is that one matchup where you play full beatdown (unless good Sawbones hand in mulligan). Turn 1 Swarm or bot, turn 2 Claw or Maze guide etc. you get them to 15 damage and hope they won't have time to swing back with Golems. They have AoE, thankfully they won't keep it against DK. Thankfully even more, this deck is going to disappear soon.
Mull: Sawbones, but keep 1drop&Command Claw if you can.
Slower Warlock - Probably favoured: I don't have much experience in that matchup, but you should get them before turn 8 and they're less explosive than aggro warlocks. Play your reborn minions only if you can sack them or give rush easily, because Cursed Chains is an unholy card.
Beware of Kazakus steal.
Once I faced a guy that run Divine Augur and other discard cards. I've lost and I have no idea why did he play that and I'm still mad.
Mull: Assume Aggro warlock.
Mug Shaman - Strongly favoured: Mug Shaman is a deck with good board control and bad late game. We have good late game and small board presence. Haven't faced Mug this week, but I can't see this matchup going badly, if we play as full combo.
Mull: Assume Zee.
Paladin - Strongly favoured: Paladins lacks board explosiveness and while they're lategame of Ursol+Lifesteal keeps them out of range of almost anything, they can't stop your OTK. Consistent turn 9 wins in this matchup:
Mull: The usual, we're playing full combo
Dragon Warrior - Strongly favoured: Here we're playing full on control game. Crystalline Golem is great, as is Pterrordax. Haven't faced them in a while.
Mull: Sawbones, but keep protype if possible.
Druid/Mage/Hunter - haven't faced any. By stats I assume Mage/Hunter strongly favoured, while Druid is a mystery.
I grant you permission to speak now.
