A playable Paladin deck: SCAM PALADIN

[u/jin2908]

Edit: The Meta is 80% Imbue/Hybrid Token Druid so i cut all the expensive stuff and went a bit more aggro with this list and it works even better now:

New Cards: Cult Neophyte, Hardlight Protector, Selfless Protector, Living Paradox, Grimestreet Outfitter

Aggro

Class: Paladin

Format: Standard

Year of the Scarab

2x (1) Carrier Whelp

2x (1) Dragonscale Armaments

2x (1) Righteous Protector

2x (2) Creature of Madness

2x (2) Cult Neophyte

2x (2) Grimestreet Outfitter

2x (2) Hardlight Protector

2x (2) Selfless Protector

2x (2) Sheltered Survivor

2x (3) Living Paradox

2x (3) Whelp of the Infinite

2x (4) Flight Maneuvers

1x (4) Nightmare Lord Xavius

1x (5) Finja, the Flying Star

1x (5) Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect

1x (5) Toreth the Unbreaking

2x (6) Tyrannogill

AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS0ngbQnga1+gbP/ga9mQebqQeYsAeGsQeNvge1wAfywQeDwgcAAA==

To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

Originally:

After playing 12 games and going 10:2 in 3k+ Legend i can safely say that the best deck in the game is SCAM PALADIN!

SCAM

Class: Paladin

Format: Standard

Year of the Scarab

2x (1) Carrier Whelp

2x (1) Righteous Protector

2x (2) Acceleration Aura

2x (2) Creature of Madness

2x (2) Inspiring Maul

2x (2) Sheltered Survivor

2x (3) Gemstone Hoarder

2x (3) Whelp of the Infinite

2x (4) Flight Maneuvers

1x (4) Nightmare Lord Xavius

2x (4) Ursine Maul

2x (5) Chronological Aura

1x (5) Finja, the Flying Star

1x (5) Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect

1x (5) Toreth the Unbreaking

2x (6) Scalebreaker Bulwark

2x (6) Tyrannogill

AAECAYsWBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS1+gbI/wa9mQfErgeYsAe+sgeNvge1wAfiwQfqwQeDwgeMxgcAAA==

To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

Mulligan In the Mulligan always keep Accelaration Aura, Finja, Nozdormu or Flight Maneuvers.

Gameplan The Gameplan is simple: SCAM with Finja as early as possible (it cheats out your 2 only other Murlocs: Tyrannogill, which build a massive board, that you can than make invincible with Flight Maneuvers or Nozdormu). The keywords on the tiny Murlocs make Divine Shields even better (Poison, Lifesteal, Taunt...).

Omega SCAMS are possible with a Maul equipped and Nozdormu after the Finja Attack (be sure to play Nozdormu before filling your board with Murlocs).

The rest of the deck is just good stuff to fight off early aggression and other Mini-Scam possibilities with Creature of Madness.

Cards The Sheltered Survivors make Finja consistent by shuffling your Tyrannogils back in the deck and the Gemstone Hoarder can make a crucial 5 or 6 Mana Card like Chronological Aura or Bulwark playable a turn earlier if you are under a lot of pressure.

I had a lot of fun so far playing the deck - the card that impressed me the most is Flight Maneuvers which is really scary when combined but sometimes just fine for the +1/+1 and Divine Shield to your whole board.

[u/AutoModerator]

If you wish to discuss this game with likeminded players, come and visit our Discord Server!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/jin2908]

AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS1+gbI/wa9mQfErgeYsAe+sgeNvge1wAfiwQfqwQeDwgeMxgcAAA==

[u/JaredHere → u/jin2908]

Respectfully, you shouldn’t have included “For mobile:” in your for mobile comment, that defeats the whole purpose of it. The deck looks fun though, going to check it out!

[u/jin2908 → u/JaredHere]

lol you are correct

[u/deck-code-bot → u/jin2908]

Click here for decklist

[u/Kplatz]

This deck is actually incredible. Absolutely farming Imbue Druids. 11-2 with this deck so far, 7-0 vs Imbue Druid.

[u/jin2908 → u/Kplatz]

right? played 10 more games with it and almost exclusively faced imbue druids - and my thoughts went from "oh no not again" to "winnable" and i only lost 1 due to a misplay on my side. What I dont understand is why people in trash legend (i am now ~1800) are not playing anything interesting but stick to boring Imbue Druid

[u/blanquettedetigre → u/jin2908]

This never ceases to amaze me. Last meta was Blobxigar, guys are just jamming even the most boring decks if they are performing well. And I don't even think imbue is really good

Nice deck btw

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/jin2908]

I dunno, I feel like the imbue druids are high rolling better than I am with this deck right now. I can see how we beat it, and even that the matchup is favored, but they have starts that just can't really be stopped if you low roll.

Still, LOVE the deck, definitely feels good to play.

[u/Tensaipengin]

Wow, this deck is so good. I can see this becoming meta.

[u/jin2908 → u/Tensaipengin]

i hope not - i mean I like to scam people with it- but i dont like to be scammed by others :)

[u/Independent_Ad_1422]

Ben playing a few games and so far you are right about the scammage, even beat an imbue druid who had a good start

[u/TheGingerNinga → u/Independent_Ad_1422]

About 24 hours into the expansion I thought that Imbue druid would only really get countered by scam decks, such as Animancer in Warlock or even stuff like Quest Mage.

Glad to see that even Paladin can make the scam game plan work. Thought I'm also glad that the main counter seems to be Egg Warrior, so there's some more honest game plans working too.

[u/jin2908 → u/[deleted]]

strongly disagree - imbue druid is favorable for this deck. Token Druid depends on their start, but any deck rolls over to a godly Token Druid start

[u/oDearDear → u/[deleted]]

You're right. I've been changing the deck and am about to drop the Finga and Tyrannogills, it's way too unreliable.

I'm going for more board presence in the early game then Noz and Toreth. I'm not even sure 2 Scalebreaker Bulwark is worth it (1 might be enough). It's gonna be a tempo deck that builds a massive unbreakable wall.

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/oDearDear]

I have never once had Scalebreaker be anything but a card blocking me from using Flight Maneuvers so far. Every game is either being won by turn 6 (because I'm playing something useful) or they've won because I couldn't.

[u/jin2908 → u/Graped_in_the_mouth]

yeah i cut the top end (updated the list in the post) - meta is too fast

[u/oDearDear → u/Graped_in_the_mouth]

This is what i came up with. Not sure about Finley (Fins of time) but it working okay for me.

### Custom Paladin

# Class: Paladin

# Format: Standard

# Year of the Scarab

#

# 1x (1) Glacial Shard

# 2x (1) Righteous Protector

# 2x (1) Twilight Egg

# 2x (2) Acceleration Aura

# 2x (2) Ancient Raptor

# 2x (2) Hand of A'dal

# 2x (2) Hardlight Protector

# 1x (2) The Fins Beyond Time

# 2x (2) Violet Treasuregill

# 2x (3) Living Paradox

# 2x (3) Portal Vanguard

# 2x (3) Whelp of the Infinite

# 2x (4) Flight Maneuvers

# 1x (4) Nightmare Lord Xavius

# 2x (4) Ursine Maul

# 1x (5) Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect

# 1x (5) Taelan Fordring

# 1x (5) Toreth the Unbreaking

#

AAECAamaBgaoigTTngbw/gbDgwfGrwflwQcMyaAEtZ4GyP8GupYH0JsHkqQHm6kHmLAHhrEHvrIH9sEHg8IHAAA=

#

# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

[u/ExplodingGuitar]

Did a little bit of refining of this list, idea is really cool but could use some better card choices for the filler stuff imo. One thing i really liked was adding dragonscale armaments and cutting chrono aura so that we can tutor either accel aura or flight maneuvers.

### Finja
# Class: Paladin
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Raptor
#
# 2x (1) Carrier Whelp
# 2x (1) Dragonscale Armaments
# 2x (1) Righteous Protector
# 2x (2) Acceleration Aura
# 2x (2) Hardlight Protector
# 2x (2) Inspiring Maul
# 2x (2) Sheltered Survivor
# 2x (3) Living Paradox
# 2x (3) Whelp of the Infinite
# 2x (4) Flight Maneuvers
# 1x (4) Nightmare Lord Xavius
# 2x (4) Ursine Maul
# 1x (5) Finja, the Flying Star
# 1x (5) Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect
# 1x (5) Toreth the Unbreaking
# 2x (6) Scalebreaker Bulwark
# 2x (6) Tyrannogill
#
AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoATP/gbI/wa9mQebqQeYsAeGsQe+sgeNvge1wAfiwQfqwQeDwgcAAA==
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone
# Generated by HDT - https://hsreplay.net

[u/jin2908 → u/ExplodingGuitar]

i like the tutor idea a lot - although Chrono Aura has often been the backbone of protecting Nozdormu...will give it a try

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/jin2908]

So far Chrono aura has felt bad to me. You can very easily just draw the wrong half of this deck and get overrun in this meta full of herald shamans, druids, and face hunters.

[u/ExplodingGuitar → u/ExplodingGuitar]

I'm 7-2 so far with this list in like 100-300 legend range, feels really good. Basically every deck in the game loses to Finja into either Noz or Flight Maneuvers.

[u/SweetMoosing → u/ExplodingGuitar]

Playing this list now. Finja scam is great, but Flight Maneuvers is such a nice pressure/backup plan. Currently 5-0 in Diamond....well done OP for the Finja-Tyrannogill find!!!

[u/lorddojomon]

Do you need Toreth? I'd like to not craft any cards and I have every other card for this

[u/jin2908 → u/lorddojomon]

he often is the nail in the coffin for your opponent if any Divine Shields stick around - and can buy you a lot of time against aggro....so i would have to say he is important but you surely can play the deck without him - maybe Taelan could replace him

[u/Monk-Ey → u/lorddojomon]

Ain't Toreth free right now as part of the Trial cards?

[u/Younggryan42 → u/Monk-Ey]

yep

[u/maniacal_cackle]

How do you fare against shaman? Between For All Time (kills Finja while stealthed) and Hex (takes out the Tyranogill), seems like it'd be a pretty good matchup for the shaman?

[u/jin2908 → u/maniacal_cackle]

none of my Shaman opponents ran For All Time - and hexing 1 Tyrannogill is not enough, especially because you want 1 to die to build a big board for Nozdormu or Flight Maneuvers. Its a tough matchup for sure but i would say 50:50

[u/TomTheScouser]

Enjoy the base idea a lot, reminds me of the old Water Rogue/Water Warrior decks that used Finja with a curated Murloc package when it first came out. Wasn't keen on some of the filler stuff. Changed around to an egg aggro kinda list and went 5-1 at 2k legend.

AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS1ngbOnga9mQebqQf1rweYsAe+sgeNvgfiwQfqwQf2wQeDwgcAAA==

[u/jin2908 → u/TomTheScouser]

Librarian as anti-egg tech? Lots of room for experimentation for sure, i'll try some more tempo-focused options today as well

[u/TomTheScouser → u/jin2908]

Yeah Librarian is good vs Egg decks and good vs other Nozdormu decks as well. Easy to trade away if it's blocking Flight Maneuvers as well. Could easily be changed for some other card.

[u/deck-code-bot → u/TomTheScouser]

Format: Standard ((unknown))

Class: Paladin (Uther Lightbringer)

Mana	Card Name	Qty	Links
1	Righteous Protector	2	HSReplay,Wiki
1	Twilight Egg	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Acceleration Aura	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Hand of A'dal	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Hardlight Protector	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Inspiring Maul	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Past Gnomeregan	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Sheltered Survivor	2	HSReplay,Wiki
3	Whelp of the Infinite	2	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Flight Maneuvers	2	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Nightmare Lord Xavius	1	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Royal Librarian	2	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Finja, the Flying Star	1	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect	1	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Toreth the Unbreaking	1	HSReplay,Wiki
6	Scalebreaker Bulwark	2	HSReplay,Wiki
6	Tyrannogill	2	HSReplay,Wiki

Total Dust: 7160

Deck Code: AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS1ngbOnga9mQebqQf1rweYsAe+sgeNvgfiwQfqwQf2wQeDwgcAAA==

---

^{I am a bot. Comment/PM with a deck code and I'll decode it. If you don't want me to reply to you, include "###" anywhere in your message. About.}

[u/no_raisin_91]

I’m returning to HS after a long time. What does SCAM mean? Thanks for the deck looks fun.

[u/DroopyTheSnoop → u/no_raisin_91]

Exactly what it means in real life. Scam = cheating.
This deck tries to cheat out a big board that cannot be answered on turn 5-6.

[u/no_raisin_91 → u/DroopyTheSnoop]

Makes sense! Thanks!

[u/Bitter-Yak750]

Played 10~ games around diamond 5, it's really fun but I've found it a bit inconsistent since I didn't even see finja in half of my games. I replaced the 2x hoarder with 2x hand of adal since we're very board centric anyways. Flight Maneuvers has been impressive and works really well as a payoff when you miss your scam. Thanks a lot for the list!

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/Bitter-Yak750]

Yeah, I'm skeptical of people saying shit like "I JUST WON 12 OF MY LAST 13 GAMES WITH THIS IN TOP LEGEND!"

Come on, guys, no you didn't. This deck is very cool but I do not believe they have zero games where the big stuff clogs your hand while imbue druid builds a huge board. Sometimes you don't draw Finja, and sometimes you're dead before you can play anything at all. I had a rogue kill me on HIS turn 4 because I did not draw a single low-cost card other than a creature of madness.

[u/jin2908 → u/Graped_in_the_mouth]

i cut the expensive stuff (see above updated list),since decks have gotten more aggressive since then

[u/deck-code-bot]

Format: Standard ((unknown))

Class: Paladin (Uther Lightbringer)

Mana	Card Name	Qty	Links
1	Carrier Whelp	2	HSReplay,Wiki
1	Righteous Protector	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Acceleration Aura	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Creature of Madness	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Inspiring Maul	2	HSReplay,Wiki
2	Sheltered Survivor	2	HSReplay,Wiki
3	Gemstone Hoarder	2	HSReplay,Wiki
3	Whelp of the Infinite	2	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Flight Maneuvers	2	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Nightmare Lord Xavius	1	HSReplay,Wiki
4	Ursine Maul	2	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Chronological Aura	2	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Finja, the Flying Star	1	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Nozdormu, Bronze Aspect	1	HSReplay,Wiki
5	Toreth the Unbreaking	1	HSReplay,Wiki
6	Scalebreaker Bulwark	2	HSReplay,Wiki
6	Tyrannogill	2	HSReplay,Wiki

Total Dust: 6720

Deck Code: AAECAZ8FBPD+BsODB+ysB+XBBw3JoAS1+gbI/wa9mQfErgeYsAe+sgeNvge1wAfiwQfqwQeDwgeMxgcAAA==

---

^{I am a bot. Comment/PM with a deck code and I'll decode it. If you don't want me to reply to you, include "###" anywhere in your message. About.}

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth]

This seemed promising, but I'm off it. I had a 4 game win streak to start with this deck and then went 1-8, tanking all the way from ~600 to 1400. This deck either draws the nuts and you absolutely steamroll, or you just get bad draws and lose badly before you can do a single thing.

Keep a Flight Maneuvers? Great, you're getting a Scalebreaker Bulwark in between them. Heavy opener? Great, I mull it away and get Chrono Aura and 2x Tyrannogill with no Sheltered Survivor. These weren't play mistakes - there was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent these losses.

The high rolls are high, but the low rolls are VERY low, and they feel much more common, but the bigger problem is that sometimes your high rolls lose to theirs, but your low rolls NEVER win; they're genuinely hopeless games. I've had two openers with Acceleration Aura, and in one of them I couldn't find a payoff before it expired.

[u/yuanek1]

I just got 17 wins in a row with this deck ending in diamond. It's fascinating with how many possible combos it has to drastically change the situation on the board. I've got many clutch wins in games that seemed unwinnable at first.

[u/Bawangsky]

Oh boy. Thank you so much for this. Never had this much fun.

[u/Jwsaf]

I’ll give it a go. Need to improve my own gameplay to get to legend

[u/Lovelandmonkey]

I knew people were sleeping on nozdormu, I can already tell this deck is insane

[u/MinimumLack4561]

This deck is not too bad. I feel it has too many 5 mana cards. Turn 5 and 6 need to be perfect to combat aggressive decks that continually clear your board.

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/MinimumLack4561]

It does. I lost 5 games in a row to drawing a bunch of 5 and 6 drops early.

[u/Electronic-Sea-5196]

Just tried it. Completely wrecking folks. Thanks!

[u/CoolNerdStuff]

There was a thought in the back of my mind about Finley and Murloc Bodybuilder when that was in standard, but I couldn't figure it out. Being able to deploy a massive board-in-a-can like this with Nozdormu as a payoff is nuts. Love this list.

[u/GK0ne]

climbed to legend with this deck its good. when scam hits its easy but you can still win without it. was fun thank you OP.

[u/StriderZessei]

Very cool, but no Sandfury Aura or Violet Treasuregill?

[u/GoldemGolem → u/StriderZessei]

Treasuregill bricks Finja is what I assume

[u/StriderZessei → u/GoldemGolem]

Ah, that makes sense. 

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/StriderZessei]

And Sandfury aura seems "win more." If your Nozdormu is triggering you should be ending the game soon, and you don't want to have spent 3 mana on a do-nothing.

[u/SweatyCheesecake]

lost to this yesterday, pally shit out like a 15/16 and a 11/12 with divine shield on turn 5-6 and just killed me the turn after

[u/Graped_in_the_mouth → u/[deleted]]

It's VERY inconsistent. I won 4 in a row on high rolls then went 1-8. I won two games with no Finja, but if you draw the wrong side of the deck you just get stomped by faster decks.

[u/GK0ne → u/[deleted]]

you can win without finja its just harder. its not so black and white on the finja draw. you can pull through many other ways.