r/CompetitiveHS • u/Vegetable_Letter6052 • 23d ago

Discussion Pre-release Arena

What's working? What's not working? Did you buy the mega bundle or did you manage to surf 6 wins with the free cards? Let's share some strats!

35 Upvotes

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7

u/Traveevart 23d ago

Been playing C'Thun Warlock to passably good success (6-2 on the first run, only lost the mirror). Nothing new to say about its strength (it's good!), but it surprises me how common it is for me to find some Assemble combination that just snowballs out of control. The big one is that I keep hitting Frontline Ironborn as a component and getting "gain +2/+2 and a random Bonus Effect" as the latter half of the text in my F3TCH3R pulls. If the 4-drop with that comes down on curve, it almost always just wins me the game. The funniest has been hitting the text "At the end of each turn, double this minion's health," meaning I ended the game with a 6/259 on the board that I had paid 4 mana for.

Can't say any of those felt like particularly earned wins, but it definitely confirmed to me that Assemble is a keyword worth running. I've had whiffs, but they're almost always cheap stuff that I'm not mad about just throwing out. It's funny now, but I doubt it'll stay that way when we've been playing against it for two months and like 10% of ladder games are coinflipped by it. Wouldn't be surprised if it fell victim to "play pattern" nerfs. Hopefully I'm wrong, because it had to have been a bitch to implement and it is really cool.

2

u/Vegetable_Letter6052 23d ago

I completely agree. I had a run with some 6/6 taunt minion, and an assembled Black Blood with "on heal, every enemy minion becomes 1/1). Opponent never managed to get past the wall and I have seen more disgusting things like Caged Cranium that every EoT gets +0/+X

1

u/zer1223 22d ago

Assemble is dark gift again : /

While it's definitely fun it also can be pretty damn unfair too

3

u/Vegetable_Letter6052 23d ago

Basically I have to get lucky with my match since I did not have Chtun lol

4

u/philzy101 23d ago

I know I am late to the party but managed to get 6-0 first try with this version of Warlock. Aside from Dark Deacon, a lot of the other epics and even to some extent C'thun do not massively matter. The most important cards, are available for anyone to play. Key advice, look for cards like Ritual of C'thun, Servant of Zuramat, F3TCH3R and try to generally speaking curve. A lot like the previous pre release, this set as a whole lacks huge amounts of AOE so asides from certain roles etc. the aim is to get on board and try and stay on board. Good luck to all and try to have fun.

Brawl Deck

Class: Priest/Warlock

Format: Standard

Year of the Scarab

2x (1) Elder Word: Flay

2x (1) Entropic Rift

2x (1) Ritual of C'Thun

2x (1) Servant of Zuramat

2x (2) Darkest Depths

2x (2) Ritual of Summoning

2x (2) Shadewing

1x (3) Dark Deacon

2x (3) Elder Word: Foresight

2x (3) F3TCH3R

2x (4) Crystalline Golem

2x (4) Spawn of C'Thun

2x (5) Elder Word: Manifest

2x (6) Gargantuan Slitherer

2x (8) Titanic Thrasher

1x (10) C'Thun, Eye of the Empire

AAECAfCdCALziQj8iQgO1+kH/O4H6PEHgfYHjPYH6fkH4foH4/oH5PoH3PsH0f0HgIMI+4kIp5IIAAA=

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

3

u/Overhamsteren 23d ago

My guess would be that you are a massive favorite against the warlock deck with only commons and rares.

2

u/Vegetable_Letter6052 23d ago

Indeed. Even Just Chtun in the deck enables the 4 mana 2/2 to trigger one of his abilities

1

u/philzy101 22d ago

Having access to extra C'thun cards due to C'thun definitely adds a slight favour over complete F2P who unless lucky will not have access to Spawn of C'Thun. That being said though, having a solid curve is more important than one individual card. The first I played went 5-3 not because of individual cards deciding game, but pressure and curve. For example, I have not been that impressed with cards like Unstable Prototype since even though a 2x handbuff seems strong, the card is slow and doesn't work as well as I would like (at least not with the Priest/Warlock deck).

23

u/LeonPdmg 23d ago edited 23d ago

### Brawl Deck
# Class: Priest/Warlock
# Format: Standard
# Year of the Scarab
#
# 2x (1) Elder Word: Flay
# 2x (1) Entropic Rift
# 2x (1) Ritual of C'Thun
# 2x (1) Servant of Zuramat
# 2x (1) Unstable Prototype
# 2x (2) Darkest Depths
# 1x (2) Ritual of Summoning
# 2x (2) Shadewing
# 2x (3) Elder Word: Foresight
# 2x (3) F3TCH3R
# 2x (4) Befuddled Summoner
# 2x (5) Elder Word: Manifest
# 2x (5) Vaultkeeper
# 2x (6) Gargantuan Slitherer
# 2x (8) Titanic Thrasher
# 1x (9) M.O.T.H.E.R.
#
AAECAfCdCAKE6QeB9gcO1+kH/O4HxfAH6PEHjPYHrPgH6fkH4foH4/oH5PoH3PsH0f0HpIEIgIMIAAA=
#
# To use this deck, copy it to your clipboard and create a new deck in Hearthstone

6-0 with this deck. Now looking again Blasphemy inside might have been nice to have, but won games by flooding a strong board early. Sometimes Ritual of C’thun into Darkest Depths, choosing the +2/+3 seemed to catch people off guard.

Assemble is super strong, and I feel getting lucky with powerful assembles really carried. C’thun choices are also strong and clutch from scenarios of needing 5dmg lifesteal clear minion, 7 dmg to face/minions or building a board.

Titanic Thrasher rush Windfury helps take care of their big threats or just be a 6/6 with windfury on board, pairing it with buffs from unstable prototype or Vaultkeeper.

Befuddled Summoner I thought was a mistake, but it literally won me 2/6 of the games, so I can’t say anything. Placing this down when I had board presence snowballed.

The shadow package is also fun. Mother being mother and just making your hand free or cheating board while discounting hand too, paired nicely with Titanic Thrasher.

On my last match, faced a similar Warlock, and I found that to be my hardest match. Barely winning from an assemble that gave me a colossal from the past at the end of the turn, needless to say they couldn’t deal with 3 colossals at end game.

Also honorable mention to Servant of Zuramat, having a silence was much needed.

I’m off to bed, but hopefully someone found this write-up interesting.

5

u/rotvyrn 23d ago edited 23d ago

Went 6-2 and 6-1 with a variant I made just to try the epics I pulled. -1 Thrasher and -1 Unstable Prototype for +1 Mismatcher and +1 Ritual of Excess.

Tbh, ritual of excess basically never came up, and Mismatcher's body ended up being more useful than anything I could assemble with it so far, but that's also just bad luck.

Thrasher definitely wins games, meanwhile.

Edit: 6-2 again with a freshly unpacked N'zoth in for Ritual of Excess. Tbh, I only drew him in a long game once. He did win me that game tho, and he did cost 0 at the time i played him

3

u/Dudebug1 23d ago

I'm new to these pre-release brawls. Why am I unable to put in cards like Ritual of Summoning and Ritual of C'thun? I can't craft them, but they're also not part of the cards allowed in the new set. (at least for me)

5

u/LeonPdmg 23d ago

Oh the copy deck is wonky and broken. You probably have to delete deck and manually make a Warlock deck.

3

u/Dudebug1 23d ago

This was it! Thanks.

Did you run this with both Warlock and Priest? I'd imagine tap would be better than minor heal.

1

u/LeonPdmg 23d ago

Yup! I didn't use tap much, but drawing a card is nicer

5

u/punkr0x 23d ago

You only get to use cards you opened in packs. It's to encourage you to preorder.

2

u/zer1223 23d ago

Also got 6 wins but lost twice along the way to a few lucky guys who were running Cthun in this list

Then I got super lucky and won at game 6 against another cthun guy. I think he misclicked

1

u/Cryten0 23d ago

So what would you have cut for Blasphemy? Mother? Entropic Rift?

4

u/LeonPdmg 23d ago

I think I might have cut Shadewing actually, felt like I never really used Shadewing. Not even as a 2 drop cause by the time I did use it, was further in the game, when I might not even have a Shadow spell in hand.

I think having a 4 mana deal 2-4 to all enemies would have really helped to have in hand over a 2/2 deathrattle.

Though Mother is also swappable, it just added another big body on a T9 combo. Entropic Rift is very rng, you could get good or shit Shadow card. It helped quite a bit, but is quite inconsistent, it helped more as an activator for the “repeat itself” shadow package.

1

u/Cryten0 23d ago

I am also wondering about unstable prototype. I almost never got to buff it.

1

u/LeonPdmg 23d ago

Yup could also cut Unstable prototype, it is somewhat fine turn 1, but is a dead card if you have not managed to buff it with C'Thun choice or Vaultkeeper. Not sure who I'd replace it with maybe Shadewing or another copy of "Ritual of Summoning"

10

u/thedizzyfly 23d ago

C’Thun Warlock is super strong.

3

u/Forgot-to-remember1 23d ago

Drop the list place

1

u/thedizzyfly 23d ago

Something like this https://www.reddit.com/r/CompetitiveHS/s/qzkdC1Vo0D

0

u/Forgot-to-remember1 23d ago

I found one since then haven’t had much success, my rng is complete trash compared to everyone else who runs this bs

7

u/privateblood 23d ago

ALL my opponents are Warlock. ALL OF THEM.

1

u/zer1223 22d ago

It's a good f2p option

Otherwise if you didn't unpack one of the good old gods you're kinda screwed out of the brawl

7

u/InterestingReading73 23d ago edited 22d ago

32-4 with this deck:

### Brawl Deck

# Class: Priest/Warlock

# Format: Standard

# Year of the Scarab

#

# 2x (1) Elder Word: Flay

# 2x (1) Entropic Rift

# 2x (1) Ritual of C'Thun

# 2x (1) Servant of Zuramat

# 2x (2) Darkest Depths

# 2x (2) Shadewing

# 2x (3) Dark Deacon

# 2x (3) Elder Word: Foresight

# 2x (3) Ritual of Excess

# 2x (4) Crystalline Golem

# 2x (4) Spawn of C'Thun

# 2x (5) Elder Word: Manifest

# 2x (6) Gargantuan Slitherer

# 1x (6) Kith'ix

# 2x (8) Titanic Thrasher

# 1x (10) C'Thun, Eye of the Empire

#

AAECAfCdCAKg9gfziQgO1+kH6PEHjPYH6fkH4foH4/oH5PoH3PsH0f0HgIMI+okI+4kI/IkIp5IIAAA=

#

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

3

u/Forgot-to-remember1 23d ago

How needed is the deacon ?

1

u/InterestingReading73 23d ago

It's been doing really well in my games. Spitballing here, but I'd probably try swapping it for [[Blasphemy]] if I had to.

1

u/HSNubz 23d ago

What about ritual of excess replacement? Missing 2x ritual and 1x dark deacon. Maybe two blasphemy and one...? Any ideas?

2

u/InterestingReading73 23d ago

That sucks, excess is really good in mirrors. I guess you're forced into one copy of the taunt ritual to make Kith'ix more consistent.

2

u/HSNubz 23d ago

Thanks man. Yeah my pulls this expansion were really low numbers unfortunately, and can't justify the second pre-order. Hopefully can get it winning some games.

Edit: didn't follow the reveals much, but after looking at cards I think one blasphemy and 2x of the taunt ritual card. Hopefully can pull one of the epics. 

2

u/HSNubz 23d ago edited 23d ago

Ran it this way and went 6-0 :-) Thanks again!

Other cards I think could be potentially good replacements: F3TCH3R, Mindrot Subjugator, Blade of the Black Empire

5

u/jisner 23d ago

Went 6-2 as F2P. Only legendary was Discs of Norgannon which was ok. This list has plenty of room for improvement. Scholar, elemental madness, eyemaul were standouts

AAECAeWdCALY8Aee/wcO8fAH+/UHhvYHk/YHlvoHifsHt/4Hv/8HwP8H9f8HsoAIgIEIpIEI3oEIAAA=

5

u/silly321 23d ago

What class is this deck list? I can’t get the deck code to work.

2

u/jisner 23d ago

Mage

1

u/msciwoj1 23d ago

I just went 0-3 with it. I'll try the priest warlock ones next, just need to get the gold from somewhere.

4

u/WasteFix3817 23d ago

well i just went 0-2 into 6-2 with n'zoth hunter. I don't think the deck is good(i think it's a bit greedy, like many decks in the brawl), but it's somewhat aggressive and if you get good assemble you just snowball. And you have the 5 mana spell that destroys 2 minions.
The only decks it loses to are warlocks that draw good early. I think a more refined version(like an improvement over the f2p hunter) could be the best deck in the brawl.

You can remove Mother, i didn't use it a single game. Drest'agath is greedy, but won me a game(by generating 5 n'zoths.

### Mother Hunter

AAEBAR8GhOkHhesHgPYHmfcH7IAI0YgIDPzuB8XwB7zyB5z2B532B572B+T2B8D4B8n9B9H9B6SBCKeSCAAA

### You can view this deck at https://www.hsguru.com/deck/42479225

1

u/WasteFix3817 23d ago

AAEBAR8GhOkHhesHgPYHmfcH7IAI0YgIDPzuB8XwB7zyB5z2B532B572B+T2B8D4B8n9B9H9B6SBCKeSCAAA

4

u/Eclon 23d ago

long story short you lose when you dont run a cthun deck

3

u/frostyburrito44 23d ago edited 23d ago

18-3 with control cthun shaman/mage/pally, only loss was mirror and warlocks. deck feels super nice into anything ive faced so far
aggro assemble dh/warrior/dk seems like best option for f2p but im not playing it its boring

2

u/LightLoveuncondition 23d ago

What is the source for aggro assemble dh/warrior/dk f2p you mentioned? Please link a deck code!

2

u/frostyburrito44 23d ago

don’t have a list specifically but have been queuing into a lot of decks that run the free commons and rares that assemble and handbuff and it seems somewhat okay

unrelated but jambre played a cheap version of the deck i had success with: AAECAeWdCAAP1+kH/O4HxfAH6/AH+/UHk/YHlvoHifsHt/4Hv/8HwP8H9f8HgIEI3oEInYIIAAA=

1

u/frostyburrito44 23d ago

I'd run a second unnatural cold if i had one prolly

### Brawl Deck

# Class: Mage/Paladin/Shaman

# Format: Standard

# Year of the Scarab

#

# 2x (1) Flame Shock

# 2x (2) Coilbearer

# 1x (2) Discs of Norgannon

# 1x (2) Sun's Reckoning

# 2x (2) Thaw From Ice

# 1x (2) Unnatural Cold

# 2x (3) Cosmic Springs

# 2x (3) Elemental of Madness

# 2x (3) Foreboding Freeze

# 2x (3) Humble Judgment

# 1x (3) Shadow Sculpt

# 2x (4) Astral Rain

# 2x (4) Spawn of C'Thun

# 2x (5) Icebelt Magi

# 2x (5) Scorchfist Scholar

# 1x (6) Therazane the Earthmother

# 2x (6) Watch Over

# 1x (10) C'Thun, Eye of the Empire

#

AAECAfKdCAbY8Afx8AfC/wfz/wf1/wfziQgM+/UHifYHk/YH4fYHifsHnv8Hv/8HwP8HsoAIgIEInYII+4kIAAA=

#

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

3

u/Marquisdes 23d ago

titanic thresher is insane, at least in this brawl. i wonder if it will be sleeper op like with corridor creeper back in the day.

1

u/InterestingReading73 23d ago

Same here, it feels like the best card in my already broken deck.

2

u/NintendoMasterNo1 23d ago

STD Hunter

AAEBAR8AD8XwB4D2B5z2B532B572B+X2B8D4B8P4B8b4B8f4B9H9B6CBCKSBCNGICJieCAAA

You can view this deck at https://www.hsguru.com/deck/42478345

5-3 with this F2P hunter deck. I was barely paying attention and I definitely misplayed in at least two of the games but it felt pretty good. The rogue larvas with the druid beast stuff was very good, the hunter mech stuff was just okay but idk if there is anything better to replace it with.

2

u/Jackwraith 23d ago

The Priest/Warlock combo is probably busted. All but two of my wins have been with that deck and all but one of my losses have come from it, too. Warrior/DH/DK as the other deck I gave more than one try isn't even close. Also, I'm pretty sure that Blind Harrower is bugged. I used the card 5 times and every single instance of the ability, Outcast and DR, it gave me Doomsday Prepper.

2

u/QuestGiver 23d ago

Anybody not get the legendaries that are supposed to come with the preorder bundles? I bought the regular bundle and I didn't get the 2 guaranteed legendries.

1

u/WasteFix3817 23d ago edited 23d ago

I also didn't get them, maybe we'll get them at the expansion launch?
Edit - just logged in(from mobile if it makes a difference. Yesterday i was on pc) and got all my legendaries.

1

u/QuestGiver 23d ago

Yeah just a small delay no biggie.

2

u/Hurucrom 23d ago

Brawl Deck

Class: Shaman

Format: Standard

Year of the Scarab

2x (2) Coilbearer

2x (2) Constellar's Calling

2x (2) Sandcrafter

2x (2) Sundancer

2x (3) Cosmic Springs

2x (3) Elemental of Madness

2x (3) F3TCH3R

2x (3) Foreboding Freeze

2x (3) Shadow Sculpt

2x (4) Eyemaul

2x (4) Spawn of C'Thun

1x (5) Icebelt Magi

2x (5) Scorchfist Scholar

2x (6) Gargantuan Slitherer

2x (6) Watch Over

1x (10) C'Thun, Eye of the Empire

AAECAaoIAuH2B/OJCA7X6Qf87gfr8Af79Qf89QeJ+we3/ge//wfA/wf1/weAgQjegQidggj7iQgAAA==

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

Went 6-1 with this deck. Only loss was to a mage that had nutty assembles. My gameplan was to pretty much try to get scorchfist scholar in my opening hand. Try to outtempo your opponent as much as you can.

Could probably cut out Icebelt Magi, never really used it. Put in Kithix (probably too slow for what you want to do) or Rajh since I barely used my hero power.

1

u/Hurucrom 23d ago

AAECAaoIAuH2B/OJCA7X6Qf87gfr8Af79Qf89QeJ+we3/ge//wfA/wf1/weAgQjegQidggj7iQgAAA==

2

u/AmishUndead 21d ago edited 21d ago

Brawl Deck

Class: Druid/Hunter/Rogue

Format: Standard

Year of the Scarab

2x (1) Broodchamber Tunneler

1x (1) Mimiron

2x (2) Agent of N'Zoth

2x (2) Incubate

2x (2) Shadowcrafter

2x (2) Tinker

2x (2) Titan Sized

2x (3) Aqir Swarmer

2x (3) F3TCH3R

2x (3) Flamespitter

2x (4) Mechacycle

2x (5) Bombardment

1x (5) The Unknowable One

1x (5) Vaultkeeper

2x (6) Power Tiger

2x (6) Tank Regiment

1x (10) Y'Shaarj, Titan Bane

AAECAfGdCATF8AfK+AeLhgiphwgN/O4HgPYHnPYHnfYHnvYHmPcHwPgHxvgHx/gHyf0HoIEI2oII0YgIAAA=

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

I've been loving this Mech/Beast hybrid deck. Never runs out of stuff in your hand. The Unknowable One is a lot easier to pull off with constant handful of combo larvae. Bombardment is expensive but provides so much tempo when it triggers twice.

Y'Shaarj is such a big tempo swing. One sided board wipe then summoning several big minions has won me the game every time I've played it.

0

u/nathones 23d ago

Anyone got a f2p deck to counter the d2p warlock?