by JR Cook - 11 years ago     show comments

Starting this week we will be going into more detail on the various types of decks that you can choose to build. I mentioned them briefly in my first posts, but that doesn’t not mean much to rookies so I want to spend some time going over the basic themes behind each type of deck as well as their strengths and weaknesses. We will start with the two most obvious types of decks and therefore the best ones to attempt when constructing your very first build.

The Burn Deck

The “burn” deck type is for people who want to win quickly using high damage output. Most cards in these decks are usually comprised of spells and abilities, but any creatures that can put out decent damage before being destroyed often makes a good card as well. A few creatures that can absorb damage are a good investments as well, since the lack of other minions on the board can often leave the player exposed. If you tend to play burst-damage roles in MMOs and other RPGs, a burn deck might be a good place to start.

The advantage of a burn deck is that you can be a threat at a very early stage. While most other decks need some time before they get rolling, a burn deck can start laying down damage very early on. With that said, you will want to put a heavier emphasis on low-to-mid mana cards and keep your mana curve in that area. My personal burn deck in Hearthstone is comprised of mostly 2, 3, and 4 cost cards and a turn that doesn’t allow me to dish out some kind of damage is a rarity. On the other hand, a burn deck is susceptible to having its spells countered and will usually fall to a creature-heavy deck unless they can maintain control of the field early on. Their strength in the early game is also their weakness in the late game; if a burn deck allows the opponent to get to the end-game and start laying down creatures with high damage and health, the tables will quickly turn.

The Turtle Deck

Slow and steady, the turtle deck is designed for those who enjoy delayed gratification. You will not win quickly with a turtle deck, but that is not the point; the longer the game lasts, the better things look for the turtle deck. This is because the turtle deck is built around survivability. It is designed to withstand the punishing spells and creatures of other deck types until it has enough mana to bring out its big guns. It is not a flashy strategy, but it gets the job done.

The mana curve of a turtle deck will probably favor higher cost cards than the other decks, but it should still maintain a healthy supply of low cost heals and cards that can redirect some damage. After all, you need to get to the late game, and you probably will not get there if your opponent has free reign of the board. You also want to be as frustrating to your opponent as possible. Many of your early moves will likely be reactionary, so having some counterspells to block a burn deck’s abilities or anything else that can nullify their attempts to do damage is key. You may also run into situations where you have no cards to play due to the high cost of your hand; while this is hardly ideal, it is easier for a turtle deck to turn this situation around as opposed to the burn deck, where a wasted turn is practically a death sentence.